Dear Self: You Got This!

Dear Megan:

You've worked hard for this one. Probably harder than you have for the last three fulls (remember how your longest runs usually topped out at 16?).

246 miles in the last 8 weeks is pretty damn incredible and you worked hard for every. single. one. 

Even when you skipped runs or opted for an additional rest day, it was in good faith that the next run out the door would make up for it. And they usually did.

Those #tenmiletuesday weeks? Where you set new personal highs for mid-week mileage? Those are going to pay off. Because running on tired legs just shows you how far you've come when you can push through the tired wall.

Those goals are do-able.

You have goals in sight for the year. This is opportunity #2 before a long and hot summer derails things just a little bit, both for weather and for work. Use this opportunity to your advantage!

Remember that 21 mile day? It was hot, and windy, and you ran right through it. You killed it. Even more than you thought possible. What's five more?

Bib #777. If anything, that's lucky.  

This race day is mine. These last eight weeks of training, all the extra mileage unlike anything you've done before, finally pushing out of the comfortable 13-15 mile range and knocking out some amazing long runs, the 5 am wake up calls, the extra need for stretching and foam rolling and all the so-very-needed yoga sessions... this is it.

See you on the other side of 26.2!

OC Marathon Goals

Goals. Sometimes they're really hard to put out there. Sometimes you need to, just to hold yourself accountable.

The last time I wrote out race goals, I was feeling way under-prepared, nervous, and kind of just a wreck. That was before Phoenix, all of eight weeks ago. I ran Phoenix, attained my C goal of a strong race (pretty much my strongest race ever), and knew that if I stuck to a plan, I could totally rock at OC. Phoenix became a great mental test of where I stood, and of course physically, given that my longest run had been just 16 miles like seven weeks prior to Phoenix. All being said, Phoenix worked out okay. And then I had a full week of recovery - just walking, yoga - and by the end of the week, I was itching to get out and run. I think that's a good sign.

OC training was all of eight weeks. Eight weeks isn't a lot, but I wasn't starting at point zero either, considering I really count Phoenix as a long run to test my endurance and mental capabilities in handling another 26.2 so soon. Mind you, my first two fulls were TWO YEARS apart, and now here I am running two in eight weeks.

My major goals for training were:
- More longer distance runs (over 13)
- Strength/yoga
- Weight loss

Compared to my other two fulls, I nailed the longer distance runs perfectly. A 15-miler, 16-miler (where I could have kept going), 22 at Ragnar in 30 hours, and capped off two weekends ago with the biggest confidence-boosting 21-miler ever. I built more mileage in during the weeks, often having an 8- or 10-miler on Tuesdays, bookended by 5 each on Monday and Wednesday. Mid-week mileage certainly makes a difference.

21-miler day.

I didn't incorporate strength training (weights, really) in any form, like ever, but practiced yoga weekly at Fleet Feet and a few times, did at-home practice too. I'm proud that I've continued with it and really see what a difference it's making just in terms of my overall strength.

Weight loss was up and down. I don't keep a scale at home (mostly on purpose), but about halfway through training had dropped about 3 pounds. That was about 5 weeks ago, and I have no idea where I stand heading into race day, but I'm feeling better than I've felt in a while. We shall see what kind of difference that makes on Sunday!

With that... here we go! My goals for Sunday's race, marathon #4 lifetime and #2 of 2016.

Goal A: The Elusive Time Goal
Much like Phoenix, I'm leaving this goal to myself. It's a goal for the year, but I honestly feel like with the work I've put in the last eight weeks, it's just maybe attainable this weekend!

Goal B: A PR
That PR still stands from LA (4:52) and I know it's bound to be broken, because I am far better off than I was last year (not to mention those 100-degree heat indexes). I know a PR is in the bag, whether it's 20 minutes or 5 minutes. It's mine.

Goal C: Run a Smart Race
The highs are not super forgiving on Sunday (75 as of Wednesday night), but tolerable, especially given that we're on the coast for the race. I've definitely run in hotter weather, but am hoping I know how to take advantage and still run smart, all things considered.

There we go. Vague on purpose, but I'm hoping that I can at least come back with a pretty killer full marathon PR. Here we go, #4!

Have you run the OC full? Favorite parts? Worst parts?

Race Day Disasters

I pray to all the running gods in the universe that I am not foreshadowing any disasters come Sunday morning, but I thought this was too good not to share.

