Running without Music

June 11, 2012 by 20 Comments
Source: Gamer Melodico

I swore running without music was one of those things that would just never happen (kinda like my kids spontaneously cleaning their rooms!) 

But, one of the lingering symptoms from my May malaise is that I still can’t hear completely out of my left ear – sounds muffled like I’m underwater…..so I figure running with my headphones is not a smart choice.

So I’ve been running sans music…gasp!

And what have I learned these past two weeks?

  •  Running without music I am obviously much more dialed into my breathing. I’ve tried to start letting my breathing dictate my pace/effort before checking my Garmin.
  • I also have tuned in to my footfall. Is it soft and light? Am I scuffing my feet? I’ve noticed that when the scuffing starts my form is starting to fall apart.
  • Overall, because I’m concentrating on other things, I seem to be checking my Garmin less.

All good things, right? However, I seriously miss my tunes, especially on runs of 6 miles or longer. In fact I found myself humming Bruno Mars during one run when I was starting to flag a bit (and trust me, no one wants me to start singing out there!).

For me, music is definitely a motivational tool – especially late in a long run or during speedwork. When I get this ear thing resolved (off to the ear doc on Wednesday), I will be returning to my headphones. But, I have decided that there is valuable learning to be gained from not always having the tunes, so I will try to rely on my music less. I’m going to aim for one run a week to be music-free and, perhaps use it a bit less during my long runs.

Do you run with music? Have you ever tried to give it up?

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Filed Under: no music, tuning in

Fun ZOOMA Lunch

June 7, 2012 by 3 Comments

Jessica, me, Nancy, Ann Curry Peisig, Brae Blackley

Part of my National Running Day celebration was to down head to Falmouth to the beautiful Sea Crest Beach Hotel for a lunch hosted by ZOOMA race founder Brae Blackley. Brae had invited some of the local media, coaches and local runners plus the Ambassadors to get together for an informal preview of the ZOOMA Cape Cod Half Marathon & 10k. 

It was great meeting fellow ambassadors Nancy & Jessica – it’s going to be fun working with them! And after meeting Brae and learning about how ZOOMA got started and her vision for creating a really special experience for runners, I can say I’m even more excited for this race!

A little ZOOMA Swag!

The Sea Crest is newly renovated and is going to make a great host hotel for the race! The hotel is waiving the standard 2-night minimum and is offering a great rate to ZOOMA runners of $199 per night. Definitely a great deal for Cape Cod in September!

And, don’t forget, you can use the discount code in my side bar and receive $10 off the half marathon or $5 off the 10k. I have no doubt this race is going to sellout so don’t wait to register!

All in all it was a fun way to spend an afternoon! And yes I did do a little race shopping when I got home – I’m still trying to flesh out anniversary plans with J so I didn’t officially register for anything, but I’ve got my eye on a couple that should help make for a busy Fall!

 

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Filed Under: Nat'l Running Day, ZOOMA Cape Cod

National Running Day!

June 6, 2012 by 4 Comments

Today is National Running Day! A day for runners to declare their passion for running (not that we really need one day for that!) and maybe to inspire someone else to join us!

So how will you be celebrating?

With a group run?
Registering for a race?
Purchasing some new running gear?

Me? I just squeezed in a nice easy 4 miler before putting the boys on the school bus. Later today I’ll be attending the ZOOMA Cape Cod preview luncheon hosted by race founder Brae Blackley. I’m looking forward to meeting Brae and the other race ambassadors, and hearing all about the plans for ZOOMA Cape Cod!

And then yes, there’s always the possibility of a little race shopping before the day is done 🙂

What have you got planned for today?
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Filed Under: Nat'l Running Day, running community, ZOOMA Cape Cod

Hello June

June 2, 2012 by 6 Comments

After losing about half the month to being sick, I am very happy to be putting May in the rearview mirror. I’m ready to set some new goals for June and the summer ahead!

June Goals:

  • Hit all of my training runs – total miles: 90
  • Commit to not walking a hill on any of my runs
  • Complete the Another Mother Runner Challenge
  • Complete the June 100x Challenge
  • Weekly yoga
  • Core work 3x’s/week
  • Strength training at least 2x/week
  • Set myself up for a strong 10k on July 3rd

With a strong June, I should be in great shape to start training for the ZOOMA Half Marathon in September!

