Tag Archives: running

Twitter talk: can’t-live-without, favorite running gear

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If you’re a runner you know we love our gear. I’m always stopping by my local running store to see what’s new, reading gear reviews on other running blogs and obsessing over the latest and greatest new product. But we all have our favorites and I wanted to know what are the absolute favorite, can’t-live-without running accessories and gear from my Tweeps! For me, I really don’t think I could live without my Zensah compression sleeves or my foam roller. Without them I’d be running with hair in my eyes and cramps in my legs. Here’s what my Twitter followers had to say!

Due to technical difficulties on Storify’s end, I could not export the story to my blog. To see what people thought visit:

Twitter talk: favorite running gear and accessories

To take part in my weekly Twitter Talk, simply follow me on Twitter at @FitHappyGirl and be on the lookout for my question of the week every Thursday from noon to 6 p.m.

Week 15: half-marathon training update

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Oh my goodness I am so sorry this has taken me so long to post! Last weekend was a tad bit crazy for me and work has been out of control but I really wanted to update everyone on my training last week because it was nothing short of AMAZING!

For one, I hit a huge milestone and ran the farthest I’ve ever run- 14 miles! It felt so incredibly amazing, I almost didn’t want to stop (but my legs clearly had other plans!). I also was about to do the first track workout I had done in a very long time and that was pretty amazing as well. Before I go on, let me backtrack.

On Monday I started out my day with a little yoga for recovery on Lululemon’s YouTube channel. I wanted to do this because my legs were a little tight from the weekend before. After work, my cousin and fantastic training partner, met me at my office and we headed over to the local high school track to do a sprint interval workout. Neither of us had done this in weeks so it really felt great to get “back on track” and do some sprints. Her legs were also tired from the weekend before so we took it easy and did 4×800 sprints at 7:12 pace with about 400m of jogging in between.

On Tuesday I did some more yoga, as well as weight training for my arms and core exercises. Last week I didn’t get a chance to lift as much as I like to because I had some late nights at work, so I tried to get in some lifting on “rest” days.

On Wednesday I was able to get up early and head to the gym. I ran 4 miles at 9:33 pace and then did 1 mile on the elliptical. After that I hit the weights and did some squats and lunges. I also did a bunch of core exercises.

Thursday I did yoga and core exercises in the morning before work. I had to stay late for a meeting so I wanted to get in some exercise before. I did a power vinyasa yoga exercise and felt great after.

I drove up to my cousin’s new apartment in Marblehead on Friday because we had a long run planned for early Saturday morning. We had a great night checking out the local digs and carbo-loading, if you will, at the Barnacle, located right on Marblehead Harbor. However, we probably stayed out a little too late because the Saturday morning alarm clock came way too early!

Saturday was a big day for me because I had my longest run ever planned. My cousin is also training for a full marathon right now and according to her training schedule, she had to run 14 miles on Saturday. She wanted me to run it as well, and so I thought, 14 is only 1 more mile, why not? Our friend met us to do the run as well and we left the apartment around 9 a.m. (an hour after our planned start time.) We ran at a very comfortable and conversational pace and I felt like the miles just flew by. We made it to the halfway point and I couldn’t believe it was almost over! We had one problem though with hydration at mile 10. We had planned to quickly stop at a local beachside shack that usually has water but as we approached it, we saw that it was closed. Lucky for us the owner was standing right outside and said she would go in and get us water! After we had our water in hand we had some gels and were off again.

The last 4 miles were definitely a little more difficult after stopping but once the gels kicked in I felt great. The views on the run also helped to motivate us because we ran along the ocean and the weather was perfect. I was so excited to have ran a full 14 miles and it gave me even more confidence in my upcoming half marathon. I think it’s official, I’m addicted to distance running.

I took a complete rest day on Sunday after the long run the day before because my calf muscles were pretty sore.

Overall, it was a really great week of training. I felt strong and had tons of energy for my runs. This week I’ll be tapering in preparation for the half marathon which is now only a week and a half away!

What are you training for and how has it been going? Share your training stories in the comments below!

Thank you to Oiselle for amazing service!

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I want to send out a huge thank you to the lovely ladies over at Oiselle, a women’s running apparel company based out of Seattle, for sending me a complimentary Start Line t-shirt! I had ordered the On the Fly shirt a few weeks ago but the color I ordered was on backorder. I was completely fine with it when I found out because I knew it would be worth it but I was very pleased to receive a personal e-mail from an Oiselle customer service representative asking me if I’d be alright with the delay. Talk about customer service! The generosity doesn’t end there though folks.

