Mountain Mother Runner

March always gives us Daylight Savings, St. Patrick’s Day, and the Spring Equinox! It also marks the final month of training before the Greater Bellingham Running Club’s annual Honeywagon Runs Half Marathon ! (You can still register early online here , unless you prefer to do day of race registration.) In March 2016, I logged a total of 112.59 miles including two races (Padden Mudfest and Runnin’ O the Green 8k) plus coach-led group track practices. My training was well-rounded and I was overly eager as a ‘beginner, yet kinda serious’ runner. This year, I only logged 76.87 miles including one race ( Runnin' O the Green 5k while pushing Eisley in the stroller) and no track practices. I’ll admit, this is a little disheartening, but I feel that my overall fitness level has improved compared to last year. Wk 1: 1-4: 10.48 miles Wk 2: 5-11: 17.75 miles (including Runnin’ O the Green 5k) Wk 3: 12-18: 21.91 miles Wk 4: 19-25: 19.77 miles (including foot recovery) Wk 5: 26...

The biggest and most obvious change since we’ve moved to the county is our weather. We are literally so close to town, yet the slight distance and elevation change give us colder temps and much more precipitation…aka SNOW! There have been days with a couple inches of snow in town and 18 inches of snow in our area. Yes, it is beautiful to look at, but have you tried running with a stroller in the snow? (Don’t bother trying…doesn’t quite work out). This winter weather has put a major dent in my training and I’m sadly seeing my mileage decrease. Trust me, I am looking forward to the spring! Wk 1: 1-4: 3.26 miles Wk 2: 5-11: 9.63 miles (including Fragrance Lake 10k) Wk 3: 12-18: 18.71 miles Wk 4: 19-25: 20.60 miles Wk 5: 26-28: 8.75 miles Total miles for February: 60.95 February included one race, the Fragrance Lake 10k, which you can check out here if you missed the recap. Although I haven’t been squeezing in the mileage I’d like, I have been able to enjoy a wide va...

Getting through January was a success all on its own. The first month of 2017 is over and a good indicator of how the rest of the year is going to play out…hopefully. I was able to kick off the year with the Lake Samish Runs race (recap can be found here ) and I would like to schedule a race for each month of 2017. Next Saturday is the Fragrance Lake 10k which was my first ever trail race in 2016. I had ZERO clue what I was getting myself into, which was obvious in the methods I had been training. Even though I managed to place 2 nd female, I left the race realizing how under prepared I was. This time around, I’ve spent the month pre-race focusing on strength, hills, and steep inclines instead of building up mileage. It is only a 10k which isn’t much distance, but there is a decent amount of elevation gain! Wk 1: 1-7: 14.39 miles Wk 2: 8-14: 21.49 miles Wk 3: 15-21: 20.22 miles Wk 4: 22-28: 21.98 miles Wk 5: 29-31: 10.45 miles Total miles for January: 88.53 Meet Mi...

We are only a few days into the New Year, but reflecting back on December seems SO long ago! Did you find yourself struggling to find motivation (or time) to workout during the holiday season? Waking up to snow covered ground and 22 degree weather makes drinking hot tea in your pjs by the fireplace sound like a much better idea. Traveling away from home can also put a kink in your running plans. Are you comfortable running in an area you are unfamiliar with, or do you view it as a new adventurous opportunity? I personally enjoy the change of scenery! Possession Beach in Washington Wk 1: 1-3: 5.15 miles (including Fairhaven Frosty 5k ) Wk 2: 4-10: 7.24 miles Wk 3: 11-17: 21.87 miles Wk 4: 18-24: 10.91 miles (on Whidbey Island) Wk 5: 25-31: 19.03 miles (on Whidbey Island) Total miles for December: 64.20 Our December was a time spent sitting…literally. First we puppy sat for a week, and then we spent two weeks homestead sitting out on Whidbey Island. It was a nice a...

Do you ever feel like you've lost your mojo? Taking a big break from anything physical (running/spin class/yoga/hiking/etc) after doing it 5-6 days a week can be a shock to your system. Words cannot even describe the happiness brought to me through the simple act of running! Last month I said, “November, I WILL RUN YOU” and I did just that. October only had 5 runs and November went up to 13 runs, including 4 workouts at the YMCA and 1 race. Perfect view on a trail run! Week 1: 1-5: 5.2 miles Week 2: 5-12: 5.45 miles Week 3: 13-19: 8.87 miles (Turkey Trot 5k) Week 4: 20-26: 14.76 miles Week 5: 27-30: 17.07 miles Total miles for November: 51.35 The first few weeks were slow. My body was still confused as to why I was making it move and running took major effort. It can be frustrating to put all of your energy into a certain pace or distance that used to be easy. Luckily, I knew it wouldn’t take long to return to my previous level of fitness. After simply focus...

