A week in review and other things too

TRAINING:

* RUNNING:
What is up with the weather this year?  We have had some BEAUTIFUL days here in CO and I have tried to get outside and enjoy them as much as I can!  I went for a 5M trail run this week and I actually got HOT during my run!  Here I am, in all my sweaty happiness!

I am so glad I got out when I did, because today, we are in the middle of a BLIZZARD!  We are predicted to get around 18" of snow..YIKES!!  Check out our poor chairs and picnic table:

*  ACCESSORIES:
One thing I've been trying to figure out is how to carry all the stuff I need on my short runs.  I used to carry the Nathan Handheld, but when I only go out for a run 30min-1hr., I don't need anything that big. So, I've been using a small 8oz Fuel Belt handheld that I LOVE!

BUT, the little pouch is REALLY small.  It is barely big enough to hold 1 gel...ugh!!  So, I don't have anywhere to put my phone, which I carry with me on every run. BUT, I found the perfect solution!

This is a Sprigs wrist wallet [HERE] that I actually got it as a gift from my friend years ago, but have never used it.  So, while I was rummaging through my stuff, I found it and decided to give it a try.

It worked perfectly!  It stretches, so I was able to stick my phone and key in it, and pull it up my arm.  I thought it would really bother me, but it didn't at all.  It didn't bounce or slide down, and after awhile, I didn't even notice it on my arm.  The only problem is that it's a little tricky to get my phone out with one hand, but it wasn't a big enough issue to be a deal breaker for me.

  

This is a picture of it on my forearm.  It was comfortable there, and further up on my bicep.

Anyways, I just thought I'd share this product with you in case anyone else was having issues with how to carry stuff! :)





*  BIKING:
While I haven't been able to ride outside recently, I have gotten on my trainer a couple of times.  My husband and I have actually started riding together after we put our boys to bed.  BUT, we're getting really tired of our Spinervals and want to try something else.  SO, I was reading a lot about Sufferfest

www.thesufferfest.com

These videos look really tough, but every review I have read about them says they are great training videos.  WHAT DO YOU THINK?  Have any of you used them before?

OTHER THINGS TOO:
*  RUN FOR SHERRY:

I'm sure most of you already know about this, but if you don't, please go read this post on Beth's blog, Shut up and Run [HERE].  I will be running for Sherry on Feb. 11th and hope that you will too.

*  SUPER BOWL:

My dad is a HUGE Giants fan, so of course, I grew up routing for them too!  I am so excited that they are in the Super Bowl and think it will be a great game!  GO GIANTS!!!

I hope you all have a great weekend! :)

A run, a coyote, and a jog strap??

Yesterday, even though it was only about 30 degrees outside, I decided I had had enough of the treadmill and decided just to bundle up and run outside!  I am sooo glad I did because I ended up having a great run!

During IMAZ training I took a break from running in my VFF Bikilas.  But, now that training is over, I've been wearing them on every run alternating them with my Brooks Racer ST5 in order to slowly build up my mileage.  I started with just wearing them for 1/4M, then adding 1/4M more each run.  Now, I'm up to wearing them for 2M.  So, for this run, I wanted to try out my New Balance Minimus trail shoes.

I drove to the Cherry Creek State Park, laced up my trail shoes, and hit the trail for a 1M out and back course.  IT WAS AWESOME!!  I LOVE those shoes!  They are really comfortable and I cannot wait to take them on longer trail runs.

 

Don't my feet look happy?

As a side note, back in my high school days when I ran cross county, this is how I would do my shoe laces to keep them from coming undone.  It works like a charm!  That was WAY before I knew anything about Yankz..ha ha!




Anyways, after my 2M trail run, I laced up  my Brooks and set out for another 2 miles.  This time I decided to run on a paved trail.  About a 1/2M into my run I looked over to my left and saw this:

It stopped me DEAD in my tracks!  Coyotes around here are known for attacking small dogs and even runners, so I was a little scared.  But then, I noticed that it was NOT moving.  I starred and starred at it, but it did not move!  WTF??

So, I looked just a little bit closer and noticed that it had a stick down the middle going into the ground.  WHAT??  I was soooo confused and thought that some high school kids had put it there as a prank.

Here's a close up...can you see the stick in the middle??

I started running again, and I started seeing more and more of these coyote signs!  WHAT was going on?  Then, I saw 3 hockey fields covered in geese.  Were the coyotes a way to keep geese away?  At first, I thought it must have worked because there weren't any geese by the coyote I saw.  Then, as I ran longer, I noticed that there were geese even in areas that had a coyote sign.

