Back from Vacation & Thoughts on June Mileage!

Phew! We are FINALLY back from vacation after 13 days away! I had the full intention of continuing to do posts while away, but we only had about ~5 days where we had internet and believe it or not, we were actually really busy the entire time. I thought vacations were supposed to be relaxing?!?

Currently working on my vacation posts, but I'll recap my back from vacation mode now and put up the vacation recaps shortly!

Getting back on track after vacations are REALLY hard. All my body wants to do is sleep for eternity, but after not having much structure with my workouts for 3 weeks (including 2 weeks of vacation and 1 week of post-marathon goodness) I was seriously craving some good sweat sessions.

Endorphins from working out is definitely a thing because even though I'm still sleep-deprived my body is happier with being back into the work-out routine! We got back home Tuesday evening at 8pm (and still stuck on East Coast time, so it felt like 10pm) and unpacked the majority of our things and went straight to bed. I got up at 5 and still managed to get in an easy 4 miles and 30 minutes of a full body strength training. The rest of the day was spent at work catching up on everything I missed and teaching two skating lessons yesterday afternoon! Our internet has still been down since we arrived back (I swear this ALWAYS happens to us!), so we cooked up some chicken and topped our baby spinach salads with it (along with cucumbers, chopped carrots, and a bit of Parmesan). Super happy to be eating healthy again! 

This morning I was surpisingly pretty sore from my workout yesterday, so tried to take it a bit easier on my run. I did 5 miles, but probably should've slowed down my pace even more- live and learn, am i right?!

I tallied up my June mileage and was pretty disappointed with it. I ran a total of 81.7 miles, which doesn't seem like much, but June was a pretty scattered running month for me! It included 1.5 weeks of taper for the marathon, 26.2 miles for the race, a week totally off of running, and then 2 weeks of short runs (while on vacation). So all in all, I'm pretty happy that I even got over 80 miles this month- plus I got a shiny new PR for the marathon, so that counts for quite a bit!

This thought pattern also just brings me back to the thought of why are we so concerned with all the numbers and comparing ourselves to others? What's a high number for one person may not be considered high for another. This is SO true not just to running, but to others weights, how many races you've run, what your race PR is, how far you have or have not traveled, etc. 

We are all individuals and that is what makes us UNIQUE- be true to yourself and proud of your accomplishments because the person next to you probably thinks you're a ROCKSTAR (and you should probably think the same thing about yourself ((and them too))). 

I came across this quote last week and fell in love with it. Isn't love all that matters in the world?! 

Maybe I'm just being sentimental or all mushy from my stress-free vacation, but this really stuck with me and I'm going to try to center my thoughts more towards love and peace, rather than focusing on others. 

So enough of the mushy stuff! How's your dreaming beyond your comfort zone going?!

I'm still a work in progress on this (aren't we all?), but continuing to work towards improving myself and breaking down the barriers that I put up for myself. 

Three things that I am thankful for today:

• My Health
• My Family
• Green Tea with Honey <- currently fueling me through the afternoon slump!

How did you spend your Fourth of July?

Getting back to training/running/work-outs after a vacation- any tips?

How I filled my Weekend with No Running

No running this weekend meant extra time to catch up on my sleep, relax, and enjoy the outdoors! Saturday was spent by pampering myself with a mani/pedi, farmers market, and checking out the Mustang Round-Up to get my dad a gift for Father's Day.

After getting my nails done and running a few errands, I headed to the gym to do a quick strength session and 30 minutes on the elliptical. 

The gym that I go to also has a hot springs/pool area outside (Old Town Hot Springs if you're ever in Steamboat area) and it's so nice/distracting to be in the elliptical room. Unfortunately the treadmills are facing mirrors, but they do have tv so that's a bonus! After the gym, I headed home and we watched The Jungle Book. It was SO good if you haven't watched it before (the newer release, not the cartoon). 

Sunday was spent getting 10 HOURS of sleep then eggs and heading out for a hike out the Sarvis Creek Wilderness.

We hiked out 2.5 miles to Sarvis Creek, where there's a few different spots with small beaches/ rocks to relax on. We were the only ones here and it was so gorgeous out! We ended up meeting 20+ people on our hike back down, so we timed it just right. Stella found a GIANT stick and loved launching herself into the water to retrieve it (water was just a tad too cool to swim in).

She's really very skinny when she doesn't have all that fur! 

After the hike, we headed home to make lunch (pb 'n banana with popcorn for me) and finish up packing before we leave Wednesday afternoon! We are driving to Maine and are hoping to arrive there very late Friday night. So excited to have some r 'n r and see our fam!

