ashleyd /

Geneva Half Marathon Training–Week 3

I can’t believe that my PR race, the Geneva Half Marathon, is just 47 days away! Life isn’t going to slow down at all these next few week as we have more friends coming to visit, vacations planned, plenty of work meetings and long days but I’m excited to have a goal to focus my energy on during the second half of March and April. It has taken me a while to realize it but after a long day nothing makes me feel better than either a power yoga class or a run. Even that glass of wine or comfortable couch taste and feel better once I’ve detoxed some of the negative vibes via a sweat session – either solo or with company.

 

I’ve been finding a lot of inspiration from Katy and Caitlin, two ladies who have balanced motherhood and crazy schedules while training and running strong PR races. I’ve dusted off my 10 pound dumb bells, bought a 10 class pass to a Geneva yoga studio, reunited with my foam roller, and reviewed the plan Gia has in place while keeping in mine that PR will require more than running alone.

But more than anything else, I’m looking forward to spending time running along the lake with gorgeous views like tonight’s sunset.

image

Last week I traveled to NYC for work while also making time to catch up with as many friends as possible. There were late night laughter dates over one too many glasses of wine, margaritas and guacamole enjoyed in the West Village, mad dashes uptown for out of the way dinner dates, and 8 hours of sleep enjoyed each night from the comfort of my hotel. Before leaving on this trip I promised both Bo and my parents that I wouldn’t compromise my health. A trip to NYC can be stressful due to the travel and burning the candle at both ends. Instead of coming back exhausted or sick I made sure to treat my body well while there including plenty of green juices, sleep and just plain giving myself a break. Before arriving in NYC my email chain with friends included 6 different workouts I wanted to squeeze in a four day period.

This week’s training recap shows my best attempt at maintaining balance while still logging some miles and enjoying a few of my favorite NYC workouts!

Monday: A 4 mile run along the East River after work. This run wasn’t spectacular. I didn’t make it out of the office before the sun set so I didn’t get to soak in any much needed sunshine. But it was strong, efficient, mind clearing and just what I needed before dashing uptown to meet a friend for dinner.

Tuesday: A perfect workout day, I kicked off the morning with a wonderful Soul Cycle class and ended the day with a 4 mile run through Central Park with my fabulous co-workers.

Wednesday: I finally had the opportunity to try I.Am.You Yoga studio in NYC with the lovely Jen and Meghann who joined me for the Well+Good class. The class was one of the hardest yoga classes I’ve ever taken and I was sweating after the first sequence thanks to the fast flow and strong poses. The instructor, Lauren, was 100% funky but totally in touch with the students, adjusting us throughout the entire class and pushing us further into poses. The music was loud, the yoga was hard and I walked out feeling loose, limber and relaxed. In case Theodora, who got locked out of the event due to a faulty elevator, ever doubted that we saved her a spot, you can see the empty spot two spaces to my left in the below picture.

Thursday: Rest day!

Friday: Bo and I caught up after a week apart over a 2.5 mile shakeout run through the cobblestone streets of Old Geneva as soon as I landed Friday afternoon. It was the perfect way to shakeout my legs after 14 hours of travel!

Saturday: What do you do when you have guests arriving at the airport bright and early but have a run to complete before they arrive and a house to clean? You spend an hour cleaning the house and then run TO the airport to meet them! We had no idea that the 6.5 mile run would include hills that never ended! The good news is that it was an AWESOME training run and I felt really strong the entire time!

Sunday: We spent the day skiing at Le Tour in Chamonix and by the end of the day I think I conquered almost every single run on the mountain! We skied from 9am when the lifts open until 3:00 when nothing sounded better than one of the lounge chairs and a beer under the shining sun. It was 60 degrees by the end of the day and the final few runs felt like “hot skiing” done in a warm, humid room thanks to my jacket and pants.

Your turn: I’m in the department for some new workout gear just in time for the warmer temperature. Any favorite items that you’re loving right now?

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

Say It, Do It: 2/18/03

In 28 days, I hope to cross the finish line of the 2013 NYC Half Marathon with a huge smile. I hope to finally achieve the half marathon PR I’ve been working to achieve for the past few years.

Nationalhalfmarathon_thumb

Each half marathon something different has happened along the way to make that goal a distant memory whether piss poor training, excessive heat, excessive cold, or just an off day. At about this point, during any other training cycle, I would be a bit worried about my training to date.

I have only done 2 true long runs to date, 6 and 8 miles in distance, both along the West Side or East Side highway of New York which means that they were perfectly flat. I’ve traveled to 5 destinations in the past 6 weeks to St. Croix, Paris, Geneva, Geneva, and Puerto Rico, each of which has been less conducive for half marathon training than if I was in New York City.

