Prepping for Brooklyn

September 25, 2016 by 23 Comments

The beauty of having another race on the horizon is it forces you to not wallow and to quickly get re-focused (if you missed my Philly recap, you can check it out here). So this week was all about turning my attention to the RnR Brooklyn Half Marathon. As always, I’m joining Holly and Tricia once again for the #WeeklyWrap link-up.

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Monday and Tuesday were all about rest and recovery. There was nothing wilder than lost of stretching, rolling and icing.

Wednesdays are strength days, and I was back in the gym with Trainer Stacy. We went old school with the workout using a weighted sleigh and medicine balls. Hips, glutes and core got a serious workout!

By Thursday, it was time to get back to running. 5 miles, with 3 at steady pace, done. And on Friday, I got 3 more miles in at an easy pace.

The temps on Saturday dropped, and the morning air felt downright chilly. I loved it! My husband J is getting ready for his race next weekend, so he decided to join me. We got an early start so we could get back in time to shuttle our boys to their sports commitments.

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This run felt great! The miles clicked along easily, and we finished 8 miles with plenty of time to spare. The only minor glitch was for some odd reason my stomach was not happy with my usual Honey Stringer Waffle – this is my standard pre-run fuel, so I’m not sure what happened here.

Today was a rest day and I spent the day purging the endless stacks of paper from our home office and trying to find my desk again!

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I’ll be back to four days of running this week and the forecast is showing cool temps. Fall may finally be here!

Have you ever had your stomach reject your routine fuel?

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Filed Under: half marathon training, RnR Brooklyn, Weekly Wrap

2016 RnR Philly Race Recap

September 22, 2016 by 43 Comments
(Disclosure: As a member of the Rock’n’Blog team, I received a free race entry and VIP upgrade. As always, all opinions are mine!)

On Sunday, I ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon – my 10th half marathon!

I’ve been trying to figure out what to say about this race. As you all know, this was my first half marathon after a two year hiatus. This was not a goal race – just a re-introduction to the distance. But, you know I like to keep it real here, so I’ll be honest, this was not the triumphant return I had secretly hoped for. No…I did not have a goal time, but I had wanted (and expected) to run this much faster than I did.

So settle in while I share the good, bad…and downright u-g-l-y of Sunday’s race.

Janelle & I pre-race

The Good….
Blogger meet-ups! Once I arrived at the race, I made a beeline for the VIP tent to meet up with Janelle from Run with No Regrets. It was so nice to finally meet – she’s as nice as she seems from her blog! We got to chat for a bit and soon Kathryn from Dancing to Running joined us. We made our way to the top of the “Rocky steps” to meet up for a “We Run Social” photo, where I finally got to meet Dani from Weight Off My Shoulders. I feel like I’ve known Dani for years – we couldn’t believe we just were finally meeting! It was fun to hangout with everybody and it helped me keep my mind off my nerves.

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VIP Upgrade! While I didn’t take full advantage of the full VIP food spread, it was definitely nice to have food and drinks to readily available. And, porta potties with no lines? Enough said!

Race atmosphere! I love the RnR vibe and this race did not disappoint! I enjoyed the bands and cheer squads along the route, and even had one band’s guitarist come down off the stage to briefly rock out with me 🙂

The Bad…

While the VIP area was a nice perk, it would have been nice to have a way for non-running family to join at a reduced rate. My husband J couldn’t enter without us purchasing a full price package at the expo – the main reason I skipped returning to the VIP area post-race.

My fueling – I woke up with no appetite and as a result my pre-race fueling was sparse. I forced myself to choke down a banana, but could only manage a bite or two of my GU waffle. The wait in the corrals was long and by the time I was approaching the start my stomach started to growl…not good.

The Ugly…

on-the-courseThe humidity was soul-sucking and proved to be my complete undoing. Despite having run in the soupy muck for most of the summer, I could not find my rhythm. I felt ok through the first 5 miles but could feel a headache forming by mile 6.  By mile 7, I had stopped at a med tent for Tylenol, and by mile 9 I had a front row seat on the struggle bus. Despite my best efforts to stay hydrated and down Clif blocs (with extra salt), the humidity took its toll.  I reminded myself that this was more of a training run than a race for me, but it was hard to not feel defeated. Time to shift my focus – I high-fived every kid along the course, encouraged other runners and started run/walk intervals.

