Tag Archives: first 5k

FIRST 10K, ACCIDENTAL 10K

Good afternoon to all on this beautiful Saturday afternoon. Today was a special day for me, I wanted for sometime to do a 5K, crossing  off one of the items on my fitness bucket list. I signed up for one with a team from Seasons 52, thanks to my wonderful manager Laura Dennis. We planned it a few months ago and we signed up for Run Seal Beach, a 5K and 10K in picturesque Seal Beach California.

Today I woke up bright and early before five am, and made my way to the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf to meet the others. It was amazing being up before the sun, and getting to witness the sunrise from a sleepy coffee shop, trying to restrain my excitement for what was to come.

Together Jonathan, Christine, Shane and I made the trek to Seal Beach and meet up with Laura, Caroline and Whitney. Laura was ready to go and she had Seasons 52 tee shirts for us. I am grateful to Laura and Seasons 52 for sponsoring us and giving me the opportunity to make one of my  fitness goals a reality. I am a long way from being over 200 lbs and out of shape, and I feel so fantastic.

Time was of the essence, we didn’t even have time to use a port of potty, they were lining up as we arrived. We all made a plan to meet after since we would all be going at different paces.
All of us were doing the 5K, except for Jonathan who is a seasoned runner, no pun intended. He ran the 10K which inspires me greatly.  I lined up towards the back with Laura, a little nervous with all of the people there. I am a novice runner and it is quite overwhelming being in such close proximity with all of the runners and wondering if I was going to get trampled. On top of that I have a slight toe injury and I was hoping the pain would hold out. I buddy wrapped my toes and took a few aspirin and believed I would be fine, after all the mind is stronger than the body.  I had my music and I was ready. They called our group and Laura told me to push through my first song and keep going. She is an avid runner and it was not long before I lost her and went at my own slower pace. At one point I noticed runners going in a different direction, but I kept moving forward, oblivious of anything around me but my own stride and the tune keeping me upbeat, energized and moving onward.

I was enjoying my experience, sprinting fast to my play list and then walking for a bit, then again running. There was a point where I may have felt that elusive runners high people speak so fondly of. The breeze from the trees was cooling my overheated body down, the rhythm of my music was guiding my pace. I forged forward thinking I must be close to being done as I saw the 3 mile marker. I felt the sense of pride for being so close to finishing my first 5K.

Not so fast, the path oddly continued on and on, the runners who lost steam walked and I ran until I could run no more and at that point I began speed walking. That is when I noticed something peculiar, The 4 Mile marker. At every mile marker I encountered I snapped a quick photo.  There were two ladies walking past me and I turned off my music to ask them how long the race was. A bit over 6 miles was the answer. We exchanged introductions, sisters Barbara and Judy kindly informed me I was running the 10K. We all got a chuckle out of the fact I accidentally was doing a 10K. As we approached the 5 Mile marker Judy snapped a photo of me standing next to it, and I also got a photo of the lovely ladies to remember them by. It was a high knowing I was accidentally doing my first 10K. 

Dynamo sisters Judy and Barbara



Realizing I went the wrong way but so happy. Quick pic and onward towards the finish line.



I kept going, at this point my toe was starting to ache but I did not slow down. Barbara and Judy wanted to beat their younger sister to the finish line so they were off running. I pondered that the Seasons 52 team was probably wondering where I was and all of a sudden I saw Jonathan walking in the opposite direction. I explained to him I never took the 5K turn and instead accidentally ran the 10K, well walked/ran the 10K. He thought it was amazing and immediately walked with me for the duration of the race.  Jonathan texted the others to let them know he found me. We decided I was going to run through the finish line so Jonathan joined me as I turned on my most inspiring tune and ran through the red arches to complete my first 10K. Judy was at the finish line and greeted me with a congratulatory hug which made me feel ten feet tall.

Thank you Judy 


I did a 10K


The others were waiting, laughing at the fact that I missed the turn. Christine immediately handed me a protein bar, banana, and water and I was congratulated for doing my first 10K. We all laughed that I missed the turn, it was such a Rose thing to do. Today was such a wonderful experience, the people, the challenge, the scenery, the camaraderie of everyone gathered to conquer their personal goals and rooting for the person next to them. No competition, sportsmanship is alive and well in Seal Beach.

