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Flip Flop

By Mary Baum on February 6, 2012

An alarm blaring at 6am on a Saturday can fly when it’s hot outside, but when the temps are comfortable and my bed is oh so cozy, the snooze button is so much more enticing.

Rather than getting in our 14 mile long run, Marcus and I decided to cross train on Saturday, and push our run to Sunday – a little workout flip flop. Soo glad we did! The extra sleep was amazing, and my legs were definitely thanking me! After seeing so many tweets Saturday about amazing long runs, I was pumped to tackle ours yesterday.

Since our marathon is on such a hilly course, we have made the agreement to do the majority of the rest of our long runs up in the hills. Hills in Florida? It can be done!

San Antonio, Florida is about 40 minutes from Tampa, and is shockingly hilly. We went on to mapmyrun.com and grabbed  a route that looked like it fit our needs – multiple hills, but nothing that was going to kill us. Check it out…

We altered it a little bit, because the person that made it started us out in a gated country club, which we obviously didn’t have access to. We parked at St. Leo, which is a small university just west of our original starting point. Since I had not run up there since my high school cross-country days, I was sure to write down our route in a very reliable place. My arm was definitely the best option. A simple ball point pen did plenty to keep us guided in the right direction for the whole run, without a hitch.


For our first hilly run, it went well, but it was pretty brutal. 9 miles in, when we were really digging deep, we came across a very fitting sign.


It was all we needed to finish it up strong! We tackled our last few hills for the 11 mile loop, and just ran on the Saint Leo University Campus for the majority of our miles. The soccer field seemed like a nice flat, soft alternative to the grueling hills we were fighting earlier in the run. I ended up shedding my singlet I had been wearing, as the temps rose to nearly 80 degrees. What happened to winter Florida? I guess we just skipped that season! Oh, and my outfit – Marcus compared me to the women in “A League Of Their Own”. What do you think?

Ya, I didn’t think so either….  ;)

14 miles done in the hills. Big Win!!! For some of you, this may be an every week occurrence, but for me, a very hilly run was a tough endeavor.

We were thrilled to be done!

And then was the refueling! We stopped for a quick drink…

And then again for what I thought I really needed – a Little caffeinated goodness! Gimme some hazelnut yummy coffee!

Recovery called for an ice bath once we got home. I wore my compression socks on the run, and now I am glad I did. I am feeling more recovered from yesterday’s hilly 14 miles than a flat 10. I’ll take it!

P.S… My favorite commercial last night… The Voice – anything with Betty White is amazing! Although the VW commercial with the out of shape dog was a close second. I love how animals were the stars of the best commercials this year. Celebrities out, cute furballs in!

Any great weekend runs out there?! Do you have access to hills where you live? And what was your favorite Super Bowl commercial?

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Get Some Support

By Mary Baum on February 3, 2012

Running in the dark is never something I am a fan of doing alone. I feel like I am always placing my feet down differently when running through the neighborhood, just in case there is a bump or crack in the road.

One of the reasons running in the dark is worth it!

My biggest beef with running in the dark – whether morning or night – it can be downright creepy! I look over my shoulder far too often which really takes the enjoyment out of the run. So this morning, I brought in the reinforcements!!!

Marcus and I had a really tough 9 mile workout last night, so he opted to take the day off and be my support team! When Marcus is not registered for one of the marathons that I am running in, he always hops on the bike and pedals right beside me. I definitely needed the support this morning. With only 12 hours in between workouts, I was dragging today, and loved the company of someone right beside me!

Yep, it was early - sorry for the dark photo!

Marcus is not the only person to bike with me on longer runs. My sister has rode with me more times than I can count, and my sister-in-law has even come along as well. I am lucky to have an amazing support system around me to help get me through some not-so-pleasant workouts.

Looking for someone to ride with you?! Share these quick tips with them:

  • Get a bike that you can carry a water bottle. Not having to stop for water is awesome!
  • Carry your gels (or even solid food) on the bike as well.
  • Always let the runner go ahead of you if you path gets down to one lane. It’s a lot easier for you to speed up than it is for the runner!
  • No complaining on the bike! We runners are working just a bit harder at the moment ;)
  • Watch where you are going. Running into your runner is not the way to support them!

 

Do you run in a group in the dark, or alone? Do you have someone who rides with you when you run? Any more tips for supporting bike riders out there?

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Chicago Marathon or Bust

By Mary Baum on February 2, 2012

What is one to do when in the 6th week of spring marathon training? Well, sign up for a fall marathon of course!

Registration opened yesterday for the Chicago Marathon, and I didn’t waste any time! I hit ‘register’ about 10 minutes after the registration page went live!

I am thrilled to be tacking race #3 of 5 in the World Marathon Majors. After Chicago, all I have left is to finish London and Berlin… those may take a bit longer to get done :) Vacation anyone?

And the best part about the Chicago Marathon…. all of the people that are going to be there!!! So many amazing bloggers will be hitting the streets, along with a few former teammates of mine from UCF Cross Country!! I am soo psyched to be running with my friend Annie (we ran out first marathon together!) and Kristen! Who else from UCF XC is coming… you know you want to!!!

 

Happy Thursday Everyone. Countdown to the weekend is on!!

Who else signed up for Chicago!? Are you planning to?

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Don’t Give Up!

By Mary Baum on February 1, 2012

Happy February 1st!! It’s hard to believe we are already in the 2nd month of 2012!

