Highs and lows of the week

This week there were some highs and there were definitely some lows. Lets get right into it shall we. 

High

I traveled with some friends to an indoor water park in the Poconos!  It was huge. They claim it is the biggest one in the country (not sure if that is true) but my friends I went with did say it was bigger than the other two they have visited. There was just as much to do here for the adults as there was the kids. There were swim up pool bars (kids not allowed) that went into outdoor hot tubs. I would definitely do that again. It did not feel like the middle of winter while we were there. It was a perfect weekend getaway! 

Low

On the way home a deer decided that he wanted to be friends with the front of my car.  DO NOT assume the worst right away. Although he caused over $1000 damage to my car, he was able to scamper away! I'm going to pretend that he recovered and will live to tell about it. 

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High

I was gifted $100 gift certificate to a yoga studio in town. 

Low

Let's just say I am glad the class was free because I would not have wanted to pay to lay on the floor and breath in and out for an hour. I've never been a huge fan of yoga to begin with but I will give it another try (because it's free). I guess a little relaxation never hurt anyone.

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High

 Saturday was Launch day at our gym. We call it pump and pedal, a combination of the New Release of Body Pump 104 and RPM 77.  It was a great turn out and our Instructors rock! I love coming together as a team every couple months when the new music comes out to share with our members.  

After we finished the two hour class, it was warming up for the day, so I couldn’t pass up another run outside (even though I was a bit tired from teaching two classes). It must have motivated me, because I ended up running 10 miles. 

Low

I did have a little pit stop at McDonalds to use the restroom and I was a bit thirsty half way through my run (because you know me, I never carry water). I was going to just ask for a cup to get some water, but I didn’t know how they would feel since I wasn’t a paying customer.  Also I didn’t want to wait in the line, so I just put my hand under the ice machine and sucked on a few pieces of ice while I continued my run. Now that I think about it, that may have been worse than just asking for a cup!

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High

With the weather being so warm, I was able to get in some good outdoor runs this week.  My mileage ranged from 6 to 13 miles per run and some days I even went out twice.  I even got to go walk at a local trail with my mom while we waited for my sister to do her run. 

Low

 Afterwards we went to Panera hoping they would still have that autumn squash soup available (I know it’s out of season, but I went in the beginning of the month and they still had it).  They didn't have it (insert sad face). I ended up getting their tomato bisque in a bread bowl instead. I normally wouldn’t do that, but after my classes at the gym and running all the miles this week, I thought I was good.  

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Low

After all my mileage this week, I was feeling tightness in my legs and could feel my shoes feeling very flat. I knew I was due for a new pair of shoes because my shoes have no wear in them anymore. If you read my post the other week about shoes, you know that I have been running in Brooks Launch for the longest time. They have put me through several marathons and my only problem is these shoes get holes in them so easily. Is it me or my shoes? I wanted to go up to the mall and try on some different pairs of shoes. I had no luck. I couldn’t even find my Launch’s that I like. I tried on a new shoe, the Brooks Revel, that are supposed to be very close to the Launch, but I wasn’t a total fan of them. I plan on going to the Running Store this week to get some suggestions on running shoes since they are the experts.

High

The trip to the mall wasn’t a total bust though, I did end up getting a massage while I was there. I had booked a massage the day before at a local spa, but that evening they called me to cancel it because the lady called out sick. Even though it wasn’t the massage I had planned for ( I never went to the massage place at the mall), it was still very relaxing and helped with my sore muscles.  

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 What were the highs and lows of your week?  -L

An InLinkz Link-up

A sport that is fulfilling all on its own

I would like to start off by saying how wonderful it has been to be a part of the running/blogging community. I've met some wonderful people who each have their own outlook on training and running in general. 

It has been awesome to follow these folks over the years and be a part of their journey. The fun thing about this is that everyone has their own agenda and is doing what works for them. Over the years, I've followed runners who have become more involved in running and racing and have set some lofty goals for themselves. I've also followed along as some of my favorite running bloggers have slowed down a bit (not to say their running pace has slowed, but they aren't doing as many races and/or they are finding more balance with other things they enjoy in their lives.     

