Training Tuesday: How My Past Has Prepared Me For My Future

Happy Tuesday! I’m so glad that Monday is behind us and also that it’s a recovery week for me. I have two hard ‘workouts’ on tap this week (tomorrow morning with 8 miles @ goal marathon pace & then Friday afternoon  with 3 x 1 mile @ 7:20-6:50ish pace) and then 3 easy runs and that is all! It’s refreshing to have these weeks, where I’m 100% focused on recovery (i.e. getting my hair cut tomorrow and a massage booked ; ) , along with ample sleep). I also really love to train hard because it helps push me beyond what I believe are my capabilities.

Maybe you already know this by now, but I love to reflect when I’m running (anyone else there like to do this?). I know so many that say ‘don’t look back or don’t compare’, which normally I AGREE with, however with International Women’s Day coming up on March 8th - it got me thinking how grateful I am to have so much in my life and to have the ability to train hard every day. My parents sacrificed so much for me to be able to participate in sports growing up. Not only was I introduced to the great outdoors, but I learned how hard work and determination can help you reach your goals. I learned that with team work, you can achieve more than you would have just on your own.

TBT to my second-ever ice show. Those Annie-costumes were amazing and that is still one of my favorite songs. Also they put in pink. If only I had known how to pose in photos properly..

Way before I began running, I was super into figure skating. A very individual sport. I would train at 5:30 in the morning before school, after school, and on the weekends. I would travel over an hour to get to my coach several times a week and often sacrifice social events to prioritize my training and schoolwork. I loved how skating made me feel-

When I was on the ice, I felt free to be creative.

Strong even when I was falling. Resilient even when I didn't get the placement I wanted.

Being able to engage myself in skating gave me the confidence to pursue so many other opportunities outside of the rink.

TBT to when I would get my hair done for ice shows and feel like a queen for a few hours. It was amazing. I wish I had a reason these days to get my hair done ‘just because’

When I arrived to Syracuse (the first barrier that skating helped me break- I’m a first-generation college student!), I honestly had a hard time transitioning. It was a BIG school and I had lived a pretty sheltered life until then. I had never had friends who criticized their bodies or called themselves ‘fat’. I always appreciated my body for all that it did for me and never looked to food as somethings ‘bad’ for you. But WOW does college sure open your eyes to so many things! Unfortunately these thoughts started to hit me pretty hard and I no longer had skating in the same way that I had growing up. I still competed on the Synchronized Skating Team and trained when I could on my own, but once the negative seeds had been planted- there really was no turning back. I waviered through my college years; however my confidence was still pretty high (in some aspects). I guess that’s why I took on so many leadership roles and ended up taking something crazy like 18-20 credits per semester (WHO WAS I?!?). I also started to create those ‘bucketlist’ items - which is how I found myself running towards my first half marathon finish line.

LOVED these tights! I legit wore them for YEARS. I can’t find them anymore, but these are similar.

At the time, I had no idea how much an impact running would later make on my life. It’s funny how something that seems ‘impossible’ provides the most satisfaction when you achieve it. Finishing this race really boosted my confidence and gave me the strength that I had lost for a few years - I began to seek down opportunities that really terrified me.

I began exploring the outdoors.

I started hiking and camping by myself. When accomplishing these things, I felt strong. When others would question my plans or suggest that it wasn’t the best ‘idea’ to hike on my own- I was propelled to do it even more.

I began to stop questioning myself and then I started running more. I ran my first marathon and the confidence that came with checking off that accomplishment was incredible. I became hungrier to explore the outdoors and see everything that I could by foot.

This was a BIG breakthrough moment for me. I had never had the confidence to just ‘wear a sports bra’ out in public. Running gave me the opportunity to view my body in a positive way. You can find similar bras here. Also Mooney Falls is a MUST SEE.

I try to imagine what my life would be like if I didn’t have the opportunity to participate in sports like skating or running. If I didn’t have the encouragement and barriers already broken by other strong women (thanks to my Mom, Grandmother, Michelle Obama, K.V. Switzer, Michelle Kwan to name a few!) in my life to pursue crazy goals - none of what I’ve accomplished would be possible. It’s incredible to imagine where I’ve come from, but I still believe that we have more to go.

I will never take for granted the opportunity to explore the outdoors by foot. Not everyone is as fortunate and for that, I am grateful. Another thing that I’m also grateful for? Backpacks that hold all your crap and look cute. I’m currently adding these to my wishlist.

