March 2015

03/31/2015
by She's Going the Distance 9 Comments

Running Favorites!

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 3m 4 x 400s (all @ 5:39/pace)

I ended my 8 X 400s workout early today because my legs are still not recovered from the 14 miler I did Sunday. Sometimes you need to take an extra rest day after a tough workout. Easy to make that choice when stiff legs and slight pain in the outside of my knee says stop. (No worries, on my way to the chiro now to have him work his magic.) Hopefully i’ll get back to redo that workout Thursday. I’ll show those 400s who’s boss. And sidenote: i’m gonna pat myself on the back for being smart enough not to push through pain….even though I really wanted to finish the workout.

(source)

Sarah over at Irish Runner Chick tagged me to answer a couple of questions about my running favorites. This is way more fun than me talking about DNF’ing a workout 🙂

1) Location: Trail, Road, or Indoors?

I honestly don’t think i’ve ran enough on trails to say I like them more than asphalt paths, but one day i’m sure i’ll run hundreds of miles on the dirt and fall in love! Roads right now, trails in the future, death before the treadmill & decaf.

2) Time of Day: Morning, Noon, or Evening?

Noon. I’m a strange, middle-of-the-day, type person. I get everything done between 9-5 like a job. I like sleeping in and going to bed early. Hell, i just like sleeping. What else is there to do when you’re not running?

3) Weather: Sunshine, Mild or Hot?

Sunshine. I joke all the time that i’m solar powered. Or that I’d like a large collection of sunglasses. Either way.

InstaCori

4) Fuel: Before, After, and sometimes during?

Lately I’ve been fasting before morning workouts/runs (i’ll do a blog post soon about it). Only during long runs (8+ miles) do I take in fuel & I ALWAYS refuel after a workout within the recommended 30 minute timeframe.

5) Accessories: Music, Watch & More?

Garmin Forerunner 10 always, music if it’s over 5 miles, FlipBelt if I need Honey Stinger packets & phone/keys, sunglasses to look cool/save myself from wrinkles… I think that’s it?

6) Rewards: Food, Wine, or …?

When It’s cold out, Coffee. In the summer it’s an ice cold beer. Sunday was kinda in the middle and I had a chocolate peanut butter porter…Sweet Baby Jesus! This is definitely my favorite name for a beer, and it tastes AMAZING. I’m not a stout or porter person, but this beer is perfection.

7) Type of run: Long, tempo, intervals, hill repeats, progression, or recovery/easy?

Tempos. They are most challenging to me and I feel accomplished when it’s done.

Now it’s your turn! Running Out of Wine, Run Salt Run, Run for the Pizza, Blog About Running, Running Around the Bend, Lily Runs the World, Ms Katie Blaze

Answer a question or two from the list!

What else do you want to know about me?

03/30/2015
by She's Going the Distance 8 Comments

A New State!

Monday: Rest

After the Run for Haiti 5K last week, i was mentally exhausted! Goes to show that running is just as physical as it is mental. I was wiped out. I took a few extra rest days from running then got right back to planning next races & places. (One thing CrossFit Endurance–the training plan i’m following–promotes is the idea that their programs can keep you at 95% top shape so you can race more often without “peaking” or only banking on a peak week in your training. With this is mind I’m not afraid to race more frequently).

Lacrosse ball in hand for some massage torture

The Cherry Blossom 10 Miler is in 12 more days! And I’m excited to run my very first 10 Miler (hello, automatic PR!). Shortly after I will be trying another 5K or two in hopes I can break through the 20 minute barrier! Now onto the new news of the newest state i’ll be running in.

Delaware!

I have a bucket list goal of running a race (any distance) in each state. It will give me an opportunity to visit new cities, run different terrain & meet new people. On May 10th I will be running the half marathon in Wilmington, Delaware, putting a new state under my belt and giving me a starting point to measure fitness and begin planning out a training schedule for a fast fall half marathon!

One state at a time

I’m so excited to be running this race because it’s a small field, about 3500 runners and is said to be Delaware’s largest, oldest & biggest running festival. Wilmington is less than 2 hours from DC and just a short ride from Baltimore, just outside of Philly. The race is pretty flat and runs along the Delaware River & beautiful parks. If you’d like to run in the full or half use promo code GOLDSGYM for a $10 discount which will make the 1/2 $65 and the full $85. <—Super cheap entry for a local race that i’ve heard nothing but good things about! This race is on pace to sell out in the next two weeks, so if you buy in let me know and let’s meet up!!

