February Run Down and Hello March

March 1, 2020 by 29 Comments

Wasn’t I just writing a post on my February goals?! For the first time in a long time, the shortest month of the year actually felt short! Before we put February firmly in the rearview mirror, here’s how the last week played out.

Monday — 3-mile run and planking. Even though I had run on Sunday, I couldn’t miss another chance to run in 50-degree weather again. Especially knowing there was lousy weather expected later in the week.

Tuesday — Orangetheory and planking. It was an Endurance, Strength, Power workout with the Bosu and TRX featured in the floor block.

Wednesday — Orangetheory and planking. This was my first time attempting back-to-back classes, but I didn’t want to miss the 12-minute benchmark run. This class also had endurance rowing blocks and the evil ab dolly as part of the floor block. (Kim has nicknamed the ab dolly “the devil’s skateboard” and I think that’s pretty apropos!) I was definitely tired going into this class so I was happy to eke out 1.1 miles for my benchmark.

Thursday — Yoga, planking, and a massage!

Friday — Rest day & planking. There was a lot of time in the car, and a lot of walking, as it was parents’ day at my oldest son’s school. And, the best part is he came home for a weekend visit!

Saturday — 4-mile run & planking. This was the kind of run I’d like to bottle and pull down off the shelf again and again. My legs felt fresh and I ran faster than I have in a while.

Sunday — 2.5 miles & planking. While the quad is feeling so much better, I could feel the effects of pushing my pace yesterday, so I kept this run short and easy.

February Goal Review and March Plans

My February goals were:

  • Hit the 50-mile mark
  • Weekly Yoga
  • Daily plank challenge
  • Focus on hydration

And I hit all of these with exception of the mileage. As I did in January, I opted to keep the mileage low, covering only 36.1 miles, in an effort to let my right quad heal.

With my first double-digit race a mere 8 weeks away and the quad feeling much better, it’s time to increase the miles for March. And, although Marcia’s plank challenge is now over, I’m planning to stay on the planking bandwagon for the month ahead. But really, the big goal for March is consistency – I’d like to see each week include 3 runs, 2 OTF classes, a yoga session, and an active rest day.

So tell me, how was your February? Any big plans for March?

In case you missed it:

Body Helix Thigh Compression Sleeve Review

Some Runfessions for February

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

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Filed Under: goals, Weekly Run Down

Some Runfessions for February

February 28, 2020 by 10 Comments

It’s the last Friday of the month which means Marcia has opened the Runfessional. I’ve got a couple to share so let’s dive in, shall we?

By all accounts, this has been one of the mildest winters for the Boston-area in a long time….and yet I runfess that I’m over it. Last month I admitted that I had pretty much split my runs evenly between indoors and outdoors. This month while I’ve run outdoors more often, I runfess that I’ve taken to chasing the 40 and 50-degree temps, which has meant more mid- and late-day runs – anything to avoid an extra layer. I’m turning into a weather weenie.

I runfess that I’m bemused by the people at Orangetheory who are so possessive about “their spot” in the studio. I was practically trampled the other day by this one particular woman who felt she needed to beat me to the front desk to claim her favorite treadmill. I  got to the desk first and runfess that for half a second I thought of claiming her spot 😉

And speaking of Orangetheory, I runfess that I have learned the hard way that I must keep my reading glasses with me at all times. The other day I couldn’t read the card on the treadmill outlining the run/row workout block – thankfully, the woman next to me was sweet enough to keep prompting me so I could stay on track. Clearly, I cannot live in denial about my need for reading glasses any longer!

What are you runfessing this month?

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Filed Under: Runfessions

Body Helix Thigh Compression Sleeve Review

February 25, 2020 by 19 Comments

I wanted to put the Body Helix Thigh Compression Sleeve through its paces before sharing my review, but if you’ve been following me on Instagram or Twitter then you already know this sleeve has been a win for me!

Body Helix Thigh Compression Sleeve Review

I received a Thigh Compression Sleeve from Body Helix as a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews. As always, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

A few weeks back I started experiencing a lot of discomfort in my upper quad. It seemed that I had strained it – not enough to stop working out, but it was definitely slowing me down. In typical runner fashion, I pulled out all the resources possible to keep my legs moving.  So when I was offered an opportunity to test out the Body Helix Thigh Compression Sleeve, I was all in.

According to the Body Helix website, the thigh sleeve is made of “medical-grade compression in the range of 20- 30 millimeters of mercury (or mmHg in the scientific community). The higher the number, the more pressure we feel. Research shows a drastic decrease in pain sensation when compression is applied to injuries.”

