Weekly Run Down

Just what the Doctor Ordered: 7/27 – 8/2 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 42 Comments

Garmin was back up. Temps were just a little down. The makings of a great running week, right? Except I knew I needed a break from most activity — and I took it. After several days I felt a whole lot better, but I still had little desire to run. Or really tax my body in any way. It was a little staycation from fitness, and it was needed.

There was some Yoga, one long run, and a fair amount of easy walking. Plus one half day trip.

bwrd

Joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and getting lucky with the weather for my runs this week. Mostly.

Workouts update

  • Monday:  Dogwalk
  • Tuesday: Dogwalk, Yoga (30 min), Dogwalk (the morning dogwalk was intentionally cut short due to a thunderstorm)
  • Wednesday: Dogwalk, walking around while Lola was a the vet (routine visit)
  • Thursday: Dogwalk , Filmed Yoga Video (60 min)
  • Friday: Dogwalking Half Day Trip
  • Saturday:  7 mile LSD
  • Sunday: Dogwalk, maybe some Yoga later

Mileage: 7 (-6)

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

I always wonder how these apples taste (it’s in my neighborhood)

Saturday intention: duality
This run was great . . . for the first mile. It was actually a decent day to run by Summer standards — that is, low humidity. It was also pretty much cloudless, and buggy. Why is it that I seem to be one of the only ones dealing with gnats? Is it because I sweat so much?

I spent a lot of this run trying to figure what I need to do in August to bring back some joy to my runs. The early mornings and Summer temps have just been soul-sucking for me. I’m not sure I have a plan yet.

I also spent some time thinking about dualities:

  • Bugs (annoying) vs low humidity (more comfortable)
  • Run interval seems forever and the walk interval flies by
  • Intention to take it easy but just want to get it over!
  • Intention to clear my mind yet writing blog posts as I run

You have to appreciate the good and the bad, and practicing doing just that helps you become more resilient (so those soul sucking runs aren’t as draining — although my main problem has been that the runs have been physically draining).

Apparently we’re trend setters again — good thing we got out here before it was on the news today!

Favorites of the week
We hit the road again. Another outdoor (free) sculpture garden. There were actually quite a lot of people there, but for the most part it wasn’t hard to social distance (I never even had to put on my mask, although it was in my pocket). There were quite a few dogs, there, too — thankfully on leash.

We made a stop at a preserve on the way back, and some waterfalls close to that preserve — sadly the waterfalls were almost completely dry.

Lola spends a lot of time down here these days

I think the next day trip we take the dogs need to stay home. It wasn’t that hot, but we had to cut it short due to Lola. Even Bandit seemed to struggle with the temps. Which is so weird, the last time they did so well.

I already have a possibility lined up for our next trip — not a sculpture garden!

Our little science experiment

I had several potatoes/sweet potatoes that were growing eyes. I mentioned to Mr. Judy that I wanted to see if I could grow potatoes. Next thing I know there were potato bags showing up. I think the biggest problem is that they need quite a bit of time to grow — I’m hoping we have just enough time before the first freeze.

Can you remember the last time you took a fitness break? 

What’s keeping you motivated to keep up with exercise? 

Have you been able to go exploring anywhere? 

Irritability Yin Yoga

ICYMI: I am tackling irritability this week. Bandit plays a starring role — he stayed with me the entire practice. These poses will get into your hips, groin, and inner thighs deeply, so I take a lot of time warming those areas up — and didn’t hold the peak poses quite so long. As always, I encourage you to pause the video and hold longer where it feels right to do so. Watch it here.

ICYMI2: Don’t forget that 100% of your donation to my Dempsey Challenge fundraiser goes directly to benefit cancer patients, survivors, and their families.  If you’d like to donate, you can do it here. Thank you!

Coming up on Tuesday: I’m sharing my thoughts on the Peloton App. Friday we’re getting together virtually for a coffee date here. Join us!

The Runaround: 7/20 – 26 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 42 Comments

. . . Or GarminGate?

