So in training for Camarillo, I’ve had a three part plan that I’ve worked on editing and making as the process throughout training. I do think that this worked well for me, since I didn’t really know how it was going to end up, and seeing where I am after my 20 miler recap post yesterday, I’m glad that I’m not killing myself right now and am very happy with where I am at.

Here’s the schedule for the remainder of the weeks until race day!

I’m already down the one twenty mile on there, and have 10 miles to run in Big bear this next weekend and then 13 when I’m in North Carolina and then back up to one more 20 and I’m just in taper mode after. I also have to remember that I’m planning on running the Malibu Marathon and that having this base is really going to be helpful for all my races next spring too. It will be fun to run all those races, even though I know my schedule will be crazy. Totally worth it especially since a ton of my friends are running the races with me.

I still have decent weekly mileage, and after Camarillo, I’m going to cut it back to three days a week and more cross training to tone up. I have been feeling really good lately while implementing cross training so I know it’s important to keep it in my schedule. I love having a loose schedule that I can play with a little bit and gives me leniency. That’s the key to helping me not  get too burnt out.

xoxo

Finally this past weekend it was time to do another 20 miler. Last time I felt like I was really amped up the night before and the night before this 20 miler I just was pretty mellow and was hanging out at my house. I ate a lot of carbs and went to bed at 9:00. It felt amazing to say the least but when my alarm went off at 5:30 I was still wanted to stay snuggled in my bed. Sometimes the hardest part of the long run is getting up super early. I packed up my little backpack with my sharkies and fuel belt and headed down to Newport Beach to run along the beach path. I had to go really early in the morning because it’s been SO hot here lately. Once I parked I went right off to get in the miles.

I gave myself little things to look forward to throughout the run. I got to eat some sharkies at mile 6 and I drank water every mile as well. It was an out and back route. I find that if I run by myself and go 10 miles out, once I turn around I have a little pep in my step because I tell myself “I just have to get back to my car!” As I got to the 10 mile turn-around, it was already really hot and I made sure to drink a lot of water throughout my run. Though I was getting tired, I knew I just had to make it ‘back to the car!’ Finally I got to the upper mileage and kept telling myself 6 more miles, 5 more miles, 4 more miles, then I only had a 5k left!

Finally I made it back to the car, with more awkward tan lines and a rumbling stomach. On my way home I could literally feel my muscles tightening. It seemed that I couldn’t get into the icebath soon enough! I grabbed a bag of ice at the market and hopped in the icebath to freeze for ten minutes. Seriously, icebaths are a weird miracle thing that make you feel 100 times better. After the icebath I really thought about how I fueled and the miles that I put in. For the lack of miles I’ve been getting in during the week, I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to get in another 20 miler. With Camarillo quickly approaching, I know that these last miles in my training is important and I have to keep up my consistency.

It’s easy for me to get really tired and overwhelmed with training, and lose focus on what I’m training for, but right now I have about a month to go and I really have to keep up with training and finish strong.

41 days!

xoxo

I finally got the chance to go visit the K-Swiss Store in Santa Monica yesterday to get new shoes! (Check out the first time I was up at the store HERE) I’ve been wearing the Keahou since before the LA Marathon and they had a ton of miles on them. (Review HERE) Since I was up in LA, I invited my LA friend Billy to travel with me over there, and I wanted him to check out the awesomeness that is K-Swiss! I was actually really looking forward to trying out the Keahou II, an upgrade to the Keahou I was running it. Tomorrow they will be broken in on a 20 miler! I can’t wait to test them out and they just seemed to be even more comfortable than the Keahou. I also tried out and loved the K-ona! They are so soft and cushiony. I wore them on my morning walk with the dogs and they really are supportive and lightweight. That’s one thing that I love about K-Swiss, they are all SO lightweight.

The best part about the Keahou IIs? They come in pink! EEEE So excited. And they are the perfect amount of pink, not like someone threw up pink on my shoes, but nice accents.

All the pretty shoes! I’m wearing the new Keahou IIs in this picture too. I just think they look so nice. I seriously am in love with these shoes, and I don’t care what anyone says! Okay, that sounds weird but you get the picture.

So then after some awesome trying on shoes and talking running for a while. We snapped this last picture before we left.

