A Good Dose of Happy

What can I say, folks...I've been just living high on life lately!! I'd like to say that's why I haven't updated the little ol' blog lately, but I'm not going to start making excuses for that. Today is a new day and I'm going to start from right here, right now. :-) So here's a good dose of what is making me happy lately!

1. Being Outdoors

The weather in SoCal has been absolutely KILLING it lately and I've been enjoying being outside soaking it all in. We are a little cool and breezy at the moment, but low 80's will be back by the weekend. I've been outside hiking, running, sitting, eating, playing. I can't get enough of the outdoors these days.

Passed this little meadow full of wildflowers on a 10-mile run with @salliesocean! Gorgeous day, challenging run, tired legs. This weekend is just absolutely killing it though! #wildflowers #runnerslife #halfmarathontraining #meadow #hometownrunning #hemetca

A photo posted by Kristen Grimes (@kgrimes526) on Mar 26, 2016 at 10:52am PDT

2. Running

My running has been going really well lately and I'm having a great time! Okay, maybe not a "great" time in the sense as a great time when you're doing something that isn't a form of exercise...But it's getting me outside on the weekends and is allowing me Netflix time on the weekdays. LOL Kind of joking there - but honestly, the feeling that running gives me, that sense of power and
accomplishment, is priceless! And then hand in hand with running is my ever growing Skirt Sports collection, my ever growing Balega Socks collection and my ambassadorships with Skirt Sports, Balega, Nuun Hydration, 261Fearless, and the latest - Momentum Jewelry!! I have gotten to work with some fabulous companies that are doing such AMAZING and INSPIRING things and I'm super thrilled to represent quality brands that have a larger message than just making some money or selling a product.

3. The Walking Dead

I just started watching - don't tell me ANYTHING!!! I'm digging it so far!

And how cool is it that it is Rick GRIMES...total badass - I'm sure we must be related. LOL

4.  Family

Enough said - I am blessed beyond belief with my family. The grandkids are just amazing, the kids are awesome, the hubsters is fabulous. Life is good and I'm so lucky to have a big crazy family to share it with!

5. Friends - New and Old

Not really anything extra I need to say here - I appreciate the friendships I have with some really, really, really awesome people!

So there's a handful of things that are giving me a good dose of happy these days. Your turn - what's something that is keeping you happy? I wanna hear all about it in the comments!

Citrus Heritage Half Marathon - Race Review

This past Saturday, January 9, 2016, I participated in the Sixth Annual Citrus Heritage Run (third annual with the half marathon distance) in Riverside, CA. This is my third year doing this race and it is truly one of my favorites! Need evidence? You can read my race reports from 2015 and 2014 - Part I and Part II. Okay, so a couple notes about the race - there is a 5k and Half Marathon option as well as a kids fun run. It is an out-and-back course next to the Arlington Sports Park in the citrus area of the city of Riverside (Southern California/Inland Empire area). The race is put on by the Riverside Road Runners and benefits their youth scholarship fund. We had gotten a significant amount of rain the week leading up to the race, and in their last email to participants they noted that they had an alternate, all-road, course plotted out for use if needed as the regular course (USATF certified) is partially on dirt roads. Thankfully, we dried out enough that they didn't need to go to Plan B, but I was thrilled to know that they had an alternate course in place so that the race could go on rain or shine. Alright, let's talk details!

We were greeted with an amazing sunrise!

Registration

The day of registration cost for the half marathon was $90, and prior to that was $85. I registered fairly early so I think I got early bird pricing. If I remember right I think it was about $80, but don't quote me as I don't know exactly. They have a great event website that includes all the details and is very well organized. Registration and packet pick-up at the event is very easy as well. You just look up your bib number and then stop at the tent to get the bib, then get your t-shirt at a different tent. Super easy and well staffed. I don't think it took us more than 5 minutes to do the entire process and it was very clearly marked and easy to know where to go.

Expo and Venue

I absolutely love this venue for races! It is held at the same sports park that the Hometown Heroes Honor Run is held at so it offers lots of great parking, real restrooms (they also have plenty of port-a-pots too), and a playground to keep the kiddies entertained while waiting. It's also very easy to get in and out of and offers plenty of room to get a good warm-up in. The expo is very tiny, but I really don't care about that anyways. They have several booths, some food trucks, and a DJ getting the participants pumped up and ready to run. I love it just as it is because it is so easy to navigate and never feels overwhelming.

Swag

Participants get a long-sleeved technical shirt. This year the shirt is gray and has the logo on the front. Last year's shirt was prettier and had more detail, but I still really like it and gray seems to be the "it" color for race shirts right now as my friend Sally just did a race that also had gray/silver shirts. There really isn't anything else outside of the shirt, although there are other race perks that I'll talk about in post-race celebration in just a few moments. :)

Sally and I pre-race...freezing our tushies off! LOL Starting temps in the upper 30's/low 40's. Okay, I almost feel guilty saying that 30/40 is cold when I saw plenty of my friends around the country in negative degrees! HA!
But that's SoCal cold...sorry!

