Michelle

Easing into half marathon training

April 9, 2018 by Michelle 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.

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?

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

It’s time for April coffee

April 7, 2018 by Michelle 13 Comments

As we ease into a new month, this is the perfect time to settle in and catch up over coffee. I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date, so grab a mug of your fave hot beverage and let’s chat.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that it’s deja vu all over again. Just like March’s coffee date I cannot believe that I’m still dealing with snow. We got hit with a freak storm yesterday that made visibility on the roads tough and more is expected on Tuesday. I can’t whine about this winter anymore so I’ll just move on…

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that once the weather does settle down I cannot wait to get out in my garden and get planting. I have two gardens around my house (one sun and one shade) and they are both in need of some redesign – removing old plants that are past their blooming prime and relocating others that have gotten too big. I’ve been pouring over garden catalogs and sketching out some new layouts, and I’m itching to get started!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’ve just finished reading The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod (Affiliate link) and my curiosity is peaked. Elrod’s premise is that by intentionally managing your routine during the first hour of the day you can set the stage for success across many areas of your life. He provides guides on how to do this and elements he recommends be part of your routine. I’m going to try his 30 day challenge, and have wrangled my husband into joining me.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that lacrosse season officially kicks off in my house this weekend as both boys have their first games! With both boys playing across 3 teams, we’ve got a lot of games on the calendar over the next couple of months. This is always a crazy hectic time of year for us, but I love that this is a sport our whole family enjoys!

What would you tell me over coffee?

Filed Under: gardening, general musings, Lacrosse, Ultimate coffee date

March Wrap-Up

April 2, 2018 by Michelle 27 Comments

Happy Monday!

I was going to say “Happy Spring” but as I type this I’m watching snow fall again. Seriously?!? Hard to believe that I ran yesterday in a long sleeve top and skirt and at times felt too warm. After dealing with 3 nor’easters during the month of March I have given up trying to predict what Mother N will do next!

So with the new month laid out before me, it’s time for a quick wrap-up of the month that was March.

Running – I fell short of my 70-mile goal thanks to the aforementioned weather and to one very irritable piriformis. This pain in the butt (literally) cost me some time on the road and led to a DNS for the Black Cat 10. On the upside, thanks to babying the heck out of said muscle and doing my PT exercises like it was my job, I finished the month feeling much stronger and running pain-free!

Strength Work – In addition to all of the PT work, my plank streak continued (Day 91!), and I managed one strength session weekly.

Cross-Training – With less running, I spent some quality time on the Arc Trainer and the bike. I also managed a weekly yoga session following a program with Daily Om.

All-in-all, not a bad month. My April goals are pretty straightforward – add more mileage while keeping the piriformis happy and make it to the starting line of the Portland 10 Miler. And hopefully, in the process, the spring weather will finally come and stick around for a while.

I’m joining Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap.

How was your March? Has Spring made an appearance where you are?

Filed Under: month in review, Weekly Wrap

Some March Runfessions

March 30, 2018 by Michelle 36 Comments

It’s the last Friday of the month which means it’s time for some soul (or is that sole?) cleansing. Marcia has opened the runfessional and I’ve got some runfessing to do, so let’s get to it, shall we?

If you’ve been around here for a while then you know that I’ve been spinning myself in knots over the idea of which marathon to run this fall. I runfess that while I really wanted to run Marine Corps, I was starting to psyched myself out over the whole “beat the bridge” time thing, and had stated to rationalize picking another marathon. And, after doing some research I was prepared to announce that I was going to run the Hartford Marathon.

But then the reminder for MCM lottery registration I’d set up in my phone months ago, popped up the other day. I runfess that instead of deleting it, I kept hitting the snooze. I may have also ventured out to the MCM site a couple of times, but was too intimidated to enter.

I runfess that as I was talking to my brother about my decision to not even enter the MCM lottery, something didn’t feel right. I didn’t like the fact that I was shying away from the potential challenge of running MCM. Wasn’t my one word for the year “Brave”?

I runfess that I went back to the MCM site and threw my name into the lottery not long before it closed. “It isn’t like I’ll get in – lots of people apply.” I was still rationalizing, but I also knew I couldn’t just not apply. You can see where this is going right?

I got in! What?! Yep – this appeared in my mailbox on Wednesday morning!

I runfess that I’m both excited and terrified! I had always said if I ever decide to run a marathon I wanted to run Marine Corps – well it sounds like the universe was listening cause I’m MCM-bound! Oorah!

Tell me, what are you runfessing?

I’m also joining Rachel and Lacey & Meranda for the Friday Five link-up!

Filed Under: Friday Five, Marine Corps Marathon, Runfessions

Weekly Wrap – Looking for Spring

March 18, 2018 by Michelle 40 Comments

After dealing with a 3rd nor’easter in a little over 2 weeks, to say I’m ready for spring would be a huge understatement!

Storm aside, it was a fairly uneventful week. J and the boys were away enjoying some skiing for spring break, leaving me and the pup at home to enjoy a quiet house.

Monday – Yoga – Of late, I’ve been enjoying some of the yoga workouts from DailyOm. Currently, I’ve been trying out the “Gentle Yoga for Athletic Restoration” course.

