Variety Is The Spice Of Life...

Cardio is my safe space. Since really starting my fitness journey a few years back, I have always gravitated to the safety and familiarity of the cardio machines:

*treadmill

*elliptical

*stationary bike

I always feared the weights floor at my gym, as well as, fitness classes.

For too long, I let my weight hold me back from trying new things.

Then one day in late 2010 I somehow gathered up all the courage I had and attended a Spin class.

After just one class, I caught the Spin bug.

I was hooked.

What had I been so scared of? Why had I let the fear of the unknown consume me?

So from that point on, it was time to break out of the comfort zone and try new things ... especially when it came to fitness.

And you know what? I survived.

And now I LOVE the variety of my workouts. I'm no longer in a cardio funk. I now have something different every day, which keeps me interested and rejuvenated.

---

So what did my last 10 days of workouts look like? Here it is...

November 14, Wednesday: Comcast On Demand class - Kickbox Power

November 15, Thursday: Comcast On Demand classes - The 12 Minute Blend & Cardio Dance

November 16, Friday: Pure Barre

November 17, Saturday: Zumba

November 18, Sunday: Spin and Body Pump

November 19, Monday: Pure Barre in AM and Spin in PM

November 20, Tuesday: Walking

November 21, Wednesday: 5k run

November 22, Thursday: 5k run & backyard touch football

November 23, Friday: Pure Barre

November 24, Saturday: 10k run

November 25, Sunday: Spin and Body Pump

(Note: My core work is the same circuit each day at home, including #plankaday!)

---

I love how in the past 10 days I have really worked all parts of my body, which keeps my muscles wanting more and my head doesn't get bored with the same old same old.

AND what's even more exciting? I'm finally starting to see some muscles now that I am making weight training a bigger part of my workout routine...

So if you are feeling like you are in a workout rut, I recommend switching up and trying something new!

Also, if you've wanted to try a new class and are too nervous to attend one at the gym, try to find it on On Demand and give it a whirl in the comfort of your own home. That's what I did with kickboxing. So when I whacked myself in the face at one point, the only people who noticed were the dogs. :P

How do you keep your workouts fresh?

Framingham Turkey Trot Classic 5k - 11/22/12 - PR 22:20 (7:12 min/mile)

Race Bling. Amenities. In-Race Entertainment. Snacks. T-shirt Design. Usually I pick a race and judge the success based solely on the above criteria. But there is ONE THING that above all of those ... ONE THING that can truly outshine all the glitz and glamour of the race bling. That ONE THING is...

HEART.

You give me a truly compassionate, dedicated, honest and caring race director and I will run that race year in and year out.

Welcome to the Framingham Turkey Trot Classic 5k!

2012 marked the 18th annual Framingham Turkey Trot Classic and it was AWESOME.

Now, for perspective, I traveled a good 30-45 minutes (depending on traffic) to Framingham for the race. So yes there were plenty of Turkey Day races closer to my house, but I picked this one for the reason I mentioned above.

This race is put on by Tim Campion, a family friend of my uncle's, and he has done one amazing job.

The Turkey Trot began in the mid-90s with 60 runners and on Thursday he had over 1,000 people participating.

I remember the first few races as my dad used to participate back in the day and Thursday it was finally my time to run.

---

The alarm went off at 5:30am for the 8am race, which was a sacrifice we were willing to make. :P

We hit the road just after 6 since we had to get a parking spot and pick up our bibs as well.

We made great time and got to the race with plenty of time. Thankfully they had a hall for everyone to hang around inside instead of out in the chilly weather. :)

There was even a snack table (seen behind us), which had some munchkins on it ... mmm perfect pre-race fuel! Yes, I had two and they were DELISH!

We were able to run into my family - aunt, uncle & 3 cousins - before the run. It was great to see how excited they were to get out on the course too.

Before I knew it it was 7:45 and time to head to the Start Line.

As usual, I didn't bother looking at the course map ahead of time so I had no idea what to expect. But, I tried to put myself up nearer the front of the group, which was full of local high school and college runners and the Framingham Running Club. After seeing that crowd, I moved myself back a little further in the pack. :P

I waited for my Garmin Forerunner 110 to locate satellites and just hoped it would finish before the gun went off ... and it did with about 2 seconds to spare. :)

Then we were off...

My legs felt HEAVY and dead. This was my first race since the marathon and just my third run since the marathon so I really didn't know how the legs would hold up.

But, once we got pas the first mile they started to shake out a little.

It was great seeing the neighbors out in their driveways cheering on the runners and the high school cheerleaders out on the course.

But, I was MOST impressed when I saw Tim (the race director) sail by me - running the race. It's rare for me to see the person in charge of the run actually participating. But, it was AWESOME.

I have known Tim for years through my uncle, but had NO IDEA he was so fast. It looked effortless to him (I hate those people because I'm jealous of how easy it looks for them).

All the time Tim was running, he was smiling and waving to the volunteers along the course, giving special thanks to the photographers, cheering on other runners and showing his gratitude to the locals who were taking in the race.

As we worked our way through the hills of Framingham (when did Framingham get hills?), I noticed that my pace on my Garmin was hovering around the 7:15-7:30 range depending on whether I was on a hill or not. :P But, I thought just maybe I could get a PR.

I was so distracted by watching Tim run AND be race director that I hadn't once looked at my overall time for the run.

