May Recap

I started tracking my nutrition again sometime in April, using the app MyFitnessPal. The app offers a lot of functionality. It gives a calorie "budget"--the number I should aim for given my height, weight, gender, and weight goal. The number is based on your standard daily activity level, which it determines based on the type of job you have (on your feet a lot, desk job, etc). You then enter everything you eat. If you exercise, you enter that too, and it adjusts the calorie budget to accommodate the calories you've burned.

This led to my running 5 days a week. I literally ran so I could eat. I'm that lady. 😂😆

This brings me to my total miles for the month: 120.7.
I'm close to 500 for the year and 7000 since I started tracking! I should hit both in June. 

The most memorable runs were certainly the Rite Aid Half and my mid-week run to the West Side Market.

An update on the Rite Aid Half. Remember I reported there was a lot of online complaining about the course and people believing it was as much half a mile too long? I went back and checked my old race data. I learned that I typically run a half (13.1 miles) in 13.19-13.25 miles. I clocked 13.37 at Rite Aid. So, it was a little high for a typical half for me. The race organizers announced later that the turn-around had been misplaced, and the course was 0.18 miles too long. This puts the race right in line with my "normal" GPS error. I respect their effort in double checking and reporting out.

What's weird about it, though, is that they aren't adjusting people's finishing times. The only other time I've seen a mis-measured course, the organizers adjusted everyone's official race time down accordingly. Is there a standard operating protocol for when this happens? What have you seen races do elsewhere in this situation? 

My other memorable run: The West Side Market is an absolute gem in Cleveland. It's a publicly owned food market that dates to 1840 and has operated out of its current building since 1912. (Read more here) One day in May I ran from my town to the market to meet my parents for lunch and some produce shopping. The run was perfect and our visit to the market was wonderful. I bought strawberries and made jam out of them.

I also did my regular long runs on Sundays and met up pretty regularly with Candice, who takes the best silly post-run pictures. The only rule? We never re-take them. One and done.

Outside of running, I went to two yoga classes. The second one was an hour-long class with an instructor I hadn't had in many months. The class was harder than I expected, which I realized is partly due to the fact that I've been doing 45 minute classes all academic year. Welcome change for the summer. I'm really looking forward to getting stronger through the longer class.

Otherwise, summer in Cleveland really is the best. There are festivals, races, concerts, and about anything you can imagine, every weekend, all over the metro region. Here are a few pictures from a recent field trip I chaperoned with my older son.

The Arcade

I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting some other events. I think that's just a sign of a great month. How did your May shape up?

March Recap

I know, I'm really late. Life has been busy. You know the deal.

On the running front, soooo much going on in March. Let's start with the big picture numbers:

Total Miles: 103 (Hundo club! Yay!)

Yoga Classes: 3 (I missed a week during spring break)

I had some highlights this month, including a 5-mile race with friends. It was my friend Candice's first race post-injury. It was billed as an obstacle course, which it wasn't. When we arrived no one was feeling it. It was a very cold, very windy day, and we'd be running on the beach of Lake Erie. So....cold wet sand? After a mile we all warmed up and it ended up being a lot of fun. No one was pushing the pace. We were just out to be out and get Candice back out there. We went to brunch after at a place I'd never been. Good food and loved the vibe of the place. 

Afterwards, Laurie went to Fleet Feet and bought three new pairs of shoes because we'd "run on dead fish" during the race. There's a chance she's more focused on clean shoes than I am.

With Candice back, it meant a return to running in the dark with her. I particularly like this post-run selfie. A beautiful sunrise and a goofy friend. That's a wonderful morning.

One Saturday we decided to meet at an intersection where we'd never met. I parked part-way between my house and the meet-up spot and ran to meet her. If there's one thing to know about Candice is that she loathes being late. Loathes it. So when our meet-up time came and went and no Candice, I knew something was up. I waited close to 10 minutes. I considered what might have happened, and just started running in the direction I thought was most likely where she'd ended up. We found each other, ran, and got breakfast at a drop-dead amazing bakery. I drank about 30oz of coffee and ate, then decided I should run back to my car. Don't do that. That's dumb. I did that.

Throughout March, I also continued running about once a week with my neighbor Jake. We've been running together since early last summer. It's been a great way to get to know him, and the accountability of a running buddy is always a good thing. I realized I'd never taken a picture of us.

My long run schedule got rearranged a few times for different reasons. The last day of March this meant running closer to home. I "picked up" Candice for the six middle miles of this run. I had to laugh when she said "what's two miles from your house" and I knew exactly. Only a runner would know down to 0.02 miles the distance to everything.

This run was also something of a wake-up call. I felt this run substantially more than most long runs. Why? Because my usual long run has about 75 total feet of elevation gain. Running closer to home means about 300 feet. Lesson: I need to vary my long runs more. Running on totally flat ground all the time is going to make a hilly race feel a lot harder.

And, we do stuff other than run. Since I realize this is hard to believe, here's a picture. We got together for a glass blowing class on night, then went out for dinner after. We made glass flowers. We got to choose our colors and even the shape of the stem, and the total length (shorter ones if they were ring holders). I would definitely do it again!

I also ran with my usual Sunday morning crew a few times. I enjoy them so much. For some reason this is the only picture I can find at the moment. I will have to correct that for April.

