Truth– I didn’t run for 7 days. It made me twitchy in the beginning, feeling like I should get out and run, but the last few days the laziness felt easier.
Truth– I’m in a funk. Work funk, life funk, running funk. Can’t quite decide the best way out of the funk. I’ve considered going back to school–well, I’d have to finish it first.
Truth– Food and I have a very dysfunctional relationship. And it’s not working out anymore. It’s not like I can break up with it. For once, I’m not referring to my stomach issues. I’ve debated writing a longer post on this but haven’t figured out how.
Truth– Green tea is growing on me. Some brands taste like lemon pledge but some are pretty good.
Truth-I am trying to learn to like the treadmill. It’s a necessary training tool and if I want to run better I need to train better. Which means actually getting to the gym to run. So tonight, I laced up and ran a very slow 5k. But nothing ached for once- new for a treadmill run- so I’m calling it a win.
Truth-I love the cheesy holiday movies that are on every channel these days. My DVR is getting quite the work out these days. But-please, don’t hate me now- I am not a fan of Elf.
Truth– Tuesday was our company holiday party and I indulged with a Diet Coke- they all got wine and I had a Diet Coke. 😋
Truth– I just got distracted while typing this with one those previously mentioned Christmas movies.
Truth– I purchased a new toy- a Jawbone Up. Standing is not moving. I have a stand up desk but sadly I’ve been averaging 3500 steps a day- ouch!!
Truth– Everything said above is trivial in the grand scheme of things.
Truth– My commute took an hour and a half this morning, twice as long. But as I drove past the horrific wreck that was reason for the delay, I thought that we all just need to slow down. We all need to complain a little less and be grateful for what we have. Not only during the holidays- all of the days.
For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to start an abbreviated training plan last week. I had the previous 2 weeks off, what could go wrong? Oh, and last week was my first week re-attempting Atkins. This time on no soda. Weee!
Monday was a given rest day. I packed my running gear but I knew it wasn’t really going to happen. First day back at work and I slept horribly the night before. According to my UP, I slept for a measly 4 hours. Woo hoo. I knew the day was going to be busy just catching up on things. I only had a couple hundred emails- double yay. 😏
Tuesdaywas odd as I had an appointment with an allergist/ immunologist to see if they had any ideas about my stupid stomach. Then it was off to work for a few hours before taking a partial half day. Half day after vacation? I was working Saturday but I still felt guilty taking a half day that close to vacation. That said, I didn’t fight it too hard. I changed and bolted out the door. I made it to the river path in home town with only enough time for a short run. I managed to squeeze in 4 really solid miles before it was too dark. Mile 4 saw an 8:45. Hello! Where is more of that? Actually it was a pretty sweet progression-13:08, 10:24, 9:38, 8:45. Plus I finished in time for this view-
Seriously, no filter
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday– Migraine city. I was supposed to meet A at the gym on Wednesday but I was having troubles walking. I felt so bad when I texted her to cancel. My boss tried to send me home but not only did I feel guilty again I didn’t think I could drive home. It eased up enough by closing time and I drove home. I’d planned on saving my cheat indulgent meal of pizza for the weekend but I ended up eating it that night. I choose to believe that it helped a bit. Thursday, my head still hurt and I barely ate. I zoned out in front of the tv watching Christmas movies that evening.
Saturday– work and Vine St Showcase. I had hoped to squeeze in a run but my stomach had other plans. That said, this was also the first time I’ve hit my step goal without running since I bought the UP. Little victories right? Plus- Christmas lights!!
Sunday– I’ve been in a Christmas funk and having serious troubles with gift ideas. Unfortunately no one else in my family is a runner. 😢 I was feeling stressed. I headed down to SLO to see what I could accomplish. I shopped longer than planned, missed getting in a run but I feel more prepared for the holiday that is rapidly approaching. I’m calling that a win.
