Author: Fallon @ Slacker Runner

Oh, vacation…

I have been on vacation for the last two days. I had planned to run a couple miles Wednesday after work; however after leaving “work school” I was so tired. And I still had to drive home. I was supposed to meet my mom for a run/ walk but wanted to cancel so badly, but was gonna tough it out. I made it back home and found out that my mom wasn’t feeling it either. Yay for a rest day!

Thursday was my first vacation day. I had originally taken the time off because I wanted to head up to Sacramento to attend Aftershock, but wasn’t able to make that work out. 😦 If anyone who reads this is there, I am so jealous! But a 4 day weekend is still pretty awesome, right? I spent Thursday running errands (boo- DMV) and catching up on school. After not having to commute to work, I really did not want to drive to school, but I did. What do you know the teacher was late and the alarm in the nearby chem lab went off every 5 minutes for the next 2 hours. Ugh, really? Thankfully, the teacher couldn’t take it either and we were able to leave early.

Today rolled around and I should have gotten out of bed and done my long run before it hit triple digits but I didn’t. Instead I slept in, went to lunch with my parents and did a little antique shopping with my mom. I have been looking for a headboard for years now, but never found one that I liked and was in my price range. Wandered into a booth today and one was leaning up against a wall. Blue-gray in color, good, right bed size, check, and the price? Steal of the day-under $50? Sold!!!!

Since it was still around 100 outside, and the first home football game was tonight, I decided not to run around my neighborhood. The stadium is within walking distance of my house, so Friday nights often mean crazy traffic and crazier drivers. So what the heck, I went to the gym. Haven’t been since February, oops.

Walked into the gym and was confused. When did it turn into the Biggest Loser gym? I was waiting for Jillian Michaels to come out and start yelling at me to run faster. Hmmm, guess I missed a remodel in the last 7 months. So I got on a shiny new treadmill (way too many buttons) and started running. 10 miles later, I still hate treadmills. And I am a little over the movie Hancock, it was playing on one of the numerous TV’s when I got there and then it started over. No!!!!!!

But, long run done!!!! Also while I was on the treadmill, I had a little notification from Word press pop up. I was nominated for a Shine On Award! Talk about a great pick me up when running 🙂

I was nominated by BayRunner Jamie, who has a really great blog, if you haven’t checked it out, head on over and catch up! Since I am still trying to figure this whole blogging thing out, I need to read more on what I need to do now so that will follow soon in another post. But thanks for shout-out BayRunner Jamie!

Tomorrow I am looking forward to being as much of a Slacker as possible. Is it sad that I really like this shirt?

Hope everyone has a great weekend ahead, either great plans or just good general lazing around. 🙂

The naked wrist

After a day relaxing on Sunday, I was ready to run on Monday. I had planned on meeting M at the lake for a few laps. I was looking forward to taking it a little easy; my stomach was still a little wobbly from Saturday.

She was running late so I ran a lap before she got there. She arrived, got Baby G situated in her stroller and we were off. Seriously that baby is adorable! We kept a decent pace around the lake, her mostly pushing the stroller, sometimes I did. I have to say, why don’t jogging strollers have handles like an elliptical? It would make things feel so much more natural.

And mile 3, carrying Baby G :) All in all 3.5 miles — And mile 3, carrying Baby G 🙂 All in all 3.5 miles

Next lap around, baby G was kind of fussy, so we slowed and M carried her while I pushed the empty stroller. After about half a mile, we traded off again, she took the stroller and I took G the rest of the way. That baby has the best hearing, she heard things coming about behind us before I did. Again, so cute! Does carrying a 17 lb. baby for a half mile count as strength training? I joked that she now weighs as much as my cat… yeah he’s a beast.

Heli ( the Beast) in front, Kimi in the back

So today I planned on a rest day or a bike day, it was still in flux this morning, I was very undecided. Driving south on the freeway, I realized I felt naked… I had forgotten my fuel band!!! I have worn it every day since Christmas, how the hell did I forget to put it on? I almost turned around but that would have made me late. Ugh!

