Weekly Wrap – Rest & Recovery

October 16, 2016 by 23 Comments

After last weekend’s race, this week was all about rest and recovery.

Monday and Tuesday were all about rest.

Wednesdays are my usual strength day. Trainer Stacy was out of town so I was left on my own – lots of squats, lunges and abs.

The RC coaches wanted to give me as much down time as possible, so Thursday was yet another rest day. I spent some quality time with a lacrosse ball trying to work out some lingering knots.

By Friday, I was itching to run, and was happy to see 5 miles on the plan. Mid-40’s in the morning is perfect running weather in my book and everything about this run felt good!

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The temps on Saturday were even cooler  – I actually had to dig out a pair of gloves for this run. A hilly 6.25 miles with J. Another good run!

Now the week ahead will be the start of upping the mileage to get ready for Vegas! Since I’ll be running the Remix Challenge (5K on the first night and half marathon on the 2nd), the RC coaches will have me running short runs on Fridays before my Saturday long runs.

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Fridays are usually a rest day, but I think this will be good practice for the Remix. I’m also going to try to shift my runs to later in the day to try to get use to Vegas’ late race start times.

Do you shift the time of your runs to match a race?
Any advice for running back-to-back races?

As always, I’m joining Holly and Tricia once again for the #WeeklyWrap link-up. rp_WeeklyWrap-1-300x300.jpg

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Filed Under: #StripAtNight, Weekly Wrap

Wrapping up September

October 3, 2016 by 12 Comments

OK – is it just me or did September fly by?! I swear one moment it was just Labor Day Weekend and now we’re staring down Columbus Day.  As always, I’m joining Holly and Tricia for the #WeeklyWrap link-up – wrapping up the whole month. When you’re done here, please visit these two great ladies and all of the other bloggers linking up.

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Wrapping up September for this week's #WeeklyWrap Share on X

Good things for the month:

  • RnR Philly! While it was not the race I was hoping for, I am happy to have half #10 under my belt.
  • Continuing to love the strength training!
  • Lots of pain-free runs – the right glute issues I feeling at the beginning of the month disappeared, and dare I say it… most of my runs have been pain free!

Things I could do without:

  • It took most of the month for the humidity to finally relent
  • …did I mention the weather? 😉

On the decks for October:

  • Heading to NYC for RnR Brooklyn this weekend!
  • My oldest son and I just signed up for one of my favorite local races held at the end of the month.
  • Learning how to train for an evening run – this morning runner is not a fan of late day running!

Tell me something good about your September! What are you looking forward to in October?

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Filed Under: month in review, RnR Brooklyn, Weekly Wrap

Prepping for Brooklyn

September 25, 2016 by 23 Comments

The beauty of having another race on the horizon is it forces you to not wallow and to quickly get re-focused (if you missed my Philly recap, you can check it out here). So this week was all about turning my attention to the RnR Brooklyn Half Marathon. As always, I’m joining Holly and Tricia once again for the #WeeklyWrap link-up.

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Monday and Tuesday were all about rest and recovery. There was nothing wilder than lost of stretching, rolling and icing.

Wednesdays are strength days, and I was back in the gym with Trainer Stacy. We went old school with the workout using a weighted sleigh and medicine balls. Hips, glutes and core got a serious workout!

By Thursday, it was time to get back to running. 5 miles, with 3 at steady pace, done. And on Friday, I got 3 more miles in at an easy pace.

The temps on Saturday dropped, and the morning air felt downright chilly. I loved it! My husband J is getting ready for his race next weekend, so he decided to join me. We got an early start so we could get back in time to shuttle our boys to their sports commitments.

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This run felt great! The miles clicked along easily, and we finished 8 miles with plenty of time to spare. The only minor glitch was for some odd reason my stomach was not happy with my usual Honey Stringer Waffle – this is my standard pre-run fuel, so I’m not sure what happened here.

Today was a rest day and I spent the day purging the endless stacks of paper from our home office and trying to find my desk again!