Course

I have made no bones before about how nice this course is! I really do love it as it has the perfect mix of gorgeous views, challenging terrain/hills, downhills, and turns to keep it interesting. Beginning at the Sports Park you immediately get a nice downhill to get you started as you run along orange groves before heading into the Historic Citrus Park. This first section has some fairly decent hills and can really kick your rear if you aren't careful. Racers pass by several real restrooms that are open for use during this section, and the citrus park has at least two aid stations. After the citrus park it is back out into the orange groves after off-roading for a little bit. Several miles wind through the orange groves and this terrain makes runners really focus on footing - which I actually like because it keeps me focusing on that instead of how tired I am! After the orange groves it is up a long gradual hill overlooking a beautiful canyon to the halfway turnaround. From there you get the downhill for a bit which is SO NICE before turning towards residential streets to run the final 5k of the race. There are a few more hills on the final stretch and they still throw me for a loop because I just don't have anything left by then. HA! There are a lot of port-a-pots along the course and they have the streets closed to traffic (THANK YOU!!!!). There are a lot of lot of aid stations well stocked with cold water and gatorade, and at the halfway they had oranges (ohemgee so delicious!!) and plenty of GU in lots of flavors to choose from. The volunteers at the aid stations are amazing and have it down to a science as they let you know if they have water or gatorade as you are coming up. Lots of great signs, cheering, and helpful volunteers out on a chilly morning! Two of my favorite things about this course is that there is a section where you pass the front of the pack runners - that is so motivating to just see them flying by; and then there is another section where you pass the 5k runners as they make their way into the citrus park...so much fun to get to "mingle" with the other runners. Plain and simple, I'll say it again, I love this course. It is my favorite half marathon course to date.

Just after the starting line! There's nothing like seeing runners for days ahead of you!! I <3 it!

Medal

The medal is amazing every single year! High quality, perfect size, pretty to look at, fabulous ribbon. Take a look:

I love their medals each year and they are some of my favorites hanging on the medal rack. They definitely get this right every single year.

Here's a picture of me holding it so you can get some size perspective. It's not huge, but it's definitely not tiny either. I would say it is Goldilocks "just right".

My Gear

I wore the following:

Skirt Sports BBF Beanie in Pink Crush (on sale for $9.99 right now and I LOVE IT!!)

Skirt Sports Don't Sweat It Long Sleeve in Razz (I wore the Ambassador top that isn't available, but they have other awesome prints available!)

Skirt Sports Jette Capri Skirt in Poparazzi

Skirt Sports socks (not currently available)

Flip Belt*

Mizuno Wave Rider 17's

Fuel was Island Boost and GU Chomps (I alternated for a total of 4 times fueling during race)

*I'm struggling with a way to carry my new iPhone 6s Plus so I had to break out my FlipBelt. It did fit, with the case on if I really stuffed it in there, but I think I'm probably one of the only people on the planet that doesn't really care for the FlipBelt. I don't know if it's just my body shape, but they say that it won't ride up and will stay where you put it...nope, not for me. I would prefer to wear it around my hips, but it always makes its way up to my waist (usually taking my shirt with it risking flashing people) and that makes it difficult to get anything out of it. That's the other part of my dislike, you have to flip it over to keep items inside, but then you can't get anything out of it without flipping it back over and then you run the risk of items falling out. I lost my body glide during my marathon and a chapstick another run. One final thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't have a waterproof layer so my phone case was all sweaty at the end of the run. Moisture + Phone = Bad Idea. Right? haha The only reason I'm using it right now is because I didn't have anything else that I could use for my phone. If you have any recommendations, please let me know!!

The clothes were all spot on and absolutely perfect. I have zero complaints about anything I was wearing outside of the Flip Belt. Skirt Sports is just the best. I'll have a 2016 discount code available for you very soon!

My Race

You guys - I had a really good race!! Coach Tiffany and I had decided prior to the race that this wouldn't be a PR push and would be an opportunity for me to just get out and run and see where I'm at so we can put together a great plan for my spring races. I knew I wanted to start off nice and slow so I didn't get tight legs/shins like I have in the past, I knew that I wanted to walk through the aid stations and take in some water/gatorade at each as I was not carrying any water on me this time (wanted to see how it went if I didn't carry my own since it wasn't a PR push), and I knew that I wanted to try to tackle the hills stronger than I have in the past. If I needed to walk them I would, but I would definitely try to not let them get into my head. So with those goals in mind, I started off slow, gradually geared up and didn't let the hills scare me. When we got to the first big hill I looked and it and said out loud "I LOVE HILLS!!! I'm going to totally run this thing right now! I eat hills for breakfast!" I don't know what else I said but I pretty much convinced myself up the entire thing and then I got to the top of this hill that I walked the previous two years and wanted to absolutely burst into tears that I DID IT!! I ran it and I didn't even feel like I was going to die. And the kicker? I didn't start walking at the top...I kept running right up the next hill, and right up the next one, and so on and so forth. For 10 miles I ran every single hill and I only stopped to walk through the aid stations. The mental boost from that...I can't even begin to tell you how good it felt.

Sally and I getting our groove on!

I took a brief moment of pause at the halfway point to take off my beanie and throw my hair into a ponytail as I was getting too warm. My gloves came off about 7 miles in. My sleeves rolled up about 8 miles in. haha Okay, so you know I ran strong for 10 miles but I definitely felt the fatigue really settle in at that point and I ended up taking some walk breaks during the remainder of the race. I was really feeling the fatigue in my hips and feet, so I started picking out a spot to run to, then would walk to a spot, and then start again. But I typically get tired much earlier than 10 miles, so I was thrilled. I finally headed to the finish line and kicked it into high gear to sprint to the finish line! I even got another gal to really pick it up because she could see me coming up behind her and she wasn't about to let me pass her! I told her she better get it if she didn't want me to beat her! We high-fives each other at the end of the race. LOL I just love that...the spirit of perseverance. She was a fighter and I salute that! Before I share my finish time for this race, I want to share my previous two finish times first.

