Under Armour Challenge – #WhatsBeautiful

May 8, 2013 by 4 Comments

UA Beautiful

 Under Armour just launched their third What’s Beautiful campaign and I’m very psyched to be a part of it through FitFluential.

Under Armour’s What’s Beautiful is all about pushing limits and redefining the female athlete.  This is for women who want to push past where they have been before — To put a goal out there and then go after it in a big way. It’s easy to get started, just declare your goal on the What’s Beautiful site and then get to it! You stay accountable and get extra motivation by accepting challenges and interacting with other participants. You can also team up with others who share similar goals for additional support and motivation.

My What’s Beautiful goal is:

Focus on speedwork, strength training and core work so I can own new PRs for the 10k and half marathon; and most of all, be a stronger version of myself.

For added motivation I also created Team Core Strength for anyone who wants to make building a strong core a key to their overall success – you can join my team here!

You can also keep up on what’s going on by following along on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtags #IWILL #WHATSBEAUTIFUL.

Are you ready to set some new goals or re-up your current ones? Join us as we redefine the female athlete. #IWILL.

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Filed Under: #IWill, #WhatsBeautiful, FitFluential, goals, motivation, Team Core Strength, Under Armour

Running and eating

February 28, 2013 by 8 Comments

One of my goals for 2013 is to set back and take a hard look at my nutrition. As I have said before while I don’t eat a lot of junk, I know there’s room for some improvement. Lately, I’ve been feeling really sluggish during my runs – this morning’s slogfest was a perfect example!  I need to not only re-examine what works best as fuel during my runs, but look at what I’m eating both before and after a run – not to mention what I’m eating on rest days.

This isn’t about dieting per se (though I am about 6 pounds above “fighting weight” at the moment) – it’s really about fueling my body for optimum health.  So it’s time to do some research  like testing out fueling options to see beyond whether or not they agree with my stomach to whether they’re actually providing real benefit. It’s time to do some reading, try out some new recipes and make some shifts in my overall diet.

My brother-in-law gave me Scott Jurek’s Eat & Run – which I have been dying to read and now seems like a good time to start. I’ll also be posting more regularly about nutrition – what’s working and what’s not and hope you’ll share tips and tricks that work for you.

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Filed Under: food, fueling a run, goals, new perspective, Scott Jurek

Goals – One month down

January 31, 2013 by 8 Comments

So it’s the end of January – 2013 is 31 days old.

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How are you doing with your goals so far?

My goals? Well it’s still early but I’m doing the things I need to do to lay the foundation.

  • My pursuit of the 13 in 2013 Challenge begins with two races in February. I also recently registered for the Boston Athletic Association’s Distance Medley, which adds 3 more races. So I’m more than half way to my goal (at least from a registration point of view!)
  • PR goals will have to wait for my goal races in May and June.
  • Now that I’m back to double digit long runs, I’ve returned to the chiro (in addition to yoga and foam roller) to stay off of injured-reserve.
  • After reading Jason’s post on Cook Train Eat Race about core work, I joined the 30-day Ab Challenge-Core Work Facebook group. The goal is to do 30 straight days of core work — this will go a long way towards my strength training goal!
So that’s where things stand for me. 
Tell me – how did things go for you in January?
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Filed Under: #13in2013, BAA, goals, month in review

Turning Motivation into Habits

January 7, 2013 by 9 Comments
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Right now everyone’s all fired up to make a change, to bust out some new goals, declare their resolutions. The gyms are busier than ever, and all types of assorted diet products are flying off the shelves.

But what happens in a couple of weeks…after the dust settles…after the New Year’s confetti is gone?

Here are a few tips to help turn all that New Year’s motivation into good habits all year long.

Pace yourself — It is very easy to get too hyped up – even “over-motivated”? – go out too hard, and then fizzle, or get injured. Start small…baby steps can add up to big payoffs down the road.

Be consistent — Everything I’ve ever read says that it takes between 21 and 28 days to build a good habit, and from personal experience I believe that to be true. A little something each day during the first 3 – 4 weeks will help ensure the new habit sticks.

Be kind to yourself — Everyone experiences set backs. When you fall down (either literally or figuratively), the key is to not beat yourself up over it, but be willing to pick yourself up and begin again.

Find a partner or group — There’s a lot to be said for being accountable to someone else and having someone to draw motivation from on those days when you’re not feeling it.

Surround yourself with success — Part two of finding a partner is to beware of spending time around others who don’t support your efforts – they will drain you! As much as possible, spend time with others who model the behavior/habits you’re striving for.

Keep visual reminders — Whether it’s a word, phrase or photo, posting visual reminders where you’re sure to see them will help keep your goals at the forefront. Energy flows where attention goes so make your goals hard to ignore and you’re more likely to follow through.

