Weekly Round-Up: Thanksgiving Edition

And what a week it's been!

Tuesday we left for Tennessee and Thankgiving with my in-laws. I k new I would at least be running on Thursday since my in-laws have really stuck to the Turkey Trot Tradition. One of the things they don't prep you for about being married is the blending of the families and holidays. Luckily for me I married in to an amazing family that has welcomed me with open arms. It's still sad to be away from my parents and grandmother for Thanksgiving, but getting to run the Turkey Trot with my in-laws helps fill the voids.

So here we have it:

Monday: 2 mile walk on the treadmill followed by the Monday Motivational Workout from the Holiday
               sweat challenge! It was brutal.
Tuesday: Rest/travel day
Wednesday: 1.71 mile walk around the neighborhood with the pup. Everybody needed to stretch!
Thursday: Turkey Trot! Finished the 5k in 30:15 which I think is faster than last year
Friday: 1.96 mile walk around the neighborhood, getting the pup ready for the day of travel
Saturday: Home Football game - I'm counting all of the walking and cheering as "activity" - Ha!
Sunday: 4.56 mile run around the park. Averaged 11:39 min/miles despite my walk breaks. It hurt.

I'm really proud of how I stayed active this week despite the travel. Lets face it, leisurely walks aren't exactly the height of my fitness goals, but they're better than nothing! I'm especially impressed considering this is what I was up against in Tennessee:

Thank goodness I had a turkey trot & an awesome hubby to keep my butt in gear.

This week the big focus is BREAKFAST. In particular, the Bonus points for the #HolidaySweatChallenge this week are for getting extra fruits/veggies. Keeping that in mind, I got all of the makings for smoothies today at the grocery. The goal is to wake up & get in the shower before Hubbz. Then I can let Ellie out etc. and make my smoothie while he's in the shower. This is a big change, but I'm hoping it makes an improvement in my overall feeling.

Fingers crossed- Happy Running!

Did you run a turkey trot? How do you avoid the holiday bulge?

Weekly Recap

It's not really a training recap anymore now, is it?

This week was definitely better than last week on the workout front.

I met most of my standing goals. This weekend it was too beautiful not to get out and move. Saturday I went out with the intention of running about 3 miles. We have our annual Turkey Trot on Thursday & I was honestly doubting my ability to finish. Say what? I know, I just finished a half marathon less than a Month ago surely I can do 3.1. I wasn't so sure. However I easily managed to hit 3  - and fast! - and stayed out until I could no longer run. It was a nice hour overall.

Well, except for my quads. My day 2 weights include a type of reverse lunge. I adapted it so that I was comfortably balanced, but I did 3 sets of 8-12 after 30 minutes on the bike Wednesday. Oh. Good.Grief. Thursday my legs were toast. Volleyball was an odyssey. I forgot how much weights just shred your muscles! The best part was that it felt GOOD. I love that CantMoveKillMeNowOhGodItHurts feeling that I only seem to get from lifting. By the end of 5 on Saturday my quads were pretty well trashed. I took my bike out today and came to pretty much the same conclusion.

Despite the quad soreness one thing is for sure: biking is FUN. I love it. I'm still not 100% comfortable, but I'm getting there. Today I just did the 6-ish mile bike loop near our house. Closed to traffic and newly paved so it's perfect for the less-than-comfortable.

Next week?

We leave for the in-laws on Tuesday. I'm super excited to get out of town and spend some time in the 'country'. Also, tomorrow is the start of the #HolidaySweatChallenge! You still have time to sign up so head over to RunToTheFinish to get registered. There are lots of great prizes on the line and it's a really good way to stay on track during the holidays!

How was your week?
Do you cycle? How long did it take you to feel super comfortable on the bike?

Happy Running!

Fall Is For Fitness

Weather around here has been just amazing. Now that we've hit "fall back" and it's getting dark so damn early I doubt I'll be able to take advantage of it as much. Also, it's going to start getting really really cold around here. C'est la vie in Kentucky, I guess. Here are some images from my fall training, since I don't have much else on my mind.

I look awesome in a helmet

Ghost among the Leaves

From a run right after the leaves changed

Fall means lots of puppy snuggles

Have you had a good fall where you are? 
Do you like "Fall Back"? I hate that it gets dark so early!

Happy Running!

Training Cycle Recap

The journey that began on August 10th finally ended up October 25th when I crossed the finish line of my 7th Half Marathon. This was the first race since the Chicago Half Marathon back in 2011 that I felt I had properly prepared for.

