An Unexpected Break, and GRIT Results!

Well it’s been over a month since I posted on this blog and I have to say it was anything but a planned break. Work got absolutely crazy sort of out of nowhere and I ended up working almost 30 days straight, 10 hours a day – and with plenty of stress. During this time I definitely wasn’t myself, I wasn’t eating well or sleeping enough, I barely worked out (other than making it to my GRIT sessions) and just generally didn’t feel like myself. I barely had time to check my personal email, or read blogs – and I definitely wasn’t cooking anything blog-worthy! When I was cooking anything at all…

But on a happier note, I’m back! I’m not saying you noticed I was gone (though one lovely reader – Kristin – did and reached out – thanks again!) but I am so glad to be getting my life back on the healthy track after a not-so-great start to 2014.

Today was my last GRIT session and thankfully I’ve been working out and eating better over the past week and a half or so, but it wasn’t enough time to really get myself back on track. I’m disappointed with my weight/muscle mass/body fat percentage results but I know they were heavily affected by my January madness so I can’t hold it against myself too much (although it was mostly out of my control). But I am so grateful that my physical tests had better results. I reached my goal of doubling my push-ups by completing 35 push-ups this morning and it made me feel so strong and accomplished. While I can’t afford to do the GRIT program again (although I REALLY want to) right away, I’m hoping to try again over the summer and see what results I can really get with full dedication. In the meantime, I want to share my results for those who are interested! And I’ll be back next week with some great recipes to share! 🙂

Here’s a picture of my amazing GRIT team:

And my results from the program (trust me that most people’s are better as far as the numbers go! But I couldn’t be happier with my beep test/push-ups results!)

Five Things I’m Loving Friday: Christmas Edition!

Happy Friday everyone! Isn’t Friday the best? Although I actually prefer Saturdays since there’s no work involved on Saturdays 🙂

This Friday I decided to do a Christmas gifts edition of ‘Five Things I’m Loving Friday’ to share some of my favorite things I got for Christmas this year – and that I think would make great gifts for other people! I tried to do a wide variety of both fitness and health related items, as well as just some unique gifts – it was hard to pick only five!

1. Gaiam “Everything Fits” Gym Bag

I first read about this bag on PB Fingers and I’m so glad that she recommended it! It’s a good size bag – with a nice wide strap, lots of pockets and neat features like a separate vented compartment for your shoes and a strap on the bottom for a yoga mat (or I discovered my foam roller fits there too!). You can buy this bag in black or purple from Gaiam at this link. I’m super excited about this gift since before I was carrying my gym stuff in a free drawstring bag I got at the Run or Dye race last year. Also with GRIT starting I definitely needed more space to tote stuff around! 🙂

2. Salt Cellar

This seems like such a simple thing but it was one of the gifts I was the most excited about! This particular salt cellar is from Crate and Barrel and I love the natural wood with the sliding magnetic lid. It’s perfect for keeping kosher salt out near the stove and being able to grab a pinch to add into dishes. Prior to this, I was just pouring the salt into my hand from the big kosher salt container which was a less than ideal situation.

3. Cookbooks – ‘Super Natural Every Day’ and ‘Tidewater Table’

I’m always excited for new cookbooks! You can see a few others in my collection lined up next to the new ones. My mom gave me a copy of ‘Tidewater Table’ which is a new cookbook written all about the cuisine of my hometown – the Tidewater area of Virginia! I’m really excited to try out some of these classic recipes – just flipping through it I noticed tons of seafood! The other book was given to me by my best friend that I’ve known for 12+ years – ‘Super Natural Every Day.’ I cannot express how much I love this book. I’ve already read it cover to cover and there are dozens of recipes I can’t wait to try! The cookbook is vegetarian and features some of my all-time favorite ingredients – like coconut oil, chia seeds, and quinoa! I can’t wait to try these recipes and share the results with you on this blog 🙂