How was your weekend?

Running or no running?

Anyone taking any fun vacations anywhere?!

Tapering.

I always block how terrible the last few days of tapering for a marathon really are. I think I get so caught up in the excitement of the expo, the race, traveling, sightseeing, etc. that they become so miniscule compared to the race and finish itself; BUT DON'T LET THAT FOOL YOU! The taper-crazies are real and they suck. 

Accurate.

I'm cranky for no reason at all (well besides the fact that I'm not running very much and I'm *twitchy bitchy* to want to run). I'm really hungry all the time. I honestly feel like I could chow down on a steak dinner for LUNCH, but these feelings will just make my post-race meal that much better. Weird parts of my body just ache and 3 miles seems like it took forever to finish. Did I mention that I'm cranky and hungry? Ugh. 2 more days!

I slept in again yesterday morning and opted to do my run later in the day. So, I runched instead. What is runching? Running on your lunch break! I don't get to do this very often, so when I'm able to enjoy the bright sunshine and see other runners out it's truly something special. 

Did an easy 3 miles followed by some foam rolling/ stretching/ 30 second plank/ 2 x 10 dips. I wanted to do a few light strength exercises to help keep my body feeling strong going into the race, but definitely didn't want to do my usual full-body 30 minute strength session. I figured a few dips and plank were a good compromise.

I still am not feeling super nervous about the race, but mainly excited! I've basically got my race-day strategy done, but don't want to set it in stone (since you never know exactly how you will feel the day of the race). It looks like the high could get up into the mid-90s! Luckily the race starts at 6AM and I should be done by 10ish, although I definitely remember the race being super hot in the sun by the time I finished last year! Already prepping myself for the hot sun and the rolling hills in miles 12-17!

The first 12 miles are super downhill, so I don't have a time specific in mind (ultimately under 9:00 min/mi would be great), but will go by feel (not straining myself and keeping in touch with my form and easy breathing more than anything else). In the rolling hills miles 12-17, I ideally just want to push through them and know that this will be my slowest section. I know I have a few mantras that I'd like to repeat to myself during this time. 

If I stay right around goal pace (9:10ish min/mi), I'll be happy. The next section, miles 17-22 are pretty flat and fast (with some shade), so I'll try to stay at goal pace or slightly below (depending on how I feel). From miles 22-26, it is another steep downhill so I'll try to utilize this to power through near 9:00 min/mi or slightly faster if I can muster it. There is no shade in this section, so it'll be tough. But you're already feeling exhausted in a marathon after somewhere between miles 18+, so just propelling yourself forwards is all you can really do (and knowing that the faster you go, the quicker you'll be done).

Miles 18+ is where I have always struggled, so I am going to try to change my music at this point (possibly put in an uplifting podcast or music) to get my mind off the pain since it's inevitable anyways. 

I've been super focused on my nutrition this entire week and will focus on it even more today and tomorrow! More light meals, less fiber-rich foods, more iron-rich foods, and light carb meals & electrolytes/water throughout the day. 

Had this as my lunch yesterday (Spicy Sausage and Beans Minestrone Soup):

I'll also continue to have light snacks throughout the day like this one!

The race has a few pacers (one at 3:55 and one at 4:00). I kind of want to try to stick with the 3:55 and see how long I can hold onto it with them. I've never stuck with a pace group (since time-goals are still pretty new to me), so I guess I'll leave that up to the morning of! It would be kind of nice not to worry about my watch time so much, but that's also how I trained....hmmm.. decisions! decisions!

Still have plenty of time to decide and will be working on my race day playlist tonight and tomorrow!

Have any good race day songs?

Pace groups? yay or nay?

How do you deal with tapering? Do you love it or not a fan?

Thursday Things & What I'm Currently Reading!

You know when you sometimes just aren't in the mood to do something? For me, it was not wanting to run this morning. Or well, let me rephrase that. I WANTED to run, but my stomach was definitely not feeling it and that altered my mood. I knew that if my stomach could hold it together during my run, at least my mind would feel more clear (even if my stomach didn't). So, I slept in a bit (trying to get as much sleep as possible leading up to the race next weekend) and then headed out 30 minutes later than normal for my run. It was stunning outside!

Let's back up a little though and talk about my amazing snack that I had last night before bed. Whole wheat toast with crunchy PB, honey drizzle, and a few chocolate chips. 

So, now fast forward to my run. I managed to get out 4 miles- felt better overall, but my stomach still felt all funky. Chocking it up to something I ate yesterday and hope it makes a turn for the better today!

