We can learn to love again: August 2019

September 3, 2019 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 16 Comments

bgrade819

So sue me: I basically picked Pink’s song because I like it and it’s my blog. So there. I haven’t fallen out of love with running, although maybe I’ve fallen out of love with training hard? I don’t know. The nice fall-like weather at the end of the month did make it easier to fall back in love with running. It can be nice to race here and there where you want to, and concentrate on other things.

Just give me a reason,
Just a little bit’s enough,
Just a second we’re not broken, just bent,
And we can learn to love again

August was intense with developing my 20 minute yoga routine to film (I know, just 20 minutes — how hard could it be? Hard, turns out!), keeping up with the course work and beginning to try to review for the final test for my YTT.

The harder you work for something the sweeter the reward, right?

**A mix of trails and road this summer, with friends & solo**

Getting in scheduled runs
I keep thinking I really need to research Fall halfs, but there just hasn’t been time. It may be a one half only year. So no need to follow a schedule.

Grade Earned: B

Recording my runs
I was doing great with this right up until the very end of August. Then I completely fell off the recording runs (and anything else, like my normal gratitude list). That’s life!

Grade Earned: B

Dynamic Warmup
A mixed bag. Sometimes. Sometimes not. Before I know it it’ll be so cold I’ll have to do those warm ups inside.

Grade Earned: B

Foam Rolling
I didn’t foam roll as often as I did in July, but we’re still good here. I always miss it if I don’t do it!

Grade Earned: A

Nutrition
My ultimate goal is to get to a point where I maintain my weight without having to monitor it so much, or track what I eat so much. I haven’t been tracking a few months now and the weight is holding steady. Nutrition has been mostly good, but it does seem as though we ate out this Summer more than normal. On the other hand, we haven’t traveled in a long time, which might also explain why maintaining my weight has been easier.

Grade Earned: B+

Support

Massage? Still in a holding pattern.
Chiropractor Appointment? Yes and apparently good thing I did.
Do I need a hair appointment? Even though I know those layers really need a trim, at the same time I’m totally digging my longer braid.

Grade Earned: B+

Lots of yoga practice trying to figure out how to film my practicum

Cross Training
Just like last month, I’ve done well with yoga — don’t laugh, it’s easy to skip it while you’re trying to learn about it! — and strength training has been pretty good, too. Not as much Pilates, which I actually really enjoy, too. What will I do when I start actually teaching yoga classes???? Stay tuned!

Grade Earned: A

August 2019 gets . . .
. . . a B+. 1 trail race. A little hiking. Maintaining my weight. No injuries.

August Goals:

- Continue to Prehab. Y. A little less often, but the foot still feels pretty good.
- Strength train 2 – 3x week. Y. Nailed this in July. Slipping a little lately, but I’ll get back to it when I’ve finished my test/video.
- Keep long runs about 6-7 miles. Y. I considered doing 8 miles yesterday, but since the last few weeks have only been three times a week and this week I did four times, I quickly ditched that idea.
- Lots of Yoga & Studying. Y. Totally nailed that one. Will it be enough?
- Foam roll almost daily. Y. Slipping a little here, too, but still foam rolling a lot — but it only takes 10-15 mintues!
- Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. Y. Still mostly working. Will be interesting to see if it still works as the days get shorter, which is usually a time I struggle more with my weight.
- Meal plan on the weekends! N. I tried, but I didn’t succeed.
- Trail race at the end of the month. Y. The Running Gods gave us some awesome weather and you can read about it here.

Which leads me to September Goals:

- Look at Fall halfs! I took out prehab. I’m still doing it, sometimes, but so far, knock on wood, things feel pretty good most days so time to move onto another goal. This may be a year of only one half . . . or maybe I will decide on a race to run. Maybe that’s what I’ll turn my focus to when I graduate as a break.
- Strength train 2 – 3x week. This will always be a goal. As we age, we naturally lose muscle. Not a good thing.
- Work up to 8 miles. Maybe 9? There’s a 15k I usually do in November. Sure, I could do it even with just 7 mile long runs, but that wouldn’t be prepping my body. My body likes to be prepped.
- Working on practice teaching — and finding a studio to teach/sub at. I have a lot of things I want to work on yoga-related. I definitely need a lot more practice teaching — although I need a little downtime, too, after I take my test and graduate.
- Foam roll almost daily. Continue using my Lauren Roxburgh foam rolling and regular pre-run foam rolling.
- Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. Winter is coming. It’s a time I — and most people — tend to put on weight if not mindful.
- Meal plan on the weekends! I’ll keep putting this in until I get back to it. I sorta started to do it, looking at what recipes I wanted to try, but then not write them down and not be able to find what I wanted to make.
- A race? At some point? Races are still abundant at this time of year. Just need to look around and see what appeals to me.

btuesdaytopics

Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with Running on Happy, Suzlyfe, Crazy Running Girl, and Coach Debbie Runs each week for the Coaches’ Corner linkup

coachescorner

Sunshine of Your Love: July 2019

August 6, 2019August 5, 2019 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 16 Comments

bjulygrade19
I have to admit I didn’t realize what song this was from the title, but when I clicked on the link, yup, I knew it. Who here hasn’t done an early morning run in the sunshine — maybe a bit too much sunshine?