So, yeah that was a 4 mile week. Ouch. I am trying to look on the shiny side though. I got in 4 awesome miles. I was low carb half the week and I went 7 days with zero soda. 7! I still indulge if I go out to eat and they serve Diet Coke. I think that built in cheat is helping me pull this off. I went from 2 32oz a day to 1 or 2 a week. I didn’t even give in when I had my migraine. That was the first time in weeks that I was actually craving soda. But I held strong…while whimpering in the dark- ha. 😉
So for the week ahead, I am hoping to get in a few more miles. We also have our holiday party for work to look forward too. The only time I ever order the Filet. Yummm. I’m drooling in advance.
How was your week?
Are you finished shopping? How is it only 11 days away?
Anyone race over the weekend? I saw tons of Santa races online. 🎅
Jumping on the bandwagon here! And multitasking for the win. 😃 If you’re reading this on a computer, you may have noticed a menu item called “Goals and Gears” up there to the left? No? Well, that’s good then as I forgot all about it and hadn’t updated it in about a year. Ooof, it was rough. As I was working on updating it, I realized it could be tied in with the holiday season. 🎁 Gift guides are the all rage right now so why not join in? And if you’re looking for more details on my favorite things, check out my new page- The Slacker Runs With.
As runners we can all list things we would like to have, things we want, things we desperately need, etc. I like learning what other runners love though, what is their tried and true and keeps them running everyday? There must be a reason right? So before we get to the wants, how about-
A few of my favorite things-
Shoes– Can’t run without those!
Brooks Pure Flow 4 – current fave with no aches or pains Mizuno Wave Hayate- For those times I want to hit the trails.
Socks– Did you know some people run without socks? How does that even work?
I love my Pro Compression socks. I’ve always been a bright and funky sock person and rock knee socks on a regular basis so these were just a match made in heaven. Compression, knee high and awesome patterns? Sold!
Skirts– I never thought I would run in a skirt but I gave it a shot and they rock. My favorites are both by Lululemon – Pace Rival II and Pleat to Street. I thought the pleats would drive me batty but then I discovered that there are 5 pockets. 5! I also love their Speed shorts for training.
Lulu, PRO Compression, Sunski’s Fitletic all in one shot!
Belt–Fitletic I’ve owned 3 of these belts. I’ve tried many others but I always come back to to Fitletic. I hate bounce and wear my belt super low (like butt lift low- I got that comment at a race once) and this works great. It fits everything I need and I can attach my pepper spray to it as well.
Hydration–
For most runs, I grab whatever water bottle is nearest to me but for races I carry my own sports drink in an Ultimate Direction Jenny Handy 10oz. I tend to over hydrate in races so this smaller size works for me. For hikes and trail runs, I have a Nathan Fire Catcher. I don’t have a bladder for it, I just rely on the 2 10oz bottles in the front.
As for that sports drink- I love Skratch Labs. I love the orange hydration mix. Yum. 🙂 Plus it’s fun to say. For some reason my mother finds it hilarious when I say I am out of Skratch.
Watch– Garmin Forerunner 220. I love numbers and everything it tracks. Truthfully it probably tracks way more than I know. I wish they still made real user manuals. Am I showing my age here?
Sunglasses– Sunskis I have really poor eyesight and issues handling too much brightness so shades are a must. I also tend to destroy sunglasses very quickly. I love Sunski’s. Polarized, very affordable and cool looking too? Score! And both pairs lasted at least a year. Win in my book!
Security–
Road ID– I don’t carry my ID when I run. I misplace my debit card all the time, my license would probably run away just as quick. This bracelet has my name, 2 emergency contacts and any medical alerts I might need them to know. Stylish and smart all at the same time.
Pepper spray– Always be prepared. You never know what you may run into. They even make stylish colors now. 😊
Other ideas- Wants-
A new PR– but we can only give that to ourselves, right?
Race entries– We love our bling but those shiny medals cost a pretty penny- anything helps. 😝
Awesome running shirts– In the last year, I’ve come to love shirts with sayings on them- inspirational and funny alike. The internet is full of them. My favorite? Check out Pavement Runner and the #WeRunSocial gear.
Once again, all my favorite things in one pic plus #WeRunSocial
Shoes!!!!– runners are picky- gift cards are awesome if you aren’t sure what their favorite.
