Runners Roundup

On the street where I live

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 32 Comments

bhouse names

Quite a few years ago I wrote a post about the runners I seemed to see often on the paths, and what I named them. There was Forrest Gump, of course (runner dude with a long beard) — I don’t remember the others.

My husband and I also have nicknames for some of the houses in our neighborhood.

Don’t ask me why I dubbed this Hobbit House, but it’s stuck

Hobbit House
I think this was the first house I named. It’s definitely stuck. When I’ve run, or we don’t have as much time, or Mr. Judy is walking the dogs, we’ll go to the Hobbit House. I don’t know why, but I imagine that’s what a Hobbit house would look like.

Little Dog House
The house on the corner of our block with a chain link fence used to be home to three little dogs. Getting Lola and Bandit past the running and barking dogs was always “fun”. They moved this year and the new people don’t have dogs.

Running Dog House
Running Dog house is opposite little dog house. There’s a fairly young golden? Irish setter? that lives there. The minute he sees us coming, he’s usually running his fence line. Another house where it can be fun getting Lola & Bandit past without waking up the neighborhood — especially when the little dogs were out, too.

Cat Lady’s House
That’s where second Bandit lived. Yup, she had a fearless cat named Bandit. We almost died laughing when we finally found out his name. She had all sorts of cat stuff on her front door patio, which is why I called it Cat Lady’s house. Turns out she inherited Bandit from someone else in the neighborhood, and she’s since moved & found Bandit a new home in the neighborhood. So she really wasn’t a cat lady after all but we still call it Cat Lady’s House. Never judge a book by its cover!

Rabbit House
I recently dubbed a house on our “route” rabbit house after there were three bunnies there one day, a couple the next. Apparently the rabbits like to move around, as I don’t see them there anymore. Our neighbor’s house became Second Rabbit House when I saw rabbits there several days in a row — culminating in 5 bunnies one day! That’s the most I’ve ever seen on one lawn at a time. Apparently they’ve moved off to greener pastures, too.

Do you think they’d mind if I helped myself to some?

Tomato House
These people have their garden all along their driveway. Lots of tomato plants, hence the name.

As you can see, many of the house names revolve around animals. It’s kind of a short hand between us: I can tell Mr. Judy to walk the dogs to the Hobbit House, or even just go to little dogs house (even though there are no longer little dogs there).

Do you have “pet” names for the houses in your neighborhood? 

Do you have some sort of verbal shorthand with your SO?

Are you going to start thinking about naming houses in your neighborhood now? 

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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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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! 

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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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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!

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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? 

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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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What I know for sure about training

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 29 Comments

btrainig

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? 

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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A Virtual 4th Race?

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 19 Comments

bfirecracker18a

I have started off my 4th of July celebrations for many years with a race. I went on my own the first year. Then I joined a running group, and met up with them a few times — which is oddly enough how I met my neighbor who runs. We went together a few times, but her life has been very difficult for a long time and she’s no longer running.

The race is a ton of fun. The community really comes out. It’s almost always really hot and the race starts too late, but there are people on the course with hoses and sprinklers, bands on the course, and much more.

Last year I was just about over this race, but a friend wanted to run it, so we did. We had a great time, as always. Only this friend is also no longer running and most of my running friends are no longer interested in the race — before the pandemic hit.

Of course the race is now virtual. I am still debating what I want to do!

Pros of Running Firecracker 4 virtually
Here are some of the pros of running a race virtually:

  1. No worries about parking. Parking was always a problem!
  2. No travel time. The race is a good 30 minutes away.
  3. I can start earlier; when it’s cooler.
  4. I can cherry pick the day I run the race, when hopefully there’s good weather.
  5. This year there’s a medal. Normally I don’t really want a medal for any race less than a half. So I’m not sure if this is a pro or a con — do I really want a reminder?

 

bfirecracker4medal
It is a cool looking medal

Cons of Running Firecracker 4 virtually
And here are the cons:

  1. I’ve said that I don’t really need new race tees, but I find it’s nice to have some new ones. This falls in the cons because it looks like they’ve reverted back to their old race tees, which I’ve never liked (last year’s was actually nice!).
  2. My routes near home are so hilly! The race is hilly, too, but trust me, still not as bad as my routes. Although I can run downhill, while the race is up & downhill & ends on a long uphill.
  3. It’s a 4 mile race. I haven’t been “training”, haven’t been running that much. With my warmup, all of the sudden it’s almost my long run! Of course it’s virtual, so it doesn’t really matter, does it?

