Running Around Western New York

Three weeks into marathon training and the Fall Distance Group through Fleet Feet Buffalo – and all is well.

Due to the inevitable navigational errors that seem to have become a weekly staple, this past Saturday was an 11.11 mile jaunt through residential downtown Buffalo.  Despite the extra distance, I felt mostly strong throughout – and finished with a flourish.  I’m forever grateful to the new pals I’ve made at the group who dutifully pace and push me, helping me get faster and stronger every week.  Running with people is one of the best choices I’ve made in a good, long while!  Not only is it more fun, it’s clearly beneficial.

Yesterday, late afternoon, Duggs and I had an errand to run in town.  And then I literally ran home, made the house a water stop and grabbed the dogs, and finished my five mile active recovery jog out in the grapes.  After using KT Tape for the first time this weekend, last night’s run was the first in a while in which my shin did NOT hurt.  Amazing, huh?  I have an idea to post about some of the running gear I’ve stumbled across lately.  Some favorites have clearly emerged (KT tape being a big one) – but as time goes on, I’ll know more about the other stuff I’m giving a whirl while I run.

Last week I mentioned about the lack of Hawaii as a potential discouragement from reading – and some of y’all kindly requested more Western New York pics.  Pretty and outdoors is still pretty and outdoors; I personally see the beautiful merits of each location, clearly for varying reasons – but both pretty none the less!

Saturday’s run in downtown Buffalo… here are some photos I went ’round and collected post-run.  I didn’t want to photograph the entire area, I have to leave some aspects for the weeks to come!

post-run stretching!

marketing fail

but the canisius school is gorgeous, really

just down from the school, we run along this pretty pristine tree-lined road

behind these trees, and nestled closely with homes and small non-profits (a nursing home is across the street) – is a gorgeous orthodox church. greek, i believe.

the front view

taking in a fuller view for better context.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sky was so blue on Saturday.  Colder weather and rain was promised to us – but instead, once again, we were treated to a cloudless sunny day.  It was mildly cooler in the morning, but as soon as the sun hitched herself high enough to be seen in full, it was nothing but heat that came our way.   Want more deets?  Check out this run map: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/116526237

From the Farmer’s Market I’ve mentioned.  In a small park amidst opulent older homes – the market feels more like a picnic, the atmosphere is happy and relaxed.  I love just wandering around, people watching.  It’s the Elmwood-Bidwell Market, btw, if anyone wants to look it up.  I just adore the whole neighborhood it’s in!

the street along the farmer’s market – this one house is always selling furniture and stuffs out front

same side of the street, facing the opposite direction from the yard sale house

After I left the Farmer’s Market, it was time to drive home.  But fear not – I disregarded safety (and probably the law) and still managed to snap a few pics from the whip.  They’re poorly focused, but at least you get a feel for the area from them:

so many roundabouts (or rotaries for my bostonians)

i think that there is canada!

From last night, running through our small rural town that’s about an hour south of Buffalo.  I love it here too.  Yesterday’s run was just one of those feel good workouts, the sky was blue and the air was thick and hot – but I had a grand ole time!

quaint and oh so charming, yes?

all roads lead to home. specifically this one is pretty direct.

my lens was blurry, but it kinda lends to the whimsical nature of where i really live

running past sullivan’s charbroil is hard – oh the smell, so enticing.

and of course, the backyard and the grapes

the pooches need a workout too, of course

i look downright crazy in this one. i like it!

oh hay, i’m getting some sun out on my run

shaka!

love the cancer survivor running tee!

Ahh. So if you follow me on Instagram (as you should – @RadRosie) or Fb, or Twitter (see the side bar for those) – you know about the tee from last night’s run.  As I was sweating to the electropop (and some oldies) I was, as I said above, just having fun with it.  I kinda dance along sometimes, I usually smile – so when people kept honking and waving, I thought that seeing a be-neoned gal in a crazy get up bopping along was a novelty of some sort for such a one-horse town.  Only way after the fact did I register that I was rocking my SURVIVOR tee!  Oopsies – duh, of course that’s what people were pumped about.

So that was pretty fun, actually.  I love strangers that will a shout out and some encouragement over something like that – so rad!

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Well, that’s all I have for today.  If you think you could stomach it, I’m so tempted to post the photo diary of my “evolution of a blister.”  I have a nasty, slightly infected, triple blister on my right foot.  It’s heinous and admittedly, painful.  I’m dying to gross everyone out with it.  Thoughts?

Hope you’re all having lovely weeks; to my runner pals: enjoy the warm weather while we still have it, and holler at me about how your runs and training are going.  I’d love to have more running pen pals and blogs to follow to chat about training, tips, injury prevention and the like!!

As always – THANKS FOR READING!  

XOXO, HHR 

Marathon: It’s On!

I did it.  I really did it – I signed up, registered, paid for, a real live marathon.  On October 21st I WILL run 26.2 miles.

