Inching towards normal: 5/24 – 30 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 36 Comments

It was a busy but quiet week, if that makes sense. I thought it would be a cut back week but I finally added in a fourth (short) run this week. Mainly because of the cooler weather at the end of the week! Next week it’ll be a juggling act to get in three, I think, so it’ll be my cutback week.

bwrd

I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and running hot and cold (literally!).

Workouts update

  • Monday: Yoga (30 min), 3 miles easy, Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min)
  • Tuesday: Yoga (20 min), Walk with a friend, Yoga (30 min)
  • Wednesday: Yoga (20 min), 3 miles easy (last mile fartlek), PB ST (25 min), Yoga (20 min)
  • Thursday: Yoga (30 min), Dogwalk, Filmed Yoga Video(60 min)
  • Friday: Yoga (30 min), 6 mile LSD, Dogwalk, PB Toning (20 min), Yoga (20 min)
  • Saturday: Yoga (30 min), 2 miles recovery, Dogwalk, Yoga (20 minutes)
  • Sunday: Yoga (40 min), Dogwalk, Filmed Yoga Video (45 min), Some sort of ST at some point

Running Mileage: 14 (+3)

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

Can you see the bunny? Apparently all the cool bunnies hang out at the bike paths. Which means our Hostas are thriving.

Monday Intention: recover
Is it wrong that my recovery run was slightly faster than my long run and also just slightly negative splits? I blame the lovely weather. A cold front had come from the afternoon before, I didn’t have to hustle to get out early, and it was perfect running weather.

I really enjoy doing a quick sketch after a run, sitting in firelog to stretch my legs — if it’s not too cold, humid, or buggy. Although if I’m bundled up I’m ok.

Wednesday Intention: try to add just a little speed
I was a bit apprehensive about this run, suddenly Summer made a brief appearance again, but there was a lovely breeze by the river and the bugs were AWOL. The middle mile was rather slow, accommodating the still warm temps (about 70 at the beginning), but I decided to do pickups during the last mile, which just kinda turned into run a bit faster as long as I felt like it. Which resulted in a much faster pace for the last mile than expected.

Sadly I forgot my phone at home so no photo. It’s such a lovely spot. The trail is very short, but fine for 3 miles. I share this quick sketch I did after the run — journaling and doing a quick sketch in my journal has become a favorite way to relax after a run. Now that it’s getting warmer, though, and buggier, it’s not always quite so enjoyable.

More of whatever this wildflower is

Friday Intention: distance + speed
I have been to this bike path, and fairly recently, but I guess I’ve always gone the other way. Suddenly one way the benches have multiplied! On mile 3 and mile 6 I decided to do intervals within intervals — so sort of a fartlek in my run/walk intervals. Mile 6 was actually the fastest mile. 

The weather had dropped 40F (from 90 to 50) since Wednesday, so no reason to get out there early — and it did make for some lovely running weather. 

Caught the woodpecker on our walk this morning!

Favorites of the week
I got together for a walk with a friend whom I hadn’t seen in a while (working on trying to meet up with a couple of other friends!). Speaking of parks changing, we went to a park I hadn’t been to in a long time (because it’s usually fairly crowded). My how that one has changed! No photos, we were too busy chatting.

We did not wear masks. We are slowly inching our way back to normal. Mr. Judy had mentioned that he was ready to eat indoors, I wasn’t so sure, but when we decided to get some restaurant food on Friday, he decided he didn’t want to do that after all. I just hate all the extra plastic that goes along with getting takeout!

Have your parks been upgraded during the Pandemic? 

Enjoying the maskless freedom?

Anything fun going on this weekend?

GWY Grounding Chakra Meditation

ICYMI: Do you always run out the house feeling scattered and unfocused? This quick 10 minute, guided meditation can change all that. It will help you get in touch with all your Chakras, too. You’ll find the video here.

Coming up on Tuesday: It’s time to wrap up May. On Friday I’ll be sipping some hot chocolate and catching up with what’s going on in your world — and mine.

Travel Edition: Runfessions May 2021

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 35 Comments

btravelrunfess

Do you find it difficult to travel again after a long time with travel? This period was one of the longest time with absolutely no travel in my entire life. Some of it due to the Pandemic, and some of it due to helping out with my Dad in the last few months of his life. It was the perfect storm, unfortunately!

