Friday Five: Fave Running Tunes

October 17, 2014 by 16 Comments

It’s finally Friday!! Why do short work weeks always feel so much longer?!

As I mentioned last week, I needed a good power tune to get me through my intervals and this week’s 400-meter repeats were no different. While I find of late I’m using music less for some of my shorter runs, when it comes to speedwork, hill repeats or late in a long run, I like to have my music! So when I heard that Courtney, Mar and Cynthia were inviting everyone to share their “Favorite Fitness Tunes,”  I  couldn’t resist chiming in with my 5 current favorites. Note I say current because my tastes and playlists change often!

music notes

(Links to YouTube videos below in case you’re interested)

Love Runs Out by OneRepublic — The very first time I heard this one on the radio I knew I had to add it to my playlist. I love the driving beat!

Applause by Lady Gaga —  While I’m not a huge Gaga fan, this song never fails to get me moving!

Now that We Found Love by Heavy D & the Boyz — Old school!

Dream On by Aerosmith — Told you my taste is eclectic!  While a slower beat for sure, there is something about this song that always gets me going – maybe it’s the Boston connection 😉

25 Miles by Edwin Starr — OK so Old School there isn’t even a video, just an audio link! Despite its age, it’s a relatively new addition to my playlist and a favorite to hear late in a long run.

Be sure to check out everyone else’s list – maybe you’ll find a new tune for your playlist!

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Filed Under: Friday Five, playlists

Training Check-in – Week 11

October 13, 2014 by 8 Comments

check in Happy Monday!

With today being Columbus Day (or Thanksgiving in Canada) – hopefully you’re enjoying the long weekend!

After a much needed cutback week the week before, I resumed my Philly training plan last week.

So how was Week 11?

Monday  —  T25 Cardio

Tuesday  —  5 Miles

Wednesday  —  Yoga

Thursday  —  5 x 1000 meter intervals plus warm-up and cool down – 6 miles

Friday — Rest day

Saturday — 9.5 miles

Sunday  —  More rest – hanging with the family 🙂

I had planned for 12 miles on Saturday but the rain went from steady at the start of the run  to a torrential downpour! So for the sake of my cold wet legs and my iPhone I decided to cut it short. Overall, it wasn’t too bad of a week. As much as I want to increase my mileage and bump it up to 4 running days per week, my energy levels are just not there yet. Hopefully, as I get this anemia under control that can happen.

How was your week?

Do you usually run 3x’s a week or 4 or more?

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Filed Under: half marathon training

Thursday Thoughts: From the track

October 9, 2014 by 9 Comments

Track shot

 

Observations from today’s attempt at speedwork:

Running intervals while anemic is a b#tch!

There may have been a little cursing…ok maybe a lot of cursing!

Sometimes a power song and mantra can help — today it was “Black Suits Comin'” by Will Smith and “you’re stronger than you think!”

Thank goodness tomorrow’s a rest day!

What’s your current power song or mantra?

 

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Filed Under: 3 things, observations, track work

Another Aha Moment

October 7, 2014 by 15 Comments

And the Aha Moments just keep coming….

lightbulb moment

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I have had my ups and downs this training cycle.

While I have tried hard to accept whatever my body will give me on any given day, the truth is I’ve been struggling. Paces that were once manageable have felt like work…and when I have managed to have really good runs, I’m toast afterwards. I have talked about the fact that a shift in attitude and how I approach my runs has helped…running is a mental game after all! But, something was still missing….something has just felt off. My body was trying to tell me something. So I finally made the rare trip to my doctor’s office…and after some tests, turns out I’m anemic.

Ah – well that goes a long way to explaining my energy levels. I was starting to think it was all in my head … or perhaps my advanced running age catching up with me 😉 So for now the prescribed course of action is a daily multi-vitamin (I’ve been wildly inconsistent with my supplements) and changes to my diet to include more iron-rich foods. This will force me to get back to meal planning and weekend meal prep which has been lagging a little. I’m glad to have an answer for what’s going on…just wish I hadn’t dragged my feet on heading to my doc.

Are you quick to head to the doctor’s office?

What’s your favorite iron-rich snack?

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Filed Under: listening to your body

October’s Ultimate Coffee Date

October 4, 2014 by 16 Comments

Hello October!

