Running Update: A change of plans & February training recap 🏃‍♀️

Helloooo, everyone! It's been a little while since I've updated y'all on how my training is going. Honestly a LOT has been happening in my running life lately so I thought I'd do a larger update encompassing everything for you instead of my usual training log style update (though if you'd like to see my training log, skip down to the bottom of this post!). Let's not waste any time and hop right into what's been going on!

1. Milwaukee Marathon Postponement & Change of Plans

My face after finding out about the postponement. :/

The biggest update that I have for you guys is that the Milwaukee Marathon - the race I've been training for all winter - made the announcement last week that they are postponing their race until October. I totally understand why they made the call and I agree that safety of the public is priority #1, but I was super bummed when the announcement came out! Training has been going pretty well this winter and I was excited to head out to Wisconsin and see what I could do after a year off of marathons. Unfortunately Milwaukee wasn't in the cards for me this spring, so I immediately went into problem solving mode.

My first instinct was to find a replacement race. There are plenty of April races that are still on the books (for now), but I didn't want to risk registering for another race that ended up postponed or switched to virtual. Additionally, I was looking for something in a state I haven't completed yet or do not already have a race I'm registered for. It was honestly slim pickings! However, I came across the Carmel Marathon in Carmel, Indiana which seems *very* confident the race will be going off without a hitch. It's the weekend before I was originally scheduled to run Milwaukee, it has full support of their local government, and it seems to have some excellent COVID-19 safety protocols in place as well. So I decided to take the gamble and register!

Luckily there were still some spots left in the marathon field so I was able to snag a bib. I've spent the last week planning my trip. I was able to switch my flights for Milwaukee over to Indianapolis, get a refund on my MKE AirBnB and find some accommodations nearby Carmel, and switch all of my PTO requests at work. All systems are GO for a trip to Indy this April and an official 26.2 is on the docket. Fingers and toes crossed that everything continues to stay on!

Now that Milwaukee is bumped to October, I am going to be a BUSY runner this fall. I'm not sure when in October Milwaukee will be scheduled as they haven't announced it yet, but I already have the I-35 challenge (Kansas City & Des Moines) on the calendar that month. I'm really unsure how I'm going to balance it all, but summer is going to be a TOUGH training season. It's going to be so important that I do everything I'm supposed to do in training so I can cross all three finish lines! Wish me luck 😅

2. Virtual Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend

A couple of weekends ago I participated in the Virtual Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend! Running these races at home was definitely not the same as running at WDW (for obvious reasons), but I did my best to make the most of it by dressing up each day, listening to Disney tunes, and trying to partake in Princess-like activities during my non-running time. I even had Snowy running with me most of the time! Doing these races has me so excited to finally return to a runDisney race, whenever that might be. I have my heart set on Dopey being my runDisney return, but I honestly wouldn't hate participating in another Princess weekend if that's the earliest we can get back to it! Anywho, here's some photos from the weekend:

5K flat runner! Reprising our Evil Queen/Snow(y) White costumes 🍎💀❆

Snowy having a blast running in her costume!

Finish line pics!

5K finisher certificate!

10K flat runner - wanted to go with a Rapunzel theme since the 10K was themed after her! 🌞

Finish line pic!

10K finisher certificate!

Half Marathon flat runner! Of course I had to wear my Belle costume again because the half was themed after her this year! 📚🌹

Found a "character stop" around mile 12! 😜

Finish line pics!
(I actually have 16 miles to run on this day, so I finished the half in a random spot on my route. Definitely needed to stop and commemorate the moment, though!)

Half Marathon finisher certificate!

