Last week, I did week 1 of the Abs by April challenge sponsored by Megan at Run Like a Grl.  The challenge for the week was to do a plank each day. I have to admit, I did not fully succeed at doing a plank each day (I take a few days off each week and did not do ANYTHING on those days).  Other than that, I incorporated planks into my workouts or just did a plank in my bedroom when I remembered. 

My hardest day of planking was on Tuesday, January 22. I attended a hardcore workout class at the gym, and the instructor had us planking and squatting the whole time.  My abs were killing me the next day....hurts so good! ;)  I unfortunately do not have any pictures of me planking, but I did take post-week-one stomach pictures so I can track progress, if any. 

Post week one photos:

(Post week 1: Wow look at all the crap on my floor!!)

I don't see much progress yet, but it has only been one week.  Not to mention my healthy eating habits went out the window this weekend when I consumed my body weight in burgers, sushi, and DQ.  I wish I could say that I regret those decisions....  Seriously though, if I want to lose that little fat deposit under my belly button I will have to cut down on some of the unhealthy stuff and do more ab work and lifting.

This week's challenge is not a daily challenge, but something to do 3-4 times this week.  I will keep you  all updated on my progress. 

Topic #2 of this posts involves my serious lack of any "style" posts.  My blog is called Miles & Style but so far, most of my posts are about training.  I really do intend to do more gear and clothing reviews, so keep an eye out for those.  I think I will have to recruit my roommate to start taking pictures of me or something because the mirror shots are so Myspace.

Riddle Run 4-Miler Recap

On Saturday I joined a bunch of other crazy runners and did the Riddle Run, which is a January trail fun run put on by a local family.  I think the term "fun run" is used quite loosely seeing as I don't think I can ever truly have fun in sub freezing temperatures.  I kid, I kid. It was a good time! It was also my first race/run that was over a 5k.  The Riddle Run involves a 4-mile trail loop. You can do as many loops as you want, but technically, you get a DNF unless you complete 7 loops--or 28 miles.  Obviously, I DNF'd (but felt like a champ!!).  I ended up with a time of about 41:00 with a pace of 10'06".  I'm proud of the pace, especially because it was a snowy freezing trail run!

Early morning and freezing pre-race photo. My boyfriend's mom ran with me and stuck to doing only one loop. 

My boyfriend ran the whole thing. He's a machine! 

The best part about Riddle Run is that every participant gets a cream-filled cupcake when they are done. It was out of this world delicious.

I changed and waited for the BF to finish his 28 miles. It was freezing outside but fun to hang out with the other runners. All in all, it was a great time and I can't wait to sign up for my next race :)

10k Training Report: Week 3

I'm sticking with my 10k training plan and have successfully completed week three.  Week three was pretty interesting because it upped the ante for running time and distance compared to weeks one and two.  Week three called for:

This is how it went:

Monday: 

Prescribed: 25 minutes "easy" 

Ran: 25 minutes, not so easy, but FUN, at the gym with my friends Sarah and Jen who are doing the 10k with me. 

Tuesday:
Prescribed: Easy cross train or off.
Did: 40 minute easy Cardio H2O class (my new favorite class, its so easy but so fun), AND a hardcore 1-hr core class after that where we did squats and planks until I thought I was going to die. I was SO SORE.

Wednesday:
Prescribed: 30 minutes running + 3-4 striders.
Ran: 30 minute at unknown pace or distance. Approximately 3 miles. (My friend also used her Nike+ and ours were .25 mile off each so that was kind of curious).  Three 100-meter striders.

Thursday
Prescribed: 25 mins
Ran/Did: Cardio H2O class again. Then did some running at a different gym.  Ran two 8-minute miles, did a total of about 2.6 miles.

Friday:
Prescribed: OFF
Did: NOTHING!

Saturday:
Prescribed: 4 mile long run.
Did: 4 mile trail run as part of fun run/race. Details to come! Average pace: 10:06.

Sunday:
Prescribed: Optional Cross Train
Doing: NOTHING. Homework all day!

In reflection of my week, I feel like I have improved from week 1, where running one mile was getting to be pretty tiring after taking a few weeks off due to finals.  I think after 16 weeks of this training plan, I will hopefully be more than ready for a 10k! :)

Game-Changing Run

Sooo today was weird. Weird in a good way though.  I went to the gym to run on the track, and I brought my handy phone with Nike+ app. I started running at a pace that felt pretty fast for me. Not sprinting or anything but not my normal jog.  My phone told me that I was running at a 10:44/mi pace.  I didn't feel like I was going at that pace, but I have learned not to question how slow I am. After one minute, when I had done a bit over one lap on the track, my phone said that I had run 0.09 miles.  I thought that was a little weird because the track is a 200 meter (0.125 mile) track, so I kept a vague watch on how many laps and how long they took.  Each lap took me pretty much one minute.  After running for 8 minutes, then, I had done 8 laps.  This is what my phone said: 

(See my phone battery? Sucks)

Not wanting to believe that my phone could be so off, I decided to go for another mile at that pace. I used my Nike+ app but decided to just count the laps and use the gym clock timer. 

Amazed that I could run a mile in 8 minutes and confused at how off my Nike+ app really was, I asked someone who worked at the gym if the track was actually 200 meters. Yep.  And I know how to count, I did 8. So today, I ran two 8-minute miles! I can't believe it.  I know for some, this is super slow. But for me, I am just so happy!! I used to run much faster than that in high school, but since I've picked up running this year, I've been stuck in 10-min-mile land (good place, don't get me wrong).  I think knowing that I can run faster than a 10 min mile is going to help me motivate myself to get in better shape so that I can sustain that pace for longer than one mile.  I'm still happy with my goal of running the 10k in April at or around a 10 minute mile pace, but this gives me a little more confidence that I can maybe be faster in the months and years ahead. 

(PROOF!)

(You have not seen icky until you have seen me after a Cardio H2O class and running)

What running gadgets do you use?

Hi, my name is Paige and I have obsessive tendencies. I obsess about my grades, my outfits, the grey hairs that I am getting (I'm 25, wth?), and how to bake the most fluffy cookies in the land.  ANYWAY, it should come as no surprise that I have some tendencies when it comes to my new hobby of running. 

I like to track how far and how fast I run.  Why?  No idea, considering I don't run very far and I most definitely do not run very fast. Regardless, this is something that I like to do and analyze and obsess about.  In order to feed into this obsession, I generally use the Nike+ GPS app on my phone.  I like it because it tells me where I went, my pace, my total time, and it even gives me updates in my ear as I go.  

As of late, though, this phone app just isn't cutting it for me.  For starters, I am getting annoyed with wearing my phone on a band on my arm.  Nasty alert: I sweat a lot and it starts getting wet and heavy and eew gross.  Also, now that I am running for more than 30 minutes at a time, my already-horrible android phone battery is having trouble keeping up.  I've had my phone die multiple times, and while the Nike+ support has changed my time/distance on the Nike+ page, I think they are on their last limb with me.  Finally, I don't think the Nike+ app is very accurate, especially with indoor running.  For instance, I ran with my friend Jen at the gym today, and we both used our Nike+ phone app.  We pressed start and end at the same time. Her app said 3.15 miles at 9:55 pace. My app said 2.91 miles at 10:41 pace. Let me clear the air by saying that Jen does not have Edward Cullen capabilities to lap me without me knowing. This means that the app is off, pretty bad! Being off one minute per mile is bad! How am I supposed to correctly obsess about my time and distance?!?!

So...what to do?

I'm considering getting a Garmin GPS watch with a foot pod. (Specifically Garmin FR 210). I've read reviews that this is a great watch for indoor and outdoor use and highly accurate. Specifically, the foot pod for the Garmin tracks cadence and steps so it gives a more accurate account of indoor running. The downside(s)? Price ($245+) and I would have to use Garmin Connect, which may or may not be a good thing. I like the prettiness of the Nike+ website and how it tracks my goals, but I know the Garmin Connect has a lot of nice features too.

I've also considered getting the Nike Sportwatch. I don't think it is as accurate indoors though, and I also am not sure of how sturdy it is.  I've read a few reviews of people's Nike watches dying in a year or so, which is not what I want obviously.  Also, I read somewhere that the Nike watch doesn't log miles that aren't completed? So if you run 3.99 miles it says 3.0 miles? What? It can't be. One upside to this watch though is that the foot pods AND the watch are much cheaper than the Garmin 210 and I can also stick with the Nike+ website.

What running gadgets do you use, and what do you like/dislike about them?

Abs by April Challenge

Megan, author of the blog Run Like A Grl, has started a challenge to help us all get better abs before swimsuit season!  Each week, she will post an ab/core workout or exercise that is the weekly challenge to help us get a sexay midsection ;).  She also requests workout advice, progress reports, and photos.  I'm excited to get into the challenge.  I'm naturally thin (I know, someone punch me), but my stomach fat lady lumps have always been a challenging thing to lose.  I say that as I shove my face with cookies. But for real, I am excited to get started on the challenge!

This weeks challenge: 1 plank per day. 

I am guessing that I won't get a 6-pack by doing one plank per day, so I will try to incorporate the fitness challenge with other core work that I do.  So far today, I've run 25 minutes, lifted some light weights at high rep, and then did planks for 2 minutes. That is kind of all over the place.  I probably need a plan? I will try to post weekly with updates on what I have done for the challenge. 

