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Category: training

NYC Marathon 20 Mile Training Run

October 24, 2017

I wanted to get this run done and gain more confidence for the race.  I didn’t dwell too much on it prior to doing it and wanted to enjoy it.  It was the perfect day to get the 20 miles in and I can say that I feel much better about the race coming up; except for all of the unknowns of a new race location and the details in trying to get my family a good viewing location so I can see them.

Here are the stats of the run:

Nutrition

Breakfast was oatmeal
1 cups of caffeinated tea

Time of day

I began the run at 9:30 a.m. and finished at 2:30 p.m.

Weather

When I started it was 48 degrees and cloudless.  When I finished it was 59 degrees.  It was a really pretty day.

Fuel on the run

Around mile 5 I was starting to get doubts in my head so I figured I should take in some sugar.  I had two small packs of Skittles and started to eat some of the first pack.  Around mile 10 Kevin met me on the road and I had just finished up the last of my pretzel fish I had with me.  He had just gone to WalMart so I took some pretzels from the back of the car and he had a granola bar.

I ate the granola bar around mile 12.5.  I don’t know if I like those on the run.  I prefer the special bars that Another Mother Runner sent out in their swag bags.  I have them noted in an earlier training run post so I will have to research that and find some prior to the race.  They were easy on the stomach.

Gear

Adidas capris, hot pink sports bra with more support and no clips in the front and a long sleeve top.
I had no chaffing with these pants.

Pace

I walked a little sometimes; but maintained my 30/30 for almost the entire run.  At mile 18 my knee and hip started to tighten up.  I had to walk more and put on the knee brace to help with that area.  My route finished too short so I had to walk the last 19th mile all in the driveway.

20 mile run splits

Post Run

My hip was very sore after the run.  I took Tylenol so that the soreness would subside and that I would be able to sleep ok.  I had an appointment with my chiropractor for the following day.  So that was perfect to help release the tightness.  I also knew I was going to have to foam roll the area eventually to loosen up the tightness.  I had runner’s knees in both legs for a few hours the morning after.  No doubt I am going to feel sore after the race; but I shouldn’t have any major issues.

The Gouveia Vineyard on my 16 mile NYC Marathon training run

NYC Marathon 16 Mile Training Run

September 29, 2017

I had been struggling mentally with this run coning up. With a little over a month left until this race I know I need to get in two long training runs to get me up to 20 miles. I prefer to go further than that, but I haven’t had the time dedicated to the training for this race. But I used the Disneyland Half Marathon as upward momentum toward that mileage increase.   I didn’t worry too much about the run during the week; but I was waiting for the humid weather to break because I did not want to run another plasma run in the heat.  I wanted to enjoy the run.  Thankfully the day I ran the humidity was gone.

I had my breakfast, tea, gathered up my fuel for the run, loaded up my iPod with my favorite podcasts and hit the road.  I felt really good except for one thing, after mile 1 I really had to go pee.  I didn’t want to go in the woods and was hoping to see a port-a-potty somewhere along the way.  Eight miles into the run and I still wasn’t able to go.  I was going to have to take a detour from my original route and stop home to use the bathroom.  I had just 6 miles left to the run after the stop so I chose to modify my route to stay close to home.

Here are the stats of the run:

Nutrition

Breakfast was oatmeal
2 cups of caffeinated tea

Time of day

I began the run at 9:15 a.m.

Weather

It was 70 degrees, cloudless  and low humidity with a light breeze

Fuel on the run

I stopped home at mile 9 to use the bathroom and had 5 sips of cola and had a handful of pretzel fish. During the last 6 miles I had several skittles.

Gear

Under Armour running shorts, hot pink sports bra with more support and no clips in the front and a tank top.
Note:  these shorts cause me problems with chaffing if I stop and use the bathroom.

Pace

I walked a little on some of the big hills; but maintained my 30/30 for almost the entire run.  I had to pause for a few minutes to rescue two stray dogs so I walked a bit with the dogs and traffic around mile 8.5 But then I resumed my run.  I had to walk 3/4 mile to take a phone call.

