Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Walt Wednesday

Some people do a "Wordless Wednesday" post, where they simply share a photo or image, but I thought I'd make a little series out of my Wednesdays. And since I love alliteration so much, why not go with Walt Wednesdays (obviously everyone can use a little break from the seriousness, scariness and sassiness of life - and what better way to help put a smile on your face than with a cute wiener dog picture, am I right?!)... So, without further ado...

WALT WEDNESDAY!

When life gets overwhelming, how do you de-stress? 

Monday, October 20, 2025

Lake Hodges Trail Fest 25K Race Recap

This past weekend I ran my first 25K (YAY for automatic PRs [personal records], since I'd never run that distance before)!

I DID IT!

But before we get to the race itself, we have to see how we arrived there. You see, back in January I volunteered at a race aid station to help give back to the running community that has given so much to me. As a thank you for volunteering, we were gifted a race entry into any other of their races for the 2025 season. It was still a ways off, but I decided to pick the Lake Hodges Trail Fest because it was another local race (and one that I had actually done before). [2022 Race Recap]

Of course I dressed up as a unicorn to cheer on my fellow runners and refill their water bottles!

Around May I started training for the 50K (I figured I might as well big or go home... or maybe I just figured I'd take advantage of the most expensive race entry ;)). Training was going okay until I started getting up into the longer distances. It seemed as though I had a mental block anytime I tried to run anything over about three hours. The last week of August I had a marathon distance on my schedule and it went pretty poorly. During that run I decided I could 'finish' the 50K, but it would probably include a lot of walking and not feeling very strong, or I could downgrade to the 25K (a distance I had never run before) and finish with a smile on my face. Technically I think I only changed maybe three or four of my workouts, making them shorter than what the original 50K training plan called for, but I kept everything else the same.

If I had a 5 hour run, I did a 2.5 hour run, assuming if this was a 50K training plan I could cut it in half and it'd be a 25K plan.

Two-ish weeks before the race I started to get a twinge in my left groin/ hip flexor, so I took some extra rest days in the week or two leading up to the race, but other than that the body felt fine during training (when people say that running is 90% mental I have to agree... it might be simple but it sure as poo ain't easy!). I'd rather go into a race slightly under trained with no injuries than overtrained, burnt out and injured because I "had to" follow the training plan to the letter. 

Credit

I'm happy to report that getting to race day felt great. I'd be lying if I said I didn't go back and forth mentally on whether I was proud of myself for downgrading to the 25K because I was listening to my body and planning on running strong or if I was disappointed with myself for not 'giving it my all' and 'seeing what my body was capable'. But, as an extra super smart friend told me - "you've got nothing to prove... if you 'had' to run a 50K, you could... running is supposed to be fun."

Credit

So Friday night I laid out all of my goodies to make sure I'd be ready come Saturday morning. #FlatCarlee is ready to go! 

This race's #FlatCarlee included: Minnesota Lakes PRO Compression Socks, Mermaid Sparkle Athletic Skirt, Nathan VaporHowe
Hydration Vest
, Clif Bloks, tech tee, elite Road ID, watermelon nuun hydration, handful adjustable bra, Momentum Jewelry wraps,
COROS Pace 3 Watch, Knockaround sunnies, and Altra Mont Blanc Speed.

Ate some homemade pizza (the hubby makes our dough by hand and it is scrum-didily-umptious!). [Okay, okay, it might not 'look' like a traditional pizza, it's more of a cheese bread, but it's delish... don't yuck my yum, mmmmkay?!]

Get in my tummy!

And then set my alarms so I could get a little rest (I normally don't sleep well the night before races, I'm always worried that I'll sleep through my alarms and miss the race [FYI: that has NEVER happened to me, but I'm still scared 'it might'], so I do my best to get good sleep the week leading up to the race and assume the night before will be a crap-shoot).

Tell me I'm not the only one who sets multiple alarms... 

As per usual, I woke up before my first alarm went off and started to get ready for the race. One positive about deciding on the 25K was I got an extra hour of "sleep" since the 50K was set to start at 7am and the 25K didn't kick off till 8am.

