Weekend Recap

No crazy adventures were had this weekend (thanks snow...), since we had a giant stack of wood to pile, loads of never-ending laundry,  no food in the household, and bathrooms getting dirtier by the second (glamorous I know..); but we did manage to get out and enjoy the outdoors for a small amount! 

On Saturday, we took Stella out for a walk on one of the trails in town and enjoyed (probably) one of the last days of the beautiful Fall Foliage...

I also took Stella with me for a run around the lake that afternoon after helping stack some wood (not recommended)- I was SO exhausted after those 7 miles.

We made the Run Fast Eat Slow High Altitude Bison Meatballs and paired it with some spaghetti and sauce. Soooo tasty!

On Sunday, more chores, cooking, and stacking wood (boo...), but we also managed to get out and play with the kayaks for a bit! This was the first time that both kayaks were fixed so we could go together (one had a crack in it that we got fixed). 

There was a crazy amount of wind on the lake, so we stayed out for maybe an hour (luckily our kayaks were made for ocean-weather so neither one of us capsized!). 

Any plans for the upcoming weekend? #workingfortheweekend

We have our 3rd year anniversary weekend coming up and are still deciding where to go for dinner! Alex wants more of a fancy dinner and I'm really just wanting some good Mexican or Italian eats...What's your preference?! Settle this for us!

Kayaking...yay or nay?

My Running Wish-List Right Now & Tips to Fitting in High Mileage!

I kinda wish every week was only 4 days long because it's already Thursday and tomorrow is FRIDAY! I used to work at jobs where I would always get Fridays off and I kinda think I need to start that trend at my current job too- having that one extra day is really REALLY nice! Then we have one day to relax, one day to do errands/ cook, and one day to do something fun. It's a win-win-win. Hmph, someday !

I wanted to share with you a few things that are on my running wish-list right now because it's Fall and that means we need some new running gear heading into the cooler months (AKA winter). 

• Brooks Ghost 10 - Because running high-mileage means I need another pair of these Ghost 10s (and they are seriously SO amazing). I wish wearing running shoes to work was appropriate. 
• Brooks Juno Sports Bra- Finding good sports bras is difficult and I've had some in my dresser for ummm... 6 YEARS?!? If only I had all the money in the world I would try this highly recommended sports bra and when I found the perfect fit, I would purchase 10 of them and just throw out all my other ones. Someday....
• Oiselle Flyout Long Sleeve- I live to layer on the run and this long-sleeved tee has the perfect cuts and thumbholes
• Oiselle Caty Lady Racerback Bra- This just looks so amazingly comfy and warm that I know it will become a part of my wardrobe this upcoming winter season. I actually could picture myself wearing this in the summertime too because the girls are always a bit chilly...
• Oiselle Wazzie Wool Base Layer- Another fantastically warm-looking base layer from Oiselle that I know I would live in come Fall/Winter/Spring (these seasons kinda just melt together here in the Mtns...). Perfect for those chilly runs or on the mountain or I would definitely wear this to work too. It's on sale right now, bonus!
• 2xu Compression Run Socks-  Coming upon sock season, these are a must-have for recovery and I also really love to run/race in them. These are also on sale right now and look super cute when paired with a costume!

Kinda was a mistake for putting together a wish-list because now I know how many of these things are on sale and now I just want them all! But hopefully you are able to enjoy them for me and let me know how fantastic they are for running.

I also wanted to leave you with a few tips that I have for increasing your mileage since I've gone from consistently running 30-35 miles per week to 45-55 miles per week. 

• Follow a training plan and slowly build up to your 1st week of training. Do NOT just jump into a training plan unless you've been consistently running that mileage each week. I like to put together my training plan calendar then go back 3-4 weeks from when actual training starts and take a few miles off from week 1 of training each week until I am at a normal weekly mileage for me at this point. 
• Know yourself and when works best for you to fit in your runs. For me, I know that I tend to find more excuses if I wait to do my run later in the day. I also know that if I want to sleep in that morning, then I need to get my run in later in the day and plan everything else around that. Be flexible. I sometimes switch around my rest days too if I have something upcoming on the calendar that I know will be difficult to run on that day or maybe I'm just not feeling it. Know that it's OK to not stick to your training plan day by day. Each week is a new beginning!
• Have a great support system. Alex is really great with knowing that I need to get my run in and I like to not put it off all day on the weekends, so he helps me get it in. Whether that means picking me up 8 miles down the road an hour later or dropping me off, running some errands, then picking me up somewhere else. 