And because the Fairy Tale Challenge was themed after Tiana, I wanted to do a Tiana-like activity and tried my hand at making beignets! They were a little on the cakey side and tasted more like a donut than a beignet, but they were still so delicious. I'll have to tinker with the recipe a bit to get the fluffiness down to a science, but I think Tiana would have been proud of me for my first try! Looking at these pictures seriously makes me want to whip up another batch right now. 🤤

I vlogged my entire Princess Weekend experience as well, so if you'd like to see everything
~in action~ take a look at the video below! 👑

3. Strength & Stretching (or lackthereof)

This training cycle my strength training and stretching game has been abysmal. I know this is going to bite me in the butt when April rolls around, so I really want to get back on the horse of being disciplined in this department. It's already starting to come into play for me - I did a 5 mile run on Wednesday and was randomly SO SORE yesterday? I'm still feeling really sore today as well. That's.. not normal haha. I really need to do better! So for these last few weeks I'm going to intersperse a bit of strength training (without going too overboard) and a lot of stretching. I also sit on my butt most of the day, so I need to make sure I'm getting up and moving around a bit more often throughout the day. Hopefully all of that helps and I'll feel good through 26 miles on race day!

4. Training Log!

As promised, here's all of my training data from the last month. Aside from 2 skipped runs, I've been VERY consistent about getting my miles in which I am super proud of myself for. There's been so much going on in my personal life that it would be so easy for me to skip out on runs in favor of other things, but I've been dedicated to this training cycle. I'm hopeful for a good race this April and to finish this training cycle strong. 💪

Week 6: January 25, 2021 - January 31, 2021

Monday, 1/25 → Rest

Tuesday, 1/26 → 1 mile walk + 5.19 mile treadmill run @ 11:34/mile

Wednesday, 1/27 → Rest

Thursday, 1/28 → 1.23 mile walk

Friday, 1/29 → 6.5 mile treadmill run @ 11:25/mile

Saturday, 1/30 → 3.08 mile run @ 9:35/mile

Sunday, 1/31 → 13.01 mile run @ 10:22/mile

Total weekly running mileage: 27.78

Week 7: February 1, 2021 - February 7, 2021

Monday, 2/1 → Rest

Tuesday, 2/2 → .37 mile walk

Wednesday, 2/3 → 7.51 mile treadmill run @ 11:15/mile

Thursday, 2/4 → 1.61 mile walk

Friday, 2/5 → 5.31 mile treadmill run @ 11:18/mile

Saturday, 2/6 → 14.2 mile run @ 11:03/mile

Sunday, 2/7 → 1.07 mile walk + 1.01 mile walk

Total weekly running mileage: 27.02

Week 8: February 8, 2021 - February 14, 2021

Monday, 2/8 → .68 mile walk

Tuesday, 2/9 → 1.65 mile walk + 7.5 mile treadmill run @ 11:19/mile

Wednesday, 2/10 → 1.8 mile walk

Thursday, 2/11 → 1.63 mile walk

Friday, 2/12 → Virtual Disney Princess 5K
3.21 mile run @ 11:05/mile + 1.5 mile run @ 11:52/mile

Saturday, 2/13 → Virtual Disney Enchanted 10K

1.41 mile walk + 6.27 mile run @ 10:27/mile

Sunday, 2/14 → Virtual Disney Princess Half Marathon
13.12 mile run @ 11:06/mile + 2.89 mile run @ 11:15/mile

Total weekly running mileage: 34.49

Week 9: February 15, 2021 - February 21, 2021

Monday, 2/15 → Rest

Tuesday, 2/16 → 1.66 mile walk

Wednesday, 2/17 → 5.05 mile run @ 10:40/mile

Thursday, 2/18 → 1.61 mile walk

Friday, 2/19 → 6.5 mile treadmill run @ 11:36/mile

Saturday, 2/20 → 4.18 mile run @ 10:07/mile

Sunday, 2/21 → Rest

Total weekly running mileage: 15.73

#MedalMonday: All the Medals I Earned in 2020

I've finally gotten my act together and am ready to share all of the medals I earned in 2020! Obviously last year took a turn that none of us were really expecting, and our race experience were probably a little different than we were hoping, but I was still able to collect some really incredible race bling. I will definitely look at my 2020 race medals a little different than all of my others just because the year I earned them in was so strange! I feel lucky to have the ability to keep running through this time, and I hope that we're all able to continue earning bling through 2021 😊 

In-Person Races

In 2020 I was fortunate to run 7 in-person races and earn 7 medals (one in-person race - the Space Coast Lightfest 5K - did not give out medals, and I was given an additional medal for running the Fairytale Challenge during Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend). I will say that getting a medal at the end of an in-person race is something that is so special and something that I didn't realize how much it meant to me until I was unable to do so for months at a time. There's something that feels so great about earning that token of accomplishment at the finish line and wearing it proudly for the read of the day! I feel so grateful that I was able to earn as many in-person medals as I did, and I will always look back at my 2020 medals with extra fondness.

