Bobby Orr: My Story

Last night I just finished Bobby Orr; My Story. I started with about a week or so until the Olympics to give myself a Bruins fix when they were taking a few weeks off due to the Olympics.  

I must say the Olympics were just not doing it for me this year. I mean in all honesty it was for all selfish reasons.

1. The Time Difference, even watching some of the events that I didn't know the outcome, just wasn't as exciting as watching a live game. 

2.  USA Hockey didn't even medal. Which was predicted they were not going to, but after the Russia game everyone options started to change because they looked really good... not so much. 

There also has been a lot of controversy over if NHL Hockey players should be able to participate in the Olympics, not from the Olympics side of things, but from the NHL and the owners. The NHL owners see this as at time in which they are not filling their stadiums with fans (aka money) and that their players could get hurt while not playing for their team. Its a tough one for me. Personally I love to watch Bergeron playing in the Olympics and seeing Chara carry out the flag for Slovakia as pretty awesome as well. BUT if Chara or Bergeron got season ending injuries while playing over in Russia and were not able to compete in the race for the cup, then I would not be so happy with the NHL players playing in the Olympics any more. This did happen to John Tavares of the Islanders. He teared an MCL and meniscus in his knee. He is the Islanders star player, and out for the year. Now Islanders most likely not going to make a playoff run but knee injuries in hockey players are a really hard injury to ever come back 100%. Hopefully Tavares can come back, but that is one the reasons in which I agree with ownership, you don't want to see that happen to a player. 

Anyway... enough on that rant. The Book. Yes, it was very good if you are a hockey fan.  The start of the book is about his childhood growing up and the book goes through his career as a Bruin. I wont talk about everything that I learned in the book because I don't want to ruin it, but it was very fascinating learning about how he got drafted by the Bruins! 

The end of the book ends with his options on the game today, which I found very interesting. One example his he talks about fighting in the NHL which I am a proponent of and so is he. Again I won't go to why he is for fighting in Hockey, but it made me realize the real importance of fighting in hockey, and the importance of people like Shawn Thornton on the Bruins. The book definitely helped me learn a a lot about the game and the history. This book makes your respect the game of hockey and the players it brings up. Hockey players are a different bread then any of the other four major league sports in America, that is for sure. 

The writing is definitely a different writing style. He is a very humble man and shows through in his writing for sure. He does not go into full detail of any of the accomplishments that he has, which at points leaves you wanting for more. Aside from that the book reads well. I was never fortunate to get to see Bobby Orr play because he was retired when I was 2 years old, but it made me jealous I was not a hockey fan back in those days.

Anyway if you are a Hockey fan and a Bruin Fan, I highly recommenced this book! I would give it 4.5 stars out of 5. 

Now onto Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Oh. and Bruins Hockey is back tonight! GO BRUINS!

City Views

This weekend I knew what I had to do. 8 Miles. My training has now caught up to me and I am on schedule instead of ahead of schedule, so there is no more bailing out now. Hopefully no more cold/sinus headaches/ and fevers are in my future.  This past weekend I had a sinus headache on one side of my head. It was right above the eye behind the eyebrow. It went away Sunday after I took some Ibuprofen and has only came make to a very slight sinus headache. Figures crossed it does not turn into what it was cause that was unpleasant.

This weekend was fun. Our typical Friday night consisted of us going to happy hour after work and then both asleep on the couch by 10:00.  On Saturday Jon and I were dog sitting so took him for a little hike up Prospect Hill Park. Which is a great little hike/running area.

There was some of the hill that was plowed because its pavement, but the majority of the park sill had a lot of snow so we couldn't see the side in which Boston was on, but still a lot of fun. Saturday night we went out in town and met up with an old friend to watch the Duke vs Cuse game. Well lets just say it was not a good week to be a Cuse fan. They lost to both BC which was a huge upset and then lost to Duke again this weekend. Womp Womp.

Then Sunday morning came, 8 miles. Ug. I hadn't taken the Ibprofen at this point, which if I knew it would have worked as well as it had I would have. You live and you learn I guess. You know those runs where start out on mile one, you look down at your watch expecting to round mile 2 and you are at like .30 miles. That's how this run started for me. Every time my feet hit the pavement my head just was pounding along with my pace.  I was wondering how I was going to finish. Then around miles 2-5 I felt as though I could run my half that day. Although with views like this... its hard not to be motivated.

