*FREE* Youth Football Clinic

I'm always on the look-out for cheap, fun things to do with the kiddos.  So, when Ashley from the Fiesta Bowl contacted me to tell me about a *FREE* Youth Football clinic that they are putting on for boys and girls ages 9-14, I was more than happy to share it with you guys :).

Here is some information:

As one of the Valley’s most exhilarating experiences in youth football, the Fiesta Bowl Youth Football Clinic promotes more than just the fundamentals of the game. Boys and girls, ages 9-14, are invited to participate in this free, non-contact clinic led by trained athletes and experienced coaches. Young competitors walk away with the perseverance, discipline and determination necessary to achieve their maximum potential both on and off the field.  There will be two separate clinics to accommodate participants in both the East and West Valley.

The camps are from 9AM-1PM. Registration for either clinic is required, but again, it is completely free!

More information:
West Valley - February 16, 2013

Glendale Youth Sports Complex
6221 N. 91st Ave., Glendale, AZ 85305

Registration Link - http://www.fiestabowl.org/events/fiesta-bowl-youth-football-clinic/register-west-valley.php

East Valley - February 17, 2013

Benedict Sports Complex

490 W. Guadalupe Rd., Tempe, AZ 85283

Registration Link - http://www.fiestabowl.org/events/fiesta-bowl-youth-football-clinic/register-east-valley.php

Wks 2 and 3 are done, with some challenges

Whew! It took more than 2 weeks, but weeks 2 and 3 of c25k are done.  Week 2 went off fairly uneventful, I ran, sucked some wind the first couple of days, LOVED the third day without the stroller.  Week 3 however was a different story.  The first day was rough, running for 3 minutes straight is no joke.  I was REALLY ready to hear Sheila by the 90 second mark, for the first 3 minute run.  Week 3 consists of 4 runs, 90 sec, 3 min, 90 sec, 3 min.  By the second 3 minute run I was in much better shape though.  Maybe I just need some warm-up time to get into my groove?
I knew week 3 would be tough, but I was ready for it.  I usually run on Tues and Thurs mornings, and then again on Sunday morning, so 3x/wk.  This week Gavin had his 9 month check-up Thurs morning, so my plan was to run at night.  And then our house got struck by a horrible plague. So I went over a week between runs.  I was bummed, but thankfully STILL motivated.  Life happens.  And after a week of being cooped up in the house with a bunch of sickies, I was MORE than ready to get out and run.  I ran Thursday morning with G in the stroller, he promptly passed out, I'm guessing his little body was just exhausted from fighting the sickies all week.  So I did my run, it kicked my ass, as expected.  I sucked wind, tried to use the force to convince Sheila to talk to me sooner, but I did it, and I felt great afterward.  And I got a lengthy cool-down session to let G catch some Z's as we strolled around the neighborhood.
Sunday morning it was nice and cool out, I went out mostly solo, I did take Reecey, but she's a good running companion.  And it was AWESOME.  I totally could have run longer.
So the moral of the story? Shit happens, life gets in the way.  But that is NOT an excuse to quit!  Take time, do what you need to do to get yourself together, and then hop back on the running train.  You know you'll feel better for it :).

Week 1 down, run mama, run!

