Thursday's Things...Part 2

Yep...I'm back with another exciting installment of "Thursday's Things" 

Thing #1: Inspirational Quotes

If you are one of those people who says that you don't like seeing inspirational quotes on social media or that they don't motivate you...you are lying ;) Granted...they don't ALL inspire me or speak to me...but I have to say that scrolling through Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and seeing the perfect quote or inspirational saying is one of my most favorite things about social media. It's a way to help build each other up and encourage people to work hard and not give up (am I getting to cheesy for ya?) Today I want to share some of my favorites that I have come across in the last week!

  

Thing #2  Domestication

I am not claiming to be a reformed "domestic goddess" but, I do have to say I am rather proud of myself for making my first batch of egg salad this week. In my 29 years I have eaten many egg salad sandwiches...none of which I have made myself. My mom is an incredible cook and I can always convince her to whip me up a batch (if I bring the ingredients over) well...not this time. I decided it was high time that I learned to do this daunting task myself ;) Good news...it was a success!! AJ even said he liked it (which isn't saying much because he isn't picky...and he is smart enough to know better than to insult me and my cooking)

Thing #3 Back to School Crazies

I officially have 9 days until I have to report back to school....am I ready?? No way!! I have been going in to my classroom here and there all summer...but there are still a million things! I'm also starting to worry a little about how marathon training and back to school madness will go together. I am a walking zombie the first 6 weeks of school...and that won't be helpful when I am scheduled to run 30 miles a week!

Thing #4 My niece

My niece is my most favorite person in the whole world...and any chance I get to spend with her, I will take it! I loved getting to spend the day with her yesterday. She definitely keeps me on my toes and keeps me laughing all day! I love how much she is starting to talk and interact. She is definitely one smart cookie :)

Thing #5 Guest Blogging

If you have made it this far, head on over to Teach.Inspire.Change and check out my guest blogging post :) I follow the amazing Mrs. Mitchell on Instagram and when she asked me to write a guest post for her while she was on vacation I just couldn't say no!! So go check it out and then check out the rest of her blog...she is pretty incredible :)

That's all the things I have for today...thanks for tuning in and I hope to see you next week!

Any other teacher's out there? Any advice on how to juggle marathon training with back to school madness?

Do you have any favorite inspirational quotes?

Fartleks Have Nothing To Do With Farting

Sometimes it may seem as if runners are speaking a totally different language...and if you are not a runner or you are a newbie runner...things can get rather confusing. When I started training for my first half-marathon I was completely lost when it came to things like; tempo runs, intervals, and fartleks (did you just giggle? I do...every.damn.time.)

That's why I thought today it might be fun to feature a few of the terms that I find most important for newbies and non-runners to know- This way when you are stuck talking to a runner about running for hours on end...you can kind of pretend you care about what they are talking about ;)

Fartlek- this is a type of  speed work where a runner alternates between running slow and sprinting. What I like about fartleks (besides their name) is that you can do them any way you want and they can be relatively easy to incorporate into your workout. For me I include fartleks in my run pretty frequently by running a bit faster of a pace from light post to light post or I will tell myself to run faster until I get to the next fire hydrant. It's a simple way to increase your speed and endurance...plus it's fun to say :)

Source

Tempo Run- this is another type of speedwork, but it is much more structured. A tempo run begins with a warm up run at an easy pace and then you switch to a run at a level just slightly above your comfort zone. You should be breathing heavy and it should be difficult to carry on a conversation. A tempo run should always end with a cool down at your warm up pace.

Intervals- These are yet another type of speed work (my least favorite) which include short spurts of intense effort, followed by a longer bits of lower effort recovery running. This is different from a tempo workout because during your bouts of intense effort you are running well above your comfort zone, you are gasping for air, and literally counting down the seconds until you can stop. The most important part of running intervals is making sure that you truly allow your body the recovery time it needs to be ready for another round of torture :) I will often times do my interval workouts on the treadmill or a track since it's easier to keep track of how far/long for each interval.

