A college student taking in the world around her. Becoming the person I want to be and offering advice, my experiences, and random thoughts with those who are interested. ~Started December 3rd, 2018~
The other night I was in downtown Seattle with Alex’s family and had to stop to capture this beautiful sunset.
Here’s a little background on today Downtown: We met up with Alex’s family in the afternoon to go sailing and then headed to dinner to celebrate birthdays. Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up with the busyness of everyday life, but it’s important to enjoy the little things, just like this sunset!
Here is a little background on the photos below: We rented a beach house right with a 1 minute walk down a trail to get to the beach.
The time on vacation was spent hanging out with family, relaxing, exploring the beach, and for me: running on the beach!
The beach was beautiful when we went, most of the days we were there it was sunny and warm. Going down to explore the beach was something that never got old where we were there.
Another thing to note about the beach was the amazing sunsets we were able to watch. I didn’t get many photos of these, but they were beautiful. Full of orange, pink, purple, and every color in between.
I can’t remember the last time I had been around a real fire. With the burn bans normally in place when we go camping, it has probably been 3-5 years since sitting around a real fire. I forgot how warm and inviting they are. Waking up the next morning with my hair and clothes smelling like smoke was a great feeling.
This was the first time where we opted out of camping in Winthrop and switched it up with a beach house in Oregon. It was a bittersweet change. It was really nice having a bed to sleep on and a private bathroom down the hall. The one thing I did miss from camping was being forced to unplug from technology, as at the campground there is no service.
I think that unplugging from the world and just being surrounded by nature is a good reminder of what is important in life and what you can go without. Most for the time at the beach house, I would look around and everyone was either watching TV, on their phone, or IPad. This is something I was guilty of too, but I wish I would have taken more time to unplug and be with those most important in my life.
This run was another route I decided to run backwards. I started off running around campus and quickly decided to do a little trail running and get a hill workout in. I haven’t done this type of training in awhile, I was able to gain over 500 feet in elevation.
As I was running through Sehome Arboretum, I ended up twisting my ankle on a root. I finished off my run, but am hoping I didn’t injure myself. I made sure, once I got back, to rest, elevate, and ice it. I’m hoping tomorrow it won’t be too sore. I want to try and get a long run in either tomorrow or the day after (depending on how the ankle is feeling). Only time will tell!
I’m aiming to get a 4.5 or 5 mile run in. Right now I seem to be capping out around 3.1, which is awesome but I think it would be good to push myself to start running longer distances again.
I’m mad at myself for rolling my ankle yesterday in the arb. It felt okay yesterday, but today not to much. I think I internally bruised it and will need to let it heal before running on it again. This feels like a setback, as I have been so motivated the past couple weeks to run and push myself to run longer distances. Hoping this little injury doesn’t put me too far behind!
My ankle is still sore, so I opted in for a ab session today instead of running.
Okay, can my ankle be healed already?!?! I’m starting to get antsy, but I know I need to be patient and let I heal so I don’t injure it more.
Today was a moving day. My family helped move my grandma into a 24 hour care facility. I spent the day packing up her stuff and helping move it to her new home. As the day drew on, I couldn’t help but notice how sore my ankle was. I’m hoping this heals soon, as I want to start running again!
This week is not going too well with running. I am really regretting rolling my ankle on Monday! I am going to let it rest for the remainder of the weekend and try to do a short run on Monday to test out how it is feeling.
I opted in for a quick ab session tonight. I decided to try that app again that does a fully body workout. I decided to go for 20 minutes instead of 10 and I could definitely feel the burn! I really liked this workout and will need to keep it in mind for the future.
What really sparked my interest in writing this post was rolling my ankle earlier today while trail running through Sehome Arboretum. Feel free to read about that post here.
One thing that is super important after any type of physical exercise is the recovery you implement afterwards. To be honest, I wasn’t very good about this and of course suffered the consequences the next day of really stiff and sore muscles. Recently, I have been trying to change this and really put as much focus into stretching, eating, and recovering as I do when I’m running. I started to do a lot more research on how to take care of my body and wanted to share some of that here, not only as advice but also as a good reminder for me.