I runfess . . .
I had some trouble tracking down my travel stuff when packing for our trip to Long Island. There was a time I was half living at my parents, and I pretty much had things down to a science. It’s been 2+ years since I had to use various packing cubes, etc. Not to mention reorganizing a lot of my space in that time!

I runfess . . .
I brought running shoes and clothes with me to Long Island. I never felt like running. Plus it warmed up much more than they predicted that last day we were there, and I would have been very warm in the clothes I brought. We did plenty of walking. 

#sorrynotsorry

Warm clothing takes up space! Doesn’t look warm, right? Well, it wasn’t!

I runfess . . .
You might get a laugh from this: I took my largest, expendable suitcase with me, although I did not have to expand it. Technically it fits in an overhead, but the long way. Mr. Judy couldn’t understand why. He was like: seriously? Yes!

The weather was cold to warming, which required a couple of sweaters. I dragged a pair of boots with me (although these ultimately didn’t go in the suitcase) because, burial (and maybe rain, although thankfully it ended before the burial). Lastly I packed running shoes and clothes — which, of course, I ended up not wearing — hat, sunglasses — you know that stuff is bulky!

Again, #sorrynotsorry. We were driving. Why not bring what I needed? I also brought a travel Yoga mat and Yoga blocks, by the way, which I used every day.

I runfess . . .
Running has been going well lately. I still have no real goals, I don’t really push myself all that much, but for much of the Spring it was a struggle. I really do blame the COVID vaccines! For a while the cooler weather was great for running, but even as it’s warmed up, it’s still been going pretty well.

bvivoactive3_

I runfess . . .
My Garmin is at it again. In a run last week, when I went to check my steps after my run, my watch told me to turn on tracking to show that activity. I know I did not turn it off, because it was tracking steps just fine before I left the house. After my 3 mile run and a half mile cool down walk it showed me something like 755 steps. 

For some mysterious reason my Garmin decided it didn’t need to track my steps from that run and walk. It was the first, and so far last, time this has happened.

Have you had trouble finding things you haven’t used since the Pandemic began? 

Do you travel light even if you’re driving?

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

Runfessions

I am also linking up with:

bfitfivefriday

My Secret Weapon

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 26 Comments

bsecretweapon

Who doesn’t want to recover quickly so they can have a great next run? It should come as no surprise to people that read this blog for a while that I’m all about taking care of my body so that I can recover quickly. I have a secret weapon for that, too.

G is for Garmin
I have a Garmin Vivoactive 3. Before that I had the original Garmin Vivoactive. I replaced the Vivoactive after about 4 years because a) it was acting a bit wonky and b) I really, really wanted the HR monitor function — which was not built into the original version.

I like that I am not switching back and forth between a regular watch and a Garmin. Because it tracks my sleep, my steps, my floors, my resting heart rate, my stress levels, and so much more — I wear my Garmin Vivoactive 3 24/7. I may have to remember to charge it before a run, but I pretty much always know where it is.

Some of those features are incredibly useful to me: they help me figure out whether or not I should push a run off to another day, or maybe just do an easier run rather than a planned harder workout. Here are the things I check frequently.

I don’t really think my fitness age should be 20 & if it really is 20 yr olds are in trouble!

V02 MAX
I know that the V02 MAX reported by my Garmin is not extremely accurate, but I’ve found over time it’s pretty consistent. Sure it moves around a point here, a point there, but it usually stays in the same relatively narrow range.

I’ve never looked at several months of V02 MAX stats. You can see what happened in January when I was sick & didn’t run for 3 weeks. You can also see what happened with each COVID vaccine.

After my COVID vaccines I was struggling with my runs and my energy levels. Sure enough, my V02 MAX had fallen lower than my normal range. It took a while before it settled back into its normal range and my runs slowly started to get better.

My physiological stress levels are usually pretty low.

Stress
Garmin uses HRV (heart rate variability) to give you a number for how stressed your body is feeling. You may not feel stressed, by your heart doesn’t lie.

I actually find it kind of fascinating. In general my Stress metric is usually in the low range, but I could see it jump up after my COVID vaccines, for instance. I also know that if I see it jump up, it’s another good indicator it’s not time for a hard run (and maybe not any run at all).

