This weekend went by so fast! Friday and Saturday I spent a good amount of time stretching and rolling out my legs. I’ve come to realize that “shake out runs” don’t work for me. I need a solid 2 days off from running before a race to feel fresh both mentally and physically. If i do a shake out run 1-2 days before a race, I end up going nuts about phantom aches/pains or stressing over pace. I understand the purpose for a shake out, but I just can’t anymore. I love going into a race like a dog being let out of the cage. I like being mentally fresh–just knowing I had an extra few days off from running gives me a boost!

Onward to the expo! It was held at the National Building downtown DC and i’ve never been there! I’ve lived in this area for almost 3 years now and this was a very pretty building.

The expo was bigger than i anticipated and there were people around every corner helping out with directions and race day information. I didn’t do much wandering around because I was more interested in the speakers for the day. Dorothy Beal of Miles-Post.com talked to a group of us about blogging, life balance & how becoming a successful blogger was a little luck and a lot of behind-the-scenes work. After hearing her speak and getting to meet her she is a super sweet, extremely genuine person. Her passion for running & relationships with companies & people is contagious. I’m definitely looking at my blog and running business in a refreshing new light.

Right after Dorothy, Joan Beniot Samelson spoke! She was the sweetest lady and had many stories and advice of encouragement. One thing she said that stood out to me was, “Runners don’t use their upper bodies enough.” This is something I ALWAYS talk about to my clients. The upper body has a huge role im running and if you don’t work it out, you’re missing out! Joan also made a big effort to encourage people to cross train, not only in the gym, but in life…such as gardening, going for a walk, picking up wood for the fire, nordic skiing, anything and everything to keep moving and stay active in everyday life so you can continue to run into your later years.

Her advice for racing was 1) not to try anything new on race day 2) run by body feel for the given day 3) save some energy for the end miles. She said it’s always a better mental boost at the end to pass people, than to be passed. She was amazing to listen to.

I’d like to encourage anyone signing up for a race to check out the clinic schedules for speakers. If you have a chance to sit in a room with an Olympian and hear their passion for running the night before a race, you will run your heart out the next day. Her words spoke to me yesterday (i’ll talk more about this once the recap is up), and Dorothy’s love for blogging and running made me realize i’m not alone, in sometimes what feels like a lonely sport.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 6.4m hill repeats (16 x 100m repeats pace between 6:30-6:50), 15 min glutes/lower back 

Wednesday: CFE 5000m row, 100 lat pulldowns (single arms), 120 bosu ball burpees w/pushups, 200 situps (varied type). 

Thursday: 5m intervals –10 X 200s (2 @ 5:39/pace, 2 @ 5:36, 2 @ 5:33, 2 @ 5:27, 2 @ 5:24)

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: 9.5m Cherry Blossom Race 7:22/pace Finishing time 1:10:02 (337th Female, 107th Age Group 25-29)

Total Miles: 20.9

Anyone else race over the weekend?

Shake out runs love ’em or leave ’em?