Tag Archives: training

Footprints: Monday Morning Recap

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Week one of marathon training is in the books! I got off to a good start on my training plan over Thanksgiving week putting in 38 miles. I’m following the Hanson’s Program and week one called for all easy paced runs. Next week I’ll start working in some speed work.

Here’s the day-by-day breakdown:

Monday: 6 early morning miles around my old neighborhood that I grew up in. It was mid-50s giving me the unusual chance to run in Syracuse in November in shorts!

Tuesday: I got in another 6 miles around the old neighborhood before working from home for the day.

Wednesday: Rest day.

Thursday: After getting in to Geneva late Wednesday night to celebrate Thanksgiving at Ian’s sister’s place, I slept in a bit before hitting the gym at the hotel for another 6 miler.

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Friday:  I figured I would brave the cold today and set off on the lake path just outside the hotel for a run. Temps were in the 20s, but factoring in the windchill it was low teen’s and the wind was whipping off the lake. I didn’t realize just how windy it was on my way out and absolutely froze on my way back as I turned into the wind, but still managed to get my 6 miles in – mostly because it was the only way to get back to my warm hotel room!

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Saturday: I was less brave on Saturday and headed back to the hotel gym, which had 2 nice new treadmills in it. I decided to move my longer run up a day and put in 8 miles.

Sunday: It was an early morning wake-up for 6 on the treadmill before we hopped in the car to head back to Syracuse to my parent’s house.

Footprints: Monday Morning Recap

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I got off to a slow start this week, but finished strong. It was another week of all easy, base-building runs as next week officially starts my marathon training!

Here’s the day-by-day breakdown:

Monday: Rest Day.

Tuesday: Unplanned rest day. After too little sleep Monday night, I decided a couple extra hours would do me better than a workout.

Wednesday: 40-minute treadmill run at the gym after work followed by a core workout.

Thursday: I hit the gym after work again for a 50-minute treadmill run and some core work.

Friday:  It was back to the gym after work on Friday night to kick off the weekend. I got in 30 minutes on the treadmill while watching the first half of the Syracuse game and a quick full-body workout during halftime.

Saturday: It was a beautiful, but chilly, morning for a 40-minute run along the W&OD Trail. It is amazing how having the right gear on can make a run in cold temps so much more enjoyable though! I also got in some core work later that night.

Sunday: I got in a quick and easy 35-minute run along the W&OD this morning before packing up and driving to Syracuse for Thanksgiving week! It was a bit warmer out than yesterday, which I did not realize and totally overdressed. Good thing it was a quick run!

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Bondi Band Review & Giveaway

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Through my SweatPink ambassadorship I was given the chance to try out a Bondi Band headband. My long hair is a mess when I run so I always wear either a hat or a headband. I am also always looking for a good headband that won’t slip and keeps my hair out of my face and off of my neck.

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When my Bondi Bands first arrived for testing I have to admit I was a little turned off by the silly sayings on them. Even though I always love motivational quotes these just didn’t do it for me. This had me already thinking I wasn’t going to like these headbands. It turns out they’re pretty great though.

I tested out my Bondi Band over the past week including a tough track workout and a 10-mile long run to see how it would hold up. It’s extremely light weight and feels like it’s barely there. The stretchy material made of a nylon, lycra and spandex blend fit perfectly on my head. The biggest plus – I did not have to adjust or fix the band even once during my workouts. It stayed perfectly in place and kept my crazy hair in place as well from start to finish!

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It also didn’t feel too tight. In fact I barely noticed it was there even during my 90-minute long run, which was followed immediately by a 20-minute walk.

While I might not love the sayings, I am a believer in Bondi Bands, and saw on their site that they have plenty with different designs too. On top of that, they seem like a pretty cool company. Every year they donate 10 percent of their pretax profits to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

In addition to my complimentary band they have given me two more bands to give away to one of my readers!

Giveaway Bands!

Giveaway Bands!

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For reference – the blue one I’m wearing is the same size as the larger one shown, but I wore it rolled up.

Here’s how to win:

  • Earn 1 entry by commenting below and tell me how you like to sweat or why you’d like to try Bondi Band.
  • Earn 1 entry by liking Bondi Band on Facebook. Leave a separate comment telling me you did.
  • Earn 1 entry by following Bondi Band on Twitter. Leave a separate comment telling me you did.
  • Share this post on twiiter via the share button below. Leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment.

Entries will be accepted through 11:59 pm ET on June 6. The winner will be randomly selected and announced here on June 7. Only entrants in the continental United States are eligible to win – my apologies to those readers from other areas!