2014: 2:53:20
2015: 2:59:01

And this year:
2016: 2:38:55

Guys - that's 20 minutes faster than last year and 15 minutes faster than 2014 on the exact same course!!! A 15-minute course PR!!!!!!!! Am I excited about that? HECK YEAH!!! And what's my overall half PR? 2:42 at the Tinkerbell in 2012. A flat course that I ran before my knee disaster! So not only did I get a 15-minute course PR, I also got a 4-minute half marathon PR. My work with Coach Tiffany is totally paying off. I said in my post on Instagram/Facebook that I don't do it very often as I tend to be very hard on myself, but I'm so proud of my effort on this race. I wasn't going for a PR, but I got one anyways. But more important to me than any numbers was that I ran those hills that beat me every other time. More important is that I felt great. More important is that I fueled and hydrated to plan. More important is that when my watch clicked off the miles I was shocked at how quickly it was going by. I feel like I won a mental battle on this run and that is the absolute most important. I'm gonna ride this runner's high for a while. LOL

Post-Race

The post-race amenities at this one are pretty good. They have bananas, fresh oranges, and Clif bars, full water bottles, and Gatorade along with bowls of chili from Farmer Boys (a local burger joint that is just now expanding to the Los Angeles area). They also had mylar blankets this year and had the beer garden back again. One of the best things about the beer garden? They had belly bars (those are the high tables) and bowls of pretzels on the tables. Nice touch!! (I didn't partake in the beer garden, but a nice gentleman was more than happy to put my ticket to use! hahaha)

Final Thoughts

Did you guys get the idea that I really like this race? *wink* I really do - I love this race. Gorgeous course with just enough challenge, great amenities, wonderful course support, lots of volunteers, great swag in a beautiful location at a perfect time of year. What more can you ask for? Seriously, you won't be sorry if you run this race. Hope that you'll join me in 2017 because I will definitely be back!!

Finally, I will also highlight that this is part of the Run Riverside Challenge series so I got some extra swag this one! Here's all the Run Riverside medals from 2015-16:

And here's all of them from the beginning of this series that began three years ago!

Half Marathon #7 is in the books! Run happy, or dance, or skip, or jump, or whatever, my friends!

TOTR: Runner's Wish List

Today I am linking up with the lovely ladies behind Tuesdays on the Run: MCM Mama Runs, Marcia's Healthy Slice, and My No-Guilt Life! And the topic is definitely timely!

And, yes, my snowman is wearing a tiara...

I'm going to stick to a runner's wish list even though we could talk just basic wish lists all day long...even my kids were recently commenting that Mom's wish list is the longest one out of everyone in the family! Hey...Mom's just smart enough to know that if I don't tell them exactly what I want they will go all rogue and just start buying random stuff. I've learned my lesson. LOL So without further ado...

Redfox Wireless EDGE Bluetooth Headphones

I was lucky enough to win a pair of these from Another Mother Runner and I absolutely LOVE them! They are super comfortable and I forget I'm even wearing them. I've even gone so far as to walk out of the room with them still on because I totally forgot they were there! The sound quality is excellent and they are certified IPX4 Water and Sweat Resistant. I have an iPhone 5c and a Dell Windows Tablet that I link to and have never had any problem with connecting. Works flawlessly every time and the battery life is superb. They were also a Runner's World Best Headphones selection, so they agree with me. Bonus - they are on sale now for only $65.99 (regularly $99.99). You can't get a better wireless headphone for that price (even at FULL price you can't get a better wireless headphone).

Island Boost Energy Shots

My running coach recommended I give Island Boost a try and I'm so glad she did because this stuff is amazing!! I still love GU in some situations - especially because I can find it just about anywhere, but what makes Island Boost different is that it is SPEEDY in that it hits your system and provides energy within 5 minutes of taking it. Unlike other energy gels that you need to consume about 15-20 minutes before needing, Island Boost is 5 minutes from consumption to delivery. And it is specifically formulated to not cause stomach distress. Another thing I really like about it is that it isn't a gel, it's a liquid. Many times with gels I have to slowly take them or it makes me gag on the consistency of it. I don't have that problem with Island Boost. I can drink it on the run and get fast energy without any stomach distress! Island Boost is on sale right now and the 30 pack at $42.00 is on my wish list.

Believe Journal

I got my first Believe Training Journal last year and I've enjoyed it so much all year long!! It's been great to see my progress (or lack of...) all in one place and the insight from pro runners Lauren Fleshman and Ro McGettigan-Dumas has been fabulous. It's $18.95 at Velo Press, but you can find it at many other retailers as well such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. They also have additional colors this year - bonus!

Smartwool PhD Running Socks

I have two pairs of Smartwool socks along with a variety of other brands. I also love Feetures, Balega, and my Skirt Sports socks, but I'm going to put the Smartwool socks on this list because wool is fabulous whether you live in cold or warm climates - it will control the temperature beautifully no matter what! They also have knee-high socks and I'm definitely putting a pair on my wish list since I can't wear compression, but knee-high are just fine and will allow me some extra warmth on chilly days!

Marathon Woman by Kathrine Switzer

I've talked before about my admiration and respect for Kathrine Switzer so I won't go into it again here, but if you want some inspiration, just put this book on your wish list! She's amazing and has just launched a global 261 Fearless Movement with run clubs for women sprouting up around the world with more to come as the training for leaders continues to roll out. She's currently writing a follow-up book, so read this one now so you can be ready when the next one comes out.

Nuun Hydration Tabs

With a variety of types and flavors there's something for everyone! And as they say themselves on the website, hydration is extremely important - during exercise a mere 2% loss in body weight can lead to a decrease in performance. nuun active hydration contains a superior blend of electrolytes without added sugars; it has a light-refreshing taste that promotes the consumption of water. So it is delicious, doesn't contain added sugar, and provides optimal electrolyte replacement. I absolutely love that Nuun doesn't have an overly sweet flavor a la Gatorade or Powerade drinks. One tab flavors 16 oz. and each tube has 12 tabs for approximately $7.00. You can also find these at local retailers such as Sprouts or other sporting goods stores in addition to online through nuun.com or amazon.com.

