Settling In: 7/26 – 8/1 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 13 Comments

Despite a somewhat hectic week, I managed to get in a fair amount of activity. Looks like I’ll be home for a while, so things will settle down for a bit, although it sucks for my Mom.

bwrd

I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and staying active and still exploring while supporting my family.

Workouts update

  • Monday: Yoga (20 min), 3 miles easy, 3 miles easy, PB Walk + Toning (30 min)
  • Tuesday: Yoga (40 min), Dogwalk, PB Cardio (25 min) — this was supposed to be a recovery run. Due to time and walking Bandit while it was still cool, I was going to run on the mill. It stopped and wouldn’t budge. We’ll see if Mr. Judy can work his magic again (he thinks he can). Thank you for being there Pahla B!
  • Wednesday: Yoga (60 min), 4 mile walk over the Hudson, PB Cardio + ST (25 min)
  • Thursday: Yoga (40 minutes), 6 mile “long” run, Yoga (20 min)
  • Friday: Yoga (20 min), 2 recovery miles, Dogwalk, PB ST (25 min), Yoga (20 min)
  • Saturday: Yoga (40 min), Walking with friends (4 miles)
  • Sunday:  Yoga, Dogwalk, time to rest!

Running Mileage: 11 (+1)


PB = Killer B
TM = Treadmill
WU = warmup
CD = cooldown
SB = Stationary Bike

Running Update

The fog this morning caught my interest

Monday Intention: just run
Another slog, but a slightly interesting slog. After some nice cool, low humidity days last week, the humidity came back with a vengeance on Sunday. The first two miles were pretty slow. No worries, right now it’s just about running when I can. The last mile? A whole minute faster. I did consciously try to pick up the pace, but I was surprised by this.

Not too bad considering it was taken through my windshield. He was posing for me!

Thursday Intention: go longer but easy
When Summer gives you a cool morning, you run with it — although by the time I finished this run, it was 70 with a touch of humidity. Still not bad. The pace was completely all over the place again. I was surprised my legs didn’t feel heavy with a fair amount of movement the day before, plus the drive home — but they didn’t. I did start to tire out the last couple of miles.

Dewdrops on flowers always make me smile. There’s a song title in there!

Friday Intention: easy recovery
Due to a short downpour when I had planned to go out, this run ended up being a bit later (and therefore a bit warmer). I definitely kept it easy, and I think it definitely qualified as a recovery run. 

For some reason my V02 had dropped a point the day before. My HR seemed normal and the pace seemed relatively normal too. Doesn’t really matter, but I just wondered why. Maybe my Garmin though I was running too hard? It nudged up a point on this very slow recovery run. Things that make you go hmmmmm.

I think we need a walkway over the Hudson, too!

Favorites of the week
It was a very hot 90F the day I went down to my sister’s, but with a storm that night the next day was absolutely perfection for heading out to the Walkway over the Hudson — and it’s just minutes from my sister’s house.

My mom generally does much better in the afternoon than the morning, plus she usually has PT in the morning anyway — so unlike before, when I literally spent hours with her, I had some free time.

The meeting with the social worker for my mom was generally good news. She’s on track to go home in a few weeks (potentially) — they actually think she won’t need an aide, although that makes me a bit nervous (PA at the Orthopedist had a different opinion on that). The big problem is her lack of appetite and the fact she’s lost almost 10 lbs since she broke her hip.

She also had an appointment with the orthopedist, and she’s apparently healing well. On the other hand she has another UTI (she had one in the hospital, too) and they are closed to visitors again because someone tested positive for COVID.

Mama duck & ducklings big & small coming in for food, but I had nothing to give them

Ending on a lighter note, I did walk a bit with some of the people in the running group yesterday. I thought I might run tomorrow, but my body is saying that isn’t such a great idea after all — it wants a rest day. It was an intense week and I got in plenty of exercise!

So the lighter note is the Mama Duck above. The larger ducklings swam right over to us. She immediately swam over, too, no doubt to make sure they didn’t get into trouble, plus wanting a handout. Then the smaller ducklings swam towards us. I felt badly we had no food for them, although you’re not supposed to feed them anyway.