A few weeks back at our Long Beach Marathon ambassador lunch meet-up - as it was right after Phoenix - I was telling the story about race morning in Phoenix. One of the ambassadors laughed and was like, "Remind me to never to start my race day with you!" Here's the thing though... my stories always work out in the end! So I thought it'd be kinda fun to reminisce on some race day disasters because you know... they're laughable now! And then some others I've collected from around the interwebz.

- Transportation Disasters: Case and point? Phoenix. I haven't done many races that are point-to-point and require a shuttle in some direction, so Phoenix was a whole new experience for me. I was nervous enough about running the race, let alone my bus dying somewhere not near the start line!

- Garmin Issues: Before I finally upgraded my watch and got my new Garmin, my old 110 was dying at start lines on the regular. I can't even tell you how many races I ran without a watch. But honestly? Running naked is so good sometimes!

- Forgetting the Essentials: Like, you know... your shoes? #notmyshoes became quite the saga, and now it's just laughable because who packs TWO LEFT SHOES for a race? This girl. This girl right here.

Rock 'n Roll San Diego became quite the adventure last year and while I never wish to re-live it, the quick thinking of both my boyfriend and the hotel front desk staff certainly saved this race day from becoming a real disaster.

- Traffic: Kim at Barking Mad About Running said that one time at a race she got caught in traffic, so she got to the start line 15 minutes late and ran the first whole mile of the race before catching up with any of the walkers. "But at least I got a good time!" See... there's always something laughable about it. Doug and I definitely showed up after a race started once and had fun catching up and getting ahead!


My favorite (insane) story of all is from Shelby. I can't even put this into my own words, so I'm going to share just as is with you:

"Let’s rewind about 3 years to the 2013 Rock ’n’ Roll Portland Half Marathon. Running this less than a week after my first full marathon I had no time goal but to finish with a smile. I donned my Sparkle Athletic skirt, cranked up the music and took off. If you’ve run in Portland you know it’s full of trains, bridges, and hills. I had never run in Portland, or a Rock ’n’ Roll race before so really I had no idea what to expect. Around Mile 5 we were going over the umpteenth bridge of the race when my left foot got stuck in a railroad track. Yes you read that right. The carpeting from the race didn’t cover it properly and I was stuck. After a little wiggling I got my foot out and kept running. By the time I hit the finish line I was in some pain but honestly thought it was because I ran my first marathon followed by a half in 7 days and I was still pretty new to it all. 


This is where it gets interesting….I went to run after 4 days off & could barely run a mile without stabbing pain. Being an out-of-state student at Oregon,I found a random foot doctor and made myself an appointment. The first thing the doctor did when he looked at me was say, “Have you ever worn a walking boot?” Random doctor say what now?!?! After telling the doctor what happened, he showed me the X-rays. I cracked the first metatarsal in my left foot, which I’ll be honest I was expecting something to that degree. I could feel a bump on the top of my foot that wasn't there before. The right foot was inconclusive because of a shadow so I was being scheduled for an MRI. In the mean time I got fit with a snazzy walking boot. Oh joy. Did I mention I WALKED to the doctor's office and had to walk back to campus? 1.2 miles away...in a boot for the first time ever.

 A week later I went for my MRI and the next day got called in to discuss the results. Play by play: “The good news is you won’t be in a walking boot much longer”. “Really? I thought you said I’d spend the summer in this?” “Yes, instead of ‘a’ walking boot you’re going to be in two”. Ummm WHAT. Turns out I fractured the navicular bone in my right foot, which is more serious than the left foot fracture I was sporting. Instead of ONE walking boot I got to waddle away with TWO. Yeah, that was a lovely conversation to have with my parents. 
I spent 9 weeks wearing plastic bags over my boots so I could navigate through rain, avoiding downhills because I legit picked up speed with every step (try learning that for the first time while out to sushi with all of your friends….we STILL laugh at that revelation) and walking up stairs to classes turned to the side one by one. Even flying home to visit my parents was a freaking sitcom because I had to get a wheelchair, bypassed the metal detector at TSA so they could wave a wand over the boots, and got to board early. (If you've ever flown Allegiant airlines you know that's a freaking miracle and totally worth it). While at the time I was miserable (couldn’t even celebrate my 21st birthday for fear of me falling over and injuring myself further) looking back it’s completely hysterical. In the end the doctor gave me the green light to run the #DumboDoubleDare with my dad and I got introduced to the magic of Brooks shoes." 

