Well, it was, anyway. The mercury just kept going up and up and up this week — right until today. Today it’s cool and raining. A perfect rest day with a little retail therapy thrown in there.
I’m joining up with the Weekly Wrap from Holly @ Hohoruns and Wendy @ Taking the Long Way Home to wrap up another week of pretty strong running.
Workouts update
- Monday: Dogwalk, 2 miles easy + 3 miles with FTC Training Group, PB 10 minute core
- Tuesday: Dogwalk
- Wednesday: Dogwalk, Speedwork (10 x 400m repeats) — total of 6 miles, PB Stability Ball Tabata (25 minutes)
- Thursday: Dogwalk
- Friday: 3 miles easy + 2 miles fast finish, Pilates Abs & Stretch
- Saturday: 3 miles easy with FTC Training Group, Dogwalk, Iron Strength Abbreviated
- Sunday: Dogwalk, Retail Therapy (hey, about 4000 steps walking around that mall!), Maybe some yoga later . . .
Mileage: 18 (-1)
JY = Jasyoga
PB = Killer B
TM = Treadmill
YFR = Yoga for Runners*
WU = warmup
CD = cooldown
SB = Stationary Bike
YFPR = Yoga for Pain Relief
YTU = Yoga Tune Up Lower Body*
*Disclaimer: Amazon affiliate links; I will make a small amount of money if you buy through these links
Running Updates
Monday
This week I did manage to meet up with Running Buddy J for extra miles before the training group. It was the last official Monday for the group — the race isn’t until next Saturday, but there’s no “official” group next Monday since it’s Memorial Day.
Wednesday
I had a choice: run in the cold rain yesterday, or run in much warmer temps and some humidity this morning. My choice was obvious.
While I wouldn’t say I nailed this speedwork, I’m really happy with it — I managed to hit my pace in half the intervals. I’m not sure why it was easier this week since it was a lot warmer, but thankfully the shade held for most of my run.
Friday
Mr. Judy took Friday & Monday off, which meant I could askbeg him to walk the dogs so that I could get out for my run a little early. Because it was going to warm up quickly. I still fed the furkids, so I didn’t get out there until almost 8:30, but it saved me some time and the path was blessedly still shady by the time I got there.
The first three miles were supposed to be easy, and they were, but I kept trying to slow down. I probably still ran them a little faster than I should have considering that I was supposed to pick up the pace the last two miles — but I nailed it even so (even Coach Rachel @ Runningonhappy said so)! Overall this actually came close to my 5 mile tempo run a week or so ago.
I can’t say enough good things about the Cool It Skirt from Skirt Sports (Skirt Sports Amabassador). The Lotta Breeze Skirt was really comfortable too, but the Cool It Skirt is so light and I can carry enough water with me for about a 5-6 mile run with the extra pockets. Use code 522CRJ for 15% off of non sale items.
Saturday
Our last training group run on a Saturday — the race is next Saturday! Unfortunately there was far too much talking before we got started. It was hot & humid. It’s a holiday weekend and some people had places they needed to be.
I ended up running near the BOTP with a woman who was really struggling this week. She told me her story, and this woman is more than a survivor, she’s a thriver! She was really beating herself up because she was struggling, and I could see she really wanted to just shorten the run. Although we walked a lot, I managed to distract her enough to complete the whole run. I knew she could do it — she’s already beaten so much (and shes 15 years younger than me!). I hope that she felt better about herself after sticking it out.
Favorites of the week
Mr.Judy took Friday and Monday off, so we actually went out to eat Friday evening. It’s a very nice restaurant with outdoor seating, and it was plenty warm enough to eat outside. Doesn’t everything taste better outside? Despite the fact that the restaurant is in a strip mall, they have a lot of greenery around the outdoor patio and it was really pleasant.
Today, unfortunately, is pretty much a wash out. Not like in FL, but rain most of the day. I didn’t want to sit at home, I wasn’t motivated to do the things that need to be done at home (broken record here), so retail therapy it was. I got some cute things at good prices — although these Toms were not on sale but hey, they’re cute, they’re comfy, and they donate a pair of shoes to a kid in need. So I did a good thing, right?
We are going to try these ribs in the Instant Pot tonight. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve made ribs. We’d read that you need to remove the membrame. Well, after about 20 minutes of us both struggling with it, we decided it must have already been removed. I got them at Trader Joes, by the way. So if anyone knows if Trader Joes already removes the membrame . . . . well, I’ll let you know how they turn out.
I hope everyone who is celebrating has a safe, happy Memorial Day. Hugs to all the wives/husbands whose significant other is deployed. Remember to give thanks tomorrow — I’ll be thanking my Dad for his service; he’s a WWII vet.
Blog posts that caught my eye this week:
- Strengthen Weak Hips
- Yoga and Injury Prevention
- 6 Running Bloggers Share Their Must Have Gear
- 10 Ways to Cause a Running Injury
This week I am also linking up with the Sunday Fitness & Food Linkup brought to you by Ilka @ Ilka’s Blog and Angela @ Marathons & Motivation.
Let’s get the conversation started:
Do you enjoy eating outside?
Do you have any veterans in your family?
What’s on the menu tomorrow (we’ll be with my parents for a picnic)?
