Weekly Fitness Update

November 3, 2015Leave a comment

Another week of solid training is complete and I’m feeling like I’m finally back to my old self (running wise). Thankfully after a few weeks of decent running, followed by three solid weeks of running, I’m getting back to where I feel comfortable and don’t doubt my workouts.

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 7.55 Miles

Wednesday: 0

Thursday: 0

Friday: 0

Saturday: 8 Miles

Sunday: 3.1 Miles + Abs

Total Miles: 18.65 Miles

I started the week with a Tuesday evening accidental long run. I met up with Mallory and we started from the square, down to Roscoe, through a bunch of developments, and up Route 3. When we started it was still a little light out, but as we continued, it got darker, which meant we were limited on where we could run. Even though we had headlamps and reflective gear, we made some detours to stick to streets that had sidewalks. We ended up going a little further than we planned, but it was a good run and I felt great the entire time.

I intentionally took Wednesday and Thursday off due to my leg. I still had that weird shin, calf, leg pain that would pop up now and then. I had the same thing earlier in the year, when I took time off and then ramped up running a little too quickly. I listened to my body and didn’t push it.

Saturday was my long run, and since I have a half marathon coming up this weekend, I cut back to 8 miles. Just one week of taper after 5 weeks of running, sounds about right to me. I met up with a group for their last 8 miles starting at Buckeye Woods. We ran the marsh and decided to run the Rise and Shine 10k course out on the roads. We kept an easy pace and I felt ok, not fantastic, but also not horrible. I finally fueled at the right time, around 6 miles, and never hit a big wall, even with the hills.

Beat by a buggy, must be going too slow...

Saturday morning views

Sunday I took advantage of the extra hour and slept in for the first time in weeks. With a slow start to the day I didn’t get out the door until 11:30, but I lucked out with shorts and short sleeve weather. I headed to a nearby neighborhood and ran some streets I hadn’t been to for a while. I felt great until about 2.5 miles in, when of course my left leg started acting up. So I headed home and stretched and rolled for a good 30 minutes. I felt something pop in my hip and suddenly everything felt normal. My guess is I’ve had something out of line, so hopefully I’ll be back to normal. I followed the run up with some abs.

Shorts in November? I’ll take it!

A pretty easy week, mostly to take care of my body. The goal for this week is to stay healthy, stay hydrated and run an evenly paced half marathon. No need to try for a PR since I know I’m nowhere near sub 2. But if I can keep an even pace for the whole race, I’ll be happy!

Paws for the Cause 5k Recap

October 28, 2015Leave a comment

This past Saturday I ran the 3rd Annual Medina SPCA Paws for the Cause 5k. This was the first time I had signed up for the race, and I was excited to get another 5k in before the weather turned for the worse. Even better, proceeds go to protect injured, abused and neglected animals that the SPCA takes in.

The race started at 9, so I got there at 8:30, picked up my bib, used the restroom, warmed up a bit and met up with some fell MCRR members. The race course was the same as the Twin Sizzler 5k, and also almost every 5k in Medina, so I was fairly familiar with what to expect.

Because the race was put on by the SPCA, dogs were allowed to participate. I positioned myself up near the front to avoid getting tangled or stuck behind any dogs. I knew I didn’t want to go out too fast, so I aimed to stay at 8:40 for the first mile, and then negative split.

Ready to start!

We started from the square and headed south towards 57. We started with a nice decline, and then had our forever incline up 57. I waited a bit to check my pace, and found myself going a little too slow. I started to pick it up, but felt like I was never really moving fast. I even got to a point where I was by myself and started to zone out a bit. This was not what I wanted for my first mile, but for some reason, I couldn’t get into the groove. Surprisingly, I hit my first mile under goal.

Mile 1- 8:36

We turned into one of the developments and started the section of turns and rollers. I tried to stay consistent with my pace since I was feeling good, but some of the hills got the best of me. And I was again reminded I need to do more hill work.

This mile went by quickly and shortly after I felt we entered the development, we were on our way out and heading up South Court.

