Tag Archives: running

Monday Motivation: I’ve got to run

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After having some serious IT band flare ups on a run last Tuesday I decided to make the smart decision to rest my knee to avoid hurting myself even more. Besides getting off of my marathon training plan, the whole not running thing was killing me! Especially when the weekend came and I had to spend it with someone I hadn’t seen in a long time and we didn’t exactly end on great terms. For me, running is my outlet, my stress reliever, my therapy, and after this weekend all I could think about was getting out on the road, clearing my head and finding peace again. Then this morning happened and I had a fantastic, easy 3-mile run, my knee felt pretty great and my mind was cleared of all negative thoughts. I’m still taking it easy on my knee but it felt so amazing to get back out there. I hope everyone’s training is going well and I wish you the best of luck this week!

How I found my heart through running

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(via Lululemon)

I wrote this post as a guest blog for ViewSPORT’s blog. I hope you enjoy!

Most runner’s stories start off the same- “If you told me a year ago I’d be training for a marathon I’d think you were crazy…” and “I was never a runner but then…” or “I absolutely hated running until…” While this could seem like a formulaic response meant to inspire non-runners that they too can fall in love with running, it’s not. There’s a reason every runner has a story that begins like this and well, mine is pretty much the same.

I have always been into fitness and working out but I was never the best athlete. In high school I was on the varsity tennis team, but played second doubles when I was even picked to play in a match. I was captain of the lacrosse team my senior year but only because I was one of the oldest girls on the team. More than anything (hear comes the cliché response) I hated running. I made up excuses like, “it hurts my knees” or “I can’t breathe when I run,” just to get out of it. I always envied runners and wished I could share that gift but every time I tried going for a run, I’d get frustrated with my breathing and quit. I was a quitter.

In my senior year of college I had a change of heart and was really into working out. I went to the gym almost every day and attended a cardio kickboxing class four or five times a week. I LOVED kickboxing. It was a high intensity cardio class that started me on my journey to being in the best shape of my life. I was feeling great until the end of February came along and the stress of graduation and other events in my personal life left me feeling unmotivated, depressed and lacking in self confidence. After weeks of feeling useless and sorry for myself I decided I needed to do something bigger than myself, set a goal, reach it and regain my confidence.

So I started a couch to 5k program. It doesn’t sound like much but this was a huge deal for me. I started the program, registered for a 5k and started running. It took awhile for me to get into it but I remember the day I fell in love with running. I went to the gym with my friend and I was supposed to run for 30 minutes on the treadmill which would work out to 3.1 miles. My friend was working out somewhere else in the gym and wasn’t ready to leave when I had reached 30 minutes. But I felt fine so I decided to keep running. That day I ran 4.5 miles, a huge accomplishment for me because that was the most I’d ever run in my life.

All of this was less than six months ago and now I’ve PRed with a 5k time of 26:58, I’m gearing up for a half-marathon at the end of September and have begun training for a marathon in November. A lot of non-runners think runners are just plain crazy. I mean who would want to voluntarily run an endless amount of miles, suffer from blisters, tight muscles and other injuries and for what, to reach the finish line? Well most runners I know, including myself, would tell you it’s so much more than that. Running gave me clarity. It gave me something I could achieve on my own. Something I was finally good at. But more than the peace that I found while running, running helped me find my heart and my passion. Now I run not for time or to get a new PR but I run with heart.

Monday Motivation: Do what others say cannot be done

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When I first started running, I was focused on just finishing a 5k. I was not a runner and just started last March but I knew if I set that goal for myself, I could accomplish it. Pretty soon, I realized I could run farther and longer than a lot of other people. I remember the day when I broke through the mysterious “wall” and was able to just keep running, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I had never been really good at anything athletic but now I was able to run 4 miles and then 6 miles and pretty soon, a half marathon.

But when I told some of my family and friends about my dream to run a marathon, a few doubted me. They told me it was too ambitious, I hadn’t raced enough smaller races yet, I could hurt myself and I just wasn’t ready. It’s hard to hear this form people you love, especially when you just want them to be happy for you. But it gives you a choice. You can either listen to what they say and change your mind about your goals, or you can ignore them and go full speed ahead with confidence in your ability to reach your goal. I did the latter.

Protein-packed “bomb”elette for runners

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Ingredients and the finished product!

I’ve been wanting to write more posts about nutrition for runners because it’s so important to properly fuel your body both pre and post run, but to be honest, I don’t get many chances to cook. However, last weekend I had no plans so I was finally able to make a real breakfast- as opposed to my usual cereal, fruit and coffee- and I thought I’d share it with y’all. (This is my first actual recipe post so bear with me!)

My sister likes to called loaded omelettes, bombelettes because they are ‘da bomb. So, in her honor, I’m naming my veggie packed omelette from last weekend the veggie bombelette. This recipe is super easy and paired with some whole grain toast, will give you a great nutritional meal to start off your day.