4. Origami Owl Necklace

My mom gave me this necklace and I am absolutely in love with it. I had heard Origami Owl mentioned a few times in passing, but I had never really seen one before – it’s a really neat concept. It’s sort of a clear locket/pendent that you can buy and add charms to for your individual personality. My mom gave me three with the necklace – a cat paw, a running shoe, and a blue sapphire. So pretty! I don’t think I’ll add too much more than that – I think the simplicity is nice. I also love that the length of the necklace is a little longer so it sits really well on top of higher V-neck sweaters or crew neck sweaters. I’ve been wearing it a lot! 🙂

5. Fitness Gear!

So I cheated a little on this one – it’s more than one item! I told you choosing just five was hard! My best friend Heather gave me an awesome pairing for Christmas – a “Strong is the New Skinny” shirt from the Strong Girl Clothing Etsy shop. I’ve been coveting this tank-top for a while and I have to say that it’s just as nice in person as it looks in her shop! I know with “homemade” stuff you can really be taking a chance on quality but I love everything about this shirt – the fit, the color, and the fabric! Definitely check out her shop because there’s lots of other awesome fitness apparel! Heather also got me a water bottle with a built-in infuser for fruit/herbs and a built in core to keep the water cold! I’ve been wanting one of these since water with lemon is one of my favorite things! I’m excited to try it with other combinations too – like cucumber and mint!

The Start of GRIT

Last week was the first week of the Les Mills GRIT program that I signed up for a month or so ago. Although the program is a little pricey ($350) for 7 weeks, I truly loved the demo classes I had taken and knew that this program would get me to the next level of fitness.

For those who don’t know, GRIT is a new program from Les Mills (the same company that does Body Pump, Body Step, all those “body” classes) that focuses on high-intensity interval training in a team atmosphere. You meet with the same team of participants at the same time, twice a week. Personally, my GRIT team consists of 7 people who meet at 6 am Wednesday and 6 am Friday with our two coaches – Colleen and Arnold. The idea is for your group to become a team – and I’m really loving the atmosphere so far!

For those who are interested, I am taking the GRIT series at Arlington Health and Wholeness which is a great personal training studio. Or if you don’t live near DC, look for a GRIT program in your area!

The first GRIT session (last Wednesday) was the pre-test (and the last session will be the post-test). The pre-test consisted of getting on a very neat scale that measures body weight, body fat percentage, muscle mass, hydration levels, bone density, and a few other things I can’t remember. Then we did three physical tests – a push up test (as many as you could do), a vertical leap test, and a beep test (50 m sprints). We documented our results so we can see how we improve over the 7 weeks. My body fat percentage was just 1% higher than the “healthy” range so my goal is to bring that down into the healthy range for sure – and hopefully build some muscle mass along the way!

But the most important thing to come out of the pre-test was this – I smashed my ‘Fitness Bucket List’ item to do 10 “real” push-ups in a row. I was reluctant to ever count this as completed before now, because I never feel like I’m getting my chest low enough — but with my coach Colleen counting reps for my pre-test I did 17 solid push-ups, on my toes, before collapsing. I. Am. Ecstatic. And looking to smash even more on my post-test!

Friday’s session was our first “real” session with was a pylometrics session. The GRIT series rotates between three different types of classes: plyometrics, cardio, and strength. Plyometrics was the only one I hadn’t tried before and boy was it hard! I felt like I was dying the whole time (pretty standard for GRIT) but boy did I feel accomplished afterwards!

In addition to two GRIT sessions a week, I am maintaining my two Body Pump classes a week with a yoga and/or cycling class thrown in as I can. I can’t wait to continue this journey and report back to you! 🙂

Goals for the New Year

Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to making 2014 a year filled with health and happiness! 🙂

And how are we going to do that? By setting goals! I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions because I feel like they have the connotation of being some vague goal like “get healthier” or “lose weight” that’s forgotten a few short weeks into the year. So instead of making resolutions, I’m going to set some goals for 2014.