I’m fired up and ready to tackle some really big (SCARY) goals this year in 2019.

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Tell me- what barriers has someone else broken down to help you become who you are today?

What barriers are you LOOKING to break down?

What has the ability to participate in sports given you?

Post-Run Recovery And Why It's So Important

Happy Tuesday! SO we’re officially back to winter this week (or well until at least probably March it looks like…). Mid 20’s are the high and negatives/ very low single digits until infinity. This is also my last PEAK mileage week before recovery next week. So while I know I’ll be super busy (and also on the treadmill more than usual), I know that spring is just around the corner AND that it doesn’t matter where I get my runs in, just that I still put in the effort. I’m ready to tackle the challenge. Just hoping it stays remotely warm-enough on Friday morning for my first 20 miler of this training cycle! Wohooo. I’ll be getting 36 miles over Thursday/Friday and am switching up my rest day to Sunday this week (normally I have it on Wednesdays) because it just works better with my work schedule this week. Here’s to hoping I don’t need to be THIS bundled up for my run on Friday!

With my increased mileage, I’ve really been focusing on recovery. Whether you believe in active recovery days or complete rest days (I’m somewhere in between normally- I like to do something, but nothing that requires much effort). Some of my favorite ways to spend a recovery are swimming, getting a massage, or doing yoga.

When you train hard, your body begins to breakdown to adapt to the continual stress. When you recover, it gives your body time to repair those muscles. When you don’t take recovery seriously, you put yourself at an increased risk of injury, illness, or burn-out (among other things). Luckily there ARE things you can be doing to help speed-up that recovery process (and help your body get ready for your next run or big workout)! I also found a lot of great information in this article by Runner’s World.

Here are some of my favorite ways to boost recovery (whether post-run or ON my recovery days)!

-Drink a lot of water and replenish any electrolytes. Think of water as the means to turn your muscles from ice to snow. It gives them their fluidity after you’ve been running with them for an extended period of time.

-Refuel with real food. 4 to 1 ratio of carbs to protein. I’ve been focusing more and more on refueling immediately after my run and I think it helps so much. You really need to plan-ahead post-run, but doing-so will help your body recover and decrease your risk of any sort of injury or illness. Dark Chocolate Almond Milk is one of my favorites or PB on Toast with Honey and blueberries or bananas.

-Epsom Salt Bath or Ice Bath. Ice baths are amazing to decrease the inflammation in your muscles, but honestly I have such a hard time taking one (I’m always SO cold). So, I generally apply ice to any problem areas I have (normally my plantar & knee) and will then hop into a hot Epsom Salt Bath after stretching.

-Stretch! I used to overlook stretching (I know, I know…shame on me), but now I take a few minutes to stretch post-run (no matter whether I’m running late or not!) and also stretch before going to bed every night. I haven’t had one niggle this training cycle thus far, so I think it’s helping!

-Yoga. I love JasYoga (they have a few free videos on YouTube that I love) and their running-specific videos.

-Get out for a walk. Ultrarunner extraordinaire, Karl Meltzer, takes his dogs for an hour long walk every morning (even post 100 mile races!). I think that says the importance of getting out and moving everyday even for an hour.

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What are some tips you’d add?

What are YOUR favorite ways to spend a recovery day?

Training Tuesday: Marathon Fatigue

Happy Tuesday! I’ve got another 7 miles at goal marathon effort on the ‘mill this morning (it’s just too cold/ icy out to do this in the early mornings on the roads in the winter, so I’m building up my mental stamina) and some strength. I’ve come to really look forward to my early morning Tuesday alarms (4am), although when it first goes off I definitely look something more-so like this:

SOURCE

I’ve been wanting to do a post about marathon fatigue for a while now because it’s something that I honestly always forget about (and I’ve ran 6 marathons). It’s those first 4 weeks or so of training (for me, anyways), where everything feels terrible. Your legs feel dead, speed is just not happening, and anything surrounding marathon pace is plain ugly.

Your almost always tired and the fatigue in those easy recovery runs is 100% REAL. I always equate those recovery runs to running through mud, with weights on your legs. Which is honestly how these runs should feel like. They’re getting the blood flowing, your main goal is to NOT work your cardiovascular system too much (save it for those speed/long/tempo runs in your week!), and it’s just working out all those kinks. Which is why it should feel hard/terrible/aweful.