Mile 2- 8:47

I knew If I wanted to do well, I’d need to pick up the pace in the last mile. We continued along Court, and I focused on the ground ahead of me. I knew the uphill finish would be here soon and I wanted to prepare myself.

We turned onto the brick road and surprisingly, I still felt great. I felt like I was flying. I wasn’t, those bricks can be so deceiving. So I picked up the pace and moved to the side for the flattest section.

We ran past the 57 intersection and I knew that dreaded hill was coming. I was started to get into a groove and I felt confident I would be able to crush the hill this time. As myself and another runner approached East Smith I watched as a cop allowed to cars to go through the intersection. He saw us getting closer and stopped traffic so we could cross to get to the finish line. As we entered the intersection, an old, black SUV came speeding through, not even 5 feet to the left of us. We immediately had to stop or else he would have hit us. The cop yelled at him, but he had no clue what was going on.

Mile 3- 8:17

I caught my breath and tried to get back into somewhat of a decent pace as I continued up the hill to the finish. I felt off and just wanted to be done, so I sped up as much as I could to cross the finish line.

Last .1- 7:11 pace

Almost to the finish!

Overall, this was a great event. I will gladly run any race that supports animals, especially local. The course was predictable, which I enjoy because I know when I can push it, and when to save it. I never had any issues running into any dogs, and they all seemed to be pretty well behaved. Participant dogs even got a little bandanna to wear during the race. Can I borrow someone’s dog for next year?

After I finished, I saw Mallory and her dog Walter finish and we walked over to the goodies table. I was a little distraught that I was so close to going under 26, but I’ll take a few extra seconds rather than getting hit. It was a good reminder to be aware of traffic, even during races.

Post race with some speedy MCRR ladies.

I’ll certainly be back to race next year, and hopefully I’ll be able to run a course PR!

Clearly upset they couldn’t participate

Results:

Time: 26:00

Age Group 20-29: 7/64

Female Overall: 28/316

Overall: 66/465

Weekly Fitness Update

October 26, 2015Leave a comment

Another week gone and another week closer to getting back in shape. I was only able to get three workouts in this week, which was due to this lingering sickness. This whole congested head, running/stuffy nose and cough so deep you think a lung is going to burst, has been sticking around for two weeks now. Thankfully, I think it’s finally on its way out!

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 0

Wednesday: 2.9 Miles + Abs

Thursday: 0

Friday: 0

Saturday: Paws for the Cause 5k

Sunday: 12.2 Miles

Total Miles: 18.2 Miles

I felt the worst on Monday and Tuesday, so I opted to take both for as a rest day. I felt a little better on Wednesday and took advantage of the beautiful weather. I booked it home and was out the door by 6:25. I sprinted to the back roads to watch the sunset, knowing it’d probably be my last run outside after work for a while. Luckily, I got quite the show. I was a little tired, but slowed my pace on the way back and did some loops in the development to keep me safe from traffic until the sun was gone.

Country sunsets are always worth the run.

I wanted to get a run in on Thursday, but just didn’t have enough time after work before dinner and Grey’s night, so I went into Saturday’s race with fresh legs. I’ll have a recap up later this week.

Sunday I set out for my last long run until my next half marathon. I met up with Mallory and Jennifer at Hinckley, and we started with the outer lake loop. My legs were a little tight from Saturday’s race, but I finally warmed up by the third mile. Once we got back to our cars, Mo and Sherri were ready to start the 9 mile loop around Hinckley.

It’s been some time since I’ve done the loop, but this is the perfect time of year to be out there. The trees were at peak color, and I couldn’t get over how beautiful everything was. We managed to keep a decent pace, even when I stopped to take some pictures. I never felt like I was working too hard, but the hills were a bit harder than I remembered.

Mandatory barn picture

Our little group!

It was about halfway through the 9 mile loop, I started to have weird pains in my left leg. I also started to feel a bit weak, but wanted to wait until we got to Effie to take my Honey Stinger chew. Again, I should have taken it at mile 6. (I’ll remember this for the race)

We continued on, and I started to fall back with Mo. We got to Effie, took our fuel and continued on our way, not too far back from the rest of the group. The pace was still pretty good, considering how hilly it is. We finished up, and I felt even more confident that I could handle a half marathon in two weeks.