035

But, among all this travel, I’ve also learned a bit about myself. I need exercise to be happy. I need some semblance of healthy food to feel good. Therefore, even though I fully believe in enjoying myself on these trips which were taken for a mix of business and pleasure, I also have returned from each trip without gaining weight or feeling the vacation glutton. This weekend, while in San Juan for a much needed and very relaxing girls’ weekend away to celebrate Theodora’s 30th birthday, I worked out 3 times. Just like I try to do at home in New York City, I started out each day in a healthy manner, sipping multiple cups of water and enjoying a healthy breakfast.

060 059

Except for today, I didn’t start drinking beach or poolside until later in the afternoon. This decision tends to serve me well for more than just the health and waist line benefits. If I know I want to last until the wee hours of the morning whether bar hopping or dancing, then I can’t day drink. Day drinking for me results in an early alcohol induced bed time due to heavy eyelids.

While in New York City I’ve fallen head over heels for Barry’s Bootcamp, an investment choice Bo and I made after we parted ways with our personal trainers. Barry’s has been a far more economical decision and their early hours have allowed us to enjoy 5am workouts together before sharing a coffee and commute to the office. This workout however has done something for my running that working with a personal trainer never would. It has helped me realize that I do have the power and strength to push my body to new limits in regards to hills and speed. Don’t worry, my rose colored glasses don’t have me thinking that I can maintain a 8:15 pace for 13.1 miles including 6 miles of hills in Central Park. No, my friends, I’m not drunk or delusional. But, what is does mean is that hopefully when the going gets tough during the half and my quads are starting to scream or my lungs are short of breath, I’ll remember what jogging on an 11.0 incline for 2 minutes feels like and realize that I too will survive this momentary pain. Bo and I have learned to push ourselves from a cardio standpoint more in the past 6 weeks just after 7 sessions at Barry’s Bootcamp. The combination of this, along with running and our boot camps we do together at the gym or that I’ve done while traveling, have left me feeling stronger than I’ve ever felt from a mental standpoint.

DSC01195

This strength helped me push through running Mount Saleve with Renaud last weekend in Switzerland and now I am going to apply that strength to the next 28 days of half marathon training. While the first half of the schedule has barely been that due to my travel and a short lived cold I’m looking forward to immersing myself in training these next few weeks so I can feel physically and mentally prepared for Harlem Hill and the 3 rolling hills of Central Park come March 17th.

nychalf-marquee-logo

So, now it’s time to commit to this week’s workouts. Just like the past few weeks, this week will continue to be busy at the office as I continue to find my way in this new role. Therefore, I’m going to focus on morning workouts but will put in italics any evening workouts I hope to squeeze in as well.

Monday: 9 mile long run in Central Park so I can remind my legs and body what the constant hills of Central Park feel like after a few weeks away.

Tuesday: 5am Barry’s Bootcamp with Bo+ yoga with Theodora after work

Wednesday: 5 mile run before work along either East River or in Central Park

Thursday: 5am Barry’s Bootcamp

Friday: 10 mile long run in Central Park before work as my in-laws are in town this weekend and I find it easier get my long run out of the way when friends or family are in town. This also allows for more evening enjoyment of the vino type because let’s get real, I don’t do my best long runs dehydrated.

Saturday: Short shakeout run followed by either an Equinox or Uplift class

Sunday: Rest day

Also, as I’ve received a few questions about it, I’ll address our Equinox membership. I’ll be honest, right now both Bo and I have questioned our membership to Equinox more than one time. But, at the same time, especially during the cold winter months or stifling heat of summer, knowing that there is a treadmill or indoor workout option, is reason enough to keep our membership. After calculation, even my January membership paid out just based on the number of times I went to Equinox and I traveled more in January than I ever expect to travel again.  In addition, we both start triathlon training in the next few weeks which means more spin and swimming, both of which are part of our Equinox membership.

 

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

Need Motivation? Try an "Inspiration List"

Hey gang! This week’s Marathons+Moderation guest post is from someone who loves running! She’s run over 200+ races yet is still so humble and willing to help others! I hope you all enjoy this guest post from Erica as much as I did!

One of the first things people learn about me is that I love running. I try not to be a “runnerd” (spewing splits, coaching advice and nutrition tips). I just love to run and am so energized about it that I have had many a friend or co-worker give it a try despite “not being a runner”. I have proudly helped many a friend train for and pace a first race (or first distance). I have many happy memories (and tons of friends) found on the run. I have also run 200+ races in the last 18 or so years. Last winter, I was selected for a "real runner" campaign by Fleet Feet Sports for their inaugural Women’s Half Marathon in June. They dubbed me "the Expert"! (I also got made up, put on cool posters and flyers, got free New Balance gear and shoes and 15 minutes of “fame”)

