Heat Training

Leading up to my half marathon in San Antonio, TX, the Alamo 13.1 I spent a lot of time keeping tabs on the forecast. This is not atypical of my race day countdown, but in signing up for the race, I strongly suspected that race day would be much warmer than what I had been training in. But I wasn't race-racing it, so it wasn't *too* big of a deal.

A couple of years ago, I vowed to no longer run spring marathons. Our winters are so cold and so brutal, that the bulk of our training is done in below freezing temps. Outside of a random week and a half of beautiful temperatures mid-February, I can say that almost all of my runs have been in negative temps to 20 degrees.

I know my body fairly well and have a pretty good understanding of how my body performs best, and what conditions cause me to struggle. I am NOT a warm weather runner. My heart rate shoots through the roof, I sweat uncontrollably (causing the aforementioned heart rate to sky rocket as it works over time to cool me from the soul crushing temps). I sweat so much that I have to be mindful of taking salt replacement pills so that I don't get sick and queasy when attempting to replace the fluids lost. A warm/hot long run will typically cause me to lose around 4 pounds, and that's with drinking a ton of fluids throughout the run.

So back to the marathon. I know that it takes me a couple of months to acclimate to warm weather, so it doesn't make any sense to train from January to May for a race that will always be warmer than the temps I have trained in. Even if the day is cool at 50 or 55 degrees, it's still twice as warm as what my body is used to doing. Barf.

On the flipside, our summers can be brutal here! (Sidenote: Why again do I live here??) They're nothing like you folks in the south, but it's not atypical for us to have 100% humidity almost the entire summer, and certainly in the morning when you're apt to get out and get in your runs and long runs. In the past, I've looked at the forecast, and pin-pointed the "nicest" pocket of weather for the weekend to get my long run in. I don't want to be miserable, so why make a long run more miserable, right?

All of this summer and warm training is great preparation for a fall marathon, because it's almost guaranteed that you'll get a cooler day on race day in the fall than the culmination of your summer training (save for that one brutal Chicago Marathon, 2011? barf...). Which is why you'll only find me sweating through 16-20 mile long runs in the summer for a fall 26.2.

Last summer, something switched in me. I think part of it was my mom's declining health and needing a physical outlet. We had a couple of weeks of brutal heat and humidity, crazy heat indexes and warnings not to be outside. You should've seen me be crazy pug mom making sure Ollie didn't suffocate during her potty breaks! (Flat-faced pups are prone to overheat or suffocate in super hot and humid temps!)

It was too hot to exist, let alone exist outdoors. But when it was too hot to run outside, I would download a couple of good podcasts, grab a water bottle, and go on a massive walk around town. By massive I mean 5.5 miles, because that's essentially the perimeter of my town. Ha. Once the major heat wave passed, I found that I was better able to run in the heat.

So that's the plan over here once it starts to warm up again. I'll continue to do my speedwork during a comfortable time of day, and probably most of my long runs too, but trying to make a point to runner some of the other more general aerobic or recovery runs in the heat of the day might give a nice advantage on race day, or at the very least, not make me wilt and die if my fall goal races happen to have a heat wave come through!

San Antonio Trip Part 1

We started our trip to San Antonio bright and early on Tuesday morning. It was Kyle and my first flight together (!!!) but because of my forgotten ID we didn't get to sit together. Well. Scratch that. I could've went to sit with him, it was a half full flight, but the flight gods gifted me with an exit row. And even though my legs are short and I don't need the extra leg room, I felt like it was rude to turn it down.

We had a teeny tiny layover in Dallas and then arrived in San Antonio. And it was warm! Ahhh.... 

We were all starving when we got there, so we headed out to one of the closest restaurants, which was a terrible idea. Terrible service, not great food, and all the beers on tap weren't actually available. At one point I had to give a top 5 list of beers that I would drink and the waiter came back and needed more because they didn't have any of them on tap. Eeps! Note to self: restaurants in the main touristy area may not be the best choice! 

