Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Rise And Shine


Rise and shine.

6am and your hand can't make it to the alarm clock before the voices in your head start telling you that it's too early, too dark, and too cold to get out of a bed.

Aching muscles lie still in rebellion, pretending not to hear your brain commanding them to move.

A legion of voices are shouting their unanimous permission for you to hit the snooze button and go back to dreamland, but you didn't ask their opinion.

The voice you've chosen to listen to is one of defiance.

A voice that's says there was a reason you set that alarm in the first place. So sit up, put your feet on the floor, and don't look back because we've got work to do.

Welcome to The Grind.

For what is each day but a series of conflicts between the right way and the easy way, 10,000 streams fan out like a river delta before you, Each one promising the path of least resistance.

Thing is, you're headed upstream. And when you make that choice, when you decide to turn your back on what's comfortable and what's safe and what some would call "common sense", well that's day 1. From there it only gets tougher.

So just make sure this is something you want. Because the easy way out will always be there, ready to wash you away, all you have to do is pick up your feet.

But you aren't going to are you?

With each step comes the decision to take another.

You're on your way now.

But this is no time to dwell on how far you've come. You're in a fight against an opponent you can't see.

Oh but you can feel him on your heels can't you?

Feel him breathing down your neck.

You know what that is? That's you...Your fears, your doubts and insecurities all lined up like a firing squad ready to shoot you out of the sky.

But don't lose heart

While they aren't easily defeated, they are far from invincible.

Remember this is The Grind.

The Battle Royale between you and your mind, your body and the devil on your shoulder who's telling you that this is just a game, this is just a waste of time, your opponents are stronger than you.

Drown out the voice of uncertainty with the sound of your own heartbeat.

Burn away your self doubt with the fire that's beneath you.

Remember what you're fighting for.

And never forget that momentum is a cruel mistress, She can turn on a dime with the smallest mistake.

She is ever searching for that weak place in your armor, that one tiny thing you forgot to prepare for.

So as long as the devil is hiding the details, the question remains,"is that all you got?", "are you sure?"

And when the answer is "yes". That you've done all you can to prepare yourself for battle THEN it's time to go forth and boldly face your enemy, the enemy within.

Only now you must take that fight into the open, into hostile territory.

You're a lion in a field of lions…

All hunting the same elusive prey with a desperate starvation that says VICTORY is the only thing that can keep you alive.

So believe that voice that says " you CAN run a little faster " and that " you CAN throw a little harder " and that " you CAN dive a little deeper" and that, for you, the laws of physics are merely a suggestion.

Luck is the last dying wish of those who wanna believe that winning can happen by accident, sweat on the other hand is for those who know it's a choice, so decide now because destiny waits for no man. And when your time comes and a thousand different voices are trying to tell you you're not ready for it, listen instead for that lone voice in decent the one that says you are ready, you are prepared, it's all up to you now.

So rise and shine.

REVIEW: PROBAR BOLT (& GIVEAWAY)

I was first introduced to PROBAR by RunnerBox. I received a sample of their Orange BOLT chews in my April/May box. I used them on my first 19-mile run (feel free to read out it here). I really enjoyed them and have been meaning to try them again ever since.

PROBAR BOLT Orange

PROBAR BOLT Orange in Hand

To say I was STOKED when I heard back from PROBAR about the possibility of doing a review and giveaway is an understatement. Not only were they interested in sending me some BOLT chews to review (a FULL BOX mind you), they were AWESOME enough to offer up A BOX TO ONE LUCKY WINNER as well!


As you probably know (since I won't shut up about it), I am currently in my second round of marathon training (this time training for TWO full marathons). With all of the long runs on the schedule (lots of them being back-to-back), fueling can be a BIG deal! I need something that will keep me energized, something that doesn't cause me to get spikes of energy (please no high highs or low lows - I need a consistent boost), something that isn't filled with a bunch of chemicals and "bad stuff", and something that will sit well in my tummy (no one wants to be taking potty breaks when you have a lot of miles on the docket). PROBAR BOLT does just that! They are USDA Organic, Non-GMO Verified, and Certified Gluten Free.

