Showing posts with label #trainingtruths. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #trainingtruths. Show all posts

Monday, March 17, 2014

Training Truths: YoYo Days

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I am hoping that the leprechauns will be bringing the warmer weather to NH, because I'm really tired of having to layer up on outdoor runs especially after the tease Mother Nature gave us last week!

Monday - Sports massage - ahhh! It's not a pain-free experience, but she finds and works out those knots.

Tuesday - I spent the day at a Teacher's Workshop and couldn't wait to get home to put on my running SHORTS! It was a gorgeous (almost Spring-like) day. 3.45 mile run


Wednesday - A little evening yoga.

Thursday - Wintery weather returned, so I hit the treadmill after school. 3.23 miles


Friday - REST (except step back sliders for one minute). Body must have needed a day off because I took a 2 hour nap after school, fell asleep watching TV after dinner, and then slept until 7 AM (which I hardly ever do!).

Saturday - I started the day at SurfSet with mrC and then planned on doing an afternoon run outside because it was another gorgeous 50 degree day. However, Mother Nature had other plans and (literally) rained on our parade. So, I ran 30 minutes on the treadmill instead.

Photo from TI Fitness Facebook Page

Sunday -  Bundled up for a 4 mile cold, but sunny, afternoon run with mrC. I love when he tells me that he is having fun! (33.95 #ffmarchmiles)


Throughout the week I also squeezed in this strength workout that I found on Runkeeper's website. I did 20 repetitions of each exercise using x3 cycles.



How was your week? Are you enjoying warmer weather already?


Monday, August 19, 2013

Training Truths: ZOOMA Week 6

It was not a good week - except for those of you who won some protein from Designer Whey! Check the list of winners at the bottom of this post.

In my last training truths post, I told you my plan to give my cranky hamstring the break it needed to cheer up. No such luck.


My plans for running 3 days instead of 4 last week went out the window on Monday when I found my little hamstring/hip problem had worsened and I could not walk without pain. So instead of logging miles, I was rolling, icing, and popping ibuprofen.

Monday & Tuesday - lots of TLC, and some easy core challenge work. I spent 48 hours thinking that I should not have run 9 miles on Sunday.

Wednesday - finally feeling some improvement, I walked 2.14 miles on the treadmill while working on the computer plus completed my daily dose of core work.


Thursday - rolled & iced before spending about 6+ hours in the car driving to Maine to pick up my step daughter from her summer job.

Friday - walked 2.1 miles on the TM and got caught up on my core challenges. I made the bad decision to do skater jumps which fired the hip pain up again.

Saturday - took a complete rest day from all exercise. (but I really wanted to lace up my Mizunos and go for a run).


Sunday - Early morning core workout for two days and an afternoon walking workout of 3.5 miles on the TM.

As much as I want to run today, I'm forcing myself to wait until I see my chiropractor on Tuesday. I am hoping that I will feel better after my adjustment and can go for a run.

What is the longest break you have taken from your running/sport? The longest for me was after the RnR Providence in 2011.


Congratulations to the Designer Whey giveaway winners!

#31 Katie
#9   Desiree
#15 Amy @Long Drive Journey
#20 Jordan Dunne
#10 Mary Beth Scimemi
#12 Casey

Please email me at by 10AM Wednesday August 21, 2013 with your mailing address so I can forward your information.


Monday, July 29, 2013

Training Truths: ZOOMA Week 3

Even with the best intentions, it is hard to keep to a half marathon training schedule while you're on vacation.


As I packed my bag for the trip to Cincinnati, I included three running outfits and my Wave Creation 14s. I was hoping to squeeze in three workouts and stay as close as I could to my weekly goal of 20+ miles.

I scheduled the first run for Tuesday morning at East Fork State Park so we could run 5 miles and then hang out at the beach. It was a gorgeous sunny day and there were beautiful views of the lake.


Run #2 on Thursday did not happen. Blame the travel or the comfy bed, but not the weather. It was a perfectly beautiful, no humidity, mild temperature kind of day. Instead we spent the day driving to Columbus, stopping for a light lunch and some shopping, and hanging out with good friends.

