Runners for Boston

This evening I attending our local "Runners for Boston" event at 6:30 PM.  This event was held locally at our running store--Flying Feet in York, PA.  The event was also held all over the county.  It was set up for runners to show solidarity with each other, but also to raise money for One Fund Boston.


The York PA event was very moving.  I met several friends there--all from my Team in Training team.  Everyone who donated $20 or more got a shirt.  The owner of Flying Feet gave a little speech at the beginning.  He got chocked up when he was speaking about the victims.  He said " I have an eight year old grandson..."  I could hear him holding back the tears.  Half of the crowd was tearing up.  It was a very moving experience.

We had three local runners in the crowd who were at the Boston Marathon last weekend.  On the course, I

got to interview one of them.  He was telling me he finished the race about 15 minutes before the bombs went off.  He also told me he will be going back to Boston for sure next year.

After a quick speech and a ready, set, go--we were off.  This was not a real race.  The store owners was joking about not having the permits.  No official start or finish line.  No bibs.  Runners did not get competitive on the 2 mile out and back course.  Some people ran the course two or three times.  It was so nice to just be out there together--supporting other runners.

I would like to that Susquehanna Printing for donating the shirts!   I would also like to thank Flying Feet for getting this event

together with such short notice, and for the yummy snacks at the finish.  We runners are a strong, tough, supportive group.  The best part of the evening was who I spent it with.  I hate the reason we were there, but I am so proud to be part of such a wonderful community of people.

A dream is a wish...

--Amy

York YMCA Turkey Trot 2011

Instead of sleeping in on Thanksgiving this year, I decided to start my Thanksgiving off with a 5k race, the York YMCA Turkey Trot.  I got up before the sun came up, got dressed and looked over Black Friday Sale papers before my sister came over.  We headed off to the race early to be sure to get a place to park. 

When my sister and I arrived at the YMCA, we walked to packet pick up area since we both had preregistered.  The instructions given there were to look on a posted list for our name and bib number, then go to the bib table and ask for our assigned bib number.  Neither of our bibs were where they were supposed to be.  The volunteers were very less than helpful.  They told us to go inside and find the race director for help.  After looking for about twenty minutes, we found the race directors.  She went out to packet pickup with us and she quickly found our bibs.  The volunteers had gotten the bibs out of order and were unwilling to spend more than a second looking for our bibs.  You get what you pay for I guess.  Good thing we came early. 

Once the bib mishap was resolved, my sister I and went to meet up with a few friends and line up at the start.  I mayor and the head of the YMCA got the race started.  I really enjoyed the course of this race.  The race started on Market Street, running past the old town square that is over 300 years old.  We then run south toward York College, my alma mater.  The campus was empty, except for the runner of course.  I had never seen the campus so empty.  We ran past most of the dorms, then back into town on the rail trail.  The beginning, like most races, felt a bit crowded but the crowd spread out pretty quickly.  The end was also crowded on the rail trail, since the trail is only four feet wide.  I enjoyed seeing all the local families sitting on their porches cheering the runners on. 

I costumes for this race were great!  So many people and groups dressed up.  We saw one family dressed as chefs, ranging from a toddler to Grand mom.  There were also lots of turkey hats.  Our friends, Erin and Will, made some really cute shirts with “hand” turkeys and brightly colors feathers.

This race was a PR for me!  My time was 37:45.  The race contained two hills, one entering the college and one just before getting to the rail trail.  I ran most of the race, but walked the hills as not to get to tired or winded.  As I said before, this was a really good course.  There was a great mix of city and trail, mostly flat but some hills.  Everyone together celebrating was a perfect way to get into the Thanksgiving spirit.  This is certainly a race I will be doing annually.  Thank you to the YMCA for organizing such a great event.

A dream is a wish…

Amy—

***The winner of my Road ID gift card is Suzanne Westenhofer.  Please email me at amysmith7@comcast.net with your mailing address and I will get it right out to you! 

Dover 10 Miler

Today was the first race of the York Road Runners Club winter series.  It was a ten miler in Dover, starting at North Salem Elementary School.  I drove to the site and went inside to register.  Registration was very quick.  A huge plus to this race—no porta potties!  After a rather uneventful start, we were off. 