I’m with you my love
The light’s shinin’ through on you
Yes, I’m with you my love
It’s the morning and just we two

July held a race, lots of fun stuff off the road, and yes, plenty of sunshine and early morning runs.

**Annual Fourth of July race tradition**

Getting in scheduled runs
Slowly beginning to think about running goals for later in 2019, but still nothing big on the horizon, so still maintaining my base with occasional hills and speed work. You’ll notice there are no tempos!

Grade Earned: A

Recording my runs
I’ve been pretty good with recording runs. I like having that to look back at! Those Thursday night trail runs — they keep me up until almost my bedtime! Most of them are at least a half hour drive from my home, some further. Sometimes I just gotta go to sleep not long after I get back home, so yeah, I get to those when I get to those.

Grade Earned: A-

Dynamic Warmup
I’ve been a bit better at getting out there earlier, but it’s still not always easy. It’s not the greatest idea to just run, even in the warm summer, but hey, I’m as human as the next gal. Sometimes that’s exactly what happens.

Grade Earned: B

Foam Rolling
I’m still in “love” (see what I did there?) with foam rolling. Well, love might be a strong word. Any time I skip it, I feel it, and that’s what keeps me rolling.

Grade Earned: A

**Nutrition was decent in July, with occasional treats (yup, I still consider sushi a treat!)**

Nutrition
As I mentioned last month, I took a break from actively trying to lose weight to simply maintain where I am. I am definitely maintaining. That isn’t a bad thing.

Grade Earned: B+

Support

Massage? I had plans to make an appointment, I truly did, but July ended up with a few unexpected expenses. Hopefully it will work into the budget in August.
Chiropractor Appointment? I do every other month unless something’s wrong, so there was no need in July.
Do I need a hair appointment? I think I tipped over on that one — it’s time!

Grade Earned: B+

**Bruise on shoulder courtesy of my fall on the trails, but that was about the only thing hurt. Lots of Yoga, naturally.**

Cross Training
Yoga (for obvious reasons) and strength training are going pretty strong. Pilates has been harder to fit in. At the beginning of the month I realized that strength training had been a bit lacking, so I’ve been doing a lot of Pahla Bower’s shorter workouts on Youtube here, with one or two of the slightly longer ones. The body feels pretty good in general.

Grade Earned: A+

**Yup, this was after the fall — still smiling (mainly because I was out of the woods and away from the darn bugs!)**

July 2019 gets . . .
. . . an A. 1 race. More fun with friends. A concert. Short hike. Maintaining my weight. No injuries.

July Goals:

- Continue to Prehab. Y. A little less often, but the foot still feels pretty good.
- Strength train 2 – 3x week. Y. Nailed this in July.
- Start extending my weekend runs. Y. I maintained at 6 miles for my long runs, with one 7 miler. Pretty good in a hot, humid summer (most of the time).
- Continue practicing Yoga. Y. Obviously YTT requires some Yoga practice.
- Foam roll almost daily. Y. Towards the end of the month it actually did get to daily; I bought a deal from Lauren Roxburgh (her Website is here, but you can find some free videos on Youtube) which includes 3 foam rolling routines that are only 10 minutes or less. They’re quite different so I’ve been doing them daily — in addition to my usual pre-run foam rolling.
- Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. Y. It definitely feels freeing to not be tracking what I put in my mouth, and so far I’m still maintaining my weight without tracking. Always a work in progress.
- Meal plan on the weekends! Y/N. It’s been harder with the classes/videos I have to watch, the live calls, working on my practicum (already!). Does thinking about what I’ll eat in the coming week count? Well, I guess it does. I know that I’ll get back to it.
- Annual Fourth of July race. Y. Indeed, and you can read about it here.

Which leads me to August Goals:

- Continue to Prehab. My feet have been doing pretty good. Sometimes I only do my PT exercises a couple of times a week. As long as my feet aren’t bothering me it’s working for me.
- Strength train 2 – 3x week. You may not have noticed, but I’ve actually begun to strength train more frequently — but often for just a little bit. I shoot for two longer sessions (about 30 min) 2 times a week, and short (often just 10 min) about 3 times a week. I like the results I’m getting from that. I might bail on a busy day if I’m looking at 30 minutes or more, but you can always squeeze in 10 minutes.
- Keep long runs about 6-7 miles. I could be ready for a half in a month with my base, but the reality would be I’d prefer a couple of months to feel well trained and safe.
- Lots of yoga & studying. I have my written test and my practicum for my YTT in September. I’ve learned a lot, but I haven’t been able to actually study as much as I’d like to because just the course itself is so time consuming!
- Foam roll almost daily. Continue using my Lauren Roxburgh foam rolling and regular pre-run foam rolling.
- Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. I had planned another short detox this month, or as I prefer to call it, a reset. I decided to push that off until September. I’ve been maintaining my weight at a good place (which doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love to lose a few pounds, but then most of us would).
- Meal plan on the weekends! I’ll keep putting this in until I get back to it. I at least have a plan in my mind, but having written down is much more helpful.
- Trail race at the end of the month. Depends on the weather.

