Category Archives: Fitness

Back on a Plan

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I’ve been slowly getting back into my running groove lately, but I have been running whatever I feel like and mixing in a lot of cross training with no real plan or purpose. Sometimes I like this, but I also tend to do a lot better when I’m on a plan – so I’m pretty excited to be getting myself back onto a training plan.

This week I’m starting half marathon training. I haven’t made a final decision on which fall half I’ll do yet, but I’m looking at either the International Peace Half Marathon on the C&O Path in DC or the Navy Air Force Half, which I ran last year, also in DC. Both are the weekend of September 13th and I have a handful of shorter races planned along the way – more to come on that!

The week ahead will be all easy runs ranging from 3 to 8 miles just working on base building! Thanks to a Facebook contest from my favorite running store, Pacers, I won a new pair of Saucony Kinvara 5s along with a new tank, Feeture’s running socks and a Sweaty Band headband! So exciting and I can’t wait to take the new shoes out for a spin tomorrow to kick off my training!

New Saucony Kinvaras courtesy of a Pacers Running Store contest!

New Saucony Kinvaras courtesy of a Pacers Running Store contest!

Do you like being on a plan or just running by how you feel each day? Does new gear motivate you to get out there an go?! Tell me about your summer and fall race plans – any big goals coming up?

 

Footprints: Monday Morning Recap

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Well it was another week of not running as much as I should have, but I did get in some quality workouts, enjoyed running outside in nicer weather and felt like I’m starting to get back on track.

Here’s the day-by-day breakdown:

Monday: Extended Real Ride spin class at Revolve. P90X abs.

Tuesday: P90X abs.

Wednesday: 30 minute tempo run after work. It was high 50s and it felt incredible to not have to wear multiple layers, glove or a hat for the first time on an outdoor run in a long time.

Thursday: P90X abs.

Friday:  Body Ride spin class at Revolve.

Saturday: 10 mile bike ride from Arlington to Old Town to see if I could feasibly bike to work without getting sweaty…not going to happen! It was a good thought though. Quick abs workout.

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Sunday: One hour easy run in glorious sunny and 65-degree temps! This. Felt. So. Good.

 

 

I’m Back!

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Hi everyone! It’s been far too long since I’ve posted, but I’m back and ready to get back at it. I’ve been crazy busy lately and in addition to neglecting my blog I haven’t made time for reading a lot of the many other blogs I enjoy. Time to fix that!

Aside from being busy I’ve been a bit off my running game lately, which I think in turn knocked me a bit off my writing game too. I even skipped a race last weekend because I knew I wasn’t in shape to race it and didn’t want to be embarrassed by my time. Not super proud of that, but what can you do?!

Now I’m looking to turn things around. I’ve got my sights set on the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler as a goal race now in hopes to get things going by then. I downgraded from the half marathon to the 8k for Shamrock so I can really race that weekend instead of trudge myself through a half marathon I’m not ready for. I’ve done that before – it’s not fun! It will be a blast however to cheer on my teammates doing the half and the full that weekend.

Despite being in a running funk it has been a pretty good month. To keep this blog post from going on for too long, here are some of the highlights of what I’ve been up to:

  • Cross training and core work – and lots of it.
  • I made it 21 days plus without a soda. I’m back to drinking it now, but not as often!
  • I’ve been reading a lot more. I set a goal of getting through a book a month this year, but already cranked through three of them in January. Reviews to come.
  • So much wedding stuff! The wedding isn’t until October, but my fiancé and I have been on a roll getting things done like the wedding website, save the dates and more. Expect another post on this too!
  • Took an RRCA Running Coach Certification Course – yes, you’ll hear more about this one too.
  • Family fun! I spent a weekend down in Florida visiting my grandparents. I also got to hang out with my Mom for a weekend while my Dad enjoyed some warm weather on a golf trip to Florida.

RRCAbook

Upcoming Races

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I’ve finally nailed down my race schedule (meaning registrations are in) leading up to the Shamrock Half and even a little beyond. This is where I’ll be picking up the pace over the next few months. Hope to see some of you out there!

