Wild + Free

My trip back home was really great last week. I saw a bunch of people I wanted to see. I ate a lot of my favorite hometown foods. I woke up and took long walks around town. I ran on my favorite roads. And I always make time to stop out and soak in the country views:

(BTW: These photos are from Father’s Day. Full disclosure: Ada had a huge meltdown at the canyon! Eeeeek. That wasn’t so much fun. So, we took her to a nearby creek. I can’t wait to head back there sometime later in the summer, hopefully with a tent.)

I forgot to give you guys a quick 10K recap. Now, I don’t have much proof that I actually did run in the race. By now I feel like I’m beyond the point of needing photos, medals, or other swag when I do events. So, you’ll have to rely on my account. Basically, I decided not to race all out but -- instead -- to run a solid workout on all those hills. The race starts each year at 9AM and usually the weather is quite hot. This year we lucked out with relatively cool temps, lower humidity, and cloudy skies.

After a mile warmup jog to the start, Stephen and I stretched a bit and before we knew it, we were off. I saw some people blaze ahead of me that I usually beat, so it was hard to keep myself from gunning it up the first hill. At the same time, I felt really solid and comfortable, which I’ve never experienced on this path. I wanted to enjoy the course and take in the scenery. So, I trudged ahead, not knowing my pace because I rarely run with a watch these days.

Talk about Zen running.

I made my way slowly up the first long incline. It’s over a mile long and by the top, I had to take a few walking breaks. Gladly. Even when I won this race last year, I walked a bit. It’s just my strategy on this course to conserve energy to speed downhill. The mountains ahead of me really took my breath away. I can’t imagine seeing them everyday, and boy did I used to take them for granted. Not this time.

Anyway, I made my way up another epically steep uphill mile or so before the course finished with a fast flat/downhill trend. I knew I wouldn’t PR, but I decided to hold back and just enjoy the ride. OK. I couldn’t resist sprinting to the finish. I always do that. For the first time ever, I finished the race without much panting in around 49:40, just under 8 minutes per mile.

I did have a momentary thought that if my training had gone well this year, I’d probably have finished in the 47s. But then I remembered the real reason my running took a backseat this spring (and entire year, if we’re being honest), and I just felt grateful for the whole experience. This is just a different season in my relationship with the sport.

Running feeds my soul, as corny as that sounds. This may not have been my fastest finish, but I felt so good being a part of it. I also ended up getting second place in my age group, so that was cool. Stephen earned second place overall (35:22 -- a PR for him on this brutal course!). I’ve come to this conclusion that racing just isn’t my thing these days. My head isn’t in competition mode. But running in general? That’s another matter. I don’t run tons of mileage because I’m trying to keep everything in moderation right now, but the ones I do complete are giving me such joy.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Turkey Trotting

Happy Friday, friends. If you follow me on Instagram, I’m sure you saw my flurry of activity in the last few days. I am all or nothing with that thing -- yikes. Anyway, we ended up getting nearly a foot of snow on Wednesday, so my plans to run the Turkey Trot 5-miler seemed dashed when I woke up to this in my backyard.

Gorgeous, but slick!

The last race I ran was back in early August. Since then (and a while before), we’ve been TTC and I haven’t been running seriously or fast or long or anything. Actually, I’m quite frustrated with running at the moment because I can’t figure out if I can just keep training like normal or if I’ll need to lay low until pregnancy happens. It all seems to be different depending on the person, and so far it doesn’t seem like running is helping or hindering either way. In other words, I’m in exercise purgatory.

Back to the race. I had to shovel myself out of the garage and drive on some slippery highways to get to the park to register. I wasn’t terribly nervous because the last time I ran fast was so long ago -- I knew it wouldn’t exactly be a fast day, especially combined with the weather.

The plan? Have fun and take in the Rave Run scenery!


To my surprise, a lot of trotters showed up. I got there early for registration and then had to wait in the cold for quite some time before the gun went off. I ran a warmup mile just to stay warm. Then I settled myself in the middle of the pack to start.