Around mile 9, I was so grateful to come across fellow Rock’n’Blogger Nellie from Brooklyn Active Mama. We had run into each other just before the start and it was great to see her. She was so positive and we kept each other company for a couple of miles. My other saving grace was my amazing husband, who had rented one of those city bikes and was biking all over the course! At last the finish was in sight and I was done.

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So #10 is done and training for Rock ‘n’ Roll Brooklyn continues!

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Filed Under: #RocknBlog, race report, RnRPhilly

Wrapping up Race Week

September 19, 2016 by 17 Comments

Happy Monday all!

I’m back from Philadelphia and enjoying a much needed rest day after running the RnR Philly half yesterday. I’ll have much to say about Sunday in my recap later this week. But for now, I’m joining Holly and Tricia once again for the #WeeklyWrap link-up.

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Monday, 9/12:  Yoga

Tuesday, 9/13:  3.2 mile run

Wednesday, 9/14:  6 mile progressive run with 1 mile warm-up and cool down

Thursday, 9/15:  Rest day

Friday, 9/16:  Final run of the week – 3 miles and the legs were feeling really good!

Saturday, 9/17:  I headed to Philadelphia with my husband. Travel was super easy and after dropping our bags at the hotel we headed for the expo. We breezed through packet pick-up and then my husband was very patient as I checked out all of the vendors. All of the Brooks T-shirts were super cute and I just couldn’t resist adding one to my collection. I also couldn’t resist a new headband from my fave Sparkly Soul, and picked up an organic multivitamin designed for runners. We took a walk and then wandered the Terminal Market for lunch (my gosh you can get lost in that place!) before heading back to the hotel to chill.

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Sunday, 9/18: RnR Philly

So how was your week? Do you shop the expos or avoid them?

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Filed Under: race week, RnRPhilly, Weekly Wrap

Friday Five – RnR Philly Goals

September 16, 2016 by 26 Comments

RnR Philly Race Weekend is here!

RnR Philly

I’m on a plane to Philadelphia tomorrow morning to run the RnR Philly Half on Sunday. My husband J will be traveling with me, while my kiddos get a “guy’s weekend” with my brother. I’ve got a bunch of errands to run and packing to do, but I thought I take a moment to share some goals for this weekend.

Complete the distance, upright and happy — It’s been 2 years since I’ve toed the line for a half marathon, so above all else, this race is about returning to 13.1, enjoying the ride, and laying the ground work for more to come!

Start slow — Even in my recent long runs, the RC coaches have been urging me to start much slower. I know I’m going to be super psyched at the start of the race, but the goal will be to start slow for the first couple of miles and gradually pick up the pace.

Finish strong — My last long training run was 11 miles and I sputtered through the last couple of miles. For Sunday, I’d like feel strong in the final few miles and be able to push to the finish.

Pay attention to hydration — It looks like Sunday will be humid…seriously, where is fall?!? I’m still on the fence about whether I’ll run with my hydration belt or my handheld…or just rely on the water stops. But the goal here is to be smart and stay well-hydrated.

Enjoy all of the RnR goodness — From meet-ups with some #RocknBlog teammates, to bands along the course, to the VIP upgrade (hello indoor bathrooms!), to the great atmosphere that is a Rock ‘n’ Roll race! I’m going to soak it all in!

Who else is race-bound this weekend?

I’m linking up with Courtney, Mar, and Cynthia for the #FridayFive.

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Filed Under: Friday Five, race goals, RnRPhilly

RnR Philly Week 11 – Back to School Shuffle

September 12, 2016 by 16 Comments

I had fully planned to write a couple of posts this week…but then that phenomenon called “back to school” swept through my house leaving a trail of school forms, new schedules, and dazed kids in its wake.

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Needless to say, it was a bit of “workout shuffle” as I worked around the kids being up earlier in the morning, figuring out the new bus schedule, and coordinating pick-ups. It was more of a workout-when-you-can kind of week vs workout-when-you-want-to. But, I did manage to (mostly) stick to my training plan.

Monday, 9/5:  Yoga – my hamstrings let me know it has been awhile since I’ve done any yoga. So needed!

Tuesday, 9/6:  4-mile run

Wednesday, 9/7:  Strength workout with Trainer Stacy, and my new gym BFFs, kettlebells.

Thursday, 9/8: Alternating tempo run from hell…ok I may be exaggerating a little. I decided to do this workout on the treadmill that way I could just set the pace and hope to hang on. This one was tough from start to finish. I struggled to hold the paces and overall it was slower than I wanted. In hindsight, I was a little intimidated by this workout when I saw it on my plan and let it psyche me out a bit. Running is so mental after all….