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I’ll be back to four days of running this week and the forecast is showing cool temps. Fall may finally be here!

Have you ever had your stomach reject your routine fuel?

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Filed Under: half marathon training, RnR Brooklyn, Weekly Wrap

Wrapping up Race Week

September 19, 2016 by 17 Comments

Happy Monday all!

I’m back from Philadelphia and enjoying a much needed rest day after running the RnR Philly half yesterday. I’ll have much to say about Sunday in my recap later this week. But for now, I’m joining Holly and Tricia once again for the #WeeklyWrap link-up.

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Monday, 9/12:  Yoga

Tuesday, 9/13:  3.2 mile run

Wednesday, 9/14:  6 mile progressive run with 1 mile warm-up and cool down

Thursday, 9/15:  Rest day

Friday, 9/16:  Final run of the week – 3 miles and the legs were feeling really good!

Saturday, 9/17:  I headed to Philadelphia with my husband. Travel was super easy and after dropping our bags at the hotel we headed for the expo. We breezed through packet pick-up and then my husband was very patient as I checked out all of the vendors. All of the Brooks T-shirts were super cute and I just couldn’t resist adding one to my collection. I also couldn’t resist a new headband from my fave Sparkly Soul, and picked up an organic multivitamin designed for runners. We took a walk and then wandered the Terminal Market for lunch (my gosh you can get lost in that place!) before heading back to the hotel to chill.

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Sunday, 9/18: RnR Philly

So how was your week? Do you shop the expos or avoid them?

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Filed Under: race week, RnRPhilly, Weekly Wrap

RnR Philly Week 11 – Back to School Shuffle

September 12, 2016 by 16 Comments

I had fully planned to write a couple of posts this week…but then that phenomenon called “back to school” swept through my house leaving a trail of school forms, new schedules, and dazed kids in its wake.

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Needless to say, it was a bit of “workout shuffle” as I worked around the kids being up earlier in the morning, figuring out the new bus schedule, and coordinating pick-ups. It was more of a workout-when-you-can kind of week vs workout-when-you-want-to. But, I did manage to (mostly) stick to my training plan.

Monday, 9/5:  Yoga – my hamstrings let me know it has been awhile since I’ve done any yoga. So needed!

Tuesday, 9/6:  4-mile run

Wednesday, 9/7:  Strength workout with Trainer Stacy, and my new gym BFFs, kettlebells.

Thursday, 9/8: Alternating tempo run from hell…ok I may be exaggerating a little. I decided to do this workout on the treadmill that way I could just set the pace and hope to hang on. This one was tough from start to finish. I struggled to hold the paces and overall it was slower than I wanted. In hindsight, I was a little intimidated by this workout when I saw it on my plan and let it psyche me out a bit. Running is so mental after all….

Friday, 9/9:  To shake off the creeping negativity, the RC coaches suggested that I might be better off with a rest day instead of the 3 miler on my plan. I agreed and spent the day catching up with a friend.

Saturday, 9/10:  A solid 7-miler to put the Negative Nellie back in check!

Sunday, 9/4: Rest day.

Joining Holly and Tricia once again for the #WeeklyWrap link-up.

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How do you shake off a bad run?

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Filed Under: back to school, RnRPhilly, training, Weekly Wrap

RnR Philly Training – Week 10

September 5, 2016 by 20 Comments

Happy Labor Day!

I’m taking a quick moment out of what has been an enjoyable and lazy long weekend so far to join Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap. I love this link-up as it helps me to stay accountable on my training, and it’s such a great group of supportive women!
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Even though, as I mentioned over coffee, I’ve switched up my goal races, I’m continuing to count down to #RnRPhilly since it’s the first big race on the horizon. So how did week 10 go?

Monday, 8/29:  Nice 3-miler. It was overcast and kinda felt…dare I say it…fall-like!

