A new phase to running: Training for a half marathon

I signed up to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) with one of my running buddies.  It's in early February, which leaves just 6 1/2 weeks until the race.  But I signed up right after the 10k, and basically started training right away.

My training is focused almost 100% on increasing mileage - both overall and in the form of a gradually increasing "long run" each week.  All of these miles have to be run at a very slow and easy pace, to avoid injury while increasing so much.  It isn't very intuitive that running slow will help me run fast, but I am willing to take advice.

My other running buddy and I ran a 5k last weekend, and it turns out the whole lots-of-slow-miles-make-you-fast thing does work okay for me.  I cut over 3 minutes off my 5k time.  She cut a few minutes off too!  And I imagine it's at least partly because of all the ramp-up we did to train for the 10k and the fact that she's maintained that since then (we run a medium-long run together each week, plus a shorter stroller run, and she runs on her own in addition.)

The best explanation I found of the "lots-of-slow-miles-make-you-fast" idea is this: anyone can run fast for a *very* short distance.  It's endurance and stamina that help a person maintain that faster pace for a reasonably long distance.  I totally understand that endurance is important for a half marathon - 13.1 miles is a long way to run.  But now I finally really understand how important endurance is even at a shorter distance like 5k (3.1 miles).

Here are a few shots of some of the beautiful spots I've run to over the last few weeks, now that my long runs have topped 10 miles:

I have ventured inland a few times now too - the beach is gorgeous but it is nice to get a little variety.  I guess I don't take quite as many pictures inland though!  I'll work on that.

SO, what is my training like?
I've gradually worked my way up to 25-30 miles a week, run in 4-5 runs.  My weekly long runs have slowly increased, 8 --> 9 --> 10 --> 12, step-back week then 9.5 --> 14  (I was feeling good - the plan had been 12-13 but I let myself go the extra mile).  I hope to work my way up to about 35 miles a week for a few weeks before the race, and keep my long runs at 13-15 miles other than planned step-back weeks.  And I'm going to run a 10k in a few weeks to better gauge my fitness and speed and help make some pacing decisions for the half marathon.

Pacing on a longer race is tough because if I go out too fast I'll tire myself out and won't make it through all 13.1 miles.  If I go just a bit slower at the start, I should have enough energy to finish strong, possibly even to speed up and really push through the end.  But if I go too slow at the start I'll just waste time that I won't be able to make up for later.  The usual advice for a person's first half marathon is to just aim to finish, and not worry about time and speed.  But this is me.

The last month or so I've let my other exercise suffer, but I'm trying to pick back up at least a little - at least one good core strengthening and one good yoga session per week and a few key lower-body strengthening/stability exercises.  It is hard to squeeze those in with all the running though - and all that other stuff like work, family, and sleep.  I figure these few months my focus is on aerobic fitness, and that's okay.  After the half I'll probably refocus on strength training for a few weeks at least and rebuild a bit.  But for now - I know I can't do as many pushups as I could a couple months ago, but my legs are strong enough to carry me for 14 miles at a 10:30 pace (10 minutes 30 seconds per mile), and my lungs and heart are strong enough to get enough oxygen to those muscles for that distance.  So that's something.

A work trip

In late November I went to Seattle for a couple days for work.  I gave a talk and got to pull out one of my suits.  I discovered that I have out-shrunk most of my suits and dress shirts, but my smallest suit still fits me nicely.  I will have to do some suit shopping now, though, so expect new suits in January.  :)

I also took my running gear and had a nice workout Saturday morning in the hotel gym, before flying out.  It finally occurred to me that I should show a photo of some of my workout gear, considering just how much I wear it!  There's also a lot to be said for current workout gear, and I'll do a more dedicated post soon.  But in short - if you haven't updated your workout clothes in a while, it's worth doing.  The newer stuff is just better.  In many ways.

(Suit: J-crew from back when they lined the pants, shirt: Express, Necklace: Banana Republic, Belt: White house black market, Workout clothes: Old Navy, running shoes Asics from a dedicated running store that did a fabulous job fitting me for functional running shoes, but couldn't prevent the clown-shoe look that happens at my shoe size.)

Thigh high (over-the knee) boots, and the sweater duster

So I know the current favorite name for boots like these is "over the knee" - but dude, they are thigh-high boots.  I'm hoping that the quasi-wedge chunkyness of the heel and the slightly lower heel on these will keep them from looking as trashy as thigh-high boots can look.  But you know, still sexy.

I was also super excited when I saw that sweater dusters were back in style because I totally missed out on this trend the first time around.  They are perfect for California winter weather, and suit my body type pretty well.  There's just such an attitude to a black sweater duster with thigh-high leather boots.

Two outfits with the boots and duster:
Date night:

Day time:

I've also had a lot of success pairing these boots with my dark blue skinny jeans and my light grey skinny jeans.  No photos of those though - maybe next time.

Oh, and boots plus duster with a leather dress for a Muse concert.  Because that's just the right thing to wear for Muse.

(Dress: French connection from Saks off fifth, Sweater and tunic: White house black market, Boots and leggings: Nordstrom rack.)

Bow-front shirt redux

I can't believe how much I like this shirt.  I guess I do enjoy my girly-girly embellishments, but I tend to forget that fact until I put on a shirt with a bow in the front and get all happy.

I also love ankle-length pants because they work with all height shoes but are not as leg-shortening as shorter cropped pants.  I think they are great fall and spring pants in particular.

(Shirt: White house black market, pants: J-crew factory, Shoes: Tory burch from the tory burch website)

Playing catch up

I've been taking some outfit photos, but didn't realize how long it's been since I actually posted them!  So, I'll be playing catch up in the next few days.  Expect several posts.  :)

And, to keep you entertained in the meantime: My halloween costume.

