March 18, 2019

WEEKLY RUNDOWN – 50 MILE BASE TRAINING WEEK 4

We survived the bomb cyclone this week, which made for a not very interesting week in running. Also I think the kids are sick of winter at this point too, Cannon asks to go outside to the park everyday now. I do have some hope that after the blizzard we have finally turned a corner and spring is on it’s way.

This is how the week went down:

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Monday: after a bigger weekend I like to take Mondays easy so just 2 easy miles on the treadmill before the kids wake up. I am getting more used to the 4am alarm but it’s still not easy.

Tuesday: With the time change it is just too dark for me to run outside for me but I think I will be breaking out my headlamp soon. 6.11 mile progression run on the treadmill.

Wednesday: Another morning treadmill run (are you bored yet, because I am) 3.1 mile easy run then strength training while watching The Bachelor finale. Then the weather rolled in and I think the kids are sick of playing inside.

Thursday: We survived the storm but it will still be a couple days before roads and sidewalks are clear. Just two easy miles on the treadmill before the kids woke up.

Friday: I think this is the day my mental strength broke a bit for the treadmill. I was supposed to run a little longer but could only make it 3 miles before giving up and doing some strength training.

Saturday: Finally getting to run outside for the first time for the week! There were still many icy spots to dodge but it felt amazing to run outside. 6.87 miles outside with Cory and the kids flew by!

Sunday: Back on the treadmill for a little over 11 miles. The weather was nice but we had a really busy day planned so the only time I had to run was early in the morning. I didn’t want to try to brave the icy spots in the dark. At least I think I have built my treadmill tolerance back up since 11 miles didn’t feel that long. The rest of the day was beautiful and I enjoyed spending it with my family instead of out running.

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Totals: 34.2 miles running ( Just one run outside) and 2 strength training sessions.

I am 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

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

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How is your training going?

Are you looking forward to spring and summer running weather?

March 11, 2019

Weekly Rundown – 50 Mile Base Training Week 3

Week Three of base training in the books and really the only thing I can complain about is the weather and I will try not to since we are all locked in this endless winter together. I am happy with how my legs held up with the bump in milage and excited to keep building up my base.

This is how the week went down:

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Monday: Woke up feeling tired and sore from the previous Sunday’s long run so just hopped on the treadmill for a couple miles and some strength training.

Tuesday: The weather has still been not so fun here in Colorado so I ran eight miles on the treadmill. This was a big accomplishment for me mentally as I am out of mental shape for running on the treadmill. I used to have a lot more tolerance for it but I am slowing bringing it back up.

Wednesday: Another two miles on the treadmill as a warm up for some strength training. Watched the Bachelor for my entertainment. It’s a weird season.

Thursday: I was not feeling spunky so just a mile on the treadmill. I think I all the running inside is getting to me. Also did some stretching and stability work.

Friday: Cory had the day off so I waiting until nap time and actually got to run outside!! It was cold and windy but so worth it for the fresh air for five miles.

Saturday: It was crazy windy and after freezing on Friday I didn’t feel up to running outside so I jumped on the treadmill for 3 miles. I watched From Fat to Finish Line

Sunday: So glad to be back to Sunday long run days! I slept in (until 5:30 when Emmy wakes up, good thing she is cute!) but wasn’t happy about losing an hour over night. I waited until Emerald went down for her morning nap so I would have more light. It was a pleasant 30 degrees and not TOO windy for a ten mile run. It was a slow run but my legs never felt too bad so I am going to call it a win!

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Totals: 31.1 miles running ( Over half of those miles on the treadmill) and 2 strength training sessions.

The goal for this coming week is to follow the plan as written and drink 100 oz of water a day

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

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How is your training going?

watch anything good on the treadmill lately?

February 26, 2019

Weekly Rundown – 50 Mile Base Training Week 1 + a Strong Finish

Well friends it’s time for another weekly rundown. This week was my first official week of base training for Run Rabbit Run 50 Mile. I have 5 weeks of base training to get my endurance dialed up before 24 weeks of specific training starts on April 1st.

This last week was not a killer week. The kids and I were all still really sick. I always think I am going to bounce out of a cold feeling great after 2-3 days but that never happens. After sevenish days of being really sick, I was feeling over it but it took a while to feel slightly normal again. The begining was short bits just to get myself moving and then ended the week a little stronger.

I am linking up with HoHo Runs and Taking the Long Way Home for a Weekly Wrap, go check out all the inspiring runners!