Our Training Plan Called for:

• Long Run: 10 miles
• Total Mileage: 194.4
• 5k Race, 10k Race Planned

In the past Josh and I had been really good about getting in long runs. Admittedly, our long runs for the LSC Half Marathon last year didn't go very well at all. This cycle I wanted to run more during the week. Partly out of a need to keep a base, but also because I needed the break from work. In taking this on I was determined to make time for running outside of work. 

What we actually did:

According to Garmin, I logged 196.44 miles during training! That's amazing - it's more than my goal! Certainly having my new bike helped, but I had no idea it would be close let alone more. That's not to say I made all of my workouts, but It shows I did some.

Also, I significantly amped up my workouts in general. 

I'm really proud of how hard I worked. I think it showed in my results. Hasn't really shown up on the scale….but that's for another day. 

What's next? Good question! I think I'm going to "wing it" for the winter. We've got some good races planned throughout the winter and my training for the Muncie 70.3 begins March 20th. Between now and late February I want to focus on getting stronger and spending as much time in the saddle as possible. 

Goals:

• Two strength days per week
• 3 Runs per week
• 1 bike or swim day per week

I think that's going to be a good mix of challenging and restful. Also, I'm Signed up for the Holiday Sweat Challenge - are you? It's a GREAT way to motivate yourself to stay in shape for the winter and win great prizes. This will be my third year and I always look forward to it! With the new partnership between RunToTheFinish & Sweat Pink it's sure to be better than ever!

So get signed up!

How was your training this fall?

Urban Bourbon Race Recap

Better late than never, right?

It's hard to believe it's been two weeks since the race but the calendar says it's true.

Thursday night we had manicotti from our local Italian store (yum yum!) and then Friday we went out for Sushi. The pre-race Sushi dinner has become a tradition for us. I think it started before a half marathon awhile back but I can't remember which one. I think the night before the race I need something light and complex and sushi seems to do that for me. It was de-lish.

Saturday morning the weather was warm. While it had gotten cold earlier in the week, the ridiculous Kentucky temperature swings went into full effect. The high for race day was in the mid-70s. I went a little conservative since it had been so cool earlier in the week and went with a tech short sleeve under layer, lighter long-sleeved top layer and capris.

We went to bed really early Friday night and I actually woke up on my own Saturday morning. I drank about 24 ounces of Poweraid and had a slice of toast with peanut butter. This ended up being the perfect pre-race meal. I felt nice and energized without being too full. Though, I did have to use the restroom a few more times than I would've liked thanks to the extra hydration. Worth it in the end, I guess.

We got to the start in plenty of time and took a second to stretch out and stay warm. When they whistled us up to the start it was pretty seamless for everyone to line up. We fell in with the 2:30 pace group since this was my goal. Really, my primary goal was to finish around 2:30, under 2:30 my stretch goal and my A goal was 2:25. My friends ended up finding us right before the gun went off. Then, we were off! Sidenote: our pace group started running about 50 yards before the start line. Wtf? This was super annoying as they took a pretty aggressive pace at it too. I wasn't too thrilled.

The race itself was kind of a blur. We ran the race last year - then the LSC Half Marathon - and had a lot of complaints about the course (namely the 1.5 mile turnaround right before the finish line). Luckily, they changed the course this year and cut out most of what I didn't like. We were aggressive the first few miles and kept what I thought was a tight pace. (Note: My garmin won't load the data from this race, so I have no splits. Ugh. Two weeks later and I'm still angry about that!). When the 2:30 group stopped to walk through the water stop we kept on. For the first few miles they were right behind us but as we made our way into the park they got farther and farther behind. It was awhile before we realized they just weren't there.

The morning couldn't have been more beautiful. The middle 4 miles of the race were primarily through Cherokee park, one of our favorite running spots. It has a special meaning to me since that's where we got engaged. The hills there are tough and I knew that this would be the most challenging segment. The first major hill around mile 4 was a monster and it left me wondering whether I had the guts for the rest of the race. After that hill, though, I felt really good. I breathed a sigh of relief when we got out of the park because I knew the hardest part was behind us. There was a slight hill after mile 5-ish that was more annoying than anything. My mind kept saying, "I thought we were done with this".

Up until mile 10 it was really a perfect race. Around then my legs started getting tired. I think my brain got tired and the voices that always creep in at the end of the race started to pop up. "I can't do this," "I'm not going to make it," "I don't have anything left." I finally turned off my music and reminded myself: you ARE doing this. Even if you walk the rest of the way, you'll finish. I also knew that we were way ahead of the 2:30 group so even if we slowed to a crawl I'd make my overall goal.