(We were a whole Justice League family - the boss of our house (the 4yo boy) decided on all of our costumes.  Labor (me and hubby) executed.)

Fall jeans, 2: Black jeans

 

Black jeans are always so slimming and leg-lengthening, that when I saw these at Express I knew I had to go for them.  They are called the "skyscraper jean" and the idea is that they are *extra* slimming and leg-lengthening!  They are soft and stretchy, but have just enough structure and hold to truly be jeans.  They fit like skinny jeans until just below the calf, and then they have the slightest bit of a boot cut.  If you had any formative fashion years in the late 1990's, you will love these things!  I'm wearing them here with my new black ankle boots that I bought on sale last spring.  

If you're someone who ends up wearing jeans when going out at night, I think something like these would be *perfect* for that - sexy and flattering, work well with different height shoes, and just a little more dressed up than the typical pair of blue jeans.  I'll be wearing them mostly during the day, on those days that I want to remind hubby that his wife is kindof hot.  :)  (I got mine in a long length, but they also have regular and short.)

You'll notice that both of my new jeans posts are featuring non-designer jeans.  I decided that I wanted to buy jeans that I would have an easy time getting rid of at the end of the year, or whenever I decide I'm tired of them, and I've learned that I have a hard time donating designer jeans!  Designer denim is more comfortable, lasts longer, and looks better, on average, in my experience - but since I already have a few good pairs of designer jeans in basic designs, I decided to buy a bit cheaper.  And while it can take a little more searching (and trying on) to find the nice pairs at this price, they do exist!  :)

(Jeans: Skyscraper jeans from Express, Boots: Franco Sarto from Saks Off Fifth, sweater: from the now-dead Martin and Osa - oh how I miss you, purse: Rebecca Minkoff)

Fall jeans, 1: Coated denim

The temperature finally dipped down around here, so I'm getting to trot out my fall/winter jeans!  Every 6 months or so I buy a couple new pairs of jeans.  For spring/summer this year, my two main pairs were my white distressed skinny crops and my light grey skinny crops.  For fall/winter, this is one of my new pairs: burgundy coated skinny jeans.

I love the coated denim look - just a little edgy - but I feel like black coated jeans look like they're pretending to be leather!  I also love burgundy and I'm so happy it's been a popular color for multiple years in a row.  So when I saw these on sale, I figured it was worth a shot.  They are not jeggings, so they are more comfortable - looser in the knee for example.  But they are still a nice skinny fit.  And the coating is really cool in person.  My camera could either get the color right, or get the shine of the coating, but it couldn't manage to do both!  So you'll have to use your imagination a bit.

These also pair well with ballet flats or my knee-high flat boots I bought a couple years ago.

In general I love the look of a big boxy flowy sweater over skinny jeans, but it looks a bit frumpy in the first photo.  I guess I've gotten a little used to the images of myself in shorts and a tank-top after our super-long summer!

Finally, most falls I switch to a darker bag, but so far this year I'm sticking with my white summer bag.  The rose-gold metal studs and strap are making it go well with a lot of my fall outfits, and there's something appropriate about the bright white bag for our very-sunny, but finally a little cooler, fall.

I'll post a few more fall jeans outfits in the next few days.

(Jeans: White house black market (run small for WHBM sizing - I'm wearing a size 2), Sweater: J-crew factory, Flats: Macy's, Boots: Vince Camuto from DSW, purse: Rebecca Minkoff from Outnet)

Leggings

 

I bought leggings!!!

 

Okay - the whole country has been wearing leggings as pants for like a decade.  But it just wasn't my thing.  I did it while pregnant, but other than that - it's all pants or jeans for me.  Or an actual dress with tights.  I just didn't do leggings.  But I have two friends who both wear leggings a lot and always look totally adorable in them.  And much like the culottes - I know they are comfortable.  So I finally decided to go for it.  Plus I figured leggings will be a nice way to wear the short dresses I like while still being able to "play" - after all, that's how it works for my 2 year old.  (Yes, I am getting some fashion inspiration from my friends, but also some from my very opinionated and stylish 2 year old.)  

This was my first excursion with my new leggings and sure enough, I was so comfortable!  But also, I got compliments!  Seriously!  So, that's a good first excursion.  I like how the ankle-strap flats worked with the ankle-length leggings.  And the cardigan was nice when it got cooler (there's a storm coming in, and the temperature dipped below 70 I think).  So far so good.  We'll see how else I end up styling them.

(Leggings: Nordstrom rack - I'm happy with the quality so far, nice and thick and holding their shape, with a slightly slick fabric that tunics won't cling to, shoes and tunic: white house black market, cardigan: Old navy (my preferred cardi shapes change every year or two, so I buy cheap ones from places like Old Navy or J-crew factory and then get rid of them after a winter or two))

Brown pants

 

I love brown pants for fall.  I think so many colors look richer when paired with brown, and tan blazers go so well with them.  Leather shoes always have a super-cool look in brown.  There are just so many great things about brown pants.

But they are *completely* not in fashion right now!  Black, Grey, Navy, Burgundy - you can find those easily.  But brown?  Nope.  I had to look everywhere for these, and finally found them at New York and Company.  They are cheap, about a half size too big (NYandCo has major vanity sizing, and their smallest size is a 0 that is more like a 4, so that's what I got).  BUT, the fit is such that the cheaper fabric works - if the pants were tighter they would show lumps, but as wide-leg pants they do not.  And NYandCo has long lengths!  (And petites.)  That's *incredible* at this price point.  So, for just $23, I got a workable pair of brown pants. 

