This past week I ran over 31 miles in just 7 days. To some this may seem like nothing but to me, this is a great starting point for training for a fall full marathon. Sunday I ran a short 2 miler, which was great because it started my week off right.

Monday I met up with Mary Kate and we ran 6 miles. It was a good run, I was happy with the pace and I also got Coffee Bean Coffee, which is my favorite, after the run.

The best part about running in Long Beach is the bike path! It’s great to run along and is also great training for the Long Beach Marathon.

Tuesday I went to the gym. All last week B was in Oklahoma helping with a group called Firefighters for Christ. They were there to help with the Tornado relief. As much as I missed him, hearing the stories of kindness that the people showed him was amazing, and I’m really glad he got the opportunity to go. It was kind of sad because when he came home I counted up the days in May and June that he’d been gone and I only had seen him 17 of the last 45 days. :(

Wednesday we did sprint work for 5 miles. We warmed up for .5 of a mile and then switched off from running ‘hard’ for .5 of a mile to a recovery run for .5 of a mile, following our hard run. It actually was much easier with someone else AND our ‘hard’ speed was about a 7:30 mile. We are going to continue to do this once a week during this training session.

Friday we wanted to do a longer run so we would have back to back long runs for the week. We ran 8.32 miles before work! I was pretty proud of myself and that is a before work mileage new record for me! It’s still very hard for me to get up in the morning, but I’m always so thankful I do get up!

Finally, Saturday we had our 10 miler, which wasn’t too bad, I actually felt better on it than the previous week. We talked about our upcoming training plans and how we were going to increase our mileage. The saddest part though was when I found out at mile 8.5 that one of my favorite water fountains was taken out!

We did run just a few seconds faster for our overall pace for this run compared to last week too. I have been stretching and foam rolling much more than usual and my legs are feeling good thus far! I could tell that I had more miles on them on Monday though, it was a rough one yesterday. I really was dehydrated and I struggled throughout the six miler that we did.

I am so happy with the way that the week went though. I haven’t had a consistent week of training like this in months and knowing that I’m back on the right path is invigorating, even if I have to wake up at 4:30 am! I’m so thankful for a great training partner and morning sunrises!

On Sunday we went to church where I heard one of the best sermons I’ve ever heard and we had everyone over for a BBQ for Father’s Day. It was a nice day and George and Sophie even got B some presents :)

xoxo

With all the training going on I thought it would be fun to update the blog with some of my newest music favorites for working out. I did it on youtube the same way that I did it in March, which I like making :) Find the newest Playlist HERE!

Yes – I have the new Mariah Carey Song AND Selena Gomez on this month’s faves… I’ve lost my mind. Personal on repeat favorites? Daft Punk, Bruno Mars, Capital Cities, Alt-J, The Royal Concept and as much as I hate to admit it because it’s so cliche, that dang Icona Pop song. All these songs are the #1 on my running list right now and they have good running beats. So upload them, or just listen to them at work to pump you up!

Anything to add to the list? xoxo

So after this weekend, I’m officially saying that I’m back in the running game. So far this year I’ve had a few up and down months. In January and February I ran about 15 miles each month, which is pretty dismal. I have a tendency to hibernate in the winter, it’s a bad habit. I also was nursing my IT Band that was having some issues from last fall, which was from not increasing my mileage properly.

I was so blessed to be a part of the Team Sparkle Ragnar Ultra Team so I started training for that in March and had 42.5 miles for the month. April was a huge month for me, because that was the month that the Ragnar Ultra was and I ran 30 miles in one weekend! I ran over 70 miles in the month of April, but without Ragnar, it would have probably been right about 45 miles again. Then May was another middle distance month at 42.6 miles for the month. I have been playing with the idea of a fall full marathon, but what I really want is to be back in marathon shape again and have more consistency with my running. Yes, during every morning run I dream about the coffee I’m going to reward myself with after.

