Tag Archives: running

Monday motivation: #RunHappy

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After a great week of training I remembered my long-lost tradition of posting Monday Motivation. So here it is, back in full force, your weekly reason to run. Without sounding too preachy I just want to reiterate how much of a believer in the power of the human spirit I am. Four months ago I could barely run a mile without feeling completely drained and now I can run over 10 miles at an 8:41/mile pace. I ran my fastest mile last week of 6:31 and I’m just going to keep going. Running has challenged me, tested my stamina and tested my spirit but it’s made me so much stronger because of it. I’m not stopping any time soon and I hope you don’t either! #RunHappy

 

 

Week 5: Half-marathon update

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A very rain-soaked road race on the 4th of July!

This week was yet again another amazing week of training. I ran my first official road race and my longest run yet! I logged just about 19 miles this week- same total as last week, different way of adding it up.

Monday night I did a tempo run at the local track. Instead of doing my normal tempo run, I used “run interval” mode on the Run Keeper app on my iPhone. It had me run a total of 2 miles with 400-meter sprints mixed with slow running. It went really well and I ran my fastest pace at 7:32/mile.

I rested on Tuesday and did some yoga in the morning to stretch. On Wednesday, I ran my very first road race. I know this is kind of weird because I’ve been blogging about running since March but this was my very first race. It was so great (besides the fact that it was pouring)! I finished the 4-miler in 37:16 with an average pace of 9:20 which I was pretty pleased with, given the conditions.

I gave myself a total rest day on Thursday and then ran an early morning run on Friday. I wanted to test my speed especially after the race so I decided to do a 2.5-mile run around my neighborhood. I was SO excited when I came back and checked Run Keeper to see that I ran my first mile in 6:30. That was the fastest mile I have EVER run! I was so excited to see how much my work has really paid off! The one criticism I have of this run is I wish I could have done a negative split, that is running faster in the last half of the run than the first. I’m going to try to work on that in the next few weeks.

2.5 miles- average pace- 8:27, fastest pace- 6:30

Saturday was my long run day, a full 10 miles. This is the longest I have ever ran and I have to say it was my most fulfilling run yet! I ran a total of 10.26 miles in York, Maine with my cousin Paige who is also training for the half-marathon with me. Our route was pretty hilly but we were unafraid, I was even really, really excited!

Map of the 10.26 mile route.

The run was fantastic! We decided to go at an easy, what I like to call “conversational” pace. This means while running, you’re able to hold a conversation with someone without getting winded. We thought we were going pretty slow but turns out our average pace was 8:41/mile, a faster average pace than I had ever done. We finished the run in 1 hour, 29 minutes and 3 seconds. The craziest part was our fastest pace was 4:51/mile! What!?!? When I looked at the breakdown, mile by mile of our run, I couldn’t believe how well we did. We peaked at mile 8, when we ran it in 6:36 and ran our fastest pace of 4:51. In total, almost all of our miles were sub-9:00 besides the 6th mile where we had our steepest incline.

10.26 mile run: average pace- 8:41, fastest pace- 4:51.

After this week’s training I am a full believer in the biggest you can dream, you can make it happen. Four months ago I could barely run a mile without feeling like I was going to fall over and die. Now, I feel like I can go forever and I’m just getting faster. More than anything, it makes me so happy. I hope everyone else had a good week of training. Happy running!

On the run: 4 on the Fourth

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On the 4th of July, there’s a race held in York, Maine (where my family vacations and practically my home away from home), every year. It’s called the Four on the Fourth and it’s a 4-mile run starting at the high school, looping around and eventually coming down the road that runs parallel to the ocean.

I had always wanted to do the race but never did because I wasn’t a runner. This year was different. This year I was a runner so I registered for the race. The Four on the Fourth was also my first “official” race that I’ve run, even though I’ve been training hard other races for a few months.

I was very excited for this race, so much so that I couldn’t really sleep the night before and woke up before my alarm. When I got up, I looked out the window and saw it was raining. Crap. I knew that would slow down my pace and affect my finish time but there’s no getting in the way of mother nature.

I was running the race with my cousin, Paige, who’s also been training for the half with me, my friend, Lindsay, and my Uncle Joe. We are all at different levels in our running- Paige is all about speed, I’m more about distance, Lindsay is a 5-k runner and my Uncle is a recreational runner. I decided to stick with Lindsay throughout the run to keep pace with her because it was her first 4-miler.