 One other note: These shoes are the absolute highest heel I can wear, but I can manage them because they are a chunky heel.  So you know - a link back to that "how to comfortably wear heels" post.  ;)

 (Pants: New york and company.  If you ever shop there, check for coupons or sales.  They *always* have coupons or sales.  Top: White house black market.  Blazer and shoes: super old but old favorites.  :) )

Body-skimming dress

 

I tend to wear very fitted sheaths to work, but I love the idea of a dress that just skims over the body.  I rarely find ones that fit just right - the fitted sheaths are surprisingly more forgiving when it comes to fit because they will usually stretch a little where needed.  For a body-skimming dress to look right, it has to skim just about the same amount throughout - and really what are the chances that a dress is going to have just the right shape in the bust, waist, butt, hips...  But this one does!  

I got really lucky with this dress.  I bought it in the first months of my second pregnancy, without thinking very hard.  It was a fitted dress at that point.  I loved the piping details and the collar.  But the fabric is thick and warm so it only works for part of the year here, and I was only the right size for the dress for a short little window.  So I only got to wear it once!  Luckily, post weight-loss, it fits perfectly as a body-skimming dress.  I almost gave this away without trying it, because it's a couple sizes bigger than I would normally buy.  But I am so glad I tried it on first.

(Dress: White house black market - this one did not go on the usual WHBM super sales.  It's just too gorgeous.  Shoes: Nordstrom, but they are starting to die after one year of super-hard use!  I'm really wishing I'd bought a second pair...  I guess they weren't designed to be worn for multiple-mile walks, but that's just what I do.)

Fitness and Healthy Eating - Motivations and Goals

A friend of mine pointed out that I mentioned the "Body Transformation Contest" in passing without much context, and the idea that I am trying to further transform my body is a bit crazy.  So I decided to write a broader post to describe both my own goals and motivation, and my perspective on it more generally.  I'm curious what all of you think on this issue, and what your own goals and motivations are when it comes to fitness.  But this also might be a boring post for some of you, so as always feel free to ignore it.  :)

First, the contest - I'm not really trying to transform my body.  One day I popped into my usual GNC-type-store to get some protein bars, and they happened to be just starting up a new 6 week contest.  I'd get 10$ store credit just for doing it, and $100 would go to the winner in each category.  Given my category roughly translates into "old women," and at that point no one had signed up in my category, there probably wouldn't be much competition for me.  :)  So I signed up.  Since the only requirement is to come in a few times to get weighed on their fancy scale, and I'd be going in to the store anyway, and enjoy seeing qualitative numbers about weight and fat percentage. etc., it was a win-win-win-win.  In terms of how I could possibly beat the other woman or two who might sign up in my category - it will not be through losing fat.  In my opinion, I really shouldn't lose any more.  If I end up with competition and win, it will be through gaining (gaining more muscle than fat).  I wanted to gain some weight this fall anyway, and this is a nice push to work on that.  It takes a lot of effort to gain weight healthily, and pride plus $100 can help to push me to make that effort.

Now, the more general:

What Motivates us to Exercise and Eat Well?
In my opinion, there are 4 broad categories of motivation.  Tell me if your personal motivation falls into these or not:
1.  To look good (however we personally define that)
2.  To feel stronger and more energetic
3.  Because it is fun - whether you have found a sport you enjoy, like the sunshine and outdoors, or appreciate the endorphins
4.  For health reasons - this is usually focused on long-term health, but usually comes because of some big "scare" moment that makes you suddenly realize you really do need to take action now to protect your long-term health.  A vague general "I want to be healthy when I'm 90" motivation is rarely enough here.

In the past
I knew from the past that exercise really helped me with (2) and (3) - I enjoyed it like crazy and felt so much stronger and more energetic.  When I learned to ski, I didn't get tired, and I had no problem getting back up when I fell down - because I was in such good shape.  So I had a blast!  And I even enjoyed the workouts themselves, especially anything related to weights.  Honestly, (1) - my appearance - had never been a motivation before, because I never watched what I ate so I usually gained weight if I worked out.  I'm naturally thin - that's just how I am.  And I'm usually pretty happy with that.

This time around - getting started
This time around, appearance was a factor. I've always had a tummy and post-baby it was bigger than ever.  It was to the point where the rest of me looked the way I wanted it to, but that tummy - man it was annoying to have to shop and dress around it.  And it was going to be a little hard to feel comfortable in a string bikini over the summer with it sticking out.  At the same time, I was feeling a lot lower energy than I would like.  I was getting tired easily and just didn't have the energy to play with the kids the way I wanted to.  And then we booked the Wyoming trip.  SO, what really motivated me to start working out and eating more healthily last spring was:
(1) Appearance - I wanted to get rid of that tummy in time for bikini season!  And I wanted all the "feel good about my appearance" feelings that would come with it.
(2) Strength and energy - I wanted to be able to hike on our trip to Wyoming.  I had *loved* hiking when I was in shape before, but I knew that I did not have the strength and energy to enjoy it as of last spring.  I also knew it would take me a few months to get there.  So, I wanted to get there.

And continuing:
What has kept me going?  I hit my appearance goals to my satisfaction within less than two months.  And I hit my hiking strength/energy goals with room to spare by the time of the trip.  Now it's really all of (2), (3), and (4) that motivates me.  (4), long-term health, probably wouldn't be enough by itself, but it's always in the back of my mind, and some things I learned from my dad lately have really reinforced it.  (After all, I have genetic risks for the same things.)  (3), having fun, is probably the main reason I'm running - man oh man is it fun!  *Especially* because of my awesome running buddies.  And (2), strength and energy, is the reason that I do everything else - the weight-lifting and yoga especially.  I love love love being able to run and jump and play with the kids all day long all weekend long and not feel tired.  And I'm not quite there, but I feel like every week I get closer.  I have so much more energy and can do so much more with them (toss 4-year-olds into the air or twirl them around so their feet lift off the ground?  Sure!) than six months ago.

