Shamrock Marathon Training Week 12

The cold temperatures and snow affected my training this week- mainly in that I had to adjust running days and my pace was WAY slower due to avoiding ice and my muscles feeling stiff. Next week looks better (thank goodness)! We really lucked out with the (winter) weather so far this winter, so I am thankful it came during a drop back week towards the end of training. Hopefully this was it!

Monday: 5 miles @ 9:44 (abs). I knew a big storm was coming so I ran in case the rest of the week was a bust. I was still stiff from 19 on Saturday, so I was slow but I felt much better afterwards.

Tuesday: 2.5 mile walk + 30 minutes elliptical (weights). SNOW DAY! Walking in the snow to lunch was no joke!

THIS IS WHY NO RUNNING HAPPENED TUESDAY!

Wednesday: 9 miles @ 9: 49 (abs). I dodged ice and snow all on this run. At some points I had to slow WAY down to not fall. I was just glad I go it in. My area does not clean up well after a snow storm (hello, Virginia).

My white puffy vest is now my cold weather running staple.

Thursday: 4 miles on treadmill (weights). Icy and FREEZING outside. Below zero wind chills. I find that if I go slow on a treadmill I can tolerate it more, but I don't pay attention to my speed since it is so different from my pace outside (like a full minute slower feels the same effort).

Friday: Off! Still made sure to get in my 10,000 steps (abs)

Snow a few days after the storm at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts...aka Happy Hour time!!!

Saturday: 14 miles @ 9:30. It was about 15 degrees the whole run with a slight breeze. We ran 12 outside and then I added in a 2 mile warm down because my body was SO COLD. My friend and I commented that we never got into a groove during this run because of how cold it was. Thankfully it was a lower mileage day! My hip felt ok the whole time but still is something I am watching.

I deserve Funfetti Cake after a long run...I ATE IT ALL!

My afternoon spot watching Boyhood with Tony Romo. Weather sucked. I loved the movie!

Sunday: 3.2 mile shakeout @ 9:22 (weights)

Totals: 35.2 miles

Four weeks from today! I am definitely ready to get this big week behind me (40 miles!) and then rest up for the big day. I also have some ideas for a half marathon in April! Half marathons sound so great right about now...

What is your favorite distance to train for?

Snow Day & Friends

Happy Snow Day! This feels like the first official snow day of the season even though the students have had two days off already (mainly due to ice and a well-timed brief burst of snow). We got about 7ish inches in my area, but that is all a guesstimate as I found out this morning that I do not own a ruler! Snow came in yesterday afternoon and ended before sunrise. I wish it snowed more during the day so I could have watched it!

On my walk to Ellwood's for lunch and company.

This is why VA freaks out over snow!

Not good for driving!

It is nice to see how quiet the city is when the snow falls. I also love living where I can still go places when it snows, unlike growing up in the suburbs where I would be snow-blocked for days.

I also made it up to D.C. on Sunday, since we had Monday off, to visit some friends from growing up and college. I only took one picture but had lunch with my friend Meredith and then went to dinner with a group of college friends and their significant others. 

Friends since 7!

We were in Shirlington, which is a really cute area outside D.C. in Virginia (and near Arlington) with apartments and a great downtown shopping area. We ate at Copperwood Tavern which is a farm-to-table restaurant...SO GOOD! I love it when I can go out to eat and eat meat:)

Shirlington Village

The cool thing about seeing my college friends (besides catching up with them and planning our travels) is being reminded of how much they have influenced my life! I was reminded at dinner how much I HATED running in college (we were talking about marathon training), but that because of two of my sorority sisters who always ran and did half and full marathons, I gave it a try after college. They are the reason I persisted. They influenced a total of four (?) of us to run and do half marathons- even those who barely exercised before. Look how much their simple influence changed our lives! So to Michelle & Jess- THANK YOU. You have changed my life more than you will probably ever know. I thought a lot about that as I was driving home...friends are just awesome:)

Now I am back to enjoying my snow week day :)

Shamrock Marathon Training Week 7

I realized this week that I am now single digit weeks away from the marathon! Eeek! We had some ice this week but it came on my days of lesser mileage, so the treadmill was do-able. My long weekday runs were easily fit in with decent weather- just a lot of grey days! It was nice mentally to have a drop back week, but I definitely noticed my exhaustion levels creeping up in the evenings. I need LOTS of sleep now...8 hours isn't enough...I can easily sleep 9!

Monday: 40 minutes elliptical (abs)

Tuesday: 7.1 miles @ 9:17 (weights)

Wednesday: 3.5 treadmill miles on an "ice" day-> didn't even keep time because I hated it so much (abs)

Thursday: 4 treadmill miles @ 9:45 (better than Wednesday but I still hate it...am I the only one who runs SO MUCH SLOWER on the treadmill?!-> weights)

Friday: 7.6 miles @ 9:11 (substituted my rest day this week for this day and split part of my long run up due to my race on Sunday-> abs)

Saturday: Off! I did chores and ran errands to lessen my temptations to work out.

