A good start to the week

The first half of this week has been great on the workout front. (On all other fronts as well, now that I think of it!). I was able to get to the gym well before the start of my spinning class on Monday so I had some time to get some solid arm work done.

Spin class was AWESOME! My gym is pretty small and the spin room only has 8 bikes in it. The instructor, Steph, is great at saying just what I need her to say at just the right time. Her selection of music is amazing. I worked hard in this class. I slacked a little on the second set of hills, but I definitely gave it all I had. Steph changed up the routine a little bit from last week. Just enough to keep it interesting.

Afterwards we did a nice round of core work.

Tuesday I hurt oh-so-good.

I took Tuesday night off because I was still pretty sore and fatigued from Monday.

This afternoon I was psyched for my weekly hill challenge! The weather was perfect and I was in the mood for a run. The last time I was at the Al Buehler trail was 2 weeks ago. My time then was 38:06. That was today's time to beat.

That may seem super easy in the world of running blog land, but the name of this blog is Rose Runs Slow. It was almost called Rose Hates Hills.

This year I can not ignore them. This year I attack.

AB Trail. I love running here even if some of
its hills are straight from the devil.

Anywho, today's run started out great. I made it through a series of hills in the first 1.4 miles that I know I walked up last time around. But the second half of the trail kind of fell apart for me. I was pretty fatigued.

However, this week's time was 37:24.  42 seconds faster than last week and one a half minutes off of the first time around.

I may not be breaking any world records. But I am breaking my own. And any type of progress is progress.  I was pumped nevertheless.

I felt awesome after this run!!

Came home to a hot shower and a great dinner of fish, brussel sprouts, and rice pilaf. I'm pretty sure I ate everyone's brussel sprouts.

Off to do some stretching and foam rolling and some trashy tv.

10k Training: Week 2

Accountability. That's what this is. I got this in my inbox from dailymile:

As Liz Lemon would say, "Blerg..."

Here's the rundown of the week:

Monday: Spin class + core work. I like the spin class at my new gym. My little country gym only has 8 bikes so it is small and friendly. I worked hard.

Tuesday: Brent had to work so no nighttime gym for me. Instead I did an upper body routine I found on Netflix streaming video.

Wednesday: I was SO looking forward to my weekly hill run, but work had other plans. I was at work until about 7:30 and had to get home so Brent could go back to work. No run for me.

Thursday: I thought about running in the morning, but that didn't happen. Then I thought about running after work, but chose to play with the kids instead.

Friday: Come Friday morning I couldn't not run. Even though I didn't have much time before work, I made it out for a short neighborhood run.

Saturday: Rainy 4 miler! So.much.fun. Yoga at night for my tired legs.

Saturday: I wanted to get a 3 mile run in but life got in the way once again.

So there you have it. I was not really pleased with this week. It brought up several thoughts:

I probably should try to add another day of running in there. Tuesdays and Fridays are looking like the best bets. It doesn't have to be the same day each week. I can fit it in as my schedule allows, but I feel like I should be running more. I want to be running more. Right now I am supposed to be running 3 days a week. I would like to see 4 sometimes if possible.

I am a little nervous about the prospect of a 10k race in 5 and a half weeks. My 4 miler was hard. I had to stop a couple of times. In 5 weeks I should be fine getting up to 6 miles, but it may not be pretty...

So, like I said, I was not terribly happy with last week, which just makes me super motivated to kick this week's ass.

OMG So Excited!

So much goodness arrived in my mailbox yesterday!

First there was this:

Another Mother Runner is my favorite online running community. I love reading all about women who, like me, are trying to balance family and work while at the same time trying to find time to carve out for themselves to run. I am so excited to tackle this baby this weekend.


Then there was this:

I won this shirt in a giveaway on a great blog. It is YMX long sleeve Winter Flower shirt. Here in NC we have already made the switch from long sleeves to tank tops. While I am excited for the return of Spring, I am excited to try this shirt out in the Fall.

I was spoiled by the mailman yesterday.

