Chasing My Joy

My journey to becoming an Ultra Runner and Ironman

Winter Running Favorites

It’s not always easy getting out and running when it’s dark and cold outside. But winter running can also be refreshing, calming and wonderful if you have the correct gear. Here is some of the gear that keeps me moving in the winter:

  1. Lululemon Brushed Speed Up Tight – These puppies are warm! I have worn them in less than 20 degree temps with driving snow and still felt comfortable.
  2. Boco Technical Trucker Hat – I have several of these hats from different races I have participated in. I love them and wear them all year. In the winter I still like to have protection for my face from the sun, rain or snow. I just add a headband over my ears on cold days.
  3. HEAD gloves – I am not too picky on my gloves so I grabbed these from Costco and call it good.
  4. Hoka Challenger ATR – I have tried many things for running in the snow; sheet metal screws, yack tracks, hope….but I have found that running in my trail shoes has been the best for comfort and traction.
  5. Ginger Runner Buff – This is what I put on over my hat to keep my ears warm, it’s also great to grab two and put one around your neck to keep yourself even warmer and pull over your mouth and chin if it’s really cold.
  6. Smart Wool Socks – These are great for keeping my feet warm as well as avoiding blisters on wet feet.
  7. Old Navy Fleece Jacket – There are a lot of great running specific jackets out there but if you want something that will keep you warm for a great price this is it! I have had mine for a few years and it has held up well to lots of miles and so many washes.

Favorites, Floods and Friends

The day started out just like it should with an early morning run. Normally Colorado has brisk mornings but lately even the mornings feel warm and flat. I am looking forward to some cooler weather but I am not enjoying the days getting shorter already. I might have to locate my headlamp again soon!

This week has been pretty crazy, we started the week with our neighborhood flooding from an intense rain storm overnight.

Our Rec Center and Pools were flooded and have been closed for clean up all week! Many people’s basements flooded but luckily we live at the top of a hill so we escaped any damage.

Along with the flooding one of the classes I am teaching ended this week and, whew it is a relief! I love my job, but accelerated summer classes are intense and having three classes that are twice as fast as a normal course was more than i have anticipated ( I should know better by now). But now I only have two classes for a couple more weeks, so yay for a little break before fall classes start!

A few other favorites from this week include lots of time with our friends, with the pools closed we have been spending more time at splash pads.

Emmy’s suit is from Boden and shoes are Natives

When we went to our local King Soopers (Kroger Family) we found that their new clothing line DIP was 50% off.

I grabbed this cute sweatshirt for Emmy, a shirt and PJs for Cannon. I think I will have to go back and grab a sweater I was eyeing for Emmy =).

We are also loving picnic lunch with Cory. It’s nice for the kids to get to see him during the day and he loves playing with them for a little while before we head home so Emerald can nap.

His office has some outdoor tables so we hope to keep doing this once a week as long as the weather allows.

I just started listening to Matt’s new Podcast called Road to the Olympics . From the website: “The Road to the Olympics Trials podcast features eight elite runners, four men and four women, who are excited about pulling back the curtain and being open and honest about their training, racing, and goals in their lead-up to the Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta in February, 2020. The athletes who will be sharing their journey are Jared Ward, Kellyn Taylor, Roberta Groner, Parker Stinson, Lou Serafini, Sarah Bishop, John Raneri, and Dr. Stefanie Flippin.”

I am so excited to follow along with these runners then cheer them on at the trials.

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What are some of your favorites from this week?

Friday Favorites – July 4th Weekend

I hope everyone had a wonder and safe 4th of July! We had a great time celebrating at local festival. We enjoyed food trucks and playground time but didn’t stay for the fireworks. A storm rolled in with warnings of hail and a tornado watch. We got out just in time to enjoy the pouring rain and lightning from the car.

Something that we have been using a ton this summer is our picnic blanket.

It folds up small and is great even on soggy grass. With the kids being so little it’s much easier than dealing with camp chairs and can easily fit in the stroller.

Emmy wanted to show off her star spangled swim suit.

I saw it at Target and had to get it! I threw on an old pair of Cannon’s shorts from Carter’s so she could play at the splash pad and playground.

I used to always bring our buckets to the splash pad but found that other kids would take them or they would get lost. I found by accident that the kiddos love plastic cups just as much. Now I just keep some disposable cups in the car, if another child is playing with it when we are ready to leave it’s no trouble to let the keep it and there’s no worry of losing them.

A big shout out to the sunnies I grabbed for the kids on Amazon.

I got two sets so the kids could match but Emmy usually refuses to wear hers. I love the light blue ones that Cannon is wearing at the splash pad picture. They are very durable and have held up to Cannon being pretty rough on them.

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What are some things you are loving this July?

Friday Favorites – Keeping Cozy

Happy Friday everyone! I am so excited that it is March. I probably shouldn’t be since spring won’t really show up here in Colorado for a few months but I am so looking forward to longer days, sunshine and afternoons at the park.

In appreciation of the continued cold weather I thought I would share some of my favorites for winter.