Just as we passed where I knew my dad had parked the car, I picked it up a notch and wanted to burst through the Finish Line.

I saw my dad just before the Finish Line cheering everyone on and being one awesome spectator.

I clicked my Garmin and stared in amazement ... 22:21 - an unofficial PR by 2 seconds.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. But, I also didn't know which Finish Line I was supposed to stop the Garmin on so I just figured I stopped it early. I would just have to wait to check out the official results later in the day.

I found my dad and stood with him while we waited for the rest of our crew to finish and cheered on the rest of the runners.

Another awesome thing about Tim? As soon as he finished, he was right back in work mode: cheering on the racers, keeping the crowds back off the course/out of the runners way and giving out a ton of high-fives.

Simply awesome.

By the time we saw the rest of the crew finish, the results were already being posted along the wall of the hall, where people were warming back up.

I officially finished in 22:20.08 (7:12 min/mile pace) - a new SHINY PR ... I was 127th overall out of 1,029 and fourth out of 90 in my division! :) :)

Can you all believe that? Fourth in my division! Lil ol me!

Honestly the first thought was "DAMN No Award!" But then I reminded myself how far I have come and that when I started running I would NEVER have thought I would be fourth in any division.

Plus, my family is right there to take me down a peg when they think I am being ridiculous so they all had comments to make when I said the no award comment.

I just want to keep improving. That is my main goal with running. Because every run I do is another to be thankful for.

But, I digress.

I couldn't believe they already had tentative results up before we left the race. That was awesome.

The race is capped off by the awards ceremony then one impressive raffle.

---

So even though this race didn't have any race medals or big fancy bands along the way. It had the love, desire and compassion of one man, Tim Campion, that permeated throughout the entire race and all the participants.

THAT to be as a runner is more important than any of the other stuff.

But, the t-shirt was one sweet long-sleeved cotton tee that I will be honored to wear around.

So when you work on your racing schedule in 2013, be sure to check out some of those local races you just might find one gem like the Framingham Turkey Trot Classic!

My Back Vs. Pure Barre

I went back for more torture ... haha just kidding ... I went back for my lifting, toning and burning! :) I was wicked anxious before my first class at Pure Barre in Burlington on Friday night!

BUT, after the initial soreness wore off I was ready for more...

---

Now before I go into how class went yesterday morning, I want to give you a little story on my surgically repaired back.

In December 2010, I was told I had a herniated disc in my back. I tried PT, but it didn't work so on January 28, 2011 I went under the knife and had a microdiscectomy in the L4-L5 region of my back. I was banned from all activity from December 2011 through May 2012 (besides some light walking). I was finally able to return to full activity in June 2012 and haven't looked back.

Occasionally my back can get some discomfort after I sit in a chair for too long (think long car ride, airplane ride or a movie), but other than that I am pretty much back to normal. But, I am always weary of certain exercises that may flare up some back pain so that is another reason why I am cautious about trying out new activities...

But, thankfully the girls at Pure Barre Burlington couldn't have been nicer. During my first class on Friday, Jess (who knows about my back issues) gave me an extra Pure ball to use in the small of my back during the "ab" section at the end of class. I didn't use it, but it was great to know they were ready and willing to help me modify the ab work to fit for me.

---

Now, yesterday morning, I hit up the 7:10am class with Dana. It's funny how I grumble at having to get up early for work, but I sign up for a 7:10am class and I jump out of bed in excitement. Anyone else do that too? :)

I hadn't met Dana or Becca (another Pure Barre instructor) before, but both were so welcoming when I walked in the door.

Since it was my second class I was a pro and knew exactly what to grab before class ... okay, I still checked with everyone sitting around me to make sure I didn't miss anything. Check!

I even recognized a couple faces from the Friday afternoon class - I love seeing regulars at a studio! :)

So it was time to start, we started with the warmup/core work again. Since I had done Body Pump the day before, I went lighter on the weights, but still felt quite a burn ... especially during the bicep portion. Pure Barre keeps the intervals short, but you are working the entire time.

We followed that up with some chair work along the barre, but it was different than the moves done on Friday. I love variety. We worked the same muscles, but switched up the specific moves.

After a brief yoga/stretch, it was time for some "seat" or booty work, but instead of doing it along the barre (like I did on Friday) Dana had us working it on the floor. I wasn't sure how we would get the same burn, but my thighs let me know they felt it - and then some.

I am not so good at the self portraits ;)

One wouldn't think such tiny movements of the leg could lead to so much muscle work, but since they are wicked precise they do.

After the seat work, we set our mats up against the wall so our backs were against the wall and our heads were under the barre and it was time for more core work. Boy did my abs and legs feel that. At one point, you held one leg up towards the bar, while the other was pointed straight out off the floor - and moved both in small circles at the same time.

WOW! I didn't think I would be able to do it, but I did. During this portion, there were a couple points where I took a break, but thankfully I saw other people periodically take breaks or stretch out the legs or back so I didn't feel out of place at all taking a moment.

And before I knew it class was almost over, which meant it was time for seven minutes of abs.

Again, Dana had slight variety of ab work, but it was great. My back wasn't sure at all. Instead of doing more crunches on the ground, we did them while sitting up. I had the extra ball next to my mat just in case, but I didn't even need to use it.

With my abs on fire (in a good way), it was time to end class with some stretches. As I was doing the stretches, Dana actually walked over and helped push my stretch even deeper. I really appreciated the help and love the hands on approach of the Pure Barre class.