I woke up this morning to rain. Nothing but rain. Instead of driving to the Tobacco Trail like I had planned, I decided to stick close to home. I finished 4 slow miles (and counted 7 dead snakes....gross). It was a ton of fun though! I was happy that my jacket was able to keep my phone nice and dry.

Thank God for my hat!

I was soaked when I got home. My clothes were not allowed to make it past the entryway.

I earned my "Badass Mother Runner" stripes today!

I'm headed to a hot shower, then to my parent's house. I've found that you're never to old to be comforted by your mom's cooking!

Have a great Saturday!

I'm not going to whine

I won't whine about missing my hill run on Wednesday night because I was working late.

I'm not going to be mad at myself becauseI chose to climb trees with these guys instead of make up for said missed run on Thursday night.

Mom, look at me!

I am not going to bitch about how this week's training plan basically blew up in my face. I'm learning how to be flexible, right? Right?

Instead I am going to be happy I got in a short run this morning. I was sweating by the time it was done and I felt oh-so-good.

I am pretty excited for my planned 4 miler tomorrow morning on the nice-and-flat American Tobacco Trail. Depending on how things go, I might try to make it back in time for Body Sculpt, but we'll see.

Other things I am happy about: going to see my mom and dad tomorrow, planning my chicken coop and waking up for the next two days without an alarm!

Yay for the weekend!

10k Training Week 1

It seems like I was the only person not racing this weekend. I loved all of the photos from RNR-DC and all the different St. Patty's Day races. It hasn't been lost on me that had I continued running after the Half last October and throughout the Winter I would have been running the Tobacco Road Half today. I am pretty bummed about that but there is nothing I can do about that now except lace up and get out there. There will most likely be a Fall half for me this year. In the meantime, there is a 10k in just 7 weeks. I will need to bust some butt in these next weeks to feel like I am ready, but I am definitely motivated for the challenge.

I'm pretty happy with how my first official week of 10k training went. Despite two sick kids I managed my first double digit week since October!

Monday: Sick kid #1. No spin class for me. 2.5 miles on the treadmill after dinner...double yuck. Arms and core work.
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 3 mile hill run. Part of my weekly hill challenge. 54 seconds faster than last week.
Thursday: Sick kid #2. Unplanned rest day.
Friday: * See Thursday
Saturday: 2.7mi. This was supposed to be an "easy" 3 miler. It was a lot harder than I expected it would be.
Sunday: 4mi. I planned on 3mi, but I was feeling pretty good despite having to stop more than I would have liked. Probably because I was running here:

Great trail run on the ATT South

Overall I found this week's runs to be harder than I expected and had a few moments where I was feeling unsure on whether or not I can be ready in time. But I have seven weeks and a training plan I think will work if I put in the time and work hard.

I also decided to make an adjustment to the training plan and move the long runs to Saturday instead of Sunday so it follows a rest day. Makes more sense to me right now.

10k Training Schedule

Because I am suddenly an expert on finding balance in my life and all, I thought it would be great to add a little more pressure to my life. I'm awesome like that.

No, the truth of the matter is that I have been reading on all of my running blogs and online running groups about people signing up for Spring races. Sure, if I have not been a wimp and kept up my mileage throughout the winter, maybe I could have done the American Tobacco Trail half marathon this weekend like I had wanted to. But nope.

My return to running has been a little better than I had hoped. I am feeling ok and my motivation and desire has returned in full force. So I decided it would be good to push myself a little harder. Enter the WakeMed Cary Distance Festival 10k on May 5.

7.5 weeks to up my mileage from 3(ish) to 6. I think I can do it. And I spent all afternoon yesterday coming up with a training plan that would fit into my home and work schedule. It is awesome to have a goal to work towards.

Plus there's this:

I flipping love Spring!

Learning to be flexible and finding balance

Right now I am sitting here in workout clothes I put on 3 hours ago for a spinning class I never made. There's cornstarch on my shirt. I had to brush aside a thermometer to reach the keyboard.

