Category Archives: exercise

Friday Five (and giveaway winner!)

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It’s Friday.
When I woke up it was sleeting/wintery mix and just generally gross.
So it’s a Friday Five kind of day a la Amber and others.

1. Dress Giveaway Winner. Here’s how it worked: if you tweeted, liked and told me what your favorite dress was, you got one entry for each. You were assigned numbers based on that, and it totaled to 80 entried. Random.org did the rest of the work and the winner is… Becky from Love Everyday Life!

Didn’t win? Don’t despair, now through end of April you can click on the Shappy Apple button in my sidebar, shop for anything you like and enter coupon code: walkingwithnora10ff and get 10% off your total purchase! Go forth and shop, treat yourself to a dress, or jewelry or anything else that you fall in love with on their site. (Oh, and no, I was not compensated to do this giveaway or post the coupon code.)

2. Lent. So this year for Lent I gave up a bunch of things and added some things. Gave up: soda, fried food, ice cream. Were any of these food groups/drinks things I had on a daily basis? Not at all but I noticed they were creeping back into my diet. With spring around the corner, just easier to ditch them, and stick with it. (The last time I did this for Lent, I gave it up for close to one year which is huge for me.) Added: exercising. I know, sounds silly but lately things have been… hectic, to say the least and making time or finding motivation to really work out has been tough. I’ve been doing it for a few weeks now and I already see and feel a difference. Pants fit looser or are too big in some cases, I don’t feel all gross from soda. It’s been good. I hope to keep it up.

3. Running! Going along with #2 above, I’m signing up for a few races this weekend. One which will be run with Knight and Lisa (well, not with them, as I’m sure we won’t run the same pace, but we’ll all be there together) and another one back in the Lou in September for Cardinals Care. I’m super excited to have a 10k and 6k on the horizon. Training plans are printed, dates have been set and the running shoes are ready.

4. 65 days. That’s all that’s left between and now when I move in with Knight. On one hand it seems like it will be forever; on the other, time is dragging. I’m in that in between stage you know, where you’re ready to get on with the show but also know you have a ton of stuff to do. That’s me lately. I’m so excited, I can’t wait!

5. Booked. So I was looking at my calendar the other day and, um, I have one big event every month now through the end of the year, plus a bunch of not-so-big events. It’s amazing how quickly weekends and things book up, isn’t it? Makes me super glad I got my Masters done last year.

What are your Friday five (or one, or seven) today?

6.2 Miles Later…

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… I fell in love with running races.

The reason I signed up for this 10k in the first place was to prove to myself that I could run races after the doctors told me earlier this year it may not be a possibility.

And run them I can!

There are no pictures of me pre or post race as I was house sitting for a friend this past weekend and was way too groggy the morning of (note to self and other runners: don’t turn off your alarm on accident at 5:15 when it first goes off) the race to attempt a camera photo.

I wanted to get downtown early to avoid any traffic thanks to all the construction plus streets closed for the race, so I arrived around 7:15 am, walked around the mini expo, scored some Vitamin Water, stretched, and did some people watching since most people did dress up in Halloween costumes.

I meandered over to the start line about 7:45 am, positioned myself in between the 9/10 minute milers, and before I knew it, we were off. Well, sort of. It took three minutes for me to get to the start line thanks to the 4000+ people participating in the race.

The first two miles I kept pace with some of the 9 minute miler girls until one of the long, gradual, seemed like it was never going to end hills, at which point I decided that my knee would want me to chill out a little bit since hills are like its kryptonite. I slowed down a bit at the 5k mark at which point it was about 32:30, grabbed some powerade at the hydration station, and stretched out my quads a little. My knee was starting to protest a bit, so I finished out the mile and once I hit 4 miles I walked and stretched out the quads one more time until the 4.2 sign that a spectator was holding up.

That’s when I decided that there would be no more walking.

I started thinking about how I honestly never thought I’d be able to run more than two miles at a time thanks to my knee injury. About how I was accomplishing one my 30 Before 30 Goals. About my dear friends who ran 26.2 the weekend prior and how if they could do that I could surely run another 2 miles without stopping. I thought about how I wanted to be able to tell everyone I did the best I could, ran as fast as I could and be able to call a few special people after with glee in my voice instead of disappointment.

And so I did it.