Naked wrist vs normal wrist :) — Naked wrist vs normal wrist 🙂

So I finally get home after work and my fuel band says a sad little 0. If I rest I won’t meet my goal and if I ride the bike, I won’t meet my goal either. So nothing else to do, I changed real fast, threw on my shoes and was down the driveway for a run. I figured 2.5 miles would make me meet my goal for the day. It would be short and quick but still good. Turns out I don’t know where the halfway point is for 2.5 miles from my house, oops, so I hit 3 at the bottom of my driveway. Oh well, 3 is better anyways, right? On the walk up my freaky driveway hill, I checked my fuel band… I was still 900 under my goal. WTH?! So I guess I don’t sit on my but as much as I thought I did at work. I usually hit my goal around the time I get off work. So I did some fake jump roping to get more points. I am sure I looked ridiculous, but I made my goal. And on the upside, I had dang good pace for an unplanned run, yippiee!

Tomorrow I have work and the first day of work school. So my day will be split between 2 towns before returning back to my home town to get a run in. And then…Vacation!!!! Only 2 days but hey, that makes a 4 day weekend 🙂 Woo hoo!!

Anyone else ever forget something that made them feel naked?

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Ugh, just ugh…

So the planned easy 6 for Saturday turned into 4 miles of hell. I put it off until late Saturday afternoon and I really did not want to go. But there was this little voice in my head nagging me into going. So I put on my shoes and headed out the door.

Mile 1 was slow and cranky; mile 2 was a little better. By mile 3, I was in trouble. Ever have a moment when your stomach just completely wigs out on you? Yeah, that happened. The last ½ of mile 3 and all 4 turned in a walk. I really needed to run but that was so not gonna happen. Ugh.

Today, I was just over it and decided not to run at all. So I went shopping instead. A little retail therapy never hurt’s right? Other than maybe your pocketbook. 🙂

I would like a new running belt so I decided to check out the options. I hit Dick’s, Sports Authority and The Running Warehouse… no luck. I currently have a Fuel belt, but it drives me bonkers. It bounces up and down while I run, no matter what I do. I have tried to wear with the bottles on the front, or with the bottles on the back, usually I end up wearing it with them on my side. I swear if I had any sewing skills and it wouldn’t hinder my movement, I would sew a leg strap to it, Tomb Raider style.

I have run my last 2 long runs and just carried a water bottle. I am debating if I just want to do that for my half marathon, but not sure. I need to figure it out though, I have less than 5 weeks to go. Eek!!

On the upshot, I did pick up some Nuun to try and I replaced the headband I lost around mile 11 of last half marathon.

I also found the best part of the season already for sale-

Yum!! Sugar and Carbs :) — Yum!! Sugar and Carbs 🙂

Yeah for race fuel!!!!! And yes, I really use candy corn for my half marathons.

Hope everyone had a good weekend!!!!!

Any belt ideas? Let me know 🙂

Kettle Bell Ouch

I just didn’t feel like riding 8 miles on the bike on Monday but the nagging part of me said I should do some form of cross training. Or something. So I decided to work in a bit of strength training with a kettle bell work out. It was short but intense and I felt like I had done something productive. At least until Tuesday morning.

Oh crap, it hurt to move. My thighs were in pain, hehe. I spent the day trying not walk like a duck and wearing heals was not helping. Needless to say, Tuesday night’s run was a little rough. I completed my 3.5 miles but my legs were so stiff and sore. I think I hurt less after my last half marathon. How sad is that? Each lap around the park just seemed slower and slower. In reality there was only a 13 second gap between mile 1 pace and mile 3, but let’s be honest, they started out slow. Wednesday was a much needed Slacker day.

Which brought me to Thursday, my long day. After work, I planned to run there before heading out to class. My legs still hurt; seriously?! I left work, running the same route as last week, however this time I didn’t get lost. I figured I would base my distance on my pace. If I was still dragging and feeling lame, I would turn around at the service road, the 1.75 mile mark. If I was feeling ok, I would push on to the 2 mile mark then turn around.

