Sunday, March 26, 2017

Weekly Wrap: Back at it


Sunday:  Went for a walk in the morning with Rance to check the cows,  check out this cute baldy baby.  So adorable!

 3.1 easy miles then I headed into town for the  5k Shamrock run in the afternoon for a total of 6.2 miles.


Monday: 5 mile hilly muddy messy beautiful trail run, with a lot of walking up the big hills, my legs were tired from the 5k the day before and a little sore.


Tuesday: Nothing, work day and it snowed, it was all melted off by the afternoon.


Wednesday : 15 minute HIIT with Zuzka Light   14 mile run, my legs felt pretty good for this, still a little tired, but I did pick a hilly route.


Thursday: 21 Day Fix Extreme Upper Body one time through for 30 minutes and then each move one more time for another 15 or so minutes counting rest time.

Friday. Easy 5k after work, with some yoga, handstands and hops afterwards...it was just too nice to go in the house.


Saturday: 1 mile easy and then 8 800 intervals at about 7min/mile pace with 400 recovery intervals. I didn't have them programmed in my watch so it wasn't exact, but by the end my pace was closer to 6:45.. guess I was feeling good!  Also did Hammer Strength Conditioning workout in the morning.

Running 35.3 miles
Strength workouts: 3
Yoga: 1 yoga stretch session of about 15 minutes..

Overall a great week running and weather wise.

linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap
weekly wrap up
feel free to check it out and join in! 
The purpose of this link is to connect with and support other active women. You can summarize your whole week or just a small portion of it. It's up to you! Race recaps are also encouraged! {See complete rules} 

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Shamrock Run 5k

I signed up for this one on Friday.  I hadn't much entertained doing it, but when I saw they had a family rate of $35 for the whole family and you got pint glasses, I was in! No t-shirts, which was fine with me. I have way too many race shirts as it is and hardly any of them get worn enough.  It is also the membership drive and renewal for our local running club.

The kids decided they wanted to do the 5k and not the kids 1 mile run.   I used to get all worked up and nervous before every race, but I noticed today with the race at 1, that at 11 I still had not decided what I was going to wear. I do have to admit with it being a Shamrock run I had it pretty narrowed down.

The kids were pretty nervous for the race, but told me I was not to hang back with them.
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The first mile has a pretty significant hill before that ends at right about .3 miles into the run. and my legs that just ran a half marathon last weekend felt like they protested a bit and I was worried that maybe a 5k wasn't my brightest idea. The first mile was 7:24

Mile 2 is pretty flat for all of it and I was pleased to see my pace for this one was 7:07 and wondered if it would hold for the last mile. I was sticking pretty close to another gal and we were passing other runners pretty steady. I was hopeful for a bit that maybe I would pass her too, but she proved to have the stronger legs and by the end of the 2nd mile was starting to pull away from me pretty good.

Mile 3 thanks to running back down that hill we had to run up at the start was 6:59 (I was very thrilled to have it under 7!)

the last .1 or .15 according to my garmin was at 6:12 pace.

Garmin time 3.15 miles for 7:07 pace
Official time 3.1 miles for 7:15 pace

I then grabbed a water and headed back to see where the kids were at. I found my daughter and she was tired but looking strong with about a quarter mile to go here.
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I made it back just in time to get her finish line picture
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and my son wasn't far behind
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Either way I'm happy and I was 4th female overall and won my age group.

My daughter finished just over 30 minutes and was 4th for 9 and under. She did so well, but did admit to being very happy to being done! My son wasn't too far behind and is a bit worried about how sore he will be.

My son was 5th in the 10-14 group,  They didn't really have kids age groups since they had a mile kids run. There was just a 1-19 age group, but the kids and I went back and counted what would be their age group roughly

We picked up our pint glasses and were going to wait around for the awards but it started to rain and it was cold and the kids were freezing after their run so we ran back to the car and the comforts of the heater, We were going to wait out the rain, but it didn't seem to want to quit so we left. I never picked up my age group award. Insert sad face.  


This week's writing prompt: Local Races.  If you don't have anything to share about your favoriteLocal Races, feel free to post any running related blog post.  Link-up with PattyErika, and Marcia!

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Weekly Wrap: Snow be gone

Sunday: Recovering from the half marathon and I did NOTHING.  and I was okay with that.

Monday: 40 minutes of easy yoga first thing in the morning and an easy run. My legs were a bit sore,  but it did feel good to get out and run.

