Runner’s Aid Kit Essentials

Happy Halloween! We’re less than 3 weeks out from the Philadelphia Marathon and I am getting so pumped up! I am literally eating, sleeping, and breathing marathon training to ensure November 18th goes as planned. To go along with the theme of running, I’m sharing with you one of my running tips today. I hope you enjoy!

If you're like me and you run a lot, then a "Runner's Aid" kit is a must-have! I came up with the idea for a "Runner's Aid" kit (which is exactly what you'd think, a first aid kit specialized for runners) when I was in college and would drive to various locations to do my long runs. I gathered supplies that I felt like I could need at any point before, after, or during a run, and put them all in a small bag that I stashed in my car. They're also good to keep in your gym bag or any other bag you have with you during a workout or in your house. Everyone's kit can be different, but I'll be sharing with you the items I feel are necessary to keep in my own personal "Runner's Aid" kit.

Icy Hot or BioFreeze- This is great for on-the-spot pain relief when it's just a minor ache or pain.

Pain Relief Medicine- I tend to keep Aleve in my kit because that seems to work best for me.

Snack- You never know when hunger will strike! Try to choose a snack that can last for awhile, like a granola bar or pretzels, just in case you don't eat it for awhile.

Fuel- Depending on your fuel of choice (gel, gummies, Nuun, etc.) and where you store the kit, you may be able to keep some back up fuel in there. I like to have some on hand if an opportunity for a long run ever arises or I just need some energy for a shorter run.

Water Bottle- It may not be as cold as you like it, depending on the time of year, but when you're super thirsty you may not really care!

Deodorant or Any Other Sprays- Just in case you aren't feeling the freshest after a workout or run!

Baby Wipes/Cleansing Wipes- Another way to freshen up after a run or clean dirt off your legs after a trail/muddy run.

Extra Socks- Who wants to stay in wet socks?! These have been a lifesaver for me in so many situations, some not even running related!

KT Tape- If you're someone who uses KT Tape, it's a good idea to keep some on hand in case the need arises.

Sun Block- I try my best to remember to put on sunscreen before a run but sometimes I forget. I like the little sunblock sticks they sell because it's easy to apply in a rush.

Hair Ties- Because we’ve all been there when our only hair tie breaks!

Golf Ball- For on the spot foot rolling or any other target spot rolling.

An Actual First Aid Kit- It's a great idea to keep some first aid items on hand, like band aids, moleskin (for blisters!), and triple antibiotic ointment.

Question of the Day: What would you keep in your Runner’s Aid Kit?

Marathon Training: Week 15

W15D1: REST DAY

W15D2: Easy Run
I really thought I felt good enough to go do a speed run but that obviously didn’t happen... 2 miles in and I was DONE!

W15D3: REST DAY

W15D4: REST DAY

W15D5: Easy Run
My schedule was a bit messed up this week, which lead me to a 3 mile treadmill run on a Friday night. I usually try to avoid the treadmill so any run over a mile is a huge accomplishment to me!

W15D6: REST DAY

W15D7: 13.1 mile long run

Total Weekly Mileage: 18.1 miles
I may have focused on recovery a little bit too much this week... I felt completely fine after Sunday’s 20 miles but I still started the week out with a not so strong run. This cold definitely has turned me into a whimp lately! I ended the week strong with a half marathon PR! 13.1 miles at a 10:15 pace (2:14:16) which is about 5 WHOLE MINUTES faster than my previous record. Needless to say, it ended up being a good week!

Friday Five: 5 Things I’m Loving This Week

Happy Friday!!! This week was a long one so this weekend is much needed. The students have a half day today but us teachers have an in-service. Once that’s all over though I’ll be ready to start my weekend! So far the weekend looks pretty chill since some plans already got cancelled but I’m looking forward to some relaxing after last weekends busy schedule! Before we start this weekend, take a look at the 5 things I’m loving this week!

1. Fall Decorations
I’ve collected a lot of new fall decor this week and it’s been so much fun to decorate the house! I’m looking forward to all the different seasons now to switch up all the decorations.

2. Cerave Lotion
I talked about this in my post the other day, but I’m just loving it this week! This cold weather is leaving my skin feeling so dry and chapped so using this on my face is such a relief. I’ve been putting it on each night before bed and every morning before I get ready and my face hasn’t been getting too dry throughout the day.

