Author: Fallon @ Slacker Runner

Cinnamon rolls, new clothes and paddle boarding!

So, amazing customers struck again on Friday and a local diner brought us a little treat, fresh made cinnamon rolls. Of course, I ate one or more, just don’t ask how many! So even though it was Friday and a long day, I felt like I had to do a couple miles when I got home. Just to try and compensate for the yummy cinnamon rolls. So I met up with my mother and we did 4.5 miles. It was an easy run but it felt pretty good. Probably needed another 10 miles to make up for the cinnamon rolls but oh well.

Saturday involved a little shopping with a yummy lunch. I should not be allowed near a sporting goods store with a credit card. However, considering I was at Sports Authority, The Running Warehouse, and Dick’s, I think I restrained myself pretty well 🙂 Can’t wait to test out the new shirt.

I ended the day with a good 3.5 miles at the track with a decent pace. But it was the track and that is my happy place. I did not complete any ladders, I was tired. I came home with the intention of posting this update but fell asleep in the comfy chair instead. What a slacker!

Awhile back at work, there was a competition between all the branches. The winning branch received a $500.00 gift card to have a branch party. We won!!!! So then we had to decide what to do. My new branch has an adventurous nature and instead of old stand byes of bowling or the melodrama, we went with Stand Up Paddle boarding!!! Well, some chose kayaking.

I had never even been kayaking so I very nervous about Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP). I am not the biggest fan of the ocean, sharks and all, you know. Driving there this morning, I passed so many people out for a morning run; driving up the road to the paddle board shop, I had to have passed at least 10. It was making me feel lazy!

So the morning’s adventure started with a lovely lecture by the paddleboard people. Don’t go around the pier, don’t wander too far and if the wind starts to take you, sit your butt on the board and try to grab on to something, like a boat or a buoy or a kelp bed. Apparently they have had to rescue a few people this last week. Yikes!

After that confidence inspiring moment, we were off! You start on your knees before standing up. Standing up in open water is not so easy, but I did it! The weather was perfect, lots of sun and little wind. Of course I got myself stuck in a kelp bed right off the bat but I managed to pull myself out. Our group had 4 paddle boarders and 6 people in double kayaks. We went around the harbor, under the pier and over to a little cove below the lighthouse. Along the way, there were pelicans and seagulls, otters and seals! I had my phone in my running belt, inside plastic bags. I really wanted pictures so I chanced it. Unfortunately, the pictures didn’t turn out so well 😦 We were so close to the otters and seals. One seal followed us for a while. So cute!!!!

At the light house, we pulled up on shore and walked up to look at the view. There was a sea lion floundering at the shore line, he didn’t look well. We called the marine mammal rescue for him, so I am hoping that they were able to help him.

After we paddled back, we had a nice picnic lunch on the beach before doing some more paddling. After all that paddling, I no longer feel guilty about not running. That was a total core workout! I am wondering if I will be sore tomorrow.

I do know that I got way too much sun!!! Came home and crashed. And I burned the tops of my feet; that should make running fun!

Ahhh, the runner's tan :) — Ahhh, the runner’s tan 🙂

Anyone else have any adventures this weekend?

Running out the funk

So, yesterday’s girls night was cancelled and it was just downhill from there. The day started so good, and I was just in such a funk by the end of it 😦 If I had had my running clothes with me, I probably would have gone for a run, but I didn’t. When I got home, I had no desire to go to the gym that I pay for but never use. I was in a funk and a treadmill wasn’t going to help it.

This morning was tough and the funk was still around. Trying everything to get over it, I pulled out a really poppy upbeat, possibly annoying CD from forever ago for my commute. Why is it that I can’t remember why I just went to the kitchen, but songs from some Swedish pop band from 12 years ago, I know all the words? Anyways, it kind of worked.

A coworker and I started the morning talking about donuts. I really wanted a donut but was not about to go buy them. She was in the same place. It’s easy to have willpower when the food is unavailable. However, our customers must be mind readers. Around lunch time, a customer brought us a dozen donuts. Sweet! Since I didn’t pig out last night like planned, I had a donut. It was so good! Until I choked that is. Seriously, who chokes on a donut?!

My running friend was unable to meet me today, so I left work intending to run 3 miles with a few hills. No flat trail. The route was one that I had run numerous times before so I know it well. Hit the one mile mark and heard silence from my Nike app, hmmmm. So I check my belt… I never hit start!!!!! Well crap!

WTF (fyi, check out this website, pretty cool!)

So I finally hit start and kept going. Ever have a run that just feels right? It’s not about how fast or how slow or how far. It’s just those times when your breathing is right and easy, your legs feel good and it all falls in line? Today I got that 🙂 Got to the turnaround point and thought maybe a little more. Hit 3 miles and 4 and kept going. Hit 5 and figured I better head back to the car. I wasn’t hydrated properly and my pre run snack was a second donut! But I felt like I could keep going.

Nike had me at 4.56, so adding in my mile goof up, that brings me to 5.56. Not bad for a funk filled hump day. Maybe it was the sugar of the donuts that gave me an extra kick, (ha!) but I think I may have out run the funk! Hope everyone else is having a funk-free week!

Wardrobe oops!

Sunday marked 10 weeks to my next half marathon and 8 weeks to my next 10K! If I didn’t have such high PR hopes (goals) this might not be so nerve wracking. I have a 5K planned as well, but that is just for fun 🙂 I finally have some friends running with me!!!

