The Pistol Ultra - Race Recap

I recently toed the line to run my first ever ultramarathon.  For those of you who follow me on social media you probably know by now that I ultimately finished the race, too!  While the euphoria of running The Pistol is definitely not wearing off any time soon, I'm about to dive into training for my second marathon, so I wanted to get this race recap up and going before I get too deep into training.  This week's Sunday Runday post will be all about The Pistol Ultra Weekend - the best way I've ever rung in a New Year!

This entire weekend basically started off for me on Friday afternoon.  I hadn't run this race and actually had never been to the location of the race before, so I headed out to the "almost mandatory" pre race meeting to pick up my swag bag and bib.  Lazarus Lake, the founder of the Barkley Marathons, happened to be the keynote speaker of this mini expo and was doing a clinic while I was there, so it was pretty quiet when I was in to get my bib as you can imagine.  This race offers four distances - a 50K, 100K, 50-miler, and 100-miler.  When I was inside there were tons of people in line to pick up for the 50K and tons of people for the 100-miler.  I guess those are the most popular distances for this race!  I was through the line pretty quick and was ushered through by helpful volunteers to pick out all my race swag - a nice water bottle from Orange Mud, some Zen Evo chocolate, and two shirts - a cotton Tee and a hoodie!  While you're in line getting your freebies, you also get your chance to attempt to win the markmanship award - given to the runner who guesses their actual finish time as close as they can.  While I ended up doing pretty well (was off by about 4:29) the winner actually was only off by FOUR SECONDS!

So Saturday morning is race day! I was glad I went to the venue beforehand because the 50K parking is actually not in the same place as the rest of the event - it's further down the road.  Since we had to leave the house at 5:30 a.m. I was grateful we weren't trying to find parking in the dark!  Prerace they offered bagels and cream cheese with fruit for the runners, so I had a half bagel and a half banana while trying to calm my nerves.  I also chewed a good handful of dark chocolate espresso beans thanks to my boss, Vesna!  Just after the sun came up, Will, the race director, ushered runners outside for the national anthem.  The 50K runners got into the chute first to take off, while the 100K and 100-milers were paced behind us a few minutes.  Almost immediately, I could tell this race was going to be different.  While in the chute I socalized with many people who were doing an ultra for the first time.  Some of them stood casually, drinking coffee, saying their only goal was to finish.  With a 30-hour cut-off, this race is more than just walker friendly - it's nap friendly!  When the starting gun went off you could tell many people were just out to enjoy themselves and take it easy.  It was so much different than going to a race where there is elbowing and vying for space on the course!

Miles 1-10

I really enjoyed that this race started off by going downhill.  I took it easy at a gentle pace and the pack thinned out pretty quickly.  This race runs loops of approximately 10 miles on the Maryville-Alcoa Greenway system, so once we left Alcoa High School we headed down and ran the Greenway following Pistol Creek the whole way (you were probably wondering where that cool name came from, weren't you?).  About 4 miles in a photographer was grabbing photos of runners jumping.  My photo is ridiculous. I apparently really need to work on those jump skills next year!  About 5 miles in was the first time I passed the famous Woody's Aid Station, which is basically a trail magic stop on steroids.  We ran a little loop in downtown Maryville before making our way back past Woody's and back to Alcoa High School.  I was feeling surprisingly good and enjoying the rolling small hills on the Greenway.  I had planned to change my shoes at the 10-mile mark, but since I was feeling alright I called NoKey on my way back to the high school and told him just to meet me with The Stick so I could roll out my legs to keep them loose.  I knew I was running a little faster than I would have liked, but I was still feeling good and vowed to not take a break until the half marathon mark.  I gave him my gloves and Buff, refilled my Tailwind, and kept on running. 

Having fun, and looking goofy doing it!

Miles 10-20

I knew I'd need to slow down through this second lap and that it would also be inevitable I'd slow down.  I gave myself the mental mile marker of 13.1 before I would take a walk break.  Now, one thing that I absolutely hate is walking during a race.  I knew with an ultra taking walk breaks were going to be something I just DID, but telling myself it was okay was another thing altogether!  When I hit the half marathon mark I took a walk break for a little under a half a mile.  Those teeny, tiny greenway hills were starting to feel a little bit bigger now anyway and conserving energy for a strong finish was my goal.  By the time I got running again I realized my stomach was ANGRY and wanted food!  When I got to Woody's again I gave myself the goal of running back to it before stopping again.  I grabbed myself a piece of homemade banana bread and a few homemade trail mix bars and ran while I ate.  This simple act got me lots of cheers from spectators and runners alike - telling me they liked my style.  I told them it wasn't my first time stuffing my face and running!  It's like I trained for this moment during most of my thru hikes! I intermittently stopped to walk every mile or so, power walking or slow jogging in between picking my pace back up.  By mile 19 I had called NoKey to come out and meet me with The Stick, some new socks, and new shoes.  The hill heading up to the high school seemed enormous now and many were speed walking the hills to conserve energy.  I plopped on the ground and changed my socks and shoes before rolling out my quads and taking off again.  

Miles 20-30

For my final lap I didn't hear the "what the hell am I doing out here?!" voice I normally hear this late into a race.  I was oddly calm and at ease, almost like I knew I was going to finish and wasn't bothered at how slow I was moving.  One thing I did take advantage of on this lap were the benches!  I would stop at a bench to sit and stretch my IT bands or I would use it as a prop to do lunges without worrying about not being able to get back up.  Every mile or so I stretched quickly to keep my muscles happy.  On this lap the sun began to disappear and every once in a while it would sprinkle lightly.  Despite the cold and sprinkles, there were still lots of spectators out cheering and having fun.  It was definitely a morale booster!  By the time I hit mile 25 I was getting tired, but still didn't feel myself giving up hope.  Although, I did have the thought that if I were running a marathon I'd be almost finished by now!  I passed Woody's the final time and stocked back up on that delicious banana bread and trail mix bars.  A volunteer filled my water and Tailwind while another asked if I'd like something hot to drink since the wind had picked up and temperatures were dropping.  I passed on the hot drink and continued to stuff my face while running away.  While I was in the process of alternating slow jog/slow run I saw lots of other runners doing the same, people cheering us when we picked back up the pace and us doing it for others in return.  It was an amazingly supportive running community.  I called NoKey on my way up that hill (which now felt like a mountain) back to the high school before finishing my final mile.  Now I was suddenly feeling reenergized and ready to tackle that big finish!

Mile 30-31.5

After running the final out-and-back mile, I was super disappointed when I ran through the finisher's chute that they were having technical problems.  When you grab your bib at the expo they denote your first ever ultra and they told me the announcer would cheer you on at the finish.  Due to a glitch, they said I was some guy from Kingsport, TN.  I let out a loud cheer anyway and finished happily in 5:50:36.  (and that was with approximately 15 minutes of stopped time according to my Garmin!)  I was quickly ushered inside by a volunteer and, while I was waiting for my official results due to said glitch, another volunteer grabbed me a bottle of water.  Once the results finally printed out, I discovered I was 20th overall female and 52nd out of 201 runners.  Not bad considering my lack of actual training!  They ushered me off to get my medal, take my finisher photo, and then hand me my finisher visor and T-shirt.  I chugged chocolate milk and ate a banana before heading over to the Quest Therapy tent to have my quads stretched my the pros.  I was definitely thankful they were there helping us all out!

I was overall so happy with my experience at The Pistol and I would definitely recommend this race to any runner wanting to try their first attempt at ultra running!  I'll definitely be back next year and, provided I get the time to actually train, am even considering jumping up another level to a different distance.  If all of this wasn't enough to convince you to try an ultra, check out my review over on Bibrave.  

Feeling like a boss!

What's the toughest thing you've ever attempted?  How did you feel when you finished?  Did it make you push the envelope to try more difficult things?

Knoxville Marathon Race Recap

After months of training and lots of sweat and a few shed tears race day was finally here!  I spent the day before the race leading a hike and then driving from Cosby to Knoxville and back home for the expo.  While I was kind of stressed that my entire day was consumed by only two things, it helped to keep my mind off the upcoming race.  Here is my experience running the Knoxville Marathon.  Spoiler alert - I'll be back next year!