My first, and largest, goal is hard to put into words – but I’m going to try. This year I’m going to find out what I can do with my life that is going to make me happy. I’m going to “figure out what I want to be when I grow up.” Whether this means leaving my current job entirely, transitioning to a part-time position so that I can pursue other interests, or sticking with my current job but adding in more meaningful extra activities – I’m not sure. But I’m going to take this year to figure it out. I think a big part of this will involve me moving back to my hometown this summer. My lease is up at the end of July and I’m hoping to finally make the move back home (this is VERY contingent on me finding a job in that area, so it sort of dovetails nicely with my search for work-life happiness). I also hope to train to become a Body Pump instructor early this year, which I think could lead to a “job” that I definitely enjoy more than my current one.

More specifically, I want to actually make time to read this year. I have a HUGE collection of books – it’s legitimately out of control – and books have always been a joy and a passion for me. I probably easily own a hundred books that I haven’t even read. So I stole my mother’s idea to read one chapter every night before bed. So far, I’ve already finished ‘Orange is the New Black’ doing this (which is already more progress than the rest of the year!). This allows me to set aside time to do something I truly enjoy – reading – as well as breaking my terrible habit of falling asleep to Netflix. Both of which will add health and happiness to my life! 🙂

What about you? What are your goals and/or resolutions?

Winter Fitness Hibernation

Is it just me or does winter weather make you want to hide inside under the covers and not go anywhere until spring?

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I know some people are winter people, so even though I may not understand you I have to accept that some people actually like the cold weather. But I seriously can’t handle it. I’m more of a baby about it than most people, as the minute the temperature drops below 60 I’m complaining pretty much constantly. I could be bundled up in a coat, gloves, warm socks (double-layered), boots and a scarf and I’m still cold when I go outside. I don’t like it – and therefore I stay inside until it goes away.

Yep, pretty much my winter
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A bad side effect of the cold (and the fact that it starts getting dark at like 4 in the afternoon) is that my motivation to get to the gym is waning. Fortunately, my undying love for Les Mills Body Pump (and my badass instructor) gets me out of the house twice a week but the other days I’m seriously struggling. Does this happen to anyone else? What do you do to stay active in the winter months?

My plan (so far) is to find some ways to keep active without leaving my apartment. I’m usually pretty terrible at working out at home, because it just feels awkward to me. The weird stares my cats give me when I’m doing burpees don’t help at all. But I’ve downloaded a few fitness apps that came highly recommended (Sworkit Pro, Blogilates, Popsugar ACTIVE, and the Nike Training Club – all free except for Sworkit) and I’m still working on my Hundred Pushups challenge (another app). I’ve tried out the Sworkit Pro app so far and I’m really liking it – and don’t worry, I’m planning on sharing a full review once I use all the apps! 🙂

In addition, I borrowed the ’30 Day Shred’ DVD by Jillian Michaels from a friend of mine. I’ve heard great things about this DVD so I’m hoping it’ll keep me motivated (at least for a month) to work out at home, on those days when I just can’t pry myself out of the comfort of my house. Also, the next round of GRIT training starts in January and I am definitely signing up this time! I really enjoyed the demo of GRIT that I tried out a few weeks ago and I wanted to sign up for the last round but finances and a busy work schedule just wouldn’t allow it. I’m super excited for it to start up again in January, and I think this program will be just what I need to stay active this winter and to help get my fitness to the next level!

Question of the Day Season:
So seriously, what do you do to stay motivated and fit during the winter months?

Quest & Ignite Naturals

I hope everyone has been having a great week so far! This is “busy season” at work for me, so I’ve been working longer hours, and the last thing I want to do when I get home is look at a computer screen. Although I haven’t been posting as much, I’ve been sticking with my routine of Body Pump classes, yoga, and lots of home-cooked meals! With the change in weather, I’ve become more of a hermit than usual and I’ve spent much of the past few weekends hanging out at home, watching some shows/movies, and working on going through stuff around the house to find stuff to donate to the Salvation Army.