What are your June goals? Do you have a big fall race planned?

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Filed Under: Finish at the 50, goals, training, ZOOMA Cape Cod

Holiday Weekend Round-Up – On the Mend

May 29, 2012 by 10 Comments

Well I’m happy to say that after almost a week and a half of the crud/virus….whatever that I’m finally starting to feel like myself again – in fact, except for not being able to hear out of my left ear, most things are back to normal!

I was able to get over my DNS disappointment and squeeze in some family fun, a rare date night with J, some gardening and the NCAA Lacrosse Championships, along with a lot of laying low and resting — all-in-all not a bad weekend!

I also pulled the trigger a registered for the Finish at the 50 – Harvard Pilgrim 10K! The race is July 3rd (in the evening) and the finish line is the 50 yd. line inside Gillette Stadium! I’m a huge NE Patriots fan so to be able to finish the race going through the same tunnel the players use to come out onto the field before games and seeing the finish up on the stadiums screens should be a lot of fun! They’re also holdings kids runs and fireworks afterwards so we’ll probably make it a family affair. I was psyched to find this race, as I’ve wanted to try more 10ks but feel like they’re getting harder and harder to find.

I’ve been cleared by my doc to ease back into running this week so I’m going to try to get a couple of short runs in starting tomorrow. My family will probably be as happy as I am….I’m starting to get a little edgy 🙂

How was your weekend? Any races? 
Do you feel like 10ks are disappearing?
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Filed Under: 10ks, Finish at the 50, weekends

Cough, Sputter, Blow…Repeat

May 24, 2012 by 9 Comments

Cough, Sputter, Blow…that’s what I’ve done all week…and it hasn’t been pretty! I am a congested, coughing, hacking mess!

I’ve been holding out hope that my body will cooperate so I can race Sunday, but clearly my body (particularly my lungs) has other plans.  After a low point on Tuesday, I thought the worst of it was over and announced I was going for a short run on Wednesday. J looked concerned but didn’t discourage me. However, when just going upstairs to get dressed sent me into a coughing spasm, I decided to hold off (The Universe smacking me upside the head perhaps?). After a slightly better night’s sleep last night, I once again declared I was going for a run this morning.

So I set out to do a simple 5k loop – except it was anything but simple. I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say I wheezed and hacked my way through it and had to walk a couple of times — really?!? And, when I finished it felt like I had to have gone a lot further than just 3 miles. OK so I have my answer – short of a miracle turnaround in the next 48 hrs, there will be no race for me this weekend 🙁

As you can imagine I’m ticked off – 9 weeks of running my fanny off to be brought down in the end by a relentless cough! As much as I wanted to run this race again, this is the wise choice for the long-term. So I’ll allow myself a bit of a pity party today (but just today – really…first world problems), hit my doctor’s appointment tomorrow to figure out what’s going on, and then set my sights on a new target.

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Filed Under: cough from hell, DNS, to race or not

Decisions, Decisions – To Race or Not

May 21, 2012 by 12 Comments

Do you ever get the feeling the Universe is trying to tell you something?

I’m six days away from the Boston’s Run to Remember Half and I’m not sure if I’m going to make it to the starting line.

From the start, this has felt like an odd training cycle — while the tempo runs and track work have been decent, the long runs have been underwhelming. In fact, because of the odd foot pain I was having a couple of the long runs were cut short.  The foot pain has passed, but the new wrench in the works is a nagging cough that showed up more than a week ago – allergies most likely. Again it put a big crimp in my final long run on Saturday to the point where I wondered aloud for the first time – “How am I ever going to get through 13 miles of this?”

The truth is there’s been something that has just felt off to me over the last 4 weeks or so, and I have done my best to try to ignore it. But, as Sunday edges closer I cannot ignore it any longer. I’m going to have to make a decision to either run the half, drop down to the 5-miler or pass on the whole thing and look for something else down the road.

I really want to run this half – it was my first ever, it’s a great course and my whole family will be there along the route. However, I don’t want to limp through this half…no every race doesn’t need to be a PR, but I don’t want to struggle through it either if this cough won’t let me run it the way I want to. I’d rather keep the great memory I have of my first run and hold off for another year – does that make sense?

Right now I have no idea what the right call is. I’m going for a short run this morning to see if the allergy meds are having any effect.