What about body image issues?
To be honest, I do often forget that I am quite thin.  I don't see it in the mirror clearly.  Luckily, it is obvious to me in photos.  And since I do this blog, I see those photos of myself quite often, and that helps to remind me just how thin I am.  I probably do suffer from some body perception issues in that sense.  But the great thing is that how I feel about my body is very positive.  There's not a thing I would change about my appearance at this point.  And that has been true for about 4 months now, even as my body has fluctuated in subtle ways over that period.  That's a great feeling. (Even before, it was just that annoying post-baby belly that I wanted to get rid of.)

I mentioned that I'm tracking my calories/fat/carbs/protein for a few days to get a feel for how I eat.  Well, yesterday was a 2300 calorie day.  Do I feel like I need to exercise more or eat less to make up for that?  Not one bit.  I have to admit I do feel a little of "Wow, that's *awesome*.  Who would think someone who looks like me eats 2300 calories on a random Wednesday?"  But I'm guessing that's a perfectly fine reaction to have.  :)

What About You?
So, what motivates you to exercise or eat healthy?  Now and in the past?
And if you don't, do you think any of those motivations might apply to you in the near future? 

Sometimes you can feel it creeping up.  I did with (2) - I knew that I didn't feel as strong as I had in the past, and I could tell it was bugging me more and more.  It was the booking of the Wyoming trip that was the catalyst to act, but that feeling of wanting to be stronger and have more energy had been building up...

My new Tory Burch flats

 

 

This outfit includes two new items - a new sweater, and new shoes.  I think the shoes deserve the title spot in this case.  :) 

 

My favorite, and most-used, pair of flats are my black Ferragamo flats.  I only bought them because I got a ridiculously good deal on them, but 10 years later they are still going strong, look great, and are very comfortable.  After that experience, I have started to understand the value of high-end shoes.  That said, I am a woman who likes to have a couple hundred pairs of shoes for variety.  I am not going to be buying multi-hundred dollar pairs for each of those.  However, for certain key basics, which I expect to use a lot, paying a little more does seem to make sense.

 

Enter Tory Burch.  I was always a little turned off by the very visible logos on Tory Burch shoes.  They are a very non-Boston type of thing.  But I live in Orange County now, and no one blinks an eye at logos all over the place.  And her shoes do seem to be very high quality.  My sister-in-law recently bought a very pretty pair of Tory Burch work shoes, and I saw how nice they looked, and how practical they were.  And she mentioned that she's getting compliments on them all the time.  A friend of mine has all sorts of Tory Burch stuff, and again it always looks good, and seems to last.  So, I decided it was worth trying.  And compared to Ferragamos, they seem like a bargain!  They are roughly half the price.

 

After looking at the Tory website several times, I have also realized that if you are willing to wait, you can probably get them on sale.  Things on sale sell out fast, but even the most basic styles seem to go on sale every once in a while, and less popular colors or styles often go on sale at up to 40% off.  Just in case you're thinking about trying some out but aren't quite willing to pay full price - subscribe to the email list and jump on the sales.  :)  

 

Tory shoes tend to fit a little wide for me, but this pair is narrower than most and feels made for my foot.  This is just the second time I am wearing them, and the first time I'm wearing them to work and all day, so we'll see how they do.  But so far, I am quite happy with how they look and feel.

 

(Sweater: Express, Pants and cami: White house black market, Shoes: Tory Burch, bought from the Tory Burch website/store, necklace and earrings: old and I can't remember)

Body Composition and Eating

I entered a body transformation challenge a couple of weeks ago, and as a result I have had my body fat analyzed weekly for a few weeks.  I'm less than half way through the challenge, so I will have more to say in a few weeks, but one thing that jumped out at me based on both this challenge and a few conversations I've had lately, is how different peoples' approaches to fat loss can be.

In particular, many of us cut calories or carbs, skip meals, etc., to drop pounds.  All of those do work in the short run, but I wonder if they are the best approach for sustainable shifts in body composition.

The approach that the more body-building-ish folks seem to take is one of higher-calories, medium carbs, frequent meals and snacks, and some element of "cycling" which includes built-in cheat days at least once a week with higher carbs and higher calories (though not during competition season).  These elements help to keep the metabolism high, so that although they are eating more, their bodies are also burning more.

I decided to track my calorie and "macronutrient" (fat/protein/carb) intake for a few days to get a sense of where I am.  Based on my gender, height, weight, age, and activity level, my maintenance calories should be roughly 1200 based on a few calculators I found.  Pretty low.  Given the additional exercise I do, that could go up to about 1400.  From my tracking, I seem to eat about 1600-2000 calories a day, averaging around 1800.  (I haven't tracked on weekends, but I'm pretty sure I eat at least that much, and possibly more, on weekends.)  And yet my weight is steady.  And my body fat percentage keeps going down - I keep losing fat and gaining muscle.

So what do I think is happening?  I think that the way I'm eating helps to keep my metabolism high, and of course I think that all of the weight lifting and strengthening exercises I've done over the last six months have helped me build muscle, further increasing my metabolism.  I'm no expert, and I haven't read a half dozen books on this yet, as I'm sure I will in the near future now that I'm curious.  :)  But these are my initial thoughts.

I'll let you know what I learn once I read like a crazy-person about metabolism.  :)

BTW, I basically ran out of running books I could borrow from the library with digital download - I've read 4 cover to cover now, plus parts of 2 more.  So it seems about time to transition to a new topic.  And both my competitive side, and my desire for $100, have me pretty motivated to lower my body fat percentage over the last 4 weeks of the challenge.

10K!

I did it!  I ran a 10k!  AND, I finished in 57:18!  That's a 9:14 pace.  For 6.2 miles!  I feel so good about it.  And what was really amazing, and still has me high, is how proud my husband and kids were, and how encouraging all of my friends have been! 

