2019 Fitness favorites

A few of my favorite fitness products for this year. 

In 2019, I feel like I stuck with my favorite fitness products. I love my R8 roller. I wore pretty similar running clothes. I tried some new types of fuel. But here are some new addition to my favorites. 

1. Lululemon Run Stuff Your Bra long, for long runs (center)

 I like the longer length of this sports bra. I think it helps with underboob chafe. It's my go-to sports bra for runs.

2. Running shorts. 

I vastly prefer running in crops, but summer runs call for shorts and this year, I wore those short tight shorts that the runners wear. And after I found the right ones, they were a joy to run in. My two favorites are Lululemon Fast and Free short 6 inch and the Oiselle pocket jogger. They don't ride up when running and aren't too short. (I should say I got a few pairs of the Lululemon shorts and one pair did ride up. The others didn't. I only have one pair of the Oiselle shorts since they keep selling out.) 

First year I was brave enough to wear TIGHT SHORT SHORTS . 

3. Lululemon Swiftly tanks

I've been a Cool Racerback person, but this year, I started liking the Swiftly because it's lightweight and great for summer running. It's lighter and breathes easier. Certain styles/colors do better with sweat than others, but this is what I reached for on runs this year. 

4. UCann

I heard a lot of about UCann this year. I tried it. It tastes super chalky (gag) but it works. I can't have a bad run with it. I don't like the texture and it makes me spit a lot but it really does great for energy. 

5. Skincare for sweaty skin (small blue bottle in photo.) 

I've been loving Fre skincare, which is for people who sweat a lot. I love their revitalize skin serum for after a run. It's exactly what my skin needs. This product line also has a face wash, and a nighttime moisturizer. I don't love the daytime moisturizer as it's basically sunscreen (and smells like sunscreen)

6. Not pictured: Favorite Cookbook
Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow. Love. Every athlete should use this cookbook. 

7 miles this week

It's Sunday. I ran seven miles this week. 

Which is my lowest mile week—since my August meltdown. 

I was sick. Honestly, I couldn't have run Monday through Wednesday. Thursday and Friday, maybe but I didn't risk it. (I did do 30 minutes on the exercise bike twice this week.) 

I ran Saturday and Sunday and coughed a ton after I stopped running. I also needed a nap after the runs. 

I'm not 100% over my cold. Maybe 90%. There's still some lingering congestion. The weather was nice on my runs. I listened to my podcasts.

Maybe I'm overing my running funk. At least I didn't cry before either of these runs. I might keep my miles super low for the time being and just run when I want to. 

Here's a picture of my fuel for my Sunday easy run. 

Week off running

Halloween. I didn't have a costume the night before,
so recycled a costume from a few years ago. 

It's been a glorious 7 days off running. My run last Saturday was garbage. And then I started to get sick. I took a few days off for illness. I probably could have started running a few days ago, but I really liked having a week off. And having that time back.

I cooked. I caught up on my course work. I almost caught up with work work. It was really nice not to have to squeeze a run in after work. 

I know I should start working out, so I don't gain weight but the time off was much needed. 

Yes, I've been in a running funk lately. I've done no races since the spring and haven't felt motivated to really train. 

But I've been working out like a beast for 6.5 years. That's 6.5 years of 5 days a week of workouts. I take usually a week off twice a year for being sick. And that's it. So this week, I got over my cold. Didn't drink enough water. Didn't eat particularly well. (I did no fast food so I'm probably fine.) And I didn't run. 

So I'm struggling with balance and fatigue and needed some time just to myself.

Having Saturday with no commitments—just to catch up on life was much-needed. 

Workouts this week Oct. 7-13

Monday: Off

Usual off day.

Tuesday: 4 easy miles

I did a quick 4 mile trail run. I didn't want to run. Made myself anyway. I wanted to listen to a new running podcast, so forced myself to run 4 miles and listen to the podcast. It went better than I thought.  I had to walk a few times. And my left ankle started feeling crunchy at the end of the run (which is new).

