Every Mile is a Miracle

[KSellers88]

@jennamfeo Not if you make it, WHEN you make it! You've got this!

 

[Bree]

That hill is a monster, but you can do it! Life can really stink at times. I hope things have started looking up for you!

 

[ZellyB]

HOW have I missed out on your journal all this time? *note to self* quit only clicking watched threads all the time!

Anyway, I'm here now and so happy to join in. You have had some great successes already and major kudos on running that mountain! Holy smokes!!

PS. I love your glasses in that water-drinking picture.

 

[jennamfeo]

DBP Week 10 Report 2/5 - 2/11
Planned:
Monday 2/5 - Rest day!
Tuesday 2/6 - 5 miles @ EA + Strides
Wednesday 2/7 - Swim? Maybe?
Thursday 2/8 - .50 mi @ WU / 5 mi @ Tempo / .50 mi @ CD (BLIND)
Friday 2/9 - Rest day!
Saturday 2/10 - 8 mi @ EB
Sunday 2/11 - 12 mi @ LR

Monday - Rest day!

Tuesday - My body was still recovering from the weekend I think because try as I might, I could not keep my pace down. My legs wanted to move fast so they did. It felt good though, sorry coach.
Plan: 5 miles @ EA (12:23) + Strides
Actual: 5.01 @ 11:52
Splits: 12:04, 12:01, 11:59, 12:06, 11:12 (Strides)

Wednesday - While ideally I wanted to be able to get my swim for the week in today, logistically it didn't work out. So bonus rest day!

Thursday - Begin four day weekend vacation with my husband and some friends of ours in Santa Rosa, California! This run needed some logistics in order to get done. So we fly into Oakland at about 8am and met our friends at the airport. We then had to drive an hour up to Santa Rosa because we were going to a beer release. This release happens once a year and the line to get in can be anywhere from 3-8 hours long. We got there and were told we would be waiting about 3-5 hours. I planned for this though, so while the rest of our group was waiting, as long as one person stayed in line to hold your spot you could leave. So I was able to squeeze my run in during this time. If that isn't time management skills at it's finest, I don't know what is!
Anyway this was a Blind Tempo run and it was a freaking MESS. I knew I was going too fast but didn't want to slow down because then I thought I would go too slow. By mile 2.5 I was exhausted. But I got a second wind around mile 4.5. It was so weird and such a disaster. Ugh.
The pizza and beer was totally worth it though.
Plan: .50 mi @ WU (13:09) / 5 mi @ Tempo (10:01) / .50 mi @ CD (13:09) (BLIND)
Actual: I didn't set my intervals for this run so I don't have the right break up of splits for the workout.
Splits: 10:44, 9:02, 9:13, 9:32, 9:46, 11:06

Friday - Rest dayyy. We went to Sonoma and hit up some awesome wineries. I fangirled over seeing Ian Cauble from the Somm Documentary. It was a good day!

Saturday - I somehow convinced my friend Geoff to join me on this run. He had never ran 8 miles before but he does Crossfit, so he is in shape. He didn't think he was gonna stay with me the whole time but he did! It was nice to have someone to run with and the area we were staying in was gorgeous. I was a little fast and Geoff kept calling me out on it, haha. That's what good running buddies do, I guess!
Plan: 8 mi @ EB (11:34)
Actual: 8 mi @ 11:12
Splits: 11:14, 11:17, 11:10, 11:00, 11:11, 11:14, 10:44, 11:41

Sunday - This run scared me a little. This is the farthest I had ever ran while training. The idea of running almost a half without getting a medal at the end seemed strange. But this run felt amazing.
Plan: 12 mi @ LRE (11:11)
Actual: 12.01 @ 11:06
Splits: 11:18, 11:26, 11:11, 11:07, 10:51, 12:38, 10:50, 10:49, 10:53, 10:51, 10:33, 10:56

** 12 Days Until Red Rock Canyon Half Marathon **

Only 12 days left until I kill the hill! Which means I am coming to my taper and literally couldn't be more excited.

Upcoming Training:
Monday 2/12 - Rest day!
Tuesday 2/13 - 5 miles @ EA + Strides
Wednesday 2/14 - Gym?
Thursday 2/15 - .50 mi @ WU / 5 mi @ Tempo / .50 mi @ CD
Friday 2/16 - Swim
Saturday 2/17 - 5 miles @ EA + Strides
Sunday 2/18 - 5 miles @ EB

 

[DopeyBadger]

Woot woot! Taper time! I'm excited! This Thursday is the last hard workout and then it's all easy street. You've got this!

 

[jennamfeo]

Some photos from the weekend just because!

This was the end of the line that we got in for the Russian River Brewery's Pliny the Younger release the day we landed in Santa Rosa. If you can see the blue tent in the sun in the middle, that was pretty close to the door. We waited for almost 4 hours. I didn't even get the beer they were releasing because it was a Triple IPA and that isn't my jam. But I got some of their sours I love and it was so worth it.


This was the beer I wanted: Consecration. Sour Ale aged in Cabernet barrels. YUM.


The next day on our 8 mile run:


That's my friend Geoff!


