Training Plan?! Who Needs a Training Plan?!

Me, me! I need a training plan!

If you're a regular reader around here, you know this summer has been absent of a training plan. And it shows. I felt like crap at the Charles Street 12 and my weekly runs haven't been so great either. And let's not forget about my slacking on the cross- and weight-training. Geez, maybe I should read my own blog and take my own advice! :-)

Following a training plan makes me feel more in control and better about my running. It makes me feel like the mileage is manageable and that I will be able to reach my goal race healthy and excited. For the Princess Half Marathon this February, I plan on following Jeff Galloway's runDisney plan. I have used his plans several times in the past and they've always worked well for me- even for the Dopey Challenge!

Read more about the benefits of a training plan below!

THE TRAINING PLAN WHY SHOULD I HAVE A TRAINING PLAN?  When using a proven strategy, a runner gains control over fatigue while improving motivation.  Those who follow the right training plan, for the individual,  tend to improve more, with less injury risk. WOULD BEGINNERS BENEFIT MORE FROM A PLAN  Unfortunately, most beginners “run as they feel” or follow conflicting advice.  This leads to confusion and more aches and pains.  The right schedule will systematically increase the type of running needed for a goal, with strategic rest for rebuilding.   KEY TRAINING ELEMENTS: 1)       A longer run builds endurance, 2) a hilly run builds strength, 3) Scenic or social runs insert fun and keep you coming back for more. WHAT IS ADDED TO A PLAN IF THE GOAL IS TO RUN FASTER?  The right training plan will gradually increase the speed repetitions needed for the individual goal.  Easier days and rest days must be inserted before and after speed workouts.  To avoid injury, the pace and the increase must be realistic for the individual.   EVERY OTHER DAY!  Most runners—especially beginners—run best when they run every other day.  This allows for the “weak links” to heal.  The very slow long run is usually on the weekend, when there is more time available.  Hills and fun days can be run on the short runs during the week (for example, Tuesday and Thursday) SHOULD I EXERCISE ON NON-RUNNING DAYS? While you don't have to exert yourself on non running days to improve your running, exercise will energize your mind, and improve your attitude and vitality—while burning some fat.  So I recommend any exercise that does not fatigue the calf muscle, such as recreational walking. DOES VARIETY HELP?  Changing things a bit can improve motivation.   You don't have to change the “mission” on specific days, but alternating some of the courses or running with different groups can make each day more interesting. WHAT ARE VARIOUS MISSIONS, FOR VARIOUS DAYS? Each type of run bestows a different benefit.  Hill runs build strength.  Drills that work on cadence, gentle acceleration and gliding will improve your running form.  Long runs produce stamina and endurance. WHAT SHOULD I DO THE DAY BEFORE AND THE DAY AFTER LONG OR FASTER RUNS?  Take it easy on these days.  Do little or no exercise, don't over-eat, drink 8 glasses of water/sports drinks, and focus on how you will enjoy the next run. SHOULD I SKIP THE REST DAYS—TO IMPROVE MORE QUICKLY.  Not Recommended!  It is during the days off from running that the running body rebuilds and improves.  While some runners can get away with running short and slow runs on rest days for a while, these “junk miles” can compromise recovery and lead to injuries.   IF I DON’T LIKE A WORKOUT CAN I SUBSTITUTE? Following a consistent plan is more likely to lead to success and improve motivation.  Those who pick various elements from different schedules experience  more burnout and injury.

Register now for the Jeff Galloway 13.1 Half Marathon weekend from December 11-13th. Jeff Galloway 13.1 - Sunday, Dec. 13th Barb's 5K Presented by BeeCause - Saturday, Dec. 12th NEW Fit Kids Run/Walk - Saturday, Dec. 12th Register now!