On Saturday we took the long run to Loveland and jumped on the Little Miami Scenic Trail from Miami Riverview Park. Every trail should look like this one: paved, maintained, and beautiful (look for my review later this week). Despite the first mile in pouring rain, we ran 8 solid miles and enjoyed every minute of it.


So my week of vacation and training didn't exactly turn out the way I'd hoped, but I'm ok with that. I had a great time visiting family and friends, and I didn't miss my long run.

If you are in the Boston area and training like me for ZOOMA Cape Cod in September, Social Boston Sports and Muscle Milk are teaming up with ZOOMA to host a training event tonight at 7PM at the Washington Square Stop in Brookline. There will be a 5 mile run with a 3 mile option.



Monday, June 17, 2013

TrainingTruths: What's Beautiful: You Can Count on Me

Last week the attention I've been giving my legs started to pay off. The yoga, the stretching, and the strength exercises have eased the pain and strains I've been dealing with for a while.


Tuesday - I started the day with a leg strength workout that I found posted by Laura. After school I ran 4 awesome miles with mr.C and as Katie would say, the #magicmilefairy blessed my legs. They felt so light! Afterwards I did my trusty yoga for runners post-run stretching sequence.


Wednesday - It was a rest day, but I did the leg strength workout after school before heading out to the theater to see Spirit of the Marathon II. What an awesome movie!

Thursday - I decided to repeat what I did on Tuesday since I felt so good, so I did the leg strength workout in the morning again. After school I ran 4 fun, rainy miles with mr. C followed with the post-run yoga stretching sequence. It worked. The legs felt amazing.


Friday - Trying to keep consistent even on rest days, I did the leg strength workout after school.

Saturday - I had put 6 miles on my step daughter's training plan and we signed up for the local annual 5K, so we got creative. We ran 3 miles to the 5K, and then ran the 5K. Even though I ran the first 3 miles faster than the race, I'm still happy because my legs were happy.


Last week I learned that if you take the time to take care of yourself, you will feel the reward. My legs have been very happy since I started consistently stretching and strength training.

I'm also excited that I'm able to start building my weekly mileage back up and continue working toward my goal of 1000 miles for the year - which also will help my FitFluential and Under Armour What's Beautiful team goal. Although we have logged over 1300 miles, we are still pushing toward our team goal of 5000. If you like to rack up the miles, head over to Under Armour and sign up with Team Escapades.

What body part is your biggest ally?


Monday, May 6, 2013

TrainingTruths: Half Marathon #9 Final Week

It was taper time last week. Nine weeks of coaching, guiding, and training with my husband for his third half marathon was winding down. Work and travel schedules prevented us from running together, but he stayed focused and IT ALL PAID OFF (recap coming soon).

Tuesday: It was a yucky four miles. As a runner I have learned that there will be days like this, but it doesn't stop the disappointment that comes with it. It was one of our first warm days, I was tired from a busy day at work, and feeling very blah and lethargic. I definitely had trouble keeping up with my running partner on this one.


Wednesday: I went to Atlanta to work on a special project with Mizuno for a couple of days. I missed my final taper run, but I did fit in my daily planks. The view out of the floor to ceiling windows was much better than my normal view of the living room or basement.


Sunday: After weeks of training together, hubs and I ran the Flying Pig Half Marathon. It was #9 for me and #3 for him. As promised, we stuck together for all 13....miles. I couldn't resist the .10 sprint to the finish line. This was a challenging course, but tons of fun.


Overall: I ate on the road a lot between Atlanta and Cincinnati, didn't follow my normal hydration routine, and only did my morning planks 4 days. I will be more focused this week while I allow some time to recover.

How was your week?



Monday, April 8, 2013

#TrainingTruths: Flying Pig Week 4

We made it through Flying Pig Training week 4. 

