On Blogging

Again...it's been a long time.

I guess writing my thoughts on this space lost its luster. A lot of cool things have happened, and life is busy. So organizing thoughts and photos into "this" took the backseat over spending time working, loving and living.

We went to Europe. We ate, we drank, we laughed. And we cried when the dog sitter lost our dog. (still a sensitive subject so I'm going to leave it alone)

I have had NO training schedule since my last full marathon in February and it's been great. No races. No pressure. I run when I want and have been yoga-ing, spinning and lifting weights. It's been fun and refreshing.

BUT...I'm ready to get to back to business.

I have a few new goals on the horizon...in the head - not on paper yet.

Maybe I'll blog again and share them soon....

Catching Up.

Hello there.

I have been so quiet that I'm not really sure how to just jump back in without sounding like a weirdo who has been pretty bad at blogging lately.

{Nutshell - My Life}

Work, Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years, New Babies (and baby showers), friends/family in town, running, celebrating our 3rd Anniversary, volunteering at my 1st Ironman (whoa), preparing for the Holidays AND thoroughly enjoying them (parties yes please), making new goals, a trip up North to a haunted hotel, marathon training in full effect and eying some more races), running a 10 mile race and a half marathon...which resulted in a new PR, booking some trips (oh boy!) and embarking on one amazing one....life.

So yeah...all that. I won't spend the time going back through the details. I was sick on and off about 3 times over the Holidays which is never ideal but I am 100% now and feel great. My running took a bit of a hit with all that and I am noticing it quite a bit in my speed, endurance and my lung capacity. That's OK, I feel healthy and injury free so I'm content with that.

Coming up...

February 2nd - Desert Classic Half Marathon (training run)
February 17th - IMS Arizona Marathon 

The last few weeks at glance, in numbers:

• 43 miles
• 47 miles
• 34 miles (setback week, whew)
• 46 miles
• Current week (tapering) 12 miles

I am extremely sore today from a couple of new HIIT workouts the past 2 days, so I skipped today's run in lieu of rest so I have 2 full days before my half on Saturday.

Looking forward to:

•  The Phoenix Open this weekend. Party time, excellent.
•  Super Bowl Sunday!
• A night in Sedona to celebrate my Dad's 65th Birthday...it's a surprise, shhh.
• Girls Weekend in San Fran.
• Our FIRST trip to Europe. I.cannot.wait.
• Working on my race calendar and trying a new to me distance, gulp!

How about a mini photo bomb?

What's new with you?

Boom. 2-a-Day

{AM}

Yasso 800's on treadmill + full body circuit

(5 miles total)

                                                     

{PM}

10k Pace *whoops* outside in the rain.  

(4 miles)

I had to put a filter on my "self portraits"...no one needs to see that,

9 miles for the day, like a Boss. Foam rolled, iced, compression'd up for a nice long run tomorrow. Looking forward to running with the cloudy/rainy weather!

Motivation with a hangover.

Fall Racing is definitely here. Each weekend my Facebook feed is filled with photos, stories, and new PR's from friends all over. I love it.

And as you know, I also love a good spreadsheet. I love a plan. Now executing the plan...that's the tough part.

The other night, we sat down and finally watched the 2012 Ironman Kona Championships from a few weeks ago.

Motivating? Yes. 
Intimidating? Heck Yes.

These chics are beasts. Animals. Machines. Athletes.

Miranda. My Favorite.

I know that will never be me, and that's OK....but every once in a while, I think to myself...could I train for an Ironman? Would I? Could I handle it physically or mentally?

And then I snap back to reality. I'll just make Wade do one someday.


I was amped up to run the next morning and I knocked out a great 6 mile run and then did a full body weight circuit. I was excited to log it and proceed with the next day'd double run.

And then I got drunk on election night. And woke up hungover and swore off alcohol forever. Who do I think I am? (<--- an idiot?)

I missed my double runs today. But that's OK, I kinda had a good excuse.