NoKey captured this beautiful Knoxville sunrise shot after the starting gun.  Follow him on Instagram here - @NokeyRules

PreRace: We arrived about 30 minutes before the start and immediately got in line for the Port-A-Potties.  I hopped back in line just in case I'd need it before the race started.  Since I've never run for that long before, I wanted to make sure I wouldn't need to use them along the course!  After queuing through the line twice, I went over to the starting line to get into my corral.  A friend of mine was running as a pacer for the 4:00:00 group, so I ran over and said hello and got some last minute advice from him ("After mile 20 it's going to suck," he says.  "Power through and look for the beer cooler at mile 22 and you'll be fine!")  The national anthem is sung and then we're off!

Miles 1-3:  I tried to stick between the 4 hr and 4:15:00 pace group at the beginning to avoid taking off too fast.  The first mile is mostly uphill and then we go down and back up.  Undulation is the theme of the Knoxville Marathon - lots of rolling hills!  I kept my pace steady for the first mile but was shocked to see I was running a sub 9-minute mile for mile 2.  I tried to dial it back a bit before we got to the Sequoyah Hills portion of the race. Mile 3 along Kingston Pike included lots of church goers in their Sunday best cheering for us as we ran by. 

NoKey got this amazing shot after all the runners came through. 

Miles 4-7 (Sequoyah Hills):  This beautiful neighborhood is part of the Dogwood Trail - a driving tour through Knoxville people take to see the beautiful blooming trees.  It's a nicer upscale neighborhood with the greenway system running up the middle of the street.  There were a ton of inspirational signs throughout the neighborhood including my favorite sign of the race - "This would be MUCH FASTER if you drove!"  There were tons of spectators and cheering sections, snack stops and water stations, and also the first relay exchange station.  Another great sign just after the relay exchange said "If you were running the relay you'd already be done!"  From here - we ran up a huge hill with a huge reputation - Noelton Drive.  Lots of funny signs were here too - and some spectators set up a couch and a firepit with margaritas in their driveway just in case you wanted to go ahead and call it halfway up the hill.  

Casual Pint had some great signs (stole this post from Instagram)

Miles 8-11 (Third Creek Greenway): After exiting the neighborhood out onto Kingston Pike, we ran through the Third Creek Greenway system in Bearden.  I loved being here again as I had many a nice walk on this greenway system when I used to live out in Knoxville.  The familiar territory was super comforting.  The race pack had thinned out a big after climbing Noelton Ave., and my legs were still feeling amazing.  By the time we reached Tyson Park I had high fived so many spectators and enjoyed the race so much I was shocked I had already run 10 miles.  Around the end of the stretch my stomach was starting to let me know it might be time to take a pit stop, but it wasn't bothersome so I pushed on.  

Miles 11-14 (Fort Sanders/World's Fair Park): The hills started feeling harder here.  I had been running consistently and comfortably to this point, but I could feel my legs starting to slow down a bit on the uphill here.  We ran past the site of an epic house party in the Fort, evidenced by the many abandoned red solo cups and beer bottles (this neighborhood, for those who don't know, is where college students cram as many people into one house as possible while going to UT).  There were also what seemed to be tons of turns to take in this neighborhood as we zig-zagged the streets.  I think the turns are always harder on my body than the hills are!  By the time I finally reached a good downhill stretch they were directing the half runners up the hill and the full marathon runners downhill.  I yelled to the volunteers "WHY AM I GOING DOWN?!" and they were laughing and wishing me luck.  Holy crap, the race REALLY thinned out now.  I continued running down with only 2 runners in my immediate sightline.  I crossed the half marathon checkpoint and asked the guy for the time and he just shrugged and said "I don't know? 2:04, 2:05, 2:06, something like that."  Seriously dude?

Miles 14-18 (Fourth and Gill, Old City): This is where I met the struggle bus.  I desperately needed a bathroom break but after the guy at the half point not even knowing the time (despite having the computer next to him) I was afraid to ask a volunteer where the next rest stop was.  Not knowing how much longer I needed to "hold it" probably would have wrecked me.  Thankfully around mile 14.7 there was a set of four Port-a-Potties and there were two open ones!  No waiting!  Afterward I felt much better, but was getting a bad stomachache.  For these four miles I struggled, trying to drink water and eat my Honey Stinger chews, walking a little and stretching to try and alleviate my cramp.  Around mile 17 the 4:15:00 pace group passed me and I was surprised to see them BEHIND me.  I lost them around mile 3 and thought they were ahead.  I was a little disheartened because I really wanted to keep up with them, but trying to run too hard on my stomach cramp just made me feel a lot of pain.  I alternated walking and running with a couple running their first marathon together so it was nice having some familiar faces with me.  

Miles 19-25 (Island Home): After finally alleviating my stomach cramp after alternating with the walk/run method I was finally able to keep running again.  I did stop and walk through the water stations on this stretch and I needed to stretch my legs on mile 21 and 24, but I finally was feeling strong again.  I also saw my friend who was pacing the 4 hr group and we high fived.  By the time I ran through the beautiful Island Home neighborhood (with many supportive spectators and adorable kids giving high fives), I finally felt like I was back to my old running self.  Toward the end of this section we ran up Sevier Ave. to Gay Street, and through Market Square.  All the spectators here in the square were eating brunch and cheering us on.  I also had a traffic cop start cheering for me and telling me I looked strong.  This was the rally I needed.  Hitting mile 25 there was a view of Neyland Stadium and our finish line and I started getting pretty excited!

Miles 26-26.5 (FINISH!): Running down through the starting line area there were tons of spectators cheering and yelling "almost there!"  Usually I hate hearing this, but now I couldn't stop smiling!  As we rounded the corner to head down the hill to Cumberland Ave. I remarked to another run this was the most painful downhill I've ever run in my life!  From here, there was a smaller than I remember uphill finish into Neyland Stadium.  There were a LOT of people walking in this section and I pulled out my phone to text NoKey I was on my way in while dodging the crowds.  The last .25 miles of this race were so emotional.  I felt the tears and the gasping of breath coming but tried to shake it off as I entered the stadium.  I heard the announcer say my name and hometown as I readied to run through the finish and I felt like I had run the entire race.  I remember screaming "I DID IT! with my arms raised high.  I finished with the couple running their first marathon together and hugged them and congratulated them, as I know they were struggling like I was.  

The after party involved me eating a ton of food and chatting with other fellow racers.  I met the 4:45:00 pacer and found out he and his father were also going to be running the Millinocket Marathon in December so we talked for a few minutes before heading home.  We made the decision to walk back to the car instead of taking the shuttle, which I credit to helping my legs stay loose after the race.  I also walked my dog before we went out for a huge dinner at the Chinese place here in town.  Other than a few kinks in the middle of the race, I had a really REALLY enjoyable race and I'm so happy I ran my first marathon.  The training was long and difficult, but in the end I finished strong and I cannot wait until next year.  

Credit, again, goes to my amazing coach Abby from Back At Square Zero.  Without her encouragement I really have no idea if this race would have gone as well as it did.  If you're thinking about training for a bigger than you're used to race, please check out her site - you'll be glad you did!

Sunday Runday - Week 14 of Marathon Training

My final week is here!  I cannot believe I've spent nearly 4 months of my life training for something. With this being my final week and the marathon being at the end of the week, I'm going to use this post to summarize all my feelings about the week.  I'll be doing a recap of the race for my Sunday Runday post next week.  Here's everything I got to do this week: 

Monday - ZERO MILES. I mean zero. I didn't even walk my dog today, which was fine because she took herself for a walk!  This afternoon I had a lot of posts to schedule for the blog and was outdoors testing some gear and refreshing my bear line tossing skills when my dog picked up a scent and ran off.  An hour later, NoKey picked her up running down the road with a giant raspberry briar dragging from her tail and hind legs.  We should have punished her, but she just seemed so happy to have taken an adventure that we just let it go. 

Tuesday - 8 mile work hike.  I had to hike the beautiful Ramseys Cascade Trail for work today (I know, what an awful task, right?!)  This hike is considered more strenuous, but hiking approximately 1-1.5 miles per hour isn't really strenuous for the guides.  I got my legs out and moving today, which is helping to keep me sane during my taper!

Wednesday - 3 easy miles.  I took to the greenway near my house for three easy effort miles, again, just to keep my legs loose.  I did some extra stretching and foam rolling for good measure. 

