Chasing My Joy

My journey to becoming an Ultra Runner and Ironman

Rest Day Hunger + Play Dates

This morning the kids and I had a playdate at a friends house. It is so nice for the kids to get to play with other littles their ages but I think it makes even more of a difference for me. It’s so nice seeing my friends and being able to talk with other adults.

Twirling through our Monday

In the afternoon we spent some time at the Rec Center so I could get some much needed work done. Emmy is still having a hard time being left at child care. I am taking any and all suggestions to help her.

The other day I was commenting to Cory that I couldn’t believe how much hungrier I was on rest days than on days that I ran more. It didn’t take much effort (thanks Google) to find that there is some scientific explanations as to why you also may feel hungrier on recovery days/weeks.

This article explains some of the reasons. It’s always good to get some reassurance that there are scientific reasons for the things we experience.

The kiddos love a good rest day snack break as well!

___________________

Are you hungrier on rest days?

Trails + Trifles

It was a good day but I am beat! The day started off with a 4am alarm and straight to coffee! I have become a champion time waster in the mornings lately and I really need to break the habit. I don’t need to be scrolling on my phone at 4:30 am!

I drove out to Boulder to get some time on the trails and some climbing.

time one the trails always flies by, 18 miles total for the day.

Then there was time at the park (yes, we go to the park a lot) and chores around the house.

I have to really hope that active recovery is a good thing because there really isn’t time to sit and recover after long runs anymore.

In the evening we had my family over for a BBQ. I made my 4th of July Trifle. It’s always a hit but never looks as good as the Pinterest pictures. It’s really easy so I love making it.

After dinner we were all beat, I love when Cannon falls asleep with one of us. It doesn’t happen all the time but more frequently now that he doesn’t nap.

After dinner we watched the team time trials for the Tour de France while working.

___________________________________

How was your weekend? Any great easy recipes you want to share?

What I Learned Doing a 50 Day Run Streak

I set out to run every day for 50 days and yesterday I met that goal. I have started a couple run streaks before, often coming back from injury to reestablish a run base but this is the longest streak I have ever done.

I finished up the last day with a celebratory run with both Cannon and Emerald. I pushed Emmy in the stroller and Cannon ran much of it with me.

These two are so much of my reason for running. Running is my break and escape from all of the rigors of motherhood, something I do that is for me. But it’s also something I do hoping to show these babies that you can chase your dreams, work hard and do some really cool things.

Some of the things I learned from a 50 day run streak are:

  • Setting my own rules made the streak possible. I wanted to be sure not to get injured or burned out so I set the bar low. To count for the streak I had to travel at lest 1 mile on foot. If that meant some walking or a family hike with some jogging to me that was fine. Some set their bar higher but this worked for me.
  • It was really hard some days and I didn’t want to run at 9pm when I was tired and had other things to do. But I did it for the streak and I was always proud when I did.
  • It really did set up good running habits. It is much easier to get out the door early in the morning when I have done it so many other mornings. All of my gear was easy to find and accessible since I was using it all so often.
  • 50 days really didn’t feel that long. After the first couple weeks the habit of running everyday became easier.
  • Active Recovery is a great way to avoid injury. Often when people are negative about run streaks injury is a main reason and I totally respect that. For me active recovery helped keep me moving and healthy for the 50 days.

Some days were glorious sunny runs on trails

Or chasing the sunrise in my neighborhood.

And a few were on the basement treadmill, late at night just getting it done.

The biggest surprise was that a 50 day run streak is addicting. I thought I would be done after 50 days. I thought I would be proud to have done what I set out to do and ready for some rest and to move on. But I am not, I am excited to keep the streak going for another 50 days and from there we shall see…..

Happy Running

July Goals + 50 Day Run Streak –> 100 Day Run Streak

Well it’s officially done, my 50 day run-streak ends today. I will talk more about what I learned by running every day for 50 days later this week but for now I know that I want to keep it going!

In June I ran 162 miles, in July my goal is to run 200.

After checking the calendar I realized that Cannon’s first day of school is exactly 50 days from today. It is blowing my mind that it is that close. I am a little heart broken that this time at home with him is ending so soon and that he is growing up sooooo fast. Cannon doesn’t have to go to three year old preschool so I sometimes question myself if I really want to send him. But I think he will love it and thrive going to school with friends. It’s only three hours a day four days a week so I will still get time to hang out and have adventures with him.

Given that I have 50 more days until school starts I decided it would be fun to keep the run streak going and add a few things on as well.