Will I or won’t I?
I’m leaning to signing up, just to support the race. Even if I never run it again. As I looked through the Website, at one point it said online registration closed a couple of days. Somewhere else stated you could register til the 28th. Not sure if I’ll get the medal and shirt or not, as it said you’re guaranteed if you register by the 5th. My guess is I still will, but obviously, not a big deal to me.

Are you still planning to “race” on the 4th? 

What motivates you to run virtual races?

Do you think you’ll do anything “special” on the 4th? 

If you don’t celebrate the 4th, what is your favorite Summer holiday?  Why?

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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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Getting Strong Now: May 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 30 Comments

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Mother Nature sure seemed confused in May

May blew in with very unwanted snow, but it went out with some lovely Summer weather.

Practicing Yoga on the Yoga platform in a skirt & with dogs

From strong to stronger and the iconic Rocky song “Gonna Fly Now”:

Getting strong now
Won’t be long now
Getting strong now

Gonna fly now
Flying high now
Gonna fly, fly, fly

Running takes a back burner for now, and hopefully I can focus on getting stronger. Now is the time to do those things you always say you’d do if only you had more time.

Getting in scheduled runs
I’m settling into 3 x week for the forseeable future. Unless maybe I decide to try a Peloton Bootcmp. 3 x week gives me lots of flexibility to move runs around!

Grade Earned:  A

Recording my runs
Still not journaling. Maybe I don’t want to remember this year next year! Seriously, though, the tough times are what help us to grow.

Grade Earned: F

Dynamic Warmup
I signed up for the Peloton App back when it was free for 90 days. I’ve been checking out their dynamic warmups. At some point I’ll write a review of the app, although seriously, I feel like I’m the last person to try it. 🙂

Grade Earned: A+

Foam Rolling
I slacked off a bit in the foam rolling department. I’m still rolling, but not quite as often. Probably because I’ve had to start filming stuff for my YouTube channel again!

Grade Earned: A-

Nutrition
Nutrition has been ok. I’m maintaining; no really, I’m plateauing, bouncing back and forth between small gains and losses. Which is fine. Except I would like to lose just a few pounds. I guess I don’t want to badly enough yet.

Grade Earned: B

Support

  • Massage? Nope. We all know why.
  • Chiropractor Appointment? See massage.
  • Do I need a hair appointment? Again, see above. I suppose I should take this section out, it ain’t happening in the near future (although the chiropractor is open). And the salon should open soon. I don’t think I can go a whole year without a haircut!

Grade Earned: F

Yoga everywhere

Cross Training
I’ve continued to mix things up with plenty of Yoga, short Peloton rides (except not on a Peloton bike of course — I wish!!!), and strength training.

Grade Earned: A

I was able to cherry pick a day with great weather for my virtual race

May 2020  gets  . . . 
. . . an A. Despite 2 Fs, and not meeting a couple of goals, all in all May was a pretty good month, including one virtual race (my first).

May Goals:

  • Add in Lean & Lovely once a week. Y. It’s a Kettlebell program I’ve used before with good results.
  • Continue running 3 x week, adding in more mileage. Y/N. I ran 3 x week (except one week when I didn’t feel good), but haven’t really upped the mileage. By the time I wanted to, Summer had arrived!
  • Strength train 2-3 x week. Y. A no brainer since I started a Kettlebell program.
  • Continue almost daily foam rolling. Y/N. Not as much as in April, although more than just running days.
  • 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 N. Backbends are actually really good for my Dosha (Kapha), but I didn’t get around to it in May. I worked on some other courses, one of which actually had to do with less intense backbends. So kind of a Y, except I didn’t do that with this goal in mind. Glad I made the goal. I’ll get to it!
  • Take the tests for the online Reiki course I’m taking. N. I began to study more, but never quite got around to the tests. Yet.

