RRCA Certification

I'm so excited!

This May, I am signed up to nerd out for two full days for my RRCA Coaching Certification. I've been reading endurance running and training books for the last 11 years, so I'm excited to earn some official credentials! I'm also really interested to see what information melds with what I've already learned and what contradicts my current understandings and belief systems regarding training. EEEE!!!

Speaking of coaching, I still have 1-2 spots available for coaching if you are interested in chasing some big goals and dreams. Let me know if you're interested!

Weekly Reads: Crazy Rich Asians

According to my goodreads account, I originally started to read Crazy Rich Asians in September 2013, but I apparently didn't get very far. When it was optioned as a movie, I put it back on my radar, but not very high up. Then everyone was going on and on about the movie, and I knew I had to check it out before I caught the flick. Of course the hold list was super long at the library because of the success of the movie (yay books!). So I had to wait. And it was worth the wait! Mostly. I found myself devouring the book, and not being able to pick up the book. I think it would've been a good one to read on a vacation when you have long stretches of time to really get into the story, especially since there are so many characters to sort through. As it was, I had ~20-30 minutes of lunch breaks. I'm super excited to watch the movie! Pick up the book if you haven't yet.


My rating: 3.5 stars

Summary from goodreads:

When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor. 

On Nick’s arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, and soon, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and scheming social climbers.

Real Talk: Winter Running

I have been s-t-r-u-g-g-l-i-n-g through winter running so far this year. Right off the bat, I won't hit my 100 mile running goal for January. Uff. I feel like we've had a handful of nice running days, and about 27 days in which there was scary significantly below zero temps and/or terrible running conditions. I have been somewhat torn between being fine with less miles, as I gifted myself an "offseason" of sorts, and panicking about my fitness disappearing.

My plan going into this offseason the tail end of December and January was to take advantage of the nice days by running 8-10 miles, and not feeling bad about resting on terrible days. Well I've mostly held true to this (minus the night I was so excited to run 8 miles only to discover I forgot to pack a sports bra. UGH), but there have been so many atrocious days! I am hopeful that once I'm back on "the plan" I'll suck it up and not skip runs due to weather. I will also have the added benefit of likely nicer weather once February 4th rolls around (you hear that winter???). At the very least, it's easier to switch around a schedule when you have a handful of terrible winter that throws a wrench in the plan. It is significantly harder to deal with that wrench when it's a month long.

So February is just around the corner, and minus this upcoming week, (LOLZ -60, are you forking nuts?!) the few week forecast looks decent!

Weekly Reads: Check, Please

First of all, I am not a big fan of hockey. Granted I love watching the games, for free, and drinking a beer when our local team plays. Check Please! is on the list of books for consideration for the South Dakota Teen Book awards for next year. After hearing glowing reviews from my fellow librarians, I had to pick it up myself. It was so good. Originally a webcomic, the story is a good mix of hockey bro-ness, but also a sweet story of the challenging transition to college, and Bitty's coming out to his teammates, and falling for a friend. Must read!

My rating: 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:

Helloooo, Internet Land. Bitty here!

Y’all... I might not be ready for this. I may be a former junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and very talented amateur pâtissier, but being a freshman on the Samwell University hockey team is a whole new challenge. It’s nothing like co-ed club hockey back in Georgia! First of all? There’s checking. And then, there is Jack—our very attractive but moody captain.

A collection of the first half of the megapopular webcomic series of the same name, Check, Please!: #Hockey is the first book of a hilarious and stirring two-volume coming-of-age story about hockey, bros, and trying to find yourself during the best four years of your life.

Weekly Reads: Hey, Kiddo

Jarrett Krosoczka's Hey, Kiddo kept popping up on my radar leading up to the Printz award. The Printz is awarded to the most outstanding book for teens published during the previous year. I don't read a lot of graphic novels, but I picked it up anyway! It was outstanding. It dealt with such tough subject matter. It is a memoir in graphic novel form, and it is a must-read!

My rating: 5 stars

Summary from goodreads:

Hey, Kiddo is the graphic memoir of author-illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Raised by his colorful grandparents, who adopted him because his mother was an incarcerated heroin addict, Krosoczka didn't know his father's name until he saw his birth certificate when registering for a school ski trip. Hey, Kiddotraces Krosoczka's search for his father, his difficult interactions with his mother, his day-to-day life with his grandparents, and his path to becoming an artist. 

To date, nearly one million people have viewed Krosoczka's TED Talk about his experience. Artwork from his childhood and teen years will be incorporated into the original illustrations for the book.

2019 Coaching Goal Accomplished

I'm super excited to be crossing off one of my 2019 goals already:

Coaching 5 runners toward their running goals.

I just added my 5th runner to my schedule and I'm so excited. The runners I'm coaching are all so vastly different and it has been such a joy to customize a training cycle specifically or them, to fit their daily lives and make them a stronger runner.

I've gotten in a nice pattern where I've been adding new runners about every 3-4 weeks. I seem to get into a nice rhythm with my new runners in about 3-4 weeks, figuring out what works well, laying out a communication strategy that works best, and just getting to work!