I’ve been running lately with the Nike app because it’s fun to hear cheers as you plod along, and this race was no exception. I got 8 different cheers along the way. I was also surprised to hear that I was averaging 7:35/ mile the entire way despite a clogged first quarter mile where I basically had to walk to get through all the people and the slush. Yeah, the slush and freezing puddles. My feet were soaked and freezing by the end, but I didn’t fall once!

My lack of training/stamina caught up with me a bit in the final mile, but I crossed the finish in 38:28 -- 7:40/mile. It’s actually a PR by a few seconds since my last 5-mile race back in 2006.


So, I’ll take it, and I’m extremely pleased with anything below 8:30, which is the fastest pace I’ve been running most days in the last several months. My body is totally unhappy with me today, though. Ouch. Still, I love racing on holidays! When I got home, Ada and Stephen had built a snowman and then we watched the Macy’s parade. And ate and ate and ate. But that’s a story for another day.

Did anyone else run a Thanksgiving race? Hope you’re enjoying your holiday!

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10 Seconds Too Many

The thing is . . . 5Ks are always (always!) the hardest for me. Speed isn't my forte, especially since I don't engage in much formal speed work. Rather, I do surges -- fartleks -- whenever the mood strikes. Some weeks that's often. Others, not so much. As you guys know, I've been training on lots of hills lately, so I had some high hopes for my finish time at last night's Women's Distance Festival 5K.

Namely, I wanted to (finally) break 22 minutes.

My best friend from home -- Erin -- started running in January. She's been doing all sorts of races lately, but since she lives in the endless, winding mountains of PA, they've all been far too steep or on tricky terrain (trails, etc.). So, she drove up to join me and see how she might do on a flat(ish), fast course. It was such a treat -- and we both turned 31 within a few days of one another, so I guess you'd call it our birthday celebration.

I think the reason 5Ks wreck my soul has something everything to do with the intensity of them. Since I'm relatively low-key with my training, having to immediately start at my gut-wrenching pace and maintain it as long as possible doesn't sit well with me or my psyche.

It's all just too much!
It's all too painful!
It's all too split-second!


I thought maybe I had 21:XX in my grasp last night when I hit the first mile at 6:50. All things holy! That amazed me. Though I don't race much anymore, I still train hard and run consistently (4-5 days each week) throughout the year. I've just reached this place with my running over the last several years where I don't need race medals and finish line photos to feel strong, steady, and confident in my abilities.

But hearing a fast mile time doesn't hurt every now and again.

I'll write more about the play-by-play on WalkJogRun for next week, but -- spoiler alert -- I didn't meet my goal. I finished in 22:09 or 7:08/mile. That's a PR by 9 seconds and only 10 seconds away from my goal, but certainly 10 seconds too many. So, of course, I really want to try again in the next couple weeks to see if I can tweak a few things to get my time.

We shall see.


Now, Ada doesn't come to a lot of our races. I run mostly half marathons, and that's just too long for her to sit still. Stephen did bring her to this one because it's all women + lots of other kids are there to play + celebrate the fine sport of women's running. OK. The kids have absolutely no idea what's going on beyond the race before them. They just know there's a sand box, lots of baked goods and candy, and that all the dads watching let them get away with a bit more when their moms are occupied with the race.

This year was special, though. Ada "laced up" to the start of her very first race. She was so excited! I was so proud! This was to be such an amazing moment for the two of us to share. A passing of the torch! Proof that I'm rubbing off on her. That she's getting some athletic prowess from my amazingly inspiring abilities. And all that jazz.

Or not. The poor thing ran for around 15 seconds and then waved hello to a cute puppy. Puppies are her downfall. She loves them to pieces. And after she gave an enthusiastic greeting, BAM. Ada fell teeth-first into the pavement. Crying ensued. I felt . . . terrible. But it was no one's fault. She escaped physically unharmed and a cookie cheered her up quickly.

At least we got a great photo.

(We all know how photos don't tell the whole story!)


For both of us, there's always next year! And I want to give Erin a hearty congratulations. She SMASHED her 5K time by like two full minutes.

How do you feel about 5Ks? Do you have a race event nemesis? 

