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Here’s what my weekend looked like! It was very satisfying and I got to run with a new group of people that I will be running with again! . . . #trailrunning #desertrunner #ultratraining #acrosstheyears2018 #arizonarunner #runflatstaylow #running #doepicshit #pma #plantbasedrunner (at Scottsdale, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrNd41sFQDg/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ur67m6ah775d
Knocked out four miles with my running buddy (we ran/walked) but question why does it seem like every dog we pass wants to kill her? Little dogs big dogs they all freak out when we pass it's crazy to me and makes me really nervous 😩Nala never barks she just jumps around and wants to go see them. I don't get it #run #running #runnersofinstagram #runningwithdogs #rhodesianridgeback #ridgeback #projectrr #arizonarunner
WOW!!!! We're Running a Marathon? turned 1 today! Happy Birthday to my BLOG!!!!
So I took a little long blogging break. Fact is...work, motherhood, running, my feeble attempt at keeping my house somewhat clean and “life” have taken up most of my time. But now I am back with some EXCITING news....I am going back to Chicago to run Marathon #2 with Team Fox! I hope you will once again join me on this journey!
I have seriously slacked this month on blogging. Thankfully I have been more successful in the running arena. February started with an amazing trail race (a first for me), a bunch of beach-side runs in Carlsbad, CA in the middle, and ended with a new half marathon PR at Phoenix Marathon. I ran 89.45 miles this month and have felt really good for most of it. I finally was released from PT; however, I need to continue to do the stretches and strength training or I will end up injured again. Up next is a half marathon on March 7 (back to back half marathons should be interesting) and the "Shake it Off" virtual 5k for Team Fox on March 28.
Weekly Re-cap: December 14-December 20, 2014
Sunday: 3.1 miles
Saturday: 1.0 mile
Total: 4.1 Miles
Well not much running took place this past week. Sunday I ran the Fiesta Bowl 5k. I had signed up for the half marathon, but decided the day before the race that running 13.1 miles wasn't very smart while injured. I ran the 5k last year (and even placed in my age group) and knew it was fun. So while I was bummed I decided to make the most of it. I even decided to get in the holiday spirit with a pair of Race Legs and a red sparkle skirt from Sparkle Athletic. I love Sparkle Athletic! It is interesting because I see a TON of Sparkle Athletic on Twitter and Instagram, but I rarely see runners wearing it here in Arizona. The 5k and half marathon start in nearly the same place near the Civic Center in Old Town Scottsdale. The race is well-organized but parking is always a problem and there are not enough bathrooms right at the start. When I switched to the 5k I had decided I wanted to push my pace a bit and see if I could PR. I ran a 25:59 5k in April and had hoped I could beat that. I arrived at the start just a few minutes before the gun went off. I lined up and was ready to go. I spent the first few minutes weaving through runners. At some point I am hoping to gain enough confidence to line up near the front (especially in smaller races) because the time spent weaving and avoiding walkers in the beginning can really make a difference time wise. Physically I felt ok running (no pain) but I felt like I was sucking wind the whole time, felt a little sick to my stomach and never really felt entirely comfortable. The 5k course is nice. Part of it is on road and part of it is on the greenbelt. My first mile was done in 8'23" and the second mile 8'07". I roughly knew what pace I needed to maintain to PR, but I was a little out of it and I wasn't sure how off my Nike+ and Garmin were in terms of mileage. Between mile 2 and 3 I let off the gas a little bit, which would end up being a mistake. Mile 3 was done in 8'22". I knew the finish was just around the bend and gave myself a little kick. I finished and had no idea what my time was, although I knew I had to be close to my goal time. I also felt TERRIBLE and nearly threw up. Awesome! I found the timing board and didn't see my name or number come up so I went to find someone that could help. Official time: 26:01! Seriously? I wanted to cry. I had pushed hard and fell 3 seconds short! 3 seconds? 3 seconds is nothing! All I had to do is run a tangent or weave around one less person and I would have hit 25:59 or less! I hope with more experience I'll learn to run smarter.