So, I have no idea about those coyotes!!











Although this has nothing to do with my run, I thought I'd share one last thing that I thought was hilarious!!  Enjoy!!  I hope you all have a great weekend!

 

The Heat Is On!

I don't know what is going on with Mother Nature these days, but it has been HOT!  We've been in the mid-upper 90's all week and we're supposed to have a high of 97 today!  WHAT?  97?  Yikes!

Well, I needed to do a 1:30 run today and normally I take my boys to the Kids' Club at 24hr. fitness and run on the treadmill.  BUT, today my husband had the day off, so I had the opportunity to run outside.  Woohoo!  Because it is supposed to be 97 today, I decided to go right after we dropped our oldest off at Kindergarten, around 9AM.  I got dressed and we all walked to my son's school.  I got some pretty strange looks from some parents.  I have to admit with my Garmin, Visor, Nathan Speed4 waistbelt, and my flashy new shoes I didn't look like ANYONE else there, but whatever!

Check out my new shoes...the Brooks ST5 racer!  They are sooo bright it's crazy!  But, I still LOVE them!  

I said goodbye to my boys and husband and headed out in the midst of minivans leaving the school.  It IS pretty funny to see so many SUVs and minivans in one place.. ha ha!  The weather was already HOT, so I decided to run an out and back route that I knew would be shaded.  I have also been taking it easy on my runs b/c of my IT band incident last week and wanted to be close to home in case it flared up again.

Well, I have to say that my run today was HOT, but AWESOME!  I didn't have any pain...yay!!  Towards the end it was super hot and I was sooo glad to be done!  I literally came inside, laid down on the floor, and let the cool AC in my house cool me off!  At least it makes good practice for IMAZ.

You know it's hot outside when my face turns the same color as  my shirt!  Ha ha

  
I hope you're all having a great week!! :)

I RAN 4.5 MILES!!

Can I get a WOOT WOOT!!

HAPPY after my run.  And check out my new headphones...review coming soon! :)

So, I know 4.5miles is not a long distance, but for me, being able to run longer than 1 mile without pain is AWESOME!  You all know that I've been dealing with this nasty IT band injury since January.  I've been to my PT, done the exercises, and focused on strengthening the areas my PT felt were weak.  I have really been taking it easy on my runs, doing a RULK (run/walk) combo for each one, and running at a pace A LOT slower than my pre-injury days.  I started by doing .5M walk/.5M run, then increased it to .25M walk, .75Mrun, then increased it from there.
FINALLY, on Saturday I did a RULK of .25M walk/1.5M run and kept going until I reached the 4.5M run mark.  I felt awesome and almost back to normal again, but didn't want to push it.  I still have a lot of my fitness, but it's amazing how much "running" fitness you lose when you don't run on a regular basis.  The last thing I want to do is run too far, too soon and cause the IT to flare up again.

I don't know what exactly helped my IT band heal.  But, here are the things I think helped ME:
*  Taking a much needed rest from training.  I'll be the first to admit that I was totally overtrained when I did the AZ marathon.  My body was tired and I didn't listen.  Lesson learned!!
*  Strength exercises to strengthen my hips/glutes.  I really think the combo of my PT exercises and the TRX really helped.
* SLOWING down.  After the AZ marathon I tried running again at my normal pace and paid for it big time.  I think as runners, pace is such a big thing sometimes.  But, what I learned is that what really matters is that you're running at a pace that is working for you and not going to cause injuries.
*  My VFF Bikilas.  I started running in my VFF Bikilas again.  I started every RULK I did in my Bikilas and have now worked up to wearing them for 1.5M!  They are awesome and I love the way I feel when I run in them.

*  Running in a minimalist shoe.  I wish I could wear my Bikilas all the time, but my body is not ready for that yet.  So, the next best thing for me is running in a pair of minimalist shoes.  I absolutely love these shoes.  They are the isoTransition from Pearl Izumi and they are awesome!  They are meant to be worn sockless, but I'm not quite ready to experiment with that yet.  Plus, last time I tried that I got a huge blister!  I need to concentrate on getting my running back, so socks it is!

Hopefully, I'll be able to continue increasing my mileage without pain.  My training for IMAZ officially starts on Sunday, so I am just ecstatic that I'm finally getting better!!  Woohoo! :)

On a side note, I know today is supposed to be a Tasty Tuesday post, but I was just too excited about being able to run!!  I promise I'll get some Vegetarian and Humpastry Day recipes posted soon!

