How’s your day going so far? It’s hard to believe that July is already coming to an end!
It’s time to link up with Marcia for Runfessions! Every last Friday of the month we take this time to spill our running, health and fitness-related confessions!
I’m also linking up with Courtney, Mar, and Cynthia for the Friday 5 and Jill Conyers for Health Fitness and Happiness!
[bctt tweet=”Time to join in and share your #runfessions! What confessions do you have about your running lately?” username=”Janelle_RWNR”]
Runfessions – July 2016
I’m Still Not Feeling Settled In My New Neighborhood
We found a new trail along the way!It’s only been a month, but I have to runfess that I’m still out of sorts when it comes to running in my new neighborhood.
I think I have a pretty good route for a 3-mile run that I can squeeze in before work. I also have another 3-4 mile route that works well and takes me towards Forbidden Drive, but the hill on the way back is torture!
We’ve had a few long runs on the weekends and each one has been an adventure, some better than others, and most of them leading to arguments of which way to turn. I am loving that I have so many options to explore, but it does get a little bit overwhelming at times.
I guess you can just say I’m a little impatient…I can’t wait to have my go-to running routes!
All the Hills Are Intimidating Me
My old neighborhood was near Kelly Drive, the popular running trail that is super flat and easy to run on. Now, I’m living in the land of the hills. It’s been a real adjustment realizing that my running regularly involves hills, whether I want it to or not. It’s not a bad thing, but it’s a little scary!
I’m starting training for the Philly Marathon next week, and Coach Kristy has revealed my first 3 weeks of the plan. Guess what? The focus is hills, hills, and more hills. I’m excited to get back in real training mode, but in the back of my mind, I wonder if my body will be able to handle it all.
I know in due time, I’ll be loving the hills and they will be second nature…but I’m not there yet!
Running In the Humidity Makes Me Feel Absolutely Disgusting
Smiling despite feeling pretty grossWe’ve been going through a ridiculous heat wave in Philadelphia, and while the 90+ degree temperature is tough, the humidity makes things SO much worse.
Most of my runs have been in at least 70% humidity, even first thing in the morning. There’s no escaping it!
We went for a long run a couple of weeks ago. By the end I was SO wet, it really looked like I had an accident. Sweat was dripping down my legs. My tank top was clinging to me. It was so embarrassing walking past people as we walked home!
My Squats and Planks Goals Have Been a Failure
At the beginning of the month, I set a goal to do squats and planks daily. I’ve been doing planks every couple of days or so, but I’ve barely done any squats.
I don’t know what it is, but every time I do a 1-minute plank, I’m shaking. It’s a real struggle. Every time. I NEVER had this problem before. I don’t know how I let my core get so weak! It’s frustrating because it hasn’t gotten any easier.
I enjoy squats, but I simply don’t make the time for them. I need to do them first thing in the morning! Kim has been motivating us to get it together on Instagram, but I have to runfess that I’ve been a huge slacker!
There Has Been Some Nice Eye Candy While On the Run
While on the run these past few weeks in my new neighborhood I’ve seen a couple of muscly, shirtless guys out there. Yeah, I looked! 😛
What runfessions are you willing to share?
Ok the heat seems to be getting to many of us. And we all resort to eye candy apparently. Haha! I’m such a flatlander I’d be SO intimidated (or injured) by all those hills. Enjoy discovering those new running routes that are out there waiting for you! Thanks for linking!
I love that so many of us had to mention some eye candy, lol! Thanks, Marcia, this is one of my favorite linkups!
I didn’t start running in my neighborhood until last October, and it took me even 6 months to start using the fitness room at my complex. Now I’m itching to run outside again, but there’s not much shade, so I have to go to a different neighborhood.
Thankfully the trail near me is SO shady, otherwise I’d really be cooking out in the sun! Hopefully things will cool down soon!
I’m so with you on the weather – I am OVER it! I am hoping that next week will be better.
I also fear hills but they will make you a stronger runne r(so I’ve been told, lol)
So over it, lol! I keep hearing the hills will make me stronger…only time will tell, I guess!
I’m sure you will be thankful for all that hill training come race day!
I certainly hope it works out that way!!
I HATE hills and that’s all my neighborhood is composed of. Each time I climb up one I keep telling myself how good it is for me. But I still HATE them.
LOL so it doesn’t get better? Oh no!
You’re so funny. I also went from flat-land to running all the hills in my new neighborhood. You get used to it. Kinda. And similarly, my coach has me running hills for training. But I always run on hills!! Not that I’m complaining because it will only make us stronger, right? 🙂
Have a great weekend!
I can’t wait for hills to become second-nature but I am NOWHERE NEAR that point, haha! I can’t wait to start seeing the positive results of all these damn hills, haha!
Oh, Janelle. Where I live (95+ humidity) I make a huge, disgusting puddle of sweat on the floor as soon as I enter my kitchen after a run. You get used to it. It is truly amazing how much liquid your body can get rid of that way! It sounds like you’ve got the perfect place to do the hill training on your plan.
The puddle was so bad this week my feet were wrinkled, I really couldn’t believe it LOL! It’s funny, if I hadn’t moved my neighborhood, I’d really be struggling to find all the hills that I need to train on!
We share a runfession – I set a goal to do a 30-day plank, squat, push-up, and ab challenge as well and failed at all four! Oh well, there’s always August. 😉 Good luck with your Philadelphia training!
Yes, now we can start over in August, lol! I probably should add on pushups and more ab work too! Thanks a lot, Laura!
My neighborhood is the same way – can’t go a mile without encountering a hill. Just keep telling yourself that all of those neighborhood hills will pay off in Philly!
I need a mantra to say when I climb each hill…LOL!
ooooh, eye candy on your new running routes? Maybe I should visit you? :p
But I need to stop slacking on running, don’t I?
Haha, yes, come visit!! There are at least 2 guys, LOL!
This summer has been super challenging for running, but we’re getting a break for a few days finally. This week’s run felt much better than last week’s (but I’m not training for a marathon!).
It takes a loooooog time to feel settled in a new home. Like, years. We’ve lived here 7 yrs, btw.
My ST was not stellar this week. It’s just the way the week went, and it happens. I do recommend Iron Strength — the whole routine is ridiculous and long, but the abbreviated one packs a lot into 20 minutes.
We’re out of the downtown area and much closer to the suburbs, so there’s so much to see and do and it gets overwhelming! Hopefully we’ll get a good routine at least going soon, if we’re still not totally settled for a long while!
I’ll have to look into Iron Strength. I can never stick with DVD’s though…I get so lazy!
Those hills will make you so strong!!
I still don’t believe it’ll happen, lol!
LOL at the eye candy. We saw a guy out today who may have thought he was all that, but he wasn’t. 😉 I had to change my shirt before I could drive home today. Luckily I had a spare t-shirt otherwise I would have driven home in just my bra – so gross!
Coco, that’s hilarious! I think the guys I saw were at least humble, LOL! I definitely need to make sure I have extra shirts to change into with this weather!
lol at the eye candy! I can’t do fitness challenges. For this reason. I’d rather just incorporate planks and squats into a full workout instead of isolating the exercise. Maybe that’s just me. You’ll get settled into running in the new neighborhood soon enough!! At least the hills are practice!
I think I”m going to focus on getting them done after my runs so at least I know I’ll hit those 3 days a week. I am doing better of remember to plank before I go to bed at least! And yes, the hills are definitely giving me TONS of practice, haha! They just changed the marathon course so there are much hillier portions, lucky me!
The best part of feeling gross after running is a Nice cool shower. Best.feeling.ever.