Weekly Recap for the Last Week of March: Capitol Run, Kate Spade, and Lululemon!

Hi all, I hope your weekends are going swimmingly. Today is a gorgeous 60 degree day in Minneapolis.  Since this is the first day this warm since last October, of course everyone is out and about and enjoying the nice temps. Apparently, the trails around the lakes are crazy- or so Dustin tells me. I am trying to be smart, and taking today as a non-running day after a 20 mile run yesterday, but Dustin did a run with Matilda, and reported back that the lakes were crazy busy. Be forewarned! I think we're all just ecstatic that it finally feels like spring.

So, yes- I did a 20 mile capitol run yesterday. Most of the time when we do a "capitol run" its a full 22 mile run before the taper. However, Flying Pig is a few weeks after the Boston marathon, and the capitol run was organized primarily for the Boston training group. Kelly, Dustin, and I (the Flying Pig runners) just tagged along for our 20 miler. It was kind of nice to skip Lake Nokomis for the "shortcut" to the capitol. It made 20 miles feel easy!

Do you recognize Dustin's jacket for the lululemon warehouse sale?

Okay, other than the 20 miler, how did this week turn out in fitness?

Monday: After a lot of hard miles the week before (ending with the Irish Run 8k on Sunday and a barre class in the evening) I decided to take Monday off of running. Instead I took a C2 class at Corepower Yoga, which felt great. I was definitely sore and my muscles needed the stretch.

Tuesday: A non-running day on Monday left my legs ready for a big running day on Tuesday! Kelly and I did 10 miles with 5 repeats of the "winter hill", a.k.a. a hill over by Lake of the Isles that is 0.75 long (or 1.5 miles round trip). We kept tempo pace on the way up and tempo pace on the way down. Of course, tempo pace was easy-peasy on the way down; not so much on the way up! The workout ended up being nearly 8 miles of hard effort, which left me pretty beat the next day.

Wednesday: Even though I was tired from the hills, I managed an easy 5.5 mile run with Matilda. I didn't wear my Garmin, and I let her stop and sniff as often as she liked.

Thursday: 8.5 miles in the AM with Kelly in the rainy/fog mix. Legs were still tired from the hills.

Friday: Complete rest. Much needed!

Saturday: 20 mile long run. I felt pretty strong throughout this run, and the sun was shining and the weather wasn't so bad. Kelly and I have been running together quite a bit lately, so we decided to bring "Chat Pack" cards to ask each other questions to help make the miles pass quickly.

I highly recommend these fun little questions for long runs. Buy them HERE.

Best running buddy!

We had two organized support stops (which were AWESOME!) along the way as well. A big thank you to the volunteers who came out to give us Gatorade, water, candy, etc. at these stops. It really helped!

Our last mile to the capitol was our fastest- we finished strong, which was a great feeling. 

Sunday: Hour long barre class at the Barre in Edina. Lots of arm and core work. My quads weren't in the mood for some of the leg work, so I took it easy on that part. I love the classes at the Barre, as they really burn out your upper body!

I think I did a good job of balancing hard running workouts, yoga, and rest this week. Next week is another tough week with two track workouts, and then the Ron Daws 25k on Saturday, so I am going to really be careful to make sure I'm getting enough sleep, foam rolling plenty, and eating right.

What's happening in Fitness Fashion this week?
In Fitness Fashion this week, of course the highlight for me was the lululemon warehouse sale. I scored a lot of items for a price that fit the bill! Read all about it HERE. So fun!

What's happening in Fashion this week?
In Fashion, I posted to Facebook about a flash sale online at Kate Spade, where I snagged this bag: 

It was originally $315, and I got it for $99! I think it will be a great bag for work or play this summer, and I can't pass up a deal that good.  Apparently, Kate Spade has these flash sales every once and awhile, and they only last for a few hours. You can sign up to get the notifications for future flash sales HERE.

Well, that's all from me for the weekly recap.

Did you check out the Lululemon sale? Find anything good? Please share!

Dustin and I actually stopped by the sale again this morning after my barre class, just to see what was left. There was slim pickings, but I did pick up a few more Bitty Bracers for my friend Susie, at a really great price- only $30 for two of them!

Fit the Bill: The Lululemon Warehouse Sale

I really wanted to get this post out as soon as possible, so those of you who are local can still #March2MN  towards the @lululemon WHS, or for non-social media-lites, head on down to the Convention Center downtown for the lululemon warehouse sale!

