Compression and Gu and Rollers...oh my!

So, if you've read my first entry yesterday and the "About Me" section, you'll see that I'm not necessarily new to running, but I am a bit of a racing neophyte. Reading other runners' blogs has been so inspiring and informational but also a bit overwhelming!

There seems to be so much competing information on the right gear, training programs, fueling strategies and recovery that I feel a bit frozen as to which way to turn. I know most of it will come down to personal preference and the "what works for me" strategy, but there seem to be a million things to try!

One of my first steps into narrowing down and trying out different strategies is my upcoming participation in Big River Running's Women's Running series which is "devoted solely to the unique needs and experiences of women who run". The series of clinics focuses on running nutrition, gear, injury prevention and safety over four weeks in April. I'm really excited about it not only for the information but I think it will be a great way to meet other local runners!

I will also be going to my first Big River group run with Joe on Monday after work. My friend Jessica (whose pic is in my previous post) started with Big River's group runs and then transitioned to their marathon training program for her upcoming Boston Marathon. So proud of her! (* I am in no way affiliated with Big River and I'm not receiving anything in exchange for the mention...just giving a shout-out to a local company that I like!)

The group run route is 3 or 4 miles, you can do a second loop around the park pictured to get you the additional miles. I'm guessing I'll end up going for 4 and Joe will end up going for 3.

This week's workouts have consisted of the following:

Sunday- 5 miles in Forest Park in wind gusts of about 30 MPH out of the North, which was pretty brutal. The wind brought my average pace down to 10:42, which was frustrating.

Monday-Core Concepts and Power Sculpt classes at the gym...oh so many burpees!

Tuesday-3.5 miles around Clayton (suburban area of St. Louis) on my lunch break, got myself back down to 10 m/m pace which made me happy.

Wednesday- rest

Thursday-45 minute spin class

Friday- Virtual 5k for Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon Kickoff Night Run with Joe. St. Louis isn't hosting a run, so we're doing the virtual option. Hey, we could win entry to the race in Vegas, so why not?

Saturday- Doing the Forest Park perimeter loop which will be my last long-ish run before the Go! St. Louis Marathon Relay next week. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful park so close to our house, it's got an amazing zoo, History Museum, Art Museum, Science Center, outdoor theater, miles of trails, lakes, etc. and all the attractions are FREE!!

Here's a shot of the lovely Forest Park I took while on a run last fall. That is the famous Art Hill, where people head to sled when it snows and the Art Museum looking over the Grand Basin.

Thanks for reading! I hope you all have a great weekend and the Spring has sprung wherever you may be.

Food for thought:
What is your go-to fuel on long runs?
What is the distance at which you think you need to carry water?
What is the one running-related item you cannot live without?

Jayne