Happy Patriots’ Day/Marathon Monday! I have to admit, listening to all the local commercials for the Boston Marathon and hearing a variety of runners share their “why”–what they’re running for, what charity they are supporting, etc, has been inspiring. It’s also left me feeling a little inferior while training for a mere HALF marathon. But I am glad there is such a thing! It’s definitely more accessible to the average, busy mom who doesn’t have ample training time at her fingertips. (Me!)

During week 7, I logged about 22 miles of running for the week spread over 45-minute, 60-minute, 30-minute, and 75-minute runs. It was a great week weather-wise and I felt really good overall. Since ditching the weighted vest for my runs, the training has gone smoother. I’ve noticed more gains and just felt stronger overall. This could also be due to the training work finally “kicking in.” I do love the weighted vest for walking and increasing strength in other areas–it’s especially good for women as it helps mitigate bone density loss as we age. But for running? It just wasn’t working for me. You can read my previous posts if you want to know more about that.

Last week I mentioned wanting to figure out my plan for pre-run fuel. I have been an early morning workout person for years. I get up, workout, THEN get ready for my day and have a little post-workout-something. Lately it’s been a protein shake made with raw milk and chocolate protein powder. It’s worked for me; or so I thought. The truth is, I am often starving by the mid-morning which can either lead to over-snacking or undereating if I’m really busy and then my attitude plummets along with my blood sugar and it just isn’t good for anyone. I also wanted to have a plan to eat something before my longer runs that would sustain me, so that’s what I’ve been practicing. I’ve read that bagels are a popular choice for runners but as someone who bakes all her own bread products, bagels are not always at the ready around here. Instead, I’ve been making overnight muesli and loving it. I take a pint-sized mason jar and put in about 1/3 cup of oats, some flaxseed, chia seeds, coconut, a little brown sugar, and some diced apple. I top it off with milk and stick it in the fridge overnight. In the morning it’s ready for me to enjoy right when I get up. I noticed a big difference in my workouts this week. I ate the muesli before my 45 and 60 minute runs and then didn’t have anything before a bootcamp on the bike and my 30 minute run and I really noticed a lack of energy during those workouts. I also noticed it staved off mid-day hunger when I started the day with fuel before a workout. (I still have my protein shake after.) I think this is going to be my new routine for all my workouts. But I’m curious about what works for others as far as pre-run or pre-workout snacks? If I get bored of this, how should I mix it up? In the past before a long run, I’d have half a banana but I’m really not a huge fan of bananas in general so I would just choke it down. But maybe if I mix it with oatmeal? Let me know what you do!

As far as mid-run fuel goes, I’ve gotten pretty good at sipping water from a small bottle I bring with me, and sucking down an energy gel. I love these gu packets from Amazon and am especially partial to the raspberry lemonade flavor. If you’re a runner, I’d love to know what you prefer for in-run energy!

Week 8 is the big one. Essentially the climax of the training, week 8 ends with a 2-hour run and I’ll be targeting around 12 miles for that one. At the beginning of my training I said I hoped to complete the half-marathon in about two hours. That has become more like a dream than a hard goal. I’ve stated before that I’m not fast (obviously) and this is my first ever big race. I’ve never even seriously run a 5k or 10k race. And all of the coaching I’ve had through this process has stressed letting go of time goals if it’s your first race. “Just complete it and enjoy it.” So that has become the goal. I know the race course is much less hilly than my neighborhood where I train so I have some hope that I’ll achieve a faster time than I’m used to. But I also know that race-day jitters are real and that can also impact my time. So for now, I plan to just complete the race and enjoy it. My husband and kids have finished my playlist and they are so excited for me to hear it on race day. (I am too!) This week is going to be crazy as it’s my son’s birthday, I have a homeschool convention, and the 2-hour run to prepare for. If I survive this week, I know I can crush the actual race.

Meanwhile, enjoy some pictures from our week and Easter weekend! The spring weather brought us outdoors for school to collect pond water and study it under the microscope. We delighted in seeing tiny micro-organisms look like monsters as they zoomed across the petri dish! My oldest likes to hold painting classes for her siblings in her bedroom and the boys and I had a fun game night one night when both girls were away for the night. If you’ve never seen the 2014 documentary “Fed Up”, I highly recommend it. I had my oldest two watch it and write a paper on it for school. We’d already been on a journey to limit added sugar and make more things from scratch but this film really solidified some of our ideas. So in that same vein, I made Easter candy at home–peanut butter protein “eggs” and homemade peppermint patties. Of course, they got some traditional favorites during their egg hunt. Easter weekend was a large order weekend for my cottage bakery and a successful one! I also have pictured one of my favorite methods of recovery: an epsom salt bubble bath.