Resting Heart Rate is something I do keep an eye on. It’s one of the best measurements I’ve found that can warn you you’re heading into the danger zone. I generally know when it’s most likely just a blip & the times it really means it’s time to rest by feel & from tracking it for so long. With both vaccines it jumped about 10 points in one day — which it almost never does.

RHR (resting heart rate)
Very similar to the Stress metric. If you see this jump up more than 5 points, it’s a good indicator something’s brewing. Although I’m not quite sure of the algorithm Garmin uses, because they do adjust it down sometimes the next day, so I’ve learned to take this one with a grain of salt.

Yes, my RHR jumped up almost 10 points after both vaccines, too. If I see it move up more than 5 points, again, it’s time to either readjust my run or my schedule.

I actually don’t track my heart rate while I run anymore, mostly just running by feel, and for the most part, it’s pretty consistent.

Final Thoughts
A lot of people could care less about these metrics, I know. I sync my Garmin with the app each morning (I believe that helps me to get a signal more quickly), so it’s just a matter of glancing at the info that’s already recorded. There are times I don’t have to look at that to know that it’s not a good idea for me to run hard, or run at all.

There are other times, though, that I don’t feel bad, yet the data says something is brewing. How many times have you felt fine until you didn’t? Tracking these three simple things (if that’s available to you) might help you clue in to fact that you’re not recovering well, for whatever reason, and you can adjust accordingly.

I am not a slave to the numbers, either, but I just find that it’s good information for me, and it’s readily available to me. I like not having to wear a fitness tracker and a GPS watch!

What’s a signal to you that you’ve recovered well?

Do you ever feel fine and then suddenly get sick?

Are you good about adjusting your running due to how you feel?

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

Hello, Summer!: 5/17 – 23 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 37 Comments

Last week we kinda went from almost Winter to Spring, but I could see looking ahead that we were rapidly moving into Summer. Which we did. Suddenly I was running earlier and earlier and it was getting warmer and warmer.

bwrd

I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and trading pace for effort.

Workouts update

  • Monday: Yoga (30 min), 3 miles with long hill repeats, Dogwalk, Yoga (20 minutes)
  • Tuesday: Yoga (30 min), Short but steep hikes in Lake George
  • Wednesday: Yoga (30 min), Dogwalk
  • Thursday: Yoga (15 min), 3 miles easy Dogwalk
  • Friday: Yoga (30 min), Dogwalk, PB ST (25 min), Yoga (40 min)
  • Saturday: Yoga (60 min), Dogwalk, PB Toning Arms Walk (20 min), Yoga (30 min)
  • Sunday: Yoga (20 min), 6 miles LSD, maybe a walk with light weights later, Yoga (20 min)

Running Mileage: 12 (+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

Just another bunny

Running Update

Monday Intention: take it up a notch
Animals: 30 Robins, 1 Large Rabbit (who was still there when we walked Bandit)
I may often miss a Monday, but I also enjoy running on Monday because that leaves me options if the week goes sideways. I did have an early Webinar to catch, so I had to get out there early, so that Bandit could also be walked before the temps rose.

I wasn’t really feeling strides, so I did my hill repeats where I run up the short hill, over to the longer hill (which is also an incline), down the longer hill, and back over to the shorter hill — repeat as desired. Still riding the good running wave.

This house keeps us guessing. Last year they planted mini sunflowers & other flowers outside their fence. What are they up to now?

Thursday Intention: EASY
Animals: 50 Robins; a variety of squirrels, chipmunks, and other birds; 1 rabbit
Things are heating up quickly here (hence the subject of this post). With two harder workouts at the beginning of the week, I wanted to make sure I just spent some time running. I also got out much earlier as Mr. Judy wouldn’t be home, and Bandit needed to be walked before it heated up too much.

I was really shocked to see that this run was negative splits. Slow negative splits, but negative nonetheless. Hello, Summer Running!

These were all over the bike path

Sunday Intention: steady & easy
Animals seen: plenty, but I wasn’t counting today; although apparently this is where all the cool bunnies (and chipmunks) hang out
Thank God for cloud cover and starting early. It had warmed up considerably by the end of this run. I had 6 miles in mind, but I wasn’t married to it — but because I went steady and easy, 6 miles were totally doable.

At the beginning there was what seemed to be an entire family of both chipmunks and rabbits on the bike path, and yes, plenty of robins, too. What wasn’t there? A bear. One had been sighted recently on the bike path, but not really that close to us. I kept alert; you never know.