PROBAR BOLT
Source

Like I mentioned, I used them in April on a 19 mile run (read about it here). This past weekend I also used them on my Friday 14-miler and then Ryan and I both used them on our 15 mile run we did together on Sunday (obviously I wanted a couple trials under my belt before I gave you my opinion on the product).

PROBAR BOLT Strawberry

I was sent the Strawberry flavor (when I received the sample from RunnerBox I received the Orange flavor) and was sooooo excited about it. They smelled like the old-school Strawberry Bubble Yum Gum! The flavor was extremely yummy. They reminded me of chewies (oops, I guess not everyone would know what those are... they are what my family called "fruit snacks"). The texture is great - not too gooey (so they won't get caught in your teeth,) but easy enough to chew while on the run. The size is fantastic as well (In the past when I have used the Clif ShotBlocks, they are a little too large for me so I have to bite them in half. Being able to pop the whole chew in my mouth was very convenient).

PROBAR BOLT Strawberry Nutritional Value
The Details!

PROBAR BOLT Strawberry Ingredients
Ingredients

During Friday's 14 mile run, I took 4 of the chews around mile 5 and then another 4 around mile 10. Since I still had a couple left in the package, I took the last 3 around mile 13 (I was at a traffic light and didn't want them to go to waste :)). On Sunday, Ryan had a 15-miler scheduled so I decided I would run with him (I was technically the reason he started running and the one who has talked him into running #AllTheRaces). I figured we could BOTH try out the chews. I grabbed two packs and put them in my SPIbelt before we left for the morning. Around mile 5 we both had 5 chews (which means we split the first pouch), then again around mile 11 (and shared the second package).

PROBAR BOLT Strawberry Box

I asked Ryan his take on the chews (because obviously the more honest feedback you can have, the better, right?!). He had a lot of the same thoughts as me. Great tasting, easy to ingest and digest, etc. Even though he didn't think he could "feel" the chews, he knew they kept him chugging along with more energy and stamina than if he would have run without them. (I have to say it was his longest run to date and he did AMAZING! I'd love to say the chews had a little something to do with how well he did too!) He mentioned he wanted to order a couple more boxes once we run out (which means they got his stamp of approval and that he is expecting I will share the rest of my the box with him...).


And GUESS WHAT?! You don't just have to take our word for it... Now you have the chance to win a box of 12 energy packs yourself! HOW AWESOME IS THAT?! Normally giveaways are for a sample size or extra small quantity, but this one you will get 12 FULL SIZE PACKS! Even with 2 long runs a week, that would last me at least 6 weeks ;) (that is IF I'm not sharing with the hubby).

PROBAR BOLT Giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter early and often (some of the entries are available DAILY). The giveaway will run through Tuesday, October 7th at 11:59pm PST. I will contact the winner via email (using the email address listed through Rafflecopter). Also, the entries ARE verified, so please make sure you complete the task or I'll have to pick a new random winner.

And just in case you don't win, but still want to order PROBAR products (which I **HIGHLY** recommend) you can now do it and SAVE 25%! Just use code "PROBAR25BTC" on your online order between now and October 29th. The code can be used at www.theprobar.com for 25% off ANY PRODUCT and is entered at the time of check out.

PS Just in case you don't follow PROBAR on social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc), I wanted to give you the heads up they are launching a BRAND NEW PRODUCT tomorrow, October 1st. You DEFINITELY want to check it out!

Monday, September 29, 2014

41 Miles

I have run 41 miles over the last 4 days! Isn't that crazy?


Friday I had my standard long run on the calendar - 14 miles. I knew the next few days would be pretty intense, so I tried to keep my miles as close to my LR pace (which is 9:42/ mile) as I could. I had to chuckle a bit though. While I was in the Harbor towards the end of my run, I passed a guy and gal. I heard the guy turn to the gal and say "Wow, she's fast". I think it was TOTALLY the Pro Compression socks that made it APPEAR that I was fast, because I sure wasn't breakin' any speed records ;)


Saturday morning I had another 8 miles on the calendar. I have back-to-back long runs on my schedule since I am training for the Dopey Challenge, which will have 4 mornings of races (5K on Thursday, 10K on Friday, Half Marathon on Saturday and Full Marathon on Sunday). We were actually having a bit of "fall" weather, so I decided I could do my run a little later in the morning. Ryan wanted to go surf around 8am, so I figured I'd join him at the beach and do my run down along the water. The scenery is BEAUTIFUL and hard to beat! The run wasn't too bad either ;)


Yes, I got QUITE A FEW looks and comments about my "bright" outfit!

