{Wisconsin Marathon Training-Week 3}

Posted in Wisconsin Marathon Training by sneaksandstilettos

I’m not going to sugar coat this week in terms of running. It wasn’t good, great, or impressive. I struggled to make myself run EVERY SINGLE DAY! I put in long days everyday this week (except Friday) of 11-12 hours trying to get stuff done at school that I needed/wanted to do. On top of that I felt sad, lazy, and like the only place I wanted to be was under a blanket by the fire place when I finally got home. I shamefully did not complete all my runs this week and missed my minimum weekly mileage goal by 2.5 miles (#wintermiles). I’m annoyed with myself-big time. With Ryan still out of commission I didn’t have any extra motivation to get those miles in. Excuses!

Ry guy’s heel this week.

Tuesday-(3 miles in 5+ inches of snow half the way) This run was extremely challenging the entire way. I tweaked my ankles running on uneven surfaces you couldn’t see. This led me to skip a run the next day. It was a great core workout though and fun to run in the fresh snow.

Wednesday-(5 miles elliptical) Ryan hit the gym and put in 5 miles on elliptical. While this is not replacement for running it has him doing something cardio wise.

Thursday-(5 miles-elliptical) Ryan on the elliptical

Friday-(6 miles-elliptical) Ryan again hit the gym and rocked the elliptical machine. I hit the bar with coworkers, rocked some pitchers of beer, and got a new temporary tattoo. I needed a mental break and simply some FUN! Plus, the black panther now on my arm is FIERCE!

Saturday-(8.5 miles-me running, 8 miles-Ryan on elliptical) This was a good run. I started out feeling cranky, but getting some vitamin D and seeing the beautiful sunset put me in a way better mood even though a total of 3 blocks were NOT snow covered. Seriously, who could get enough of sunsets like these.

Sunday-(6 miles) I was starving on this run, it was getting dark, and I just really wasn’t feeling it. I put this run off to spend time with the husband (good choice), but it did impact my run. Then I thought of Meg and her family, and I pushed through those miles.

Wearing blue for Meg. #megsmiles

Found this plastic bag with the contents inside of it scattered all over the road a quarter mile from my house. One of my biggest pet peeves is littering. GRRR. How hard is it to throw your trash into a garbage? I picked up the garbage, put it in the bag, and ran the rest of the way home.

Hydrating after my run with Tropical Nuun. Trying to think warm!

When reflecting on this week’s training, the reality is as much as I preach to not make weather excuses or wait for the perfect conditions (I do fully believe this), it is sometimes exhausting to be mentally tough during EVERY SINGLE RUN during winter in Wisconsin. There are very few to no clear roads. It is always slippery. It is cold. Snot freezes in your nose and sometimes onto your face. Eyelashes freeze. You step onto what you think is frozen ice and it ends up being a freezing puddle that comes up to your ankles (Sunday’s run ;). I say this not to complain, but just for all of you to see there is really nothing special about me and my training over the winter. I fight the same battles all of you winter runners do too. Some weeks we win the battle, while other weeks we lose.

Another training battle I always find myself in is the balance between having a social life and getting in my miles. As soon as running seems to put a kink in my fun plans, I start to resent it. This week with my funky mood, I did not put running first. I chose drinks after work on Friday with coworkers over freezing cold miles. Saturday I cut my run a mile short to go to dinner with the family. Sunday I ran later, when I was starving, and as a result didn’t run as many miles as I’d planned/hoped. That choice was in exchange for a day date with the husband. Sometimes we just have to acccept that the miles will be there later, but the people in our life might not be.

Chose this guy over getting in all my miles Sunday. Sunshine, coffee, and my love-always a good choice!

Reading the story about Meg on Sunday morning reminded me of the importance of people over miles. Her tragic story is the reason I pushed my run to later in the day so I could have a day date with the husband. Running and miles are important. Running doesn’t take more than it gives back. It makes you a better person. Yet despite all these wonderful things, sometimes we just need the people in our life more. I filled my cup this weekend with good people and miles. Even if those miles weren’t quite as high in number as planned, I’m better for the chance to both run and spend time with people I love. I strive for the perfect balance in life everyday. When I figure it out, you guys will be the first to know. Until then, we are all works in progress.

Losing the battle with running this week has renewed my determination for the upcoming weeks. I refuse to sit and feel bad about the missed miles. I can’t change them. The week is over. All I can do is work towards a better mileage week next week.