It was a busy week. A visit to my mom. 2 zoom calls the next day, one to wrap up a course I was taking, the other a family call — some of my cousins were in on it this time, so that was nice (haven’t seen them in years, all the West Coasters).

That was all followed by a couple of days fighting with technology — and of course then Garmin went down. Not a big deal, really. I thought it would delay getting a signal for my long run, since I couldn’t sync — nope, got a signal immediately!

bwrd

Joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and getting lucky with the weather for my runs this week. Mostly.

Workouts update

  • Monday:  3 non technical trail miles, Yoga (50 min)
  • Tuesday: Dogwalk, trip to mom with 2 more short walks
  • Wednesday: 3 miles easy
  • Thursday: Dogwalk , Filmed Yoga Video (60 min)
  • Friday: Dogwalk, PB ST (25 min)
  • Saturday:  7 mile LSD, Abs (10 min)
  • Sunday: Dogwalk, hopefully some SB, ST, & Yoga

Mileage: 13 (-.24)

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

Looked threatening but I stayed dry

Monday intention: find the joy in this run
It wasn’t easy. The bugs were relentless again. It was mid 70s and very humid at 6:30 am. I knew Tuesday would be much nicer, but I was going to see my mom. 

Despite another night of interrupted sleep (thanks for walking us at 2:30 am, Bandit), the run itself was pretty strong — I couldn’t hold onto my nasal breathing as much as I want to, which just means I was running too fast, but I was okay with that — I just wanted to run away from the bugs!

I did my best to try to find the joy in this run:

  • Clouds
  • A little bit of sunshine on the water
  • My coolit top & skirt really did help to keep me cooler — at least if felt as if it did. And they helped keep the bugs away from my torso. Now if I could just keep them away from my head!
  • I didn’t take any extra walk breaks.
Instead of rainbows I give you #alltherabbits

Wednesday intention: listen to my heart
I knew I was tired from the trip to my mom’s + several weeks of not so great sleep, so I didn’t set an alarm. I was rewarded with a really good night of sleep — I also got out about an hour later than I have been, but lucked out because it was cool, cloudy, and just a little drizzly.

I knew I needed to take it easy, which is why I made the intention of listening to my heart/intuition (not literally watching HR). I walked a bit more when I felt the need. The first mile was slow. The second mile was also slow, but not as much. By the third I felt okay and knew I could achieve negative splits if I put my mind to it — so I did & I did.

. . . and more rabbits . . .

Saturday intention: easy/self care
Although I’d had a few nights of really good sleep this week, Friday night was not one of them. The weather was pretty good for Summer running — not too humid, although warm (mid to high 60s), and sunny.

Exercise is most definitely a form of self care — when you don’t take it to extremes. So I ran by feel, I walked a lot, and yeah, the last couple of miles were draining. Pace all over the place. Still slightly encouraged since I ran at this pace in the Spring — when the weather was much cooler.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the weather cools down again — not wishing for Summer to go away, for sure, but less humidity and a bit less heat would be welcome. Too bad we’re going into August and the dog days of Summer.

. . . speaking of dogs, Bandit being tortured by Mr. Judy again

Favorites of the week
Although it’s draining to be back on the road to my mom more often, it’s also good to see her more often. It was also nice to see my cousins and hear about what’s going on in their worlds.

No idea what I was saying, but look — something other than Oofos on my feet! Picking up our veggie box.

Second veggie box had corn in it. So we enjoyed our first grilled corn of the Summer. It was good – but not great — corn. Probably just too early. So far I’m quite pleased with the veggies and we managed to eat up all the lettuce. There were lots of salads!

Unfortunately we ended up with two things of lettuce again. The window to swap out veggies was very narrow (about 4 hours) this week, and I happened to be at my mom’s. Oh well, it’s gonna be hot again so I’ve no doubt I’m up to polishing all the lettuce off again this week!

What comes to mind when I say “self care”? 

Are you all about the salads in Summer? 