I conquered the hills that stood in my way (and boy were there a lot of them), saw the finish line , conquered another hill (seeing the finish line was a cruel trick; we still had another out and back to do), gave high-fives to the little kids who were hanging out on the sidewalks, and then at the 5.9 mile mark I sprinted the last 3/10 of the race.

I finished in 67:05; average time for race finishers was 65:05.

I have to say that all in all I am incredibly pleased with my performance since my three goals were: 1) to finish 2) walk as little as possible and 3) if I did have to walk, finish in 80 minutes. If I didn’t have to walk, finish in 72 minutes. All goals accomplished. I must also confess that the last few weeks of training my long training runs fell off my radar thanks to finish my MBA and that pesky thing called life.

A lot of people have asked me what’s next and the short answer: More 5ks and 10ks. As much as I’d love to run a half marathon I know my knee won’t tolerate it. I plan to sign up for a few 5ks that are in St. Louis later this year and find another 10k early next year.

For now, though, I’m on a total race running high.

(And of course, a special thanks to everyone who shared tips, training plans, asked about the race, and sent me well wishes, texts and positive vibes the day of the race!)

(The winner of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Giveaway is Leesh from The Blarkness Chronicles! Congratulations; I’ll contact you for your mailing address today. Thanks to everyone who entered and stay tuned for another giveaway soon.)

Monday, Monday

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It’s Monday.

Which means that my brain is still on weekend time, struggling to keep up with the corporate world, perhaps even wishing it were still in bed under warm blankets (fall has arrived here in STL). Something that looks a lot like this:

 {via}

This also means that this morning you get some Nora Randomness.

* I had to pay a late fine of $3.15 at the library about a week ago. Three books were only five days overdue. I understand that they were late and it was my fault, but $3.15? It seemed a little steep for an overdue charge.

* No one at my office noticed my new glasses. This seems odd to me as I wear my glasses all the time at the office since they are readers/computer glasses. I guess everyone is really wrapped up in what they are doing on a daily basis which is fine, but I guess I thought they were a huge departure from my old ones.

* Every time I go to visit my brother, I inevitably have a great time. I also inevitably realize that I’m not 21 years old anymore and do not have a problem going to bed before midnight. I learned a lot this weekend too; suffice to say college and the college culture has changed drastically.

* I have one of the best brothers and family anyone could ask for. Hands down.

* I am really proud of my Tigers so far; a huge win yesterday ought to give them the confidence to get through our conference games later in the season.

* Getting one’s nose pierced doesn’t hurt nearly as much as you’d think. It’s also relatively easy to get used to. Here’s a picture for those who are curious:

* The closer I am to being done with school the more excited I get for all my free time. I literally am counting down the days. 14 days.

* Shopping at boutique stores can lead to finding some amazing presents for friends. Bonus for supporting local economies and entreprenuers.

* Free (early) birthday peppermint chip ice cream is the best. Also, I have mixed feelings about my birthday being in two days.

* My 10k is only three Sundays away and I’m getting a little nervous about my ability to run 6.2 miles all at once; I’ve been doing pretty well in my training runs but I’m nervous anyway!

* I purged my book collection yesterday; I decided to part with about 10 books that I know I won’t read again and/or recommend to friends, so why bother keeping them on my shelf? My shelves are exploding with books as it is, so freeing up some space was a great feeling.

Any Monday randomness that you’d like to share?

Grace in Small Things: Week Two

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1. Taking a long lunch with my dad on Monday. It’s rare that we both have free lunch hours so we took about 90 minutes to chat work, to discuss my after grad school plans, and my upcoming birthday.

2. An amazing run on Tuesday night in between Glee and Parenthood. No idea if it was because I didn’t want to miss a moment of Parenthood or what, but I had the best time. Running under the glow of a nearly full moon is also quite calming; I felt like the road was all mine.

3. Staring a “Creative Journaling,” class at my library. We only meet once a month but the teacher is incredibly enthusiastic: she brought treats, “bling” to decorate our journals with, and has guest speakers lined up. The class consists of a few people my gram’s age, a young kid who is maybe 12, and a few mother/daughter combos like Darling and me. I also found out this lady runs a knitting group that I might try as well; they teach people who don’t know how to knit too!

4. I’m going to visit my brother this weekend. He can’t make it home for my birthday so he invited me to my college town for a weekend of movies, fun, tailgating, and whatever other trouble we get into.

5. Having a good sales week at work; I’m not 100% in the sales department but I dabble and I did pretty well this week. It’s kind of fun/exciting.

