I heart 10-mile races

September 30, 2014 by 33 Comments

This is my public plea to race directors everywhere (but especially here in New England) to please host more 10-mile races!

Heart

The 10-miler is hands down my favorite race distance – yet sadly I’m finding fewer and fewer options available.  So what’s to love about the 10 mile distance? To me it’s the perfect “middle distance.”

Just long enough — The 10-miler is just long enough (vs. say a 10K) that you can ease into your pace for the first few miles before really diving into the race. Personally I struggle with 10K pacing!

Just short enough — That last 5K of a half marathon can get ugly for me sometimes…perhaps because I push too hard in the middle miles? I can still hold my form together for 10 miles, run strong and not feel like I’m dying!

Still a challenge — Racing double digits is a challenge! The beauty of 10-mile races is that they offer enough of a challenge without requiring too long of a training build-up to reach the distance – depending on your weekly mileage, you can be ready to race in just a few weeks.

What’s your favorite race distance? Do you think 10-milers are getting harder to find?

Erika, Patty and April are all talking about their fave race distances today – Be sure to stop by and check out them out!

Tuesdays-on-the-run1

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Filed Under: 10-mile races

Friday Five: Runfessions

September 26, 2014 by 17 Comments

Every month Marcia, from Marcia’s Healthy Slice, shares her “runfessions” – a chance to cleanse your sweaty soul. I love these posts. Marcia always invites her readers to join her and so this time round, I’m in.

Runfessions

Runfession #1 — While I’m feeling better about my training than I have in weeks, I confess that I am no where close to where I wanted to be at this point. But there’s still 8 weeks until Philly…

Runfession #2 — I’m seriously struggling with my motivation…there are definitely days where I want to chuck the training plan, let go of my race goals and just go back to running purely for the fun of it.

Runfession #3 — I’ve decided to take the Smuttynose Half off the table.  While this was never a goal race, I will admit that I was secretly hoping to take advantage of the “flat, fast course” and kick some serious asphalt. Given #1, Coach Bennett and I agreed that if I can’t go and run it really easy that I shouldn’t do it….and I know myself and I just don’t think I can…so no Smuttynose this year.

Runfession #4 — I really miss my running buddy E. She’s been dealing with an injury and it’s been ages since we’ve run together. I’m sure that’s not helping my motivation on some days. But I do so appreciate that she’s one of my biggest cheerleaders!

Runfession #5 — I’m loving my hill workouts…I know right? But I have to admit that Thursday’s hill repeats have become my favorite workout of the week! And I’ve been crushing them!

There….I feel better now! Do you have any runfessions to share?

 

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Filed Under: Friday Five, general musings, Runfessions

ASICS GEL-Pursue Review

September 25, 2014 by 11 Comments

Disclaimer: I received a pair of ASICS GEL-Pursue™ for the purpose of this review. As always, all opinions expressed here are my own.

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by ASICS to review a pair of their new GEL-Pursue™ running shoes. I was both curious and hesitant. I had never run in a pair of ASICS but know those who swear by them (including my running buddy E and my oldest son!), but would they be more shoe than I was use to?

ASICS Collage

The ASICS GEL-Pursue™ recently scored the Runner’s World Best Debut Shoe for Fall 2014. RW editors gave the shoe high marks for providing equal parts cushioning and stability. In place of a medial post, ASICS gave the GEL-Pursue™ a foam wedge under the arch and a segmented crash pad in the heel to provide stability.

So what did I think?

Out of the box, I loved the purple and lime color-combo – I’m sucker for purple!  I was also an instant fan of the Heel Clutching System™ – the fit through the heel was very comfortable, snug but not restrictive. The heel felt supported and I can bet that if you’re a heel-striker this would be an even bigger benefit.

ASICS Side shot

I tried the shoes on a variety of different runs – short runs (3 – 7 miles), hill work, fartleks – and on both the road and the treadmill.  I liked that the GEL-Pursue™ offered support without being squishy… yes that’s a technical term. I didn’t feel overly insulated from the road.

I did find that with the added support came more weight than the more minimalist shoes I’m use to – the Pursue weighs in at 8.7 oz. As such, they felt a little chunky during my hill work.

Overall, I think the ASICS GEL-Pursue™ is a shoe to consider if you are a neutral runner looking for support while still getting a responsive ride. I also think the extra support and comfort would be appealing to newer runners.

Have you run in ASICS?

 

 

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Filed Under: ASICS GEL-Pursue, product reviews

Week 9’s Aha Moment

September 22, 2014 by 23 Comments

Another training week is in the books! And, for the first time in many weeks, I’m happy to say that my weekend long run hit double digits. I’m pretty pleased with this not just for the mileage but for the attitude shift that took place during the run.