Music– the right music can be a big part of running- help them add to their collection.
Go for a run with them!
and here’s an oldie from 2013 for you!
What are your favorites?
What did I miss?
*I am not sponsored or compensated for any of the above. Hell, the companies don’t even know I exist. 😏
Started off with a bang and ended with a whimper. Whereas week 1 was crazy mileage for a Slacker like me, week 2 was more like my usual. Maybe I can say I embraced the relaxation vibe of vacation? Even though I didn’t go anywhere?
Monday- Rest My ankle/calf was twinging from all the miles last week so I chose to rest. This also worked out as I ended up spending way too much time in AT&T stores this past week. My parents, brother and I share a family plan and have for years. One it’s more cost effective and two, I refuse to lose my unlimited data. It was time for my mom’s phone upgrade and since she needs me as the plan holder to make changes it worked out that I was on vacation. She picked out a shiny new HTC A9 or something another. She’s anti iPhone despite owning one the last 2 years. Her new phone was pretty until we realized over the weekend it wouldn’t send text messages. Well, that’s a problem. So, after hours of internet research and on the phone with tech support on Monda, the verdict was to give the phone back. Seriously, that’s what tech support said. 😒 So days later, after shipping fiascoes, rigged up iPhone 4’s, she is now the owner of shiny new, working, iPhone 6s.
Tuesday-4 miles More late afternoon running for the win. Well kind of. I headed out closer to dusk than planned but figured I would see how many miles I could get in before it got too dark. Parts of my run were great and other parts not so much. Once again my pace was better than I had expected and I didn’t need any walking breaks. However I stopped 3 times to stretch. My calf/ ankle thing is not happy at all and I kept stopping to stretch it out along the ways. Trees and curbs were all fair game. Grrr. The run turned out to be a nice little progression but my leg is not happy.
Wednesday– Rest With my ankle area being weird, I decided to try an every other day running schedule this week. Which works out as both my parents had birthdays this week. My mom’s was today. The brother and I took the parents to dinner that night. I may have eaten a few too many bread sticks at Olive Garden. 😉
Thursday 3.75 miles–holy ouch, batman. That rest day didn’t help the tightness is my ankle/ calf area. Once again I was using trees and curbs to stretch it out along the way. It started raining on me on the way back but I was too cranky to enjoy it. I shortened my run which made me cranky. I was hoping to hit 6 but there was no way. 😐
The weather man lied- it rained!! Oh and I saw this lovely sign. 🙂
Friday- Rest Pop’s birthday!
Saturday- Rest Unplanned, I was hoping for a run but I felt crappy. I had tossed and turned all night and felt exhausted. I also felt a little nauseous. I meant to take a 30 minute nap after lunch but ended up napping for 2.5 hours. Oops.
Sunday- Rest Sensing a pattern here? Part of me wanted to run and part of me wanted to be lazy on this last day of vacation. I still wasn’t feeling so hot so I wasted the day away watching cheesy tv Christmas movies. #sorrynotsorry
She has the right idea- nap all day.
Somehow vacation has come to an end. Normally by now I am itching to get back to work. However I don’t feel ready to go back. I feel like there was so much more that I needed to do (like clean my car) but time just seemed to move quickly these past 2 weeks. Make it slow down! How is Christmas so close? And I seriously have no gift ideas. Normally by this time I am done shopping! I have wrapping paper but nothing to wrap!
So it’s back to work tomorrow. Back to treadmill running, boo. Back to better eating habits, hopefully. 😃
The day before Thanksgiving, my dad and I headed out to the Pinnacles. The Pinnacles is a state park located in Monterey County, about 90 minutes from home. The weather was supposed to be in the high 40’s low 50’s and that is cold to this California girl so I dressed in a few layers which included 2 pairs of socks. Once we arrived, we parked on got our gear ready. I had my Nathan vest with 20oz of water and 2 Extend bars. I didn’t think I would need the bars for what was likely going to be a 3 hour hike. Insert theme song to Gilligan’s Island.