Sunday was actually a scheduled REST day. Thankfully I cleared it with my coach (Krissy at Outrunning the Monorail) that it is okay for me to do some extra miles with the hubby. See, he is currently training for some half marathons (the first of which is the Avengers Half in November) and trying to improve his time a bit from his past halves. Since I was the one that sort of pushed him to start running (and sign up for #AllTheRaces), I feel sort of obligated to do his long runs with him (not to mention I LOVE running with him). His pace isn't as fast as mine, so although it isn't EASY to get in 15 miles no matter the pace, it wasn't as strenuous as the previous runs (PS IT WAS HIS LONGEST RUN TO DATE!!). We were able to finish with an ICE BATH in the Pacific ;)


I didn't take the full plunge... But Ryan sure did!

Today I had another 4 easy pace miles on the calendar. Pretty standard run near my house. Was able to get the miles in at 9:23, 9:16, 9:12, and 8:24. I am still struggling to keep my short distance "easy" pace runs slow, but was happy to look at the watch and see the times even after all the miles I accumulated over the weekend. Not to mention, they didn't feel hard at all! I was even able to break out a pair of the Brooks PureConnect2 that I have had hiding in the closet! (PS I LOVE that they included the LIME GREEN laces along with the subtle black ones. YOU KNOW I switched them out for BRIGHT right away!)


I'm pretty sure I have earned a REST DAY tomorrow. Normally I do my strength training on Tuesdays, but with the mileage I have put in over the past few days, I think I have earn a complete rest day. Maybe I'll lay at the pool or put my legs up and catch up on some of my guilty pleasure shows ;)

I have to say, I am feeling pretty confident about the Dopey Challenge. Sure, I was about 7 miles shorter than the Dopey Challenge distance, I didn't do a run of 26.2 miles, I wasn't up at 4:30am each morning, etc, but I was able to put in quite a few miles in a short period of time and do them with a smile on my face and no damage to my body. And don't forget, I am going to have some PRETTY AMAZING FOLKS alongside of me during the Dopey Challenge to help encourage me every step of the way!

The Dopey Challenge
Source

I totally believe all the PRO Compression gear, foam rolling and stretching have kept me feeling on top of my game this weekend!! (I wore Marathon socks during my runs on Friday {it was dark when I started so I forgot to grab a picture}, Saturday and Sunday and wore my Low Trainers during my run this afternoon.) If you don't have any PRO Compression gear in your closet yet, YOU BETTER GET SOME!




How many miles did you get in this weekend? 

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Workout Recap - Week 39

Sunday, September 21st – PiYo (Buns), Foam Rolled & Stretched

Monday, September 22nd –  4 mile (easy pace) run, PiYo (Drench), Foam Rolled & Stretched


Tuesday, September 23rd –  Strength Training (abs, back, arms and legs), PiYo (Buns), Foam Rolled & Stretched

Wednesday, September 24th– 6 mile (tempo pace) run on the treadmill, 8.2 mile bike ride (commuting to and from the office), PiYo (Sweat), Foam Rolled & Stretched


Thursday, September 25th – 19.65 mile bike ride, PiYo (Core),  Foam Rolled & Stretched



Friday, September 26th – 14 mile (long run pace) run, Foam Rolled & Stretched


Saturday, September 27th – 8 mile (long run pace) run, PiYo (Sculpt), Foam Rolled & Stretched


Another successful week in the books. Lots of running this weekend. 14 miles (long run pace) on Friday, 8 miles (long run pace - and ALL while breathing solely through my notes) yesterday morning, and 15 miles (hubby's pace) this morning. Also it was my last full week doing PiYo (review coming next week about my experiences doing the workouts AND "before/ after" shots). 

How were your workouts this past week?  

