Harry Is Famous!

Can I just start off this post by gloriously declaring that I'm currently watching Puppy Bowl XI?  Yes.:)

My weekend was an awesome mix of relaxing and busy.  The busy being that I FINALLY got a new computer, AND a new Garmin...FINALLY.  We had planned on shopping at Costco (paper towels and coffee in bulk, for the win!), but the lines were so hideous that we just ended up having lunch there.  And there ain't nothin' wrong with that.

My poor laptop that got me through college is falling apart.  In fact, the screen has to be held up by another heavy object placed behind it.  It was time, and I'm happy with my choice.

Knowing that there was going to be a massive storm moving in Saturday night, I didn't really bother much with the Garmin.  I'll be happy to take some fantastic pictures of it very soon...like when this stuff melts.

Sunday morning.  I mean holy guacamole.  A foot of snow was projected, falling throughout the day, and I'm pretty sure they were dead on with that prediction.  Those meteorologists should have bet big money from the Super Bowl.

I wanted to be L-A-Z-Y.  I was not stoked at all about the idea of hoofin' it to the gym to get on the dreadmill, but Harry mentioned stopping for Chipotle on the way home, and I couldn't resist.  He knows how to motivate me.:)

While we were walking to the gym, Harry snapped a photo of our snow-covered neighborhood and posted it to his Twitter account.  A few moments later, a DNA Info reporter contacted Harry to ask if they could use his photo with cred.  Uh...wow.

SNOW EVERYWHERE.  Even in my coat pockets and all over my Apera gym bag.

A short three-miler on the 'mill, 10 minutes of corework that I'm sure will leave me sore for a week, showered up, and Harry and I were off to grab some lunch and groceries before heading home.  We're very, very lucky, as we didn't have to jump in the car and take off down the treacherous roads.

I look stuck, huh?

 

Some much needed calories.  For whatever reason, I was starving.

Once Harry and I got to the store, we noticed an unusual amount of pigeons just hanging out in front of the store.  And one that wanted to be my friend.

Finally getting home.

Luckily, Harry and I grabbed some provisions while we were at the store.

And my first beer of the (event) day.  Thanks, Fearless Leader Greg and Solemate Steph for the birthday bubbles!

The rest of the day, of course, was all Super Bowl business.  Nothing out of the ordinary, other than our friends couldn't visit us because of the blizzard.  

Also, just one last thing..

SNOW DAY!

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Thanks to the always beautiful Erin at Her Heartland Soul for the Weekend Snapshot Link-Up!

Which team were you rootin' for yesterday?

Big plans this week?  TELL ME!

Do you like watching/participating in any other sports when football season is over?

-<3 Basketball and hockey!

Stretch, Balance, Breathe

I drive about 45 minutes to the gym near where I work to swim and spin.  Why?  I beat traffic...CHICAGO traffic.  Also, there aren't any gyms nearby that have a pool.  I have to get there in time to rock out a semi-decent swim workout, and get ready for my day, so I leave my house around 5:00am.  

I arrived at the gym yesterday morning and found this.

I grumbled for a (very brief) moment, then started quickly thinking about what I could do instead of a swim workout.  I keep my cycling shoes and shorts in my Apera Performance Duffel bag (HUGE shoe pockets on the sides!), but knowing that Harry and I had speedwork with the Chicago /R/iver /R/unners crew later in the day, I put spinning out of my head.  I then thought about Yoga.  Yes...!  I need more Yoga in my life, and this was the BEST opportunity!  I changed out of my Speedo and into some comfy clothes, grabbed my headphones, phone, and ran into the dark, empty group exercise room.

I'm not the biggest fan of practicing Yoga in the mornings by myself.  I've taught early 6:00am classes, where I just wanted everyone to begin their day calmly with me.  I'd light a couple of candles for meditation, lower the lights and use calm voice and prompting techniques.  My patrons loved it!  However, I can't create that kind of ambiance or environment all on my lonesome.  I'm also afraid that I'll fall asleep in Corpse Pose.  :P  I was energized this morning, though!

I'm really lucky that I've taught Yoga for so long.  I began with Sun Salutations (about 15 times through), then moved into different poses with ease and flow, making up a routine as I went along.  Since I was practicing on a whim, I held poses for everything I could think of:  Stretching hammies, calves, hip-opening, chest-opening, back, spinal twists, and foot and hand balances.

I ended my 45-minute session with some Happy Baby pose.  I spared you a photo of that.  Hah.  :D

I had so much energy throughout the day.  What a relief!  My shoulders felt like they were "out of my ears".  I felt taller. I smiled more.  Was it just a good day, or did my AM Yoga have something to do with it?  I'm sure it could've been both.  I felt like my mood and spirit were lifted sky-high!

