Three Things Thursday

1. My long run yesterday was "only" going to be 14 miles, 16 if I felt really good.  I did 12.  I felt like crap.  Every mile felt like it drug on forever.  Usually I start really warming up three or four miles in to a long run.  I kept waiting but the moment never came.  I ate GU, drank Nuun all the things that are supposed to help.  I had on compression socks and one of my beloved Lululemon running skirts.

Maybe it was the crazy wind, the muddy roads I was running on, or the fact that all I had for breakfast was a pancake which I KNOW does not fuel me good.  I didn't hydrate well before or the night before and halfway through the run was STARVING.  Whatever the reason 10 miles in I couldn't believe I still had 4 to go.

I decided at that point to do two more at call it a day.  As much as I HATED to quit before I had in at least 14 miles.  I had to question whether it was really worth it.

In taking stock of the situation

• My legs were tired
• I felt a little nauseated
• I was out of water
• I was hungry
• I was thirsty
• My normal long run pace is around 9 min/mile and I was struggling just to hold on to a 9:45 pace the last four miles.  

2.  The good in yesterday's run.  I have been struggling on and off for about 6 weeks now with hip pain and it is slowly getting better.  Yesterday was the third run I have had that was completlely pain free.  It feels so good to run and not have the dull nagging pain at the start of a run.  I can also sleep on the affected side again so I think (crosses finger) that it is slowly getting better.

3.  I only had to work Tuesday this week.  I had some days vacation days I had to use up or they would expire June 31.   I don't have anything planned other than doing some fun things with the kids like go to the park tomorrow and go on a hike and a picnic today.  

Have you ever quit a run early because it just wasn't productive anymore?

Wednesdays Randoms

I don't know why I didn't know this before but I just discovered I can watch Game of Thrones on my iPad if I download the episodes on iTunes.  For a price of course, but YAY! I have been dying to see Game of Thrones.  I have read the books several times and listened to the first two books on audio while running.  Now I am wondering how long it will be before I break down and buy it on iTunes.

I also gave in and created an Instagram account.  I don't have a phone that it will work on, so I put it on my iPad.  I love how easy it is to use and that you can automatically post to Facebook and/or Twitter so easily.
Like this one of my daughter

 and this one of my motivation board in progress

I am working myself up to get out there and run right now, it is cloudy, windy and looks cold, although I did go out with the kids a bit ago and the temperature isn't too bad, about 50ish.

Today is long run day for the week and it is also a cut back week.  I only have to do 14 miles. It wasn't that long ago that 14 miles would have scared me, now HA!  14 miles, BRING IT ON!  While still not a distance to laugh at it seems so easy compared to the 22 I did last week.

Next week 18 miles, than 22, then HELLO taper time and marathon.  Okay it is STILL 38 days 22 hours and 18 minutes away.  It feels like FOREVER.  I just want to do it already and have that 26.2  under my belt and that bling on the wall and to be able to say

"Yea, I've done a marathon."
"I am a marathoner"

instead of
"No, I just do halfs"

Not that I am discounting half marathon because they are still a hard distance to race and I love doing them. I am proud of the 4 half marathons I have run and I learned a lot from each one. I plan to continue to do them.  I am just ready to tackle another hurdle in my running career.

It has been so inspiring to me to read other bloggers journeys to their first marathon.  I am still trying to figure out where to set my goals for this first marathon.  I don't want to expect too much and yet I don't want to set my sights too low either.

They have pace groups, and it will be the first time I have been in a race with pace groups.  I am trying to decide if I should try to stay with one or not.  I am so used to running by myself I am a little worried running with one will bug me.  Or it could motivate me.

I of course think it would be uber awesome to qualify for Boston, but at this point I am not going to make that a goal, the race is in July and it could be hot and maybe I will just be happy to make it across the finish line.


Anyone seen Game of Thrones?
What kind of goals did you set for your first marathon?

I recently discovered PicMonkey and today played with it for the first time. It is so easy to use.  Here are some pictures from my run today.

 Although some pictures it really didn't do justice to I though, like this one

 I also did this one real quick with just my three most recent race pictures.

