New Challenges!

Amanda over at Run to the Finish is hosting a different 30 day challenge every month. Last year, I participated in her no sugar challenge which I found very difficult, but also very rewarding. I told myself after completing the 30 days that I would continue to watch my sugar intake and not let it get out of control again. Here I am 1 year later, frequently snacking on candy, unable to turn down desserts and constantly craving sugar. It's time I paid more attention to my diet and started eating cleaner and healthier. Amanda's June challenge is going to help me do just that!

I'm really excited to start my day everyday with something green! I really do love my veggies, but sometimes have such a tough time eating enough of them. Plus, my stomach has recently started not wanting to eat in the mornings, so a smoothie is a perfect way to fill me up without chewing - sneaky, sneaky!

Also, I'm going to challenge my legs a bit. I'm not really sure what my longest running streak is, but I'm going to try for 38 days with the RW Summer Running Streak! I'll be lacing up my shoes for at least 1 mile every day until July 4th - sounds like a good time to me!

Remember last year when I decided to run home from work? It was National Running Day and it was a horrible idea - lots of heat and no water. Well, I decided I needed a redo and yesterday was that day. I made sure to hyrdate plenty all day, but the weather was just perfect. I took off around 5:45pm from downtown and started my journey.

This is our newest Chick Fil A - they were opening in the morning so people we camping out to be the first 100 in line to get free CFA for a year! It was definitely a sight to see - those tents wrapped around the buiding.

Yeah, I was really wishing I'd had my sunglasses with me. I guess that's what you get for deciding to do this after you've already gone to work that day. Note to self - carry sunglasses with you at all times. Horrible picture, can't believe I'm posting that.

All in all, the run was great. I took the shady route home once I got to my neighborhood. I'd had enough of staring into the sun for one day. It's definitely something that I want to do again, but maybe a little more planned out next time.

So, since I left my car at work, this morning I had to get up early (although I hit snooze way too many times) to get myself to work. I geared up for a bike commute! I started my ride right as the sun was coming up, so by the time I got a good view of downtown it looked like this:

So the iPhone doesn't take the greatest pictures, but it was an amazing view. Definitely one of my favorites in Houston. I only wished I would have had my actual camera instead of just my phone. I'll remember for next time.

Yep, sexy and I know it. Everyone looks good in bike helmets, right?

I made it to work in time to lace up the running shoes again and hit the trails. Not a bad way to spend the evening/early morning.

Three Things Thursday

1.  I've been neglecting my running a little to do more biking lately. With the MS150 coming up, I really need the practice on the longer rides.

Biking around Lake Tyler while home visiting the Parentals

My first 75 mile ride!

 2.  This past weekend was the Texas Independence Relay. Me and 10 of my friends ran 203 miles from Bastrop, Tx to the east side of Houston. It was an amazing weekend and so much fun, but my body just can't seem to get enough sleep lately! I havne't done any workouts since then except for 1 yoga class. Hopefully I can convince myself to get up tomorrow morning for a run or bike ride.

3.  Speaking of getting back to working out, I got an opportunity to read The Ultimate Beginner's Running Guide and I'm loving it. I went to sleep last night after reading a section and was dying to go run instead of sleep. I'll have a review up soon, but I definitely recommend reading it - even for those who have been running for years.

New Fun Finds: Mission Skincare

Let's talk items I no longer want to live without. I read a few reviews on SkinnyRunner's blog a while back about Mission Athlete Care. She raved about a few of their products and I have to say I was intrigued but never enough to pay shipping and/or full price to try them out. Luckily for me, I found a special online that got me a little variety pack for a cheap price! My pack included sunscreen and foot sticks and other stuff, but I was most interested in this:

5 Hour Anti-Chafe Cream! I feel like I have the hugest inner thighs. All those ladies at the park that manage to run in Nike tempo shorts amaze me that they don't have a problem with chaffing. They suck. One of the reasons I love Lulu so much is that their turbo shorts and skirts are the perfect length for runners with big thighs like me. I've tried to make due with vaseline and body glide, but neither last very long before they need to be reapplied. This stuff is awesome. It's not greasy and it really does work for 5 hours (or atleast 4 1/2 during my marathon!). I've tried it around the bra area quite a few times for long runs and I'm amazed by it. So this past weekend I tried it out on the thighs in my shortest skirt.

