I Guess it Had to Happen Sometime

For the first time ever, I quit.  I've had many runs that have been bad, one's that I barely finished, but this was the first one I just plain quit.  I woke up Sunday a little sick, so I spent the day loading up on all my immune boosting supplements, hoping that when Monday came around, I'd be well enough for my long run.  It didn't work.  I decided to go out and run it anyway, after all, it was just a little cold...I could still run!  My training plan called for a 175 minute run (just under 3 hours) which at my current long run pace would somewhere around 10-11 miles (yep, I'm that slow!).  The run started out fine, I actually ended up "running" into an old friend during my first mile, so we ran together for a bit and chatted.  It was great!  But during that time I ran faster than I should have and my heart rate got way to high.  I'm supposed to run my long runs with my heart rate under 140, but I let it slip too high because I wasn't paying attention to my pace, and it ended up reaching 170's.  After that it was hard to get my heart rate back down, and keep it down.  Eventually I just gave up and decided to try just keeping it under 150, hoping after a mile or so my body would settle down a bit.  Nope.  By the time I finished mile 4, I was running nearly 20 min/mile and still unable to keep my heart rate down.  I was also feeling miserable.  My body just wasn't having it!  Trying to fight off sickness, plus running, plus trying to keep me warm in the rain...it was just too much.

I stopped off in a public park to sit for a few minutes, to see if I could get my heart rate calmed down so I could head home. I knew I'd be short of my required time, but I also knew I couldn't pull off the full 3 hours.  After sitting for a few minutes, my heart rate was still crazy high. That's when I made the decision to ask my husband to come get me.  I was miserable, I was tired and I was cold.  While I probably could have made it home, I knew that at such a high heart rate, it would probably do more harm than good.  

Of course my husband immediately came to get me, thankfully his job allows him the flexibility to do that!  As I sat in the park waiting, I was still trying to accept the decision I made.  In my head I knew it was the right one, but I still questioned it.  I'm just weeks away from my goal race, did I just set myself up for failure?  Are all those weeks I put into training going to go to waste?  Of course not, but I still had those doubts.

I spent the rest of the day in bed, binge watching Netflix.  Since my Garmin has a built in heart rate monitor, I kept an eye on my heart rate.  Even after spending hours in bed, my heart rate was still only in the 90's!  Which for my is high, since it's usually in the 60's.  That helped confirm that I did make the right decision.  My body needed rest, it's working hard to fight off sickness, and running will just make things worse.  So, I'm taking some time off to recover and looking forward to getting back to running soon!  Once my body is ready.

A post shared by Jessica (@runningslowfaster) on Apr 25, 2017 at 9:55am PDT

Love Earth Run Recap

This past week, I got to run another of FitFam's races.  As usual, it was a blast!  It started with getting my swag package in the mail.  The two year old loves to get the mail with me, and she was pretty excited to see the FitFam logo...she knew there was a new medal inside!

Since this race was all about nature, it came with a little seed bomb, which we decided would make a great Earth Day activity.

The kids have been checking it every day to see if the seeds have sprouted yet, they didn't really listen when I told them it'd be a while.  

When Earth Day rolled around, we had planned on going to our local library for some events they had planned, including a 1 mile fun run for kids.  My six year old was the only one who wanted to do it, but then when she found out that she'd be running it by herself, she decided she'd rather just run a mile with me at home.  Which I was totally fine with!  I wasn't a huge fan of her participating in a race that parents couldn't be a part of.  I get why they'd make that a rule, but it still made me uneasy to let my 6 year old run off in a race without me there.  So, the girls and I got all dressed up, and headed out to a local trail to run our mile.

Our matching sparkle skirts definitely got some attention!  But we had fun!  My plan had been to go out for a mile with the girls (about all they can do right now) and then finish up my 5k on my own, but the sun was out and it was such a gorgeous day, we decided to go hiking instead.  

We hiked about 2.5 miles, so we definitely fished up our 5k. Which of course meant I had to take another medal seflie ;)

Want to sign up for the next FitFam event?  Register for the Miles for Mom event and use code: beyourbest10 to save 10%

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Pretending it's Spring

Yesterday I tried to pretend that it's spring.  The sun was out, the weather was in the 50's (warm for around here this time of year) and I was heading out to run.  I was still in my warn up, when I decided it was way too warm for a jacket!

