10k Playlist + My Next Fitness Challenge

07.23.14

With my next 10k about 4 1/2 weeks away, I have been really feeling committed to my 4-week training schedule (more so than last time). My training starts on Monday and I am excited to get started! My playlist keeps me excited and motivated when I'm getting exhausted and, to be honest, bored of running. I have a couple of workout playlists on my phone for different activities: circuits at the gym, yoga, running, etc.

I thought I'd share what is on my 10k playlist that I'll be using in a couple of weeks!

"Flawless" Beyonce
"Run the World" Beyonce
"Grown Woman" Beyonce
"Power" Kanye West
"Lift Off" Jay-Z & Kanye West (feat. Beyonce)
"Who Gon Stop Me" Jay-Z & Kanye West
"Fastest Girl in Town" Miranda Lambert
"Mama's Broken Heart" Miranda Lambert
"Somethin' Bad" Miranda Lambert & Carrie Underwood
"Catch My Breath" Kelly Clarkson
"Roar" Katy Perry
"Work Bitch" Britney Spears
"The Man" Aloe Blacc
"Problem" Ariana Grande (feat. Iggy Azalea)
"Fancy" Iggy Azalea
"Hey Brother" Avicii
"Remember the Titans" Soundtrack Score


I haven't grown tired of my playlist and it's been working really well for me the last few months. I added a handful of songs before my 10k in Virginia and then never ended up bringing music. But I will add a few more before the next race!

About a week ago, I did something kinda nuts. I'm running my dream race at the place "Where Dreams Come True!" I will be running in the 

Disney Princess Half Marathon 

next February! There is something about Disney World that is really special and I am really excited to be crossing this off my fitness bucket list. I won't be setting a particular goal for myself yet because it is my first half marathon. Once I get further into my training schedule I will have a better idea of what I want to accomplish with this race. 

To be honest, I think this might be the only half marathon I'll do and I don't really see myself ever running a full marathon. This is coming from the girl who used to be intimidated by a 5k so never say never!

Gotta go dust off my Minnie Mouse ears!

The Move: Part III

07.22.14

Just sharing one more part about my first week in Nashville! 

Monday was my favorite day - Jack Daniel's Distillery tour! We drove out to Lynchburg (about an hour and a half) to see what all the fuss was about. My dad and I were total nerds throughout the whole tour. Meanwhile, my mom and sister were troopers for sticking it out during a brutally hot afternoon. 

On our way to the tour, we needed to have a bite to eat before we did any whiskey tastings! We had our very first Sonic experience. Allie and I reeeeally wanted to try it because we don't have Sonic in New York! Two thumbs up. I'll be back for the Cookie Dough Ice Cream Blast next.

We had time to kill before the tour started so we walked around "Downtown" Lynchburg. It took all of 8 minutes but it is a cute town.

Downtown Lynchburg

Our tour at the distillery was fantastic. I won't bore you with the ridiculous amount of pictures I took. But I'll share my favorite part of the tour! This is the coal room and they've had an impressive group of people sign it (Dolly Parton, Eric Church, Zac Brown Band, etc.) I was geeking out during the whole tour! 

One last picture...

Our tour guide, Big John.

The next day, my mom and I were dying to see more of the city. We headed out to see the Country Music Hall of Fame.

I think we can all guess by the frame of this dress who this belonged to! 

Yep, Miss Dolly Parton!

They were featuring a Miranda Lambert exhibit. I have been listening to her music (and Pistol Annies of course) nonstop for months now. I saw her in concert in March 2013 and she put on an amazing show! 

Her wardrobe from the "Mama's Broken Heart" music video

My ultimate favorite female country star is Carrie Underwood. I loved that they displayed her outfit from the Sunday Night Football commercial! Carrie + NFL is everything.

It was fun seeing more of the Nashville area and getting to check the tourist-y activities off of my "To Do" list!

The Move: Part II

07.18.14

My first couple of days in Nashville were nothing short of hectic and exhausting! But that comes with the territory of moving four states away. 

As I'm sure you know by now, we arrived last Friday night and it has been pretty non-stop since then. My parents just left on Wednesday (miss ya already T+A!) and we had a great time getting to know the area together.

I realized I had yet to take a picture of the skyline so I quickly snapped this pic (while I was in a moving vehicle) Not too shabby if I do say so myself!

On Saturday night, we went out for an amazing meal at The Yellow Porch and we all gave it two thumbs up. We had an intense foodie weekend - no complaints here!

On Sunday morning, we took Mac for a walk in the park down the street from us. That is the face of one happy puppy!

