Last Week's Workouts and Weekly Wrap 12/19-12/25

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas weekend! It's been a good week of running! I only got in one cross training workout but that's better than nothing in a busy week of holiday activities and getting for our trip to Seattle.  

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Hiking Rockville Hills Regional Park

Last weekend my 7 year old had a hike planned at Rockville Hills Regional Park in Fairfield, CA with his Cub Scouts troop. With the cloudy days and rain we've had the week prior it was an awesome much needed outing for the fam. It was great to explore a new park with his troop.

Last Week's Workouts and Weekly Wrap 12/12-12/18

It's been another good week of running and workouts! The strength training workouts have been tough and have left my arms sore both times so it's been great working on muscles I haven't been using in a while. The run streak is still going strong so I'm happy about that. I can't believe that Christmas is already coming up next weekend! I'm excited to see my family for the holiday!

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Last Week's Workouts and Weekly Wrap 12/5-12/11

It's been another great week of running and workouts without any sort of plan. The run streak is going strong and I'm actually enjoying it. With it being December I've been thinking about races for next year. If you saw my post on IG, I even signed up for next year's marathon! :)

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Running on the Wall Race Bib and Medal Holder Review

I was provided the opportunity to receive this product without charge in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

As a runner that has run many races (I think I ran the most races this year, 15 and not even counting all the virtual runs I did), you accumulate medals. What to do with these medals? You can put them in a box or storage container or stuff them in a drawer and have them never see the light of day, or hang them from a shelf in your bedroom where no one can see, which is what I used to do with them, or you can display them. It is pretty cool to see all the medals that you have worked so hard for. When I was contacted by runningonthewall about reviewing one of their medal displays, I couldn't resist since I knew I needed another medal holder with all of the races I had run this year.

Last Week's Workouts and Weekly Wrap 11/28-12/4

Last week went pretty good. Another week of some good runs without any sort of plan and the Runner's World run streak is going well. Streaking hasn't been a struggle for me yet so I am happy about that. It is crazy that it is already December. I ended November with 112 miles. 

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Davis Turkey Trot 5K Race Recap 11/19/16

I ran my first Davis Turkey Trot a couple of weeks ago and it was a rainy but fun run. The best part of the race was running with my 7 year old! I am loving that he enjoys running. He has improved so much in the course of a year!

Last Week's Workouts and Weekly Wrap 11/21-11/27

It's been a great week off for the Kiddos for Thanksgiving break. I did catch up on some blogging and posted my recaps of Las Vegas for the 5K and half marathon. I got a bunch of runs in this week and I've decided I would give the Runner's World Run Streak a shot again this year. I attempted last year but could not finish due to a sick kiddo and Hubby out of town. Let's see if I can get it done this time! 

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Rock'n'Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon Race Recap 11/13/16

I fulfilled my bucket list race of running the Rock'n'Roll Las Vegas half marathon! Despite having some issues in the last mile that I will get to below, it was an awesome experience running the Las Vegas strip. The strip only closes twice a year, one being New Year's Eve and the other this race, so it is very cool to participate in this run. The strip at night was so fun and I am so glad that I was able to complete the remix challenge.

Rock'n'Roll Las Vegas 5K Race Recap

I was pretty excited to be running the Rock'n'Roll Las Vegas Remix Challenge. For those that don't know what that is it's running a total of two races, a 5K on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday. I was pretty psyched to to be running this challenge for the first time and in Vegas. I knew the Strip at night was going to be awesome! I was a bit worried about the runs being in the evening but it worked out ok, at least for the 5K.

Last Week's Workouts and Weekly Wrap 11/14-11/20

It was a pretty good week after last week's Las Vegas Remix Challenge. I took a couple of days off before running again. I was hoping to get some strength training in but the week was pretty busy with dentist appointments, helping at the kiddos bookfair. volunteering in their classes, and a stone soup celebration. Plus 7 year old had half day all week due to parent/teacher conferences. It was a packed week but at least I got some runs in. 

