10 Tips for Long Runs

I am no doctor or running professional but I have certainly run a few miles and avoided injuries (so far!) so I thought I would share with you some of my favorite tips and tricks to get you through those long runs!

1.) HYDRATE - I cannot stress the importance of hydration before, during, and after your long run.  One of the most horrible races I've run to date is due to the fact that I didn't drink enough water the day before the race.  If you become dehydrated, your stomach will become extremely upset and often times, you'll have to stop running.  Instead, drink lots of fluids the day before your long run and keep drinking while you run, especially during the summer months.

2.) Buy Running Shoes Half Size Bigger - Visit a running specialty store and get properly fitted.  Not only will they size you but they will check your running gait.  It's important to buy a size up or so because when you run long distances, your feet swell and you'll need the extra room in your toebox.  Trust me, I personally know it's not pretty if you're shoes are too small after 16+ miles or so.

3.) Eat a Nourishing Breakfast/Dinner the Night Before a Long Run - Properly fuel your body with good carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables.  I love having a piece of toast with peanut butter the morning before a long run.  It's not too heavy in your stomach but gives you the nutrients your body will need.

4.) Bring Snacks/Fuel - Studies show you need to add 30-60 grams of carbs each hour you run longer than 75 minutes.  Heck, sometimes you're out there for hours training for a big race!  Start fueling within 30 minutes so you stay fueled properly.  Plus, it's great to test out your snacks and fuel before race day to see what works well for your body.  I personally hate the gels and blocks because my mouth gets too dry.  Beans work well for me and  I love munching on a few every 15-20 minutes to keep my body going.  Another trick, during race day, I usually rotate between Gatorade and water at the rest stops - too much Gatorade upsets my stomach.  A great tip I learned in my Road Runners Club was to pinch the cups on race day so the water doesn't get all over you.  This way you can keep running while you hydrate!

5.) Plan Route Ahead of Time - It's important to ENJOY the long runs.  Plan a route you'll enjoy and mix things up so you don't get bored.  Maybe drive to a local park and do an out-and-back (run out 8 miles, turn around and run 8 back home).  I personally likes these types of runs because in my head, "I have to get home" so there's no other way then to run home!  When I was training for a race, the weather was horrible so I had no option that week then to run my long run on the treadmill (aka: dreadmill!).  The entire 12 miles on the treadmill, I visualized my "out-and-back" route.  There was absolutely no other way I could have run 12 miles on the treadmill!  Another option is a Point-to-Point run.  Try to think of ways to use public transit.  Perhaps leave your house and run 16 miles straight to the city.  Grab a snack with friends and use public transit to get home.  Make it fun!

6.) Start Early and Under-Dress - Okay, I'm a morning person so it's easy for me to say just get up and GO!  But seriously, if you just get it over with, you don't have to deal with the excuses you'll come up with.  I can talk myself out of running every single day.  However, if you get up and move before your body even knows what you're doing...it'll be over before you know it!  Another plus, the temperatures are cooler in the morning during the summer months.  Another fun fact I learned from the Road Runners - your body temperature rises about 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature.  So if it's 70 beautiful, perfect degrees out, your body will feel like it's 90 degrees. So under-dress accordingly! ;-)

7.) Increase Mileage Slowly - Whether your running with a group or doing your own program, you should have a plan set in place to prepare for race day.  There are so many great free programs (my personal favorite is Hal Higdon) - take advantage of them!   Find/make a program that works for you and your schedule.  I'm not going to lie, training for long races takes TIME!  Your long runs should only increase a mile or at most 2 miles every week so keep this in mind when you start your training program.  It might sound silly to start training for an October race in February but your body needs that training time to avoid injury. It's important to do all your long runs (unless your sick!) in order to get your body ready for race day.  At the beginning of training, 16 miles may seem impossible.  But trust me, if you increase your mileage correctly, your body will be ready for those long miles.  It's pretty amazing!

8.) Ask Friends or Family to Join - Maybe sign up for a race with a friend and train together!  If this doesn't work, you can always ask your friends or family to join in all or a portion of your long runs.  My husband used to run with me but has never been a fan of the long distances.  One weekend I had to run 12 miles so I ran the first 6 miles and he joined me for the second 6 miles.  It was so great to have this to look forward to while running the first half.  Plus, if you have a friend to join, you can start chatting and not even realize how many miles you've already completed!

