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A Fabulous 10 Mile Run in Cincinnati

I hope you guys are having a wonderful weekend! We’ve spent the weekend enjoying as much fresh air and sunshine as possible while also enjoying some delicious homemade Mexican and lovely cocktails. Parker has been such a trooper this weekend even during his short lived meltdowns.

I woke up bright and early Saturday morning to log my last long training run before next Sunday’s Geneva Half Marathon. Knowing that I had 10 miles on the schedule, Amy suggested I head out to The Little Miami Scenic trail, a great multi-use path near their home in Madeira.

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The Little Miami Scenic trail is 75 miles of runner or bikers paradise!  It passes through 12 different Cincinnati area towns and provides the perfect mix of sunny and shady spots while also having rest and bathroom areas along the trail. The views are a mix of horse farms, rivers and streams, wooded areas and small town squares which have built around the trails activity such as Loveland’s downtown area. The trail has mile markers every half mile which makes keeping track of distance easy.

The weather was picture perfect for a run – sunny and cool. I wore my compression socks, shorts, and tank for the run while jamming to my new playlist on Spotify. 

182Instead of doing 5 miles out and back I split the run up into 4 parts, 2.5 miles each, so I could explore the trail in both directions. Amy had mentioned that one would have more river views while the other direction is shady and wooded. I even had some surprise company along the wooded portion of the trail as I ran into 7 wild turkeys crossing the trail. 186 187 188There were solo runners and running groups alike out on the trail with me logging their last long run before the Flying Pig marathon next weekend.

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I followed my training plan logging negative splits and an average of 9:17 pace overall. Considering that I didn’t have any fuel I’m hoping that means that I can keep at least this during next week’s half marathon.

While last week’s training wasn’t strong due to our travel in different cities, this week’s 5 runs have me in a very different mindset for the half marathon. I finished this run feeling strong and excited for the race!

What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen on a run? These wild turkeys were definitely the weirdest thing I’ve seen on a run!

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Geneva Half Marathon Training–Week 6

I never felt as if I was affected negatively by the winter this year, thanks in part to the wonderful skiing but lately I feel a difference in my training. Maybe it’s the Spring weather but things clicked perfectly again last week and I finished each workout wishing there were more miles to run or more daylight to enjoy.

We’re about to go on vacation for 7 days so I’m hoping all this motivation will stick with me as while we’re exploring new cities. At least running is a great way to see the city?

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Monday: Another great 60 minute yoga class in our office. I’m so thankful that I can just hop on the elevator and practice yoga during my lunch break. The Monday class seemed far harder than the Thursday class with longer poses.

Tuesday: This was the first two a day cross training day I’ve enjoyed in Geneva and while I’m sure it drives Gia crazy when she’s trying to organize my training plan it makes me so happy! I’ve fallen in love with swimming after just 3 practices and it makes me feel so challenged in the best way. I’m the slowest person each week but I finish and I’ve felt improvements in my form after just 3 practices. Last week we did lots of drills so that I barely noticed the 1100 meters. I followed that with a long power yoga class at InnerCity Yoga in Geneva. The class is Yoga Music Flow and is 90 minutes of sweat inducing power yoga followed by a 20 minute restoration like portion. Finding this happiness through two group workouts really made Geneva feel like home!

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Wednesday: I wasn’t sure how Wednesday’s speed work would feel after Tuesday’s double workout but my legs felt surprisingly fresh. The workout was 10 minute warm-up followed by 2 miles at 9:20, 1 mile at 9:00 and then a 1 mile cool down. I did it on the treadmill which kept the pace tracking easy and zoned out to The Good Wife.

Thursday: 6 miles including 5k pace pickups for the first minute of each mile

Friday: Utter and complete rest day which felt wonderful!

Saturday: A last minute, impromptu 9 mile run with Emily!

Sunday: Lots of walking through Geneva along with a shakeout run!

How’s your training going? What’s next on your schedule? Any fun races?

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Don’t Let the Run Rule Your Life

Happy Monday!

We had a wonderful weekend filled with a perfect mix of relaxation and exploration here in Switzerland.

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There may have been one too many glasses of wine enjoyed with Casey and Joel but hey, I hear life is all about balance. I will share more of our adventures from Montreux later this week but for now, let’s talk about another favorite topic – running.

After an aggressive training plan last week I woke up for Friday morning’s long run exhausted and completely sore. My body was suffering from delayed onset muscle soreness in a huge way. In addition, while my iron levels are improving, I still need to be conscious to listen to my body whether it’s soreness or the need to sleep longer.  I texted Emily regretfully cancelling our long run date even though I’d enjoyed perfect pizza the night before in preparation for our run.

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If I’d been married to my training plan I would have guilted myself into running what would have been a sup-par long run due to tired legs, a bad mental state and exhaustion. Instead, I texted back and forth with Gia debating the best option for the week’s remaining runs. Emily and I agreed that we’d meet Sunday morning, bright and early, for a run along the lake together. A Saturday evening shakeout run before hand on Saturday would have me ready for the run while also getting them used to running on “tired” legs.

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Little did I know that Saturday evening the weather in Geneva would be absolutely incredible. I literally gasped in awe when we exited the train at 5pm as there was a perfect light breeze, the sun was shining and the temperature was right around 65 degrees. The weather could not have been any more perfect. This, along with the fact that Joel and Casey had high hopes for a traditional Swiss fondue dinner on Saturday night seemed like fate telling me that I should change my long run schedule.

I know, I know. A coach exists to give a runner a schedule, challenge them and help ensure that they are preparing their body in the best possible way for an upcoming goal. Unfortunately for Gia, I’ve been training a few too many years. I’ve learned the hard way that if I’m going to enjoy training and be successful, I can’t let the run rule my life. I have to be able to enjoy this incredible experience we’re having in Europe while also challenging my legs and mind to run faster than ever before.

Those 9 miles enjoyed with Emily on Saturday night were exactly what I needed emotionally, mentally and physically. Physically they were not easy as I was a bit hung-over and dehydrated from #allthewine the night before. We’d also spent five hours touring Chateau Chillon and Montreux.  But, as soon as Emily and I started running the fresh air, sunshine and incredible views brightened our attitudes and before we knew it we were throwing down sub 9:30 miles. We forced ourselves to slow down but overall the miles felt easier than I expected.

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By 8:30 that night I was enjoyed delicious fondue with Joel, Casey and Bo so thankful for the decision I’d made. I was enjoying the experience versus worrying what the fondue would do for what was supposed to be my Sunday morning long run.

The next time you think about rearranging your life or missing out on something due to a run, question whether it isn’t possible to be agile and readjust your schedule. In the long run, this is most likely the best decision for your love of running.

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