September 2020 – Run Read Repeat

Marathon Training Week 9

Less than a month until the Virtual NYC. Feeling good, but I also still can’t believe I’m really going to run 26.2 miles all by myself!!

Monday- September 21

My goal each week is to focus on my key effort for the week on Monday. That way I know that the rest of the week I can be flexible and make up the miles any way that suits my schedule. Now that I’ve added substitute teaching into the mix it’s even more important to get those key efforts done on days I know that I’m not subbing.

Monday morning after drop off I didn’t have enough time to get my run done before having to bring Ruby to the vet to get her stitches removed. So that meant I wasn’t going to get to run until closer to 11:00. Key effort for the week SPEED WORK. While speed work remains one of my less favorite things to do, it’s definitely growing on me. This week is 1 mile warm up, 800×8 at 8:00 per mile pace, 400 at 10:00 per mile pace in between and then another 1 mile cool down. Total number of miles run 8. While it was work, it felt like a huge accomplishment to start the week.

Tuesday-September 22

Remember when I said getting the key run done early in the week was important because I never know when I’m going to sub. Well, that’s good because I subbed today. Which mean I got up before the sun- ran three miles on the treadmill and managed to get 20 minutes of arms and core work done too. Again, the flexibility of the plan is key to get the word done around the time available. I’ve never had a lot of time to get my workouts in- but to do it before getting the boys to school and subbing means extra early mornings.

Wednesday-September 23

No subbing today so I’m running after I drop the boys off at school. That means no time pressure to get my run done and I can go longer and enjoy being outside. My Garmin struggled to find the GPS tower and was then all messed up when I was done. Basically, it suggested I had run for 24 hours. It was a mess. The run however was amazing. A friend called around mile three and I learned that I can run and talk on the phone at the same time. I have no idea what it really sounded like on her end (i.e. was there a lot of deep breathing?) but I didn’t look at my watch once and had some of my fastest splits because I was totally distracted. A great outdoor run for 5.6 miles.

Thursday-September 24

You’ll notice I’m always in a headband- this one is one of my favorites. Have you tried Sweaty Bands? Take a look in my favorite things for more on Sweaty Bands.

Planning ahead with today’s run…translation I’m subbing tomorrow so I need to run longer today to switch out the runs. I had originally planed to run three miles but instead made it five. I was also knee deep in holiday prep so I didn’t go to run until after 11:00. While overall it was a good run, it didn’t feel nearly as good as the day before. But you know what? Not every run is going to feel perfect. Each run and every mile is important. There are so many factors coming at us each and every day that can change how a run feels. No need to focus on the runs that don’t feel perfect- just be happy to get the run done!

Friday- September 25

It’s a subbing day! Which means I was up at 5:00 AM to get on the treadmill before heading out the door to school. Back to watching Bosch Amazon. I’m almost out of episodes!! Eeek. I’ll have to find something else to distract me on the treadmill until the next season is released. I cranked out the Rock n Roll Philadelphia 5K to start my day. Boom. Run steak is up to 126 days and counting!

Saturday-September 26

Rock n Roll 10K on the agenda for today. It’s warmer and definitely humid- yuck! I much rather run with a chill in the air. Half way through my run my stomach was not happy. I’m not particularly sure why but I had to make a decision with two miles left- head home and to the bathroom or push through the run. I opted to head home. I literally ran into the house. Boys “you’re back.” Me: “But I’m not done- heading back out!” After a quick visit at home I was back out to finish up my mileage and feeling much better. This is why I create crazy routes that allow me to never be more than a mile and a half from home.

Sunday-September 27

Rest day- right? Nice and easy two miles to finish up a little over the target of 32 miles for the week. Total distance on the week 33.1. Total distance for the year 932.7 miles on the year. I’m ahead of pace for my new target goal of 1255 miles and feeling good!

Week 10 of Marathon training is up next. Stay tuned as I tackle my longest training run to date 20 miles!!

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I run for those who can’t! I run to #endalz.

Marathon training-week 8

It’s hard to believe that my virtual marathon is just a little over one month away!! So far, training has been going well. Other than some moderate hip pain I’m feeling good. I’m also still continuing my running streak that started way back at Memorial Day!!

