running – Naturally Lindsay

PDX Sites | Scenic Runs Around Portland

February 11, 2016 by Lindsay Ingalls 1 Comment

Thank you to Interstate Pest Management for sponsoring this post. As always all opinions are my own.

Running the same neighborhood loops over and over can start to be a little boring so it’s always nice to mix things up with a new route. Add in some scenic views and you’ve just made your run go from a workout to an adventure. So whether you are from Portland or are just stopping through for a visit these runs are fantastic ways to get some of the best of what Portland has to offer from city to nature. Honestly if you’re not a runner no worries these runs are also great for walkers, hikers, and bikers.

Waterfront Loop (2.5 miles): This is probably one of the most well known running loops and for good reason. You get views of both the East and West sides of the city while running along the Willamette River. A good spot to start this loop is at the Salmon Street Fountain on Portland’s West side. From there head North through Tom McCall Waterfront Park until you reach the Steel Bridge which you will then cross as you make your way to the East side. Once across the bridge head south along the Eastbank Esplanade until you reach the Hawthorne Bridge which you will cross and make your way back to your starting point. Fell like adding on a few extra miles? Keep running past the Hawthorne Bridge to Portland’s newest Bridge, Tillikum Crossing. Head across and then immediately loop back and head back to the Hawthorne Bridge to cross and return to your starting point

Lower Macleay Park to Pittock Mansion (5 miles out and back): This run is for my trail runners. Starting at Lower Macleay Park you’ll run until you meet Wildwood Trail and from there you will follow the signs to Pittock Mansion. Once at Pittock Mansion head over to the mansion and take in the city views from the top. Once at the top to complete your run you’ll head right back down the way you came. Tip: This run is great any day but for optimal views seek out a bright clear day.

Powell Butte (10 miles of trails): There are many spots to jump on to the Powell Butte trails but a great spot to start is the Visitor Center where there is a good amount of parking and restrooms. From the visitor center you will head up to the summit where you will find open meadows and a great running path. Make a stop at the mountain finder where on clear days you can see Mount Tabor, Kelly Butte, Mount Saint Helens, Mount Adams and Mount Hood to name a few. There are a total of around 10 miles of trails winding through Powell Butte so you can really make this run any distance that you like. Tip: These trails are used by hikers and bikers as well so stay alert!

Interstate Pest Management is a local, family-owned pest control company serving the greater Portland and Vancouver metros. “We are dedicated to protecting your home, your family and pets, and the environment!”- Interstate Pest Managment

Postpartum Running

December 7, 2015 by Lindsay Ingalls 2 Comments

I haven’t always been a runner and I actually didn’t even really start running until about 7 months before getting pregnant with my daughter who is now almost 3.5 years old. I had always been interested in running and went through phases where I would try it out for a few weeks but I had never really committed to running until April 2011. I honestly think it was all of those years of gym class fit tests and never once being able to run the 12 minute mile that deterred me from running.

Anyways, I started running in 2011 and then I got pregnant with Edith and at that time I was actually training for my first half marathon but with the onset of first trimester sickness, running took a backseat while I tried to make it through those first few weeks. Finally around 18 weeks pregnant I was starting to feel better but by this point running was the last thing on my to do list, especially since it was the dead of winter in Vermont. So, I turned to other workouts to keep me active during my pregnancy.

Right before Edith was born I was feeling great and was convinced that because I had stayed active that I would end up having an easy time postpartum and that I would be one of those women who started back to running at 6 weeks postpartum. Well after Edith was born the first 6 weeks came and went and I was no where near healed and I was feeling crushed.

Around 12 weeks postpartum I started to feel healed and ready to run. I got back to running a bit but with the snow and the ice it wasn’t as easy as I had hoped. To top it all off my husband took a job offer across the country and we had three weeks to find a place to live, pack up our house and move to Oregon…oh and did I mention we had a 5 month old and it was Christmas time? So again running took a backseat, especially when we found ourselves staying with my parents for a few weeks in rural Vermont where the snow was 3 feet high. Anyways that was right around the time that I decided to commit myself to a new race. This helped me have a goal, a training plan and a reason to run.

Once we moved to Oregon I started training for my first postpartum race, a quarter marathon (6.55 miles). Thankfully Oregon winters are super mild so running was easy. It was also a fantastic way to explore a new city and connect with other women (more on that below). I ran my first race at 9 months postpartum and ran up until once again I found myself pregnant with baby number 2 and the worst morning sickness ever. I ran for the first few weeks of my pregnancy but the morning sickness was so terrible that I spent most of my first trimester days in bed with Edith reading books and I just never started running back up during my pregnancy.

When Alder was born my expectations were low when it came to the time frame of getting back to running. However this time things were a little bit easier and around 8 weeks I slowly started to run, but nothing super consistent. At 5 months postpartum, I am once again back to running and I am training for the same race that I ran after having Edith. I don’t know what it is but a race really helps to keep me motivated and ready to run.

