Lindsey Likes to....Walk?

I told a fib.  Yesterday was not a rest day.  I woke up fully intending to take a break, but I had SO much energy.  I'm not really sure where it came from because I've been totally embracing this whole lazy summer thing.  Since my favorite walking buddy is still out of commission, I decided to head to the gym for an elliptical workout.

I'll be here when you get back.

I took it pretty easy, but it felt good to work up a sweat and get my body moving a little.  My 45 minute work out looked like this:

5 minute warm up

1 minute focusing on pushing with arms

1 minute focusing on pulling with arms

1 minute "sprint"

1 minute increased level (from 7 to 9)

1 minute recovery

5 minute backwards 

Repeat until 5 minute cool down

I've found that continuously mixing it up on the elliptical makes the time go by waaay faster and keeps me from getting bored.  

When I got home I made sure to stretch extra well since I was still planning on running today.  Maddux supervised to make sure I held each stretch long enough.  

Excuse me, you're not stretching.

I must have done a pretty good job, because by the time I was done with my stretches this happened:

Sleepy pup.

I also did my usual arm workout  (10 front raises, 10 tricep kickbacks, 10 bicep curls, 10 overhead tricep thingies, repeat to do three sets)  and some planks while I watched Rachael Ray.  I only use 5 pound weights, but it keeps my arms from getting too jiggly :-)

Today something miraculous happened.  I made it out the door and started my run before 9am  (8:50 to be exact).  I even foam rolled before!  The first 15 minutes or so felt pretty good, but then I just started to get hot and I got this weird tightness in my hips.  I took so many walk breaks during the run.  To give you an idea, I ran for 45:30 and didn't finish my run until 9:50.  That's almost 15 minutes of walking.  My (uncalibrated) Nike+ said that I ran 4.16.  Ugh.  However, I don't have too many problems believing it today...  On the plus side, I had a strong finish and made sure to give it my all for the final minute.  

I think the highlight of today's run was discovering some other little pieces of trail that go off the main loop of the park I was at today.  This park definitely has long run potential and it was fun exploring the different parts of the trail today.  There's lots of shade on the side trails and it's SO pretty.  Having great scenery makes running so much more enjoyable, especially when it's feeling tough. 

Thinking about my outdoor runs lately, I've decided that I really need to just practice running in the heat  with real terrain.  While the treadmill runs have been an awesome confidence booster, I don't think it's doing me many favors in training for an outdoor race.  Since I just registered for a 15k during Labor Day weekend, I figure I need as much outdoor training as I can get so that my body doesn't take the heat as a complete shock.  As we've established, in hot weather I have no problem taking walk/water breaks, but I think now my focus should be on figuring out when I really need water and walk breaks and when I just really want to stop for a minute.  Today I stopped twice for water and that felt pretty good for today's heat (low 80s).   

On a happier note, I celebrated being done with today's run with a homemade frappuccino.  

No Cesars included.

Since I've been on my saving money on nonessentials kick, I've experimented a little in the kitchen to give me some alternatives to my beloved Starbucks.  I've found that tossing some ice cubes, strong (cooled) coffee, milk, a hot chocolate packet, and a few chocolate chips has given me something comparable to a $4 sbux drink.  Pour it in a Starbucks cup and it's practically the same thing, right? :-)

I've also been making smoothies a lot this summer.  I'm sure my neighbors are LOVING all the blender noises coming from my apartment lately.

This weekend I will be having a second go at speed work with a planned 6x800!  I'm excited after the last workout.  It's definitely a new kind of challenge for me!  Happy Friday! 

  

Running Thoughts

I've been thinking a lot about running the past couple days (probably because it's been extra hard) and I have some thoughts that probably won't blend together as well as I'm hoping so here goes:

Running is hard.


The past few days have been rough.  My legs have felt like lead.  Yesterday I couldn't bare the thought of running on the treadmill after all the quality time I had spent on it Sunday, and I had a 45 minute run to do.  It was hot, but it was also kind of sprinkling out so I figured that it might balance it out a little.  Turns out, it did not.  I felt like my entire body hurt (yes, that's probably a little dramatic).  The little bit of rain there was stopped pretty much as soon as I started so I was left with just thick, humid air.  Ultimately, the run sucked and I stopped.   I contemplated going and finishing up on the treadmill with a huge water bottle and my ipod to keep me company, but I decided it wasn't just a mental thing.  Which leads me to my next thought.

Rest days are important.