Also totally loving my momentum bracelet that I got at a local running store the other day! Perfect reminder for me to dig deep when things get tough and the bracelet material is breathable and I don't even notice it's there on my run (unless I look at it to remind me to keep pushing). I had another bracelet that I somehow misplaced over the summer and it was customized to a motivational saying that I picked out (and custom band color too). Still on the search for it and hope to come across it sometime soon....

I grabbed breakfast from Starbucks this morning since my stomach wasn't liking the idea of yogurt and got a sprouted bagel and iced tea. Put some peanut butter and banana on it and boom. happy runner breakfast (slightly less angry stomach).

Switching topics!: What I'm Currently Reading

Lost on the Appalachian Trail by Kyle Rohrig (you can find it here). I've got about 150 pages left of the book and it is definitely a big novel! I absolutely love any thru-hiking related books and typically devour them quickly, however this one is a large book and small print so it's taken me over a month to get 200 pages into it (I normally read before going to sleep and sometimes can only make it through a page or two before I'm OUT). It's a really detailed account and I think it would be a great read for anyone currently thru-hiking the AT or getting ready to. I'm mainly excited to get to his recaps of hiking through the White Mountains & Maine (since that's where I grew up and absolutely love hiking when I visit)! 

Leaving you with this stunning early morning shot of my run this morning!

What kind of books do you like to read? Any good recommendations?

What's the weather like where you are? Anything fun planned for the weekend?

Favorite night-time snack?

Long weekend fun!

Hellloooo Tuesday! Going back to work after a long weekend is SO tough. Luckily, my weekend included lots of rest, relaxation, and running. Friday (rest day for me) started off with a lunch date with my person at our favorite spot (Winonas - a MUST if you are ever in Steamboat) for some buffalo chicken salads!

Then we made homemade pizza for dinner (perfect for carbo-loading for my long run in the morning) and it was amazing! Forgot to take a picture (I think I devoured it too quickly ;) ).

Saturday morning I woke up at 4:45 to get my 16 miles in and it was pouring out. I started with 6 easy outside then headed on the treadmill for 7 at just under marathon goal pace (8:57 with some downhill training) and finished it up with 3 outside (in-between showers finally). 

Since it was a total wash of a day, we relaxed at home (luckily there was a Harry Potter marathon on and we mayyyy have watched 2 or 3 of them!). I made the most AMAZING lasagna from Run Fast, Eat Slow and even made homemade marinara sauce (definitely a game-changer; also added in a parmesan rind that I had lying around and it made the sauce extra cheesy). 

On Sunday, the weather finally felt like Spring (mid-60s) and we headed out to camp! We half-expected to arrive to the campsite (about 30 minutes away from home) and for it to be full because of the Holiday weekend, but only 2 of the 11 sites were filled (and stayed that way the entire night)!

I got in a 3-mile run between leaving our place before Alex left in the car (got in 1.15 miles with Stella) until he picked us up on our way out there and then finished up my run after we set-up our site. It was SO peaceful out there!

We did a short hike out Teepee Creek and ended up hitting snow (I wish more trails were dry)! The part that we did hike was beautiful and with no one else around- so serene. 

Since it's still mud-season here, Stella's paws turned into a dark brown mess. Luckily, she found a snow pile to plop down and cool-off in!

I think one of my favorite parts of camping has to be how good food tastes out here! We had some chopped up corn on the cob and sausage for dinner and had to follow that up with smores! They were soooo good. I'm cutting out sugar now until after my race in 12 days and can't wait until I can have another smore. 

The temperatures Sunday night dropped down into the low 30's and it was COLD! I think I wore my hat all night and luckily had mittens on the next morning until it started warming up.

We got home early Monday morning and after cleaning for a bit (Alex's dad is visiting this coming weekend, so we had to clean everything and make sure his room was good to go), I headed out to get a run and strength training session in. 

One sneaker on, one sneaker off- it's how I do.

I did an easy 3 miles (the taper is kinda really nice in the beginning) then 25 minutes of a full-body strength session before grabbing some flowers and running a few other errands in town. 

I got straight to gardening when I got home (first ever garden by myself #adulting) and added in some rocks that we got on our hike Sunday! Hopefully, they stay alive for most of the summer....

I need to add-in a few more rocks when I find them, but I think it looks pretty cute! 

For dinner, I made Paleomg's Bacon Chorizo Chipotle Smothered Meatloaf (one of Alex's favorite meals) and it was amazing!

That's my long weekend recap! Now back to work and looking forward to next weekend already :)

Do you normally like to get your long runs done in one shot or break them up?

Favorite home-cooked meal?

Ever tried making your own marinara sauce? What are some things you like to add in it?