Leg & Hip Stretches (& my weekend!)

I didn't do a weekend recap this week. Why? Because I spent the entire weekend either running or stressing about school starting. (Am I the only person who gets severe anxiety about the first day of school?) No idea why I worry so much, but I do. I left for class on Monday 75 minutes early, just because I was worried. I feel ridiculous.

I got up and ran this morning at the gym. I honestly limped to the treadmill and started jogging very slowly. About a half of a mile in, I contemplated going home because it hurt so badly and I was hobbling along.

I took a moment to check my body - I know the difference between pain and soreness, and this really was just soreness. I ran an 8 mile pace run on Saturday, 17 miles on Sunday, and took a pretty nasty fall. My poor body was just tight.

I slowed the pace down and a few miles later, I was happy and able to get back to pace. My body just needed to stretch out.

I found these awesome stretches on Pinterest from POPSugar:

These look so amazing, don't they?

I plan to have a serious stretching session tonight. I know this is something I have neglected in my marathon training, and I need to address it now before I really do get an injury. During my last training plans, I was actively attending yoga at a near-by studio, but this time around, I just haven't.

Anyone have any awesome yoga or stretching videos to share? 

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Marathon Training: Wk 11 [i took a fall}

It got real this weekend, friends.

41 miles. This girl ran 41 miles this week. Heck. Yes. 

Here is how those runs broke down. I don't remember my pace for all of them (oops), so I'll include what I have.

Monday - rest

Tuesday - 4 miles outside in the sunshine. It was pretty hot and wonderful, actually :) Ab work and stretching in the evening.

Wednesday - 8 miles on the treadmill. Law and Order was on, and it kept me beautifully distracted. I ran all 8 at about a 9:20 mile, which is slower for me. Ab work and stretching in the evening.

Thursday - 4 miles on the treadmill. I ran on the treadmill in the afternoon because I had an appointment early in the day. I was pretty sore from the longer run the day before.

Friday - rest

Saturday- I slept in. Way in. And then I chatted with my brother on the phone for an hour, so I didn't hit the gym until after 1pm. I had only had a wheat biscuit for breakfast and I was pretty hungry. I did 8 miles at an average pace of 8:40 with negative splits the whole way!

Sunday - 17 miles at a 10 minute pace. Oh goodness. I started early and it was still dark outside. Of course, I tripped less than a mile in and wiped out on the side of the road. Seriously, I did a Superman impression and hit the ground on all fours, scrapping up both hands, arms, knees, and legs. AR offered to go back home and clean up, but I said no. So I did 16 more miles as a bloody mess. My hands hurt so badly. Other than that disaster, the run was pretty good and I felt happy with our pace and my leg strength.

When I got home after the run, I stretched while AR showered. He made a Walgreens run while I was in the shower for hydrogen peroxide band-aids, and neosporn. I now have 4 large band-aids on my body, which is slightly embarrassing. I will look gorgeous tomorrow on the first day of class.

I made my self feel slightly better with a large cinnamon roll that I bought at Whole Foods. These babies have 320  calories a pop and I had 1.5. I should be worried, but I ran 25 miles in 24 hours this weekend. I'm owning it and enjoying the treat!

Don't worry, that is a salad plate, not a dinner plate ;)

Resting up for class tomorrow and then I start an even worse running week - 44 miles culminating at an 18 mile long run. I am sure I will want to die at the end of it.

Have you ever fallen on a run? 

x0x0,

Hannah 

Confessional Friday

Happy Friday and welcome to a good ol' 'fesh sesh. Linking up with the beautiful Leslie today!

I confess that I made biscuits and gravy again this morning. I'm eating it with yogurt topped with chia seeds and hemp hearts. That is balance, right?

I confess that I have no plans besides running this weekend. I'm running 8 miles at marathon pace tomorrow and 17 miles on Sunday. This is gonna be a fun weekend :/

I confess that I have a legal brief due on Wednesday and I have NOT EVEN READ THE ISSUE!! I.E., I don't even know what the brief is about. For people who are joyfully not in law school, this brief is a 16-18 page research paper. Procrastination at its finest.