Have you tried PicMonkey?  I usually don't mess with pictures much, but this was really easy I may do it some more.  I may even do some with my kids instead of just me :)

My run today overall felt good but it was so windy and hilly that at times it was a little hard to just relax and enjoy the run.  I don't mind hills so much, but the wind just really annoys me.

This week is a cut back week on my training, my long run will only be 12 miles. Then I will build back up and then...TAPER TIME!

Which would you rather have nasty winds or constant hills? 

Unexpected winter run.

Woke up yesterday to a very white world.  I should not have been completely surprised since it was snowing when I got home from work on Friday although by the time we went to bed all the snow had melted and it was raining. 
Those two really flat bushes are my lilac bushes, luckily once the snow was shook off they perked up as did all of our young trees.

 It has been dry here so it was easy to not complain about the rain, but snow..I have been over snow since February.  This is Montana though and I have seen it snow every month of the year except July so I it really isn't unusual. 

It did make me a little cranky in the morning.  I didn't want to run in the snow and be cold. 
 After an hour spent helping my son clean and organize the mess that is his room I was hot and itching for a run. 

The world I went out into was a little chilly, but I was perfectly dressed and found I LOVED the run.  It made me miss winter running.  There was very little wind and lots of fog. The picture below show how foggy it was, you can barely see the antelope staring back at me.

The flowers were so pretty all green and purple in the snow.

and the yucca about to bloom

 I ended up being so glad I went for a run (as always), it was a wonderful difference to the hot hot run I had Monday last week. I think I much prefer a 40 degree run to a 70 degree run.

I went early enough that the mud wasn't too bad on the road either, later when it warmed up some more the gravel roads got pretty sloppy.

Other than cleaning my son's room, making breakfast and going for a run I don't think I did anything productive yesterday.  My husband even took us out to eat and then we took the kids to Cabelas to walk around and look at all the animals on display.

There was no snow this morning when I got up, but it was misting rain.  It is such a happy feeling on your face to run in.  Tomorrow I think the sun is supposed to come out and I am looking forward to that!  Three days of clouds and rain is about enough! I am ready for a little sunshine and putting my running skirt back on.

Three Things Thursday

1. I found some race pictures from the disastrous 10k I did this weekend.  They took a bunch of pictures of the starting line and I am doing this in every single one.

I was trying to figure out the GPS thing on my phone.  That girl next to me is like "what are you doing?"  Check out her long legs.  She is 16 and I used to beat her, now she kicks my pants.  Super speedy, she is getting awesomely fast.

and we are off, I finally had my GPS figured out, too bad it later fell and the battery popped out and I never really got to use it.

and finishing and trying to figure out how much of the course I missed and where.  No way I could have finished a 10k in under 36 minutes.

2. I know people hate it when bloggers make vague announcements, but...

There is a strong possibility of plural Rock and Rolls in my future.  I am beyond excited about it and will share more details soon when I have them.  This will also increase my chances of getting to meet some other bloggers!  YAY YAY and YAY!

3.  Really after that what else can I say, but given the choice would you pick Savannah or San Antonio in November?

Loving the Long Run

Today was a perfect day to run except maybe for the wind, but perfect temp, sunny with some occasional cloud cover is really pretty awesome in my book. I kept an eye out but I saw no snakes today. YAY! I was starting to think snakes were going to just be a part of every run lately.

I really love long runs. I look forward to them. I love the quiet hours out on the road by myself listening to music, podcasts, audiobooks or even just being alone with my thoughts. I love watching the miles tick by, I especially love when I reach the halfway point and know I am on the downhill slide.

I did 22 miles and at the exact same pace I did it last week with an average of 8:59 minute Next week am going to take it easy with a long run of 10 miles, after that I build back up to 22 and then it will be taper time! I will get to experience marathon taper madness. I am strangely excited to see what it is all about. I do reserve the right to change my mind about it.

45 days is going to go by so fast! I feel ready. I wish I would have been able to find a marathon close by that was happening a lot sooner.

Check out this awesome blue sky today. Cola got to chase deer, antelope and birds. I think he had a great run too.