The really odd thing is that before I heard about that, I’d had a dream about bears, and one I saw somewhere I often run, although when I woke up I couldn’t quite remember where that had been. I told Mr. Judy about it, because I very rarely remember my dreams, so I have proof!

I think we all enjoyed this hike. I enjoyed the second, wish I could’ve gotten to the overlook though!

Favorites of the week
I was surprised when Mr. Judy agreed to an impromptu trip up to Lake George to hike on Tuesday — so also hadn’t had time to properly research it. The first hike went very well, and despite the fairly full parking lot, we only saw one person on the trails (and that was as we were heading back to the car). No doubt most people were tackling the longer hikes there. It was nice to have the views of the lake all to ourselves.

We had passed a preserve on the way, and decided to stop there and check out a trail on the way back. Even though that trail was relatively short, it was much steeper. Plus Mr. Judy was definitely getting a bit hangry (he also has a sometimes angry hip). We’d gone less than half a mile when I suggested maybe he should turn back with Bandit.

I went on about another quarter mile, but still couldn’t see the scenic overlook, and knowing they were waiting (although I ended up getting back to the car just a few minutes after they did), I decided to also turn around. Probably a good thing, my left calf was incredibly tight for a few days after despite lots of foam rolling! It’s fine now.

I’ve been doing quad stretches at the wall a few times a week for a while. Let’s just say those quads are incredibly tight! This morning they felt quite a bit looser. Not sure if the calf workout on the hike or the recent Yoga was responsible for that.

I think Mr. Judy was mollified when we finally stopped at a BBQ place he knows on the way home. Bandit got a lot of my turkey, too, so I’m sure he was happy.

Are you already acclimated to the heat, or struggling? 

Are you struggling to do the things that have to be done? Fitness is going well for me, but I seem to have lost my motivation to do some of the things that need to be done (cook, clean, even work up Yoga practices)

How’s your running/fitness going?

GWY Crown Chakra

ICYMI: We have arrived at your Crown Chakra. You guys, I personally loved this practice. I felt so opened up (in a good way) afterwards! I do have a warning though — I can’t see you to guide you through shoulderstand, and even though it’s modified, be careful if you choose to do it. A good alternative is plain ole legs up the wall. You’ll find the video here.

Coming up on Tuesday: I’m revealing one of my secret weapons that helps me choose whether or not it’s a good day to run. On Friday I’ll join you all to get a few things off my chest at the Runfessional.

5 Must-Dos after a Long run/Race

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 22 Comments

bafterlongrun

You may have been #runningallthemiles during the Pandemic, but if you haven’t, you might be a little rusty on what to do after a long run — or race (still haven’t raced, not looking to anytime soon actually).

This post is a little reminder to myself — maybe something will resonate with you, too.

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 to jumpstart your recovery after a longer/harder run or race.

1: Move!
It’s really tempting to go home and veg on the couch all day after a harder/longer run or race. I have been guilty of this! You will recover better (be ready to run sooner rather than later without feeling wiped out) if you keep moving not just immediately after your run, but throughout the rest of the day, too.

Put your legs up the wall, too, before you go to bed. Seriously, I mean that literally! Very soothing to tired legs.

anonymous woman warming up in park during workout with instructor
Stretch out right after  your run, even if it’s only a few minutes! | Photo by Andres Ayrton on Pexels.com

2: Stretch while you’re warm
Warm muscles stretch easier. Which is part of why you want dynamic stretching before a run, but static holds can be okay post run.

3: Hydrate
You will lose hydration when you run long or race. You can even weigh yourself before & after to see how much, although I admit I’ve never done this. I keep thinking I really should, but then I never remember to.

Just like you need to refuel, you need to rehydrate. You won’t feel quite so tired if you start hydrating as soon as possible. If alcohol post run/race is your thing, just remember you might want to alternate with good ole water. Alcohol doesn’t really count as rehydration, no matter how good it may taste (to some).

strawberry smoothie on glass jar
A Smoothie post run can both hydrate you & refuel you & it’s easy to digest, too! | Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

4: Have a snack
You will have burned through your glycogen (carb) stores most likely. Want to recover quickly and be ready for that next run? Have a snack. Think more protein than carbs, but obviously you need some carbs, too.

