TrainingTruths: Freedom Runs

I like to think of last week as a week of freedom runs. The Rock 'n Roll Providence Half Marathon was over and I wasn't ready to roll right into preparation for Reach the Beach and ZOOMA yet. It was nice to just go out and run without any thought to training schedules.

#TrainingTruth: Running on trails is a great way to break free from the noise and traffic of every day life. 

#TrainingTruth: There is a certain liberation in being able to run anywhere at any time (like during soccer practice).

#TrainingTruth: You can meet the nicest people when you're out for a run and not constrained by finish times and pace.

#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!

TrainingTruths: Tapering Workouts

Last week was the taper week leading up to half marathon #5. Tapering is not a term that I am all that familiar with because I only started running distances longer than 10Ks a year ago. In fact, marathon #5 is a re-run of my first ever half marathon!

WORKOUTS:

#TrainingTruth: A humid 5 miles is not so bad if there is a view half way through.

#TrainingTruth: A sweaty four mile run is good for practicing the perfect gear combination for race day.

#TrainingTruth: Pre-race activities must be executed properly to ensure a successful race day: attend the expo, hang out with FitFluential peeps, and enjoy a pre-race meal.

#TrainingTruth: All of the training pays off on race day!

#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!

TrainingTruths: Workouts & Olympic Soccer Party

I used to be a soccer junkie...live, breathe, dream everything soccer. It was my first addiction. After two knee surgeries in three years, I stopped playing competitively and eventually found my second passion: running. I'm currently training for my 5th half marathon. Last week my training started winding down, but Olympic soccer started heating up.

WORKOUTS:

#TrainingTruth: I used to think running a 10K was hard.

The first time I ran a 10K race in 2006, I was so impressed that I could run 6.2 miles! Now, when I look at my training schedule and see 6 miles, I know that I can do it. I'm not intimidated by that distance anymore because of the time I have spent pushing myself to go longer and do better. It is an awesome feeling to look back at how far I've come as a runner.

#TrainingTruth: I like running (and wearing unplanned-matching outfits) with my family.

Even though we spend much of the time on our runs lost in our own thoughts, there are often moments where we engage in conversation. I love talking about running and fitness, but chatting about what's going on in our lives is even more rewarding. It is also pretty cool to watch your step daughter achieve her personal distance record or bust out a freakishly fast sprint to the end!

#TrainingTruth: Pacing my running partners is challenging, but rewarding.

Usually my BRF is the one doing the leading on our runs, but she has been on vacation so I have been thrust into the pacer position. It is hard to keep the pace a little slower and to remember to take walk breaks for my husband and step daughter whose training is not as consistent as mine. Being there to see their happy faces when they find their groove or reach running milestones is amazing though.

 

FOOD:

#TrainingTruth: Sometimes I eat appetizers in place of a real meal.

Thursday afternoon we had an Olympic Soccer Party while watching the US Women's Team play for the gold medal. Preparations for the party included making crab dip and cupcakes (which we decorated with our choices of who would score the first goal). Earlier after going for a run I had a salad. It wasn't breakfast and it wasn't lunch. Later, during the party, I pretty much made the crab dip and wheat thins my lunch.

#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to asses 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!