16 mile run splits


Post Run

I felt fine after the run. Drank chocolate milk and had a turkey sandwich.   When I finished my run I definitely felt like I ran 16 miles but it wasn’t painful. My tips of my toes were very tender.

The day after the run I had very little soreness so I am feeling confident that i can maintain the training plan I have planned and will do great for the race!  I am finally starting to get excited about it.  I’ll have to check out the NYC marathon merchandise soon to find something to wear after the race for the train ride home.

10 miles NYC training run

NYC Marathon 10 Mile Training Run

August 29, 2017

I did it, I got a ten mile training run under my belt for the NYC marathon.  I also needed to get those miles in for the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend.  I hadn’t run more than ten miles since the Middletown Half Marathon back in April.

The struggle

The struggle to get to 10 miles has been quite real.  I have been going through a LOT of life stresses and was listening to the Another Mother Runner podcast, episode 273 and they mentioned how stress from life can have a major impact on your training.  As training is just as much mental as it is physical, when you are facing personal issues that affect your mental state of mind, it causes mental fatigue which also causes physical fatigue.

I have been trying very hard to be consistent with my workouts.  When it isn’t a short run day during the week, I get in my cross training with Beach Body Chalean Extreme videos.  However, my nutrition has not been very good this summer.  Meal planning and prep has gone out the window for me.  I was very consistent with it last year and lost 10 pounds.  Sadly, 5 of those pounds have crept back onto my body.  So I am starting a refresh to get back on track.  Doing this while the kids are back at school seemed logical since we are all trying to get back into a routine again.

Upcoming Races

I have the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend coming up this weekend.  I will be running the 5K, 10K and half marathon.  It isn’t ideal to get in a long run just a week before the races, but I needed that reassurance in my mind to get those miles under my feet.  The day after the run I felt fine so I am glad I got that training run done.  I don’t plan on running until the race weekend so I can give my legs a rest.  After the Disneyland Races I am not sure if I will register for any other races to use as training runs towards the NYC marathon.

The NYC Marathon

The NYC Marathon is just ten weeks away.  I learned this thanks to Facebook and quite frankly, that scares me.  I intended to get in a 20 mile run prior to that marathon.  I now have to pull out my calendar and see how I can realistically fit in long runs between now and then.  To be brutally honest, I did research yesterday to see the penalty for pulling out of the race.  The NYRR site states that you can cancel the 2017 race and if you want to run it in 2018 you have to register again and pay the fee again as well. So to be honest, it is now or never in my mind.

Run Stats

I went slow on this training run.  I took some more walk breaks and it did get warmer out since I went out later in the morning.  But I am still happy that the miles are under my feet.  The last mile I had to circle my driveway for half a mile so that dramatically affected my pace.  But I also have to remind myself that Jeff Galloway wants our training runs to be significantly slower so we can get the miles done and under our feet because they are “training miles”.

10-mile run stats

Newfound Lake

NYC Marathon 6 Mile Training Run

August 16, 2017

To follow my new format for logging my runs, I’ll report in with a longer run that I did during my vacation in New Hampshire.  I intend to get 10 miles in this weekend but I wanted to keep my general mileage higher so I went out for a 6 miles run.

Here are the stats of the run:

Nutrition

Breakfast was cereal with almond milk
1 cup of decaf tea

Time of day

I began the run at 11:50 a.m.

Weather

It was 75 degrees, overcast and 69% humidity with a light breeze along the lake

Fuel on the run

None

Gear

Under Armour running shorts, hot pink sports bra with more support and no clips in the front and a tank top.  New sneakers.

Pace

I walked a little on some of the big hills; but maintained my 30/30 for the entire run.

6 mile run splits

Post Run

I felt fine after the run.  Drank cold water, had a turkey sandwich and enjoyed time at the beach with the kids.  From time to time when I walk a certain way I do feel my right knee’s issue talking to me but it doesn’t affect my run.