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Hiking Calico Tanks Trail at Red Rock Canyon

Las Vegas can be more than casinos, bright lights, buffets, and shows. There is also some awesome hiking nearby. Where is this awesome hiking spot? It's at Red Rock Canyon. It's about a 30-40 minute drive depending where you are on the Vegas Strip or about 40 minutes from Henderson (where my parents house is). We headed straight to Red Rock Canyon after our long drive from Davis since it was the best day before I'd be doing the Remix Challenge for Rock'n'Roll Las Vegas.

Neutral Runner? Check out my Mizuno Wave Rider 20 Shoe Review

This post is sponsored by Mizuno in partnership with Fitfluential. All opinions are my own.

Mizuno has come out with their 20th edition of its best selling shoe, the Wave Rider 20. I have tried Mizuno's once before, trying the Enigama 5's and thought they were a decent shoe to add to the rotation but they were heavier and I just did not stick with them. So when I was given the opportunity to try out these 20th Anniversary Wave Riders, I couldn't resist since I heard these were lighter weight shoes.

Hiking Stebbins Cold Canyon Blue Ridge Loop Trail

Now that AYSO soccer is over for the boys, we finally had a free Saturday. It had been a while since we hiked, so we figured we'd get one in with the fam again. We decided on hiking at Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve on the Blue Ridge Trail. I had done part of the trail before but never the full loop. It turned out to be another great family adventure.

Rock'n'Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon Training 11/7-11/13

What a great weekend! Las Vegas was so much fun! The whole fam came. We were able to do lots the two and a half days we were there, we even managed a hike. I am so glad I was able to make this trip. I am so thankful that I have such a supportive husband. The Rock'n'roll Las Vegas Remix Challenge was an awesome experience! Look out of for the recap later this week!

Here's what last weeks workouts looked like up to the Las Vegas Remix Challenge:

Stay warm with C2 Apparel - Product Review

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the C2 - Women's Elite Half Zip, Performance Crop pant, & Performance Tights for free from C2 in consideration for a gear review. All opinions are my own.

Fall is here and with fall comes cooler weather for most. The temps here in Northern California have started dropping below 50 overnight and into the mornings which means time to break out the long sleeves and tights for running on those days. When I was given the opportunity to try out some clothing from C2, I took it and am very happy with the apparel I received.

Rock'n'Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon Training 10/31-11/6

I can't believe Rock'N'Roll Las Vegas is this upcoming weekend! I'm getting excited to run the Strip at night! :) Training this week went really well. Not only did I get my first sub 8 minute mile during training but I also ran my fastest 5K. The fam also got to hike this weekend. It has been a great week.

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Fun Times at Treetop Adventure Park - Granlibakken Resort

When Hubby had his conference at Granlibakken Resort for work at the end of September the whole fam tagged along over the weekend. It was a great time since it is right by Lake Tahoe. The closest town is Tahoe City where we had time to explore the lake. However our favorite part of the weekend was checking out the Treetop Adventure Park.

Rock'n'Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon Training 10/24-10/30

Happy Halloween! It's been another good week of workouts. Fall is definitely here in Northern California. We have managed to get some good rain this week. The kiddos last soccer games were even cancelled due to soggy fields. My runs were decent and it's been nice to run in cloudier conditions. 

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Rock'n'Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon Training 10/17-10/23

It's been a good week of running since the marathon! I know some take more rest after a full marathon, but since I've been feeling good I went with more runs this week. I didn't want to take too much of a break with Rock'n'Roll Las Vegas coming up next month. Only about 3 weeks away before I do the remix challenge and I'm very excited! I can't wait to run the strip at night! I'm not really following a strict half marathon schedule, kinda just winging it so we'll see how that fares.

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Light Your Run with Knuckle Lights - Review

I was provided the opportunity to receive this product without charge in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Sometimes running in the early mornings is a must for me. At times it is the only way I can get in my run in for the day or it's the only time some of my running friends can go. We tend to go around 5:15am at the earliest and at that time it is pretty dark. I'm not a fan of headlamps since I have tried using them and I ended up with a headache. I have been in search for some sort of light source when running in the morning, so when I was given the opportunity to try out Knuckle Lights I was excited to test them out.