We found a mall to pick up some items we had left behind, and happened upon a Tex Mex restaurant with great margaritas. When in Rome, right? Debauchery consumed the rest of the evening, as one would expect when you start drinking mid-afternoon.

The next morning, the guys went to register for the conference, and I tagged along. Then we hit up some fancy steak restaurant for lunch. 

My new favorite filter is the goth one, I definitely think I need a nose ring and a plum lipstick. Yessssss.

The Spurs were playing, so we went to the game expecting to buy tickets when we arrived. Uh...no. Essentially sold out, unless we all wanted to sit separately. Fail. We ended up buying standing room only tickets. Uff.

Kyle and his boss snuck to some actual seats, so I hung out with his co-worker and wife. I'm such a rule follower.

After the game we tried to go to the tower for drinks, but it was closed. Bummer!

After an obnoxious amount of standing, I had to give my legs some TLC before bed.

Friday it was St. Patrick's day, and I convinced Kyle to join me for cheesecake before we left town to celebrate the holiday. Somehow a martini made it in to the order too. Weird. 

Brookings Half Training Week 5

Week of March 20-27 Recovery Week


Monday Planned: Rest

Monday Actual: Rest and foam rolling/stick.

Tuesday Planned: Sanford Power
Tuesday Actual: Rest. My dad had a heart procedure so I wasn't able to make it to POWER. Probably for the best as my legs were still really really tight.

Wednesday Planned: General Aerobic 3 Miles
Wednesday Actual: I actually set out to do 2-3 miles depending on how my legs felt. One of the store employees ran and chatted with me and helped the miles fly by. Legs felt okay but ready to be done.

Thursday Planned: Rest
Thursday Actual: Rest rest rest. More foam rolling/sticking. Core Work.

Friday Planned: General Aerobic 3 Miles
Friday Actual: More rest. :/ The stress of my dad not being 100% + recovering this week, I am just wiped!

Saturday Planned: General Aerobic 5 Miles
Saturday Actual: 60 minutes of vinyasa at the brewery!


Sunday Planned: Rest
Sunday Actual: 60 minutes of yin yoga. I had planned to go "long" and do 5 after yoga, but halfway through class I had such a debilitating headache, that I wanted to get up and leave and let someone else finish teaching class. Uff.

Total Mileage Planned: 11 miles

Total Mileage Actual:  3.06 miles. Uff da, quite the recovery week. But looking at my schedule for next week, my legs should be ready to go for a hard week. This week was a good break mentally and physically.

Weekly Reads: History is All You Left Me

History Is All You Left Me is the newest book by Adam Silvera. I adored his previous book More Happy Than Not. (My review for that here.) I loved this story. Many teen books deal with death and dying, but typically that is the culmination of the story. It is more rare for the story to delve into the grieving process, and I appreciated the way this book took that on, especially as I'm currently still dealing with grief myself. The book would've gotten 5 stars, but the end was a little too neat and tidy for me.

My rating: 4.5 stars

Summary from goodreads:


When Griffin’s first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he’s been imagining for himself has gone far off course.

To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin’s downward spiral continues. He’s losing himself in his obsessive compulsions and destructive choices, and the secrets he’s been keeping are tearing him apart.

If Griffin is ever to rebuild his future, he must first confront his history, every last heartbreaking piece in the puzzle of his life.

Flight Folly

The scene: Tuesday at the Airport 5:30am.
The characters: Jeri bright eyed and bushy tailed. Kyle half asleep and grumpy.

We arrive at the airport at 5:30am for our 7am flight. I'm a nervous flyer/traveler, and have only recently been okay with not arriving at our small little airport the suggested 2 hours early. We get in line to check in only to realize that I do not have my wallet. My wallet which contains my ID, credit card, debit card, etc.

Cue--wide spread panic and tears.

We live 30 minutes away from the airport. I quickly do the math and realize, I will not be making this flight. I expect Kyle to jump in and offer to save the day. He does not. This is a work trip for him, so he can not miss this flight. Shit

Shit.

Shit.

