RtR Training Week 5 – Finding My Legs

April 28, 2019 by 24 Comments

Despite feeing way T-I-R-E-D this week, my runs felt pretty good and I’m starting to feel like I’m finally finding my running legs again!

Here’s how the week went down….

Run to Remember Training Week 5

Monday — Rest Day

Tuesday — Strength training – upper body

Wednesday — 3-mile run

Sunshine & 60+ degrees for the win!

Thursday — A quick yoga session

Friday — 5-mile run

Caught a break between downpours!

Saturday — Rest – This was supposed to be a cross-training day, but we had a long list of house project items and it just didn’t happen.

Sunday — 7-mile run – my longest run in many months!

Thankfully no coyotes were spotted, but I definitely picked up the pace!

15 miles for the week and best of all these miles felt good! In fact, since last Friday’s 5-miler, I have to say I’ve kind of surprised myself – despite continuing to struggle with getting a solid night’s sleep (damn insomnia!), once I hit the road, my legs are just going. Now let’s hope I haven’t just jinxed myself!

It’s crazy to think the Run to Remember is just 4 weeks away – the weeks are just flying by. Coach Marc seems to think I’m on track so far, and I’m hoping to get at least one double-digit run in before hitting the starting line.

Can you believe we’re almost done with April? Tell me something about your week.

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

 

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Filed Under: Boston's Run to Remember, half marathon training, Weekly Run Down

Run to Remember Training Week 4

April 21, 2019 by 30 Comments

Another week in the books and my juggling act continues.  Here’s how the week went down…

Monday – I was lucky enough to once again be one of the 9,700 volunteers at the Boston Marathon. This year I was assigned to runner screening at the bus loading from Boston out to Hopkinton. Despite the crazy weather conditions, it was great being out there.

Tuesday – With taking Monday off, my work day was really hectic, but I managed to get some time on my mat.

Wednesday – A late afternoon 5K.

Thursday –  Unplanned rest day. I hadn’t been sleeping very well all week and it definitely caught up with me. I kept putting my workout off until “later” hoping I’d feel better but by the time I actually did it was too late in the day and I had to get ready for my youngest son’s concert.

Friday – These lovelies arrived in Thursday’s mail and I couldn’t wait to take them out for a spin. 5 miles right out of the box was a good start!

ASICS Gel-DS Trainer 24s

Saturday – Strength work.

Sunday – 5 more miles before heading out to enjoy Easter festivities with family.

I’m hoping that during this upcoming week I can get back to consistently running early in the morning. Overall, I find I do better if I can run earlier in the day – of course, that means I’ve got to get more sleep the night before!

How was your week? Early morning running yay or nay?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

 

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Filed Under: Boston Marathon, Boston's Run to Remember, half marathon training, Weekly Run Down

Run to Remember Week 3 & Enjoying the Boston Vibe

April 14, 2019 by 27 Comments

These weeks continue to fly by and Mother Nature continues to play hide and seek with the spring weather. It was a bit of an up and down week for me running wise. And, then there’s that little hometown race called the Boston Marathon happening! Here’s how my workout-week went down…

Run to Remember Training Week 3

Monday:  Rest day

Tuesday:  C-r-a-z-y day but did manage to squeeze in a HIIT workout before my son’s spring concert.

Wednesday: 3-mile run – there was just nothing pretty about this run. I was just happy that it was short and done!

Thursday: 3 miles and redemption! I went back to the same route as the day before and this time felt strong pushing through the hills. Ended up with negative splits which was a nice added bonus!

Friday:  Spent the day at the Boston Marathon expo!

Saturday: After hours of standing at the expo my legs didn’t feel much like running so I pushed the run to Sunday and stuck with getting a walk in.

Sunday: 5-mile run. The legs felt like led for the first 2 miles, but somewhere in mile 3 they kicked into gear and the rest of the run felt pretty good. And the return to 60-degree weather didn’t hurt either!