And yup, I signed up for the half marathon.

Here are a few pics from the 10k.  We decided to wear our race shirts and all match, which was super fun, but also meant that I wore a different pair of shorts than my usual.  These ones were *super* short!  I can hardly believe I managed to go shorter than last race - but I bought these to normally only wear at home!  So I'd say from a "fashion" standpoint, this wasn't my best race yet.  :)  But from a running standpoint, it certainly was!

Near the start, and gives you a feel for the race:

Around mile 4, and the pack was getting a bit more spread out.  I found myself an emptier patch near the side of the street.  That's the beach path in the background - our entire race was along "PCH", Pacific Coast Highway, with the beach to one side.

Right across the finish line - do I maybe look a little happy and a little tired?

And with my finisher medal!

What an experience!  Wish me luck training for the half marathon!  I've put together a training plan for myself which I'm sure I'll adjust and adapt as I go.  But it follows my basic preferences for:
1. Gradual increases
2. Rest and recovery, either with full rest days or by alternating run days with upper-body/core-focused workouts
3. Variety - especially by including strength training, yoga and pilates-based workouts (using my beachbody videos which I enjoy so much!)

One of my race buddies trained in a very different way - very very intense, with runs 5-6 days a week and a rapid increase in mileage.  And she did amazingly well.  But I'm still reluctant to try it out for myself.  I just suspect that my body wouldn't like the sequential days of running.  But who knows?  Maybe I would get stronger and faster if I train that way.  Maybe after the half I'll give that a try.  :) 

Culottes!

When I first saw that culottes were back in style, my first reaction was "You have got to be kidding me!  Those were awful the first time around!  They were awful frumpy mommy clothes!"  ...  Yeah.

 

Eventually I saw a photo of culottes styled with slim boots under, and I thought it looked pretty cute.  And I figured you, my readers (esp. K--), might appreciate my trying out yet another questionable trend for you.  :)  And hey, they would be comfy.  So I bought a pair. 

 

Then it stayed ridiculously hot here, so boots are still out of the question.  And I'm getting a bit bored of just staring at the pile of new fall clothes I bought over a month ago.  So I decided to wear my new culottes today.

 

I like them!  They move really nicely when I walk, and sure enough they are quite comfortable.  I kept my outfit pretty simple and all neutral so that the silhouette itself could be the star.  Is this a trend you're going to try? 

 

(And another hot trend I'm super excited about is the ball-back earing.  I'll do a post focusing more on those later. :) )

 

(Sweater: Nordstroms, Shoes: BCBG Darron pump from DSW, Culottes and earrings: White house black market)

Office casual

 

This is a sort of "I'm on sabbatical, pretend I'm not here"/"I'm running 13 miles this week, my feet deserve flats"/"I'm going in to the office so I guess I better still look a *little* professional" outfit.  I'm also having a little fun with these nail decals that a friend of mine was selling.  I'm going with "accent nails" on my left hand so that my right hand still looks nice and professional.  :)  

(Top: Old Navy - looked good but man did it pull easily - way more easily than similar tops I've gotten from other places, tank: Spankx from Nordstroms, Shoes: Macys, Pants and necklace: White house black market - a bit of a cross between normal crops and leggings honestly, but so cute with flats, Nails: blue polish by Revlon, patterned nail decals by Jamberry)

Training for a 10k, and pondering a half marathon

I haven't posted about fitness in a while.  After my 30-day boot camp trial, I went on vacation, and then when I returned I focused on running.  I'll do a post on boot-camp soon, but here's a little about my current endeavor:


The nerdy part
I've read three running books cover to cover now, and parts of two more.  I feel like I'm getting a pretty good handle on views on running.  And it basically comes down to two camps:  The Running Runner Runners camp believes that the more you run the better (40 miles a week? Great!  What?  You only run 40 miles a MONTH?  Well, then you're not really a runner...), and the Everything in Moderation camp believes that running three days a week is perfect, maybe four.   The Running Runner Runners camp believes in the value of strength training - when done on the same day as a run and completely focused on muscles that will be helpful for running - and believes in the value of cross-training - when it happens to be the elliptical or pool running, because that's what cross-training is, right?  Another variation on running?  The Everything in Moderation camp takes a bit of a broader view on strength training and cross-training.

Even though it clearly comes from the Running Runner Runners camp, this book had a lot of very helpful tips in it:

   

This book is obviously for after you've read the beginner books (or gotten the key points summary from me :) ) and actually started running.

I fall squarely in the Everything in Moderation camp.

But that said, I definitely see the charm in running long long distances, and often.  There's something really soothing about running.  And there's something incredibly rewarding about the constant improvement - knowing that your body can just jog on and on and on or working to get there.

I've also learned a little about funny little things like running belts, hydration systems, sport sunglasses, and GU.


My current training
The latest phase in my running life started after I came back from our fabulous vacation in early September, and I started preparing for the 10k that's coming up in 2 weeks.  I started reading more, and started a program of basically: 1 stroller jog per week, 1 "long run" per week, and 1 intense/speed run per week.  Each one is different, and each one helps me get fit in a different way.  I figure the combination is good for me.  As I read more, I concluded that this intuitive training approach was pretty much spot on, but there were some nice ways to fine-tune it.  How much do I increase the distance on my "long run" every week?  What types of intense/speed runs should I do?  etc.

SO, here's the plan I'm using:

Sunday: Stroller jog pushing the double jogging stroller.  Typically 2.5-3 miles at a conversational pace (since I'm with my running buddy and her daughter, and all 5 of us are conversing!  LOL.  It's a party on the run.  We often make people running in the other direction smile.  :) )

Monday: Upper body strength training  (21 DFX or P90X3), possibly with some additional core-focused stuff

Tuesday: Long run - "long" run started at about 4 miles and increased by about a 1/2 mile each week.  Ideally you want to increase weekly mileage by no more than 10% a week to minimize the chances of injury (giving your body a chance to grow stronger to keep up with your increasing demands on it).  

