Half Marathon Tips

Let’s start with the most important thing that’s happening these days: the girls are three months old!

They’ve become super interested in everything around them, focusing on images and our faces, each other, and their giggles are the absolute cutest. It’s also really convenient that they have each other when I pop them on their play gym (bonus of having twins I suppose)! Both have officially doubled their weight and are growing out of clothes like crazy. I can’t wait to see how much they change and grow over the next few months. I also have one more month of maternity leave, so soaking it in the best I can.

Since racing season is upon us (and races are back!), I thought I’d put together some tips for running a half marathon. I’m BY NO MEANS an expert, so keep that in mind and am just sharing things that I’ve learned in the past (and drawing from many mistakes that I’ve made along the way):

Start slower than your ‘goal pace’. Maybe even a minute per mile slower than what you anticipate running the race at. Everyone goes faster at the beginning of races, so you’ll probably just be running your actual goal race pace if you start in a slower corral (if possible).

Have a few mantras and songs on your playlist that get you fired up. When the going gets tough (which it most likely will- normally miles 8 & 11 are the toughest for me), I like to draw upon positive mantras or pop a song on my playlist that makes me feel totally bada**. Macklemore or Eminem and my mantra of ‘attitude of gratitude’ normally do it for me.

Don’t forget to smile. Smiling relaxes your body and brings you happy endorphins. There’s nothing worse than doing something that you’re not enjoying. Try to enjoy the experience- even if it really is just a ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ sort of situation.

Do your training runs, but know it’s ok if bumps in the road happen. Be gentle on yourself if you have to skip a few runs, but stick to your training plan otherwise. Know that training runs build on each other, so skipping one isn’t a huge deal, but skipping several generally will lead to less-than-ideal situation. Also know that if your goal is to just finish and you’ve done 80-90% of your training runs, you’ll do great.

Don’t do anything new on race day. Yes, that includes new shoes, clothes, nutrition- any of these things can really hinder your race. Take it from someone who wore a sports bra that she hadn’t trained in before and finished the race with a terrible chafe that made showering in hot water nearly impossible.

Have fun and remember your WHY- Why’d you sign up for the race to begin with? Draw back on those initial feelings when it gets hard. Enjoy yourself and imagine how good it’s going to feel when you cross that finish line. Be your own cheerleader after each mile marker. And when it gets really tough, break down those miles into markers even smaller- maybe 1/2 mile or sometimes when it’s really challenging- I think about the next minute or tell myself to ‘just run through this song’ and then re-assess. It really is almost all mental when it comes to race day. It will go by so fast, so enjoying it and soaking in the experience really is the most important part.

-What tips do you have for someone running their first half marathon?

Workout Wednesday: Trail Running Tips

Happy Wednesday! I wanted to share with you some of my tips that I’ve learned from trail running over the years. I’m still (by no means), a great trail runner (nor will I ever excel at it), but I love when I can get out there. I always make sure to budget extra time. I know that I’ll be hiking some and will just take longer to cover the distance.

I also want to make sure that I bring enough gear. That includes snacks, water, gels, extra layers, another pair of socks. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten my feet wet and not had a dry pair to change into.

Take time to enjoy the views from the summit. That’s one of my favorite parts from being on the trails. I also take time to snag a lot of photos when I’m out there. No need to rush (in my opinion!)

What are your favorite parts of trail running?

Any other tips you have?!?

Workout Wednesday: Pre-Run Warm-Ups

I’m not entirely sure that I’ve ever had so many words that started with ‘W’ before in my blog title! I have a love-hate relationship with warming up, BUT it is SO important! Especially as the months get colder, your muscles are generally tighter. Tighter muscles = more prone to injury (& also just unlikely to perform to their optimum).

Remember to always consult your primary healthcare provider before starting or adjusting to a new health program. I have also found that warming up helps me get excited to run. This is super helpful when it’s chilly and dark outside.

While running is a very forward-backward motion, it’s important to warm-up all of your muscles and to move outside of the normal ‘running rhythm’.

I also know that I always warm-up before any sort of race, but it’s funny how that’s an exception. Remember the saying - nothing NEW on the race day (& that includes warming up).

I always start with a super conservative first mile as well (especially important if I’m tired/ sore/ it’s early/ I’m just not feeling it)- it’s the same idea of warming up your body and muscles for the movement that you’re going to be doing.

I also like to remind myself of making bread when I want to slack on my warm-up routine: To make really good bread, you knead it first (get the temperature warmer so it can rise). Same idea with running-> nothing cold ever works that well.
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-Do you warm-up before you run?
-How has your pre-run routine evolved over time?
-Anyone else enjoy kneading bread?!

Workout Wednesday: How To Start Running

Happy Hump Day! I’m on Day 3 of orientation and it’s been a lot of videos/ self-guided learning. We also got fit-tested for two different types of respirators (N95 and 7700). It’s funny how you definitely feel like Darth Vader when you try those out! I also got to explore the new running trail that’s here- Rail Trail that extends for 57 miles! I certainly didn’t run the full trail, but I did get in an easy 7 mile run.