I quickly remember that I had just given a spare key to my running BFF on Sunday. Without thinking twice, I dial her number. She answers and sounds like she's as tearful as I am, until I realize that it's 5:37am and she just got woken out of her beauty sleep. I ask her to do the biggest favor of all time and rush to the airport and save me. She says yes and hangs up.

We sit and wait.

6 a.m.

I approach the ticket counter and explain that I tried to check in online but the website won't let me, presumably because I booked mine and Kyle's tickets together and he's already checked in. They reiterate that they can't do anything without my ID. I finally sweet talk them into just checking me in for the flight, but they keep my boarding pass. Fine. As long as I have a seat, I can fly through security if necessary.

We wait.

And wait.

6:30 a.m.

My anxiety is through the roof and my other running bestie is texting me in an effort to keep me calm. It's working. Sort of. Not really.

I assume because I haven't heard from BRF #1 that she has found my wallet and is on the way. Finally, she texts me at a stoplight to say she's 3 minutes away. She lets me know she'll have her window rolled down for a speedy hand off. It's like she's done this before or something! I dance around at the doors hoping that every vehicle that drives up is her matching Subie to mine. It's not.

While I'm dancing the ticket counter guy comes up and sneakily gives me my ticket, saying that he's "sure he saw my ID" and accidentally still had it at the counter. Thank you dude. You just saved me 90 seconds this morning!

Moments later Toni comes roaring through the drop off lane, I grab my wallet and fly to security. And there's no one in line and we're through in under 2 minutes.

Just in time to board our plane.

Phew.

Did I mention that when we got in the vehicle to the airport I confirmed with Kyle that he had his ID and methods of payment? And that I had two separate packing sheets because I'm that kind of prepared packer/traveler?

Yeah.

House key = in case of emergencies, including those where I'm just a moron.

Weekly Reads: Scythe

Scythe is the newest book by Neal Shusterman. It recently won a Printz Honor for distinguished books for teens. I read it for my book club. This book reminded me of a grittier, more disturbing version of The Giver which is my favorite book of all time. I wasn't thrilled that it was the first book in a series as I'm all about the stand alones these days. The story started off very strong, slowed down a little bit in the middle, and then picked up in a fierce and ferocious way. I couldn't put it down the last 100 pages!

My rating: 4 stars.

Summary from goodreads:

Thou shalt kill.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

Alamo 13.1 Race Goals

I had a dream a few months ago that I took 11 minutes off of my last half marathon time for this race. LOLZ. That might be more likely of a goal for my goal race in May. It's going to be much warmer for this race than my last two halfs, so that'll play a factor in my time. And most of my training has been in much cooler temps as well.

This race is coming in place of a 13 mile long run workout on my training plan. Starting at my long run pace, bumping up the speed a little bit every couple of miles, and then the last two miles at Lactate Threshold pace.

Based on how my training has been going here are my goals (ish):

Goal A: 2:08-2:09. I ran a 2:09 in St. Paul in October on a super humid but cool day. I should certainly be in better shape now, but the warmer temps still will play a factor.

Goal B: Sub 10 minute pace. Running a ten minute pace was hard in Dallas and it was about half the temperatures, so this might be a challenge, but training has been going well since then so you never know! Sub 2:11.

Goal C: 10:10 pace would be a 2:13-2:14 (or if I stink at running tangents).

Regardless of my race time, I'm excited to get a 13.1 mile tour around San Antonio!

Advice for New Runners

I have ran a lot of races. Tons of track races in junior high and high school, loads of road races over the past twelve years including seven marathons and thirty half marathons. I am far from being the fastest, and I'm not the slowest, but I have learned a lot over the years. I love being a student, so I've learned a lot through experience and even more through countless books that I've read. I love connecting with new runners and being a resource for them to answer questions that they have. I have compiled a list of common questions and their answers in this post!

Q: What do I wear?
A: A good pair of running shoes. This is truly the only thing you *need*. I spent years running, racing, and training in cotton shirts and I lived to tell about it. I only trained in giant basketball shorts in high school. And the only way I tracked time and data was to check the clock before I left and when I came home, and driving a route to see how far it was. There is so much other stuff that is fun to have. But nothing else that you truly NEED.