Monday- September 14

Well, the boys are both back in school physically so I had a choice to make…do I continue getting up at 4:30/5:00 in the morning to run or do I run after I drop them off at school?? I’m not going to lie the extra early mornings for the last two weeks were definitely taking a toll. So I opted to run after I dropped them off. By running after drop off I can run outside vs. on the treadmill. Not that I mind the treadmill but with fall temperatures coming why not take advantage of running outside?? With my key run already done for the week over the weekend this week is filled with a number of 3-6 mile runs. Monday started out as a five mile run and I finished up closer to six. It felt good to be outside and to not have the time pressure of getting done and racing into the shower and out the door for school.

In a weird change of events my left hip is now feeling sore vs. my right hip. I’ll do a better job of stretching this week with my new found time. I also broke out a new pair of shoes. I realized I needed another pair in rotation or I was going to need a new pair right before the marathon. While I haven’t had to break in my New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v10 I still wouldn’t want to take them out of the box and run 26.2. That said they were perfection for today’s run, so I probably could take them out of the box and run a marathon!

Tuesday- September 15

Back outside for another great run. I wasn’t sure how far I was going to go when I went out the door anywhere from 3-5 miles. Finished up with a nice five mile run. I love the fact that the air is a little bit cooler. It adds pep to my running step!! Finished off the morning with a solid 35 minutes of lifting. Strength training is so important, especially as the miles continue to increase. Still have that moderate hip pain. I’m keeping an eye on it and making sure to add some stretching.

Wednesday, September 16

Oh my my hamstrings and hips are super tight. Rather than run first, I started with 30 minutes of Yoga for Runners to loosen everything up before heading out the door. By modifying my schedule to run after I drop the boys off for school I’ve truly been able to take advantage of the beautiful weather. To keep things fresh I mixed up the route again today. I’m continually amazed at how many different distance combinations I can get by altering the route just a bit from my house. Another solid five mile run.

Thursday, September 17

Thursdays mean I should run and strength train. But truth be told I tweaked something in my back on Wednesday so I kept it to just a run. A nice and easy 3.1 outside. A whole week of beautiful weather has lead to lots of extra outside time!

Friday, September 18

Early, early run this morning. After learning late Thursday night that I was subbing at school on Friday I knew I wanted to get my run done before school. Schedule called for 5 miles but based upon timing I completed 4. No big deal- that’s the beauty of a flexible schedule. At this point in the week I have 23 miles done and 7 miles to go to meet my 30 miles for the week. So I’ll just add a mile to Saturday or Sunday and I’m set. Back on the treadmills for a 5:00 AM run. But that also meant I was back with Bosch Amazon!! Watching Bosch on my iPad has been a game changer for my time on the treadmill. It seems to fly by.

Saturday, September 19

Truth be told on Friday after school I was a whole new level of tired. I wasn’t even sure going to bed early was going to do the trick to allow me to get my five miles in on Saturday morning. But ah the beauty of a good night’s sleep. I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to go! It was COLD. As in temperatures in the 40s in the morning. This is my sweet spot for temperature when I run. While it’s a little cold to get started once you warm up it’s perfection. I was feeling extra motivated because I got to wear my new Alzheimer’s Association Team shirt for my run. With four weeks to go before my virtual marathon- channeling my inner why is KEY!

Sunday, September 20

Sunday runs are nearly always my short runs. It’s my “rest” day after all. So a quick two miler to keep my running streak going. 121 days and counting!!

Week in review

Early in the week my hips were tight and bothering me. This is likely because of a 36 mile week last week, including a 14 mile run. I was careful to continued strength training but also stretching to help loosen up my hamstrings and hips. By the end of the week I was fortunately feeling relief. It’s hard to believe that the marathon is now less than a month away. Must stay healthy and avoid injury!! Looking ahead the week of September 21 brings more speed work as the key effort and the week of the 28th a 20 mile run!!

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A reminder: I run for those who can’t! I run to #endalz.

Marathon Training Week 7

The weeks are definitely flying by as the training progresses. Running last week’s 12 miler as a race was a major effort-it’s back to tempo runs, training runs, speed work but no more racing until virtual race day.