When I finished my run I definitely felt like I could have gone farther.  Had I had water and a little fuel with me I think I could have done 10.

Some views from my run

How To Train for Running Injury Free

August 13, 2017

Antonio Williams, M.S., NASM, P.E.S, Case Management Specialist, Health Educator at Cigna has very helpful information to help you avoid injuries when training for races.  I made many of these mistakes when I was an early runner.

Cross Training

A mistake some runners make is not including strength training in their training program. That’s why I shared why cross training is important in my more recent post.  It is important to include this because the continuous pounding on the pavement fatigues your muscles.  Over time and as you increase your distance, this will force other muscles in your body to overcompensate.  When this happens, you can injure those muscles because they are doing work that your other muscles should be doing.  

Running is primarily a workout that uses your lower muscles like your legs, glutes, and hamstrings; but it is important to have a strong upper body as well to help you maintain good posture when you run.  This will ensure that you don’t injure your lower back and that your upper body can also help you run faster as you swing your arms to help move your legs faster. Running is more of a muscular endurance than muscular strength, so that is why it is important to include strength training into your routine.

My beach body

I have been doing the Beach Body exercise videos for a year and I have been very happy with the mixture of strength training with my running.  It also helps break up the week for me and I don’t feel guilty if I am not doing something on a day that I am not running.

Stretching/Yoga

Antonio says,

a lack of flexibility is the most common cause for injuries. Tight calves, hip flexors, IT bands (side of thigh), quadriceps, lats (back) and adductors (groin) all will put the runner at risk. These muscles are usually tight for people who have desk jobs or sit a lot.

I know this is the case for me because I sit often for work, I sit in my car to drive to and from work and when I am at home I try not to sit as much and get more motion and standing in for the day to make up for all the sitting I did.  I was doing yoga for a while and I found that every helpful.  I loved it for the meditation aspect just as much as I knew I was helping my body become more flexible.

Lack of flexibility affects speed

Antonio also states that a lack of flexibility may also alter proper running mechanics.  When this happens it will cause them to slow down because your muscles aren’t working with the efficiency needed for speed.  A lack of flexibility will cause certain muscles to work harder than others.

Strength Training

To help your body with the pounding on the pavement, Antonio recommends doing strength training two or three days a week.  Over time, your muscles won’t tire as quickly. You’ll be able to run further, faster and for longer durations.

 

Specific Stretches from Antonio Williams

Antonio has listed the following exercises as important to your fitness and training routine to help keep you limber:

Calf stretch

Put both hands against a wall with arms extended. Lean with one leg bent forward and the other leg extended back. Keep your knee straight and foot positioned forward. Push rear heel to floor (toe pointed straight ahead) and move hips slightly forward. Hold stretch. Repeat with opposite leg.

Back stretch

Kneel in front of a chair or stable surface. Place one hand on the surface and slowly lower chest toward the ground. Feel the stretch in your upper shoulder area around your armpit. Do not arch your lower back, and tighten your core as you lower your chest. Repeat on opposite side.

Quad stretch

Kneel with one knee on a padded mat and your other foot positioned forward. Place back foot onto a stable surface like a bench. Slowly drive hip forward and squeeze glute on the same side as the quad being stretched. Hold stretch. Repeat with opposite side.

Groin stretch

Stand next to a stable, knee-high surface. Place your foot on the surface and slowly reach your hand toward your feet. Feel the stretch in the groin area of your leg on the surface. Keep both toes straight ahead, as feet may have a tendency to point outward. Do not shift hips toward leg on the surface. Repeat on opposite leg.

I hope these fitness tips will help you as you are getting closer to the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend.  But you can also use this tips for all races you are doing.  If you are training for the runDisney Dopey Challenge, Goofy Challenge, full marathon, half marathon, 10K, or 5K in January of 2018 these tips will also be get to know as you prepare for these much longer distances.

