Week in Review (Mar 18 - Mar 24)

Tuesday - Got my one mile out of the way in the basement inferno before work. Glad it's an "off" day as the arch of my right foot feels... off. Videos of the night - (new to me) brutal butt & thigh, (new to me) upper back, arms and chest and because I have been slacking - fast abs.

Wednesday - Up early and got out a solid 3 miles in the (hotter than usual) basement inferno. Got to the gym early, but since I did my run in the morning I decided to check out the new bikes at the gym. ARM RESTS AND BUILT IN FANS?? I only got a picture of the new high tech screens, but will try to get a picture of the full bike next time I'm there. I was concerned it was not even going to be a real workout, but HOLY COW, 5.7 miles on a random hill program (level 7) was TOUGH... I'm the weakest. Then an hour of BodyPump, where I am also (still?) the weakest. Exhausted.

Thursday - Left work early, HOPING I would have a quick doctor's appointment. SADLY, getting my depo shot took almost TWO FREAKING HOURS, and I did NOT get an outdoor run in. Sad, three miles on the treadmill.

Friday - Up early for a mile in the inferno, and a 5 min abs/obliques. Did not care for this one, I will take the extra few minutes for a better workout. Went to happy hour with the girls from work, which was a lot of fun. I like getting a break every now and then!
Saturday - Spring Fever half marathon in the morning. Immediately after the race, I went out to lunch with my A, L and H, and my dad for H's 7th birthday! We may or may not have coerced her into going to Chili's. Yum. In the afternoon we went to the rec center for birthday swimming with all the cousins. I spent a bit of time in the hot tub, no swimming. Dinner was pizza with the fam and then I took my older sister, W to Odyssey for a (very) belated birthday beer. My parents were watching Frozen with all four grandkids, and by the time the movie was over, so were the kids. Too much excitement for one day.

Sunday - Roasting vegetables day, tv time, packing the kids for Moab (they get to go on vacation for Spring Break, and I don't, BECAUSE OF OUR STUPID OFFICE MOVE). L and I made the mistake of making S'mores bark again (I may or may not have had a billion pieces). I thought about running, but then did that hour long upper tabata video instead. Running streak officially over. I gave it some thought, and I have been feeling tired lately, and I would rather end the streak on MY terms, not because of an injury or illness or something else. Well, that was fun. Now what...
Monday - With A being gone for a few days in Moab, I decided to head to a close-ish trail nearby, Green Mountain. I briefly looked at the map and thought, ok, the big loop is just over 6 miles, I have an hour and half or so until sunset, I'll do that. LOL. Well, I was at least smart enough to wear long sleeves, but NOT smart enough to wear gloves. Even though the sun hadn't set yet, it stayed behind the clouds and it was cold and exposed. It was also steeper than I had anticipated, and the first two miles were SLOW, with a lot of walking. I finally started running, tripped over a rock and face planted. Thankfully, no bleeding, but I took it more cautiously from there. DUMB. I was starting to get concerned at some of the forks in the road that this "big loop" wasn't as easy as planned, and figured if I hit 3 miles or so and didn't seem to be heading back, I would turn around. Luckily, I seemed to be heading in the right direction. I arrived at the parking lot to discover I was at the WRONG lot and had to run another .3 or so to get to my car, about 5 minutes before the sun set. My hands were FREEZING and it took the entire drive home to warm up. Hopefully, lesson learned. Just under 7 miles of trail glory.

Weekly Miles Run - 27.79 (8 treadmill, 6.7 trails, 13.09 race)
Weekly Cross Training - 25 minutes on the bike, about 5.7 miles
Minutes of Strength - 185

Weekly Loss - 2.6 pounds

• What a cluster of a week. I ate EVERYTHING. As per the norm, I did fine during the week. It was H's birthday this weekend, I had a ton of pizza and cake and DONUTS.
• Related: Apparently, my body will do whatever it wants...
• No new recipes this weekend. However, I roasted more veggies and L and I made another batch of the S'mores bark, which at least THIS TIME I am sharing with folks in the office. I bought a pre-made meatloaf from Sprouts that was pretty good.

