Workout Recap - Week 1

Sunday, January 1st – 5K with the hubby, Stretched & Foam Rolled

Monday, January 2nd – 45 minutes of yoga, 3 mile walk, Stretched & Foam Rolled

Tuesday, January 3rd –  8 mile run, Stretched & Foam Rolled

Wednesday, January 4th – Strength Training (abs, back, legs and arms), 3 mile run with the hubby, Stretched & Foam Rolled

Thursday, January 5th – 90 minutes on the trainer, Stretched & Foam Rolled

Friday, January 6th –  17 mile run, Stretched & Foam Rolled

Saturday, January 7th – Rest Day, Stretched & Foam Rolled

The first week of 2017 and I got in 31.1 miles! It isn't where I "should" be for this round of marathon training (I have the Phoenix Marathon in February and the Los Angeles Marathon in March), but I'm doing what my body allows and trying to enjoy the ride! I have races on the next two Sundays, so my long runs are going to be swapped around a bit, but hopefully I will be able to get in all of my workouts (especially with the storms that are headed our way).

How were your workouts this past week?

Running in Peace

In just over a week I've been the recipient of two vulgar/ obscene screams from passing vehicles while running. I posted briefly on social media when they happened, but haven't actually shared my thoughts since then.

The first incident occurred the evening we got back from Michigan. The hubby wanted to go rock climbing, so I decided to run from his gym to the beach and get in 8 miles. Everything was fine and dandy (and the weather was AMAZING, especially compared to the frozen tundra we had just returned from), that is, until I was running back up the street to the climbing gym. As I was crossing a set of train tracks a vehicle with two guys in the front was driving at me (I was running against traffic, on the sidewalk). The passenger leaned out and yelled "D*mn girl, you can sit on my face any time."

My view on that run was EPIC... The comments I received on the way back to
meet the hubby were anything but that... 

Okay, let me stop you right there. First off, even if I wasn't happily married (FYI we have been married for over 8+ years and together for 13+ years), I do not know a single female who has heard a cat call and thought to themselves "Wow, that is the type of guy I want in my life, let me chase that car down and go get me that man." Next, I do my best to run in well traveled areas. I am lucky enough to say that I have never felt physically or personally threatened (meaning I don't think any of the douche bags who have yelled at me would do anything - but that may be me being naive) while running, but even still, that does NOT give men (or anyone) the right to say whatever they would like to me (or anyone).

Source

The incident left me a little shaken and actually a bit dirty feeling. Runners (male or female) should have the right to run in peace, not having to worry about what passing people may say or scream at them. We are not running so that you will oogle our goodies. We are not running for your viewing pleasure. Most of us run as a stress reliever, as a way to center ourselves and as a way to stay healthy (both physically and mentally). No one should have the right to take that sense of peace and security away from us, NO ONE!

Source

The second incident occurred while I was out on a 17 mile run yesterday afternoon. My body has been acting a fool lately (thanks to my fibromyalgia) and I have had to cut my runs short and keep my workout intensity low. I was stoked when I was able to head out and tackle a legit long run. My turn around point ended up being a block from the hubby's new office, so I went over and said "HI" (and refilled my water) before chucking a u-ey and heading back to the car.

About a mile back into my run I was stopped at a traffic light. A vehicle was turning left in front of me, looked out his passenger side window and screamed "You ugly, b*tch" as he drove by me. Again, I was taken back by the comments. All jokes aside, I realize that I do not look my best when I am running. Shoot, if you still look cute at the end, you aren't running hard enough, right?! ;) I can be a haggard mess, and I very well may even have had a little "resting b*tch face" going as I waited for the light to change, BUT EVEN STILL... KEEP THE COMMENTS TO YOURSELF!

Source

Wasn't it Thumper who said "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"? I mean really though! Why is it common place for comments like that to be said to others and thought that it is okay?!

Source

Unlike the first incident, the second left me feeling a bit differently. First I got self conscious. I started getting down on myself and feeling a bit defeated. Thankfully that didn't last long because when I got to the end of my run I looked at my watch, did a scan of my body and felt STRONG AF that I had just smashed my workout!

