Tag Archives: running

Ohhh Heyyyy Spring!

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With the start of spring (please don’t snow again!!) I’ve been sorting through my things and organizing. With my running and work out stuff, I’ve been going through and wearing everyone once more to test if it is worth keeping or not.

For those of you who are into fitness, you are well aware of the struggle. Something might be absolutely amazing when you try it on in the store, and then you wear it to work out and it is a failure. I can’t tell you how many things I’ve purchased with great hopes, only to be horribly disappointed. There were those spandex that slid down my bum as I ran… or the shirt with the weird stitching that made me bleed… and of course the countless sports bras that seemed fine, only to be uncomfortable and awful.

However, on a whim I purchased a sports bra from Under Armour and it has surpassed my expectations in all sorts of ways. The straps are not as elastic and they cross slightly higher than I’m used to – however this has proven to be far more comfortable. The bras come with removable pads, which I like because I can still maintain shape and modesty in tighter tops. Most of all? I like that the bras come in actual bra sizes so you can actually buy a bra that is made for your size.

Check them out here: http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/armour-bra

 

Marathon Training (a 60 Day Challenge)

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Hello hello!!!

Today, I wanted to share my goals for this year in terms of running. I am planning on running either a half or full marathon on March 8, 2014. I know that seems like a super weird statement… what do you MEAN “either”?!

My friend C emailed me and R last year in the fall and asked “MARATHON?” and of course, I was immediately psyched and IN. C and R started training using a 24 week training schedule. Me? I came down with a violent cold that had me bedridden for nearly 3 weeks. The minute I felt better, I was flying to Korea for a funeral. When I returned from Korea, the stress of losing a loved one sent me straight back to bed with a pinched nerve in my back. Then, the holidays rolled around, and I was inundated with family, presents, and cold weather. This year has been unusually cold, and so running outside (my preference) has been a bit of a struggle.

This brings us to NOW. It’s about 8 weeks to the marathon, the hotels and flights are all booked, but my training isn’t where it should be. So far, I’ve really only been able to get a couple long runs in and then some shorter runs on the treadmill. I know that because I have a high tolerance for long runs that I could potentially be ready for this marathon without hurting myself, but I’m hesitating. Someone once characterized my running as “brute force” because of my ability to push through long runs despite obstacles. Since I have been running for a long time, and have training for many (many!) races, I do know the limit to my “brute force.” I think I’m toeing the line right between being ready and pushing it.

So… what is my 60 day challenge? I am going to train as if I am trying to get a half marathon PR, and try to throw a longer run in when I can. I’ll make the decision to run the marathon in early February… and worst case? I’ll PR in the half. 🙂

Why am I telling you this? Because I think it’s important to realize that planning these races is important to being successful and to keeping your body healthy. So… I’m holding myself accountable and will post once a week updating you on my progress. 🙂

Excellent. Run healthy and happy.

 

What I learned from my 30 Day Challenge

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My 30 day challenge was to run/bike at least 2 miles every single day. Mid month I added walking.

This is just a list of the things I noticed. I starting writing these down after my runs, so some of them are really random, but I wanted to share my little realizations with you too!

  1. I am not an every day runner. My body needs rest and functions better with less but longer runs.
  2. I like running in the morning… Seriously. Who knew?!
  3. I need to figure out how to fix and maintain my bike on my own because I’m really really terrible about taking it to the shop. It’s been a month and it’s still languishing in the garage, flat and broken. Ooops.
  4. Despite running for nearly my entire life, I still have to work on my nutrion, electrolyte balancing, salt…. all that, since it still throws me off once in a while
  5. I think I want a running buddy once a week… I haven’t quite decided, but after running for so many days, sometimes I think it might be nice to have someone to chit chat with while I run. But then I think, I also love love love running alone because it brings me peace.
  6. When I don’t run for a couple days, I’m a huge bitch. I just have too much energy and I need to expel it into the universe in a positive way or I get cranky and needy, and I kinda bitch at everyone. Running = happy.
  7. I’m a super duper uber lazy walker. I walk SO SO SLOWLY. I need to work on picking up the pace and treating my walks like I treat my runs… seriously!
  8. I need to work on core fitness, weight lifting, and other all around body fitness. I think I am at the point where I can run forever and nothing about my body changes. I would like to firm up my core and work on muscle definition elsewhere in my body. I have super toned and defined legs, but that’s where that ends. Just my legs. I also think that if I were to improve core strength and upper body strength that I would be able to run faster. So I need to vary my workouts.
  9. For those of you curious about this – My weight is probably 1 pound different. I weigh just about the same as I did when I started, but everything on my body has firmed up just a bit. This goes back to my previous bullet, about how I am so accustomed to running that my body doesn’t change much, so if I want to see change I need some change in my work outs too
  10. I used to run exclusively in running tops that covered my entire back, shoulders, and most of my arms because I didn’t want sunburn, but as I have been running in very hot weather, I’ve been getting into running tanks and slathering on sun screen.
  11. I like running in spandex shorts more than regular shorts. I find that I like my clothing to stick to me so that nothing rubs, moves, or bothers me when I’m running
  12. Most running hats that are sold are possibly the stupidest and the worst caps ever. They don’t cover anything and they don’t shade enough of my face. It’s still my biggest irritation when I look for running gear. I have ONE hat that I love, and the rest I put up with out of necessity.
  13. I need to find a new running mix because the music I have right now is about 10 years old, and I actually know ALL the lyrics and for the most part could probably sing my entire playlist without turning my music on.
  14. I have a lot of running shoes