After my Fly t-shirt arrived in the mail I was so excited to wear it! The cotton was super comfy and the fit (I ordered a size small) was perfect. What surprised me even more however was two days ago when I came home to find a package adorning the beautiful light green and bird patterned packing tape, waiting for me. I immediately thought they had made a mistake and accidently sent me two of the same shirt. But I was wrong. I opened the package to find the very cute Start Line t-shirt with a note from the ladies at Oiselle. The note read:

Compliments of Oiselle. So sorry for the delay on the backordered t-shirt- thanks so much for your patience!

Seriously. Talk about customer service! Not to mention the shirt was also very comfy and I absolutely LOVED the starting line graphics. Needless to say I will be ordering much more running gear from Oiselle in the future. Not only do they have a commitment to running but also they have a commitment to serving their customers and I think that’s something any consumer can appreciate. Thank you Oiselle and as your saying goes “Head up, wings out!”

ENERGYbits review for runners

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A few weeks ago I started noticing a very active Twitter handle pop up on my Twitter feed. It was from a Boston-based company called ENERGYbits and they were tweeting back and forth with a lot of the runners and bloggers that I followed and before I knew it they were following me as well. They asked me if I would be interested in sampling their product and writing a review, and based on reviews and comments I heard from other runners I thought, “For sure!”

Turns out one of the brand managers is actually a fellow UMass Amherst alum so I knew it was a good idea! According to their website, ENERGYbits are natural algae tabs that are designed to boost endurance, energy and enhance health. As a runner, I thought these bits could be a great way to fuel before a run, especially a long run, to keep me going until the final mile.

ENERGYbits are made of 100 percent organically grown spirulina algae. Now when we think algae we think of that nasty stuff that floats to the top of ponds and lakes during the summer, but it turns out that nasty stuff has some amazing health benefits. At just one calorie per tab, the spirulina in ENERGYbits has the highest concentration of protein in the world- three times the amount in steak. These tiny little bits also contain 40 vitamins and minerals, Omega-3s and 64 percent protein.

Nutritional information via ENERGYbits’ website.

I decided to try ENERGYbits before my long run two weeks ago to see if they really did help me with endurance and energy. I set out for a long and slow 8-mile loop through nearby neighborhoods. Before heading out I took the recommended dosage of 30 ENERGYbit tabs. You’re probably thinking, 30?? That’s an insane amount of tabs! But really it wasn’t that bad. The tabs are so tiny and easy to swallow, you won’t even notice there are so many. However, one word of caution- they do not smell good and they taste even worse. The people at ENERGYbits suggest you swallow the tabs with a liquid as opposed to chew them as they are an acquired taste. But who chews vitamins anyways? I took them with some juice and could barely taste them.

Once I was good to go for my run I set out the door with my Runmeter tracking my run and waited for the results. I didn’t notice a huge difference in my running but I felt very comfortable and energized, but not in that jacked-up caffeine-high kind of way. I just felt very awake, which was great considering it was 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning. The real dealbreaker was at the end of my run when I checked my Runmeter to see I ran 8 miles in 1:05. What. That was an 8:08 average pace. Insanity!?

I can’t say for sure ENERGYbits caused me to run like the wind but they must have done something right because I’ve never run a long run that fast in my life. Moral of the story? If you’re looking to boost energy and endurance in a natural way be sure to check out ENERGYbits. They worked for me and have worked for countless other endurance athletes, so they might work for you too!

There are also three other bits in the Boston-based company’s inventory: RECOVERYbits, VITALITYbits and SKINNYbits. They are also all made out of algae but serve different purposes. If you’re interested in trying them out use the code BLOG at the checkout to get 10 percent off your purchase!

You can also find ENERGYbits on Twitter @ENERGYbits and on Facebook. Have you tried ENERGYbits? If so, let me know what you thought about them in the comments section below!

DISCLAIMER: ENERGYbits sent me a complimentary sample to review. I did not receive compensation for the review and they were not guaranteed a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Monday Motivation: Dream big

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I’m usually not the biggest fan of semi-cliche sayings like “Dream Big” but lately, it’s constantly running through my mind. As I look back to March, when I couldn’t even run a mile, and now I’m getting ready to run a half-marathon, I really can’t believe it. I also can’t believe how much running has literally changed my life. Things I never thought would happen for me are finally happening and I’m just so proud of how far I’ve come. I also am a believer in the fact that big dreams should be a little scary but if you have enough confidence in yourself, they aren’t impossible. So as the saying goes “Dream big” because as big as you can dream you can achieve greatness. Happy Monday and good luck with your training runs this week!

