This past weekend I was in Denver for a college reunion. In college, me and my 3 BFFs called ourselves the Core Four. We haven't seen each other in years all together so we decided to plan a trip somewhere and chose Denver as Karen just moved there in July. 

Myself, Erin and Allie flew in and landed Thursday night in Denver. We somehow all found flights landing within 15 min of each other. We waited for my luggage then went off to get our rental car for the weekend. 
TIP: Denver's airport is far from downtown and in the middle of nowhere. It will take you almost an hour from the time you get off the plane, take the train to baggage claim, take the shuttle to the rental car place, get your car and get on the main highway. 

We used Enterprise and it was so simple. We had a kiosk and everything was done electronically. It was the easiest and most painless rental car pickup I've ever had and everyone was so polite. We even got to pick our car: a red Kio soul. We headed to Karen's and spent an hour or so catching up before heading to bed. 

As you may know, I'm not the biggest outdoorsy person and have been skiing only once and almost broke my leg doing it. But I'm always looking for new experiences and figured snow shoeing would be a good one. We had a guy tell us we wouldn't need our snow shoes-glad we didn't listen to him because we definitely did! We saw people all around us in regular shoes (even a dude in Sandals!!) sinking into the snow everywhere. 

The views were spectacular and I've never seen a frozen lake before. It was also a good workout with the heavy boots on our feet and also the elevation. We started at about 9450 feet and went up to 9950 feet (it's crazy to think that 50 more feet and we would be at the height of when you are on an airplane you can turn on portable electronic devices) and even though it was just 509 feet we started off with no precipitation and in the middle had a gorgeous snowfall and at the end before we came back down were in a snowstorm! 

I would highly recommend snow shoeing as it was active but not too strenuous. 

Have you ever gone snow shoeing before? 

It has been over a week since I finished my craziness of 4 races in 4 weeks (recaps here ) in basically the same shirt. 

Small overview:
March 27: Old Agoura 10k-Great Race (course PR-1:02:22)
I had a cold and was worried I wouldn't be able to run but I was fine. Hilly course at the end that caused me to feel like my throat was on fire. I took almost 5 minutes off my time from last year using the same intervals. 

April 4: Santa Anita Derby 5k (new PR-:29:43)-  I ran the entire race, minus a 10-15 sec water break
This course was fantastic and a new must do for me. It is gorgeous and the perks were awesome (running on the track, going to the Derby later). This was a surprise PR to me that I worked hard for. I'm so proud of myself for running the entire time but I didn't like how tired (and hungry! I was SO hungry) I felt after and wanted to see what I could do the following week. 

The next day I did 10 miles with hill repeats  on very tired legs to finish my taper for the sunset strip half. 

April 11: Angels Foundation 5k and a new PR (:28:05)
If there was ever a doubt intervals are for me, this silenced all of them. Running a 5k back to back in similar race conditions and I was over 90 seconds faster. This race was a bit unorganized for my tastes but we did get a free game which we redeemed for after the DL half. I was disappointed I didn't go sub-28 mainly because of crowding issues. 

April 19: Sunset Strip Half Marathon and a new PR (2:13:14)
This course was hilly and I had a crazy bathroom but I PRed by almost 30 seconds. I needed this race- it was running over the exact place I started to fall apart in the LA marathon as it is hilly and no shade from the sun. 


Overall, I think it all worked out well. I am proud of what I was able to accomplish and feel like it will definitely help me in the long run (no pun intended) . Since I ran a variety of distances, I was also able to work on lots of pacing. I was able to go out fast and hang on in a 5k, practice finding a comfortable pace and hanging on to push at the end of a 10k and also get in some hill practice for the NYCM in the half. 

As I said, I needed this. After the LA Marathon, my confidence was shot and I felt lost. I was worried with all of the hard work I had put in over the last year was for nothing and I felt like I was getting slower and injured. I needed to show myself that even if I have a bad race or run that it does not define me. I actually shortened by intervals and have been getting great race times. I may even shorten them again and see what happens. 

I was also sick of running a race and getting injured with flare ups. I finally figured out I need to do daily core work and stretches as well as stay active after a race. I used to think I needed rest after a race but that just seems to be my problem. Now I am able to work on an active recovery with more walking after the race and the next few days and how t modify core work as well. 

I was able to work on my fueling and nutrition which will help immensely with more races coming up. With that I was also able to work on my post recovery food and figure out what I need the eat after to recover faster. 