Wednesday: Yoga (21 DFX, P90X3 or Piyo)

Thursday: Random - sometimes upper-body, sometimes pilates, sometimes yoga, sometimes a rest day  (21 DFX, P90X3 or Piyo)

Friday: Speed run - typically 2.5 miles with varying speed workouts like:
- From the running books: (warm up well) 1 minute run really fast, 1 minute jog slow to recover, repeat  (cool down well)
- From the running books: (warm up well) "fartlek," aka "speed play:" run pretty darn fast until a specific point ahead that I choose, run slow to recover until I feel relatively recovered, run fast until a new point that I choose, etc.  (cool down well)
- And NOT from the running books but still fun, inspired by my hubby who said "Just run fast and keep going": (warm up well) run fast for as long as I can, walk to recover because, oh man, a slow jog just isn't going to cut it, jog the rest of the way  --> This is a fun one for a beginner like me because I think sometimes we beginners don't even know how fast we can run.  This one helps us figure that out.

Saturday: rest day (or really "playing with the kids so quasi-resting" day)


To half-marathon or not to half-marathon
I'm up to a 5-6 mile run for my "long run" and I can do that comfortably with my fabulous running buddy.  Now that I've realized that we're basically half way through a half-marathon training program, I admit I am toying with the idea of trying one of those.  But that certainly violates the Everything in Moderation approach.  It would require longer runs, up to 10 miles, and that is starting to get pretty darn long.  That's a lot of pounding for the joints to take, and a lot of stress for the tendons, ligaments, etc., to bear.  While I'd certainly work my way up gradually, each body has only so much it can truly take, and I'd be risking going over my own body's limit (which luckily I have not hit yet).  Plus my wonderful running buddy wouldn't join me for a 1/2 marathon, and 10 miles without her might be pretty boring!  :)


AND, our recent 5k 
In the midst of this 10-k training, my friends and I ran a second 5k.  I ran it in 29:22!  It was a goal of mine, but I wasn't wedded to it, to do the 5k in under 30 minutes.  And I certainly did.  Some time next summer, I want to do a 5k in under 28.  I think I can do that.  (And let's just say that in my head there may be some even more aggressive "after that" goals... ;) )  If there were a local 5k in December to sign up for, I'd be signing up for that. 

For our 10k, my only goal is to run the whole thing.  I don't have any time goal in mind.  I'm going to stick with my friends' pace, and have fun - and wave at the kiddos and hubby when I run past the house (the 10k route goes right by)!  That's the goal.  :)


FINALLY, Weight
A lot of people take up running to lose weight.  From everything I've read, that's really not a good idea.  Here's why:

1. You want to lose most of the excess weight before you start running, because the pounding on your joints will be much worse if you are heavier.  Walking is great, but when running the impact on your joints is roughly 8 times your weight (I've seen quotes of anywhere from 4 to 12).  An extra 50 lbs means an extra 400 lbs of force on your knees and ankles.  Not good. 
2. Your hunger urges will go up, probably more than the extra calories you are burning.  This is particularly true for women.  So if you eat to satisfy hunger - you'll end up gaining weight.
3. There is a psychological effect that people often feel like they can eat more, especially more starchy carbs and more junky sugary food, because they are running.  Some of the starchy carbs are good, but a lot, and certainly the sugary stuff, is not.  

That said, guess what my results have been so far?  Well, I've gained weight.  I'm up about 3 lbs.  BUT, my body fat percentage went down!  I've gained muscle!  And lost fat!  I am eating more total, more healthy fat, more healthy carbs, and more dessert foods with basically no nutritional value whatsoever.  But I guess between the running and the strength training that I've maintained, my body has been able to put a lot of those extra calories to good use.  

SO, despite everything I read, maybe running is good for *fat* loss?  At least when part of a well-rounded fitness routine?  Maybe.

Peplum dress

Every time I wear this dress I love it.  It just looks so polished and put together, but it's also so easy to wear.  This time I paired it with red accessories and kept my blazer (in case of over airconditioning) simple. 

Pleated shorts

The last time I wore pleated shorts I was 12, a little chubby, and horribly awkward. I wore them with big baggy t-shirts tucked in, and the shorts went to my knees.  Twenty years (plus a few) later, they look a whole lot better.  I wear them much shorter and know better than to tuck into them with my short torso.  The jacquard fabric on these makes them a little dressier too.  But they do still poof out a bit in front.  I suspect that's inherent with pleated shorts.  

And yup, it's still shorts weather out here.  

(Shorts: jcrew factory, on super-sale right now.  Top: old, don't remember where from.  :). )

Wearing high heels comfortably

To be clear, any podiatrist or physical therapist you ever talk to will tell you not to wear higher than 2" heels, at least not on a regular basis.  And they will tell you to wear wide chunky heels that are nice and stable.  But hey, you want to wear heels anyway?  Here are my tips to doing so somewhat comfortably.  These are just the things that I've figured out over the years work well for me.

I obviously wear fairly high heels fairly often to work.  And I often teach 3 hour classes on my feet in them, go 10-11 hour days, including carrying a toddler around for a little while.  Over time I've realized that there are a lot of things I do to make wearing heels more comfortable and practical that are just a part of my regular life, but that others might not think of.  I figured it might be helpful if I share some of these tips and tricks that I've figured out over the years.

