Running Community, DENIED, & They Have Returned

FRIDAY EVE!!!! Well. These have returned.

We got some snow yesterday. Nothing like the 4-8” they were predicting, but still. It’s APRIL 10th!

I also tried to switch-up my schedule yesterday morning and read at the kitchen table. I don’t think Brady approved.

Disclaimer: I received an annual Strava Summit subscription and Strava merchandise as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I’m also NEW ON STRAVA! Yes, I know. It’s been around for a million years and HOW did it take me so long. Well, I suppose I can put it into perspective and I never even got a Facebook Account until I was graduating High School (does this make me seem young or old? I’m not sure.) in 2008! You can find me here. So far, I’m finding it super motivating to find other runners on there!

As the super competitive person that I am, I also love how you can see your stats (hello, I’m also a data-nerd) and compete with other members in the clubs that you join!

You can also join RACE GROUP clubs like the NEDD Mt. Washington Road Race. How cool is that be able to follow along on others journeys as you train for the same race?

It’s super easy to either start the recording for your activity (running, biking, walking, hiking, canoeing, OR e-bike riding) OR manually put in your information after your workout (like I did yesterday afternoon after my tempo treadmill miles)! You can also give others kudos, which how cool is that?!? It’s basically like having a ‘virtual cheerleader’ with you pushing you along on your activity! I think it will be fun to track my data over time and to be able to see all the stats that the app provides (charts, elevation, maps, etc.).

ALSO can you PLEASE help me on what I should get for my birthday gift?!? I have about a million items in my shopping cart !

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-Are you on Strava? Let’s be friends!

-What should I order as my ‘birthday bird’ item?!?

-What’s the weather where you are?

-Fan of the Bean Boots?

Training Tuesday: An ODE To Winter Running

"Disclaimer: I received an XYZ to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"

An Ode To Winter Running

Dear Winter Running,

In honor of the First Day of Spring tomorrow, I thought it would be good to give you a nice final farewell before you’re gone for another 9 months.

It’s been super fun to watch the snow fall on the ground. In the beginning, the snow was beautiful. It looked like furry white clouds forming around me. So light and easy to blow off of the roads.

As you progressed, you started to get real cold. Winter Running began to get real challenging. Some days I felt like I was a burglar with the amount of clothes I had to pile on just to survive for an hour outside.

It was not so fun to have my water bottles or gels freeze on me. The amount of time it took me to layer-up was also not very enjoyable. I also really disliked wearing cleats on almost every.single.run. While they gave my feet a bit of extra weight (thanks for the additional cross-training!) and prevented me from slipping on any surfaces, they also were one extra thing I had to put on.

When you snowed so hard that I had to wear sunglasses to protect my eyes from snow build-up was also less than enjoyable. Good thing I at least had something acting like a windshield to my poor, poor face.

Don’t let that smile fool you folks. Conditions this winter were pretty miserable.

You really tested me. You tried to make me sleep in with your very short days, but I was resilient. I had goals to capture and I wasn’t going to let something silly like “winter” get in my way. You pushed on for far far too long, but now it’s Spring and I want to see some GRASS and FLOWERS and be able to RUN OUTSIDE in the LIGHT at 5AM.

So, goodbye to you and your endless amounts of snow (something like 100”+ and still going). You’re free to move on any day now.

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What would you say to Winter Running if you had the chance?

Training Tuesday: Shady Rays Product Review!

"Disclaimer: I received an XYZ to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"

SO CUTE.

Happy Tuesday! I’ll be stepping back from my blog for a bit to focus on life priorities. I’m stepping back actually from most social-media related things. I’ve got a lot going and finally realized on Friday that it’s kinda zapping my love for running. I LOVE to run, but when it starts to feel like a task to post about my run and having certain expectations to meet on my runs, then that’s not so fun anymore. I want to continue to ignite that fire and honestly platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook just aren’t doing it for me at the moment (and feeling like I HAVE to post on my blog versus I WANT to post are two very different things). I’m not sure how long I’ll take (maybe I’ll feel ‘back to normal’ tomorrow or maybe I’ll decide ‘hey, this is pretty nice too..’), but I’ll still post my weekly training recaps & I have another Training Tuesday prewritten that’s scheduled next week (it’s a GOOD one!).

Now, let’s get to my review of Shady Rays- I got their Pink Sunset Ice Polarized. First, let’s chat about how CUTE that name is?! They kinda had me just from that title.

I’m really particular about my running sunglasses. I want something that is really cute, affordable (because honestly they’re just running sunglasses), fits my teeny-tiny face/head (yes, I CAN fit into child’s size small hats), lightweight, and durable. I really dislike the typical ‘running sunglass look’ where you kinda look like the terminator.

SOURCE

They also come in a cute color, then well that’s even better (a color that makes me feel fast is obviously what I want and need in life at ALL times). Something that really impressed me about the Shady Rays website is the sheer amount of sunglasses they offer! I also love that they offer free replacements. As someone who’s previously worked for small independent businesses, I really appreciate when other businesses also offer free warranty replacements. I think it says A LOT about how much they believe in their product.

When I first took mine out for a test run, I put them in my running jacket pocket because it was that ‘in-between raining/ cloudiness’. I normally wear sunglasses when it’s raining or snowing hard because my poor eyes DO NOT like to be blinded by it. In my pocket, they were so light that they didn’t move around at all! I was so impressed that I could just keep them in there and not feel them. I think that if I had a pocket big enough to hold them while racing (i.e. in my Honey Stinger Race Jersey), I could do that and not even notice that they were there! Side note: I’m excited to race with them in Moab Canyonlands 1/2 on Saturday!