Did September fly by as fast for you as it did for me?! Well it’s time to kick off a new month and one of my favorite ways to do that is by joining the Ultimate Coffee Date!  So grab a mug of coffee, tea or another favorite beverage and let’s catch up for a bit!

coffeedate

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you October is probably one of my favorite months! The weather is perfect for running and the foliage in New England is beautiful – it’s a great time to be outdoors! And, all things pumpkin are plentiful – win!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you we heading out to western Mass to go apple picking tomorrow. It’s a family tradition – we go to a great family run farm that has a wide variety of apples, peaches and pumpkins plus hayrides, an amazing farm stand and a great barbecue. It’s such a fun way to spend the day and I tell you those apple cider doughnuts are killer!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I am on a decluttering kick! After just one month of school, homework, volunteer projects, etc. I’ve lost sight of most of my dining room table and a counter in the kitchen. But, truthfully, I don’t plan to stop there – I’m going after closets, the mini-man cave (aka our playroom) and…our home office. DeclutteringYourHomes

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that my husband J and I will celebrate our 22nd anniversary later this month (another reason I love October!). We’ve actually been together 26 years! As cliched as it may sound he truly is my best friend. I don’t know what we’ll do to celebrate but given the way the calendar looks this month, it will probably be at one of the boys’ sport events!

 

If we were having coffee together what would you tell me?

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

I heart 10-mile races

September 30, 2014 by 33 Comments

This is my public plea to race directors everywhere (but especially here in New England) to please host more 10-mile races!

Heart

The 10-miler is hands down my favorite race distance – yet sadly I’m finding fewer and fewer options available.  So what’s to love about the 10 mile distance? To me it’s the perfect “middle distance.”

Just long enough — The 10-miler is just long enough (vs. say a 10K) that you can ease into your pace for the first few miles before really diving into the race. Personally I struggle with 10K pacing!

Just short enough — That last 5K of a half marathon can get ugly for me sometimes…perhaps because I push too hard in the middle miles? I can still hold my form together for 10 miles, run strong and not feel like I’m dying!

Still a challenge — Racing double digits is a challenge! The beauty of 10-mile races is that they offer enough of a challenge without requiring too long of a training build-up to reach the distance – depending on your weekly mileage, you can be ready to race in just a few weeks.

What’s your favorite race distance? Do you think 10-milers are getting harder to find?

Erika, Patty and April are all talking about their fave race distances today – Be sure to stop by and check out them out!

Tuesdays-on-the-run1

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Filed Under: 10-mile races

Friday Five: Runfessions

September 26, 2014 by 17 Comments

Every month Marcia, from Marcia’s Healthy Slice, shares her “runfessions” – a chance to cleanse your sweaty soul. I love these posts. Marcia always invites her readers to join her and so this time round, I’m in.

Runfessions

Runfession #1 — While I’m feeling better about my training than I have in weeks, I confess that I am no where close to where I wanted to be at this point. But there’s still 8 weeks until Philly…

Runfession #2 — I’m seriously struggling with my motivation…there are definitely days where I want to chuck the training plan, let go of my race goals and just go back to running purely for the fun of it.

Runfession #3 — I’ve decided to take the Smuttynose Half off the table.  While this was never a goal race, I will admit that I was secretly hoping to take advantage of the “flat, fast course” and kick some serious asphalt. Given #1, Coach Bennett and I agreed that if I can’t go and run it really easy that I shouldn’t do it….and I know myself and I just don’t think I can…so no Smuttynose this year.

Runfession #4 — I really miss my running buddy E. She’s been dealing with an injury and it’s been ages since we’ve run together. I’m sure that’s not helping my motivation on some days. But I do so appreciate that she’s one of my biggest cheerleaders!

Runfession #5 — I’m loving my hill workouts…I know right? But I have to admit that Thursday’s hill repeats have become my favorite workout of the week! And I’ve been crushing them!

There….I feel better now! Do you have any runfessions to share?

 

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Filed Under: Friday Five, general musings, Runfessions

ASICS GEL-Pursue Review

September 25, 2014 by 11 Comments

Disclaimer: I received a pair of ASICS GEL-Pursue™ for the purpose of this review. As always, all opinions expressed here are my own.

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by ASICS to review a pair of their new GEL-Pursue™ running shoes. I was both curious and hesitant. I had never run in a pair of ASICS but know those who swear by them (including my running buddy E and my oldest son!), but would they be more shoe than I was use to?

