Plans For Summer: Goals & How To Achieve Them

Summer is finally here (WOOO!!), well after my one exam Tuesday I will officially be done for the semester. This summer will be dedicated to getting healthy and fit. I will try and post every week or month what workouts I am doing and what I’m eating. This will also help me stay on track for the summer because I really want to see a change.

 

Summer gives me more time to focus on my fitness goals

 

I don’t think I’m fat or anything like that but it’s just time for me to be the best I can be. I do want to try to lose 5-10 pounds though. I feel like that will boost my energy significantly while I’m on the tennis court or running or doing anything! I play tennis and will be transferring in the Fall to a new university and I definitely want to show I deserve to be there. Being on a diet is different than trying to be healthy. I love my sweets but I need to cut back on these and eat a lot more of what’s good for my body.

This is so true

This past semester I developed a different outlook on eating. I don’t eat the healthiest but I DO EAT. I realized I was still starving my body. Starving it of nutrients and vitamins. If you don’t eat foods that your body will use and just eat empty calories (like cake, cookies, chips, soda,etc.) your body is still starving. You want to feed your body with vitamin-rich foods that will help you live a better and healthier life.

Eat Clean

You can write to me with questions or ask me for  workout advice. I will try and post more regularly on health topics, workouts, and motivation to keep you moving forward towards whatever goals you have set for yourself.

Best Thing Ever!

Set goals:

Main Goal:  I want to get in top shape for tennis. I’m going to try and play 6 times a week. I want to improve my game to feel confident that I have what it takes to be a top player.

To achieve this:

1. Run a little bit every day. I want to get into the habit of running at least a 2 – 3 mile cool down after every time I play tennis.

2.  Eat clean and eat smart.

3. Lift 3 times a week. Do some free weight workouts.

4. Jump rope and do footwork drills to improve my speed on the court.

5. Standup paddle board more. I finally went yesterday after a 2 month break and I need to do it more. It’s a great workout. It makes every large muscle group work.

Everyone should write their goals down and include a plan on how to achieve them. This is the first step to making it happen.

 

Gasparilla 15K: Racing in the New INJINJI’s

The Gasparilla race’s in Tampa, FL are not meant for setting new PR’s. Why? Because there are SO MANY PEOPLE! It’s crazy how many people sign up for this race. The 15K had 4,921 participants. And I placed 619th out of everyone with a time of 1:16. The 5K is absolutely horrendous(I ran that last year) so I wouldn’t even bother with that one. The 5k had 11,635 participants! The 15K wasn’t as bad but still, make sure you are good at weaving if you enter this race.

The sea of people at the start of the race

Once you got to mile 2, the congestion was down and you could run freely so not too shabby. I hadn’t been doing as much running as I had liked because cycling is my new thing! Therefore, I came to the race with dead quads from cycling the day before. That was dumb of me.

The weather wasn’t the best but could have been a lot worse. It was windy, overcast, and extremely humid. At mile 3, my shirt was already drenched. So at mile 9, the sweat was just dripping off of me, I was melting! haha. As you can see in these pictures, it looks like I went swimming.

Just keep running

I wore the race t-shirt because I didn’t really love it, so I don’t know when I would wear it again. I wore my SKORA’s, which are still my favorite shoe I’ve ever run in so far. They still kill my calves, which is great. Working hard! And then my new thing are my INJINJI’s. My new favorite socks. I was a little skeptical at first about wearing toe socks but after my first run in them, my feet don’t like anything else. Being able to move each toe freely is a great feeling. They also come in many different thicknesses and ankle heights. Seriously though, I absolutely love them. It just took a day for my feet to feel the same.

Muscle shot at the end of the race = MUST DO!

Recently, I held a contest for all my followers to win a pair of Injinji’s and the winner sent me some reviews from his running experiences. Overall, we shared the same thoughts! So I’m going to post what he said! Thank you Jeff for participating in the contest and giving feedback!

TOE SOCKS!