I am loving my new Garmin Forerunner 210. It took a little bit to get used to and I am still adjusting. It is so different from the 305. I loved the 305 and found it so easy to use. I am still trying to get used to not being able to see quite as much information on the screen and had a small moment of "I am taking this watch back tomorrow" until I figured out how to program intervals in.

It also displays the time like a regular watch when not being used for running. I love the pretty teal color and am still figuring out the buttons and what they do.

I love the shape so much better. The 305 is so bulky and way too big for my little wrist, the 210 is still a little big but fits like a dream compared to the 305. I wish I could put my velcro wrist strap on the 210. Overall I am giving it a thumbs up.

I love how cats curl up in the funniest places and then give you this completely disdainful look when you laugh at them.

Do you look forward to or dread taper time?

How do you feel about long runs?

Leg Lube Review, new Simple Hydration winner

I was recently given the opportunity to try Leg Lube.
I will start by saying I have not used shaving gel for years, I prefer to use body wash when I am shaving.  I like  Dove, Oil of Olay, etc.

I love this stuff, my biggest complaint is that I have nearly used it all up already. It smells a little menthol like to me, although they describe it as a fresh scent. I like the scent of it but I don't know that I would call it "fresh". Fresh makes me think of after the rain smell in the country or grass or flowers.  This to me smells clean.

It comes in a gel form and the razor glides over your skin leaving your legs, armpits etc., feeling soft and smooth and moisturized. 

My legs usually feel dry after I shave them if I don't put lotion on them and while I did eventually put on lotion the dryness was not as noticeable.

I mostly used it in the shower but did try out of the shower just to see how I would like it.  It works great out of the shower as well for a quick shave.  I was really impressed and would recommend this product.

FEATURES:• Can be used IN-or-OUT of the SHOWER
• Formulated for both MEN & WOMEN
• FRESH SCENT dissipates after use
• Leaves legs feeling FRESH and “TINGLY”
• EASY-TO-USE (one “bead” is all you need)
• Works EVERYWHERE (legs, face, arms, etc…)
• TSA APPROVED SIZE can be carried-on anywhere in the world
• PARABEN FREE formula with Aloe, Eucalyptus and other essential oils
• Product & Packaging are Made in U.S.A.

It costs 8.95 for a 100ml bottle. 
The size of the bottle makes it convenient for travel and it has a screw on cap which I think would also be good for travel.

I was sent a bottle of Leg Lube free of charge to try out and review but the opinions expressed are my own. This stuff works as great as it claims to.

Also I tried a couple of times to get in contact with the previous winner of the Simple Hydration bottle and have not heard from them sooo the new winner is..

hiker mom at Livin the Fit Life.  Shoot me an email with your info and I will see you get your prize!

As if my Garmin deciding to die wasn't bad enough 10k Race Recap

If you read yesterday's post you read all my ready made excuses as to why I would not get a 10k pr today.  

I didn't PR and I have a completely different list of reasons why.

• I got up this morning to a completely defunct Garmin. Like fried or something. RIP good buddy. (Totally a first world problem that it was so devastating to me.)
• 10 yards into the race my shoe came untied, I stopped to tie my shoe and my phone with a crappy gps timer on it that I couldn't read while running anyway came flying out of my bra and the battery popped out.
• I spent the next couple minutes getting my phone fired up and trying to get the gps system back up, but it was impossible while running, so I decided to just forget it and run naked.
• This was all before the first mile, which was also the only mile marked.
• Yup none of the other miles were marked I had no idea how far I was running to at least help gauge my pace.
• No water along the course after the first mile. 
• I forgot I meant to eat my GU 15 minutes before the race and instead ate it sometime after the first mile WITH NO WATER!  I always wash them down with water.

I finished in 35:50 which is fabulous but I KNEW it was not right. I am pretty fast but I did not run a 10k with 5:48 min/mile pace.

I discovered while talking to other disgruntled runners that I along with about half the 10k racers, missed a turn and only ran about 5 miles.   Other racers just got lost and ran a lot extra.  There was a key corner they should have had someone directing runners at apparently.

I went and disqualified myself, especially when I saw I was the first girl in and I knew there was a girl who had been ahead of me, but finished after me. She said the only reason she ran the right was was because she was in the lead and she was following the biker leading the race.  Apparently even he was confused about the route though.

