The New Normal

The new normal involves a lot of cross training!  Here’s a look at life lately.

Monday: 

I started the day with a Nespresso Soy Misto…

and Physical Therapy at Pro Motion.  ASTYM and taping are really helping my Achilles.

Gym, Stationary Bike, and PiYO Hardcore on the Floor

For dinner we had this Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Quinoa…yum!

Tuesday:

Track with my friends!  I’m still not doing any speed work, but I did log a bunch of miles running in circles:)

I tuck the Hot Hands into my gloves.

Aren’t my orchids so pretty right now?!

Picked up some more of my favorite lip gloss.  I go through this stuff like crazy.

Wednesday:

Crepe and coffee breakfast with Jason…and these woodland creatures:)

20 miles on the stationary bike…such a tough workout!

And, because I’m lifting a lot more…I finally bought some gloves.

I think it’s safe to say that I LOVE Mache Rosettes!

I received a Boston email…the perfect reminder of why I’m resting and letting my body heal!!!

And, for dinner I made a Roasted Vegetable Zoodle Stir-fry.  I’ll post the recipe shortly and you MUST make it.  Seriously…it’s SOOOO good and it’s healthy!!!

 

Oh…and I got this pic of Country Music Marathon Training Run!  If you’re in the Nashville area, there’s still time to sign up for the training program.  I’m so excited to run with this group:)

I hope you have a great day!!

Have you tried Zoodles yet?  (Zucchini Noodles)

Do you have a favorite type of lettuce or am I the only weirdo?! 

Do you have a go-to, daily lip gloss or lipstick?  Share!

#choosejoy

Five Words Per Picture

Let’s catch up, shall we?!

Monday:
Last beach breakfast French Toast!

MiFi blogging in the car

Soup/Salad post-vacation dinner

Tuesday:
Back on track: Figuratively/ Literally

Juice Bar: best green smoothie!

Icing my cranky Achilles tendon:(

Baked Chobani Blueberry Coffee Cake

Wednesday: 
Crepe date at The Perch

NYE Perfection…Pizza and Champagne!

Thursday:
Empty gym New Year’s morning?!

First sweat of the year!

New Year’s Resolution Run/Breakfast

Showing our Drew Jones love

Generous friends and charity donations

Finally saw Wild…loved it!

Special dinner…Celebrated 3,821 miles!

Friday:  
New Whole Foods discovery: Chuice

Beyonce mug cafe au lait:)

Craving guacamole…this should do!

Gotta love some guacamole humor

Saturday:

Resolution run with Fleet Feet

Rainy weather natural curly hair

Hers…salad.  His…onion rings!

Sunday:
Morning spin session with Jason

Less running equals more weights!!

Country Music Marathon Training Expo

Proof that I love Brooks

Teppanyaki.  Onion volcano.  Fried rice.

Now, I feel like this…

And lastly some wise words…

Is your hair naturally straight or curly?  Do you wear it that way?  Mine’s curly, but I usually straighten it.

What’s the last movie you saw?

Did you go out or stay in for New Year’s Eve?  I loved staying home with pizza and champagne!

#choosejoy

Back on Track

Monday:

8 miles.  In. The. Sunshine.  It’s been dreary forever (slight exaggeration).  The sunshine only lasted for a couple of hours, but I soaked it in.

And, I got to see lots of deer!

I needed to be doing party clean-up and instead spent far too long playing my violin.

Tuesday:

Prep:

Track.  I hadn’t done speed work since the Memphis Marathon and wasn’t sure if my legs would be up for it.

4 mile warmup

Strides

4 x 1200m (400m recovery)

The 1200 was with alternating (200 f pace), (200 i pace), etc….

1 mile cool down

It wasn’t easy, but I hit my goals…woo hoo!!  Friends made it so much fun:)

Wednesday:

My mid-week long run called for 12 miles.

I came home to start baking Christmas cookies.  I baked my favorite cookie ever…Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies!  I’ll share the recipe soon:)

I packed up some gift bags for friends.  My OCD loves that the dot on the box matches the polka dots on the bags.

Lined up and ready to go…

“Duh-Duh-Duh Day Drinking” under the guise of picking up a take-out order.  Only one glass…don’t judge.

