#WellnessWednesday - FREE class at Sweat Gym

If you didn't know this about me already, I LOVE Groupon because saving money is an absolute thrill for me.  Every few days I scroll through the deals and if they meet my criteria of either being a good deal or something/someplace I have wanted to try but didn't want to pay full price for, I will make a purchase.

Several of my Facebook friends have checked in or mentioned a gym in Clayton, MO called Sweat.  It is a boxing gym that also offers personal training, corrective exercise, massage therapy, and nutrition counseling.  When I saw the Groupon offering four weeks of unlimited boxing classes for $39 instead of the normal $80, I clicked "purchase" right away.

The next day I emailed Sweat to see how I could get started with the Groupon and they informed me that my first class was FREE and did not count against my Groupon.  In fact, EVERYONE gets their first class free.

I decided that I wanted to go ahead and use my free class this past Saturday at 9 a.m. for the Punchers Class.  I selected this class in particular because it is supposed to teach you:

I have taken boxing boot camps before but I still could not tell you the difference between a jab, cross, hook, etc. and I wanted to learn the difference so that I will eventually look like I know what I am doing during class.  I showed up 15 minutes early as recommended, and the trainer told me that it would be a full class.  Just before 9:00 a.m. we all walked into a rectangular-shaped classroom with punching bags hanging from the ceiling.  When the trainer said that it would be a full class, I thought he meant that every bag in the room would be in use by one participant.  What he actually meant was that we would have to double up, if not triple up per bag.

Once everyone found a spot, we started throwing punches.  The trainer would tell us which punches to throw in the combinations, but I still felt like I was winging it.  As I looked around the class, some people knew what they were doing and were very serious about it while others were in the same boat as me.  Regardless of whether my "jab" was actually a jab instead of a hook, I burned over 700 calories during class and I was exhausted!

My Groupon expires at the end of December, so I am going to wait to activate my four weeks of unlimited classes until after my trip to DC.  I will keep you posted on how that goes!

What is provided at Sweat:  

• Showers are available but bring own towels
• Workout towels are available at the desk
• A few pairs of boxing gloves area available at the desk

What to bring to Sweat:

• Water, but you could purchase a bottle of water if you forget your own.
• Boxing gloves if you have your own (I personally do not like sharing those)
• A great attitude!  You may have to share your bag with someone else and you will all be working out in a small room together.  You will see all levels of boxing skills in class, so don't be intimidated.
• Be ready to WORK!  Sweat's boxing classes = a high calorie burn.

Weekly Goals:

1. Plan meals for the week days - 50% Met - I am slowly getting better at this.  When I don't have a plan or a quick/delicious option ready to go, I am easily persuaded to select a not-so-healthy option.  This week was still around 50% successful.
2. Practice Yoga at least once per week - 0% Met - I just didn't find the time this past week to fit it in.  I really need to just download an app or have a dvd on stand-by so I don't have ANY excuses anymore! 
3. Run at least twice per week - GOAL MET  - I took a treadmill boot camp class and ran a 5k this weekend.
4. Foam roll at least once per week - GOAL MET - I foam rolled last night after a cycling class and this morning after a boot camp.
5. Attend a boot camp at least once per week - GOAL MET - YES!!!!  Last Friday I took a treadmill boot camp class, Saturday morning was my free class at Sweat, and this morning I attended another boot camp.  

I feel like this past week has been very successful and I feel more motivated to work out because I love seeing how many calories I burned during class.  Now I just need to keep the ball rolling and plan more of my meals and find a no-excuses way to fit yoga into my week.

Have a great week and weekend!!!!

Litchfield, IL Route 66 5k

I set a new 5k PR for the year this morning!

All year I have been finishing 5k's in 42-ish minutes.  The MO' Cowbell 5K was my fastest this year at 39:01.  Last weekend's Veterans Day 5k time was 40:24 and the Cahokia Mounds trail run was over 43 minutes due to the difference in terrain.  Last night and this morning, I thought about walking the 5k because I was sore from the boot camp classes I took Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.  They had a high calorie burn but they left me sore and wondering if that soreness would negatively affect my 5k time.  But as it turned out, the soreness didn't affect my time today and I finished in 37:39!

