Tag: slacker

Sun and scarecrows

I managed to get in a run on Thursday before heading to school for my exam. Oops, sorry mixer!!! I’ll go next month- it’ll be too dark to run then 😦

I wanted to take it a little easy, so I set Mr. Nike for a 3 mile run. I love the distance mode. He comes on and tells you at the halfway point, great way when to know to turn around. Otherwise I get distracted and just keep running. Which if it wasn’t my first run after my half or if I didn’t have an exam that I should have been studying for, that wouldn’t have been a bad thing. 🙂

The halfway point is just inside the state park, I barely get to breathe in the Eucalyptus before I had to head back. I take a slight detour on the way back just to see this-

Bonus, the weather was amazing! 70 and shining sun! Usually by this time of evening the marine layer rolls in and it’s just gray. All in all, finished a nice 5k when I made it back to my car. And I averaged a 9:46 pace, fine by me.

Since I work 3 of the upcoming 4 Saturdays, I admit to a little whining. But I have an awesome boss, so I got a few extra hours to sleep in on Friday. I have been so tired; I just wanted some time with a few less alarms. Yeah, I set 5 daily. Usually sleep through the first 2 and snooze the rest repeatedly. While a better person may have snuck in a Friday morning run, I am a Slacker. I chose to sleep. It was so nice. Then I headed into work, picking up a birthday cake along the way for the afore mentioned awesome boss. I really need to stop eating junk. This has been a very indulgent week.

This morning’s commute actually wasn’t that foggy! As I drove into town, I tried to take a few pictures. This town has an annual Scarecrow festival that I never knew about. Last time I worked there, the fog was so heavy and zombie like, then creatures were just popping out the mist. WTF? The first 2 scared the crap out of me before I figured it out. This time, I was prepared and snapped a few pictures along the way. Yes, I should have gotten out of the car, but I am lazy.

I really did plan to run today but the Slacker in me finally beat out the twitchy feet. After work and lunch and errands, I was tired and lazy. No lies, I was just a Slacker. Tomorrow, I get back on track. Literally- track Sunday!!!!! Woo hoo!!!! I love the track. It’s supposed to be over 90, but hey, soon I will be complaining that it will too cold, so I may as well enjoy it while it lasts.

Today wasn’t totally running free, I did finish my scrapbook page for my City to the Sea bib. Yes, I keep a scrapbook of all my bibs. Cheesy but I love it. Wish they made better embellishments though.

To anyone who ran or raced today, you’re awesome!!!!

Anyone’s towns have any interesting Harvest traditions?

Getting twitchy

Normally, the first few days after a big race, I feel sore and achy and look forward to rest days. This time around, I have twitchy feet. I want to run so badly, but haven’t worked it out yet.

Monday was a holiday and a day off for me, so I thought I would be able to get in a very, very easy 2-3. But between physical therapy, running errands and the sudden urge to overhaul my entire closet, I ran out of daylight. I had a short amount of time when I may have been able to squeeze in a run but my guilty conscience reminded me that I have a big exam that I needed to study for. 😦

Tonight was volleyball and I wanted to run instead. However, I have never missed a game (5 years!), so I followed through. I am glad I did, it was fun and we played really well. I finally ponied up and bought new shoes, actual volleyball shoes this time. Not sure if it was because I don’t have a big race on the horizon (less fear of injury) or if it was the shoes but I was like a freakin’ jumping bean. I didn’t know I could block like that. Hopefully, that skill sticks around.

Tomorrow is my brother’s birthday (27, I feel so old) so it will be a speed race back to town for dinner with the family. Thursday is supposed to be a business mixer after work, then off to school for the big exam. So, short of dragging myself out bed at 4:00 in the morning, I have a schedule problem. No lie; I am a huge Slacker in the AM. Big time. The bed is so warm and comfy, yay for flannel sheets! Transitioning to a daily commute was hard enough.

I want to run and I want to race. I am a procrastinator when it comes to registering for races; you never know when life may throw a speed bump. There is a half locally on the 27^th that I kind of want to do, but it’s freaky expensive. There are 3 races in November I am contemplating and I am still looking for December options.

Two of the November options are Turkey Trots. The other November race sounds awesome, it’s a 7 mile trail run at a nearby state park. What makes me leery is this:

Yep, that says a 1700 foot elevation gain. I have actually done the incline portion before. Now, granted, I walked a lot of it last time, but my splits looked something like this-

And I almost took a header on the way down. Hmm, decisions decisions. There are also 3 half marathons in the beginning of 2014 I am interested in. Those will be determined around finances. I will admit it, races cost money!!!!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far! How is it almost Wednesday?

Any thoughts on what to get a 27 year old with expensive taste for their birthday? (yeah, I procrastinated that too.)

Short is better than none right?

