First One Down

When I came back from my seven mile run this morning, I had a nice little surprise waiting for me. A painful, bruised toenail that I'm sure I will lose soon. I'm also sure this won't be the only toenail casualty of marathon training. On the plus side, the run today was awesome! 7 miles in 1:09 - a little speedy for me :).

Marathon Training Week 7

Week 7 Marathon training completed! This was a high mileage week and I struggled through many of the runs. We went through a heat wave where it was 90+ degrees almost everyday and even hot in the early morning hours.

• Monday: 4 miles before work
• Tuesday: 7 miles before work
• Wednesday: 4 miles before work
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday: 7 miles before work {super slow and really wanted to quit several times but happy I didn't}
• Saturday: 14 miles! Went late in the day and it was really hot but was prepared with a hat and fuel belt. I took it slow and stopped to refill water two times. I struggle with long runs for the first half, but once I got to mile 7, my mind was finally in it. I finished feeling like I could have kept going, which was a good ego boost.
• Sunday: Rest

After several difficult runs during the week, I'm happy with how the long run went. I had a busy week and weekend (worked all day Sunday) and was dreading the long run, not knowing how I would fit it in. Once it was done, I felt like a rockstar, haha.

Marathon Training Week 6

Week 6 of Marathon training served as a mini recovery week from the Half Marathon on Sunday.

• Monday: Rest
  I was so sore from the race the previous day!
• Tuesday: 3.11 mile run before work. I've been coming in early to get my runs in because it's been so hot and it has been working out pretty well.
• Wednesday: 5 mile run before work
• Thursday: Taught yoga in the am and 3 miles at the end of the day. Damn it was hot a five o'clock.
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 6 miles in the morning with Alice in the jogger
• Sunday: Taught yoga in the am and skipped my scheduled 9 mile run because it had gotten way too hot by the time I could head out.

It was definitely a low mileage week, reaching only 17 miles. It's probably best, though to get that proper recovery time from the half. I had planned to move the run from Sunday to Monday, but spoiler alert, it didn't happen. I was beating myself up about it but I need to remember missing one run is okay. It's not like it was one of the 20 milers. I've shifted my schedule starting this week (7) so that my running days are now Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. This way I don't have to try to fit two runs in on the weekend, and can do an easy run with the kiddos one day if I feel like it. It was really good to get two days of yoga in this week and it reminded me how much I needed it. Here's to week 7 (as of now I only have one more run of the week left - a 14 miler - eek)!

Birthday Girl

Baby girl turned one yesterday! We ran six miles together in the am and had a little celebration with family. 

Birth Day

As Alice's first birthday tomorrow approaches closer and closer, I can't help but look back and reflect on this past year and last almost (!) four years with littles. 

To be blunt, Jack was a surprise, and honestly I was scared for maybe a day. I always thought I would wait until my thirties to have kids, and here I am, at twenty-nine, with two.

Because of Adam's work schedule, I'm forced to be pretty independent five nights out of the week (thank heaven for my mom). Before Alice came along, Jack and I would do everything and anything. We would go everywhere together and I'm not ashamed to say that most nights of his three-and-a-half years he's stated up until ten o'clock. 

Then Alice came along. Obviously I loved her, but things we different. I couldn't just take off on a whim and going anywhere needed ample preparation. Tonight, in the eve of her first birthday, I'm realizing I can do it with two. The overwhelming feeling I had for quite a while this last year has faded and confidence grown. 

As I tucked then into bed way too late tonight, I realized it doesn't matter what time they go to bed sometimes. Jack can have ice cream for dinner once in a while.  They are the sweetest little devils and I seriously can't imagine life any other way.

Week 5 Marathon Training

Week 5 was a tough one. I had a super short work-week and was in vacation mode. With a half marathon planned for Sunday, I was going to continue to follow my training plan as scheduled and run the race as a training run. I think I was in denial about the race. I had run the Mad Half before, and knew the hills were killer, but ultimately I think I was in denial because all week I wasn't nervous at all for the race. So with that, here's how the week went.

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 3 solo miles before work and bodypump at lunch
• Wednesday: I was off and ended up being lazy all morning and put off running until noontime and it was so hot! Alice and I made it 6 miles.
• Thursday: 4th of July. No running but I did drink more than my share of beer
• Friday: I was off again and again waited too long. I ended up running 3 miles solo in 28 minutes, which I'm proud of. My training plan doesn't have specific speed work besides "pace" runs on Saturdays so I'm throwing it in here and there. I followed a 1 min hard, 1 min easy, 2,2,3,3,etc. plan for this run. It actually made the time fly by (I know it was only 3 miles but it was 90+ degrees).
• Saturday: 5 miles with Alice, again way too late in the day. It was so freaking hot.
• Sunday: The Mad Half! It ended up being a really (really, really) tough race. At mile 6 I thought I was going to have my first DNF. At this point, Melissa and I were on par to have a 2:45 (eek) finish. We ended up pulling a 2:17, which I was thrilled with. This race is so challenging and the hills in the beginning eat you up.

Waiting for the gun to go off

So happy to be done and shocked I finished

So there it is, week 5 with a total of 30 miles. This is a step down week and I'm happy to have shorter runs on tap all week. Here's to week 6!

Marathon Training Week 4

While I'm trying to get my domain issues figured out, I'll share with you week 4 of marathon training:

• Monday: Rest. Skipped pilates, wasn't really feeling it.
• Tuesday: 4 miles before work with an old friend, coworker, and awesome running mama. Did a Bodypump class at lunchtime. Alice helped me get ready that morning

• Wednesday: 6 miles before work with this pretty lady:

• Thursday: 3 miles in the am as soon as I got to work
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 7 hard-ass noontime miles with the kiddos. We took a pit stop at my mom's new house at mile 4 for some Nuun

• Sunday: 11 miles with Melissa. Felt really awesome and she helped push the jogger!

I closed out the week with 31 miles, and closed the month with 117 miles! Definitely my highest mileage month in quite some time.

I'm Back!

Feeling pretty tech savvy right now! Runfitmama.com is back!

Domain

Hi readers! Not sure how this happened, but I lost my domain. I'm trying to get it figured out but you can still find me at www.runningmamavt.blogspot.com. Thanks and I hope you keep reading!

Update: issue resolved!