weekly wrap: 5.13.18 – 5.19.18

Posted on May 21, 2018 by runswithpugs

Happy Monday!  It’s time for the Weekly Wrap with HoHo Runs and Taking The Long Way Home!

If you do a weekly recap post, this is a great way to check in with other active bloggers for extra support, sharing and accountability.

Here’s the week in numbers:

Sunday – Turtle Crawl 10K + 7 miles beach walking
Monday – rest
Tuesday – 6 miles, running
Wednesday – rest
Thursday –  3.6 miles, speedwork
Friday – rest
Saturday – 7 miles, running + 1:15 group fitness class

Well, it’s the last week of 4th grade for the special guy in my life, and so I am busy trying to wrap my head all around that. Crazy, right?

Obviously, there has been a lot of festivities and so much to do before the start of summer, but we are four days away from the end of all that! Whoo hoo! IN other news, it’s been a fairly good week of running and work outs, so at least I’m keeping on top of all that.

Sunday – Turtle Crawl 10K + 7 miles beach walking

My mother’s day request was to run a race, which turned into me, Nana and little man getting a room on Jekyll Island. And me running a race.

The Turtle Crawl 10K was pretty freaking fabulous, and was just what I was looking forward to. Full recap to come, of course!

After the race, we had breakfast at our hotel. and did some more beach walking. Little man really wanted to find some sand dollars… and did we!

While we were wandering, a park ranger rode up to us. It’s turtle season, and she wanted to share the Diamondback Terrapin she had found and was taking back to the Turtle Center to be tagged and recorded before release. She was so informative about the turtle and its habits, and even let us all hold her! Day made!

Mr PugRunner and Papa Bear joined us for brunch, and we had a lovely day before driving home.

Monday – rest

I was absolutely wiped out from the weekend, and was beyond grateful for a day off of pretty much everything.

Tuesday – 6 miles, running

My legs were so sore and so heavy, most likely from all the sand walking over the weekend. I was convinced that if I just started running, I would be able too hake it, but I stayed rather achy throughout the run.

Wednesday – rest

I really wanted to go to the gym, but I was still sore and tired, so I begged off. It was going to be a long day.

First up, S and I had breakfast with the woman who will be taking my former position on the PTA. Then, S and I went shopping for all the fill-in items for the basket raffle our school was holding on Friday. It was literally a shopping marathon – I don’t think I’ve ever spent so much time in Target at once in my life.

After I got little man from school, it was time for a Scout Leadership Dinner. We got tons accomplished and we are all very excited for the upcoming year. We are lucky to have so many awesome people with so many great ideas.

In the meantime, Mr PugRunner and little man were at a dinner with Mark Richt, coach of the Miami Hurricanes. I’m not sure which one had the better time.

Thursday – 3.6 miles, speedwork

We did an easy 1 mile warmup, followed by 8x400m, with a cool down. I was fine not getting to that full four miles.

As soon as we got the kiddos from school, it was time to get to work packing and wrapping baskets. We had so many great donations, ad well as other fabulous thing she had picked up, and with everyone pitching in, we got so much accomplished.

Friday – rest

The administration and teachers put together the nice breakfast for the volunteers and room moms. Our principal came in to thank everyone for all their hard work in the first year of the school, and we all sat and enjoyed a great meal. Afterwards, I went to snag a few last minute items for the night, helped S wrap the final things, and then went home to get ready for the evening.

Our final event of the year was a Time Capsule Ceremony, with food trucks and a basket raffle. It was a wonderful – we got to watch our Principal bury a time capsule to be opened in 20 years and people were buying tons of tickets for the raffle. We had things like pet baskets and beach baskets, but also tickets to Disney and Sea World, local attractions and even an XBOX! We had a blast with the family!

Little man ended up winning a basket with Gooder Sunglasses, a Garmin Forerunner 35 and three one-on-one training sessions with a personal trainer. You can guess what I got from that basket.

Oh. I also lost my first toenail. I kind of prided myself on never having lost one, but I guess all good things come to an end.

Saturday – 7 miles, running + 1:15 group fitness class

I wanted to get in some longer miles and S obliged me (even though it was her birthday!).

We finished up and I took little man to a group fitness class at Anytime Fitness, with other contributors and readers from the St. Augustine Moms Blog.

While the moms did box jumps and sandbag rows, the kids got to engage in a ninja skills class. They had a blast, and so did we.

But wait! That’s not all!

Little man also had a triathlon clinic for his upcoming event! We ran home, loaded up his bike and gear, and hit a drive thru for lunch. We arrived at the clinic right on time and little man got going.

It was an intense workout – three hours split up practicing for the four disciplines of the triathlon. Little man was a trooper, swimming about 1200 yards, working on his transition, and getting tips on bike handling. He and his buddy did so great and we are stoked for race day!

While we were out, Mr PugRunner did some grilling and we had friends over for dinner. Little man and their son treated us to some optical illusions, tying water bottles to plastic cups with fishing line in order to look like they were making the cups float while they poured the water. It was so cool to have them do something so hands on, rather than just playing video games.

 

This week, we are going to gear up for a kick butt summer! On Memorial Day, S and I are registered for a local 5K, and I have my fingers crossed that the weather holds. It’s been raining every damn day for the last ten days, which is absolutely atypical for our area. Rainy season isn’t until June, and even then, it will only rain a little bit in the afternoon, not all day like this. The kids are on edge.

 

How was your week in training?

How do you do with your toenails?

22 Comments
POSTED IN: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

[Share on facebook] [Share on Twitter] [Pin on Pinterest]

weekly wrap: 5.6.2018 – 5.12.2018

Posted on May 14, 2018 by runswithpugs

Happy Monday!  It’s time for the Weekly Wrap with HoHo Runs and Taking The Long Way Home!

If you do a weekly recap post, this is a great way to check in with other active bloggers for extra support, sharing and accountability.

Here’s the week in numbers:

Sunday – rest
Monday – rest
Tuesday –5 miles, speedwork
Wednesday – HITT session, arms
Thursday – 6.1 miles, running
Friday – rest
Saturday – 2 miles, running

I keep saying things will calm down, but I’m proving myself to be a quite a liar with that. This past week was chock full of fitness and events and all kinds of things, and I was really flying around like a lunatic to keep it all in check.