The around mile 6-7.5 I had the worst running stitch. Ug. Those are the worst. I was trying really hard to ignore it but it just wasn't happening. I was pissed because up to the point my pace for running the 8 miles was 9:15 which would get me right around 2 hours for a Half Marathon, which is my goal. I ended up with a pace of 9.39, which is just over my goal by 3 minutes or so.

Mile 1: 8:59 min/mile 
Mile 2: 10:04 min/mile *oh hi ice, snow and slush
Mile 3: 9:42 min/ mile 
Mile 4: 8:44 min/mile 
Mile 5: 8:52 min/ mile 
Mile 6: 9:07 min/ mile 
Mile 7: 11:05 min/mile *oh hi ice, snow and slush, and running stitches.
Mile 8: 10:38 min/mile 

Over all I was happy with that run though even though my pace was all over the place. Who runs a 8:44 mile then a 11:05 mile? BUT it felt good to get back out there after taking a weekend off from my longer runs.  Training is really starting to ramp up now, I am getting pretty pumped about doing this half!  I just wish it would start feeling like spring!! How awesome is it going to be when these pictures are no longer of the Charles River frozen over? Warm thoughts, which are going to be needed because the polar vortex is back.

Trying Something New: Hills.

This week’s workouts were about not over doing it and getting to feeling better. Which to say, aside from a small lingering cough, I am feeling better.  Actually to my surprise I felt like running actually helped my cold.

Monday: Yoga Fit.

Tuesday: Treadmill Run.

Distance: 3.51 Miles

Climbed: 84 Feet

Average Pace: 10:09/ Mile

Calories Burned: 260

Time Elapsed: 33:42

When I post my runs on the treadmill they include a .10 mile warm up and then the cool down at the end which ends up being around .30 miles. Unfortunately the pace is including those as well. That’s why my pace is so high normally.

Wednesday: Treadmill Run

Distance: 4.29 Miles

Climbed: 108 feet

Average Pace: 9:45/ Mile

Calories Burned: 365

Elapsed Time: 41:55

Thursday: Body Sculpt Class in the AM

Thursday: Hill Training.

So I have read a few blogs about this half marathon I am running and they all alluded to the hills. Well Kensie and I have not been running hills on our long run so I know that I needed to get started with that.  I found this running group on Meet Up in Waltham and met up with them to run some hills at one of the colleges. I must say that has been one of my most enjoyable runs I have had for awhile! I think for a number of reasons, first off the weather was nice... I think it was probably in the low 40’s and high 30’s last night. It was so nice out that day I had my windows rolled down while driving... 

Also it’s been so long sense I have run a shorter distance outside. Longer distance runs are fun and all, but I have missed the short and sweet runs outside. I been avoiding outside well because, its dark. BUT running on the campus I didn't even really think about it. I was also wearing extremely bright running gear... 

Bright enough? I kind of remind myself of a neon watermelon. 

One other reason I think it was so nice is because the hills were actually pretty easy to maintain. Where I normally run the hills are ridiculously hard because of the angle they are. Seriously they go like straight up, but these hills were big, but a lot longer instead of straight up. I really enjoyed the challenge without being overly tired.  I must say I will be back for this, it was a lot of fun!


Also just the group was just really enjoyable. They were all sorts of levels of runners there and I found myself at least for that run someplace in the middle (they were running a half this weekend so I think some of them were taking it easy....).  Just running with people makes the world of a difference. I don't have many friends that are into running, especially that live around me (aside from Kensie on the weekends) So finding some people in town who like to run was a great experience! :) 

Anyway here were the stats for this run: 

Distance: 3.36 miles

Time: 31. 12

Average Pace: 9:17 Seconds

Calories Burned: 297

Elevation Gain: 255 feet.

Mile 1: 9:27 Min/Mile

Mile 2:  9:16 Min/Mile

Mile 3 9:05 Min/Mile

Mile 4 (.35): 9:23 Min/Mile

Friday Rest! Starbucks, and Happy Hour. 

Have a good weekend! 

The Ugly

The good, the bad, and the ugly.  I will write about them all on this blog, and this weekend was definitely the ugly.  On my birthday I started to feel a little under the weather, Jon had a cold and I was clearly getting it so by this weekend it was attacking my body full on.