Churchill quote

To say that I wasn’t feelin’ it when I headed out the door Saturday morning would be putting it mildly. I had hit my snooze too many times to count and then meandered around my house “getting ready” for so long, J actually asked me if I was going to run or not. I huffed a reply that I was going…that I HAD to run 10. I made it out the door but decided to walk up the street before starting and came across my brother who was driving to my house to help with our current house project. He gave a raised eyebrow to which I replied “Yeah I know I’m a little slow-going this morning and I HAVE to run 10.”

There it was again…that negative attitude….there’s no such thing as I “have” to run – I choose to run…I get to run. Running is my stress reliever…my “me time!” So why was I acting like it was such a burden? As I ran I started thinking about how lucky I was to be able to be out there – my husband was home was the kids, it was beautiful morning and I was out for a run…seriously what was I stressing about? And, as corny as it may sound, with that attitude shift, the weight of the run was gone. In fact, it was one of the better runs I’ve had in a while – not because pace or time or any of the other things we runners can stress about. It was the absence of all those things and just simply remembering how lucky I am that I get to run!

Do you ever catch yourself saying you “have” to run?

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Filed Under: attitude adjustment, gift of running

Friday Five: Working with a Running Coach

September 19, 2014 by 16 Comments

It’s Friday and time for another fun link up with Courtney, Mar & Cynthia. Our theme this week? “Five things I love about…”

Lots of things came to mind for this theme, but then I started thinking about a conversation I’d had recently with my youngest son about why I was working with Coach Bennett. His exact words were – “Why don’t you just get out there and run?” Hmm…fair question. So I thought I’d share what I love about working with a running coach.

Coaching roadsign
Customized training plan — A running coach will develop a personalized plan for you taking into account your current fitness level, running history and current goals. It takes all the guess work out of picking a training plan.

Progressing smartly — Closely tied with reason #1, is working with a coach will help you to progress at a pace that will hopefully minimize the risk of injury. Life happens and training runs are missed – I’ve found it very helpful to have someone to help figure out when and how to get the miles in (or, equally importantly, when to let them go!)

Move beyond comfort zone — While progressing smartly, I have also found it very beneficial to have someone to push nudge me out of my comfort zone. (Hill repeats and some of my more aggressive speedwork would never have happened without Coach Bennett!)

Sounding board — A good running coach is definitely part therapist. A coach can help you with the mental side of running – helping to keep you both motivated and focused.

Race strategy — Having someone who can help you objectively review your training, set realistic race goals and map out a strategy for getting there is a huge bonus!

Have you ever worked with a running coach? If not, would you want to?

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Filed Under: Friday Five, running coach

AlterG – Treadmill Love!

September 17, 2014 by 17 Comments

I have finally found a treadmill I could love!

Yes people…for those of you who’ve been around here for a while and know how I feel about treadmills this may come as a shock…but I’ve found just such a treadmill! The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill.

AlterG

I got to meet my new love last Friday at Functional Fitness and Physical Therapy in N. Easton, MA. There I met co-owner Sarah Anestam, a licensed physical therapist, who walked me through getting set up on the AlterG. I slipped on a pair of neoprene shorts so I could be zipped into the AlterG’s pressurized air chamber. Sarah started the machine and I could feel the air chamber begin to fill with air. The machine then calculates your weight – (I love that they don’t rely on you to tell the truth!) – and once it calibrates you’re ready to run. Sarah first reduced my body weight to 80% – I instantly felt light and quick. She then took me down to 50% explaining that this closely mimicked running in a pool – but without any risk of slipping or getting stitches wet if recovering from a leg/hip surgery. Sarah soon left me to my own devices, encouraging me to play with the weight, speed and inclines.

On the AlterGRunning on the AlterG felt smooth and effortless. I easily pushed the pace, at one point hitting the 8 min range, while still chatting with Sarah (only in my dreams people!). I could focus on form and turnover without any undue stress on my legs – my cranky ITB was silent!

alterG backThe AlterG allows you to walk and run from 20 – 100% of your body weight making it an ideal tool for rehabbing from surgery or coming back from injury. Sarah also pointed out that time on the AlterG was also very beneficial for runners looking to train longer and faster  – building both endurance and leg strength without undue stress. Yeah sign me up!

In fact, at Functional Fitness, runners can buy time on the AlterG, $25 for 30 minutes or a 10-pack for $200. Sarah noted she sees a lot of runners come in during peak Boston Marathon training! I am thrilled to have discovered this great training resource and, with Functional Fitness a short drive away, I will be putting this to use in the future.

A huge thanks to Outside PR for arranging this demo for me and to Sarah at Functional Fitness and Physical Therapy for being so generous with her time!

