Author: Chocolaterunsjudy

It’s Getting Hot in Here. . . : 6/29 – 7/5 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 19 Comments

. . . Again!

The heat wave is coming, and it heated up this week culminating in a horribly humid Friday with quite the short storm that night. Lucky for me that ushered in nicer weather for my virtual race the next day.

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Joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and finishing my annual Fourth of July race virtually this year.

Workouts update

  • Monday:  3 miles easy, Dogwalk, Yoga (30 min)
  • Tuesday: Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min), SB (20 min), Pilates (30 min)
  • Wednesday: 3 miles easy, Dogwalk,  Arms (20 min), Yoga (20 min),
  • Thursday: Dogwalk , Pilates (30 min), Yoga (15 min)
  • Friday: Dogwalk
  • Saturday:  Virtual Firecracker 4 (1 mile WU, 4 miles race, walking back up hill 2.5 miles, 3 mile CD), Pilates (20 min), Yoga (20 min)
  • Sunday: Dogwalk, something more at some point . . .

Mileage: 14 (NC)

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 Update

This week it was celebrating seniors

Monday: intention — easy recovery run
This was the earliest I’ve gotten out so far! The rain had cooled things off, too. My focus this week was the graduating class decorations. A decent run, although legs felt heavy. I managed to squeeze in Yoga outside in between rainstorms for the win — but did I mention I got poured on on the run? It’s all good, a warm rain is almost always welcome.

Senior display complete with lights!

Wednesday: truly easy run
I kind of kicked myself for not making today my virtual 4th of July race. Cloudy, cool, just a touch humid — perfect weather for a Summer race. They’d predicted rain in the morning (it did eventually start, after my run) and possible thunderstorms. So 4th of July it will be. Nothing terribly memorable about this run — not always a bad thing.

Catching an eagle & fireworks on the 4th (LOL!). You better believe I ran through every sprinkler I could!

Saturday: intention — Virtual Firecracker 4; pay attention to turnover, breathing, and push a little
My “training” (aka my dry run last week) helped me prepare pretty well for today’s long run + virtual race. I got out fairly early, but of course not as early as I wanted to, mostly because I didn’t want to get up at 4 am — which is probably what I would’ve done had I run the real race.

I took an easy warm up mile. Then I (mostly) ran downhill for 4 miles, although I won’t lie: there were quite a few photo breaks on this run. Which might explain why it was 3 minutes’ faster than last week’s dry run. Overall it was the slowest time for this race, which is hardly surprising. Almost negative splits, and the last mile (with the steep hill) was the fastest mile I’ve seen in a while.

Walked back uphill 2.5 miles (I tracked it this time — just curious). Then I finished with a cool down of 3 miles. Yes, 8 miles running (but not consecutively) + 2.5 miles walking. I lucked out because the cloud cover held almost the entire time I was out there. Not long after I finished it there was not a cloud in the sky. In fact, I finished around the time the race would have normally started.

Love this Skirt Sports top for all the pockets (including this cleavage alley pocket)
My Garmin went nuts on the floors again. I mean, it was a hilly course, but still!

 

Bandit is always happy when I’m back
I know my mom wouldn’t be happy with this photo, but it was good to see her

Favorites of the week
I went to see my mom again this week, by myself. No dog drama, still many hours in the car, but always good to see her. Feels so wrong not to hug her, but I’m grateful that where she lives has kept her so safe through all of this.

I liked the Boco face mask

Bandit has officially been with us 4 years now. I joke it seems like 10. He is not the easiest of dogs, but thankfully has become so much easier with time.

Poor Bandit being tortured by Mr. Judy for a cute photo

It kills me that had he had better care in his first two homes, he could have been an awesome dog. The first owner — well, we won’t go into that. His second owner loved him, but she didn’t give him the structure and discipline dogs need to feel secure. Maybe it was also her husband, she was getting divorced and couldn’t keep her animals, which was how we ended up with Bandit at 8 years old.

He usually only lays with me if I’m sick or he wants something, but occasionally he snuggles — for like a minute

No one meeting him now would ever suspect the dog he was in the beginning. Mr. Judy posted a photo talking about 4 years of begging — only in the first few months it was a struggle to get him to eat at all — I guess I have a longer memory!

Once in a while he still goes on a short hunger strike, but they’re fewer and farther between. Most of the time he spends his days begging for pretty much anything — cucumber or steak, it almost doesn’t seem to matter!

