Run Run

Santa Barbara Training

~ todaysadventureis ~ Leave a comment

I sort of fell off my schedule the last few weeks with working out and running. Part of it is I have not loved this training plan from week 1. I got sick a few weeks into it and that derailed me as well. Add in that it just feels so much harder this time around and I have not been very enthusiastic about it.

Finding balance has been hard. How to fit in pilates/cross training, fitting in all the runs, what to do when the schedule falls apart and runs have to be shifted, balancing how many evenings I’m away from home for personal running, Jamberry, run group, board meetings. Factor in it just feels hard this time around. I’m doing it, but I do not like how I feel while I’m doing it…it all adds up to just feeling blah about the whole thing.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m over the top excited about the opportunity to travel to SB, with Michelle, visit with my sister in law and her family, sneak away kiddo free, and run a race I’ve had my eye on for years. I  just wish I wasn’t coming off a car accident, and that is wasn’t taking so much recovery effort between runs to keep me running.

Spending a lot of time with my legs up the wall after runs.

The good news is I feel like I can run 13.1. I’ll finish. I don’t know that I will run the goal pace. A lot depends on the sun/heat race day. We did our 10 miler in the sun Friday afternoon and my old issues with overheating are still alive and well. I may have to adjust my goal for the race, and choose to run smart for myself. 
I think that’s what’s frustrating me the most. While I know I can finish.,.I can always walk if I need to…I also know that I don’t have the reserves to push as much as I have in the past. Pushing through being sick to my stomach, dizzy, faint, cramps…I feel like I’m already at max just running normal, so if anything crazy comes up it’s not going to be good. I’m running cautious for sure. If I’m being completely honest I’m running a little bit scared. I just don’t know what each run will bring, how I’ll react to any variation in conditions, and it has shaken my confidence. 
Mentally I keep revisiting my running goal for the year. Have fun, listen to my body, care less about the numbers. Michelle has a goal, and I’m going to try and stick with her. our long training run indicate I can do it (I know she can, she’s running really strong right now!). But, I’m also super ok with pulling the plug on it and finish by myself rather than hold her back. My #1 concern is not setting myself back by pushing more than my body is ready for. I’d much rather slow down and enjoy it than push more than I should. I mean it’s wine country in SB, the views will be amazing and worth slowing down for. 
Not that I’m throwing in the hat, I’m going to work and fight for it, but I’m also going to be smart about it, that’s all. My last half I may have hit my PR goal, but I wasn’t smart about it and I do not want to feel that way again. 
  

Success at the Dentist

~ todaysadventureis ~ Leave a comment

I am so proud of Sky and her visit to the dentist yesterday! (Great way to spend St. P Day right?!). The last two yeas have been rough, in fact it went so poorly last year that I called Mark on the way home and said never again. I will never take her by myself again. 

Our plan this year was to book all 3 of appointments back to back. She would be able to watch one of us go first, have her appointment with both of us there to help, and then go have fun while the last appointment took place.
I don’t know if it was because Mark was there, she got to watch him go first, she’s a year older, the hygienist was awesome with her, they covered teeth health in school or what. But she did amazing! She was literally trying to kick Mark out of the chair to have her turn! 
Ready to go and waiting for the hygienist.


Holding Daddy’s hand helped, and they let her pick her treasure before the appointment so she had a tiny little toy camera to hold onto as well. She had a choice of raspberry or orange polish and went with orange, and she loved having the sucker think in her mouth sucking out all the water. 
The last few months she has grown up so much from mastering the “big kid” toys at the park, graduating to a real bike (with training wheels), swimming like it ain’t no thing, to being brave at the dentist. 
At home I can get frustrated with her do it herself’ness, her conviction that she’s right and knows exactly what should be happening at any given time, her ability to turn time out into the greatest game ever. But, you know what…all those things are serving her well in the “real” world. She still needs direction, encouragement, and a hand to hold sometimes, but this strong, sassy, self assured little girl is taking on her world and shinning. 
Rather than be sad that she doesn’t even look my direction at the pool any more for thumbs up, and doesn’t shout at me to watch her I’m just really happy that she’s brave enough to be her own person in her own little part of the world. Parenting is all about getting them ready to function in the world in a way we can be proud of, and seeing her make her way into her part of the world (as it is right now with school/swimming/making new friends etc), and become her own little person is just amazing. I know it’s not “job well done” yet…there is a long, and sometimes bumpy, road ahead still…but I’m enjoying it right now! 
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After the dentist I joined asics for the Fleet Feet Tacoma Tuesday night group run! I found a leprechaun and beer at the end of the run! 
Beer at the end of a run is way better than a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! 🙂 
 Me & Yannick!

