Heart Rate While Running

While I was getting ready to head to the gym last night, I saw my girl Lauren Graham on E! News.   She was talking about how using a heart rate monitor helped her so much in losing those last couple of pounds. She said that she works at 65% to 85% of her maximum heart rate.  That got me thinking, what heart rate zone do I work in?  Should I even care?

I really liked my treadmill hike from the other night, so I decided to do that one again.  First, I ran/walked a mile.  I held on to the heart rate monitor on the treadmill right after my first mile.  I was at a heart rate of 172.  Then I started my hike.  The super inclines must really be a lot of work (that explains the sweat buckets) because the highest heart rate I hit was 176.  After the hike, I did another mile of run/walking and checked my heart rate again.  This time it was 173.  All of this was cool to know, but did not mean much to me…yet.

I got home and started Googleing heart rates.  I learned that my maximum heart rate is 190 beats per minute (220-30(age)).   According to what I read, I was working at about 90% of my MHR.  I also found that working up to 90% of your MHR will help you reach optimal conditioning.  This was all really good information to know.  I plan to track my heart rate the next few times I work out and see what results I get. 

Do you track your heart rate?  Do you work toward a certain heart rate goal?  Do you think a target heart rate is helpful in weight loss or athletic training?

The site where I got my info.

Now, on to my SparkleSkirts!  giveaway!  The winner is Kristen Ceneviva.  Please email me (amysmith7@comcast.net) with your shipping address and what SparkleSkirts!  you would like, including size.  Thank you to everyone who entered.  Please stay tuned—I have some more great giveaways lined up for the next few weeks!

A dream is a wish…

--Amy

Treadmill Hike

Flipping through Self Magazine the other day, I found a section titled “Lose 8 pounds”.   The article gave diet and workouts to help the readers lose weight.  One of the workouts I found very interesting.  It is called a Treadmill Hike.  Basically, the workout is 20 minutes on the treadmill with varying inclines between three percent and twelve percent.  I have been doing research a lot lately on increasing my walking speed.  I read that walking inclines/hills can help to increase walking speed, so I decided to give this work out a try.  I tore the page out of my magazine, and I headed to the gym. 

The workout calls for the reader to walk at a speed of 3.5 on the treadmill for 20 minutes.  Walking at this speed, the work out would take me just over a mile.  Since I try to run 5k (3.1 miles) on Tuesday and Thursday nights, my plan was to run a mile on the treadmill, then start this routine, then run about another mile, or whatever would take me to 5k.  I got to the gym and jumped on a treadmill.  My favorite treadmill was taken, but that’s ok.

I started running with my Galloway intervals and I hit the one mile mark right around twelve minutes.  I then started the treadmill hike.  Wow!  It was really hard!  I could handle the inclines of three to six fairly easily, but when I was on an incline of seven to twelve, I was really struggling.  I had to hold on just to stay on the treadmill at inclines of eight to twelve.  I was sweating buckets, more than I do when running.  How hard this workout was really surprised me.  I thought--20 minutes, twelve percent…sounds easy, right?  Boy was I wrong.  It was real work!  Once I was done the 20 minutes, I walked two more minutes at zero incline to catch my breath.  I started to run again but I was really tired, huffing and puffing.  I walked another minute or so till I hit the 2.5 mile mark and my workout was over. 

Now I see why the trainer who designed this plan only called for a twenty minute workout.  I think I will go with my above plan once a week—during my easy run nights.  I will not push myself to far beyond what I did last night, hopefully just a little improvement each week.  I do not want to give up a night of running, but I really like how challenging this plan was.  I short run before and after fit well.  I hope this plan increases my walking speed and my fitness level.

A dream is a wish…

--Amy

Here is a link to the article if you are interested.

***Blogorama ends at midnight on September 22!  Don’t forget to enter! 

I have more great giveaways coming in the next few weeks!  Stay tuned.

SparkleSkirts

Blogorama Bonanza Giveaway!