I was able to work on my prep routine and see that even if I don't get as much sleep as I would have liked, which was more common with Saturday races than Sunday, I can still perform. If I could get 7-8 hours of sleep before a race, I perform even better. 

Overall I enjoyed my time and can't wait to race again next week for the Pixie Dust Challenge. Would I do it again? Well I am with my really insane November of NYCM, wine and dine 5k Saturday morning and the half at night the next weekend and the Infinity challenge with a 10k on Saturday and half on Sunday. The important things to remember is to hydrate, eat correctly, sleep as much as possible, just have fun! 

Have you ever run back to back race weekends? What did you learn from it? 

Another Tuesday, another Tuesday on the Run hosted by our favorites: 
April from Run the Great Wide Somewhere, Erika from MCM Mama Runs, and Patty from No-Guilt Life. Today's topic is warm weather running. 


Even though I got out for a run this morning and the weather was nice, the high today is supposed to be 90! Eek! It's just the last week of April. 

Here are some tips for running in warm weather:
1. Start early
This is key. Know when the sun comes up and try to start earlier than that or right around that time. It's stinks to get up at 5am to get ready to go run but it'll be much cooler and you can always take a nap later

2. Dress correctly
This is one of the top mistakes I see around. Even if it's cool when you start, a long shirt and pants are not necessary. Your body will most likely heat up (along with the weather!) somewhere between 10-15 degrees. I decide what to wear by adding 15 degrees to the current temp but in the summer it is usually shorts and a tank or t shirt to run in. 

3. Make sure it's drifit/ wicking
You want to keep the moisture off you and the best way to do that is make sure it is made of wicking fabric. I run mostly in old race shirts and they are great to use. 

4. Hydrate
Either run with a water bottle, run on a trail with amble water fountains or run a loop close enough to your car to get fluids. When you feel dehydrated, it is already too late. Make sure to take in lots of fluids and pour fluids on your body if it's super warm. 

5. Electrolytes
This are also crucial. Salt and potassium are key so make sure to have either an electrolyte drink or take salt tablets if those work for you. 

6. Protect yourself
Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and bug spray! It will protect your skin do you don't get sunburned and it will also keep you cooler. If you are prone to chafing (which most people are in some areas!) make sure to lather up before heading outside 

What are some of your warm weather running tips? 

Time for some weekly accountability! I will recapping how I have done on the 4 Well Rules over the last week: Eat Well, Sleep Well, Exercise Well and Be Well. I have decided to link up with Tara of Running n Reading as I love linkups. Make sure to check out the other bloggers there too!


I had a fantastic week and this week will be hectic but I am ready for it. 


EAT WELL
I did pretty well in Denver and ate mostly gluten free (not the VooDoo doughnuts. the stomach ache was worth it). I have been trying to increase my veggie intake and it has gone pretty well. I drank more alcohol than I have in a while (celebrating after class on Weds, and then Fri and Sat night in Denver) but I had a great time and did not have a hangover.
One thing I want to work on is cutting down my coffee intake. I had a ton of coffee last week and I don't want to get to a point where I will get headaches if I do not have it. I don't need to carbload this week (that is for next week!) so i will be sticking to low carb and high fat. 


SLEEP WELL
I did well leading up to Denver and then crashed and burned in Denver. My goal is to get back to 8 hours of sleep if possible


EXERCISE WELL
Mon: rest day
Tues: 2 mile recovery run
Weds: weight training
Thurs: 3 mile recovery run
Fri: snow snoeing (2 miles but those boots and shoes were heavy)
Sat: hiking and dancing
Sun: travel day/rest day


Mon: core work and sleeping 
Tues: 3 miles
Weds: PiYo
Thurs:3 miles speed work (200m repeats)
Fri: PiYo 
Sat: 3 miles
Sun: 6 miles 


BE WELL
I spent a fab weekend in Denver with my college friends and I had so much fun. We went snow shoeing, hiking, caught up and ate lots of good food. I will write a post about it later this week.


This week is going to be hectic with work, final papers and just life. I am going to see Avengers on Thursday (and wearing my Avengers half shirt!) and then also going to celebrate the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. 

It is Monday so we are linking up with another Magical Mickey with John at run.geek.rundisney and Katie from Adventures by Katie.


A few weeks ago we went to Disneyland with my boyfriends niece to do all of the Frozen Fun activities. We all really enjoyed them! I even wore my Anna and Elsa dress for the occasion. 