Sunday – rest

It was time to say goodbye to camping. As soon as little man was awake, we broke down the tent, packed the car, and helped clean up the common camping areas. I loathe breakdown, but it’s the price we pay for all the fun, and the more people who chip in, the easier it goes.

We didn’t take long to get home and settled in, and all of us were ready to just chill out in the house for the rest of the day. It was a little gloomy, so couch time was perfect.

Monday – rest

We thought about going to the gym, but we were all pretty tired, and decided to make Monday a rest day.

Good thing because we had a ton of activities scheduled for the day. It was the start of Teacher Appreciation Week, so some of the pTA members got there a little early to confirm that everything was set up for the “A World of Thanks” theme.

In addition to that, little man was starting his first day of Safety Patrol training, so he had to be at school early to get his rules, regulations, new belt and first assignment.

I left him in charge of the Kindergarten hall, and hurried home to grab some jeans and boots. My neighbor had invited me to go riding at the nearby stable, and I was so excited and grateful to get some more horsey time!

Tuesday – 5 miles, speedwork

On the agenda was some speedwork. I had scheduled a set of intervals where we would run slowly for seven minutes, than walk briskly for 3.5 minutes, run a little faster for six, walk for three, and so on until a one minute sprint. It’s good for pacing and working on increasing speed on tired legs.

I helped with a breakfast tea set up for the teachers and then stuck around to help proctor a test for one of the teachers. No comment on that.

Little man had one last Battle of the Books rehearsal, and then I had two PTA meetings back to back. Long story short, I will be the new Vice President for little man’s fifth grade year. I’m a little excited and a little overwhelmed, but there are a lot of big ideas and it’s going to be good.

Wednesday – HIIT session

Oh, and happy birthday to me. We worked on arms, and it ended up being some pretty intense circuits, especially for our shoulders.

I was grateful to have these ladies start the day with me. Maybe I should have done 41 burpees, but… it was my birthday and I didn’t want to.

Mr PugRunner and I had an early meeting at the school to talk about some ideas for donations for food insecure students in the county. We brainstormed some wonderful ideas and we are excited to put them into action.

After school, the PTA treated the teachers to an ice cream social. It was a lot of fun, and I was pretty excited to get a little ice cream as a mid afternoon snack.

My parents were waiting for us when little man and I got home, and we all went to dinner at a new restaurant I’ve been wanting to try – the St. Augustine Seafood Co. We ate outside and had a really fabulous meal. I’m not a cake fan, so for dessert we got waffle cones (twice in one day???!!!) from Kilwin’s. It was really perfect.

They all spoiled me, too. I got a gorgeous hydrangea and gift card from my parents, horse back riding lessons from little man (I just ordered boots and breeches and can’t wait to get started!) and these beauties from Mr PugRunner.

Thursday – 6.1 miles

I didn’t break in the new shoes, but I did have a fairly good run.

Today was the big Battle of the Books competition. The team took a bus to a local middle school to test their knowledge against 12 other local elementary schools. We had quite the cheering section with school colors and signs, and it was an awesome (although stressful) event.

They tied for fifth with little man’s old school, and we were all very proud of them for a strong first time at the event.

In the evening, I took little man to his school’s Kindergarten musical performance. He knew some of the kids and he loves his music teacher, so l couldn’t say no. It was, to use the teacher’s words, ‘basket of puppies cute.”

Friday – rest

After I got little man off to school, I finished my Mother’s Day article for the Run Rock ‘n’ Roll Tempo (you can read it here) and then headed back in. We were serving Tiuana Flats all day for the teacher’s luncheon to end Teacher Appreciation week. It was heart warming to see how many people showed up to volunteer and how much the teachers and staff loved it.

I am so lucky to be able to spend time with these amazing people.

When I got home, it was time to pack. I was taking my mom and little man to Jekyll Island for the Turtle Crawl 10K on Sunday and we were going to go up a day early to enjoy the island.

Saturday – 2 miles

I wanted to break in my new shoes before the race, so I took them for a successful two mile spin.

Then we loaded up the car and drove to grab my mom on the way to Jekyll.

Our first stop was Driftwood Beach, which was every bit as stunning as I imagined.

Little man found a ton of HUGE shells, and he was so excited.

We had pizza for lunch and then visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, just in time for a feeding.

When we checked into the hotel, little man wanted another beach walk, and we ended up just walking all the way down to the little main street for dinner. To be honest, we did about seven miles of walking that day. We did a little pool time back at the hotel, I laid out my outfit for the morning, and we turned in.

 

Spring/summer training is going really well.I’ve been a little bit of a slacker on the gym, but I am being fairly diligent on the runs and speed workouts. I’m pretty happy about that, and I know it’s going to be tough as vacation looms. We already have a ton of events and plans on the calendar, and I’m hoping we can fit everything in easily.

 

How was your week in training?

Do you enjoy walking on the beach and shelling?

34 Comments
POSTED IN: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

[Share on facebook] [Share on Twitter] [Pin on Pinterest]

weekly wrap: 4.29.18 – 5.5.18

Posted on May 7, 2018 by runswithpugs

Happy Monday!  It’s time for the Weekly Wrap with HoHo Runs and Taking The Long Way Home!

If you do a weekly recap post, this is a great way to check in with other active bloggers for extra support, sharing and accountability.

Here’s the week in numbers:

Sunday – rest
Monday – 5 miles, bridge work
Tuesday –rest
Wednesday – 5 miles, running
Thursday – HIIT session
Friday – 6 miles, running
Saturday – rest

Birthdays and camping and craziness, oh my!

Sunday – rest

Little man turned 10, officially! He and his buddy had a great sleepover. We took them out to breakfast and after dropping off his friend, I dug in to the final touches of the bedroom renovation. We went from a space theme to this!

The room and party were his big gifts, but he has been really interested in hockey lately, thanks to a really engaged PE teacher, so we got him a street hockey set.

After some playtime, we met my parents for a late lunch/early dinner at a hibachi restaurant, and then went back to their house for ice cream cake. He said it was the best birthday ever.