My new running partner, Mary Kate and I have been meeting up going on three weeks this week and it has truly helped me get up in the mornings at 4:30… Yes, that my new routine. Wake up at 4:30 am, run for at least an hour, head home, shower, and get ready to head to work.  I NEVER want to get up, but knowing that she’s depending on me makes getting up that much easier. We have been running a lot more miles than what I would normally be running as well, too!

This Saturday, we officially kicked off our long runs with a 10 miler, and it was a beautiful day for a run. Great weather, good pace and I felt great! On Sunday, I didn’t want to run at all, but I knew that starting my week with a clear head and thankful heart would be the best for me. I went for a short 2 miler and it did just that.

Sometimes you just need a little time in the fresh air to start your week off right, and this was perfect. I also realized that I have a billion fly aways when I wear my hair in a bun, awesome. I have been trying my hardest to keep track of my miles and I’m happy that it’s only June 10 and I’ve already got 30 miles this month! I’m stoked on how I’m feeling while running and know this summer is going to be great!

xoxo

It’s one of my favorite days of the year, besides the obvious holidays… One day where runners are extra friendly, the miles click by easily, and you can celebrate just by lacing up your shoes. Running is a individual sport but it’s also a community, and a community that comes together in the form of races and group runs. It’s a community that supports each other, encourages each other, and brings people together for the love of one thing. Running. It doesn’t matter how far you run, or how fast you run, it just matters that you get out there and go for a run, that’s what makes you a runner.

During my recent morning runs I am putting in more miles and I can feel the stress leave my body as I take each step. I take a deep breath, step off the bricks in front of our house, clear my mind and just go run. The cloudy June mornings offer the perfect umbrella from the sun. The morning dampness means that summer is just around the corner, but for a few more miles, it will be chilly and humid, instead of hot and sunny. The people I see are starting to become familiar, and each morning, their smiling face, their waves and their friendly attitude reminds me how strong this community is and how awesome runners are.

After last year and recovery from my training injuries, I’m really grateful for the miles I’ve been able to run lately. I’m thankful for the time it gives me to empty my heart out on the pavement, whether I’m running to release tension at work, gather ideas for our next project at home, or just listening to Maroon 5, it’s ME time, and it’s so important to have that time. It’s SO hard sometimes to get up and change into workout clothes, and it’s so frustrating to be exhausted for those first  5 minutes of every run, wanting to be back in bed, hitting the snooze over and over, but then my breathing becomes normal, I hit my stride, and I just relax. I find the zone where my legs just keep going and I don’t even have to think about it. The miles quietly tick by and before I know it, my mind is refreshed, and I’m cruising right back into my driveway, right back where I started… but with a new outlook and a thankful heart to start my day.

I’m so thankful for running and all it’s gotten me through in life. Here’s to National Running Day and putting in some miles of time that you’ll never regret.

xoxo

It was on my Summer Faves list, and now Timex is doing something fun for National Running Day… which is TODAY! Here’s a photo from my run with my new training partner, Mary Kate. I’m sure I’ll be writing more about our running adventures as we train together for a fall marathon. And of course, how could I say no to a mini sprinkle donut this morning? I mean it’s a CELEBRATION… sprinkle donuts are a MUST!

So here’s how to join in on the Timex fun. Post a photo and your running story on Instagram or Twitter, and make sure to use the tags #IMARUNNER and they will donate $5 to the One Fund Boston, which helps those who were affected by the Boston Marathon Bombings on April 15th. Awesome right?

Now, this is a win-win situation because they are ALSO giving away 60 Timex Ironman watches to runners who use the hashtag today…  I am still learning more about the watch itself and all it’s amazing features, but I’m loving it thus far, and it really has a lot of cool features. Probably why it’s taking me so long to figure it all out. 

You can also win by posting your story on their Facebook page as well, under their #IMARUNNER tab. Winners will be selected at random and official rules are located here: http://bit.ly/147ilKy.

Now get to RUNNING!