One of the major things I notice when running long distances is the runner’s trots. If you aren’t familiar with this, then count yourself lucky. For me, running messes up my stomach to the point where I would be sitting in the bathroom 30 minutes after my run shitting my guts out (sorry for the gross image). I did some research on this and found out that:
A post run drink I have tried as part of my recovery process include chocolate milk. Chocolate milk is supposed to be really good for you after a run. It helps replenish the sugars your muscles lose during running and it restores your muscles so they are ready for your next workout. Between this and stretching, I have noticed a significant difference in the soreness of my muscles the next day after a long run.
These are just a few diet changes I have made and seen results from in the past couple of weeks!
This is something I never took too seriously. I knew I should be stretching, but it wasn’t until running longer distances again where I really started to notice the need for this. To fix the sore muscles I was feeling the next day after running, I made sure to not only stretch, but also include a cool down at the end of my run.
Right after finishing my runs, I don’t immediately stop and start stretching. Instead, I make sure to do a slow jog that eventually leads into a walk. By doing this I can really feel where my muscles are hurting and try to focus on those areas when stretching.
After this, I set aside 10-15 minutes of static stretching. This is mainly for calves, thighs, hip flexors, and sometimes shins and arches depending on how they are feeling.
Since making these changes, I have noticed a change in how I feel the next morning after my long runs. I no longer feel stiff and am able to run the next day. Who knew these simple changes could make such a difference in how you are feeling the next day!
I feel like I’ve taken a new approach to running during late August and most of September (maybe because of all the free time I have without classes?). I have been slowing down my pace by not trying to race myself and I’ve made sure to take care of my body both before and after my runs. This has had a huge impact on my motivation to continue to run and push myself to longer distances and higher elevation gains.
Oops… I was just going through my drafts of posts and stumbled upon this unfinished hike write up. It is now September 9th, and I am finally going to update this and get it posted ASAP!
This hike was almost two and a half months ago, but I still remember most of it and I have the pictures to prove it!
This hike is in the Chuckanuts in Bellingham, WA. The first mile and a half (or so) of this hike was the same as the Pine and Cedar Lakes Hike we did last summer in 2018. The incline within this first mile was crazy and got the blood pumping and leg muscles burning. Both Alex and I were panting and sweating as we climbed this first part of the trial.
After the first part of the hike, as this photo above is illustrating, the rest was enjoyable as we made our way to the top of the look out. Below is a photo of the small rock stairs we had to climb up as we got closer to the outlook:
Here are a few photos of the top. Here Alex and I stopped for a quick snack. As we sat there, we saw a few bald eagles soaring about the tree- hence the name of the hike “Raptor Ridge”. I wasn’t able to get good photos of them, as they were too far away, but it was really cool to watch them soar above the trees.
This hike was a lot fun once we got past the steep incline in the beginning. The outlook was beautiful and seeing the eagles was a treat. As I sit here and reminisce about this hike, it makes me wish we got more hiking in this summer. Alex and I both started new jobs and trying to coordinate what we are going to do on the weekends seems very challenging this summer. Hopefully next spring and summer we are able to get to do some new hikes!
We are finally back! After taking a week off to let me ankle heal I was able to get a run in today. It took me awhile to warm up and get into a comfortable running pace, but once I did I didn’t want to stop running!
I made sure not to over do this run, as I want to make sure I give my body time to get back into running and make sure my ankle is fully healed.
All day today I have felt lethargic and unmotivated to do anything. This included while on my run. While I was able to get a 5k in, it felt like it took forever and drug on. I was able to push myself to get to 3 miles, but I wish I felt more drive to get to 4 or 4.5 miles.
Today was so long! We got back from Leavenworth, then headed back out again to go sailing with Alex’s side of the family. I got back up to Bellingham around 10pm and went straight to bed. I’m excited to start up running again this week!
I got back from work and had a hard decision to make: run Lake Padden, or run my Fairhaven route. I opted for the Fairhaven run. It was a little harder than I remembered. The hills killed my legs!
I got another run in this week! I’m excited that I’ve been able to get two runs complete two days in a row. It feels good getting out and enjoying the sunshine before fall hits and the weather starts to cool off. I have started to notice the fallen leaves on the ground… are we really that close to fall?!? I’m hoping we get a little more sun before the weather change.