Ryan’s Total Miles on Elliptical-24 miles
Sarah’s Total Miles Running-17.5 miles

Ryan’s Tip of the Week: If you are injured while training, do other cross training that won’t aggravate or make your injury worse. I lifted three days this week and put in miles on the elliptical. Injury doesn’t mean stop training, it just means a different type of training.

Sarah’s Tip of the Week: Don’t play basketball when training for a marathon if you can’t not hurt yourself. Just kidding. My actual tip is…

Balancing social lives and running is never easy. Do your best to get all your runs on your training calendar in. The more you miss the more you risk not reaching your goals or finishing the distance you are working to complete. Do this consistently enough and you can forgive yourself some weeks when life gets in the way or you just need a mental break from the demands of training. A few missed runs or miles don’t mean you will fail, but try not to skip long runs-they are essential to marathon training. And remember when running is put against friends and family, sometimes the ones you love have to win!

Happy Running!

17Jan2014

{Friday Fab 5-Winter Rambles, Athleta, Campfire Treat…}

Posted in Friday Fab 5 by sneaksandstilettos

This whole working five days in a row thing…wow! I don’t even think I had a chance to breathe this week. As I write this post I’m very behind on my miles, so weekend warrior it is this weekend.

{#1-Weekend Warrior Runner in the Midwest Right Now}

This made me laugh out loud. One-it sometimes feels true. Two-I love A Christmas Story. You’ll shoot your eye out!

{#2-Winter Weather}

It has finally warmed up some, but that usually means lots of snow or sleet, or both! At least the trees looked pretty afterwards. Think about the positive!

{#3-Athleta}

Their newest catalog arrived in the mail this week. Paging through it had me smiling and excited page after page. Way to go, Athleta! Much improved on the style front. If you’ve never checked out Athleta before, definitely head over to their website to see what it is all about. I consider their workout gear a bit pricey, however after falling victim to Lululemonitis I’ll admit my price sense has been distorted. I’ve also learned, with the exception of Target C9 gear, you pay for what you get. Please steer me in the right direction if some of you have found other brands of running clothes that are cute, stylish, comfortable, and affordable. I’ve yet to do this with the exception of C9.

{#4-Made it to Thursday celebration}

Like I said…five full days of work with obligations after work each day-tough stuff! I do love it though!

{#5-Campfire Treat Candle}

Yumazing! There is something so comforting and make-you-smile-feel-good about this scent. Makes me think summer!

Hope you’ve all had a great week. Stay warm and stay tuned for Sunday’s Wisconsin Marathon Training Post-Week 3.

Happy Weekend!

12Jan2014

{Wisconsin Marathon Training-Week 2}

Posted in Wisconsin Marathon Training by sneaksandstilettos

Welcome to week two! The weather was so strange. Monday to Sunday it warmed up 70 degrees…-30 to 40. Crazy! This week we ran inside, in sleet/snow mix, and the heat wave 40’s. Here was the breakdown.

Monday-3 Miles on the treadmill

No school this day and no gym membership for me. Gyms usually have a daily fee like my husband’s. The $5 fee was so worth the run.

Tuesday-5 miles on the treadmill

Ditto with school and the gym. Five more well spent bucks!

Wednesday-Ryan bruises heel while playing league basketball. No more runs for him this week. This led to a conversation about getting out of training by hurting yourself. Way to soon for that. He was bummed and has on his own decided to limit the other sports he plays competitively while training. He will continue to lift, but realized throwing hard earned miles away for a game of bball is not worth it.

Friday-5 miles outside. It was freezing rain/snow mix. The ground was getting slippery, but it was 30 degrees. There was no way I was missing that opportunity. I came back soaked, but high on endorphins.

#midwestrunnerproblems Snow kept getting packed in my shoes!

Saturday-Was supposed to run 3 miles, but with school work, a gazillion errands, and Ryan’s work Christmas party I just didn’t get it in so I moved it to Sunday.

Sunday-Combined 3 miles from yesterday and 6 mile run scheduled for today=9 miles outside. It was 40 and felt amazing. The temps that is. I ate way too much popcorn while watching a movie with the significant other before my run. Around miles 4 and 5 I thought I was going to throw up for sure. Today would be another day of doing something for the first time-puking while running.