For the the next 50 days I will do the following every day:

  • Run every day (at least one mile)
  • Drink 100oz of water – Really want to focus on hydration during the summer
  • Write – I want to blog every day to really build on the habit and share the day to day balance of motherhood, work and ultra marathon training.
  • 10 minutes of core work – because two kids in less than two years.
  • Meditate

The last one, meditating is a new one for me, but it’s something that I am trying to help me focus on all the things I have to be grateful for, keep my thoughts in check and spend time focusing on my thoghts.

So here we go, from today through August 20th the plan is to do all five of these things everyday.

Have you ever done a streak?

Western States Week

Is anyone else feeling very excited that it is Western States week?

Emmy and I are pretty dang excited. It’s pretty much Christmas week for ultra runners.

Source

If you haven’t heard of Western States Endurance Run, it’s the worlds oldest 100 mile trail. The history of the race is super interesting, you can read about it here .

Billy Yang made a beautiful film about four pro women, it’s sooooooo good!

If you want to follow along:

All the fun starts on Saturday at 5 am PDT. While I won’t be able to follow it all live because who’s got time for that?!? I will be sure to check in throughout the day.

Will you follow along?

80 Days Until Race Day + Trail Shoes?

Just 80 days until race day, I am getting really excited about Run Rabbit Run

[Source]

But also a little scared from the website: “These are not beginner’s runs. The uphills and downhills are fairly steep. You’ll spend a lot of time at an altitude of nearly two miles. There may be snow, rain, sleet, wind, or then again, it may be hot. Please do not try to run this course if you’re not completely prepared.”

Can you ever be “completely prepared” for a 50 or 100 miler? Maybe, I just want to show up ready to give it my best.

Given that the race is so technical I have been thinking a lot about trail shoes. I ran a giant hole in my last pair of trail shoes so I have just been running on the trails in my road shoes (Hoka Clifton 5)

I have stepped on a rock a couple times and wished for more protection so I have began to wonder if I should get into a new pair of trail shoes.

Do you have a favorite? Anything good for long distances?

Runners and Antibiotics + Wildlife

This morning started out with a beautiful sunrise and trail for 5 miles.

Along the way I ran into this little guy.

Zoom in!

I love running into wildlife on my run (well most wildlife, last week there was a bear in our neighborhood , no thanks on that visit).

If you have been following my training at all you may remember that I have had to take antibiotics a few times this year. It’s not my favorite to have to take these medications but when I clearly do have a bacterial infection then I am glad that we have them and the infection clears right up. I bring up this issue because back in 2014 I had a scare with running while taking antibiotics. I got an infection about a week before what should have been my first 50k. I went to see the doctor and was prescribed (needed) antibiotics for the infection after I made it clear that I was planning on running a 50k that weekend.

I didn’t think much of it, and had taken much of my course of antibiotics when I googled my medication and one of the first things that popped up was that this type of antibiotic can cause tendons to rupture. The antibiotic I was taking was Cipro from the fluoroquinolones class [Source]. It was a scary proposition, on race day I wasn’t feeling well in general so I decided to cut the race short and not risk any permanent damage.

Runner’s World has published an interesting article here about the effects of antibiotics on running.

I was surprised that I hadn’t heard of this before and that the doctor would prescribe them to me knowing I was running a 50k that weekend. I guess the lesson is to always research what you take before you start taking it. Since then I have been sure to ask to not be prescribed fluoroquinolones, but it’s also good to know that most antibiotics will make you feel lethargic which doesn’t jive with ultra races.

Be safe out there, Happy Running!

Weekly Rundown – 50 Mile Training Weeks 11 and 12

The last two week have been a whirlwind! How is it that we are approaching the end of June!?! For week 11 I was focused on getting all my runs in and made acceptable progress. Last week was a scheduled recovery week. I don’t know that I have ever welcomed a recovery week more than this last week! It was Cannon’s third birthday on Monday and we had lots of activities planned, it was nice to focus on work and family and just let running take a backseat for a week. I feel so refreshed and ready to get back at it after taking the week EASY. I did run everyday to keep the streak alive but somedays it was just a mile or two =)

This is how the last two weeks went down:

———–

WEEK 11

Monday:  Late night treadmill run of just over a mile. This was one of those runs that was not that fun but just to keep the streak alive.

Tuesday: Up early to run 4 miles around the lake, I love the early sunrise of these summer days. Added some strides into the last mile to get the legs moving.

Wednesday: Four miles again in the morning, this time searching for hills.

Thursday: 6 miles on the treadmill to fit in miles before Cory headed to work. It is possible I will need to start getting up earlier to get longer mid-week runs in.

