Pig to Hoka: I Can't Even With This Heat

I Can't Even With This Heat

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My wild girl.

It's bullshit. I'm pretty sure it went straight from runs that were never above 30 degrees to heat and humidity. WTF, spring?! Y'all, this southern girl has become weak...WEAK!

Well, it's race week, and I'm still no more confident than I was last week or the week before or the week before. Who told me I should race this 10k? All the eye rolls to that person.

I've been in a major funk this week. It's been at least two weeks since I've run with friends. I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts and prayers. I'm not totally sure when the funk will end, but I'm hoping race excitement will help. This week technically marks week one of Grand Rapids (GR) Marathon training, but my focus has mainly been on this 10k.

• 5/28: 6.65 miles, 9:02/mile. A few weeks ago, I won a coaching program through Wahoo! Running. This is what I'll be using to train for GR. I've been asked to run no faster than 9:07 pace for my easy runs. It shouldn't be too hard since I started behaving and running slower this past training cycle (and what do you know...I finally BQd!). I travelled back home from WV the day of this run, so I decided to run after the kids went to bed. It was so peaceful outside and reminded me of why I love to run.
  

  
  

  

  Sunset in my hood.

• 5/29: 8.28 miles, 8:27/mile; Haley's Chest/Shoulder Workout, 1 hour. Speed Day: 15 minute warm up, 7 x 3 minutes @6:59 w/ 2 minute recovery, 20 minute cool down. It was harder than it should have been towards the end. I'm just not used to this shit...it's been a few months.
• 5/30: 7.65 miles, 9:09/mile; Haley's Back/Glute Workout, 1 hour. Seventy minutes was on the docket for today. I decided it was a good idea to run when it was really windy and hot as balls outside. What's life without a little whimsy? Later that evening, at the gym, I ended my workout with some barbell squats. Umm...about that. F***. I completely regretted this for three days!
  

  

  Totally appropriate for me and my post-run sweaty hair to get a hot latte at Starbizzle.

• 5/31: 3.62 indoor cycling miles, 15 minutes; Restorative Yoga, 15 minutes; Haley's Bis/Tris, 1 hour. My quads were like WHOA today, so I opted for just a warm up on the bike with some nice stretching for my legs. I decided to avoid anything lower extremity for my lifting to keep my legs functioning for race day.
  

  

  Afternoon wild thing pose. Coffee does crazy things.

• 6/1: 11 miles, 9:26/mile. OMG I was a freaking snail today (or whatever is slower than a snail). My funk was full force when I woke up, but I knew I had to get my long run accomplished before work. It was a miracle that I actually left my front door solo at 5 a.m. I was still half asleep and fatigued from squats which is probably why I was so slow. I just couldn't get my legs moving.  Despite my speed issues, I enjoyed the peace of my quiet neighborhood. The birds were my music, the bunnies my running partners, and the moon my light.
  

  

  The 5 a.m. streets of Harrison Pond.

• 6/2: Tacy's Shoulder Workout, 50 minutes. The best way to get a break from your crazy ass kids when you're solo parenting is by taking them to child watch at the gym. It's a win-win situation. They get to play and get sleepy for nap time while you workout and get better looking.
  

  

  Gainz.

• 6/3: RACE DAY! I want to barf thinking about it.

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So, I just got home from eating tacos at Local Cantina, and it took everything in me not to get a marg. I worked off the stress of missing out by doing some yoga moves by the fountain.

Pig to Hoka: You Might As Well Just Kill Me Now

You Might As Well Just Kill Me Now

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Why is it that 26.2 miles doesn't scare me, but 6.2 miles does?! SOOOOO stupid!!!! I'm so f'n nervous! I feel like I'm failing all of my workouts which makes it worse. UGH. I'm annoying myself with all of this whining.

This is my last week of having no specific plan. It worked out because I was on vaca at my mom's, and I never know how much running I will be able to fit in when I'm there. I just did what I felt like doing, and it was glorious!!

