Running Lately

Well, it has been a hot minute since my last blog post. I started to just make a Facebook post about today’s run, but I did not like the way the photos were cropped. The sun is shining brightly, and the sky is so blue. I want it all to show in the photos. I have run outside quite a bit lately, so I will add photos from those runs as well. Treadmill photos are not as blog worthy. Lol. Today’s run marks 596 days straight of running at least one mile a day.

I usually run on the treadmill because it is convenient, but I have a 10k coming up in two weeks, and I know I will be sore if I do not run outside before the race, so I mentioned to my girls that I was thinking about running outside today. Two of them decided to go with me. Since I needed four miles, I urged them to take their bicycles. My sweet girl in the photo above parked her bike about a half mile before our turn-around point and ran with me for close to a mile. I have a feeling she will be running circles around me by junior high.

This silly girl refused to take any photos, but I snagged this one after she ran into the fence and fell over laughing. I tried to snap it while she was on the ground, but she was too fast.

I was afraid this action shot would be blurry, but it turned out perfectly! I need to get my girls some bottle holders for their bicycles and some running/cycling gear because they stole my shirt and jacket.

I had a different combination of two daughters on Thursday’s training run. They each ran about a mile before heading home, leaving me to run another mile alone, but I will take a mile with them over nothing at all.

My husband and I recently spent some time with family in Illinois, and I had no choice but to run outside. I could not let my run streak end just because it was cold and I did not have access to a treadmill. My running gear was a bit different for those runs than my runs back home.

I enjoy seeing snow and frozen ponds while running up north. It is so different than Texas running.

The only problem with running in colder weather while out of town is how much I have to try to fit in my suitcase!

The photo above was from last Sunday during a wind advisory. It was cold and reminded me of our crazy weather the day we ran Hot Chocolate Dallas.

I ran the 15k for the fourth year in a row and actually saw a few snowflakes falling intermittently.

My daughter and her bestie ran the 5k. I felt terrible that their first Hot Chocolate experience was so miserably cold and windy, but they had fun and want to run it again next year.

2/2/22

If you know me, you know I love numbers, math, patterns in numbers, etc. Yesterday’s date was fun, unique, and special to me. It was my 44th birthday, and if you play around with all those twos, you can make 44 out of them. My son recently turned 16 on the 16th. I turned two on the second so long ago that I have no recollection of it, so this was the next best thing.

If you have been following my blog or Facebook posts for the last 18 months, you will know that I have been running every day since July 26, 2020. I like to do fun things when I reach certain numbers of days run. For example, on RSD (run streak day) 500, I ran 5 miles and spent 50 minutes on the elliptical. I decided to do the same with yesterday’s date, so I started out with a quick 2-mile run outside.

Then I jumped on the elliptical for 22 minutes. I have been having issues with my right hip after running, and the elliptical helps to loosen it up and keeps me from getting sore after a run.

I had to take a break from working out to take my daughter to the chiropractor for some knee issues she has been having. I was listening in on a work call while chauffeuring her around.

I ran another two miles on the treadmill after lunch. That Surf Shelf attached to my treadmill keeps my work laptop in view, so I can answer questions or stop and work on something as needed.

I spent another 22 minutes on the elliptical after my run. By this point, my body was realizing that I had spent about 80 minutes working out, but I wasn’t finished. I did two sets of 22 pushups, one set of 44 crunches, and two sets of 44 squats.

I guess you could say I celebrated my birthday by celebrating what my body can do. This body has done a lot in 44 years—carried four children, ran three marathons and several half marathons, built French drains, moved rocks and stones to build pathways, flower beds, and a fire pit, and so much more!—but my body is still strong and able, and I will continue to push myself to be fit and active because I enjoy the challenge and the activity.

Miles and Milestones

Yesterday, I hit 1300 miles for this year. I ran 1.7 miles with my twins and then hit the elliptical for another 4.3 miles to make it an even 6 for the day. I need to average just under 6 miles per day to reach my goal of 2021 for the year. Since I have always been an overachiever, I try to get a minimum of 6 miles each day. This ensures that I will reach my goal even when I have a crazy day and do not complete more than a couple miles or when I decide to take a rest day and just run one slow mile.

Yesterday was also run streak day 400 for me. I have run a minimum of one mile a day every day for 401 days now because I already ran this morning. This might sound impressive, but I saw a post from a lady over the weekend who was on day 2,000-something of her run streak. Now that is impressive! I hope I stay healthy enough to keep my run streak going that long.

My goal was just to be consistent, so I challenged myself to run every day for a year. I ran a full marathon in December 2018 and another in January 2020, but my times were not what I would have liked, and I knew most of that was due to my inconsistency in running. I have no plans to run another marathon anytime soon, but I do run several races throughout the year, and I want to be prepared and not to be sore the few days after each race. I tend to be a bit competitive in races and push myself to keep up with or stay ahead of other women, especially if they look like they are in my age group. I have been doing this since my very first 10k eleven years ago. You would think I would have learned by now to just enjoy the race.

Still Streaking

I started a run streak on July 25, 2020, after struggling with consistency for months. I committed last July to run a minimum of one mile a day every day for as long as I could. I did not always feel like running. I did not always have time to run. I sometimes dozed off after putting kids to bed only to wake up in a panic around 11 pm to run a mile before going back to bed. But I did it.

I have now completed run streak day 374, which means I have run every day for over a year. I did not have a chance to post on the 25th, but I celebrated RSD 365 by running 3.65 miles and then spending 36.5 minutes on the elliptical. I take that headband seriously these days. There is no question as to whether I will run or not. The only question is how far.

July was my best month for miles, averaging just over 6.2 per day. It would have been higher, but I had a busy week and only ran a mile or two on three different days last week. I am still a little behind where I should be for Run the Year (2021 miles in 2021), but I am catching up and should be able to complete the miles as long as I continue averaging six miles per day. I earned my 1100 mile badge last week, and I have now completed 1138 miles, so I have less than 1000 to go!

Running the Year

Back in January, I posted about my running goals and mentioned that my goal is to “run the year” (run 2021 miles). I am happy to report that I hit 1,000 miles today! I know I am a couple of weeks behind, but I feel confident that I will reach my goal by the end of the year. If you are interested in joining me in running the year, visit Run the Year and save $3 on RTY 2021 Registration by using my link.

I started off the year doing well, but I fell short of averaging 5.54 miles per day in February and March. As you can see from the graph below, I got back on track in April and have averaged 5.6 to 6.1 miles per day over the last three months. So far, I have averaged 6.67 miles per day for July. I need to average 5.9 miles per day for the rest of the year to reach 2021 by December 31st.

I have continued my run streak and just reached day 352 today. In less than two weeks, I will complete an entire year of running a minimum of one mile a day. I recently challenged myself to run at least three miles a day instead of getting by with one or two running and then completing the other miles on the elliptical. I am proud to say I have run three miles each day on five of the last seven days, and I ran two miles each day on the other two days. When I complete those three-mile runs, I wonder why I felt like I needed to stop at one or two miles. It is all a mind game. I have a 10k (6.2 miles) race coming up in a few weeks, so I need to run that distance several times between now and race day.

RSD 300

I am celebrating 300 consecutive days of running today. Before I started this run streak, I doubt I ever ran more than seven days in a row. Now I am approaching one year. There have been many days when I did not feel like running, but I did it anyway, and I felt better after I ran.

To commemorate this day, I spent 30 minutes (approximately 3 miles) on the elliptical, walked 3 miles and then ran 3 miles on the treadmill, and completed 3 sets of 100 squats. I may be a bit sore tomorrow from all those squats, but it will be worth it. On these milestone days, I enjoy challenging myself to push further and work harder than usual.

