training

Water to Wine Half Marathon Recap

08.28.2014

Finally posting some photos from the Water to Wine half marathon a few weeks ago! Better late than never right? Located in the beautiful wine country right outside of Healdsburg in Santa Rosa, we had so much fun at this race. Personally, I think its so much more fun to run with girlfriends. We chatted and encouraged each other the whole time, and the wine at the end was a major motivator to get to the finish line. I didn’t set a goal time, but we finished in 2:04. With another marathon in the books, I’m going to set a goal of 1:50 for my next half coming up in October. Time to train!!

My ladies! So much fun having girlfriends to run with, love you Luba and Athena!

Sprinting across the finish line to shave off a few more seconds off my time.

With my photographer and cheerleader. 🙂

Loved the medal. It was actually a wine stopper- pretty cool!

Shorts: Nike

Shoes: Asics GT 2000

Compression socks: CEP

Post race we decided to do a wine a food pairing at the winery (Kendall Jackson). The food and wine were both phenomenal! Not to mention, the winery is the perfect setting for a race.

Throwing my feet up after the race was much needed! Also swapped my asics for these Nikes. The most comfortable shoe ever.

Thanks to run wine country for putting on such a fun event! I would definitely recommend this race to those in the area.

Do you have a race coming up? Please do share!

I have a few other marathon articles and training guides: here, here , here, here and here. Happy reading!

Back & Shoulders Circuit Training

08.25.2014

Back circuit (Repeat 3x)

-lat pull down (15)

-cable seated rows (15)

-dumbell bent over rows (15 each arm)

-Assisted pull ups (15/last set to failure)

Shoulders circuit (Repeat 3x)

-Plate front raises (15)

-seated barbell shoulder press (15)

-barbell upright row (15)

-assisted pull ups (15/last set to failure)

I usually don’t train shoulders because it has a tendency to give me headaches the next day. However, I think it’s time to suck it up! After seeing a chiropractor for quite some time, I think we fixed the headache problem so I finally decided to give shoulders a try.

I have never been able to do a pull up. EVER. Until now. Practice, practice, practice and your body will become noticeably stronger! 🙂

Tip of the day: Do you find yourself asking what to eat before and after a workout? Here is what I’ve currently been consuming: 90 mins pre workout I try to eat .25 grams of carbs and .25 grams of protein. This meal depends on your tolerance before exercising. Some days I feel like I need to eat, others I can eat much less and still get after a session. Then I like to guzzle down a pre workout on the ride to the gym. This never changes. Love my pre workout! Directly after a workout I always go for a protein shake. Fueling immediately post workout helps the body repair and fuel right away. Once the post workout shake is down the hatch I usually give it an hour then have an adequate size meal consisting of lean protein and complex carbs. Your anabolic window is 3-4 hours post workout so be sure to make the most of it! Now I’m preparing for bed, and 8 hours of sleep is the most important time for your body to recover. I never want to go to bed hungry. This is a great opportunity for a casein shake (sometimes I go for cottage cheese) and a healthy fat like an avocado. To note, this is from my personal preference after lots of research. Find what’s right for you, even if it takes lots of trial and error.

Nike Favorites for Summer

05.15.2014

And my nike obsession continues… you gotta look cute while training right?!

I saw this photo on instagram and I instantly headed straight to the nike website to check out their new summer line. The colors and prints are absolutely gorgeous!! I am so in love with the red, teals and purples. Nike continues to be my favorite brand for workout clothing, events (Nike Marathon), AND training sessions (NTC/Running clubs). I just can’t seem to get enough.

Looking forward to the Union Street store to open this weekend. Although my wallet will not, I can’t wait to browse the store, get a shoe fitting and try some Nike Training clubs, yoga and running clubs. You can sign up for the upcoming events here: gonike.me/unionstreet.

Be sure to follow @nikewomen on Instagram for more style inspiration. 🙂

1. / 2. / 3. / 4. / 5. / 6. / 7. / 8.

Which is your favorite?

GIVEAWAY! #12WBT

01.20.2014

I have some pretty awesome news for you guys. Remember the Michelle Bridges body transformation program that I did a few months back? Well, I am so excited to announce that I will be giving away 2 Memberships of the Michelle Bridges 12WBT Round 1! Yes, you heard that right…2! (Each worth $199)

This program is EXCELLENT for all fitness levels and gives you all the tools you need to change your lifestyle. I couldn’t be a bigger fan of the delicious recipes, workouts that fit any lifestyle and overall motivation Michelle personally gives. Here are a few more details:

Pre-Season of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation Round 1 is currently in session and open for sign ups! *Pre-Season explained below.

Round 1 of MB 12WBT kicks off February 3rd, 2014 and continues for 12 weeks! Remember, members start together, and finish together as a team! You must sign up by February 3rd 2014.

Michelle’s 12 Week Body transformation program is delivered online by Michelle herself, where she will be your trainer, coach, and mentor at a cost much lower than a personal trainer. The cost is $19.99 per week or $199 one-time-payment.

Pre-season: Like any great journey, preparation is the key! Michelle has designed 12 Pre-Season tasks to set members up for success and get the most out of their upcoming 12WBT Round 1. Every few days of Pre-Season, a new task will be unlocked for members to complete. Don’t stress about fitting them in – each one won’t take much of your time, so no excuses! Prior to the Feb 3rd kick off, try your best to complete each task, as each will give you the prep you need to smash through the next 12 weeks! Pre-Season is open NOW!

www.michellebridges.com/12wbt

More about Michelle:

Trainer on the Biggest Loser Australia for over 8 years
Trainer for over 25 years
People have lost over 1.7 million pounds on her program
Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation is Australia’s #1 Online Fitness Program
Michelle has been featured in NYT, TODAY show, Access Hollywood.
Program is unique because it includes changing your mindset – something other programs don’t – so you can actually discover why you fall back on old habits and overcome those obstacles to change your lifestyle beyond the 12 weeks
Success stories highlighting not just weight loss, but people who’ve actually transformed nearly every aspect of their lives for the better
Check out these success videos: Video 1 / Video 2 / Video 3

How to enter the GIVEAWAY:

Easy entry for all Fitness & the City Facebook Fans
Follow Fitness & the City on Instagram
Follow Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation on Facebook
Follow Michelle Bridges on Instagram

Optional Entry: Sign up for FREE Fitness & the City emails on the sidebar —>

Please leave a comment below letting me know that you completed all entries.

Winner will be announced January 28th. Good luck!

Also, feel free to comment with any questions you may have about the program.

Stay connected with Michelle Bridges via: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

I have been financially compensated for this giveaway but as always, all opinions are my own.

Paris Marathon Training

01.09.2014

Hi there! I have gotten a couple requests to share my Paris Marathon training schedule so here it is! I’ll be training and running the marathon with a friend of mine so she has set up our miles and route for each Saturday. Yikes!!! I have never trained for a marathon before (although I ran the SF Marathon), so this is going to be extremely challenging. Along with our long Saturday training runs, I plan to run 3-4 miles about 2-3 times a week.

If you are in training mode, one of my biggest suggestions would be to find a running buddy. I would not be able to get through this training without a friend running with me, and pushing me along. I am an extremely motivated person, but 26 freaking miles, is much easier with someone by your side.

Also, here is the Half Marathon Training Schedule I have used in past races for those of you looking to run a half.

I am SO ready to step outside my comfort zone and accomplish something as exciting as a full marathon IN Paris. What a dream!!

Do you have a race coming up? Or would you take a leap and sign up for one?

For more marathon related articles:

17 things running teaches you about life / Tips to fuel before a race / Marathon must-haves

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