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Monday: Quick 2 mile shake out on the treadmill with pick – ups.

Cute pic of Emmy since running wasn’t very exciting early in the week.

Tuesday: Inside again on the treadmill, jogged a mile and called it a warm up for some strength training.

Wednesday: Took the kids in the stroller for a loop outside, 1.8ish miles.

Thursday: By Thursday I was feeling a little better so I took the kids to the gym and ran 3.3 miles on the treadmill while they were in child sitting. Emmy still isn’t a fan =(

Friday: Quick treadmill mile + some strength training.

Saturday: We got about five inches of fresh snow but I couldn’t handle another day inside. It was cold but very pretty!

Sunday: On Sunday I talked Cory into running with the kids and me. 5.8 chilly miles around the neighborhood. Cory tacked on another couple miles, he is training for a half ironman in May.

All miles this week were easy as I build up my base. This week has me dreaming of warmer (and lighter) days, spring please come!

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Totals: 19 miles running and 2 strength training sessions. I am hoping that I can stay healthy for at least a month!

How is your training?

Are you looking forward to summer?

February 21, 2019

How to be a Runner

Finally we are all starting to feel better, this cold season has been rough. I spent many days in denial of how sick I was but I had no energy and really needed to take some time to get better. There has also been a pretty good cold snap going on here so I have not been running outside at all.

Today I got up early hoping to run but just couldn’t summon the energy and did some strength training instead. Around 10 The kids and I made it to the gym. I have been avoiding putting Emerald in Child Sitting because she has cried the other times I have tried. Emerald’s doctor encouraged me to continue to try to help her with her stranger danger. She cried again today but the staff there were able to get her to calm down. I have such mom guilt about leaving her there if I think she will cry, it’s so hard.

Sucking it up today gave me a chance to get 3.2 progression miles in on the treadmill. Success.

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I loved Runner’s World Magazine’s feature called “How to Be a Runner”.

The idea is that you choose one topic from the category, and then explain some of your answers.

I loved it so much I thought I would play along with my own answers:

Let Me Explain:

Coffee, forever, one of my true loves. I like beer but I could live without it. Coffee before almost every run.
Living in Colorado sunglasses are a must for eye health, although I almost always run with a hat as well to keep my hair in check.
Running with friends or family is always more fun but with our crazy schedule I often run alone, I enjoy that as well.
I used to be a really bad heel striker and worked to become more if a forefoot runner.
I am a morning person by nature so morning is the best time for me to run. With this ultra training I hope to train in the evening as well as I will be running all.day.long
Lead would probably be more popular but I don’t always have the best way finding skills. At my last race I was so happy to follow other runners instead of trying to find trail markers.
I do love my Amazon but going to a local running store is the BEST. I like to support local small business and getting a shoe fit is so important.

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What are a few (or all!!!) of your choices?

February 13, 2019

Teeth + No Voice + Finally an A Race

Our sweet little Emmy has been teething this week, the last few nights she has woken up overnight clearly in pain. My heart breaks when it seems like she is in pain. It also shines a light on how easy we have had it that both kids started sleeping through the night very early on. Also we are just getting into teething now at almost ten months so others have to deal with this much earlier. While I hate that anything might hurt her we are all enjoying some extra cuddles.

In the morning we went to a Valentines party with Cannon’s little friends. He was pretty excited about eating a cupcake and playing.

You can see his little hand trying to steal chocolates. I remember Valentines Day being so fun when I was little and I love sharing it with the kids now too.

Because of the broken sleep I wasn’t feeling up to getting up at four am to run so after naps I bundled the kids up and we went for an afternoon jog.

Unfortunately after a few days of feeling under the weather I have completely lost my voice. It’s been an interesting challenge trying to parent with no voice.

Even with all the challenges I am pretty excited about this years running. I have been thinking long and hard about what I wanted my big goal to be for this year and I finally settled on a race! I considered a lot of different races and distances but nothing was feeling right. I wanted something big that would push me out of my comfort zone this summer. The race needed to be mid to late summer to give me enough time to train. It also needed to be before fall because we are going to Germany in late September and it would be too hard to keep up serious training while traveling for almost three weeks.

When I thought of Run Rabbit Run 50 it seemed to fit just right. I would have the entire summer to train, get into the mountains as much as possible and a little over a week to recover before our flight. This schedule feels right to me.

I am nervous about the amount of climbing and the altitude. This is definitely not a beginners course.