Skirt Sports Redemption Capris

I honestly want pretty much anything and everything from Skirt Sports, but I'm limiting my wish list to the Redemption Capris because they are AH-MAZZZZ-ING!!! I have them in the Safari print and was wearing them the other day and my husband couldn't stop saying how nice my butt looked. Sorry if that's TMI, but these capris have a magic butt capability built into them. LOL Okay, you know that isn't real, but they are obviously made BY women FOR women because they fit perfectly. They are also the perfect weight and material for running, cross-training, cycling, canoeing, paddling, whatever. Don't forget you can use my Ambassador Code for a 20% discount: SSPQL20.

You'll note that I kept my wish list pretty affordable this year because even though running can get quite expensive, it doesn't always have to be top dollar items in order to make the runner in your life a happy camper...er, runner. LOL

Question: What is on YOUR wish list this year?

Keep pursuing quality, friends!

Hometown Heroes Honor Run Race Recap

This was my third year participating in the Hometown Heroes Honor Run (HHHR) in Riverside, California on October 3rd. And it also happens to be the third year of its existence! :-) So I'm a legacy runner so far...

I actually really enjoy this race and it has quickly become one of my favorites that I look forward to each year. It's the perfect time of year, the venue is fabulous, and it benefits a fantastic cause in the Riverside Police Officers' Association. My previous two race recaps are here and here.

Registration
Registration is super easy and I would say the cost is very reasonable for everything you get in this race. I think it was about $40. They also offered same-day registration although you aren't guaranteed your preferred size of or a goody bag; but if they have extras, you get them. My friend Sally signed up day of and was able to get the shirt she wanted and a goody bag so that was awesome.

It was hard to get us all in the picture with my t-rex arms, but we have L-R: Brian, Heather (my sis), Me, Sally.

Expo and Venue
They have quite a few booths set up ranging from local sellers to other races promoting their own events so there's always something to look at while you wait. This year they set up on the concrete instead of out in the grass, so that made for a nicer experience. They also have a few food trucks and the Boy Scouts were back again this year providing a free pancake breakfast post-race. This race takes place at a Sports Park so there's lots of free parking (including a school across the street) and a playground for kids to hang out at with their guardian while they are waiting for Mom & Dad or whoever to finish their race. In the past my nieces and nephew have had a great time hanging out at the park with their Dad while my sister raced. Bored kids are a nightmare, so having the park and plenty of space to run around is a real benefit to the venue. If this event continues to grow it might outgrow this location, but so far it fits perfectly. Oh- and they have at least a few real bathrooms in addition to the port-a-johns! BONUS!!!

Swag
This race has some pretty decent swag. You get a goody bag that consists of one of those basic totes with the drawstrings that you can wear as a backpack (I'm sure there's an actual name for those things, but it escapes me), a technical shirt, and lots of little freebies like Biofreeze, Corn Thins, and more. As far as race swag goes, this one is usually pretty decent.

Course
The 5k course (I haven't done the 10k so I can't really speak to it at all, but my friend Jennifer did this year and her main comment was HILLS...hahaha) is mostly flat - now, it isn't ALL flat - there are some hills but they are manageable hills) and is a perfect rectangle. The rectangle shape is awesome because after you've done the first long stretch, you have a short one and then you have a basic idea of what to expect on the final long stretch. And with all left turns it just feels...right. I don't know how else to describe it. Now, I'm going to admit that I have a bad case of Racenesia* and I find myself thinking a course was awesome and flat and then the next year I run it and there's all these hills and I'm like "wait - I thought this course was FLAT - what happened?!?" This is a real thing, people, trust me! 

*Racenesia: noun. The act of forgetting how difficult or challenging a race is after the race is over. May result in telling people that a course is flat or easy when it is, in fact, very far from flat or easy. 

But just to show you that in this case I'm not suffering from Racenesia, here's the course elevation profile from my Garmin Connect activity:

See, that's pretty flat, right??

I don't have any on-course pictures as the only photos were from the finish line and after I already crossed the line. They are straight-up horrible pictures and I would definitely recommend that they find a better location next year a little bit before the finish or at the very least use multiple photographers so they can have one along the course too. But I always hate on-course photos anyways as I am definitely NOT photogenic while running. I have hated almost every single race picture I have ever seen of me. LOL

Medal
Okay, guys, this medal is AMAZING!!! They really have improved upon it every single year and this year it was colored pink for Breast Cancer Awareness and was a spinner. And for being a 5k race, the medal is HUGE. Check it out...

I had the silly thing backwards for this post-race selfie...oops. LOL

Seriously, one of the best medals and by far one of the best for a 5k race that is very reasonably priced.

My Race
I went into this race with the plan to run it easy and attempt to run the entire thing from beginning to end without stopping. And I totally met my goal!!! I ran the entire time, even on the last hill that has gotten me every single year so far. I didn't get a PR on this one. My standing 5k PR is actually from this race last year and was an even 32:00. This year I finished in 32:25 so 25 seconds slower than my PR; however, I felt like I ran a much better race this year because I met my goals: find a pace I could maintain the entire time and then hold it for the 3.1 miles. Done and done! I did really feel it at the end and I had nothing left to give as I crossed that finish line. It's funny because last year I walked on the final hill and was able to use a strong finish kick across the line; this year, I ran the little hill but didn't have anything extra in the way of a finish kick. But the main thing for me was sticking to my plan and I did that.

Post-Race Party
I never really stick around a whole lot after the race is over as I'm anxious to get home and start the rest of my day and this time really wasn't any different. I grabbed some water, found Sally who finished a little ahead of me, and then waited for my sister to come in. Once we collected her, we grabbed some pancakes from the boy scouts and scooted on out of there. They do have a post-race awards ceremony and probably some music too, but I couldn't say how it was since I didn't hang around. :-)

Final Thoughts
This is still one of my favorite races and I'll definitely keep coming back for more. It's at the perfect time of year and usually serves as my kick-off to the fall racing season. It's a great race and the organizers work hard to create an excellent event. I highly recommend it if you're in the area!