Friday, 9/9:  To shake off the creeping negativity, the RC coaches suggested that I might be better off with a rest day instead of the 3 miler on my plan. I agreed and spent the day catching up with a friend.

Saturday, 9/10:  A solid 7-miler to put the Negative Nellie back in check!

Sunday, 9/4: Rest day.

Joining Holly and Tricia once again for the #WeeklyWrap link-up.

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How do you shake off a bad run?

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Filed Under: back to school, RnRPhilly, training, Weekly Wrap

RnR Philly Training – Week 10

September 5, 2016 by 20 Comments

Happy Labor Day!

I’m taking a quick moment out of what has been an enjoyable and lazy long weekend so far to join Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap. I love this link-up as it helps me to stay accountable on my training, and it’s such a great group of supportive women!
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Even though, as I mentioned over coffee, I’ve switched up my goal races, I’m continuing to count down to #RnRPhilly since it’s the first big race on the horizon. So how did week 10 go?

Monday, 8/29:  Nice 3-miler. It was overcast and kinda felt…dare I say it…fall-like!

Tuesday, 8/30:  800 meter repeats. Dear lord when do these get easier?!? Probably not…5.25 miles done.

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Wednesday, 8/31: Strength day – Lots of core and resistance band work.

Thursday, 9/1: Allergies reared their ugly had with a vengeance which made sleeping tough. Lack of sleep and trouble breathing = rest day.

Friday, 9/2:  I don’t usually run on Fridays, but wanted to make up for missing Thursday’s run. Also it was a beautiful cool morning, so 3.5 miles happened.

Saturday, 9/3:  11 miles – I really wanted this to be a great run, especially since it was my last long run before Philly. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t 🙁  I was having a really solid run until mile 8…and then I wasn’t. Around mile 6 I started feeling a lot of discomfort in my right glute where it attaches to the hamstring. I took a short walk break and thought I had it under control, but in mile 9 the wheels completely came off the bus… I finished but not as strong as I had hoped.

Sunday, 9/4: Rest day.

My last couple of long runs have definitely been my nemesis, and I don’t know how that will translate on the streets of Philly. Only time will tell…

Are you training for anything right now?

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Filed Under: half marathon training, RnRPhilly, Weekly Wrap

Ultimate Coffee – Labor Day Edition

September 3, 2016 by 14 Comments

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

My long run is done and I’m very happy to kick back on my deck and enjoy an iced coffee. It is the first Saturday of the month so, of course, that means it’s time for another edition of the Ultimate Coffee Date link-up, hosted by Coco and Deborah. When you’re done here, be sure to check out what the other ladies are dishing about.

The Ultimate Coffee Date

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that while training has been going fairly well, after looking at my fall race plans with the RC coaches, we’ve decided to make RnR Brooklyn my goal race instead of RnR Philly. Gives me the chance to use Philly as a tune up which feels right to me, especially since it’s been 2 years since I’ve run a half.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that my boys start school next week and I’m excited for all the madness to come! My oldest will be starting high school and my “baby” will be heading into 5th grade. Someone please make the clock slow down!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that while I love the start of school as an opportunity to reset for the fall, I’m nervous about how I’m going to fit in these final high mileage weeks of training. Hello o’dark thirty!

Bugs in the am

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I’m in the market for a new laptop. My current one has decided it doesn’t want to type the letter “e” any more. Seriously, I have to practically bang on the key. You never realize how many words have the letter “e” until something like this. The laptop has been showing it’s age for a while, but this is the final straw! Any suggestions?

So what would you tell me over coffee?  What have you got planned for this long weekend?

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Filed Under: back to school, training, Ultimate coffee date

Reflecting on Summer Fitness Goals

September 2, 2016 by 26 Comments

With Labor day weekend marking the unofficial end of summer, it seemed like a good time to check in on my summer fitness goals and see how I did.

Fitness goal check in

Back in June, I set 5 goals for the summer:

Checking in on my summer fitness goals for this week's #FridayFive Share on X
  1. Embrace the plan — Check! I started the summer very excited to be working with the coaches from RunnersConnect, and I’m happy to say that they have not disappointed. There’s been the occasional deviation here and there (hello soul-sucking humidity!), but for the most part I’ve stuck with my training plan.
  2. Family running — I got to celebrate my youngest son’s first 5K and my husband joined me for all of my weekend long runs!
  3. Enjoy the outdoors — While I didn’t make it to the tennis courts or kayaking as I had hoped, I did get some hiking in, and the family definitely made the most of our time in the White Mountains.
  4. Continue the slow & steady weight loss — I’m finishing the summer a few pounds lighter than when I started, so this is absolutely a win!
  5. Keep getting stronger — Another check! I faithfully stuck to my strength training thanks in large part to working out with Trainer Stacy. It’s no coincidence that staying focused on strength work has helped keep me relatively injury-free this summer.