I like either a small protein bar — or a smoothie. If you have no desire to eat post race, which isn’t uncommon, you may be able to tolerate a smoothie. Add some fruit and greek yogurt or protein powder (greens will help too — start with just a bit and you won’t taste it).

5: Compression
Maybe you race in compression socks. If you don’t, wearing some post race is a great way to get some blood to your legs. If you have those Normatec boots (or something similar) — lucky you! Even better!

Final Thoughts
It really doesn’t take much time to do these five things. They will start you on the road to recovery quickly, and the next run should feel a lot better.

What’s your go-to snack post race?

What’s your go-to beverage post race?

Which of these do you need to work on?

ABCs of Running

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 22 Comments

babcsofrunning

Some runners have been able to continue to race during the Pandemic, or at least in the last few months. Some haven’t, and some have chosen not to. I think a lot of us are/were rusty when it comes to training and racing.

Here’s a little reminder of some of the ABCs of running & racing

A is for Attitude
A lot of runners have just been running — or maybe not running as much as they used to. Maybe you’ve let go of some of the things you did when you were “seriously” training to run/race.

Maybe you’ve lost a little running fitness, and maybe that’s frustrating to you.

Maybe you haven’t had to fuel for anything and you either forget to do it or the things that worked no longer work. It’s almost like you’re beginning over again!

Where ever you are, the most important thing you can bring on your run is your attitude. It can make or break your run/race!

B is for Balance
If you’re looking to start training again, don’t forget that your runs shouldn’t all be hard. Or all the same pace. Or distance!

You want a balance of speed, or distance, and most importantly — truly easy runs.

A little balance work wouldn’t hurt, either.

city man people woman
See? Even Coach is Hula Hooping! | Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

C is for Cross Training
All running all the time is the reason at least 70% of runners will experience an injury this year. Running is a very forward motion. It’s a repetitive motion.

Get on your bike, get in the pool, heck hula hoop if you enjoy it (it’ll work that all important Core, which could also be what C is all about).

D is for Distance
One run a week — even if you’re only training for a 5k — should be longer than the others.

Don’t go from 3 miles to 6 all in one jump, though, unless you’re a really experienced runner. Keep in mind the 10% rule: don’t increase your runs by more than 10% per week.

D can also stand for Don’t go out too fast!

E is for Elevation
Some runners embrace the hills and other runners do their best to avoid them at all costs. If you live in a flat area, you probably don’t have to worry about hills unless you’re going out of state to run/race. Hills will still make you stronger, though.

If you know your race will be hilly, it’s best to train on some hills maybe once a week. Otherwise your body could be angry with you during/after your race.

No matter what, hills will make you a stronger runner.

F is for Fun
No matter what, running should be fun — at least the majority of the time. Some runs are gonna suck, let’s be honest, but they make you a stronger runner — physically and mentally.

The temptation might be to be very dedicated and serious about your training if you haven’t raced in a year (maybe longer). Nothing wrong with that! Unless it leads you to burn out and running becomes a chore.

If that happens, ditch the plan (if there is one) for a week. Heck, take a week off running completely! I promise you you’re not going to lose a lot of fitness in one week. You might just fall in love with running all over again after a break.

Final Thoughts
It has been so long since I’ve raced in real life, I have no doubt when I do, I’ll make a lot of rookie running mistakes. Or maybe it’s like muscle memory? It’ll just all come back on its own?

No matter what, don’t forget what F stands for — and it’s not finishing (although that’s pretty awesome too).

Pick a letter and give me more Running Basics

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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Welcome Spring (for now): 5/10 – 16 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 36 Comments

Most of my family gathered for Mother’s Day, which made my mom kvell (happy & proud, essentially, in Yiddish). Then the next day we buried my Dad. We visited the graves of my brother (who died before I was born), and my Aunt & Uncle who are also buried in that cemetery.

The drive down, which I did, wasn’t too bad — until we got close to Long Island. It was raining, there was lots of traffic, and said traffic and its delays added quite a bit of time to the trip. But we made it.

Mr. Judy & I also spent a little tourist time on Long Island, even though it was mostly cloudy, windy, and quite chilly. My grandfather and two sets of aunts and uncles lived on Long Island — one quite close to where we stayed, so there was a lot of nostalgia.

Spring does seem to have finally arrived in Upstate NY this weekend, though, so we’re finally soaking up some sun.

bwrd

I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and enjoying some good running finally.

