Couch to 5k running apps review and Color Run

Although I still haven't been able to get in as much running time as I would like, I really need to focus this weekend.     Besides the hot chocolate run, I also signed up for a Color Run that will be taking place in Austin the first weekend in Feb.   Bascially you are required to run with a white shirt and then as you hit each mile marker they toss or spray some kind of color on you and  by the end you end up looking well like a rainbow I guess ha ha.         

I have been able to  try out two apps on my Iphone for the couch the 5k program  one of them is completly free it is called:  C25K free           I downloaded because I thought well hey it's free I will give a try.   Overall it is pretty good.  It gives you a plan for 8 weeks, its for 3x a week and 30 minutes.   It allows you to play your music, and you can run a milage tracker in the background.  It also has a voice that tells you when to walk and jog.   It sounds great and it is, but the problem is, you can't hear the voice that tells you when to run and walk.  There is a beeping sound, but unless you are focused it can be easy to lose track of things.     I guess for free it does it's job.

The other one I tried is called 5k Runner:  This one gives you a free trials but then after week 2 day 1 you have to purchase the rest of the weeks.  I think it's only $1.99.    It's the same kind of program 3x as week for 30 minutes.   It allows you to play music,   I think once you pay it may track your miles but if not it also let you run a milage tracker in the background.     It has a voice and beeps so you know when to run and when to walk, however this one I feel is better.  The voice is louder and it actually interupts the music so you can hear when it is time  to switch.  I just think it allows you to focus more on the environment around you and you don't have to strain to hear the beep or voice, so the run seems less stressful.       I haven't had a chance to buy the upgraded version yet, but I plan to.     

Both of these can be bought through the iTunes store, they had tons of options so I wasn't sure which ones to pick, if any of you have tried any of the others ones let me know.

Music is key for your workout routine!! Try this top 10

One thing for sure, is that without music many of our workouts would be fairly boring.   I don't know about you, but for me music is what keeps me going.  Often times when I am out running, walking, going to Zumba , etc  I hit the point where I just want to give up, but then a great song comes on and I pep up and get re-energized.         The hard part  is sometimes finding the right music, well I was recently contacted by someone by the name of  Chris Lawhorn he runs the web's largest workout music database.   He recently put together a list of the top ten workout songs based off user feedback.    After he sent me the list I got on to itunes  listened to them because I hadn't heard of all of them and sure enough they are definitely songs that would help me out.    Thanks to his website Run Hundred finding workout music can be easy :)    I will be going back to his site in the future to check out updates and other exercise music.     

Here is the list of songs that he provided ( Below the list I also included the press release that Chris Lawhorn also wrote):   

Tim Berg - Seek Bromance (Avicii Vocal Edit) - 127 BPM


Katy Perry - The One That Got Away - 135 BPM

Alexandra Stan - Mr. Saxobeat (Maan Studio Remix) - 126 BPM

Flo Rida - Good Feeling - 129 BPM

Wolfgang Gartner & Will.I.Am - Forever - 128 BPM

Hot Chelle Rae - Tonight Tonight (Goldstein Remix) - 118 BPM

Taio Cruz & Flo Rida - Hangover - 129 BPM

Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull & The WAV.s - I Like How It Feels - 129 BPM

Kaskade & Skrillex - Lick It - 128 BPM

Kelly Clarkson - What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger) - 117 BPM




The Top 10 Workout Songs For Winter 2011


San Francisco, CA – Jan 1, 2011 – Traditionally, winter is the time of year when folks find it hardest to get out and exercise. In the hopes of keeping folks motivated, readers from RunHundred.com--the web's most heavily-trafficked workout music blog--were polled regarding their favorite, current workout songs. The resulting top 10 list has a little of what you'd expect—and a little you might not. Flo Rida, who's no stranger to this list, shows up in two recent tracks. Enrique Iglesias continues his transition from balladeer to club rocker. And Kelly Clarkson, after faltering with the first single off her new album, bounced back ferociously with the second.

As for surprises, they're mostly entries from folks relatively new on the dance scene. Highlights include songs from Tim Berg (who remixed his own track under his Avicii moniker), Skrillex (whose collaboration with Kaskade is the first dubstep track ever the make the Top 10), and Wolfgang Gartner (who's made the chart with a little help from the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am).



To find more workout songs--and hear next month's contenders--folks can check out the free database at RunHundred.com. Visitors can browse the song selections there by genre, tempo, and era--to find the music that best fits with their particular workout routine.


