Looking forward to March

February 27, 2018 by 10 Comments

February is quickly coming to a close and it’s been a long short month if you know what I mean! I realized the other day that I never set any monthly goals for February…and in hindsight, it’s just as well that I didn’t. While plans were derailed, I am happy that I finished the month running and feeling more like myself again. And, now my sights are squarely set on moving forward in March.

So I’m linking up with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run and sharing a couple of March goals.

Enjoy the Black Cat 10 Miler – I recently runfessed that this race will be run as a training run, while I shift my focus to the Portland 10 in late April. My goal is to soak in the atmosphere, high-five the volunteers, stick to my run-walk intervals, and celebrate returning to double digits!

Be consistent – With the flu firmly in the rearview mirror, priority one is to be consistent with my workouts. Run 3x’s a week, cross-train/strength train 2x/week, and a weekly yoga session.

Get my diet in sync – I also runfessed that my eating was kind of all over the place in February so for March it’s time to get back to meal planning and prep.

Run 70 miles – I don’t usually set mileage targets, but I know I’m behind on my contribution to my team’s Run This Year challenge so I want to put a target out there for some extra motivation.

So tell me how was your month? Have you set any goals for March?

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Filed Under: goals, Tuesdays on the Run

2018 Race Calendar is Taking Shape

January 30, 2018 by 14 Comments

My race calendar is slowly starting to take shape and the one thing that’s for certain, I’ll be running my favorite hometown race again this year – Boston’s Run to Remember.

Boston’s Run to Remember was my first half marathon back in 2011 and I knew even before I’d crossed the finish line that I’d be running it again (You can read that recap here). This race has everything – a scenic tour through the streets of Boston, a relatively flat course, good crowd support, enthusiastic volunteers, and a great cause. The race is put on by the Boston Police Department and the Boston Police’s Runner’s Club in honor of fallen law enforcement officers and first responders. And, I especially love how many police officers are out along the course cheering and supporting the runners. It’s held on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, which can make this a hot one to run – and you all know what a heat weenie I can be, but I still find myself registering again and again. In the past couple of years, I’ve opted for the 5-miler but this year I’ll be running the half again.

So at the moment, my 2018 Race Calendar looks like this:

March – Black Cat 10-Miler (3

April – Portland 10 Miler

May – Boston’s Run to Remember Half

June – BAA 10K (I’m still debating – this one can be uber hot!)

July – Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago (keeping my fingers crossed that the stars will align for this one)

September – Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half

Then there’s that fall marathon thing to figure out 😉 In case you missed it, I’m debating, MCM, Richmond, or Philly for my first full – you can check out that debate here.

I’m also holding out hope for Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio in December, but I’ll have to see how family schedules line up. And speaking of Rock ‘n’ Roll – if you want to join me be sure to use code RNRRNB2018 to save $15 when you register for either a half or full marathon.

Looking forward to running these races in 2018! Will I see you at the start line? #runchat #rocknblog Click To Tweet

I’m linking up with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run – this week’s topic is favorite hometown races.

I’m also joining Deb’s Race Link Up, which is a great way to find others for race meet-ups.

Deb Runs

Where are you running this year?

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Filed Under: Boston's Run to Remember, race calendar, Tuesdays on the Run

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

Weekly Wrap – Catching my breath

December 11, 2017 by 31 Comments

Another whirlwind week is done! Thanks to juggling work, home, and volunteer commitments I was once again running around like my hair was ablaze. Workouts were whittled down events but did happen in some fashion.

Monday:  A rare Monday run…and at night no less!

Tuesday:  Rest.

Wednesday: 3-mile run

Thursday: Strength work

Friday: Yoga was planned but didn’t happen

Saturday: 4 miles and the first snow run of the season!

I’m relieved to say that J’s work-related travel is done for a while and he was back in time for us to attend his office holiday party Friday night, which was great fun. The weekend was spent trying to catch up on an array of household stuff, including getting our tree, decorating, and wrangling with the Shutterfly site trying to pull together a Christmas card and photo calendar.

This week there is nothing looming large on the schedule, so I’m looking forward to things settling down a bit.

In other running related news, I decided last minute to throw my hat in for the Cherry Blossom lottery…and this happened

After being a part of the RnB team for both 2015 and 2016, I stepped away this year as I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do much travel (and in the end, with my injuries it turned out to be a good choice!). So I’m happy to back and now have a little extra motivation to figure out which races I’m running next year! And I’m looking forward to some blogger meet ups!

I’m linking up with Holly & Tricia for the Weekly Wrap, and with Marcia, Erika, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run.

Anyone else join the CB lottery? Will I see you at a Rock ‘n’ Roll race next year?