Everything Else

• PURELY to ruin my life, the day I left work early? I ran into J on the street outside my building. He said "hey, what's up" and I gave a death stare, said nothing, and kept walking. Unlike the rumors I had heard, he looks fucking great. And I, OF COURSE, looked like total shit in a sweater and pants because I was too lazy for tights and a pencil skirt. The real insult was I was heading to get my depo shot (for period regulation, OBVIOUSLY not because I'm sexually active now), and it apparently was time for my annual questionnaire. Last time I had sex? Soooo long ago, I wonder if its different. Totally wrecked my afternoon.
• As for running, as I said, the run streak is done. Will be a big relief to not have that hanging over my head. I did enjoy my day off, and I plan on another day off later this week.
• Related: What to obsess about now.......
• Have I mentioned that moving our office is RUINING MY LIFE???? UGH. There is a reason I don't move - IT IS TERRIBLE. T minus 3ish more days and yet we have like 10% of the office packed. I'm for real going to stab someone.
• Related: I am at least PLEASED with where my desk is located. I'm near everyone I enjoy working with and the few people I don't especially enjoy (cough*officemanager*cough) are faaar away. Also, I'm right by the kitchen and close to the bathroom. SCORE. And I guess when I'm visiting with other people, the view isn't so bad:

Spring Fever Half Marathon (Race Recap)

Saturday, March 22
Golden, CO
Half Marathon #101
Colorado Half #37
Weather - CHILLY, windy, flurries, overcast

I should have been racing in Moab this weekend, like have the last two years. However, the price got too high since I waited, AND my travel buddy bailed. Instead, I half-heartedly signed up for the Spring Fever half marathon (that Ariel and I volunteered at last year). L hated the course and didn't want to join me, so I was in it alone.

I got there with about 30 minutes until the start. Packet pick-up was easy, but people clearly don't read the emails that say "ID required." I agree, it's pretty dumb, but the volunteers are instructed to not hand out if you don't have it. I was FREEZING just in the few minutes I was outside and debating on wearing a jacket in addition to my long pants and long sleeves. I sat in the car until about 15 minutes before the start and then headed to the indoor bathrooms (where there was no line AND a volunteer with TP just in case a stall was out).

Headed out just as the National Anthem was playing and then walked up to the start, lining up in the back. I had no real goals, just hoping to come in under 2:30 and to not freeze (I had opted for no jacket, thinking I would get too hot).

The course is basically the Ralston Creek half marathon course, just in reverse, which meant all the hills would be at the end when I was already tired.

I felt ok the first mile (gradual downhill), but noticed that my legs felt very fatigued. Not necessarily the calf tightness that I normally have, just "tired." The first 5.5 or so miles were a slight downhill, and I held back a bit, trying not to overdo anything. The miles from about 1.5 to 5.5 were an out and back section, but it never got crowded. There were plenty of aid stations, and they all had Powerade and water. At least one of the stations (maybe two) had Clif gels in various flavors. At the second aid station, I grabbed one, but didn't take it until closer to mile 4.

I have run this section a few times, so there wasn't much to look at, just concentrating on running and trying to stay warm. I was really happy I had grabbed hand warmers, as I kept them the entire race. But, a few pictures I took anyway:

At the turnaround is where I really started to get tired. I made it until just before mile 7 when the walk breaks started. I was feeling very fatigued and the breaks helped. The gradual uphill continued until about mile 9 when the real steep uphills began. Remember in my Ralston Creek recap where I have all the super speedy downhill miles toward the end? That's what I was running up. And by "running," I mean I walked up most of that. A few people in front of me were jogging, and in all honesty, with the exception of one or two, I caught them all at the summit doing a run/walk. Mile 10.5 or so and the course finally flattens out.

That SUPER STEEP hill that lasts a 1/2 mile in the Ralston Creek half? FINALLY DOWNHILL... I was clocking 8:00-8:30 pace and blasting by people. Of course, it was short lived, and I run/walked a lot of the end of the course too.

The flurries started to pick up a bit more when I got to mile 12.5. Turned the corner and I could see the finish banner, AND, what looked to be A!!! I was running right by a lady but didn't have any kick to pass her. I was pleased when I saw the clock time, as I had expected to run much slower.

