Back to the singletrack

     It's been two months since I ran on the Canal Loop singletrack and I've missed it so much!  The Central Hardwoods Trail has been smooth and bug free, but just doesn't give me the same mental and physical workout that the Canal Loop does.  

     I purchased some high percentage DEET bugspray and hit the trailhead Saturday with high hopes that the storms would hold off.  The storms held off and the sun peaked through several times as I traversed the east side of the Canal Loop Trail.  

   

     I posted this pic on Instagram and shared a little info about having a favorite poster (when i was 12), that I would have loved to "be in", especially the summer I had my lawn mower accident.  The poster was this lush green trail with a deer on the trail.  Saturday's trailrun reminded me of that poster and I just felt blessed, like my dream came true!!  

     For lack of a better word, I would also describe Saturday as "whimsical".  There were the usual number bikers on the trail, but I also saw a gentleman out training his treeing cur pups, GPS collars included!  Not your average trail user, lol, but a welcome change from the usual hikers and bikers.  

     The sun peaked in and out and birds were everywhere, but I hope the next picture shares the "whimsy" I felt while on the trail...

     The little fella in the foreground is an ornate box turtle according to my knowledgable nephew, Blake, and trust  me, he knows his turtles!  

     I had plans on doing the entire loop to prepare for the Moccasin Gap 10 miler coming up, but decided at the halfway point to do some crosstraining/biking instead.  I don't want to share the details,  but my bike is now being worked on at Dicks Sporting Goods, and I may invest in some elbow and knee pads! 

     Here is the map/recap of my trail run.

     I'm also registered for a virtual 10k later this month, the Jostrunning Oktoberfest!  Virtual racing is a different kind of fun, with the freedom to walk/run on your own day.  Most virtual races are connected to a charity.  The ones I have done so far were for Shriners, Celiac disease, and the upcoming virtual race will be for a food bank.  Here is my race bib for the Oktoberfest...

     And here is the medal, which I will receive in the mail, after I run my 10k and turn in my time and a picture with my bib # to the Jostrunning website. 

     Also check out Anywhere 5k for more virtual 5k races.  Both Jostrunning and Anywhere 5k can be found on Facebook and twitter. 

Good wine and new best time!!

Happy fall ya'll 

Autumn is definitely in the air and that means lots of races on the calendar!  I'm bouncing back from Rocky Mountain Spotted Tick Fever, which must have been what almost stopped me at the Bernheim 7 miler.  I'm waiting on a second round of bloodwork and an appointment with the infectious diseases doc.  I'll report back on that later. 

     Meanwhile, I'm still walking/running and training.  Training now includes cycling!  The stationary bike was getting a little old, so I've stepped up the game by getting a bicycle! The old saying is true, "just like riding a bike", some things you just don't forget.  I'm going at it cautiously (my middle name) and religiously wearing my helmet.

There are lots of places to bike in our area!  Some are the same places I run!  How convenient!  My mom and myself have been researching some different areas to go biking and trail running and it looks like I'll be checking out the Tunnel Hill trail in Illinois soon!  

     While checking out Illinois natural areas, we found SO many wineries to visit, that we'll be able to make the most of each and every visit across the river!  We recently visited Owl Creek winery and and took in a concert at Rustle Hill Winery.  I have been wanting to see the bluegrass band, The Steeldrivers, in concert for years!  I was not disappointed!

     So from the good wine, to the best time, now I wanna brag...I beat my own personal best 5k time by 3 minutes this past Saturday at the United Way 5k!!  I am so pumped!  I worked really hard and now I'm seeing that hard work pay off!  

     I've got a couple of trail races this fall and a couple of 5ks.  A couple of races have been cancelled, sadly, but it just means I'm going to be focusing on longer distance runs.  I've already registered for the 2014 LBL 23k Trail run, with bettering my time from last year my only goal!  Happy Trails!

     

Temptation

     I had difficulty bringing this blog post together, but I resisted the temptation to just skip on the idea and wait until next weekend to write a post.  

     I also resisted the temptation to quit during yesterday's trail race!  It's coming up on one year since I started doing 5k and other races.  The only other race I even considered quitting was the 23k in March, due to IT band (knee) pain.  (But I resisted the temptation then). Yesterday was different though.  My feet and knees felt great!  I'm not sure how to describe the temptation to quit...maybe it was low blood sugar, maybe my immune system is under siege from a recent infestation of tick and chigger bites.  Either way, I seriously thought I might not finish this race.  I did learn at the Badasstraildash to always have a little something stashed for a boost of energy.  My fruit leather (healthy fruit roll up) and almonds were put into action, but the problem is, I felt the need to eat them 1.5 miles into a 7 mile trailrace!  How on earth was I going to make it 7 miles in the middle of nowhere!  There was only one aid station and that was at mile four! This is where I resisted the temptation to quit!