February Review

Miles: 73
I'll be up front: I had some challenges this month. I ended up missing my long run twice--once due to illness and once due to weather. I missed some weekday runs due largely to weather. This was life.

 But then sometimes you run in the fluffy beautiful snow and get frost in your eyelashes and everything is right in the world. 

I had two notable runs. The first was on Valentine's Day. A project I'd had under review for two long, agonizing years at work had finally been accepted. When the email came I got up, changed, and went for a run. I ran fast. I ran happy. I ran 5.6 miles at an 8:12 pace, and was trying to go slow at first. I ran mostly negative splits. It was one of those runs that is everything. You fly, and you smile.

Then the next morning, I went running with my neighbor. I told him I needed a shake out run after going so fast the day before. We spent it dodging last bits of ice and snow, most of which had melted overnight from warmer temperatures and rain.

When we got back to our street and stopped at his house, I looked down at my left ankle, which hurt, and was surprised to see it was bleeding. My sock was so short it didn't protect my foot from the top of my shoe, which isn't usually a problem. It hurt to walk. "Should I drive you home?" my neighbor kindly offered. It's about a tenth of a mile. No, I said, I'd just take the shoe off. But then it was weird to walk in one shoe. So that's how I came to walk barefoot in Cleveland in February.

Yoga classes: 5
I attended my weekly 45-minute lunchtime Vinyasa class four times. Man, I love this class.

I also attended a Yin class with my friend Candice at the end of the month. I'd never heard of it, Yin. In the first 5 minutes I thought, "well, at least it's only an hour I'm wasting." But by the end I was ready to sign up to go back.

The good: Such.Deep.Stretching.
The bad: I'm just not that into my chakras.


Runners talk about everything. We talk about poop a lot. We talk about our bodies a lot. We talk about pain, and triumph, and random, mundane things. You know what we don't talk about? Our chakras. Not one time--ever--have I heard someone mid-run be like, "You know, my air chakra is just out of whack this week." No. Not a thing.

So yinning, what is it? It's holding a pose for 1-4 minutes. You won't sweat, or feel frustrated. You will leave feeling amazing. Try it. If you hate it, it was only an hour.

January Review: A Tribute To Yoga

Total Miles: 84.9
Yoga Classes: 5. This might, in all seriousness, be some sort of record for me.
Other: I went skiing one day with my older son. I love those days so much. 

Before I get to my Tribute To Yoga, a brief review of running.

Mid-month my friend Candice was finally ready to start re-entry to running, after dealing with an injury. I was happy to meet her one sunny Friday to see how things would go. After a quick 30 minutes we were all smiles.

People sometimes ask how I manage to run outside in Cleveland in the winter. How do I deal with the weather?

Sometimes you get lucky and it sleets on your rest day. Often, you suck it up and run on snowy roads or in a snowstorm. When forced to, you get on a treadmill. But sometimes, if you can just wait and go at a different time, either the storm has passed or the roads are cleared. My delightful Sunday run group used this last strategy a few times--just ran later. On this day, I think we started at 4 or 5pm. This is one of my favorite pictures of us.

 My Tribute To Yoga
In about 2004, I regularly attended a Pilates class for about a year. A few years later, I discovered yoga, mostly through DVDs I found in clearance bins. I don't, frankly, remember the first yoga class I ever attended. What I am certain of is that I saw a sports medicine doc and a sports massage therapist for a knotted left piriformis early in 2011.

I went to a few classes in St. Louis, sometimes with my friend Linda. In Utah, I attended a weekly class at my work for about a year, then an early morning class near my house another year. The class was seldom difficult. I enjoyed the feeling I had when I left. But I can't say I enjoyed yoga. It was something I did to avoid injury. I did it because I felt I had to. 

I felt like that until just a few months ago. Back in September, I realized that my knotted piriformis was part of the problem I was having with my knee. I also learned that I'm really tight in places, and that my iliopsoas was really, really angry. Yoga could help.

I also finally learned the expression "set your intention" for your practice. Prior that, I saw yoga as essentially standing still and sweating while frustrated. I finally grasped that I needed to take yoga inward. That was difficult at first for this runner, who loves to go fast and who is decidedly extroverted. But with practice, I got it. Finally. 

Then, about 3 weeks ago, in mid-late January, my piriformis finally released. After at least 7 years of living with it in a sometimes-painful knot, it finally released. You might wonder how I did this. The answer isn't glamorous: Weeks of sitting on a golf ball for long stretches, then rolling on a pressure point ball until one day, it let go.

After that, yoga positions that call on hip strength became more realistic, but on my left side, it often feels like there is nothing there to hold me up. Like my body has to learn how to live without the knot now. Like it just stopped trying to build muscle there, because a knot was in the way, or because my body had to compensate for it. But I'm going every week, and I'm slowly seeing improvement.

What's better? I actually look forward to it now.

October-ish Recap

Back in September I started having real trouble with an injury coming out of my left hip. The strain wasn't new. I'd been struggling to contain it most of the summer. But then one day, I just couldn't any more. I couldn't keep my left knee from turning out. I couldn't take shorter steps to keep it from wanting to slip. I couldn't hold the pain at bay. So to make a long story short, I eventually downgraded my registration for the Towpath Half to the 10k. It's why I never posted a September recap. It was such a disappointment after a great training season.