Lola is our old girl now, though (and most of the doghair in the photo is from Bandit — our first short hair dog is also the worst offender when it comes to shedding)

Thanks to Coco @ Runningwithperserverance, I got the bee in my bonnet about Disney+ and Hamilton. Except we don’t have cable, we have a TV, a Tivo, and antenna and that’s it. Thanks to Mr. Judy we were able to sign up and watch it yesterday. He got Disney+ on his laptop and connected it to our TV. We both enjoyed it!

How did you celebrate the Fourth (if you do)? 

Have you seen Hamilton?  Do you want to?

If you adopted your furkid, do you celebrate their adoptaversary?  Bandit’s is easy to remember. It was July 3rd.

GWY Heart's Desire Meditation

ICYMI: Are you pondering life’s big questions, like why are you here? This short meditation will calm and ground you, and get you in touch with your heart’s desire. Watch it here.

Coming up on Tuesday: Do you have pet names for the houses in your neighborhood? We do! On Friday I’ll share some of my Summer running hacks and how I’m adapting to the Summer heat. Don’t forget that Skirt Sports is selling off its inventory, so check out the sale here — inventory & prices are decreasing!

The grass is always greener: Tea/coffee Date July 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 30 Comments

btea720

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Pull up a chair and mug with Coco and Deborah and me for the ultimate coffee tea date: I’m sharing how I finally used the dogs picking up habits (usually the bad ones) to my advantage this month.

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Better together? Or not?????

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you Lola occasionally has gagging/coughing attacks. They’re generally gone within 24 hours. Usually when I notice her having issues, I give her something for allergies, and it seems to help. I forgot to do that with her most recent episode, and paid the price with her waking us up at midnight coughing.

I also have cough medicine for her. Unfortunately she hates it. Even mixed with a little honey. Although apparently mixed with a little tuna works.

The funny part is we were trying to give her some before bed the next day. Bandit was there, tail going. So what the heck, I thought, I’ll give him a little, and sure enough, he liked it. The really funny part was after seeing Bandit eat it, Lola deigned to lick some without me having to try and smear it on her mouth.

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you sometimes my Garmin just loses its mind. I don’t know why. Sometimes it’s a bogus heart rate reading. Other times, like last week, it tells me that I’ve climbed 50 flights of stairs. Before noon. Twice! I can assure you I didn’t. My run was a little hilly, but nothing out of the ordinary. I swear it’s possessed some days!

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Sunshine & no clouds — not what I want to see on a Summer run!

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you in the Winter I long for sun. In the Summer, I pray for clouds! I can’t tell you how good cloud cover feels when it’s hot and humid outside — and how good sun feels on a very cold day.

#neversatisfied

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you thankfully our backyard isn’t too buggy, but I got some bites when I visited with my friend last week. On my hip. An area that’s sure to rub.

Then I got a brilliant idea: why not put my anti chafing gel on it? It definitely does seem to help. I swear I only seem to get bites in places that are sure to rub.

Do your furkids imitate each other?

Figured out a new running hack lately (or life hack, I guess!)? 

Do you care about sunshine & cloud cover? 

I am also linking up with:

I am also linking up with the  Fridays with Fairytales and Fitness from Fairytales & Fitness.

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Let’s Lift Each Other Up: June 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 26 Comments

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The weather in June was all over the place. Mostly lovely, so I can’t complain. A couple of weekends were so chilly that one day I had to take my Yoga inside. Then it heated up quickly! Luckily I picked the right spot for my Yoga platform. It’s nice and shady and even on days in the low 90s I am comfortable back there.

Now the ants are a different story . . .

I am taking a break from stronger lyrics (strong is my word for 2020), but “Hey Girl” from Lady Gaga & Florence Welch (a song not familiar to me) caught my eye — I thought it was a good message for the times.

Hey girl, hey girl
We can make it easy if we lift each other
Hey girl, hey girl
We don’t need to keep on one-in’ up another

Although aimed at women, it’s a good message for everyone. Stop tearing people down to make yourself feel better. We all rise together.

Chasing rainbows & trying to stay cool (literally)

Getting in scheduled runs
I’m still happy with 3 x week for the forseeable future. It gives me more time for my stationary bike, strength training, and Yoga. I kept thinking I would go a little longer for my long run, but then someone turned the thermostat to hot and humid.

Grade Earned:  A

Recording my runs
Maybe this sections just needs to go away . . . like many of us think about 2020.

