Time to Train

It's Saturday...time for the long training run. Today was bridge repeats. Over and back and over and back for 7.5 miles. But, it felt good! All in training for this at the Austin Half Marathon:

The next few Saturdays will include another set of bridge repeats, and then, depending upon the weather, Kristine and I may do the Publix Half Marathon. After that, it's on to Austin! Time goes by quickly when you are training.

This week I will try to get back on track with some more healthy eating after indulging in total crap at a conference for the last three days. It's frustrating to me that there are so few decent options sometimes! I stuck to steel cut oatmeal at Panera's this morning after my run and then we just snacked through the day. 

I made dinner during half time of the Patriots game. Chris loves his tortellini. This Hello Fresh recipe is Tortellini en Brodo with Shredded Brussels Sprouts, Kale and Parmesan. I often make tortellini in broth, but the added vegetables made it very satisfying. 

2015 Running Year in Review

Best race experience?

This year I had the opportunity to check two states off on my quest to complete a half marathon in all 50 states.

#15 Mayor's Midnight Sun Half Marathon in Anchorage
#16 Route 66 Half Marathon in Tulsa

The Alaskan trip has been in my mind for years and I don't know why, but I never really believed it would or could even happen, until it did. The expedition took two years to plan and save for, but boy was it worth it!

I was thrilled to see so much wildlife - only the moose was missing!

It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience and I'm so glad to have shared it with Chris and some great friends! 

Best run?

One of the best parts of my year was training with Tammy, a friend who had not run in some years. She committed to completing the C25K program with Nadine and I by running intervals 2-3 times each week. At the end of the program, the three of us participated in a virtual 5K run with Mothers Run This Town. Even her daughter came out that morning to help cheer her on! We were all so proud!!

Best piece of running advice you received?

I had the great fortune of attending Jeff Galloway's running clinic this past summer. We were able to get some great advice such as:

     "No pain, no puking, and no dying."  

     "When you run with a fast crowd, you can get into trouble."

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?

One step forward and two steps back!

It seems I was plagued with injury this year and had many stops and restarts. It was one of my lowest mileage years so far at 417.43. So that brings me to next year's goal. I'm determined to double those miles to 834.86, which would surpass my highest mileage year (2014 @ 620.30). Slow and steady consistency will lead me closer to my goals. 

Checking in, not checking out

Concentrating on being healthy is tiring! As a teacher on summer vacation, I'm wondering how I survive working full time on less sleep. I've been taking naps nearly every day. The upside has been that my laundry consisted of just bathing suits, workout clothes and pajamas this week.

Running
I had a great training week, 22 miles in all. Our five miles of bridge repeats were faster this week by 30 seconds! And, I took a whole minute off my 5K time this week. Motivation (and consistency) has been a key factor. I've been able to meet my running partner in the mornings when I would normally be getting ready to go to work. I also joined in on the Runner's World Sub-30 Facebook group. Their conversation is non-stop and almost makes you feel guilty if you're not out there doing something. They have been a very inviting and fun group to get to know. And, who can resist getting up early for these views:

 

PiYo:

I'll admit I've fallen a bit off the schedule, but with a bigger focus on the running, driving my daughter back and forth to work and other activities (open mic nights, chi running clinics, etc.) I've managed to get behind by two workouts. I've now done the Define: Lower and Define: Upper twice. They are pretty short and I feel like I'm getting better at them as time goes on, although triceps pushups continue to be difficult. The Sweat workout is about double in length and much more taxing. You spend long periods of time on each leg doing multiple exercises. I'm looking forward to trying Core this week. I'll also admit that I haven't been faithful to following the eating plan.

dietbet

This is another active, highly engaging online group and source of motivation. Everyone checks in often about their food or exercise for the day. People comment on eachother's posts and encourage them, especially when they are seeking help, advice or just a nudge to continue. I am surprised not to see a bit more interaction from the host, Shay Carl, though. I do continue to watch his vlogs, and his Shayloss channel has some beautiful footage of the activities they are doing in Idaho. It certainly makes me want to go join him on a hike. I'm proud to say I lost 3.4 pounds the first week. I've been relying more on the MyFitnessPal app and counting calories. The app is really eye-opening as far as keeping track of the macro-nutrients, as well as other vitamin and mineral intake and sugar. I've learned I definitely need to focus more on cutting out fat and sugar.

Finally, it looks like I'll have the best motivation coming up: This week I signed up for the Outer Banks Half Marathon in North Carolina. It will be state number 14 for me!