Sunday Style - A Hint of Spring

The last couple of days have been GORGEOUS!!  Yesterday, it felt like spring - I was able to take my run outside, vehicles got washed, boys played for hours outside, and we enjoyed a couple of short walks with Hope and Coco.

When I saw the forecast today, I was itching to put on something spring like!!

I found these floral capris at Target on clearance a couple of summers ago.  They are very bold and I almost didn't try them on, but I did and I absolutely LOVE them.  I tend to piece bold pieces for my upper half, not my lower half.  There are so many colors and shades of flowers that they really could go with a multitude of items in my closet, but today I kept things simple with my new to me Lauren Conrad blouse ($3.98) that I purchased from Red Racks Thrift Store in January.  I also pulled out some camel peep toe wedges from Aerosoles that have been a part of my spring/summer wardrobe for about 10 years.  They are pretty comfortable and I've worn them for almost every Easter since I purchased them.  These wedges are what I call an investment piece.  I have a hard time spending money on one piece of my wardrobe, but I wanted to find a nice pair of leather dress shoes that were comfortable and timeless.  These were my choice!!  Even though they cost almost $40, I've worn them on countless occasions and I'm still not tired of them.  I tend to splurge on pieces that I know I'll want to keep for a long time and not a fad.

The bracelet I am wearing is from Rahab's Rope, a ministry that serves women in India.    My best friend gave it to me and I wear it often.  I can't help but think of her when I wear it!!  It also has a charm that has the word Hope on it, which is also my daughter's name.

I even painted my ugly toes this am.  My poor feet look terrible right now with all the running I'm doing!!

Even with my shoes and capris, my total for this outfit is right around $50.

Enjoy your Sunday and this AMAZING weather!!

Thrifted Style - Layers!

I wear layers year round!  Even during the crazy humid summer months, I always have a sweater or jacket with me because I usually end up freezing!!  

I purchased this Express tweed blazer for $3.98, a few years ago at a local thrift store, but haven't worn it much.  I wear a lot of blazers, but for some reason this one never got much wear until this winter.  

I paired my blazer with a Gap plaid shirt that I picked up at Salvation Army for $3.74, a J Crew sweater for $2.99, a pair of hand-me-down skinnies jeans, and Eddie Bauer boots from my mom.  I love all the pieces of this outfit, because they can each be worn with several other pieces in my wardrobe.  

My outfit cost is around $12!!  

Happy Thrifting!!

Running. . . Running. . . and More Running! Part 1

When I turned 39 last September, I put together a list of 12 things I wanted to do before I turned 40 and one of the things on the list was to run a 1/2 marathon.

I will be running the Rock the Parkway 1/2 on April 11th.  The race worked with my schedule, it's local, and many of my fitness buddies said it was a lot of fun (we'll see about that!!).

I've never been a runner.  When I was a kid, I had horrible allergies and asthma.  I was constantly sick, missing lots of school, and was a runt.  My allergies limited what I was able to eat and my asthma limited my physical activity tremendously, but  I have always loved being active.  I spent countless hours exploring, biking, or playing catch, but running wasn't ever a part of my activity.  My favorite sport ended up being softball, there wasn't much running involved, unless it was to bolt toward first base or go after a hit.  I tried basketball and track, but my lungs just couldn't keep up, so I gave those sports up in junior high.

When I was a freshman in high school, I started off as one of the shortest girls.  I was a whopping five foot tall!!  Then between my junior and senior year of high school, I shot up overnight!!  I ended up being about 5'7 when I graduated high school and then grew another couple of inches in college. I played volleyball in college, and tried to keep active with tennis, walking, and swimming.

My asthma continued to be an issue in my adult life, but really didn't keep me from too many activities.  When I became pregnant with my oldest, my asthma suddenly disappeared.  I can't explain what happened, but I no longer needed an inhaler.  It was crazy, this disease that had been a constant companion of mine, was gone.  I had no idea what I would be able to do with this new freedom.

My twenties involved three babies in four years, so physical activity wasn't much of a priority.  I occasionally took walks and joined a local gym, but didn't get there very often.

In my early thirties, a friend suggested I try running.  It was something we could do together, so I thought why not give it a try.  I really struggled with running, I had no lung capacity, no form, and I sooooo did not like running!!  I stuck with it, thanks to the encouragement of my friend.  We participated in a 5K together and then the next year, we did a sprint triathlon together.

Before I started training, I ran about two times a week and had been able to run about 4 to 5 miles.  I was also excited to finally be able to run over a hour at one time.  I never thought I would have been able to do so.

When I decided to officially start training, I met with a trainer, who has participated in several half marathons.  I asked her to help me put together a training plan.  She asked me what I wanted to accomplish by running a half marathon.  I simply told her that I didn't want to die and that I wanted to finish without walking!!

I am a checklist gal.  I like to have a plan of how to accomplish something.  When I trained for my triathlon, I researched many different training plans and found one that worked well for me.  It told me exactly what to do for twelve weeks.  I like the simplicity of the plan and I could just mark off the day's training when I got it done.  On the day of the event, I felt ready and confident that I would finish the event well.  When I crossed that finish line, it was an amazing feeling and I was so thankful for the satisfaction of accomplishing something that I never would have dreamed of five years earlier.

Julie put together a plan for me that includes cross training, stretch/yoga, and of course, lots and lots of running!!  According to my Nike app on my phone, I've logged over 200 miles of running since December 1st.  That is absolutely CRAZY!!  I can't believe this body was capable of that.

A few things I've learned so far
*I'm not a fast as I use to be and that's ok!!
   
* I don't hate the treadmill as much as I use to (still don't like it though)

*The foam roller is my best friend, as of right now!!

 *Stretching is essential.  I'm actually stretching two to four times a day!!

*I can do this!!

Things I'm struggling with
*The hamstrings never seem to be stretched out well- no matter how much I stretch or use the foam roller I still have issues with my left hamstring especially.

*I can't quite figure out how to keep myself hydrated and fueled properly

* I feel like a turtle

*I am having some on and off again back and muscle pain. I've have visited my chiropractor a few times and I feel like I have one spot between my shoulder blades that doesn't ever want to stay in!!

*Figuring out how to balancing everything in my schedule - training, homeschooling, family, church, etc.

I've still got about six weeks until my race.  This weekend I put in my first double digit run and it was on a treadmill!!  I ended up with a couple of blisters, but other than that, not too bad!!

I plan to give you another update before my race and then a recap after I Rock the Parkway, but for now, I'll just keep running!!