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Run/Walk for the WIN

This weekend was lots of fun, and it all kicked off with the Laurel Festival 10K footrace. I anxiously walked to the start line with around 100 others after a half mile warmup knowing I hadn't run this course in four years. Stephen likes to attack it whenever we're in Wellsboro, while I stay far, far away. In my memory, the hills were impossible.

Here's the elevation map:

So, you can see how the whole start it basically up, up, and more up. What we had going for us this year was the weather, though. I've done this race in the pouring rain . . . as well as in 90+ humid heat. This year? Not a cloud in the sky, zero humidity, and temperatures in the 50s. Perfect!

That first long climb is difficult . . . OK very difficult, but somehow I didn't need to walk until the very end of the hill mountain. Surprisingly, it's that second, smaller climb around mile 3 that's always the hardest for me. And it's here where I decided to employ the walk/run method. I was right next to another guy chugging his whole way up and ended up beating him by running for a count of 30 and then following with an equally timed walk "break" -- just keep moving. I truly believe walk breaks can be an amazing way to conserve energy in these types of challenging courses.

When I got to the downhill portion -- and wow, is it a long downhill -- at the end, I just let it all fly. And imagine my surprise when I got to around mile 4.5 and kept hearing "Yeah! FIRST FEMALE!" I think I told someone to shut up. I wasn't wearing a watch and I had no idea what my time was. In fact, I wasn't expecting to do well on the course that day . . . but as I turned the corner into town, I heard again and again that I was indeed the first woman in the pack.

I crossed the line around 48:20, first female and 16th overall, certainly not a 10K PR for me, but a PR on this particular course by around 2 full minutes. In the past, other gals have finished in the low 40s, so I'm not claiming to be a beast or anything like that -- still, it was cool to come in first. Most of the other women I directly competed against were mothers in their 30s, so it feels like a level playing field in that respect!

I'll write up a more detailed race report for WalkJogRun, but just wanted to share my weekend victory with you all!


This race is probably the first and last time I'll place better than Stephen (he came in second overall for men). And of all the races to win in my life, I'm thrilled to have it be one in my hometown on such a mountainous course.

Did you race this weekend? How'd you do? And have you ever walked in a race and done particularly well?

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Weekend Warriors

It's been far too long since I've written about running! I'm doing lots of it, but usually share my posts over on WalkJogRun. This weekend, though, Stephen and I both ran a race -- St. Patrick's 4-miler -- and I love this particular event because it means spring is COMING. (Though we currently have a Winter Storm Watch for over 7 inches of snow.) 

I must admit, I get so annoyed that my race photos are always so unflattering -- hahah. But I'd rather look like a crazy mess and run fast times than have picture-perfect memories. Who's with me?

I didn't know what to expect for my finish time on Saturday. I took the majority of last week off from running because I needed a mental and physical break before my half marathon training kicks into higher gear. My legs felt a bit heavy because I didn't even walk around much. At the same time, I excited to see what sticking with outdoor running had done for me all winter.

This was the first year EVER when I didn't do a single treadmill run the entire season. I also incorporated spinning into my routine once a week, almost every week. Basically, if a winter was to test my strength and speed, this one was it.

In the end, I crossed the line in 29:09 (7:18/mile), taking nearly 40 seconds off my previous PR. Forty seconds is a HUGE PR at that distance, so I'm really proud and feel like training hard definitely pays off. I also definitely said to myself "who CARES about the extra 7 pounds?" when I realized I'm still in super good shape despite the added weight.

I think I was like 6th in the speedy 30-39 age group, and I must say that I always thought 20-29 was most competitive, but that's just not true. The 30s are the time when women seem to get super speedy!

And Stephen won the race with a new PR of 21:09 (5:18/mile) -- so a big congrats to him!


I've been meaning to mention more about fueling, which I'm trying to do a better job of these days on long runs. Last year at the half marathon, I felt like my tank was completely empty halfway through the race, but I didn't bring anything with me to replenish my stores. Thing is, I have always had trouble finding a fuel belt that works well for me.

