Where I run, the pretty parts...

Sometimes you have to run without music to actually see where you're running to and what's around you.

I did just that on my 7-Miler this morning. No music, just me, the sound of my breath and every step. I used to run without music back in 2011 because at the time, listening to music made me run TOO fast for my liking. I couldn't relax in the mile I was in. When I started training for MCM and the miles got longer, music became my companion on those lonely 3-4 hour long runs. Music did help the miles go by faster and less painful.

Running without music today, however, felt relaxing, calm. I didn't feel rushed, and with all the stress I've been feeling the past week, it was a nice change welcome change. My run was easy and slow, and I didn't care. My right leg was acting up again which bothered me, so I took it really easy, taking pics along the way, and to just get the miles in.

So I never knew how scenic it really is, even in the dead of winter, the itty bitty paved trail I run through, until I stopped to take it all in. I wish there are more miles and miles of it.

I hope the views don't ever go away. It just seems like they are building more and more houses here, obliterating views like these.

Hard to tell from the pic, but lots of geese poop on the trail today.

I do live in suburbia, where all the houses look the same, but there are places like the ones I took above that take me away from suburbia, even for just a mile.....I know..such a short stretch of WOW.

I do not like running on sidewalks, but they are a necessary evil running surface in my neighborhood especially on this road.

So there you have it, where I run, the pretty parts, anyways. On my next run, I will take pics and show how cookie-cutter my world really is.

In the meantime, my #plankaday and #wallsit challenges for the day. I honestly cannot imagine holding a plank longer than this, nor doing a plank for 3 minutes ever again. It hurt!

Janathon Day 14
Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 46

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Running Towards Free

Fave kicks - Nike 3.0 v.3

You know it's "love-at-first-run" when you cannot wait to run in them again. That's what my Nike Free 3.0 v.3's are for me, my go-to-shoe for runs up to 10 miles. I have yet to try them for distances beyond 10 miles. I'm no expert in minimalist shoes like my Nike 3.0s, but I can tell you that I love feeling closer to the ground, how very flexible the soles are, and how much "faster" and free I feel running in them.
But this is not a shoe review. No. Just a post about a run that I couldn't wait to do, in my favorite running shoes on a slightly warmer day. I had 4 miles on my training calendar, and I think my expectations were high starting out on this run until I started moving. I. Felt. So. Sluggish. My first mile split says it all - 12:08 min./mile. (Daily Mile run details HERE). It was one of those runs where you just want to get it over with, but I knew I had to hang in there, so I plodded along feeling betrayed by my "fast," free shoes.

At Mile 1 - waiting to feel "free"

Am I feeling burned out already? From life? From training? I can't be! No! So I push on, stopping to take a quick pic, deciding to take it easy, just to get the miles in. (But how I long to be free).

To keep my mind off of this sluggish run, I thought about how nice it would be to run to a gorgeous view. While you can't get much scenery in suburbia, I remembered a little trail that made you forget you live in a culdesac world. So I ran to that, hoping to find my free. I got distracted by what I thought at first was a pretty cool looking thing on the ground, only to realize that what I was looking at was the remains of a doe? A deer? And where its eyes used to be. Ugh. I don't know why I thought it was something else, but then this IS suburbia!

After leaving that awful discovery, I turned and ran to where the little trail was, but stopped at the top of the hill. I was alone, and while I longed to lose myself down in that little trail....to feel the wide open-ness of the field...and trace the meandering little trail, so I can forget the monotony of my suburban life, I didn't feel safe....

...which was more disappointing than feeling sluggish at the start of my run. I've run that little trail before, but only with friends, and I wasn't about to chance it, running down there tucked below the hill, completely out of sight.

So I stopped to just look out at that little trail with my back towards the cookie cutter landscape....imagining that I was somewhere else for a few minutes. It is so peaceful down there on that little trail. Sigh.

When I was ready, I turned around to run back to my cookie-cutter world, to my routine, to my boys with fighting, angry, whining words, and ran home happy towards free.

(Imagine my surprise after I uploaded my run to Garmin Connect and saw that I got a negative split!)

Janathon Day 10

Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 29

Plank A Day: 2:11.8 

Wall Sit: 1:33.2

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A Sandwich Type of Workout and A Wordy Wednesday Rant

A 3-mile run with a 30-minute workout in the middle was not enough to carry me through this day. I don't like to dwell too much on the not-so-great stuff here, so let's just say that this momma could use a long run to hit that refresh button. Patience. I need more patience with these 3 boys. If only long runs could come in a pill form so all I have to do is pop one in my mouth. Ok, end of rant.

 

Pre-frustrations, I had a GREAT run/workout today! My training schedule called for only 3 miles today. I was all set to just go and run after preschool drop-off when a friend asked if I was going to exercise class. This exercise class is a free class offered by a friend at her church.