Workouts update

  • Monday: Yoga (20 min), Walking to buy baked goods, Walking the beach
  • Tuesday: Yoga (20 min), Walk to the beach, Short hike to a waterfall
  • Wednesday: Yoga (20 min), Dogwalk, 3 miles easy, Yoga (20 min)
  • Thursday: Yoga (20 min), Dogwalk
  • Friday: Yoga (30 min), 5 mile long-ish run, Yoga (20 min)
  • Saturday: Yoga (30 min), 3 miles easy, Dogwalk, Yoga (20 minutes)
  • Sunday: Yoga (30 min), Dogwalk, Some sort of ST at some point

Running Mileage: 11 (+.5)

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

Driveway tomato house is now apparently driveway strawberry house

Wednesday Intention: take it easy
Although our trip went well, I was feeling very tired by Wednesday. It was a long, intense drive down and we packed a lot into those few days. And oh, yes, my Dad’s burial. I didn’t feel alled to run while I was on Long Island, but there was lots of walking. This run was strong, though, and surprising negative splits.

Came across this fellow on my cool down walk. They don’t bother me when I see them first.

Friday Intention: listen to my body and stop early if it said that’s what it wanted
Animals seen: 35 birds, including one cardinal; 5 chipmunks; a couple of squirrels; 1 rabbit; 1 snake
Thursday I was still very tired. I didn’t do much the first two days we got home. I wasn’t sure running was advisable, but I decided to go out & see. This run also went well, even though it had warmed up considerably. Pretty consistent. The tunnels under the overpasses stay so nice & cool!

Yet more red tulips

Saturday Intention: recover
Animals seen: 43 Robins, 1 Cardinal, 1 Chickadee?, A variety of UFOs; 3 squirrels; a duck & its ducklings
I have never seen a duck in this neighborhood — but that was on our walk with Bandit post run. The Chickadee I saw is a small bird that looks like the photos of Chickadees I looked up, but it’s a very neon yellow, so not sure.

This run was still a bit fast for a recovery run, but definitely not fast. Not that any of my runs have been fast lately. Still strong and consistent, despite it warming up even more.  

Vanderbilt Mansion grounds on the Hudson; Fire Island National Seashore & Lighthouse; High Falls

Favorites of the week
I’m not sure you could call my Dad’s burial a favorite, but it gives my mom closure finally. She was able to attend via her Amazon Echo. She also loved having the family together (mostly, anyway) for Mother’s Day, although we didn’t stay too long — there was still a long trip ahead of us.

We didn’t have a lot of time on Long Island, but we made the best of it. We didn’t have to eat inside at all, even though it was chilly for most of the trip.

The good news is we have booked an AirBnB that’s pet friendly outside of Lake Placid Village for July. So we’re taking Bandit. He didn’t do well in a hotel, but I’m hoping in a private house he’ll do better. There’s also a fenced in yard and that’s super helpful. We’re only staying three nights.

Poor mama definitely seemed distressed; don’t know if they saved her babies (photo courtesy of Mr. Judy)

In other animal news. when we came back to our street on Saturday a police car barely stopped at the stop sign. When we got up on the part our house is on, people were huddled on one side of the street and the police car was stopped in the middle of the road.

That’s when we saw the duck with her ducklings. Best we could figure is some of her ducklings fell down into one of the sewers. Hoping it worked out for the poor mama and her ducklings.

We have never seen ducks here. We don’t live by water. Best I could figure is maybe they came from the Town Offices, but that’s a good mile from here.

Duck Update: we heard from a neighbor this morning that the ducklings were rescued.

One of my favorite lunches

Any odd animals in your neighborhood recently? 

Are you ready to travel?

How’s your running/fitness going?

GWY Third eye Chakra

ICYMI: We’ll be concentrating on your third eye — where you can visualize your future (or a future race). We’ll also be opening up those hips, shoulders, and stretching out your low back. You’ll find the video here.

Coming up on Tuesday: Apparently I’m into the alphabet lately — we’re going over the ABCs of running. On Friday I’ll share five things it’s good to do post run/race. These posts are mainly reminders for me!

5 Cs of Mental Toughness

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 24 Comments

b5cmental

 

We all know that most anything in life is really more about what goes on in our head, not our body. The head can override the body — for good or bad.

I’m sharing five tips from the book “Mind Gym” (Amazon affiliate link here) to help you with your mental toughness.