Later in the afternoon, Harry and I hit up the track for speedwork with the crew.  Fearless Leader Greg and my Sole Mate Steph were absent this evening (sad panda!), but Jeff showed up to run with us!  Greg also posted our workout for us, so for that, we are very thankful.  :)  Though the sky looked to be pretty dark with looming clouds, we didn't expect rain until after we were done with our session.

The three of us started with a quarter mile warm-up.  We stopped for some water, a short stretch, and to chat about what paces we were expecting to hit for the workout:  4 sets of 5 minutes on difficult pace, 5 minutes off with recovery.  Harry ran a 10K (and placed first in his age group!  Way to go, Kid!) this past Sunday, so he was keeping it pretty easy.  He and Jeff were on the same page in regards to effort.  I hadn't run since Saturday and wasn't sure where I would be in terms of pacing (as per usual).  We started off with a good, difficult effort for the first five minutes.  We think the nasty weather kept messing with our GPS devices.  Harry's watch was showing us going way slower than mine, and Jeff's was showing that we were going way faster.  I decided that I wouldn't really base anything off of a pace and just run for effort.

After a couple of sets, I was feeling pretty good.  With the guys aiming for easy paces, I moved ahead and was pretty much solo.  I missed talking to Steph, but realized that this was a good opportunity to listen to my breathing.  I wasn't really huffing and puffing at all; it was controlled and calm.  This might sound goofy, but my inhalations and exhalations sounded "smart".  I started thinking about my effort and how it felt a bit slower than my ideal 5K pace.  That's pretty much on par for a tempo run.  My last recovery was more of a warmdown, and I met the guys to stretch and converse about our efforts.

Jeff was down to join Harry and I for a beer at Bad Dog Tavern.  "$6 GOURMET BURGERS!"  Harry loves this place.  :)

Cheers to an awesome day of smart training decisions and taking advantage of fantastic opportunities for best efforts!

So Much Pink [And Altra Shoe Review]

Happy Tuesday-after-Marathon Monday, and in this case, a.k.a. Happy Earth Day!

I'm on Spring Break from school this week.  HALLELUJAH!  Yesterday was my planned "Do Nothing" day.  Ever have one of these?  Anyway, while I was doing nothing, I got to watch the Boston Marathon.

Ohhhhhhhhhh, man!  I'll tell you what...five years ago, I would've laughed to high Heaven if you had told me I'd sit down to watch a MARATHON on TV.  *le head shake*  No way, wasn't interested.  It's amazing how running changes so many aspects of your life, even if one of those changes means sitting on your butt for a few hours to watch a major racing event.  :P  But I feel like I will redeem myself today.  I've already had a beautiful run in the sun, and will get some housework and errands done.  Plus, Harry and I are heading out for our first bike ride of the year this afternoon!

I feel like pink is coming into everything I carry or wear, and not just running or training gear.  Have I done this on purpose, or on accident?  Obviously I don't have a problem with pink; it's just astounding how much pink I own.  Harry got me the Saucony jacket for my birthday, and Apera was awesome enough to send me the Performance Duffel not too long ago.  It's still my favorite thing to carry.

I'm even wearing a pink hoodie as I type this.  And I just looked down and realized that the mani I got yesterday included pink nail polish.  IT'S TAKING OVER!

While I was watching the Boston Marathon yesterday (GO MEB!), I saw the Altra Running commercial!

This got me super excited, considering Altra Running just recently sent me some new kicks, the Intuition 1.5.  Of course, they're pink!  I love the "Zero Drop™", as well as the wide toebox in these shoes.  I have put about 15 miles on them; this distance is a good indicator of how well a shoe will work for your foot and gait.  These are totally aces on my feet, and make my stride feel effortless and very natural.

From Altra Running:

"Designed specifically for women, The Intuition™ 1.5 isn’t just another shrink it and pink it shoe. From the amount of cushioning to shape of the shoe, this shoe is 100% female-specific. Plus, with the Zero Drop™ platform and innovative foot-shaped design this shoe delivers many of the benefits of barefoot running with the comfort, cushioning and support that distance runners love. Follow your intuition and experience the world’s first fully cushioned, foot-shaped, Zero Drop™ running shoe. "

When I feel like there's some wonkiness in an area of my foot, I can shift my footfall a bit and it's comforted and taken care of...like a shoe hug.

But seriously. So much pink.  #sweatpink

Disclaimer:  Altra provided me with shoes through ZOOMA ambassadorship.  I was not pressured to write a positive review and all opinions expressed in today’s post are mine alone.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What are you doing today to help give this home of ours some lovin'? 