Grade Earned: F

Dynamic Warmup
I’ve been doing good with a pre-, and usually a post-run stretch, thanks to Peloton.

Grade Earned: A+

Foam Rolling
I’ve been exploring a lot of new things, so I’m back to foam rolling only before I run. I know my body would be very happy if I tried for more again. It still needs to be a goal!

Grade Earned: B

Nutrition
Mostly good. The extreme heat towards the end of the month had me not so hungry. Definitely room for improvement though. Isn’t there always?

Grade Earned: B

Support

  • Massage? Nope. We all know why.
  • Chiropractor Appointment? See massage.
  • Do I need a hair appointment? While we can get haircuts again, my hairdresser is actually opening a new salon. Which hasn’t happened yet. It’s braid season; I can wait.

Grade Earned: F

Yoga inside, outside, plus stationary cycling & more!

Cross Training
Running less means I have more time for other fitness activities, which I enjoy. Yet it still seems as though there’s not enough hours in a day to get everything done!

Grade Earned: A+

June 2020  gets  . . . 
. . . an A. A couple of Fs again, but mostly June was a decent month.

June Goals:

  • Continue exploring Peloton App. Y. There’s a lot to love, but there are some things I’m not as fond of. Nothing’s perfect, right?
  • Continue running 3 x week. Y. I also made an effort to keep those runs outside — it wasn’t easy when the second half of the month was stacked with heat waves but I persevered.
  • Set an intention for each run. Y.  I like to work towards goals, and since I don’t actually have a running goal right now, having an intention for every run gives me a “goal” (read more about intentions here).
  • Continue almost daily foam rolling. N. I foam rolled before my runs. That’s all.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. Y. Weight is basically in maintenance mode, and that’s okay.
  • Explore a Backbend Course Y/N. As I wrote last month, I couldn’t find a specific build to Wheel course. I should have just modified this goal to work on strengthening my arms and core — which I did. I have a feeling that it will take a lot longer than a month, and may not be a pose that works for me. We’ll talk again at the end of the year.
  • Take the tests for the online Reiki course I’m taking. N. I am taking a meditation course in July. I’m still practicing Reiki on myself, and when I have time/remember, the dogs. Even occasionally Mr. Judy.

Which leads me to July Goals:

  • Continue exploring Peloton App. I haven’t tried a meditation yet. I’ve only done one Yoga class. Then there’s the Artist series that Kim @ Kookyrunner turned me on to.
  • Continue running 3 x week. If it ain’t broke . . .
  • Set an intention for each run. I enjoy this goal!
  • Learn more about meditation. I’ve been meditating for several years. I enjoy creating meditations for my YouTube channel (here). I’d been looking into meditation teacher trainings — but when someone I’d been following offered a shorter (30 hour) , discounted course, I signed up. Hopefully I’ll be adding more meditations with what I learn.
  • Extend either a weekday or long run. I will admit, summer running is not my jam. I have extended some weekday runs. I’d like to run a little longer for my long runs, but I just haven’t been feeling it with the weather.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. I think this is another permanent goal.
  • Complete virtual July 4th race. This may not happen in July — it might have even already happened! 

btuesdaytopics

Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

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

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Raindrops are falling on my head: 6/22 – 28 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 35 Comments

We had some really nice weather this week once it cooled down, so I was back outside as much as I could be.

bwrd

Joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and my training for the next virtual race.

Workouts update

  • Monday:  3 miles easy, Yoga (40 min), Legs (20 min)
  • Tuesday: Dogwalk, Pink Cycling (30 min), Yoga (50 min)
  • Wednesday: 4 miles with 6 x 20ish strides, Dogwalk,  Arms (20 min), Yoga (20 min),
  • Thursday: Dogwalk , Yoga (20 min)
  • Friday: 7 mile LSD (1 mile WU, 4 miles practice virtual race, 3 miles walking uphill, 2 mile CD), Yoga (20 min)
  • Saturday:  Dogwalk, Yoga (30 min)
  • Sunday: Dogwalk, Yoga (30 min), SB Show Tunes Pride (30 min), probably core later

Mileage: 14 (+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 Update

Today’s rainbow was my new suncatcher — it came from France!

Monday: intention — easy recovery run — like, super easy!
Although it didn’t feel easy, but it wasn’t horrible, either. I got out earlier, which helped, although of course not as early as I’d planned. I scratched the fartlek and slightly longer run idea in favor of bowing to the weather gods and just taking it easy. Considering the day’s high ended up being 93F, I think that was the right move!

