Duly Noted

I have been doing a lot of running lately.  It is unlikely that this surprises anyone, my family least of all.  But this training cycle is a bit different.  My sights are set on Moose Mountain Marathon, the shortest distance of the three fall superior races.  I have run a few trail races including the spring Superior 25k (an out and back that covers that last portion of the fall races), but this is my first trail marathon and it could take me upwards of seven hours so I need my body in tip top trail specific condition.  Fortunately, my longtime running buddy Rose is an ultra-runner.  For the last few years, Rose has been encouraging me to sign up and train for a longer trail race.  "If you can run a road marathon, you can run a trail ultra," says Rose.  I've been hesitant to commit for a few reasons: 1) time it takes to train for a trail race (driving time to trails + more time running=more time away from home) 2) amount of energy it takes to ...

I want to write more often.  Everyday, a least one idea runs through my head that pulls at me to write down, but I rarely do.  I plan to start carrying around a little striped moleskin I received in my stocking so I can capture these fleeting ideas. This afternoon, let's have a quick chat about routine. For me, routines are usually helpful and intentional.  These days, I eat before I run.  I run before I teach.  I make dinner for my family.  I read before I sleep.  During the school year and the work week, I have a pattern that I can count on for stability and balance. During the weekend, I have a few routines too.  I like to eat pizza on Fridays.  I run my longest run, usually with a friend, Saturday morning.  I try to go to church on Sunday. Then, there are my routines with little Misha.  We read before he goes to bed.  I sing him the same songs as I tuck him in at night.  He watches an episode of "Elmo" while he...

I signed up for Twin Cities Marathon!  This will be my 5th marathon and my 3rd Twin Cities.  I needed a challenge- a physical and mental one- to focus my training and give new perspective to paying attention to my health and well-being. I am following the "Own It" plan from one of my favorite sites- Another Mother Runner.  This morning marks my fourth long run of the training plan, an easy 13 miler. Last weekend's long run was a glorious 15 miles with the middle five around marathon pace (I am shooting for a 4 hour (or less, eek!) marathon so that sets me around a 9 minute mile).  Since I was spending a few days visiting my parents and grandma in Cleveland, my dad offered to ride his bike next to me. Long runs are true invitations for quality time with someone so I was fortunate that my dad was willing to cruise at snail's pace along this hilly boulevard.  He carried my snacks and water too!  What a guy!  He kept the conversation going as I muddled thr...

Monday, 2/17: 6 miles on treadmill w/4 miles @ 8:00 min pace Tuesday: 2/18: 5 miles easy, abs Wednesday, 2/19: off, abs Thursday, 2/20: off, abs Friday, 2/21: long run on treadmill, 12 miles! abs Saturday, 2/22: run in the cold but sunny outdoors with Rose, 7 miles, abs. Sunday, 2/23: masters swim team, 3350 yards Total mileage: 30 miles

Monday 2/10: 6 mile run (felt awful but finished...), abs Tuesday 2/11: off, abs. Wednesday 2/12: 7.5 miles outside!  abs. Thursday 2/13: 6 miles w/4x400 (treadmill), abs. Friday 2/14: 4 miles easy, outside!, abs. Saturday 2/15: 6 miles w/ 3x400, 3x800, 3x200 (between 8:00-7:00 pace) Sunday 2/16: 4 miles easy Total mileage: 33.5miles Skipped long run and swim team this week due to a visit from my family.  That said, I ran almost every day even if it was just a nice refresher run.

Monday 2/3- 6.25 miles w/6x800 @ 8:00-7:30 pace, abs. Tuesday 2/4- 1.5 miles easy (I planned to go longer but Misha wasn't into childcare that evening!), abs. Wednesday 2/5- off, abs Thursday 2/6- off, abs Friday 2/7- 6.5 miles easy with Rachel The Dog, Rose and Lida, abs. Saturday 2/8- 10 miles on treadmill Sunday 2/9- 3150 yards, swim team total mileage (running): appx. 24 Reflections: This week had some good moments- Monday's treadmill workout, getting outside on Friday, and then of course, swim practice on Sunday morning.  I made some excellent meals this week too if I do say so myself (and I do!) including a kale salad with beets, sweet potatoes, and apples, a parsnip "rice" with flavored with coconut and ginger, a chicken bean bowl, and a beef chili loaded with vegetables for Saturday night with friends.  I also have been drinking at least a mug of mate everyday- a nice substitute for coffee and full of antioxidants. The week's low point was the lack of runn...

