oof

Wow. If any butt-kicking was done at Body Revolution yesterday, it was not by me. I may have kicked some early-morning butt... but Dillon sure kicked mine. I am sore and achy and I have that "it hurts to cough" feeling in my core. Still, awesome...

The other day Athleta sent out this "Finding Your Fitness Mojo" blog post... and I really liked their completely obvious yet also useful tips on staying motivated:

• Get rid of the excuses. No one is too old, too tired, too unfit or too busy to start an exercise program. You just have to make it a priority.
• Start small. Make your exercise goals achievable and reasonable. You will be more likely to follow through.
• Keep it simple. No need to spend $100 month to join a gym or to buy expensive gear. Get out for a walk or short run. Invest in a yoga DVD and do it in your living room.
• Have a plan for the week and write it down. Post it in a visible spot like the refrigerator, not in the bottom of your sock drawer.
• Make it easy to get out the door. Lay out clothing, set out water bottles, pre-program the coffee maker, whatever it takes.
• Pick a goal. Sign up for a 5K race or join a 30-day yoga challenge. Making a solid commitment increases your chances that you will stick to your plan.
• Surround yourself with like-minded people. You’ll be more likely to follow your fitness routine if your friends are committed to theirs. If your friends are all couch potatoes, they may influence you to be one too.
• Don’t lose your momentum. Stick to your plan. The more days that you have under your belt, the more motivation you will feel to continue.

I still struggle with motivation, now and again. So it's nice to get some timely advice!

Body Revolution at 6am...

So I skipped body revolution for three weeks in a row. After agonizing over whether I could "afford" it. Actually, whether I could justify it, I guess.

Perhaps it could be argued that by not attending for three weeks, I couldn't justify it. But hope springs eternal, right?

I knew I wouldn't make it on Wednesday night, so I rescheduled my session for this morning... At 6am.

Wow.

That Dillon totally kicked my butt. A couple of times I felt woozy. Not just tired, but borderline close to passing out. But in a good way. I think.

But starting at 6, and ending at 7 is pretty awesome. I could imagine getting in the car and driving straight to Bothell after, and showering at work. Maybe it is a better way for me to get my weekly session on? Especially when I start my "21 day jump start to fitness"...

I hope that I don't completely seize up while sitting in these conference rooms......

Completely awesome treadmill run!

Was having a lie-in this morning because I am going to the Seattle Interactive Conference today... which means I didn't have to leave the house until 8ish. But then inspiration struck: I could squeeze in a little run!

So I popped out of bed, threw on some running gear, and headed downstairs to the treadmill.

Sometimes I dread running, especially if I have missed a few workouts, but this morning went really, really well. I wasn't particularly fast or anything, but the running felt natural and easy. Really great to feel so relaxed on a run.

The only problem I was was that my treadmill goes into "cool down" mode after 35 minutes of you hit the quick start button. Oops. Once it goes into cool down, you can't add time. So when I needed an extra few minutes for my real cool down, I had to march on place while the program reset.

Still, it was a great little workout, and a good reminder that I am always happier for having worked out!

... Even if I did have to run out of the house with soaking wet hair....

Tomorrow I am going to the SIX a.m Body Revolution class. Wish me luck!

Pumpkin Push 5K Race Report

I've been to a lot of costume parties. I love dressing up. But somehow I had never managed to run a race in costume. Even with all of those Disney races I've run, I've never dressed as a princess, a pirate, or a pixie.

Until now.

Suz was looking for an October 5K and was considering the Dawg Dash. But what with T-Mobile being a sponsor and all, I convinced her to run one of the Halloween 5Ks instead. But which one to run? The Pumpkin Push? Or Run Scared?

Because Pumpkin Push benefitted healthcare for Seattle's homeless, it was a pretty easy choice. So, the date was set. But what to wear?!?!

A few weeks ago Wil and I stopped in at a Value Village in Lynnwood. I discovered an amazing bull costume. Not one of those 2-person models -- a proper costume in brand new black velveteen. Or velour. Whatever.

A padded velour "muscle" top (with sleeves that ended in "hooves"), black tights with attached tail and "hooves", and a headpiece with horns and ears. All that was missing from the ensemble was the bull nose. But that was a minor consideration. For somewhere around $7.50 with tax, it was mine all mine.

But even when I bought it, I hadn't considered the race. I just thought it was too good a deal to pass up.

Then when Suz and I were emailing about the race, genius struck. The running of the bulls!!!!

All she needed was a white top and trousers, and I would supply the red kerchief and sash. Perfect!

Sure, okay, people thought Suz was a matador.... and one elderly volunteer thought I was a Viking (huh?!?), but the literary minded instantly recognized it. Let's just call it a win, shall we?

Anyway, we picked up our bibs, timing chips, and shirts (dark blue... sigh), eventually found a bag check area, and then milled around a little. I was already warm (thermal tights, a thermal top, and of course a padded, velour top kept me toasty) while Suz was shivering when we stepped out of the sun.

But eventually it was time to line up -- and admire lots of fun costumes. I loved this guy's wolf man costume as well as this woman's Hulk Hogan costume. Awesome!

We lined ourselves up in front of the walkers but at the back of the runners... and then with the wail of a siren, we were off. 

We were moving along pretty well when, about half a mile in, Suz got a cramp down the front of her shin. She tried to stretch it or work it out, and ran on it a bit farther, but it was no good. In exchange for her sincere attempts to de-cramp, I did not gore her. :)

So we walked briskly around the loop, then hustled up the hill. It always surprises me how long that hill is! But I think the change of pace -- or perhaps angle? -- helped Suz's leg, and we were able to run for a bit more. Then down the hill, around the last bit of loop, and we could see the finish line.

We had gotten muddled up with people walking the 2-mile loop (no trip up the hill) so we had quite a bit of traffic to weave through... and Suz said she didn't think she had anything in the tank. Even when I threatened to gore her. But we trotted across the finish line (getting a literary shout-out) in just over 52 minutes. 

While we were running (and I was bristling at being described as a viking....) we started talking about other things I might be. And I hit on panther ... which inevitably led to Panthro. Thundercats, ho!!!! (So I've got next year's costume sorted, then...)

No more races scheduled for this year... but I can imagine doing either the Jingle Bell Run and/or the 12Ks of Christmas... even if that will almost certainly cause it to snow...