I slowed my pace, took a stretch break, and kept it down. I was so close to quitting because I felt that nauseous, but I kept reminding myself that sometimes feeling better is only a mile or two away. Too often runners quit when they have only a mile or two to get over it. Obviously if you are truly sick or injured this is a bad idea. I wasn’t. Miles 6-9 were much better. I did feel really tired after my run and have basically relaxed the evening away.

Ryan’s Tip of the Week-Be careful what sports you cross train with. Putting in lots of miles and work training for a marathon can be lost with an injury from another sport. Choose your other sports carefully.

Sarah’s Tip of the Week-Some miles of a run may be hard, but don’t make the mistake of quitting right away. Try pushing through because the miles coming up might actually feel better. My long run was the perfect example this week. Miles 1-4 felt good, miles 4-6 wanted to barf, miles 6-9 felt good again. Feeling good again may only be a mile away (sung to the tune of Annie of course).

Total Weekly Miles-22 miles

Happy Running!

6Jan2014

{Motivation Monday-Winter Miles Challenge}

Posted in Motivation Monday by sneaksandstilettos

We all know winter running is a challenge, so why not make a challenge out of it. With snow, ice, wind, and wind chill warnings in my area, we need all the support and encouragement we can get from each other. Run with Jess knows this so she created this amazing challenge that will keep you sticking to your running goals, and give you the chance to win awesome running prizes each week you reach your goal. Click the button on the bottom of my sidebar anytime to get more information or click the link here (http://www.runwithjess.com/2013/12/winter-miles-challenge-2014.html#.Usb6Cij440M).

The winter miles challenge lets you set your own goal based on your current level of fitness. Maybe you are new to running or just coming back from an injury, then ten miles a week would be a great goal. Maybe you are in ultra marathon running shape and 50 miles a week is your goal. The point is YOU decide how far you want to push yourself during the weeks of January 6th-March 2 (often the most challenging times to stay motivated in the midwest). Sign up to run at least 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 miles a week. Each week you will post your mileage. If you reach your goal you will be entered to win that weeks running related prize. Prizes include things like Yak Traks, compression socks, jewelry, and more!

I signed up last Friday! Will you join me? You have nothing to lose. Come on and let’s run some winter miles with Run with Jess! How to dress for those miles? Check out my post about what to wear on winter runs .

Happy Monday!

5Jan2014

{Wisconsin Marathon Training-Week 1}

Posted in Wisconsin Marathon Training by sneaksandstilettos

It is only week one so you would think it would be easy peasy to get all of our runs done. Throw in a holiday and some really cold temps and that doesn’t make life so easy. Before I outline our first week training I’ll share a bit about the training plan we are following.

Ryan is following the below plan to gear up to run his first marathon. The plan is not the easiest plan as Ryan has run four half marathons in the past couple years without much training. By not much training I mean running only two longer runs leading up to the halves. It is not an advanced plan by any means either because Ryan’s previous training cycles were not really what I would call training and low in miles. He has never ran this kind of mileage so I do not want him to over do it and risk injuring himself. We are approaching the plan knowing when we get to the upper 30 and 40 mile weeks that we may need to make adjustments to his plan. You do not need to run 40 miles a week to finish a marathon. If your body can handle the mileage though it will usually make you better prepared (i.e. the marathon will be easier–no easy though) and you have a better chance of finishing in less time.

When choosing a plan be realistic about your past and current fitness level. Choosing a plan that is too high in mileage will leave you injured, burnt out, or both. Choosing a plan that is too easy may not be as rewarding or allow you to see the results you hope to see. More details about training plans can be found in this previous post-Training Plans.

This week we completed the following as our prep begins for the Wisconsin Marathon.

Day 1-Monday (3 miles easy)

Thursday (5 miles easy)
We ran separately this day.

Friday (3 miles easy)

Saturday (8 miles-long run)
Both of us had tight muscles with all the cold weather running. After a few warmup miles (this is important runners) our muscles relaxed a bit. Having temperatures in the low 30’s (wind chills in mid20’s) was like a heat wave. We both overdressed and had to ditch some layers after our first 5 mile loop. The last 3 miles were on a paved trail, which gave our legs a nice finish to our first long run of the marathon training.