Official Time - 2:21:25
Overall Place - 174/234
Gender Place - 97/138
Division Place - 37/54
Garmin Time - 2:21:25
Garmin Distance - 13.09 miles
Garmin Pace - 10:48
Mile 1 - 9:28
Mile 2 - 10:02
Mile 3 - 10:42
Mile 4 - 10:29
Mile 5 - 10:08
Mile 6 - 11:03
Mile 7 - 11:27
Mile 8 - 10:58
Mile 9 - 11:15
Mile 10 - 13:00
Mile 11 - 11:22
Mile 12 - 9:47
Mile 13 - 10:55
Mile 13.09 - 9:47

I received a fancy water bottle at the end filled with water. I was too cold to drink anything, and just wanted to get out of there. A wanted my free burrito, so I grabbed that, said a quick hello to friend, and got out of there. It was probably in the low 30's when I got done, but I was shivering for at least an hour after I got done. Luckily, the really heavy snow held off until about an hour after I finished. THAT would have been miserable.

Thoughts

• This is a very challenging course. Know that going into it. I knew it was going to be no fun, and I'm not sure if that affected my performance, but those miles of hill toward the end were BRUTAL.
• Related: This was only about a minute slower than I did RnR Denver this year, where I really did NOT walk, so maybe SOMEHOW I am regaining some of my former speed?? MAYBE?
• The weather on this particular weekend, in general, seems to be not great. Last year, there was so much snow that the race had to be postponed a week. Prepare for WIND.
• The race is pretty inexpensive, I think I paid about $50. The shirt is a nice, woman's cut tech tee in a fun bright yellow color. I'll likely wear it again.
• There were plenty of bathrooms at the start, inside. Enough to handle three distances (the 1/2, 10k and a 5k).
• Not crowded, the race director does a staggered start for the distances.
• The course was very well marked with neon green electrical tape on the sidewalks and orange domes to mark where to NOT go. Last year there was a volunteer shortage because of the rescheduling, but there were plenty this year, and one was posted at any area that might be "confusing."
• There were port-o-potties in multiple places along the course.
• PLENTY of aid stations, all well-stocked, with the trash bags located far enough away to actually get used.
• Overall, very impressed with the organization of this. Other than the terrible and difficult course, I would give this an A+.

Week in Review (Mar 11 - Mar 17)

Tuesday - Got up early to run my mile to try to wake up. SUPER tired. After work, I tried another new butt and thigh tabata video. This was pretty tough, and LONG. First Fitness Blender video I've done with both Kelly and Daniel and they are adorable. Also did lean, toned arms. A did her last "training run" before her big trail race!

Wednesday - I actually went to run club!! I tried the new New Balance Fresh Foam. Kind of an ugly shoe, but pretty comfortable. Had a nice and easy run with Heather, who is finally back from her latest injury.

Thursday - Legs a bit sore after the brutal video I did on Tuesday, but knocked out 3.5 miles on the treadmill, and then tried a new upper body tabata video. Holy billions of reps!!! There wasn't any individual moves that were hard, just the sheer number of them.

Friday - 1 mile in the basement inferno before work.
Saturday - A billion solo miles at the High Line Canal Fat Ass. You can read about it HERE.

After a super quick shower, A and I drove to Denver to meet up with Jessa and friends for her birthday lunch. I had a TON of food as I was starving after my run that morning. We spent about 4 hours downtown and headed home because it was getting dark and cold.

A found a "Beauty and the Beast" ballroom in the Brown Palace, where Jessa had a room for the night

Sunday - Up fairly early for A's first trail race! The Mountain Goat Kid's Trail Series' first race of the season was at Bear Creek State Park, home of the Bear Chase race I've done the last three years. We got there about 45 minutes early, with enough time for pictures, bib decorating and a bathroom stop (for me). My legs were DEAD after my run yesterday, but I ran most of it BEHIND A and took a ton of pictures. The trail was muddier than expected and about half of the way through the 2 mile run, A lost her shoe in the mud, which was a bit upsetting to her. She rocked the end of it (in an effort to beat ME) and said she wants to run the next race in the series.

The afternoon was spent eating cookies, watching tv, and roasting some vegetables. While A was doing her homework, I did the toned, lean arms video and walked a mile on the treadmill. Anyone else watch the Walking Dead? This episode was one of the craziest and most intense EVER. I'm still a little traumatized by it.
Monday - 5k on the treadmill. Legs too tired for anything else.

