Is it Spring Yet...

So I have not been running at all since we got back from WDW Marathon weekend, which normally wouldn't be a problem except I'm headed to Florida next week for the Princess Weekend Glass Slipper Challenge.  Part of me is freaking out a bit (the Type A, everything has to be in it's place and prepared for side of me)  another part of me says: it's a girls weekend with friends, just enjoy it and have fun.

I mean what's the worst that can happen, I get swept? In the grand scheme of things, that's not a huge deal.  Would I be happy about getting swept? No. But I would get over it. Every run and race (for me) is about discovering a little bit more about myself, so it's all just part of the journey.  Also, I stressed myself out about the Boston Half Marathon and not finishing in time for no good reason. I should know better.

The first week back after WDW Marathon Weekend I was so exhausted and my body needed a break. Since then, here in the Northeast it's been a non-stop snow-fest with school closings plus my husband has been traveling for work and Army. So my usual plan of running outside (all my usual paths are covered in snow and ice) or dropping kiddo off and going to the gym before work has been thrown out the window.

One of the many snow/ice storms we've had in the past month

So my plan for next weekend is as follows: run when I can, walk when I can't run.  Have fun!

In between all of this snow/ice/travel fun I found out I was selected to be a Sweat Pink Ambassador! Seriously I had to read the email several times to make sure I read it right. Being in the middle of a rut, this news was just the kick in the butt I needed to get back at it.  I'm excited about where this new adventure and connecting with others in the Sweat Pink community.  You're probably thinking I just buried the lead, but I like to end posts on a high note :).

How has your week been?

Got a little help from kiddo with my cross training (shoveling) today

Catching up...and learning something new

I've been away from the blog for a few weeks, and one of my New Year's Resolutions is to be on a consistent blogging schedule, so why not start early.  Since the Trenton Half, I've been focusing on cross training and keeping up the regular runs to get ready for 2014 starting with WDW Marathon weekend where I'll be running the 10K and Half Marathon.  This is my first Disney race and our extended family is making the trip there...so there will be a lot going on that weekend. So what have I been doing since the last race?

My husband, daughter and I did a Turkey Trot 5K Thanksgiving Day, where my husband and I took turns pushing kiddo in the jogging stroller.

Kiddo and I are in our matching Sparkle skirts

At the very cold start, kiddo has the best seat in the house.

The view from the first hill 

My favorite part of this race was seeing my kiddo so happy to run the final part of the race by herself.  I hope I instill a love of exercise and running as she grows up.  

I've also been running without tracking the data which has been nice, just go get out there and run and not necessarily be constantly thinking about how fast (or not) I've been going.  I haven't completely stopped using data, I'm just using data for check-ins to mark my progress every once in a while. 

I've also started running with my dog, which is definitely an exercise in patience as she would rather sniff everything than run with me.  Once we get going, she is definitely a happy camper and good to run along. 

Mid trot.

Yesterday I did a double workout, first with the trainer in the morning and then a 6 mile run in the afternoon.  The weather has been unseasonably warm after the snow last week (like 66 degrees yesterday) so my usual running path is now muddy and icy.  The good news about this is that it forced me to find a new trail, which is always good to have a backup place to run.  

Late afternoon sky at the end of the run yesterday

So, since it was so warm out yesterday, I decided to put on my warmer weather running gear (which also happens to be extremely bright). I put my keys in the back zipper pocket and as soon as I start running I realize my pants are falling down (I've never had a problem with these pants before).  I take my keys out of the pocket and stick them in my bra hoping that'll solve the problem...which solves the first problem. Now I have a new problem, my keys are poking me. There is no drawstring on the pants so I can't make them tighter, I also know there isn't enough daylight to go back in the house and get another pair of pants and run 6 miles before the sun goes down, so I try to fold the top over on the pants to keep them up...that doesn't work.  I then try to hike them up really high so that hopefully they stay up, which doesn't work either.  I finally realize that my shirt covers my pants so I'm not exposing myself and I can focus on running instead of my clothing.  Lesson learned: wear pants that have a waistband (and retire these pants from my running rotation).

Post run 

Have you had any running mishaps?

