Food for Thought

Saw this today on a blog written by Jeff Dauler, a morning radio personality on Q100. He is currently training for his first triathlon (as am I) and thought this was great motivation. 

Photo Credit and Blog

Make the time to train. Other things can wait, especially the internet and emails!

Proof of the Pudding...13.1 DONE!

I got the fire to sign up for my first half marathon a few months ago, 3 months ago to be exact. I wasn't entirely sure what this would entail other than long runs on Saturdays and some pain along the way. Boy was I right. I trained each Saturday (sometimes Sunday) with my awesome group of running girlfriends, including the fabulous Nicole, and sometimes I ran those long miles alone. I skipped out on and ran out of time for my short week day tempo runs so I pretty much was banking on these long runs getting me through the race. Probably not the best idea

The final weekend before I was supposed to clock 10 miles but could only do 7 as re-injury to my foot set in and so did the mental angst. With 9 miles as my longest training run, it was now or never when Thursday morning rolled around and I suited up to run. 

The girls and I decided to hit up Big Peach Running Company  for some of their signature 'RunATL' shirts for the race. In addition to my 'RunATL' shirt, I donned my trusty fuel belt, race number, iPod shuffle and favorite Lululemon tights. I laced up my slightly worn out K.Swiss kicks and was ready to go. It was a bit chilly but by mile 3 the gloves and ear warmers were safely tucked away as I cruised the streets of Atlanta with the finish line in my thoughts. My sweet hubby kept pace and ran with me the whole way. It was such a motivator to have someone to talk to, keep pace with and remind me when it's time to eat since I usually forget! Miles 1-8 seemed to breeze by and I was feeling great. Mile 9-11 were another story! I hit my mental block and knew that post mile 9 was uncharted territory for me and my legs. I hunkered down, gave myself a pep talk and kept pushing. My plan of run 4, walk 1 slowly went to run 1 walk 3. I knew my plan of finishing in 2:45 was on the horizon but as mile 11 approached and my pace was still slower than before, my hope of finishing in that time dwindled and I then just knew I had to do it in under 3 hours. I pushed through mile 11 thanks to some awesome tunes and then through mile 12. I crested the hill and could see the finish around the bend. 

Tears filled my eyes and my pace increased as I trotted towards that finish line, clock reading under 3 hours...2:56 to be exact. I felt like collapsing after finishing but happily put my medal around my neck and smiled for pictures. I was so thankful to be done and so beyond proud of myself for my accomplishment! 

I can't express my thanks enough to all my friends and family who encouraged me the whole way from signing up to watching me cross the finish. 

So, who's running the next one with me?!

Custom Team Morris Shirts

Mike was quite adamant about getting custom t-shirts for his approaching Ironman in Panama City, FL. He was bound and determined to find a place online that made low quantity and custom design. Thankfully, we came across CustomInk! Their site was easy to use and so far, no complaints. Not to mention they do single orders all the way up to bulk orders for big groups! Ours turned out to be just under $30 for a shirt...not too bad! 

FRONT

BACK

Our custom shirts should arrive next week. Can't wait to see what the finished product looks like and to rock it November 5 as Mike competes in his first FULL Ironman.

Half Marathon Training Update

I'm only 3 weeks into my training  (with 11 more weeks to go) for the Atlanta Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon and I'm happy to report that so far, so good!

Running 3 times per week with 2 days of cross training (tennis, lifting, etc.) is really starting to help. I started slow with just 1 mile for my long run at a pace of 15 minutes (3 weeks ago) and this past Saturday I logged in 4.1 miles with a time of 44 minutes (that's 11 minute miles). I was stoked to see how much I'm improving and much easier the running is getting. I've been doing my long runs on the Jeff Galloway plan ... run (x) minutes, walk (x) minutes. So far I'm up to running 5 minutes and walking 2 minutes. I actually have been looking forward to my long runs. One thing that I've surprised myself with is that I haven't been running with an iPod. I always thought I'd need music to run long distance but shockingly, I have enjoyed the quiet time and use it to think as well as give myself pep talks if I feel like I'm starting to fade.

I've already told you guys about my favorite running clothes and now it's time to introduce my favorite running "aid". Meet my friend, Fuel Belt!

photo credit

I picked up the 4 bottle red edition, but you can choose from many different colors, styles and even number of bottles. Personally, I use 2 for water and 2 for Heed (by Hammer Nutrition). Usually I come back with over half of my bottles still full, but knowing that I have a fluid supply is always nice just in case it's a hot day or my run is harder than I think.

I find these fuel belts or any fuel source similar to be an absolute vital item for any runner. You can pick them up at most running stores as well as online.