Close up. The light was nice.

Wednesday: intention — pay attention to foot turnover during strides
I got out later than intended (what’s new) but that was mostly because I was debating between treadmill (potential for thunderstorms) and running outside. So glad I #optedoutside — the thunderstorms missed us, and with the cloud cover, it was almost pleasant.

I almost didn’t do the strides at the end; I heard a crack of thunder as I headed back home. I never heard more thunder, it didn’t seem to be darkening (although the wind picked up — which was actually nice!), and since I do them in front of my house, I felt fairly certain I could just head on in if need be. I did forget abut the foot turnover until the last two strides . . . oh well. Another decent run.

Another fountain in the works. It’s been changed, but there are some creative differences going on. Stay tuned.

Friday: intention — dry run for Virtual Firecracker 4
I learned from last week’s long run and took more water with me. I did a dry run for my virtual Fourth of July race (it might actually be the race, we’ll see).

1 mile warm up, 4 miles mostly downhill. Walked about 3 miles back up the very steep hills, then finished up with a 2 mile cool down. Not gonna lie, those last 2 miles were tough. Probably because it was 9 am already.

The weather was really nice for a change (which is why this might be the race I report). I pretended I was hiking in OR (my race would’ve been there yesterday, I would hopefully have met Laurie @ MeditationsinMotion). Ah well, it was not meant to be.
This run was pretty strong and pretty consistent. I didn’t push (well, maybe a tiny bit) but let the downhills carry me down. Right now the Fourth actually looks like good weather, but we all know how that can change!
Animal sightings: groundhog and maybe a bald eagle. I didn’t think it was big enough. I’ve never seen one this close to home. But it was quite large and it had a white head . . .

Lola likes to check out what’s going on on the Yoga platform.

Favorites of the week
I met up with a friend in my backyard again this week. Always good to chat with someone other than Mr. Judy!

Bandit likes to come out on the deck for lunch. He often gets some treats from our meal out there. But he likes to lay on the deck, too.
Drying out my Yoga mat

I practiced Yoga after I walked the dogs this morning. Rain was in the forecast, and yup, it sure did rain. But I chose the location of my Yoga platform wisely — it’s under a lot of tree cover. Yes, I got a little wet, but we don’t melt people! It felt great. Luckily the thunderstorms hadn’t started yet.

I did head on in for the reclined positions at the end, because my mat was getting pretty wet and I didn’t want to lay down on it. I’m still in the clothes I was wearing, 3 hours later — the Go Longer Skirt Sports skirts dry quickly! If you’re an XS or S, you’re in luck, they still have some in stock. I wear a S, but if you’re in between sizes I’d size up.

Is there a planned race you’re mourning right now? 

Spending more time in your own backyard (if you have one)? 

Ever done Yoga in the rain? 

 

GWY Yin Yoga for Mindfulness

ICYMI: I titled this practice Yin Yoga for Mindfulness, obviously, but it is definitely a great practice for runners. It’ll help you get into the fascia that tightens up so much on us. And yes, it will help you really tune into your body, too. Watch it here. This is a longer practice, so if you’re getting rained on like we are, enjoy!

Coming up on Tuesday: It’s time to wrap up June. Friday it’s time to virtually gather over the tea/coffee pot. Don’t forget that Skirt Sports is selling off its inventory, so check out the sale here — inventory & prices are decreasing!

Lost & Found: Runfessions June 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 26 Comments

blost

There isn’t a whole lot going on in my neck of the woods, so my runfessions aren’t earth shattering. Finding things, losing things, the heat and the things I should do but don’t always are rounding out June’s Runfessions.

Hiding in plain sight

I runfess . . .
Those missing capris were hiding in plain sight. Sort of. As I gathered up Winter jackets to give them one final wash before putting them away, suddenly the capris made an appearance. Now if I could just locate the missing pj bottoms and the top that Amazon tells me I bought last September . . .

I runfess . . .
I often don’t get around to washing my Winter clothes before either putting them away (or just when it gets warm enough so I no longer need them). Part of my workout mid June was getting that done for a change, I swear! Well, some of it. There’s still more to do, but then it heated up and my desire to complete the task dwindled.

I still need sunscreen under this top!