Tuesday – I had hoped to get an early run in before the snow really got going, but when the high winds woke me up at 3:30 a.m. I knew a run was highly doubtful. Instead, I wracked up a couple of hours of shoveling and playing in the snow with my dog – Cross-training – check!

Wednesday – I felt like a pretzel thanks to all the shoveling so I was very happy to have already had a massage planned. In reviewing her notes, my massage therapist raised the question about my newest shoes. Interestingly, it would seem that there might be a correlation between when my current woes started and my switching to the Mizunos. While it could be nothing, we agreed that I’d back off running in them for a bit while I focus on getting back to 100%.

Thursday – Snow mounds and black ice, meant a return to the mill for an easy 3 miles.

Friday – PT exercises (and yes, the plank streak continues – Day 75!)

Saturday – 5 more miles on the mill. I could have taken this run outside, but I admit I’ve lost my desire to bundle up and brave the cold wind. The gym was quiet and the March Madness games were a good distraction.

Sunday – Another yoga session with the DailyOm.

While the right glute and hammy are still cranky, I’m in a much better place than I was just two weeks ago, and that’s a good thing. I’ll be curious to see if changing up the shoes makes a difference.

Have you ever swapped shoes due to an injury?

I’m joining Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap.

Filed Under: Weekly Wrap

Keeping my eye on the prize

March 11, 2018 by Michelle 20 Comments

If you read last week’s wrap up then you know I was contemplating taking a DNS on the Black Cat 10 miler thanks to a very cranky piriformis. The truth is I knew even as I was typing that post that the chances of my actually running Black Cat were slim. But we runners always hold out hope, right?

Well, I eeked out a run on Tuesday, but it was a lot of effort for a short 3 miles with my piriformis talking back most of the way. Decision made – it was not worth it to push it for what was basically going to be a training run.

Once that decision was out of the way, the rest of the week seemed to get a lot easier. I babied the heck out of my right leg, returned to some of my PT exercises, hit the yoga mat, and spent some time on the Arc Trainer. I also managed two more runs – both slow and easy with 5:1 run-walk intervals and finished the week with 12.5 miles. Surprising…and I’ll take it as a win!

So this week will be more of the same so I can get back to training for the races I have planned for the spring. Next up is the Portland 10 Miler in April and then Boston’s Run to Remember Half in May.

Have you ever taken a DNS? What’s next on your race calendar?

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

Filed Under: DNS, focusing on goals, Weekly Wrap

Weekly Wrap – Looking for a Silver Lining

March 4, 2018 by Michelle 37 Comments

Happy Sunday!

It has been one whirlwind of a week and I am so happy to be on the backside of it. Before I put it firmly in my rearview mirror, let’s recap shall we?

Monday – Rest day, as usual. Completed plank streak day 57 and 100 Bird-Dogs for the final week of the Superman, Squats, Twists Challenge. I substituted bird-dogs for the supermans because they agree more with my lower back.

Tuesday – I had presentations to give for work which required almost 6 hours of driving to and from – needless to say I felt like a pretzel by the day’s end. After some gentle yoga poses, I eeked out 50 of the 100 challenge squats plus plank day 58 and called it a day.

Wednesday – 3 miles soaking in a beautiful 60 degree day! This run probably felt the best since coming back from being sick. I followed it up with planking and 100 twists to wrap up the SST Challenge.

Thursday – I was on the road again for work, but thankfully there was less time in the car. I question my sanity but I did join Rachel’s Total Body Challenge, which kicked things off with 10 burpees. I absolutely hate burpees so it will be a miracle if I make it through…but I do love a good challenge.

Friday – I woke up to the howling wind of the Nor’easter bearing down on us so I headed to the gym for 3 miles on the mill and Day 2 of Total Body. After a quick shower, it was off to see my massage therapist to get some relief for a cranky piriformis.

Saturday – With the remnants of the Nor’easter still in full effect, I decided to push my run to Sunday and avoid the harsh wind. So it was a rest day with 20 burpees and planking thrown in.

Sunday – The goal was 7 miles, and within the first half mile, I knew that this was going to be tough.

Full disclosure – the cranky piriformis first reared its head on the back half of last Saturday’s 6 miler. And, while it was definitely aggravated by so much drive time on Tuesday, I was really encouraged by how I felt after my next two runs.

When I went to see my MT on Friday she had warned me that it was clear to her that I had tweaked something and that runs longer than the 3s I’d been running might irritate it – cue the foreboding music. Well, she’s usually right on the money and she was right about this run. I held it together for the first 3 miles, but then the wheels came off. I hated to cut the run short, but attempting to run with my right leg screaming at me didn’t seem to make much sense so I headed for home and settled for 5.

I’m having a hard time shaking off today’s run. For one thing, I’ve dealt with piriformis issues before and know what a bitch it can be; and two, it’s left me feeling like next Saturday’s Black Cat race/training run is out of reach. My biggest goal this year is to steer clear of injury so I can go after some big goal races. I’ve got to update the RunnersConnect coaches on today’s run – I’ll be curious to see what they have to say.

