I snapped this photo of a beautiful sunrise during my sixteen mile training run yesterday morning. When I looked at the picture, I noticed something. What do you see? I asked my two children what they saw in the photo. Neither one saw anything unusual. Then, I texted Missee to see what she saw. She responded immediately with the same thing that I did. (Missee and I have been know to think alike on many occasions.) If you see something unusual, leave a comment to this post.
Happy Running! -Stephanie
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I signed up for the Fargo Marathon with a secret agenda. My marathon PR was only three minutes from a Boston Marathon qualifying time and I was hoping to achieve this goal at the Fargo Marathon. Although running the Boston Marathon is not a dream of mine... qualifying for this prestigious race is. Unfortunately, my training runs for the Fargo Marathon have been far too slow to even consider a Boston qualifying time. Although it is difficult to admit, my goals must change. Goals should challenge us, but they do have to be within our reach. This realization has made me rethink my goals. Here are five new goals for the Fargo Marathon on May 19. 1. Finish with a time of less than 4 hours and 20 minutes. 2. Be happy with above time goal and to refrain from telling anyone who offers me a kind word that my time is nowhere near my PR. 3. Cheer for at least five random runners as they pass me. I plan to pay a compliment and give encouragement to others because as runners, we are all in this together. 4. Make eye contact and thank volunteers at water stops. I am good with thank yous, but we all can do better, right? 5. Appreciate the feat and be grateful for the experience. Happy Running! -Stephanie We would LOVE to hear from you! What is an exercise goal that you have set for yourself? Are you hoping for a PR, would you like to finish a 5K or a half marathon? Do you want to build a consistent exercise schedule? Writing down a goal can help you commit to it.
Please share by clicking the comments button. Minnesota weather just cannot make up its mind. Our town missed last weekend's snowstorm, but we did end up with a couple inches of heavy wet snow yesterday. This morning, I woke up to glare ice on the roads. I opted for the elliptical at the gym instead of an easy run this morning. When I got to work and tiptoed across the slippery parking lot, I messaged the teacher in our "Staff Running Club" that I didn't bring my clickers and would be running on clear roads only but was hopeful the ice would melt by after school. Fast forward a few hours. This afternoon was beautiful with bright sunshine. At 3:30, the temp was 40 degrees and the roads were a combination of wet and dry but no snow or ice. I actually left behind my headband and gloves running in a long sleeve T-shirt. About 2/3 of the way through, I even pushed up my sleeves. It might really be spring! It can be both fun and frustrating how different the weather and conditions can be from one day to the next...or even on the same day. Looking at the forecast, tomorrow is predicted to be even warmer than today before heading back into freezing temps for Easter weekend. If some lovely weather presents itself, grab your shoes and RUN! Happy running--Missee
When a lot of snow falls in Minnesota, school districts sometimes say that school is open and busses will pick up students on "plowed roads only." This is due to a belief that the bus may get stuck on unplowed roads. Today's run was a "plowed roads only" kind of day. A storm was predicted to bring my area several inches of snow overnight. I awoke to about 5-6 inches of wet, heavy snow on the ground. The training schedule I follow called for a 15 mile run today. I got together my gear: a water bottle, got two Huma gels in strawberry and mango, a pair of socks to keep my iPhone warm and working, and a ziplock bag to protect my phone from wet snow. Here is how it worked out...
