Hope everyone had a fabulous Fourth of July weekend filled with family, friends, food and fun. I’m checking in at the start of this week to share my weekly workouts and a Fourth of July weekend recap! My weekend was low-key, and that was lovely. It started off with a ‘freedom’ run. Not just to do with the holiday, but because I ran without headphones, meaning no music and no bar exam lectures, and without any particular distance in mind. I ran when I felt like it, at the speed I felt like, slowing to a walk occasionally. In the end I probably jogged about 5 miles and walked 1 around the hilly Ridgefield roads and at the recreation center.
9/11 Memorial at the Rec Center on the Fourth of July
My post-run brunch was a patriotic waffle’wich, sweet instead of savory this time around. I toasted two of my new favorite gluten free waffles, Van’s Gluten Free Blueberry Waffles. Once finished, I spread one waffle with peanut butter and the other with strawberry jam, and smushed them together. On top I smeared a strawberry Greek yogurt, and topped the whole thing with maple syrup and fresh blueberries. It was a scrumptious success, with PB&J, maple, yogurt and berry flavors in every bite, held together with some sturdy waffles! I never realized before I was diagnosed with a wheat allergy that a lot of “normal” products like Eggo waffles are actually kind of flimsy, whereas waffles made from ingredients like buckwheat and flax actually fill me up.
It was misting early in the afternoon and a bit cloudy, but after a few rain showers the sun came out shining strong to make it a great day for America’s birthday. Serendipitously, I happened to spot the first wildberries of the season. These small raspberries and blackberries grow wild in southern New England, with the height of their season being the dog days of summer in August. I started to see the buds on the berry bushes a few days ago, and Saturday afternoon I found a couple branches of berries already in bloom. I only picked a few because they definitely are not ripe yet, but they’re so tasty even when underripe and tart and just the right color for the holiday!
We had a small family barbecue that evening, followed by a traditional trip to the local ice cream stand. I had a hearty helping of one of my favorite flavors, Maine Black Bear – vanilla with a raspberry swirl and dark chocolate truffles filled with raspberry, with rainbow sprinkles on top!
Definitely more than a “cup” of Maine Black Bear!
Flavor list – my other faves are Black Raspberry and Strawberry
Sunday was pretty low-key as well, just hanging out with my family, seeing a good friend, and spending time with Sasha. My family went to see Inside Out which I thought was very well done – there have been a lot of great animated films the past couple of years that really impress me. The only thing was, Sunday morning I woke up VERY early (around 4:30am) when I did not need to be up for several hours, and really needed some sleep, and just could not fall back to sleep. It happens to me sometimes, usually once every few weeks, but it never gets easier. I decided to get out of bed around 6am, throw on running gear, and go for a short run before I met my best friend from growing up for breakfast at our favorite hometown diner (called the Early Bird Cafe, reminding me of myself yesterday morning, which I’ll talk about later this week!) I did an easy 5 miles, which brings me, last but not least, to my weekly workout recap:
Monday: 7 miles
Tuesday: Rest day
Wednesday: 7 miles
Thursday: Rest day
Friday: Rest day
Saturday: 5 miles
Sunday: 7 miles
My mileage was definitely lower this week than over the past several weeks, mostly because after racing so much in June my body feels a little tired physically, and when that combines with the mental exhaustion of bar study, it takes a bit of a toll! My total mileage last month was 110, which is just a bit higher than May’s mileage, but I didn’t realize that even short races would wear me out when I did them weekend after weekend. I’m still happy I knocked out 6 thus far this year to get my 9+1, but I’m also happy I’m not racing anything for the next two months, until my post-bar adventures at the Dumbo Double Dare in Disneyland.
And in the end, Sunday morning’s unplanned run made me feel a lot better. I was dragging by afternoon, but I got a nice breakfast and caught up with my BFF before the headache and true tiredness set in. In the afternoon, we went to see Inside Out, which was really well done. I was just wiped, and ended up getting to bed early to end the weekend on a quiet note. As of this morning, I need to be back on track. Three weeks and counting until the bar…
Summer sunset
What were you up to for the Fourth of July?
© 2015 Renaissance Runner Girl. All rights reserved.
renaissancerunnergirl 
I had a good, but quiet 4th of July too!
Hope you get some running energy back! Sometimes you just need to listen to your body!
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Great job with your training! I know that shorter races require more recovery that I would expect….sometimes 2 days later I realize I am really sore! That ice cream looks delicious:)
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It was! And yes, I never realized that before this past month about the shorter races.
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Awesome job with the unplanned runs! Sometimes I feel like those are always the best!! Glad you were able to give your body the rest it needs. Hope you have a great Monday!
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That ice cream looks so, so good. *-* (What the hecks is Swamp?!)
That sunset is beautiful, and I hope you get your energy back! Sometimes, just giving your body a little break and a chance to just relax is all it really needs! :]
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Swamp is actually something my brother used to order ALL THE TIME…it’s dark chocolate with the kitchen sink in it basically, like cookie dough, brownie bits, pretzels, M&Ms, etc! A “swamp” of everything.
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