First Track Repeats of Spring & My Next Race Goal

• 2 • My Running

I got out for my first track repeats of spring!  I’ve done a couple interval workouts on the treadmill this winter, but there’s nothing like making it down to the track and doing laps.

My goal: I’m currently training for the Wonder Run 5k on May 17th.  I’d love to run it at sub 9 minute pace.  It’s a hilly course with a fair number of turns, so it’s not a fast course.  I ran my last 5k at 8:58 pace on New Year’s Day, but that was a mostly flat course in Needham, and I was still in excellent shape from running two half marathons in the fall.  After one of the hardest winters I’ve ever lived through, with an insane amount of snow, my running has suffered!  It’ll be an effort (but doable, I think) to get my pace down under 9 for this race.

My training: I originally planned to do the Run Less, Run Faster training plan that has 3 hard running workouts a week.  Unfortunately, it’s designed for people who have been running 15 miles per week for at least 3 months, and I didn’t manage that this winter.  I averaged about 5 miles a week plus a spin class.  That’s, um, not exactly the running base they have in mind.  Instead of following their plan, I’m modifying their workouts to meet me where I’m at.  I’ll try to run an interval workout, tempo run, and long run each week between here and May.

My first track repeats (interval workout): I decided to do 6 x 400 meter repeats at 8:30 pace.  Since I’m targeting sub 9 minute pace, I want to get comfortable running in the 8s.  I did 90 second walking recovery periods in between.  When I was doing 400 meter repeats over the summer training for my half marathon, I’d do twice that number!  After a lazy winter, 6 repeats was challenging yet manageable, and I feel ready to run again tomorrow.  Mission accomplished.  I warmed up by running to the track and cooled down by running home.  It’s just over a mile from my house, so that was perfect.

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My New Garmin: The new Garmin is working out great!  We picked the Forerunner 220 for me, because it has the ability to accept pre-programmed workouts.  I got on the computer and entered in my workout on Garmin Connect, and then sent it to my watch.  My watch then notified me each time I needed to start or stop a repeat, let me know whether I was in the desired pace zone, and counted down the seconds of each recovery interval.  It takes all the timing work out of running repeats.

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Reflecting: I remember what a huge deal it was for me the first time I ran a 5k in under 30 minutes (sub 9:40 pace).  It was so challenging to go from running in the 10’s to running in the 9’s.  Just the fact that I’m targeting a race in the 8’s (and have actually squeaked in at 8:58 before) amazes and thrills me.

Yay, spring! …

Happy Spring Training!

First jogging stroller run of 2015!

• 1 • My Running
On our way home from picking Will up at school 🙂

We had a very warm day yesterday, almost 60 degrees out!  It melted so much snow, and made the sidewalks finally clear and passable throughout most of town.  I took advantage and ran to pick Will up at school!

It was great getting outside.  Rather than driving and parking and dealing with getting Andrew in and out of the carseat, I got to run in the sunshine, and keep Andrew in the stroller while we waited for Will.  It’s such a little difference, but it was so much more fun than driving.

Inflate your stroller tires! I know better, but I spontaneously chose to break out the jogging stroller and didn’t have time to inflate the tires first.  They were so flat, and it’s SO difficult to push over 70 pounds of toddler and stroller with a flat tire.  It was a slow run and a hard workout.  This isn’t such a bad thing, but I would have run over 3 miles instead of just under 2 if I’d inflated the tires.  Also… I need to have Greg teach me to inflate the tires.  This is something I should be able to do for myself, but it needs to be done so rarely that he usually just takes care of it for me.

Not the treadmill! It’s amazing the difference running outside vs. the treadmill.  There’s an incline feature on the treadmill, but I honestly never use it.  I tend to just run faster instead of adding an incline, which isn’t ideal, but seems more fun.  Getting outside to run, I remembered how many hills we have in the area!  It’s especially game-changing when I’m pushing the stroller.  It adds an element of challenge and an element of fun at the same time.  A good reminder to use the incline on the treadmill in preparation for hitting real terrain come spring!

One 58 degree day melted a lot of snow, and gave my puddle stompers some pretty big puddles to stomp in!
Not a fully inflated tire.
Also not a fully inflated tire – but better than the other side!
Mr. Photogenic and Mr. Needs a Tissue. Reality captured 🙂

A few random photos!

Whole foods had tulips on an amazing sale – how gorgeous and uplifting are these?! Less than $10 for both, and they’ve lasted 5 days already.
Banana, pecan, cacao nibs on oatmeal with chia seeds and a touch of maple syrup. Pretty amazing breakfast!

 

Beach Running

• 4 • My Running

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Ahh, beach running.  Every morning of vacation while I’ve sipped my coffee and stared out at the ocean from our third floor balcony, I’ve seen runners heading up and down the beach.  They’re out there with their i-pods and their GPS watches, the only people in sight, while the rest of us vacationers indulge in caffeine and await sunshine before venturing out onto the sandy shoreline.

I’ve never run on the beach for even a mile.  All my beach running has been small sprints in my bathing suit chasing down a kid who reneged on his promise to “be right back” and is now halfway to the pool.

So this morning I decided to run 1.5 on the sidewalk, then find beach access and run the beach back to our resort.

Here are a few observations I made about beach running:

Beach running is hard.  The sand sinks under your feet and it requires more effort to spring off its soft surface.