Towards the end of the run Ryan felt hungry. Fueling properly can be one of the biggest learning curves of training for your first long distance race. Once you get more accustomed to running longer distances you will know what to eat, how much, and when. Ryan learned that a small bowl of oatmeal may not be enough before longer runs. More on fueling right in a future post.

Bowls of fruit post-run had our hangry selves in a much happier state. Remember, just because you are running more does not mean you can eat everything in sight. Well, I guess you could, but that isn’t going to help things much. Neither of us are training to specifically lose weight, but we each have a few pounds to lose. With proper fueling and training that shouldn’t be a problem.

We missed a 5 mile run this week with our busy schedules and the cold weather, so we made our 3 milers a little longer to make up for it. These are totally excuses, BUT since both Ryan and I increased our mileage a fair amount, we decided this would also be the bet choice to stay injury free.

In the past month I have only been running 15 miles max a week in an effort to rest after a busy November of racing a 5k (PR’d), 5 mile, half marathon (PR’d) and a challenging marathon. Ryan had been running about 15 miles a week on top of lifting at the gym two to three times a week.

Week 1 Total-19.83 miles

Ryan’s Tip of the Week-Be sure to dress in layers for cold weather runs. If you put on too many layers you can always take them off. When dressed appropriately for winter, running outside in the cold isn’t too bad. When you don’t wear enough layers your appendages can get very cold (especially your male parts)!

Happy Running!

27Dec2013

{Friday Fab 5}

Posted in Friday Fab 5, Uncategorized by sneaksandstilettos

{#1-Lots of freshly fallen snow to run in}

Makes for some gorgeous runs!

{#2-Sisters}

Can’t help but think of how much we’ve grown up. We’ve always had a rough time getting along, by in the past few years have made huge strides in our relationship.

{#3-Sand Creek Brewery}

While in my hometown, we had to try some of the local beers. Even though the Badger Porter and Cranberry Ale (love) are favorites of ours (and may
or may not be In our fridge now) there were still many to try! See photo below!

{#4-more Sand Creek Brewery}

{#5-Favorite guy to celebrate with at ALL holiday parties!}

Today we are headed to Christmas number 3!

Happy Weekend!

26Dec2013

{Christmas Winter Wonderland Run}

Posted in Uncategorized by sneaksandstilettos

Visiting family across the state or country is the perfect opportunity to explore new territory, run new routes, and enjoy nature’s wonder in a new way. So I did just that on Christmas morning. It was one of those perfect winter mornings…freshly falling snow, temperatures in the twenties, no wind. I was all prepped to rock out to my holiday music mix on my iPod shuffle from 2006. Of course I also had to show my holiday spirit by donning my holiday Pro Compression socks.

This would also be the first time I got to try out my Christmas gift from the husband. It was really all I wanted from him as a gift and he delivered! I’d have loved the Garmin 620, but just couldn’t justify spending $450 on a watch. The 220 has the important features I’ll use the most and didn’t totally break the bank, so it was the one I requested. Plus purple is awesome; you’ll be hearing more about my thoughts on this watch as I become an expert on its features.

We headed out for our run and passed by this festive street seeing more snowblowers than vehicles.

Then it we headed towards Lake Michigan for some scenic winter views.

This run was just so beautiful. The trees heavy with fresh, glistening snow. The crunch of untouched snow underfoot. Holiday tunes playing in the earbuds. The changing landscape so in contrast to the warm weather sights.

There is always something I’ve loved about winter that is hard to put into words. The world is blanketed in snow, yet so desolate, exposed, and vulnerable. It’s the perfect time to take comfort in small things that make you cozy, toasty, and warm.

You can hear winter’s song on these winter runs or at night with the moon reflecting off sparkling snow. There is a certain sound to it only heard in the winter months. These are the winter runs I love so much.

Winter runs also go perfect with a warm cup of Starbucks or mug of hot chocolate.

Get out and enjoys winter’s song.

15Dec2013

{Ugly Sweater 5k-Updated!}

Posted in Race Reports by sneaksandstilettos

Sunday was the Ugly Sweater 5k held in La Crosse each year. In past years the race has been referred to as the Rotary Lights 5k. This year they changed things up a bit adding some festive fun with ugly sweaters. Let’s just say my sweater was UG-ly!