The sale started today, but it goes on through Sunday, 8 am to 7 pm every day. My friend Tricia and I both have busy weekends, so we decided why not just take a 1/2 day of PTO, and go check it out today, right when it opened! I mean, why not use vacation time to go spend some money on more fitness fashion!

So, we arrived a little after 7 am..which was not early enough! 

The line was already through the lobby and out the door. Apparently some people had been there since 2 am, when the doors to the convention center didn't even open until 5 am. Crazy! The actual doors to the actual sale didn't open until 8 am...so, yes, we were out in the cold for about an hour.

The Facebook event information had stated that the line would be inside, and that you couldn't bring in coats or purses, so Tricia left her coat in the car. It was a chilly 26 degrees outside, and we were both pretty cold waiting out there!  (Note to anyone thinking about going- dress warm!)

We finally moved far enough in line to be inside the convention center, and then it was another two hours of waiting. Fortunately, there was a Dunn Brothers coffee nearby, so I ran off to grab us some coffee, while Tricia held our place in line.

And finally, finally, around 10 am, we were the next in line!

When we entered the sale, Tricia and I actually split up, as we both had lists of sizes and items from friends and family. We were girls on a mission!

There were fitting rooms, but I never tried anything on. A lot of people were just changing right there in the open, rather than waiting in the lines for the fitting rooms (which were communal anyways, and let's be honest- most everyone at the sale was female anyways. And who cares!)

There was sort of an open area where people were just piling up their goods to see what they had grabbed, and perhaps to count to see if they were over the 25 item limit! I did the same- I had to remember what all I had grabbed!

It was a little chaotic in there, and I definitely felt a touch of anxiety as I tried to figure out what items I wanted to purchase. There was a lot of frantic texting with my sisters and some friends..but amidst the chaos, it was FUN! Tricia and I both ended up with a lot of great items- some for ourselves, some for our friends and family. It was seriously a blast!

So what kind of deals can you expect at a lululemon warehouse sale? Here are the prices:

So...what did I buy? Let me tell you!

The Bitter Bracer: Normally $68, found one in my size for just $29!

I bought this tank top for my sister. The exact same one is not online, but based on the price of similar tanks, let's say it would be around $68, and it was $34 at the warehouse. I kind of want to go back on Sunday to buy one for myself!

I bought four pairs of the Run: Inspire Crop II capris- one for each sister who requested them, and one for me! They normally cost $86, but they were only $49 at the warehouse!

Two pair of Astro shorts found their way into my bag. Again, this style was discontinued, but based on similar shorts, let's say they would have run around $58. They were only $29 at the warehouse!

The Run Swiftly long-sleeve shirts are still available at the stores. (I think I saw Yolanda on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills wearing one on last week's episode!) They cost $68 at the store, but I snatched a couple for my sisters for only $44!

Don't you worry, Dustin got in on the fun. He and I both got nice running jackets for jut $74, originally somewhere near $140. Quite a steal! And now we can be twinsies!

I also picked him up a pair of men's running shorts for just $29.

Honestly, a few other random items found their way into my bag, but I managed to stay below the 25 item limit. When I looked at the full price online for similar items, I calculated that I saved close to 50%! These were prices that definitely FIT THE BILL!

Was it worth it?
I think so. It felt like Black Friday- getting up early with a friend, waiting in line, and then snatching up some awesome deals! I had a really fun time, and i think I ended up with really great apparel for a fraction of the price.

Tips?
If a lululemon warehouse sale comes to a city near you, I definitely recommend going- and going early!

• Go with a list of what you want. 
• Know your sizes (or your friends sizes) you don't have to waste time in the fitting room. 
• Plan for a whole day so you can take your time perusing all the racks! Tricia and I both had to get to work at 12, so we were in a bit of a hurry. It would have been nice to be able to really browse at a less frantic pace.
• Bring a friend to keep you company in line.
• Bring your sense of fun! They were offering automatic entry for people who volunteered for a dance off, or a twerk-off, or a wall sit competition (I tried to volunteer for that one, but didn't get selected...even after all my practice with my month of wall sits!!!)

There you have it- time for you to #March2MN!

Fit Challenges: 26 Days of Sit-ups!

I haven't forgotten about this month's challenge...75 old school sit-ups done!

I hope you are still in it!

Fits Do Race Reviews: Irish Run 8k

Whew! What a Sunday...as I mentioned in my earlier post today, it was a busy week for running, and I still had more running to do today after that post!