Are your furkids polite beggars? 

gwy cooling yoga

ICYMI: I already shared a Cooling Yin Yoga practice here, but this week it’s more slow Yoga/Hatha style — IOW, more “regular” Yoga. There’s an extended Savasana practice (roughly 10 minutes). I know it’s tempting to skip, but I really encourage you to take some time for yourself and stick it out! I think you’ll come away feeling much cooler (literally and figuratively) and calmer. Let me know! Watch it here.

ICYMI2: For years I’ve wanted to join friends for the Dempsey Challenge, a run that supports Patrick Dempsey’s Cancer Center in ME. We thought this would be the year, finally — well, you all know what happened: like everything it’s gone virtual. I am going to join this year — as a virtual run — and I am fund raising (even though this year they waived the fund raising requirement). 100% of your donation directly benefits cancer patients, survivors, and their families.  If you’d like to donate, you can do it here.

Coming up on Tuesday: It’s that time of the month (no not that time, I’m past that time) — time to wrap up July! Friday we’re all gathering at the runfessional here. Join us!

Hamilton Touring: 7/13 – 19 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 38 Comments

We got even further out of our neighborhood this week with a small day trip. The dogs and I enjoyed it, anyway. Mr. Judy enjoyed the ice cream.

bwrd

Joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and getting lucky with the weather for my runs this week. Mostly.

Workouts update

  • Monday:  3.24 non technical trail miles, Yoga (20 min), Pilates Arms (10 min)
  • Tuesday: Daytrip — not super taxing but roughtly 10k steps when all was said & done & a good mental boost
  • Wednesday: 3 miles easy, Yoga (20 min), Pilates Arms (10 min)
  • Thursday: Dogwalk , SB Intervals + Arms (30 min)
  • Friday: Dogwalk, Abs (10 min)
  • Saturday:  7 mile LSD, Yoga (30 min)
  • Sunday: Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min), SB (20 min), Pilates (30 min)

Mileage: 13.24 (-.1.5)

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

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

Running Update

#allthebugs

Monday: intention — attention to breath & foot turnover
Well, that was the intention. Except it was so buggy that this short run was actually torturous. The upside was that I ran faster trying to get it over. The downside is I can’t easily run that pace using nasal breathing — but you do what you gotta do. 

I ate my post run snack (which was basically breakfast) outside afterward, but because of the bugs, it just wasn’t pleasant. 

He tried to blend into the tree

Wednesday: pick it up + breath attention (always)
I worried that I got out too late & would need the cooling towel I didn’t take. I knew it was cooler — but how long would the sun stay hidden? Thankfully the entire run. This was the nicest day I’ve had to run in a month!

I took advantage of that to consciously pick up the pace. It was still slow, of course, but a steady first two miles and slightly faster the last mile. I had to breath through my mouth on some of my walk breaks & my V02 Max remains stuck, but I’m ok with both!

This guy stayed put as I ran past him twice, and I swear he was still in the same place when I walked the dogs this morning!

Saturday: intention — time on my feet, taking it easy
Friday was so nice and cool (mid 60s — I actually wore a hoodie to walk the dogs), I wished I’d felt up to running Friday morning. I haven’t been sleeping great for a few weeks — due to heat & dogs — and I knew I was better served by a rest day.

It wasn’t really quite that hot — but it felt like it was!

Saturday was relentlessly sunny, but thankfully the humidity hadn’t been turned on yet, and I chose a route that had a fair amount of shade. This was a surprisingly strong run, relatively steady, with the last mile being the fastest.

I took it relatively easy because of the heat and sun, but while certainly not fast, it was quite a bit faster than most of my long runs have been recently — despite more walk breaks when I felt like it.

We all explored a sculpture garden

Favorites of the week
We headed out and about on Tuesday — the heat had subsided briefly, and I needed to escape from home! Other than going to my mom, the last time we went anywhere further than our town was 8 months ago.

