Category Archives: 13.1 miles

Back to Running… and Blogging!

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biking

Proof that I own a bike.

Well, I might not have been around much in the blogging world… which means that I’ve been CRAZY busy in real life. Plus, I finished school in December, so now I don’t use blogging as an excuse to not do homework (anyone else know how I feel?). I guess I just needed a break from talking about running, and actually get outside and enjoy the sunshine! We also bought a house and moved in, repainted and decorated the whole house, I graduated with the big ceremony and everything, and have been training for this race!

I got this bike last year for my birthday, and now that we don’t live in an apartment and I don’t have to drag it down 3 flights of stairs, I get to take it out more frequently! I sometimes even use it to run to the grocery store if my hubs has the car (we are all economical and stuff and can live off one car… now I just need him to allow me to bike to work!). I love being able to bike more and drive less.

Anyways, back to running (because that’s what we care about, right?)… I’m running my first half marathon for the year in a week. YAY!! I’m super stoked, because this is my third race in Williamsburg and it’s my FAVORITE place to run in the whole world. This is my list from last year of why I’m beyond, out of the world, excited!!
In fact, I’m running with the hubs on Saturday for a 10k race, and then hitting the trails for the half marathon on Sunday… I know, I sound so hardcore. I’m going to be crazy sore the whole week… Can you see why I’m so excited? That, and hours and hours in a hot tub. Indeed, this is Heaven on Earth.

Updates to come soon.

1/2 Marathon Training Plan

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I’m back at it. My half marathon is the first weekend in June, and I’m so excited! We (my husband and I) ran the Williamsburg Run for the Dream 1/2 Marathon last year, and it is by far my favorite route in the world. I’m always looking for an excuse to run in Williamsburg, and I always look forward to those glorious 13.1 miles.
We have a lot of changes potentially coming down the chute in the next couple months, so I started my training a little earlier than necessary… just in case there are some ‘set-backs’ to my long runs.

Last weekend I enjoyed my 7 mile run in my favorite park, it was about 40 F so I was bundled up for the first couple miles and discarded my gloves once I warmed up. On the first mile, I found a brand new smart phone! I called a few of the last contacts and left it at the running store I was running with. Hopefully it found its rightful owner.  295550_345102265606645_866713775_n

About a week ago I ran on the boardwalk during the sunrise. I paused to catch my breath, and looked like a total tourist to take some pictures. I tend to do my shorter runs on the boardwalk because it’s about a 6 mile loop, and it would just be the end of the world if I had to run a lap or something. How can I not love running when it gets me our in God’s beautiful creation every morning while the rest of the world is still asleep?

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Where do your runs take you? When is the best time for you to run?

Hill Training

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Try these simple steps to gradually increase strength, avoid injury and enjoy running hills.

Our favorite time of year… training.

If you’ve signed up for a new race, a course that you’ve never run before, it might be in your best interest to check the incline of the route. Running hills building strength better than any other type of workout, so don’t shy away from a hilly course. Speaking from experience, it takes much more out of you to run a hilly course compared to a flat course. In fact, my race in June is extremely hilly, and I’m already starting to dread one hill in particular!

According to Runner’s World, “Running inclines forces your muscles to work harder; as you grow stronger, your stride becomes more efficient and your speed improves” (UK 12/12).  If you are avoiding hills just because they are difficult, here are a few simple tips RW provides to gradually introducing hills to increase strength and reduce the challenges to boost your fitness.

1. Start easy-
on your first hill workout, jog for 10 minutes to warm up, then walk two minutes to lower your heart rate. From the bottom of a gentle incline, run up at an easy pace for five seconds, then walk back to the starting point. Run up again for seven seconds, walk down. Finally, run for ten seconds, and walk back down. Repeat as often as possible. Cool down with a 15-minute jog. See step four for maintaining good form.

Running Hills
2. Progress Slowly- Do step one several times, increasing times as possible. Once you are comfortable with that workout, ramp it up. Run up the hill for ten seconds, twice, followed by running up the hill for 15 seconds, twice. Follow this up with running up the hill for 20 seconds, repeat twice before rounding off the workout with a 30-second run.