Performance 2.0 and Run 2.0

These socks are designated as the running, gym, crossfit, etc socks.  Both performed very similar to each other.  Both are definitely much more robust than the first generation of Injinji’s.  The core difference I could sort out was that the Run sock is more breathable than the Performance.  However, you definitely feel that thickness.  And, since it’s thicker, I noticed they ran a little warmer than the Originals.  I really liked the think feel of the originals.  If you like a thicker sock, then these are winners.  Not only do they fit better than the version 1, but the addition of the Achilles protection is awesome.   However, I like a thin sock, so I’m saving these for colder weather or for my Luna Sandals.

Trail 2.0

All I can say about this is “Wow, I could wear these every day! ”  They are plush, comfy, warm.  Again, things are thicker with 2.0, but boy is this comfy.  The protective cuff fits well and would definitely protect against getting dirt/rocks into the sock for trail running.  I’d say this sock is my hands down favorite for casual wear.

Hike 2.0

This sock was the real surprise.  This sock is made of NuWool, but retains the thin feel of Version 1.0.  It’s also very comfortable.  I actually really enjoyed using these on several runs.  The durability may not be that of the Run or Performance, but it’s a really good sock.  In fact, I’d say these have become my long run favorites.  They really work well and would be great in almost any condition.  I wouldn’t use them for the gym since the NuWool causes a little more slipping inside the shoe for crossfit, but for running or hiking, these are fantastic.

The trail 2.0 was my favorite. So comfortable! That is the sock I ran my 15K in and personally, I felt like I just wanted to run in the sock by itself. They’re cushioned and durable. My feet felt great while running and after running. And to make that mean more, my feet blister because I sweat so much but I didn’t experience that this time. Woo! Here’s a picture of me stretching after running and check out those toe socks.

Stretching my calves after the race, wearing my Injinji toe socks!

I recommend giving them a try! And they worked very well with my Skora running shoes. They couple each other very nicely. Happy running everyone!

WIN! The NEW Injinji Performance 2.0

Hey everybody!

Today Injinji launched their brand new website at http://www.injinji.com/. A new look, new products, and even the chance for YOU to WIN a pair of their fancy new socks.

All you have to do is this:

1. Go to http://www.injinji.com/

2. Check out the site. Watch the video. Look at the athletes. Do what you want.

3. Come back here and write a comment on this post saying something that you liked about Injinji. Can be anything. Get creative with it. Don’t forget in the comment to include your name and email address so I can contact you if you are the winner!

Example Comment:

I like Injinji because I can wear their socks with flip flops!

John Smith   jsmith@gmail.com

4. Also, make sure to be a follower of Fit Body Now so you don’t miss anymore of these offers.

Good Luck! And enjoy the website.

Also, I want to thank everyone for their support of Fit Body Now and getting me over a a quarter million views! Today was the day! 250,000!

Happy running!

SUPER Exclusive Sneak Peek. Plus GIVEAWAY details!

You are a runner. You are always on the move. You work hard. You live life with no dull moment. Therefore, Injinji socks are perfect for you. You may have had your fair share of blisters, dirt and grime and any other hazardous things you can think of that make your socks get pushed to their limits. And socks often go unnoticed. Many people put all of their thought and focus into their shoes. But what about your little piggly wiggly’s? They need more then just a shoe.

Save those piggies people. 

All the way from San Diego, Injinji is a company with a unique approach: a 5-toe sleeve design. Performance 2.0 will be unleashed on Wednesday, January 23rd, when Injinji’s new website goes live.

But wait! There’s more! 

Injinji plans to unveil their new website on Jan 23rd and you dear reader, get an exclusive sneak peek of what you can expect from this fabulous brand!  Visit my blog on January 23rd for details on how to win a GRIP of these fancy new socks! More details to come about this special giveaway for my followers. Follow FitBodyNow if you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity.

Friends don’t let friends wear crappy socks.