Update….I started writing this almost a year ago so let me fill in the blanks and then I’ll explain where I am at now.

Shortly after I started writing this blog post in March 2015 I found myself having a lot of knee pain. I ended up going to physical therapy for most of April and May. By the end of May I was feeling stronger and actually got back to running. While I didn’t end up doing the race I had planned on I was hoping to do a 10k in September but I found myself with yet another injury.

In June I ran into Edith’s Learning Tower and broke my toe. I was in incredible pain for about two weeks and it took a total of around eight weeks before I could walk without pain. So again I took a break from running and I didn’t end up running my 10k.

Now it’s December 2015 and I have gone for a total of 2 runs. It’s not because I don’t love running but rather I am just not making time for it these days. With the sun rise and set so much earlier if I want to run I have to force myself to take the double BOB out during the day with both kids. Right now that idea just sound terrible so I have been focusing on other forms of fitness.

I am spending a lot of time outside with my kids going on nature walks, family hikes and at home I am fitting in 10-15 minute workouts when I can and I am getting back to doing my PT exercises to build up the strength I have lost. I also just purchased a new yoga class pass so back to yoga I go.

So what about running? It will be there when I am ready to pick it back up. I love running and I’ll return to it soon but right now I am focusing on other forms of exercise and trying to help my body get stronger so that when I do return to running I can do it with less of a chance of injury.

Things I’m Looking Forward To | 8.3.15

August 3, 2015 by Lindsay Ingalls 26 Comments

I find that some weeks I look at our calendar and there is almost nothing going on and then we have a week like this one. I am already stocking up on coffee and snacks because busy weeks while fun always need a little bit of extra fuel. So what am I looking forward to this week?

Wicked! Yes I am finally getting out on a week night with a friend to do something fun. When you have two little ones this is a rare occurrence and I am so excited to get out. I also can cross Wicked off my bucket list. This show has been on it since I found out about it when I lived in Boston and had no money to go see the show when it was literally in a theatre two blocks from my dorm. Fun fact: there will be $25 Wicked tickets prior to each performance!! In short, patrons need to arrive 2.5 hours before the performance to put their name in the barrel and ½ hour later, names are drawn to purchase a pair of tickets (don’t forget your cash!)

New Seasons Slabtown opens this week! Okay so who else loves to visit new grocery stores? There is something about a brand new store with all of it’s organized displays and it’s clean and new and fresh. I just love grocery shopping in general so if you say new store you’ll be I’ll be there for the opening. Oh and I’m getting a sneak peek of the new store tonight so follow me on instagram [@runwithtongs] and snapchat [lindsayingalls] for a sneak peek too!

Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon! I won’t be running this half (this year at least) but I am so excited to head out to wine country and cheer Neil on. This will be Neil’s 5th half marathon and I couldn’t be prouder of him. He used to tell me that he could never be a runner but he obviously has proved himself wrong. So excited for this event!

In edition to these three events we also have three birthday parties and will be spending time with friends before they head back to Germany. I feel like August is just our month with so many great things going on. The one thing I am not looking forward to is packing because packing with two little ones is less than ideal but alas it has to be done some way, some how.

Photo Credit: Oregon Wine Country Half

It’s Broken.

July 22, 2015 by Lindsay Ingalls 6 Comments

My toe that is. Monday Edith and I were doing a little cookie baking and a smashed my toe on her learning tower and when I folded over in pain I looked down to see my toe (second to the last) was a little bent. As the day went on walking became harder and my toe became more swollen and more purple. Fast forward a few days and my toe is still bruised and still in lots of pain when walking or when my littles step on my feet – didn’t realize how often they did that until I did this.

So after talking to my PT I went to the doctors to see if I should get it x-rayed and was told it was just a break, tape it together, take this homeopathic bone repair remedy and don’t run until there is no pain. I asked what that looked like in days or weeks and she said 2 or so weeks but it could be longer depending on how things heal. That being said I think I am going to have to walk my next 5k and as for my 10k we will see where things are in 2 weeks. Trying not to feel down about this but I was pumped to be back to running again after my knee issues and now here we are again. At this point I might not be running any races until 2016.

You Are A Runner | Self Doubt and The Galloway Method

July 16, 2015 by Lindsay Ingalls 10 Comments

When I first decided to take up running I used the Couch to 5K (C25k) program. For those of you who aren’t familiar it is a program that starts of with run/walk intervals and overtime the distance you run becomes more and more until ultimately you can run a 5K in 30 (or so) minutes. The thing was at this time in my life I decided that I wasn’t a true runner unless I could run without stopping. No walk breaks. Period.

Well I ran my first 5K after completing the C25K program and I ran it straight through. I completed my first race with no walking so I just must be a runner now – right? Yes, at least that’s what I thought at the moment. The thing is once I wanted to increase my distance I found myself resorting to walking breaks again. I felt like a failure and downgraded myself to a “wannabe runner” and I felt a bit defeated and unmotivated to continue with running. That’s until I signed up for Disney Half (which I wasn’t able to run – you can read about that here.)