Weekly Miles Run - 50.2 (8.61 treadmill, 41.59 outside)
Weekly Cross Training - 1 mile walk
Minutes of Strength  - 154 (Not bad since I missed BodyPump this week)

Weekly Gain - 1.2 pounds

• Maybe my heart just isn't in the #NotEatingAllTheThings Round 2? Last time, this all seemed so easy, and I had losses every week until I hit my goal. I'm at my same post-holiday weight, and while the number doesn't bother me, the jiggle does a bit.
• Related: I am not eating my best most days, and I can FEEL it. Like yesterday (Monday), one of the attorneys brought in a giant plate of German Chocolate and caramel brownies. I ate like 5 of them over the course of the day. WHY? One would have been fine. But they were there, so I ate them. Stupid.
• I am REALLY enjoying roasting vegetables. I made a TON of them on Sunday and they should last me all week. they reheat really well!

Everything Else 

• I didn't do a financial update last month, but I'm plugging away at the budget.
• I have about 10% of my emergency fund in the bank (not where I would like to be, but I have honestly spent the last 3 years with NOTHING put away, so this is a start).
• I FINALLY rolled over my IRA from my job that I got laid off from in 2010. Yeah, I know... took me 3.5 years. It was even easier than I imagined. I only was getting statements once a year, so I didn't realize the amount of money I had there.
• Including today, there are only NINE more days until we move and my boss's "partial retirement" is official. I have located a covered garage fairly close, and while it is about $15 more a month, the raise I got helps with that. I am not looking forward to the additional commute. Will be interesting to see how a one mile move further into the city will take.
• NOTHING ELSE.

High Line Canal Fat Ass

Saturday, March 15

I have run one Fat Ass "race" in the past, the Southside, back in 2012 when I was training for my first 100. I had a great time that day, and it was a nice change for a long run to not be on the treadmill.

I found the registration for this race on Ultra Sign up when I was registering for Bear Chase. At the time, I still planned on running in Moab, so I planned for it to be a mid-length run (around 15-20 miles), just to get some time on my feet. Other than a couple half marathons, I have not run longer than 13.1 since the double marathons of New Years.

ANYWAY.

A few weeks ago, I had to cancel my plans for Moab. The race is substantially more expensive this year, and my travel buddy bailed on  me. No way I could/would want to cover all the travel expenses on my own, PLUS, half the fun of the 24 hour race is spending time with my friend during the night sections.

But, I decided... I have barely been outside this winter, the forecast looks ok, maybe I will go ahead and run it anyway.

As the date approaches, information starts trickling in on the course, times, etc. TURNS OUT, the start time is 5:00. In the morning. Oh, and it is a point to point. Um. The organizer says "You should be able to get a ride back to your car." SHOULD?

I talked to my dad, and after some discussion, he said he would be willing to pick me up when I was done running and drive me back to my car. Did I mention I had offered to be a carpool vehicle and that I would be driving out of my way to meet people at 4:10 am (30 minutes from my house)? Oh. Yeah. That.

Oh, and did I mention that when I agreed to be a carpool vehicle, the organizer says, "all the 50k runners can meet up." But after looking at he map, the 50k meet up location was actually at mile 36... So. A maybe 15-20 mile training run for a race I was no longer doing became 36 miles. (or so).

3:11 a.m. Alarm goes off. I had NOT slept well. I estimate I got 2 hours of restless sleep. Grab coffee and my pack and head out the door right on schedule at 3:40 am.

I arrive at the church meeting point at 4:07. Turns out there were additional carpool vehicles I didn't know about and I was able to get a ride to the start with someone driving a van. This meant I would not have to find a ride back, and also, that I was committing to the full 36 miles.

We had been given a set of instructions where we could find the roving aid station, locations where there were places to buy food (gas stations), and the two "tricky" parts of the course.

Just after 5:00, and we were off. It had been 50 degrees when I left my house, but it was 20 degrees cooler in Waterton Canyon. I made the risky decision to just wear an INB tech tee and my INB ambassador windbreaker. I had brought throw away gloves with some hand warmers, but no hat or ear warmers. It was a tad chilly, but I figured I would warm up after I started running.

It was DARK. I was surprised that a handful of people weren't even using headlamps. Um, we are in the middle of NOWHERE and it is DARK and it is HOURS before the sun will be up. I was not running with music, hoping that I would end up pacing with someone roughly my pace.

The High Line Canal is a fairly wide trail (packed dirt) that runs about 70 miles in south Denver. I had run a small section of this trail last summer with Hope, and remembered it being beautiful and very runnable.