October included ZERO races, ONE trip to the YMCA, and only FIVE runs! Talk about some low numbers! Following two of my highest mileage months, October won last place for running in 2016. With a whopping 19.65 miles, my priorities were obviously in a different place. It’s not that I didn’t want to run, trust me! Life has been pretty crazy. After our trip we moved into our new home, and we moved right when it started raining all of the time! I think we had nine days in a row of pouring rain. Eisley and I made sure to get out on the few dry/lightly raining days to explore our new community and surrounding areas. I definitely need to order a rain cover for the stroller so we can still enjoy the outdoors this Fall/Winter! Hot and humid runs in Oklahoma! Week 1: 1: 0 miles (Trip in Oklahoma) Week 2: 2-8: 10.18 miles (Trip in Oklahoma) Week 3: 9-15: 1.08 miles Week 4: 16-22: 0 miles Week 5: 23-29: 8.39 miles Week 6: 30-31: 0 miles Total Miles for October: 19.65! (It’s p...

Fall is officially here and our life has been changing like the colors of the leaves. September included two races-Lake Padden Relay and Bellingham Bay Half Marathon , we just closed on our FIRST HOME, and I am currently 1,611 miles away from the PNW visiting family. Let's just say you don't know what you've got till it's gone you're packing to move! The last week of September was crunch time for packing up the house, setting up utilities, and making sure things were somewhat in order before Eisley and I left for our week long trip. Our 13 hour travel day included two flights, a two hour layover, and a two hour time zone difference. She didn't nap, stayed up late, and was still a happy girl the entire day. I feel so lucky that everything went smoothly and traveling alone with a toddler wasn't stressful. My husband is spending the final week in our rental house with our dog Luna and moving everything before we return from our trip. What an awesome man! After...

August was the first month that didn’t include any track practices, social runs, or races. I was able to go on one long run with a friend, but besides that, my running life had me prowling like a lone wolf. Week 1: 1-6: 25.85 miles Week 2: 7-13: 20.49 miles Week 3: 14-20: 27.07 miles Week 4: 21-27: 44.42 miles (The most I’ve ran in a week!) Week 5: 28-31: 20.58 miles Total miles for August: 138.41! (The most I’ve ran in a month!) Mama Lone Wolf To run alone, or in a group...that is the question. For me personally, solo running has always been preferable to social running. Maybe it’s because I’ve only had a little experience of running with others. The beginning of this year I joined a local running club and made some fellow running friends which has been the extent of my social running. Currently, I am doing some training with a friend for the Bellingham Bay Half Marathon . There are definitely pros and cons to both solo and group running . Whether I’m in a...

It always seems like once our family actually starts enjoying summer and taking advantage of the wonderful weather, autumn starts creeping into view. This is only our second summer living up here in the Pacific Northwest and I still have to adjust to the shorter summer season. Luckily our “hot” weather is in the 70’s-80’s which makes a big difference for runners! I cannot imagine even remotely enjoying a long run in high humidity and 100+ degrees (if I didn’t pass out first!). Big props to all of you runners that live in places with extreme heat! Now, let’s get talking about my July miles and training! Stroller run to Whatcom Falls Park Week 1: 1-2: 6 miles Week 2: 3-9: 28.28 miles (including Chuckanut Foot Race) Week 3: 10-16: 14.71 miles Week 4: 17-23: 19.97 miles Week 5: 24-30: 33.55 miles Week 6: 31 st : 6.47 miles  Total miles for July: 108.98!  Looking grouchy in the PNW summer heat! The second week of July was the Chuckanut Footrace, a 7 m...

Holy summertime! Can you believe July is here already? I’m still shocked at how fast this year is flying by. Yesterday was the end of June, so you know what that means…time to write about my mileage and training!   Week 1: 1-4: 15.60 miles Week 2: 5-11: 26.46 miles including Race Beneath the Sun Week 3: 12-18: 20.76 miles Week 4: 19-25: 19.74 miles Week 5: 26-30: 17.90 miles Total miles for June: 100.46 I barely scraped by with my weekly distance goal of 20+ miles which was a little frustrating, but I did incorporate more weight training and a couple yoga classes. We had a busy month filled with so many “different than our routine” things. We went to Mt. Baker, Lake Whatcom, and Lake Padden within three days. My husband went out of town for a few days, we had family stay with us from Oklahoma, and I finally weaned Eisley! Our “night weaning boot camp” lasted about two weeks. There was lots of crying, thrashing, comforting, and many nights I coslept in her ro...