Which leads me to June Goals:

  • Continue exploring Peloton App. I have a feeling I’ll keep the Peloton App. There’s a lot I like about it (but some things not so much). While it’s free, though, I’m definitely going to take advantage of it.
  • Continue running 3 x week. Still just maintaining a running base.
  • Set an intention for each run. Everything in life should be done with intention (it’s called mindfulness!).
  • Explore a backbend course in one of the Yoga memberships I have. I looked last weekend and couldn’t find a specific course, but I did download a lot of classes on backbends from a couple of Yoga apps I use. Backbends are definitely good for me, so I’m going to work a bit more on them! I also need to focus on arms and core, because one of my goals is to do Wheel — I think it’s a combination of not enough strength (there’s that strong thing again) and fear — of failure? Of hitting my head? — that has been holding me back from doing wheel.
  • Continue almost daily foam rolling. It’s amazing how much of a difference this makes for me.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. It’s hard to believe, but it’s actually been a year since I stopped tracking what I eat. I never thought I’d get to that point in my life!
  • Take the tests for the online Reiki course I’m doing. Okay, I admit Reiki is a bit woo-woo even for me. I do believe that there’s a lot more to life than just our physical bodies, though, and I have actually found the course really fascinating. I’m not so sure I’ll get to it in June, either, but it’s a good goal and we’ll see.

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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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Running Hacks Make Running a Little Smoother

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 26 Comments

bRunning Hacks

We all have them: those little hacks that makes running just a little easier. I shared one — one that I didn’t come up with, but a former fellow blogger did — last week here in my post on the benefits of running in your own neighborhood. I’ve got a few more to share!

Warm up inside when it’s cold outside
I suppose it’s the wrong time of year to share this one in the Northern Hemisphere, but it took me years before I had the aha! moment that I could simply warm up inside when it’s cold outside (another benefit to running in your own neighborhood — obviously doesn’t work so well when you’re meeting people elsewhere).

This shoelace hack never fails me!

Keep those laces tied!
I have shared this before, but no one ever seems to pick it up. Take your tied laces and push them under one of the places your laces cross on your running shoes. No more worries about laces coming undone during a race/run. I think it’s happened to me once in eleven years of running.

Freeze your water
It is the right time of year for this one, in fact, I wish I’d done this last Saturday! The night before a run/race, fill your water bottles about half full. Place in freezer. Right before your run, fill the bottle the rest of the way. Voila! Cold water for a much longer time.

Foam roll before you run
Want to make foam rolling a habit? Do it as part of your warm up. Because that is actually one of its purposes: to get the blood flowing to your muscles and get you warmed up. Bonus: it ensures you’ll do it. Wait til post run, and you’re much more likely to skip it.

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Hack Your Smoothies

Love your post run smoothies?
You can make them up ahead of time, too. You have two choices: freeze the ingredients (except the liquid) — then just throw the ingredients and your liquid in the blender and instant smoothie.

You can also simply make up the smoothie ahead of time. Your choice whether to have it just waiting for you in the fridge, or freezing the entire smoothie. If you make up the smoothie a few days ahead of time, just realize it’s going to oxidize.

There are two downsides to freezing the entire smoothie ahead of time:

  1. It will change the texture of the smoothie (it will get a bit more watery as the ingredients defrost)
  2. It will be harder to blend

Basically anything you know you won’t want to do post run, make sure to do it pre-run!

What are some of your favorite running hacks? 

Do you enjoy a post run smoothie?  What’s your favorite mixture?

What makes running more streamlined for 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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My #1 Reason to Race

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 24 Comments

breasontorace

Last week I shared my #1 Race Pet Peeve here, but since I don’t like to be a Debbie Downer too often, this week I’m sharing what I’m most looking forward to when I can race again.

Have any guesses?

The Benefits of Racing
There are so many great things about racing:

  • Exploring a new location
  • Challenging yourself
  • That feeling of accomplishment at the end of the race

You can read more about reasons to race here.

The thing I’m most looking forward to?

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Of course racing with friends makes the atmosphere even more fun!

The Atmosphere!
The atmosphere at the start of a race — during the race, and the finish line — if you’ve never been, the energy is just amazing.

The energy of race day is why I’m not personally a fan of virtual races — there’s just no way to feel that excitement, that encouragement, that feeling that we’re all connected — in a virtual race.

The energy of race day is what got me hooked on racing in the first place. Maybe not the first time I raced, and probably not the second time either, but boy it hooked me from that first half marathon!

What are you most looking forward to about racing again? 

Do you think your first real race will be local or a destination race? 

Already have a race picked out? 

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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My #1 Race Pet Peeve

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 24 Comments

bracepetpeeve

I’m sure most runners right about now would be willing to overlook a lot of race faux pas if they could just race! Today’s subject was “What was the worst thing that ever happened to you at a race?”.