Due to all the snow we have had, the trail was hardened from all the horses/people so it was very rutted. I was very glad to have my headlamp as it was not as smooth going as I remembered. About 3 miles in and I had to stop on the side of the road to pee. It was going to be a long day. My hands were very chilled and I was having trouble opening the valve on my pack.

The miles in the dark were a bit lonely, I ended up not latching on to anyone and I was trying to avoid twisting my ankle. The first tricky section is a detour, and I was glad I had a few people that I could barely seen in front of me, as I might have made a wrong turn. There were a few miles that we had to run on the shoulder of a semi-busy highway, although traffic was very light at dawn on Saturday morning. Around mile 10 I got back on to the trail. I finally decided to pop in some music since I was clearly in this alone.

One of my favorite pictures EVER

Once the sun came up, I was hoping it would warm up a bit. The forecast for the day was overcast with wind, with snow/rain starting early afternoon. My "A" goal was to get the 36 miles covered BEFORE the moisture hit, hopefully to be done in 7.5ish hours.

There are a LOT of trail systems in Denver, and most of them are pretty well marked. However, I came to an intersection where the trail seemed to go in various different directions. I had thought that almost the whole section was supposed to be unpaved, but didn't think too much of it when I came across a fairly long section that was paved. I began to worry when I got to a major street crossing and the only signage was for the C470 bike path. Feeling it was better to be safe than sorry, I texted my dad (an avid cyclist) to ask if the bike path and the High Line Canal were the same. He says, "no."

Shit. I made a wrong turn, but at this point, I'm all turned around and have no idea where to go. I have the freeway on one side of me, a bike path, and this all intersects with another major road, and I don't know where to go... Luckily my dad was able to get me back on track. After standing around for 6-7 minutes and going over 1.5 miles total out of my way... so my "36ish" miles were going to be more like 37.5. GREAT.

Can you see the storm clouds rolling in??

Somewhere around that point is when I lost my groove. It was windy, overcast and chilly. I still had not seen any of the roving aid, although I was slow to begin with, and my detour only added time so I can't say I was surprised.

My right ankle was a bit achy, I couldn't tell if it was just from the distance, or if I had slightly twisted it when I was running in the dark.

Honestly, I don't remember much about the run. I took a lot of walk breaks, I took pictures, I was texting a lot with L and Heather. Somewhere around 5 hours in, I finally saw aid! There was a box of goodies on a picnic table by the rec center and I grabbed a handful of cookies. Saved my life!!

I was regretting that I had decided to run so far. I was cold, tired, and not having the best time. At some point, I lost one of my gloves, and that was really not much fun either.

I don't know what's happening here. This was a good 15 feet up in the tree

Thanks to a timer app I downloaded I got a full body selfie!

I certainly didn't make my time "goal" - but lets be real. This was NOT a race, this was NOT timed, and I paid NOTHING for it.

I was never so happy when I saw the mile 35 marker and shortly after, the turn for the parking lot where my car was.

Miles 1- 10 (11:14, 11:14, 11:27, 13:04, 11:43, 12:24, 15:22, 12:41, 11:30, 11:35)
Miles 11-20 (11:21, 12:19, 11:23, 12:51, 13:01, 11:40, 12:03, 17:05, 16:18, 12:15)
Miles 21-30 (11:46, 13:07, 12:42, 13:59, 13:31, 13:09, 15:40, 13:14, 13:43, 15:16)
Miles 31-37.6 (14:09, 13:59, 14:08, 14:04, 13:56, 13:06, 13:03, 13:00)
Average Pace - 13:00