Two of my best friends from High School. Steph was in town from Florida and we finally got our shit together and made plans. It had been 6 years since the 3 of us were together. We laughed, talked and reminisced for 4 hours. (and Steph and I apparently drank too many beers, oy)

So tomorrow's a new day, time for that double run day.

Ready as Ever....

I'm going going back back to Cali, Cali.

Yup. 9 days and it's Rock 'n' Roll San Jose (how the eff did I get roped into running another RnR).

Oh yeah.

This little pixie was planning on running it with me, only I'll be running solo due to some old injuries that have popped up in little Gio's knees. I'm bummed yes, but taking care of her body is #1. She says she is excited to cheer me on. She's crazy. This is small for a RnR event, only about 12k runners (include mini marathon) so I am pretty happy that it will be slightly less of a clusterfuck that RnR tends to be. I'm more excited to eat, drink and be merry with my frayonds - the race is just the icing on the cake.

I busted out my last long run this morning. I had a 5:15am wake up call so I could get it done before work and because my weekend is jammed pack (and I want to drink wine tonight, for reals). I ran 12 miles. It was non-eventful. A little tight in my right hip, as usual. It was a reasonable pace and the weather made it a quick and painless run.

My week should end with 36 miles and 3 days of HEAVY weights. I feel good about that. 

Do I feel ready? Yes. Am I going to PR? I sure hope so....but I won't be upset if I don't. I don't feel like I have the speed to do it, hopefully I'll surprise myself.

And hopefully the course is flat. And the weather is cold.

Gio tells me "pack shorts or a dress for the day and a sweater at night".

RIGHT. Did you forget where I am from? That's full on winter for me.

Off to work for a few hours, stuff my face and hopefully have 2 FULL says off. Psh. (um hello pizza party tonight and Dback game tomorrow)

Anyone doing anything SUPER fun this weekend?

Hills = Make You or Break You

Hello from the Mountains!

Yesterday was spent soaking up the weather....I actually wore sweats and long sleeves!

 I had 11 miles on my schedule for this weekend's long run and naturally I hydrated with 3 beers yesterday and a tasty chicken burger.

A vision of running and health right there.

When I run up North I typically run the same route each time, out of comfort and because the roads are very confusing and winding up here.  Knowing me I would get lost. But running down the Highway is boring, so I decided to take a different road for part of my usual run. I knew what I was getting into this morning and I was actually excited.

Hills will make you or break you. 

Today, they made me. I walked a few, but that's OK. I felt good, strong and confident. And it was fun...I actually said "WEEEEEEEEEEE" while running down a really big one. (ya know, because I ran UP it on the way out)

I think my right arm is sore from all the waving I did to the passing cars. I got a lot of honks, waves and thumb ups. People are super nice here. Or they just think I'm weird - not a lot of runners up here. 

Change of scenery. Solid idea.

I came back and took myself through a decent all-over weight circuit and know we are off to Oktoberfest, that should be interesting!

Back in the Saddle

So that weird stomach bug that derailed me for the past 3 days...I think it has left the building. I spent Sunday-Tuesday basically being a lump. Laying, watching TV,  sleeping, and definitely not caring about personal hygiene. Lucky Wade.

I finally ate a real meal last night (yay for ham and cheese omelets) and trudged into the gym this morning for a much needed workout with Naydine. I told her to take it easy on me, and she did. Kind of.

I broke a sweat within the first minute of weighted one-legged squats and didn't stop until I completed my 5 mile run/walk. Yikes.

I feel 100% better now. And hungry.

I won't be hitting 39 miles this week, but aiming for 30-35, depending on how I feel. We are heading up North for the weekend, so I'm super happy to bust out a long run in the cool mountain temps.

Anyone have anything fun they are looking forward to this weekend?

Date Night + 12 days

Wade and I enjoyed a lovely dinner date out this past weekend. We stayed in Friday and dined on homemade turkey pasta dinner to carb up for our early Saturday morning run. 4:15 am came early - always has me wondering "why" I do this to myself. Oh ya, because it feels good.