Overall, my body was feeling the lifting, toning and burning, but I can say I wasn't as sore as Class One. That has to be a good thing right?

---

As I noted in my post following Class One, Pure Barre says members start seeing results in just 10 classes. Well, Friday will be Class Three and I'm bringing my girl Lindsey with me.

Pure Barre Burlington is offering a special Black Friday deal, where any client can bring a friend to a class for free!

Hopefully someone will be around to help me out with pics at Class Three since clearly I can't tone and take pics at the same time. :P

Dani Meets Pure Barre

What the hell is Pure Barre you may be wondering? Simply put by the Founders of the method:

Pure Barre is the fastest, most effective way to change the shape of your body. Using small isometric movements at the ballet barre set to motivating music, Pure Barre lifts your seat, tones your thighs, abs and arms and burns fat in record breaking time. Clients see results in just 10 classes, lose inches in weeks and have fun doing it!

Sounds intimidating to me ... and it was!

---

But let me back this story up a bit...

My friend Jess from college  is one amazing & awesome person, who has multiple law degrees, was working full-time in a law firm and teaching more than 20 fitness classes a week (Spin, Pilates, etc). She motivated me to move more just by being her. But, when I moved back to Boston in January, I reconnected with her and starting attending her Tuesday morning Spin classes - she made a 6am Spin class worth lack of sleep. :P

But a few months back, Jess took a leap of Faith (which you know I love), left her job and decided to open her open Pure Barre franchise in Burlington, Mass - not too far from where I live. I couldn't have been prouder of her following her heart and her passion.

So the store was set to open on November 1 and in October Jess approached me with an offer. She offered me one-month of unlimited classes at her Pure Barre Burlington store if I shared my journey on social media.

How could I pass up that opportunity, right?

I am always looking on ways to get out of my comfort zone and what is more out of my comfort zone than trying a class like the one described above!

So please realize that while Jess has extended this amazing opportunity to me, I will be completely honest in my thoughts, opinions and comments made on my experience. Plus, Jess knows I will be brutally honest, which I think is why she wanted me - a complete rookie - to share my experience.

And last night I walked into my first Pure Barre Studio ever...

---

The front and lobby of the Studio was so welcoming!!

Doesn't the storefront look so inviting?

I'm loving the look...

They have stylish headbands and hair ties available for purchase ... wicked cute! I got one of course. :P

Pure Barre also offers a line of workout equipment, which looks stylish and practical!

 

Pure Barre Merchandise - water bottles and hats

Pure Balls? ;)

Jess - owner, greeter and instructor

---

After enjoying the lobby and hanging back to watch what everyone else was doing (leaving your shoes in the lobby, grabbing a couple sets of weights, put/keep socks on), it was time to finally go through the big doors :)

And here's why everyone took their shoes off:

The space was so warm, peaceful and welcoming... NO cell phones in the room at all (except for mine since I was snapping pics/taking notes - but it was on silent I promise!)

I collected the proper tools for the class - thanks again for everyone else doing it first.

As everyone sat patiently before class around the room, stretching, finding their Zen (maybe) or just enjoying the great tunes Jess had on, I realized Jess had told me about special grippy socks Pure Barre has (retail $12).

Aren't they fun? Comfy and helpful!

---

It was time for class to start. It was a great group of about 25 women.

(Note: Jess said she has had just 1 gentleman attend a class since opening on November 1, 2012 ... but fellas give it a shot! ;0))

It was a great workout that really did mix yoga, core and leg exercises together well ... they flowed from song to song.

Tonight we worked:

*Warmup-core-pushups,planks, biceps, triceps, etc

*"Chair" along the bar - hello inner and outer thighs and butt!

*A brief yoga interlude/stretching -- insert an attempt at a split, where I learned I'm not as flexible as I once was

*"Seat" work, which worked the butt and hamstrings - think wall sit, while on your tippy toes and add some thigh work

*Ab work at the bar followed with ab work on the floor - crunches, oblique work, etc

*Finished up with some back work at the end - bridges, stretches, yoga

---

The biggest thing I learned in Class One is that Pure Barre is all about "tucking the tailbone"!! I LOVE THIS!

Why you may ask?

Well, as someone who had back surgery and physical therapy, there has been a lot of tucking the tailbone in my life since January 2011 - so I knew how to do this move.

Phew!

A majority of the moves we did involved tucking the tailbone so I felt right at home.

As you may have noticed the room has a large mirror, which is super helpful to check out how the instructor and other students look during certain moves since there isn't any real "Breaking Down Barre Moves" at the start of class or in between songs.

Jess did mention after class that her studio will be hosting a couple "Intro To Pure Barre" classes one day soon where all instructors will be on hand to help students work on the technique for each movement. I will DEFINITELY be hitting up one - or two - of those!

Overall, the first class was a blast. I am definitely sore, but I didn't feel as out of place as I thought I would be. I LOVED that the class was full of women of all ages, sizes and fitness levels. It was a completely judge free zone ... exactly what this newbie needed!

---

Well, I will be providing some pictures of me actually taking the class in the next few blog posts ;)

But for now it's time to stretch the legs before I return to Pure Barre Burlington on Monday! See ya at 7:10am ladies!!