What are your big dreams for the week? Share them in the comments section!

Mini race recap: Wrentham Wroad Wrace

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Me at the Wrentham Wroad Wrace!

Earlier this week I found out there was going to be a 5K literally 5 minutes from my house in Wrentham, Mass. called the Wrentham Wroad Wrace. Of course I immediately signed up because usually I have to travel for races but this one was so close!

As I said it was just a 5K so nothing too crazy but it was really great to get out there and race. It’s hard to believe but I actually haven’t “raced” many road races. I’ve done a few since I started running in March but I can literally count them on one hand. This is not OK, I realize this. While I went into this race just wanting to have fun and get to know some of the local runners I came away from it with so much more.

Pre-race prep the night before the race.

I love to run! But I also really enjoy racing. I love all of it from the pre-race prep and dynamic stretching to the gun going off at the start line and the cheers at the finish. Nothing better. This race also made me realize the only way to get better at racing is to race often. There’s such a science behind where to line up at the start and how much water to drink, what to bring on race day and how to pass other runners without being obnoxious. And frankly, the only way to get better at these details of racing is to get out there and race.

While I absolutely love my long runs and going for longer distances, I think running these shorter, faster distances are the only way to improve on racing techniques. I know I’m never going to be a sub-3 marathoner (unless I’m talking about my Paul Ryan time) and I’m fine with that because more than racing and PRs and time, I just love running. To me, my end goal is to be a runner for life no matter how fast or how slow. If that means not racing for a few months, or racing every weekend I’m OK either way. All I know is today was a great race, and despite awfully high temperatures and unbearable humidity, the camaraderie of the other runners is really what makes it special.

Ready to run!

As far as my finish time, well I made a huge racing mistake here because I started my RunKeeper before I got to the start line and forgot to stop it at the finish line. These are the kinds of things you can only learn by racing often. Hopefully they’ll put up the results soon so stay tuned!

If you raced this weekend share it in the comments section below! What did you race? How did it go?

Week 13: Half marathon training update

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I think my sweet new Nike outfit helped with my 8-miler!

This past week was a great week of training runs for me. I really can’t express enough how HUGE of a difference changing my form has made. (If you didn’t check it out yet, take a look at my post about how I changed my running form and simple steps to improve yours as well!) I have to admit, I was a little skeptical of the claim that changing my form would completely solve my IT Band problems but it really has. I’ve had three runs since changing my form and (knock on wood!) I haven’t felt any IT band pain.

I started the week out on Monday with an easy 3-mile run. I finished the run in 27 minutes and felt pretty good during it. This run was before I got feedback from Ryan Knapp about my form so I tried correcting my form on my own based on articles I had read. I knew I needed to land on my mid-foot as opposed to my heel so I tried my best to do that. I felt IT Band pain around 1.5 miles but was able to avoid a massive flare-up by really focusing on my form.

Tuesday was a cross-training day for me so I woke up early to get that done. I did two “Tone It Up” videos- Sunset workout for 12 minutes and the thighs workout for 16 minutes (times two)- because I had heard so much about them. I’m working on another post about using them for cross-training so check back soon for that! I also added in some leg exercises I read about in the Runner’s World half marathon issue. Then I did my plank a day and 50 calf raises because they help with alignment.

Wednesday was a big day for me because I received Ryan’s feedback and tips for correcting my form on Tuesday night so I was able to put them into practice during my 5-mile midweek training run. Overall this run went really well and I finished in 45 minutes. I focused on three things in particular (as mentioned in a previous post):

  • Lifting from my core in order to mid-foot strike.
  • Gunslinging my arms
  • Running with lean from my ankles

I really focused during my run on making sure I was implementing all of these tips. For the most part I found it pretty easy to incorporate them even though it felt a little awkward at first. The only tip I found difficult to implement was not running with my arms too high up on my ribcage. I tasked myself with focusing on this more during my next run.

On Thursday I did some cross-training at the gym. I did about 3 miles on the elliptical and then a bunch of strengthening exercises to help me run stronger. I focused on a lot of leg exercises because my legs have been feeling a little tired lately. I also did some arm exercises and planks.

Friday was a complete rest day!

Saturday was the real test for my new form because it was my long run day. I had 10 miles on tap but it turned into 8 miles because my stomach wasn’t feeling well but I finished 8 miles in a speedy 1 hour and 5 minutes! I couldn’t believe how fast I ran this run, especially with an upset stomach! This was my first long run since experiencing the IT Band pain and I felt like during the whole run I kept waiting for the pain to appear but it NEVER CAME! I don’t want to speak to soon however because it could still resurface but so far so good!