9.) Post-Run Stretch - Stretching is crucial to avoid running injuries.  Running is extremely hard on your body and I have family members that didn't take the time to stretch and have severely injured their bodies to the point of surgery.  Take 5-20 minutes to stretch your arms, neck, back, quads, hamstrings, calves, etc.  PLEASE!  Some runners even ice their muscles or take ice baths after running long miles.  Consult your doctor to see what type of stretches are best for you!

10.) Take an Active Rest Day after a Long Run - Last but not least, take an active rest day.  You deserve it!  I say active because you don't want to be sitting around - this makes your muscles even tighter.  If I'm at work the day after a race or long run, you can usually find me walking down the hall funny because my muscles are sore!  It helps to get up and walk around a bit the day after a long run.  Continue stretching and maybe even sign up for a yoga class to stretch those muscles.


I hope you find these tips and tricks helpful.  It's important to have fun, stay safe, and enjoy the miles!

Bar Method + 10 miler Training

I'm planning to run the 2014 Cherry Blossom 10 miler...my absolute favorite race of the year!  I'm so excited to incorporate Bar Method into my training program this year.  I ran the Turkey Chase on Thanksgiving morning and my legs felt the strongest they have ever felt during a race.  I owe this completely to Bar Method.  In fact, I wasn't even sore the next day.  Thank you, Bar Method! :) 

I have no idea how it happened, but I looked at my calendar and I realize I need to start my 10 miler training on MONDAY!  So here's my 10 week training plan -

I've always felt some training programs have too much running involved.  While some don't agree with this type of training, this is just a personal preference of mine.  I do best when I have rested, strong legs...not completely worn-out-by-race-day legs.  In fact, I once was a member of the local Road Runners Club and I LOVED it; the friendships made, the early morning hours (yes, HOURS) of running, and how everyone in the club loved running as much (or even more) than I did!  It was great! However, the actual half marathon race I ran at the end of the program was my worst race to date - I was drained, my legs were exhausted, and I just wanted it to be over.

So I took what I learned from the Road Runner's Club and made it work for me....and created this training program.  

Enjoy!

Nike Women's Half Marathon DC 2013

By far, the BEST race I have ever run to date!  The entire experience from the Expotique (yes, Expo + Boutique = Expotique!) to the finish line was so organized and enthusiastic.  Nike knows how to put on a race!

Let's get started with the training. I've been training with a friend and we met on our favorite trail once a week to keep each other motivated.  We lucked out with such great running weather most of the time.  This picture below was our hottest training runs - about 90 plus degrees but we felt strong!  Plus, we ran through Kenwood with such beautiful scenery, which helps make a miserable run....FUN!

Kenwood Forest, Bethesda

Now let's get to the Expotique...

The Expo was located on the Georgetown waterfront, which I thought would be difficult getting to without Metro but we found a great parking spot and had a blast!  Grabbed my bib and pace corral info and explored the Expo! 

They had a huge wall the runners could sign.  So of course I got down to business and signed, "We're running for Boston!".  It's true, every mile of that race I wanted to stop and give up.  But I thought to myself, "I'm running and refuse to stop because I so fortunate I am able to run!"

There was tons of great swag throughout the Expo - Paul Mitchell, Bare Essentials, Luna Bars...you name it!  Great music and volunteers cheering us on for a great race day.

So, Sunday at 7:00 AM was race day!

And we're off...

The Corrals were a little crowded but that is the one and only recommendation I would make for next year - to better space the corrals so the first few miles weren't so crowded.  

But seriously, look at these views...

Back of the pack | Photo courtesy of Ryan!

The course was fun - very similar to Cherry Blossom 10 miler (mile 3 - mile 10).  We ran through tunnels with loud bands and it just kept me smiling!  Nike did an amazing job lifting the runner's spirits throughout the course - music, signs, bands, motivational quotes...

And for what we've all been waiting for...

Our Tiffany&Co necklaces at the finish!  This is what I mean, Nike went above and beyond every chance they could.  They could have just laid out our Tiffany boxes...but no, they had men dressed in tuxes and black Nike's personally delivering our metal and congratulating us!

 

 

Okay, now for what we've really been running for...

I hope the Nike Women's series makes it back to DC for 2014.  I will definitely run DC all over again with them!  #letsturnitup #werundc

Cherry Blossom 2013

So it's that time of year again, my favorite race is upon us...it's the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler!

This year seemed extra special since the cherry blossoms were just about in full bloom for race day.  Usually they have already peaked and fallen off by race day.

I'm also training for the Nike Women's Half Marathon at the end of April and wouldn't you know...this 10 miler fit perfectly in my training plan!  My goal for this race was to run under a 10 minute mile.  So here we go...

