Running Form Fitness

Well… this is definitely not where I wanted to be. Back to Remicade.

I really thought I had figured this autoimmune thing out, but it turns out I haven’t. Anyone who knows me knows I’m not a fan of pharmaceuticals, so this wasn’t a decision I made lightly. But sometimes taking care of yourself means being willing to change course, even when it’s not the path you hoped to take.

Life really is a rollercoaster, and this past year has definitely had its share of lows. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the lows don’t last forever… and neither do the highs. Maybe the real power is learning to embrace the ride, find the beauty in every season, and keep moving forward.

And today, there was so much beauty. 💗 I got to start the morning with an early birthday run with some of my favorite women. No matter how hard life gets, it’s pretty incredible when you get to do it surrounded by people who love you, lift you up, and remind you how good life still is.

So here’s to turning the page, trusting the process, and kicking off 46 surrounded by some of the very best. 🥳💕

Good luck to everyone running the Sydney Marathon!! 🇦🇺🏃‍♀️✨

Enjoy every step and stay in the mile you’re in! Don’t get too caught up in your pace. With all the rollers and out-and-backs, let the course come to you and run by effort.

Take it all in, soak up the energy, and remember how lucky you are to be out there doing something you love. It’s such a beautiful, amazing course, and any day you get to run a marathon is a GOOD day!!

Have the best race!! Go get it! 💕

Loved running with these girls this morning!! 🥰 It was EARLY, but somehow still upper 70s and humid… for Utah! 🥵😂

I decided to cut the long run back a little this week because my tendon hasn’t been super happy. I really want to give it a chance to settle down so I can hit next week hard before the taper starts!

Mentally, cutting a run short is always a struggle for me, especially this close to race day. But sometimes the smart choice is more important than the satisfying one, and I really think it was the right call today.

Can’t say I felt amazing, but I definitely had an amazing time running with these girls! 💕 Kristenorgill Bree Thorpe Paige Nelson

One more big week, then TAPER TIME!! 🙌🏼

Another workout in the books! Felt pretty good considering everything I’ve got going on right now, so I’ll definitely take it. 🙌

5 x 1.5 miles with 1/2 mile recovery between each rep. Started at 6:23 pace and worked my way down to 6:00 pace by the last one. It was definitely hard, but the good kind of hard where you finish feeling like you got exactly what you needed out of it.

Just trying to keep stacking solid days, taking what my body gives me, and trusting that it’s all going to come together. 💪

How’s your week going so far?!

21 moderate miles with a few marathon-effort miles to finish it off. In 80 degrees 🥵🏃‍♀️💪🏼 Huge thank you to Bree Thorpe and Tara for jumping in for part of it, because 22 miles alone just isn’t nearly as fun! 🩷

I’ll be honest, I’m starting to feel a little nervous about race day. Fitness-wise, I feel like I’m where I need to be to chase my goal. But right now, every time I fuel I’m running for a bathroom, and my tendon is still hurting, especially toward the end of these long runs.

It’s frustrating to feel fit enough while also dealing with things that are mostly out of my control. I’ve worked so hard for this, and I’m just praying my body cooperates and somehow everything comes together on race day. 🙏🏼🤞🏼

Just a few more weeks of build!!

First day of 6th grade for this cute girl! And the end of an era! I’ve had someone at traverse mountain elementary since it opened!

Tempo Tuesday 💪🏼🏃🏼‍♀️

And dang, I felt tired today! I think everything going on with my body, combined with the craziness of getting everyone ready for back to school, is starting to take a toll. This is also about the point in every marathon build where I start questioning all of my life choices 😂

But we keep showing up.

Today’s workout:
2 mile warm up
3 x 2 miles at marathon effort, progressing from 6:40 ➡️ 6:15 pace, with a half-mile recovery jog between each set
Then 5 x 1 minute on/1 minute off at around 5:52 average pace

I may not always feel amazing going into a workout, but I almost always feel better when it’s done. 🙌🏼

The flare is still there. The tendon still nags. But honestly, I’m kind of sick of talking about both of them 😂 This training cycle has definitely been a tricky one, and it hasn’t looked the way I hoped it would.

But I’m still here. Still training. Still fighting for it.

Three more weeks of building before taper time. Hoping and praying that all of these imperfect days, tough workouts, and little victories come together when it matters most. 🤍🙏🏼

Another workout done, and this one was rough. 😅 Cardio-wise, I felt great, but my gut is definitely not happy right now.

I know it’s going to take some time to get this flare back under control, so until then, I’m just going to keep showing up and doing what I can. 🤍

2 mile warm-up
6 x 1 mile, progressively faster with .25 mile jog recoveries
Started at 6:27 pace and finished the last one at 5:54 🙌🏻
Cool-down to 11 miles total

Not every workout is going to feel good, but I’m grateful my body still lets me do hard things even when things aren’t perfect.

20 MILES!! And dang, I’m proud of this one! 🙌🏻 After the week I’ve had, just getting to the start of this run felt like a win.

The UC has been flaring in a BAD way, and I honestly wasn’t sure if 20 miles was going to happen today. Luckily, Cher Wallentine has been taking such good care of me with the IVs, and I’m crossing everything that things are finally starting to turn around. 🤞🏻

There were still a few potty stops along the way 😂, but we got it DONE!

20 miles total:
3-mile warm-up
7x progressive hard mile + float mile
Finished my LAST fast mile at 6:15! 🔥

But the best part of this run was the people beside me. I’m so grateful for these amazing women and the privilege of running through life with them. We’ve seen each other through some really great times and some really hard ones. They’ve listened to me vent, watched me struggle, celebrated the wins, and been there to wipe my tears more times than I can count.

Running gives me a lot, but these friendships might be one of the very best things it’s given me. ❤️