Weekly Run Down – Getting back to double digits

May 19, 2019 by 30 Comments

Was it just me, or did this week feel l-o-n-g!? Perhaps it was the combination of a stressful week of work, taking on a new client in my side gig, driving back and forth across the state attending lacrosse games, all while feeling less than 100%…yeah a long week!

Along the way, I managed to keep my early morning runs going and made it back to double digits. Here’s how the workout week went down…

Run to Remember Training Week 8

Monday – Caught up with Coach Marc for 3.5 miles to work on speed drills and form.

Tuesday – A short yoga session and acupuncture.

Wednesday – PT exercises and core work

Thursday – 3-mile run

Friday – Rest

Saturday – 4-mile run

Sunday – 10.3-mile run

Total miles for the week – 20.8

I’m not gonna lie – today’s ten miler was hard. I was so ready to be done around mile 7 but psychologically I knew I needed to see at one double-digit run before next week’s half marathon. It’s been a long time since I’ve run that far.

It was great to spend time with Coach Marc on Monday. While we worked on Chi Running forms for speedwork, he was quick to remind me that this upcoming race was not about time but about enjoying the race and celebrating returning to the half marathon distance. We agreed – this will be a training run with benefits. There will be a time to focus on pace and “racing” later. And, speaking of races, I was kinda thrown for a loop when Marc pointed out that we’re just a few weeks away from the start of marathon training – Wait, what?!?

So how was your week?

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

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

RtR Week 7 – Here Comes the Sun

May 12, 2019 by 14 Comments

Well, after wondering aloud last week if it was time to build an ark, Mother Nature took pity on us and finally dragged the sun out of it’s hiding place! Not having to dodge raindrops did make running more enjoyable!

Run to Remember Training Week 7

Monday – Rest.

Tuesday – 4 miles and the first glimpse of the glowing orb!

Wednesday – Strength work focusing on PT exercises and core work.

Thursday – 5 miles, plus a massage!

Friday – A short yoga session.

Saturday – 9 miles.

The highlight of this week was definitely the running. I logged 18 miles and best of all, in the sunshine! This was also the first week in a long time with early morning runs – this is one of my May goals so it was nice to start to make the shift.

On the whole, the runs felt pretty good, though to be honest the last of 2 miles of Saturday’s run included more walk breaks then I would have liked. I am clearly out of practice with my fueling for both pre-run and during for a longer distance and it showed in those final miles. I’ve got a double-digit run next weekend which will give me a chance to practice before race day.

On another note, I cannot let today go by without wishing my wonderful mom and all of my fellow mother runners a very Happy Mother’s Day!

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

 

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

RtR Training Week 6 – Time to build an ark?

May 5, 2019 by 20 Comments

The story of the past week around here was the weather – honestly, it rained or was overcast every day! It’s been more than a week since we’ve had a nice sunny day and I’m starting to think if this keeps up, building an ark would not be out of the question!

As far as training weeks go this one was pretty uneventful…

Monday – Rest

Tuesday – Strength training – upper body

Wednesday – Started May off with 3 miles

Thursday – Rest

Friday – Strength training – leg day

Saturday – 5 Miles

Despite all the rain, the trees are pretty!

Sunday – 4 miles – derailed by a bad stomach!

Sunday’s run was supposed to be 8 miles but for some crazy reason when my alarm went off this morning my stomach was churning big time. I kept pushing off the run hoping things would improve, but eventually, I knew I needed to get out if I was going to attempt the distance and get back in time before heading out to see Avengers Endgame with my family (The movie was excellent, by the way!). My husband J offered to pick me up if I needed so off I went. In the first half mile, it was pretty clear that I wasn’t going to make it to 8 so the goal was to just keep going until I couldn’t…and did I mention it was raining … again?! So as they say, some miles are better than no miles, and 4 miles was it.