Despite rest, yoga, and limited massage therapy, the problem hasn't gone away. So...October was pretty low mileage. Let's be real about this for a moment. Yes, I was bummed to miss cool mornings and fall foliage. But...after 9 straight months of training, the mornings sleeping in weren't so bad either.

At the end of this, I ran way more miles in September than in October. It sounds better if I tell you the 2-month total: 186. Let's go with that.

The highlight of my October was certainly the Towpath 10k. My friend Kelly and her older daughter came from West Virginia, and this was running gold. Kelly started running relatively recently and has gained a ton of speed in a short period of time. I see pictures of her smiling during races. We've talked at length about training. In short, it's been fun to watch her take on running, and even better to get to share a weekend.

The other reason I loved this race day: my Sunday running group. We coordinated logistics and cheered each other on. They are wonderful.

On Saturday Kelly and I went to packet pick-up, where we ran into Cathy. We picked up some goodies, our bibs, all the hoopla. There was a sweetly presented yet quite confusing promotion about pee cups. Since Kelly lives in WV, she doesn't have a local Athleta (true story: I was 20 before I saw a Gap), so we went to the mall for a bit. Ice cream was involved.

Then, because we're both 10s on the Type A scale, we were up, dressed, and out of the house ahead of schedule on Sunday. We met my friends to switch people between cars, Kelly with them to the half-marathon start and Kathy with me to the 10k start. We headed to the parking and our starting lines. Kathy and I stretched, as we were both having some issues. 

At the start line

Race day weather was outstanding. It had rained the previous day, which kept the dust down on the Towpath. It was cool and beautiful. I felt good. Somehow, magically, probably from adrenaline, my knee/hip didn't give me trouble. I used my old mantras, and reminded myself how many hours I'd trained for these minutes. That it didn't matter if I was tired. I just pushed, and enjoyed it.

I came in at 48:04, which was enough to win my age group. Go me!

With my age group award

I went through the finishing area and came back around to cheer in my friends. One by one they came in, with two setting their first sub-2 hours half times, and getting new PR's in the process! That's a big day for any runner, and I was so pleased I got to be part of it for them.

Front, left to right: Kathy, Katie, Tina, Cathy
Back: me and Kelly

Once everyone was in, Kelly and I went to the Park's general store (which is completely adorable) to buy a cup of coffee. She said she'd dropped her debit card and cash when she'd gotten her fuel out of the zippered pocket of her water bottle mid-race. As I was paying for our items, the cashier asked if it was together and I mentioned her loss. The cashier replied that someone had turned in both items. We found our way to the lost and found and--yes--there they were! The lost & found people were as happy she turned up there as we were someone had turned in her items. The running community is great.

After lunch at one of my family's favorite spots, Kelly and her daughter were headed back home.

The rest of October was low-key. I didn't run a whole lot. My last run of the month was in cold rain. Because the forecast said 5% chance of rain but it's Cleveland so.

Moving into November, I'm hoping my hip/knee will find some peace. I'm enjoying yoga in the meantime though. I've gotten onto going to a place by my work over lunch time, sometimes with another running friend. There's a nice studio near my house too, and I go there sometimes. It's taken years--literally years--but I do finally actually enjoy yoga! It's possible.

That's the recap! I'm hoping for a few more miles in November.

August Recap

It's September 1. This morning I ran with my beloved purple plaid arm sleeves and a tank top, and this evening I will change out my summer wreath for a fall one on my front door. Summer is over. Yes, I love summer. I'm an academic--of course I love summer. But fall running is the best. The leaves. The cool mornings. The races. Love.it.all. So here's to putting a bow on a pretty spectacular August.

Early August
The first week of August led up to the Hofbrauhaus 10k, which holds a special place in my heart. Last year I ran it just to see if I was fit and uninjured enough to hold a sub-9 minute pace for 6 miles. I loved the super flat, out and back course, and the post-race party. I looked forward to race registration all winter, and was delighted when my MIL paid for my entry as a birthday gift.

Pre-race with Cathy, part of my Sunday morning crew

When August rolled around this year, I'd set my sights on really racing it, with a goal of running about a 7:30 pace. Mother Nature had other intentions, and saddled me with a terrible cold. I was not able to run my desired pace, but I was thankful for the opportunity to race.

After the race I heard an announcement about checking your finishing place at a tent. I was curious how I'd done. I made my way over and had to laugh when the guys' side had a really long line and the women's had about 5 people--it felt like justice for women's restrooms (and, ok, maybe a testament to the male ego). I checked my place and was surprised to learn I'd placed second in my age group!

I'll take it!

Mid-August

By mid-August, to focus on the positive outcome of a fairly terrible story, I had the occasion to reconnect with some wonderful ladies I used to run more with than I had recently. We planned a Dash & Dine, which is exactly what it sounds like. I had so much fun. I really missed this group.

Robin somehow escaped the photo op

Also, mid-month, I did my first speed work in several months. It was 800s, which I love doing. I was at the end of my cold and wasn't sure if my lungs were ready to be pushed that hard. I hit my target paces. I also wondered if my neighbors thought I was crazy as I kept running around the block.

Late August
By late August my Sunday morning group found ourselves in the dark at 6am. The first time this happened we just ran together until the horizon lightened enough to let us see our surroundings better. After that we decided to meet a little later.