Wednesday: DNS

I made myself run yesterday. Today I was crying I didn't want to run so much. I'm exhausted. I felt like I was getting the flu. (Okay, I spent most of my 20s this exhausted. Had many tests done. Quitting dairy helped some, but now I'm back to my persistent state of fatigue. Went to bed at 9:30 last night.) I came home and took a nap and felt a lot better. I did 30 minutes on the exercise bike. I think running 30 mile weeks and 5 days a week is just too much for me. I'm frustrated that I have no speed, and no goal really.  (And the last week was really, really stressful.)

Thursday: Running Blahs

Another day because I cry I don't want to run. I haven't done any speed workouts this week. My quads hurt. My anxiety is in full gear. I came home thinking about quitting running. I talked myself into running two easy miles. That turned into 3 miles. And it was fine. I probably won't make my miles for the week. But I got it done. 

Friday: Nope

I had planned to run 5 miles after work. At lunch, I felt like I was having an asthma attack. I took my inhaler and thought that running while having breathing issues would be a bad idea. I did a super easy indoor cycle while watching TV on my phone. So something. 45 minutes of easy exercise with some abs and arms thrown in. 

Excited for my run. Set out my clothes
 the night before. The cat helped. 

Saturday: Fleet Feet 12

I was looking forward to this run, a rarity of late. Only, I ended up running most of it alone. I had no one to run with. I was so tired. I was running 9:30s and they felt like 8:20s from last year. My workout with 12 miles with the last 15 minutes fast. The last 2 miles of the course was up hill. So, I did the first part of the route and then made my own route. I did my last two miles in 15:59. And I was just dead for the rest of the day. Way more tired than I had anticipated. Like after rogue last year. So I am not in shape.

Saturday group run. 

Sunday: easy miles

Again, I didn't want to run but thought I could make 20 miles for the week. My quads were killing me. I ran and my legs were fine. Had to make a few bathroom stops. Got in 3 miles for 22 miles for the week.

Miles this week: 22

Times I cried because I didn't want to run: 2

Times I felt so tired I thought I should go to the doctor: The whole week

How I've felt all week. 

Workouts this week: 9/29-10/6

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 4 miles

It was 95 degrees outside so I did 4 miles at the indoor track. Maybe I should have done more, but I had to get home ASAP.  

Wednesday: Off

It's October and 95 and the feels like is 99.
I got a massage. It actually made my legs feel so much worse. For days.

Thursday: 6 miles

Did 6 miles at the indoor track. It's just too hot to run outside. 

Friday: 4 miles

I should have done hill repeats and a 4 mile race pace run this week (Tuesday and Thursday), but I messed my workouts for the week up. My plan was to do the 4 mile tempo as part of a 5k, but the 5k isn't taking race day registrations, so I'll do that solo. So I did 4 easy miles today, and I'll do my hill repeats as part of my long run. 

I also got a massage today. My achilles were really tight. There were knots in my quads. I thought I didn't really need it. I really did. 

Saturday: 4 mile tempo (supposed to be 10k pace) + mile warmup and mile cool down 

My plan was to run the homecoming 5k, but they closed registrations a week before the event ended and didn't take race day registrations. I considered going to group run, but that seemed like too much of a hassle. So I did 1 mile warmup. And then 4 miles out and back near my house. Mile 1 hurt (7:58) and this was the pace I ran a half marathon at 6 months ago. Now I can't run 3 miles this pace. Mile 2 8:01. And I took a break. I was hurting. I got water. (It was 75 and 80% humidity with moderate air quality). 2 minute break. I KNOW I shouldn't take these breaks. Then mile 3 in 8:06. I took a quick break (because I felt so, so bad) and then mile 4 in 8:05. For an 8:03 average. (I ran another .4 mile at 7:58 pace to get back to the start.) 

These 8 minute miles felt WORSE than 7:30s felt a year ago. So bad. I know I shouldn't take a break, but this was all I had today.  Did a mile cool down. 

Sunday: Combined workouts

Today I did the hill repeats I was supposed to do Tuesday or Thursday with my long run. (It was a cutback week, so 9 miles). Not my best idea ever, but this way I get all my workouts in for the week.

