training — Page 2

RnR Philly Week 11 – Back to School Shuffle

September 12, 2016 by Michelle 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.

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.

How do you shake off a bad run?

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

Ultimate Coffee – Labor Day Edition

September 3, 2016 by Michelle 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.

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!

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?

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

Weekly Wrap – Can I get a Do-Over?

August 21, 2016 by Michelle 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.

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!

Filed Under: crazy week, training, Weekly Wrap

RnR Philly Training Week 3

July 17, 2016 by Michelle 24 Comments

While my goal this week was to ramp up the mileage, the nagging discomfort in left leg, quickly made it clear that I needed to play it smart and go easy on the running for another week. So how did things go?

Monday, 7/11: Strength day

Tuesday, 7/12: 3 easy miles, plus squats (the challenge continues).

Wednesday, 7/13: Strength session with Trainer Stacey. Wednesdays have really become my fave workout day of the week lately.

Thursday, 7/14: An unscheduled rest day. I woke up just feeling really off and it never got better, so I passed on my 6 mile cutdown run and skipped the squats.

Friday, 7/15: 4 miles on the mill – I just was not up for dealing with the oppressive heat, so off to the gym I went. Oh, yes and there were squats.

Saturday, 7/16: Rest day scheduled. It was parents’ visiting day at my son’s overnight camp so this “rest” day included 4.5 miles of walking and hiking the trails in and around the camp.

Sunday, 7/17: 8 miles scheduled – 5 miles done. Saturday’s camp fun followed by a 3+ hour drive home left me feeling pretty beat up Saturday night. I should have rolled, but instead I crashed on the couch and caught up on House of Cards. When the alarm went off Sunday morning, my legs already felt tired. The nagging pain in my left leg returned in the 4th mile, and as I reached mile 5 I knew it was better to listen to my body and stop. I walked another mile until my husband came by to pick me up.

What’s so annoying about the left leg is it only gets aggravated on hills…and it’s practically impossible to run in my town without encountering a hill.

Icing and rolling does help – so guess what I’ll be doing this week?! I’m also headed to the massage therapist – always a good thing! The RC coaches are tweaking my plan (there will be no hill repeats, as originally planned), and I’ll give 8 miles another go next weekend.

So that’s my #WeeklyWrap! Thanks to Holly and Tricia for hosting this linkup!

Filed Under: left knee, RnRPhilly, training, Weekly Wrap

RnR Philly Training – Week 2

July 10, 2016 by Michelle 22 Comments

Well, another week on the road to Philly is in the books, and I have to say it was a mixed bag at best.

Monday, 7/4: Core and upper body strength work – giving my legs a rest after the previous night’s 10K (accept I did do my 50 squats)

Tuesday, 7/5: Scheduled rest day – and I needed it! Squat challenge continued.

Wednesday, 7/6: Strength session with Trainer Stacey. This was another awesome session with everything from Turkish getups with weights, to pull-ups to circuit training with a medicine ball, kettlebell and free weights. We worked every muscle group and kept a good pace on the circuit.

Thursday, 7/7: A crazy work day combined with a sick kiddo meant I missed my scheduled cutdown run. 50 squats done.

Friday, 7/8: Strength work – core and lower body focus.

Saturday, 7/9: 7 mile LSD. My left knee really started to squak at me around mile 3, and I debated whether to cut the run short. I’m glad my husband J had decided to run with me – it gave me the nudge I needed to keep pushing to finish the run. Lots of icing and rolling followed.

Sunday, 7/3: Cross-training was on the schedule, but my legs felt meh after yesterday. I’m fairly sure the knee pain was actually a combination of a super tight quad and ankle, so I opted for yoga and some yamuna body rolling.

So the mileage was way down this week, but the strength sessions went really well…like I said a mixed bag. I slacked on my rolling and icing and I think that contributed to my cranky leg on Saturday’s run. So I’ll be rolling like it’s my job this week, as I up the mileage.