Friday:  Cory had the day off of work and could spend the morning with the kids so I drove to Boulder to run on the trails. The views are INCREDIBLE!

16 miles on the trails felt great, excited about what lies ahead as the miles increase. Also I am going to have to figure out how to refill my pack mid-run. About 16 miles in the heat is my limit so trips back to the car or something will have to be worked out.

Saturday: Out early for a quick 10 miles around the neighborhood.

Can you see all of the hot air balloons?

Sunday: Since it was Father’s Day I didn’t want to be away from family. We had the best day planned doing some of our favorite things:

Hiking/jogging around turquoise lake in Leadville

We then spent the rest of the day eating pizza, and hanging out with family

Totals: 44 miles running – I was hoping for a few more miles but it was worth it to get some quality family time in for Father’s Day.

_________________________________________

Week 11 

Monday: It was Cannon’s birthday, and I was so happy to get to spend the day with him! I piled the kids into the double for a quick run.

I didn’t get very far before a friend let me know that there was A BEAR IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD! This photo was taken less than a mile from where we were so we cut it short and headed home for a total of 1.7 miles.

We do live in Colorado so it’s not at all surprising to see owls, rabbits, coyotes and prairie dogs but bears are pretty crazy!

Tuesday: I wanted to get some strength training in so I did a quick 1.25 miles on the treadmill as warm up then did some strength work.

Wednesday: 4 miles around the lake.

Thursday: 3 early morning miles with the sunrise. I am enjoying these shorter miles this week but also looking forward to ramping it back up.

Friday:  Quick 1.5 mile warm up on the treadmill before strength training.

Saturday: Late night treadmill run, I am not a great evening runner, once the kids are down I am ready to crash but I didn’t get up early so 9pm was my only time to run – the streak continues.

Sunday:  Last easy day so we went with a hilly 1.72 hike/run

______________________________________

Totals: 14.3 miles this week plus a couple strength training sessions. I don’t know if it is advisable to cut it back THAT much when training for an ultra but with Cannon’s birthday on Monday and prepping for his party on Saturday it was nice to put running on the back burner and focus on other things. I feel refreshed and ready to go after it for the next big block!

How is your training going? Happy Running!

WEEKLY RUNDOWN – 50 MILE BASE TRAINING WEEKS 8, 9 and 10

It’s been a few weeks since I have posted about my training but I am still here, pushing on trying to get my milage up. I have been frustrated by how I am still fighting a bug I caught back at the begining of on May, turns out a bad cold turned into bronchitis that has now been diagnosed as a sinus infection. Sometimes it feels like I am trying to claw my way up a hill but I will keep showing up, doing my best to complete what I set out to do. Finish a 50 mile race.

In happier news I am LOVING how early it’s getting light out. I can run out the door at 5am without a headlamp and that is an amazing feeling! Also it’s so much warmer so I don’t have to put on 10 layers as to not freeze.

This is how the last three weeks went down:

———–

WEEK 8

Monday:  After being gone in the mornings over the previous weekend I really wanted to be sure I was home for the kids when they woke up. Just 2 miles on the treadmill to shake out the weekend before mom duty started.

Tuesday: Woke up to a late May snow so I put off my run until after Cory got home from work. We did our best to save our trees but some of them still have a distinct droop. By the afternoon most of the snow was gone and I was able to get just over 3 miles in before dinner time.

Wednesday: Up early for 5.3 miles on the treadmill with some strides in the last mile to keep things interesting.

Thursday: Normally I like to get my run done in the morning but I was feeling particularly bad. Unknowingly I was suffering from the sinus infection and I felt worst in the morning. By the afternoon I felt good enough to go to the gym. Emmy is doing better at being left at the child center so I got in just over 6 miles on the treadmill.

Friday:  Finally back outside for a beautiful hilly 4 mile loop.

Saturday: Out early for 8 miles around the neighborhood.

Sunday: On Sunday drove out to one of my favorite trails for a beautiful morning run.

I forgot to check the trail closures before going out and got stumped a couple times.

The trail closure had me running in a new direction on part of the trail I hadn’t been on before so it wasn’t all bad news. I got in 13.2 miles and some great time on the trails.

Totals: 41.5 miles running – slow and steady progress!

_________________________________________

Week 9 

Monday: Memorial day! So nice to have a long weekend and time to be grateful for all those who sacrificed for us. We met our cousins to take the kids for a hike and have a picnic. 2 miles on the trails with some of my favorite people.

Tuesday: 4.2 progression miles on the treadmill before the kiddos woke up. Even with the longer days and warmer weather, the treadmill is still a great tool to get my miles in.

