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

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

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:

Run to Remember Training – 5 Weeks to go

April 23, 2018 by 30 Comments

Happy Monday!

I find it kind of hard to believe that it’s just 5 short weeks until Boston’s Run to Remember.

As I start to increase my weekly mileage, I think my biggest challenge this week was just trying to fit in 4 days of running. I haven’t run 4 days in a week since last fall, and it’s clear that I need to do a better job of planning my runs – especially those mid-week runs longer than 5 miles.

Last week also marked the first attempt at “speed work” in a while with 800-meter repeats – now that was a shock to the system! They were challenging and I was really happy to make it through this workout.

It was also nice to have Mother Nature play nice and finally see blue skies by the end of the week!

Sunday’s long run was an eight miler, and I have to say it wasn’t as strong a run as I’d hoped for. I hadn’t been sleeping well all week (actually for the past two weeks) and the cumulative effect caught up with me on this run. My legs just didn’t want to go so this run was a real mental battle. But I did get my eight miles!

Last week was also week 3 of Rachel’s Tricep Dips, Push-ups, and Jump Squats Challenge. And honestly, this challenge and my daily planks were really the only strength training that happened. My schedule was pretty hectic this week so these mini workouts fit in perfectly. Unfortunately, what was missing this week was yoga or any form of cross-training.

For this week, I’ll be doing my best to make sleep a priority and to get back to the yoga mat at least once. I’ve also got a 10-mile long run scheduled, so this will give me a chance to start to figure out my fueling strategy for the half.

In other news…

(In case you’re not following me on Instagram) Don’t forget to take advantage of the great deal going on with Skirt Sports!

The offer is only good through April 24 so get shopping!

How many days a week do you typically run? Are you training for anything right now?

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap.

And, with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run.

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Filed Under: #skirtsports, Boston's Run to Remember, half marathon training, Skirt Sports Ambassador, Tuesdays on the Run, Weekly Wrap

Easing into half marathon training

April 9, 2018 by 40 Comments

With a couple of weeks of decent…and more importantly, pain-free running under my belt, I’m finally feeling like I can begin to focus on training for the Run to Remember Half.

Run to Remember Training Update

The race is Memorial Day Weekend so that gives me just about 7 weeks to start extending my long runs beyond the 6-miles I’ve been running and to add in some speedwork and tempo runs. And, while I’m two weeks out from the Portland 10 Miler, Run to Remember is my goal race for the Spring. I plan to use Portland as a tune-up to get me to back to double digits since I ended up missing out on Black Cat last month.

So with training underway, here’s a quick recap of how last week went.

Monday – Rest day, but I signed on for Rachel’s newest challenge, Tricep Dips, Push-ups & Jump Squats so it was 30 tricep dips and my usual plank to kick off the week.

Tuesday – A crazy work day had me swapping my Tuesday and Wednesday workouts, so I did strength training, including the challenge’s 30 push-ups. It’s been a while since I’ve done push-ups and clearly have some work to do here!

Wednesday – 6 miles followed by 30 jump squats.

Clearly, I have not mastered the mid-air selfie 🙂

Thursday – I was on the road for work all day, and too much time in the car had me feeling like a pretzel. So I just spent a lot of time stretching and did get my 40 tricep dips done.

Friday – Another freak snow storm and colliding family schedules left me to push my run to Saturday, but I did get the 40 push-ups done along with my daily plank.

Saturday – While I futzed around most of the morning cause I just didn’t feel like running, once I got out on the road the run felt great. 40 more jump squats completed the first week of the challenge.

Sunday – Another 6 miles – This run was hard because I so misread the weather and was underdressed for the cold wind.

Wrapping up another week and easing back into half marathon training! #runchat #runtoremember Share on X

This week should be much quieter on the work front so the goal will be 3 runs, plus at least two strength workouts. I didn’t break out my yoga mat at all last week, so I’d also like to get some yoga in too.

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap; and with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run.

How was your week? Are you training for a spring race?

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

2018 Race Calendar is Taking Shape

January 30, 2018 by 14 Comments

My race calendar is slowly starting to take shape and the one thing that’s for certain, I’ll be running my favorite hometown race again this year – Boston’s Run to Remember.

