Kelly Trepp, Author

To those of you who have stuck with me through blog post frenzies and lulls, I would like to thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart. I love having an outlet for writing and to have an audience, even if there's only two of you, makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. I am sending you virtual hugs through your computer right now. Go on, reach out and hold it. While I was away, I was not just resting on my laurels. I did complete my 8 mile long run two weekends ago, as scheduled. It was an amazing experience. My hubby came along with me, but felt pain in his shins around 2.75 miles. He urged me to go on without him while he limped along behind. I had let him set the pace for the first two miles, but when I left him, I increased my pace drastically. I set off for the third and fourth miles at a comfortable pace, but as I turned around to head back to the truck, I felt an overwhelming urge to catch up with the hubster and finish my miles with him. As a result, I was chasing hi...

Ok, so, wow. It's been quite a while since I have posted. I fell off the wagon this weekend and took a break from running, although I did increase my mid-week distance successfully on Wednesday. Since this weekend's training only called for a 5K Race and I increased my distance last Wednesday, I do not feel entirely cheated, but I do feel like this could be the beginning of a slippery slope. It is time to get refocused! More posting, more meal planning, and more running. All of this in the weeks to come. Stay tuned!

Irony is ever present in my life. Earlier this month I posted about spreading the Treadmill Love . Well, this weekend, the treadmill and I got a whole lot closer. Typically, I reserve my treadmill for my shorter, weekday runs. I run three to four miles, three days a week on the treadmill while watching programs on my DVR. Alternatively, I normally choose to run my long runs outside on the weekends. This weekend, however, I did my seven mile run on the treadmill. **gasp** I know it sounds dreadful, and I will not lie to you, it was not the best run I have ever had. But the important thing is I completed the seven miles. And hubby was able to hang with me the whole run this time, albeit on the couch. He did hop up to hand me a banana around mile four and to write down my splits for me since I could not track them on my Garmin 305. Mile Time Best Pace 1 10:15 N/A 2 10:11 N/A 3 10:09 N/A 4 10:00 N/A 5 9:53 N/A 6 9:49 N/A 7 9:58 N/A The tot...

And just like that, my running goals for 2012 got 6.2 miles longer, or 10K to be exact. A special thanks to my blogging friend Susanne over at Shoulda Ran Faster , for telling me about the Sole of the City 10K . Sponsored by Under Armour, Charm City Run and The Green Turtle, it is a great feeling to be running a local race for local companies. If you could not tell from my last post, I LOVE Under Armour gear, so the cherry on this sundae is the race premium: A Black Under Armour Escape Lightweight Quarter Zip. And to throw some sprinkles on that sundae, the hubster has agreed to sign up and run with me. I was able to convince him that he had come darn close to completing the 10K distance on our last long run and he should be proud of his accomplishments and take this act on the road. As I have said before, I have high hopes for 2012. So far, it is living up to my expectations. Life is what you make of it, and I am taking it one mile at a time.

It is kind of ironic that my last post was mocking my inability lack of desire to cross train, and no sooner than I post my blog entry do I have the worst back pain of my life. Background information: I started having lower back pain when I first took up running in the summer/fall of 2009. I was seeing a chiropractor once or twice a week until our insurance changed from reasonable copay to large deductible. Bi-weekly chiropractor appointments were not so feasible after that. Shortly thereafter, I began to increase my time spent lifting weights in the gym. I upped my core exercises and left running aside until I regained my strength. Since then, I have not had any many problems with my back, other than your everyday aches and pains from spending extended periods of time sedentary in a chair. Until yesterday. So I spent the majority of today popping Tylenol and avoiding thinking about my usual Tuesday evening run, which I forwent in favor of Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred . I ...

So I have to admit it. I am known to be a bit of a brand loyalist. When I find something that I like, a brand that produces high quality products that last with great performance, I stick with it. Thanks to a trip to the Under Armour Outlet before Christmas, and the fact that the great majority of running attire sold at our local Dick's Sporting Goods Store is Under Armour, Under Armour has become my most recent obsession. I picked up some running shorts, a tank top, and some compression shirts at the outlet on Black Friday, and have been pleased with the result. This weekend, I went to Dick's and bought some headbands; a mock neck, long sleeve, fitted performance shirt; and a super cute purple tee that was on sale. I figure if I have cute, non-running workout type clothing, I might be more motivated to do better on my cross training days. And by do better, I mean do an actual cross training workout and not just do laundry, vacuuming or house cleaning and call it cross tr...

Returning to work and business as usual after having a 12 day vacation has proven a more difficult task than I had initially hoped. Mornings are slow and painful, the commute in the evenings drag on forever, and healthy meals are making their way back into the diet at a painfully slow pace. One thing that I am grateful for, now more than ever, is my treadmill . Say what?! A lot of people have treadmill hate misconceptions, the most common misconception being that running on a treadmill is boring. SPOILER ALERT: Running on the treadmill can be lots of fun! Oh yeah! Before you start making excuses and looking at me like I have a third head (but how would you know? this is a blog, not a camera; and why a third head, do I already have a second? Gah, why would you think I have a third head, weirdo ), try some of these tips for making your treadmill workout more entertaining. Add entertainment. Most gyms I have been to provide a row of televisions hanging in front of their treadm...

Okay, so I admit it. I neglected the blog a bit over the holidays. I put down the computer and picked up the pie. Fortunately or unfortunately for you, I'm back and I'm better than ever! I am happy to report that although I gave up the blog for my 12 day vacation, I did not give up on running. I am very blessed to have received most of the gifts on my wish list from a handful of friends and family, which kept me motivated to get a couple of runs in despite the cold weather. I received two pairs of the lululemon crop pants that I had so coveted, and took each pair for a spin, sporting my Garmin 305 . Ahhh, the Garmin 305. This magical, miraculous little watch. Prior to this fabulous gift, I tracked my distance and pace using apps on my phone. I cannot tell you how many times I have dropped my phone while out on a run. It is a miracle the thing still works. Now, I can check my pace while I run, view the total time, distance and time of day, along with heart rate, ...