A Rulk

I have created a new word:  Rulk.  What is a rulk?
 Here is my definition:
1.  A mixture of running and walking.  So, instead of saying, I'm going to walk 2 min then run 2 min., you can just say, "I'm going to rulk for 2 minutes."
2.  What happens when you start out running, but end up having to walk.

This was what my car said the temperature was outside today when I decided to head out for a run.

67 degrees in March!  Woohoo!  March is typically our snowiest month, so this was awesome!

I decided to put on my new shoes from Pearl Izumi.  I give you the isoTransitions (review coming soon):

I drove to the Highline Canal, my favorite running trail, and headed out on my run.  It was absolutely beautiful out and it was so nice to be able to run outside again.  I didn't know how my knee would do, but I was hopeful.

I was taking it really easy, feeling good, enjoying the sunshine, when all of a sudden I got a twinge of pain in my knee.  I looked at my Garmin, and this is what I saw:

 I only made it 1.71 miles.  :(    Oh, and my new shoes, which are designed to be worn sockless, started to give me a nice blister on the back of my left heel.  Ugh!  I don't know what I was thinking!!  I should have used bodyglide or something, but I was just so excited to get out I didn't think about it.  Lesson learned!

So, I had a little pity party, said a few words, then decided to make the best of the situation.  Since I couldn't run, I decided I would just walk the rest of the way back to my car and just enjoy the beautiful day.  It is not often that I actually get to SLOW down and just enjoy my surroundings.  

I took my shoes off and walked 1.71miles back to my car.  Although my knee was hurting, I couldn't help but run short sections while I was barefoot.  So, I rulked it.  Yes, there were little pebbles that hurt like hell on the bottoms of my feet, but for the most part, it was AWESOME!

I know I wasn't able to run today, and I was pretty disappointed.  But, I am hopeful that if I keep up with my stretching and foam rolling, this annoying ITB issue will heal.  All I can do is hope.    

A 12 Mile Run and Fishing Fun!

My 12 Miler:
I wanted to do one last long run for my marathon training before I started tapering for the Boulder 70.3 on the 8th.  My marathon training is mixed into my 70.3 training plan, so it's not exactly to the point I would be at if I was just training for a marathon.  But, I'm hoping that my tri fitness will get me to the point I need to be when I actually "just" train for the big 26.2!
Anyways, I decided to head out mid morning to try and simulate the hot race conditions for my HIM.
But, wouldn't you know that the day I planned on doing my long run it was in the mid 70s and absolutely perfect running weather!  I wanted to do an out and back course from my house that lead to my favorite running trail, the Highline Canal.

 I love this trail!  This is an old picture of the trail, but now all of the trees are green and it is just an absolutely beautiful trail to run on.  There were so many runners, bikers, walkers, and families out and about.  It just made for a great run.  But, the best part of it all was that I felt great the entire time.  Yay!

Post-run picture!  12 miles done!

Fishing Fun:
I'm not sure if all of you know that I am a vegetarian.  I would actually say that I am closer to being a vegan than a vegetarian.  But, although I love animals, I chose this eating lifestyle for health reasons above all others.  That is why there are some things (like Jimmy John's Turkey Tom sandwiches) that I just won't give up.  Or, when certain opportunities present themselves I'm not going to not go along with them because of how I normally eat.  This is kind of off topic, but I thought I needed to explain that before I get to the point of this post!
Now, we don't really eat fish, but every time we go camping, we pick places by streams so my husband can fish.  He loves fishing and is really good at it.  And, if you've ever had wild trout, you know how delicious it is!  So camping is actually one of the few times that we'll eat fish.  My husband is really excited that our boys are at the age now where they can actually go fishing together.  And when we camp, he'll help them fish and try to find good places for them to use their poles.  But, it is really hard to catch wild trout, especially when you're 3 and 5 and don't really know how to fish!  So, enter Grandma and Grandpa's Fishing Pond!

Sunday, my husband and I decided to bring our boys here for some fishing fun.  It is a stocked trout pond up in Idaho Springs, that is perfect for little kids to experience catching fish.  This place was so awesome!  As soon as we got close to the pond we could see fish jumping out of the water.  The boys thought it was the coolest thing and were so excited to start fishing!  We had our boys take turns fishing so my husband could help them.  I was busy taking tons of pictures..ha ha!  Here are some of my favorites:

Our youngest watching the bobber and getting ready!

My oldest reeling in a fish!

They caught two fish each...the perfect amount for dinner! 

