Larabar Giveaway

I don't typically do the giveaway thing but there is a larabar giveaway at Miss Zippy and I love me some larabars : ) Go check it out

New Running Purchases

I purchased 4 new running items this week and only 1 has worked so far!

1: I bought a Road ID just like the one above and it is great. After my heat scare I decided it would be a wise investment. It fits great and I will not mind running in it at all.

2: I bought new running shoes. SAME shoe I have bought 6 times and ran hundreds of miles in but this time it gives me blisters on the back of my heel. Going to send it back and possibly shop for a new style. BUT I really love my Saucony Grid Ignitions. They are a neutral shoe and hug my foot just right. I am looking into Brooks but they never seem to feel right when I try them on. I hate to run in them a few times and realize they are not any better.

3: I bought an Under Armour Victory Tank which is my go to running shirt. I own 3 of them and love them. However, I noticed they had added some vents to the shirt. Well not only did they add vents but they added some ribbing that made it look like a glorified wife beater : ( I opened it, looked at it and immediately stuck it back in the bag.

4: I bought some Saucony PE Revival shorts on sale in a black/pink color and the color was horrible! Love those shorts but regardless of how cheap they were I could not wear that shade of pink.

SO I am back on the hunt for a new running shoe (same brand or new brand????) and a marathon outfit.

Weekly Recap 7/24-7/30

So this was a pretty average week minus a yucky ending!

Sunday 2 mile easy recovery run and Shred 2

Monday 5 mile run (47ish) and Shred 1

Tuesday 4 mile run (8:50 pace) Shred 1; heat shut down my 6 mile run early

Wednesday 1 mile warm up run, 60 minutes on elliptical and Shred 2

Thursday 3.1 mile run in 24:06 and Shred 1

Friday rest

Saturday 5ish miles : ( I woke up at 5:30 and was super excited for a nice 16 mile run in the not so bad heat. Well the humidity was 90% and I could not breathe. Well I slowed it down and decided to take it easy. However, at mile 2.5 my calf seized up like the worst Charlie Horse I have ever had. I tried to walk it out, stretch it out.... nothing it helped. I decided to head home and not risk injury. I am going to wear compression like crazy until my next run. I am going to call this a mid training taper weekend and hope for the best next weekend. I was feeling really tight and wore down anyway so I think my body was saying back down for a minute.

Next week I am basically back to work. No students but I am going to be in training sessions all day so I will be back to night runs on the treadmill. I will have a good 16 miler next weekend!

Weekly Recap for 7/17 to 7/23

This week went about average minus the heat! The heat index has been 105 to 110 most days so I have been running inside.

Sunday: 2 mile walk and Shred 2

Monday: No run but I did do 4 miles on Elliptical, Shred 1 and a 4 mile walk at night

Tuesday: 6 mile run in the heat! Kept it at 9:15 but it was rough; Shred 1

Wednesday: 5 mile treadmill run and Shred 1

Thursday: 5K in 22:10 and arms/abs

Friday: rest day

Saturday: 14 mile run at 9:15 pace

Let me tell you about Saturday. We started early at 6:30 a.m. to try to beat the heat. It was upper 70s before the sun came up and it was already humid. We were feeling good and ran a slower pace the whole time so that we did not end up too hot. I have been very salty after and during my runs so I ate the Cliff Blocks that have the extra sodium (margarita flavored). Up until mile 11 I felt great and never really felt bad. The last 2 tenths I was seriously praying to just make it to the parking lot so that Crystal could see me if I hit the ground. I made it to the window and told Crystal I felt bad. I honestly thought I was going to pass out and had my husband come get me so I did not have to drive home right away. I was super light handed and my legs were numb and tingly. It was not near as hot as it had been with the heat index just at 93 degrees but it was too hot.

Next week I am really going to reconsider when I do my long run. Either get up at 5:00 a.m. or try it at night if we have a "cool" night. But as most of you know it has been just as hot at night as it is during the day.

Three Things Thursday

Just some Random thoughts I have been having while running that I thought I would turn into a Three Things Thursday. I do not typically do any type of weekly post but I have a lot more time on my hands. Not really because as I am blogging my 30 pound son is straddling my neck and I have a leg blocking my vision right now!

1. I could never be a personal trainer for a really odd reason! Granted no one would pay to have my unripped body and my nutrition advice is not anything you would see on Dr. Oz but the real reason is the clothing! I love work out gear and hope the new school uniform policy involves tempo shorts but I hate sports bras. For some reason if I wear my sports bra longer than a couple of hours my shoulders hurt so bad. Now some of you ladies have some weight in that area that pull at the straps but not this girl. So as I live in workout gear this summer I have noticed if I keep my sports bra on too long I end up with serious shoulder pain. Random thought, huh?