Wednesday: 6 miles around the ‘hood in the morning, searching for hills.

Thursday: Out for 4 miles in the morning.

I wanted a little bit more for the day so I ran the kids to and from the park to add another 1.5ish miles.

Friday:  I wasn’t feeling great in the morning again so I put off my run until nap time and was able to get 6.5 miles in on the treadmill.

Saturday: Saturday was meant to be my long run day of at least 14 miles but we had a birthday party to get to mid morning so I only made it 10 miles before having to race home. I know as the kids get older the busier we will be and the better I will have to get at fitting the miles in!

Sunday: Second “Longish” run for the week of 10 miles

______________________________________

Totals: 44.2 miles running. I am excited that I am finally getting some miles out on the trails but after writing this all out I am surprised at how much time I am still spending on the treadmill. Now to figure out when strength training can be fit in (always the case).

_________________________________________

Week 10 

Monday: Progression run on the rec center treadmill, started out very easy and sped up. 3 miles total.

Tuesday: Early morning 4 mile run, feeling grateful for early morning sunrises.

Wednesday: Another 4 mile run, was intended to be longer but I got up too late and fit in what I could.

Thursday: Another afternoon 3 mile treadmill run at the rec.

Friday:  Got up early and enjoyed a beautiful 6 mile easy run.

Saturday: Drove to Boulder to get some more time on the trails. 12.6 miles enjoyed in the sunshine.

Sunday: Second long run of the week of 13.2 miles enjoying all the green around, it likely won’t last so I will enjoy it while I can! I was tired and heavy on this run, not surprising as I have been increasing my milage and adding to my back-to-back long runs. I was tired but pretty proud of myself when I got home.

______________________________________

Totals: 50.1 miles, WooooHooooo, I have been working towards a total of 50 miles for a while now and I am so happy yo finally crack it. Now to just keep moving forward. =)

Happy Running!

WEEKLY RUNDOWN – 50 MILE BASE TRAINING WEEKS 5 and 6

I missed posting my update last week so this will be the last two weeks. Just three more weeks before I start my specific 50 mile training for 20 weeks. Getting so close to starting is making it feel very real and a little scary.

This is how the last two weeks went down:

———–

WEEK 5

Monday:  3 easy miles on the treadmill in the morning + 40 minutes of strength training. Always feels good to get it done before the kids get up!

Tuesday: Out the door early for 8 hilly miles. It was cold but I got to witness a beautiful sunrise.

Wednesday: A quick 2.5 mile warm up on the treadmill then 40 minutes of strength training.

Thursday: Six miles (OUTSIDE AGAIN) it really feels like spring is finally here.

Friday:  3.75 miles on the treadmill with some strides in the last mile for fun.

Saturday: Winter showed back up but didn’t stick around too long. I got to wait until it was light out =) 6.3 miles on the bike paths.

Sunday: I needed to get 12 miles in before a birthday brunch for my mom. I didn’t want to go outside with it being so dark for all 12 miles so I ran the first 4 on the treadmill while the sun came up then finished 8.2 miles outside.

Totals: 42 miles running and 2 strength training sessions.

_________________________________________

Week 6 – Recovery Week!

Monday:  Just 1 mile warmup on the treadmill then 30 minutes of Strength

Tuesday: I got to bed really late on Monday night after doing on a bunch of paperwork for work so I wasn’t feeling it for a 4 am wakeup call. I hit the treadmill during nap time. I don’t usually like to leave my running for nap time because you never know what you’re going to get but I was lucky and was able to fit in 5.5 miles before Emmy woke up.

Wednesday: Easy 2 miles in the morning and strength training.

Thursday: 5.6 hills miles outside in the dark.

Friday:  Quick miles around the hood.

Saturday: 4 trail miles with the sunrise.

Sunday: “Longish” run for the week of 8 miles

______________________________________

Totals: A solid cut back to just 27.2 miles and 2 strength training sessions.

It has been nice getting out more, now if the sunrise could just start at 4:30 that would be great!

Now to kick the miles back up to 45+ for this week!

I am linking up with the new Weekly Rundown, with Confessions of A Mother Runner and Running on the Fly!

I am also linking up with  #RIOTS (Running Is Our Therapy Sisters) This is a great accountability group of bloggers, you should join too! The hosts are: Brandi at Funner Runner, Anna Louise at Gracious Warrior Princess, Briana at Mat.Miles.Medals, Meghan at Meghan on the Move, Jenn at Runs With Pugs and Elizabeth at Train With Bain

______________________________________

Are you getting out more, is it spring yet where you are?

→←