Coming crawling back....

I'm so sorry! I've been a bad blogger for the past couple months.  It's funny because when I run I come up with all these ideas around new blog posts....and then I just...don't do anything about it.  Bad blogger.

Well, I do have some rather exciting news for those that aren't my facebook friends and therefore haven't had to experience my recent obsession around this one specific thing:




O yeah, that's right, I have a new goal race, on September 15th!!  I took advantage of the reduced registration fee during national running day, so I obviously rule. duh.

I was originally thinking I would do the Harrisburg Half, which I had registered for last year and had to pull out less than 3 weeks before the race because I came up with a hamstring injury.  I saw running Harrisburg as my redemption opportunity.  Ultimately, though, this race is closer to the majority of my friends and family and thinking about doing a rock 'n' roll marathon series race just gets me all giddy.  Silly? Probably but it's all good and I'm excited- that's what matters!

Pretty in Pink!

So I've been lacing up my favorite zero drop shoe: Altra Intuition 1.5 and hitting both the pavement and the trails to mix it up.  I've been doing mostly road running because I learned long distances in my trail shoes = blisters. Not cool.  Gonna try some wool socks to see if that helps.  I've been running in nothing but polyester blend socks since I started seriously running over a year ago, and they have always worked.  However I've never run 5 miles on a super technical trail before like I did a couple weeks ago.... The result was a small blister on each foot, and I don't want to stop running trails and increasing my distance on them to boot.

Love these socks! 

I've been running in Gold Toe Power Sox for years, and I love them for any fitness activity, and haven't run in anything else for at least a year.  Great support, breath-ability and never had blister issues before.  I'm worried it may be the shoes, but want to try a new sock first...So...

What kind or brand of socks do you run in?

National Running Day

Happy National Running Day!!

Yeah, that's my badge.  I have so many reasons why I run....for my health, to feel free of my stress and other BS, so that I can eat dessert, because I enjoy it, but most of all...because I CAN.  Years ago, I would never have been able to imagine running a mile, let alone 10.  I couldn't imagine running for FUN! After all, who in their right mind does that?  Apparently, I'm not in my right mind.

Well, the past two days I've had some really nice runs thinking about national running day.  Yesterday Adrian and I ran together at Honeygo Run Park after dinner.  It was super crowded, which made it more fun.  Only did a short run- 2 miles.  Earlier in the day, I had to return the no good running skirt (it's a nice skirt, just didn't work for me) to Lululemon and ended up getting some new gear.  See below for an entire outfit- loving them so far!  The crops are awesome- it feels like you aren't wearing anything.  Hope I'm still feeling that way when I run in 90 degree weather. lol.

Hello Lululemon

I'm especially happy that my soreness, which was still bothering me at the beginning of my run yesterday, was all but a happy memory this morning.  So I laced up for what I wanted to be a 4-5 mile run.  On my way out, I decided the weather was just too beautiful to not hit the trails so I laced up my trail shoes.  

On the move at Gunpowder Falls

It was GORGEOUS out!  There was a lot of people, dogs, and random wild animals out keeping me company, and I enjoyed passing by every one.  I have been trying to unplug more, and one thing I've been doing is no music on the trails.  It's so wonderful to just focus on the run itself and enjoy your surroundings.  To be so easily amused by things like jumping over logs and smiling as you think about horses while doing so.  Also, I have to stay so focused on the path in front of me so I don't fall on my butt, face, or twist an ankle.  I did manage to twist my ankle today- when I took a second to check my garmin for my heart rate.  Apparently the trail running gods didn't appreciate my garmin obsession. Sorry!

At first I was going to stick to the mainly flat out and back trail along the river, but after looking at the trail map I decided to go on the Wildlands Trail that was a 2 mile loop through the woods and then grab the Stocksdale trail to get back to Big Gunpowder Trail to get back to the parking lot.  What I didn't realize was the amount of intensive technical climbing that would commence....holy crap.  It's also crazy how much more difficult it is to take those super rocky trails down hill, especially how much harder it is on your feet.  At points I actually had to really focus on letting my heels focus to give the balls of my feet a little relief  By the end of 3.5 miles or so, I could feel some hot spots sprouting up on my feet.  It felt like I could push through it, so I finished out the trail down to the small falls.  Yeah...by the trip back (a little over a mile) to the car, I decided I needed to give my hot spots a break and walked over any rocky areas, only jogging on sand or dirt. 

And yup....I have blisters on each of my feet- in different places oddly enough.  On the back of my left big toe and side of the ball of my right foot.  Both pretty small, but I put blister bandaids on them before heading to work.  Hopefully it will help because I want to get a 6 mile in on Saturday morning and that would suck with these blisters.

So, happy national running day! I would also love some advice from my friends on the blister issue...

Why do you run?

What do you do when you get a blister?

Sore Muscles: Happy Pain

Whoa...I've been a bad blogger lately- sorry!  I know, it's an excuse but life has been crazy lately and I've been so busy with work and general life stuff.

But I wanted to swing by to say....

Yeah...I am SORE right now.  Friday I did what has been my normal legs strength training routine since physical therapy for my hamstring injury.  It hits all the leg muscles and I don't use any extra weights because of my arms- just the bands.  I did 2 sets of each:  

- Sidesteps with hard band 

- Traveling lunges 

-  Bosu squats (love the bosu, so great for balance)

- Clamshells- 3 progressively difficult variations with hard band on each side

- Abs series to finish it out.  Including: roll-ups, standard crunches, bicycles, oblique crunches, and scissors.  2 sets of 15 of each exercise.  An extra set of standard crunches at the end.

So after some dancing Friday night that I'm sure just encouraged the soreness....my quads feel like they are raw meat.  I did bust out an old workout today since I didn't have time to go on a long walk like I wanted.....P90X Ab Ripper X.  It was positively brutal as I was expecting and wanting.  A bit more taxing on my legs than I was anticipating, but not too bad.  My abs however....they were crying by the last set. Tears in the form of sweat....the best kind.  Hoping that by tomorrow I can walk normally cause I need to get a long run in....