Socially Unacceptable Things Runners Do & My Last Hard Workout

Wednesday:

Crepe and coffee at The Perch for breakfast!

Beautiful sunrise…

Today’s workout called for…
2 mile warmup
10 miles at 8-8:10 pace

2 mile cool down

I gave myself permission to just do my best. My body is tired and heavy and I didn’t want to overdo it this close to Chicago.
I ended up having a strong run!  Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t easy, but I did it.
I just kept telling myself that this was the last time I have to do this for a while.

I normally do two runs on Wednesday, but because I’m being a good taperer (is that even a word?!!) I went to the gym and did a little TRX and light lifting.

Here is a list of 45 Insanely Effective TRX Exercises.

And in honor of World Vegetarian Day, I made these Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps for dinner!  Recipe coming soon 🙂

Lastly, here’s a funny list from Run Haven…

Socially Unacceptable Things Runners Do

1.  Blowing snot rockets. This habit has become so ingrained in my actions that I’ve caught myself doing it when I’m NOT running. It’s just second nature.

2.  Peeing in the woods or other outdoor locations. I don’t think there are many races at which I put up with porta-potty lines. And if I’m trail running and have to pee, well, I’m not waiting until I get home. Heck, I’ve even taught my daughter the fine art of peeing outside.

3.  Changing clothes in public. When I finish a run and the weather is extremely hot or cold, one of the first things I do is get out of those sweaty clothes. If I finish at a location that isn’t home, I don’t think twice about whipping off my wet shirt and changing into a dry one, right next to my car. It’s pretty much a given post-race.

4.  Not changing clothes. Conversely, there have been more than a few times when I’ve stayed in my post-run clothing for a couple of hours before getting around to taking a shower. I walk in from a run, walk back out to take the kids somewhere, or start right in on some writing, and well…it’s a while before I finally get cleaned up. Good thing I’m a freelancer!

5.  Chatting openly about bodily functions. These functions include peeing, pooping, farting and the like. Let’s just admit it- running can sometimes do a number on the GI system. I’ve compared notes on all of the above bodily functions with more than a few runners before. The funny, the embarrassing and the “what works for you,” sometimes creeps into running conversations, doesn’t it?

6.  Inhaling vast quantities of food in public. Ever finish up a long run or race and just have to eat, no matter what’s available? I know my friends and I can do a number on a good burger, fries and beer after a marathon. You’d better not get between us and that food, either!Those are just a few of the not-so-socially acceptable acts I’ve pulled off over the years. What about you? Can you add to the list?

Are you a vegetarian?  Or do you do Meatless Monday?

Are you guilty of the above list?  I am, except for #1.  If I was able to blow a snot rocket, I would.

#choosejoy

11 Safety Tips for Running in the Dark

After some Summer-like temps this weekend, we had a glorious morning in the 50s!

7 crisp easy paced miles through the park.

I headed straight to OrangeTheory Fitness for some cross-training.  I’m even learning to enjoy the bike…crazy!

The cooler temperature has me so excited for Fall!  I picked up some white pumpkins for the house!

and some fresh flowers for the kitchen.

The cooler temps also mean that it’s dark during my early morning runs again.

Here are a few tips to help you stay safe during your early morning/late night runs.

1.  Wear reflective clothing.

I also love the reflectivity of Saucony’s Viziglo material.

2.  If you can, take your cellphone with you. (Also, the flashlight on the iphone can help when you’re in a pinch.)

3.  Wear or carry a light. (I run with a headlamp during the winter.)  My husband really wanted to capture this super-cool moment last winter.  I’ve found that the Amphipod reflective vests fit me best.

4.  Run on the left side of the road.

5.  Seek out well-lit run routes.

6.  Don’t listen to music.

7.  Always have identification on you.  I wear a Road ID on my shoe.

8.  Make sure you tell someone where you’re running and what time you’ll return.

9.  Run with a friend or group.

10.  Pay attention to your surroundings.

11.  Trust your instincts.  If something feels unsafe, don’t do it.

Everyone please stay safe out there!

What am I forgetting on my list of safety tips?

Do you take spin classes or indoor cycling?  

#choosejoy

The Friday Five

1.  Apple iWatch. I know it doesn’t have GPS.  I know it won’t replace my Garmin.  I know it’s still 5 months away.  It still looks so cool and I can’t wait to buy one!

