Do What I Say, NOT What I Do

Do you ever remember your parents telling you that as a child? Or maybe you have even uttered the words yourself...

"Do what I say, NOT what I do"

Well, this morning I heard that phrase playing on repeat in my ear...

You see, last Thursday I went for a trail run with a friend. I had a blast and vowed to keep trails a part of my regular training plan. After I got home and showered, my right knee felt a little sore. Nothing terrible, but like I tweaked it running on the uneven surfaces.

Friday I decided I would go for a bike ride and Saturday was a rest day. I figured taking a couple days off pounding the ground while running would probably do my leg good, and since nothing felt horrible I figured it was okay.

Sunday morning I ran the San Diego Half Marathon and my knee felt fine, so I thought I was home free... That is, until I stopped running. Sitting in the car on the ride home from San Diego I could feel it tightening up. Uh oh, this is NOT good. I ended up going with the hubby that afternoon to watch him rock climb and tried to rest it a bit more.

Monday I probably should have taken a rest day... But a friend was in town and we had already made plans to meet up for a 5 mile run. I hate not following through on my commitments so I made it work and got the miles in. When I got home I decided I should probably look up ways to tape my knee since it wasn't feeling any better (but then again, I wasn't really giving it the opportunity to get better, now was I?!). Thanks to my supply of KT Tape that I won a while back, I was able to get that sucker taped up right.

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Tuesday was strength training and another 5 miles. Since my knee was feeling okay during my strength training workout I figured I'd attempt a VERY SLOW 5 mile run. My knee held up and I really only felt pain at one point (which caused me to stop and walk it out for a bit but shortly after the break was able to resume my trotting).

More taping, icing and elevating.

Wednesday was my cross training day and I was thrilled to be able to get on my bike. I knew from last week that my knee felt great while biking so I figured maybe this week would be the same. Thankfully it went awesome and even though I only did 15 miles (instead of my normal 19ish), I was stoked that my knee was feeling pain free.

Thursday morning rolled around and I felt like I had been feeling great for a while so figured I'd attempt my 5 pace mile workout (meaning running 5 miles at my marathon goal pace). The run went awesome and I was able to keep all five miles at or below my goal pace so I was stoked. When I got home and showered I figured I'd take the KT Tape off and just let my leg "be".

BIG MISTAKE!

Walt and I ran some errands and I could feel my knee tightening up while I was driving. Oh poo! This was NOT what I was hoping for... You see, I had a 20-miler on deck for Friday morning and I was really trying to play it "smart" so I could tackle it. Once I got home from the errands it was more taping, icing, elevating and praying.

I went to sleep last night with hopes that my knee would feel great when I woke up this morning. I had all of my gear laid out and ready to go for my 20 mile run. Well, when I got up around 1am to use the restroom I could feel that my knee was not at 100% {but hoped that maybe it had just been the way I was sleeping on it and if I could wrap my heating pad around it for a bit maybe I'd be alright}.

My alarm went off at 5am and I got up to get ready. Once I got out of bed I knew I should probably take a rest day. It's not like my knee was having shooting pains or I was unable to walk, but it didn't feel 100% and I knew that attempting 20 miles on the tightness would probably only end in disaster.

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I moved out on the couch, cuddled with the pup, dozed in and out of sleep, and iced my knee while trying not to get too discouraged. You see, I've told countless friends, runners and even my mom that you MUST listen to your body, so I "know" the drill...

Hubby got up to go to the gym and was surprised to see me on the couch. I told him the knee wasn't feeling 100% and that I would be taking a rest day. He tried to give me a little pep talk because he knows how bummed I can when my body isn't cooperating, but I think at that point I was too far gone.

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After a while of moping and icing the knee, I thought it was feeling better (in hindsight, I think it was just me telling myself I was better but deep down I knew I wasn't) so I got my running gear on. I figured I'd take the run REAL slow and "listen" to my body {although, truth be told, if I was going to listen to my body I never should have put my running clothes on in the first place}.

In my stubbornness I laced up my shoes and headed out the door. I know, I know... I know what you are all thinking... "NO, CARLEE, STOP RIGHT THERE, TURN AROUND AND GO BACK IN THE HOUSE." 