btuesdaytopics

Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with Running on Happy, Suzlyfe, Crazy Running Girl, and Coach Debbie Runs each week for the Coaches’ Corner linkup

coachescorner

OMG (#allthegnats): 7/29- 8/4 WRD

August 4, 2019August 4, 2019 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 36 Comments

I finally came clean about what’s been keeping me so busy this summer in my runfession, which you can read here if you missed it. Thankfully this week I was able to get out of my neighborhood some and run with friends! But the bugs. Forget Oh My God, Oh My Gnats this week!

bwrd

Joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner and just sharing Summer activities.

briots

And linking up with Jenn @ Runswithpugs, Brandi @ Funnerrunner, Anna Louise @ Graciouswarriorprincess, Briana @ Matsmilesmedals, Meghan @ Meghanonthemove, and Elizabeth @ Trainwithbainfor RIOTS(running is our therapy)

Workouts update

Monday: 3 miles easy, PB Abs & Balance (10 min), Yoga (25 min)
Tuesday: Dogwalk, TM Speedwork, PB Toning (25 min), Yoga (25 min)
Wednesday: Dogwalk, Yoga (20 minutes), PB Abs (15 min)
Thursday: Dogwalk, 3.5 mile trail run
Friday: Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min), PB Abs (10 min)
Saturday: 7 mile LSD, PB ST (20 min), Yoga (20 min)
Sunday: Dogwalk, Rest day!

Mileage: 16.5 (+.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 Updates

**It was so nice & shady. And so disgustingly buggy.**

Monday
Car at least temporarily fixed, I got out relatively early to beat the heat and went to the other park. The trail was much shadier than at the park with the lake I run at a lot — but I was reminded why I don’t run here in summer. The gnats and flies (thankfully not biting flies) were insane. The run was just nice and easy, but I really didn’t want to stop for my normal walk breaks the bugs were so bad.

Tuesday
Early morning dog walk on a hot day meant speed work on the treadmill later in the morning due to excessive heat. I changed things up with a sort of ladder workout, recovery always 200m, then fast for 200m, 400m, 800m, and back down. Because I haven’t gone beyond 400m fast recently. It went well, and I think I could actually go a little faster for most of those intervals.

Thursday
I wasn’t able to join the group at the trail run last time it was at this park, but this time I could and persuaded Mr. Judy to come along — just so he could enjoy the park and walk the dogs. They love going different places!

Apparently my gaiters are magic, because again the trails were surprisingly not too muddy — there were a few parts that had some mud, but it wasn’t across the whole path. About halfway through we came out to a great overlook. The majority of the trail was through the woods, though, and the bugs were relentless.

I did fall towards the end, but somehow managed to actually roll onto my shoulder like you’re supposed to. That’s never happened before. No lasting damage at all. My friends went out for dinner afterwards, but an 8:30 dinner is just far too late for me.

Saturday
Just me and two running friends for this very humid, very warm run. They stayed with me until one friend turned around (she was running less miles), and then I was on my own. Which meant I could pick up the pace a little.

One odd thing: I’m still slightly paying attention to heart rate on easy runs. I have my Garmin set to show me distance, average pace, and heart rate. For some reason the average pace when I was on my own was a minute slower than what the actual pace for the mile was. I don’t remember that happening before. Very odd (and would be very annoying in a race).

OTOH, I didn’t think I was running as slowly as the watch said I was, and apparently I wasn’t — but it was accurate for the first three miles.

Favorites of the week
Have you ever had Poke? It’s raw tuna and some veggies in a marinade — sort of like ceviche, except a different type of marinade. It’s one of my go-tos for really hot days. Doesn’t require an oven. We both like it. You just need a reliable source for raw tuna.

Although I’ve walked around that park we ran at this week and done one trail race there in the past, I’d never been to the overlook pictured above. It was almost worth the bugs.

We were out and about with the dogs today, and we stopped at the park, and I had Mr. Judy take this photo of me and Lola at what I think of as Chester’s Rock. It’s where he took a photo of me and Chester just a few months before he died. Everyone loves that photo, and it is a good one, but for me it still brings up painful memories three years later.

Bandit tends to be camera shy. He really doesn’t like looking at a camera. But sure does like his treats.

Have you noticed the bugs multiplying recently?

Would you run a really buggy path if it was shady on a hot day, or suffer with the heat?

What’s your go-to meal for hot days?