I say made it through because the weather tossed some challenges our way and teased us a little in the process. So despite some crazy windy and cold days, we were able to get in all of our scheduled runs and miles.

#TrainingTruth: You either find a way or you find an excuse

Treadmill TuesdayI underestimated the windchill factor when I packed my running bag on Tuesday morning, so when I saw flurries flying out my classroom window, I knew I would be heading home. I missed my husband by 15 minutes, so I hit the treadmill until he got back from his run. It wasn't as fun as running together, but it was nice & easy. 


Solo Thursday: This was my first run without a partner in a long time. When I found out that I would be running solo, I'll admit, I got a little nervous. I thought I would be uncomfortable running alone through town and I might struggle with my pace. I don't know if it was because the weather was gorgeous or that I got to wear shorts, but it was a great run and I was speedier than I expected.


Fun Friday Hula-Hooping! After reviewing my goals for the year and seeing how poorly I have been doing at adding strength training to my workouts, I remembered that I have a sports hoop. This thing gets your heart pumping and gives your core a good workout while burning calories. You can read about the benefits here. My goal is to hula at least 4x/week on my non-running days.



Long Run Saturday: We normally do our long runs in the morning, but we woke up to cold temps and 20+ mph winds, so instead we postponed our 8 miles to the afternoon (which is not my preference, but what can you do?). I was worried that we would feel sluggish after running errands all day and hitting up our favorite smoothie spot, but it turned out to be an awesome run. My husband is really working hard to improve his miles and overall fitness. 


How was your week?


#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to assess ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:
  1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
  2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
  3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments
I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!



Monday, April 1, 2013

#TrainingTruths: Finding Your Zen

It was week 3 of training with my husband for our next half marathon. Because he has an unconventional work schedule, he has not run consistently since last August when we ran the Rock 'n Roll Providence together.

#TrainingTruth: Running can help you find your zen!

Monday: We ran a 4 mile route out and back from the house. It gives us a pretty good hill workout even though it's a shorter distance. I'm working on being a better pacer, while my husband works on getting his fitness back. After running, he asked, do we have to run first to get this great feeling? The loyal hound is always happy to see us return. 


Thursday: I chose a new route that kept us mostly off the main road, but took us on some side streets with rolling hills. We met our goal to keep moving on the hills and coast down the other side. During the run, I found myself concentrating on my husband's breathing to help gage our pace. It was surprisingly relaxing.


Sunday: After an evening spent with family having Easter dinner and attending Mass, we eased into this mid-morning run feeling very blessed. The weather was beautiful for our
 7 mile hilly out and back. We used the same route from Tuesday, just extended it a mile and followed the muddy road along the river. Despite the muddy-season, our surroundings were very peaceful.


And here's a little Pinterest zen-spiration from The Arty Runnerchick that sums how we felt during each run!



Do your thoughts ping-pong when you run, 
or do you zone out?

#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to assess ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:
  1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
  2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
  3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments
I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!



Sunday, March 24, 2013

TrainingTruths: Next Up #9

After completing half marathon #8, last week was about recovery and switching gears. I've mentioned that I'll be heading home to Cincinnati to run the Flying Pig Half Marathon in May. I was going to run this race last year, but instead choose to be a blogging ambassador for the Cox Providence Half Marathon

So, over the next six weeks I'm going to maintain my endurance and try to stay healthy. 


#TrainingTruth: The run never ends

Tuesday: Another snow day here in NH kept me cooped up inside, but didn't keep me off the treadmill. This post NYC Half run felt pretty good considering my legs were a little sore. Easy runs are great for recovery.


Thursday: My husband was back from his trip and on running duty. He is beginning his half marathon training which worked perfectly with my recovery week. We took advantage of the gorgeous afternoon to run one of our favorite routes to the pond and back. The easy 4 miles felt awesome in the sunshine and sporting some capris. Hurry Spring!


Saturday: Still following the hubs' training schedule, we eased into the morning with a six mile run to town and back. We were virtual runners too, dedicating our miles to the Sandy Hook Run for the Families 5K. Although the sun was shining, it was a cold morning with frigid winds. 



