Weekly Wrap 13

June has finally come to a wrap and July is here! AHH! My total monthly mileage for June is quite possibly the most I’ve ever ran; I’d have to look at 2016’s journal to compare. I am so excited to have done 175.15 miles and am looking forward to many more this month! As each week passes by, it seems like summer becomes more of a reality! This is the most we’ve ever done outdoors as a family since Eisley was born besides hiking. We’ve been able to go build sand castles on the beach, dip our toes in the waves, and paddle along in our new tandem kayak! This is our third summer living in Washington and we’ve learned by now how quickly the summer season passes here. By the time you realize it is summer and decide to do something ‘summery’, the season has already ended and it’s time to whip out the umbrellas. Lesson learned…take advantage of every day!

We finished 30 days of #StreakingWithTheCoolKids

SUNDAY: RAN 1.05 miles @10:38 pace

MONDAY: RAN 4.34 miles @9:39 pace w/ stroller

TUESDAY: RAN 8.03 miles @7:41 pace on treadmill

WEDNESDAY: Walked 1.05 miles

THURSDAY: RAN 18.46 miles @9:34 pace

FRIDAY: RAN 3.04 miles @11:33 pace w/ stroller

SATURDAY: RAN 2.11 miles @7:35 pace

Total weekly miles: 38.08

50 meter hurdles

Monday was the first time we attended the Bellingham Parks and Recreation’s All Comers’ Track and Field. They offer events for everyone from 1 year old up to 100 years old! Last year, after just turning 2, Eisley did the 50 meter dash at the final meet of the season. She was a little young to comprehend what was going on, but we knew this year she would actually enjoy it! We got her checked in and let her run around to ‘warm up’ haha. The first event is the 50 meter hurtles which are literally a tiny board propped a couple inches above the ground. It is SO cute watching each heat of little boys and girls run and try to jump over the tiny hurdles. Some fall down, some decide to stop halfway through, and others are pretty darn competitive! After we finished that, her second event was the 50 meter dash. She had a blast with both events and got a cute little finisher ribbon. She was excited to finally run ‘her own race’ instead of coming to ‘mommy’s races’. She is growing up while learning how to live a healthy, active lifestyle and to step out of her comfort zone. Girl power!

On Tuesday, we headed to the gym for a treadmill workout. I’ve been spending so much time focusing on my endurance that I was curious to see how my speed work could be. My goal was to run 8 miles in an hour, and the final time was 1:01:47, a 7:41 pace. This run was a serious challenge and I almost didn’t think that I could do it. I definitely feel like the hills have been helping increase my strength and speed for the treadmill or flat roads. Wednesday was the second week of the Summer Series at Regal Theaters. We took Eisley to the movie theater for her very first time (my first time since before I was pregnant!) and we all watched Trolls. She was scared of the folding seats and had to stay on my lap the entire time. Besides that, we had a lot of fun!

Thursday may become the new official long run day. It seems to be working out better than Saturday. Last week was 16.02 miles in 2:31 and my goal this week was 18 miles in 2:50. My alarm was set for 4:25 and I sat up wide awake at 4:15, so I guess I was subconsciously excited to go! In this journey of exploring different foods and fuels for these runs, I had a piece of homemade vegan banana bread, a tiny cup of chilled coffee, and filled my bottle with Nuun’s Performance powder to sip on during the run. This was my first time trying out a few different things, actually. 

I’ve never ran with a handheld before, always used bottles in my vest or a reservoir in my pack. I don’t like that you only put water in the reservoir, and the two little bottles that fit in my vest were not enough hydration for the previous long run. I used the Bottle Band that came in my RaceHer box that is pink and says, “Run Like a Girl”. It worked out great! Didn’t slip or move around, plus it didn’t irritate my hand or skin for that long of a time. It started in my left hand, but after about 4 miles my arm was feeling crampy so I switched to my right hand. This was my first long run to wear my new Altra Lone Peak 3.0 shoes. I love the zero-drop of this shoe and the fact that my toes can spread out naturally, not feel cramped together like in regular shoes. This was also sadly my first time to experience chaffing 😟😟😟 My shirt was a v-neck and the vest kept bouncing around and sliding from one side to the other. I ordered it online last year and even though it's tightened as small as it will go, it is still too large for me. The soft skin above each collar bone/near my neck is still bothering me from that run!

 It is wild to think that 8 weeks of the 16 week training plan are over! Halfway to the race and things seem to be getting more 'real'. This upcoming Saturday is the Chuckanut Footrace that has been sucking up any extra time that I've had and it's hard to think about how calm life will seem after it's over. I am looking forward to our early packet pickup this Friday and for race day on Saturday. I can't wait to see how all of this hard work will pay off and hopefully all of the runners stay safe, have fun, and enjoy the event!

Once again, I'm linking up with Tricia and Holly for the Weekly Wrap! They've started a new Guest Host Series for the Weekly Wrap and this week's host is Kim from Running on the Fly.