Thursday - 1.5 hour easy nature walk. Today is a big day for me as my boss finally signed me off to be a full fledged hiking guide!  It's really more of a formality being that I've already been out leading my own backpacking trips, but for day hikes we have to cram a lot of information into shorter hours.   I was given her blessing as a guide with the only feedback being to project myself more.  As a tiny lady, I can definitely stand to work on this!

Friday - 2 miles gentle hiking (work hike).  At the last minute a co-worker booked a hike in one of my favorite areas of the park - Greenbrier.  As a last minute add on I couldn't be more thrilled.  Like I said, taper madness is KILLING ME!  

Saturday - 3 miles hiking plus a long walk with my dog.  I should have run today, but my clients were an HOUR late for my hike, then I had to drive out to Knoxville to pick up my race packet. I really HATE when races don't offer pickup on the same day as the event.  It's really inconvenient when it's a 2-hour round trip drive.  I've never enjoyed race expos because I don't have all the extra money to pay for the overpriced T-shirts and stickers. I didn't get home until 5 p.m. It was a LONG DAY, but at least staying busy helped keep my mind off the event. 

Sunday - RACE DAY! I got up at 5 a.m. and was so nervous.  My first marathon... I can't believe after all this it's finally here.  I'm going to post a race recap in two weeks, but I will tell you that I finished, finished strong after a few crappy (and I mean crappy) miles in the middle of the race.  I finished in 4:25:05, but I think if I hadn't had stomach issues I could have done it in 4:15;00.  I'll be back next year Knoxville Marathon!

Well guys, that's it! My marathon training is complete.  My work schedule really makes it too hard for me to run in the spring, summer and fall.  My next scheduled race isn't until December - the Millinocket Marathon with NoKey!  He will be running his first ever half marathon then and I'm hoping to add a few 10K's or half marathons to my schedule in the fall as well.  Only time will tell how much training I'll be able to squeeze in.  I am going to run some miles here and there and I've set a goal of running twice per week for the next few months just to maintain some level of fitness for my legs.  With my job as a hiking guide I'll still be getting in plenty of miles, but something inside of me really wants to keep running.  

I'm linking up with the Women's Running Community Share-it Saturday!

Sunday Runday - Week 13 of Marathon Training

After my work schedule threw a wrench in my training plan last week I was really nervous to see if I could progress this week!  While I'm very thankful my schedule at work is starting to fill up, I really, really am wondering if I made the right decision to run a full marathon right at the beginning of the springtime hiking season.  Here's how my week in training went: 

Monday - 20 miles. HOLY CRAP!  Yes, 20 miles. And I ran them. All of them!  I was really scared to run these miles honestly.  I've done 20 mile days before on trail, but they took quite a few more hours to complete!  I kept reminding myself to take it slow in the beginning and not stress.  I actually turned my Garmin face down so I wouldn't keep looking at it and wondering how much further I had to go!  At miles 15 and 18 I needed to do a walking/stretching break for tight hips, but other than that I am really happy with how the miles turned out.  I can't believe how much I am capable of doing!

Tuesday - guide training and 3 recovery miles.  I did an easy 2-mile, 4 hour walk today in the Smokies and then came home to run my three easy recovery miles before dinner.  I definitely needed a shakeout after my 20 miler yesterday, but I'm really impressed at how NOT SORE my body is today. 

Wednesday - Recovery day.  I had two separate hikes scheduled for today, plus a meeting with a blog follower regarding her future AT thru hike plans.  I took the day as recovery and am bumping my run plans back a day. 

Cataract Falls on one of my hikes today. 

Thursday - 5 miles with strong finish.  By the time I got home from work I was starving! I decided to put off my miles until a few hours after my late lunch/early dinner.  Well, it started raining!  Thankfully we didn't get the forecasted thunderstorms, but only sprinkles with a few minutes of downpour.  I made great miles and ran 8:50 for my last mile - 25 seconds faster than the fourth mile! It felt great to be out in the rain and pushing my legs for the last time. 

Friday - 3 easy miles.  I worked a lot longer than anticipated today and NoKey was coming back home from Syracuse today.  If I wanted to have dinner with him and talk to him for a few minutes before he went to bed, that meant I wouldn't get my miles in until late.  At 9 p.m. I was finally able to get out and get moving.  The town I live in doesn't have much in the way of street lights I was surprised to find out. When I headed to our "greenway" (a wide sidewalk on a 6-lane road), I was shocked to discover there were no street lights.  I ran my way over to a tiny condo complex and ran about 12 laps around it since they had a few street lights.  I was definitely happy I was able to get my run in. 

Saturday - 10 miles taper.  I ran this by feel and I'm shocked at how fast I was going. I didn't feel like I was even putting in any effort at all.  Since I'm supposed to be tapering I'm nervous how it's going to affect me, but my legs are feeling amazing.  I also got my brand new customized Spandits in the mail today!  I ordered a longer short with an outside pocket for my hiker wallet (read- Ziplock baggie with my important stuff).  When I hitchhike I want to keep my wallet on me and this outside pocket is the best way I could think of to do just that.  I'm super excited about my new shorts!

I'm thinking this might be my new favorite outfit. 

Sunday - Rich Mountain Loop hike.  Even though there were thunderstorms predicted for today, I've been dying to get out with my friend Shannon for a hike again.  As a bonus - NoKey will be coming with us!  Check out my Instagram over the next few days for photos!

Total mileage: 41.2 (running)! Damn!  Now I'm one week out from the biggest event I've ever tried to tackle. I can't believe all my hard work is finally about to be put to the test. 

This week wouldn't have been possible AT ALL without the amazing Abby from Back At Square Zero!  She has been an absolutely amazing coach and been incredibly supportive of me, even when I feel like I've been a bit flaky or not trying hard enough.  My work schedule is definitely not easy on my body and it's been really, REALLY hard to train for a marathon when I'm getting in so many miles on my feet every single day.  Her method of easy/hard days for training has really clicked with me.  She's challenged me and supported me and I honestly don't know if I would be feeling this confident for my first marathon without her.  Check her out, especially if you're looking for a running coach over at BackAtSquareZero.com!

Are you training for any big events?  I'd love to hear about them!  Leave me a comment below or find me over on Facebook or Twitter to let me know how your week went. 

I'm linking up with the Women's Running Community Share it Saturday!

Sunday Runday - Week 9 of Marathon Training

Well after the difficult and tiring week I had last week, I rallied and got back on track this week.  We have had some crazy weather here in Tennessee and I think we saw three different seasons this week, but the running went very well!  Here is my weekly summary: 

Monday - 3 miles running; This was supposed to be a warm up mile, 2.5 hard effort miles, and a half easy mile with a cool down walk.  I loved doing this run!  It was sunny and warm, so how do you not like that?!

Tuesday - 11.5 miles easy hiking; a friend of mine from the Long Trail, South Pole, was in town with her friend Susan doing "map marker" hikes.  She is trying to hike all the trails in the Smokies and needs to do strange combinations of hikes to get all the miles done.  When she contacted me to see if I'd be interested in an easy hike, I jumped right on it!  We hiked Twin Creeks Trail, Old Sugarlands Trail, and the Gatlinburg Trail for 11.5 of the easiest miles in the entire park.  We even got a little bit of blue sky considering they called for rain all day.  I'll thank my umbrella for keeping the rain away :)

LeConte Creek. 

Wednesday - 7 miles running; for this run, I was supposed to run five comfortable miles followed by two very hard effort miles.  The wind was gusting at 30 mph, it would occasionally start raining heavy sheets of rain, and I ran this loop in an area where the sidewalks randomly end on high traffic roads.  People honked their horns at me more than usual on this run, probably because I looked like a crazy person running in the storm!  The final two hard effort miles were making my legs scream, but they were very enjoyable!

Thursday - 3 miles running; an easy recovery run was on the agenda for today. I chose to do them on the Gatlinburg Trail since I was up at the Park Headquarters for a meeting.  It was snowing throughout most of the run and the torrential storms from yesterday knocked over quite a few trees on the trail, so I got to practice my hurdle jumper skills!  Is it just me, or are the easy effort miles harder on your body? I was more sore after this run than I thought I would be!  After I got home I did a Bunny Slope workout on Youtube From Zuzka Light. 