Contact:

Chris Lawhorn

Run Hundred

http://www.runhundred.com

Time to unleash the dragon

The year 2012 is supposed to be the year of the dragon, so I think it's time that I unleash my inner dragon.  I don't know exactly what that entails but I do know that it means it's time for me to take one some more adventures and challenges.       I didn't make any new years resolutions mainly because I didnt' really think about it and a lot of the goals I have in mind are similar to what I am already working on.    I am going to list them out again so that maybe it will get me  back on track.    I do have many challenges that I would like to complete though so I guess that's my resolution to set some goals and complete them.      Here are some of the goals I would like to complete: 1) lose weight ( this is a tough one for me I start off strong and then get very side tracked.)  2) More running, now that my TSH levels seem to be up and running it's time for me to do what works and that involves running, 3) Exercise, Exercise, Exercise, 4) Get my bike checked so I can do more cycling, 5) enroll in a golf class, I have been wanting to take a golf class for a long time so I think it's time I really try one out, 6)be better about my overall nutrition and stop eating out so much, 7) continue to find adventures to I know will be challenging but will be well worth it.         

On that note I am going to challenge myself today by making sure I do some sort of exercise I am not sure if I will have time to train for my hot chocolate run today, but I am going to do my best to either do some exercise on the Wii, or do a walking DVD.        Does anyone have any fun challenges they are up to for the year 2012????    

Holiday Adventures!!!

Hello out there!!!  I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season :)       Usually during the holiday season, I like to bake, relax, shop, and travel.  Last year completing some of these task where difficult for me, I didn't really bake, shop, or travel  because I had my thyroid removed in late September and was still trying to adjust.     This year has been a completely different story  I shopped until I couldn't walk anymore (shopping counts as exercise right?),  I am in the process of baking all kinds of cookies, I am getting ready to leave to San Diego to go watch my beloved Texas Longhorns play in the Holiday bowl, and......     I finally applied to a Ph.D. program.   Applying to a Ph.D. program has been in the back of mind for some time I just hadn't worked up the nerve and of course the thought of possible rejection is never fun.   This year, though I thought, hey why not I am trying to live my life to it's fullest and do things to prove to myself that I can do this even if I am missing a vital part of my body.  So now I am sitting on edge, wondering will I or won't I get in???     Either way, I need to keep reminding myself that what is meant to be is meant to be.       In time I will find out and at least I can say I tried!!         

As for my running adventure, and training for the hot chocolate run I still haven't been able to maintain a consistent running schedule.  The holiday's and getting in my application kind of derailed me.  However, I have been doing a lot of walking with my dogs and of course holiday shopping walking.   I know I need to train more intensely and I hope to get to that soon.   I also hope the weather gets a little better it's been raining, cold, and just yuck to be able to run outside and I don't want to go run on a treadmill, but if I come back from  my San Diego Trip and it's still like this then the treadmill it will be.         

As for my weight loss adventure, my mom and I have been trying to watch what we it as much as we can.  I don't think I have gained weight, but I don't think I have lost weight.  Isn't dieting during the holidays so difficult???  Especially, when you are baking :)         I am proud of my mom and I though for trying to watch our Weight Watchers Points that I think is an goal accomplished in itself!!!    

Well I am off to go shop some more and with that I ask..  Does anyone out there have any plans of actions or adventures  for the holiday season???    

Couch to 5k

I am tired of beign a couch potato.  I am tired of gaining weight. I am tired of being of track.  I am just tired :)

 A  couple weeks ago I signed myself up for a 5k (3.1 milles)  that is called the Hot Chocolate run.    I have been so off  track with running it is ridiculous, and I can tell that my body is just inflating from all the bad food I have been eating and from my lack of movement.    In the back of my mind I keep telling myself I need to get off this couch and get back to running.  So now that I have signed up for this run, I have to get serious.    In the past I would just get out there and start running and give myself a couple weeks and be good to go, but now that I have had my thyroid removed I somehow convinced myself that running is way to difficult.    It is time for me to step up to the plate and get running!!!!!      As much as I want to just get up and run, I decided that I needed to work myself back into it.   I downloaded the couch 2 5k program on my iphone, and started it today.  It wasn't to bad, and I am now motivated to complete this program and prepare for my upcoming run!!   Unfortuatly, I forgot to turn my GPS tracker on so I don't know how far I went, but I got at there and it's a good start!         Has anyone out there every down this program???    If so let me know if you like it.     

I am a warrior!!!!!

GEEZ ,  I have been so busy with work that I haven't had a chance to update my blog :(    But better late then never.      