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Filed Under: #RocknBlog, Tuesdays on the Run, Weekly Wrap

November Rewind and December Goals

December 4, 2017 by 18 Comments

Before these days start ticking by, I want to quickly wrap-up November and set some goals to close out 2017!

I had 4 goals for November:

  • 30 Days of Movement
  • Complete the #RunNovemberChallenge
  • Strength Train 3x’s/week
  • 150 Minutes of Planking (5 minutes/day)

Thanks to the #RunNovemberChallenge, I hit 27 days of my 30 days of movement goal. As I run-fessed, long days in the car for Thanksgiving travel derailed my “streak”, but I’m still pretty pleased with how this challenge went – it was perfect for this non-run-streaker since I could complete my minimum daily mile with either a run or a walk.

Please don’t ask me how many miles I racked up – I did a terrible job of tracking. Same holds true for my total planking minutes. While there was daily planking and I know I hit my 5-minute goal the majority of the days, there were definitely a couple of days towards the end of the month where I was short.

Strength training 3 days a week proved to be ambitious given some of the crazy busy weeks I had this month between work and the solo parenting duties. In the end, I hit the gym twice a week – which is probably a more realistic commitment, especially once I return to a race training plan.

So while there were a few misses, I’d say overall this was a pretty solid month.

And the plan for December?

Given how busy things can get around the holidays, I’m going to keep these goals pretty simple.

  • Ease back into training – With a couple of races figured out for February, it’s time to hit the register button and then get back to something that resembles a training plan.
  • Continue the focus on strength work – I’m running pain-free and I want to keep it that way. I will continue to meet up with my friend E for weekly gym sessions on Wednesdays and see if I can get her to join me for my Friday sessions.
  • Make sleep a priority – I was running a sleep deficit most of November, which is just no bueno, so time to turn that around.

So how was your November? What are you focusing on this month?

I’m joining Holly & Tricia for the Weekly Wrap.

I’m also joining Marcia, Erika, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run.

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Filed Under: goals, month in review, Tuesdays on the Run, Weekly Wrap

Global Running Day 2017

June 6, 2017 by 9 Comments

Global Running Day is Wednesday!

So on the first Wednesday of June, the annual call goes out to celebrate running!

The driving rain we’ve been dealing with here for the past couple of days is supposed to finally break tomorrow so I’ll be starting my celebration with a run, of course. Then it might be time for a little retail therapy in the form of both gear and races 🙂

SPIbelt – SPIbelt has been with me since my earliest days of running! Use code michelle2017 to save 15%!

StrideBox – I have shared my love for StrideBox many times here! Use code RunningDay17 for 50% off of the first box for a new regular monthly subscription to StrideBox! (Offers good only on 6/7)

SkirtSports – And I’m always happy to share a little SkirtSport love 😉 Use code SPRINGCPT20 to get 20% off.

So many races – Active has teamed up with a bunch of races to offer registration discounts. And, everyone who registers for a participating event on 6/7 will automatically be entered to win a swag bag valued at $500, featuring products from Garmin, New Balance, Gatorade, and Road ID just to name a few. Click here for details.

How will you be celebrating?

Linking up with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for this week’s Tuesday on the Run – the topic this week is Global Running Day, naturally! 

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Filed Under: #REALwomenmove, #StrideBox, Global Running Day, race shopping, Skirt Sports, SPIbelt, Tuesdays on the Run

Race Week Ambivalence

May 23, 2017 by 13 Comments

 

Ambivalence
[am-biv-uh-luh ns]
noun
1. uncertainty or fluctuation, especially when caused by the inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things.

2. Psychology. the coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing him or her in opposite directions.

Yeah, I think this sums it up pretty well how I’m feeling. Technically, this is race week. I say technically because, if you’ve been around here for a bit then you know consistent training has been hard to come by.

I thought after making the decision to drop from the half marathon to the 5-miler a couple of weeks ago, that I could re-focus and charge ahead to crush the shorter distance. Instead these last few weeks have been very up and down – sometimes the piriformis and hip feel good and running is more enjoyable, but other times, the pain radiates down my leg and I’d just assume do anything other than run.

Throw in a schedule both at home and work that are in overdrive and I’m just feeling meh at the thought of running this race this weekend.

I have to say this is a first for me…and what makes it worst is that I really do love this race – I think it’s one of the best Boston has to offer. I want to be excited, but right now the thought of sleeping late Sunday morning is far more appealing.

So the question is…how do you get your head in the game when you’re not excited about a race?

Linking up with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for this week’s Tuesday on the Run – the topic this week is grading your month. 

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Filed Under: race week, running dilemnas, Tuesdays on the Run

Monthly Rewind – February edition

February 28, 2017 by 16 Comments

Well, we’ve sprinted through another month, but before we look ahead, let’s put a wrap on this month.