Where are you racing this winter/spring?

21 Days to Create a Habit with Revolve DC

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I’ve decided to take Revolve DC (my favorite spin studio) up on their Facebook invite to create a healthy, positive habit in 2014. They are encouraging everyone to ditch the idea of resolutions and make a true healthy stride forward by creating a new habit. It takes 21 days to create a habit and as they suggest, “Think “DO”, not deprivation.”

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So, I’m doing just that! Last year I had a New Year’s resolution to drink less soda that I struggled with all year. Well, this year I’m going to make a new habit by drinking a glass of water everyday with lunch instead of grabbing a soda like I usually do.

I got a jump-start on things and started Monday, so today is day three for me. I encourage you to start today though and join me in creating a new, healthy habit this year!

My Mom saw my Facebook post on Revolve’s page and decided to join me in drinking more water. She’s holding off on getting her first cup of tea at work until she finishes a bottle of water. After the first two days we’re off to a good start. I’ll let you know how we’re feeling by day 21!

Let’s hear it…what new habit are you going to create over the next 21 days?

Footprints: Weekly Workout Recap

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Well I’m a bit behind with my usual Monday morning recap, but still wanted to fill you in on how week 2 of my Shamrock training went. Overall, it was a really good week of workouts although I have to do a better job of figuring out how to integrate my spin workouts into my run schedule. I always have good intentions of still running, but once I’ve finished spin I don’t quite have the same level of motivation. I think this is fine on my 3 mile easy run days, but I don’t want spin to replace any of my quality runs.

Here’s the day-by-day breakdown:

Monday: Spin Class – Real ride at Revolve.

Tuesday: I put in 3 easy miles on the treadmill followed by my P90X routine and a leg workout.

Wednesday: I ran the DC Road Runners Predictions & Resolutions 5k in Rosslyn along the Mt. Vernon Trail as a fun training run. It was definitely not close to being one of my speedier 5ks, but I had a blast and it was a beautiful day for a run!

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Thursday: Spin Class – extended body ride at Revolve.

Friday: I took my speed workout to the treadmill with 7X400 meter repeats followed by an abs and lower body workout.

Saturday: Spin Class – extended body ride at Revolve.

Sunday: I debated between my missed tempo run or my scheduled long run, but was really feeling the need to work on some speed so I went tempo run. It turned out to be a great decision and I rocked a 45-minute tempo run maxing out at roughly a 7:13 pace!

Happy New Year!

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And just like that… it’s 2014! Hope everyone had a great holiday season and a fun New Year’s eve. This is going to be a great year for my family with my brother’s wedding in August and mine in October. With a handful of other fun events on the calendar and some great races planned for the year, it certainly looks like it’ll be a busy one.

With everything going on, I know that staying stress-free, or at least as stress-free as possible will be important, so I tried to focus my New Year’s Resolutions for this year around things that help me de-stress.

  • Read more. I always say I wish I had more time to read, yet I’m able to find plenty of time at night to check on social media, so it’s really just about setting priorities. My goal is to read a book a month in 2014.bookcase
  • Socialize more (group workouts). When it comes to working out I work harder and have more fun with group workouts, so I want to try to fit more of that in during 2014.

    Post-workout Group Photo from November Project DC Facebook page

    Post-workout Group Photo from November Project DC Facebook page

  • Get Speedy. I love running fast, so this year is all about shorter races and working on my speed, which I need to keep reminding myself of when I get the itch to sign up for another marathon!fmtrack

What are your resolutions for this year?

Fav Posts of 2013

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With the year winding down, I took a look back at this year’s blog posts and wanted to share my favorites with you.

In the order they appeared…

  1. A Pizza Kind of Weekend – because it’s not always just about running and pizza is one of my favorite foods!

    Fresh out of the oven

    Fresh out of the oven

  2. Running Missteps – even after years of running, it’s good to remember that we can all fall into some rookie mistakes now and then.
  3. Birthday Fun – because it reminds me what a great b-day I had this year.
  4. Race Recap: Cherry Blossom 10 Miler – not only do I LOVE this race, but it was also one of my fastest and most successful races of the year making it a fun recap to relive.