Workout of the Week

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Last week I wrapped up week 2 of my half marathon training program. I’m putting it in the books as another successful week and am really starting to feel like my fitness is coming back.

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I got in a little more than 40 miles, although technically my long run didn’t happen until this week, I’m still going to count it for the last one! It was supposed to happen on Sunday, but my bachlorette party was also over the weekend and well, let’s just say I didn’t really feel up to running long on Sunday!

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My runs this week took me through D.C. in the early morning, along some running trails I haven’t hit up in awhile and by the waterfront in Hoboken featuring stunning views of the NYC Skyline, so needless to say there was a bit of competition for my favorite workout this week.

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Hands down it was my lone speed workout of the week, which took place after work on Wednesday. I made an unfortunate decision to sleep in that morning instead of going to the track. I set up a workout of 400 yard repeats with 400 yard recovery jogs in my Garmin and watched anxiously as I waited for the clock to hit five and saw the skies turning increasingly gray!

It was just sprinkling when I set out for the trail though that leads from the office to my apartment. After roughly a mile warm-up I started my repeats. As I progressed though, so did the rain until it was monsooning and I was getting pelted with rain. It might be the hardest rain I’ve ever run through. My clothes were drenched and my shoes were sloshing with water.

For some reason though I could not stop smiling. Everyone else on the trail was so friendly and seemed to be having the same experience as me – well except for the bikers, they seemed pretty grumpy. There were high fives, laughs and smiles exchanged and jokes yelled out about what a beautiful day it was to run as I passed others along the trail. It was a blast.

I questioned my sanity a bit more when I finished my repeats and got ready to do the roughly 2 mile cool down that would take me the rest of the way home – ALL UPHILL. Fortunately the rain had let up by then and I was able to stop by the Iwo Jima water fountain for a quick sip before the last push.

When I do the speed workouts on a trail on my Garmin, I don’t see the split times as I go along. Instead, I listen for my watch to signal the start and end of each repeat and don’t get to see how long each took me until I finish. I was really pumped with my times and very glad I didn’t resort to a treadmill because I would not have pushed that hard. I was mostly consistent with just a few slow ones in there, but given the rain and the not completely flat terrain I wasn’t worried about them. It was one heck of a workout!

Do you like running in the rain? What was your favorite workout last week?

Workout of the Week

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Last week was my first one back on a plan and boy did it feel good! I still haven’t decided on which half marathon I’m going to do – and even added another possibility into the mix – but all three are the same weekend in the D.C. area, so I have some time to narrow down which one I want to do.

Instead of breaking down the whole week day-by-day like I used to, I thought it’d be fun to switch it up a bit this time and share the highlights as well as my favorite workout – or workout of the week – as I go along. I’m trying to recap them each day on Instagram and twitter, so if you have any desire to hear all the deets, follow me on there!

Running in my brand new Saucony Kinvara 5s (they fit like a glove!) that I won in a Pacers contest, I put in nearly 40 miles over the course of six runs along with a spin class, some strength work (not enough), core workouts, stretching and a lot of rolling.

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It was one crazy weather week here in the D.C. area. I ran in near 90-degree, high humidity weather and also had a few perfect mid-50s, low humidity morning runs!

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My workout of the week was definitely my long run. Granted an 8-miler would probably be considered mid-week mileage during some of my old marathon training plans, it was a good distance to start out at for half training. I was up early on Sunday and greeted by sunshine and absolutely perfect running weather!

Gearing up for Saturday's run...the bum wrap Oiselle skirt made it's first appearance of the season!

Gearing up for Saturday’s run…the bum wrap Oiselle skirt made it’s first appearance of the season!

I put on a tee, my rogas and compression sleeves and was out the door to a nice, quiet Sunday morning. Other than other runners, the streets were pretty empty. I love how Sunday mornings in Arlington/DC are so sleepy and quiet – such a difference from the normal hustle and bustle of the area.

I set out on one of my favorite routes that I used to take from my old place all the time, but haven’t done once since moving last July! I scooted up to Wilson/Clarendon Boulevards, the main streets running through the Rosslyn to Ballston corridor, and headed down the hill and over the Key Bridge into Georgetown.

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After a jaunt down M street I briefly ran along the Rock Creek Park trail and headed off by the Kennedy Center before starting my return loop over the Memorial Bridge, past the Iwo Jima Memorial and back up the hill to home.

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Like all of my runs this week, it was at an easy pace, but without even realizing it, I ran 30 seconds a mile faster than my run that was 2 miles shorter the morning before. My last mile that included ups and downs, but mostly ups, was also my second fastest – only falling behind the all downhill mile – and I felt like I could have kept going. I love that feeling of finishing strong!