I of course fall into the latter category.  There were a few years were I was running as many races as I could. I loved traveling for Race-cations, I loved the excitement of race day, and most of all I loved the triumphant feeling of crossing the finish line.  I was setting goals for myself not because I really cared to achieve a certain goal but because socially I thought that's what I was suppose to do. I mean come on, you can't read a running blog or Instagram post these days without hearing about setting a PR or how to train so you can be "better". What kind of runner am I if I don't want to be better?

Earning an Age Group award at my favorite hometown race!

Truth be told, at this point I feel I have reached every running goal I have made for myself. Now granted, these goals were made in the very beginning of my running journey. This means that my time goals may not seem that ambitious and that's okay!   I've hit my  time goals for 5k, 10k, and half marathon, and have completed my goal of just completing a marathon!  Other goals were to do certain destination races and to win an age group award.

(to date I've actually won 3 AG award, one I actually worked hard for, the other two were surprises (and small races)

So you may ask, why not update your goals? Why not challenge yourself? And to that, I will respond with the best running quote I have ever heard. Credit for this saying goes to my friend Kim from Running on the Fly.  

O gosh this just sums it up.  I don't want to look back on my life and think I didn't accomplish anything else I wanted to do because I spent three days a week after work and Saturday mornings on the trail running.  Yes, the IG post afterwards will of course remind me that each run was a an accomplishment, but month after month what is it really that I've accomplished compared to all the time it took me to do it?  I will admit that unlike my sister, running is not my natural talent. I have to work for it. However, I am talented in other areas and I think I need to take some time for those as well.

I am in no way quitting running, I'm just saying that Kim has totally captured the essence of how I feel about it and I bet a lot of you may feel that way too.

Continue to run, but go experience something else as well. What other talents or interest do you have? -M

                                         We will be linking up with the gals from TOTR.

Weekly Wrap...Jan 27

The last week of January was certainly quite different than the first week. I think the entire East coast (and other places) were experiencing a cold snap the first week. Now here we are the last week of the month and we are back to mild temps and I'm able to run outside again with only a short sleeve shirt. Will it last?

Actually I can not complain at all. That cold snap appeared just as I was taking my little hiatus from running so really, those cold temps didn't effect me at all. I hardly noticed them..haha!

Last week I mentioned that I started running again and I've been pretty consistent too. My plan is Tuesdays and Thursday are short runs on the Treadmill and Saturdays are runs outside.

This past Tuesday it was so nice out that I want to trade in my TM run for a run outside, but I got sidetracked. I went to my neighborhood Dollar General store to get some air freshener for work and I noticed that all their left over Christmas merchandise was only 10 cents!

I Seriously do NOT need anymore Christmas stuff but I'd be crazy NOT to buy it!  I bought 6 bags of bows and 4 packages of boxes. Regular cost $26. My cost $1.  I immediately told my friend Megan who loves Christmas stuff and loves the Dollar General! 

Okay, so back to running. Here are my thoughts on this weeks runs!

                       

Since I ended up running a few errands in the afternoon, so I just ended up running on the TM on Tuesday evening.  I tell ya, my TM runs will never be at the same pace my outdoor runs are. It will always take me much longer on the treadmill. 

During Thursday's Treadmill run, I figured out what some of my problem with the treadmill has been all these years.  I always keep my treadmill set to a moderate pace (on purpose).  But even at these moderate paces, I feel like it is such an effort. I guess I was always afraid of turning it up because I thought "Wow, that belt moves fast, there is no way I can keep up with that" .  Turns out, I CAN keep up with a faster pace on the TM and it actually feels a bit easier for me.  I guess I need to be more confident on my treadmill runs.  

Saturday I took my run outside.  Since I only did 3 miles last Saturday, I decided I would only bump up to 4 this Saturday (I'm a cautious runner).  For the first half of this run my legs were really shaky.  I don't know if this was because I did not properly warm up or because I've been use to running on the treadmill.  Also, I often have problems with my neck and right shoulder. I know that this is mostly a concentration issue and if I was better at focusing my self straight ahead when I run, this may not be as aggravated . However, I was also carrying a (very small) hand held water bottle. I usually carry it in my right hand, but since I was feeling that pull in my shoulder I decided to switch it to my left hand. The same "pain" was still there.  I decided that I didn't really need the water anyway so I just slipped it inside my flip belt. It's amazing how quickly that pain went away.  The water bottle was very small and was not heavy. I am surprised that even holding it at all caused such discomfort.  

