Training Tuesday: Sharing My Running STRENGTH Workout With You & Best Way To Start The Morning?

Happy Tuesday! We survived Monday after a long weekend! Yesterday & this week is probably our busiest day/ week of the year (working in a small business)- thank you to those customers that understand how busy we are. You really do make my job so much better. Also looking forward to when Friday is here…

First run back yesterday! Stella & I did an easy three miles and I kept the pace easy (9:47). Luckily the core trail was mainly clear from ice, so we didn’t have to worry about slipping! Also it was COLD- 28* at 3:30 in the afternoon?! Brrrr. Felt so good to be back out there. Running certainly is a great workout for our bodies, but also a really great break for our minds as well.

Kicked off this morning in the best way ever- jasyoga! Along with a side of coffee, ofcourse.

Also- he fits so well….Brady loves water so much that I think he may just permanently implant himself in a sink and wait for us to turn the water on ; )

Here’s my FULL strength routine that I’ve been incorporating the past few weeks. I always change my strength exercises every 6-8 weeks to get stronger and not burn-out. Also don’t mind the Maple distraction a few minutes in ; ) I normally do 3 rounds of 10-15 sets.

• Lunges with weighted rotation (I normally use a 10 Ib medicine ball at the gym, but use an 8 Ib weight at home)

• 5-star one legged balance - I LOVE this one for keeping my knees strong. It definitely helped get me in-shape for ski season!

• Bridges

• Push-pull ab workout (this is one that I recently got when I did a PT consultation. My hip is slightly imbalanced, so she gave me this one to help balance me out)

• Bicycle holds with the blue ball (took this one from Pilates. I hold each rotation for 5 seconds and the ball goes under my bra strap area on the floor)

• Plank- finally held mine for 4 minutes last night!!

• Rotation with ab-engagement (medicine ball/ weight) and arm lifts

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Does your cat love the sink as well?!

Strength moves- give me YOUR favorites?

Running- mental or physical benefits for you (or both)?

Training Tuesday: Lake Powell Half Marathon Recap & 3 Easy Tips For Getting Faster On Your Runs!

Happy Tuesday! My Monday went by so quickly and I have a feeling that it’s going to continue to go faster until Vegas in 20 DAYS?!? How is it even possible that we’re less than 3 weeks until the race and only 2.1 weeks from when I leave?! I LOVE running the Rock ‘n Roll Vegas race - the energy is contagious, the weather has always been spectacular, and there’s just nothing else like it. After my race on Saturday, I’m feeling even more confident going into this race to achieve my goals. I’ve got my second-to-last speedwork session this morning and am so thankful that it’s finally warmer here (compared to last week’s single-digit weather)- 30* feels like a heat wave!

You can check out my race recap for the Lake Powell Half Marathon HERE.

I also wanted to share with you 3 tips that have helped me get faster over the past year or so. These are simple things that I had never really thought about before when I was running (more just for fun/ less than achieving any sort of time goal). I’d also love to hear if YOU have some easy tips that have helped you get faster. Make sure to share them in the comments below!

1. VARY your training paces. I.E. don’t just run the same paces everyday. Have a day where you run EASY (either keeping heartrate low/ being able to recite the Brady Bunch etc.) and then have one or two days a week where you vary/ play with your speed (whether that’s in tempo runs / speedwork/ surges at the end of an easy run, just try to get faster for a bit and then slow it back down!)

2. Join a running group/ class/ find a running buddy/ get a coach! I started doing the Running classes at Steamboat Pilates and immediately learned that there was something called speedwork?!? Ha. I had literally NEVER heard of this for us amateur runners out there and got so much faster by incorporating this once a week (it helped me break that sub 2 hour half marathon barrier)!

3. Try out different training plans to find the one that works for YOU. I tried out Hal Higdon’s for Revel Rockies Marathon one year, Jeff Galloway’s for Disney, and Hanson’s Marathon Method for Vegas last year - it took me awhile to find what worked best FOR ME. Everyone’s different and remembering that maybe getting a coach might be the best option for you instead of following a typical ‘run of the mill’ training plan

Tips for getting faster?!?

Favorite training plan you’ve ever followed?

Training Tuesday: Tips For Prepping For Your Week In One Hour

Happy Tuesday! I’ve got some easy miles on tap this morning (recovering from my speedwork yesterday) and I can’t believe how chilly it is now out there! Anyone feeling the cold or is it still pretty warm where you are? What do you consider being “chilly”? I think it’s under/around 32* for me (hat/ mitten weather).

I wanted to share with you some tips that I have to help you prepare for the week ahead when you’re BUSY!

The biggest thing that I have found that works for me is setting my clothes out for the entire week on Sunday. I know we can’t predict the weather, but working in a climate-controlled office environment REALLY HELPS!

Another thing that I almost always do is MEAL PREP. Normally I spend an hour or so on Sundays prepping my lunches (that I planned out on Fridays before we shop)/ breakfasts/ snacks. It depends on how much time I have, so sometimes I just pop Mondays meals in containers or if I have extra time, I pop each breakfast/ lunch/ snacks in individual bags/ containers so they’re easy to grab. I also prep more if I know that it’s going to be a really busy week. Saves so much time.

Setting the coffee maker the night before to go off when I wake up. One thing that’s REALLY helped me get on a schedule with meditating —> I meditate (once I’m dressed for my morning run) while the coffee is brewing. It’s normally a down-time for me and perfect to sit for a few minutes to ground myself for the day ahead : )

Charge everything that I’ll need for my run. Headphones/ headlamps are charging on Sundays and ready for my Monday morning run.