Sunday: Frostbite 15k in 1:20:54 (PR- because it is my ownly!). The course had a detour due to high water so the race ended up being 9.5 miles. It was RAINY! But not as cold (40's). Good practice for the marathon since you never know what the weather will be like! I laughed in the middle when it was down pouring because it was just ridiculous. My whole body was soaked to the core. Surprisingly, my visor kept all water off my face so that was good!

This is my "I-just-ran-in-a-freaking-monsoon" face. You can't see how wet my hair is, but it was soaked. My jacket was next to me forming a puddle on the passenger seat.

RAIN!

Total: 31.7 miles

Weather looks more cooperative next week. It's crazy how we went from freezing to ice to a monsoon in about 5 days. Oh, Virginia!

March is Madness

Nothing like living in Virginia to enjoy a 70 degree day on Sunday and a snow day on Monday!

I have gotten really bad about blogging...I blame it on the fact that I am now obsessed with Instagram, so I get to share aspects of my life with people everyday! Blogging just does not seem as necessary:) I also have been doing more of the same in terms of my daily life...running, reading, eating, relaxing and hanging with Romo.

So handsome!

Won't let me go running!

We don't want to bore you too much!

As for my news- my big race (Shamrock Half Marathon) is in less than two weeks! I have been training with a group that runs at 8 AM on Saturday mornings near my condo. My long runs have included me running 8 on my own (which sucked) and 10 and 12.5 miles with the running group. Running group runs are so much more fun and take me to areas I don't normally go. I also love chatting with people while I run:) I have felt great on all the long runs (and have begun running before work during the week) but my blisters have returned! I think I will need new shoes after the race to gear up for the rest of the spring races! Ugh for my random running issues...

Yes, please!

Midway through a COLD 12.5 miles and blisters!

And as you know more running=more HUNGER. I am a bottomless pit lately. It is disgusting and annoying because I am hungry every 2 hours and all I want are carbs. Thankfully Puffins are my go-to snack of late that curbs my craving for carbs, sugar and peanut butter (obvi I always crave PB or AB).

ON another note, my "official" first day at the new job was supposed to be today, but the weather has other plans! I am eager to get started and get ready to open up a new school! I have already enjoyed my larger paycheck...by opening a 457(b)! I am so exciting- gotta prep for retirement and save some money on taxes for next year (I owed a total of $1,120 this year)! I do have some fun trips planned for 2014, though, so don't worry- more details to come! I am booking one today actually...

I leave ya'll with the exciting news of Virginia Men's Basketball being ranked #5 in the country after beating Syracuse and clinching the ACC title! Gotta love being good at a major sport for once:)! 

GO HOOS!

Have a great week!

Polar Vortex > Running

Like most everywhere around the country, it has been a really cold winter.

I am being completely honest when I say that I do not remember a winter being this cold in years. It may be that I run outside much more than I used to so I am not as used to being outdoors as much during a cold winter, but it's ridiculous. I am all for winter as a season, but highs in the 20's and lows in the single digits is ridiculous. This is Virginia, after all.

Normally in VA, we get a random big snow storm that shuts down the city for a week, and then the next week it is in the 70's. Our weather is usually so up and down that relief is always in sight. I cannot remember experiencing so many days with highs under freezing in a row, and it not going away anytime soon. We missed four days of school last week due to 3ish inches that kept the VDOT workers busy since it never got above freezing, and we are getting more tonight that will likely shut down schools for the rest of the week. I love a good snow day, but let's spread it out a little! Oy vey.

This has all negatively affected my running. I hate running in the summer heat and humidity, and I hate running in the freezing cold. I registered for three races in December before the fees went up, so I really need to be running and it has not been fun. To show you how miserable I am, I ran 5 miles today on the treadmill. The dreaded treadmill that I hate and loath and would usually rather face the outdoors than subject myself to. Case in point: I ran in ice and snow two days last week in single digit temps over running on the treadmill....needless to say that got old. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do I guess!

I have a Sweetheart 8k on February 9th that should be a good, hilly route (and only my 3rd ever 8k), the Shamrock Half Marathon in Virginia Beach March 16th (we'll see what my training plan ends up being. I think I am going to do an 8, 10, and 12 miler as my long training runs, so a little more than the Richmond Half but not as much as my training last year), and the annual Monument 10k March 29th. I will look around closer to April and May to add more races to my list. I really wanted to do a Frostbite 15k in Richmond during MLK weekend, but San Francisco won over that obviously.

I am really lacking on the longer runs simply due to being uncomfortable outside in the cold temperatures, but I am hoping relief is in sight!

What are your cold weather workouts? What keeps you motivates with cold, dark days?

Here's to spring being less than 2 months away:)

The Best Forecast For August I Have Ever Seen

This is a Virginia summer runners dream:

Low's in the 50's???!!!! I can't wait. OMG.

It will be over before I know it, but dammit I'm gonna enjoy it! The past few days have been a humidity death trap. My runner stride has not looked it's best, and I hate having to wash my hair every day. Darn sweat making my hair too gross.

March 24th

I wouldn't believe it or remember it if I didn't post it, but this is what it is doing outside right now in Richmond, Virginia:

 

 

On March 24th...This weather is crazy, but I can hope for a snow day even though we are almost at spring break, right? I am fighting a cold, so I would enjoy any day off to sleep and rest before my big trip at the end of this week!

