Hiking

Hello Mother!: 11/23 – 29 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 11 Comments

This week I was actually able to go into my mom’s apartment. Which meant I was actually able to use a bathroom. I stayed a little longer than I’d planned on, although less than the time limit — and since I was working on her Echo Show, we weren’t as socially distanced as I would have liked. I’m trusting in a higher spirit to look out for us!

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But first I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and sharing “recovery” week.

Workouts update

  • Monday: Yoga (30 min),  Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min)
  • Tuesday: Yoga (40 min), 1 mile hike, 3 Miles Easy, Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min)
  • Wednesday: Yoga (40 min), Dogwalk., Yoga (20 min)
  • Thursday: Yoga (30 min), 6 mile LSD, Yoga (20 min)
  • Friday: Yoga (30 min), Hiking, Yoga (20 min)
  • Saturday:  Yoga (30 min), Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min)
  • Sunday: Yoga (30 min), runHike 3.5 miles, PB ST, Yoga (20 min)

Running Mileage: 9 (-2)

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

Yup, I can get lost on a 1 mile hike!

Tuesday intention: recovery run
I decided to explore the trails here (which are really bike trails) before my run as a warmup. Then I ran 3 miles easy. Wearing the Zensah mask the entire time; definitely helped that it was a cold day. Sunny though! Sun makes everything better. I managed to get lost just halfway into a 1 mile hike, but obviously I found my way out; not the same way I came in though!

Someone’s in a holiday mood!

Thursday intention: keep it slow long run
It was a cloudy day, but somewhat warm for Thanksgiving — I’ve been bombarded by memories of the dogs running through half a foot of snow six years ago on Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving I should have worn a skirt!

I set out to just take it nice and easy. As I headed towards the college, I decided maybe I’d go 6 miles, which is the longest I’ve run in a while. It’s a couple of miles downhill to get there, so of course that means a couple of miles back uphill. I tried to do a fartlek using the trees, but I had to take a few breaks here & there.

Overall it was a surprisingly consistent run and I was thankful I missed the rain. Not quite as thankful for the family (or friends?) doing a virtual Turkey Trot in the neighborhood but running on the wrong side of the road.

Always lots to explore

Favorites of the week
I was able to go inside to my mom’s apartment for the first time in ten months. I was able to partially set up the Echo Show and we were able to video chat with Mr. Judy, who had to stay home because they are not allowing dogs inside. There’s still more work to do; we haven’t been able to initiate a call yet, but hopefully I’ll fix that soon. Maybe.

I stopped on the way at Olana, as has been my custom in the last few months. It was quite busy but since I hiked away from the house, mostly I had the trails to myself.

We zoomed with my family the day before Thanksgiving, and with Mr. Judy’s family Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving was relatively low key. I made an apple crisp, cornbread, and air fried some veggies. The star of the show was the Trader Joe’s Turkey en Croute, which just needs to be baked.

Flowers, my mom’s silver & table runner, & our China
Trader Joe’s Turkey en croute never disappoints
Someone was not amused there was no turkey en croute for him
Finally some decent sized carrots from the garden!
Enjoying a beautiful late Fall day; Bandit refuses to look at the camera!

When Mr. Judy says hey, it’s a nice day we should go somewhere (which he rarely does) who am I to say no? So I traded a hike for a run today. I was going to leave Bandit with Mr. Judy at the end so I could hike a bit more, but Bandit’s tail just drooped to the ground until I took him with me — so Mr. Judy was left to his own devices while we explored some more.

What are you grateful for this week?

Any great Black Friday deals?

How was your Thanksgiving? 

GWY Detox

ICYMI: More doubles this week: on Thanksgiving eve I shared a restorative Yin Yoga flow for digestion here. Today its a short, more Yang flow focusing on detox and digestion you’ll find here.

Coming up on Tuesday: I’m wrapping up November. Friday I’ll share some tea — or maybe some hot chocolate if I do my long run that day — come join us here (see the info on the sidebar).

Goodbyes are hard: 11/16 – 22 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 27 Comments

I wrapped up my Peloton 5k Training with the virtual Champion for the Chesapeake 5k (folded into my longish run this week). Unfortunately a week of bad news.

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But first I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and sharing “race” week.