 

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Filed Under: AlterG, product reviews, training, treadmill run

Week 8 and Counting

September 15, 2014 by 16 Comments

Success-repeated

Fall weather has finally arrived! Hallelujah!

It was pretty crazy here last week as there were lots of school activities, sports practices and homework to adjust to. In between, I managed to log 23.5 miles for the week:

Monday:  5.5 miles.

Tuesday:  Leg and core work.

Wednesday:  Pilates Barre class.

Thursday:  Hill repeats – 7 miles total.

Friday:   3 miles on an Alter G treadmill – (more on this coming in a separate post!)

Saturday: 8 miles. The plan had been to do 10, but around 6 my ITB really tightened up. I tried to run through it…but those of you who’ve dealt with cranky ITBs know that’s not how it works. I could tell my form was starting to suffer so I cut the run at 8. Lots of rolling, time in my compression shorts and some icing seemed to have helped.

Sunday:  Rest day.

I know that the ITB flare up was a direct result of not following my usual recovery routine this week. I was jamming in workouts and then skipping my usual rolling, icing, and strengthening exercises. So guess what I’ll be focusing on this week 🙂

Do you have a regular recovery routine? Do you feel the effects if you skip it?

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Filed Under: crazy week, half marathon training, ITB, Monday Motivation

Friday Five: Running and Fitness Resources

September 12, 2014 by 10 Comments

Happy Friday! This week the ladies of the DC Trifecta (Courtney, Mar and Cynthia) are asking everyone to share 5 blogs you love. Well I do read a fair number of blogs and there was no way I could just whittle it down to five. So instead, I thought I’d share five running and fitness resources that I turn to again and again.

resources

International Association of Women Runners — This is my coach’s site so you may say I’m bias. But, if you’re a women of a certain age (ahem…over 40) this is great resource to check out!

Runners Connect — A team of running coaches weighing in on all aspects of running and training.

Natural Running Center — A wealth of info on all things “natural running” related, including shoe reviews.

Fuel Your Future with Tina — Tina is an elite athlete with some great training tips to share.

FitFluential — Again, I may be biased here, as I am a FitFluential Ambassador, but I think the FF blog offers a great range of fitness/healthy living posts.

Now, I’m very excited to say I’m off for a date with an Alter G treadmill – a full report coming soon!

So tell what are your favorite running and fitness resources? 

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Filed Under: fave things, FitFluential, Friday Five

Thursday Thoughts – Remembering

September 11, 2014 by 4 Comments

 

9_11_remembrance

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 13 years since that day. I was living in New York City then…sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago and other times it feels so fresh and recent.

I still remember getting the first call from my husband J who worked so close to the Towers that he saw the second plane hit.

I still remember staring at the TV in disbelief watching the Towers fall.

I still remember frantically trying to track down friends, while trying hard not to think about where J was. I knew he and his office mates had left the building…cell phones were out…there was nothing to do be wait and watch the news. Somehow a call from a friend of mine got through – so we sat on the phone watching the news trying to make sense of what was happening.

I still remember my heart jumping when J finally walked though the door – like so many he had walked all the way home from lower Manhattan (we were on the upper west side). Only then did I start to cry.

I think of all of those lost and I think of their families….and I still have no words.

 

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Filed Under: observations

Training Check-in – Week 7

September 8, 2014 by 20 Comments

 

check in

Is it just me or does anyone else feel like these weeks are just flying by? As of today, there are 76 days until the Philadelphia Half – on the one hand, still a lot of time, but given the way these days are flying by, it will be here before I know it!

So week 7 is in the books and I’m very happy to report it was a much better week! Here’s how things shook out:

Monday:  Leg and core work.

Tuesday:  6 miles on a hilly loop followed by a massage!

Wednesday:  After a 2 week break, my Pilates Barre class is back!

Thursday:  Returned to hill repeats – 6 miles total.

Friday:   I was definitely feeling the effects of those hill repeats, so I decided to skip my scheduled cross-training.

Saturday: 9 miles. The heat and humidity was just crazy – it was like running in a furnace! Knowing that this was going to be a tough run, I decided to go Galloway and switched to run/walk intervals after the first couple of miles. I’d never tried doing intervals like that so I just kind of played with the length of the run intervals –  it was a nice distraction from the heat, helped me to keep a consistent pace and to finish fairly strong.

Sunday:  Much needed rest day.

All-in-all a pretty solid week. My challenge since I started this training cycle has been to put two solid weeks together. So my goal for this week is simple – keep up the forward momentum!

How did week go for you?  Have you ever tried the Galloway Method?

 

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Filed Under: Galloway Method, half marathon training, Philly Half