Week after the Chicago Marathon & Weekly Wrap 10/10-10/16

Last week went by pretty fast and I'm glad it did because I took the week off  of running (well almost a full week, 6 days) to recover and it has been hard not to run. If you missed my Chicago Marathon recap, you can check it out here. I did get in a bunch of walking which I think also helped with recovery but I was itching to run again. I ran for the first time yesterday and it felt great. 

Here's what last week looked like:

My First Marathon!! My Chicago Marathon Race Recap 10/9/16

Last Sunday I ran my first full marathon in Chicago!! I can now say I'm marathoner! It is pretty crazy to look back when I used to say I would never do one. Your views certainly change after running a bunch of half marathons and seeing others do it. You just get inspired and when I entered the lottery for Chicago it turned out to be the one. I followed a 16 week training plan that I found on Runner's Connect to prepare me for the race. Here's a recap of how the race went. Just to warn you, this a lengthy post with lots of pictures. :)

Chicago Marathon Training Week 16 and Weekly Wrap: 10/3-10/9

What a week! I can now say I'm a marathoner! :) My time in Chicago was a blast! It was great seeing running friends and making new ones. I got to spend the whole weekend with my sis, we both ran the marathon and it was so nice exploring the city together. Look out for the recap of my first marathon sometime this week on the blog. 

Here's what last week's workouts leading up to the Chicago Marathon looked like:

Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon Race Recap 10/2/16

Last weekend I ran the streets of San Jose. I ran the Rock'n'Roll San Jose Half marathon. I had heard it was a fast course and I could totally see how this course is one to PR since it is pretty flat. Unfortunately with the Chicago Marathon coming up, I was unable to race it so it was a fun and enjoyable run this time.

Chicago Marathon Training Week 15: 9/26-10/2

Week 15 of Chicago marathon training is in the books. It went well and I got in the runs scheduled except added a few extra miles for the week with the Rock'n'Roll San Jose half marathon yesterday! I can't believe that I'll be running my first full marathon in just 6 days! I am excited about heading to Chicago not just for the run but to see the city since it will be my first time there!

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Fenix CL30R Camping Lantern Review

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the Fenix CL30R Camping Lantern for free from Fenix Lighting in consideration for a gear review. All opinions are my own.

The fam loves to go camping and we actually don't have a lantern that we regularly use on our outdoor adventures. Normally we just use our headlamps. However, when I was given the opportunity to review the Fenix CL30R Camping Lantern, the idea that it also acts as a charging station for other devices caught my attention. I had to try it. Turns out it's not just great for charging other devices but the brightest lantern I've ever used!

Chicago Marathon Training Week 14: 9/19-9/25

Less than 2 weeks to go before I will be running the streets of Chicago. Well, 13 days to be exact. :) I am getting excited. I had an ok week of training. I'm saying ok because I missed my long run yesterday but I did make up those miles today so I feel better. I'm enjoying the taper as it is nice that my weekly mileage has decreased. I do have Rock 'n' Roll San Jose coming up on Sunday so I am excited about that. No worries, I'm not racing that one. It will be a nice comfortable run for me since I want to have somewhat fresh legs for Chicago.

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Hike to Loch Leven Lakes 9/4/16

We wanted to get another outdoor adventure in before soccer consumed our weekends. With both boys doing soccer and their games scheduled for Saturdays and one of their practices on Sundays we knew this would be our last chance to do a trip until soccer was over. We were actually thinking about taking it as a last backpacking trip but changed it to a hike since Hubby's shoulder was bothering him. I actually did the research for this trip as I saw Loch Leven lakes as a neat place for backpacking online. Hubby took a look at it and figured this could be a good day hike and it actually worked out nicely.

prAna Fall Style and Discount Code

This post is sponsored by prAna in partnership with FitApproach. I was provided with free product from prAna. All opinions are my own.