The cold that has been going around is strange.  It’s like cough that comes from the lungs but it is a full on sinus infection as well with a little bit it of a fever.  Saturday night my eyes were so watery I could barely stand to keep them open watching the Olympics and went to bed around 11:00 on a Saturday night, for me that’s early.

So this weekend not only was I sick BUT the Olympics Men’s Hockey games were on at 7:00 AM Saturday and Sunday. So what did this all mean for workouts?

I had been debating going to my body sculpt class and missing the end of the game. BUT in reality who was I kidding, it was really not debate at all, was I really going to miss this game for my class, NO. Wow what a game it was. Oshie was unreal with getting what I believe was 4 out of 6 shots in the shoot-out. That does not happen. Well party because it is against the rules in the NHL but seriously that was so awesome to watch him do that.  I of course immediately looked him up after the game and he is a center so there is a very slim chance the Bruins would ever go after him. Center is the one position on the Bruins that we are pretty much set with.  BUT that game was crazy and so much fun to watch.

After watching the game Saturday Jon and I went to the gym together to do some strength training. I got about an hour or so in but it was nowhere near the level our teacher brings us to in class. BUT it was kind of nice creating my own routine and also nice to take it a bit easier do to the fact I wasn't 100%.

On Sunday We woke up early again and watched the mens game. Sunday afternoon I attempted a run. I had 8 miles I was supposed to do Sunday but only did a 5k.  Let me tell you 22 degree weather + a cold + asthma does not = a good time to run.  It was ugly my friends it was ugly

Distance: 3.1 Miles
Time: 33.27
Average Pace: 10:47 min/mi
Calories Burned: 267

Mile 1: 10:18,
Mile 2: 10:58,
Mile 3: 10:54
Mile 4: (.10 miles):  12:17.

I got a pretty picture out of it though….

Seriously that was just embarrassing.  Running with a cold you have to stop a lot to get rid of some body fluids, and I also had to stop to catch my breath a lot. When I got home I felt like I ran 8 miles, and for someone who runs 3 miles a couple days of week, that’s when you know your body is not 100%.  With that being said I actually started to feel better throughout the day and was happy that I did it.  

Like I said it the last post, you have to listen to your body. Sometimes it’s hard to know before you started working out. Sunday I saw people running as I went to the grocery store and got supper jealous and was like you know what? I think I feel good enough to do this today. 8 miles, let’s go. As soon as I started I knew my body was not up for it. That’s okay though. It actually fit in well with my training plan.  Next weekend I was supposed to run a 5K race and no longer runs, so I am just going to switch up the weekends and say that was my 5k race.

Weekly Update- February 10th

I hope everyone's week went well. Mine was pretty awesome!! Although I JUST realized that I deleted my camera role (I seriously take way to many pictures) which had all my workout pictures that I had. I know you are missing out on really pretty treadmill pictures.. I know you are disappointed!

Monday: Yoga Fit.

Tuesday: 3 Mile run on the treadmill

Wednesday: 4 Mile run on the treadmill

Thursday: Shoveling- I seriously can not wait till this is over!! I caught this flu/cold thing that is going around. I was going to some hill training, but I figured if I am not feeling well, I should not abuse my body. AND it was really shitty out. There are limits ya know? Don't want to make things worse! I saw this picture thing about how working out is like 4% of your day, so there are no excuses. The realizing your workout is like 4% of your day is pretty motivating....BUT with that being said the no excuses part I am not sure I am on board with. My belief is there are some I guess you would call the "excuses".  Feeling sick and shitty weather, is a pretty good reason not to force your body to do something its not up for and also a reason to stay safe.

Friday: OFF

Planned:  Saturday body scuplt class + 2 mile run (if I am feeling better, still a little under the weather!) Sunday 8 mile run. I am not sure where Kensie and I are going to find to be able to run this far... it will be interesting!

With that behind us it was my Birthday this week and I got spoiled rotten! My boyfriend and I went to Union Street Grill in Newton. When I saw their menu I wanted like everything. I went with the Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese. OMG. SO good. We also got this giant desert....

For my birthday he got be Bruins tickets to see the Blackhawks vs the Bruins.  SO excited!! As well as an Alex Ani bracelet. I got one from Jon and two from my Mom. So the collection begins! :)

Anyway. That was my week in a nutshell!

