I'm doing what in the AM!

10 miles in the morning ... by myself.

I have created the most circuitous route so I can be near my car and in the shade as much as possible.

Send me good vibes because I'm gonna need them.

My mantra for the run.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Mentally tough morning

Tuesday morning was a struggle to get out of the bed. This heat and humidity makes me think of pea soup. I finally drug myself out of bed, and now getting the running before work was going to be a challenge. Procrastination is not my friend.

The plan was for 5 miles, 2 easy, 2 at tempo, and 1 easy for cool down. The goal pace for tempo was 8:39 but my legs just wouldn't quite turn over like I wanted.

So, what do you do when you need inspiration? You dig deep, and I thought of Dimity (@dimityontherun) from Another Mother Runner who rocked her first IronMom this past weekend. If she can finish strong after that, this run is a piece of cake.

I ended up being a little short on the distance (needed to get to work). But very happy with how it ended up.

The face shot was horrible, so the shoes will have to do. Definitely a #realrun.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Getting things done

 

I did something crazy today. Several weeks ago, I planned a day at home so I could study for a certification test for work. I needed to read a book and some scintillating government documents, and take a practice test.

Fascinating day, I know.

We started the day with blueberry overnight oats. It was not a hit with the 5 year old, but I thought it was a good change to the breakfast menu. I want to try the peanut butter banana version next. And I liked the chia seeds, my first experience with them. I guess back to regular oatmeal or yogurt for the little dude.

Then, this was my seat for most of the day. Not a bad spot to spend a rainy day, just wish it was a book of my choice. Maybe next time.

I did plan a mid-day break if I had a productive morning. I am the worst procrastinator, so I looked up fitness classes last night. I found a noon yoga class, and set that as my reward.

I headed out in the rain and got there early enough to walk half of a mile at 4%. And I spotted Neon Blonde Runner at the gym, so bonus celebrity sighting. :) This was first yoga class with this instructor, and it was a great gentle class with lots of good cues. I need to find a way to make it back to another noon class on a Monday or Wednesday. She did give one cue that Beth at Shut Up and Run loved.

I finished up with another half a mile to make a mile towards #TeamGiraffe in the #ChillyChallenge.

I did manage to have a good rest of the afternoon. Reading done and practice test completed. Now to sign-up and get this monkey off my back.

How was your rainy Monday?

Oh, and I did finally sign up for the local Frostbite 15k for this Sunday. I'm missing the 10 mile group run on Saturday for a surprise I will share later, so this is the next best thing. I will sneak in another 0.7 before so I can tackle my first 10 miler. Hope the shirt is frosty cool.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Why do I run?

Zooma Run challenged Mother Runners to explain why they run. 

I run because it gives me something that is just for me.  Time on the road or time on the treadmill, hopefully with friends close by to make the miles go fast.  When I tackle a long or hard run, I love how strong it makes me feel at the end.  I'm ready to tackle anything.

10 Things About My Running

1. Best run ever: 2012 Monument Avenue 10k, this was my first run after retraining myself how to run after ITBS (see #7). My cadence was perfect for the entire run. I felt awesome through the entire run. Everything just went right. I was due for this run after two previous attempts.

2. Three words that describe my running: Renewing, fun, and strong

3. My go-to running outfit is: My Lululemon tank and skirt in porcelain blue, until it gets cold. Then I will bundle up in Brooks tights, Under Armor cold gear tank, and gloves/ear band/6 other layers as needed. J/k ... well maybe not.

4. Quirky habit while running: I can't finish running unless I hit a full or half-mile.

5. Morning, midday, evening: Usually evening due to hubby's schedule, but morning when I can.

6. I won’t run outside when it’s: Too hot is usually the problem in the South, but I have been known to avoid the rain, the cold, snow, and ice. I'm a running wimp.

7. Worst injury—and how I got over it: ITB Syndrome 3 times in a row - cortisone shots, anti-inflammatories, icing, foam rolling, stretching, glut and ab strengthening, and finally retraining myself to increase my cadence and decrease my stride length with the help of my Garmin 610.

8. I felt most like a badass mother runner when: a longer run feels easy.

9. Next race is: Richmond HCA 8K in November

10. Potential running goal for 2013: My first half-marathon, trying to decide which one.

 

Check out other posts at Another Mother Runner.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Bad blogger

I have been MIA for too long. The good news is that I have been working out and using My Fitness Pal religiously. I even have been getting up for early morning workouts so the hubs can go in the evening ... except for this morning because I stayed up too late last night.

The hubs wanted to go mountain biking this evening, and little dude wanted to play in the backyard. So to make me happy, hubs volunteered to bring my bike and trainer out of the basement for a little patio spinning.

I call it the no excuse workout.

All setup and ready to ride.

My view from the bike. Little dude was happy to dig in the dirt.

Yes, I let a 4 year old take a picture of me. Not bad. Is that a tricep I see there? Maybe the pushup app has started to pay off.

To humor him, he wanted a silly face.

7.48 miles in 30 minutes. I'm working on increasing the time while keeping the cadence up and the heart rate in check. Glad I've got all this fancy Garmin stuff to keep me on track. Love geeky technology.