Getting ready in the bathroom

A couple weeks before race day the hubby surprised me and said that he was going to spectate (another positive of the 25K, since he would've had to commit a lot more of his day had I been doing the longer distance and probably would've opted out of coming along). He's my number one cheerleader and I couldn't be more appreciative! #HesTheBestest

Pre-race car selfie

The pre-race check in was set for 10 minutes before the start of the race, which meant 7:50am. Since bib pick-up was out of the way from where we live, I decided to grab everything on the morning of, so my game plan was to get to the parking lot by 7am. I know that's a lot of "extra" time for some people, but since the 50K started at 7am, I knew a decent amount of the parking spaces would already be taken, so I wanted a buffer to walk further to grab my goodies, use the potty, etc. 

Left: Bib and t-shirt pick-up // Right: Starting (and finish) line

Thankfully my plan worked to perfection and I was ready to rock 'n' roll when the race director called us over to run through the pre-race dilly-o. I wasn't sure how many people to expect because this was a new distance for this race series, but there were probably a hundred or so of us ready to tackle the trails. #LetsGoDoThisThang #25KorBust

Let's do this thang!

As I mentioned, I haven't run this distance before, but I am somewhat familiar with these trails. The hubby and I enjoy heading out to Escondido to get in some of the dirt out yonder and I've done a few different races around this area as well. The 25K course was like a "T". You start at the bottom of the letter, run up to the top (intersection of the horizontal line and vertical line), turn left, run down to the end of the letter (the upper left end of the "T"), turn around, run back the way you came to the middle, then continue on to the end of the letter (the upper right end of the "T"), turn around, run back to the way you came to the middle, then down to the bottom where you started. Technically it's like three out-and-back sections: out, out-and-back, out-and-back, back. (You know, just in case some of you want to picture in your mind how we ran.)

Credit

Some folks don't like out-and-back courses, but I enjoy them. First, I like knowing what to expect, seeing as you just ran it in the opposite direction. Also, seeing runners on the opposite side gives you a distraction. Lastly, I love cheering on the runners that are either in front of me or behind me (focusing on others takes your mind off of yourself, which sometimes means off of the pain or discomfort you're feeling and sometimes helps get you into a faster, more excited groove). 

Credit

We got a decent amount of rain earlier in the week, but with how dry our ground is, the water got all soaked up and the trails weren't muddy at all. In fact, we were set to have some toasty temps by the time we were finishing the race.

Fall in SoCal ain't too shabby ;) 

The race started off great. The body was feeling good, I found a groove and was clicking the miles off. It helped that I was familiar with the trails, but the race staff also did a great job at marking the course so I never had to guess where I was or if I was going the right way (until later... but I don't want to get ahead of myself and spoil the ending...). 

Left: The only little water crossing on the course // Right: Most of the course is either single or double track

I saw the hubby around Mile 7.25 and told him I was doing awesome. I had a smile on my face that I couldn't wash off.

Hubby wanted to use his 'real' camera to take pictures... hence the different filter on these photos

High fives as I ran by

My little piggy tails (after I chopped off 10 inches of hair to donate it to Children With Hair Loss) bounce

The course was exposed (meaning no shade), but thankfully it was still cool for a while when we started. The elevation wasn't terrible either. Some rolling hills and a few decent climbs, but nothing too intense. (I walked a couple of the steeper parts in the first half of the race, but was super proud of all the running I was doing and how I was feeling.)

Credit

I wish I could say that the AMAZING feeling lasted the whole race, but unfortunately it did not. Around Mile 11 my left hip flexor decided to make its presence known and started screaming. It's strange, it didn't hurt while I was walking, but once I started running I could feel it with every step. So I started adding in walking breaks about every half mile or so. 

There's a hill (that thankfully the 25K didn't have to run, but the 50K had to tackle twice) called "Raptor Ridge",
so the aid station at the base of the climb is decorated with dinosaurs... and OBVIOUSLY I needed a photo!

In case y'all were curious, I took my fuel around Mile 6 and then again around Mile 11.5 (I was using the Strawberry Lemonade Clif Bloks for this race - 3 Bloks = 1 serving.) I also had nuun in my front flasks in my Nathan hydration vest for a little extra electrolytes (and water in the back bladder [I only ever put water in my bladder because it is harder to clean]). 

I'm digging the 'sour' flavor lately since most things you consume while running are always overly sweet

I saw the hubby again around Mile 14.5 or so and told him about my hip flexor rearing its ugly head. He did his best to try to encourage me to keep putting one foot in front of the other and make it to the finish line (don't worry, I was still smiling so much my face was tingling, it was just my leg was tingling at this point as well ;)). 

