friday five: this summer i will...

It's Friday Five time! I'm linking up this (very lovely) Friday with the DC gals: Courtney of: Eat Pray Run DC, Cynthia of: You Signed up for What?, and Mar of: Mar on the Run. The theme for this week is: 'This summer I will... 

1. Eat healthier. I'd like to eat more salads, fruits, veggies, and chicken over the summer. I'll be (attempting to) limit my fast food and fattier meals in exchange for healthier ones. Wish me luck, because I'm going to need it! I'm hoping with some willpower and routine, it will become easier. It's not like I eat our every day, but I do love me some Cheetoh Puffs, Doritos, pizza, and cheeseburgers, and when the craving calls, I usually answer :-/ I am writing this post as I eat a salad for lunch, which I packed up this morning before leaving for work. It took some time to gather it all together, so I'm quite proud of myself for getting it done haha. Not to say that I'm giving up everything that's unhealthy, just trying to limit the amount I eat.

2. Start Doepy training. Ahh! Can't believe July 1 will be the beginning of training for the Dopey Challenge. Scary, though the heavy mileage doesn't come until September, where it starts hitting 13+ miles, and the inclusion of a week with 4 days of running instead of 3 (there are 6 of them total, I believe). I'm following the Jeff Galloway plan up on the runDisney training page, as I also use his run/walk method. I figure it'll give me my best shot in finishing all of the races. Note that I am not concerned with my time for any of the races, just that it's within the time limits.

3. Start cross training on a regular basis. I'd love to get into swimming, but I have yet to find a gym or location that's close enough to home or work and is a reasonable price. Other than swimming, I'd like to start riding a bike, and try some other forms of cross training to see what I enjoy most. 

4. Strength train. I suppose this can fit in with cross training a bit, especially if I start swimming (that builds arm strength, right?), but I'd like to build and tone up my muscles. I don't have much strength in my core or arms, and would love to fix that. I really think it will help my running, and maybe even increase my speed and help prevent injuries. I'm pretty concerned with getting burnt out from running or injured once the heavy miles hit in the late summer/early fall. I want to be prepared, and I think cross/strength training will help. Along with pre/post run nutrition, figuring out how to foam roll, and just overall taking care of my feet and body post runs. All of these things are key to keeping me in tip top shape for training :)

5. Spend time outdoors (with plenty of sunscreen and hats, of course). Whether it be reading (I want to do a lot of reading!), walking the dogs (as long as it isn't too hot for them), picnics in the park, hanging out with friends at their pools – I want to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air, instead of being cooped up inside being lazy and unproductive on the couch. I'm really hoping for a fairly mild summer, so that I can stand being outside long enough to enjoy it! I'm not a fan of 90+ degrees (or 80s, if I'm being honest with you, don't hate me).

EXTRAS: A few other things on my list include: 

• finish getting the office organized, cleaned, and have it stay that way.

• go through clothes and donate things no longer worn.

• organize my closet and dresser drawers.

• spend time with my family.

What's on your summer to-do list? Any fun vacation plans? Do you foam roll? Can you come over and teach me how to do it? What form(s) of cross training do you do, if any? Looking for tips or recommendations, please :) 

Thanks to Courtney, Cynthia, and Mar for hosting! Make sure to check out their "Friday Five" posts and link up if you are joining in! There are always a lot of blogs linked up, and it's interesting to see everyone's takes on the theme. I suggest taking a look at a few (or all, if you have the time). Have a great weekend, everyone!

run-walk-run vibrating timer

I am a believer in the run-walk-run method. I was diagnosed with asthma as an adult, and found that running for any length of time meant I would have problems breathing early on. Finding Jeff Galloway and his method was a godsend. Being able to take walk breaks made it easier to control my breathing, as it wasn't putting as much pressure on my lungs. By adding in frequent walk breaks, I am given a chance to catch my breath, before it spirals out of control.

For a while, I used the Half Marathon with Jeff Galloway app (which I loved for training), but I found it drained my phone battery. By the end of a race day, my battery would be dead or close to it (like I've said before, I am not a fast runner - if I ever finish a half marathon under three hours, I will be on cloud nine, which is actually a goal this year). Since I use my phone to connect with family and friends after a race, I started looking into other options.

I had noticed (or rather, heard) at other races the runners using their watches for intervals, and others using something clipped to their shorts/belts. My watch has the capability of using time intervals, however, I like to be able to control my run/walk intervals during a run and have the option to change them if need be. I like to know that if I need to slow it down for warmer temps or because my asthma/allergies have kicked in, I have the ability to do so without much trouble. Having to do that on my watch would mean ending the current program it was running, changing the intervals, and starting it up again, which would mean losing some data (unless I completely stopped, which is not something I want to do during a race). What a pain. I prefer the convenience of the separate timer.

My wonderful mom bought me the vibrating timer from Jeff Galloway's site. I wasn't sure if I would like needing yet another item to carry/clip on, but it turns out that it's not even a concern. It easily clips onto my FuelBelt, and I pretty much forget about it until it beeps and vibrates. It puts me at ease knowing that I can listen to music on my phone, but not have to worry about the battery being dead by the end of my long runs or on race day. She also bought the wristband, but I have yet to use that (I already have my Nike+ Sportwatch and roadID on one wrist, and my fitbit Flex on the other, so unless necessary, I'd rather not add more).

source for picture and product description: jeffgalloway.com

This run-walk-run vibrating timer with stopwatch and clock easily sets up your run/walk intervals. Simple setup with dedicated set button. Large display. Low battery indicator. Rugged non-slip case. The timer can be set for any two different intervals from 2 seconds to 99 minutes & offers alarm by beep, vibrate or both. Has clip. AAA battery not included. This item is about the size of a pedometer. Note this item is not water-proof. Some runners use a baggie or purchase the wristband to prevent any moisture problems. Band not included. One Color: green.

I really like that you can adjust the length of the beeps from 1, 2, or 5 seconds (I use 2), and that you can use either beep, vibrate, or both. I was concerned that I wouldn't hear the beeps with music and other background noise, but when I used it for my first race last month, it was perfect. I also wasn't sure if the vibrating would be noticeable enough (as I often don't feel my phone vibrating in my pockets when I receive phone calls), but it definitely is.

I have to admit that I couldn't figure out how to set it up without reading the instructions, but they were easy to follow, as was the set-up once I knew what I was doing.

I would certainly recommend this product to anyone else that uses the run-walk-method. I haven't had a chance to use it for warmer weather, but I'll need to be careful that I don't get water on it, as it isn't water-proof. It's suggested that a baggie is used to prevent any moisture problems, so I'll have to give that a try if summer ever arrives.

How about you? Do you use run/walk intervals? What's your favorite timing device to use for your intervals?

*The timer and wristband were purchased by my mom, and I was not paid or compensated in any way for this review. It is my honest opinion and all thoughts are my own.*