Um... yowch?!

So let's here it. Traffic issues? Porto potty lines? Dead Garmin on a dream race? What's been your worst race day disaster and how did you fare?

Weekly Workout Recap #16

April 17 - 23

Week 1 of taper in the books. Not gonna lie, this week was hard. Considering it's taper time and all supposed to be easy, I feel like I'm definitely at the point where it's just like "Dear race day: get here already." So some of my runs I fought through this week, and some just didn't happen. And I'm at peace with that.

Sunday | 5 miles pace
Dude. I had just run 21 miles on Saturday morning. Proof:

Because obviously if I held up any other  number, it wouldn't be true. 21 freaking miles. But I digress... so we also went out Saturday night for Doug's friend's birthday (happy birthday Justin!), and in turn woke up real hungover on Sunday. Life... it was nice to enjoy it! But that definitely added up to no mileage on Sunday. Also enjoyable.

Monday | 4 miles + strength
You'd think with all the Boston hoopla I got into on Monday morning, that I'd take that high and run with the whole way on Monday evening. I was scheduled for 4 miles and my legs were apparently feeling both the 21 from Saturday and the Sunday hangover, so 4 were hard. I settled for 3 when my knee also flared up and just decided to call it a day. Better than zero?

3.00 miles, 28:40, BLAH

Tuesday | 6 miles
...because then I settled for zero on Tuesday! I got home from work on Tuesday just wiped. And I was hosting a baby shower at work on Wednesday (spoiler: it was adorable), so I opted to get my last projects and crafting done for the shower. I very much enjoyed an evening on the couch (or at the kitchen table)... hooray taper?!

Wednesday | 4 miles + yoga
Jacky was finally making a comeback to yoga, so we opted for some miles before a good stretch. I left work a bit later than intended, so it worked out when I thought I had to do 5, but turns it was just 4... because that's all we ended up with time for. Four easy miles out on the trail, just in time to get back for a fantastic stretch sesh with Veronica! Seriously loving my Wednesday nights. These views sure don't hurt either.

4 miles, 37:56, 9:28 pace 
60 minutes yoga

Thursday | 30 minutes tempo
After work, sometimes the last thing I wanna do is get out and run. But you know, duty calls - I sat and enjoyed my armchair for awhile but decided the longer I sat, the harder it would be to get a run in. I finally headed out, convincing myself that 30 minutes is "like nothing," and that I just need to get get in a good run and make it count! The first mile was okay, the second mile sucked, and the third mile (and the extra) just flew, so I guess that's a win overall! Mile splits 8:40, 9:02, 8:13 and change - got home pretty winded, so I guess that's a success!

3.6 miles, 30:49: 8:33 pace

Friday | Rest

Saturday | 4 miles

Running up in the mountains just does something for your soul - especially when you're normally a city-streets kinda runner. I went out for a few miles before our retreat day started around Angelus Oaks - a small little town just south of Big Bear. Just gorgeous - I love being up in the pine trees and taking in some new scenery (and elevation - whew!).

                  

3 miles solo this morning plus a 4.5 mile round trip hike with my students to this gorgeous little gem of a lake. Perfection. 

7.5 miles, 2 hours total

And here we go...

IT'S OC MARATHON WEEK!

How was your week? Make sure you link up below!

Join the link up each week, stay accountable & on track! And hey... make some new blends (blogger + friends = blends) in the process!

Friday Favorites #17

I can't believe another Friday is here and April is almost over. Insanity -- because then that also means that OC is just a week away and ZOMG cue the nerves.

Honestly, I'm feeling great and ready for another 26.2, but you'll read more about that in a sec because you know taper time is definitely part of my faves for the day!

1. Rock 'n Roll Seattle

I'm taking myself on a 30-ish hour adventure up to Seattle for RnR in June, as of this week! 

It's our commencement weekend so orientation season will not be taking my life that weekend so I'm taking the opportunity to go hit up half marathon state #10 and get one of these fab fish medals in the process. Best yet? Free flight, free race reg through #RocknBlog and I am a freaking happy camper! 

Join me before the price increase in 4/30 -- use code RUNMEGANRUN for $15 off your entry on the half or full (there's an 8K too!). 

