10 miles!

Since I didn't get to do my 9 mile run last Saturday and since my last long run of 7 miles was 3 weeks ago I definitely felt the miles today.

My goal pace was a 10 minute mile and I ended up with a 10:43 pace. I started off easy at a 10:39 and was able to maintain that pace pretty well throughout the run. 

Any of these longer runs can feel daunting. Taking that first step and knows you're going to be on the road running for hours can be intimidating out the gate. As I moved through the miles I tried to focus on my goal, knowing to make the full 26.2 I needed to stay strong and steady. I was thinking "I'm going to run how many miles?" The gravity of the task and commitment gets more real as I'm just starting off with these over 10 miles runs. "If 10 feels like this, what will 14 feel like, or 18 or 20!?"

I'm definitely going to have to start getting up earlier too. When I first set out this morning just before 8 there was a strong breeze and no direct sun. It didn't take long before that changed and I was feeling the sun and looking forward to any shady spots I could find. 

My run lasted an hour and 48 minutes and afterward I got myself a smoothie as a treat at the Tilted Cup. Smoothies are my number one favorite post run reward! Indulging felt so refreshing,  so good for a job well done!

Mindset is going to come more and more into play moving forward so I'm sure I'll be trying out different things, tips, tricks, techniques etc. If anyone has any recommendations or suggestions please let me know. 

19 sessions down and 69 more to go!

Running under the stars

I got out early for my run today. Early enough to clearly see the stars in the sky! It was so dark and so quiet running along the river. This is one of many early morning runs I'll be doing so I think it may be a good idea to get some sort of light to alert cars, people or critters of any sort that I'm on the road.

The run felt good, steady and smooth. Pace was in line with my run last Thursday.  I was hoping for a bit quicker, but there will be plenty more opportunities for speedwork.

I'm planning my next run on Saturday morning to get in 10 miles. After that who know what the hurricane has in store for us all. I hope everyone had a great day. Looking forward to my rest day tomorrow 😊

18 sessions down...70 more to go!

Back on the treadmill!

Back to interval training today. My original plan called for a 5 mile run. I didn't want to do 5 miles of intervals so I did a warm up and then went into my base pace of 6.5 I ended up doing about 6 intervals.  My two were at 7.5. Then I dropped to 6.6 and pushed at 7.6 then next push 7.7 and dropped to 6.7 all the way up to an 8.0 push.  Once I dropped back to 7.0 I held that for 2 minutes and the dropped to 6.9 for 2 minutes and so on until I got to my base of 6.5. Yes, lots of numbers. I just made this up as I went, it's not an actual plan,  but it was mine today!

This took me to the 4 mile mark at which point I slowed down the pace and increased the incline. I played with different paces and incline levels until the last tenth of a mile or so and finished my workout at the 5 mile mark. Mission completed!

I ran after teaching Bodypump so my body was warm, but my legs sure were heavy! I did listen to music so the good beats and inspirational songs helped push me through until the end. I'm definitely open if anyone has any recommendations for songs to add to my marathon training playlist. 

When I'm on the treadmill for any length of time music definitely helps. I mean, who wants to exert all the energy running in the same spot without getting anywhere!

Anyway, it was a good workout and I'm past the 60 mile mark for training miles on the plan so far. 

Hope everyone is having a great week!

17 sessions down...71 more to go!

Back at it!

Did you miss me?! I missed running on Saturday :( I wasn't feeling well so I know taking the weekend of to work through my cold was the smart thing to do. I'm still not 100%, but I know I'm turning the corner.

Today was the start of Week 5! My run today was 3 miles. I must have pushed a button on my phone because I stopped hearing my notifications and when I looked the screen was no longer tracking me :( I know my route was 3 miles so I started my tracker back up and finished my run. After my first mile I was at an 8:54 pace. My last mile was roughly a 9:33 pace, so overall pace in the lower 9's. I'm definitely happy with that! The weather cooperated with no sun and no rain, just the Florida heat lol.