 

 

 

My First Half Marathon With The ‘Whole’ Experience

Where to begin.. I ran the Space Coast Half Marathon in Cocoa Beach, FL and I have to say the whole experience was a blast! I went with 5 of my closest friends, which made it so much better. The great part was no one had every run a half marathon before.

We drove over Saturday, the day before the race, to pick up our packets at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which we got to run all around in and take pictures. So much fun and pretty cool. If you are ever in cocoa beach, stop by there. Make sure you have more than 2 hours though at the complex!

The drive! We were so excited to get our race packets!!

Then time for the hotel… 7 of us in ONE ROOM! haha not smart. We got barely any sleep that night.

Race time was 6:15 am. I do recommend staying at a sponsored hotel because we had a shuttle take us to and from the event, which was so convenient. The day would have been perfect if it would have been a bit warmer… 45 degrees outside was something I was definitely not used to.

A cold morning!

The race started and it was such a beautiful course. We got to see dolphins and the sunrise. Here’s what it looked like.

I was running great, and keeping up with my 1:50 pace group and eventually passing them. Then, at around mile 4, I got the urge to go to the bathroom. It was terrible. I couldn’t hold it much longer so at mile 6 I had to take a bathroom break. It’s the worst feeling seeing people you just passed way ahead of you. I ran as fast as my body would allow and caught back up to the 1:50 pace group… AGAIN! and then passed them! But at mile 8, it hit AGAIN, another bathroom urge. I was so mad, I couldn’t believe I was going to have to stop twice. So at mile 10 I took another break. And once again, I step out to see everyone ahead of me.

I don’t know how I ran that last 3.1 miles of the race as fast as I did. I just didn’t want my bathroom breaks to really ruin my time. I was feeling kind of sick from that last push of the race when I crossed the finish line. My time was 1:45:16. And for having to stop twice to go to the bathroom, I thought that was pretty dang good. I ran in my SKORA’s, which I have to say, are amazing! For a new company, they really know what they are doing. I experienced no pain anywhere during the race. Also, my friends all did so well too. It was a great experience.

I even managed to place 2nd in my age group!! It was amazing and got to meet Bart Yasso! That’s who is with me in the picture below. Check out his website, it’s great for runners!

And since we were in Cocoa Beach, we finished the day with surfing and body boarding at the beach! The experience was well worth it and I am definitely going to be running more half marathons!

Thanks for all the support from everyone!

Half Marathon Training: Almost Ready

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to participate in a 9 mile run. And it came at the perfect time! Since that was the length of the run I was supposed to do that day, according to my half marathon training schedule. The run was called the Deck 2 Deck Fun Run. It was a free event, with free breakfast and a free trolley ride back to the start. Can’t get better than that!

At 6:30 am before the run began! So excited!

Map of the course! Lido Key to Siesta Key

We ran from the Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar on Lido Key to the one on Siesta Key. Hence, the name Deck 2 Deck.

Signs are the best

It also was along the water and over bridges so it was a very scenic route. I enjoyed it and realized that I am more prepared then I thought for my half marathon. I ran in my Skora’s, the shoes I will be running my half marathon in. But let me tell you, they kicked my butt. I am writing this 3 days after and my calves are just now feeling better but the day after, they were SOOOO SORE. But that’s what a minimalist shoe will do to you. Don’t get me wrong though, I still love them. No pain, no gain. Got my sister hooked on them too!

WE DID IT!!

I ended up running the 9 miles in 1:14, which made me feel so accomplished. My second half was faster than my first so that gives me reassurance that something I am doing, has got to be working.

Overtraining Symptoms: Are you pushing yourself too hard?

If you look to the side of this page, it says I have a half marathon at the end of the month. I have never run one before and for some reason, I have been freaking out about it since the day I signed up.

When I go running…  my mind is all over the place saying things like, “I’ve only gone 6 miles, that’s not even halfway to finishing a half and why am I so tired already?” or “I need to run faster to make my goal time.” or “Why are my legs fatiguing, what is wrong?”