A few times a year, I like to dig through my clothes, shoes, purses, etc and donate things that I’m not using to the local Salvation Army. It’s a habit my mom instilled in me when I was younger and it continues to this day. Lately, I’ve taken this habit to a new level as I’m trying to declutter and simplify my entire life. I’m making a conscious effort to cut down on the material stuff around me in favor of more important things. Basically, if something isn’t being used around my house then it’s getting kicked to the curb (literally, in some cases). I’ve made some ruthless cuts to my movie and book collections, and I’ve steadily copied all my CDs into iTunes and gotten rid of the hard copies (seriously – when was the last time I played a CD?!). Some of the CDs are being donated, but a good chunk I was able to sell on the website Music Magpie which I have had a very positive experience with. I didn’t get much for the CDs (about $.50 each) but it’s better than nothing! My next big step is to get rid of my stereo. I’ve had the stereo since high school, and probably haven’t turned it on in 4 years. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just sort of outdated in our MP3 and Bluetooth culture. I haven’t decided yet if I should try to sell it or just donate it to the Salvation Army. I have a feeling selling it would be more trouble than it’s worth – does anyone buy stereos anymore? Thoughts?

On a completely different note, I wanted to share my thoughts on two companies with you: Quest, and Ignite Naturals.

Recently, through my affiliation with Sweat Pink Ambassadors, I got a chance to try a free sample of Quest bars.

I was super excited for the opportunity because I had seen Quest bars before, but never stopped to read the label and realize that they are some pretty clean bars! These protein bars are made from real ingredients, with the addition of protein powder (which I think of as processed). I tried the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough one after Body Pump on Tuesday night and really enjoyed the flavor. The texture was a little on the chewy side, but it wasn’t unpleasant – just not what I was expecting. I prefer to get my protein from whole-food sources, but these bars could be a great (portable!) addition in a pinch!

Now, onto Ignite Naturals. A while back (like 6 months ago), Ignite Naturals contacted me and offered me a free sample of their product Ignite Naturals Refresh in exchange for me filling out a survey about the product. I fell in love with both Refresh and Ignite Naturals, and have been buying their products ever since! The company is dedicated to whole food, non-GMO, healthy nutrition for active lifestyles. I love them so much, I also joined Team Ignite – which basically means that I get to share an awesome coupon code with all of you! Using code IN0690 will get you 10% off any Ignite Naturals purchase. Disclaimer: while my first sample of Refresh was free, I received no compensation for this post, I wasn’t required to write it as a part of my partnership with Team Ignite, and all opinions are my own! I just truly love these products!

Ignite Naturals Refresh is an electrolytes powder meant to help refresh and rehydrate your bodies. The best part is – it’s made from real food ingredients! I’ve tried the Tangerine Passion Fruit and Prickly Pear flavors and really enjoyed them both although Prickly Pear is more my speed since it’s not sweet at all. It easily dissolves in water, and is perfect for those super-long sweat sessions like Body Pump or Cycling class where you just need something a little more than water. In addition, the company makes gels, protein powders, and other nutritional aids so definitely check them out! 🙂

Don’t forget: coupon code IN0690 gets you 10% off any Ignite Naturals purchase.

Fitness Update: GRIT, Yoga, and Hundred Pushups!

Yesterday morning, bright and early at 6 am – I had the opportunity to take a free demo class of Les Mill’s newest offering – GRIT. (Just an FYI: Les Mills is the same company that offers Body Pump, Body Jam, Body Step, etc) GRIT is a high intensity interval training (HIIT) style workout. Fortunately for me, my Body Pump teacher’s husband just recently got certified to teach GRIT and his gym was hosting a few demo classes to get people interested in the program. Heather and I reported to Arlington Health and Wholeness around 5:45 am to meet up with the group and get started.

There are three styles of GRIT classes: cardio, plyometrics, and strength. In our 30 minute demo class, we did a cardio based workout – although there was plenty of plyometrics involved! We did a series of intervals involving various exercises – high-knees, push-ups, burpees, jumping squats, jumping lunges, and sprints in between. We finished off the class with an abs track. It was intense! During the class, I felt like I was going to pass out but in a “working really hard” way – and I felt great after class ended! I should have grabbed some pictures, but I was too busy working out! Although about half-way through the push-ups I had to drop to me knees (we did A LOT of push-ups) and I have some very bruised knees from doing push-ups on a basketball court floor.

They are seriously gross. And it definitely hurts to kneel.

