running

A 30-something Year of Running 2015

- Mel

Taking a cue again today from another running blogger, Eat Pray Run DC, to reflect a little on this past year’s running experiences in the Year of Running 2015 link-up.

As far as running goals are concerned, I kicked ass this year! I completed my first half marathon and then my second and third — PR’ing each race; I ran my first full marathon under my goal time; I finally finished a 5K under 30 minutes; I also PR’d the Liberty Mile; and I ran my first legit sub 8-minute mile just last week. I’ll do a full 2015 Running Goals update in another post, but this year was pretty amazing.

Best race experience / race experience you would repeat in a heartbeat: By far, the Niagara Falls International Marathon. Prior to this race, I thought I’d be a one-and-done marathoner; and yet, here I am signing up for #2 in 2016! This race was the stuff that makes me feel so complete and fulfilled by this sport. I want to bottle up all of those emotions from Miles 21-26 of that course. Just, simply, an incredible day and experience for my first marathon.

Best run: During my group training runs, I realized my potential — running at a pace much faster than I ever thought possible for long distances. My favorite run was my group’s 16-mile “bridge run” starting from downtown at sunrise and looping around the city and its many bridges in Training Week 15. A camaraderie was born and those ladies helped me through the duration of my marathon training, including designing my 20-mile training run around the Lemieux 6.6 race (which… I haven’t recapped that race, have I?!).

Best new piece of running gear: The Exolite Sonic ear warmers from 180s. In fact, I think all of their cold weather running gear is top notch. Can it start snowing soon so that I can enjoy these things again?

Best running advice this year: “Do not eat the lube on the stick!” LOL (pre-Pittsburgh Half Marathon advice).

Most inspirational runner: Kim Stemple, no question.

“I am going to die; we are all going to die—I just have a little different perspective on it.” Stemple said. “So, I’m doing what makes me happy instead of laying on the couch looking at the loose hair on the pillow.”

She finished the 2015 Marine Corps Marathon in 4:15.

Favorite picture from a race or run this year:THIS.

LOOK AT HOW HAPPY!
LOOK AT HOW HAPPY!

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be? I DID IT! I mean, seriously. My running adventure only began in September 2014, and I have accomplished so much since then. This journey has been so rewarding.

Click through to read all the Year of Running 2015 posts — and add your own:

Eat Pray Run DC

Weekly Therapy: Happy bellies, happy hearts.

- Mel

the week:
I’m giving a lot of gratitude this week: to a holiday-cooked-for-two, and full bellies, and convalescence from this cold that’s been dragging me down all week. I was too sick to run the Turkey Trot this year. And I guess in hindsight, though disappointed, it was the right thing to cancel our travel plans for the holiday. We stayed home, and the boyfriend smoked a small turkey (even though neither of us eats/likes it that much, it was delicious!) and made all the Thanksgiving fixings (enough for a week’s worth of leftovers for 8 people, for sure).

weekend:
Work gave us an extra holiday today, and I’m using a vacation day on Monday. A five-day weekend sounds like perfection right now. I might be crazy enough to go out shopping for some deals (since I have a couple gift cards still yet to use from my birthday/graduation), since I am nowhere started on my Christmas lists yet. At some point this weekend, I’ll get back on my exercise plan that’s been wholly derailed because of this sickness (I’d really like to do the Ugly Sweater Run on Sunday).

Make no mistake, my cats are NOT happy about all this coughing!