The boys had a complete blast fishing and were so excited when they reeled one in!  The experience was definitely worth it!  That night, we grilled the trout with some fresh rosemary from our garden, garlic, and lemon.  We served it with wild rice and steamed veggies and it was delicious! Yum!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!  It will end this Friday! :)   

A week in review and other things too

Training:
This has been an awesome training week!  It is nice to finally be back into the swing of things.  It's amazing how different my body feels when I put in a lot of training hours.  I feel stronger, fitter, healthier, and just happier in general.  :)


*  I had a great 10M run on Thursday.  It was a far cry from last weekends horrible long run attempt.  It was actually overcast, the temp. was around 60, and there was a slight breeze.  It was perfect!  I felt strong the entire run and it was an awesome feeling!  I know the likelihood of the weather being this cool for my HIM is slim to none, but it was nice to have a break from the summer heat and humidity.  

  
*  I was excited to go to my Aquaman swim race on Tuesday night, but unfortunately, Mother Nature had something different planned in the way of lightning, rain, and thunder.  I went to the race site anyways b/c the weather here can change in an instant, but I knew deep down that it would probably be canceled.  The race was supposed to start at 6:20 and they said they were going to make the call to cancel it at 6.  6 rolled around and they said they were going to wait another 15-20min. to see if the storm would pass.  The sky was dark, lightning was everywhere and I knew there was no way it was going to happen.  So, instead of waiting around, I told my husband that I just wanted to go.  I didn't want my boys out in the storm and I really did not want to risk getting struck by lightning just to practice my open water swimming!  I transferred my registration fee over to next weeks race and headed home.  This is what we saw as we were leaving the park:

I have no doubt that if we would have stayed, we wouldn't have seen the double rainbow.  My boys have never seen a rainbow, so they were just besides themselves with excitement! :)

*  I decided to get a stroke analysis done at a place called Swim Labs.  They use an endless pool with mirrors and cameras which video tape you as you swim from different angles.  It was so bizarre at first swimming in an endless pool, but after awhile it was as natural as swimming laps in a pool.  If I was a millionaire, I would have one of these in my basement!  They are so cool!  Anyways,  I was shocked by what I was (or was not) doing when I swam.  My left arm almost crosses in front of my head causing tons of drag and let's just say I have NO pull.  I really thought I was doing it somewhat right, but no, I was just doing this weird motion with my arm.  No wonder I'm so slow!  The mirror on the bottom of the pool gave me instant feedback and I was able to correct my left arm position really quickly.  The catch and pull though are definitely going to take some time.  The instructor gave me some drills to do, sent me home with a CD of parts of my swimming, and told me to practice, practice, practice.
I went to the pool this morning and tried out the new drills.  Let's just say that the saying, "Old habits die hard" is very, very true.  It is going to take me a long time to get the catch and pull right.  But, I'm excited that I finally know what I need to work on and can't wait to see how my swimming evolves from here.

*  I have been seeing these cool graphs and routes on blogs that people have uploaded via Garmin Connect.  I have been using the old Garmin training center software that came with my 305 years ago.  I decided to check out Garmin Connect myself and, oh my god, it is so much better than the old software!  Seriously, where have I been that I am just now using this?  But, I can't figure out how to post the map on my blog?  Help!  

Other things too:
*  As I was driving home from my Swim Labs apt. I saw huge signs advertising GoLite's warehouse clearance sale.  I love GoLite stuff, so I went to check it out.  They had some great stuff at some amazing prices!  I seriously had to restrain myself from not going crazy.  But, I did walk away with a couple of sweet things!

Check out my new waterproof gore-tex jacket and hiking shorts!  Woohoo! :)









*  I love our garden!  Every day it seems like the herbs and veggie plants are getting bigger.  I cannot wait until our cucumbers, carrots, and squash are ready to eat.  Tonight we're actually going to make a Capri salad with mozzarella and fresh basil and tomatoes that we grew.  Yum!

Cucumbers and squash plants.












Carrots, herbs and tomato plants












*  I have been watching the Tour de France, as I'm sure most of you have been too.  But one thing that always gets me with every stage is how there is a group of leaders out front the entire time.  Then, when it gets closer to the finish, the peloton always catches them and they just drop back.  I find myself routing for the leaders to just hold on EVERY SINGLE TIME.  And, I always get sad for them when they are overtaken.  My husband thinks it's hilarious, but just once, how cool would it be for the leaders to make it all the way to the finish without being caught?!  Now that would be an exciting finish!

