New Year, New Runfessions

January 26, 2018 by 46 Comments

We’re quickly bringing this first month of 2018 to a close and so that means it’s time to link up with Marcia for another edition of Runfessions!

 

 

I runfess that I have spent more time in the gym…specifically on the treadmill this month. Mother Nature really put us through some just brutally cold weather and, while in the past I’ve been willing to layer up and get out there at all costs, this month not so much. We’ll have to see what February brings.

Since I have been spending more time on the gym mills, I runfess that I’ve gotten very picky about which ones I’ll run on to the point where I’ve been willing to become “that person” who will take the treadmill right next to someone despite others being open. I may have caught the woman on the next treadmill giving me the stink eye the other day.

Despite best intentions and setting my alarm, I runfess that early morning workouts have been few and far between. It’s been tough to leave the warmth of my bed, but the downside has been I’ve been left juggling to get my workouts done in between work, the kids’ schedules, and errands. (Workout or hit the grocery store…hmmm)

I runfess that at my brother and husband’s urging suggestion, I may have recruited my oldest son to join our Run this Year team.  The reality of just how many miles lies in front of us may have started to sink in and they think we may need his young legs (and his fall cross country season) to help carry us to the finish line.

I runfess that last Sunday’s run with my husband was my best run in a long time. It helped that it was 50 degrees out, but I also think it helped that I had someone to run with. I’m usually a solo runner, but it has got me wondering whether I should look for a run group to infuse a little energy back into my runs.

It's the end of the month so this week's #FridayFive are all about #Runfessions Share on X

So what do you runfess? Have you ever been that person at the gym?

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

 

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Filed Under: Runfessions

Picking a Marathon: Decisions, Decisions

January 23, 2018 by 40 Comments

In case you missed my goals post, I’ve declared 2018 the year of 26.2! So now that I’ve put it out there, the obvious question is which race?

I’ve been mulling over all lots of options…LOTS of options! My husband will tell you that I’ve become a little obsessed.

I know I want to do a fall race. While it’s hard to anticipate potential conflicts with my boys’ school schedules, I have marked a couple of weekends that are no-gos, as well as crossed off Columbus Day weekend for a family wedding. Late fall is looking like the best bet – and, given the sometimes “too warm for this girl” conditions that September and early October can bring, I’m ok with that.

So I’ve narrowed it down to 3 options: MCM, Richmond, or Philadelphia.

Marine Corps Marathon – October 28

Pros:

  • “The People’s Marathon” has a reputation for being a great race that is first-timer friendly.
  • Offers a tour of DC monuments, the emotion of the blue mile, and then there’s that whole Marine presenting you with your medal at the finish thing!
  • Race management with the precision of the military
  • An awesome finisher’s medal

Cons:

  • Registration by lottery. (Yes there is the option of running the 17.75K for a guaranteed entry, but of course, that involves incurring more travel expenses).
  • No corals at the start – 30,000 or so folks trying to self-seed?!
  • Time limits along the course – there are two “Gauntlets” plus the infamous “Beat the bridge” (Do I want that kind of pressure for my first time?)
  • Uphill finish

Richmond Marathon – November 10

Pros:

  •  “America’s Friendliest Marathon” also gets great reviews, especially for first-timers.
  •  Scenic course and relatively flat, with a downhill finish
  • 7-hour course limit
  • Awesome swag
  • New to me city to run in

Cons:

  • Traveling to a new city – hardly a stretch but as this is the only “new” city among my options, do logistics come into play?

Philadelphia Marathon – November 18

Pros:

  • Another race that gets high marks for first-timers
  • I’ve run the half so there’s some familiarity with the course
  • Course is a mix of city and suburbs with some hills, but nothing too ugly
  • 7-hour course limit
  • I’m planning to run RnR Philly in September which could be a good preview

Cons:

  • Is there boredom in familiarity?

Have you run any of these races? Which would you choose? Any other suggestions?

I’m linking up with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run.

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Filed Under: race shopping, Tuesdays on the Run

Five Tips for Winter Hydration

January 19, 2018 by 47 Comments

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in winter of 2016, and has been updated.

As I’ve made losing a few pounds and refocusing on proper nutrition one of my goals for this year, I’ve been taking a close look at where I’ve been slacking. One clear area I need to pay better attention to is my water intake. I find without the heat and humidity of the warmer seasons I can easily let my hydration slip.

