Weekly Recap: June Week 4

June 30, 2013 by

Good morning! Sunday already wow. The weekend sure is flying by, but I did get in a good 6 mile run in an hour on Friday!

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I saw lots of people racing this weekend thanks to Facebook and Twitter. Bobby did great in his duathlon yesterday and shaved 5 minutes off of his time from the last one a month ago. Yay Bobby!

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(taken with my Blackberry Z10, it takes great movement shots!)

We had a lazy day yesterday after the race, I even ended up taking a long nap, it was wonderful. Let’s take a look at my workouts for the week.

Sunday: rest

Monday: 5 mile run, upper body weights

Tuesday: 45 minute power walk

Wednesday: 2 miles speed work

Thursday: upper body weights, 45 minutes stationary bike

Friday: 6 mile long run

Saturday: rest

I got a massage for my IT band on Thursday as well as some active release from my chiropractor. It’s still sore, but hoping that in the long run it helps! I am so far behind in my training for Dumbo. This week calls for a lot more stretching and foam rolling, as well as a 7 mile run. I have a feeling it will be on the treadmill with the heat we have been having lately. Have a great day everyone!

QOTD: Would you rather have three wishes that had no catches or six wishes with minor catches?

Disclosure: I was provided with a wireless device and free service, all opinions are however my own

Filed Under: fitness, injury, running Tagged: , ,

Weekly Workout Recap: May 2013 Week 3

May 19, 2013 by

Another workout week is behind us! I am happy to say I did a good job of getting back on track after vacation.

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I worked out six days this week, and did a good job of varying things up. I even got in a long run, which I haven’t done since March! Sadly, it’s already starting to get really warm here (it was 85 during my Saturday MORNING run!) So I need to get acclimated, and fast. I spent all day yesterday guzzling water and Gatorade because I sweat so much on my run. I felt really accomplished afterwards though. Ok, so here is what I did this week!

Sunday: rest

Monday: 3 mile run, chest and tri’s

Tuesday: 2 mile power walk on 7.0 incline, back bi’s and abs

Wednesday: 3 mile run

Thursday: 45 minutes stationary bike, chest and tri’s

Friday: workout DVD

Saturday: 6 mile run

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I am hoping to do a long run of 7 miles this next weekend, and we will be sure to start a little earlier in the morning before it gets too hot! Have a fabulous Sunday everyone. Rest day for this gal.

*Don’t forget about my Disney swag bag giveaway or my $100 visa giftcard giveaway!

QOTD: What was your best workout this week?

Sources-
bootypopreview101.com

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Mission: Runpossible!

October 11, 2012 by

 

5:00 AM: The alarm rings, I spring out of bed to silence the mechanical chirp and dash off to the other quadrant of the house, draped in darkness. In that room, my supplies are ready to go. With a quick fuel stop, satellite acquisition and deep breath, it’s go time.

What mission is this, you may ask? A top-secret military mobilization process? A complex battle plan enacted by highly trained soldiers? No, it is something much more coordinated: the allusive implementation of the solitary pre-dawn ritual of only truly dedicated individuals…

…or for those of us that speak regular English: the early morning run.

I, like many 9 to 5’ers (or more accurately, 8 to 5’ers) with crowded work schedules, find the time before heading into the office as ‘best’ time for getting in a training run. While it might be dark, cold and kind of lonely, there are definite advantages to running before the dawn breaks – including less traffic, cooler temperatures (in the summer) and that feeling of a runner’s high throughout the day.

That said there are also some negatives: the most obvious being the fact that it is DARK. So, this is my battle manifesto for conquering that o’dark hundred run:

· Crave your run – make it the reason you go to bed at a reasonable time.

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· Eliminate the need to think – for the first 10 minutes that you’re awake – set out your clothes, shoes and gear so there’s no need to shuffle around in the dark (or better yet, sleep in your running clothes – I even pull on my compression socks the evening before if I want to wear them on my run).

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· Light your path – literally and figuratively, with a headlamp or flashlight to see, and a mapped out plan (even if it is just in your head) of your running route.

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· Do what you need – to make it a habit. Use this solitary time to think about decisions you need to make, or go the opposite way and run out your worries! I use my morning runs as a time to catch up on Podcasts, which I [safely] listen to through the speakers in my running vest! I know that missing a run will mean missing an episode, so it’s another way to keep myself accountable.