Boston’s Run to Remember was my first half marathon back in 2011 and I knew even before I’d crossed the finish line that I’d be running it again (You can read that recap here). This race has everything – a scenic tour through the streets of Boston, a relatively flat course, good crowd support, enthusiastic volunteers, and a great cause. The race is put on by the Boston Police Department and the Boston Police’s Runner’s Club in honor of fallen law enforcement officers and first responders. And, I especially love how many police officers are out along the course cheering and supporting the runners. It’s held on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, which can make this a hot one to run – and you all know what a heat weenie I can be, but I still find myself registering again and again. In the past couple of years, I’ve opted for the 5-miler but this year I’ll be running the half again.

So at the moment, my 2018 Race Calendar looks like this:

March – Black Cat 10-Miler (3

April – Portland 10 Miler

May – Boston’s Run to Remember Half

June – BAA 10K (I’m still debating – this one can be uber hot!)

July – Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago (keeping my fingers crossed that the stars will align for this one)

September – Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half

Then there’s that fall marathon thing to figure out 😉 In case you missed it, I’m debating, MCM, Richmond, or Philly for my first full – you can check out that debate here.

I’m also holding out hope for Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio in December, but I’ll have to see how family schedules line up. And speaking of Rock ‘n’ Roll – if you want to join me be sure to use code RNRRNB2018 to save $15 when you register for either a half or full marathon.

Looking forward to running these races in 2018! Will I see you at the start line? #runchat #rocknblog Share on X

I’m linking up with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run – this week’s topic is favorite hometown races.

I’m also joining Deb’s Race Link Up, which is a great way to find others for race meet-ups.

Deb Runs

Where are you running this year?

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Filed Under: Boston's Run to Remember, race calendar, Tuesdays on the Run

Weekly Wrap: Goals, Decisions & StrideBox

April 30, 2017 by 42 Comments

I know it’s already been said by many, but I do have to ask – how is it possible that tomorrow is May 1st?!?

I had set 5 goals for April:

  • Hit every workout
  • Run 100 miles
  • Continue my plank challenge
  • Weekly yoga
  • Meal planning

Well, if you’ve been following along here, you know goals 1 and 2 quickly went out the window as I’ve been plagued with a hip/glute thing that just won’t quit! I am happy to say that I did a pretty good job with the other 3 goals so that makes me happy!

While it’s taken me a while to say it out loud, it’s been very clear that my body’s just not up for dealing with a lot of miles right now. 5 – 6 miles is my sweet spot at the moment – any more miles and the hip speaks up loud and clear. As much as I want to be running the Run to Remember half marathon at the end of May, it’s clear I need to stay in my zone, drop down to the 5-miler option and continue to get healthy. So my race dilemma has been resolved.

And speaking of RtR, week 8 played out like this:

Monday:  A trip to the chiro and yoga
Tuesday:  Cross-training on the arc trainer
Wednesday:  Rest
Thursday:  3-mile run and a 90-minute sports massage
Friday:  Strength day – hips & glutes (no surprise!)
Saturday:  5.6-mile run

In other news, the great folks at StrideBox sent me another box of goodness along with a special coupon code to share with all of you!

Use code 5RWA417 to receive $5 off of the first box when you sign-up for a monthly StrideBox subscription! This code is good through May 15th. I have really enjoyed receiving these complimentary boxes – you can check out my review here.

As always, I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for the #WeeklyWrap. Please be sure to head on over and check out all of the great ladies participating in this fun and motivating link-up! 

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Filed Under: #StrideBox, Boston's Run to Remember, training, Weekly Wrap

Weekly Wrap – Marathon Fun and RtR Week 7

April 23, 2017 by 39 Comments

Happy Sunday!

What a crazy week this was! Things were hectic at work and my youngest son had spring break – throw in week 2 with the new puppy and suffice it to say it was a constant juggle.

There was also volunteering at the Boston Marathon – definitely the week’s high point!

Monday was my 4th year volunteering at Boston and all I can say is it never gets old! There really are no words to do justice to the energy of the finish area of any marathon, much less Boston! My first two years I was working in Hopkinton at the Athlete’s Village and then I scored an assignment in finish area last year. I was happy to be invited back to join the water team again this year.