I knew deep down that the comments made from the 'man' as he passed by said more about him than the did about me. Hurt people hurt people. Happy people don't go around putting other people down. I pray that he finds joy (because from the way he deals with others it seems as though he may very well hate himself as much as he hates the world).

Although incidents like these have the ability to taint the world, I will do my darnedest to continue being positive and trying to be a light to those around me. I will not give those creeps the power to dull my sparkle and change my view of the world. I will continue to try and spread joy and kindness to a world that is in MAJOR need of both.

Source

Even though I am taking the higher ground and not giving these comments the ability to change me into a cynical person, that does NOT excuse the behavior or make it okay. We need to stand up against these types of actions. I may not be your cup of tea, but that doesn't mean I don't have the right to live life and enjoy the world just as much as you do. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO RUN IN PEACE; WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE IN PEACE! 

{steps down off my soapbox}

Friday Favorites

It's that time again... That day of the week where I put together a blog post with an assortment of my recent favorites (whether it's an event, an activity, a product, a race, etc). Feel free to link up and share what you are digging lately too!

Paul's Boots

I had heard about this story from my hubby, who learned about it from a podcast he listens to [The Dirtbag Diaries]. I don't want to ruin it for you, but the quick synopsis is Paul always had a goal to hike the Appalachian Trail. Unfortunately he passed away before he could see that dream become a reality. His wife decided to reach out and see if she could at least get his BOOTS to hike the trail. The film captures some of the adventures that his boots made along the way.

Unicorn Pajamas

I don't know if any of you follow me on other social media platforms, but I mentioned this story briefly a couple weeks ago. The hubby and I share an Amazon account - which has never been an issue before. Well, he wanted to surprise me with a Christmas gift and ended up buying it on our joint account. I accidentally saw it when I was checking the shipping status of some gifts we had mailed to his mom's house and had to fess up that the cat unicorn was out of the bag. Although he was a little bummed the surprise was spoiled, he was still super pumped about the gift (as was I)...

The magic of Christmas may not last year round (we will be taking down all of our decorations this weekend - sadness), but UNICORN MAGIC IS FOREVER!

Running Beyond Empty by Ben Kruser

I was contacted by the publisher of this book a few weeks ago. They wanted to know if I'd be willing to give the book a read and pass along my feedback. I'm always down for a good story and since I'd be flying to (and from) Michigan for the holidays I figured I'd check out the novel on the flights. It's a fictional story set in the Catskill mountains of NY State.

It is an easy read (I got through the 365 pages in about 6-7 hours) and very entertaining. I won't give the whole plot away, but the premises of the story is a mother and daughter who are working through the challenges that life has thrown at them with the sport of running (along with some colorful characters) helping them persevere. It definitely kept my attention and I'd totally recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read.

What are you digging lately?

PRO Compression Ambassador [4 Years Strong]

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! I am so stoked to let the cat out of the bag... PRO Compression has decided to keep me around a little longer and offered me a spot on their 2017 Ambassador team! This is actually the FOURTH YEAR I've been honored to have been part of the crew (and what a crew it is!).

Source

Hopefully, if you've been around long enough, you know that I only support businesses I love to my core. PRO Compression is no different. Not only are they local (they're down the street in Carlsbad - literally, Ryan used to walk from his old office to pick up my orders), but they design and manufacture their products in the USA, their stuff has the perfect amount of graduated compression, the colors are bangarang (and go with every and any running outfit you can think up), and who's legs couldn't use an extra hug every now and then?! I mean, I have a whole drawer dedicated to my PRO gear. (At last count, I had over 60 pairs of socks in my collection - and I swear it grows daily.)

Top: The drawer with only my Marathon Socks and Calf Sleeves ///
Bottom: Low Trainers and PC Runners included
*Not pictured: Socks in the laundry basket, socks currently hanging on the drying rack, etc*

PRO's compression gear has helped me tremendously throughout my running career. I wear the Marathon Socks during long runs, after hard workouts, etc. If it's too hot or I'm doing a shorter, lower intensity workout, I rock the Low Trainers. Even if you don't run, but are on your feet all day or are traveling for long periods of time, they are amazing!

