Oh, also I got a dog...

My future running buddy, Schwester Em

2016

Yesterday I discovered this little gem: 2016 in 2016.  It equates to about 38 miles a week (aggressive) and so I decided that no, this wasn't a very realistic goal given my new work schedule and hot hot weather always.  I went for a run in the afternoon just to start the year off right, and couldn't stop thinking about it.  What a crazy endeavor, but what if I actually did it??  I am all about realistic goals, but I also know that sometimes the impossible is actually very possible with enough determination.  I posted some of these musings online, and to my delight an old running buddy in Austin asked if I wanted to partner with her.  Heck yeah I did!  And we've already knocked out 15 miles.  I'm so so excited about this.  Tackling the goal, and having a built in buddy to do it with.

I've yet to sit down and really organize my thoughts for the new year, but I'll share some of the fitness related goals floating around in my head.  I'm beginning year two as a skirt sports ambassador (I didn't get fired!), and I want to make sure I take the time to prioritize some of the responsibilities that entails, blogging more regularly in particular (20% off code: SSJBS20).  I'd also like to get my running back on track.  I ran throughout the year but not enough mileage during the weeks once I moved to Florida.  My marathons have been slow and my PRE has been high high high on most of my runs.  Both of these goals fit into a larger one to have more order in my life.  It's hard to worry about anything else with my new job (professor- you cannot imagine how much effort goes into teaching 3 hours each week), but I am determined to find a way to balance it all a little bit better this year.  The heat and work induced exhaustion pose additional mental (and physical) challenges to getting out the door, but in the end these things are all excuses and when we want to do something we just get them done.  I'm taking some time (~5 months) from distance running.  I want to focus on running shorter distances faster.  I did PR my 10K last year (I'm not sure I even ran a 5K, and did not PR- or really do anything to ensure I PRd- my half).  So I will definitely sign up for some 5K-halfs, and a big goal is to run a sub 2:00 half.  I know it's doable with a plan and commitment.  I was fairly consistent with my Crossfitting and will continue that.  I will continue just 3x a week for now for purposes of my financial and running goals (and sanity?) but I will likely throw in a lifting class since my Saturdays will be freed up from the long runs.  What else... I'd like to knock out double unders (before the open?) and pull ups (ever).  And there we have it, 2016 goals.  I'll check in after the first third of the year (RIGHT AFTER I TURN 30 :D) to see if I'm on track.

Have a wonderful 2016 (and sign up for Run the Year lol.  The facebook group is awesome and worth it in itself! I found a guy that's on a 540 day running streak, complete with a photo and screenshot of the route from each run).

A giveaway (AGAIN)!!!

In honor of my *NINTH* marathon and *FIRST* trail run, I (and the awesome ladies at Skirt Sports) are giving away one Go the Distance Tight!!

I have dreamed up my own hashtag for Skirt Sports, #morethanjustskirts.  I found Skirt Sports by looking for running skirts, and I wear them more than I wear any other bottom, but I want you to know that they offer more than skirts.  They offer shorts and pants and shirts and sports bras too!  The Go the Distance Tight is one of my very favorite Skirt Sports items.  I have both the grey and the black pair, and I must say I love them.  They are super high quality (like all of the Skirt Sports products).  The grey pair is more "cottony" and the black pair is more "spandexy."  Both have a nice compression feel to them and both will... um... make people love to see you go ;-).

Enter my giveaway here!  But hurry!  The winner will be chosen in one week!  And if you just can't wait or you aren't the lucky winner, remember, you can always get 20% off any item at Skirt Sports with my discount code, SSJBS20.  Good luck!!

I moved!

Hi guys!  It's been a while so here is a brief update on the awesomeness that is my life right now!

I moved to Florida!  I managed to land a faculty position in an awesome department at the second largest university in the country which happens to be in the fabulous city of Orlando.  I'm quite elated about all of these things.

My new place is right next to a lake that has a 2.5 mile trail around it.  I'm not going to lie, that lake was a big influence on my decision in choosing my living quarters lol.  So was the stairmill in the community center.  If you haven't used a stairmill, go find one.  You will never be the same lol.  What I didn't know is that there is also a 6.5 mile trail right off of my street!  I googled running trails so I could go on my long run last weekend and how exciting that one of the ones that popped up is literally right outside my door.  I'm already putting both trails to good use :).

I did quite a bit of traveling this summer (8 cities in 9 weeks), and somehow managed not to slip out of my workout routine at all.  My secret weapon?  Crossfit :).  It is super fun to check out boxes in different cities.  Two highlights: a box in Edinburgh Scotland, and accidentally meeting Emily Bridgers at her box in Atlanta.

Crossfit Skirmish in Edinburgh Scotland after a workout of death lol.

Emily Bridgers (the number one woman in the Atlantic Region) and me.

I'm currently looking to find a gym home here.  I found the best box in the world seven months late when I was living in NJ, so I'm trying to take my time with my search here.  There are about 7 billion boxes within 10 min of my house.  I'm currently on my third.  It's a fun little project, but hopefully I find my best match soon.

Upcoming marathons: Beat the Blerch, NYC (!!!!), and Disney.  Should be a fun fall.  It's more humid than anything right now, so running is hot but not unbearable.  I will miss the year round running I was able to do in NJ, but hopefully I'll adjust to the climate here quickly.  Best wishes to you as you tackle your own fitness endeavors!

Happy exercising!

Be nice!

Do you remember what it was like to be the new one at the gym?  I sure do.