Monday – 5 miles, bridge work

S and I made it out to the big bridge and proceeded to score five miles (equal to about five passes of the bridge).

All I had the rest of the day was our final Cub Scouts Leader meeting for the year and before the campout.

Tuesday – rest

No one felt like getting up for yoga, so we stayed in bed. I was fine with that. It was a fairly easy day all the way around.

Wednesday –  5 miles, running

We rallied for a solid run.

Mr PugRunner and I sorted through the camping gear, and then I hit the stores for last minute things we would need for our weekend Scouting trip.

Thursday – HIIT Circuit, 45 minutes

This time, we made it to the gym, and did a nice arm circuit, which included pushups, oblique squats, chest flys, tricep kick backs and deadlifts.

I took Papa Bear to a morning screening of Avengers: Infinity War. He was desperate to see it and my mom isn’t into that kind of movie. Yay for breakfast popcorn.

Papa Bear graciously let me swing by Target to exchange a few things and pick up a pair of inline skates and pads for little man with his birthday money. He loves the hockey, but now he wants to skate.

Little man had Battle of the Books practice after school, and then he gave the new skates a whirl. We have some practicing to do.

Friday – 6 miles, running

I knew I wasn’t going to be able to run over the weekend, so off I went with A. It was a good run and I felt so much better having done it.

I met S at the school after breakfast so we could work on the Teacher Appreciation set up for next week. We stuffed bags, decorated the door and worked on next week’s to do list.

By noon, I was able to scoot out to have lunch and finish packing for our camping trip.

Little man got off the bus right on time, and we said goodbye to his bus driver of the last two years. Since he will be starting Safety Patrol training, there will be no more bus. We have loved Mr J and will miss him.

We grabbed snacks, loaded up the last minute things and hit the road.

The campsite was about an hour away, and after a little GPS related detour, we arrived. I was able to get the tent up fairly quickly (although two of the guys had to help me with the rain fly because I wasn’t tall enough to get it over).

It was a nice evening, with a spaghetti dinner, the kids all riding their bikes around and a campfire with s’mores.

Saturday – rest

We were up before the sun to help get the kitchen set up for breakfast. I took on filling the bucket at the dish washing station and helping with coffee.

The day was pretty booked with activities. First up, we went canoeing on the lake. Lucky me got to be monkey in the middle. I am much better with a kayak or SUP, and wanted to melt into the bottom of that canoe.

We got back to camp, and changed into long pants for horse back riding! My favorite!

Next up, lunch time!

Mr PugRunner arrived shortly afterwards. He had to cancel his flight to our niece’s graduation because of a bad sinus condition, but he was feeling ok to visit us for a few hours. And bring iced coffee.

Little man went kayaking, which he loves,

And then we returned to the campsite for the Raingutter Regatta. He won second place in his den!

The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging around the campsite, and helping get foil packets ready for dinner.

In the evening, two astronomy clubs came out with their telescopes for some sun and stargazing. Unfortunately, the clouds did not cooperate, so there wasn’t much to see, but we got the dates of the next Star Parties and will try again.

I was thrilled to call it a day after some more campfire time and a Cinco De Mayo piñata. This was a “primitive” campsite, which meant no electricity hookup and only an outdoor, cold water shower. Not my favorite thing, but the kids all had a blast and it was a great way to segue into my term as Assistant CubMaster!

 

So even though there wasn’t  lot of scheduled exercise, I was pretty busy with physical activity. Which totally counts. This weekend, I’m taking on a Mother’s Day 10K, and I’ll get in a little more horse riding, which is awesome. We will be quite busy with meetings and teacher appreciation stuff, but if I can do one thing, it’s fit in my workouts, so I’m not too worried.

How was your week in training?

Canoe or kayak?

14 Comments
POSTED IN: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

[Share on facebook] [Share on Twitter] [Pin on Pinterest]

girls racecation weekend at publix savannah women’s half marathon part ii

Posted on May 3, 2018 by runswithpugs

I am an ambassador for the Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon. I have been gifted with a complimentary race entry and other amenities and compensation in exchange for promoting the event. All opinions are my own.

Click here for my Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon race report.

Not even the rain could bring us down from a beautiful race well run. We returned to our respective hotels to shower and change and get ready for the busy afternoon ahead.

First up? The Ordinary Pub. Brunch there has become something of a Savannah race weekend tradition. Great ambiance, delicious food and bottomless mimosas? Yes, please.

Amy had arranged for some tickets to the American Prohibition Museum, and we were treated to an incredibly interesting self-guided tour of the role liquor played in our country’s history. It was fascinating.

At the end of the tour, we gained access to a speakeasy and got to sample some cocktails from the 1920s. So cool.

The rain hadn’t let up at all, so we spent the afternoon ducking in and out of the shops on Broughton. I ended up purchasing an adorable Florida-themed wallet from Spartina, one of the race sponsors, while the other ladies treated themselves to goodies from Nourish and Savannah Bee Company. Nothing wrong with a little retail therapy to celebrate a fun day, right?

Also, nothing wrong with a fancy dinner. We snagged a table in the downstairs bar of The Olde Pink House, one of my favorites.

It’s always so hard to commit to a meal, so we shared and sampled appetizers and salads and sides, and it was simply perfect.

I really wanted another crack at Leopold’s but I was stuffed. And tired. And even though the rain had finally let up for the walk back to our hotel, I was totally ready for some pajamas and bedtime.

Sunday morning dawned sunny and COLD. It was seriously in the 40s! I had a few warmer pieces of clothing, but nothing that was totally suitable for Yoga on the Square with Dancing Dogs Yoga! We bundled up as best we could and met Amy in the lobby.

The plan was to grab donuts at Rise and coffee at The Coffee Fox, and hope that the combination would keep us warm through an hour of recovery yoga.

Despite the chill, there was a wonderful turnout in Ellis Square. Outdoor yoga the morning after the race is always such a treat and even though it was a fairly challenging flow, my hamstrings and hips really appreciated the attention.

I did end up warming up enough to take off my top layers, but I was looking forward to another hot shower.

When the flow ended, we said all our goodbyes and thank yous and went back to pack our bags.

