Coach Jen B

Okay, I am getting tired.  Whose idea was it to streak anyway?  It seemed like a good idea at the start of January.  Maybe I should have waited to do this streak for a shorter month, like February.  Too late now and I'm not going to be streaking next month.  I'm tempted to take the next month off.  I won't, of course.  But the idea sounds pretty appealing right now. I only put in a mile last night and mile tonight.  I normally wouldn't do 2, 1-milers like that, but the weather just sucked tonight.  31/32F & freezing rain and the roads were slick (again).   Yuck.  I would much rather run 10 miles in  -9F anyday than do a mile like I did tonight.   I also have to admit, my glutes on my left side have been a bit sore for the past three days.  I actually had some tightness going on in my IT band area as well.  Nothing major, but enough for me to say, "a mile is enough" only because I have the Midwinter Classic...

Today is the day!  Yep, it's Izzy's 3rd Birthday.  We have an adorable little cowgirl on our hands with one of the best big girl beds around. 3 Years Old!   I want a bed like this!   To go along with the theme, I made horse cupcakes.  Super easy.  Make cupcakes, add green frosting.  Head off to toy store (or in my case, Reny's) to buy cheap plastic horse playsets w/ fencing.  Push cupcakes together, add fencing and add horses.  Done! do you think we might be trying to brainwash Izzy into wanting a horse?   Before I could do any birthday celebrating, the girls and I had to get our run in.  Unfortunately, a sick babysitter meant no run for Stacy.  We missed her terribly and she definitely missed out on a rocking, I mean, freezing, hilly run from Jess's house to my house.  Thankfully the hills are in the beginning of the run.  We started out with a temp of -9F and ended with -1F.  We covere...

Today was a day when I wished I knew how to ice skate because I could have definitely put some on and let Pepper pull me on the Rail Trail.  We had a very light snow action going on when I got out for my run, which isn't so bad, but there was a sheet of ice under it that I did not (could not) see!  Thankfully I had on my yak trax and they provided me with some traction.  I was still sliding all over the place which made for an interesting run.  I got in 6 miles today and it was a hard workout! I've been meaning to share this video with everyone.  My dad and Barb were able to make it to the January Thaw Race last weekend. It's always great to have a cheering squad at a race, with cowbells.   Especially if the only people there cheering on runners are there for me!  1st they stand in the rain for 4+ hours cheering me on for the Maine Marathon, next they stand in the bitter cold for the January Thaw.  Now that's just love, don't you think? ...

Socks are very important to a runner.   If they rub you the wrong way, it will make for a very uncomfortable run.  Bunching up, toes too cold, too hot, rubbing - all things that can go wrong with a sock.  I'm sure there are some other scenarios I've left out. Thanks to Tom and Kim at WrightSock , I had the chance to try some of their socks out.  Since I wear a size 9 and my size is borderline between a medium and a large, Tom thought it was best for me to try out   both the medium socks and the large socks. I was sent the Running II Double Layer Socks and the Merino TRL Double Layer Socks to try out.  I've never tried out double layer socks before.  Sometimes I have worn two pairs of socks in the winter, but there has been a lot of rubbing which has led to some unpleasant blisters.  Yuck. First up, Running II sock, retail price $12.00. I tried out the medium and large in the quarter sock.   I wore the mediums for my 12 miler wit...