Love both those guys! Can’t find better runners than either of them. :) Thank you again Bryan for having us at the store so we can see all the cool stuff, and I’m still jealous of your teal and orange shoes! :)

Then Billy, knowing that I’m a blossoming low-class foodie and my insane love for caprese, took me to a delicious Italian sandwich place, known as Bay Cities Deli! Instalove! I got the caprese sandwich and it was to die for!

The balsamic vinegar was amazing and it was the perfect amount of tomato, heaps of delicious mozzi and then just a little touch of basil that finished it off perfectly. I know, another food post right? Sheesh. I’m working on that FYI, so no more food posts from the Chic Runner!

Talk about a way to kick off the weekend. Well the day before the weekend. Awesome time up in LA And so glad I got to go up there and eat bomb food AND get new shoes to run off those calories in said bomb food.

This weekend we have an event on Sunday but I’ve got a 20 miler to kick off the weekend tomorrow morning. Luckily, it’s with my new la-la land lover, Maritza who is moving down here TODAY! I can’t wait to kick off her time down here with a long run together. Hooray for me having someone to run with!!!

xoxo

I’m such a freak about counting down. I have apps on my phone that countdown and I constantly am checking them. Here’s a little preview of things that I’m counting down till.

Big Bear Vacation -3 days

North Carolina Trip for Nina’s Wedding -14 days

Camarillo Marathon -45 days

My Birthday -48 days

Long Beach Marathon -59 days

New Mexico Trip for Kelly’s Wedding -65 days

Malibu Marathon -89 days

Dana Point Turkey Trot (Thanksgiving) -97 days

LA County Half Marathon – 114 days

Christmas -127 days

So basically until the end of the year, I’m busy ALL the time! I can’t believe it that it’s already the end of August basically! I remember when I started my new job that our ‘busy season’ being now until the end of the year, seemed SO far away! I didn’t realize how quickly it was going to creep up and be here. Everything in October is awesome. It’s by far my favorite month of the year!

Yesterday we went out to LA County to ride the course for our half. It was ridiculously hot and a few of us were getting nauseous. It was 101 degrees and I have even more terrible tan lines to prove it. It was a fun day though and we did get a bunch of neat pictures, which will make my job much easier.

This weekend we have one more event and a 20 miler that I have to work before vacation next week. I can’t wait to do some awesome running up in the mountains and just relax with friends. It will be a great week on the lake where I can get some good sun and maybe get rid of my flip-flop tan.

What are some things you look forward to? Do you do countdowns? I think it’s fun to countdown to things, especially races!

xoxo

So I’ve never considered myself a foodie. I don’t even think I fall into that category now, but I love yelping different places and trying new things lately. I guess I’m living in the moment and that moment isn’t my normal food that I eat at home and doing nothing. When we were down in San Diego for the expo for work I was yelping a place to eat dinner when I found R Gang Eatery. It had good reviews and after seeing the menu it looked like something that my co-worker and I would both like. We left the expo and were pleasantly surprised to find no wait and a genuinely fun place to eat and had AWESOME food. We started off with the House made Cheddar-Chive Tater Tots with Ketchup & Chipotle Ranch Dip. Looking at the menu now, we never got the ketchup, but man we didn’t even need it. They were AMAZING. The Chipotle was delicious and these were just fantastic.

Then we both got the Smoked Gouda Mac n Cheese with Toasted Butter Cracker Crumb Topping. I could not even speak while eating this. It was THAT good. I was totally in heaven and it was just delicious. There were so many great things on the menu but I knew if I didn’t get the Mac and Cheese I would regret it and boy am I glad I did. It was simply awesome.

There were so many great options and looked like there were also some awesome drinks that we didn’t partake in because we wanted to save the rest of our tummys for dessert, in which we traveled to Babycakes, a gay cupcake bar. Another epic cupcake win! We got two drinks, the grasshopper and a coffee and then three cupcakes. Yea, a little over the top. We got a red velvet with the rational of ‘well you have to try every cupcake shops red velvet.’ Then we got the peanut butter and jelly, because it sounded like the most amazing thing ever and then the Lemon one. Starting with the peanut butter and jelly, I was shocked how it tasted just like my favorite sandwich! It was awesome. Then the red velvet was a great one and we ended on the lemon one. It was like the pickle that ended our meal. Simply amazing!

Demmmmolished!

So that was a highlight of the expo for sure! If you are ever in San Diego, I totally LOVE R Gang Eatery and recommend you eat there! Babycakes is also a sweet treat! Alright, no more foodie posts from me for a while!

xoxo