Some of the recent pictures on my phone of me rocking some PRO socks

Being an ambassador means I get to be part of an AMAZING crew of like-minded, PRO Compression rockin' athletes and have the opportunity to spread the word about their awesome product from the mountain tops (okay, it's not like PRO is sending me to the mountain tops, but if I get there somehow, I can spread my love for their socks up there too!).

Just a few of the 2015 PRO Ambassadors hanging out after the PHX Marathon
PS If you wanna join us at the race this year, use WERUNSOCIAL to save 10% on
the half or full distances (I'm in for the full and hubby's running the half)

Not only that, but I get to spread some lovin' to YOU! Today I've got a 40% OFF coupon code for my friends, family and followers (THAT'S YOU!). 'PRO17' will take 40% off your entire order, so whatever Santa forget, it's time to STOCK UP!

Here's to 2017 being the best year yet! 

#WeRunSocial Ornament Exchange

I know I am a few days late with this post, but as you read from yesterday's post, we were busy "being present" with our families back in Michigan for the last week and a half of December, so my blog was neglected and posts were delayed (#SorryNotSorry).

Anywho, I participated in the #WeRunSocial ornament exchange this year and it was a BLAST! I have to be honest, I have never participated in one of these before (maybe it's because for the last 8ish years my work environment has had a max of three individuals in the office, so doing an exchange of sorts with co-workers really isn't an option).

When I saw the post from Pavement Runner about the exchange I was STOKED! Who doesn't like spreading extra Christmas cheer?! Especially local cheer to fellow runners - PURE PERFECTION!

YES PLEASE!

The hardest part was finding an ornament that I thought represented the Oceanside area but wasn't mass produced or a cheap piece of China crap (let's be real, a lot of the tourist shops have the trinkets that are sold everywhere, just with "Oceanside" printed on them). I went to a ton of different shops, antique malls, etc but couldn't find the perfect one.

But once I saw the final ornament I knew it was PERFECT! You see, the person I was randomly paired with was a guy, so I didn't want something too feminine. Also, as soon as I saw it I thought it reminded me of a race medal and thought that was spot on for a #WeRunSocial rockstar! The heart over Oceanside was just the icing on the cake!

I loved watching social media and seeing all of the amazing ornaments that people were receiving. A few of my favorite are below (but you can always search the #WeRunSocial hashtag to see more of them or Pavement Runner's blog post recap with about half of them included):

BIG PROPS to Pavement Runner for putting the exchange together and for all the runners who participated (I think I saw on the page that there were over 120 of us). Hopefully this tradition sticks around because it was super fun!

What is your favorite ornament you've ever received?

PRESENCE > PRESENTS

I would like to apologize for my lack of posts at the end of December. Although I sort of gave you all a heads up that it would happen (especially with all of the time and effort that went into making the #12DaysOfCarleesChristmas a HUGE success), I still wanted to issue a public apology in case you were checking in and left with silence.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably saw my goal for the week and a half that the hubby and I were back in Michigan spending the holidays with our families...

Posted on my Instagram account before we left for Michigan

Yup, BE PRESENT! We get to see our families very infrequently (both families live in Michigan... about 2,000 miles away from us in Southern California), so when we get a chance to see them, we want to do our best to take advantage of every moment we have together (even if that means less sleep or neglecting social media).

We were still able to take a couple minutes for ourselves here and there (both the hubby and I had to work a bit while back in the Mitten State, as well as get in a couple workouts and runs), but for the most part we dedicated as much of our time to those we were physically with! #NoPhones #NoEmail #NoSocialMedia

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If we were a bit absent, whether it was over text message, on email or over social media - I am sorry! I am sorry for not giving you the heads up that we were giving our families our full attention. If you are waiting on a reply, please know that I will get back to you ASAP (especially now that I am finally getting back on a regular routine).

In case you were wondering what we were up to while we were gone, here are some pics from a few of our adventures:

We went with the nephews to a trampoline park. This was my first time going and I had a blast (as did the boys). Unfortunately my fibromyalgia has since flared up (I suspect this was the originating cause) and I've been in major pain.

While at my mother-in-law's house, I snuck out one morning to get in 5 miles on the snowy trails. I give MAJOR PROPS to all of the runners out there running in the elements (I don't know if I lived somewhere that wasn't 70* and sunny 350 days of the year if I'd be as dedicated to running).