*I* had a lovely time. Mr. Judy tolerated it (although I think the ice cream at the end helped). The dogs did quite well. I think Lola’s serious hiking days are over, though (there were no serious hikes on this trip).

I had downloaded the Hamilton soundtrack to play as we drove. Which was a lovely bit of synchronicity, as we drove through Schuylerville and close to Philip Schuyler’s (Eliza Hamilton’s father) house — I knew the house was closed, although unsure of the grounds, so we didn’t stop there. Maybe another time.

Lettuce, Chard, Squash, Beets, Scallions & Parsley

We got our first CSA (community supported agriculture) box this week. Mr. Judy will need to step up his veggie consumption!

Not always easy doing Yoga around the dogs!

A impromptu photoshoot on the Yoga platform. Bandit was briefly my Yoga buddy again this week when it was cooler. When it’s hotter he comes and checks on me, but doesn’t hang out with me.

So you or have you done a CSA? 

What was your last daytrip? 

Got a non-DEET bug spray that actually works?  I’m still looking.

Divine Unity Meditation

ICYMI: You’ll need a mirror for this 15ish minute meditation. If you’ve been feeling scattered, alone, and unconnected, this meditation should be a lovely practice. Excuse the skirt. Last time I’ll film a video in skirt! Watch it here.

Coming up on Tuesday: Dealing with fear. On Friday I’m thinking about ways you can make hard runs more fun. Don’t forget that Skirt Sports is selling off its inventory, so check out the sale here — inventory & prices are decreasing!

The one where I leave my neighborhood: 6/6 – 7/12 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 32 Comments

Obviously I have left my neighborhood: to shop, to see my mom, to take Lola to the vet. This week was the first week in many that I took one of my runs out of the neighborhood.

bwrd

Joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and sharing pushing through the heat this week.

Workouts update

  • Monday:  4.72 non technical trail miles, Yoga (34 min)
  • Tuesday: Dogwalk, SB Lady Gaga (30 min), Pilates (8 min), Yoga (30 min)
  • Wednesday: 3 miles easy, Pilates (Booty) + Peloton Crush Your Core (15 min) Shot Yoga Video (60 min),
  • Thursday: Dogwalk , Pilates (30 min), Yoga (15 min)
  • Friday: 7 mile LSD — that’s all she wrote, folks!
  • Saturday:  Dogwalk, SB (15 min), Pilates Arms + Abs (20 min)
  • Sunday: Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min), Pilates Legs (10 min), SB planned for later

Mileage: 14.72 (+.72)

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

It’s a lovely, but short, path

Monday: intention — easy recovery run
For the first time in months, I got in the car and drove somewhere to run. I’m signed up for a virtual series of trail runs this month, with the swag being a bowl or mug at the end (hence the odd mileage for this run). One of my friends is running the series with me (not literally with me, though).

I took it to one of my favorite non technical trails, which is by a river. There’s a lot of grass around most of it, so I knew even if it was busy I could just step aside (as I did several times).

Eating my post run snack looking out over the water . . . heaven

This run was enjoyable (always love running by water) and felt really tough at the same time. It’s a short trail, so I ran back and forth a few times. I slowed down the last two miles, and put in some extra walking the last mile because I felt just the teeniest bit light headed. Week one done.

That was a hot one — and it only got hotter as the week went on!

Wednesday: easy does it + breath attention
Despite rain predictions the night before, I laid out clothes for this morning. Very humid, yes. Also cloudy and breezy. Not so bad except for when the bugs closed in — which was about half the run. Glad I got it done so I can try to pick the best day weather-wise for my long run, not that any day this weekend is looking great.

I think he was trying to blend with the tree

Friday: intention — survive the heat
I got up earlier, but somehow I got out the same time as my long run last week. I didn’t think I was procrastinating. Or maybe it was the interrupted sleep last night that slowed me down (getting on out the door & on the run!).

I’m sure my FL friends are laughing at me. It wasn’t too humid, actually. The bugs weren’t horrible. But it was about 80 by 7 am (half an hour into the run) and the sun was relentless.