I runfess . . .
I’m generally really careful about my skin, seeking out shade, wearing sunscreen. I have spent a lot of time running in my long sleeve Cool It Tops from Skirt Sports — they help keep me cooler, and they have some UPF protection. But I runfess I’ve skipped the sunscreen when I wear them — not so good (until recently).

I runfess . . .
I was just beginning to think about running at the park. I’m not sure I’m up for the bike paths yet, since they’re so narrow. The paths in the park are narrow, too, but then there’s the whole park you can step over to if need be.

Except now it’s so hot that I need to get out super early and even though the park isn’t far, that’s another 20 minutes (or so) added in the morning when I have to walk/feed the dogs. Mr. Judy does often walk the dogs when I’m out running early, but he isn’t as enthusiastic about feeding them. Although he does that for me when I’m going out early to run my long runs — as I did today!.

Do you give your Winter clothes one last wash before putting them away for the season? 

What do you skip before a run because you’re low on time — even though you know it’s important?

Is heat interfering with your running?

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

Runfessions

I am also linking up with:

Smoothies I’m Loving Lately

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 32 Comments

bRunner's Smoothies

When I got done with my longish run last weekend, food held absolutely no appeal to me. Even though it wasn’t very long at 6 miles, add in at least 2 miles walking up steep hills in addition to those 6 miles in the heat — yup, I knew I needed to refuel.

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Why pay $6 for something that’s so easy to make?

Green (or Chocolate) Peppermint Matcha
This actually works as a pre or post run smoothie!

  • 1 Frozen Banana
  • 1 cup milk of your choice (I used Almond Milk)
  • 1 tsp of Matcha
  • At least .5C frozen spinach, bonus points for more (you won’t taste the spinach, but if you’re more adventurous, try other greens — I do use kale something, too).
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • .25 tsp peppermint extract or 1 drop peppermint essential oil
  • Dash of cinnamon
  • Optional: 1 scoop protein powder (I used chocolate — of course!)
  • Optional: whipped cream to top it with (why yes, I did!)
  • Optional: cacao nibs or chocolate chips either on top of the whipped cream, or blended with the rest of the ingredients

Put everything in a blender (except the whipped cream, (although it wouldn’t hurt anything!) and enjoy!

bsmoothiebowl
You can’t see the blueberry base, but there’s plenty of it!

Red, White, and Blue Smoothie Bowl
Great for the Fourth of July (or any other hot day)! Want to get your veggies in at breakfast? A smoothie bowl makes it easy! My biggest problem has always been that the smoothie is melting by the time I’ve cleaned the blender.

I suppose I should put it in the freezer while I’m cleaning the blender. Which I tried yesterday. It still starts to melt pretty quickly, but it’s still yummy.

  • .5 C frozen blueberries
  • .5C cauliflower
  • At least .5C frozen spinach, bonus points for more
  • .5-.75 milk of choice (I used Almond Milk)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp (or more, if you like) Almond Butter — or half an avocado, your choice (I used Almond Butter this time)
  • 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • Optional: 1 drop lavender essential oil
  • Optional: scoop of protein powder
  • Optional spices: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger
  • .5 C sliced strawberries for topping
  • Optional toppings: besides the strawberries, whipped cream, cacao nibs or chocolate chips, chia seeds, coconut flakes, granola

Blend everything up until the sliced strawberries (they’re for topping your smoothie bowl), although if you’re including the optional protein powder, blend that in too. Drizzle a little honey over the strawberries if you like (I do!), top with your favorite toppings, and enjoy.

You’ve just had two servings of fruits and two servings of veggies by the time you’ve finished breakfast.

Banana Chocolate Cherry
Do we see a theme here? Chocolate in everything, yes, please! You don’t have to use chocolate. Vanilla will work just fine, or skip the protein powder altogether.

  • 1 frozen banana
  • .5 C frozen cherries
  • .5-.75 C milk of choice
  • Chocolate protein powder
  • Optional: cacao powder (add a little sweetener if you do add cacao), cacao nibs/chocolate, almond butter

Blend everything together and enjoy!

Nice Cream Sundae
Even Mr. Judy enjoyed this. Although he’s had the occasional smoothie bowl and enjoyed it, too. First make the magic shell:

  • .25 C cacao
  • .25 C coconut oil
  • .25 C honey

Melt the coconut oil. Mix in the cacao & honey — I taste it, you may need more or less honey. Honey loses its health benefits when you heat it, so you shouldn’t bake with it. I would also say this is about 3 – 4 servings.