3. Vests
Up until last week, I completely forgot about my love for vests! I have one nice vest that I could literally wear every day (and maybe have possibly worn almost every day this past week...). My school is a bit finicky with the temperatures in each classroom so dressing in layers is a must for me and vests are the perfect thing for that!

4. The Grumpy Cat Collection by Bobs
I have always loved Grumpy Cat so to say I was excited when I found out I could get his face on shoes is an understatement! There are a few different designs and to be honest, I don’t know which one I like the most! I’m definitely adding these to my Christmas list.

5. Hot Chocolate
With cold weather creeping in, I’ve been drinking an obnoxious amount of hot chocolate lately! It’s definitely the perfect treat to have during a cozy day or night in!

Products I Use Each Day

Happy Wednesday, everyone!! Back when John and I first started packing to move, I told him we had to make one box just for items we would need the first day/night we were there. This would include any items we typically use in a day that we would need, especially products we use in the shower or to help us get ready for bed or work in the morning. As much as I'd like to think of myself as a minimalist since I hardly wear make up and would prefer to spend as little time as possible in the bathroom getting ready for anything, I still felt like I had a ton of items in said box. This gave me the idea to share with you some of my favorite products I use on a daily basis (other than the typical stuff people use, haha).

In-Shower Body Lotion

If I haven't mentioned it before then I'll mention it now: I have had eczema since I was an infant and although it has gotten better, my skin still sucks. I'm pretty dependent on lotion throughout the day when it comes to my consistently dry skin and random flare-ups. Something that makes my skin even more dry and sore is showers. With cold weather beginning to make its appearance, my skin is already beginning to feel bad so I've started to break out my in-shower body lotion! If you've never heard of in-shower body lotion then listen up, because this stuff is a miracle in a bottle (okay, maybe exaggerating)! The name really explains it all, it's lotion you use while in the shower! After washing up, you apply the lotion just as you would any other lotion. I typically let it soak in for a few minutes while I stand mostly out of the water. Then, you rinse it off and you're done! Easy-peasy! You'll leave the shower with smooth skin and may even be able to skip an after-shower step. Unfortunately, my skin is too dry and I still have to apply more lotion but I feel so much better after using the in-shower lotion.

Biore Charcoal Facial Cleanser

For years I tried many different facial cleansers. My face is typically dry and breaks out every so often so finding a cleanser that didn't leave my face super dry but still made it clean was my main goal. About a year or so ago, when charcoal became the "in" beauty ingredient, I decided to hope on the train and try out Biore's charcoal cleanser. I had previously use their pore strips so I knew they were a pretty solid brand. Since then I have been using this face cleanser every day and I still love it! I love the tingly feeling it leaves while also not drying out my face. If you are on the hunt for a good facial cleanser at a decent price, check out Biore!

Vaseline

This is probably the simplest product in my nightly routine. Each night before I go to bed, I put Vaseline on my lips to keep them from getting dry overnight. I tend to get chapped lips a lot but I've found that I can tame them a lot easier if I put Vaseline on them overnight.

Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation

While I'm not a big make up person, I still like to put a little bit of powder foundation on my face to mask the redness. I've been using this particular kind for years now and I still love it! It's just the right consistency that it doesn't feel really thick on my face. Like I've said before, I like my morning routine to be fast, and this helps me out with that! I just use a make up sponge to pat it all over my face and I'm good to go!

Cerave Moisturizing Cream

I can't say too much about this because I literally just started using it but so far it's great! I'm using it as a face cream before bed and in the morning because it has a thick consistency that my face needs in cold weather. I've found that it doesn't feel super thick once it's on my face and doesn't leave my face feeling oily throughout the day.

Marathon Training: Week 14

W14D1: REST DAY

W14D2: Speed Workout (2:07 interval goal pace)
Half mile warm up, 10 x 400 (2:10, 1:59, 2:07, 1:56, 2:08, 2:02, 1:58, 2:03, 2:03, 2:02), .1 mile cool down (just so I could run a total of 3.1 miles and get a 5k PR)

W14D3: REST DAY

W14D4: REST DAY

W14D5: Easy Run
I planned an easy run with my brother to shake out for Sunday and he ended up having a lot of leg pain. The run was cut short at .45 miles so he could get back and ice his leg.