The first day of fall is officially in a couple of days! Stores already have Halloween costumes and candy on display, football has started, and temps will head towards the cooler side for most. I am looking forward to days that are not in the 90's and when I can wear jeans and not sweat in them. I'm also looking forward to wearing sweaters again. Which brings me to prAna's fall line. 

Chicago Marathon Training Week 13: 9/12-9/18

Week 13 of Chicago marathon training went pretty good. I got in all the running workouts including my second 20 miler! Three more weeks until the big day! I am getting excited! I'm also ready to taper. I do have a race to look forward to the week before the marathon. I will be running Rock 'n' Roll San Jose as an easy run which should be fun!

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Hiking Heybrook Lookout with the Fam 8/16/16

We had time for one other hike during our visit back in Washington state. We had our 8 year old nephew with us who has never really hiked so we opted on a hike that was great for a beginner and felt would be worthwhile. Hubby did some research and came up with Heybrook Lookout.

Chicago Marathon Training Week 12: 9/5-9/11

It was an ok week for week 12 of marathon training for Chicago. Just 4 weeks to go and I am getting excited. This week, I had to modify the training plan a bit with tired legs from last Sunday's 20 miler and 6+ mile hike with the fam. My legs probably needed a longer break but I think I did pretty well considering my legs did a full marathon that day. It was also a busy weekend with helping out with the kiddos school fun run and their first soccer games for the fall season. 

Hiking Lake Valhalla and Mt. McCausland with the Fam 8/13/16

It was great being back in Washington, my home state. I couldn't wait to get back on the trails. We had planned on going hiking with one of my best friends from high school and she suggested we hike Lake Valhalla/ Mt. McCausland. Turned out to be an awesome choice. Lake was beautiful and we got awesome views at the top of Mt. McCausland!

Chicago Marathon Training Week 11: 8/29-9/4

Another good week of training done! I got in all of my scheduled runs but did make a few modifications. I ran my first 20 miler Sunday and even went on a hike to some beautiful lakes with the fam that put my mileage for Sunday over a full marathon. Crazy yes, but it was well worth it! :)

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Backpacking to Dewey Point at Yosemite National Park 8/6-7/16

In my last trip report at Yosemite, we hiked Sentinel Dome which is a popular hike and fairly crowded. Yosemite valley in general is very crowded and populated which is why backpacking is a great option if you want to avoid crowds of people. You do need a permit for backpacking so you should check online and reserve them here. Hubby did his research and came up with backpacking to Dewey Point from the McGurk Meadow trailhead.

Chicago Marathon Training Week 10: 8/22-8/28

It was another good week of training last week! It was a cutback week so lesser miles which was nice so I could give my legs a bit more rest especially with the miles I'll be putting on in the upcoming weeks. I can't believe the Chicago Marathon is coming up in just 6 more weeks! 

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Hiking Sentinel Dome with the Fam at Yosemite National Park 8/6/16

Yosemite National Park is an amazing place. There are so many cool landmarks at the park such as El Capitan and Half Dome. There are many ways to see these great landmarks - by foot and even by car. Hubby had already been to Yosemite and this was my first time so I was very excited to visit the National Park. He recommended we do the Sentinel Dome hike having done it before and knew that the views would be pretty great and he was definitely right on.  

Chicago Marathon Training Week 9: 8/15-8/21

It's been a great week away in the Pacific Northwest. Not only did we stay in the Seattle area but we also headed south to Oregon to visit my sister. It wasn't a planned trip but when her son fractured his arm, we ended up going there instead of him staying in Seattle. It all worked out fine and it was great to see their new place. I got in all of my running workouts in too which was great. I also got to run my 18 mile long run with my sister and it went really well.

prAna + Organic Valley #WeirdWorkout Giveaway!

This post is sponsored by prAna and Organic Valley in partnership with FitApproach. All opinions are my own.

