Sunday, December 30, 2012

(Wedding) Week in Review

43 Miles
7 Days of Running
1 Lift Session
1 Wedding

Here's the summary, and you can find the proof in the pictures below.


  • I spent the first part of the week celebrating Christmas with my immediate family in Charlotte.  John left the house so we could take it over (best roommate, ever)
  • I married Garrett Bullock, effectively dropping the name (and initials) I've become so fond of.  Introducing Caitlin Rose Bullock aka CRB.
  • Garrett looked away from me when I looked up at him while walking down the aisle.  Later he told me that it was because he was afraid he would cry.
  • Our priest, Father Brian Cook, gave us one of the best wedding ceremonies I could have asked for.  People are still calling our parents telling us how powerful his mass was.
  • I didn't cry at all during the wedding events.
  • 100% of my Charlotte friends consumed the perfect amount of alcohol, which would equal "too much" in any other normal person's mind.
  • I ran every day with friends from Charlotte and around the world.
  • I ate a lot of really, really good food.
  • I enjoyed every single minute.
My last night as a Chrisman was spent snuggling with Meagan.

The beautiful Church


Mom, Dad and Vanessa at the Rehearsal Dinner

We're hitched...On the way to pictures!


Bridal Party Pics
Proud Daddy!

Thank God for our private dinner before the reception

Merry and I in the waiting room
Wedding Party Pics

What an epic after party at foothills, with my family here.

Charlotte in full force at the after party

They are all very, very drunk

Mom. Dad, me and their new son
Garrett escorted his mom down the aisle.  She cried the whole time.
 And, in case you missed it, our epic first dance.




Monday, December 24, 2012

(Birthday) Week in Review

50 Miles
1 Workout
11 Mile Long Run
2 Lift Days
1 Yoga Session

I have never been so excited to run 50 miles!  Lots is happening right now, so here's the short story:  the two best times in a woman's life are (1) when she gets married and (2) when she is pregnant.  Since I don't know much about #2, I'm making an assumption based on my experience with #1.  This whole week, I've been treated like a princess.  People have been so kind and generous and accommodating for the upcoming wedding.  I have been given countless gifts, well wishes, and just straight happiness.  Perhaps it's the holiday season, or perhaps it was because it was also my birthday this week, but getting married truly brings out the best in people and it's so exciting to be enjoying this whole experience!  I'm only 6 days away from the day where I commit to spend the rest of my life with Garrett and to build a family with him.  Running 50 miles this week was just a small feat on this busy agenda, but one that I don't want to go unnoticed!  Next week when I write, I'll be Mrs. Bullock and I will have dropped from #6 to #11 in Aaron's ranking of most important ladies in his life.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Week in Review

44 Miles
6 Days Running
2 Days lifting
12 Mile Long Run

I'm still only logging about half the mileage as to whats normal, but there are only thirteen days until my wedding, which I think is a pretty good excuse for running fewer miles.  There have been a few hiccups with the wedding front--total wine only ordered Bud Light and not the other 10 cases of Foothills and Mother Earth brews.  A couple of my vendors haven't confirmed when they will be arriving at the reception...but I understand it's the holidays so I'm positive they will show up when the time counts.

Anyways, this week was a success in that I ran a respectable mileage, without any pain in my shin!  I can feel tightness if I massage the shin, which I really want to go away, but I need to be patient.  I truly believe that my weight lifting program has helped tremendously and I can't wait to continue to see the improvement in my shin and also my racing.  I'm especially excited for the upcoming season, where I want to focus on the shorter distances through the spring.  My goals for next year are to PR in the 5k, half marathon, and potentially marathon.  I'm still undecided about running a marathon next fall, but I've got a long time to assess what's next.  For now, I'm going to focus on the wedding, soaking in all of the experience over the next two weeks!

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Week in Review

32 miles
6 days of running
3 days of sickness
2 days of lifting
8 mile long run

Yeah this isn't the week I wanted it to be, but life got in the way.  I lost weight, my wedding dress is too big, I stressed too much over the wedding, I got sick, and I haven't been able to sleep.  Not in that particular order, but that summarizes my week.  My shin is fine when running, but when I perform self massage on it, the left shin doesn't feel the same as the right, so I'm not 100% better yet.  I'm hoping I can get in a respectable long run next week and hit 45-50 miles so that I'm not sucking wind the week of the wedding.  On a positive note, I was able to get well enough to attend the celebration party that Laurie hosted at her house for Garrett and I.  It was great to hang out with everyone in a non-running environment and to just sit back, laugh, and enjoy everyone's company.  We have such a great group here in Charlotte!!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Runners at Moga