W14D6: REST DAY

W14D7: 20 mile long run

Total Weekly Mileage: 23.55 miles
I started out the week with a strong speedwork, surprising myself with my interval paces. The rest of my week somehow ended up being super lazy up until my 20 miler. The rest paid off and let me run a 10:48 average pace! Time to really put in some work for the next 4 weeks to get me even more ready for race day!

Friday Five: 5 Things I’m Loving This Week

HAPPY FRIDAY! For once this week actually went by super quickly. I believe that is due to the fact that I had an enormous amount of work to get done so I kept feeling like I needed more time. Even so, I’m super pumped it’s here because I have a super amazing weekend ahead of me! Tonight I’ll be hanging out with my family,l at my sister’s house where we’ll be getting a sneak peak of Tommy’s Halloween costume! Tomorrow, my best friend from college is coming to stay with us for the weekend so that on Sunday we can run our 20 miler together! On Sunday, my friend, my brother, and I will be leaving my house super early and running 10 miles, ending at the start of a 10 mile race. Then, we’ll run that race, totaling 20 miles! It’ll be really fun because not only will we be together, but we’ll cross an actual finish line when we’re done. It really adds to the experience! I guess I have to actually get through this work day first. To make your Friday a little more exciting, enjoy reading about the 5 things I’m loving this week!

1. Our New Grill!

This past week, John's parents surprised us with a brand new grill! We were both very excited as we have been saying how much we wish we could have some grilled food. On Tuesday, John broke in the new grill by making burgers for himself and grilled chicken for me. I had him grill a couple extra chicken breasts so I could have it for lunches this week and as a salad topping for dinner this weekend. I can't wait to grill more!

2. Montreal Chicken Seasoning

This was always my favorite seasoning but I had kind of forgotten about it. When we decided we were going to use the new grill, I asked John to pick up some of this seasoning on his way home so I could put it on my chicken. I'm so glad I did because it made the chicken so much better! I highly recommend this seasoning for anyone who just wants to add some flavor to their chicken.

Dexter already loves the new table!

3. Our New Dining Room Table

Along with a new grill, we also added a new dining room table to our house this week! Up until now, our dining room table was just a mostly empty room with a few boxes sitting around and our server that we had gotten before moving in. Now, it feels complete with the table and the server all put in place!

4. Scarves

One of my favorite parts of fall is being able to start wearing scarves. I'm pretty sure I've worn a scarf every day this week and I'm loving it! I always feel like a scarves makes an outfit look so much cuter.

5.  Running in Shorts and Long Sleeve Shirts

Another thing I love about fall is what I wear during a run. My favorite outfit is shorts and a long sleeve shirt. That is exactly what I've been wearing all week and it's been great!

Running in the Dark

Since moving and starting work, early morning runs have been a must for me! By time I get home from work around 4, I just do not feel like moving, let alone go for a run. As much as getting up a few hours before I normal would is a pain, I've actually been enjoying it! Something about cruising through my development when it's still dark and (mostly) everyone is asleep is so enjoyable to me. In order to enjoy these morning runs, I have to wear some important gear to keep myself safe and seen by other people out and about. I'm going to share with you some of these items that I always wear/use when I'm out for a run before the sun rises! Happy and safe running, everyone!

GoGuarded Ring
I asked for this for Christmas a year or so ago so that I could carry something with me on my run that would protect me but also wasn't too much to carry. GoGuarded is a ring with a plastic blade that has a silicone piece over the "blade" so you won't by accident hurt yourself. It can be put on any finger (it comes with little rubber pieces so you can size it to fit!) but I prefer to keep it on my middle finger because it feels more practical that way. This ring is a perfect way to defend yourself if anyone (and I suppose any animal) tries to harm you during your run because you already have it on and ready to go. Check out the website and purchase one for yourself here!

Headlamp
Headlamps are super important when out on run in the dark for a number of reasons! A headlamp allows you to see whats ahead of you or around you at all times. It can also allow anyone else out, whether they're running or driving) to see you approaching. I tend to wear mine around my waist so that it's always pointing ahead of me and it's closer to the ground. I have a few but this one from Nathan Sports is one I have been using recently because it also has a red light option!

Reflective Gear
I have a wide variety of bracelets and vests that I use to make myself visible while out running in the dark. A lot of my light up/reflective bracelets have actually been freebies at expos so keep an eye out for them! If not, you can always by a big pack of light sticks from the dollar store and use them as well!