6. Only 3 weeks of school left, and of those three, I’ll only be busy with school work for two of them.

7. Figuring out/firming up my New Year’s Eve plans… in California!

What small things made you happy this week? Anything in particular you are looking forward to this weekend?

Grace in Small Things: Week One

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Since I revived this series last week and several people said they are glad I did so, I’ll be doing this on Fridays almost every week.

(Also, today is love the lovely Becky’s birthday. Leave her some birthday love today!)

* Chatting with my good friend Lisa. Whether it’s BBM or emails, it’s so great to have a friend who gets me. I may have been tempted to pack up and move to Minneapolis when she told me last night that she wished we were roommates or at least lived closer to each other. (Edite to add: So I talk to numerous fabulous ladies every day and they make my life infinitely better. Seriously. Habbala. Ashley. Mandy. Just to name a few. You know who you are. If we chat and you make me smile, you’re on this list.)

* I gave Jack a new toy on Tuesday night which meant two hours of playing fetch until he settled in for the night with the toy tucked under his chin. I suppose he was afraid that my parents 17 year old beagle might try to steal it from him.

* Receiving some awesome comments from my professor on  my most recent case study. Sometimes I sell myself short, I think, when it comes to all that I’ve learned in the last few years but nailing a paper with positive comments from an otherwise snarky professor? I’ll take it.

* Parenthood started this week. Enough said.

* A microderm abrasion facial. I’ve been getting facials for almost a year now and I’m in love with them. This past week my technician gave me a special deal on microderm and seriously my skin has never looked so good. The entire process was relaxing, the collagen mask at the end smelled divine and I’ve been “glowing,” all week.

* 10k training is going well and I’m halfway thru the program so this makes me happy. The knees are holding up ok, my endurance has improved and I love being in the gym six days a week again.

* Planning mini-trips to see friends and taking the entire Thanksgiving week off from work. I can’t wait.

Where did you find grace this past week?

The August Obsession List

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It’s been a slower month in the obsession-arena of my life; I attribute most of this to the fact that I spent two weeks of the month relaxing in between classes.

Here’s the short list for this month:

* Mineral Foundation. I know I’m incredibly late to jump on this bandwagon but I just bought some Mineral Foundation and I love it. I have a more finished look and it lasts all day. In short, I feel more like a grown-up woman when I wear it.

* 10K Training. I’m on my fourth week of training and though I had to take a few days off due to that pesky sickness last week, so far, so good. My knees are doing well but maybe that’s because I’m babying them a little bit: lots of stretching and ice after runs. It feels so great to be back at the gym six days a week, working towards a goal and seeing positive changes in my body. I forgot how addictive it is.

* Leverage. As in, the TV show. I caught a few episodes over year ago and just now decided to Netflix them. I never get bored with the plot, one of the cast members is particularly easy on the eyes and it’s just kind of fun. And while we are on the subject of TV, I can’t forget Drop Dead Diva, Rescue Me (which I’m wildly behind on), and True Blood. I may have a slight summer-tv addiction. Just a little one…

* Walks with Jack. In an effort to help him lose weight and also to spend quality time with my furry best friend, we have been going on more walks. The weather has been cooler the last week, Jack is so happy to be outside, and listening to the quiet stillness of the neighborhood is relaxing.

That’s all I have this month! Anything that you couldn’t get enough of this past month? Anything that I must try out?

30 Before 30 (Part Three)

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The final installment is here! It’s been tough to come up with 30 things (well, things that are actually feasible and remotely attainable) for this little project but all the items have some sort of special meaning or have been on the ever-growing “to do list.”

If you’re interested or you missed the other installments, you can view them here. I’ll try to give periodic updates on how the list is progressing; I have started the Harry Potter series (finally, I know) and am loving the first book so far. Baby steps, people.

1. Learn how to knit; make myself a blanket. I’ve had knitting needles and yarn for almost a year now and I haven’t touched them which is kind of pathetic. I am big into blankets: reading under blankets, snuggling up in one for a mid-day nap, and of course using them for the requisite by-the-fire-in-the-winter nights, so it’s only natural that I’d want to knit a blanket.

2. Finish the cross-stitch baby blanket that I started… five years ago. Yes, I cross-stitch. No, I’m not an 80 year old woman. I love being able to see instant results on the project. At this rate I’ll have it finished before I have a kid of my own. Ideally I’ll finish it and be able to gift it to a family member.