I was very surprised at how hilly this course was.  Jeff Galloway says that running hills will strengthen your legs better than anything else, so I welcomed that challenge.  This was my first race on country roads.  I have run plenty on sidewalks and city streets, but never on a country road.  I was very surprised how much of a pitch there was in the road. The pitch really bothered me.  I felt off balance and it caused a cramp in my foot.  To avoid this, I tried as much as possible to run toward the center of the road.   Most of the race was through rolling farm land. We passed cows, horses and chickens.  I could hear the sounds of hunters and gun shots in the distance. The turnaround point was by a bustling campground, complete with picnicker and horseshoe players.

I would like to thank the York Road Runners Club for being very patient with the runners at the back of the path.  I have been to races where the finish line was already taken down when I finished.  The YRRC still had the finish line going and were still cheering as the last few of us crossed the finish line.  Plenty of water, bagels and good old Pennsylvania whoopie pies waited for me at the finish line. My official time was 2:28:11, 14:29 per mile.  This time is very close to my previous 10 milers, the Rail Trail 10 miler in August.  My time in August was 2:26:47, but the rail trail is very flat.  I am happy with my time today because all the hills could have really slowed me down.  I felt like I could have keep going for three more miles and can finish a half marathon—Disney Princess here I come!  I look forward to the rest of the races in the YRRC winter series. 

A dream is a wish…

--Amy 

***Don’t forget to enter my Road ID giveaway! 

York Road Runners Club Winter Series

Someone from a local Facebook running group I am in posted the other day about a local winter running series.  I wanted to let all my local running friends know about it. 

The York Road Runners Club Winter Series is a steal!  It costs just $22 to join the series of eight races.  You get one bib to wear to all eight of the races.  The races range from 5k to 10 miles, with an 8k, a 10k and a 15k in between.  I decided to enter the series as a way to keep me running during the cold winter.  I am not a fan of cold weather running, but the races will give me something to look forward to, and added reason to get out and run. 

If you are local to the area, I would love to see you at the YRRC Winter Series!  Time for bed, I have a 10 mile race in the morning. 

A dream is a wish…

--Amy

***There is still time to enter my Road ID giveaway! 

5k MAG Wrightsville Bridge Run

This past Saturday, November 5^th, I did a really cool run over a very old bridge.  I read about the bridges history and learned it had once been the longest wooden bridge in the world, 1.4 miles long.  It was damaged by ice and was rebuilt.  In the civil war, the bridge was burned to halt the advancement of the confederacy.  They later rebuilt the bridge out of cement. 

I woke up early Saturday morning for the run.  This was the first ever race I went to alone.  My husband or sisters usually go with me.  Since this was a close one, I went alone.  I met a friend there.  She met another friend there, so I had a few running buddies anyway.  It was so cold that morning!  I am a real wimp when it comes to cold weather.  It was about 34 degrees when I parked my car.  One good thing about this race was that it started just outside an elementary school.  Registration was inside that school.  There was plenty of room in the school to hang out and stretch before the race.  The best part of this race—no port a potties! 

The start of the race was rather uneventful.  Everyone gathered at the start.  The race organizer was speaking over a loud speaker, but it was muffled inaudible.   All of the sudden, the people in front of me were running!  Off we went.  The beginning of the race was down a very steep hill toward the bridge.  I stuck with my friends for about the first half mile. Once I got moving, I worked up quickly.  I was wearing an Under Armor tank, a Target C9 long sleeve compression top and a zip up jacket, with my Old Navy Yoga pants and Asics shoes.  This combo worked great for me for this run.

The view off the bridge was absolutely breathtaking.  I could look both ways up the river and see for miles.  The sun was slowly rising in the east, the direction we ran in the first half of the race.  I could see lots of geese swimming in the water.  There were few boats in the water.  There is a dam a few miles south of the bridge, so the current is quite strong in the area.  The water’s edge was iced lined.  The bridge was closed to traffic, so we had the whole thing to run.  By the time I reached mile one at around eleven minutes, I was being passed by runners on their way back.  Once I reached the end of the bridge, the turnaround was at a little tiny park.  It was just a small loop and back to the bridge we ran. 

One thing I really liked about the organization of this race was the every tenth of a mile, there was a large brightly colored flag.  These flags really helped me plan my run/walk ratio.  I was more tired on the return run that I was on the first half, but my time stay steady.  I was running at about twelve minutes a mile—that is until I got to the last quarter mile.  Once I got off the bridge, the last quarter mile was straight up!  I was paying for the nice downhill beginning.  I have never run up a hill like that.  It was as steep as running up stairs.  This really slowed down my pace and killed my PR. When I hit mile three, the clock read 36:40.  My PR on a 5k is 38:12.  With almost a minute and a half, I was close enough to touch a new PR.  I started up the hill, but quickly lost steam.  I crossed the finish line with a time of 39:02.  According to my RunKeeper, my pace for the last tenth of a mile was 15:42. 