Floyds 5K Potato and Corn Festival Race

Tips For A Successful Running Program

August 7, 2017

When I started running 6 years ago, I did so many things wrong.  This weekend I was at the location of my very first race, the Potato and Corn Festival 5K course.  It is a cross country course that winds along the outer area of a hay field in North Branford.  My dad likes to tell people that the little 5K race in North Branford created a marathon runner!

At the time I didn’t know I would become a marathon runner, but I did get bit by the running bug and signed up for just about every race I could find within my area for those upcoming months.  There were some challenges I faced as a new runner though.  I did all the wrong things new runners should do.  I started too much too soon, ended up with very painful shin splints and ended up taking some time off from running to heal.

Here are some tips for a successful running program for beginners

Antonio Williams, M.S., NASM, P.E.S, Health Engagement Consultant, a #CignaHealthCoach, shares three tips to help you make your running program successful. Try adding strength training, flexibility training and speed training to your program to decrease your time, help prevent injuries and train your muscles to reach the finish line.  He shares the importance of cross training and how that helps your muscles endure the stress from running.

He also shares the importance of flexibility and speed training.  If you want to be a faster runner you have to run faster.  Sounds silly; but it’s a fact.  You have to train your body to know what that feels like.

Mistakes I made

  • You have to start off slow and build up when running.  I ran all out all the time when I first started.  I wanted to get faster, fast.
  • Don’t run every single day.  I couldn’t get enough of it.  I was addicted to the feeling running gave me.  But it’s important to mix in cross training.
  • Follow a program.  I didn’t know about Jeff Galloway’s training until six months after I began running.  I found him through a podcast.  His run/walk/run method is what led me to finish eight marathons.

Hopefully these tips will help motivate you to begin running or to change up your training to avoid injury and train smarter.

 

Cross Training

Do You Cross-Train To Help Your Running?

August 5, 2017

Do you cross train to help your running?  I didn’t used to once I first started running.  But for the past year I have incorporated it into my weekly workouts and have found it to help me stay injury free and stronger.

Briane Agostinelli, BS, CEP, CWP, CPPC – Health Advocate, Consumer Health Engagement,
ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist I NWI Certified Wellness Practitioner from Cigna explains the benefits of cross training.

Six benefits of cross-training

Improved skills, agility, speed and balance

Increased strength and flexibility

Greater aerobic fitness by including nonimpact aerobic exercise in your routine to develop other muscles without increasing your risk for injury

Injury prevention

Runner’s injuries are frequently caused by instability or inadequate strength. With strength training and stretching, these injuries  may be greatly reduced.

Variety and flexibility to your routine

Reducing boredom, burnout, and if there is a change in plans you and your workout can adjust

The types of cross training I do

Last year I started using the Beach Body exercise programs.  I fell in love with doing video exercises in my cool basement in 30 minute segments.  They were intense, they were very targeted to the type of body part I wanted to focus on and they kept me from becoming bored!  I wanted to do multiple workouts in a day; but knew I had to be careful not to burn myself out.  But I still do them, a year later and I enjoy them just as much as day one.  I like them because they help me with my glutes and hamstrings which are areas that tend to get weak on me and then become more prone to injury.  I also like that I am working out my upper body because that helps me hold a better posture for running.

Cross training is also helpful in strengthening your muscles which will also make you run faster. Who doesn’t want that?!  With less than a month to go for the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend you can still incorporate some cross training to your routine.  Especially during the taper period.  This way you will still feel like you are doing something for yourself as you may be putting in less miles.

Do you cross train?  What is your favorite program to use?

7 Mile Training Run for NYC

NYC Marathon 7 Mile Training Run

August 1, 2017

I am starting a new format to log my training runs so I can look back on them to identify successes and not so successful elements related to the training run. This week in increased my mileage a bit and got up to 7 miles on a long run for the weekend.

Here are the stats of the run:

Nutrition

Breakfast was 3 pieces of light wheat bread as french toast
1 cup of tea

Time of day

I began the run at 1:30 p.m.