As we stood at the start line and the national anthem was sung, the rain started coming down harder. We were already there so there was no turning back now. The gun shot and we were off. The first two miles went really well but as we turned onto the ocean road, the rain was literally pelting us in the face. In fact, it was kind of hard to see. But as we passed the 3-mile marker, Lindsay looked at her watch and realized we were really going at a good pace. As we approached the corner to turn into the final half mile my whole family was on the corner cheering for us and I got a burst of energy. I came in to the finish line with a final time of 37:16 which I was really pleased with given the conditions.

As many of you who may read my blog often know, I’m currently training for a half-marathon at the end of September. My training has been going pretty great and I’ve been working hard on increasing my mileage and increasing my speed. Part of the latter of that plan is including “tempo” runs in my weekly workout. I definitely attribute these runs to my final time at the Four on the Fourth. I did a tempo run last week and ran my fastest pace yet at 7:32.

It’s hard to believe that only four months ago I could barely run a mile and now I’m running more than I could have imagined and absolutely loving it. It sounds so cliche but if you believe in yourself, you really can accomplish anything.

Tweets for #13.1 miles

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  1. THE COLOR RUN – Be a Color Runner
    thecolorrun
    Fri, May 11 2012 06:59:17
  2. FitHappyGirl
    “It always seems impossible until it’s done” #13.1 #running #reasonstorun
    Hannah McGoldrick
    Sun, Jul 01 2012 15:13:30
  3. authorjimlynch
    “Running isn’t about winning or losing, it’s neither about glory or achievement, it’s all about not quitting.” Ben Vachon #runchat
    Jim Lynch
    Mon, Jun 25 2012 14:02:09
  4. BrentJBoersma
    just noticed i’m on pace for 1,000 miles running this year… but barely! 502.7 for 1st half of 2012. ;-) #runchat
    Brent Boersma
    Mon, Jul 02 2012 12:59:01
  5. theloveofkale
    When you start to focus on something you perceive as a flaw, turn it into a positive. That is how others see you. #FitFluential #truth
    Heather Waxman
    Mon, Jul 02 2012 05:20:11
  6. onerunatatime
    RT @GirlRucki: My life changed when I stopped thinking “I could never be that lucky” & started thinking “of course I can be that successful.” #FitFluential
    Janene
    Mon, Jul 02 2012 13:31:41
  7. MilePosts
    Week 1 of marathon training. 16 solo miles meant 35 were #doublestroller or #triplestroller miles :) http://www.mile-posts.com/2012/07/02/week-1-marathon-training-i-need-your-help/ #findyourstrong
    Dorothy Beal
    Mon, Jul 02 2012 12:13:21

  8. ericasara
    Just hit 2 miles & it’s painfully hot. I deserve a quick sunset break, right? http://instagr.am/p/Mjs4WGIGww/
    Erica Sara
    Sun, Jul 01 2012 17:09:49
  9. RunningQuotes
    “A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.” via @AffirmationSpot #run
    Real Runners
    Mon, Jul 02 2012 13:31:14
  10. RunningQuotes
    Not every race is perfect, not every run is perfect. Getting out there, is perfect
    Real Runners
    Sun, Jul 01 2012 19:28:01

  11. HastyHastings
    @brooksrunning run happy! http://pic.twitter.com/PXn8eSqQ
    Amy Hastings
    Sun, Jul 01 2012 23:11:33
  12. chicrunner
    If I’m running four miles tomorrow morning, this should make eating macaroni and cheese for dinner as a “carbo load” okay tonight…
    Chic Runner
    Wed, Jun 27 2012 17:30:59
  13. Shape_Magazine
    RT @fithappygirl: this weekend I ran 9 miles without stopping as part of training for my first half-marathon #success
    SHAPE magazine
    Mon, Jul 02 2012 09:10:12
  14. authorjimlynch
    “Every day is a good day when you run.” -Kevin Nelson #runchat #running #marathoner #marathontraining #fitfluential
    Jim Lynch
    Thu, Jun 28 2012 06:25:32

Week 4: Half-marathon update

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This week was extremely successful in terms of my training. I was able to fit in four runs this week, which was really great and on my days off I did yoga. I have always been interested in using yoga with my run training but never really tried it. However, it is included practically every other day in the LuluLemon SeaWheeze Half-marathon training app that I’ve been using so I figured I’d give it a shot. Turns out yoga really does help! The stretches are designed for runners and get at those hard to reach muscles in your legs. Yoga also helps to stretch out the IT band and hamstrings. Not to mention it’s a great relaxer and helps runners focus on their breathing.

