What I'm Loving Wednesday

Today I'm Loving ...

1. This is my Birthday weekend! We will be celebrating in beautiful Nashville!

2. I have officially started my last semester of coursework for my Masters ... I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

3. This new fall color from OPI!

4. My latest Pinterest finds!

And of course 5 short weeks until my sweet nephew arrives!!

Sweat is Fat Crying

Now that I have a school schedule and life is feeling a little more routine it’s time to start training. I have had a few emails and comments the past few weeks asking about what my training schedule is like. I am by no means an expert or professional runner but after 2 years of running and 7 races, 3 which were half marathons, I have learned a few tips.

The first year three friends and I decided to run the St. Jude Half. We got together and ran a few times a week and even signed up for Race for the Cure 5k about 6 weeks before the half. We finished and ran the whole half marathon; however, we did not really train so after the race we were all feeling a little less than 100%. I even ended up injurying my knee pretty bad and forced to wear a brace for 8 weeks and no physical activity.

I was hooked as soon as I started running so I did not want to stop just because I had not trained properly. During my doctor recommended time off I decided to read up on how to improve my training. The two books that helped me the most were “Marathoning for Mortals” by John Bingham and “Nancy Clark’s Food Guide for Marathoners”.

As far as a training schedule for starters I would recommend two days of cross training with one rest day a week.Here is a quick glance of a schedule:

Monday-Cross Training

Tuesday-1 mi run (increase to 3 mi when your body can handle the increase and then hold steady at that milage)

Wednesday- 1 mi run (increase to 5 mi and alternate between 4 and 5 miles)

Thursday- Cross Training

Friday- 2 mi run

Saturday- Long run day (start off with 1 mile and increase by either half or a full mile depending on what your body tells you until you reach 11 miles if you are training for a half marathon. After you reach 11 miles you need a few weeks to taper off your milage before race day so you have some recovery time.)

Sunday- Rest

Feel free to switch the days to ones that work best for you. Just make sure that you have a rest day after your long run day so your body can recover. My favorite cross training exercises that I have tried are spinning, step class, swimming and pure barre.

For more moderate or advanced runners try a schedule like this one:

Monday- Cross Training

Tuesday -2 mile run

Wednesday- Alternate between 5 and 6 miles

Thursday- Cross Training

Friday- Alternate between 3 and 4 miles

Saturday- Long run starting at 6 miles and increase to 11

Sunday- Rest

I hope this helps anyone who is thinking about running!

Happy Fall Ya'll

Or at least fall semester. The weather is still 90 degrees and its still August but for me the busy fall semester has begun. I did have a wonderful weekend to help relax before everything gets crazy, ok crazier!

Friday I went to see Casablanca, one of my all time favorite movies, at the Orpheum. I believe I have seen it there the last 6 years at least. Then we took a little trolley ride over to the Cheesecake Corner. If you are in Memphis and have not eaten there it is so good. Turn off you computer, leave where ever you are and go now!

Saturday Sarah and I went to a new country dancing club. After this past New Years in Dallas I love to be spun around the dance floor by a cowboy. We learned a few new dances and had a blast!


And last night I went to my sorority house to help the girls practice for Recruitment. They did a great job and I know they are going to get the best girls in a few weeks!

Now it's time for Junior League, Alpha Gam and school to start up! I love being busy but I might be a little overwhelmed in a week or so. But the best part of this semester is that my nephew will entering this world in 5 1/2 short weeks!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Today I'm Loving ...

1. That I have filled out my paperwork for Student Teaching!! I still need to meet with an advisor to clear me but then I will be ready for Spring Semester in the classroom.

2. Sarah is back from Texas and only 2 hours away ... at least for the next 8 weeks!

3. It's training time again!! Races are starting up soon and the St. Jude half is only 15 weeks away.

4. I have two weekends with no plans and I intend to do nothing. Starting Labor day weekend and going through December I am completely busy so I need to rest up.

5. Of course I am loving that in 7 weeks my nephew should be making his arrival!!

What are you loving? Hop over to littledaisymay.blogspot.com and play along!

For the Boys

I began to think today about Disney movies and started to worry about which ones I need to get for my sweet Nephew, Ben. No he is not here yet but I like to be prepared ... and I might be a little bit excited. After all we only have 7 and a half weeks left!

I was worried because I just feel like all Disney movies are all about princesses and targeted towards girls. However, I came up with a few that are boy movies.