But two miles in and I was still feeling decent. I was taking it slow and it was a bit tight, but nothing I couldn't run through... Well, something changed around mile three. I don't know if my head finally caught up to my body or what, but I stopped in my tracks.

I had a little mental battle right there on the bike path. The one side of me "knew" I should be listening to my body and taking a rest day, but the other side of me saw that 20-miler on the calendar and felt the pressure that I HAD to get it done. It was like the two sides of my brain were having it out.

My second 20-miler on this marathon training cycle technically falls on the weekend of our Ultra Ragnar Race, so since I will be running over 20 miles I just am counting the weekend towards that long run. With that being said, I told myself that if I wasn't actually doing the second 20-miler as a "legit" 20-miler, that this one HAD to get done.

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The funny thing is, I am not running this next marathon for time. It is absolutely for the sights and experience of Big Sur! Even still, I am very serious about my training, because A. a marathon (no matter what your goal time) is a beast and B. it's just my personality to go in at 150%. And, I guess if I am completely honest, maybe I'm a little too serious about it...

In my mind I was thinking I would much rather miss all of my short runs for a week than miss my long run (because for some reason I have in my mind that the long run is of the utmost importance). But I NEED to listen to my body!

So, I turned my butt around on that bike trail and headed home. I ran most of the way, but mostly because I wanted to get home faster. I hung my head in defeat because I couldn't get my scheduled run finished, but I probably should have had my head held high because even if I was dead set on getting my run in, I finally listened and made the "right" decision.

All-in-all I got in 5.5 miles at a very, very slow pace. I wouldn't say my knee is worse for the wear, but I also didn't give it a full rest day either. It's crazy at how I know what I "should" do, yet so often it is hard for us to follow through, #AmIRightOrAmIRight?! And just like the title of this post says, "Do what I say, NOT what I do" and when you are forced to make a decision about whether or not to take an extra rest day... ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

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Do you have a hard time listening to your body?

What I Miss About Michigan

While I was back in Michigan for the holidays, @WonderfullyKara asked me "Besides Faygo, what do you miss most about Michigan?". To be honest, I was stumped for a few seconds. Don't get me wrong, I am SMITTEN WITH THE MITTEN, but I love our life in Southern California so it is difficult for me to long for somewhere else.

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Faygo Red Pop is my JAM! The hubby loves Rock N' Rye best!

With that being said, I have had time to ponder and have realized there are actually MANY things I miss about my home state (besides just the yummy foods and drinks... but it still baffles me that no where outside of Michigan has Superman Ice Cream!), so figured I'd throw them together in a little list (I mean, what is a blog without a list, right?!).

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For goodness' sake, I have a Michigan tattoo on my biceps with
"Smitten" in the banner underneath and a heart where my family is, 
you better believe I LOVE that place!

What I Miss About Michigan

FAMILY

This is a no-brainer. Both my family and Ryan's family are all back in Michigan. I knew if I didn't move soon after graduating college that I would get set in my ways and it would become increasingly harder to leave the Mitten (and our loved ones), so four days after graduation I packed up two suitcases and hopped on a plane to San Diego for a summer job. Thankfully we have been blessed to be able to see our family every few months (either them coming to the West Coast, us heading back to Michigan, or meeting somewhere in the middle), but it is definitely something we miss no longer living in the state.

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What other state can you use your hand as a
portable map to show where you're from?!

SPORTS

The Padot family is ALL about sports. There is always some sort of game on the TV, whether it is football, basketball, hockey, or when the pickings are slim we have even been known to have bowling or Nascar on the screen! Growing up just south of Detroit, the sports teams are plentiful. We've got the Lions, Tigers and Wings (OH MI). And don't forget about the Pistons and all of the college teams (GO BLUE!). San Diegans don't seem to be that gung-ho about their sports (maybe it's because they don't have many teams and the ones that that do have aren't that great... or maybe it's that most folks in SoCal tend to be "transplants" so like their "hometown" teams rather than local ones...).

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There is just something absolutely magical about being in The Big House on a Football Saturday with 115,000+ of your closest friends cheering for the Michigan Wolverines. THERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE IT! At least nothing that even comes close out on the West Coast.

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The Big House... Under The Lights! (Ryan and I were able
to fly back for the first night game in the stadium a couple years back!)