ICYMI: Need some help with getting a good night’s sleep? I’ve got you covered with a simple 15 minute Yin Yoga practice. Check it out here. There are also two short vlogs that go with this practice, explaining the benefits of forward folds and twists and another that includes the journaling prompts from the above practice:  here and here.

Coming up on Tuesday: I’m wrapping up July. On Friday it’s time to enjoy some hot chocolate (or your beverage of choice) and catch up on what’s been going on in our lives.

Long Hair Runfessions July 2021

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 21 Comments

 

Okay, there’s only one runfession that has to do with long hair, and none that involve my Garmin! My ability to misplace things almost always makes an appearance in runfessions, though, and this month’s is no different.

Every time I put my keys in a different place “just for a minute” it doesn’t end well.

I runfess . . .
On a recent long run, I opened my trunk to get my stuff out . . . and then couldn’t find my keys when I was ready to run. I checked the lock on the trunk, because sometimes I leave them in there so I don’t forget them (ironic, right?). How about the ignition? Yes, my car is that old. Nope. Seriously, where the heck could they get to?

I had moved the Yaktrax from the passenger front seat into a bag in the trunk. Apparently I had the keys in my hand and that’s where they ended up. I really don’t think I’m going to need those Yaktrax any time soon!

I runfess . . .
I backed into a parking space for the very first time in my life on the Fourth. We had stopped at Olana on the way to my mom, and the place was hopping. I had to back up just to get out of the very small parking lot, and Mr. Judy said you’re practically in the space anyway. Let’s just say my peripheral vision is not the greatest, but with his guidance I managed. 

I runfess . . .
I took running clothes with me to my sister’s the first time I went down. The second time I didn’t even bother. Although afterward I began to think about maybe trying to get in a run at the Walkway over the Hudson one morning while I’m there. It’s not a long drive from my sister, although it is concrete, but the views on a nice day might be worth it. Stay tuned!

It’s a lot of hair folks — soon (hopefully) to be less

I runfess . . .
Recently Zenaida wrote about 5 Gross Things Runners Do here. I must runfess that while I will change out of my sweaty running clothes quickly, I don’t always shower immediately after a run. I like to air dry my hair and it takes forever, so on days I need to wash my hair I usually shower in the afternoon. On the days I do shower immediately after a run it feels amazing!

It’s all about the very long hair

I runfess . . .
I am glad that I didn’t sign up for any races anytime soon. I’d been thinking about maybe a half in December, although they’re still not sure it will actually be run. My guess is it’s just not the right time for me. I don’t do halfs unless I’ve trained for them — it’s way too easy to injure yourself if you’re not prepared. Been there, done that, don’t care to repeat it.

Does your hair ever dictate when you run or shower? 

Is your race calendar full?

What do you have to runfess from July? Come join us

Runfessions

I am also linking up with:

bfitfivefriday

Why I Also Like Running Solo

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 23 Comments

brunningsolo

Choosing the right route for me
I might want to run some hills. Or I don’t want to run hills because something’s bothering me! I might be short on time and want to stay in my neighborhood. I might not want to drive to the route the group has chosen, which might be close to them but further away from me.

Running at the time I want
Sometimes I want to start earlier to beat the heat. Sometimes I want to start later when it’s colder. I am lucky that I don’t have a 9-5 job and am able to cherry pick when I run (sort of).

Choosing a different long run day
Again, no 9-5 job. Which means I often choose to run my long run on a Thursday, Friday, maybe Sunday — it might be that a different day has better weather, or that I just have other commitments on the day the group runs a long run.

Go with the flow
The weather changes. A lot. Always running on the same day means you may be dealing with foul weather. There is nothing wrong with that, but if you can choose another day with better weather? Yes, misery may love company, but going solo helps build that mental muscle.

img_1233
I don’t think I was mad because I was running alone . . .

Sometimes I just need to be alone
There have definitely been times when I’ve been angry, or sad, or just overwhelmed, and the truth is I want to be alone. Sometimes running hard by myself is just what the doctor ordered. Or running slowly and stopping at lot!