I’m running my half marathon with a group of friends and I don’t want to be the slowest. It’s putting so much pressure on me. However, I know I shouldn’t think like this, I should just try my best and be happy no matter what the outcome. But being the super competitive person that I am… I’ve been going out running; training so hard, trying to improve my times, get stronger… and I believe I have hit a wall.

The sad thing is I’ve come to the point where I don’t want to do it anymore… I still want to run the race, I’m just too tired to train… which lead me to find that I’ve fallen into the overtraining syndrome. I did too much too quickly. My training was having a reverse effect on me. Making me weaker, not stronger.

Here are some symptoms of overtraining:

1. Are you finding yourself unable to run as far as you once were running? What was once easy is now a struggle? If yes, then you might be overtraining. If you stop feeling stronger after each run and your not getting quicker or more efficient then you are probably pushing yourself too hard.
   

   Need a breather?

2. Are you not seeing results? Are you working just as hard as you can and not looking leaner or getting more tone? Well this could be because of overtraining. When you increase your stress level your body is forced to release cortisol into your bloodstream. If this happens too frequently, then a negative testosterone:cortisol balance will be the outcome. All of this will lead to insulin resistance, fat gain and your muscle mass will slowly start to diminish.
3. Are you unable to relax or take a day off from the daily grind at the gym or track? Do you find yourself repeatedly pushing yourself that extra mile, to the point of exhaustion? Pushing yourself that hard can lead you to restlessness, the ability to lack focus, poor sleep patterns, etc. Your mind and body will soon become completely fatigued, especially with everything else going on such as school, work, children, money, relationships, and so on.
4. Are you feeling sick? Overtraining will weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to colds, nagging coughs, sniffling nose and headaches. Lack of sleep and overtraining are not a good mixture.
   

   Too tired to continue?

5. Injury? Are you feeling more muscle strains or more creaks in your bones? Overtraining gives your body less time to recover. Muscles need some time to rebuild after a hard workout. Continuously working them is a recipe for disaster.

Do any of these above sound like they may be happening to you?

Just remember to eat smart, train smart, and sleep smart.

Arch Pain: Does Anyone Else Get Foot Cramps?

It is a horrible feeling. I have had this problem for some time now. Even before I started running, I had this problem. I used to play tennis all the time and tennis requires you to be on your toes, ready to move in all directions and sometimes when I would push off the ground the arch in my foot would cramp… Then I would cringe in pain and not make the shot. I don’t cramp anywhere else and it only happens sometimes. I have no idea why!

Now when I run, after about 20 minutes in, one of my feet will cramp in the arch. I then have to stop and stretch it out, which is not what I want to do when I’m trying for a time or just on a nice run. It throws everything off. And then, about every 10-15 minutes after that, the cramp returns. But this is only some days. Not all the time.

My one friend said it could be from changing shoes all the time. I play tennis everyday, so I have my tennis court shoes on, then I put on cross training shoes for the gym, then my minimalist shoes for the my run. I thought it was my running technique but it happened long before I became addicted to running.

This website says that I should just roll my arches with an icy water bottle. Do you do this before or after you run? or both? I just want the pain to go away. I’m going to start doing this though. So fingers crossed!

Rolling your arch with an icy water bottle

Does anyone else experience these problems? Has anyone found relief? I’m getting worried because I’m training for a half marathon and I don’t want it to affect me during my race. That’s the last thing I want.

 

SKORA: Base Shoe Review

It’s difficult to find a pair of shoes that you can run-in, walk-in and wear out to dinner… Shoes that are good for everything. But I think I finally did it, I found my one stop shop!