*  I was finally able to use the gift certificate my husband got me for Mother's day this morning.  I went to the spa and got an hour long Sports massage.  OH MY GOD!  It was absolutely amazing and completely what I needed!  The masseuse was incredible and knew the exact amount of pressure to use without hurting me or making me flinch.  I have never had a sports massage, but I understand now why so many athletes swear by them and make it a monthly ritual.  I left feeling loose, de-stressed, and completely relaxed! Ahhhh  :)

Source

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  And, good luck to all of you racing this weekend too! :)  

A long run gone bad

Today I was scheduled to do a slow, long 10M run, and I was pretty excited about doing it.  My husband got up super early and did a long bike ride, so by the time he got home I started my run about 10.  The first thing I noticed when I walked outside was the humidity.  It's been awhile since I've run outside in the heat and humidity, but I just wasn't prepared for what was to come.

I waved to my boys who were watching from the window and headed out.  I really wanted to focus on slowing down my pace and doing an actual slow, long run.  According to the awesome McMillan Running Calculator, my long run pace should be between 8:51-9:51.  I knew this would be a challenge because it is just hard for me to SLOW down when I'm running.  I don't know what it is, but it's something I need to work on, especially since I'm training for a marathon.  Anyways, for the first few miles I was around an 8:30 pace.  I kept telling myself to slow down and finally I was able to maintain around a 8:50 pace.  It was hard, but I was doing it!  Around the same time I really started to notice how hot and fumid (thanks for the term Jon!) it was!  I was thankful that I had Nuun in my water bottle because I was sweating like crazy.  I was trying to drink as much as I could, but the water was just not sitting well in my stomach and I felt constantly thirsty.  I knew this could lead to some problems later in my run, and I was right.

I decided to do an out and back course with a little loop thrown in the middle.  I was feeling pretty good until around 4.5 miles into my run.  I ate a Gu thinking it would give me the boost I needed, but it didn't work.  Shortly after I started cramping really bad.  It hurt so bad to run, but I kept going.  Then my back started getting little cramps.  Ugh!  At this point I knew there was no way I was going to be able to run the full 10M.  I kept thinking about how I might have to run in these same conditions for my HIM, and again, doubt crept into my head about whether or not I'm going to be ready.
  
I got back to the park where I had done a loop and just decided to head back home which was about 2 miles away.  I came to a hill and walked up it.  I rarely walk when I'm out for a run, but my body was really shutting down.  I kept burping and feeling like I was going to puke.  It felt like I had a huge ball of something inside my chest right below my sternum.  The funny thing was that I kept thinking that if I did end up puking, at least I would get the pukie award from BDD! Ha ha!  That thought, in and of itself, made me feel a little better, and I kept going.

Around the 6M point, my legs got really heavy and I was having a hard time picking them up.  I was a complete mess!  I would see a stop light up ahead and pray that it would turn red just so I would have an excuse to stop and take a break.  Well, someone must have heard my prayers, because I literally hit every red light on my way back home.  I passed some guy going the opposite direction and he said, "You better run faster because there's a bear chasing you!"  Really guy?  At the last light, I was getting really light headed and knew I had to get home fast.  Now, I know my body well enough that when I get like this, passing out is almost inevitable.  I got off the main road, turned onto my street and walked the 2 blocks back to my house.  Even when I was walking I was going so slow.  I got closer to home and saw my husband open the door to let me in.  He saw me and asked if I was alright, then I just laid down in the grass and told him that I just needed some time to rest.  He promptly brought me inside where it was cool, handed me an ice pack for my neck, and got me a big glass of ice water to drink.  He knew just what I needed and that ice pack felt sooo good!  He made sure I was alright, then went downstairs to continue watching the Tour de France time trials...ha ha...gotta love him! :)  

  Post-run picture.  Red, hot, sweaty, and thankful to be done!  Notice the "rocky mt. peaks" on my visor!

Although I didn't do the full 10M, I still got 7M in and am happy that I was even able to do that.  Looking back, I know I was dehydrated from the get go.  I thought I had hydrated enough, but I just wasn't expecting the humidity.  It really is amazing how it effects how you run.  Next time I will definitely be more prepared.

I hope you all have a happy 4th of July weekend! :)    

Saved by the porta-potty!

So, I'm sure you all know where this post is going, but I'll start from the beginning anyways.  My plan called for a 12 mile run, my last long run before my 1/2 marathon next weekend.  I decided to run on the Highline Canal again because I honestly just love that trail.  It's so beautiful, great to run on b/c it's dirt, and there's always fun things to look at.