And then I had a friend go to Disneyland the same time I was in Sonoma. She texted me about a Rose wine that she had at dinner one night at DL that she fell in love with. I looked it up and we were like really close to the winery, so we stopped by to buy a bottle for her. Unfortunately the tastings were by appointment only, but I called anyway and asked if we could come in to grab a few bottles. The lady working said yes, gave us a free tasting and small tour and it was amazing! The winery is actually owned by the CCO of Pixar!! So that was just a bonus! Plus the wine was good. I will definitely be back here.


We did get to see the ocean, but it was cold!! The view was worth it though.


One last picture from my 12 miler on Sunday!

 

[run.minnie.miles]

So beautiful!! (And I'm so jealous... It is 12F and feels like -4F here right now...)

 

[jennamfeo]

So beautiful!! (And I'm so jealous... It is 12F and feels like -4F here right now...)

BRR. No thank you. It is like 65* today and windy and I'm cold. Haha.

 

[jennamfeo]

Fun fact for today: So far in 2018 I have won two Instagram contests. Which is crazy because otherwise I want to flush this year down the toilet.
But I won this awesome travel mug with matching tank top last month:


And then this weekend I won a full set of Sparkle Skirts plus a shirt!


I, thankfully, did not win the trip & entry to the Eugene Marathon that Nick Symmonds from Run Gum was doing. Haha. But I am hoping that maybe I will win the HGTV Dream Home in Gig Harbor, Washington this month.

Anyway, does anyone want a red or lime green sparkle skirt? Those are the two colors I already own and I don't think I need doubles!

 

[run.minnie.miles]

BRR. No thank you. It is like 65* today and windy and I'm cold. Haha.

I feel like you're rubbing it in.... We have a random high of 50F on Wednesday and I am so tempted to play hooky just to be able to run outside in the daylight that day!

Fun fact for today: So far in 2018 I have won two Instagram contests. Which is crazy because otherwise I want to flush this year down the toilet.
But I won this awesome travel mug with matching tank top last month:

Umm... how great is that!? The mug is awesome and so.many.sparkle.skirts.! Congrats! (I have never worn a sparkle skirt- can I even be a real Disney runner?) Sorry your year has been crummy, hopefully this has added a little "sparkle" to a rough few months.

 

[ZellyB]

So awesome on your contest wins! Woohoo. And you are far more patient than I am when waiting for a beer!

 

[JulieODC]

DH and I visited Russian river when we were out in the area for a wedding a few years ago! It was crazy busy on a normal day, so you are brave for managing those crowds.

So exciting about the contests!! Lucky!!

Gorgeous photos - great job on the training, almost there!

 

[LikelyLynae]

Yikes I’ve been off the boards for a while. A) Yayayayay for hitting pacing, it gives me hope! B) way to conquer that mountain, jeez! That scenery us beautiful! C) winning contests is always fun! D) I started following you on insta, so hopefully that’s not weird. I use it a lot more. E) I grew up in the Santa Rosa area and wow I miss it and those (very cold!) beaches.

 

[FredtheDuck]

This release happens once a year and the line to get in can be anywhere from 3-8 hours long

I highlighted this to say "Pliny?" but then you talked about it in a later post. Jealous of your NorCal trip... I'm there later this week and am so excited. I'm also jealous of your sparkle skirts. I really want one, but can't pull the trigger so spend the $ right now... we just found out we need a new roof.

Anywho, I'm sorry that life has been tougher lately. But on the bright side, you're DOMINATING mountains, winning contests, dropping weight, and overall just killing it in your running life. It might only be the tiniest silver lining compared to everything else you have going on, but it's something. Hang in there... we're cheering for you.

 

[SarahDisney]

I love the views from your runs! (The long line for the beer release ... not so much).

Congrats on all the contest wins ... it's nice to see that some good things are happening for you among the roughness of 2018. Maybe this will be the start of things getting better!

 

[KSellers88]

Woo hoo for contest wins! I've won one contest before on Instagram and it was like Christmas! LOL

 

[McNs]

This run scared me a little. This is the farthest I had ever ran while training. The idea of running almost a half without getting a medal at the end seemed strange. But this run felt amazing.

One of the things I have always LOVED about running and especially training for long distances, is that a run you thought would just be crazy doing becomes something that is achievable and enjoyable. I remember this most with my first marathon, where suddenly a half marathon wasn't a long enough training run!

We waited for almost 4 hours.

That's crazy, they need fast passes!

This was the beer I wanted: Consecration. Sour Ale aged in Cabernet barrels. YUM.

Can't do sour beers, they just taste off (which they kinda are)

it was a Triple IPA and that isn't my jam

But I CAN do triple IPAs, well maybe just one or two...

 

[sourire]

Not sure if I've posted in your journal yet, but heyyyyy!!! I've been following along! You are ready to kill the hill!!!
Love all of your CA pics!! Love visiting all parts of CA...DH and I ask ourselves frequently, why do we not live there (we ask this more frequently in winter here on the east coast ha). My cousins went to Lasseter last year and loved it..they mailed me a copy of their tasting menu! Sampled one of the wines at Napa Rose on a DL trip last year...soo good!

 

[jennamfeo]

That's crazy, they need fast passes!

HAHA! Wouldn't that be awesome!

 

[jennamfeo]

I am pretty sure I would have unofficially PR'd my 10k if I would have ran an extra .1 miles today. And that makes me really happy because it was a Tempo run for 5 miles and .5 mi each WU & CD and my legs felt like they had more in them.