Today was a Lake Padden running day! I ran the usual route backwards. It’s interesting how new the route seemed, even though I’ve ran it so many times. I’m going to have to try this with some of my other routes to switch it up a bit.
Alex came up for the weekend and we ended up walking over 3 miles around campus. Although this isn’t as tiring as a run, I still thought it was good we got out for a bit and enjoyed the fresh air.
I used one of the various workout apps I have downloaded to do a 10 minute full body workout. This targeted my arms, abs, and legs. 10 minutes was a good starting point for these exercises, but I think 15 or 20 minutes would have been better. Something to keep in mind next time I use this workout!
I am proud of what I have done throughout the month of August. I have gotten more running in than I have the past couple of months and I feel a lot healthier and confident because of it. I have recently had a lot more time on my hands with classes being out and working a part time job. While I am sure all of this has helped in my motivation to run, I believe my mindset has also played a role in this.
Towards the end of August I got back into running longer distances. As I started running a consistent 3 or more miles, I stopped worrying about my mile time. It finally dawned on me that every time I would go for a run I felt like I needed to race myself. I think this comes from my cross country and track background in high school. I finally stopped worrying about how long a run was taking me and instead am learning to enjoy the freedom of being outdoors in the sunshine, slowing down when I need to, and pushing myself to go longer distances at a longer pace.
Taking the pressure off myself makes me excited to go for a run and find new routes to take. I am continuing to enjoy all the running I am able to do outside and am already starting to dread the treadmill running that I know is around the corner as fall approaches.
Before laying out my goals for September, I want to take some time and reflect on the goals I set for myself for August. As a refresher, here were my goals for August: sign up for a race, run at least one four mile run a week, and keep arms toned at the gym.
Alright, signing up for a race did NOT happen! I looked into quite a few, but couldn’t believe how expensive they are!! Right now, I do not have an extra $50-$60 to drop on a race… Maybe once I have a more solid income this will change. Towards the end of August I was getting 3.5 to 4 miles in. Finally, keeping my arms toned at the gym was a hard one to accomplish due to the fact that the cyst on my wrist came back and was actually starting to cause me some pain. Instead, I tried to incorporate some ab workouts that would also work on my arms (like planks and mountain climbers).
As I look back on my goals for August, most of them did not get accomplished until the end of the month. I am hoping this changes in September! I want to start working towards my goals right away. With this being said, here are my September goals:
September was a good month for working out. Week 37 was a little on the lazy side with four rest days, but other than that I am happy with the work I put in this month!
Today was the first time in awhile where a runners high kicked in and I couldn’t help but keep running. My route was a little wonky as I would get closer to home and then detour not wanting my run to end. This happened a few times until the last hill got me and I realized how tired my legs were.
Did another loop around campus today. My legs are still sore and tired from Monday’s run, but it felt good to get another run in for the week!
I came home to Seattle and got to do an old running route around my neighborhood. This route seemed a lot easier than I remember, maybe I’m just more conditioned than I was the last time I ran it.
Later today Alex and I are heading over to Leavenworth to meet up with his siblings to celebrate birthdays! Glad I got a run in, as I’m sure there won’t be a lot of time to go running this weekend.
We are spending the weekend in Leavenworth and decided to do a bike around town and winery tour. We hit up a few wineries, but in between was filled with sweating and biking to get to the next location! Definitely a fun way to scoot around town and get a good leg workout in!
We spent the day drinking and exploring Leavenworth!
Oops.. it looks like vacation got the better of me! I’m in need of a run again. I’ve been sick the last couple of days, so I’m hoping tomorrow I will be feeling good enough to get a run in!
I would have thought I’d be dreading going back up to campus during my summer break. I surprised myself and ran through campus to see what was up. Everything seemed to be the same and the track was empty, so of course I was able to get an extra mile in around the track to prolong my mileage.
I decided to run Lake Padden today! I forgot how much I love this course. The hills seemed a lot easier now that I’ve been training on a more consistent schedule. I will have to remember this run more often as the school year draws nearer.
My Not-So-Secret Diary 