Logo for the Empire State Run

I’m not sure if I’m ecstatic or terrified.  Both? Hahaha.

Oy, let me back up.  So I’ve been running a lot lately, and several months ago – when I was still back in Hawaii – I said I wanted to run some races again.  It’s been a few years at least.  Well, I started to get really sick in the months leading up to the move, fell off my running schedule, lost my endurance, and so on.  We move here, the fresh country air of rural New York state wipes out the black mold and sickness from my body and bam! I’m up and running again.

Taking it one step further, I couldn’t shake the idea that if I wanted to really commit to running – really take it seriously – I needed some form of accountability.  Thus, I started looking online for running groups, coaches, that kind of stuff – and I found a marathon training group out of Buffalo.  I called, showed up on Saturday, signed up, ran 8 miles on the route they set up, and now I’m in!

holding up “five” for being at the five mile mark during saturday’s run

buffalo has very pretty scenery during runs

The group I’m running with is through a store in Buffalo – Fleet Feet Buffalo.   The marathon I’ve signed up for will be in Syracuse – it’s the Empire State Marathon.  There’s also a half and a huge running/fitness expo over the days before the races.  Anyone who wants to cheer me on – c’mon, c’mon!  It should be an awesome time, a good weekend for sure.

fleet feet buffalo – first day of the fall 2012 distance group. can you tell which one is me?

So.  I’m off to go do a prescribed five mile run (part of my daily training plan) and I’m getting really excited.  It’s been a long time since I’ve jumped into the world of legit endurance sports, so I’m happy to be back!

Get ready for lots of running chatter and my amateur nutrition info.  In order to prepare, I also have a lot of learning to do.

As always, thanks for reading!! xoxo, hhr

Guest Post: Carly from Nourish.Nature.Love on What Motivates Her Most

Today I’m stoked to share with you an awesome post written by my pal Carly.

Carly is one of the healthiest people I know: a personal trainer, dedicated workout enthusiast and expert practitioner of the yoga.  She’s a kale eating human pretzel type, with enviable discipline!  Recently, some of her readers asked her to write on what it is that keeps her going – why she’s able to stick to it and work so hard.  

Know that Carly works for her body the old fashioned way.  She works hard for her amazing physique: sculpting, training, sweating, and she eats right; her results are well deserved.  Her dedication is so admirable, as is her attitude.  If you read my middle-of-the-night whiny rant about body size and image that posted a few hours ago (click here if you missed it) – allow Carly’s confidence, gratitude, and peace to be a breath of fresh air, a pleasant contrast to my confidence lapse.  

I’m going to try and take her outlook, attitude, and advise to heart.  I think it’s a beeline to physical success. 

Without further adieu: re-posted here, with her permission, Carly explains in three simple answers what motivates her:

carly is super fit

carly in pigeon

Why do I do the things I do? What keeps me going?  by Carly Hunkin 

Another question I’ve been asked.  And it’s a good one! I think we should all ask ourselves “why?”, especially when it comes to our health.

Body. Mind. Spirit.

First, let met state that I believe they are all interconnected, one acts and reacts off of the others and in order to have optimal health, all three aspects need to be cared for. This is the approach I take- holistic wellness.

I was raised in a home that took a holistic approach to wellness, so it’s been with me from the get-go. It’s be ingrained in me from the start that giving your body the proper nutrients, keeping your body in moving and working condition, and loving Jesus(or the Universe, or giving some sense of gratitude to a greater power) is key to happiness and health. So, in my home is where it all started for me, and as I matured and grew into my own, independent thinking woman I read and researched and asked a million questions…Istill do this. I will always continue to look for ways to improve my life.

Body.

We only get one body. Get(implying we were given) and one are the two words I focus on. I was given this body by God- to use and take care of. I don’t get a second chance,  I can’t return it or exchange it and I don’t get a do-over. This body is mine and I will treat it with respect. What a kick in the face it would be to give someone such a useful and complex gift just watch them trash it and not take advantage of it. Our bodies were made to move, we were designed to be active. I like to take advantage of that–I think the human body is so rad! the complex movements, how everything works together to complete a goal or task. So cool. Believing this, I move my body frequently, in all sorts of ways- cardio(low and high intensities), hiking, walking, bike riding, using wights and lifting heavy things(kids), sports, yoga and stretching. I also believe that our bodies were meant to be lean and strong(lean and strong will physically look different on everyone, though) and that God is a beautiful artist, and if we are his master piece then we will be beautiful also.  If we are using our bodies the way they were meant to be used and giving our bodies the nutrients they were meant to consume, then we won’t have to worry about how our body looks, aesthetically- it will take care of itself.  That doesn’t mean I don’t believe in goals and striving to be better or to improve your body aesthetically; I absolutely think goals are great. They’re challenging and the feeling you get when you achieve is amazing. I have the current goal of getting defined abs- the hard work and dedication that I have to put in to achieve that will be so rewarding in the end. When it comes to nourishing our bodies- nature has provided perfectly and unfortunately man has ruined it. Sad times. The love of money has once again ruined a beautiful thing. I try to give my body nourishing, nature -made foods. If it doesn’t come from the ground or doesn’t have a mother-don’t eat it. Additives,  food colorings, GM foods and crops and chemical concoctions don’t belong–they do nothing but destroy our health and the planet. What’s the saying?…”The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison”.  I’m not sure who that quote is by, but whoever said it couldn’t have said more truth in a more direct way. In order to keep our bodies moving and working(exercise), we’ve got to fuel ourselves with the right kind of energy. It’s important to eat and eat well! Food is your friend!