I had signed up for the half marathon originally, but I was not properly trained so I switched to the 5k.  The last time I ran the half marathon here was in 2014 and I LOVED it!  This year, both my mom and my step-dad met me for the race.  Litchfield is about an hour from St. Louis and an hour from my hometown in Illinois, so it is a nice place to meet up with my family for a race.

We ate dinner at the historic Ariston Cafe again and stayed at the Quality Inn again just like we did in 2014.  I highly recommend staying at the Quality Inn because you only have a 5 minute walk to the start/finish line.  This is the only race I have run where I was able to get up 45 minutes prior to the race start because I didn't have to worry about driving and parking.  You really can't beat that!

This is a smaller race, but I love the hometown feel.  Packet pick-up was at the Holiday Inn and it only took a few minutes per person to get our packets.  This year is the 66th anniversary of the Skyview Drive In theater in Litchfield, so we received an iron-on patch at packet pick-up with our long-sleeved shirt.  This year, the 5k racers also received medals and they had a drive in movie theater theme that is really unique.  The course took you by Ariston Cafe and on Route 66.  It was an out-and-back course, which made it great for the spectators too.

Race day packet pick-up was available and was located right in between the start and the finish line.  There were four porta potties at the start/finish area which seemed to be enough for the runners and spectators.  The day started with a 1-mile dash, followed by the half marathon start, and finally the 5k start.

Give this race a try in 2017 if you haven't had the opportunity to experience it yet.  Check the Racemaker Productions website for all of their upcoming races and be sure to like their page on Facebook for updates and discount codes.

#WellnessWednesday - Week 1

My first week of setting goals and actually working towards something was mostly successful and I learned a lot about myself and ended up trying new things.  The one goal I need to work on is my meal planning because when I end up working later than anticipated or anything else unplanned pops up, it throws me off.  I have a feeling this will be the goal that will elude me the most.

When I hurt my back last Spring, I started doing Yoga at home with videos we could stream through our Roku box.  I thought that I wanted to start practicing Yoga at my gym since it was a free class, but I found it difficult to relax and unwind because people around me were coughing, I was too worried about how I looked in poses because everyone else seemed to move much more gracefully, and I could hear other members boxing in the adjacent room.  It's all in my own head but I think I will stick to the at-home videos for now so that I feel more comfortable and don't have to wait around for a scheduled class.

Goal three was to run more and I actually ran more this week than I had in a LONG time!  I found a great running group through Meetup.com that meets Thursday evenings.  The paces range, which is what I was hoping for since I am currently slow.  The assistant organizer actually ran with me most of the way, and it made me run faster that I would have made myself run which was the goal of joining a running group.  I can't make it every Thursday, but I am planning on going again this week.  This weekend was also rare in that I had two races planned, so I ended up running three 5k's this week.  I need to stay motivated on weekends and weekdays that I don't have a running group or a race, so that is something that I need to dig a bit deeper into.

Although Goal four was met, it was only because I JUST remembered that I needed to complete it.  It needs to become habitual, but I may try to attend another foam rolling class to remind myself why it is so important.

Goal five was to attend at least one boot camp, which I met before the weekend.  The plan was actually to have gone to several this week but that didn't happen.  Again, I need to set a plan and stick to it as if I were going to be charged a cancellation fee if I don't go.

So for next week, my goals are the same but I am going to tweak how I approach them.  I think they were all attainable, so I am not going to decrease or increase anything for now.

Weekly Goals:

1. Plan meals for the week days - I was only 50% successful at this, so hopefully week 2 will be better.
2. Practice Yoga at least once per week - GOAL MET - I took a 90 minute Yoga class Saturday but found out that practicing at home works better for me, so that is what I will do for week 2.
3. Run at least twice per week - GOAL MET -  I actually ran three 5k's this week between a new group run and two races.
4. Foam roll at least once per week - GOAL MET - I only just completed this goal this morning, so I will still try to be better for Week 2.
5. Attend a boot camp at least once per week - GOAL MET 

I have another 5k scheduled for this weekend, so you will likely see a race recap before the next #WellnessWednesday.  Have a great week and weekend!