HARD WORK

I hope this doesn't come off harsh, but the people in Michigan (and the Midwest in general) are hard workers. They know how to put their heads down and get a job done. They aren't expecting a hand out or feel entitled. You might not notice it when you are living there, but once you leave and see the lackadaisicalness of others outside of the Midwest, the attribute quickly becomes evident.

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FRIENDLINESS

Again, this might be something that you take for granted, but when you step out of the Michigan bubble it becomes blatantly clear... People from the Midwest tend to be astronomically more friendly than folks from the rest of the country. When Ryan and I were running out on the trails over the holidays, every person we came across said "Hello" and wished us a Merry Christmas. I can't even tell you how many times I tell someone "Good Morning" while out and about (running or otherwise) in California and folks will look right through me without cracking a smile or even acknowledging my presence. Michigan just feels so much more homey, warm (even with below freezing temperatures) and welcoming.

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So I hope I didn't make enemies out of all my SoCal friends... But, please, hear me out! I am NOT saying this is the case for every person, I just think when you are comparing Michigan to California (or the Midwest to the West Coast) there are some blatantly obvious differences that tend to jump out when making overarching generalizations.

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I still laugh about this... Even though my blood
has totally thinned and we DEFINITELY break out
hoodies if it's under 60 degrees...

If you no longer live in the same state you grew up in, are there any obvious differences you have noticed between the two locations?

We Are Far From Perfect!

I wanted to take a quick second to depart from the standard running posts and address a trend I've started seeing in some of the comments I've received on my social media accounts lately. They come across as something like this...

          "You guys seem like a great couple."

          "Love the love you two have for one another"

          "You guys are perfect!"

Well, I hope this isn't earth shattering news, but WE ARE FAR FROM PERFECT! Sure, my first thought when I see comments like that is to think "It's easy when you are married to your best friend", quickly followed by "If by 'easy' you mean a CRAP-TON of work, then YES, this whole marriage thing is quite easy!", but I've gotta keep it real...

Marriage (and relationships in general) are TOUGH! They take blood, sweat and tears. Although being married to your best friend gives you a leg up, it doesn't mean things are always rainbows and butterflies. In fact, I think the hardest thing for most of us to get through our thick noggins is when you get married your life is no longer "your" life... it's "y'alls" life!

I tend to find real life examples the most helpful when trying to explain a point, so hopefully this scene from last weekend helps explain what I'm trying to say a little more clearly.

Sunday morning was the San Diego Half Marathon. Even though it was daylight savings time the night before and we lost an hour of sleep, Ryan not only played my number one cheerleader, professional race photographer and wiener dog wrangler, he did it all with a smile (okay, maybe getting out of bed was rough, but once he fully woke up he was great ;))!

Once we got home, Ryan asked me if I wanted to go with him while he did a little bouldering at one of the nearby parks. #RealTalk: The last thing I wanted to do after not sleeping well the night before and then running a half marathon was sit out in the sun and watch the hubby climb on rocks, but if he was willing to roll out of bed before the butt crack of dawn to cheer me on, I will be out there to support him whether I'd rather be vegging out on the porch with the pup or not. 

But, like I said, your life is no longer YOURS once you bind yourself together with someone else. (And please do not hear that as a negative thing. I understand we all have an innate selfish quality and putting others before ourselves is not what we normally want to do, but because of the love we have for one another we are willing to do it.) 

NEWS FLASH! THIS JUST IN!

There is NO perfect marriage...

Just two imperfect people unwilling to give up on one another

(and in my opinion, with Christ at the center of the relationship it makes things a smidgen easier, although still not effortless or perfect)

I am BEYOND BLESSED to be married to my best friend, to someone who loves me despite all of my flaws, to one of the kindest and most caring men I know, and to someone who makes me laugh every day of my life! 

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But just because I am blessed does NOT mean I can rest on my laurels and continue to reap the benefits... We have to continually put the time and effort into our relationship! It's sort of like your fitness level. Say you get in shape - you can't just say that you're in shape and stop, because once you stop, your fitness level will begin to decline... I'm not saying it'll happen overnight, but slowly and definitely surely, if you stop putting in the effort you will stop reaping the rewards!

