When I first got the Kettlebell
I didn't fully know what to do with it. I did a couple swinging movements and tried to mimic the pics on the box (dangerous). Here's a great video that gives a good simple workout:Good and simple but tiring!
Monday, May 20, 2013
Kettlebells!
I have been doing the same arm workout for over 15 years now - 3 sets of 15 curls, 3 sets of 15 presses, 3 sets of 15 extensions, and 3 sets of 15 lat pull downs. I'm now bored of the workout ... the problem is I got so bored of it, I stopped doing arms. I do not want arms that wave after me, though, so this weekend I invested in a kettlebell which I am now in love with.
When I first got the Kettlebell I didn't fully know what to do with it. I did a couple swinging movements and tried to mimic the pics on the box (dangerous). Here's a great video that gives a good simple workout:
Good and simple but tiring!
When I first got the Kettlebell
I didn't fully know what to do with it. I did a couple swinging movements and tried to mimic the pics on the box (dangerous). Here's a great video that gives a good simple workout:Good and simple but tiring!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Race Report: Seattl's Best 15K
Yesterday I ran the Seattle's Best 15K for the third year in a row. The first year I ran I placed 2nd, last year I placed 1st, and this year I placed 5th. I can't be too bummed, though - I ran just 20sec slower than I did last year. The field was good!
The race started at 7:30am and the field wasn't huge (I'd guess less than 500 people). This year the race organizers introduced a new distance - the 10K - to be run in addition to the 15K. The 15K had an extra out and back tacked on but the rest of the course was the same - around lake Union. For the 10K, the organizers also had a costume contest which made the starting line entertaining (the man who started next to me was wearing hot pink women's running shorts with a neon green tank top). When the race started I immediately went out too fast clocking a sub 6:30 for my first mile. After that I fell off into the 7s and wound up averaging a sub 7 for the total 15K. From going out too fast I was wrecked from mile 3 to mile 6 - then somehow I got a second wind. Towards miles 7, 8, and 9 I was ready to be done - I knew if I finished up fast enough I'd be in time to see the boys' soccer game start and I was motivated to kick it into higher gear for the remaining distance.
All in, it was a fun race as usual. I like either a bigger field or trails, I think, though - something about the masses or the trees motivates me a bit more.
All in, it was a fun race as usual. I like either a bigger field or trails, I think, though - something about the masses or the trees motivates me a bit more.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Weekend roundup: kid time!
What a great and exhausting weekend. Matt was out of town so the boys and I "hung." Saturday we rose early and went for a walk around the neighborhood. Then we were off to soccer and then play time at Ella's (the tree in her back yard feel down which turned into the best play structure ever).
Saturday afternoon after a skipped nap hour, we packed up again and made our way to Little Gym for Jonny's birthday party (a buddy from school - it was the first event I've been to where I didn't know any of the adults, instead, I just knew all the kids). At the party the kids went nuts on gym equipment and then played with their hipster glasses and fake mustache's they got as party prizes (at least I think hipster was the theme ... that or Groucho Marx).
Sunday we rose super early and headed out to run errands. After hitting two markets and still managing to forget most of the things on my list, we went to Discovery Park for a "hike." About 400 yards in we found a playground and zip line, so the hike was done, but we still had a blast.
Sunday afternoon was all about playing in the yard and gardening with our neighbors. Just as the sun was setting we loaded up one more time to go pick Matt up downtown. Driving down, we were lucky to enjoy an amazing sunset and view. Loving Seattle in the Spring!
Saturday afternoon after a skipped nap hour, we packed up again and made our way to Little Gym for Jonny's birthday party (a buddy from school - it was the first event I've been to where I didn't know any of the adults, instead, I just knew all the kids). At the party the kids went nuts on gym equipment and then played with their hipster glasses and fake mustache's they got as party prizes (at least I think hipster was the theme ... that or Groucho Marx).
Sunday we rose super early and headed out to run errands. After hitting two markets and still managing to forget most of the things on my list, we went to Discovery Park for a "hike." About 400 yards in we found a playground and zip line, so the hike was done, but we still had a blast.
Sunday afternoon was all about playing in the yard and gardening with our neighbors. Just as the sun was setting we loaded up one more time to go pick Matt up downtown. Driving down, we were lucky to enjoy an amazing sunset and view. Loving Seattle in the Spring!Friday, May 3, 2013
Race Report: Big Sur Marathon
Last weekend I ran the Big Sur Marathon and it was AMAZING. This was hands down my favorite race (of any distance) ever. It helps that I PR'd (which is nuts for Big Sur) with a marathon time of 3:19:54.