With 12 miles completed on Saturday this finished my week off at 39 miles. My highest week ever I think? Feels good. No pains. I even managed 3 1/2 strength sessions (1/2 = mini sesh because I was still sore) My run on Saturday was really really slow, which of course has me worried for AFC in 12 days. I feel prepared, but not. Running in 90+ degree weather is bound to slow you down, so I'm trying not to be bummed about it and just be happy I get to run in this awesome race!

We had a Groupon to use for dinner, so we did.

Drinks at AZ88, a favorite spot of ours.

 
Dinner: Spanish food + Sangria + Flamenco Dancers = Fantastic Date Night.  

And then I got sick. I don't know what the heck has been wrong with me since Saturday night, but it hasn't been pretty, I have hardly moved off my couch. So bored. So useless.

I'm more irritated that it's interrupting my running/workout schedule and that I can't eat. Silver lining? I've lost a few lbs. ;) Hopefully by tonight I'm back to myself.

Fall Racing & A Weekly Update

Is it bad that it's only July and I'm already planning my races for the Fall and Winter? Monsoon season has hit AZ and it has me yearning for cooler morning temps and sunny afternoons.

I'm dreaming off cold start lines and running with gloves. Planning my runs around the weather sucks...if I'm not up at 5:00 am, I'm pretty much stuck with running on the treadmill or late at night. Which I don't do well, because that gives me crazy legs.

I have already registered for a couple of races, which makes me super excited to keep plugging away at the miles!

I'm also very excited that Wade signed up for his first Triathlon! He has been talking about it for months and finally took the plunge and registered for an Olympic Distance race here in Tempe. I'm looking forward to be his support crew and #1 cheerleader.

Here is what I have as a "definite" so far:

August 19th, 2012

America's Finest City Half Marathon

San Diego, California

 

October 7th, 2012

Rock 'n' Roll San Jose (yup, I'm a sucker)

San Jose, California

November 4th, 2012

Women's Half Marathon

Scottsdale, Arizona

February 17th, 2013

IMS Arizona Marathon

Glendale, Arizona 

I'm looking to find something (possibly a half) between August and November to keep me motivated and in shape. There is no shortage of races in December, so I just need to pick what I want to do.

I'm really happy with my past week of training...today is the 1st day I have taken off running since last Friday....8 days in a row so I am grateful for a day of nothing! It should work out that I have 6 days on and 1 day off each week, but some juggling of last week's days forced me to switch my rest day which I used as an active rest day and took a Flow/Vinyasa at the gym.

This past week was the first week I accomplished 6 days/week of running, which I have never done before. I was a little worried that I might not be able to hang or that my body might be angry with me, but I actually feel great and stronger than ever! My only struggle continues to be working on speed because I am still experiencing a lot of soreness throughout the week from my workouts with Naydine. This week was the first time I incorporated speed work into my training in weeks...it was really tough trying to amp up my pace with intervals on really sore legs and arms. I'm thinking my pace might be less than desired at my next half  (AFC) but that's OK because I feel good. My new Mizuno's (more on that later) have been amazing and I don't want to jinx myself, but I think I have found another "go-to" pair of distance shoes.

Recap:

Monday: Legs/Abs w/ Naydine + 5 miles easy (treadmill)
Tuesday: 6 miles (outside, hot @ 90 degree temps)
Wednesday: Upper body w/ Naydine + 5 miles easy (treadmill)
Thursday: 5 mile intervals -1 mile w/u,  5 800's at 8:15 with 400 jogs + cool (treadmill)
Friday: 5 miles (outside, humid & hot)
Saturday: 11 mile long run @ cabin + driveway plyo. Hilly, slow and humid + high altitude
Sunday: REST

Total Miles: 37 (yay!)

My Saturday reward was a mini DQ blizzard (yum) and a couple of these:

 (no need to dress up at the cabin, don't judge me)

Next weeks goal is to maintain training schedule with 4 days of weights and increase speed. Wish me luck.

Did anyone else have a successful week training/running/lifting/yoga-ing?