I’m linking up with Holly from HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin for their Weekly Wrap link up. Link up and join us!

So tell me, how’d your week go?

Filed Under: RnRPhilly, training, Weekly Wrap

RnR Philadelphia Half Training – Week 1

July 4, 2016 by Michelle 20 Comments

This past week marked the 12 week countdown to the RnR Philly Half Marathon! After having to step down from the half distance to the 5-miler for Boston’s Run to Remember, I am really more focused than ever to get back up to 13.1 miles.

Looking forward to adding this one to the collection!

So how did this week go?

Monday, 6/27: 3 easy miles

Tuesday, 6/28: Threshold intervals – 3 x 1600 meter repeats, plus warm-up and cool down. OK I only did 2 – I decided to go late in the day to help adjust to Sunday’s upcoming 10K, and the humidity was just soul-sucking. I knew I was in trouble after just the mile warm up and it went down hill from there.

Wednesday, 6/29: Strength work with Trainer Stacey! We focused on glutes and obliques. There was a lot of sweat, swearing and laughing – a good session!

Thursday, 6/30: Rest Day: Got a much need sport massage.

Friday, 7/1: 5 mile steady-state run – nailed it! Also started Marcia‘s squat challenge. My goal for this week – 50/day.

Saturday, 7/2: 1.25 mile shakeout run with my son & husband at the track. Another 50 squats.

Sunday, 7/3: Finish at the 50 10K – race recap to come! (And, yes, I did get my 50 squats in)

All in all a good week!

And don’t forget, if you join me in Philly or at any of Rock’n’Roll’s fall races (I’ll be running Brooklyn and Vegas as well), you can save a few bucks by using my discount code ROCKATTITUDE.

I’m linking up with Holly from HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin for their Weekly Wrap link up. Be sure to stop by and check out what they’re up to.

Filed Under: RnRPhilly, training, Weekly Wrap

Weekly Wrap – Regaining My Footing

June 26, 2016 by Michelle 24 Comments

There’s no sugar coating it..this was a tough week!

We lost our beloved family dog early Wednesday morning – it was sudden and unexpected, and hit our family hard. I’m grateful that by Thursday afternoon the boys were re-telling funny stories about him, and asking if we would be getting another dog at some point – we will! But for now we adjust to a much quieter house.

So needless to say I’ve been a little off this week, but running has provided a much needed retreat.

Monday: Strength work – core and glutes!

Tuesday: 3 miles

Wednesday: No way I could focus – Trainer Stacy and I agreed to move our session to next week

Thursday: Opted for yoga instead of intervals

Friday: 3 miles

Saturday: 6.5 miles

Sunday: Rest day

All of my runs felt really good this week. I was especially pleased with Saturday’s run – it was a hilly loop and I attacked the hills well and felt stronger than I have in a while. I’m feeling good about where my training is right now and am looking forward to adding in some speedwork and spending some time at the track – my happy place 🙂

I’m linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap. Join in and let us know how you’re week went!

Filed Under: training, Weekly Wrap

Weekly Wrap – Sprinting through days

June 12, 2016 by Michelle 20 Comments

This time of year is always so hectic at our house as we inch our way closer to summer – and I’m sure I’m not alone on this. I really thought this image perfectly captured how I’ve been feeling. And, while it’s been crazy busy, it’s also been a lot of fun!

On Thursday, we enjoyed a great graduation ceremony and celebration for my oldest son, followed by my youngest son’s 4th grade concert on Friday (both boys have banned me from sharing photos). Then it was on to our final lacrosse games of the season.

Our town hosts a big tournament every year, and round-robin games kicked off Friday evening and went on all weekend. My husband J was coaching , both boys were playing, and J and I were also on the organizing committee so you can imagine what the weekend was like! Way too much take out has been consumed and everyone is exhausted, but it was great family time and I wouldn’t have it any other way 🙂 Though I must admit I’m looking forward to having some lazy Sundays ahead…

On the workout front, I managed to keep focused on my new training plan, with only a minor adjustment or two:

Monday: Despite a migraine, I did manage to get a short run in – and a chance to try my new kicks from Ampla Sports!

