April Shower Runfessions

It's been a cloudy, cold month--I heard that this is the cloudiest April on record for the Chicago area. I figured as much. It certainly has been tough to motivate myself to get out from under the blankets and head outside for a run. But the running doesn't stop just because the sun isn't shining, am I right? Plus, what would I have to runfess? Yep, once again, it's the last Friday of the month and Marcia has opened the runfessional so we can cleanse our soles. 

Maybe, just maybe, May will bring us some sunshine and warm weather?

Book Review: Running with Purpose

Disclaimer: As a Brooks Run Happy Team member, I received a free copy of Running with Purpose in exchange for my review and social sharing. All opinions are mine. This post contains an affiliate link.

I have been running in Brooks shoes for about 5 years. A long-time fan of ASICS Gel Nimbus, I was frustrated with a design change that wasn’t comfortable on the run. At the urging of a friend, I started running in Mizunos, trying several different models. They were ok, but I didn’t love the ride. Impulsively, I bought a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS and on my first run in them had that WOW! moment. The Adrenalines gave me the comfy ride I was looking for. My feet were happy. And if my feet are happy, then I'm running happy. I continue to favor the Adrenalines to this day.

Earlier this year, I was selected to join the Brooks Run Happy team. I’m thrilled to represent a brand that is runner-focused and philosophically aligned with my worldview. After reading CEO Jim Weber's new release, Running with Purpose, I feel even better about my commitment to Brooks shoes.

Recovery and a Race

As you read this, I'm hopefully flying down a mountain in Georgia, running the Teardrop Half Marathon with my friend Holly. Teardrop is a race she and I have had on the calendar 3 times, the previous 2 being postponed due to the pandemic. I'm hoping the 3rd time is the charm!! I felt strong going into this race and as it is a net downhill course, the hope is for a speedy finish time. But of course, Mother Nature has to have a say and she is throwing heat and humidity at us. So stay tuned. You can check my IG for updates and of course, I'll have a recap coming up. 

This week was a combination of recovery and training. I was really hurting from last Saturday's 15 mile trail race. I was using that race as a training tool, and boy, was I schooled! Specifically, I need to do a better job of fueling. I took several complete rest days this week and skipped CrossFit and strength training. I wanted to focus on keeping my legs moving but not pushing them to the point of soreness or exhaustion. I did do some stretching as well.  An actual taper for a half marathon? Who am I?

Oh, and I read a really good book that I'll be sharing on the blog next week!

Race Recap: Earth Day 15 mile trail race

For the past couple of years, I've had my eye on the Earth Day Trail races, held at the same trails where I ran the Frozen Gnome 10k in January. The pandemic put those plans on hold, but this year, the race was a go. Several of the women from my Trail Sisters group were planning on running, so it made it easy for me to commit. There are 3 distances: 50k, 15 miles, and 5 miles. I optimistically signed up for the 15 mile (25k) distance--thinking it would be a good training run for Ice Age in May. I've been building my miles over the past couple of months, spending most of my time on trails. Having run these trails before, I knew to expect a lot of hills. I felt both mentally and physically strong and ready for this race. 

Another Week of Effing Crazy Weather

Excuse me if I've offended anyone with the title of this post. But the weather this spring has been ridiculous. It's been colder than average and we've had a lot of rain and snow. I've already whined about the mud. This week, I ran in fairly normal conditions on Sunday, warm and rainy on Wednesday, and really cold and sunny for my race on Saturday. Fortunately, I dodged the 60 mph wind gusts we had on Thursday. Although that could have been darned good resistance training, am I right?

I guess the silver lining of this weather whiplash is that it does keep me ready for anything that Mother Nature throws our way! I wouldn't mind some normal weather but does anyone even know what that is anymore?

I wore shorts and a tank on Wednesday!

Finding Confidence in the Mud

"In Just-spring when the world is mud-luscious...and the world is puddle-wonderful."~ee cummings

Trying to find something positive to say about this spring. It's been muddy and puddly for sure.

This is the wettest spring I can remember in a long time. I guess I just have to embrace it, considering that my trail race next Saturday is going to be muddy. I am certainly well-prepared. Of all the places to find the confidence to tackle a 15 mile hilly trail race, who knew it was going to be in the mud?

Can't you just hear the squishing sound under my shoes?

Enjoying the Ride

For this old runner who is training for back-to-back races without a formal training plan, things are progressing nicely! I added up my miles for March and I hit 100 miles this week. The last time I ran 100 miles in a month was 1 year ago! I'm only running 3 days per week, so I'm really happy about this. In addition, I'm feeling stronger on my runs. The extra day of CrossFit has definitely made me stronger and has helped me improve my speed on the road and the trails. While my goal isn't to run faster, I do want to run more consistently and pace myself better, and that is happening. 

My main goal is always to have fun when I'm running. I also have to protect myself from injury. Personally, I'm just happy to be running again and running well. I'm enjoying this 'freeform' training and it will get me to the finish lines of my races. 

Now, if only the mud would dry up! Rain rain go away!

Ice Age Trail Lodi Marsh Segment