Today I actually wore my calf compression sleeves to work under my dress pants because my calves are so sore. I was sort of hobbling around before I put them on. I think it was all the plyometric work that really got into my calf muscles – a muscle group that I think was seriously underworked before now!

For a quick look at what GRIT is all about – check out this video:

Speaking of push-ups, I mentioned in my Fitness Bucket List post that push-ups are sort of my nemesis and one of my goals is to do 10 full “real”, all the way down to 90 degree push-ups in a row – and I think I’m getting really close! Based on some recommendations, I downloaded the ‘Hundred Pushups’ app from iTunes and I started it this week. It’s a three day a week program that builds you up to doing a bunch of push-ups in a row. While I have no delusions about being able to do a hundred push-ups, I’m really excited to make working on them a weekly priority.

Finally, this past Sunday I had an amazing yoga class. It was only the second time I’ve been to yoga since I started my half-marathon training plan, and now that I’ve abandoned that idea, I’m so excited to get back to yoga. I’ve truly missed it. I was worried that I would have lost all the gains that I had built up going twice a week. Fortunately, I had a really spectacular class. I held Bird of Paradise (albeit with a bent leg), held Crow for a few seconds, and even got into full Wheel pose! I was so shocked. I remember being able to do this move (referred to as a back bend in my gymnastics class) when I was in middle school, so I was shocked when I started taking yoga and found I couldn’t push up into this position. This past Sunday, I just decided to go for it and I popped right up! It was such an amazing feeling. I think it’s really a testament to the strength I’ve built up in my shoulders and arms that I was able to pull it off. It reminds me of a quote I saw on Pinterest about falling in love: “You fall in love the way you fall asleep – slowly, and then all at once.” I think the same thing is true for yoga poses – you work and work on getting them, and then all of sudden you take a deep breath – and you’re there.

A Running Crisis & Cheese and Herb Stuffed Chicken

I’m having a little bit of a running crisis lately. I’ve discussed it in detail with a few of my friends and the problem is that mainly – I’m not a big fan of running.

Sure, once a week or every other week I get the urge to go out for a run. But I definitely don’t like it enough to run the 3 times a week (minimum) that would be required for proper training. So here I am, 5 weeks into my training plan that should have gotten me through a 10k in November and then a Half Marathon in February and I just don’t want to do it anymore. Through the first weeks of this training plan, I’ve made excuses to skip more runs than I can count which has resulted in only working out 3, sometimes 4 days a week. In contrast, during the months of July-August I gave myself permission not to run at all and focus on yoga, weight lifting, and cycling and I was working out 5-6 days a week without really even noticing it. Probably because I was participating in activities I truly looked forward to and enjoyed.

This situation has left me in a yo-yo argument with myself of “just don’t run the races – there’s no reason to dedicate yourself to something that you don’t enjoy” to “don’t be a quitter” and back again. I’ve had numerous friends tell me you can do it. But it’s not so much that I think I can’t do it as that I don’t want to. And isn’t it silly to force myself to do something half-heartedly when there are activities I’d gladly dedicate myself whole-heartedly to?

In this spirit, I think I’ve decided to skip the 10k in November, and possibly knock the race in February back to a 10k (if Disney will let me switch). There are circumstances surrounding the February race that make it hard for me to not go at all, so I’m hoping to still participate in some way that weekend.

Now, on a less existential note: a recipe! 🙂

I came up with this recipe as a way to use up some leftover cream cheese I had in the fridge, as well as some bacon and chicken breasts that I had picked up on sale. Also, lately I’ve had a thing for blending up cheese in my food processor.

Bacon-Wrapped, Cheese & Herb Stuffed Chicken
Serves 4.

– 4 boneless chicken breasts (or you could use thighs I suppose)
– ¼ cup cream cheese
– ¼ cup ricotta cheese (I’m sure you could use all cream cheese, this is just what I had on hand)
– 1 tablespoon dried herbs of your choice, I used oregano and thyme
– 4 slices bacon
– Salt and pepper

Cut a “pocket” into the fat side of each chicken breast. Salt and pepper the chicken and set aside.

Add cheeses and herbs to the food processor and process until smooth.