What do you do when you reach your fitness goal?

#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to assess ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:
  1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
  2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
  3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments
I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!




Monday, March 18, 2013

TrainingTruths: No excuses.

First, let me announce the winner of the NYC Blogiversary Awesome giveaway:

Congratulations to Jill F!

Check your inbox for an email with details on how to claim your prize!


It was another slow week of training last week

I use that word loosely because I actually only ran once before leaving on Friday to run the New York City Half Marathon.

I was supposed to run on Tuesday, but it was raining. Instead of coming right home after a day of "professional development" and running on the treadmill, I took a break. That break ended up lasting all evening. Training fail.

On Thursday morning I received my daily dose of Runner's World motivation via the Quote of the Day.



How fitting. So after school I came home and went for an easy run with my husband. We did our regular out and back route. Once we got going, I found myself feeling better. The lack of motivation I had been experiencing began to be replaced with happy endorphins. 



We arrived in NYC on Friday evening, spent most of Saturday at the expo and site-seeing before the half marathon on Sunday. I went into this totally planning to just have fun and take some pictures along the way. I did that, but then I PR'd too! (Race recap coming soon)

Crazy blurry start corral picture!

How do you get past the excuses and do the work?


#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to assess ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:
  1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
  2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
  3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments
I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!



Monday, February 11, 2013

TrainingTruths: NYC Half Marathon Week 5

Last week I continued my training for the New York City Half Marathon (just 5 weeks away) and participated in another fun run with family and friends. It was a week of cold and sometimes snowy weather, but I managed to complete my training runs with a little creativity.

I received a lot of positive feedback about the Chilly Challenge. Thank you for letting me know that you had fun, were motivated, and pushed yourselves to run more than ever. 

#TrainingTruths: It's cold - run anyway!

For Tuesday's run, I asked Daisy if we could do 6.1 instead of our usual 6 miles. I owed 3 #milesofshame to the Runner's Wager Super Bowl Edition and I signed up for Kyle's Krusade Virtual 5K, a fundraiser benefitting the Talbert Family Foundation to help defray the medical costs for families with children fighting cancer. 


Thursday, feeling the need to change things up, we did our old hill route. This one starts out with a relatively flat 1+, but then starts climbing steadily (and sometimes steeply) for 2 miles. Once we make it to the top though, we are rewarded with a mostly downhill finish. When it feels like 16 degrees, I should wear more than my no-show socks. Cold ankles on this one. Maybe wearing compression socks like the one's mentioned in this Runner Click article would work.


On Friday I couldn't resist taking a little birthday pre-blizzard run with the dog. It was just to the local pond and my husband followed in the car taking some great pictures. Although we didn't see other runners, I could see shoe prints from someone who ran the out and back before us. 



Our normal Saturday long run was snowed out, so we had to reschedule. Since we were running the Snowflake Shuffle, a three mile fun run, on Sunday, we decided to meet early and do a few pre-race miles. At 12 degrees, my toes were cold until about halfway through a pre-race warmup. 




How did the weather affect your training last week?

#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to assess ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:
  1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
  2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
  3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments
I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!



Monday, January 28, 2013

#TrainingTruths: Paying Up

I entered a little Runner's Wager hosted by pavement runner and NYC Running Mama and since the Patriots didn't win the AFC Championship, my workouts last week included some #milesofshame settling up. On the upside, I could also add the miles to my team.

#TrainingTruth: There is no downside to running.

I took advantage of the day off from school and put in a Monday morning run. It was too cold for me to run outside by myself, so I jumped on the treadmill to run my first 5 #milesofshame. In or out, miles are miles. They all feel good.


Instead of waiting until after school, Daisy and I decided to use our hour long lunch break to go for a run. It was only 18 degrees, but we came prepared with our Lululemon brisk run neck warmers and lots of layers. I love running in the cold and barely breaking a sweat. It just feels easy.