Definitely happy to be back in the swing of things. One thing I reflected on this weekend was health. We never quite appreciate our health until we don't have it or don't feel 100%. Take care of your bodies and do some self care activity this week to say thank you 😊

16 sessions...72 more to go!

Health is Wealth!

I was feeling a bit under the weather this morning. I think it was a combination of the people coughing and sneezing at the airport and on the plane. That exposure is never good, plus getting soaked in the rain on my Tuesday run didn't help any.

Anyway, this morning I got my 3 miles in. I would have liked it to be a bit faster, but I'll take the 9:30 pace all things considered. 

I'm thankful tomorrow is a rest day. Looking to get some good sleep tonight and ride out the waves of this yuck that's trying to grab me.

My next run is scheduled for Saturday morning. 9 miles! I really have no idea how I'll be feeling then. Will I do the full run? A shorter run? Or skip it altogether?

I know it's important throughout this experience to honor my body and keep it as healthy as possible. When I feel this way rest tends to work better for me than trying to "sweat it out".

Send me all your good and healthy vibes!!

15 sessions down and 74 more to go!

Treadmill day!

I'm back on the treadmill this week for interval training. The plan called for a 4 mile run. I started with a 2 minute warm up and then got right into my 2:1 intervals. I started with a 6.5 base and 7.5 interval then bumped it up to 6.7 and 7.7, 6.8 and 7.8 and my last push was an 8.0. 

I did a total of 10 sprints and finished with my 6.5 speed and gradually stepping down to a walk.

As the training plan moves forward I think I'm going to keep my Wednesday runs shorter with more intense bursts of speed. My original training plan did not incorporate speedwork or intervals so instead of scaling up to 10 mile straight runs I think I'll keep them around 3 or 4 miles with sprints.

Feeling good about how week 4 is going so far and happy that my interval runs feel so much better than week 1!

14 sessions done, 75 more to go!

Squishy Squishy

Rain has a way of motivating people. Today was my day. I was trying to get out before the rain, but just 5 minutes after I started the sky opened and the rain came down.

I really don't like running in the rain and so far I've been very fortunate to avoid it. As soon as the rain started I took the quickest route back to the house. I was going to call it a day when I got to the house at 1.75 miles, but I was so soaked and I'm not a quitter so I just sucked it up and finished the 3 miles running around the neighborhood staying closer to the house. 

Thankfully I'm a pretty good planner and brought a plastic bag to put my phone it. No phones lost today! 

Things don't always go our way. Things don't always go to plan. We can do our best to live in the moment and that's exactly what I did.

Also after my run when I was leaving my house I got stung by a wasp. I haven't been stung since I was a child!

So needless to say I've had an eventful day. Now I'm looking forward to a relaxing evening 🧘🏻‍♀️

13 sessions down, 76 more to go!

Welcome to New Hampshire 

Today my run was 5 miles long. It was my first trail run (grass, dirt and stone path). I didn't see anyone on the path which was peaceful, but also a little unsettling lol. I didn't know what I might run into or rather what might run into me. I know nature is a powerful thing.

I kept a pace between 9:49 and 10:31 making my average pace 10:08.

I ran past railroad tracks, vast fields surrounded by the white mountains, a lake and the forest. 

As soon as I stopped running I was basically swarmed by buzzing bugs! So instead of my walking cooldown I had to jog to the car and try to get in without the bugs getting in. I drove away with the windows open because there were some hitchhikers lol.

Anyway,  to date that was definitely one of my more adventurous runs! 

Ready to enjoy some rest until my next run on Tuesday!

12 sessions down,  77 more to go!

Ready to run🏃‍♀️

I got up early today and wanted to get my run in before the adventures of the day started. Today's training was a 3 mile run.

At 6am the temperature was 55°! By 7am it warmed up to 57°, but I didn't have time to wait around so I put on the warm gear I brought with me (hat, gloves and long sleeved shirt). I walked from the AirBNB to the Burlington Bike Path and began my run. 

I saw one lady running in a sports bra and shorts and other with tanks and shorts.  BRRRRR! Too cold for this Florida girl. 