Rock n' Roll New Orleans Marathon
February 8, 2020 - New Orleans, Louisiana

Gold medal with turquoise and white accents featuring the St. Louis Cathedral and a background of a fleur de lis pattern. Instead of a ribbon, the medal features silver beads. Unfortunately, the medal will sometimes slip off of the beads (almost lost mine on Bourbon St.!) as it is a bit heavy to be held together by plastic beads. I LOVE the concept of this medal but wish it was sturdier.

Disney Princess Enchanted 10K
February 22, 2020 - Orlando, Florida

Gold medal with pink and orange accents, predominately featuring Pocahontas and pink and orange leaves. The ribbon is magenta and features the name of the race, a white silhouette of Pocahontas running, and pink leaves. Disney medals are unmatched in their quality! I was so surprised at how heavy the medal was when it was handed to me, and the design is so beautiful! Definitely the best 10K medal I've ever earned.

Disney Princess Half Marathon

February 23, 2020 - Orlando, Florida

Gold medal with blue accents predominantly featuring Cinderella. Also features a glass panel at the top of the medal as a nod to Cinderella's glass slippers. The ribbon is a royal blue and features the name of the race, a silhouette of Cinderella's castle, and Cinderella herself holding her glass slipper and looking ~sassy~. This medal takes the cake of my favorite medal of 2020! It is apparent that a lot of thought went into this medal and I absolutely love looking at it!

 

Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend - Fairy Tale Challenge
February 22-23, 2020 - Orlando, Florida

Gold medal with blue, green, pink, and white features and three spinners which prominently feature Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather on one side and the distances of the Fairy Tale Challenge (6.2, 13.1, 19.3) on the other. There is a pink gem in the middle of the medal as well. The ribbon is magenta on one side and blue on the other, and features the name of the challenge and Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. I received this medal for running both the Disney Princess Enchanted 10K and the Disney Princess Half Marathon!

Los Angeles Marathon
March 8, 2020 - Los Angeles, California

Silver medal with blue and turquoise features. The medal features several Los Angeles landmarks, including Dodger Stadium, Capitol Records, the Hollywood Sign, and the Santa Monica Pier. The reverse side is the Los Angeles Marathon logo. The ribbon is dark blue and white and includes the name of the race in white and turquoise lettering. This was my last in-person race before the pandemic and I will always be so grateful that I was able to run it!

Mount Dora 5K
December 19, 2020 - Mount Dora, Florida

Silver medal with yellow, green, and white features, predominately displaying the Mount Dora Half Marathon reindeer wearing a mask. The ribbon is green on one side with white text that says "Mount Dora" and red on the other side with white text that says "5K Finisher" on the other side. My first medal in 9 months, and for that alone it is a special one! I ran really well though this 5K as well, which I am very proud of.

Mount Dora Half Marathon

December 20, 2020 - Mount Dora, Florida

Silver medal with red, green, and white features, predominately displaying the Mount Dora Half Marathon reindeer wearing a mask. The ribbon is green on one side with white text that says "Mount Dora" and red on the other side with white text that says "Half Finisher" on the other side. My last in-person race for 2020, and again, I am so grateful that I was able to participate in this event!

Virtual Races

I ran so many more virtual races and challenges in 2020 than I ever have in the past. I earned 5 medals and ran 6 races/challenges (I did not receive a medal for the Run for the Zoo 10K back in June) and while I've always preferred in-person racing to virtual racing, I definitely gained a new appreciation for virtual running in 2020. I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to have some fun at home with these virtual races, and I've gotten excited about participating in more virtual runs in the future! 

 

Medford2Medford Virtual Race Across America

July - September 2020

My first virtual race medal of 2020! Gold medal shaped like a map of the United States. Red, white, and blue features and a sliding sneaker that moves across the map. Because I ran the Massachusetts2Medford challenge, the sneaker says "MA" and the distance that I ran - 142 miles. The ribbon is navy blue and features the virtual challenge name and the red and yellow stripes.