We made the last 2 miles and turned towards the finish. The closer we got to main street and the finish line the more I wanted to just break into a sprint. I was able to finish strongly and feeling really powerful. As we neared the chute I took of my headphones and let everything just soak in. It was the most powerful, emotional finish to a race I've had in a long time. It felt really good.

Urban Bourbon Half Marathon Finisher!

Hubby and I finished together in 2:25:38. Not a PR, but the fastest half I've run in a long time! We beat last year by 7 minutes, which is impressive. My girlfriends finished in 2:22 and made huge improvements from last year too. It was cause for celebration so we all grabbed a huge breakfast at one of our favorite spots. Then we spent pretty much the rest of the day just being lazy.

Half #7 in the books! If you'd' asked me 6 years ago when I started this crazy journey if I would run more than one half, I'd think it crazy that I finish even one. Here I am. It's a good place to be.

I'm Still Here - Weekly RoundUp

Totally dodged the Weekly Recap this week. The weekend was exhausting and involved our 9 mile long run, a football game (loss, ugh), a wedding, and moving a ton of stuff from my parents' house. The "moving" part was surprisingly emotional as it involved taking boxes containing my entire childhood and moving them out of my childhood home. By Sunday afternoon I'd planned out dinner and my blogging time and was really not into it. Instead, we ordered pizza, watched the Lord of the Rings and pretended it was Saturday instead of Sunday.

Last Week's Workouts

Not Great

Mon: 4.6 mile run @ 12:00 min/miles. Still a little sore from the 10K so I just did what felt good
Tues: 1500 yard swim set
Weds: Bike fitting! 45 minutes of serious pedaling
Thurs: Volleyball  tournament - two matches, though not reflected on my chart
Fri: Rest
Sat: 9 miles @ 12:17 min/mile.

Our long run Saturday took a lot of convincing. I had no intention of getting up and going and Josh really had to push me to do it. It was kind of dreary and overcast. This is why you need a good support system though because the run ended up being great! We worked in some decent hills and I practiced running on effort rather than pace. I was able to keep a much more even overall pace this week because of it. While not the best week of training due to my bike fitting Wednesday, it was good.

Also, the bike fitting was AWESOME. If you have a bike you need to see a professional bike fitter pronto. The fitting was free at the MultiSport shop where I purchased my bike. The bike tech, Joe, was nice and knowledgeable. He switched out my stem & propped up my brakes a little bit so I'm much more comfortable and relaxed in the upperbody. I also switched to clipless pedals. Yikes.

Due to the rain, and the fact that I'm a total chicken, I haven't gotten to ride my bike since the fitting. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for today!

Totals: 14.57 miles, 4:11:55, 2, 668 Calories

 Not terrible. Not Great. As we get closer to the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon I'm honestly just trying to keep from getting injured or sick. Both are difficult. I have an appointment with an Allergist today to (hopefully) learn to manage my asthma and allergies better. The downside is that I haven't been able to take my beloved antihistamine for the last 5 days. AHH! Wish my luck.

Also, while I was looking through my photos I found these two of little Ellie Dog. She was so small!

Happy Hump Day!

Hump Day Happenings

Last night during my swim I was chugging along and actually thought, "Screw this. I'm getting out." I was super tired, and my arms were really sore and achy. The last several swims the first 400 yards have been magical - almost effortless. This swim felt more like I was pulling through mud and my shoulders were screaming. Not to mention, my suit has finally gotten to the point where it's so stretched and saggy that anytime I catch myself in the mirror I think, "Oh god, that can't possibly be what I look like!". Not good.

But I finished anyway and I felt good just knowing I finished a hard workout. Sometimes, that's just the way it is.

Post-Swim Locker Room Action

I rewarded myself this morning by getting myself a new suit and hot pink swim cap. I went through the TYR grab bag so I have NO idea what it will look like. It's sort of exciting. Also, I bought myself this awesome shirt just because. 

So Cool

Tonight I have my bike fitting at our local multisport shop. I'm excited to learn a little bit more about my bike and have a professional fit. Also, it will be my first experience with clipless pedals. I'm more than a little nervous about that (as in I'm nervous about falling off my bike because I can't unclip). We shall see.

Ellie and I are not thrilled about being awake this morning. 

Sleepy Puppy

At least I have caramel coffee!

Happy Hump Day!

How do you recover from bad workouts?
Have you ever used clipless pedals? How'd it go?
Do you like flavored coffee? Which flavor?