Happy weekend! I had a blast visiting my sister in Oregon and checking out Cannon beach the last couple of days. We had a fun time getting this jump pic, a great #weirdworkout! Anyway, I just wanted to fill you in on an awesome giveaway. Both prAna and Organic Valley have teamed up to offer 10 winners the chance to earn $300 in credit to use at prAna.com, a two month supply of Organic Fuel, and free swag! For more details and to enter click here. Just like, follow, and engage to earn up to 6 chances to win!

Desolation Wilderness Backpacking Trip Day 4: Lake Aloha to Echo Lakes Chalet 7/18/16

Our last day of our backpacking trip in Desolation Wilderness took us from our camp at Lake Aloha back to Echo Lakes Chalet. We were all excited to get back to our comfy beds at home. We were hoping to save 2.5 miles by taking the water taxi but unfortunately couldn't due to circumstances beyond our control. 

Chicago Marathon Training Week 8: 8/8-8/14

It's been another busy week! We are currently in Seattle on our last trip before school starts. I managed to get all my runs in this week but I did have to make some modifications. 

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Desolation Wilderness Backpacking Trip Day 3: Hike to Gilmore Lake from Lake Aloha 7/17/16

Continuing our backpacking trip into Desolation wilderness, on day 3 we hiked from our campsite at Lake Aloha to Gilmore Lake. Hubby had first thought we could try for Mt. Tallac but that hike turned out to be longer than we thought, so we ended up stopping at Gilmore Lake.

Crosskix APX Rose Azure Shoe Review

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the Crosskix APX Rose Axure shoe for free from Crosskix in consideration for a gear review. All opinions are my own.

Think of the same material as Crocs but sporty-cool looking, that's what Crosskix APX shoes are. When I saw the pics of this shoe, I knew I had to try them out. It's summer and I was in the market for a new water type shoe so I was excited to try them out.

Chicago Marathon Training Week 7: 8/1-8/7

Last week was another busy week in the books. I got in most of my running workouts for marathon training in and felt pretty good about them. Ran 800's for the first time and survived, and also got in a good 5 miles at a decent pace. We went to Yosemite National Park at the end of the week which is amazing and I'm very happy I got in my 15 mile long run! 

Here's a recap of last week:

Desolation Wilderness Backpacking Trip Day 2: Tamarack Lake to Lake Aloha 7/16/16

Day 2 of our Desolation Wilderness backpacking trip starts out where we left off at Tamarack lake. If you missed day 1 you can check it out here. We ended day 1 calling it a night early due to the mosquitoes which made it easy for an early wake up time in the morning. We all got up pretty early. We were actually all packed and ready to go at 6:35am and excited for our next destination, Lake Aloha.

Desolation Wilderness Backpacking Trip Day 1: Echo Lakes to Tamarack Lake 7/15/16

It's been a little over two weeks since our backpacking trip to Desolation Wilderness and I am finally getting to our trip report. This trip was our big backpacking trip of the summer that Hubby had started planning a couple of months beforehand. It was a great trip with some pretty amazing scenery. We visited some awesome alpine lakes including the breathtaking Lake Aloha (my favorite lake of the trip). I'll be recapping each day. The first day starts off at Echo Chalet at Lower Echo Lake.

Chicago Marathon Training Week 6: 7/25-7/31

It's been a busy but fun week! We were in Anaheim most of the week at Disneyland/California Adventure and had a blast! The Disney parks are so much fun! As to marathon training, I modified my training plan so it went with my sister's, I figure it wouldn't hurt to change my schedule a bit this week. It was so nice running with her! It's a cut back week for me and I think it went well considering we were away on vacation most of the week.

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Chicago Marathon Training Week 5: 7/18-7/24

Week 5 of Chicago Marathon training went pretty good. I got in all of my training runs in for the week and I was even able to get in a little extra mileage in on Tuesday with two runs for the day. I didn't get any cross training in this week other than some extra walking with the kiddos due to playing PokemonGo so cross training is something I still need to work on. I would really like to get in more strength training but that probably won't happen this week as we will be at Disneyland most of the week.

Here's a recap of last week's workouts: