Taking it up a notch

So, in an attempt to prepare for the craziness that is Ragnar: Adirondacks, I have upped my training.  This morning, I ran with some of my teammates up a massive hill.  We went up three miles and then came back down for a total of six miles.  Since Ragnar is full of steep hills (remember, it's through the mountains), we figured we should start doing some serious hill work.  This fit the bill!

I actually really enjoyed it.  There's something very therapeutic about running straight uphill for three miles.  It definitely makes you feel tough.

If that wasn't enough, I added another component to my training.  I started running more than once throughout the day.  Normally, I just run once every day or so.  But, Ragnar requires me to run three different legs, each about 10 hours apart.  I need to be able to run three times in a day and a half.  So, after the brutal hill work this morning, I added a second evening run.  I ran six miles this morning and three miles this evening.  It wasn't so bad...except for the intense heat.  I really dislike running in the heat.

Now that I'm adding more intense training to my schedule, I'm even more excited about Ragnar.  It's going to be tough, but I know I can do it, and that's a great feeling.

Wait...what did I agree to?!

A few months ago, in the midst of half marathon training, one of our running buddies sent an email to me and Paul asking us if we wanted to be part of a Ragnar Relay team.  I had never even heard of Ragnar, so I immediately went to the website to check it out.  For those of you who don't know, Ragnar is a 200 mile relay that is run by teams of 12 (or ultrateams of 6...I think you can probably guess what type of team I'm on :))  over the course of approximately 30 - 36 hours.  It sounded fun, so we both agreed.  Paul was especially excited and has been doing all sorts of Ragnar planning ever since.  He and the woman who sent the original invite are co-captains.  So, there is a lot of Ragnar talk at my house.

Anyway, the way the race works is that each runner gets three legs of the course to run.  The legs are varying distances and difficulty levels and occur at all hours of the day...even in the middle of the night.  We're participating in Ragnar Adirondacks.  The race actually goes through the Adirondack mountains! 

So, I knew we would have some elevation to contend with.  But, I guess I have been in denial since we registered.  Since my legs range between 5.2 miles and 6.4 miles, I haven't worried too much.  That's the distance I run on a regular basis.  It's definitely doable for me.  But, I didn't think about the difficulty level of each of my "legs." (Do you see where this is going?)

Today, Paul and Staci set out to drive the entire course.  Luckily, the starting point is only about 2 hours from where we live, and the race ends about 45 minutes from where we live.  They wanted to see what we're in for and do some planning.

While they were driving the course, Paul and I were texting.  

It looks I'm in for a tough set of runs!  I guess I better start training!

Variety is the spice of life

It's no secret that running is my favorite form of exercise.  There's just something about the feeling of my feet hitting the pavement as I run. However, it's not really good to do just one form of exercise.  Your muscles need to be used in different ways.  So, in an attempt to keep things interesting for my muscles (and myself), I have been experimenting with different types of exercise.  As you know, I already tried swimming, but I just couldn't get into it.  Insanity was a great form of cross training, but I slacked off while we were in Maine and I haven't been able to get back into it quite yet.  But, I do have plans to start the whole program over again next Monday, so stay tuned for an update on that.  I use the elliptical on occasion and really enjoy that, but it isn't really exciting or interesting.  I'm also getting ready to start a Women on Weights class that I have high hopes for, and I'll definitely be blogging about my experience and progress.  I'm also looking into Cross Fit, but we don't have a Cross Fit gym here , so I will have to do the workouts at home.  So, I am definitely experimenting with a variety of different exercises and I'm really enjoying it.

Recently, I discovered my new favorite form of exercise.  In fact, it's on par with running as far as I'm concerned.  I actually find myself conflicted about which activity to do each day because I love them equally.  What is it?

Cycling!

I absolutely LOVE riding my bike all over the place and covering 20 - 30 miles in a morning.  Yesterday, I went for an early morning ride with my co-worker and we covered 24 miles in under two hours.  We also stopped for an amazing breakfast burrito along the way.  You definitely can't do that while you're running!

I will continue to look for new and exciting activities to add to my exercise routine because I want to keep things interesting, but I'm definitely going to enjoy my new favorite form of exercise!

Running around in circles...

I have been consistently running for two years.  During that time, I have averaged 3 - 5 runs a week.  I tend to do a few shorter runs each week and one "long" run each weekend.  I try to do some hill work on occasion, but hills really aggravate my ankle/tendon issue that I have because I'm an over pronator.  So, I don't do hills every week.  I try to vary my running workouts so that I build up my endurance and pace and have a nice variety of workouts.  However, during the past two years, I have NEVER included intervals in my running routine.  I always plan to, but I never seem to get around to it...until now. 