Final Thoughts
I think it really comes down to flexibility for me. Running with groups has many advantages, as I wrote about last week here. Don’t count out running solo, though — it’s got its advantages too.

Group runner?
Solo runner?
Both Group and Solo?

btuesdaytopics

Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

Runners_Roundup_Logo-640x640

Cookie Monster: 7/19 – 7/25 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 39 Comments

The subject will be revealed under favorites. It has been a lot of back and forth with mom, as I suspected it would be last week, and the rehab closed to visitors on Tuesday because of a non-COVID upper respiratory infection going around. I had already gone there, was going to leave from there to go home — well, I did, but without being able to visit.

My sister was finally able to visit in the lobby for a short time on Friday. The plan was to go down this Tuesday because there’s a meeting with the social worker, but that will depend on if I can go to it. Even if I can’t stay to visit, I’d like to go for the day to hear what they have to say. Time will tell.

bwrd

I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and doing my best to stay active in a difficult time.

Workouts update

  • Monday: Yoga (40 min), PB Walk + Toning (25 min)
  • Tuesday: Yoga (40 min), 3 miles easy, Dogwalk, Swim (15 min), Yoga (20 min)
  • Wednesday: Yoga (50 min), Dogwalk
  • Thursday: Yoga (30 minutes), 5 mile “long” run, PB Cardio Toning (25 min), Yoga (20 min)
  • Friday: Yoga (20 min), 2 recovery miles, Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min)
  • Saturday: Yoga (20 min), Dogwalk, PB ST + Cardio (30 min)
  • Sunday:  Yoga, yes; Dogwalk, maybe (if the rain has a few gaps or doesn’t appear at all, perhaps some other kind of cardio at some point

Running Mileage: 10 (+4)


PB = Killer B
TM = Treadmill
WU = warmup
CD = cooldown
SB = Stationary Bike

Running Update

Good advice

Tuesday Intention: just run
It was a slog out there today and that’s okay. There was haze from the Western Wildfires, it was very humid — not really that warm, but just humid. I was in no rush and my pace showed that. I tried to capture the orange sun but it wouldn’t show up in photos.

I find there tends to be less to take photos of in Summer; these berries caught my eye on my longer run

Thursday Intention: go longer but easy
Does 5 miles really equal a long run? Well, it was longer than my longest run last week. I was blessed with a day with low humidity, finally. I definitely took it easy. I also got out a bit later than I probably should in Summer, and it was quite sunny, but the temps and the humidity were lower than we’ve seen for a while. So close to negative splits, but the last mile was slower, although not the slow-est.

Friday Intention: easy recovery
Same as I wonder if 5 miles should really be called a long run, although of course when I started to run it definitely qualified for me!, I wonder if a 5 mile long run needs recovery miles. My body seems to enjoy it, though, so I continue to do them. Plus I needed to get back to walk Bandit, so keeping it short was important. Negative splits again. Oops! Here I thought I was keeping that second mile slower.

Not too exciting — but wait, there’s more!

Favorites of the week
I met a friend for a cool down walk from her run and to wander one of the local farmer’s markets. We get a veggie box, and it’s a lot of veggies, so there wasn’t much I needed in that department.

I was on the lookout for a cookie for dessert.

What’s that hiding inside, you ask?

This was more like a brookie: a brownie/cookie combo and it was delish. So fudgy. Mr. Judy and I split it.

Why yes, it’s marshmallow

Why yes, it’s marshmallow. Mr. Judy isn’t quite as into chocolate as I am, but he liked it too — it just probably wouldn’t have been his choice. It wasn’t what I was looking for, but sometimes you get what you need?

Speaking of getting what you need, being home almost the entire week. Cooler weather. An end to the rain! Sometimes it’s the little things. Right now I have no idea if I’ll be home next week or spending part of the week with my mom again.

GWY Turn Overwhelm into Gratitude MeditationMeditation

ICYMI: As you might imagine the last couple of weeks have been overwhelming on many different levels. I found one solution for that, which I’m sharing in today’s 15 minute meditation.  Check it out here. There are also two short vlogs that go with the meditation:  here and here.