During my runs and workouts, I can say that my quad felt more supported and, as a result, I felt that my range of motion was better – I wasn’t altering my gait. Definitely a win! I also tried the sleeve as part of my recovery following runs and Orangetheory workouts and was happy to feel significant pain relief.

The sleeve fits like a glove, snug but not tight. And, once on, it stayed in place without any slipping. My one challenge was fitting it under my thermal running tights which are …well tight. While I could get my tights over the sleeve I felt a little bit like a sausage. However, I had no problem wearing it under my running skirts, shorts, and capris.

And, one more bonus – the sleeve can be machine washed and dried so it was always ready to go for the next workout.

So while my quad continues to heal this compression sleeve will most certainly be a key part of my arsenal.

Sharing my review of @body_helix thigh compression sleeve! #BodyHelixBR #BibRavePro #BibChat #movethroughit Share on X

Want to try it for yourself? Body Helix makes a wide range of compression gear to support everything from wrist and elbows to knees, calves, and ankles. Use code BH15BR for 15% off all products on their website now through 4/1.

And be sure to check out the reviews of my fellow BibRave Pros on the Body Helix products they tested:

Corey

Logan

Kim

Lissa

Emily

I’m linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up

I’m also linking with Debbie, Rachel, Deborah, Lisa, Smitha and Jenn for the Runners’ Roundup.

 

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Filed Under: #BibRavePro, #BodyHelixBR, product reviews, Runners Roundup, Tuesday Topics

Old Fashioned Flat 5K Recap

February 18, 2020 by 11 Comments

This past Sunday I took on my first race of 2020 – the Old Fashioned Flat 5K.

This year was the 25th anniversary of the Old Fashioned 10 Miler and Flat 5K. I ran the 10 Miler years ago and was registered for it again this year, but a few weeks back Coach Marc and I agreed to keep my mileage super low-keyed to let my quad strain heal. When I mentioned to both my husband and brother about possibly doing the 5K instead they were both interested so I changed my registration and we were all in for the 5K.

After a couple of frigid and blustery days last week, we totally lucked out on Sunday with temps in the upper 30s and no wind. The race was a quick 15-minute drive from my house so J and I planned to meet my brother there by 9 (the race started at 10). Parking was super easy and well-organized with lots of volunteers guiding the way. The bib pick-up was also a breeze thanks in part to receiving our bib numbers via text message ahead of time. We picked up our goody bags stopped to enter the raffle for game tickets for the Bruins, Celtics, and Red Sox, and then made a quick trip back to the cars to store our gear. I had been debating the extra layer of a vest but decided to go without it – with exception of my hands I was already feeling pretty warm and we hadn’t even started running yet.

We made our way over to the start and settled in about mid-crowd – took a quick picture, the horn sounded and we were off!

Mile 1 took us on a loop through a residential neighborhood and back around to the main building where packet pick-up had been. Mile 2 took us past the finish line area and out for a long straightaway, before Mile 3 has us re-tracing our steps through the residential neighborhood, past the main building, and then into the finish area.

I felt great the first mile but got slightly derailed in the second mile by of all things having to stop to tie my shoe. My brother and I had been running together and when I had to stop I told him just to keep going and that I would catch up. But, when I stood up from tying my shoe, my quad was not pleased – ugh, seriously!  I got moving and it did eventually loosen up. While I kept my brother in sight for most of the rest of the way I was never able to close the gap. J finished just shortly after. We all collected our medals, chatted with some of the other runners and then headed for the cars.

There were so many positives about this race:

  • lots of friendly volunteers all along the route. Despite the fact that the roads weren’t closed, there were very few cars, and the volunteers and police did a great job of keeping everyone safe.
  • finisher medals with a medallion designating each distance
  • easy packet pick-up and parking
  • free race photos (waiting for them to be posted)
  • and, yes…the 5K course was relatively flat 😉

This is a great local race and I can certainly see running it again next year.

I’m linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up

I’m also linking with Debbie, Rachel, Deborah, Lisa,
Smitha and Jenn for the Runners’ Roundup.

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Old Fashioned Flat 5K, race report

Mid-month Check-in – February’s Flying

February 16, 2020 by 24 Comments

Well for as slow as I thought January moved along, February seems to be flying along in a blink. How is half the month already over?  I’m still keeping the mileage low as I baby my quad, but did run my first race of the year today. Here’s a quick rundown of how the week played out.