It started out not too bad, but I was definitely feeling that heat by mile 5. I chose the slightly less steep side, which helped. Not training for anything? Yup, I’m gonna walk more if I feel like it.

This was a 7 mile run (using intervals) with no big walk break in the middle though. A big slow down miles 5 & 6, but I rallied the last mile — no mile was fast, but I was faster on the last mile than miles 5 & 6. Glad I chose Friday — Saturday & Sunday were even worse humidity-wise (although there was cloud cover).

These make a great pre- or post run snack

Favorites of the week
I’ve mentioned Bobo’s Toaster Pastries before (Amazon Affiliate link here) but they’ve been a great light-ish snack before early morning runs — or after the run. They do have a lot of sugar (hello, pastry) so it’s not something I eat all the time. The nut butter ones have a little less sugar.

Not sure how she stays on there

We also got lobster rolls on Friday. We picked them up and brought them home to eat. Sorry, I didn’t take a photo. I had thought to get some for the Fourth, maybe, but that didn’t work out. It also allowed us both to go out at the same time briefly — want to make sure the dogs don’t get too used to us being around all the time.

We also watched Hamilton again, as well as a documentary about it and Lin Manuel Miranda. The documentary was interested (One Shot to Broadway on Amazon), although a little dry. I’m sure we’ll watch Hamilton at least one more time before our month is done.

I also googled if Hamilton County here in upstate NY was named after Alexander Hamilton. It was. I’d suspected as much. I then googled if Elizaville was named after Elisabeth Schulyer/Hamilton — couldn’t find out if it was. I suspect it was. A couple of years ago I read the novel My Deal Hamilton. I recommend that, too!

The things dogs do with their beds . . .

How would you caption the photo of Bandit above? 

Where would you rather run: by water? In the mountains? On the trails? On the road? Someplace I haven’t mentioned?

What animal do you see most on the run?  Really, my answer is probably birds. The rabbits are out in force this summer, though.

GWY Cooling Yin Yoga

ICYMI: The heat is on, #amiright? This Yin Yoga practice can help you cool down after a run or a vigorous workout — both literally and figuratively. Watch it here.

Coming up on Tuesday: Fitting in fitness; it’s the topic for the Tuesday Linkup here on the 28th, but since I’ll be wrapping up July then, I decided to write about that on Tuesday. On Friday I’m sharing some thoughts about running being fun. Don’t forget that Skirt Sports is selling off its inventory, so check out the sale here — inventory & prices are decreasing!

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

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 34 Comments

. . . Again!

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

bwrd

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

Workouts update

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

Mileage: 14 (NC)

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

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

Running Update

This week it was celebrating seniors

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

Senior display complete with lights!

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

I liked the Boco face mask

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have you seen Hamilton?  Do you want to?

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

GWY Heart's Desire Meditation

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

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

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

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 35 Comments

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

bwrd

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

Workouts update

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

Mileage: 14 (+1)

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

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

Running Update

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

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

Close up. The light was nice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ever done Yoga in the rain? 

 

GWY Yin Yoga for Mindfulness

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

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

Out & About: 6/15 – 21 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 39 Comments

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

bwrd

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

Workouts update

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

Mileage: 13 (+1)

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

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

Running Update

My fartlek trees

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

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

I may have shared this rainbow already . . . 

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

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

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

That’s what we did with the firepit

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

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

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

Seriously that can’t be comfortable

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

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

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

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

Solar powered: 6/8 – 14 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 42 Comments

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

bwrd

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

Workouts update

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

Mileage: 12 (NC)

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

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

Running Update

Still finding rainbows

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

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

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

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

Friday’s rainbow
Sunday’s Rainbow: Hope!

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

Decal applied thanks to Mr. Judy

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

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

What is brightening your spirits right now?

Favorite uplifting quote? 