NEW Jeff Galloway's Customized Training Plan! Let Jeff customize a plan that allows you to "have a life" while achieving your goals!  Your 6 month plan includes: customized training schedule daily email reminders for your workouts drills to improve your running form and efficiency For for runners of all levels, from beginning to ultra, with busy schedules or without a local Galloway training program. Learn more now! Jeff’s proven method has helped hundreds of thousands to achieve their goals, injury-free. Whether you’re a beginner or a Boston Qualifier, let us customize a plan that allows you to “have a life” while achieving your goals.Your 6-month Custom Training Plan includes – • A customized training schedule to your target race over the next season • Daily email reminders of upcoming workouts • Based upon your current conditioning • Drills to improve running form, efficiency, and speed • For runners at every fitness level, from beginning runners to ultra-runners • Perfect for those without a local Galloway Program or with busy schedules - See more at: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/customized-training/#sthash.2bhhrWdT.dpuf Jeff’s proven method has helped hundreds of thousands to achieve their goals, injury-free. Whether you’re a beginner or a Boston Qualifier, let us customize a plan that allows you to “have a life” while achieving your goals.Your 6-month Custom Training Plan includes – • A customized training schedule to your target race over the next season • Daily email reminders of upcoming workouts • Based upon your current conditioning • Drills to improve running form, efficiency, and speed • For runners at every fitness level, from beginning runners to ultra-runners • Perfect for those without a local Galloway Program or with busy schedules - See more at: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/customized-training/#sthash.2bhhrWdT.dpuf fJeff’s proven method has helped hundreds of thousands to achieve their goals, injury-free. Whether you’re a beginner or a Boston Qualifier, let us customize a plan that allows you to “have a life” while achieving your goals.Your 6-month Custom Training Plan includes – • A customized training schedule to your target race over the next season • Daily email reminders of upcoming workouts • Based upon your current conditioning • Drills to improve running form, efficiency, and speed • For runners at every fitness level, from beginning runners to ultra-runners • Perfect for those without a local Galloway Program or with busy schedules - See more at: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/customized-training/#sthash.2bhhrWdT.dpuf Jeff’s proven method has helped hundreds of thousands to achieve their goals, injury-free. Whether you’re a beginner or a Boston Qualifier, let us customize a plan that allows you to “have a life” while achieving your goals.Your 6-month Custom Training Plan includes – • A customized training schedule to your target race over the next season • Daily email reminders of upcoming workouts • Based upon your current conditioning • Drills to improve running form, efficiency, and speed • For runners at every fitness level, from beginning runners to ultra-runners • Perfect for those without a local Galloway Program or with busy schedules - See more at: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/customized-training/#sthash.2bhhrWdT.dpuf eff’s proven method has helped hundreds of thousands to achieve their goals, injury-free. Whether you’re a beginner or a Boston Qualifier, let us customize a plan that allows you to “have a life” while achieving your goals.Your 6-month Custom Training Plan includes – • A customized training schedule to your target race over the next season • Daily email reminders of upcoming workouts • Based upon your current conditioning • Drills to improve running form, efficiency, and speed • For runners at every fitness level, from beginning runners to ultra-runners • Perfect for those without a local Galloway Program or with busy schedules - See more at: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/customized-training/#sthash.2bhhrWdT.dpuf

Copyright © 2015 Galoway Productions All rights reserved. Jeff Galloway Productions is located in Atlanta, GA. Do you follow a training plan? If so, which one(s)?

Accountability Monday: 9/15/15

Good evening, friends!

How about some late-night accountability?!

In case you missed it, Matthew and I ran the Charles Street 12 last weekend. After the race, I posted on instagram my thoughts about my performance. In short, I felt like crap. I didn't feel strong or accomplished; I felt tired and uncomfortable.

I know it's the lack of training that led those feelings. I barely ran in August- how are you supposed to feel great about something you barely do?

So these past two weeks I've tried to go back to what works: running three times a week, strength training, fueling my body with the right amount of healthy foods.