Friday - REST!  I was supposed to be on an AT Shakedown hike with a client, but we had to bump the hike to next week due to bad weather and the roads being closed due to snow in the park. 

Saturday - 16 miles running; I had one of my "you must be a real runner now" moments when I didn't even feel like I hit my stride until well into my fifth mile!  From mile 5-16 I felt strong.  I ate a pack of Honey Stinger Chews and drank Nuun and I didn't feel tired, bonk, or even want to slow down.  I'm glad I finally found something that doesn't make my stomach seize up like the Gu gels do.  I also ran what my Garmin called my fastest half marathon time.  While it's not my PR, it's the fastest I've run 13.1 since December.  I ran this half for my Level Up Virtual Run - I won a free entry from Heather over at What the Heck, Why Not?  So thank you, Heather!  I can't wait to get my adorable BB8 medal in the mail!

Sunday - 10.6 miles hiking; an active rest day today and it was in the high 50s with bluebird skies all day.  We packed up our dog and drove to Frozen Head State Park (yes, where they hold the Barkley Marathons for those of you Ultra Runners out there!) where we hiked the Old Mac Trail loop and then did an out and back at Emory Falls.  It was a beautiful day and the trailheads were full.  One thing I really enjoyed about today was seeing how many people were hiking with very young children.  Lots of young kids and lots of dogs out enjoying the parks today!

Well, that was my week in training!  It seems like I got over my mid training slump earlier this month.  I'm still nervous about the fact that I signed up to run a freakin' marathon only about a month from now, but I'm going to stay positive!  How was your week?  Tell me all about your adventures or training in the comments below or find me over on Facebook or Twitter!

Sunday Runday - Week 8 of Marathon Training

This week saw me nursing what could turn into a nasty injury and also saw me hit my mid-point training slump.  Running is NOT appealing to me this week.  But then again, not a whole lot is appealing to me this week.  All the gray skies and canceled hikes I've dealt with since the snow last week have really put me into a funk.  Add to that the fact that we had to send our coffee maker back to Amazon and you've got one under caffeinated, tired lady. Here's how my week of training went down. 

Monday - Rest day.  I had a run scheduled, but after walking my dog I was having some peroneal tendon pain.  It had been tender since my 15-miler over the weekend and I have been rolling it out with Yoga Tune Up balls and icing/heating it.  It didn't feel strong enough to run so I took a rest day. 

Tuesday - 3.1 miles; speed work.  With the help of the ever talented and amazing Abby from Back At Square Zero I am trying to mix up my training with some new ideas.  She recommended I try doing the easy/hard method for training and today I went hard!  I did a half mile run, 2 miles of fast and hard running, and a half mile of cool down.  It was hard, I sweat buckets, and I was exhausted after.  I was also exhilarated!  It felt great, but my foot was still flaring up.  More icing at home!

Wednesday - Cross Training; Zuzka Light's Bunny Slope Workout followed by Leslie Fightmaster's Yoga for Hip Opening.  I had a 7-mile run scheduled, but I don't want to push it on my foot!  More icing and stretching today. 

Thursday - 4 miles trail running. I was supposed to have a guided hike today, but the clients were no shows.  No big deal - I had already planned on running the relatively wide and pretty Gatlinburg Trail that afternoon anyway!  It was sunny and 50 degrees.  My foot felt a lot better and I had no pain during the run.  It was a really hard run and I was breathing pretty hard, but it was also about 20 degrees warmer than it has been lately!

Friday - 3 miles guided hike, 3 miles dog walking.  I did a guided hike in the morning with a client who needed to basically cut the time of the hike in half.  We went at a nice pace and then I came home and took my dog for a 3-mile walk in the warm sunshine.  It was 70 degrees by the afternoon and a perfect day!

Saturday - 15 miles running.  Today was supposed to be 16 miles.  Remember how I said I'd been feeling run down all week? I felt kind of crappy this morning too.  I felt incredibly dehydrated, but I knew I wasn't.  I set out for my run loaded up with Nuun on my new hydration belt.  It was very windy and incredibly humid.  My run took me past an area by our enormous town compost facility and through the crowded, exhaust-filled strip of Pigeon Forge.  By mile 12 I was getting tired and at mile 14.1 I bonked.  I paused my Garmin, drank the last of my Nuun and rallied until mile 15.  I then walked the extra half mile back to my car as a cool down, scarfing down a honey roasted peanut Luna bar.  I don't consider this run failed as I only missed it by a mile and I had already walked my dog, so technically, I'd done 17.5 miles by the end of my run.  I'll call it a win!

Sunday - REST!  I did a nice 45-minute flow yoga workout and some foam rolling on my legs and feet.  Here's to hoping next week is a little bit kinder to me!

That was my week in training.  My next race is the Knoxville Marathon on April 3rd.  Are you training for anything?  How did your week go?  Let me know in the comments or over on the Facebook post!

Sunday Runday - Week 7 of Marathon Training

This week I really needed to shake off my disappointing race finish from last Saturday at the Strawberry Plains Half Marathon.  After sulking all day Sunday, I turned it around this week and, with the help of a blogging friend, I have a new plan in place for the next few weeks.  I also won a free virtual race entry from another blog, so I am planning to run a 30K the last weekend in February.  I have something in between my bad finish last week and my marathon in only 6 weeks (eeek!).  Here's how my week went: 

Monday - 3 easy miles running. I needed to do an easy run and needed to visit the laundromat today.  Lucky for me the laundromat sits right in front of the greenway here in my town.  I threw the stuff in the washer and hit the path for a quick and fast 5K.  I kept trying to slow down, but ended up just letting myself go with the flow.  It was an amazing run. 

Tuesday - Runner's Strength and Balance (Nike Training Club); 16 minutes; Leslie Fightmaster Yoga Fix 90 - Day 3 flow with Bird of Paradise

Wednesday - 8.6 STRONG miles!  It was cold today.  It was windy today. I knew I needed to get in my miles.  I ran the first 6 miles with the wind in my face, but the final 2.5 were downhill with the wind at my back.  I ran really strong and it felt great!

Foam rolling hurts so nice...! But it keeps my legs so happy. 

Thursday - Two long walks with the dog for 5 miles.  My dog had been a little under the weather earlier in the week, but pestered me twice for some walks today.  I think she overdid it because she is worn out again at the end of the day.  

Friday - Planned 3 fast miles; instead Leslie Fightmaster's 30 minute Detox yoga.  So it snowed again, which in the south means we can't do things.  They finally cleared the roads around 1 p.m., but I knew the greenways and sidewalks wouldn't be clear so I scrapped my plan and did a total body detox yoga flow instead.  

Saturday - 15 miles running. Yeah, 15 miles.  I still can't believe I did it!  I'm so excited and impressed. I was going to do one huge loop around two of the towns I live near, but I didn't want to carry water in my hands, so I made two loops and stopped by my car around mile 8.5 for a hydration break.  I was getting kind of tired at mile 12, but kept pushing.  I was on a huge runner's high the rest of the day.  It also helped that I knew my mom was cooking a big turkey dinner as we had family in town.  I got some good recovery food on a few hours later!

So excited about my big miles! 

Sunday - REST.  Yeah. I deserve it after yesterday I think.  Today was Valentine's Day and NoKey totally surprised me by showing up with a brand new hydration belt!  I wasn't expecting him to get me a gift at all, so to say I'm shocked is an understatement!  I can't wait to test this baby out a few times next week. 

A new piece of gear!  And it's purple/pink!  This means it pretty much matches every single outfit I own. 

That sums up my week pretty well!  The next race I'm training for is the Knoxville Marathon on April 3rd!  Are you in the process of training for anything?  How did your week go? Leave me a comment here or over on the Facebook page!

Transformation Tuesday - My Hiking Weight Loss Journey

While I normally do adventure recaps on Tuesdays, today I thought I'd do something a little different.  In the fitness community Transformation Tuesday is a big feature on social media across the internet.  Many of us like to share our journeys with each other if for no other reason than to say "life is never easy - I know it's hard and I got through."  It helps to inspire others to be their best selves.  I know for me that Tuesdays are always extremely motivational if for no other reason than I know this could be the story that changes someone's life!  For me personally, hiking saved me.  If it weren't for me finding this passion in my life I have no idea where I would be today.  Here is my story. 