Sunday I headed to the track to get in a few miles. I ran a pretty good 5K and decided to try some quarter mile sprints. Ha ha, that was funny. So on the first one after I restarted the Nike app, it said that I completed it in 1:42, so that would break down into a pace of 6:48 per mile. Yeah, ummm, no. I almost started crawling after that, I was breathing so hard. I completed another one but not at that pace. All in all, I ran 4 miles.

Then I went and helped my mother clean up and get the tennis courts ready for the new school year and season. There was a crank (holds the net up) that tried to kick my butt, however, I had a hacksaw and I won!! I then completed some really slow ladders. I managed to do them right this time but very slowly, I had to count out the foot work! But perhaps, I got a little more sun than I had anticipated, oops.

After work, I hit the park to get in a few miles. Having run Saturday and Sunday, I normally may have taken today off, but I am having a girls night tomorrow, and I am planning on Eating 🙂 So had to get a few preemptive miles in.

Ever have one of those days where everything fits all wrong? Yeah that was me today. I set out from the car with the belt that I have been trying to break in. Yeah, no thanks! It was either riding up my waist or down below my but but managing to pull my shorts up at the same time. What? I began the run in perfectly respectable shorts that tried to turn into racing briefs. Umm, Shalane Flanagan I am not. So to anyone on the path tonight who saw way too much of my upper thighs, I apologize. The belt was driving me so crazy, I actually stopped at my car at the first pass and switched to an armband. Luckily, I keep lots of spare gear in my car 🙂

I pulled a nice 3.5 miles at a good pace actually. Which was all I could take, the sports bra was so not friends with my sunburn.

So Monday run done! And good times planned for tomorrow, hope everyone else has something to look forward to this week!

Anyone else ever have wardrobe issues while running?

Ahh, the joy of a good run :)

Sadly, my Saturday began with work. My commute though different than usual was still pretty. However today, it was so freakin’ foggy which made the fact that the hill drops off just past the road side even creepier. I couldn’t see the drop off 😦 You couldn’t see oncoming traffic until it was already at you which made the cyclists that randomly appeared out of the mist extra fun. I know that everyone is supposed to share the road, especially considering I run roads, but why would a biker ride in that kind of fog? Without any of those lovely flashing red lights? Really? It’s like running at night wearing all black.

I came home to a late lunch, yummy pizza, and some errands before heading out for a run. The weather was in the mid-eighties, and I took water and remembered my gum! The plan was to do a couple easy miles, maybe a hill or two, test out my new belt and some new tunes.

I maintained a similar pace to Thursday but since I walked parts of it I was ok with today’s pace. Plus the music was great so it made the miles fly. It felt hotter than it was but that’s ok. Had some glitchy moments where the music just stopped, and I had to go even slower while trying to figure out why it died. Not cool 😦 Of course, I usually accidentally paused the Nike+ app and had troubles getting it going again. But even with those issues, I completed 5.5 miles. Since I ran from home, I was able to get in a nice stretch on our wall. All in all, a good effort.

Pretty sure I heard something over there, eek!

Now I have a new issue of Runner’s World to finish 🙂

Hope everyone had a good Saturday!!!

I blame it on the gum, or lack there of…

If I had known how icky today’s run was going to be, I would have whined a hell of lot less about Monday’s 10 minute miles. Seriously, I need to go back in time and stuff a sock in it.

Work today was crazy, but then again the 1^st always is, so I can’t really use that as an excuse. But I want to! After 2 days of being a Slacker, I was ready to run, so I decided to throw some hills into my run. But again, I can’t use that as an excuse. I was just sloooooow. I had a new playlist ready to go and my new Yurbuds, (still liking them by the way, but that cord is freaky long). As I was running, I noticed that my new tunes sounded like the Supernatural soundtrack 🙂 I even ran past a cemetery. But even AC/DC couldn’t speed me up 😦

Today’s run was just all wonky. It was just shy of 90 and I didn’t take water. Stupid move #1. I was half a mile into my run when I realized I forgot my gum. Stupid move #2. I don’t know about anyone else but I have to chew gum when I run. It helps me feel less thirsty and just makes the run seem easier. I realize that it’s all in my head, but I wanted that piece of gum!! I pushed through for 4.5 miles but I was just done.

30 Day Squat Challenge — Done and Done 🙂

So on July 30 I successfully completed a squat challenge. It started you at 50 on the first day and by the end of the 30 days, you completed 250. I found it on Pinterest, but I know that it can be found on other sites as well. While part of me thinks it may have helped my running, I am not sure that I like the other effects. Of course I wanted to tone my legs, but now I can’t decide if they are toned or scary, hehe. I am not really happy with how my clothes are fitting right now and the only thing I changed was adding the squats. Eeergh!!!!

I had previously tried to complete both a push-up challenge and a plank challenge in June but failed both about 12 days in. Again, found them both on Pinterest I am trying to step up my cross training and strength training because I know that I should but it is so hard for me to follow through. I have numerous dvd’s as well, but rarely ever use them. In fact the last time I used one; it was a Spartacus workout and it hurt to walk for days after that 😦 Sad I know. I tried downloading the Nike Training App to my phone, but it requires more space than I can spare on my phone. I have no idea what is taking up so much space, seriously what the hell is other?

I think I will try the push up challenge again in August, not sure about the plank. The idea of building up to 5 minutes is intimidating as hell. I have tried looking for another interesting one to complete but so far nothing has jumped out me 😦 Anyone else have ideas or challenges to share?