You can register for the race here! http://www.delawaremarathon.org/registration/

from last week’s run

Weekly Recap

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 5.2m easy 9:21/pace

Wednesday: 20 min shoulders/triceps

Thursday: CFE 5 Rounds: 500m row, 20 Kettlebell Swings, 20 Kettlebell Lunge Pass Through, 20 Knees to Chest Sit Ups, 20 min core.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: 14m easy 8:08/pace

Total Miles: 19.2

How many states have you run in?

Anyone ever ran in Delaware before?

03/24/2015
by She's Going the Distance 12 Comments

Run for Haiti 5K Recap!

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 5.2m easy 9:21/pace

If you follow me on Instagram you already know the outcome of Sunday’s 1st attempt at a sub 20:00 5k!

There’s not a whole lot to say about the race (cause 5ks are a whirlwind) except it felt as good as a 5k can feel. It was hard, yet bearable. I held back the first mile, pushed through the 2nd and gave everything I had in the 3rd and still managed to kick the last 400m. I paced myself as best I could for the given day. We had a ton of that mean wind again (10mph, 28mph gusts), and the course was nothing but rolling hills except for the start & finish which was on a high school track.

That picture was of the last few hundred feet and me squinting to read the clock. I finished in 20:51, 3rd overall female and 1st in my age group.

A few things I did differently during the race than my previous 5ks: I warmed up for 20 minutes. I made sure I was pushing during the entire race. If I felt like I was taking a breather or my foot was on the ground too long, I just picked up the pace! Kept saying to myself, “Forward, move forward” or “pick up your feet, keep moving.” One thing that really got my motivation sparked was this saying I found on Instagram the night before:

I literally repeated “You can stop when your done” out loud and to myself when I felt like I wanted to quit. Which suprisingly didn’t come around often. These mantras & positive thinking tools were actually on my side this time, which makes me even more excited for running longer distances. Plus, I was on a mission. There wasn’t time to waste! Instead of going into this race expecting the worst, I wanted only positive thoughts and planned for the best outcome with the reality that the best outcome was going to hurt and be uncomfortable.

Now I know you might think, I’m usually upset with myself after a race I didn’t hit goal on. Usually you’d see the Mackayla Maroney meme of her not “impressed” face, but honestly, i knew going into this race i’d run between a 20:30-20:55. I’d never understood how elite runners and coaches can predict race times so closely but I totally get it now. And in another 4-8 weeks I’ll shoot for a sub 20 5k because i know how many more weeks it will take to drop time, based on the previous training log.

Based on all previous training logs a very awesome meal & adult drinks are part of the recovery. First this lady & her man met me at McCormick & Schmidt’s Grill.

Emmeline & Joe!

Breakfast included us all splitting donuts & berries:

I ordered eggs benedict & also got some sort of chicken with eggs thing. I can’t remember, I was so tired and brain dead at this point.

Last Week

Monday: 15min Rope Pull Machine

Tuesday: 6m interval 10 x 200s (5 @ 5:33/pace, 5 @ 5:30, 2 @ 5:27), 100 TRX Chest Press + 100 TRX Chest Flys

Wednesday: 3000m row, 20 min TRX Rip Trainer

Thursday: 6m + 5 strides easy 8:40/pace

Friday: 3.1 easy 7:57/pace, 20 min shoulders

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Run for Haiti 5k 6:44/pace + 1m warm up

Total Miles: 19.2

Best tips for a 5k?

Mantras to stay positive??

03/21/2015
by She's Going the Distance 10 Comments

Snow, St. Pattys, 5ks and Random Facts for a Random Week!

Monday: 15min Rope Pull Machine

Tuesday: 6m interval 10 x 200s (5 @ 5:33/pace, 5 @ 5:30, 2 @ 5:27), 100 TRX Chest Press + 100 TRX Chest Flys

Wednesday: 3000m row, 20 min TRX Rip Trainer

Thursday: 6m + 5 strides easy 8:40/pace

Friday: 3.1 easy 7:57/pace, 20 min shoulders

Happy Spring! Even though I woke up yesterday to Christmas outside…

Don’t worry, it all melted into a slushie during the day. I’m planning to run (weather permitting again!) a 5k this Sunday. The Run for Haiti 5k in Reston, VA. I ran this same race 2 years ago, so i’m excited to attempt a course PR! Sunday is supposed to be cold, but dry, so I gotta take the chance, be like Nike and Just Do It! Cross your fingers and hope the stars align!