Monday- September 7

Well, it was a BUSY week and weekend full of back to school and birthday celebrations. In addition to being all around tired on Monday morning I was dealing with a migraine. Fortunately, it was Labor Day so I had a little bit of flexibility with timing my run. So while I’m normally an up and done with my run kind of gal that wasn’t the case for the speed work scheduled for today. Instead I ran midday which is highly unusual. My right hip and calf were tight so I wasn’t quite sure my body was going to be up to speed work. However, after my one mile warm up I was ready to rock and roll. 800×6 at 8 minutes a mile with an easy quarter mile in between each to recover, followed by a one mile cool down was apparently just what I needed. With nearly 7 miles under my belt I felt better and was ready to continue to tackle the week.

Tuesday- September 8

Back to rising before the sun to get my workouts done before school. Continuing with my routine of strength training on Tuesday and Thursday mornings after a 2 mile warm up. I followed my easy two with 30 minutes of arms with Tracey Steen, Move Daily Fitness. I used my Terra-Core in conjunction with weights to also work my core. My box also got used. I love that as soon as it became clear that we were going to be home indefinitely in March that I slowly but surely stocked up on the things I would need to continue strength training at home!!

Wednesday-September 9

Most of the runs this week are easy miles as I’m doing a virtual half, which is really going to be 14 miles on Sunday. So today was an easy three. I was feeling some tightness in my pesky right hip when I finished so I added twenty minutes of yoga for runners when I was done running.

Thursday- September 10

Another early morning treadmill run. As I’m consciously trying to have at least two days of easy two mile runs with strength training I began my 5:30 with my run. Followed it up by twenty minutes of arms and core. Arms and core are my go to for strength training since I’m using my legs for so many miles!

Friday-September 11

Moment of truth…both boys are back physically in school today. So the question is do I still get up at 5:00 AM and run or wait until after I drop them off?? I have a whole bunch of errands that I want to run so I still get up early. If I didn’t have a fourteen mile run planned for September 12 I would have run 9.11 miles in honor of September 11th. Instead, I ran 9.11km which equates to 5.66 miles. My schedule had originally planned for three miles but it was important to me to somehow physically honor those who had lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

Saturday- September 12

Fourteen mile run today!! This was also a virtual Half Marathon with my Alzheimer’s Association teammates who were all slated to run the NYC marathon this year. While we are all over the country it was fun to come together to channel our why and run “together.”

The goal of the run…1) practice nutrition, 2) practice hydration, 3) work on putting together a longer route to build up to 26.2 miles and most important trying to set a pace at 9:00 – 9:10 minutes per mile. While the first year or so of my return to running saw me working diligently on bringing down my per mile pace it seems so counterintuitive to me to work on slowing down. Nevertheless, I know that I cannot maintain my normal pace for a full 26.2 miles and need to slow it down so I can go the distance.

Temperatures were ten or so degrees warmer than last week for the 12 mile run and with more than 90% humidity. While it was only in the mid sixties the air felt heavy! But I was good to go- my Spibelt was loaded with water an my Huma Gels and water. I’m not going to lie, working on trying to keep my pace slower was hard. Not only that but I dropped one of my gels along the way so I only had one for the entire run. Granted, I ate a good breakfast before I left but I certainly could have used that extra gel around mile 9. This was my longest consecutive run to date. I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll say it again- so much of running is mental. Mentally, when I run long distances I count down how many miles I have left vs. how many miles I’ve completed. I always find the miles above ten to be harder for some reason. So I worked my way from 14 to 10. Awesome, because normally when I get to four miles I feel like I can run for forever. My pacing was till faster than I would have liked but it was manageable. Mile 5 I decided to take some nutrition. That’s when I also discovered that I was missing one. Live and learn to plan better for storage! Mentally the next big marker for the run was mile 7 because it was the half way point. Then getting to mile 9 with only five miles to go and finally getting to 12.5 because that’s the home stretch.

In the end I had a good run, but it wasn’t nearly as great as the week before. That said I learned a good deal about needing more nutrition, putting electrolytes in one of my water bottles and slowing the heck down a bit! PS this fourteen mile run was actually the key run for the week beginning with September 14. However, with following the concept of least effective dose to training I opted not to run 13.1 over the weekend and then do a 14 mile run during the week. So technically, this was a double dip run.

Sunday- September 13

It’s my “off” day. Translation- I ran two miles at an easy pace to continue my run streak that is now up to 114 days. I’m not sure when it will stop. Actually I’m pretty sure it will be on October 18, the day AFTER I become a marathoner!

So that is week seven in a nutshell! Moving onto week eight with my key run already done! That means I’ll make up the thirty miles for the week with a variety of distances.