A couple of weeks ago, I joined one of my running buddies at the local high school track one beautiful morning and we ran sprints around the track.  I LOVED it.  It was really tough, but I felt great after and really felt like I got a different workout than I do when I run a consistent pace.  We switched between 400's and 800's with short rests in between.  I was surprised at how fast I was able to run the 400's.  The 800's were a different story.  I found myself slowing down significantly on the second lap around the track.  So, it looks like I have some work to do.  We are planning to meet every Friday morning at the track to do intervals, and I'm really excited to see how much progress I can make.  My goal is to be able to run a complete 800 without slowing down by the end of the summer. 

We ran this morning, and we stuck to 400's.

I was really impressed with my time/pace.  I was consistently under 7 minute miles the entire time, which is unbelievable to me since my average running pace is between 8:40 and 9:25 (depending on the distance of the run).  It was so much fun to be able to run that fast, even if it was for a brief period of time.  I can definitely see how intervals will help me improve my pace and build up my endurance.  I just wish I had started two years ago :)

My Favorite Running Partner

There are two types of runners...those who like running with other people and those who don't.  People who choose to run by themselves enjoy the solitude and quiet reflection time that running alone provides.  Those runners who choose to run with other people enjoy the camaraderie and motivation that running alongside others provides.  I'm somewhere in the middle.  I LOVE running with other people, especially on long runs.  I'm lucky to have a few girlfriends who run, and I always enjoy the chatting time when I run with them.  I also really enjoy running with Paul.  We occasionally arrange for babysitting for the kids (luckily Nana and Papa are nearby) just so we can go for a run.  It actually makes for a really nice date.  But, I also enjoy running by myself.  There's something so enjoyable about hitting the streets by myself and just being alone with my thoughts.  When I have a problem to work through or a project I'm working on at work, I use the time to process everything and come up with an action plan.  I think I actually wrote half of my thesis in my head while I was running.

But...I have a new running partner that I could happily run with every time.  He's so sweet and loving and he is always willing to let me lead the way.  He doesn't complain and he never tries to get me to stop and walk.  When I need to be inside my head, he runs beside me silently and let's me do what I have to do.  When I feel like chatting, he listens to me and lets me say what I have to say.  He's always willing to go anywhere that I want to go, and he keeps up with my pace perfectly.  He's the perfect running partner.

Meet Elliot!

He's our 4.5 year old English Setter mix.  Isn't he sweet?

We adopted Elliot when he was 9 months old from our local animal shelter. However, at the time, we had a second dog and I didn't want to take both of them running.  So, I just settled for long walks with the two of them.  Sadly, our other dog died on September 30th, and Elliot became an only dog.  So, he can now go running with me.

I always had a feeling that Elliot would be a good running dog (our other dog was not), and I was right.  He's a great running partner!  Now that he has been running with me for a while, he really looks forward to it.  Every time he sees me get my running clothes on and lace up my shoes, he starts to wiggle with excitement.  Quite honestly, I couldn't ask for a better running partner!

There's just something about the ocean...

Well, we are back and settling in after a wonderful week on the Maine coast.  It was an incredible vacation filled with fun and relaxation , and I didn't want it to end.  But, as is the case, vacations eventually end and regular life must resume.  Luckily, I have a really nice regular life :)

Now that I'm back and done with writing my thesis and my major work project, I'm ready to dedicate more time to this blog.  I'm really ready to take it to the next level.  So, expect more posts from me on some fun, exciting and interesting topics.  Plus, a name change in the near future.  Oh, and I haven't forgotten about Insanity, although I did take a break during the week that we were in Old Orchard Beach.  I'll write a full post on that in the next couple of days. So, that's what's ahead.  If you have been checking here regularly, thank you for your patience as I tried to manage all of the chaos the past couple of months.  I hope you stick around because this blog is about to get more interesting.

But, before I move into the next stage of blogging, I have to give you a glimpse of the amazing week we just had.  I think a beach vacation is just what the soul needs to recharge.

We rented a house directly on the beach, and it made such a difference.  Look at our backyard!

I don't think I can ever rent a house that isn't on the beach again.  I'm spoiled!


We traveled with another family, which made the trip even more fun.  The kids had playmates and loved every minute of it!

We spent a lot of time on the beach playing in the sand

taking long walks

and exploring tide pools

Amelia and her friend discovered how much fun boogie boarding is

I even tried surfing...and I loved it!

We played mini putt

and visited the Portland Children's Museum

We ate a lot of lobster

and also visited two famous diners...Becky's Diner and the Maine Diner

We visited a fairy village on Mackworth Island and built our own fairy house

It was a magical trip and we all left sandy and sun kissed.

We may not go back to Old Orchard Beach next year, but we will definitely go back to the ocean.

MIA

This is what we have been doing all week! See you on Monday...