2.  Major Girl Crush…Vogue did an interview with Christy Turlington Burns about running the Chicago Marathon.  She is running to raise awareness for her non-profit Every Mother Counts.  She has also partnered with my favorite running brand, Oiselle to create apparel for EMC.  Guess who else is running Chicago?  Me!  Do you think she wants to run with me and become friends?!!  Read the article HERE.

3.  Every night before bed, I drink a cup of chamomile tea to unwind and I have a new favorite from Dean & Deluca.  It’s a sweet and floral herbal tea made from chamomile flowers harvested in the winter months in Egypt.  Basically…it’s really good.

4.  The sun is rising a little later and setting a little earlier.  It’s so important to run with a Road ID!  (Coupon Code Below)

I prefer the Shoe ID.  The Shoe ID is a lightweight, Velcro walking or running ID. In fact, it’s great to wear anytime and is a popular ID for kids. Includes a 3M reflective strip for high visibility. Peace of mind is standard and the ID plate is interchangeable with the Wrist ID Sport. Go!

To save 15 % off all ID Products use COUPON CODE: DU68M4N98S

5.  Teaser: I am currently baking these cookies and my house smells like Autumn! Recipe coming soon.

There’s a lot of joy in this little container.  PS. My label maker also makes me very happy:)

Happy Friday!!

Who’s racing this weekend? Long run? I love to hear about it!!

#choosejoy

Steady State

Coffee date to start the day.

Oiselle flystyle.

I broke in my new Saucony Kinvara 5’s. I have loved this shoe so much.  Today’s workout called for a 10 mile Steady State Run with my goal pace being between 8:00-8:10 pace.

The hot wind felt like Mother Nature turned on her hairdryer.  2 more sleeps until the cold front reaches TN!!!!!!!!!!!! (Can you feel my excitement?!)

From Runner’s World on Steady State Running…

After warming up for 20-30 minutes, run the workout at a continuous marathon effort. This intensity is somewhere between an easy run and a tempo run. Most runners run the steady state run too hard. It’s designed to be an aerobic workout, not a heavy breathing workout, and to fatigue you with the duration of the run, not the speed. Cool down for 20-30 minutes to make the total run last 90 minutes to 2 hours. Start with 3-4 miles at steady state pace and build to 8-10 miles by adding 2 miles to the steady state run each week. Psychologically, the steady state run develops the mental toughness to stay engaged in the half marathon as you reach the later miles.

Post run juice…yummo!

I did a quick change and headed to Orange Theory for some cross training.

I even biked (thanks to some inspiration from The Hungry Runner Girl)!  Excuse my craptastic action shot.

For lunch, I picked up a giant green smoothie and vegan raw protein bar from The Juice Bar.

My t-shirt du jour…thank you Fleet Feet Nashville!

And, I ended the day with a 5 mile 2nd run with the hubs:)

Both of these found me today.

It’s like the universe is trying to tell me something;)

Style Blueprint sent out a blog today about 10 Tips To Help You Kick Procrastination.

The 2 tips that work best for me are:

1) Use a planner

2) Reward yourself! (Although, I’m learning that my rewards shouldn’t always be food.)

Are you a procrastinator? Which tips work best for you?
Do you do juice cleanses? Are you able to run on those days?

#choosejoy

Track Tuesday

Dark, foggy, and 100% humidity at the start of today’s track workout.

3.5 mile warm-up

drills

4 mile repeats with 1 minute rest between

2 mile cool down

When the sun finally rose, I glowed like my shoes!

I can’t wait for the cooler weather that is arriving later this week!

So excited to wear this sweatshirt

and I have a crush on these Oiselle pants from today’s fashion show!

Haircut day.  Color and trim.

Goodbye roots…and grays

Salon guilty pleasure

Free weights at home

For dinner, I decided to experiment with this new-to-me black bean pasta.

I made a tex-mex spin on dinner with beans, peppers, tomatoes, corn, cumin…

And, topped it off with some cheese and avocado…tasty!

What are your guilty pleasures? I love all of the Real Housewife shows!
Has the weather cooled off where you live?
What is your speed work this week?

#choosejoy

The Franklin Classic

We started the day with a 4am alarm to bake for the post-race brunch. My husband requested his favorite breakfast casserole.  I also took the brown sugar bundt cake that I posted yesterday.  I’ll post the recipes shortly:)

I had a Picky Bar and coffee before we left the house.

The new Cookie Doughpness is SO good!