Oh, and to further point out what an odd eater I am (especially when not feeling well), today I ate lunch for breakfast (peanut butter banana sandwich), breakfast for lunch (waffles and oatmeal), popcorn in the middle of the day (because why not while packing?), and COLD spinach tortellini straight from the packet for dinner (it was pre-cooked but supposed to be cooked again before you eat it...oh well). Seems my body is craving carbs today?! Hey, at least I ran and did a lot of cleaning...and napped, so I am thinking I am ending the day in the "winning" column.

Do your snow day dance for tomorrow for me, and hopefully, see ya soon, Spring!

Welcome to Virginia

This is the crazy weather we have been dealing with! Probably why everyone is sick. Can we say, "indecisive?"

Sandy and Some Others

This is how Richmond, Virginia was affected by Sandy:

1. Schools were closed Monday and Tuesday
2. It rained. A lot.
3. It was slightly windy.
4. The local NBC news station freaked out about the storm for 4 days.
5. Stores ran out of bread and water.
6. I actually prepared by buying flashlights, getting a radio, and turning down my fridge/freezer and packing a cooler with ice and all my frozen foods in the freezer for the inevitable power outage.
7. A few hundred people lost power.
8. Barely any trees fell down.

This is how Richmond, Virginia was affected by three Severe Thunderstorms in June:

1. No schools were closed.
2. It rained. REAL HARD.
3. It was VERY WINDY.
4. The local NBC news station only freaked out for about a day each storm.
5. Stores were stocked.
6. I didn't prepare.
7. TONS of trees fell down and houses near where I live were destroyed.
8. THOUSANDS lost power. For days. Each time.

This is how Richmond, Virginia was affected by Hurricane Irene in August 2011:

1. Schools closed for one day.
2. It rained. A LOT A LOT.
3. It was EXTREMELY WINDY. For an entire day.
4. The local NBC news station freaked out for about 2 days.
5. Stores were out of bread and water.
6. I only prepared with alcohol and some candles.
7. Trees were everywhere. Like legit EVERYWHERE. Poor Monument Avenue and some cars outside my apartment.
8. Hundreds of thousands lost power (including me for 8 days)


Do you see a correlation? Seems the more Virginia freaks out, the less likely were are to be hit with anything bad. I am not complaining, but the anxiety an impending storm causes is something I could do without especially when nothing happens. I am fine with some days off work, but not to the extned of my sanity. Hurricane Irene was much worse for us, and since we aren't a big enough city, got much less media coverage.

That being said- thinking of my friends and family in NY and NJ!!

Dress for the Weather

This is my school counseling team (yes, I know we're young). We took this picture to submit to our local NBC station's "Dress for the Weather" picture which they post everyday during the morning news (usually with kids but we figured we could try). Hey, you gotta get enjoyment out of your job in many different ways!

I survived the QUAKE of 2011

It was a crazy day, but I live 30 miles from the epicenter of the 5.9 quake and found the amount of coverage pretty ridiculous. This facebook post and following comments pretty much explain it all. (Thanks, Elyse)!

 Earthquake devastation.
[They were in a neat pile prior to the quake]

Your prayers and continued support are appreciated as I work through this disaster.

Comments:

• I am so sorry for your loss. 
• Thanks everyone. I'm just trying to put the pieces back together... 
• Elyse, if you need anything at all just give me a call. You'll get through this 
• OH THE HUMANITY....
•  FEMA announced they are on the way... I just hope you have the will power to make it another 3-6 weeks until they arrive. :-)
• I am laughing out loud. At work. Embarassing. But, my paperclips and such are in a drawer so my desk is neat. 
• You must rebuild. 
• fill out your aid papers 
• lol ;)
• watch for LOOTERS! 
• arm yourself elyse 
• Did one of those paperclips hit you? Let me know if you need help with the workmans comp claim. :) 
• Guys, I have an update... we will be holding a benefit concert for the displaced paper clips featuring U2, Ke$ha, and REO Speedwagon. Please send your donations to the "Hope4DeskDi$a$ter" fund. No amount is too small, guys. A mere $2.75 will purchase a NEW box of clips. - Thank You 
• Everything happens for a reason Elyse - Jesus will get you through. 
• will a memorial be erected? 
• i hope that's not confidential client information on your computer screen. 
• I was thinking about you and Matthew I hope you guys are ok!! 
• LOL!!!! 
• Lol. Clearly we are not fine... LOOK AT THIS DESTRUCTION!!!! 
• bahahahahahahahah love it
•  LMAO 

I thought all that was hysterical. It's not like the news OVERREACTS or anything!

In all fairness, it was a very weird feeling and very odd for Virginia. But everything is fine. The only destruction to my house was a wall picture was slanted and one of my roomies pictures fell off the wall. But I did learn how to react in a quake (hey, knowledge is power)! *hint: it is NOT best to run into a hallway and duck. Use the doorways*. Important information for us uninformed Virginians!

Now the west coasters can take back their earthquakes...we'll just stick to hurricanes.