The Weekend Update

Friday night I went to bed early (like most lame marathon trainers do on weekends) I couldn't really sleep because I was anxious about the oh so mighty 20 miler I had planned. By 5:30am I was wide awake and so bugged thinking about all the excuses to get me out of running. Excuses like....

 -I was too busy with work and how could I be expected to be on my feet all day helping with a big project after running 20 miles??
 -I didn't eat enough carbs to run that far (my stomach full of spaghetti knows that is a phony excuse)
 -My foot was hurting. I've had some achy pain on the outside of my right foot which doesn't hurt when I run but really aches when I stand or walk.

After debating this in my head for about 40 minutes I sucked it up, got out of bed and got ready for my run. I wasn't sure how far I would go but I was going to run, and that decision was the first and most important one.

I decided to play a game on this run to make it a little more entertaining. I counted all the women versus men I passed (just the runners) to see which gender had more dedication ;) and guess what the score was?

Women = 67    Men = 42

It really didn't surprise me much. Girls rule! :)

Anyway.... with the help of a game and some Clif Shot Bloks (my new favorite) I made it 15 miles and was still able to work hard on my work project all day.

Oh, and had I NOT gone out for my long run Saturday morning, I would have missed this.....

One day I hope to perfect my picture taking WHILE running. Until then, excuse the blurriness of this one. You get it.

Saturday night, after a most busy, stressful, hectic and long work week Eric took me to Chef's Table for an epic dinner. What a guy! I can't say enough about how good he is to me.

Happy Fitnessing!

20 Miles + The Long Run Necessities

This weekend I hit the dreaded 20 miler in my training program. After spending a week in New york pounding so much cheesecake and pizza it should be illegal, I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it through the whole 105,600 feet (seems even crazier if you measure it that way). While in NYC (post to come later), I was experiencing what I thought might be Achilles tendonitis which made my running in Central Park a little more uncomfortable than fun. Mostly, it hurt while walking around the city but I had to work off the cheesecake somehow.

Anyway, I'm happy to report that with a little help from a few of what I now consider The Long Run Necessities, I made it through 20 miles and I actually enjoyed it!

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I'm so happy I don't feel any soreness or pain after my longest run before the marathon in just 3 weeks. I'm ready for it! I'm sure I'll get nervous the night before as I do with all races but today I'm just feeling excited to accomplish something I've been working so long and hard for.

Oh, and P.S. I made it into the St George marathon!!

Happy Fitnessing!

Training Update

Utah is beautiful this time of year and this week I've been able to run alongside some gorgeous scenery.   Everywhere I look I see white and pink blossoms. :) Midweek I was in St. George for work so I took advantage of doing a 5 mile pacing run next to red rock and palm trees. It was actually kind of cold at 7am down there but it was invigorating. 

This weekend I did a 16 mile long run. I started early to enjoy the crisp morning air, it was lovely but my legs were achy and my hip flexors felt tight. The first 8 miles I felt like a rusty tin man and I sort of hated running. The thought of walking the rest of the 16 miles even crossed my mind. I didn't think or care about how long it would take. At mile 8 I was finally feeling warmed up and found myself enjoying the run. It could have been because I was running next to Bridal Veil Falls or I had just eaten some of my favorite energy chews but I finally found myself in my running groove and ran my goal pace the whole rest of the way home. 16 miles... check!

Here's to another week of more core conditioning, an 18 mile long run, fun cross training, and hopefully lots of yoga.

               

Happy Fitnessing!

The 4 Phases of the Long Run

Phase 1: "Ugh, why do I run"
This is the point at which you pretty much have to talk yourself into the first few steps. Maybe some runners out there get super excited and can't wait to start their l o n g  r u n but well, that is not usually the case for me. Not only do I wonder why I run, I also wonder things like "why do I torture myself like this" and "how long is this going to take." You see, it's not that I actually hate running or don't know why I run. I just build so much hype during the week in anticipating my long run that I make it a bigger deal than it really is.

Phase 2: Accept it.
At around 30% completion of the run somehow you stop thinking about how long you'll be running and just accept that it's going to be a while. I usually begin to feel grateful that I'm not injured and try to think of other positive facts like "at least I don't have to run 50 miles today" or "at least I have awesome music I can listen to."

Phase 3: "I can do this all day long"
My favorite part of the run is just after the halfway mark where I start feeling somewhat accomplished and strong. My pace increases and I think "I could do this all day long" and for some reason start contemplating if I should run further than I originally planned. At this point I remember why I run and I'll usually dance a little to my music.

Phase 4: So close.
The best part of the run. With about 2-3 miles left I see the light at the end of the tunnel and my pace is still holding strong. Even though I'm feeling tired I know if I just hold on for a little while longer it'll all be worth it when I finish it and guess what? It always is.

Happy Fitnessing!

Weekend Review

This past weekend we...

Went on a dinner date. Just us two. I can't remember the last time that happened. It was wonderful. :*

On the way home from dinner Eric made a quick stop at Animal Ark (he does this a lot) to look at the little puppies or kittens they have in the front window. I just sit in the car because it's too hard for me to window shop. I want a puppy SO BAD!

Saturday morning Mother Nature played her usual yearly trick where it snows the beginning of spring just when you think it's warming up. It was too wet, too cold and I was too much of a wimp to run in that yuck so I headed to the gym where I would spend 2 hours on and off (cause I got bored) of a treadmill. Not only is it super boring but I'm pretty sure treadmill running is harder than a normal street or canyon run. It's like you've got somebody constantly telling you not to stop and that's annoying. Anyway, it was hard so I really did not like my Saturday long run and that's all I'm going to say about it.

I hate to admit it sometimes but I don't make dinner very often. I'm just too busy with work and when I'm not working, I'd rather workout than slave over the stove. Sometimes when I have some extra time I'll get the cooking bug and Sunday was one of those days. I made this delish lasagna and because it doesn't happen often, I get so proud of myself so I make sure to take lots of pics. I made some whole wheat "breadsticks" but they tasted more like biscuits so no picture of those 'cause I'm not so proud of that.

After a total carb fest for dinner we went on a brisk walk in our matching sweat pants and ghetto sock and shoe combo. It was beautiful and sunny out but so cold. We didn't even work off 5% of what we ate but it was still nice to be outside together for a few minutes and sometimes I think that is more important. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Happy Fitnessing!