Monday Motivation: Week 13

May 6, 2013 by 11 Comments

Try

Had a good week last week including a massage, time on the track, a return to my favorite yoga class and a great long run on Saturday! I had 12 miles planned and my running buddy E offered to join me for the final 6. I ran an out and back for the first 6 then met her in her driveway and we went out for another 6+ mile loop around town. I’m so glad I had her with me – she kept me laughing and moving when I was starting to fade.  It was a great run and despite tired legs I finished strong – nice  way to cap a week of training for sure!

So now it’s week 13…and this week will include my last double digit run before my half marathon. On the plan this week:

Monday: 6 with negative split on the last 3

Tuesday: Cross-training

Wednesday: 4 mile Fartlek

Thursday: 16 x 400m repeats, plus yoga class

Friday: rest!

Saturday: 12 with last 6 at RP

Sunday: Cross-training

I feel a good week coming 🙂

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Filed Under: half marathon training, long runs, Monday Motivation, week ahead

Monday Motivation

February 4, 2013 by 3 Comments
I don’t believe you have to be better than
everybody else. I believe you have 
to be better than you ever
thought you could be.
                                           – Ken Venturi
Start this week, this day, this moment with the simple but powerful goal to be the best version of yourself … and be amazed by where that can take you!
Have a great week!
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Filed Under: Monday Motivation, Quotes

Monday Motivation – 28 to go!

December 3, 2012 by 9 Comments

28 days…that’s it…that’s all that’s left of 2012. 

So how will you finish the year? 

Have you reached your goals for 2012?
                               Or, are there still things you’d like to accomplish?

Have you gone on “workout cruise-control?”
                               Or are you laying the foundation to kick off 2013 on the right foot?

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit
….you’ve got 28
                              …what will you do with them?

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Filed Under: finishing strong, Monday Motivation

Monday Motivation: Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge

November 19, 2012 by 4 Comments
Join The Holiday Challenge

The Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge starts today! This Challenge seems like the perfect way to kick off this Thanksgiving week. Amanda from Run to the Finish has once again put together a great Challenge with Twitter chats, a Facebook group and prizes to help everyone stay motivated through the holidays. I’m definitely looking to improve my point total over last year!

There is still time to join the Challenge – you can register HERE. Please tell Amanda I sent you!

Now I’m off to kick off my Challenge with a 4 mile run and a little yoga!

Happy Monday!

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Filed Under: Holiday Bootie Buster, just having fun, Monday Motivation

Monday Monday

August 27, 2012 by 14 Comments
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I love getting in an early morning run on a Monday – love the feeling of accomplishment and it’s not even 8:30 yet! Sets a good tone for the week ahead.

After a rough night of sleep (I have bouts of insomnia), that 5:15 alarm sounded like nails on a blackboard so I asked J to hit the Snooze twice for 20 more minutes — yes the alarm clock is on his side of the bed…I’m not a morning person and despite my preference for morning runs, if the clock were on my side the Snooze button and I would be BFFs. 20 minutes later I was greeted with some rap/pop number (note to self – check the radio station on the alarm clock) and while I wasn’t feeling any peppier I did get up this time, stumbled over the dog and made my way down to the kitchen. As I mentioned before, I’m searching for the right pre-run meal so there was a moment of indecision as I debated whether I would even bother eating. But since I was hoping to get 7 in, I leaned towards eating something and settled on a Honey Stringer, and planned to carry a GU with me just in case.

I got my act together and got out the door and was a half mile into the run when I realized I’d left my handheld and GU sitting on the kitchen counter….oh well, just keep going. I swear every morning should be like this morning….temps in the high 50s, a slight breeze, sun just breaking through and no humidity – perfect! After 28 miles last week (most I’ve ever done), I wasn’t sure how my legs would do – but they felt surprisingly good. Soon I was back home, 7.5 miles done and a negative split on the back half – a good start to the day and week 9 of the training plan!

Now I’m off to rally the kids – we’re taking off for a few days on Wednesday (sqeezing in a mini vacation before school starts next week) and of course there a bunch of errands to do before we leave.

Happy Monday!

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Filed Under: early morning runs, Monday Motivation

Monday Motivation – Week 5

July 30, 2012 by 6 Comments

In some ways it’s hard to believe I’m already on week 5 of my training plan. I started over-thinking (read criticizing) my runs last week, but after a good conversation with my coach on Friday, I politely told that negative voice to stuff it and went out and had a great long run Saturday 🙂

Source

My goal for this week is to remind myself to focus on the now — this is the moment I can control and it is success in this moment that will lead to success in the future.

