Weekend hills.

The longish run was not so long (5.6miles), but it was extra hilly. Ever since my big "Aha!" with the arms, I've been pumping them hard up the hills and the difference it has made to my runs has been significant. I've always enjoyed my hills and now the enjoyment is kinda outta hand. Good thing I live smack-dab in the middle of Hillville*.

I came home, stretched, showered, did some work and then headed outside to weed. What I really felt like doing, however, was a little of this:

Or even a little of this:
But I was productive instead.

Unlike Chili.


*Not, like, for real. It's just v. hilly here. That's all.

Pushing on.

This is big: I'm moving on to Week 5 in the 100 push up challenge.

It's been a long time coming, since I've been stuck on Week 4 for about 4 weeks. After finishing another go-round of Week 4 yesterday, I decided that I would try the exhaustion test today and move on if I was able to do the required 31 push ups. Lucky me. I did 38.

What?!?!?!

Yeah, I did. So, that means I am moving on. Week 5 -- here I come!

The new look.

The blue just wasn't doing it for me anymore. So, as you can see, I've gone light with the white. It's more my style. The blue was too . . . blue.

Yeah. What fun you can have on the Internet!

Right. I have a longish run on tap for Sunday, but not much else on the agenda. I hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend!

Rest up!

Today's theme for Take it and Run Thursday is Run. Rest and Recover. Repeat.

They want to know our magic formulas for resting. And recovering.

Well. I have no magic formula. I rest. That's it.

Honestly. My rest days are rest days. I have no problem taking days off -- especially after a race or a hard run. My goal is to run for as many years as possible and so I figure a little rest now will allow me to do that.

When I run, I really run. I have no problem running hard. But when I need to rest, I'll put my feet up. I'll steer clear of high heels. I'll treat easy runs like easy runs (something, I know, is tough to do but you learn your lessons as you age . . . ), or I'll go for a walk instead of a run. The resting makes the running better.

Now, even with all that resting, there are times when I need to recover. So, I do have a few tips for you. They are simple, but they work for me. I hope that maybe they will work for you, too:

1. The Stick. I swear by The Stick. I use it before runs to warm up and after tough workouts to roll out the achy spots, and those areas prone to injury. I really do believe that The Stick helps me recover.
2. Vitamin C. I make a beeline for the orange slices after races. Day in and day out, I eat a ton of dried cranberries. I loooooove dried cranberries!
3. Protein. After races or hard workouts, I tend to eat a little more protein than usual. But I don't go crazy.
4. Feet up. I've said it before, I'll say it again: I'm not afraid to put my feet up when the situation calls for it! Resting my dogs completely helps me recover more quickly.
   

Hmm . . . I guess that's it. Not too many tips today, but that's probably because the key to recovery for me is rest. And the key to resting is actually doing it -- not sneaking in some fartleks when you're supposed to be out on an easy jog, not heading out for a run when you need to take the day completely off.

Yup, that's it. Rest up, my friends!