This is me in June 2010, only 2 months after knee surgery and carrying more weight than I care to remember - both in my pack and on my body.  

After struggling through some personal issues in 2008 I had gained a few pounds.  My doctor was treating me for depression and the pills made me gain weight and slowed down my thyroid function.  The lower my thyroid functioned the more weight I put on and the more depressed I became.  It was a vicious cycle.  By early 2010 I was weighing close to 155 pounds. At 5'1" I was unhealthy and overweight.  Then, a slip and fall in a friend's kitchen caused major damage to my knee which required an easy surgery but required physical therapy to be able to walk and pedal a bike again.  I gained 25 more pounds due to the steroids and the physical inactivity.  I was absolutely miserable.  I had hired a personal trainer to help me lose the weight, but with my knee pain it was so hard to do many exercises without severe modification.  Weight training was helping me get stronger, but without cardio I knew I'd never lose the weight.  

Since I was in a lot of pain and walking was a skill I could manage I started hiking more seriously.  I could only do short day hikes, 3-4 miles, but since we live near a national park a lot of backpacking trips would fit this description.  I could do a round trip total of 6 or 8 or 10 miles in a weekend!  I started hiking as often as I could with a group I found on Meetup.Com that was local to my area.  I was often times the slowest person in the group, the one everyone took a break and waited for.  I was the one who didn't get a break ever because by the time I caught up to everyone they had been taking a break for a LONG time!  Sometimes I really got discouraged, but I had made some amazing friends in the group who helped support me and encourage me on those hard hikes. 

Me hiking through a rock quarry in August 2010 with my Meetup friends. 

Little by little, my injured knee got stronger every day.  After about 6 months of working with a trainer and spending my weekends with the hiking group I was able to start doing light impact cardio at a gym - elliptical and bike training.  While the pain in my knee was still aggravating, it had lessened dramatically and I was able to work on my endurance.  Combined with the strength training, I knew I was getting stronger and was slowly starting to do a better job keeping up with my friends on our hiking trips!  By the time we rang in 2011 I had dropped more than 30 pounds, my thyroid began functioning better on it's own, and my depression was lessening.  Not only was the physical activity helping my moods, but being outside in the fresh air and sunshine with good company was helping lift my spirits.  While I was shedding weight, I was also shedding a dark cloud that had been built up in my soul for a long time.  

Hiking on the Appalachian Trail in the Spring of 2011 - thinking how hard it would be to go all the way to Maine one day!

In the late spring of 2011 I met Jennifer Pharr Davis.  She was the female speed record holder for the Appalachian Trail.  She was going to try to (and did!) set the overall speed record during the summer.  I had already started throwing around the idea of doing a thru hike after spending some time with friends who had done large sections and, after meeting her and listening to how she spoke of the life changing experience of hiking the trail, I knew I had to do it... but how on earth would I manage something like that?!  That summer a friend of mine began a bucket list item - hiking the 900 miles of trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park before her next birthday.  She spent every single weekend out on the trails and by now I was one of the faster hikers.  I spent most of my weekends with Elise and other friends of hers doing obscure day hikes and combinations of trails that no one could ever even dream of!  With Elise at my side I took my first ever multi-day backpacking trip.  Because of all the hard work I put in with her, by the fall of 2011 I knew for sure I could not only start a thru hike but I also knew I would complete one!

Me at McAffee's Knob - the most photographed location on the entire Appalachian Trail.  May 2012. 

By the time I left for Springer Mountain in Georgia on March 27th, 2012 I had lost 50 pounds.  I was a strong hiker who for the first month of the trail didn't spend more than a night or two with the same person because I usually completed more miles.  I was physically prepared for the trail and even dropped 8 more pounds throughout the length of my hike.  By the time I walked to Maine I was the strongest and fittest person I had ever been in my life (with the worst diet probably!).  After getting back home to Tennessee I wasn't walking 20+ miles every day and the weight started to come back - much to my horror.  Granted, some of those last 8 pounds were caused by dehydration and would be gained back... but it's hard to tell yourself that when you've worked so hard to lose so much weight in the first place.  Hand-in-hand with coming back into the real world from a thru hike comes post-trail depression.  The inactivity and depression started throwing me back into a spiral of sadness I remembered from years ago and it scared me.  

I started running about a month after I got home from the AT as a way to stay busy and fit when I couldn't go hiking every single day. I was running 5K's at Thanksgiving and New Year's and doing the miles started to feel normal to me. After moving to Millinocket in 2013, I made it a priority to take a walk nearly every night around town.  Sometimes I even ran a 5K by looping twice around the greenway they had at Millinocket Stream.  It wasn't until we moved to Syracuse that I started seriously thinking about running as a way to fill my time.  I ran my first half marathon in the spring of 2015 after training through the brutally cold winter outdoors before daylight.  For the first time since finishing my thru hike I truly felt accomplished and proud of the things I was doing.  Running went from something I really hated to something that kept me focused and sane.  By the time we left for the Benton MacKaye Trail in the late spring of 2015 I was in the best cardiovascular shape I had ever been in!

Crossing the finish line of the Syracuse Half Marathon with an official time of 2:05:45 - better than the goal time I trained for!

I now consider myself extremely lucky to call myself a hiking guide.  I now get paid to share my love of the trails and backpacking with people who are new to the sport.  In my free time now I've run a multitude of races, added two more long-distance trails to my hiking resume, and I am even training for my first full marathon in the spring of 2016.  If you were to ask me 5 years ago if I ever would have seen myself here I would have told you that you were crazy!  

The reason I'm sharing this story now is because I feel like it's important to tell people that small changes add up.  I get messages of people asking me how to start hiking with a group; people who are slow and overweight like I was and are afraid to make others wait on them.  The reason I'm sharing this is to tell you that we all have to start somewhere.  Hell, I even had to learn how to WALK again before I could hike.  We all start slow.  We all need time to ease into it.  If you want to start hiking - GO FOR IT!  Hiking changed my life.  It saved my life.  I'd hate to think where I could be today without it.  

Has hiking caused a positive change in your life?  I'd love to hear about it!  Please leave me a comment or find me over on Facebook to get the conversation started!

Sunday Runday - Week 6 of Marathon Training

This week was my taper for the Strawberry Plains Half Marathon.  As luck would have it, I had guide training at work in the early part of the week and a hike in the middle of the week.  While I didn't get much running in this week, I was able to stay active!  Here was how my week in running went: 

Monday, 2-1: Hiking guide training - approximately 3 miles hiked.  We only did a bit of walking today, seeing the shorter and easier nature trails for short hour-long programs.  We also went out to the historic homes in Elkmont and did a talk about lightening safety.  It was rainy and cold today, so it was nice we got finished a little early!

Tuesday, 2-2: Hiking guide training - approximately 1 mile hiked.  We learned some other important skills during training today - knot tying, setting up tarps, and running a few medical scenarios.  I did a presentation with facts about the Appalachian Trail and one of our guides took us up on the AT at Newfound Gap for a short walk in ancient old growth forest.  The three new guides, Bethany, Matt, and Myself finished out the day by doing a tag-team group hike around a nature trail showing off the new facts we'd learned. 

The crazy group of talented people I get to call co-workers!

Wednesday, 2-3: 5 miles.  I was supposed to have a hike today, but torrential rains overnight made our trail unsafe.  I was able to get some housework done, and did a five mile run as a shakeout. 

Thursday, 2-4: 8 miles hiking.  I did a job shadowing today with another guide.  We took one client up to Ramsey Cascade on a long day hike.  Today is the first time I've ever been up to Ramsey's Cascade and been completely alone without anyone else on trail.  I got to learn some more about different trees and identification during the winter, which was really exciting!

The beautiful Ramsey's Cascades! 

Friday, 2-5: 3 miles.  I took a quick 3.2 mile shakeout run in the warm afternoon sun, just to make sure my legs still felt strong and fresh after working around my strange schedule this week!

Saturday, 2-6: 13.1 miles - Strawberry Plains Half Marathon.  I really hoped to run not only a PR for this race, but also to run a sub 2-hour half marathon.  Around mile 10 I figured out this wasn't going to happen and was absolutely deflated.  I did run my last 2 miles very strong, but ended up running 2:05:10.  I cried a little, but after I got some food I rallied for a proper finish photo. I'm really, really sad about my finish time, as I had really trained hard and remained injury free for this race.  My next half isn't until December 2016, so I have plenty of time to whittle down my time. 