Action packed week: 7/5-21 WRD

July 21, 2019 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 41 Comments

It was action packed both with exercise and fun events this week. Of course there was the heat, too, but thankfully the new AC unit you installed last year is working well. The dogs still want to lay outside in the sun and are not happy when I won’t join them — and have to keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t stay out too long in the heat, too!

bwrd

Joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner and just sharing Summer activities.

briots

Workouts update

Monday: 5 Miles Easy, PB Abs (15 min), Yoga (30 min)
Tuesday: Dogwalk, 3 treadmill miles with 1:1 speed intervals, PB Toning (10 min)
Wednesday: Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min), PB Toning (25 min)
Thursday: Dogwalk, PB Arms (30 min), 3ish trail miles
Friday: Dogwalk, PB Toning (35 min)
Saturday: 6 mile LSD, Yoga (40 min)
Sunday: Dogwalk, Studio Yoga (90 min)

Mileage: 17 (+1)

JY = Jasyoga
PB = Killer B
TM = Treadmill
YFR = Yoga for Runners*
WU = warmup
CD = cooldown
SB = Stationary Bike
YFPR = Yoga for Pain Relief
YTU = Yoga Tune Up Lower Body*

*Disclaimer: Amazon affiliate links; I will make a small amount of money if you buy through these links

Running Updates

The water feature is just part of why I love this park

Monday
Most of my weekday runs are fairly short these days, but I wasn’t sure how this week would shake out between weather and a lot of appointments, so I chose to run 5 miles. I went to the park, and realized as I got there that I really ought to have gone to the other park, the one that’s just a bit closer to my house, the one I haven’t run at in quite some time.

However, I literally ran into Running Buddy J after my first mile, who was finishing up, so I walked with her to chat a bit then continued on my way. This park isn’t very shady, but the morning was relatively cool and still low humidity, so I had a pretty good run.

Tuesday
Another middle of the day run simply because I just wasn’t feeling another early morning run (and the dogs needed to be walked in the morning). Did some speed intervals on the treadmill, stepping away from the 400s with 60 seconds fast, 60 seconds recovery.

My new Vivoactive 3 had arrived (you can buy it on my Amazon Affiliate link here) — actually 60% charged! — so I tried it out. I realized the reason my old (and now new) Vivoactives don’t sync well to the treadmill is that I don’t run without any breaks and when I adjust the speed, I have to do it with my right hand, holding onto the bar with my left hand (the one with the watch). It adds up to enough time over several miles to throw everything off. Not a big deal to me; I’ve had the old Vivoactive 4 years and trained well with it.

**These trails were much nicer than the one I ran on here a few years ago**

Thursday
Last week I had FOMO over the trail runners (just couldn’t go); this week I joined the crew. It was at a place I’ve been to just a couple of times, once to run, but I guess I picked the wrong paths because these were really quite nice! I ran with someone, and managed to take the wrong turn so we ended up doing the trail backwards (don’t ask). I just wish it was closer to home.

**There wasn’t ice cream, but there was cake later**

Saturday
Six steamy miles. I ran with a slower friend, it was cloudy, and we started early, so it wasn’t too bad. Thank goodness for cloud cover! However, when my friend continued on for about half an hour (she’s training for a half in October) I said no thanks.

bvivoactive3_

Favorites of the week
Historically I have never found great deals on Amazon Prime Day, but this year I did get a Vivoactive 3 at a great price. Running Buddy J bought one too. So now I can join the modern ages and track my heart rate. It’s got a lot of bells and whistles, and is very different from my previous Vivoactive (the original, without HR).

So far I’m definitely enjoying my new watch. Because there’s so much functionality, there’s a learning curve, of course. It got baptized in the pool yesterday.

**Celebrating one of our running friends milestone birthday**

We had a birthday/pool party/bookclub meetup after our run on Saturday. The pool felt heavenly after that sweaty run. We briefly discussed “Marathon Woman” by Katherine Switzer (buy it at my Amazon Affiliate link here) after cooling off in the pool and a potluck lunch. Everyone enjoyed the book (although I haven’t finished it yet, but it’s one I’ve wanted to read for a long time). A great time was had by all.

I am off to see Heart/Sheryl Crow tonight with a friend. Looking forward to it. The concert doesn’t start until 7 pm so hopefully we won’t melt; it’s an outside venue but at least it’s covered.

What was the last concert you went to?

Do you belong to a book club & if yes, what kind?

Did you race this week? Tell us about it!

No Trails for you!: 7/24-30 Weekly Wrap

July 30, 2017July 31, 2017 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 36 Comments

Running went well enough this week. No swimming, unfortunately, because I felt super run down on Monday and ended up taking an extra rest day (which did the trick) and I just wasn’t able to squeeze it in later in the week. It was a cool, rainy week. Until today — a beautiful summer day but was I active today? Read on!

I’m joining up with the Weekly Wrap from Holly @ Hohoruns and Tricia @ Misssipppiddlin and today’s guest host to share how I’m staying active this summer.

Workouts update

Monday: Dogwalk, unscheduled rest day because I was feeling super run down
Tuesday: 4 drizzly, easy miles, Pahla B Balance, Dogwalk
Wednesday: 4 easy miles (1 mile 8 x 1 minute hill repeats), Dogwalk, Yoga
Thursday: Dogwalk, 3 easy miles on the treadmill, Pahla B Abs, Yoga
Friday: Dogwalk, Pahla B Full Arms & Abs, Blogilates Arms
Saturday: 8 mile LSD
Sunday: Dogwalk (sort of)

Mileage: 19 (NC)

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

Are those windblown apples edible? Been wondering a few years

Tuesday

The sort of day we hated as kids at camp: cool and rainy. But just what the runner who’s tired of heat & humidity almost enjoys.