Double Digits

Today was the first time I got back into the double digits...I ran 10 boring-ass miles on the treadmill.

After too much wine last night, I just couldn't get up at the butt crack of dawn to beat the heat, so I did the next best thing. I have about 6 weeks until my next half, so I better get my butt in gear.

Running hungover is rad.

My Bruised Foot

I ran a glorious 34 miles last week. It was nice to get back over 30 miles/week and I felt great mentally and physically. Until a weird little pain started in the pad of my left foot, near the toes.

It never fails. I'm blamed 2 factors.

1. The Treadmill
2. My Minimalist Shoes

I hadn't realized that the treadmill could be the culprit, but after talking to a rather experienced runner about the bruise like feeling, she offered up that little piece of reasoning saying that she avoids it because it really "tweaks her form".

Makes perfect sense. Always learning. Always growing. Sometimes hurting.

And the shoes. I still love them...but I ran 6 miles in them in one shot and I know better than that. My feet, ankles and all the little muscles just aren't strong enough for that yet.

So I took Tuesday and Wednesday off of running and instead cross trained today using this beauty:

I busted out 30 minutes on that and then 12 minutes of high intense intervals on the stairs. I felt a little dorky on it at first, but got into a groove after a few minutes. I liked the way it felt vs. the way I don't like how I feel on an elliptical, so I think I'll keep it in my Xtraining arsenal. I was dripping sweat and I looked beautiful when I arrived at my appointment to get my oil changed after my workout. What? You don't run errands sweaty? Psh. My trainer had an emergency and couldn't make our session today, so I did a repeat of last Wednesday's which was upper body/arms. I feel like I could see a few teeny muscle popping out while I lifted, so it was encouraging!

My foots feels WAY better today after some serious RICE-ing, so I'm going to wake up early and run some miles out on the roads...just like I like it.

I won a FREE pair of shoes from this Cute & Speedy Girl through her giveaway sponsored by Mizuno and their Mezamashii Project. Brilliant Mizuno, absolutely brilliant. Check it out.

I got a code. Shopped online. Called the special number. Consulted with a fit specialist. And BAM, my shoes are on their way.

I am stoked to try some Mizuno's!

Anyone else like the ARC trainer?

Take me out to the ballgame!

I moved these....it was super fun. I came home to the boxes on my front porch and couldn't let them sit there.

Hint hint....it's my new patio furniture. Have fun Wade! 

After my weight lifting/box fighting debacle Wade and I headed downtown and were treated to a baseball game from one of his work contacts! We left a little early to grab dinner and drinks beforehand, and then met up with Wade's biz partner and his wife.

We had lots of fun as usual and got home WAY past my bedtime. Our seats were ridiculously awesome.

I skipped my outdoor run this morning to catch a little extra sleep and headed over to the gym for an ass whooping from Naydine. I'm still hurting in weird places from our Monday session.

I was thoroughly beaten by her and then hopped on the treadmill for a 4 mile run. I'm heading back later tonight to finish my run (schedule calls for 7 miles today and I didn't have time this am) and take spin with Kara.

Whoever works out 2x/day on a regular basis is NUTS. I'm tired.

Feel Good Decisions

Insomnia much? It's 1:13 am...and here I sit.

But, it's been a while my friends....so what have I been doing the past week?

A lot. (not sleeping apparently)

A wedding, mid-week dinner/baseball date, planning for an amazing event that is happening tomorrow, working, running, sweating, dog-walking, decision making, picnic attending, meetings....oh so many meetings...and naturally with all that, drinking. Basically being an adult. An awesome adult. 
 
I made a big decision in my professional life this week. It stressed me out. It made me worry, lose sleep, plan and scheme and make lists...and at the end of this week, I'm confident, happy and excited about my decision. And that my friends, feels good. 

I am really looking forward to a vacation that is quickly approaching. Until then, I have another VERY busy week and weekend ahead of me.

Busy is good. Busy is happiness. Busy is success. Busy is being loved and loving back.