Tuesday, 8/30:  800 meter repeats. Dear lord when do these get easier?!? Probably not…5.25 miles done.

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Wednesday, 8/31: Strength day – Lots of core and resistance band work.

Thursday, 9/1: Allergies reared their ugly had with a vengeance which made sleeping tough. Lack of sleep and trouble breathing = rest day.

Friday, 9/2:  I don’t usually run on Fridays, but wanted to make up for missing Thursday’s run. Also it was a beautiful cool morning, so 3.5 miles happened.

Saturday, 9/3:  11 miles – I really wanted this to be a great run, especially since it was my last long run before Philly. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t 🙁  I was having a really solid run until mile 8…and then I wasn’t. Around mile 6 I started feeling a lot of discomfort in my right glute where it attaches to the hamstring. I took a short walk break and thought I had it under control, but in mile 9 the wheels completely came off the bus… I finished but not as strong as I had hoped.

Sunday, 9/4: Rest day.

My last couple of long runs have definitely been my nemesis, and I don’t know how that will translate on the streets of Philly. Only time will tell…

Are you training for anything right now?

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Filed Under: half marathon training, RnRPhilly, Weekly Wrap

Weekly Wrap – Feeling Recharged

August 29, 2016 by 16 Comments

Happy Monday!

I’m back from a fun family get-away in the White Mountains. This vacation came at a perfect time as I was really starting to feel fried. We celebrated my husband’s birthday, rode the Cog Railroad to the top of Mount Washington, explored glacier caves, zip lined (is that a verb?), and hit the alpine slides and coasters…just to name a few. We came home tired and happy.

I did my best to keep up with my workouts and for the most part it went pretty well. I’m linking up again with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to check out these great ladies and all of the other fun bloggers joining in.
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Monday, 8/22:  A much needed rest day.

Tuesday, 8/23: I was hoping to make up for Sunday’s long run, but my tired legs had other ideas. I knew before I left the house that 10 miles was not going to happen, and for half a second I toyed with skipping the run altogether. But it was a rare morning in the low 70s – too nice to miss out on, so I got a solid 5 done.

Wednesday, 8/24: Cross-training in the form of climbing around Mt. Washington

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The amazing view from the top of Mt. Washington

Thursday, 8/25: Hill work was on the plan so I headed to the base of Loon Mountain and found a perfect access road for hill repeats.  5 more miles done.

Friday, 8/26:  More play time with the family!

Saturday, 8/27:  10.5 miles – this was one of the toughest runs I’ve had in a long time. My stomach went south almost immediately – I have no idea why since I didn’t deviate from my usual foods. I was ok for the first 5 miles, but then the wheels completely fell off the wagon. Angry stomach and intense sun = one ugly run.

Sunday, 8/28: Rest day.

How was your week? Do you workout on vacation or just hang out?

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Filed Under: half marathon training, vacation, Weekly Wrap

Weekly Wrap – Can I get a Do-Over?

August 21, 2016 by 12 Comments

You ever have those weeks where you just wish you could hit the re-wind button? Last week was one where I just felt like I had too many balls in the air…and quite honestly I should have put a few of them down, and for my own sanity, said no a little more often. Ah well…lesson learned.

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But before I put the week squarely in my rearview mirror, I’m linking up again with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap.

Monday, 8/15: For some reason I just could not get my face out of the pillow, so I pushed my run to later in the day…then life happened and the run didn’t.

Tuesday, 8/16: Still feeling a little on the tired side, I swapped my Tuesday track work with Thursday’s run. 5 miles done.

Wednesday, 8/17: Strength day with Trainer Stacey! Had my first ever workout with Kettlebells – it was challenging and I loved every minute of it.

Thursday, 8/18:  I was seriously feeling the previous day’s kettlebell session as I headed to the track, and I kinda knew this workout might not go as planned. After two weeks of successful workouts with 400 and 800 meter repeats, I was quickly reminded that 1600 meter repeats are a whole other beast. 4 miles done, but man oh man did I struggle…

Friday, 8/19: I spent most of the day working to set up a big multisport event that serves as a fundraiser for the non-profit I work with.