By now, many many people have already given up on their goals and resolutions they set for the new year. I am not one of those people! My goals are in the front of my mind and I have been sticking to them! Here’s a quick update!

  • Throw in some variety - I am making it a priority to make swimming part of my exercise routine. I haven’t been in the pool in years! I love the way I feel after a good swim – my muscles are fatigued, my body feels elongated, and I never feel beat up like I do after a long run. In 2012, I’m diving in! I also want to get more into yoga, and focus on elongating my muscles and becoming more flexible. Yoga practice is so calming, and I could really use some more relaxing workouts!
    • I haven’t made it to the pool – yet! I have been getting in some great cross training, including yoga and cycling, but swimming has yet to make an appearance.
  • Pull It Up - I have never been able to do a pull up completely on my own. This year, I am going to do just that! It seems small, but will be a big win for me! Hold me to that one!
    • Each time I get to the gym, I always work on my pull-ups. I have been using the assisted machine lately, but I think it is time to step up to a real pull-up, just with some assistance.
  • Continue to Save - Marcus and I sat down about a month ago, and mapped out the next few years financially. It is a goal of ours to continue to be smart and save our money so we can do everything we want in the next few years. We have a lot of travel goals, and I want to stick to them!
    • January was the first month we really had our budget in place. We stuck to it in most areas, but going out to eat killed us. We are looking forward to planning out the meals we want to eat out with friends a bit better, and we should have no problem saving some more cash!
  • Double Up - I am looking forward to running 2 marathons in 2012 – the Country Music Marathon in April and the Chicago Marathon in October. I am working hard to fit and injury free on this journey!

 

  • Push myself to the extreme - I thrive off of challenging myself and never settling. I want this to carry over into 2012 in fitness, work, and my personal life – a lot of great things are happening!
    • Work is wild and crazy busy, and I love it. I am taking in as much as I can, as quickly as I can, so I have the ability to grow!
  • Listen - I am very stubborn sometimes, so I am making it a point to listen to my body more! If I have pain, I need to take care of it and not push through it. If I am going to Double Up (above), then this is very important!
    • I have definitely been listening more to my body. If I need to take a day off, or not cross train quite as hard, that is what I do. I have a massage scheduled for this week as well, so that should greatly help my muscles!
  • Lose the watch - GPS watches are such a blessing, but it is also way to easy to get caught up in pace for every run. I would like to run once a week solely by feel, and not by pace!
    • I have been able to leave my GPS every once in a while, but with so many distinct workouts for marathon training, I have been wearing it more often than not. If my plan calls for an easy run, I am GPS free so I do not concentrate on the pace that really does not even matter.
I’ve decided that each month, I am going to go ahead and add a short-term goal to my list! For February, I am going to put out there that I will do 25 push ups consecutively, without stopping! I can do a pretty solid set of 10 now, but I am going to challenge myself for the 25!

How are you doing on your New Year’s Goals? Did you forget about them already, or are you kicking butt!? Any new goals you want to set? I’ll keep you to them! ;)

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A Pirate’s Life’s For Me

By Mary Baum on January 30, 2012

Saturday was the best day in Tampa, not that I have an opinion about it or anything ;)

Here in Tampa, we have a tradition called Gasparilla, where the pirates invade the city, and we all celebrate with a parade and way too much fun! It’s pretty much our version of Mardi Gras, just laced with pirates, cannons, and a whole lotta beads!

I started out the morning with an early run before all the fun started! We could not have asked for better weather, which provided an amazing sunrise!

Its so fun to see the “calm before the storm” of the parade – all of the floats getting ready, vendors prepping for the day, and the quite streets and bleachers that will soon be full to the brim with people.

How to have a successful Gasparilla

I have been to Gasparilla far more times than I can actually remember, and I am pretty sure I finally have it down pat! Here is how to make the most out the most fun day Tampa has to offer!

  • Get a good nights rest and head down to the South Tampa area early! Parking becomes a big problem, and the streets become extremely congested! If you know someone, post up at their place for the morning. We live just a couple blocks from Bayshore, where the parade route is, so we are in prime location!!

    Come on guys, I'm so ready to get my pirate on! Let's go!

  • Don’t forget to get together with your friends, and all head to the same place!

  • Wear your best pirate gear. Who doesn’t want to be a pirate for a day!?

I mustache you a question

  • Don’t drink too much! It is easy to do –  most people (I hope), do not start drinking in the morning on most days, and Gasparilla is an all day event. Its a marathon, not a sprint people ;)
  • Remember to get to the parade before it starts! If you have a ticket to the water side, the security will not let you pass after the parade has started. The crowds are intense!
  • Now, to catch the most beads, there are a few very important things to remember!
    • Scream and shout, with both arms extended to catch the person’s attention

 

    • Make eye contact with the person throwing the beads 

  • It never hurts to taunt people around you on how you are way better at catching beads than they are!

    • And say a quick thanks if you get that necklace! A thumbs up will do :)
  • Don’t be in a rush once the parade is over. You will not be getting anywhere fast! Enjoy the people you are with and enjoy all the hard work of catching beads that has just paid off!

Gasparilla is truly an absolute blast! If you have never been to experience what Tampa has to offer as the pirates invade the city, I strongly recommend you marking your calendar for next year! You will not regret it!

Have you ever been to Gasparilla in Tampa!? Is there anything like this in your city? Any Mardi Gras fans out there?

 

 

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