We clean up ok! Missing Katie's mom and Cathy though

I've enjoyed my Sunday morning group so, so much. I admire and have fun with the women I run with, and the place we run at is absolutely beautiful. The last few weeks we've watched the fog lift off the river as the sun rises and watched egrets (I think) hunt over the water. I've taken in fields full of yellow wildflowers, and along the riverbank, beautiful wild lilies. This is an easy place to love.

On weekday runs, by late August I'd mixed things up by running in other neighborhoods a few times. On one of those runs Candice introduced me to one of her running friends who I'd never met. Good times!

Meeting new runner friends

Looking forward to September, I have a month full of training leading up to the Towpath Half in early October. I'd love a PR but will settle for a course PR. We'll see how this month goes.

In summary:
Miles: 124.5

Cross Training
Days lifting weights: One! Yikes! I thought I was doing better than this.
Yoga: Twice.
Ok, so clearly the bump in miles this month meant less cross-training. I will try to do better on this in September. 

July Recap

My July was everything summer should be--tons of outdoor activities and taking time to try new things. I just missed the 100 mile mark, but not by a lot, and in exchange for more cross-training than I've done in a long time.Welcome to the July recap.

Variety was the theme this month! I not only attended three yoga classes, but I also did three weight lifting days and started tracking my food intake again. My husband claims ping pong is exercise, so I'm also posting this picture of me playing croquet on the 4th of July.

Cross training and food tracking comes through commitment and practice. No one wakes up wanting to track their food intake. It takes time. It takes discipline. For me, it's worthwhile when I have a goal, like trying to lose weight, or lose fat, or feel healthier. Introduced to it last winter, I've been using the MyFitnessPal app from Under Armor. It's great--and free! Doing this has encouraged me to try new foods, to reach daily nutritional goals without getting bored with my diet.

Greek yogurt blended with ice, frozen berries, and 1 tbsp agave syrup

With weight lifting, I started with a handful of machines at the gym and with truly pathetic weights on them. Over three sessions I added one more machine and increased my weights a little on the others. I lifted a little when we went on vacation, too. There is something satisfying about it.

And finally, one day I went on an 11 mile bike ride through various city neighborhoods. This was the longest bike ride I'd ever done! It was so fun. My guide for the afternoon was a colleague who knows the city very well and told me all about how various development projects had come together. I have lots of pictures from this day, but will share this one: The house from A Christmas Story. Did you know it was filmed in Cleveland? You can take tours!

On the running front, I continued meeting my wonderful little Sunday morning running group. Each week we meet and run 10 miles. Sadly I don't have access to a group picture at the moment, or I'd share. I also finally "ran the bridges" downtown, which I also have no pictures of, but thoroughly enjoyed.

Mid-month I went to Pittsburgh to hang out with my best friend. Our hotel was near the Heritage Trail, which runs along both sides of the rivers and I believe elsewhere as well. I enjoyed seeing some of the sites while only getting a little bit lost. I actually ran across the bridge pictured below, and on the other side saw the Duquesne Incline and Fort Pitt Tunnel. 

On the last day of the month my fall training cycle started. I'm training for a half marathon in October, with a minimum goal of a course PR. The training schedule is tough, but I'm as ready as I'm going to be. I've built a lot of endurance this year.

In Summary
Running miles for the month: 93.7
Weight lifting sessions: 3.5
Yoga classes: 3
Miles biked: 24

June Recap

After the Canton Marathon I dialed it down a notch in May. Ok, a lot. I cut miles by two-thirds and rested. When June rolled around I was ready to get back out there. I had some help getting it done.

Following in our tradition of The Adventures of Shannon and Joanna*, the first Saturday in June I plotted a route into the city where I met Shannon and we ran a round trip to Lake Erie and back. It brings me more than a little joy that I can run to a lakefront from my house. That's something I've never been able to say. And we had a good time doing it. AND she drove me home, so I didn't have to run back up the big hill.

If you squint at the background, I promise there's a lighthouse behind us

A few days later my long-time and interstate running buddy Rachel and her incredibly fast friend Barb came to visit while vacationing. Like we do, we ran. June wouldn't be complete without it. I can't tell you enough how much I enjoyed this. We've known each other for almost 6 years in which a lot has happened for us both. We have history. We talk deeply. I savor our visits. 

I've talked before about MRTT, which is a national, free running group for women, that has local chapters. It's been among my favorite parts of moving to Cleveland. Women post their plans and look for others to run with. Through this, I found a Sunday early morning running group I've done three longer runs with now. Each week has been a slightly different group of women. I've really enjoyed getting to know them.

Later in the month I started having trouble with my left quad/knee/foot, which isn't a new thing. While I was running hills in the winter and spring this was less of a problem, but the moment I stop doing things that strengthen my hips and glutes, it's right back. Step 1: yoga. At first because Shannon invited me to a free yoga event downtown for International Yoga Day. I enjoyed this so, so much. Even if I did get bird poop on my elbow. I consoled myself with lunch and beer afterward.

Posted by Lululemon. We're in there somewhere.

This past week I finally went to yoga at a studio near me. It was hard. I needed the ass kicking. I will be returning.

