Classic Quadracool: Running, Food, Dogs

July was a big deal for me. I ran my first ultra. I also happen to win(??).

It was actually just meant to be a training run of sorts for Woodstock 50. But the field was small and I felt good so magical things happened.

The rest of July whooshed by as I racked up the miles.

Considering my biggest monthly total last year was 143, I feel pretty good about things. All these miles were OUTSIDE. IN GEORGIA. IN JULY.

Last year, I swore I would never train for an early fall marathon again. And it was at least 15° cooler all summer last year. The workaround is that I'm training for an ultra, not a marathon. Makes perfect sense right?

I suppose I'm as acclimated as I'll ever be to this stupid heat. My sink pretty much looks like this every day.

Random tidbit: I hated the weird, salty, non-sweet taste of Nuun when I tried it a few years again, but it's been my go to for the past 7ish months. The stomach cramps and post-run headaches after long summer runs have pretty much dissipated. Score!

Some of my runs have been well-documented on the FB. Run-hiking (riking) has been a great way to log miles, hills, trails, and scenery all in one run. I am lucky to live just shy of an hour away from the start of the Appalachian Trail and am just getting started in exploring.

It's beautiful...

Hilly...

Tough...

Leaves me happy...

And exhausted...

I see a few hikers every couple of miles, but I imagine this will lessen as we head into winter. Safety in numbers aside, I enjoy the solitude of the single-track trail. I eat snacks when I want. I peer at weird mushrooms. I think about how there is truly not a dollar figure that would make me want to give up the ability to go out and do this.

When I'm not being wooed by the woods, I am ticking off the miles on the Greenway. Sometimes in the morning. Sometimes at night. It's hot and muggy all the time anyway. A good majority of my runs are unremarkable.

Just little stepping stones on this journey. Ever since I started logging my miles in Strava, creating titles for my runs have taken up at least 25% of my boring head conversations. Creating these titles is a far less taxing task than creating bloops while running. Just sayin'...

I'm feeling (mostly) oddly good while tackling this training.

And on bad days, partying with my minion seems to make things a little brighter.

I have been drinking a protein smoothie post-run all summer and I think it's helping me recover faster.

And though I do eat lots of fun, fatty foods (re: nachos, pizza, cheeseburgers), I do also happen to love summer fruits and veggies too.

And lots and lots of rest. I ended up taking today off completely though I was contemplating a 10-miler. My body temp has been a little weird since Friday night and I'd rather just not prolong any funkiness. Only 2-3 more long runs before the big dance and I want to feel as healthy as I can going into this. So rest it is.