Category Archives: Running

Demystifying the tempo run

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How To Run A Tempo WorkoutWhen I started running, I kept hearing about tempo runs. I thought they sounded intimidating so I never attempted one. I knew they would good for speed work, but my focus was distance. I knew they were good for strengthening, but I did weight training. I also knew they were good for building endurance, but my three-times-a-week cardio kickboxing class did the trick for that. What I didn’t know is that when you start working full-time, it’s not as easy to run long runs every other day with cardio kickboxing classes in between.

Tempo runs are perfect to throw into any consistent running routine because they have the benefits of endurance and strength training packaged into one workout. As I train for the half-marathon in September, I’m learning tempo runs will be the key to allowing me to run the full 13.1 miles without being as tired.

Distance runners use tempo runs not only to work on speed but to increase endurance. According to an article on Runner’s World’s website, the “best predictor of distance-running performance is your lactate threshold, which is the speed you are able to run before lactic acid begins to accumulate in the blood. ” After lactic acid is released into the blood, you start to feel fatigued and will have to slow down. Tempo runs help to slow down this process and in essence, speed up your run.

Traditional Tempo Run

If you haven’t tried a tempo run before, I would suggests starting with a traditional tempo run first. This consists of a 2-mile jog warm-up to loosen up your muscles and get your heart rate up. Then, you run for 2-miles at a “tempo” pace. This is NOT a sprint! Tempo pace is typically referred to as “comfortably hard.” You want to run faster than your normal pace but not so fast that it becomes difficult. After you finish the 2-mile tempo run, conclude your workout with a 2-mile jog/walk cool down.

As you start to get better at this, add a half a mile to your tempo run every two weeks. Pretty soon you’ll be able to run up to 6 miles at tempo pace.

Interval Tempo Run

If this is difficult, another option is to do a modified tempo run my uncle showed my cousin and me last weekend. This endurance-building run is easiest to do on a track. Start off with a 1-mile warm-up run around the track. Once you’re done with that, beginning at the 100-meter mark (the straightaways of the track) run at a fast pace, again NOT a sprint, but a pretty comfortably hard pace. When you get to the curve of the track, slow down to a jog to recover your breathe. Repeat this 8 times, equaling 2 miles. Then, do another 1-mile jog/walk cool down.

As always, don’t forget to stretch!

Half-marathon training update

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As I continue to train for the half-marathon I plan to write updates every week about the training, complications, new findings and whatever else may come up. This is the first update!

This weekend my cousin and I officially began training for our half-marathon in September. We started our training in southern Maine, along the coast, since our race will be on the coast of New Hampshire. The weather was perfect for running. The air was clear, it was sunny and there was a cool breeze coming off of the ocean. Not to mention the gorgeous views we had during the run.

We both ran separately on Friday evening but then did an easy 3-mile run along the ocean Saturday morning. We also did some conditioning and a tempo run at the high school track on Sunday.

It was my first ever attempt at a tempo run and it went pretty well. We did a 2-mile run, with sprints for every straightaway. We made pretty good time, despite the heat.

This week I plan to do another tempo workout, an easy 4-mile run and a longer run this weekend. The half-marathon will be the longest my cousin and I have ever run but we’re getting really excited for the race. We have about four months to train and we are staying positive. As one of my fellow sub-30 club members wrote, “Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and you’ll get there.”

That’s it for now but be on the lookout for a post about tempo runs soon! Also, don’t forget to “like” my Facebook page and follow me on twitter @FitHappyGirl.

How to relieve a side stitch when running

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Are side stitches cramping your running style? They were for me last week when I began training for the half-marathon. But after a little research I learned that you can actually overcome them with a few basic tricks.

Medically speaking, a side stitch is a spasm or cramp of the diaphragm muscle. There are many reasons a side stitch can occur including dehydration, bad running form or just general fatigue. For me I think it could be dehydration but according to many of the blogs and message boards I’ve read, side stitches tend to occur early on in a runner’s career. I’ve only been really running since March so that could also be the reason.

Whatever the cause, there are easy cures for side stitches. The For Beginners Only blog on the website for Runner’s World suggests massaging the area in pain. As always with a side stitch, you should stop running first, then:

“… press your first two fingers in and slightly upward directly where it hurts and hold for about 10 seconds. While pressing in and up, take more deep breaths. You can continue this process of pressing in and up, all around the edge of your ribs up to your sternum.”

Another technique I used last week that worked was to slow my pace, or come to a walking pace, and stretch my right arm over my head to stretch out the right side of my abdomen. If the stitch is on your left side, use your left arm. This worked well and helped relieve the pain so I could continue running.

The best news about side stitches is that with continued exercise and running, they should go away altogether. So, stay hydrated, stretch before a run and hit the pavement!

Finding the perfect half-marathon training program

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Courtesy Runner’s World on Pinterest

Ok, so finding the perfect half-marathon training program is a little harder than it seems. Last week I registered for my first ever half-marathon and it without a doubt terrifies me. However, according to most of my research, if you can already easily run 4 miles, in less than 14 weeks you can build up to a half-marathon- I have four months.

When looking for any good training program it’s important to stay realistic. For example, if you have a full-time job and a fluctuating schedule like myself, running every day is probably not a very realistic goal. Most of the training programs I found have you running three or four days a week with strengthening exercises and rest days in between.

After asking around and posing the question in the Sub-30 Club on Facebook, I found a good training program for me. I chose to use the Runner’s World Smart Coach (free version). This training plan allows you to insert your information- including gender, miles logged per week and your latest race time- to develop a specialized plan to fit your schedule. This is important for me because I am a full-time reporter so sometimes I have to cover late meetings and can’t fit in my run, but the smart coach allows you to adjust the plan at any time.

Also, the smart coach, like many other half-marathon training program, has you run an easy run, a “tempo” run (speedwork) and a long run each week. As your training continues it adds in an extra easy run to help you build endurance to last those 13.1 miles.

This program might not be for everyone so some other suggestions I received were:

Monday Motivation: Stay Busy and Run

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Someone who is busier than you is running right now.

“Someone who is busier than you is running right now.” Ain’t it the truth! Today is my first day out in the so-called “real world” as a working adult. I am fortunate enough to have landed a full-time job right after college graduation in my field of study, doing exactly what I want to do. A lot of my peers were not as lucky, so in honor of them I refuse to let my new busy schedule get in the way of my running. Being busy is no excuse to stop, so I’m not going to let it. Happy running!

Monday Motivation: Nike’s “I Would Run to You” video

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I apologize again for the late post. This morning I had to drop off my final college paper and pick up my cap and gown. Yikes! Hopefully this video will make up for my tardiness. If you haven’t seen this yet, what have you been doing! I’m in love with this video and it’s definitely a motivation booster. Take a look see and ask yourself, who would you run across America for?

The argument for running naked

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Scandalous, I know. But running naked may be the change you need to enhance your running routine. I’m not talking about ditching your shorts and t-shirt, but taking out the earbuds, leaving the phone at home and taking your eyes off of the television. Running without technology can help you get in touch with yourself as a runner and teach you to focus solely on your run.

Since I started my running routine, I always wore headphones and listened to music. Mostly because I was using an app on my phone to train but also because I thought I’d get bored just running with nothing else to do. The other day I forgot my headphones when I went to the gym. I wasn’t going to not run because of this so I ran naked (without tech). I felt that I had a much easier time focusing on my breathing and pace and was actually able to PR. I couldn’t believe what a difference it made in my stride!

A recent article in Runner’s World quoted Ben Agger, Ph.D., director of the University of Texas at Arlington Center for Theory, saying, “Wearing technology while running intrudes on the mind’s attempt to give itself over to the body.”

In essence, constantly checking your watch to monitor your pace, distance and calorie count actually takes away from your run rather than improve it. Being focused on the numbers means you’re losing focus of the actual run. Also, we all have a set number in our mind, whether it be a PR time or distance, and focusing too much on that can actually limit you in your ability to get to that goal. Numbers can be motivational but they can also put a lot of stress on your runs.

When it comes down to it, it’s all about personal preference. I asked some of my fellow members of the sub-30 Club on Facebook and the responses were about 50/50. Some people said they like to run with tech so they can know if they are improving in their training. Others said they switch it up and run with tech indoors and without tech outdoors. But a slightly larger portion of the responders said they enjoy running naked because they can get in tune with their running body.

For me, I enjoyed running naked. I was able to focus on my pace, form, breathing and what my body was telling me, instead of what the numbers read on my phone. Running is supposed to be fun, so savior the experience!