Workouts update

  • Monday: Yoga (30 min),  Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min)
  • Tuesday: Yoga (40 min), Dogwalk, 3ish TM miles, Yoga (20 min)
  • Wednesday: Yoga (40 min), PB Walking + Toning, Dogwalk., Yoga (20 min)
  • Thursday: Yoga (30 min), Dogwalk, Walk with Friend, Yoga (20 min)
  • Friday: Yoga (30 min), 5 mile LSD (including Champions for Chesapeake Virtual 5k), Yoga (20 min)
  • Saturday:  Yoga (30 min), Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min)
  • Sunday: Yoga (30 min), 3 recovery miles, Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min)

Running Mileage: 11 (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

Tuesday intention: easyish run
Will I or won’t I for my next virtual 5k? Haven’t really decided yet, but I think I’m going to try to run it this week. So if it’s “race week”, it’s time to take it a bit easier. Enter a Peloton Disco Fun Run + 10 min warmup & cooldown runs. There were still some intervals in the fun run, but I kept them conservative.

Zensah Mask. Surprisingly breathable. Definitely not cute, although I think I managed to put it on inside out!

Friday intention: how hard can I push for a virtual 5k?
Not too bad. First mile was the fastest, rookie mistake. I was doing pretty good until 2.5 miles into the “race” portion. I just couldn’t push anymore. Pushed pause, walked around a bit, then finished up with a fartlek. Hardly my fastest 5k, but the fastest I’ve run outside in a while, for sure.

Virtual is done, now I can wear the tee.

I also warmed up with a short walk, 1 mile run, cooled down with a 1 mile run. I wore a mask for the WU & CD, and I’ll write more about that on Tuesday. Then I walked some more, and did a short hike — I would have gone longer, but Bandit had been alone for about 3 hours by this point. He can go longer, but we’re rarely gone that long anymore and it makes him anxious so I needed to get home.

I’ll go back and hike that path some more there on a day when I don’t run — assuming it doesn’t really snow soon, which I don’t anticipate in the near future.

Many in the neighborhood seem to want to skip right over Thanksgiving in favor of Christmas. Don’t blame them!

Sunday intention: recovery run
It was cloudy and in the low 30s, but minimal wind. I kept it deliberately slow — I was rewarded with a nudge up on my V02 Max finally. Guess I haven’t been running my easy runs easy enough. Somehow I continue to pick the right running outfit, which isn’t easy in the transitional weather.

It was chilly but always good to catch up

Favorites of the week
My walk & talk with my friend & the scenery.

Off the beaten path

My short hike. It wasn’t super scenic. The beautiful Fall foliage is long gone. For me it’s about time in nature. Of course I love conquering a mountain, or more scenic hikes, but just being out in nature, walking through the woods — even if there’s no major scenery, it’s self care that I need — and there may only be a short time before snow makes it impossible.

Surprised to find this small bench in the woods

Mostly this week was marred by sadness. The past month hasn’t been easy. Of course there was the loss of Lola, and I still find myself blindsided by sadness fairly regularly.

My friend and her husband that I asked you to pray for — well, your prayers worked in that he was finally able to come home and be with his loved ones. On Hospice, though. I prayed for a miracle, but he has passed away.

One of Mr. Judy’s aunts lost her battle with breast cancer this week. Far too young at 77. We didn’t really know her well, as she was a step-aunt, and for much of her marriage to Mr. Judy’s uncle, we lived too far away to see them; there was no Zoom back then.

We attended a Zoom Shiva sitting session? Meeting? I don’t know what to call it really. We will also be attending a Zoom memorial service today.

On top of all that, one of the most recent COVID cases where my mom lives was just diagonally across the hall from my mom. My mom has been tested, which was negative, and they tested her again. They actually tested all the residents, and I’m happy to say that they’ll reopen dining for them again tomorrow.

Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer this week but unfortunately, like so many, that’s just what’s going on. I am one of the lucky ones, so far, knock on wood; those closest to me are okay.

Do you have to do conquer something outside, or just enjoy being out in nature?

If I wasn’t running I would ___________?

What are you grateful for this week? Friends & time in nature for me.

GWY Love Your Lower Legs

ICYMI: I’m still showing my lower legs some love. This will get into your feet, ankles, hamstrings — and especially your calves, too. It’s (mostly) not Yoga; it’s some of the exercises I do in the morning every single day, including foam rolling my calves. You can find it here.

Also, the Cacao Bliss I reviewed on the channel (and in this blog post here) has an offer for 5 travel packets for $9.95 right now here.

Coming up on Tuesday: I’ll share my thoughts about the Zensah gaiter & mask I bought for running way back in March or April — I finally wore both on recent runs. Friday I’m musing about how to celebrate the losses in life.