Apparently I was the only one who thought so though.  Since it was such a nice day, there were quite a few people out on the trail, walking, running and cycling. I however, was the only one in short sleeves.  Most people were even wearing winter coats, hats and gloves!  So maybe I'm just crazy?  I don't know.  But it felt great to get out there and run in the warm(ish) weather!

My long run route isn't easy.  It isn't hard exactly, but it's got some hills.  Well, really just one hill...if you could even call it a hill.  Looking at it in person, it doesn't seem that difficult, but it wears on you.  Especially when you've already been running for an hour!  And since I need to keep my heart rate under a certain level for my long runs, it gets pretty difficult.  I find myself running significantly slower on the uphill portion.  Which is saying something because I'm pretty slow to begin with ;) 

I think the hardest part about it is my head.  I've run this trail so many times, I know exactly where it starts to go downhill, when I have to go back uphill, and when it levels out again.  I suppose with most hills, you can see the top and you know you'll get there soon so you power through.  This is just steady elevation with no end in sight.  I've thought about changing my long run course, but I've decided to just stick it out because I know it'll make me stronger the more I run it.  Embrace the hill, right?!

Weekend Running

Well, we all seem to be over our sickness, so the first chance I had to go running, I took it!  Sunday morning came, I was feeling good, the sun was shining and I was ready to go.  Then the two year old woke up and excitedly asked if she could come running with me. I couldn't tell her no!  Then as I was getting her ready, her big sister asked if she could come too.  So, out we went, to run in the sunshine! 

Running with these two means not really running.  Well, some running, some skipping, some walking, some stopping to pick up rocks and some stopping to say "hi" to all the dogs.  But at least we look fabulous doing it.  My 6 year old was soooo excited to by "super matchy" with her running clothes today, so we had to take a picture.

These troopers made it about a mile and half though, which was a great way to start the day!  I dropped them off back at home and headed out for a little while longer on my own.  Looking back at my cadence, you can definitely see when that happened! (yes, I know my cadence is much lower than the suggested 180, but I'm a slow runner!)

Birthday Run and a Giveaway!

Yesterday was my birthday, and I'm now officially 35!  I gotta admit, I'm kind of feeling old.  Thankfully, not too old to run!  Yesterday the sun was shining, and I got to go run outside...which is always wonderful.  

I was sharing on Instagram yesterday, how funny it is that I wanted to run on my birthday.  A couple of years ago I never would have thought I'd want to do that!  Running has changed my life in so many ways, and it's hard to imagine what my days would be like without it.  

So, 3.5 miles to start my first day of being 35, I followed it up with going to a pottery painting place with my kids where I painted this little gnome.

I'm hoping he'll look less creepy when I'm done!  Then of course some coffee,

I came home in the evening to my husband making me a fabulous dinner, and he even cleaned the kitchen when he was done!  It was a great day =)

One other fun thing from the day, is I get the chance to give away some Balega socks for my birthday!  If you haven't yet, head over to my Instagram page to enter!

A post shared by Jessica S (@runningslowfaster) on Mar 23, 2017 at 9:11am PDT

Halfway There!

I'm officially halfway through my half marathon training plan!  Kind of crazy!  I've gotta say, I'm absolutely in love with it.  This training cycle, I decided to try the heart rate training plan from Another Mother Runner.  To say that it's changed my life might be a little dramatic, but it certainly feels that way sometimes!  The idea behind heart rate training, is that you need to keep your heart rate under a certain number so that you're using only your aerobic system rather than your anaerobic.  Most people refer to this as "base building", and that's what the first 6 weeks really were...just training up your aerobic system so you can start gaining speed later in the program.  Which meant many long, slow miles.  Turns out, I kind of love those!  When started week 1 I couldn't go more than about 60-90 seconds without my heart rate getting to high, forcing me to slow down to a walk.  By week 6, I was running 60 minuets no problem.  Now at week 10, I'm running 110 minutes nonstop, and I've taken 4 min/mile off my pace from week 1.  I still have plenty of room for improvement, and I look forward to seeing where it goes in the next 10 weeks!  Some of the best improvements though have been ones I hadn't expected:

-I'm able to run without walking (a new thing for me!)
- I'm consistently running 5-6 days per week
- I LOVE running ❤️
- I no longer dread running, in fact I run for cross training (and sometimes on my extra rest day) because running is all I want to do!
- I've learned to run in a fasted state and no longer rely on gels and caffeine to get me through my runs
- I no longer use headphones when running outdoors. It's amazing!
- My clothes are fitting loosely, and people are asking if I've lost weight. (A nice side effect!)
- I'm not dead after my long runs, I still have plenty of energy left to get me through the rest of my day!