Now make the Nice Cream:

  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 scoop protein powder (of course I like chocolate) or 1 Tbsp cacao — if you use cacao, you’ll need to add some sweetener to taste
  • Roughly .25 – .5 C milk of choice (yeah, by now you know, I usually use Almond Milk)

Blend everything together. It will mostly likely be like soft serve, so you might want to stick it in the freezer briefly to firm it up. Pour the magic shell over and watch it harden! That’s the magic! Then topped with whatever you like, which in my case was granola, whipped cream, and cacao nibs.

It tastes like a sundae — but it actually makes a great recovery smoothie bowl! I’m sorry I didn’t take a photo when I made these a couple of weeks ago.

I don’t really measure things out; I just kind of eyeball it. If I’m using a smoothie on a day I run, I will usually include a pinch of sea salt, too. I’m a salty runner, so I need to get that salt back in after my run.

You can get as creative as you feel like with smoothies, and they’re the perfect way to start yourself off to recovery after a hot summer run. I use Doterra essential oils.

What’s your favorite smoothie flavor? 

Do you enjoy making your own smoothies or do you buy them?

Which one of these smoothies sounds good to you? 

btuesdaytopics

Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

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

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Out & About: 6/15 – 21 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 39 Comments

Well, sort of out and about. We had to go to the bank this week, and I had to take Lola for a long overdue vet appointment. I could almost hear my car sigh with contentment for being driven.

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Joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and sharing a decent week of fitness, despite the heat.

Workouts update

  • Monday:  Dogwalk,  SB Greatest Showman (30 min), Yoga (60 min)
  • Tuesday: 4 miles easy, Yoga (30 min)
  • Wednesday: Dogwalk, Soul Stroll, Legs (15 min), Yoga (20 min),
  • Thursday: 3 miles easy including 6 x 20ish strides, Arms (15 min), Yoga (15 min)
  • Friday: Dogwalk, Yoga (30 min)
  • Saturday:  6 mile LSD, Arms (15 min)Yoga (45 min)
  • Sunday: Dogwalk, Yoga (60 min)

Mileage: 13 (+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 Update

My fartlek trees

Tuesday: intention — recovery run + fartlek
I knew this was probably the last nice morning to run this week. I decided to head down towards the college, which was a good move because it’s shady down there and there’s a row of trees I love to use for fartleks.

I found that I my breathing quickly got out of control on the fartlek, so a little later when I used telephone poles for the same purpose I made sure the hard running portion wasn’t quite so hard. This was a nice, strong run.

I may have shared this rainbow already . . . 

Thursday: intention — listen to breath to keep it easy, pay attention to foot turnover during strides
It wasn’t as humid as I feared, and I had nice cloud cover. Took the first 2.6 miles easy, then downhill strides. Today I focused on foot turnover. My cadence tends to be slow. Somehow I finally pushed my V02max up a point. 

Sunday: intention — don’t worry about pace, more downhill training
I did a lot of things right for this hot run: I froze water in my water bottles. I wore my cooling towel. I didn’t care about pace. However, I also didn’t bring enough water (especially because I chose to walk the uphill, which is literally 2 miles). I would wet the cooling towel each mile, which helped, but I also tried wetting my visor — that dried so fast it wasn’t worth the water. 

Plus I started too late, despite the fact that that’s the earliest I’ve started this year. Ah well, lessons learned. It wasn’t a horrible run all things considered, but it definitely took something out of me. It was 80F by the time I finished, and no clouds — not much shade, either, but I was grateful for every piece of shade I found! Not surprisingly, the V02max came back down a point. Frankly, I was surprised it wasn’t more!

That’s what we did with the firepit

Favorites of the week
We now have an inside fountain, a fountain on our raised deck where we often eat lunch (but not today!), and the firepit fountain is out by my Yoga platform. I love them all! You can view the firepit fountain in action in my latest YouTube video (a Down Dog tutorial) here.

The tshirt says “The Dogfather” (and no, I didn’t buy it for him); it was bath day, notice Lola cowering in the background on the right

Not loving: we had to go to the bank this week. We needed to get something notarized, in addition to straightening something else out. We got there and there was a masked security guard standing outside, which was a bit off putting. There was no hand sanitizer anywhere (except on the employee’s desk). There was also absolutely no attempt to clean between the people before us and us. Good thing Mr. Judy brought his own pen!