Monday:  Rest day but continued the plank challenge. I had pushed the pace on Sunday’s run and the quad was screaming for a break!
Tuesday:  Yoga, plus plank.
Wednesday: 3 miles and plank.
Thursday: Yoga, plank, and a massage. The second day of yoga – who am I?
Friday: 3 miles and plank.


Saturday:  Another rest day (and yes planking).
Sunday:  Old Fashioned Flat 5K and post-race plank. (Recap coming later this week).

For a whole host of reasons, schedules were colliding this week and getting to a class was just not in the cards – so there were no OrangeTheory workouts. I spent time on my yoga mat not once, but twice this week – and I think my cranky quad thanked me.  Another win for the quad was the arrival of the thigh compression sleeve from Body Helix.

I received the sleeve as a BibRave Pro and will write a full review after a couple more days of wearing and workout in it. But, I will say so far so good!

I’m looking forward to having Monday off for President’s Day, and, in general, having a quieter schedule this week.

How was your week? Does your February feel like it’s flying by?

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

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Filed Under: #BibRavePro, Weekly Run Down

2020 Race Calendar

February 11, 2020 by 24 Comments

My 2020 race calendar is slowly starting to take shape. For those who have asked – yes there will be another marathon, but not this year.  I’m looking forward to mixing up the distances more this year and having a more “relaxed” summer 😉

My race season kicks off this Sunday with the Old Fashioned 5K, and here’s what else I’m planning.

My 2020 Race Calendar

Portland 10 Miler (4/26)

Boston’s Run to Remember 5 Miler (5/24)

Newport 10 Miler (5/31)

Narragansett Summer Running Festival 10K (7/12)

Ocean Road 10K (10/4)

Detroit Free Press International Half Marathon (10/18)

Vermont 10 Miler (11/1)

Where are you racing this year? I'm sharing my 2020 race calendar and some race discounts! #BibChat #BibRavePro Share on X

I’d still like to add in a couple more races, especially another half marathon in either September or November. I may just have to wait and see where I’ll be visiting colleges with my oldest and then look for a local race.

Speaking of half marathons, if you want to join me for the DFP Half in October, you can use code “BIBRAVEDET20” for 10% off the registration. And, if you are still looking for races to add to your calendar, be sure to check my list on this blog of BibRave race discounts – I’ll be updating this list periodically, so be sure to check back often.

What’s on your race calendar this year?

I’m linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up

I’m also linking with Debbie, Rachel, Deborah, Lisa,
Smitha and Jenn for the Runners’ Roundup

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Filed Under: #BibRavePro, race calendar

February Goals

February 2, 2020 by 22 Comments

Ah, a new month is laid out before us…and for me, that means time to set a couple of monthly goals.

But first, here’s a quick run down on the past week’s workouts.

Monday:  Stability work on the Bosu
Tuesday:  3.5 miles
Wednesday: Orangetheory (Endurance & Power day)
Thursday: 4 miles and a massage

Friday: Orangetheory – snagged a new PR on my all-out pace (8:34!)
Saturday:  Rest and acupuncture and the start of Marcia’s plank challenge
Sunday:  Strength workout with planking

I continued to keep running on the low-end and the self-care dialed-up. Given that I felt pretty strong during both OTF workouts and had a great run Thursday, I think my strategy is paying off. I wrapped up January with 47.7 miles – just shy of my monthly goal of 50 miles/month. With the extra rest days I took for my quad, I’m just fine with that total. So, what’s on tap for February?

February Goals

  • Hit the 50-mile mark.
  • Weekly Yoga – This was another one of my 2020 Fitness Goals, and as you can see from this week’s workouts, I’ve still got some work to do to be consistent with this one.
  • Daily plank challenge – Marcia’s challenge came at a great time to get me back on the planking bandwagon
  • Hydrate!! – This winter dry air has been doing a number on my skin lately. I will be tracking my daily hydration to keep me mindful.

How was your January? What have you got planned for February?

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

 

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Filed Under: goals, Weekly Run Down

January Runfessions Over February Coffee

January 31, 2020 by 15 Comments

Happy Friday!

Well, here we are at the end of the month. Is it just me, or did January feel oh so l-o-n-g?

Marcia has opened the Runfessional and Coco & Deborah  are inviting everyone to catch up at the Ultimate Coffee Date, so let’s dive in and chat a bit.

Over coffee, I runfess that I’m losing my cold-weather edge. Despite the relatively milder weather we’ve had this month, I still have no desire to layer up to run. My runs this month have been a pretty even split between indoor and outdoor – seriously, who am I?

