Fun Times on a Favorite Trail

Do you have a favorite little home town race? You know, one that keeps you coming back every year?

It's true, I enjoy the big races...with their official timing mats and fancy tech shirts (in gender-specific sizing, none the less). They usually have nice bling and draw a huge crowd, some even have bountiful post-race spreads of food and drink.

But, often times, those big events lack the small town charm the smaller races offer. One such (somewhat) small event that I have done numerous times is the Grimes Farm Run.

Now That's More Like It

Ah, now that's more like it.

The mild weather. The increasing daylight. The on-going fitness. Life is good.

What all went down this past week, and why are things feeling pretty good?

Runfessions, Anyone?

There's been a lot of interesting stuff happening.

And I have had a lot of interesting thoughts on the matter. It's a good thing it's that time of the month...you know, when we runners can bare it all among one another and breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Runfessions, anyone? I'll share a few of mine with you....

If These Shoes Could Talk...

If your running shoes could talk, what would they say?

Probably a lot.

Is there anything we love more about running than our shoes?  Well, yes, we love our running friends, we love our bling, we love the rush of adrenaline at the start lines...but oh, how we love our shoes. Seriously, the shoes are the major players that make it all possible.

The (weather) Pendulum Swings Back...

Seriously, We keep going from one extreme to the other.

Momma N is up to her old games again. Last weekend, it was bitterly cold...like sub-ZERO with "feels like" temps. And, this weekend, we entertained late spring-like weather. Mind you, I am NOT complaining about the warm up, but a little transition between the two extremes would be appreciated.

As I have said before, if you can't beat Momma N, call her bluff and face her head-on.
Here's how I stayed in the game...

What's to love about winter?

Winter fitness is not for the faint of heart.

I say that as a 13-year veteran of winter running.

It's no secret that I much prefer the heat (and even the humidity) of summer. As an Iowa gal, though,  cold winters are my reality for several months every year. Although I do a fair amount of whining and complaining about the winter weather, I don't let it keep me inside (much). My glass is always half full, even in the midst of cold fingers and frozen toes, because every run is a blessing.

No gym? No Excuses!

Did you know a gym is not a requirement for a good workout?

Easy for me to say, right? After all, I am a runner, and 98.999% of my runs happen in a non-gym setting (and, most of those runs also happen outdoors, in all kinds of extreme temps and weather conditions).

Granted, I do have a treadmill, but it's no secret that I seldom use it. I don't have a gym membership, nor do I have a viable space in my house for a home gym. I do manage to work out almost every day, though, in some capacity.

I believe if I can find a way to make the workouts happen, anyone else can too.

NonStop Action

Wham. Bam. Thank you, Ma'am.

Our temps had started to gradually warm-up over the previous weekend. Seriously, anything above freezing felt so tropical and heavenly! Then, things made a turn for the cold...again....

It was great being back outside, but there were was some indoor action as well. Here's how the week played out:

Keeping It Inside...on the Stairs

Baby it's been cold outside (FYI, I am SO over and done with that phrase, I had to modify it).

It's no secret I'm an outdoor runner. Even though dear old 'Milly (my almost 17-year old treadmill) is always available, I seldom ever want to play with her. In all honesty, I don't think she is too fond of me, either. After all, she's heard all the nasty things I've said about her (as well as the numerous explicatives I've said in her presence).

Recently, it's been downright frigidly bitter in Iowa. It's a given that running is my main go-to for fitness, but it's not my "one and only." Besides, it's (currently) my off-season, and I don't need (or want) to run excess miles for the time being. Since I am running less, I still need (and want) some additional cardio, though, and my preferred form of indoor fitness is found via my stairway!

Winter Running Hacks for 2018

I take great pleasure in beating Momma N at her own (twisted) game called "Winter."

How about you? Do you face her head-on, armed and ready, or do you prefer to stay inside?

Living in Iowa, it's a given the winters are gonna be chilly. In fact, the winters in Iowa can be downright brutal. But, there's a small clause to my running this time of year...I do not like 'Milly (she's my treadmill) and she does not like me.

#Brrrrrr!

It's safe to say that my Outdoor Running Mojo has left the building...but I, on the other hand, have been staying inside all week.

That's right. This Iowa gal, who ran outdoors for 40 consecutive days, has been hibernating indoors ever since New Year's Day. And, I'm quite content with that.

We have had three solid weeks of sub-freezing temps, and most days the "feels like" temps were sub-ZERO. Granted, Iowa is usually a cold month in the winter, but this is the coldest (and longest) stretch I can remember.

Welcome To My Off-Season

Welcome to 2018! Welcome to January! And, welcome to my off-season!

First of all, I'd like to invite you to pull up a chair (or stretch out on a yoga mat) and join me for some chatter. There's a few things I'd like to discuss...

We're off and Running!

We are not even one week into 2018 and my race calendar already is seeing quite a bit of action.

By the way, did anyone else start the new year off in their running shoes? I had one bit of Running Streak business to finish up, as well as the annual New Year's Day group run with a few local friends. In  keeping with the recent arctic blast, our temps on NYD were the coldest yet...how does -20 grab you?