Race Recap: Great Pumpkin 10K

This past weekend was the Louisville Sport's Commission Great Pumpkin 10K. The Louisville Sports Commission (LSC) is a great organization dedicated to bringing Sport to Louisville; for both professionals and amateurs. They've set up our "pro" soccer team, are working on an NBA team, and also host a bunch of new road races.

Every spring there's a big "Triple Crown of Racing" that immediately precedes the Kentucky Derby & Triple Crown of Horse Racing. The LSC had created the "Fall Runathon", a schedule that include the Louisville Pure Tap 5k, Great Pumpkin 10K and Urban Bourbon Half Marathon. Josh & I elected not to do the 5K mostly because we haven't had any good experiences with massive 5k's (like not even being able to get to the start line at our last one!).

Pre-Race
The race itself didn't start until 9:00 a.m. but I wanted to get up early enough to eat and get a lot of fluids. I woke up around 7 after a terrible night's sleep and had some power aid and a handful of pretzels. The weather App on my phone said it was 45 degrees and would be in the 44-49 degree range through to mid morning. I had no clue what to wear. I dutifully checked the "What should I wear" on Runnersworld.com - my go-to site when I'm clueless about clothing - and it suggested both shorts and a t-shirt and capris and long sleeves. ugh. My endurance Shorts had been working wonders throughout the whole training cycle so I decided to go with those and a lighter long-sleeved pullover. Best of both worlds I figured.

We headed out to the race site around 8:15. The park where the race was held is out on the county line directly across from a Golf Course that recently hosted the PGA Championship. It's a HUGE new park that's still being developed. We had to park a little way's back from the start line and walk. It was cold. I was really doubting my clothing choice and just trying to be optimistic about the experience. I get to run, so how bad can it really be? We had to high-tail it to the start and just barely managed to get to the line before the gun went off.

The Race

When Josh & I race together we never manage to get anywhere near the front of the pack. This always irks me. I hate the first 10 minutes where you're dodging all of the walkers and slow(er)pokes right out of the gate. Oh well, that's what we do so that's what we do. My only goals for this race were (1) to finish feeling strong and (2) to negative split. I set my virtual partner for 11:30 since 11:15-11:20 is what we want for the Half. The first mile felt great and not too fast, though Garmin soon told me it had been. I told Josh we needed to back off and he just sort of slipped in behind my back shoulder and let me (Try) to set the pace. 

The course was BEAUTIFUL! On the way out we were running mostly on freshly paved roads through the park. The "Hills" were mostly overpasses over beautiful streams. The sun was out, taking the chill out of the air, but it wasn't warm at all. Our second mile was closer to what I wanted and we tried to maintain the pace. 

However, the MAJOR incline at the third incline was vicious. I charged up it, feeling strong and powerful. What I didn't realize was that there was a gradual incline for the next quarter mile following it. I couldn't catch my breath or get a real handle on my cadence. At that point you're on divided highway and it's split between people going out and people coming back. I plodded on and hoped that the turnaround was somewhere near. Once you got to the turnaround all of the 'up' turned to 'down' and it felt a LOT better. It was so downhill in fact that when we finally got back on flat ground I felt like we hit a brick wall. The flat popped up right at the 5th mile so it was 2 to go. I pumped up the volume on my iPod and dug in. I felt great. It was beautiful and I knew I could finish really strong. 

Can you see the difference between miles 3 & 4? Whew

And I did! I finished feeling strong and tired but not exhausted or overdone. Since we have a half coming up I really wanted to see how I felt at that pace rather than leave it all out on the course. I think I did really well and I"m really proud of the race. 

After the Race

The only negative about the race was that there was only one road out. So we sat in the car and listened to the radio for awhile. We feasted at Frisch's and I (over)indulged in their breakfast buffet. If you live somewhere where Frisch's Big Boy isn't an option, I feel bad for you. It's the bees knees. 

After some napping we headed off to pick our pumpkins and buy 10 gallons (practically) of Apple Cider from a local farm. It's a neat little fall tradition we've started and a beautiful drive. We came home and napped some more and then decided to watch a movie. After the race I was wheezing pretty bad and couldn't get a handle on my breathing. I think it was allergies, really. I took a benadryl and slept like a baby. All-in-all, a pretty nice little saturday. 

Chocolate milk at the finish line!

Next up is the Urban Bourban Half on 10/25!