SKORA

Skora is a new company, from Portland, Oregon, with lots of fresh ideas. They are different and original with a slogan that makes you want to give them a try: RUN REAL. I want to run like I was supposed to run, not run how company’s are trying to mold me. I was a little skeptical at first going to something new but literally, I have not felt a more comfortable shoe. I opened the box, put them on and didn’t take them off. No joke. I was like no way a shoe is this comfortable without breaking them in. EVERY shoe I have ever worn has recovered some break-in time. But not these. Here are the shoes I got:

These are called Base, which are a women’s shoe in light blue, white, and blue

MY FIRST RUN

For my first run in the Skora’s, I did a road run of 5 miles. It was great, and even in the rain. They were very light and not bothersome at all. No blisters, no discomfort anywhere, just a great run. You can wear these shoes in rain or shine, socks or no socks, road or trail, they are amazing.

Also, just to add-in, I’m not used to the minimalist shoe yet. So my first run did go very smoothly, however, I had sore calves the next day, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s part of the process from changing from a heel strike to a strike in the middle of my foot. I don’t mind feeling sore, I like to know my body is working hard. I did some shorter and slower runs to build the up muscle memory and get my legs used to the motion and new running style. It’s only been 3 weeks but I feel that these shoes and I will go far… no pun intended.

Notice the velcro straps

A WEEKEND IN D.C.

I just went on a mini vacation to Washington D.C. and I brought my Skora’s… I actually didn’t bring any other shoe on the trip. Our first day there, we walked 15 miles. Now, that’s a far walk. My sister’s started complaining about their feet and legs and blisters… But not me. I didn’t even think about my shoes once. I never had to re-tie the laces(thanks to the velcro), never felt a blister forming, and had no pain anywhere. Next day, we did 10 miles. No problems again. It even rained on us. My shoes dried so quickly, it was great. Also, I wore my Skora’s out to dinner and they look great with jeans or shorts. They are so versatile.

The Jefferson Memorial. Look closely and you will see that I am rocking my Skora’s

Outside the National Zoo, walked miles to get here!

THE BASE – WOMEN’S SHOE: LIGHT BLUE, WHITE, BLUE

Now more about the shoe itself. Base is a very durable shoe. The shoe has a very unique design with an X-strap system for the laces. There are no shoe strings, just velcro that crosses the shoe in the middle and it can be adjusted. There is also another velcro strap on the heel that can be adjusted to your liking. The shoe is made of a stretchy mesh material, which makes it so comfortable. Also, if you decide to run at night there are reflective details that will make you be seen by oncoming vehicles. A helpful tip is to order a half-size smaller if you decide that SKORA looks like the shoe for you. To learn more about the Base design and the method behind it, visit: http://skorarunning.com/#/

Overall, I’m so excited to train for my half-marathon in my Skora’s. My race is on November 25 so I’m training now and the running couldn’t be better. I will keep everyone updated with my training and how it goes. I’m so excited. It will be my first half and my friends are even doing it with me. Enough sitting for me, time to go outside!

P.s. If you are on Facebook, SKORA has a great page with many helpful tips, reminders, and motivation to keep you training. I love when their stuff pops up on my newsfeed.

Who Wants FREE Shoes???

Well it’s not all about free shoes, but more importantly it’s about spreading the brilliance of running. The Mezamashii Run Project is an effort by Mizuno to help create a more euphoric running experience — a more “brilliant” run — for more runners everywhere. Mezamashii is a japanese word meaning “eye-opening” or “brilliant” and that’s how every run should be. Mizuno is taking a different approach by spreading the word about this project through word of mouth and social media, that’s where you come in, to create commotion between those who have received invites and those who want invites. I want an invite!

First, go to http://www.mizunorunningnews.com/ and read up on what exactly the Mezamashii Run Project is all about.

Second, click on the Mezamashii Run Project on the side.

Third, click on apply for an invite, then fill out the form. You will be entered for a chance to be part of the project.

I love the Mizuno’s I have now. They are brilliant! Quick Story, yesterday I had a 5K race on the beach and I ran in my Mizunos and it was the fastest I had ever ran a 5K. It was crazy. I can’t even describe the feeling I had after beating my own personal record. The shoes are great and when the shoes are great, I do great.

My Mizunos!