Saturday, 8/20: Event day – up at 3 am and onsite by 5…according to my FitBit I covered over 6 miles as I ran and walked back and forth along the course – we were short volunteers so there was never a moment of downtime. I finally returned home almost 12 hours later.

Sunday, 8/21:  10 miles was on the plan, but after the past two days it should have been no surprise that my legs…in fact my whole body was toast. There was no way I was going to make it through double digits, so I just went out to see what my legs would give me. I managed to eek out a solid 5 miles and was grateful for that. I huddled with the RC coaches later in the day and will give the 10 miler another shot on Tuesday.

So somehow I managed to get 20 miles in this week, and given all I was juggling I’ll take it. Luckily, the family is escaping to the White Mountains for a little R&R this week so things should be calmer!

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Filed Under: crazy week, training, Weekly Wrap

RnR Philly Week 6 – Enjoying the Cutback

August 7, 2016 by 6 Comments

Hard to believe last week marked the half way point in training for RnR Philly. It was also my birthday week and my husband J planned a great birthday getaway to one of our favorite inns in the White Mountains. So it was perfect timing to see that the RC coaches had a cutback week on the training plan.

Monday, 8/1: Strength Day

Tuesday, 8/2:  Track workout — 400 meter repeats, plus warm up and cool down – 3.25 miles

Wednesday, 8/3: You know how crazed work becomes right before you take a few days off…yeah well that was this day! Yoga was necessary!

Thursday, 8/4:  Day off so I slept in until almost 9 (What?!?) and then got in 4 easy birthday miles, before a much needed mani/pedi – the hot stone leg message was the highlight!

Friday, 8/5: I swapped Saturday’s LSD to today and got it in super early before we left town. I ran 6.5 miles, and probably faster than I should have, but it was a picture perfect morning…and I was ready to head out of town 🙂

Saturday, 8/6: 4.25 miles of hiking. I thought it would have been cooler in the mountains, but surprisingly, not so much. But the scenery was beautiful and worth it.

White Mtns

Sunday, 8/7:  Rest Day

The inn we stayed in serves the biggest country breakfasts and amazing 5 course dinners – and we indulged to the fullest! It was a great weekend and now I’m having a hard time getting back to reality 🙂

rp_WeeklyWrap-1-300x300.jpgSo that’s my #WeeklyWrap! As always, big thanks to Holly and Tricia for hosting this linkup! By the way this wonderful linkup is celebrating its own birthday so be sure to stop by and see what this great group of bloggers are up to.

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Filed Under: birthday celebrations, half marathon training, RnRPhilly, Weekly Wrap

Weekly Wrap – July Rewind

August 1, 2016 by 9 Comments

And just like that another month comes to a close! As always, I’m joining Holly & Tricia for the Weekly Wrap – just wrapping up the whole month. When you’re done here, please visit these two great ladies and all of the other bloggers linking up.

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Good things for the month:

  • Kicked off training for RnR Philly! On the whole I’m really happy with how things are going and to see the mileage building.
  • Family running – especially seeing my youngest son complete his first 5K! It’s also been great to have my husband keeping me company on my long runs.
  • Rocking the strength training!
  • On the non-fitness side of things – it’s been a fun month of catching up with friends!

Things I could do without:

  • Mother Nature’s relentless hot flashes!
  • The flare up in my left tibia head and anterior tibialis – it slowed me down for a couple of days, but I’m feeling like I’ve got a handle on it now.

On the decks for August:

  • Double-digit LSDs – time to return to the land of double digit long runs. It’s been a long time since I’ve lived in this neighborhood.
  • A couple of mini vacations! My husband is taking me away for my birthday this weekend and the whole family is getting a few days away later in the month.

Tell me something good about your July.

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Filed Under: month in review, Weekly Wrap