On deck for this week:

Monday — Steady state run with hills (6) — Done!!
Tuesday — Cross-training
Wednesday — Fartlek run (3)
Thursday — Tempo (7) plus yoga for runners class
Friday —  Cross-training
Saturday — LSD (11)
Sunday — rest

Felt great on this morning’s run and I’m looking forward to a great week!

Happy Monday!

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Filed Under: attitude adjustment, half marathon training, Monday Motivation, Quotes

Monday Motivation: Each run gives you something

July 16, 2012 by 12 Comments
You know those runs where you feel like you’re just flying…the wind is at your back, your legs are firing on all cylinders and you could just keep going long past your target miles for the day?

Yeah…well this morning for me was NOT one of those runs! It was already pushing 80 at 6:15 this morning and when I stepped out my door my arch enemy humidity was waiting for me. Less than a mile in, I was a drippy, sweaty mess and I knew this was going to be one of those runs where I’d do a lot of bargaining with myself…”just 3 more telephone poles,” “OK, just get to the next stop sign.”

The good thing about this morning’s run? I pushed through and finished it. And, no matter how bad it felt while I was in the middle of it, it felt really good to have gotten it done.

After having a string of really good runs all last week, this morning’s run was a reminder that not all runs are great…but each run gives you something. This run made me focus more on my form, it tested my will when I just wasn’t feeling it and it kicked off my 3rd week of training…getting me just a little closer to my goal.

What did your run give you today?

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Filed Under: mental toughness, Monday Motivation, tough runs

Monday Motivation – Let Training Begin!

July 2, 2012 by 14 Comments

Training for my two fall half marathons kicks off this week! Yeah I’m just a little excited!

I’m running the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50 10k tomorrow evening – should be a ton of fun! I’m not going into this race with any big goals. Given the heat ( mid to upper 80s projected), the start time (I am exclusively a morning runner) and the fact that I haven’t run a 10k race since last October, my main goals are to put in a solid run and have fun. In June, my speedwork went well, but overall I didn’t get in as many miles as I’d hoped (recovering from my May malaise lasted a bit longer than I wanted). So the bottom line, as I told Coach Bennett the other day is that I just have no idea what to expect for this race. I’m going to run by feel and see what happens.

So Week 1 training looks like this:

Monday — Yoga, rest and hydrate!
Tuesday — Race
Wednesday — Rest
Thursday — Tempo run (5)
Friday — Yoga
Saturday — LSD (7)
Sunday — Rest**

** I may through a light shake out run of just a couple of miles cause I’m dying to try out my new Merrell Dash Gloves!

What have you got planned for the week? Any 4th of July racing?
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Filed Under: 4th of July, Finish at the 50, half marathon training, Monday Motivation, Quotes, running coach

Monday Motivation

May 7, 2012 by 11 Comments

Despite the madness of my schedule last week, I’m happy to say I got all of my workouts in! Running was very much my therapy last week…my escape. I finished the week with an 11 mile run early Saturday morning so I could make it to my youngest son’s T-Ball game. It was the best double-digit run I’ve had in a while – mind-clearing and calming; my fueling worked and when I finished I still felt like I could have gone further.

So on the decks for this week:

Monday —  Strength & Core
Tuesday —  Tempo run (7)
Wednesday —  TRX Rip Trainer class
Thursday —  Intervals (6) plus Yoga for Runners class
Friday  —  Easy run (3)
Saturday — Long run (10) with middle 4 at race pace
Sunday — Rest

Have a Great Week!

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Filed Under: Monday Motivation, Quotes

Monday Motivation

April 9, 2012 by 9 Comments

I needed this little reminder this weekend during my long run.

Why is it sometimes so easy to self-sabotage, instead of being your own best cheerleader? Well this week that little voice can put a sock in it!

On the decks for this week:

Monday — Easy run (4) plus strength training
Tuesday — Tempo run (6)
Wednesday — TRX Rip trainer
Thursday — Hill work (5)
Friday — Yoga
Saturday — Long run (12) with middle 4 @ race pace

How do you combat that negative voice?
What do you have planned for this week?
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Filed Under: Monday Motivation