That wasn't so bad

If you read this post, you know that I am a heat person. I like hot sun, hot water, hot sandwiches. Okay, not really on the sandwiches. But sometimes I will get my Subway toasted. ;-)

Everything is better hot. Imo, of course.

As a runner, I've read numerous accounts of crazy-ass runners doing something unthinkable to me - taking an ICE BATH!

What?!

No way, am I ever going to voluntarily sink my body into a pool of ice. Unh-unh. But there are all these benefits... blah blah blah.

And then I read Ali's post about her first experience taking the plunge.

*cue over-dramatic music* THIS CHANGED MY LIFE! An ice bath can consist of cold water? No ice? Maybe that won't be so bad...

I couldn't get that post out of my head. When I went for a 12+ mile run on Sunday, the *gasp* thought of an ice bath really. kept. me. going.

Say, what?!

Yes, I kept daydreaming about sinking my legs into a bath tub filled with COLD water. Who is this girl??

When I got back, I started filling the tub with cold water while I did a few stretches. Now, our hot water had been turned off for some repairs the day before and had only been back on for a few hours. As the water was running, Jeff called to me.

Him: Don't you want to make sure there's hot water first?
Me: No, I'm just using cold water.
Him: Why?
Me: I'm taking an ice bath. Well, without the ice.

After stretching and once there was enough water in the tub, I slowly lowered myself down, down, down. I only cringed a little. It actually felt kind of good.

Seriously, who the hell is this girl?

I posted this to Instagram as proof.

First ever ice bath. Feels better than I'd have ever guessed. I might be sold. Next time I may actually add ice. Lol.

I was surprised how quickly I got accustomed to the temperature. Until I had to readjust my legs. Then the shock of the COLD would course through me again. BUT I LIKED IT!

Ok. So, maybe now I'm a *real* runner. I can foresee lots of ice cold water baths in my future. One day, I may even add ice...

I really do think it helped in my recovery, and it simply just felt good on my aching muscles.

Do you prefer Hot or Cold...anything...?
Have you ever taken an ice, or cold water, bath?
Tweet

I'm Still Me!

Today's Monday Listicles challege comes to us from Christine. List 10 WAYS YOU ARE THE SAME OR DIFFERENT THAN YOUR YOUNGER SELF.

I've changed a lot over the years since high school, but there are still a lot of things that are the same.

1. I still get acne. One day I dream of waking up with clear beautiful skin.

2. I'm still shy and quiet. Unless I'm talking with a good friend. Then I end up talking a mile a minute in a super excited way.

3. I still love to dance and sing. In front of no one but me. Yep. Rarely even my husband.

Source: thegreatfitnessexperiment.com via Clarinda on Pinterest

4. The best time to dance and sing? While cleaning the house. Of course! Still makes the chores go by so much faster.

5. I still like to read. Though I don't do it nearly as often as I did as a teenager.

Source: via Nicole on Pinterest

6. I still have little to no fashion sense. I dress to the beat of my own drum.

7. I still prefer being hot over being cold. The adage of "You can always put on more clothes" still holds no truth for me. Unfortunately, my fair skin still tries to thwart my sun-loving nature.

Source: someecards.com via Nancy on Pinterest

8. Though I accept who I am and don't really compare myself to others, I still crave acceptance and validation.

9. I still hate making phone calls. Thank god for the invention of the Internet and email!

10. I still love to play and bake in the kitchen.

How are you the same or different than your younger self?
Tweet

Fitness Friday - Upcoming Races

Last Thursday, I randomly wrote on the event page for Ragnar Las Vegas that I was looking to join a  team. I didn't really think it would go anywhere. I wasn't really expecting to hear from anyone.

Imagine my surprise when someone actually contacted me to say they had a couple open spots. This led to a flurry of FB messages with the team captain and a rising level of excitement from me.

This team sounded so awesome!

Team name: The Fanny Pack
Team theme: 1980s.

I could hardly wait to talk to my husband about doing this, and then, of course, I'd also need to take a day off from work. I'm too new at my job to have any vacation time, so it's time off without pay...

But Ragnar is totally worth it, right?

By Monday afternoon, it was official. I am now runner #4 of the Fanny Pack.

If you saw my Wordless Wednesday post, then you've seen what I'm up against. Are you jealous? Check out those lovely downhills. Ah, it should be perfect. And hopefully fast.