• 5/21: 6 miles, 9:28/mile; Tacy's Shoulder workout, 50 minutes. I was still in Columbus so I forced myself out of bed to meet Lisa and Mindy at 5 a.m. I wanted a change from the usual sperm and long sperm route, so we ran through the Academy area. Did we bitch and complain the whole time about something? I think I recall us bitching and complaining. Who knows?! I knew this would be my last opportunity to lift at the gym for a whole week so I chose my favorite shoulder workout. I'm going to miss the gym this week!!!
  

  

  Day one of this week's yoga challenge was a warrior pose.

• 5/22: 8 miles, 8:39/mile. I took advantage of a later start to my work day by running at 6:30 instead of 5! LOL. I saw so many runners out there, and I hated them all!!! What the hell do you do that allows you to run at 6:30 everyday?! I attempted my speed workout and completely failed. I was supposed to run 4x1 mile at my 10k pace. I couldn't run more than a half mile at the pace. I decided to just turn it into a fartlek run instead. This did not make me feel good about my upcoming 10k. Insert all the sad faces!!!
  

  

  Not happy with what just happened.

• 5/23: Rest. After feeling like crap yesterday and travelling to my mom's in WV, I needed a rest day. I did wake up and do some restorative yoga, but nothing crazy. The day mostly consisted of 4 wheeler riding.
  

  

  Having fun with my main dude.

• 5/24: 7.01 miles total, unknown average because I'm currently too lazy to compute numbers; 3.5 miles hiking. So today was fun! We started the morning at Harpers Ferry (about 30 minutes from my mom's house) for a nice hike. I use the term nice loosely because my son was an asshole the whole time. He never stopped whining!! Next time I'm throwing him into the water with the snapping turtles. Ruthie was a doll which made James look worse. LOL!! After the hike, I headed to Winchester, VA to do my speed workout. I wanted to run it on a track to keep me focused on my pace. I couldn't find the track so I ran in a strange place with strange people who stared at me like I was an idiot running outside in the blazing heat. Side note: I was an idiot. I attempted my speed workout again. I was more successful this time. I did a 2 mile warm up and dynamic stretching (advice from this amazing runner since I have issues with short warm ups), followed that up with three instead of four intervals (goal 7:20; actuals 7:06, 7:05, 7:01). I was pissed that I couldn't pace myself appropriately. I need to get my shit together.
  

  
  

  Since I decided to skip the last interval due to the freaking heat, I did an easy 2 mile cool down.
  

  

  Hot and happy.

  
  

  

  LOVE her...she is me...poor girl.

• 5/25: 10 miles, 8:58/mile. I forget how hilly my mom's area is until I actually start running there. I do love the hills, but I'm not used to it in Columbus. The hills mixed with the heat and humidity were a little rough on me this week. I had it in my head that I was going to run 12 miles for my long run this week. Unfortunately, I did not feel that awesome so I cut it by 2 miles. Also, I learned a valuable lesson during this run. Just because you carry your phone with you doesn't mean you should open it to check messages 4.56 miles into your run. You may check a message that is something you did not expect to see and it may distract you from your task. Oh the emojis I could use right now.
  

  

  Lots of emojis.

  
  

  

  This little shit ran off in the morning, and we spent an hour searching for her.

• 5/26: Rest. I haven't had two complete rest days in months. I was really wishing I had a gym to go to so I could lift. UGH. I just enjoyed the country life and spending time with the family. This also might have been the night I stayed up until 1:30 a.m. drinking an entire bottle of wine by myself, listening to random music, and coloring. I am a cool person.
  

  

  Proof that I used to have a pet squirrel. His name was Timmy.

  
  

  

  My sweet twerps.

• 5/27: 4.01 miles, 8:43/mile. I headed back to the bike trail close-ish to my mom's house for a short run. I miscalculated my mileage for the week and realized I only needed 4 miles instead of 7! This made me happy because it was, again, blazing hot. I'm not handling this well!!
  

  

  Even after a bottle of wine, I can balance in eagle pose while drinking coffee.

  
  

  

  Roop likes to put her butt in my face...

  
  

  

  ...and her face in my butt.

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I had such a fun week. I miss living in the country and wish I could visit my parents more. Wake up, drink coffee, do yoga on the deck, ride 4 wheelers, have an adult bev while the kids nap, eat lots of food, ride more 4 wheelers, color...

This was a mix of the Strawberry Basil Vodka infusion that I made mixed with Lime La Croix.