As far as my runs went this week, I was really impressed. I logged 19 miles in total, breaking down to a 4-miler on Tuesday, two 3-milers on Wednesday and Friday, and the grand finale, 9-miler on Saturday.

My Saturday run was the farthest I’ve ever ran and it felt absolutely fantastic. I ran 9 miles in 1:30:00, which I know is pretty slow but I wanted to take it easy. Intellectually, I knew I would be able to do it because the weekend before I ran 7 miles. However, the night before the run I had a nervous pit in my stomach. I had told family and friends that this run would be my first “long” run and it was kind of make or break. Most of them were supportive but others seemed to doubt me. Nine miles is a long way, I clocked it in my car the day before to get a sense of just how far it would be and realized, “Wow, this is not just a run, it’s freaking long!” But when I woke up on Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. my first thought surprised me. The first thing I thought was, “I get to run today.” I was excited! I wanted to prove the doubters wrong and prove myself wrong.

When I finished the 9 miles I felt great. I wasn’t winded, my legs felt good and I realized I just ran 9 freaking miles! I even finished the run with a huge smile on my face because I honestly couldn’t believe I did it. The best part about it was, there’s only 4.1 miles left to 13.1.

This week I’m planning on doing a tempo run on Monday and then I have a race on the 4th of July in Maine. It’s only 4 miles so it should feel pretty easy compared to 9! In other news, I just started to read “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall and it’s pretty fascinating. Maybe I’ll write a review for a post once I finish?

On the run: being chased by a dog

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“On the run” will be an occasional series of posts about musings and happenings that happen on my journey to fit. They might be new goals and PRs or just me sharing a pleasant run with you. Or, they could be about mistakes and blunders that happen as I continue training.

I woke up early this morning at 6:15 a.m. to head out for a run (pretty impressive for a Friday if I do say so myself). I put on my running shorts and sneakers, got my lime-green non-slip Lululemon headband, guzzled down some water and I was off.

I only planned to do an easy 3-mile run because I have my long run (9 miles!) tomorrow. It was hot and humid, even for 6:30 a.m. but I was going at a steady sub-10 minute pace and feeling pretty good. My head was clear, breathing was steady and legs strong.

As I approached the 2-mile mark I turned up a slight incline and started to hear loud barking. I had run this route many times before and never before been approached by a dog. But this time was different. I hadn’t even reached the edge of the dog’s owner’s property and he was bounding up to the street, barking at me, ears perked and staring me down. I stopped running immediately and was terrified.

As someone who used to be literally phobic of dogs, I didn’t know what to do. My fear of dogs has subsided and I really do love them now but I still get nervous when a dog runs up to me. From the sound of this dog’s bark, it wasn’t a friendly bark, it was a defensive, aggressive bark. I had to make a quick decision because I could tell the home didn’t have an invisible fence so I knew the closer I got, the more aggressive the dog would get. I decided to turn around, go back behind the corner and run in the opposite direction.

I realize now this was sort of a fight or flight mechanism but I didn’t know what to do. After reading some message boards, other runners suggest to keep running, don’t look at the dog and pretend like he/she isn’t there. I don’t know if I could have done this in this particular situation but maybe on the go forward I’ll be able to. If anything, I’d issue a word of caution for runners and beware of dangerous dogs. If their tail isn’t wagging, they most likely aren’t a friendly dog, so be careful.

Video: NYC marathon time-lapse

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I came across this video made by Gwen Schroeder on Vimeo and had to share it. Using a GoPro HD Hero 2 camera strapped to her head as she ran the 2011 NYC Marathon, she was able to compile this time-lapse video of the duration of the marathon. The camera took a picture every second, allowing her to then edit the images into one clip.