Favorite Running Gear

Now that I'm all signed up for the Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, I've been doing an overhaul on my running gear. Getting rid of stuff I don't like and stocking up on stuff that I love.

I'm obsessed with my running gear and the company who makes it to be quite honest. Ever heard of Lululemon Athletica? Well if not, you need to become familiar with them if you're interested in fashionable workout clothes that fit great and are so comfortable! Lululemon is just an all around great company with fab clothes, gear and a great manifesto to boot. How could you NOT be inspired by this?

photo source

Here are some of my personal fave items from Lululemon!

Silver Bullet Short Sleeve Shirt -- $68.00

Swiftly Racerback Tank -- $48.00

Speed Short -- $54.00

I'm lucky enough to be in Atlanta where there is a Lululemon within 5 minutes...and by lucky I mean my bank account  isn't so lucky, but I am! They have a handy store locator where you can (I'm sure) find a Lululemon close to you, if not, never fear because they do online shipping as well. The best part of shopping Lululemon online ... shipping is always free!

**all photos from Lululemon website

I Just Signed Up For WHAT!?!?!

Yep, that's right. I've lost my mind. I'm officially signed up to run the Atlanta Thanksgiving HALF MARATHON!

Through the next 14 weeks, I'll be training and putting myself through what I like to call 'hell' to get ready for this 13.1 run. Thankfully, my awesome hubby is helping me prepare as well as running the race with me. Here goes nothing. Stay tuned for updates on my progress!

Crazy Man

My hubby is nuts, in a good way. He's obsessed with triathlons and training for them. He's currently putting in hours upon hours to get ready for his first Ironman .... Ironman Florida this upcoming November in Panama City, FL. He's got a few more races this year before the Big Dance in November.  It makes me proud to see him so dedicated to something he really enjoys...and happy that it's a healthy choice (although its quite pricey).

At Chattanooga Waterfront Tri -- July 2011

We're now 45 days away from our cruise and I'm not real pumped about being back in a bathing suit. I've been lacking motivation for a bit to workout, perhaps it's my rebellion from workouts to get ready for the wedding ... who knows.

I've decided to try to get it in gear and add a new layer to my (hopefully) back to normal workouts. I'm going to give Jillian Micheals 30 Day Shred a try. Thankfully, my sweet friend, L, has the DVD and is letting me use/have it.

photo credit

Yesterday on my way home (before seeing the UBER GORGEOUS HOME which I'll update later on) I popped into Target and picked up some weights. Tonight will mark DAY 1 of the 30 Day Shred.

Photo Credit

WISH ME LUCK AND LESS INCHES!!

A Whole Lotta New

I've been on a 'new' streak lately. New clothes, new hair products and my two most recent ... new running shoes and a new car!

Back in October I hit up Big Peach Running Co (the one in Buckhead) for some new kicks. They actually fit your feet and let you test the shoes out to make sure they are right for you. The pair I got then, a great New Balance neutral shoe, finally gassed out a few weeks ago but I kept treading thin on them until I could make it back to Big Peach for a new pair. Low and behold, here are my new workout/running friends ... the K-Swiss K-Ona for Women in silver/orange!

photo credit

They are great, lightweight running shoes made by K-Swiss. Neutral with a little stability and good arch support if you're interested in a new pair and your feet meet that criteria. The color scheme is pretty awesome too. I love the silver and although the orange is a bit bright, it's not too flashy. I ran in them for the first time this morning and loved them! Word of caution though, if you get these kicks, be sure to stretch your calves post workout ... the way your foot sits in the sole of these causes calf pain in the beginning ... what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

In other new news ... I said 'bye' to my beloved Acura, Rudy and 'hello' to my new Jeep Grand Cherokee (70th Anniversary), Conrad! While I don't have any pictures of my own to show you just yet, here's what a professional version looks like!

Photo Credit

Ours is silver with black interior, probably not smart for the summer, but okay for the winter! Conrad has all the bells and whistles I could possibly need. I love being in a bigger car, again, yet the gas prices really are already killing me when I look at how much it takes to fill it up! I'll try to get some shots of the interior and my favorite part, a picture of Kona in my dash!

Seriously Lacking ....

My motivation to get in shape is lacking to say the least these days. After the "you must fit in the dress" pressure for almost a year and my insane travel schedule, my desire to hit the gym, head to BLAST or do anything to burn some calories has been less than stellar. It's not that I've gained a bunch of weight ... maybe a pound or two ... it's just that I'm not happy with how I look and feel when I don't work out. So today, I've decided to get my butt back in gear. 

photo credit

We're heading out on a cruise in 73 days with some of our friends and that right there is some motivation. Not only are we going on a cruise, but we'll be heading to Charleston for two weekends in a row and then down to Panama City, FL for Mike's Ironman in November. All of these will involve a bathing suit and lets be honest, I could look a little better in one. 