Once you’ve got your rhythm figured out, hitting the pavement before the world wakes up can (and will) become a part of your life, too! Really, it does get easier…but you’ll still impress your friends and coworkers with your early morning motivation J

QOTD: When do you run? How do you stay motivated?

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Weekly Recap: September Week 3

September 23, 2012 by

 

I can’t believe it’s officially fall! It doesn’t exactly feel like fall around here, but we are moving in the right direction. Yesterday, Bobby and I woke up at 6:00 to go run ten miles, and the first few felt great before the sun came up above the trees, then it was pretty rough. I was literally drenched when we got back to my parent’s house. Isn’t this incredibly attractive? Ah, southern humidity, even at the end of September on the first day of “fall!”

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Loved not having long hair bugging me on my run!

However, I am really happy with our run. I actually felt good! Shoes did great which is a huge answer to prayer. I did have some hip pain and tightness on both sides and had to stop and stretch a lot, and we will see if it continues as I get used to these shoes. For now, the foam roller and I are still BFF’s.

Overall, this week was a really good one.

Sunday: rest

Monday: 9 miles running

Tuesday: 20 minutes bike, upper body weights

Wednesday: 3 miles running, upper body weights

Thursday: rest

Friday: 15 minutes elliptical, upper body weights

Saturday: 10 miles running

Not too shabby. Only thing I would have changed was to add in another run day on Thursday, maybe a short sprint workout. I really want to run 4 times a week. Other than that I am pretty happy, especially with the miles put in and the quality of yesterday’s run. I am getting back on track finally!

QOTD: When was the last time you felt like you had a really good workout? Does it boost your self confidence?

Filed Under: fitness, motivation, running Tagged: , , ,

Getting Back to Normal

September 18, 2012 by

 

Hurricane Isaac hit back at the end of August, but what people may not realize is that things aren’t quite back to normal for some people around here, but everyone is doing this best to get back to the way things were. I was reminded of this yesterday morning when Bobby and I headed down to the beach just a few miles from our house for a long run of nine miles.

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So…this is the parking lot we always park at when we run at the beach, covered in deep sand, seaweed, and lots of trash buried. In the photo below I backed up so you could see the parking lot.

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This is before we ran, behind me is the beach and water, and a sand filled parking lot.

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We started out on our run, and the pier at the parking lot and the beach were actually still closed as the clean up crews try to get everything looking good again. Every walk down to the beach from the sidewalk we ran along looked like this:

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Well, you can imagine why. This is what the piers looked like DURING the hurricane.

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(source)

Yikes. This is what the “sidewalk” we ran along yesterday looked like during Isaac:

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Yeah….Pretty sure it’s “somewhere” between the palm tree and the no left turn sign.

We ran in both directions, and were happy to see bulldozers moving trash, and crews getting rid of the seaweed and adding in some sand. 9 miles later, we were back at the car, drenched, and ready to head home.

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We have learned to bring flip flops and beach towels when we drive somewhere to run so we can get out of our shoes and not get the seats in the car covered in sweat! Doesn’t Bobby look thrilled?

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No, he doesn’t wear his hat like that when he runs. he would be running alone if he did.

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Better. Now fix your goofy hat.

Keep in mind, a trashed beach is just the start. Many people had several feet (as in 8-10) feet of water in their homes, and are having to start over again. Some, for the second time (thanks to Katrina). Just a reminder that even though the sky is sunny and the media coverage of the hurricane where you live is over, it doesn’t mean it isn’t still an every day reality for some people. Be sure to keep them in your prayers, and be thankful always for the blessings in your life (like somewhere dry to sleep). It is a good reminder to us all (myself included!) that things aren’t THAT bad even when we feel like we can’t make it through today. Just felt like sharing that today, thanks for reading friends.

QOTD: What are you thankful for today? I am thankful for a dry home not flooded and ruined by water or wind.

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Weekly Recap: June Week 2 and a Day at the Pool

June 17, 2012 by

 

Hola and Happy Father’s Day! I hope you are having a beautiful weekend like I am. It started out great on Friday with a surprise lunch date with my hubby for some hibachi. We were so full we ended up not even eating dinner. I have never had so much fried rice in my life! We hung out and watched a movie and then Saturday we got up for an eight mile long run. We didn’t get out the door till 8:00, and the sun was already high in the sky and it was hot. Luckily, there was a slight breeze to keep me from death.