Monday, 1/27: 5 miles with some hills (treadmill), abs Tuesday 1/28: 8 miles w/ intervals: 2x1600 (3 min. recov), 3x600 (2 min recov), 3x300 (1-2 min recov), (treadmill), abs. Wednesday 1/29: off, abs. Thursday 1/30: 5 miles easy in the snow with Rebecca.  Lovely. Abs. Friday 1/31: off, abs Saturday 2/1: 10 mile long run, outside! with Callie and Rachel the dog!  Amazing! abs Sunday 2/2: swim team, total yards: 3250 Total mileage: 28 miles

Monday, 1/20: 5 miles easy (though big fall on the ice!) Tuesday, 1/21: off, abs Wednesday, 1/22: off, abs Thursday, 1/23: 8 miles with intervals (see Thursday's blog post), abs Friday, 1/24: 4 miles easy in the snow, abs Saturday, 1/25: 12 mile long run, (switching between treadmills and indoor track) Sunday, 1/26: 6 miles total* with each 2 miles progressively faster (9:00-7:30 min/miles), abs Total mileage: 35 miles *No masters swim team for second week in a row due to indoor triathlon!  Can't wait till next Sunday!  I might even try a practice during the week.  I miss it!

School was cancelled again due to bitter cold temperatures.  So what did I do?  Head to the gym, of course!  I couldn't wait to get in an interval workout after a two day running hiatus.  I have been getting interval workout ideas from a running group that meets every Thursday morning.  I am never able to join them due to my morning work schedule/routine, but I like to do their workouts so I requested to keep me on the email list! Here was today's workout: 1 mile w/u 4 x (4 min, 3 min, 2 min) w/1 min. recovery jogs between each interval.  I ran each set a little faster- starting at 8 min/mile pace and ending at 7:30 min/mile. 1 mile c/d Total mileage: 8 miles I finished up with some quick stretching and my standard 8 min. abs. I felt awesome! Now, the special thing about this workout is that I completed it while talking with a colleague of mine on the treadmill next me.  As a p.Hd student, she is busy too so we have found that workout meetings ensure c...

1/12 Sunday- Swim team: 2950 yards total w/IM set and 5x200 free (3 min pace, I think) 1/13 Monday- rest, abs 1/14 Tuesday- 7 miles with 6x800 (treadmill), abs 1/15 Wednesday- rest, abs 1/16 Thursday- 6 miles with 3 miles @ 8-7:30 pace (treadmill), abs 1/17 Friday- 7 miles w/6x1 min. fast (treadmill), abs 1/18 Saturday- easy walk in the snow 1/19 Sunday- long easy run, 10 miles Total running: mileage: 30 miles

1/5 Sunday: 2900 swim!  Masters swim team, included 2x500 (9:40, 8:40), 2x400 (IM mix) 1/6 Monday: off 1/7 Tuesday: 5 miles: hills!  6x1:00 min @ 4-10% incline w/2 min recov 1/8 Wednesday: 5 miles: 1 mile w/u, 3 miles @ 7:30-8 min pace, 1 c/d 1/9 Thursday: 1 mile warm up on treadmill, circuit class @ gym 1/10 Friday: 5 miles, easy run (outside! with Rachel and BRB) 1/11 Saturday: 10 long, leisurely miles along river road Total running mileage: 26 miles

This year, I plan to concentrate on trail races including my first ultra (50k, or 31.0686 miles) and diversifying my training. Here's what I've got so far in terms of possible races: April: 4/12: Trail Mix 25k @ Lake Rebecca  (training) May 5/17: Superior Hiking Trail 25k (training) July: 7/5: Afton 50k (My first 30 miles for my 30th birthday!) August: 8/17: YWCA Women's Sprint Triathlon September: 9/20: Surly Trail Loppet (Trail half marathon) October: 10/11: Big Woods Run  (Trail half marathon) 10/25: Surf The Murph (25k/50k/50 mile)

1. Map out 2014 racing calendar 2. Swim 1x week- preferably Masters Swim Team practice on Sunday mornings 3. Set up stationary bike in basement 4. Three key running workouts per week: 1 intervals or hills, 1 tempo, and 1 long run 5. Experiment with other forms of cross training: yoga videos, 30 day shred, rowing machine at gym, yoga class. 6. Weight maintenance & work on nutrition (in terms of timing, limiting sugar consumption, balancing protein, carbs, and fat in every meal).