Aaaand since I missed it, happy St. Patrick’s day! One day i’ll get my life together and blog on a more consistent basis, but for now, retroactive posting it is 🙂 On the 17th we were given some pretty nice kelly green Gold’s Gym shirts to wear.

and I had an awesomely green drink over the weekend! #1 Fun fact about me: i love drinks with herbs. If it says mint or basil Im ordering!

#2 Fun Fact- My hair grows really slow. I cut my hair really short in 2011 and have been growing it out since. It was not fun running with short hair…

and as it started growing out…

And Random Fun Fact #3- I lived in Asheville, NC for a short period of time in 8th grade, and visit there every so often. One of my favorite places.. I think i just really really love mountains 🙂

Enjoy the weekend! I promise I won’t wait a week to update everyone on the 5k outcome!

How far are you running this weekend?

Tell me about the weather near you..did spring actually arrive yet??

03/16/2015
by She's Going the Distance 5 Comments

Break (through) Wind!

Monday: 15min Rope Pull

Happy Monday! I did a real, live, outdoor long run this weekend! I haven’t been outside in almost a month! I’m not as hardcore as some runners out there and waited until all the snow & ice was officially gone.

I did however, feel like giving up and turning around so many times because of the wind (almost typed wine.. haha). Wind is my least favorite element to run in…especially when it’s a big bully and pushes me around. I was dealing with “substantial wind” according to Runner’s World.

I kept wanting to turn back, but I was feeling stubborn. I had already skipped the long run last week, so i needed this. I needed a long, good run–although this felt much harder than it should of, I’m still happy I went the full 12 miles. Runner’s World had an article about how wind slows your pace down.

Tips for running in the wind!

– Accept that you will run slower than normal. Focus on effort opposed to pace/time. Running in the elements will prepare you for race conditions.

-The wind (especially in early spring) feels cooler than the actual temperature. Wear gloves if it’s under 50 degrees. My hands were freezing because of the darn wind. Wear a hat if your ears are sensitive and always wear fitted clothes. Loose clothes will cause more resistance and slow you down.

-When you get a tail wind, enjoy it! Smile and relax, use it like a recovery break.

-Bring chapstick, tissues, and water. The wind can really dry you up!

-When the run isn’t going as planned, have something positive to mentally focus on. I always think of the hot cup of coffee I’m going to relax with when I’m finished. 🙂

Workout Recap!

Monday: 30min TRX Rip Trainer full body w/o, 4m easy 8:25/pace

Tuesday: 6.1m intervals 8 x 400s (3 @ 5:39/pace, 3 @ 5:37, 2 @ 5:39)

Wednesday: 2500m row, 100 burpees, 100 knees to chest situps

Thursday: 5.3m 7:19/pace fartlek run (1st outside run in a month!)

Friday: 100 TRX Chest flys, 100 TRX Chest Press, 100 TRX Wide Row w/shoulder rotation (broke up into sets of 20, with minimal rest)

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: 12m easy 8:24/pace

Total: 27.4

What is your least favorite element to run in?

Tips for spring wind?

03/13/2015
by She's Going the Distance Leave a comment

From Distance to Speed!

Monday: 30min TRX Rip Trainer full body w/o, 4m easy 8:25/pace

Tuesday: 6.1m intervals 8 x 400s (3 @ 5:39/pace, 3 @ 5:37, 2 @ 5:39)

Wednesday: 2500m row, 100 burpees, 100 knees to chest situps

Thursday: 5.3m 7:19/pace fartlek run (1st outside run in a month!)

I was watching a track meet on the Big Ten network last weekend, and it reminded me how I used to think that sprinting and track work were kinda unnecessary and a very separate category from distance training. I understand now, they’re not separate. The longer you run and the bigger your goals become the more important speed/interval work are.

Looking back at my running logs I don’t know if I really pushed myself during track work or did a tempo run properly, however—> you can’t do everything right the first time and pushing yourself during those types of workouts takes a coach, friends or a specific goal to really start understanding what you want out of running. Right now I want to get faster. Period.

Just me, the sun and a trash can

Sure i’ve gotten faster over the years, times dropped here and there, but now I want to go fast. There’s a difference between having to run fast and wanting to. It’s like that strange thing you did as a kid: run as fast as you can, collapse in the grass, huff and puff until you can grab your Capri Sun off the cement staircase, then do it all over again with a big smile on your face. Just because. Remember running just because?? #Iamgettingold

Kids don’t have a concept of what’s fast or slow. They don’t use a Garmin and information to set a pace for the day, they just play and run until they can’t anymore. At least when i was little we did this. I hope it’s somewhat similar for my future kiddos. I guess the point i’m getting at is i’m ready to run like a kid again, without limits. Chasing, happy and fearless.