Week 1 of my c25k reboot is done.  I feel GREAT, and I've learned (and been reminded of) some things. 
First I wanted to elaborate a little on what c25k is all about.  I am NOT being sponsored in any way for doing this program (although I wouldn't mind if I was *wink, wink*).  It's a slow start to running, it stands for couch-to-5k.  Designed to get you off the couch and into running.  It eases you into running, upping the amount of running you're doing slowly so you keep doing it.  For instance, this week, my runs consisted of a 5 minute warm-up, run for 60 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, repeat the run/walk for 20 minutes, running 8 times. And then a 5 minute walk to cool down.  So, basically, the first week, you only have to run for one minute at a time.  ONE MINUTE.  Focus on that goal, the amount of time you are running.  Don't worry about distance, don't worry about speed.  Just keep running for one minute. Even if it's a sad, slow, wind-sucking run, ANYBODY can run for one minute. 
This week went fairly well. My first run went better than expected, and I even pushed Gavin in the jogging stroller which definitely adds to the workout. The first 5 run segments went fine, I felt ok, by the 6th, well, I was looking forward to the voice from my phone app to tell me it was time to walk, I'm going to call her Sheila for no other reason than I feel she sounds like a Sheila.  
That's the good, I try to be completely honest with you, so here's the bad.  My shins hurt, bad afterwards and my knees were a little sore.  (TMI alert) Nursing boobs need a smaller sports bra, the girls were bouncing around waayyyy too much. And I was reminded that I have the world's most sensitive feet.  I got a dime sized blister on the back of my heel, OUCH!
Two days later I ran again, I try to run every other day so I have a recovery day.  That day I decided to run on a gravel/dirt trail near my house to see if my shins and knees felt better afterwards.  OMG what a difference running surface makes!  If you can find a nice non-concrete/asphalt trail to run on, DEFINITELY do it!  Everything felt so much better after that run. Except the blister, that shiz hurt like a moh-foh because it popped on my run, I had a band-aid over it just in case, good thing :p.  I still wanted Sheila to speak up sooner by the 6th segment, but I wasn't sucking wind nearly as bad.
Three days later I ran again, this time without the jogging stroller and with Reecey.  That run was AWESOME, I don't know if it was because I didn't have the stroller, or because it was day 3 of running, but I felt GREAT. When Sheila told me to stop and walk I was like "already?".  I could have run longer, but I will NOT push it.  Stick with the program people, don't try to get all crazy, you will regret it.  
The weather has been GORGEOUS so I am looking forward to more running next week!  How is your running going?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments :).
Don't forget if you're local, there's the Color Me Rad run coming Nov 3 in Peoria, I'm giving away entries, and there's a promo-code to save you money!

Run baby, run

Early last year, we're talking 2011 here, I decided to start running.  At the time our family was just Zach, the hubs, and me.  Gavin wasn't even in mah belly yet.  I had done boot camp exercise before, I LOVED it, but holy HELL is it expensive.  I tried doing some of the exercises on my own for a while, but that wasn't working motivation-wise.  I needed something that could push myself and that I couldn't easily opt-out of or stop halfway through.  So I turned to running. 
I am NO runner, so I needed some kind of way to ease into it.  There are a few slow start methods out there, I happened to choose c25k.  Mostly because it was available foh free as an app on my phone, and I knew a few other people doing it.  
I have to say, that app, that program, it made me actually, kind of, sort of, like running.  I was shocked, I was actually running for a half hour STRAIGHT, no stopping, no sucking wind, just running, it was awesome. Now, I wasn't covering much ground because I am sloooowwww but, my intention was to work on that, first distance and endurance, then speed.  And it was all going so well!  
Until I got knocked up, I tried to keep running since my body was used to it, and I was doing ok for a month or so.  And then the temps started heating up, it was early May in AZ, so between the temps, and being freshly knocked up, I got dizzy on one run and decided to put up my running shoes for a while.  I still walked and exercised some while preggers, just no more running.
Fast forward to now.  Gavin is 8 months old, the temps have FINALLY started cooling down here, and my butt is not getting any smaller doing nothing.  Well, actually it is, it's amazing how much not being sedentary staring at a computer screen helps your body, one more benefit to taking a break from the nerd-life.  But I digress, I'm ready to start exercising regularly again, and am looking forward to getting out in the fresh air.
This week I'm starting week 1.  I'm buckling Gavin up in the jogging stroller, considering taking Reecey with us, and hitting the gravel with my running shoes.  And I'm going to write about it regularly.  Nothing like the interwebs for some accountability!
If *I* can do it, ANYBODY can, so who's going to do it with me?