And that's a wrap!  I'm looking forward to ticking off the last few days and heading into February! That means Spring is on it's way. -M

Do you ever find that holding a water bottle (or perhaps even holding your hands a certain way) effects your run? 

We will be linking up with Holly and Wendy for their Weekly Wrap!

When Fitness Technology Fails

How often does technology effect how, when, where, or how long we workout?  Running and working out in general should be the simplest thing in the world to do, but I think we as a society have made it more complicated by adding all these gadgets.

This was precisely what I was thinking about the other day.

I'll be honest here, there were times where I stopped a run because my Garmin died and I felt that I didn't want to continue if I couldn't record accurate data. 

Before I learned to love running sans music, I would stop a run if my ipod died. Or worse yet, there were times I got to my trail and realized I didn't have my earbuds so I scratched that run.

The first week of the new year I wanted to start wearing my fitbit again to keep my self accountable (since I was on hiatus from running) but I forgot to charge it and missed the first day. Since I missed the first day, I decided I wasn't even going to wear it for the remainder of the week.

And most recently, I wanted to ride my Nordick Track bike but my ifit and google maps was not connecting to it properly, so I got off the bike.

I look at all these examples and realize how motivated I am by the technology that goes along with fitness. I also realize that it should not be this way. I should run whether or not I have music or whether or not I can track my miles or pace. I should try to stay active weather or not I can track those steps and I should want to ride my indoor bike whether or not I can connect to virtual maps.

How has failed technology effected your workouts? -M

An InLinkz Link-up

Choose Your Path

We haven't been posting on Wednesdays due to the fact that there hasn't been a lot of running activity going on, but now that I'm getting back into it I hope to get back to telling stories from my runs!

On Saturday I did my first outdoor run of the year.  It was a perfect day to chose for my first run outside. It appears that our deep freeze has passed and we were blessed with a sunny day with blue skies and temps in the 50's. Perfect for running!

The plan was that I was going to drive my parents to a basketball game at our local university and then drive myself to the rail trail which which was near by. My plan was to run only the part of the path that was near the fitness center because that part was paved and it's highly used so I thought for sure it would be clear of snow.

I dropped my parents of at the game and then headed to my trail.

Turns out, this is what it looked like. I was shocked.  I thought for sure the snow would have been removed or at least melted by now.

I turned around and decided that I would go back to the university (since their paths were clear) and do my run there.

A little blurry, but this sign on the university campus says "Choose Your Path", I thought that was appropriate for today's run!

Don't let the snow fool you. It was a beautiful run. I felt a little silly because I was quite over dressed. Every runner I passed was wearing shorts.  I did not need this head warmer either, but since I was running among the "public"  (not on my trail), I would have been embarrassed to take it off because I know my hair was ALL over the place.

I wanted to get in 4 miles but my Garmin was giving me the Low Battery warning so I managed to get in three miles of complete running. I stopped it at 3 miles and then just walked the rest of the way back to my car.  I was A-Okay with this since it was my first non treadmill run of the year.

By the time I got back to my car, it was already half time at the basketball game. I was gonna grab a quick drink and then head home to shower before picking my parents back up but I decided I did not want to rush.

I ended up hanging out at one of my favorite places, Barnes and Nobel.  I seriously could waste a ton of time in a book store. Our Barnes and Nobel here is actually three stories (haha, no pun intended)!

I had just enough time to browse the sale books they had out, make a purchase, and grab a drink.  I wasn't sitting in the cafe too long leafing through my new book, before I got word that the game was soon over and I had to go pick my parents up. 

What a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon! -M

Ready to Launch...or not

I have been running in Brooks Launch for over three years now. I don’t know why companies always feel the need to keep changing the make of shoes when the prior model works well. However I have been fortunate to be able to wear each new model that they come out with. I currently have three pairs of Launches, two pairs of the Launch 4s and one pair of the Launch 3s.  