Q: How can I expect to get faster if I don't run every run "fast"?
A: Just by running, you get faster. If you run every run *fast* your body will be so fatigued and run down that you'll actually slow down your progress and speed in the long run. My first three half marathons (and countless 5ks) I did the method of running every run as fast as I could and then couldn't understand why my race times sucked so bad. Now I know! I like the hard-easy-hard-easy plan where every run toggles back and forth from easy to hard. Long run=hard, speedier run=hard, sandwiching easy 2-4 mile runs in between those hard runs help you recover while still building up your mileage.

Q: What do I do on race day?
A: Exactly what you do on long run day. I see long runs as dress rehearsal for race day. Finding out what I can wear without chafing. Finding out what I can eat without an upset stomach. Finding out what I can eat the night before that sits well in my stomach. Finding out my morning bathroom routine. Finding out what fuel I can take on the run that will give me energy without giving me the poops. :)
During every training cycle, I try to have one long run that's as close to a race day dress rehearsal as I can. If I'm doing a half marathon race, I'll do it on a day that I have 13 miles on the training program (or maybe the longest long run in a cycle if you're peaking at 10 or 12 miles). I plan to start my run at the time the race starts. I do everything just like I would for race day. Outfit, breakfast, wake up time, fueling strategy. This gives me another chance to tweak anything before race day.

Brookings Half Training Week 3

Week of March 6-12


Monday Planned: General Aerobic + Speed 6 miles 6x12 sec uphill, 6x100 m strides

Monday Actual: Rest.

Tuesday Planned: Sanford Power + Endurance 9 Miles
Tuesday Actual: Rest.

Wednesday Planned: General Aerobic 3 Miles
Wednesday Actual: 4 General aerobic miles before yoga. 60 minute yoga class, and another 4 General Aerobic miles after. Henceforth will be known as the Wednesday night yogathalon.

Thursday Planned: Lactate Threshold 7 Miles 18 min LT, 4 min jog, 15 min LT
Thursday Actual: 3 Recovery Miles. Unicorn level run where I realized that my recovery pace is ~90 seconds per mile faster than it was less than a year a go. Yessssss.

Friday Planned: Rest/Cycling
Friday Actual: Run with Toni after working into blowing snow. Brr. Lactate Threshold 7 Miles 18 min LT, 4 min jog, 15 min LT. I haven't seen those paces on a run in a looooong time. At one point I looked down and saw a 7:40 pace. Uh.... perhaps we should slow down. Felt great though!

Saturday Planned: Endurance 9 Miles
Saturday Actual: I taught a heated vinyasa class and planned to a a 3 mile recovery run on the treadmill after to avoid the outdoors after I was soaked in sweat. I made it a half mile before the treadmill was tweaking my knee and I called it a day.

Sunday Planned: Rest
Sunday Actual: Sunday I had plans to round out my week with a long run. My knee was super tender to the touch and some pain on the inside of the left knee. I probably could have ran on it, but with a half next week, it didn't seem wise. A day spent with foam rolling, sticking, and myofascial release balls.

Total Mileage Planned: 34 miles

Total Mileage Actual:  19.6 miles

Weekly Reads: Sorry Not Sorry

I was obsessed with Naya Rivera when Glee was on. She has to be one of the beautiful people on the planet. So I was excited to read her bio Sorry Not Sorry that came out recently (I've been on a celebrity bio kick lately, I guess!). It was a satisfying short read that was entertaining and a worthwhile read if you're a fan of her.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Summary from amazon:

Funny and deeply personal, Sorry Not Sorry recounts Glee star Naya Rivera's successes and missteps, urging young women to pursue their dreams and to refuse to let past mistakes define them.