If you have spring goals races, or a big fall goal and want to talk about some base building to hit your goals, let me know!

For more information about coaching check out this page on the 605 Running Co. website.

Current Obsessions: The Bachelor

So I'm approximately 17 years late to the game, but I am watching my first season of The bachelor. I watched The Bachelorette this past summer for the first time. I had my BRF living with me for a few weeks and I thought it'd be such a blast to experience it together, as I think that's how these trashy reality shows are supposed to be watched. And then she moved away, so I was stuck watching it solo.

And I fell in love with Colton.

And then he was announced as the new bachelor. Yes please!

I was counting down to the new season. And then was super annoyed when it was the same night and time as the National Championship (#rolltide). I had to record The Bachelor to watch the game live, and once the game was very obviously over, sigh, I switched over to Colton.

Beefy football player with dimples?? College Jeri is in lust.

Who wants to come hang out on Mondays with me?!? I'll provide the wine. Or sparkling water. Something sparkling.

Don't Miss a Monday

I know that the phrase "don't miss a Monday" is probably overplayed. It's everywhere, along with "new year, new you." If either motivate you, that's great. If not, that's fine too.

I really like running on Mondays. I try to make my long runs Saturday (weather and work dependent) so I can get in a longer run on Monday. Something about starting the week with some good mileage, really helps me get out the door the rest of the week. Miss a Monday and somehow the entire week is thrown out the window.

During marathon training, I had my med-long runs scheduled for Mondays. So I was running anywhere from 8-12 miles on a Monday. Nice easy miles to kick off the week. Usually Chris joined me, and I was fine going whatever pace was appropriate in the crazy heat we ran in. And it set the tone for the week.

Right now I'm currently in the off season. I had written up a draft of base building/off season, and then decided I really wanted to take a break from a plan until my next training cycle. But I would still like Monday to be a longer run for the week.

The month of December was a struggle for me. We ran the Dallas Half, I recovered, and then it seemed like a slog to get in my mileage for my 2018 goal. And I came up short on my 100 mile month goal for December. As I was logging miles this week, my online log came up to December's calendar.

I skipped every single Monday run.

With the exception of Christmas Eve. When I had the day off. And had a great week of running. Go figure.

So 2018 I focused on consistency with my long run. And it paid off massively. 2019 I shall focus on making sure I have a running buddy for Monday runs to increase my accountability to kick off the week! This has been a Jeri running TED talk. :P

Anxiety Over Goals

Did anyone else have a rough start to 2019 and already has anxiety over your mileage goal for the year? Or is it just me?! I had planned to kick off the year with 9 miles, and then the conditions were atrocious. I managed 6.73 at about a minute per mile slower than I typically run. Wednesday I got in 4.15 miles on the iciest, slickest, scariest conditions I've ever run on. And then I didn't run the rest of the week because I was over the ice and didn't want to fall.

AND I'M SO FAR BEHIND WHERE I SHOULD BE ALREADY.

Ugh.

I know it'll even out once real training kicks off, and one week doesn't make or break a goal, but I really wanted to shoot for ~30 miles per week when I'm not training for races to keep up some quality training. I guess that goal should be modified during weeks of extreme weather. Why do I live in the midwest again??

At least this week is a new week, and so far so good!

November + December in Review

November in Review:

Total Miles:  101.18 up from 101.01 miles last month. 102.54 miles last November.

Total Time:  17:15:01 up from 17:01:33 last month. 

Total Runs: 18 runs for an average of 5.62 miles/run.

Highest weekly mileage: 

11/12//2018 – 11/18/2018:	29 mi

Most hardcore run: A 13.1 mile training run with Melissa where we were almost frozen solid by the time we finished. BRR.

Favorite run: The following weekend, Melissa, Kristin and I did 13.1 miles again with a little fast finish to the run, and it was beautiful and sunny and just so much fun.

Favorite Race: No races in November. I skipped out on the Banquet 10k because it was going to be so chilly. 

Favorite Jam: None currently.

_________________________

December in Review:

Total Miles:  92.7 miles down from 101.01 miles last month. 116.33 miles last December. 

Total Time:  15:50:02 down from 17:15:01. 

Total Runs: 13 runs for an average of 7.13 miles/run.

Highest weekly mileage: 

12/24/2018 – 12/30/2018:	31.5 mi	5:38:29	10:45 / mi

Most hardcore run: Melissa and I did a 14 ish mile long run on 12/30 so I could hit my annual mileage goal for the year. Our average pace was about 40 seconds slower than it normally is due to the terrible footing and conditions, but we got it done!

Favorite run: Melissa and I ran 9 ish on Christmas Eve and it was such a beautiful sunny day and the miles just flew by. I couldn't believe that we were at the turnaround when we were!

Favorite Race: Dallas Half Marathon!

Favorite Jam: I listened to music a little during the Dallas Half but it's just my same ol' playlist from forever. Of course my pump up Eminem song came up the final 5k, so that did help me pick it up a bit.