I Come Back Even Stronger: August 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 20 Comments

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August was relatively busy in a good way. 2 trips to mom, one with a side trip. More day trips.  Slight increase in running. Slight increase in walking, too. Made an effort to get in more steps. I collected my mug from June’s virtual xc runs (with a side trip on that trip too).

August’s song is throwin’ it way back, but man I remember belting this song out when I was young. It’s a classic — Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman”.

You can bend but never break me
‘Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer

These lyrics really speak to me! Do you still have goals? Has 2020 broken you or made you stronger? Do you feel that you’ve grown because of every thing you’ve gone through in 2020?

I did it. I didn’t always like it.

Getting in scheduled runs
I’ve slowly begun to try for 4 runs a week — some weeks, anyway. When I feel like it. So upping the ante just a bit. A virtual race (in September) isn’t the same as a real race, but I can still challenge myself a bit.

Grade Earned:  A

Recording my runs
I record them here. Someday I’ll get back to journaling!

Grade Earned: F

Dynamic Warmup
Dynamic warmups were often really short — 5 minutes — but every little bit helps. As we merge into Fall and the mornings are cooler, it should be easier to do longer warmups. And necessary with cooler temps!

I’ve even done a little Yin Yoga some mornings before a run. In fact, I’ve also filmed three short Yin Yoga Pre Run Warmup videos! I was inspired. Not quite sure yet when I’ll be sharing those.

Grade Earned: A

Foam Rolling
Mostly just foam rolling before runs — once or twice after a run too.

Grade Earned: B+

Nutrition
Nutrition has been meh. Not terrible, not great, and the scale reflects that. I already feel the pull of wanting to eat more as the weather heads towards Winter. It’s natural . . . but some clothes are feeling a wee bit snug, sometimes (because I go back & forth around a few pounds).

Grade Earned: B-

Support

  • Massage? Nope. We all know why.
  • Chiropractor Appointment? See massage.
  • Do I need a hair appointment? I need to schedule that appointment. We are in a very good situation with COVID right now, but I could see that changing with more time spent indoors and school restarting.

Grade Earned: F

Getting stronger with a little hiking & extra walking

Cross Training
Stationary cycling fell off the grid this month, but the rest is still going pretty strong. There’s only so many hours in a day & I find I need to be careful not to overdo things.

Grade Earned: A

August 2020  gets  . . . 
. . . an A. A couple of Fs again, but mostly August was a busy month and I did the best I could with the time I had and by listening to my body.

August Goals:

  • Run 4 x week. Y/N. Sometimes. Some weeks I just wasn’t feeling it, so I didn’t. Other weeks, I did.
  • Set an intention for each run. Y.  Sometimes it’s after the fact, though. Not as effective that way. I need to work on that!
  • Finish the irest course I started. Y. I did, then discovered that there was an audio book version on Audible. So I bought that (I’ve got a lot of credits), because I enjoy the practices (which are included with the audio book).
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. Y. I’m trying, but it’s crept up just a bit beyond where I’m comfortable. It seems the Winter creep has started early. So Y to eating intuitively; unfortunately Y to creep, too. I mostly know what I need to do — but I need to do it. #youfeelme?
  • Add in more Pilates when I can.Y.I feel that Pilates does helps to shape my body. Yoga can be really tough, but most Pilates (done correctly) is tough in a different way. They are similar, but not the same, and I enjoy both. The problem is always time!

Which leads me to September Goals:

  • Run 4 x week. It all depends on how I feel. I’m enjoying the Peloton Bootcamps and runs — still have to try one of the walk/runs — so it adds a little variety to my life. Plus the weather should make outdoor running more fun again.
  • Set an intention for each run — before the run! It’s not really an intention if you set it afterwards, now is it?
  • Meditate when I get up. Meditating first thing in the morning is centering and sets me up for a calmer morning.
  • Explore new places when I visit my mom. There are quite a few places that are pretty much on the way. Easier to explore on my own, and then size up if it’s somewhere we want to go back to.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. In the last few months my choices haven’t always been the best. I can feel that in some of my clothes — and I don’t like that feeling!
  • Look around for the next virtual to motivate me. I don’t need to do #allthevirtuals, but it’s not bad to have something to work towards sometimes. Makes life feel a bit more normal. The cool Fall weather is my fun season to run (if it’s not raining).

