Tag: cold

Weekly Recap 10- Hello Sun

Upcoming Races:

Livermore 13.1 -March 26
Destination Races Santa Barbara 13.1- May 13

This week was a little over the place. When I think back on it, it feels more like a month than just 7 days.

Monday- Rest I woke up feeling broken. I hurt everywhere and felt exhausted. I felt like calling in sick but someone already had the night before so I knew I was going to work. I dragged myself in but just felt worse as the day went on. I made it through the day and treated myself to In N Out on the way home. One of the few times I allow myself it is when I am not feeling well.

Tuesday- Rest I was feeling a little better but still not right. I figured why chance it.

Wednesday- 2.5 miles I headed to lake path after work to get in a few miles. We have been having some crazy wind and for some reason I didn’t have my Buff. My ears were so damn cold. I admit I turn into a big baby when my ears get cold. I made it 2.5 miles before I called it. Plus I was still afraid of getting sick. With a half so close, I didn’t want to chance it. Being sick for pretty much all of December is still giving me flashbacks. Which is a bummer because my stride actually felt on point for that second mile.

Thursday- 4 miles I set out from work and told myself I was going to do an easy 3 mile run. Somehow that turned into the fastest 4 miler I’ve done in 6 months. Oops! Maybe it was the pre-workout from Beachbody I am testing? Maybe I was just feeling good? I don’t know. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still way slower than I was but it’s nice to see the numbers going in the right direction. Plus the State Park was open for the first time since Lucifer so I had to run through the Eucalyptus grove.

Friday- Rest Same ol’ Friday except I started the day in a great mood which is rare. It lasted until around 3 when work kicked me in the face. Thanks.

Saturday-10 miles The plan was to run early so I could finish at the high school and meet my mom for lunch after my run and her tennis practice so I dragged myself out of bed in the morning. A mile into my run, I was rethinking things. I was stripping off my long sleeve because I was already hot. I was keeping to 3/1’s but seemed to be keeping a decent long run pace. I think- I’ve taken the pace off my watch face. I ran into an old friend and stopped to chat for a moment. I did 2 laps of a hill, I ran across the the bridge at what felt like a restrained pace considering how I usually sprint across it. Pace wise and legs wise I was feeling good- however I was just past mile 5 and I knew I was going to have a problem. I was hot, too hot. 10 in the morning and it was pushing 75. Which, don’t get me wrong is amazing but it came out of nowhere and I was not prepared. I was overheating and running out of water. I slowed to a crawl going up a hill as I tried to cool down and figure something out. I texted my mother to see if anyone was using the high school track. My original route took the long way to the high school but had no stores or working water fountains along the way. The high school is the only place in town I know the water fountains work. I finally just decided to take the shortcut to the high school, empty track or not. I couldn’t maintain the 3/1’s anymore, I was just in survival mode. I made it to the school, refilled my water bottle and was able to finish my run on the thankfully empty track. I love the sun and the warmth but I was so not ready for it on this run.

Sunday- Rest Shopping around SLO counts as active recovery right? Plus some foam rolling. And I picked up some pretty new shoes, fingers crossed they work!

16.5 miles for the week. Slowly going up. I won’t lie, I’ve been in a running funk, I’m hoping DST gives me a good kick in the pants. Plus I have a new or old mentality so we’ll see if that helps too.

How was your week?

How was your weekend weather?

Week 8 Recap- Sleepy Time

Training for:

Livermore 13.1 -March 26
Destination Races Santa Barbara 13.1- May 13

This was a blink and you missed it week but it wasn’t without its own headaches. That said it wasn’t a bad week it was just odd. Well unless you count me finding out that someone has already filed a tax return using my social. 😒

Monday- Nada– I had big plans to run but it was cold and windy and I just couldn’t make myself get out the door. I usually love having Mondays off so I can get in a good run but the cold front rolling in just made me a big baby. My toes have been so damn cold!

Tuesday- Rest- The work day was straight chaos. With the power issues last Friday and this being the first day back after a 3 day weekend, things were nuts. I wore a pair of old faithful boots but by the end of the day my feet hurt so bad that I wanted to cry. My shoes turned on me!

Wednesday- 2.7 miles- I headed out for my usual post work route run. Except I hadn’t taken into account the cold and the wind. I wasn’t dressed right with just capris and a long sleeve. The winds were in excess of 20 mph and they almost took my Buff off my head twice. My wool Buff that I recently accidentally dried. I hit the spot where I take the sunset pics and decided it was too cold and turned around to head for the car.