City of the Sun 5k Trail Run

Today I ran another 5k, the City of Sun 5k Trail Run at Cahokia Mounds World Heritage Site.  I had multiple alarms set due to the time change this morning, but I ended up over-estimating the time it would take me to get to Cahokia Mounds and it only took me 30 minutes!  When I was pulling into the visitor's center, the adjacent field had a family of deer quietly grazing in it.  It was so quiet and peaceful at that time of morning.

The race didn't start until 9 a.m. but packet pick-up and race day registration began at 8 a.m.  There was plenty of parking adjacent to the visitor's center and start line and plenty of real restrooms within the visitor's center.  Packet pick-up was quick and easy and although there were no race shirts, our goodie bags were filled with numerous coupons, a sample of biofreeze, a temporary tattoo, a Cahokia Mounds Museum Society labeled armband for your smart phone, AND a coupon for 1 Free iPod tour that is good until 12/31/2017!

The race started promptly at 9 a.m. after a few announcements about the course.  I knew this was a trail run when I signed up, but it didn't really dawn on me that I might be running through mud, which is exactly what they told us to expect in the pre-race announcements.  Luckily I had packed extra clothes, shoes, and socks just in case.

The first part of the course was on a sidewalk, then we transferred to a rock trail, and then eventually to a grass and dirt trail.  We were spread out enough so that the width of the trail was never an issue.  We didn't start encountering standing water until half way though the race, but there were several areas with large puddles.  At first I tried walking in the prairie grass around the puddles but eventually my shoes became soaked so I just went straight through them.  I rarely run on nature trails like this so my ankles started feeling sore towards the end of the course.  Around mile 2.5 or so we transitioned back to rock and then to concrete.  After running on much softer, natural surfaces for most of the course, the concrete sidewalk actually felt horrible under my feet as we approached the finish line.  As we neared mile 3, you could hear the cheering from the runners who had already finished.  The finish line was different from any other race I have run because women finished on one side and men on the other.  Then they tore a piece off of your bib that you had written your name and age on so that they could register your results since there was no timing strip on the bibs themselves.

Post race food included water, Gatorade, fruit, and Gus' Pretzels.  Awards seemed to follow shortly after I finished and my super fast friend ended up getting 1st place in our age group!  I should have taken a picture, but her award medal was really nice.

We had both driven over from St. Louis County and since it was such a beautiful day, we decided to walk around and learn more about this historic site after we changed into our clean shoes and clothes.  We walk by many of the smaller mounds and climbed to the top on Monk's Mound, which offers a great view of the St. Louis skyline.

We opted not to use our Free iPod tour coupon so that we could come back another day and spend more time going through the visitor's center, but we ended up walking the trails until around Noon. We will definitely be back to learn more about this Illinois State Park and World Heritage Site.

I really enjoyed this race and it was a nice change of scenery and terrain (despite the mud).  The 2017 date is November 5 in case you would like to check it out next year!

Veterans Day 5k Recap

This morning I went to downtown St. Louis to run the Veterans Day 5k.  Normally I pay to park at Union Station for all of my races downtown, but the race director suggested exiting at 14th Street and utilizing street parking.  I ended up finding free parking behind St. Louis City Hall, which was right by the start/finish.

I arrived a lot earlier than I needed to and I had already picked up my packet, so I sought out a coffee shop to kill time.  Google maps led me to Mississippi Mud Coffee Roasters.  Not only did they have coffee on a chilly morning, but the space also doubled as an art gallery, AND they had a real restroom so I could avoid the porta potty lines.  If you get a chance, I recommend giving this place a try.

As I crossed Kaufman Park heading back to the start/finish I came across plenty of porta potties, National Guard vehicles and staff, race day packet pick-up and registration, several food trucks, the post race snack tents, as well as several vendors.  The area was not crowded at all and it was a breeze getting to the start line.  After the National Anthem and some announcements, we were off and running.