Sunday, 2-7: Active rest.  All I'm doing today is walking my dog and stuffing my face with food during SuperBowl Sunday!  Next week I'll be running faster and adding in some extra mileage as I ramp up my marathon training!  

In case you missed it, I still have an SLS3 Dual Pocket Running Belt giveaway running until 2-9-16 from a post last week.  Click here to enter and, if you just can't wait to see if you won, use the link to purchase one from Amazon on sale!

I am contemplating signing up for a 30K at the end of February, but as for now my next race is the Knoxville Marathon on April 3rd, 2016.  What are you training for?  How was your week in running? Leave me a comment!

Tried it Tuesday - SLS3 Dual Pocket Running Belt (#Giveaway, Review, and Discount!)

Disclaimer: I was sent this belt for free in exchange for an HONEST review.  All opinions are my own, and y'all KNOW I wouldn't recommend any gear I wouldn't use myself! I did not receive any other compensation, nor will I if you use the link below to purchase the belt. 

Regardless of whether you're reading my blog  because you're a runner or a hiker, I know you like new gear.  All of us do.  When I was offered the opportunity to try this new SLS3 Dual Pocket Running Belt I jumped at the chance!  Not only would this come in handy for running, which I'm doing a LOT of these days, it would also be great for me on a day hike!  My day hiking pack doesn't offer a hip belt and I've been thinking of upgrading, but now I don't have to!  I am really excited to share my thoughts on this belt with you guys and also offer a giveaway at the end of the post!

This run belt can hold an iPhone 6 in a waterproof case on one side and then fuel and your car key in the other!  It's got a buckle and elastic waist band too! SLS3 has thought of everything!

My old running belt is a Flip Belt.  While I do like the belt, lately I've been having issues with my phone falling out of it on runs, and usually it falls out, no joke, when I'm crossing an intersection. Seeing that this belt had a zipper, I knew that problem would no longer be in my future!  Another thing about the Flip Belt is that it's one continuous piece of fabric.  While it holds a lot, you have to slip it on over your head or put it on like a skirt.  Taking it off in public places sometimes gets you weird looks!  This SLS3 belt has a clip at the waist.  Not just a regular clip, but a heavy duty clip like you would see on a backpack.  This thing is going to snap in place and stay put. 

I snapped this belt on for a 7-mile run this week and decided to try it out in between layers.  I put it on over my merino undershirt, but underneath my long sleeved top.  You can hardly even tell I'm wearing it, which is another great feature.  It's awkward when you've got a belt that makes you look all lumpy underneath.  This one is sleek and fits well.  I especially appreciate the elastic in the waist band, as it stays snug and secure without riding up, which my Flip Belt also does after a few sweaty miles.  I ran the entire seven miles without this thing moving one time.  I took it out again the next day for 7 more miles and again it felt comfortable.  Today, however, I did have problems with the belt migrating.  It didn't ride up, but it did spin around a bit and ended up on me sideways for quite a bit of the run.  I didn't feel like fooling with it as my pace was great, so I left it alone.  It didn't bother me or feel weird, just having the weight of my phone on my side was a little strange. 

If I didn't have headphones on, you wouldn't even notice I'm wearing a running belt!

After running twice with this belt, I decided to take it on trail with me for a few hikes!  My day pack doesn't have a hip belt, so I can wear the belt and a backpack while out just for a day.  I used the belt to carry my lip balm and car key in one pocket and my ID, debit card, and some cash in the other.  I honestly forgot I was even wearing the belt.  It sat comfortably and didn't rub my back, even where the belt and the pack were riding in the same place.  Again, I wore this belt over my merino undershirt but under a long-sleeved tech shirt.  

So this belt sounds pretty cool, right?  Well, thanks to SLS3 you have the chance to win one for yourself!  Use the Rafflecopter Widget below to enter to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't want to wait and see if you're a winner? You can buy this belt right now in the SLS3 Amazon store for 57% off at a special introductory price - only $12.90 instead of the usual $29.00.  Here's the link ----->  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017DRIKFY

Do you own a belt for hiking or for running? Which color belt would you want if you won? Leave me a comment below!

Info about the giveaway: The giveaway will be running from Feb. 2, 2016 until Feb. 9th, 2016. Winner will be notified via email (if available) and/or blog post, and will have 24 hours to claim prize.  If original winner does not claim prize within 24 hours, an alternate winner(s) will be selected.  Contestants must enter on the Giveaway widget in order to win.  All winning entries will be verified. If a winning entry cannot be verified as completed, a new winner will be drawn.  Winner will be provided the prize directly from SLS3.  Substitutions unlikely but may apply.  Sprinkles Hikes is not responsible for failure of sponsor to deliver product.

I am linking up with Running with SD Mom and Erica Finds so others can enter to #WinAllThePrizes too!

Sunday Runday - Week 5 of Marathon Training

I don't know how the weather looks where you're at right now, but here in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains the weather has been looking better each day this week!  While earlier in the week running felt like it was a bust, later the temperatures rose and the sun made an appearance to round out an active week in training.  Here's how it went: 

Monday - Active rest day.  I took the day off after my long 12-miler the day before, mostly because it seems like I've been reading a LOT lately about the importance of truly resting your muscles leading into a race week.  I did a Yin Yoga class by Leslie Fightmaster and made sure to foam roll twice today. 

Tuesday - Total Adrenaline (NTC - 30 min.) It was spitting rain all day long today and wasn't much more than freezing.  I chose to skip my run and stay indoors for cross-training instead.  I followed it with a slow vinyasa yoga video. 

Wednesday - 7 miles.  I took a new running route today and made a loop on what our city calls a Greenway.  It is what most other places would call a sidewalk on the side of a busy 6-lane road.  The smells of the car exhaust for 7 miles was kind of obnoxious, but I ended up running strong and pulled off negative splits, so I'm very happy!

A good and easy run! 

Thursday - 7 miles.  After running with the traffic the day before, I went back to my old faithful running path.  It was chilly, but my legs felt incredibly strong despite running just the day before.  

Friday - hiking 9.5 miles.  I took my friend Shannon hiking for the very first time on this gorgeous sunny day!  She had the day off and had never been hiking, so we did not one, but TWO hikes!  We hiked up to Courthouse Rock and Qulliams Falls before deciding we hadn't had quite enough trail and did a second off-trail hike to the stone house in the Sugarlands.  I'm so incredibly proud of my friend for being a bad ass and pulling off so many miles!

Saturday - hiking 4 miles.  Today I had hiking guide training in the Greenbrier section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The hiking today was what we describe at our company as "hideously slow." And I mean it.  It took us nearly 6 hours to complete an incredibly easy 2 mile hike during the morning.  We did a lot of interpretation and had a short lunch break before tackling a second trail - this one went much quicker as we didn't want to lose any daylight!

Even with temps in the high 50s for a few days, the ice from Jonas is still sticking around! 

Sunday - hiking 4.5-5 miles.  Another day of hiking guide training means I didn't have time to get in my 9-mile taper long run this weekend.  I was hoping to have the time after training, but it has been running long, unfortunately.  I did get to see some new parts of the trail and a really cool cave, and of course I got to spend the day outside when the temperature was in the high 50's and the sun was shining all day.  

Well, even though I didn't get in the running miles I'd hoped, I was active all week.  How is your training going?  Do you have any events coming up soon? 

Sunday Runday - Week 4 of Marathon Training

I apologize for not having too much in last week’s post other than training details!  I meant to write it before I published and it just slipped my mind.  Let’s delve into this week’s training by looking at the weather.  Winter is finally here in the Southeast.  We got about an inch and a half of snow at our house on Wednesday.  That minute amount of snow, however, means that the entire town shuts down. No mail, no garbage pickup, no salting the roads.  It was eerily quiet at our house up on the hill, where we usually hear traffic in the winter due to the leaves falling off the trees.  I was hoping the snow wouldn’t damper my training plan this week.  Here’s how I did. 

Monday: Strength and Balance for Runners (16 min) - NTC.  This workout was sort of yoga-lates.  It was fun with light weights and strength training. 