Working at the Boston Marathon Expo

The highlight of the week was the opportunity to hang out at the Tailwind Nutrition booth at the expo! I absolutely love being in Boston in the days leading up to the Marathon – the vibe is absolutely electric! While I’ve been to my fair share of race expos I’ve never worked a booth at one so I was pretty psyched when Tailwind put out a call to the Trailblazers to see if any of us were interested in helping out.

I could probably write a whole blog post about my time at the expo. First of all the Tailwind team was awesome! I also had the chance to meet so many runners – people from all over the world and with so many great stories. From charity runners and multi-marathoners to those looking to capture their 6th star and others who will be toeing the line of their first marathon.

No surprise, I could have stood there and talked about all things running all day! Their enthusiasm was infectious and I especially appreciated the runners, that upon hearing that I would be volunteering on Monday, thanked me for being out there. I also really appreciated the words of encouragement I received from others who learned that I’d be running Chicago as my first this fall.

Runners are really a special group!

Me with fellow Trailblazer Denise. Photo courtesy of Tailwind Nutrition.

I can’t wait for Marathon Monday! Good luck to all the Boston runners!

I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down. If you do a weekly recap, be sure to join us!

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Filed Under: #TailwindTrailblazer, Boston Marathon, Weekly Run Down

Run to Remember Training Week 2

April 7, 2019 by 32 Comments

Juggling was once again the theme for this week as I navigated work commitments and my youngest son being home sick all week – I definitely took a do what you can, when you can approach!

 The Weekly Run Down

Monday — While my legs did not feel like running, I did get a nice mile power walk with the pup! There’s no such thing as a leisurely stroll with this fella!

Tuesday — With my son at home I wasn’t able to get out for a run until late in the afternoon, but I was greeted with mild temps and lots of sunshine! 3 miles done.

Wednesday — I was really feeling pressed for time so HIIT workout to the rescue!

Thursday — Try as I might, I just couldn’t fit in a workout so this was an unplanned rest day.

Friday — I felt good from start to finish on this run – 3 more miles in the books.

Saturday — A day filled with house projects and errands, but I did set aside some time for my yoga mat.

Sunday — A glorious afternoon in the upper 60s – Hello Spring! 4.5 miles done.

The workouts were a little all over the place, but I got them done…and best of all, my runs felt pretty good this week – maybe it was all that sunshine 😉

#SpringIntoNOW Challenge

If you’ve been following me on Instagram then you know that I’m participating in the #SpringIntoNOW Challenge in partnership with SweatPink. I’ve been having a lot of fun trying out the range of products NOW Foods provided and am pretty sure that many of them will become permanent fixtures for me well past the campaign.

There’s still time to get in on the fun – just post a photo ties to the daily theme, tag @nowfoodsofficial and use the hashtag #SpringIntoNOW for a chance to win a $200 gift card to NOW foods. The challenge ends on April 10th.

I’m joining Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down link-up.

Have you ever tried NOW Foods products?

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Filed Under: #SpringIntoNOW, Boston's Run to Remember, half marathon training, Weekly Run Down

April Coffee Talk

April 5, 2019 by 22 Comments

Happy Friday!

Who’s ready for the weekend?! I know that I am. So how about we start things off by catching up over coffee. Grab a mug and let’s join  Coco and Deborah for this month’s coffee date.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that with our spring break now in the rearview mirror, I’m already trying to figure out the next family vacation! I don’t think I realized just how fried I was until I hit the cruise ship. While there probably won’t be another big trip this summer, I’m looking forward to some day trips, long weekends, and some quiet “staycation” days hanging on the patio.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that April means lacrosse season is in full swing in my house! My mudroom once again looks like an equipment supply closet and I’m looking forward to traveling around New England to watch both of my boys play.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that, while I do love lacrosse season, it wreaks havoc with my ability to schedule a spring race as there always seems to be a conflict. Case in point, it looks like I’m going to have to take a pass on the Portland 10 Miler at the end of this month thanks to a combination of a lax tournament and J traveling for work. Thankfully, the race offers bib transfers! (Why don’t more races provide this option?!)

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that the other thing I love about April is getting back into my gardens! I love how creative gardening can be and it just gives me another reason to spend time outdoors. I’ve been perusing gardening catalogs for ideas and am looking forward to my first trip to the local nurseries.