I woke up and went back to bed. I never do this. But I felt awful when I got up. I slept until 7. Puttered around way too long and went to the trails, where I went to the bathroom before the run and was crying in the stall because I really didn't want to run. (My legs hurt just walking to the bathroom). I was having one of my "I should just quit running" meltdowns. I've had a pretty crappy summer and am just so frustrated with seeing so many people hit fast times and me slowing down. I didn't want to end on 20 miles for the week. So I told myself just to try a warmup lap and see how I felt.

I did 3 mile for warmups. (Legs were fine.) And then the workout was 7x 2 minute hill repeats. The repeats are supposed to be fast. I do them as fast as I'm able. (I'm bad at running hills, it's trails and I have to watch my footing, so I think hard effort should count.) I finished all of them without walking. I thought they were faster than last time (they might not have been, but my start/stop line isn't the same, and Strava does not track this hill right at all. It said the second was 90 seconds slower today.) 

2:00, 2:00, 1:58, 1:53, 1:54, 1:52 which is about a minute slower total than last time, but the distance might be different. 

My downhill segments were shorter, but it measured them the same distance. I thought they felt BETTER. 

Then 3 miles for a cool down. Had to walk a few times. Hit 9.2 miles and 30 miles for the week. 

FUELING: I tried UCAN for the first time before this run. I'd heard great things about it, but Stevia messes with my stomach. I found a flavor without stevia and tried it. I knew it was super starch, but I was expecting it to be more like Gatorade and less starchy. I did NOT like the texture, but I had a better than expected run, so I might try it again. 

I also did a HUMA protein smoothie afterwards, because I always wait too long to eat. That thing was disgusting. I choked it down. It was thick like peanut butter. It was much needed too because I didn't get to eat until 5 hours after my run!

Miles this week:30
Runs this week: 5
Cross training: FAIL. I do squats while brushing my teeth. Does that count? 
Feeling: Hard week. Grateful to make my miles

Workouts this week 9/16-9/22

View from the indoor track

Monday: easy miles

5.25 miles at the indoor track. This was an easy run. I ran indoors because it was 90+ degrees outside. So 42 laps around the track.

The run felt easy enough. 

But afterwards, I felt as tired as I'd done a really hard track workout. My legs were sore. I was so tired and went to bed early. The run was fine, but after I felt like garbage. 

Tuesday: off

My legs felt so bad I skipped Tuesday's run. I just felt really, really tired. I went home and read and rested, and started to feel normal again. 

I think I didn't run much this summer. Then, I did 3 weeks of training and my body was tired. I also ran too many road miles last week, so I need to hit the trails more this week. WHEN IS THE COOLER WEATHER COMING? 

Wednesday: track workout 

My track workout for the week was 4x1600 with 400 recovery. Fun, huh?

1. The weather finally cooled down. It was 80 instead of 90. And because it's been so hot that 80 degrees felt like 68. It felt cool. Cool enough that I did my workout outside at 6 p.m. instead of inside. 

2. I ran my warmup mile, 8:30, which is a tad fast for a warmup. I think my body just likes running at the track. (Softer than the indoor one.) My stomach felt pretty gross while warming up. Maybe I was dehydrated I don't usually have stomach issues.

3. Going in, I  thought I'd like to hit 7:45ish. But didn't know if I could find that speed. I thought if I finished the workout, great. If it was 8 minute miles, that's where I'm at.

Rep 1: 7:33. That's the fastest mile I think I've run in a while. I wasn't expecting that fast. Happy with that. Did a 400 recovery. 

Rep 2: 7:34. Surprised with this. Still worried I was going a little fast. (I could have held this speed in the past, but not after a lazy summer.) Did a recovery 400.

Rep. 3: Ok, this is where it fell apart. I did one lap and almost quit. Other people on the track made me get to 2 laps. But I split this into 800s with about a 45 second break to catch my breath. So 2 800s, for 8:00 pace.Totally fine with that. I should have done a 400 recovery after that but I just walked 100 meters out and 100 meters back to the start. (I know the recoveries will make me tougher, so hopefully I can do better next time. About 75 seconds of recovery. 

