Long Run in Germantown, OH

I'm in Ohio for one of my very best friend's wedding this weekend! I'm so beyond excited and blessed to be apart of this day. I stayed with my grandma and got up this morning for my long run in old, historic Germantown. I got up at 6 while the hubby slept in. No, I'm not jealous at all! Anyway, I got to Germantown and headed out for my run.  The weather was absolutely perfect. Low 60's and lots of sunshine! Most of the buildings are from the 1800's. Germantown also has a lot of parks, nature reserves, and farmland. 

Enjoy some pictures of my route! 

Overall, I felt great! My legs felt peppy an I just felt relaxed. I truly enjoyed every minute of my run. 

Now, time to see my sweet great grandma and then head on over to the wedding venue to help set up for the rehearsal dinner! Gosh, have I told you yet how excite I am?! 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend with your training runs! 

Leah B. 

New Shoes: Mizuno Wave Inspire

Getting new shoes is always a treat for any run runner and I can happily say that I got to run in new shoes today! I've had the Mizuno Wave Rider for 3 shoes in a row and I needed a change and a little more support. I actually got the Wave Inspire which is a stability shoe. They have just enough cushion and aren't big and bulky at all. 

Aren't they cute? Not that it matters, of course! 

I headed out to the park for a quick run. It was already ridiculously hot by 8:00 am but I felt nice and rested so I pushed it a little. 

5.5 miles with an average 7:55 min/mile. I had a faster pace for the first 3 or 4 miles and I slowed down for the last bit. Did I mention how hot it is? 

After I was done, I was working on Instagram as I was sitting drinking my Nuun. I was drenched in sweat and bent over and this lady stopped and said, "Honey, are you okay?"  I assured her I was fine and she replied, "Okay, good. Just making sure you aren't having a heat stroke."  That made me laugh! I almost joked with her and said yes but she was elderly and I didn't want to worry her. 

I hope you all are having a great week! Run happy my friends,

Leah B. 

12 Miles in Nashville

Twelve miles was on the schedule for today so I set my alarm for early this morning. The weather had a different idea. 100% chance for storms for hours. I was begging the weather, "Please don't make me run on the dreadmill. Please?!".

I went back to bed and got up later, had coffee, and waffles with maple almond butter (yummmm), and headed out the door while there was a break in the rain. 

The temperature at the park wasn't too hot but it was insanely humid! I took my time and started trudging forward. Luckily, I filled up my water bottle with some delicious, fizzy Nuun to keep me hydrated with electrolytes. 

I started out very sore because I had done speed work a couple days ago and ran yesterday as well. I probably should've taken a rest break! A couple miles in, I loosened up a bit. I finally finished my 12 miles and I was absolutely drenched! I was just happy to be done and I felt decent. 

It wasn't my fastest time but I can tell you one thing... I worked hard!! 

Did you guys do a long run this weekend? 

Leah B. 

RC Cola & Moon Pie 10 Mile Race

I was searching for local races in the Nashville area and found one put on by Nashville Striders called the RC Cola & Moon Pie Festival 10 Mile Race.  The race was June 15 and that meant I only had 2 weeks to train.  My mileage was already up.  About 3 weeks prior to the race I ran a 12 miler and I ran 10 miles twice before the race.  The race is described as very hilly and usually very hot.  I knew I would finish the race but I didn't know what kind of pace I could keep because of the hot, southern heat and all those hills!  Luckily, since moving to Nashville, I have tried to acclimate to the heat and my usual running route is pretty hilly.
 
The race was in historic Bell Buckle, TN.  It's such a cute, old, little town.

I got up at 4:00 a.m. before the race.  I had coffee, ate breakfast, and was out the door by 5:00.  I was in Bell Buckle in an hour and the race started at 7:00 a.m. 
 
The temperature was high 60's at the start but it warmed up fast.  The route was, like described, very hilly!  Here's the breakdown...
 
Mile 1:  7:34
Mile 2:  7:37
Mile 3:  7:53
Mile 4:  7:47
Mile 5:  8:26  <--this big="" font="" had="" hill.="" mile="" the="">
Mile 6:  7:30
Mile 7:  7:28
Mile 8:  7:45
Mile 9:  7:48
Mile 10:  7:31
0.05:  7:31
 
Results by age group (I was 4th in my age group):  Results

 

As you can see, my average pace was 7:44 min/mile.  I wish I hadn't had that one slower 8:26 min/mile!  My pace would've been much better.  Oh well, I'm still happy with it! 