The morning was marvelous and I am so happy I had such a fun team to share this moment with.  We took lots of photos and walked back to the car no worse for wear. I am inspired by the people who ran/walked beside me and honored to call them friends and co workers. Not a bad way to kick off the weekend.

Shane, Christine, Jonathan, Caroline, Laura, me and Whitney Team Seasons 52



Now what, my first half marathon? Not so fast, but I will have to make my next running goal a reality. No excuses now when I run with my trainer Mike. Our goal is for me to run around the park 4 times without stopping, and I am so inspired to make this quest happen in the near future. After all, I am ageless, fearless and I believe in me. As long as I have such amazing friends beside me I can conquer any battle. 

More photos to follow.

Love and Light to all,
Namaste’
Happy Weekend
Rose




FIRST 5K, FIRST ITEM OFF MY FITNESS BUCKET LIST

Good Morning and Happy Friday. My first 5K is tomorrow, and it is the first thing I am crossing off my fitness bucket list. Number 11 done and done. 

I am thinking of new things, some are so difficult it may take forever to get there, like the trapeze classes.  I am a work in progress and I am making all of my dreams come true. 

Namaste’
Rose

Here is the revised list.


1. Trapeze Classes at the School of Trapeze in Santa Monica   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trapeze-School-New-York-TSNY-Los-Angeles/252082627475

2. Synchronized swimming classes at Aqualillies in Los Angeles   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aqualillies/315260815022

3. Michael Cornell Ballet Classes at   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Align-Ballet-Method/132494413452882  I am doing this very soon.

4.Ballroom Latin Classes at 3rd Street Dance in Los Angeles   I want to get shoes, get a partner and compete down the line. https://www.facebook.com/3rdstreetdance

5. Go to Pittsburgh, work out with best friend at Melissa Bender Fitness http://www.benderfitness.com/

6. Go to San Diego, take yoga and aerial yoga with one of my best friends Tracy Gittens at Galaxy Lifestyle, Fitness, and Aerial Yoga. Grand Opening July 19, 2013.
https://www.facebook.com/GalaxyLifestyle

7. Surf if I am not too afraid of sharks…. I have an update on this, Mike my trainer has offered to teach me when I am ready and when I can do a good push up, and I will take him up on that. He said next summer when the water is warmer. I am excited to do this and I have really been working on my push ups to prepare. I think I may go swimming too.

8.Run around the park 4 times. Do guys push ups all the way and perfect burpees and lunges.

9.Some type of Yoga Retreat by the ocean.

10. Be in or on the cover of Weight Watchers Magazine or inside the magazine. (Hey, a girl can dream and they use real people all the time). 

11.DONE  Do a 5K in 2014. I am doing The Seal Beach 5k in April 5th with a team from Seasons 52.

12. Practice my yoga and get into the difficult poses I am struggling with. Do inversions, backbends, and anything to do with my leg behind me. This means gaining more flexibility in my quads. I want to take photos by the trees I love in yoga poses and I can now do dancers pose. I think I will do the poses and photos this summer.


13. Do a 30 day yoga challenge, and do yoga every day for 30 days in a row.

14. Swim with dolphins, not really fitness related but is in a way. I would love to have this experience.

15. Learn Tai Chi or some sort of Martial Arts.

16. Get some sort of certifications down the line so I can pass on my new knowledge and help those who need it. Maybe volunteering for the needy.I am going to do this through ACE, The American Council of Exercise and a yoga certification.

17. Take Fire Dancing classes at Firegroove here in Los Angeles. Francie did it and it sounds amazing, maybe a little dangerous but that makes it even more intriguing.

18. Aerial Yoga here in Los Angeles.

19. Take a reformer Pilates class.

20. Paddle boarding or rock climbing

21. Kayaking.

TUESDAY WORKOUT, REVISING MY FITNESS BUCKET LIST

Summer 2014 and now. New pics from Arizona in a few weeks.
Where I was last year. I will never let myself go again.



Good morning to all. I am up and drinking my morning coffee and contemplating a lot of things. Yesterday was my Tuesday workout with Mike and it was a lot of fun. We did push ups, core work, and a lot of boxing and kicking which I actually find to be a blast. I planked for one minute and a half. I need work with my punches, but hey I am a work in progress.