There was a nice lady waiting at the finish to hand the runners a bottle of water.  I was feeling warm and sweaty, so I unzipped my jacket and waited for my friends to finish.  Bad idea!  As my body slowed down, my temperature dropped quickly.  I was still sweaty, so I got cold really fast.  I learned to welcome the warmth when running in the cold.  One thing I really like about this race was that the fastest runners were not the ones to win all the prizes.  This race gave out about 20 door prizes, ranging from $100 cash to gift cards to local restaurants.  I like this idea because most of us are never going to be elite runners.  It was nice to have the chance to win a prize anyway.  Over all, this race was a great experience.  It is on my list of must do races next year. 

A dream is a wish…

--Amy

***The winner of my GU sampler pack is RunDreamCook!  E-mail me at amysmith7@comcast.net with your shipping address and I will get it right out to you!

***Don’t forget to enter my Balancing Act clothing giveaway!!!

Should I hire a trainer?

I have been considering getting a personal trainer and would like some advice.  My reason for getting a trainer would be for weight training, not marathon training.  For marathon training, I am reading Marathoning for Mortals by Bingham and Hadfield (I will review the book when I have completed the program!).  Many of us have heard that weight training is a very important component to losing weight and getting fit…but I feel a little lost as to where to start. 

Weight training videos were my first venture into weight training, but they become very redundant after doing then a few time.  I have also done some web searches to find some good weight training moves, but I am worried that I am not doing then correctly.  This brings me to the question of good form.  Having good form when exercising is very important.  If your form is bad, you risk injury, or not getting the desired results.

I already know who I would choose as my trainer.  Her name is Mary B and she works at my gym, Strictly Fitness in York, PA.  I LOVE her spin classes.  Mary chooses awesome music for class and sequences the exercises perfectly.  She is great at motivating me, while giving support and encouragement at the same time.  Others at my gym rave about Mary as a trainer.  I would love to give it a try, but I have a few questions for my online friends. 

In a perfect world, I would like to meet about once a month and get a program to work on for the month.  We would meet again the next month and tweak the program a bit and continue this until I felt I could do it myself.  How realistic does this sound to you? 

So, I have come here today to ask, what has your experience been with a personal trainer?  Did you find it worthwhile…and worth the price?  How much did it cost and how often were you required to meet with the trainer? 

A dream is a wish your heart makes......

--Amy

If you have enjoyed what you read, please click to the right to follow me!  Or even better, click at the right to share my blog with your Facebook friends!

I still have a few extra princess bands! If you want one, follow me and comment below. I will send you one as a thank you!

Supermarket Challange!

I have been looking into ways for my family and me to eat healthier....but how?  In our world of fast food on every corner, high fructose in everything, carbs are evil culture…how does a mom know where to start?

 I started to think about my local grocery store, Giant.  Where in the store is the healthy food?  What part of the store should I avoid?  It occurred to me, for the most part, that the healthiest foods are around the perimeter of the store.   Fruits and veggies in the produce depart on one side wall, meat and milk on the back wall, eggs, other dairy products (proteins) and whole grain breads along the other side wall.  Eating healthy would be easy if only I made good choices while shopping only the perimeter of the store.  So, I decided to challenge myself!  I would go grocery shopping for the family and try to buy at least 75% off our food from the perimeter of the store.  Wish me luck!

Pushing my cart through the doors of the store, with my daughter Andrea in the seat, I was ready!  First, we start at the produce department.  I pick up carrots and cucumbers to snack on. We then head toward green beans and broccoli for dinner sides.  We finish up in produce by getting some apples.  Next, I pick up a rotisserie chicken and half a pound of turkey at the deli.  Now it’s time to enter the forbidden zone, the center aisles.  My husband favorite dinner is Spaghetti with meat sauce, so we head down the pasta aisle for a box of whole wheat pasta and some spaghetti sauce.  I also make a stop in the cereal aisle for a box of oatmeal. 