3. Read all of the books that I own today. There’s a lot of them but I’ve made a list so I know what I have, know what I need to read. I figure once grad school is over it should be no problem.

4. Get back to my goal weight and stay there. (As of this post, I’m about 6 pounds away from my goal weight.)

5. Take one each of the following classes: Dance Class, Cooking Class, Baking Class, Writing class.

6. Meet at least 15 bloggers I haven’t met before. I’m thinking a road trip or a series of small trips over the next few years. Also BloggersInIndy and Vegas of course!

7. Buy all Christmas presents for friends and family from only local companies and/or Etsy. There are so many adorable shops around town with unique designs from local designers and Etsy, well, I love everything on Etsy. I’m a big fan of supporting local/independent companies, as is my family, so it just makes sense that I do this, finally.

8. Get involved in an election. Any of the following would count: Campaigning, making phone calls, working the polls, etc.

9. Treat myself to a weekend at a spa. I’ve always dreamed about a weekend in the mountains at some sort of secluded spa with just me, a comfy bed, my thoughts, and a stack of journals.

10. Start my own charity. I have a few ideas (Darling and I have been plotting the beginning of one for a few years now).

Tidbit Thursday

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I’m feeling a bit lazy today thanks to sitting in traffic for two hours post Dave Matthews Band concert (You’re lucky I love you, Dave, because that was seriously annoying!) so you get bullet points on the most random tidbits from my life…

* I CAN RUN. Yes, that’s right. I’m allowed to start running again as per my physical therapist. My range of motion has greatly improved, my muscles that support my knee are in nearly tip-top shape, and I’ve mastered the technique and awareness that the PT was looking for. I have to restrict my runs to the track/treadmill for now (no concrete for a few more months) but I’ll take what I can get. I plan to go get my first run in this week. I’m not expecting it to be awesome since it’s been so long but I can’t wait. Should be able to run a 5k later this year if all goes well!

* Finance Whiz. Okay, well maybe I’m not a finance whiz but this is my second semester in the trenches that is the world of finance. (To my readers who live in the finance world: I salute you. Seriously.) I think I’ve finally figured out how the book asks questions, I’ve nailed down some great online tutorials who show me how to do the problems step-by-step and I’m learning the concepts. I’m not ever going to take a finance class again but it’s a start. I also am a firm beliver in the fact that graduate school is 90% learning how to study and find resources to help you and 10% what you actually learn. (Also a huge THANK YOU to Lisa and OG for the encouragement and willingness to help point me in the right direction from time to time!)

* Rain, rain, rain. Seriously, Mother Nature. I know we have done you wrong a lot but wow, this rain? It’s intense. A river has literally formed in my parents backyard which while annoying is also kind of cool because we get a lot of deer, ducks (well, we did until my neighbor decided to be rude and put up attack duck wire. I hope they just left and didn’t get caught/tangled) and bunnies along the edge of the “river.”

* Time IS relative. Einstein was right (of course). Time is going so quickly these days. I don’t know if it’s the long work days or the busy weekends or what but I feel like this entire year is just zooming by. I need it to slow down because at this rate summer will be over before I’ve had even one pool day and that’s just not okay.

* Audio Books Rock. I’ve not listened to one since I was in college when I borrowed the Devil Wears Prada from the lady I nannied (that’s probaby not a word but oh well) and I didn’t like it. As part of the book challenge my library has this summer I thought I’d give it a try and wow, I’m in love. It makes the commute to work so much better. I actually look forward to getting in my car at the buttcrack of dawn. I’m going back for another one tonight.

* 30 before 30. I don’t have an official 30 before 30 list… yet. I know have a few years yet before the 30 but some of the items I want to accomplish are kind of huge in terms of time and resources (trip to Italy, for example). After the DMB concert last night I’ve decided that I must see him perform at The Gorge before I’m 30. He’s not touring next year so it will have to be 2012. Anyone else in?

(Also, a huge thank you to everyone who commented on yesterday’s post. I was floored by the lovely responses I got, the shared points of view, the understanding and more. This community continues to rock my world on a regular basis!)

Come by Me

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This weekend, in a word: Whirlwind.

In many words…

* Harry Connick Jr, who is his own set of words such as amazing, talented, sexy, fantastic, handsome, hilarious, personable, sweet, excellent perfomer, wonderful dancer. He played one of my favorite songs, which happens to be the title of this post, near the end of his set; if someone sang like this to me on the streets of NOLA or anywhere else, for that matter, I’d be putty in their hands. It’s been four years that I’ve been trying to go to his show and let me tell you, worth every penny.