2. Local Scenery

I run the same routes pretty often, but it's rare that a new sight literally stops me in my tracks. The other night on a run before yoga - again, in a place I normally run, this literally caught my breath:

The purple flowers, the sunset, being able to see down in the valley was just incredible. I'm looking forward to summer when I can get more daylight runs in and find some new sights around our area too! 

3. Retreat Weekend

It's retreat weekend with my student leaders up in Big Bear - which also means new sights! We're at a camp resort center with tons of trails downtown the creek and around the lodges and even out to a lake. I'm excited for a weekend to get to know our team of 50, but also excited for some new views!

4. SOM Needs

Y'all didn't miss Pro's new Sock of the Month, did you? Hope not! Anyway, these mint with white dots are a-freaking-durable and I can't wait to rock them at OC. 

My problem is such: I need a mint tank to wear them with! Got a fave or seen some lately? Send links and recommendations my way! I've got 8 days to get myself dressed for 26.2!

5. Taper Time!

You didn't think I'd miss this, did you? Week 1 of taper time is done and I've got one more full week of runs and then it's GO TIME. 

After last weekend's kick-ass 21-miler, I've got a new sense of confidence about rockin' at OC. There are still some big goals at bay, but it's not impossible. In fact, I find it more do-able than ever. Bring it on, OC! Bring. It. On. 

What are you loving this week?

Weekly Workout Recap #15

April 10 - 16

So apparently last week, I never actually implemented the actual link up! Super fail - apologies to anyone that tried to be sure to get in on the fun and couldn't because I'm just super quick like that. My bad!

So the last full week of heavy marathon training is DONE - I'm entering two weeks of taper fun and then it's freaking GO TIME! Holy cow - where have the last eight weeks gone? I really can't believe it's been that long since Phoenix already, but am really stoked with all the mileage, distances and work I've done these last eight weeks and am feeling more ready than I did for Phoenix for sure (which was the whole goal, anyway!). Ready to see if I can make some goals come to life in Costa Mesa in TWO WEEKS.

Sunday | 5 miles
Since we did the Angels 5K on Saturday, and I had no desire to be out in the (forecasted) rain for 15 miles, I pushed my long run to Sunday. I rolled out about 8 am, expecting drizzle and clouds still but instead found big white puffy clouds, some sun, and a really nice day. There were tons of people out on the trail, so it didn't make these mile seem so lonely, which is always a plus! I was super nervous about getting in 15 on my own, so it was nice seeing so many families, puppies and people out everywhere!

As you can see, that is definitely not 15. About 10.5, my stomach flared up to the point where I was scared to keep running, but I knew there was a gast station nearby so I ran as fast as I could without pushing myself and then the last mile is to the grocery store to meet Doug to get some breakfast essentials and a ride home. Disappointed I didn't make it to the full 15, but I felt great overall, am stoked with my pacing, and knew that had I give myself more time that morning, 15 would have been a cinch.

11.28 miles, 1:45:30, 9:21 pace

Monday | 5 miles + strength
After Sunday's run, I was a little tired come Monday. I was ready to get my run in after work, but instead laid on my bed and did nothing for about half hour before heading out to go bowling - a totally random Monday night adventure, but you know? I didn't feel bad about skipping that run. Hello, taper time, please. I think I know I'm ready for it at this point!

Rest. 

Tuesday | 8 miles
After work, I bolted home and got to my mileage on a gloriously warm evening that was pretty much perfect and all I could have asked for for knocking out 8 miles on a Tuesday afternoon. I ran three miles uphill to the dog park (I've never made it to the top without walking), three miles back down and then the last two miles through the neighborhood across the street from our complex and wound my way down and around the streets in our complex to round it all out. Awesome. So awesome.

8.04 miles, 1:13:47, 9:11 pace

Wednesday | 5 miles + yoga
I've fallen back into the routine of running after work - thank you, extended daylight - but I wish I could get my act together in the morning to get it done before work. Maybe these last two weeks I will, since they're shorter distances and easier to knock out on the 'mill.