My pops has had some pretty gnarly injuries over the years so he kept telling me to go ahead. The trail was pretty straight forward and well marked. I would go ahead until I couldn’t see or hear him anymore then stop and wait until I could. It gave me time to take plenty of photos. The scenery was amazing. That combined with the chill in the air made me feel like I wasn’t in California anymore.
I thought this copper-y bark was kind of cool
Hey Pops!
The first 2.5 miles gained about 1500 ft in elevation but 98% of that was very user- friendly. All trail, nothing technical. Just great views. The wind was picking up and my ears were getting cold. I can’t stand when my ears or toes get cold. I stopped to pull my headband out of my pack to put it around my ears and waited for pops to catch up. I made a snarky comment about how silly it looked with my hair sticking out and he commented that it’s not like anyone was looking. HA! I hit the first summit around 1.5 miles up and who was there? A crew of firefighters. Working out. Seriously?!
After that fun run in, I just kept going up until I thought I was at the top. I was wrong. My parents had done this trail in the past and I remembered my mom mentioning a set of freaky stairs but I hadn’t seen anything so I figured we took a different path. Nope. There was more to come, I had just missed it. I was looking for actually stairs. Not holes in rocks.
So yeah, I was a little nervous. At least this section had a railing. The last section to the top was a lot of hand over foot. But the view was worth it.
After a little rest on the top, we headed back down the other side. This series of “stairs” was even hinkier and interesting going down. Once past that though, we hit a nice path and going down was fairly easy. I was still super cold, my toes and ears were felt frozen. We went down like we went up, I would go ahead until I couldn’t hear my dad then wait til he was in sight again. As we were nearing the bottom of this particular trail, I admit I was tiring. While the path was walker/hiker/runner friendly, the elevation gain then loss was tiring plus I was freakin’ cold. Pops was fading too. We were just past 5 miles when we hit the trail head. And wanted to cry. We were 3.5 miles from the parking lot. 😢😢😓
We could do this, we could. This path was along the river bed and pretty in a different way. We were paying close attention to the trail as well because there was a trail head and accidentally taking it would add another 7 miles to the route. Umm, no thank you.
However we had one last decision to make. The trail split in 2 one last time. You could choose the Balcony path for 1.7 miles to the parking lot or the Cave trail for 1.3 miles to the lot. The park guide said you needed a flashlight for the cave but that was it. We figured it was more a tunnel and took that route. I was tired and my dad’s feet were hurting pretty badly so half a mile less sounded great.
Coming up on the cave, I started to doubt our shortcut. We were climbing rocks and boulders just to get into the cave. I was getting nervous. Things opened up and flattened out once in the cave. And turned pitch black. I busted out the flash on my iPhone in time to arrive a wall of stone. Ummm, where were we supposed to go? I kept moving the light around the cave wall and I found a tiny little reflective arrow pointing up. Moving closer, there was a hole in the ceiling. Seriously? And it was raining water so the rocks were slippery. We made it through that only to find more rocks to climb up and out. So that half mile less must have been in elevation and the shortcut was that we were climbing it instead. Once out of the main cave, there was a narrow corridor to traverse. Which was fine as long you were cool with boulders being wedged above your head. Granted they’ve been there for hundred and hundreds of years but this is California and the ground does like to move from time to time. 😄
The flash does pretty well actually.
Almost out!
From there it was a much easier hike back to the lot. My Garmin clocked in at 9 miles and I know I lost signal a couple of times. I was completely out of water and hadn’t actually eaten anything for the 5 hours we were out there. My feet were freezing and my dad was hurting too. As we were climbing out of the cave, I glanced at my watch and even though there was no signal it showed a lap pace of 58:something. Haha! I didn’t even think it was possible to do a mile that slow!
I wish I had better pictures of the cave but it was so dark. Kind cool after the fact but it was way harder than I thought it was going to be. 😄 Overall it was a great day just a few hours and miles longer than planned.
) and this works great. It fits everything I need and I can attach my pepper spray to it as well.
Slacker Runner 