So. There you have it!! I hope that you had a healthful and productive June as well! Let me know what kind of “challenges” you have participated in the past and whether I should try them too!!

Running Headaches

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Literal, not metaphorical.

Occasionally after I run, I suffer from horrible migraines. The kind where you need a combo of gatorade, a fistful of Advil, and an afternoon long nap. When I first started getting them, they weren’t terrible. I could just manage to get through my day… but recently when I do get a running headache, it seems like nothing will make it stop. Today I ran, and just like that the worst of the worst headaches visited me. I finished my run at 11:00am today, but after struggling through the better part of the day, I slept for the rest of the afternoon and just woke up a few hours ago.

I ate some dinner, ran some errands… and I have to tell you I still feel pretty shitty.

Anyone else suffer from these? What do you do to prevent them?

30 Day Challenge Revisions

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So, I challenged myself to 30 days of running/biking at the beginning of the month as a way to kickstart my running again.

Thankfully, the challenge has gotten me back into my shoes and back outside running and running like I have in the past. However, I have had to make revisions to my challenge.

I knew from the start that with my bum knee and my wonky ankle that I wouldn’t be able to run every single day, so I included biking in the challenge. However, I just don’t feel like biking. I don’t care for it much… plus the uber lazy lazy part of me refuses to sack up and get that stupid tire fixed (again… seriously, biking is such a hassle, there are so many moving parts). So… last week I was rounding out a solid 10 days of consecutive running and another 3 days of consecutive running, when I decided I needed to make a change. The challenge is really about getting healthy and enjoying yourself… and when it comes to running, I don’t believe in beating yourself up physically or mentally. Last week was particularly tiring for me, and I spent a good chunk of the afternoons after my runs napping, sipping gatorade, and watching t.v. Behavior that completely defeats the challenge. So I made some revisions.

I will maintain my active 30 days, but on days that I need a break from pavement pounding, I’ll take my dog for an extra walk or chase her around the yard for an extra 15 minutes (she’s a weeny one, so 15 minutes and she’s normally pooped). So… I’m adding “walking” to my challenging. Because… it’s really just about moving your butt. Maybe I should call it the 30 day “Move Your Butt” campaign.

 

Day 11 (minus 1 Day) – Fitness Challenge Update

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I ran my usual 3 miles… I’m really having a hard time leaving my comfort zone when it comes to running short distances. I promised to run new routes, but I’ve only run 1 since I started my challenge this month. No matter… it’s more about getting out there anyway!

So yesterday, I woke up and looked out the window and immediately thought “NO.” So I decided not to run. I’ve been really into running everyday, so when I woke up and everything inside of me said “NO” I decided it was best not to. I did think about walking a bit on the treadmill before bed, but I decided against it since No means NO.

In terms of weekly mileage, I haven’t been surpassing anything I’ve done before, but I have been surpassing the number of consecutive days that I run, which has been much more mentally challenging than I anticipated.  I have experience with feeling burnt out after running, so I decided that a Day 10 rest would be alright.

So far, I really like running shorter distances every day, but it is quite a bit time consuming. I drive 20 minutes to my running path, run for 27-30 minutes, stretch and bop around for 30 minutes, drive home 20 minutes, shower, unpack my gear, and then get on with my day. It ends up being a 2 to 3 hour commitment depending on how efficient I am with packing my gear the night before and how quickly I get home and into my routine. I know that once I come up with comfortable routes to run closer to home that the everyday running will be less time consuming, but for now I’m finding it difficult to beat the shady, uninterrupted 3 mile loop that I’ve been running.

Anyway – that’s my little running update for today. I think I’m going to finish off my ziti and think about making knock-off Chipotle burrito bowls for the rest of the week.

What do you guys have planned?