The ingredients are simple:

  • 2 egg whites- some people buy the egg whites in the carton but I like to use actual eggs and separate the whites and yolk on my own
  • A dash of low-fat milk
  • Part skim shredded mozzarella cheese- I used the low fat kind
  • Assorted bell peppers sliced thin
  • Broccoli- try to cut it small so it doesn’t get to cumbersome with the egg
  • Red onion- sliced thinly
  • Seasoning to taste

The steps are also easy. After separating your egg whites, I like to add a dash of milk (who doesn’t need more calcium?) and after chopping up your veggies, spray a frying pan with fat-free cooking spray so nothing sticks to the pan. Then, add your veggies so they can roast a little before adding the egg. Once the veggies are a little softer, pour the egg white mixture over the veggies and swish it around the pan so it’s evenly distributed. Turn the heat down to medium/medium-high. Sprinkle some cheese onto the egg and then fold the egg over to make an omelette. I failed on this part a bit so mine turned into more of a veggie scramble, but that’s fine too.

The protein and calcium you get from eggs is so important for your muscles for running and the veggies add fiber which is packed with health benefits. This is probably too much to eat before a morning run but is perfect for some post-run nutrition. I hope you enjoy, bon appetit!

Rules of the road: etiquette for runners

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Yesterday morning I was on my easy 3-mile run before work. My run was going really well and because it was so early (not that bad really, just 6:15 a.m.) there was hardly anyone on the road. I took this as an opportunity to really focus and get into my run. It was very peaceful and I just felt good. As I came up a hill I saw another runner heading towards me on the opposite side of the road. She looked like she was about in her 30s, she had headphones on and was going at a kind of slow pace.

I’m a rather peppy person in the morning and I always say “hello” or “good morning” to people I see on the road during my early runs. I do this even if I’m killing myself going up a hill or nearing the end of a 12-mile run. I think it’s a common courtesy.

As the other runner came closer to me I smiled at her to acknowledge her presence and then waved and said “Good morning!” What followed after took me off guard. She gave me a death stare. She didn’t smile, didn’t even utter a word. She just kept running.

I always thought it was respectful to acknowledge other runners on the road. We’re not racing each other (yet) and we’re all working towards a common goal. Maybe this woman wasn’t a morning person or maybe she was stressed about something else but I couldn’t believe she didn’t even acknowledge me and worse made me feel like I had done something wrong. I think it should be a rule to at least acknowledge other runners on the road. One of the best things I’ve learned since becoming a runner is how supportive other runners and the running community can be and I think it is absolutely vital that we all stay supportive of one another. After all, shouldn’t we all run happy?

So today I took to twitter to ask some fellow runners their opinion on running etiquette.

  1. FitHappyGirl
    What are some important rules of the road for #running etiquette? #runchat
    Hannah McGoldrick
    Tue, Aug 14 2012 09:57:47
  2. BaldGuyRunning
    @FitHappyGirl I keep to the right unless passing and I always tell people when I’m passing esp in winner. I don’t want to startle anyone
    Christian
    Tue, Aug 14 2012 10:05:22
  3. BaldGuyRunning
    @FitHappyGirl also if you are running with friends don’t take up the entire space in the path/sidewalk.
    Christian
    Tue, Aug 14 2012 10:19:16
  4. odysseywoman
    @FitHappyGirl please #run AGAINST traffic even in a subdivision. Neighbors walking/running w/back to cars is huge #petpeeve #runchat
    Kelly O’Doherty
    Tue, Aug 14 2012 10:21:43
  5. JonathanandBall
    @FitHappyGirl always give a high 5 to another #runner in need. #runchat
    Jonathan Ball
    Tue, Aug 14 2012 10:30:01
  6. FitHappyGirl
    @JonathanandBall I love this one! Lord knows all #runners need a high 5 every now and then #runchat
    Hannah McGoldrick
    Tue, Aug 14 2012 10:46:53
  7. JonathanandBall
    @FitHappyGirl I sometimes rework my routes to areas more conducive to high 5’s. Sometimes it’s all you need. #greasyhigh5 #sweatypalms
    Jonathan Ball
    Tue, Aug 14 2012 10:56:31

Monday Motivation: Keep going

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We all know training can be hard and sometimes your head tries to convince you to stop. But training is supposed to be hard because you are training your body to do something it didn’t know how to do, or didn’t know it could do. The next time that little voice inside your head says it’s time to give up, or someone who doubts you says you won’t finish the race, don’t listen. Listen to your heart and remember why you started training in the first place. I say this a lot but it’s really not about proving other people wrong, you want to prove to yourself that you can do it. If you go into training with that goal, you’ll surely be successful! Happy running this week and keep me updated on how your training is going!

via Pinterest

Week 10: Half-marathon training update

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Always end your run with a smile!

Training went really well this week! My knee is feeling much stronger after taking a little running break due to an IT band strain. I ran three times this week and had two cross training days and yoga almost every day.

I started off my week with an interval workout at the local high school track. I did 2 miles with 4x400m sprint intervals. My average pace was 9:20/mile and fastest pace was 6:57/mile. This wasn’t my fastest interval workout but considering I had taken almost a week off, especially from interval workouts, because of my knee, I think I did a pretty good job. It was also a blistering 90 degrees with an insane amount of humidity so breathability wasn’t great.