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This Blistex chapstick is the best. The dry winter air leaves my lips feeling dry and terrible. This chapstick is the only thing that I have found that really helps. I try to have one with my at all times.

Joy Lab at Target has some really cute active wear and athleisure wear. I am really loving their sweatshirts. They are so soft and wash well.

With 4-8 inches of snow coming and highs in the teens this weekend I will most likely be spending some quality time on the treadmill. We recently cut the cord on our Dish service (yay) and picked up Hulu (we already had Amazon Prime and Netflix) I am excited to get into the Handmaids Tale, I read the book in 2017.

Emmy is loving these Zutano Booties They actually stay on her feet, are very warm AND she can crawl and walk in them. They wash easily and have held up well. Also I think they are cute.

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I hope you all have a wonderful Friday!

What are some of your favorites from this week?

Friday Favorites – Disneyland Edition

We just got back from our trip to California, five days traveling and door busting at Disneyland was so much fun but also pretty exhausting.

We are all pretty glad to be home, especially since Cory seemed to come down with a cold as we were leaving and now the kids and I have it too.

It’s also nice that it’s Friday so hopefully we can take some time to put the house back together. Our two almost back to back trips has left us a little upside down.

I did not run at all during our trip, we didn’t have access to a gym and there wasn’t really time to run anyway. We walked over ten miles everyday so I call it good. I am happy to be back home and back to routine, too bad it was seven degrees and icy this morning!

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Here are some of my favorites from this week, many are from our Disneyland trip =)

These Nike Flex Contact shoes are so comfortable! We walked over 22,000 steps a day while visiting Disneyland and California Adventure. My feet felt great the entire time even though they were soaked most of the time!

I am in LOVE with these Tierra Sunglasses! They are comfortable, don’t fog up, are polarized and are only $20. Great find!

We love these Chobani Gimmies pouches. I love that they are low in sugar and easy to take with us, Cannon loves the flavors.

The Disneyland App is a must have if you are visiting the Disneyland Resort! It shows all the wait times, holds your tickets, you can mobile order food (skip the line!) and make reservations. You can also request Fast Passes for your entire party if you get the MaxPass, and I think it’s worth it for the MaxPass as well.

The iMuto Charger was a life saver! We knew from previous experience that even though the Disneyland App is awesome it also drains your battery. I asked for a portable charger for Christmas and Cory got me this one. I love that you can charge up to three devices at once and it charges quickly. The one downside is that it is pretty heavy but I think it’s worth it for a working phone.

Last but not least, I have talked about our Thule Chariot before but it gets a special shout out here. It rained a lot the first two days we were at Disneyland and it was pretty chilly. The built in rain cover kept the kids completely dry and warm all day. We also packed the diaper bag and extra jackets in the back and everything stayed dry. I was very impressed!

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I hope you all are having a fabulous Friday. Any favorites from your week?

Recovery Favorites and Back to Routine

Trying to get back to “normal” around here, but after being out of town for the weekend, it feels like our house will never be put back together. Send help to get unburied from laundry and piles of things, we don’t have too long before we need to pack up again. We are headed to California on Sunday!

While I love traveling and going on adventures with my family I thrive on routine. I love having an idea of what is going to happen during the day, when I am going to get my run in how I am going to keep the kids happy and healthy. I really do believe that sleep is part of a child’s health and getting in predictable naps is part of that. I am actually working hard to keep up healthy habits even when I am thrown off my normal routine but it’s not natural for me.

Yesterday Emmy had a follow up with the eye doctor to see if her eyes are developing as they should. It is important to be sure she is using both of her eyes well and equally. Otherwise her eye sight might not develop as it should. I really like our Doctor he really takes his time to check Emmy’s sight and explain everything to us. As of now her eyes are looking great and she is using them equally well. I was so happy to get a good report! We will keep checking in on her as Cory and my father both don’t have great eye sight so it’s something to watch.

During Emmy’s appointment Cannon hung out with his grandparents, they all had a blast.

After collecting Cannon we came home to have dinner and play. Cannon was excited to be back with all of his toys.

After that I had a sports massage to help refresh my muscles from the half marathon and long car trip home.

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Going to my massage got me thinking about my favorite forms of recovery after races or hard workouts. I wrote a tongue and cheek post about How Not to Recover from a half marathon back in 2012 when I was training for my first Ironman. It got me thinking about my current favorite recovery methods:

  • Massage! If you can get in and get some work done by a professional, awesome! Some races have massages available at the finish line. I have never done that. What is your experience with finish line massages?
  • Rolling is a great way to loosen up tight muscles. We use “The Stick” roller and Trigger Points Grid Roller No Meat Athlete has great instructions on foam rolling here.
  • Elevated Legs recovery system boots, these things are great and have worked for YEARS. Both Cory and I use them and I think we bought them in 2013 so it’s been a great investment.
  • Compression Socks! These were a great help on the drive home from Moab. I really like PRO Compression socks.
  • Active Recovery. It’s easy to want to be lazy the rest of the day after a race but doing some easy movement after a race can really help. We went for a hike after my half marathon and it felt great. When I was training for my ultra in 2017 Cannon had swim lessons on Sunday afternoons. Being in the pool after my long runs really seemed to help! We should really sign up Emmy for lessons this year =)

There are lots of other recovery methods as well, including ice baths (not for me in the winter), protein, clean eating, hydration, etc. I wrote more about it HERE.