The plan was to end the weekend with a late breakfast at The Public next to The DeSoto and then hit the road.

It’s always sad to say goodbye to this weekend. From the friends to the food to the showcase events, I hate driving out of the city and turning onto the highway for home.

If you haven’t joined in the fun of the Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon and 5K, it’s time you did. The date is set for April 6, 2019, and registration will open soon! As hard as it is to imagine, I know it will be better than ever and you don’t want to miss it!

Will you be joining us in 2019?

What makes a racecation great for you?

10 Comments
POSTED IN: , , , , , , , , , , ,

[Share on facebook] [Share on Twitter] [Pin on Pinterest]

weekly wrap: 4.22.18 – 4.28.18

Posted on April 30, 2018 by runswithpugs

Happy Monday!  It’s time for the Weekly Wrap with HoHo Runs and Taking The Long Way Home!

If you do a weekly recap post, this is a great way to check in with other active bloggers for extra support, sharing and accountability.

Here’s the week in numbers:

Sunday – rest
Monday – rest
Tuesday – 7 miles, running
Wednesday – HIIT circuit
Thursday – 6 miles, running
Friday – 3 miles, running
Saturday – 3 miles, running

And so, April comes to an end. It’s crazy how quickly this year is flying by! I’m sure I’ll opine on that every month until the end of the year, but I mean it!

Sunday – rest

I had a somewhat restless night- little man was away at a sleepover, and I pretty much slept with my hand on the phone, just in case there was an issue. There wasn’t and Mr PugRunner picked him up after breakfast with a great report.

In the meantime, we had to get organized and make it over to one of our beautiful state parks for the afternoon’s Cub Scouts Crossover and Promotion ceremonies. I got there early to help with set up and then Mr PugRunner followed later with little man and my parents.

The only damper on the day was the rain – it would have been nice to hike, especially since our gift to the new Arrow of Light Den (promoting from Webelo) was hiking sticks.

The whole den achieved rank and five of them were no hand to receive their awards. I am so proud of these young men. After all the Scouts promoted, next year’s leaders were announced. I will be back as the Arrow of Light Den Leader, as well as the Assistant Cub Master! I am so grateful for the amazing and supportive parents, this year. Next year is going to be fabulous!

Monday – rest

I confess to being fairly worn out after the weekend, so we called it a rest day. There was plenty more time to get in the gym this week.

Work. Karate. A regular Monday.

Tuesday – 7 miles, running

I don’t know how I got that extra mile in, but it happened, so I went with it.

This was a crazy day. After work, I got little man, and then after a quick snack, we went back to school. The art teacher was hosting an Art Night, where the students’ favorite pieces of art from the year were matted and framed and up for sale. Additionally, the music group had its last performance – little man sang and had a speaking part, as well!

S and I, and a few of the other PTA moms pitched in to help with the art sales – it ended up being a very profitable night for the school. The kids loved showing off their art and the parents really loved seeing the gallery display. Afterwards, we went out to dinner, and then it was home to bed.

Wednesday – HIIT Circuit, 45 minutes

C put together a fairly strenuous circuit, which included 50 burpees (!) and inclined crunches. Ugh. I was sore afterwards, but glad I did it.

I drove little man to school. Wednesday marked the first day of his FSA Testing, so we brought in a treat for his teacher and snacks for the class.

And then it was off to my last day of out-of-home work.  At 1:00, I officially retired. At least for a little while. It was a hard decision, and I was pretty emotional about it, but it was the right one, for sure.

Thursday – 6 miles, running

Another early morning run. I was home in time to make another nice breakfast for little man for his second day of testing.

After I got him off to school, I headed out to pick up things for his party: we needed to get all the plates and serving ware, as well as balloons and decorations. I got all that out of the way before lunch and Mr PugRunner offered to take me out.

We were halfway to the restaurant when the school nurse called. Little man was complaining of an upset stomach – he NEVER goes to the nurse and never asks to come home, so we turned around and picked him up. The poor kid was such an anxious, nervous wreck over the tests, that he was just done. To make matters worse, he was even more upset because he had Battle of the Books practice that afternoon. Poor guy. His advisors were very understanding, and I got him in a nice bath, had him take a nap, made him some chicken noodle soup and put him to bed early. Fortunately, he was never sick, just stressed, and was able to go back to school on Friday.

Friday – 3 miles, running

I took a quick solo run, simply because I knew the weekend would be insane and figured I could get in a few short runs instead of one longer run.

I did grocery shopping, put the cake in the oven, and picked up our cake pop order from Sweet Bites Cake Shop. Then I grabbed cupcakes and Pub Subs for lunch and headed over to little man’s school. We all had lunch together and then handed out cupcakes to his class. They do things a little differently at this school, and sing to the birthday kids at lunch, which I thought was adorable!

When we went to meet the bus in the afternoon, little man was flying high! He had gotten his letter of acceptance for Safety Patrol! We couldn’t be more proud!

That evening, we went out to dinner with one his good friends and her family, and then it was off to the movies for Avengers: Infinity War.

Wow. That’s all I’m saying. Also, I’m saying there’s a reason I don’t go to movies opening weekend and prefer to go during the day by myself. People have lost their damn minds and have no idea how to behave in a theater.

Saturday – 3 miles, running

PARTY DAY!

After a quick run,

I took little man out for a donut

and then we picked up the rest of the food for the party. Mr PugRunner decided it would be a great day to do some planting, so he took on Home Depot and picked up the balloons.

I spent the morning cleaning and setting up, and was very grateful when my parents showed up a few hours before the party to help.

Little man had asked for a Game Truck, tacos and cake. Done, done and done. The kids got two hours in and around the Game Truck (in fact, we barely knew they were there). Some parents hung out, some dropped their kids off. Everyone got along and it was really wonderful. I wish I had more pictures, but it was such a whirlwind day.

After the cake and presents, a bunch of the kids engaged in a huge Nerf war outside, and we finally had to shut it all down. Some of the friends stayed even later, so we ordered some pizzas and chilled out before bed. Little man had a buddy spend the night, and I finally got everyone settled around 11, and by 11:30 we were all sound asleep.

