BLISTERS

I think I jinxed myself a while back with my post about preventing blisters and other nasty things on your feet.  I have some HUGE blisters on the bottom of my feet right now, and they are pretty painful.  I haven’t changed shoes, but I think the treadmill running has been the culprit.  I don’t get the stride variation like I would outside, and my feet sweat even more because it’s so warm inside.  

I'll spare you the pictures of my nasty feet...

I’ve been frantically searching the net for ways to heal them as quickly as possible.  They finally feel better today, but I haven’t ran since Monday morning.  I have been taking every precaution to keep them clean, give them air, etc.  Because of the spot they were in, I had to pop them and let them drain.  A lot of websites don’t recommend it, others say it’s ok as long as they are keep clean.  Since it’s clearly not flip flop weather around here, with socks and band aids, I felt like clean wouldn’t be hard.

I’m heading to the store today to stock up on blister band aids.  I’m also going to do some shopping around for some different socks.  I wear two pairs of socks all of the time.  I’ve heard good things about the thinner toe socks for underneath say my Pro Compression low trainers or marathon socks. 

This site lists some of the top bandages for your blisters.  

If you have blister remedies or suggestions for me, please leave a comment!!

Workout Recap 2/3 - 2/9

This was a rough week for me, as I noted in my Burnout post.  I was just completely exhausted.  Everything felt like a struggle.  This includes getting up, making it through 8 hours of work, and repeating.  I do think I was in desperate need of a cut back week, so I did just that this week.

Monday - 6 miles outside after work.  This was my first indication of lack of rest.  This was SO HARD.  My hamstrings burned for awhile, then my quads, then my calves.  It was just hard, and it shouldn't have been.  I came inside and did the following moves for a minute each as part of my challenge group.  

Tuesday - REST DAY!  I did NOTHING!  Well, I went to work... but my happy little desk job makes it easy to rest.

Wednesday - CXWORX (30 minutes) and 6 miles on the treadmill after work.  This was so bad, I didn't even take a picture afterwards.  I just couldn't get moving.

Thursday - Cross training on the elliptical and a few weights.  Nothing much, really light and quick.

Friday - Cross training again.  I did 10 minutes on the arc trainer, weights, 10 more on the arc, weights, and 40 minutes on the ellip.  I focused on upper body weights, and I'm still sore today... lovely.

Saturday - 15 miles.  This is my new personal distance record on the tread.  It wasn't FUN, but it didn't totally suck either.  I really lost track of the time.  I watched Love and Basketball (best movie ever!) and just mentally broke the run down into 3 5 milers, and that really helped.

Sunday - REST!  I through in level one of Jillian's 30 Day Shred to get some blood pumping and then I hit the foam roller.  I realized my poor feet are taking a serious beating on the treadmill.  I have matching blisters in the same place on each foot.  Hello foot soak and blister band aids!

My legs are NOT tan.  Oh the magic of a good filter...

 I'm feeling much better after a chill week, and I'm ready to face a new week.  We had some snow and cold, but temps are supposed to rise by the end of the week.  Here's to hoping I can finally get outside for some good runs!

Running and Social Media

I don't remember when I officially became addicted to blogs.  I think it was last year over Christmas break.  I stumbled upon Skinny Runner, and it was all down hill from there.  (Even though she is no longer blogging, make sure to "like" her on Facebook and Instagram)

Speaking of Facebook.... it turned 10 this past week.  Wow.  I personally DID NOT create a Facebook movie to celebrate.  If you did, good for you, if not, good for you too.  I watched quite a few of them.  It always amazes me what they think of next and how everyone always follows the trend.  Like the hashtags on Facebook?! #seriously #hashtagsarefortwitter #everyonesgrandmawhohasfacebookwillbehashtagging

MY POINT of this post is, do you let social media influence, inspire, or effect your running?  I'm the first girl to admit, there is nothing more gratifying post-race than posting your status, or a picture of yourself with your medal and a grin, and hopefully a PR.  I like to tell people I ran.  I'm that girl that posts pictures of their GPS showing their long run or a really fast tempo run some morning.  I record all of my runs with Nike+ and there is the lovely SHARE ON FACEBOOK option.  Yup, I use it.  I don't post or share EVERY run, because that would even annoy me.  But I sure as shoot let everyone know that I ran 15 miles today.

  

WHY?  Am I an attention, notification seeking freak?  Well, no.  For the longest time, I would post my runs or watch pictures for selfish reasons.  I wanted everyone to see how far and how fast I went.  Not necessarily to brag, but maybe show off a little.  I'm totally open to admit that.  But within these past few months of blogging, and diving into marathon training (round 2) I've realized I love to show people what I did so they believe they can do it too!  I know several of my Facebook friends are training for the Lincoln half marathon this May, and a couple of them it will be their first half.  I want to inspire them to get a run in for the day, or give them an idea of what a tempo run is.  I love running, I love talking about running, and I don't care that my entire Facebook page is almost completely cluttered with running statuses and pictures, that's who I AM.

I've been straight up addicted to Facebook since college.  I say I'm not, but seriously, I check it constantly.  Then comes my newest, and even greater addiction... dun dun dun.... INSTAGRAM.

Hi, my name is Brittnee, and I'm addicted to Instagram.

It's kind of crazy that I've connected with total strangers through Insta.  Not just random weirdos, but other runners!  I guess we might be weirdos to some... But it's been so motivating to me.  I love seeing other people's watch pictures, or their Nike+.  It inspires me!  I follow some freakishly fast ladies that I know I could  never keep up with, but I love reading about their runs and workouts.  

