Long Runs in the Sun and Other Outdoor Fun!

This is a year to remember, I live in Alaska where the snow covers the ground usually about half the year, but this year has been unique.  You may have heard me complaining last winter about the lack of snow for winter recreation but that same lack of snow is making for a nice summer.  Yes I am calling it summer already - when it hits mid 50s to 60s in Alaska it's officially summer.  Snow has been gone for a while and the weather has been beautiful!  Perfect for long runs.

This past week was a good one for workouts I got most if not all of them in and it looked like the following:

The Grand Plan

• Monday - 3 mile tempo/timed run (not really sure what to call this - I am just doing three fairly steady miles to see if I can get more used to running 3 miles hard and improve my time.
• Tuesday - Crossfit & 5k pub run @ SUPER easy pace
• Wednesday - Rest Day & Softball
• Thursday - 2 miles of speed play
• Friday - Very reluctant swim (my practice was canceled due to pool issues so my husband had to drag me to a local high school pool where I reluctantly swam some random laps resting in between almost all of them :) )
• Saturday - Brick - 5 mile bike and 1 mile run in the rain
• Sunday - 8 miles, 4 were great, 2 were good, and the last two uphill were rough!

This week looks pretty similar except my swim schedule changes to Tuesday morning and Friday night, I will miss the pub run for a musical date night with my husband, and I am going to aim for another bike ride somewhere in there.  Really not sure where since I may up the Thursday run then go to a running seminar.  I need more days in the week!

Anyone else interested in this?

As I mentioned my weekend workouts went pretty well, my brick on Saturday got abbreviated as we were heading out of town to a party my friends put on called the Chickaloon Olympics. Its a fun day of fun outdoor cabin games that are rewarded with "Olympic medals" made out of tree rounds.  I did not do well at the axe throw and was just shy of the podium in the target practice, but was on the Silver medal team for Jandal or however you spell that.  See photo below. 

Jandal

Ready to compete

Required road trip food

My bake-off contribution - Oreo peanut butter sandwich in brownies

Olympic Medals

During the brick on Saturday it rained cats and dogs which led to me being covered in mud and sloshing in my shoes, but I felt pretty strong so I was happy.

My new running shoes!

Sunday I started out running the first few miles of my long run at a 12:30 pace and felt really good.  At mile four I saw my husband who had driven out to a park 8 miles away and left the car.  He ran home and I ran to the car, and we swapped keys in the middle.  We both hate out and backs, so this is how we long run :)  Mile 5-6 were okay but Garmin was saying I slowed a bit to a 13 min mile.  It sure didn't feel like it though!  I pushed myself to run to 6 before taking a break in order to redeem myself from my terrible 6 mile long run two weeks ago.  When I heard Map my Run give me the mile marker for 6 I was really glad to stop, my tummy was not happy.  I felt like I may throw up.  I drank a bunch of water but it was warm and had nuun in it so it didn't taste super good.  The heat and my lack of hydration probably were the reason for this.  I started mile 7 by walking up a huge hill then when I forced myself to run I felt the stiffness that comes from a long time away from long runs!  Mile 8 was also rough with some huge hills but finally I finished right by the car with an awesome view.  Map My Run route planning said I needed to go a bit further, Map my run app said I was good, and Garmin was behind both before I stopped it to talk to my husband and forgot to start it again.  Grr.  Does anyone else have this issue, MMR and Garmin do not see eye to eye when it comes to distance!

This hill was much worse in person

6 miles in

Not a bad view

Apart from exercise I have been doing well eating healthy meals and tracking my food which has been represented in a downward trajectory in my weight.  I also have been working on meeting new people as you may remember was one of my 30 goals.  I played softball last week and was super nervous to show my lack of skills but it ended up going okay - I have my second game this week - go me!

Favorite veggie lover lunch

I want this cake for my birthday!

Here's to another fun week!