Not Every Run Goes As Planned

Last night after reading and napping most of the afternoon, Bo and I spent the evening watching one of our favorite yet often forgotten movies and enjoying thin crust pizza.

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I went to bed still sniffling, coughing and fighting off tears from itchy eyes. Seven hours later I felt the same, frustrated that the medicine and a good night’s rest didn’t leave me feeling better. I texted Leticia letting her know that I was still game for a run and figured that I’d give it everything I had.

I put on a lightweight wicking outfit which I knew wouldn’t chafe or get so heavy that it drooped, like some of my summer running tanks. I packed my breakfast so I could eat it on the way to the subway station and even remembered to put a wrist band under my Garmin to protect it from sweat.

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At 7am I met Leticia at 77th Street where we planned to start our run so we could enjoy the full Summer Streets route. This was actually our first time running together since she’s been sidelined due to injury the past few months. The great thing is that on a good day, we’re about the same pace. There is no awkwardness, wondering who is holding who back, and the conversation always flows easily between us. While I don’t think it’s necessarily a good thing to do every long run with someone, I am sure that we’ll make great training partners as the weeks progress.

It was already sticky and quite humid when we started but we focused on the conversation and pop-up events along Park Avenue instead of wining about the heat and humidity, which will only make us stronger and faster come Fall.

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As soon as we hit about the one mile point I knew this wasn’t going to be a great run. My cold/allergies were making it hard to breathe regularly and my nose was running constantly. While my legs felt okay, the rest of my body wasn’t happy. I just felt drained; which is a clear sign that my body is using the rest of its energy to fight off illness or repair. Instead of being stupid and pushing myself too hard or holding Leticia back too much, I parted ways with her around mile 5, just short of the Brooklyn Bridge. I took a few minutes to take some water, talk with a very nice police officer who was amazed at the number of runners, and enjoy some deep breaths. I popped my headphones in and focused on Bossypants, Tina Fey’s hilarious autobiography, and zoned out for the next 32 minutes. I jogged down to the turnaround point and then back home, rounding out the run for just about 7 miles of actual running time.

When I finished, I was on the verge of tears. During the run I had the pleasure of seeing a number of my friends including Jess, Abby, Rebecca, and Meghan. They each looked happy and at ease. Seeing them and thinking about all I have going on in the next few months, made me seriously question the marathon. Is this the right year to be running my 3rd marathon? Am I going to put too much pressure on myself along with the other stressors I can’t control right now?

I went into this week, really hoping for a strong long run. In the back of my mind I have a fear about this year as I start the travel season again. This week’s cold is definitely a setback both physically and emotionally. I know there are still exactly 12 weeks until the marathon which makes me feel better and worse at the same time. Instead of making any rash decisions or letting my emotions overtake me, I’m going to listen to my motivating and ever optimistic Twitter followers and give myself until the end of the month. There are 3 more long runs between now and Labor Day, plenty of time to figure things out.

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So at the end of the day, it’s true. Not every run goes as planned and the tough runs make those great ones all that much better. I’m going to invest in a new pair of shoes since it’s clearly time, work out the knots in my legs and lower back with a deep tissue massage, and focus on next week versus letting the negative thoughts get me down.

You know what’s great after a bad run? A fun afternoon in the kitchen, prepping for our Mexican Fiesta dinner party tonight! IMG_3916IMG_3914IMG_3920IMG_3922IMG_3924

Don’t forget to enter my Almond Breeze+Lululemon giveaway and check out my JCrew blog sale if you missed it yesterday!

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A Low Mileage Marathon Training Program

Greetings, my new running friends!  I’m Katherine and I blog about my
running adventures over at Neon Blonde Runner. I’m excited to be featured as today’s Marathons+Moderation guest post as I advocate something people don’t talk about nearly as often as they should: low mileage marathon training.

 

I’m a 3X marathoner with a PR of 3:26, following a fast love affair with running that started in 2010.

I want everyone to know that you do NOT have to do a high mileage program in order to qualify for the Boston Marathon!

I averaged 32 miles per week training for my most recent marathon PR of 3:26.

Here are my keys to marathon success on LOW mileage:

1)  Take rest days.  Your body MUST rest in order to build back muscle.  Do NOT feel guilty about taking a day off when you’re just not feeling it.

2)  Run faster to race faster.  Don’t be afraid to push your speed at least once per week.  I’ve added in a speed session every week or so and I believe that it really makes a difference.  You don’t even need
to do any formal track work if that idea stresses you out– you can just add a couple “fast” 5K or 10K pace miles into your workouts.

 

3)  Run with a training group.  When you don’t feel like getting out of bed for those early morning runs, you’ll be more likely to do it if you have people waiting for you.  Plus, running with a group or buddy will help you push your pace.

 

4)  Set goals.  Studies have shown that people who set goals have more success.  I don’t always set time goals, but I’ll set goals about what sort of effort I want to put in during a race.  For example, I’ll set goals that I want to negative split or run faster than I did last time.  Or you can have a goal of doing a hill workout once per week.

5)  Make time for non-running activities.  I strongly believe that you need to have balance in your life in order to achieve success in running.  Make time for your friends and family– I’ve never regretted doing so and I think it leads me to be more focused when it is time to run.

 

Best of luck to you in your running journey!  Please don’t hesitate to
contact me if you have questions about specific details.

You can find me on…
Twitter @KatherineHopper
Instagram @NeonBlondeRunner
e-mail neonblonderunner@gmail.com

What are you currently training for?  Does your body work better with high or low mileage? I’m going to run a marathon this fall (TBD) and I think my body works best with low mileage…but I’m willing to try increasing the mileage a little to see what effect it has on my running.

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NYCM Training Week 4: Pump Up Playlist

Last week was fun and I am pleased to have no regrets. But, now that I’m back in New York City and ready to jump into the month of August, it’s time to get pumped up and back on track with my weekly training.

My travel schedule is in place for the next six weeks and work is going to keep me on my toes.

  • August 14th-16th San Francisco
  • August 18th-19th Boston for Healthy Living Summit
  • August 22nd-24th Chicago
  • August 29th-September 3rd Seattle
  • September 4th- 8th Los Angeles

In order to make sure that I am ready for the challenge and in the swing of things before travel ramps up, these next two weeks are a huge focus for me. While I did a great job eating healthy while I travelled last week, I didn’t get the sleep that I need and I definitely enjoyed a few to many alcoholic beverages. These next two weeks I’m pumping up the workouts, increasing sleep, keeping my food in check, taking my daily vitamins, and focusing on foam rolling and stretching a bit more.

Today was a perfect start as you can tell from my lunch and my dinner. The dinner, made at 9:45 when I got home from Pure Barre, was put together from start to finish in 5 minutes using ingredients in our refrigerator and pantry!

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This week’s workout schedule is as follows:

Monday: 5 miles in Central Park+Pure Barre blogger class

Tuesday: cross training

Wednesday: 5 miles

Thursday: stretching and foam rolling

Friday: 14 mile long run+Physique 57 blogger class

Saturday: 4 miles

Sunday: yoga or light, easy run

Anytime I need to focus on pumping myself up I head over to iTunes and build a new playlist. This one is a keeper and kept me moving, faster than normal, this evening as I ran through Central Park with my co-workers! I hope you enjoy it and find at least one song to add to your mix!

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How do you get yourself back into a routine after a break week OR what is your favorite workout song right now?

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