Candy Monster

Halloween is my 2nd favorite Holiday! (besides Christmas, duh) People get silly, dress up, the decorations are beyond awesome, and we eat candy. I think I have had 10 mini candy bars today. Scrape me off the ceiling please. This is why I don't keep candy in my house. I love sweets, but my ass does not.

Alright chunky and your double chin, after tomorrow...you are cut off.

Happy Halloween everybody! Be safe, eat candy.

Meow.

What Day Is It?

Man oh man has work been NUTS. My business comes in waves and it is crazy right now, which is a blessing in my field...I had a mini meltdown on Tuesday night and woke up Wednesday with my husband's cold that I had been avoiding the past 2 days. Nothing like getting sick when work is busy and you have a race the following weekend.

I was popping Zinc like it was my job, so I think I got the easy version of what he had but it sure is dragging on. A bit of a bummer because with a new running game plan, it forced me to hold back a bit and shuffle some days around.

Here's what I have:

Monday: 5 miles easy + Legs/Abs

Tuesday: 6 miles

Wednesday: 6 miles, speedwork (3x1600 @7:50 + warm and cool) <---- nailed it. 

                     + Upper body (still sore, ouch)

Thursday: Sick

Friday: 5 miles easy

Saturday: 5 miles
Sunday: Long Run Hmmm

Total for the week: 27

I had fully intended on a long run today, but with this cold now in my chest and not feeling really great, I reluctantly skipped it and will run it Monday am. Good times.

A very smart little blogger planted an idea in my head after I posted my San Jose RnR Recap. Her major points:

1. If you want to get faster, run more miles
2. Don't add more speedwork (1x/week is plenty, you will just get injured)

So simple, yet not. 

We exchanged a few emails and chatted about HOW I could do this and if it was realistic...and it is. It really got me thinking about how I feel when I run more per week vs. per less. And really...I feel better running more. I feel stronger, faster, more confident. I run between 30-35/week consistently (give or take depending on my current happenings) and she suggested I bump up to 40-50. A little scary but I think I can handle it. And really, full marathon training IS right around the corner, so it should work out nicely.

So there ya have it. It's not science after all. (well I suppose it is)

The weekend has been pretty great! A dinner date with Wade and a Sun's game on Friday night, lunch al fresco on Saturday, homemade soup and a movie last night. It's been lowkey and laidback, my favorite kind of weekend. Off to enjoy the rest of my WHOLE WEEKEND off, thank you Real Estate Gods.

All Mine

A few new obsessions, found in my greedy little hands and in my closet:

Some new Lululemon in my life...

{Star Runner Pullover. Deliciously soft and that ruffle, adorable}

{Cool Racerback Xtra Long, Ziggy Wee Caspian}

{Bright at Night Short, got em in 2 colors, love}

{MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Japanese Maple. Perfect shade}

{Mossimo a la Target Moccasins. I'm looking at you, Dad}

{This moto jacket, a steal at Forever21}

{Lia Sophia Eden Necklace}

And these are NOT in my closet, but I really want them to be.

{Frye Melissa Trapunto Boot}

Cactus ChaCha Review

First trail run in the books! I didn't sleep a wink last Friday night, I was so nervous about this run for some reason. I don't know if it was because it was something new and I wasn't sure what to expect, or because I was scared to death of the hills and rocky terrain....but probably both.

Me and my Pops

I had a freaking BLAST!

It was a beautiful morning out in the desert and the race had a really cool laid vibe to it. The "gun" went off and Trent and I headed out after saying hi to several people we knew. The first half of the race was pretty much uphill, rocky and was a "single track" (one runner at a time). I used all my concentration picking through the course and trying to land as carefully as possible. My Garmin didn't work out there so I had no clue how fast I was running and that made it much more fun! I hear a few guys behind me talking about the switchbacks that were up again and I got a little nervous but kept plugging away...the people were SO cool and polite and helpful. I ran with the same group most of the race and they were all laughing, yelling and talking each other through the technical parts, it was really helpful and was something I had never experienced before.

 I focused on my breathing up those hills and maintaining the same effort up as I did running flat, and then let it fly downhill all while still being careful so I didn't eat shit or twist an ankle. Nothing like having someone on your heels to keep you moving forward. At one point I lost Trent so I just kept moving and stuck with Hal, an older, very experienced runner and he helped keep me focused on finishing. I really only ran alone for about .50 of the whole course...I can see how people would get lonely out there.

I was really happy to see that finish line and my Dad standing there yelling my name. My official time was 1:09:10 which was a 9:53 pace. I was REALLY happy with that. My feet, ankles and calves hurt in places that have never hurt before, but it makes sense because I didn't run in trail shoes and I hit a lot of rocks using muscles my feet aren't used to using.

My Dad did the Mini ChaCha (3 mile loop) and I was so proud of him. He is not a "runner"  and was pretty nervous at the beginning. He is currently working on losing some weight (down 25lbs whoot!) so this was a big step for him, and he did SO good!

AND I won a $50.00 gift card in the raffle to my favorite running store, The Tortoise and Hare!

I will be trailing running again in the future, it was so much fun.