First Run

So I officialy kicked off my 100 by December today.

I ran 3.1 miles in 35 min or so (this picture includes a 5 min cool down after the goal was reached).  I figured that I should run a 5k since Thanksgiving is coming up.  This way I'm geared up for a Turkey Trot come Turkey Day morning! :)

This run felt pretty good considering how long it's been since I've done a run on my own.  I walked 3 laps of 12 but still went 100% the entire time.  I was surprised at how much I actually ran.  I thought I was going to split after one mile.

My focus is not just on the marathons in 2015, but also in re-fulfilling the vision I had a long time ago of being a runner in my 20s.

I love running. I love the endorphin high and rush you feel mile after mile.

This was a great start for me and I know that this slow build is going to help me run powerfully in May at the Chicago Spring Marathon!

:)

Yay!

Melissa

Title Boxing Club Chicago -- Lincoln Park

I've always wanted to be a boxer.  Pretty badly.

So I went to Title Boxing Club Chicago in Lincoln Park and got busy getting after my dreams. (Haha.)  Our Coach,  Emanuel, was amazing.  He got us super pumped up and excited for the workout and helped the first timers shake the jitters out.

I was too busy dying to really get the format, but from what I can recall, it was:  a 15 min warm-up; eight, five minute "rounds" with active recovery in between; and 5-1,000 minutes of core work to seal the deal before your deep stretch.  In summation it was AWESOME.  I went with a few friends and we were all totally beat at the end.

I actually felt so relieved of stress and anxiety.  I went in thinking that I would take out frustration and aggression on the bags but Emanuel's coaching had my mind focused on getting the combinations right and giving my all when the Burpees, sprints, or frog jumps were assigned to the team.  So at the end I said to my friend: "I feel like I just did yoga!"  I was relaxed and just felt so clear.  Yesterday, I felt invincible walking out of the doors and today I feel sore (and ready for more).  Haha!

I happily want to share that as soon as the warm-up began, I looked to my friend and said: "I feel like I'm going to hard out the gate..I just know I am." lol  And I definitely did.  What's funny is that I now want to practice enough that I can just go hard from the beginning to the end.

Thanks to Title Boxing Club Chicago - Lincoln Park and especially Jacob for gifting my crew free wraps for the workout.  I chose rainbow and dark blue and I felt so bad ass wrapping them up and tossing them into my rucksack at the end of class. :)

I'm so happy to have this place around esp going into wintertime.  I am so excited to get super sweaty this would terms and I'll definitely be getting my sweat on with TBC Chicago!

Yours in sweat,

Melissa

TITLE Boxing Club Chicago Lincoln Park
2417 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 312-4726

BETTER LIFE: SAY IT, DO IT #3

Monday: upper body
Tuesday:  Pilates at Equinox Lincoln Park
Wednesday:  rest day OR 3mi run
Thursday:  Shredded Abs at Shred415 + 3mi run
Friday:   rest day OR 3mi run
Saturday:  Team Endurance at CrossFit Defined + Level 1-2 at Yogaview
Sunday:  Some kind of cross-training

xox

Melissa

#committed

BETTER LIFE: SAY IT, DO IT #2

My workout commitments this week:

#WOW (workouts of the week)

Monday (Memorial Day):  class @ GO CYCLE
Tuesday:  class @ DAILEY METHOD
Wednesday:  rest or class at ON YOUR MARK COACHING & TRAINING
Thursday:  2-4 mile run
Friday:  1-3 mile run or rest (if I workout on Wednesday)
Saturday:  class at I.D. GYM/LINCOLN PARK CROSS FIT (yoga)
Sunday:  strength/cardio interval workout IN MY HOUSE (lol)

I'm usually not a class person, but I've made some commitments to be & I'm really looking forward to it. :)

This will also be my third ever cycling class on Monday.  I'm so nervous!  haha

BETTER LIFE: SAY IT, DO IT #1

So there's this chick I follow on the Twitter.  I think she does the Manhattan something or other...

**I just Twitter searched her and it's actually called, "Fit Chick In The City".

ANYWAY!  I don't really follow blogs.  There are ones that I like and ones that I don't like.  The ones that I like are the ones where I will follow 'em on Twitter, read a few posts, look at the titles of old posts and then come back in a few months.  With this practice, I feel like I get just enough of that 'community' feeling that I need to keep pushing, keep blogging (and keep working out).  The young lady in charge of the Fit Chick In The City blog has this "Say It, Do It" thing that she does where she claims to the public what her workouts will be for the week.

Might as well be handcuffed to workouts with cute fuzzy ones!

I never really read that posts, but when I see her tweet mention "say it, do it" or "SIDI" then I get excited for her to be successful at accomplishing whatever it is that she set out to do at the beginning of the week.  There's something about holding people accountable and people holding you accountable that just creates a great since of community, right?  And this is why I started the blog after-all. 

SO HERE'S MY FIRST "SAY IT, DO IT"!  (Reviews her format...)

OKAY!  Here goes...

Sunday:  2mi run + 30+ min yoga
Monday: 1mi run + strength
Tuesday:  2mi run
Wednesday:  Rest or Yoga
Thursday:  1 mi run + strength
Friday:  1mi run + core workout
Saturday:  2-3mi run & strength

**and then shes asks her audience a question...

What workouts are you committing to this week?  Leave it in the comments below! ;)

xo,
Mel

BARRE!

I have done SO much barre these past two weeks!

a.)  My butt looks amazing.
b.)  It's not for the faint of heart!
c.)  I really want to get better at a lot of the moves.

WHEW!!!  So sore.