I didn’t run in my socks…I test ran some asics and had not put my shoes back on yet.
 

 

Lacking Run Motivation

~ todaysadventureis ~ Leave a comment

Oh my goodness I’m so not feeling the motivation to run.  I want to run, but when it comes down to the actual steps of putting on the gear and getting out the door it just doesn’t happen.  I need to change that though…ASAP…I have a 10K in two weeks.  YIKES!!!!

My back is feeling so much better and I want to run, now I just have to get to it and do it!

I have been thinking about running though, and am lining up my schedule for next year.  I’m so excited I got into the one Half I really want to do next year!  

This is one of the races on my race bucket list, and I’m so excited that it’s going to happen next year! Michelle got in as well, so her and I will be taking a girls weekend to visit Mark’s sister/stay with her, and run in a truly beautiful setting.  I can’t wait…hello my favorite distance and my favorite beverage!!!

Part of my problem is summer is winding down and we are so busy right now.  It’s been really easy to back burner running in favor of other things.  Like enjoying sun tea and playing with Sky.

This may be my favorite time of summer because is sunny and warm, but not too hot, and everyone is getting ready to go back to school/last minute vacations so the playgrounds are empty!  

 
And…I’m spending lot’s of time enjoying the pleasant summer evenings on the deck with wine and some of my favorite magazines!

But, this week is the week to get back out there and log some miles in my favorite shoes!  And, since we are getting ready to head out on our own end of summer vaca I want to get a few runs in before traveling, and set myself up to enjoy running in Whistler!!!  Nothing like cramming in some last minute training runs before race day.  Not the best plan, but it’s going to have to do this time around.

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Who else has end of summer travel plans?  Where you going?

End of summer races?  

TGIF = Packet Pick Up Day!

~ todaysadventureis ~ Leave a comment

I totally have race day on the brain.  I couldn’t sleep last night at all.  All sorts of dreams/thoughts about my alarm not going off, getting lost on the way to the start line, having a totally horrible race,  wearing my white running skirt and potential disaster, being to hot, waking up race morning and it being frozen all of a sudden.

Honestly I’m not worried or nervous…I’m just really excited!  Excited to be running this one period, and excited about the pace I was able to achieve on my 12 mile training run even with the lack of training, I’m really ready to get out there tomorrow and see what I can do!  It’s kind of silly really…it’s not like this is my first race.  

In the meantime I’m still working on getting life back to normal!  It’s busy work let me tell you!  Everything from getting back on track with my Jamberry business (I was bummed I only had one party going into July, but turns out that was a good thing given how much we ended up being gone!) to a marathon grocery shopping trip with Sky yesterday (she was such a good girl, had a smile the whole time!) and (boy does it feel good to have the freezer and pantry stuffed full of yummy goodness again!), to getting the laundry done, phone calls made, appointments scheduled.

It’s been busy, but life feels organized once again and that makes me happy!

A few pics from the week…even though it’s been a busy one we still find time for fun!

Totally girly and totally fun…had to include nails in my race day prep!  Runner Girls ready to run! 

Wednesday afternoons Sky visits the parents for a few hours allowing me to run errands, or just chill with a book.  It was ring inspection day and the store needed to keep my ring for a while to work on it.  So, I hit up Jamba Juice to try out the carrot, ginger, cayenne blend and I loved it!  Try it…just don’t drink the last little bit at the bottom too fast…all the cayenne ended up in that one sip.  WOW is all I have to say about that.