Since it was cold outside with a windchill of -8 degrees, we put on our warm layers including my super warm base layer from Target that I bought that very day. Once again, I have not put laundry away in a while and I could not find a lot of my layers. This shirt stays in place, is fleecy warm on the inside, wind resistant, and so cozy all for $19.99. Keep in mind it is snug and tight like a base layer should be. I did go up a size and could have went up two sizes for a bit of a looser fit. You can find it online here.

After some quick photos at my mom and stepdad’s house we were off to the race. We got to packet pick up, picked up our race numbers, and waited inside the warm lobby of the Radisson. With the race start just steps out the door, we enjoyed the warmth until we absolutely had to head outdoors.

The sun was setting and we were jumping up and down like most runners were doing our best to stay warm. Lucky for us ugly sweaters are surprisingly warm. Garland, too. My holiday Pro Compression socks offered some added warmth and fun to the outfit. I love these socks, and if you are hoping to also make sure to use coupon code BLG13 to get 40% off and free shipping on your order.

Santa started the race-gun and all. Sort of a disturbing sight to see Santa shooting a gun in the air, but I get he isn’t the real Santa. The real Santa is obviously far too busy to be at the starting line of the Ugly Sweater 5k.

The gun went off and we were off. The race started in Riverside Park, took us onto the pathway along the frozen Mississippi, and then lead us onto the La Crosse River Trails. We clicked off our first mile on the snow covered sidewalks and trails in 8:06. At the halfway turn around we ran around a North Pole sign with the sounds of holiday music nearby. We kept up the pace and ran back along the trails finishing under the Rotary Lights lighted canopy. Then it was time to enjoy the lights and our new Ugly Sweater mugs.

Race perks included a mug with free hot chocolate after the race and a chip for a free Pearl Street Brewery beer later at your choice of local bars. Love me some Down Town Brown-Double yum!! Can’t wait to drink out of my festive mug this holiday season!

Ugly Sweater 5k
Time-24:38
Pace-7:55
Overall-52/412
Gender-19/293
Age Group-9/112

Festive Running to All and to All a Good Night!

27Nov2013

{UW-L Turkey Trot Race Report}

Posted in Race Reports by sneaksandstilettos

Completing the UW-L Turkey Trot 5k has become a widow’s weekend tradition for my mom, my friend, and her mom. We always walk the event as our moms are not runners. The course is scenic, the shirts cute, and the time together fun. This year in honor of no shave November, my friend bought us all mustaches. It was the coldest Turkey Trot yet with temperatures of only 13 degrees (windchill -4) during out walk.

Staying warm pre-race.

I love the marsh area the course takes us through.

After our chilly walk, we headed out to brunch at a local breakfast joint with awesome food.

Then we used some of the great coupons that came in our race packet to get buy 1, get 1 free coffee from Cabin Coffee.

Next, we headed to the Elmaro Vineyard near La Crosse where we enjoyed tasting wine, looking at fun stuff to buy, and more tasting of wine.

Well, wine for most of us. I guess people frown upon women drinking wine when they’re growing a human inside their uterus. 7 Up would have to do.

It was the perfect widow’s weekend, and I left with my wine wall stocked.

UW-L Turkey Trot
Pace: Walking
Time: It was so cold I swear the clock must have froze.
Overall: Something out of 2000 something
Gender: 2nd in our group of 4
Age Group: 2nd between my friend and I. Although she’ll be in a different age group than me in a month and a half. 😉

22Nov2013

{Friday Fab 5-Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce, Turkey Trots, Ugly Sweater 5k…}

Posted in Friday Fab 5 by sneaksandstilettos

{#1-Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce and Sage}

A new recipe I tried last week that was different, but really good. Perhaps not the healthiest, but not the worst either.

{#2-Rotary Lights 5k now Ugly Sweater 5k}

Ryan and I are all signed up for one of our favorite Christmas traditions. See my post about previous year’s Rotary Lights 5k for more info. Now to find an ugly sweater for me and the husband…insert evil laugh!

{#3-UW-L Turkey Trot}

This weekend will be my 7th Turkey Trot. Can’t wait.

{#4-Festival Foods 5 Mile}

New on my racing calendar is the Thanksgiving Day 5 miler. I’ve always wanted to race on the actual turkey day, and Thursday I will make my debut!

{#5-Relaxin’ with a Runner’s World}

Made time to do some reading about running this week. I heart Runner’s World.

Anybody else have holiday races coming up?

Happy Weekend!