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A Successful Long Run

11 mile long run

Greetings from the other side of this morning’s long run!  While I’m thrilled to have the run done, I’m also glad that I have four more long runs before my goal half marathon. There were a lot of great things about this morning’s run, I hope to feel a little bit stronger each week. I’m also hoping that fall weather arrives in Brooklyn and STAYS because I am done with the heat and humidity. I am glad that I finally took time, before the run, to make sure I was set up for success. I’ll share those changes with you in a few, but first, let’s chat about the workout.

The directions for today’s workout were to run 11 miles, keeping the first 9 miles between 9:50-10:30 and then aiming to run 9:00 minute pace for the final two miles. Thanks to the below steps, I was able to hit all of the paces except for the goal pace of 9:00 for the final two. I’m not sure if it was the humidity, hills or where my body is in training but I couldn’t seem to get the final two miles below 9:40. I’m not letting this put me in a panic for race day since I know that I still have five weeks of training ahead of me and that while I’d love to break 2:00 hours for the upcoming half, right now my body and mind are enjoying the training and that is the best gift!

Since these few changes helped me start the run in a good spot physically and mentally, I thought it would be helpful to share some of the changes I made for this week’s long run that helped me have a good run.

  • Run on fresh legs. I stayed off my legs yesterday and enjoyed a complete rest day. While I did a bit of foam rolling and some stretches, I spent the rest of the day sitting at my desk working or relaxing on the couch. While some people prefer to take the day after a long run as a rest day, my body responds well to active recovery such as a spin class the day after a challenging run.
  • Lay out my gear the day before. Since my closet is in Katie’s nursery, many mornings I’ve realized last minute that SOMETHING was in my closet. I laid out my shoes, socks, shorts, sports bra, tank top, fuel, water bottle, Garmin and Apple Airpods downstairs so this morning all I had to do was come downstairs and get ready. While this may sound like a no-brainer, I’d overlooked this important step for my previous runs.
  • Give my pre-run breakfast and coffee time to digest. As soon as my alarm went off at 5:30 I dashed downstairs and drank a glass of water with NUUN and peanut butter toast. I spent the next forty-five minutes sipping coffee and reading the morning news before getting dressed. It felt so much better to head out for my run feeling fueled versus feeling like I head a heavy stomach. For the past few weeks I’ve been eating just 10 or 15 minutes before heading out for a run which doesn’t allow my food enough time to digest and hit my bloodstream. 
  • Do my pre-run stretches and warm-up. I know I’m not the only person who often shirks pre-run stretches and warm-up in favor of starting my run. Since I had so much time this morning, I took 2-3 minutes and did the full circuit which includes arm swings, leg swings, lunges and more.
  • Switch things up and listen to a mix of music and podcasts. I’ve been listening to podcasts for the past few long runs and while I enjoy them, I woke up this morning craving some of my pump up music. It was fun to start the run listening to my Spotify marathon playlist from 2015, filled with everything from Ludacris to Calvin Harris. When I refilled my water bottle at mile five I switched over to Lindsey Hein’s podcast. It was so fun to listen to my friend Charlie share her story and it felt like we were running together.
  • Run without stopping for lights and traffic.  I pushed through eleven miles of rolling hills today in order to avoid traffic and stoplights. While the hills left me exhausted, it was such a nice change of pace to zone out and run in the park. I felt safe the entire time since it was packed with runners training for fall races and the light along the lake was gorgeous during my first loop. Since the Brooklyn Half Marathon includes a loop of the park, I think I’ll do the rest of my long runs here!
  • Plan something fun. Last night Bo and I realized that the timing worked perfectly for he and Katie to meet me at the Prospect Park farmers market. For the last few miles I was dreaming of an iced coffee and pumpkin muffin that I knew I could buy there while perusing the stands.

pumpkin muffin

 

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Workout Recap and Running Gear I’m Loving

Happy Wednesday!

Another week of half marathon training is in the bank! Last week was a week of highs and lows, as is often the case during a training cycle. Thunderstorms wreaked havoc on my outdoor runs and the heat and humidity definitely had an impact on my body during the workouts. But, a tough week only makes us stronger, right? I also made a few changes to this week’s workout schedule based on what I learned from last week.  This week I’ve realized that depending on the safety of the YMCA treadmill is smarter than trying to find time to run between storms. I also realized that getting a deep tissue massage the day before a tough workout is not a good idea. Instead, moving forward, I’ll try to plan a rest or pilates day after massages. 