Training:
Labor Day- 3.3 mile walk
Tuesday- 2.36 mile run, 30 minutes
Wednesday- 3 mile walk
Thursday- 3 mile run, 10:22/10:18/10:05 splits. Core work and planks.
Friday- 30 minute walk
Saturday- 4 mile run, 12:09 pace
Sunday- 2 mile walk. Runner's World Strength Anywhere Workout plus squats, planks, glute bridges, and push-ups
Monday- 30 minute walk and Weight Watcher's Stability Ball Workout (arms and abs)
Today- 30 minute walk

Food Find:
So I made Skinnytaste's Turkey Santa Fe Zucchini Boats... except our grocery store had really small, wimpy looking zucchinis so I made them as stuffed peppers instead. They turned out pretty well!

Weight:
149.2
+3 pounds since last week.

I have no idea what's going on with my weight right now. I've consulted my Weight Watchers Leader and some of my WW friends but there's no real answer. I've been making good choices, working out, and limiting my splurges. I can't explain this weight gain. Instead of focusing on what I can't control (the scale), I'm focusing on making the next right decision; whether that's choosing what to eat, working out when I don't feel like it, or walking away from the many treats that are constantly in my office.

Non-Scale Victory:
A few weeks ago I tried "golf" for the first time. Basically, we went to the driving range and I actually hit some balls! And I enjoyed it! It was way out of my comfort zone but I'm really glad I tried it.

You can actually see the ball in the upper right hand corner!

Do you golf? Have you ever visited a driving range?

Five Reasons to Love the BWC (Race Recap & Review)

In June I ran my last race as an Enell Ambassador: the Baltimore Women's Classic (BWC). This is the country's second oldest women's race and I was thrilled to run it again this year. Last year was my first experience with an all-female race and I absolutely loved it. Because much of my experience was the same as in 2014, I wanted to do a different kind of recap for this race but still highlight all the great things about BWC!

Five Reasons to Love the BWC

5. Pre-Race Vendors/Expo

Just like last year, there were a ton of vendors set up in the park before the race. Matthew and I actually helped out our friend Larry (from RUNtelligence) set-up his booth before the race. I also stopped by the Charm City Run booth and got a new Maryland flag Sweaty Band. Overall, I'm guessing there were at least 25 different vendors there. We especially loved the Dunkin Donuts booth :-)

Boxes and boxes of RUNtelligence shirts!

4. Challenging and Beautiful Course

The best way to see a place is by foot, and this race gives you a great view of downtown Baltimore. My favorite part of the course is when you round the final corner towards mile 3- you get an awesome skyline view of the city (you can see it in the picture at the top of this post). The course also contains some challenging elevation that makes you appreciate the downhill sections. 

Passing my favorite museum of all time, the American Visionary Art Museum.

3. Finish Line Swag

Roses, cold towels, fresh watermelon, and a medal?! Yes, please! This race knows how to spoil a runner!

2. Training and Support

One of the coolest things about this race is the free training program offered by the local running store, Charm City Run. In fact, there are eight week training programs offered at several of the store's locations. These programs include a coach and tons of support- for free! What a cool way to encourage women to get active and work towards a common goal.

1. Women's Only Race

But perhaps the biggest reason why I love this race is the fact that it's a women's only race. There is just something really special about the entire field being made up of only women. I think there's a different energy surrounding the race- it was really cool to be running along side thousands of women all racing towards the same finish line. 

All in all, the Baltimore Women's Classic is a fabulous, wonderful, fantastic race! If you find yourself in Baltimore in late June, you should definitely check out this event- and if you don't meet the criteria to enter the race, we can always use more guys in the cheering section :-)

Finished this year's race in 33:55.

Have you ever competed a women's or men's only race?

I'm back!

Hey y'all! Did you miss me?!

Things have calmed down (just a little, tiny bit) so I wanted to write a short post and just catch up a bit. For the last two years, I've posted here at least once week and it's helped keep me grounded and keep me connected with the running community. But this little break was so needed for my sanity.