Then we built a family of snowmen, it was perfect snowman building snow for the first time all year.

Tuesday: Half an hour of yoga in the morning and 21 day fix extreme upper body workout

Wednesday: 8 miles easy in some super gorgeous weather

The yard had a small lake in it when the kids got home from school on Wednesday and they had a great time playing in it

Thursday:  Upper Fix again. Letting my legs recover and take a break from strength exercises this week, next week they are back at it!

Friday: 21 Day Fix Extreme the Challenge workout in the morning before work

Saturday: 7 mile easy run. I meant to do a strength type workout as well, but somehow that got lost in the day. oh well.

Running: 20 miles all easy miles
Strength workouts: 3
Yoga: 2

Next week:  Getting back into training for the 30k trail run in June. and maybe a half in May? so tempting.

linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap
weekly wrap up
feel free to check it out and join in! 
The purpose of this link is to connect with and support other active women. You can summarize your whole week or just a small portion of it. It's up to you! Race recaps are also encouraged! {See complete rules} 

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Run to the Pub Half Marathon Recap

This is the third time I have done the Run to the Pub Half marathon in Bozeman.   Based on how I thought training has been going this winter and previous times of 1:40:17 and 1:45:37 I was guessing I would fall close to 1:44, but was prepared to be slower also. I haven't done a lot of focused speed work all winter.  In my head my predicted pace was going to be close to 8 minute miles.
The drive up to Bozeman was uneventful and I was happy to see clear skies
It was in the mid thirties at the start and I had on capris... I had a skirt in my drop bag that at the last minute wanted to change into, but with 25 minutes to go the lines to the porta potties were soo long and didn't seem to be moving so I just left the capris on.

don't mind the mess.. it was a busy week and it's calving season, but here is what I ended up wearing

After standing around freezing for a bit, it was finally time to start. The first three miles are sloping slightly uphill and my goal pace for those three miles was about 8:15.  My breathing felt good and by the end of the three miles I was ready to run down for awhile!

Miles 1, 2, and 3:  8:14, 8:16, and 8:15

About 2 miles in I caught up to a guy who was breathing so loudly and labored it was annoying.  He seemed determined to stick with me though and I wanted to say "Dude, you are never going to keep this pace with that breathing, slow down!" Thankfully he stopped at the water station at mile 3 and I did not.

About 3 and a half miles in starts a nice long downhill section that is also very straight and I felt like I was being passed by a lot of people. This didn't make me very happy, but I reminded myself to run my own race. this was the start of the downhill part and people were loving it I guess.

Mile 4   7:54
Mile 5   7:48 turned on the music
Mile 6   7:35 (finally getting my head into it)

About 5 miles in I realized I wasn't feeling focused on the race. My head was all over the place. I worked  concentrated on running and recited my favorite mantras. That seemed to help and I turned on my music. More motivation! and I started passing all those people that had passed me earlier. YAY..love that.

around mile 5-6ish there were two girls in front of me running together and they both had earbuds is listening to music I would presume and everytime they said anything to each other they were yelling.

Mile 7   7:36  felt like this was a good pace
Mile 8   7:32
Mile 9   7:53  lots of weaving and the two hills

I started mentally preparing myself around mile 7 for the hills I knew were coming close to mile 9. In my head I thought of the two hills, a smaller and then a larger tougher longer hill and told myself I had this and no hills were going to kick my butt today.

Somewhere about halfway through mile 8 I think we turned the corner and up ahead was a wall of people all the way across the road. The 10k runners  were merging with the half marathon course up ahead. I remembered this vaguely but not to this crazy extent.  Another half marathon runner next to me was like "what the hell?" and then wham we were into it.

They are supposed to stick to the right so the half marathon runners can go easily past on the left. Not the case. Suddenly I was constantly yelling "coming through" "on your left" and "on your right" and sometimes just "watch out!"  After a bit  I found another weaving halfer and followed her. We were so busy weaving and staying alert about where to run next that before I knew it we were done with the second hill.

But wait! I forgot about the third hill, the biggest hill. Apparently I blocked it out? No biggie, soon I was over that too and it was all weaving downhill. At least by now there was a little more room and the weaving was easier.  Somewhere around mile 9, one of my braids started coming out..ugh.  Luckily my other braid had an extra rubber band around it and i was able to get it out, and put it in the other side and somewhat salvage the braid all the while running and weaving.  I have talent!