Have you ever been on the fence about a race? 
How did you make the call?
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Filed Under: Boston's Run to Remember, to race or not, training

Friday Five

May 18, 2012 by 5 Comments
  • What is it about doing speed work at the track that always puts me on such a high for the rest of the day? I need to do more of it, because if nothing else it’s a confidence booster!
  • Some how I’m now just 10 days away from my next half marathon. I feel like it’s kinda crept up on me. Time to start obsessing …. checking the 10-day forecast.
  • Yoga is kicking my butt! I joined a “Yoga for Runners” class taught by an amazing yogini/marathoner. Last night was the second class and it was tougher than the first! I am ridiculously tight and while I try to break out the Rodney Yee DVD with some consistency, there’s clearly nothing that compares to having the instructor there to point out all your flaws…correct your form!
  • My youngest announced to me this morning that he only has 15 days of school left before he becomes a 1st grader! He’s looking forward to being out of school a whole week before his older brother – I’m panicking because that means I have only 15 days to finish any of my house projects or they go on hold until the boys start camp in July – Yikes!
  • The weather’s finally turned picture-perfect around here so I plan to live in my garden quite a bit this weekend. My boys gave me some beautiful perennials for Mother’s Day that I still need to get into the ground. So in between the usual kids’ sports/chauffeuring to b-day parties/etc., I hope to be happily up to my elbows in dirt 🙂
What have you got planned for the weekend?
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Filed Under: Friday Five, gardening, randomness, track work, Yoga

ZOOMA Race Series

May 14, 2012 by 4 Comments

Have you noticed the new button at the top of my sidebar? I’m thrilled to say that last week I was invited to be a ZOOMA Connector for their Cape Cod Half Marathon and 10k on September 22! Since I first learned about the ZOOMA race series last year, I have been eyeing this race on the Cape.  As they describe on their website:

Imagine a powerful sea of women on the move–encouraging fellow runners and celebrating personal running triumphs.  Picture a post-race party and expo all wrapped up in one memorable “after-party expo” where these strong goal-oriented women come together for well-deserved partying and pampering.  This is the Muscle Milk Light ZOOMA Women’s Race Series.

Combined with the beauty of Cape Cod in the Fall — what’s not to love!?! I’m really excited to be part of this race series!

Want to join me in Falmouth?  

ZOOMA is hosting it’s first-ever national “Girlfriend Getaway” sweepstakes! In partnership with Skirt Sports, ISIS, Sherpani, Women’s Adventure Magazine and MyChelle, one grand-prize winner will receive an all expenses paid trip for two to the ZOOMA Cape Cod Half Marathon & 10k. The “Girlfriend Getaway” Grand Prize package is valued at over $2,000. Entries are being accepted now through June 11, 2012 on the ZOOMA Sweepstakes page.

Want to register now?  

ZOOMA is offering all Running with Attitude readers a discount! Use the code CCCONN3 and receive $10 off the half marathon or $5 off the 10k when you register online. There’s no expiration date!

I plan to run the half marathon and am rounding up a couple of friends to join me! Should be a great weekend!

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Filed Under: Half marathon, race calendar, ZOOMA Cape Cod

A race from a different perspective

May 10, 2012 by 9 Comments

Last Sunday, after weeks of planning, I officially donned my race director hat for the local 5k race and kids’ Fun Runs hosted by my sons’ school.

The start of one of the kids’ races

After being both a participant and spectator, it was such a different experience to view a race through race director “glasses.” Yes there were the annoying requests (Can’t we get an extra race shirt?”);  registration glitches (“We don’t have them on the list – they swear they paid!”), and volunteers who did not show up (“What do you mean we have no one directing the runners on Pleasant St?!”).

But as I watched the day unfold — watched each of the heats of the kids’ runs go off; medals hung around the necks of smiling faces; runners toe the line waiting for the 5k to start; and, stood along the street directing the runners, cheering and high-fiving them, before heading to the finish line to congratulate the winners and see the awards passed out — the joy (and relief) of seeing the day come together seriously outweighed any of the negatives.

Once the races were done, the awards given out, the raffles drawn and the cookout was done, our race committee was tired but feeling pretty good about how the day went overall. I think every runner should volunteer at race at least once. And, if you ever get the opportunity to be part of a race planning committee – take it! It will truly give you a whole new appreciation for the race experience.

 

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Filed Under: just having fun, new perspective, playing race director