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What are your favorite recovery methods?

Friday Favorites – Current Running Gear

Happy Friday everyone! We are off to Moab today, please send us good vibes as we try to get ourselves a toddler and a baby over the rockies and into Utah for the weekend.

I can’t wait to show the kids one of my favorite places and spend some (lots!) of time on the trails.

Moab, Delicate Arch, Arches

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Before we head out I thought I would share some of my favorite running gear:

Shoes: For the last few years I have been running in Hokas, they have kept my feet happy through pregnancies and some high miles both on the road and trail. Right now I am running in the Clifton 4 and Challenger ATR

Watch: One of my favorite pieces of gear ever is my Garmin Fenix Sapphire 3. The current version is the Fenix 5, my mom has the 5, it’s a bit smaller, lighter and you can get optical heart rate now. I LOVE mine, and the fact that it uploads over bluetooth to my phone. It holds a charge well and still looks great after almost three years of constant wear. Side bonus is that it is waterproof so I don’t have to worry about it when bathing the kids or washing my hands for the 700th time.

Tights/Capris: My Favorite tights are Lululemon Speed Up Tight. These are a little pricey BUT I have had mine for years. They have stretched and shrunk with pregnancies and have great pockets. I love them and wear them constantly! I also love Lulu’s Pace Rival Crops They have kept my legs happy for many marathons over the years.

Desert Rats Trail Marathon

Shorts : I am on the taller side (5’8″) so I like a bit longer short. I really love Run Times Short The 4 inch inseam is a better length for me than the shorter 2.5 inch inseam. I wore them for my ultra and they felt good the entire time.

Socks: I love both Stance socks and Smart Wool. Both of these brands of kept my feet happy in marathons and ultra trail races.

Safety: A newer addition to my gear list is the Run Angel. A Run Angel is a wearable safety alarm that is quite loud. If you set off the alarm then through your phone it will send an alert and your location to your angels (people you set up to get the alert).

Treadmill: This is a necessary part of my training and I LOVE our NordicTrack Incline Trainer. It makes training possible on days where I might not be able to get out! I love that it has both incline and decline.

Hydration: I have tried many hydration options and BY FAR my favorite is the VaporHowe 12L Race Vest. This vest has tons of storage and is so comfortable and light. I forget I am wearing it even after hours on the trails.

Running Stroller: We have the single BOB Revolution stroller and the double Thule Cougar Chariot . I love running with the BOB (although that might be because it’s a single so it’s just easier in general. I really love the the Thule converts from a jogging stroller, to walking or bike trailer. You can even convert it to a sled for pulling while skiing but we don’t have that attachment. I would love the try the double BOB to really be able to compare.

  • running, stroller running, Mother Runner

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What is some of your favorite gear?

I hope you all have a fabulous start to the weekend!

Friday Favorites #1

I always find a bunch of stuff throughout the week that I would love to share so I thought I would start up a Friday Favorites post.

Hoka Cliffton 3 – I LOVE these shoes!!! The upper is comfortable and they are super light and bouncy. I have struggled with plantar fasciitis since I was 20 weeks pregnant. Wearing Hokas has made it so I can still run and my foot seems to be healing. Hoka, hoka one one, run, running shoe, trail run

Pumpkin Coffee – I know it’s so cliche to love PSL but I rarely order them at Starbucks since they have so much sugar. I am loving this blend from Caribou Coffee, I can enjoy my pumpkin flavored coffee and keep working towards my race weight.

'tis the season ☕️❤️ #pumpkin #coffee

’tis the season ☕️❤️ #pumpkin #coffee

Thorsten’s Kona Rating Report – This thing is seriously awesome, I will definitely have it open while stalking watching Kona next weekend. From the website:

For the 2016 Ironman World Championships in Kona I’ll be releasing a 100+-page Rating Report. It contains tons of information, including detailed results from last year, the Kona 2016 start list and my predictions for the Pro athletes, a detailed discussion of the Pros including their input and a lot of photos they have supplied.

The Kona Rating Report is the ideal information to have when following the Ironman Kona coverage!

Shakeology – This stuff is great, I have been trying to have one a day. I have tried the greenberry and the chocolate so far. They are great just mixed with water but I like to add greens, peanut butter, or some fruit.

shakeology, smoothie, 21 day fix

Pathetic Triathlete – As triathletes we often take ourselves too seriously. Pathetic Triathlete is a fun new website with shirts, hats, stickers, etc that helps us poke a little fun at ourselves. Their facebook page is pretty funny too.

mockup-3a9c940b_grande

 

Anything making your week better?