Monday Motivation: No matter what, you would still run

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I apologize for this the tardiness of this week’s Monday Motivation but today was quite a whirlwind. My final semester of college is about to come to an end and I am set to graduate in less than two weeks so my workload has been a bit crazy as of late. But today I got great news, I was offered a reporting position at a small local newspaper (yay!). Also, I ran 3.5 miles and felt fantastic. I hope your Monday was just as good. Here’s a little motivation to carry you through the week:

Reach your running goal? Learn how to add more miles

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Today was an exciting day because for the first time since starting the Couch to 5K program in March, I reached 3.1 miles without taking a break or feeling like I was going to keel over and die. I got to the 3.1 mark at 33:33, and that included a 5 minute warm-up walk. I’m hoping that as I continue my running routine I can shave off some time by cutting down on the warm-up, in order to run a sub-30.

For the rest of you who may have reached your running goal and want to push further to build endurance,  Jeff Galloway, from Runner’s World, wrote up a simple training plan to help you double your endurance in only six weeks.

First off, the article says you should shoot for running three times a week. Right now I run three days a week with crossfit (cardio kickboxing, strength training, target training etc.) in between. However, it is important to let your muscles rest before and after running because then they’ll be fresher for your next run.

The article also suggests designating each day for a different kind of run. One day can be for a “maintenance” run, a run that maintains your fitness and is easy-going. Another day can be for a long distance run, this is the day you’ll begin to increase your mileage. The third day can be set aside for speed play, or “fartlek” (funny word, I know). On a speed play you want to start running at a normal pace and pick up your speed when you’re ready. The article says you can focus on an object and sprint towards it then job for recovery.

As always, remember to pace yourself and stay hydrated. You don’t want to lose all of your energy at the start of your run at the risk of becoming exhausted, so start slow in the beginning and pick up the pace as each miles passes.

Here is the training plan designed by Runner’s World to build mileage in six weeks:

Week ONE:
Maintenance (Miles) – 3.5
Fartlek (Miles) – 3
Long Run (Miles) – 4

Week TWO:
Maintenance (Miles) – 4
Fartlek (Miles) – 3.25
Long Run (Miles) – 5

Week THREE:
Maintenance (Miles) – 4
Fartlek (Miles) – 3
Long Run (Miles) – 4

Week FOUR:
Maintenance (Miles) – 5
Fartlek (Miles) – 3.5
Long Run (Miles) – 6

Week FIVE:
Maintenance (Miles) – 5.5
Fartlek (Miles) – 3
Long Run (Miles) – 4

Week SIX:
Maintenance (Miles) – 6
Fartlek (Miles) – 3.5
Long Run (Miles) – 7

Monday Motivation: Reason for running

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via Pinterest

I’ve decided to start a new series every Monday called “Monday Motivation.” No one likes Mondays, and we all know waking up for that early morning Monday run is probably the hardest run of the week. However, the way you start off your Monday determines how the rest of your week will shape up- so, enter Monday Motivation. Basically, every Monday I’ll either write up a short post about reasons to run, or maybe post a motivational image or quote, whatever it is, I hope you’ll use it as fuel for your week.

For my first Monday Motivation post I thought I’d tell you a story about something that happened recently that has given me even more reason to run. People always say a reason to run is to run for those who can’t. I always thought this was a nice reason but never really had a personal connection to it until a few weeks ago.

I was out with friends on a Friday night and my friend wanted us to meet a guy she had been talking to for a couple of weeks. We drove to his apartment and he met us outside so he could move his motorcycle so we’d have a spot to park. We were a group of five girls so when he got on the bike, of course we were impressed. He told us a bit about his riding experience and how much he loved his motorcycle. We went inside and my friends and I got to know him over the course of the night. His name was Chris* and he was a senior Kinesiology major, about to graduate in one month. After he graduated he aspired to become a physical trainer to help people who have been injured recover and get back to normal health. The night went on and we eventually all went our separate ways. My friend was going to see him the next day after he went on a morning ride with a few of his friends. But while he was out on his ride he got into an accident. We found out that he was in the hospital and was permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

My friends and I were all in absolute shock. This was someone I barely knew, I didn’t even know his last name, and he was the same age as me, about to graduate from college, with his entire future ahead of him. Now everything he had ever wanted seemed so out of reach. I couldn’t believe that something so awful would happen to someone with such a bright future ahead of him.

There’s no explanation for why these things happen but all we can do is make the most of every moment. So I run for Chris because he no longer can.

I run because I can.

When I get tired, I remember those who can’t run,

what they’d give to have this simple gift I take for granted,

and I run harder for them.

I know they would do the same for me.

*Names have been changed.