52 books in 52 weeks:
#45 Life and Other Near-Death Experiences by Camille Pagan — Quite different of a book that I usually go for, but thanks to Kindle Unlimited for the title suggestion and pulling me out of the non-fiction shelves. Enjoyable, guilty-pleasure sort of read, despite the main character’s cancer diagnosis and (without giving away plot lines) other life shit. Considering the circumstance — her circumstances — the book provoked some optimism in an otherwise tragic story.

seven things, seven days:
1. I found out this week that my favorite face cosmetics brand (the only powder that has ever matched my skin tone and not changed color when I get oily!) has discontinued stocking in the US. So, currently stalking eBay and Australia beauty sites for Napoleon Perdis camera finish compacts. Apparently they ship internationally, but OMG $69 for a compact is a real sticker shock… and I can’t get my checkout order to process anyway, and their customer service is downright awful. DAMMIT IT ALL TO HELL.
2. I was detecting a funky smell somewhere in my kitchen and as I walked around looking for it, I smacked my face right into the side of the table. YEP.
3. Pre-Black Friday Deal: Finally purchased an Apera performance duffle during an online sale this week. Hopefully my search for the perfect gym bag ends here.
4. We started binge-watching The Leftovers on Thanksgiving… and ZOMG. Only 5 episodes into Season 1, so NO SPOILERS, PLEASE!
5. I realized when clearing boxes out of my front closet that my marathon shoes were a half-size smaller than my training shoes in the same exact model. That’s… interesting.
6. Everybody needs to read this: Exercise is not punishment for eating. {via Nia Shanks}
7. The technology that created a whole new generation of runners {via The Atlantic}

Accountability Monday: 11/9-11/15

- Mel

Finally getting back into the groove of a workout schedule, which will change again this week when I return to roller derby league practices (tonight!). If CrossFit is going back into my weekly schedule, then I’m probably looking at early mornings again. My training for the Gasparilla half (and additional race distance nonsense) doesn’t start for a couple more weeks.

I walked to work every day this week, and walked home 2 out of 5 days.

MONDAY: One-hour spin class at the Y, then did a few sets of 60-second plank holds.

TUESDAY: Had happy hour plans after work.

WEDNESDAY: Ran 3 miles at 10:29 pace with run//yoga//run club followed by 75 minutes of hot yoga — GOOD TO BE BACK! I realized that it’s been three weeks since I’ve done yoga and my body definitely needed it.

Running in the dark now (at 6pm, BOO!) with run//yoga//run club.
Running in the dark now (at 6pm, BOO!) with run//yoga//run club.

THURSDAY: More happy hour plans after work, with different friends.

FRIDAY: We had a friend’s birthday party in the evening. I did have a workout scheduled, but skipped it.

SATURDAY: Went to Romp n’ Roll for an hour-and-a-half of roller skating! I CAN STILL SKATE! Although I’ve noticed that my left leg has lost a lot of strength and struggled with left leg-dominated stops. I’m still awkward-AF with my reverse direction crossovers too. I did a few more of those 60-second plank holds too.

SUNDAY: GO BROWNS! Tailgating is a workout, right? 😉

Weekly Therapy: The person you were.

- Mel

the week:
I have a very social week: two happy hours to catch up with friends, another friend’s birthday party, a chocolate-theme party and a business-kinda morning coffee break. Monday spin class. Back to my weekly run//yoga club. Open skate on Saturday afternoon. Tailgating with Pittsburgh Browns Backers (and more friends).

I hope I don’t hate people by the end of this seven-day stretch! But I’m honestly feeling some really good energy in making time for everyone and finding a need to connect (and re-connect).

weekend:
As mentioned above, I plan to put my skates on for the first time in ten months. WFTDA Champs got me all fired up inside about playing roller derby again. So, I’m starting with an open skate and a league practice on Monday to see where I am skill-wise (and to be minimum skills-tested again). And… well, we’ll just go from there. But it probably means more crossfit/weight-training in my life, despite my post last week about watching my money. HA, sorry money! I spent $200 already updating some of my derby equipment!

Saturday night is the much-anticipated (and sold out!) Chocolate Bar event by the Cultural Trust. Oh boy, I hope it’s not lame and that I can eat all the chocolate. In any event, there will be booze, so… I’m set. Sunday, I’ll be (hungover, likely) cheering the Browns with my fellow Backers at Heinz Field (and its proximal parking lots)!