I started my run with 20mph wind gusts blowing every which way and was immediately grateful I wore capris, my bondiband to keep my wisps at bay, and a long sleeve shirt.  It was a little chilly and running into the wind was not fun.  Have I mentioned before how much I hate the wind?  I mean, you can have a beautiful, sunny day that ends up being cold because of the wind.  Ughhh.  Anyways, once I got more into the trail, the trees blocked some of the wind and I actually started getting hot.  I think I took my long sleeve shirt off around mile 3.  The trail was beautiful and there were quite a few people out running, walking, and biking.  I felt safe the entire time and never got that  heebie-jeebie feeling I sometimes get when I run alone.

My run was going really well and I felt strong and fast until about mile 6.  Something started churning a little bit in my stomach.  I was hoping it would go away b/c the trail isn't the best place to sneak in some business (if you know what I mean).  Although it runs along a canal lined with trees, it has houses on both sides.  There are spots where you could potentially hide behind a tree or a bush, but they're few and far between.  And, because there are so many people that use the trail, there's not much privacy.  Anyways, the feeling kept getting worse and I honestly didn't know what I was going to do.  Then, just as I was starting to panic, out of nowhere I saw a parking lot where people could park to access the trail.  And, the best sight of all, was a porta-potty at the far end of the parking lot!  Que angels singing!  I have never loved the sight of a porta-potty as much as I did just then!  I ran to that thing as fast as I could.  And, it was open...thank god!  I did my business and kept on with the rest of my run.

My legs had a hard time getting back to normal after my stop, but after awhile I was back on track with my pace.  I got to about mile 8 and my right knee started to hurt a little bit.  I thought, "What is this?"  I haven't had knee pain since college!  I don't know if it was the uneven terrain on the trail or what, but I did not like that feeling.  I kept thinking about it and focusing on it, and the more I thought about it, the worse it felt.  Finally, I said, "Enough!"  out loud on the trail.  Thankfully no one was around to hear me!  I tried to forget about it and focus on other things like the massive million dollar houses that surrounded me.  Or the birds singing in the trees.  Or the beautiful trees and blue sky.  Or the couple that was walking a little too tense and looked like they had just had a major fight.  And, what do you know, the pain stopped and it didn't bother me for the rest of the run.  I don't know what it is about the mind, but it is a powerful thing.  I honestly believe that what we are capable of doing is more mental then physical.  Anybody else think that??

The last 1 1/2 miles were up a slight incline and my calves were killing me!  My pace slowed a little bit, but I was still pushing on.  I started thinking about my 1/2 next weekend and how it will be 1.1 miles more than what I was doing today.  I've done 1/2s before, but I really want to try and get a PR this time.  I've never run the course so that will be interesting, and the weather is always a factor here, but I feel ready.  If I don't get a PR I will be o-kay with it, as long as I know that I gave it my all.

Happy to be done with my 12 Miler!  

Here are my stats for my run:
Miles: 12
Time:  1:40:55
Pace:   8:24/mile
Anyways, I hope you are all having a wonderful Easter weekend!  I'm off to die eggs with my boys! :)          

I was gone, but now I'm back

Sorry I've been MIA for awhile.  Last week was pretty sucky.  Let's just say that stomach bugs, sleep deprivation, and depression from more snow got the best of me.  Needless to say, not many workouts got done.  But, by Friday things started to turn around and I was really looking forward to my long run on Saturday.

My sister-n-law and her husband were coming for a visit Saturday evening (the reason I didn't get my Sunday Sampler post done...sorry!), so I wanted to get my run done early before they got here.  But, when we woke up on Saturday the wind was here with a vengeance!  The high was supposed to be around 45, but it felt like 35 with the wind chill.  That should give you a good idea about how strong the wind gusts were.  I decided to wait until the late afternoon to see if the wind would die down.  But, it never did.  So, I put on my tights, wind jacket, gloves, and bondiband and headed out.  It was cold and I was glad I had my jacket to break the chill from the wind.  

I decided to run on a new trail that started by my house.  I was originally going to do 5.5 miles out and back since my plan called for 11 miles.  But, once I got on the trail and realized where it was headed I figured out I could do a loop back to my house.  The wind was pretty brutal the entire run, but it still felt great to be outside running and working up a sweat after being inactive for a couple of days.  The trail turned out to be awesome and actually linked up to part of the Highline canal trail that I wrote about awhile back.  The only part that kind of sucked was around mile 8 when I had to run uphill for about 1.5 miles.  My legs were tired, but I still felt strong.  It's amazing how my fitness has changed since beginning my 1/2 marathon plan.  It's nice to actually feel the difference in my strength and endurance and realize that my hard work is paying off.  I am so excited for my 1/2 in a couple of weeks! :)

On another note, I had my second swim lesson with my coach on Sunday.  He said my balance is much better in the water and my hips aren't sinking as much as they were.  Woohoo!  One thing he said I needed to work on was my hand entry.  Apparently, I'm entering the water too close to my head.  We did several drills to help with correct entry, but I really have to be conscious of what I'm doing the entire time.  We took a moment to watch a guy swimming that was just amazing.  He made it look so effortless.  I wish I could wave a magic wand and make my swimming effortless too.  But, we all know that isn't going to happen.  So, I'll have to settle with waking up at 4:30 3x a week for the rest of my life!  Ha ha.

