Running Away from Adulting

I am forever grateful for the ability to breathe and hold myself upright. That flu was NASTY. Now that I'm healthy, it's back to training. Monday: 10 min Abs and 20 min HIIT I was trying my best to feel better, and didn't want to get out and run in case my cough came back full-blown, so I just hung out in my room and did a couple workouts with my favorite YouTube account, Fitness Blender. Tuesday: Progression Run I was actually supposed to do a Track Workout, but being my first day back into running and still battling a cough, I didn't want to push it too much. So instead, I calculated the approximate mileage that my track run would have ended me with, and did Progression Miles instead. Progressions are great ways to train your body to go the distance and finish strong! I used to NEVER negative split, and now, I feel sorta defeated when I don't negative split, or at least maintain paces within 10-15seconds of each other....

Discipline is hard. If it was easy, I wouldn't be writing these Monday Motivation posts.  Think of a time when you had to do something and didn't want to, but when all was said and done, you looked back and thought "it wasn't that bad" or "I'm glad I did it". This is where self-growth happens and you recognize your own discipline in action. You climbed over those mental hurdles to get you to the finish. And now, you can look back accomplished and mentally stronger than before. Remember that feeling next time you're faced with a task and really just don't want to do it.  --- I think that discipline is why running isn't always the fan favorite and why we runners get called 'crazy'. Running takes a heck of a lot of discipline. I'm not gonna lie, running can get really boring sometimes - especially on the third lap around North Park. No one likes doing boring stuff. And then sometimes the thought o...

Rest Week Already?!  ...nope... THE FLU! So I have been very fortunate in that I have never had the flu. The worst sickness I can recall is maybe the 24 hour stomach bug. I made it all of last winter without a serious cold - just the sniffles from time to time. But holy crap! The Flu is NO JOKE. When they say muscle aches, I didn't realize I could be in pain just laying on the couch. I didn't think I actually had the flu until about Friday when I could hardly stand to keep my eyes open or stand up straight, let alone breathe. So the only run I got in this week was my track run on Tuesday. I went to the treadmill because it has been never ending snow here in Pittsburgh.  And I honestly have no clue what I am doing on the treadmill when it comes to distance. My watch says one thing, the dreadmill says another. Then when I had to run 800s, I was going off the treadmill, but then got confused and forgot where in distance I started... ...

My Positive Pants: comfortable clothes (that match hah), a good makeup look, and some EDM. If you see me around with said look, I'm probably on a mission. What do your positive pants look like? --- Get stuff done. What do you consider stuff? For me, it's prepping food and my school stuff for the coming week, catching up on sleep, doing some yoga and stretching, and just putting myself in a positive mindset so I can crush the coming week. It's not always easy, and I'm not going to sit here and say that I do it all the time either. Hence why I started this Monday Motivation weekly post - so I can get in the mindset that I can and will accomplish Monday. Not everyone has the same stuff, but I can almost guarantee that we all have a list of things we need or want to do, but put off time and time again. So this Monday, look at your list. Do you have 5 extra minutes to make that doctors appointment or can do a load of laundry while cooking dinner? If s...

IT'S TIME! Hall of Fame Marathon Training is here! Hey guys! I'm so excited to be on a training schedule again. I want my redemption at HOF for Erie. If you followed me last summer, I trained for Erie up until 4 weeks out, only to result in an overuse injury. This is my time. I've rested, cross trained, and learned so much to better prepare myself for this training cycle.  This winter/spring race season has a couple races that I wont be racing for time, rather just to enjoy the energy and use them as test runs going towards marathon day. Some of these are the ever-favorites like Spring Thaw and Just A Short Run that are unique to the Pittsburgh area. These two races alone have brought me to meet many others in the running community that I am happy to call my friends.  Everything I will be doing now is aimed for April 29th LETS DO THIS So this week has been kinda crazy... as if my life isn't ever not-crazy. With marathon training and starting...

