Yoga Monday : Compass Pose

This pose is great.  Not only do you feel like a million dollars getting all those joints moving and loosening up, it also looks really cool.  This pose is not for the faint of heart and you want to be limbered up before you give it a try.  For more details and a step by step how to visit shape.com.

source:shape.com

Friday Favorites : Acopoco

I have just run across this great website called Acopoco that carries all kinds of things for your household at great prices.  They are cheaper than Amazon.com and the shipping is free.  Also, if you sign up now, you can get $5 free.
It's like free money.  You should at least visit the site and order up a bar of $3 soap or something just to give the website a try, plus it would be free!  Awesome.

Acopoco

Humidity training

The weather today is just like almost every summer day here in Central Texas.  Low 74, Hi 92 with loads of sweaty humidity.  When we first moved here and I saw numbers like this I thought it was no big deal.  I had dealt with plenty of 90+ degree days growing up in Northern Colorado but what I didn't  know was that the heat of the day arrives about mid morning and does not let off until after midnight.  Since is so darn hot for such a long period of time there are only a couple hours of realistic time to get any sort of a run outdoors right now, between midnight and 11am.  This morning I made my attempt at about 9:30, after I dropped the girls off at school.  The run started well and I was ready for the humidity with my fancy new hydration belt from RunOnFaithAndFashion.  By 20 mins in I slick with sweat from head to toe but hanging in there.  At 30 mins I gave it up!  I knew this wouldn't be the day for a long run, but I was hoping to get more than 3.5 miles on my legs, but that's ok!  I made a realization today.  I need to train for humidity just as I train for distance or speed.  My body needs to learn how to adapt to the extreme weather and its going to take a little time.  I will do my best to pound the hot pavement and push through the doldrums of the treadmill during these hot months and count down the days to a cooler September and some new strength.   Taking it 1 mile at a time.

Marathon bound

No, I'm not heading to the city of Marathon in Greece in search of my hero Pheidippides, rather I'm committing to run my first marathon.  I've run 5k's, 10k's, 10 miler's, half marathons, and even a 30k but the full marathon race is still on my list to conquer.
Since I started seriously running several years ago I have been intrigued by this small local marathon and this year I'm going to give it a shot. The timing is right with my family affairs and my training and I figure why not?
I know the course well since I run on it weekly if not more.  It's close to home and low key....all necessities for my first marathon.  Even though I am familiar with the course I know it's not going to be easy.  There are several hills on the course and in fact the elevation chart looks pretty scary.  But I have 5 months to train and feel pretty good about it at this time (easy to say now right?)

So does anyone have any marathon training tips they can share with me?

Yoga Monday: Shoulder Stand

Shoulder Stand

This pose is pretty great for loosening up your neck and shoulders which for me is great because I carry my stress in this area.

source : shape.com