It was an awesome day and little man could not stop grinning.

 

Needless to say, I’m looking forward to a chill day. He actually turned TEN on Sunday, so we did a little more celebrating then.

There’s going to be a lot of recovering going on this week. The house is a disaster, we have tons of leftovers with which to deal, and my body is pretty sore and tired. I’ve cut the miles in the training plan a little, focusing on some speed and hill training rather than distance. Summer is always tricky with the heat and humidity, so we will see how we do.

How was your week in review?

Do you go to movies on opening weekend or wait for the crowds to die down?

29 Comments
POSTED IN: , , , , , , , , , , ,

[Share on facebook] [Share on Twitter] [Pin on Pinterest]

weekly wrap: 4.15.2018 – 4.21.2018

Posted on April 23, 2018 by runswithpugs

Happy Monday!  It’s time for the Weekly Wrap with HoHo Runs and Taking The Long Way Home!

If you do a weekly recap post, this is a great way to check in with other active bloggers for extra support, sharing and accountability.

 

Here’s the week in numbers:

Sunday – rest
Monday – 6 miles, running
Tuesday – yoga, 60 minutes
Wednesday – 6 miles, running
Thursday – HIIT circuit
Friday – rest
Saturday – 6,4 miles, running

The week was fulls of ups and downs. A lot is changing very quickly and I am just treading water to keep up.

Sunday – rest

Sunday was a fairly blah day. We’ve been having awful thunderstorms and were pretty much confined to the house.

Monday – 6 miles, running

The temperature had dropped again, so I had to bundle up for the cold.

Since the weather was cooler, I started trying to walk Delilah. She is really struggling with some aches and pains in the morning and I want to help her get in better shape (yes, round is a shape, but she needs to be a little less round). I wish I could say it’s our fault, but this is the weight she came to us, and she’s not motivated to be very active. She gets regular (grain-free) dog food, very few treats and even fewer table scraps, and I just want her to be happier and healthier.

She has other ideas. She is apparently quite happy with her portliness and has no intention of giving in easily to activity. It’s a work in progress. Yes, she is digging in her nails and pulling back on the leash. Also yes, she is refusing to look at me. Yes, I adore her to pieces.

I ended up getting stuck at work late due to a coworker’s family emergency, so the rest of the evening was off my regular routine. I was glad not to be off duty, but it threw my week way off.

Tuesday – sunrise power hour, 60 minutes

For some reason, this flow was really difficult. We started in downward dog and I feel like we stayed there the entire time. Too much upside down doesn’t agree with me, so I struggled. We also did some new positions, which I couldn’t land in class, but I got them at home.

Our instructor advised us to practice “ahimsa,” and be kind to ourselves all day, and I really took that to heart and focused on the positive things.

I ended up working the full day, as well – Mr PugRunner was an absolutely trooper with getting dinner ready and managing homework. I was very appreciative.

Wednesday – 6 miles, running

Another chilly six mile run. I wanted to go a little longer, but slacked off.

After work, I just vegged. We went out to dinner and I watched a lot of mindless tv.

Thursday – HIIT Circuit, 40 minutes

We had a pretty hardcore circuit at the gym, with lots of wall ball, burpees, and plank jacks.

Afterwards, I got cleaned up, did some writing and catching up on emails, and then headed out for errands and to meet S for lunch. It was good to get out and about for a bit.

We got some wonderful news when little man got home – he had made the Battle of the Books Team! He has been dutifully attending tryouts for the past few weeks and we were all so proud of him! We don’t know if he will be an alternate or a main competitor, but I am thrilled that he put himself out there and earned a spot!

Friday – rest

I thought about going for a bike ride, but ended up just letting it go. I spent time cleaning the house and working on laundry. I picked up promotion Cub Scout gifts from our Advancement Coordinator and decided to try something new for dinner.

These zucchini “meatballs” were easy to make and a huge hit. Even little man ate them without complaint. The original recipe (here) called for pomodoro, but I made this version with pesto and it was yummy.

Saturday – 6.4 miles, running

I had hoped to run early with S, but woke up to a huge thunderstorm. I was able to wait it out for 6.4 lonely miles. Our neighborhood was having a garage sale and it was a huge morale boost to run down my street to learn that Mr PugRunner had prepaid for some donuts from me from the neighbor’s kids (they were selling donuts and coffee in addition to their other items).

We lounged around for the day, until it was time to go out to dinner with our friends. Little man stayed with their boys and sitter, and he even spent the night!

In the meantime, we enjoyed things like deviled eggs with fried oysters and tomato jam

and this mocha milkshake.

I have no idea why we don’t have photos of us all dolled up, but I will do better next time.

It ended up being not too late of a night, which was nice. We got in tons of conversation, walking and hanging out, and I would be in great shape for the following day’s Cub Scout Promotion!

 

Little man is turning 10 this week, so my focus is going to be on his birthday weekend! It promises to be very exciting and I hope he has a wonderful time!

How was your week in review?

Do you practice “ahimsa” or do you need to be reminded to be kind to yourself?

20 Comments
POSTED IN: , , , , , , , , , ,

[Share on facebook] [Share on Twitter] [Pin on Pinterest]

girls racecation weekend at publix savannah women’s half marathon

Posted on April 19, 2018 by runswithpugs

I am an ambassador for the Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon. I have been gifted with a complimentary race entry and other amenities and compensation in exchange for promoting the event. All opinions are my own.

Racecation weekend had finally arrived! I was in desperate need of some time with my sole sisters, in a beautiful city, with lots of delicious food, gorgeous sights, and running. Lots of running.

Friday

Meghan got to my house around 10:00 in the morning. We loaded up my car and said goodbye to Florida. Traffic was nasty, turning our normally two hour trip into a three hour journey. Sigh.

We were ravenous by the time we arrived in town, so we dropped our bags at The DeSoto (our room wasn’t ready), and walked a few blocks to grab a quick snack. The Collins Quarter had a table available promptly, and we opted for Drunken Berry Mimosas and a burger to share.

It was just what we needed.

Properly fueled, we walked back to the hotel in time to move our things into our room and head down to the Fashion Fitness Expo. Things hadn’t gotten too busy yet, so we were able to collect our bibs, swag and gifts and do a little shopping while we waited for Amy and M and S to arrive.