It would have been close to a PR but that will have to be for another day!

Bummer.

Here is why I think I could have got a PR

• I felt strong.
• I averaged about a 7:10 pace which would barely have pulled a PR.
• I ran with ZERO hip pain for the first time in ..?  about a month I think. ZERO

Alright enough excuses already. But I am bummed about the race, I felt a little like a cheater. At least I wasn't the only one, I was just following the guy in front of me.

My incredible amazing parents went in halfsies with me on a new Garmin.  I could have ordered it off the internet but I wanted instant gratification after that race so I drove all over Billings trying to find a place that was open and sold them on a Sunday. 

Done.

Meet my new buddy, she is just getting charged up to take our first run together tomorrow.  I think I will name this one, I just haven't thought of the right name yet. 

 Kind of a fuzzy picture, but it is the Forerunner 210.  Anyone else have the 210?  Tell me you love it.

Also got my reward from GU for the Strava challenge I participated in.  An 8 pack of the peanut butter GU (my favorite) and a sampler pack.

 Here is what was in the sample pack.  I have tried (and like) everything but the GU brew tabs, so I am excited to try those out too.

Have you ever cut a course short?
I felt a little like a cheater, but at I wasn't alone.

Saturday's Random Running Thoughts

I finally got a good nights sleep last night.  Two nights in a row of not sleeping good had me pretty wiped out on Friday.  I think my kids were pretty tired too as they were in bed early last night.  We also got a much needed rain yesterday so instead of planting my garden in the mud this morning, I guess I will have to go for a run.

Darn.

Tomorrow I am going to do a 10k.  I hadn't really planned on it, but in the end I couldn't resist.  I am going to count it as my speedwork for the week, so this morning I will just do some easy miles.

It is supposed to be hotter than normal this summer.   Boo.  I hope this doesn't mean that the Missoula Marathon is going to be uber hot.   According to their website I can  "Expect to start off in the low 50's and end in the high 70's if you finish around noon"

It starts at 6 am and if I can at least pull off the long pace I have been doing I should finish well before noon. (Like about 10 o'clock)  Since it is my first marathon I really am not sure what to expect other than I will be glad to be done.  I am excited to get my first marathon under my belt.

49 days 23 house and 18 minutes, but who besides the Missoula Marathon website and me are counting?

I just want it to get here already!

Lets talk 10k.

I have done two so far. Neither one felt great, but I am not sure if they are supposed to.  It is a pretty hard distance, at least for me.  Not quite the 5k sprint and not as paced as the half marathon.   I don't know why, but the 5 mile races I have done feel so much easier than the 10k.  Maybe it is a little bit mental. That extra 1.2 miles can feel like a long ways!

Although last week during the Womens Run 5 mile I really had trouble in the middle miles staying focused.  Partially I wonder if it was because I was listening to music.  When I ran Peaks to Prairie I didn't have any music on and I felt so focused.  Or maybe it was just where my mind was that day, since other races I felt like music really helped pull me through.

My 10k PR is 44:45, since I just did 5 miles in 34:54 surely I can PR tomorrow. 
Excuses ready if I don't though

• I didn't taper this week and I did last week before the 5 mile race.
• 5 mile race was on a pretty flat course, tomorrow's has hills.
• I ran 22 miles Tuesday (and it felt great)

I bet I can think of more tomorrow like

• I just wasn't feeling it.
• Those hills really sucked
• My hip was bothering me again

Do you ever have your excuses prepared ahead of time?
What race distance gives you the most trouble?

Three Things Thursday

1. I miss the days when I would go to bed and sleep all night.  Then I had kids and I don't think I have slept all night since.  Last night I was awake from 2 to 4 thinking I should just get up, but I kept hoping I would fall back asleep.  I did of course and was sleeping soundly by the time my alarm went off at 4:45.   I hit the snooze a couple times before finally dragging myself out of bed.

2. Thanks for all the great comments on yesterdays post with my race pictures.  I know sometimes we are our own worst enemy.  I looked at the pictures again and managed to find something positive in each of them.  Like my ripped arms.  I do think they look great and why can't I?  I have afterall worked very hard to get them. It is much funner to find positive things in life than dwell on the negative, like when I look like I am about to vomit.