Race Highlights:

• Long sleeve tech shirts
• Great pre-race communication
• Plenty of volunteer support
• The course had some hills, but they weren't the steepest hills downtown
• Friday night packet pick-up or race day packet pick-up
• Plenty of parking available near start/finish
• Post race food included water, chocolate milk, bananas, granola bars
• Food trucks selling food
• Kids Dash and 1 mile run options
• Veterans Day Ceremony and Parade followed shortly after the races

Overall this was a great race and I would do it again.  Be sure to thank our veterans for their service and have a great Veterans Day!

#WellnessWednesday - Making a Plan

Since I had enough runners use my MO' Bassador code for registration in any of the MO' Cowbell races, I earned a free race entry for the 2016 races and I could have used that entry for a marathon, half marathon, or 5k entry.  At the beginning of 2016, I had planned on registering for the half marathon, but my training has been non-existent as I have been trying to fully bounce back from my spring back injury that occurred after a year of dealing with plantar fasciitis.  I had actually signed up for several half marathons this fall, but eventually I decided to just "call a spade a spade" and admit that I needed to downgrade to the 5k at all those races.  Luckily I had registered so early for all those races that I beat the price increases and didn't end up losing much money, if any at all.

I knew I needed a plan going forward if I was ever going to get back to the fitness level I was at in 2014 and the years prior.  I felt like I have just been winging it ever since then.

One of the very first running blogs I came across when I started blogging was Road Runner Girl.  Her blog is not only an easy read, but I really like the way that she lists her goals for each week in her Weekly Chase posts on Mondays.  She gives us a recap of whether or not she met her goals from last week and then she lists her goals for the current week.  Some goals will stay the same week-to-week, but others change depending on what she is training for and what is going on in her life.  At first, I thought that was a bold move to put your goals out there for everyone to see, but then I realized that it was a great way to hold yourself accountable.

There it is, the definition of accountability in plain English.

• Have I been holding myself accountable for my training?  NO
• Have I been making excuses to skip workouts and runs?  YES
• Have my excuses been very clever at times?  SURE
• When I eat unhealthy food or eat too much food do I avoid documenting it in My Fitness Pal because I don't want to see how those poor choices actually affect me?  DEFINITELY

Wow!  I think Road Runner Girl was on to something.  Somehow writing down the truth is therapeutic because I can't hide it from myself anymore.  

So here are my goals for this week.  I am sure I will tweak them along the way, but this is where I am going to start:

1. Plan meals for the week days (no more winging it)
2. Practice Yoga at least once per week (my legs have been so tight which is still affecting my lower back)
3. Run at least twice per week (need to run consistently again and stay motivated)
4. Foam roll at least once per week (I have take the class through Fleet Feet twice now)
5. Attend a boot camp at least once per week 

So now we start Week 1 on a #WellnessWednesday.  I will check back in next Wednesday to let you know how I did.

Run Steff Run: St. Louis Rock 'n' Roll Guest Recap

I had signed up for the Rock 'n' Roll St. Louis 5k and half marathon via Groupon, but then life got in the way and I just needed a weekend OFF!

I noticed that one of the runners I follow, Run Steff Run, was coming to St. Louis from Pittsburgh to run Rock 'n' Roll this year.  I asked her if I could share her race recap with you since I was skipping the races this year and because she would be able to offer a different perspective on the race since she wasn't a local.  Luckily, she agreed!

So for your reading pleasure, I would like to share the Rock 'n' Roll St. Louis 5k and half marathon race recaps from Run Steff Run's perspective:

Out and About in St. Louis

Rock 'n' Roll St. Louis 5k Recap

Rock 'n' Roll St. Louis Half Marathon Recap

Enjoy!

Medals4Mettle St. Louis Chapter Coordinator needed

You have seen me post once or twice about volunteering with Medals4Mettle, where we have visited local children's hospitals to distribute half and full marathon medals to hospitalized children.  Volunteering for the medal distributions has been a rewarding experience and the reactions from  hospital staff, parents, and the medal recipients is well worth the hour or two you take to volunteer.  Our St. Louis Coordinator is searching for her replacement so if you live in the St. Louis area, scroll down.  If you don't but are interesting in finding your closest chapter, click here.