Beach running is wet.  If you wear shoes, you should probably stick to the soft sand, which is even harder to run in than the hard, wet sand near the water.  I got too close to the waves and had to take off my sandy, soaking wet shoes and socks and run back with them in my hands.

Beach running is uneven.  It might be better to run some in both directions to even out the impact of having one leg on a slightly more raised surface because you’re running on a slant.

Beach running is hard on your ankles.  And your arches.  It worked my muscles in a different way than running on a harder, flatter surface.  This isn’t a bad thing, but it made me glad I decided to do the first half of my run on a surface I’m used to.  I think beach running would be more enjoyable if I worked up to it slowly.  You know, just tack on a half mile here and there to my runs until I developed my beach running muscles.  Now that I have a strategy in mind, I just need some permanent beach access and year round beach weather.

Right.

Anyway – next time, I would ditch the shoes.  It was far more enjoyable, and easier, running on the wetter, harder sand near the water, and I liked getting the occasional wave in the calves.

It’s important to remember that it’s more difficult and a different type of workout than running on a hard surface, so you’re going to run a lot slower.  If you head out with a jogging mentality, and give yourself credit for the extra effort required to get a spring in your step, then it could be really enjoyable.

I have a renewed appreciation for the beach runners I see who make it look easy!

It might not ever actually be easy, but I’m more interested in whether it’s fun or a good workout… and for short distances with the right mentality, it’s both.

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Holidays Are Over: Time to Build Your Running Base Back Up

• 7 • My Running
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Let’s do this – it’s time to get back out there and run!

Winter is always tough on my running.  Icy conditions.  Treadmill blues.  Colds. Sick kids.  Holiday over-scheduling.  Winter break.  It’s brutal.  In order to run, I need to be healthy and have the time.  Late November and all of December are pretty brutal on my running.  I usually end up with a cold sometime during those months, and if either of my children gets sick, there goes my running time during their preschool hours.  In November, Will was out for four or five days with conjunctivitis, and I just finished a 7 day stretch with at least one kid home from preschool with cough/fever.  I love them to pieces and I’m so glad I get to stay home with them and cuddle when they’re not feeling well, being a stay at home mother is fantastic.  That said, it’s tough on my running!

I’m guessing I’m not alone.  I’m guessing you, too, had a busy holiday season.  Fought off colds, maybe even got the flu.  Had to hit the treadmill and perhaps ran a bit less than you might have if you’d been outdoors.  Struggled with icy conditions, less daylight, 10 degree windchill factors.

Well it’s almost February.

Time to start building the mileage base back up.

Let’s get out there, take it easy, remember that we haven’t been consistent with our mileage these past few months, and start working it slowly back up.  Now might not be the time to start a specific training plan if you haven’t been putting in the miles over the past 8 weeks.  Now is time to get a month of solid running under us, then start a kick butt training plan to nail those 5ks in May, tackle a 10k in June, then start training seriously for half-marathons in the fall.  (Hypothetically.)

Take it easy.  Remember that you can’t just pick up where you left off in October.  Build it up slowly.

Spring is coming.

Let’s be ready when it gets here 🙂

Needham New Year’s 5k – Race Recap!

• 7 • My Running

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I started 2015 the same way I started 2013 and 2014, with the Needham New Year’s 5k!  Despite running 3 half marathons, I hadn’t run a 5k without the double jogging stroller all year.  I was curious to see what I could do!  I’d been focusing on longer distances, but hoped I could buckle down and beat my 5k PR from 2014, which was 28:39 (9:13 pace).  My secondary goal was to see if I could come in at sub 9 minute pace.  I figured if I can average 10:01 pace for a half marathon, I should be able to manage 9 minute miles for 5k!

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Result: I did, but just barely – I squeaked in at 27:49 (8:58 pace).  Greg and the boys were watching at mile 2.73 when I was averaging 9:24 pace for mile 3, and my legs felt like lead.  I gave him a thumbs down sign, sure I wasn’t going to make it, but his encouragement (and the knowledge that it the finish line was SO close) helped me pick it back up again.  I used all my remaining energy into finishing strong.  I spotted the clock nearing the 28 minute mark as I approached the finish line, and it was like dumping kerosene on the fire that is my will-power.  My last tenth of a mile was 7:25 pace as I tried to beat the clock.  (Next time, let’s pace ourselves, shall we?)

 

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Drink champagne and eat waffles: I love running on New Year’s Day because it’s a great way to start out the year.  It’s also a test of my life balance skills – I’m determined to still enjoy New Year’s Eve!  Last night I stayed up with Greg drinking champagne and watching a movie (November Man), and then we enjoyed our traditional first breakfast of the year – waffles.  Not my typical pre-race routine, but this 5k starts at 11 a.m. for a reason!  I feel like going to bed early and not drinking before this race would feel like cheating the past and future Kelly’s who have fun on New Year’s eve and now have to compete against someone who isn’t running on champagne and waffles.  Not to mention it’d rob Greg and I of a fun night!  So go ahead, future Kelly – have a couple drinks and stay up late, this PR was earned the same way 🙂

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Hope you had a wonderful start to your year!  Wishing you all the best in 2015 🙂

 

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Will and Andrew, all bundled up waiting to see me!

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This is my “strong finish” face.

 

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Gingerbread waffles! They’re on page 95. They’re delicious.
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Running the same race last year 🙂