Save the date- October 17 is the day I’m planning to run my 26.2!!

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Amazing time to join Zyia Active!

While I normally only share about running over here on this blog- Zyia Active is all that I wear to workout and for the last six months what I wear all of the time. I became a rep over a year ago and this special is too good not to share! While any time is a great time to join the Zyia family this month you are going to get even more bang for your buck. Let’s take a look at what you get for the $295 cost:

First of all is your kit. There’s a men’s and women’s sign up kit. We will first take a look at the women’s kit as of September 9, 2020. But do not fret if your kit looks slightly different. Kits are continually updated to include the latest staple items that are not only popular but a great representation of the variety of products offered by Zyia Active.

The Starter Kit Includes:

$50 Business Tools: Catalogs, Brochures, Order Forms, & Stickers

Two $100 Gift Cards

ZYIA-X Mesh Hat ($18 value)

White Bomber Bra ($31 value)

Lemon Nimbus Split Back Tank ($32 value)

Black Bomber Jacket ($69 value)

Black Pocket Light n Tight Hi-Rise 7/8 24″ ($65 value)

That’s $215 in products plus another $200 in gift certificate for you to select the items of your choosing, and $50 worth of business tools for a total of $465. The cost to join is $295. So, let’s say you see purchasing an enrollment kit as an amazing opportunity to build your own business- amazing this is an awesome deal making now an incredible time to join. But, let’s just say you LOVE Zyia Active and you want to get more Zyia Active at the representative discount. Amazing, now is a great time to enroll because for $295 you are going to get $215 in amazing staple products and supplies along with another $200 of the PRODUCTS YOU WANT that you choose!! So you’re coming out ahead. Maybe you build it into a business with the support of our AMAZING team or maybe you use this as a chance to shop at a discount and do some holiday shopping for friends and family.

Let’s take a look to see what the Men’s Enrollment Kit includes:

The Starter Kit Includes:

$50 Business Tools: Catalogs, Brochures, Order Forms, & Stickers

Two $100 Gift Cards

Men’s Navy Reef Block Shorts ($45 value)

Men’s Navy Performance Hoodie ($55 value)

Men’s Red Versatility Short ($49 value)

Men’s Black ZZZ Hat ($23 value)

Men’s Navy Clubhouse Belt ($16 value)

Men’s Navy Traveler Pant 31″ ($98 value)

For the $295 cost of the enrollment kit you are getting- $200 in gift certificates to select the items of your choosing; $286 in pre-selected, versatile products that give you a true sense of the depth of options from Zyia Active and $50 in business supplies. So that comes out to $536 in product and materials for $295. Again this is such an amazing value before even taking a look at the support you get if you are interested in building a business. I always say that even if you think you just want to sign up for the discount- at the very least host a party for yourself. Share products you love with your friends and family. You’ll have the chance to earn back part of your initial investment all while also earning hostess rewards.

The next thing you get is support, guidance, and training from me and our amazing team!

If building a business if your desire, there are trainings, support and a fantastic community. Come check us out over on Instagram. You literally can make it what you will- you can shop at a discount or you can build a business- you decide! Whichever route you chose you are not alone!!

Questions?? Email me today! Ready to enroll? Join now!

Marathon training week six and a virtual race!

Week six of marathon training began in August and finished up in the first week of September. Generally, my preference is to run my key run, or the most important training effort of the week at the beginning of the week. However, this week was different for a number of reasons: 1) Back to school, 2) my son’s birthday and 3) a virtual 12 mile race on Saturday. While I didn’t run my key effort until Saturday, I managed to set a good routine and maintain it during the week despite all the other things going on.

Monday- August 31

The start of the week brought a touch of Fall like temperatures. While sunrise isn’t until 6:30 ish I was up and ready to hit the pavement as soon as it was bright enough to be safe. While it was the beginning of the week, but the end of the month I had a particular month goal that I wanted to hit with my morning run. The cooler temps were amazing for my nearly 6.5 mile run. After doing so many runs on the treadmill getting some outside time felt good!