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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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Silver Linings Playbook: 6/4 – 10 Weekly Wrap

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 32 Comments

I can’t say as I was super happy about the unseasonably cool weather this week — except when it comes to running. On the other hand, running in unseasonably warm weather the previous few weeks set me up for a good race last weekend. There’s always a silver lining, right?

I’m joining up with the Weekly Wrap from Holly @ Hohoruns and Wendy @ Taking the Long Way Home to wrap up another week of training, dodging raindrops, and silver linings.

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Workouts update

  • Monday: Dogwalk, 6 miles (6 x 400m hill repeats)
  • Tuesday: Dogwalk, 5 miles easy, PB Total Body Toning (15 minutes)
  • Wednesday: Dogwalk, Abs, Hips & Glutes
  • Thursday:  Dogwalk, YFPR Hips, 4 miles easy
  • Friday:  Dogwalk, Pilates Legs & Arms
  • Saturday: YFR Hips, 8 Mile LSD
  • Sunday: Short Hike

Mileage: 23 (+7)

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

 

The view never gets old, even though the workout is damn hard!

Monday
Careful what you ask for, right? Downhill repeats on the schedule since my upcoming half has a 3000 ft drop. I was blessed with a unseasonably cool day (and the rain had ended earlier). It’s still hard. I’m sure it will always be hard.

I was pleased that it was faster than when I did downhill repeats last year — not that I was trying to be faster, in fact the warm up miles were quite slow — and most of all, that my body felt fine the next day.

It’s the only color they come in & I have nothing they match!

Tuesday
I ended up hanging around most of the day, waiting for the guys who were working on our trees to finish. The upside was that my new Newtons arrived. As usual, when I’m in a bit of a time crunch, I run faster (it was a theme for this week). Picked Bandit up for the cool down and he managed to keep a decent pace, too.

Thursday
Or the day I broke Bandit. No, no really, but . . . Thursday wasn’t a frustrating day overall, but there was some frustrating incidents. By the afternoon I was more than ready to take it out on the road.

After 3-speedy-for-me miles (frustration/anger almost always makes me run faster) I picked up Bandit for my cool down. I knew it was a bit warmer than he’d been running in, but he seemed game and didn’t seem tired while we ran. It was only 3/4 of a mile.

When we got home it was a different story. As soon as I took his harness off he just plopped down, which isn’t like him; he’s part JRT and though he does a good couch potato act, he’s got a lot of energy. When we went upstairs and I refilled the water bowl (Giz is constantly draining it), Gizmo of course called first dibs, and Bandit again flopped down while waiting his turn. And afterwards he plopped down on the floor on his side.

None of this was normal behavior and we were getting concerned. Long story short, he’s just fine, but let that be a cautionary tale to those who run with dogs — they don’t always have the good sense to stop before they’re overheated/tired and we have to be mindful of them.

Lovely day along the Hudson

Saturday
If I could dial up weather for my races, this would be it. Although I met up with several friends, I had longer to run so I started solo earlier. The plan was to meet up more friends for breakfast afterwards, and knowing I’m in a time crunch almost always makes me run faster. Again!

Or maybe it was the Nuun with caffeine in it. I like to use caffeine for my races, but most of the time in training I don’t. But as usual, I’m playing around with new stuff and one of the things I decided to try this morning was to have Nuun prior to my run (not during, not after). I had one tube of Nuun with caffeine, and it’s only useful before a run.

Or maybe it was the new Newtons (a different model). I didn’t say I couldn’t find them at all, just that I couldn’t find them cheaply. I do wish they came in more colors!

I ended up with a pretty consistent pace, and quite a fast pace for me. The sort of pace I might run if I were running with Darlene (except I wasn’t). I felt a little knee tightness at one point, but it seemed to open up and I felt okay afterwards. And still feel fine.

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Come join me!

Favorites of the week
I took advantage of Global Running Day and signed up for the inaugural Best Damn Race Savannah. In 2019. I’ve wanted to go to Savannah forever, but most of the halfs there are in months that are almost guaranteed to be hot. This half is in February. Even better, it’s two days after my birthday.

I did the inaugural Best Damn Race NOLA last year (read about it here), and I enjoyed the race (if not the heat) and felt it was in general well run — awesome medal, too!

You can join me by using my link here. I get $25 off if five of you sign up. Considering I could barely give away a race entry to UT last year, I’m not expecting any signups but I had to throw it out there. How about it, my Southern runner friends?

