RUNNING RAMBLE: RUN STREAKING, RUNGER, & MORE

Running Ramble: Run streaking, runger, and more!

 
Hey y'all!

I hope you're all having a fantastic summer!

If you're like me in the Bluegrass state, you've been huddled up in your house waiting for the endless rain showers to pass the past 3 days, :( ugh! I've still managed to stick to my summer goal however, which is to run every day in the Runner's World Streak from Memorial Day to the 4th of July! Whoop!
I mean, so far so good..No injuries, not very much soreness, but plenty of miles. I never thought I could run every day, and even though I'm only in my 15th day of this streak, I've learned 3 things:

1. Man, I'm RUNGRY! Trail mix, pretzels, & animal crackers have been my go to!

2. Running every day, even if it's just one mile, makes me feel like a BEAST.

3. I'm actually capable of doing this!

What a boost this streak has been! Most summers, mostly because of the heat that leads me feeling groggy & out of energy, I slack off for a couple months until fall race training, but man! This streak has kept me moving! Let me tell ya, there's no better feeling than coming in from a run drenched from the heat & humidity & knowing you just checked another day off a 40 day streak. It sounds disgusting, but it's awesome. I've gotten 1 Half marathon PR this year, overall woman, and 1st in my age group several times this year, but I'm not done yet!! This streak gives me something to strive for everyday!




Another random tidbit, I got a Garmin for Mother's Day! AM I A REAL RUNNER YET?! ;) It's a Forerunner 245 Music, & let me tell ya, picture an old grandma trying to work Facetime, that's what I looked like trying to figure this gadget out at first.
First impression: well, once I got the gist, I love it! I love all the data(even though I try not to get so hung up on times, splits, & PRs, but who am I kidding really.) I'm still figuring out all the tricks it can do. I've also noticed my times & pace are a lot slower than when I tracked my runs with the MapMyRun app, I'm not sure if this is because the GPS is more accurate or what, what's your thoughts? The race predictor & training status data is pretty awesome however, right now it says I'm being "productive" in my training & I could run a 20 minute 5K, which is like a minute PR for me. Ummmm okay Garmin, I'll take your word for it.

More rambling news for ya,
I'm signing up for my first trail race! yup, you read that right. Anyone who knows me knows I've always had this on my bucket list, along with ultras, the Ironman, and of course the elusive Boston qualifying time...so I thought, if not now, when? Since having a baby I've realized more than ever that if I don't plan for something to happen, IT WON'T HAPPEN. So ready or not trails, here I come! The race we're talking about is a 13.1 steep terrain trail race in the beautiful mountains of Eastern Ky, not far from where I (mostly) grew up & hometown. I took to the Runner's Work Run streak Facebook group to ask the panicked & un-streak related question of HELPPPP I'M RUNNING A TRAIL RACE & I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING AHHH. The answers I got were simple & mostly fell into 3 main points:

1. Go to local running store & try on lots of different trail running shoes (of course I'm gonna sprint to John's Run/Walk Shop in Lexington for that suggestion!)

2. Consider trying real food(not gels or chews) while out on the trails for fueling. (This will be an interesting transition on my road running body.)

3. Expect to go MUCH slower than average road running pace, & don't get discouraged that you're running slower (Mmk, I can handle this)

I'm excited for this y'all! I'll be documenting along the way about my adventures. It's strange to feel like a beginner at something running related after being a road runner for almost 4 years, but it's also exciting! I love trying new things, & along with this streak, running on trails will be my next adventure. Luckily Kentucky is bountiful with gorgeous trails all around, so training won't be an issue. We even have a short trail behind our house that has a creek alongside that I'm sure I'll use for most of my shorter runs! I've always dreamed of trail races, & maybe one day I'll look back on this post after I've done the Mt. Everest marathon or the Sahara Desert ultramarathon, or any of the sky races & be like "oh yeah, been there done that." I can't WAIT for that day! My favorite trail runners to read about or listen to are Mirna Valerio & Katie Arnold. Mirna being a boss-babe African-american woman carving her way in the running world by being an advocate for body image love & not taking no for an answer, & Katie who got through the loss of her father through running & then proceeded to win the Leadville 100! Ah! These women inspire me so much! They're part of the reason I just can't wait to hit the trails!

Whew! That's it's for today guys! If you read to the end of this post, CONGRATS! You successfully read about a ton of random things going on in my running life! Thanks for that!
xo-Aud <3

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Are you doing the Runner's World streak? What day are you on?

Have you ever ran a trail race? LMK in the comments or let's chat on my Instagram(themamamarathoner) I'd love to hear y'alls thoughts!

The importance of proper fueling in running blog post!!