Savannah - Final Day(s) - 11/4-5/12

Sun. 70-80 degree temps. History. A trolley tour. Pizza. Beer. That is what Savannah had ready for us on Day Three of our weekend ... THANK GOODNESS! Between Day One, The Marathon itself & the large amount of walking we did to wrap up Day Two my legs were ready for a break.

We started the day off with a big brunch at our hotel (only $10!!) and a trip to Starbucks ... yes I know. I never go to Starbucks unless absolutely necessary and in Savannah it was necessary. There wasn't a Dunkins in sight - as I expected.

As we left Starbucks, I spotted the Kindness Bus. How awesome is this?

I think EVERY city need a bus like this. Don't you agree?

We then headed over to the catch The Old Town Trolley Tour back near our hotel. Our guide's name was "Hollywood" and boy was he entertaining. :) Do you expect anything less with a name like that?

We had seen so much of the city between walking around ourselves, the race and the ghost tour, but it was nice to just sit and hear even more about the historic city of Savannah.

Technically the tour was one of those hop-on hop-off deals, but we had decided to just take it around one full circle: 1) because I had no desire to walk/wait for the next bus and 2) our guide was great and we didn't want to run the risk of getting on a different trolley and having a dud guide. :P

How Hollywood managed the Trolley around such tiny corners and down a tight steep cobblestone decline without hitting anyone or tipping it over.

Once we made it down the cobblestone, we were back on to River Street and were able to check out some of the amazing statues along the water.

The waving girl

Statue in honor of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games Torch

The trolley was full of runners (shocking I know) so we all loved the sign at the Thunderbird Inn.

Since we had a HUGE breakfast, we all decided to delay lunch awhile and we headed back to one of the famous cemeteries we saw on the ghost tour and the trolley tour.

The guides had said that the Confederate soldiers used the cemetery home base during the war and to entertain themselves they would mess with the tombstones, changing the information on them.

For example:

Can you see where the changes were made?

After wandering around the cemetery, we decided to just take in the beautiful afternoon and just sit in one of the famous squares. I couldn't tell you the last time I just sat in a park and enjoyed the surroundings. It was wonderful. We met a gentleman from Florida who had also run the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon so it was great chatting with him and getting his perspective on the race. He also had the Savannah Morning News, which had all the race participants in it ... so I of course had to borrow it.

And there it was :)

How cool?!?!?

After taking some time to relax, we all headed to Mellow Mushroom for some pizza and beer. The wife hadn't been to the chain since she lived in North Carolina over six years ago so we had to go (we don't have this chain in New England - that I know of).

Boy was it YUMMY!! We tried the pretzels to start with - delicious - then enjoyed their unique pizza. All in all - atmosphere, beer, food - it was a GREAT experience.

Unfortunately after we ate, we walked back to the hotel since it was time to send my dad off to the airport. :/ But it was great having him there.

My dad brought my Rock 'n' Roll bracelet that I forgot in Boston with him to Savannah so I was able to add my two charms from the weekend. :)

Isn't it one motivational/inspirational piece of jewelry? Thanks to the wife for picking it out for me. I can't wait to add new cities to it in the future.

We decided to take one final walk down River Street to stretch the legs before we finished the weekend off with a casual night in the hotel room. Michelle picked up a cute gift for a friend and we were all ready to crash.

But, we wanted a couple beverages for the night so thankfully our hotel bar was happy to oblige. :)

It was wicked nice to just all chill together - especially since we only get to see Michelle about once or twice a year - and just be.

Can you tell I moved alot that weekend?

Hello hydration!

After getting in my situps and #plankaday, we called it a night ... I just couldn't believe the weekend was about to come to a close. :(

---

Monday, November 5 marked the true end. It was basically: wake up, pack, eat brunch at the hotel (again $10!) and then it was off to the airport.

It was time to say goodbye to Michelle. It was so great that she was able to make it to Savannah from AZ and run the race with us. It was great seeing her and can't wait til we plan another race to run together again ... <<cough cough>> Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Half <<cough cough>>

Right after this pic, it was time to board ... after a lengthy delay in Savannah and head to Atlanta and on to Boston.

Can you tell we weren't ready to come home? Actually, we were okay with the going home and seeing the pups part. It was more the hours that would be spent traveling back home that we really wanted to avoid.

But, I had to rep the Got Chocolate Milk Sweatybands after they refueled my body after the race and all weekend long!!

Despite the trip home getting off to a rocky/delayed start, the rest of the trip ran smoothly ... including some adult beverages on the plane. ;)

Hey, we had to enjoy the last bit of vacation weekend!

But, as soon as we stepped foot back in Boston I was reunited with Dunks ... phew!

We landed during rush hour so it was quicker/easier to take the T home rather than having someone come pick us up. But, I was really dreading the walk home from the T stop especially since I was still wearing capri pants. :P But we made and were greeted by two very happy pups, which makes all the travel in the world worth it.

---

I think you can tell through these posts that we all thoroughly enjoyed Savannah and would recommend it to anyone as a destination.

All you really need to know about Georgia is that is produces the 4 Ps: Peaches ... Pecans ... Pralines ... and Paula (Deen).

Savannah - Day Two - 11/3/12

Now what the HECK did I do on Day Two in Savannah? There was some major life-changing event in the morning, but for the life of me it's slipping my mind. Oh wait!

It was that little Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Marathon. Duh!

Here's the recap for that... ENJOY!

We left the Finish Line area by 1pm, which meant there was a WHOLE lotta day left to be had.

So what do you do once you finish the marathon?

Find beer ... and food!

Cuhlearly you know the priority for me :P

But, first we stopped at the hotel to change and somehow this was the outfit my peeps let me out of the room wearing:

I mean it's sexy, right?

And you are seeing it correctly - Lululemon cardigan and pants, compression arm and leg sleeves, a Sparkly Soul headband, flip flops and of course my race medal.

HOT. It will be all the rage next season.

We actually ended up going back to Molly Macpherson's for lunch. It was good food and it was one of the few places that didn't have a line out and around the corner.

After filling our bellies with food and beer, Michelle and Tori decided they needed to relax for a little while and wanted to head back to the hotel. I was feeling the opposite. I thought if I went back and laid down - my legs would tighten up or cramp.

So my dad and I dropped them off at the hotel and the two of us roamed the city. He didn't have a chance to check it out the day before since he got in so late so it was nice to show him River Street, Bay Street, etc. He also enjoyed that we were able to stop at a local watering hole, pick up a beer and keep on walking. :) We also hit up one of many candy shops so he could get a praline, what Georgia is known for. I opted for some delicious homemade fudge that was in a word - heavenly!

We made a big loop around the city before heading back to each of our hotels to rest up/shower/get ready for the night.

We had made a reservation for Tara Haunted Tours at 8pm that night. A walking ghost tour around historic Savannah entitled "Boos and Brews."  You guessed it folks - you got to carry a beer while you walked around hearing about ghosts. So there were ghosts for the wife and beer for me/my dad.

And yes you read that right, we are the people that ran that morning and signed up for a walking tour for the same night. Funny enough, we weren't the only racers in the group that night. :)

We were running late so we were only able to grab some chips & salsa at McDonough's Bar where the tour started, which meant we would have to eat at the final bar.

I don't like ghosts, but it was interesting learning about some of the history of Savannah and the wife was happy.

These bricks had people's fingerprints in them from when they were made

We also got to stop in three local watering holes along the way

We finished the two-hour tour at Moon River Brewing Company, where we enjoyed a late dinner and a few more brews. :)

After that the fatigue from the race really started to set in for me so we headed back to finally get some rest. But of course, I made sure to get my situps and #plankaday in before I hit the sack.

Overall, it was one perfect day in Savannah. I highly recommend Tara Tours to anyone looking for a little history of Savannah with a possible ghost sighting thrown in!

Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Full Marathon - 11/3/12 - PR 3:58:49 (9:07 min/mile)

I rocked. I rolled. I ran. I marathoned ... all over Savannah! And it was...

A-freakin-MAZING!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

I'm actually not sure there are enough exclamation points or emoticons that could capture the delight in this marathon.

Let's see where I left you all on Day One in Savannah. ;)

Ah yes - the alarm clock was set

---

I actually was able to sleep through the night and NOT wake up every 20-30 minutes checking the alarm to make sure it was set. Maybe because I made Tori and Michelle set their alarms as well JUST to be on the safe side. I would've had a wake up call as well, but for some reason our hotel room phone was defective. I almost walked down to the front desk to ask for a wake up call then realized I needed to get a grip. 3 alarms set was enough. :)

As soon as my eyes opened on that morning, the nerves started to set in.

I actually sat in bed thinking "I can't do this! There is NO way I will survive this today."

Michelle and Tori could see the concern on my face and reminded me that I would in fact survive. I had trained for this day. I would OWN it.

Thank goodness they were there.

Thank goodness for the countless text messages, tweets, Facebook messages and good vibes sent by all of you.

Thank goodness we were meeting my dad downstairs so I had to go to the Start Line.

Once the nerves started to subside, the excitement started to set in.

As we walked to the Start Line, which was thankfully just 1/2 a mile from our hotel, we were surrounded by thousands of other runners.

I LOVE that feeling. When everyone is stretching, checking their garmins, polars and phones to make sure everything is ready for the run.

The excitement of a race is contagious - it's as simple as that.

We approached the Start and we had to grab a pre-race photo. Thank goodness my dad was there to serve as OFFICIAL group photographer.

And then we passed it - the Start. Isn't it pretty? ;)

After we walked past the start, it was time to get in line at the port-o-potties. Well, first I tried to use the bathroom at the Hyatt, but that line was out and around the front desk area so we made an attempt at the port-o-potties.

BAD IDEA!

There were too few port-o-potties for all the runners coming from our side of the Start Line. PLUS, as people tried to get to their corrals, they cut into the bathroom line thus lengthening it or having people lose their spot or a new odd line being started. Also there was just a tiny sidewalk for a port-o-potty line, a path to the higher corrals and people spilling over from the first few corrals.

I know the port-o-potties always seem to be a cluster at the Start, but this was one of the worst.

(Note: as I was walking around the city after the run, I saw a TON of port-o-potties with plenty of room for lines much farther down past the first few corrals. I'm sure many people didn't know about them, but if better adertised some of the congestion may have lightened up.)

It was 7:55 - Race started at 8:00 - and we had made zero progress in the port-o-potty line so I decided to bite the bullet and just head to my corral.

(Note: I had moved from corral 15 to corral 6 at the Expo so my start time would be earlier than originally expected)

I figured that since I was running the full marathon I would be stopping to use the bathroom along the course anyway - might as well just make it earlier than expected.

This was the first Rock 'n' Roll race I've done that had a half marathon and a full marathon so it was cool seeing everyone mingling together in the corrals before the Start.

That 10 minutes before my corral headed to the Start Line passed in a blur.

I was READY once we walked up the Start Line and I heard the countdown begin ...

5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1! GO!!!!

And we were off.

Either way it was marathon time BABY!

The streets for the course were nice and wide. At no point in the run was there any sort of narrowing or bottlenecking - even when running through the neighborhoods/squares of the historic district of Savannah.

The race started at 8am, but the streets were lined with fans/cheerleaders/bands. Older women out in their bathrobes waving to the runners, old men not sure what was going on, but happily smiling to the races and people of all ages setting our chairs on their porches and lawns to settle in and watch the run.

The signs were creative. The bands were working it. The water stops were well stocked. The atmosphere amazing.

I was trying out my new Garmin GPS watch for the race and was wicked happy with it. I loved having the current pace right there without having to fumble with my phone in the armband.

I was shooting to finish in under 4 hours. My ultimate goal was to finish under 3:59:26, which would cut 2 full hours off my first full marathon time in 2006.

This goal meant I needed to keep around a 9:07 min/mile pace. Thank you pace calculator for being my new favorite website. ;)

So as I approached the Mile 3 and caught a glimpse of the 5k markers, I spotted the empty port-o-potty. I figured that was as good a time as any to finally use it. Plus, would I look back at the marathon and really be upset with my 5k split - okay maybe ;) - but at least I'd know why.

Since the full and half marathon runners were all running together until Mile 11, I had to stop myself from getting caught up in the moment and speed my pace up. I had to real myself in over and over again.

Thankfully I was getting awesome text and Twitter encouragement from everyone as I ran that was keeping me motivated and positive. It also helped keep me on pace since my running partner/coach/BFF Sarah kept telling me my pace was spot on!!

It wasn't til I saw this sign...

... that the fact that I was running the FULL marathon hit me again!

Decent pic considering I was trying to run while do this ... full disclosure: this was my 5th attempt at getting a shot while moving. :P

Around Mile 11, the full marathon headed to the left and the half marathon continued straight on to the Finish.

Boy did the crowd thin out at that point. I kinda missed the energy of the larger group, but I was focused on the run.

Here's what kind of stunk. After running through Savannah for most of the half, the full marathon headed to the highway for what felt like a lifetime until we were able to exit the highway and get back to the "neighborhood" run. In real life, it was probably about 3 miles. But the sun started to shine and the heat started to climb as we made the trek along the highway.

While on the highway we hit the half way mark - never thought I'd be so excited to see a 13.1 mile marker. ;) I crossed the line at 1:57:53 - YES! Under goal. At that point I reminded myself: well just need to do that one more time.

But on the other side of the stretch of asphalt was a GREAT run through Savannah State University. I owe one big 'ol THANK YOU to those students! Miles 16-18 were through the campus, including a stretch that went through the football stadium along the track.

Awesome!

The students brought their A-game to cheering. There were high fives, hand clapping, cheers, songs, marching bands, the football/softball/basketball teams and what I believe was the ROTC.

Their energy gave me the boost I needed. As I entered the campus, I thought to myself just 10 more miles remaining - as soon as I stepped past 16.1 - I said less than 10 miles to go/out of the double digits. :P When I stepped off the campus, I had just 8 miles to go. Doable.

Once we left the school, it was time to head back to the highway to get back to downtown for the Finish.

My dad may be the best spectator around. He was able to see me at 4 different spots along the marathon course, which was pretty laid out - so that means the man was hustling!

Once Mile 18 passed, I was really getting good at texting and tweeting while running. Maybe since my pace slowed a little it made it easier. Or I'm just that talented and gifted. See my above picture while moving shot. ;)

But, I needed the support and the encouragement from everyone everywhere to make it through those last 8 miles. I could feel it starting to set in.

The heat was picking up. The sun was shining bright. I was ready to be done.

The doubt once again started to set in at Mile 20. The mile that many say makes or breaks a marathon runner. I can understand why.

But, every time I wanted to stop. Every time I wanted to just give up. Every time those tears started welling up in my mind. I clasped my hand. Why you may ask? Because a wise friend of mine gave me some words of encouragement and I had them written on my hand. Clasping my hand shut made me feel secure. Every clasp made me feel his AWESOME hugs. Every clasp gave me the love I needed to go on.

Thank you Alan (aka Sweating_it_off)/Sweating Until Happy)! xoxo

So as I crossed that 20 Mile mark and I kept checking my pace with Sarah - texting convos are hard through sweat and tears :P - and she kept telling me I was on pace. I was going to do it. I would finish sub-4. So I had to believe...

20.3 on the watch and I realized - this is the farthest I had EVER run consecutively. Hell to the fuckin' YEAH! I was bad ass and ready to finish this thing.

Then I started playing the games with my own mind:

Mile 20 - just a 10k to go

Mile 21.2 - just 5 miles to go

Mile 23.1 - just a 5k to go

... and at Mile 22, I saw my dad - for what would end up being the last time before the Finish - and I got teary again. He was cheering and taking my video and I could tell how proud he was. I just lost it.

I started walking for a moment, settled my emotions and got back to running. I had a goal to beat.

So as we ended back up on the highway I saw the Mile 24 sign. Just 2.2 miles to go...

