The Sound of Crickets

Well, three weeks is clearly too long to go without posting and I hope that it doesn't happen again.

Unfortunately in the past three weeks I have had my first continuing legal education presentation and a major trial for which I was the solo attorney. Needless to say it was hectic and left me little time to post or follow the blogs that I love!

The one thing I have stayed consistent with is my running however. Since my last post I have run the Girls on the Run St. Louis 5k with my niece. Since it's a celebration run and I wanted to do it with my niece it was really just a fun run and I had a great time. It's so inspiring to see young girls enthusiastic about running.

I also did the Bark in the Park 5k and scored a PR!! I was incredibly excited with my time of 28:40 as I had not yet broken the under 30 mark on a 5k. I ran with my much taller and much faster brother and his very fast dog, so I was inspired to keep up and really push myself. I felt great after that. My results on the race website didn't come through :( but I crossed the finish line with my brother, so I'm posting his results since they're the same as mine!

I also have begun group speed work in training for my fall half-marathon and I really can say that it has already helped in the three weeks I've been doing it (see above for the 5k).


Finally, I ran a 10k this past weekend on our trip to Door County, WI. I am doing a separate post about this trip as I earned my Jost Running "Brave New Route" 1/2 Marathon medal while there and I want to tell you all about it! Expect to see that tomorrow!

Sorry to type and run but I just wanted to get something out there to get me back in the groove of posting and Blogger is being weird!

I'm a "Featured Runner"!!

Hi all, just wanted to invite you over to Maria's awesome blog Lil Mys Ninja where I am the Tuesday Featured Runner!!

Thanks again to Maria for featuring lil' ol' me!

Energybits and my new 6 mile PR:#Bestfoot Link-up

Happy Monday! I am again participating in the #bestfoot link-up hosted by the awesome Run to the Finish, Darwinian Fail and Sweetlife Ericka. Each Monday we share how we put our #bestfoot forward last week. Please stop by the host blogs and check them out!

Energybits and a new PR!

After some social media communications, I was offered a free sample of Energybits to try in exchange for my review of the product. I did not receive any other compensation in exchange for my review and all opinions are my own.

I typically do my long runs on Saturday mornings and this past Saturday was no exception. However I had to do the run even earlier than I typically do as we were going on a day-trip with my mother-in-law and had to pick her up and hit the road by 8 A.M.

I thought this was be a good test for the Energybits as I really needed energy to make it through that long run and then drive 3 hours without a lot of time for relaxation or recovery (*I still did stretching/rolling before heading out on the road...you can't skip that!).

Energybits are unique in that they look like a supplement as they come in a small pill form, however they are NOT a supplement OR a pill. They are FOOD. They are made from 100%  spirulina algae, which contains the highest concentration of protein over any other food in the world and they have one calorie per tablet. They have been hailed as one of the "world's greatest superfoods" by NASA, the IHO and the UN. Apparently the rest of the world has figured this out, but here in America we are a bit behind on the algae front.

 

                                                Pic courtesy of www.energybits.com

I think one of the things that I've seen other exclaim about the most is that the recommended serving size is 30 tablets and if you are still not wrapping your mind around the fact that it is FOOD not a supplement, it seems odd. But, as the website states, think of it like having almonds, you're not going to have just one and expect that to do the trick, you need a handful. It's the same with Energybits as they're also food.

I took the recommended 30 tablets (just swallow with a glass of water, no need to chew!) and headed off to the park where I have been doing a 6 mile loop. I have to say that I noticed an immediate difference in how I felt and my energy levels. Normally I'm someone who takes a good two miles to really feel like I'm in the run, but it wasn't so this time. I felt great at the beginning and strong throughout. Lo and behold when I looked at my splits after...I had a new PR for this run...by 5:25!

I also managed two miles under 10 minutes without sacrificing the other 4, so I felt pretty awesome about that.

One of the other noticeable difference was how I felt afterwards. My general soreness was markedly decreased and I didn't feel a dip in my energy levels a few hours post-run which tends to happen to me. However the biggest thing was that I didn't feel hunger until lunchtime and my only breakfast had been the Energybits!

I am not a starve yourself person by any stretch of the imagination, but I also know that runners often feel a hunger and consume calories that are disproportionate to the actual amount of energy expended. Having such a pure protein source allowed me to avoid that.

All in all, I feel like I put my #bestfoot forward this past week (with the help of Energybits) with my new PR!

Keep checking back as I should have an Energybits giveaway coming to the blog shortly!


What was your #bestfoot this week?

Thanks for reading!

Friday Five: 5 Things I Love About Spinning

Once again, I am participating in the Friday Five Link-up hosted by the fantastic ladies behind Eat Pray Run DC, You Signed Up for What?! and Mar on the Run. Please visit these awesome blogs to find out what 5 things these ladies are loving on this fine Friday!

5 Things I Love About Spinning!

Even before I got back into running following my long hiatus after college, I was spinning regularly. Spinning class is my cross-training activity of choice and although running has become my focus, spinning is just as important in my weekly routine. Here are five things I love about it:

1- Cycling Without Thinking!

I know this sounds weird but if you hit the road on your bike you need to worry about several things including weather, equipment failure, road safety and preparation for possibly being stranded in the middle of nowhere. Spinning allows for you to turn off those worries and just zone out on the bike, focusing on the ride and giving it your all.

2-No Impact!

Those of you who also run understand that all the strength training, stretching, yoga and foam rolling in the world does not change the fact that sometimes you just have aches and pains from running on pavement. I mean you're basically flying through the air then landing over and over again for miles upon end, which is actually super awesome. However, I feel that it is incredibly important to incorporate low and no impact cardio and cross-training work whenever possible. Don't get me wrong, spinning can hurt if you gear incorrectly or do too much, however it's a great way to get a challenging workout without the pounding!

3-Music!

I run with music or podcasts, I just like having something in the background, but spinning to music is really different as spin classes are designed to have the beat of the song play a part in the actual workout. I love different classes with different music themes and songs I never even thought of for a running playlist but work really well in spin class! A long, winding hill to some inspiring Celtic instrumentals, jumps to Broadway tunes, fast flats to classic rock...yes please!

4-Jumps!

I love jumps during spin class, it's a great way to get the heart rate going and to really work on your core while on the bike. My usual instructor is awesome about incorporating a lot of jumps into her classes and I love how the sweat really starts to pour on those songs.

5-Combo Classes!

Spinning is a great combo class component. The spin studio I go to has a variety of spin/other class options with a 45-60 minute spin and a 15-30 minute "other" component. Some of my favorites are Spin/Core, Spin/Yoga and Spin/Fitball. If you've never tried one of these classes, I would highly recommend seeking one out in your area, they're an amazing total body workout!

Do you spin? If so do you love it?
What are you favorite cross-training activities?