Could this be a negative thing?  Well sure.  You have to embrace who YOU are as a runner, and not lose your identity when you dig too far into the social media side.  Just because someone ran a 1:25 half, doesn't mean you have to, or are any less of a runner because you aren't capable of that pace.  I love the saying "we are all runners because we run."  My point of this whole post is social media can be a great aspect of your running, if you let it.  If you see the positives, and feed from the inspiration, it can broaden your knowledge and your passion for our sport.  If you use it only as COMPARISON, and put pressure on yourself, you are setting yourself up for some hard falls.

Burnout

I've "hit the wall" in races before, pretty sure we all have.  This week I hit the wall hard in training.  And life in general really.  I feel absolutely exhausted and just burned out.  I took Tuesday as a rest day, and found myself begging for more.  I've been doing my running in the evenings because I just can't fathom the thought of getting out of bed in the morning.

I know this is a CLASSIC symptom of over training.  I finished January with my highest mileage in a month ever, and was going to Body Pump twice a week.  As soon as February hit, I felt like a bag of bricks hit me.  I know it's time to take one large chill pill, rest up, and re-group.  This morning, I found myself doubting my ability to even run a marathon.  It's crazy the mind games physical fatigue can cause.

I'm taking this week completely off of Body Pump, and doing some light weights on my own, and a little shred with Jillian.  I'm removing the hard strength training day and one running day and replacing with two easy elliptical days.  I hope to feel like myself again next week.  If not, another cut back week will be in order.

How do you cope with running burnout?

Tuesday Tangents

It's snow and blowing like crazy here.  We've really lucked out in our neck of the Midwest to have had such a mild winter, snow wise, thus far.  We've had some wicked cold, but not much white stuff.  I'm really not complaining.  I hate snow.  It's still crazy to me, having grown up in Nebraska, that some people really never see snow, and think it's the coolest thing ever when they do.  I will mail you some.  Stay where it's warm.

Little groundhog humor for the situation...

Last night I ran after work, so I actually had make up on.  It deserved a selfie...

This poses a couple of questions:

1) How often, or do you ever, run with makeup on?

For me, the answer is RARELY.  Only if I've been at work all day, and I'm rarely an evening runner.  I come inside and immediately take a second shower for the day.  I always make sure to use makeup remover before I wash my face in the shower.  I never had too many acne issues, and I definitely don't want them now!  I religiously wash my face twice a day, and like I said, rarely run with makeup on, so I don't have any skin issues.

2) How do you manage your hair when you run?

I have pretty long hair, and it loves to rat up.  I typically braid my ponytail to keep it from getting crazy, or sticking to me when it's super hot and humid.  I always wear low ponytails because I can't stand the feeling of the bouncing ponytail, and my hair is too thick and heavy for a bun.  The low pony is great underneath my stocking hat, I had been wearing, but removed for the lovely photo op.

I'm off to make some warm supper and watch the Biggest Loser finale!  I'm torn between Rachel and David.  I will be happy, and probably cry, for whoever wins!

Workout Recap 1/27 - 2/2

Instead of Workout Recap, I should just start calling these posts running recap.  I do miss doing the variety of workouts I used to do when I wasn't in full blown training mode, but right now it's all about the run!

Monday - 8 miles on the treadmill.  No set workout, just make it through.  CXWORX (30 minutes)

Tuesday - Body Pump Express at lunch and 40 minutes on the elliptical after work.  I was dragging all day, but made it through.  I really found myself appreciating my light cross training day!

Wednesday - 7 miles, pyramid style.  Kicked my tail!  I skipped CXWORX at lunch, I felt really drug out and had a tight IT band.  The run was it for the day.

Thursday - 6 miles, some speedwork.  I did a couple mile repeats.  Again, feeling kind of blah.  Made it to the Y at lunch for weights and abs.  I did all legs, extensions, curls, wall sits, and some lunges.

Friday - CXWORX (30 minutes) and Body Pump (60 minutes) I'm LOVING the new releases for both CX and Pump right now.  This coming week will be the last week of doing only the new releases, and I'm a little sad.  Pump makes me super sore in the shoulders every time.  The lunge track also left me feeling rather shaky on Friday night!

Saturday - 13.1 miles.  I posted about it here.

Sunday - 5 miles OUTSIDE!  It was a gorgeous afternoon!  It felt great to get one run in outside this week, even if it was my shortest, and my recovery run.  It was perfect.  Finished off with T25 ab intervals.

My Saturday - a treadmill half marathon

Happy February!  I kicked my month, and Saturday off, with my favorite distance.

It's kind of funny when you run a distance PR on your treadmill, and you have no idea at what time it decides you've been on here way too long and shuts off.  It's 100 minutes!  It goes without saying, this took me a little longer than 8 minutes and 20 seconds...

1:48 and some change was my official time, 8:16 avg pace.  Now keep in mind, I run with no incline, and other than my lovely fan to keep me half way cool, no resistance of any sort.  That said, I am still excited that I can run a 1:48 as a stroll in the park run, when my second best half time last year was a 1:47.  I'm really excited to race a half later in the year and see if I can crack out my 1:40!

I use my iPod nano with Nike + to track all of my treadmill workouts.  All of my runs are stored happily on the Nike + website.  My GPS watch is also Nike.  Go be my friend if you have it, I think I'm just Brittnee Weeder on there.

So how did I pass my 1:48 on the hamster wheel, as my friend Heidi calls it!  Uh, Laguna Beach season 2... duh.  I MISS these classic MTV "reality" shows so much!  Good thing I have them all on DVD!  Laguna, The Hills, Newlyweds...

Team LC!  Oh, and yesterday was Lauren Conrad's birthday.  Ironic!

I went about the rest of my day in Pro Compression calf sleeves.  And then this happened...

No better way to end your Saturday than with some Yogurt City!