Once we met back up with the half marathoners that were still finishing, the crowds grew in numbers, the signs were amazing, and it was time to bring it home.

Then there came a hill. I remember turning to the guy running next to me and saying "Can you believe they put a hill this close to the Finish?" For some reason he didn't want to chat. :P

Mile 26 - in all its glory - there it was.

I looked down at my watch and realized I had less than 4 minutes to get to the Finish and accomplish what I set out to do.

Getting to the 0.2 mile shoot ... seeing the Finish Line ahead of me ... everything around me became a blur. I couldn't hear anyone (as noted by a fellow WW Leader who said she was cheering for me and I didn't respond - Sorry Tara!), but of course I noticed that the camera guy wasn't taking pictures as I came up to the "Smile" signs less than 0.1 from the Finish.

Then I mustered everything I could and moved my legs as fast as I could across the finish. I stopped my Garmin and realized - I DID IT!

SUB-4 HOURS!

I threw my arms up with such excitement I could've pulled a muscle.

It was over. Wow! All that led up to that moment.

But, I was too busy grabbing my medal, my chocolate milk, my water and my bars to focus on all of that at that moment. :0)

 Thanks Got Chocolate Milk for the Refuel!

Somehow out of all the people, I spotted Michelle and Tori (who were proudly showing off their Half medals) in the crowd. After meeting up with them, I realized I could not catch my breath. I just couldn't get a full breath.

We found a patch of grass, I laid down, took some deep breaths and started to cry. Tori asked me "are those happy tears?" And I assured her they were in fact tears of joy that I couldn't stop from flowing.

But above all there were SMILES

I did it. I officially finished in 3:58:49 - beating my honest goal by 37 seconds. Yup, I took 2 hours and 37 seconds off my marathon time. :)

I keep looking at this picture on my phone and bursting with PRIDE!

I still look at the race info - the pace, the finish places - and I can't believe they are really all mine! I finished within the top 25% in all of the categories  - wwhhaaa??? Amazing.

I signed up for this marathon the day I hit my goal weight with Weight Watchers in January 2012 as a way to celebrate. Little did I know how much the training and the experience would truly enrich my life...

I was so happy that Michelle and Tori were there by my side at the Finish...

... as well as my dad throughout the course and at the Finish. I am wicked lucky that he makes the trek to see so many of my important races.

And I also thank my mom who hangs back to watch the pups!

So once I caught my breath and we all located each other at the massive Finish area, we got my medal engraved - a must for me at any race that offers it.

Isn't it beautiful?!?!

So I'm sorry this post got lengthy and probably me rattling on at lots of different points. But for me, this race wasn't about my pace at each and every mile - even though I kept track of those numbers - it was about the experience and finishing what I set out to do. I accomplished yet another thing on my bucket list.

The race course and scenery wasn't everything I imagined. I thought we would be running through more of the 22 squares Savannah had and less time on a highway, but I understand logistics can be hard. The crowds made up for all of that and then some.

So I will leave you with this note in terms of the marathon:

We all rocked, rolled and marathoned through Savannah!

---

Next post will cover the rest of the day or "post marathon" Saturday!

P.S. If you made it through the whole post, congrats!! Now get a beer - you deserve it. :)

Savannah - Day One - 11/2/12

Tearing up just thinking of last weekend... So sorry for the delay on the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Marathon weekend recap! Emotions and life have come in the way of getting this post done sooner.

But here goes Day One!!

---

We headed to the airport at 4:30am. So yes this story starts wicked early in the morning.

I think I look pretty put together for that early in the day ... and representin' the blog with my Sweatybands headband!

2012-11-02 05.09.48

And of course I was giving my wife the "Oh really" face that she loves so much. :P

After getting my final Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee of the weekend, it was time to chillax at the gate.

How cruel putting us right next to Harpoon IPA when it was closed.

2012-11-02 05.19.31

RUDE!

We had two flights to get to Savannah - layover in Atlanta. In a truly "small world" moment, I spotted a Weight Watchers Leader I knew on each flight. One sitting across the aisle from me as she headed to the Dominican Republic.

I want to thank the second flight's Flight Attendants and Pilots for giving a special shout-out to all the runners on the plane!

We landed in Savannah and headed straight to the hotel. After immediately unpacking my clothes for the next day's marathon

clothes

It was time to hit the hotel gym for a quick 2-mile run (to shake out the legs after the long morning flights)!

2-mile run

Boy was it weird running on a treadmill - I hadn't done it in AGES.

Finally, it was time to check out the local cuisine (we hit up Wild Wing Cafe - delicious) and then headed to the John P. Rousakis Riverfront to catch the ferry to the Expo.

It was the first Rock 'n' Roll expo where there was a Half Marathon and a Marathon happening so the wife and I headed to separate areas to collect our numbers.

Of course, I made her take my standard "Countdown" pic!

2012-11-02 14.52.24

I had read that KT Tape was going to be at the Expo and since I missed them at the RnR Chicago Expo I was determined to finally try them out at this time.

After picking up some Sport Jelly Beans since I of course forgot mine at home, we headed to the KT Tape booth.

2012-11-02 15.37.11

I had to choose blue. I was really hoping it would help my knee, which had been sore for the previous two weeks. Thankfully nothing sharp, but a more dull constant pain.