I ran around the track once and walked once. Mike told me our goal is to get me to be able to run around the track four times. I am still very intimidated with running, but with my new ipod it is a lot easier. It was cool and my lungs felt irritated because of the weather and allergies, so I did not push it. I am always careful with my joints and I listen to my body. I told him I am with him on this goal, and I believe I can make it happen even if I have been somewhat of a timid runner. A big thanks to Mike for being so patient with me and for being a great trainer, but also for being one of my first motivators.  I wonder if we had not started working out if I would have been so dedicated. Sometimes it just takes one or two people to say you can do it to make it a reality. The other person is of course Melissa Bender, my best friend and a fitness dynamo. She tells the masses they can do it, and she always pushes me even when I do not see it in myself. Melissa is the first person who made me believe age is just a bunch of digits and it does not define you. A big thanks to all of my friends, family and followers for always cheering me on in this quest, supporting me with the charities and being there for me. I never wish to forget I am not in this alone.


My 5K is two weeks from this Saturday. This is the first item I am crossing of my fitness bucket list, which keeps evolving as I move along in this journey. I have changed it a bit, so this is the new list.

I saw a ballroom dance opportunity back east, something I have said to my friends I wish would happen, and it has but I am no longer living in NYC. This got me thinking and planning. I want to dance Ballroom bad, get shoes, get a partner and compete. I am going to find a way to make this happen. Last night James downloaded a lot of music to inspire me on this quest. One of the biggies on my fitness bucket list and the music inspires me to run too, so I can listen to it on my 5k.

Tonight I am going to do some serious cardio. I am trying to step it up so the scale reflects my hard work. I am almost in the 160’s. Pushing forward yet looking back.
Namaste’
Rose


FITNESS BUCKET LIST  REVISITED…One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to continue on my journey. Part of my fitness journey is conquering my fitness bucket list. I may add things as I go along. My first 5K is in a little over two weeks,I am doing The Seal beach 5K on April 5th 2014. I will run/walk it so I put on this list I want to be able to run around the park 4 times. I am working on my distance. 
Happy dreaming
Rose

1. Trapeze Classes at the School of Trapeze in Santa Monica   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trapeze-School-New-York-TSNY-Los-Angeles/252082627475

2. Synchronized swimming classes at Aqualillies in Los Angeles   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aqualillies/315260815022

3. Michael Cornell Ballet Classes at   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Align-Ballet-Method/132494413452882  I am doing this very soon.

4.Ballroom Latin Classes at 3rd Street Dance in Los Angeles   I want to get shoes, get a partner and compete down the line. https://www.facebook.com/3rdstreetdance

5. Go to Pittsburgh, work out with best friend at Melissa Bender Fitness http://www.benderfitness.com/

6. Go to San Diego, take yoga and aerial yoga with one of my best friends Tracy Gittens at Galaxy Lifestyle, Fitness, and Aerial Yoga. Grand Opening July 19, 2013.
https://www.facebook.com/GalaxyLifestyle

7. Surf if I am not too afraid of sharks…. I have an update on this, Mike my trainer has offered to teach me when I am ready and when I can do a good push up, and I will take him up on that. He said next summer when the water is warmer. I am excited to do this and I have really been working on my push ups to prepare. I think I may go swimming too.

8.Run around the park 4 times. 

9.Some type of Yoga Retreat by the ocean.

10. Be in or on the cover of Weight Watchers Magazine or inside the magazine. (Hey, a girl can dream and they use real people all the time). 

11. Do a 5K in 2014. I am doing The Seal Beach 5k in April 5th with a team from Seasons 52.

12. Practice my yoga and get into the difficult poses I am struggling with. Do inversions, backbends, and anything to do with my leg behind me. This means gaining more flexibility in my quads. I want to take photos by the trees I love in yoga poses and I can now do dancers pose. I think I will do the poses and photos this summer.


13. Do a 30 day yoga challenge, and do yoga every day for 30 days in a row.

14. Swim with dolphins, not really fitness related but is in a way. I would love to have this experience.

15. Learn Tai Chi or some sort of Martial Arts.

16. Get some sort of certifications down the line so I can pass on my new knowledge and help those who need it. Maybe volunteering for the needy.I am going to do this through ACE, The American Council of Exercise and a yoga certification.