Also: THERE’S AN INTERNET CAT VIDEO FESTIVAL HAPPENING IN PITTSBURGH! (WHAT?!)

52 books in 52 weeks:
#40 Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson — I really enjoy Jenny’s writing style, and this book did not disappoint. At one point I was CRY-LAUGHING that I started almost-sobbing. It was hilarious, maniacal laughter. And you’re dead inside if you don’t laugh while reading this book!

#41 The Woman I Wanted To Be by Diane von Furstenberg — I had this book on my nightstand since receiving it in one of my Popsugar Must Have boxes, and I finally read it. Meh. Pretty boring overall, to be honest, but not completely eye-rolling (though I found it wholly impossible to relate to her life experiences and at times thought there was much fabrication). I found her failings (and subsequent successes) as a business person to be the most interesting and I wish those moments were expanded upon in her memoir.

#42 Popularity Explained: The Social Psychology of Grade School — SNORE. I mostly skimmed through. Incredibly boring and he even admits to a lot of the info being more of what we already know.

#43 Coming Clean by Kimberly Rae Miller — Somehow I ended up reading two memoirs about growing up with hoarders for parents. I’m still finishing the other one. I have a lot of respect for the author, especially considering her strength to maintain a relationship with her parents and their mental illnesses (and regularly, literally, cleaning up their messes).

seven things, seven days:
1. I bought these new capri pants from Fabletics in the Northern Lights fabric (which are amazing because the little stars are all reflective at night)!
2. Went to the annual “Cleaning of the Chandeliers” champagne toast at the Omni hotel yesterday. What a fun little celebration!
3. Preparing for skating again, I pulled my gear bag out of the basement and HOLY SHIT. It smells real bad after ten months.
4. NEW MISSY ELLIOTT!
5. YIKES: Alarming new research on perfectionism {via Science of Us}
6. My boyfriend forwarded this one to me (he knows me so well): The Secret History of Mac n’ Cheese {via Huffington Post}
7. What we think about when we run {via The New Yorker}

Weekly Therapy: …but maybe we should.

- Mel

the week:
I feel as though I haven’t had a chance to think this week, let alone PACK (or, you know… run). Every night I had something on my calendar and to be honest, I’m looking forward to a couple hours in the car by myself tonight.

weekend:
Heading over to O-hi-O for some running (participating) and roller derby (observing). I have the Rock Hall Half Marathon on Sunday, and the WFTDA D2 Playoffs at the Public Auditorium throughout the weekend. Should be a kick-ass, hot-ass weekend.

52 books in 52 weeks:
#29: Seeking Ultra by Paul Klipp – I feel… a bit disingenuous including this in my list, given that it’s about 50 pages long. But I had no idea going in, and was, frankly, disappointed that I was duped into reading this book that’s not really a book (via Kindle). Moving on…

seven things, seven days:
1. Randomly won a $250 visa gift card for taking a survey about healthcare (which I’ll be ironically using to pay a stupid doctor bill; WHYTF do I even have insurance if it covers nothing?).
2. There was a wellness fair in Market Square this week, and I finally got to try some Gluten Free Goat Bakery baked goods (chocolate chip cookie and a cider donut, if you must know). I know that she uses potato starch in her ingredients, but I had already failed at my attempt in having a non-contaminated, nightshade-free lunch (which was so much FAIL), so… YUM.
3. Excited about crossing a few of these cool places to do yoga off my list soon. {via NEXT Pittsburgh}
4. Speaking of yoga, 1600 (SIXTEEN HUNDRED) people signed up for OM in the Outfield next weekend (I am one of them). More like OMG in the Outfield, amiright?! #anxiety
5. I feel like I was reading something that my daily internal monologue posted with this: …Or Maybe, I Don’t. {via Wit & Delight}
6. The psychological obstacles holding you back at work {via The Book of Life}
7. ME, in sum: “If being watched while you undergo a task, even something benign as eating, makes you highly uncomfortable, then you have social anxiety.” Social anxiety and 7 ways to cure it {via A Daring Adventure}

2015 Goals: Halfway Check-in

- Mel

Like others in the blogosphere, I created a list of Running Goals for 2015. Prompted by Chelsea of Pittsburgh City Girl, I wanted to do my own mid-year check-in.