2. I love planning birthday parties for my son! He will be 3 on September 6th and I have been planning his party for weeks. I am working on invitations and his birthday shirt already; as in ordering them online not making them myself : ) I have already started designing his cake (for someone else to make) and seriously am thinking about going to Walmart to buy all the other supplies! But it makes the actual day a lot stressful when you have things taken care of weeks in advance.

3. I am skinnier when I work. I think I graze a lot in the kitchen when I am home all day. I have been about 3 to 4 pounds heavier all summer but am working out more than ever. At work I do not get to eat as much because I have like a 20 minute lunch and walk around like crazy all day.

One serious questions... as if you are still reading! Could I have possibly gained weight from just the little bit of strength training I am doing? I am doing a kettle bell work out 3-4 times a week. My clothes fit basically the same and there is some difference in mine arms and abs. Perhaps I have found some muscle???

Lara Bar Review

So there are a TON of bars out there and I am always overwhelmed with which ones to try. You always read that they taste great and are just like a candy bar! Then you buy it and you are thinking "Bull S#!+, this tastes like cardboard". But one day I read a review (maybe on Shut Up and Run) and she said just like a candy bar and I was thinking "RIGHT!" BUT I was willing to shell out the $1.49 to try one. The first one I tried was the chocolate chip cookie dough and it tasted... wait for it.... just like a ...... candy bar : ) Actually more like a no bake cookie. It was pretty chocolaty so I knew I could not use it as pre run fuel. But they have TONS of flavors. I have been eating a peanut butter one before runs and it has not bothered me yet. Some favorite things are:

1: They have around 200 calories which is better for long runs since I can not GU a lot

2: They are all natural and have less than 5 or 6 ingredients

3: There are lots of flavors to try

4: They taste just like a candy bar : ) Besides the lemon pie which tasted liked Pledge

So if you are bar hopping (HA!) then try the Lara bar I think you will be happy.

*I bought these bars on my own. No one paid me and no asked me to do a review. I am just a runner who has been trying out different items this summer and sharing my thoughts. As if anyone cares : )

Amphipod Hand Held Review

I have been looking for better hydration options. Currently I am drinking out of public (some private) faucets and doing water drops. I hate doing water drops! You have to remember to do it the night before and then you should go back and pick up your trash the next day. Also, I hate having to come to a complete stop so much to get water. Granted I love the stop on my long runs BUT you do not get water breaks at marathons and I feel like it does not give me a real feel for what my time could be. So I had to decide between a handheld or a belt. I have some back issues and get annoyed with my Go Belt every now and then so I went for the handheld. I bought the smallest water bottle I found on amphipod's website (12 ozs.) and I think it was a great choice. Any heavier and I think it would have been too much weight. I also liked the curve in the bottle and feel that helped with my hand NOT cramping during the run. The only bad thing that happened was when I filled it back up at a faucet I let the pouch get wet and it absorbed water like crazy so it dripped water on me for the last half of my run. Not that big of a deal and I will be more careful next time. The pouch is a good size and could hold 2 GUs. I would not put my keyless entry in it since it is not water proof. I love the bottle and plan on using it for the rest of my long runs. I would even consider using it on at a marathon if I though water stops would be crowded. However, 12 ounces is not a lot of water so I would need to be able to refill it at some point at a marathon or stop at some water stations. Great product and I will use it for sure.

Going Long Book Review

I typically do not buy books because I read pretty fast and never reread books. But I was in serious need of something to read and some motivation in the running department. I grabbed this book because it sounded interesting, was long and had good reviews. It is a collection of the best stories from Runner's World. I have not subscribed to Runner's World for long so I was not familiar with any of the stories. All of the stories were short and I was able to read 3-5 depending on how long Parker napped. Each story was motivating in it's own way. The first section is able people that have overcame major obstacles/setbacks. Nothing like reading about someone running on one leg to make you shut it up when you are a little tired. There were a few stories and the running greats. This was interesting for me since I am new to the running world and I was able to learn about some famous runners. Most people I heard the name but I did not know all the details. I definitely felt more motivated to run and inspired. This is a great read and I highly suggested it to anyone; even if you are not a runner.

* I was not asked to review this book or was this book purchased for me.

Weekly Recap 7/10-7/16

Going to make this short and sweet!

Sunday: 1.5 mile run and Shred 1

Monday: 5 mile run and Shred 2 (forgot to write down time)

Tuesday: 6 mile run 57:34; heat index of 106! First time I ever thought I was having a heat stroke

Wednesday: 5 mile run and Shred 1; did speed work but didn't keep track of time

Thursday: 3 mile run and abs

Friday: rest minus doing Shred 1

Saturday: 14 mile run at 8:44 pace

All in all it was a good week and happy that I was able to get my total miles to over 30 miles this week. Going to try to keep it there from now until marathon time. This week felt overall great but I am beginning to feel the beating running takes on you. There are joints that hurt that never hurt before. I do not feel injured in any way shape or form but I feel like an 80 year old : ) But on the other end I feel the fittest I have felt in a long time. Hoping to have a great next 2 weeks because then it is Hi-Ho-Hi-Ho Back to Work I Go!

