When my mom found out I was moving to Denver, she pretty much bought plane tickets immediately.  I’m close to both of my parents, so I’m happy they were able to make [...]]]> I’m coming off of another great Denver weekend.  This one was made great by having our first visitors – my mom and dad.

When my mom found out I was moving to Denver, she pretty much bought plane tickets immediately.  I’m close to both of my parents, so I’m happy they were able to make it out.  I’m also happy they are both in great shape because we were very active for a winter weekend.  Before they arrived, I started off Saturday morning with a 14 mile training run with Runner’s Edge.

After picking up my parents from the airport, we went to the biggest dog park known to man.

(My parents weren’t the only visitor – recognize this face?)

Then we walked all around downtown Denver and ended the night with an amazing meal at Bittersweet.  My legs were dying by the end of the day though.

Sunday was more walking: another long dog walk around Sloan’s lake, walking and shopping around Boulder, and a walk around our neighborhood.

Today, we headed to Rocky Mountain National Park for snowshoeing!  We were supposed to take a guided tour, but it was cancelled because of high winds.  We decided to head up anyways.  It was very, very windy and at first I wasn’t sure if we should be driving on windy mountain roads.  But it ended up being a great time.

I can’t wait to go again, but maybe we’ll wait for mild weather. 

I also can’t wait for more visitors, because they got us moving all weekend and seeing parts of Denver we hadn’t seen.  Do visitors get you out of your shell?

However, since I’ve moved to Denver I’m a little less in [...]]]> I can’t imagine running without my Garmin.  I’ve had it for over 2 years and it has made marathon training so much easier.  I love being able to head out my door without an exact route and hit whatever mileage I need to hit.

However, since I’ve moved to Denver I’m a little less in love with my Garmin.  Mainly because I can easily look back at all my runs and see that I’m running much much slower these days.

One of the reasons I like long-distance running (and probably a reason I haven’t been getting much faster) is that I prefer to run at a comfortable pace.  On top of that, I’m actually following the guidelines to run my long runs at 1-1.5 minutes slower than goal pace.

As a result, here is a depressing look at my 12 mile run 2 weeks ago, compared to some 12 milers at sea level.

This morning, I had a 4 mile run on the schedule with 2 miles at goal pace.  I was nervous that I have gotten slower and that my goal pace would be tough.

I’m happy to report that running faster was not only easy, but fun.  I tried not to look at my Garmin too much and just zoned out to my music.  I ended up running a little faster than goal pace, but it was worth it for the much needed confidence boost.

One of my favorite things about marathon training is that it empowers you and makes you feel stronger with each run.  Next up to make me feel better – long runs with more miles at goal pace.

My Fitness Pal (Apple & Android)

Official description from website: Now you can log your food and exercise wherever and whenever you’d like – even if you can’t get [...]]]> I know, I know.  This post has been done before.  But it hasn’t been done by me about my favorite apps.  So here it goes.

My Fitness Pal (Apple & Android)

Official description from website: Now you can log your food and exercise wherever and whenever you’d like – even if you can’t get to a computer.  With our mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, and Windows Phone 7, your MyFitnessPal account is always at your finger tips. All our apps work with our website and have access to the same comprehensive database of over 1,469,000 foods and restaurant items. Any changes you make on your phone will be synchronized to the web and vice versa — so you always have complete and up-to-date access to your account

When I was packing up the old house, living at my parents’ for a week, then moving across the country I knew my eating would be out of whack.  Add onto that the holiday season, I decided to start tracking my calories using this handy app.

Now that things have settled down I’m still using it.  At first, it was because I had lost a few pounds using it.  Now that I’m in marathon training, it’s hard to know when I’m eating too much and when I’m not eating enough, so it is a very helpful tool.

I like the app because it syncs across my computer, phone and iPad and has every food imaginable in it.

p.s. If you’re on My Fitness Pal, my user name is lizrunsdc if you want to friend me!  Or just make fun of me when I come home from work hungry and dive headfirst into a bag of Tostitos leftover from the Superbowl.

Seconds Free (Apple)

Official description from website: Seconds Pro is the ultimate fitness timer available for the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad allowing you to create and save fitness timers for HIIT, Tabata, Circuit Training and more. Seconds Pro provides limitless flexibility, while maintaining a simple, stylish and easy to use interface.