The thing about yoga, I don't enjoy it. I'm sweating and standing still. I like both but not at the same time. I'm a runner who loves to go fast. And I like to get stuff done--like stuff I can check off a list. That's not yoga. The whole inner world of yoga is something I have to work at embracing. At the same time, I also don't hate yoga. Hot yoga, different story. No love lost there. Anyway, yoga is a thing I do to keep running from hurting me. And I need to keep doing it.

All told, I turned in this year's 5th 100+ mile month, and by month's end my 2017 miles exceed all of 2016, which is nuts.

Miles: 100.3
Goals for July: Strengthen hips, get left quad/knee situation stopped

* The Adventures of Shannon and Joanna, which I adore, consist mostly of Shannon graciously showing me all the fun things Northeast Ohio has to offer, and me getting her lost, caught in ice storms, or agreeing while she's drunk to run really long distances the following day. Gradually I'm finding things to invite her to.

April Recap

After a successful March of meeting goals and kicking ass, I set a slightly higher April goal, and off I went. So how'd it turn out? Welcome to the April Recap.

April Goal: After successfully running my 12 mile/week goal in March, I modestly increased my goal to 15 miles per week.

April Miles: 60.7. Sixty! I'm delighted. This is basically on target, and for three weeks I surpassed my target. Actually, and this blows my mind, I ran more miles in the last week of April than in any other single week since the week ending August 3, 2015. August.  

With a goal of 15 miles/week, I should have hit about 65 miles. However, we went house hunting in Ohio the week of April 3 and, confession: I did not run at all. I took running clothes, and was bummed that it didn't happen. My excuses were plentiful. First, we were staying downtown, which was really lovely, but not super conducive to running. Second, the weather was bullshit. Yeah, yeah. I know.

Cleveland

May Goal: I think I'm ready to aim for 20 miles a week, but I am planning a cut-back week this week. I'm setting the May goal at 75 miles.  

April Highlights: Oh, easy: my two mid-week runs last week were a blast. On Tuesday I took it up a notch, hitting 8:30 for mile 4. On Thursday, my birthday, I was in a great mood and I wanted to fly. Miles 1-4 were 8:30, 8:37, 8:33, and 8:32. And I was smiling, like probably the whole time. It was easily the best run I'd had in 8 months. 

Since I was feeling amazing after a legit tempo run, I decided to go for a full 8 miles on Saturday. The distance felt easier from an endurance perspective than had a slightly shorter long run the previous week, but I do need to step back slightly this week before ramping up again. 

Other Lovely Things in Life: Just, all the words. All of them. I'm not even sure where to start. 

On the moving front, things are moving forward full steam. My wonderful parents sold their place here, their household goods shipped last week, and they close on their place in Ohio in about a week. Our place is under contract and we are working through the check list (fingers crossed it goes smoothly!). We have an accepted offer on a place in Ohio which we bought via FaceTime (Who does that?!? Apparently we do. And only me. Mr. Joanna has only seen the listing pictures. No, really. This is a frequent topic of discussion in our house.) and have our moving truck and loading crews scheduled. It's all happening! It's all kind of still surreal, to be honest, but it's happening. There will be a whole post (or three) devoted to this. While it's surreal to me, I'm welcoming the whole circus of a journey with open arms. 

And this is starting already. I love it so much.

And my birthday. I felt so loved, so full of blessings and life and a new sense of wonder about the year ahead of me. And my little boy's birthday, earlier in the month. He's so ornery, so mischievous, so cherished. 

May is our last month in Utah before our return migration to the eastern time zone. It's going to be crazy, box-filled, and a blur of motion. Stay tuned!

March Recap: Old Goals, New Goals, Travel, and Life

Who's got two thumbs and is super pumped to be back in the world of having monthly recaps?!?

Coming off a long injury, March marked a return to goals, a return to regular running, and a return to looking forward to the next race season. So how did it go? Welcome to the March Recap.

March Goal: Since my four month total from November through February was about 45 miles, I kept my goal modest, at 12 miles per week. I thought 4 miles 3x/week seemed attainable.

March Miles: 50.0. FIFTY! I'm absolutely pleased with this. It means I was about on goal. It means I ran more in March than in the previous four months combined. It means I get the green light to set a higher goal for April.

April Goal: 15 miles per week. This should put me just over 60 miles for the month. This goal is still modest, and honestly I'm hoping to exceed it.

March Highlights: I ran in 3 states during the month of March. Of course, my home state of Utah. My highlight at home was a five mile run where, for the first time in months, I felt like I finally settled down into about fourth gear. My three middle miles were 8:45, 8:27, and 8:45, and it felt great.

I was on the road a good bit, too. First to Arizona to visit with family, which was freaking awesome. On the way down we camped in Bryce, awaking to a light dusting of snow on our tent! In Arizona, we stayed with my husband's aunt and uncle, who have been nothing but amazing to us. I'm so, so glad we got to make this trip. While there, I did a run through their community of Goodyear. It's a master planned community which is very nearly built out (at least their part). As an urban planner, I have a trained eye to developments like this, and I was impressed. The homes are close enough together to allow the density necessary to support the community facilities they have, and there are many thoughtful design details throughout.

The week after, I was off to San Diego for work. I ran along the water, from our hotel near the Gaslamp Quarter down to the USS Midway. 