(Oh… did I mention I had some AMAZING wine the other night? I took pictures of the label, so I’ll put up a review tomorrow)

Picking Up the Pace

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Yesterday and today I picked up the pace for my runs. I’ve been running the same 3 mile loop around a nearby lake, but I can’t seem to drag myself to run anywhere else. The path is partially shaded, by the water, and easy to access from my home – so I naturally gravitate to the path.

Normally, I run with my Sony headset, my Nike watch, and occasionally I’ll drag my cellphone along with me… but I’ve really been enjoying the “electronic” free running. I stopped using my GPS watch a few months ago, instead choosing paths that I knew the mileage for so I wouldn’t drive myself INSANE looking at my watch. Since, I’ve been a little scattered and have been forgetting my music too… and that has been surprisingly nice. It’s nice to hear my breath and my feet on the pavement.

Since I am planning on running/biking every single day for 30 days straight, my priorities have shifted. I know that I can’t just decide to run 12 miles one day because it’s nice out, I have to weigh whether or not I’ll be able to run the next day. So… I’ve been strategically running low mileage every day and resisting the urge to just keep on going when the weather is agreeable. It has been an interesting challenge, and I have to have a certain degree of self control over my running whims. I’m often tempted to run extra mileage, but I have been resisting so that I can continue my 30 days of running. However, since I have been keeping low mileage, I have decided to pick up the pace on the days where I’m tempted to run more. Yesterday and today were absolutely gorgeous out and I knew that I would be tempted to do extra mileage, so I simply picked up the pace so I would be ready to be “done” at the end of my runs. It’s been a good exercise, since for the last 3 years I’ve been more interested in the number of miles instead of the speed.

Anyway – that is my update for the day. For some pictures of my gorgeous runs and the beautiful lake I run by, check out my instagram. I post the temperature, my shoes, and a scenic shot after each of my runs!

xoxo!

Week 1 Mileage Break Down (Fitness Fridays)

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I know this is me procrastinating, but I figured I’d give mileage break downs for the week. I don’t normally concern myself with the speed that I run, but instead keep track of mileage and where I run. I tend to prefer paved running paths or packed dirt. The trail I run is covered in gravel, which I find is a little slippery for me. I have weak knees so it aggravates them if I run more than a few miles on the gravel paths.

  • June 1- 2 miles, evening neighborhood run (sun setting, humid)
  • June 2- 2 miles, 11:00am trail run (sunny, hot)
  • June 3 – 3 miles, morning lake run (sunny)
  • June 4 – 1.5 miles, mid morning trail run (sunny)
  • June 5 – 3 miles, morning lake run (sunny)
  • June 6 – 3 miles, morning lake run (sunny)
  • June 7 – 3 miles, morning lake run (rainy)

Week 1 total: 17.5 miles

This week the weather was quite mild. The first two days were in the 80s and humid, but nothing terrible. I wore my Brooks PureFlow running shoes. I recently purchased the PureGrit in green and another in bright orange, so we’ll see how those work out. So far, these Brooks have been awesome so I’m excited to try more in the Pure Project.

For this coming week, I’m thinking about upping my mileage on at least one run during the week. Maybe swapping out one lake run for a longer 6 mile road run. We’ll see how I feel.

Hope you all are having a wonderful Friday!! What are your goals for the coming week??

Day 7 – One Week!

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Hello hello my friends!!

Today has been amazing so far!! I did wake up later than I normally do, but I made it to the lake at 10:30 and bopped through my 3 miles. It was raining pretty hard, but like I promised “RAIN OR SHINE” so I ran. I was the only person at the park, but I loved every single minute of it. I saw an adorable duck with her adorable ducklings crossing my path, I saw some deer grazing in the woods, a beautiful swan fishing, and a bunch of these beautifully colored birds flitting through the air. It was amazing to just get out and run on my own, without anyone else on the path.

I always thought that running with other people made me faster, and that I enjoyed the competition of spotting a person and passing them… but I think I actually prefer today. It was quiet and beautiful and I could really focus on my running and just enjoying the absolutely gorgeous nature happening around me. I even danced a little at the end!

After my run, I ate a little and headed to run errands before hitting the library. I picked up a couple treats for myself to reward myself for the 7th day of my challenge. I just got here (the library) and the rain doesn’t look like it is going to let up, so I’m actually kind of excited to run again tomorrow in the absolutely quiet park in the rain.

Oh… and today, I wore spandex shorts, running tank, and hat from Nike. I topped off with a new rain jacket from GAP, which I am absolutely in love with. I found a similar one online in case you want one… go HERE. I bought it in an XL (I know… I’m a little nuts) but I like my running gear to be long and the hoods to be big, so I usually buy the biggest size. This one has scrunchy pulls so I can make it work.

What have you gotten into today? Did you see anything amazing? Do you like running in the rain??