Thoughts

• I am really glad that I brought all my own stuff, as I never saw the roving aid at any of the promised locations. I know for sure there were at least 2 people behind me that I passed AFTER my detour. I think about 30 of us started the run, but it looks like the roving aid was catering to the faster runners. Which is fine, but just be aware that you should always carry enough of your own water/fuel JUST IN CASE. I had filled my pack almost completely full (70 oz) and still had about 15 oz left when I stopped. This might not have worked out so well if the day would have been warmer and/or sunnier. I had brought more gels than I even needed, I think I took 7 total. Other than the handful of cookies, I only grabbed a fun size package of M&M's from the one aid box on the course. 
• Related - I'm glad I didn't end up needing a ride back to the start for my car, because again, I didn't see anyone affiliated with the run and I had no cell phone numbers as contacts for the man running the aid station or the man who organized the run. Again, it is always MY responsibility to make sure I know what I'm doing (thankfully, I had my dad to fall back on to re-route me when I made a wrong turn). And also, I'm glad I got a ride to the start because I would have had to wait on my dad to get my car. No bueno.
• Other than the lost glove and cold ears in the dark hours, my outfit worked out perfectly. I have not run in the windbreaker before, but with 20-30 gusts and temps in the low 30s, the jacket paired with only a tech tee was perfect. I was never cold, and the zippered pockets were perfect for holding my trash. If only I had put my gloves in my pockets while I was eating, I might not have lost a glove :(
• I probably was not in shape to be running this type of distance, but I got it done. Pretty proud of myself for sticking this out, definitely my training run ever. My maybe 15-20 miles became a 50k that was actually 36 miles, but after a detour, I really ran a 60k. 
• I got what I paid for. I could have done this with no support, but I wouldn't have. I would have liked to have met up with someone else and run at least some miles with someone else, but it didn't work out that way. The man who has organized all the metro area Fat Ass runs is starting a new running series - going head to head with Leadville. If you would like to read more about the series and possibly donate to the cause, the link is here.

Week in Review (Mar 4 - Mar 10)

Tuesday - Got up a bit early to do some Cardio Interval Training. I am SHOCKED at how hard these basic moves feel. At some point, I keep thinking these exercises won't feel AS hard. And yet. It helps that Kelly has trouble with these too, and it's HER video. LOL. While A was reading, I got my 1+ miles out of the way on the basement inferno. After she went to bed I did Upper Body 5x5x5 Pulse Workout and Express 5 Minute Abs Workout Nonstop Abs & Obliques while watching American Horror Story. This season is BIZARRE.
Wednesday - Got up early (after NOT sleeping well) and ran a fairly uncomfortable 3 miles in the basement inferno. Legs just felt sorta tired and the effort seemed HIGH for the slow pace. After work I went to BodyPump with L. Instructor did a bunch of random "old" tracks and I don't feel like I got a very good workout in. I didn't even sweat, which for me is INSANE. Walked on the treadmill in the basement inferno while A did her 20 minutes of reading.

Thursday - SEVEN miles on the treadmill at the gym. SEVEN. And 15 minutes of that was a hill program. I really can't wait to put in some miles outside. With a severe drought in racing, I'm getting pretty sick of the treadmill.

Friday - 1 slowish hot mile in the basement inferno. Fitness Blender "Fast Abs." I am fairly diligent about getting in my weights, but I have been slacking on core. This was crazy hard. I am the weakest.
Saturday - L traveled to the west part of the state to run an inaugural half. Initially, I was going to skip since I was planning on heading to Moab at the end of the month. Well... registration for Moab got too high and I lost my travel partner so I looked into running with L but the race was already almost $100! Long story short, I ended up running my own half marathon... A was still sleeping when I got up and I decided to run in the basement inferno until she got up. Turns out, I got 8 miles in. After a quick run to Dunkin, we went to the gym where I ran the remaining 5.1. I kept the pace EASY and felt great the whole time.

We went to Sweet Tomatoes for lunch and spent HOURS looking for a heated blanket. FYI, the only place in metro Denver you can still get one is Kohl's. I had been planning on going to bed EARLY, but then Jessa asked if we wanted to go bowling. We went, and stayed out until MIDNIGHT. The kids had a blast, and I had a great time catching up with Jessa.

Sunday - Partially because we were up so late, and partially because of daylight savings, we didn't roll out of bed until about 10 am. We had made tentative lunch plans with Jessa, but since the temps were finally pushing 70, we wanted to head back over to Lair O' the Bear to get a hike in. The trails were still insanely muddy and icy. We had a great time, and went a bit farther than the last time.

We met Jessa and her son for lunch at Qdoba, and with it being so warm, we took the kids to the park for a few hours. Headed home to put burgers on the Foreman (which were delicious). After dinner, a 3 mile run in the basement inferno and a new upper body video - LONG, and really, not that great of a workout.
Monday - Both my runs on the weekend were slow, so I planned on running a bit faster. AND I DID. I had an amazing 7+ mile long progressive run on the treadmill! Followed at home by this yoga infused stretching video.