A few pics...

BFF and her teeny lil baby bump, so cute.

Getting my makeup on.

Greasyface

I like to take these and prove to Wade I really do workout/sweat.

Eleven

11 more runs until I run 26.2

I'm sitting here staring at the clock....I'm meeting Kara at 6:00 to bust out a tempo run. 1/5/1 = 7 miles.

Kinda scared of it too.

I could use a good run because I haven't ran since Sunday, but the heat....the heat is here. Ugh.

I'm tired.
I'm hungry.
I don't wanna.

I need some motivation.

Oh wait...here it is.

Better go lace up!

"Speedy" Gonzales

Welp, I'm 24 days from the OC Marathon...and tomorrow is going to be my LONGEST run of this training cycle, 20 miles! I'm nervous and excited to meet and beat the challenge.

I am thanking the Weather Gods...forecast for tomorrow:

For Phoenix in April, that's simply amazing. I might even get crazy and wear a t-shirt vs. a tank

So wild.

This is the first week of this training I have felt like all I do is run. And really, I don't. Not even close. My max mileage is 38 miles this week...which is nothing compared to "real runners". But for me, it's a lot...I'm happy I'm able to do it, and I'm actually getting excited for the actual race. After being injured and taking over 2 weeks off, slowly building my miles back up and being overly cautious to avoid irritating the injury, speedwork went by the wayside up until this week.

Man it felt good to run fast. (OK maybe not fast for some people, but for me, yes)

It was hard and I was really tired when I was done, but it felt glorious. I have been loosely following the SmartCoach plan from Runnersworld.com the last few weeks in an attempt to get my ass in gear (sorry Hal H. you are forever my #1 homey) and this speedwork sesh was new to me.

Tuesday - Speedwork

Dist: 6 miles
Warm; 1 mile
3x1600 in 7:59 w/800 jogs
Cool; 1 mile

My 6 mile easy run on Wednesday was anything but....my legs really felt this little challenge, they were heavy and I was literally dragging ass. But like they say "you gotta run fast to get fast". After the OC I plan on incorporating a speedwork back in on a regular basis and working on my 1/2 marathon PR.

I'll be pounding water today, eating bland and taking the day off of exercise to prep for tomorrow's 20 miler. This is my professional plan to avoid shitting my pants. Classy.

Wish me luck!

I did it & I didn't die!

I did this...

And then this...

And then I murdered this....sorry little black beans....

I survived and honestly, it wasn't even that bad. I'm gonna go drink a beer.

A Light and Some Pasta

That was me walking my puppies last night...I absolutely LOVE living where we do. Our neighborhood is flanked by desert and one of my favorite things to do is walk along the edges, with my pups in tow. It makes me feel VERY lucky. But the real light was revealed today.

Back up to last night for a minute. I decided to rearrange my running schedule so that I could go out tonight and not run Saturday morning before a bridal shower I'm attending and to actually enjoy my whole Sunday off with nothing to do (except a short 5 miler). So I threw together a tasty pasta dinner, made with random crap I had in my kitchen. Kitchen sausage, wheat pasta, broccoli, a few shrimp, feta...and the kicker, red curry sauce. It was delish.

I set out this morning all alone, with some GU chomps, a drink and my iPod. I decided to run a simple loop around my house and smaller section of my neighborhood that is a total of 3.6 miles instead of my usual winding paths throughout the larger section of my neighborhood. I feared I would get bored. I did not. I actually appreciated the route...and of having one area that I kept my drink at to focus on as a next "goal" with each lap.

Neato.

So the light? It's that one at the end of the tunnel. 

I ran 13.1 today. I walked several times and I ran a slower pace than what I usually prefer to do with the guidance of my BFF Hal Higdon. He suggests running 30 to 90 sections slower than my estimated race pace. I didn't run THAT slow being that it is a shorter long run in the marathon training...

No pain. My body felt good. My lungs are still congested from my cold so I got winded faster than usual, but I was happy with my end result.

Well I better go get fancy for my big night out on the town!