1. Finish my half marathon in 2:20: YEP!
2. 100 individual runs and 500 miles: Based off my training journal, I have 44 recorded runs so far this year (MapMyRun dashboard gives me 51, but I know that I tracked a few courses to work to determine how far I was walking every day); also according to MapMyRun, I’ve logged 195.18 miles so far. I expect while continuing to train for the full, this number to jump exponentially.
3. One race per month: ERRRRRR *buzzer noise* I messed this up already in January; however, I have completed one race a month since April, and I have a race scheduled for every month for the duration of 2015.
4. Get a 5K sub-30 time, which wasn’t identified in that particular post, but was on my goal list: YEP!

As I’m moving through the foundation weeks of my training into the meat of my plan, here are some other goals I’m setting:
1. THREE runs per week. I don’t care if that third run is only a mile. Three times.
2. I need to research speed work, since it’s coming up in my plan; with that, 1x/week speed work.
3. Weight training! Ugh, why do I keep slipping on this? I’m doing a lot of body weight workouts, but I need to get into the weight room and lift some heavy shit. I won’t be unrealistic here, so I’m planning for 1x/week to start, with the eventual goal of 2x/week as I approach my half marathon in August.
4. YOGA. Our work-site lunchtime yoga program has ended, but I really enjoyed that break away from my desk every week. The PNC YMCA has its own lunchtime yoga sessions twice a week (and I already pay for a Y membership), so I’ll pick a day and make it part of my regular schedule. I fully intend to continue going to run//yoga club on Wednesday evenings so long as that’s still happening. My goal is to keep up with my 2x/week plan.
5. Run AT LEAST once a month with SCRR. I have this amazing group at my disposal, and keep making excuses for not joining in on the training runs (and not setting my alarm for weekends). I really had fun at Open Streets last weekend with the group, and I love my Wednesday night running group. Plus, I’m going to need that support when I start approaching these double-digit weeks.

How are you doing on your goals so far this year?

Training Week 2: Niagara Falls International Marathon

- Mel

While I did increase my mileage this week, I did not meet my frequency plan. One day I feel really awesome, and then the next I’m struggling like a beginner all over again. I’m wondering when my body will acclimate to this heat.

MONDAY: Rest Day

TUESDAY: Flipped my training plan, since I found out about the Flash 5K Pop-Up on Thursday (which, news flash, I didn’t end up doing), so I did some cross-training. Similar to the Kick My Ass workout that burned last Thursday, but did a few sets of push-ups instead of planks.

WEDNESDAY: Lunchtime yoga (1 hour, restorative) / run//yoga club at Urban Elements, we did 4 miles at a 9:20 pace.

urban elements run yoga club pittsburgh
run//yoga club!

THURSDAY: Flash 5K! Er, nope.

FRIDAY: Rest Day

SATURDAY: I did my 108 sun salutations to welcome in the summer solstice. It was a lot harder than I anticipated. I hoped to do it outside or at a studio, but after canceling the Flash run the other night, I knew that I couldn’t rely on going anywhere else (plus the weather outside wasn’t having it).

SUNDAY: Break in my new shoes (and new sunglasses and new armband) — and run (almost) 5 miles. This was the grossest, worst training run I’ve had since I started running in September. WAY too hot, humid — I had to stop after 2 miles… and then after 3. I walked after 3.5 for about 5 minutes before running again. I started cramping up (side stitch) too, even though I was barely doing a 12:00 pace. I barely eeked out that 4.91 miles, holy Lord. I feel terrible. Afterward (and after a cold shower), I was so tired that I had to nap — and was cold but sweating profusely. Something went terribly wrong today, and I don’t know what.