Weekly RoundUp: Welcome October

After doubting it's existence, fall has finally made it to the Bluegrass. While temps on Thursday were into the 80s, it finally cooled down on Saturday. We've got our pumpkins picked, our decorations out, and our heavy comforter on the bed. Welcome Fall - won't you stay awhile?

This Week's Training

Mon: 9.20 miles on the bike in the nearby park
Tues: 7.53 miles on the bike - my achy bum was not too happy
Wed: 1 Mile on the treadmill before 1 hour yoga
Thur: Volleyball - won all 3 matches, decently sweaty
Fri: Rest
Sat: Great Pumpkin 10K Race, 1:06:59
Sun: 2.61 mile walk around the park with Ellie

I was nervous about how shifting our long run last week was going to impact the week. Sunday I was still a bit sore for my scheduled run so I took the bike out instead. This was an awesome decision. Every time I ride I feel more and more comfortable. I managed to stay on the bike for almost an hour without even noticing! I felt a lot more comfortable with stops and riding in traffic (and rush hour traffic at that). Tuesday it was too beautiful not to go do something, but it was an off-running day so I hit the bike again. At this point I'm still working through "saddle soreness". Oy, am I. Tuesday I was practically standing on the bike the first 10 minutes. After that I eased in and practiced with some of the gears. I'm finally figuring out what each one is for and how to ride. Slowly but surely I will be a cyclist!

Saturday was the Great Pumpkin 10K. It's the first year for the event - part of a new fall "triple crown" - and it went GREAT! I'll keep away from the details since I intend to do a full report, but lets just say it was a great morning.

Today I cooked up a storm in the kitchen and then felt the need to get out in the elements. It was cool, which felt nice, and the leaves are starting to change. I rounded up the pup and we headed to my favorite park. We did a lot of our favorite trails & Ellie almost caught a chipmunk!


This Week's Nutrition

Fall really puts me in the mood to cook. I'm not sure why. I love soups and stews and they just taste so much better when there's a bite in the air. Nothing really stands out this past week in terms of nutrition. I think I did a great job with my No Candy pledge. By no, I really meant less. Unfortunately, this is a bad week to gauge my progress in terms of weight loss as it seems that we're nearing mother nature's monthly gift. Bah. Looks like I've lost an inch around the waist though, while gaining an inch in the bust. I did manage to eat a big salad without getting sick though. If you'd spent any time around me in the last few salad-less months, you'd know what a victory that was.

Friday night I made a pizza with a Pilsbury crust for our dinner. It was really good. I love homemade pizza. I used grilled chicken instead of sausage or pepperoni and cut down on the amount of veggies we'd likely have otherwise. Yum yum.

I went on a cooking frenzy today. I made crockpot mexican chicken chili for dinner, a week's worth of butternut squash soup for lunch and Pumpkin Snickerdoodle cookies. I haven't tried the snicker doodle cookies yet…I'm expecting immediate addiction

Next Week
- Get back on track with training for the Half - only 3 weeks left!
- Stick to my meal plan, including homemade or from home foods
- keep Blogging :)

Is it Fall where you are yet?
Did you reach this weekend? Congrats! How'd it go?
What's your favorite pre-race meal?

Pre-Race Jitters

Until today I didn't realize I still got pre-race jitters. Hmm. 

Tomorrow morning we're running the Great Pumpkin 10K. It's a new race for us in a park I've never been to. I think that's contributing to the nervousness. I've done 5 or 6 races at this distance and I honestly think it's my favorite. It's sort of a "middle distance" and I always raced middle distance (200) in swimming. Short enough to go fast, long enough for endurance to matter. 

The race is part of our training for the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon in a few weeks. Maybe I'm nervous because it should be a good indicator of how that race should go. Who knows. The plan for now is to (1) set a challenging pace and (2) negative split. 

            Ellie isn't at all concerned

Ive been hydrating like crazy and made a great pizza for dinner that's served as good pre-race fuel in the past. Now we're just watching football and relaxing. 

Up and at 'Em early tomorrow for my first race since April - here goes nothing!

The Biggest Goals

Lately, I've found myself feeling stagnant and unmotivated. We sign up for Half Marathon's and then muddle through a half-assed training program. Each time, I finish about the same. After I started law school I quickly realized I would never be as fast as I was in 2008-2009. That was the year I was at home, working for Americorps, and put my whole heart and soul into running. And what an amazing experience that was. I ran a 2:15 half marathon on my second try and a 4:45 full marathon on my first go-round; both of them, all by myself. Both were moments that made me abundantly proud and extraordinarily happy. Both were feelings I've not achieved since.

