Hope you had a great weekend! Boston is looking good these days.
It’s been about two months since Boston marathon, so I thought it was time for a recap! Sorry for the delay, but it was only for good reasons. Boston was actually sandwiched between my wedding and honeymoon in Nepal! After another busy month, I’ve finally had time to put the pen to the paper and reflect on the incredible race.
Continue reading “Boston Marathon 2017 Recap: I’m Overdue!”
Happy Friday! It has been a busy week (a busy month really!) and I finally had some time to sit down and write a post. Last night a group of us celebrated my friend’s birthday and we started talking about how excited we were for a big blizzard to hit Boston…in retrospect, I wouldn’t go that far, but I think we are all ready for a change of seasons to the beautiful fall!
Here are some updates on my life over the past couple of weeks:
-Most excitingly and relevant to running: last weekend I took the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) coaching certification course. The two 8-hour day course was held outside of Minneapolis, MN (the New England courses for the year were filled within minutes!), and was worth every penny. Even if I never coach, I learned a great deal to inform my own training. Official coaching certification happens after I pass a 100 question exam and become CPR and First Aid certified, so hopefully I can call myself “Coach Jane” soon!
I was very impressed with the scientifically-based running agenda and loved our instructor, Cari Setzler. Cari is a competitive runner herself, an RRCA certified coach, a writer for Women’s Running Magazine, and on top of that- a Veterinarian. She kept the class entertained with her funny and engaging style. Fellow classmates had a variety of running interests- some were specializing in 5k distances and enjoyed working with young runners while others were passionate about the ultra-distance and wanted to increase their knowledge of the sport. It was so interesting hearing their stories, and we all enjoyed talking about running non-stop. I hope to keep in touch with some of these fellow runners! Stay tuned for another post with more details on my experience and the course itself. For now, I have to get back to working on the exam!
Continue reading “Coaching and Celebrations”
I hope you all had a lovely weekend! Mine was spent with friends and family with some running in between. I felt very in the moment all weekend, and subsequently forgot to take any photos at all, highly unusual for me. The array of pictures in this post includes some of my favorite stray images! :)
PC: @boston.com
Continue reading “A Weekend of Love and Running”
Hello blog world! It’s been awhile. Hope your summer has been off to a great start! I am excited to let you know that I have partnered with my running coaches Lisa Reichmann and Julie Sapper of Run Farther and Faster as a featured blogger on their site.
Check out the first post here. Let me know your thoughts!
Up here in Boston, my summer has started with a bang! Here are the highlights:
*Wanderlust Festival and trip to Seattle:
Photo credit: Meredith Ruth
Continue reading “Updates & A New Writing Gig!”
After a lot of thought, I have decided to take a break from blogging.
I started JaneRunsWild to narrate my marathon training, fitness goals, travels, and log my race reviews. These races have defined much of my post-college life, even if they were run “for fun” and without much training, and I have loved recalling each transformative experience. It has been so interesting dipping my toes into the blogging community- you guys are full of creativity, motivation and inspiration, and gave me the momentum to keep writing.
When I initially did not make the 2016 Boston Marathon cutoff, even after qualifying, this blog was my outlet. JaneRunsWild was a platform for me to defend my passion for the sport, and ultimately helped me reach my goal of running Boston after I had received a bib from Clif Bar. I am more optimistic that I will make the cutoff for Boston 2017 after qualifying at Phoenix in February, but I may have to re-live this journey again if not. JaneRunsWild my partner, once more!
Continue reading “Farewell, for now!”
On Monday, I ran my first Boston marathon. This hometown race has been a lifelong goal of mine, and as I toed the line on the warm mid-morning day, I felt nothing but grateful for being there at that moment.
An announcer called over the loud speaker, “This is not the start of a long run in the middle of February. This is what you’ve been training for, your prize!” I quickly reflected on the Sunday when I ran 16 miles inside on a track because it was -9 degrees without wind-chill in Boston. I also visualized the months of training that were now behind me, predominantly focused on training for my goal race of Phoenix in February. I smiled at the experience of training for these races, and acknowledged that regardless of Boston’s outcome, the last few months had surprisingly been fun. I also developed an acceptance of being uncomfortable, which is an essential element of marathon training. Over time, I even started to treasure the discomfort; it continued to inspire and push me through each workout and this adaptability carried over in other areas of life.
Continue reading “The Thrill of the Boston Marathon”
Happy Friday! What a week it’s been back home, seeing friends and family, starting to think about wedding plans and the marathon of course! Life is so unpredictable, full of highs and lows- and I am just going to ride this high for as long as I can. I am so thankful for the loved ones in my life and for the opportunity to run this Monday. It will be a humbling experience to be running alongside so many incredible runners. Thank you again Clif Bar for making Boston a reality for me!! You can read about the #NoHeartbreakHere contest and about the other winners here.
Photo source: @ohiammart
Continue reading “Boston Marathon Weekend is HERE!!!”
What a difference a day makes! We were met with sunny, spring-like weather over the weekend which quickly turned to wintry rainy weather yesterday. At least it wasn’t the reverse!
Sign of spring in Boston: Duck Boats are back on the streets!
Continue reading “Training to Recover and Recovering to Train”
Good morning! As we are in New England, we woke up to a blanket of snow this morning following a couple of weeks of warm spring-like weather. As they say, if you don’t like the weather in New England, wait five minutes, so hopefully that means the snow will melt soon!
The weekend started off with some happy hour drinks after a long week including a nice Friday morning run (I’ve cut back on alcohol and sweets over the last 6 months or so, but am a true believer in moderation and enjoying life as well!).