Replacement Saucony Ride 7 (in a different color -- I love these shoes! And my new armband from ArmPocket.
Replacement Saucony Ride 7 (in a different color — I love these shoes! And my new armband from ArmPocket.

Weekly Runs: 2
Weekly Miles: 8.91 miles
Total Training Miles: 6.02 + 8.91 = 14.93 miles
*also walked 5 out of 5 days to/from work for 10-ish extra miles, not included in the training total

It’s now finals week, and I have a baseball game AND a concert this week, so it will be tough to fit in three runs this week; however, that’s my foundation goal for upcoming Week 3. How are you doing on your training plan?

Race Recap: Stride for Pride 5K

- Mel

I’ve been working hard to get my 5K time under 30 minutes since October, and was seriously bummed after what happened at the RnR 5K a few months ago. So I scheduled two 5Ks in June — the Stride for Pride and Gold Jacket Hall of Fame — to try to reach my goal again.

Pre-race: my new Fabletics pants are awesome.
Pre-race: my new Fabletics pants are awesome.

This past Sunday was the Stride for Pride. I didn’t sleep that well the night before, but the start was a little later in the morning to help adjust. AND I could walk to the start line, so that was already a win.

Registration and Cost: Early registration was $20, and I received a $5 discount with my SCRR membership.

Packet Pick-Up: I couldn’t get to Shadyside for pre-race packet pick-up, so went over about 15 minutes before race start time to pick up my bib and swag bag. There was a line, given only two people were working the registration table; but with only a couple hundred runners total doing this race, everything moved quickly.

stride for pride 5k start line pittsburgh
Start line!

Weather: Before I even reached the start line, I was muttering to myself about the heat (and the fact that I wore capris instead of shorts). Don’t get me wrong, it was a beautiful day, but I just haven’t switched over to my shorts game yet.

Course: Out-and-back down the north shore trail — my stomping grounds! Easy, mostly flat, a little gravel to deal with, but not a challenging course by any stretch. I like that it wasn’t closed to the usual traffic of runners and bicyclists — although the race certainly overwhelmed the path.

LOVE this image from the course photographer, but OMG I look so warm.
LOVE this image from the course photographer, but OMG I look so warm.

Charity: The purpose of this race was near and dear to my heart, benefitting The Stride for Pride Student Community Leadership Scholarship and awarding a self-identified LGBT (Pittsburgh area) student with a $1,500 scholarship.

Stride for Pride and its beneficiary foundation strive for Pittsburgh to be a community that supports equal rights and equal love. We are so grateful to have the Pittsburgh community rally around this event during Pittsburgh Pride week and hope to create an event that is welcoming to ALL members of this beautiful, colorful community! Join us to run or walk with PRIDE!

Finish Line: I finished within the top 100 and there were already NO bananas left when I got to the refreshments table. I couldn’t have the cookies or bagels because gluten. Also, no water bottles, which sucked (considering I had to walk home and a dixie cup just wasn’t enough with that heat). I was unfortunately not prepared (and obviously have been spoiled by other races).

Medals and Swag: No medals for this race, but I really liked the t-shirt design! The lululemon handled bag was nice too. Thankfully I found a friend who was running — who had someone NOT running with her to hold my stuff.

After Party: Since my sister and niece were visiting, I didn’t stick around for the medal ceremony. Went home for my usual post-run chocolate milk treat (and a shower), and we spent the afternoon at the Aviary.

OVERALL
The Great: SUB-30 MINUTE 5K!
The Good: pacers!
The Bad: Ugh, I shouldn’t have worn capri pants.
The Ugly: OMG, so thirsty.

OH MY GOODNESS, ALL THE EXCITEMENT!
OH MY GOODNESS, ALL THE EXCITEMENT! (watch time, unofficial, obvs)

RESULTS
#94 (8th in my age group) with an Official Time of: 28:15.42 (Pace: 9:07/mi)

See more race day photos here.