At any rate, I headed out for miles after work, before yoga. and not even a half-mile in, started fighting a nasty side stitch that almost sent me right home again, but I decided I needed to fight through it. It came back on strong at mile 3 or so, so I booked it home and called it a day at 4.25 - not everything I needed, but my legs were definitely feeling the 8 from the night before, so I figured that mileage and a little yoga action, and I'd be good to go. Aaaaah, yoga. Yoga was hard - I couldn't find my balance, no core, just a total lack of focus, but my legs! Oof. Deep stretching works wonders but I booked home and foam rolled pretty much immediately.

4.25 miles, 38:04, 8:58 pace
Yoga, 60 minutes + Foam roll/stretch, 10 minutes 

Thursday | 6 x 800 hill repeats
Two months later, I finally got to drop off my engagement ring to get re-sized. While that took longer than expected, I finally got home about 6:30, started some pieces for dinner and then headed over to the treadmill to get this workout in. I figured speedwork would be some quick and easy miles would still allow me to get home, get dinner done and ready for Doug to get home after football. Domestic goddess in the works, people. Or at least I'm pretending. Doug got home the same time I did (darn!) but I got my workout in and called it an awesome day.

Warm up mile @ 9:40, 6 x 800 at 4:11, 4:08, 4:04, 3:56, 3:49, and 3:44 (booyah!) and 5 minutes cool down. Last OC speedwork day in the books and all I can say is hell yeah!

4.3 miles, 40:18, 9:21 pace (including warm up and cool down)

Friday | Rest
Happy end of the week! Yay rest day! No lie though, I was nervous about Saturday's run...

Rest 

Saturday | 20 miles 

A friend of mine from the running club said he'd help me get in my long run since all my girls are doing their thing at Walt Disney World this weekend. We met up before the club and got in 4 miles + 15 miles with the club, but he took me on some extra loops to hit 20 by the time we got back to the club's starting point. Only apparently he lied some more and took me to 21! 

I honestly have never felt that good, that long - AND that makes for my longest training run ever! I am so beyond pleased and stoked and felt pretty damn badass after that run. Proof that running with people makes you forget if something hurts or if you don't feel good or something's hard... many thanks to Eric for getting me through   powering me through that run! OC Marathon, here I come!

21.0 miles, 3:12:02, 9:09 pace <--- WHAT IS THAT. 

That's a total of  48.9 on the week and I call that a successful last week of training. Ready for two easy weeks (25 and 16 miles a piece, that's cake!) and ready to get myself to the start line, ready to roll. I got this! 

How was your week? Make sure you link up below!

100 Things, 100 Ways

One of my big focuses with OC training wasn't only getting in the long distance mileage (though that was certainly top of the list), but it was also being a little better about my eating, fueling, and diet choices. I'm not overweight by any means, but it's been a little bit about dropping a few pounds to get down to a more comfortable race weight - and eating better in the process.

I've had a few tools here and there, but one of the big issues I've faced is snacking. My snack choices are usually what's within reach and sometimes, that's not always the best of choices (hello, sweet tooth!). At the office, I keep fruit snacks nearby so I can get some of the sweet taste but not binge on entirely sugar-based products. We actually just got a fridge not too long ago also (!), so I've been able to get some fruit and yogurt in here too, so I have even more healthier choices to grab and go between meetings or at my desk while I work on projects.

One of my favorites has become Chobani's new Simply 100 packs - yogurt with a side of crunch (and sometimes a sweet-tooth's every wish!). Simply 100 is a guilt-free way to delicious crunchy snack but still getting some of the health and diet benefits of yogurt (I'm totally guilty of needing 'crunchy' things to munch on).

My favorite by far is the strawberry chocolate truffle (see, told you with that sweet tooth business) but the blueberry is high up there too. I haven't tried mango, as that's not normally a go-to for me, but we'll see!

Part of one of the other great tools I've been using is my new Garmin. Honestly, it's so cheesy but one of my favorite features is that if I'm sedentary for too long, it yells at me and tells me to MOVE! It's gotten me to be better about taking breaks - even if it means taking a lap around the building just to shake out my legs and keep moving throughout the day!

BUT did you know there's tons of easy ways to burn 100 calories to supplement that deliciousness you've just consumed, and I realize that I do a number of these almost daily in my routine anyway - walking the dog, cleaning up/tidying the house, and in my dreams, shopping on the regular.

How true are these though? While training hasn't necessaribly been about counting calories, it's been about watching them, even if only a rough estimate. These have been some of the best snacks and mind tricks I've played on myself the last six weeks - sweet tooth, solved. Health snack, solved.