Coming up on Tuesday: Since I covered reasons to run in groups last week, this week it’s reasons to run solo. On Friday it’s time to come clean with Marcia @ MarciasHealthySlice and runfessions.

5 Ways to Plan Your Next Hike

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 14 Comments

bplanyourhikes

Planning your hikes is part of the fun, although being spontaneous can be fun, too. There are so many resources out there to plan hikes these days!

bfitfivefriday

I’m linking up with My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Runs with Pugs, Zenaida and Run Laugh Eat Pie for Fit Five Friday. Today I’m sharing 5 ways (and things to think about) when planning your hike.

1: AllTrails App
AllTrails may not be perfect, but it’s a great help in planning your hike. I like to look at the most recent comments. Is it buggy? Muddy? I always look at the elevation gain, too, because I’m usually hiking with Mr. Judy and Bandit. If you have the Pro version (which I suggest), you can do things like print out trail maps, look to see where nearby rest stops might be, and create lists.

2: Bring Fido
I like to check out Bring Fido if we’re hiking with Bandit. There’s not usually a wealth of information there, but you might find a hike you didn’t know about or a caution about a certain hike if you’re bringing your dog.

3: Actual Books!
Yes, I bought an honest to good, real life book for the vacation that didn’t happen. It has plenty of hikes that are within driving distance of us, so it will be useful and hopefully someday we’ll actually get back to that vacation (or somewhere similar). The book I bought was about hiking with your dog, and it rates hikes by difficulty and also dangers for dogs (among many other features) so very useful.

4: Facebook Hiking Groups
I also got on a local Facebook Hiking Group I’m a member of (and often get ideas for hikes from) and asked for any suggestions on where to eat, parking, and hikes that might meet our requirements. They were very helpful!

5: Yelp
You gotta refuel before or after your hike, right? I use Yelp (and sometimes TripAdvisor) to search out nearby restaurants, and whether or not they’re dog friendly — or at the very least have an outdoor patio. Not all restaurants with outdoor dining are also dog friendly. The one we ate at before our most recent hike was a real winner and even brought water for Bandit.

Bonus Tip: Blogs
One thing AllTrails isn’t always very good at is giving you an address for the Trailhead. We’ve usually had good luck finding something when we search for blog posts on hikes we want to do. Some hikers write really detailed posts that are so helpful!

Final Thoughts
Mr. Judy and I have been hiking, on and off, since before we were married. It all started with a visit to Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks when my brother graduated from law school. I remember when we went to Great Smoky Mountains in the 90s, we had a lot more trouble trying to plan and pick our hikes. There’s so much information readily available now!

Do you plan your hikes?

What resources or tips would you add?

Running Groups are Great …

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 34 Comments

bgrouprunning

. . . even for Shy Runners. That’s me in the white vest towards the right above.

A Reason to Show Up
It’s much harder to bail on a run knowing that other runners are waiting for you. It also helps if you’re a runner who tends to procrastinate.

Someone to Share the Miles With
As the saying goes, misery loves company. Sometimes it’s about sharing the wins:

  • PRs
  • Overcoming injuries
  • A new distance
  • Maybe just some cute new kicks or running clothes!

It’s all too easy for runners to get in their head, but running with other people can help you forget about what’s bothering you.

A Little Push
Sometimes you end up running with someone who is a little faster than you are — as long as you’re careful and don’t run too fast for your body, a little push every now and again is a good thing.

Slowing Down
For the runner that always runs like a bat out of he!!, sometimes running with someone who runs slower is just what the doctor ordered.

Finding Your Tribe
Let’s face it, our non running friends, or SOs who don’t run, and probably the rest of our family can get a bit tired of hearing about our runs. Runners love to talk about running!

Final Thoughts
I started out as a solo runner, I ran with different groups for a lot of years, and for a variety of reasons I’ve been a solo runner the last couple of years. Like anything there are pros and cons to running solo and to running in a group.

I will say this though: I wish when I had started to run that I joined a group. It can be immensely helpful when you’re a new runner, although if you’re a slower runner, sometimes finding the right group takes a few tries. It’s worth it though!