This year’s Finisher’s Gift was a branded backpack. It’s awesome. We also received a really cool reusable bottle and towel from Publix, as well as a Nourish bath bomb and lip balm from Savannah Bee Company. I also loved the event merchandise and snagged trucker hat and muscle tank.

We got some more photos and then our little group was ready to walk to dinner.

Our restaurant of choice was Treylor Park. It’s a favorite, and we love to get there for their Happy Hour. This time, it was a little more crowded, so we ended up eating in their Beer Garden.

The evening wrapped up with cones at Leopold’s. Because it has to be done.

Back at The DeSoto, we laid out our outfits and tried to get some sleep.

We were treated to some live music from the street and a fireworks display over the river. It was unexpected and while I stayed up later than I had planned, it was a nice treat.

Saturday – Race Morning

Since we were only a few blocks away from the start line, I got to “sleep in” a little.The 6:00 alarm was perfect. Meghan and I got up, got dressed and we were ready to go!

Right before the National Anthem, we met up for an Ambassador photo. Cecilia (far right) was the singer and as always, she gave the most beautiful performance.

I also got to meet Robin, one of my readers! So cool!

Amy, Meghan and I looked around for S and M, who had come from a different hotel. The “Snack Pack” was ready for a half marathon!

Miles 1 – 3

The first four miles of the race were tough for me. For some reason, I didn’t have myself together when I got to the start line, and I couldn’t shake it. Amy, M, S and I started at a fairly nice clip, headed toward the river. At Mile 1, we turned left onto West Bryan Street, and then another left onto Jefferson. That’s where the squares started. I adore the squares in Savannah, but the constant corners are always tough on my hips. At this point, Amy peeled off from our group, as she is coming back from a nasty injury.

Miles 4 – 6

At this point, I realized that S was hyperfocused and not chatting. We always chat on our weekly runs, and it’s such a great distraction. It wasn’t right without her leading the conversation, so I spoke up and got that situation rectified quickly.

These miles are pretty far outside the downtown area and lead down Washington Avenue, where exist some of the most gorgeous properties in the area. The homes are absolutely beyond and I confess to checking out the For Sale signs and making mental notes as we pass.

The hardest part of this area is that we pass runners who are already on the return trip. There was lots of cheering and excitement on both sides of the road, but I really couldn’t wait to get to that other side.

Miles 7 – 9 

Into Daffin Park we went. At this point, the humidity was doing a number on me, I had made a critical error by not carrying hydration with me, and was relying on the aid stations for electrolytes. M and S were so strong and I told them to go on ahead.They refused, and I dug deep.

We passed the Savannah Bananas stadium, and wound our way through the Park. I had some Gu, and convinced myself to get it together.

Miles 10 – 11

I was starting to feel a little better, other than a dull ache in the arch of my right foot. I was really concerned about my plantar fasciitis flaring up, but we obviously had to keep going. We ran back down Washington, with a little box around Hedeman Park, and finally, we made the right hand turn back on to Price Street.

Whooooo!

Miles 12 – 13.1

Oh, I was so excited to see that Mile 12 sign.

So. Excited.

The end of this race is challenging because we have to run past Forsyth Park (and the finish line), to loop up another street and set of squares, then back around.

But finally, we could see the park. And the fountain. And the finish arch.

And we kicked it in for a strong finish! (The announcer, Fitz Koehler, dubbed us The Snack Pack because of our shirts, and I loved it!)

Whoo hoo!

We collected our medals and Publix snack bags (with water and fruit and mini muffins, they are truly outrageous snack bags)

We went back around the area to find Meghan so we could wait to cheer Amy in!

Then it was time to party!

On our way out from the Finisher’s Chute, we stumbled across this adorable pug. I had behaved myself and not stopped for a single puppy during the race, so there was absolutely nothing to keep me from grabby handsing this sweet baby (check him out at @the_winstapug and give him some love!)

Ember City was performing at the amphitheater as we made our way past the amphitheater to the bar.

Runners are treated to two drinks: beers or mimosas. I knew we had mimosas coming at brunch and so I went with beer.

It was everything.

Our group had a blast hanging out at the after party, but we started getting hungry and wanted to make our way back to our respective hotels before the rain came.

We had literally just gotten to the fountain when the rain started to fall.I was able to snag this one photo. It’s a keeper.

This is my third year running the Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon, and each year has been better than the last. Attention is paid to every detail, from the expo, to the post-party to the rest of the festivities. The course is unfailingly gorgeous. The volunteers at the water stops and aid stations were friendly and encouraging. The bling is always on point.  There was music and great signs and oh, yes. Free photos, courtesy of SportsPhotos.com. It is always such a pleasure to run these streets, and this year, I had the pleasure of doing it with friends who had never raced in Savannah.

To be continued with the rest of our weekend in Savannah and Yoga on the Square!

And mark your calendars! The Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon is scheduled for April 6, 2019! I’m going to be there! Will you?

What makes a great racecation for you?

Will you be joining us next year?

12 Comments
POSTED IN: , , , , , , , , ,

[Share on facebook] [Share on Twitter] [Pin on Pinterest]

weekly wrap: 4.8.18 – 4.14.18

Posted on April 15, 2018 by runswithpugs

Happy Monday!  It’s time for the Weekly Wrap with HoHo Runs and Taking The Long Way Home!

If you do a weekly recap post, this is a great way to check in with other active bloggers for extra support, sharing and accountability.

It’s also Marathon Monday! Good luck to everyone who is running today!

And so another season of distance running comes to a close. As a result, this week was kind of unmoored and disorganized. We wanted to rest from our half but at the same time, didn’t want to lose major momentum. It’s a fairly delicate balance.

Here’s the week in numbers:

Sunday – Yoga on the Square
Monday – rest day
Tuesday – rest day
Wednesday – 6 miles, running
Thursday – 5 miles, running
Friday – HIIT Circuit Class
Saturday – 6 miles running, 3.5 miles cycling

 

Sunday – Yoga on the Square

The Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon wraps up with a complimentary recovery yoga session in Ellis Square on Sunday morning, led by Dancing Dogs Yoga. It’s such a great event and a lovely way to unwind before we check out and hit the road for home.

Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating: it was 45 degrees as we walked to our session. We popped into both Rise Donuts and The Coffee Fox for some fortifications.

It’s tradition.

The flow warmed me up fairly quickly, and my muscles for very grateful for the deep stretches.

Afterwards, Meghan, Amy and I checked out of our hotel and met S and M for a final breakfast. Yum.

We got home mid-afternoon, but it wasn’t the happiest scene. Bentley had not been feeling well at all. He had his tail down, wasn’t eating or drinking and was isolating himself far from everyone. I was so sad to see him unwell and couldn’t wait to get him into the vet the next day.

Monday – rest

Because we deserved it.

There’s no rest for the racecationer, though. We got little man off to school and Bentley off to the doctor with Mr PugRunner. Work was awful because I was just waiting for news. The final verdict – everything was clear, including his X-rays, except he was going to need some teeth removed. Boo. He came home with a bunch of prescriptions and a surgery date for Friday.

Our Scout Leader meeting for the evening was thankfully canceled. I usually don’t mind them, but I desperately needed a night off.

Tuesday – rest

This was an unplanned rest day, due to impending thunderstorms. And what storms they were. The thunder was so loud it woke me up in the middle of the night, and I was pretty glad we decided to stay in.

I drove little man to the bus stop, got him off to school and no sooner did I walk back in the house than the hail started coming!

It was crazy! At our house, it wasn’t so bad, but there were softball sized chunks of ice coming down not too far from us. Yikes!

Wednesday – 6 miles, running

Finally, we could get back out there! It was a wonderful feeling!

Wednesday was fairly uneventful. I love having the early release day for little man from school, especially knowing that his karate class isn’t until after dinner, so we have a little down time.

Thursday – 5 miles, running

We weren’t able to go to the gym on Thursday, so we opted for another run. It wasn’t the best one ever, but I was glad to be out there, doing it.

I had hoped to take myself to a movie, but Bentley was still feeling poorly despite his meds, so I decided to just stay home and be there if he needed anything. I didn’t mind the excuse to wear pajamas most of the day and veg out.

That evening was our last official den meeting for Scouts. Our Cubmaster had asked for parents to join her for a brief final meeting, so I took the Den outside for some “Silly Olympics.”

When the meeting ended, Mr PugRunner and the parents came out with some exciting news: I had been named Assistant Cubmaster for next year! What? I had offered my assistance, but I didn’t realize I had been selected! Holy moly!

Friday – Circuit Class, 60 minutes

I woke up with a  bit of a headache so skipped my gym session with the ladies, but made it up by going back to the Circuit Class I used to attend. It was a good workout, and it was nice to mix things up.

In the meantime, Bentley went in for his surgery.

After a quick shower, I met another friend and her little boy for lunch. We haven’t seen each other in a while, so it was nice to get together.

After a very long day, Mr PugRunner came home, with a much happier (although still slightly drugged) Bentley. The surgery was a success and all was well!

We went out for sushi instead of cooking at home. No way was I complaining about that.

Saturday – 6 miles running + 3.5 miles cycling

Our neighborhood was having a community event for which Mr PugRunner had agreed to volunteer. I slept in a little bit but then I went out for a run, leaving enough time to get back for him to leave.

I had wanted to take little man to an open ride near a local farm as part of the start to blueberry season, but I also knew Mr PugRunner wanted us to come to the neighborhood shindig, so I compromised. Little man and I rode our bikes to Dunkin for breakfast, and then back to the fields to hang out.

My parents came down, too, just to visit and see Bentley. He was doing 100% better and we were very grateful (after all, he’s 12 years old, and it could have been so much worse).

After that, we were good with just chilling at home. We got dinner and then the boys went outside to hang with the neighbors around a fire, while I called it a night.

 

I feel like it was a fairly productive recovery week, and while I am a little disappointed to see my miles drop off, I know my body needs and deserves the break, and I have to honor that.

We are going to take another easy week and then it will be time to look at the spring and summer training calendar. We’ve already highlighted a few events we’d like to run, so that should hopefully keep us motivated.

How was your week in training?

Do you even take on leadership roles in your community?

11 Comments
POSTED IN: , , , , , , , ,

[Share on facebook] [Share on Twitter] [Pin on Pinterest]

on fridays we do goat yoga

Posted on April 13, 2018 by runswithpugs

If you know anything about me, you know I love animals. LOVE.

For the last couple of years, I’ve heard rumblings of something called “goat yoga.” Always in places unfairly far away from me. So I just added it to my bucket list and quietly sulked about the injustice of it all.

Until last month. when a notification from the Clay County Fair popped up on my Facebook feed, announcing a FREE (with gate ticket) Goat Yoga session on the first Friday of the fair.

Guys, if Facebook and Alexa are spying on me and listening to my conversations, and it brings me gifts like Goat Yoga, then I am a-ok with the invasion of privacy.

I RSVP’d immediately, and started counting the minutes to the big day.

I even had my friend at Cutified Creations make me a special shirt.

On Friday morning, I got to the fair about 25 minutes before it opened and hopped on line. I had no idea what kind of crowd they were expecting, but I had no intention of being shut out of this event.

My concerns were valid. By the time I purchased my ticket, went to the restroom and got to the Cattleman’s Arena, it was 11:15 and the goat corral was absolutely swarmed with men, women and children, looking forward to the class.

I signed the liability waiver and got into the pen. By this point, the area was probably 70% full and I was able to find mat space near the back corner, along the gate. I put my bag and flip flops behind me and one of the volunteers advised that I stick everything outside the gate because the goats will nibble. Sure enough, one of the goats wandered over and started investigating my hat, so I complied.

The corral was lined with wood shavings, and in the middle was a platform, reserved for the yoga instructor. Goats were absolutely everywhere, doing whatever it is that goats do.

I was in heaven.

After everyone got organized and settled, the class began. It was a 30 minute flow, and I’m sorry to say, it wasn’t the most strenuous class I’ve ever taken. Mostly because I was way more interested in hugging goats than finding my inner breath.

I’m not sorry at all.