And now comes the pre-ab-challenge "ab" pics. I'm a tad embarrassed to post this on the web, but maybe they will help me hold myself accountable to actually do the ab workouts!!

(shown below: pre-ab challenge abs). 

10k Training Report: Week 2

Something about me is that I have grand goals when it comes to working out, and I rarely keep up with these goals.. For instance, the picture below inspired me to work out for awhile last year.. until I realized that no amount of exercise will help me grow two cup sizes :-\. Le sigh.

(photo credit: http://media-cache-ec2.pinterest.com/upload/103934703870699056_kgRpaAjK.jpg)

 I'm' happy to say that I still haven't quit running, despite starting back in November.  In fact, I've kept up completely with the first two week of my 10k running plan. 

My week in review:

Monday

Prescribed: 20 minutes easy

Ran: 23 minutes for 2.06 miles (10:58 pace) on the treadmill in my apartment complex before class. Felt pretty good, watched a little "Say yes to the dress" and went at a nice pace for me to sustain.

Tuesday

Prescribed: Easy XT or off

Did: Tuesday-fun-day. Went to a swim cardio class with my friend.  

It was pretty easy but really fun. I wore my new tri swim top and swim cap (aka mad sexayness)(do you guys think I look as good as the girl in the picture above??!!!?). 

Wednesday

Prescribed: 25 minutes run + 2-3 striders

Ran: 27 minute run, 2.69 miles (10:11 pace), 3 90-meter striders, no idea what pace. 

Thursday

Prescribed: 20 minute easy run

Ran: nothingz. Was busy! Ended up doing the run Friday

Friday

Prescribed: OFF

Ran: 20 minutes around the neighborhood, ~ 2 miles. 

Saturday

Prescribed: Long run, 3.5 miles

Ran: Nothing! Was resting my knee a bit. Glad I did

Sunday

Prescribed: Optional XT

Ran: 3.5 miles, 39 minutes, 10:58 pace on treadmill.  Made up for my long run miss today. Ran the whole thing, albeit slower than normal. 

Treadmill

I only wish my treadmill exercises were this exciting!

but not THIS exciting

10k Training Report: Week One

I posted my training plan previously (here), but this is a quick view of what my plan was for the week.  Basically, anything that says "easy" was supposed to be in the 12:00 min/mi pace, and then speed is kind of just my general walk/run pace which tends to be 10:15-10:45 min/mi. 

This is how the week turned out for me:

Monday

Two mile "easy run" at the gym, which ended up being at a faster pace than I intended. I forgot to stop my time, it was actually about 20:40, so 10:20 per mile pace.  Then I did 25 minutes on the bike while watching E! Turned out to be about 5 miles on the bike. 

Tuesday

Tuesday is rest or easy XT.  I did the  Jillian Michaels "6 week to sixpack" video followed by 5-10 minutes of free weights.  Felt pretty good but man I can't do burpees!

 (Shown above: Gracie wondering what is happening in the living room??... below: Adding a little resistance mom!)

Wednesday

Ran 2.08mi in 20 minutes (9:35 pace? Couldn't believe it myself).  Then did 3 x 100 meter sprints at a 6:30 pace.  Ran at night so I got to wear my new Highgear running light that my brother got me for Christmas. :)

Wearing: lululemon brisk run toque (here); Highgear running light (similar here)

Thursday

Ran at the gym with boyfriend's mom (don't worry, we're buddies).  Ran 2.19 miles over 24:31, so a nice 11'10" pace.  I think 11:00-11:30 will be a comfortable pace for long runs for me. I felt really great.  (besides a weird knee pain, I'm going to roll my knee today).

Friday
Rest day!!

Saturday

"Long" 3-mile run with Jen on campus. We were supposed to go at a slower pace but she's a speedy one so I found myself running at my race pace the whole time. Yikes!  Still had a good time and the weather was beautiful (50 degrees) for January.  We only ran 3.06 miles at first, and then I took a break and watched my boyfriend run the 3000m at the Illinois open indoor race (he is 26, he ran unattached). Afterward I ran back to my car because it was dark and rainy! I decided to do the Nike+ for that too for fun.  I'm starting to think that the Nike+ app is not all that accurate.  I sprinted part of the way home and it showed me going at a 7:30 pace (I was sprinting, no way I could sustain that for longer than .2 miles), but then I stopped to walk a bit, and the MPH graph shows me going a steady 9:30 min mile.  Not that its a big deal but I guess I just prefer accuracy!!