Did they have RC Cola and Moon Pies for the runners afterwards?  Yes.  Did I eat any?  No way!  I did, however,  have a popsicle, some orange juice, lots of water, and a protein shake.  It was a great race and I had fun!

Happy Running my friends!

Leah B.

Hi again.

Hi there!

Well, it seems that it's been over two years since I've written!  I was looking back at some of my last few posts and I'm shocked to see the growth and improvement I've seen in my running!  I've run three full marathons since my last post (5 total), a few half marathons, and other shorter races.  I've also been doing a lot of trail running.  I have several PRs under my belt and I am more addicted and in love with running than ever! 

So, here's where I stand now.  I'm training for the Wineglass Marathon October 6 in Corning, NY.  My husband is running the half and my sweet friend, Taryn and future husband will be running the full with me.  I'm so excited about it!  I follow a 16 week plan so that means I'm in the beginning of my training already!  This past weekend, we were in Ohio for a visit.  (We live in Nashville as of now and only for the next couple weeks.)  Taryn and I ran 12.7 miles with the awesome Up and Running group.  The weather was really nice and such a great break from the southern heat!  We kept a nice and easy pace.

 



Afterwards, we went to Boston Stoker for some delicious coffee and oatmeal.  I'm really so lucky to have such a wonderful friend and running buddy!  Taryn is getting married in a little over a week and I'm so blessed to be standing next to her.

I hope you all are doing well and running happy!

Leah B.

Columbus 10K!

June 12 was my 24th birthday!  To celebrate Jerry and I ran the Columbus 10K!  The weather couldn't have been any better.  It was about 70 degrees and it was overcast for part of the race.  I was so hyped up and excited for this race.  Not to mention I just love my birthday and I love running so it was the perfect day for me! 

This is right before the start.

The start was at COSI which is a kids science museum so for the start they blew up a big balloon until it popped.  And...we're off!  During the first part of the race I was talking to a girl about the course because she told me she had run this race 4 times.  She said the hill at the beginning was the only one and it was down hill for the last two miles.  Let me tell you, she lied!  There were lots of hills and I felt every bit of them because I was pushing my pace.  The course was absolutely beautiful!  Downtown Columbus is really pretty and a lot of it was in the shade.  We finished off the last couple miles on the bike trail.

My goal for this race was to keep about an 8:00-8:15 min/mile and I ended up doing better than I thought!  I ended up re-evaluating my goal when I felt comfortable running less than 8:00 min/mile.  I ended up keeping an average 7:43 min/mile and finishing in 47:53.  Definitely a PR for me! 

After I finished, I grabbed my camera and waited on my hubby.  This was Jerry's first race and I'm so proud of him!  He trained hard and did even better than he thought he would.  Here he is coming up on the finish.

...and there he goes finishing in 1:06!  He said he felt great the whole time and loved the race.

Here's some pics from after the finish.

They served pancakes after the race so Jerry and I grabbed some and sat down during awards.  They were calling the women's 20-24 age group, and surprise!  In 4th place came my name.  Whoa, I wasn't expecting that!  I got a water bottle and a glass that said, "age group hero".  It was a great surprise!

It was the best birthday!  I'm really excited about doing more 5 and 10K races this summer and seeing what I can do with some shorter races.  What are your upcoming races?  I hope you all are enjoying your summer!

Leah B.

Where is Spring?

Where is spring and when am I going to get used to this Ohio weather?  43 degrees in May is ridiculous!  I hope you are having better weather than me! All I see is clouds, rain, and cold.  I begged God for fall weather when I was living in south Alabama.  I couldn't wait for the weather to cool off and now I wonderer why I would ever want that!  Give me 95 degrees back.

Today, I convinced Jerry to run a new loop with me that I discovered the other day. I really didn't think it was as long as it actually was but Jerry was a trouper!  He finished 3.5 miles and I'm so proud!  I ran one more mile by myself.  It felt so good to let loose and push my pace!  Jerry's goal is to do the Air Force Half in September and I know he'll do great.

Yesterday I was shopping at Kohl's and found us new running outfits.  I bought my hubby some Nike running shorts and a shirt. 

And, I bought myself this outfit.  Isn't it cute?  It's called Tek Gear.  The top was $13 and the bottoms $11.  I love my Nike and Under Armor but I also love a good sale!  

Happy Running!
Leah B.