Sunday I was feeling pretty good about myself.  It was my first double digit run since March and I managed to hold down a pretty decent pace for a longer run.  My calves were crazy tight Sunday night, but by Monday afternoon I decided that I should do just a little run (literally a mile) to warm up for my yoga DVD I was going to do.  Instead I ended up doing a different workout that included a lot of squats.  Probably not my smartest idea.  I realize that 10 miles isn't all that long for some people, and some people are throwing down double digit runs like it's their job.  That isn't the case for me.  That was a huge deal for this body and I should have just let it rest.  I paid the price for it Tuesday.  Tomorrow I am giving myself a complete day of rest that will hopefully be enjoyed lounging by the pool.

Beautiful days are meant for trails, not treadmills.


Yesterday I checked out the weather and found that I would have almost perfect summer conditions to run in which made me happier than you will probably know.  I've been in a treadmill rut, and I've had this weird need to run outside.  I set my alarm so I would have plenty of time to walk Maddux, drink coffee, and eat breakfast  before I went.  I don't know how people run on an empty stomach.  I feel like I have to eat breakfast right away, even if it's just a granola bar to get me going.  Then again, I live to eat.

My alarm went off, and I promptly turned it off and went back to bed.  Maddux didn't seem to notice, and usually he takes over the job of the alarm clock.  I figured this was a good sign that I should sleep (lazy).  Maddux did pull it together about 20 minutes later and made sure I was out of bed ready to start our day.

Yeah, he got right back in bed after he got breakfast.    

Even though I was excited to run outside on the trail, it was still hard to get out the door.  I know 9:00 is not early by any means, but my body typically isn't ready to break a sweat until a little later.

Maddux refused to look at me until I was back from my run.  Where's the love?

Eventually I made it out to the trail.  Running outside was the best decision I could have made.  The shade made it pretty near perfect for a summer run and it was so nice to see so many people out exercising, whether it was running, walking, or biking.  Sorry for no awesome pictures, but I typically don't run with my phone, so you'll have to use your imagination. :-)  

Although the weather was fantastic, I can't say my run was.  I'm going three for three with tough runs this week.  My legs just felt tight (not as lead like as yesterday) and it took me a long time to get warmed up.  The downhills and flat parts were ok, but I could definitely feel it in my quads on the uphills.  While I didn't take any walk breaks this time around, I did take several water breaks.

When you have a corgi water bottle, you WANT to drink lots of water.

My Nike+ said I did about 4.5 miles in 47 minutes.  I hope this isn't accurate.  I know it was slow, but man.  I can kick out 5 miles in less time than that on a good day.  I know the longer run on the treadmill got me off track a little bit calibration wise, and switching form inside to outside messes it up, too.  One day, I'm going to invest in something with satellites so I get a more accurate reading.  Or I could start paying a little more attention so I can make a slightly accurate guess.  

The rest of the day is going to be for relaxing with my pup and hopefully getting some work done.  Summer is winding down and my to-do list is not.  

Beautiful days are also for lounging on the porch.

I am coming up with my game plan for my 11.5 mile long run next week to hopefully ease some of the boredom and issues I had with my last long run.  Stay tuned for what is sure to be a rock solid, golden plan.

New Places

So back in May I ran in a local 5k.  Part of it went through a trail and I thought it was really pretty and made a mental note to go back.  Things got busy and needless to say I never made it back out to that trail.  I always like to take Maddux with me the first time I go to a new potential running spot, just to check out the area and make sure it's not sketchy.  My little boy has to go in to get some treatments at the vet tomorrow and will have to lay low for a few months.  I figured today was our last chance to go exploring together for a while, so I took Maddux to the park which is only about ten minutes away from my house.  Why did it take me so long to get there again?

When we got to the park we couldn't find a map, so I figured we would just stick to the shady areas and wander around a little.  There was a pretty lake and lots of trash cans which is a plus for dog walking.  Maddux was so happy and I was really glad we got one last good adventure in before the down time.

 Water Break!

After I dropped Maddux off I decided to go back out to the trail and explore a little more.  There were lots of little families there and it looked like a good place to run from what I saw with my pup.

It turns out that the lake we saw is almost a mile around (with mile markers on the pavement!!), but it branches off at one point to connect to another park.  I didn't really have any plans for this run.  I have this weird thing about making it 30 minutes, but it was HOT.  When the temperatures are up I have no shame when it comes to walking and water breaks.  I tried to relax and just enjoy the park and not worry too much about breaking any records today.  I was excited to see some wildlife on my run.  I live in a pretty urban area, and I feel like I don't see little woodland critters as often as I would like.  I'm definitely a country girl at heart.  I saw a mama deer with her two little fawns and they were so, so cute.  There were also a ton of geese, and not gonna lie, I was a little worried that they would turn on me because they didn't seem phased at all when I ran by.  Not to get too off topic, but I have a very valid fear of birds.  Perhaps we will discuss it one day, but hopefully I won't have a real reason to share my stories.  According to my Nike+, I ran a little over 3 miles in 30 minutes.  I probably lost about 10 pounds in sweat alone.      

