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5 Tips for A Stronger Long Run

Happy Sunday! I hope you all have enjoyed a good weekend so far. What did you do yesterday?

I spent yesterday morning running 15 miles around Geneva. I changed up my route a bit as my regular route has started to get a bit boring. While it’s absolutely gorgeous along the lake, running there for each of my 3 weekly runs means that it isn’t as exciting as it once was. I spent my first few miles weaving through Geneva’s neighborhoods before heading to the lake yesterday which was a nice change of pace.

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The run went really well other than one necessary bathroom stop. I wore the same outfit again this week, which means that I think I’ve found my perfect marathon race day outfit! The weather was humid and overcast for the first half and then the sun came out for the second half.  For those who are interested, here are my splits: 9:42, 9:53, 9:55, 9:51, 9:51, 9:47, 9:51, 9:56, 9:43, 10:09 (hills and dodging tourists), 9:49, 9:39, 9:29, 9:21 and 8:54.  IMG_1434[1]

Since my past few long runs have gone better than normal, I thought I’d share 5 tips that have helped make these runs stronger and more successful.

5 Tips for a Strong Long Run

1. Get a good night’s sleep! Sleep is the time when your body repairs and heals it sleep. Not only will 7 or more hours of sleep leave you feeling more rested but it will also leave your muscles and body more ready to run. Sleep is so important that many coaches, according to a Runner’s World article, say that increasing sleep is the #1 thing athletes can do during taper to improve their race day performance! I like to sleep in my PRO Compression Marathon Socks and enjoy some Sleepy Time herbal tea before bed to relax.

2. Practice the optimal pre-run fueling. I’ve found that a little bit of coffee, a little bit of water, a banana, peanut butter and toast works perfectly. I take about 30 minutes to after eating to sip coffee, check out route options on MapMyRun, foam roll, and stretch while my food settles. When I was in the US I bought a few packs of Vega Sport Sugar-Free Workout Energizer, Lemon Lime and I’ve really liked it so far. The flavor isn’t great but the past two runs have been stronger than normal after mixing some in my pre-workout water.

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3. Make sure you carry enough water and fuel! Always overestimate your water needs, rather than underestimate as being dehydrated during a long run is the WORST! You never know whether your frequently used water fountains will be working so make sure to carry some water with you or leave some along your path.  Another option that I’ve used in the past is creating a route which has me pass by the house so I can hide a water bottle in the mailbox or bushes. The Amphipod Hydraform Handheld Thermal-Lite is large enough for long runs and has a convenient zipper pocket for storing fuel, money and keys along with a thermal sleeve to keep water cool. I’ve tried a lot of fuel over the years and my favorite two are Salted Caramel Gu or Margarita Shotblocks.

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4. Find motivation in a playlist, audiobook or podcast to keep you company along the run. Yesterday I listened to music for the first 4 miles, A Life Without Limits for the middle 8 miles, then music for the last 3 miles. It was a perfect balance and Chrissie Wellington’s story really helped motivate me through the middle miles which can sometime be the hardest mentally. If you haven’t read or listened to this book I can’t recommend it enough!

Here are a few songs that I especially loved during yesterday’s run:

  • ABC – Jackson 5
  • Sur Ma Route – Black M
  • I Want You Back – Jackson 5
  • Let The Groove Get In – Justin Timberlake
  • All The Small Things – Blink 182
  • How Will I Know – Whitney Houston
  • Bombs Over Baghdad – Outkast
  • Give Me A Beat – Girl Talk

5. Plan a fun activity or reward after your run. Sometimes it helps to have something that you are running towards or a reward you know you get to enjoy afterwards. When the going gets tough you know you have to finish in order to reach your boyfriend, friends, iced coffee date, frozen yogurt or even your ice filled bathtub! Yesterday I made a brunch date with girlfriends for 11 which meant that I had to finish my run in a 10 minute pace or faster. IMG_1457[1]IMG_1460[1]

Now it’s your turn! Share your own tip in the comments or share your favorite post workout reward or workout song.

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The Return of the Long Run

Oh holy jet lag! This time Bo nor I were able to beat jet lag and instead have just given into it 100%. Typically we do our best to quickly adjust to the time zone by going to bed at normal times, making sure we wake up at normal times, eating healthy, and hydrating. When we arrived back in Geneva on Friday, after over 30 hours of travel, we immediately headed to a wedding celebration for Mike & Nora.

 Photo: No better way to celebrate Swiss National Day than at Nora and Mike's wedding! Cruising around the lake through Switzerland and France in gorgeous weather surrounded by fireworks. I'll take it. ✨

The celebration was pretty amazing and included a yacht tour of Lac Leman with 50 of their friends and then an after party at Java, a local club. The night ended at 2am and by this point we’d each been up for over 36 hours.

