LACED up SHOES, cotton CANDY clouds

 

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Another morning, I don’t want to get up and run, AGAIN. My body still hurts from the long run on Saturday. I want to sleep in, there’s a million other things I’d rather do and I will name all of them. But… I lace up my shoes, head out the door and start. It’s always hard. Whether it’s a 5K or a 100 mile race, the training regiment is always hard. The diligence of training is not easy. It’s mind over matter. For me the hardest part of running a 100 mile race  or training for any race is always the consistency of training. I need to build the muscle strength, the stamina, the mental capacity from daily training. One must be serious about training to cross the finish line on race day. LOVE this article on running consistency: HERE

So today, I started out slow, a lot of things on my mind.  As I put one foot in front of the other and two hours later, I felt amazing. I loved the COTTON CANDY CLOUDS and the green valley below and the Tetons watching me from a distance as I ran my miles. All the burdens on my mind, solved, lifted off my shoulders. Running is my personal therapy. I LOVE IT! Nature does that to me. Just me, the clouds, the badger off the side of the road, the little squirrels and deer peering over at me, stopping in that moment to lock eyes with me as I run by. I LOVE nature and the calmness it brings my soul. That’s why I choose to run up a very steep hill for 6 miles and venture into the woods. A great article on Running and the benefits: HERE

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Runners, we’re a different breed but a happy one. We know the sacrifices, the journey and rewards at the end. Be it a finish line or our car. WE DID IT! And that’s why we come back the next day for more.

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A great quote from Runner’s World.

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it’s a BEAUTIFUL day, ENJOY it

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Monday my training schedule had me running 10 miles. I looked out the window to see the trees were almost horizontal because the wind was blowing so hard. Ugh, I had no desire to run a mile, let alone 10. I told myself, “it’d be good ‘training’ and training for anything is not for the faint of heart, besides, it was a beautiful day, go enjoy it!”

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The wild wind blowing my hair.

It turned out to be fun to run. I laughed as the wind literally blew me off the road with some gusts and stopped me dead in my tracks as I ran into it. I was rewarded at the end, I DID IT! That’s the joy of training and pushing ourselves. The sense of accomplishment at the end. HERE is a great article to get over a training hump. Happy Running! Andria

My Road Running Favorites:

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CROSS training: a PEDAL in the PARK

I was too tired to run today, so I decided on a cross-training day. Teton and I decided to bike through Grand Teton National Park. I personally KNOW how important cross-training is for your running training, whether it’s a 5K or a 50K, it’s important! The races I didn’t do any cross-training, I could tell. Check out this great article on why cross-training is important: HERE  My cross-training is fun and casual, biking, water-skiing, hiking. I keep it light since my training days are more intense.

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It’s early season in the park so not too many people. There’s still snow in mountains so we biked from Taggart Lake parking lot to Jenny Lake. A must do! The views were splendid. And Teton LOVED it! Fitting don’t you think?!

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Grand Teton National Park: Trail/Bike Map: HERE

Safety While Biking in Park: HERE

A Pedal in the Park Essentials: ON SALE!

Casual Shorts : Patagonia Button Down : Day Pack for Buddy :  Sunglasses

 

Just START running!

Be sure to check my blog every Wednesday, I’ll be posting running tips, my training for the week, eating tips while training and post-runs, and fitness gear on sale! I love being outside and love running. I have a lot of miles under my feet so hopefully what has worked for me will work for you too!

Most of all, I’ll be posting cool pics from my runs so you’ll want to see those. 🙂IMG_4300 IMG_4304

I have a lot of people ask me what’s the best way to start running or train for a race. I always say, Just start running. When I first started running, I only lasted only 5 minutes but slowly I built up my cardio over time and could run further. Each spring it’s always a challenge to get into the groove of things but a few weeks into it, I have things dialed in and I enjoy it. Here’s a great training guide for beginner runners.

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Love Teton in this pic. He’s airborne. Love my little adventure Buddy loves to go on road runs and trail runs with me.

Happy Running!   Andria & Teton

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