Well I did it, I completed the warrior dash and I am officially a warrior!!!!!     It was tough and very challenging,  I did it slow but my goal was to complete it and that is what I did!!!     Now I am not  going to lie, I did have to "cheat"  on a couple of the obstacles but I just didn't have the strength to get myself through certain obstacles, but I made it to the end and for a thyroidless girl like me.. that is a major accomplishment.     I am definitely proud of myself, and  I think I just might try it again next year.  There were some obstacles that where kind of scary, but the volunteers would give us clues and hints and that seemed to help.     One of the first obstacles was a mud pit that I tried to avoid but slipped and fell right into it and of course lost my shoe.  I was able to retrieve my shoe, but after the last obstacle another mud pit  I lost it again, but I guess a true warrior doesn't mind losing a shoe ha ha!     I hope that one day, some of you are inspired to try something like this!!! I am not going to lie, I probably should have trained harder for this, and luckily I had been going to boot camp because if not, I would have been in serious trouble I think.   It is also a mental thing, so if you can convince yourself that you are strong enough, then this is possible.      Here are some pics!!    I don't have pictures of all the obstacles, because it would have been difficult to carry a camera.  Luckily, my dad got some shots of me on some of the obstacles towards the end.


This is me before the race!!!!          My friend and I before the race!!

We had no idea what we where getting into, well we kind of had an idea but not really ha ha!!!

My dad was able to get some pictures of me!!!  The fireman's pole, you had to climb up some barricade type thing and then slide down!! That was kind of fun but scary but it was a steep fall!!  The other one is a rope climb that was high also kind of scary!!

My dad also got a picture of me on the tight rope!! I was nervous about that one, but it turned out to be my favorite obstacle ha ha!!!!  The last obstacle was the mud pit, we had to swim through it, the muddy water was nice and cold and felt good, since here in Texas it was still hot!! I even got sunburn :(

This is me getting out of the mud pit and believe me that was a slippery mess, and this is where I lost my shoe at the end.    This is how I looked when it was all done!!!!     I was a muddy mess!!  Oh, and I hate how the mud sticks to your clothes so much, it makes all your fat show.. but it also has motivated me to get back on track with my eating plan which is a whole other story I will need to blog about soon.

After the race you get hosed down, and they have a pile for you to donate your shoes.  They power wash them, and send them to the needy.  Unfortunately, I was not able to donate my shoes because I lost one, so the other one went in the trash :(   I had taken extra shoes with me because I had planned to donate mine.     

The race took me a little over an hour, which I had kind of expected.  So I was starving, so my parents took me to eat at one my favorite places in Austin!!!  I was so hungry I ate all my food, and even asked for extra "vegetables.  This particular restaurant counts anything that does have meat in it as a vegetable, and you can have all the "vegetables you want!!!!!!!     The portions are huge and best of all it's home cooking type of food!!  It was delicious!!!

I hope that some day, many of you will be inspired to challenge yourselves in way that you never thought you would!!  I also hope, that if you have the opportunity to attempt something like this to go for it, and you too can be a Warrior!!!! 

Ready to be a Warrior!!??

A couple weeks ago, I got it into my head that I too wanted to be a warrior  :)    You know, prove a point to people and myself, and say hey just because I don't have a thyroid doesn't mean I can't be a warrior!!!  So what did I do I signed up for the Warrior Dash!!!     The Warrior Dash is a run/obstacle course and at the end you get to claim that you are a Warrior!   You have to crawl through mud, jump over stuff, clumb stuff, and whatever else they decide to throw at you.   I unfortunatly, haven't had much time to train, and even bootcamp has been on the backburner thanks to a super busy work schedule, but I am looking forward to the experience either way.      When I signed up, a couple weeks ago I thought to myself  I am not going to do this for a time, I am going to do this for fun, for me and to prove that I am a warrior!    The race is next weekend and I do feel slighly nervous since I haven't been able to train like I would have liked.  This week, I am going to try and get some work-outs in starting with a bike ride today, bootcamp tomorrow, bootcamp wednesday, and hopefully some light walking or running on Tuesday or Thursday.     I am going to try and stick to the plan as much as a I can, but unfortunatly this week is going to be stressfull to infinity and beyond.  Somewhere between all this I also decided to try a new brand of medication, I was noticing that the Synthroid was giving me some really bad headaches, one day I tried the other brand that doctor gave me and no headache so  I just kept with it.    My energy has been a little low on some days, but I have also be under a ridicoulus amount of stress so it's hard for me to say where my lack of energy is coming from.     So wish me luck in my becoming a Warrior Adventure!!!  I can't wait to update my blog with some pictures!!!     In case you are curious about the Warrior Dash here is the link:

http://www.warriordash.com/