Race recap of the Jackson Hole Hole Half is coming to the blog tomorrow! Get excited to hear all about it and don't forget to add it to your race calendars next year!

Have any tips for fitting in higher mileage weeks while training?

Favorite running gear? Did I miss anything that you LOVE to RUN in?

Hanson's Marathon Method Week 4 Rundown

One month of marathon #5 training has come and gone! This week had mainly pretty strong work-outs and I definitely wasn't feeling as sore as I did during week 3. I didn't hit all of my splits during my speed workout on Tuesday and had a bit of stomach issues during my tempo run this week, but overall I think if we didn't have some troubles along the way it would make training plans a bit too easy and predictable! Having these bumps along the way just makes me more hungry for those real 'quality' workouts. I also managed to partake in 2 fitness classes last week= a total win! 

Monday: 6 miles Easy @ 10:17 min/mi on the treadmill. 

Tuesday: 8 miles with 6 x 800s @ 3:40; Actual: 7 miles with 6 x 800s (3:48, 3:42, 3:37, 3:37, 3:38, 3:40). Overall, I'm happy with this workout. The track was busy AGAIN so I had to do this on the road (where it was busier than I expected) and trying to keep track of my splits, my 400 recovery mileage turned into more of a 200 recovery (I think anyways?), which is where I think I lost my mile (I may have been more towards 7.25 miles, but that's only a guesstimate). I guess next time if the track is busy, I'm better off just going to the treadmill! 

Wednesday: 6 miles easy @ 9:50-10:34 ; Actual: 6 miles easy @ 9:40. It was SO beautiful out this morning and I still kept my heartrate in check and really fought to keep my paces slow, but still struggled with keeping them really at an easy threshold. Guess it's something to improve upon! I also did a JumpBoard class at noon and felt really STRONG during the class. I'm really starting to notice a big difference in my fitness and strength. 

Thursday: 9 miles with 6 @ 8:46 tempo ; 9 miles with 6 @ 8:49 tempo. I wanted to do this one outside, but after a 2 mile warm-up my stomach was feeling funky and I really just wanted to be close to a bathroom should I need one, so I headed back to the treadmill to get my tempo miles in and a cool-down! The treadmill speeds can't get to 8:46 pace exactly, so I was a few seconds off. Next week, I'm hoping to do this work-out outside and hit those paces that I know I'm capable of!

Friday: 8 miles Easy ; Actual: 8 miles easy @ 10:20 on the treadmill. I was running late and was a bit time crunched, so I wanted to get my run in and shower immediately afterwards and also really wanted to keep that pace easy! 

Saturday: 8 miles Easy ; Actual: 1.15 miles easy @ 9:29 (oops- way too fast!), Power Barre class from 10-11am, 6.85 miles @ 10:21 outside. My legs and abs were so sore after the class and it was pretty warm out, so I'm just glad I pushed through and got that run done at a still relatively easy pace. I took a nice epsom salt bath and did a 10 minute recovery pose yoga class from JasYoga to recover. 

Sunday: Rest Day

Sunshine Goods:

• My fitness is definitely improving
• I can feel myself getting stronger 
• 6 miles now seems like a total BREEZE
• Kept my easy runs really at a nice easy (low heartrate) pace
• Took TWO fitness classes this week
• Did 3 sessions with the foam roller and 2 JasYoga recovery classes

Gloomy Goods:

• Speed workout didn't go as planned
• I didn't get to 45 miles like my training plan had
• Tempo run was a bit off target pace

Weekend Activities

Does anyone else ever feel like the weekend went by so fast that it actually didn't happen? We were relaxing on the couch Sunday night after a crazy weekend and I felt like it was still Friday night and we had 2 full days to fill with so many great activities (boy oh boy was I WRONG!). 

Friday I started off with an 8 mile run on the treadmill binge-watching Gilmore Girls (definitely a #guiltypleasure of mine) and then had a serious craving for a bagel and cranberry juice. Luckily we have ONE bagel shop in all of Steamboat that could cure me of my hangriness. 

The rest of the day went by relatively smoothly and we got out early (wohoo) so the weekend was here! We had leftovers (so glamorous, I know) and got some chores done (hellooo endless amounts of laundry- does it ever stop? and cleaning out the car). 