I thought it would be a good idea to share some tips on how to start running or pick-up running again since physical activity is SO important during the Pandemic. Maybe you’ve tried running a few times, maybe you got injured, maybe you thought it was too hard, or maybe you’re just unsure if it’s for you. ALL of these thoughts are OK- they are normal! Be kind to yourself and know that starting any new activity takes time and patience. You will not be super fast at the beginning nor will you be crushing all the miles (it took me 4+ years of on-again off-again running to even get above a 10:00 min/mile and over 35 miles a week).

Tip 1: Start Small

Start with run/walks (maybe 30 seconds running/ 1 minute walking) and go for a short distance. Do this for several weeks and don’t try to run everyday. Maybe you do this once a week - that’s great! Maybe you can start to do it two times a week- something is better than nothing! Be kind to yourself.

Tip 2: Get some good running shoes

I remember I had some really terrible shoes when I first got started (pretty sure they were on super sale and were not meant for running) and that didn’t help me stick with it. Now, you do not need to go spend a lot of money on gear/running shoes - just make sure to select shoes that fit well, meant for running, and you feel GOOD when you put them on. I can’t tell you how much better I run and feel when I’ve got on gear that I LOVE.

Tip 3: If it feels hard, then know that is NORMAL

Running is hard work and there are very few runs that feel really good. Remember- if you feel pain/short of breath -> this is NOT NORMAL. Also remember to see your physician before starting any new physical activity routine. It’s funny how as children, we would always run everywhere and then somewhere along the way, running no longer felt ‘normal’ -> just really really challenging. I was certainly never fast (nor will ever be breaking records), however sticking with it and training helped me get faster over time.

Tip 4: Be patient

Nothing good ever happened over night and it typically takes 21 days of starting a new routine to make it stick. I always find that starting a new routine is easy for me for the first 10 days or so, but then that third week is when it gets challenging. Know that this is normal and to stick with it. Find a support system, a buddy to go on runs with, a race to train for, or a goal to work towards. Maybe you want to run for a mile/ a 5k (3.15 miles)/ to the next stop sign. Whatever your goal is, be your own cheerleader. Be kind, be patient, be persistant.

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What tips do you have to someone wanting to start (or start again) running?

What helps get you out the door?

Anyone else find that 3rd week really challenging?

Workout Wednesday: How To Get Faster

It’s the topic that I always love to read about- how do you get faster while running?!? I never imagined that I would be a sub 2 hour marathoner (I was honestly just hoping to get below 2:10 at one point in time), but I’ve somehow managed to get close to breaking that elusive 1:40 mark. It’s taken a lot of work, but I have managed to become consistent over the years and knock over 45 minutes off of my time.

First thing that I did-> Became consistent

I started skipping less runs, running more often, and gradually increasing my weekly mileage. I didn’t start doing anything crazy (like 50+ mile weeks) until after running for 5+ years, but just having the consistent effort and habit of running made a big difference.

Add in -> Speedwork

Speedwork doesn’t need to be anything crazy (you definitely don’t need to start incorporating mile repeats right away or 2 x 3 mile repeats), just even consider doing a few faster strides (think: less than 1/10th of a mile fast run/jog followed by either walking or slower jogging until you catch your breath and then repeat a few more times). This is when I started to notice an immediate difference in my running times come race day.

Don’t forget about -> Strength Training

It’s certainly hard to do now, but strength training is IMPORTANT! I really want to do a blog post coming up about how to do bodyweight strength training from your home because (at least for me) our gyms are closed indefinitely and I cannot find free weights anywhere. Strength training is so important to help you get stronger and also to prevent injuries. Even just two times a week (cut your run shorter and add in a few moves if you’re short on time) will make a difference.

Do not just -> run fast

If you’re only interested in running fast, then I’d suggest doing other cross training on the 2-3 days that you want to incorporate speed work (think: 1 day. week with some sort of faster running repeats, 1 day/week with strides, 1 day/week of longer runs). If you’re running 5-6 days a week, your runs should not be all ‘full out’. You’re asking for an injury (or just to ever improve) if you run like this.

Also don’t-> run the same speed all the time.

Your runs should never all be at the same time (like above) and they should be slower than your race paces (think: 2 + minute slower than marathon pace). Yes, you can run faster, but you’re not giving your body time to adapt and build your oxygen stores/blood volume when you consistently stress your heart to it’s max.

Don’t just -> stretch

Stretching is GREAT and should absolutely be done before and after your runs, however you need to do dynamic warm-ups/ cool downs/ strength training to help your muscles adapt/ get warm/ cool down / get stronger. Stretching does a lot, but think about any aerobics class you’ve gone to -> what do you do before you stretch? You have to warm-up your muscles, get the work done, slow your heart rate down, then you get to stretch and relax.

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• What tips would you add that helped you improve your running times?

• Favorite ways to strength train right now?

• What are you training for?