5 Miles Before Work

My favorite time to run is the early morning. In fact, this girl doesn't run after 9 am. Well, not without kicking and screaming the whole way.  Although, that 4:30 am alarm comes way too early and staying up late happens way too often. With all this marathon training, it's hard to fit everything in. Sometimes the dishes don't get done and sometimes the laundry doesn't get folded, but that's ok. I need to remind myself of that every once and a while.

This morning I got in 5 miles before work.  Not sure why, but I've been stuck in this 3 mile rut for my weekly runs, so it was nice to do 5 good miles this week.

I rewarded myself with chocolate milk afterwards; and it was great! Yummy!

  

Is it Friday yet?

Reminders

My early morning run smells like donuts. No really, it smells like donuts. There's a donut shop right by my house and I can always smell the sweetness in the air. Would I run for a donut? Now that's a silly question. Of course I would! (see 7 Miles for a Donut). No donuts today though. I save those for special days, like Sunday's "Donut Run". Today I run for eggs and toast.
I got in an easy 3 miles this morning. Ha! It's funny to say "easy 3 miles". A few years ago, this phrase would have never come out of my mouth unless it was in a totally sarcastic tone of voice. Sometimes is good to remind myself of how far I've come, and it's exciting to know that I am going to progress even further to accomplish my goal.


I love this. So true!

Every day I get closer to the marathon! I'm so excited, but nervous at the same time. I've got a lot of  training and early mornings left, but it will be totally worth it in the end!

10 Miles at Deerhaven Lane, 2 Miles at Home

It's that time again! It's long run day! I had 12 miles on the schedule today. When the alarm went off this morning, I just really wanted to stay in bed. I had set out all my gear the night before so i wouldn't have any excuses. Breakfast was Chocolate Hazelnut butter on bread and iced coffee. I usually also eat a banana, but I'm all out. So sad, I love my bananas. Maybe I'm part Monkey.

The LexRunLadies were planning a 7:15 am start out on Deer Haven Lane. Most of the group was planning on 7 miles or less so I decided to get a couple miles in beforehand. I got there at about 6:30 and ended up running 2 miles with Krissie (the LRL coordinator) before meeting up with the group. Once we got started a few of the ladies said they'd be willing to run 8, so I happily ran with them and got 10 miles in before heading home.

The run was great! It was still a little humid this morning, but there was a light rain that made it bearable. Beautiful scenery and amazing homes to look at as well. I didn't see it, but there is supposed to be a farm along the path that has a Zebra! Maybe next time. I did see, lots of horses, beef cattle, some Long Horns, a Buffalo, and a skunk (no I didn't get sprayed...thank goodness!). 

Running with the group made the miles go by quickly, but I was happy to get back to the car and stretch out a bit.

I knew that I needed 2 more miles, so I planned on running in my neighborhood once I got home. My 2 1/2 year old was excited when I got home and wanted to watch me run. Our house is in a Cul-de-sac and the loop is about 1/4 mile so I just ran the loop 8 times so he could watch me run. Once I started running he wanted to join in (best part of my run!). Liam ran about 1/2 mile with me. His little legs were moving as fast as they could. What a cutie! I hope when he gets older he loves running as much as I do!

Overall, it was a great day; and I got all 12 miles done! Time to relax!

Early Mornings #Marathon

I love getting up at 4:00am early in the morning (coffee is my best friend). Being a mom, I like to run before everyone gets up so I don't miss out on playtime with my little guy. Not to mention, it's much cooler in the mornings and I know I'd never have the energy after work to really get in a good workout.
I was scheduled for 6 this morning, but I ended up doing 4. I felt great the whole run, but I didn't want to increase my mileage too much this week since my long run on Saturday is 12.


Running makes me feel like this!

How does running make you feel?

Rest, Yoga, and Pumpkin Butter

After the last few weeks I'm done with the warm, humid weather and I'm ready for cooler temperatures. It's just so hard to train during the summer, but I guess I'll be thankful for the cooler temps during the marathon, I hope anyways (fingers crossed). I've just got to remember to enjoy the journey. It may be a once in a lifetime thing.

For breakfast I had cream cheese and the pumpkin butter I bought yesterday on a bagel thin with two eggs over easy. The pumpkin butter was a little sweeter than I expected, but really delicious! It almost tastes like a pie filling. P.S. I love cream cheese, well anything with cheese really. I am a Wisconsin girl at heart!