Bright Clothes
One of my pet peeves is seeing a runner out when it's dark wearing darker colored clothes. I make it a goal of mine to wear the brightest, most colorful shorts and shirts I have when I run so that anyone can see me. It's not like anyone is out to judge me anyway, right?! Lighter/brighter colored clothes are more visible by cars so that they can see you before it's too late. If you don't own any bright colored running clothes (but I highly doubt that is the case for us runners!), wear as much reflective gear as you can, especially a reflective vest!

Question of the Day: How do you keep yourself safe when running in the dark?

Marathon Training: Week 13

W13D1: Strength Training
20 minute full-body circuit workout

W13D2: 5 easy miles 

W13D3: REST DAY

W13D4: 3 easy miles

W13D5: Strength Training 
45 minutes strength training

W13D6: 13.1 mile long run

W13D7: REST DAY

Total Weekly Mileage: 21.5 miles
I went pretty easy this week due to some ankle pain. I want to go into this coming week strong with my 20 miler coming up on Sunday. Now that I’m starting to get back into a routine, strength training has been easier to schedule in. Plus I’m enjoying strength training at the gym or at home with my kettlebells rather than lifting boxes and furniture as a workout, haha.

Friday Five: 5 Things I'm Loving This Week

Happy Friday! I can't if this week went by fast or slow. I guess that's a good thing? After a crazy week at work, I'm looking forward to my weekend! Tomorrow we have a bunch of events going on, so we have to make a plan as to what we actually want to do. My brother and I will get our long run done in the morning and I'm looking forward to that. We have some easy miles on the schedule to help us rest up for our 20 miler next weekend! I can't believe it's approaching so quickly. I'll talk more about that weekend later on, but for now, let's get to the real reason you're here: my Friday Five!

1. Clever Cutter Scissors
I don't know how else to describe these except by saying they're scissors with a cutting board. My mom purchased these for me as a gift (I love getting kitchen gadgets as gifts) awhile ago, and while I used them off and on before, I've been using them constantly since we've moved out! They're perfect for cutting veggies (goodbye, attempting to cut thicker carrots) and cooked chicken or steak for a salad or stir fry! After looking up the Clever Cutter in order to provide a link for purchase on this post, I was surprised to see how decently priced they are! I also noticed they're an "As Seen On TV" item and that makes so much sense! I 100% recommend these to anyone who wants an easier and MUCH more quicker way to cut veggies and other food! Here they are on Amazon if you want to check them out more!

2. Compression Sleeves/Socks for Recovery
A couple years ago, I purchased my first pair of compression sleeves at a race expo. They seemed cool and the benefits of them were overwhelming. Since purchasing them, I've worn them a couple times during a run but just didn't feel like they were necessary. The last time I trained for a marathon, I started wearing them after a long run to help with recovery and learned that they work best for that! After all my long runs (after my shower!), I'll put on either my compression sleeves or socks and where them around for awhile. I've found that my legs recover so much quicker when I wear them post-run.

Yes, that is a rainbow bagel!

3. Bagel Slicer
Back in college, my dining hall had the coolest bagel slicing contraption. For some reason I just loved to use it. I was lucky enough to obtain one while moving into our new house and I love it! I'm seriously the worst at cutting bagels and this prevents me from tearing a perfectly good bagel up. I used to always buy pre-cut bagels to save the hassle but now I can save money and buy bulk bagels from the grocery store!

4. Run Fast. Eat Slow. Granola Recipe
The actual recipe in Shalane and Elyse's cookbook is Ginger Molasses Granola (page 54 for anyone following along at home) but I have learned that I really don't like ginger so I leave that part out (andddd basically anything extra because I'm super basic...). I basically just make a molasses granola with a strong cinnamon taste. It is seriously delicious! The recipe is so spot on and I love the consistency. I used to make it all the time back in college and I'm starting to make it regularly again. It's perfect on top of yogurt, oatmeal, or even plain! This past week I added pumpkin spice to my mix and it is DELICIOUS!