The day was bright and sunny, so opposite of last week’s heavy fog, same temperature thankfully. I enjoyed the scenery along the way; it was pretty in the sunlight. I felt good, so I pushed on to the natural history museum before turning around. I knew I was going to slow down a bit on the way back as it was mostly uphill, but I pushed on. Last week I took 2 brief walk breaks and this week I just powered through.

Got to my car and was pretty pumped, figured I at least beat last weeks’ time. So I checked my Nike+; and nope. I was slower by 28 seconds. Ugh.

I feel like I am in a running funk. I just feel frustrated with the workouts I have completed the last week or so. Maybe if I didn’t have 2 big races coming up, I wouldn’t care. But I do and right now I feel like I am getting slower not quicker. I realize that any run is better than no run but I had finally started to see progress these last 6 months. I still have a 6 miler that I need to do this weekend, maybe I should just do that as an easy run?

On the upside, we got out of class early, which means I made it home before 10 last night. And I got to see this view on the way to work this morning:

Then I ended up in the natural history museum…

Wednesday was a late day at work, so that turned into another rest day. Oh well, I just considered it a way to distance myself from Monday’s frustration. I have class on Thursdays but there are two hours in between school and work that I need to fill. This week I decided to try running.

So I have worked in this town for 8 almost 9 months, but run there once, and it was race on the beach so it doesn’t count. I mapped out a route that I was going to take and then had to change it because everyone I work with said I would be hit by a car on that particular road. Awww, so confidence inspiring. So they helped me make another route. Since this was the first time running before class, I figured 3.5 miles was a good goal. It would give me a good run and some time to stretch out before class and maybe study a little.

I set off with a goal of turning around 2 streets past a major street in town. According to Google maps that is. So I pass the main street at about 1 mile, thinking ok a little a farther than I turn around. By then I was in the state park. The first street is right inside the state park, so I knew I was still on track, so I ran on. The park had towering eucalyptus trees lining the ocean on one side and a golf course on the other so I was enjoying the view. It was heavily overcast but it was still pretty. I was running and looking for the road on the left when suddenly was I was in the natural history museum. Umm what? That was the 2 mile mark, not 1.25. How did I miss the street? Pulled my phone out and checked the GPS, yep, 1.95 miles. Crap! So I turned around and starting running back.

The route to the museum had been all downhill. So now I was on a time crunch, farther away from my car than planned with just shy of 2 miles uphill to go. Passed a dirt track on the way back that was the service trail for golf courts, was that what Google maps showed as a street? That is not a street!!!

I pushed all the way back, only having to take a walk break once up the worst hill. Got back to my car and was at 3.95 miles, figured what the heck, I am already late, I might as well hit 4 exactly and went around the block another time. 🙂 So Thursday’s easy run turned into a tempo by necessity. It felt good though. I think I like running in overcast chilled weather. I live in the wrong town, hehe.

Which brings us to Sunday’s long run. I set out with a plan for 8.5 miles. I planned on running to the track. Same route as my previous long run with an additional loop, so I only would have to do 3 miles on the track. Turns out the loop only added .5 mile not a full one. So that meant 3.5 miles on the track. I started out before 9 and it was already hot. It gets hot here and I know that, but it’s a dry heat, I can handle that. However these last three days haven’t been a dry heat, it has been so muggy. Yuck! 😦

I woke up tired Sunday morning but knew I had to get going. I finished all 8.5 miles with another .5 mile cooldown, but they were some slow, hot, tired miles. It was so steamy; I had a salt problem for the first time ever, or lack of. I was sweating salt. I had water and Gatorade, too. That has never happened to me before, hopefully it doesn’t again. Maybe I need to try something else. If the weather stays like this I may run my next long run in the gym on a treadmill. I don’t think I can do 10 miles in that humidity. But that’s 2 weeks from now, so the weather should break by then. Fingers crossed.

On the upside, I spent Saturday car shopping and managed to get rid of the clunker!!! Woo hoo!!!!!! Moving on from gas guzzling crap to (hopefully) sleek, heavy mileage friendly. My SUV sure looked pretty but it stranded me the day after I bought it, made it 3 years but commuting 35 miles one way 2x a day was killing me. I am so looking forward to the drive this week!!!!