Running in the Snow

Maybe I am a little crazy, but I love running in the snow. I own a treadmill, so I could have run inside this morning, but I had to go for one last run in the snow before it completely melts. I even wore my snowy polar bear headband on this beautiful, sunny morning.

The roads in my small neighborhood are still mostly covered in packed snow. There are a few areas that are clear and many areas that are slushy. I do not like running where the slushy snow is so wet that it splashes cold water on my ankles, so I move all over the road to run on the frozen areas. Thankfully, there were no vehicles on the roads this morning.

I only ran one mile this morning because of the wet slush. I could feel my shoes soaking up water and did not want my socks to get wet. Wet socks usually result in blisters, and they make my feet cold too.

I enjoyed a quick sunset run yesterday evening. The roads were very slushy, so it was a bit wet for my liking, but I wanted to see if the highways were clear. Only the neighborhood roads were still covered in snow and slush.

I always stop to look at the creek, especially the last few days. It was covered in ice a few days ago. Now it is milky white. Does anyone know why that is?

I could not run in the snow confidently without my YakTrax. I am so glad that I purchased these a few months ago for our trip to Illinois. I still can not believe I was able to wear them in Texas for a few runs.

I have continued my run streak through all the craziness of the last week. I have now completed 210 days of consecutive running. My goal was to complete a year, but a woman in one of my online running groups recently had to end her streak on day 999 due to an injury, so now I would like to reach 1,000 days. I will have to stay injury-free, but my new Bondi Band sums up my attitude towards running.

Do you enjoy getting out in the snow? If you run, what is your favorite running weather?

Thankful Thursday

It has been a crazy week here in Texas, but I am counting my blessings today. I am thankful for a warm home with running water. I am thankful that I was already working remotely before winter weather kept my kids home for a week. I am thankful that we had a fully-stocked pantry and two refrigerators, since our roads are still too treacherous for me to venture out. I am thankful for peace and relative quiet in my home. I am thankful for puzzles. I am thankful for a fireplace and a supply of firewood. There are so many things I am thankful for today. So much could have gone wrong this week, but God protected this single mama from having to do much more than use a blow dryer to heat some frozen hot water pipes and shovel some snow. I do need to go out and clear an ice dam when I finish this though.

I can not remember ever seeing our entire roof covered in snow. The girls helped me shovel snow away from the gate, so it would open all the way.

I made large batches of juice this week to avoid washing the juicer multiple times.

I am running low on fresh produce. My little people keep eating the fruit. I have enough vegetables left for one more juice tomorrow. The roads should be clear by Saturday to try to find more fresh produce. Stores are running low on groceries around here.

We received this puzzle in a Christmas gift exchange, and Sissy helped me put it together this week.

What a beautiful view from my front porch!

The fire provided a lot of warmth for the living room, so we were able to lower the thermostats in the house.

I set up an air mattress for these two, and they hung out by the fire all day and slept on it for a few nights. They thought we were just having a never-ending slumber party.

I am so thankful that they get along well most of the time.

I told Little Sister to throw some snow in the air for a photo. I did not notice until I looked at the photo later that she had jumped.

Sissy loves the powdery snow. So much fun to play in! It is not so good for building snowmen or packing snowballs though.

The creek in our neighborhood is mostly frozen. Crazy people have been walking on the ice. So dangerous!

I went for a run in the snow today. It was amazing! The roads in our neighborhood are completely covered in snow, but it is packed pretty well. I refuse to drive on them though.

This is where one of our neighborhood roads meets a highway. Whatever we need can wait until that melts. I can run on this thanks to my YakTrax, but I will not try to drive on it.

My Zyia leggings kept me warm, and my YakTrax helped me keep my footing. I never thought I would be using these in Texas.

I ran two miles and had to remove my jacket halfway through my run. I always dress in layers when running in the cold.

Stay warm and be safe out there!

Friday Faves – My Running Essentials

I am a member of several running groups, and new runners often ask for recommendations for everything from socks and shoes to nutrition and anti-chafing solutions. I thought I would share what I consider my running essentials. This is not an exhaustive list, but I wear these four things on every run, whether inside or outside.