Hills for breakfast.

Another week of getting back to where I was, and I’m definitely feeling more confident in my running. I’m starting to work on a training plan for the rest of the year, mostly to keep me motivated and on track. As well as start my short list of races next year. I’m finally out of my rut and glad to be back doing something I truly love.

Training Update

October 19, 20151 Comment

It’s been a few weeks since I checked in with my training or current fitness levels. I’m happy to say that I’ve been lightly running and even raced a few local 5ks. I’ve enjoyed every run and I’m looking forward to adding races on my calendar. Speaking of which, I already have three that I’ve registered for within the next few weeks.

Up next I have a local 5k, and two half marathons…..Wait, what? Two half marathons in the next six weeks, without a full training plan? Yep! But to be honest, these are more like training runs and helping me to keep my fitness levels up for 2016. So let’s catch up and take a look at this week’s runs.

Monday: 3.1 Miles + Abs + Kettle bell

Tuesday: 4 Miles, 1 Mile w/u, 3×800 with 400 recovery, 1 Mile c/d + Abs

Wednesday: 0

Thursday: 0

Friday: 0

Saturday: 10 Miles

Sunday: 3.5 Miles + Abs

Total Miles: 20.6 Miles

Monday was the perfect day to run. With the sun setting sooner each day, I knew this would be one of the last after work runs I could get in on the back roads. So I did a nice recovery run from the previous day’s long run. I felt great and even pushed myself a bit on the hills. I kept it short because I started to run out of daylight, and I didn’t have my headlamp with me. I followed up the run with abs and a kettle bell workout I found on Pinterest.

Tuesday I jumped on the treadmill and did my first speed workout in months. It was a bit rough, mostly because I’m still a little out of shape, but also because of a nasty cold. I kept it light at three 800 repeats, but will work my way up and most likely switch between 800 and mile repeats over the next few months. I followed this workout with more abs, and missing swimsuit season.

Wednesday-Friday were rest days. I’m more relaxed about training now, so it was nice to catch up with friends in the middle of the week, as well as give my body some time to hopefully get over the cold that latched on.

Saturday was my longest run since July and the confidence booster I needed. I’ve been doing some 6 and 8 mile runs, but if I could get to 10, I knew I could swing a few half marathons. The weather was a bit chilly at about 35 degrees, but I welcomed it with open arms. We had a small group and started at Buckeye Woods, running the marsh loop, trail and then coming out the back side. From there we made a large loop past the inlet and up to the rail trail, and back to the entrance of Buckeye Woods.

How can you not want to run this?

Our pace was pretty consistent and stayed around 9:15/9:20. It dipped into the 10’s during the trail section, which was expected. The average pace was 9:33 and my strongest run in quite a while. I took a Honey Stinger chew at mile 7, but probably could have used it at 6. I honestly felt great during this run, and managed to get down to 8:55 pace for almost the last mile and a half. I know long runs can’t all be great, but this was exactly what I needed to keep me on track.

Long runs are better with friends!

Sunday morning I had meant to get up early and join a group run, but after tossing and turning all night with achy legs and hips, I decided to sleep in and run later on in the day. It ended up being the right choice because on my afternoon run through the neighborhood I felt like I was floating! I ran a nice little loop and turned down some streets I haven’t been on for over a year. Maybe it was the refreshing new route or the cooler weather, but I was able to dip down to sub 9 and bounced back and forth between 8:55 and 8:20 pace. I based my run off how I felt, instead of pace, and apparently my legs were feeling great!

This week was the best week training wise that I’ve had in quite some time. I got all my workouts in and I ran faster than I thought I would at this point. I’m certainly not close to any PR’s, but I’m enjoying running and gearing up for what will be a great and race filled 2016!

Harvest 5k Recap

October 8, 2015Leave a comment

Last Saturday, while most everyone was running Akron, I ran a local 5k. I knew I wouldn’t be able to run the half marathon where I wanted to be, so I opted out and decided to focus on a shorter distance. Luckily, Brunswick was hosting the Harvest 5k for the Kidney Foundation.