My hamstrings were a bit tight, but I can't complain because the run went well. Once again Vermont provided beautiful scenery. 

Tomorrow is a rest day even though I know I'll be getting my steps in. I've really been enjoying the vacation so far and exploring different places throughout the state.

New places to run

I'm on vacation, but still committed to getting my training runs in. This requires holding the runs as priority and scheduling them as best as I can despite circumstances. 

Ahead of leaving I searched online for possible running spots. You never quite know how things will work out or if these places are what you'd expect and will suit your needs. 

I was up early this morning to catch my 7:30am flight. Landed in Manchester,  NH around 10:30 and had dinner plans in Burlington,  VT at 6:45. The time in between was open to do as I please. 

I scoped out a lunch place prior to leaving in Waterbury,  VT and arrived at 1pm. I was hungry and had delicious soup and salad and left satisfied with a full belly. My next stop was the Ben & Jerry's factory because I have a sweet tooth and not going while being so close was NOT an option lol. 

I got a ticket for the 2:10pm tour and they had samples of strawberry cheesecake ice cream for us at the end of the tour. In addition to that I ended up buying some Pucker up sorbet to try something new and refreshing (which is was on this warm summer day).

Next up was my running spot. That's right, after eating ice cream I was going on a run. By 3:30pm I was warming up on the trail and off for my 4 mile run! Ideal no, done yes! Successfully too!

The path was paved with wooden bridges over the river / stream, scenic views and bits of elevation that we don't have in Florida. I enjoyed it very much and while my pace wasn't quite as fast as previous runs I still managed to keep it under a 10 minute mile pace. 

I didn't feel sick and overall was pleased with my run and my effort.

Afterward I stopped at a cider place and treated myself to a cider slush on the way to the AirBNB I was meeting my friends at.

I had a lovely full day in a state I've never been to before and beautiful weather too!

10 sessions down, 79 to go!

Week 3! Here we go!

I was really hoping to run outside today, but the rain had other plans. I got my 3 miles in on the treadmill. Since my last treadmill run aggravated my inner thigh I knew I had to warm up and hope for the best.

After a short warmup I set the speed to 6.5 or a 9:13 / mile pace. I held that pace for the first mile then bumped it up to 6.6 or a 9:05 / mile pace. No inteverals today, just a nice smooth run. 

About a mile and a half into my run my shoelace came undone. I really try to avoid stopping the treadmill once I get going, but I knew I wouldn't be a happy camper if my stubbornness cause another injured so I sucked it up, tied my shoe quickly and got right back to it.

Keeping my steps quick and my strides smaller really helped. I didn't feel the same pain I had last week. Although it's not all the way gone I definitely feel like I'm on my way to recovery. Listening to your body is important so I will be more mindful of it's messages going forward 

All in all a great start to week 3! Tomorrow I'm heading up to New England and Canada for vacation and as long as the body is feeling good I'm planning on 3 runs. Looking forward to the milder temperatures and different scenery. 

Either way I'll be staying active with lots of walking around and some hiking.

Do you enjoy running in new places? I've done it on many of my travels while I was on one training plan or another and I enjoy the experience of exploring the areas I'm visiting on foot🏃‍♀️

9 sessions down 80 more to go!

P.S. this count may be offer as I can't remember if I was only including my runs or also my cross training. I'll figure it out soon. 

Onward!

Relax and run

Today's plan called for a 7 mile run. Since I'm still feeling pain in my inner thigh area my aim was to take it as easy as I could. Sometimes I feel like every run is a race and I have to go my fastest. In cases like these I need to remember for now it's just about getting the miles in and keeping the body healthy. I kept my strides short and my feet quick hoping that would aggravate the injury a bit less than big pushes. 

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by my pace of 10:38. My first mile was my slowest at 10:54 and my third mile was my fastest at 10:18. Besides the tenderness in my inner thigh the run felt good. The last 2 miles were a bit more sluggish than the previous 5, but nothing too bad.