It's a Battle...a Fight to the Death!

You can't be involved in working out or fitness or health...wait, let me revise where I'm headed with this. You can't be ALIVE and not see all the time about the importance of mental toughness. You know, it starts early with trite sayings like "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." or "Life is tough, but you're tougher." They are endless!! And there's a reason for that.

The reason is because having the ability to be mentally tough is so important!! Seriously, there's much in life you simply can't do without it. And the thing is that you might be super mentally tough in one arena of life, but be super mentally weak in another one. For example, when it comes to being a Mom, I've always prided myself on being able to hold it together even through the super stressful things like injuries or illnesses. Where one parent might pass out at the sight of blood, I can stand stoic and calm. But where I struggle constantly? Mental toughness in my diet and exercise.

I know what I want and I'm willing to fight for it...right up until it gets hard. And then the hamster wheel of doubt starts to kick in, or the wheel of excuses starts spinning, and my brain all of a sudden starts believing what it is being told. That I'm "too tired and need a break" or that "one piece of candy won't kill me" or "I've been sick, I need to take it easy" or "what's the difference, you're never going to hit your PR goal anyways...it's already lost". Honestly, the list of doubts and excuses could go on for days because they are always changing, and yet always staying the same.

When most athletes are asked what their key to success is, it almost always comes down to mental toughness. The ability to push through the wall and keep going. Kara Goucher has bravely shared that she struggles with this same issue - the mental game. Some athletes are able to run for hours through a desert, while others crumble under much lesser circumstances. It would almost seem like mental toughness, especially when it comes to exercise performance, is something that you're either born with or you aren't. Maybe you're born with it, maybe it's Maybelline? If only there was a mascara you could apply that gives you the ability to increase mental toughness by 25%! The star athletes have it - that combination of natural talent and mental toughness to push through. You can't be a star athlete without some combination of both of those things.

But I'm not a star athlete and am not trying to be one. I am just an average person that has dreams and desires - things that are going to take FIGHTING FOR to achieve them and yet I stumble when it comes to the mental aspect. I succumb to the fatigue in my head that tells me that my legs are giving out. I succumb to the fatigue in my brain that says that I deserve to eat something I want. I succumb to the things that take me further away from goal instead of closer to it. Now, not all the time mind you...but enough of the time that it affects my journey towards my goals. Do I not want it enough? Is that my stumbling block???

There's a gazillion and one articles about how to strengthen your mental toughness...just Google it and you'll see for yourself. Be confident! Use a mantra! Visualize success! Practice it in Training!

But I'm honestly asking...what do you do when you use those tools and they still fail you? What's the trick here because I'm at a loss for how to keep pushing when my entire body says just fuhgeddaboutit. I'm at a loss for how to stop myself from thinking constantly about the candy in the jar or glancing at it every single time I walk by it.

I will say that for me it's a battle that sometimes is easy to fight, and sometimes is close to impossible. Sometimes I can spend hours of standing firm, and others it's a second by second battle. Am I a little overly dramatic when I say it's a fight to the death? Perhaps...but it's definitely a battle I will be fighting UNTIL death because I'm not willing to give up. I'll keep fighting this fight. There's things I want and I may not always know how to be strong enough to get them, but I'll keep trying to figure it out. Any help towards that end that you can offer is always appreciated!!

Seek a quality life, friends! Talk to you again soon...

Life Lately...

Good morning! First, let me just say Happy November!!! I seriously can't believe that we are already getting close to wrapping up 2015. It's been a whirlwind of a year that's for sure...but we're still not done yet!!

November is actually probably my favorite month of the year...the holiday season is officially in the swing of things and my favorite holidays are right around the corner! It doesn't hurt that there's lots of holidays from work on the schedule either! hahaha Many times I'm more excited for the time off than I am for the actual holiday. Kind of sad, but I'm just being honest here. LOL

I have a few races coming up too - this weekend is the Mission Inn 10k. I've done it the past three years as part of the Run Riverside Challenge and as challenging as it is, I do find myself looking forward to it each year. You can read the previous race recap here, and if you want to learn how I did the opposite of preparing for this race last year you can read that here. News Flash: I didn't beat my previous PR at last year's race and felt like I barely survived it really. I don't remember having fun that's for sure. LOL

From the race website - click picture to go to site.

But I will say that I'm going into this year's race feeling much more prepared for it! So there's that...the coaching has been very beneficial and that kick in the gut that I got at the completion of October's training cycle has proven to be very motivating. That and the fact that I really want a PR at the next race on the schedule...more on that in just a moment.

My plan for this weekend is to treat the race like a training run. It's a very hilly course so I'm going to do my best to control my running on the hills and focus on my form and hydration/fueling throughout. Because the following weekend is the Surfer's Point 10k in Ventura and that one is going to be my PR push!!

This is the first time I will be doing races on back-to-back weekends, but I do feel prepared for it especially since I'm using the first race as a training run for the second one that will be the push. My biggest goal for this weekend is to focus on how I feel at each mile and visualizing running faster and stronger the next weekend. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that the Surfer's Point 10k will be mostly flat...something I can't say ANY of my other 10k races have been! I'm looking forward to a flat race, finally. LOL

The rest of life lately consists of spending time with the family and just soaking in all that life has to offer. Oh, and work...can't forget the thing that pays the bills. LOL

It really is, friends...it really is!! Now get out there and have an awesome weekend and go crunch some leaves under your feet while you're at it!!

Stay in pursuit of a quality life!

FOCUS Grasshopper...