Needless to say that between Friday night and Saturday night, Bo and I slept 24 hours. I think you could say our bodies were screaming for sleep. Yesterday we woke up at 3pm and today we woke up at 12pm. I don’t think I’ve EVER slept until 3pm; not even in college! With the crazy jet lag, it would have been easy to skip this week’s long run and just put it off until next weekend. The Berlin Marathon my goal race this Fall, is just 8 weeks away which means that only 7 long runs remain until the big day. That, along with the fact that Theodora would be crushing the NYC Tri at the same time, gave me the inspiration and kick in the butt needed to get out the door this afternoon.

My goal for today’s long run was to start practicing my fuel and clothing plan for race day. I relaxed for an hour, while catching up on emails and blogging, as I ate my pre-run “brunch”. This morning was the return of a classic, as we brought PB and Company Bee’s Knees peanut butter back with us from the US.  In addition to peanut butter and banana on toast I enjoyed a cup of coffee and Vega Sport Prepare pre-workout energizer. The Vega was a little too earthy or plant tasting for me but I will continue trying it as so many people swear by it before long workouts.

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When I left the house it was overcast and around 70 degrees; perfect long run weather. My goal was to only stop 3 times during the run, once for fuel and then another two times to refill my water bottle. The course I mapped was simple to follow and parts of it were along the lake and through the botanical gardens which meant lovely scenery.

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As the pictures show, the overcast weather quickly turned to a sunny and humid summer day complete with temperatures in the low 80s. My route provided very little shade and I quickly regretted forgetting to add NUUN or Vega Sport to my water for electrolyte replenishment. But, the good news is that the 13 miles went exactly as I hoped. I felt strong and my pace was exactly on target for my Berlin Marathon training.

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The middle miles, seven through nine, were slower than planned as I had to weave through Fete de Geneve festivities including lots of fair games and rides. I will share my playlist this week as it was perfect and was only half way through when Map My Run told me I was finished with 13 miles.

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Next week I have 15 miles on the schedule and my sole goal is to maintain a similar pace. Thanks for all the suggestions and positive motivation earlier this week as you all really helped me believe that I could come back from my training break stronger than before!

I finished the run with a refreshing green smoothie including spinach, powered peanut butter, frozen banana, skim milk, ice, Blissful Eats granola and Designer Whey protein powder!

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Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with the couch!

How was your weekend? Did you have a long run or other workout which you especially loved?

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Taking A Break from Training

I’m currently sitting on the roof of the JFK Delta Sky Lounge, enjoying the 80 degree temperatures and last bits of sunshine before our evening flight to Europe.

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This vacation has been absolutely incredible in so many ways and I will certainly share more details in the upcoming posts but today, I figure I should take a pause to focus on the one thing giving me a bit of anxiety right now.

The press around Shalane Flanagan sub 2:20 hour Berlin Marathon goal earlier this week made me remember that in just 8.5 weeks I too will be lacing up my sneakers and pinning on my bib to run 26.2 miles.  First of all, my mind is at a loss when I realize that she will finish the marathon before I hit the half marathon point. Second of all, while vacation has been wonderful and I have absolutely zero regrets, I haven’t exactly stuck to my training plan. As I sit here typing this post I think there may be a few anxiety hives showing up on my neck.

This vacation was a much needed chance to unplug. I have been virtually silent on social media, except for a few check-ins here and there and a daily Instagram post. Instead of focusing on an agenda and calendar each day of vacation, as I’ve done previously, I was the most relaxed I’ve been in years. Many vacations I still bring my training plan with me and focus on squeezing in every workout. While that is healthy and sometimes makes sense, for this vacation I knew I wanted to relax emotionally, physically and mentally.

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I didn’t gain a single pound on vacation due in part to the fact that I was active every single day whether walking on the beach, practicing yoga in the backyard, biking around the island, or running. My long run was 10 miles and every other run was between three and four miles, far shorter distances than my training plan prescribed. As I have my sights set on a PR in Berlin, I know this decision wasn’t necessarily the smartest physically but mentally I think it was the best thing possible. For the next 8 weeks I will be living by my training plan and this mental break allows me to start fresh. Based on my physique and headstand abilities, I know that I am the strongest I’ve ever been and that my body is ready for any challenge I will give it over these next few weeks. The first few days of training won’t be easy but at least I am fresh and ready. There may not be a washboard stomach in the below picture but there is a heart and soul that craved attempting headstands on a daily basis and finally, after days of trying, was able to hold it long enough for my dad to capture on his phone camera. IMG_1199[1]

Now it’s your turn, what are your suggestions for making my first few weeks of training easier? How do you jump back into long runs after a momentary break?

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