Now it’s time to hit the meat section.  I start out by picking up some lean ground beef for Mike’s spaghetti.  I also choose some chicken breast and pork chops.  Andrea and I keep moving across the back of the store to the milk section, where we get some skim milk.  We turn the corner to the other side wall of the store and pick up some Chobani Greek Yogurt (my favorite!!!) and some fat free regular yogurt.  We continue toward the front of the store to the bread section and grad some Weight Watchers Whole Grain bread to go with the deli turkey for lunch.  Now it’s time to round out the shopping list and head into the forbidden zone one last time.  This time, on the agenda is apple juice for the kids and almonds for my snack. 

I look over my list one last time.  I have enough here for three healthy dinners for my family, plus breakfast and lunch for me while Mike is at work and Nathan is at school.  The big question is:  did I meet my goal?  Did I get 75% of my grocery purchase from the perimeter of the store?  Here is a list of what I got:

From the Store Perimeter	From the Forbidden Center Aisles
Carrots	Whole wheat pasta noodles
Cucumbers	Spaghetti sauce
Broccoli	Oatmeal
Fresh Green Beans	Juicy Juice
Apples	Almonds
Deli Turkey
Chicken Breast
Lean Ground Beef
Rotisserie Chicken
Pork Chops
Skim Milk
Chobani Greek Yogurt
Fat free yogurt
Weight Watchers Whole Grain Bread

So, how did I do?  I got a total of 19 items, five that did not come from the perimeter.  That means only 74% of my purchase came from the perimeter.  I did not meet my challenge, but I think I did a pretty great job!

Now, I challenge you!!!  Try to get a majority of your food from the perimeter of your grocery store.  How did you do?  Tell me what you found easiest and most difficult about shopping this way?  Do you have any tips or advise for others about healthy grocery shopping?  I would love to hear from you!

What Inspires You?

Someone has recently told me that my blog inspires them. That got me thinking…what inspires me? Well, there is quite a list. The first thing on my list is my daughter. Her name is Andrea and she is almost two. These past two years have not been easy for her. She was born more than three months early and weight about a pound and a half. After what was probably a medical error prior to heart surgery, she required a trach, a breathing tube that is placed in her neck. After 144 long days, she got to come home! She is such a fighter! Andrea has been very sick a few times, but always pulls through. I figure, if she can fight as hard as she has, so can I.

I also have a seven year old son, Nathan. I want to be healthy for my kids. We are a Disney loving family. We like to go a few times a year. I want to be able to keep up with them for many years to come.

On a smaller, more fun scale, the race really inspires me. Even though my kids are the most important thing in the world to me, I need a specific event to work toward. I needed a specific date to count down to. I love Disney, and I love being a princess, so this event is perfect for me. When I am in the middle of a tough workout, I think of the race and how incredible it will feel to cross that finish line and get my medal.

What inspires you? What are the big things and the little. Is it what you are working toward? Is it what you are leaving behind? Please comment below and let me know. I would love to hear from you.

A dream is a wish your heart makes......

--Amy

If you have enjoyed what you read, please click to the right to follow me!

I have a few extra princess bands! If you want one, follow me and comment below. I will send you one as a thank you!

Try, Try Again

Since my first spin class was such a success, I decided it was time to try it again! Today I went to an evening class with a different instructor, Scott. The class had a different feel, but was still great. Scott is an older man, but is in great shape.

We started the class with a quick warm up and we were off! Unlike Mary’s levels, Scott told the class to work at a percentage based on our maximum effort. For example, he would yell “eighty”, meaning he wanted the class to work hard, at eighty percent of our possible effort. I prefer Scott’s percentage system to Mary’s levels.

While I much preferred Mary’s music choices to Scott’s, I enjoyed how Scott incorporated the songs into the exercise he had us doing. For instance, when we were listening to as fast song, Scott had us doing intervals of seventy percent to one hundred percent. During the slow songs, we went at a slower pace and had time to recuperate. I also enjoyed Scott’s little arm dances and bike push ups when they fit well into the songs. Scott was a very motivational instructor and I will be taking his class again.

What I learned from my second spin class is to keep trying things, even if you think you already know the outcome. This was proven to me twice this week. The first time was when I did not enjoy my first Zumba class. I gave it a try again, and found a better fit for me. I would not have known about a better fitting instructor if I had not tried again. The second time was trying a different spin class, even though I already found a class and instructor I enjoyed. Now, I have two different classes/instructors to choose from and enjoy.