A couple blogging questions.

So I just started using wordpress... is there a way to adjust the width of your blog posts? I dont like how the pictures are coming out all stretched! IS it something I have to buy the editor for?

Wake Up! It's Worth It!

A lot of people are always shocked that I get my workout in before I got to work, especially because I live about 45 minutes away from my Job which means that my alarm clock goes off at 5:15. Which for some people is normal... but not for me.

So how do I do it?  And WHY?

Night Before: 

Step 1: Pack lunch. I pack my left over dinner from the night into a Tupperware and  place everything that is refrigerated next to it. Then I pack all the non refrigerated stuff into a plastic bag to bring to work. In the morning I just simply have to open the fridge and take all the refrigerated stuff which is right next to each other and put it into my bag.

Step 2:  Pack my gym bag for work clothes the night before. I am a lucky girl and my dress code at work is pretty relaxed. Now its winter I typically where cords/jeans with a sweater.  So I can put these in a gym bag and not worry about it getting wrinkled. I wore slacks the other day and felt totally out of it that day. So I pack that with my Shampoo/Conditioner, soaps, ect.  You know, everything a person knows they need for the day.

Step 3: Get my gym clothes ready on top of my gym bag.

The Morning 

Step 1: Alarm clock goes off at 5:15. Hit Snooze.... Okay Ill get up in 10:00 minutes (feeling pumped...).  Phone alarm clock goes off.... to Britney Spears Work Bitch with a note saying "Get up its worth it". Deal. It is. And yes that song motivates me like no other- I am not afraid to admit it! :)

Step 2: Second alarm clock goes off... UGH "insert excuse here" would totally be a justifiable reason not to get up right now and go to the gym right? Like my phone says it's -10 degrees.

Step 3: Ug. Everything is packed... Am I really going to get ready out of my gym bag at home? That would probably be pretty lame.

Step 4: Browse social media 5 minutes on my phone debating if said excuse is really a good one.

Step 5: Really? Its not. Get up.

Step 6: Get dressed, grab everything and go.

Step 7: Get to the gym around 6:00- 6:10. Workout for 30- 60 minutes pending what I am doing and what time I get there.  Leave the gym around 7:00- 7:20. Then get to work.

And yes. that conversation happens in my head every morning. :)  BUT I must say every time I go to the gym I am glad I did it, and every-time I skip I am  like damn I should have gone. This morning was totally one of those mornings. I had a good excuse in my head, and I said no... I am going. I ran 4 miles on the treadmill which isn't the most exciting thing in the world but my run actually felt really really good.

I must say getting my workout done in the morning so worth it. The thing is I see as time I would not be use doing anything else but sleeping (which is important- I got to bed early) I am not going to get up at 5:30AM and fold laundry... that's just not going to happen. BUT my time in the evening is time that I am going to use to do chores ect. Weather its getting dinner ready before 8:00, watching a favorite TV show, or more importantly a big Bruins game, doing laundry, cleaning, ect.... there is so much more going on in the evening that I would like to do then go for a run.

That being said... the first few weeks I tried this my body was DEAD. Its really hard to readjust your body to getting up earlier then normal.  I am also dead my 9:30PM, which is normally when I at least dive into bed and start reading. BUT that's okay.... because aside form late night games I am not going to be doing anything from 9:30PM on anyways.  Its around the time I would be thinking about settling down for the night if I got up at 6:45.

Although this completely changes during the summer!! Running outside obviously is way more motivation!! I seriously can't wait till this winter is overrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Snow= Pain

Yikes. Sunday morning was my long run, and let me tell you, running in the snow HURTS. I feel like running in the snow is very much like running on the beach.  My legs are killing me today! I seriously can't wait for this winter to be over... its funny how much I have grown to hate the winter this year sense starting to run.  I think its that with the combo that this has been one of the worst winters we have had over the past few years.

Anuway this is what the majority of the trail looked like on Sunday...

I love this picture I got of Kensie...

I didn't get a picture of my watch but it was a slow run!

Total Distance: 7.30 miles
Total Time: 1 hour 11 minutes and 48 seconds.
Average Pace: 9:50
Calories Burned: 628

Pace per Mile:
Mile 1: 9:16
Mile 2: 9:26
Mile 3: 9:30
Mile 4: 10:38
Mile 5: 10:10
Mile 6: 9:57
Mile 7: 10:04
Mile 8 (0.29 miles): 9:52

Weekly Update- Feb 3 2014.