It was actually my second day, not my first that really left a mark.  The first workout, a bootcamp, was really tough.  I forgot to bring water but figured I could manage since at that point I was already running distance.  I was wrong.  I asked the instructor for water halfway through as I saw my life flash before my eyes.  I finished and felt weak as ever, but I knew I had started a good thing (if you are in Austin, TX and you need a good gym, let me direct you to one of the best things that ever happened to me, Barron Jackson and X-train Fitness).  My first class was a Thursday, and I went in again the following Monday, when I was mildly able to walk normally and lift my arms again.  That Monday was a weight training class, my very first. I had always wanted to strength train, but I never knew how.  Lucky for me I stumbled upon this gem (no pun intended) by accident.  It changed my life.  That is another blog entry.  Anyway, I really enjoyed the class.  I finished up happy and was ready to rush off and start my day, when two ladies stopped me and asked me how it went.  That small gesture meant so much to me.  I would later learn that Barron calls his gym a fitness community, and these ladies definitely made it feel that way.  I was new, I didn't know what I was doing, but I wanted to continue, and that stronger, fitter people would check in on me, with no incentive at all, really solidified that choice for me.  Maybe you know by now that I stayed at that gym until I left Austin.  I still call those ladies (and so many of the other members I would meet over the three years that followed) friends.

Being new to the gym can be really intimidating.  Some newbies are simply returning from a long hiatus.  They are former athletes who have gotten out of shape, and packed extra fat onto their bodies.  Some are truly new, and have zero strength, never having lifted a thing heavier than a grocery bag in their lives.  Some people are in great shape, but completely new to lifting (like I was).  Etc, etc.  But the reality is, that no matter their story, all newbies can benefit from your kindness.  Here they are, having made the difficult choice to step into a new place and try something difficult for their hearts and their health.  Everyone else is on the sofa, but they have decided to make a change in their lives and get active.  They watch the more experienced people use double the weights they are using (and struggling with) and seemingly do it with ease!  They try a new movement for the first time, and try to comprehend the 70 tips the coach gives them to do it right.  Can you remember how this felt for you? Seems pretty discouraging right?

So gym vets, I'm calling on you.  Be nice.  The new faces in our gyms could be so discouraged by all of the above.  They could beat themselves up for being so weak/fat/slow/tired and refuse to put themselves through that ever again.  But they don't.  They give it their best shot anyway.  The least we can do is give an encouraging word as they walk out the door.  We might be the reason they walk back in.

*Addition: As someone who moves a lot, you should be nice to newbies outside the gym, too.
**Additional addition: As someone who tries to be nice to everyone, you should try to be nice everyone.  The world could really use more kindness these days.

Giveaway!!

I'm super excited because I just booked a flight to run this race!!  And guess what, you can too!  It's in Louisville, CO (right outside of Boulder), but if you aren't local or don't care to travel, you can win a virtual race entry!

What you get:
$50 gift certificate to Skirt Sports
race bib for the 5K, 10K, or 13er! Your choice!
finishers skirt (or bra, or top)
swag bag

Enter the giveaway here!  But hurry, you only have a week!  Best of luck!!

Why I'll always be overweight

I took off my running skirt and dri-fit top, applied my swim cap, and sat there anxiously in my swimsuit.    No, I was not about to jump into a pool, I was using one of the most accurate methods of analyzing body fat percentage, the Bod Pod.  You sit in a chamber for a few stints of 50 seconds, and this odd looking machine works its magic to determine your body composition through what is known as "whole body air displacement plethysmography".  It is as accurate as underwater testing, and far better than other methods, like calipers and bioelectrical impedance analysis (which in my experience is a complete joke).

Knowing your body fat percentage has several benefits.  One, it can be used to determine your RMR, resting metabolic rate, or the number of calories your body burns when doing absolutely nothing.  There are lots of great resources online that can help you estimate this value, but it's nice to have the number that is specific to you and your composition.  I compared my notes from the Pod Bod and an online calculator and the online calculator overestimated my RMR by about 100 calories.  What this means is if I used this number in an effort to maintain my weight, I'd potentially gain an extra pound each month.  Not cool.  Another benefit is measuring progress.  The scale can fluctuate a lot from day to day (and hour to hour even), simply based on hydration, sodium consumption, and activity level.  If you reduce sodium, increase water intake, and eat lean foods, you can move the scale 2-3 lbs from one day to the next.  Obviously this is not 2-3 lbs of fat loss overnight.  And of course if you get in the gym and pack on muscle as you drop fat, you might not see a change on the scale at all, or even see an increase.  So it can be misleading to judge your progress based on weight alone.  I think the scale can be a good starting point, but as we become more active it becomes a bit less useful.  On the other hand, if we see our body fat percentage, or lbs of body fat decrease, we know we are doing something good, even if our weight stays the same or increases.

This is the primary benefit of body fat testing for me, actually.  I'm 5' even, but I'm not nor will I ever be "thin."  I remember in third grade I got weighed and even though I was more or less the same size as the other kids, I was heavier (80 lbs; why do I remember that?).  I have never been "chubby", but I have always been overweight.  And it is likely I always will be.  If you have been to a doctors office you have probably seen this chart:

If I put a caption here it would have too many curse words.

I'm getting angry just looking at it.  I am 5'0 and according to this bullshit chart, a healthy weight for me is 97-123 lbs.  Are you fucking kidding me??  My legs alone are probably 97 lbs!  The US Army uses similar standards.  So all over the country, doctors and superiors are telling people they are overweight, when in many cases, particularly for black and/or athletic people, their weight is a result of a high muscle mass.

My body fat test confirmed this for me yesterday.  My lean mass by itself is over 100 lbs.  If I had 0% body fat, well, I would be dead, but I still wouldn't be 97 lbs.  I'm (still) overweight according to BMI, but when I look at actual fat pounds, I am at a very healthy level.  Going forward, I'm striving to decrease not lbs, but lbs of fat, as that will truly reflect consistent training and healthy eating.  It is my hope that this shift in focus will spread to our doctors, to our military, and to ourselves.  Happy fat loss.