Falling back into running & Housewarming

 

Time is seriously flying by this fall! I can’t believe this weekend is the Detroit Marathon. I will be spectating and cheering on all of the amazing runners. I have been enjoying the beautiful fall colors and great weather and savoring every minute!

I have been running again for the last three weeks and its going really well. I feel like a newbie which is kind of fun. I have accumulated about 15 miles total, with most runs between 2-3 miles. I am planning a 4-5 mile run for this weekend. I am taking it slowly and my achilles feels great!

We had a family housewarming party this weekend and it was a blast. Our home really feels perfect now that we have had everyone we love over. We had a caramel apple station, turkey chilli, and family members brought other appetizers and desserts. It was so special and wonderful for everyone to celebrate our new home with us.

 

What is your favorite fall workout?

Trip to Cleveland

 

I went with Melissa to Cleveland last weekend to visit family. We had a fun weekend relaxing and hanging out. On Saturday we went to a nearby park and had fun running & walking around in the beautiful fall weather. Robert and Melissa ran a few miles before, and then I joined them for a little over 2 miles. I ran 2 miles (x3) last week, and I’m excited to attempt a few 3 milers and work on bringing my speed down slowly this coming week.

My brother-in law Robert ran the Rock N Roll Cleveland Half Marathon on Sunday, so we cheered him on. The weather was better than expected and Robert ran a great race.

I love the sweetest little Eli pictured below.

Anyone else spectating some fall races?

Return to Running & Writing

Today-2 miles-ish

Today was my first run after 6 weeks of injury recovery. I was experiencing running related pain and soreness in my Achilles tendon over the summer, and I finally had the nerve to just take some time off. It was tough at first, but I adapted well to the lack of endorphins. I spent time looking for other things I enjoy doing like working on my new house, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. I would like to say that I spent a lot of time keeping up my strength and cardio fitness, but alas it is not true. I went to the occasional step class, hit the elliptical, and went on a few walks and bike rides. What this means, is that my running is really starting from the ground up. I feel like a new runner and it is challenging!

I plan to run a 3-4 times a week, and focus on solidifying a nice 5k base. Once this is easy, I will build up. Just like a newbie I will be move from 5k to 10k to eventually a half marathon. Here is a picture from my run this morning-sleepy!

And here are a few pictures from recent happenings! Fall candles, sweet potato rounds, library books, classroom, grad school homework, painted furniture, fresh flowers, and a family celebration.

 

See you again soon and enjoy the beautiful fall colors!

 

Injury update + meals

Saturday-8.5 miles with Melissa

I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing weekend. Kevin’s family is in town and we have been enjoying games and beach time. I went out for a run with Melissa on Saturday (sorry running group friends!) and it was somewhat successful. I wanted to try to run a bit longer to find out how my recovery is going. Melissa rocked 14 miles! I did a 3 mile run this past week with no pain during or after.

During the 8.5 miles I started to get pretty sore in the last few, and I had some soreness that day and the following. I need to make some decisions about upcoming races and it is really tough for me. I am most likely going to be skipping my favorite Crim 10 mile race in Flint in two weeks. I know the hills would be pretty brutal on my achilles.

As for Detroit Marathon in October, I’m not making any decisions just yet.  I want to see how running feels in the next month. I could always run the 1/2 and be there to cheer Melissa in at the finish. Lot’s of good options.

Roasted vegetable salad w/ shrimp from California Pizza Kitchen

Chicken salad w/ walnuts & cranberries in a kale wrap

Turkey, swiss, & kale roll-up with veggies

Sunday morning coffee & smoothie outside

 

Anyone else on a kale kick?

What seasonal produce are you enjoying?

The dreaded first injury

Today-60 min walk

Well friends, the reason I haven’t been writing about running is because I haven’t been running. I pulled my achilles tendon a few weeks back while doing some speed work. I know I pushed myself too hard on those sprints, but I still wonder if this was a one time pushing off the ball of my foot deal or if it was more cumulative.

I have taken 17 days off and got back to running a little this week. I ran twice, 3 miles and 3.5 miles. Both felt pretty good, but left me sore the following day. I am now taking more days off between runs, using icy hot, and massaging the area. This is my short term solution. I am going to try and see how far I can run this Sunday to give me an idea of how I need to change my future race plans.

The long term solution is to take 6-8 weeks off and rest it completely. I’m being honest when I say I will probably wait until the winter to take time off for complete healing. My goal right now is to make sure it doesn’t get worse.

*Walking, super sunny

I have been walking, doing some strength and core, and some biking. It’s not quite the same but it’s helping me feel somewhat normal. Talking to my injury coach Melissa makes everything better too!

In other news, I have been experimenting with adding chicken and turkey back into my diet. I have been eating it daily for a while now, and I haven’t noticed any difference in how I feel. It has been nice to share dinners with Kevin, and have more options at restaurants though.

 

*Spinach salad with chicken and turkey pita with kale chips

I have been loving smoothies lately too!

And crab!

Tell me about any injuries you have faced. How did you get through it?

What are you eating in August?

