Last weekend I ran Ragnar PA on an ultra team. Generally speaking, an ultra team has 6 members and one van, as opposed to 12 members and two vans. This means that you are running twice as many miles and have no time as the "inactive van." As you might guess, this makes it an entirely different experience. To be honest, I loved it! I don't think I'll ever go back to a regular team. Before you can even prepare though, your team has to decide if everyone will be doing 6 runs or 3 LONG runs. While I can't say this would be the case for every location, for Pennsylvania (and DC) doing 3 long runs means you could very well be doing a half marathon or longer in the middle of the night and then be doing the same at noon. No thank you! I'd much … [Read more...]
Tips for getting back in the exercise habit
Yesterday I got a text from a good friend: Trisha and I met right after Shoo was born and immediately clicked. She was there as I worked off all of the baby pounds (and literally ran from postpartum depression). She rolled her eyes at me as I became addicted to races. She supported my crazy decision to run a marathon (and even offered to watch my kids so I could get my runs in.) So, it made me feel good that she reached out to me to help her get back in shape. I called her and shared all of the suggestions I could think of (because really she doesn't need to hire me, she just needs a cheerleader and I'll do that for free.) What I suggested: Find a time in your schedule that works for you - don't worry … [Read more...]
Confessions of a Treadmill Addict
That's right. Somehow over the last 3 months, I've run more miles on the treadmill than I have outside. And I've come to accept that. I've had a treadmill for 12 or so years. I don't remember exactly when we bought one, but it was sometime right before or after Shoo (who is now 12) was born. I know this because I remember putting him down for a nap on the bed next to the treadmill and running while he slept. That treadmill was my lifeline when he was little because he refused to nap in a stroller. (Jones, on the other hand, used to nap for HOURS as long as the stroller or the car was moving...) So, I'd drop Jones at preschool, get Shoo down for a nap, and run for as long as he'd sleep. But once the kids got older, I only used … [Read more...]
Tips for staying fit during the holiday season
Shoo turned to me recently and asked the date. When I told him it was the 6th, he turned to me and exclaimed "Mom, Christmas is less than 20 days away!" Yes, Dear Child, thank you for sending me into a panic. I immediately went online and ordered Christmas cards (from Cards Direct again because it was fast and easy) and put together the photo calendar I do each year (which necessitated staying up until midnight, which totally went against my recent "get more sleep" attempts.) This has definitely been a week where I'm juggling (not totally successfully) all.the.things. But other than the calendar night, I've been really good about two things - 1) going to bed even if things aren't "done", because really things are never totally done and 2) … [Read more...]
Don’t let winter freeze your motivation
Confession: I love cold weather and I'd much rather run when I need a jacket, hat, and gloves than when it's crazy hot and humid. But I still lose motivation to get out there and run when it's cold out. I mean, I love it as soon as I get going, but taking that step from the warm house into the cold outside it so hard. Add in the fact that winter has seemed very grey here the last few years and you find me wanting to sit in a warm spot with a bright light on reading a book. But we all know that getting moving goes a long ways towards fighting the "blahs" that come with less sunlight during the winter. Remember your "why" - It doesn't necessarily have to be your "why" for running, just your "why" for this particular run. Perhaps … [Read more...]
Tips for Captaining a Ragnar Team
So, you're going to run a Ragnar Relay. It might be your first time, but it might not. But someone has convinced you that you should be the captain. Or maybe you were crazy enough to want that responsibility. Whatever. The end result is that you are now the Captain of a team that will be running Ragnar soon. Go read the Bible. Now. OK, by Bible, I mean Race Bible. This is a document put out by Ragnar that has most of what you need to know. Then check out Blognar and the Ragnar website for all sorts of useful information about being a captain and about your particular Ragnar Relay. Now you're ready for my tips. I'm sharing 5 things that will make your experience a better one. Don't put yourself on the financial … [Read more...]
