Some New Goals

November 3, 2014 by 22 Comments

Only two months left in 2014 – can you believe it?!

With no race now in my immediate future, my plan is to use this time to get stronger, run for fun and keep tweaking my nutrition so I can put this anemia in the rearview mirror.

Goals for this month:

T25 Program — I bought the program back in the spring and have used it in spurts but could never quite figure out how to make it mesh with my training plan and higher mileage. Since I’m going sans-plan for a bit, I thought now would be a great time to start the program.  It’s 10 weeks long so it will carry me nicely into the first week of the new year!

T25

#NovemberMileage Challenge — I’m joining Erika (aka MCM Mama) for her mileage challenge. You can pick your mileage goal and I’m aiming for 50. I figure this will be a comfortable goal while  helping me make sure my running doesn’t fall off too much.

MCMMama-novembermileage-300x300

Focus on Iron-rich Foods — I will continue to focus on adding iron-rich foods to my diet.

What have you got planned for November?

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Filed Under: goals, Nutrition, T25

November’s Ultimate Coffee Date

November 1, 2014 by 12 Comments

It’s the first Saturday of the month so that means it’s time to join in on the Ultimate Coffee Date! This month I’m linking up with Coco at Running with Perseverance.  This is always a great time to catch up, so grab a mug and pull up a chair!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I started a new job last month! It’s a long-term consulting gig with a nonprofit – first time for me working in the nonprofit arena. It’s part-time hours and I can work from my home office – huge win!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that with the new job I’ve needed to shift my running time to o’dark thirty and boy am I struggling to get my face out of the pillow! Except for summer months, when I head out uber-early to beat the heat, I usually don’t run until post-school bus/mid-morning. But now I need to be out and back before my kids (and the sun!) are up. Too early

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that since I’ve made my decision about Philly, running has become a lot less stressful for me – definitely a sign that it was the right decision.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that our family is doing “30 Days of Thankful” where each day everyone will share at least one thing they’re thankful for. I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude lately, especially where my kids are concerned. As we head into the season of consumerism on overdrive (aka the holidays), I’m hoping to help them strike a balance.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I  haven’t been able to comment on other blogs for almost a week. So frustrating! I’ve been working with Akismet so my posts are flagged as spam. They keep telling me that they’ve fixed it but it’s still not working. So please know that I’m not being rude – hopefully I’ll be back to commenting soon 🙂 .

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

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Filed Under: early morning runs, gratitude, Ultimate coffee date

Time to fold ’em

October 30, 2014 by 22 Comments

“You’ve got to know when to hold ’em
Know when to fold ’em
Know when to walk away
Know when to run…”

This is not the training update I wanted to be writing…but, I’ve reached a decision – it is time for me to fold ’em on this training cycle. I have been giving everything I can to try to get through my training plan for Philly but the reality is you can either focus on getting 100% healthy or you can train – you can’t do both. Or at least I know I can not.

When I learned that I’m anemic I was relieved to have an answer to my energy woes. My first thought was “I still have time – just change the diet and I’ll be back on track.” The reality is for me this has not been a quick bounce back and yet I have continued to push my body – push the distances, push the speedwork. There have been some really solid workouts, but they’ve taken a toll on me later in the day. Honestly my comfort zone is 6 – 7 miles…after that things get really hard – like short-of-breath, headache-inducing hard.

Of course, I’m disappointed – Philly was a goal race in a year of very little racing. I’m not interested in going and struggling or worrying about how under-trained I am or if I’ll hold up on the course. Feeling healthy and strong again is so much more important – there will be other races (you should see what I’m planning for 2015!).

walk away

Once I made the decision and discussed it with J and Coach Bennett, I felt a great sense of relief. You see, the other thing that was happening is that running had stopped being my stress release – it had become something to stress about. Oh so no bueno! This is just one race — time to know when to walk away…this is not the time to run.

Have you ever walked away from a goal race?

 

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Filed Under: choices, listening to your body, to race or not

Mizuno Wave Rider 18 Review

October 27, 2014 by 18 Comments

 

WaveRider 1

This post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno. As always, the opinions expressed here are completely my own.

Since this pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 18s arrived at my door a couple of weeks ago, I have been running in them exclusively. On the road, on the track and on the treadmill, they have quickly become my go-to running shoes. Quite simply,  I love these shoes!

I knew I was on to something good, when I logged over 9 miles in them straight out of the box on a rainy, wind-swept morning. The fit was snug, comfortable, and supported, as the shoe easily formed to my foot.

Wave RIder 2My next run took me to the track for 400-meter intervals  – I felt light and quick, something I haven’t been able to say for a while.  I was sold!

Wave Rider 3

You’ve got to love a shoe with a design that takes inspiration from the Japanese concept of “Hado” – the vibrational life force energy that promotes powerful transformations. Um yes I’ll take some of that please! Sounds good doesn’t it?

For me this translated into a shoe that is an ideal balance between fit and performance, providing a smooth ride that allows you to let go and get lost in your run. A welcome change for me during what has been a tough training cycle.

Wave Rider 4

At just 7.8 oz, the Wave Rider 18 is light and sleek, while Mizuno’s patented Wave technology delivers maximum responsiveness and just enough support for a stable, but unencumbered run. A combination that I think would appeal to a wide range of runners.

Mizuno Wave Rider 18s are available in three color combos (I’m eyeing the white-Fuchsia Purple next!), and retails for $119.99.

I am so looking forward to logging many more miles in these lovelies!

What are you currently running in?

Have you ever tried Mizuno?

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Filed Under: #WaveRider18, fave things, FitFluential, product reviews

Thursday Thoughts – Gratitude

October 23, 2014 by 4 Comments

 

Gratitude

Too often it is too easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, the doing, the to do lists that we forget to stop, breathe and be grateful.

Too often it is too easy to get frustrated by what is not happening, than to relish in all that currently is.

Too often it is the large-scale happenings that cause us to pause and give thanks, instead of celebrating the many small daily occurrences that make life truly special.

Every evening before I go to sleep, I take time to reflect on at least 3 things that I’m grateful for from that day – I can always come up with more than three…and more often than not, it’s the little things that make the list. For me it’s a nice way to end each day…to put things into perspective.

Do you have a gratitude practice? What are you grateful for today?

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Filed Under: gratitude, observations

Beware of the Leaves

October 20, 2014 by 12 Comments

pile-of-leaves

They look innocent enough don’t they…those pretty colorful leaves on the sidewalks and roads.

Well…consider this my public service announcement for the week…tread carefully across those leaves cause you never know what may be lurking beneath! I discovered this the hard way during Saturday’s run – stepped on a twig and awkwardly twisted my knee.

Still doesn’t feel so great today so I’ll be cross-training instead of running. Maybe I’ll exact some revenge with my leaf-blower in the backyard 😉

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Filed Under: general musings, Running hazards

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!

DC_linkup

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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