Post Half Running

Since I've been home in Arlington, with the wonderful tracks-to-trails program, I've been trying to get back out and run. Post half marathon has been really hard. I took a week off, and then the next two weeks were dead week and finals. I ran twice during dead week, none during finals. Cluster of waaayyy too much work and I really needed sleep before I needed running.

Now that I'm home I've run twice, once just to get out and jog around Arlington, a leisurely 3.5 miles in the awful awful wind that has gripped this small county/city.  I took a day off and then the day after, the day I had PLANNED on running, the wind was insane. I mean 30+MPH gusts of wind.  I don't mind the cold, really I don't. I do better in the cold, but the wind? I can't BREATHE in the wind. It takes my breath away, it's awful. So I held off till the next day (Christmas Eve) , hoping for better weather. Only to wake up to my house sounding like it was going to fall over due to the wind. 

After going out and running errands that morning...which by the way no one should go out and buy anything on christmas eve. I almost screamed while in Harris Teeter. 

Anyway After errands, putting my gingerbread hosue together with royal icing (omg SUGAR DEATH) and making a pumpkin pie with the fam I went out for a run.

I wanted to put in 6 miles but put in 5.5 instead. It was glorious. Wasn't too cold, no real wind, my brooks shoes are still being awesome and I was surprised at how good I felt with so little running since my half.  

I'm a little achey today, my hip flexors and abductors (eh?) feel rough but otherwise my body is bouncing back wonderfully.   I had a hard time for a bit. Thinking I wouldn't want to get back into the swing after finals. I felt lazy, tired...just wanted to sit around all the time. Weak from a hard semester. 

Well I've finally rested enough. I'm back to craving runs. 

Excited to go out tomorrow and use my NEW GARMIN! 

I've been borrowing my boyfriend's long-term style but now that he's bought a road bike he's going to need his back and my parents got me my own!

SO excited! 

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday.

Run Happy Y'all! 

Oh hey the south IS warmer.

So yesterday I left Atlanta at 7am and made it here a little before 4pm.  SUB NINE HOURS. Thea and I should have totally gotten a ticket somewhere because that's just ridiculous.

My knees are a little achey from the drive, man saying that makes me feel old, but it's glorious to be home. I slept for 10 whole hours last night. Passed out at 9:30 and had my loving huge dogs wake me up at 7:30.  I have all my cold weather running gear laid out for a run today just haven't decided when. I think I should just go early/soon.  I'm waiting for the sun to finish coming up.  

I struggle with winter because I'm such a morning runner but it's so much colder in the morning!

Oh and so much colder when you travel 500+ miles north of your original running area.  It's 44 in atlanta, it's feels like 18 here in Arlington.  

EH??

Well I'm off to finish my coffee and don my running apparel so that I can bake with the family all this afternoon.  

Oh baking...this is going to certainly be a struggle of a holiday when it comes to sweets.

The Biggest Muscle

Today shall be remembered in all of history.

Ok maybe just the history of my school career. 

It is monday, the first day of finals week, and today I had 2 finals, in the first two time slots offered. 8am. 

I woke up to take a final at 8am. It was like 10 degrees here. 

10.

And snowing. 

"It snows in Atlanta?" you might ask.

Yes. yes it does. 

So after a total of about 4 hours of testing, one final in Mechanics of Materials and the other in Heat Transfer (yes, it is all as hard as it sounds), I am at work. Vegging.  My brain feels like mush and I have 2 more finals to look forward to.

I haven't ran since Thursday. For one its been so cold here I can barely feel my face outisde and two I've been so stressed out and crammed for time I just couldn't do it. I had a few (my first!) panic attacks yesterday and knew I just couldn't sacrifice the hour or so it would take me to get a run in. I know, it sounds lame, but being an engineering student is really busting my ass. This weekend was either sleep and study, or run and study, but I couldn't do both. And my one rule for finals is, always sleep.

Ok, time to start the gauntlet for the next test.

Hopefully I'll get a run in tomorrow. 

Till then, stay warm everyone!

Winter runs

I have now successfully gotten up twice this week in the frigid 20 degree weather to run.

Man, nothing makes a hot shower feel deserved like an ice cold run.

Tuesday:

I had been conned with ice cream into staying at the boyfriend's place that night knowing that I'd have an opportunity to run the Silver Comet trail in the morning.  Stayed up a bit too late studying (1am) and when my alarm when off at 6 I felt like I hadn't even fallen asleep yet.

To be completely honest I was extremely nervous about this run. I've never run in cold like this, ever. I didn't know if I was prepared for it or not. I have some NikePro long tight/warm weather gear pant things and underarmor. So as I donned all of my apparel I kept thinking "is this too much? is this not enough? is that tiny space between my tights and my socks going to feel like ice the whole run?".  

Walked outside and the cold immediately took my breath away (I had a hat and gloves, but nothing prepared me for that first step). It was 18 outside. 