As some of you know, I'm a Lululemon ambassador, which really means that I get to be part of an extensive network of fitness professionals.  Largely consisting of yoga instructors and cross fit trainers, I'm the odd ball out because I don't own a studio and really just run.  This network comprises of the kindest, most generous people out there who truly want you to have a great day.  So let's start with Emily Breeze Ross, co-owner of Moga Charlotte, and a Lululemon ambassador. A couple weeks ago she invited me to attend one of the classes to check out because "we think that deep stretching and restorative movements in our classes would greatly benefit ALL runners!!! :o)"  Sounded very promising to me, and I'm always up to trying new things.  However, I didn't exactly start off on the best foot because I had to cancel on the initial class she had invited me to and then I invited Laurie, another Lululemon ambassador from ATL and now in CLT.  Fortunately, Emily and her co-owner, Beth Lange, were kind enough to fit in not just me, but also Laurie, to the Wednesday night 6:45 Deep Stretch yoga class. 

I haven't been to a yoga class since October 2007, when I did headstands and met my future husband for the first time.  So, yeah, I was a little rusty, but it was deep stretch, so I figured it would not be super hardcore  like the Ashtanga yoga classes I'd taken through high school and college.   Laurie and I showed up at the Atherton Lofts, in a cute little two-story studio with the standard loft-style compliments--brick walls, large and expansive windows, high ceilings.  It created  a great ambiance for a deep stretch yoga class--the feng shui flowed perfectly.  There was a small waiting area where Emily and Beth greeted us and handed us a waiver form to fill out, which took less than 5 minutes.  We had a couple of minutes to chat, albeit quietly since another class was going on upstairs.  Within no time, we all climbed up the stairs to the second floor to place our personal items in a cubby and grab two blocks, a rope, and a (traditional mexican) blanket before placing our mats in front of a convenient piece of tape to mark our places.  If  you aren't a regular yogi and haven't bought a mat yet, Moga provides mats.  They were nicer than my own.  The room filled up quickly and some people didn't find a space with tape in front of it, but still found room to place their mat.  My recommendation: get there early if you want a spot in front of the mirror. 

As a runner, I know that I should probably practice a deep stretch routine more often, whether it be in a class or at home, but I don't.  So, I was nervous!   I sat there on the mat, waiting for Beth to give us instructions on how to start out.  She gave a few announcements about upcoming classes and donations for Christmas before starting.  Fortunately, Beth took us through a nice warmup so that I didn't have to worry about pulling any muscles.  I honestly don't remember all of the warmup exercises, but I do know that we split them up with downward dog.  When we first started with that pose, I got worried we would hold it for 5 minutes because my arms have the strength of a 10 year old girl.  Fortunately, we only held it for about 15 seconds!  The focus was more on holding poses  that focused on the IT Band and hip flexor for about a minute each. 

After the warmup, we did various poses and held for 3 minutes on each side.  We did a twisty arm pose and, oddly enough, this one was the most difficult for me.  Most likely because I work at a computer all day.  I didn't know my body could twist that way!  The other poses focused mostly on the hips and IT Band.  I think they were something like:
·         Pigeon
·         One-legged child's pose
·         High lunge
·         And others that I don't know the names for

Beth's charisma and calm ensured that we all felt comfortable and were on track to do the right pose.  Her cues came at the right time and encouraged me to relax so that I could go even deeper into the pose.  Since the space is small, it calls for smaller class sizes, which gives Beth more time to focus on each individual and help get the students into a deeper pose.  I think she came by to me about 4 times throughout the class, which exceeded my expectations.  Personalized attention and care is definitely something you'll find at Moga, which will help your yoga practice in the long term. 

Oh, and I almost forgot -- the music wasn't your standard "spa music," thank goodness.  It was soft classics, think "Coffee House" on Sirius XM radio.  There were actual vocals, which fit with the style of the class.

After Savasana, we opened our eyes and started packing up, only to be greeted with a shot of coconut juice! What a great way to end a yoga class!

All in all, I recommend Moga to those who are looking for a deep stretch class that is offered multiple days a day every week.  Emily and Beth do a great job adding in little things that make it feel like your neighborhood studio.  Laurie and I both agreed that incorporating deep stretch yoga into our running regimes would definitely help, now it's just about finding the time to commit to it.

Details:

Sunday, December 2, 2012

(Bachelorette) Week in Review

36 miles
5 days of running
1 Flywheel Class
2 days of lifting
10 mile long run

I'm a week behind on my blog, so most of you know that Michelle Hazelton was a great host for me, Dalena, Danielle, Jocelyn, and Meagan.  Meagan surprised me in Santa's Sack (yes, you read that right).  She flew all the way to NC from Boston to join in the debauchery! While I tried not to cry when I saw her face, she tried to not pass out from heatstroke.  You can read/see her recap here.

My mileage isn't anything to write home about, but I'm still running and I'm 90% not injured. I still have 10% to go until I say I'm healthy, so I'm not satisfied yet.