Photos from Friday morning run:
Continue reading “Hill Drills & Weekend Recap”
Happy St. Patrick’s Day friends!! Hope you’re having a great week so far. Are you doing anything to celebrate the holiday? I’m going to hold off until the weekend to observe the splendor of my heritage. :)
Speaking of celebrations, I am so excited that Boston marathon is just over one month away (one month and one day to be exact!). On that Patriot’s Day weekend, Boston will be swarming with excited and eager runners and their patient family members and friends. It’s always such a special time to be in the city, bustle and all! Stay tuned for an upcoming post on must-see’s and do’s in Boston over marathon weekend (or any other time!).
Continue reading “Happy St. Patty’s Day & Boston Marathon Advice”
Good morning and Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend.
On Saturday, I ran the Black Cat Road Race in Salem, MA as a Boston Marathon training run.
Continue reading “How Races Can Benefit Your Training”
Hi friends! Hope you’ve had a great week so far! Over here in Boston, we have seen some real highs and lows in terms of weather. See-sawing from from sub-zero temperatures last weekend to balmy 40 and 50 degree days and monsoon rains; now we are back to normal winter temperatures in the 30s. These are weather “problems” you can only get in New England! I enjoy mother nature keeping us on our toes.
After taking my runs inside for over a week, it was nice to get outside yesterday morning for my last speed workout on the calendar. I wasn’t in the great outdoors, yet it felt very peaceful being out there on my urban run.
Continue reading “See-Saw week!”
Hope you all had a great weekend and that it was spent with your loved ones! It was bitterly cold up here in Boston, and I spent most of it indoors, but it was a special weekend!
Some highlights:
Continue reading “Love and Miles”
Happy Sunday everyone! Hope the first half of your weekend has been great! Congratulations to reader KELLY who was randomly selected to receive a SPIbelt!! Thank you all for your entries, I loved reading your comments- you guys are so inspiring to me! Stay tuned for future giveaways and thanks again for stopping by my blog!
It’s been a busy weekend over here in Boston, in the wake of a decent snow storm that visited on Friday. My good friend was lucky to give birth to a precious baby boy yesterday just as the snow stopped falling! So Happy for Rachel and Kevin :)
The city only saw about 6 inches, but it was enough to cover the trees and make it seem like Christmas. I almost felt like belting out some carols while out and about last night!
Continue reading “Winter is Back in Boston”
Hi, friends! It seems like it has been awhile. I would love to blog more frequently but I’m finding it difficult to fit everything in! I’m now at peak marathon training, so that’s time consuming. My work has also taken up some extra time and mental energy because I’ve just been assigned to a new project. I know many of you readers live incredibly busy lives yourselves, and I applaud you for balancing your family and personal lives, work lives, and running/marathon training/fitness goals.
At least my week hasn’t only been filled with work! I’ve fit in a few good runs, both before and after work. Boston has seen some incredible “winter” weather lately, and it’s been in the 40’s-50s for much of the week. No complaints here!
Evening & dawn running pics!
Continue reading “Spring in February and A GIVEAWAY!”
Well, it’s that Monday morning feeling! The weekend was a great one—hope yours was too!
The weekend started and ended with some quality girl time! Friday night dinner and drinks with some Boston gals followed by visits with friends and family, followed by Sunday bridesmaid shopping! So many colors, shapes and sizes to choose from! The bride went with a beautiful color for us that will look amazing for a fall wedding in Maine. It’s going to be a busy summer and fall ahead with 7 other weddings!
Continue reading “Feeling Like a Monday!”
We’ve made it to Thursday! Hope your week is going well so far- and that for those in the path of the upcoming snow storm, that you’re prepared and ready to hunker down! I won’t lie, Mark and I are fortunate to have planned a trip south for the weekend! I do love a good snowstorm, but I’ll take the Miami heat for now!
I have switched up my running schedule a bit this week and have traded morning runs for after work runs. After a long weekend of running later in the day, I’ve found it tough to adjust to waking up at 5:30 am- plus, the evenings have been a bit milder than the early mornings!
Continue reading “Running Outside in the Dark”
Welcome to the middle of January, where the temperatures drop! But my spirits are high because I have some exciting news to share! Thanks to Clif Bar, I will be running the 2016 Boston Marathon!
Running this marathon, my hometown race, has been a lifelong dream of mine. I first tried to qualify in 2011 at the Disney Marathon. I thought I was successful, coming in under 3 hours and 40 minutes, which was faster than the qualification standard for my age at that time. However, later that year the BAA modified the standard for qualification and I ended up missing the cut by 18 seconds!
Continue reading “Heartbreak Hill, Here I Come!”
Hope you all had a great weekend! In Boston, it wasn’t too cold but unfortunately not very pleasant otherwise—Saturday was a bit gloomy and yesterday was stormy with heavy rain and winds. I will take it over frigid temperatures and blizzards though! In fact, most of the snow that fell the week after Christmas has melted, making it truly look like the calm before the storm!
My legs were feeling sore on Saturday, and I had a friend’s baby shower- so I opted to run the long run yesterday, even given the looming storm. It was also a good excuse to relax the rest of the day!
Co-ed baby shower!
Continue reading “Running, Rain, and Relaxation”
In the spirit of the new workout streak goal (as opposed to running streak goal), today’s post is focused on a type of exercise different from running. I’m sure most of you have heard of CrossFit- a core strength and conditioning program. The workouts are designed for “universal scalability”, changing them to various intensities depending on the individual.
My friend Jenna is a CrossFit enthusiast, and agreed to share her perspective on the CrossFit experience. Hope you find her words motivating in these cold winter days, and inspire you to try something new!
Continue reading “A Friend’s Experience with CrossFit!”
Jane Runs Wild 