Thursday Thoughts (aka 3 Things)

September 8, 2011 by 6 Comments

This morning marks Day 2 of watching the big yellow bus whisk my “baby” off to Kindergarten. Why is it that they never look smaller or more vulnerable then when they’re climbing up those bus stairs?

With both boys now on the same school schedule (cue the angels singing!), I’ve now got a big block of time for client projects, house projects…and to up the ante on my running. Following the Providence RnR, there was major mileage shrinkage in August. But let’s be honest, it wasn’t only the mileage that went down, my enthusiasm for yoga and strength training was non-existant. I was tired and I was getting my tail kicked by ragweed. I was happier just hanging out and enjoying the last weeks of the summer – cocktails were enjoyed and I pretty much ate what I wanted. But, I did jumpstart my training last week and am feel pretty good about the effort I put in. And now, I have more flexibility in getting my workouts in, so I’m expecting big things for this month!

With the weather faucet in what seems like the permanent “on” position, I’m fully embracing the treadmill. I have been known to whine in the past about the ‘mill, but I’ve decided I need to change my attitude. So when I hit the gym now I remind myself to be grateful that I have an alternative to pounding the pavement in sloshy running shoes. The attitude adjustment helps – the runs haven’t felt like such a chore, and I actually like doing my hill work on the ‘mill. Besides, it all gives me a chance to get my fill of ESPN and all things football!

Season kicks off tonight – Go Saints!

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Filed Under: 3 things, back to school, football, mileage shrinkage, treadmill run

Are you listening?

September 1, 2011 by 6 Comments

Some days your body is trying to tell you something…the question is…are you listening?

Do you ever have those mornings where body parts are in revolt before you ever roll out of bed and touch one foot to floor? But you shake it off and think…wow I’m stiff this morning – (or, as was the case for me this morning….getting old sucks!)

Then as you move around going through whatever your routine is before heading out the door, those same body parts continue to voice their displeasure with what you’ve got planned – but you wave it off and think I’ll be fine once I get moving.

Now you’re out the door and moving…it’s not pretty at first, but at least your moving. By a mile in, you’ve found a rhythm and you feel like you’ve shown those body parts who’s the boss. But as you start mile 4, the revolt has returned in earnest and you can’t ignore the message that you might have gotten a little carried away with yesterday’s strength training, and that if you don’t want to be walking funny the rest of the day that it’s best to back off the pace…right now!

So you wrap-up your run, much slower than you want, but the rebels are for the moment pacified, content that they got their point across.

Yeah…well that’s pretty much how my run went this morning. Clearly my legs were still feeling the effects of yesterday’s workout and continuing to push today just might not have ended well, and I didn’t want to do anything to risk missing this weekend’s long run.

But it’s always an interesting question for runners – when do you push through and when do you back off?

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Filed Under: general musings, listening to your body, to push or not to push

Training reboot

August 30, 2011 by 7 Comments

While I don’t want to call week 2 a failure it was definitely nothing special and makes me happy there are still 12 weeks to go!

There were good points — hill repeats on the mill and a great strength and core workout; but there was much that was just so-so or worst…non-existent (no yoga, and thanks to Hurricane Irene I missed my 8-miler).

So I’m coming at this week with renewed energy and focus! This morning was a beautiful morning to be at the track – on the plan was 3 sets of 200/200/400 with jogs, plus warm-up and cool-down. There were a lot of us on the track, but despite a little weaving I nailed my target pace for each interval!

For the rest of the week – there’s daily core work, plus:

Wednesday:    Easy run plus strength work
Thursday:        Tempo run
Friday:             Rest
Saturday:         Weekly Pilates Reformer group
Sunday:           Long run (9)

Hopefully this morning’s workout means I’ll get much better results this week.

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Filed Under: refocusing, track work, training

Really?! Another Half Marathon?

August 26, 2011 by 11 Comments

“Really?! Another half marathon?” – that’s been the response from a couple of my non-running friends to the news that I’m running Philly in November.

The truth is I had barely crossed the finish line of the Providence Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon before I knew one thing for sure – I was registering for another!

When I started running in March 2010, I could barely complete a mile. Running a 5k seemed like a major undertaking! But even then I was harboring a secret desire to run a half marathon.

So what is it about the half marathon distance?