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Treadmill Tempo Run

Ryan has been working late for the past few nights due to a catalogue deadline. He called me around 7:30pm last night. I thought he was calling to let me know he was on his way home, but that was not exactly how the call turned out... He was TRYING to come home, but the car wouldn't start... We bought the car new from the dealer (something we NEVER do) and have had all of the service done at said dealer, so I was EXTREMELY surprised to hear it wasn't starting for him. I've never had any issues before (but honestly I was selfishly thinking I was glad it was him and not me having the problem). Thankfully one of his co-workers was able to give it a jump and he was able to drive it home. [FYI He had trouble starting it again this morning, so took it by the dealership and was told we needed a new battery... Hopefully that was it.]

Normally Wednesdays are my sunrise runs at the beach, but with the car being questionable I decided I didn't want to get stuck with a dead car at 6 in the morning, so decided to postpone my run. I wasn't quite sure what I would do, though, seeing as it was supposed to be my 6 mile tempo run and I didn't think I'd be able to keep pace around my house with all the hills. That's when I remembered I had to go into the office today for a meeting - PERFECT! One of the perks of our office is we can use the hotel gym in the building our office is attached to.

I run because somehow completely exhausting myself is the most relaxing part of my day.
Source

I figured I would do my tempo run on one of the treadmills. Sure, the scenery wouldn't be as great, but running on the treadmill would help to keep a consistent pace. I have to say, I was pretty nervous about it. First, I haven't been on one since Christmas at my parents house (which was a pretty rickety one) and second, I was slightly worried about the pace I had to run and really didn't want to fly off the back of it :)

Thankfully the pace didn't seem too terrible (it wasn't "easy", but I also wasn't huffing and puffing). I MUCH APPRECIATED that the treadmill told me that minute/ mile pace that the "speed" correlated with (again, treadmills are pretty foreign to me, so I wasn't sure if I was going to have to spend a while guessing and checking my speed and doing math in my head). I kept the pace at 8:00/mile for the first 5.75 miles and then sped it up for the last little bit.

Carlsbad Inn Treadmill

It ended up taking me 47:50 to get in 6 miles AND I didn't fall off the treadmill - so TWO THUMBS UP. I DID have to mop up my sweat afterwards, since I made the treadmill pretty soggy, but I figured it was probably better than trying to run outside during the hottest part of the day...

Gym Bathroom Selfie

I would definitely consider the treadmill a BIG success (especially with the apprehensions I had prior to doing). Now I'm not saying I will trade in my beach scenery for ESPN any time soon (of course I watch ESPN while running), but I am glad that I have OPTIONS!

Oh yeah, and just in case you forgot, (although my legs sure didn't), I still had to ride my bike home AFTER my treadmill tempo ride... That wasn't the easiest ride, for sure, but I made it!

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Upcoming FUN

There are a lot of AWESOME events going on in North County San Diego over the next week or so (and these are just the ones WE want to attend, I'm sure there are TONS that we don't even know about). I am hoping we will be able to hit them all up (and you better believe if we get a chance to go to them I will be posting plenty of pictures from all the fun ;)).

Saturday and Sunday at the Oceanside Harbor - Oceanside Harbor Days

Oceanside Harbor Days
Source

We have gone to this multiple times in the past and LOVE IT. It is similar to a large street fair, but full of pirates and even a boat race across the harbor called "Nail and Sail" where folks are given limited supplies and have to race whatever they build in the designated time. SO FUN! They also added a sand castle contest this year!

Saturday and Sunday at Norway Hall in Vista - Viking Festival

Vista Viking Festival
Source

We've never hit up a Viking Festival before (we have been to an Oktoberfest in Carlsbad a few years ago and a Scottish Festival at the Queen Mary earlier this year). Ryan saw the sign for it while we were driving around a few days ago and said we HAD to go!

Saturday at MLK Jr. Park - Roller Derby

Roller Derby
Source

This would be another FIRST for us. I've never been to a roller derby bout before, but they seem pretty intense and worth the $10. When I told Ryan about it (I first saw it on Oceanside Chamber's Twitter last week), he said he was totally in!

Saturday (October 11th) at the Junior Seau Pier Amphitheater - Movies At The Pier: Goonies


Goonies
Source

Okay, so this one isn't this weekend (it's in a couple weeks), but I figured I would be more likely to remember it if I posted about it ;) Will someone help me remember? Who wouldn't want to go watch a movie at the pier under the stars FOR FREE?! AND I have to be completely honest, I don't think I've ever seen Goonies before, so it's like a MUST, right?!