Cold Weather Challenges

Staying properly hydrated should be a priority every day, regardless of the season. In the winter, while you may not be contending with soaring temps, you are dealing with dry air – both outdoors and indoors – forcing your body to work hard to humidify the air you breathe, while at the same time, your skin is zapped of its natural moisture. Research shows that you feel 40 percent less thirsty in cold weather thanks to the constriction of blood vessels as your body works to keep your core warm. Maintaining your core temp takes priority over fluid balance, and your body is fooled into thinking it’s properly hydrated. So waiting until you feel thirsty could be too late – you’re probably already dehydrated.

Did you know that dehydration can lead to both brain fog, muscle cramps, and fatigue? Dehydration can also increase the risk of hypothermia and frostbite when exercising outside – no bueno!

So here are some quick tips for staying hydrated this winter:

Carry water during workouts — Stating the obvious here, but I’m still surprised at the number of people I’ve spotted in the gym lately working up a good sweat, but no water bottle in sight. While my runs right now are short enough to avoid carrying a water bottle, if you’re prepping for an early spring marathon or half marathon, you’re going to need to bring water on those long runs.

Keep a water bottle front & center — I keep a water bottle or glass on my desk during the workday. But, if you’re like me and sometimes get too wrapped up in what you’re doing and forgetting to refill, then consider using a water bottle with a time marker.  I’ve been using this Hydr-8 Water Bottle  (Amazon affiliate link!) to help keep me on track- I love that I can take it easily from my desk to my car.

Eat your fluids — Use soups to help boost your hydration in addition to keeping up your intake of water-rich fruits and veggies.

Make it a morning ritual — Many people wake up dehydrated, so start your day off downing a glass of water before you reach for your coffee.

Dress up your water — If straight-up water bores you, try adding fruit, cucumbers or mint to your water.

herb-infused-water-jars

Sharing 5 tips for staying hydrated this winter #fitlife #fitness #running Share on X

I’m linking up with Meranda, Lacey, and Rachel for the Friday Five.

 

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Filed Under: Friday Five, hydration

Black Cat Week 2 Wrap Up

January 14, 2018 by 48 Comments

Week 2 of Black Cat training is done and it was a bit all over the place.  I spent the week juggling a hectic schedule while feeling less than stellar. I’ve been definitely fighting off something and it finally caught up with me today.

Monday – Woke up feeling pretty lousy – like a cold was imminent. Thankfully it was a rest day so I worked from my couch under a blanket and hoped it would pass.

Tuesday – A heat wave of 40-degree weather broke out and I just couldn’t pass it up. I felt like crud so it was a slow and easy 3 miles – felt great to be back outside!

Wednesday – Made my first foray back to early morning workouts and hit the gym for 40 minutes on the bike and some strength work.

Thursday – A collision of schedules and still trying to get on top of whatever had me feeling so crappy made this a rest day.

Friday – I so wanted to run in the morning to beat the crazy rain and wind heading our way but just couldn’t rally. I settled for treadmill miles later in the day happy to have not missed my run!

Saturday – My body was craving a good stretch so I hit the yoga mat with my furry yogi master 😉

Today was suppose to be a 7-mile long run, but I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck so I gave in and have spent the day on the couch watching football. I’m not working tomorrow since it’s MLK Day so hopefully, I can get that run done then.

In other news…I found out that I was selected as a Headsweats ambassador for 2018! I love their hats and visors and am looking forward to representing them!

And that’s a wrap! I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap.

Tell me something about your week. Did you get a break from the frigid temps this week?

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Filed Under: #TeamHeadsweats2018, Black Cat 10 Miler, training, Weekly Wrap

Wrapping up Black Cat Week 1

January 7, 2018 by 42 Comments

The first week of the new year is in the books so it’s a good time to get back to weekly updates. I’m linking up with Holly and new host Wendy for the Weekly Wrap – this a great link up to find support and motivation, so be sure to stop by and check out how everyone spent their first week of 2018.

For me, this week marked the start of my training for the Black Cat 10 miler. While I was all fired up to hit the pavement, Mother Nature had something to say about it.

Monday – New Year’s Day & a rest day

Tuesday – Strength training. While I usually run on Tuesdays, a quick glance at the weather and the snowstorm coming on Thursday had me juggling my schedule so I could keep an every-other-day run schedule.

Wednesday – Bitter temps settled in and with hill repeats on my plan I ran my first miles of the year on the mill.

Thursday – Cross training by way of shoveling 12 inches of snow thanks to the “bomb cyclone”.

Friday – Sub-zero temps and ridiculous winds meant I was heading back to the gym for another run. The highlight was having my son join me!

Saturday – I was feeling very beat up after Friday’s run (happens often to me after mill runs) so I was happy to have a rest day.