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

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

Getting out of town: 6/1 – 7 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 39 Comments

If you read my coffee/tea post here, you already know that I went to visit my mom this week. If you didn’t, don’t worry, I’ll talk about it a bit in my favorites section. 🙂

bwrd

Joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and a recovery week with lots of Yoga and some running and neighborhood “clean up”.

Workouts update

  • Monday:  Dogwalk, SB (15 min), Yoga (60 min)
  • Tuesday: Dogwalks, Visited Mom, Yoga (30 min)
  • Wednesday: 3 miles easy, Dogwalk, Yoga (60 min),
  • Thursday: Dogwalk, Yoga (40 min), Trying to clean the “new” rug
  • Friday: 3 miles easy including 6 x 20ish strides, Yoga (60 min)
  • Saturday:  Dogwalk, Yoga (60 min)
  • Sunday: 6 miles LSD, Yoga at some point (can’t break the Yoga streak)

Mileage: 12 (-1)

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

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

Running Update

There are a lot of kid rainbows in the neighborhood

Wednesday: intention — recovery run listening to body
After my slog on Sunday, I knew I needed a slight running break. Despite the long day to visit my mom for an hour and a quarter the day before, I felt much better this morning. It wasn’t fast, but it felt so much better than Sunday, despite the fact that the sun came out — only during my run! V02max inched back up a point.

Another faded rainbow

Friday: intention — listen to my body, but remind it it can run fast
It got really chilly this past weekend (as you can see from how I’m dressed visiting my mom below), and then yesterday was 90F. Looks like this week will go the same way. So it was hot & humid, but thankfully cloudy, this morning. V02max dropped a point again — I thought this was a decent run, with negative splits thanks to the strides at the end. #justshakesheadinbewilderment

More rainbow kid art

Sunday: intention — listen to my body, think about Dad
Almost a repeat of last Sunday: great weather but about midway through this run I got tired. I actually stopped after 4 miles to walk a bit back & forth hoping to shake it off. That worked out well because someone was coming down the sidewalk, but didn’t help with the fatigue.

What gorgeous Peonies! Mine are just beginning to bloom (these aren’t mine)

It didn’t feel quite as hard as last Sunday’s. I thought a lot about my Dad; we were originally planning to hold his burial today. The weather would have been perfect.

A chilly, drizzly day (nicer back home, of course) but first time I’ve been eye to eye with my mom in almost four months

Favorites of the week
We did finally go to visit my mom. 2 hours down (one pitstop at a service area), 2 hours back , about an hour and a quarter chatting with my mom. Next time I’ll probably go by myself, because the dogs were a pain.

Lola can’t settle while on leash, and while Bandit was fine, he threw up just as we got there. Next time we do go with the dogs, I guess he’ll have to go with just one meal for the day; this isn’t the first time we’ve had that problem with him. But sometimes he’s okay.

Let’s just say maybe I should have left the carpet. We’ll see.

I’ve been dumpster diving. Well, no actual dumpsters involved. I carried this rug about a mile home. Unfortunately it’s kind of beat up, but I was thinking I could use it for Yoga students to have a more comfortable place to roll out their mats outside. We’ll see if I can make it presentable.

Then we also took this old fire pit above (had to go back & drive to get that one). Mr. Judy plans to make another fountain out of it. I think it’ll look cool!

Finally, tuna poke is one of my go-to meals for hot days. It’s relatively easy and quick and doesn’t require an oven. Although I used Right Rice (Amazon Affiliate link here) for it. They call it a plant based rice alternative, but a better title would be legume rice –it’s made using lentil, chickpea, and rice flour + pea fiber , but who would eat that?

Mr. Judy didn’t mind it; that’s high praise from him, actually, since he really likes rice. White rice, specifically. Right Rice is packed with 10 gm of protein per serving, comes in several different flavors, and is easy to make — just boil water, add Right Rice, and let it sit covered for 10 minutes.

Ever tried Right Rice? Did you like it?

What’s one of your favorite hot weather meals? I made a Chinese Chicken Salad this week that *I* thought was yummy.  