Stuff each chicken breast with cheese mixture and wrap in a single bacon slice. Place in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and sear on each side before transferring to a 350 degree oven to cook for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

I served the chicken breasts with some steamed veggies on the side – such a quick and easy, delicious dinner! I also suspect that these would freeze well. You can stuff and wrap the chicken breasts, then seal in a freezer bag for future dinners! 🙂

Healthy Hobbies Beyond Fitness

A few years ago, had a goal written on my yearly Goals List to “develop an active hobby.”

I had long ago decided that I was not, and never would be, the kind of person who would work out at the gym. Lo and behold how things change. But back then, I knew the only way I was going to increase my fitness was to find something that I truly loved doing – a hobby, that just so happened to be active.

Up to this point, my hobbies included reading and watching movies, both decidedly inactive. And while I did eventually become the kind of person who runs and goes to the gym (thanks to an obsessive love for Body Pump classes), it’s still important to have healthy hobbies beyond your workouts.

For the Sports Enthusiast

Love sports? I happen to be a huge sports fan – with a heavy emphasis on the FAN. I’ve never played a sport in my life and actually find the idea kind of terrifying. Stand up in front of everyone and try to hit a moving ball with a bat? That’s pretty much my worst nightmare. But I know there are other (arguably more normal) people out there who love playing sports – and joining a “fun league” for softball, basketball, even dodgeball is a great way to get to know new people and to incorporate activity at the same time. I know a lot of companies sponsor teams for their employees so that’s a great option to get fit and network with co-workers.

If you’re looking for something a little less competitive (which is where I usually land), practicing tennis with a friend, hitting up a driving range, or going bowling are all wonderful active alternatives to sitting on the couch, or embarrassing yourself (read: myself) with a bat.

For the Adventure-Seeker

I feel like there I no shortage of new fitness crazes these days to satisfy everyone’s tastes. The latest one that I’m really excited to try is Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUPing – awesome abbreviation). I think SUP classes are popping up in most places that have any sort of water nearby – and here in DC they even have yoga and fitness classes that are held on a SUP board. I also recently saw on another blog (based in California) that they took a class at a trampoline gym. Seriously – a gym filled with trampolines. It looked incredible, and as soon as I find one nearby I definitely want to try it!

There is also no shortage of fun runs to choose from. Fun runs (specifically the Color Run) are what first started me towards running. I also recently ran a 5k called The Electric Run which is like a club/rave effect throughout the course. I swear I can’t go the week without seeing 5 different fun runs, mud runs, obstacle runs, or other themed events pop up on Facebook, Groupon, and Living Social. If charity events are more your speed, there are tons of great events that can help you support the causes you believe in – and if running isn’t your thing there are lots of charity walks as well. Form a team and raise money together – it’s another great chance to spend time with friends, family or co-workers. My favorite search engine for events is Running in the USA.

For the ‘Couch Potato’

This is pretty much where I fell (or fall, depending on what day it is) – so I use the phrase ‘couch potato’ with nothing but love. When you’re in a couch potato state – the most important thing you can do is start incorporating little bits of activity wherever you can. I started by parking further away from work/stores so I have to walk a little extra, or walking to the grocery store instead of driving when I don’t have a ton of things to buy. I also like to incorporate extra walking into things I already love – like going to concerts. During the summer months, I usually end up going to between 6 and 8 concerts. Concerts just equal summer to me. So while I’m there, I try to take a few laps around the venue to check out the merchandise booths and people watch. You can apply this same principle to all kinds of outdoor events!

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For the Fashionista

Do you love shopping? If you’re already at the mall, the outlets, or a market – take the opportunity to appreciate the free cardio you’re sneaking in! Before making an impulse purchase, take a lap around the store or mall to think it over – it’s good for your health and your wallet! 🙂 In a similar fashion, take time to compare prices for items that can be found in multiple stores. The extra walking you get in allows you to window-shop, and up your step-count for the day. Not to mention hauling those heavy bags gets in an arm workout! Warning: this tip may not be as healthy for your wallet as it is for your body!