Funny moment on the way back- if I am coming up on an intersection the same time as a vehicle or two and don’t want to play the “no you go, no you go” game, I stop before and stretch or fake tie my shoe. This time one of those cars was a cop car and I guess they thought I looked shady. I got the stink eye for a moment when I straightened back up. 😛 Nothing to see here, move along. Even though when I damn near had an asthma attack 2 blocks later on a street corner I was wishing they could come back.

Thursday- 5 miles. Blood work test fail #1. Doctor said that I did not need to fast for a glucose test. He even wrote it on the work order. I took time off work in the afternoon and headed back to home town for the testing. He was wrong, the lab refused to do the testing. Grrr. Now what? I went running! I dressed a little smarter this time but could have used another layer. I’ve determined that as long as we have rain in the forecast, speed is not likely because my lungs just can’t handle the moisture in the air. No sooner do I accept that than Strava informs me that I broke my previous record for 400m and wasn’t even trying…

Friday- Rest Glucose test fail #2. And then success. I tried to get the process started in work town before work but was unable to, the line was insane. Luckily my boss is awesome so once everyone got to work I went back to the lab and got the process started. And then went back and forth for the next 3+ hours. I didn’t finish the glucose testing until 1:30. By then I was hangry and already bruising. My lunch was around 2 and I went through a drive thru intending to treat myself to some french fries but I ended up being lured by a picture of giant burger so I ordered that and some fries. Instead of feeling stuffed after eating it, I still felt oddly empty. It was very odd. I was so hungry all day.

Saturday- Rest. I crashed hard the night before around 9:30 which is odd for me. Normally I am up late reading and catching up on tv on Friday nights. I slept for 12 hours! It wasn’t un-interrupted but that’s a little ridiculous! Even when I did get up and get going I had zero energy. After doing a few errands I ended up taking a long nap. I had planned on running both Saturday and Sunday but decided that my body was trying to tell me something.

Sunday- Rest Yeah, this was just a total lack of motivation on my part. I kept telling myself to change and get out the door for 10 miles but I couldn’t actually do it. It was cold and my toes were frozen in my slippers in my house and no matter how much I berated myself I couldn’t make myself run. I just kept pushing it back later and later. #longrunfail

7.7 miles for the week. I’m not going to say ouch because missing my long run was entirely up to me. Was a case of the blah’s worthy of missing a long run? Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell. I do know I am over the cold weather. Timehop keeps showing me pics from last year and I was running in shorts and a tank. I miss those days. This weird cold front and crazy wind, rain just needs to take a break. I’m not saying it’s entirely responsible for my lagging motivation but it’s part of it.

How was your week?

Do you have warm weather? Wanna share?

Rambling On

I think I finally figured out what to call these random brain dumps.

Are we seriously only 3 days from Christmas? How is that even possible? Just how? I’m not ready!

Between the cold front and my cough, my running has taken a huge hit. I’ve decided to not stress on it for December. It is what it is, I’ll run when it’s not 30 something and I’m not coughing up a lung. I realize people are out there running in -bazillion and covered in snow but I’m a big baby.

I’m (trying) remaining optimistic and positive about the work situation but it’s hard when everywhere I go someone brings it up. I had my quarterly check up with my gastroenterologist on Wednesday and we ended the appointment talking about the merger. Really?

I’m working on my 2016 recap and I hope to have it up next week. I also hope to have my plan for 2017 up the week after that. That g word (rhymes with foal) is still a four letter word in my book. But that’s ok, I have a new word for 2017.

Holiday traffic started early. This week has been rough. I’ve been late every day to work due to slow or just nuts traffic and driving home? Forget it. 60 has become 40. Boo.

I am anxious to get working on a training plan for my races next year, but I seem to have lost the book I was using. Oops. Blonde moment? Or just Slacker at my finest?

Tuesday night was cookie baking night and I was proud that I ate less than one whole cookie all night. Only to eat 4 yesterday. Ouch.

I just found out there’s a Doctor Who marathon on for the next 3 days. Why aren’t I on vacation now?!?!?!?! #nerdmoment

Share something random!

How many cookie have you eaten lately?

Week 49 Recap- Double Digits!