Tuesday: Unplanned rest day
Wednesday: Strength work: Core & Glutes
Thursday: Another 3 miles
Friday: Cross-training on the Arc Trainer
Saturday: 5 miles more before spending hours on my feet volunteering and cheering at the lax tournament
Sunday: Rest day – I had though about squeezing in a few miles this morning, but my legs quickly let me know that would not be a good choice!

I’m linking up again with Holly & Tricia for the #WeeklyWrap — big thanks to them for hosting!

Filed Under: crazy week, training, Weekly Wrap

Weekly Wrap – RtR week 7

April 25, 2016 by Michelle 14 Comments

‘Twas spring break week here for my youngest son – so it was a crazy week of juggling work, playdates, a full lax schedule (honestly…when is it not full?!?) and, of course, some workouts. So here’s how the workouts went…

Monday 4/18: Boston Marathon Volunteering! Almost 7 hrs on my feet plus 3 miles run to get to the team meeting place.
Tuesday 4/19: My legs were toast – rest day!
Wednesday 4/20: An hour and half session with Trainer Stacey – glutes, abs, hips – oh my!
Thursday 4/21: Return of the irritable stomach along with a headache – pushed the run to Friday.
Friday 4/22: Chasing the sun again with 3 miles.
Saturday 4/23: 4.25 miles in light rain – all good.
Sunday 4/24: Planks and PT exercises.

A decent week despite the scheduling madness. One of my goals for April was to make some real progress on my weight loss goal – well after watching the same pound or two come and go on the scale, I decided to start keeping a food journal this week. Hopefully it will shed some light on why I’m not shedding pounds…sorry I couldn’t resist 😉

I’m looking forward to more of a regular routine this week – though Mother Nature is threatening to wreak havoc with my planned runs with…believe it or not…snow and sleet!

Anyone else facing the prospect of crazy weather? Have you ever kept a food journal?

I’m joining Holly and Tricia for their #WeeklyWrap – This link-up gets bigger every week and is full of fun bloggers. Be sure to stop by and join in!

Filed Under: training, Weekly Wrap

Weekly Wrap – RtR Week 6

April 17, 2016 by Michelle 16 Comments

I swear I blinked and the week was over! Overall I was pretty pleased with how this week went.

Monday 4/11: Rest Day.
Tuesday 4/12: Strength work and PT exercises.
Wednesday 4/13: 3 mile run.
Thursday 4/14: An hour session with Trainer Stacey.
Friday 4/15: Legs were very sore from Thursday’s workout so just did some core work and PT exercises.
Saturday 4/16: I had planned to run 6, but I woke up with a very irritable stomach which did not settle as I started running, so I settled for 4.
Sunday 4/17: 3.5 mile run.

While I would have liked a little more mileage, Trainer Stacey continues to remind me that progress may be a little slower as I work on correcting my imbalances….but it’s still progress. I’m really enjoying training with Stacey – it’s super challenging and I love how positive she is!

The goal each week is to make it better than the last! I’ll also be drawing some additional motivation this week from my volunteer gig at the marathon tomorrow – hard to not be motivated, right? Wishing everyone running Boston the best of luck!

I’m joining Holly and Tricia for their #WeeklyWrap. There are so many fun bloggers linking up, be sure to stop by!

What are you looking forward to this week?

Filed Under: training, Weekly Wrap

RnR Philly Week 11 – Back to School Shuffle

Ultimate Coffee – Labor Day Edition

Weekly Wrap – Can I get a Do-Over?

RnR Philly Training Week 3

RnR Philly Training – Week 2

RnR Philadelphia Half Training – Week 1

Weekly Wrap – Regaining My Footing

Weekly Wrap – Sprinting through days

Weekly Wrap – RtR week 7

Weekly Wrap – RtR Week 6

Hi, I’m Michelle

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