Several Reasons Why This Was a Great Week

This week was a great week for so many reasons. Since I was on vacation from work, I was able to get more running in than usual! Sometimes I have visions of quitting my job so that I have more time to train but that's not going to happen anytime soon. So why was it a great week for me?

1. My training included several types of runs this week. This is how every week should be!

Monday-(Tempo Run) 8.53 Mile progressive tempo run which was done in the attempt to find my mojo. I don't think I have found it yet but I am trying my best to stay on top of my training.

Wednesday-(Strength Run) 11.25 Mile Hilly run with the girls. I thought I was going to be sore after this one but nope! I felt great the next day and wanted to go for a run but stopped myself.

Friday-(Easy/Base Run) 7.50 Miles at an comfortable/natural pace. It is hard to me to run at an comfortable pace because I am always short on time and in a hurry. Once I get home from work and finally make it to the gym, I am tired and just want my run to be done. When you have the time and energy, an easy paced run can be a beautiful thing. 

Sunday-(Long Run) 13.12 Miles in the form of the Camarillo Half Marathon. My race recap will be up shortly!

2.I ran a total of 40.46 miles which is a record month for me! This was only possible because I was on vacation from work. I usually run about 25-30 miles a week and I have just learned to accept that as a working mom it is really about the quality miles that I can put in. I don't believe in "junk miles" and just running to hit a certain weekly mileage if I can't make the miles count.

3. I survived my first race of 2014 and even though it was not a PR it was a true test of my strength as a runner. I struggled through it but am thankful that I was able to run it!

4. I have not ran on the treadmill since December 19, 2013! I have been on vacation from work since December 20, 2013 and I have been able to go on some "real" runs this whole time. I know that once I get back to work I will be back on the dreadmill but it was fun while it lasted. Maybe if I had the Boston Marathon Treadmill my whole opinion of the treadmill would change! Ha!

5. I got a new Fitbit Force for Christmas and I am having fun tracking my daily activity and sleep. My goal is to take 10,000 steps a day and I have been meeting or exceeding my goal almost every day.

6. I won a great giveaway from Christina over at The Athletarian! I can't wait to get all of this cute stuff! It has been a while since I have won something so maybe this is a sign that I am going to be lucky in 2014!

I feel like 2014 is off to a great start and I hope things stay this way. LA Marathon is just 9 weeks away and by no means am I feeling ready! I really need to get my tail in gear...

How was your first week of 2014? 

Anything exciting happen?

Vacation Time and A Record Month

I spent a good part of Sunday evening packing my bags for my trip to South Carolina.  I am taking a pretty big suitcase because I am taking back a bunch of gifts for my sister and her family that everyone here wanted to send them. I carry my most beloved belongings in my carrying bag since these are the things that I cannot live without or would be expensive to replace like my running shoes, hydration belt, my Garmin, my contact lenses (I have the worst vision ever) and my magazines that I have been putting aside to read while I am on the plane. I am sure that my niece will keep me entertained but if she falls asleep or watches a movie on her DVD player, I will try to catch up on my reading!

The weather is going to be hot with a very big chance of rain but I am planning to get a couple of runs in if I can. I mapped out a small loop around my sister's house so I can easy get back if it starts pouring. 

I am excited but traveling can sometimes be hectic because I will come back to a desk full of work and a list of things to do at home. I do not enjoy unpacking either. I have been good about unpacking the day that I get home from a trip but there have been times when the suitcase sits in my bedroom for days! Before I go, I have to leave my other half a "Honey Do List" since there are certain things that I handle at home that he will have to assume while I am away. Most of the tasks are pretty simple but they must be done...like give the dogs clean water and don't forget to check the mail!

With the exception of being lazy and not getting my long run done on Friday instead of Sunday, I had a good week, a record week! I woke up at the crack of dawn to watch the women's marathon and that was not a good idea when you have 18 miles to run. I only slept 5 hours and I could feel it every single mile but I fought through it. I am glad I did!

• Miles Planned: 40
• Miles Completed: 40.12 (This is actually my biggest week to date so I am pretty excited about it!)

My calves have been feeling sore after runs of 15 miles or longer so I am spending more time stretching, using my stick and icing right after my runs. They are feeling pretty normal today so that is a big relief.


Thankfully I live about five minutes from the airport and my flight leaves at 2:20pm tomorrow so I am hoping to get a decent run in before I get out of town! I am already starting to feel sad to leave my family behind but sometimes a small break can be a good thing. It makes you appreciate people more :)

What do you bring in your carry on bag when you travel? Do you tend to over pack like I do?