1. Robin Hood

2. Aladin

3. Lion King

4. Peter Pan

5. Cars

Any of ya'll that have boys or nephews have any other suggestions? I feel like I need to start buying some since they put the movies in the "vault" and you can never find them or you pay a fortune for them on ebay!!

Work Workout

I have been looking around at different fitness guides and came across an article about what you can do during the day, at work, to burn a few extra calories.

Of course it mentioned things like a quick set of push up or sit up before and after lunch break. Drinking tons of water was on there, which I already do. They also recommended standing at your desk whenever your on the phone so that your just not sitting all day. However, there was one suggestion that I thought was the most realistic and it actually burns the most calories, replace your desk chair with an exercise ball!

The article says to start with only 30 mins and then add 30 mins everyday. It's a lot harder than you would think so you don't want to over do it the first time. Using the ball you are improving your posture, since their is no back to it, and your are contsantly keeping your core engaged since you are having to constantly move to stay balanced on it. All the movement helps you to burn extra calories, if you weight 120 pounds you will burn 112 calories an hour!

Has anyone tried this and is it worth it?

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Today I'm Loving ...

1. Sweet Sarah is in town for a little while longer! She might soon be moving to Hawaii but I don't mind going to visit her there haha!

2. I am catching up on my reading since I have a few weeks off until fall semester starts up again.

3. My AGD sisters! I am now the new Alpha Experience Advisor for my chapter. We had our first meeting last night and I am so proud that after all these years AGD still has the most amazing young women!

4. There are 8 weeks and 2 days left until my nephew's due date! Gosh it has felt like it has both flown by and dragged on!

If you want to play along hop over to littledaisymay.blogspot.com!

To the Movies

This past weekend all four of us girls were in the same zip code, something that does not happen often, and we went to see Crazy Stupid Love and if you have not seen it yet you should immediately! It was so good and there were a few twists that I didn't see coming. I enjoyed it so much I promised my Momma that I would go see it again with her. Not only that but I would pay full price again. Very few movies are worth two full price showings, I mean come on its crazy expensive to see a movie!

In a few days another movie that I am dying to see is coming out. The Help starts wednesday and I am trying to read the book as fast as I can. I am about 1/4 through it and determined to finish it before this weekend. Surely a few of ya'll have read it. Is it as good as it seems to be?

Hope you all had a great weekend!

It's Time!

Fall is starting and it's the beginning of a busy year!

This year I will be finishing all my coursework for my Master degree, oh I can see the light.

I have also had my first Junior League meeting and I will be working with Ballet Memphis in their Connections: Kids program to promote healthy eating habits. Also this week starts a new year with FCA and the camp begins tomorrow morning!

As for runs this year I have signed up for Race for the Cure and St. Jude's half marathon. I am planning on also running in the True Blue 5k but need to sign up still.

My bestie is getting married in May so we will soon be busy with all the pre-wedding festivities!

And of course we are getting so close to my nephew making his arrival in about 9 weeks!! Waiting on this little boy is worst than waiting on Christmas when I was a little!

These next

You Can Take the Boy out of Mckenzie

But ... you can't take the Mckenzie out of the boy!

(Daddy at Sissy's shower a few weeks ago)

My Daddy was born in Bruce MS and raise in Mackenzie TN. He strongly believes that duck tape can fix anything and mercurochrome can heal anything. If you have no idea what mercurochrome is don't worry it is this nasty bright orange liquid that my Daddy put on any scrap we had growing up. Most people have never heard of it and a few years ago it was outlawed due to the fact that you could possibly get mercury poisoning from it, haha!

Even though my Daddy grew up in the sticks he did go to College at Union University in Jackson, where he met my Momma. We have lived in the big city of Memphis for 25 years but he still is a redneck at heart.

Case in point ...

lately he has decided that he does not like the squirrels around our house because they are knocking over his bird feeder. So what is his solution? Thats easy he is going to shoot them! Our house is not in the country we live in a subdivision. Keeping that in mind Daddy has been using a BB Gun instead of a real gun, he is so cautious! Tonight he got home from work at the hospital in his shirt and tie grabbed the gun, since there were a few squirrels right outside in shot distance, and began to shot at them. It was quiet a sight, haha!

My Daddy everyone!! As much as I would like to apologize to all of our neighbors I wouldn't change him for the world!