Waiting for the start.  All the photos in this post are credit of my running buddy, Rose. Pre-race smiles in the middle of the pack. Morning sunlight pouring down Summit Ave. Another late race report following another satisfying race!  To my good fortune, I was selected to run in the TC 10 mile, the little sister race to the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon.  Runners are chosen through a lottery system for the TC 10 mile so I always feel pretty lucky when my number gets pulled! This year, I started the race with a speedy running buddy of mine (and talented photographer as you can see from this photos!).  After a summer of hardcore hiking and training, Rose was ready to PR.  I didn't know what to expect although I hoped to beat my time from Women Run The Cities 10 mile race without overdoing it.  (I still had a half marathon trail race and the Monster Dash Half marathon ahead of me!) Some of the most memorable moments of this race were before we even arrived a...

As a teacher, I am a creature of habit.  5:30 alarm, sleep 5:40 alarm, sleep 5:50 wake up Head downstairs, get coffee and oatmeal started. Do 8 minutes of abs while waiting for coffee and oatmeal. Eat breakfast, read emails, check weather, and toodle around feedly and pinterest 6:30 Feed Misha or prep milk, brush teeth, floss, comb hair and get dressed.  Pick out a scarf to wear. 7:15 Bike to work, enjoy the fall colors 7:45 Meet with students about essays, respond to work emails, get ready for classes 8:30-11:30 Teach! 11:30-12:00 Wrap up materials, get ready for tomorrow's classes. 12:00 Bike home, enjoy leaves again! 12:30 Home sweet home!  Cuddle and feed Misha. 1:00 Eat lunch outside on our picnic table and make plans for the afternoon. Unlike my mornings at work, weekday afternoons have yet to fall into a routine.  Although sometimes I yearn for this, I am okay with no routine with one caveat.  I need to spend some time moving, and...

I am going to keep this race report brief as it is already overdue and I am running another 10 mile race this Sunday! I signed up for Women Run The Cities for four reasons. 1. One of my favorite local trail races, the surley loppet half marathon, was already full. 2. I love all female events. 3. The start and finish line is only two miles from my house (perfect distance for an easy warm up). 4. Breaking up a training cycle with local distance races keeps me motivated. I didn't have a concrete race plan, but I approached the race as a training run.  This means no PR-ing (unless I feel downright incredible and a PR pace feels like floating on air which is highly   unlikely ).  That said, I wanted to feel tired at the end of the race to mimic the fatigue I should feel during the last stretches of a goal race.  To accomplish this, I left home extra earlier and jogged over to the start line, a nice and easy two mile warm up.  I always love running and biking ...

Saturday I planned to run somewhere around 12 miles for Saturday's long run, but due to the steamy temps and my tired legs, I ended somewhere in the 11 mile range including a few walking intervals.  Saturday's saving grace was a running buddy who kept me entertained with explanations of cultural theory and a goal setting session for our thirties.  We wondered...how to be glamorous thirty year-olds on a budget? We passed a family placing a red wagon and cute blue chair out on the curb.  We confirmed that the goods were free and convinced the family to put the goods in their backyard so we could grab them post-run.  If only folks were leaving little black dresses and kate spade bags curbside... Sunday Sunday was an easy five mile run to stretch out my legs after Saturday's slog.  I like to go out with Misha on Sunday am's since we often aren't together anymore in the mornings.  Misha likes to be my coach, smile at me, and look around as w...

***For those of you who read this blog primarily for Misha updates, I apologize for my training-related posts but these will keep coming as running and training are important parts of my life!  Don't worry- Misha posts will continue too as he is a complete love nut.   Hanging with mom... With the YWCA sprint triathlon under my belt, I am looking ahead to the fall running season as well as pondering future training and racing goals now that I am a mother! This fall, I have signed up for three races: Women Run The Cities 10 mile, the TC 10 mile (little sister race of the Twin Cities Medtronic Marathon) and my priority race- the Ortho Monster Dash Half Marathon.  Despite the fact that I love trail running and racing, I intentionally signed up for three road races because they are closer to home and easier to train for with a baby in the mix! However, as I put together my fall training plan, I find myself weighing different options and struggling to set attainable bu...

Preface: I wanted to write this race report while it was all still fresh, but with a four month old and my return to work, this post quickly dropped its priority status.  Luckily, I jotted down some key memories immediately after the race to stimulate my writing later.  Those anecdotes are included here! *** Almost two weeks ago, I crossed the YWCA Women's Sprint Triathlon finish line for third year in a row.  As I raised my hands in the air, the announcer cheered me on, "Molly of Minneapolis- This is her first triathlon post baby Misha!  She just had a baby and triathlon!" This shot truly captures the thrill of the finish line.   Last year, Misha completed the race with me and my mom in the "buddy heat."  Only a few weeks pregnant, I kept my mom company as she worked her way through her first 500 yard open water swim, 15 mile bike ride, and 5k run.  This year, we signed up as a "mother-daughter team" with each of us competing in our own age g...