The view from my room

USS Midway

Then, of course, was Easter, and putting our house on the market to prepare for our upcoming move to Ohio. This has given us plenty of opportunities to get creative with dinnertime (when a lot of showings happen) and random other hours. We've mostly enjoyed this adventure, as odd as that might sound. We're making memories with our kids, and showing them that although moving is a lot of work, we're committed to enjoying the journey.

When life gives you a home to sell, make sand stars with your kid

Throughout the month, I've seen my average mile times come down and I've felt progressively better after my runs. My injury still requires that I wear a knee brace when I run, but this has been worthwhile. I'm experiencing very little day-to-day swelling, and very rarely any pain. This is a huge improvement.

It's been a good month. Here's looking forward to April, which will see miles in at least one other state--Ohio, as we house hunt. Wish us luck!

Weekly & May Wrap-Up

Hello friends! Another week of training has passed, and with it, May draws to a close. Like I did last month, I'm going to wrap the two into a combined recap. And oh my, what a week and month it has been.

This Week

If you've been watching this training cycle, you already know that it's been full of ups and downs--injury and exhaustion and rebounding with great runs. This past week was no exception.

Monday: I kicked the week off with a 5 mile easy run, to shake out the 16 mile long run I'd done the day before. Nothing super memorable about this run. Average pace, 9:20.

Tuesday: Yoga! Hooray!! We had a substitute for our regular teacher, and she was great! I really enjoyed the class and left feeling awesome about the world.

Wednesday: The day I'd been dreading/yearning for--my shot at redemption at speed work. As I went out the door to run I told my husband that my training schedule had noted that "today's workout should feel well within reach" and I wanted to flip it off. I was not feeling confident.

The workout: 10x400 (1:45 each) with 200m recoveries (plus warm-up and cool-down). How'd it go? It went freaking awesomely. Splits (400s only):
1:44, 1:40, 1:44, 1:52*, 1:42, 1:43, 1:41, 1:47, 1:44, 1:40
* into the higher corner of the park, but that only explains 2-3 seconds of this. It just got away from me.

Needless to say, I was PUMPED about this. Also, I did most of this in the rain. Like, honest-to-goodness rain, which made me feel even more like a bad ass, naturally. Plus, no pain when I rolled my left IT when I got home. WINNING.

Thursday: Should have taken a rest day. Did not. Ran 6 easy miles instead. Stopped to stretch my calves in the middle, as my left calf was cramping up.

Friday: Super slow 5 miles. Average pace 9:31.

Saturday: Ready for this? For the high point of the week that was speed work, this long run had to rank among the 10 worst runs ever. It was supposed to be a tempo long run, with a warm up, 6 miles at tempo (7:49) and cool down. My "tempo" miles came out at 8:16, 8:28, 8:38, and 8:42. Yep--all 4 of them. And that was all I had. My next 3 miles were a 10:01, 10:24, and 14 minutes. Fourteen minutes. I actually stopped and sat on a park bench for a minute--something I've only ever done one other time mid-run, and I was 37 weeks pregnant at the time. So what went wrong? I'm not sure, but I think my body was still recovering from the speed work. And, since I'd done last week's long run on Sunday, I'd had zero rest days between long runs. And, my left calf is now clearly bringing up the rear of this whole "every part of my left leg is going to undergo injury" shit show, with what feels like a small tear/strain. Otherwise, I got nothin'.

This is how I felt about this long run. 

 The silver lining of this run, if there was one, was that I tried a new Gu flavor and really enjoyed it. I would buy this again. Root beer. Hadn't seen it in a store before. Have you tried it yet? Will you?

May Wrap-Up

I am quite pleased to report that May, injury and all, has been my highest mileage month this year (actually, my highest since last August), ringing in at 138.8, and bringing my 2015 miles to 438. Stats from the month:

# Miles: 138.8

# Runs: 20

# Other workouts: 2. I did yoga in my hotel room in Detroit (if you didn't see my post about that, you should do it! I'm going to start doing yoga every time I travel. Amazing. Great antidote to the muscle strain that comes from traveling). And I did yoga this past Tuesday. I also did a metric sh*tload of foam rolling.

Most memorable run: It's hard to pick this month. The short run I did on the Detroit River Walk was memorable, for seeing all the fishermen there in the morning, and enjoying the change of scenery from my everyday routes. My 16-miler (last weekend) was memorable for being such a wildly successful long run. It's hard to run that far and feel that great at the end. And then this week's speed work, because it was such a triumph over a series of failed efforts.

Current want/needs: I do not need anything. In fact, my current need is to set aside some time to go through all my running gear and weed out the ill-fitting or worn-out items, because my dresser drawers are getting hard to close....

Training update: I'm two weeks out from race day!! I'm not sure what to expect of myself time-wise, but I'm excited for the day (and a good friend) to come.

Home renovation update: Some changes big and small have transpired. Big: we had a huge part of our side yard dug up and mulched over. Even though it's still kinda patchy and weird looking, it looks about a million times better than it had. We're working now with a landscaper to get it integrated with the rest of the yard, and looking like a place you'd actually want  to spend time. I can't wait! Small: at long last, we found just the right tray (for drinks and things) for the ottoman in the man cave (I realize how inconsequential this may seem, but we'd been keeping an eye out for months). And I think we finally found just the right chair for that room, too, although we haven't purchased it (yet). And finally, my parents are here, which means I can finally get to work making the drapes for the living room--the last major undertaking for that space. Hooray!!