We might actually see the sun on Tuesday otherwise it looks like another washout of a week. While I’ve been trying to avoid stormy conditions, I’m trying to stick with outdoor runs – one, I’m no fan of treadmill running, and two, you never know what race day will bring!

Tell me, are you seeing the sun where you are? Rain runner yay or nay?

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

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

RtR Training Week 5 – Finding My Legs

April 28, 2019 by 24 Comments

Despite feeing way T-I-R-E-D this week, my runs felt pretty good and I’m starting to feel like I’m finally finding my running legs again!

Here’s how the week went down….

Run to Remember Training Week 5

Monday — Rest Day

Tuesday — Strength training – upper body

Wednesday — 3-mile run

Sunshine & 60+ degrees for the win!

Thursday — A quick yoga session

Friday — 5-mile run

Caught a break between downpours!

Saturday — Rest – This was supposed to be a cross-training day, but we had a long list of house project items and it just didn’t happen.

Sunday — 7-mile run – my longest run in many months!

Thankfully no coyotes were spotted, but I definitely picked up the pace!

15 miles for the week and best of all these miles felt good! In fact, since last Friday’s 5-miler, I have to say I’ve kind of surprised myself – despite continuing to struggle with getting a solid night’s sleep (damn insomnia!), once I hit the road, my legs are just going. Now let’s hope I haven’t just jinxed myself!

It’s crazy to think the Run to Remember is just 4 weeks away – the weeks are just flying by. Coach Marc seems to think I’m on track so far, and I’m hoping to get at least one double-digit run in before hitting the starting line.

Can you believe we’re almost done with April? Tell me something about your week.

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

 

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

Run to Remember Training Week 4

April 21, 2019 by 30 Comments

Another week in the books and my juggling act continues.  Here’s how the week went down…

Monday – I was lucky enough to once again be one of the 9,700 volunteers at the Boston Marathon. This year I was assigned to runner screening at the bus loading from Boston out to Hopkinton. Despite the crazy weather conditions, it was great being out there.

Tuesday – With taking Monday off, my work day was really hectic, but I managed to get some time on my mat.

Wednesday – A late afternoon 5K.

Thursday –  Unplanned rest day. I hadn’t been sleeping very well all week and it definitely caught up with me. I kept putting my workout off until “later” hoping I’d feel better but by the time I actually did it was too late in the day and I had to get ready for my youngest son’s concert.

Friday – These lovelies arrived in Thursday’s mail and I couldn’t wait to take them out for a spin. 5 miles right out of the box was a good start!

ASICS Gel-DS Trainer 24s

Saturday – Strength work.

Sunday – 5 more miles before heading out to enjoy Easter festivities with family.

I’m hoping that during this upcoming week I can get back to consistently running early in the morning. Overall, I find I do better if I can run earlier in the day – of course, that means I’ve got to get more sleep the night before!

How was your week? Early morning running yay or nay?

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

 

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

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

Harborside Week 3

September 23, 2018 by 33 Comments

Fall is officially here and best of all this past week Mother N got the memo and delivered some much cooler…dare I say, downright chilly at times, temps! You will hear absolutely no complaints out of me – just hoping it sticks around for a bit!

As I mentioned in last week’s wrap, this week was all about juggling. I was single parenting while J was on a business trip so I knew I was going to have to get creative if I wanted to get my workouts in. And I’m happy to say I was pretty successful fitting things in.

Squeezing it in

Instead of early morning runs, I settled for a couple of late afternoon 3-milers before school pick-up. There were also two “leg day” strength workouts, including a challenging session with my PT who wanted to see how my legs would respond to “stress” – translation, ouch! But, hands down, nothing made me happier than getting back to the kickboxing studio!

Last week I was convinced that yet another week was going to go by without a boxing class. But, as luck would have it, the heavy rain that swept in here on Tuesday (leftover from Florence) led to my son’s sports practice being canceled. So I picked him up early from school and had just enough time to drop him at home and then get to class.