17. Take Fire Dancing classes at Firegroove here in Los Angeles. Francie did it and it sounds amazing, maybe a little dangerous but that makes it even more intriguing.

18. Aerial Yoga here in Los Angeles.

19. Take a reformer Pilates class.

20. Take a Burlesque dance class.

FITNESS BUCKET LIST KEEPS EVOLVING



FITNESS BUCKET LIST  REVISITED…adding more items as I get more inspired. Feel free to suggest new ideas. It keeps growing and growing.  Fire Dancing classes is my newest idea, thanks to my friend Francie. Namaste’
Rose

1. Trapeze Classes at the School of Trapeze in Santa Monica   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trapeze-School-New-York-TSNY-Los-Angeles/252082627475

2. Synchronized swimming classes at Aqualillies in Los Angeles   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aqualillies/315260815022

3. Michael Cornell Ballet Classes at   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Align-Ballet-Method/132494413452882  I am doing this very soon.

4.Ballroom Latin Classes at 3rd Street Dance in Los Angeles  https://www.facebook.com/3rdstreetdance

5. Go to Pittsburgh, work out with best friend at Melissa Bender Fitness http://www.benderfitness.com/

6. Go to San Diego, take yoga and aerial yoga with one of my best friends Tracy Gittens at Galaxy Lifestyle, Fitness, and Aerial Yoga. Grand Opening July 19, 2013.
https://www.facebook.com/GalaxyLifestyle

7. Surf if I am not too afraid of sharks, lol  Ok, I have an update on this, Mike my trainer has offered to teach me when I am ready and when I can do a good push up, and I will take him up on that. He said nest summer when the water is warmer, so if James and I are still living here in Los Angeles I will conquer this.

8.Take a Tracy Anderson class in Los Angeles.   https://www.facebook.com/TracyAndersonMethod

9.Some type of Yoga Retreat by the ocean.

10. Be in or on the cover of Weight Watchers Magazine. (Hey, a girl can dream and they use real people all the time). e.I am no longer going to Weight Watchers but I do it on my own so I do not know if this could be possible.

11. Do a 5K in 2014. This is in the works.

12. Practice my yoga and get into the difficult poses I am struggling with. Do inversions, backbends, and anything to do with my leg behind me. This means gaining more flexibility in my quads.


13. Do a 30 day yoga challenge, and do yoga every day for 30 days in a row.

14. Swim with dolphins, not really fitness related but is in a way. I would love to have this experience.

15. Learn Tai Chi or some sort of Martial Arts.

16. Get some sort of certifications down the line so I can pass on my new knowledge and help those who need it. Maybe volunteering for the needy.I am going to do this through ACE, The American Council of Exercise.

17. Take Fire Dancing classes at Firegroove here in Los Angeles. Francie did it and it sounds amazing, maybe a little dangerous but that makes it even more intriguing.

18. Aerial Yoga here in Los Angeles.

19. Audition for The Ole Skool Crew in 2014. They are the dancers over 40 that dance at the Sparks games at The Staple Center.

20. Take a reformer Pilates class.

MIRROR MIRROR



Thanksgiving is almost here, and I am excited to have one day where I deviate from my healthy lifestyle. I get a one day opportunity to cook, bake and eat some wonderful food. I have worked hard and it is really starting to show. Today I was shopping for some bake ware and I saw my reflection in a mirror and I admit I stood there for some time staring at my weight loss results.  I do not have a full length mirror and I should have bought one today, but I decided to wait and get one next time. I am very happy and proud of how far I have come. It is surprising to see yourself when you do not own a full length mirror.

I have decided in 2014 I am going to get certified with The American Council of Exercise (ACE)  for Group Exercise Instruction. I am going to order the premium package and take the test into the new year. I want to share my experience of getting fit with others. I am already working on my list for what my New Year’s Resolutions will be, and I am so happy that I am ending this year on such an upbeat and positive note. I am beginning training for 5K in the end of March. Seasons 52 is sponsoring us and it looks like we are going to do the Bad Prom Run, a fun filled 5K.

It is a cool night here, and I am going to stay in and do the treadmill. Wishing everyone a wonderful Sunday night.
Sweet dreams, Namaste’
Rose