Mr. Judy wasn’t happy about the tick possibilities

Today I managed to get Mr. Judy out for a short hike at a nearby preserve. We were hunting for the waterfalls, but we never found them. Of course, we only hiked about a mile. Bandit and Lola were with us, too. I would have gone further, but I was happy to be out there and also to have some hills to climb. I much prefer the hills when I’m hiking . . .

We’ve also been doing a little more landscaping around the house

We stopped at a nursery/farmer’s stand on the way back. We wanted to get some shrubs for various places in the yard. We took the dogs with us, then I saw the “no pets” sign as we were checking out. Whoops! Well, the employee we were talking with didn’t say anything about the dogs. I picked up some corn to grill with our steak tonight.

The shrub above is actually giving us some fits. There were tree roots where we wanted to put and and we’re having the darndest time trying to figure out where it should go. Stay tuned . . .

Blog posts that caught my eye this week:

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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:

Are you still planting?

What’s for dinner tonight?

Do you enjoy the act of hiking for itself, or must there be a great view?

Another one bites the dust: Spilling over tea/coffee November 2017

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 41 Comments

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You’ll have to keep reading to see what I killed this time. No, it wasn’t a furkid or Mr. Judy, although there have definitely been a few times when all of them have tempted me . . .

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Gizmo’s very sweet; he can also be super annoying!
Confessions of a Mother Runner

Pull up chair and mug with Coco and Deborah and me for the ultimate coffee tea date.

If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d tell you that while Bandit was a pain during our anniversary getaway, he’s been doing fairly well at home (except for the whole food boycott thing) and we have started to let him sleep in the bed.

Now we’re just trying to figure out logistics: as in, sometimes Mr. Judy lets him out of the bedroom, but not outside, while I’m making my breakfast — and can’t really let him out right then. Or that he doesn’t seem to be able to go as long overnight as Lola can, which is odd, considering she’s almost half his size. What is it about boy dogs?

And are booking another getaway to hopefully make up for the very unsatisfactory anniversary getaway. This time without the dogs. Although the weekend before Thanksgiving. Which is, of course, at my house. I see a lot of baking during the week in my future.

 

If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d tell you I still have pretty much no clue what halfs/states I’m doing in 2018. I mean, I get it: it’s November of 2017, for crying out loud. But I feel sort of at loose ends without a goal race on the horizon.

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I’ve enjoyed running, walking, and hiking all over the country in 2017

On the other hand, it’s also nice to not have to run. To get in more yoga, more cross training. I’d like to say more hiking, too, but with the shorter, colder days, I suspect my hiking days have just about come to a close for 2017. I am grateful that my trip to Utah rekindled my love affair with hiking!

You never know the places running will take you, literally and figuratively.

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Ended my halfs on a high note

If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d say that I want to say a big thank you to Coach Rachel @ Runningonhappy. Would I have had as great a running year without her? We’ll never know, of course, but I’m so glad that I decided to work with her. Here’s to an even better 2018.

Who knew I could take another 4 minutes off my half marathon PR — when that PR was an 8 minute PR? I’m pretty sure Coach Rachel did, but I sure didn’t.

Although seriously, when it comes to running, this was truly the best year of my running career, and some of the races that are in the “running” for 2018 will be challenging and unlikely to be PRs. But I’m always up for a challenge — well, sort of.

If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I killed another one, as the title says. Magic Bullet-type blender, that is. There was the original Magic Bullet, which died, and then several years later came back, only to die in another year or so.

Luckily I happened to have a different one waiting in the wings. It was a final sale, so not returnable. Only I never really liked that particular one. I made sure to not work it too hard, because the little ones aren’t quite as strong as my Vitamix, but my Vitamix doesn’t always do a great job on small amounts — so I use both the Vitamix and a personal blender all the time.

Except that this one died, too. I have a new one coming . . . we’ll see how long it takes me to kill this one.

If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d tell you that I try not to be a Debbie Downer, but sometimes I feel as though I am. So when I sat down to write this post I tried to think of positive stuff.

I’m sticking in one rant though: I’m so tired of people who just seem to target my little Honda Civic. It’s like I’m not even there. Like the guy sitting in the right turn only lane that literally tried to drive right through my car because he decided he didn’t want to turn right after all and obviously I could read his mind and was just going to let him go in front of me (or through me, as he seemed to want to do).

How hard is it to turn around, guys?

Ok, that’s off my chest . . . for now.

Tea? Iced Tea? Coffee? Decaf? Or something else?