Over coffee, I runfess that I had originally planned to kick off my racing season with a 10-miler in February, but given that I have had absolutely no desire to run longer than 5 or 6 miles, I’ve decided to take a pass. Both my brother and husband will be running the 5K option, and I’ve happily decided to join them!

Over coffee, I would tell you that I made the decision to step down from 3 ambassadorships and not re-apply for 2020. While I am still a big fan of SPIbelt, SkirtSports, and Tailwind, collectively I runfess that all the ambassador stuff started to feel like too much. Cutting back a bit feels good. Now that being said, I also runfess that there is one apparel brand I would certainly say yes to if selected.

Over coffee, I runfess that despite my goal to prioritize sleep, I have not been doing myself any favors thanks to staying up to watch the Australian Open. After Wimbledon, I have become a huge fan of Coco Gauff. It was fun watching her make a run through the Open, but the time difference was problematic for sure. It’s time to get back to an earlier bedtime.

Source: Australian Open

So, what would you tell me over coffee? Any runfessions to share?

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Filed Under: Runfessions, Ultimate coffee date

Weekly Run Down – Still listening

January 26, 2020 by 27 Comments

So if the theme for last week’s Run Down, was “listen to your body”, then this week’s is “I’m still listening.”

There was minimal running…and another trip to the acupuncturist. Here’s a quick look at how the week played out.

A much-needed reminder!

Monday — Double session of T25. 25 minutes of ab intervals followed by the 25-minute stretch made for a good workout.

Tuesday — 1-mile run. This was supposed to be 4 but within the first half mile, I knew my quad was too cranky to continue so I pulled the plug after just a mile.

Wednesday — Orangetheory. Challenging as always and I loved it!

Thursday — Yoga instead of a 5-mile run. A wise choice!

Friday — Rest day and a trip to the acupuncturist.

Saturday — 4 miles. I woke up feeling pretty good after Friday’s rest and acupuncture, but I kept this run nice and easy.

Sunday — Stretching and rest.

Heading off injury

Overall this was a pretty quiet week, but what my body needed. Somewhere over the past couple of weeks, it seems I strained my upper right quad. Up until Tuesday’s attempt, it hasn’t prevented me from running or working out (read – I’ve been ignoring it until I couldn’t!). I usually don’t feel any discomfort until post-workout, and then it feels like everything has locked up. So Coach Marc and I have agreed to keep the miles on the low side, and up the focus on strength training. I’ve also got an appointment scheduled with my massage therapist for this week – she’s proven to be a miracle worker in the past. And, I’ll be back to see the acupuncturist as well. I’m determined to stay ahead of this and I’m super thankful I have got time before I start training for the New England 10 Miler Series which starts in April.

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

Tell me something about your week? Do you tend to back off when you feel discomfort or continue to push through?

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Filed Under: Weekly Run Down

Weekly Run Down: Listen to Your Body

January 20, 2020 by 19 Comments

Happy Monday!

Last week was another busy week with lots on the schedule to juggle. I must admit I was feeling kind of creaky – maybe it was the sudden return to frigid temps or the new nagging ache in my upper right quad. Needless to say, the theme for the week was “listen to your body”. Here’s how my workouts played out.

Source: Pinterest

Monday — Yoga
Tuesday — 3.25 miles. It was a super busy day, but I was happy to jump on the treadmill to get this run in before heading to my son’s winter concert.
Wednesday — Rest day. I finally got back to see the acupuncturist to help ease some of my creakings and made a note to self that I need to be more consistent with my visits.
Thursday — More miles on the mill. My son was home sick from school so it was helpful to have the treadmill available for another quick 3-miler.
Friday — Orangetheory 1-mile benchmark. Given my creeky-ness and general lack of speedwork, Coach Marc cautioned me on going out too fast. I started fairly conservatively for the first half and then increased the pace for each of the next two quarter miles. Since this was my first benchmark I logged an instant PR. I’m looking forward to the next benchmark run at the end of the spring.

Saturday — 5 miles. It was a bitter 16 degrees when my alarm went off so I procrastinated until midday when it reached a balmy 20. With no sunshine and a slight headwind, it felt a lot colder. On the upside, the roads were quiet.

Sunday — With my creaky-ness in full effect, this was another rest day, aside from a little shoveling thanks to the overnight snowfall.

The week felt really long so having today off for Martin Luther King Day is a welcome bonus. And, in honor of Dr. King, I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes of his.

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

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Filed Under: listening to your body, MLK, Weekly Run Down