So after we removed the carpet in the upstairs, we were left with hardwood floors that looked like this. Dark, damaged, and paint-splattered. Luckily, they were in decently good condition otherwise and just needed to be sanded and refinished. So today, my law school roommate came to town and helped me sand two of the four upstairs rooms and the hallway.  Here is a before: 

I rented the drum sander from Home Depot for a day for $58. The floor is pine, and so they recommended using 60 grit and 80 grit sandpaper. Each 11x11ft room took only one $7.95 piece (although to be safe I would recommend 1.5 pieces per room). The drum sander does not get to the corners or edge of the wall, so I will have to use my dad's edge sander to do that on another day.

Alaina was great with the sander! Honestly, it was pretty easy to use and almost felt like a vacuum. The best tip is to not let the sander drum sit on the floor. It has to be moving all the time or you will ding and dent the ground. Check out the picture on the right. The change was so drastic!

Clean floors woo hoo! Thats me posing on the right with my crazy hair and safety mask.

Here is the floor after we did both grits of sandpaper.

Another shot.

The guest room floor got sanded and looks great!

We sanded the hallway. It was pretty difficult because the hallway floor is uneven due to it being such an old house and it settling. But we got a good first round of sanding and I will have to use the hand sander more here.

Final shot of the guest room!

We still have two more rooms to do, but I'm glad we got these tackled today because that means I am one step closer to moving in! It took roughly 4-5 hours to get all of this done. Once you get used to using the sander, you get on a roll and it goes faster. We also learned that we could go over spots a few times and go against the grain, as long as our last pass over the wood was going with the grain.

Have you ever sanded? Any tips for the last 2 rooms?

10k Training: Week 9

Weeeeek 9 is over. Week 9 was hard!!  I'm going to do this recap a little differently because I have come to accept that I will not be following the day-by-day guide, but instead, am at least trying to get most of the workouts done at some point during the week. My week:

Monday

Did nothing! Still tired from the bike/run with Brandon

Tuesday

Ran: 3.01 miles with a few walk breaks. 

Splits: 

Miles 1 & 2 @ 8'30" pace (then Walk)

Mile 3 @ 9'17" pace

Also did a Cardio H2O class and biked on the recumbant bike for 10 miles. 

Wednesday

Biked at the gym. 15 miles

Thursday

Ran: 3.00 miles at 9'46" pace on gym treadmill

Friday

Biked at the gym. About 10 miles

Saturday

Ran: 3.1 miles at 9'30" pace for the Earth, Wind, Fire 5k (recap to come!). I am going to call this my "hills" workout because the course had about a mile of incline.  Then biked 13.5 miles next to Brandon at the gym while he ran. I'm getting sick of the indoor biking for sure. 

Sunday

Ran: 6.2 miles at 10'18" pace for my long run--did it on the gym treadmill at my apartment complex. I had a little knee pain...which I almost always do. But I otherwise felt excellent! Very proud of myself for reaching this milestone. 

How was your week of training ?

10k Training: Week 8 & February review

This is the second week during my 10k training that I didn't get all of my runs done, but I'm not too upset about it.   My knee had been hurting last week and the beginning of week 8, so I decided to take it easy. I'm glad I did.  My knee is now feeling pretty good, so I think some time off did the trick for me!

Week 8 in review: 

Monday

Scheduled: 3 miles easy

Did: 3 mile run/walk through the neighborhood. It ended up being almost a 3x1 speed workout. 

Mile 1: 8:59 

Mile 2: 8:42 

Mile 3: 8:46 

It was really windy too, so I was torn between running fast to get the 3 miles over, but having a hard time running and breathing and needing to take walk breaks.  I also think I was a bit tired from my 5 miles the day before. 

Tuesday

Scheduled: Easy C/T or off

Did: Cardio H2O swim class and 8 miles on the bike at a 10.7mph pace. 

Wednesday

Scheduled: hills run

Did: Nothing! Resting the knee

Thursday

Scheduled: 3 miles easy

Did: Nothing again... Don't you hate when you start feeling guilty for not running?  I DID, however, go home to my parent's house and buy a new-to-me car so I was actually too busy to get a run in. 

Friday

Scheduled: off

Did: Nothing that involved running. It was a campus drinking holiday so you can probably figure out what I was doing

Saturday

Scheduled: 5.5 miles

Did: Nothing! It was my 1-year anniversary with the bf so we spent the day out of town. Was going to do my long run but decided to wait until Sunday to do it with my boyfriend..... 

Sunday

Scheduled: Easy CT

Did: 5 miles long run, 18.6 mi bike ride from h*ll! (see previous post for more details). 

Also, the end of Week 8 also marked the start of a new month. So I'd like to do a quick review of my running in February 2013 compared to past months. 

February Stats:

Total Distance: 45.4 miles 

Total time: 7.43 hours 

Average Pace: 9'48"

Compared to January, I ran only 14 times versus 19 times and I ran 2 less miles. January was a longer month, though, and I also got sick this month and had some knee pain.  My pace definitely increased this month, which was pretty exciting, although my past few runs lately have been slow again (wah wah wah).  So all in all, it has been a decent month. Hopefully March will bring more miles and less illness and pain.  I am heading to Europe for 2 weeks, so that should be interesting as to whether I make it out running enough and what not!  My goals for March are to keep speed where it is generally and to increase mileage.

