Where's the Beach?

Since I'm currently traveling, I thought a travel theme was appropriate for Fun Facts Friday . Brilliant idea right ;-) I do enjoy traveling, but don't get to do so nearly as much as I'd really like. Somehow money and lack of time off seem to get in the way. Don't you just hate that? Source: weheartit.com via Jennifer on Pinterest I hate to fly, but I'll suck it up and even flew in a 4-seater piloted by a friend Me on a 4-seater I almost always over-pack, exception is the beach I must hit the beach at least once a year Perdido Key, FL I hope to go to Italy one day This is my first time to California I've been on 2 cruises and I do get seasick by the way Wine country is also on my list of places to visit I have learned to try to go with the flow rather than over-plan I do still try to stay active when I travel  We always try to go to local restaurants vs chains Karyn's Cooked in Chicago  I love Seattle and Chicago,...

I'm officially on my way to San Diego for the Social Fresh West social media conference by the time you're reading this post. Since I'll be travelling most of the day, I didn't figure I'd have time to really do a post nor much to talk about just yet. I could tell you about my flying anxiety, but that's no fun at all. I imagine I'll have lots more to talk about tomorrow and after the conference. But, I might end up being MIA until Sunday or Monday. I hope you don't mind ;-) Rather than dwell on flying or my over-packing craziness, I'll leave you all with some more shout outs for Way to Go Wednesday . I hope you check out these blogs and posts! Source: 2.bp.blogspot.com via Krista on Pinterest Kiersten for completing her first half marathon (and celebrating her birthday this week). Krysten for completing her second half marathon, PRing AND running with an Olympian...Oh and filming it all. Tiffany for running a great 5K time and e...

Tomorrow morning we are flying out and heading to San Diego. I'm attending the Social Fresh West social media conference on Thursday and Friday. Jason wan't going to let me go to a gorgeous place like San Diego without him LOL. Since I won't be getting a long run this weekend obviously, I went ahead and got it done this morning. I got in right at 4 miles with Jason before meeting up with my running buddy. We did have to make a quick stop by the house for more Body Glide. Humidity and sweaty inner thighs with running shorts don't always mix well, just sayin'. Then "A" and I were off for the rest of the run. It was definitely a lot warmer and more humid again than it's been. Back up to just under 70 to start off the run. But there was a nice breeze so that really helped out. You take what you can get some days. Today was one of those runs where I'd hit a great groove then get totally off kilter then back on again. I'm definitely looking fo...

12 Frustrating Miles Well, this weekend was a lot of the same as past weekends. Running, relaxing, a little bit of productivity. What wasn't the same is my long run. Oh, I got it done. But I had to fight for those 12 miles. Running is such a funny funny thing. For every 5 runs or maybe 10, heck if you're lucky 20....then bammo that bad one. And you just never know when it'll happen. Those days you expect it to suck it's great then those days you're hoping for runner's high and the feeling of flying is when you hit the wall. And sometimes social media doesn't help. Why do I say that? I mean, you have so much inspiration, people cheering you one (hello virtual sherpa crew), but you also see all these posts, tweets, updates about an amazing 12-miler, a fantastic 20 miles, or the best 18 ever. You have had some great runs, you see all these others having great runs, you get psyched up dreaming of your 12 going perfectly. And it doesn't. It can be disa...

Running & Lifting  Yesterday started off with a dark, but really great 4.5 mile run with my running buddy. I was afraid my legs were going to be heavy from the runs Tuesday and Wednesday, but they felt great. We just chatted away and boogied on down the road. I didn't pay any attention to pace until I stopped my Garmin while stretching and was really surprised to see an average of 8:43. And the best part was that I never felt like I was struggling. It was just a great run with fun conversation (which I actually missed this morning since it's a rest day). Don't you just love it when running is almost easy like that? I mean, you're working, but everything is just sort of clicking into place nicely. Now if we could figure out how to make all runs like that... During lunch I did managed to get in shoulders, back, chest and some more legs. I feel like I've been neglecting legs since I don't have access to a squat rack to lift heavy. So perhaps working them...

More Speed Work This morning the alarm went off way way too early for my liking, and it was even 10 minutes later than normal. But, I had a rundate with my running buddy for some 800's. Today was the first cool run of the season too. We had actually texted about being strong and not giving in to the urge to wear too much clothing. Your mind says, "Hey dummy, it's cold." But you know, you know, you know you're going to get hot. So, I pulled out my shorts, a short-sleeved top last night. This morning, my brain kicked in and I grabbed my arm sleeves at the last minute. I stepped out and it definitely felt chilly - 54 degrees according to house thermostat. I felt suddenly smug about my decision to wear the sleeves. The, a mere half a mile later, not so smug. I was sweating already. Sweating? 54 degrees? Yep. And I'm sure I'll repeat this error a few more times before I learn. Luckily, my piriformis problems weren't flaring up quite as bad as yeste...