Mondays are typically rest days, but I felt the need to do some yoga. My legs definitely needed some extra stretching. They were pretty tight after Sunday's run. 

I'll be icing it up tonight with my compression socks on; and ready to run in the morning. I've got a big week coming up. My schedule calls for 24 miles! The most I've ever done in a week is 22. I'll have to see how I'm feeling and go from there. It's going to be tough!

7 Miles for a Donut

Met with some of the LexRunLadies this morning for the weekly "donut run". Basically, we meet at North Lime Coffee and Donuts, run whatever distance we need, and then get donuts after! Great incentive for running if you ask me!

My intention was to run 7 miles with the Ladies. At the start the temperature/humidity felt great since it had just rained, but about a mile into the run the humidity came back with a vengeance. I hadn't brought any water with me and I knew I'd never make it the whole 7 without getting some. I ended up completing a 6 mile loop, got some iced coffee and donuts, and headed home. Once I made it to the house, I felt good enough to run one more mile. 

I bought 2 iced chocolate and 1 cinnamonkey! Delicious! They're not all for me, I promise!

See! I like to share...sometimes 😉.

Great morning so far. I just love running with the group. The miles go by so much faster and it's much more enjoyable!

Thanks for a great run Ladies!

Whole Foods Saturday

Saturday was a lazy kind of day. I got up later than usual since I decided to do my long run on Sunday instead. I spent most of the day indoors enjoying the air conditioning. It's been so hot lately that it was nice to just relax. I even took a nap today, which is totally unlike me. I did fit in some yoga, but I wasn't really feeling it.

I left the house for a little while today and made a trip to Whole Foods. I'm always running to the store to get some bananas (since I eat them every day). 

This looked really good, so I had to try it. I put some in my yogurt and banana concoction. It was so good! 

 

I also got some pumpkin butter (haven't tried it yet, but I love anything pumpkin)

 And this was my dessert! Yum!

Today was all about food as you can see.  Even though I didn't run, I was hungry all day.

7 mile "donut run" in the morning. I can't wait! Love the group runs!

Friday Treats

 

It's Friday and a Pay Day. The best of both worlds! So of course, I must treat myself a little bit for making it through another week in one piece.

 

It's so hot outside today, so my first stop on my way home was for an iced coffee! Totally refreshing! Always go with large! The bigger the better!

Almonds are my downfall, and chocolate covered almonds are totally irresistible. Just like potato chips, "you can't eat just one!", one serving that is.   These are just awesome, a perfect combination of salty/sweet! Great way to start my weekend!

 

Resting for the remaining part of the evening and then it's up and at 'em for an early morning run!  Gotta beat the heat!

Heat, Humidity, and Hydration

For some reason, I totally forgot to blog yesterday. Between working full time, training for a marathon, and being a mom it's a wonder I remember anything!
Yesterday, I ran 3 slow miles instead of the 5 I had planned. Nature was calling, if you know what I mean, and I just ran out of time before I had to leave for work.
Today, I did the same. Three slow miles at an easy pace. It's been so humid in the mornings, it's hard to get anything going!  Hydration is key this time of year.  I really like my nuun hydration tabs. I bought the summer sampler pack not too long ago. It came with Lemonade, Watermelon, and Cherry Limeade. The Cherry Limeade is my favorite.

Here's a great article from Runner's World on preventing dehydration. With a lot of summer remaining, and many long hot runs on the way, I'll be following many of these tips!

Friday is a rest day, and I'll be very thankful for that. Then it's on to a 7 mile kind of weekend.

 

Tuesday Trials

I absolutely needed a push out the door this morning. I hit snooze on my alarm and immediately fell back asleep. I had 3 miles on the schedule and I just didn't feel like it, but I got up anyway and got dressed to run. Don't get me wrong, I procrastinated as long as possible before heading out the door. But hey, this marathon isn't going to run itself, so I've got no choice. I wanted to quit the whole way, but I made it and now I feel great! My motivation this morning was the fact that I already registered and paid for the race entry, reserved a hotel room, and invited all my friends and family. Quitting is not an option.

 

 I really enjoyed this post from skinnychickblog.com. She talks about having the desire and motivation to run.