Tips for enjoying running in the rain
Confession: I love running in the rain, but if it's already raining before I start, I have a hard time starting a run in the rain. In fact, I've been known to totally wuss out on a run if it's raining out, despite having some of my best races be in the pouring rain. Luckily, on Wednesday night, we were already running when the downpour hit. And on Thursday, when I woke up at 4:45am (yes, I woke up crazy early to run), I was glad I had a friend waiting on me or I might have just rolled over and gone back to sleep. But after 5 miles of hills in the rain, I was super happy I got up. There's just something fun and badass about running in the pouring rain. (And you never know when you'll end up racing in the pouring rain.) Put anti-chafe … [Read more...]
Tips for running in the wind
I confess: I did not run outside yesterday, solely due to the wind. Generally speaking, I'm not a fair weather runner. As one of my friends always says "There's no such thing as bad weather. There are only poor clothing choices." While I may not agree to that 100%, I do usually put on my big girl panties and go out for a run in most weather. So, here are my tips for running in the wind, even if I didn't follow them this week. Dress appropriately. There's a reason that the weatherman always mentions wind chill - wind makes it feel colder if the temps are at all cool. I tend to dress appropriately for the "feels like" weather, but I make sure I always have a zipper top. Why? Because I never run a straight out and back and I find … [Read more...]
Tips for surviving stressful times
This has been a challenging week. Jones has been in the middle of quarter finals. Shoo has had a rough week with his soccer team and then one of his past teachers passed away suddenly. And, well, I can't even talk about the other things 'cause you'd find me hiding a corner somewhere... But it's Friday and we have some nice plans this weekend and I did a lot of "self care" this week. Yep, I did everything I could to keep myself in a happy place. It even sort of worked. Get active. Run. Then run some more. Ok, maybe do some yoga and a little meditation too. All of these will calm your mind and help you cope. Give back. Volunteer. Donate. Do random acts of kindness. Combine a couple and donate to a friend's favorite cause. Then … [Read more...]
Five tips for a fun Ragnar
I love to run Ragnar! Unlike marathons, which I seem to find myself accidentally signed up for, Ragnar is something I love to do. In fact, eventually, I'd like to run every Ragnar out there (but no, I won't be that person who runs them all in one year LOL. I'm packed and mostly ready to go. Just need to get some sleep and then we'll pack the van in the morning. All of my outfits are in their individual plastic bags (one of the best tips ever!) and I've just got a few last minute things to add in the morning. So here are five tips to make sure Ragnar goes smoothly and is a lot of fun! Upload the pace calculator to Google Drive. This allows you to easily edit it and lets the other van know if the team is getting ahead of or … [Read more...]
Five things to know about Mainly Marathons
I love Mainly Marathons. I fell in love with the series on Day 2 of the very first series I did in 2013. I'd found my tribe. All the crazies that were running around in circles for a ridiculous number of miles each day? These are my people. I've now done four full series and parts of two others. I've done 25 half marathons and 2 marathons with them (and now I'm looking at doing a 50K with them in the fall.) Obviously I love running races with Mainly Marathons or I would not go back each year. But there are some things I've learned while doing these races that are useful to know going in. And if you haven't decided you want to run a series, go read my 5 reasons to run a Mainly Marathons series and then come back. The courses … [Read more...]
Cleaning up my diet + a Kohls Giveaway
We all know that I love to run. And lately (well, until Snowzilla arrived), I've gotten back into my old gym habit of elliptical and weights. But judging by the way my jeans are fitting and the number on the scale, the saying "you can't out exercise a bad diet" is definitely a fitting one around here. It's not necessarily that I'm eating unhealthy foods, it's more that I'm eating too much in general and far from a balanced diet. Marathon training definitely played a role, but what has really brought the issue to a head is being busier in the evenings. Two to three nights a week I am out at dinner time for practices, rehearsals and social activities. I'm eating at odd times and I'm grabbing whatever is convenient, which usually … [Read more...]