3. Snakes.  They don't really bother me, but since we do have rattlesnakes around here I do try to avoid them.  I saw one when was running on Tuesday, actually I nearly stepped on it. Thankfully it was recent roadkill.  Wednesday I saw another about a quarter of a mile up the road from where I saw the first one.  Also roadkill.  Makes me wonder if I am seeing this many dead in two days, how many are out slithering throught the field behind my house!

Happy Thursday.

Race pictures good, bad and could have been a lot better.

This one is right after the gun went off, my head is half cut off, could have been a good picture.

 A little fuzzy but my mouth looks funny here

 Maybe the best picture

and these two I just look like I was dry heaving, which might very well have been what I was doing

Guess I can't really complain I thought my last race pictures were good ones.

I know it is kind of dying down but there was recently a lot of commotion in the media about the so called pink slime that is lean finely textured beef.  I came across a great website about it today HERE if you are interested in the facts. 

Also when you have four small kids in the house and you think you smell finger nail polish, trust your nose, investigate sooner than later.

I needed that!

Today was the second time I did a 22 mile run.  The first time I did it, it hurt, I thought I was never going to get done and today it felt amazing.  My first thought was I must be running a lot slower today and conserving energy.  so once I got home I compared my times

4/25/2012 (22 days ago)
21 miles in 3 hours 21 minutes and 51 seconds for an average pace of 9:10 minute miles.

Today
21.15 miles in 3 hours 19 minutes and 19 seconds for an average pace of 8:59 minute miles. 

Boom! 

This run really felt so good!  It was a confidence boosting run.  Last time I ran 22 miles I felt done, I felt like it took everything I had to keep running, keep moving and finish those last two miles and I wondered how on earth I was supposed to be able to run another 4.2 miles.  It seemed impossibly crazy.

Today I felt like I could have kept running.  I wanted to keep running.  It was starting to get pretty warm out by the end of the run, but I am trying to embrace the heat as I will be running my marathon in July when things can be pretty warm.  What an amzing difference in the two runs.

I even ran the last two miles in 8:22  and 8:17. 

Not that I ever doubted I could do 26.2 miles, but this really made me feel like my training is doing great.  My hip is feeling good, I hydrated and fueled good during the run.  I feel ready. 

I think I have shared this one before, but I really do love it. 

I feel like I have come so far in the last two years with my running.  So happy with where I am at right now. 

It might have helped that I have taken it pretty easy the last week to rest up my hip since it was giving me some problems.  I had an ortho sports medicine surgeon look at it yesterday and he thought it seemed like my gluteus medius.  He recommended anti inflammatories, stretching, rolling, icing, all the things I have been doing. 

It does seem to be feeling better, but I am not sure if it is the anti inflammatories I am taking or if it is really getting better.  Either way,  go away hip pain!

I am thinking of doing a 10k this weekend.  I wasn't going to, but I am feeling good and love the great speed workout it gives me.  Plus I really want to do another 10k.  I feel like I can do better than I have at that distance.  I have only done two so far, but am determined that I can run it faster than I have. 

Okay so maybe this wouldn't be a good week to do it since I wouldn't be very rested but I think I will do it anyway.  I am going to skip the next 10k that is coming up since it is too close to my marathon. I have such a hard time resisting a race!

Montana Women's Run 5 Mile Recap

 I picked up my race packet on Wednesday for the 5 mile Womens Run on Saturday.  The shirts are just regular long sleeve cotton shirts.  I keep hoping they will switch to tech shirts, but it wasn't this year.  They always have a pretty design for their shirts.  This year the shirts were a dark purple.

 There was a disapointing lack of swag in the bag.  Last year we at least got chapstick and some great coupons, a pen or two, some mints, and this year.. a fold up comb and mirror.  Race directions and our number. 

 The members of Team Beef Montana that were running the 5 mile met up before the race for a group picture.   All but one of the girls in the red tanks are on my Hood to Coast team. 

 This is a pretty big race for Montana. They tell the faster runners to go up front at the start, but you still see a lot of women at the front of the crowd who are not going to be running very fast.  Kind of annoying, but I have learned to just get right to the front so I don't have to do so much weaving at the start of the race.