I know I’m a broken record here, but the forecast was for clearing during my run — nope, medium to light drizzle the entire run. Which was fine. Then when I walked the dogs, the forecast was for drizzle. Nope, we remained dry the entire time.

Started out super slow but picked it up as the miles ticked off — not that I was trying to.

Wednesday

I actually did a proper dynamic warmup yesterday. Because I was hoping it would stop raining! This morning I did one, too, simply because it was still cloudy and cool (and thankfully stayed that way through my run and walking the dogs).

It feels so much better to walk the dogs as a cool down vs a warm up!

Picked Bandit up for a half mile cool down.

Thursday

Still on track with my warmups, back on the treadmill. Since I already had one rainy run this week, I opted to stay dry.

I had actually hoped to join a trail run in the evening, but it rained much of the day. And even though it was dry in the evening, I didn’t feel like running on wet grass/trails. Or just wimped out. You be the judge.

Saturday

Another cloudy Saturday . . . lower humidity . . . and best of all my training schedule and my group’s schedule matched for once!

A pretty consistent run again and my running buddy managed to stick with me the whole run.

Don’t let the smile fool you — today was frustrating!

Favorites of the week
Was there a favorite? Not an exciting week (and didn’t really end on a high note, either). Not a bad week, either. Having a long run with someone the whole way is always good. And the sushi dinner that night was tasty, too. Brunch today was really good, too (my photos just didn’t do it justice) and it didn’t take nearly as long as the reviews had led me to believe it would.

Today was the most beautiful day. And I thought I had a great plan for it — an easy, scenic hike; brunch at a dog friendly restaurant — and the weather really cooperated. And that’s about the only thing that did.

We couldn’t do the hike I’d planned because the park wanted proof of rabies vaccination for the dogs. Not only do we no longer vaccinate Lola (per vet’s instructions), I also didn’t have Bandit’s papers and we never put the tags on them. Our next choice had no parking. And the last place we stopped at — well you can see the trail is marked no dogs allowed! Really????

And that’s a wrap

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:

Ever been turned away due to lack of rabies vaccine proof?

Ready for some rain or ready for it to dry out?

Do you think a tofu/egg scramble sounds odd (it was good!)?

Half #16, State#14: 4/24- 30 Weekly Wrap

April 30, 2017 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 42 Comments

When you choose to do all your halfs as racecations, it’s always a busy week before your race. I’m typing this at the beginning of the week, before most of what I’m writing about even happened, but if there’s one thing I know for sure this week, it’s gonna be busy.

I’m joining up with the Weekly Wrap from Holly @ Hohoruns and Tricia @ Misssipppiddlin so we can all inspire each other to stay active.

Workouts update

Monday: JY Power Your Pushoff, Dogwalk, 6 miles easy
Tuesday: Walking to drop off and pick up the car for service (took the dogs with me for pick up), Pilates Total Body & Stretch
Wednesday: Dogwalk, 6 miles easy
Thursday: Dogwalk, Iron Strength Abbreviated
Friday: Travel to WA
Saturday: 2 miles easy, Salt Room, lots of yoga
Sunday: Mud & Chocolate Half Marathon

Mileage: 25.1 (-1.1)

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

Monday

This was just what the doctor ordered. Not the run so much — there was nothing terribly remarkable about this run, good or bad. It was a bit on the slow side, but the last time I ran at this unpaved path I had a lot of frustration fueling my run.

No, it was the weather. It was just so darn beautiful. And I sat on a picnic bench by the river afterwards eating my snack. And vowed to my self I need to do that more often. It’s just a shame that this particular path is quite short; not even a couple of miles.

So yes, I looped three times.

Wednesday

For some reason Bandit was dragging today, although he never stopped so I assumed he wanted to run. I’m guessing it was the fact that it was still wet out and his belly was getting wet.

I dropped Bandit off after 2 miles and finished a non-remarkable 4 miles on my own.

Saturday

I felt up to my shakeout run, unlike NOLA. Some of those trails were really steep so a lot of walking. Perfect running weather. Hoping for more of the same for the next day.

Sunday

The Mud & Chocolate Half lived up to its name. It was hilly, rainy & muddy but I met my simple goals of finishing within the time limit within falling.

Favorites of the week
A wonderful hot stone massage. They had a special going, so I treated myself to a 90 minute massage. It felt wonderful.

The sundae I shared with Mr. Judy & my SIL post race.

And a few photos from my half.

And that’s a wrap

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:

If you raced this week, how’d it go?

If you haven’t raced, are you gearing up for a race?

Ever used a race as a training run?

Being uncomfortable is overrated: Runfessions April 2017

April 28, 2017April 24, 2017 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 33 Comments

may2017runfessions

It’s true, however, that we have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.Yet I runfess that it can be very hard to do. Join me, Marcia @ Marcia’s Healthy Slice and other bloggers to see what we’re runfessing; if you haven’t joined us yet maybe it’s time to get outside your comfort zone!

