Friday, March 15, 2013

When the going gets tough....the tough do Yoga??

Yes it's been a tough week or so...seems like my calendar these past couple weeks has been crazy. Spring is still trying ever so hard to peek it's little head....but March's lion is being quite stubborn to say the least. Training has been very hit and miss sprinkled with it's definite share of problems....such is life of the over 40 runner I guess.

So I've been on a few runs since I last wrote, but nothing major. First of all...and I think I posted this before...my Nike+ sensor has been dying a slow death. Needless to say I was finally able to order a new one today, but it won't be here for another week. In the meantime I'm using my Nike+ Running app. It does the job, but I prefer the sensor only because it doesn't use as much battery life on my iPod.

So since the last time I wrote I've only gone on a 2.6 mile run, a 3.5 mile run and today was a 4.2 mile jog. Sunday I was actually able to get out on the trail..YIPEE!!! ...which was great, but I only walked it since my running shoes are not really meant for the trail and we weren't sure what muddy mess we might run into. However come Monday my left hip started to really bother me...now I'm not sure if it was because I ran 2 days in a row (I usually skip a day in between) or walking on the trail. But I decided to rest Monday and then go out on Tuesday. Tuesday was snowy and cold which means a trip to Kids America track again...and it didn't go so well. I ran but it didn't feel good...the first mile was painful. Though I worked through it and it eventually felt better toward the end, later that day it just ached pretty bad. Needless to say because of the pain I also took Wednesday off...which was fine because it was my oldest son's 16th birthday...where has the time gone?!? So yesterday I was hoping to get out...the weather was actually somewhat decent for an outdoor run...but no. Still in quite a bit of pain. Anyone who knows me knows that if I'm not able to get out and get my runs in I tend to let say...get a little grumpy. So Thursday I was a bit grumpy AND discouraged...not a good combo. I have to admit...ever since I signed up for the Capital City Half Marathon, I've had this overwhelming fear that I'm not going to get to run...something is gonna go wrong and I won't be able to do it. So now then imagine my fear when I've been dealing with nagging hip pain about 8 weeks out of my half marathon...I was not a happy girl.

So I was surfing the web...somewhat sulking and I found this video on YouTube for Yoga for Runners...also found a routine on Runner's World of Yoga moves to help runners be more flexible. Needless to say, instead of sitting there sulking and drowning my sorrows in a box of Girl Scout Thin Mints, I decided to try them (the Yoga...not the cookies...lol) ...needless to say it was the best my hip had felt all week...it was amazing!! It hurt, but it was a good pain...stretching muscles that just aren't that flexible is hard, but after doing the routine my hip felt so much better! Am I 100%...no, but it was the best I've felt in a week. So we get to today. Though I felt great after the routine yesterday I wasn't totally optimistic that I would feel just as good by morning...but thank God I did. I decided that I would try a few laps around the track at KA...I did some Yoga moves before I left to stretch out a bit (felt good) and then warmed up with a nice 5 minute walk around the track. I decided to go ahead and try to run...honestly my "run" was more of a jog...I was doing my best to be gentle and not push too much. And it was a tiny bit sore and stiff at first but the longer I went the better it felt. Still not 100% but not near the pain I was feeling earlier in the week. I was only pulling a 10.26 mile (which is about 2 minutes off my best mile time) but I was totally ok with that...I was just glad to be out there and just doing something. Ended up doing 4.2 miles and it felt good. So I am really hoping I am on the mend and that we can soon go full steam ahead soon :).

I've talked before about a great website I found that has really great DJ running mixes called Rock My Run. Recently picked up a few new mixes that I wanted to share. First one is called Boost by DJ PJ...it's a short mix, only 20 minutes, but it's great when you're doing interval training. It's a great little mix of Pop, Rock and Hip Hop. Another one by DJ PJ called Let's Get Ready To Run is another great mix...this one is great for those long runs...its 120 minutes! Great mix of 80s, 90s, Today's music, Hip Hop and House music. If you're training for a half, definitely give this one a try. Lastly I recommend the mix by DJ Eric Love called Mashup My Run Vol. 1...a nice 60 minute mix of Rock, Hip Hop and 80s. It's the mix I used today on my "jog" and it got me through.