The gun went off right at 8 am and we were off.  The first mile felt really good.   I felt great, my legs felt great, my breathing was under control.  I worked on holding an even pace and not going too fast too early in the race.  First mile split was 6:42.

Right after the first mile we turned and suddenly were running into the wind.  This kind of threw me a little and I was having trouble staying focused mentally.  I did pass a couple of girls in the second mile, but ran it a lot slower in 7:02

Miles three and four went by pretty fast and I was feeling pretty good and at the same time still having problems staying focused mentally.  I would start with a mantra and pretty soon would realize I was thinking about the wind or my hip or anything but focusing on the race and my pace would be slowing down.  Splits were 6:54 and 7:08

Mile 5 was with the wind again and I was catching a girl I knew in front of me, we spent most of the last mile leap frogging each other, I kept thinking wow we are really pushing each other and we were but still weren't going much faster than a 7 min/mile pace.  We were both pretty tired.  She ended up crossing the finish line in front of me, but we both finished under 35 minutes.
My goal was to beat last years time of 35:01 and my Garmin time was 34:58 for 5.06 miles for a 6:55 pace so I am happy with that.

Last year I won my age group and this year took 5th in it.  The girl who won my age group also ran in the Olympic Marathon trials earlier this year so I never feel bad about her beating me.

 Not everyone stuck around for awards.

And I got my new computer set up today so hopefully I will be back to blogging and catching up with everyone soon!

Play props and a Simple Hydration Giveaway Winner

I have been having some hip pain... boo.  It isn't really characteristic of IT band pain, hip flexor pain.   It hurts under the iliac crest on the left side.  It is sore when I first start running but then once I warm up I don't notice it anymore.    I couldn't find my foam roller so after work yesterday I went to my favorite running store and got a new one.

They had the basic round foam model like I already have someone in my house and they also had the Rumble Roller.  I tried out the Rumble Roller in the store and was in love.   The price tag was a little higher, but I think it will be worth it.

My husband really liked rolling on it for his back last night.  My son took one look at it and knew exactly what it was really going to be good for.

I don't know why I didn't think of that right away, but it is a perfect stage prop for setting my a cowboys and indians showdown. We had an epic battle as soon as I got it home.

and even though it is beautiful out today with now wind, the sun shining and me not at work, I am taking a rest day to stretch, ice and roll my hip.  I am going to take the kids to the park and pick up my race packet for this weekends 5 mile race.

And the lucky winner of the Simple Hydration water bottle is according to Random.org is...

 who blogs over at Keep On Keeping On...  Congrats!  Email me your info and I will pass it on to them so they can get that out to you!

Monday Motivation

I started doing Bodyrock.tv back in October of 2010.  I was skeptical when I started but soon was following it faithfully.  I kept up with all the new workouts and it wasn't long before I was seeing some results.  It was my first experience with high intensity interval training.  I loved the short intense workout that for the most part were body weight or were done with very minimal equipment.

Fast forward to October of 2011 and the workouts were now involving more equipment and instead of having 3-5 new workouts a week they were very sporadic, she was putting in weird capoiera moves and generally I was going back and doing old workouts or making up my own. 

Then the unthinkable happened, Zuzanna who to me was Bodyrock.tv left Bodyrock.tv.  New hosts were brought in and eventually it seemed to be just Lisa Marie.  For me it was very disruptive to have different hosts and I know I was turned off by Lisa Marie.  I pretty much quit Bodyrock.tv except to go back and do old workouts occasionally. 

I went from doing 4-5 HIIT workouts a week to lucky to get in one or two. My weekly mileage during this time was also going up from averaging in the 20s to averaging in the 30s and now in the 40s.

What is the point of all this?  

I have decided to give Bodyrock.tv and Lisa Marie another chance.  I am not sure I really gave her much of a chance to begin with I was so bummed about Zuzanna leaving.  I am doing the May 30 day challenge. 

L

Here is today's workout done!

 I am doing it two days behind them since sometimes they don't post the workouts until much later in the day and when I want to do it, I want to do it when I  am ready! I also like to have watched the video and have it all ready in my notebook to go so I don't have to waste time getting it done when I just want to get the workout done!

