Blog Archives
Sunday: Summer Training Summary
Message of the week =be flexible. Running partners cancel, some days your legs are tired, you have to stay late at work, the temperatures are hotter than you accounted for. That’s not to say these are excuses to skipping a workout! Flexibility means if the sun’s too harsh, use the treadmill. If you got to bed late, sleep in and plan a night run. If your legs are sore, cross train in the pool.
As much as we like to plan things out, writing them down on a white board calendar does not necessarily dictate how they will play out. Fortunately I have a weekly mileage goal that keeps me from rolling over and going back to sleep when 4:30am comes and I don’t exactly hop up enthusiastically to get to my treadmill. Cardio before coffee?! Sometimes when I run before the sun is up and it’s totally quiet outside, I feel like I’m still dreaming. Trippy!
Now add in LIFE somewhere in this schedule and it gets a little tricky. Where there’s a will, there’s a way…and I’ve definitely got the will ;)
Yesterday at Sprouts (I LOVE THAT PLACE) I bought chia seeds for the first time. After reading other blogger’s experiments with overnight oats, I’m so intrigued. I plan on making a batch tonight for breakfast tomorrow (which means saving time in the morning which means I can curl my hair. Double win!) Apparently the chia seeds are the necessary ingredient that changes the texture of the oats without cooking them. Magic?
Maybe I’m still in the “runner’s high” from this morning’s long run. But can I just tell you how much I am loving summer training? A friend asked me this morning if I would want to do yoga, and I am always up for new things. But honestly I think hard cardio, as sweaty as it may be, is my therapy. Not that I use the time to think; I’m actually the opposite. I like to turn up the music, lock into my pace and not think. Oh and it helps when your surroundings are pretty to look at ;) 
Last week’s Sunday Summary: June 17th
Conference Championships!
As promised, here is my race recap from the Big Sky Track & Field Conference Championships. Portland State hosted the 2-day meet, but due to their lack of facilities we competed at Pacific University in the adorable farm town of Forest Grove, Oregon.
My 10k took place Friday night, in some pretty humid weather! It was semi-overcast and there was no breeze to cool us off from the warm temperatures. At the start line, we were told that there would be 2 “water stations” on the track for us to take cups of water. I thought, “Psh, I’ve never needed water during a race before, I don’t need any today!” Wrong. I took a cup on the second lap, and every other lap after that. The heat or humidity gave me chills during my run, and I used the cold water to splash myself every few minutes. By the end of the race, I (and all the other runners) was drenched! (I like to think the extra water weight added a few seconds to my overall race time, though I don’t know how realistic that is… ;) )
Thursday’s pre-meet run, Friday’s warm-up and cool-down, and Saturday’s recovery run all took place in the same area around the university. It was one of the most scenic and beautiful places but pictures do more justice than words do:
My 10k was not my fastest, and I didn’t place as high as I had hoped. But I’m happy with my season and relieved that it is over at the same time. Today marks the first day of my two-week break from training and I plan on thoroughly enjoying my extra time :)
Our Women’s Team placed 3rd in the conference, a position we are all very proud of. Needless to say, everyone was in great spirits last night as we went out and celebrated!
Conference Team 2013
Some of my best memories of college will be weeks like these spent traveling to new places with a team of 50 amazing athletes, with great competitions and fun celebrations!
After the meet and awards ceremony concluded, we had a special dinner at Monteaux’s Public House in Beaverton, Oregon where we were presented with a special menu just for us.
Eating dinner at 9pm is definitely out of the norm for me, and I was starving by the time my sandwich came! Afterwards we walked through Hillsboro to a frozen yogurt place where they had a super unique toppings selection including “cheesecake balls” (like malt balls), blue cookie crumbles, “zagnuts” and apple pie filling!
I now have a full 24 hours of traveling until I am Home Sweet Home. Which will most likely culminate in a post on healthy eating while traveling… ;)
Pre-Race Playlist
Wednesday marked the final day of classes for my sophomore year of college, but 30 minutes after my last final exam I was on a charter bus along with 46 of my fellow track and field athletes for our journey to the Big Sky Conference Championships track meet in Portland, Oregon. 16 weeks of training have come down to the final 10,000 meters around the track in an effort to place in the top-8 in the conference and score points for my team toward the championship title!
This year I want to run with my heart instead of my head. I completely fell in love with running years ago; many times the best part of my day is an energizing or serene run/workout. So today I’ve got a playlist that is upbeat-songs-only. I just want to stay in a super positive mood and totally enjoy myself. (We’re deviating from the typical Eminem trend here.)
I tried to keep the country tunes to a minimum ;) Mainly I just like theses songs because they make me want to dance! Race organizers like to schedule the 10k last, so I will be hanging out at the hotel for a few more hours today before heading over to the stadium. To keep my mind off the race I’ve got Pinterest and last night’s Grey’s Anatomy episode. All I need is my cuddly puppy and maybe an iced skinny cinnamon dolce latte.
As our plane descended into Portland, it was easily the GREENEST place I’ve ever seen. For our pre-race shakeout run yesterday afternoon, we left the track in search of a trail but instead ran through an adorable neighborhood that reminded me of Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives. We couldn’t stop admiring the scenery and the beautiful green trees that were so plentiful. At one point we ran along a fence with a field of lavender on the other side – talk about picturesque. I wish I had my camera with me!
Race Recap to come tomorrow :)
*I realized after I initially posted this that I forgot the song “I Lived” by OneRepublic!
