Running Reflections

Before I get into the meat of today's post, I thought I'd give you a little teaser for the boys' halloween costume.  They came in the mail yesterday and are ADORABLE!  I can't wait for the whole costume to come together.  I know, I know, it's only September, but I already can't wait for Halloween.  Maybe it's the fall atmosphere I'm craving more than the actual holiday, but either way, it's exciting!

Today's 7 mile run was not all I had hoped it would be, but just like with any run, now that it's over, I am glad I put my feet to the pavement this morning and learned some good lessons to keep in mind for the future.  I went out at a brisk pace and finished my first 4 miles in just over 32 minutes, but my momentum quickly started waning after that.  My last 3 slugglish miles gave me some time to first of all, get frustrated with myself and secondly, to recognize some good lessons in regards to my running to keep in mind for the future such as...

• Eat a good dinner the night before a long run if you want a strong run.  

• The homemade fro-yo and popcorn served up along side a beer were not the fuel I needed to carry out anything more than a mediocre run this morning.  I want more than mediocre runs.  I need to change my eating in order to improve that.  

• Don't forget your water bottle when it's 80+ degrees out.  
• I tend to only bring my water when I know my runs will take more than an hour but I need to make a habit of taking it with me on all runs.  Dehydration zaps my energy.

• Long runs aren't the time to focus on speed but rather on building mileage.

• I got really frustrated with not feeling like I could maintain an 8 minute mile like I had last Saturday on the treadmill but neglected to consider why it was easier to maintain that pace--no bridges and A/C.  My 7 mile run took 3 minutes longer than last Saturdays but it also included weather that felt like 87 degrees with high humidity and over and back two bridges.

• Remember how blessed you are just to be able to run, or stop and walk, or interval train, or whatever it is you do.  It is a blessing just to be able to get outside and move our bodies.  Some people do not have that option.  
• I'm especially blessed to live in Florida where my running paths can take me to rivers and even the ocean.  I get some gorgeous scenery for my runs.  This morning I got to enjoy the sunrise.

After these reflections, I'm feeling much better about mile 7 mile run that took just over an hour and the completion of week 2 of my half-marathon training plan.  There's still lots of time to work towards a PR and I need to remember just to enjoy myself along the way.  This sums my run up nicely...

Found at this fun site

In the end, I did finish what I set out to accomplish, a 7 mile run, and in that, I am happy.  Now it's time to keep on keeping on.  I still have 8 long weeks to train and I'm going to try hard to just enjoy the ride. This wasn't a bad way to start my weekend.

After cranking out my run, grabbing a shower, and chugging some coffee, it was time for breakfast.  I hit up Bagel Brothers for a delcious ham, egg white and cheese on a 7 grain bagel with lots of sriracha.  YUM!  I'm gonna miss that sandwich when I go vegan.  Good things it's going to cool off (hopefully!) soon and I will be in the mood for a steaming bowl of oatmeal.    

I came home to some very happy boys this morning.  They were drumming their little hearts out.  They love anything having to do with music.  On top of that, Oma is here to visit so they are getting extra love and attention.  

We also went to splash in the fountains for the first time but forgot the camera.  Woops!  The boys took a while to warm up to the spraying water but ending up having a blast.  Here's to hoping that all that running around wore them out and they'll take an extra long nap so they're good to go for a downtown stroll and some ice cream this afternoon.

Happy Saturday everyone!

Feeling the Burn

Today, I got in one last high-intensity weighlifting workout before my company gets here and I relax a bit and enjoy the weekend. I'm sure I'll get in a run or two this weekend, but there will be no heavy lifting on the docket as my body has earned a couple of days rest in that department. My last two workouts (inspired by workouts at pbfingers.com) looked like this:


Thursday's Upper Body Circuit:

• Bent-over Rows and Biceps Curls Superset-- 3 sets of 15 with heavy weight
• Push-Ups, Upright Rows and Side Shoulder Raises Superset -- 3 sets of 15 with heavy weight
• Chest Press and Front Shoulder Raises Superset -- 3 sets of 15 with moderate weight
• Skull-Crushers and Close-Grip Bench Press Superset -- 3 sets of 15 with moderate weight
• 5 minutes of various plank exercises
• 20 minutes on the elliptical at quick pace with a varying incline

Today's Lower Body Workout:

• Giant set using 15 lb dumbbells and 3 sets of 15 of the following exercises:
• Chair step-ups
• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Lunges
• Superset using a 35-lb kettlebell and 3 sets of 20 of the following exercises:
• Kettlebell swings
• Sumo squats
• Superset using body weight, a stability ball, and 3 sets of 15 of the following exercises:
• Hamstring ball curls
• Plank roll ups
• Stability ball planks
• Superset using body weight and 3 sets of 20 on an exercise mat:
• Side leg lifts
• Mountain climbers
• Plyometric circuit:
• 100 high knees
• 100 butt kicks
• 100 jumping jacks
• 100 jump ropes
• 100 heismans

I had an interesting conversation with a friend last night and we were discussing training approaches and injury risk. I have found that I do not get injured as long as I am training smart, which means listening to my body, giving myself rest days, not training the same body part 2 days in a row, keeping my mileage in check (I don't need to run 5+ miles every day, 2 or 3 easy miles once in a while is a GOOD thing), and I try not to compare myself to others. I'm only competing against myself and I see the biggest improvement when I train smart, which sometimes means more isn't always better. Sometimes the secret to getting stronger is getting some rest to come back rejuvenated to make some gains. Just some food for thought. Treat your body well--balance is KEY! Gotta throw some easy days into the mix. Happy Friday.