So bear with me as I may be grumpy with my smaller intake of food, less Diet Coke and fried yumminess ... the grouchy Mrs. Morris shouldn't be around long, but the better looking and healthier Mrs. Morris should be making yet another appearance very soon ... 

Peachtree Road Race Lottery Update!

I blogged a bit ago about the changes to the 2011 AJC Peachtree Road Race. I submitted my information on the first day and waited patiently for my email letting me know that I either got in or didn't. To my surprise, this morning I had an email waiting in my inbox. Good news. I got in! Thankfully, Mike and a few more of our friends did as well.

According to 11 Alive News, 2,000 people were not selected in the lottery. I happen to at least know of 2 people who didn't get in. The good news in this situation is that there will be a number transfer system from April 8-May 8 for people who got in the race but can't run, etc. to transfer numbers to the 2,000 not so lucky individuals who weren't selected.

Looking forward to lacing up my shoes and running my second Peachtree Road Race! Here's to hoping that BLAST and my future training (I have until July 4th) will allow me to PR in this race.

Happy training and if you entered the lottery, did you get in?

Happy Thursday!

Today is a crazy day. Mike leaves for his bachelor party in Las Vegas (God Help Me!), My sweet friend's puppy is getting its leg amputated (SO SO sad) and I get to go to a private event at JCrew. All in all, it's going to be hectic mixed with some serious emotions for a few reasons. So instead of getting into the nitty gritty of how I'm feeling, I'll share some new photos instead!

Baby Kona says Roll Tide!

7:45AM this morning ... nothing like an ICING to start your bachelor party!

Mike's obsession! 

Hope your Thursday is going well! The good news, it's almost Friday!

AJC Peachtree Road Race : An Atlanta Tradition

The AJC Peachtree Road Race is a Fourth of July tradition for so many people. As long as you registered on time, you were entered. You got to enjoy 6.2 miles lined with fans and supporters as you run/walk past. There's tons of music, water/gatorade/food stops along the way making this race very enjoyable. 

Mike and I from the 2010 Peachtree Road Race

Well, that's not really the story this year. The AJC and Atlanta Track Club have decided to increase the participants from 55,000 to 60,000 thus instituting a lottery system to enter. Starting today and continuing through March 24th, prospective runners can enter the lottery. While you have to fill out all the necessary information for racing (credit card info, shirt size, emergency contact), you're not guaranteed a spot in the biggest 10k in the world on the Fourth of July. Everyone who enters the lottery will be notified whether or not they are "accepted" to participate by March 29th. 

Excerpts from the AJC article about the new process

"The 2011 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race will have a field of 60,000, an increase of 5,000. The Atlanta Track Club also will change the entry process to a lottery format in hopes of making the system fairer and less frantic. "All applications will have an equal chance of being accepted. Runners who have competed in 10 or more Peachtrees will receive special consideration."

If you're interested in entering the lottery, here's the link to get your name in the hat! Good luck and good training whether you're selected or not!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

While I know it's another Monday and a silly "Hallmark Holiday", I still love Valentine's Day. I tell Mike and those close to me that I love them all the time, but feel like today is a day to really make those who matter to you feel loved. I knew I'd want to be in a good mood today, so I hit up BLAST900 up early at 5:45 to get my morning started. When I got in my car, my navigation popped up a little note.

Guess this was his idea of a card? Either way, it was super sweet and cute. I wish it would stay on all day, but it only pops up the first time you start it up in the morning. Baby Kona and I got Mike some Valentine's Day cards and left them on the counter for him this morning.Got to work and had some chocolate waiting on my from my coworkers. They are too kind. Even though I'm watching what I eat and all, today is a splurge day (hence the workout in the AM!).

A little Valentine elf, perhaps Cupid himself, delivered some goodies as well.They are just too cute to eat! For now they can sit and stare at me from my desk! Mike really does like to make me feel special! Really looking forward to our dinner date tonight at Restaurant Eugene! I'll be sure to re-cap and give my $0.02 on how awesome the joint is.

To everyone out there in blogger-land, whether you "follow" and identify yourself or not, Happy Valentine's Day. Hope you enjoy it with the one you love, animal you love, or doing something that you love. If for nothing else, do something for yourself today! Everyone deserves to feel loved and special!

Dinner, Jousting, Comedy and Super Bowl Sunday....