This week I have the pleasure to tell you about my new favorite running product—SparkleSkirts!  The entrepreneur and Sparkle Queen, Leah Powell, is someone I am lucky enough to call a friend.  SparkleSkirts are her passion.  This passion can be felt when you look at the running/walking skirts she makes, right here in the USA. 

What do I love about my SparkleSkirt?  Everything!  First off, SparkleSkirts are made for all body types.  Leah makes her skirts from a size XS to 4X.  As a curvy girl, every other running skirt I have ever tried on has been to short on me.  This skirt length is perfect.  It covers all it needs to cover, but does not make me look Amish.  For all of us with a “mom pooch”, SparkleSkirt can help.  The skirt is constructed out of a stretchy, but firm fabric that holds it in.  The skirt has a wide band around the waist that is very slimming.  SparkleSkirts are reversible to ensure a great fit for everyone.  I choose to wear my SparkleSkirt with the zippered pouch in the back as I feel like the skirt fits me better that way.  Some choose to wear the zippered pouch in the front.  You can choose to wear yours the way it works best for you.

Another thing I really like about my SparkleSkirt is all the storage.  The waist band has a 12 inch zippered pocket to stash you stuff.  The legs also each have a built in pocket.  Leah is a big fan of GU gels, so she made the pockets of her skirts to fit a few gels in them.  Since I am an iPhone girl, I measure everything based on if my phone will fit.  I am happy to report that all three pockets of my SparkleSkirt easily fit my iPhone.  Since I like to care lots of essentials on my long runs, I have my SparkleSkirt loaded up.  I had my iPhone in my waist pack, a GU and my inhaler in one pocket and my Vera Bradley coin purse/ID holder in the other.  Since the skirt flares slightly, my pockets were camouflaged.  No one could tell that I had them loaded up.  All of the storage options made it so I did not need to strap on my SPIbelt.  The pockets everything I put in them in place and did not have any bounce.  I did not even know anything was in there.

In my opinion, the most genius aspect of the SparkleSkirt SparkleTech is the shorts.   The SparkleShirts SparkleTech has legs built in. Leah promises that the legs do no ride up—and she actually delivers on the promise.  I have tried so many skorts in my life, shorts with legs built it, and the legs have always ridden up on me.  This is not fun anytime, but it’s especially not fun during a run.  SparkleTech SparkleSkirts have a special designed leg that has an inner thigh band.  This band prevents the leg for budging while running.  It actually worked for me!  I do not wear shorts in general because they always ride up on me.  Leah offers SparkleBottoms too, shorts made just like the skirt legs.  I plan to try them soon.

To make sure I could give you the most thorough and honest review, I have worn my SparkleSkirt a lot this week.  This product is for sure my favorite that I have reviewed on my blog!  I wore it to a spin class, on a short treadmill run at the gym and on a long run outside.  I love it!  The legs did not budge once on me, not even when getting in or out of the car.  I love the fit and the length. It covers all the "junk in the trunk" perfectly. I really love how the skirt looks on me.  It would not fit me better if it was made specifically for me.  The skirt draped nicely when I was on the spin bike.  On the tread mill at the gym, I could see in the mirror how the skirt swayed as I ran—very cute.  I love the color SparkleSkirt Leah designed especially for the Disney Princess Half Marathon.  As you can see from the pictures, this shirt is the perfect princess pink!  Next, I am going to order a solid black SparkleTech SparkleSkirt for everyday use. 

Leah and I are so proud of her great products and we know you will love them too. We want one of you to try a SparkleTech SparkleSkirt for FREE!  That’s right—it’s giveaway time!!!  For this giveaway, I will be using a new application called Rafflecopter for you all to enter the giveaway.  This giveaway is part of Blogorama 2011.  If you look right under this post, you will see a list of over 100 blogs, all hosting giveaways this week with a value of over $75!  !  To enter the giveaway, you must be a follower of this blog. Here are the ways to enter the giveaway:

1)   Go to the SparkleSkirt website; check it out and comment below about which SparkleSkirt you like best.  Also, include what you like best and least about SparkleSkirts.  Leah appreciates your feedback. 