Anyways, I'm sorry I didn't get my Sunday Sampler post done.  Like I mentioned above, my family was in town and we were out and about all day Sunday enjoying the beautiful weather.  My blog and posting had to take a back seat to my life and I know you all understand that!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! :)

My 10 mile run and a new favorite running trail!

Today I decided to run on the Highline Canal trail for my long run.  I've been wanting to run on the trail ever since my husband and I ran there with our boys, but because it's not paved, it's been pretty much snow/ice covered and muddy.  However, we've had some warm days this week so I was banking on it being dry.  I'm so glad I decided to try it because it was awesome!  Here is a view of the trail from where I started.

It was around 55 degrees out so I was able to wear shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.  Woohoo!  The trail was beautiful and scattered with other runners, walkers, and mountain bikers.  I thought about how fun it would be next weekend for me to run while my husband pulled our boys in the burley with his mountain bike.  They have been asking to go on a "bike" ride for awhile now, so hopefully the weather will cooperate next week.  I was also imagining how beautiful this trail will be this spring/summer when the leaves bloom on the trees and the canal is actually running with water, not just filled with ice.  And, a great thing about the trail is that it goes for miles in both directions so I know this will be great for when I do my marathon training.  Oh...I can't wait to run on it again.  It is definitely my new favorite running trail!  :)

Here are the stats for my run:
Miles:  10
Time:  1:25:10
Pace:  8:31

Look at all that sweat on my visor....gross!  I do sweat like a pig though, so I'm not surprised. 

So, I absolutely love my Nathan handheld water bottle, but it only holds 16oz. and the front pouch is only big enough for some beans and bloks.  I haven't been running with my cell phone because of this, but my husband and I both feel that it would be better if I was able to bring it with me.  Plus, I think I would just feel safer knowing that help is just a phone call away.  Anyways, I went to my local running store yesterday and after doing lots of research and talking to some other runners, I decided to get the Nathan Speed 4 waist pack.  It has 4-10oz flasks and 2 pouches. 

Now I don't really like things around my waist, even a race belt drives me nuts, but this was super comfortable!  I liked the 40oz capacity and the fact that the two pouches will hold my nutrition, cell phone, key, and whatever else I may need.  Anyways, I got it and tried it out on my run today.  It took some adjusting in the beginning, but honestly, after awhile I didn't even feel it.  It was great.  Here's a picture of how I finally wore it.

 The small pouch and 2 bottles in the front and the big pouch and other 2 bottles in the back

I only used 2 of the 4 bottles, because I didn't need all 40 oz. so that's why one of the holders is empty.  The other filled bottle is in the back.  I loved having one pouch up front with my nutrition right at my fingertips, and my water/gatorade right there as well.  I was so impressed with this waist pack that I am planning on doing a Sunday Sampler post about it after I wear it a few more times.  Look for it in the future!  

I will see you tomorrow for a new Sunday Sampler post!  I hope you are all having a great weekend!  :)

Projects and my 9 miler!

O-kay, so I'm totally blowing it with the Sunday Sampler posts.  I'm really sorry that I didn't get one out this weekend, but you'll soon see why.  My husband had a three day weekend, so we decided to get some house projects done.  We know that when the weather starts getting nicer that we will be out running, riding, or playing outside with our boys.  The last thing we want to do is be inside doing projects!  So, we took this weekend as our opportunity to get some things done.

First on our list:  Redo the tile on our kitchen floor.  We have lived in our house for almost 6 years and we have hated the tile from day one.  Now, there's nothing wrong with black and white tiles, but it's just not our style.  We would have replaced it sooner, but I think timing is everything when it comes to projects.  Redoing tile, especially in the kitchen, is a lot of work and takes several days to get a complete product.  Add two young kiddos to the mix and it makes it even more challenging.

Here are some pics of the demolition:

We dreaded ripping up the tile, but thankfully, the black and white tiles were pretty easy to get up b/c we soon realized the previous owners that installed them only used 2-3 blobs of GLUE to attach them to the floor.  Yes, you heard me right, they GLUED the tiles to the floor....what idiots!  No wonder the tiles were cracking!