Other lovely things in life: My older son turned 7 this month, and hosted some friends for a game party here at the house. It was so much fun, even just to watch! To hear their excited voices, and everyone having a nice time. It was really sweet.

On the research front, I am loving that it's summertime and I get to focus on research, research, research, and very little on other aspects of my job that are more prevalent during the academic year. I'm making great progress on a handful of projects. A colleague and I have very nearly completed the revisions on one manuscript, and we received a Revise & Resubmit letter for another article we had under review, which is great news. I am nearing the completion of the first full draft of a new paper (which I'm co-authoring with a student), and research is going well on another project that isn't as far along yet. An unexpected luxury has come in the form of a sprinkler installation in my office building, which means that I'm working from home a lot, and really appreciating that change. I feel like I'm having the opportunity to just breath in my home really for the first time.

Happy June, runners!

Combined Weekly & April Wrap-Up

April In Review

Total Miles Ran: 79.6

# Runs: 12

# Other Workouts: 3 yoga classes. Wanna know how you can spot the runners in a yoga class? When the instructor tells everyone to hold a pose for 5 deep breaths, everyone else finishes and the runners are barely to the end of breath #3.

Most Memorable Run: Easily the Salt Lake Half. See the race report here.

I love that they gave all runners 1 free photo download! A little red in the face, but feeling great at the finish line.

Current Needs/Wants: I honestly do not need anything. However, man oh man do I have my eye on this. I did pick up a pair of end-of-season clearance tights from Athleta earlier today. I'm anxious to see how they fit. It will be nice to have a second pair of mid-weight tights for next winter.

Training Update/Weekly Update: The week started out well. On Monday I enjoyed a 7 mile easy run, and I started Tuesday--my birthday--with a sunrise yoga power hour at my neighborhood yoga studio. I felt strong and energized--a perfect way to start a new year of life!

And then...it all fell apart. I try to keep things upbeat around here, but honestly, this past week was one of the worst running weeks I can ever remember. On Tuesday night, I think I had an allergic reaction to something I ate. That derailed my Wednesday morning speed work. Wednesday was touchy, but by Thursday morning I thought I was ready to try it again. Nope. I got through almost half of the workout and had to walk home. Friday I did an easy run and it wasn't stellar, but passable. On Saturday I was scheduled for a long run that should not have been difficult: 8 miles, with 3 miles at tempo in the middle. I ran 2 miles in the middle a little slower than tempo (about 8 min/mile), could not do the third, and ended up walking part of the last mile. I just couldn't do the workout.

It's early May. This is the end of the semester, and the end of the academic year. Many years, I just go ahead and get really sick this week. I think a combination of an allergy, stress, fatigue, and the accompanying weakened immune system, meant that I simply did not have the strength and health to train according to schedule. I had a great day relaxing and catching up on stuff around the house today, and am sincerely hoping my stronger, faster self is back tomorrow morning.

Six weeks and counting until my A-game race of the year!!

Home Renovation Updates: It's been pretty quiet on the home front this month. We're trying to get our yard into shape a bit, and I have made some progress selling, giving away, and organizing things, which always makes a home feel more comfortable.

Other Lovely Things in Life: The semester is almost over! Hooray!! While I've really enjoyed my classes this spring, and have had some great students, I'm also beyond ready for more focused research time, and a break from constant course prep, grading, and student emails. We also have some great things planned for summer, including a 10th anniversary getaway for my husband and me, an evening seeing A Prairie Home Companion with my parents, my older son's 7th birthday party, and other wonderful events. We also have many home projects designed and planned and ready to go, just awaiting either budget priority or our attention. I always enjoy seeing those projects move forward. SUMMER!

On the research front, a close colleague and I got what I think is a light R&R (revise & resubmit) on a paper we submitted to a special issue of a journal only a little over a month ago. The paper itself was one of the most exciting I've worked on recently, and I'm really excited to see it making progress. The other projects I'm involved in are marching along at various stages and paces. I'm finally wrapping up some econometric work on a project I'm leading, and I think I should be able to turn that into a publishable paper relatively quickly. Publish or perish--they're not joking ;)

March Recap

Total miles: 120.7

# Runs: 17

# Other workouts: 3. THREE! Hallelujah! I finally figured out a cross-training activity that I enjoy and that fits my schedule!

Most memorable run: The thing that stands out most in my memory from March is just that I gained confidence in speed work from week to week. The first time out was pretty brutal. The second time was better. The third time out was downright enjoyable. Sadly I missed both speed work and yoga this week as stress took over my psyche and meant that I needed sleep and wasn't getting enough. I'll be back at speed work next week and can't wait.

But this was my favorite picture--mountains behind me, sun on my face, beautiful day for a long run.

Current needs/wants: I honestly don't need a thing, but I have to say, running apparel & gadgets have come so, so far since I started endurance running back in 2007. I keep finding such cool stuff! For instance:

• The Swoob front pocket bra for high impact sports (here). Need--no. Want--yea. Justifiable--sure. I'll be carrying a phone for safety purposes. 
• The running tanks with built-in bras that actually claim to work for curvier runners while they are running. I've always assumed, by default, that built-in bras just categorically are not going to cut it....because they never have. But, light on the horizon, I think maybe, just maybe we're to an age where this might be possible. (option here) Has anyone tried these?
• There are also running tanks now with side rouching. Anyone who has had a baby knows this as the sewing technique that hides all sins against nutrition. WANT this. Need--not so much. 
• Pretty much everything available at Title 9. 