Sunday – Yeah it was 1 degree so back to the gym I went. 6 more miles on the mill.

So while I would have preferred to have run outdoors, I’m happy with 13 miles to kick off this training cycle. The forecast shows a warm-up into the 30s this week so I’ll look forward to hitting the road.

So how was your first week of the year? Are you training for anything?

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Filed Under: Black Cat 10 Miler, training, treadmill run, Weekly Wrap

5 Things for January Coffee

January 5, 2018 by 43 Comments

It’s time once again for a little catch up over coffee!

Didn’t we just do this? I swear it sometimes hard to keep track of how fast the days are moving. 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 the holidays were a little bittersweet for us as my father-in-law passed away peacefully on Christmas Day. He was a true gentleman with a quick smile and kind word for everyone. His passions were his family, skiing, sailing, and painting and I hope to be doing as much as he was when I reach 92! I’m so grateful that we all got to spend time with him over Thanksgiving and my husband got in one more trip just before Christmas Eve.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that thanks to the Bomb Cyclone (really who comes up with this stuff?!) it’s been tough to get back into the swing of a regular routine. The kids started back to school on Tuesday, only to be home Thursday and Friday thanks to blizzard conditions. I love a good “snow day” but I have a sinking feeling Monday morning re-entry is going to be tough!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that my husband, brother and I are doing Run the Edge‘s “Run This Year” challenge. While I don’t set annual mileage goals, I think doing this as a team will be fun! My brother’s planning on some Spartan races and my husband J will be doing trail races so I think 2,018 miles collectively is totally doable – and I’m sure there will be some serious trash talking between the 3 of us over who’s logging the most 🙂

A fun medal for 2,108 miles!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that since sharing my running goals, I’ve become a little obsessed with trying to decide which marathon to run this fall. I’m itching to get my race calendar settled but want to select the marathon first and then build around it.

And, speaking of goals, if we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I have no shortage of house projects I want to take on for this year. At the top of the list is purging from top to bottom and clearing out all of the stuff we’re not using. It was clear to me as I was struggling to come up with gift ideas for both J and the kids that we really don’t need any more stuff – and that in fact, we could stand to shed some things. So, starting this month I’m going room by room – and dragging my family along kicking and screaming…wish me luck!

What would you tell me over coffee? Got a marathon suggestion? Did you get hit by the Bomb Cyclone?

I’m also linking up with Meranda, Lacey, and Rachel for the Friday Five.

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Filed Under: #RunThisYear, clutter clean out, Friday Five, Ultimate coffee date

One word and 2018 Goals

January 2, 2018 by 23 Comments

I love the energy of a new year! Hopes are high and all things are possible!

If you’ve been around here for awhile then you know I’m a big goal setter. 2017 proved to be a challenging year for my fitness and running goals as I spent most of the year in what seemed like a continual cycle of injury and recovery. As a result, my training was derailed and I only ran one race for the whole year! Once I finally took the big step back I needed, stopped trying to train and gave myself all the time I needed to heal I was finally able to turn the corner. I finished the year feeling good and excited for what 2018 will bring!

One word for 2018.

For the past few years, I’ve picked one word as the theme for my year across all areas of my life  – and this year’s word is “Brave.” Personally, professionally, and in my running, I want to stretch beyond my comfort zone.

2018 Running Goals.

  • Run a marathon — This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while and have always come up with a reason to talk myself out of it. But this is the year to take on 26.2! I haven’t settled on which one yet – that’s a post for another day. I do know it will be a fall race so I can give myself ample time to get ready.
  • Improve my nutrition —  This is a carryover from last year. I need to identify the right fueling strategy for my runs and do a much better job giving my body what it needs post-run. I’m participating in Laura’s Fit and Fueled Nutrition course for runners which will give me a great start here!
  • Be consistent with strength training and cross training — When I look back on when I’ve had great running years, one thing is clear – I’m not someone who can just run. I need to balance my running with both strength work and cross-training if I’m going to stay injury-free and make it to the starting line.
  • Return to racing — I really missed the whole experience of participating in races last year. Beyond a marathon, I’m looking forward to running other distances, being a part of the Rock ‘n’ Blog team, and hopefully some blogger meet-ups.
Setting goals for 2018 #bebrave #yearofthemarathon #oneword Share on X

Rohn Quote

Have you set your goals for 2018?

I’m linking up with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run, where the theme today is, of course, goals. I can’t wait to see what others are planning for this year!

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Filed Under: #RocknBlog, #yearofthemarathon, goals, one word

2017 Top Five Posts

December 29, 2017 by 36 Comments

I love this week between Christmas and New Year’s Day – there’s always some great time to hang out with the family, time to reflect, and time to plan for the new year.

