Health is Wealth!

I was feeling a bit under the weather this morning. I think it was a combination of the people coughing and sneezing at the airport and on the plane. That exposure is never good, plus getting soaked in the rain on my Tuesday run didn't help any.

Anyway, this morning I got my 3 miles in. I would have liked it to be a bit faster, but I'll take the 9:30 pace all things considered. 

I'm thankful tomorrow is a rest day. Looking to get some good sleep tonight and ride out the waves of this yuck that's trying to grab me.

My next run is scheduled for Saturday morning. 9 miles! I really have no idea how I'll be feeling then. Will I do the full run? A shorter run? Or skip it altogether?

I know it's important throughout this experience to honor my body and keep it as healthy as possible. When I feel this way rest tends to work better for me than trying to "sweat it out".

Send me all your good and healthy vibes!!

15 sessions down and 74 more to go!

Treadmill day!

I'm back on the treadmill this week for interval training. The plan called for a 4 mile run. I started with a 2 minute warm up and then got right into my 2:1 intervals. I started with a 6.5 base and 7.5 interval then bumped it up to 6.7 and 7.7, 6.8 and 7.8 and my last push was an 8.0. 

I did a total of 10 sprints and finished with my 6.5 speed and gradually stepping down to a walk.

As the training plan moves forward I think I'm going to keep my Wednesday runs shorter with more intense bursts of speed. My original training plan did not incorporate speedwork or intervals so instead of scaling up to 10 mile straight runs I think I'll keep them around 3 or 4 miles with sprints.

Feeling good about how week 4 is going so far and happy that my interval runs feel so much better than week 1!

14 sessions done, 75 more to go!

Squishy Squishy

Rain has a way of motivating people. Today was my day. I was trying to get out before the rain, but just 5 minutes after I started the sky opened and the rain came down.

I really don't like running in the rain and so far I've been very fortunate to avoid it. As soon as the rain started I took the quickest route back to the house. I was going to call it a day when I got to the house at 1.75 miles, but I was so soaked and I'm not a quitter so I just sucked it up and finished the 3 miles running around the neighborhood staying closer to the house. 

Thankfully I'm a pretty good planner and brought a plastic bag to put my phone it. No phones lost today! 

Things don't always go our way. Things don't always go to plan. We can do our best to live in the moment and that's exactly what I did.

Also after my run when I was leaving my house I got stung by a wasp. I haven't been stung since I was a child!

So needless to say I've had an eventful day. Now I'm looking forward to a relaxing evening 🧘🏻‍♀️

13 sessions down, 76 more to go!

Welcome to New Hampshire 

Today my run was 5 miles long. It was my first trail run (grass, dirt and stone path). I didn't see anyone on the path which was peaceful, but also a little unsettling lol. I didn't know what I might run into or rather what might run into me. I know nature is a powerful thing.

I kept a pace between 9:49 and 10:31 making my average pace 10:08.

I ran past railroad tracks, vast fields surrounded by the white mountains, a lake and the forest. 

As soon as I stopped running I was basically swarmed by buzzing bugs! So instead of my walking cooldown I had to jog to the car and try to get in without the bugs getting in. I drove away with the windows open because there were some hitchhikers lol.

Anyway,  to date that was definitely one of my more adventurous runs! 

Ready to enjoy some rest until my next run on Tuesday!

12 sessions down,  77 more to go!

Ready to run🏃‍♀️

I got up early today and wanted to get my run in before the adventures of the day started. Today's training was a 3 mile run.

At 6am the temperature was 55°! By 7am it warmed up to 57°, but I didn't have time to wait around so I put on the warm gear I brought with me (hat, gloves and long sleeved shirt). I walked from the AirBNB to the Burlington Bike Path and began my run. 

I saw one lady running in a sports bra and shorts and other with tanks and shorts.  BRRRRR! Too cold for this Florida girl. 

My hamstrings were a bit tight, but I can't complain because the run went well. Once again Vermont provided beautiful scenery. 

Tomorrow is a rest day even though I know I'll be getting my steps in. I've really been enjoying the vacation so far and exploring different places throughout the state.

New places to run

I'm on vacation, but still committed to getting my training runs in. This requires holding the runs as priority and scheduling them as best as I can despite circumstances. 

Ahead of leaving I searched online for possible running spots. You never quite know how things will work out or if these places are what you'd expect and will suit your needs. 

I was up early this morning to catch my 7:30am flight. Landed in Manchester,  NH around 10:30 and had dinner plans in Burlington,  VT at 6:45. The time in between was open to do as I please. 

I scoped out a lunch place prior to leaving in Waterbury,  VT and arrived at 1pm. I was hungry and had delicious soup and salad and left satisfied with a full belly. My next stop was the Ben & Jerry's factory because I have a sweet tooth and not going while being so close was NOT an option lol. 

I got a ticket for the 2:10pm tour and they had samples of strawberry cheesecake ice cream for us at the end of the tour. In addition to that I ended up buying some Pucker up sorbet to try something new and refreshing (which is was on this warm summer day).

Next up was my running spot. That's right, after eating ice cream I was going on a run. By 3:30pm I was warming up on the trail and off for my 4 mile run! Ideal no, done yes! Successfully too!

The path was paved with wooden bridges over the river / stream, scenic views and bits of elevation that we don't have in Florida. I enjoyed it very much and while my pace wasn't quite as fast as previous runs I still managed to keep it under a 10 minute mile pace. 

I didn't feel sick and overall was pleased with my run and my effort.

Afterward I stopped at a cider place and treated myself to a cider slush on the way to the AirBNB I was meeting my friends at.

I had a lovely full day in a state I've never been to before and beautiful weather too!

10 sessions down, 79 to go!

Week 3! Here we go!

I was really hoping to run outside today, but the rain had other plans. I got my 3 miles in on the treadmill. Since my last treadmill run aggravated my inner thigh I knew I had to warm up and hope for the best.

After a short warmup I set the speed to 6.5 or a 9:13 / mile pace. I held that pace for the first mile then bumped it up to 6.6 or a 9:05 / mile pace. No inteverals today, just a nice smooth run. 

About a mile and a half into my run my shoelace came undone. I really try to avoid stopping the treadmill once I get going, but I knew I wouldn't be a happy camper if my stubbornness cause another injured so I sucked it up, tied my shoe quickly and got right back to it.

Keeping my steps quick and my strides smaller really helped. I didn't feel the same pain I had last week. Although it's not all the way gone I definitely feel like I'm on my way to recovery. Listening to your body is important so I will be more mindful of it's messages going forward 

All in all a great start to week 3! Tomorrow I'm heading up to New England and Canada for vacation and as long as the body is feeling good I'm planning on 3 runs. Looking forward to the milder temperatures and different scenery. 

Either way I'll be staying active with lots of walking around and some hiking.

Do you enjoy running in new places? I've done it on many of my travels while I was on one training plan or another and I enjoy the experience of exploring the areas I'm visiting on foot🏃‍♀️

9 sessions down 80 more to go!

P.S. this count may be offer as I can't remember if I was only including my runs or also my cross training. I'll figure it out soon. 

Onward!