But it’s hard to come across an easy ultra course in Colorado and I am most interested in a a scenic run and Run Rabbit delivers on views as much as the difficult terrain.

So here we go, a 50 day run streak to kick off 50 mile training!

Yes I am starting my training now with 11 weeks of base building to build up my endurance and durability before starting a more specific 20 week training plan where I will focus on climbing, technical trails in May. I will start altitude training once the mountain trails thaw in the summer. Cory and I have already discussed how we want to take the kids camping in the mountains this summer and he is totally onboard for me running on trails while he hangs with the kids.

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Any advice on getting my voice back?

What are your big race plans for 2019?

January 31, 2019

Arches Ultra Half Marathon Race Report

On Saturday I ran the Arches Ultra Half Marathon put on by Mad Moose Events. Admittedly the title is a bit confusing, the race is called Arches Ultra they have a 50 mile, 50k, half marathon and 9k distances to choose from.

The race site describes the race as:

Arches Ultra is Moab’s newest trail race, and it travels along the border of Arches National Park, using Bar M, Klonzo, and Klondike Trail Systems. The trails are smooth and easy at points, technical slick rock at others, and there’s even some sand to shake things up. Winter is a great time to be in Moab running, and we’ve chosen a lower elevation run, that will give you views of the towering Moab cliffs, Arches National Park, and the snow covered La Sals.

There was packet pick-up available Friday night as well as race morning. We didn’t arrive in time on Friday so we opted for race morning.

We arrived at the race start just 10 miles outside of Moab about 45 minutes before the start of the race. It was plenty of time to grab my packet, visit the porta potty and get ready, I love the relaxed vibe of trail races.

The half marathon didn’t start until 9am so there was plenty of time to get ready in the morning. The kids came along to see me off, they were warm in the Thule with their down blanket.

We lined up at the start and heard a few tips on following course markers on slick rock and a gentle reminder to be kind to the environment by staying on the trail.

The first mile or so of the race is on a paved bike path. I think we all prefer trails but this was a nice chance to find a rhythm and warm up.

We then crossed onto trails for my favorite part of the race. We had a 4.5ish mile loop on some traditional trails.

It would have been muddy but the trails were still frozen so footing was good and the scenery was amazing.

Why are all the trails in Moab named like this? LOL

I was having so much fun talking to the other runners and enjoying the views.

You could see Arches National Park in the distance and the La Sal Mountains.

After the first loop there was an aid station well stocked with all the goodies you could want. My only complaint would be that if you needed the restroom you would have to run pretty far down to the parking lot and back up. Luckily I didn’t need it but it would not have been fun if I did.

The second loop was about 7 miles and mostly on slick rock. We still had incredible views but the terrain gets a lot more difficult.

Running on slick rock is definitely a Moab experience that shouldn’t be missed but it’s not easy. The rolling up and down makes it hard to find a rhythm and running so much on rock was hard on my joints.

I was so glad it wasn’t icy, that would have been extra challenging! The course was well marked so while there isn’t a “trail” on slick rock it was easy to not get lost. Plus there were lovely runners ahead of me that I followed =)

When you finish the second loop you drop back under the highway then run about half a mile on the bike path back to the race start.

It was so fun seeing my family and finishing, my legs were ready to be done. The finish line was well stocked and was a great atmosphere. They let Cannon cross the finish line with me.

Race swag was pretty great including a tech shirt, technical trucker and a medal in the shape of Delicate Arch.

I would for sure run this race again in the future. Doing one of the longer distances would be fun but I would have to figure out how to prepare to run on even more slick rock!

January 30, 2019

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?

January 28, 2019

Moab in the Winter

We are finally back from our trip to Moab for the weekend. I loved visiting Moab in the winter, the weather was amazing, the park was nice a quiet and it was easy (and cheap) to find a rental.

Throwing it back a couple days, I was worried on Thursday that the trip might not happen at all. Earlier in the week Emmy came down with a cold that had some concerning symptoms. I took her to the pedestrian to be sure that it was safe to travel with her and that we wouldn’t be making her feel worse. With reassurances from our (amazing) doctor that she would be just fine we went ahead with packing and prepping to leave Friday morning.

Why is it that traveling with kids, even for just a couple nights feels like you are taking half of your belongings with you?!?

Friday morning we hit the road for what would normally take 5.5 hours to drive to Moab.