What's your favorite way to burn 100 calories?

Many thanks to Chobani for inviting me to share in the Simply 100 goodness! I can't get enough! 

Race Report: Angels 5K

Angels 5K and Fun Run

Anaheim, CA | April 9, 2016

Doug and I did this race last year with a whole crew, but this year, it was just the two of us. It was a gray and drizzly weekend all weekend anyway, so it left me curious for how many people would actually show up this year. Spoiler: 3,676 people still showed up! 

We left home about 6:45 to get down to the stadium in a decent amount of time to park, get our bibs and shirts, walk stuff back to the car and chill for a bit before the 8 am start time. We remembered last year that despite there being two "waves," tons of folks with strollers and dogs still shove their way to the first wave, so you're definitely wasting your first mile just dodging around people and trying to find some kinda groove. By mile 2, you've mostly passed the walkers and strollers and can find some kind of rhythm, just to catch yourself in your tracks as you enter the stadium.

It's not a super exciting course by any means, but they lighten it up with having some of the team player cutouts to take photos with and with the Angels' Stike Force Squad. They definitely lighten up the course as much as they can, given that the highlight (running the warning track) isn't until 2.7 or so. 

Like I said, it was gray and cool out but we didn't get hit by any light rain until almost about the 1.5 mile mark, and it was only a drizzle at that, so it was kind of nice. We caught it again about 2.5, just before we made our way into the stadium, but it didn't last long. The nice part about the weather was that it certainly cleared people out quicker and the post-race expo was pretty dang empty by the time we were done walking through it! 

Last year, I was coming off some post-LA tendonitis and Doug hasn't really run since Surf City due to some lingering knee issues, so we figured that the combination of his injury and a massive crowd, we'd cruise through this run and just have fun. A 34-minute finish isn't something I've seen a while, but seriously, we had such a great time, who cares? Sometimes it's all about the fun run and having a blast with your guy while you're doing it, right? Right.

My only real beef with this race is how congested it is - there needs to be staff controlling that anyone with strollers, dogs, etc. needs to start in the second wave at least, so that folks who plan to just run the 5K aren't caught up in a huge crowd and/or risking injury trying to get around them by running straight into potholes or jumping on curbs to get up to the sidewalks to get around them. It's annoying as all get out, but I think speaks to safety, too, when you have a 5K of over 3,000 people. 

Otherwise, the race itself is great, medal is awesome (this year it's a spinning jersey!) and it's just a fun day to have supporting one of our favorite teams! 

Have you ever done a run through a sports team's stadium? What's your bucket list stadium run?

Weekly Workout Recap #14

April 3 - 9

Well, we all know it was marathon week (because who didn't know, right?) and despite feeling super great on Sunday and Monday post-race, I didn't want to schedule anything during this week so I could enjoy a true recovery. Aside from yoga, nothing was scheduled and I did as I pleased. Isn't that what recovery is all about? Thus why all the days were scheduled for "rest" and then I sort of did as I felt able throughout the week leading up to Saturday's 5K.

My Phoenix Marathon race recap is here if you'd like to check it out! It's a strange feeling to be happy with not meeting A or B goals, but trust me, it does a world of wonder for your psyche and mental state heading into another (better) cycle of marathon training!

Sunday | 5 miles 
After getting home super late from Ragnar (like 11 pm) on Saturday night, and after those 22 miles from Ragnar, I decided Sunday was a totally worthy rest day. I woke up and headed back down to where our vans were to get them cleaned and returned, came home, did Ragnar laundry (the worst, right?) and later in the afternoon we headed down to Doug's parents' house for Easter, Part 2. A totally lazy, totally awesome Sunday.

Monday | 5 miles + strength
5 miles after work. My legs were tired, but not terribly so, but I recall nothing special about this run whatsoever! I ran up to the dog park while waiting for Doug to make his way home; he picked up Molly and brought her up to the park. As it was getting just dark enough, I finished my last two miles running around the "track" at the conjoining park. Pretty easy, pretty wonderful.

5.01 miles, 48:13, 9:37 pace

Tuesday | 10 miles
I allowed myself a little sleeping in on Tuesday but then got really disappointed when I realized it was a #tenmiletuesday kinda day - otherwise, I would have gotten up and done some miles before work because ten miles on a Tuesday evening is hard. So by the time I got home (never mind that it was like 90 degrees at 6 pm), the last thing I wanted to do was get this run in. But weekly mileage makes marathon mileage all the better, right? Right. I mapped out a route and got to work - I knew it was hot, I knew it'd be slower than normal, but time on your feet still counts.