Tuesday - 7.5 miles in the cold; 35-minute yin yoga cool down. It was 17 degrees with a real feel of 10 when I headed out for my tempo run.  The sun was shining and there was minimal traffic.  I didn’t see a single other person on the Greenway.  I planned to run 7, but felt so good I decided to run an extra half mile lap around the park before stretching. 

Wednesday - Full Body Balance Yoga - Leslie Fightmaster (35 min).  This balancing class was tough on my legs, but I definitely could tell how much better I am getting at yoga.  Poses like twisted half moon actually stuck and my legs are getting more flexible.  I can’t believe how far I’ve come. 

Anywhere is a trail when you have snow! 

Thursday - 1 mile - failed running attempt.  The snow melted and the roads looked great, so I headed down for a run. After a short 0.6 miles i noticed a pulling-type pain in my Achilles tendon on my right foot.  I tried to run through it, but it continued so I quit at 1 mile. I canceled out my Garmin and started walking back to my car.  When I got to the lot I tried running again, but it definitely pulled harder, so I cut my losses and headed home to put a heating pad on the Achilles and foam rolled a few times. 

Friday - Goal Getter (18 Min) NTC.  My Achilles was still sore on my afternoon dog walk, so I decided to do some cross training instead.  This short workout got me to sweat, so I'm happy with that. 

Saturday - Walking in the snow (!) for an hour with Gracie and NoKey.  Since we were all home and we didn't have anything better to do, we took a snowy walk with the dog.  The main road near our house had been salted and since we only got about 2 inches of fine, powdery snow it made for a beautiful walk.  Below are a few photos NoKey took of the neighborhood.  I love living up on a mountain!

A snowy scene. 

The road is clear! 

Sunday - 12 slow miles. This is my last run before my taper weeks before my next big race. I was starting to feel some Achilles pain around 8.75 miles, so I ran by my car, paused the Garmin, and took a water break while walking for about 2 minutes.  This breather was just what I needed to push through.  I wanted to quit at 10 miles, but I just ran two bigger loops to get the 12 done.  I didn't have what it took mentally, but somehow pulled through just fine.  I came home and did the Yoga With Adrienne runners cool down yoga and did some foam rolling to help out my Achilles. I can't get an injury now!

Well, that’s how my training went for the week.  The next race I’m doing is the Strawberry Plains Half Marathon on February 6th.  How did your training go? 

Sunday Runday - Week 3 of Marathon Training

Monday 1-11: Advanced Yoga (45 min) - Nike Training Club.  I seriously cannot wait for Friday when I'm done with this program.  The yoga on this app is terrible! On the positive side, my wrist is starting to feel better. 

Tuesday 1-12: 7 mile tempo run.  This run felt great and my times are getting faster, back to where they were before my injury. 

Wednesday 1-13: Slacker today. I was supposed to do a 30 minute NTC workout and planned some yoga afterward.  I honestly didn't feel like it and instead did a 3-mile walk with my dog and baked a lemon cake.  Worth it! :) 

Thursday 1-14: 5 miles w/cadence & step work.  This was my first ever attempt at cadence & step work!  The goal was to run 0:30 at full pace and then walk for 1:00 for six cycles.  I needed to count my steps to make sure my strides were efficient.  Bad news is I'm terrible with numbers, so I took a little tip from my WFR Training and duct taped my leg and carried a Sharpie. I was able to write down all my steps and continue running!

Step work with a little hikertrash ingenuity! 

Friday 1-15: Conditioning Corps - NTC (30 minutes).  Since I'm thankfully finished with my Nike Training club conditioning plan, I could chose my own workout.  I chose this beginner workout that used light weights and my knees were so happy without all the lunges and squats of the intermediate program!

Saturday 1-16: Long run - 11 miles. My legs were toast this morning.  I didn't want to do the run at all, but tomorrow's forecast shows temps about 20 degrees cooler with snow in the high elevations, meaning that there will be freezing rain or sleet down in the foothills of the Smokies, where I train.  I dragged myself out of the house after breakfast and put in the miles.  The first 6 felt amazing, but then the hill on mile 7 crushed my pace and I never recovered.  The run was slow, but it's done. 

Sunday 1-17: Active rest.  My body is tired after this week.  I think it's due to the weather being kind of a mess.  I took a nice hot Epsom bath and did Leslie Fightmaster's Vinyasa Evening Flow class on Youtube.  I'm hoping my paces look better next week after some rest!

My favorite hip stretch - Cowface pose. Definitely needed after this week! 

Well, that was my week!  How was your week? Are you training for an event? I'd love to chat with you - leave me a comment!

This post is a part of the Women's Running Community link-up party!

WRC Saturday - #WRCShareIt

Sunday Runday - Week 2 of Marathon Training

So I realized after publishing last week's post that I forgot to mention something really cool - during a giveaway spree by my favorite running blogs last month, I won a free month of run coaching from offtorun.com.  I am by no means an elite runner and I thought getting a coach would be kind of... well, snooty.  I have to tell you how excited I am that having a run coach, especially when you don't have many friends who run in the area, is proving to be an amazing experience. With LouAnn's guidance, I'm hoping to PR in my next event - The Strawberry Plains Half Marathon.  This week in running went much better than last week.  I felt stronger and seemed to have worked out my nutritional needs with my coach's help.  

Monday 1/4: Advanced Yoga with Nike Training Club - 45 minutes.  I did have to modify some of the poses that required me to hold my weight with my left wrist.  The small cyst that developed does make it painful to hold planks sometimes. 

Tuesday 1/5: 7.1 miles slow run/45 min. cross training.  NoKey had to have some dental work done, so I drove him to his appointment and went running in the neighborhood, which is one I run in quite frequently.  By the time I finished my cool down, he was ready to head back out to the car so timing couldn't have been better!  I felt great and did the Body Buffer workout from my NTC app in the evening. 

Showing off on Instagram :) 

Wednesday 1/6: Active rest day.  After a 7 mile run and 45-minute workout the day before, I earned this one!

Thursday 1/7: 6.5 mile run.  This run felt more difficult to me and I thought about doing just five miles instead of the 6.5.  There was a bit of a headwind a few times and I felt slow, but pushed through. 

Friday 1/8: Curve Carver from NTC - 30 minutes. 

Saturday 1/9: 10 mile long run with intervals.  I have to say I was skeptical of this run. With LouAnn's coaching, she recommended on my long runs of more than 10 miles I simulate water stops during a race, running for 9 minutes and walking for 1 minute.  I decided that since my pace has been a little slower lately, I would run 10 minutes and walk 30 seconds.  I cannot believe that 1) This didn't affect my time on the run - I ran pretty much the same as I do without the break; 2) My legs actually felt good and I was able to push strong on my last mile. I also carried hydration with me on this run which was awkward at first, but it really helped me.  I've been getting headaches a few hours after my long runs for a few months now and the extra water I drank during the run really seemed to help it go away. 

Sunday 1/10: NTC Jump Around (30 min) and Leslie Fightmaster's Relaxing Yoga Flow (30 min.)

So, how did your training go this week? Are you training for any upcoming races? Leave me a comment or catch me over on Facebook to talk about it!

Sunday Runday - A new toy and marathon training begin!

December 28, 2015 - January 3, 2016

This is my first week back into running since my injury at the Santa Hustle Half Marathon back in December. That injury really threw me a curveball - every time I would tape up something on my leg, the pain would migrate someplace else entirely.  After getting a foam roller (I normally use Yoga Tune Up balls), I've been able to pinpoint it to an IT band and glute muscle issue. The foam rolling and light runs have really helped.  I still have some knee pain, but it's difficult to tell anymore what is a new injury and what is an old injury for me. I've had problems with the left knee since a surgery in 2009, so to say I'm used to knee pain is definitely an understatement!  Let's look at my week in marathon training: 

Monday 12/28: Dynamic yoga (15 min) from Nike Training club. I also discovered a ganglion cyst in my wrist this week. It seems like my injuries are trying to keep me from all the things keeping me sane!

Tuesday 12/29: 3.1 miles. This was my first run since my injury and I'd be lying if I said it felt great to be back out there.  Not only was my leg still pretty sore, I could NOT figure out my gait. I kept running normally with the right foot and running tip-toe style with my left foot - a limping kind of run. I felt out of shape and generally crappy the entire run. 

Wednesday 12/30: Competitor (45 min) from Nike Training Club.  I didn't feel like working out AT all, but I did it with some slight modifications to protect my left knee. I felt much better after finishing. 