I runfess . . .
I managed to spray some sunscreen all over the bathroom floor one day while Lola was in there. I barked at her to leave it, and went into the kitchen (past our very large bay window) to grab some paper towels.

Naked from the waist up. If someone got an eyeful, I apologize but #sorrynotsorry.

I also had to raid the dirty clothes hamper for the top I wanted to wear that day.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
–Neale Donald Walsch

I runfess . . .
I was scared to try group running again. The truth is that while there are people that run my speed, they’re few and far between. So going to a new park, hoping I can find where to meet with everyone, which I’ve had trouble with in the past, and hoping not to be hopelessly lost because no one runs my speed and the sun will be setting by the time I’m done?

Yeah, I ended up not going. Except that was the night we were removing the tint from my car’s windows, so it actually turned out to be a good thing.

The next week? I just didn’t have the time, too busy prepping for my trip. It’s still going when I get home. Maybe . . .

I runfess . . .
I am a little nervous about my upcoming (like in a couple of days) half. Because it’s new: it’s a trail half. The good news is that Rachel @ Runningonhappy and I agreed that it would be a training run for UT.

The looping, the trail running, the potential for it to totally live up to its name (Mud & Chocolate); yeah, I’m wondering just what I’ve gotten myself into. Hopefully I’ll have a good story to tell you and I won’t have to runfess how I raced instead of treating it as a training run — then again, as it’s my first trail race, I’ve kind of got only a little idea what I’m doing.

I’m also a little nervous about injuring myself. But of course we can all do that at any point, on trails or the road, sometimes even just walking down the street. It’s just that I have another half to run in short order and I’m really looking forward to it!

I runfess . . .
That even though I’ve just been running on trails 50% of the time in April, I’ve gone ahead and ordered some new socks and some gaiters. Last year I said I was going to try to do trail running one time a week. It fizzled quickly.

This year, going forward, I hope to make it a reality — maybe not every week, but now that I’ve spent some time exploring the trails that are actually not that far from my house, it’s not as scary.

Now it’s time to find some more trails . . . although time is always a factor. Most trails are a good half hour’s drive away, so driving an hour plus the run . . . it’s not always easy to squeeze all that in. Which is part of why trail running fizzled so quickly last year.

I’d like it to look like this — not a muddy mess!

I runfess . . .
I was a little PO’d when I did my weather stalking. It was cool — one day downright cold (for spring), and windy, most of the time before I left. There were a few lovely days, but few and far between.

So what is forecast to happen as soon as we leave? Beautiful spring-like weather. Whereas that nasty, cool, rainy, windy weather is waiting to greet us for my race. It’s not so much that I mind running a race in those conditions — I knew where I was going and what the weather could be like — I was just frustrated that I was missing out on beautiful weather back home!

I would, however, like to freeze the forecast from last Saturday — it was showing near perfect race conditions on race day. Pretty please?

Do you buy all the gear for new types of running (or running in general)?

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

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

frifive2

Beta testing what I’ll need: 4/17- 23 Weekly Wrap

April 22, 2017April 23, 2017 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 44 Comments

That’s what training is: beta testing. Do these clothes feel good (and don’t chafe)? Does that fuel sit well in my stomach? How should I carry my water?

NOLA was easy to pack for, but this race is much trickier, and while I’m trying not to check a bag because we’ll be there less than a week, I’m pretty sure I want to have some options.

I’m joining up with the Weekly Wrap from Holly @ Hohoruns and Tricia @ Misssipppiddlin so we can all inspire each other to stay active.

Workouts update

Monday: Dogwalk, Pilates Rapid Results Arms, Total Body & Stretch, Iron Strength Glute Blaster, JY Hips & Calf Reset
Tuesday: Dogwalk, 5 mostly flat trail miles
Wednesday: 5 miles with some hill downhills, Dogwalk
Thursday: Dogwalk, Iron Strength Abbreviated
Friday: 5 miles easy, Dogwalk
Saturday: Pilates Tighten & Tone Arms, Lower Body Body, Stretch, Strala Arms, Back & Shoulders, Dogwalk
Sunday: 9 mile, hilly LSD, JY Aligh Your Stride

Mileage: 24 (-1)

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

Tuesday

I set out determined to find a flatter route on the trails. I knew I’d run some way flatter from what I’d run this past weekend — but there are a lot of trails in this preserve, and there’s the whole trying to remember where the heck I turned thing.

I was successful though! And with the weather a good 20 degrees cooler, I had a much better run. They weren’t completely flat, and they’re still somewhat technical, but I didn’t have the life sucked out of me like I did on my last couple of runs.

I even managed to stay upright, although I caught a toe on a root during a walking break. Geez!

Wednesday

The temperatures dropped even more. It was insanely windy — I thought we left the wind in March, but apparently not. I got out with Bandit to warm up, then tackled some more downward hill repeats. I could squeeze 4 into 2 miles — I know this doesn’t seem like much, but it’s a long way back around to the top of the hill. I think that plus my hilly trail runs are preparing me for my trail half and UT just fine.