Navigating through youth and young adulthood isn't easy, and in Sorry Not Sorry, Naya Rivera shows us that we're not alone in the highs, lows, and in-betweens. Whether it's with love and dating, career and ambition, friends, or gossip, Naya inspires us to follow our own destiny and step over--or plod through--all the crap along the way. After her rise and fall from early childhood stardom, barely eking her way through high school, a brief stint as a Hooters waitress, going through thick and thin with her mom/manager, and resurrecting her acting career as Santana Lopez on Glee, Naya emerged from these experiences with some key life lessons:

Sorry:
-  All those times I scrawled "I HATE MY MOM" in my journal. So many moms and teenage daughters don't get along--we just have to realize it's nothing personal on either side.
-  At-home highlights and DIY hair extensions. Some things are best left to the experts, and hair dye is one of them.
-  Falling in love with the idea of a person, instead of the actual person.

Not Sorry:
-  That I don't always get along with everyone. Having people not like you is a risk you have to take to be real, and I'll take that over being fake any day.
-  Laughing at the gossip instead of getting upset by it.
-  Getting my financial disasters out of the way early--before I was married or had a family--so that the only credit score that I wrecked was my own.

Even with a successful career and a family that she loves more than anything else, Naya says, "There's still a thirteen-year-old girl inside of me making detailed lists of how I can improve, who's never sure of my own self-worth." Sorry Not Sorry is for that thirteen-year-old in all of us.

Meal Prep + Clean(er) Eating

At the start of the year, I made a goal to eat more breakfast. I found that the more time I spent prepping on the weekends, the easier it was to eat a healthier breakfast (duh). And when I didn't have time to prep anything on the weekends, I didn't eat breakfast (again, duh). I also found that I often resorted to eggs and roasted veggies for dinner some evenings when I came home starving and wanted food NOW.

I'm curious what your favorite meals are to prep on the weekends, because when I get home at 7 or 8 or 8:30pm after running and yogaing I'm STARVING and I don't want to spend more than 15 minutes throwing some meals together.

HELP.

Running Podcasts

I've started listening to some Running podcasts. I've always been a podcast listener (well, always since Serial came out, I should clarify) and rarely listen to running podcasts. Well, I'm now converting. Listening to them on my drives or while I'm getting ready for a run really help with my motivation to get out there and log some miles. And everyone needs some extra help with that, right?

Here are a few of my favorites:

There are tons of podcasts on Marathon Training Academy. I especially loved their breakdown in explaining heartrate rate training. 

I'll Have Another is a great conversational style podcast. It feels like Lindsey + her guest(s) are tagging along with you on your run, or you're all sitting around for coffee taking a deep dive into her guest's brains and brilliance.

Human Race by Runner's World always highlights different runners and their exceptional feats. It's always an incredibly inspiring story. A must-listen on those days when you don't "feel like running". Most of the runners featured are so awe-inspiring that you'll retire that excuse asap.

C Tolle Run is one of the newest podcasts I've picked up hosted by Carrie Tollefson, well known midwestern/Minnesotan runner. She actually takes her guest(s) on a run and they mic up while out on the road. Sometimes the audio might be a little annoying, but the information is always top notch. 

February in Review + Goals

February in Review

Total Miles: 41.8 miles down from 72.4 last month. Up from 0 miles last February.

Planned Miles: 117. Recovery from the half in Dallas + gallbladder attack that had me out for days + a terrible cold = a LOT of missed miles. Uff.

Total Time:  7:22:57 down from 12:48:40 last month. 

Monthly Average Pace: 10:36/mi

Total Runs: 9, 5.97 miles per run average.

Highest weekly mileage:

2/6/2017 – 2/12/2017: 19.1 mi 3:19:33 10:26 / mi

Favorite run: 8 mile mid-week endurance run. In the sun! in shorts! and a tank! in February! Doesn't get much better than that, right? Most hardcore run: 7 miles with 20 minutes at tempo. Toni ran with me and let me put in my earbuds and just run hard. Surprised myself with what tempo pace looks like right now! Favorite race: None. Bike Miles: 0 Favorite Jam: I've been running with friends so much that I haven't been listening to much music. I have been adding Kesha Tik Tok and Miley Cyrus to my yoga playlists a LOT lately, much to the delight of my yoga students, I'm sure... :P Goals Check In:

• Run 100 miles for the month
• 3 Core Workouts/Week
• 2 Cycling Classes
• 2 Morning Runs
• 2 Group Runs
• Hydrate!

Brookings Half Training Week 2

Week of February 27-March 5


Monday Planned: General Aerobic + Speed 5 miles 6x12 sec uphill, 8x100 m strides
Monday Actual: Rest.

Tuesday Planned: Sanford Power + Endurance 8 Miles
Tuesday Actual:  60 Minutes of Sanford Power and another day of no running. This cold almost killed me.

Wednesday Planned: General Aerobic 3 Miles
Wednesday Actual: I sandwiched Monday's run and Wednesday's run. 5 miles General Aerobic + Speed with 6x12 sec uphill & 8x100 m strides with Toni before the group run, and then a 3 mile general aerobic run with the group. 60 minutes of yoga after.
I also got a lovely hour long massage in the afternoon. Ahhhhh.




























Thursday Planned: Lactate Threshold 7 Miles 18 min LT, 4 min jog, 12 min LT
Thursday Actual: 4 mile recovery run after work.

Friday Planned: Rest/Cycling
Friday Actual: Lactate Threshold 6 Miles 18 min LT, 4 min jog, 12 min LT. Toni and I headed up for six miles with some lactate threshold thrown in. I shorted the run from 7 to 6 since I didn't hit my full mileage last week due to my cold. Trying to adhere to that 10% increase rule. But the crazy thing is that I was EXCITED for this run. It was hard, but doable. First sub 10 pace run in forever, 9:39! And the lactate miles were 8:55-9:10. Wahoo!

Epsom salt bath ftw.

And the best pizza I've ever made at home. Red onions+brussel sprouts+balsamic glaze+goat cheese.

Saturday Planned: Endurance 11 Miles
Saturday Actual: 3 mile recovery run. I had my bestie Emily meet me at the library after work and we did a walk run. I think this is the furthest she's ever gone. And we did it together. Wahoo!

Sunday Planned: Rest
Sunday Actual: Long run 10 miles. I took one mile off of the long run distance, again to make sure I didn't jump too much in my mileage since I was sick. It was a beautiful day for a run and it felt so strong and so good! Jordanne is training for her first half (!!!) and Mallory is just getting back to long runs after taking the last couple of months off, so we did take a few walk breaks. But the miles were ticking away in 10:20 pace for the majority of the run. And it felt gooooood.

Total Mileage Planned: 34 miles

Total Mileage Actual: 31 miles. Which is my highest weekly mileage since July 20th, 2014. That's insane. I'm loving how good I feel right now.

Weekly Reads: The Sun is Also a Star

The Sun Is Also a Star is one of the best books I've read in a really long time. It was so amazing, and so incredibly topical. I think it's a must-read for anyone. It won a Printz honor this year, and was so very deserving of it.

My rating: 5 stars.

Summary from goodreads:

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

Never Miss a Monday

I'm sure everyone has heard "Never miss a Monday" in regards to working out/training/running. I've never been someone to subscribe to this way of thinking. In fact, 98% of my training programs in the past have had rest days on Mondays. I liked this because it gave me the flexibility of a long run on Saturday or Sunday. But sometimes that rest day would lead to another day. And another day. And another day. And soon the week would almost be over and I hadn't laced up my running shoes.

While doing my base building, I tried to make it a point to run on Mondays. Knowing that I was 1/1 on my workouts for the week seemed to start me out on the right foot. I also liked seeing my weekly mileage start out with a number greater than 0.0.

The training program I'm following for this spring also has Mondays as a rest day. But now that I know that Monday runs do help to create momentum for me, I want to keep it up! I shifted all of the runs in the week up a day. Since those Monday runs are can be somewhat challenging, it also means that I have to be more consistent about running my long runs on Saturdays instead of having Sundays to fall back on. This is very necessary to my training as well, because I often use the excuse of pushing back my long run until later in the day/tomorrow/later tomorrow and before I know it its Sunday night and I haven't ran.