While they’re light, they are sturdy. They certainly won’t be broken easily (which is saying something because I’m TOUGH on my running gear —> I need them withstand a lot when I’m packing them in my backpack for my 50 miler this Spring).

I love that they don’t fog-up on you either (a serious need when you’re a sweaty racer like I am). I’ve tested them out on sunny, rainy, snowy, and overcast runs (because I live in Colorado and honestly our weather lately has been INSANE) - they are magical. The price-point is great, especially when you consider how they feel real expensive.

Overall, I can’t wait to wear these out and about not just on my runs, but in everyday life because they are stylish! When I put together my race recap next week, I’ll let you guys know how they perform in race situations! I’m sure they’ll be amazing like they have been throughout my training runs : )

Don’t forget to get yourself a pair! —> "RAVE" good for 50% off 2+ pairs from the Shade Shop!

Training Tuesday: 10 Reasons Why I LOVE The Treadmill

Ok so probably if you’ve followed me on any of my social media platforms, you know that a fair share of my training has been done on the treadmill. Thank you Mother Nature! Between the ice, below 0* temperatures, and insane amount of snow we’ve gotten this winter- I don’t think I’d be able to get in half of my morning runs unless I had the treadmill to run on! I LOVE to run outside, but when I have no other viable and safe option —> I go to the good ole ‘mill. I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite reasons why I LOVE this as a training option!

-It builds up your mental strength. There’s nothing like knowing that you can just hop off at any time, but you focus your brain to be able to withstand that temptation over time.

-You can really hit your paces. I know that if I want to hit ‘x’ pace during a mile repeat or marathon paced miles, I just put the treadmill at that speed and hang on.

-It builds up your leg strength with those incline options! There’s nothing else better (in my opinion) to get in an absolutely killer hill workout that won’t quit. I also love these treadmill hill workouts from RunFarGirl.

-It’s a safe option when you don’t have someone else to run with or know where you are. I LOVE to explore new cities on my own two feet, but sometimes it’s not always the safest option (especially if I’m traveling solo). I know that I will be able to get my workout in and be safe —> the most important part!

-It’s a nice change of pace, when you’re tired of your usual running routes. Sometimes I get in a rut of running the same ‘ol roads/trails. The treadmill helps me switch it up and I get the feeling like I’m taking a “break”.

-It saves you from running outside when the weather is just AWFUL. Snow? Sub-zero temperatures? Insane amounts of ice? Blizzard? Extreme heat? The treadmill is really a gift when the weather outside is not the best.

-It keeps your easy runs honest. While the time goes by slower, I like to utilize the treadmill to keep my easy runs truly easy. There’s no downhill segments to speed up your legs- I just pop it on a really slow pace and completely ‘zone out’ for those miles. Sometimes they’re my favorite runs of the week.

-Netflix and treadmill? It comes in waves of sheer-boredom with the ‘mill and gratitude, but I (most of the time) love to catch up on one of my new shows (that I save specifically to watch on the ‘mill) OR zone-out to a show that I’ve seen a thousand times. I also really love to watch the news on the treadmill. Total geek, yes I know. If it’s the Today Show —> even better!

-Simulate your upcoming race course. I live in a super hilly area (i.e. I don’t believe I’ve ever gained less than 400’ on a run no matter how ‘flat’ the road looks), so when my legs are absolutely trashed from running hills or long the day before - I honestly do not want to look at a hill ever again and driving to a flatter road isn’t in the question —> the treadmill at .5% incline feels incredible. I also know that training for Mt.Washington Road Race, I’ll need to really work on a pretty steep incline (12%-22%) - there is no hill around here that spans out for miles at that incline so the treadmill the BEST option.

-There is no traffic to worry about. Sometimes I get really frustrated with cars on the road not paying attention to me or plow-trucks coming straight at me. The treadmill is a really nice change of pace where I can feel SAFE and really zone out without having to worry about Mountain Lions mauling me, getting run over by a distracted driver, or being plowed up by a snow plow. <— one of my biggest fears right there!

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Tell ME some of your favorite reasons why you love the ‘mill!

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday! I have been in such a funk lately and hoping it passes soon. I’ve been congested for over two weeks now and it’s really starting to wear on me. Nothing like not being able to breathe out of your nose when you’re trying to drink some water (OR RUN!!). Hoping it passes soon. We got something like 14” OF SNOW YESTERDAY?!? Yeah and I decided to go outside and run in it. It was so beautiful, but I didn’t wear my traction spikes and had a really hard time in a few spots where I kept slipping on ice/ unplowed dirt roads.  

My legs were also so tired from our skin up the mountain by our house on Saturday.  

We ended up going higher than we had before and making our own ski tracks on the way down (which was SO AMAZING!), but wow did my legs feel it on Sunday!  

And yes, it basically snowed here all weekend.  

Saturday I got so many of those “little things done” that I normally don’t get to- I.e cleaning the humidifier, my bras, cleaning our duvet, throwing out all those useless items under our bathroom sink etc. Since none of that is interesting, here’s a pretty cute photo of Brady asleep in a very odd position.  

Also had steak & cheeses Friday night.... it was Sooo good!  

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How was your weekend?! 

Favorite dinner you had? 

Tips for uncongesting yourself?!?!