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Hartford Marathon Training: Week 1

So it’s finally that time of year again! Marathon training has officially begun! Right now it’s hard to describe my emotions because there are so many other things going on in our life. Um hello, we’re moving to Europe which means in just 17 short days these posts will be coming all the way from a little flat in Geneva, Switzerland!

But, while the move is starting to get very overwhelming, having something constant like marathon training is a bit of a relief. I know that each day between now and October 12th I’ll have a plan. That, my friends, is fabulous! I’m so excited to run 26.2 miles through Hartford with my friend Amy as she conquers her first marathon! I mean really – how cool is this year’s anniversary poster?

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While last week was a bit of a warm-up since Gia knew my travel and work schedule was beyond crazy and running outside wasn’t an option due to the hotel location, it still felt good to have a prescribed plan each day and know I was accountable to Gia at the end of the week.

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Here are a few things from last week:

  • I got back into the habit of sharing and tracking my workouts on Daily Mile (let’s be friends!) each day.
  • I remembered just how important sleep is during both travel and training.
  • Compression are the best thing for tired legs!
  • I didn’t get in every mile but my workouts that did happen were quality.

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Monday: travel day

Tuesday: 15 minute hotel room workout + 3 mile run

Wednesday: 45 minute incline walk

Thursday: 3 mile treadmill run

Friday: 75 minute hot vinyasa yoga class at 216 Yoga

Saturday: 5.5 miles along the East River with Bo

Sunday: 3 mile run downtown to run errands

Total Running Miles: 15

Overall I’m proud of myself for staying active though I wish my workouts were a bit longer. I had an issue running further than 3 miles on a treadmill last week which was a new problem. Even when I switched up the speeds and inclines I just couldn’t stay motivated. Luckily, last week was my last week of crazy travel for a while! I’m excited for a summer filled with running outside while discovering Geneva and London!

Today was an unplanned rest day but I have a full week of tough workouts planned including a few fun ones with friends which will hopefully kick my butt back into training gear!

How about you? Do you look forward to training season or live for the off season?

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What I Wore: Summer Rooftop Farewell Party

Right now I am relaxing at home with a lovely glass of white wine and an epic cheese plate. This definitely has the making of an amazing Sunday evening complete with some DVR television shows while laughing about last night’s memories with Bo and Meg.

Last night Bo and I were so blessed to have our friends host a rooftop going away party for us complete with Southern barbecue, great music, delicious drinks, and luckily perfect weather.

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But, before the festivities began, Bo and I spent the mid morning hours sharing our favorite parts of New York with our dear friends Brad and Margaret. Talented architects who enjoy dabbling in photography, they volunteered to capture our favorite areas of New York City in pictures with us one Saturday before we moved. We never took engagement photos and therefore only have a few photos hanging in our home- many of which are over 5 years old.

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Unfortunately I can only share one preview with you as we don’t have any images ourselves since Brad & Margaret insist on editing and organizing them before sharing. But, between sipping espressos in Eataly, sitting on a stoop in Gramercy, and kissing in a tree in Central Park it was a memorable day with two of our dearest friends.

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Based on the many Instagram questions from friends, I thought I’d share with you my complete outfit which also doubled as my party dress later in the evening.

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Hair by Dream Dry – David Yurman Blue Topaz earrings from 18th birthday – Bauble Bar Dew Drop Bib necklace – Rent the Runway Mark & James by Badgley Mischka Hang Ten Maxi– Michael Koors watch – Bauble Bar bracelet pave links bracelet– David Yurman 7mm Bracelets in blue topaz and pearl – Jack Rogers Navajo Bronze sandals

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Soldier of Steel Workouts

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Soldier of Steel™.

I can’t believe it’s midnight in Geneva! The week has been exhausting but wonderful! In addition to hours of meetings and business, I’ve had the chance to swim in freezing Lake Geneva with co-workers and dine al fresco, enjoying the perfect Summer weather.

As you all know, business travel is a regular occurrence in my life. In order to maintain my health and wellness, working out while traveling is a non-negotiable. When possible, my travel workouts are based around running in a new city but this week, when staying in a remote location, they are in either my hotel room or the gym. Running on a treadmill can get boring and sometimes I’m not creative enough to make my own hotel room workout.

Therefore, when Fitfluential told me about the new Soldier of Steel workout series created by Mark Twight, Hollywood fitness trainer, I was more than intrigued. I hoped that the workouts would be things that I could do without a proper gym as let’s get real, half the hotel gyms are bare bones. I figured if the workout could help National Guard soldiers stay in shape and whip actor Henry Cavill into the MAN OF STEEL™, it had to be a serious workout!

The series of 28 workouts is available on their site for free!  The 28 day plan not only includes daily workouts but also videos which show proper form and training tutorials! Most of the workouts require nothing more than your own body weight which means this is perfect for me to use while traveling or when I arrive in Geneva next month!

This morning I added one of the moves, wall squats, onto my morning workout and I loved their version of a common exercise which left me challenged in a new way. Watch SoS Wall Squat VideoI’ve always done wall squats/sits with my back to the wall versus my nose like they show! Give it a try and see how much it challenges you! My plan is to add it to each workout this week and then move onto a new move next week! But, when I’m looking for a challenging workout on the go, doing one of the full routines will certainly leave me sweating!

Want to learn more about this awesome workout? Don’t take my word for it then – ask the expert! Ask Mark Twight your questions on Twitter tomorrow night. On Thursday, June 20, Mark Twight will answer fan questions on the @NationalGuard Twitter handle. Follow the conversation from 3PM EST – 4PM EST at #TwightTakeover.

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