Socks – I heard about Bombas socks several years ago and first ordered them for my son who hated how regular socks have seams on either side of the toes. Bombas have a special seam with no irritating bumps. Bombas’ performance running ankle socks are my absolute favorite socks. They are supportive, comfortable, and have a 100% happiness guarantee. Bombas has sent me FREE socks after I let them know I wore them out or had ordered the wrong size for my older daughter. They have the best customer service I have ever experienced. They also donate a pair of socks for every pair purchased. Save 25% on your first order by using my referral link to shop.

My old socks have a lot of wear left in them.

I recently bought myself some new socks in pretty designs and colors because my 12 year old daughter keeps stealing mine.

Zyia – I discovered Zyia almost three years ago when my friend had an online party. Since then, my friend has become a rep, and I have been happy to support her business while finally buying myself quality running clothes/athleisure wear. I love their sports bras and leggings and run in them every day. Their Light n Tight leggings are compressive and prevent chafing on my inner thighs. They also hold my flab in and make me look and feel amazing. I am 5’ 5” and order the 7/8 length. You can shop my friend’s site here.

I am loving my newest pair of leggings!

Zyia leggings can be dressed up too.

Bondi Band – I found these amazing, no-slip, no-drip headbands back in 2010 when I started running. My first purchase included a solid black headband and a black band with a silver 26.2 on it, which I wore proudly while training for my first marathon that same year. Since then, I have amassed quite a colorful collection of headbands, become a brand ambassador, and even worked for Bondi Band at race expos. This company is run by females, donates 10% of their profits to charity, and makes all their products in the USA. You can find products here and save 10% on your total purchase by using code SNICKERS.

I wear a Bondi Band headband and Zyia bomber bra for every workout.

This is my newest Bondi Band headband. I needed a pretty one to go with my red Zyia bomber bra and leggings.

I always cover my ears with at least one Bondi Band headband when it is cold out. On this snowy run, I wore a plain fleece headband and this cute headband over it.

Good running shoes – When I started running 11 years ago, I went to a running store to be fitted for actual running shoes. I have a wide foot, especially in the toe box, so it was important for me to find a comfortable shoe that provided the right support. I encourage every runner to get the proper fit for them. The Nike Zoom Pegasus is what has always worked for me. Nike updates the Pegasus about once a year and releases a new version. I think they are on version 37 now. I have a pair of version 34 (white) and version 36 (black) that I alternate for runs. My older, bright pink version 36 and black version 34 are what I wear the rest of the time.

I strongly believe that runners should wear shoes specifically made for running.

I retire my running shoes after I have run about 300 miles in them. My retired running shoes then become my “street shoes” or everyday shoes. Once I retire another pair of running shoes, I move my old street shoes to the garage and wear them to work outside. By the time I have retired another pair of running shoes, I can tell that I have practically no cushioning left in my outside shoes, so they usually go in the trash. I should probably wash them and donate them though.

I have received many compliments on my recently-retired, bright pink shoes. My new running shoes are so comfortable.

Comment below if you have other recommendations for new runners.

Run Streak Day 200

In December, I posted about my 150th run streak day and how I completed 15 miles that day. I had hoped to complete 20 miles today for my 200th day, but I did not have enough free time for that many miles. However, I did manage to do some fun things with the numbers 2, 20, and 100.

This morning, I walked 2 miles on the treadmill. Then late this afternoon, I spent 20 minutes on the elliptical. Finally, I ran 2 miles this evening. Between these workouts, I completed 2 sets of 100 squats, 2 sets of 100 crunches, and 2 sets of 20 push-ups. I may not be able to move tomorrow, but I wanted to push myself today.

I just remembered that I earned my 200 miles bib on Sunday, so that’s two 200 events this week! Woohoo! Also, I joined Strava today at the recommendation of some fellow runners. I am slowly learning how to use it. If you are on Strava, follow me, and I will follow you back.