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My moving comfort Jubralee sports bra was drenched, but I had no chafing or issues with support. Barely even noticed it, I really love this bra, especially the adjustable straps on the front, no more trying to reach to the back to adjust! If you are in the market for a new one, be sure to check it out!

It was actually a really good run. Since I now have a half marathon training plan, I wanted to stick with my pace called for, which was fine by me since it was so hot, I don’t know if I could have gone much faster anyway! We kept just about an 11:30 pace, and ran home to rehydrate and relax.

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Best thing about this bra, I felt totally comfortable wearing it by itself for my run. Some sports bras just don’t lend themselves to being worn alone, if you know what I mean girls, but I felt great in this one. It’s just wwaayyy to hot to wear a sticky shirt on long runs down here.

Hubby headed to the pool to cool off and swim a few laps. I figured it would be jam packed full of people (I hate getting to the pool to discover there are no chairs!) So I sat on the front porch with the pups to cool off.  Soon enough, Bobby texted me saying he was the only one at the pool. I jumped up, changed into my suit and met him down there.

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It was so nice being the only ones down there for awhile. The breeze made it feel great, and I had one of those times (very rare for me!) Where I felt truly relaxed. I love that feeling after you have a good long run, and you feel really productive so early in the morning. Know what I mean?

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After awhile we both got really hungry, so we headed to my favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch, hit up Target for groceries, then took a nice long nap. It was glorious! Unfortunately, I woke up with a bad headache, so it was staying in and vegging out the rest of the night in hopes it would go away.

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Here is my week summarized. This is the first week in long time I felt like I accomplished all I wanted to do workout-wise for the week. Check it out!

Sunday: rest

Monday: 3 mile Treadmill easy(ish) run, upper body weights

Tuesday: 3 miles stationary bike, upper body weights

Wednesday: ran 2 miles outside, upper body weights, stationary bike 20 minutes

Thursday: ran 4 miles (tempo run), upper body weights, stationary bike 20 minutes

Friday: upper body weights, 15 minutes stretching/yoga on my own

Saturday: 8 mile long run

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running: X’s 4, total of 17 miles.

cross training: X’s 3 (stationary bike)

weights: X’s 5 days

yoga: I missed class due to a killer headache, but stretched on my own 15 minutes

My goal for the week was to run all 4 days and to make sure I was still cross training and lifting. I would say I accomplished my goal, yay!

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I hope you all have a fab Father’s Day. I won’t get to see my dad, but I did see hi last weekend. I love you dad, thanks for all you have done for me and sacrificed over the years so we could be taken care of. You rock!

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I wanted to let you know about a cool opportunity to win a race weekend getaway:

Race Day Getaway to Cape Cod: New Balance and runningshoes.com are giving this away. The winner will receive two airline tickets and entries to the New Balance Falmouth Road Race on Aug. 12. In order to enter, folks can share words of inspiration here – http://bit.ly/K6vrzw.
We are encouraging people to post their entry on Facebook and ask for friends to vote on their favorite entries. The finalists will be determined by votes.

If this is something that interests you be sure to enter and share so people can vote for you! You can post the link to your entry in the comments below so fellow readers can spread the voting love!

QOTD: What did your workouts look like this week? Anything you are especially proud of? Brag away!

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Going the Distance

October 20, 2011 by

 

Do you ever have a hard time getting in your long run? I’m not talking about finding time in the day, or finding the strength to get it done, I am talking about the PLACE. I have really been struggling lately with getting my long runs in due to lack of options nearby.

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Basically, the neighborhood I live in is new, so it is very small. In order to run three miles, I have to loop through several streets twice, just to get in THREE measly miles. This presents a problem when I have well…anything over three on the schedule.

The road right outside the neighborhood can be relatively busy, so I don’t run that unless Bobby is with me, which is….maybe once a week if I am lucky (he works 2 nights a week in addition to his regular job.) This road can get us in a good 6-8 miles of…woods. How boring. and kinda dangerous with cars zooming by.