I received an email from Fleet Feet saying that I was one of their Top 50 Customers again this year which makes me beyond happy!  I love supporting my friends:)

Do you give your friends Christmas gifts?  Confession: Gift giving is one of my favorite things in the whole world.  However, I am completely uncomfortable receiving gifts.

Has it been dreary where you live or are you blessed with sunshine?  

What do you do to procrastinate? Usually it’s social media for me.

#choosejoy 

Memphis Marathon Recovery and My Birthday

This week was all about marathon recovery and, of course…my birthday:)

Sunday:

The day after the Memphis Marathon, with trepidation, I got out for an easy shakeout jog.  After Chicago, I could barely walk.  I ran a faster time in Memphis and was actually able to go for a jog the next day!!  I think the hills really helped my legs:)

Perk to early morning runs: I was the only person on Beale St. the morning after the race.

Of course I had to treat myself to a celebratory breakfast…

with biscuits!

Monday:

7 miles.  Yet again, I was so happy that I was able to run…even though it was slow.  P.S.  I love this Brooks Run Happy Christmas Tech Tee!

Tuesday:

8 miles.  I met my friends on the track.  I didn’t do the speed workout, but opted to jog.  I was frustrated that I couldn’t do more, but tried to be grateful that I was even running.

I did PiYo Core afterwards.

And much to my chagrin, Jason brought home Christie Cookies.  Their white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are SOOOO good!  My willpower was non-existent.  Tis the season!

Thursday:  My 34th birthday!  

I met my sweet friends for a 6 mile run and breakfast afterwards!  I felt so loved and it was the perfect way to kick-off the day:)

My Nana sent me a birthday mouse:)

My husband leaves me daily post-it notes.  I loved my birthday note..

Speaking of #pimpinjoy, my hat arrived just in time for my birthday.  Love it!

We had a dinner date at Moto for my favorite blueberry lasagna.

It sounds odd, but it’s amazing!

Cheers to 34….

and to presents that come in black boxes;)

And dessert!

Friday:

After a fun night, coffee was my best friend.

It was 22 degrees and I ran 8 less than stellar miles.

I’m doing my best to be patient…to remind myself that I ran a marathon 6 days ago.  Nothing really hurts.  I just have heavy, tired legs.  Tomorrow I’m going to get out for a “long-ish” run.  I’m going to cut myself some slack and be flexible with my mileage.  Fingers crossed I’ll feel great!

Thanks again to everyone for your kind birthday wishes this week!!!!  It was a wonderful day:)

Do you have any birthday traditions?  I always have a special breakfast!

How quickly do you get back to speed work after a marathon?

How many cups of coffee do you typically drink a day?  Sometimes I’ll have 1 in the morning, and I always have 1 in the afternoon as a pick-me-up!

#choosejoy

100% Chance of Run

Here’s my monthly and annual mileage update with one of my favorite race pics from the Flying Monkey Marathon🙂  It feels good to have another month in the books!

Track Tuesday.

Prep the night before…

Woke up to cold rain.

I put my stuff in ziploc baggies and hit the track.

I arrived early to get in some extra miles and felt a little nuts running alone in the dark, in the rain, in circles.  Luckily my friends joined me!

Here’s my before shot.  I may have been delaying the rainy run by taking a selfie.  Scroll down to see my after…

The workout:

4.5 mile warm-up

4 x 1200m (400 recovery jog)

(with the first 800m at tempo pace and the last 400m at 5k pace)

1 mile cool down

It wasn’t my greatest workout.  At one point we just started laughing at ourselves, because we were so wet.  It’s hard to run fast when you have squishy shoes.

Here’s my after shot…

My husband must love me…even though I look like that, because I came home to another awesome post-it.  Obviously, I married him for his artist abilities.

The rain never let up.  Luckily I put Body Glide everywhere.

Whenever I’m putting Body Glide on everything, I think of the Frank’s Red Hot Commercial!  Has anyone else seen these?  Body Glide—–>hot sauce.  It makes sense in my mind!