Previous training cycles were exhausting for me.  I'd end up missing at least one run a week because I was just too tired.  I know now that it's because I was running too fast each run, never letting my body build up a good base.  On my long run days, I'd be dead, pretty much useless the rest of the day!  It's totally different now.  Yesterday, I went on my 110 min long run, came home and cleaned to house, played chauffeur a couple of times, made a bunch of food, and had a small party at my house.  I ended up not getting to bed until midnight, and while I was a bit tired by the end of the day, I was also amazed that I was able to do all of that!  Because I started this training with such a poor aerobic base, I know it'll take some time to get where I want to be, but for now I'm absolutely loving it and I'm excited to see what the future holds!

When it Rains, it Pours

After weeks and weeks of complaining about winter, and wishing spring would come...I think I got what I asked for.  Spring is here full force in the form of rain.  Lots of rain.  Constant rain.  Flooding the streets rain.  Careful of what you wish for, right?!  When my long run day came around, there was rain in the forecast, but not until later in the day so I thought there was a chance I would get home before it.  Nope.  I got about half a mile into my long run and it started pouring.  I had dressed accordingly, and it wasn't cold, so I figured I'd keep going for a while.  I could always come come and finish up on the treadmill if needed.  Well, two hours later I was cold and soaked.

My husband called my toward the end of my run, just to make sure I was ok.  I told him it wasn't too bad out, and I had stayed surprisingly dry.  Oh how wrong I was!  When I got home and changed I discovered every single item of clothing I had worn was soaked.  My hat was even dripping!  I guess it's just goes to show what decent running clothes can do...I didn't even realize I was so wet!  Although my socks?  Totally dry.  I love my Balega Blister Resists =) 

So, two hours of running, nonstop, in the rain kind of rocked.  It made me kind of pause and think "Hmm...I guess I am a real runner!"  You'd think at some point it would be easy to call myself a runner, but it's not.  This run, made it easy though. 

Pi Day 5k Recap

Because when the date is 3/14...you run 3.14 miles!  A couple of weeks ago I made the little girls and I some sparkle skirts, and this 5k was the perfect time to try them out! My kids get so excited about running with me, it's pretty much the cutest thing ever.  And the swag packs from FitFam?  Their favorite.  So every month when I do one of their virtual races, they get to join me.  And by "join me" I mean they dress up and run around the block with me for about a mile before they're ready to go home.  I then finish up by myself ;)  Nevertheless, we all love it.  So last night we got out outfits all ready to go.

Of course by the time we were able to go on our run, the rain clouds were rolling in.  Since it was about to rain, we decided to just head into the backyard to run laps for a while.  And of course take pictures ;)

We definitely had TONS of fun!  The rain held out for a little while, so we had plenty of time to "race" back and forth across the yard.  My 10 year old even joined us for a few ;)

I headed out later on my own to run the 5k.  I headed out in the wind and the rain, and I've gotta admit, it was cold!  I finished up, at my slow and steady pace though and now all I need to do is find a space for my new medal!

My final time came in at 1:03:08, slower than I had hoped, but considering the wind and the rain I'm proud of my effort.  

Next up?  The Love Earth Run!  Use coupon code BEYOURBEST10 to save 10% 

The Maiden Voyage

It's hard when you get your new treadmill on rest day.  I did sneak in a few minutes after it was all set up, but I couldn't really do more than that.  So yesterday was my first real run on it.  I got a late start in the morning, and my kids woke up early, so I was still running while they were eating breakfast.  These kids though?  They were nearly as excited as I was about the new treadmill, so they got their breakfast, came out to the garage and sat down on a yoga mat next to me to watch me run.  Awkward?  Maybe.  Cute?  Definitely

I managed to squeeze in about 3 miles, and it felt awesome.  The treadmill was spacious and easy to run on...and I'm totally in love.  My 6 year old asked if she could have my old treadmill though...so I guess I'll have to make space for both of them in the garage!

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My New Best Friend

I got a new treadmill!  I'm super excited!  It's been a long winter, and my cheap, little treadmill has been used a TON.  It was given to me several months ago, which was perfect because I had been debating whether or not I should get a treadmill.  This gave me the opportunity to have one at my disposal and see if I'd use it.  Well use it I did.  I'm actually surprised at how well that thing held up!  It's definitely bottom of the line, and probably shouldn't really even be used for running.  