I went to Physical Therapy three times this week. My sessions are a combination on manual manipulation, stretching, foam rolling, very specific strength training and electro-stimulation and ice. Some days I feel great. Some days I am still in pain. My PT suggested that I don't run and told me to split time between the bike and elliptical. I am beginning to worry about being ready for Rock n Roll Phoenix which is less than 4 weeks away. I may have to re-evaluate my goals for that race and/or may need to drop down to the 10k.
Saturday I finally got back to the gym. I did 10 minutes on the bike, 10 minutes on the Adaptive Motion Trainer and 10 minutes on the treadmill running at a slow pace. It felt so good to run and I really didn't want to stop, but I decided to be smart.
This week I only have PT once and plan to get to the gym a few times. I am going to try to run a bit on the treadmill and hope for the best!
In other news, we celebrated Hanukkah this week and J really loved opening presents. We celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas in our family and I love exposing J to both holidays and both traditions.
-Jennifer
A little about me...
So as you know I am VERY new to blogging. I started the blog as a way to document my training for the Chicago Marathon and it was intended mostly for me to remember those 16+ weeks of training and my family and friends that chose to donate to Team Fox. After the marathon I debated about continuing it and quickly decided I was having fun writing it and hoped that maybe, just maybe I could inspire someone to start running to keep going. I am still shocked and humbled when someone mentions to me that they have read a post! Building a readership can be complex and difficult, especially if you haven’t clearly defined your goals or a strategy. I haven't quite figured out the best way to do it, but thankfully I have been learning from some of my blog mentors like my awesome Sister in Law who writes at Try Defying Gravity and my super speedy running friend and mom of two who writes at Helly on the Run. Helly was nominated for a Liebster Award and then tagged me so I did a little research. Seems that the Liebster Award is passed from blogger to blogger to encourage support and connection (ie; encourage readership). Helly asked me to answer the questions she had to answer, so I thought this would be a great way for me to tell you a little bit more about me! Here is goes:
1. What is my current health related goal?
I need to eat healthier, drink more water and learn to love ok like cross training and strength training. I eat way too much sugar and processed food. Aaron and I both work full time and have a toddler so we really don’t have a ton of time to cook healthy meals when we get home from work after 6 pm. We need to start prepping on the weekend and use the slow cooker more during the week. So about the water thing, there are seriously days I might drink a cup of coffee and NOTHING else ALL DAY. This isn’t healthy and it certainly isn’t good for you! Oh the dreaded cross training. Here is something you should know….I don’t like to exercise. Is it weird that I don’t really consider running “exercise”? Ok I know running IS exercise and provides health benefits, but I equate cross training (exercise) with being in the gym and that isn’t my happy place. I need to rethink this obviously. Currently I am dealing with an injury that likely resulted from my lack of cross-training and strength training so really I have no choice but to get started.
2. What is my biggest irrational fear?
I used to love flying, but in the last few years turbulence has really started to freak me out. I begin to have morbid thoughts of the plane crashing towards earth and it isn’t fun. Anytime I am on a flight and we hit turbulence I grab on to the arm rests (or my husband’s arm) and hold on tight.
3. Do I enjoy wrapping presents?
I love it. Although I don’t like spending a lot of money on something that will just end up in the trash so I keep it simple.
4. What’s your favorite cross training activity?
See my answer to number 1. I still need to figure this out. I used to like to spin so maybe I’ll try that again. Everyone seems to be raving about PiYo or Barre so I might give a class a try.
5. If you came to visit me, what would we do?
Do you mind hanging out with a toddler? Probably one of my favorite things to do in Arizona is go to a resort spa and have lunch outside.
6. You have 2 weeks off work and 2 round trip plane tickets to ANYWHERE. Where would you go and who would you take?
I have been pretty lucky to travel to some pretty amazing places already. I would probably go with my husband to Bora Bora and stay in an overwater bungalow.
