When Sweat STINGS

I'll tell you when sweat stings, WHEN IT IS IN YOUR EYES! The last several times I have gone out for a run my eyes have start stinging from sweat. yuk.  It is hot and another colorado kicker....Humid.  What..... humid in Colorado?!?  For those of you who don't know Colorado is typically ultra dry.  I love it that way. Crisp, clean, and fresh.  But for whatever reason the last couple of weeks we get these crazy isolated rain showers that just DUMP rain on us.  It is bizarre. They typically show up close to midnight totally light up the sky with lightening and dump rain.  My Dad typically refers to Colorado as "Dusty" but alas, this year it just isn't.

So as you all know my sisters got their hair chopped and congrats to them for being way braver then me.  When I was young I typically had short hair and because of this I am still burnt out and hope to have long hair my whole life. Plus, I look like a male when the hair gets cut.

Here are my luscious chlorine filled, split ended locks of training love.  I decided I am not touching them until then end of summer.  Why pay $$ when I am just gonna go hop in the pool the next day.

So speaking of the pool my tri training has started =) Although, I am running a 10k Saturday so this week is slightly easier.  Workouts this week:

Monday: -Swam 975m (525m swim followed by 6x50's with 10 sec recovery and 6x100's with 20 sec recovery) I did this during adult swim while Peter ate a snack on the side....

               -Later that day I Ran 5 miles with my brother and tried to kick his butt.  He was lying on the grass when we finished and panting so I am thinking.... mission accomplished =) Nice work Bro.

Tuesday: Running Club HARD workout.  20x400's!  Thats right 20. We ran 1x400 at 5k pace directly followed by 1x400 at marathon pace and just kept repeating it for a total of 5 miles.  Try it.  I found it hard, my body didn't like changing up the pace so often... I am a marathoner, I stick to the same pace for hours so switching it up like that really threw me for a breathing loop. After running club I went to barbell class at Lifetime.

Here's my new favorite recovery smoothie.  Fruit is in season and because Sarah keeps posting pics of her smoothies with spinach I decided to contribute my own green smoothie pic.  Cheers Sarah!

Rasberries, Strawberries, Blackberries (they apparently are hiding), Mango, Spinach, Ice, Orange Juice, Protein Powder.

Wednesday: 21 Mile bike ride with a short swim in the middle.  A few friends and myself rode the Sprint Tri loop and then hopped in the pool and quickly busted out a 525m swim.

Thursday:  Ran 5 Miles with eyes stinging with sweat.

This is my new favorite salad..... does anything look familiar?!  If you guess all the ingredients listed in the above smoothie you are correct-o! (except ice, juice and protein of course)  I also grilled some asparagus, cut some cucumber and threw in some carrots and cherry tomatos to complete this lunchtime of delight.

Today: I dunno yet. My 10k is tomorrow and my running Guru says to do nothing.....but I dunno, maybe a short swim?

Saturday: 10k.  Wish me luck. I have no idea how I'll do.  I am sure I'll let you know regardless of either the misery or awesomeness to follow so stay tuned =)

Last night for  a snack I decided to smother some animal crackers with peanut butter (I ended up using about 6 spoonfuls of peanut butter) and drink up some milk.  My milk man comes today and I hate having an overload of milk so I am bound and determined to finish it all up before the next load comes in.  Here's to milk! yum.

So guys, how is training going for y'all? 

Anyone else stinging from sweat?

What about your hairdos?  Done anything crazy awesome like my sista's lately?

me, nope.

What kind of snacks do you like to eat at night?

I am always changing mine up but I am always eating something.  It is out of pure habit I must have food before bed.

Calories need to be burned this week....

So far on this trip I have done nothing but 1. Run the marathon and 2. EAT. That pretty much sums it up. I am getting very anxious to start running more normal miles this week and hopefully adding a few more veggies to my diet.

This week my plan is to run approx. 20-25 miles at least. Although my running group guru says I can go no more then 30. I am fine with that, but this is what is happening in my mind. 

I just spend the last 4 months gaining mileage and building all of this endurance and if I lose it all from this recovery I am going to Bleep da bleepity bleep!  

Does anyone else out there feel this way?  BUT, I have learned that my guru is pretty much always right regardless of what my opinion is so I will gladly....do what he says =)

Moving on.