Tried to muster up some excitement to see the hubby at this point

I'm a lucky duck to have my own personal photographer on course ;)

Since I was walking more than I was expecting to, the temps were starting to rise a bit faster than I would've liked. (When we got to the car, the temp on the dashboard [after letting it simmer down from sitting in the sun] said 86* and we didn't spend more than 10 minutes at the post race party, so it was about that when I finished the race.) #FallInSoCal

You can see where I started walking after Mile 11 in my paces

You may or may not have noticed when looking at my mile splits above that the race was a little long (and by 'a little' I mean almost two miles). We were running a 25K, which is about 15.5 miles (for those of you more familiar with miles instead of kilometers). I noticed on the map that it was showing a little closer to 26K, so I figured because of where the aid stations were and the turnarounds that it would be a bit longer than advertised (honestly, most trail races are never exact, like road races tend to be). I was expecting my watch to show around 16 miles when all was said and done... Well, that was not the case.  You see, at the beginning of the race we took a little detour so that there wouldn't be a bottleneck at the pedestrian/ suspension bridge. Instead of hitting the bridge around a half of a kilometer, we did a little extra jog so that we hit it around two and a half so runners would be more spread out. I was expecting that on the way out. On the way back, because runners would obviously already be spread out, we would take the shorter route back to the finish line. The issue is... the signs sent us back on the extra jog which added the extra two kilometers again. Normally this wouldn't have been as much of an issue, but because of my hip flexor and the heat, it was a little more painful than it needed to be or at least than I was expecting it to be. (Not that I really care about my pace, but if you removed those last two slower miles, my overall average pace would've been a lot more in line with what I was expecting to run.) #IRunForFunNotForTime

Credit

Once I mentally prepared myself for the extra two kilometers, I was able to hobble my way to the finish line. I would say that it appeared as though everyone in the race seemed to be having as much difficulty with the heat as I did. Between the Raptor Ridge Aid Station turnaround at Mile 11.5 and the finish line, I think I only got passed by two or three runners. 

Never any doubt... Elevation Culture always puts on amazing events!

Overall it was a great race. I'd definitely do it again and I hope they keep the 25K (I was telling the hubby he'd have loved it, especially since it's on trails we are familiar with and it's a distance where training wouldn't take over his life ;)). 

Yes, as a matter of fact, I DID try to match my race day outfit with the theme and race medal ;) 

I think if I could offer a few suggestions to make the experience even better I would say to fix the course at the end (I'm not sure if all of the distances ran into the course being 2K's too long since we were all directed to do the extra jog or not) and to offer size XS shirts (since they are all unisex sizing). Other than those two small blips, it's an awesome local race. 

It may not be a metal medal, but I always love the wooden 'bling' these races have!

Do you think you would have been excited for a longer race than expected or disappointed?

Sunday, October 19, 2025

Workout Recap - Week 42

Sunday, October 12th  75 minutes on the stationary bike

Monday, October 13th – 60 minutes on the stationary bike

Tuesday, October 14th – Rest day 

Wednesday, October 15th – 75 minutes on the stationary bike

Thursday, October 16th – 4 mile run

Friday, October 17th  Rest day

Saturday, October 18th – Lake Hodges Trail Fest 25K 

Remember last week, when my hip flexor/ groin was feeling a bit off so I was doing some hill hikes by the house? Well, I got some pretty gnarly blisters for some reason, which lead to me having to take a few days off from trying to run/ hike (hence the biking at the beginning of the week). I was hoping that maybe the extra time not pounding the pavement would help to get the hip flexor/ groin back to good again. Thankfully by Thursday's short run everything seemed okay again (I could feel the blisters, but I taped them before I ran so they wouldn't get any worse or rub and they did alright). I'll have a full recap of the race soon, but for now I can say the 25K turned into a 28K (an extra almost 2 miles) and my hip flexor started throwing a hissy-fit around Mile 11. Even with those bumps in the road trail, I still finished with a smile on my face. 

How were your workouts this past week?

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Walt Wednesday

Some people do a "Wordless Wednesday" post, where they simply share a photo or image, but I thought I'd make a little series out of my Wednesdays. And since I love alliteration so much, why not go with Walt Wednesdays (obviously everyone can use a little break from the seriousness, scariness and sassiness of life - and what better way to help put a smile on your face than with a cute wiener dog picture, am I right?!)... So, without further ado...

