Category Archives: running

How to Improve Your Marathon Finish Time

Hope you all had a great weekend! Mine included relaxing/seeing family and friends/eating a lot of delicious food/running a half marathon yesterday. I ended up finishing the half with a new PR! I am excited because it gives me a confidence boost for my upcoming marathon in Phoenix. More about the half in another post!

In November, 2014, I ran the Philadelphia marathon in 4 hours and 3 minutes. After crossing the finish line (my 11th marathon), although I felt fatigued as anyone would after running 26.2 miles- I did not feel like I had pushed my body to the maximum. I felt that I still had some strength in me- maybe not at that exact moment of crossing the line, but in the hours, days, weeks following the race.

IMG_0758Finish line @Philly Marathon

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Motivational Advice from an Elite Runner

Happy Saturday, friends! I was up bright and early this morning after getting in some good shut-eye last night, and headed out for an easy 5 miler. Since it was 50 degrees even at 7:30am, I wore a short sleeve and running tights. The first mile was chilly with a light breeze, but I soon warmed up- I always prefer under dressing a bit than overdressing, as I can’t stand being hot while running! It was a beautiful morning to be outside!

380Early morning in Moab, Utah- very peaceful, much like Boston is in the early morning! 

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My Favorite Gear: Updated

Happy Friday all! I had a great time with my girls last night. No pictures were taken, but it was full of laughs, wine, and discussions about online dating- a topic that I love! Following a day of work today, bed time will probably be 7pm after last night. Hope you guys have more lively Friday plans! 

I have received some additional questions from fellow bloggers and runner friends about my favorite running gear. Over the years, I have experimented with many different outfits, brands, fuel options, electronics, and other running gear. The list below includes the items in which I currently rotate, including some recently-tested items and winter running gear. 

Shoes:

  • Brooks GTS Adrenaline 14 & 15 (I own both and rotate between both). I am looking forward to trying the 16’s soon!

FullSizeRender (2)Brooks Adrenaline 15’s, 14’s and Glycerin (I prefer Glycerins for walking, not running)

Continue reading “My Favorite Gear: Updated”

Sidelined by an Injury: An Interview

IMG_4411Montage of sunrises during Angela’s morning runs

Today’s post will feature one example of an exercise enthusiast who has had to deal with an injury. My close friend Angela was in the middle of training for her first marathon and was sidelined by an unrelated foot injury (specifically, while playing recreational softball). Injuries are common among runners, so I wanted to share Angela’s situation and positive perspective on injury, as her patience has enabled her to heal appropriately and eventually sign up for another marathon. Enjoy!

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Trail Running & Weekend Fun

Hope you had a great weekend and that your week is off to a great start!

My weekend included lots of fun activities, such as spending time with some friends:

IMG_1399Liberty hotel post several rounds of Cards against Humanity at la casa. That game never gets old.

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Currently Loving…

1.      Netflix show “Master of None” with Aziz Ansari. Must watch if you are in the mood for a good laugh (who isn’t?!). They say that this show is the modern “Seinfeld” and seeing that I can easily relate to many of the issues brought up in the show, I agree! From dating disasters, to debates on the appropriate text message responses, to issues with friends and family—this show is relatable and outstanding.

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Workouts, Work Party, and Looking Forward to the Weekend!

Boston, you sure can be warm for December! I guess winter is imminent in New England, but it would be nice if it could wait a few more months!

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This week included some tough workouts, including my first true speed workout since training for Big Cottonwood Canyon this summer. I had to take the speed work inside on the treadmill due to the rainy midweek weather. After that experience, I will aim to run sprint workouts outside going forward if at all possible. The workout included a two mile warm-up, and 5 X 800m (half mile) sprints, with 400m (quarter mile) recovery in between, and a one mile cool. This is a fairly typical marathon training sprint workout. However, I found it very difficult to keep up my target 3:30/800 meter pace. I managed to hit the splits, but was more out of breath than I think I ever have been. Let’s hope that next week’s speed workout goes better!

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Welcome to December and 2016 races!

I can’t believe another year has almost passed! 2015 has been a good one- I got a new job that I enjoy, moved into a new place, moved in with a new “roommate” :), traveled around the world and within the USA, and ran some fun marathons. I saw several close family members and friends get married and engaged, have babies, get new and exciting jobs, hike new mountains, start new relationships, and run PRs!

2016 is just around the corner, and I am even more excited to dive in to the next year!

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Long Run & Family Fun

Welcome to Monday, readers!

Yesterday’s long run went well overall. It was in the upper 30’s when I first left home, and reached the low 40s towards the end of the run. I wore tights, a long sleeve shirt, and light running jacket with thin gloves. About an hour into the run I started to feel warm, but once the wind blew I cooled off again, so it was one of those confusing running days in terms of attire. Taking off the gloves helped.

