Finally Happened + 10 Things I Wish I Knew 10 Years Ago.

(Tank, shorts, shoes)

I was going to attempt a workout on the roads, but doing one on the trails sounded like a lot more fun and ended with a new segment PR.

Three of my six runs last week were on the trails and I like those numbers a lot.

I’ve done this trail (according to Strava) 24 times over the last two years because it is a pretty heavily populated one, so I feel good doing it alone.  Over the 10 miles, I gained 1200 ft, so there are many ups and downs throughout it.   Along this trail, there is a segment called the ‘three bears,’ three hills (that go up in size with each one) that I’ve tried to PR on for a while, and it finally happened on Saturday.   I felt like I would pass out by the end of it, but it was definitely worth pushing it and a great deposit into my next race’s bank account.

PS you can read my blog post with the best trails in Utah County HERE!

All I could think about in the last mile of my run was coming home and eating guacamole.

And then I made mini superhero muffins.  Beck and Skye gobbled them up.  Beck has started getting pickier lately with what he will eat, but these made the cut for him.  I cooked them for 13 minutes instead of 35, like the recipe says because they were mini.

We snuggled up with some books, and then when Beck went down for a nap I did some planks, squats, and lunges.  I didn’t have time for a lot, but I reminded myself that ten minutes is better than zero minutes.

Another highlight from Saturday was going shopping for birthday gifts for Brooke.  We have a new locally owned store in our mall that gives people that work in the medical field 10% off, and they do all of the gift wrapping for free.  We will be buying every toy from here on out here (Teton Toys… they have one in Jackson Hole too)!

And my favorite rice bowl while we were out…

Brooke got home at around three on Sunday afternoon, and we spent every minute until bedtime celebrating her.  We will do some partying today because we pick up Knox too (after 2.5 weeks away).

It’s going to be a good day.

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And today’s running topic—> 10 Running Things I Wish I Knew 10 Years Ago! I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!

*Not every type of training is for me!  I have run with many different people over the years, and I always LOVE hearing about what they do for training.  Some run seven days a week, some cross-train more than they run, some train on trails the majority of the time, some focus on quality miles and some focus on a quantity of miles.  It’s fascinating how we can all train for the same races in so many different ways.  Focus on finding what works for you!  Don’t be afraid to try out different training schedules as you figure out what is best for you.  Be okay with the fact that the way your body responds best might be very different than any of your running friends or athletes that you follow on social media.  I have been injured in the past from trying to do exactly what other people were doing and not listening to my own body!

*Training doesn’t just involve checking off every workout on your training plan.  I have never actually completed every workout on a specific training plan.  Things pop up, and life happens, so don’t get down on yourself if you miss a few runs along the way.  Consistency is a huge part of getting to our running goals, but we all miss a workout or two along the way, and that is more than okay.

*Calories and a period make you fast.  I used to believe that lighter= faster and that not having a period was part of getting faster.  IT’S NOT!  My fastest times were when my body was at its happy place (30 lbs heavier than it was in previous years) and having a very consistent period.   You can have a period while at the same time you are training hard and running a lot of miles—> You have to eat enough calories to do so and give your body enough recovery.

*Those big goals take a long time to happen.  After my first marathon, I went into my local running store and told Hawk (the owner and my coach in 2019) that I would run a sub-3 marathon at my next marathon… but it didn’t happen until eight years later.  Don’t worry; it will come but don’t quit if it doesn’t happen right away.

*The person looking at you and thinking you shouldn’t be wearing what you are wearing is the weird one… not you.  Run in what feels good for YOU.  You deserve to be comfortable and don’t let anybody’s opinion make you wear anything but what you want to wear.  Your opinion is all that matters:).

*You don’t have to prove your worth by a fast time; your worth is inherent.  If you are feeling nervous before a workout or race, remind yourself of this.  Your worth is there no matter what happens out there on the road, so have fun!

*Motivation isn’t supposed to always be there.  I remember when we were training for CIM in 2019 (right after running the St. George Marathon) and REALLY struggling with the lack of motivation many days… that is normal.  Motivation won’t always be there to get us up out of bed to train but creating the habit and having discipline gets us through the training cycles.

*Get on the trails (or any and every hill you can find in your area or use the treadmill or parking garages for hills if you are in a flat area:).  For years I would just train on flat, and it wasn’t until I started getting in some good climbing each week that I started hitting my goals!

*This one goes along with the one above—> I have learned that the more variation I have in my training (i.e., paces, hills, uneven/different surfaces), the less likely I am to get injured!

*And my current lesson that I am learning at the moment—> I NEED STRENGTH, YOGA, AND STRETCHING to continue running as I age.

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What are some running things that you wish you would have known when you first started running?!

Readers with kids—> what do you do to get your littles (like Beck’s age) to get in their veggies?

Favorite recipes/foods that pack in some awesome veggies?

-Now that school is starting again, I’m inspired to get cooking more!

Who is training for a fall race?  In your area, what time of year are most races held?