Todays Workout: run 5 Miles easy with my sweet sista' Heather.  

I love working out together and because it doesn't happen too often we try to make the most of it when we are together. This pic below is of Heather and I at Matt's Bar.  If you ever want to come to MN and eat somewhere that literally has the BEST burger (the birth place and original home of the Juicy Lucy) in the world come here. You will not be disappointed.  I wish I would have taken a picture of the burger....too busy devouring it. But, I will say that it was worth every bite.  It cannot be beaten. For any of you foodie's out there it was featured in this months Food Network magazine. It is really and truly that good.

Next on the Agenda, Tuesdays workout.  Swim, swim, swim! I have a Sprint Tri in 1 month and I have done nothing to get ready for it.  So.... Tuesday I will be swimming. I am going to time myself in an 525m swim and then do a swimming speed workout probably... whose with me?!

Speaking of swimming, this picture is of Heather and I hanging out by the pool at my parents house.  I am currently reading the book, Born to Run.  Have you read it?  Well, I am only on page 9 and I am already hooked.  You can't say something like this:

"She handed him a gourd full of murky liquid. He swallowed a few gulps, and was amazed to feel new energy pulsing through his veins. He got to his feet and scaled the peak like an over-caffeinated Sherpa."(pg 4) 

And not want to get to the bottom of the story.  Any murky beverage whether it be fictional or not that can cause that kind of energy is something any runner is interested in reading about I am sure.

Anywhoo, as this blog post drags on... after the pool I went in and decided to do the next best thing I do while visiting home and that is cook dessert! Last week it was banana madness. So this time I thought I'd try something different.  Below is a Chocolate Shortbread Cookie in the making, and yes that is all butter. Another reason I will be pushing for that 30 miles this week.....

And this pic is of a Rice Pudding. My dad LOVES rice pudding so I thought why not, that goes with Shortbread I think. =)

And the final Combo.....tah dah =) Rice pudding with a Chocolate Shortbread cooke and fresh strawberries on top.  It was delicious.  My Dad and Mom both loved it. double score.

Wednesdays workout: 7 Miles easy.  I am hoping Heather will join me again and if the weather isn't too shabby we can take some pictures of our hometown to show you all the sights.  There are some stairs here that give you one AMAZING workout.  They are so intense that they have races just based off the stairs! It is crazy.  Anyways,  Stay tuned.

Oh and P.S. I went out and ran 5 easy miles on Friday last week and I have one word to describe how my legs felt. lead.  I am hoping this week feels a little better....

Good Monday and Happy Running All -Jen

20 miles.....26.2

Today I set out for my 20 miler.. I felt good, in fact I felt so good that I ended up doing a whole 26.2 miles.  I know what your thinking.  This girl is crazy!  Hear me out, I am running with my sister's in June, we know this.  I have promised my sister Heather that I am going to stick by her side and get her through her first marathon.  Saying that in a way stressed me out, here I was promising her that I would get her through it when I was not even sure if I could do it myself??  It has been a year since my last marathon and I just wasn't sure that I could hold through.  The self doubting was hitting me hard.  I wanted to remember what it felt like to go that far.  I wanted to feel the pain and tiredness in my legs.  So because I was feeling good, I went for it!  Let me break it down for you....

This was me before, I didn't know then what I was in for but I was happy to do my 20 as intended. I wanted to keep and even and steady pace the whole time.  Not jump up and down on my watch so it was pretty important for me to just take it easy.  Not too fast and not too slow.  I had my first GU around 5.6 miles.  I didn't have water with me.  This was going to be my challenge.  Finding WORKING drinking fountains.  I did find some but not enough.  Around mile 19 I bought and Gatorade and carried it to mile 24.  It was heavy and annoying but really helpful in those last few miles.

As I was running up the west side highway, it was so beautiful and it was during that time that I decided to just run 13.1 instead of the 10 and turning around.  I figured I could get to the George Washington Bridge, I pretty much did.  Once I got there I stopped, stretched a little and had my second GU. After that I turned around and headed back.  The scenery was beautiful.