Arriving with the crowds

Ryan came with me and decided to be my personal photographer!  Aren't I lucky :)

Before!

5 mile split: 50:05
10K split: 1:02:00
Net time: 1:38:59
Pace: 9:53

After, with medal in hand!

It was a great race - perfect running weather!  At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to leisurely run so I could take pictures of the beautiful blossoms and scenes.  But as I was keeping track of my time on RunKeeper and doing well, I decided to actually race and forget about the picture taking!

I started off wearing long sleeves and took off close to mile 2.  Luckily, I saw Ryan around mile 4 and was able to get rid of it just in time for Hains Point!  The wind really picked up going out on Hains Point but as soon as we turned around mile 7, the wind was at our backs and I was ready to pick it up for the finish.

As always, this race is one of my favorites and I cannot wait to run it again in 2014!

Run, Chest, & Abs Interval

The other morning, I came up with this great running plus chest & abs workout.  Recently, we bought a new treadmill and I love using it for my morning workout!  However, I'm not going to lie, I get a little bored just running on it for 30 minutes straight.  So, I'm starting to come up with new creative workouts on/off the treadmill. 

 

It took exactly 25 minutes to complete, which is perfect for a 5:30 am workout before work!

 

I usually do push-ups so I was surprised to see how sore I was after this workout.  Hope you enjoy and let me know how you like it!

HIIT Challenges

I loved Self Magazine's April 2012 Drop 10 workouts.  I searched all over their website and couldn't find the 10 week HIIT workouts.  Sure enough, since I love anything ToneItUP, I saved the 2012 magazine so now I have the workouts again!

 

Self Magagine's Drop 10 - 10 Week HIIT Challenege (April 2012)

Week 1

Calorie Sizzler: Spring for 8 seconds.  On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is the effort it takes to run water and 10 is the effort it takes to run a race, aim for 8.  Recover for 12 seconds at level 5.  Repeat for 15 minutes.  That's one workout down.

Inches Eraser:  Take care of business with this 27-minute quickie.  Sprint your patootie off at level 8 for 90 seconds.  Then back off for 3 minutes at level 4 while you contemplate your awesomeness.  Repeat 6 times total before cooling down.  Oh, yeah!

Downsizing Duet:  Around a track, on the elliptical, in the mall, wherever the heck you happen to be, move 2 miles at a level 6 (One calorie-crushing caveat: If your on a bike, which makes it less difficult to cover serious territory, triple the distince.)

Week 2

Belly Slimmer: Bust a move at level 10 for 8 seconds.  Sure, it's tough, but you know you can do anything for a mere 8 seconds!  Then rest up for 12 seconds at easy-peasy level 4 to catch your breath.  Repeat the intervals for 20 minutes

Sexy Sixer:  Your mission while you sweat for the next 24 minutes: Picture how foxy you'll look in a two-pieve.  Got the image?  Chase it!  Sprint for 60 seconds (level 9); slow down (level 4) for 3 minutes.  Repeat 6 times total.  Thank us later.

Double Play:  Last week, you knocked out a 2-miler.  This week, add a half-mile victory lap to your workout by stretching it to 2.5 miles.  Stay at level 6 the entire time to help you train your body to burn gluclose for energy, rather than store it as fat.

Week 3

Middle Whittler:  You know those rock-your-socks-off intervals you did in Workout 1 of Week 2?  Do 'em again, but add resistance (hit hills, carry small weights, up the incline), so your 8-second sprints are at level 10 and 12-second recoveries are at level 6.

Engine Revver:  On tap today: your longest sprints yet, but you don't have to push your limits.  Do 2 minutes at level 7; recover for 2 minutes at nice-and-easy level 4.  Repeat 6 times total.  You'll be done in less time than it takes you to watch an episode of 30 Rock. 

High-Fiver:  Do a one-woman 5K (3.1 miles).  Power-walk, jog, skip, Rollerblade, crawl, waltz, whatever.  Even though there won't be a crowd cheering you across the imaginary finish line, raise both hands over your head and feel victorious.

Week 4

Pound Pounder:  Do intervals for 20 minutes: 8 seconds at all-out level 10; 12 seconds at moderate level 6.  Side-shuffle, pedal backward or stand up in the saddle to mix up your catch-your-breath stretches.  Peace out, pudge!

Plateau Buster:  Do intervals for 40 minutes: 3 minutes at level 7; 2 minutes at level 4.  Repeat 8 times total.  Kick those intervals' butt!