On Sunday I had to help my sister move back into college but it involved lots of lifting and going up and down four flights of stairs so I’m going to count it as cross-training.

Overall this week was great and I’m feeling a lot better about the half-marathon at the end of the month. I’ll be looking forward to the rest of my runs this week and hope my form will start to feel a little more natural.

Monday- 3 mile easy run, 27 min. average pace- 9:55/mile

Tuesday- Cross-training, Tone It Up workouts (Sunset and thigh workouts), planks, calf raises, Runner’s World leg exercises

Wednesday- 5 mile run, 45 min. average pace- 9:56/miles

Thursday- 3 miles on the elliptical, cross-training

Friday- Rest

Saturday- Long run 8 miles, 1:05, average pace 8:05/mile

Sunday- Moving (cross-training)

Monday Motivation: It takes a team

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Training isn’t always easy. In fact, I’d like to argue it’s never easy. But isn’t that why we do it? To push our limits and challenge ourselves? I think so at least. But sometimes when injuries happen or you have a bad run, it can be hard to keep going. Self confidence can get low and doubt can rear it’s ugly face but if you have surrounded yourself with a support team, a team that believes in you no matter what, you can push through the doubt and continue going.

I have been lucky enough through my training to have a massive support team in the form of family, friends, fellow run bloggers and complete strangers. After overcoming (fingers crossed!) some IT Band issues, I have never been more grateful for the amazing people in my life who believed in me and dragged me through my own stint of self doubt.

Sometimes we don’t do as well as we had hoped but at the end of the day, if there’s someone cheering for you at the finish line, or dragging you across it, you know you’ve accomplished something. Happy running this week!

Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan were the definition of team at the finish line of the London 2012 Olympic marathon.

Anywhere yoga {Infographic}

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If you’ve been reading my blog for the past few months, you may realize my go-to fitness site is the Greatist. As a journalist I can really appreciate the amount of time, research, interviewing and fact-checking that goes into each and every article they write. As a multimedia journalist working in the ever-evolving and technologically advancing field of journalism, I can appreciate their efforts to make outstanding graphics that are easy to read, follow and share.

A few days ago they posted a great graphic about various yoga poses you can do literally anywhere, including the bathroom on an airplane. In training for my upcoming half-marathon and marathon I’ve incorporated a lot of yoga into my training plan for cross-training and stretching. This graphic is so helpful especially when you may be tired after sitting for a long time, say while working at your desk or taking a long flight. I tested out some of these positions in the bathroom at my office today and they are totally doable. I will admit I didn’t try any of the ones that involved touching the floor but I wouldn’t hesitate to try it at home. Let me know what you think!

Get health and fitness tips at Greatist.com

Week 12: Half-marathon/marathon training update

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Sadly there’s not much to report from this past week. My training plan called for an easy 2-mile run to start off the week last week and because of my work schedule I didn’t get to do it until Wednesday. Two miles is nothing to me at this point but about 1.6 miles into the run my right knee locked up and it felt like someone stuck a knife into the side of my knee. The pain was so sharp I had to slow to a walk immediately. Weird thing was, it instantly felt fine. So I decided to start back up again when the pain came back with a vengeance and I decided to slow to a walk completely.

I was so disappointed and angry. I thought to myself, “I have not come this far to get injured a month before my half-marathon.” So I decided to do the right thing and rest all week. No running at all. I worked out though pretty much every day and did a ton of yoga.

After much research and consult with other runners on Twitter, I realized I have developed an IT band irritation and the cause is most likely my form. According to Ryan Knapp, an endurance running coach and triathlete, the IT band flare up was probably the result of poor form. I first noticed the pain while running a 5k a few weeks ago but it went away shortly after. I was able to run 12-miles no problem a few weeks ago and 9 miles two weeks ago but 2 miles killed me.

Ryan is helping me fix my form and according to him I should be back running stronger and better well before my half-marathon on Sept. 30.

If anything, not being able to run during the past week has made me realize what a gift running is and how much I have fallen in love with the sport. At this point I’m just trying to stay positive and put one foot in front of the other. I’ll be sure to do a post too about my form and keep everyone updated on my training!

Monday- power yoga and 3:04 min. plank a day and an ab workout

Tuesday- 2-mile run. Injured.

Wednesday- runner recovery yoga and variation of planks

Thursday- 3-miles on the elliptical and strengthening for legs, arms and abs. 4:00 min plank.

Friday- Power flow yoga and planks/ab workout

Saturday- Rest day, swimming in the ocean

Sunday- Rest day (I was at a graduation all day)