Don’t you hate town driving (which is what I mostly do)?

Do you have a personal blender you love? That isn’t easy to kill?

Are you satisfied with 2017 or look for redemption in 2018?

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Today I am also  joining up with the  Friday Five 2.0  from Fairytales & Fitness and Rachel @ Running on Happy.

New Critters: 9/4-10 Weekly Wrap

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 34 Comments

No, no new furkids! But I saw a larger snake than I’ve seen in our neighborhood before (unfortunately squashed by a car) and a Heron at the park. We enjoyed some scenic views from an overlook we hiked to, and oh yeah, there was a little running in there, too (and trying — but failing — to outrun a thunderstorm — when there wasn’t supposed to be a thunderstorm).

That’s my week in a nutshell. Read on if you want the “gory” details!

I’m joining up with the Weekly Wrap from Holly @ Hohoruns and Tricia @ Misssipppiddlin and today’s guest host to share how Fall is going; it may not officially be Fall, but tell that to the trees!

WeeklyWrap

Workouts update

  • Monday: Dogwalk, 2 mile hike, 3 miles easy
  • Tuesday: Dogwalk, 5 miles (4 x 800s), Short bodyweight workout
  • Wednesday: PB HIIT
  • Thursday:  Dogwalk, 6 miles “easy”, PB Glutes
  • Friday: Dogwalk, PB Core
  • Saturday: JY Hamstring, Calves & Foot 5 min reset, 11 mile LSD, Pilates
  • Sunday: Dogwalk, JY Hip & Hamstrings Reset

Mileage: 25 (+4 )

JY = Jasyoga
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 

Poor snake — haven’t seen one this large before in the neighborhood

Monday

Despite a good long run last weekend, I suddenly was feeling run down again. I debated with Rachel @ Runningonhappy whether or not I should skip today’s easy run — I really wanted to get in a hike. She gave me the green light.

We did a moderately steep mile hike in the morning; I was feeling better. So I went out before dinner for an easy three miles. Somehow afternoon miles are speedier for me.

 

And never saw a Heron here before, either!

 

Tuesday

It seemed like a workout with my name all over it: 1 miles warmup; 4 x 800m fast with 400m recovery; 1 mile cooldown. I usually enjoy shorter speedwork.

Although it was in the mid 60s, there was a breeze and plenty of cloud cover. And again, I just could’t hit those paces. And by the end I definitely felt like I’d left everything out there; my walk breaks got slower and slower . . .

Easy runs have mostly gotten a bit faster but speedwork seems to be slowing down. Not sure what’s going on.

This was not supposed to happen

Thursday

With rain in the forecast, I hurried home from my errands, ate a quick lunch (sitting outside with the dogs and putting away the groceries), then got right out there. 6 miles seemed like an awful lot, but inaccurate weather said it was supposed to stay dry for 2 hours at least. Maybe it actually did.

So I’m going along, definitely taking it easy, aside from some fartlek play around mile 4 I think, and I notice the clouds getting ominous. I don’t remember mention of a thunder. I mentally ditched the idea of picking up Bandit and just tried to get ‘er done.

It started to rain about mile 4 1/2, lightly, at first. Around mile 5, it really started to come down. Was that a crack of thunder? I wasn’t sure, but I picked up the pace — by now it was a torrential downpour — a cold downpour — and the wind had picked up, too. I skipped most of my walk breaks.

Within a half mile of home there was definite thunder. Crap. I briefly considered stopping at someone’s house, but there are only a few neighbors I know, and only a few that would be home. Good thing I didn’t pick up Bandit! It’s amazing how fast you can run when you’re trying to outrun lightning (thankfully I never actually saw any).

And I kid you not — literally 2 minutes after I squelched my way into the house, completely drench, the sun came out and the rain stopped. And oddly enough, the exact thing happened to one of our Wineglass girls!

Yes, leaves are changing colors all over already

Saturday

BOOM!  My speediest 11 mile long run, ever. A real confidence builder, and confidence had been crumbling a bit with those speed workouts the last month.

So many factors effected this run:

  • Good weather
  • Running on my own (but with a group)
  • Stromboli + garlic bread the night before (hadn’t done that in a while)
  • New running shoes
  • Caffeinated Honeystinger chews (Amazon Affiliate link; I’m part of the Hive) instead of the uncaffeinated ones
Enjoying the view at Vroman’s Nose

Favorites of the week
Labor Day was a beautiful day, and Mr. Judy was up for a hike.