So, not feeling well on Tuesday led into a second rest day on Wednesday. Plus between work and school and then back to work, I felt all over the place and so, so tired. Thursday was a normal day of work followed by school later in the evening. If I was a smart person, I would have run 4 miles in the time between. I had my clothes and shoes in my car. I, however, was not smart and chose to meet the tennis team for dinner at Chipotle. Oops. Didn’t get out of school until 10 or even home until well after. Running at 5 AM this morning on 4 hours of sleep? Yeah not so much. The bed was so warm and comfy 🙂

So, that brings me to 3 days off with no running. You would think that 3 days rest would make me feel invigorated and ready to go, right? Ummm, no. I am still so tired. What gives? I have a race in less than 48 hours and I need to get a run in before then. I generally don’t like going for a run the day before a race (tomorrow), plus that would then be 4 days off. Yuck. It’s not like I’m sick, I just feel super tired and worn out. Not a good combination to start the weekend. 😦

I hate running on Fridays because it usually feels like a longer day and work is generally busier. My last long run was on a Friday but was only because I was on vacation. However, I had my running clothes with me and was going to try and make myself go the gym after work. Yeah, putting on running capris after 3 days of Slacker-dom? Oh what fresh hell is that?!

I didn’t make it to the gym but I did make it to the lake. I was fighting a setting sun as well as Friday fatigue. But anything is better than nothing right? I set out to do 2 laps. That would be around 2.35 miles. Since it was short, I decided to push a little harder. I started out feeling really sluggish but halfway through my legs actually felt pretty good. I wanted more sun. Plus I got to test out my new capris, so far so good, but it was only 2 miles. The weather for this Sunday’s race may be a little warmer that I would like. I can’t decide if I want to wear capris or shorts. Decisions, Decisions.

I am hoping that working the registration/ packet pick up table tomorrow will help get me in gear. I really like watching everything be set up. Plus, it is fun handing out the packets and watching people pick up their bib numbers and chips. The shirts can turn into a bit of hassle with people wanting to changes sizes but it’s still fun.

I love this race; I really do, but it also adds stress. The course is flat and fast and if there was a time to aim for a PR, this would be it. In fact many people try. The course has not changed over the years and it is the only race I have ever run that offers money for the top 3 placers in the 10K and top male/ female in the 5K. Plus 100% of the race entry fees go to charity and you get to choose which charity your entry fee benefits. There are usually 3 charities to choose between.

This is also the only race I have ever run that actually closes the roads. Ever run a half-marathon with a semi coming up behind you? Yeah, it’s a little nerve wracking. The 5K is one loop through downtown and the 10K is two loops. I am nervous about running through the starting/ finish line after the first loop. I know that my Nike app tells me the pace at every mile, but it’s different than seeing the numbers on that big red clock. Hopefully running passed the crowd will be enough of a distraction. Either that or work as a motivation boost!

Anyone have any big plans for the weekend?

Any races or long runs?

Shoe Talks

Let’s talk about shoes. So I am currently wearing Mizuno Wave Inspire 9 and I have been since December. As of today they have 386 miles on them. I love these shoes and of course they are introducing a new model in November. But I love this style!!!! I really should replace them now, but I do not want to break in a new pair before my half marathon in 3 weeks. And I have been using that excuse for the last 2 months.

I have also held off because every time I buy a new pair of shoes, the shin splints that I use to suffer from every day always make a reappearance. Why can’t they just stay gone? Since there is a new updated version about to hit stores, I think that I will see if I can find mine on clearance anywhere. Fingers crossed! But then again, the new ones do look pretty.

I really do love these shoes. Prior to these Mizuno’s, I had only ever run in Brooks. Actually my previous two pairs were both Brooks Ravenna. While I had never had any problems with them, I wasn’t dead set on them. So after Christmas last year, I headed out on a shoe hunt. My shoes always seem to need to be replaced around Christmas or my birthday. I have managed to not have to pay for a pair of shoes yet. Yay for presents! Changing to Mizuno was a jump because it was a different brand, I went down a size and they were a different support level. Yikes! I was nervous when I first started wearing them. But they have been awesome. I am sad to see the wear on them. I have also set 3 PR’s in them, so maybe I am a little emotionally attached to them. J

Speaking of shoes, I wore my boots to the chamber mixer on Thursday and it occurred to me that they probably have almost as many miles on them as my running shoes. Slower miles for sure but they got me through a crazy time back at the beginning of the year. I had just transferred locations for work and we were going through something like a merger. We had crazy hours and did lots of running around, and these shoes were my go to. Got me through the day, didn’t hurt and kept my legs warm! Sadly, they too are in need of replacing. I hate replacing shoes, you never know if the new ones will be as comfortable as the nice old, worn in ones. And breaking them in always takes time. Plus, I have a hard time finding boots that actually fit my calves. Ahhh, the joys of being a runner 🙂

Yep, I wear knee socks :) — Yep, I wear knee socks 🙂

Thursday was busy but good, and Friday has come and gone. Bring on the weekend running! I now have 8 days until my 10K, and possible 5K, so I would really like to get in some decent miles this weekend. I also have some shows that I would love to catch up on, Slacker style in my comfy chair. And maybe some good food along the way. All that after I get off work that is.

Anyone else have a pair of shoes that they just don’t want to let go of?

Hope everyone had a good Friday and if you are racing this weekend, good luck!!

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?