The race was held at Mapleside Farms, and had a relatively small field. Most of the groups of people were there to attend the walk and had done fundraising for the Kidney Foundation, some traveling as far as two hours away for the event.

I met up with Mallory and we got ready for the race with last minute instructions and indoor bathroom stops. We lined up a few feet from the start line, waiting for the faster runners to show up. But they were no where to be found. The race started and it was clear that we would be leading the pack.

I wanted to keep the same race strategy as the previous week, start out slower and negative split each mile. I tried to keep myself toward 8:40, but my legs kept wanting to go faster. And the slight downhill in the beginning didn’t help to slow me either.

From Mapleside Farms, we crossed the street and ran around the development. I wasn’t familiar with the area, but the roads were horrendous. There were pot holes and cracks everywhere, causing me to stare down almost the entire time.

Mile 1- 8:26

I knew my first mile was too quick, but hoped I could stay with it. I could see the first couple of runners and counted back, I was in the top 10 and was either first or second in my age group.

I was feeling ok, but I was still a little worried that I had gone out too quick. A group of three young girls (high school, maybe?) came up from behind and I stayed with them until the water stop at 1.5 miles. I kept going, but started to feel as though I was working harder.

Little did I know that the first half of the course was all slightly downhill, which meant coming back in, we were running slightly up hill.

Mile 2- 8:46

I told myself I could hold on for one more mile, but my legs just weren’t moving. It was during this mile that another woman (mid 20’s?) came up behind me. I used her as motivation to keep going, but I just couldn’t catch her.

Shortly after she passed me, the three young girls came up behind me. We continued our way along the route, and started to approach the hill we had flown down earlier in the race. I put my head down and focused on each step to the top.

The girls continued to run and I could feel myself slow down even more. This certainly wasn’t the pace or strategy I wanted, but I couldn’t give up now.

Mile 3- 9:06

The ground leveled out and I thought we’d have to cross the street to get to the finish. Luckily the route turned us onto a dirt path to the finish, cross country style.

Last .1 – 8:01 pace

The race didn’t go as I hoped, but I tried not to let it get me down. I didn’t properly execute the plan I wanted, and it left me feeling a bit miserable towards the end. I also know I am far away from good 5k racing shape, but it’s always good to get a few more under my belt.

I ended up taking third in my age group and 11th overall. Mallory ended up with first female overall!

Mallory…Female overall winner!

Results:

Time: 27:13

Age Group 20-29: 3/12

Female: 8/49

Overall: 11/64

Along with running the race, you received free entry to Pumpkin Village, so we spent some time exploring after the race. It was both our first times to Mapleside Farms, so it was nice to check it out before it got too busy.

Post race visit to Pumpkin Village

Pumpkin Village would be a great place to take your kids. They had a few slides, some mazes, train rides and from the looks of it, a lot more that we just didn’t check out. Even though the 5k didn’t go as planned, it was still a good way to kick off fall!

Mapleside Farms, ready for fall

Race with Grace 5k Recap

September 21, 2015Leave a comment

Sunday I ran the Medina Race with Grace 5k. It was my first race since the Twin Sizzler back on the 4th of July, and after just two weeks of running again, I had a much better day than expected. With just a few runs under my belt, I had no idea what to expect. I’m still a bit out of shape, Medina is forever hilly in all directions, and speed work is something I haven’t done in months. But after seeing so many group members sign up, and spending the previous day volunteering at NorthCoast 24, I figured I’d give it a shot, and run it for fun.

Woke up Sunday morning, got ready and arrived at the start line with a half hour to go. I wasn’t really nervous, but I was excited to get out there and run, especially with so many MCRR members on the course. Ideally, I wanted to finish under 27. I felt with little running and no speed work, I should be able to pull it off.

We started at the hospital, which was a nice change to all the other 5ks in town that start on the square. We went from the back parking lot, up around the hospital and right onto Route 18. We had a nice little downhill before going back uphill again. I worked on finding my pace and was concerned about going out too fast. Somewhere I settled around 8:50-8:45 and decided to hang onto the pace until the first mile.