I can’t imagine running 26.2 miles with a camera attached to my head but I give Gwen the biggest of props for doing so because it allows viewers, like myself, to experience running the NYC Marathon. Also, for anyone who’s already run the race, they can relive it!

2011 New York City Marathon Time-Lapse (ING NYC Marathon) from Gwen Schroeder on Vimeo.

Runner’s high is no myth

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About 5 miles into my 7-mile run on last Saturday, I started to get a weird feeling. I felt like I was out of my body, like I wanted to run faster and I almost felt giddy. At first I got concerned because it was a pretty hot morning and I thought I might be dehydrated. After I finished my run I felt an immediate rush of energy and euphoria and it was then that it clicked for me- I was experiencing runner’s high.

Runner’s high is a phenomenon most long distance runner’s and endurance athletes say they experience during or after a tough workout. I had always heard other runners talk about it but never experienced it for myself until last Saturday. For a long time, doctors and scientists dismissed runner’s high as an actual medical phenomenon because they couldn’t figure out how to prove it. Before I became a serious runner I also didn’t completely believe in runner’s high. But now I’m a believer.

After my run, I took to the Internet to find answers. Is runner’s high a real thing? Are we actually getting a boost of energy after certain miles? Or, are we all that obsessed with running that we convince ourselves we’re not tired? Turns out, runner’s high is no myth.

According to a 2008 New York Times article, researchers in Germany proved “runner’s high” to be true through the use of new neuroscience medical technology. Researchers examined a handful of distance runners to see if the phenomenon was an actual medical process. Using PET scans combined with a chemical that highlights the presence of endorphins in the brain, researchers found endorphins flood the brain during and after a long run.

Not only does runner’s high produce a sense of euphoria for the runner, it can also increase resistance to pain sensors. When a runner goes out for a long distance run, it is inevitable they will put their body under stress and possibly pain. However, according to a study from Lehigh University, a runner’s “pain thresholds tend to increase directly following exercise such as a long-distance run and their moods are often elevated.”

Endorphins released to produce a runner’s high are stimulated by duration and intensity, according to an article on Shape.com. The article says most people need to run at least 20 minutes before they feel the benefits of a runner’s high. Increasing intensity during runs, or adding a tempo run to a weekly workout can help a runner achieve a runner’s high.

So it turns out runner’s high is real. However, it’s important to not let your brain get clouded by this sense of euphoria. Continue to listen to your body, what your legs are telling you, and as always, if you’re in pain, take a break. But until then, keep on running and soak in that runner’s high!

Week 3: Half-marathon update

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This past week was a great training week for me. I ran four times during the week, including a tempo run on Tuesday evening at a beautiful track in Boston (with a great view of the city in the background), a short 3.5-mile run on Wednesday morning, a long 7-mile run on Saturday morning and a short recovery run on Sunday.

The tempo run was good besides the heat. Last week was the first heat-wave of the summer up here in New England and my lungs could definitely tell. I did the 3-mile tempo run in the evening as the sun was going down but the heat was pretty tough even at that time. The next morning, I woke up early to begin my run at 6:30 a.m. to try to beat the sun and the heat. It worked for the most part but towards the end I was feeling the heat.

My long run on Saturday was the longest I had ever run and it felt fantastic! It was 7 miles long, along the coast of Maine. The distance wasn’t bad at all but there were a lot of hills that got to me. The biggest ascent was in mile 5 and was 74 feet, with 0 feet of descent. That was tough! The total ascent was 144 feet and 139 feet of descent. But for the most part, I think I did pretty well. I averaged a 9:10 mile during the run and I’m hoping I can keep that up as I increase mileage.

My Sunday recovery run was the best of the week. It was a quick 5-k- I didn’t time it but it was roughly 25 minutes- along the coast of Maine again. My cousin Paige did the run with me and it was so hot when we went out that we came up with the ingenious idea to wear sports bras on our run and our bathing suit bottoms underneath our shorts. Immediately after we finished the run we went down to the beach, took off our shorts and dove into the cool Atlantic. It was amazing! I felt so great after it was over, I wanted to do it again.

Overall I’m really pleased with my training this week. On my off days I did strength training to build muscle in my legs and core. I learned a lot about how my body reacts to distance and I am going to use that for my next long run. I hope you all had a great week running too! Be on the lookout this week for a post about the myths of “runner’s high.” Happy running!