Guys! I think the whole running update thing should become its own section on TBB because I love giving you guys the latest on my running journey and there is always so much to say.
I have been shocked ever since starting to run consistently that running is just as much of an ever-evolving process as yoga is. In such a different way, of course, but in many ways (patience, endurance, practice, ebbs & flows, good days & bad…) very much the same.
BTW, cross training with hiking is ALWAYS a good idea. Anything that gets your heart rate pumping is a great way to cross-train!
As I mentioned in my last running update post, as of early July I had not been training for anything specific. My last race was the Vine Body Sole half marathon in Napa Valley in May, where I finished with a time of 2 hours & 3 mins, a.k.a my half marathon PR (personal record)!
But my training sched is about to change, because I just signed up for the Big Sur Half Marathon. I am crazy excited about it, and I am mainly excited because sooo many of my favorite humans will be running it with me. Alexi, Jonathan, Chelsea, LAURA CONLEY (all caps because she just committed!!!), Tamara, and a few more who we are still trying to hook in. 😉 Oh I may have even convinced the guy who does valet for the coffee shop I go to every day, hehe.
I think races are so much more fun when you sign up for them with other people. That way we all hold each other accountable, travel together (Big Sur is about a 5-hour drive from L.A., so we will make a weekend trip out of it!), and celebrate the race afterward together. I have never done a race alone, but I have done a few with just one other person (hey, Alexi!) and I think we both agree it’s a lot more fun when there is a crew. People who GET IT that you just ran your heart out and want to celebrate that accomplishment!
And just because you sign up with other people doesn’t mean you run side by side with them the whole time… No, that would be ridic hard for me, I can barely keep my own pace, LOL. But if you run a similar pace to them then you see them throughout the race and that’s just as cool! Running is a very introspective thing, for me at least, and even though I loved running & chatting with other people while I trained for the LA Marathon with Team Nutribullet, I like to clear my head while I run and get in the ZONE.
Blast my angry rap music, pay attention to my breath, take in the scenery, learn something new about the environment, observe others, pick up the pace when I feel like it; you know, all that jazz.
So!! I am STOKED to be running the Big Sur Half Marathon in November. (Funny story: I started drunkenly calling it the Half Sur Big Marathon the other night… Big marathon sounds more terrifying than it should, haha.)
My Training PLAN:
After a brief convo with my running coach Jimmy when I ran into him at OrangeTheory the other day, he said I should be working my way up to 18-ish mile long runs on the weekends if I want to PR in this half marathon. That way, I can bump up my speed for the 13.1 miles because it will feel like a breeze of a distance after the 18.
Some people might find the idea of 18 mile long runs scary, but I am weirdly thrilled about the challenge. I am happy to have a concrete number in my head rather than a loose training plan I throw together at the last minute like I usually do.
I also have plenty of time between now and November, so I can write out a training plan to work myself up to the 18 miler and feel like I have lots of good, solid time to accomplish it.
Since I will be doing my 300-hr yoga teacher training at the same time as training for this race… I am going to have to have my training sched on lock, unlike how I sometimes can be way more loosey goosey with it.
My Fave Running CLOTHES:
As usual, I am loving training in my Nike activewear and obsessed with my Nike RN Fly Knits. I like the Fly Knits better for walking and jogging than for actual training, mainly because they are so cute and the support isn’t 100% there like it is in some of Nike’s performance-based shoes. So I bring them with me and rotate them out to wear them to brunch after my long runs. 😉
Also, the SUPER COOL THING is that you can purchase your Nike Frees on a 30 day trial, so if you don’t like them after using them for 30 days, you are guaranteed a full refund. How awesome? I mean, you’ll probs love them, but still. You can head here to learn more about that!
I am pretty obsessed because they are super flexible and dynamic, and they also have a new soft foam feature that gives extra cushion while you run. I always look for that extra support in a shoe. (Read: I NEED that support!!)
Here I wore them on the most epic waterfall hike in Kauai to Wailua Falls. My HEAVEN!
My Nike clothes are always my go-tos, especially on vacation in Hawaii when it is hot AF outside and there is no way I am putting on full-length pants.
And the NEON, you guys!! Is it not the best thing in the world? I legit live in these shorts. I even washed them in the shower on vacation so I could keep wearing them… Does anyone else do that? LOL.
And this top: yes, please.
I had so much fun running in Hawaii. It is humid, yes, but as my Ayurvedic practitioner and I decided the other day, humidity suits me. Like weirdly well. My whole body tends to function better in the humidity… Athletic performance, sleeping, digestion, all of it.
I just love to run with a VIEW. That is why I am so excited for the Big Sur Half. There is literally no prettier place in the world. Remember my trip to Big Sur last winter with my BFFs?!
L.A. Marathon, Baby!!!
Also… I am still signed up for the LA Marathon in March, HELL YES. So this half in November will hopefully get my booty motivated to keep on training right up until the full!! And I convinced my boo Danika to do it with me… which is the best part about it, by far.
If you haven’t read my marathon recaps, you can check out Part 1 & Part 2 here. Fun fact is that they are two of the widest read posts on TBB, EVER!
Is anyone else training for anything right now? What are your running go-tos? Tell me all!
Shop the Looks Below!