5. DIY London Fogs
If you're familiar with the Starbucks drink the London Fog then you know it's one of the most tastiest hot tea drinks around! Back in college I used to get them all the time and lately I've been wanting one. After some online searching, I learned that along with Earl Grey tea, which I luckily keep in, it's just some hot milk and vanilla syrup. Well unfortunately I don't typically have vanilla syrup, so vanilla soy milk was going to have to do! So far my attempts have been good, but not exactly the same. I'm guessing that's because I'm missing the stronger vanilla flavor. I have been able to get the milk frothy with some little blender gadget (love my gadgets!) my mom had given me awhile back. I may have to pick up some vanilla syrup soon to complete this recipe and have London Fogs all fall and winter long!

Question of the Day: What are you loving this week?

Lessons I've Learned During Marathon Training

Happy Hump Day, everyone! And for anyone training for the Philadelphia Marathon, can you believe we are less than 6 weeks away from the big day?! Even though this will be my third marathon, I'm still learning a lot of new things during this round of training! I was definitely busy during the other 2 rounds, but for some reason this round has just been rougher. Throughout all this, I have learned a couple things that have changed the way I continue with my training.

Rolling my legs right before I fall sleep because it's the only down time I get some days!

Be flexible. Up until September, my training schedule went exactly as planned. I ran the exact miles on the exact day I had planned. Now that I've added in my work schedule, my runs aren't happening exactly as I planned. I'm learning to just be flexible and fit in the runs when I can. This has resulted in running super early in the morning or later in the evening, running some miles on the treadmill, splitting a longer distance up into shorter distances through out the day, running two days in a row, having a gap of 3 days between runs, and so much more. Basically, I've just made it work!

Epsom salt baths +  catching up on This Is Us = perfect "me" time!

Give myself more "me time" other than when I'm running. I love running enough that I see it as "relaxing" and "me time." I look forward to getting lost in thought as I pound the pavement. That relaxes me. It can also wear me down though without any other forms of relaxation. Due to my limited free time, I've had to sacrifice a lot of my "me time" in order to squeeze in my runs. While I love that time, I also need to give myself time to recover since I'm constantly on the go. I've been trying my hardest to take some time each night to either relax in the bath or just chill on the couch but I definitely need to find some more time. 

First step for me is to make sure I have a good breakfast each morning to start my day right!

Fuel myself better. Usually food is no problem with me. I love to eat and I love to eat foods that are good for my active lifestyle. Lately I've been struggling with eating enough to keep me full. On a lot of my runs lately I've been finding myself getting hungry very early on. I'm chalking that up to not taking the time to eat a full meal. More often than not, my lunches consist of a salad without protein because I've been too lazy to make chicken, veggies, and fruit. Sounds great, right? It's healthy for sure but definitely needs to be amped up with protein! My goal for the rest of training is to make sure all my lunches have a good amount of protein in order to keep me going throughout the day.

Sometimes I feel like I'm falling apart with the amount of pain relief items on my night stand...

Listen to my body. This wasn't too hard to figure out but I tend to ignore what my body is saying for the sake of my training schedule. Lately I've been evaluating how my body feels (more importantly, how my right ankle feels) and decide from there if my workout that day is appropriate or not. I have changed so many speed runs into easy runs and have even altered a couple distances. In years past I would've just pushed through the pain but that has only resulted in injury. This year I'm learning and listening to my body so that I can go into my third marathon uninjured and feeling great! 

Question of the Day: What are some lessons you have learned through any kind of race training?

Marathon Training: Week 12

W12D1: REST DAY

W12D2: 3.5 easy miles + 20 minutes strength training
In-home circuit using kettle bells and resistance bands

W12D3: REST DAY

W12D4: Marathon Pace Tempo Run (10:30 pace goal) 
6 miles @ 10:10 average pace

W12D5: Strength Training 
45 minutes strength training

W12D6: REST DAY 

W10D7: 18 mile long run + 2 mile hike

Total Weekly Mileage: 27.5 miles
I felt so much more motivated this week and it felt great! I can’t believe the marathon is less than 6 weeks away! It’s really going to fly by! I’m hoping I can feel as strong as I felt this week for the rest of this training.