Negative Splits- this is by far my most favorite term (and accomplishment during a run) Negative splits is when you run each mile a little faster than the one before. For example if you went out for a 4 mile run you would run your first mile in 8:45, second mile 8:30, third mile 8:15, and then your final mile at 8:00. You gradually get faster. I love nothing more than running negative splits. :)

Streaking- yes, this is another funny one...but don't worry it has nothing to do with being naked :) Streaking (in the running world) is when a runner runs every day for an extended period of time. I participated in the Runner's World Running Streak from Memorial Day to the 4th of July....and I have to say I wasn't a big fan. I like my rest days...and honestly with marathon training in the midst of it...I needed them as well. I most likely will not be participating in another streak any time soon.

Easy Run/Easy paced miles- I would say that this is the term that gets me the most dirty looks from people...or comments like "easy...how is running easy?"
An easy run is run at a conversational or easy pace. You should be able to comfortably talk (or sing along with your iPod...not that I do that) during an easy run. Most often this is used during longer runs (which again...I know aren't easy...but they are not meant to be run fast)

Hill Repeats- these have definitely been my nemesis during training. Many people have told me that the KC Marathon is a hilly course so I have made sure to include these in my workout. Hill Repeats are just what they sound like....you run up a hill at a 5k pace (fast) and then jog or walk down it slowly and then...you do it again :) These workouts are torture, but they do wonders for your speed, endurance, and confidence in hills!

Rest Days- these are exactly what they sound like. This is a day where you allow your body time to recover. It's important for your muscles to have time to repair themselves and they are vital in injury prevention. I make sure to have at least 1 true rest day each week and sometimes I even take 2 depending on how I feel.

I didn't even being to scratch the surface of all the running terms that are out there...but these are the ones that I use most frequently...so if we are going to be friends, it is important you know them ;)

What's your favorite type of speed workout?
What running word makes you laugh the most?

Marathon Monday (13 weeks out)

Happy Monday! Today is my 2nd to last Monday of summer vacation and I don't plan on wasting it! I got up early this morning for a group run (already working on one of my goals) and I have big plans to clean out some closets...and maybe watch some TV and read my book (my free time is coming to a close, and I want to make sure I use it very wisely!!)

This weekend was busy, but lots of fun! 

Friday night was spent celebrating this pretty lady's birthday! We went to one of my favorite dive bars "The Red Balloon" for karaoke and lots of laughs :)

This weekend I was also lucky enough to spend some time with my grandparents. They had been in Des Moines watching my cousin's tumbling meet and decided to stop by for a few days.

After spending what felt like hours getting Miss Finley to sit still for a picture...my brother and I decided we felt left out and we needed a picture too :) You are never to old to sit on grandpa and grandma's laps...am I right? :)

As far as training goes....things seem to be going pretty smoothly. I have been able to stick to my training plan for the most part. I have switched a few days around, but I have gotten in all of my miles and varied my runs.

Monday- Still feeling a little sore from my weekend, I headed out planning on an easy run. About  a mile into the run I was feeling so great that I decided to pick up the pace. 4 miles of negative splits is the best way to start off the week :) I also did a half mile of hill repeats after this. I'm a well-known hill avoider...but I have heard that the KC Marathon course has a few hills so I want to be prepared.

Tuesday- Cross-training day and day 1 of Piyo. I have to say I think I am going to LOVE having this program to incorporate with my training. The videos are short and sweet...and difficult enough to keep me interested...but not too difficult that I avoid them like the plague :)

 

Wednesday- 6 easy paced miles before the sun came up. Summer decided to come back in full force this week and I am not a fan!  

Wednesday's run was also the final straw with my long hair. My pony tail gets REALLY sweaty and I hate having it stick to my neck. While on my run Wednesday morning my pony tail somehow swung around and smacked me in the side of the face and STUCK THERE....uhhhh...gross!! That was when I knew it had to go! I went to the salon later in the day and tried not to throw up all over myself while my hairdresser cut off 10 inches of hair! I love long hair...I like it on me...I like it on other people...but I have to say I am not a fan of long hair paired with marathon training. This is going to be much easier to deal with :)

Thursday- I took a  rest day and went up to school to work in my classroom and meet with my team. I cannot believe we are in the final weeks of summer!!