3. Stick with it-
It’s easy to lose the progress you’ve made if you aren’t out there running hills… but you don’t need to run it every day. RW suggests scheduling a hill run every seven to 14 days. Once you’ve conquered step 2, add extra reps until you are running a total of 10 inclines. If you’re running a race with hills, try to find hills that mimic the course you will be running.

4. Maintain Good Form-
It’s easy to injure yourself on a hilly course, so make sure you are maintaining good form… As you ascend, shorten your stride and keep feet low to the ground. Keep your head, chest and hips perpendicular to an imaginary  horizontal line. On descents, take short quick, light steps (don’t pound the pavement), and keep your center of gravity over your legs (don’t lean forward).

So there are our tips; and if you are a runner, give us your tips on introducing hills into your routine. If you’re a beginner, feel free to leave questions if you have any!

It’s Goal Time

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Breathe Deeply

We are spending the first day of the year flying back to our home in Virginia. As I opened my email, I received a great email from “The Daily Love” talking about goal setting. Since I was excited to talk about goal setting, I wanted to include the most inspiring quote:

“Make New Year’s goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year. This helps you do your part. It is an affirmation that you’re interested in fully living life in the year to come. What would you like to have happen in your life this year? What would you like to do, to accomplish? What good would you like to attract into your life? What particular areas of growth would you like to have happen to you? What blocks, or character defects, would you like to have removed?”

Who doesn’t just want to sit down with a clean sheet and pen and create a list of great goals for 2013? I like to set a list for the year and break it down by month and wrote it in my daily planner to keep me on track.

These are a few of my fitness goals for this year:

• Run 3 half marathons – one of the is going to be the Williamsburg Run for the Dream!
• Sprint triathlon- reeeeeally nervous about this one… guess that means I’ll have to start swimming, right?
• Run 700 miles – should be easy to do that, but with picking up some biking and swimming miles… who knows?
• Do an hour yoga set at least once/week – I just get so tight that I need a full set on the weekend to be able to move normal again
• Group trainer certificate – HUGE GOAL! (so scared)
• Expand Girls Run Faster – aka write better, more informative, blogs
• Take the time to enjoy every moment… where ever God has planted me

Those are my goals for now… I’d love to hear about yours! In fact, if you blogged about them, leave a comment with your link and I’d love to peruse your post!

November Miles

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As I’ve mentioned before, I’m kind of a recreational runner. This is in large part due to the fact that I work and am in school full time, have a husband to love and house to keep clean. Anyways, with that in mind (because I obviously can’t just be proud of myself), I decided to give myself the BHAG of running 70 miles in the month of November!!  When I ran my final four miles this morning, I was SO proud of myself, I couldn’t stop grinning! As you can see by my little graph, I ran exactly 70 miles. Not 70.01. But 70.

My sweet husband was also so proud of me but we are both SO happy that I’ll be able to cuddle tomorrow morning instead of freezing outside in the ‘cold’.

November Run Goal- KILLED IT!


November Run Goal- KILLED IT!

Now that I’m done shouting out to myself (hah) I just want to point out the merits of keeping track of your running/workouts in order to track your progress. I’ve been using the app “RunKeeper” since Sept 2010, and I LOVE (I’m a little obsessed) checking out how much better of a runner I’ve become since then. I’ve since graduated to my shiny little Garmin, which is a lot more accurate.

Goals are important because they are what keep us from being UN-motivated runners.

Set your Goal: Every month I set a goal, even if I don’t meet that goal, I run much farther than if I don’t.

Break it Down: Decide how many miles you have to run per week, strength days you’ll incorporate, and rest days. Then stick to it.

Make it Measurable: Give yourself a start and an end date.

For example, I wanted to run 500 miles in 2012. That means I’ll be running an average of 40 miles/month, 10 miles/week. No big deal! I’m happy to say I’m definitely going to KILL that goal as well!

Keep track of where you’ve come from, not how far you need to go! What goals have you recently demolished? What’s your goal strategy?

How Far they've Come.

Keep out of the Porta-Potty

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Question from a runner:

I’ve been running for a couple years, but my half-marathons are constantly plagued with needing to stop in at the porta-pottys. What am I doing wrong?