Look at that bench, beckoning me!  There were no other benches along the rest of the trail.  Why was it here, out in the middle of nowhere?  I think God put it there.  He wanted me to put my trust in him, not my water belt or my fancy fruit roll up.  When I made the decision to continue on, I knew I was totally leaning on Him.  I truly believe that, but I still argued with myself, knowing my only other chance to stop would be at the four mile mark, the only aid station for this race.  As I continued to struggle with energy, or lack of, I began to wonder if they would still be at the aid station when I arrived.  I knew I HAD to make a decision about continuing for three more miles, unsupported, at the aid station.  God knew what I needed.  When I reached the aid station, I was greeted with encouragement, plenty of fresh water to refill my belt pack and HEED electrolyte drink.  Temptation stares at me again.  Stop here and admit defeat, or rest a few minutes and GO FOR IT!  I'm still feeling like my feet and legs can do it, but my inner energy has doubts.  I knew I couldn't do it without divine intervention.  It was different at the LBL race, because there were SO many chances to stop.  I could tell myself, "if you just make it to the next station, then we'll see how you feel".  Once I left this aid station, I had to be committed to the finish.  So me and God hiked the rest of this portion of the Millenium Trail, to finish the Bernheim 7 miler.  And with Bobby waiting for me at the finish line, I'm so glad I resisted the temptation to quit! Psalms 40

Running Community

    There are many areas in our nation that are considered "running communities".  I automatically think of Colorado, or maybe California, even Oregon or Washington.  I'm sure there are many great communities near our state and national parks that cater to runners, hikers, and various outdoor enthusiasts.  Even the most recent issue of trail runner magazine has an article on "top trail towns" (watch out Lynchburg, I see a visit in out future!)

     I didn't see any western kentucky towns listed in that article, but you could've have fooled me Friday night, if you informed me Fancy Farm KY wasn't listed!  The Fancy Farm 5k (my first in its 32 year history) felt more like a street party than a 5k running event!  I've done several 5k's, a 10k, and a 23k, but the spectator gallery at Fancy Farm was incredible!  I did have my personal best time, by only a few seconds, but I will continue to strive to break that 45 minute mark! (Haters don't hate, I'm old, and have improved my 5k time in the last year by 10 minutes, I'm getting there!)  

     Here's a pic of me with my nephew Zach and friend Sharon Downs, before the race.

Here's a picture of Tammy and Blair Terry and Sharon after the race.  Both of these ladies did a fantastic job!  Keep up the good work girls!

And I do want to give a shout out to Grand Rivers KY.  Their little village comes out full force in March of each year for the LBL trail races!  I'm looking forward to reporting on that race, for 2014, with a better time at the 23k.  Meanwhile, next is a pic of me at the end of this year's 23k.  I not only want to finish with a better time, but less pain, too!!

So come on West Kentucky, (heck, the whole quad state region) lets become a running community!

30 years ago....

My husband graduated from high school! This weekend was the Carlisle County Class of '83 reunion. In my opinion, it was their best reunion yet. There was a great turn out and we all got to catch up and share a great meal together. Below is their group picture.  

Bobby is on the far right.  

     We are so blessed to have many friends in his class and we're looking forward to my 30 year class reunion next year! 

     I also got to run on the Canal Loop trail this weekend! I needed practice for the upcoming Bernheim 7 Miler, near Louisville. It will be the furthest I've traveled, so far, to participate in a race.  I hope my readers don't get tired of my trail pictures, because I love going out on the trails and taking them. 🏃

   

     The Fancy Farm 5k will be this Friday night. Maybe I'll see you there!

Fitness and social media

    Here is an update to my original social media and fitness blog entry. 

    Have I mentioned virtual races? Do you want to keep motivated but have no races on your upcoming calendar? Try a virtual race! Most virtual races support a charity and have great medals! Jost Running has been my favorite virtual website, but there are many others. 

     I've also been participating in a running team challenge on Facebook. This Facebook group has really helped me push to meet my goals. Check out secret running community on Facebook if a monthly challenge sounds interesting! My team this month is "Where's the Finish?" 

     Good evening blog readers! I thought about tonight's subject while checking my own social media outlets. I rely on several websites and a variety of social media to help in my fitness journey. 

    My first and most reliable website I use is myfitnesspal.  I religiously use the iPhone app to record my daily intake. It helps me keep my intake less than my output. When I log my food and activity, it automatically keeps up with my calorie deficit so I can tell at a glance if I have calories to spare. I also use it to keep track of my fluid intake. I drink no less than 12 cups of water per day and usually more!

     Twitter was a pleasant surprise in "social fitness". I "follow" several fitness sites and athletes. I look forward to both the information they provide, but especially the inspiration I find from people with similar interests and athletes of varying degrees of fitness.  