Time to race: The Franklin Classic! We met up with so many awesome friends. Our entire community runs this race.
I ran in my favorite Saucony Kinvara 5’s. The yellow makes me so happy:)

 

Lots of love for Fleet Feet Racing!

This was my first time running both the 10k (7:00 start) and the 5k (8:30 start).

***Preface: I don’t run short, fast races very well.  My stubbornness lends itself to endurance!

I didn’t taper for these races and I’m in the middle of training for the Chicago Marathon.

 

My husband had a great 10K race!

The course is hot and hilly.  Every year I question why I run it.  It’s mostly because I want to run with my friends (peer pressure at it’s finest), but also because it supports Mercy Community Healthcare. I beat last years time by 27 seconds. Not a huge difference, but this year I had so much more breath control. I felt more relaxed. Progress.

10k splits: 7:49, 7:50, 8:04 (hills), 7:47, 7:36, 7:28
Finish time.  10th in AG.  48:14

I probably should have found a seat in the shade, but instead I stood around socializing in the sun.  I felt a little stiff for the 5k, but I just reminded myself that it was temporary. Also, the hills weren’t as bad on the 5k course.

5k Splits: 7:31, 7:34, 7:37
Finish time.  5th in AG 23:45

This was only my 2nd 5k.  My first was in July and I ran a 21:xx.  My friend Corrie said that I was on the 50k to 5k plan!

Conclusion:  Short-distance runner are badasses. Today’s races just made me want to puke.  Can you tell it was hot?!!!

Just finished the second race…wiped out!

I drank Cocogo Lemon-Lime in my handheld for both races.  I definitely needed it today!

Use code: JENCHOOSESJOY (all caps) for 10% off your order!

We stayed to cheer on our friends for their awards and then the best part of the race…brunch afterwards hosted by our friends Alex and lauren!!!! Thank you SO much for hosting a bunch of stinky runners!!!  Everything was incredible!

Just look at this spread!

My friends are seriously good cooks.  I made sure to try it all!

The obligatory post-brunch pic…

We took our full bellies home for a much needed shower and rest.

After a full day, I didn’t really feel like cooking so we headed out for celebratory pizza at Mellow Mushroom. I love their build your own salad menu!

Romaine with cucumber, shredded mozzarella, and portobello mushrooms

And of course their pizza!

Tell me about your Labor Day!
What’s your favorite race distance? Do you stick to that distance or run others?

#choosejoy

What The Heck, Wednesday?!

My stupid broken toe has been keeping me up for the last few nights. Sleep deprivation is not cool. I felt foggy and “off my game” all day.

The good news is that I was able to start my day with our weekly crepe breakfast date.  Breakfast (and coffee, of course) has a way of making everything better:)

I set out for my run from the Perch.  After a couple days of easy running, my legs wanted to run. The broken toe did not.

It didn’t feel great physically, but my spirit appreciated the run.  Do you like the puddle of sweat forming around me? (Garmin 620, Saucony Kinvara 5, Oiselle Winona Tank)

I’ve noticed some soreness from changing my stride. Hopefully one injury does not beget another.  I figured an ice bath was a good idea.

They really help me to bounce back faster.

I stopped by my bank to make a deposit.  My bank gives me cookies.  They’re really good cookies.  I’m not saying I make my money decisions based solely on cookies, but it sure doesn’t hurt.  Insert a Pavlov’s dog/ classical conditioning joke here.

I’m sure it’s the southerner in me, but I get so excited when a Lilly Pulitzer box arrives in the mail. Yea for preppy beach prints!

I normally run a double on Wednesdays, but two runs didn’t seem wise today.  I decided to do some cross-training at OrangeTheory.  The class was at 5:30.  I needed to eat a light dinner beforehand or else I would be starving afterwards.

So…I had romaine spears with cracked pepper and parmesan.

No utensils needed. I just use them as dippers.

And then guacamole. I can not get enough avocados. I used to hate them until I became a vegetarian. Now I crave them.

OrangeTheory.  Thank you to my instructor, Sunil for the modifications. I biked instead of running on the treadmill, and I sucked.  It’s like I broke my brain when I broke my toe. Blah. I just stayed confused and had bad form.

But, a bad workout is better than no workout.  I feel like I say it daily, but I was so thankful for my friend, Corrie, Sunil, and AC/DC (Back In Black was my jam).

So…here’s to getting a good night’s sleep!  If not, I’ll go hang out at my bank and eat their cookies tomorrow.

A random picture that reminded me that limitations are often in my mind.

Do you eat before an evening workout?  