We LOVE supporting local events. The more we attend, the more they will put on. HOMETOWN LOVE!! We live in such an amazing location, we HAVE to take advantage of all that is going on around us (especially when it is free entertainment, right?!).

Do you attend lots of local events? Does your area put on a lot of free events for the community?

Monday, September 22, 2014

New Things

We've all heard the advice "NEVER TRY ANYTHING NEW ON RACE DAY". Well, I can't say I have never broken that rule (thankfully I don't have any horror stories to share about when I did try new things on race day), but today I figured I would test out/ start breaking in some new things!

First, I was sent a couple SPIbelts to review (be on the look out for this soon - along with a GIVEAWAY, whooooo hooooo!). I took the Original SPIbelt out for a test drive on today's 4 mile run. So far, so great! It didn't move a bit and I actually forgot I had it on after a few minutes. I want to get some more runs in wearing it before I write an official review, but as of right now - TWO THUMBS UP!

Original SPIbelt

SPIbelt
I really CANNOT believe I am posting pictures with my stomach or hips showing...
But I wanted folks to see I wore it with the pouch in the BACK and BELOW my hip bones.

Next, I ordered a couple pairs of Brooks Ghosts a few months back from REI (thank you closeout sales ;)). Now, I would never suggest ordering running shoes online without trying them on first, but I have been wearing this model for a while now so knew it would work (the only difference from the pair I used for my first marathon is the color - and I actually have a second box unopened in the closet still). I knew it was about time to start breaking in a new pair and the first run in them today was glorious! It's probably the frugal side of me, but I always try to get extra mileage out of my shoes (they are the most expensive piece of running gear I own), but always LOVE running in new shoes!

Brooks Ghost 6
Love the HOT PINK accents ;)

Last, I switched up my normal 4 mile loop today. It wasn't TOTALLY new, but I did run it BACKWARDS! No, not physically, but directionally. I have a standard 3 or 4 mile loop by our house (I add on an extra half mile straight away out and back if I want to do 4 miles) to a nearby park. Today I decided I would run it backwards. Not only was it interesting to see the park from the opposite direction, it was also a bit mentally stimulating... I mean, running that loop has become second nature, so I don't really have to think about where to turn, what my pace should be at specific spots, etc. Running it the other way kept me on my toes because I had to think about which way to go next, where I thought my mile mark would be, etc.

Garmin Shot - 4 Miler

My run was supposed to be around 9:42 minute mile pace for each of the 4 miles. As you can see from the picture above, I was a bit faster than that. (I have a bit of an issue slowing down, especially when I am running a short distance.) All-in-all I have to say it was successful because of the NEW things, but I do still need to consciously decide to SLOW DOWN (I PROMISE, Krissy, I AM WORKING ON IT)!

Are new running shoes the best or WHAT?! 

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Workout Recap - Week 38

Sunday, September 14th – 13 mile run with the hubby, PiYo (Drench), Foam Rolled & Stretched


Monday, September 15th –  4 mile (easy pace) run, PiYo (Sculpt), Foam Rolled & Stretched


Tuesday, September 16th –  Strength Training (abs, back, arms and legs), PiYo (Sweat), Foam Rolled & Stretched

Wednesday, September 17th– 6 mile (tempo pace) run, Foam Rolled & Stretched


Thursday, September 18th – PiYo (Core AND Strength Intervals),  15 minutes of treading water in the pool, Foam Rolled & Stretched

Friday, September 19th – 12 mile (long run pace) run, Foam Rolled & Stretched


Saturday, September 20th – 8 mile (long run pace) run, Foam Rolled & Stretched


This week was my first week back in the Marathon Training swing. I LOVE having a schedule to follow and goals to work towards. I am also pumped to have actual paces to try and hit for each of my runs (my first round was a generic training calendar whereas this one is personalized for ME by the AWESOME coach Krissy from Outrunning the Monorail). 

I am feeling a little sick (probably due to the weather), so am hoping a couple extra hours of sleep will do me good (this morning's run didn't start until about 9:30am because I was still knocked out from the NyQuill I took last night). I'm pretty pumped for my rest day tomorrow, seeing as I got in 43 miles this past week (along with 5 PiYo workouts). 

How were your workouts this past week?