Even though it was cold outside, I was happy I carried water with me. I went through an entire bottle by the end of 16 miles since the water fountains are finally shut off. The first 8 miles were roughly a 9 minute mile pace, but I had to pick up the pace in the last 8 as I was running late. Miles 12, 13, and 14 were supposed to be at marathon pace (8-8:10 minute miles), but I ran the following splits: 8:20, 8:12, and 8:07. Last mile was a cool down. My legs weren’t able to move faster in the first MP mile, but luckily I was able to speed it up in the second two miles. I will just have to practice this again!

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Sunday Keeping my Eye on the Prize

Happy Sunday of this holiday weekend!

Contrary to taking it outside on Friday, I took my workout inside yesterday. It was a rainy 40-something degree Saturday in Boston and it was only my second time on the treadmill this week.

I ran 60 minutes at a few different speeds (harder to do true time-only runs on a treadmill!), and felt strong although antsy to finish up halfway through the run. I was lucky to have a nice view:

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Taking it Outside on Friday

Good morning and hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones!

My Turkey day was the usual: delicious, relaxing, full of laughter and interesting conversations. I always feel inspired by my family and love the time we spend together. No family is perfect– but I’m very thankful for mine!

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Holidays, Turkey Trots, and Treadmills

Living in Boston during the holidays, especially Thanksgiving, has always been special. I grew up in a town not far from where the Pilgrims landed and founded Plymouth Plantation, so I can’t think of a better place to be to celebrate this holiday!

IMG_1140.JPGOne of my favorite places to run in my home town!

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday to begin with: the time spent with family and friends, the delicious food and dessert we all eat, the non-commercialization of the holiday makes it top of my list.  Christmas is a close second, but probably because it extends throughout the entire month of December!

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Philly Marathon and Some Takeaways

Philadelphia Marathon 2016 was a success! I did not run this year but ran part of the race with my sister. It was a weekend to remember for the runners!

IMG_1215Beautiful sunset over Philly!

We left Boston on Saturday morning and had a relatively easy drive through CT, NY, NJ, and then PA. Adele’s “Hello” blasted through the car speakers a minimum of 8 times. My sister’s husband and Mark dropped my sister and me off at the PA convention center for the expo. We met my cousin, her boyfriend and their friend who were also running the marathon there. We all checked into our air bnb south of Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia and we all loved it.

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Road-tripping to Rocky!

Happy Friday all! This week seemed to fly by- hope it did for you too!

We are road-tripping to Philadelphia tomorrow morning for the marathon on Sunday! I will be watching the race/running part of it with my sister and cousin. Just like old times.

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Carbo-loading and Other Thoughts on Food

Last night my sister, some cousins, and I got together over sushi- one of my favorite foods. I’m also very lucky to have lots of family all over the Boston area!

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Yesterday was another 6am wakeup call for me, as I had to get in 6 miles of speed work before work. My coaches have incorporated speed work into one run a week, which I usually run on Wednesdays. I ran on the treadmill this time which was on a slight incline given the somewhat crooked floor of my gym- so this added some extra difficulty! I felt a little sore from that run, as well as this morning’s easy 6 mile run. But the soreness is not an injury, and I know that my body is just adapting to these new running routines. I need to include more stretching into my routine going forward too.

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New Orleans Marathon Review

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When I started working with my coaches a couple of weeks ago, I decided to train for a marathon and re-qualify for Boston with a finish time that would allow me to register for the race. This was a change from my initial goal of just “running for fun” in my next race, without a time goal. But seeing that motivations and aspirations can change depending on one’s mood, I decided to attempt a time goal one more time.

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Patriots win and welcome to a new week!

Good morning and happy Monday!

My 60 minute easy run yesterday turned into a 75ish minute run as I didn’t plan for the extra distance it would take me to get home. I felt strong while running, but will plan better next time. I am still getting the hang of these time-based runs! An estimate of yesterday’s mileage brings my total mileage for the week to 41 miles. 

Workouts for this upcoming week include a pair of 6 milers, a 7 miler, and a 15 miler. I will start to incorporate marathon pace into my long runs (which will be in Philly this weekend!). My marathon training for the rest of the month is primarily focused on recovery from the Marine Corps Marathon, while continuing to maintain a decent base of mileage. Training in December will be focused on building up marathon base mileage to increase overall endurance. My coaches will also start to incorporate marathon-specific speed work into my December workouts.

IMG_1051Boston Public Garden 

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Sunday Funday

Good morning! Hope you all had a great Saturday night!