Friday Five: My 5 Favorite Parts of my New House

Just like every other Friday these past few weeks, I am so happy it's finally here (although this week went by much quicker previous weeks)! This week was busy, as per usual, but I did get a decent amount of time to get things done around the house.That made me feel so good!  I'm looking forward to this weekend because tomorrow we are going to a local parade with my parents and nephew, and then Sunday is my weekly long run with my brother. I'm hoping we'll go explore more of the cool trail I found! But before the weekend can begin, we have to get through this Friday! To help get you through today, enjoy 5 photos of my favorite parts of our new house so far :)

1. The Breakfast Bar
I love the idea of eating at the counter or even just sitting there to hang out!

2. Our New Kitchen Table
My grandparents graciously gave us their old kitchen table, which is basically brand new, and it's gorgeous! It really fits in with our kitchen and looks great with fall decorations :)

3. Jacuzzi Tub

This has been a lifesaver with marathon training! I love taking epsom salt baths in a bath I actually fit in.

4. Our Front Patio 
I seriously love our little front patio that comes of our kitchen. It's perfect for bringing groceries right in through and brings in a lot of natural light!

5. Our Staircase and Chandelier Lighting
This picture does not do this view justice! For one, the staircase is beautiful. The way the light illuminates it, especially when the sun is also shining in, is BEAUTIFUL! I can't get enough of it!

A Glimpse Into My Life Lately

I feel like I keep saying this over and over again but it's true: life is CRAZY! This is my third time training for a marathon and this has been by far the hardest training cycle I've ever had. Between starting a new full time job and moving, I really have a lot on my plate. I thought moving was going to just be crazy for the first week or two, but I was wrong! We still are slowly getting stuff out of our parent's houses. It probably sounds like we have a lot, but we really don't. It's just a lot of little stupid things, like old papers and childhood items, that we take a long time to sort through. I prefer to sort through the items as I pack in order to lighten the load we are bringing into our house (plus stacks of papers add up in weight!). I saw this move as an opportunity to purge a lot of our stuff that was just taking us space. So far I think we have done a great job of throwing out or donating stuff, and I love the open feeling we have in our house now since we haven't brought in much "junk."

Along with moving, work has been busy! With this being my first time being a full time teacher, I'm finally getting a glimpse into the busy life of a teacher. Last year, as a long term sub, there were many things I couldn't do, making the job a bit easier. Now I am the actual teacher (it still feels unreal!) so I'm doing everything from parent contact to attending meetings to filling out paper work. It's honestly a lot of fun so far, but taking a lot out of me. I'm hoping it gets easier as the year goes on, and as we start to settle in here at the Hendricks Home!

Okay, I'm done complaining about this never ending moving process and my busy life. I bet you're wondering what I've been up too lately. Here are some pictures with captions to give you a little update of my life!  

I'm loving watching Dexter explore our house! He seems to love our stairs the most (and making every possible noise he can throughout the house...).

My brother and I are getting serious about our long runs! Last weekend he ran his longest run to date, which made me proud!

We've been testing out the local cuisine! The bagel place up the street is so far my favorite place :)

Just loving on Dexter, again :)

John and I made our first crock pot meal! Chicken, salsa, and corn! Put it over rice or on tortillas and it's AMAZING!

Ashley's birthday was last week so I made my first baked good in our house: a double chocolate cake! Also, I'm super obsessed with that oven mitt. I might sound crazy, but the AirBNB we stayed in back in May had the same set, so I found it at Target and bought my own :P

I've been taking advantage of my long runs to do some exploring around my new town!

Question of the Day: What's something you've been up to lately?

BONUS FUN FACT: This is my 100th blog post! :)

Marathon Training: Week 11

W11D1: Speed Intervals Easy 3 miles
This started as a speed workout. After I nailed my first 1600 I could feel pain creeping into my ankle so I switched to an easy pace. Can't risk injury this far into training!

W11D2: REST DAY

W11D3: REST DAY 

W11D4: Mid Tempo Run (9:39 pace goal) 4 easy miles
If you couldn't tell, I'm beginning to give up on a pace goal...

W11D5: REST DAY 

W11D6:  REST DAY 

W11D7: 16 mile long run

Total Weekly Mileage: 23 miles
Don't be fooled by all those "rest days." Most of those days were spent moving more stuff and lifting more than I probably would have if I'd actually made it to the gym. I'm pretty sure between work and house stuff, I was busier than the week we actually moved in. Anywho, I still got some good mileage in and ran my 16 miler this week faster than last week's 16 miler! Like I've said before, I've pretty much thrown my pace goal out the window and am now focusing on getting through this training cycle alive and uninjured! I'll try to do a marathon training/life update this week to keep everyone up to speed as to what my life has been like these past few weeks!