Accountability Week and May Wrap-Up

- Mel

I’ve got one accountability week left until I start training for the marathon (*gasp*). There isn’t/wasn’t much accountability this week, as I was considerably sore for a few days after my yoga retreat (and inadvertently glutened at some point too).

yoga//run club (me, on right)
run//yoga club (me, on right)

May was mostly a month of rest from running (or short runs), as I considered my plans for my full in October and recovered from the half. May I totaled 29.42 miles, which includes the Pittsburgh Half Marathon.

MONDAY REST

TUESDAY REST

WEDNESDAY No lunchtime yoga this week. In run//yoga club after work, we covered 3 miles at about a 10-min pace, and it was another 75 (tough) minutes of hot yoga. Man, I was still so very tired and realized that I needed much more recovery.

THURSDAY So, REST

FRIDAY And REST.

SATURDAY Does running around cleaning, moving furniture, setting up for the yard sale, and chasing my six-year-old niece count? Because I’m beat! #functionalfitness

SUNDAY Ran the Stride for Pride 5K (recap coming!)

Total miles: 6.22
I also walked my round-trip commute to work 4 out of 5 days this week.

Next week’s post will be Marathon Training Week #1!

Weekly Therapy: Breaking shit and taking names (and calling contractors)

- Mel

the week:
What do you do with transformative thoughts and experiences? Allow them to ruminate for a while until you see what resides — what sticks? Or use them impulsively as a catalyst for changing everything in your life that no longer resonates?

I don’t know if this is the rumblings of a mid-life crisis or the emergence and clarity from one.

weekend:
Our neighborhood’s yard sale is this weekend, and I’m so excited to chuck a bunch of shit that’s been cluttering my life and home. This process is step one for creating an office slash relaxation space for me in the attic. Don’t put it past me to paint everything by Sunday. Side note: we now have air conditioning up on the third floor, which makes it more a loft than an attic now. Even if said new air-conditioning unit sounds like a helicopter landing on the roof.

I’m also excited to have my sister and niece out for the weekend. I’ll be running a quickie 5K Stride for Pride on Sunday morning (hopefully, PR’ing too) and will find a place to lay my yoga mat outside in the park soon after. My sister is a yoga instructor, so maybe she can show me some other fun inversions to practice.

52 books in 52 weeks:
#18: Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Harmful Acts by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson

I really enjoyed this book — even more as I got further into it. If you’re a social psych junkie and interested in things like confirmation bias and self-justification, this is the book for you!

#19: Gluten is My Bitch: Rants, Recipes, and Ridiculousness for the Gluten-Free by April Peveteaux

I wanted to like this book more than I did, but it was thankfully a quick read so it didn’t waste too much of my time (especially skipping through all the recipes). Nothing new or mind-blowing here, if you’re already gluten-free, except for maybe an enhanced fear of cross-contamination.

seven things, seven days:
1. Ugh, student loans, amirite?
2. The main air conditioning unit won’t turn on. Looking forward to these 90-degree temps this weekend, for sure! (I’ll be hanging out in the attic with the new wall unit.)
3. Remember how much fun I had coloring at the Happiness Conspiracy sessions? Well, Skyhorse Publishing sent me a new coloring book: Paisleys: Coloring for Everyone. I’m going to enjoy this immensely.
4. I broke a door knob off in my house this week too because, you know, you fix a few things in the house and more shit breaks in their place. It’s a never-ending cycle of WTF, house?
5. There’s an Evereve store opening in Pittsburgh next week! It’s dubbed “clothing for moms,” but I think it’s 30-something-appropriate and fun even if you’re child-free. And I’m all about easy, functional, comfortable clothing.
6. I’m out of coffee right now, and have no microwave, so I just heated up yesterday’s leftovers in a pot on the stove. This life is glamorous, I tell you.
7. The benefits of boredom {via Greatist}