This was the scene on my road this morning. I ran in the tire track on the unplowed roads, but quickly figured out that I would be sticking to plowed roads only. As the I ran, the street crews had plowed more roads and getting my run completed became an easier task. The best part of my run was coming home to seeing that my driveway had been cleared by our kind neighbor. Happy Running! -Stephanie
The calendar says that spring began on Tuesday although at my house, it snowed from the wee hours Tuesday until midday Wednesday. I'd dare say it was much nicer outdoors last week! Yesterday morning as Deb and I set out on a run including 6x3 minute stretches of hard running, it felt a little slick underfoot. After a few blocks, I suggested we head back for our "clickers." We have affectionately called our Get A Grip shoe spikes clickers for many years due to the click, click, clicking we hear as they hit the pavement. We'd also decided to change up our route to avoid the bike paths that had the worst of the freeze-thaw situations Saturday. By the time we finished our run, we were both tired of the clicking and glad we had gone back for our spikes. Even with some extra grip, parts of the route weren't that great--especially the part where I broke through the ice-covered puddle and got my feet wet. So much for spring weather! Looking ahead, we are in for a winter weather advisory from Friday night into Saturday. Enough!!! My husband was playing the optimist and believed that it was warm enough to sit on the deck with a good book. Charlie thought it was great fun, but I wasn't convinced it was quite that warm and stayed on the other side of the glass to quilt. I'm not tucking away my tights, caps and gloves just yet. The calendar might say spring, but like the old saying goes, you can't fool Mother Nature. I hope that when the sun peaks out, you can escape for a little outdoor run or walk and soak up a little spring. Happy running! Missee
Happy Spring to you! It still looks very much like winter here with a few inches of fresh snow. It is already melting and our roads are clear. I don't mind spring snow. Spring is here, at least according to the calendar. I'm looking forward to seeing leaves on the trees, green grass, and robins. It will be nice to run without a jacket, use my sunglasses, and step in a puddle or two. I can't wait to go to track meets, grill our dinner, and take long walks.
What are you looking forward to seeing, doing, or experiencing this spring? Happy Spring! Happy Running! -Stepanie On the radio this week, the announcer reminded the listeners that the sun's rays are as strong in March as they are in September. That got me to thinking about sunblock. It is easy to forget about sunblock when we have snow on the ground. Step outside on a sunny day in March and feel the warmth. The sun is strong! As a child and teen, I was not sun safe. Missee and I spent countless hours at pools and lakes with little or no sunscreen, I sun bathed with friends on lawn chairs in our back yards, and I worked long hours as a lifeguard. My worst sun sin of all.... I went to tanning booths. As a women in my 40s, I regret that I did not protect my young skin. Although I can't undo what has been done, I have committed myself to being sun safe. This includes sunblock EVERYDAY, ALL YEAR LONG. In the warmer months, that means sunblock multiple times a day. This morning as I headed out for my long run (9 miles), I put my waterproof (sweat proof) sunblock on and added the sunblock stick for added protection to my cheeks and upper lip. I recommend a sunblock stick for exercise. It seems to stay in place and it so easy to reapply. On a day when I have a long run or it is especially sunny, I will put one of these sunblock sticks into my pocket and reapply when needed. My long run went fine. The training schedule I am following (Hal Higdon Novice 1) called for a nine mile run. The time passed quickly while listening to my audio book. So far it is really good! Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day and National Quilting Day to you! I celebrated like Missee did with a long run and some sewing. Missee and I sure live wild and crazy lives! :) The gym that I attend was having a St. Patrick's Day workout event. Although I was not able to participate, I purchased the shirt because I liked the message. It made me think about distance running. (I will also take all the luck I can get.)