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This leaves the only other option…driving somewhere to run. I understand it’s totally doable, but at least 50% of the time I am more likely to just say “screw it” and not run at all if I have to load up my car and go somewhere. Not to mention, our neighborhood is in the middle of nowhere so “somewhere” means at LEAST a 20 minute drive.

Yesterday, I forced myself out the door and took a drive down to the beach. it’s pretty, there is a sidewalk, and a huge runner friendly bridge to run over…people around…this makes sense for a long run IF I can force myself to get there…until yesterday, when a lady runner was kidnapped a couple miles from where I was running, at the same time in the morning I was running. I like to think the area I live in is pretty low on crime, but it’s one of those things where you just NEVER know. I don’t think I am permanently scared of running there alone, but I am quite leery and will never go there in the dark by myself. I always run with my phone, but this lady had her phone, too.

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So my question is, how do you do it? Do you run loops over and over in a small space? Do you drive somewhere so you can run more miles? Do you psych yourself up and long run on the treadmill? I am seriously trying to figure out my best course of action from here on out!

QOTD: See above paragraph. Smile

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When the World Stopped Turning

September 11, 2011 by

 

Growing up, I always heard my parents and people their age (you know, old. Just kidding!) talk about where they were when Kennedy got shot. Obviously, I wasn’t born yet, and so I couldn’t really share in the conversations. However, I vividly remember where I was on September 11, 2001.

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I was a Junior in High school, and I think I was in 2nd hour. We were in the middle of a lecture, when another teacher came in and pulled my teacher aside and whispered something in his ear. Our teacher then told us a plane had crashed into the WTC, and at first we thought it was a joke and didn’t believe him. Then, he pulled out the TV and I think later went home to find some rabbit ears so we could watch the news.

I just remember sitting in my desk being in shock, a little scared, and wanting to call and talk to my family. Here we were, just going about our morning routine, while our fellow Americans were dying in awful and scary ways. I prayed a lot that day, for the families, for President Bush, for the nation. I cannot believe it has been ten years since that awful day.

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I am very patriotic, and so proud to be an American. It angers me beyond belief that this happened on our soil. It was a scary wake up call that no one is truly ever “safe” in your home, at work, on a plane, etc. In my opinion, the only TRUE safety and security is found in my relationship with the Lord. I believe HE is in control, and though tragedy may happen, He already knows how it all turns out, and whatever happens to me today, tomorrow, or 10 years from now, I don’t have to live in fear or anxiety. It is SUCH a freeing feeling!

I get choked up thinking about that sad day, and about all of the innocent lives lost, the families that lost their loved ones. I pray they have found hope and comfort over the years, and will remember that we have not forgotten about them, or their loved ones.

Ok, I need to move on or I am going to turn into an emotional wreck.Smile

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Yesterday morning, Bobby and I were up at the crazy hour of 4:45 so we could meet with our Team in Training group for an 8 mile long run along the beach boardwalk and out and back over the crazy steep Ocean Springs Bridge.

It was nice having low humidity and temps in the upper 60’s to start, even though later the sun was beating down and it got well into the 70’s. we actually had a good run, completing 8 miles in 1:20:00. We came home, and immediately got to work staining our back fence. We have had the stain since we moved in 6 months ago (can you BELIEVE it’s been 6 months?!) but it has been way too hot to get out there and do it. It will take weeks to get it done, but we got a good start today!

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I’m ready to paint, yall!

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I made Bobby paint with the Disney paint brush. Because of this, I got a hidden Mickey from him. I guess the brush has a mind of it’s own?

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do you see it?

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So apparently, I paint too slow. My side on the left, Bobby’s on the right. I thought I was going fast!

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Apparently I am also very sloppy. Oops. I look like I have chicken pox!

(fun fact: I got chicken pox when I was 5 or 6, a day or two before I was supposed to get my tonsils out. I was so happy b/c I thought this meant my tonsils could stay in….well…not so much. Also, I have a bunch of chicken pox scars, mainly on my hands/arms.)

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Look how great it looks now!

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THAT took over 2 hours…yeah…we have a long way to go. (We have to paint the inside, and other 3 sides, too!)

*RAFFLE on the blog TOMORROW! Great stuff you can win, please come back and check it out! All proceeds go to Team in Training!

QOTD: Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news?