* The Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure, a total of 70,000+ men and women walking/running/wheelchairing for a cure for Breast Cancer; awe inspiring, tear inducing, united. My nextdoor neighbor and I ventured out of the house at 6:30 am on a Saturday morning, dressed in pink and smiles, ready to walk the 5k track in celebration of those who have survived and in memory of those who are no longer with us. I walked for my Great Aunt Nancy who battled breast cancer several times in her life and despite her strongwill, she couldn’t beat it. It was a hot sticky day but at each street corner there were performers there to greet us including a 12 year old who rocked his electric guitar, an Irish band who had us doing a jig and random Harley Davidson men and women who had classic rock blasting from the stereo. (Pictures to follow later this week.)

* Circus Flora. A local StL Tradition since the late 1980s and a family tradition since we moved here in the mid 1990s. You can’t beat a one-tent circus where no seat is further than 50 or so feet from the excitement. Despite the heat (the a/c in the tent was cutting it), I enjoyed my cherry & coconut sno-cone, the fourth row seats, the amazing feats of acrobatic and physical talent the men, women and children displayed yesterday. Bonus: My dad was invited to participate in the circus by Nino, the head clown. His job: to conduct the orchestra. Fortunately my dad is a performer outside of his daily 8-5 job so he embraced the roll, had the crowd laughing and received about 100 compliments after the show (no joke). Look for a post later this week with a few Circus Flora pics and my experience with audience participation involving yours truly later this week.

* Naptime, rain, True Blood and the A*Team. There was a lot of rain this weekend, which meant I took advantage of a few naps. How can one not take a nap when it’s thundering and lightning outside? It’s like Mother Nature is just urging you to close your eyes and doze off a bit, which in my case turned into nearly two hours. After all the live entertainment of the weekend, I needed my daily dose of Hollywood as well which I received thanks to the A*Team (hilarious, entertaining and really awesome special effects) and True Blood (which I felt was rather blah but I guess they need to set up the rest of the season?).  And rain, oh, the rain. We got stuck in a gale like winds on our way home from the circus on Sunday rendering our wipers defenseless against the sheets of rain and hail that decided to fall from the sky.

(And for those who were asking, no nose ring yet, but it’s coming. Likely this weekend.)

Your turn: tell me anything you like (or didn’t like) about your weekend!

Nora Confessions Part IX

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View all previous installments here.

* I’ve had a .50 overdue fee at the library for the last two years. It’s finally paid.

* I’m pretty sure I have more celebrity crushes than I do real life crushes (Aksel Lund Svindal, Evan Lysacek, Russell Brand, Adam Braverman, Puck.) I hope this doesn’t make me too pathetic.

* When I go to concerts of my absolute favorite artists/bands, I dress up, just in case they see me and decide to invite me on stage.

* I think I have a marginally addictive personality when it comes to TV shows, book series, and exercise.

* I”m 26 and I need the TV on in the background, a glass of water next to my bed, and something in my arms if I’m going to be able to fall asleep.

* I gave up ballet and tap  at the end of my 8th grade year; this may be my one regret.

* In the last few months I’ve gone shopping for several baby showers. On more than one occasion I’ve broken down in tears, afraid that I may never get to that point in my life. Thank goodness for sunglasses.

* Some days when my knee is really bothering me, I yell at it. Probably counterproductive, but it makes me feel a tiny bit better.

* I think I’m getting a nose ring this weekend pending available appointments and the kind of ring I can have in while healing.

* I really, really want to visit Disney again.

* I’m a sentimental sap about certain possessions: t-shirts, books, jewelry, even if I don’t wear it or use it, I can’t bring myself to rid of it it’s from a family member.

* I have knitting needles and yarn but no idea what to do with them. I also have a baby blanket which I started cross-stitching that’s about 25 % finished; I started it over three years ago.

* Some days I’d rather read blogs than work.

* I’ve found myself getting annoyed with the rain. Me, the girl who used to call her blog “Walking through the Rain,” is getting frustrated with the weather. This is most unusual.

Anything on your mind today that you wish to confess?

Be sure to check back next week for another book giveaway and updates on my weekend (Harry Connick Jr Concert, Race for the Cure, and a local one-tent circus)!