{Here's where I get up on my soapbox with my two cents} Put in the time and effort, NO MATTER WHAT! Do it even if you don't "feel" like it - I promise if you do the work your feelings will follow... eventually... The saying "Happy Wife, Happy Life" is soooo true! If you're marriage is thriving there's nothing that can stop you; make the time and give it all you've got! 

So, while we may not have a perfect marriage, we strive to put one another's wants/ needs/ desires ahead of our own because when the other person is happy, your heart SMILES! 

What's the best piece of relationship advice you've ever received?

San Diego Half Marathon Race Recap

Sunday morning was the fifth annual San Diego Half Marathon. I ran it back in 2014 (and loved it), so when I had a 13 mile training run scheduled for this weekend and a $100 gift card from my job for Christmas, I just HAD to sign up!

My Flat Carlee was all ready to go! A GSF Race Jersey, Sparkle Athletic Skirt,
Handful Sports Bra, PRO Compression Socks, Sparkly Soul Headband,
QALO Wedding Bands, RoadID Bracelet, Garmin Forerunner 220 and
Skechers Performance Shoes w/ Shwings! 

In my opinion there are two main "difficult" parts about this race. The first is that it is the morning after Daylight Savings Time... That means not only do races tend to start early (due to logistics, road closures and trying to beat the heat) but with DLS you legitimately lose an hour of sleep the night before... [Oh yeah, and the second difficult part is the hill that comes late in the race, but we will get to that later.]

It's nice that they put a reminder about the time change with your bib

I NEVER sleep great the night before a race, but couple my race nerves with the anxiety I had about the possibility of my phone not automatically updating the time and my sleep seemed pretty non-existent. I did roll over around 3:15am (which was actually like 2:15am) and saw that my phone DID in fact update so felt better about closing my eyes for a few more minutes until I technically got out of bed around 4.

Although the hubby and I live in North San Diego County, the city itself is still a good 45 minutes away. I am FOREVER thankful that the sweet Smitha offered to grab my bib for me (and that the SD Half allows others to pick up your packets on your behalf {they also allow race day pick-up for an extra $20}). Seeing as she was gracious enough to pick up my stuff for me, I wanted to make race morning as easy as possible for her. She said she was shooting to be at the starting line around 6am, so I poked the hubby around 5:10am so he could roll out of bed and into the car to start our trek.

It was smooth sailing down to San Diego at that hour (when 5am feels like 4am no one really wants to be out on the road, right?!). We were able to find some great (and FREE) street parking near the start (and finish) line - HOORAY! Even though it was still dark, the temps were pretty perfect!

After a quick port-o-potty pit stop (I've gotta say, the port-o-potties were set up rather strange at the starting area... Instead of lines of them, they were in little bunches of 6 between the street and sidewalk. We legit saw folks almost get into fights because there were lines coming from both sides and people wanted to throw down over a temporary toilet... Maybe this should be remedied for next year), it was over to find Smitha.

Once I found Smitha and crew (I love seeing these ladies at local races, it is always a great time to catch up on life!), we snapped some pictures before getting into our corrals.

<3 The lovely ladies at the starting line! <3

I know, I didn't get the March SOM from PRO, but the Jailbreaks are my faves! 

I believe there were 10 corrals in all, but I've gotta say, there was no enforcement of the corrals (especially with the bathroom lines technically spilling into them) so it seemed like it was a bit of a free-for-all when people don't follow the honor system. I was in the second wave and tried to line up towards the front near the 1:45 pacer.

You can see the port-o-potties on the right hand side of the runners

Wave 1 went and it was time for us!

Ryan had left the starting area a few minutes before the gun went so he could stake out a good spot. He ended up finding a little patch of grass probably a quarter mile from the start. The nice thing was that he was up on a little hill so he had a great vantage point of the runners coming (as well as there was a fence, which helped barricade Walt the Wiener Dog from wanting to join the runners in the race).

Here come the hoards of runners!

Once I waved good-bye to the hubby I knew I wouldn't see him again till the finish line so decided I should come up with a game plan (better late than never, right?!). Originally I was thinking it would be awesome if I could PR, but being in the middle of three months with three full marathons I knew that distance had been my focus, not speed. I decided that since I was supposed to have a 8 mile pace run last week that got skipped that I'd run the first 8 miles of the race as close to 8 minute miles as possible (while bobbing and weaving all of the people) and then finish the last 5 miles "strong". The "hill" comes between miles 8 and 10, so figured as long as I could dominate the first 8 miles I would be happy with my run.