It was just recently that I noticed that I have holes in my newest Brooks. I just bought these shoes in the beginning of Fall and I have not even been wearing them during every run since I have two other pair. I did not know these holes were even there until I didn’t wear black socks with them one day and saw the color of my sock poking out. 

I noticed that my other Brooks Launch 4s have major holes in them as well. Is it the shoe or maybe I need a wide width? I do not remember getting holes in the first few pairs that I had (Launch 1 and 2).  

I then looked at my Brooks 3 which are older than the 4s of course, and the hole is just starting. Could it be the company making a cheaper version of the shoe? I thought the shoe companies are supposed to change the shoes for the better when the newer models come out.   

I was not even thinking about posting about this but I was telling my friend about my problem and he said I should mention this and see if anyone else has had this problem with this particular shoe.  I know I put a lot of miles on my shoes but I still feel like they should be lasting longer than what they do. Is it time to try another brand?  I remember the days when I would run in the same shoe for 8 months straight without swapping out shoes between runs and never had holes in them. Now I am barely making it a few months and I am getting holes on both sides.  Maybe I need to go up a half a size? But I do not feel like these shoes feel tight on me.  Any suggestions?   

Has anyone else been running in Brooks Launch and have had this problem or is it just me? -L

We will be linking up with the gals from TOTR.

Weekly Wrap...Jan 21

                                                           What a great week!

There was no school on Monday but I had to go in and prepare things for the new semester and the new students I would be meeting! It's like the first day of school all over again!

Tuesday we ended up getting out of school early due to snow. Wednesday we had a delayed start and Thursday and Friday were our only full days of school for the week.

I decided that this was the week I was going to get back to my Tuesday and Thursday runs. When I came home on Tuesday I decided I was going to try to connect my iFit again to my treadmill and bike. I had been having trouble with it lately.

I was unsuccessful with using the ifit for the treadmill so I did my run sans map. I was able to do part of a Central Park run that I had downloaded on there last year.  The pace was a little slower than I would have liked but that's okay since I hadn't run in a while. However, the incline started out at 0 and I was told to NEVER run on the treadmill with an incline at 0.  I was about to manually adjust it when it automatically increased.  The pace did increase a little bit and then the incline was all overt he place going from 0 to 4.5.  Yup, that is exactly how I remembered my REAL run in Central Park!


After the run I actually used the Bowflex and did several sets of leg lifts.  I was determined to get this ifit module working, so after much fussing with it, I got it working on the bike.  I chose to do one of the "Snowy" rides.  The ride said it was in Park City Utah.  The first thing I noticed is that it was NOT snowing.

The route actually started at a trailhead near a log cabin.  It was clearly a summer day, not a wintery snowy one like the description said.  I thought maybe that would change so I gave it a try. This route was DIFFICULT. The incline was at 20% the entire time. I kept turning the resistance down but the stinkin bike/computer kept turning it back up. It took all I had to keep pedaling. I did one mile before calling it quits on that route.

The thing with the iFit workout is that you don't get just one route. I chose to do the Snowy route but there are several routes included in that workout. They are all different scenes and different distances.  There were about 12 different routes in this one workout. You are suppose to be able to do them over the course of several days. I wanted to skip the Park City, Utah route since it was tough and clearly not a winter route.  I tried the Breckenridge, CO route (also on this same snowy workout) and although the title came up "Breckenridge, CO, it was the same route I had from Utah! I tried several other workouts and again, they were all the same exact route as the Utah one. Dang, I wanted the snowy route!

 I decided that if I wanted a snowy ride, I was going to have to ditch the ifit and turn my bike to face the window!

Thursday I did the same treadmill and Bowflex workout. I wanted to ride the bike too but I could not get the ifit to work at all so I just said forget it.

Saturday I did my first outside run of the year and it was just glorious!

I think this schedule of three runs a week will work for me through the spring!

And as far as running, that's a wrap! -M

We are linking up with Holly and Wendy for their Weekly Wrap!