  •  13.1 miles is a significant enough distance that you need to respect it and have to put in the training for it. There is a level of both mental commitment and stamina required.
  • On the other hand, you can train for a half and maintain a balance with the rest of your life! As a mom of two active young boys, I just don’t know how I’d fit in 3-4 hour training runs. To all you running moms who do it and my hat’s off to you — I’m just not there yet!
  • Recovery time is manageable. I’m comfortably walking the next day and can be back out on the road within a couple days of racing.
  • I love a race with bling! (Most 10ks and 5ks don’t offer medals)
  • There’s a great sense of accomplishment when I’m done!

So my answer to the question about another half is quite simply – Heck ya! What’s not to love? Yes I will run my third this year and I’m already eyeing a few halfs for next year! I think someone warned me before my first that this distance would be addicting…and they might be right 🙂

What’s your favorite race distance?
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Filed Under: fave things, Half marathon, RnR Providence

Week 2 Begins & Gotein Winners

August 22, 2011 by 9 Comments

So week 1 of Philly training is complete – it was a little all over the place as I making tweaks. After checking out the boys’ school schedule, adding more hill and speed work, and taking into account a couple of 10ks I hope to run, I think I’ve got a plan that will work.

On the decks for this week:

Monday:          Yoga

Tuesday:          Hill repeats (6)

Wednesday:     Easy run (3) plus Strength work

Thursday:         Tempo run (5)

Friday:               Rest

Saturday:          Pilates Reformer

Sunday:             Long run (8 or 9)

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Gotein Giveaway Winners!

With the help of Random.org, the winners are Danielle (DEM) and Jenna Z! Congrats ladies! Shoot me at email at runningwithattitude (at) yahoo (dot) com.

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Filed Under: giveaways, Gotein, hill work, Philly Half, training

Friday Five

August 19, 2011 by 7 Comments
  • It’s funny sometimes where and how you can connect with another runner — yesterday I was having my refrigerator fixed again (that’s a whole other story!) and after the repairman had explained to me what the problem was, he then paused and said “So how’d you do?” I, of course, had no idea what he was talking about then he pointed to our whiteboard calendar hanging on the wall and said “The Rock n Roll – how was it?” Turns out he’s a runner and had wanted to run that race but had a conflict! We proceeded to spend the rest of the time while he was fixing the fridge talking about running and local races. He was a great guy with funny running stories – and best of all the parts were under warranty so it didn’t cost me anything!
  • After some tweaking, I think I have my training plan for Philly figured out. I used Smart Coach for my last two races, but when I looked at the plan it gave me this time it just felt like too much of the same. So after poking around and some Twitter conversations, I’ve modified the plan using some elements of Hal Higdon’s Advanced Half Training plan. My revised plan includes more speedwork throughout the entire training cycle and also incorporates more hill work in the first few weeks — both are areas I really want to improve on.
  •  My core work challenge continues. To be honest, I’ve missed a day here and there but overall I’m much more mindful about trying to get some core work in (at least planks) – I think it will pay off for me over time.
  • This has been a l-o-n-g week! For no particular reason, it just seems like for the first time all summer it has taken forever to get to Friday — anyone else feel like that?
Have a great weekend!
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Filed Under: giveaways, Gotein, Hal Higdon, Philly Half, running community, Smart Coach

On the Streets of Philadelphia

August 17, 2011 by 7 Comments

I’ve decided to go for my 3rd half this year and just registered for the Philadelphia Half Marathon!

As you know I’ve been debating taking on a 3rd for a while now but J had urged me to wait until after Providence to see how I felt before pulling out the credit card again. Well the truth is I knew about mid-way through running Providence that I would be doing this again. And by the time I was sitting at home that night with ice on my leg, I was 100% certain I wanted to get one more in before the year’s end.

So…here we go again…Philly here I come!

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Filed Under: Half marathon, Philly Half, race

Gotein Review & Giveaway

August 15, 2011 by 9 Comments

I seriously cannot believe how long it has taken me to write up this review!

Anna at Gotein contacted me several weeks ago to see if I was interested in reviewing their product. I had been hearing a lot about them around the blogosphere and definitely wanted to try the product first hand – so I immediately said yes.

(Source: Gotein website)

For those of you who don’t know – Gotein is a powered protein drink that comes packaged in convenient stick packets. It’s available in three flavors (Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla), and is formulated for a typical 16.9 oz water bottle. Simply drink 1/3 of the bottle to make room for the power, add Gotein, shake and drink! Pretty easy, right?