So, with that said, here’s what last week’s workouts looked like.

  • Sunday– Long Run (8.5 miles at 9:56 pace) felt absolutely amazing the entire time including lots of heat, humidity and hills! I couldn’t stop smiling after this run as everything just CLICKED!
  • Monday- Tower Pilates class at A-Line Pilates
  • Tuesday- Early morning (4:45 AM) tempo run including a 15 minute warm-up, 6×2:00 fast followed by 2 minute recovery, cool-down (4.6 miles at 9:30 average pace)
  • Wednesday- Rest Day
  • Thursday- Four Mile evening run through Brooklyn (4 miles @ 9:29 pace)
  • Friday- Tower Pilates class at A-Line Pilates
  • Saturday- Long Run (6.7 miles at 9:55 pace) felt horrible the entire time. It was one big struggle fest and completely opposite from the previous long run. The heat and humidity was brutal but the reason I stopped short of the 9 mile goal was because my glute was killing me and there was thunder and lightening. I realized afterwards that my glute soreness was due to Friday afternoon’s deep tissue sports massage as well as some of the Pilates moves during Friday’s class. Moving forward, I’m going to avoid massages and Pilates the day before a long run.
  • Sunday- 30 minute Flywheel at home ride to shake out my legs

As I’ve been running and working out more regularly, I wanted to share a few items that I’ve been loving and using or wearing on repeat.

Brooks Bedlam

  • Apple Airpods – I’ve been using these non-stop for the past few months and am still surprised that they work so well during even the sweatiest of tempo runs. Yes, they stay in place. No, they don’t fall out. My only annoyance is that if I touch them during a run they signal Siri to start helping me and pause my music. But, I bet there is a way to correct this if I take the time to research it. If you haven’t tried Airpods yet, I highly recommend them!
  • Brooks Bedlam Running Shoes – So these new Brooks shoes do not officially launch until September 1st but as part of my Brooks Ambassador partnership, I was able to get a sneak peak. I’ve used these shoes for my tempo runs the past three weeks and love how responsive they are! It doesn’t hurt that they are the best looking Brooks I’ve seen to date – bright and colorful knit that keeps my foot feeling snug and secure. Since I prefer a more cushioned ride for my longer runs I will be using these for my shorter runs and tempo workouts each week.
  • Ali On the Run Show Podcast – Running is fun but sometimes it can get lonely. I’ve been spending my miles with Ali and her guests over the past few weeks, finding inspiration from Allie Kieffer, Michele Gonzalez, Kara Goucher, and Kayla Itsines to name a few! It has been such a joy to watch Ali bring this dream to life over the past year and I’m proud to say “I knew her way back” before the podcast when she was blogging daily about her training and balancing running and working at a large dance publication.
  • Brooks Greenlight Short Tight – I can’t remember the last time I ran in something other than these shorts after discovering them three months ago. Actually, I do remember. It was yesterday and I regretted every minute of the decision as the shorts moved around, hung lower due to sweat and left me with an unfortunate chafe mark. I am the proud owner of three pair of Greenlight short tights and have been telling everyone I know about them. They stay in place, support me, have pockets, are breathable and, believe it or not, are flattering too
  • Spotify – Once upon a time I dedicated time to putting together playlists for half marathon and marathon training. These days, I take advantage of others playlists that I discover on Spotify by typing in the type workout I’m doing in the search bar. For example, for yesterday’s tempo run I listened to a special tempo playlist that I discovered and a few weeks ago, my long run was powered by a “marathon playlist” that I found using the search function.  If that’s too much, then feel free to follow my playlists or check out the Speedy Workout, Tempo Run – 175 bps, or Elder Millenial Tour Official Playlist (thanks Theodora!).
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Workout Recap – July 23rd – July 29th

Last week, while I was traveling for work, I received a number of questions about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and workout habits while traveling. With those questions in mind, I thought it would be helpful to share a peek into last week’s workouts. I am currently training for the Brooklyn Half Marathon on October 20th. Even though I still have eleven weeks of training before I cross the starting line, I’m very focused on my goal.  My goal on October 20th is to cross the starting line strong, mentally and physically, so that I can push myself to a sub 2 hour half marathon!  In addition, I’ve continued to make some “small” but impactful changes to my everyday routine as I continue to focus on feeling my best during an especially busy time period.

