All posts by Lauren @ mostly i run

About Lauren @ mostly i run

Wife. Web Developer. Kitty Momma. Runner. Singer. Triathlete. Shoe Collector. Blogger.

getting older

life

I guess there’s no denying it. I’m a grown-up.

I own a home. I’ve been married for almost nine years. And today, I turned 35.

This birthday is harder than 30 for sure.  My 20s are far behind me. I’m getting wrinkles (well, some of them have been there for a while). And I’m thinking that those light hairs I’ve been finding might be white rather than the blond I’d prefer them to be.

But it doesn’t have to be all downhill from here … right?

I’m certainly in better shape than I was 10 years ago. I have a better grasp on who I am. I’m eating better and exercising more.

I’m happy. I’m healthy. I have a husband who loves and supports me. I am surrounded by friends and family that are there for me.

I guess things are pretty good. I just wish I wasn’t so old!

fitbloggin’ gear and more hills

fitbloggin', i like to run.

I got some great new workout gear from Fitbloggin’.  I was definitely not expecting such fabulous (and plentiful!) swag!

On Sunday I didn’t have a run scheduled, but I did work out on the Wii. I’m almost done with the six-week challenge on EA Sports Active “More Workouts.”  I should probably review that at some point, I’m really enjoying it!)

Anyway … all of my workout clothes are currently in a giant pile waiting to be put away/sorted now that it’s spring, so it was easier to just dip into my still-unpacked swag bag!

working out in my Fitbloggin' gear!

I looked a little too ‘just rolled out of bed’ here and had to crop out my head! Now if only I could crop out my ugly kitchen floor …

Shirt: thriv

Super soft and comfortable! I wandered around the house a bit post-workout and it seemed to dry quickly, too. I can’t wait to take it out on a run!

Shorts and socks: New Balance

The socks were OK, a little baggy since I’m on the small end of the size range. I’m hoping they’ll be better after I wash them.

The shorts were comfortable. They seem a little short … but I’m not really used to shorts anymore. I haven’t run in shorts for a couple years now — I’m more of a skirt girl!  But I do plan on giving these a shot. They’ve very light so it might be a good option on those really hot, muggy days we have in our future!

One of the biggest surprises were the free shoes from New Balance.  I thought we were just going to get to try a pair for the 5K!

new shoes

New Balance 704.
I’m kind of bummed the original pair I got didn’t fit — they were purple!
But I guess I’d rather have shoes that fit well …

I really liked them during the Fitbloggin’ 5K — and I’m pretty picky about my shoes. I can’t wait to take them out again. Tonight there was rain in the forecast, so I decided to wear an already-dirty pair for our hill repeats. I like to let the new ones break in first before they get trashed!

Fortunately, no rain tonight, but I didn’t have time to change my shoes. Next time!

Seven hill repeats tonight — 200 meters up a bridge. My goal pace is 63 seconds, and once again I managed to beat my goal!

  1. 52
  2. 59
  3. 55
  4. 58
  5. 56
  6. 55
  7. 54

I started out WAY too fast! But it worked out OK, I was still able to complete all of my repeats faster than scheduled!

weekly winners: fitbloggin’ edition

fitbloggin', weekly winners

I spent a couple of great days in Baltimore this weekend. Superstar Roni organized an amazing conference, FitBloggin’, geared at health and fitness bloggers. I learned a lot  (especially helpful being a WordPress newbie!), and met a lot of wonderful people. It was an amazing weekend!

The sponsors were fabulous and generous, too. Expect quite a few Fitbloggin’-related reviews coming soon!

In the meantime, I’ve been absent from Weekly Winners for over a month! Well I finally have some decent photos to share …

weekly winners banner

March 14-20, 2010

Room with a view
hotel room view
We arrived just in time to see the sun go down.

New Balance hosted a 5K run / 1 mile walk on Saturday morning. I took photos while running so they’re all blurry. I didn’t want to stop! But I still like them, anyway!

Fitbloggin' 5K

Fitbloggin' 5K

Fitbloggin' 5K

Good Morning, Baltimore!
hotel room view

We had a chance to get outside at the lunch break and walk around the harbor.

Baltimore Harbor

Baltimore Harbor

Visit Lotus to see more Weekly Winners!

solo running

i like to run.

Some people enjoy running alone. I’m more of a social runner. I love having company while I’m out there pounding the pavement!

We have a small group that runs together a few days a week. Somebody will start an email thread and we decide where we’re running that evening. Some days we have more participants than others.  Today I was the only one .

Many days I would just hit the treadmill, but I couldn’t stay indoors tonight. The weather was perfect! Blue skies, 60 degrees … I headed home to grab some water and ran out the door.

From my house, I can make a big loop around town and get about 4.5 miles. Seemed like a good distance for tonight!

When I’m on my own, I usually don’t push the pace all that much. I usually settle into a slowish, comfortable pace. Tonight I averaged 9:44 which is definitely speedy for me for a solo run.  I’m even more impressed with my splits:

  • 1 – 9:56
  • 2 – 9:48
  • 3- 9:48
  • 4 – 9:44
  • .55 – 8:58 pace

I finished feeling great. If it wasn’t getting dark, I probably would have made it five!

I did  pause for a few seconds at the halfway point to take a photo. I’ve run past sunsets here so many times, but usually don’t have a camera (or phone) with me!

Annapolis sunset

On Tuesday,  it was hills again. This time we did six. Like last week, my goal time was 63 seconds.

  1. 57
  2. 59
  3. 60
  4. 58
  5. 57
  6. 58

A few times I felt like I was losing steam, but my times were still good. I hope I can keep it up!