This is it – the week of the half marathon. I think I’m ready. Could I have run longer and further to be more prepared – of course – but I’m still proud of the hard work and dedication I put in to get this far. I had some solid runs last week – and hope to do well on Saturday. My goal is to finish and improve my time from last year.
I would like to thank my family and friends for their support throughout this journey – I’m not luck, I’m blessed to have them all. I would also like to thank Orchard Country for sponsoring me in the Half Marathon and fueling me with tart cherries. How fortunate I am to have your support.
Well…here’s to race day – running through beautiful Peninsula State Park, hearing the support of spectators and racing through the finish line. I’ll be there and have my iPod ready.
One week to go – and with all the rain we got this week – I’m hoping for a sunny race day! I had a few good runs this week – although I must admit some days were a challenge because I was tired from the week.
I plan to make the most of my last training week to have the best possible race outcome. I’m definitely not a strong long distance runner – so I thrive on the challenge to do my best.
Give me a good iPod mix and it’s easy to get lost in the run.
I love to make snack mixes with dried cherries. Here’s one that I make – enjoy!
Snack Mix
1-1/2 cups animal cracker cookies
1-1/2 cups goldfish crackers
1 cup dried tart cherries
1 cup M & M’s
1 cup honey roasted peanuts
Put animal crackers, goldfish crackers, dried cherries, M& Ms and peanuts in a large mixing bowl and carefully stir. Store in an airtight container.
I definitely did not put in the needed miles this week – so I will try and make up for it this weekend without going overboard.
The snowy weather put a damper on my outdoor running and my busy schedule overtook my normal running time. I will make a priority to fix that next week. A little over two weeks left until the race. I’m getting excited to complete it and have my friends and family there.
I love running to some of my favorite music. There’s nothing better than hitting the road and going for a good run. I’d like to add Lady Gaga’s new song Judas to my running list – she always outdoes herself – each time it’s a little crazier. I like that.
Orchard Country will have a table with tart cherry juice samples and literature about the benefit of tart cherries at the half marathon. I invite you to stop by and check it out. I do believe drinking tart cherry juice has help alleviate some of my soreness during training.
There’s nothing like running the roads of Door County in the spring – at least it felt like spring at the beginning of the week.
I run five days a week at varying distances – I know I should be going further than I am at times – but it’s hard to fit in long runs at the end of my day.
I’ve been concentrating on running at a pace that I can handle for longer distances so my body is conditioned for the race.
My hope is that anyone who has ever thought about running a race – signs up for one. I had friends in college run a marathon and it was always at the back of my mind – could I do something like that?
Last year I signed up for the Door County Half Marathon – and while it wasn’t easy – here I am again for a second shot at it. The distance running challenges me – mentally and physically (and some days I wonder why I didn’t pick the 5K instead).
So I hope if it’s something you want to do – you’ll try too! Because it’s quite the experience running with a pack of runners and having crowds cheer you on. And when you reach the finish line – it’s a triumphant feeling of relief.
It’s April 7th – one month until the half marathon. Yikes. I have great respect for runners – seasoned and amateur – because it’s not always easy to make time to tackle long distance runs. But after a hard day at work or during nice weather – it’s hard to beat a nice outdoor run.
I haven’t run at the YMCA for awhile now – all my running has been outdoors. It’s awesome running in such a beautiful location. Today I didn’t even need to wear a jacket (hello spring) – it was so nice out. I hope race day is nice – sunny, warm and breezy. That would be perfect.
Check out one of my favorite songs to run to: “Champion” by Chipmunk featuring Chris Brown. It gives me motivation.
I will admit, I wish I was further in my distance training – but it is what it is. Every day I push myself a little harder and I’m getting there – but it’s a challenge – and that is part of the fun. I like having a goal in sight and I know how proud I will be when I cross the finish line.
For the most part this was a good week – I was quite tired but fit in time to run. Just when I thought things were going well – I had toughest run today. I was excited to go – the sun was out, it wasn’t too windy – but my legs just didn’t want to run. I didn’t feel exhausted anywhere else so instead of a mental roadblock I felt I had a leg roadblock. Oh well, tomorrow’s a new day, right?
I’ve been keep up with drinking my cherry juice. This week I switched to Orchard Country’s Cherry-Apple juice for a change. It is so delicious. I even enjoyed some chocolate covered dried tart cherries for dessert. If you’ve never tried them, you should. They are SO GOOD!
Has anyone tried running in the shoes that are like a barefoot? When I first saw them I thought they were funny looking – but now I think they’re kind of cool. They are intriguing that’s for sure. I’d like to test out a pair to see what they are like. Let me know your thoughts.
As March winds down…the half marathon gets closer and closer. I stepped up my running distance this week – but still have lots of miles to run before I am ready for the race. It’s been nice running outside with the days getting longer and the temps not as cold.
With our latest blast of snow (despite being spring – it is Wisconsin after all) I even got to snowshoe in the woods again.
I’ve got my running plans outlined and have been looking into the best kinds of foods to eat before long runs.
“I run my life or is it running me?” Those lyrics from Lady Antebellum seem to fit just right lately.
Between work and running – it doesn’t seem like I do too much of anything else. I’m always thinking about how I will fit running into my day – especially now that I’m running longer distances.
This past week I ran and did some cross-training – but also took a couple days off for a little vacation. I know I could’ve gotten up early to run – but there is something refreshing about a break. I think it is fine as long as I make up for it next week.
I’m still drinking Orchard Country tart cherry juice to help prevent muscle soreness – I’ve found that having a glass for a snack helps me feel full and satisfied – so I snack less.
Well, we’ll see what next week brings. I sure hope this nice weather sticks around!
Still plugging away at the 5Ks on the treadmill and easing my way into running longer distances. I like to vary my workouts with cross-training on the elliptical machine as well.
I still can’t wait for the weather to get nicer – I look forward to running outdoors more. Although, I will admit – I was happy for the chance to snowshoe this week after our snowy day.
Well I’m off to run – the race will be here before I know it… Have a good weekend!
What a difference a week makes! This week I ran four 5ks on the treadmill. My goal is to run 3-4 mile distances and incorporate two longer runs each week. I also plan to use one day during the week for speed work.
Last night I updated my running play list on my iPod. I was more than ready for a change in music! I really enjoy running to Jennifer Lopez’s songs (my new favorite “On the Floor”) – I think they’re fun and they keep me motivated.
Last week when I fell off the running bandwagon I also stopped drinking tart cherry juice and concentrate. I could definitely tell this week – my knees were sorer than normal.
So I experimented with making a few new cherry recipes. This one from the Cherry Marketing Institute was really delicious and I’d like to share it with you. Note: I used Granny Smith apples and had enough with 3 cups.
Red Rustic Tart
Ingredients:
3 large apples such as Jonathan or Macintosh, peeled, thinly sliced (4 cups)
5 tablespoons sugar, divided
1-1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
1 cup dried tart cherries
1 refrigerated rolled pastry for a 9-inch pie (1/2 of a 15 ounce package)
1 tablespoon butter
Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine apples, 4 tablespoons of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a large bowl; toss well. Stir in cherries. Let stand 10 minutes; tossing once.
Line a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan with foil; coat foil with cooking spray. Unroll pastry onto pan. Mound apple mixture over center of pastry leaving a 3-inch border around edges. Fold up edges of pastry over apple mixture leaving a 4-inch opening in center. Gently fold and press pastry onto apple mixture. Cut butter into small pieces and arrange over apple mixture.
Combine remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over tart. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and apples are tender. Let stand 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 6 servings.