WALT WEDNESDAY!

When life gets overwhelming, how do you de-stress? 

Sunday, October 12, 2025

Workout Recap - Week 41

Sunday, October 5th  2.5 hour run

Monday, October 6th – Rest day

Tuesday, October 7th – 4 mile run 

Wednesday, October 8th – Rest day

Thursday, October 9th – Rest day

Friday, October 10th  4 mile hike of hill repeats

Thought I started my watch, but realized 1/2 mile in that I didn't... OOPS!

Saturday, October 11th – 6 mile hike of hill repeats

I'm not sure if you remember my little recap from last week, but I had mentioned I had a bit of a twinge in my left hip flexor/ groin. Well, it was still there this week so I took a couple extra rest days. I would rather show up to my race feeling slightly undertrained (at this point I am as trained as I will be, the last two weeks are just easy sailing runs) than feel like I am injured or burnt out. I spent those extra rest days (or at least a couple hours a day) foam rolling, stretching and trying to get the body back to 100%. It was like walking/ hiking uphill didn't bother it at all, walking/ hiking downhill there was a little bit of a niggle, but running (maybe the pounding impact) I could feel it every step, so I decided to hike our neighborhood hill to get time on feet and some vert without pain. Here's hoping by next week that little tweak has worked itself out. 

How were your workouts this past week?

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Workout Recap - Week 40

Sunday, September 28th  6 mile run

Monday, September 29th – 60 minutes on the stationary bike

Tuesday, September 30th – 4 mile progression run 

Wednesday, October 1st – 7.25 mile run

Thursday, October 2nd – Rest day

Friday, October 3rd  1 hour run

Saturday, October 4th – 4 mile run

Another week of decent runs. Nothing too earth shattering to report. My left hip flexor has had a twinge or two of tightness, but hopefully nothing a little extra stretching and rolling can't fix. I can't believe the race is only two weeks away. EEKS! 

How were your workouts this past week?

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

September Book Recap

Can you believe that reading wasn't my jam growing up?! Clif Notes were my best friends in high school - I'd read 'enough' to get by, but other than that I didn't enjoy the act of reading so never did it... like ever. Maybe I wasn't reading things that held my interest or maybe it was because it was "required" so I didn't like it, but, whatever the reason, I'm glad I challenged myself to add the goal of reading 17 books in 2017 (which became 88 books in 201777 books in 201867 books in 201966 books in 202067 books in 202141 books in 202298 books in 2023 and 224 books in 2024). The majority of my "reading" has been listening to audiobooks since I haven't had as much time to sit and read physical books once I started working again full time out of the house. Even still, holding a physical book is my JAM and I hope can add more physical reading vs listening. Just like in years past, writing a monthly recap of the books I finish is a great way for me to both record what I'm reading and to stay accountable. Here are the books I completed in the month of September:

  • The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan - I had seen this on a few 'must read' lists, so added it to my hold list on Libby and got in line. This is a fake memoir used to tell a fictional story about an elusive, bestselling author named Cate Kay, whose real identity is Annie (Anne Marie) Callahan but also goes by Cass Ford. The book is told from multiple different points of view (and I love that the audiobook uses different actors for all of the different characters - it just makes it feel so much more real and alive). I found this story super engaging and really loved the entire thing. The author did a great job weaving all of the stories and worlds (Hollywood, book publishing, etc) together and I was addicted till the last page. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

  • ADHD is Awesome by Penn and Kim Holderness - I have had this book favorited on my Hoopla app for a while now and thought it was time to get around to it. There are a few people in my life who have been diagnosed with ADHD or similar neurodivergent diagnosis and I wanted to learn more about it. This read was super informative. This book is NOT written by doctors and does not have a bunch of medical jargon, it is written by a husband and wife team, the husband has ADHD and the wife does not. They are simply sharing what they have found in their life experiences and are sharing that with the world at large. The information is fun, lighthearted and easy to digest, even though this is a very serious topic. Whether you have ADHD or want to support someone else in their journey, this read is extremely insightful. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