And it was the ultimate test for my favorite Asics Storm Shelter Jacket.  If it’s possible, I love it even more after today’s workout.  My tank that I wore under the jacket stayed dry.  Amazing!

Obviously I got distracted while working on this post…

And this is completely unrelated, but my friend Corrie gave me the most aweome mug to celebrate the Flying Monkey Marathon!!!

Do you ever do your speed workouts on the treadmill or do you prefer the track?  I avoid the treadmill at all costs.

Do you wear any special rain gear?

Do you keep track of your mileage?  How was your November?

Any tips for warming up after a cold, wet run?  My goosebumps wouldn’t go away even in a hot shower.  Shaving on top of goosebumps is not fun.

#choosejoy

Track Tundra

Monday:

We got our first “snow” during my morning run!!  8 miles.  (I know to a lot of you this is humorous, but I still get excited!)

After my run I took an Orange Theory Fitness class.  It’s such a fun way to cross train!

While I was out running errands, I discovered Toe Warmers!  How have I never seen these?  I haven’t tried them yet.  I wonder if they work while running or if they just get in the way?

For dinner, I heated some Tortilla Soup that I froze a few weeks ago.

Before bed, I did my first PiYO Core workout.  If I diligently do these dvd’s, will my abs look like hers?

And prepped for Tuesday Track…

Track Tuesday:

I knew it would be cold and it was!

I know it’s a cold one when I bust out the Wrightsock Double Layer Socks!  I wrote about them on my 10 Cold Weather Running Tips and Fave Gear List.

I wondered if anyone would show up, and thankfully Michael, Corrie, Shyla, and Alex were crazy enough to do speed work with me!!!

5 mile warm-up

8 x 600m (200 recovery jog)

Goal: 2:32  Actual: 2:34, 2:33, 2:33, 2:32, 2:32, 2:30

1 mile cool down

It was such a tough workout for me today.  I was working really hard and my legs just didn’t want to turnover.  Maybe it was from the cold weather.  At least I got out there, but it definitely didn’t help my confidence.

Last week, I wrote about my new favorite Hot Apple Cider Tea.

Well now, I’ve stepped it up and added some Mulling Spices.  IT IS SOOOO GOOD!

I was called out by @live.laugh.love.run to #stopdropandselfie on Instagram.  I still haven’t mastered this selfie thing.

For dinner, I made a kitchen sink salad…

pumpkin ravioli…

and a chocolate Shakeology shake! (I made it with dark chocolate almond milk and ice.  It’s SO good!)  Also, I’ve gone over a full week without my beloved vegan chocolate chip cookies!!

Must Read from Zelle:  Jenn Thompson, an ultra-runner, was bitten twice by a prairie rattlesnake while running leaving her fighting for her life.  I’ve been following her story for a while now and I am in awe of her determination to run again.

Have you done the PiYO workouts?  Thoughts? 

What’s your healthy alternative for your sweet tooth?

What’s your favorite cold weather dinner?  Right now, I’m craving grilled cheese and tomato soup!

#choosejoy

The Russian Returns & Leading A Group Run

Monday:

6 Miles with girlfriends

Followed by an Orange Theory Fitness Class.  It was strength day…my favorite!

I baked a batch of Chewy Oatmeal Scotchies as a thank you gift for my physical therapist…I’ll type up the recipe this week!

I met my husband for dinner at J’s.  We shared the grilled artichokes,

and a flatbread,

before heading to the Trail Running Film Festival by Rainshadow Running.

It was a sold out show here in Nashville.  Check the link above to see if it’s coming to your city!  The films, the courses they cover, and the runners, left me wanting to push the limits of my distance running.  Truly awe inspiring!

I loved seeing all of the Ultra Dirtbag Swag!

Tuesday:

This week’s track workout was The Russian!  When I searched for images before sending the workout to our group, this crazy guy in the bottom left appeared and cracked me up/ scared me a little.  Perfect for The Russian!  Rayna even brought her own hat to the track…my friends rock!

My workout:

4.5 mile warm-up/ strides

3 x 300m (1:07 goal) with 60 second recovery between (My actual splits: 1:08, 1:08, 1:07, 1:07, 1:06, 1:07, 1:07, 1:07, 1:03)

800m recovery jog between each set

Repeat 3 times

1 mile cool down

After track, I headed over to The Juice Bar for my favorite green smoothie.