But really, isn't every week? Life is what you make it despite the ups and downs we face. Leave whatever struggles and hardships this past week brought you. It's last week, we have to look ahead of us. Ever try looking backwards while running? You're not as focused on going forward. And isn't that why you're running in the first place? So make this week a good week that you can reflect on and be proud of. Welcome the challenges. Crush those goals. Be mindful. Enjoy the little moments. And damnit, smile all the way through.  Have a good week!

IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF HALL OF FAME MARATHON TRAINING! okay, lets be real for a minute: I'm scared to death. So many worries about training, the thought of actual race day, the energy going to be spent, balancing life... woah baby. I'm exhausted. I feel like my life is an endless cycle of sleep, school, work. where the heck do I add in training? I'm not completely motivated. These last few weeks of sub-0 wind chills have had me staying indoors and being lazier than I wanted. I don't feel completely elated to start moving again I could sit on my butt and not train. I could envy everyone around me getting ready for coming races like Boston and PGH. Or... I could pick up my sorry bum and get going. Last training cycle, I learned SOOOO much, and I know I only have even more to learn about myself, my body, and running. It's when we go out of our comfort zones that we really transform as a person. I may not want to get out of bed some ...

Hello! It's 2018, already! This past year has been a lot of firsts... a lot. I started two new jobs, started nursing school, earned many PRs in different race distances, trained for a marathon, gained amazing friends, started a blog, and learned a whole freaking lot about myself. It's been an incredible year by far. And now with the new year, I want to grow even more. I want to learn about myself, train smarter, be more intentional about how I live, and be fully immersed into the experience of life. I do have some resolutions that I have set as a challenge for myself, but I won't get into them. This post is about my goals that I have set out for 2018. Finish Nursing School: I am gratefully on a fast-track program which has me expected to graduate in December of this year. I did quite well last semester, and hope to keep this energy going for the remainder of my education. Finish a Marathon: *cue drum roll* I signed up for the Hall of Fame Marathon set for Apr...

"Only I can pass my own finish line" This is literally what I have to chant to myself every single day. There isn't a single aspect of my life that isn't applicable to this. Why? Because I'm a 75-percenter. Have you ran a race or completed a project and came to that little over halfway point and just felt like *bleck*? Thought about why you even started in the first place? Asked what it's worth to finish through? And what if no one else cares if you don't complete it - is it still worth doing? Yeah, that's me.. with just about everything. And for a long time (and sometimes still), I either found the easy way out or a shortcut. But honestly, I felt that everything I did could have been done better if I just put a little bit more work into it. I only had myself to blame.  So instead of just sitting there in pity of being sub-par from my potential, I started to ask myself EVERY FREAKING DAY: "how bad do you want it?" ...

Let this sink in. Ever been injured and prescribed not to run for days, weeks, months, even years? It can feel like you've had a chunk of your heart ripped out (yes, I'm exaggerating). But what if you were never able to walk on your own two feet? What if you were told that you could never run again? Now how do you feel? This isn't me being a Debby Downer, this is bringing awareness of what we have to be grateful for. I definitely take this for granted from time to time. When I'm having my own pissy-party about running a pace slower than I planned, I have to remind myself that the ability to run is a gift. So when you're out there ready to give up, upset with your pace, or even just not feeling like running period, remember that this very moment that you have the ability to put one foot in front of the other is an absolutely privilege. Take a moment this week to look at yourself and be grateful of your body's ability to move.

Okay! So I'm going to be starting this Monday Motivation. We can't expect ourselves to feel go-getter-ish all the time; we all experience mental slumps at some point. And sometimes, we let ourselves to just sit in the slump we're in. But if you're like me, you may feel like you can't escape the hole and are begging for something to kick you in the butt and back to your optimistic self.  Well here's your weekly kick!... well, slight nudge. So I signed up for my spring marathon, and I am beyond scared. The thought of developing another stress reaction or fracture lingers. What if I can't hardly walk again after a 20 mile run? What if I suck at keeping prescribed paces during my track runs? Why the heck am I even thinking that I should run 26.2 miles for fun? Should I even try again?  Its like I'm giving up before I'm even starting... Giving up is easy. But what happens if I don't give up?  Why do we give up? One reason is be...