Do you take ice baths?

#choosejoy

Not So Fast…Track Tuesday

First…yesterday was the most traffic on my blog to date. Appearantly you like a broken toe and quinoa…weirdos! I kid. It truly means the world to me that you have taken time to read my blog…thank you!

Track Tuesday:

I met some of my track group for a speed session.

Everyone is racing in 6 days, so the group did an easier workout.

Warmup
4×200 (200 recovery)
3×400 (400 recovery)
2×200 (200 recovery)
Cool Down

My workout was even easier. I just jogged in the slow lane:(

My broken toe acyually felt a little better than yesterday and I ran 7 miles.  At least my Saucony Kinvara 5’s are pretty.

We went to breakfast together afterwards…woo hoo!

There’s nothing better than a breakfast with sweaty runners!

It must have been the coffee, because I headed back out for 2 more miles. Best part, I was able to run them at a 9 minute pace.  Progress!

My amazing friend (and Naughty By Nature teammate) Corrie brought me a get well present…she is THE BEST and knows me all too well!!!

The day was uneventful…chores and errands.

Dinner on the other hand was pretty stellar.  Coconut milk veggie masala over basmati rice for dinner. It’s so good, but my indian food never looks very pretty.

We’ve been working on plans to redo our patio for a few months. Today, we finalized our selections and we have a start date. And, on top of that…my new planters arrived. They’ve been back ordered for months. It’s as if they knew we were going to need them for our new backyard space! Kismet.

Even with a bum foot…

Indian Food…yes or no? My husband loves it. I’m a work in progress.
How are your speed workouts going this week?

#choosejoy

Wednesday Wrap Up

Wednesdays are typically busy days for me and this one did not disappoint! I started the day with crepes and coffee with my husband. We make our best efforts to do this once a week. Its totally normal for a couple to have breakfast dates, right?

Apple butter for me and peanut butter/ granola/ banana/ honey for him. Breakfast is my love language!

I followed it up with an 8 mile run (8:43) pace. My legs were still pretty heavy from Tuesdays 800’s.

It was already hot and muggy as you can see from my sweaty closeup. (You’re welcome!)

I did a quick change and headed into TRX with my small group training. It’s become one of my favorite ways to cross train!

These are not cute pictures, but hey…it’s a workout!  My trainer, Jen made sure to include her shoe in the pic:)

Sometimes it hurts so bad that all we can do is laugh!!

It was an awesome mail day! I received my latest shipment from The Picky Club!! (Thanks Mike!!) I finally got to try the new Cookie Doughpness bar and it’s SO good. My favorite is still the Smooth Caffinator, but I’m excited to have another flavor in the rotation. Picky Bars are a great recovery food because they have a 4:1 carbohydrate and protein ratio. They are gluten free, some are vegan and they taste great!

I picked up some fresh flowers from Whole Foods…just thought I’d share them with you:) I always keep flowers in the house. It’s the little things that make me happy.

Lastly, a new Orange Theory gym just opened by my house. I took my first class this evening. I’m going to do an entire post about it tomorrow, so check back in. I LOVED this workout and I can’t wait to share it with you!!!

What do you do for cross training?

Do you share my love for Picky Bars?
What is your favorite recovery bar/food?

Beat the Heat

Are you battling the hot summer temps?  I am definitely feeling the heat in Tennessee.  Remember that it’s important to drink an electrolyte drink during your workouts…especially during these hot summer months.  My favorite drink mix is from Cocogo, so I’ve started making Cocogo ice cubes to add to my handheld.  I just mix two packets to one cup of water and freeze.  This way my drink will stay cold without being diluted. These cute little hearts make me happy❤️

Cocogo was nice enough to give my readers a discount code!  Use code: JENNIFERCHAFFIN for 40% off your order.

My favorite handheld is the Amphipod Hydraform Handheld Thermal-Lite 20oz.

In Shoe News…The Saucony Kinvara 5 won the Runner’s World Editor’s Choice Award!

If you follow me on my social media pages, you already know my love for the Saucony Kinvara (especially the Kinvara 5). I love the bright yellow!

Speaking of staying cool, I got a haircut today!  It’s the shortest my hair has ever been, and it feels great.  You will see me in this “Embrace The Hill” shirt from RunFarGirl A LOT…I live in it!

 

Do you use an electrolyte drink during your runs? If so, which brand/flavor is your favorite?
Do you carry a handheld, fuel belt, or camelbak?