I know I have the tendency to get caught up in the numbers. "How's my pace?", "How far have I gone?", "How many more miles do I have to go?". I realized that on these longer runs, where I know I'm going to be out on the road for hours, it's just best to relax and run. Keep a steady pace, enjoy the surroundings and time with myself. This makes for a more enjoyable run and also gives the run a meditative feel. 

I still have quite decided on my goal pace for the marathon. I'm thinking between an 11 minute mile and a 14 minute mile. I know that's a big window,  but until I get to the much longer runs I won't know how my body will respond. I'm feeling things out as I go. At those paces I would finish the marathon between 4 hours and 48 minutes to 6 hours and 7 minutes. That's a long time on the road! I'm up for the challenge! One step at a time!

8 sessions down 81 more to go!

Rise and shine

Today was my first early morning run. I didn't get the sleep I hoped to get and was late to meet Andrea. She and I are going to run on Thursday mornings. The plan was to meet at 6 and I ended up getting to her place around 6:20.  

We walked down to the river to warm up and then started our run. Since I was feeling the pain of my injury my focus was to make this a recovery run. We did 3 miles in 35 minutes, so basically the pace came out to 11:48 per mile. Overall the run felt good and you can't beat the scenery along the river.

After our run we walked back to the house for a nice stretching session. Views like these are worth getting up for. With more sleep and more of a routine of getting up early I'm hoping things will get easier. Accountability partners definitely help too!

I felt so productive fitting in so much before 8am. This is a big journey I set out on and I'm here to live each day and moment as they come!

7 sessions down and 82 more to go!

Stubbornness and sleep

So last night I was up later than I wanted to be and I felt the lack of sleep this morning. I wanted to get up early so I could run after work and before teaching Bodypump. That planned seemed like it was going to be sidelined, however, I know I can be determined and stubborn sometimes. 

After work I rushed to the gym and figured I *might* just be able to squeeze in the run. I ran inside and clocked in. Threw my bag in a locker and jumped on the closest treadmill. 

My training today was speed / interval work on the treadmill and I felt confident I could finish just in time to start class. Instead of "warming up" first I just went right into my base pace. Today I started with 6.7 or 8:57 instead of the 6.5 I used last week and then at the 3 minute mark I bumped it up to 7.7 or 7:47 pace. After my first push going back to my base pace felt much smoother than last week. I did 8 pushes instead of 6 and finished my 3 mile run in 25 minutes and 53 seconds! Awesome! I was so happy about how much easier it felt compared to last week.

So that was the GOOD news...the BAD news was that not too long after starting my run I really noticed pain in my inner thigh area. I had worked my lower body hard in the gym and was using the abductor and adductor machines which I don't normally do. I felt the soreness for the next few days. Of course that pain usually goes away, but I think the lack of warmup and already fatigued muscles created the opportunity for injury 😔

Because I was in pain coming off the treadmill I decided not to use any weight for the lower body exercises in pump class. Even the cooldown stretches were painful 😔

So lesson learned,  don't be in a rush, don't be stubborn. Take your time to prepare for you workouts and runs. 

6 sessions down and 83 to go!

Pace Queen!🏃🏻‍♀️👑

What a day! Full day at work and then starting week 2 of training with a 3 mile run. What a difference a week makes! Last week my run was 28 minutes with a full minute difference between my slowest and fastest mile.

Today my run was 27:30 and only a 2 second difference between my slowest and fastest mile! I love that consistency! My legs felt stronger,  my breathing was better and it was an all around more solid run. 

I'm going to need to remember these runs and these feelings, especially when the more difficult runs hit. Gotta celebrate the victories when they happen.

Each run, each day I'm getting one step closer to the goal and that's what it's all about!

After my run I had the pleasure of meeting up with Nicole to go over ideas for expanding my business and ways I can add value to the lives of others. I'm so passionate about all things wellness and so happy and thankful to have supportive friends and colleagues to cheer me on with all of my goals in business and more importantly in life.

Look for more meditation sessions coming to you soon (you won't even need to leave you house *hint hint*).