Things to try over again can include activities, gyms, and foods. Keep trying new things and trying things over again you have in the past. You may find something that works for you.

A dream is a wish your heart makes......

--Amy

If you have enjoyed what you read, please click to the right to follow me!

I have a few extra princess bands! If you want one, follow me and comment below. I will send you one as a thank you!

Spin!

I finally made it to my first spin class at Strictly Fitness! The class was taught by Mary B, a very sweet, tan, and tiny women. The class was very full. Mary immediately recognized that myself and the women next to me, whom was also a newbie in my first Zumba class the other night, were new to class. She come right over to us, introduced herself, and showed us how the bikes worked.

Mary B then cranked up some super great, super energizing music, starting with Black Eyed Peas “Good Night.” I added that song to my running play list! She explained to us her four levels of spinning. Level one is slowly with no resistance. Level two is faster, with a bit more resistance. Level three is very fast, with the same resistance at level two, while Level four is high resistance, making it impossible to go very fast. We started class at one, then quickly moved to two. Mary cycled us through all the levels, adding standing and push ups on the handle bars.

The music the instructor chose was perfect. It kept the class going. Mary would get off her bike every few minutes, walk around and pump everyone up! It was a great class! As a little added entertainment, Mary challenged several of the men to push up contests. Wow, was I impressed! She keep up with and out did all the men. Way to go girl! On a side note, I would recommend anyone who takes a spin class, get a nice seat for yourself. About half way through the class, my butt started to hurt, LOL. Several vets in the class told me to get my own gel seat. They said that is does wonders, so I will be getting one tomorrow!

I also did a two mile walk/run on the treadmill and gave Zumba another try. The Zumba class had a different instructor and seamed to be more fast paced this time, which I enjoyed. My time on the treadmill did not improve, but I still completed two miles in under 16 minutes a mile. I will continue to slowly increase the time I spend on the treadmill, hopefully to get faster and farther.

A dream is a wish your heart makes......

--Amy

If you have enjoyed what you read, please click to the right to follow me!

I have a few extra princess bands! If you want one, follow me and comment below. I will send you one as a thank you!

Spin…I mean Zumba!

Today, I went to a new gym, Strictly Fitness in York PA, for a Spin class that I signed up for at our township building. I was so excited to get out of the house and take a really challenging class. When I got to the gym, a really nice lady gave me a tour. My first impression was that the gym was nice, but it still felt very intimidating to me. There were lots of really fit people working out. I learned that tanning and child care are included in the cost of membership, which is a big plus!

So once 5:30 rolled around, I went to the spin room. There I found a class just letting out. I went back to the front desk, only to find out that the township had the time wrong. There is no 5:30 spin class! I was very disappointed. Scott, the man that teaches Spin, and the women that I had met early for my tour were great! They took such good care of me. Since the 6:30 spin class was full, they gave me a great alternative. They gave me a 20 visits punch card that will allow me to visit the gym 20 times, at any time I want. They got me into a spin class that starts in next week, and suggested I stay for a Zumba class today. Wow, was I impressed!

Since the Zumba class did not start till 6:30, I decided to spend a little time on the treadmill. This is my first timed experience on the treadmill since I have committed to the marathon. I did a walk/run combo for 20 minutes, with 4 minutes walks at 3.5mph and 2 minute runs at 5.5mph. It took me 14:45 to get in one mile. In my 20 minutes, I went 1.35 miles. I wish I would have had my new running shoes to try out. It is good to know I can easily do a mile in under 16 minutes. Now my task is to get faster and add to my distance!

My first in class Zumba experience was good. Zumba is a Latin-inspired, calorie-burning, dance party. It is a blend of red-hot international music that mixes dance and aerobics. The instructor, Maria, was very nice and keep the one hour class going. The class was a lot of fun, but I wish the intensity was higher. Being used to very high intensity Turbo Fire classes, Zumba was a breeze. It felt really good to have the others around me huffing and puffing, while I was sweating but still feeling really good. I really enjoyed the music and the choreography was fun. Would I recommend this class to other? Absolutely! Will I go back? Yes! Strictly Fitness was a great experience.

I can’t wait to try Spin next week. I will be back to let you know how it goes!

A dream is a wish your heart makes......

--Amy

If you have enjoyed what you read, please click to the right to follow me!

I have a few extra princess bands! If you want one, follow me and comment below. I will send you one as a thank you!