The goats were adorable. They wandered in and out, investigating the yogis. Volunteers wandered around the mats, making sure that no one was bothering the animals (everyone was very respectful) or the animals weren’t bothering anyone else (a group of goats found great interest in the woman in the corner behind me and effectively penned her in).

We moved through a nice, easy flow, while keeping an eye on the sweet animals around us.

At one point, I got stuck on my belly, because a couple of goats decided to walk over my legs. It was ok. I was fine waiting.

I didn’t stop smiling the whole time.

I was sorry to have the practice come to an end. I was practically skipping. There’s just no way to spend time with these sweet creatures and not walk away in a good mood, especially when doing sun salutations at the same time.

There were only two minor negatives to the whole experience. Yes, goats tend to relieve themselves wherever they choose. One did so in the vicinity of my mat. It wasn’t super close, but I had to keep an eye on it, just in case. And the who shavings went everywhere. It took some seriously scrubbing to get them off my yoga mat, and when I got in the shower when I got home, they were falling out of my sports bra and other places. It wasn’t a dealbreaker for me.

Mission accomplished. I can officially check Goat Yoga off my bucket list, but I would do it again at every opportunity.

And no. I did not kidnap that little baby. I wanted to, in the worst way, but I restrained myself. See? I can behave.

Have you done or would you do Goat Yoga?

What’s the coolest non-traditional activity on your bucket list?

16 Comments
POSTED IN: , , , , , ,

[Share on facebook] [Share on Twitter] [Pin on Pinterest]

but first, gate river run {3.10.2018}

Posted on April 11, 2018 by runswithpugs

For those who follow along at home, you probably already know about the Gate River Run.

It’s the largest 15K in the country, and perhaps one of the most well-known and well-attended races in the Jacksonville area. I have an intense love-hate relationship with it. The Gate is hard. Freaking hard. But oh, so much fun. It’s one of the those things where you really have to have the right mindset going in.

What makes the Gate so challenging is the later start (8:30 AM, although they did move it up to 8:00 AM this year, which was a huge improvement), the huge crowds of runners leading to lots of course congestion, and the two ginormous bridges, right at the end of Mile 1 and again at about Mile 7.5.

But on the other side, this race is fun. There is an incredible vibe and the course is lined with spectators. Even more importantly those spectators are cheering holding signs, offering high fives, and handing out all kinds of things from beer and mimosas to grilled sausage and popsicles.

I do love a good buffet.

Due to work, I wasn’t able to attend the expo this year. S was kind enough to pick up my bib, shirt and commemorative pint glass (it’s easy enough to pick up a packet for a friend with a signed form).  I did miss getting to see some of the vendors, but I also didn’t mind avoiding some of the craziness.

On race morning, S, A and I all had a plan to meet up. With the race start being 30 minutes earlier, I left the house at about 5:30 AM so ensure a good parking spot. For the first time, I hit some traffic driving into the stadium parking lot, but was rewarded with a space right by the start line.

It was freezing that morning and I really struggled with my outfit. I was wearing shorts and a tank because I knew it would warm up and the sun was going to be out, but I toyed with a long sleeve shirt, and even with capris. I finally ended up just deciding to be cold at the start line, supplementing my outfit with gloves and an ear warmer. I wasn’t sure how windy it was going to be at the top of the bridges, and wanted to be prepared.

We got to our Wave at the start line. The sun was at full power and it was already starting to get warm.

After the National Anthem, the corrals began to be released. It still took us a few minutes to get through the crowds and start running.

Miles 1 -2

The first two  miles of the race take runners on a path through downtown Jacksonville and up and over the Main Street Bridge. The elevation on this bridge, isn’t awful, but it’s early in the race when adrenaline is high. Footing can be treacherous because it’s a lot of metal grating, and I confess that I just can’t look down to the water below. It makes me a wee bit nauseous.

Ono the plus side, we ran right up that bridge! Yay for us!

Miles 3-5

After the Main Street Bridge, we come into the San Marco area. This is full of music and people and local businesses. We plugged along, enjoying all the spectators, and still feeling pretty good. It was definitely warmer. I had stripped my gloves off earlier, and my ear warmer was no longer needed.

The businesses gave way to residential areas – there are some truly gorgeous homes along this route, and most of the neighborhoods are lined with lovely shade trees. The shade was a welcome relief. I regretted not having a visor but it wasn’t a race-breaker for me.

Miles 6 – 7

The party started here. We were now in the Atlantic Boulevard of the race. This is comprised of more pretty neighborhoods, sandwiched between two uninteresting stretches of highway.

I had been pretty good about not taking anything besides water along the way, but my friend K was spectating and had made me a giant mimosa. When I saw her and her brother and sister-in-law, I hustled right on over! I sipped on that mimosa for a full mile, and then I moved on to a nice popsicle. It was perfect.

After that, I snagged a ziplock of rummy bears! Which are exactly what you would think. And they were magical.

Thus fortified, we began the final trek to the Hart Bridge. The Hart-Breaker. The Green Monster.

Ugh.

Miles 8-9

This bridge is always so hard. The curved onramp is tough on the knees and hips. And at this point in the game, I’m always just done.

From the highest point of the bridge, it is one mile down through the finish line. There is actually a separate competition to see who can complete the final mile the fastest.

I was really ready to be done, and I think that was pretty clear on my face throughout the last bits of the race.

I still had enough for one more smile, though.

We collected our medals at the finish line and then started waiting for other friends to come through.

My finish wasn’t as strong as I would have liked, but I had a darn good time – we had so much fun out there it almost didn’t seem like racing.

S had to leave for some other family events, and I ran into A at one of the hospitality tents. She had separated from us in the last mile and I was so glad to give her a huge before I had to go.

The race post party is a lot of fun with tons of beer, music and people, so I had a celebratory drink and made my way home. It had been a really busy week and I missed my guys so I wanted to spend some time with them.

Another year of River Run in the books.

Is there a race by you that is famous either nationally or locally?

What’s a feature of races that you find most challenging?

 

 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
10 Comments
POSTED IN: , , , , , , ,

[Share on facebook] [Share on Twitter] [Pin on Pinterest]