All of the frozen fun events require fast passes which is great to know we can do it but also stressful we were trying to balance going to breakfast with all of the fastpasses. We actually went straight there and all of the fastpasses were too early so we had to go back after breakfast. 

We got fastpasses for the Frozen singalong, meeting Anna and Elsa and meeting Olaf. The fastpasses were not connected to the system so you could them without it affecting over fastpasses. 

Next up we went to meet Anna and Elsa at their new home inside of the Animation building. The detail in meeting them was beautiful and they took time with each child. And they both liked my dress! We waited about 10 min to actually get to meet them. 

Next up we drew Olaf which was inside the Animation building. It was super fun and Olaf was a bit more challenging to draw than I expected. 

Those all happened back to back with about two hours or so wait from when we got the fastpasses until we used them. Olaf was a bit different. We got fastpasses for Olaf right before noon and couldn't use them until 7:30! good thing we were staying late. 

After dinner we walked through Freeze the Night which was a total bust! It never had even close to the same amount of energy as Mad T Party (can't wait for it to come back!!!). The ice sculpture let's were cool but it takes them a long time that carve the ice sculptures. The DJ was fine but the music wasn't as good as Mad T Party. I also missed all of the arcade games. We did get to meet Marshmallow though. 

RACE
The course was flat for 3 miles, then the crazy San Vicente hill, then the rolling hills of Sunset before heading back down the hill for the slight incline of Santa Monica Blvd before finishing. 

I realized as soon as we started that I needed to pee. I guess all of the extra hydration really went through me. I was planning on holding off as long as I could and then right before the first mile, I saw a portapotty with no line. I ran over there and 5 people got in line right before me: #fail. I knew this would effect my time but also did not know how much longer I could hold it or where the next set would be. 

it added about 2-3 minutes to my time. #fail! but it was well worth it to stop. I always stop my watch so I know my true run time (and my intervals stay on track) but leave my ipod going and I know it had added at least 2.5 min to my time and decided to just stay as easy I could and then I would push it as I felt better. I kept my running splits to around 9:45-10:00 min miles. As we passed the 5k mark, we passed the starting area with portapotties and no lines-yeah I should have held it until then. oh-well! One great thing was the 5k had started and it did not effect me climbing the hills as I thought it would but the course was definitely more crowded with the added 5k. 

After that was the San Vicente hill and it was just as bad as I was expecting. I decided to do a run 1 min, walk 1 min and see how far it would get me. I got up the hill and was pretty drained. I knew the rolling hills of Sunset Blvd would not be much fun and that they would also be hot with no shade. I just focused on trying to exert the same energy all the time and if that meant I would slow down, it would be okay.

There were many water stops when we got up the hill which was nice but after the 5k turn around spot, there were none. and by none, I mean all the way down to La Brea and turn around. TWO MILES without water on a course with a rising sun and no shade. NO BUENO. As we got back to the hill, the water stops on the other side started running water over because they felt bad. This could have been fixed by easily putting the water stops in the middle of the street so it could serve both sides. 

This part of the course was very quiet which is so strange as Sunset Strip is usually always packed. At some of the famous sites it would have fun facts like "this gangster lived here" at the Sunset Tower and "Led Zepplin rode motorcycles through the lobby" at the Chateau Marmont. Also, this part of the course was supposed to have bands. I saw 3 bands and when I passed the first one, they looked like they were setting up, the second one was taking a break and the 3rd one was finally playing. It would have been nice to have music the whole time. 

As we were heading back down the San Vicente hill, we got water bottles(from hustler Hollywood-haha!) and I started taking my Mocha clif shot. For some reason, I got chest pains going down the hill so I had to walk more than I wanted and the water bottle was super helpful. I could tell I was dehydrated and needed the liquid.

Santa Monica Blvd had a bit of shade but still the same issues with water being spaced out weird. The street was also quiet: nothing was opened and not many people. The warm heat was affecting me (it was honestly probably dehydration) and I took more walk breaks. However with the extra walk breaks, my time was still averaging the same!

I passed Ralph on each out and back of the course and I noticed each time I was getting closer to him. The last turn around, I could tell he was struggling and my goal was to catch him. I had my pump mix and was in the shade (I decided against running the tangents as it was all in the sun) and was able to catch him pretty quickly. He was very tired (he didn't fuel!) so he said he would stick with me for intervals as long as he could. At one point, he fell behind and I pushed forward. I did math and I knew i was close to a PR. As I turned the corner, I saw the clock said 2:13! I knew I didn't start right away so I could PR! I pushed HARD over that last .1 miles (7:10 pace!) and crossed with a PR! 2:13:14-29 second PR which is awesome considering how hilly the course is, my crazy long bathroom break and the extra walk breaks I threw in towards the end.

Ralph came in about 50 seconds after me: a PR as the only other half he has run is Avengers.

After the race, we got our food (Gatorade in a can for the win!) and waited for Marvin. I brought a full change of clothes and it made a world of difference. As soon as Marvin was done (yay for completing his first half!) we walked back to the car to drop our stuff off and had California Pizza Kitchen for our recovery meal. And of course I had a mimosa to drink!

Overall the race is a solid B. I had a good time, the hills were killer and the medal and shirt were awesome. There are a few things that should be changed and added mainly I would like to see an earlier start and more frequent water stops with them in the road and more bands on the course.

POSITIVES:

• fun course and challenging course
  
• the medal is great
  
• the mile markers were on point
  
• the facts were fun on Sunset-add more! 
  
• easy package pickup
  

THINGS TO WORK ON: 

• self-seeding corrals with signs with a wave start
• more activity on the street-spectators, something
  
• if there are bands, they need to be playing
  
• more water stops-at least one every 1-1.5 miles 
  
• starting on time. I think this can be solved by reminding people
  
• discounts on restaurants-we were trying to figure out where to eat and werent sure what would be open. If the restaurants that are open would let you know, maybe provide a discount, i think more people would stay around to eat
  
• more portapotties at the start
  
• short sleeve tech shirt

What your last race? What is your next half marathon? 

I have been selected to be a Jeff Galloway blogger and could not be more excited for the opportunity. Incase you aren't familiar with him, he is AMAZING, a former Olympian and the official rundisney training consultant and probably one of the most down to earth people you could ever meet. 
Here are past tips: here, here , here and here.  

Four Ways To Energize Your Day & Clear Your Brain
By Olympian Jeff Galloway
www.RunInjuryFree.com 
 
It's natural to become focused on the big things in life, and worry about outside forces, building stress.  A few simple lifestyle adjustments can result in greater control over attitude and energy, while reducing stress and fatigue.  Yes, you can exert more control over your life, produce positive attitude hormones, and blend together body, mind and spirit by planning and taking action.
 
•        Walk or run, one day and a walk (or cross train) the next.  While the exertion will wake up the muscles, you're away from the phone, allowing the mind a little freedom.  Most who start with a blank mental state, finish their exercise session with the day planned, and a few new ways to deal with problems.  Others like to walk/run during lunch hour, while munching on an energy bar.  This can clear out morning stress and prepare mind-body for the challenges of the afternoon.  Many evening exercisers believe that the weight of the day's stress is erased or contained with the after-work workout.  Scheduling these outings gives you control over your existence.
**I have been doing this for a long time. I love to start my day with a workout to set me on a good track for the day. 
•        Don't sit--walk!.  The addition of a few extra short walks, throughout the day, will energize the body and activate the mind.  Park farther away from work, the food store, the transit station, etc.  Many of my clients use a step counter for motivation and calorie counting.  It helps to find one that is consistent and reliable (usually @ $30).  Shoot for 10,000 steps a day.  You are rewarded for  getting out of your chair (or  the couch) more often.  These short walks burn fat, which adds up (up to 30 pounds a year!).  The best reward is the head clearing effect, which can power you through the mid morning or mid afternoon energy crises.  Even a 3-4 minute “recess” walk at work, can result in clearer thinking, more energy, and greater self-confidence.   
This has been huge for me: Making sure to get up and move at least once an hour and have added a 10 minute walk to my day at work. It helps to get out of the office and clear my head and helps me to hit 10,000 steps on my fitbit
•        Eat more frequently.  Each time you eat, even a small snack, you'll boost your energy level. The longer you wait to eat, the more likely your metabolism will slump into drowsiness and laziness.  This also means that you're not burning many calories.  If you divide up your daily calorie budget into 6-9 snacks a day you'll burn more fat (up to 10 pounds a year).  Eat a snack every 2-3 hours, and you can feel better all day.  It helps to choose foods that have (percentage of calories vs total calories) about 20% protein, about 15% fat and the rest in complex carbohydrate.  This combination will leave you satisfied longer with fewer calories consumed.  To experience a fat loss, consumption can be managed through websites or journals.  For more information, see A WOMAN'S GUIDE TO FAT BURNING by Jeff and Barbara Galloway.
**I have found the more fat I eat and make it apart of my meals, the less I am eating. I feel fuller for longer and try to make sure I am eating enough. My breakfast is in multiple parts (eggs/bacon, yogurt, fruit, tea, water across a few parts) and it helps me still satisfied until lunch around 1pm. 
•        Help someone exercise. The psychological benefits are significant when you help someone improve the quality of their life.  Offer to walk (run, hike) with your spouse, parent, friend co-worker, child—or all of the above.  My books WALKING & GETTING STARTED have proven programs with motivation which can lead you  and your “coach-ee” through the training. 
**I love to get more into this and help others get moving.