Group runner?
Solo runner?
Both Group and Solo?

btuesdaytopics

Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

Runners_Roundup_Logo-640x640

Little bits add up: 7/12 – 7/18 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 38 Comments

It’s been a roller coaster of a week. Towards the end of the week things seemed to improve for my mom, but I know it can still be back and forth. I am back down at my sister’s for a few days, with lots of rain in the forecast. Maybe I’ll throw in a photo of Bandit because otherwise there’s just no photos from this week.

bwrd

I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and doing my best to stay active in a difficult time.

Workouts update

  • Monday: Yoga (40 min), PB Walk + Toning (25 min)
  • Tuesday: Yoga (40 min), PB Cardio + Balance + Core (25), PB CD (10 min)
  • Wednesday: Dogwalk, Much Needed Rest Day
  • Thursday: Yoga (30 minutes), Dogwalk, PB Cardio Toning (25 min)
  • Friday: Dogwalk, 4 TM miles. Yoga (20 min)
  • Saturday: Yoga (30 min), 2 TM miles recovery run
  • Sunday:  Most likely Yoga (40 min), hopefully some PB cardio/toning

Running Mileage: 6 (-5)


PB = Killer B
TM = Treadmill
WU = warmup
CD = cooldown
SB = Stationary Bike

Running Update

Friday Intention: just run
I wanted to get Bandit walked first because the heat and humidity is so hard on him, and by the time I had time to run, I said no thank you to the humidity outside. I tried to keep it fairly easy, as it had been a week since I’d run, with just a few little surges in there.

Saturday Intention: recover
Getting packed up again to go to my sister, so a quick Peloton WU and recovery run. I chose not to bring running clothes to my sister. It’s supposed to be very rainy and hot, and my hope is that I’ll only be there a couple of nights.

Favorites of the week
Being home for a few days. Finally getting my mom transferred to rehab — third time was the charm. With a lot of bumps in the road she seems to be improving slightly. She has a cough that she’s had for a while now, before all this happened. The rehab did a chest xray and that showed nothing so that’s good. Fingers crossed for continued improvement.

GWY Yin for Happy Hips

ICYMI: A quick Yin Yoga practice to loosen up those hips.  Check it out here. Followed up by a vlog with 5 more tips to keep your hips happy here.

Coming up on Tuesday: Even though I’ve been a solo runner during the Pandemic, I have been a group runner and I’m sharing why I like running in groups. On Friday I’m sharing some tips for how I plan my hikes.

5 Sneaky Places Sugar Hides

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 20 Comments

bsugar

A little sugar can be a good thing, especially when it comes to a little energy boost for runners. Although I like to get my sugar boost from honey (aka Honeystinger). Too much of anything, of course, is never good.

bfitfivefriday

I’m linking up with My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Runs with Pugs, Zenaida and Run Laugh Eat Pie for Fit Five Friday. Today I’m sharing 5 sneaky places sugar gets out of hand.

Protein Bars
Who doesn’t love a nice chocolate covered protein bar that promises to help you start recovery off the right way? They sure taste good after a run, amiright or amiright? Sometimes those protein bars are just glorified candy bars. There’s debate on how much protein we need, and how much we can use at one time, but you can read this article for a little more information on that, if you want.

What should you look for in a protein bar?

  • Ingredients you can pronounce
  • Roughly 140 – 200 calories (higher and it’s more of a meal replacement)
  • Around 10 gm of protein
  • Around 7 gm of sugar (hopefully from real sources like honey)
  • Around 4 gm saturated fat
  • A ration of 3 or 4 to 1 protein to carbs

The above is a very rough guide. It depends on so many factors! It isn’t easy to find protein bars that are satisfying, not a gazillion calories or packed with way too much sugar. Just be a smart consumer and read labels.

Yogurt
Yogurt will always have sugar in it because of lactose, the sugar in milk. Plain or vanilla flavors typically have less sugar then other flavors or yogurt with added fruit. Women should have roughly 25 gm of sugar a day; (no, I don’t count sugar gms). There are flavored yogurts out there that have almost that much sugar in them!

Salad Dressing
Love your honey mustard dressing? Me too! A little sugar in your salad dressing isn’t going to kill you. Some dressings can way overboard on the sugar, though — because it’s addictive. Most of the time it isn’t even real sugar. Just read labels and choose wisely (around 2 gm per serving or lower).

bsugar2

Bread
Store bought bread is another sneaky spot sugar hides. It can easily be 3 gm or more per slice. Have a sandwich and you’re actually getting more than a teaspoon of sugar with that sandwich. Hey, the more you know!

Pasta Sauce
Tomato sauce is healthy, right? It definitely can be, but it’s another place that sugar can sneak into. Sure tomato sauce is very acidic and a little sugar helps ease that acidity.

Final Thoughts
Manufacturers spend a lot of time finding out what will get you eating their products — and what will keep you coming back for more. Restaurants, too. Usually it comes down to adding too much sugar and fat. We’re just hard wired to love sweet and fatty things.

It’s never about just one thing that you eat. Think about a day’s worth of eats: have some yogurt for breakfast (or a snack), a sandwich for lunch, a protein bar after a run, spaghetti and salad for dinner — and you could easily overdose on sugar despite having what looks like a pretty healthy day of eating.

I want my sugar in cookies or ice cream, not in the “healthy” foods I eat all the time.

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or medical professional.

Do you ever read labels?

Were you aware of how much sugar was in some of these foods we think are healthy?

Any great protein bars with real ingredients that you love?

Myth Busting Runner Style

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 19 Comments

Have you been in Facebook groups where someone asks about what your favorite running shoe is? Or maybe your running friends admire your new kicks and want to know what they are.

bmythbusting

The same running shoes can make anyone faster
I cringe every time I see someone asking other people which shoes they love. What they should be asking:

  • Do you pronate or supinate?
  • Do you wear a neutral shoe or need more stability?
  • Do you like a lot of cushioning?
  • Is running in zero drop shoes comfortable for you?
  • Is your foot narrow or wide or normal?
  • Do you wear insoles?

I could go on an on. Just because certain shoes makes one person speedy isn’t a guarantee that it will give you some pep in your step — or that you won’t end up with an injury.

fries and burger on plate
Eat this too often — what’s it really doing to your body? |Photo by Robin Stickel on Pexels.com

If the fire is hot enough anything will burn
Dave McGillavray, Boston Marathon RD, has the story about how he believed this . . . until he needed heart surgery. Have you heard the saying garbage in, garbage out? Just sayin’. And for some of us, that fire just never gets hot enough in the first place (raises hand).

To get faster you have to run more
Maybe. Maybe not. There are a lot of fast people who don’t run a whole lot of miles. Then there are elite runners who do run all the miles (but they are basically outliers). There are as many ways to get faster as there are runners.

If you wear the race tshirt on race day you’ll trip, break a leg, and get hit by lightning
The subject given for this post was the funniest running myths you’ve heard. Probably the funniest one I’ve heard is that if a woman runs more than 800m her uterus might fall out. Thousands (millions?) of female runners have disproved that myth!

I couldn’t think of other funny running myths when I sat down to write, but as I was coming to the wrap up, the taboo about wearing the race tshirt on race day popped into my mind. I did a little looking around at blog posts on this very subject. No one actually had a bad luck story to tell from wearing the race shirt on race day, and of course you see it at every race. Usually the worst thing that happens is chafing.

I’m still going to say you have to earn that tshirt, so wear it proudly afterward and feel free to wear a shirt from a race you’ve already run during.

Did you come up with funny running myths?
If you wore the race tee during a race, did something awful happen to you?
How about running superstitions?

btuesdaytopics

Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

Runners_Roundup_Logo-640x640

Bad news & we’re off!: 7/5 – 7/11 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 42 Comments

Off to the Adirondacks. Adventure awaits!

I wrote the above & most of the rest of the post before I got the news on Friday; my Mom fell and broke her hip. We left on Saturday, since it was unlikely that anything was going to happen that quickly — and if it does, we’re not that far away and come home. Prayers, healing vibes, whatever you got appreciated.

bwrd

I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and running through more cutting back this week — just time, mainly. I don’t think we’ll do a ton of hiking, but we should do some while we’re gone.

