detroit « The Everyday Warrior

Fun at the Circus!

by Betsy

Before I get to all the fun that Little B and I had at the circus, I feel the need to say that I have mixed feelings about the circus. Not just this circus in particular but every circus that has animals in it. I am a big animal lover and I can’t help but feel that perhaps the animals would be happier in their own habitat as opposed to being in captivity. It’s also a bit strange to me that the animals are forced to perform for us so that we can be entertained. Perhaps the animals actually do enjoy performing and love being part of the circus. I guess we will never really know for sure!

Now that I have that off my chest, let’s get down to the fun! This was Little B’s first time at a circus and he was super excited to see the big tents when we pulled in!

Inside we saw some animals!

We didn't ride the elephant but lots of others idd!

We didn’t ride the elephant but lots of others did!

They also had a "petting zoo" area where we feed these guys come carriots.

They also had a “petting zoo” area where we feed these guys some carriots.

I enjoyed the animals but Little B was more interested in this!

I LOVE that smile on his face!

Next up was the main event, the actual circus!

We saw Tigers!

Horses!

And our friends the elephants!

We also saw lots of acrobatic acts which Little B was in awe over and I was feeling all mom-like towards the performers as there were no safety harnesses or safety nets! Eeeek!

Little B greatly enjoyed his first circus and I enjoyed spending some quality time with him!

So how do you feel about the circus? Are you a fan?

Detroit Fun Kids Parenting

8 Comments »

Rock CF 5k Recap

by Betsy

Guess who has his first 5k race under his belt and a shiny finishers medal to prove it?

This guy aka Chris the bf!

On Sunday I paced Chris in his first race ever, the Rock Cf 5k! We woke up super early on Sunday morning so that we had ample time to drive to Grosse Ile, take the shuttle to the race area, pick up our race packets and get ready for the race. All of that went smooth and we even had a little extra time to sit around before the race started.

Enjoying the warmth inside before the start of the race.

Once we crossed the start line I let Chris lead the way. Since it was his first race I wanted him to set the tone and just have a good time with it. My goal was to keep us running 10-11 minute miles so he wouldn’t get burned out before the finish line. We did take a few very small walk breaks but overall we ran a majority of the course and at a faster pace than I expected! Chris even had enough energy left in him to sprint to the finish line! I am super proud of him for finishing his first race and I am very impressed with how much progress he has made in such a short time!

Chris’s official time was 31:01 which placed him 19th in his age group out of 33 and 197th overall out of 658 runners. My time was the same as his, giving me 14th place in my age group out of 47 and earning myself an overall placement of 198th. That is definitely something we can both be proud of but most especially for Chris as that is awesome placement for his first ever 5k!

We both got this awesome finishers medal.

Pretty isn’t it?

I’ll be adding it to my collection and Chris will use it to start his collection!

This was the first race that I have ever really paced anyone. I have done other races with other people but I didn’t necessarily finish those races at the same time as the people I ran with. Overall I think this was a really good experience for Chris and I. It was a different way for us to have fun and bond with each other. I do have to admit that there were a couple of occasions where I felt the urge to race the race but in the end getting to experience him finishing his first race was more rewarding than a number on the clock!

Dating Detroit Fitness Fun Running

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Wordy Wednesday #3

by Betsy

Happy First Day of Spring?

Detroit Life

9 Comments »

Syphus Training

by Betsy

Remember this pic from this week’s Wordless Wednesday post?

Click on picture to enlarge.

Well, it turns out that it is my answer to my lack of motivation. What is it? It is Syphus Training, aka the workout that gave me a good ass kicking and left me drenched in sweat.

The only workout that I can compare it to is Insanity. They are similar in the sense that some of the exercises in the workouts are similar, they both are the toughest workouts I have ever done and they both leave me dripping in sweat. But they are different because unlike Insanity, Syphus Training is a group training session with a live trainer and Syphus Training provides a wider variety of workouts than any DVD training system can offer.