What new habits are you trying to build?
What tricks work for you?

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Filed Under: building good habits, goals, motivation

Recharging for 2013

December 29, 2012 by 8 Comments

We’ve been in full holiday celebration mode for a week now around my house – soaking in time with family and friends. After all of the rushing around and planning, it’s been great to be present in the moment and just enjoy the days as they’ve unfolded. It wasn’t until late yesterday afternoon, curled up under a blanket nursing a sore throat that I really started to think about goals for 2013.

Looking back at the running goals I laid out in January, I’m happy to say that I hit almost all of them (the 10K PR still eludes me). I had a heck of a lot of fun this year with lots of highs:

  • taking the whole family along for a race in DC
  • getting to meet a bunch of runner/bloggers
  • serving as a ZOOMA race ambassador
  • getting away with my friend E for run and fun at ZOOMA Cape Cod
  • working with my running coach Bennett Cohen – learned so much!!
  • new PRs in the half marathon, 10-miler and 5K
  • ran over 900 miles

Now that I’ve had a little down time, I’m looking forward to kicking up my training for a half marathon in March (still debating which one!). So, what are some of my running/fitness goals for the upcoming year?

  • complete the 13 in 2013 Challenge— I think I’ve almost got the race calendar sorted out!
  • looking to shave some more time off my best times for both the half marathon and 10K (specific target times to come later) – I really need to find a flatter course for the half!
  • continue to do all of things that I believe helped to keep me off the injury-reserve list — yoga, strength training, massages and time with the chiro.

But, as always, the biggest goal is to continue to have fun — to run with friends, to run in some new locales, try an obstacle course race (or two), be a race volunteer, and have more blogger meet-ups!

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Filed Under: #13in2013, goals, keeping it interesting, PR

Hello June

June 2, 2012 by 6 Comments

After losing about half the month to being sick, I am very happy to be putting May in the rearview mirror. I’m ready to set some new goals for June and the summer ahead!

June Goals:

  • Hit all of my training runs – total miles: 90
  • Commit to not walking a hill on any of my runs
  • Complete the Another Mother Runner Challenge
  • Complete the June 100x Challenge
  • Weekly yoga
  • Core work 3x’s/week
  • Strength training at least 2x/week
  • Set myself up for a strong 10k on July 3rd

With a strong June, I should be in great shape to start training for the ZOOMA Half Marathon in September!

What are your June goals? Do you have a big fall race planned?

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Filed Under: Finish at the 50, goals, training, ZOOMA Cape Cod

Setting some goals

January 10, 2012 by 10 Comments

So we’re ten days into the new year –  I have a tentative race schedule laid out…but beyond the schedule what are my fitness goals?

  • Increase my weekly mileage such that I can maintain a solid base mileage to build on for any training plan
  • Try some new race distances (I’ve got a 10-miler and 15k on my schedule so hopefully I’ve got that one covered)
  • Run a 2:30 half
  • Run a sub-2:30 half
  • Set a 10k PR
  • Stay injury-free — as I mentioned in my post about acupuncture, I believe this will come through more consistent strength-training, improving my range of motion/flexibility and proactive self-care
  • Incorporate more healthy eating habits — J and I are planning to add one new habit a month so by year-end we’ll have 12 new habits and hopefully lose some not-so-good ones along the way
  • Continue to have fun! I had a lot of fun with my running in 2011 and obviously want that to continue! I want to connect with more runners (both locally and online), encourage others when I can and hopefully meet up with some other bloggers 🙂
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Filed Under: goals, keeping it interesting

Goals for the Philly Half

November 18, 2011 by 10 Comments

Why is it that a race can seem so far off when you register and then bam before you know it’s a little more than a day away and you find yourself wishing you had more time?

When I first started training for Philly, I had in the back of my mind a goal of running 2:30 or better – recognizing that a 5 min PR would be quite an accomplishment. But this training’s been really up and down — I have either felt very strong or concerned that my left ITB/knee would completely derail my even getting to the starting line. Now with Sunday just around the corner I can’t say I’ve completely let go of a time goal, but I’ve got other goals as well:

  • Start Slow and Build — I need to learn from my first 2 halfs and not go out too fast. This is really hard for me cause I get so caught up in the moment!
  • Attack the Hills– I’ve been working on attacking hills in my training runs vs. just surviving them.
  • Run a Strong Final 5k — I’d like to have enough left in the tank when I get to the 10 mile marker to really be able to push hard over the last few miles.
  • Win the Mental Battle — This is a 3-parter: 1) not let every twinge from my left leg cause a panic; 2) use the mantras and other mind tricks I came up with over my last few long runs to help when it gets hard out there; and 3) don’t second-guessing myself and trust my training.
  • Time goals — This is a 3-parter as well, in order: 1) Beat my time in Providence, 2) PR and 3) hit 2:30

And, it should go without saying that the overall goal is to go out there and have a good time! OK Philly here I come!