From Rt.18 we turned right onto Foot and back into a development. The neighborhood was relatively flat and it was a good way to settle into a decent pace. Sarah came up behind me and I thought of sticking with her, but decided to run my own pace and focus on my own race.

Mile 1 – 8:53

We finished up in the neighborhood and turned right onto Smith. I still felt pretty good and so I sped up a bit. I bounced between 8:30-8:40, cautious not to let myself speed up too much.

Next we turned into another development, which again was pretty flat compared to most, but it did have some small rollers. I’ve run both developments many times so I was fairly familiar with the route. I zoned out some during this mile, but still aware of my pace and the runners around me. We had more turns in this mile, and it felt like it went on forever.

Mile 2 – 8:39

With a mile left, I was still feeling really good. I started to pick up the pace, but careful not to go too fast too early and have nothing left in the tank at the end.

We made our way out on Guilford, and then right on Washington. We had a nice little downhill, which definitely helped to get my legs excited for the finish. But every downhill, must be met with an uphill, and we had our biggest hill at about 2.6 miles. I powered up, knowing we were close, also knowing we’d have another downhill ahead of us.

Turning into the entrance of the hospital, I tried to pick it up a bit. I took advantage of the downhill and tried to pick off a few runners on my way in. I followed the course to the back of the parking lot, and saw one final turn.

Mile 3 – 8:20

I turned and there was the finish, a lot closer than I expected. So like any runner, I booked it. And watched the clock, pleasantly surprised with how much time I had until the clock would hit 27 minutes.

Last .1 – 7:20 pace

Coming into the finish!

I finished up with 26:25. Not a PR by any means, not even close, but I was happy with my finish. For the second 5k this year, I had negative split on the course and finished feeling great, rather than doubled over losing my breakfast. I enjoyed the race and honestly, that’s all I wanted.

Medina County Road Runners finished 2nd place as a team out of over 20+. And I ended up 3rd in my age group out of 22. We had a lot of runners place in their age groups, so it was a good day all around for MCRR.

Thoughts? This was a great race and we had perfect weather. Any race that begins with weather in the low/mid 50’s is alright with me. The course was great. I was extremely familiar with all the streets we ran on, mostly from living on that side of town a few years ago. It has some hills, but it’s the flattest course I’ve run in Medina. If I was in shape, there’s no doubt I would have gone under 26, maybe even under 25. And I definitely see myself running this again next year.

Results:

Age Group 25-29: 3/22

Female: 76/360

Overall: 196/632

Age group award: Medal, carnation, and Ralph.

A Training Update

September 14, 2015Leave a comment

It’s been a while since I last posted, specifically my weekly training recaps. So it’s time to catch up and see where I am currently and what the fall has planned.

Training started to drop off a little in the beginning of August. I was starting to get busier and time wasn’t as flexible as it was before to go out for an hour plus workout after work. I was still running, but the workouts were short and frankly, motivation just wasn’t there. My last run was August 13th and I did a short 2.5 miles around the neighborhood.

I had good intentions to keep up a steady training cycle while wedding planning, with big hopes to PR at Akron. I thought about running during the honeymoon to see the island from another perspective. Does running 10 feet up a mountain count? But when it came down to it, life got in the way. Not in a bad way, but when getting home at 9pm or later after meetings those last few weeks before the wedding, eating dinner would always win out over running.

So the plan was to start running once we got back. A new month would bring new miles and new motivation. But then I really just wanted to catch up on everything else I had missed. So running was pushed off, and all thoughts of Akron had gone out the window. And then after almost 4 weeks off, I laced up my shoes and ran 5 slow, but wonderful miles with Mallory. And I felt amazing.

After running at Buckeye Woods, despite being slow, I felt good about myself. I was relaxed, I didn’t have any stress about hitting splits or any certain mileage. I ran, caught up with a friend, and enjoyed myself. And the next day, I did the same. I set out, ran the neighborhood, slightly sore this time, and didn’t have a plan. It was the best run I had in months.