Good things for the month:

  • Loving working with my new chiropractor.
  • After two weeks of following “no run” orders, I got in 3 pain-free miles on Saturday and am heading out this morning for another run today! Ending the month on a positive note!
  • Kept my 5-minute daily plank challenge going. I think this streak may continue into March!

Things I could do without:

  • You all have heard enough about my non-running, race-canceling woes so we’re not going to dwell here!
  • Saying goodbye to Trainer Stacy 🙁

On the decks for March:

  • Return to training. I’m working with my RC coaches now to map out a new plan. As long as I can string together a few more pain-free runs, I’ll be able to start training for Boston’s Run to Remember!
  • Consistent work with the chiro to make the return to training possible.
  • Challenge myself to try some new strength workouts and not slack!

How was your February?

I’m linking up with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for this week’s Tuesday on the Run – the topic this week is grading your month. 

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Filed Under: month in review, Tuesdays on the Run

Monthly Rewind – January edition

January 31, 2017 by 9 Comments

That whooshing sound you hear is January flying out the door! Seriously what a whirlwind this month was! I definitely hit a couple of speedbumps that kept me from having as strong a start as I wanted…so I’m more than ready to say buh bye to January and to make February fabulous! But first, a quick monthly recap:

Good things for the month:
  • Winter Challenge completed! By the time you read this I will have logged my final miles for the Winter Challenge – 31 days of outdoor mileage done…pretty good for this self proclaimed non-streaker!
  • Stayed on track with my strength training, logging at least two workouts per week, and then threw in the 10 x 10 plank challenge for the final 10 days of the month for a little extra push.
  • Selected as a SPIbelt Ambassador for a second year!
Things I could do without:
  • Got hit with a nasty cold the very first week – blech
  • Bounced back from the cold, only a week later to slip during a rainy run that left me unable to run for the better part of a week 🙁
  • (they say bad things come in 3s, but I’m going to stay positive…)
On the decks for February:
  • More miles – right the ship on my training and get back to work. The NYC Half is less than 2 months away, and while it’s not my goal race, I would like to have a decent run – which means I’ve got to get in some longer runs and some hill work.
  • Run the Old-fashioned 10 Miler on 2/19
  • Get back to good habits – namely, get more sleep and clean up my eating habits…there’s been way too much late afternoon grazing!

How was your January?

I’m linking up with Erika, Marcia and Patty for this week’s Tuesday on the Run – the topic this week is grading your month.

 

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Filed Under: month in review, Tuesdays on the Run

2017 Race Calendar

January 10, 2017 by 19 Comments

As I mentioned over coffee the other day, I’ve been going round in circles on my race calendar. And, while the fall still pretty fuzzy, I’ve got the first half of the year pinned down.

Super Sunday 5 Miler — This race is being billed in part as a celebration of completing the Winter Challenge. There will be live music, food and beer post-race, with all proceeds going to the Race Cancer Foundation. Plus many of my BGR teammates will be there – sounds like a good way to kick off Super Bowl Sunday!

The Old Fashioned 10 Miler — This is a great local race that I’ve missed the past couple of years. I love 10 milers and this is a challenging course.

NYC Half Marathon — Running through Central Park, Times Square and finishing in Battery Park – what’s not to love?!

Boston’s Run to Remember Half Marathon — I opted for the 5 miler at last year’s race because I was far from “half marathon” shape. This is one of my favorite Boston races and will be my goal race for the spring!

Finish at the 50 5K/10K — While I’m not a fan of summer racing, this race has such a fun vibe, with a finish at the 50 yard line at Gillette Stadium, followed by 4th of July fireworks. Added bonus, this will a family affair with both my sons and husband all running!

As for the fall….

I know I’d like to run at least one half marathon…maybe two…the wish list is all over the place, including:

B.A.A. Half  — Boston Athletic Association always does a great race and this half sells out in record time. The year I “ran” it I was injured and was out there to be moral support for a friend who was running her first.

RnR Montreal and/or RnR Savannah — Both cities are on my “must see” city list.

Newport Half — Such a pretty course!

And, given my goal to mix-up the distances, there are also a bunch of great 10Ks within driving distances to consider.

Decisions, decisions…guess I’ll see how the spring goes and then figure it out from there.

Have you run any of these races? Got a suggestion for me for the fall?

I’m linking up with Erika, Marcia and Patty for this week’s Tuesday on the Run, where the topic is weekend warrior vs racecation – which do you prefer? Be sure to stop by and see what others are planning.

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Filed Under: BAA, Boston's Run to Remember, Finish at the 50, NYC Half, Old-fashioned 10 Miler, race calendar, RnR, Tuesdays on the Run