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend
– especially to my fellow bloggers heading to Philly!
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Filed Under: goals, Philly Half

The simple joy of a run

September 16, 2011 by 5 Comments

Earlier this week I had talked about making choices, and that first on my list for the week was to hit the target pace for each workout. A worthwhile goal right?

So I went to the track on Tuesday to face the intervals I dread the most…1600’s. As I ticked off each lap, pace math was making my head swim – I was obsessed with the numbers…but I did it, each interval was in fact below my target. I left the track, sweat-drenched and satisfied. Wednesday was a good strength training session and then came Thursday’s tempo run. I admit I can get a little psyched out over tempo runs, but I kept telling myself that the 1600 intervals I had run called for a faster pace than this run did…and besides the goal was to hit each target pace right? Wrong!

From the beginning I struggled through the run and, as the numbers on my Garmin didn’t come down, the level of my negative self-talk went up. Now yes, it was 75 degrees out and crazy humid but there was more going wrong here than just Mother Nature not cooperating. I slogged through and in the end only hit 1 mile where I wanted to, and as soon as the Garmin chimed for the 5th mile I did something I’ve never done before. I stopped my watch and walked the last quarter mile home. I was miserable and just wanted to be done! It wasn’t until I was whining about it to J last night that it hit me….I was so caught up in hitting the pace that I had completely sucked the joy out of the run. I had kept using phrases like “I have to…” that morning, like it was some chore I needed to check off my to do list. Not a good recipe for success.

This morning I was eager to get back out on the road – not necessarily for “redemption” but just to cut loose and enjoy a run. I debated wearing my Garmin, but did throw it on promising myself that no matter what number flashed at me that this was to be a run purely on feel. I just let go – I didn’t think about “have tos” or “must dos” I just ran for the simple joy of being out for a run on a perfect fall morning. Yes, I did glance at my Garmin once or twice, but I stuck to my promise to just go by feel. And, when I was done I felt recharged…and the nice bonus was I’d run a faster 4 miles then I have in awhile.

While training plans and target paces are all valuable to help reach whatever goal you’ve set, it is so important to not forget to just run for the simple joy of a run!

Happy Running!
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Filed Under: choices, gift of running, goals

Lessons learned and training begins again

June 8, 2011 by 12 Comments

I’ve started training this week for the Providence Rock ‘n’ Roll Half! As you can imagine, I’ve been thinking a lot about my last race — both the training and the race itself. Where do I make changes? What do I tweak…or throw out?

A couple of things stand out for me….

  • Without question, I need to make a more dedicated effort to strength training, especially where my left leg is concerned. The imbalance between my quads and hamstrings is a major contributor to my knee woes. Additionally, my right leg is so dominant that it is throwing off my gait – especially when I start to get tired. In looking back at my training, I was understandably most focused on building the miles. While there was some strength training, to be honest it was both minimal and inconsistent. If I do not want a repeat performance of my left leg cashing it in shortly after mile 8, then I have to get serious about strengthening the leg!
  • I’ve got to figure out a hydration plan. All of my long runs leading up to the half were done in cool temps – I never carried water with me. Then bam, race day is hot and humid and I wasn’t use to taking in water while running and as a result I don’t think I managed the water stations as well as I could have. Obviously, no one expected those crazy temps then, but the Providence RnR is in August so heat and humidity is a given! In general I know I need to hydrate better, both on days I run as well as off days. But I also need to use my long runs to figure out a hydration strategy for the race.
  • I need to continue to work on pacing and not be afraid to push it. There were moments during my last training cycle where I’d be running and feeling good then glance at my Garmin and think “whoa is that really my pace, I’ve got to slow it down cause I’ll never make it to the end of the run.” In other words I’d psyche myself out! I realize it’s really easy to fall into this rut of thinking of yourself as an XX min/mile runner – I need to challenge myself to not fall into that rut.

So, now with a better mileage base, my goals leading up to the next race are to strengthen my legs (especially the left), learn to hydrate better and embrace a little speed! And I’m going back to posting my weekly plan because it helps to keep me accountable.

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For this week:
Monday — Yoga  (check)
Tuesday — Strength work (check)
Wednesday — Tempo run (4) (check)
Thursday — Yoga or Rest
Friday — Long run (6)
Saturday — Pilates reformer (counts for strength work)
Sunday — Easy 5

Happy Running!
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Filed Under: goals, Half marathon, hydration, left knee, pace, RnR, training