Tips to enjoy the sport of running

Happy Monday

The weekend went by way too fast. Sunday was a nice relaxing day, but I would really like another day off. 

Somehow I forgot to brew my coffee last night. That means no iced coffee this morning. I did get to use my favorite coffee mug though! 

I have an extensive collection of coffee mugs. Some would say I have way too many, but I don't care! They make my morning a little brighter.

Resting the legs today. They're feeling a little fatigued after the 10 miler. Good news is that my foot feels pretty good and I am finally feeling improvement.

It's hard to believe the race is in less than 3 months now. Time flies!

Sunrise at the Arboretum

The weather was absolutely perfect for running this morning. Nice and cool to start with no humidity. I ran 10 solo miles at the UK Arboretum in 1:52:30. I got there early enough to watch the sunrise.

After yesterday's fall, I was worried that I'd be really sore today. It didn't feel too bad. Mostly just stung a little bit where the tongue of my shoe was rubbing on my ankle.

The rest of the day is going to be filled with relaxation, froyo, and iced coffee of course. Have I mentioned that I like iced coffee? 

Fast Friday

How is it Friday!? This whole week was a blur. No running again today (sad face). At least it's Friday; and I'm leaving work early today! Yay! For an Eye Doctor's appointment...yay (sarcastic tone). But, I'm still leaving early. That's all I care about. Plus I need new contacts desperately! It's such a pain to run wearing my glasses! 

I had a great morning and got a whole bunch of stuff done before work this morning. I even got dinner started in the slow cooker before work. And then this happened...

Apparently I should have my walking license revoked, because I am just too clumsy. No serious damage, but it's very tender to the touch. On a more positive note, my left foot felt good all day! I will be running this weekend!

Rest, Ice(d Coffee), and Reading

Well, I woke up early to run this morning, but I decided that another rest day might be more beneficial. I've had some pain in my left foot since Saturday and running on it probably won't make it feel better. It's so hard to take a day off, but I don't want to injure myself any further. My new Runner's World magazine arrived the other day so I'm reading about running instead of actually doing it. That counts as something, right? 

No exercise makes me anxious, so I had to do some yoga before work. Makes me feel better about taking a rest day.

This iced coffee made me feel better about life in general. I think I'm addicted, but in a good way :)

 

Icing after dinner, and hopefully I'll be ready to run in the morning!

Mindless Eating

 

The last two days I feel like I've just been eating everything in sight. Some of it good, some of it bad. It's only been a week since I set my July goals and I've already been slacking on the whole eating healthy thing. Time to start over and keep track! Today I'm going to keep a photo journal of everything I'm eating. Maybe that will help.

Pre-run: Half of an energy bar: 122 calories

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 waffle, Real Maple Syrup-320 calories

On a side note, the maple syrup was made in Wisconsin by some friends from the trees near my family's property. Delicious!

Snack: Yogurt, cereal, and crystal light

Ok, so I forgot to take a pic of my lunch. Guess I was hungry!

Lunch: Grilled chicken breast, 1/2 cornbread muffin, peanut m&ms 389 calories

Snack #2 Banana 100 Calories

 

Dinner: Grapes and 1/2 peanut butter sandwich 276

That totals 1315 Calories. I probably ate something else and I'll most likely eat again before bed.

Five miles in the morning. I'm ready for bed!

Monday Motivation

I need some motivation today. I slept in till 5:30 this morning. I know that doesn't really sound like sleeping in, but when you normally get up at 4:45am, it is. Trust me. Even though I got up late, I still managed to fit in some yoga before heading to work. I missed out on icing my left Achilles' tendon though. It's been feeling kind of funky lately and my favorite athletic trainer and best friend, Beth, recommended icing it regularly. I'll just have to do that when I get home.

Sunday at The Banks on the Riverfront

Sunday Funday! My best friend Beth, from Wisconsin, was visiting Cincinnati this weekend. I met her and her family at The Banks on the Riverfront overlooking the Ohio River. The weather forecast called for storms, but it turned into a beautiful sunny day!

We ate lunch at Mahogany's. They have a Soul Food type of menu.

Liam and I had grilled chicken, yams, baked macaroni, and a cornbread muffin. Delicious!

Liam had fun splashing in the water!

Froyo! Yum!