Ya'll know that I've been working with a running coach for a little bit now - Coach Tiffany with Thoroughly Thriving. And I absolutely LOVE it!! Having the guesswork taken out of the equation is so nice. And I really do feel like I push myself at least a little harder because I want to make my effort worthwhile. BUT at the same time, I know that I still slack off way more than I should. Sometimes there might be totally legitimate reasons for it, but really, 90% of the time that I slack is just because I'm losing the battle of the lazy brain. I know that. But you know how when you see some cold, hard facts it brings it all into FOCUS just a little more???

This morning I looked at my new week training report and this is what I see: Looking at October so far you've skipped about 28% of your workouts and modified 15%.

Just a bit of a gut kick on that one. I shouldn't be surprised that the hilly half marathon last weekend was so tough and I shouldn't be surprised that I felt like I had been hit by a Mack truck for most of this week. Not when I look at the fact that I've totally and completely SKIPPED 28% of my assigned workouts. More than a quarter. And of the 72% that I have done, I've modified 15% of those.

So in other words, I've nailed 57% of my workouts during the month of October. Sure, sure - that's a little more than HALF that I've done. And that's not necessarily bad...BUUUUUUTTTTT, if this was a test, only a little more than half is definitely failing.

Why, thank you Dwayne - there are not truer words you could speak to me! And thank you for that dazzling smile while you're at it. ;-) haha

What it all boils down to is this. If I want to run a personal best at my goal race in January 2016, then I'd better focus and I'd better put in the effort. I can get to that finish line feeling like I got thrown down by The Rock in an epic wrestling match, or I can get to that finish line feeling like I just ran a hard race but that I just ran a race that I was totally prepared to run. And whether I meet my time goal or not - the real goal is just that - I want to KNOW that I put in the effort during training and that I really did leave everything I could on that course.

I will get there...and the effort and the focus start now!! My goal from my coach is to hit at least 90% of my workouts going forward. Okay, okay - game on, Tiffany!!

Question: How do you keep your focus on the goal?

Monday, Monday...

Well, hellllooooooo new week!!! I have to say that I'm really working hard at faking my enthusiasm for Monday today. But sometimes, it's all about just faking it 'til you make it! Let's talk training updates!

Last week started out kind of rough! I had some fairly basic workouts on the plan from Coach Tiffany and the week before these workouts felt, dare I say it, easy! But this past week they felt close to impossible...I just felt like it was way harder than it should be.

Monday: Easy 3 mile at whatever pace felt good was the plan. How I felt was crummy...it just felt ridiculously hard and I ended up cutting it short.

Tuesday: 3x1 mile repeats on the plan. I did the entire workout of 4 miles, but it didn't feel easy a single time and I stepped off of the treadmill a few times to boot.

Wednesday: We switched it up a little thanks to my added fatigue so I just had easy intervals on the plan - warm-up for 10 minutes and then do 3 sets of 9:1 intervals at whatever pace felt good. I completed this workout and it felt pretty good mentally and physically to finally not feel like I was struggling to even move.

Thursday: Same workout as Wednesday (although I was supposed to do 4 sets of 9:1, but I missed that part and only did the 3 sets. Oops...that's what I get for not fully paying attention).

Friday: 20 minute walk. I loved this. Fridays are becoming one of my favorite days because I get that extra cushion in the morning and can actually go outside. I had an awesome walk and enjoyed being out. I finished the workout looking forward to my long run on Saturday.

Saturday: 1 mile warm-up followed by 7 miles at whatever pace felt good for 8 miles total; I could walk at the mile markers for 1 minute if needed. I headed out with Sally at 6:00 AM to beat the heat since we are still having above-average temps here in SoCal. I felt great for the first 4 miles and then it just felt like I hit a wall. I walked for a bit and felt a little wobbly like I had run for much further than just 4 miles at a very easy pace. I did 8.6 miles total, but walked a LOT of them after those first 4. I thought at this point that maybe my dinner from the night before was coming back to haunt me, or that perhaps it was Aunt Flo being the major PITA that she can be since she was here for her "visit". Wasn't really sure which of those was the culprit though...maybe even a little bit of both?

When I got home after running I did 15 minutes of stretching, ate a couple pieces of French Toast since my DIL happened to be making breakfast (runner's dream right there - coming home to breakfast!! Woot!) and then started up some coffee. And then I got hit with a wave of nausea...I thought for sure I was going to toss my cookies. I didn't but I got those cold sweats and weak feeling. It was not fun, but it did pass fairly quickly. Thought maybe it was just from the exertion of running or something and continued on with my day. I ended up getting a really bad headache and having a few more isolated bouts of nausea on Saturday and Sunday. So I'm thinking I must have gotten a mild flu and that's probably what was going on with me the entire week...my body was fighting something. I can't say for sure, but that's my best guess. I never did get physically sick, but my stomach and body felt "off" the entire weekend.

And today, everything feels fairly good so far! I really do think that I got a stomach bug. A couple of my co-workers had stomach bugs a week before, so I think they probably shared the "love" with me. Thanks, girls for sharing your germs!!! :-| But whatever it was, I'm hoping it's moving on now because I was really loving how good my workouts were feeling the week before!! I don't have time to deal with that kind of fatigue. LOL

My philosophy for this week is to beat the mental game. Coach Tiffany has me do a little reflection at the end of each week and this past week one of the questions was "Where do you want to be with your running in two months?" My response was: "I would really like to be mentally stronger in two months even if it isn't reflected in faster times. Faster times would be great, but I would love even more to be able to say that I'm comfortable pushing through discomfort."

So that's my push right now...I've got to find a way to break through the mental barriers.

Don't forget to enter for your chance to win a Skirt Sports Vixen Capri Skirt! You have until October 7th and can earn additional entries by tweeting daily! Have a great week everyone!

