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My Next Half Marathon

After finishing the Brooklyn Half marathon last week, I wasn’t sure I wanted to train for another half marathon. I thought, in the back of my mind, that I may take a break during the winter months and focus on something entirely different, like strength training or swimming. But, just a week later, I find myself excited to hit the pavement again. I also know that very few things can motivate me during these cold, dark winter months like running.

Brooklyn Half Marathon

Since Katie loves my race medals, I figured that on January 20th I’d give her another one. Last night I signed up for the New York Road Runners Fred Lebow Half Marathon. While some people may think I’m crazy to sign up for a January half marathon, I’m excited.  It’s no secret that running through heat and humidity is challenging for me. But, give me the right gear and I will gladly go for runs in sub-freezing temperatures. This course is two loops of Central Park which will be a fun change since I rarely run in the park these days.  Even though this is one of New York Road Runner’s smaller half marathons, they still offer pace groups, medals, swag and course support. Another added benefit is that it’s only $40 which is far less expensive than most area half marathons.

NYRR Al Gordon Brooklyn 4 Miler

Since the race is in twelve weeks, I returned to training yesterday.  Since Laura and I made such great progress together this past training plan, I’ve decided to work with her again. Having a coach will help keep me focused and motivated during these cold, winter months as well as ensure I’m continuing to get stronger. Once again I will be running three days per week, but my cross training will look a little bit different. Since this half marathon will be filled with hills, I will be focusing on building my strength.  Here’s a look at how we’re building strength into the plan:

  • Three runs per week
  • One Pilates class per week (requesting glute focus from the teacher when possible)
  • One spin class per week (focusing on power classes with lots of climbs)
  • One strength workout per week

Now, which of my local friends can I convince to join me for some cold weather fun or at least some company on upcoming training runs?

 

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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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