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.

Monday, May 21, 2012



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Saturday, May 19, 2012

Pale? You May Need More Vitamin D - Dr. Weil's Weekend Tip

Pale? You May Need More Vitamin D - Dr. Weil's Weekend Tip

Day 8 Review: The Joys of Trail Walking/Running

Road walking/running is not all there is when training for a specific race distance or even just getting out there and exercising. Many people don't realize how much fun and interesting trail walking/running is. With trail walking/running you don't have to worry about some idiot driver who chooses not to see you or even having to smell the exhaust from cars or when walking/running in an area where there are stores and restaurants the smells coming from those places can be overwhelming to your senses!
There are many trail systems not too far from my house which is wonderful. I just need to either go out the door and up the street a little ways or even head out to my back yard and jump in the woods from there. One major difference between road walking/running and trail walking/running is that you definitely need to pay more attention to your surroundings on the trail. You don't want to get lost in the woods which can be very easily done if the trail is not marked and you also don't want to end up face planting because you tripped over a root or rock sticking out of the ground. Many trails are smoothed down from other walkers/runner and bicyclists but there are still areas especially after it rains where the ground is very soft and you can end up twisting an ankle or getting a shoe full of water and mud!! Another thing you need to watch out for in the woods is animals. The other day when I took a trail run I came across a 3 foot black rat snake sunning itself while laying across the trail. It startled me and at first I thought it was dead but then it started moving very slowly across the trail. I waited for it to get to the other side and I started moving again.  
Bicyclists are another hazard that can result in a major crash if both are not careful. Some trails are very narrow and could cause problems if you and a bicyclist come together at a point on the trail. It is easier for you to move out of the way but you will always have to make a compromise for the safety of everyone!!
Please enjoy this video of my latest trail walk/run:
**Warning~this video is very shaky because I was taping while exercising!! ;)


I love my Karhu's they are great even on a trail!!

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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
GET a 20% DISCOUNT AT KARHU.COM JUST FOR READING THIS BLOG: Use code: reviewermelissa

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Shoe Review: Treadmill training/Day 7

Shoe Review: Treadmill training/Day 7

I am NOT a huge fan of running on a treadmill for training purposes but when the weather is not so great you have to do what you have to do!! I needed to get in a 40-50 minute run for my Marathon training program and the weather was pretty damp and cool. Not good running outside weather at all. So, needless to say I jumped on the treadmill and went to work. I maintained a continuous pace of 3.5 walking and 4.0 running utilizing the incline abilities of the treadmill to simulate hills I would be encountering on the race course. I am scheduled to run another 1/2 Marathon in June which is hilly as well.




One of the reasons I do not like running on a treadmill is it is harder to simulate running outside because the treadmill does a lot of the work for you and you don't know if the pacing is actually correct. The treadmill I used showed the pace of 3.5 as a 17.5 minute mile and the 4.0 pace as a 15 minute per mile pace. I am not sure if those are totally correct. I guess I could just bite the bullet and stop being a wimp and run in the cold and rain but man, I don't really like it. Until I decide to go totally hard core in my running and racing regime I will let my inner wimp come out and deal with treadmill running for part of my training. Some of the best runners out there are treadmill runners as well!!


My Karhu's are still holding strong and I continue to enjoy wearing them whether I am running outside or on the treadmill!!

GET a 20% DISCOUNT AT KARHU.COM JUST FOR READING THIS BLOG:
    Use code: reviewermelissa

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
GET a 20% DISCOUNT AT KARHU.COM JUST FOR READING THIS BLOG: Use code: reviewermelissa