Having run 19 miles yesterday, I knew that my legs would be tired today for the Irish Run 8k. On the drive over to St. Paul, I started regretting signing up. A non-running day would have been better for my tired body.

The race had a 1:20 start time, which was a little strange for fueling. Dustin and I both ate a normal size breakfast (whole wheat waffle with syrup and a banana). We also spent about an hour walking around the dog park to wear out Matilda as well, so I was definitely hungry by the time race time rolled around. Yet I didn't want to eat anything else until after the race for fear of the dreaded GI issues that can plague many a runner. (Did you catch my post, "When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go"? That post about sums it up.)

Even with the later start, the temperature was still pretty cold, hovering around 18 degrees and quite windy.  Fortunately, we could wait inside the nearby elementary school until race time. Packet pickup was in the gym at the school, and it was quick and easy. This is a "runner's" race, without a lot of fancy swag, though we did receive a nice dry-fit short sleeved shirt, as Dustin is (begrudgingly) modeling below:

This race attracts a VERY fast group. The winning time for men was 24:18 minutes, which is a 4:54 min/mile pace. (FYI, an 8k is 4.98 miles.) The winning time for women was 28 minutes, which is a 5:38 min/miles pace. Incredible!

Back to my race: We ran about two miles to warmup, and then met up with our team inside for a quick group photo. We had just enough men and women to have an official team (five men, five women). I told myself I was "a warm body," meaning I was just there to help the team qualify as an official USATF team, so I shouldn't stress about being the slowest.

The race began without a whole lot of fanfare. It was chip-timed of course, but I don't remember a starting gun or anything.  As for the course, it went out-and-back for about a mile towards the river on Summit Avenue, and then came back and out the other direction on Summit Avenue, to make a second turn towards the finish line.

If you're familiar with Summit Ave from the Twin Cities Marathon, or maybe another race, you know that its hilly. We had our fair share of ups and downs on this short five mile course. There were no water stops for this short run, which was fine on such a cold day.

The race actually went by very quickly. Before I knew it, the finish line was in sight, so I tried to push it in a little harder to finish strong. I had started out with a fellow CBRC running buddy, Kristi, and I let her set the pace. In fact, I was creeping right behind her for most of the race, and I hope it didn't drive her crazy! I did lose her in the last mile, and she ended up finishing about 20 seconds ahead of me, but we were together for most of the race. It was good for me to have a "pacer" of sorts, as she did a good job of hitting very consistent miles- thank you Kristi!

Her fiancé commented after the finish that our outfits were basically flip-flopped versions of each other: she had the fun patterned jacket, and I had the fun, similarly patterned pants!

My official time was 39:23, which was sub-8 minutes, which was fine with me for today. That's basically my tempo pace, so I was happy to keep that up for 5 miles on tired legs.

Dustin also had a 19 mile run yesterday, so he wasn't "racing" today either, but he still did a great job! I know he usually doesn't like it when I share his race times on here, but he did give me permission, as long as I pointed out that he wasn't racing! It was just a tempo run for him as well.

Even though I was regretting the race on the way to St. Paul, on the way home, I was happy that I had participated. It wasn't so bad, and I had to admit I had fun.

One of the other runners from our club commented that this was actually a good race for training for a marathon, as you could see how it felt to run on tired legs. I can see his point, but I think I need to be conscious of over training (I definitely don't want to get another stress reaction) so a tempo run the day after a long run won't become the norm for me.

What do you think? Is it beneficial to train on tired legs, or better to listen to your body and rest?

Overall, I thought this 8k was well-organized and fun. I didn't need a lot of fancy swag or fanfare, and it was fun to do a distance that I haven't run very often. Since I have only ever run one 8k before, and it was one that I ran for fun for my sister's bachelorette party, I do think today is now my official "PR" for an 8k. So, here's a new PR!

I give this race a 9/10 on the Right Fits Race Review scale!

After the run, Dustin and I were ravenous, so we heated up some leftover turkey burgers and did all the necessary foam rolling and icing. Then, it was off to The Barre for me for the free event with lucy activewear. The class was packed (probably because it was free), but it was a lot of fun. Afterwards, my girlfriends and I headed to Red Cow for a beer and burger (acceptable after two workouts that day, right?).

I hope you all had wonderful weekends!

Weekly Recap: Six Weeks Until Flying Pig and Free Barre Today!

Happy Sunday!

What's happening this week in fitness?
This past week was a pretty good one for running.