After all the fun in the sun, we had to get a beer and sit in the "beer garden"! Beth and I are self-proclaimed beer snobs. Trying new beers is the best!

Thought this was cool! The Lager House was built on top of where the old Riverfront Stadium was.

I tried the Over-the-Rhine Ale. It was good!

Finishing up the rest of my weekend at home, getting ready for the week ahead! I'd really like a 3 day weekend. Is that too much to ask?

Run the Bluegrass Course and Flash Flood Warnings

This morning, I met the LexRunLadies at Keeneland on the Run the Bluegrass course.

I was scheduled for a 9 mile run, but with all the rain and the flood warnings coupled with a race 2 days ago, I wasn't sure I'd make it all 9 miles. I had planned to run the 7.5 mile loop (Rookie's Run) and go from there; but I was seriously considering bailing out and running the 4 mile loop instead. Only four of us showed up to run, so we partnered up and set out for a soggy run. After stepping in some giant puzzles I was seriously contemplating my sanity and why I bothered getting out of bed this morning. Two miles in, and I was ready to call it a day. If I'd have been running alone I definitely would have only made it through the 4 mile loop. Somehow we made it all 9 miles! Must have been because we got lost took the scenic route. Nothing made me happier than getting out of the rain and into my car!

This was waiting for me when I got home! Yum! Thanks Wanda!

Now it's time for R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation and Iced Coffee and Advil 😉)

Carbs, it's What's for Dinner!

Today is a rest/recovery day because of the 10k yesterday. I have 9 miles in the morning and I want to feel awesome while completing my run, so carbs are on the menu for tonight. Pasta seems to work really well for me the night before a long run, so I'm going to eat everything in sight stick with it. I like to keep it simple.

Trying this out tonight too. Probably not the healthiest, but I've been craving frozen yogurt for days! It says that there is 4 servings in this container. Lol, that's funny.

It's been raining all day today. Hope it quits by the morning! I'm not a fan of running in the rain, but you've got to be prepared to race in all conditions.

Check out these tips for running in the rain!

Spring Rain Running
Cold/Rain Running tips

Fourth of July and a New 10k PR

Happy Fourth of July! I did it! I beat last year's time by 4:36 minutes! Yay!

Thankfully, the heavy rains held off. There was just a slight sprinkle of rain throughout the race! The temperature was perfect and I felt great throughout! The Bluegrass 10k is such a fun race, lots of great crowd support!

Post race iced coffee :) Yay for Starbucks!

Recovery time! Got to be ready for 9 miles on Saturday!

Now all I need is someone to bring me some frozen yogurt!

Easy Run

 I've got 19 miles scheduled for this week, so I took it easy this morning. I stopped my run short at 1.3 miles since I'll be running the 10k on Thursday and 9 miles on Saturday. That will put me at 19.5 miles in total.

This morning, I tried one of the Bearded Brothers Energy Bars that I got yesterday.

I tried the Mighty Maca Chocolate with my usual iced coffee. It was great; and I love anything chocolate! The best part is that they are ultra healthy. You can tell that this company cares about the product they are putting out there! 

July Goals

In June, I ran 52 total miles. In July, I'm scheduled to run about 90 miles. This will be my biggest month of running to date! My goals for July are:

1. Train consistently
2. Eat lots of frozen yogurt healthy and stay hydrated
3. P.R. the Bluegrass 10k
4. Stretch and use my foam roller after every run
5. Have fun

I'm getting tired just thinking about this month!

Running Cadence and Bearded Brothers Bars

Woke up late this morning. Not quite sure what happened with my alarm... Anyway, 4 miles turned into 3 and I figured I should speed it up a little. I downloaded a free iTunes Running Cadence app and tested it out this morning. My average pace is about 11:15/mile. I'd really like to get that down to 10:00/mile. The app has the option of setting the beat from 85-120 beats per minute. I set it at 85 just to see where that would put me. Following that cadence my first mile was 10:27/mile! The next two miles I shut it off and ran them easy. I finished my run about 2 minutes faster than usual.

On my way home, I picked up my race packet for the Bluegrass 10k this Thursday. Now I'm all set!

I came home and found this waiting for me! I won them last week from Cori at OlivetoRun.com. I can't wait to try them!

They even sent a handwritten note! So cool! Thanks Bearded Brothers!

Busy day! Time to relax, and eat dinner of course!