Elya and I took an evening walk around the Chambers Bay loop Tuesday night, and it was felt so good to be back at it with her!  We have seen each other and hung out since the ankle break, but have not done intentional work out type of activity since the end of March!  She is working hard to get her ankle back to fully functional and I’m glad I get to be part of the process!  (Cruddy pic of us, (sunset behind us with my cell phone = not great) but had to take it since it’s our first time “working out” in a very long time)!

We walked Sky down to the school playground near our house and do you think she played on the playground at all?  NO!  All she wanted to do was hike in the tall grass, and run the stairs!  She went up and down the stairs, and did some hill repeats, the whole time we were there.  She was a sweaty hot mess after about an hour of that.  “I just run, run”.  Makes my runner heart, and my Mommy heart happy!

She put then in time out…I have no idea why, but she was pretty ticked at them! 

Always asking if she can take pics with my phone. 
 Grilling as much as possible since it’s so nice out!

P.S. Special Shout Outs to a few friends running Tacoma Narrows Half tomorrow as well: El – my friend and stylist who is running for a huge PR!  You will kill it, I just know it!  Kelli – who I met through Fleet Feet is running her very first Half tomorrow!  Have fun with it!  And shout outs to my Dad and Elya who will be stationed along the route cheering runners on…it means more than you know!  They will both be at the top of the last of the first few hills that are the worst for me…my mantra for those hills “Get to Dad and Elya, just get to them”.  After that it’s RACE ON! 

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Who else still gets race day jitters before the race?  How do you stop the tossing and turning?


Good Run, Run Mommy

~ todaysadventureis ~ 1 Comment

Am I the only one that wants to wear the race medal for days afterwards?  I’m just so satisfied (I hate to say proud because I’m not arrogant) with my effort and accomplishment that I kind of want everyone to know about it. 

I resist though, because that would make me an annoying runner, or more annoying than I already am.  I finally have enough race bling that I need to start thinking about what I’m actually going to do with them.  Store them/display or not display them in the house…more like display them/hide them at the same time in my closet somehow, donate them?  I mean if I can’t wear them without getting on peoples nerves what’s the point of having them?  

Got out for a what I thought would be a quick and easy short little run just to get my running legs under me again.  Oh man there was nothing quick or easy about it!  It was hard, and hot, and I was miserable the entire time.  For as hot as See Jane was I was way more drenched after today’s 2 miles than I was after 13 at See Jane.  Rivers of sweat running off me. Couldn’t get in a cool shower fast enough.

The best part was when I stopped to walk the last 10 yards to cool down Sky yelled out “Good run, run Mommy” with glee in her voice.  That sort of made the 2 miles of torcher worth it.

I always feel like a little pampering is in order after a big race, and thanks to Val I was all set to get a mani and pedi.  I started thinking about it though and realized that my manicures chip after 2 or 3 days and my pedicures are pointless with all the spray/powder and anti-blister stuff I put on my feet.  So, instead of going for a few days of pleasure I went for a whole years worth!!! 

I upgraded my Birchbox membership from month to month to the whole year!!!  I will get a box of high end beauty samples sent to me for an entire year, and will now earn bonus points for each box shipped.  At any time I can turn those points in to put them towards full-sized products that I like.  I’m so excited, and can now be pampered after every race!  Thank you Val for being so thoughtful!!! 

If you don’t know about Birchbox check them out HERE

A peak at the box I was sent last month…

Heat protecting leave in conditioning spray, foundation, self tanner, SPF moisturizer, body butter and instructions for how to use them all.

I talk a lot about running, but I’m girly too without being high maintenance.  Getting free samples of skin care products, make-up, beauty tools etc is perfect!  Not too much, but just enough for me to play with and remind myself to take the running shoes/cloths off and put on some make-up and a cute skirt and sandals.

The run aside it was actually a pretty great day spent playing outside and getting a few chores done around the house.  

 

She was so distracted by Daddy being silly behind her that she could hardly stay on the balance beam for more than a few seconds.  She loves being outside playing and loves it even more when Daddy plays too. 

Hard to believe that there are only a few weeks of summer left.  😦  Going to enjoy it as much as possible!!!