Weekly Reads: I Owe You One

I started reading Sophie Kinsella's newest book I Owe You One when I was on my way home from Texas. I wanted a nice light vacation read, and Kinsella's books always fit the bill. I received an e-ARC to read and review. It was sweet, and fairly predictable, as most of her books are, but it was perfect for the pre-Christmas holiday, and was even a significant gateway drug to Christmas Hallmark movies. I've turned a corner, friends, and there's no coming back from it.

My rating: 4 stars.

Summary from Goodreads:

Fixie Farr has always lived by her father’s motto: “Family first.” But since her dad passed away, leaving his charming housewares store in the hands of his wife and children, Fixie spends all her time picking up the slack from her siblings instead of striking out on her own. The way Fixie sees it, if she doesn’t take care of her father’s legacy, who will? It’s simply not in her nature to say no to people.

So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, Fixie not only agrees—she ends up saving it from certain disaster. Turns out the computer’s owner is an investment manager. To thank Fixie for her quick thinking, Sebastian scribbles an IOU on a coffee sleeve and attaches his business card. But Fixie laughs it off—she’d never actually claim an IOU from a stranger. Would she?

Then Fixie’s childhood crush, Ryan, comes back into her life and his lack of a profession pushes all of Fixie’s buttons. She wants nothing for herself—but she’d love Seb to give Ryan a job. And Seb agrees, until the tables are turned once more and a new series of IOUs between Seb and Fixie—from small favors to life-changing moments—ensues. Soon Fixie, Ms. Fixit for everyone else, is torn between her family and the life she really wants. Does she have the courage to take a stand? Will she finally grab the life, and love, she really wants?

2018 Goals Check In

Running

• Run 1400 miles.-- YES, 1401.33.
• Run 100 miles each month.--Womp womp. March and June didn't happen due to some cranky knee issues. December I was so close but some snow storms and crazy cold made it not happen.
• Run a Sub 1:55 half. Nope. Dang it.
• Run a marathon PR. Nope. But not for extreme lack of trying. If you subtract out my bathroom stops, I had it, but who's counting. :P

Life

• Rescue another pug.--I tried really hard to make this work in April and had my heart broken.
• Read 150 books.--Yes!
• Do a check in with a nutritionist to reign in my fueling for BIG RUNNING GOALS.--I need to give Lizzie a call!

Yoga

• Re-establish my meditation practice.--YES! 
• Take 1-2 trainings toward my 500 hour certification. Nope. Running has been my focus 100%.

2019 Goals

Running

• Run 1600 miles.
• Run 100 miles each month.
• Run 200 miles in one month.
• Run a sub 1:55 half.
• Run a Sub 1:52 half.
• Run a sub 4 marathon.
• Run a sub 6:40 mile.
• Run under 51 minutes for the 10k.
• Make at least 1 new running buddy.
• Coach at least 5 runners toward their goals.

Life

• Rescue another pug.
• Read 150 books.

Yoga

• Refocus my meditation practice.
• Work on my handstand.

2018 by the Numbers: 2639.42

Miles ran:  1401.33 

Miles past my goal:  1.33 :P

Miles away from last year's mileage: 293.18+

Miles per week average: 26.95

Weeks of 50+ miles: 1

Weeks of 40+ miles: 7

Weeks of 30+ miles: 14

Weeks of 0 miles: 0

Miles per month average:  116.78

Months with 100+ miles: 9

Time spent running: 237 hours, 21 minutes, 38 seconds, just shy of 10 full days running.

Total Runs: 231 

Average Miles per Run: 6.07

Favorite Race: Twin Cities Marathon

Least Favorite Race: Brookings Half Marathon. Blech. I think I'll pause on this race for ever awhile.

Highest Mileage Month: August 189.13

Lowest Mileage Month: April 64.65

Marathons: 1

Half Marathons: 6

10 mile: 0

8 mile: 0

10K: 0

5 mile: 1

4 mile:  1

5K: 0

3 mile: 0

1 mile: 1

PRs accomplished: 3! The 1 mile, the 4 mile and the 5 mile. I kicked off 2018 strong, and then raced very sparingly the rest of the year.

Pairs of shoes purchased: 9 :|

Hotel nights booked: 6 including two nights in a dorm!

Flights taken: Dallas/Fort Worth and one long ass drive to Chicago. #neveragain

Race road trips taken: Twin Cities, Beresford, Brookings--3

Number of runners met: Countless. 

States crossed off my "run a race in every state" list:  1! Illinois! 

Awesome Race Photos garnered:  Tons.

Number of sub 4 crash and burn attempts: 0. Twin Cities was a PR attempt and not at all a crash and burn.  Just a poop and rally. :P

Number of times I was proud of my racing efforts: Frostbite 4, St Patty's Day, Chilly Cheeks 5 Mile, 605 Half, SF Half, Twin Cities Marathon, and the Dallas Half. So basically all of my races except Grandma's Half and Brookings Half. 7

Number of times Kyle ran with me: 1