Tuesday- September 1

Today, I was back on the treadmill and super early. It’s my son’s birthday so I wanted to get my run and strength training done before he got up. He of course had a different plan and woke up half a mile into my run. Today was supposed to just be a two mile run- continue the steak day. But I ran the half a mile. Greeted the birthday boy. He got to see all the fun Harry Potter decorations and then he joined me downstairs for the rest of my run and lifting. Rather than do two miles I finished up with 2.5 and then did twenty minutes of core and arm work to finish up the morning.

Wednesday- September 2

First day of school!! This is important because it means I need to run, shower, do all the first day of school picture excitement etc. and leave the house by 7:30. Challenge accepted. I coined today’s run five at 5:00 as I was up at 5:00 to run five miles. Solid, easy paced treadmill run before the back to school fun.

Thursday- September 3

My goal this week has been to get my workout in and get showered before the boys get up. Thursday’s schedule called for a two mile run to continue my run streak and then strength training. I’m working diligently not to let the strength training go by the wayside as the mileage increases and the back to school schedule gets crazy. Mission accomplished. Up at 5:00 again. Two miles check. Twenty minutes of arms with Tracey Steen of Move Daily Fitness and in the shower by 6:15 AM.

Friday- September 4

Run streak day 105!! As I have a twelve mile virtual race tomorrow, the plan was for a nice and easy three miles on the treadmill. I enjoyed some more Bosch on Amazon Prime and got my run done. Slowing down my pace on the treadmill runs has been key. I’ve been more focused on stretching and listening to my body to hopefully remain injury free. Ready to start the day.

Saturday- September 5

Virtual race day!! The Charles Street 12 was my first BIG race in 2019. I hadn’t run more than a 5K in…hmmm… 20 plus years. When the race turned virtual this year, I knew I still had to do it because it kick started my desire to run longer distances. Conveniently the key run this week for my training plan was a 12 mile run so this was a two for one run! When I woke up on Saturday morning the weather was perfection. With temperatures in the mid to high 50s and moderate humidity it was a beautiful day to run! I’ve gotten much better about eating before my longer runs and taking in some water. So I got up with plenty of time to eat and digest before hitting the road. Out the door by 7:30 AM.

Funny story about the Charles Street 12 from last year. I had estimated my finish time to be 1:57. Instead I came in closer to 1:52. So that meant my cheering section wasn’t ready for me and I called out to them as I was approaching the finish line. This year, my goal was 1:42 or approximately 8:35 per mile. That’s been my average mile pace for half marathons so I figured that made sense for a 12 mile run. However, over the last 18 months I’ve learned that I’m a cooler weather runner. Cooler temperatures (honestly the cooler the better) agree with me and make it much easier for me to run. The temperatures in the 50s clearly agreed with me after so much heat and humidity this summer and instead of 8:35 a mile I averaged 8:14 a mile and finished in 1:38:45. While not the same course as last year, I’ll happily take a 14 minute improvement in time.

Overall, I felt great during the run. I did begin to experience some hip pain about half way through. But it wasn’t anything that wasn’t manageable. My right hip has given me problems off and on. I’m acutely aware of it and continue to try to loosen my hamstrings and strengthen my core and glutes to take the pressure off my hip.

My cheering section created a finish line for me to run through and were waiting to cheer me on and give me my medal upon completion. Family support is amazing and means so much to me as I continue to train for the marathon!

Sunday–September 6

Truth be told, I ran the twelve miler like a race and not like a training run. I was feeling it a bit on Sunday morning. My right calf was sore and the week was really catching up with me. Sunday runs are normally my shorter and easier days just to keep the streak going so I laced up and went out for a one mile out and back (two mile total) run. Once I warmed up a bit I felt great and I was glad to get the run in before the birthday party celebration!

Review/Looking ahead

While overall I’m feeling good, I’m not struggling with the mileage I need to begin focusing on marathon pace for runs. Running a half marathon and running a marathon are two completely different things. The additional time of effort and overall mileage does strange things to our bodies. In an effort to make the marathon day go as smoothly as possible I’m going to begin slowing the pace down for tempo runs to more like 9 minutes a mile. For the week of September 7 the key effort is a speed workout. But for the week after, week of September 14 it’s a 14 mile run. However, the Alzheimer’s Team for the NYC Marathon is doing a virtual Half Marathon on Sunday, September 13. Since I would normally do my key run on that Monday the 14th I’m moving it up one day to the 13th. This will be the first run where I intentionally focus on tempo rather than running it like a race. A marathon is more than the 26.2 but rather all the miles leading up!!

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