Source: Getty Images

What would you tell me over coffee? What are you looking to this month?

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Filed Under: gardening, Lacrosse, Ultimate coffee date

Run to Remember Training Week 1

March 31, 2019 by 30 Comments

Happy Sunday!

This past week was a hectic one for sure, with the kids returning to school and lacrosse practice after spring break and a big work event to prep for. I made it to today and just exhaled!

With just a couple of months until the Run to Remember Half, it was also time to start to focus on a training plan. Here’s how the week went down….

Boston’s Run to Remember Training Week 1

Monday — Rest

Tuesday — 3-mile run. I held off until the afternoon to head out, and while it was still pretty cold, it was a beautiful day!

Celebrating a beautiful day!

Wednesday — Strength workout (core & legs)

Thursday — I woke up with a killer headache. I kept hoping it would settle down, but I felt pretty crappy all day so I pushed the run off to Friday.

Friday — 3-miles. Finally, an early morning run that was not bitter cold!

Saturday — 5 miles logged (a mix of walking & running along the course) while playing race director for a charity run. We had a great turnout for this inaugural event. I was up by 3:30 a.m. and was on site by 4:45 – then it was nonstop until around 1 p.m. A fun day, but boy was I tired when I got home!

Sunday — My legs were so not feeling this morning’s run but I got 4 miles done. I was so happy I had scheduled an acupuncture appointment for this afternoon – just what my legs needed.

Total Miles: 15

I’m looking forward to a quieter week on both the work and home front…and dare I say it, some spring temps?

I’m joining Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down link-up.

Tell me something about your week? Have you ever had the chance to play race director?

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Filed Under: Boston's Run to Remember, half marathon training, Weekly Run Down

Runfessions for March

March 29, 2019 by 34 Comments

It’s the last Friday of the month and Marcia has opened the Runfessional!

It's Friday and I'm joining @teamarcia for the Runfession link-up! #running #runchat #runfessions Share on X

I’m going to start by saying that while I usually try to keep up with my workouts and running while on vacation, I runfess that on this spring break, I totally let that go on the cruise. I packed my workout gear…running shoes and all, but only made it to the fitness center for one short treadmill run. We did our fair share of walking and hiking on the excursions, but otherwise, I gave my body a total break.

Spring weather is taking it’s sweet time making an appearance around here, despite what the calendar and one infamous rodent had to say (I’m looking at you, Phil)! I runfess that I have essentially been running around the weather, pushing early morning runs to the afternoon as often as I can in search of temps that don’t require “all the layers.”

I have lost my patience for distracted drivers – especially when I’m out running! It is amazing the number of drivers who seem to be too preoccupied to see the stop sign or are more concerned with going right on red than paying attention to the person in the crosswalk! I runfess that I have not been shy about sharing what I think of their driving skills…we’ll just leave it at that!

Recently, I received my volunteer assignment for the Boston Marathon. While it’s been fun to work the water stop at the finish line for the past couple of years, I runfess that this year I requested a pre-race assignment so that I can actually spectate once my volunteer shift is done.  Thankfully they complied and I’ll be organizing the runners and buses heading from Boston to Hopkinton.

What are you runfessing? Do you keep up with your workouts while on vacation?

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Filed Under: Runfessions

Snapping out of Vacation Mode

March 24, 2019 by 32 Comments

Yeah, I’m so sure this was my look going back to work on Monday!

Snapping Out of Vacation Mode

After a glorious week in the tropics enjoying spring break with the family, this past week was all about getting back to reality. Here’s how the week went down…

Monday — Being layered up again was certainly a shock to the system! 2.25 mile run done.

From 86 to 26 degrees in less than 24 hrs. – Ouch!

Tuesday — Strength training with resistance bands

Wednesday — 3 miles to usher in the first day of Spring!

Thursday — Caught the sunrise and logged another 2 miles.

Friday — Rest day – I knew this was going to be a super busy day between work and errands getting ready for a big family dinner to celebrate my mom’s birthday.