Monday: After we finally returned home from our botched-up flight from Turks & Caicos, I headed out for an easy Calhoun/Harriet (about 7.75 miles from my house). I didn't wear my Garmin, but let myself go as slowly as I felt like going. I was tired from the trip, and didn't want to worry about pace.

Tuesday: Kelly joined me at the Calhoun Beach Running Club for 7.75 miles, with four 1-mile repeats. We took about 3 minute breaks between each mile. It started to sleet/snow on us, and it wasn't the most pleasant evening for a run, but I hit my goal pace for those miles, and was pleased with the workout.

Wednesday: No running, just a 1 hour kettlebell class at Balance Fitness. We did old school sit-ups with a weighted ball, jump ropes, lunges, bicep curls, shoulder raises, burpees, kettlebell swings, shoulder presses, thrusters, kettlebell snatches, triceps pushdowns...I'm sure there was more, but I can't remember it all. It was a good class, with a lot of upper body work, which I liked.

Thursday: 8.5 miles in the morning with Kelly, with 5 miles at my GMP (goal marathon pace). We ended up doing most of these GMP miles at 15-20 seconds faster than my GMP, so it was definitely tougher than it should have been!

Friday: Complete rest.

Saturday: 19 mile run. I was not very happy to see that the temperature was in the single digits when we started. The "feels like" temperature was -8! I really hope that was our LAST cold run. Even though it was cold, I was pretty happy with how it felt. We had company for the first 5 miles, but then it was just Kelly and me for the last 14. We held a good pace (for me). Maybe Flying Pig won't be so bad afterall!

Sunday: In just a short while, Dustin and I will be heading to St. Paul to run the Irish Run 8k..I shared some information in this post about this race, here it is again:

The Calhoun Beach Running Club has a USATF racing team now. For each race in the circuit, only our team's top 5 fastest times for men and for women will count, so my time will never actually count towards the team. However, signing up for a USATF membership does have some other perks- discounts on races, guaranteed entry to the TC 10 mile, etc. The first race of the season is the Irish Run in St. Paul on Sunday, March 23^rd. This race has been going on since 1973. There is a 5k, 8k, and youth run.

2

This race is a little unique as it doesn’t start until the middle of the day (the 8k starts at 1:20 PM). Apparently, this late start is to allow the 50 churches on or near Summit Avenue to complete their services without traffic disruption. The late start also allows the temperature to rise to the high for the day, which could be significantly warmer than an early morning race. The race starts and finished at Ramsey Jr High School. This race attracts a lot of local elite runners, and nearly every Minnesota 8k record has been set here. 

After the 8k, I will be heading to the The Barre in Edina for a free class they are hosting with lucy activewear. 

I normally wouldn't do this much on a Sunday...in fact, they are often rest days for me, but I can't pass up a free class! I am meeting several girlfriends there, some of whom will be taking barre for the first time. Looking forward to this event! 

If you're interested, there still might be room, go HERE to sign up online.

What's happening this week in fitness fashion?

Just another reminder of the big lululemon sale next weekend- details HERE!

What's happening in fashion?

I purchased a new app called "StyleBook." Read all about it HERE. You can use it to create outfits, track what you wear, plan what to pack for vacations, and more! 

"Stylebook is designed to help you carefully curate your wardrobe so you can look effortlessly chic everyday. We want you to get the most out of what you already have in your closet and to choose new pieces that will integrate well into your wardrobe as a whole. A little organization can go a long way when it comes to getting dressed. Mixing and matching what you own, comparing new purchases to what have in your closet, planning the outfits you'll wear on vacation, and saving all your favorite style inspirations in one place will all help you develop your personal style. This was the basic idea behind the original version of Stylebook, which has now evolved to include over 90 features." 

I'm really excited to start using Stylebook. However, first I have to take pictures of all the items in my closet, which seems kind of daunting. I think I'll start building up the app by taking pictures each day as I wear something, and maybe do a bigger photo shoot when I have a full day to clean out my closet.  I'm really hoping this app will help me figure out ways to mix and match things that I already own! 

Fitting Remarks: I Can't Wait for Summer Because...

Linking up with Helene in Between via Real World Minneapolis:

1) ...the cabin! i.e. "Up North." Paddleboarding. Fishing. The "Relaxation Station."

2)...trail runs!

Actually, the schedule was just posted for the Endless Summer Trail series. Here it is!

3)....parking on both sides of the street. Yep. Ready for Minneapolis's snow emergency to be OVER!

4)...bright colors! Okay, I'll be honest, I wear bright colors all year long, but I'm excited for it to be a little more seasonally appropriate! 