Let the wild blackberry obsession ensue.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at a restaurant called Tenn16 to watch the World Cup Final. Our cable wasn't hooked up yet so we had to go out to watch the game... something we never do! We all agree we like to yell at the television in the privacy of our own home. The food, and mimosas, were outstanding!

On Sunday night, we headed down to Broadway to get the tourist-y things. We went to Robert's Western World and saw a great band who covered Johnny Cash and Elvis! It was a lot of fun. I have to say, Broadway is not certainly representative of what the entire city of Nashville is really like. It is a serious tourist trap. It is like going to New York City and only seeing Times Square. We enjoyed ourselves, nonetheless. 

Looks like Mom and Dad are really getting into the Honky Tonk spirit!

More to come!

From Roc to Nashville!

07.16.14

The Move: Part I

Hey everyone! Guess what?! I am officially all settled in my new home of Nashville, Tennessee! I feel so behind on posting because we haven't had internet access until yesterday afternoon. I want to recap a little on my last night in Rochester and the drive down South.

We spent all day Thursday packing and loading the truck. My friend of 17 years, Jenn, stopped by for one last hug and "See You Later" and she wrote my the sweetest note! And Emma, one of my oldest friends, came directly to our house from her road-trip home to say bye! I seriously have the greatest friends. 

Victory dance in the truck!

Our cousins, Jack and Dane, came over for some very enthusiastic hugs. 

Emma and I can't get enough of Dane!

Jack is going to miss me, I just know it.

One Last Look on Friday AM

Our Fearless Leader in the Truck

 We left Rochester around 6 AM on Friday morning. My parents were in the truck while Allie and Mac drove in the Mini Coop. It was just little ole me in my car for 13.5 hours. To be honest, I thought I was going to be a wreck pulling out my driveway and driving through Rochester but I was doing just fine. I joked with Allie and Jenn that I would be sobbing until I got to Ohio. But I think my dry eyes were a sign that it was time for me to leave. 

It was an interesting experience to drive through five states (New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee) all by myself. We only stopped 3 times for about 10 minutes. We were determined to just get there. We hit some nasty traffic in Kentucky that set us back about an hour. Oh, and we all managed to get very lost in Kentucky. Allie and I were using an out-of-date GPS and it took us through these verrrrry interesting back roads. Have you ever been in the backwoods of Kentucky? With no cell service? Try it sometime.

We stopped to fill up our tanks one last time and we were with some interesting company. Shirtless, guns in their holsters, and cracking open a Bud Light as they peeled out of the gas station parking lot. "Toto, we are not in Kansas anymore."

Finally, around 7:30 PM CST, we arrived in our new home! We spent the whole night unloading the truck. Needless to say, we slept like rocks that night. 

Mac is already loving his new home!

To be continued...

Last Weekend in Roc

07.07.14

My last weekend in Rochester was absolutely perfect! I was so happy to be reunited with my best friends and spend time with my family. We couldn't have gotten luckier with the gorgeous weather. It was nice to have an excuse to kick my feet up with some of my favorite people. 

My best friends drove up to Rochester for a little reunion before I move down South. I was so excited to see them after 7 long weeks apart! 

White Jeans Mandatory.

Typical 4th of July pic

Slumber Partyyyy

No trip to Roc is complete without a margarita at Mex

So happy to see this chick!

Slight obsession with the candles at Mex.

The rest of the week will be dedicated to packing and organizing! Moving day is really sneaking up on me! There has been so much build up to this very week and it is crazy to me that on Friday, I will be leaving my hometown. 

I am anxious and excited to get settled into our new home at the end of this week.

Am I Crazy?

07.03.14

Last week, I did something crazy. I registered for another 10k. 

Seriously, am I nuts?

The race is called "It's Just A 10k" (hah) and it'll be in Nashville! As I mentioned in a previous post, our house is perfectly located near a gorgeous park. Well, the race will be at this park!

Hopefully if I'll be training at that park, I will have an easy time transitioning into "race mode."

All of the training calendars I've seen are all 8-weeks long. Well, I don't have time like that with the big move coming up. Technically, the race is already less than 8 weeks away!

So I will be using a 4-week program that incorporates a lot more strength training. Plus, it's only 3 days a week of running. This is definitely a schedule I could get used to!

I have a goal in mind for what I want to accomplish with this race. This time, I will definitely have music with me and I will be a lot more focused. I have to dedicate more time to cross training too! I'm excited to see how this race and the training goes. 

I'm optimistic that I will reach my goal. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd be registering for races that are longer than a 5k. But, now I can't help myself - I am addicted to crossing the finish line!