Sunday
Thinking I'll be taking Sunday as a rest and homework day :)

Ivivva Keep Ur Cool Tank vs. the Cool Racerback

I am finally getting to the review of the Ivivva tank that I bought after my last 5k.  I figured I would compare it to the tried and true Lululemon Cool Racerback seeing as Ivivva is the sister (read: kid) brand of Lulu.   Anyway, I really was impressed with the Keep Ur Cool Racer tank.  The luon light fabric is about 80% as thick as the regular luon tanks that I have from Lulu.  I read some complaints on the website about the thinness of the luon but it is not that thin in my opinion... and I like having different options of thick/thin depending on how I am layering. 

The fit is very similar.  I think the Ivivva tank size 12 is the same length as the cool racerback size 4...maybe a half centimeter shorter if anything.  The biggest difference that I noticed was the more modest neckline of the Ivivva tank.  It makes sense that it would not be as low cut since the Ivivva tank is technically for kids. 

Above -- Ivivva Keep Ur Cool tank $$, size 12 (found here)

For size reference, I am 5'3" and about 108 lbs with a pretty narrow build. 

Below -- Lululemon Cool Racerback $$$, size 4 (found here)

I would definitely purchase another Ivivva tank if they came out with a wider variety of colors.  Right now, the selection is somewhat juvenile and limited.  I suppose that this is because it IS a kid's brand AND Lululemon probably doesn't want all of their clientele going for the cheaper tanks!   Have you had any experience with Ivivva? 

My Signature Smoothie

I love smoothies.  Because I have such a sweet tooth and because I sometimes tend to be lazy when it comes to getting my servings of fruit, I find that smoothies are a healthy way for me to get all of my nutrients.  I will admit that I am a little bit picky about my smoothies....there has to be a full banana in there and I am not a huge fan of artificial flavoring  (I know, shocker) or too much ice.  Besides the smoothies that I make myself, I really love the Starbucks orange-mango smoothie.  They add protein so it is a great post-workout drink.  I'm sure there are some artificial flavors in it but its not overpowering or sticky-gooey tasting if that makes sense. 

This here is my tried and true recipe for my signature breakfast/post workout/dessert delicious and nutritious banana-orange-strawberry smoothie.  

Ingredients: 

**1 large banana

**3-4 strawberries

**5 ice cubes

**container-sized portion of yogurt
(any flavor yogurt but I prefer plain, vanilla, blueberry, or peach) 

**1/3 cup orange juice

Step 1: Put whole banana (the browner the better) and 3-4 cut up strawberries in the blender. 

Step 2: Add about 5 large ice cubes and a container of yogurt.  

Step 3: Pour about 1/3 cup of orange juice over the ingredients. Blend. 

 Step 4: Enjoy!

10k Training Starts Today

My friend Jen and I signed up for the Illinois 10k (part of the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon weekend).  We both started running in November/Dec of 2012 and are somewhat on the same level of speed and fitness.  Ok, fine, she's a bit faster than me. BUT she's a good friend and is going to stay on pace with me and train with me for the 10k on April 27 of this year. 

I looked up several training plans online, it seemed like there was not one that fit right for our level of fitness.  We aren't quite beginners because we have been running for a few months now and can finish a 5k if need be (let's not talk about my latest running slump).  We surely aren't intermediate yet, having only run for a short number of months and not quite having a base level of fitness.  So we are beginnermediate I suppose?  Alas, there were no beginnermediate training plans that I could find, so I combined a few (here, here, here) and made my own.  It is 16 weeks long because that is how long we have until the big race. You can click on the image to view it larger.

My primary goal is to remain injury free during this entire period and finish the race.  If I want to have a lofty goal, I'd like to run the entire race nonstop.  An even loftier goal would be to run it at a 10:00 min/mile pace.  My loftiest goal will be to complete the race, outfitted head-to-toe in lululemon with my mascara still looking great and a radient but not sweaty-pig-like glow ;)  Anyone have any good pictures of their first 10k?

December Running in Review

Well...... I kind of dropped the ball on reaching my December running goal.  I attribute this to three things, in no particular order:

* Law school finals took up most of my month

* The cold. BRRRR. Like 20 degrees out!

* Laziness/holidays/etc.

My goal for December was to have a 5% improvement in speed and a 10% improvement in total distance.  This meant that I wanted to run about 40 miles in December and run at an average pace of 10:40 minute mile.  What did I actually achieve?   Ran a total of 18.98 miles with an average pace of 10:49 per mile.  So, I ran about half as much as I did in November--but with a faster overall pace. 

I really need to step up my game this month because my friend Jen and I signed up for the Illinois 10k for April and I want to be able to run the whole thing without stopping!! Any tips on motivating myself to get out there in the cold? Maybe I should try the dreadmill treadmill. :(