5) the end of salt on my suede shoes!

6) fun summer races, like the Torchlight Run!

7) leisurely walks at the dog park with Matilda

Seriously, the list goes on and on...

8) some color on this pasty skin!

9) sun bleached blond hair

10) not having to pack a huge bag of winter clothes every time I go to the gym

11) no more shoveling snow

12) no more wearing a different pair of shoes (i.e. BOOTS) to work and carrying my dress shoes

13) sunsets at 9 pm!

14) dinners on the back deck!
15) a nice glass of white wine...

Tell me how you would finish this sentence! I can't wait for summer because....

Fits on the Road: Turks and Caicos...Final Call!

Final post about our short trip to Turks & Caicos! Then its back to regular Fitness, Fashion, and Fitness Fashion, I promise!

Saturday morning, the weather was not as windy as the previous day. Even so, we had hoped to do a SUP (stand up paddle boarding) tour of the mangroves, but unfortunately the tour company cancelled. They felt it was still too windy to be safe.

So we started the morning off with another warm weather run. (I tried to savor running in shorts and a tank, as I just knew we'd get more snow in Minneapolis, and whaddya know, we did last night!)

After the run, we enjoyed a leisurely (free!) breakfast and more beach time, and eventually we decided to try parasailing!

Neither one of us had done it before, so it was something new and fun. I am the first to admit that I have a bit of a fear of heights. I didn't let go of my death grip the whole time!

The trip was probably only 30 minutes, but we definitely got up pretty high!

We were rewarded with a very beautiful view of the whole island...

Here is a picture of our feet to show you how high we were!

We also took the Windsong Resort's beach cruisers for a few rides to go get lunch, etc. It had been a long time since I rode a bike with a kickstand and old-school brakes where you pedal backwards to stop!

That afternoon, Dustin took out the Hobie Cat sailboat again, with me as his first mate:

...and we did a little paddle boarding of our own, to make up for the cancelled tour.

We had our final meal in Turks & Caicos at a lovely restaurant called Caicos Cafe. It was just a random find on Trip Advisor, but it was really great. After dinner, we had to stop by Giggles, to try out a "Giggler." It was sort of like a blizzard. I had the banana split Giggler, and it was good, but WAY too much ice cream for me. I'm not really a big ice cream person, but if you are, this is the place to go, because you get a HUGE serving!

Sunday morning, I had time for another quick run, a little beach time, and then it was time to say goodbye to Turks & Caicos. It was a short trip, but hopefully we'll be back someday.

Here are some of the things I really liked about TCI:

Running! It felt relatively safe to run. Dustin and I did our long run, and then ran two other mornings during the trip. Actually, one morning, I ran on my own, and I still felt perfectly safe. There were dozens of other runners out, and I never was out of eyesight of another runner. We never had to run on busy roads- always sidewalks, which was great. My last beach vacation was Cancun, where I didn't feel as comfortable running. Of course, Hawaii is a great running destination, but Turks & Caicos was one of the best of the other non-US islands for running.

Food: We had a lot of really awesome food! Lots of fresh seafood, of course, including conch.

The Beach: The beach was really pristine, and the water was super clear for snorkeling. Other than the windy days (which we were told were a rare occurrence), the water was really calm, perfect for lots of water activities. Unfortunately, we did experience some windy days, but you can't control the weather!

Our Resort: Of course, a big part of the appeal of TCI was the amazing room we had at the Windsong Resort. The resort itself was really nice- no complaints! There were not a lot of kids there, and it just seemed like a great place to truly relax. Guests can take advantage of the beach cruiser bikes, sailboats, paddleboards, snorkel equipment, kayaks, and many other water activities. I highly recommend the Windsong!

As for fashion for the islands- remember the pink/gray/white sweater I wore to this cabin bachelorette weekend? I bought it online at Catch Bliss Boutique. I had a great experience with sizing, prices, quality, etc, so I decided to order a few of their summer dresses for the trip:

The short one on the right was final sale for about $25! I loved this dress with the 3/4 length sleeves, and the double layer of soft but light fabric. It's no longer available, but you can find the maxi dress on the left HERE, just $44! Of course, I had to bring my new favorite Oia Jules Agate necklace (on the right). If you haven't checked out her necklaces, you should!

That's it from our Turks & Caicos adventure...Our next trip won't be until the Flying Pig Marathon in 6 weeks!  Any tips for Cincinnati, Ohio?