The Flying Monkey Marathon poster preview came out.  Fear is setting in.

I delivered the thank you cookies:)

These are a few of my favorite things…

And made a new recipe for dinner: Autumn Wild Rice with Kale and Caramelized Sweet Potato.   We loved it!  If y’all want the recipe, I’ll type it up:)

Lastly, here in Nashville we’re getting ready for Spring Marathon Training…can you believe it?!  Fleet Feet has a huge training group and they’ve been organizing pace leaders.

Here are some Guidelines For Leading A Group Run:

1.  Know the route using a GPS or mapping tool

2.  Outline the distance for the run and make sure it aligns with the goal of the group.  If your group has runners doing several distances, know good points for runners to break off to hit their desired mileage.

3.  Have current CPR and First Aid Certifications

4.  If you have a large group, determine whether you need a permit to run.  Try staggering the group start times to possibly avoid the need for a permit.

5.  For a large group, recruit key pace leaders and help runners identify their appropriate group.

6.  Setup water stations along the route.  Make sure to have enough water to support the size of the group.

7.  Designate a back of the pack runner/ sweeper who will carry a cellphone.  They can insure that all runners finish the training run and can call if they come upon an emergency.

8.  Make sure you have a name and emergency contact information for each runner.

9.  Have a sign in/out sheet for each group run.

10.  Make sure that the group follows the “rules of the road.”  Use sidewalks, run on the left side of the road, obey all traffic laws, etc…

11. Encourage the group to wear reflective clothing, especially if running in the dark.

12.  Never leave behind an injured runner.  Allow the group continue with their workout while you stay with the runner and call for help.

13.  Consider organizing a post-run social event: coffee, breakfast, etc… Most runner’s join a group for the social component!

These rules are paraphrased from the RRCA Guidelines.  Click HERE to see the full list.

Have you ever been a pacer during a race or training group?  It’s my favorite way to run!

Favorite cookie?  Mine is a molasses cookie that I bake during Christmas.

#choosejoy

Ladder Workout and Rad New Tights

Track Tuesday….Ladder Workout!

Monday night prep…

Up and down the ladder…

4 mile warm-up

Run at 5K pace:

400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400 (400 recovery job between each level)

1 mile cool down

After our hard work, some of our track group went out for coffee. #mytribe

My iphone 5 finally kicked the bucket, so I had to buy a new one.  Amazingly, the transition has been pretty smooth.  I’m always terrified that I will lose my information.   I distrust the cloud!

I received my RunnerMarx shirt in the mail.  He has an awesome Instagram account and he sells these shirt to raise money for KaBOOM (a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all kids get a childhood filled with the balanced and active play needed to thrive). Very cool!  You can order a shirt HERE!

I made a big pot of homemade vegetable soup.  This is my husband’s favorite soup…recipe coming soon!!

I voted! (In my Ultra Dirtbag jacket of course!)

I bought this pineapple painting by Jen Ramos for my music room, because it’s pink and it’s a pineapple.  Do more of what makes you happy, yes?!!

I keep picking up acorns from my front yard and stashing them around the house…I LOVE fall!

Pretty flower by the kitchen sink:)

And lastly, I bought these kick-arse reflective tights from Fleet Feet Nashville this afternoon….swoon!  They’re Nike Flash Women’s Running Tights.

 

And a reminder to be kind to yourself:)

Do you have trouble when you switch from your old phone to a new one? I feel like I always lose notes or pictures, or contacts…

Are you doing speed work this week?  Share!

What’s your favorite kind of soup?

#choosejoy

Track and ASTYM

Track Tuesday:

1st day back doing speed since Chicago.  I was a little nervous and still took it easy by running my tempo pace, but I felt good!!!

Gotta love sweaty post-run pics! (It’s unseasonable warm here in TN.)

4 mile warmup

6 x 400m (400 recovery jog)

1:45
1:48
1:46
1:45
1:45
1:43

1 mile cool down

After such a grueling workout (I kid), Christi Beth needed a nap in Michael’s trunk.