After checking out the locations/dates for the RnR races in 2013, we think we are going to try and hit up the Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Half around Halloween. It is time to check out some new cities. :)

We got back in what seemed like the never-ending line to reboard the ferry and head back to downtown Savannah.

2012-11-02 15.51.47

I will say RnR did a great job keeping the ferries moving so people didn't lose too much time standing in lines to board.

We arrived back to Savannah's famous River Street and did a little carboloading with a local brew from The Warehouse...

2012-11-02 16.10.21

2012-11-02 16.21.49

... and enjoyed Savannah's lack of an open container law.

Can I just say how odd yet awesome it was walking around with my beer? You don't want to chug or leave your beer behind - restaurants/bars give you a To-Go cup. My kind of city!

As we wandered back to our hotel, we set out to find the Start Line for the following morning and check out the historic Bay St.

2012-11-02 16.26.21

We made it back to the hotel to settle in before our friend Michelle and my dad both landed/met us for dinner.

We went to Molly Macpherson's Scottish Pub & Grill for dinner. Why you may ask? They had a nice spaghetti dinner going on for runners.

It was great having everyone in one place the night before the race so we could come up with a game plan for the next morning: pre and post race meetups.

I also loved how almost every bar and restaurant in Savannah were so welcoming and supportive of the runners in town.

2012-11-02 16.45.05

After getting back to the hotel, it was time for a little compression time with Zensah...

2012-11-02 22.09.31

... before doing my #plankaday and setting the alarms for the morning!

2012-11-02 22.11.49

Three-Year WW-versary - 11/2/12

Wow! It seems like just yesterday I was walking into my first Weight Watchers meeting ... and now I lead 13 of them a week. What a difference three years makes, huh?

Here is my recap from the two year anniversary: check it out!

I reread that post and still carry a lot of those feeling with me today: Pride, Determination and most importantly Happiness.

Since that last post, I hit my Weight Goal, became a Lifetime Weight Watchers member and joined the Weight Watchers family as an employee!

Wow! How things can change!

But I cannot thank Weight Watchers and the online community (Twitter/Facebook/Blogging) enough for helping me get to the point where I am now.

Now comes the hardest part in my opinion: maintenance.

Many people think once you hit your weight goal that everything is rainbows and unicorns ... not the case ... at least for me!

With the career change, I now have much more time to be social with friends so in that regards I feel like a New Member learning to balance a more social life and my healthy lifestyle. Thankfully many of my friends are health conscious and many are Weight Watchers members themselves, which make it a lot easier.

But for me, I am still working on not reverting back to old habits when getting busy or stressed and continuing to work on the mental part of weight loss - nixing the negative.

---

Now that I am living a much more active lifestyle, I am also learning how to handle the hungry horrors that can come when putting in 100 miles of running a month, Spinning multiple times a week and starting weight training classes.

But I am happy to have these problems.

I am so thankful for the active lifestyle I now live. I can't imagine going back to the days when I would just sit around for hours on end for days on end. Activity and exercise are a big part of my life now.

In particular - running! I know you guys had no idea, right? :P

Well, what you may not know remember is that when I hit Goal with Weight Watchers to celebrate - instead of buying myself a cut pocketbook or something like that - I signed up for a marathon.

Yup, I was THAT person ... and proud of it!

So now, on the three year anniversary of joining Weight Watchers, I am boarding a plane and heading to Savannah to run that marathon I signed up for that joyous day in January 2012.

And I am scared and nervous, but most of all I am PSYCHED! I'm ready to once again prove to myself that I Am Stronger Than I Think I Am.

---

I'm running the 2013 Boston Marathon with...

... Tedy's Team!! Ahh I cannot tell you all how excited I am to have the chance to be a part of such an amazing group. This amazing organization has a limited number of race bibs for the 2013 Boston Marathon and I am honored enough to have one!

As stated on their website, Tedy's Team is raising money and awareness on behalf of the American Stroke Association:

Tedy asked the American Stroke Association to work with him to create “Tedy’s Team,” a group of runners raising money for the American Stroke Association and training to complete the Boston Marathon® and the Falmouth Road Race.  Their participation supports Tedy Bruschi’s fight against stroke and honors both the survivors and the loved ones lost to America’s No. 4 leading cause of death.

In addition to the dollars being raised, an equally important issue for Tedy's Team is the increase in awareness of stroke and recognition of its warning signs. Tedy’s Team is striving to reach as many people as possible in its message of recognizing the warning signs and acting appropriate when seeing them -- calling 9-1-1 immediately.

I have a strong personal connection to strokes as both of my grandparents are stroke survivors as well as my wife's father.

So I am looking forward to doing anything I can to help with this fight.

Tedy's Team requires each participant raise $5,000 in order to take part in the 2013 Boston Marathon.

I already have $1,000 raised through The Dani Holmes-Kirk 1st Annual 30th Birthday Run-Walk Ramble and will start additional fundraising next week ... so be ready for that! ;)

I cannot wait to meet the team in mid-November and begin training runs shortly after that!

We are 180 days away from the Boston Marathon...

As a born and raised Bostonian, I am truly looking forward to taking part in this historical run. My dad ran the 100th Boston Marathon and now I am continuing the tradition.

That means a lot to me, but more than that - I am helping a worthy cause that holds a dear place in my heart.

Despite being just 17 days out from the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Full Marathon, I am already thinking about the fun I will have working with and training with Tedy's Team over the next 5-plus months.

I'm ready for one wild ride... :)