About Me

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I am married with two wonderful sons who are 18 and 11 years old and my 2 year old Baby Girl. I currently live in Reston, VA and have been working for Verizon for 18 years. I am a Licensed Zumba, ZumbKids, Zumba Gold and AquaZumba instructor. I am a Certified AFAA Group Fitness Instructor, a Certified AAI Aqua Fitness Instructor, an RRCA Certified Running Coach and a Certified Keiser Cycle Instructor. I love to exercise, run, do yoga and Pilates and most of all enjoy time with my family.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

I am quite late with this post but it is relevant anytime!! Don't forget to use the 20% discount code at the bottom of each post so you can get your own great pair of Karhu Running Shoes!!

Shoe Review: Last long walk/run before my 1/2 Marathon~Day 5 Review

On Tuesday March 13th I took my final long run/walk before my 1/2 Marathon. I was planning on doing 10 miles and decided as I headed out to walk the whole distance just to see how fast I could walk it and how long it would take me. I was pushing a stroller as well with my little girl Olivia. I headed out my front door and walked up the street to Wiehle Ave which is the first major thoroughfare, I then continued on Wiehle Ave towards the W&OD Trail (http://www.wodfriends.org). The W&OD trail runs from West Virginia to Washington, DC and runs right through Reston, VA where I live. Once I got on the W&OD trail I headed west toward Herndon, VA which is the next town over. I ended up walking 8.63 miles with an average pace of 16:19 minute mile. It took me about 2 1/2 hours to walk that distance
. It was a wonderful warm and sunshiny day which made for an even better walk. Here is a map of the area I walked: http://www.wodfriends.org/map10.html



One major change that I have made to help my progress was I started wearing compression socks. I found a pair of Injinji Compression Toe socks when I was out shopping and decided to try them. They are great for both during exercise and for recovery afterward. I love the fact that they have individual toe spaces which help with proper toe alignment and moisture balance, no more sweaty toes while running!! These are the socks I use: http://www.injinji.com/tetratsok/excelerator.html.

The combination of the compression socks and my Karhu's made for a great walk from the beginning to the end. These running shoes still are as comfortable as they were when I first put them on, which I have to say is pretty great with all the mileage I have put on them. I still haven't hit the distance to change them yet but am getting close. My feet don't get overheated or super sweaty when I am running or walking in these Karhu's which is unlike many other running shoes out there. The mesh outer layer still is great for the breathability of my feet. I really do enjoy these shoes and am going to continue using them until they fall apart!! You really need to try out these shoes, I am telling you they have been the best running shoes that I have found so far!!




Thanks for reading, here is your 20% discount code: reviewermelissa so you can get your own pair of Karhu's!!

RUNNING SHOES: Stable Fulcrum_Ride
KARHU WEBSITE: www.Karhu.com
SHOE REVIEWER: Melissa Baldwin
IF YOU WANT TO TEST KARHUS APPLY AT: http://www.facebook.com/likekarhu


Shoe Review: Walk/Running My First 1/2 Marathon~Day 6 Review

On Saturday March 17th, I ran/walked in my first 1/2 Marathon: The Sun Trust Rock n Roll USA Marathon & 1/2 Marathon in Washington, DC. 
 


The race started & finished at RFK Stadium/DC Armory area in Washington DC. It was an amazing experience and I can't wait to run my next race. I ran/walked the 13.1 mile distance in 3 hours and 34 minutes and paced a little over a 16 minute mile: http://running.competitor.com/cgiresults_details?pId=7630280&eId=54&eiId=78&seId=236. My progression was 3 minutes walking and 3 minutes running which I really thought was a great ratio. Plus, the timing was perfect, I ended up walking the majority of the hills so I wasn't overwhelmed trying to run up them, and there were a few long, steep ones!!


I started out about a 1/2 hour later than the starters due to the wave I was in (wave 22) which wasn't too bad but still quite crowded. I am not exactly sure how many runners there were between both the marathon and the 1/2, we all started out at the same time, but there were definitely a few thousand people participating. I ran with Team Kylie Xiu which was put together by a friend of mine who lost her daughter to SIDS. 


I was going along great until around mile 5 when the feeling of having to "go" hit me!! The sad thing is the potty spots on this course were sparse and only had 1 or two port-a-johns so the lines were a bit long. I ended up standing in line for almost 20 minutes before I was able to "go" and get running again. This put me back a bit because I cooled down so much and got me out of my groove. It didn't matter too much though because I was able to get back into it after a mile or so.

One question I have though is why do so many races end up on a hill!! LOL!! The trip back was the hilliest part of the course which I didn't mind too much but once I hit mile 10 I was tiring out quite a bit. I ended up walking the last 2.5 miles at a pretty good pace and ran across the finish line. I was so happy to have run and finished that 13.1 mile race. It was a great feeling from beginning to end and I was on such a high for the rest of the day!! I rewarded myself with a pedicure later!!

Again I was able to pull through this distance with the help of my Karhu Stable Fulcrum_Ride running shoes. They are such great running shoes and really help to keep me going. I am definitely going to keep using a stability shoe from now on because they really make my run more productive and I feel so much better afterward. During both the run and the walk portion of the race my feet felt like they were continuously cushioned and the transition from heel to toe was flawless. These shoes definitely helped me move forward from beginning to the end of the race.

All in all it was a great walk/run and first 1/2 marathon experience. I am still happier than ever with these wonderful Karhu's!!

Whether you are a seasoned runner or just starting out you really should try a pair of Karhu running shoes. You will be impressed and hopefully find them as your choice of running shoe. I know I have!!

Thanks for reading, here is your 20% discount code: reviewermelissa so you can get your own pair of Karhu's!!

RUNNING SHOES: Stable Fulcrum_Ride
KARHU WEBSITE: www.Karhu.com
SHOE REVIEWER: Melissa Baldwin
IF YOU WANT TO TEST KARHUS APPLY AT: http://www.facebook.com/likekarhu