Which I think is why, in following Jaime over at Couch to Ironwoman I really connected with her "let down" after finishing Ironman Louisville. In a post a bit after returning home from IMLou, she wrote:

"I have cried a few times, for pretty much no reason other than I think about our Ironman, the training and all of the time that we put into it. I don't want to be sad about it, I want to be happy that we accomplished our goal and that now we can move on to bigger and better things."

I absolutely identify with that feeling. I always wonder, "Do I have another marathon in me?" or "Will I ever feel that way again?" These questions, along with my lag in training, have left me feeling largely underwhelmed with myself.  In wondering if I've hit my peak, I feel as though I've let myself down.

So i've decided to do something about it.

I signed up for Ironman 70.3 Muncie!

In July 2015 I will swim 1.2 miles, Bike 56 and finish a half marathon. I will feel that feeing again. In the weeks between my decision to enter and registration, I felt an excitement I haven't felt since I signed up for the Flying Pig 26.2 back in 2009. It's electrifying.

God bless my sweet husband, Josh, he is on board and as supportive as can be. We talked about how my time would be further torn between work, home, and training. We talked about how this was going to be really hard. I think he realized how much I needed this and how happy just talking about it made me, so he pushed me over the edge to register.

So with the registration came the need for a bike. After 2 weeks of shopping and waiting, I finally found the perfect ride:

I'm needing out over it so hard. I went out last Friday for my first real 'ride'. Wow. I have so much to learn. That's the exciting part. and the scary part. I have no clue how to do this. It wasn't until I got on the bike that I finally thought "What did I get myself into?". But I'm in it. And I can't wait to feel that feeling again.

Happy Running!

Have you ever had the post-run blues? 
What are your goals for next year?

Weekly Wrap up - Where is fall?

Today was another 'scorcher' - high of 82 with 42% humidity. Definitely better than last week. Still, it's officially fall now and while I'm not ready for pants and sweatshirts all of the time, I'm certainly ready for long sleeves!

This Week's Training

Mon: 3.4 miles with Ellie, which meant it was basically a fartlek run
Tue: 1500 pool swim, "Easy Dozen" workout
Wed: Rest
Thur: Volleyball
Fri: 6 miles on the bike
Sat: Rest
Sun: 8 miles @ 12:10 pace

See all of that rest in there? I'm not super happy about it, but at the end of the day it's what my body needed. Wednesday I packed my bag up for a good run downtown. I realized about an hour  before my run that I didn't bring a sports bra. It seemed like a sign from the God's that a run wasn't in the cards for me. I'd had some nagging pain in my left shin and knee that was really freaking me out. That, coupled with a mounting "to do" pile at work allowed me to say, "No, i need the rest". I ended up staying late at work and getting through the mountain of undone motions, notes, and briefs so that I could come home with less stress and anxiety. Sometimes, things really do work out the way their supposed to.

We had to move our long run since we had a football game yesterday. I actually liked running today better than on Saturdays. Felt more restful and relaxing afterward. We slowed down considerably today but I think it actually worked out well. I also fiddled with my nutrition a little bit: I took 2 gatorade chomps and added some electrolyte powder to my handheld. No side stitches! The gatorade chomps actually went down relatively well and didn't cause my stomach any problems. Afterwards I soaked in the ice bath again for about 15 minutes. I'm an ice bath convert now. It really does help take away the initial soreness and I'm confident I'll feel better tomorrow than I would have otherwise.

Totals: 18.39 miles, 3:29:48, 2, 594 calories

This Week's Nutrition
Not really sure where I stand on this anymore. I gained back what I'd lost last week and I'm taking it relatively hard. I'm going to add body measurements into my routine instead of just the scale. If i'm working out as much as I am and continuing to increase that, then I may not actually "lose" weight in the traditional sense. Measurements will help me see actual tangible changes in my body that a number wouldn't show. Otherwise, I was great with my goal of "No Work Candy" and managed to sneak in only a piece or two the whole week. I need to focus on HYDRATION while at work. I find myself getting super dehydrated if I'm not careful, and then it's just a downward spiral to my workout.

I did splurge and get some froyo today after a trip to my parents house. I declined sweets the whole rest of the weekend for this treat, so I think I earned it =D

Next Week:
- BLOG! Should have one on deck…stay tuned :P
- Keep up the chocolate crack down
- More bike time
- Make up that Wednesday Work out
-More pics

To everyone who raced this weekend - Way to go!!

Happy Running!

Did you race this weekend? How did it go?
Have you ever dealt with a weight plateau? How did you overcome it?