The morning of the race at 5am (when we started getting ready at the Big Sur starting line) the coordinators said the weather was "Goldie Locks weather" - not too hot, and not too cold. They were right, it was perfect. Climbing up one of the hills, though, I got hit with a gust of freezing wind but at the time it felt great. The morning and the prep were a little rough, but fun at the same time. I had to get up at 3:30am to get on a 4am bus for a 1-hour ride from Carmel (where my mom and I were staying) to Big Sur (the race start). On the bus I sat next to a woman from San Jose and we chatted about the course and running the entire time - there's always something to talk about with a fellow runner. At the starting line area the thousands of us running had to wait for about an hour for the proper start. The coordinators spoke about the tragedy in Boston from the week before, and many runners at Big Sur had run Boston as well. It was an interesting mix of sorrow and paying tribute to the runners and fans there. Then it was time ...
First - the course: the course was breathtaking running along highway 1 with no cars. Prior to the race I was nervous because part of running a long race is having people cheering, it keeps the motivation up. My mom came with me to Big Sur but she wasn't able to get on the course because the entire stretch of highway was closed off. Turns out there was nothing to be scared of - the ocean was a great running partner. Along the course there were some incredible volunteers every 2 miles or so. Also, there were people playing music - my favorites were a group of drummers right before a big hill climb, and a man playing a grand piano next to the Big Sur bridge over the crashing waves. The cliffs and beaches were pretty astounding, too. I am not a religious
person but I seriously felt like God was on the course - or something incredible - I was in awe of nature's beauty here.
The course really was hilly throughout, here's an elevation glance from my watch:
Second - my boogie man: when I run I tend to go out too fast, then have an internal voice pipe in at around mile 10 or 13 saying "it's OK to slow down, no-one will ever know." Marathons are LONG and give plenty of time for head games. The night before Big Sur I read an article about positive reinforcement while running. At the starting line I promised myself to be positive - no excuses. I went out at a 7:25 pace; instead of saying "too fast!" I said "it's OK - this is good, I can do this." Throughout the race I kept an internal mantra going "I feel good, I'm doing good," and it helped! There were a couple times when the little voice would pipe in "you're going to get tired" and I'd put my positive voice on loud internally yelling "I FEEL GOOD, I'M DOING GOOD." Do I sound crazy with all the internal voices? :)
Third - the gear: I felt more prepared with the best setup for this race. I ran in my Oiselle pink tank, my favorite Newton shoes (trail shoes - at the end of the race a shoe store owner was shocked I had run so fast in trail kicks), Lululemon capris, a Saucony running jacket, and my new Garmin Forerunner 10 watch (which I am now in love with).
I have to say, finishing the race and seeing my time I felt pretty darn good. I blew past my marathon PR by 15min. I got to see my mom right at the finish which was awesome (and she looked like a complete paparazzi). After getting my medal (or clay creation) and some water, I made my way to the massage tent where I could have just fallen asleep.
Building up to Big Sur, I promised myself this was my last marathon ever. Now I want to do it again next year ...
The morning of the race at 5am (when we started getting ready at the Big Sur starting line) the coordinators said the weather was "Goldie Locks weather" - not too hot, and not too cold. They were right, it was perfect. Climbing up one of the hills, though, I got hit with a gust of freezing wind but at the time it felt great. The morning and the prep were a little rough, but fun at the same time. I had to get up at 3:30am to get on a 4am bus for a 1-hour ride from Carmel (where my mom and I were staying) to Big Sur (the race start). On the bus I sat next to a woman from San Jose and we chatted about the course and running the entire time - there's always something to talk about with a fellow runner. At the starting line area the thousands of us running had to wait for about an hour for the proper start. The coordinators spoke about the tragedy in Boston from the week before, and many runners at Big Sur had run Boston as well. It was an interesting mix of sorrow and paying tribute to the runners and fans there. Then it was time ...