Well I hope if you're training for anything that it's been going better than mine has. Leave a comment and let me know how you're doing...no matter what injuries I end up with, I'm usually a pretty good cheerleader ;)   

Have a great weekend!!



Friday, March 8, 2013

Hello sunshine :)

As I rub my eyes and look outside, I'm wondering what that bright warm light is in the sky....could it be.....sunshine???

If you live in the snow area of the country, you may be feeling this too. The wonderful thing about Ohio weather I have found is if you wait 5 minutes it will change...which is usually the case. But regardless...I took advantage of this nice, sunny (though not overly warm) day and ventured out on a glorious 3.8 mile run. I decided to do my normal what I call my "school run". Though it was a little chilly at first, I quickly warmed up and it was good! A little sluggish at first. Legs still felt pretty heavy, but once I got that fresh air pumping through my lungs it went so much better.

So I hear that we are supposed to get to almost 60 degrees on Sunday....here's hoping...I love this time of year for running....not too hot, not too cold....it's almost prefect.

So this time of year also means race season is quickly approaching and surprisingly I already have a pretty decent schedule going...here's what I have planned so far for 2013:

April
Saturday April 20th - The First Step 5K - I've done this race before, but this year they are doing an evening run...this will be my first evening run so we'll see how that goes. It meanders through the streets of Coshocton and benefits a great cause too.

Saturday April 27th - Third Annual Ridgewood Elementary 5K Rabbit Run - This will be my second race in this area...nice flat course so makes for pretty decent times. They are also having a kids 1 mile fun run that my son wants to do...start them young right??

May
Saturday May 4th - Capital City Half Marathon - this is the big one. My first half marathon...hard to believe that it's coming up so quickly!!

June
Saturday June 8th - Kingwood Center 5K - Though I haven't signed up for this one quite yet, I am seriously considering it since we have family there and it would be a great opportunity to visit.

Saturday June 22nd - The Indian Mud Run - This is my first obstacle run....it's done on the trail I run on frequently but they do some pretty intense obstacles. I'm not gonna lie that I'm a little intimidated by it...but regardless I think it's gonna be fun!!

July
Saturday July 20th - The Color Run - a group of us are taking part in the "Happiest 5K on Earth". This one looks like so much fun!! Doubt there will be much running going on, but I am positive there will be tons of fun to be had :)

August
Date to be announced - Coshocton Firefighters MDA 5K - This will be my third year doing this race...and I'm kind of partial to it as it was the first 5K race I ever ran three years ago. My how time flies. It's usually held the first weekend in August.

Date to be announced - New Life Ministries Feed the Need 5K - Did this one last year with my church family. Not such an easy course either. But it benefits a great cause in our area. I was told they were moving this to August this year.

October (I know...what about September??? Haven't found anything for September)
Saturday October 5th - Cleveland Rock & Roll Half Marathon - Now this one depends on whether or not I liked doing the Capital City one in May. I'm hoping I do because this one sounds like a bunch of fun too! Running and music...sounds like a win win to me :)

So that's pretty much it so far....seems like a pretty full schedule to me...I'm sure we'll probably slip a few more in there as the year goes on....

...so what are your race plans for the year???

Have a great weekend!!


Wednesday, March 6, 2013

The lesser of two evils

So now that I'm finally over my wonderful head cold, half marathon training is back into full swing. Needless to say I missed out on the wonderful weather we had Monday (which was to be my long run day) and because of this lovely Ohio weather, ended up at the boring track at KA yesterday. However the boredom wasn't so terrible because I got to do it with my friend Jess Gress. Overall it was a great run and she kept me moving (I'm a tad bit older than her...ok a good bit). I have to be honest and say I felt that workout, but it was good. And I would love to tell you how far we went, but unfortunately I again forgot to hit my Nike+ app and then when I did it wasn't working properly. So I'm guessing we did between 4-5 miles. It was a decent run after not running for over 3 days.