If you watch my IG stories you saw me acting like Snow White and having
conversations with deer along my morning run ;)

The hubby and I love walking around Downtown Rochester whenever we're back. All of the businesses deck out their storefronts for Christmas and it forces you into the holiday mood! (The lights go on for about five blocks, it's AMAZING!)

We wanted to go to a Detroit Red Wings game while we were back, but there was only one home game and the ticket prices were outrageous. Thankfully the Toledo Walleye were in town so we went to a game with my parents and brother.

This is "Cat Trick"... sort of like Patrick...

My cousins, who were hosting Christmas for my dad's side of the family, live in Ann Arbor. The hubby and I both went to the University of Michigan (we met our freshman year, when he liked the girl who lived across from me in the dorms), so any time we get the chance to visit Ann Arbor we gobble up every moment! Obviously we stopped by The Big House to snap a quick picture (and, yes, I had season tickets to the games all four years - it was FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC!).

Since we did our family time on Christmas Eve in Ann Arbor, my mom, dad, hubby and I decided that on Christmas we would throw the sleds in the car and head to Maumee Bay. (It was supposed to rain, with the temps in the high 50s, on the day after Christmas, so we knew we had limited time to get in some sledding while we were back.)

My mom 'found' yoga a few years back and has always told me I would love it. Once I finally gave it a go, I knew she was right. We ended up doing the SeaWheeze Yoga Practice that I am loving lately and both felt great afterwards.

We try our best to give back to our community. This year the mission in Toledo didn't need help serving any meals, so we went to the animal shelter to volunteer for a couple hours. We walked pups around and gave them lots of love. We could have stayed all day, but with the wind chills in the teens it was rough to play outside for too long.

Funny story - this animal shelter is run by the sheriff's department so we actually
all had to have background checks before we could play with the pups.

My mom had heard of this yummy bar in Toledo that she wanted to try. Little did we know (well, my brother and his girlfriend did, but we didn't) there was an old school arcade attached and as long as you were eating or drinking there, you could play FOR FREE! Of course I had to take full advantage of Pac-Man and Super Mario Brothers!

While we were at my parents I decided to run from their house to the soccer stadium I used to play at, and then to the high school football stadium. My parents bought a brick when the school was fundraising for the stadium so obviously I had to snap a shoe-fie. Oh yeah, and there was some sort of mule sculpture I found so of course I had to try and ride it.

One of my favorite traditions over the holidays is to go to the Toledo Zoo to see the Lights Before Christmas. This year we weren't able to go before Christmas, but thankfully they were open till New Year's Eve and we were able to spend the evening before we flew back to California taking in the sights (and it wasn't pouring or freezing like in year's past).

As you can see, we had some great times and made some amazing memories! Hopefully you were able to be present with those you spent time with over the holidays... because, let's be real, PRESENCE > PRESENTS!

How do you intentionally stay engaged with those around you?

Workout Recap - Week 53

Sunday, December 25th – 7.77 mile run

Monday, December 26th – 45 minutes of yoga and 45 minutes on the stationary bike

Tuesday, December 27th – 60 minutes on the stationary bike

Wednesday, December 28th – 8 mile run

Thursday, December 29th – 8 mile run, Stretched & Foam Rolled

Friday, December 30th – Rest day, Stretched & Foam Rolled

Saturday, December 31st – 45 minutes of yoga, Stretched & Foam Rolled

I really wanted to get in a 16 mile run on Saturday to close out 2016, but my back is still revolting against me (it hurts to do just about everything, including breathing, but I know that the jarring of running will not help it heal any faster so am trying to do the 'smart' thing by taking it physically easy as much as it hurts mentally). I'm still proud I was able to get in 23.77 miles of running, 105 minutes on the stationary bike and 2 yoga sessions done, especially while traveling for the holidays. It might not be exactly what my training plan calls for (actually, it is pretty far off), but if I want running to be a lifelong activity I need to take the cues from my body and listen with open ears! PS I just tallied 2016 and I ended up with 1,658 miles for the year. Not too shabby!

How were your workouts this past week? How about this past year?