Workouts update

  • Monday: Yoga (15 min), 3 miles easy, Dogwalk, Filmed Yoga Video (60 min), PM Yoga (20 min)
  • Tuesday: Yoga (20 min), 2 mile recovery run, Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min)
  • Wednesday: Yoga (20 min), Dogwalk, Swim (10 min)
  • Thursday: Yoga (30 minutes), 2 miles easy, Dogwalk, PB ST (25 min), Yoga (20 min)
  • Friday: Yoga (40 min), 4 TM miles mixed
  • Saturday: Yoga (40 min), Dogwalks a short hike or two
  • Sunday: Yoga (40 min), Headed down to my sisters & the hospital

Running Mileage: 11 (-.5)


PB = Killer B
TM = Treadmill
WU = warmup
CD = cooldown
SB = Stationary Bike

Running Update

Am I the morning only one who thinks these things on the grass are creepy?

Monday Intention: time on feet
It was a lovely morning but somehow I wasn’t really feeling this run even keeping it really easy. My Garmin seemed to think it was okay though.

More Fourth decorations

Tuesday Intention: keep it REALLY easy
I sure did, too. It was soupy. I had checked the radar before my run, and it looked like we’d be dry for a few hours so the plan was to come back & walk with Mr. Judy & Bandit. Except as I was walking towards home it started to thunder. Luckily I didn’t get caught in a thunderstorm, it only lasted a short amount of time, and we walked Bandit when it finished.

In summer there’s usually not so much to photograph. The raindrops on these flowers caught my eye.

Thursday Intention: add some miles
It was supposed to rain and have possibility of thunderstorms all day long. I woke up to no rain, so I decided I would just try to get 2 miles in so that I could be near to home again (in case). The radar showed it would be clear for a couple of hours. I got rained on , of course (also when I walked Bandit after my run), but not for long. I had hoped to do my long run today, and I could have — if I hadn’t been fooled by the weather app.

Apparently we had a pretty good thunderstorm the night before — I’ve been super busy all week long and I slept right through it. I’m usually a really light sleeper!

New Mizuno Wave Horizon 4. Finally ran on the treadmill so was finally able to try them out— they were a Prime Day deal. I’ve run on Mixunos before, but let’s just say it’s a good thing these were a deal I’ll need a few more runs before I really make up my mind about them but I at l least know I’ll keep them now.

Friday Intention: and just a little longer
Radar said rain almost all day. Would you believe not a drop til almost dinner time? Sigh. Well, I did have these new shoes to test out. I did a 10 min WU and then a 45 min run, which was a mix of steady state and surges. 

Severence Moutain overlooking Schroon Lake. Had it mostly to ourselves! Photo courtesy Lloyd Litt

Favorites of the week
We are in the Adirondacks as you read this. Hopefully the weather cooperates. Hopefully the traffic isn’t too bad. Hopefully the three of us enjoy this short break! What  actually happened is we packed up the car, had lunch, hiked. On top of the mountain I facetimed with my sister (who recently got an iphone) & my mom, and the doctor happened to come in during. Long story short surgery might happen today. We headed back home and I’m off to the hospital (about a 90 minute drive, actually a stop at my sister to drop off my stuff first).

Met up for a very brief swim (more talk than swim) and a little bit of poolside Yoga midweek. Very thankful that my friend is gracious with her community pool!

We have “booked” our next slightly longer vacation (still less than  week). We have been planning to visit with friends in ME for months, but we made it official and nailed down some dates in August. I have a 2 day course right before we leave. It’s gonna be busy!

How are you staying cool this Summer? 

What’s your favorite way to cross train? Yup, I do love to swim, but it’s harder to find places close to me to swim at since the community center I used to go to closed. Now it’s a sports complex and cost way more $$.

Any vacations coming up?

GWY Cooling Hatha Yoga

ICYMI: A gentle Hatha Yoga that will both heat you up and cool you down — while stretching everywhere a runner needs to stretch.  Check it out here. I also explain a bit more about Prana here. You might be surprised at my definition of Prana!

Coming up on Tuesday: I’m busting a few running myths. On Friday you can see ways sugar might be sneaking into your eating.