    Smiling after hearing Ian call my name!

    Smiling after hearing Ian call my name!

  5. So Sad – because this was one of the most emotional posts I’ve written, and I still find what happened in Boston hard to believe.
  6. Book Review: Pre: The Story of America’s Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine – because I can’t believe it took me so long to finally read this book and because you should too if you haven’t read it yet!
  7. Race Recap: Such a Rush – the day I ran my first-ever track race and loved every second of it!SprintToTheFinish
  8. Engaged! – because this was my favorite thing about 2013!

    Celebratory Toast at Fireworks

    Celebratory Toast at Fireworks

  9. A Conversation with Bart Yasso – because I got to talk with Bart Yasso. Enough said.
  10. MCM Race Recap: BQ or Bust… Well, Not Exactly – while this race wasn’t at all what I expected I love the emotion that comes through in the recap and the understanding that a bad race isn’t the end of the world.

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Tell me what was your favorite post you wrote in 2013.

Footprints: Monday Morning Recap

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Last week was a great start to my Shamrock training! I definitely realized I’ve gotten a bit out of running shape, so my runs were slower than I wanted, but I felt great that I got every workout in. Doing all my runs up in cold, snowy Syracuse with holiday fun mixed in, I was fairly certain I’d be making some excuses for taking an extra day off, but instead just got out there and did it!

Here’s the day-by-day breakdown:

Monday: I put in just more than 3 easy miles followed by a P90X ab workout and a leg workout that included lots of lunges, squats and single-leg work as well.

Tuesday: Today I hit the hills working six 1/4 mile hill repeats into my 4+ mile run.

Wednesday: Similar to Monday, I got in just more than 3 miles followed by a tough leg workout. Then I enjoyed Christmas dinner!

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Thursday: Rest Day.

Friday: I was back at it today for a tempo run close to 4.5 miles.

Saturday: After doing battle with various tech projects in my parents house all morning then watching the ‘cuse game, I managed to sneak in a quick 3+ miles around the old neighborhood.

Sunday: I somehow got myself out of bed before daylight and put in about 9.5 miles. With temps in the mid-30s and no wind/snow, this turned out to be one of the best days of the week for a run!

Merry Christmas!

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Hope everyone who celebrates Christmas had a good one and that all are enjoying the holiday season! Ian and I have been enjoying a fun week up in Syracuse with my family – one of my favorite time’s of the year!

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We got a white Christmas which was great, but one of my not-so-favorite things about this time of year is the cold. Now I can handle running in the D.C. cold, but up here in Syracuse has been a whole different ball game. Being the first week of training for the Shamrock Half though, the elliptical in the warmth of my parent’s basement wasn’t an option. Instead I’ve hit the streets in temps from about 30 all the way down to under 10 degrees. Burr.

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Running into the wind with snow blowing into your face brings a whole new meaning to running in a headwind! While I don’t envy people who have to run through these conditions all winter, I have found that having the right gear makes a big difference. Layers is the most important thing. For my chilliest run I wore fleece-lined pants, calf sleeves and wool socks. On top I layered up with a sports bra tank, my Oiselle flyte tank, the flyte long sleeve and a new under armor long sleeve meant for ultra cold weather that Ian got me for Christmas.

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I topped it off with a hat, gloves and a neck gaiter I could pull over my nose and mouth during the first few minutes when the air felt too cold to breathe in. Keeping my head and hands warm is the biggest thing for me and makes running in the cold much more tolerable.

Another cold weather running tip that has really helped me is that you should dress for 20 degrees warmer than the temperature outside. Your body will quickly warm up and feel comfortable once you’re moving. On top of helping me know how to dress better for the cold, I use this as a mental trick to get out the door on the coldest days. If I can convince myself it’ll really feel 20 degrees warmer, then it doesn’t seem that bad.

Do you run outdoors during the cold? What are your tips and tricks for battling the weather?