What I liked:
  • Taste — Mixing it with water, I was expecting chalky, but was pleasantly surprised. I found the vanilla and chocolate to be pretty good. (I have to admit I didn’t try the strawberry – unless it’s the fresh fruit, I’m just not much of a fan of strawberry-flavored foods.)
  • Combination of high protein, low carbs and low calories — each packet gives you 16-17g of protein, 5-6g or carbs and 24 vitamins and minerals for just about 100 calories (depending on the flavor).
  • Convenience — I especially liked being able to use Gotein post-gym while trying to get errands done.
What I wasn’t as crazy about:
  • I tend to use a refillable water bottle more so than disposable ones, so I did have to wash out my water bottle and when you’re on the go that’s not always so easy. Not the worse thing in the world, just something to be aware of.
  • At just over $2 per packet ($24.95 for a box of 12), Gotein is a little pricey, especially for everyday use. I can see myself keeping some on hand as a good back-up for when I know my schedule’s going to be really crazy or for when I’m traveling.

So would you like to try some for yourself? Gotein was nice enough to send two packs (each with all three flavors) to give away!

To enter – please leave a separate comment for each:

  1. Be a follower of this blog.
  2. Tell me what’s your favorite protein source post-workout.

For a bonus entries – tweet about this giveaway. Please make sure you include @RunAttitude and @Gotein in your tweet so I can keep track.

Entries will be accepted now through August 21st and two winners will be selected using Random.org on August 22nd. (Only shipping to the US for this giveaway – apologies to my non-US readers) Good luck!

 

Disclaimer: I was given this product to review. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

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Filed Under: giveaways, Gotein, product reviews

Thursday Thoughts – Hangover, Young Runners & Core Challenge

August 11, 2011 by 6 Comments
  • Got hit with what I’m calling the “Half Hangover” — post race I felt really good Monday and Tuesday, but whamo on Wednesday I felt totally spent! I’m talking dead on my feet…even had a sore throat – so random. Still wasn’t feeling fab when I got up this morning, but I figured I’d go for just a quick couple of miles before the kids went to camp. Surprisingly the heaviness in my legs was gone within the first half mile, and by the run’s end I was feeling much, much better.
  • I can’t stop thinking about a runner I met Sunday while hanging out before the race. She was 13 years old and there to run her first half marathon! She was the sweetest girl and her face completely lit up when she talked about running. But 13?! Is it just me, or does that seem too young to be out there and running by herself? I’ve been wondering how she held up in that crazy weather.
    • Today I’m kicking off a 30-day ab-work challenge for myself. My core could be a lot stronger than it is, and of late this is an area I’ve really been slacking off in my workouts. So from now through September 9th, I’m committing to do some core work daily. Hopefully after 30 days, it will be a habit I stick with.
    Want to play along? What’s your favorite core workout?

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    Filed Under: 3 things, core work, half marathon hangover, too young to race?

    Splish, Splash, Run – Providence Rock ‘n’ Roll Recap

    August 8, 2011 by 17 Comments

    The weather people started predicting rain last Wednesday…and well let’s just say there’s rain and then there’s R-A-I-N! After worrying for weeks about preparing for hazy, hot and humid – I got a super soaker! Mother Nature definitely has a sense of humor 🙂

    I was up and out by 5 to make the drive down to Providence. I realized over the past couple of days that I was far more wound-up for this race than I was my first half and I couldn’t put my finger on why until that morning. With my first half, my goals were simply to finish, to finish strong and to have fun. Going into this race, I realized I was feeling a self-imposed pressure to PR. But every race is different right? In fact when I registered for this one I hadn’t even run my first – I was just psyched to do an R’n’R race right in my backyard! So on the ride down I let go of the pressure – just gonna let go and run!

    It was a continual downpour from start to finish but the bands, cheerleaders, some diehard spectators and fellow runners made for a fun race! And I loved that my family cheer squad was out in force again!

    Running in sloshing sneakers was not even a little enjoyable – it really took me about the first 5 miles to find a rhythm. I had this crazy headache and felt like I was running in a bit of a haze – really odd. I took some GU chomps and water and started to feel much better.

    By mile 8, I was feeling really good and when I spotted my family around 10 I was in good form and feeling pretty strong! I felt great as I crossed the finish line…um, who’s idea was it to make the last 100 yds uphill?!

    (This pic’s not out of focus – that’s rain!)

    So my second half marathon in 10 weeks is done! And, while there was no PR, training in all kinds of weather conditions this year (and I do mean all – bitter cold, snow, rain and crazy heat), really helped me to have the mental toughness needed to get through this race. And I loved that I felt stronger the late in the race! All-in-all a good day!

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    Filed Under: race report, RnR Providence, weather