Rep 4: 7:45. Had a runner friend jump in to the first lap, which helped make me go a little faster. He jumped in on the last lap and I actually had a little left on the last lap, so I got a nice 100 meter finish. 7:45 pace. Which is probably what I should have averaged.

That was 5.5 miles right there. I did a .5 mile cool down, which I had to make myself do. I did not want to do it. 

4. I ran out of water. I had a 12 ounce bottle and I was parched after the last rep. Bring a bigger bottle next time, Sara!

5. I'm happy with the effort. I worked hard. Got some practice running hard and fast(er). 

Right now, my October 10k is not looking like a PR, but we'll see where I can get in the next month. I've been making progress and I'm happy that speed is coming back. 

Thursday: 5 miles

Did an easy trail run after work. My legs didn't feel as bad as I thought they might. Wore my new trail shoes. I found them on eBay for $60. New in box. Pretty excited about that. 

Friday: Hill repeats 

I knew I was supposed to do a hill workout this week, but didn't know how to get it done. I prefer hill repeats on soft surfaces. I'd prefer the morning. But I can't see in the morning (even with a headlamp). But the weather was cooler, 80s, so I opted for the trails. The workout was 2 mile warmup. 6x90 second hill repeats and 2 mile cool down. The hill I like is .2  miles long. The workout also said 7 minute pace for the repeats. Hahahahaha. I am so bad at hills, I can't run fast up them. But I can try not to run 10 minute pace up them. Also trees and GPS drift. 

I just ran the length of the hill, 1:50, 1:50, 1:46, 1:46, 1:46, 1:41. 8:28 pace is the best speed my watch said I got. I tried hard. 

I did my 2 mile cool down. And I tried the workout. Happy with the effort. I know I need to get better at hills. I looked at my data from the last time I ran hills. I've run the hills faster. But I get better as the weeks go by. So hopefully next time I'll be faster. 

Saturday: OFF

I rode my bike some. Maybe 10 minutes to meet a friend. 

I sat down to watch a few minutes of TV. And it's amazing how much better I felt after sitting. I think I needed a day to relax. (I sit all day at work, but honestly, I think the building I work in has something that makes me feel unwell, mold etc.) I catch myself standing to eat and need to relax. (In what time?) 

Sunday: Long run

It was a cutback week, so my long run was only 7 miles. I did trails. The weather was perfect.

Honestly, I was tired all day after this run. It took a lot out of me. And I was lazy and didn't do any strength or core like I normally do. 

Miles this week: 29

Runs this week 5

Summer of not running

I ran a half marathon in March and haven’t trained for anything since.

I didn’t run a 10k in May because it was the day after graduation—always a super stressful, exhausting day for me.

June and July were full of lots of personal drama (and heartbreaking rejection.) I was also sick for a few weeks at the end of May and early June.

July was the first month in a long time that I didn’t run 100 miles.

Why didn’t I run?

• Life comes first.
• A goal I was working very hard towards came first.
• Also, it was hot and humid.
• Stress.

I’m a person who makes time for exercise. I’ve never understood people who say they don’t have time for it. But for a few weeks I only had time to run maybe 3 times a week. I was super busy with my personal drama.

And then, I just didn’t have anything to train for.

I thought I might train for the mile race. But then had to go out to Utah for a very stressful visit. And now the mile race is past and I think I need to make a goal and find a plan.

I’d like to do a 10 mile race, but the PNC 10-miler might be too hilly for me. (I really hate hills, which means I should run them more.)

Or maybe a 10k? There are 2 in October that I’m eyeing. Being that it’s the end of August, I need to start training.

I’ve decided I don’t want to do a fall half.

I don’t know where my fitness is. I’ve done a handful of speed workouts since March. I need to start back. I ran 10 miles three weeks ago. I ran 8 yesterday, since that seemed like a good amount without overdoing it. Maybe I’ll try 10 again this weekend. And if I can get a speed workout in this week—I’d be making some progress.