Seriously that can’t be comfortable

If you’re in the middle of a heatwave too, what’s your favorite way to stay cool? Right now I’m enjoying smoothies post run and smoothie bowls for breakfast.

Taken up any new hobbies? Seriously, I already have too many!

Did you find any good father’s day gifts for the men in your life? 

Coming up on Tuesday: I’m sharing some of my favorite smoothie recipes on Tuesday. After my long run yesterday, I absolutely couldn’t face food — thank goodness for refueling with a smoothie! On Friday I’ll be joining the runfessional — it’s time to get a few things off my chest! Don’t forget that Skirt Sports is selling off its inventory, so check out the sale here — inventory & prices are decreasing!

Get Your Running Mask Here!

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 19 Comments

bmask

When I asked for running mask recommendations, people pretty much universally said they don’t use one. Spoiler alert: neither do I. I never liked a gaiter around my mouth while running, even in Winter.

I do know there are a few people that run in masks. I also know that they make some pretty cute masks, and even if you’re mostly stay at home like me, you still have to go out sometimes and you still need to mask up sometimes.

So I gathered up a few running mask recommendations — and actually ordered a few too. That will probably have to be a separate review.

Fairytales and Fitness

  • InknBurn here. These sell out fast but they sure are cool! From the Website: We release our Face Masks at 6pm PDT Monday through Friday and at 9am PDT Tuesday through Saturday. If you refresh your browser at 6pm you’ll see what designs are available. Follow us on Facebook and on Instagram to see what designs will be released next.
  • Zensah here. These are plain jane, but I’ve heard good things about them. They have a few colors (often sold out) and a couple of designs other than the basic white and black. Their gaiters are more interesting. I’m intrigued by the copper infused mask and gaiter (which I’ve ordered — they actually arrived last night, so shipping was fast, but choices were slim).
  • Athleta here. I actually ordered these back in the beginning of May. I knew they wouldn’t arrive until June, but it was supposed to be the beginning of June. I’m still waiting. I’m really interested in them because I have a small head and a lot of masks just don’t stay put for me; these have adjustable elastic for the ears.
  • Boco Gear here. Cool designs at a reasonable price, and they appear to be in stock. Yup, I ordered one of these too — it’s supposed to arrive on Monday.
Stocking up. I don’t see masks going away anytime soon.

Masks are here to stay
Love em or hate em, you probably have to spend some time in them. I admit — I really don’t enjoy wearing a mask and yes, I don’t like how it looks — not to mention they seem to irritate my skin (cotton masks, anyway).

In the photo above is a linen mask from April Marin here (not a running mask). It’s pricey, but there’s a bendable piece so that it actually stays on your nose — I haven’t actually worn it for any length of time, but I think that one will work well for me.

I noted that they’re difficult for older people, too. My mom has gotten increasingly hard of hearing — she tried hearing aids, which didn’t help much. Thankfully she can still hear on the phone (mostly). I noticed she had a hard time understanding us with our masks.

When you wear a mask is it plain or a cool design?

Do you wear your mask only inside when shopping?

Do you have trouble keeping a face mask on?

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ICYMI: Last week I shared a short video here to warm up your wrists before a Yoga practice — I suggest you start with that, then move on to this Downward Facing Dog tutorial here. You’ll be spending a lot of time on those wrists, but with breaks between each tip for Down Dog to rest your wrists and your back.

If you’ve struggled with making Down Dog comfortable, I’ve got several tips to help. First we’ll warm up with Cat/Cow and Puppy Dog, then we’ll be practicing Down Dog several times with breaks in Puppy or Child’s pose in between. Catch the video here. You can also see the fountain Mr. Judy made out of the firepit! It’s so cool! I feel like I’m practicing in a spa.

Want more tips for “basic” Yoga poses? Leave me a comment here or on the video to let me know what poses you want to see broken down on my channel.

What I know for sure about training

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 29 Comments

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There are as many ways to train as there are runners, even though most training plans follow the same pattern:

  • Build a base. Building your base is basically making sure that you will have the endurance you need to start training for whatever distance you chose.
  • Strength. Not so much about strength training, but more about beginning to work harder, with speed work and hill repeats.
  • Peak. After you’ve laid your base and worked on getting faster/stronger, it’s time to go longer — and harder.
  • Taper. You’ve done the hard work (and probably beaten your body up a little — or a lot!). It’s time to dial it back, and let your body recover just enough so that you have a great race (but not so much that you lose all your hard work).

