Running Away from Adulting

"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...