  • The Survivor Wants to Die at the End by Adam Silvera - I didn't realize there was a third book in this series, so when I saw it pop up on my Libby app under the recently added section I jumped on it. This series is about Death-Cast, a service which calls people at the beginning of the day (between 12am and 3am in their time zone) to let them know they will be dying that day (if it is their final day and if they have paid for and signed up for the service). I read the first book of the series in December of 2020 and then the prequel that was released in May of 2023. This one was about twice as long as the first two, so it took me about a week to listen to it all, but not for lack of interest. Instead of a single 24 hour span of time (like the first two books covered), this book was a longer time frame. It flipped back and forth between Paz, a boy who was hoping Death-Cast would call so he knew he suicide attempt would be successful, and Alano, the heir to the Death-Cast empire and the boy who helped save Paz's life. I did find this one a lot harder to listen to because of all the suicide ideations and self-harm talk, so be warned that it is definitely a darker vibe than the first two. I would give it an 8 out of 10. 

  • And They Were Roommates by Page Powars - This book popped up in the YA new releases section of my Libby app and I thought I would give it a try. The story is about Charlie and his plan to keep his trans identity secret from the new all boys boarding school he is attending. The problem is that he is paired up with a roommate who he had a past with prior to transitioning. Jasper, the roommate and principal's nephew, doesn't realize Charlie is his long lost love right away and of course drama ensues. I thought it was an interesting plot, was engaged the entire time and was stoked to see more trans representation. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

  • How to Examine a Wolverine by Philipp Schott - Of course being a University of Michigan alum I was interested in the title of this book ;) This is a compilation of essays by a veterinarian. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it was interesting enough to give it a few hours. The stories were quick, cute and heartfelt. They are focused mostly on dogs and cats (being a small animal vet), but do range from bees to burmese pythons - and obviously a wolverine. I found myself smiling or thinking 'awww, how sweet' through most of the book. There was definitely never a dull moment for this Canadian veterinarian. I would give it a 7 out of 10. 

  • The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune - This is actually a RE-READ. I first read this book back in August of 2024 and LOVED IT. I actually was scrolling through my 'for later' list on my Hoopla app and I went back a ways and saw that this book was listed. I was corn-fused because I LOVE this author and thought for certain I would have read all of his books before. I snagged it and about two sentences in I realized that I, of course, had read it before (but must not have removed it from my list, oops!). As with the majority of his books, which are a little out of left field (teenagers with superpowers, talking gnomes, a sort of backwards Pinocchio story, etc), this one was in the same vein. A journalist who was fired and just inherited his family's cabin heads there to sulk and plan his next steps, but when he arrives he realizes he is not the only one there. I won't ruin the rest, but let me tell you that there are some extraterrestrials involved. It's a thriller, mystery, love story and so much more wrapped up in one fast-paced book! There were smiles, laughs, tears, #AllTheFeels! And now I am adding the physical book to my wish list so I won't forget about it again. I would (STILL) give it a 10 out of 10.

  • Twelve by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Last month I finished the Naturals series, but then when I was scrolling through my Libby app I noticed that this 'novela' was recently added. I wasn't sold on the whole series, but with this book only being three hours (and then less than that of listening time since I keep my audiobooks at 1.75x speed) I figured it would probably be worth it. This short story was decent. It was about a twelve year old that the team had actually worked with before (solving her cold case kidnapping six years prior). Mackenzie calls in 'the team that found her' and wants them to solve what she believes is a murder but it was ruled a suicide at the time. I won't ruin the mystery but will say I figured she'd be 'joining the team'. I would give it a 7 out of 10.

  • Audre & Bash are Just Friends by Tia Williams - This book was in the just released section in the Young Adult genre of my Libby app, so I figured I would give it a try. It was a cute story about two teens. Audre is a perfectionist who lives by the rules and loves giving therapy sessions to her friends. Bash is a mysterious hunk who just moved across the country mid-senior year. One of Audre's friends challenges her to step outside of her comfort zone for the summer and try five different tasks (things like staying out at a party after 10pm, trying a new-to-you activity, etc). Audre knows she won't have the courage to tackle the list herself, so she enlists the help of a "fun consultant", Bash. And, as I'm sure you suspected (or at least I did), this pair of 'friends' turned into more than that throughout the summer. It's a sweet, summer rom-com, first love story at its finest, one that would be perfect to read on vacation or by the pool. A quick and easy read. I would give it an 8 out of 10. 

With that, September is done-zo. If you have suggestions, let me know! I'm always looking to add to my "must read" list! 

What's the best book you've read lately?