There are all sorts of variations: run 3 x week; no, run every day!; back to back long runs (those crazy ultra racers); even spreading our your training over a longer cycle than a week.

Remember, I’m not a running coach. The point is simply that while most (but not all) people agree on the phases of training, there are a lot of different ways to train.

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This PR was years in the making

The most important thing I know about training
Training is never wasted. You may not reach your running goal in one training cycle, but if you don’t give up and you continue to train smart, you will improve.

Training is cumulative

I personally feel that now is a great time to cut back — not stop, mind you, just cut back. Unless you truly think that training is the only thing keeping you sane. If that’s you, just make sure you sometimes ask yourself how it’s working for you. Be honest with yourself.

Always training hard is a invitation for injury. Even our ancestors would rest after they outran that saber tooth tiger.

Smart training will keep you injury free
Yup, you can overtrain and injure yourself, which is why I ask you to check yourself before you wreck yourself with how you’re training presently.

I know some runners feel it’s possible to jump into almost any distance with minimal training. My number one goal for any race is to finish it pain free. Of course I’ve had times I haven’t met that goal, but for the most part, I have. I’d rather live to run another day.

Begin as you mean to go on
IOW, train for the conditions you expect. Hilly course? Don’t train on flat roads; if that’s all you have, try using a treadmill for hills. Working on speed? You gotta run fast. Sometimes. Going long? It’s more important to have time on your feet than speed work. You get the idea.

Do you train or just run? 

Are you training even if you’re not racing?

What’s your best training tip? 

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Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

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

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Solar powered: 6/8 – 14 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 42 Comments

Running this week went much better than it has for a while. Our weather keeps going back and forth between unseasonably hot and unseasonably cool, but so far it’s all good.

bwrd

Joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and sharing how I “train” for my next virtual race.

Workouts update

  • Monday:  Dogwalk,  Yoga (60 min)
  • Tuesday: 3 miles easy, Yoga (30 min)
  • Wednesday: Dogwalk, Yoga (60 min),
  • Thursday: Yoga (40 min), Dogwalk
  • Friday: 3 miles easy including 5 x 20ish strides, Arms (10 min),  Yoga (60 min)
  • Saturday:  Dogwalk, Yoga (60 min)
  • Sunday: 6 miles LSD, some Yoga and some legwork later, I think

Mileage: 12 (NC)

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 Update

Still finding rainbows

Tuesday: intention — recovery run listening to body
I felt as though as I was moving slowly (well, of course I actually was) but when I was done and looked at my stats, it was negative splits. Weird. It was much warmer today, although cloudy, which helped.

Had to capture the beauty of the tree with the sun peeking through it

Friday: intention — enjoy being outside on a beautiful day, but remind my feet they can run fast
Finally! The stars aligned: great running weather and a run that felt pretty darn good. First two miles very consistent, last fast due to strides. V02max still being stubborn, I thought it would go up with this run.

I had wanted to run Thursday, so Saturday could be an option for my long run, but it was disgustingly hot and humid by the time the rain cleared out. No thanks.

Friday’s rainbow
Sunday’s Rainbow: Hope!

Sunday: intention — enjoy the day, get friendly with hills again
Another gorgeous day to run, and another decent run. I went out hours later than I have been recently, which was nice (when I got up it was in the 40s!). I’m planning to sign up for the virtual 4th of July race, and make it a downhill race again — so it’s time to actually start running down steep hills again!

Decal applied thanks to Mr. Judy

Favorites of the week
I was surprised when Mr. Judy wasn’t resistant to a vinyl decal for the wall in my room. He hates putting almost anything on the walls. You’re supposed to apply them not long after they arrive. Oops, a month later . . . it was a challenge but Mr. Judy got it done and I love it!

They just love putting their heads . . . on anything; Bandit blending in to the pillow
Bandit & Lola . . . just cause . . . cuteness

What is brightening your spirits right now?

Favorite uplifting quote? 

Do you just get out there & run good weather or bad, or are you waiting for nicer weather? 

Coming up on Tuesday: The Tuesday Linkup gals (check it out here) are asking us what our training philosophy is. On Friday I’ll be sharing where you can get face masks specifically designed for running — if you wear them for running (I don’t). If you have one you love, feel free to share it in the comments! Don’t forget that Skirt Sports is selling off its inventory, so check out the sale here — inventory & prices are decreasing!