So, after seeing how much I used the treadmill, we set aside some money and eventually bought one!  I did quite a bit of research, and looked at all the possibilities in my price range, and finally decided on the Gold's Gym 720 Treadmill.  

I'm pretty happy with it!  It has a good motor for the price range and a good speed and incline levels.  Plus it's nice and long and wide.  Plus, I got a good deal on it ;)  It arrived yesterday afternoon, and got dropped directly into my garage to await assembly.

I was going to wait until my husband got home so he could help me set it up, but then he had to work late.  So I figured the last thing he'd want to do after getting home from work at 8 pm is put together a treadmill.  So I, being the loving wife that I am, decided to go ahead and put it together myself ;)  It was surprisingly easy and after a bit of trial and error I got the thing together and ready to go!

I did have to have my husband tighten a couple of the bolts after he got home though ;)  So far it works great!  It's really quiet and feels nice and sturdy.  I'm thinking my new BFF and I are going to be putting in a lot of miles together!

Is it Spring Yet?

For realz.  I'm sure all you Instagram followers are tired of hearing me complaining about the snow, but it's been a really bad winter!  I did manage to get out there and run the other day, and it wasn't too bad.

The snow was almost gone, the sidewalks were pretty clear...it was great!  And then the snow returned.  So I've been using my treadmill for the last several runs, including my long run.  That's tough y'all.  Nearly two hours on a treadmill in the middle of my living room.  Usually I stream a little Netflix on my Kindle Fire which fits nicely onto my treadmill, but since I knew it was going to be a longer run, I set up a tv in front of my treadmill to watch some Gilmore Girls while I ran.

Which worked great...other than I could still see the giant mess all around me ;)  I recently finished up the final season of Gilmore Girls, and now I'm working my way through the Netflix original series. I haven't decided about it yet.  Some things are great, some things are not.  But it's good enough to keep me entertained through my long run!  My long run was great.  I ran about 1 hour and 50 minutes.  Without walking.  I was amazed!  I love my training plan more and more with each passing week.  I never could have done that in the past, primarily because in the past I was always running at a pace that I thought I "should" be running, rather than at a pace that was right for my level of fitness.  I'm still struggling with how slow I am, but I really do love the fact that I was able to run for two hours, then take my kids to a birthday party for three hours (no easy feat!), then come home and make dinner and get the kids to bed...all with plenty of energy.  In the past I'd always be dead the day of my long runs.  So I'm calling that a win!

Sparkle Skirts Everywhere

As I was getting ready for my run this morning, I was thinking how funny it is that I put more thought into what I wear running than I do my everyday clothes.  There's just something about running clothes that I love...tell me I'm not the only one?  One of my favorite things?  Sparkle skirts.  I love them, but sadly I can't afford to buy one in every single color.  I recently got a chunk of money that I had planned on spending on some sparkle skirts, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead, I decided to buy a sewing machine and make my own!  I used to sew quite a bit, but haven't in many years.  After reading some sparkle skirt tutorials, I was pretty confident I could pull it off though.  So I headed to the store with my 50% off coupon and picked out some fabric!

I chose this fun blue to match the shirt for my upcoming Pi Day 5k...super fun!  The tutorial I was following said to get one yard, but I went with two yards just in case.  The author is a smaller size than I am, plus I wanted to try making some for my girls!  All said and done, I spent less than $15 on two yard of fabric, elastic and thread.  I'm calling that a win!  We won't count the cost of the sewing machine ;)

The tutorial was super easy to follow and my new sewing machine was amazingly easy to use!  I kind of love it.  So, I started with the toddler size skirt, and it turned out kind of iffy haha!  The 6 year old's skirt was much better since I got the hang of it.  My skirt turned out pretty well, although slightly too big.  Go figure!  I'll need to do a better job of measuring myself next time ;)

Also, I need some black thread for the waistband!  Once all three skirts were done, I still had plenty of fabric left.  Probably enough to do another skirt, but I don't have enough elastic.  I'm trying to figure out what to do with it, any suggestions?  My kids suggested I make a skirt for Monkey George.  Monkey George is my 2 year old's favorite toy.  She goes nowhere with out him!  So, of course, I made one for Monkey George ;) 

So, all 4 skirts are done, and ready for our race in a couple of weeks!  I can't wait to try them out, and I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures.  Because that's what I do ;)