Weekly Miles Run - 35.65 (all treadmill)
Weekly Cross Training- 1.1 mile walk and 3 mile hike
Minutes of Strength Training - 182

Weekly Gain - 2.2 pounds

• Not really a surprise. I was doing fine on watching portion sizes and not eating a ton of sugar during the week. Then Friday hit, and I was the most starving person ever and didn't make the best food choices. Plus, I had a TON of beer.
• I didn't make anything new this week. A and I did make chocolate chip banana bread, and we devoured that entire loaf in just a few days. And by "we," I really mean, "me."

Everything Else 

NOTHING.

The Running Streak and Exercise Addiction

Today was day 119 of what I originally set out to be a 120 day run streak experiment. I have already made the decision to not stop tomorrow.

Basically, I have an addictive personality. In my teens and early twenties smoking and drinking fueled that. As I made the transition to a healthier lifestyle, my obsession turned to running and exercising. I have always maintained what I feel is a good balance.

I am aware that I am heading down a dangerous road, so I am placing some limitations on my "run streak." I am not running an hour a day or anything now, and haven't been over the course of the last 119 days. I plan on continuing with the "rules" to run at least one mile a day. And I plan on at LEAST two of those days be JUST the one mile. Even as a slow runner, a mile takes just 10-11 minutes. If I start to feel any weirdo aches or pains, this will of course be reconsidered.

As for part two, I realize that I'm probably addicted to exercising and also plan on placing a limit on the amount of time I am putting into this. I need to write out a training plan (I really love structure) and follow it.

For ME, this lifestyle is helping to take my mind off my unhappiness. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but it is making me feel better for now, so I'm going to roll with it.

Week in Review (Feb 25 - Mar 3)

Tuesday - Basement inferno - total of 2.25 miles, easy. Three videos - Standing ab workout, which I did not like. Toned Lean Arms, which I do like, and yoga/pilates which I didn't really care for either.
Wednesday - Cardio Interval video in the morning, which I liked, mostly because it was short and woke me up! Only 10 minutes. 2ish miles on the treadmill (8.5 minutes at incline, the rest "fast") and then BodyPump for an hour.

Thursday - Another quickie workout before work - 5 minute butt & thigh, which was surprisingly difficult. 6 miles on the treadmill at the gym, which wasn't super great.

When we got home, A did a 10 minute run on the treadmill - she is training for her first trail race! (Assuming the weather is ok next weekend...

Friday - 1.1ish in the basement inferno (glad it is a "rest" day) and two quick videos - Cardio Calf and Biceps Burnout before work. A one mile walk after work in the basement inferno.
Saturday - 5.5 on the treadmill at the gym. Just ok again... REALLY hot.

A and I went to see "The Nut Job" in the cheap theater for something to do. Later that night I did Toned Lean Arms and 10 Minute Abs/Obliques.
Sunday - It was the COLDEST ever. I had hoped to maybe get outside, but at 9 degrees? No thanks. Put off workouts until the evening, 1.5 in the basement inferno, and the Butt and Abs Tabata workout. A loves to join me for the stretching - modified pigeon is her favorite stretch. (I posted this picture on Instagram and FitnessBlender "liked" and commented on it, **starstruck** lol)

Monday - 5.5 on the treadmill at the gym. Thought I might go for 6, but tight and tired legs, so I stopped early.

Weekly Miles Run - 24.00 (all treadmill)
Weekly Cross Training - 1 mile walk (treadmill)
Minutes of Strength Training - 216 (!!!)

Weekly Loss - 2.6 pounds

• Last week I said I was doing #NotEatingAllTheThings Round 2. However, I didn't actually get started on that until... probably Thursday. We had guests in the office Monday through Wednesday, and for only the second time EVER, the firm brought in lunch every day. So... I ate quite a bit of junk. But the remainder of the week, I really tried to focus on eating a bit better and watching portion size (which, I forgot, is the LEAST FUN EVER).
• I had only one donut all week, and NO beer. Not even one.
• Still cooked almost every meal, and what I have discovered from THAT, is that making, well, anything, means there are going to be a ton of leftovers. And while I am a creature of habit, I am not sure I like eating the same thing over and over. And over.
• I finally made a recipe I did NOT like, Sweet Potato Mash, which is a bummer, I have a TON left. (For the record, Heather told me a 1 TBSP of cinnamon is A TON, but I would have no idea since I don't, well, cook).
• First attempt at banana bread went well.
• No other new recipes this week, and not sure I have any on deck for next week.

Everything Else

I'll make this easy! There is nothing else! Ever!