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Yardwork Deserves Cobbler

August 29, 2011 by

 

Another Weekend has come and gone. I am sad, but at the same time, excited because some fun things are going on soon at RWS! First of all, soon, I will be hosting ANOTHER raffle for TNT and the Leukemia and Lymphoma society!!! I am working on an all-star lineup of prizes, so stay tuned!

Next, I will be going out of town in the middle of September, and I need YOUR help! I plan to pre-write a few posts for you for while I am gone, but also would love to feature YOU on RWS! Here on the blog, I am all about inspiration, hope, and determination. If you have a story to share, I would love to hear from you! How have you overcome adversity as it deals with health/eating/fitness? Send inquiries to runningwithsass@gmail.com about being featured here in September!

Ok, so yesterday after church, Bobby and I headed to Lowe’s to get some things to spruce up the yard. At our old house, we had mulch in our rose garden and not only did the red contrast amazingly well with the green plants, but it really kept weeds away well and stayed a lot longer than pine straw. After pulling a million weeds, we realized we needed more pine straw….but then decided to use mulch, and get some black garden edger stuff to hold the mulch in place.

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Before

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After (sort of) we kinda grossly underestimated how much mulch we would need…yeah…

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But doesn’t it already look so good? I love that Bella looks like she is smiling in this picture! She was busy tormenting tree frogs.

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After finishing back there, we added more pine straw to the front (we spent an hour pulling weeds yesterday after our 10-miler.) So the yard is looking good for fall! While waiting to cool down, I decided to make a blueberry cobbler. We have a ton of blueberries and I didn’t want them to go bad, so cobbler it is! I used the same recipe that is on my recipe page for blackberry cobbler, just substituted blueberries!

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Paired with ice cream, well deserved after an afternoon of yard work!

QOTD: Do you reward yourself after a day of hard work?

*Don’t forget to enter my Rok Bands giveaway! You have until Tuesday night to enter!

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The Inferno

July 31, 2011 by

 

Are you having a super Sunday? I hope so! I am going to church and then a baby shower/lunch. Fun! We southerners revolve everything around food in case you haven’t noticed.

So, let me tell you a little bit about the inferno that was a part of my run yesterday….SO….I wanted to get up at 6 and be running our ten miles by 7 am. Well, SOMEBODY refused to get up until about 7:30…so we didn’t start running until about 8:45 at the beach. Oh….my…gosh. Our plan was to run in one direction two miles, then back to the car for fuel, then go the other way two and back, then back in the first direction one mile and then back to the car for a total of ten miles. Heh. We started….and were drenched by the second mile. not to mention there were NO CLOUDS and the sun was beating down. It was a pretty day though.

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We made it back to the car the first time, took a GU and drank some water, and then headed out again. We made it back the second time and I checked the weather on my phone…..94 degrees with a REAL FEEL OF 116!!!!!! Yes, you read that correctly!!! I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I knew it was really really hot, but WOW! Folks, I cannot even begin to describe how hot it was. My lungs felt good, my legs felt good, but I was just WILTING in the heat. It was a real mental battle from miles 5 on, but I won the battle!

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It was SO HARD to force myself back out for the final two miles. We were shuffling along, but we made it, and gatorade has never tasted so good! Luckily, right where we parked at the beach, I spotted a Snow ball stand! Of course, I got Wedding Cake.

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I at least now feel a little more confident about running a half marathon in 8 days after completing ten miles. HOPEFULLY it won’t be near this hot in Providence!

I also would like to note something about my “training” plan. I am totally aware that I am breaking the don’t raise your mileage by 10% rule, which I usually follow. BUT 1.) Having already run many long distance races, I knew what to expect/how to pace myself, and 2.) We took it REALLY slow, lots of walk breaks and water. The heat kind of forced us to take it slow which was good. Also, I have been doing a lot of stretching, foam rolling, and icing all week, and feel confident I knew when to stop/how much I could handle.

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Skirted up in sparkle hearts running skirt and Gold performance tank

By the way, in case you haven’t noticed, my hair is getting REALLY long. I am having to put an extra ponytail holder in about halfway down my ponytail to stop my hair from whipping me in the face when I run!

Rock N Roll Providence here I come!

QOTD: How do you beat the summer heat? 

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