Our team set up thousands of cases of water, making sure to unscrew the top of every bottle so runners don’t have to struggle after finishing 26.2. With the water ready and covered we got the chance to cheer the wheelchair finishers and some of the elites before taking a spot at the table to start greeting runners. While a gorgeous day to spectate, it was a little too hot to be running. We could see the toll the weather was having — unfortunately there were many who needed medical help and the waves of runners coming in later in the day were notably more than the previous year.

But on the whole most runners were in good spirits. I cheered and congratulated runners until my voice was almost gone. Some stopped to share their stories – whether it was their first or, in one case, her 25th! There were some hugging, consoling those in tears, and more high-fives and primal screams than I can count! It was also awesome how many runners stopped to thank us for volunteering. I tried my best to keep an eye out for friends who I knew were running, and was psyched to see Dani, from Weight Off My Shoulders – one of the best hug of the day 🙂

I was sore and tired by the time I headed to my car and loved every minute of it! While I do miss seeing the runners out on the course, being in the finish area is a special experience!

This week marked week 7 of Run to Remember training so let me quickly recap this week’s workouts:

Monday: 6 hrs on my feet

Tuesday:  3-mile easy run

Wednesday: Yoga

Thursday: 800-meter repeats

Friday:  Lower body strength work

Saturday:  4-mile run

Sunday: Rest

As always, I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for the #WeeklyWrap. Please be sure to head on over and check out all of the great ladies participating in this fun link-up! 

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Filed Under: Boston Marathon, Boston's Run to Remember, training, volunteering, Weekly Wrap

RtR Week 6 Wrap-up

April 16, 2017 by 22 Comments

Happy Easter to all who celebrate!

I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who weighed in on my training dilemma. It was interesting to hear others’ perspectives.

This past week for me was filled with yoga, PT exercises, daily planking…and yes a little running. Wednesday’s run of 4.25 miles was hard fought and left me almost certain that switching to the half to the 5-miler was the only option. Then came Saturday…

Saturday’s 6.5 miles gave my confidence a nudge in the right direction…while far from pain-free, things got better as the run progressed. I went from almost throwing in the towel at the 2-mile mark after having to walk the end of a short hill to powering up a much bigger hill in mile 4. And though I certainly wasn’t trying to, my Garmin showed each mile was just slightly faster than the last.

It was nice to end the week on a higher note…though I’m still no closer to deciding what to do about the race distance. So was this run the sign of light at the end of the tunnel?

The RC coaches have weighed in and think it might be better to stay in my current comfort zone where I know I can complete the distance and spend the next 6 weeks getting the hip completely where it needs to be. They can tell I’m having a hard time letting go of the idea of the half and are supporting my hemming and hawing for another week 🙂

Linking up with Holly and Tricia for the #WeeklyWrap. Please be sure to head on over and check out all of the great ladies sharing weekly training and life happenings!

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

Wrapping up Week 5 – BTDT

April 9, 2017 by 39 Comments

I’m feeling a bit like a broken record here! Training continues to be a mixed bag as my hip giveth and my hip taketh away. I have been babying this hip/glute thing for a few weeks now and on average I’m lucky if I hit 5 miles on any given run (though I managed 6 on Friday). And, these miles have been, for the most part, s-l-o-w!

I have been trying to be positive and keep telling myself I still have time…but now with Run to Remember just 7 weeks from today, I’m starting to wonder. I was so frustrated after this morning’s run that I wondered aloud to my husband whether I just need to stop running…or at least stop training. Yes..perhaps a bit dramatic… I know that I love running too much to just stop…but right now, it’s hard to love something that is not loving me back. I’ve already been down this road once before this year…where my head and heart are focused on training, but my body just won’t get with the program.

 

So with just 14 miles, plus yoga and some strength work week 5 is a wrap, and I’m honestly not sure where to go from here. Option 1 is to continue to push along and hope for a turnaround; option 2 is to let go of the half marathon and drop to the 5-miler; and, option 3 is… stop training for any race until my body cooperates.

I’m curious…what would you do?

As always, I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for the #WeeklyWrap. Please be sure to head on over and check out all of the great ladies sharing weekly training and life happenings!

 

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Filed Under: Boston's Run to Remember, half marathon training, injuries, running dilemnas, Uncategorized, Weekly Wrap