18.

A TEEN NUMBER.

In ATLANTA.

Hello? Mother Nature? Yes, this is the south calling, we're upset.

Anyway I took a deep (cold, harsh, dry) breath and set off. 

My legs responded beautifully. 

I've been taking it pretty easy since the half and I wanted to make my morning week runs shorter but faster. So I chose 4 miles. 2 out, 2 back, very straight path but with rolling hills the whole way.  

I knew I was moving quick but when I hit the 2 mile turn around at right over 18 minutes I did a double take on my Garmin.

Err what? 

So that's when I decided I wanted to kick my 5k time's ass. The last 5k I did was in June, it was my first race ever. My goal was 30 minutes, I ran it in 28:45 (or something like that, 28 high).  I hit the lap button so I'd know how fast my third mile was and took off with gusto.  New 5k time: 27:36. I shaved a minute on that last mile and then kept going to do another 9 minute mile.

I guess I didn't need to be afraid of the cold. My body seems to like it. It reminds me of diving into a cold pool for a race. That immediate jolt of OH SHIT. 

My hot shower felt so good ...the only reason I got out was because I was starving.

Today:

Got up, struggled to get out of bed. I'm having a rough dead week/pre finals week. Very stressed. I caved and had mac and cheese for dinner (AH I knowwww it's bad) and wans't sleeping well. Got outside, again, 21 degrees...cold. Ran 4 miles, did 4 freshman hill (read: HELL hill) sprints...somehow managed to get my cold ass back home and ready for school.

My new shoes are holding up wonderfully. My underarmor and Nike pants are keeping me mostly warm...

If only finals were as easy as running.

Speaking of I need to go study.

Till another time,

Run Happy!

Study

Soon I will post about my sub freezing run yesterday that lead to a PR of my 5k time.

Right now I must finish the last chapter of my materials book.

Amusingly though I just tweeted this: "I would rather be running."

Sigh. To be free. 

If ONLY.

Study study!

Finals food vs. Running food

In the past six months I would say I have become an avid runner.  In these six months I've learned a LOT and a lot has changed in my life. One of the biggest things is probably my eating habits. 

I have frequently posted/complained about my constant hunger. 

It's bad. 

This morning I had a huge bowl of cereal and a yogurt. Probably at around 8am. 

By 10am I needed more food. I had a fiber bar.

By 12:30 (i'm in class for all of this) I'm starving.

By right now I'm eating peanut butter, carrots, and popcorn.

The runner snack of champions as I call it. 

I just made that up.

Anyway as finals approach everyone jokes about "finals food" and how everyone orders pizza at 3am and consumes large quantities of coke and coffee and junk food and chocolate. It doesn't help its the holidays and in my apartment right now we have 3 types of candy out on the bar. 

I may-or-may-not have bought them.

So as my stress level for the next few weeks skyrockets I know I will have to keep myself under super-control. 

In my new eating habits I have what I see as "runner food".

Popcorn for example. Great snack, really light. You can eat some now, eat some later, not hard to eat and then go for a jog if need be. 

Peanut butter, eating it now. Keeps me full, high in good fat/protein. Absolutely live off of it. I carry little jiff to-go cups. 

I drink water like its my job. I make sure I eat enough protien in a day, I keep my sugar intake low (half for running, half for pre-diabetes in my family). I'm good about grease etc. I don't eat out a ton.

Finals food is NOT this food. So this finals I will be fighting the finals vs. running food. Healthy vs. convenient/fun.

I am craving pizza however...

Winter

So I'm not sure if anywhere else in the country was like this, but this "fall" Atlanta has been...well...finicky. 

That's a good word for it.

One day, its perfect fall, 50+ degrees and clear. The next its 80 and hot and muggy. And miserable.

December 1st rolls around and mother nature goes "oh shit, I guess I should make it cold" and BAM we have a 30ish degree day with wind. It was pretty  miserable. And the whole time I'm wondering "how am I ever going to run in this weather.."

Either way, I went against my loved ones/friends and ran yesterday and didn't wait the 1-week-rest period after my half marathon (which I still owe pictures of my awesome medal). I just went out for 20 minutes to test the new Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11's.  I sadly had to retire my GTS 10's right after the half. Not going to lie I got a little teary-eyed. They've done me well for the past 6 months and I've thoroughly worn them out. That and I almost had to wear RED shoes. Thank god Pacers had them in blue. I can't wear the forbidden colors of U[sic]GA.

I always thought they looked pretty new, and then I put my new ones against my old ones. Many my shoes are white. Gotta get out on the trails and fix that! 

Anyway the new shoes are great so far. I want to get more miles in them before I do an official-ish review.

Speaking of miles. Mine have been too low this week.  Here's a cute video that always makes me want to run more. 

Time for some more studying/finishing up at work then maybe a short run before trivia tonight. 

Till next time, run happy y'all!