Remember that time there was over a foot of snow and I was trapped in the house?  Well this app made designing a workout a breeze.  

I decided to include Neil in a circuit workout.  I just entered the exercises I wanted to do into the app and the length of time for each.  We did each exercise for one minute, and did the circuit twice.  You can add time in between moves to rest.  It was cool because the audio would tell you what was exercise was coming next.  The only problem with the free app is that it doesn’t save your past workouts.

Workout Trainer (Apple & Android)

Official description from website: Get in shape with workouts coached by expert personal trainers! Just in time for 2012 are Workout Programs that help you achieve your fitness goals.

Do you ever just want someone to tell you what to do but don’t want to shell out the money for a personal trainer?

This app has a ton of free workouts.  They are guided by an animated personal trainer and have videos showing each move.  If you pay, you can get access to more workouts and the videos have a real, human personal trainer guiding them instead. 

It also keeps track of all the workouts you have completed, which is cool if you want to add notes and track your progress.

I am really loving this app for nighttime weight training, when I’m too tired to be creative on my own.

As you can probably tell, I really only download free apps.  I’m sure there are better ones out there if you are willing to pay up.  Next on my download list, the new Map My Run app for a Garmin back-up.

What are your favorite fitness apps?

From left to right: Heather, Courtney, Lynne, Tiffany, Lauren, me and Heidi.  Picture stolen from Tiffany.

We went for sushi happy hour and then to see The Vow.  Now you know I must have wanted to meet [...]]]> This weekend was a great one.  I met a bunch of Colorado bloggers on Friday night:

From left to right: Heather, Courtney, Lynne, Tiffany, Lauren, me and Heidi.  Picture stolen from Tiffany.

We went for sushi happy hour and then to see The Vow.  Now you know I must have wanted to meet these girls to see a romance movie….but I made sure to warn everyone that I have the same taste in movies as 15 year old boys, so they couldn’t hold it against me if I laughed at them when they cried.  {In all seriousness, it wasn’t so bad.  You get to see Channing Tatum’s ass at least}

Hopefully that will be the first of many meet-ups – blogging is a great way to meet people.

Saturday was my first day of Colorado skiing.  Neil and I went with Lauren and Phil and had a blast. 

I haven’t skied in about 10 years and amazingly I didn’t fall.  (I’m also extra cautious/slow because I don’t like falling so don’t be impressed).

We went to Arapahoe Basin, where the views were amazing and we could enjoy beer between runs.

Sunday was wrapped up with a 10 mile run with Erin and Lauren.  I’m glad I had a running date because it was 9* when I woke up and I was in no mood to run and/or get out of bed.  Erin took us on a trail run through Boulder.  Views included mountains, lots of cute pups and a cow that decided to block our path while giving us the evil eye.  That’s not something you see every day.  It was gorgeous, but way harder than road running.  Now I know how Erin is so speedy.  Maybe that will rub off on me?

Working from home, in my sweats with a dog on my lap.

Making my favorite breakfast.

Having an occasion to wear all my new ski clothes.  With the prices of this stuff, I want get as much use as I can.

Taking a walk with a [...]]]> A foot of snow means…

Working from home, in my sweats with a dog on my lap.

Making my favorite breakfast.

Having an occasion to wear all my new ski clothes.  With the prices of this stuff, I want get as much use as I can.

Taking a walk with a mashugana dog.

Baking chocolate chip cookies.

Building a fire.  To be enjoyed after work with s’mores and red wine.

Happy Friday everyone!

It’s nice to see the mountains, the water and the wildlife.  I’m not crazy about the geese (I feel like they’re going [...]]]> Most of my running in Denver has been around a lake by my house (Sloan’s lake).  I have a nice 3.5 mile loop that takes me through my neighborhood to the lake. 

It’s nice to see the mountains, the water and the wildlife.  I’m not crazy about the geese (I feel like they’re going to swarm me with those beady little eyes!) but I saw coyote one morning which was pretty cool. 

Don’t ask me why I’m more scared of geese than a coyote.

Another nice thing about the route is that it is very flat.  When I saw a hill workout on my training plan, I knew I had to find somewhere else to run.  Just like the name of my old DC neighborhood (Columbia Heights) indicated we had some big hills, the name of my new neighborhood (Highlands) does the same.

I was pretty nervous about this run because I haven’t pushed myself much in the high altitude.  Sure, I’ve done a few long runs, but those have been at an easy pace. 

