I am now a married woman. We had a wonderful wedding last week that was filled with love and fun- lots of fun. The stress of the wedding planning was finally released and it was a joyous time. Leading up to the event, other than the usual wedding stress of how things were going to flow and getting all the decoration details in order, I, just like many other brides, had the thought in the back of my head - the worry about how my dress would fit the day of.

Maintaining my figure and staying toned is pretty much always my goal. This was the same goal I had for the dress. So in order to keep me focused on this goal, I had to think of a different- more specific one, that would force me to stay in a weekly routine. 
Take note, even if your goal is different from mine like weight loss, you need to find a more specific one to help you stay on track with fitness.

My more specific goal:
For about a year now I have been talking about training for and running a full marathon. I have done several half marathons, but never the full 26.2 miles. And with the wedding, I found that it was the perfect opportunity to get myself on a more strict workout regimen- so I signed up!!!!
(The wedding was May 7th but the race is in June, so my training has still continued, even after the I do's.)
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As soon as I signed up for the marathon, I sat down and wrote out my 4 month training program for both me and my now husband (of course I dragged him into it! Workout buddies make everything fun :-D ).

Being flexible allows you to move your muscles through a full range of motion. If your muscles are too tight, you are limited in your movements and won’t be able to perform as well.

The main muscles I wanted to target were my Hamstrings, Quads, Glutes, Calfs, and most importantly, my Hip Flexors. 

For one day this week I used a foam roller, to perform a myo-fascia release on some of these muscles.  This helps to release the toxins within the muscle, and loosens it up to help it perform its function better.

Other days, before my workout I performed dynamic stretches, like leg kicks, high knees, and butt kicks. After my workouts and during my downtime, performed static stretches, like the hurdle stretch, seated forward fold, stretches for the hip flexors and the IT band etc. 

Hydration is important. Water helps keep your body at regular temperatures, transports waste and nutrients throughout your body, protects the joints, and more.  With exercise, we tend to perspire, and as you lose water, you want to replenish your body with what was lost.

Dehydration can cause a slack in performance, and can limit you from doing well. 

I am always drinking water, making sure that I get the right amount each day.  And with this race ahead of me, I have been focusing on my water intake and keeping my body hydrated.

Check out this post on hydration, and why it is important. Click.