This morning is full of coffee and nuun– I like the tri-berry flavor the best! Nuun are electrolyte tabs without sugar or carbs. They add light flavor to water, and I drink them on a regular basis. I like how the nuun tables are portable- great to take on trips!

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On the schedule for today: time-based easy run (60 minutes today). I’ll switch the settings on my Garmin to only display time, and won’t worry about the distance covered.

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This will be followed by lots of stretching, getting organized for the week, and then celebrating a friend’s birthday.

What are your Sunday plans? 

Have a great day!

Windy Saturday in Boston!

I am so saddened for Paris and my heart goes out to the innocent lives that have been lost for no reason.

Despite the heartbreaking news overseas, I hope your weekend has been a good one so far! Mine started off with some much needed time with friends. Pizza, wine, blasting Adele’s “Hello”, and chocolate cake were all involved. My Boston girlfriends and I gather at least once a month for “wine night”, but this time we let the guys join. We didn’t mind it too much. :)

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Boston was the windy city today (Sorry, Chicago), but I felt prepared for the cold during my 14 miler this morning. Long sleeve, long pants, vest, and gloves were all essential. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to layer up so much for a run! It felt nice.

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My runner friend (she is an incredible ultra-marathoner, but is between training cycles) joined me for the first half of the run. Was great to catch up, as always, and the first half flew by! We ran along the Charles, and managed to stay on the ground even though the winds were gusting up to 25 mph.

Given the conditions, my coaches wanted me to run “by feel” rather than time, and that’s exactly what I did. I averaged about 9 minute miles in this long run. My coaches also wanted me to test out my fueling during this run, and I took down a chocolate GU at 8 miles. I felt strong the rest of the run so didn’t feel the need to take a second GU. I think I will try the honey chews soon- I’d like to experiment with a few different fueling regimens the next time around.

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The run was followed by lunch at Whole Foods, hot shower and tons of stretching. Will most likely veg out to Friday Night lights and maybe a Star Wars movie to prep for the new one that is coming out next month. Hope you all enjoy the rest of your day!

IMG_0910Windy, cold day in Boston. #winteriscoming

Any races/runs for you today or tomorrow?

My Favorite Gear

Happy Friday all! 

I have received some questions from fellow bloggers and runner friends about my favorite running gear. Over the years, I have experimented with many different outfits, brands, fuel options, electronics, and other running gear. The list below includes the items in which I currently rotate depending on the run/season.

Shoes:

  • Brooks GTS Adrenaline 14 & 15 (I own both and rotate between both).

FullSizeRender (2)Brooks Adrenaline 15’s, 14’s and Glycerin (I prefer Glycerins for walking, not running)

Electronics:

  • Garmin 310XT watch: large face so you can see your time while running, lightweight. Watch has some glitches, but is easy to reset. Boyfriend prefers the Garmin Forerunner 15, which is less bulky.
  • Apple Ipod shuffle: This small music device seems almost weightless, and clips well on sports bras/shirts/shorts for both men and women. It is not too pricey, has functioned very well for me so far! The only negative is that you cannot digitally see the songs that are playing, but you don’t want to fuss with that while on a run anyway!
  • Yurbud headphones: These babies have taken quite a beating in all elements, and still fit well in the ears. Highly recommend these!

Shorts:

Shirts & tanks:

Compression Socks:

Jackets/neon gear:

Fuel:

  • GU (chocolate, vanilla, and salted caramel are my favorite flavors, although I recently tried a salted watermelon and thought it was also delicious!)
  • Honey Stinger Waffles: I eat these before races, rather than during as they are a bit hard to carry given their size. They are light on my stomach and give you some last-minute extra calories as needed, with a lot of taste.

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Other gear:

  • Running belt: I wear a Spibelt during runs (training and racing) to conveniently carry my phone/GU/keys/money etc. I find the stretchy waist belt very comfortable.
  • Foam roller: I have used a variety of different foam roller models over the years, but my current favorite is the “Trigger Point” foam roller. This high-density foam roller has just enough firmness to massage my always-tight muscles.

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  • Running stick: They say that this is a “toothbrush for runners”. I am not sure about that, but the stick helps me self-massage muscles! Sticks have a variety of flexibility, but I use the firm model.

So that is my list of current favorite gear– what are some of your favorite clothing/fuel/other running items?

What are your weekend plans? 

-Mine: Party at la casa tonight (it’s been awhile!)/14 miler on Saturday with a running buddy/friend’s birthday party on Sunday. Busy weekend! Hope you have a great one and get outdoors!!!

2015-09-treetops-day-2-32Just a nice photo of one of my favorite mountains (Cardigan, NH) taken during a hike with friends last month. Starting to plan some more spring hikes! Thanks @imnotquitejack! :)