Okay. So I think these boring posts I am just going to include a boring title. Just my mid weekly workout/plan for the rest of the week... I am trying to think of what more I can write about. I really do enjoy having a place to write and blogging. So I want to keep it up. BUT I am just trying to figure out an angle. :)

Anyway...

Monday: Yoga Fit.

Tuesday: Treadmill Run for 3.1 miles. (The extra miles on my workouts are the warm-up and cool down)

Wednesday workout: Shoveling- and I am not even kidding. My workout route was thrown for a loop this week because we had a snow storm yesterday. I should be doing a 4 mile run. I was totally on board with get one done before work! (I worked from home). Around 7am I was driving to the gym and I was like... this is so not worth it so I turned around. I said I would go for a run once the roads were clear in the evening... That did not happen. My body was DEAD and today I am in pain. So I chalked up shoveling to my strength training.

Thursday:  4 mile run on the treadmill.

So there it is! I am hoping soon that I will be able to be sharing out door run pictures and not crappy treadmill pictures.

Also I am going to be brainstorming ideas of where I want to take this little thing...

Best Game Ever.

For Christmas/Birthdays ect. Jon and I normally buy each other tickets to a sporting event because we are both huge sports fans.  Well I bought him Duke vs Syracuse tickets. Funny Story: He bought be Bruins vs Oilers tickets for the homecoming of my favorite player (Andrew Ference) for the same day. The Duke vs Syracuse was the bigger of the games, so we went that that one....

Friday night we drove up to his parents house which is about 45 minutes away from Syracuse. On Saturday morning before we made it into Syracuse I went for a 6 mile run around his town. Now this picture is what you call running with a view...

My route was hilarious because I had no idea where I was going... I just started running down certain streets to see where they would take me. I had map my run up on my phone so I had a map. I only almost go lost once.

The important thing is I stopped where I started, Jon's home.

Despite having no idea where I was going.. it was actually a really good run.

Pace per mile... 

Mile 1: 9:24

Mile 2: 8:56 

Mile 3: 10:22 *Major Hill*

Mile 4: 8:49 

Mile 5: 9:03 

Mile 6: 8:50 

Mile 7 (0.31): 9:10

When we got to syracuse we checked in the hotel and walked over to Tully's . Only bar that I could find in Syracuse with the NHL Center Ice. Relationships are all about compromises like being able to watch the Bruins game on TV before we headed down to the Carrier Dome.

 Another funny story about this. As we were walking out of the hotel to go watch the Bruins this guy said to Jon "great shirt!!".  He then asked us if we were headed down to the dome/bars. We told them we were actually headed to Tully's because the have Center Ice package and told them about how we were from MA and were suppose to go to this game. They were actually from MA too and they asked their friends to go the Cuse game with them but said no to go the Bruins game to see Andrew Ference instead. Seriously this convo is in true Jon and I fashion when we go places, we always meet the most random people we have connections with. It would have been more true Jon and I fashion if we saw them out after the game and hung out with them. That kind of stuff seems to always happen to us. 

From Tully's we took a cab to the Carrier Dome. The bars near the dome were packed with lines... we eventually got into one and hung out a little before the game.   I didn't get many pictures because its my iPhones job just to die so I had to keep it off the majority of the time so we would have some juice left to call a cab to bring us back to the hotel.... 

The game was great... went into over time with Duke scoring a 3 pointer right as the buzzer went off, but Cuse ended up winning in the end.  Coach Boeheim said it was the best game that has ever been played at the Dome.  (Oh and the kid sitting next to us? From Wayland, which is the town over from which we live. Seriously. Small World. )

I will not understand the "Duke vs Syracuse rivalry". To me you have to play each other in a couple of heartbreaking losses/awesome wins to be considered a rival or just find their team is always filled with punks. To me true rivals are the Red Sox vs Yankees, Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays (they are punks, I actually hate them more then the Yanks), Bruins vs Montreal, Bruins vs Vancouver  and so on. But these crazy college fans seem to think you the "rivalry has begun" with Duke vs Cuse in only playing a single game. I will never understand it, but I will tell you, it does make for a good time.