I had 1 mile of nice, flat sidewalks as a warm-up.  Then the torture began as I ran .5 mile up hard and .5 down as a recovery.  There was no sense in paying attention to pace because the first .25 of the hill was crazy steep.  
Even in my best shape I don’t think I could reach my goal pace on there.  I ran up the hill 3 times and then ran a 1 mile cool down home.

Next week I want to wear my heart rate monitor so I can prove how much these kick my ass (and make me a better runner blah blah blah).

Hills – love ‘em or hate ‘em?

My coach at Runner’s Edge sent a training plan for my goal race (The Colfax Marathon) with 5 different training levels.  They differ by goals and by experience, from wanting to [...]]]>

I finally have a marathon training plan!  Can you sense my excitement??  Clearly, I’m a girl that needs some direction in my life.

My coach at Runner’s Edge sent a training plan for my goal race (The Colfax Marathon) with 5 different training levels.  They differ by goals and by experience, from wanting to finish your first marathon to wanting a specific goal time after many marathons.

I’m training on Level 3, defined as:

• Goal: To finish the marathon within a certain time (Breaking 4 hours!)
• Plan: 4-5 planned workouts a week, 3 runs of 20+ miles
• Recommended background: Experienced distance runner with average weekly base of 18 miles in the last 3 weeks
• At least one 7 mile workout in the past 3 weeks

I think I would be up to level 4 if I hadn’t taken so much time off in the last few months.  But I can think about using that plan if I go for a fall marathon.  I’m excited about this training plan because it has a variety of workouts, including:

• Recovery workouts
• Semi-long workouts
• Long workouts
• Hill workouts
• Goal pace workouts
• Long fast workouts
• Short fast workouts
• Cross-training

All of these should keep the training plan interesting!  The training plan is also divided into 3 sections: endurance, speed and taper.

Unfortunately, I missed the team long run on Saturday because I put in the wrong address in my GPS.  When I arrived at the wrong destination, it was too late to make it to the right place on time.  I was pretty annoyed since I had woken up so early for nothing.  Instead of my long run, I did a few relaxed miles with Leela.

Luckily, I had new running buddies Lauren, Erin and Marco who were up for a 10 mile run on Sunday.  We ran on Cherry Creek Trail on a gorgeous, sunny morning and the miles flew by.

Anyways, it’s done and I hope you like the new site.

I’ve updated the about me [...]]]>

I’m not computer illiterate by any means, but I had a lot of difficulty moving my blog to the new site.  I haven’t been blogging because all of my non-work computer time has been spent figuring this out!

Anyways, it’s done and I hope you like the new site.

I’ve updated the about me page and will update my blogroll, header and other pages this weekend.  My regularly scheduled blogging will start back up tomorrow, but in the meantime I thought I should do a catch-up post on my first 3 weeks in Denver.

The job has been really, really good.  I think people said “thank you” and “great job” to me more times in the first week than at the entire 3.5 years at my last job.  {For those of you who don’t know, I work in market research.  That means I write surveys, conduct focus groups and analyze the results to help companies make decisions.}  My commute is an easy 15 minute drive.  I’ll hopefully be able to bike in the spring and summer.

I love our neighborhood.  I like the house we are renting (although I do miss our house back in DC a lot) and the neighborhood feels safe.  I was always a little nervous walking around at night by myself in DC, but here it feels fine.  Plus we are 3 blocks from a cute strip of restaurants, shops and bars.  Win!

We are keeping very busy exploring our new city.  I’ve gone on a hike every weekend, met new blogger friends, found some dive bars and been to several delicious restaurants.  I went to my first Nuggets game and although they didn’t win, Neil caught a t-shirt.  That was very exciting for me because I love free stuff more than anything.

By this past Sunday night, I was exhausted.  I’m inviting people over for Superbowl Sunday to help get in some  much needed couch time this weekend.

I haven’t been very homesick…yet.  I’m surprised I haven’t gotten into a homesick funk yet.  Probably because we have been keeping busy and I have Neil and Leela with me.  And I’m spending time with some really great people. . I do miss the green of Rock Creek Park (since it is dry out here) and I miss Joey (the only family member I can’t communicate with via phone or email).

My running is finally ramping up!  I hit double digit mileage on my long run this weekend.  I’m so happy to finally be following a training plan.  Stay tuned for training plan details tomorrow.