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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 to work on your mental game — whether you’re returning to racing — or not!

1: Confident

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t — you’re right!

In other words, believe in yourself, your capabilities, and your training

overgrown trees from window with drops in rainy weather
You can’t control the weather so just go with the flow | Photo by Sam Willis on Pexels.com

2: Control
Focus on what you can control:

  • Your thoughts
  • Your fueling
  • Your hydrating

Let go of what you can’t control:

  • The course
  • The weather
  • The people around you

Just don’t give any energy to the things you can’t control, pour it all into what you can control

3: Courage
It’s so easy to give into our inner critic:

It’s too hilly. It’s too hot, cold, windy, rainy. I may as well just give up, I’m never going to hit my goal anyway.

There are very few races — if any — that go completely our way. There’s almost always something we have to overcome. That takes courage.

I remember more than one race where I thought I had run too slow to ever meet my goal, only to realize towards the end that I still could — if I dug deep and had courage.

In other words:

Never give up

4: Consistent
This one is about training, not actual racing — but it’s important. I think it’s one of my superpowers, and I’ve always said that if I’m going to race, I’m going to train for it. Not because of PRs (although that’s nice, of course), but because it actually gives me that confidence, knowing that I have shown up, and done the work. Knowing that my body is prepared to race and therefore much less likely to get injured.

people running during daytime
You can see the competitiveness on their faces | Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

5: Competitive
You don’t have to be an elite athlete — or even a fast runner — to use competitiveness to your advantage. Even if  you’re DFL (dead frickin’ last). All you need is a rabbit to chase. I know I often do better when I’m chasing a runner who is just a little faster than I am!

Final Thoughts
You don’t have to be trying for a certain time, a PR, or qualifying for a race to put the 5 Cs into play. Even if the race is more about fun than racing, I promise you, you’re going to have a better experience if you work on the 5 Cs!

How is your mental game these days?

Which of the 5 Cs do you need to work on? Letting go of the things I can’t control for me

Can you think of any Cs to add to this list?

Challenge: Count All the Animals!

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 31 Comments

bcountingbirds

Maybe you’re training for a real life race — or maybe you’ve run a few already. If you need to change up things a bit, I’ve got a fun challenge for you this week! Bonus points if you can snag photos.

I’ve been running around my neighborhood a lot lately, and this has helped me from being super bored with the scenery — even if the scenery in Spring is pretty!

animal avian beak beautiful
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

What animals do you see on the run? Count em!
Last year we were trying to find the colors of the rainbow (see this post here). Thanks to Kim @ kimrunsonthefly for this challenge. She happened to mention that she wasn’t seeing many Robins any more.

My guess is I’m seeing all the Robins because I’m out there much, much later than Kim. Apparently the Robins don’t get many worms because they are not early morning birds (just joking)!

After Kim made that comment, on the next walk with Mr. Judy and Bandit I started to count Robins. I didn’t even think of starting to do it until we’d already been walking a while. We don’t walk very far, either.

That first day I counted 11 Robins and 1 Rabbit.

The next day I ran and I counted 11 Robins, 1 Cardinal, 1 Rabbit and a Murder of Crows

Again I didn’t even think to start looking for them until I was halfway through my run.

The next week I started right away — and counted a record number of Robins: 47!

Next time you’re bored on your run, I’d love to hear how many and which kind of animals you see on the run — I know some of you see some really cool animals! Like I said at the beginning of the post, bonus points for photos. Although I rarely got good bird photos, they always fly away.

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

What I noticed
Although you often see Robins in pairs, I saw a lot of bachelors too. There were Robin deserts in the neighborhood — I’d see a bunch and then none for quite a while. So far I’m not seeing as many rabbits as in years past, but that may be because I’m not running early yet — and also because I know Rabbits are cyclical (they wind down then they’re everywhere again).

Final Thoughts
I can remember quite a few hot Summer runs in years past when I would count the Rabbits. It was a sign the run wasn’t going well. Better than counting steps though!

What animals do you commonly see on the run? 

Are you able to get good bird photos? 

Can you identify different types of birds? 