This was unanimously voted my best yoga pic of the week.

You guys, as much as I enjoyed a little vaca to my mom's house, I'm happy to return to my normal routine. I really missed lifting this week. I still have zero confidence in my ability to do well at this 10k. I wish I had someone to pace me!!!

This week I start my training for marathon number ten! I'm going to try my best to embrace it because I'd like to not do another one until I run Boston (if my 3:10 cushion gets me in!).



Pig to Hoka: It's Hot as Balls Outside

Pig to Hoka: It's Hot as Balls Outside

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Pincha Practice.

I have no idea what happened to the week. This will not be my best recap because I'm doing it all in one sitting. Maybe a shot of the delicious pineapple jalapeno tequila will help make things interesting. BRB....

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• 5/14: 6.54 miles, 8:58/mile; 1 walking mile; Haley's Bis/Tris, 1 hour; I opted for sleep and ran after work in the blazing heat. Just me, the sun, and the asshole geese.
  

  

  Sunset side planks.

• 5/15: After a week of marathon recovery, I'm getting back to some speed workouts. I haven't had that feeling of death in a while. This week wasn't too horrible, but enough to make my legs tired the next day. Workout: 4 up, 12x1 minute faster than goal 10k pace with 1 minute recovery, 1 down. I ran my intervals at 7:03/mile. I didn't feel awesome, but I didn't feel horrible either. I need to do more of this crap.
  

  

  I need to get faster. I've become a turtle.

• 5/16: 5 miles, 9:02/mile; Tacy's Shoulder workout and Z's Stability, 1 hour. Another hot run on the bike trail around the gym. I was so tired from yesterday. So lame. I followed that up with one of my favorite lift sessions to make me feel better.
• 5/17: Chest/Back workout, 1 hour; Yoga balance workout, 30 minutes. I decided I needed a rest day from running since I was going to run long on Friday. I worked my two favorite muscle groups and followed it up with a yoga practice for my legs.
  

  

  Headstand ab work.

• 5/18: 12.01 miles, 9:15/mile. Officially a piece of crap. I was so incredibly fatigued. It was the heat, humidity, and yesterday's yoga workout. My only motivation was the coffee waiting for me at home.
  

  

  Home alone!!! Run, Yoga, Tequila...what more could a woman ask for?!

• 5/19: 5.11 miles, 8:58/mile. A sweet new friend, Mindy, was as excited as I was about the royal wedding. She agreed to meet me at my house before it started so that we could get a handful of miles. Then I watched my boyfriend marry the woman of his dreams. It was quite lovely.
  

  

  I bought this $1.99 headband just for this occasion!

  
  

  

  Kisses from my boy.

  
  

  

  James also dressed for the occasion.

• 5/20: Bis/Tris, 50 minutes. I was in the zone today, people...sweating off all of that stress. I wish I had taken pics when I started to lift regularly. It would be awesome to see my progress. I decided to snap a pic of my bis and tris today.
  

  

  Badass gym momma.

  
  

  

  Biceps.

  
  

  

  Triceps.

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I'm soaking in this decreased mileage the next week. Marathon #10 training starts on Memorial Day! I'm anxiously awaiting June 10th when I should find out about the Sister Cities Marathon Exchange that I applied for. If I am chosen (which is not likely because I typically don't get chosen for things...LOL), I will run the Dresden Marathon in Germany in October and hopefully Boston next April! If I don't get chosen, I'll race a half in the fall and train for Boston (if my 3:10 difference gets me in...EEK). After that, I shall retire from the marathon for at least a year...or half of a year. I haven't decided. I do know that I will never be able to focus on my other goals if I don't take a marathon break. I want  5k, 10k, and half PRs. Is that too much to ask?!

My apologies for being so boring this week. My brain cell supply has been sucked dry.



Pig to Hoka: Can I Even Run Fast?!

Pig to Hoka: Can I Even Run Fast?!

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Snuggles with my lady love.

For the first time in my running life, I haven't run 10 bazillion races per month. I went from running Indy Monumental at the beginning of November to running Carmel at the end of March. After that, it was 5 weeks until Pig...all marathons. I haven't run a shorter race since the Granville 5k I did at the beginning of October. I'm not sure why...I just didn't. Because of that, I'm scared out of my mind to run this 10k. I don't even know if I can run fast anymore. I might actually die on June 3rd.