Mile 10   7:54  the big hill, to be serious I was impressed I made it under an 8 minute mile
Mile 11   7:40  the sun really came out and things were getting warm!
Mile 12   7:43 legs feeling tired!
Mile 13   7:32  one mile left, I got this!
.12          6:39  pace finish line push

I am a little mixed on the mass of 10k runners. Had I been going for a PR that could have ruined it. At the same time when you slam into the wall of 10k runners is near the end of the middle of the race when you are starting to feel fatigued and there is still a good 5 miles to go. The irritation and aggravation I was feeling was channeled into getting around all those people. It probably was just as motivating as aggravating. and they help make the hilly portion fly by.

I couldn't believe how much easier the hills felt this time as compared to the last time I ran this... all the hills I ran this winter helped I guess!

As usual there was free beer at the end. I drank mine and then was super hungry so fellow Team Beef Montana/Montana Running Rancher Ryan Goodman (who is training for his first 50 miler) and I went and had cheeseburgers at the Rockin R .  So good

I wore my new Altra Escalantes for the race, it was the first run I had in them. They were perfect and I didn't regret it for a second.

Then I came home to this. So cold at home!


This week's writing prompt: St, Patrick's Day Plans.  If you don't have anything to share about St, Patrick's Day Plans, feel free to post any running related blog post.  Link-up with PattyErika, and Marcia!

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Weekly Wrap: The week of will I or won't I


This week was full on taper mode for a half marathon I was signed up to run on Saturday.  I was finding it hard to get to worked up about the half marathon as the weather towards the end of the week looked very bad and I was planning to make the 2.5 hour drive up to the race the morning of the race.  I had no intentions of making the drive if the roads were going to be bad.  I don't mind running in the cold, but driving so far on bad roads is not my idea of fun.

Sunday: 2 hour hike with the family,  4.2 mile easy run   20 minutes of yoga

It was a perfect afternoon for a hike and it seemed like it had been too long since we all got out together. Roader loved it too.

 The kids ran ahead and spent some time working on their secret fort.


A pretty spot to stop and rest.


and after that my run!

Monday: 4.22 miles and more yoga and snow, 21 day Fix upper body



Tuesday: Rest day

Wednesday: 5.1 miles before the snowstorms moved in. Was feeling blah. not feeling confident about the half marathon and worried I wouldn't be going either with the weather forecast of snow snow and crappy roads


Thursday:  8 inches of snow and crappy roads. Rest day

Friday morning:  more snow and crappier roads.  By Friday afternoon though the road reports were looking good so I got excited about the half marathon finally!

Saturday morning I got up at 3 am and left the house at 4:30 to drive to Bozeman. I got there at 7 and ran my half marathon!  Race report coming soon!

Miles run: 21.6
Strength workouts: 1
Yoga: 2

Light week! I did tapering really well, which I usually don't do.
linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap
weekly wrap up
feel free to check it out and join in! 
The purpose of this link is to connect with and support other active women. You can summarize your whole week or just a small portion of it. It's up to you! Race recaps are also encouraged! {See complete rules} 

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Weekly Wrap: Into March

this was not my best week ever... so busy but i still got a fair amount accomplished and am happy with it all

Sunday: Easy run after wildland fire training finished up.

Monday: Last long run before the half marathon. I wish I could say this run felt good, but I felt rather sluggish. I also did the 21 Day Fix Extreme Upper Body workout
Tuesday: 21 Day Fix extreme Plyo workout

Wednesday:  Cold run. Did a progressive run, it felt pretty good

Thursday: 40 mintues of yoga

Friday: 21 Day Fix Extreme Dirty 30 workout. This was after being up at 1 am with a sick girl. I never went back to bed, after an 8 hour shift at work I was ready for a nap.. not to be, I had a friend in town from high school, a best friend, and I hadn't seen her in years, so I showered and headed back out.












Saturday: I meant to get up early to workout, but was so tired from the day before and had to leave
early with my son for the state 4-H shoot. We got home in the afternoon and went right to my Grandmother's 80th birthday party.  Once we got home I decided I was too tired too run and went to bed early.

Cade ended up third in the state in his age group for the postal shoot, which is their top 6 scores all season. We haven't seen the results from the state shoot yet, but he didn't have his best day.

linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap
weekly wrap up
feel free to check it out and join in!
The purpose of this link is to connect with and support other active women. You can summarize your whole week or just a small portion of it. It's up to you! Race recaps are also encouraged! {See complete rules}