 

This was my time when I stopped my watch at the half way point.  I tried to keep my watch going but did stop it a few times when I had to wait for lots cars or if I needed to stretch more than 30 secs.  I had my third GU around mile 15.5.  I was thirsty.  I really could have used more water. I didn't want to wait to long to take my GUs so I just ate them and waited for the drink later.  I have decided after this I am going to buy one of those water bottles that attaches to your hand.  They are smaller and not as heavy.  Way better. 

I was really important to me that I didn't hit a wall, so I kept my positive thinking going.  I kept saying you are doing this for Heather.  So when you run with her you don't keel over!  I was also doing it for myself, I love running.  I love having personal accomplishments.  It makes me feel so good!  Plus I was thinking this is great prep for your Ultra!

This is me at the end!  I made Scott come down and take a picture of me and also bring me water.  I was thirsty!  Of course I didn't tell him that I listened to music for about 24 miles.  He would have been like "Your Ears!!!" "You are going to lose your hearing you know!"  Hehe... I have been running with out music lately but today I was really enjoying it.  It was cool outside too so I didn't get too hot. It just felt really nice.

So a short breakdown...  Felt good for the first 15-16 miles, started to get tired after that but still ok.  About mile 22 I was really tired and ready to be done.  Mile 25, super annoying because I had to run up and over the bridge to get home!  I mean really lame, I could have used a flat surface.  That would have been great.  Mile 26 ready to be done and would have picked up more speed but like I was saying before, I was trying to keep an even pace. The last quarter of a mile I just kicked into high gear and made it home.

Woohoo!  I was so proud of myself.  Here is a little fun fact.  It is true that runner's are crazy.  The more you run, the crazier you are.  I could almost sit back and watch myself get more crazy by the day.  Getting up to run 26.2 miles just to see if you can do it and also knowing that you are doing it again in 7 weeks....that's crazy talk.  And I know this is only just the beginning!

Yum for my treat after!  All you NYC marathons coming this fall.  Van Leeuwen's ice cream!  It doesn't get much better than that.

Do you ever feel the urge to just run the 26.2 miles? 

What do you like to eat after a good hard workout?

Do you listen to music while you run/workout?

Happy Running to All!!

XX
Sarah

I hate being sick

This post is dedicated to getting sick in the middle of training for a marathon. Yep, that is what happened to me last week.  I will give you a brief Description of how it all went down.

Last Monday I was determined to get in my 20. So I woke up early, and did it.  It felt hard and horrible.  I kept looking down at my Garmin thinking.... why does this pace feel so hard? Then Monday night I started getting achy and feeling like junk. The long and the short of this post is that some days I ran and felt OK, some days I ran and felt like crap and some days I didn't run at all because I knew I was sick, but just wasn't sure how sick I really was. And although Advil(the only dependable pain reliever that works for me) covered up a lot of my discomfort I think that this past week I actually had the FLU! I hate the flu..... I mean seriously, who gets the flu... me apparently. BOO

I guess I didn't realize how crappy I really felt until now I just keep feeling better. Had I known that I actually was that sick maybe I would have not tried so hard to keep at my training plan. But regardless some of those workouts did feel good.

So here is my question. How do you know how much to give when you are sick? I am kind of against just doing nothing unless you feel so miserable that you literally just can't.  I do feel that in the past there have been times when I have felt a cold coming on and an airborne and good run have kicked it to the curb.  So how do you know when to and when not to? Maybe I should lay off the Advil and let myself feel miserable and then I wouldn't be so tempted to just keep at it? I dunno.... any suggestions would be wonderful.

Anyways, at least now I am feeling better and today is the start of a new week =) I hope everyone out there does NOT get the flu and we can all move into the new spring summer seasons Flu, Cold, or whatever annoying virus free!

Happy Training all.  Jen

Oh and just one more shout out to all my Boston Marathon friends who are running today!!!!  WAHOOOO!

Long Slow Run

I am always wondering how fast I should be going for my long slow runs during my training.  I found this short video clip on Runner's World by Bart Yasso.  It is short and to the point.  Very helpful!

Revised Plan

 This is my makeshift workout area where I do the Tracy Anderson Method.

Training has begun and so I have noticed a few kinks that needed to be worked out in the plan.  So over the weekend I revised the plan and have a new one up! 

Sunday will always be a rest day with the Long Slow Distances (LSD) falling on Saturdays.  I threw a day of speed work in there on Tuesdays just to help us improve each week!