This is tomorrow's workout ready to go!

 Yup, I have a whole drawer in my dresser that is devoted to notebooks for working out.  Two of them are full of Bodyrock workouts that I have done.  It is fun to look see how much progress I have made since I started and go back and do old workouts over.

I also like lots of different colored pens, I keep them here so my kids don't lose them

So far I have done the Fit Test on Day One, and Day Three's Burn and Sculpt Workouts.  I haven't tried the Flow yoga ones yet, not sure why since I think yoga would be good for me and my tight muscles, but maybe I am avoiding it since I am less familiar and therefore less comfortable with it.

Here are their descriptions of the workouts

• Intense Total Body ‘BodyRock Burn’ Workouts – 12 Minute Workouts specifically designed to maximize fat loss.

• Specific Isolated Weighted ‘BodyRock Sculpt’ Program to run alongside the Burn & Flow Components – To Dramatically Improve Overall Toning & Strength.

• ‘BodyRock Flow’ – Improve strength, flexibilty and help create long lean & limber muscles to support the ‘Burn & Sculpt’ Workouts.

This is a little hard to read I know but this is the schedule they have for May.

I have been doing some of Zuzanna's ZWOW workouts and they are pretty good too, but my biggest complaints about them are that

1. They aren't in a HIIT format
2. They are do as many rounds as possible in ten minutes (or some other time) and I want to do HIIT.

 I also have a 5 mile race coming up this weekend.  It is the biggest race in Montana.  The Montana Women's Run, they have almost 8,000 people signed up last I heard.  I think most do the 2 mile race.

I had someone at work ask me last week if I was going to walk the race or jog it.  To which I replied "Neither, I race it"  :)  It's one of my favorite races.  I am not expecting a PR but I do hope for a good time!

What is motivating you this week?

Silent Sunday

What has these country kids so fascinated?

A very large cowpie!

Too much information, sometimes it is better to not know.

I hear it all the time

I can tell you run, you have a runners body.

You move like a runner.

Which makes me think, do I have a runner's body because I run, or do I enjoy running so much because I have a runners body, and do I have a "runner's body"?  What is a runner's body anyway?

In my mind I believe that if you run, you are a runner and so if you are a runner, don't you have a runner's body. We also know that with the right training nearly anyone can run a marathon, which would definitely qualify a person as a runner. Then I go to thinking maybe there is a certain body type that elite level runners share. Are they all short, tall or somewhere inbetween.

Just glancing at an elite distance runner you can see they are very lean.  Sprinters have bigger muscles to help them power down the track, but distance runners don't want all that extra muscle to weigh them down and therefore slow them down.

Training methods aside, the ability to run a marathon in a world-class time will be determined to a large degree by body type and related physiological factors such as oxygen uptake. Variables such as strength to weight ratio, stride length, individual biomechanics, and body fat percentage all factor into marathoning success. Sport scientific research conducted over the past 20 years confirms that the ideal male marathoner will typically be 5 ft 8 in (1.70 m) to 6 ft (1.80 m) tall, with weights between 120 lb (55 kg) to 145 lb (66 kg). For women, the ideal build will range between 5 ft 2 in (1.6 m) and 5 ft 10 in (1.75 m) in height, with weights between 90 lb (41 kg) and 125 lbs (56 kg). These optimum builds are ones that are significantly smaller and slighter than those of the typical North American or European male or female; the Olympic and world championship dominance of African marathoners in recent years, particularly those runners from Kenya and Ethiopia, is confirmation of the importance of size and physique in this demanding sport. source

and there you have it.  At 5'8" I fall within the height but at 130 pounds I am clearly too heavy.  Am I going to stress about that.  Nope.  Pretty happy where I am at.  As this article states  "lean, fit and healthy is a better goal than thin at any price. You are more likely to win with good nutrition than a "perfect" weight."  


That article (which is a very good read) also talks about most elite female runners weighing about 117 lbs and wanting to weigh 114 and race at 112 pounds.  Those would not in my opinion be a healthy weight for me. Sure I could probably clean up my eating a little, but I don't want to be obsessed with it. I think at that weight I would be amenorrheic and stress fractures and amenohrrhea go hand in hand.  I don't want to worry about a stress fracture either.