I’d say I did a pretty good job on my goals for this summer! Now I’m more than ready for the temps to cool down and enjoying some fall racing 🙂

For this week’s #FridayFive, Courtney, Mar, and Cynthia are talking about all things Fitness.

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Did you set any summer goals?

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Filed Under: Friday Five, goals

Weekly Wrap – Feeling Recharged

August 29, 2016 by 16 Comments

Happy Monday!

I’m back from a fun family get-away in the White Mountains. This vacation came at a perfect time as I was really starting to feel fried. We celebrated my husband’s birthday, rode the Cog Railroad to the top of Mount Washington, explored glacier caves, zip lined (is that a verb?), and hit the alpine slides and coasters…just to name a few. We came home tired and happy.

I did my best to keep up with my workouts and for the most part it went pretty well. I’m linking up again with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to check out these great ladies and all of the other fun bloggers joining in.
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Monday, 8/22:  A much needed rest day.

Tuesday, 8/23: I was hoping to make up for Sunday’s long run, but my tired legs had other ideas. I knew before I left the house that 10 miles was not going to happen, and for half a second I toyed with skipping the run altogether. But it was a rare morning in the low 70s – too nice to miss out on, so I got a solid 5 done.

Wednesday, 8/24: Cross-training in the form of climbing around Mt. Washington

Top of Washington

The amazing view from the top of Mt. Washington

Thursday, 8/25: Hill work was on the plan so I headed to the base of Loon Mountain and found a perfect access road for hill repeats.  5 more miles done.

Friday, 8/26:  More play time with the family!

Saturday, 8/27:  10.5 miles – this was one of the toughest runs I’ve had in a long time. My stomach went south almost immediately – I have no idea why since I didn’t deviate from my usual foods. I was ok for the first 5 miles, but then the wheels completely fell off the wagon. Angry stomach and intense sun = one ugly run.

Sunday, 8/28: Rest day.

How was your week? Do you workout on vacation or just hang out?

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Filed Under: half marathon training, vacation, Weekly Wrap

Weekly Wrap – Can I get a Do-Over?

August 21, 2016 by 12 Comments

You ever have those weeks where you just wish you could hit the re-wind button? Last week was one where I just felt like I had too many balls in the air…and quite honestly I should have put a few of them down, and for my own sanity, said no a little more often. Ah well…lesson learned.

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But before I put the week squarely in my rearview mirror, I’m linking up again with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap.

Monday, 8/15: For some reason I just could not get my face out of the pillow, so I pushed my run to later in the day…then life happened and the run didn’t.

Tuesday, 8/16: Still feeling a little on the tired side, I swapped my Tuesday track work with Thursday’s run. 5 miles done.

Wednesday, 8/17: Strength day with Trainer Stacey! Had my first ever workout with Kettlebells – it was challenging and I loved every minute of it.

Thursday, 8/18:  I was seriously feeling the previous day’s kettlebell session as I headed to the track, and I kinda knew this workout might not go as planned. After two weeks of successful workouts with 400 and 800 meter repeats, I was quickly reminded that 1600 meter repeats are a whole other beast. 4 miles done, but man oh man did I struggle…

Friday, 8/19: I spent most of the day working to set up a big multisport event that serves as a fundraiser for the non-profit I work with.

Saturday, 8/20: Event day – up at 3 am and onsite by 5…according to my FitBit I covered over 6 miles as I ran and walked back and forth along the course – we were short volunteers so there was never a moment of downtime. I finally returned home almost 12 hours later.

Sunday, 8/21:  10 miles was on the plan, but after the past two days it should have been no surprise that my legs…in fact my whole body was toast. There was no way I was going to make it through double digits, so I just went out to see what my legs would give me. I managed to eek out a solid 5 miles and was grateful for that. I huddled with the RC coaches later in the day and will give the 10 miler another shot on Tuesday.

So somehow I managed to get 20 miles in this week, and given all I was juggling I’ll take it. Luckily, the family is escaping to the White Mountains for a little R&R this week so things should be calmer!

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Filed Under: crazy week, training, Weekly Wrap