1. Buy good shoes!  One woman I know was complaining about how she can never wear heels.  It turns out she was buying them from Payless Shoe Source.  You don't have to buy $500 shoes, but there are some features that you should look for, and that most $15 shoes won't have: 
1. The shoe should be well balanced so it stands up on it's own, and it feels stable when you rock your ankle around a bit trying them on.  Basically the shoe should do the work of keeping your ankle stable, so you don't have to constantly work at it.  (You'll have to work at it a little anyway.)
2. The slope of the arch and where the sloped part starts and ends feels right on your foot.
3. There is sufficient padding or support under the ball of your foot (which will support more of your weight in heels than in flats). 
4. Your toes are not squished, pressed, and definitely not being forced into unnatural angles. 
5. The bottom of the shoe (both in the front and at the bottom of the heel) has sufficient grip that you won't be sliding.  For leather-soled shoes you will have to rough them up before this is the case, but I've found that for artificial materials the starting level of slickness is a pretty good indicator of what they will be like. 
2. Work your way up.  If you don't wear heels often, or you haven't worn them in a while, then start by wearing lower or chunkier heels or wedges, which are easier to walk in.  Wear them on days when you have a shorter day or less standing/walking than usual.  And gradually work your way up. You are developing certain special muscles, and just like with exercise, you want to gradually build up.  You also want to give your body a chance to rest and recover.  And know your limit - for most of us 3" or 3 1/2" is a reasonable limit.  Yes, I sometimes go higher, but I keep it to at most two days a week, and never on teaching days. I will never "work my way up" to 4" heels every day, or to *ever* wearing a 4 1/2" heel without a platform.  It just wouldn't work for me.  For some of us, we'll never really work our way over 2 1/2", and that's fine.  But you still don't want to go from wearing sneakers all the time to wearing 2 1/2" heels every day - work your way up.
   
   
3. Take your heels off when you drive.  We Californians spend a lot of time in our cars.  I almost always take my heels off (especially 4" skinny heels) when I'm driving.  It makes a huge difference to how my feet, ankles and calves feel at the end of the day.  
1. The public transportation analogue to this: have a pair of flats or flip flops that you can wear for your commute and then change into your heels just before going in to the office (or once you get there).  I sometimes did this back when I lived in Boston.  
4. Use a rocking foot-rest, sloped foot-rest, or take your shoes off at your desk.  One person I know takes her shoes off, turns them around, and then uses them as a sloped foot rest!  Obviously I wouldn't actually take my shoes off.  ;)  So I have a rocking foot-rest that I keep at an angle that offsets my heels, and that I occasionally rock back and forth.  This means that even though I'm wearing heels for a 10-11 hour day, for most of the time, when I'm sitting at my desk, my feet feel pretty much as if I am wearing flats.
5. Stretch!  At the end of every day, some time between coming home and taking off those heels and going to bed, do a full set of leg, hip and butt stretches.  Most importantly, stretch your calf and hamstring out really well.  Sometimes I will do some calf stretches mid-day as well.
6. Protect your arches.  This means both exercising them to strengthen them, and massaging them to relieve tightness and increase blood flow.  The image I've put here includes exercises targeted to people with plantar fasciitis, but the exact same set of exercises can strengthen your feet for wearing heels.  Toe grasping exercises work well with a towel too (or some imaginary item, once you get the hang of it).  To massage my arches, I use a tennis ball which I put on the floor and roll around under my foot, putting just enough weight onto it to get a good massage. And, along the "protect your arches" idea - in certain shoes you may want to add additional arch supports.  I do this in most of my flats, but for me personally I don't need the extra arch support in heels.  I only buy heels that have a good slope/arch for my feet.

 
SO, why do I do all of this?  Because I love my heels, but I want to be (relatively) comfortable and I want my feet and legs to stay healthy.  So if you also like wearing heels, I hope a couple of my tips are helpful.  And if you just really don't care enough about wearing heels to do this stuff - then you're probably a little more normal than me.  :)

Bcbg darron pump

This outfit is fun and flowy - a different silhouette than I normally go for.  But it seems like a more polished version of flowy rather than bohemian, so it works for me.  I'm also wanting to wear more fall styles because all of the stores and catalogs are filled with fall clothes.  But it is definitely still summer weather here.  So this outfit works well. 

I wore my BCBG Darron rockstud-style shoes again, and I love them.  They are not my most comfortable heels, but I can wear them for a full day of work including dropping off and picking up the kids.  I can even wear them for teaching a 3 hour class.  So they are certainly not bad at all. 

When they first appeared at DSW 6-9 months ago they sold out almost immediately.  I had to stalk the website waiting for a return of my size.  But apparently they were so popular that BCBG decided to make them on an ongoing basis, and expand the selection of colors and patterns.  At less than $70 these have been more than worth it.

And, for L who is thinking about buying herself a pair :), here are a few of the outfits I've worn with these shoes over the last half year:

I tend to wear them with long wide-leg pants to the office because I felt uncomfortable showing my heels in class or at meetings.  But on Sabbatical, I'm fine with it, so I went a little bolder today. :)  And on off-hours...  These shoes look great with a dress or with jeans!  SO, that's a little overview of the BCBG Darron rockstud-style pump.  :)

(Today's outfit: Top and necklace: White house black market, Pants and sweater: Express, Shoes: BCBG Darron pump from DSW)

Comfy casual

It was a flats kind of a day.  I honestly only planned to wear the cardigan in my overly air conditioned office, but wore it a bit more than expected.  It was comfortable, but I'm not sure how I feel about the look (and I ended up playing around with alternative buttoning all day long).  Please share any cardigan tips!  :)

But I got compliments on my necklace from 3 key people - my 4 year old, my 2 year old, and the most stylish woman in my group at work (she's a little older but always looks great, and wears high-quality stuff).

(Dress and shoes: macys, cardigan and necklace: jcrew factory)

Matchy matchy - coordinating dress and shoes

When it comes to my work wardrobe I am a huge fan of coordinating tops or dresses with shoes.  When it comes to casual, I almost never do it.  And I have no idea why!  But here's one example for work.  

