Triple H: Hot, Humid and Hilly

I do not do heat well.  At all.  So trying to run in the heat has been interesting.  I've been reading lots of articles and working on acclimating myself to the heat, but it's definitely a challenge. My running partner and I have been doing our runs at 6:30am to try to beat the heat and I've been running at a slower pace to get my body used to it.  Here are some things I've learned so far: 1. wear shorts (I don't like running in shorts because they inevitably ride up and then I'm trying to run and get my shorts to cooperate-I've tried 2-in-1's, short shorts, longer shorts and have settled on pair and have sucked up my issue with them riding up) 2. carry water 3. wear a hat and/or sunglasses 4. liberally apply sunscreen. Or run inside.

So I did Body Pump yesterday morning and then did a 5K race last night.  The race was at 7:30pm, there was a nice breeze (82 degree, 60% humidity, compared at 90 degrees earlier in the day) and I felt alright so I lined up and off we went. I felt pretty good at the first mile and my pace wasn't too terrible.  Then I saw the first hill. If I had planned ahead I would have looked at the course to see that it was going to be hilly but alas, I did not. So I tried to push through the first one, "I can do a hill, no problem" I said.  But it didn't end. Once I got through one, there was another around the bend. What goes up, must come down, right?  Well the downhill only meant another uphill.   So it probably wasn't the best idea for me to do Pump in the am.  Since it was so hot, I ran with a bottle of water (which I finished before the race finished) and was pouring sweat and sunscreen when I finished.  I finished the race. So I won against the heat. Now I have experience to know how to run smarter for the rest of the summer.

More muscle, check!

The gym I belong to offers free health assessments with the nurse every 6-8 weeks, and I finally booked my appointment with the nurse.  Since the fall, I've put on 3 pounds of muscle and lost 2 pounds overall.  My body fat percentage has dropped 3.1%!  

Since I began training and running again last July, I've lost approximately 15 lbs (I didn't do an assessment when I first started so I don't have a full data summary of where I was). I feel better and my clothes fit better. 

In addition to any workout routine, nutrition plays a huge role in your results. A quick search will bring you a plethora of information on what to eat and what to avoid you can start here and here.  

For me, the added bonus of seeing results is also not being complacent about where I currently am. I like the challenge of figuring out what to do next to continue to build muscle and strength while keeping up endurance and avoiding injury going into the fall racing season.  My racing goals are always 1. Finish and 2. Don't lose any toenails but now that I've done a Half Marathon, I want to challenge myself to see how much faster I can become.

This summer I will be doing a lot of cross training in addition to runs to continue to build muscle and strength. 

Princess Tiana here we come!

Adding another two races to my 2014 schedule with the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend Glass Slipper Challenge.  

I am so excited for these races because I'm doing the Team Challenge with a dear friend and I'll be celebrating my 35th birthday (yes, I did just tell you how old I am).  

Time for myself is at a premium, so I'm really looking forward to this trip.

Now that we're in, what do we wear?! 

Today I discovered Sparkly Soul, OMG. I'm not sure why these weren't in my life before, but I'm going to make we meet one another very soon (especially in my favorite color: purple).