As you can see, I think I executed my plan pretty perfectly! I finished my 8 "pace" miles at 63:54 and then when I hit the hills I pulled back to run SMART!

Around mile 8.5 I walked through my first water station (I needed some liquids and the course had plastic cups at their aid stations. Now, you may think this isn't a big deal, but the only way I have been able to somewhat perfect running and drinking at the same time is to be able to fold the cups so that you can funnel the hydration into your mouth. With plastic cups, although you can see what is inside of them easier, you can't fold them, which means I decided to walk through the aid station rather than choke and spit up what little water I got into my mouth). I also ended up walking the aid station around mile 10.5 as well, because, well, I had earned it after chugging up the freakin' hill (running the ENTIRE way)!

Back to the course. It is pretty gorgeous. I didn't take any pictures during the race, but trust me when I say San Diego is DEFINITELY one of America's Finest Cities! Being able to run along the waterfront is such a treat and seeing the city in the morning light is absolutely beautiful! I tend to say it often when running an SD course, but there are only so many routes and paths you can run (or at least that race directors choose for races to run) that much of the course seemed very familiar (even if some of it was from running the section backwards during another race). I am NOT complaining though, San Diego is pretty perfect 95% of the year!

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Like I mentioned at the beginning, the hardest part of the course is "the hill". Don't get me wrong, I like running up hills. I might not be the fastest, but it makes me feel like a stronger runner (maybe it's because I chant "I LOVE HILLS, I LOVE HILLS, THEY MAKE ME A STRONGER RUNNER" every time I run them). This one is difficult because it lasts for what seems like FOR-EV-ER... And it comes late in the race after you've spent some of that extra race day adrenaline. Once I saw the 9+ minute mile at mile 10 I knew any chance for a PR was out the window. Thankfully I had already come to grips with this not being "my race" and was totally fine with however the race ended.

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Really though... WHO DOES THIS?!

Thankfully after the Washington Street hill, the majority of the finish is downhill. I knew the hubby was going to be near the finish (but not too close to the crowds because Walt the Wiener Dog gets distracted easily and it is hard for Ryan to try to watch for me, take pictures and wrangle our crazy pup), but I was stoked when I saw other friends out on the course cheering me in!

Coming in to the finish line, and I've always gotta smile!
Blessed to be able to be on the course doing something I LOVE!

Is it just me or do the guys around me look like they are in much more pain?

A friend grabbed this of me right before the finish line.
Looks like I was running 6:30 pace at this point... Too bad I can't
hold that for longer than .16 of a mile ;)

The race definitely gets two thumbs up from me. It's a beautiful course, normally has amazing weather (San Diego in March is just about pure perfection), is extremely well organized, and the challenge of the course makes you earn that finish line! I love that they recognize runners who participate in consecutive years by adding legacy stars to the race bibs. Also, the swag is pretty great too!

I SUPER appreciate when races put your nutrition and goodies in a bag at the finish line! It's so hard to carry everything (not to mention then it is portioned properly and EVERYONE gets their fair share!).

I ended up finishing just 2 minutes slower than my current PR (which I will be gunning for at the Fontana Half in June). And having Rudy Novotny give me a personal shout out (and call out my "million dollar smile") makes EVERY finish line worth it!

Celebrate EVERY starting line and EVERY finish line!

Oh yeah, and the bling isn't too shabby either (it was actually what sealed the deal when I was looking at potentially registering... I mean, isn't it purrrrty?!)! My fingers are placed poorly in the below picture, but there were five "diamonds" to signify the fifth year of the race. BLINGY BLING!

On the way back to Oceanside I made the hubby and pup stop at the beach in Carlsbad to snap a couple quick pictures before heading home. Any race that my guys come to is a great one to me - NO MATTER WHAT my Garmin time says!

My cheerleading squad is better than yours... #SorryNotSorry!

Do you have a preference when it comes to aid station cups?