So many times I’ve put myself into a training cycle, but this time, I got to the point where I wasn’t enjoying it. I wasn’t enjoying the run itself. What started as an accidental break, was actually a good thing. I took away all the pressure, all the stress, and cut back to the pure and simple run.

I finished up the week with 14 miles after a six miler on Sunday at Hinckley. The thought of attempting Akron has crossed my mind, and I know I could trudge along at an extra slow pace. But I’m still uncertain. Coming back, I want to train smart. I don’t want to do too much and injure myself, but I also don’t want to burn out again either. Running and racing haven’t been my top priority this year, and I miss that. I’ve gone in and out of waves of good training and bad training and I need to be consistent.

Going forward I don’t want to make any major training plans for the rest of the year. I’m going to go by how I feel, both pace and distance. I need to focus on other aspects of training as well, to make sure I’m both healthy and smart.

I’m also jumping back on the FitBit bandwagon after about 3 weeks off. Hopefully logging more water intake, more steps and more than 4.5 hours of solid sleep a night. If anything, my lack of sleep has been the most consistent thing this year. And naturally eating right will follow as well, including the start of me cooking. Eventually I know I need to add yoga, lifting and core back into a daily or weekly schedule. I let myself slack off this past month, and it’s time to get back into a routine.

So that’s where training is currently. Akron, just 12 days away, is completely up in the air, and I’m at peace with it. I may go back to the weekly fitness updates to keep me from falling off again. I hope to do some races this fall, and maybe work up to another marathon in 2016. But right now, I need to let my legs do the running and not stress about it.

Wedding Wednesday….This is It!

August 19, 20153 Comments

Here we are, just three days away from the wedding. I honestly can’t believe how quickly everything has gone by. I still remember every moment of the day Darren proposed. Throughout the past 11 months, little by little, everything has come together. From finding my dress, picking out a reception location, to attending the bridal shower and bachelorette party and working on final details.

With the exception of a few minor things, everything has been completed. Now it’s time to sit back and relax in the final days before packing everything up, setting up the ceremony and spending time with our friends and family.

Looking back, I never really felt rushed or overly stressed while planning. There were a few bumps along the way but nothing major. I did have a minor meltdown when Darren was supposed to go to Brazil the week before the wedding and I didn’t think we could get everything done, but a delay in the trip calmed me down and I’ve been able to enjoy these final weeks of planning.

If you ask me how I’m feeling, I’m really not sure. Its actually quite bittersweet. I’m glad to be done planning and looking forward to the big day, but sad that what took 11 months to plan and coordinate will be over so quickly. I’m relatively calm, which is opposite of how I usually feel towards most big events, or really anything. I’m incredibly emotional, I’ve cried more times this week than I think I have in the past year. But I’m also absolutely excited! I can’t wait to walk down the aisle on Saturday to marry such an amazing man. I’ve been looking forward to my wedding day for almost my entire life, and even though it won’t be at a lighthouse in Maine or in the mountains in Colorado, I really couldn’t ask for a better day that we have planned.

So just like every monthly update, here’s everything that needs to happen in three days:

-Manicure and pedicure

-Attend wedding rehearsal

-Attend rehearsal dinner

-Decorate reception hall

-Get makeup and hair done

–GET MARRIED!!

Akron Half Marathon Training: Week Nine

August 10, 2015Leave a comment

After a busy week last week, I was ready for a bit of a break. Unfortunately, this week was also quite busy with final meetings before the wedding. So I did what I could, when I could. Most of my runs were actually more of a stress reliever than anything. It was nice to spend some time away where my mind could just stop thinking about everything.

Monday: 3 Miles + Core

Tuesday: 0

Wednesday: 3.3 Miles

Thursday: 0

Friday: 0

Saturday: 5.13 Miles

Sunday: 0

Total Miles: 11.43 Miles

I started my week with a run on Monday. I had a free evening, so I took advantage of it. I decided to take it easy on the treadmill and just zone out while catching a few episodes of 30 Rock. I had a bit of stomach cramping in the beginning, but it was most likely from dehydration, stress and poor eating habits over the weekend.