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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The Final, Final Goodbye: 5/3 – 9 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 35 Comments

Although we said goodbye to my Dad over a year ago, Monday we are laying him to rest, near his parents and his first born son (who died before I was born) and some other relatives. I hope this gives my Mom closure — although we don’t expect that she’ll be there, we know it bothered her that he hadn’t been laid to rest completely.

bwrd

I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and recounting a strong running week. I was sure I’d be on the treadmill one day, but thankfully the weather held for me.

Workouts update

  • Monday: Yoga (10 min), 3 miles + Dogwalk
  • Tuesday: Yoga (50 min), Dogwalk, PB ST (25 min), Yoga (20 min)
  • Wednesday: Yoga (20 min),  3 miles easy, Yoga (40 min)
  • Thursday: Yoga (20 min), Dogwalk, Filmed Yoga Video (60 min), PB ST (25 min)
  • Friday: Yoga (40 min), Dogwalk
  • Saturday: Yoga (20 min), 4.5 miles easy, Yoga (20 minutes)
  • Sunday: Yoga (20 min), some light walking/ hiking on the way down, hopefully

Running Mileage: 10.5 (+1.5)

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

Some pretty flowers for your Mother’s Day

Monday Intention: recover
Yet another week when I have to cram in my runs to some degree, so back to back runs again. I’m not running long, so it’s much easier to do. Took it nice and easy and counted the Robins: a record 47!

Probably because I started counting at the very beginning of my run — there were 17 just on my block! I’m sure there were a few double counted because I loop around several roads in my neighborhood. Plus a handful of crows, a plethora of UFOs (of the feathered variety), and 1 squirrel.

Thanks for the painted stones to brighten my day!

Wednesday Intention: just easy miles
I had totally planned to run on the mill with the forecast for showers, but they mostly held off in the morning; I just got drizzled on slightly the last mile. I forgot to start counting the Robins at the beginning of my run, but ended up with 35, a couple of crows, 1 squirrel.

On our dog walk on Tuesday I saw a hawk and we saw a woodpecker up close — we hear them all the time, I’ve seen them occasionally, but I’ve never had such a good view of one before.

Nice negative splits today and the run felt pretty good — no doubt the chilly temps helped.

More red tulips, Zenaida!

Sunday Intention: increase distance
I don’t dig the cooler temps for Spring (and all the rain), but the cooler temps totally feel great for running — and that rain helps the flowers. My pace bounced around all over the place, but I extended the run more than I expected to, although it’s still obviously a relatively short run.

I felt really strong the whole run, though. The extra rest I took post vaccine seems to have really helped my running. I stopped counting at 50 Robins, there were lots of crows, a couple of squirrels, and a chipmunk — and a cardinal I saw in our backyard earlier in the morning.

Happy Mother’s Day for the mother’s out there — more pretty flowers for you!

Favorites of the week
All the flowers. We didn’t get a whole lot of sun this week, there was wind, there was rain, and the temps were chilly — but like I said, that made for some good running.

Don’t know what happened to this nest. Poor momma bird.

Saw this next outside in our yard yesterday. I can’t help but wonder what went down.

Think the squirrel is thirsty?

So this squirrel. I spied him out on our deck, and grabbed my phone. The squirrel seemed to know I was taking its picture and kept racing back and forth.

Cheeky fellow!

He jumped off the pallet onto the rail and then jumped into the pine tree! I was impressed!

I was going through a box of old photos yesterday. I have a roomate from college I’ve wanted to contract, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember her last name — and definitely not her married name. In the box there was a card from her — voila! Married name. I tracked her down in just a few minutes after that (which is a bit scary, no?).

We reconnected and messaged back and forth for a while. It had been probably 35 years since I’ve seen her. We’re hoping to connect IRL at some point in the future. Her son also went to Vassar College; my parents house was behind the golf course. I used to run to the campus all the time when my parents still lived in that house.

Finally we meeting up with most of my immediate family (masked, although most of us are vaccinated) for mother’s day, and then Mr. Judy and I are headed down to Long Island, where the cemetery is. We’ll be on the road most of the day, so I’ll be late commenting.

What animals do you see the most in your neighborhood? 

How was your Mother’s Day if you celebrate?

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers!

GWY Heart Chakra

ICYMI: Got tech neck? Hunched shoulders? This Yin Yoga practice is focused on Anahata, your Heart Chakra, and will help you open up — both physically and emotionally. You’ll find the video here.

Coming up on Tuesday: I’ve got a new Spring challenge for you! On Friday I’ll share five tips to up your mental game.