7. What’s the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to you during a run or race?
Thankfully I haven’t had any truly embarrassing experiences worth mentioning.
8. What are the 3 best days of your life?
In order in which they occurred in my life:
Marrying my husband. I got married a little later in life and never thought I would meet someone as amazing as he is.
Being at the hospital for the birth of my son and then finalizing his adoption.
Crossing the finish line with my best friend at the Chicago Marathon in October 2014.
9. You HAVE to eat a fast food meal. What restaurant would you choose and what would you order?
So I guess I probably eat more fast food than I should, but am pretty particular. I stick mostly to Panera, Wendy’s or Chipotle. I am currently loving the Fuji apple salad and Autumn Squash Soup from Panera lately.
10. Have you ever met a celebrity?
I have met a few, but I am not really into the whole celebrity thing. Although driving in an Indycar two-seater with Sarah Fisher was pretty cool.
11. Share a pic of yourself in non-workout clothes. (See our family Holiday photo above)
12. If you could choose to do a ‘do over’ and switch careers, what would you choose and why?
I worked retail for over five years and am glad I made to higher education. I have worked in higher education for over 14 years and I am not sure what I would do if I didn’t do this.
13. If you won an Olympic Gold Medal how do you think you’d react?
I am not athletic so I would probably be really confused! Ha!
14. What do you want for Christmas?
Besides health and happiness for my friends and family? I LOVE anything from Athleta!!!! I might have a problem.
15. What skill do you lack?
Cooking. Seriously I cannot cook. I never really learned and I don’t find any joy in it. I often google how to boil eggs, make a baked potato, etc.
Weekly Re-cap: December 7-December 13, 2014
Total Mileage: 0.00 miles
No that isn't a typo and yes, you read that right. I ran 0.00 miles this week. Although I DID walk a soggy 4.9k on Saturday with Aaron, J and friends.
A little update on my back: I am still in pain. Thankfully it isn't constant but it generally is making me feel awful, crabby and out of sorts. I started PT this week and received my x-ray results. Thankfully the x-ray didn't show any bulging, herniation or narrowing of the lower discs. I do have some arthritis and bone spurring in the SI or Sacroiliac Joint however. I also am still having major Piriformis issues. PT this week hurt A LOT. We are working on stretching, foam rolling, trigger point massage and strengthening my hips. The PT watched me walk and looked at my shoes (asked why I like to wear 5lb weights on my feet ie; cushioned shoes) and he noticed that I have a little "hitch" in my gait on the right side, where my right hip is coming up and swinging around and it causes my foot to come down unevenly. I have never felt that I was a very efficient runner and this "hitch" explains some of that. This might also be the cause of some of my injury and pain. The PT suggested I cut WAY back on running and start cross-training. This is a little scary to me. Running has become such a large part of my identity (maybe this isn't healthy), what if lose my motivation? What if I have to start over? I don't like "exercising" I like running! I rode the bike on Friday for 5 minutes and I was tired and sore. How is it possible to run 26.2 miles, yet be tired from 5 minutes on the bike. I guess it shows just how much I need to work different muscles. I have PT three times this upcoming week and am hoping to make some progress.
Saturday after the 4.9k, I went to pick up my packet for the Fiesta Bowl 1/2 Marathon on Sunday. All morning I waivered on dropping to the 5k or just taking the 1/2 slow. I solicited advice from friends on Facebook and they all suggested doing the 1/2. But the more I thought about it , I knew it wasn't smart to try to run 13.1 miles while injured and decided to switch distances. I cried and was disappointed, but knew it was the right decision. The Rock n Roll 1/2 in Phoenix is in 35 days and I need to be healthy and pain-free for that.
It is hard to believe this year is drawing to a close! I'll re-cap the year and tell you about the Fiesta Bowl 5k next week!
-Jennifer