With temps in the single digits, I took my run back to the treadmill on Wednesday and finished up my Runner's Wager #milesofshame debt. After reading about treadmill pacing problems I suspect that mine is also inaccurate because it feels so much harder to run the same pace as my outdoor runs. But, who can complain about TM runs when you have a buddy keeping you company. 


Still in a deep freeze, we canceled our normal Saturday morning long run (for fruit smoothies) opting instead for treadmill miles where we wouldn't lose any extremities to frostbite. With hopes that it might be warmer in the afternoon, I ran errands and went out to lunch with my husband, only to realize that I would be seriously crazy to run outside when I have a perfectly good treadmill in the basement. So I ran my longest distance on the treadmill while watching Run For Your Life - a documentary about NYC Marathon founder, Fred Lebow.


Has the weather been affecting your training lately?


#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to assess ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:
  1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
  2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
  3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments
I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!







Monday, January 21, 2013

#TrainingTruths: Bouncing Back

At the beginning of last week, I fell victim to some sort of illness. Whatever it was knocked me off me feet and put me to sleep for about 8 extra hours on Monday afternoon. One sick day later and I was bouncing back.

#TrainingTruth: It's ok to be down, as long as you get back up.

Monday's run did not happen. Tuesday became a sick day. Wednesday I was granted a snow day. As soon as I received notice, I changed into my running clothes and jumped on the treadmill. Usually a long run on the 'mill is torture, but I was eager to run. With the loyal hound keeping me company and the first episode of The Bachelor tuned in, I logged 7 miles. I forced myself to do an easy one mile warm up, then upped my pace to 9:30-ish for five, before ending with another easy one mile cool down. It felt good to be back.


Itching to run again, on Friday night I jumped on the treadmill. First, I wanted to stay on track to get at least three runs for the week. Second, I had some new shoes to try (review coming soon). Once again, I sandwiched my five mile run between a one mile warm up and cool down. This is pretty easy to do on a treadmill where pushing a button controls your pace. I need to learn how to do this on my outdoor runs because it makes my legs happy.  

 
On Saturday morning, Daisy and I met downtown for our weekly run for smoothies long run. We did the same loop as last week only she had the great idea to do it backwards. The tough hill was at the beginning, and the rest of the run felt mostly down hill and easy. Fresh fruit smoothies after proved that I was indeed feeling better.






How was your week?


#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to assess ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:
  1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
  2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
  3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments
I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!






Monday, December 31, 2012

TrainingTruths: It's All Fun

Happy New Year's Eve everyone! I hope you are looking forward to starting 2013 as much as I am. It's not too late to join Team Escapades in the Chilly ChallengeCheck out all the details here or skip right to the sign-up part and be sure to choose #TeamEscapades! Then go invite all your friends: more people = more miles! We have members ready to log miles in Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, Georgia and Virginia!



Last week was all about holidays, winter weather, and fun. As the year winds to a close, I am happy to say that running IS still fun. I've had some ups and downs with different injuries, but fortunately I have been able to keep running through each of them.  

#TrainingTruth: Run often and run long, but never outrun your joy of running!

Monday: Since it was Christmas Eve, I decided to wear my Santa hat when I met up with Daisy for our morning run. It was a beautiful day and I thoroughly enjoyed every single beep of the horn, thumbs up, and wave that I received from passing drivers.


Thursday: With a Nor'easter dumping a bunch of snow causing a postponement of the girls' run and the hubs asking me to stay inside, I took my running to the treadmill and logged 6.2 miles. I'm starting 2013 with a New Year's Day 10K (just like last year), so I thought, why not? Afterwards, I kind of liked the juxtaposition of me in a sweaty tank while the outside world was swallowed in cold and snow.



Saturday: I had a fun run with the girls through the cold, snowy streets of downtown Manchester. We warmed up afterwards by the fire with some coffee, fresh fruit smoothies, and a lot of girl talk. Perfect Saturday morning!



What kind of fun workouts did you have last week?



#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to assess ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:
  1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
  2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
  3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments
I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!







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