This skirt was such a bad investment, but it was so cute I just had to have it. I NEVER run in it because I chafe so bad. Guess what? I ran six glorious, no chaffing miles in it thanks to the cream. This skirt has a new life in my lineup!

Also something that I've needed on longer runs and even more now that I'm biking - lip balm. Blistex is my favorite go to, but I haven't had much luck of it staying put while working out. This 15spf balm also came in my package and I love it. It makes my lips so smooth and it's still there after a 2 hour bike ride into the wind.

I have to say I'm very impressed and wish I would have tried these items when I first read about them.  It's too bad Mission didn't pick me to review them - I think I made a pretty good sales pitch.

Alright, off to get in another run - Happy Running!

The Joy of New Shoes

This past Saturday I slept in a little (oops, sorry ATP) and tackled my 6 mile long run on my own. It was a beautiful day with cooler temps and the promise of a little sun. A great day for a running skirt and new shoes.

I bought these shoes probably this time last year while they were on clearance, but haven't needed to break them in yet. I ended up buying another new pair last fall that I broke in before these. Either way, my marathon shoes are out, so these needed to be added to the lineup. Dang Houston has been wet and rainy for the last month (thank goodness we are finally getting rain, but did we need to get it all at once?!), but I just couldn't bear the thought of getting them muddy their first time out. So the day was perfect.

Aren't they pretty? Just like my last pair of Adrenaline's though, they are tough to break in. I took walk breaks every mile to return the feeling to my toes. A few more miles in them and they will be fine - I think they are just stubborn like their owners.  I'm still running in their sister pair and will cry when I have to retire them. The next model of shoe didn't take so long to break in (which were my marathon shoes), but I didn't like them quite as much as these. Us runners are wierd with our shoes sometimes!

I could really use more Saturdays like this! Great runs and beautiful days to hang outside on the patio (with messy hair and new BIC bands!). It's starting to feel like spring around these parts!

Marathon Ignored

Not sure if you noticed, but I decided to not post a full recap of the Houston Marathon. I know that I did a great job by finishing, but it just wasn't the race I'd hoped it would be. I debated for a few weeks after to stay in training and tackle another one while I was prepared for it, but I chose not to. I'm definately not done with the marathon distance yet, just need a little break before I tackle it again.

I did manage to finish with a smile on my face though. Marathon #2 complete.

Return to Normalcy

Sorry I've been MIA for so long. You can tell I'm not a blogger that takes herself or her blog seriously since I'm alway apologizing for something. Lately I feel like I've done nothing but apologize: to my Hubby for working late hours, to my friends for never having time to hang out with them,to my parents for never calling, to myself for choosing sleep over working out. It all ends here. Work may still be crazy busy, but I'm tired of apologizing. It's about time I figured out how to juggle it all. No, I won't fill my calender for every second of every day, but I will find a way to make time for all those people and things that I've been missing.

I have to admit, I started this a little last week. How you ask? By getting a little R&R away from everything in beautiful Puerto Rico.

It was only 4 days, but they were definately much needed. I soaked up as much sun as I could (Houston has been very cloudy and rainy lately) and just tried not to think about work. I know, I know, this is a running blog and not a vacation blog, but I did represent with a little Lululemon while we went ziplining.

Leave it to a Lulu addict to think that it's the perfect ziplining attire. (Don't worry, they put a helmet on me before we started.) By the way, zipling is amazing!

Now, I need a race to start training for. Oh wait, it's exactly 4 weeks until the Texas Independence Relay! Time to start getting in a few doubles!