When Ashley asked for posts for her Marathons + Motivations segment, I was the first to volunteer! I just completed my 35th marathon last Sunday in Dallas at the MetroPCS Dallas Marathon. This was an interesting running year for me. I moved to Chicago in 2006. 2005 and 2006 were my fastest years with personal bests in the half marathon and marathon (and several other distances.) I was "unstoppable". I ran 15 – 20 races each of those years and did well in all of them. In late 2006, I experienced some leg pain and did what most red blooded runners do, I ignored it and kept on running. Well, I ran 4 marathons in 2007 and they got progressively slower and more painful. As did every other distance. My confidence was shot and my streak of injury-free running was over. By the time I went to the doctor and PT in 2008, the recovery was slow and painful. It seemed like one step forward, two steps back. The desire was there, but I could not seem to get my mojo back. I won’t bore you with the long, painful detail, but things kept on that way until 2010 when I had a big health scare (I had a blood clot in my leg that caused small clots in my lungs and major breathing issues.) I finally gave myself enough time off and followed doctor’s orders to the letter! In the beginning of 2010, I started running less and cross training more. Between the rest and cross training, I felt that I was regaining some of my form and speed. 2012 was a great year for me – especially for running. I entered a new age group at the end of 2011 and took it by storm! I wrote several posts on my running including: 15 Minutes of Fame and Other Fun Stuff, Binge Racing – 4 Races in 8 Days, Race Report from Lululemon’s Seawheeze Half!, Run with a Little Help from My Friends, Vanity Versus Joy (a post about race photos!) and Greetings from NYC – (No Marathon Sunday). I know this is supposed to be about marathons, so here goes…I trained extremely well for NYC 2012. I did my three 20 milers, speed work and even paced a friend in the Indianapolis Marathon. I was READY! It was not to be. It seemed like a no-brainer to capitalize on the training and run in the MetroPCS Dallas Marathon on December 9th instead. In the mean time, we took a two week vacation. The date also extended the marathon training period five LONG weeks. With two weeks to go, it seemed like a crazy idea — or maybe just an overzealous one. As I was trying to pump myself back up, remember how well I have trained, and how much I have enjoyed running this year, I was reminded of an article I read in Runner’s World years ago. Kristin Armstrong (one of my favorite bloggers) wrote a post about dedicating each mile to someone she loved. She called it a "prayer list" and said the only thing she did not like about the idea was that she "hadn’t thought of it herself." She said each person inspired her and the miles flew by. My friend, (and "engine") Marie, also mentioned doing a similar thing in the Steamtown Marathon in October.

I asked my readers to help me find this smiling calm mojo! I also saw this was first on the list of Self’s 20 Best Fitness Tips: Best Motivation: Make like Ironman world champion Chrissie Wellington and dedicate each mile you jog (or walk, bike, etc.) to an inspiring person in your life. You’ll never bonk midworkout again. "I’ll think of someone who reminds me that I can do more, like my mom, and I’ll push so much harder during that mile. When I get home, I’ll call or text all the people I thought of—and it turns into a productive workout and a lovefest." —Marissa Stephenson, SELF fitness editor I asked my friends, and readers, to nominate people who inspire them to "borrow" for my marathon. I compiled a list of 26.2 people to think of and honor in my run. These are people who have inspired me, or my friends, this year. I was not sure how well I would do with this exercise once I started running but I decided to give it a go! On race day, my friend L. and I decided to run together and keep each other in check (we both have a tendency to start fast). We chatted up the Clif Bar pacer, Chris. At age 41, he was running his 106th marathon. Makes me look like a slacker at #35!!

 

Chris, the pacer, was running his 106th marathon!!

Our goal was to aim for 8:00 minute/mile for the first half and we started well on that goal. The first mile was a bit of a cluster due to a large half marathon and relay segment. After mile one, we were pretty evenly paced (except for a 7:32 mile 4-oops!) I shared my list and stories with L. as we ran. (I wrote the names on a band and scotch taped it to keep it dry and taped it on- it worked! Not pretty but effective.) I enjoyed this exercise – no pun intended! At a few points, I read all of the names again to stay positive. It really helped me to stay focused and motivated. I finished in 3:36.36 (8:16 pace). I was shooting for 3:30-3:40 so I am pleased with the time. It is my best marathon since Boston in 2007. It caps off a great running comeback year for me. Dallas was fun and had good crowd support and other than the start being a cluster due to having a big half and relay, I would recommend it. (The new course is NOT downhill in the end though – I think the people are confused!) They also had nice finisher tech shirts from New Balance, a fun post party and L and I got hats for being in the top 100 women! I do think that this is a cool way to stay motivated during a marathon. I recommend giving it a try! (For my full recap with 26.2 inspiring stories, you can read my full post HERE) Some photos:

Top 100 finisher "Doublemint" twins at the finish- purely an accident but we worked it!

What do you think about this idea? Have you ever done something similar?

Share Button
Follow: