Maryland RUnning |

11/16/2016
by She's Going the Distance 18 Comments

Last Thoughts B4 Philly

Monday: 6.1m easy 8:40/pace

Tuesday: Crossfit, 5.7m 8:47/pace

Oh man. It’s here and i’m getting nervous. I’m ready to run, i’m ready to fly, but I accidentally looked ahead at the weather and…

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The weather has been nuts here anyway, it’s been warm and makes it hard for me to try out “race day outfits.” I haven’t been able to practice in much, so i’ll just cross my fingers and Body Glide my entire body and pray i don’t chafe.

running in tank tops last week

I’m trying not to worry too much about the weather. I’ve raced in nothing but terrible wind this year and i’m not backing down from my goals. I’m just going to study the course, understand and accept where the wind might be bad and where I can breathe. And hey, i still have hope the forecast will change a bit, it’s early.

sweaty selfie- cause yes up until a week ago, i was still running in sports bras.

Everything else I can control I feel great about. Mentally i’m ready to take this on. Physically i’ve never felt better. I’ve PR’d the 10k, my outdoor mile time, completed a 50K, a Beer Mile, bested my weekly and monthly mileage and PR’d my deadlift. The key factor here is i’ve been consistent. No setbacks, no sickness, no excuses. I did every workout, hit almost every workout pace and actually enjoyed it. (that helps!)

175lbs 3 x 5

I listened to a Brute Strength podcast about mental training and the guest said “train today like tomorrow you’re going to have an injury that takes your sport away.” This does not mean kill yourself in your workout exactly — or work until you are injuring yourself or ignoring signs of injury/overtraining. He went on to explain in means living in the moment of your workout, giving everything you can, but making sure to enjoy it. Enjoy the work, because if it was gone tomorrow you’d miss it. Just another element of being present and living with gratitude. Running with that mindset has changed everything.

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I had one of those running a-ha moments, the run where training catches up with you and your emotions catch you off guard. I broke down in the middle of a trail, bawling my eyes out. Thank god no one was around, cause it wasn’t pretty. Crocodile tears and hyperventilating type crying was happening. I had only a few thoughts in my head at the moment, none i will share today, but if you run for long enough (i’m at my 10 year anniversary) you will no doubt, have moments like this. I took off my new shirt, for some reason that layer felt suffocating, and on the inside of the shirt was this…

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It was perfect. I needed it. And i repeated that phrase the rest of the way home. There is nothing more I can do with my training, mental or physical. I’m as ready as i’ll ever be. Wind or no wind I will take on whatever challenge comes at me Sunday and every day after.

just another windy warm day in MD

If you’ve been reading along, or encouraging me in the gym, social media or texts, THANK YOU. Sincerely and from the bottom of my heart, it is awesome to have a community of people that support my crazy running hobby. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Last Week

Monday: 8m easy 8:49/pace

Tuesday: Crossfit, 10.4m interval (6 x 1m repeats)

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 12.7m tempo (10 @ 7:35/pace)

Friday: 7m easy 8:45/pace

Saturday: 8m easy 9:20/pace, Crossfit

Sunday: 8m easy 8:55/pace

Total Miles: 53.7

How’s the weather near you?

Any last words of advice for the marathon?

08/31/2016
by She's Going the Distance 4 Comments

Roller Coaster Race @ Six Flags!

Tuesday: 8m intervals (400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400)

I was going back and forth with wanting to run the half marathon at Baltimore’s Running Festival- but it’s about a month out from the Philadelphia Marathon i’m training hard for and I can’t risk doing a hard half that close to the marathon. Instead, I was invited to run a 10K at Six Flags America (Upper Marlboro, MD) on Sunday, October 16th.

Im excited about the Roller Coaster Race for a number of reasons:

1) I haven’t raced a 10K since 2013! It’s not a distance i race often, so i’m excited to hopefully update a new PR.

2) With the entry purchase of the 5k or 10k you get a free ticket to the park (good for the day of the race) and free parking! I have wanted to go to Six Flags all summer, but it’s been so humid I haven’t ventured out that way. October sounds like a more enjoyable time to be walking around a theme park. And i’m never going to turn down a post-race funnel cake.

3) If you have friends or family who want to participate, but aren’t runners there is a Roller Coaster Ride challenge they can sign up for. Then they complete a 5k’s worth of roller coasters throughout the day to snag a custom medal!

4) The race starts at 9:30am. Hello beautiful.

Ever run a race through a theme park?
Roller coasters? Love em or leave em?

08/30/2016
by She's Going the Distance 12 Comments

Marathon Things

Monday: 6m easy 9:24/p, Crossfit

I don’t know where all the summer days went, but i’ve started Week 7 of marathon training. Seven!! I love being on a schedule and each workout (especially the marathon paced tempos) scares me a little. Marathon training is soooo different than half marathon training, which i’m usually signed up for.

This training cycle has me waking up at 6:00am to fit in mileage. Which makes me feel like an 80 year old who’s ready for bed by 9pm. Sad thing is that I’m beginning to like these early morning miles. But I’ll be dead honest with you, I’m still not a morning person. I can’t get myself to do speed or tempos that early because I like being awake and alert, so those types of runs happen mid-morning or early afternoon.

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The bulk of marathon mileage needs to be run EASY (two minute-per-mile slower than race pace) which leads me to another strange thing. Sometimes I go out for easy runs in the middle of the hottest, most humid days just because the heat will force me to slow down. I thought marathon training was going to be horrible, but training for an ultra in the dead heat of summer has helped with both the mental and physical side of the sport as well as learning to run slower.

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Now the normal marathon stuff: Increased appetite. Holy mackerel, the runger hits like a baseball bat sometimes. I definitely do not deprive myself of seconds to vegetables or an added snack during the day. The key is to eat substance and add healthy calories (like an extra serving of avocado with my breakfast or a protein shake in the day or a bigger helping of sweet potatos at dinner) and not just looking at all the mileage as an excuse to eat crap. I most definitely indulge in dessert or a beer, but it’s not where all those excess calories are going.

RunEatRepeat

Sleep and recovery! It’s a necessity to prioritize sleep! Recovery is a HUGE part of marathon training AND general fitness! I aim for 8-9 hours a night. The elites, the NBA stars, the Olympians you just watched in Rio–all of them have coaches, trainers, massage therapists, chiropractors, cupping therapists etc– there is a TEAM to help them with recovery because it is that important. I’m not saying you need a full team, but have a place to get the kinks worked out and utilize those foam rollers laying under your couch!

remember when I cupped during Christmas? before Phelps made it cool. That’s right. #coolerthanphelps

Of course I’m experiencing the normal marathon stuff– smelly piles of laundry, weird looks at the gym when i hog a treadmill for 1.5 hours, dry skin peeling off my feet, extra time on foam rollers, naps, weekend plans revolving around long runs, candy cravings, saying the word just before the number of miles you have to run, crying during a run as you picture finishing the marathon, feeling stupid for said cry, the elusive runner’s high, the constant questioning of holding xx:xx pace for 26.2 miles, dreaming of a fresh pair of running shoes, and brunch–oh the brunches you will have, and the afternoon coffee pick me ups…

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I love marathon training.

Last Week

Monday: 6m easy 9:11/pace, Crossfit

Tuesday: 8m interval (5 x 1000s @ 6:45/p)

Wednesday: Crossfit

Thursday: 10.5m tempo (7m @ 7:50/p)

Friday: 6.1m easy 9:35/p

Saturday: 10m long 8:46/p, Crossfit

Sunday: 8m easy

Total Miles: 48.6

Add to the list! What always happens to you during marathon training?

How do you spend time recovering?

08/01/2016
by She's Going the Distance 24 Comments

I Broke Her!

Every Saturday this summer I have been out for my long run. Every person, biker, walker, runner, stroller, doggie I pass I try to say “hi” or give a smile or small wave. If i’m not completely out of breath, I’ll happily say, “Good Morning.”

Now let me paint a small picture. I’m from Indiana. I’m a midwesterner. I grew up knowing my neighbors, my manners, being friendly and polite, especially to strangers. (Trump could have used a midwestern upbringing but don’t get me started.) When I moved to the east coast, and i know i’ve mentioned this several times through my blog, many people just keep to themselves and don’t say hi. It bothers me. Maybe it’s because i’m a people pleaser, or maybe because i believe it’s the little things in life that make the world go round.

from saturday

There’s a woman, maybe in her 50s, that walks the trail every Saturday around the same time I’m out. She’s always alone, no friends or walking companions, no headphones or ipods. Just quietly shuffling along the trail to get her morning exercise in. I’ve said hi to this lady at least ten times this summer. There was even a day I ran past her twice (remember i do a lot of out-and-backs) and she has never said a word. However, she stares like i’m a little harlot with no shirt on. She sneers at me. Her eyes go wide then narrow all in an instant.

runner’s saving grace!

Naturally I think this lady (and i have to call her lady now cause i’m pissed) is a total B. How many times can i look a person in the eyes and say, “Good morning.”? I’ll tell you how many. As many as it takes because i’m NICE and I’m from the Midwest!!!! And of course I understand that sometimes people are just generally distracted in their own world. Listening to headphones, or concentrating on their workout, or maybe don’t hear or see me. I understand that.

I think it’s super strange that i’ve been working at the same gym for almost 4 years and there are MANY people I see on a daily basis that ignore me completely. And again, it’s me saying, “Hello” “How are you” “Good to see you.”As persistent I am with being polite they are just as persistent at ignoring me. I totally understand where Adele is coming from.

But then, I had a small victory this past Saturday. The old lady softly spoke, hi when I passed by with the weekly greeting. She almost stopped me dead in my tracks because it was so unexpected. I could have hugged her. I didn’t because it probably took a lot for her to say hello to me. I finally broke her down.

Killing people with kindness works. For every person that doesn’t say hi, i will forever think of her and remember that being cold and unfriendly is never the way into someone’s heart. Please, please be nice to strangers. You never know what kind of day, week or year they’re having. A kind gesture can turn someone’s day around and with so much hate in the news this is all we have to fight back with.

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What are you looking forward to this week?

Do you smile, say hi, nod, wink, peace sign while passing people?

06/13/2016
by She's Going the Distance 10 Comments

When I Turn 31…

When I turn 31 this August, I’m gonna run 31.07 miles. A 50K, an Ultra Marathon. And I want YOU to be a part of it.

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30 has been amazing! The day I turned the big Three OH, I jumped out of a plane! Since that day, I completed a Spartan Beast and bested my half marathon time.

All these hours of training (especially those spent running) have built a confidence in myself I haven’t seen since I was young. You know, when you’re told you can be anything, do anything and accomplish anything you set your mind to? The world is so large and the idea you can do ANYTHING is awe inspiring.

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Of course, we grow up and somewhere along the way you discover the word “can’t” and it’s used and abused too often.

I felt a small ounce of “i can do anything” the first time I did a full marathon at age 26. I had another moment of grandeur after I finished the Spartan race: stronger, healthier and happier than ever.

These moments are few and far between, but they’ve happened as an adult. When I have those feelings I grab them, hold on and memorize it. Because I can, and you can, do anything you set your mind to if you are passionate and want it bad enough.

For the last five months or so, i’ve been out on long runs finding myself wanting to run further and further. Almost every run I’d come back feeling like I could turn around and do the same distance again. Naturally the thought of ultra marathoning crossed my mind. And just as naturally, “i can’t.”

Then, out of what seemed like nowhere, I changed the phrase “I can’t” to “why not?” Instead of a definitive, negative phrase, I kept saying to myself “why not try an ultra?” There is so much hope, positivity, and a sort of comic side to the phrase, “why not?” Plus you actually have to come up with a good reason if you think you actually can’t.

So, I’m going to run a 50k on my birthday. Cause, why not?

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I want this to be a fun, memorable birthday and a successful first ultra. I’m doing it on my own though, no race, just for fun & a good time. Here’s where you, my fellow runners, readers, clients and family can help me celebrate. You can pick a few miles or certain segments and run with me (and bring me food)! Since i’m not trying to run a certain time I can slow down or speed up or walk with you. I will get the details together soon!

I also created a donation page, because i’m a grown adult and do not require birthday gifts. This year i’m asking you to donate a few dollars to the MS Society on behalf of my 50k quest. 100% of donations will go to the National MS Society.

If you’re from the DMV area and would like to run a part of the course with me send me an email at shesgoingforspeed@gmail.com so I can send information!

This is going to be a great birthday guys 🙂

Last Week

Monday: 9.5m easy 8:35/pace

Tuesday: 5m easy 9:40/pace, 25min yoga

Wednesday: 2000m row, 45min legs

Thursday: 6.6m easy 9:15/pace

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 15m long 8:58/pace

Sunday: 4.4m easy 9:44/pace

Total Miles: 40.5

06/01/2015
by She's Going the Distance 11 Comments

As Seen On My Walk

As you know and are probably tired of hearing. I haven’t been running. Trust me, it’s strange having a running blog where I don’t talk about running fitness. But my next race isn’t scheduled until November, so if i’m taking time off to fully heal, this is it.

Beach Drive

Yesterday was the first day i had no pain near the knee, and only experienced hip tightness toward the end of the walk/run. I was doing about 4 minutes walking then 1.5 minutes running (at a very easy & slow pace). Running without pain might be one of the best feelings in the world. I’m feeling optimistic that time off is definitely helping, alongside the skill work & glute/hip strengthening exercises. These will finally be up on the blog this week!

favorite tree on Rock Creek Trail. Best roots ever.

I have been walking on the weekend with a good friend who also is coming back from an injury. And as much as it pains us to see runners along the path, we both are happy to get out and get some miles in! Time soars with lots of girl talk, venting, bonding, animal spotting, nature..all that good for you crap!

huge bullfrogs…still can’t believe the size of them!

baby chicks in a backyard near the trail. 🙂 they were SOOO CUTE

It’s great to have a friend in the area who can go for miles and miles & enjoy it. Plus we do breakfast afterward and we hit up one of my favorite places.

Capital City Cheesecake, Takoma Park, MD.

We got lattes & bacon, egg, cheese sandwiches on multi-grain ciabatta. The small cup was a sample of their plain fro-yo with espresso, carmel & chocolate. It doesn’t look like it, but it was HEAVEN.

And then I took a few mini cheesecakes home.

Lemon Raspberry & White Chocolate Raspberry

Weekly Workout Recap!

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 20 min StairMill (1 min lateral, 1 min forward for duration), 15 min hips, 10 core

Wednesday: 4000m row, 50 bosu single leg burpee w/pushup, 50 bosu situps

Thursday: 20 min lateral elliptical, 35 min running skill work & sprints! (no pain!)

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: 6m walk/running (4-5 walk, 1.5m run), 1.7m walk with LE

Total Miles: 7.7 walking

Does anyone use walking as a form of cross-training?

Favorite dessert?