My perspective:

Ever been on the trail (or treadmill) and you just have to go? This is when I’m delighted that I’m on a treadmill and can hop off and utilize the washroom. The dreadful part is when I’m at least 5 miles from the closest washroom, and to my delight, I am in the woods.

Let me tell you a story, it was only a few days before my wedding. I was running to deal with stress (of not fitting into my dress. JK), and along came the urge. Yes. I had to go. Being in a strange city where I generally don’t run, I was not aware of the need to stay away from certain plants, or even what they looked like. Yes. Poison Ivy was in the general area of the woods that I chose to, ahem, defecate in.  Perfect. It wasn’t a bad rash, but it gave the boys something to laugh about at their bachelor party.

Ever experience this… situation? The burning gut? I think the biggest problem was that I wasn’t on my regular diet (I’m pretty regimented), and wasn’t running at my regular times. I know a lot of people that have their races ruined because of their need for quality time with a porta-potty. How do we avoid this?

In the excitement of race day, we often change up our eating schedule and are running at a different time of day. This can be extremely upsetting to our nervous system, especially if you suffer from gastritis issues. Even if there aren’t any issues, the GI tract can be jostled by the running movement.

TALK TO A DOCTOR: A doctor can help you pinpoint issues like lactose or gluten intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, or other gastritis issues.

FOOD DIARY:  A food diary can help you avoid problems while racing. High fiber foods go through your system quickly, causing problems. Fatty greasy foods can make you sick when running on either end, since they are hard to digest.

FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS: If eating a banana and peanut butter an hour before your works on an average day, don’t switch it up. By the time race day comes by, you should have developed a routine that mimics the actual day, so there isn’t any surprises. Stick to the plan.

Can you relate? What are your tips to keep out of the porta-potty on race day?

Breaking a Sweat Without Breaking the Bank

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In this fun beach town, it can be expensive to work out in the gyms in Virginia Beach. But there are multiple ways to do your workouts without breaking the bank! A number of stores and studios are now offering free classes which will have you working up a sweat:

Monday:

Bay Swim: 2865 Lynnhaven Drive. Final Kick: 5:30 pm

Tuesday:

Run Track: 2865 Lynnhaven Drive. Final Kick: 5:30 pm

Wednesday:

Run Club: 616 Virginia Beach Boulevard. Lululemon: 6:30 pm

Bay Swim: 2865 Lynnhaven Drive. Final Kick: 5:30 pm

Thursday:

Run Tempo: 2865 Lynnhaven Drive. Final Kick: 5:30 pm

Saturday:

Run Club: 2865 Lynnhaven Drive. Final Kick: 6:30 pm

Yoga: 616 Virginia Beach Boulevard. Lululemon: 9:30-10:30 am

 

Do you have a complimentary workout I missed? Share it in the comments!

I’m going to keep updating this post to reflect any new workouts I find!

Motivated to Run

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I had a question from one of my friends on Facebook, and thought I’d tackle it on here!  One of my friends Ashley asked:

How do you stay motivated to run? It seems like I am always starting, run for a few weeks and then I stop.

We are all motivated to run for different reasons. Some of us run to clear our minds or get out of the house and others run to lose weight or other athletic reasons. Many enter races in order to have events to train for, and others are motivated to simply run daily. I can’t tell you how to be motivated or how to fit it in because I don’t know all the details of your life, but I can let you know what works for me.

I love entering races with people. I have a few friends who are runners and they inspire me to keep training, and to get those long runs that must be completed on the weekends. Sometimes we even go out together to make sure we get the 10 miler run done in order to prepare for a race. It’s easy for me to get the long runs in, but a 2 hour run on Saturday with homework crushing me isn’t always the most motivating. So entering races with friends keeps me on track!

My whole life is written out in my planner. I’m not a control freak as much as I can’t remember when and where I’m supposed to be, what’s due, and when I’m supposed to go grocery shopping. So I write in my runs, my mileage, and treat it like everything else in my planner. Mandatory. When I finish, I enter them into my Runkeeper App, and track my total mileage for the month. I’ve been averaging 50 miles of running/month since February, which is great for me! Finally, I celebrate all the small successes and take pride in my runs.