Friday- I had originally planned on doing my long run Saturday morning, but with going out Friday night for Lindsey's birthday I knew we would be out late and getting up early Saturday would be the last thing I would want to do. So I went ahead and switched Friday's planned 4 miler to Sunday and got my long run in Friday morning. You know how last week I said my 13 miles felt great and left me feeling confident I could run a marathon...well this week's long run did the opposite. It was rough.

After my long run I decided that instead of an ice bath I would go take a dip in the pool...being that it was only 9 AM I was lucky enough to have the pool all to myself :)

This is how I felt all day Friday...I had every intention of cleaning the apartment...but my legs just wouldn't cooperate!

I knew I needed to be productive, so I found something I could do in the seated position. I laminated and cut out a few things for school. (If you are a teacher and you don't have your own Scotch laminator...I urge you to go and get one RIGHT NOW!)

Ms. Freebush (Gracie Lou Freebush) didn't run 14 miles...but she was having sympathy pains for me...she decided to rest all day on my behalf :)

Saturday- I took another rest day....and I have to tell you...it felt great! You won't ever find me complaining about my rest days. I look forward to being as lazy as possible :)

Sunday- I joined the Sunday Runday group run and was able to test out a pair of Mizuno Sayonara 2's...I am a Brooks girl through and through...but I have to say I loved these shoes. I am so nervous to change things up, especially since I haven't had any issues with my Brooks...but these definitely have me thinking about it. 

Not much else to report...I'm ready to tackle another week of marathon training. This week is my "cut back" week so my long run will only be 8-10 miles and I will be running my August race, Royals Charities 5k, on Saturday. I am really looking forward to that and crossing my fingers for a new PR :)

How do you feel about rest days? Love em or hate em?

What brand of shoes do you wear? Have you ever switched things up?

Goals, Goals, Goals!

I wasn't going to blog today...I mean c'mon...I posted Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and now today? I'm sure you all are sick of me by now ;)

When I saw the theme for today's "Friday Five" was goals...I just couldn't resist. I love, love, love setting goals. The only thing I love more than setting a goal is meeting my goals! 

Well to keep with the theme of my life lately, I thought I would make 5 marathon goals. Mini goals that I want to achieve as I go through the journey of training for my marathon. 

Finish

Obviously my main goal is to finish the marathon. This goal WILL happen. If I have to crawl across that finish line I.WILL.DO.IT. However, I want to do it the right way. I want to finish the marathon injury free and not hating my life or questioning every decision I have ever made :)

 Sub 4 hour

Alright, so I feel pretty confident about finishing the race (most days) but a goal that is a little loftier is that I would like to finish in under 4 hours. This means I would need to run at a 9:09 pace for 26.2 miles. I know I can do that for 13 miles...but can I do it for 26.2? I'm sure going to try! I set up my training plan based on a sub 4 hour marathon...so hopefully my training will prepare me :)

Stretch more and make it more of a habit

I need to stretch more...before running, after running, on rest days, etc. I don't love stretching. If I am going to take the time to be training or working out I want to be going hard and sweating like crazy. I have a hard time seeing the true benefit of slowing down and treating my muscles to a nice long stretch. I have been trying to go to yoga classes (I even bought a few videos) and I have been trying to do Piyo on my cross-training days...but it's not yet a habit...and I still tend to rush through it. I am working on it though :)

Clean up my eating

While I have cut out soda, alcohol, and most fast food I still have some work today in the eats department. I want to work on finding healthier recipes (for AJ to cook of course) and spend more time prepping meals. I want to get into a good routine of making all of my lunches for the week (and avoiding frozen meals or school lunch) Another part of this is going to be cutting back on added sugar. I have started checking labels of some of my favorite foods and you would be shocked at how much sugar is in some of the things you eat. Check out the labels...I promise you will hate me for it ;)

 

Participate in a Running Club

I'm a solo-runner...I prefer it actually...but with my long runs getting longer I think I am going to need to start going to run club events more often. I went a few times while training for my half and I loved it. It's nice having a course set up for you with water stations and the motivation from having others to run with is awesome! I am a member of the Olathe Running Club and they have events on Wednesday nights and Saturdays, as well as sporadically throughout the week. I need to get out of my solo-runner shell and get to some of those events :)

Alright...I have 12 weeks to make these things happen. Now that they are written down...there is no going back :)

Do you run with a running club?