Ok, for the week but we’re getting somewhere right?? 🙂

Last week was weird and long and rough and short -all wrapped up into 7 days. My boss said it best- when you wake up Monday thinking it’s Friday, you know it’s going to be a long week. While I wasn’t quite that bad, I was pretty close. Part of my issue was vacation brain. I was trying to get everything done that I had to do before I left. I wanted to try and leave nothing behind when I left for 2 weeks. It didn’t help that open enrollment for our health insurance fell during the 2 weeks I am gone. Well, that’s not good timing. Grrr. But as of 6:30 Friday I am on vacation! Ask me again in 3 days if I am still liking this vacation thing. 😛

Monday- Rest Hmmm, I can’t remember anything particularly special about Monday

Tuesday- Rest Same as above

Wednesday- 3.1 miles Another night run. Farthest one yet! I was bundled up and in reflective gear. Or at least I hope it was reflective. It’s not like I stopped a car and asked and I received no helpful cat calls this time. On the plus side, Christmas lights are going up and every light helps to run to! Then I went and did some shopping for the Toy Bank and that was nerve wracking. When did toys get so expensive?? If you follow me on Twitter, you know I was asking for help. 😛

Thursday- Rest I’m giving my lungs a chance to adjust to the 4o’s and only running at night once a week and I just couldn’t force myself to go to the gym just yet.

Friday- Last day of work! Also, my mom’s birthday. I made poor food choices throughout the day. Oops.

Saturday- 4.7 miles Farthest and fastest run in a month! Which is awesome and kind of sad all at the same time. I set out in the middle of the afternoon and I quickly realized how over dressed I was. The plan had been to run to the high school where my mother was having tennis practice then we’d run some errands. I was hoping to run 5 miles but unfortunately all of my sugary, carby food choices made over the last few days came back to haunt me while I was running across the bridge. The fact that that was also my fastest mile in well over a month and a half probably didn’t help either. I spent that last .7 just trying not to be sick. That put me right at the high school and I figured that was good enough for the day.

Oh, and for the first time in the 30+ years I’ve lived in this town, I went to the Christmas Parade! We froze- 70 floats?!!- but it was super cute. The announcers on the other hand- they needed help. They either thought they were funny or were a little deeper in their cups then they should have been.

Sunday- 3 miles Ooof. I had a headache in the morning and a dinner plans with the family in the evening so I headed in the early afternoon. Maybe I should have skipped it. My Garmin died 1/2 mile in. My lungs never got on board the run train. I took a ton of walk breaks. Near as I can tell, I completed 3 miles around a 13:00 pace. Say what? 3 miles is 3 miles right? My legs felt fine, my lungs and head had other plans. It is what it is, right? I brushed it off before joining the family for dinner at Olive Garden. Breadsticks, anyone?

Just barely over double digits for the week, woo hoo! Food choices on the other hand got a little screwy by the end of the week. With work having donuts on Thursday, a celebratory lunch on Friday, my mom’s birthday Friday and my dad’s birthday Sunday, I’m feeling a little fluffy and bogged down. I didn’t even feel like this after Thanksgiving.

How was your week?

Any vacation tips?

In the Buff

Disclaimer: I received a Merino Wool Buff® to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I admit I never quite understood how awesome a Buff® was until I had one, now I want more! Can I have all the pretty colors? Also, if you’re like me, the extent of your knowledge of Buff® was what you observed on Survivor over the years. #facepalm

Ok, so a little knowledge from the website- the Original Buff® is a tubular, multi functional piece of head wear. The Merino Wool version I received is a wind-resistant and lightweight layer made with 100% merino wool, it also has natural moisture management and odor control properties. It can be worn so many ways!! Full disclosure- I’ve only mastered 2. 😛

Ok, my thoughts. How have I run through winters without a Buff®? My ears are kicking me! My ears get so cranky in the cold! I’ve never been able to keep them warm enough before and not cut off the circulation to my brain. When I am not using it around my head to cover my ears, I love it around my neck. I don’t think I would have made it across the Golden Gate Bridge without breathing through my Buff® during my last half. I’ve become rather attached to it, it comes with me everywhere. I realized it’s in my purse every day! I’m looking forward to trying it at the gym. I am hoping it solves my dilemma between a headband and a towel that I inevitably always forget. 😛

The only drawback I’ve encountered is that I must be overly sensitive. I think it could be a little softer but I also find that’s something I am adjusting to the more I wear it. From what I’ve read, this opinion seems to be isolated to just me. Definitely not going to stop me from wearing it all winter long. I think it’s going take the place of my trucker and keep my ears covered, nice and warm.

How do you stay warm on the run?

What is cold for you?