I know the training plan is small so if your interested, we can send you a larger PDF.  Just leave a comment below!

What the Heck? (that is my current Injury I decided)

So lately I have been battling an injury. It is a small manageable one and I am able to train through it but at the same time it is really frustrating. I am not 100% sure how to diagnose it, (I have asked the all knowing Boulder Running Company shoe experts what it could be) and they think it is plantar fasciitis. But maybe not, I prefer to call it, What the Heck?

Here are my symptoms:

-my heel hurts typically after a run

-occasionally my whole foot will feel tight (but I can massage it and then it feels fine)

-and now all of a sudden, my heel doesn't hurt so much as my calf was in a HUGE knot one morning when I woke up. (but it is seeming to get better)

Now, here is my dilemma. One of the classic symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis is pain when you wake up in the morning and start walking. I do NOT have this symptom. Nor, do I have any issues with shooting pains up my arch which I have heard is a major symptom. So I ask you, what is my problem!?!

Although I do feel like I am on the mend, it wasn't until I started this lovely regime:

Foaming rolling constantly (AGAIN, I had an IT problem over a year ago which also lead to hours of foam rolling).

Icing after every run, and sometimes at night just to be sure. (also, for those of you who noticed, my sister and I sport the same winter running coat! That's right, if it is good its good and I am proud to say all three of us tend to walk around with similar items on occasion ;))

Wearing supports in my cross training shoes constantly (No more cute shoes for me until this is taken care of.)

AND
Popping Advil on occasion to keep down inflammation

Can you believe this list of things I do daily now in order to keep up this crazy addiction I have called running! 

Here's to you all and hopes that you are all INJURY FREE! Also, if someone out there does have any other diagnoses they would like to share, please do.

Running....

This is my third day of running in a row since my training has begun.  Today was suppose to be a cross training day but the weather was SO NICE here in the frozen tundra I could not help but switch my days around and go for a run.  This was a picture before I headed out.  Notice I don't even need a hat or mittens it is so nice... I think it was around 50 degrees out.

This was when I was done... same pose, lame I know.  Yes and I know that you are all super jealous of my super stylish sunglasses but they are so amazing when you are running.  They are special ones that wont slip off my nose when I sweat and are super light.  And I am one of those people who wears sunglasses even when it is cloudy out so they are a must for runs.

Whatever Works =)

So lately I have been thinking about all the different things that keep me motivated. And then I started to wonder what keeps other people motivated? I have lots of friends who enjoy doing the same things I do. So I started to kind of listen to people talk after a run or workout to see what differents sorts of things motivate different people. Here are a few:

One girlfriend of mine said this after doing 4 x 1 Mile Hill Repeats:

"Now we get to eat go home and eat Bon Bons!!"

Another friend of mine said this after running on the dreadmill:

"I was watching the biggest Loser and seeing all of those people work really hard made me want to finish my workout although it was horrible and on the treadmill!"

And:

"I love a runners high and now I get to have one all day!"

Another Food Item:

"Now I get a Protein Shake."

So, some of them are motivation to eat more, some are because they enjoy the feeling they get when completing a workout, and others seem to find inspiration from watching other people work hard as well. The whole idea of, "If they can do it, I can do it"

So I ask all of you, what motivates you?

P.S. These cute pics were made by my girlfriend Susan who is currently training for the Ragnar SoCal. Go SUSAN! Sarah and I were privileged enough to run with this team last year for the Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back but couldn't fit it in this year! GOOD LUCK LADIES =)

Let the Training Begin!

Today is the first day in our 18 weeks of preparing for Grandma's Marathon. Jen will be following a more advance plan because she is working with a Running Club. Heather and I will be doing a beginners plan which will be perfect. Coming back from injury can be risky so it will be good to slowly get back into it. Heather has been running and has done longer runs and probably could get by doing an intermediate plan but she might risk injury. The goal always for your first time is to finish the marathon. This is the plan that Heather and I will be following from Runner's World. There will be a few tweaks to the calendar seeing how we rest always on Sundays but overall I will stick with this plan.

For my cross training I will be doing a mixture of Tracy Anderson and P90X. I will also try to hit up some yoga classes as well. Heather will be sticking with her Kinetic Edge gym as well as some yoga. As we move forward all three of us will explain more about our recovery runs, easy runs and our occasional speed work. Both Heather and I strongly dislike working on speed so you will hear more about it from Jen. Anybody up for the challenge with us? Questions? Finding local marathons? New comers are welcomed!
And let the games begin!