I’m not going to go in-depth about what Syphus Training is because I don’t want to reveal their techniques. The best way to understand it is to go and experience it for yourself. Click here for more info on their training. I will say that Syphus Training is a high-intensity progressive circuit training class. The workout is done on something that looks like a small football field and the workout of the day is posted on a giant whiteboard. You complete the workout at your pace, so although it is a group class, every person will be at different parts of the workout at different times. At the end of the workout you are assigned a score between 0 and 1000 as to how far you got into the workout out. My score for my first class? 384. So I have lots of room for improvement.

I have decided to omit Insanity from my training schedule and go to Syphus Training once a week instead. I enjoyed the group environment as I think it helps push me to do better and it is more fun to workout with others. I also liked having a trainer that could direct me in terms of proper form and provide encouragement when needed. By the way, I was told that my push-up form is perfect!! I’ve been patting myself on the back for that one all week! Woot!

Most importantly I had a ton of fun at the class and it has re-awakened my motivation to workout again! Thank goodness! In the end, I think Syphus Training is going to make me a stronger runner and will definitely help me prepare for my two Tough Mudders next year.

So if you live in the Detroit area or have plans to visit the Detroit area come Syphus with me! If not, you can at least get some Syphus motivation by following them on Facebook or Twitter.

Detroit Fitness Fun Running

12 Comments »

Detroit Turkey Trot Recap

by Betsy

Last Thursday I scratched another race off of my race bucket list! The Detroit Turkey Trot!

On Thanksgiving morning my friend Mike and I headed downtown around 6am giving us plenty of time to park, use the bathroom and find our corral.

This is us before the start of the race. Like a lot of people, we were happy to partake in running in costume. Mike was an elf (obviously) and I was Rainbow Brite. You can’t see in the pic but I have striped leg warmers on. I had ones for my arms too but I would have been too warm if I had worn them. Behind us is my fuel for the race. Or maybe it is a float for the Thanksgiving parade. Each corral had its own float!

The weather was FANTASTIC for this time of year in Detroit! And that was probably the reason for the HUGE turn out for the race. A record-breaking 22,100 people participated between the Mashed Potato Mile, the 5k and the 10k Turkey Trot. I love that so many people decided to participate, I just wish that the course and organizers were more prepared to handle that number of people.

Although the race was broken into corrals it didn’t appear that there were any gaps in time between corrals. From where I was, it seemed that once the gun went off everyone was free to race. I certainly wasn’t signed up for this race to PR or hit a specific time. I just wanted to go out and have a good time and burn some calories before I indulged in a Thanksgiving feast. However, the first two miles were very frustrating as I couldn’t get up to a comfortable speed. There was just so many people and very little room to navigate around the other runners. Once we split from the 5k runners there was definitely more breathing room but it was still tight.

And you will never believe what happened when we rounded the last corner just before the finish line!

Pic thanks to Run Run Johnny

Yep, you are seeing it right! It was literally a wall of runners. For the first time ever, I finished a race by walking across the finish line. I stopped my Garmin when I hit 6.2 miles and it clocked at 1 hour 51 seconds. My official chip time was 1 hour 5 minutes 50 seconds. :\ This wall of runners continued through the area where you retrieved your medal and the areas to get food and water. We ended up not even trying to get food because it was just too dang crowded. But you bet I got my medal!

The race organizers did apologize about the finish line fiasco citing construction in the area that reduced the road to the finish line by half as the reason for the back up. I however, think that they should have been aware of that before the race and took steps to eliminate the problem before it happened. Even if it meant having the finish line relocated. I also heard that they ran out of medals but will be sending medals to those who did not get one.

All in all I had a good time. I may or may not do the race again. But I am glad that I did it this year!

Detroit Friends Fun Running

21 Comments »

My Gardner-White Blog for a Grand

by Betsy

Last week I came across this blog post from MichiGal about a contest being held by Gardner-White, a Detroit based furniture store! They are opening up a brand new location in Auburn Hills next month and to celebrate they are giving away one $1000 gift card and two $500 gift cards! Entering the contest is simple. If you are a blogger from Michigan just submit a blog post about what furniture you would like to replace in your home!

I was literally jumping up and down after reading about this contest! If you have ever gone through a divorce or broke up with a significant other that you lived with, you will understand why. And if you haven’t experienced either of these situations, let me spell it out for you. You don’t get to keep all of the stuff that you once had. Sad but true.

Allow me to take you on a tour of the areas in my apartment that need to be improved upon.