This morning Jason and I got up around 5 am for a run. The plan was for him to run the first 2 miles with me then I was meeting up with "A" to run the remaining 5. It's his birthday, so this was a birthday run for him. He was planning on 7 as well, but didn't want to run with the Chatty Cathy Crew ;-) It's funny how at 65 degrees, running, I'm hot. I was still in a tummy revealing sports bra and shorts and sweating like crazy. But, when it's 65 and I'm not running (even 75 to be honest) I'm going to have on long pants and a 3/4 sleeved top at the very least, likely a light long-sleeve.  The humidity was still high with the tail end of a front passing through - supposed to dip into the 50's tonight. So I was sweating like it was 95 out. It was fairly windy though, and that really did help out quite a bit. Of course, it also made for a little bit of a resistance run at times. With the sun not even starting to rise until 6:30, we'v...

Running and Raining  Today is one of those full on Mondays. Kind of a blue day and it doesn't help matters that it's just been nasty, rainy, gray, dreary since Friday afternoon. Big fat blah. However, despite the craptastic weather, I did get in a really good and very wet 11.5 mile run on Saturday. As long as it's not just pouring down and storming, running in the rain is really rather fun. Oh, and as long as it's not cold. Just a few stipulations. It was in the mid- to upper-60's when I set out with a steady, but not exactly heavy rain. It felt very refreshing I must say. The rain definitely helped to keep me cooler. The only downfall was the 100% humidity of course. But, everything seemed to be clicking for me. I did make a stop at the house at mile 6 to put on dry socks. The others were getting terribly squishy and I was worried about blisters at that point. Not that the dry sock stayed dry for long, but it sure felt good while they were dry. Maybe it wa...

I have loved hearing the many things you guys are thankful for from yesterday's Thankful Thursday post. Sounds like many of us need that gentle reminder from time-to-time. Also, sometimes we need to step out of routine for the sake of our sanity. Last night we ended up meeting my friend after work for a very non-routine weekday happy hour. The weather was pleasant enough to sit out on the patio as well. She was celebrating her last day of work - today she is begins her new venture as a self-employed court reporter. I'll admit to some grumbling about going out after work. It was a long, tiring day. I was frustrated, fairly pissy, probably unpleasant to be around actually. But, in the end, I'm really glad we went. "C" definitely needed to celebrate this new change, and I needed to calm my butt down. And yes, sometimes beer might be necessary for that to happen. Just being honest. And speaking of honest, my brain is simply fried. I can't seem to come up wit...

Recovery Run & Weights This morning I slept in until just after 5:30 - crazy right? My plan was to get in an easy 3-4 "get the lactic acid out" kind of run. It sometimes sounds counterintuitive to work the legs when they're sore, but it really can help so much to get them moving. Since it was a shorter run, that meant I didn't have to be up and out the door by 5:30, and I wasn't meeting my running buddy either - though, I'm pretty sure I saw her zip on by at one point. At first, I thought, "What am I thinking...." My legs felt tight, heavy. But once I started moving, they woke right up and it felt fantastic actually. My plan was to keep a 9 min/mile or over and avoid hills. Well, it was so dark still that I didn't feel comfortable doing in any direction that didn't involve hills. So, typical route starting with almost a 3/4 mile incline. I must say, that stretch is finally starting to feel less intimidating. Either that or I was delu...

800's and Weights This morning I got myself up and out of bed for my speed work day with my running buddy. I was kind of dragging butt. In fact, I almost used deodorant in lieu of my bodyglide on my inner thighs. Yup, perhaps that was a sign to get more sleep. But, I had made plans to meet "A" at 6 am and I'm a girl who sticks to her plans. Even if half asleep. I got in 1.5 miles by the time I caught up with "A." Then it was time to tackle 800's. We decided on a slightly different route - one that was straight a mostly flat. The only problem is that it is still so incredibly dark at 6am. If a section of the street has a light out, it's completely dark. Makes things a little interesting. I may need to learn how to properly fall. Anyway, it was a pretty good speed session. I'm thankful for the cooler temps that's for sure. The humidity still seemed to be rather high though as we were both dripping with sweat. At least it was 63-ish and not...