Blue Water Half Marathon

Today-Elliptical, bike, & strength

Today we are going way back to June 30th! That was the date of the Blue Water Half Marathon in Port Huron. It was the first long distance race in this town in a long time. The best cheerleaders were out on the course too. 😉

Robert, Melissa, and I headed to the race at a compromised hour of the morning. We may or may not have family members that like to show up to races at different time frames. I am just happy to have someone else drive & park. Both were easy!

I wasn’t sure what I expected from this race other than to have fun. The weather is such a huge factor and with the late date in June I knew I would have to be flexible with slowing down. Race morning-it was perfect! Nice and cool and slightly overcast.

I chased and chatted with a few other runners, but mostly ran alone. I was able to pick up my pace in the second half, and especially in the last 3 miles.

 

I finished with a time of 1:57 and improved my time by 15 minutes from a few years back. I forgot how wonderful half marathons are and I would like to make 2014 the year of the half marathon.

It was PR central for all three of us! Many other runners I know had their best times too. It was a fast course despite a lot of turns. The only drawback was a pretty rocky area in the last mile or so. I have heard they are working on some changes for next year!

What do you think makes a good race?

10 days- No Running

Today-Sunrise yoga + walking

It has been a wild few weeks lately but I’m back to tell the story! I was dealing with some family events, but everyone is well and happy. I am really itching to run after having to take 10 days off. I can run again on Sunday! The reason I’m not running is because I had a little fainting/head bumping incident and was told not to run for awhile. It has been good to avoid this heat wave, but some endorphins would be nice.

Anyways, I’m great now and life is settling down a bit.

I still need to catch up on a review of the Blue Water Half Marathon with a new PR, new house fun, and an adventurous camping trip from the other weekend. We will get there.

Today was my second day this week at sunrise yoga on the beach. This is one of my favorite things to do in the summer! I love how peaceful and quiet the beach is and I can really relax. After that I did some walking with my dad, and then later with my friend Brittany.

Did you know that $1.06 can buy happiness? Iced coffee to the rescue!

A little beach time is in order.

What is new with you!?

Has anyone else been camping this summer?

Night Running

 Tuesday-4 mi

One way to change up your run in the summer is to try running at night. It is sometimes difficult to make it out for your run before the heat sets in and this is a way to squeeze it in.

Safety is the biggest concern for runners that want to hit the sidewalk at night. Here are some ways to stay safe.

• Wear reflective clothing/vests
• Take a flashlight
• Don’t run with music
• Run with a friend
• Run familiar routes

Make sure you eat dinner at a reasonable hour so that your food has enough time to digest before the sun goes down. In the winter, while running in the dark (6:30pm) I would eat a Luna/Lara Bar before and wait to eat dinner after the run.

*Melissa and I went for a run at night on July 4th! We had a blast seeing the fireworks, looking for flag decor, and finishing our run on the beach.

 

Do you ever run at night?

Running: Alone or with friends

Today- 1/2 marathon

Today I ran the Blue Water Half Marathon and had a great race! My sister and brother-in law ran as well, and we all had a PR. PR city!! My time was 1:57 and improved from 2:12 a few years ago. I felt that my training all spring for the Cleveland Marathon finally gave me some results. Hooray for awesome races and awesome weather. Race recap coming soon!

I have been enjoying a lot more group runs this year. It started when the local running store started up a Wednesday night group. Those group runs have kind of fizzled out, but I have been meeting other runners around town too. I have always loved running with my sister-in law Melissa and occasionally Kevin and I will run together.

I find running with someone very enjoyable. It helps the time pass quickly and is a great place to share and talk through things. Something about the conversation + exercise + endorphins makes me feel super awesome. It is more difficult to keep up a conversation if the goal of the run is to work on speed. Although, it can be nice to suffer in silence with someone else during a tough run. Another great reason to run with other people is to change up your pace & route. Run with someone faster to challenge yourself, or run with someone a bit slower than you to challenge them.

I like running by myself as well, and I probably do this at least 1/2 of my runs. My favorite time of day to run by myself is really early in the morning. It is nice to clear your mind & relax on your own.

Do you like running alone or with a friend?

Birthdays & local news

Today- 6 x 400m repeats

I had to get out super early to run today because the heat and humidity have been so tough. I forgot how peaceful the early morning hours can be. I need to keep it up!

I celebrated my birthday over the weekend. Kevin had drill this weekend so we waited to celebrate until yesterday. I had a wonderful weekend and I’m looking forward to closing and moving into our house the following. Here are a few highlights.

 

My mom and I celebrating our birthdays. Walleye and pickerel, so good!

Birthday flowers delivered to the door. Thanks Kevin!

 

Sailing with my dad.

Yoga at China Lite yesterday.

Out to dinner with Kevin + outtakes

Another fun little something is that my picture was in my local paper this past Sunday. The photos were taken over a week ago during one of our training runs for the Blue Water Half Marathon. I was unhappy with the picture but the article is really great! I’m excited for this race.

What have you been up to!?

Anyone racing this next weekend?