Would you rather run solo or with a running buddy?

Thursday's Things

Ya...I wanted a cute, clever, catchy title for today's post, but Thursday isn't a great word to pair with anything. My first thought was "Thirsty Thursday" but then that made me want a margarita, which in turn reminded me that I wasn't drinking during training, which then made me feel sad. 

 I decided to get really crazy and  go with "Thursday's Things" because it leaves my options wide open....I can talk about whatever I want...and since "things" is very non-specific...I can jump around and talk about any "thing" and every "thing" that suits me on this fine day. Bear with me...this could be painful ;) 

Thing #1

Yesterday I had a total "blog geek" moment...Two of my VERY favorite bloggers commented @ me on Instagram. I wanted to squeal and jump up and down (okay, okay...maybe I did) Now, I absolutely realize that this makes me seem like a total dork...but seriously Monica from Run Eat Repeat mentioned me in a comment and Janae from The Hungry Runner Girl mentioned me in a comment AND liked one of my photos. I can die happy now :)

Thing #2

Source

This summer has me feeling like Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite...my head is so freaking hot...all I want to do is shave my head. Don't worry...I didn't have a B. Spears moment...I decided against the shaved head and just cut 10'' off my hair instead!! Now, if you know me at all...you know this is a HUGE deal. I love my hair long...but right now, it's just not practical. For the last few weeks I have been thinking about how much easier it would be to wash and dry my hair after a run/workout and how nice it would be to not have a sweaty, messy, knotty ponytail stick to my neck during my runs. Yesterday morning while on my run, my ponytail somehow flipped around and stuck to my face...it was DIS-GUS-TING! That was the last straw.

Thing # 3

Yesterday was a good mail day...and a good day to set myself up for another good mail day...I really need to go back to work and stop shopping online! ;)

A few days ago I ordered a tank top from Run Eat Repeat (told you I loved her)

I find it only necessary to have as many things say marathon on them as I possibly can. I mean...it's basically on my mind all the time...it should also be on my body.

I also received (in record time I might add) my RunningLuv. This was recommended to me by a someone on Instagram. She must have known what a "Sweaty Betty" I can be :) I also ordered a Handana a few days before, which in essence serves the same purpose, but neither were very expensive, so I figured I could try them both out and then decide which works better...because I am sure I will need more (in ALL the colors!)

Thing #4

Solo "date nights" are my thing. Don't get me wrong I love AJ and I love spending time with him...but I also like spending time with my other favorite person....ME! Last night while AJ was at the Sporting KC game,  I decided to treat myself to a romantic night in :)

I ordered Chinese food and even drank a Pepsi. I never drink soda...but I am always thinking about how much I want soda ;) Knowing that today was a rest day and I wouldn't be running early the next day I decided "What the heck...Why not?"

Also...what good would solo date night be without old episodes of 7th Heaven? This was hands down my favorite show when I was in middle school and high school. Finding ALL of the seasons on Hulu was like winning the lottery!! I have now started from Season 1 and I will be re-watching all of them...binge style :)

Thing #5

What the heck is up with this weather? Last week was absolutely gorgeous and running was a dream....now this? 90 degrees plus? The other day when I got in my car the temperature said 114 degrees....I'm sorry what?? Good news...once I got going it dropped to a measly 101. I don't know about you...but high temperatures and humidity do nothing for my running motivation or pace. I've been running early in the morning before the sun comes up, but it still isn't the most pleasant...hence the shaving my head idea! I just want to know who thought it was a good idea to run a fall marathon? Yea...fall weather is great...but what I didn't think about is the summer training.

That's all the "things" I have for you today! Stay tuned for next Thursday...I just my make this a weekly occurrence- Lucky you ;) 

 

What "things" are on your mind today?

What's the weather like where you are?

Do you like solo date nights?