Cool Weather = Increased Speed It was so tough dragging myself out of bed this morning for my run. I didn't sleep very well for starters. And it's just flat out dark at 5 am. I did end up resetting the alarm to give me an extra 10 minutes in bed, just laying there, but still. Jason set out with me for the first 2 miles, then I met my running buddy for the remaining 5.5 miles. It felt fairly chilly out - 60 degrees. Of course, I was sweating like usual by mile 2. The weather felt great though. Not too windy, but just enough of a breeze to keep you cooled off.  My legs were much peppier than I expected too. In fact, my slowest mile was the first one at 9:10. That one is usually the "wake-up" mile for us. It does make a difference when you don't feel like you're breathing under water - in jacuzzi temp water nonetheless.  "A" and I kept up a really good pace. I fought my initial urge to slow down and just went with it. I knew she'd slow...

Running & Tailgating  We had some incredible weather this weekend. The lows were in the low 60's and highs mid-80's. It actually felt like fall. And I guess that came just in time for the first of two AR Razorback games held in Little Rock. The university is in Fayetteville, but two games of the season are in Little Rock.  And, it's a huge deal. Everyone turns out for some serious tailgating. It's just one enormous party on the public golf course outside of the stadium. We, of course, went. We met up with our friends. Walked around and visited with other friends. Lots of standing, walking, walking and standing. Let's just say that didn't bode well for my feet after our morning run. Because it was cooler, we actually got to sleep in until after 7 and didn't have to start the run until around 8:30. It was a nice change of pace, being able to actually wake up fully before taking off out the door. Jason and I decided to try out a slightly differen...

Raise your hand if you're happy that it's Friday? I have both hands up in the air. It's Friday and it's a rest day for me. I actually slept until 5:40 this morning too. It's the little things right? Speaking of little things, and big things too really, lets talk about hills. A few weeks ago I was emailing with my friend Jolene about running, running routes, and hills. The next run, all I could do was think about our email chat and about hills. It's hard to avoid hills entirely unless you go to a track. So, as a runner, you have to learn to contend with them somehow. You either dread them and try to avoid them. Or you suck it up and stare them down and challenge them. Or you just try not to think about it. Like if you don't think too much, it won't be so bad. But all hills are not created equal. And they affect you so much differently depending on where you're at with your run. The first hill might not seem so bad. Silly me for being nervo...

Morning Run & Midday Lift This morning I opted to do an easier run with Jason rather than push myself with 800's with my running buddy. My foot feels a little less achy, but I didn't want to chance it any more than I already was with a run period. The plan was 3 miles. This meant we could "sleep in" until 5:15-ish. Hey, I'll take what I can get ;-) Of course, this was the one morning this week when I was sound asleep and the alarm very rudely interrupted that deep sleep. It was another hot, muggy morning. But at least it wasn't a long run...that's what I reminded myself of anyway. It was a pretty good run for the most part. We kept it basic. As flat as possible. The overall average for 4 (yes I did 1 extra mile) ended up being a 9:08 pace. Considering how the heat/humidity has been affecting my breathing and perceived exertion level, I'll take it. We actually had negative splits. The first mile was a super slow one (the wake-up mile) at 9:37...

Morning Run This morning the alarm seemed to go off far far too early. The seasons are changing and it's dark until about 6:15-6:20 when the light is just starting to show itself. You know, that period when the sun isn't exactly up, but the stars aren't out. The streetlights are just starting to shut off. So, that means that I didn't see light until about mile 5 of my 6 mile run. That's a lot of running in the dark. Thankfully, my streets are mostly well lit. I love my blinking light. Kind of wish I had 2. And of course there's the mace. So, armed and ready to go, I "picked up" my running buddy around mile 2 and we took off to get in a few miles together. The air was simply oppressive. That's really all you can say. It was so warm and humid that we actually weren't sweating buckets. I mean, we were soaked, don't get me wrong. But it wasn't streaming down our faces. Too hot to sweat? Perhaps. I enjoyed the run, mostly because I ha...

Long Weekend  I hope everyone enjoyed a nice long holiday weekend. I decided to take a break from blogging over the 3-day weekend too. Kind of a nice break. Definitely means spending more time just enjoying right? We didn't have any major plans, no parties or cookouts. That was a-ok with me actually. I just wanted to relax, enjoy, and relax some more. I did get lots of laundry done and a few chores, but other than that...pretty darn lazy. I got in some pretty good runs despite the insane heat. We're getting August heat in September. So indexes are reaching the 100's again and the humidity? Let's just say gills would be nice. Saturday I stuck to a short run, 3.5 miles then got in a really good weight session for shoulders, back, chest. My chest is still sore. Jason and I ran a lot of errands Saturday then had a late lunch out. The skies weren't exactly clear, so no pool time. Sunday I got in 7 miles, part of it with my running buddy. We had such a fun run to...