It had been two weeks since I had seen the inside of this studio and while I held my own during the class I was working my tail off….and definitely felt it later! Love every minute of it!

The only thing I missed out on this week was time on my yoga mat – but I’m still hoping to get there before today is over.

Fun Mail

If you’ve been around here for a bit then you know that I’m a fan of StrideBox, and the September box they sent me did not disappoint!

I especially cannot wait to try the Protes protein popcorn and I love that this box included a stainless steel straw!

I also got a nice surprise from the folks at Headsweats as they sent all of the ambassadors tech shirts and stickers commemorating the company’s 20th anniversary!

And that’s a wrap on week 3!

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

 

 

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Filed Under: #StrideBox, #TeamHeadsweats, half marathon training, Harborside Half Marathon, Weekly Wrap

Harborside Half Training Week 2

September 16, 2018 by 30 Comments

Happy Sunday!

I swear I blinked and this week went by! I was plagued by a migraine that slowed me down a little this week, but I did my best to get my workouts in. Here’s how the week played out…

Monday  – Migraine hell. I managed to get through the work day, but not much else.

Tuesday – While I was definitely feeling some better, I was pretty sure a run was not the best choice, so I opted for my yoga mat.

Wednesday – It poured rain so I took my 3-mile run to the mill.

Thursday  – I dodged the downpours and got 3 miles done. It was crazy humid, but at least there was cloud coverage. I also got a much-needed needed sports massage after work!

Friday – 60 mins of legwork with the physical therapist. Walking lunges, hamstring curls, glute bridges, single leg squats, and a ton of band work – hello jelly legs!

Saturday – My legs were not feeling it when my alarm went off so I opted to push my run to the afternoon – but the day turned out to be a pretty busy one and the run never happened.

Sunday – 4 miles on the struggle bus. This was a tough run from the first step. The hammy was quiet – I was just feeling off and never found a rhythm. I got to 4 and pulled the plug. Have I mentioned how tired I am of running in the humidity?!

Definitely a mixed bag of a week! On the plus side, my PT was really pleased with where I am and it looks like I could be “graduating” before the month is over. Unfortunately for the second week, I haven’t been able to figure out how to fit in a kickboxing class, and I miss it. And, since I’ll be single parenting it this upcoming week, I’m not holding out much hope for getting to the studio. As it is, I’ll need to be creative to get the runs done.

So that’s a wrap on week 2. 

In case you missed it – check out my Fall Race Calendar

Are you still dealing with humidity where you are? 

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

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Filed Under: half marathon training, Harborside Half Marathon, Weekly Wrap

Harborside Half Marathon – Week 1

September 10, 2018 by 30 Comments

Now that I’ve set my sights on a couple of fall races, it’s probably time that I get back to something that resembles a training plan! With just 10 weeks until the Harborside Half, I used this past week to get my training started.

Monday – Yoga
Tuesday – 3-mile run
Wednesday – 45 minutes of strength work including my PT exercises
Thursday – 3-mile run
Friday –  Yoga
Saturday – 4.25 mile run. With temps in the mid 60’s, this was definitely my best run of the week.  While my hammy still squawks a bit going uphill, it no longer feels so limited in the range of motion, which is a huge plus!
Sunday – Rest day

All-in-all a decent week. Since I haven’t run a half marathon since Fall 2017, I have no big goals for this race other than to finish upright and smiling…and uninjured!  I’m happy I made my way to the yoga mat twice – I think yoga will do a lot to keep me from the injured reserved list. I am bummed that I didn’t make it to a kickboxing class last week. Now that I’m back to picking my son up in the afternoon from school, I’m still trying to figure out between work and pick-ups how to fit a class in. I determined to get to at least one class this week – ideally two.

And that’s a wrap on Week 1!

How was your week? Do you find it hard to make it to scheduled classes?

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: half marathon training, Harborside Half Marathon, Tuesdays on the Run, Weekly Wrap