As much as I like running with people, it’s hard for me to match their pace, so I usually run alone. I still go to running groups, and still meet up with my girlfriends, but we usually end up splitting up so we can all meet our running goals. It depends how you like to run, but sharing my running goals with a running community has been the best motivator of all!

I also thought I’d share some of my blogger friends blogs I stalk, since they’ve really motivated me to run: Running in Heels, My Pinky Toes, and of course LuluLemon.

If you have questions for me, feel free to put them in the comments section or post them on my Facebook wall. I’d love to do some research and respond in a blog!

Get Back At It

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It can be especially challenging during the summer months to keep a regular exercise routine, and my excuses vary from being on vacation, the overwhelming heat, to too much BBQ last night to get up and get an early run in before work.
But when the break from running is more than a day or two, and grows to weeks or even months, it’s hard to get back in the rhythm.
Here’s how to approach those first runs, no matter how long you’ve been away to avoid injury.

The break -> a week or two
On your first couple runs back in the groove, just take it 2 or 3 minutes slower than usual and run about half of your usual distance. Also include walk breaks.

The break -> about a month
Alternate your workout days with a walking/running routine. On Monday run 15 min and using a ratio of 60 seconds running, 30 seconds walking. Tuesday: Walk 30 minutes. Wednesday run 20 min sing a ratio of 60 seconds running, 30 seconds walking. Use Thursday as a rest day, and Friday repeat Wednesdays workout. Saturday: walk 30 min. Sunday run 25-30 minutes using a ratio of 40 seconds running, 20 seconds walking.

The break -> 60 days or more
It’ll probably take about a month to get back on track. Follow the routine for week one listed above, and on week two run 30 minutes three times a week using a ratio of 40 seconds running/20 seconds walking. For week three use the same running routine, 25 seconds running/35 seconds walking. On week four, go back to week two’s plan, running three times using a ratio of 40 seconds running/20 seconds walking.

If you’ve taken a break from running, I Hope these tips were helpful!

 

Source: Running World, “Back on Your Feet” August 2012 edition.

 

Happy 4th of July AND Goal Setting.

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Happy 4th of July to all my blogger/running friends! I hope you had an amazing break from life and were able to enjoy some serious BBQ and fireworks. We had a great BBQ with tons of food and it was so tempting to eat the the Strawberry Creme Pie because it had white chocolate (?!) in it! OMG. Heavenly.

Amazing 4th of July Pie by Shelby

Back to trying to eat healthy.

I think July is a great time to look back on the year and consider what we’ve accomplished.

Here are a few things that I did; and never thought I could:

If you set goals, you are more likely to achieve what you want, and do even more than you ever thought possible! This can be setting a goal to run a half marathon, or doing a couple in a year. Choose a goal and soon you’ll be crushing your half-marathon, setting a new PR, increasing endurance knowing you are being challenged and growing.


Tips in Goal Setting

Create a Plan.
I usually set a goal for the month for mileage for running, how many times I want to lift weights, and recently (with the gorgeous weather and awful parking situation at the beach) I’ve been adding bike mileage. When I’m training for a race, I have a strict run schedule that I have mapped out in my daily planner, and this forces me to plan around my runs. Typically my long runs are on the weekend, but that’s just because I work full-time. Do whatever day works best for you! I’m careful to add mileage slowly to avoid injury, and to be extremely consistent so I’m building on my past runs.

Join a Run Club.
I have a group of girls that I run trails or on the beach with. Mostly for motivation, but also for safety. We have a flexible schedule, and don’t make it out every week (mostly because I plan them and my schedule isn’t consistent) but they constantly push me… I’m so thankful for my running girls!
Here’s a list of free run clubs & classes in the Virginia Beach Area.

Mix it Up.
When it’s over 100F, I can’t run outside. I can hardly do it in 80F weather (remember, I grew up in Canada?). So I use a treadmill. Or run at 5:30am. Or run on the sand/water at the beach. It really depends what I can do. But I’m constantly switching up my runs. Get some hill training in. Cross training. Biking. Hiking. Speed training. I love getting out of town because there are so many great trails to explore!

While exploring LuluLemons website, I found this awesome little Goal Setting worksheet. There are more to life than running and health goals, and this little worksheet is great about combing all your goals to holistic health!

What are your goals?