Weather

It was 79 degrees and full sun with a slight breeze, very low humidity

Fuel on the run

One water bottle and my family met me at mile 4 with an additional water bottle.  I drank some and poured some on my head.

Gear

Skirt Sport and a tank top.  Note:  the skirt sport started to chafe around the last mile.  That will either require me to use Glide or choose something else to wear when I run longer distances.

Pace

I walked a little extra here and there; but maintained my 30/30 for the entire run.

 Post Run

I felt fine after the run.  I went to the farm and walked up the fields (approx 1.5 miles) in the sun.  Very little soreness the next day.  Mostly felt a little sore in the hip flexors.

Overall I was satisfied with this run.  After mile 4 I felt like I was getting into a groove.  I stayed on the roads that were shady and was pleased to get in a little more mileage with the walk at the farm as well – some cross training.

I hope to continue with this increase a little bit more each week/weekend.

What Can’t I Get To The Double Digits

July 27, 2017

I don’t know why this is such a challenge for me; but I am struggling with getting up to the double digits when it comes to my training for the NYC marathon. I should be past this mark by now; but life has been a bit busy and I haven’t been able to, and I have been also reluctant to.

I should have taken advantage of the colder weather we had earlier in the week.  It was 60 degrees and we were wearing long pants and sweatshirts!  But I wasn’t available to get out there for it.  I finally was able to put aside a longer lunch to get in my 5 mile run this week.

Remember the Jeff Galloway Fundamentals

I had to think back to the beginning of when I started training for my first marathon.  Jeff Galloway recommends that training runs are run at a pace that is significantly slower than your race pace.  The purpose of the training runs is to get the miles under your feet.  It’s not about how fast you run those miles.  That is, if your goal is to finish the marathon and don’t have a specific time you want to finish it with.

That is my goal for the NYC marathon.  I want to finish it, I want to enjoy it, and I took that advice to heart and put the miles in and ran it slower. I’m going to get to that 10 mile run and review the training calendar that I keep purposely ignoring so I can see how far off track I am from the plan that I made for myself.  Then it’s time to get serious.  I have to remember what happened at the Marine Corps Marathon and respect the distance.  November seems far away; but really, it’ll be here before I know it.

5 mile splits

18 Weeks Until The NYC Marathon

July 3, 2017

Well, it’s coming closer than I thought!  There are just 18 weeks until the NYC marathon!  I had to get out on the road and start putting in some miles.  We were away last week and I took that time off from working out and running; but was on my feet a lot while walking through the Disney Parks.  So while I wasn’t running, I did get some mileage on my feet.

When we returned home from our trip I got back into my video workout routines and started running again.  My latest longest distance is now 6.5 miles.  It scares me to think that I have to increase that mileage back into the double digits, especially during the summer hours.

I got out on the road Sunday afternoon past noon and it was H-O-T!  At that point it was 92 degrees.  I made sure to make a water bottle with ice, brought my Dr. Cool cooling cloth and stayed in the shade on the road as much as possible.  I used my 30/30 intervals.  And if I was getting too warm I poured ice water on my head and my towel and walked an interval longer to be safe.

I was happy with my progress.  My speed wasn’t fast; but I wanted the miles to increase from my previous run which was 4 miles on Friday.  I don’t feel any affects from running in the heat and my legs feel fine so I’ll continue with my Beach Body workouts to help keep my hamstrings and glutes strong and will hopefully increase the mileage again along with my confidence.

This is the reason why I started my blog in the first place.  I wanted to use it as a diary for my running progress and to help me look back on past training to see what worked and what didn’t work.  I do recall that with every marathon I begin to increase my mileage for, I always get nervous when I have to get back up to the double digits; but I always do fine.  It’s a mental challenge more than anything else.

So with 18 weeks to go, I have no interest in rushing my summer away counting down the weeks; but I will put in my time and I want to have a very strong NYC marathon experience.

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