Do people put out stuff for free in your neighborhood? Ever helped yourself to something?

Coming up on Tuesday: I’m trying to decide if I want to do a virtual race on July 4th. On Friday I’ll be writing about why I’m making my runs intentional. Don’t forget that Skirt Sports is selling off its inventory, so check out the sale here.

Steep, Steep-er, Steep-est: 5/25 – 31 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 31 Comments

I started the week with my virtual Freihofers’ “race”, and ended it dragging myself through a longish run today — despite really great weather. I think my body was protesting having to go up and down hills again, rather than just downhill.

bwrd

Joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and finishing out my 5ks.

Workouts update

  • Monday:  Virtual Freihofers 5k + .9 warmup, Yoga (60 min)
  • Tuesday: Dogwalk, Yoga (60 min)
  • Wednesday: Dogwalk, Yoga (60 min), Full Body ST (20 min)
  • Thursday: 3 miles easy, Dogwalk, Yoga (40 min)
  • Friday: Dogwalk, Bootcamp  (cycle + weights — 30 min), Yoga (60 min)
  • Saturday:  Dogwalk, Yoga (60 min)
  • Sunday: 6 miles LSD, Yoga (30 min — maybe more later)

Mileage: 13 (+.8)

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

A different starting line this year!

Monday
After practicing my 5ks last week, I ran my virtual 5k today. It was a lovely day to run — cloudy, breezy, almost perfect weather and I nailed my running outfit, too! It was also a slower 5k (due to nasal breathing), but my fastest 5k of the 4 I ran in the last week. 

I knew it wouldn’t be fast since nasal breathing is still slowing me down, but choosing a downhill course — and the weather — helped a lot. I had nice negative splits (due to the steep, steep-er, and steep-est hills on the route), and the last mile was the fastest I’ve seen in some time.

And nailed the outfit

I set out to make it hard-er training run, but not really trying to race. Somewhere in between. Mission accomplished. It also was not my slowest version of this race ever, so there’s that, too!

So many rainbows in the neighborhood!

Thursday
Just like that, what used to be our highs has become our lows. I got out early, although it never seems early enough. I went out with the intention of a recovery run, and that’s pretty much what happened.

Still haven’t finished cataloging rainbows in the neighborhood!

Sunday
The weather was really great for running today. It cooled off significantly from the earlier heat of the week. For whatever reason, though, my body was just not having a long run today. I finished, because who wants to walk back 3 miles, but it wasn’t pretty.

I tried really hard to concentrate on the beautiful day, but the reality was I just wanted to be done. Some runs are like that.

Bandit’s been a bit clingy lately. No idea why. He usually only climbs into my lap when he’s scared. He goes through periods like this though. You just have to be patient.

Favorites of the week
I didn’t want to join my friends in their social distance run/brunch — I’m sure it’s fine, but it’s just too big a group for me. I got “together” with a friend of mine — first time we’ve seen each other in person in a couple of months — just sitting and chatting in my backyard.

The hard part was that both dogs wanted to investigate her. It was nice catching up with her — as usual, I’m better in a small group. Or one on one.

Love my new Yoga mat!

New Yoga mat! I bought this one on Etsy. I’m forever carting my Yoga mat up & down stairs, so it’s nice to have one on each floor. It’s really pretty (and hand painted), it’s thicker than the one I already own — which means it doesn’t bunch up at all during my practice. The store on Etsy is TheArtofAnsel — I definitely recommend them!

You can see the fountain Mr. Judy is working on for me in the back.

Are you comfortable being in larger groups again? As I said to someone else recently, I have my mom (we plan to visit her next week, but it sucks that I can’t hug her) and others in my life that are at higher risk.

Would you travel by plane to run a race right now?  

What are you looking forward to in June? 

Coming up on Tuesday: It’s time to wrap up May. Then it’s time for the virtual Coffee Date next weekend. Don’t forget that Skirt Sports is selling off its inventory, so check out the sale here.