Fitletic recently sent me their single neoprene belt to try out (no other compensation + my opinions are my own). I have tried a couple belts like it in the past, but they all bounced around a ton when I put anything in them beyond an ID and pair of keys. The pocket on the Fitletic is really roomy, but lays flat even when I put it to the test with a large energy bar, phone, keys, and ID. I ran an entire marathon before with a similar belt bobbing up and down and it was so, so, so distracting.

So far, I've taken this guy on 4 long runs so far without so much as a jiggle! I also like that this belt features some internal pockets versus just one big one to help secure cash and other items. In addition to not bouncing, the waistband is also more substantial and comfortable with its special ergonomic design. Definitely worth checking out if you're unhappy with your current belt!

Are you totally DONE with winter? 

Several members of our family are on their way today to Costa Rica to celebrate the wedding of some close family friends. To say we're jealous is an understatement (CONGRATS, GUYS!!!). However, we also saw Non-Stop this weekend, so I don't think I'll board a plane for quite some time.

Did you race this weekend? 

PS: Had some MAJOR Aldi shopping success (#unsponsored review, btw) this weekend and can't wait to share more about it. Hopefully I'll get up a post tomorrow about how we did the majority of our shopping for two weeks for just $70, including stocking up on some key ingredients.

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Last Week's Workouts

As I write this, Ada is having her very first uninterrupted, normal-wakeup time sleep in the past . . . several weeks. I feel extremely blessed to feel a bit caught up in my own rest and hope this trend continues, for all of us. I am pretty sure our neighbor will be mowing his lawn smack in the middle of her nap today (update: it rained all morning -- so no mowing -- hooray!), so I need to remember how I feel right now when she's inevitably stirred.

Today I wanted to write about my last week in workouts -- I haven't done it in a while. And despite being drained and pulled in a lot of different directions lately, I'd really found my groove between running around the neighborhood, utilizing our gym's childcare, and participating in races.

(Thanks for the photo, Laura!)

M: 30 minute stationary cycle + 5 mile run
T: 3 mile run
W: 1 mile run warmup + 30 minute stationary cycle, kettlebells + 4 mile run
R: Rest
F: 1/2 mile swim, 50 burpees, 3.2 mile run
S: 1 mile swim in 45 minutes
S: 10 mile "race" -- treated as solid long run at 8:10/mile (1:21:31)

= 60 minutes indoor cycling, 26.2 miles running, 1-1/2 miles swimming

*   *   *   *   *

I've been having motivation issues getting in my double digits runs lately, so I was happy to sign up for last weekend's race in our old stomping grounds, Ithaca, NY. I started the first half (a 5-mile loop) out at about 8:30 pace and then decided to run my goal half marathon pace (7:50 -- 1:42 finish versus the aggressive 1:40 I originally set out to meet) the rest of the way. I did this all based on feel, but my overall pace ended up at 8:10, so I think I met my mark.

It was actually sort of emotional for me to run through my old neighborhood -- but that's another story. Add to that the small group of 10-mile runners and I was totally alone most of the way. It was a strange experience because I can usually see at least someone ahead of me or hear someone behind me. I got a feel for what Stephen regularly experiences when he's in the front of the pack (though I was definitely in the middle!). I didn't realize it at the time, but I got 2nd for my new 30-39 age group!

Overall, I am somewhat foolishly hoping all my time on the bike and in the pool will supplement my half marathon training and replace some tempo workouts. With the steamy and hot end of summer and attempting to become a morning runner (which is on hold with recent events!), I have missed a lot of those hard effort workouts. There's really no good excuse, but at least I'm staying active most days of the week.

Oh! And here are some other things I've written related to running lately (btw, I don't get paid per click on these -- so there's no incentive for me to share them here. I'm just loving this new gig with WalkJogRun!)

• How Giving Blood Affects Your Running
• Benefits of Racing Close to Home
• How to get the Smell Out of Running Sneakers 
• Banana Breakfast Bars
• Shedding Light on Running in the Dark
• Walk/Jog: Why You Should Do Both
• Nutrition Guide for Vegetarian ALL Runners

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