I’ve continued to increase my DAILY STEPS by making it a focus each day. Some days this means taking the “long route” to drop Katie off at nanny share or meander a bit on our way home while other days, I’ll take a conference call outside, especially if it’s primarily listening versus active engagement.  My average steps continue to be around 9,500 which is a huge win versus where I was though I’d still like to hit 10k each day. When I was traveling last week, I logged more than four miles of airport walking each travel day due to long delays.

My philosophy for maintaining healthy habits during business travel is to treat it like a regular week. That means that as much as possible, I wake up at 5:30 to workout just like I would in Brooklyn and I eat moderately. Sure, at our work happy hour I had a cocktail and I couldn’t pass up the delicious margarita at the Mexican restaurant, but I don’t treat work travel like a vacation, indulging in every local delicacy. I eat a healthy breakfast and lunch to ensure I have the energy to make it through long days and then at night, I enjoy dinner and drinks with co-workers. Staying as healthy as realistically possible while I’m traveling also allows me to return home with energy versus being exhausted for Bo and Katie.

So, with that said, let’s dive into last week’s training, twelve weeks out from my half marathon.

Monday: Even though I didn’t go to sleep until 1:30 AM Monday after horrible flight delays, I made it to the gym before my meetings started. This was a perfect example of a day when I knew that a run would provide me with more energy throughout the day than multiple cups of coffee. I ran 3 miles in 27:50. 

Tuesday: I spent 45 minutes in the hotel gym doing a runner’s strength workout that I found on Pinterest and then hopped on the treadmill to sprint a mile at an 8:34 pace.

Wednesday: Luckily, I have the opportunity to work with some like-minded people so Wednesday morning I had the treat of running and working out with co-workers. Our run towards a local lake included gorgeous, sunrise views and cool temperatures. As an added bonus, my colleague, Jim, provided me with some running form coaching during our run which reminded me how important running the tangents and keeping form in mind is during a run. I tend not to “pull my leg” through the run, stopping my stride short. He gave me a few tips that I’ve been able to easily leverage during runs since then. When we finished our 4 mile run we did 10 minutes of core work, including spider push-ups, planks, and v-ups.

Thursday: My anxiety around more than 9 hours of travel delays didn’t make Thursday a very enjoyable rest day. I ended up logging almost four miles of walking throughout the day as I listened to podcasts, conference calls and music while passing the time in Arkansas and Atlanta airports.

Friday: Similar to the way I started the week, I ended the work week with a 6 AM tower Pilates class even though I was exhausted from the previous day’s travel and late night. Molly’s tower class always challenges me, especially the ab series, so it felt great to be back after two weeks away from Pilates due to vacation and work travel.

Saturday: I knew that some yoga would be a beneficial way to work out some stress that my body was holding as well as loosen things up before Sunday’s long run. The 65 minute Yoga Vida class I took was a bit harder than I expected but I really liked the teacher and continue to be impressed with the Dumbo studio.

Sunday: I knew that I wanted to conquer some hills and distance during Sunday’s long run. Luckily my friend Melissa was game for the challenge and recommended that we include Brooklyn Bridge in our route as it provides over a mile of hill training and beautiful views. I covered 7.5 miles and maintained a 9:38 pace which was exactly the confidence boost I needed especially since it was a hot day and we were talking throughout the entire run.  I think this week we are going to head to Prospect Park for more hill training and a change of scenery.

I’m proud of last week’s workouts and the only change I would make in hindsight is to make my weekday runs a bit longer. Ideally, my 3 mile run would have been a four mile run and my four mile run would have been five miles. As I continue my training, I know that my week day mileage is just as important as my long run, so want to continue to increase the mileage in line with Theodora’s coaching plans.

Your turn – Are you running any upcoming races? How is your training going? 

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