We took a few breaks along the way to stretch our legs and refuel

We took a quick strabucks break in Frisco, then pushed on to Rifle Colorado to have lunch/dinner.

We found an indoor playground and spent a long time getting some energy out.

We eventually arrived at our rental at about 8pm

Cannon was excited to be out of the car!

The condo was really cute southwest/adobe style with just enough room for us and our friends (and their super sweet girls) who joined us.

We settled in and got to bed as quickly as possible as it was past the kids bedtime and my race was the next morning!

Saturday morning started not as early as most race mornings. My start time wasn’t until 9am so I got to wake up with the kiddos, enjoy some coffee and take my time getting to the race start that was just 10 minutes out of town.

We didn’t have time to go to packet pick-up on Friday evening so we arrived at the race start about 45 minutes early and that was plenty of time to go to packet pick-up and get ready for the race. I love how relaxed and easy trail races are!

The race venue was stunning and I felt so grateful to be able to be there and get to race. Race report coming soon!

Waiting for Mom to start her race….Cannon doesn’t look impressed.

While I was running everyone else went rock “climbing” (as much as toddlers can do) and exploring.

After finishing my race my legs felt a bit beat up from all the slick rock but I was ready to spend some time with my family and our friends. We went back to the condo so I could shower and eat lunch.

We then took the kids to hike to Delicate Arch. Unfortunately there was ice on the cliffs that we didn’t want to take the kids on so we didn’t make it to the arch but it was still fun to get out and a good shake out for my legs.

After our hike we went to Eddie McStiff’s for Pizza. Cory and I shared the veggie, it was really good!

After dinner the kids and I were tired so we went back to the condo for stories, snuggles and bedtime.

Sunday morning came and it was time to head home. It was definitely not enough time and we would have loved more but we will be back again soon for sure.

The drive home took almost ten hours between our stops and the relentless ski traffic. If I had it to do over again I would for sure stay until Monday to avoid sitting in traffic so long.

January 25, 2019

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.

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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.

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.

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What is some of your favorite gear?

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

January 23, 2019

Must Haves When Traveling to a Race

We leave for Moab the day after tomorrow! Prepping for a out-of-town race can be a lot of fun and a lot of work. We have traveled to our fair share of races, both driving and flying to our races. Here are some of my must haves when traveling for a race.

First must have is Google Sheets – Luckily driving to a trail race in Moab is a lot easier to pack for than an international flight for an Ironman. Regardless of the type of race we are traveling for we always make a pack list in Google Sheets so that we can both add to it and use it to actually pack up. I usually start this list weeks in advance and add to it as I think of things I might need.

This is just a snip of one of the lists from an ironman we did back in 2015. This year I will be trading bike bottles for baby bottles. Even though we won’t need as much gear for the race we will be traveling with a toddler and baby.

I actually really love the planning and packing part of a trip, is that weird? There is something so fun about making lists, laying everything out and crossing things off. It’s just all the unpacking that I don’t like. Also I am not great at actually loading all the items into the car, lucky for me Cory is exceptional at this task. I take on the bulk of gathering and packing bags then let him play the Tetris game of fitting it all in.

Here is a great pack list from Runner’s World for different types of races to get your list started.

Bikes Ready to travel to Lake Tahoe
Fitting everything into our tiny car!

Another must have for me is Airbnb hotels are great but when traveling for a race I really like having a kitchen so we can prep our own food and it is nice to have a little more space and not feel bad about rolling a bike through a hotel!
Compression! My feet swell easily every time I travel. To help with this I try to always wear compression socks while traveling. I really like Pro Compression, they have great socks and fun patterns.

Lots of water! This may fall under the obvious category but I have often neglected hydrating enough while traveling. It’s easy to forget and it’s tempting to not drink on purpose so you don’t have to take as many bathroom breaks. Bathroom breaks are actually a really great chance to stretch your legs so go ahead and drink away!
Pack a surge protector. I bought a cheap surge protector that lives in my suitcase specifically for travel. Hotels especially never have enough plugs for all the technology I bring with me (phone, iPad, Computer, Garmin, etc)
If you are flying you must have a well packed carry-on! It would be beyond terrible to show up to your race destination and have your bags not be there with you. As best as you can pack all your race must haves in your carry on (shoes, lucky shorts, etc). If you are flying with your bike give it a big kiss and really hope it shows up (a bike transport service can take the stress off if you don’t want to fly with your bike).

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What are your must haves for traveling to a race, I would love some tips!

runwithbeth