Moving Forward, Scaling Back

Week One of Taper is complete!

And it was a week of scaled back mileage and sporadic weather. Welcome to my life...pull up a chair and I'll fill you in on the latest...

Runfessing...again

Seriously. Is it already that time of the month again?

It seems like I just cleared my running conscience and "bared my sole(s)," and it's time to Runfess all over again. So much has happened, and September has been busy.

Let's get right down to business...

Shall We Taper?

Ahhhhh, the sweet sound of Taper.

How do you feel about the Taper before a big race? Do you get nervous? Scared? Antsy?

Myself, I embrace the Taper, with open arms and a huge smile on my face. After all, I worked especially hard to get there, why not relish the experience?

Are We Peaking Yet???

Peaking is both exciting but also tough.

Marathon training, that is. I have been running marathons for five years, and it's not so much the race itself that is demanding, but the actual training to get to the start line. Within that training is the peak month...the final weeks where the mileage escalates and the weekly long runs seem unrelenting. Thankfully, there's the reward of the taper to look forward to.

Such was this past week.

You've come a long way, Voldy

Voldy. Dear Voldy, old buddy, old pal.

Remember him? His formal name is Voldemort, but I call him Voldy (for short). He's that lovely (not!) 6-inch scar over my right knee, and he's been a part of my life since June 29, 2017.

People often say "it's the journey, not the destination," and it's certainly been an interesting ride this past year. What started out as nearly no mobility (due to the mandatory healing of the extensive suture seam, following surgery) recently came full circle with Voldy's fastest half marathon pace at the R'n'R Philly. What's ironic is that it happened exactly one year since he went for his first run with me.

R'n'R Philly Half Marathon Recap

It was a busy weekend in Philadelphia!

Not only did I get a quick tour of the downtown scene, I had the opportunity to lace up and hit the streets running, quite literally. Let's just say that the City of Brotherly Love did not disappoint.

Summer's Last Hurrah

Well, it certainly felt like summer again this past week!

Not only did the temps shoot back up to the 80F-90F range, the humidity returned as well. That's exactly how I like it, so no complaints from me...but it's crazy how hot it felt after the much cooler temps we'd had over the previous weekend.

RaCe Day PrEvIeWs : 101

Anyone else a RaCe DaY PrEvIew dork like myself?

I realize we're all blogging gurus, and feel the need to capture a lot of (sometimes insignificant) pics on our running adventures (selfies, anyone?). Do you also feel compelled to lay out your race outfit the day (or evening) before said race? Or even for an especially significant training run (I'm looking at you, Mr. 20-Miler)?

Yes? No? Maybe so???

Give Me Some Zzzzz's

It's been a l-o-n-g week for this gal.

My body was tired, my glutes were sore and my mind was fried. I'm not a nap gal, but there were a few of those happening this week....which means they definitely were needed. If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's listening to my body (and checking the ego at the door). My body obviously needed some down time, and I obliged.

Falling out of Summer

It's that time of the year that I dread (almost) the most....the end of summer.

Granted the majority of my runner friends are ecstatic to usher in some cooler weather and kick summer to the curb...but not me. Well, I do appreciate the less intense heat and humidity, but I have a special place in my heart for all things summer.

None the less, I live in Iowa. We get to experience the change of seasons. As much as I love summer, though, I doubt I'd love it so dearly if I lived in it year-round. Besides, getting to experience both extremes of weather reinforces just how much I truly love summer more than winter.

As we embark on the end of summer, I thought I'd share a few coping strategies to ease the transition into the cooler temps (and darker days) of fall. Just as we need some "easing in" when the mercury rises, it's also best to be prepared for the shift towards the cooler days ahead. Read on!

NewBo Run Half Marathon Recap

That which doesn't kill us....

Sorry for the melodramatic intro, but the NewBo Run Half Marathon really gave my true grit a thorough test of its authenticity.

Let there be Sweat

Oh, has it been a sweaty week!

The temps haven't necessarily been outrageously warm, but the humidity has been ever so thick. You know...even with tech gear, there's only so much that the humidity will allow to evaporate. Let's just say there has been a lot of splashing going on as I discard my running clothes on the floor as I turn on the shower.