I'm going to manage to have date night, watch a jousting match, get in on some improv comedy and watch the Super Bowl ALL in one weekend. Sounds exhausting already!

photo via here

Tonight Mike and I have date night. A nice way to end a rainy and cold Friday! We usually keep it low key on Friday's so I'm pretty excited to hang out with him tonight and Baby Kona after dinner. We're going to try out Highland Tap for dinner. We've gone for drinks before but never for a full meal. The rumor on the street is that they have great burgers and steaks!

photo via here 

Saturday is hopefully going to be a prettier day here in Atlanta than it was today. I plan on getting up early and hitting up bootcamp to get my metabolism in gear for what the rest of the day will hold. A lot of our friends are turning 30 this year so with that comes fun 30th birthday parties. The one we're going to Saturday night is a surprise party at Medieval Times. What is Medieval Times you might ask? Well it's 2 hrs of jousting in a makeshift 11th century style Medieval Spain castle. Fully equipped with a 4-course meal and hopefully crowns and tiaras. Only caveat...booze is pricey and there is NO silverware...as in, you eat with your hands. Needless to say, I'm stashing some from the office as my nails are too pretty to get nasty turkey leg under neath the nails and my clothes are too nice to have grease running down them!  We're also hitting up another birthday party post jousting and turkey legs. We'll be meeting up with another group for some laughs and hopefully not too embarrassing of a time at Whole World Theatre in downtown Atlanta. Looking forward to so improv comedy. Never been here but we were assured it will be a good time. I'll give you my full report post weekend.

Also this weekend is the clash of the cheese heads and steel makers. The XLV Super Bowl will I'm sure be boring as usual. Sadly, I'm not really a fan of either team so I'll be sporting gold since it is neutral for both teams. I really watch the Super Bowl for the commercials, though the last 2 years I've been quite disappointed with what the advertisers have come up with. Budweiser has already started their "teaser" commercials...even those aren't enticing. The one good thing about Super Bowl Sunday, Glee will have a new episode post game and it looks like Michael Jacksons' Thriller will be jammed out by the lungs of the cast. We're attending a party hosted by our sweet friends Jon and Erin at their home. Can't wait to help cook up some goodies and hang out with our friends. Here's to hoping it'll be nice enough to hang out by the fire pit rather than everyone being inside!

Who are you cheering for? 

images via here

images via here

Happy Friday and hope you guys have a great weekend!

3.2.1...Blast Off...

... your waist line and pounds that is!
I've never been a fan of "fad" diets and all the hokey eating stuff. However, I'm all about "fad" workouts and different ways to kick start your heart rate and make you shed pounds. While I know that losing weight is more like a math equation, I like to think that I can do it myself and in my way...usually, I'm wrong!

I've been doing {yes all of this} Bootcamp, Dance and Personal Trainer/Nutritionist. I've dropped 2.4lbs since Christmas and kept it off so far, so that's good...but I need to drop more. My normal routine is Bootcamp 3-4 mornings a week, Dance 2 days and other workout another 2-3 days a week. This can be cumbersome and often times I don't find or choose not to find the time for it. Though the results are slowly showing and my "skinny" jeans and pants are fitting again, I think there's a new thing for me to give a shot and see if it can't jump start a bigger weight loss.

Blast900 is interval-based training to really kick your body into gear. I wasn't sure what it was all about, but my girlfriend, Nicole, had been and encouraged me to check it out also. With the enticing 'first class free' offer, I couldn't turn it down.Through ice, snow and after almost busting my face today, Nicole and I made it to class. I checked out their website, more than once, to get a feel for what it'd be like. Here's what the front page has to say.

"Countless scientific studies prove that the most dramatic way to change your body is through interval training, alternating high and relatively low intensity exercise. BLAST900's unique interval-based workout "shocks" the body out of its comfort zone, and has you continually burning calories for the next 24 hours. BLAST is what you're not already getting, but everything you've ever wanted from a workout. It's circuit training meets bootcamp, all grown up. It's THE ULTIMATE WORKOUT."

It was more than just a physical workout, it was mental. I found myself looking in the mirror telling myself to keep going, to stay focused and not to give up {I also found myself saying..."Keep running so you'll fit in your wedding dress"}. You rotate weights/core training with interval running on the treadmill. It's 60 minutes of straight work - switching up exercises every 5 or 10 minutes. No water breaks, no waiting around. I've never run so hard, far and fast as I did today. They say you burn 900 calories in a class... I believe them. I left there red faced, dripping in sweat feeling like I really got a good workout in. Though classes cost more than I like to spend ($28 per class unless you get a class card) it does include water, towel and all equipment.

