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A Great NYC Summer Run

You know those runs that go exactly as planned? Everything clicks and you feel as if you could run forever? Luckily, that is what Bo and I enjoyed yesterday morning.

I don’t think it was a coincidence that we enjoyed a strong, fast run yesterday. Unlike week’s past, we set ourselves up for success.

Friday night we cooked together, whipping up a delicious Frutti di Mare and spent a few hours watching Orange is the New Black and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. We both foam rolled and stretched before going to bed at 10pm. Yes, we went to bed on a Friday night at 10pm and it was glorious.

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Even though our alarm clock went off at 6am, far earlier than either of us would like on a Saturday, we felt rested and refreshed. We sipped on some NUUN, coffee and had a few bites of bread and peanut butter before heading out the door 30 minutes later.

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We chose to run early on Saturday for three reasons: avoid crowds, avoid heat and get it done before we headed out of town for the day.

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We created a great path which allowed us to enjoy both the water views and breeze off the Hudson River as well as NYC’s Summer Streets. On three consecutive Saturdays, August 1st, 8th and 15th, NYC shuts down seven miles of streets so the public and tourists alike may bike, run, walk and play in the streets from 7am until 1pm.

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It is AWESOME and includes five rest stops, outdoor yoga, bike tune-ups, a Vita Coco sponsored slip and slide, as well as music and lots of other great activities.

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Yesterday morning’s run was such a blast. Since we were rested, the miles came far easier than last week’s long run. Our goal was to keep a 9:45-9:50 for the first seven miles and then drop the pace for the final mile. Due to rested legs, proper fueling and perfect weather we were able to finish the 8 miles at an 9:26 pace including the final mile at an 8:02 pace!

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Hope you guys had a great weekend and remember, if your run doesn’t go well take a few minutes to think about how you can make it better next time! Our goal for the next few weeks is to make sure we are well rested for long runs!

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A Weekend of Friends, Running and Yoga

Happy Marathon Monday! I’m so excited for everyone running, especially those ladies I’m tracking today including Tina, Sarah, Janae, Michele and Michelle. These ladies have trained in such tough conditions this winter that I know they’ll run strong even in horrible Boston conditions today!

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Inspired by the many runners in Boston, a few of us woke up with the sunrise for a four-mile run along the lake. It’s mornings like this that remind me why I love running. A wonderful, friend filled four-mile run followed by a cup of coffee always makes Mondays more bearable!

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But, before kicking off our Monday on the right foot, our weekend revolved around three things that make me very happy: friends, running and yoga.

Friends

As so many of us were traveling during March and early April, it’s been nice to have a few weekends in Geneva to catch up and relax. Each day this weekend we were able to enjoy time with different groups of friends, in both small and large settings. Between a Thai dinner date, a yoga workout, manicure and wine relaxation with a girlfriend, post-run brunch and a terrace barbecue party, we were able to see just about each of our friends and hear about about their Easter holidays. Even though we live so close, it’s easy to go a few weeks without seeing each other due to weekend travel plans and busy work schedules! Hopefully, now that Spring and longer days have arrived, there will be many lakeside barbecues in our future.

Running

After a relaxing, lazy morning enjoying one too many cups of coffee and our peanut butter and toast breakfast, Bo and I headed out for a 10-mile run. Bo’s longest run since the 2013 New York City Half Marathon, this run wasn’t as enjoyable as last week’s eight miler! We spent the first eight miles of our run fighting 25 mph headwinds. Even in the wind and rain, our countryside path found a way to be even more beautiful than the week prior. The fields transformed during the week, resulting in a sea of yellow blossoms. The inclement weather kept other runners and bikers at home, leaving the path just to us. It is a stark contrast to the crowded lake front path we typically frequent.

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The weather did a complete 360-degree change during our run, going from rain and wind to sunshine and blue sky. We finished our final two miles, sprinting along the lake, enjoying clear views and tulips! The good news is that, even though, the early miles weren’t easy, we were able to push our pace by the end and finished strong. In addition, runs like this build mental toughness, which is important for race day and something I’m trying to really focus and improve. I can’t believe our half marathon is in less than two weeks!

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Yoga

Stepping out of bed Sunday morning, my body felt the affects of the week’s workouts. While I originally planned on heading out early for InnerCity Yoga’s Sunday morning yoga class, the thought of relaxing on the couch convinced me otherwise. Having missed the opportunity to practice yoga in a class setting, I decided to bring the yoga studio environment to our flat. I opened the windows, lit a few candles, made lemon water, rolled out two yoga mats, invited a friend over and streamed yoga workouts.

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The plan worked so well that I completed a total of five restorative yoga videos yesterday, for a total of 2 hours.  I fell in love with JasYoga’s streaming video website yesterday, after discovering her short, effective restorative yoga videos. The website describes JasYoga as a revolutionary approach to yoga.

Welcome to the Reset Revolution.

Jasyoga is a revolutionary approach to yoga for athletes. Our practical solutions are designed to help you recover, prevent injuries, and perform so that you can achieve your goals, no matter where your active lifestyle takes you.

Her hamstring and quad focused videos released all the tension from my legs in just 15 minutes. Many of the moves include using props such as pillows, straps, and even your nearby wall to ensure that you can properly complete the moves while relaxing your body. 

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Thanks to many supported poses like the one above, I woke up this morning feeling fresh and ready to tackle work stress and the week’s workouts!

Your turn: Can you bring yourself to do at-home workouts? How do you motivate yourself? What are your favorite home workout videos?

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Sometimes It Just Clicks

Sometimes a run just clicks and the result is nothing but sweat and smiles. 

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Yesterday was the first time I can remember that a long run was equally enjoyable for both Bo and me. As you know, Bo has dealt with numerous knee and leg issues over the past five years including a torn calf muscle and two meniscus surgeries. Due to these issues and before that our different paces, the Geneva Half Marathon is the first one that we are training for together!

After a great week of workouts, our long run plan from Jess yesterday called for 8 relaxed miles. The goal was to maintain a consistent pace, somewhere around a 9:40. Historically, I’ve had a hard time wrapping my mind around why long runs are typically prescribed at a pace slower than half marathon goal pace. But, this time around, I’m listening to my coach!

We decided to get a preview of the half marathon course by taking the tram up a few stops to where the actual race begins. After some dynamic warm-ups, we hit the road.

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Our route was beautiful and very different than our typical lake front path where we run during the week.

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The first six miles included small, rolling hills while the final two miles were flat and fast. We kept our eye on our Nike+ app to ensure we kept our pace around the 9:40 point. This slower pace meant that we were able to spend the time running catching up, a nice change versus this week’s other runs, which left us breathless. While we shared a water bottle during our run, neither of us felt the need to stop or take fuel. Our pre-run breakfast of toast, fruit and coffee fueled us perfectly!

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We dropped the pace during our final mile, to see what we had left in our legs. We were all smiles when we realized that we finished right on target and our final mile was the fastest!

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Within minutes we were refueling with brunch at Le Pain Quotidien!

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Did you run this weekend? What’s your favorite way to refuel after a run?

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