Much to my sister's amusement, I made my first (in my opinion) run nerd purchase today.  This little number is on its way to me as we speak.

(Thanks Amazon for the picture!)

I have been thinking about this for a while now.  Back in November I ran in a little 5k, and I realized that my winter pants had nowhere to hold my car key.  Most of my shorts have the little hideaway pocket in them, so I never really thought about it too much.  Then, in March my friend rushed our bags to bag check while I stood desperately in line for the Porta-potties at the half marathon.  Had I had this nice belt, I would have been able to hold my Metro card and car key in there and it would have been one less step.  I feel silly checking a bag for two tiny things.  Anyway, people who reviewed the product said they usually forget that it was on because it stays in place so well and is light.  I will keep you posted.  I am a little skeptical.    

A recent buy that I can rave about is the Champion Racer Back Compression Sports Bra.  

  

Yay Target and inexpensive, yet effective sports bras!  This is probably one of the least expensive sports bras I've tried, and it's the most comfortable one I have yet.  It's done its job staying in place even on my longer runs and I love it.  I also love how they are in fun colors.  

Now I am off to cuddle my pup before his big day tomorrow.  I am planning on running while he is at the vet so that I don't think too much about it.  Luckily, he has the best aunt ever and we got a nice care package to help us through the tough times! (Chocolate and candy for me and a toy and treats for Mad Dog!)

Wish us luck tomorrow! :-)

Summer Vacation Rocks

I love summer.  I wish I loved to get up early (ha, kind of kidding) because I had a hot, hot run the other day.  On Thursday I had to run my 45 minutes.  I'm not worrying too much about the "magic mile"  because I am doing all the other miles in between training days and some of them have been fast.  Also, my watch isn't really calibrated so I don't actually know what pace I would be running.  Even if it was correct, I'm not sure how you stay on pace without looking at your watch the whole time.  Yes, I am new to running and technology.  My Nike sportsband is just fine with me and its noncomplexities. I set my alarm for 6:30 and then hit the snooze button until I finally just turned it off altogether.  I got to the trail and began running at 10:00.

Highlights of the run?  There is now a portapotty in the parking lot.  I hope it sticks around.  Obviously, with the insane heat I had to hydrate and I may have been a little overzealous.  I also have a very weak bladder.  Regardless, it was clean and it had a foot pedal to flush.  A clear winner in my book.  I should have taken a picture.  Other than that, there wasn't much good about the run other than I finished it.  I kept the run between the car and the water fountain about a mile and a half away which worked ok, but I think I may have been too over cautious.  Perhaps this has to do with the fact that my mom's words to me as I went out the door were "Don't die of heat stroke."  Even though I'm technically an adult, I still try to not get on that lady's bad side.

Other than that, running hasn't been too remarkable.  The best run of the week was with my favorite running buddy!  Maddux woke me up incredibly too early for a Saturday, but my dad was downstairs getting ready for a run.  By the time I was ready, there was a towel for my sweat (my dad knows me so well) and a Gatorade waiting in the truck.  I am NOT a morning runner as mentioned above.  Everything feels stiff and I feel like it takes me a while to get going (especially pre-coffee!!!!), but I was so excited to be on a run with my dad again.  I did run a strong 7 miles on the treadmill on Sunday.  I had to rearrange my running again this week because of traveling, but I think being flexible has helped me stay more mentally in the game.  While the last couple miles were tough (my butt and thighs were feelin' it big time) I overall felt proud of the effort.  I also had a guy cheering for me at the gym.  As he left he clapped and said "Keep running, girl!" in a non creepy way.  It was nice to have some friendly gym going support, especially since I was dripping with sweat.

Today is day 29 of the Runner's World Summer Run Streak!  Only a week a couple days left! At first I thought it was going to be sucky and hard, but it turns out that running at least a mile a day isn't so bad.  The first month of it has actually gone by really fast.  Yay running!

I was totally going to add some pictures in here for viewing pleasure, however, that would require a little more effort than I am willing to put in at the moment and The Bachelorette will be on soon (hurray!).

Happy Summer! :)