Weekly Recap 7/3-7/9

This week was much better than last and ended with a great run. I am not officially registered for the marathon so I need to do that for a little extra motivation. I have also been reading a great running book (which I will review later) and that helped towards the end of the week. Week looked like this:

Sunday: the 12 miler than was a redo from the Saturday flop

Monday: the 5K in 24:00 with the family

Tuesday: 5 mile run and Shred with Weights 1

Wednesday: 5 mile run (slow outside) and Shred with Weights 1

Thursday: 5 mile run (39:39!) and Shred with Weights 2

Friday: REST

Saturday: 12 mile run @ 8:37 pace!

Saturday's run was great! First off I rested on Friday and that left me with much fresher legs going into the run. Also a younger member of our Bourbon Chase team was there and our 8:33 for the first 6 miles was like a walk for him : ) I let him continue on at the halfway mark and touched based with 2 more Bourbon Chase runners that were running that morning as well. I decided to keep going fast and see how long I could hold it. I definitely slipped a little but caught myself and picked it up for an 8:37 finish. My usual running partner was there and had a great run as well!

Next week we bump it up to 14 miles : ) Going to try to keep my week miles up until school start since it will be harder once I am working again. I am also loving the Shred video and think the strength training is paying off. Guess all those famous runners and Runner's World people know what they are talking about after all.

GROSS!

Besides the obvious grossness of how bad I look after at night run in the 90 degree super humid weather check out the bugs! The picture does not show how many there were but I was running thru clouds of bugs. I am not one to be grossed out by bugs but this was a little disgusting. I started running into them as soon as I left my house and for 5 fun filled miles I ate, swallowed, spit and picked bugs out of my eyes. The joys of country living! I would say there were easily 20 on my face and neck when I walked in the door and about 30 down my shirt! YUCK! It was enough to keep me indoors the next night. Guess driving into town to run has another perk; less bugs.

Wordless Wednesday

Hope you had a fabulous holiday weekend with your family!

Buffalo Chase at Buffalo Trace Distillery

This morning my mom, stepdad and I ran a 4th of July 5K in Frankfort. They had been thinking about it for awhile since it would be my step-dad's first 5K but I didn't decide to do it until last week. First off my parents did great! Barry came in at 32:30 and he was disappointed with that since he had been running closer to 30 minutes BUT I think it is great for his first 5K. Mom was around 36 minutes and she is just now back to running after a lot of trouble with her back and hip. I am very proud of both of them.

I did run for speed and was curious to what would happen. I PRed back in May with a 23:30 and have been closer to 22 minutes during my speed work. But today it didn't happen. The list of excuses could include: just ran 20 miles in 2 days, ate crap all weekend, ate the wrong breakfast bar, super crowded start and I had to poop. But maybe it boils down to I did not have it in me. I rocked Mile 2 at 7:24 but Mile 1 and 3 were closer to the 7:45 so I ended with a time of 24:00 on the nose which is a 7:44 pace. I will take it and move on with Marathon training. Even though I would love to hold a 7:30 pace for an entire 5K.

Off to eat more crap at a cook out : )

My Legs Won't Move!

So this week was not great. Some people will read this and think "what are you complaining about?"! I mean I know I should be thankful for the ability to work out and the extra time I have right now to do extra stuff but I was not where I wanted to be this week. My legs seriously would not work!

Sunday: I rested since I had a pretty intense 10 mile run the day before

Monday: 3 mile run in 22:35 and Shred with Weights

Tuesday: suppose to run 8 and this happened... 3 mile run/3 mile walk (w/ mom) 2 mile walk later with Parker and dog

Wednesday: 1 mile walk (warm up ) and Shred; 3 mile run and Shred again

Thursday: 3 mile run

Friday: 10 mile bike

Saturday: 8 mile run (9:19 pace) suppose to be a 12 mile run so I have did a repeat on Sunday. When I came home I did 30 minutes of Shred to make up for the lost miles.

Sunday: 12 mile run at 9:19 pace! Pretty good since the night before I had date night and I ate the following: chocolate candy, fried banana peppers, ham/pineapple pizza, frozen yogurt with cookie dough and a margarita. Guess would had to take a pit stop in the bushes??? ME!

So yeah I worked out a lot BUT do you see that mileage? What the heck am I training for a 5k!?!? Looks like Mrs. 26.2 needs to up the weekly mileage QUICK! I am feeling it in my long runs on the weekend. I have noticed a connection in bad runs and a certain time of the month so I hoping that was my problem this week. Next week should look like this:

Monday: 5K with parents

Tuesday: 8 mile run; possible Shred workout

Wednesday: 3 mile run and Shred

Thursday: 5 mile run

Friday: REST; I think this is a missing component that I need to be fresh for my Saturday run!

Saturday: 12 mile run; if I have find someone to watch the little guy! Any takers?? He is cute.