Our first stop is my bedroom. Yeah, we are getting personal pretty quick! Next time you have to buy me dinner.

Here is my bed.

There is nothing wrong with the bed per se. But it is the same bed that was used in the home I lived in with my husband… Not to mention, my bed is just a mattress and box springs on a bed frame. There is no fancy headboard and footboard. In fact, I haven’t had a REAL bed since I lived at my Mom’s house over a decade ago. I think it is about time for a grown up bed like this!

Click for source.

The next stop on the tour of my apartment is my living room. Basically in the separation, I got the couch. I LOVE my red couch. I did not get the nice flat screen TV and entertainment center though. Instead, I got this.

Pretty awesome , right? (Yes, that was sarcasm that you picked up on.) I don’t watch a ton of TV but I think my “media center” could be more visually appealing. Not to mention, my son would be excited to see a state of the art television in our living room. Four year olds are so picky about their electronics! Geesh!

How amazing would this look in my living room?

Click for source.

With this on top. Purely to satisfy the four year old, of course.

Click for source.

And the last stop in my apartment isn’t really a room. See if you can figure out what I am talking about from this picture.

Do you know what that is? That is what every wall in my apartment looks like. Well, except for Little B’s room. He is lucky enough to have awesome furniture AND wall decorations! It’s good to be the kid! While I was perusing the Gardner-White website I discovered that they have fantastic accessories (like wall art and lamps) for making your home feel more like….well, a home! I could definitely use some of that in my apartment!

That completes the tour of my apartment. If you were left speechless by the tour and think that I should win the Gardner-White Blog for A Grand contest, raise your hand. I should warn you that anyone who does not have their hand up will be subjected to another viewing of the picture of my living room media center. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

By writing this blog post I will be receiving a $50 gift card from Gardner-White and a chance at winning a $1000 gift card or a $500 gift card but all opinions are my own! I mean you’ve seen the pictures, I can’t make this stuff up!

Blogging Divorce Life

23 Comments »

Arts, Beats & Eats

by Betsy

This past Friday Mr. Sarcastic and I went to the Arts, Beats & Eats festival in Royal Oak. I have been wanting to go to the festival for several years now and for one reason or another I haven’t been able to go. But it was nice to get to experience it for the first time with the boyfriend!

As you might suspect there were lots of artists there selling a wide variety or art. We perused the vendors but didn’t buy anything.

We were both pretty hungry as we went there after work, so we were focused on finding fooooood! And find food we did! There were so many options it was a challenge to figure out what to get first! But once we got started there was no stopping us.

Our first choice was chicken shawarma. It wasn’t as good as we were hoping it would be. It wasn’t garlicy enough for our liking.

Next was our favorite of the night! A plate of potatoey, cheesy deliciousness that still makes me smile days later.

We totally demolished like 95% of what was on that plate! After that we moved on to dessert. I indulged in a cream puff sundae. No night is complete without ice cream, right?!

Mr. Sarcastic was craving a banana shake (blech) or an iced coffee beverage (also blech) which the festival had neither of so he settled for a deep-fried Twinkie.

And lastly we had a fruit smoothie in this super awesome palm tree cup! It was delicious and refreshing!

There were also a TON of bands on various stages throughout the festival. We didn’t really stop at any of them for too long, again we were focused on food. But we did enjoy listening to all of them as we walked around.

You KNOW I had to put up a pic of the country stage!

I may have paid for all of the food I ate when I went running on Sunday, but it was totally worth it. This festival only happens once a year so I felt it was a necessary indulgence. Can’t wait till next year!

What did you do this weekend?

Detroit Fun Life

10 Comments »

Wordless Wednesday #16

by Betsy

Detroit Running Wordless Wednesday

16 Comments »

Mud Run Fanatic

by Betsy

Recently I entered a contest on Facebook to win a sponsorship for a free race entry! I love free! Especially a free race entry! The contest was held by a local windows and door company Renewal by Andersen who also happens to sponsor local runners in local races! Love, love, love that! The contest was simple. All I had to do is post a running pic of myself on their Facebook wall and the top 3 people with the most likes got to be sponsored in a race. Here is the one that I posted.

My Tough Mudder pic, of course!