I recently returned to full time work after being home with my kids for the better part of the last four years. Learning to balance work and home was challenging enough. Now add running into the mix. It's becoming a challenge. One that I am coming to realize that I am going to have to make sacrifices for. And adapt to situations out of my normal comfort zone.

Training for the half last year I did most of my runs in the mornings. This time around I am learning to run at any time of the day. Mornings before work. Lunch time (maybe, still trying to make this one work). After work. And tonight, after bedtime. I am going to have to fit it in whenever I can. Thank God for Tivo.

Adapting to ever changing situations is going to be key. I was planning on going to spin class tonight. Brent was held up at work and didn't make it home in time. Sure I was pretty upset, but sulking over it isn't going to get my ass in shape. Adapt. Make dinner. Put the kids to bed. Go to the gym for a late night three miler.

Even if it is the last thing I thought I would be doing tonight. I'm tired. Morgan was up in the middle of the night with a fever. Three people in our bed was hardly ideal. But, no excuses...

In the meantime I am loving reading other running blogs for inspiration and great tips on how to fit it all into 24 hours a day.

Off to the gym...

My quest to conquer the hills

It's no secret that the hills of Durham were my Achilles' heel in the Ramblin Rose last year. I avoid hills like the plague. I trained for that Half on the uber flat American Tobacco Trail. Looking back, maybe it wasn't the smartest idea. But I was looking to be able to build up my base miles without concerning myself with things like speed and certainly not hills. Well here I am now, another year older and wiser....

I was running on the Al Buehler trail yesterday and had what I consider to be a good idea for my training. The AB Trail is challenging (at least to me). I've read it described as "a hilly packed-gravel path that treats all Duke runners like the wife in a Lifetime Original Movie." I am not absolutely sure what that means exactly, but it doesn't sound good. Anyhow I am setting up a little challenge for myself. One run around the loop each week. No stopping of the watch during walk breaks (I'm a bit of a cheater that way normally.) Watch my time decrease as I get stronger, tackle more hills, walk less and run faster.

This method of hill training seems more interesting to me than hill repeats. This year, I can not ignore the hills!

Oh my....

Body Sculpt class: 1

Rose: 0

The main culprits: The long neglected back, shoulders, tris and bis. But it's the good hurt!

Run and Strength Workout and Some New Kicks

It's been a slow week, work out wise. I was traveling for work for most of the week. I managed one run before I left for DC but didn't have any time for the next three days (insert pouty face here).

Today I decided to amp it up a bit. Usually I run and that is it. This time around I am approaching things a bit differently. Enter strength training. Since I have a regular 9-5 now, I am able to join a gym. I went for the first time today. I arrived early to run 2 miles on the treadmill. It wasn't that bad. It maybe could have been better if I had been listening to some kick ass music the whole time. But no, I really wanted to watch some Gossip Girl (don't judge me!). Towards the end I switched it up to music and finished strong. It felt good.

After a cool down, I headed over to the Body Sculpt class. It was a total body strengthening work out that incorporated weights, resistance bands and the yoga ball for some core work. It felt great to be doing something other than running and while I was struggling through some reps I just kept repeating to myself "this will make you a better runner". It was a great class that will definitely make it into my regular routine. One setback however, after a particularly grueling set of side lunges with weights I felt my right hamstring totally tighten up. I tried to stretch it out right away but I feel the damage has been done. It has been progressively getting more sore throughout the day and has the potential to derail whatever plans I had for running tomorrow.

And now the really fun part...shopping. After the gym, I took my sweaty, smelly self over to my local running store for some new running shoes. My New Balances only have about 250 miles on them but every time I run I have been having to stop to stretch out my shins. Not fun. The awesome girl at the running store said that typically running shoes fade between

300-500 miles, but some can go earlier than that. She analyzed my gait and suggested stepping down from a motion control shoe to just a support shoe. After trying on three different types of shoes I finally settled on the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12. They feel great and it doesn't hurt that they are a little bit cute! Hopefully the hamstring heals up fast, I can wait to try these babies out!