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Running Forward

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Wearing: Sweaty Betty 7/8 Power Legging – Sweaty Betty Pace Setter Run Tank – Brooks Ghost 9

This weekend I made a conscious effort to disconnect from social media, especially on Sunday. There were many running friends racing their hearts out in Montreal, New York, Berlin and beyond. Once upon a time, each of those races, Berlin Marathon, Bronx 10 Miler and Montreal Half Marathon,  were my goal race. The Berlin Marathon was the last time I laced up my shoes and ran 26.2 miles, crossing the finish line in tears. The Bronx 10 Miler was a great race for me last year, after training hard during my first Summer back in New York. This year, I hoped that Montreal would be my opportunity to run a sub two-hour half marathon after multiple attempts.  Training hard was not a priority this Summer and instead here I sit in late September, trying to figure out what my goal is this Fall. As I have mentioned previously, after giving my body a few months of rest I am ready to train again for a goal.

I spent a few hours this weekend outlining plans and have set my sights and goals on the following races:

  • Rock’n’Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon – October 8th – Goal: Run a strong, smart half marathon. I have no expectation of setting a PR based on my training, so instead am going to run with my friend Mary and focus on a consistent pace, possibly increasing my pace if I feel strong enough during the final miles. The four long runs leading up to the race have given me the confidence to know I can run 13-miles.
  • Prospect Park Turkey Trot – November 24th – Goal: Run a sub 42:00 race which would be a PR versus last years 42:36 time (8:31 pace).  Since I have a solid two months to train for this race, I believe it is feasible.
  • NYRR Jingle Bell Jog – Each year, this race continues to be a favorite due to the cool weather, festive atmosphere and Prospect Park location. Four years ago, I ran a personal best in this race, keeping an 8:57 pace per mile. Based on my training for the Turkey Trot, my goal is going to be an 8:31 pace.

Over the coming months I am going to share weekly training recaps with you guys since many people find them beneficial. I am also going to do more research and speak with some of my coaching friends to ensure I’m training for these shorter distances properly. I am most familiar with the half marathon type of training which includes three key runs per week, so I know I need to figure out the training plan that works best for shorter distances.

So, who wants to join me at some of these races? 

Thank you to Lydia Hudgens for her magic behind the lens in bringing this image to life. 

 

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My New Pre-Run Routine

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As you guys know, for multiple reasons, running has been a challenge for me over the past couple of months. What was once a workout and time on the road that I savored, became an exercise that stressed me out, caused me pain and left me feeling burnt out and frustrated. Luckily, after taking a step back this Summer, I am once again craving running. Over the past week each of my four runs left me smiling, happy from endorphins, strong and powerful.  As I started running again, I took three steps to help ensure that my first few runs back would be successful. Right now, success does not mean fast paces. Instead, I use that term to describe my goal of finishing my run feeling strong and accomplished.  Since I’ve felt such a difference during my recent runs, I wanted to share my new pre-run routine with you all in case this provides inspiration to help you start the Fall running strong.

  • Sip Vega Clean Energy
    • Twenty minutes before my run I sip a glass of water that is mixed with a serving of Vega Clean Energy. This “magic juice” provides me energy before my run without lots of questionable ingredients.  I like that I can easily read and understand this tasty mixture’s ingredient list. While I know many people can run or workout without this extra ingredient, I’ve found that the caffeine and electrolytes have helped me during the hot, humid Summer runs.
  • I’ll Have Another Podcast
    • After drinking my pre-run fuel, I ensure that I have the latest I’ll Have Another podcast downloaded on my phone. After years of running to music, this podcast series is helping motivate me through the miles. Over 60-90 minutes Lindsey interviews a runner, talking about everything from their paces and training habits to their personal life. By the end of the podcast I feel as if I know the runner and find myself wishing I could meet them in person. The womens’ stories and the casual manner of the podcast immediately hook me and make me often want to run longer just to get to the end of the episode.  So far I have “run with” Dorothy Beal, Abby Beales, and Ashley Fizzarotti!
  • Pre-Run Dynamic Warm-Up
    • Last but not least, I spend 10 minutes warming up. My PT or any of my previous running coaches would laugh at this sentence as they know that historically I’ve slacked on the warm-up. After fighting tendonitis and other injuries, I realized that this dynamic warm-up is one of the most important parts of a run. Starting a run with loose muscles that are ready to engage and fire on all cylinders is key for a successful run. My warm-up takes place in the kitchen and consists of these five simple Runner’s World exercises, one minute of planks and finally my PT exercises to engage my glute muscles.

Your turn: I love learning from everyone who is reading. What is your pre-run ritual?

Photography by Lydia Hudgens and wearing Old Navy Active.

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Rock’n’Roll Montreal 10k Training Update

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Good morning guys!

As you may recall, I’ve been in Las Vegas for a busy week of meetings. Our days start at 7:30 and end most evenings around 10pm so there hasn’t been time to explore Las Vegas or take in many of the sights. I have, however, made time to workout every morning I’ve been here. Having a training plan again has been great motivation when my alarm clock goes off at 5am.

Last week’s training went pretty well though I am definitely still finding my groove.  If you recall, here are my goals for each week leading up to the September 25th Rock’n’Roll Montreal 10k.

10k Training Plan

  • Runs: 3x a week (1 speed, 1 mid-distance run and 1 longer run at goal 10k pace per week)
  • Yoga: At least 1x a week
  • Cross Training: At least 2x a week

Here is a look back at how things went last week.

 

  • Monday: Uplift Express at Uplift Studios
  • Tuesday: IMAX Shift Brooklyn spin class
  • Wednesday: Unintentional rest day but still managed to walk 6 miles while running errands after work.
  • Thursday: A 5.5 mile run with Katie and Nicole through Prospect Park in the morning followed by a 70-minute Basic Yoga class at Area Yoga with Heather that night.
  • Friday: Unintentional rest day but still managed to walk 4 miles throughout the day.
  • Saturday: 75-minutes of tennis followed by a hot 2 mile run which 1.5 miles of speed repeats.
  • Sunday: An afternoon 5-mile run along the Brooklyn waterfront.

Thoughts: Overall, this was a good first week back as I completed the cross training sessions, yoga and ran three times. I wish I hadn’t waited so late in the day to run and therefore could have had stronger runs on Saturday and Sunday.  I am going to try to incorporate at least one Mile High Run Club class per week between now and the 10k as I believe this will help me start getting accustomed to running faster again.

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