So last night we were expecting a lot of snow....needless to say we didn't get it. And not that I'm upset....I am SO ready for Spring already! However where Jess teaches their school was cancelled today so we had the rare opportunity to do a day run together. We had the option....go back to Kids America or do an outside run. Though we didn't get the snow they called for we did have less than an inch and it was wet and cold. So we had to make a decision...boring track or cold outdoors. Needless to say I got my big girl panties on and we decided to run outside which was truly the best option. Yes, it was cold, but not overly bad and yes I had to sidestep a few puddles but overall a good run. I ended up making it my long run and clocked 8.55 miles...though it was probably closer to 9 because I tried using my Nike+ app again and it wasn't registering correctly so I'm thinking my sensor is dying....which I was just at Easton at the Apple store a couple weeks ago and something told me to pick up a new sensor...kicking myself for not doing that. So I ended up using my Nike+ GPS app, which works fine...it just really sucks up the battery life on my iPod. Much prefer using the sensor. So until I can get another new sensor I guess the NIke GPS app will have to do...just hope the weather stays nice because the GPS app doesn't like the track :(.

Well I'm just glad to finally get back out there after being sick, the fact I found someone to run with and here's hoping that Spring is around the corner. Gonna be a good girl now and eat a cup of yogurt with some strawberries and a little granola....though I really would love to crumble my Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies on it instead....I'm gonna be good. So how is your training going??

Have a great day!


Tuesday, March 5, 2013

The Essentials

(I had this posted previously on my other blog, but since it got hacked into I thought I'd share it here again...)



So I was recently asked what are the absolute essentials that you must have for your runs...I thought it was a really good question and a good topic to discuss while in the midst of my Cap City Half Marathon training. So here are a few of the essentials that I MUST have on my runs:

EOS Lip Balm
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this lip balm!! I mean I'm a fanatic about it. By far the best lip balm ever made! I always wear this before going out on a run, especially if I'm running outside in this cold weather. I have one of these beauties in each one of my purses, on my desk and by my bed....yes I LOVE it that much!! They are amazing! And not to mention they are 95% organic and 100% natural. My faves are summer fruit and lemon drop, but I'm really enjoying my new raspberry pomegranate...it's delish! Try them if you haven't yet...you won't be disappointed.

Gum
I must have gum on a run....keeps my mouth moist...and there is nothing worse than a dry mouth on a run. This is a must! My favorite....Stride Spark Orange. I love the fact that it has B vitamins in it....a nice plus! But regardless of what kind of gum it is, I just have to have gum....it's not a good run without it.

Tunes
I can't do a run without my auditory motivation. I love my music!! I always have my iPod Touch with me and playing my tunes...and with an ADD girl like me it's nice having that musical distraction while I run. One of my favorite spots to get great running tuneage right now is from Rock My Run. They have great DJ mixes of great workout songs. My favorite right now is 80 Reasons to Run and Mash Up My Run. They also have great Christian running mixes by a DJ named Lloyd which I like as well. So if you are looking for great motivating music...check out Rock My Run....they have lots of different genres and great mixes.

Fuel Belt Handheld Water Bottle
I just recently found this water bottle and I'm glad I did! I was looking for a water bottle to conveniently take with me on my long runs. It's not too big and fits nicely in the hand. I was debating between handheld or a fuel belt that wraps around the waist. I think this will be better for me and less distracting. I really like it. It also has a zipper pocket to fit an ID, some money and energy gels so it's great. And I found it on a recent trip to TJ Maxx and got it for $ 7.00!! Works great AND a great deal?? Yeah I'll take that!

Mizuno Shoes
I heart my Mizunos!!! Anyone who knows me knows I love these shoes soooo much! My favorites...My Wave Precision 13. The color on the link is not the ones I have...I have these beautiful pink pair.  I can't say enough about these shoes. When I first got them I swear I heard angels singing...it was that monumental. They are amazing! I also have a pair of the Wave Rider 16 and I like them too now that I finally broke them in....I think I like my Precisions a bit better though. But honestly you can't go wrong with Mizuno. They have this amazing precision fit program you can do on their website that tells you which running shoe is best for you...absolutely amazing! Check them out!

Well that pretty much sums it up. As long as I have these essentials I know it's gonna be a pretty decent run. What do YOU need for a good run?? Have a great day!

Monday, March 4, 2013

...and there will be disappointments

As I sit here sniffling and hacking amongst a box of tissues, a bottle of Mucinex and OJ, I'm suddenly reminded that not everything in life goes the way as planned...and that maybe the old wives tale about March coming in like a lion doesn't necessarily pertain to just the weather. 

