Running Form Fitness

21 moderate miles with a few marathon-effort miles to finish it off. In 80 degrees 🥵🏃‍♀️💪🏼 Huge thank you to Bree Thorpe and Tara for jumping in for part of it, because 22 miles alone just isn’t nearly as fun! 🩷

I’ll be honest, I’m starting to feel a little nervous about race day. Fitness-wise, I feel like I’m where I need to be to chase my goal. But right now, every time I fuel I’m running for a bathroom, and my tendon is still hurting, especially toward the end of these long runs.

It’s frustrating to feel fit enough while also dealing with things that are mostly out of my control. I’ve worked so hard for this, and I’m just praying my body cooperates and somehow everything comes together on race day. 🙏🏼🤞🏼

Just a few more weeks of build!!

First day of 6th grade for this cute girl! And the end of an era! I’ve had someone at traverse mountain elementary since it opened!

Tempo Tuesday 💪🏼🏃🏼‍♀️

And dang, I felt tired today! I think everything going on with my body, combined with the craziness of getting everyone ready for back to school, is starting to take a toll. This is also about the point in every marathon build where I start questioning all of my life choices 😂

But we keep showing up.

Today’s workout:
2 mile warm up
3 x 2 miles at marathon effort, progressing from 6:40 ➡️ 6:15 pace, with a half-mile recovery jog between each set
Then 5 x 1 minute on/1 minute off at around 5:52 average pace

I may not always feel amazing going into a workout, but I almost always feel better when it’s done. 🙌🏼

The flare is still there. The tendon still nags. But honestly, I’m kind of sick of talking about both of them 😂 This training cycle has definitely been a tricky one, and it hasn’t looked the way I hoped it would.

But I’m still here. Still training. Still fighting for it.

Three more weeks of building before taper time. Hoping and praying that all of these imperfect days, tough workouts, and little victories come together when it matters most. 🤍🙏🏼

Another workout done, and this one was rough. 😅 Cardio-wise, I felt great, but my gut is definitely not happy right now.

I know it’s going to take some time to get this flare back under control, so until then, I’m just going to keep showing up and doing what I can. 🤍

2 mile warm-up
6 x 1 mile, progressively faster with .25 mile jog recoveries
Started at 6:27 pace and finished the last one at 5:54 🙌🏻
Cool-down to 11 miles total

Not every workout is going to feel good, but I’m grateful my body still lets me do hard things even when things aren’t perfect.

20 MILES!! And dang, I’m proud of this one! 🙌🏻 After the week I’ve had, just getting to the start of this run felt like a win.

The UC has been flaring in a BAD way, and I honestly wasn’t sure if 20 miles was going to happen today. Luckily, Cher Wallentine has been taking such good care of me with the IVs, and I’m crossing everything that things are finally starting to turn around. 🤞🏻

There were still a few potty stops along the way 😂, but we got it DONE!

20 miles total:
3-mile warm-up
7x progressive hard mile + float mile
Finished my LAST fast mile at 6:15! 🔥

But the best part of this run was the people beside me. I’m so grateful for these amazing women and the privilege of running through life with them. We’ve seen each other through some really great times and some really hard ones. They’ve listened to me vent, watched me struggle, celebrated the wins, and been there to wipe my tears more times than I can count.

Running gives me a lot, but these friendships might be one of the very best things it’s given me. ❤️

Another treadmill speed session!

I usually prefer to do speed workouts outside, but to be completely transparent, I’m having an ulcerative colitis flare. It came on suddenly and aggressively. Wednesday I didn’t feel very good, and by Friday I was in a full flare. It’s honestly been miserable.

But I refuse to let it stop me. Running is one of the things that helps me feel like myself, especially when I’m struggling. I’m working with my doctor to figure out how to get things back under control, but until then, I’ll just have to improvise and adjust depending on how I’m feeling.

I knew I’d need to have a bathroom close by, especially for a speed workout, so the treadmill was the best option. And I wasn’t wrong. Four bathroom breaks later… 😅 But other than that, I actually felt really strong during this workout!

2-mile warm-up
10 x 1K with 90-second recovery
Started the intervals at 6:15 pace and worked my way down, finishing the last one at 5:56 pace
1-mile cool-down

Those recovery jogs definitely seemed to get shorter as the intervals got faster! But I got it done, felt strong, and walked away really happy with the workout.

Sometimes running isn’t just about fitness or hitting paces. Sometimes it’s the thing that reminds you that you’re still you.

Does running help you feel like yourself?

18! 🙌

I made it 18 miles this morning! My tendon isn’t exactly thrilled about it… but I sure am. Progress isn’t always perfect, but today felt like a big step in the right direction.

A beautiful morning, with beautiful people in Provo Canyon made the miles go by.

🏃‍♀️ 7 mile warm up

🔥 2 × 3 miles at marathon effort:
6:55, 6:41, 6:39
6:41, 6:42, 6:39
(½ mile recovery between sets)

⚡ Finished with 2 fast miles:
6:14, 6:14

It was hard in all the best ways. The fitness is coming back, confidence is growing, and I’m so grateful to be out here doing what I love.

Thursday long runs are rare, but I’m really happy to check this one off. ✅

Happy Monday! 💥 Started the week with a bang!

This workout gets me every single time. It’s one of those sessions that looks totally manageable on paper… until you’re actually doing it. 😅

5 sets of (3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute) with 1 minute recovery between intervals and 2 minutes between each set. By the end, every interval feels longer than the last!

I opted for the treadmill today for a few reasons, but mostly because I wasn’t in the mood to battle 80° heat, and my tendon doesn’t get as sore on the treadmill. Sometimes the smartest choice is the one that helps you execute the workout well, not the one that makes it harder.

It wasn’t easy, but those are often the workouts that make you stronger. 💪 One down, and a whole week of opportunities ahead!

Did you get your Monday workout in, or are you saving it for later? 👇

Happy Pioneer Day! 💙🤍❤️

In Utah, it’s a state holiday, and I can’t think of a better way to kick it off than with miles and great company.

It was a beautiful morning, even if the heat showed up early. We kept most of the run easy, then finished with a few progressive tempo miles: 7:03, 6:44, 6:41, 6:23. I love ending a run feeling stronger than I started.

This was also my longest run of the year, which feels especially meaningful after everything my tendon has been through. (It’s definitely a little sore now, but that’s expected) Every mile is a reminder not to take running for granted. I’m so grateful to be back doing what I love and to share so many of these miles with incredible women who make every run better.

Paige Nelson warmed up with us before heading off to crush her own workout… but don’t worry, I managed to crop her into the second photo anyway. 😝

Happy Pioneer Day! What are you doing this weekend?