Smuttynose Rockfest Virtual Half Marathon

October 4, 2020

Silver rectangular medal with navy blue and dark red features. A headstock of a guitar is featured and there is a bottle opener at the bottom of the medal. The ribbon is turquoise and features a beach scene with music notes throughout. The name of the race is written in red on the ribbon as well. I was so bummed when this race went virtual because I've been wanting to run it for YEARS. I really hope I get to run this race in person one day!

Virtual Providence Half Marathon
October 11, 2020

Silver medal with blue, yellow, and white features. The medal depicts a scene of Providence's Prospect Park and centered on a statue of Roger Williams. The Providence Marathon logo is also featured. My favorite part of the medal is the glass panel! The ribbon yellow on one side and blue on the other, and features the name of the race, text that reads "13.1 Finisher", and an image of the statue of Roger Williams. Again, this is a race I've been wanting to run for a while and was bummed when it went virtual. I hope to run it sometime soon!

Virtual Allstate Hot Chocolate 15K

November 8, 2020

Gold medal in the shape of a chocolate bar with brown "chocolate" features and the name of the race on the front. The square piece in the middle of the medal flips open, and there was a piece of chocolate in the middle (which I promptly ate when I finished the race 😂). The ribbon is red on one side and features text that reads "15K Finisher" and white on the other side with the race website in blue text. These races don't come up into my area, so I was glad I got to have a little bit of the experience at home!

#RunMA Challenge

August - December 2020

GIANT silver medal (the size of my face!) with multicolored features. The RunMA Challenge logo is at the center, and the different distance milestone badges are all around the outside of the medal. The ribbon is royal blue with the RunMA Challenge logo and the Millenium Running logo (the race company) in white text. This is definitely my favorite virtual medal I received in 2020, and I can't wait to participate in more Millenium Running challenges in the future!

Video: 2021 Running Goals & Race Plans (Updated!)

Last week I posted an UPDATED 2021 Running Goals & Race Plans video to my channel! You might have seen my Race Plans blog post from a few weeks ago, but I've added and changed a few things to this list, so make sure you watch the video for the most up-to-date version of my 2021 race plans. I'm looking forward to running all the miles in 2021 and sharing them all with you! 🏃‍♀️

#RunMA Challenge Update! 10 Days to go... | Blogmas Day 22

 

WE'RE DOWN TO THE WIRE PEOPLE! Including today (because I haven't gone out on my run yet), there's 10 days remaining for the #RunMA challenge and I am SO CLOSE TO FINISHING! I'm in a situation where if I remove the two days that I'm traveling back to MA after Christmas (because let's be honest, not much running will be happening after being in the car for 10 hours), I need to average about 7 miles a day to finish the challenge by the 31st - totally doable! I'm trying my best to be as active as possible while I'm down in Florida (just because the weather is much more ✨agreeable✨), and hopefully I'll be able to get enough ahead where I only have a few short runs left when I get home. Keep all of your fingers and toes crossed for me! Here are my current stats:

I'm currently 592.85 miles out of 645 into the challenge (91.9%), meaning I have a mere 52.15 miles to go. As Brett put it to me this morning, "just two marathons to go! EASY!" 😂 I reached my goal of doubling the elevation challenge, so that's exciting. Just gotta get this pesky distance challenge out of the way 😜 It's so crazy to think I've run/walked almost 600 miles since August 20th when I started this challenge!!!

I unlocked my second to last badge for the challenge - the Inner Cape - during my run yesterday. I just have to run the South Shore back to Boston and I will be D-O-N-E! I am really excited to not have the pressure of meeting daily mileage goals hanging over my head, but at the same time I am very appreciative of this challenge because I truly think it has helped me become a better runner. Hopefully you'll be seeing an exciting Instagram post from me in the next week or so letting you know that I've completed the #RunMA challenge, and I'll definitely be writing up a review of this experience in early 2021! 

Wish me luck on my last few miles, y'all! 🏃‍♀️