Is it worth it to push for double digits next week just because I committed the $35 to run?

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

Filed Under: training, Weekly Wrap

Coffee and a Nor’easter

March 3, 2018 by Michelle 22 Comments

The winds are still gusting here following yesterday’s Nor’easter, and if my neighborhood is any example than I can only imagine that there are tree branches and other debris all over the roads. Happily, our power’s back on so I can fire up the Keurig and snuggle up on the couch with a mug of hot coffee and have a little catch-up. I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date, so grab a mug of your fave hot beverage and let’s chat.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I cannot believe that Thursday I was on Cape Cod for a meeting and it was a beautiful day in the mid-60s, then yesterday we got hit with a raging Nor’easter. The winds were so fierce at times that it literally sounded like a roar. You know it’s bad when I opened the door to the mudroom to let my dog out and he just sat there looking at me like I had to be joking.

And, while on the subject of the weather, if we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’m already stalking the forecast for my “race”, aka training run with benefits, scheduled for next Saturday. I’ve been such a fair-weather runner this winter and I’m hoping that doesn’t come back to bite in the arse. So far the forecast shows a clear day in the 40s – fingers-crossed that will hold up.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that my son’s been hounding me to sign him up for driver’s ed, and meanwhile, I’m having a hard time processing that he’s inching ever closer to turning 16. A couple of the neighborhood kids recently got their licenses and every time one of them drives past me on our street it throws me for a loop because in my mind’s eye all I can see are the little kids who use to run around my backyard.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’ve been feeling super stretched lately. Things on all fronts seem to be running in high gear all at the same time and it has left me feeling drained. “Busy” has quickly become a four-letter word but I’m working on regaining some sense of balance.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that while I usually enjoy watching the Oscars I don’t think I’ve seen one movie that has been nominated this year. In fact, I haven’t paid attention at all to the awards season and have no idea who are supposed to be the favorites. I’m not sure if I’ll watch on Sunday, but I’ll probably tune in to catch the red carpet – which is often more entertaining than the Oscars themselves 😉

What would you tell me over coffee? Did you deal with the crazy weather yesterday? Will you be watching the Oscars?

Filed Under: Ultimate coffee date, weather

Looking forward to March

February 27, 2018 by Michelle 10 Comments

February is quickly coming to a close and it’s been a long short month if you know what I mean! I realized the other day that I never set any monthly goals for February…and in hindsight, it’s just as well that I didn’t. While plans were derailed, I am happy that I finished the month running and feeling more like myself again. And, now my sights are squarely set on moving forward in March.

So I’m linking up with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run and sharing a couple of March goals.

Enjoy the Black Cat 10 Miler – I recently runfessed that this race will be run as a training run, while I shift my focus to the Portland 10 in late April. My goal is to soak in the atmosphere, high-five the volunteers, stick to my run-walk intervals, and celebrate returning to double digits!

Be consistent – With the flu firmly in the rearview mirror, priority one is to be consistent with my workouts. Run 3x’s a week, cross-train/strength train 2x/week, and a weekly yoga session.

Get my diet in sync – I also runfessed that my eating was kind of all over the place in February so for March it’s time to get back to meal planning and prep.

Run 70 miles – I don’t usually set mileage targets, but I know I’m behind on my contribution to my team’s Run This Year challenge so I want to put a target out there for some extra motivation.

So tell me how was your month? Have you set any goals for March?

Filed Under: goals, Tuesdays on the Run

Runfessions for February

February 23, 2018 by Michelle 32 Comments

It’s the last Friday of the month which means it’s time for some soul (or is that sole?) cleansing. Marcia has opened the runfessional so let’s get to it!

I runfess that being stubborn and trying to power through being sick was not my best choice. I was kind of in a bit of denial about sick. Sometimes you need to let go of plans and “must do’s” and just rest!

I runfess that I’m both disappointed and a little worried that I’m going to go into Black Cat undertrained. It’s my first race of the year and I had really wanted to kick things off strong, but two weeks off from running threw a wrench in those plans. Now it becomes a TRB (training run with benefits) and I’ll focus on training for a strong run at the Portland 10 Miler in April.

I runfess that my eating habits have been a bit of a mess lately. When I first got sick I dropped 5 lbs in a couple of days – not ideal but that’s what happens when you live on green tea, water, and soup. As I emerged from my flu fog, I fell into eating whatever felt comforting…yeah no good. I need to start paying attention again.

The Runfessional is open and I've got some #runfessions to share! #fridayfive #runchat Share on X

I runfess that I’m growing tired of Mother Nature’s twisted sense of humor. We had glorious 70-degree weather on Tuesday and Wednesday, only for it to snow yesterday and colder temps have returned. This weather whiplash has gone on all month, and I have to say if I wasn’t over the winter before I sure am now. I have no desire to bundle up again now that I’ve broken out my running skirts – bring on spring!

Weather whiplash!

I runfess that I still haven’t settled on a fall marathon. I’ve talked myself in and out of each of my 3 options, but am having a hard time choosing. I’m waiting for divine inspiration…or for the MCM lottery to open, whichever comes first.