At the end, it was quite wonderful as it felt like I was out at Ragnar again, chasing the sunset near some secluded vineyards. Pretty fantastic. I planned my course to end at Doug's high school so I met him after football practice and got a ride home. Total win! I was disappointed in not hitting all ten, and at the same time... totally okay.

9.11 miles, 1:31:11, 10:00 pace

Wednesday | 5 miles + yoga
After Tuesday's run, I was totally drained. I felt the heat and felt just totally blah, and even ended up leaving work an hour early to get home and pass out. I almost didn't get to yoga, but I knew I'd need the stretch after Ragnar. You only regret the workouts you never do, right? Right.

Yoga, 60 minutes 

Photo credit: Veronica, our instructor! 

Thursday | 8 x 800
I made it from work actually really amped up about getting this run in - I wanted to get outside but I'm still working on finding a track to get some speedwork in on and since it was on and off raining, I figured that a treadmill would at least get me consistent paces and I could build that way. I love speedwork and miss it so much from when I did every week in Georgia - but this is as best as it got! 1 mile warm up at 9:30, 8 x 800 at 4:14, 4:19, 4:11, 4:09, 4:01, 4:01, 3:59, 3:52 and 1 cool down mile at 9:49. Heck freaking yes.

6 miles, 53:42, 8:57 pace 

Friday | Rest
Happy end of the week! I was going to get in some easy miles to make up for not running on Wednesday... but opted for a later alarm clock and a casual dinner with my parents after work and some family friends in from Canada. Happy Friday!

Saturday | 15 miles 

I ended up moving my log run to Sunday this week, because Doug and I ended up signing up for the Angels 5K again earlier in the week. Despite some gray and drizzly weather, there was still a huge turnout and we had a blast - easy 5K, done. Productive Saturday around the house... bring it on, 15 miles. I'm probably out running as you read this, so send some positive vibes!

Angels 5K, 3.11 miles, 34:29, 11:05 pace

How was your week? Make sure you link up below!

Join the link up each week and join in the fun! I'm hoping to hold myself more accountable to my training plan and I know that putting it out there each week is going to help me do that! Join in, link your recap and connect with other friends to hold us all accountable too!

Oh! And we have a winner from Monday's Convertible HDL prize pack giveaway! Kasey, you've been sent an email and have 48 hours to respond with the information requested. If I do not hear back, I will select the next winner! Good luck! 

Friday Favorites #16

1. #StripatNight
Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas registration opened on Monday!

Both the half and full marathons are on an early bird rate of $125, so you better jump now if you're going to! Register today and let me know if you're going to be running the #StripatNight in 2016. I'm registered thanks to the Rock 'n Blog crew, but will need to make decisions on travel (and/or doing the 5K on Saturday?!) over the summer and figure out a plan. Wanna be roomies?

2. New Sparkly Things 
I told you a few weeks ago that Sparkly Soul had just released the bridal collection of their headbands (seriously, they're so good, what timing!) and even better, they sent me a special engagement present! Thanks, Dari! I love being an ambassador for Sparkly Soul and the company Dari and Pamela have started! Now to see if I can get the other two passed off... ;)

3. RAGNAR!
I'm cranking out these Ragnar recaps as quick as I can and hope to have the full recap done next week! For now, revel in this year's new bling: 

I love the Ragnar cutout logo, LOVE the new shirts. When's the next one, y'all? Kidding - Ragnars are a once-a-year adventure, but seriously can't wait to add a 2017 sticker to my collection!

4. Lexus Lace Up Series
I am way super excited to be able to announce that I've been asked to return to the 2016 Lexus Lace Up series ambassador team. I absolutely love this four-part series, all throughout Southern California and cannot wait to begin spreading the Lace Up love! A great race crew, and though they're small productions, they go BIG with amenities and offerings to runners! Their races are in Irvine, Ventura, Palos Verdes and Riverside again this year; check the website for details and dates and let me know where I'll see you this fall! You can check out my recaps from Irvine and Palos Verdes from 2015 and see why this race series is one of my growing faves around the area.

What are you loving this Friday?