I confess that I painted my nails with clear polish for interviews and I really like the way it looks. Normally I would scoff at this and reach for the neon pink, but I am loving the clear polish.

I confess that I came home yesterday to 4 men installing new french doors in my living room. Yay for the new doors, but sad for me. First, I had to pee and I didn't want to do that with strangers in my home. Second, I wanted to go for a run, but I was afraid they would be there when I came back, and then I wouldn't be able to take a shower. So I sat on my bed awkwardly until they left.

I confess that I haven't bought any of my books for school and class starts on MONDAY. Yep, once again, procrastination. Apparently I am in denial about school :(

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Weekending!!

Happy Monday! Linking up with the lovely ladies for a little weekending!

Today marks my last week of freedom before school starts up again :(

I cannot believe that the summer is drawing to an end. I need another 5 weeks. Anyone else?

On Friday evening, AR and I went to dinner at a place we run past all of the time: No. 246 in Decatur!

If you are in the Atlanta area, you need to visit this spot. It gets going around 8pm and the menu changes with each season. There are so many excellent options (try the stuffed mushrooms) and the wine list is exceptional.

No. 236 is adorable (source)

The real star? The Spoom. It is an italian meringue ice cream that is killer. They serve it in a huge waffle cone with two spoons. I'd send the extra spoon back, but AR might be offended and I was in some super skinny jeans. 

On Saturday, I woke up very early to head to my first training with the Junior League of Atlanta!!

I am so excited and honored to be part of this historic and transformative organization. I cannot wait to get to know the other women better and become a part of their work in Atlanta.

AR had to work Saturday, so my friend Luci and I did what we do best: shop.

I found some amazing deals on jeans at Nordstrom Rack. I wanted like 4 pairs, but settled on a new pair of J Brand skinnies for a quarter of the regular price. I was thrilled :)

Side Note: Apparently Kate Middleton wears JBrand skinnies that are identical to mine. I always knew we were twins.

On Sunday, I completed my run in some rainy weather and AR convinced me to go to Whole Foods before I showered. He tried to lure me with iced cold press coffee and a quick trip, but I've never had a quick trip to WF in my life. I got to walk around the store for an hour looking disgusting and smelling even worse.

We settled on produce for the week and made a batch of homemade biscuits and turkey sausage gravy for breakfast.

Don't worry, I tried to balance the decadent weekend with a salad for dinner!

What is your favorite brand of jeans?? 

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Marathon Training: Week 10 (lets be flexible)

10.

TEN.

10 weeks in, about 10 to go. Marathon training is getting real. This is the point in training when I eat like a cow all of the time. It is almost embarrassing, but not quite.

This week was a pull back week - after running 14 miles on our long run, and then 15, this week was shortened. Here is what my week looked like:

Monday - rest
Tuesday - 4 miles on the TM
Wednesday - rest (stolen from Friday to push my other runs back. I had a really long day scheduled). 
Thursday - 5 miles
Friday - 3 miles. This was suppose to be 4 miles, but I made the poor choice to go running outside at about noon. It was so hot and humid and I was miserable, so I wimped out and went home. :(
Saturday - rest, for the first time in 10 weeks!!!!!
Sunday - 10 very very humid miles.

This week got a little jumbled due to scheduling, but I got almost all of the miles in. Sometime life gets hectic and it is important to move with it. I've learned to make it work most of the time, but also to be real. If Wednesday goes from 7am-9pm, switch it with Friday's rest day!!

Sure, plans are designed to flow a certain way. That is why I stick to my plan almost all of the time. But plans aren't perfect. Sometimes life happens and we have to go with it. 

I didn't leave for my long run on time on Sunday, which meant I had to suffer through some hot and humid miles, complete with off-and-on rain. By the time I got home, I had no energy or appetite. I just wanted a shower and water.

Not looking forward to this week of running, I'll be honest. I am running 8 miles at pace on Saturday and 17 on Sunday. This is not my idea of an excellent running plan for Atlanta in August!!!

x0x0x, 

Hannah