National Running Day at GHS!

Yesterday the school community came together as a running community to celebrate National Running Day.

It started about a week ago with displays in the Information Center that showcased running photos, medals, and all the reasons Why [We] Run!

We wore our running shirts like we did last year.

We donated our old shoes to the local running store recycling program.

After school teachers and students gathered together for a 5K run on the local trail.

At the finish line everyone enjoyed the ZOOMA Ambassador goodies from Cytomax and Muscle Milk and a few prizes from Sweaty Bands, Ultimate Direction, and Mizuno.

How did you celebrate National Running Day?

Training Truths: 4 Ways to Stay Motivated

Last week mrC left for ground school and will be gone for three weeks. One of the hardest parts about having him gone is facing run days and still getting myself out the door...alone.

Tuesday - Beyond the fact that mrC wasn't around, there were lots of reasons I was tempted to put off this run: questionable weather, busy day at work, hunger...but I changed into running clothes and that helped get me out the door. Even though my legs felt heavy, I'm happy with my run and excited that my fast last mile streak continued one more run! (9:24, 9:09, 9:15, 8:55)

Thursday - Considered putting this run off until Friday until I saw the weather forecast. Running on a gorgeous day is far better than in a downpour, even if I was tired. While my legs were not happy with the hills, my final speedy mile streak continued! (9:18, 9:02, 9:27, 9:00). I felt so good after that I even did some planks (it's been awhile).

Saturday - After a fitful night's sleep, I woke up feeling sluggish. Worried I would be struggling at SurfSet, I drank some VEGA Sport Sugar-Free Energizer to help boost my energy for a better performance. It was just what I needed for an awesome workout.

Saturday - I cannot resist a run on the beautifully paved Manchester Trail, so even though I was running low on energy after SurfSet, I knew that the scenery of the trail would perk me up. Despite a major blunder when I paused my watch at a light and forgot to restart it, I was happy with my pace - even if my last mile wasn't super speedy this time (9:23, 9:23, 9:25, 9:11, 10:49, 9:37).

What quirky tricks do you use to keep yourself motivated?

Five Gym Bag Summer Must Haves

As the seasons change, so do the items in my gym bag. After recently having skin cancer surgery, what goes in my bag takes on a whole new importance as the summer weather arrives.

1. Sunscreen - Even on overcast days, I'm wearing it. I love Neutrogena and use it on my body and the baby face formula on my face.
2. Headband - I use headbands for any workout. They keep my sweaty hair out of my sweaty face. A lot of my favorites are from Sweaty Bands.
3. Hat - Protecting my face from the sun is so much more important to me now. One of my favorites is from Athleta.
4. Water Bottle - I carry water or Cytomax on nearly all my runs, especially in the warmer weather. My Simple Hydration bottle makes it so easy to access my drink, but stay hands-free.
5. Sunglasses - Not my favorite running accessory, but another layer of sun protection. I received a pair of Under Armour Marbella to review a couple of months ago and I love them.


What's in your gym bag for the summer?

Today I'm linking up with the hosts of Friday Five: Cynthia, Courtney, and Mar. 

Training Truths: Back On My Feet

By now, you have probably heard about Mizuno's new campaign to get people running and support the Back On My Feet program at the same time. If not, here are the basics: Download the Mizuno Baton App and use it on your runs. For every mile that you run during a one week window, Mizuno will donate $1 to Back On Your Feet.

Now every run means even more.

Tuesday - Beautiful 4 mile trail run after school. Managed my pace better and finished with a 8:56 final mile.

Thursday - With questionable weather looming, I opted to do my 4 mile run from home instead of school. It turned out that I beat the rain and finished with another awesome final mile at 8:41! Then I hung out with the boys.

Saturday - My first workout of the day was SurfSet where we really worked our upper body. Now I'll know what's in store when the instructor says to grab two sets of weights.

(note: I am whimpy, so my weights are very light!)

The weather on Saturday was again questionable, so instead of running downtown after SurfSet, I came home. Hoping for better weather on Sunday for a long run, I chose to do a virtual 5K and used a tempo mix from RockMyRun. It wasn't a good tempo run, but I had another awesome last mile (9:22, 9:44, 8:47).

Sunday - No surprise that I woke up a little stiff from Saturday's SurfSet, but to loosen up I did a 10 minute ab workout (from Comcast on-demand, who knew?) and then loved on my foam roller. After selecting the Run Chat Fan Mix by RockMyRun as my pace music, I set out for a six miler that turned out way better than I expected. I'm happy with my overall pace, but even happier with my splits because for once I'm not all over the place. Mile 4 was a continuous climb that started with a steep 150' gain over about 350 yards. And of course I love that my last mile was once again my fastest.

Do you dedicate your runs?

I've got Disco Fever (10K variety)!

Last Saturday was the fourth year for the TI Disco Fever 5K/10K, but it was my first time running it. Christine & Sarah, the owners of TI Fitness where I SurfSet, organized this charity event. These ladies are so inspiring and super fun to be around.

I grew up listening to disco music, so I was pumped to join the fun and play a little dress up.

On my way to registration, I ran into some of the girls from the There She Goes Again running group and chatted for a few minutes.

The race was held at the World Sports Grille in Manchester and pre-race booths were set up in the lower level of the garage. I love the race shirt made by b Positive, but the sizes run very small, so it's likely that I won't be wearing it.

While waiting to make my way to the start line, I checked out Blue Trailer, a mobile rental locker service launched in March by a runner named Molly. Her #lockitup concept was born from the need to store items securely at a race/event. It's a great idea, especially when the weather is less than favorable at the start, your car is far away, and there's no bag check.

The 5K and 10K started at the same time, but were separated by about 50 yards. Both followed the same route along the Manchester Trail until just before the 2 mile mark when the 5K split off. It was fun to run along the trail since it is one of our regular choices for long runs.

As usual, mrC joined me on this groovy adventure. We stuck together for most of the run, but he had to walk at mile 5 and I just wanted to get to the finish.

After the race, runners could immediately check results and then head over to the World Sports Grille deck for post-race live music, beverages, and food. I will definitely do this one again!

Do you like themed races?