On Tuesday, I went to the gym after work and did some cross training and strengthening. I did a mile on the elliptical and then worked my leg muscles and abs. Then on Wednesday morning, I did detox flow yoga which was really good for my knee.

On Thursday, I decided to test my knee with an 8-mile long run. I met up with my cousin after work but we had to wait until the sun began to set to begin our run because it was 95 degrees outside with 70 percent humidity. We started our run around 6:30 p.m. and I felt really great in the beginning. We started out WAY too strong though which proved to be a little too hard for my knee. Around mile 3 I had to stop and walk a bit because it was hurting. My cousin asked if I wanted to turn around but I knew it would kill me if I did so I decided to keep going.

The run was HOT and I was so thirsty the entire time but I was able to finish strong and strangely enough (yet again!) my knee felt great during the last three miles. In total, the run took 1:10:31, which included two short walking breaks (for my knee) and some crosswalks. My average pace was 9:33/mile and my fastest pace was 6:06/mile. Overall, it was a great run and I was so happy I was able to get out there and run the distance.

Friday morning was more yoga, I did the Lululemon Yoga for Recovery on YouTube.  On Saturday, I decided on doing an easy 3-mile run at an easy pace of 9:56/mile. I felt really great on this run and my knee felt better than ever! Sunday was another cross training and strengthening day which also went really well.

Overall, this week was great for training! I felt strong and ready to be back on the road. This week I have my runs planned out including an easy run, speedwork and a 9-mile long run. This week is also the beginning of my training for the 2012 Philadelphia Marathon so finger-crossed, I’m excited! I hope your training runs went well this week. Happy running!

Week 9: Half-marathon training update

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I’ve never appreciated these beauties more than after my runs!

First off I want to apologize for the tardiness of this post! I was on a mini vacation this weekend and work has been crazy busy since I’ve been back so I didn’t get to post about last week’s training. If you read any of my posts last week you know I tweaked my knee during a race on July 28 so last week was kind of a dud training-wise.

I knew I had hurt my knee the minute I started feeling the pain. While I’m still not completely sure what I hurt, it felt like an IT band syndrome flare up. So, in an effort to avoid hurting myself even more I decided to take a break from training for a few days and focus on strengthening and cross training.

Most of my week consisted of cross-training, yoga and strengthening exercises. However, after resting for a few days I decided to try an easy run with my knee on Tuesday. Bad, BAD idea. I wasn’t two minutes into the run when I felt the sharp pain in the outer side of my right knee. I stopped after only a mile, feeling defeated, upset and  kind of concerned. I abandoned the run and turned to some strengthening exercises instead.

I took another few days off, making sure to ice my knee every day and stretch a lot. I focused on doing yoga for runners from Lululemon and other strengthening exercises. On Friday, I decided to try running again because I thought my knee was feeling a little better. I was on vacation in Maine and decided to take a 3-mile run along the beach, staying on the sidewalk. My knee was still sore but I was able to make it through the run, stopping halfway to stretch. I knew this was a good sign and that my knee was starting to heal.

After my run I did some yoga outside which was really good because I was able to stretch out my IT band. Saturday, after watching the women’s Olympic marathon, I was motivated to get out on the road again. I decided to do a longer, easy run that circled a 5.5-mile loop on the road, a gravel trail and a natural trail. This was really great on my knee because incorporating the trails lessoned the impact on my knee.

I felt really great on this run, especially towards the end when I really got my stride back and felt like I was just coasting. I wrote about it in another post but I think this injury has helped me to appreciate the gift of running. Having to take a few days off killed me but once I got back on the road I was able to cherish every stride. I also am lucky to be able to go running in beautiful places and I was able to enjoy my surroundings and really take it all in. I think sometimes us runners take our gift for granted. But having to be out of running commission for a little bit I was able to really appreciate every step I took. And I’m sooo happy to be back on the road! Happy running!

Monday Motivation: just finish it

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We all know that training can be hard and there are times when we may think, I just want to rest! But it’s important to remember why we set goals for ourselves- to challenge our body and our minds. While the Olympics are so inspirational and make me feel like I can get out there and run a marathon in 2:23:07 (which I most DEFINITELY cannot), I also know I will never be at that level. But i can find comfort in knowing I am challenging myself and I can get to my own level of achievement, whatever that may be. I liked this saying in the pin below because while we may not turn out to be Olympians, we are still achieving more than those who never start. Happy running this week!

“Dead last finish is greater than did not finish, which trumps did not start.”

(via Pinterest)

Video: Run for peace

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Sometimes when I’m training I forget to remember the reason I actually enjoy running. When I started running and I realized I was actually not bad at it, I liked it because it cleared my head and I found peace with myself. Running with friends only amplifies that experience and it’s important not to forget this as weeks of training go by. While it’s good to challenge yourself as a runner, it’s more important to enjoy it and always remember why you’re running. I saw this video of Kilian Jornet and thought it perfectly exemplified why I love running. Check it out:

 

Kilian Jornet: Back to the source from sebastien montaz-rosset on Vimeo.