2)      Like SparkleSkirts  (one word on Facebook and Google search)on Facebook.

3)   Share this page with your Facebook and/or Twitter friends.  (To do this, click to the right where is says “Share this on Facebook” or “Tweet this”.)

Each blog follower can enter the giveaway multiply times (check out the website and comment below, like on FB, share this page on FB and Twitter—earning one entry each day you share.  ONLY entries done with Rafflecopter can be counted.  You can enter until from midnight Eastern time on September 12^th until 11:59 PM September 22^nd 2011. Then I will choose a winner!  Check for a new blog post that evening to see who the winner is!  SparkleSkirts will send the winner their favorite SparkleTech SparkleSkirt, and I will add a GU sampler pack to meet the $75 requirement!  Good Luck everyone! 

Don’t Compare Your Times to Other Runners—Only Yourself

In my ten mile race this past weekend, I was not last…but very close to it!  While no one ever wants to be last, I have to keep reminding myself that I am not racing everyone else, I am racing myself!  I am racing the old me…and the new me is winning. 

When I start to feel insecure about my times—I look at where I started and where I am now.  When I first started, I could run only a few minutes of my 2 mile runs.  These two mile runs were hard work for me and it took me over thirty minutes.  I would average about 16 minutes a mile.  Now, I can run an 11 minute mile.  My “easy” run days are 3 milers and I can finish in about 35 minutes.  While 35 minutes for a three mile run may be terrible for some, for me it’s awesome! 

I have been thinking a lot about my 9/11 Run to Remember 5k coming up.  My sisters and a few friends will be doing it also.  My goal is not to beat any of them, but to beat my time from my June 5k.  I did the Baltimore Women’s Classic on June 26^th and came in at 41:44.  I have done lots of 5k practice runs since then, coming in at around 36-38 minutes.  So, that is what my goal will be:  to finish the 5k in less than 38 minutes.  If I achieve my goal, I will cut my 5k PR by almost 4 minutes.  Not bad for less than three months of a time difference. 

Do you compare yourself to other runners?  Do you find it helps or hurts you?  How to you make yourself stop?

A dream is a wish…

--Amy

***Blogorama starts next week!  I have an AMAZING prize for you to win!  It is by far my favorite giveaway to date and from a company I really believe in.  I can’t wait for you all to see it! 

Meet ups?

Ok ladies…we are about a month and a week from the Disney Princess Half Marathon!  As any Disney regular knows, it time to finalize your ADR’s (advanced dining reservations.)  If you are not a Disney regular, I will fill you in on something very important—if you plan to eat at the sit down restaurants or character meals of your choice, at the times you would like, you must make reservations 180 days in advance.  I have mine all planned out.  Do you? (If you need any help with this, please facebook me!  I am a fountain of Disney knowledge!)

Since it’s almost reservation time, I wanted to ask you all—would you be interested in getting together for dinner while we are in Disney?  We could do it the evening before the race or race day after the race.  I am up for anything!  What do you think?  Any ideas of a place to meet up?  My favorite place and the place I plan to hit for dinner the night before the race is ‘Ohana.  Cost does not really matter to me, as we will be on the dining plan. Is price a concern for anyone? We could also meet for lunch the day before.  I was thinking about Wolfgang Puck’s Express in Downtown Disney.  That way, we don’t need a reservation, and it’s one of the cheaper places to eat. 

I can’t wait to meet everyone in person!  I have learned so much from you already, I can’t wait to see where the next six months brings us all.  E-mail me or comment below with your idea! 

A drea is a wish...

--Amy

P.S.  How do you like my new banner?

Have you entered my Shakeology giveaway yet??? Only a few more days!

The Blogorama is coming up in just 3 weeks!  I hope you all win some great prizes!