One step at a time...progress, not perfection.

5 sessions down 84 more to go!

Cross training 

An important part of my marathon training plan is cross training. My plan is to focus on building more strength and power in my legs to help me on my run. I rarely lift heavy so this will be changing things up for me in a much needed way.

Today my warmup consisted of 20 minutes on the stairmaster to warm up my legs and my body. I followed that up with Hip abduction,  hip adduction, seated leg press, leg extensions, leg curls, single leg deadlifts and single leg bench stepups. 3 sets of 10 for each. 

The best part about my workout is that I had a partner! My friend Andrea is going to be joining in on my cross training sessions and even some of my shorter runs. Working out with a partner is a great idea for accountability and fun. There are so many fun partner exercises out there to mix things up!

Afterward we got in a nice long stretching session which will make me feel so much better tomorrow morning!

Tomorrow is another rest day, though I'll be teaching combat and on my last week of the 60 strong challenge. 

Week 1 of marathon training is in the bag! Let's go week 2!

Long Runs on the River

I very much enjoyed my rest day yesterday. My body is adjusting the the runs and muscle soreness is setting in. Definitely need to start more stretching and foam rolling. Hopefully I'll get a few massages too!

My first long run of the training plan was 6 miles. I slept in a bit and woke up refreshed. I don't like to eat too much before I run so today I had a 90 calorie squeeze pack of fruits and veggies, a kid size perfect bar and a banana. I was running on the road about an hour later around 9am.

My goal was to finish the 6 miles in an hour with a pace around a 10 minute mile. So happy that I accomplished my goal🏃‍♀️💪🏼 My splits varied from a 9:27 on mile 2 to a 10:28 on mile 5. I had a good start to the run and it generally felt good. After mile 3 my body was like "Hey, why aren't we stopping now?" Previous runs so far were all 3 miles. I pushed through and was running well. By mile 5 I could notice my pace was a bit slower, but the end was in sight!

Knowing my pace for this run was 9:57 and knowing I ran my half marathon with a pace of 9:28 shows me what I'm capable of and how much I'm going to grow and condition myself with these runs.

I love running along the river, it's so peaceful! I enjoy observing nature and my surroundings. The road isn't too busy with vehicle traffic, but is frequently used by cyclists, runners and walkers. I believe this brings a sense of community to all those seeking fitness in any form. People are friendly and say good morning to one another and those small interactions are so nice and supportive. Everyone encouraging each other to do their best.

In the past I would run with music, but these days I enjoy running without it. Listening to the sounds around me, the birds, the water, etc. Also it's quite meditative and you can get quite a bit of creative thinking done. Sort things in your life out...all kinda of good stuff. In this run alone I thought of at least 5 blog post titles or themes to talk about.

Very happy with today's run and ready to close out week 1 of training tomorrow with some cross training 💪🏼

4 sessions 85 more to go!

Rain rain go away...

Day 3 - the training plan called for a 3 mile run today. I was planning on attending the Bodyflow preview class at the Oviedo YMCA and figured it would be a good warm up for my run (which it was). I was also looking forward to another outdoor running session, but the weather had other plans. Luckily I was already at the gym with multiple treadmill options available!

I chose the Technogym treadmill and it felt pretty good. No incline today...I learned my lesson from yesterday lol. I ran 3 straight miles with an average pace of 8:56. I started with a 6.7 on the treadmill and was feeling good so I decided to kick it up a notch to 6.8. Big deal, right? Small wins like these feel good, especially to a data nerd like myself. 

I get focused on all the numbers...distance, pace, time left, etc. I not only count down the miles, but also tenths of miles and hundredths of miles! Every step counts!

That's a phrase I repeat to myself oftentimes while running. "Every step counts" and "One step at a time" 

Mindset is huge with running and I can only imagine what I'll be saying on my longer runs. Each completed run is a victory and today's was sweet!

3 sessions down 86 more to go!

P.S. For the first day ever I achieved my 1 gallon water goal! Drinking a gallon of water for me is harder than running 3 miles!