Your body is also adjusting to a new schedule, which is one of the hardest things for me! Getting into a new routine is CHALLENGING. Until I make it a habit, it’s a struggle to get up early, find a good time each week to fit in my strength/ yoga/ rest day/ long run day etc. After those 4 or so weeks, I’ve finally adjusted (mentally AND physically) to training. I know how I’ll feel after certain runs and by trail and error (many marathon training cycles to go off of), and also when running/training works best for you. Unfortunately, if it’s your first or second marathon you may not yet have this down.

Marathon training takes a lot of time and energy. FIguring out how it works into your schedule and ADJUSTING to it takes PATIENCE. It’s not going to magically feel good overnight (or rarely will you ever feel great until after race day) and it takes a few weeks to adjust to ANY new training plan/schedule/routine (like anything in life, right?). I think getting over that 4-5 week training hump is hard with every new training cycle I begin and sometimes I find that it isn’t working and something needs to change. I did this for my goal Fall marathon (LV Rock n Roll) and found that switching to the half would be best for me where I was in life at the moment. That’s OK and sometimes it’s harder to acknowledge where you are versus where you want to be and make adjustments from there. Give yourself time, patience, and grace.

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I’d love to know your tips when beginning a new cycle (marathon or something else!)- do you find to have an adjustment period? How long does it take for you?

Favorite day of the week? —> Almost always Thursdays. You’re on the cusp of the end of the week and by then I’ve got my long workdays behind me!

Where are you able to train right now ? Roads? Trails? Treadmill?

Training Tuesday: My Favorite MANTRAS When Things Get Tough!

When I’m running a marathon or doing a really TOUGH speedworkout/ marathon-paced miles- I truly rely on mantras. Words/ Phrases/ Thoughts that I come back to that make me feel tough and fierce. I’m continuing to work on my mental stamina (you NEED to practice it if you want it to show up on race day) and have found that the marathon-paced miles are the best time to do so. I rely on those workouts to get me out of any funks I’m feeling and internally own my run so I can outwardly project it come race day. Anytime that I can remind myself how grateful and lucky I am to be able to push my body to its limits and get stronger —> I take it.

Here are some of my favorite mantras that get me going and help me ‘refocus’ when my mind begins to get bogged down with negative thoughts:

Dig Deep.

Grateful and strong.

You got this.

Believe and Achieve.

Attitude of Gratitude.

You are tough.

Prove them wrong.

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I want to know what YOUR favorite mantras/ words/ phrases are when things get tough!

Training Tuesday: Sharing My Strength Training Routine!

Happy Tuesday! I’ve been wanting to share with you for a while now my current strength training routine and now I finally am! I switch up my strength training exercises every 6-8 weeks and increase my reps that I do every 2 weeks, so I can continually get stronger (you body eventually adapts to the strength training exercises that you do if you continually do them no matter how many more reps/weights you add on). I’ve honestly noticed a HUGE difference in my overall strength and mobility now that I’ve started keeping track of when I need to change up my exercises (I started doing this seriously in July 2018). I will sometimes use old exercises I’ve done when creating a new routine/ use ones I’ve found in Magazines, online, instagram, etc. / or come up with some of my own.

Here’s a full breakdown of my exercises and then below I’ve got a full video for you. I’ve just started doing 3 rounds of each exercises (previously did 2 rounds of 12 and then began with 2 rounds of 10) and will build up to doing 3 rounds of 15 of each exercises before introducing a new strength training routine. I love ones that work on multiple muscle groups at once, especially if they challenge my balance or work on my running form as well.

Here is the video if you’re wondering what some of these exercises are. I meant to do them in order of the sheet, but I forgot so feel free to reach out to me if you’re wondering what one specific exercise looks like. I didn’t show wall squats in the video, but figured most people know what those are/ I was limited in the space that I had to shoot the video too ; )

I’ve got some 1k (~.62 mi) repeats this morning on the treadmill & some strength as well (I’m doing my hard days hard- i.e. strength & challenging workouts, so I can take my easy days super easy). Wish me luck!

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How often do you change up your strength training routine?

What are some of your favorite strength exercises?!?

Favorite speed workout distance? —> 800s I think? Anything shorter feels really fast and anything longer just feels really long!