Thursday 12/31: Wipeout (30 min) from Nike Training Club.  I killed this workout on NYE to help myself stay awake.  I promptly crashed at 12:01 a.m.

Friday 1/1: 5 miles.  I was nervous doing this run, mostly because of how poorly my 5K went on Tuesday.  I felt kind of cruddy the first two miles or so, but I had been actively working on my gait and it all clicked into place around 2.5 miles in.  I ran strong for miles 3-4 and then hitting mile 5 I felt amazing.  My last mile was my fastest.  I also ran for the first time with my new Garmin Forerunner 10 - which I bought myself on Christmas morning with a giftcard (thanks mom and dad!)

Saturday 1/2: Active rest day. 

Sunday 1/3: 7.01 miles. I started off with a short walk before beginning the run today.  Around 2.75 miles into the run I got a stitch and needed a short walking break for about a block.  The stitch worked out and I was able to run again.  I was feeling stronger than I did on my five mile run earlier in the week and when I looked at the Garmin and saw I had almost 6 miles in, I decided to run for 7 instead, just because I felt strong.  My training plan had me down for 9, but I knew that would just be too far to push it, as I was starting to feel tightness in my Achilles tendon and knew I shouldn't push on.  I did Leslie Fightmaster's Yoga for Runners when I got home. 

How did your runs go this week?  Are you actively training for any races right now?  My next race is the Strawberry Plains Half Marathon on 2/6/16!

Sunday Runday - Santa Hustle Half Marathon

For those of you following me on Instagram or Twitter, you know that when I'm not actively doing a lot of hiking I am a runner.  I'm starting a new category on my blog called Sunday Runday, where I'll recap the week in running and my next adventure - training for my first marathon.  For the first installment of Sunday Runday, I'm going to write about my second half marathon, which I ran on December 13th, the Santa Hustle.  

The Santa Hustle took place on an unseasonably warm morning in December - it was already nearly 50 degrees at 6:45 a.m. and incredibly foggy. They were calling for weather in the low 70s by early afternoon, so I set out for this race wearing shorts and a T-shirt!  The turnout for the race was much smaller than I anticipated. There were only 640 runners in the half marathon, so the course wasn't crowded. Also, unlike any race I've EVER run this one actually started on time!  At 7:30 a.m. we took off uncerimoniously.  The first three miles of the race I was feeling great, despite being soaking wet from the thick fog.  After hitting mile three, the race climbed the first hill and turned away from the river which also helped with the fog.  By mile five the sun was peeking through the clouds and I felt like I was hitting my stride. 

Miles 6-7 were remarkable because the leaders were starting to head back toward the finish. It was a lot of fun to cheer them on since there weren't really any spectators on this course to do the traditional cheering you see during a road race.  When I hit the halfway mark I was surprised to see how many runners were still behind me.  It felt great to be moving at a comfortable pace.  This is also when I met girl in the white tank top.  She was walking when I saw her, but every time I caught up to her she would start running again for a few minutes.  She'd start walking again, but continue to repeat the pattern of run/walk every time I caught her.  By mile 10 I was starting to slow down.  I felt tired despite actually running downhill. I wouldn't say I had hit the wall, but I felt like I was hitting the brakes.  

When mile 11 came after what felt like hours since seeing mile 10, I started to feel a little bit more energized, especially because I knew the course was pretty flat from here to the finish line.  Mile 12 came even faster and there were more people cheering at this point.  They had a cookie and candy station between mile 12 and 13 with lots of smiling and cheering volunteers, so that was helpful also.  Mile 13 felt like sweet victory for two reasons - I was almost done running and I finally sprinted past girl in the white tank top!  I grabbed my finisher's medal, a few bananas, a few waters, and a few Clif bars and wandered back to my car. 

I signed up for this race back in October in hopes that it would motivate me to start running again. Once I started training for the race I started to have some serious doubts about my ability to run it at a decent speed.  With all the multi-night backpacking trips and then the 10 days I took to go to the Wilderness First Responder training I took back in November I really lost a lot of training days.  Thankfully, I was able to train well enough to get in a full session.  Unfortunately, the last week of my training, the taper week, turned out to be a disaster.  I started feeling some shin pain on my very last run and I got a hamstring cramp, but I ran through it and it didn't bother me again. After an active taper week, I K-taped my injuries and hoped for the best.  I did a poor job with the K-tape the morning of the race and lost all of it off my knee.  The sprint I pulled at the end of the race ended up pulling my hamstring and causing an injury worse than the shin splints. 

So this week I spent K-taping my hamstring and actively doing compression from my thigh to my knee.  The first day was by far the worst and I'm feeling much better than I did post race.  I was planning to take a few easy weeks before diving into marathon training January 1st, but knowing I've got an injury really makes me nervous.  I'll focus on injury recovery on my next post. 

I hope you enjoyed my race recap and my very first Sunday Runday post!  

Five Ways Running is Similar to Hiking

Many of you following me on Instagram know by now that when I'm not out hiking a trail I'm at home running and planning for my next race.  While I've got a few half marathons under my belt, I've taken the leap and decided to train for a full 26.2 mile marathon in the spring - The Covenant Half Marathon in April.  While I hated running before I was a thru hiker, after my 2012 hike I discovered that running is one of the few things short of doing another thru hike that can keep me sane.  I've noticed some similarities between the two in recent months.  Here's how I think running is like hiking. 

Time to Clear Your Head

Running is my "me" time.  Whether I'm running 3 miles or 13 miles, I can use this time during the day to walk off whatever is bothering me or think through some ideas.  In a world where we are increasingly dependent on electronic devices (yep, even when I run I'm tracking my progress!), taking the time to focus only on my breath and my thoughts helps me come up with more creative ideas, whether it's for suggesting new hikes at work or coming up with blog post ideas for you guys!  Just like when you find yourself wrapped up in your own thoughts on a long and quiet hike, running can provide peace for your mind. 

Runner Hunger

Just like when I'm on a long hike, when I'm training for a race my appetite hits out of control hungry girl mode.  I normally eat a lot of small "meals" throughout the day anyway, but when I'm in the middle of training I am eating around 8 times a day with legitimate hunger pangs. When I'm really in the thick of training, just like when I'm hiking I can tell you what time it is just by the growling of my stomach.  Second breakfast is REAL people!

The Internal Struggle

Something a lot of people don't know about me is that I'm mostly a pessimist.  When I was on any given long distance hike I never had the idea in my head that I would succeed and complete the hike - or any hike for that matter.  I had a blog follower ask me years ago when I knew I would finish the entire AT and I told them the minute I touched the sign on Baxter Peak of Katahdin was when I knew I would complete the trail.  The same is true for me and running. On any given run, especially on my longer days, I don't ever feel like I'm going to complete the entire length of the mileage I've planned until I'm back at the car stretching.  I have no idea why, but maybe it's a good way of keeping myself from getting disappointed on less-than-stellar runs. 

Exhaustion After a Long Session

No matter how fit I think I am or how good I'm feeling, a long run - just like a long hike - can drain me.  When I'm on a long-distance hike using the excuse of getting into town and getting some delicious and greasy food will make you do incredible distance.  When I'm training for a big race, the promise of getting extra brownies and a big serving of chocolate milk is enough to make me push harder.  Also just like when I'm on trail, that big push will zonk me out and render me useless on my recovery day.  On trail, we take zero days.  In the real world, I take binge watch a TV series days. 

The Sense of Accomplishment

When you finish a long hike you are on top of the world!  Exhausted and possibly swearing off hiking forever, but on top of the world nonetheless.  The same is true for running.  When I finished my first half marathon nine months ago I had trained all winter, sometimes getting up and running before the snowplows came and scraped away the layer of powder falling the night before.  Running by headlamp with flashing reflective clip-ons in the pre-dawn hours all to say I ran 13.1 miles without stopping.  When I finished the race I was jubilant and I ugly-cried after they gave me my finishing medal.  There is something about the hard work and dedication paying off that can make running and doing a long hike incredibly rewarding. 

These are just a few of the things I find running and long hikes have in common.  Do you run for fun?  Did you take up ultra running after a thru hike?  I'd love to chat with you about your experiences.  Please leave me a comment below or click on the Facebook post and get the conversation started!