Mary Ruth Casey is the current St. Louis Coordinator.  The amount of time she spends per month varies and is totally flexible.  She also currently has quite a few donated medals and ribbons for the new coordinator to start off with.  She has already developed relationships with several of our local hospitals, so she will have the contact information ready for her replacement.

Click here to see photos from Medals4Mettle on Facebook to learn more about what happens during the medal distributions.

If you are interested in the St. Louis Coordinator opening, contact Mary Ruth Casey at 636-524-5038 or tmrcasey@gmail.com for more details.  If I wasn't working so much and in the midst of planning a destination wedding, I would have snagged this great opportunity already!

Have you looked yourself up on Athlinks?

By now you have likely seen articles or ads on the internet telling you to "Google yourself" and see what happens, right.  Well have you been on www.athlinks.com yet and typed in your name to see what happens? Luckily, my name is fairly unique and I also caught onto this website fairly early on, so it was easier to sort through the results when I created my account.  But when you type in my step-dad's name without any filters for example, you get over 2,000 results!

A week or so after each race I go to the Athlinks website and type in my name to see if my new results show up in the unclaimed section.  When they do, I just log in and claim them to add them to my existing list of results.  This allows your results to be saved in one place so that you don't have to go to each race's website to see your results.  You can also quickly see your PR's in all distances.

Click here to learn more about how your race results appear on this website.  Create your account today and start following your running buddies too.

MO' Cowbell 5K Race Recap

You know my opinion on this race will be a bit biased because I am a MO' Bassador, but I am still going to be as thorough and honest as possible.  This is a great race not only for locals, but also out-of-towners because St. Charles is so close to the airport and Main Street is such a fun place to visit....and there are two casinos close by if you are feeling really lucky.

The Highlights:

•           Great pre-race communication via email and social media.  Emails were both informative and entertaining.  The pre-race emails were also broken into more bite-sized emails so that they weren't too overwhelming.
•       The expo was at St. Charles Community College, which was a bit of a distance from the actual race course, but it also allowed ample parking.  Back when the expo was at Lindenwood University, I remember parking being an issue.
•       The expo had a lot of interesting and unique vendors.  The Brooks trailer and the Alter G treadmill experience were outside in the parking lot.
•       You could sign up to become a MO' Bassador at the expo!
•       I worked the morning shift of packet pick-up on Saturday, and it seemed to go smoothly from my perspective.  Some times were busier than others but I didn't really have too many questions so the process must have been pretty straight forward to runners.
•            Road construction affected our race day drive, but we were alerted to that in pre-race communication as well.
•       Shirt - The shirts this year were made by a company called tasc.  The shirts were very soft and partially made from bamboo.

•      Super generous t-shirt exchange policy -  If when you pick up your shirt it doesn't fit the way you would like, bring it to the shirt exchange tent (near the stage) at Runners Village on race day (sorry not at the ExMO'). If we don't have the shirt size you need, we will order you a shirt and get it to your local Big River Store to pick up.  How many other races do that?  We love our runners!
•       On race day, you were encouraged to arrive at the start early due to the road construction and to get good parking.  We arrived around 6 a.m. for the 8 a.m. 5k and we parked right on Main Street by the shops.  At that time, there was still plenty of parking available.  I knew the gazebo had real restrooms underneath, so we parked pretty much adjacent to the gazebo.
•       I loved that this 5k was part of a longer day of races.  You never felt alone because you were always surrounded by other runners and the cheering at the finish was pretty amazing!  In fact my fiance and I came back around 1 p.m. and there were still tons of people in the runner's village and around the finish line.  
•       Did anyone notice the similarities between the Rio 2016 Olympic medals and the MO' Cowbell medals?  

•        The MO' Cowbell PR bell!  I didn't get to ring it though :(  At least I "won" a gold medal!

•       There was a coffee food truck this year!