10k Training: Week 7

Another busyyyy week! No time for blogging although I've had a million things to say (not really, but at least a few thoughts).  At least this time I did do all of my runs from my training plan.

Week 7 in review:

Monday

Scheduled: 3 mile easy run

Ran: 4.84 mi @ 10'15" pace. 

I did more than scheduled because I never did the long run last week so I wanted to get it done ASAP!

Tuesday

Scheduled: Easy C/T or off

Did: Cardio H2O class + Will Power & Grace Class (Squats/Planks) For a total of 2 hours worth of classes at the gym.  I know squats and planks are good for you but that class kills me and my knees. :P

Wednesday

Scheduled: Hills + 10 minutes easy

Did: Ran 3 miles on the track with Jen.  3.15 miles @ 9'36" pace

Thursday

Scheduled: 3 miles easy

Did: Nothing!

Friday

Scheduled: nothing

Did: Hills workout. 

5 minute warmup, 15 minute on the incline mode on the treadmill with 400m on and 400m off, 10 minute cooldown.  

Ended up being 3.15 miles @ 10'10" pace

Saturday

Scheduled: 5 mile long run

Did: nothing!

Sunday

Scheduled: C/T or off

Did: 5 miles on the treadmill! It was tough. ended up being 5.01 mi @ 10'05" pace.  So glad I reached that goal though, 5 miles was looming over me like an unattainable goal.   Maybe I succeeded because I bought myself my 5-mile present a week early? :)  I will do a post with my new purchases as soon as I get a chance. 

10k Training: Week 6

Ahhh... only ran twice this week.  Week six was a bad week and the first time I've missed any of my runs from the 10k training plan.   I got sick at the beginning of the week, and honestly, I'm still feeling it a week later! I feel a lot better but I still have sinus and throat issues.  I also had an arbitration competition in Chicago this weekend so I was swamped with that. Thus, less running and no blogging.  

Week 6 in review: 

Monday

Scheduled: 30 minutes running

Ran: Nothing. I did my long run the day before and wanted to take a day off. 

Tuesday

Scheduled: Easy C/T or Off

Did: Ran 3.14 mi @ 8:38 pace. 

As shown by my splits, below, I ran two miles, then walked a lap, and then ran/walked my last mile. It shows a fast pace but that's because I was really hustling when I ran and tried to speed walk when I had to walk!

Wednesday

Scheduled: Speed workout, 2 x 1 mile

Ran: Nothing. Went to zumba instead :) It was throwback 90's zumba and I loveddd it. 

Thursday

Scheduled: 30 minutes easy

Ran: Did the speed workout scheduled for Wed.  I did a 400m warmup at 11'50"/mi; 1600m @ 8'53"/mi; 400m walk @ 14'/mi; 1600m @ 8'55"/mi and 800m walk/run @ 9'/mi.  Total, 3.02 miles at 9:38 pace. 

Friday

Nothingggg

Saturday

Nothing. Went to Chicago and did the competition.  Maybe I'll say that I did some hardcore walking around the city in high heels haha ;) 

Sunday

Nothing. Still sick and figured it was in my best interest to rest.  I am back in the game now though!

10k Training Plan: Week 5

Five weeks down, eleven to go! This week I ran the most miles that I ever have in any given week, about 16 total.

My week:

Monday

Prescribed: 30 min easy run

Ran: 3.33 mi in 29:01 (8'42" pace).  Not exactly an easy run, but I started faster than I intended and felt good enough to keep the pace going. Proud of myself for pushing hard!

Tuesday

Prescribed: Easy cross train/off

Did: Nothing!

Wednesday

Prescribed: 2 x 1 mile at race pace or a bit faster

Ran: Warm up 500 meters, 1 mile at 8:37 pace, jog, 1 mile at 8:21, 500 meter cool down. Total: 3.29 mi at 9'23" pace.  Also did a deep water exercise class for an hour.

Thursday

Prescribed: 30 minutes easy

Ran: 2.84 miles around the neighborhood at a 9'55" pace.  Ate before running and didn't feel too swell! Gotta stop that eating before running. Also not a huge fan of 3pm Thursday runs. 

Friday

Prescribed: OFF

Did: Rock climbing, Ran 2 miles at easy pace, and some abs. So.... didn't take the day off. Oops!

Saturday

Prescribed: 4.5 mi long run at easy pace

Did: Nothing! Wanted to rest my legs a bit after 3 days in a row

Sunday

Prescribed: Cross Train/Off

Ran: 4.51 miles in 47:03 (10'26" pace).  I felt really pretty sick today, might be getting the flu?  My boyfriend came over to use the treadmills so I felt like having him around would at least give me the motivation to finish my long run for the week.  I did it! Not sure if I will feel better/worse tomorrow...

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 :)

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?

First 5k tomorrow!

I signed up for my first 5K yesterday! I am running the Turkey Trot in my hometown and will be running with my 12-year-old brother (yes, he is 13 years younger than me).  I actually plan to jog/walk seeing as I cannot yet run 3 straight miles, but I am excited to get out there and do it.

I will try to give an update on how it has gone.  I am a bit worried about my knee, I am having runner's knee issues, but I got some new shoes and have been running a bit less so hopefully I can keep from injuring it. Wish me luck :)