Weekly Roundup

Another good week in the books. The first three days of the week were three of my favorite work days of the year. It was the "judicial college", which meant that 10 of the 23 judges I'm in front of were gone and courts were restricted. It was absolutely lovely. I didn't even have court Wednesday. Of course, Thursday & Friday more than made up for all of the work but, oh well.

This Week's Training

Mon: 3.65 miles @ 11:32 min/miles
Tue: 1,500 yard swim - swam the first 1,200 without stopping followed by kick and sight drills
Wed: 5.25 miles @ 11:51, a modified tempo run. Best run of the week by far
Thur: Volleyball night - sorest night of the week. No jumps and no arm strength
Fri: Rest day & a wedding!
Sat: 7 Miles @ 11:50 - TOUGH run, hot and humid
Sun: 2.2 mile walk with my mom through the neighborhood

All in all a great week in training! Worked in a swim - which went REALLY well - and got some really good runs. Also - I took an ice bath after the 7 miler and it felt great. I put on several layers, jumped in the cold tub and dumped ice over my legs. I feel great today and I'm convinced it's because of the ice bath.  Overall, I'm super happy with how things are going at this point. My Saturday runs continue to feel…well…crappy. Not entirely sure why other than I guess they're supposed to feel crappy. Hoping to get back in the pool this week!

Total: 19.18 Miles, 4:17:36, 2,135 calories

Rockin' that flying pig headband in the ice bath

This Week's Nutrition:

I've really hit a wall with my nutrition. I've been super dedicated to packing my lunch and keeping out of the candy bowl at work. Still haven't seen any results in either my activity level or my weight. I'm pretty proud of myself for my choices at the wedding Friday - water to drink, one plate of food and no cake. That's damn near perfect as far as I'm concerned. This week I want to work on limiting sweets and drinking more water. Lets see how this goes….

Next Week:

• Work is ramping back up so I want to keep the momentum I've built going forward
• BLOG - I have some new updates to share so I want to get them out there
• Limit sweets - i.e. no dipping into the co-worker's reese's bowl (damn him!)

Do your co-workers keep candy in their offices? How do you stay away from work temptations?

How do you deal with balancing work and running?

Come and find me

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Long Hot Run

Woke up this morning just not feeling it.

Spent a lot of Friday hydrating. We went to a wedding in the evening and I made sure to drink lots of water and some (Delicious) pink lemonade in anticipation of this morning's run. By the time we were ready to get out the door - about 11:00 a.m. - we had a very rude surprise: the cool temps and overcast we enjoyed last week were nowhere to be found. Instead, we got 75 degrees, sunny, and 73% humidity. In perspective this doesn't sound so bad since we've run in much worse this summer, but after last week we'd really gotten it in our minds that it was going to be cool. That's Kentucky for you.

The first few miles felt pretty gross, but I expected that they would. I usually hate the first mile of any run. It reminds me of how I used to hate warming up in swimming. It hurts, i'm sore, I'm bored, and I pretty much think about how much I hate what I'm doing. But then, almost in sync with my garmin beeping "one mile", I feel a lot better. I knew we were starting out too fast but I've never really figured out how to pace with Josh. I can't get a good feel for the pace. Regardless, I tried to slow us down, which seemed to work. I kept dumping water on myself and drinking a lot. While I'd planned on taking my Gu Chomp around mile 5, I felt pretty crappy when we got closer to four. We hit a stoplight so I took that as a sign that I needed some nutrition. I let myself walk while I chewed and drank enough to make sure I got the chomp down. Then we pressed on.

I hate to say that I had to walk a little bit more the last few miles. Anytime my virtual partner would get 0.xx miles ahead of my goal, I'd let myself walk until it went back down to .yy ahead of my goal. While I'm happy with our overall pace, I'm disappointed that it's not more consistent. Oh well, the biggest thing is that We did it!!

Not sure how we went faster?

Happy Saturday!

How's the weather where you live?
Did you run today?

End of Summer Excitement (with pictures!)

A lot has been happening around here that has kept me off the blog. Rest assured, it's (almost) all good stuff.

Firstly, we went on vacation! First vacation since last September and it was long overdue. While training was going really well the stress of work was really getting to me. I could tell a difference in my body - and my brain - and the vacation was mandatory.

We spent a whole week in San Francisco. Neither Josh nor I had ever been and it was a BLAST. After the 90 degree temps and high humidity here in Louisville 70's with low humidity was a welcomed change.

Can I go back now, please?