Saturday — Mother Nature’s antics were in full effect on Saturday. I woke up to snow showers to which I announced (to no one in particular) that I was not running in that sh…um …stuff and went back to bed. The snow didn’t stick around long, but the winds were crazy so I swapped workouts and opted for yoga.

Sunday — Time to make up for Saturday’s run, so I got 3.25 miles in.

Overall, not a bad first week post-vacation. The weather forecast for the upcoming week looks like something loosely resembling spring so hopefully, there will be some decent outdoor running.

I’m joining Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down link-up.

Does it feel like spring where you are? Do you find it easy to return to a routine after being on vacation?

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Filed Under: vacation, Weekly Run Down

February Run Down & March Goals

March 3, 2019 by 26 Comments

With February in the rearview mirror, it’s time to set a couple of goals for March.  I like having these mini targets to keep me on track and accountable.

So let’s recap February and see what’s on tap for this month!

February Run Down & March Goals

Good things for the month:

  • I had 3 goals for February – weekly yoga, daily pre-hab work, and beat my January mileage. I did a solid job on the first two but came up short on the mileage.
  • Consistent strength training – beyond the pre-hab exercises I focused on core and upper body work.
  • I got a chance to get a Dexa Scan and learned a lot! (In case you missed it, you can check out my post about my field trip here.)

Things I could do without:

  • Ice, wind and frigid temps kept me indoors more than I wanted, and without a race to train for, I just didn’t feel as compelled to hit the mill for any real distance – and I’m ok with that.

On the decks for March:

  • With 8 weeks until my first race of the year, Portland 10 Milers and then the Run to Remember Half a few weeks later, it’s time to start to get focused on a training plan.
  • March Goals:
    • Increase my weekly mileage
    • Continue to work with Coach Marc on form drills and cadence
    • Continue to make pre-hab exercises a regular habit
    • Daily core work

New Ambassadorship!

I got a great start to my weekend when I opened my email Friday morning to learn I’ve been selected as an ambassador for Tailwind Nutrition! I absolutely love Tailwind – it is the one fuel I can count on with my often finicky stomach. I’m really looking forward to being a part of their team!

New Link-up!

If you hadn’t heard, Holly & Wendy decided to close down the Weekly Wrap – big thanks to both of them for hosting such a great link-up! Happily, Deborah and Kim announced the new Weekly Run Down link-up, so those of us who write a weekly fitness recap have a new place to connect and commiserate!

And that’s my run down. How did February treat you? Any big plans for March?

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Filed Under: #TailwindTrailblazer, Boston's Run to Remember, goals, month in review, Portland 10 Miler Tagged With:

Cruising into March Coffee

March 1, 2019 by 20 Comments

Hello March! 

(And February..don’t let the door hit you on the way out!)

Can you tell I’m ready for a new month? 😉 And, since it’s the first Friday of the month what better way to start March than with a little catch up over coffee. So grab a mug of your favorite hot beverage and let’s join  Coco and  Deborah for this month’s coffee date.

If we were having coffee, I would have to briefly whine … er, mention the weather. While we flirted with a couple of mild days in February, there was also a fair amount of ice and some really brutal winds. The weather whiplash definitely had me running indoors far more than I would like. And, given this weekend’s forecast, it looks like March will be coming in like a lion…we can only hope the rest of the saying holds up!

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that we finally booked our vacation. We poured over lots of options and even hit a travel expo trying to settle on a plan. I’m happy to say we’ll be cruising again for spring break! We took a cruise a few years ago and absolutely loved it so I can’t wait to get on board!

Looking forward to calling this home for a week!

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that this vacation is coming at a perfect time. I feel like things have been crazy busy on all fronts and I’m starting to feel just a little fried. Vacation will be the perfect pause button.

If we were having coffee, I’d ask if you have any good book suggestions? I’m looking for a few titles to load on my Kindle – good pool-side reads…and dare I say it, perhaps something non-running related. While I’d like to do more reading this year I will admit I have yet to pick up a book.

So what would you tell me? Any vacation plans? Ever tried cruising?

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Filed Under: Ultimate coffee date, vacation