 

Yes, you heard that right...FREE. No strings attached. A group of stay-at-home moms attend this class and we are allowed to bring our kids. So the only thing is that kids are free to roam, run, and crawl around the gym while the moms work out - plyometrics, ab workout, cardio, etc. It can be challenging sometimes to make sure you're not kicking a toddler in his/her face when you do kick-boxing, BUT it's a great class. The kids are great, there are toys for them to play with, and the gym is big enough that it never feels too crowded. My friend, who teaches it, is also a runner, so she knows what we need. I've been going for almost 3 years now, but had to stop once MCM training last year got really heavy.

 

Anyways, I decided to go since I only have 3 miles to do today, so I ran to class (0.6 miles), worked out for 30 minutes (lunges, squats, planks, cardio, plyometrics), left early so I can run the last 2.4 miles and got back home just in time to shower, dress, and pick up Little Man from preschool. It's crazy - I have just 2 hours - yup, 2 hours to run/exercise/shower while Little Man's in preschool. I can't complain, really...better than no "me time" at all, right?

 

So this run I did, I was really excited about because I got a negative split! I usually run by feel and never really look at pace or try to hit a specific pace range, but when I get back home to upload my run data, I'm happy when I see I got a negative split. I don't feel 100% back to my old self yet pre-sickness, but I ran it at a comfortably hard pace for me - 10 min/mile - which is a notch below my 5K race pace, but I was happy to get a good hard workout, a change of pace.

 

Daily Mile post with my splits HERE.

 

I'm sitting on the floor typing this and I have yet to do my timed plank. I did a whole set of planks in class, but I want a timed plank. Waiting for The Hubs and I'm growing tired. Thinking about running my 4 miles tomorrow easy or doing some fartleks along the way. Not sure.

 

Ok, time to plank.

 

 

Janathon Day 9

Moon Joggers Mileage To Date: 25

Plank A Day: 2:42.3

Wall Sit: 1:38.9

 

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Wordless Wednesday #1: Dress Rehearsal. Ready For RnR USA Half

Three Things (Plus One) Thursday: Craptastic Photos of My New Running Skirts & Shirts!

I LOVE getting new running clothes.  I admit, I'd rather go out and buy myself a new running skirt than a regular skirt.  I only run in running skirts and for a 10-11 min/miler runner girl like me, I want to at least look cute in my turtle pace.  

Ok, before I share my new purchases, I just want to say that I'm horrible at taking pics of myself.  Not only does it feel weird to take pics of myself, the pics never come out well.  So ignore the dirty mirror....I don't look as tan as these photos show, but at least you can see my new Running Skirts and new C9 Target tech shirts, I hope!

Outfit #1 (below) - This is one of two outfits that I might wear to my next race, the Rock 'N Roll USA Half in DC on St. Patrick's Day.  It doesn't scream Leprechaun green, but it IS a lime green shirt and there is some lime green on the skirt.  I've always wanted this skirt, the Mums Midnight Running Skirt, and I just got around to buying it.  RunningSkirts.com has them on sale now (awesome deal), but I got mine at RunningWarehouse.com for a great deal too!  What do you think?

 

Outfit #2 (below) - Another outfit that I could wear to my St. Patrick's Day RnR Half.  Same shirt and the skirt is from RunningSkirts.com, the Azure Dot Running Skirt, another favorite skirt that I was so happy to discover on sale.  What do you think of this one compared to Outfit #1 above?  My favorite black Zensah sleeves are kinda harsh against these spring colors, but I need to wear them for my races. 

Outfit #3 (below) - C9 tech shirts from Targets rule!  Not only were they $9- a piece, they're comfortable too!  I scored this shirt right after I bought the skirts and I couldn't believe how well the colors go.  I have horrible Photoshopping skills, so the shirt color is a little off, but trust me, it matches the blue on the skirt.  LOVE bargains!

Outfit #4 (below) - I call this my Barney shirt, another awesome find from Target.  I love bright colors and this shirt, again....how can I refuse when it goes so well with my Mums Midnight Running Skirt?  The color is a little more Barney than I wanted it to be - I think the skirt has more of a Violet color than this Barney color, but they complement each other well, I think.  I love matching inexpensive tops to not-so-inexpensive bottoms and vice versa....and I love how versatile this Mums Midnight skirt is!  I can create 5 outfits out of this skirt (purple, blue, lime green, black, and gray shirts to go with it!).  It's my new favorite skirt!  

So there you have it, my girly girl Three Things (plus one) Thursday of my new spring-y and summer-y running outfits.  :P  I can picture The Hubs just rolling his eyes at this post, hahaha!!

I could use some feedback....what do you think for St. Patty's RnR Half in DC - Outfit #1 or #2?  Have you bought new running clothes lately?  Or any new running gear?  Please share!!



(Note:  I bought these items myself.  I was not compensated in any way by RunningSkirts.com, Target, Zensah, or RunningWarehouse.com to write this post.  All opinions are my own)