They’re good hikers

The dogs are always ready for a hike.


It had rained all day the previous day, and I was worried that the trail would be really muddy, but it wasn’t. Alas, trees are changing. Leaves are falling. Yes, it’s very pretty. But soon the days will be short, the trees will be bare, and I’ll just want to hibernate.

Smiling at the thought of sushi

Last night, if you follow me on Instagram here, you saw that we had hibachi. Mr. Judy had a certificate to the restaurant and thought we could have sushi. Alas. we could not. So hibachi it was. Plenty of protein and carbs to refuel from that 11 mile long run.

The food was good but the service — well, let’s just say that there was a misunderstanding about the certificate the the people working there, who can barely speak English have never heard of “the customer’s always right”. I don’t think we’ll be back.

Bandit has finally decided that maybe he’ll eat some breakfast. At least with the cooler mornings, he has something the last couple of days. Which does make a difference in the poop situation (still with the potty talk).

My parents actually got two offers on their house, finally. They accepted one. The inspection, surprisingly, went well. They were supposed to sign a contract Friday but there’s been no word yet.

And of course, my thoughts and prayers are with FL and TX.

And that’s a wrap 

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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:

Are leaves changing where you are?

Had a confidence boosting run lately — spill!? 

Hibachi or sushi? 

Yay for Procrastination!: Spilling over tea/coffee September 2017

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 32 Comments

b917teaIt’s been a frustrating week — no wait, kind of a frustrating month — and so I have a lot to spill over my cup of tea. And yes, normally I’d link up tomorrow, and I was working on a normal Friday Five post, but it needs a bit more attention and I’d already started on this post so I’m totally ready to spill/vent/rant — but I’m trying to end a good note — no one loves a Debbie Downer!

Confessions of a Mother Runner

Pull up chair and mug with Coco and Deborah and me for the ultimate coffee tea date.

If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d tell you that I can’t figure out how to juggle training for a half marathon with hiking. It just seems like hiking was my tipping point . . . all I know is that when we stopped, I definitely felt better.

But I don’t want to stop! And I also like that it’s a family affair (except for Gizmo). I admire you people who run a long distance race and then go out and hike . . . that’s not me.

If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d tell you sometimes procrastination works. We got a bill from the chiropractor one day. I was very puzzled, as I pay a co-pay when I’m there. I needed to set up an appointment, and figured I’d ask about it then.

Several days later I got a message that it was their fault. I still need to set up the appointment. And an appointment for a dental for Bandit. I think Lola needs one, too — I actually mentioned that to the vet at her annual, but he didn’t really think she was that bad. She lost a tooth recently.

Gizmo needs an annual, too . . .

If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d that I just can’t deal with the frustrations of Bandit lately. Oh, don’t worry, we’re not getting rid of him, but seriously, he’s just become super frustrating. And I know that so many other people are dealing with things that are much, much worse (my thoughts in prayers are with TX, were I spent so many happy years & vacations).

Anyway, getting the damn dog to eat has become such a struggle. It’s just ridiculous. And if I don’t feed him, he throws up because of an empty stomach! Not to mention because of all the tension surrounding mealtime, he is now afraid to even come close to his crate if he even suspects I’m going to try to get him to eat. But he’ll happily go in to get his treats when I go out.

The last straw the other day was when I was trying to just train him with the crate with treats, as a precursor to feeding him. He wouldn’t even take treats. It’s beyond frustrating and time consuming.

Sometimes he does eat. And we won’t even talk about the time and money I’m spending going to the pet food store and getting different foods to tempt him.

Finally this week I said fine, if you only want one meal a day, that’s what you’ll get. And Mr. Judy is serving it to you until you chill out. Hopefully no more vomiting and an all-around happier household.

If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d tell you on top of the time I’m spending on Bandit (ingrate!), our dishwasher broke last week. So I’ve also been washing everything by hand all week. Between me being home, the animals, and preparing all our meals, I’m spending a lot of time on that, too.

The repair guy comes today. Let’s hope it’s actually more cost efficient to repair it than buy a new washer; it’s only 7 years old.

If we were enjoying high tea . . .
I’d tell you that I’m gonna try to end on a high note. I got together with friends last night for dinner. Only I was the only one that ate, but I digress . . . both are my usual running buddies but one has been out of running for a while now (we’ll call her running buddy D).