First - the course: the course was breathtaking running along highway 1 with no cars. Prior to the race I was nervous because part of running a long race is having people cheering, it keeps the motivation up. My mom came with me to Big Sur but she wasn't able to get on the course because the entire stretch of highway was closed off. Turns out there was nothing to be scared of - the ocean was a great running partner. Along the course there were some incredible volunteers every 2 miles or so. Also, there were people playing music - my favorites were a group of drummers right before a big hill climb, and a man playing a grand piano next to the Big Sur bridge over the crashing waves. The cliffs and beaches were pretty astounding, too. I am not a religious
The course really was hilly throughout, here's an elevation glance from my watch:Second - my boogie man: when I run I tend to go out too fast, then have an internal voice pipe in at around mile 10 or 13 saying "it's OK to slow down, no-one will ever know." Marathons are LONG and give plenty of time for head games. The night before Big Sur I read an article about positive reinforcement while running. At the starting line I promised myself to be positive - no excuses. I went out at a 7:25 pace; instead of saying "too fast!" I said "it's OK - this is good, I can do this." Throughout the race I kept an internal mantra going "I feel good, I'm doing good," and it helped! There were a couple times when the little voice would pipe in "you're going to get tired" and I'd put my positive voice on loud internally yelling "I FEEL GOOD, I'M DOING GOOD." Do I sound crazy with all the internal voices? :)
Third - the gear: I felt more prepared with the best setup for this race. I ran in my Oiselle pink tank, my favorite Newton shoes (trail shoes - at the end of the race a shoe store owner was shocked I had run so fast in trail kicks), Lululemon capris, a Saucony running jacket, and my new Garmin Forerunner 10 watch (which I am now in love with).
I have to say, finishing the race and seeing my time I felt pretty darn good. I blew past my marathon PR by 15min. I got to see my mom right at the finish which was awesome (and she looked like a complete paparazzi). After getting my medal (or clay creation) and some water, I made my way to the massage tent where I could have just fallen asleep.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Weekend roundup ... and then some!
I'm falling behind! Between faux marathon training (I have Big Sur this weekend), chasing the boys around, soccer practice, gardening, and more it's been tough to find a minute. So here's the roundup for this weekend and then some...
The boys have started soccer and are TOTALLY hooked:
Wilson mostly enjoys sitting in the net, and Cole takes off running around the field and then during down time Cole "makes picnics" with his friend from school.
To keep the passion going, we brought the boys to a Sounders game. In a word, awesome. Last weekend we did a double soccer day with practice in the morning, then Sounders in the afternoon.
That same day I managed to do a double run day with a 5mi in the morning and another 5mi in the afternoon. My double header was boosted by my new CEP compression tights - never thought I'd get these but I LOVE them.
This past weekend, we gardened for about 6 hours enjoying breaks from the rain. The rain is great, but it's making the weeds grow like ... weeds. We also took in a little hike in Discovery Park and then went boating with some friends.
Our friends from SF were also visiting this weekend. Unfortunately it was gray or rainy almost all weekend. Today was another story of course.
The boys have started soccer and are TOTALLY hooked:
Wilson mostly enjoys sitting in the net, and Cole takes off running around the field and then during down time Cole "makes picnics" with his friend from school.
To keep the passion going, we brought the boys to a Sounders game. In a word, awesome. Last weekend we did a double soccer day with practice in the morning, then Sounders in the afternoon.
This past weekend, we gardened for about 6 hours enjoying breaks from the rain. The rain is great, but it's making the weeds grow like ... weeds. We also took in a little hike in Discovery Park and then went boating with some friends.Our friends from SF were also visiting this weekend. Unfortunately it was gray or rainy almost all weekend. Today was another story of course.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Good neighbors
We love our neighbors! Twice a week now our neighbor makes and brings us dinner because she thinks "we deserve a break." The boys love our neighbors too - so much so that they've taken to putting on shows for them:
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Weekend roundup: Easter
This past weekend was a rare Seattle sunny weekend in the Spring - and it was awesome! Saturday I did a semi long run at 11.5 (too short for "real" training but that's OK), then we had some friends over from the boys' school for egg dying. When the house was thoroughly covered in food coloring, we headed outside to garden.
Sunday we woke much too early. The boys were dying to go to Church (that's what happens when pre-school is in a Methodist Church) so we made our way to the morning Easter service. After that we packed up quickly and went to my cousin's house in Bellevue for Easter brunch and a giant egg hunt. Sitting on the porch in the sun eating too much candy and sipping mimosa - perfect Sunday in my opinion.
When we arrived home after Easter brunch, Cole insisted on our 3rd egg hunt so we quickly smattered the lawn with plastic and dyed eggs.
Sunday we woke much too early. The boys were dying to go to Church (that's what happens when pre-school is in a Methodist Church) so we made our way to the morning Easter service. After that we packed up quickly and went to my cousin's house in Bellevue for Easter brunch and a giant egg hunt. Sitting on the porch in the sun eating too much candy and sipping mimosa - perfect Sunday in my opinion.
When we arrived home after Easter brunch, Cole insisted on our 3rd egg hunt so we quickly smattered the lawn with plastic and dyed eggs.
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