Saturday we originally planned to go for a hike, but the weather showed a pretty good chance of storms so we put that on the backburner. I had 8 miles to do, so I headed into town and did a little over a mile before my Power Barre class at Steamboat Pilates Studio and then did the remaining 6.85 miles afterwards! Talk about a seriously long work-out session. The class was really challenging and I knew that I would need to push through the rest of my miles (luckily I just had an easy pace scheduled so I could take it as slow as I needed and just get the miles under my belt). It didn't go as bad as expected and I met up with Alex & Stella afterwards to go check out the Farmers Market! We both got Falafels for lunch and shared a lemonade. 

The rest of the day was spent doing some grocery shopping and cooking! I made the mustard-glazed chicken thighs from Practical Paleo and twice-baked stuffed jalepeno sweet potatoes (find the recipe on my Recipe Pinterest page!). Both things were seriously SO good.

Photo was taken before they went in for their second bake!

I also made some homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies (those were gone by Sunday night), Superhero Muffins from Run Fast Eat Slow (for breakfasts this week), and roasted some beets for smoothies!

On Sunday (rest day), we finished up chores in the morning (lots and lots of cleaning!) and then headed out for a short hike with a few friends. I can't believe I didn't take any photos the entire time! So unlike me, I know.. Just take my word for it- the view of the lake below was beautiful! 

I did some meal-prepping for the week ahead and for dinner and made up this lovely salad for lunches for the week and dinner Sunday night with Salmon. Super easy and it had: Spinach, Arugula, Onions, Strawberries, Sesame Seeds, Feta, Broccoli, Thyme, Salt, Pepper, and basil. 

We headed out Sunday afternoon to the lake! We live less than 2 miles away from it and this was our first time being out on the lake. We just got a kayak so we wanted to test it out and rented a paddleboard (since the kayak was a one-person). I ofcourse ended up falling in the water on the paddleboard after getting a bit toooo cocky in my abilities and trying some warrior 2 yoga poses... I held it for a good minute and while waiting for Alex to retrieve the camera, fell in. It was pretty funny though and luckily the water wasn't TOO chilly.

That was our weekend full of chores, activities, and a little bit of rest! I'm excited to get back to a week of training and another long run on the schedule this coming weekend. 

How was your weekend?

Thoughts on splitting up a run between a work-out class?

Ever tried yoga on a paddleboard or paddleboarding?

EASY run days & thoughts on your 20's??

Happy weekend! This week sure flew-by for me!

It feels like forever since I've done a life update! I have been very busy with work, running, trying to fit in strength/stretching/foam rolling, sleep, and outdoor summer activities! I'm hoping to do a "what I eat in a day" post here in within the next few days, so don't forget to check back!

I went on an easy run yesterday morning (my first run outside since Sunday!) and really struggled with keeping my pace super easy. Now that I'm starting to gain more fitness and feel stronger than ever, I really want to play with my paces more, but I have to keep reminding myself that now is NOT the time to play with paces! I can play with my paces on my long/tempo/speed runs, but definitely not on the easy runs. The easier my runs are, the more I notice that I can recover faster and I'm gaining more fitness. 

The good thing with the slowing-down that I'm doing is that I can really take-in the scenery! It was so beautiful out and had that "early morning summer dew" smell going on- I kinda really wish there was a candle that had this smell because it always makes me think of summer mornings, waking-up early, drinking coffee on the porch, fog lifting from the valley floor, and cooler-temperature runs. 

Another thing that I'm thinking about is how there is so much PRESSURE on young people these days. I honestly feel like I've had more trouble with putting pressure on myself (and from others) in my 20's rather than in my middle and high-school years. Does anyone else feel this way? I'm sure some personalities can really thrive on this type of "flailing lifestyle" where everything is kinda unsure and up-in-the-air, but definitely not my type-A, OCD, obsessive planner self. It is nice to be a big day-dreamer and have so many goals, but if you look at them in the bigger picture it really is daunting and intimidating! I guess that's why we should really just focus on the smaller tasks (like my post yesterday?) and chip-away towards those bigger goals. 

I also feel like cherishing these times in our life are super important because we always want what we don't have or no longer have, right? So, I'm trying to embrace this stage in my life more and know that it will just make me a stronger person in the end. 

I have a ten mile run at my long-run pace (9:31 min/mi) on tap this weekend and I think I'll just see how I feel whether I do it today or tomorrow. The other day will be a rest day! We will also be resting this weekend (I think the past two weekends of camping really took a lot out of us) and hopefully a date night and maybe some paddle boarding! 

What are your weekend plans? Is anyone racing this weekend?

Thoughts on easy runs? Love them? Hate them?

What were your impressions of your 20's versus teen's? Which one was better or were they both just different?