What are some other tips you have for helping yourself feel energized? 
 

I have been selected to be a Jeff Galloway blogger and could not be more excited for the opportunity. Incase you aren't familiar with him, he is AMAZING, a former Olympian and the official rundisney training consultant and probably one of the most down to earth people you could ever meet. 
Here are past tips: here, here and here. 

How do you try to stop and prevent injuries? 

1.  Be aware of irritation of weak links.
The Key Weak Links are body parts where my runners tend to experience injuries are these: Knees - Feet -Calf - Achilles -Hip - Glute/piriformis/sciatica. But the body parts that YOU need to be aware of are the sites where you are injured or suffer more aches and pains.So if you're sensitive to the first indication of irritation in these areas and take immediate action it's possible to avoid injury.

**for me this is huge. After reading Running Strong, I figured out that I have weak core and glutes which is causing problem with piriformis and sciatica. As I have worked on my core just for 5-10 minutes a day, and a strong focus on making sure I get up at least once an hour at work, I have seen such a difference in my pain. 

2.  Stress buildup due to the way we train.

• Training schedule is too intense-not enough rest between stress.
• Adverse Training Components-speed is too fast or has too much, too soon.
• Running form-too long a stride, forward lean, bouncing too high off the ground.

So staying focused on the way one runs and following these guidelines, can often allow runners to maintain a manageable increase without injury

__________________________________________________

Top 5 ways to avoid stress buildup-and avoid injuries

1.  Take walk breaks more frequently, and run shorter run segments

2.  Form: shorter stride, feet low to the ground

3.  Slower long runs, with more walk breaks

4.  Avoid Stretching

5.  Be careful when running speed sessions

Anyone else have any injury prevention tips? 

Another Tuesday, another Tuesday on the Run hosted by our favorites: 
April from Run the Great Wide Somewhere, Erika from MCM Mama Runs, and Patty from No-Guilt Life.  This week's topic is Why I Run. 


Before anything else, I run for myself. No one else knows all I go through and no one else is out there with me on those crazy runs or crazy races. It keeps me healthy and happy and able to keep up with my busy schedule without having a meltdown. Running is one of those sports when you technically aren't competing with anyone but yourself. They are my PRs that I am trying to beat and what I'm working towards. That is why I love the bling so much! When I look at my medals, I think about how much training got me there, memories during the race and what it all means to me. 

I also run for others. I truly believe anyone and everyone can be a runner and has the power to accomplish their goals. I want to inspire people that they to can reach their goals with hard work and determination. If you want to run a race-whether a 5k, 10k, half or full, ultra or triathlon-then you can! You just have to be realistic (you aren't going to go from couch to marathon in 2 months without getting really injured!) and get to training for it! My boyfriend is one of those people-after seeing me run so much he has decided to take up running. He is finally going to cross it off his bucket list to run a marathon next year and he even told me last night at dinner that now he has a far off goal of BQing. So it looks like we will be running for a long time to come. 

I especially want to inspire younger people to run. One of my new traditions when I go home now is to a short run with my three younger siblings. They love it and I'm hoping when they are old enough, we can do a Disney 5k together!
My boyfriends niece has been visiting the past few weeks and she is obsessed with my race pictures and my medals. She was over and touched every medal I have and tried most of them on. She has done a 5k, so I explained to her how I've run 10ks, half (21k) and full (42k) and she loved it. She's planning on doing the rundisney Disneyland Paris 5k with us in 2016!

Another reason I continue to run, especially rundisney races, is the community. I love the running community and what we stand for. I have met so many strangers and just chatted about whatever and we feel a connection. and the rundisney peeps? Well they just GET ME! They are seriously my people. We wear costumes, run through theme parks and do crazy things like all these challenges and the granddaddy of them all: Dopey! and there are at least a few thousand people doing the same crazy races I am at every race. Seriously my people! and as I met more people through facebook and the blogosphere, I love it even more! 

So what inspires you to run? Why do you run?