We have spent many miles together and I miss her, so it was great to catch up! The other running buddy (running buddy J) and I still spend some miles together and will be going to Wineglass together (God willing!). After I devoured dinner, running buddy D and I went for a walk in the park. We just walked, and walked, and walked, chatting away . . . I didn’t get my Garmin going but we were walking for quite some time. It was great.

Until she told me a scientist friend told her this year we’re getting another snowmaggedon!

Tea? Iced Tea? Coffee? Decaf? Or something else?

Do you wash things by hand or use your dishwasher?

How do you fit in other activities than running?

Do you worry when your furkids balk at meals?

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Today I am also  joining up with the  Friday Five 2.0  from Fairytales & Fitness and Rachel @ Running on Happy.

Damn you, s’mores: Runfessions July 2017

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 24 Comments

bjuly2017

July may have been quiet, but I still have a few runfessions to get off my chest. Or thighs, or buns . . . it seems like food is the theme in a lot of them this month!

Join me, Marcia @ Marcia’s Healthy Slice and other bloggers — reading other bloggers’ runfessions might just make you feel better..

I runfess . . .
I have a tendency to bit off more than I can chew — literally and figuratively. The literally being I tend to be a volume girl when eating (don’t give me teeny tiny portions!).

The figuratively being I get caught up in what I want to do vs what I should do vs what what’s realistic to do, and sometimes tire myself out needlessly. Take last Friday, for instance. I wanted to bake some stuff to bring to a party I was going to. And I just wanted to test out a lot of recipes I’d been eyeing for a while!

So I:

  • Walked the dogs
  • Made a smoothie to sip while exercising
  • Rode the stationary bike
  • Then did arms & abs
  • Baked brownie bites
  • Baked Banana oatmeal cookies simply because I had a couple of very ripe bananas
  • Made a dip for the party
  • Mixed up the batter for the s’mores cookies I planned to bake the next day
  • Washed towels
  • Mixed up the batter for my breakfast cookies the next day
  • Made a smoothie to drink post long run the next day
  • Cut up some lettuce and put it in mason jars for future salads
  • And of course fed the furkids and went outside with them multiple times throughout the day

Basically, I was pretty much on my feet from about 7 am until about 2 pm.

This was the day before my long run, naturally. So much for taking it easy.

brunger

I runfess . . .
I definitely got carried away with the S’mores Cookies I talked about in last week’s Weekly Wrap (read it here). And maybe those Fig Bars, too. As in I ate more than I should have.

I’m usually pretty good, but I’m blaming the runger.

I runfess . . .
One day I ran in the morning on a super humid day, which means lots of sweat. I didn’t feel like struggling out of those sweaty clothes knowing I’d either have to wear some new workout clothes or get back into them later . . . so I stayed in them a few hours, until I’d finished my strength training and some yoga.

Good thing there was no one around me to be grossed out by it!

I runfess . . .
I wimped out and decided to run on the treadmill on a humid, rainy day that actually turned out to not be all that rainy. I can’t tell you the amount of times I went back and forth between I’ll run outside, I’ll run on the treadmill. It was quite the epic battle.

I runfess I probably would have run outside if I hadn’t misplaced my Garmin charger and my Garmin had very little charge. The charger is magnetic, which is great, except for the fact that it has a tendency to stick to metal objects. I know I’d charged it Friday before my long run, and dammit why didn’t I charge it back up after that run?

It was just an easy run, but how would I know when to run, when to walk? Or how far I’d gone? Not to mention I’d probably have to download an app so I could tell how far I’d run and I didn’t want to deal with that.

Mr. Judy had been complaining about the fact that I hadn’t yet tested out the treadmill after he fixed it again. So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I runfess . . .
I normally don’t struggle with my weight as much during the summer, but this summer is different. Maybe it was all the travel and halfs. So knowing I only had a little wiggle room on my first of the month Weight Watchers weigh in to stay free for the month, I actually weighed several different dresses before I got dressed.

In the end I went with my lucky weigh in dress. Yes, I have one — basically, it’s the lightest dress I own. I will be heartbroken when it’s no longer wearable! In the end I could have worn something heavier, but I don’t have a scale at home and I wasn’t sure.

Everybody’s luck runs out sometime . . .

Do you sometimes overbook yourself?

How long would you stay in sweaty workout clothes?

What is the weirdest thing you’ve done to get a good weigh-in?

Wouldn’t you like to get some runfessions off your mind? Come join us

Runfessions

I am also linking up with the  Friday Five 2.0  from Fairytales & Fitness and Rachel @ Running on Happy today.

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