For the Nature Lover

Love being outdoors? There are so many healthy things to do outside that take advantage of beautiful weather. The first one that comes to mind is hiking. And you don’t have to hike a huge, intimidating mountain to get the benefits. Just the other night during my usual run around my neighborhood, I discovered that a local park’s trail/bike path connects to my neighborhood so I have a whole new running path to explore! Walking, running or biking with friends is a great way to catch up other than meeting for Happy Hour. Although there’s nothing wrong with Happy Hour! 🙂 I think another great option is to meet at your local Happy Hour joint, take a quick out-and-back run/walk and then enjoy drinks afterwards! 🙂

Walking a dog is another great way to get out and enjoy the outdoors while taking in some cardio. Personally, I don’t have a dog because my apartment doesn’t allow them but I want one really badly so I’m constantly stealing borrowing friend’s dogs. If you have a good friend with a pooch, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind including you on their daily walks!

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Seriously, I just want all dogs to let me pet them.

I think the moral of the story is that finding any way to get up and moving – while doing something you love is a big step towards a healthy lifestyle! 🙂

Electric Run 5k Race Recap

This past Saturday I ran the Electric Run 5k race in National Harbor, MD. It was my first 5k since July’s Crystal City Twilighter 5k and I had a great race!

Heather and I set out for National Harbor a little early (at 5 pm for an 8 pm race) because we knew traffic was going to be terrible. National Harbor is right across the bridge from Alexandria, and there’s really only one road running into this small area so we knew it would get backed up quick. Good thing we left as early as we did, because we still sat in 30-40 minutes of traffic despite being so early for the race.

Once we got into the area and parked, we headed off to check-in and explore the pre-race set up. Thankfully this race had plenty of porta-potties (unlike Run or Dye), but there wasn’t too much else going on. Most people were hanging out be-jeweling themselves with glow bracelets and glow paint purchased from the booths but Heather and I decided to pass on that. Unfortunately a passer-by bumped into me, thereby forcibly applying paint to my arm. I was actually sort of grateful it was paint instead of just a sweaty person bumping into me. Also, (just like at Color Me Rad) we noticed that the first aid booth was completely unattended. Weird.

We crowded into the starting gate around 8 pm to wait to be released. It seems to be a pattern with these fun runs that they cram everyone into one starting corral and then release a few hundred people at a time. I’m not hugely experienced with races but this just seems to be a slow way to do things. Once again, Heather and I didn’t actually start running until about 8:45 pm.

Our hugely crowded, and neon, starting corral

Once we got going, it was a great course. It started off with a hill, but that lead to a nice long downhill from about 1/2 mile in just past a mile. It was a great way to shake out my legs and really settle into the run. I felt great throughout the whole run, which I was really grateful for after my de-motivating 2 miler on Wednesday night. It’s amazing the difference a new day can make! Throughout the course there were various sections with bright, neon decorations, lights, and music. I tried to snap a few pictures but since it was dark outside they all turned out not so great.

Hopefully you get the idea! My one complaint was that there were long(ish) sections of the course that had no lights/music at all so they were sort of dark and lonely in comparison. But I guess there are limits to exactly how much electrical cord you can string throughout three miles. My favorite thing about the course was that it went through such a wide variety of terrain. It started off on the ramp to the highway (shut down of course), then cut down on a crushed stone/shell path by the water, then went through a dirt road area before finally cutting down the main strip of National Harbor. The last part was my favorite part because it was well-lit and had tons of spectators (both on purpose and other unsuspecting people who were just there to have dinner/hit the bars). My favorite part of racing is the positive energy and love you can feel both from the spectators and other runners!

At the end of the course there was a stage with more lights and a DJ so we hung out and enjoyed a beer and the rave-atmosphere before heading to one of our favorite local bars to relax and listen to some live music. It was a great night and a great way to kick off training!

The after-race party

Of course on the way to the bar we stopped to take “strong woman” photos with a statue we found. It couldn’t be helped.

Oh, and I have to share a picture of my awesome rainbow of glow bracelets! 🙂 I picked these up for $1 at Michaels before the race – so much better than spending money at the pre-race booths!