Set a bedtime and stick to it. By 8:30pm I always head upstairs and unwind/ read before sleeping. Once in a great while, we stay up until 8:45/9 (normally Friday/ Saturday nights). This really helps keep me on track for a good week ahead.

What things do you do to help you prep for the week ahead?

Meal prepping/ setting clothes out - yay or nay?

What’s one exciting thing you’re looking forward to this week?? —> Road trip to Lake Powell on Friday and four day work week!

Training Tuesday: How I've finally Kicked My Plantar Fasciitis Flare & I Need A New BOOK

Happy Tuesday! What do you have on the schedule today?! I’ve got some speedwork to get done this morning with some 2 x 2 mi repeats at 10k pace & 2 x 1/2 mi repeats at 5k pace (with some recovery jogs in between)! Also if you haven’t yet read Janae’s (Hungry Runner Girl’s) blog post about finally reaching her sub 3 hour marathon at St. George last week, drop whatever it is you’re doing and go read it right now. I love what she says about not wanting to change her story to finally get that goal and that each setback made it that much sweeter.

It really inspired me and I’m READY to chase down my big Boston goals. I finally signed up for my next marathon today —> Eugene Marathon 2019! I have always wanted to visit the Pacific Northwest and Eugene has been on my list for a while. It’s scary (and exciting) to think about the steps that it will take to get me to my sub 3:30 marathon to BQ, but I’m ready for the challenge and this marathon WILL BE IT. I’m using the Las Vegas half next month as a building block to get more speed in my legs and I’m EXCITED. I haven’t followed a training plan for a goal half marathon since my first half way back in 2011. While training for Eugene won’t officially start until late December/ early January —> each training cycle builds on top of each other and I can start doing the little things now to help get me there (i.e. more strength work, getting faster at the shorter stuff, dialing in my nutrition, adding in more HILLS).

I also wanted to share with you the #1 thing that I’m convinced finally helped me with my Plantar Fasciitis flare that I’ve dealt with since June. I started doing this yoga sequence from JasYoga.

The biggest stretches that I’ve found really help? The sequence that she does from toe pose —> rocking calfs in a modified frog pose —> full frog pose. This helps warm up my calfs/ stretch them out after I run and if I stay on-top of it, I don’t have any PF pain! I’ve also tried things like sleeping in a splint at night (yeah that works, but it’s really bulky to sleep in), icing, heat, superfeet insoles, etc. This stretch is the #1 thing that has helped me SO MUCH.

Ever dealt with PF? What’s helped you with it?

What goals are you currently chasing?

Eugene Marathon - anyone ever done it?! ANY TIPS FOR ME?!?

I need some new book recommendaitons?!? What should I read next?

Training Tuesday: 5 Things I'm Doing DIFFERENTLY This Training Cycle

We made it through Monday! I’m just so excited it’s Fall that Monday didn’t even seem too bad for me (anyone else feel this way?!?). I’ve got some easy miles on the schedule this morning and teaching learn to skate classes later this afternoon. Tuesdays & Thursdays are always busy days for me and I typically work 9ish hour days! It’s funny how you just seem to adjust your mileage and running and training around working more hours vs not doing the workout (anyone feel like this?). If I have 6 miles on the schedule, then I’m definitely going to get in 6 miles whether I’m waking up earlier, showering in 5 minutes, or fitting it in between teaching lessons later in the afternoon.

Less than 48 days until my goal half marathon and I am excited! I’m shooting for that sub 1:42 and daydream about it during my runs almost every morning. I’m visualizing that time clock as I come across the finish line and doing everything in my power to make sure that I get it! That means I’m doing a few things differently/ more intensely this time around (don’t you love how each training cycle you learn something new?!):

• Adding in more trail runs on either my easy days or long run days. Getting in some serious booty strength on those elevation gains and changing up the scenery! I may go slower, but on those days the goal is to either get in the mileage and/or keep my heart rate slower. Trail running is perfect for both of those! Plus it’s a beautiful time of year to do it too!

• Swimming one time each week! I have LOVED adding in my weekly swims. It recharges me both physically and mentally. My body feels so much better after swimming post easy run and there’s just something so soothing about the water too!

• Refueling faster after a run AND getting in better nutrition post long run. There’s almost nothing I love more than a cold raspberry lemonade after a long run, BUT it isn’t necessarily giving my body a whole lotta nutrients. I’m trying to be more cognizant of what my body is craving and also how I can make those cravings rebuild my body (rather than not really contributing to it very much)

• Taking my easy days EASY. I’ve always been pretty good at keeping myself honest during my easy days, but I still think that some days I go too fast. I’m focusing on my breathing more versus what my pace is. That will help adapt my body and get it to be stronger for my big race goals come Spring 2019 (<—— where I’m getting that BQ!)

• Stretching before and AFTER my runs. I would normally stretch either before or after my runs, but never normally both. I’m trying to focus more on warming my muscles up and then helping them relax after I finish running. It’s really hard to add this one in for me, but it’s SO IMPORTANT (and I think it’s a BIG REASON why I’ve finally been able to kick my plantar faciitis flare that’s been bothering me since June!)

What are some things you know you should be doing during your training that you have a really hard time actually DOING? —> stretching pre/post run, refueling properly, slowing down on those easy days