At least I hope so.

Friday

It’s been about 6 weeks since I’ve run with anyone. It’s also been quite some time since I ran somewhere flat. And it’s been almost 4 months since I’d seen the friend I ran with (she’s a snowbird and goes to FL for the winter).

We ran together for about 3 miles, but then I ran on ahead for the last 2, and the run was lovely negative splits without trying. Running has really seemed hard the last couple of weeks, so this was a gift. We also ran on a flat path, the weather was just about perfect, and so was the company. So much so that I totally forget to take any photos.

Just one of many very steep hills on this trail

Sunday

What a difference 25 degrees makes! A truly lovely day to run, and probably mimics race conditions fairly well (minus potential showers & mud).

Parts of these trails are still insanely hilly — trust me, the photo doesn’t do it justice. This was a more confidence building run and didn’t suck the life from me like last week. I still find it more tiring to run trails — I think. We’ll see what race day adrenaline does for me.

I think I may have a seen a turkey. I never got close enough to it to tell, but it was a damn big bird.

I also got to try out a Camelbak Hydration vest Mr. Judy bought a while ago but has never used — because I was already getting my cheap one to dry out to pack. And now I’m not quite sure which to take! Pros and cons to both.

Favorites of the week

Running with a friend — finally! We also checked out Halotherapy on Sunday — if nothing else, it’s very relaxing. More on that at a future date.

My car passing inspection. Hopefully Old Faithful and I have more time together. The check engine light came on again just a couple of days later.

Being able to spend a whole weekend at home. Even if it means I’m still packing my own stuff!

Being able to eat out al fresco on Sunday. Nothing like fresh air (and 9 miles + 1 mile walking because you misjudge your turnaround point) to whet your appetite!

And that’s a wrap

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:

If you raced this week, how’d it go?

If you haven’t raced, are you gearing up for a race?

Ever used a race as a training run?

Horses, Hills & Snakes, Oh My!: 4/10- 16 Weekly Wrap

April 16, 2017April 16, 2017 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 37 Comments

This week went down a lot like my last couple of weeks: nothing great, nothing terrible.

Running was hard this week. Some weeks are just like that. Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? A lot of my friends were racing this weekend, but I couldn’t.

I’m joining up with the Weekly Wrap from Holly @ Hohoruns and Tricia @ Misssipppiddlin so we can all inspire each other to stay active.

Workouts update

Monday: Dogwalk, Pilates Rapid Results Arms, Total Body & Stretch, Iron Strength Glute Blaster, JY Hips & Calf Reset
Tuesday: Dogwalk, 5 hilly trail miles
Wednesday: Iron Strength Abbreviated, 5 miles with some hill downhills, Dogwalk
Thursday: Dogwalk
Friday: 5 miles easy, Dogwalk
Saturday: Pilates Perfect Body Arms, Total Body, Stretch, Strala Arms, Back & Shoulders, Working on my parents house
Sunday: 10 mile, hilly LSD, Hit Reset Yoga

Mileage: 25 (+7)

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

Tuesday

Seriously, why has getting out to run been so hard lately? I realized I’d left my phone in my purse all night (usually I shut it off before I go to bed — really!) and it was at 17%. Plus I’d forgotten to charge my Garmin in the morning, too: 57%.

So I walked the dogs without my watch on and sacrificed several thousand steps. Then wasted a lot of time looking for the top I wanted to wear because summer had inexplicably visited for a couple of days.

I pulled up to the parking lot and there was a whole class of kids on the begining of the trail — who thannkfully I did not see again until I was just finishing up my run.

I chose poorly with my trails this fine, sunny, hot day: lots of sand, lots of hills. So of course I fell shortly after the first mile, but escaped with just a few scrapes, really nothing to write home about.

I ran in a totally different direction, pretty far away from the center I parked at, and started to hear a lot of bangs. Would I be blown up? Would a tree fall on me? Thankfully, nothing of the sort happened (it’s actually near the pistol range where Mr. Judy goes: apparently that was the bangs).

There was very little shade, my legs were suffering from some DOMs, and did I mention how hilly it was? And sandy? About the only good thing about this run was that it got done. And that I used my hydration pack (which was more annoying on my bare shoulders) so I was able to stay well hydrated. And I didn’t get lost this time.

Wednesday

After the rain finally stopped, I took Bandit out for a warmup. We tackled one of the taller hills in my neighborhood — running up the smaller hill, then running down the longer hill in preparation for both UT and Wineglass.

I dropped Bandit back off at the house, then continued on, to the even larger hill a mile or so away. I ran down it three times. It’s not really that long, only about .1 mile, but it is steep. Plus I’d actually done a very hilly run the day before. And was still suffering legs’ DOMs from my return to strength training.

I was pleased to see this run was negative splits, but I run fess I may have paused my watch a time (or two) and walked more than normal. This was a tough “easy” run on tired aching legs! Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to do Iron Strength Abbreviated in the morning, before the run. It’s a short workout, but it ain’t easy.