ToTR: I Never Run Without...

Welcome to another edition of Tuesdays on the Run hosted by the lovely ladies, Erika, Patty and April! This week we are talking what we absolutely cannot ever run without!

There's probably only one thing (outside of SHOES of course) that I never run without and that is my phone. I know there are a lot of mixed opinions about this one and many people can't stand running with their phone and never do...and I totally get that! It's great to unplug and it's wonderful when we can get out for a run without having to worry about phone calls or text messages or that constant need to be in contact. I sometimes wonder what we ever did before cell phones because, honestly, they have become so ingrained in our lives now.

But the reason I can't run without my phone isn't because I can't live without it for even a few minutes, it's because I want to be able to make a call if I have an emergency! In this day and age when cell phones do exist and are easily portable, it just seems silly to go out on my own without it.

What if I was hit by a car or was feeling like I might pass out or twisted an ankle? There's so many things that could go wrong that might be easily remedied by making a simple phone call. But if I didn't have my phone with me I would have to depend on first, someone else knowing there was a problem, and second, them making the call that needs to be made. I'd rather not have to depend on those two conditions because we all know that for the most part other people outside of our "bubble" are invisible.

I'm often reminded of the story a few years back about the runner that left for his jog and went missing. It took them days to find him. His autopsy revealed that he most likely died from a heart defect, but I can never help but wonder if he had his cell phone with him if they might have been able to save him. We will never know, but I also don't want to find out the hard way if something like that happens to me. I want to be able to hit 9-1-1 if I'm physically able to.

Another reason I run with my phone is because of the Road ID app. If Chad Rogers had the app installed on his phone and was using it, they would have been able to find him much quicker as it has the emergency alert feature that will call your emergency contacts that you have designated and sound an alarm if you haven't moved in five minutes. Great if you pass out like Chad did, so even if you can't physically dial 9-1-1 yourself, the app will send an alert for you, along with your eCrumbs that you have left while using the GPS feature.

Honestly, I think that this app is something that EVERY runner and cyclist should be using. I know you don't want to drag your phone around, but think about that one time that you might really, really need it. Wouldn't you want your family to know that even if you couldn't call for help, they could by receiving a notification that you might be in distress? I know I do...

There are lots of things I like to run WITH, like Vinnie (my Garmin 220), or my handheld Nathan water bottle, or my Jaybird Freedom wireless headphones. Those are all great. But the one thing I NEVER run without, is my phone. It's like the saying goes - I'd rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it. 

Your turn - what's something you would never run (or bike, or walk, or raft, or kayak, or SUP or whatever...) without?

Running With It!

Because my bestie totally gets me!! She sent this last Monday and it was exactly what I needed. LOL

Okay, so this week I am back to a regular posting schedule of Monday-Thursday! I'm making that promise to myself right now and am declaring it out loud. I feel like September has gone by in a blur and I kind of knew it would but I didn't do a very good job of preparing myself for the actual reality. And I kind of feel like I've been doing a lot more failing at life than succeeding at life, but I'm working on turning that around because you know what, it's never too late to make a fresh start at anything or everything.

Training These Days...

I totally didn't kill it last week with my training. I think I actually had more "bad" days than good ones when it comes to what Coach Tiffany had on my plan. I have to admit that looking at my results on my training plan, there was a lot of "I didn't really want to work out" going on last week. I'm not sure what that was about, but almost every day last week was some kind of bleh - I don't wanna. I think the lazy brain gets the win last week. :-( Okay, so what did I do?

Monday: Cross-training of my choice so I did a full-body strength training session

Tuesday: 3x1 mile repeats that ended up being 2x1 mile repeats because I had a headache and got up too late to do the full workout.

Wednesday: I skipped what was supposed to be an easy run to run to the grocery store. Total fail on this one, but we were out of toilet paper so it was an absolute necessity. LOL

Thursday: The only running workout of the week that I totally rocked and that was only because I was going into work late and could do it a little later than normal.

Friday: Easy run/walk. One of the things I enjoy most about Friday is that I start work at 8 instead of 7, so it is currently light enough outside that I can head out solo to get my run in. So I did just that, BUT I did have an encounter with some crazy geese that tried to chase me down! They were like a little gang. I laugh, but they were scary!! I ended up with 2.6 miles at a VERY easy pace since there was lots of walking.

Saturday: I was supposed to do 5 miles, but wasn't feeling too great so I decided to push my run to Sunday.

Sunday: I headed out, but I will be honest that it was just all kinds of bad. I couldn't get in a groove and just felt like breathing and running were way harder than they should be. My legs felt like lead and my lungs felt like they were only being used halfway. I don't really know what was going on, but it was a very warm morning (I think we hit about 102 later that day)...at any rate, I just didn't have it in me at all. I did the first mile at a 10:15 pace and then just crashed and burned. Oh - and I got chased by the geese again while they watched another lady go by with absolutely not even a honk at. What's the deal with these crazy geese and their dislike of me anyways?

I didn't kill it this weekend as far as running goes...but I'm not going to let that influence how I start the next week! I'm going to relax and watch some football and finally start reading #bossypants during the commercials. I will prep my food and ensure I'm good to go for a totally kick ass healthy week. Tomorrow is a new day and today is all about rejuvenation. #sunday #restoremysoul #football #REALwomenmove #skirtsports #vixen #ssambassador #mizuno #sweatpink @skirtsports @fitapproach @mizunorunning

A photo posted by Kristen Grimes (@kgrimes526) on Sep 20, 2015 at 8:20am PDT

The rest of my Sunday looked a lot like that picture above! I also did all my laundry, prepped my food for the week, and watched The Age of Adaline before hitting the sack nice and early (cute enough movie BTW...totally predictable, but I expected that). Just call me a wild party animal, why don't ya! *wink* But you know, all joking aside, I woke up this morning ready for my week. I hit the treadmill for 2 miles of mostly running and actually made it to work on time even with shaving my legs!! *GASP* In other words, I was totally adulting the hell out of today! (Side note: Am I the only person that can't wait for tights weather so I can quit shaving my legs more than once a week? Just me?)