Here's a pic of our boys "helping."  They wanted to be a part of the process so we let them use their little dust pans and brooms and pick up the scraps/dirt.  They had a blast and didn't feel left out.  

Oh, do you notice our refrigerator?  Yeah..it didn't fit through the door way, so we had to leave it in the kitchen while we demoed and put in the new tile.  Because of this, we had to do everything in steps which took even more time...uggh!  

A layer of red vinyl tiles were underneath the black and white tiles.  We guessed that this must have been installed in the 80's.  This was a pain in the a** to get up.  My husband and I had to get on our hands and knees and literally scrape the vinyl off using a hammer and a hand scraper!  It took us a LONG time, but we finally got it all up!  And what did we find underneath?

A lovely layer of linoleum that looks like rocks.  WHAT?  Who in their right mind would put in a floor in their kitchen that looks like rocks?  I called my mom and she said my grandma had it in her kitchen in the 70's and it was all the rage.  WOW!






Now, I grew up around the construction business because my dad is an amazing builder!  He can literally do everything when it comes to building, fixing, repairing, etc.  He is amazing!  Growing up, we were always going to the job sites with him, helping him as much as we could, and learning valuable things at the same time.  One thing he always taught us was that if you're going to do something, do it right the first time.  Obviously all of the previous owners cared less about that lesson!  We thought about taking the layer of linoleum off, but after talking to my dad, researching online, and thinking about how long it would take us to get it up, we decided to just leave it.  Unlike the previous owners that installed their tile on top of the linoleum, we put down an layer of hardibacker and screwed it into the floor to make a solid foundation.  We were finally ready to tile!  Here is the finished product:

Hooray for beautiful, new tiles and being able to use our kitchen again!  I cook dinner pretty much every night of the week, so being without a kitchen for 3 days was kind of rough.  At first I was excited about not having to plan meals and cook dinner, but by last night, we were all sick of eating out.  As crazy as this sounds, I am really looking forward to cooking dinner tonight! :)

Wait, you thought we were done?  Oh no.  Not only did we decide to tile the kitchen, but we also decided to repaint the dining room and living room.  I don't know about all of you, but after 6 years of the same colors on the walls, we were itching for a change.  So, while my husband did the tile work, I painted!

Now, for any of you that have ever painted before you know it's not as easy as just putting paint on the walls. You have to get everything prepped by removing all the stuff from the walls, taking off the outlet covers, and  taping certain areas.  It is a process in and of itself!  It took me a little over 2 hours to paint each coat (cutting in and rolling).  So, let's see: 2 hours X 2 coats each X 2 rooms = 8+ hours of painting!  Yikes!  Of course I didn't do it all in one day, but it took all weekend to get it done.  My shoulders and arms are killing me.  Who needs strength training when you can just paint?  Ha ha.

Our boys were so patient all weekend.  Remember when I said timing is everything?  Well, I don't think we could have gotten this done if they would have been younger.  Now that they are 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 they are more independent, which makes it really nice.  They played so well together, got to be outside "exploring," and had fun going to "special" lunch.  We call going out to eat "special" because it doesn't happen that often!  They probably watched a little too much t.v., but like I've said before, you gotta do what you gotta do.  

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I did get to do my 9 mile run on Saturday!  It was 56 degrees and sunny with a slight breeze.  It was perfect!  I decided to drive to Cherry Creek State Park and start on the trail there instead of running from my house b/c I wanted to explore more of the trail system.  I was excited to get off the  main trail and head into the trees, but I actually got really freaked out.  Once I left the main trail where there were tons of bikers, runners, and walkers, the isolation in the trees gave me a really eerie feeling.  I'm not quite sure why b/c usually I love running in the trees.  Maybe subconsciously I was thinking about that girl that went out for a run and never came back.  Maybe I was thinking that if something happened to me in the trees, no one would know where I was.  Plus, my Garmin kept losing the signal and I had to keep stopping to walk around mud, snow, and water...it was pretty gross!  Anyways, I booked it out of there, got back on the main trail, and continued with my run.  I ended up doing an out and back (minus the tree trail), and the way back was a slight, but noticeable uphill all the way back.  By mile 7 I could really feel it in my legs and calves, but I kept on and finished strong.  Here were my stats:
Miles: 9.06     Total Time: 1:20:29     Pace (with stopping for mud and Garmin glitches): 8:52/mile

Notice the white sweat marks on my visor....gross!  

And after a long hot shower, these were waiting for me:

Chocolate milk and my Zoot recover tights!  

Oh, and some more painting of course! :)