Friends & Sushi & Bubbles…Oh My!

It was a super fun and full weekend.  Here we go… Friday  (5 Days Post Chicago) Tank, sleeves, and tights might just be the most magical running weather! Beautiful Run! I bought lilies for my kitchen that smell amazing:) And made a new granola recipe…Chewy Maple Granola (my new favorite)! Saturday (6 Days Post Chicago) I met my friends for a 13 mile run.  I’m trying to reverse taper.  I was still a little sore and 13 was a little too far too soon.  On a positive note, I got to run in my new Saucony Kinvara Kona Edition (LOVE)! Breakfast after. Saturday night our friends were hosting a sushi making party.  If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you might remember that we did a smaller version of this at the Cumberland Plateau Stage Race.  It was a blast, so I was so excited to do it again! Our hostess with the mostest, Dar, greeted us with Apple Cider Whiskeys…Fall in a cup! Cecilia made this spicy garlic edamame.  YUM! James gave us a great lesson in making rolls. After our lesson, we split up into teams.  Each team was supposed to make a few rolls and submit your best for judging.  Dar, Laurie, and James had prepped so many wonderful ingredients.  We just had to get creative. Making rolls is such an art.  My team mostly forgot that we were competing and just ate our rolls:) Here are the finished products ready for judging! I want to send a huge THANK YOU to everyone for a fun night!! Sunday I woke up with a cranky knee.  I knew that I shouldn’t run, so my husband and I rode our bikes to breakfast. Guess what?  More oatmeal…yes I have a problem. And then went to the gym to lift.  I love that he tolerates my blog. To end the weekend, we celebrated Lauren’s birthday one more time. Friends, cake, and bubbles. Life is good!!! P.S. Alex introduced us to St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur.  We added it to our champagne and it tasted like grown-up apple cider…SO GOOD!  You’re welcome. Have you made sushi at home? Did you race or long run this weekend? Share!!! Have you ever had a sore knee after a race? I didn’t hurt during the race, but it started to flare up a few days after. Weird. #choosejoy

Return to Running & Lauren’s Birthday!

First…a huge thank you to everyone for you kind words of encouragement. It means more to me than I can express. I am not an exceptional runner…I just really love running. Thank you for sharing in the joy!!!!

I have another marathon in a month, so I’m doing a reverse taper.  Here’s my training this week.

Monday.

3 mile walk plus more airport walking.

Tuesday.

Sore quads. Rainy day. 3 miles of treadmill walking and lots of upper body weights.

Excited to wear some of my Chicago swag!

Wednesday.

6 rainy miles with friends. Slow but felt great…woo hoo! Wanted to run extra but decided to be smart.

In lieu of extra miles, I went to get a crepe instead…priorities:)

Evening Orange Theory Fitness class with lots of time on the bike and rower.

When the hubs is away, the wife will not cook dinner and instead get a tofu taco salad, watch hulu, and eat entirely too many tortilla chips. Such a glamorous life!

Thursday

Special Breakfast Club run in downtown Franklin with breakfast at Frothy Monkey

to celebrate Lauren’s birthday!!!  Aren’t Alex and Lauren the sweetest couple?!!

5 miles with group this awesome group!

Breakfast

2.5 solo miles afterwards in my new Saucony Kona Kinvaras!

Here are some great tips from Runner’s World on When To Return To Running After A Marathon.

As a general guideline, I suggest taking three to seven days completely off after a marathon. Sleep in, eat, and enjoy your accomplishment! After that, begin an active recovery program. Active recovery includes light exercise and even some running, if you are not sore. “Light” exercise means exercising at a low intensity level, i.e., no more than 60-65% of your max heart rate for a relatively short duration, less than 60 minutes. Activity actually helps you recover faster than inactivity because it promotes circulation. Good circulation delivers fresh oxygen and nutrients to muscles and carries away metabolic waste and, therefore, aids healing and recovery. Walking, running, riding a bike, stretching, or swimming for 30 to 60 minutes at low intensity will promote circulation and assist your recovery. Massage therapy and foam rolling can also help relieve muscle soreness and assist recovery by increasing the body’s circulation too.

Where are you at in your training?  Taper, Recovering, Long Runs?

Do you run with groups?  Why or why not?

Favorite Breakfast?  Mine is obviously oatmeal!

#choosejoy

The Friday Five

1.  Saucony Kinvara 5 Kona Edition.  If you’ve read my blog before, you know my love for the Saucony Kinvara 5.  I got an email yesterday, that Saucony was going to sell a limited amount of the Kona to us mere mortals.  I ordered a pair immediately!

2.  Garden of Eatin’ Sweet Potato Corn Tortilla Chips.  Salty/sweet perfection.  I’m not a ‘chips person’ and I am addicted to these!  Like…it’s a dangerous to keep them in the house.  I crushed them up and put them on my Tortilla Soup early this week.

3.  This video.

4.  I know Fall is here, because I’ve been buying way too many long sleeves.

Lole Glory Top.  I bought one in charcoal at Fleet Feet.  I love the material and that the cut is long enough to cover my bum in tights.

I Run This Body Hoodie.  I LOVE this mantra!

Run Far Girl.  I ordered the gray hoodie.  The Run Far Girl donates the profits to the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

Every Mother Counts.  I love a zip up hoodie!

Oiselle is proud to be the official athletic apparel sponsor of Team Every Mother Counts, founded by Christy Turlington Burns. Join us in supporting maternal health, 40% of collection proceeds go directly to EMC.

5.  The movie poster for Wild was released this week.  I LOVE the book (one of my favorites ever!) and was thrilled when I read that Reese Witherspoon is starring in the movie.  It premiers December 5th!

#choosejoy