Autumn officially starts on Wednesday, September 23rd, and I will be celebrating by hosting a Skirt Sports giveaway! Come back by on Wednesday for all the details!

I've been selected to participate in a campaign for Hemp Hearts with FitApproach as a Sweat Pink Ambassador so I'm super excited to get my hands on those little goodies and try them out - watch for more about that early next month along with an opportunity to win some for yourself!

My first 5k of the fall season is quickly approaching on October 3rd! I'll be talking race strategy next week...

I've been following several people training for NYC and Chicago marathons and am toying with the idea of letting fate decide if it is time for me to run my second marathon by throwing my name into the lotteries for those two races. I figure if I'm going to do another marathon, I want it to be one that is iconic and outside of Boston, they don't get much more iconic than those two. I've been to New York before and have wanted to go back ever since, and would love to see Chicago. What do you guys think???

Well, there are lots of fun, exciting things on the horizon! Share something fun from your weekend with me in the comments!

Hodgepodge, Potpourri, Call it What You Will...

I have such a variety of information I want to share with you guys so I'm just going to kinda do a little brain dump this morning.

Motivation...That Fickle Friend
I wrote a post for the FitApproach team the other day discussing motivation and how she can be such a fickle friend always disappearing when you need her most. But when you couple her with your "girl squad" of Consistency and Accountability that Motivation will want to hang around a lot more often. You can check it out in its entirety by clicking the link or picture above.

SunRype Prize Pack Giveaway
Don't forget that you still have time to enter the SunRype Prize Pack giveaway that is going through this Sunday, August 23rd! Lots of great 100% fruit snacks, a visor and a tote bag are up for grabs...don't miss out on your chance to #tastethesun!

Skirt Sports Virtual Boobie Run
Join Skirt Sports for a Virtual Run that is all about the "girls"! You can run it anytime really, but the actual date is September 12, 2015. You can choose to run 8k (just under 5 miles) or 8 miles - you choose the route, you get your girlfriends together, and you run for a great cause! Plus, with your registration you get a voucher for $70 to purchase a new bra so your girls are supported for every run and activity. And here's the really awesome part - you can use SSPQL20 for 20% off of the registration! Registration is normally $60, but with the discount it is only $48 AND you get the $70 voucher...so really, you are MAKING money by registering for this race!!! (And yes, I use that justification with my husband on a regular basis...LOL). Post your pics to social media using the hashtag #REALwomenmove and #skirtsports and share the love for the ta-ta's! Don't forget that when you use the #REALwomenmove hashtag you are also helping new runners get started through the Skirt Sports Kick Start program so that's like a HUGE bonus to using that hashtag. It's a win-win!!


Are there too many races?
I read the article (click the link to read) recently in the print version of Running Times and found it very interesting. It appears that more and more cities are starting to look at limiting the number of races that they issue permits for because they could potentially have a race every weekend or multiple races on a single weekend especially in areas that are considered "active" such as Denver Colorado. On the one hand I love that there are so many options available and that running is experiencing such a boom! On the other hand, I do understand the frustration of people living in these areas with streets getting shut down, or you have that other trend of races getting cancelled last minute because companies go under or because they didn't meet their registration quota.

Question: What do you think? Are there too many races in your opinion?

TOTR: My Running Heroes!

Welcome back for another edition of Tuesdays on the Run hosted by Erika, April, and Patty! Today's topic is Runners Who Inspire Me.

When thinking about runners that inspire me I can't help but think about elites like Kara Goucher, Shalane Flanagan, Lauren Fleshman and more. I also can't help but think about runners that may not be as well known to the average everyday person, but are well known in their field like Nicole DeBoom, Dimity McDowell and Sara Bowen Shea from Another Mother Runner, and more. And there are those that led the way so that women could participate in sports today like Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon that I wrote a post about earlier this year. I also think about all the great people I know through various groups such as my Skirt Sports sistahs, Coach Jenny Hadfield's Challenge Group, Sweat Pink Ambassadors, and more.

In other words, inspiring runners are in abundance and can be found just about anywhere I look!

But, I have to say that the runners that TRULY inspire me are the underdog runners. The ones that don't fit the "running mold". The ones that are 80 and still running. The ones that don't find running to be the easiest thing but keep going out there and pushing just a little bit harder.

I'm sure you've seen them at races. They are usually at the very back and sometimes they are crossing the finish line long after the majority of people have gone home.

Rick and Dick Hoyt

Jimmy Jenson that was the first runner with Down Syndrome to cross the finish line of the NYC Marathon in 2013.

The blind runners and their partners like Scotty Smiley and his race partner and brother-in-law, Andy Cooper.

These are the runners that amaze and inspire me! I can find inspiration in so many places, but I truly do root for the underdog! Running isn't easy for me and I'm not a natural athlete. But anytime I want to complain about my pace or my abilities or pull a woe is me moment, I don't have to look far to find someone that is not just fighting through their own lazy brain syndrome (like I am 90% of the time) but is fighting through insurmountable odds to accomplish a dream.

Why yes, my excuse is invalid. It most definitely is. But thankfully, the inspiration I get from all these amazing runners that are my running heroes, is usually enough to get past whatever invalid excuses I have!

Question: Who are your running (or other life) heroes? Who provides you with the inspiration you need to keep going through tough situations?

Don't forget to stop by any of the hosts pages to visit the other posts about inspirational runners!