I blog because I like to share my experience with others, connect with like-minded people, and keep myself accountable. But sometimes, it starts to feel like a job- one that I don't get paid for. Coming up with content, taking pictures, editing; it's a tremendous amount of work sometimes. I never want to feel like this blog is an obligation or a chore. So in the coming weeks, I'm going to be doing some soul searching on what this blog is about and where I want it to go. I just want to love it all the time, you know?

I feel the same way about running right now. For a long time, I loved, I mean, loved running. I wanted to do it all the time, I was obsessed with racing, and I was totally committed to training. And now, I like running. I'm not as "in love" with it as I was but I still want to do it... sometimes. Maybe I'm in a rut? I don't know. I'm looking forward to the Charles Street 12 this weekend and am totally pumped for the Akron Half Marathon in just a few weeks. But training? It's definitely taken a backseat to life. And my new job(s). And planning a wedding.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still working out. It's just more walking than running right now. I did get 10 miles of running in last weekend and I'm feeling somewhat prepared for the race this upcoming weekend. It's just been a struggle to get out and run lately. Matthew broke his arm in July and has been unable to run. So it's been tough going out and running alone. After years of training together, it's different and kind of sucky to do it alone.

I also know part of the problem is that I don't have any major goals right now to work toward. I've reached maintenance with my weight loss and I felt like I got the monkey off my back with the Pittsburgh Marathon. So now what?

I don't have the answer for that.  But I'm confident I will. Eventually. :-)

In the meantime, look for race recaps this week/weekend (Baltimore Women's Classic, SU Service Fun Run) and follow me on instagram/twitter for live updates from the Charles Street 12 on Saturday!

My last few weeks, in pictures:

The name tag makes it official "official" :-)

Enjoying a date night at our favorite MiLB stadium,
home of the Harrisburg Senators!

This workout is NO. JOKE. I bought this as a present to myself for reaching lifetime status- it's awesome.

5ks are always better with friends.

We have had some beautiful sunsets here in the last few weeks. 

I'd love to hear from you- what do you like to read about? What kinds of posts would you like to see here? What subjects/topics surrounding running or weight loss are you curious about? Please share in the comments below!

Be Right Back!

Hey y'all! You may have noticed that I haven't been posting much here or on social media the past few days. It's Welcome Week at the university I work for and that means all hands on deck and looooong work days! Yesterday, I helped a bunch of new students move in and this weekend, I'm managing a couple of events designed to get new students acclimated to their new home.

Moving in all the essentials!

I promise to get back to regular blogging/social media posting by the end of the month. It's a crazy time until then. But despite the busy schedule, I have been making time to workout and run and actually have a twilight race this weekend at the university.

So, keep being awesome and I'll catch up here at the end of the month! See you soon! :-)

Race Recap & Review: Wildwoods Beach n' Boardwalk 5k

During our vacation in Cape May last month, Matthew and I ran the Wildwoods Beach n' Boardwalk 5k. We had been looking for a race to complete while we were on vacation and this one was just a few miles north from where we were staying.

Sunday morning, July 4th, we arrived at the Wildwoods Convention Center and paid the $15 required to park. We could have tried to find free parking, but it was just easier to park right at the start and not have to worry about searching for a parking spot.

We signed up for this race ahead of time online so the packet pick up process was fairly easy. It was an overcast and humid morning- not the best kind of weather for running.

Before the race, the organizers had us gather for a group photo. We had a moment of silence to honor all of our service men and women and then the race started. After a quick little jaunt on the boardwalk, we headed out onto the beach.

Photo credit: Wildwoods Wall

Now, this race was advertised as running on the boardwalk AND on the beach. However, almost 100% pf the course was on the packed sand on the beach. If you've ever run on sand before, then you know that it's not the easiest thing in the world. Couple that with some crazy headwind and you've got the recipe for a slower than usual pace. But Matthew and I plugged away at the miles, reaching the turn around point, and then heading back towards the finish line.

The looooooooong stretch out to the beach.

Windy and overcast.