RunDisney has paired up with Jeff Galloway to create training plans for a variety of levels. The thing that is different about the Galloway Plan is that he promotes a run walk run method. The amount you run and the amount you walk depends on your level so some might do a 30sec/30sec and others will do a lot more running such as 6min/1min intervals. When I started to train for the half I adopted this method and to my surprise I was able to finish a 5k in less time than I had run previously and I felt stronger at the end. At that moment I was sold.

Since 2011 I have been using the Galloway Method and it is working well for me and guess what? I am a runner. I feel like one despite choosing to take walk breaks. You know why? Because taking walk breaks is okay and it actually makes me a stronger and more motivated runner.

I may never run a race without walking or be an elite runner but I am a runner. I run for me. I run for fun. I run to release stress. I run because it gives me joy and I run/walk because it’s what works for me.

Are you a Galloway Runner? Have you ever tried a run/walk plan like Galloway or Couch to 5k/10k?

This post is IN ABSOLUTELY NO WAY sponsored. I came across Galloway on my own and wanted to share this with you because it’s what has worked for me for years.

[Running] Running For Pinot | Oregon Wine Country Half

July 3, 2015 by Lindsay Ingalls 10 Comments

Happy Friday Friends! We are in full race training mode at our house with my 10K this September and Neil has registered for the Oregon Wine Country Half (and I’m totally jealous). This race has been on both of our bucket lists since we moved here in 2013 and this year Neil is going to be crossing it off his bucket list. I’m hoping that next year I’ll be free of running injuries and maybe I’ll be able to cross it off my bucket list as well.

The Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon starts at Stoller Family Estate, offering an idyllic 13.1-mile course that runs through the heart of the Willamette Valley in Yamhill County, winding past a cluster of four American Viticulture Areas and through vineyards and orchards before reaching the beautiful residential area of Lafayette.

Participants rave about the small-town charm, incredible sunrise views, scenic course, great wines, and post-race Wine & Music Festival, presented by Ken Wright Cellars in the heart of Carlton. The Wine + Music Festival will feature over 20 wineries and Lagunitas Brewing Company pouring at the event, along with live music!

For more information, including a complete list of wineries, course map, and travel information, visit the race website:http://destinationraces.com/runoregon/.
Before you head out for you Fourth of July celebrations get into the spirit by celebrating our 33^rd state!If you’re not sure which one that is, here is a hint. You’ll find the beautiful Willamette Valley located here and it’s known for amazing Pinot Noir. Earn your stripes by running the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon – it’s going to be a blast!

Register to run the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon from now until July 9^th at 11:59pm for your chance to win a case of Pinot Noir and an awesome training kit (Fitbit tracker, running shoes and more).

What race is on your bucket list?

Disclaimer: Neil received entry to the race in exchange for this post.We are thrilled to attend and cheer him on! I received no monetary compensation for this post.

#FitnessFriday | Getting My [Running] Groove Back

June 26, 2015 by Lindsay Ingalls 7 Comments

My journey back to running post-pregnancy has been a bit rockier than I had hoped. I started back running two days a week in the Fall and in January I bumped my running up to three days per week to coincide with my race training schedule. Two months in and I just stopped running due to knee pain. At that same time I was offered an opportunity to check out Therapydia Portland and to have a run analysis done as well as some therapy for my knee. I went for two complementary sessions and decided to stay on for weekly/bi-weekly sessions.

Here I am nearly four months later and I can say that my knee pain is pretty much gone. While I still have a bit of work to do to get stronger I am finally back to running and it’s prefect timing too because I have the Pints to Pasta 10k to train for and run.

I probably could have been back to running sooner but I have been slacking on my at home PT workouts and just doing basic strength training on a regular basis. Lately my workouts consist of about 10 miles of walking per week and around 60-120 minutes of barre workouts. Really that boils down to a few miles per day and 15 or so minutes of barre per day; in other words I need to dedicate more time to my fitness and PT.

So to help me stay on track I have put together a workout schedule (and I’m sharing it here) from now until my 10k. This schedule is one that I believe is something that I can really stick to, in other words I am setting myself up for success not failure. I am focusing on the Galloway 10K (run/walk) race plan and on my non-running days I am incorporating more barre workouts and/or my 7 Minute workout app.

I know my plan looks a little packed but there are many barre3 online workouts ranging from 10-60 minutes and some are more focused on stretching so I can really do whatever feels right for me on any given day.. So here is to getting back to running (run/walking for now) and focusing more on being active.

Are you training for any races right now? I am currently training to run the Pints to Pasta 10k (there is also a 1/2 Marathon this year) which is on September 13th. For those of you who are local and want to run it as well register soon because the fee goes up on August 16th. As part of my training schedule I am also running the Sunset on Springwater Family 5k (there is also a 10k and half for this race as well) on August 15th. I have to say I am super excited for this 5k and to run it as a family (with Neil pushing the double BOB – cue evil laugh).

Disclaimer

Networks