The first 3 weeks....

Hi friends! I hope that this post finds you well and that you had a great Christmas and New Years. Our household had a great Christmas even despite the fact that I worked Christmas. It was definitely a very challenging work week, but sometimes things happen that really make me thankful for what I have. I feel very blessed to have so many things. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband and kiddos.

As well as, a loving and supportive family. So many things to be thankful for that it would require a extremely long blog post and you are probably here to read about running, so.....

First day of training!

My first 3 weeks have been pretty much the same training wise. It looked a little something like this:
Monday: 5-7 miles easy
Tuesday: 7-10 miles with 3 miles at marathon pace (7:36min/mile)
Wednesday: 3-6 easy miles
Thursday: 7-10 miles 5x1000m at Marathon pace with 3:30 recovery in between
Friday: 3-6 miles easy
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 8-12 miles

An early morning long run

My training has felt really good! I few of these days where outside since we have had such nice weather. A few on the treadmill, which has it's benefits.
I had a gait assessment done by a physical therapist, which I recommend to everyone! She had me run on a treadmill and she took video. I am not going to lie, it was really weird being video taped! I kept thinking do I look at the camera or not. I felt like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights "I don't know what to do with my hands." She showed me that my hips are weak, probably due to having 4 kiddos. She gave me some tips on how to improve my form and strengthen my hips. I am excited to see the benefits of this!
I am also working on my core strength and I incorporating some strength training into my routine. I am making sure I get rest and focusing on making sure I recover properly. By recovering properly I will be able to nail the hard workouts and get that 3:20:00 marathon!
Until next week!
What are your goals for 2015?

Marathon training is on!

Hi! I realize now that it has been a while since I have posted anything. Many times I thought, "I am going to write a post tomorrow," which turned into a week, and then another week. Then, all of a sudden almost a month has gone by without a post. My apologies for keeping you in such suspense!

So, here is an update: marathon training is in full swing! I started training the second week of February for the Minneapolis Marathon on June 1st. It feels really good to have a structured plan to follow. I like having a plan to follow rather than making it up as I go along. It takes away some of the mental energy trying to decide what I should do for that day of running. My mind enjoys the break. My plan consists of 3 days of easy running, one day of hill work (to build strength), on day of marathon pace running, one long run, and a rest day. Yes, I said rest day and I am actually taking a day of rest on the day. I broke my running streak, which I promise to tell you about in a future post.

Training so far has been great. The negative temps have made getting outdoors for a run a challenge at times.

It was -6 degrees out this day!

The blizzards have been challenging as well.

A car that was stuck when I was out running (don't worry I did flag down a plow truck to help them out)

What it looks like to run after you get 10+ inches of snow

I have to say I am very thankful for a home treadmill and a gym membership. I have worried that running on the treadmill isn't as effective as running outside. I mean, I don't race on a treadmill after all. However, I have come to the conclusion that I am in the beginning of my training and slipping on the ice an injuring myself is not worth it. Warmer weather is coming!

How is this winter treating you?

Best winter running tip?