While there are only locations (2 ) in Metro Atlanta, I encourage you to check something like this out in your area. If you live in Atlanta or are visiting anytime soon, I definitely recommend you checking it out. You'll leave motivated, encouraged and great about yourself and what you accomplished just in the 60 minutes there!

I. CAN'T. WAIT. TO. GO. BACK!

Back To BootCamp!

Back to life...Back to BootCamp?!

image via google

I don't think the song went like that. However, that's what I'm doing! I started BootCamp with Fitness Battalion in January of this year all because I got a Groupon for it. {Sidenote: If you don't know what Groupon is, PLEASE go check it out and get in on the great deals in your area!}  At first it was rough, I mean rough. Those 5:30AM wake up calls suck and so did the frigid cold. The workouts varied but were intense ... some days more than others. But as time went on and the days flew by, it seemed as if it was working. My weight was dropping and so were my pants size. I enjoyed it while it lasted and then my schedule got beyond busy with weddings, work, travel, planning our wedding and everything else. My BootCamp days came to a close in July of this year and well, just started back.

I'm two weeks into going back to BootCamp. Same company, different location (but same awesome people!). While this month I'm only going 2 days a week in morning (versus my 3-4 day a week Jan-May--slacked off after that), I still feel good about myself and think it's working. When January rolls around, I'll be back to 3-4 days a week with the butt kicking group at Fitness Battalion. I'm hoping to see similar results as before so that I can look ultra hot in my wedding dress come April!

While my friend, Patsy, is no longer living in Atlanta full-time (she's in NC in Grad School), my other friend, Nicole Richie...yes, I swear that's her real name, is up to the challenge this time. We carpool and complain about the cold together, suck it up and get out workouts done! It's nice to have someone to be in misery with while working out, yet even better to have someone to be encouraging with and excited when the workout is over and you get to see the results.

So here's to getting back on the workout train and back to getting my butt kicked every morning in the cold (for now!) at 6am!

the train is a comin'

The clock is ticking and the days are shedding away. We're 150 days from THE day. So far there hasn't been much movement on the wedding front. Not at least in the past week since we've been preoccupied playing with Kona, our new poodle princess! I need to get it back in gear cause the Wedding train is a coming and I need to get back on board!

This weekend I'll most likely wrap up our guest list and send it off so that invites can be printed. Once they receive our list we'll have our pretty little invites and all the joys of packing them up and shipping out in about 2-3 weeks. I can't send them til first of March, but I can sure stuff and stamp them before then! Assembly line anyone?!

Our first big planning meeting is on the 14th of this month. We'll be deciding both wedding cake and grooms cake, all flowers and the general design/feel for the day. I'm pretty excited yet almost overwhelmed at the thought of doing this all at once to be honest. I wish I had some images to share, but they are on my other computer. I'll upload them tonight and show what I'm thinking about. Once this meeting is done I'll feel a little more confident about things. I've got my flower ideas and cake ideas set in my head, here's to hoping they fit into budget and will work with the overall theme. In January we head back to Flint Hill to do our catering and beverage stuff and work though the reception stuff. I think this meeting will be slightly easier. Serve good and lots of food and LOTS of booze!!

Up next on the working on things include our Hotel guest bags, Thank You gifts, Seating Chart board (which will be a doozie!) and lots of other small things! I can't believe how fast 2010 has come to a close and 2011 is about to ramp up.

In other news, I started bootcamp again this week. I loved going (minus the cold weather and rain) most of the beginning of this year and thought what a great way to get back into shape so my dress fits just right. Needless to say Tuesdays bootcamp was rainy and Wednesdays was freezing. Two hellacious days to start it off, but it can only get better and I can only get smaller and fitter :)

Turkey Earned!

The Atlanta Half Marathon and Thanksgiving 5K kicked off on a slightly muggy, yet mild Thanksgiving morning. It took us what seemed like FOREVER to get to the parking lot since the highway full of runners was a total parking lot. Mike and I and some of our friends were all racing and then meeting up to take pictures and gab about the course/times and maybe even drink a beer :)

While they were all running the Half Marathon, I stuck to the 5K. My goal, though I haven't been training, was to finish in under 40 minutes. Needless to say, I made that happen. Coming in at a solid (barely under) 39 minutes. I was content yet not too pleased as I wished I had done better ... say 30-36 minutes. I've deduced since the race that I need to work on my cadence and speed work to get faster. While I was able to run much further and longer during this race than ever before, I hope to be running a 10K full steam by February and a half marathon by end of March.

Maria, Courtney and I post race and facing RIGHT into the sun

our crew post race

Needless to say, we all earned our turkey this Thanksgiving. Congrats to everyone who raced and earned theirs too!