Hey guys! During this period of time where I'm not running as much and have been focusing more on strength, I decided to give a local hot yoga studio a try for 30 days. I have done hot yoga before as well as Yoga with Adriene at home sometimes - I'm just not consistent when I don't have a studio to go to. As I've learned in nursing school, repetitive movement (i.e., running) can be really hard on the body. By being proactive in taking care of ourselves, we can reduce and postpone the likelihood of injury and 'feeling old' when we stretch our muscles. I feel a notable difference in my body when I practice yoga more regularly, and so I'd like to take the time to highlight some of the benefits yoga can do for runners, and really for everyone. Stress Reduction I think the yogic practice and stress reduction is pretty common knowledge. I feel soooooo much more grounded when I walk out of the studio. That 60-75 minutes in a 100 degree room r...

Wearing a single sweat-wicking/fleece Nike layer, running tights, and headband for warmth. So Pittsburgh's weather is weird. In the beginning of November and I was still in a tank top and shorts. Not even a week later, and I'm scurrying around looking for gloves and scarves. With the cold coming in, I've decided to put out some tips that I use to stay warm while also continuing to run outdoors. Dress Less Many websites like this one, suggest dressing for 15-20 degrees warmer. I love being comfortable, but it's so easy to overdress while running in the cold. With the added layers though, we are blocking the excessive heat and sweat from leaving our bodies - and overheating is not good! Yes, you'll be a little cold initially, but you'll thank yourself when you're not wrapping your coat and other 4 layers around your waist with 10 more miles to go. But Not Too Less! Anyone else part of the Cold Hands and Feet Club?! Even if you're not, your ...

Oh Pittsburgh Marathon, please come back soon! Happy Monday! So as some of y'all read on my recap from the EQT 10 Miler , I had a ton of knee pain following the race, and having a lot of difficulty with walking up and down stairs. I've taken this past week to work on strengthening, RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation), and preparing myself mentally for the remaining days of 2017.  And what do these coming days entail? Setting up for Spring training! I've decided to utilize Matt Fitzgerald's Racing Weight Quick Start Guide .  The book is super user-friendly and allows me to keep running, add strengthening exercises, and eat a more wholesome diet geared for strengthening while also losing some excess fat stores that have scientific evidence for slowing runners down.  --- But Crystal, you aren't fat. You're at a healthy weight now. You don't need to lose weight. (insert whatever comment you will) I am doin...

GUYS! If you're in the Pittsburgh area (and run), you have GOT to run this race! It's like the Pittsburgh Marathon of the Fall. There is so much energy and excitement before and during this race; it's electric! Okay, I'll try to contain myself as I write this. But really, can you blame me? Just ruining the ending for ya, but... THIS GIRL GOT A PR! And the reason I'm extra excited about this? Because I literally just got back into running mid-September. I will make a separate blog post about this transition, but for now, lets talk about the race! Expo: The expo was quite small, tucked inside the shops at Station Square. But I did get to finally meet up with my girl Jen and her NEW husband after not seeing her since the Pittsburgh Marathon 5K! I'm so inspired by her and was so excited to finally meet up with her and run. Jen and I first meeting at the Pittsburgh Marathon 5K Race Morning: So my boss texted m...

Okay, so this honestly is more like a rave than a review. If you have brought up running clothes to me in person, then you have definitely heard me say something about Senita Athletics ! A ll opinions posted are my own. I paid for all clothes featured and am not receiving compensation for my review - just sharing the awesome clothes! I'm a broke nursing student, so I NEED a good deal. And it seems like any good athletic clothes are ridiculously expensive. My friend Steff introduced me to Senita from her blog, and I was SOLD. Not only are these clothes within a decent price range, but they're literally the most comfortable and best performing clothes I own. I would say that I love them even more than my Lululemon clothes I own, and its 1/2-1/3 of the price!!! Okay, lets get to it My first order: Breathe Tank in White , Sarah Sports Bra in Bahamas , and Swift Shorts 2 in Bahamas (Bahamas no longer on website). Total Cost: $70 but with ...