REVIEW: Halo Top Ice Cream

A while back (like literally back in JULY of 2015!) @HaloTopCreamery reached out to me on Instagram. They wanted to offer me the chance to try some of their protein-packed, low in carbs/sugar, less than 300 calories for the whole pint, all-natural ice cream... Um YES PLEASE! I didn't have to think twice, of course I needed to try it! [PS I am just posting this review because I know some folks were interested, there was nothing required of me from this company and nothing was exchanged between myself and Halo Top... Always gotta #KeepItReal!]

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Well, fast forward to March of 2016 and I was finally able to find some at a local grocer (I've gotta be honest, I hadn't looked very hard. I'm a creature of habit and normally only go to one or two grocery stores, so when those didn't have it the coupons sat in my purse for MONTHS! Finally, this past week when I was feening for some sweets I went on their site to see where I could find it nearby... Low-and-behold there was a store less than 3.5 miles from our house that stocks it!).

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The store down the street had three flavors - Vanilla Bean, Chocolate and Mint Chip. [From their website it appears as though they have seven flavors in total, also having - Lemon Cake, Strawberry, Chocolate Mocha Chip and Birthday Cake.] Since I had two coupons, I offered the hubby one of the free pints. We both ended up with Mint Chip!

And although I was yearning for ice cream that night, I decided to restrain myself (I try to keep my sweets to a minimum, so weekends can be more of a "splurge"). So, when Saturday afternoon came around and I was enjoying my rest day with the puppy and Runner's World on the porch, I thought it was the PERFECT time to bust into my pint!

What can I say?! I take my rest days VERY seriously ;)

I noticed that the package suggests you let the ice cream sit out to thaw for a couple minutes - which is because it lacks artificial softeners, meaning it freezes a bit harder than some of its competitors. Okay, I guess I could wait a few extra minutes, seeing as I've technically been waiting 8 months... <insert twiddling thumbs emoji>

I wasn't really sure what to expect. I guess I was figuring it would be pretty craptastic... I mean, "healthy" ice cream... it can't be good for you AND taste scrub-didily-umptious too, right?! OH BOY WAS I WRONG! This stuff is DELISH! I even made the hubby stop what he was doing (playing hockey on Xbox, which is apparently very serious business, so asking him to take a time out is a BIG deal) to give it a try!

I added a couple extra chocolate chips 

This stuff is creamy and full of flavor! It doesn't have a gross after taste or have some weird consistency! It tastes like legit ice cream and is actually "good" for you! (A friend sent me a link to an article she had read a few days before I posted that I had found the sweet stuff. The writer went on a Halo Top Diet! He ate 5 pints of the ice cream for 10 days in a row [picture a Super Size Me type experiment]. The results were rather surprising!)

Although I was kind enough to share with the hubby, the pup
is out of luck... This is ALL MINE!

The hubby and I both give this TWO BIG THUMBS UP! I even asked him if he would be willing to substitute a pint of Ben & Jerry's [which we rarely ever get, so when we do it is a MAJOR treat] for Halo Top and he said "WITHOUT A DOUBT!".

How Halo Top compares to other competitors on the market
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Now that I know how fan-freakin'-tastic this stuff is, I am DEFINITELY going to try and be on the look out for it more often (or make the effort to drive to "the other" store)! And I sure hope we come across the Birthday Cake flavor soon, because BIRTHDAY CAKE!

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Have you tried Halo Top?

Workout Recap - Week 11

Sunday, March 6th – 5 mile run, Stretched & Foam Rolled

Monday, March 7th – Strength Training (abs, back, legs and arms), 5 mile run, Stretched & Foam Rolled

Tuesday, March 8th –  5.5 mile run, Stretched & Foam Rolled

Wednesday, March 9th – 4 mile run

Thursday, March 10th –  Trail 10K with a friend, Stretched & Foam Rolled

Friday, March 11th – 17.4 mile bike ride, Stretched & Foam Rolled

Saturday, March 12th –  REST DAY, Stretched & Foam Rolled

It may look like I didn't have a "long run" this week, but that is only because my race landed on Sunday, which means it technically is in Week 12. With that being said I swapped my Sunday 5-miler and my Friday 13-miler (and then swapped a few of the workouts around to accommodate for friends and a sore knee) so I could use the San Diego Half Marathon for my long run (I mean, who doesn't love a fully stocked and aided course for a training run?!).

How were your workouts this past week?