firm & tone 01. great aloha run (new PR).

it's become a tradition (three years in the making), getting together with friends on president's day for the 8.15 mile great aloha run.

this year, i was just coming off a month-long break from running and had only put in a few 2-3 mile runs before the race, so it was a good test of my current fitness level. i won't get into a lengthy race recap but will say that i was able to maintain a steady pace, run the entire course [walking only through the water stations], and gain a new PR (personal record) for this race.

with an official time of 1:36:10, i shaved off 14 minutes from last year's time. some people assumed that this might be easy after running a marathon. i wouldn't say it was easy, rather it was a comfortable distance. i will admit that it felt great seeing the results of my year of running.

prepped and ready for the early morning wake-up call.

shuffling like cattle to get to the start.

to the finish line.

crossing the finish line.

inside the stadium. 

post-race bloody ceasars. 

new year new goal.

after a year of serious running and training for the marathon, fitness became a huge part of my life. but with the marathon over and done with, what's next?

well, after taking a much-needed month off from running, i finally got back on the treadmill and even completed my first race of 2015 this past weekend. i even signed up for the marathon. again. what?! (no pressure this year, though. if i feel ready, i'll do it.) i have genuinely come to enjoy running and will continue to do it. perhaps this year i'll work on speed, and as a side goal, get the minis to join me in a race.

but there was one thing that i assumed hoped would come along with running, and that was toning up. weights were always part of my fitness regimen, but that became secondary to running when my marathon training started. besides, all that running would result in a toned body (at least my legs), right? wrong.

while some have noticed a change in my body, i still have more soft and jiggly parts than i'd care to admit.

so this year, it's all about firming and toning, incorporating weights as well as exercises that result in a stronger body overall. i believe this will only benefit my running as well.

 thanks to those who followed my journey via the marathon chronicles series. i hope that you'll stick around for this new fitness series that'll include workouts and exercises, fitness gear, diet tips and recipes, and, of course, running updates.