Trying new things this week

I'm continuing my training for my upcoming fall races, but there's always room to change some things up.  After I ran my 10K last Sunday,  I took my dog to doggie yoga. Because why not.  The challenge of doing yoga with your dog in a room full of other dogs is making sure that all the dogs will be relaxed enough to make the class enjoyable for everyone.  Luckily once everyone got to smell each other and feel each other out, we were good to go. 

The Happy Girl-Photo courtesy of Four Paws

I'd say our class was a success.  

This month has been hectic with work and traveling schedules, so I had to take my daughter to the appointment with the trainer.  I thought she might want to sit and watch, but she instead surprised us that she wanted to do the workout with me!  Although I pick her up regularly (as toddlers ask to be picked up a lot), doing targeted exercises while holding her in various positions definitely made it more challenging and fun. Getting to workout with my daughter and her seeing me being active is hopefully  setting a good example for her to be active as she gets older.

Bench presses with my 33 pound little one (feeling the burn)

Today was my long run day, so I had 8 miles on my schedule.  I downloaded the Road ID app but hadn't used it yet.  Since I was running solo, I figured this would be a good day to try it out.  It was incredibly easy to set up and I was glad to have found this app.  

Especially on solo runs, it's always a good idea to let someone know how far & where you'll be running.  

I felt pretty good on the first four miles and my splits were comparable to last week's 10k splits so I figured  I would be able to keep up that pace. I was feeling pretty confident about my pace, until I got 6 1/2 miles in and my legs started to tighten up.  What kept me going was knowing I was not far from home and I really didn't have much further to run.  

Another training run in the books.

I have a couple of weeks left before my next half marathon so I have a few more longer runs left before I begin my taper and packing to enjoy Boston.  I'm definitely feeling more confident about the upcoming races, in part because I have a half marathon under my belt. I mostly know what to expect and although every race is different,  I feel less apprehensive about upcoming races..

How is your training going?

Back in the saddle

Last week did not go as I planned for workouts.  I did get to extreme sculpt on Monday and yoga on Wednesday morning.  Getting runs done was harder than I expected flying solo with hubby at Army training. I didn't get any short runs in last week. In addition I fell behind on the full body challenge last week. I'm managed to stay on schedule with the squats, but the full body challenge fell by the wayside.  Saturday I was finally able to get a run in.  This run was faster than previous 5 mile runs, but it definitely hurt being the only run I got in last week.  It probably didn't help that I didn't hydrate as well as I should have Thursday and Friday. Lesson learned.

It's really easy to get bogged down in what I should/could have done better, but I'm learning how to accept what happened and move forward. This week will be better.

Weekend Activities

Weekends with a toddler means lots of errands and catching up on everything that didn't get done during the week.

Saturday:

We had scheduled a play date with friends for our girls which meant we would be leaving our doggie alone for a few hours, so I had to tire her out.  A 3 mile speed walk usually does the trick. I put my running clothes on and my daughter was game to sit in her stroller for our 'run'.

The route I took with the doggie and my daughter is one same one I usually run. When I'm walking, I try to take some photos, since my phone is in the armband when I'm running. 

One of the two bridges on the loop

By the end of the walk, I'm good and sweaty and the doggie is tired out.

Sleepy time for the boo bear.

And we're off to our play date and the doggie (and mommy) got some exercise.

Sunday:

I've been contemplating a 15K in a couple of weeks which means I need to get my mileage up. I met up with some ladies from a running group at a nearby park for a 5 mile run.  I'd been to the dog park here before, but I had not run the path. 

Park view

 It was really nice to run with a group of women, since last summer I was doing my long runs by myself. This summer my running partner and I are on different schedules so we can't always do our long runs together.  Knowing there's a group that gets together regularly is helpful when I need that extra push to get out there and get it done. One thing I love about summer runs is when I leave the house before everyone gets up, it's still light outside.

Path view

We weren't the only ones out there getting a run in at 6:30am.  By the time we were done, the park was starting to fill with people fishing, teams getting ready for street hockey and kids playing on the playground.  The added bonus of getting 5 miles in was I still had my whole day left to spend with the family feeling accomplished.

How do you juggle training & other commitments?