The NonStop Running Continues

Another week down, and another week closer to marathon #7.

My reality (again) this week was the amount of "stuff" happening in the month of April. Truthfully, it's that way every year, but I feel like I'm still searching for that perfect level of organization to cruise through the process instead of always playing "catch-up." And a little more sleep would be nice...if there was time for it (LOL).

Runfessions...My Current Reality

As April comes to a close, it's time to access what all went down in the past four weeks.

Over all, I'm very pleased with everything. My cross-training has been strong, I have started incorporating speed work into my marathon training, and my April mileage is currently standing at 89 miles (plus there's a half marathon happening on Saturday, so I will easily cross the century mark by month's end).

Despite all of the good...there are a few things I need to come clean on. Time to runfess....

OOPS, I did it again

Oops, I did it again.

Races, and more races. They just keep popping up from nowhere in particular and demand my attention (and, frequently, my registration).

Nonstop Running...Literally and Figuratively

Can we talk about non-stop running? 

This past week had me running, not just in the literal sense, but in the figurative sense as well. Fortunately, my training was not affected...but a lot of other things had to take a brief sabbatical (like blogging) as I fulfilled my annual Prom volunteer duties (more of that later).

It's not a Race, it's a Training Run

Have you ever over-scheduled your race calendar?

I have (and not by accident).

Though I'm not a competitive, type-A, "in-it-to-win-it" type of a runner, I do enjoy racing. I'm also not a certified coach, but I bet any (or all?) of them would advise against too many races within a training cycle, especially if you're training for a major landmark race. My caveat to doing numerous races (while training for something bigger) is that I do them as training runs.

Back on Track (literally)

Back on track, literally. That's what went down this past week. 

As I gradually increase my mileage (you know, for that little marathon happening in June), it was time to better utilize my training days. I do most of my long runs on Saturdays, with a short shakeout run (usually only 1-2 miles) on Sundays. I always do a #nevermissaMonday run, so I decided to up the distance on those (which, consequently, are also short runs, 1-3 miles, at an easy pace). My Tuesdays and Wednesdays have been pretty mild (other than a miscellaneous stair workout and/or some strength-training). It didn't make sense to essentially have 3-4 "mild" days all in a row with the impending mileage increase....so I decided to enhance the #nevermissaMonday with a #5at5  nuance. These runs are also at an easy pace, and coming off of the weekend, are a great segway to the new week. Stay tuned...this is still a work in progress.

Am I blue?

Question: Am I blue?

Answer: No, but a lot of my recent race swag is. And that's what I'll be wearing this spring.

Fight for Air Climb 2017

One of my most-utilized hashtags is #notjustarunner.

Running is, and probably always will be, my first and foremost preferred form of fitness (go ahead, try to say that three times fast!). But, running is not my one and only....I'm an avid advocate for cross-training, and stair-climbing is at the top of the list.

Grey Skies, Blue Skies, and Lots of Bling

Grey skies are gonna clear up....

...and I'm so happy they did! We had a rather damp and chilly week. Fortunately, that all turned around on Friday, making way for warm temps and lots of sunshine, and a busy, bling-filled weekend!

Half Full or Half Empty?

Shall we explore the half-full vs. half-empty in regards to my current situation?

I'll share a few random things that have left me in a juxtaposition of thoughts and feelings about these very random things. I consider myself a glass half full kind of person, but I'll let you decide. Here's the latest and greatest:

My Take on Victory

How would you define Victory?

I have been running (consistently) for almost 12 years, and I have never actually broken the tape at a finish line (and the odds are ever-in-my-favor that I never will). But I have had some substantial victories.

A Whirlwind Week

Ever have one of those weeks that felt like a whirlwind of activity? We endured 15+ hours of travel time (each way) as we journeyed across the eastern half of the United States (and back). Care to hear more? Read on....