Unfortunately, I did not place in the top 3 BUT they gave EVERYONE who posted a pic a sponsorship into a race. WooHoo!

I was asked to email my top 3 race choices from their list of sponsored races. After looking at their races my top pick went to a mud run race (a no brainer choice), second pick was a 5k race (I still need to hit my 27 mins or less goal) and my third pick was a popular local half marathon (why not?). And guess what? I got into my first choice race!

So I will be doing this race in August!

Click to go to site.

Can. Not. Wait.

Speaking of mud runs. In just about two weeks I will be returning to the site of my first EVER mud run. And the one that got me hooked on doing them. The Warrior Dash!!! Woot! Let’s hope they don’t make me age by 60 years again.

In case you haven’t already guessed, I may have an addiction to mud runs. What is your running / workout addiction?

Detroit Fitness Life Running

6 Comments »

Weekend Recap: Cute Kids & Country Music

by Betsy

My weekend started off with an extra 4 year old on Friday. Brennen’s friend that he has known since he was 6 months old was at our place for a sleepover!!! We went to the splash pad, ate some goodies and watched a few kiddie shows on TV. I am not sure who had more fun, me or them!

This pic is TOO cute!

One might think that it would be more difficult having an extra kid in tow but it was actually really great because it gave Brennen someone to play with so he didn’t need me to be his constant playmate. On the downside bedtime was doubly difficult though!

On Saturday I went to the Brad Paisley concert with a friend that I went to high school with.

Can you tell that we were having fun??

I wore this super cute but way too short dress.

Cowboy boots would have been a perfect way to complete the look. (Note to self: Get a pair of cowboy boots before my next country concert.)

The weather was perfect for an outdoor concert in the D. And if you don’t think that there is a HUGE country music fan base in Detroit….think again.

Detroit LOVES country music!

The first opener was Scotty McCreery. Not one of my favorites but he has a nice voice nonetheless. This was the only song that I knew other than an old Travis Tritt song that he played.

Next up was one of my favorite country bands, The Band Perry! LOVE them! I knew most of their songs and happily danced and sang along with them.

This is probably my favorite song by them right now.

Next up was the headliner himself ……Brad Paisley! Right from the start there was no question as to why his tours are so popular and why he wins so many CMA awards. He is a great entertainer! Full of energy, showmanship and a great voice to boot! Some highlights of his portion of the concert were him autographing one of his guitars and GIVING it to a little girl in the crowd. (I SO wish I was her!) He went up the aisles into the crowd COUNTLESS times and he even performed a few songs on a small stage near the lawn seats since he said those were the seats he could afford when he was growing up. He also explained why he named his tour the Virtual Reality Tour. (Keep in mind I am severely paraphrasing.) He said that country music is about reality. And at the same time it can provide you an escape from your current reality if need be. Especially when you add country music with beer.

Here’s one of my favorite Brad Paisley songs.

My only complaints about the concert were primarily venue related. (Except for the cheesy duet Brad did with a digital image of Carrie Underwood.) The frozen drinks were not frozen and the mixed drinks looked and tasted different despite ordering the exact same kind both times. I also had no cell phone reception. I couldn’t communicate with the outside world! lol I couldn’t check in on FourSquare or post pics to Twitter or Facebook. Woe is me! lol Ironically my cell phone provider had a booth at the concert selling their phones. It also took us an hour and a half to get out of the parking lot and to the expressway. I know that leaving a concert is always difficult but that was a bit excessive. On the plus side the women’s bathroom line moved VERY quickly. That was a nice surprise!

All in all it was a great night and I would never let a few negatives impact a whole night of positives! If you ever get a chance to go to a Brad Paisley concert, I highly recommend it. You will not be disappointed!

Country Music Detroit Friends Fun Michigan

4 Comments »

The Everyday Warrior

Turning the everyday into a day of badassery through fitness, fashion & fun.

Fun at the Circus!

Rock CF 5k Recap

Wordy Wednesday #3

Syphus Training

Detroit Turkey Trot Recap

My Gardner-White Blog for a Grand

Arts, Beats & Eats

Wordless Wednesday #16

Mud Run Fanatic

Weekend Recap: Cute Kids & Country Music

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