Race Day

I'm headed to Myrtle Beach for the big race tomorrow morning at 630 am. 

Stay tuned after for pictures and stories! : )

Favorite Running Gear

Brooks Running Hat: Keeps my head dry during a raining run : )

Nexcare Knee Brace

Fuel Belt Sahara Palm Holder water Bottle with pocket for key, and sport beans or gels
Mizuno Alchemy 8: fave. shoe : )
Mueller Knee Band
Moving Comfort Sports Bra with adjustable straps: incredible sports bra!
Nike+iPod: I dont know what I'd do without it.
Instant Ice packs for after a long run.
Brooks Vapor Dry Capri...Awesome!! With pocket in the back
Sport Beans: they work...and are better tasting than the gels
All of these things are essential to my run...I love them dearly and keep the long runs not so unbearable. And they keep my body feeling good and happy! : )

Lucy's Favorite Things 2008

Alright so when I used to have a TV...my favorite show to look for around the holidays was 

Oprah's Favorite Things show. I mean, what a fun show to watch even if you're not getting all the free stuff. 

So I decided to have a Lucy's Favorite Things of 2008:

"I would like a 6inch Italian Herbs and Cheese Veggie, American Cheese and Toasted. Lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, green peppers, onions, honey mustard, sweet onion and parmesan and oregano." ----Can't tell ya how many times I've said that phrase over the past year.

This is a product that I was actually just introduced to. It's from the TRUE BLUE Spa collection at Bath and Body Works. It is wonderful for dry skin!

Ahh...my lifesaver, and timesaver. I bought this straightener at my salon back in the beg. of fall. I'm in love with it. It straightens my hair in about 5 mins. I love it!

This is a cool product I got this year, to help me with my running training. It's a great way to track you mileage, time and it keeps me motivated during my runs.
Itty Bitty Actions....is a photoshop action product that I use on about 95% of my photos. LOVE it!
Oh the joys of this makeup! This line was created by Carmindy, from TLC's What Not to Wear.

This makeup is a mineral makeup and it feels incredible on my skin and gives great coverage.
My running shoes. Mizuno Alchemy 8. Life(and Knee, and shin)savers. 
I found out about this product a few months ago, but it wasnt until last week that I bought it. OMG! It was the best $8.99 purchase I've ever made. You might think "$8.99 is a ton to spend on deodorant!!" But seriously, its the best thing ever. I used to get those embarrassing sweat marks on my clothing but when I started using this stuff..no more! Its really great and smells good, too!
MMM...1 point...thats all i gotta say. 
And last but definitely not least...My Camelbak water bottle. This is the only way I get my water intake in for the day....I love this water bottle...I go through about 6 of them in one day.

Hope ya'll have enjoyed seeing a few of my favorite things of the year. 

Mistakes in Running

Here's a little hint to all you runners running a race on a chilly day:

IT WILL GET WARMER WHEN YOU START RUNNING

Mistake #1: was that they gave us these comfy long sleeve shirts for the race(walkers).

When I was warming up I was still pretty chilly, and so I thought "hey, i'm not going to get hot in this long sleeve cotton shirt, i'll just run the race in it."

-never again..someone told me that you should dress accordingly as if it were 20 degrees warmer.

Mistake #2: taking pictures during the run just slows you down. After my race in October, I really wished that I had taken pictures. And as a photographer, I feel that I should be able to......NOT when I'm running though. 

1. I looked like a fool running while taking pictures

2. It just slowed me down

3. It wasn't very comfortable stuffing the camera in my bra

4. None of them turned out

Overall the race was pretty awful. I was a minute slower than Women's Only ( i blame the shirt)

I ran with Elaine, which was great. She kept me motivated, however we both struggled and wanted to walk here and there.... but no. We persevered.

Also one more thing....my knees are starting to hurt....oh no! : \ Knee replacement at age 29 doesnt sound like a good idea to me.

-L

The Journey Begins...

...with 2 ibuprofen. So this blog is about my crazy aspiration to train for a half marathon. 

Here's a little recap of my fitness this year:

January-May: totally inspired by The Biggest Loser, 100% on board. I worked out like crazy 2 hours a night. Did I lose weight? Nope. Why? Because I was eating like crap, however I was maintaining my weight. 

June: Joined the beloved, faithful Weight Watchers. Started doing the right things (i.e.: working out, eating w/in my point range). Did I see results? Yes but I am such a SLOW loser....which I hear is good for you...but honestly, I'd like the pace to speed up a bit! (total loss since June till now is a measly 12 pounds...)

In June I started running....and when I say "running" I mean a very slow jog. Yep, I was probably clocking a 14 min/mile. However it was about 90 some degrees when I was "running" so I give myself a little credit for just getting out there.

I have always wanted to be a "runner/jogger" but it wasn't until about September that I started to get serious. Just to let you know, at the beginning of this year, I couldn't run for a whole 10 minutes without huffing and puffing. And somehow today I ran 4.5 miles.

Alright so heres the deal: I'm training for a Half Marathon with some other crazy awesome women from the Y. It is the Myrtle Beach Marathon on February 14th 2009.

So this blog is going to be a little testimony of how far I have (hopefully) come. 

This weekend is the Free to Breathe 5K I'm running with my friend, Elaine. I'm pretty excited. The last(and first) race I did was about a month and a half ago. (picture above)

-Lucy