Training update: The Salt Lake Half is in 2 weeks. I'm not trying to PR. It's my warm-up training & race for Utah Valley in June, which I cannot wait to run with my friend Rachel!! 

Rachel & me, the day I left St. Louis

House projects: Since it's been a while since I did a monthly recap, it's been a while since I updated you on house renovation progress. Since we last talked, I epically painted the master bedroom and ceiling. It was epic because it took forever, first to find just the right color, then to apply enough coats, and finally to paint our dirty, awful ceiling. The paint looks great with the bedding I chose at West Elm back in December. I also then picked out some lamps and lamp shades, a side table to go with the chair, and some decor pieces, and we got new window coverings--some nice Roman shades. 

Sometime in February (I think) we had our windows cleaned, inside and out, by a highly rated professional window company. They did not bring their A game that day. They dirtied, badly, not 1 but NINE curtain panels, including 4 in my older son's room, 4 in our room, and 1 other. Then they came back (thankfully) to clean them, and in doing so ruined 1 panel, and installed 3 of ours in our son's room, and his in our room. They also scuffed some paint on the craft desk I took a millennium painting. So they came back a third time to re-clean one panel (one I'd sewn myself), uninstall and re-install the 6 misplaced panels, and replace the one they ruined. All for window washing! This is what I get for having windows washed! 

We've also added some art work throughout the house, and a few new light fixtures. I feel like we're getting closer and closer to a house that feels like its us from top to bottom. 

Other lovely things in life: My baby turns 3 next week. He's so happy, so sweet, so cute. Sometimes it's hard to let him grow up. My older son wanted to make a card for the Easter Bunny. I love him for this. He was so concerned about gluing everything down today, to make sure the glue had time to dry in time. So like me like that. Also, I'm using my newest toy to help make it--a Silhouette Cameo 3 die cutting machine. I had a Making Memories Slice for years and it just up and died on me a few weeks ago. I'd always liked that it was small and portable, but its functionality was fairly limited. And, while you can still buy them, they're not really supported any more. So I made the switch, and so far am loving it. 

At work, I've made some really cool discoveries recently, and have gotten most of it written up and sent to journals for review. And some of my articles from last year are starting to appear in print now, and I'm getting to share that work with networks locally and nationally and am getting some feedback on them. I love my life as a researcher. It's an amazing way to build professional networks, give students amazing training opportunities, and learn endless and new things about the world. 

December Recap

Well this is awkward! I haven't said one hot word on here about running since my Top of Utah Marathon recap back in September. Truthfully, I took some time off from running for a few weeks after the race, then I took longer off from the blog. It was a great time of recovery and giving increased focus to some other parts of life for a while. I didn't run a heck of a lot in October or November. But I'm back, with some miles and some pics.

Miles Ran: 68.9. I'm really good with that.

# Runs: 12. No speed work, but some variation in distance.

Favorite Run: It's always hard to choose, but running with my friend Tessa in the snow at the Jordan River Parkway was really, really nice. It was a sunny, bright day, with mostly clear paths, but with the sound of our shoes crunching on the snow here and there. We ran 7 pretty quick miles that day.

Other Notable Runs: Just before heading out for the run pictured above, I realized that I was 20 miles shy of hitting a pretty big number (stay tuned for the year end!), and decided that was my goal. After Tessa and I ran, I had 13 to go. I planned to split them up Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week (December 29-31). Monday, 5 miles, check. Tuesday, 3 miles planned....wind gusts up to 50mph, felt like it was -10. Our pipes froze (seriously). We heard on the news that there were hundreds of accidents on the interstates, so driving to an indoor track seemed like a bad option too. So today, NYE, I was due to run 8 miles. Mr. Joanna, the kiddo, and I all packed up and headed to the Utah Olympic Oval. It's a 442m/lap indoor track that loops an ice skating rink. The boys skated while I ran. It was really fun to get to watch them. And what runner wouldn't get inspired by all the Olympic paraphernalia? So cool. (if you can't make it out, the banner in the background says "US Olympic Team Trials").

Training Update: I am still in the off-season. I've registered for a half in June, but nothing else yet for next year. I'm mulling my options for a great race season. In the meantime, I'd like to drop some weight. My clothes are all fitting well, but I'd still like to drop some. 

House Project Completed: Unfortunately it's been a bumpy road on house projects (I'm planning a whole post called "What I Learned from Renovating My House for a Year"). However, so much has happened since I last shared. I finally finished re-painting my craft desk and putting the office back together. My Mom finished the window treatment for the master bath. We chose an area rug for the living room (love!). I painted the dining room, and am working on painting the master bedroom. I found end tables for the living room (finally), and some accessorizing in various rooms has happened. We've also given away and sold a bunch of stuff, which, if you know me, you know I love to de-clutter. So freeing. Our house is coming together, finally. It's been quite a process. 

Other Lovely Things from Life: White Christmas. Sledding. Hot chocolate. Knitting projects finished. Baking lovely things. New friends and very new friends. 

I hope your December was great, too!