While I’m still tweaking my goals a bit and will share those soon, today I’m sharing my annual look back at my top 5 posts for the year. It’s always interesting for me to see which posts generated the most interest  – so here are my top 5 for 2017 (according to Google Analytics):

5 Tips for Running on the Track — While the track is my favorite place for speedwork, it surprised me that this post from the summer continues to have the highest page views.

Running with Kids  — This is actually a post from 2014 but makes the list every year. Sharing my love of running with my kids has been a big part of my running journey, and it makes me smile to know that others are looking to share running with their kids too.

Runfessions of an Injured Runner — This was a hard post to write cause I had to admit that I was too injured to train for my fall goal race.

5 Benefits of Planking — Clearly I’m not the only one who believes in the power of planking as this is another post that continues to draw views.

Five Tips to Become an Early Morning Runner — Honestly, I’ve been struggling to get out of bed lately so I may need to re-read this one!

Given that this year’s top 5 were all Friday Five posts it seems only fitting that I’m linking up with and Rachel and Lacey & Meranda for the Friday Five link-up!

Thanks for sharing in the fun around here this year! 

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Runner Rebuild Week 7 – Time for Training

December 17, 2017 by 36 Comments

It was another blur of a week, as evidenced by the fact that I have almost no pictures from the week. Despite the lack of documentation, I’m joining Holly & Tricia for the Weekly Wrap as I wrap-up week 7 of my “runner rebuild”.

Monday – Rest
Tuesday – 400-meter repeats.

Wednesday – Finally found my yoga mat again for a much-needed stretch.
Thursday – I had planned to run, but a clash of schedules turned this into an unplanned rest day.
Friday – Strength workout
Saturday – Does cleaning and Christmas prep count as cross-training?
Sunday –  5 more miles

All-in-all a pretty uneventful week. It’s been a l-o-n-g time since I attempted anything that resembled speedwork, but I thought I’d mix it up a little and test the waters as I get ready to start a training plan again.

While I’m still trying to figure out my racing schedule for 2018, I learned this week that the lottery gods were not kind to me and I’ll have to wait another year for a chance at Cherry Blossom 🙁 But, on the other hand, I got a great discount offer on a race I’ve wanted to do for a while so I jumped on it and registered for the Black Cat 10-Miler.

I’ve often mentioned how much I love the 10-mile distance and I’ve wanted to run this one for a while, but the timing has never worked. So with an early March race now set, it’s time for training. Once I get my son’s hockey schedule I may add a couple of races in February too, but Black Cat will be an early goal race – if I can run it well, it will set the stage for half marathons to come.

Have you registered for a 2018 race yet?

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5 tips for planning your 2018 race calendar

December 15, 2017 by 32 Comments

So many races and so little time! Does Anyone else feel this way?

With just weeks to go until the new year, have you started mapping out your race schedule? Today I’m sharing a few tips for planning your 2018 race calendar.

Start with your goal race — Do you have one big goal race for the year? Typically, I’ve picked a goal half marathon for the spring and another for the fall. Once you get the key race or races figured out, you can fill in from there, adding tune-up races or other shorter distance events that could line-up nicely with your training plans.

Think about your training preferences — Do you loathe the idea of heavy mileage in the summer heat? Then perhaps an October race is not for you. Not a fan of winter running or having to log long miles on the ‘mill to avoid snow…then maybe you want to pass on those early spring races.

Consider all impact events — Family/friends weddings, major school events for the kids, etc. You’ll want to make sure you don’t pick your goal race for the same weekend as a major family gathering (I’ve already got Columbus Day weekend blocked off for my nephew’s wedding). Or, perhaps you don’t want to be at the peak of marathon training on a weekend you need to be out of town.

Let’s talk budget — We all know race registrations can get pricey so, of course, your budget has to be part of the planning process. Are you hoping to do some traveling next year or are you staying local? Going big or sticking with smaller, more affordable races? Keeping an eye out for race discount codes and great airline and hotel deals can help defray the costs of a racecation, but planning well in advance is key. Early registration will always save you some cash, so the earlier you can commit the better.

Know your body — It can be pretty easy to get caught up in race fever and want to “run all the races” – especially when it feels like everyone you follow on social media is running a particular race. But it is important to know your body and factor in the downtime it needs. Breaks from racing and training are important to keep you from burning out both mentally and physically – so plan accordingly.

Planning tips for your 2018 race calendar #runchat #bibchat #running Share on X

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

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Filed Under: Friday Five, race calendar