Wednesday was also a free night without meetings so I knew I needed to get a run in before starting on some wedding projects. I made my way to a neighboring development and actually felt pretty great. I checked on my pace to see that I was doing 8:11. A little too quick, so I slowed down to 8:30 pace and kept it there for the next 2.5 miles. I had some gradual inclines in the development that made me work a little harder, but other than that I felt fantastic, this quicker pace felt pretty easy. I had off and on stomach issues from 2.5 to 3 miles so I cut it short at 3.3 miles. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but overall the pace felt fairly easy almost the entire run.

Saturday was a disappointment. I was supposed to have a group run on Saturday morning, but my stomach was not cooperating. So I thought I’d run in the basement on the treadmill to play it safe. But of course the moment I turned on the treadmill, the circuit tripped. By this point, I was feeling a little better, and decided to head out for a short run close to home. I ran a loop on the back roads and finished up in the development. I was more mentally frustrated by the end of my run than anything else. I know I needed to get my long run in, but it just wasn’t in the cards this week.

Week Nine Thoughts:

There seems to be a main theme with all of my runs this week, and that would be stomach issues. Last weekend and throughout this week I ate pretty poorly. And by poorly, I meant lots of pasta and cheese. Clearly, this is causing me to skip runs or cut them short. I need to take a better look at what I’m eating and make some changes.
Mileage was low again this week, and I don’t expect it to be high for the rest of August. Hopefully this won’t harm me too much come September. I didn’t realize how busy August would be, and now I know I can’t do it all. I’m at peace with shorter runs, and less time lacing up. I may need to rearrange some goals, but as long as I can ramp things back up next month, I should be ok.

Wedding Wednesday – Bachelorette Party

August 5, 2015August 5, 2015Leave a comment

Today’s Wedding Wednesday is a special post to reflect back on the amazing weekend that was my bachelorette party! With all the stress of planning for the wedding and busy schedules, I’d been looking forward to a weekend away with some of my favorite ladies. Not everyone could attend the trip, but I still had a great time and enjoyed the company.

The bachelorette party took place in Watkins Glen, New York. This place holds a special spot in my heart as we used to do family vacations here when I was younger, and it is nearby Corning, where I ran my marathon last year. So I was extremely excited to go back to a place that held such great memories.

We drove up Friday and enjoyed a fun night in; eating, drink and playing typically bachelorette party games. It was a good evening to relax and unwind after the long week. The girls even set up a theme as Chelsea’s Race to the Date, including a course map and race bibs to wear during the weekend!

When we arrived, I was asked to leave while everything was set up, so my sister and I headed into town. We went down to the dock on Seneca Lake and spent some time soaking in the sun and fresh air. We also were able to take a picture to replicate our trip from 2002.

Thankfully we aged well….. 2002 vs 2015

Saturday was our only full day in the area, so we had a lot on the schedule. We started the morning with a hike around Watkins Glen State Park. The parking lot was still very empty when we arrived so we had most of the park to ourselves. We hiked for about 3 miles and it was absolutely beautiful. I’ll let these pictures speak for themselves.

After our hike, we cleaned up and started on the next adventure, a six hour wine tour! We had a bit of delay, but we still managed to keep right on schedule and even added in an additional winery. Each winery was unique and as always, a great way to try all kinds of wines. The wines near the Finger Lakes can sometimes be a bit sweeter than I like, so for once I tried a few red wines and may have enjoyed one or two.

If you’re interested, here are the wineries we visited. I had visited Red Newt and Chateau Lafayette Reneau before, but that was back when all I could drink was sparkling grape juice. The trip this time around was much more fun!

Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards
Hector Wine Company
Red Newt Cellars
Chateau Lafayette Reneau
JR Dill Winery
Atwater Estate Vineyards

After our wine tour, we came back to the house, vegged out and enjoyed our final night before heading back to Ohio. Sunday morning, I managed a short three mile run before the trip back and it was the perfect way to end the trip.

Even though the drive was long and tiring, I had such a wonderful time in the Finger Lakes. This trip was absolutely perfect and more than I could have asked for. I’m so lucky to have such amazing friends who gave me the perfect bachelorette party!