Oh and Happy Valentine's Day XX

T-5 days

 Since we are on countdown before our training starts, I would like to add in this little clip of inspiration.  It comes from a Belgian man named Stefaan Engels, a.k.a "Marathon Man".

This past year he completed 365 marathons, setting a new world record.  Stefaan ran a marathon everyday averaging about 4 hours to complete.  His fasted time was recorded at 2 hours and 56 minutes. WOW!  Can I just say that this is one crazy man who inspires me to think, yes I can run 2 marathons a year and be ok with that.

Read more about the "Marathon Man" HERE and HERE.


Forest Gump?!

T-MINUS 6 Days and Counting

Well sistas! T-Minus 6 days and counting until official training starts for Grandmas Marathon this June 18th! Anyone out there want to join us?

What training plan to use? What should my weekly mileage look like? What is the course description? Am I gonna Die? No, probably not =) This is a picture of the coarse map. These little pics are very helpful when planning how to train. You can see your elevation loss or gain, twists and turns, loops, etc. It is nice to know what to expect. The more you know the better prepared you will feel.

Lets lace up our shoes and start hitting the pavement! I CAN'T WAIT.

Love you ladies,

Jen

Penne with Spinach Sauce

I do love myself a little Giada every now and then.  And this recipe of hers is quick and easy.  You must give it a try when you need to do some carbo loading for your training. To get the step by step instructions just go HERE.

 

Taken with IPhone camera so please excuse the fuzzies!

Heart Rate and Recovery Runs

In my running club they are having us figure out our Maximum and resting heart rates for training purposes. Heart rate can be used for several different reasons. In our club, one reason would be to make sure on your recovery days you are actually recovering. As runners, I think a general mentality is to just always try to push to go faster and faster which at times can cause more harm then good. So staying within a certain zone on a recovery day can really be helpful for your body. For more information on what an actual Recovery Run is, please click Here.

BUT, I have decided I do not like running Long Slow runs. For these simple reasons.... they are long and extra slow! So what would normally take you 1.5 hrs now takes you almost 2 and for what... to recover???!!! How do you all feel about this? Yesterday was cold, I went 12 miles and I had a hard time staying warm and not getting stiff and I felt it was because I tried to go so slow and stay within what would be my heart rate recovery zone.....CRAZINESS I say!!

Although heart rate is important and so is recovery, I have decided to recover only from 4-6 miles. Then, I am going to turn my long runs back into a variety of tempo and general aerobic runs where you run your natural pace or faster. What do ya think?

On a side note....

This is me sporting my staying warm in the winter running gear. It is important to wear layers so you can shed if necessary. When running I have found all kinds of trees, bushes, etc. that provide excellent hiding spots for extra layers that were making me uncomfortable. Be smart and stay warm!

GOOD MORNING RUNNERS!!

So this is our first post on our training blog. We are three sisters all with some competitive spirit and love of exercise! There are three of us, Jennifer, Heather and Sarah.

Above is Heather and Sarah chillin up in the Big Horn Mountains =)

I (Jen) am the one with stripes on.... thats right, stripes. I am not sure why I bought that shirt either. Anyways, the two dudes in the pic are our dad and our oldest brother James. We have another brother Chad who we love as well, but he was too busy in being in Hollywood and the time =) LOVE YA FAM!!

This is just another cute picture of Sarah.....=) (Of course this was taken after we had finished the Wasatchback Ragnar Relay back in June)

So yep, I am the oldest Jen. I am up at 4:15 (that is when my alarm went off) to get some food into my body and then back to bed until about 5 when I will wake up take a small drive to plant some water and then head out for a 16 mile run today. Nothing like training for a marathon when it is hot outside. Although I am still up in the air on whether it is better to have long runs in the blazing heat or the freezing cold. Too bad you can't just schedule your long runs only on the nice cool spring or fall days =)

Also, a big shout out to Heather my sister who is doing her first 10 mile race today!! She rocks and we know it. I can't wait to hear about it.

Well would you look at the time. I got distracted with blogging and now only have like 15 mins to get some sleep. Later =)