The vast majority of female runners are not elite runners, but we run, and our bodies are what do the physical part of the running.  Therefore we all have runner's bodies.  


There are a lot of articles out there on the ideal weight for runners.  While I certainly want to be a fast runner, I don't want to obsess over my weight and become a slave to the scale gods.  I love to run and I love to eat.  So far the two things go together very well in my world.


It kind of makes me wish I had not looked up the articles on ideal running weight, especially when they showed how much faster you can run if you lose x amount of weight.  Like if I lost 5 lbs I could run my marathon 4.22 minutes faster.  and losing 10 lbs could make me almost nine minutes faster.  Yowza!


What to do, what to do?  I think I am going to finish this waffle with lots of butter and syrup and go for a run.  My scale will stay where it is half hidden under the pile of laundry.  Hopefully I will forget about how much faster I could be if I lost weight and concentrate on how much faster I can be by training hard!



Thoughts?


P.S.  Did you enter my Simple Hydration giveaway?

You stick it in your pants..Review and Giveaway Part 2. The big reveal.

I know you were all just dying to know what kind of hydration bottle you can stick in your pants, shorts, skirt, hydration belt, etc.  I am wearing it here on the front of my hydration belt.  I ran with it there Monday for ten miles with zero irritation.  This is part of my new long run hydration plan.

If I could do this picture over, I would be giving a thumbs up. 

There were a couple of people that guessed it right.  Simple Hydration! Below is a picture of it hooked into the back of my running skirt.  I have run up to 8 miles with the hooker Simple Hydration bottle hooked into the back of my skirt.

I'm not sure why it looks like I have swass, must be from my hydration belt that I just took off.

So if you are looking for something you don't have to hold in your hand when you run because you like to be hands free like me (although it isn't bad to hold for short distances).

Where should I put this this thing?

Get a Simple Hydration water bottle and you can stick it in your pants (or whatever).

I'll just hook it here!

and run hands free like me.

okay I may or may not be fake running here.

Here is a close up so you can see how well it fits into and hooks on my hydration belt.

I hate ironing obviously and the rectangle on my chest is my ipod in my Handful bra pocket.

Stats from the website

Simple Hydration Water Bottle – 13 oz.

Our innovative hook-shaped bottle allows runners or active individuals to simply hydrate on the go. The bottle slides into a waistband, race belt or pocket easily.

• Contoured shape for a great fit
• Rests comfortably in the hand when drinking
• LDPE
• BPA-Free
• 53 mm cap for easy filling and cleaning
• Top rack dishwasher safe
• Made in the USA

The bottle also to my surprise can stand up by itself on the counter.  I was thinking it wouldn't and thought that a drawback.  I was wrong.

I love that the inventor of these, Brian Hock, writes on his website about how they were tested on his kids running around the living room in them.  You can read about that HERE.  Doing the mystery post was his idea and I love it!

If you entered part 1 of the giveaway great, you are in.  You can earn additional entries by commenting here what you like about this, if you have tried it what you thought, or what you use now and how well you like it.

Also entries can be earned by tweeting or sharing this on FB. If you want you can also like them on Facebook HERE and follow on Twitter HERE

But wait there is more!

More FREE stuff you say...

Brian sent me this note this morning

Thanks for reading Martha's review and participating in the giveaway. While only one person is winner on her blog. I would like to extend this contest and conversation over on the Simple Hydration Facebook page and offer you a discount for your very own Simple Hydration Bottle to try. It's a great way to purchase the bottle without paying full price. Plus, you may just win one. Every fifth person to do these 2 things will win one. 1)  "Like" our page (http://www.facebook.com/SimpleHydration) and 2) Leave a comment on why you want one on our wall and be sure to say "Joan sent me." See how "simple" it can be to have your own bottle. Thanks everyone! You're the best.

Giveaway ends at midnight on May 8th. Winner will be notified via blog post and will have 72 hours to claim their prize.  I was given this free of charge to review.  The opinions expressed are my own and I do recommend one.  The value of this bottle is 19.99.