Happy Running! -Stephanie Today is St.Patrick's Day--the day when everyone considers themselves Irish. Really, it's a good excuse to wear crazy green clothes and accessories and eat some corned beef and cabbage and maybe a green beer if you like it. Yesterday at school, the cooks colored the applesauce green and we told the kids that leprechauns dropped it off in their leprechaun car. A few of them said that can't be true because leprechauns don't have cars! Charlie is totally ready to be Irish for a day with a couple of fun things from the dollar store. There is a large family fun run in our town this morning to celebrate. It's a 5K that is geared toward recreation. The run is not timed and no prizes for winners. While runners who are looking for a PR might not enjoy the event, parents and kids get a chance to try out a running event. The cost is a mere $10 for families including shirts and snacks at the finish. What an incredible way to introduce kids to the fun of a race with plenty of incentives and no pressure. The same group puts on other runs throughout the year. I believe they had almost 4,000 participate in the Thanksgiving Day event. More information here. Deb will be participating in the fun run with her family. Good luck! In addition to St. Patrick's Day, today is National Quilting Day. I intend to wear green and sew away the afternoon while my corned beef roasts in the oven. Stephanie and I have just begun a calendar sew-along. We have been pining over the pattern online for a couple months and then decided to do the quilt. Mom surprised us with the fabric kits. That sounds better than a pot of gold; we are certainly lucky! Mine will be going on the wall of my sewing room when it's done. The pattern company is Inspiring Stitches. I got my 13 mile run done on Friday morning, so Saturday is just a fun easy running day. Stephanie has been getting some of her long runs done on Fridays and enjoys it, so I tried, too. The long run went well with the exception of the ice on the paths due to thawing and refreezing overnight. Once the snow disappears, our routes will be easier to navigate. I hope you get a chance to enjoy some nice weather and celebrate one or more holidays this weekend. Happy running--Missee
By now, you have hopefully moved your clocks ahead one hour to herald the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. I detest moving the clocks forward and back in the spring and fall. It just doesn't make any sense to me. I heard one reporter say that moving the clocks ahead an hour in the spring saves electricity because it's light out in the evening. In Minnesota, it's dark when we get up at 5:00 regardless of the time of year and dark by 9:00pm even in the summer regardless of time of year. I don't quite see the logic of how using less electricity in the evening is better than less electricity in the morning. It seems to take me an awful long time to get all the clocks adjusted each time. I will enjoy being able to take Charlie out for walks after dinner in daylight, but will miss the sun coming up during my morning run. Yesterday it was practically light out at 6:00am when we took off; tomorrow it will just be getting that light at 7:00 when the school bus has already picked up the kids in our neighborhood. Yesterday, Deb mentioned that her cat has been waking her up at 3:30am and she hoped that springing the clocks forward would keep him in bed until 4:30 when she's ready to get up to run. Kids and pets can have a difficult time adjusting to the time change unless it just might work in your favor like Deb. I like the thought of "spring forward" not as a clock adjustment, but an attitude shift. This morning I painted my toenails red in preparation for sandals (we got about 3 inches of new snow overnight, so not yet today). I just ordered a new pair of summer sandals, too. I try to wear quality shoes even when I'm not running to take good care of my feet. One of my favorites is Vionic. They have a lot of cute styles and aren't too orthodepic looking. Here are my new sandals--I got the black: While I remain puzzled on the wisdom of Daylight Savings Time, I do like the idea of springing forward. Track & Field starts tomorrow in MN high schools. The college kids are transitioning from indoors to outdoors. Those are signs of spring days that will come with more minutes of daylight and dare I say it??? SHORTS!
Happy running! Missee Happy Friday! I decided to complete my long run for the week today after work. (My training program called for 13.1 miles tomorrow.) Since I only worked until noon today, I was able to hit the road by 12:35 and finish my run before my children came home from school. This works out well. I get to recover on Friday evening and still have Saturday and Sunday to spend with family and getting caught up at home. I was really excited to try out my new Brooks Glycerin shoes today. Most runners (probably all runners) will tell you not to try out new shoes for a long run. However, I have been wearing Brooks Glycerins for about a year now, so I wasn't too worried about breaking them in. They felt great! When Missee and I were little, our dad convinced us that new tennis shoes were faster than the old ones. That didn't seem to be the case today, but the cushioning felt awesome. When running over ten miles in training, I will eat some type of fuel during my run. I am trying a new brand of running fuel, Huma Chia Energy Gels. On their website, this brand says it their product is "stomach happy" and made with natural products. Since I ordered a variety pack, I played Missee's game of "reach in the bag and choose your flavor." I ended up with Blackberry Banana. I put the gel and some water in my mailbox and returned at about seven miles to take in this fuel. I will need to try some additional flavors before I could give you a solid review. The Blackberry Banana was okay. It tastes a lot more like fruit puree than some of the other gels that I have used. Happy Weekend! Happy Running! -Stephanie
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AuthorMissee and Stephanie are two Minnesota sisters and moms who love to run. We are not experts in running, parenting or anything else, but we do have years of experiences that may be helpful or entertaining to others. Archives
May 2020
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