Hi peeps,

Yesterday before leaving work I wiped away June on my dry-erase calendar started to set it up for July.

dry erase calendar

Clean slate!

And of course I filled in only the truly pertinent dates….

San Francisco Marathon

 “Out of Office” for San Francisco baby!

While out running this morning i started thinking about what I call the Runner’s Holy Trinity—1. Distance 2. Weather/conditions 3. Elevation/terrain and about how important it is to respect these 3 things when running.

Runner's Holy Trinity

Runner’s Holy Trinity

All too often we find ourselves saying things like “well it’s only 3 miles, so I don’t need water” or, on a hot humid day we beat ourselves up over running at a snail’s pace. Maybe we’re supposed to run 4 miles on a specific day but we’ve hit our runner’s high and end up running 8.

Today the dew point was 72 (81 degrees and 76% humidity). I knew this before heading out the door and thought of carrying a water bottle but then I said “Well it’s just 5 miles. I’ll be back in an hour.”

photo 1-1

I did not respect the weather. And I felt that decision for sure. My fingers swelled like sausages and I had to walk up some of the hills. I still enjoyed my run but I could have enjoyed it more with a sip or two of water at every mile.

photo 5-1

5 miles in 80 degree weather with 76 percent humidity took me from fresh…to super sweaty with sausage fingers

So let this be the reminder that we all need.

Respect the distance:

• Don’t run extra miles that could potentially cause unnecessary injury or fatigue
• Do keep a nice and easy conversational pace on those long runs
• Don’t minimize a run that is just a few miles. Treat every distance with the respect it deserves.

Respect the weather conditions:

• Don’t plan on keeping your speedy pace when the temperature is extremely hot or cold.
• Do prepare for weather conditions before you head out. sunscreen, visor, body glide, water and salt tabs are important for running in extreme heat. Gloves and hat are important for extreme cold.
• Don’t forget that wind can zap your energy. Don’t waste that precious energy trying to keep your pace through it.

Respect the elevation and terrain:

• Trail running? Be careful of slippery leaves and tree roots. Your ankles will thank you.
• Uneven terrain and elevation climbs (aka HILLS) require more energy. Try to keep your effort level even meaning you’ll need to slow it down.
• Pounding the pavement can be hard on the body. Think about where you’ll be doing long runs and maybe try to switch it up a bit where you can to grass or dirt.

Can you add to this list? Share your tips in the comments.

photo 4

shameless selfie

Hello.

So it’s August 27th. My blog back end has been a mess and i’ve been unable to post until today. So I’m going to be posting a bunch to catch y’all up.

Here goes….starting with August 20th

8/20

How is your week going? I’ve been so very busy. Sunday I did a nice shake out recovery 3 miler. I really wanted to go by how I felt and not by what the watch said so I taped the face of the watch.

you are going at the right pace for how you feel

you are going at the right pace for how you feel

I focused on keeping an easier steady relaxed pace. I’m getting closer to the 5 consecutive half marathons and my plan is to go slow and steady so this was a great way to really tune in to my body. I’m happy to report I predicted my pace would hover around 11:30 min per mile and guess what? It was exactly that! I really do know my pace. Woot woot!

and the tape reveals...

After the run I headed to another birthday party and then went straight to my brothers house for a family get together. And that’s where this happened:

fro yo

Calm down, they both weren’t for me….my niece joined in on the action. It was delish!

Needless to say my house went uncleaned and I didn’t prepare at all for the week. But never fear. My sister in law gave me leftover Chinese to take to work for lunch and homemade waffles that we secretly call crack waffles because they are so addictive. They make the best pre and post run fuel 🙂

As a matter of fact today after I managed to run another 3 somehow although I swear I felt like I was still asleep I had one.

crack waffle

crack waffle after sleep walking running

Oh and speaking of addictive sweets, yesterday my boss and I tried out a new place called Pie Face. I fit right in 🙂

do i blend in?

do i blend in?

Question: Do you tend to crave sweeter foods in the morning or savory? I’m a sweets girl through and through. All day—every day!