Mind.

This one is simple and straight forward. Think positive and give thanks. Every day might not be beautiful, but there is something beautiful in every day…right? right. Find the good in every situation. It’s ok to acknowledge the negative, the negative makes us work and overcome, but don’t feed yourself constant negativity. It will take a toll on you in all other aspects of life and health.

Spirit.

We are all connected. And I believe love to be the foundation of connection and the spirit, your soul. I love God because He loves me and has provided me with so much goodness. I feel rich and alive inside. This feeling is on fire when I’m in a place of love, when I’m praying and talking to God, when I’m sitting and meditating on his goodness and love. It’s important to find that connection-wether it be with God, the Universe, nature, whatever. Finding that place of love, being able to feel the burn is humbling. It makes you feel so little and so important at the same time. God provides me with a sense, no…, a knowledge of peace and protection. I take care of my spirit because God takes care of me.

Explaining all this, what keeps me motivated is love. Love for my body, love for my mind and love for my God.

namaste.

….

Carly is a Personal Trainer, yoga enthusiast, God-lover, and health nut.  She’s lived out here in Hawaii (she’s a Marine wife too!), and we’ve been pals and neighbors for a couple years now.  Check out her blog about holistic living, healthy eating, outdoor adventures and all kinds of good stuff:  Carly’s blog – Nourish. Nature. Love.

february, eff yeah!

February is hardly here, and it already is so super rad.

1. As of 1-February both Duggs and I saw promotions! 

His was long-in-the-making (he won’t go out a Terminal Lance afterall, woohoo!)… and I saw an hours increase in my part-time writing job.  So rad.  What awesome blessings, we are so happy and grateful and glad!

hooray duggs!!

this dreadfully creepy photo totally encapsulates my experience as a paid writer and marketer. ... (cool it, i'm kidding. this IS so creepy though, yeah? yeah.)

2. I’m thisclose to getting my student loans consolidated.

This is so hardcore awesome, really.  Student loans are both amazing and terrible, great when you’re riding high on ’em and awful when it’s time to repay the man.  Luckily, I think I may be able to get in at a nice interest rate and bundle ’em all together.  This is the month it can finally happen!

3. The January workout goal was MET and SURPASSED!  

I won’t disclose the embarrassingly meager requirements of said goal.  But hey, a goal is a goal, and meeting a goal is awesome.  Goal goal goal.  Did I say GOAL enough?

yeah, i did blur it out. and what? (isn't our workout log cute, btw?)

Goooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaal.

We did it! Eff yeah!

I’ve even lost a couple lbs in the process, which makes me happy.

collar bone says to cheek bone, "don't call it a comeback."

4. Some things are coming together with our move.  

No, we don’t have any details… we have NO CLUE what day or date we’ll be moving on.  But, some of our more personal arrangements and what not are coming together nicely, including a good phone call I got today.  I’m feeling confident, more ready, more okay with it.

5. It just rocks. It’s just awesome! 

Life is just good.  I’m happy and blessed and cheerful, optimistic.  Ole Stinky Duggs is in good spirits too.  We’re happy folks, by nature.  November and December were some stressful times, lots of blah (like so serious blah ick no bueno).  And January, the new year, just breathed some nice fresh life into things.  New goals, new perspective – I have kinda pulled around the bend a bit with my health (which greatly affects our daily lives)… New job, new med routine, new workout – and things are just falling into place nicely.

6. Valentine’s Day Brings out the ROMANCE. 

Nothings says romantic like, “oh hey I got you one of those weird hologram bracelets.”  At least it does in our house.  The Duggs finally caved into my incorrigible insistence that those bracelets are magical and make you awesome.

i've got the power.

So here’s to being stretchier than ever.  Heh.   Interpret that as you will in light of the looming holiday de St. Valentine.

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So, Happy February everyone!  

For all of my gals and pals enduring deployment, the turning of the cal page is ALWAYS a big ole deal – one more month down!

It’s Leap Year, which is fun and weird… and it means a spring and summer of campaigns (which has me fired fired fired up already).  And to readers and friends in general: Have Fabulous Fecking February!

As always, thanks for reading! xoxo, hhr