My oldest son shared his cold with me, bless his heart...and unfortunately I haven't been able to run since Friday. Saturday was my day off because I had so much going on that day, and I had thought about running on Sunday, but Saturday night I just wasn't feeling that great and I woke up Sunday with a lovely head cold. Thing is I was scheduled to sing in church on Sunday...this was the second time I had tried to sing the song I picked...the first time I was scheduled to do it I was stranded in Columbus by the snow. But I was determined to get this song out. To make a long story short, God was definitely with me and I was luckily able to get through it.

Fast forward to today. I was so hoping I would feel better today. Looking at the weekly forecast for this week I knew today would be probably the only day I'd be able to get outside (Again the whole March coming in like a lion...). They are expecting 2-4 inches of snow total between Tuesday and Wednesday...And today was to be my long run. Needless to say my heart was very willing, but my body just said no. For fear of making my cold worse (it only got to 37 degrees today) I opted to not go run. It was a very hard decision...I felt like a teenager whose was being grounded. It was awful...I'm not saying that I didn't throw a tantrum...no not me. But inevitably this means there is a long run at Kids America most likely in my future this week...bleh. This does NOT make me happy. Luckily it is only a 7 mile run and not a 10 mile, but still 7 miles around a track is so incredibly mind numbing....maybe I could find someone who would be willing to do the mind numbing task with me this week....any takers????

Well needless to say, life gives us speed bumps along the way...here is hoping that this particular speed bump goes away very soon :)

Have a great week everyone!

Saturday, March 2, 2013

On the move...

So unfortunately my regular blog seems to have gotten hacked and at this moment I have no idea how to fix it, so I thought it would honestly be better to have a separate blog for my running adventures since it seems to be such a big part of me right now...so here we go :)

As many of you know I am in the thick of my Cap City Half Marathon training. There is about 64 days left in training and it has had its good, bad and ugly moments.

Wednesday I went for a run at our local track at Kids America. Ended up doing speed intervals...hadn't done them for a couple weeks because of the pain in my foot, but these went well...the running went well anyway. However silly me forgot to hit the go button on my Nike+ app and thus I'm guessing about 3+ miles into my intervals were unrecorded...was pretty mad about that. Again, those things that just don't go right...and it happens. Not every run is great, not every run is smooth. So if you use the Nike + app...remember to hit the green button BEFORE you run...lol. Guess I was just so excited to get out there...lol!

So Friday I had to do another run at Kids America because of the lovely cold weather. I know...I can't believe last year I was running in this cold yucky weather...this year, I'm such a wimp. Anyway, I remembered to push my happy green button on my iPod this time and did almost 4 miles. Was really crunching for time because I went grocery shopping and ran errands and by the time I got to KA it was after 2 p.m. I usually pick up the boys around 2:35ish. Yea, I was a bad mom....I was late. Let my boys stand in the cold for about 5-10 minutes...I am the worst mommy ever! But I got it done...and though it wasn't an overly fast run or spectacular, it got done and that's all that matters.

Been also working diligently on my cross training to this week. Been working on my Nike Training Club app. And though the workouts aren't overly long, they do kick my tush. I don't know if it's because of all the running I'm doing along with the cross training, but I tell ya I've been dragging this week. I may have to figure something out to boost my energy....of course if this weather ever breaks I think that might help a little. These gray dreary days are really getting to me. We need some sun and warmth soon!

Before I close I want to share a little tip with ya. Recently I went to the doctor because I was having some heart palpitations. Come to find out that they think my electrolytes were low because of my increased training. Now I'm not one much for those sports drinks...I mean I'll drink them, but not overly fond of them nor am I found of the ingredients found in them that I can't pronounce. So I recently found this recipe on Pinterest for a homemade sports drink and all I can say is I'm in love!! Not only is this recipe 4 simple ingredients, but it is all things I usually have in my home and no weird ingredients. You can find the recipe here: Homemade Sports Drink. I've been using this drink for about a week now and since then I have had barely any heart palpitations and it tastes great! I guess you can use different fruit juices if you like. I may try lemon juice next, but for now I'm loving the orange juice. Give it a try and let me know what you think. For me I'm all about natural easy recipes and saving money. Making this is so much cheaper than $1.00 a bottle for Gatorade.

Well I'm gonna close for now...have a great weekend!