     Instagram is one of my favorite social media outlets!  Instagram is all about "the picture".  The old saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words" is true. Pictures from Instagram have inspired me to try new things. (Check out #plankinggonewild) Sharing my own photos allows me to document my own journey. My favorite hash tags to use are #countryfitness and #singletrackcollection. I especially like to document my trail running adventures with #singletrackcollection as noted below.

     I couldn't write a post about social media without mentioning Facebook. It's a great tool for sharing information and connecting with others. Most charitable 5k races have their own Facebook sites. It's a great way to get information about upcoming races and other events. Below is a pic from our recent "Run for Babies" 5k at St. Charles Church.  Sharon Downs  was one of several friends I was privileged to take the course with.

     Last but not least is my walktracker app. I use it to document my time, speed and even elevation gain. My favorite part is the route map. Below is an example from a trail run at LBL.

     These are just a few examples  of how social media and fitness can come together to move us forward, both in the tech world and in the real world. Get "out there" today!

Upping the exercise ante

     Sorry it's been a few weeks since the last blog post.  We've been on vacation and my free time continues to be used mostly by exercising!  I knew time was going to be my enemy when I started on this fitness journey last year!  Even vacation wasn't a break from daily physical activity, but I didn't count calories on vacation this year.  It was the first time in a FULL year that I did not count calories. 
     My favorite part of exercising on vacation was walking and running on the beach!  I decided I would walk/run to the Cherry Grove Pier, north of our condo this year.  The online info said it was 3 miles, but I now know that's by the road!!  When you follow the curve of the beach, it's 4 miles, so I got in 8 miles on that day alone!!  Here was my reward at the halfway point...

    
      Since being home from vacation, I've been able to get back on the trails at LBL, TWICE!  I love trail running, especially on wooded single tracks.  Who would have thought at my age, that I would want to go run through the woods, but it's really my favorite way to exercise.  I know it's cardio, but if the trail is technical, you'll get a muscle workout, too!  I've been posting pictures on instagram with the hashtags #countryfitness #singletrackcollection #landbetweenthelakes and #canalloop, so check me out on instagram, too!  Zach even had his first trail run fall yesterday.  Don't worry, he's fine, not a scratch!  They say a fall when trail running is a matter of WHEN, not IF.  I don't look forward to that at my age, haha.  I am very, very,  cautious when running.  I think it's because of my partial foot amputation, but I have always been cautious with my physical activity. 
     Today, I tried something new, a "mini" triathalon!  I walked/ran 30 minutes, did stationary bike for 30 minutes, and swam for 26 minutes.  I spread them out through the day, but one day I will put them all together, back to back to back!
     This coming Friday, July 19th, is the "Run for Babies" on the eve of the St. Charles Picnic.  I have to work, so I'm not sure if I will do the 5k or not, I will have to wait and see.  I am signed up for the Fancy Farm Picnic 5k.  Zach is going to do it with me!  He's been doing a great job and has great running form, especially for trail running.  Other races coming up for me are, possibly the Bernheim Forest 7 Miler, the McCracken County United Way 5k, and the fall Badass Trail Dash and Camp Ondesonk Mocassin Gap 10 miler, both in Ozark, Illinois.  I am still waiting on information for the fall 2013 Battle for the Bluff 5k and Pearl of the Purchase 5k/Half Marathon, and eagerly anticipate the opening registration of next year's Canal Loop trail run!

and

      As promised, here is further info on chia seeds.  I have not tried the gel yet, but it sounds like an effective way of using chia seeds.  I continue to put them in my oatmeal and yogurt!  The following information is from "eating with purpose" website.

Chia gel is whole chia seeds soaked in a liquid, usually purified water. Chia gel is even more easily digested and absorbed by the body than just eating dry chia seeds. It helps the body to capitalize on chia’s amazingly balanced ratios of macronutrients and creates a rapid transport of nutrients to the tissues for use by the cells.
Making chia gel is a snap! Put 1/3 cups of chia seeds in 1 ½ – 2 cups of water or liquid (slightly warm will gel quicker) into a container with tight fitting lid, l use a wide-mouth mason jar. Stir to incorporate the seeds into the liquid. Let it sit for a minute and stir again. Let the liquid thicken for about 10 minutes or overnight. Chia gel will store in the refrigerator for over 2 weeks.
Experiment with using more or less liquid, depending on your preference, or the consistency of the food item to which you’re adding it. Add chia gel to sauces, drinks, smoothies, yogurt, salad dressings, cream cheese, salsa, creamy buckwheat, amaranth, dips, soups, baked goods or whatever your imagination can come up with! For every 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, you get 9 tablespoons of chia gel, so chia seeds are cost effective too! A little goes a long way, and you only need a tablespoon or two a day to get the benefits!


Read more: http://eatingwithpurpose.com/2011/10/how-to-make-chia-gel/#ixzz2Z48Ol0Sj