It was a ridiculous mix between exhausting and relaxing. The second day we were there we walked 14 miles. And that's according to my fitbit, so I know it's a little bit off. Labor Day we rented bikes and trekked across the Golden Gate Bridge into Salsalito. It was phenomenal. First time I had been on a bike in ages so It was a little perilous. However, we managed to get up - and down - all of the hills and across the bridge no problem. It was a lot of fun!

8.1 miles to Salsalito

All in all it was an amazing trip - and the best thing is, we didn't lose any fitness! We went for a 3 mile run along the shore Thursday before a whole day of travel.

Not too bad for vacation!

Things have settled down since we got back. Back to work and back to the routine. First thing on my list was to get up and go for a RUN Sunday. We were a little off the training calendar but I owed myself a 5k at race pace which I nailed. Then back into the rhythm of the training!

This Week's Training

Seems a little sparse when you look at it this way

Monday: 3.50 miles, including warm up walk, at average pace 11:26 min/mile. Ellie walk in the    afternoon
Tuesday: Rest day
Wednesday: 7.16 miles with the girls
Thursday: Volleyball - 3 matches, high intensity
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 7 mile run @ 12:27 min/miles
Sunday: Rest

As I was getting dressed in my office on Wednesday I heard the girls in my office getting ready to leave for theirs. They're training for the full Marathon in Chicago in early October. They said they were doing 8 so I figured I'd tag along for the four I had planned. Garmin crapped out almost immediately and, to be honest, it felt GREAT. I loved running with them and talking and being part of the 'team', so I just kept going. And going….and going. 7 miles later we rolled back into the office on very tired legs. I"m super proud of myself for doing it, but I think I definitely set myself back for our long run Saturday. Come saturday my legs were super stiff and my feet hurt. I've been religious about the compression socks, hydration and stretching so hopefully this week is a restart for my body.

Totals: 19.06 miles, 2:13:25 hours, 1,381 calories

What's up for next week?
BIG THINGS! Probably even necessitating another blog post…

Stay Tuned!

The "Get to"

This week's training was the bright spot in my week. I've been really trying to psych myself up for my runs, to get excited about training. For awhile I think I'd really gotten myself in the mindset of "have" to run instead of "get to" run. I used to only run because it was the only way to eat and drink what I wanted to (see: college). Now, I'm not necessarily seeing any physical results of the running so I'm trying to make the runs their own ends. Profound, I know.  Lets talk about this week's runs

This Week's Training

Best Week yet

Mon: Walk 3 min, Run/Walk 5 min/3 Min 5 times for a total of 43 minutes. Didn't stretch
Tues: Took Ellie for a long walk around the park for 2 miles
Weds: 3 min walk then some running, did sets of 1/10 sprint/run/walk 4 times for 3.3 miles
Thurs: Tournament night so 3 matches - exhausted afterwards!!
Fri: Rest
Sat: 4 miles @11:26 min/mi, negative split. Quick stretch and protein shake after
Sun: Rest

Overall Great week in training. I accidentally shorted myself Saturday and only did a 4 mile long run instead of 5. As it turned out, I didn't have enough time for another mile anyway, but I made up for it with a 2 mile walk that night. My back is a little sore today - whether that's from running or the house cleaning I did today I don't know. Mopping is a killer. Looking forward to continuing next week!

Totals: 14.69 miles, 2:53:07, 1,377 calories

This Week's Nutrition

The week's plan was to push a big breakfast. I had mixed results. Some days I was too full to eat lunch from just a cup of whole grain cereal. I'm just not sure my stomach is awake enough early to eat a big breakfast. Still stalled this week on the weight loss front - no progress. I've also been experiencing a lot of negative side effects of the gastroparesis. I'm starting to get super frustrated, but hopefully it will pass. Going to work this week on adding more watermelon in - though in smaller portions! I went a bit nuts after my run Wednesday and at like 16oz of it. My stomach wasn't thrilled.

Next Week

• I'm looking forward to a little 'vacation' at work - all of the prosecutors go to their conference starting Wednesday so court dockets are light. I definitely need this reprieve from the constant stress that is my work life
• Prosecutors conference means the hubby will be out of town for three days. That means that Ellie & I are all on our own. Am I a bad wife if I say i'm looking forward to some solo time with the pup? 
• I'm going to keep pushing the "get to" - I want to take advantage of every opportunity to move, run, and improve myself. I'm lucky to be physically healthy and able to run. I'm not always great about remembering that!

                                      

Do you ever feel like you take running for granted?

How do you deal with plateaus in your nutrition or weight-loss journey?

Happy running!