I’m counting week 1 of training as a success! How did your week go? Any stand out workouts you want to share? Do you have a goal race on the horizon? Let me know in the comments!

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: 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!

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!

In Training: Shamrock Half Marathon

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After almost two months of my no-plan-training-plan, I must say I’m very excited to be starting a regimented plan again. I know both my body and my mind needed the break as I was pretty burned out after an up and down year of racing. It also gave me the chance to get a whole lot of spinning and strength stuff in that I sometimes let slip when I’m running more often. Still, my motivation was pretty low so I just wasn’t getting out there and running nearly as much as I would have liked, so now it’s time to change that.

I’ll have my race calendar up soon, but my target spring race is the Virginia Beach Half Marathon that is part of the Shamrock Marathon weekend. It’s also the site of an Oiselle team meet-up, so I’m super pumped to get to fly fast with a bunch of my fellow birds!

I’m back to training on my own without a coach, so as usual I’ve been doing obsessive research into the best possible training plans for me for this race. I settled on my old favorite – the Hal Higdon Advanced Half plan. I’m a big fan of Hal’s plans and have had success with them in the past.

Hal Higdon Training Programs

 

While I have a goal of getting in as many of the planned workouts as possible, I also want to make sure I stay flexible. By that I mean a few things including being smart and knowing when my body might need a break as well as not missing out on group workouts/runs because it’s not the exact mileage I have on tap for the day.

In addition to my runs and strength training built into the plan, I’ll be spinning at Revolve when I can fit it in, stretching A LOT and becoming good friends with my foam roller!

I don’t have a goal time for the race yet, but I do have a PR in mind knowing it’s a very flat course. After I have a few more weeks of training under my belt I’ll have an update for you on my race goals.

Have you used the Hal Higdon plans before? How’d it work out for you? What other training plans do you like?

 

 

 

NYC Marathon Fun – Volunteering at Mile 22

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I headed up to NYC this past weekend to give a little back to the sport that gives me so much. I signed up to volunteer at the 22 mile water stop for the NYC Marathon with a bunch of my Oiselle teammates. After a fun Saturday in Hoboken visiting my brother and his fiancée, I was up bright and early Sunday morning to make my way into the city.

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As usual, I had a bit of trouble figuring out the Subway system, but was able to take a fairly quick cab ride to my volunteer spot. I checked in, got a poncho and plastic gloves and met up with the other Oiselle ladies volunteering there. Most of them I only knew through twitter, so it was very fun to meet them in person, and not surprisingly they were all awesome.

We got a quick orientation from the volunteer leader. It’s amazing the things you don’t realize that go into race day. He went over set up and what to expect once things got rolling. Safety was the emphasis. He pointed out the closest medical tent, then talked about how to form a safety circle around a runner if someone were to drop, and asked anyone who was CPR certified to raise their hands. After thanking us all, we were off to work.

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I helped fill up water cups and stack them three rows high across the table to get ready for the onslaught of runners. After that, I enjoyed my front row seat to one incredibly cool marathon experience. The Marine Corps Marathon, which boasts finishers in the low 20,000s each year has always seemed HUGE to me. On Sunday, more than 50,000 runners set out to take on the five boroughs of NYC. Wow.

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The wheelchair and handcycle divisions came through first. I don’t usually see most of these racers after they take off, but wow they are impressive. Soon the elite women were making their way through mile 22. It was so cool to see the pace trucks coming and know the first runners were right behind them.

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These women were amazingly fierce and fast. It was so cool to see. I still can’t believe Priscah Jeptoo came away with the win – what a finish!

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Also, I want her abs!

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Not long after, another pace truck was coming through and we saw the elite men. Getting to see Geoffrey Mutai fly by up close on his way to his second straight NYCM victory was awesome. I couldn’t wait to see Meb come by, but of course had just put my camera away when he did, so I don’t have a shot of him. I know he didn’t have the race he wanted, but it was still so cool to see him and he is such an inspiration!

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Soon the everyday runners started pouring through and just kept coming and coming. There were so many volunteers and I was near the back, so I didn’t actually hand out that many cups of water.

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Still getting to cheer these runners on and see the determination and pain in their faces (or limps) as they passed us with four miles to go made for a great day. I yelled out for the runners who had names written on their shirts, cheered like crazy for random strangers and tried to pick people I knew running out of the crowd. So. Much. Fun. 

Congrats to everyone who raced NYCM Sunday! You are all amazing!