I swear, there is an organized race happening here... not just random people on the beach!

Matthew and I crossed the finish line somewhere around 37 minutes. I don't know the official time and it hasn't been posted so we'll go with 37ish minutes. After the race, we hung around because they were giving out awards to the best dressed/most patriotic family, child, and adult. There were only a few adults dressed up so I figured I might have a shot at an award. But, it wasn't my day. The guy that won best dressed in the adult category wore an American flag shirt, a pair of American flag shorts, and a pair of American flag socks. I felt like at least my cape should have gotten me a few extra points ;-)

Sad day for Wonder Woman.

Overall, this was a fun start to our fourth of July holiday. Running on the beach during a race is a unique and challenging experience and you should definitely try it out the next time you visit the shore. And if you happen to be racing on July 4th, make sure to pack your patriotic wear. Even if you don't win the costume contest, it's still fun to dress up. :-)

Have you ever raced/ran on the beach before? Do you like running in the sand?

Accountability Monday: 8/10/2015

Good morning and happy 10th of August! :-)

My week was filled with lots of workouts and lots of watermelon. Seriously, I think I've eaten at least three a week since June. That's probably why I can't seem to lose any weight! Ha!

Let's get right into last week's recap!

Training:

Monday- 30 minutes on the stationary bike, 7.13 miles

Tuesday- 3.57 miles, 47:51, 13:23 pace

Wednesday- Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30- week two workout

Thursday- 3.24 miles with Jen, 35:35, 10:59 pace

Friday- 1 mile on my mom's treadmill, 12:37

Saturday- 5.24 miles with Sara, 1:10:07, 13:23 pace

12.05 total miles

This was the first week in a while that I have run four times. And all four runs were vastly different. Tuesday's run was AWFUL. Terrible. Horrid. Thursday's run was great- Jen paces a bit quicker than me and it was a challenge to keep up with her! Maybe if we keep running together some of her speed will rub off on me!

Friday's mile was supposed to be outside. I was staying at my mom's house and about 10 pm, I wanted to get in a quick mile to reach my target of earning seven Activity Points for the day. I started running through her neighborhood and a big dog started barking and running towards me, stopping at the end of its yard. I got freaked out and called my stepdad to come pick me up. I think the dog had an electric fence holding it back, but I was still terrified that it would run through the fence and come after me. And of course, this was the one time I wasn't running with mace. So I went home and ended up running a mile on mom's treadmill instead. I was still pretty shaken up about my encounter with the dog though. Some of my blogger friends have had some nasty run-ins with dogs lately and it's made me a little more jumpy than usual. 

Saturday I got to run with an old friend from college. We had a great run and even better conversation! It is so wonderfully distracting to run with a friend- the miles just fly by :-)

Food find:

Last month while Matthew and I were in Cape May, NJ, we visited the Cape May Peanut Butter Company. After tasting some samples, we brought home some of the butterscotch and hazelnut peanut butter. Oh sweet Jesus, this peanut butter is divine! 

I have been trying to make the butterscotch last but it's so hard because it's so good! It is amazing with apples, crackers, marshmallow fluff, etc. I have no idea how much fat or how many calories it contains but what I can do is tell you how awesome it tastes. 

"Mom! What do you have up there?! Can I have some?!"

Weight:
146.0 as of 8/5/15
-1 from last week

So that's how it goes, gain two pounds; lose one. At this point, I'm just hanging onto this roller coaster for dear life! I know if I just keep working out, eating well, and drinking water, I'll maintain.

Non-Scale Victory:
Yesterday was day 21 of reaching my goal of seven Activity Points per day! I started wearing an Active Link (like a fitbit but for Weight Watchers) in November and my previously-held longest streak of hitting goal every day was 10 days. I'd love to do it for a full 30 days and then compare how I feel, what I weigh, how my clothes are fitting, etc. to what it was before I was actively trying to reach goal every day.



Are you frightened by dogs you don't know when you're running? How do you stay safe?