At least one day was a lovely day to run!

Friday

Finally some beautiful spring weather. And daffodils. And forsythia. Spring is trying to break through! I warmed up with Bandit again. Dropped him off, set out to finish up the last 3 1/2 miles.

Somewhere along the way I got kind of grumpy despite the beautiful weather — probably because it had been a long time since breakfast and I was getting hungry. I was running near where I like to throw in a fartlek because of the long row of trees. I knew I’d really been working my legs hard this week, so I did it, but I made sure I was just picking it up a little. It worked; I felt happier after that.

Course I still had to go home and walk the dogs . . .

Sunday

Hot. Sandy. Hilly. A little deja vu all over again (only it was even hotter, but actually maybe a little less hilly — maybe). I can’t say that this run gave me loads of confidence, right now I’m just hoping to finish within the time limit! The good news is that it’s highly unlikely (although not impossible) for it to be 80F in WA. Or sandy.

I think/hope/pray that where I’m running here is far more technical than the race, which is supposed to be slightly hilly, well groomed trails. I know just how hilly WA can be, since I run there whenever we visit my MIL, but man, a lot of the hills on these trails, even though short, are almost vertical. Between that and the heat just stick a fork in me. I was totally done by mile 9.

And this wasn’t the only snake I saw . . .

I did at least remain upright, and that, along with finishing within the time limit so I can earn my medal, are two of my main goals. That and eating all the chocolate.

Favorites of the week
My parents’ home is close to being done as far as the packing up goes. I might actually get my weekends back . . . someday. It’s bittersweet and Saturday was kind of hard. I know it’s not my last time in the house, but it’s still difficult on many levels.

Chocolate PB Cup ice cream makes everything better!?

The first spring ice cream helped take the sting out of Sunday’s run.

New trail shoes — so far, so good!

And that’s a wrap

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:

What critters do you see on your runs?

Ever tried a hydration vest?

Got any trail running tips for me?

Burning up the trails: 4/3- 9 Weekly Wrap

April 9, 2017April 9, 2017 ~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 31 Comments

In some ways, this week was a repeat of last week: nothing particularly exciting going on, another trip to my parents — which I thought would be the last one, except it took much longer than I expected and I think there’s more left to do than my sister realizes.

Still a bit back and forth, feeling okay one day, the next not 100% — today I feel pretty good and with some vitamin D from my run, I’m hoping I stay that way!

I’m joining up with the Weekly Wrap from Holly @ Hohoruns and Tricia @ Misssipppiddlin so we can all inspire each other to stay active.

Workouts update

Monday: Dogwalk, DM Flow
Tuesday: Dogwalk, Pilates Perfect Body Arms, Legs, Belly & Stretch
Wednesday: Dogwalk, 5 miles easy on trails
Thursday: Dogwalk, Iron Strength Abbreviated
Friday: Dogwalk, 5 miles easy
Saturday: Pilates Perfect Body Arms, Total Body, Stretch, Strala Arms, Back & Shoulders, Working on my parents house
Sunday: 8 mile LSD

Mileage: 18 (+11)

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

Wednesday

After a few extra rest days (again), I can’t say that I still felt 100% but frankly, I was getting tired of resting. Sort of. Actually Tuesday I felt good, but oddly Wednesday I was feeling run down again. No idea why.

So I headed out to run some trails. Which you might notice is different from where I normally run. Because I runfess that I’ve been keeping quiet about my next half, which just happens to be a trail race. And I’ve never done a trail race.

I have run on trails — occasionally. But not often. Other than getting slightly lost at the end of the run, it was fine.

Friday

I totally waffled back and forth on this: it was supposed to rain all day, only it really didn’t. I had to go out and run errands in the morning, but I knew Bandit would have a difficult time handling how long I’d have to be out if I tacked on a run.

I figured I’d run on the treadmill. No, I’d go outside. No, treadmill. In the end, it wasn’t raining too bad, so I took Bandit out for 1 1/2 miles, dropped him off, and then finished off in a cold, windy drizzle.

Sunday

Finally a perfect day to run. The universe seemed to conspire against me — I’m not going to go into all the details, but when I got to the trails I’d planned to run on, the Fire Department had closed them for a controlled burn. Who does this happen to (besides me, of course)?

I ended up driving around way more than I had any desire to after 3 hours in the car yesterday, but I did at least run on an unpaved path. A short one. With lots of looping. Well, my trail half will have loops 3 times so it was good practice. The run itself went well.

I also used a relatively inexpensive hydration backpack I’d bought last year and never used. I didn’t fill the bladder all the way, so it made a lot of sloshing noises, but otherwise it actually worked quite well.

Favorites of the week
So, again, not a great week and not a horrible week. The beautiful weather today was absolutely a favorite, and it’s supposed to stick around a few days. I’m just going to do what I did last week: I’ll share some photos from my long run.

And that’s a wrap

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:

Ever done a race that loops multiple times?

Ever feel like the universe doesn’t want you to run?

Trails or the road?