Ca-li-fornia Looove

Taking a break from the marathon (half & full) has really given me a breath of fresh air. If I skip a long run (like last weekend) it’s not the end of the world and isn’t going to ruin training. Recovery has been whatever it needs to be. I have less “easy” running days and harder workouts so here and there I take an extra day off from running. Recovery and less stress have made running extremely fun again! <—what a concept! lol.

I’m still averaging a 10 mile long run on the weekends, sometimes with a hint of speed thrown in, but often not. I don’t dread the long run, I’ve been enjoying it! i look forward to running 2-3 minutes slower than the tough paces from interval training during the week. 5k training has really shown me what my true paces are. Below are my average current paces at different distances. This shows that I (and we!) are capable of so much more. I never, ever-ever-ever, thought I could get go faster than a 7:00/mile. And once in a while, sub 7s would flash across my Garmin, scare me and I’d slow down. I’m thinking there’s a speedy little bunny in me that wants to get out.

200s: 5:30 400s: 5:42 800s: 6:19 1000s: 6:36 Mile Repeats: 7:00

I don’t really know why i felt the need to over share today, I guess it’s just a reminder that although training is different it’s rejuvenating my love for running. ❤

…and a random sunset from Maryland a few weeks back.

Last Week

Monday: Rest/traveling

Tuesday: 6m easy 8:40/pace

Wednesday: 7.3miles interval work- 6 x 1000m progressive repeats (6:44, 6:39, 6:33, 6:27, 6:22)

Thursday: 30 min snow shoveling!

Friday: 3000m row, 50 lb dead lifts/ 20lb single leg dead lifts –light easy workout.

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Rest

Total Miles: 13.3

What do you do (or have done) to keep running fresh?

What makes you run happy?

03/05/2015
by She's Going the Distance 9 Comments

This Oughta Warm You Up

Monday: Rest/traveling

Tuesday: 6m easy 8:40/pace

Wednesday: 7.3miles interval work- 6 x 1000m progressive repeats (6:44, 6:39, 6:33, 6:27, 6:22)

Thursday: Rest/snow day

I’m getting so tired of reading Facebook, IG, texts, blogs where complaining about how winter just doesn’t end. Apparently for the DC area, this finally is the end. We just got another 5 or so inches and it’s still coming down. Next week will begin my annual tradition to Boycott Winter. Which entails me putting my winter coat in storage, shopping for a new swimsuit and planning vacations. If you want to read about how I broke up with winter last year you can read it here 🙂

Instead of complaining about winter (even though by not complaining, i’m obviously still complaining ahhhhhh!) Let’s take a look at some fun, warmer weather pics from my weekend trip to Los Angeles. On our first morning we went on a hike/walk/whatever workout you SoCal’ers call it..

Then we drove up Mulholland Drive to see the Hollywood sign cause it was a close drive.

Sunday it rained off and on all day, but I was determined to get to the beach…It down poured the entire drive, but i saw -literally- a silver lining in the clouds and kept thinking, it might not raining at the beach…

So I parked the rental car at the empty beach at an already paid for meter and headed toward the sand.

We watched the few people hanging out, waiting for the sun to show up. It did and it was glorious. The east coast gets the sunrise, but i’m not a morning person, so this was heaven.

As much as I wanted to run out in LA, I didn’t want to take time away from visiting with my sister on a short trip and also didn’t want to stress over fitting in a long run. I crammed all my workouts in and did a long run in the a.m. before my flight. Which was stressful and exhausting, but so worth the relaxing weekend.

Last Week’s Recap

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 7m 2 x 2 tempo (2miles @ 7:03/pace, 2 @ 6:58 – one mile warm up, one mile recovery in between, and 1 cool down), 3000m row.

Wednesday: 4 Rounds, 25 Pull Ups (assist machine) and 1m easy 8:40/pace (total 100 pull ups, 4 miles)

Thursday: 5.5m intervals 8 x 400s ( 2 @ 5:52/pace, 2 @ 5:45, 2 @ 5:39, 2 @ 5:37), 15min core

Friday: 10m easy 8:13/pace

Saturday: 8m walking/hiking

Sunday: Rest

Total Miles: 26.5 + 8 walking

Sunrise or Sunset?

East Coast or West Coast?

Coffee or Coffee? exactly, coffee is the only answer.