Chocolaterunsjudy 
Retail therapy is always a good thing. Cute shoes too! I like to eat outside at the beach, but here at home — we’d be carried away by mosquitoes and other insects. Besides my husband declares he can’t eat and sweat at the same time. LOL. Patriotic holidays remind me of my dad who was also a WWII vet and who has been gone 28 years. Thanks for linking!
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Wow, 28 years? Big hugs. You obviously lost your dad way too early.
Summers in TX were horrible. I couldn’t step outside without being eaten up by mosquitoes. So we’d do our outdoor eating there in the spring, of course. 🙂
Although there were also some pet friendly restaurants (the dogs were allowed to be on the outdoor patios) that we used to like to go to. One even used to give the dogs bones to gnaw on!
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I love eating outside! I think that’s one of the reasons I like camping. There’s just something so satisfying about fresh air and good food. 🙂 Unless it’s blistering hot and the mosquitos and biting flies are out in full force and then, no thank you. haha!
We’re having a bbq after CrossFit tomorrow. I’m bringing a dish to share – a rice and bean salad! I’m sure I’ll bring home leftovers because it’s healthy and it looks it. LOL
The workout we’re doing tomorrow is Murph which is in honor of LT Michael Murphy who was killed in combat in Afghanistan back in June 2005. I will also be thinking of some other friends who’ve given their lives for our country. ❤
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I tried to comment on your blog & it isn’t letting me. It thinks I’m a bot — I’ve no idea why. 😦
I’m always trying to serve healthy desserts to my family, but if it ain’t full of sugar & fat they generally want nothing to do with it!
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Hmmm, well that’s frustrating! Thanks for letting me know. I’m trying to fix it now.
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I fixed it! Thank you again for telling me!
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Eating outside is one of the reasons we love boating. We BBQed today at the marina since it was raining. Sausage Brots and kielbasa.
My father was a WWII vet and my brother in law Vietnam.
I’ve run in 3 days. No time. See you next Sat.
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We would’ve finished off the ribs on the grill but our deck is open. So it’ll go under the broiler.
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Hope they were good.
We don’t even have a grill at home. So I love to do it up at the lake.
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Not run.
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I figured it out. You’re not training for anything so hardly a problem. I am training!
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I have a 15k at the end of June. So yes I should be logging some miles.
I wish I had your mojo.
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You know you’ll be fine. Just keep calm and keep running. 🙂
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Sounds like a good week, and you gotta love retail therapy. You know I can’t really think of all that many restaurants around here that have outdoor seating, but I do like BBQs with the family.
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There are quite a few restaurants with outside seating here (in like the 2 months we can actually use it, LOL), but few of them actually have any kind of view.
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I’ve been doing some retail therapy this week. Mostly stuff I wanted to do before my trip to San Francisco, so it’s been nice to have 3 days to do it.
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Oh, I did more retail therapy than the stuff I got at the mall! But most of that was stuff I wanted/needed and I got some good deals.
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I’ve actually come to enjoy the rainy runs instead of the heat! I need to check out the cool it skirts I was wondering how people liked them
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I’m fine with warm rainy runs (although it can still take me a while to get out in it if it’s raining from the get-go).
Not too fun of cold rain. Guess what’s in the forecast for Saturday (although I think it will be warmer than my last couple of 5ks).
I’m kind of hoping I get all the rain out on these races & my longer races will have good weather!
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We’ll eat outside at a restaurant but not here at home–we have too many mosquitos plus carrying everything out and then back in is kind of a PIA. We’re still in the heat, but I think it’s supposed to cool off as the week goes on.
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There aren’t actually a lot of mosquitoes here. As it heats up, though, the hornets nest up there & I often just can’t take that.
I guess it’s not as bad carrying everything back & forth when it’s just 2 of you. We really do enjoy it!
Our weekend was cool (and rainy, of course), and today it’s humid & high 80s. It just can’t decide which season it actually is.
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I don’t own a pair of TOMS but I have a pair of BOBS which is the sketchers version of TOMS and they are super comfy. I think they give proceeds to a charity as well. You know summer is right around the corner when restaurants open up their patios. I love a good risotto….yum!
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I do have a pair of Bobs, as well. But I bought it via Amazon — I wonder if it still goes to charity? For that fact, I bought the Toms at DSW. So maybe it wasn’t a good deed after all.
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Bless you, Judy, for hanging with that gal at your run last week! I am always touched when I hear of other runners “paying it forward” by supporting and encouraging other fellow runners (especially new ones or those who are having an especially difficult time).
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I’m a mentor for that training group, Kim, so running with slower runners is kind of what I signed up to do. 🙂
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I love eating outside while camping, but we don’t really do it much at home. It just seems to take extra effort to eat outside at home, plus during the summer we often eat so late that I’m ready to just finish and go to bed.
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I need some time to digest! We do tend to eat later in the summer, but not that late.
Funny, several people mentioned moving stuff in & out. I guess I’m just used to it. We ate out on our (completely covered) deck a lot when I was growing up. And it’s just 2 of us.
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We’ve got a narrow window of weather that is pleasant for outdoor dining, so we do try to take advantage before the humidity sinks in. It also seems more relaxing to eat outside.
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That is one of the only benefits from enduring the winters up here — summers tend to be nice. We get hot & humid (like today), but it’s usually just a few days here, a few days there.
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