I like the thought of a 10k PR. I've only raced two 10k's in my lifetime (I did the Columbus 10k back in 2014...a few months after having James. I also ran a July 4th 10k in Hilliard in 2015.). My current PR is 46:20 which isn't awful, but I do believe I can do better than that...eventually. I just can't imagine running anything fast right now.

Whether I like it or not, I have 4 weeks between Pig and Hoka to recover and get my mind into 10k mode.

• 5/7: 2.2 walking miles, 15:08/mile; Chest/Back workout, 40 minutes. Post marathon recovery included a gorgeous walk on a sunny day. I followed that up with a lift session. Lifting was tough today! I didn't realized how fatigued my entire body was from running Flying Pig.
  

  

  I started a new yoga challenge this week called "Cosmic Yogis." I thought this was a fun pic of one of the poses.

• 5/8: 4.54 miles, 10:20/mile; Bis/Tris/Stability, 1 hour. I decided to join my friend, LB, and her friend, Laura, for some easy local miles. I had no idea if my legs would even work, so I was slightly nervous to get out there. Although slow, we survived to see another day. Bonus: no post marathon pain.
• 5/9: 4 miles, 9:20/mile; Back/Glute workout, 50 minutes. I joined Sarah for her speed workout except I didn't do the speed part. She smoked my ass. I was incredibly fatigued and dreaming of a rest day.
  

  

  My crop came in! Sometimes you have to buy things for yourself.

• 5/10: Yoga, 45 minutes. I was fo sho going to rest from running today. I found a yoga balance video to do at the gym. I followed that up with some handstand practice.
  

  

  Pics like this make me feel strong because I couldn't always do this!

• 5/11: 5.01 miles, 8:36/mile; Leg workout, 1 hour. I'm calling this a speed workout. LOL. My local running group had their monthly donut run. Amanda and I set off for 5 miles of an unknown purpose. I was still feeling the marathon fatigue and thought my legs were going to fall off. Despite this, it was enjoyable catching up with my friend in person.
  

  

  My dear friend. [Amanda, ME]

  After the fam left the house that morning, I did lots of cleaning and followed that up with a leg workout. I saw a picture of me on the Flying Pig course, and my legs looked disgustingly skinny. I guess that motivated me to do more leg workouts. I'm tired of looking skinny.
  

  

  When I look down at my legs, I don't feel like they look that skinny. When I see my running pics, it completely ruins whatever image I have in my head about myself. UGH. I just want to look strong.

  
  
• 5/12: 10.01 miles, 9:46/mile. I needed to stay close to home in order to make it to my church's Ladies Breakfast. I met up with Meg and Amy in New Albany for a little 10 miler. The run felt amazing! My legs appreciated taking it easy.
  

  

  Miles with Meg.

  Later that day, I had a small party for my friends who like yoga. It was called Inversions and Infusions. We spent some time drinking wine and making alcohol infusions. We followed that up with some yoga practice.
  

  

  Partay! [Sarah, Meg, ME, Ily, Britt]

  
  

  

  Strawberry Basil Vodka and Pineapple Jalapeno Tequila.

• 5/13: Chest/Shoulder, 45 minutes. Well, Mother's Day blew. I'm just glad I had a good Saturday. If I could have traded Saturday and Sunday, I would have had a great Mother's Day. Unfortunately, I didn't get the run I had in mind, but I was able to get in a rushed lift sesh at The Y while the kiddos were in child watch.
  

  

  This was fun to practice. I was trying to make up a standing balance for the challenge theme "lunar standing balance." I was trying to look like a crescent moon.

   

  

  James wanted to get in on the action with his tree pose.

  
  

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I think recovery week went well. I wanted a few more miles, but I suppose I'll be thankful for the ones I did get. I got in a lot more lifting which was a nice change. This coming week, I'm going to try to be a little more organized. I will throw in some speed work to prep for my 10k and do a long run of no more than 12-13 miles (advice from CRC's Evan). We'll see if a little speed work convinces me that I can run faster miles. The thought makes me want to barf.