Is there a color that seems to accidentally take over your wardrobe?

What was the last yummy thing you had that you haven't had in a really long time?
-Mine was root beer!  I had one the other night...mmmmmm!

World Autism Awareness Day [AND APERA BAG GIVEAWAY WINNER]

Holla!  Today is World Autism Awareness Day!

Do you know anyone with Autism?  The chances are pretty good, considering the new numbers out from the CDC (click here for details).

"Behind these numbers are real people," he says. "Every one of these numbers is a family that's coming to terms with the implications of the diagnosis for the lifespan of their loved one."

Do you know what Autism is or what the symptoms are?  Let me break this down.  It's a developmental disability, which could include social, communication, motor, and emotional delays, sensory processing problems, and often include intellectual disabilities.  Some other issues can include digestion, seizures, sleep dysfunctions, and other genetic disorders.  Most individuals with Autism have their "own language", in that things might need to be explained in different forms or ways, and often need visual supports (i.e. pictures of choices, tasks, jobs, or locations).  A unique bunch, to say the least!

From the Autism Speaks website:

"Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by social-interaction difficulties, communication challenges and a tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors. However, symptoms and their severity vary widely across these three core areas. Taken together, they may result in relatively mild challenges for someone on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum. For others, symptoms may be more severe, as when repetitive behaviors and lack of spoken language interfere with everyday life."

I'm wearing my blue ribbon all month, since the entire month of April is dedicated to Autism awareness.  ;)  Some of my favorite humans have Autism, yanno.  Adaptive P.E. has made my life so much fun, and I love each and every individual with Autism I come across and get to work with.

The Light It Up Blue campaign, a part of Autism Speaks, brings awareness to this particular day by promoting blue all over the world.  Click here to find a building near you that is lit blue today!  Here's downtown Chicago.  Awesome.

And now for the winner of the Apera Sprint Pack from my Giveaway last week!

*Drum roll please*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONGRATS!  WOOT!  I am e-mailing you to gather your information and whatnot.  

Thanks to everyone who entered my very first giveaway.  I will definitely have another one coming up very soon!

Apera Bag Review [AND GIVEAWAY] [CLOSED]

It's so lonely at 5:00am.  *le sigh*

Enough of that for now.

Let me show you what made me squeal like a little girl a couple of Fridays ago.

My brand-spankin'-new Apera Performance Duffel bag!  It has so many pockets and zippers...and it's.so.PINK.  <3  This bag, while small in size, packs a mean punch in terms of convenience and space.  Triathletes tend to carry stuff to cover two or three sports any given time.  As a P.E. teacher, I get to carry around even MORE gym clothes and another pair of (old) running shoes inside my bag, along with everything I need to get clean after workouts, including two towels.

In comparison to my old duffel (also pink [shocked?] and now under my bed).

It may or may not match several items that I already/will own.

Moving on...

It fits in the front seat of my Jeep.  That, in itself, is a miracle.  For the amount of stuff I have in that bag, there's no way it should look this comfy there.  My old bag wouldn't fit this way.  It would hang over the front of the seat, and of course any sudden stop would mean that bad boy was going onto the floorboard of the Jeep.  Anyone else have a Jeep Wrangler?  It's a pain in the butt to pull stuff out of the backseat, let alone the floor of the passenger side. *le grumble*

There are three pockets that are ideal for mp3 and media players, phones, and valuables.  I put my gym lock in one of them, since it's right on top and so handy.

This bag on the inside of one of the pockets ROCKS.  I put my (still very damp) swimsuit in it, and it doesn't stink up the whole bag.  More thumbs up.

Forget how pretty and handy all of the pockets are for just a second.  Check out how much HEALTHIER these bags are!

"Apera bags are designed to be healthier – with built-in antimicrobial product protection to inhibit the growth of bacterial odors, separation of your wet, sweaty gear from your dry stuff, and venting air to keep your bag dry and suppress odor."

A video on the Apera Performance Duffel, highlighting EVERY.SINGLE.FANTASTIC.POCKET.

Wanna hear the best part?  You can get your own Apera Sprint Pack!  Enter to win this bag, which is also given to a Special Olympics athlete for every three bags Apera sells. It comes along with a coupon worth 25% off any Apera bag!

True story...this is my very first giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In addition, if you'd like to enter Apera's Monthly Giveaway (this month is the Sling Tote!  CUUUUTE!), you can click here.  All you have to do is subscribe to their newsletter.  Sounds like a deal to me!