Ultimately, I'd love to be back to the level of commitment and dedication that I was for my first few marathons and half marathons in 2010-2012. I'm hoping these small realizations will help lead to some new found habits and eventually progress towards my goals!

What tricks do you use to keep yourself on track??

Friday Facts

• I didn't drive until I was 22. I still hate driving. If I hadn't *had* to get a license and a car to further my career, I wouldn't have bothered. If only I lived somewhere with better public transit, I wouldn't have needed to!
• I've never mowed before. We always had a HUGE lawn growing up, so my brother was tasked with the job (with a push mower) as part of "training" for whatever sport he was in. When he graduated, we got a riding mower and then my parents enjoyed doing it so I was still off the hook.
• I was offered a volleyball scholarship to play in college. Volleyball was my least favorite sport, but oddly enough the one I was the best at. Go figure. Sometimes I still wonder what it would've been like to play college volleyball. The school was small enough that I could've walked on to the track team as well.
• My first love was basketball. I would spend hours in the gym. In the summer, I would go to work until 5, go home and eat dinner and then be at the gym from 6-9:30pm. On days off I would be up there from 9-5 and back from 6-9:30pm. During the school year in the off season, I would go to track or volleyball practice, and then spend an hour shooting around afterwards. Obsessed? Yes.
• I confess that I used to have a hatred for little dogs. They always seem so yappy. And more apt to bite than bigger dogs. Now we all know my love for pugs. Maybe they just don't count!
• I've always been a crazy cat lady. I've always been that kid (or teen) who would go to a party and then sit outside on the gravel driveway and play with all the kitties instead of socializing with my peers.
• I absolutely love children, but am not sure if I want any of my own. My favorite part of my job is lapsit with the 6-24 month old kiddos. They seriously have my heart. But I might just be a pugmom forever.
• My eyes are like mood rings. When I'm happy, they're blue. When I'm angry or sad, they're green.

March Goals

• Daily meditation.
• 100 miles.
• 2 core sessions a week.
• 2 morning group runs.

Brookings Half Training Week 1

Week of February 20-26


Monday Planned: General Aerobic + Speed 5 miles 8x100
Monday Actual: I had Monday off of work so I flip-flopped my Monday and Tuesday runs. It was gorgeous out so I enjoyed 8 miles of sunshine. I even got a tan! My heart rate got a little high toward the end of the run, but I was starving and didn't bring water, and it was nearing 70 degrees when I was done. What??? Also my chest felt super tight like I couldn't take a full breath (later in the week I got a massive cold, so I suppose that explains *that*).

Tuesday Planned: Sanford Power + Endurance 8 Miles
Tuesday Actual: Tuesday night Toni joined me for my 5 miles with strides. We had our typical running therapy session. I just love this girl. She makes the miles fly by! I rushed straight from the run to the theater and watched an Oscar movie all sweaty. So gross.
I also had Power in the morning and it felt great! Especially compared to last week when I felt like death.

Wednesday Planned: General Aerobic 3 Miles
Wednesday Actual:My legs were really tight and I wanted to skip the run completely so I did 3 recovery miles instead of GA miles. Then some good yoga.

Thursday Planned: Lactate Threshold 5 Miles 14 min LT, 4 min jog, 12 min LT
Thursday Actual: Sick + blizzard + super sore. Unplanned rest day.

Friday Planned: Rest/Cycling
Friday Actual: More rest. I should have gotten all sickness/illness out of the way for the rest of the training cycle right??

Saturday Planned: Endurance 10 Miles
Saturday Actual: More rest.

Sunday Planned: Rest
Sunday Actual: I was probably well enough to run on Sunday. However, I was hosting the Oscars so I knew I needed to clean our house, grab some snacks, and I spent some time with my dad in the morning. All things more important than a run. Right?

Total Mileage Planned: 31 miles

Total Mileage Actual:  16 miles. :/