I've also decided that blazers are a good item to splurge on - I wear this one often and with a lot of different types of items under, but it always makes a big difference to the outfits.

(Blazer: Zac Posen from Saks off 5th.  Dress: felicity and coco from nordstroms - this dress comes in pretty much every color and in petite sizes as well.  Shoes: me too from macys.)

Back to the office

This week marks the official ramp-up to the start of the school year.  All of a sudden there are meetings, lunches, presentations, etc., to go to.  But it still feels like summer!  It is hot and humid, sunny, and the days are long-ish.  This is a good transition outfit - a little summery, but still professional.

(Top: INC from Macy's, but from many years ago.  Pants and blazer: White house black market.  Shoes: Franco Sarto from DSW.)

I'm back! :)

And what better way to resume than with a date night outfit?

I bought this dress over a year ago but hadn't managed to wear it.  I was always debating whether to have the halter shortened to raise the neckline.  But with my new smaller cup size, this neckline is actually perfect!  At least in my opinion.

And check out my back muscles!  Oh yeah.  (Lol - yes I'm totally laughing at myself right now.)

I think this dress is a perfect example of Herve Leger at it's best.  Individual bands of fabric are sewn together into this gorgeous pattern, and in such a way that they make even the most boyish figure look curvy and feminine.  The fabric and craftsmanship just don't come close in cheaper bandage dresses.  I still wouldn't pay full price for it, but I didn't have to!

I paired it with booties to avoid looking overdressed and give it a little edge, and my silver Versace Couture purse which is perfectly on trend again, about 10 years after we bought it. Gotta love how styles come back in.

(Dress: Herve Leger from lollipuff.com, purse: Versace Couture from the Versace store in Florence, shoes: White House Black Market.)

Work-from-home weekdays

I mentioned that I've been working from home mostly this summer.  So what do I wear when I work from home in the summer? Summer dresses!  I love comfy cute dresses that I can wear while I sit around the house and when I run out for errands.  Here are a few:

Black maxi: Dorothy Perkins, bought in London
Red, black and white dress: random teen-agery store years ago
Orange dress: Old Navy
Black and pink dress: I think JC Penny! But from SO long ago.

Black super-basic super-minimal flip-flops: Old Navy (great for narrow or low-volume feet, and like 2$!)

And yes, I have even more summery dresses along these lines.  This is one of my favorite parts of my wardrobe because these dresses never go out of style, and they are so comfy, cool, casual, but still cute. 

Office Monday

This summer I have basically been coming in to the office once a week, and working from home the other 4 days.  It's great - I've been productive, but have also relaxed a bit more, worked out a little more, etc.  Here's today's Office Monday outfit.  

I love this skirt and always wore it with a top over in the past, but I decided to try tucking today.  I think it works despite my high waist.  I was also super happy about this cobalt blue with the black and white skirt and shoes.  

I love this skirt.  Every time I wear it I end up checking the designer's website again.  When I went to her boutique in SF I came away thinking that she's really brilliant at cutting and draping fabric, and finds the most interesting prints.  But she's honestly not great at sewing.  I think that's why her stuff is still reasonably priced.  If you like well draped clothing, check her out: Sunhee Moon.  And this basic skirt is one of her standards.  Right now she has it in a few solids.

This was not the best pair of shoes to wear on moving day - I'm moving offices right now.  But I couldn't resist.  Worst case I'm closing my office door and taking my shoes off while unpacking the last couple of boxes.  :)

(Top and shoes: White house black market, Skirt: Sunhee Moon)

A Sundress kind of day

 

Our weekend was about as summery as you can get.  We went to a park, IHOP, an outdoor shopping center where we got frozen yogurt and ran around, went to the beach, had dinner, and crashed.  Then we got up, went for a jog (well, son and I did), went to a park (daughter and I did), went to brunch by the beach, walked along the pier, went to the beach, and then went to a friends' place to swim!  And came home and crashed again.  So I spent a lot of the weekend in sneakers or a swimsuit.  But for brunch, I wanted to wear a nice sundress.  Of course, I knew I'd be walking up to 2 miles while carrying a 2-year-old, and again - beach town - so flats were appropriate.   

I paired this flowy but slim sundress (Thank you J--!!  This is another of the hand-me-downs) with my flat sandals and just went for it.  I think it worked, but I have to admit, it looks a bit awkward in the photo from the back.  More flip-flop style shoes would probably have been better.  On the bright side - people probably paid more attention to the adorable open back on the dress, and the happy red and white print, than my shoes.  :)

I can't wait to wear this dress for something (inland?) where I can wear my strappy white wedges.  I think those will pair perfectly with it.

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!!

This is probably my single favorite sale of the year. Every summer, mid-summer, Nordstroms puts some fabulous fall items on sale before the season starts.  For most other sales, sale items are end-of-season, so you will barely get a chance to wear them, or they're the leftovers that other people didn't want.  This is the brand new just-in-stores stuff!

Here are the minuses to the sale:
It's July.  It's hot.  And these are fall/winter items.  So it can be a little hard to decide what you want.  It can also be hard to say which trends are actually going to pick up.  And finally, the items might go on actual sale before you ever wear them.  SO...

Last year I bought sunglasses, a purse, a couple pairs of shoes, camis, bras, and some makeup that wasn't actually on sale but hey I was there.  And I used ALL of it a lot.  It was a very productive shopping trip.

This year - I'm just buying 2 bras.

But if you're in need of any basics, or have an idea of any fall items you want this year, definitely check it out!  It is a pretty great sale.  And the service is great if you go into the store.  You can also browse the Anniversary Sale catalog/mailer online, which is always fun.  :)