ASICS Collage

The ASICS GEL-Pursue™ recently scored the Runner’s World Best Debut Shoe for Fall 2014. RW editors gave the shoe high marks for providing equal parts cushioning and stability. In place of a medial post, ASICS gave the GEL-Pursue™ a foam wedge under the arch and a segmented crash pad in the heel to provide stability.

So what did I think?

Out of the box, I loved the purple and lime color-combo – I’m sucker for purple!  I was also an instant fan of the Heel Clutching System™ – the fit through the heel was very comfortable, snug but not restrictive. The heel felt supported and I can bet that if you’re a heel-striker this would be an even bigger benefit.

ASICS Side shot

I tried the shoes on a variety of different runs – short runs (3 – 7 miles), hill work, fartleks – and on both the road and the treadmill.  I liked that the GEL-Pursue™ offered support without being squishy… yes that’s a technical term. I didn’t feel overly insulated from the road.

I did find that with the added support came more weight than the more minimalist shoes I’m use to – the Pursue weighs in at 8.7 oz. As such, they felt a little chunky during my hill work.

Overall, I think the ASICS GEL-Pursue™ is a shoe to consider if you are a neutral runner looking for support while still getting a responsive ride. I also think the extra support and comfort would be appealing to newer runners.

Have you run in ASICS?

 

 

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Filed Under: ASICS GEL-Pursue, product reviews

Week 9’s Aha Moment

September 22, 2014 by 23 Comments

Another training week is in the books! And, for the first time in many weeks, I’m happy to say that my weekend long run hit double digits. I’m pretty pleased with this not just for the mileage but for the attitude shift that took place during the run.

Churchill quote

To say that I wasn’t feelin’ it when I headed out the door Saturday morning would be putting it mildly. I had hit my snooze too many times to count and then meandered around my house “getting ready” for so long, J actually asked me if I was going to run or not. I huffed a reply that I was going…that I HAD to run 10. I made it out the door but decided to walk up the street before starting and came across my brother who was driving to my house to help with our current house project. He gave a raised eyebrow to which I replied “Yeah I know I’m a little slow-going this morning and I HAVE to run 10.”

There it was again…that negative attitude….there’s no such thing as I “have” to run – I choose to run…I get to run. Running is my stress reliever…my “me time!” So why was I acting like it was such a burden? As I ran I started thinking about how lucky I was to be able to be out there – my husband was home was the kids, it was beautiful morning and I was out for a run…seriously what was I stressing about? And, as corny as it may sound, with that attitude shift, the weight of the run was gone. In fact, it was one of the better runs I’ve had in a while – not because pace or time or any of the other things we runners can stress about. It was the absence of all those things and just simply remembering how lucky I am that I get to run!

Do you ever catch yourself saying you “have” to run?

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Filed Under: attitude adjustment, gift of running

Friday Five: Working with a Running Coach

September 19, 2014 by 16 Comments

It’s Friday and time for another fun link up with Courtney, Mar & Cynthia. Our theme this week? “Five things I love about…”

Lots of things came to mind for this theme, but then I started thinking about a conversation I’d had recently with my youngest son about why I was working with Coach Bennett. His exact words were – “Why don’t you just get out there and run?” Hmm…fair question. So I thought I’d share what I love about working with a running coach.

Coaching roadsign
Customized training plan — A running coach will develop a personalized plan for you taking into account your current fitness level, running history and current goals. It takes all the guess work out of picking a training plan.

Progressing smartly — Closely tied with reason #1, is working with a coach will help you to progress at a pace that will hopefully minimize the risk of injury. Life happens and training runs are missed – I’ve found it very helpful to have someone to help figure out when and how to get the miles in (or, equally importantly, when to let them go!)

Move beyond comfort zone — While progressing smartly, I have also found it very beneficial to have someone to push nudge me out of my comfort zone. (Hill repeats and some of my more aggressive speedwork would never have happened without Coach Bennett!)

Sounding board — A good running coach is definitely part therapist. A coach can help you with the mental side of running – helping to keep you both motivated and focused.

Race strategy — Having someone who can help you objectively review your training, set realistic race goals and map out a strategy for getting there is a huge bonus!

Have you ever worked with a running coach? If not, would you want to?

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Filed Under: Friday Five, running coach