I. Can't. Wait.

But first... I have a half marathon to run. The weekend before Ragnar. Am I crazy? Maybe. I'm totally okay with that, though.

I registered for this 1/2 back in June.



I'm mostly pumped for this race because once I start, I'll be 50 bucks richer. LOL. Seriously, though, I think it will be a lot of fun. Bonus: A few of my Ragnar teammates are running it, too. Perhaps I'll have a chance to meet them before spending two days in a smelly van with them.

These two races will be my first since the Get Lucky 1/2 Half Marathon in March.

Have a mentioned how excited I am?? :-)

Three weeks until the Half.
Four weeks until Ragnar.

Have you ever run a Ragnar (or other relay race) before? This will be my second time. You can read about my experience running Ragnar Great River 2011 in this post.

What races do you have coming up this fall? If any of you are running either of these races, please let me know! I'd love to meet you. :-)
Tweet

Click the picture below to see who else is celebrating Fitness today.

{review} Premier Protein

A month ago, I was a Premier Pop winner on Twitter. I love trying new products for free, so I quickly shot them off my address.

You should have seen my face when the FedEx guy dropped off a whole lotta protein fun.

I was so excited I posted this to twitter the next morning!

After returning from my super long 3 mile run, I couldn't wait to dive in. I started with the Vanilla shake. It was super tasty, and it went fast! I was generous enough to let my husband try a sip, too.

He even thought it was good!

Next up to try were the bars. I was given 2 of each flavor: Chocolate Peanut Butter, Double Chocolate Crunch, and Yogurt Peanut Butter Crunch

My favorite was the Yogurt Peanut Butter Crunch, but I thought they were all good for protein bars. This is not to say that I didn't like them. I did, but they ain't no snickers. :-)

The chocolate shakes were just as good as the vanilla!

I'm sad to see my fridge empty of these delicious getmethroughtheworkday post-run treats.

If you're not a huge fan of protein bars, I'm not sure these will be tastier than anything else out there, but I would highly recommend the shakes. For sure! I think I definitely will be adding these shakes to my shopping list.

Have you ever tried Premier Protein?
What's your favorite way to refuel after a grueling workout or long run?
Tweet

Wordless Wednesday

More on this to come...
Tweet

You're so...

Today, our Monday Listicles challenge is ... 10 Compliments. This is kind of a tough one. I don't necessarily accept compliments very well. I have gotten better during the past few years, but it's still something of a struggle. I broke this list up into two, because I think it's important to both accept compliments from others as well as compliment ourselves.

Five Compliments I received during my first two weeks at work:

• I'm glad we hired you. You're catching on really fast.
• You're very efficient.
• I love your shoes.
• You're in great shape. Really great shape.
• You eat so healthy.

Five Compliments I gave myself in the past two weeks:

• This bikini is fitting you so much better.
• Wow! You've really improved with your bike riding in the past two years.
• You look really great.
• You totally rocked that workout.
• You are awesome!

How have you have been complimented recently?
Do you compliment yourself?
Tweet

Comfy Cozy

After two months of posting nearly every day (sometimes multiple times a day), I took a full week off. I'm not going to lie.

It. was. nice.

But I'm back now, and hope to be able to post 3-5 times each week for the remaining weeks of October. I'll start out with a quick Stream of Consciousness Sunday.

Today’s (totally optional) prompt: What makes you feel cozy and safe?

********************** 

A hot beverage. A warm blanket. A good movie. Or maybe a good book.

Definitely some snuggle time with my guy (Jeff) and my girl (my pup, Sallie). 

Oh, yes! And soup. Definitely soup from the crockpot. Throw in some freshly baked bread. Mmmm...

Why does cozy and safe equate to fall and/or winter? Don't I feel cozy and safe in the spring and/or summer?

I do, but it's a different kind of safe, I guess. I more like freedom and exploring and trying new things. Fall and winter means coming back to a safe place. Recuperating until spring comes around again to try and explore and escape. Weird. I never really thought of it that way before at all.

I've always been a girl who enjoys all 4 seasons. Growing up in MN, there were 4 very distinct, almost picturesque, seasons. I loved them all, but as I've gotten older, I've really come to love and embrace fall. Spring was my fave growing up, of course.

Never been a huge fan of winter, though. Hence the move away from the cold MN to the warm weather of the Vegas desert.

********************** 

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes. 
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw. 
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible. 
• Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post (in the sidebar).
• Link up your post over at Jana's Thinking Place. 
• Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love. 

Tweet