To celebrate Dave’s MCM and the upcoming Monumental and NYCM…we went to breakfast afterwards.  How awesome is this group?!! #mytribe

This afternoon I had another PT session at ProMotion with Leah.  She did more ASTYM work on my knee.  (It’s pronounced A Stim.)

What is ASTYM?

Astym® treatment is a therapy that regenerates healthy soft tissues (muscles, tendons, etc.), and eliminates or reduces unwanted scar tissue that may be causing pain or movement restrictions. Astym® treatment is highly effective and even works when other approaches routinely fail. One of the main reasons Astym® treatment is so much more effective than other treatments is that it was scientifically developed to resolve the underlying cause of soft tissue problems, rather than just trying to temporarily relieve symptoms. It is one of the most researched and effective therapy treatments available. Astym® treatment is unmatched in its ability to resolve tendinopathies, scar tissue problems, and other soft tissue dysfunctions.

Here are the tools…

And,work on my knee…

It hurts a little, but it also feels really good.  ASTYM leaves some bruising, but nothing too crazy.  Leah is really helping me to recover quickly and after 3 treatments, I can already tell a big difference.

Here’s a short YouTube video tutorial about ASTYM…

Just because…

Jason’s out of town so I picked up some take-out dinner…for one. Apparently, I ordered so much food that they thought it was for two Runger is real.

And, on a super cheesy note…I really appreciate you for taking the time to read my blog.  It means the world to me!

Have you ever had to go to PT for a running related injury?  What for?  How did you treat it?

How long after a marathon do you start speed work again?

Do you cook dinner when it’s just for one?  (Obviously I don’t)

#choosejoy

10 Track Tips and I’m Official

First…I’m officially an RRCA Coach…woo hoo!!

Monday night prep for Tuesday Track because my brain doesn’t work in the wee morning hours.

I made a big plate of veggies for dinner.  The Caramelized Brussels Sprouts recipe is HERE!

I woke up to this radar.

So I put everything into plastic bags.

It’s the week of the Chicago Marathon, so this track workout was more of a sanity workout. I wasn’t trying to gain fitness…it just felt good to get my legs moving and see my friends.

4 miles warm-up and drills

6 x 400 (w/400 recovery jog)

1 mile cool down

The rain held off until the very end of our workout!!!

Like a good runner, I am doing my best to follow my Chicago taper schedule.  So, I went to see Gone Girl this afternoon.  I loved the book and I give the movie two thumbs up!

I had some extra pumpkin puree leftover after baking these White Chocolate Pumpkin Snickerdoodles.

I used it to make a pumpkin cream sauce for these oh-so-good raviolis.

Delish!

I’ve only been running track for a year and half.  I was so intimidated to give it a try, but it has really improved my running.

So…here’s a list of 10 Track Tips to get you started!

1.  Stretch outside of the track.

2.  Unless stated otherwise, runners should run counter clockwise.

3.  The fastest lanes are to the left and the slower lanes are to the right (just like when you’re driving).  I run on the outside lanes for my warm-up and then do my workout on the inside two lanes.

4.  When a faster runner is approaching a slower runner from behind, yell “track” so that the slower runner has plenty of time to move to the right.  This artwork from Cait Chock was just too perfect for this post.  She is a super talented runner, writer, and artist.  I LOVE her t-shirts!!!

5.  If you are running with friends, make sure not to block the track.

6.  Gear.  You don’t need special track spikes.  Your regular running shoes will work.  It’s also nice to bring bottled water or sports drink, a towel for hot workouts, and I like to write down my workout and bring it with me.

7.  Leave your headphones at home or at least leave the volume low enough to hear others.

8.  For most tracks, one lap is 400 meters in lane 1.  Running in the outside lane can add up to 50 meters per lap.

9.  If you’re using a school track, be courtious and plan your workout around the school’s activity schedule.

10.  Recover.  When you finish your track workout, make sure to walk or jog (in an outside lane) to gradually slow your heart rate.

 

Do you run track?  Have you always or are you new to it?

What are some of your track tips?

Have you seen Gone Girl yet?

#choosejoy