I’ve been lucky; nothing horrible has ever happened to me at a race. Instead I’m sharing one of my biggest race pet peeves.

sunset cup water drink
Water. Sometimes it makes or breaks a race | Photo by Meir Roth on Pexels.com

Running out of water!
This is what drove me to always carry water when I race — no matter what the distance is. Even for a 5k. I am a thirsty runner. Not only that, but did you know that your fascia (the webbing that surrounds pretty much everything in your body) gets more tangled the more dehydrated you are? I’ll be telling you more on Friday about that!

Some of the stiffness you feel post race (or the next day) can actually be traced to dehydrated fascia. It’s enough to drive you to drink!

Bottoms up
I have run numerous races where they’ve run out of cups, run out of water, or run out of both. Some only for the BOTPers like me — some for even the speedy runners. I understand that trying to figure out how much to get is a science, and that when the weather is not as predicted that can throw a real monkey wrench in things.

Maybe I can understand running out of water when it’s unseasonably hot (and not predicted to be so). But cups? That’s just disorganization. I know that putting on a race is not easy, but it seems to me that should never happen.

There is still nothing worse than running a really hot race, coming up to an aid station, and finding it dry (as dry as you are). Or finding they actually do have water — but no cups!

I’ve had some hot races with no water where I’ve given serious consideration to stealing someone’s water bottle — before I started to always carry my own water.

What’s your biggest race pet peeve? 

Do you already have a plan for your first race post C19 (whenever that may be)? 

Have you had races run out of water or cups or both? 

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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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So You’re Running Virtually . . .

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 35 Comments

bvirtualrunning

Why not spruce up the scenery?

Virtual races are all the rage right now! So far I have not participated in one, but I might for one or two when the charity is right. Just to run? No thanks! But that’s me, everyone is different.

Maybe the weather sucks, or maybe you have to entertain babies/toddler/young children, or maybe you’re not allowed to run outside. Maybe the treadmill is the only option for you. How will you keep yourself motivated on that treadmill?

I did a little digging to find some options that might make a virtual race feel a little bit more like a real race. I haven’t personally tried any of these, but here goes:

adventure alberta alpine amazing
Make a treadmill run easier by “running” somewhere scenic | Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Virtual Active
Virtual Active lets you pick videos from scenic places to run all over the world. They can be guided or unguided. $7.95 for SD, $10.95 HD. Buy multiples in a pack for a discount. Subscribe to their newsletter for 20% off your first purchase.

You’ll find the running videos here (there are also videos for hiking and cycling).

photo of man running in the forest
Maybe a virtual trail race is the only way you’ll ever run trails | Photo by Ogy Kovachev on Pexels.com

Virtual Runner
Virtual Runner seems to be trying to appeal to more hard core runners. In addition to the videos you purchase in an app, it displays elapsed time, distance, pace, HR, and cadence. Of course most of that information comes from a footpod, and it wasn’t obvious to me where you buy the footpod.

The cool thing about the footpod is that it will slow down or speed up the video to correspond with how fast you’re running.

You must be able to maintain a 15 mm pace to use the app.

There are links to Android, Apple, and Microsoft apps here.

Peloton App
I think most runners, unless they’ve been living under a rock, are aware of the Peloton App (which you’ll find here). Peloton includes running classes and outdoor course videos. You can try the app for 30 days free. Did you know that they’ve stopped selling Peloton Treadmills because of the installation? My 20 year old treadmill better survive this virus.
royal guard standing near lamp post
Run London on your treadmill | Photo by Samuel Wölfl on Pexels.com
Free Course Videos
Okay, I’ll bet that there are plenty more resources, but how about running the World Major courses with the elites without having to travel anywhere? I found course videos of them all on YouTube — except oddly Boston.
The only thing I could find of Boston was a live stream from Heartbreak Hill (which I walked up, long story) — but seriously, watching runners endlessly battling Heartbreak Hill probably wouldn’t really be that inspiring. Or maybe it would be to you!
  • London Marathon here
  • Tokyo Marathon here
  • NYC Marathon here
  • Berlin Marathon here
  • Chicago Maratho here
There are lots of course videos for other races, too. Google the one you want to run and see if it’s there — it may very well be!

Do you ever run on a treadmill using course videos? 

Do you think it would make it feel easier to run on the treadmill if you did? 

What can you add to my list? 

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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