Happy Friday, everyone! I have had a busy week, workout-wise. I squeezed an extra run into the week, since this weekend we’re supposed to be in a single digits deep freeze, and I’ve been doing the Baby Strong workout, using Baby T as my weight. More on that next week when I review the program, but suffice to say, holy glutes.
Before I share all the good stuff that’s been going on in the last week, don’t forget TODAY is the last day you can enter my winter running gear giveaway! Head over here to enter for a chance to win a prize pack including NANOspikes for your shoes, running gloves, organic sunscreen, a neck warmer and some gorgeous hand-made beeswax salve.
Let’s kick off High Five Friday with 5 from Instagram – you can follow me here to see more!
FIVE FROM INSTAGRAM
Yoga in the laundry room. I took part in an Instagram challenge with Prana and FitApproach and had fun finding new places to take my yoga photos.
There were a lot of comments when I shared that this was the first time I’d been to Trader Joe’s. My eyes have been opened.
Here’s Tanner deciding which workout we should try for Baby Strong. That’s a 27 lb kettlebell that wriggles right there.
Roman had a bit of an identity crisis. Good guy or bad guy? Decisions, decisions. Those are his PJs, by the way. That he wore all day. It doesn’t happen often, but every now and again I start cooking dinner and realize we are in our pajamas still. Please tell me I’m not alone here!
This was a ridiculously cold run. I’d looked at the temperature in the morning and it was 16 degrees, so I figured it would be okay if I layered enough. It wasn’t until I got back after 6 miles and hopped into a lukewarm shower which still brought tears to my eyes, that I checked again and realized it was 9 degrees outside. With a real feel of minus 6.
As you may have realized, marathon training has started for me! This was my first full week of training for the Vermont City Marathon. Probably this weekend I will be posting the first of a weekly marathon training update, like I did when I was training for NYC in 2013. I admit, I miss Prospect Park for running, but with views like this for my long runs, I can’t feel too sorry for myself:
FIVE GREAT READS
I loved this article Tina Muir wrote for Women’s Running this week: What Happens When You Don’t Reach Your Goal? Here’s the section that resonated most for me:
Around the time I was obsessing over a time, the finish line was my main reason for running. Since then I have realized running brings so much more than that; friendships, respect, simplicity, calm, freedom.
Think hard about what running means to you and why you would miss it if you could never run again. Now THAT is why you run. Think of that next time you feel lost.
Allie wrote an awesome post, Are You Overcomplicating Your Life? I love the way she laid each section out, with an issue, a complicated solution and a simple solution. Plus, she’s just always laugh-out-loud funny.
If you’re a runner, you should check out the blog Kinetic Revolution. The contributors are running coaches and physical therapists and I particularly like James Dunne’s articles and videos. This video on running uphill easier and faster is something I need, given the hills are kicking my butt these days.
You may not know this about me, but I am kind of obsessed with the idea of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. Or at least hiking big chunks of it. Someone who has done just that (thru hiked the AT) is Jen, aka Sprinkles Hikes. That’s her trail name – you’re given a trail name when you’re a bad-ass thru-hiker. Here are the five things she wished she knew before she did her thru hike.
I’ve been checking out the new-to-me blog Tale of Two Runs, written by Ellen, who is Greek, lived in NYC for a few years and is now in London (love stories like that!). I really liked this strength training workout for runners she came up with.
Finally, not really an article, but a podcast: I’ve been listening to Nicole Culver’s Blissful Bites podcast, in which she interviews successful entrepreneurs. Her interview style is great – she listens a lot and asks all the right questions, as well as throws in a couple of curve-balls that make her interviewees really open up, like “What’s your morning routine?”
And yes, it’s High Five Friday and that’s six links, but I threw in an extra one for luck. 😉
That’s my five this Friday – what good stuff happened for you this week? Don’t forget to check out Angela’s High Five Friday link up to read more positive, fun posts from the week!
Thanks for the link up Carly 😀 New to you and new to the blogsphere as well!! My blog which i love so much is one month old today !!! Well it’s been in my head for a while now – a couple of years- but i finally made it happen!! Happy Friday!!! oh and if you enjoy stories like mine it gets better 😉 I have lived in France and Germany as well LOL!
ellen recently posted…High Five Friday
Happy 1 month to TOTR! 😉 Glad you’re part of our wonderful blogging community.
SO excited for you to “officially” start training for the marathon!! I think you’re going to find some amazing routes in your new area and those lake views? OMG!
Thank you so much for sharing my post here!! xoxoxo
Have a great weekend and try to stay warm out there…
Allie recently posted…The 5 Valentines I Really Want to Give
I love all your posts! I’m only sorry I read your father’s story after I shared this one. Your writing is amazing. xoxo
Sounds like some great blog posts. I will have to go back and read them. I love a good podcast too during my long runs.
lacey@fairytalesandfitness.com recently posted…Here’s the scoop….
I prefer a podcast over music to keep me occupied on the treadmill!!
I can’t believe that you hadn’t been to a Trader Joe’s yet… I love it…. I need to go read that Tina Muir post and keep it in mind…. I look forward to seeing your marathon training progress… Thanks for reaching out and your words of encouragement this week:)
Paria@momontherunsanity.com recently posted…Letter
Tracking you online as I respond to this comment! I loved following your training for LA and in so excited for you today!!
Congrats on your marathon training kicking off! So exciting and I’m looking forward to following along your journey. Thanks for sharing so many great reads! So many awesome articles. Happy weekend! xo
Thanks my lovely! I am psyched to be training for a race again, it’s been waaaay too long!! Happy weekend back to you! xo
I remember when I was a kid, my grandmother would rave about some “Trader Joe’s” store. Then I finally went, but I don’t even remember my first time.
Fun fact. I once worked at a Trader Joe’s. I had a great work ethic (except for cutting food open and eating it, after calling it spoiled in shipment when it wasn’t), but one day they scheduled me for 5:00am and I just.. didn’t show up.
I did call first, though! They were displeased.
I had an ex hike the whole Appalachian Trail. When we were in NH, we were at a chunk of it up in the White Mountains. We saw people doing more than we were doing – which was just standing on a mountain after taking a gondola up it!
Also, Baby T was born cute but lately he’s off the hook.I must photograph him.
Tamara recently posted…I Want to See Someone Who Dances in Ice Castles.
I love your Trader Joes story!! I bet they were displeased! LOL. Baby T is ridiculously cute. Come visit me! I’ll make you delicious food and make you work out and you can take photos of the boys. 😉
Hooray for the 26.2 training beginning! I’d get so hyped with the LA Olympic Trials on tomorrow!<3
Tiffany @ The Chi-Athlete recently posted…Some random faves, Marathon advice from my Spirit Animal, and NAILED IT.
I watched every minute and it definitely fired me up! Loved watching Cragg and Flanagan being bad-ass inspirational teammates and cried for Kara.
Woohoo for marathon training! I have a client who is running VCM and every time we chat I get an urge to run that race again. It’s really a great race. And you will need your hill training for mile 15. I’d be running that baby weekly if I lived near it. Thanks for linking up to High 5 Friday!
Angela @ Happy Fit Mama recently posted…High Five Friday
I am totally running it weekly!! I’m making it part of every long run and I’m going to use it for hill repeats when they’re in my plan. It is a horrible, horrible hill. Are you coming to spectate??? We have to get together!!
Yay to marathon training! I”m in the thick of it right now. I’ve never run a spring marathon before, and it is definitely a challenge getting the runs in this time of year.
I can’t believe you’ve never been to Trader Joes before!
This is my first spring marathon too and I have to say it’s great to have the added motivation to get my butt out the door in winter!!!