Slow Slimmer: Cover 5 miles your way today.  That's it.  This will be a walk in the park compared with your last interval workout.  No, really, it could literally be a walk in the park.  Your only mandate: Put the fun in fitness.

Week 5

Fat Fryer: Do intervals for 10 minutes: 8 seconds at moderate level 7; 12 seconds at no-sweat level 4.  Then up your sprint to level 10 and your recovery to level 6 for 10 sweaty minutes.  Push your limits and you'll have none.

Flab Fighter: This is your last HIIT workout, so make it count.  Sprint for 2 minutes at level 8; recover for 2 minutes at level 5.  Repeat 10 times total.  Now show that tape measure who's boss.

Perfect 10: Do a 10K.  (That's 6.2 miles.)  Done your workouts to date?  You're so ready.  Keep a steady pace and as you finish, think about how far you've come.

PV Body

I wanted to try something new to motivate me to workout.  I don't know about you, but new clothes is definitely one way to do it!  Plus, I realized I am slacking on the cold weather running gear.  So, PV Body, here I come!

I'm not going to lie, it was difficult signing up because their website wasn't working correctly on Black Friday.  I reached out to customer service but didn't hear a response.  However, I was determined and tried again on Cyber Monday.  Again, I was having issues with the website, but after a few minutes...success!

Here is my first PV Body delivery.  I love it!

A cute tank by Nux - great fabric! And the pants are perfect for running in the cold.

After washing (hung to dry), I took these new babies out for a run.  I love the pants so much - they kept me perfectly warm (35 degrees outside) and I didn't have to tug at the waist to keep them up throughout the run.

And I must say, I am very "neutral" in every aspect of my life except workout clothes.  So, I've updated my style profile to include bold colors. 

I am loving my new monthly subscription to PV Body!  I can't wait to see what comes to my door next month!

UPDATE: PV Body (now Ellie) is horrible!  Sarah Fit explains everything perfectly here in her post.  After trying to talk myself into sticking with the company, I've decided it's best we go our separate ways!  No longer a PV Body (ellie.com) member! 

Run a Little More...

The past few weeks, I've been meeting up with my friend Annie for weekly runs down one of our favorite local trails.  She's training for the Marine Corps Marathon and although I can't run the long runs with her, I'm hoping to help her during her "short" runs throughout the week.  We started at 3 and 4 miles, we're now at 6 miles and next week we're running 7 miles.  She inspires me how she works full time, maintains awesome friendships, is married to a great guy, spends time with family and still fits in time for her longs runs!

 

But she got to asking, "what do you do when you're tired and you want to stop?"

 

 

I got to thinking and I fortunately LOVE running.  I think of it as a release from stress and all the worries in my world.  But let's be honest, sometimes running for 1+ hour(s) is the last thing I want to do.  But my trick is that I lace up and GO! 

 

One of my MCRRC coaches always said, "just get through the first 10 minutes".  And I find it to be so true.  Usually the first 10 minutes, my body aches, my joints hurt...I just hate it!  But after 10 minutes, I find my breathing, get into my groove and zone out. 

 

Try it!  Give yourself 10 minutes and usually you are so thankful you did it!

 

Morning Cardio Interval Run

Morning Sunshine!

This morning I was inspired to run on the local trail and do Sarah Fit's Favorite Cardio Interval Workout.  It was a great workout and I realized next time I could push myself a little harder or even run for longer than 25 minutes (plus a warm up and cool down). 

I used my RunKeeper App on my phone and it kept me right on target - 10 seconds fast, 20 seconds steady, 30 seconds slow (repeat 5 times).  Repeat those 5 rounds, 4 more times.  Confused?  Check out Sarah's "how to" here, she does a much better job explaining it and tells you step-by-step how to enter the rounds in RunKeeper. 

Later today, my best friend and her husband are coming from Delaware to stay for the night.  I'm excited since I haven't seen them in 3 months....which is pretty much unheard of since we grew up across the street from each other!  We're looking forward to their visit.  We're hoping to enjoy happy hour on our new deck and head to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner and live music.

Enjoy your weekend!

Cherry Blossom Race 2012

Washington DC's Cherry Blossom 10 miler is my favorite race all year!  It's so popular that there's a lottery system set up in order to race!  Last year, I missed out on the race because I didn't make the lottery.  This year, I didn't make it again but I was determined to run....I bid on someone's bib and make the transfer into my name!

 

I think the reason why I love this race so much is the course - It starts at the National Monument, crosses over Memorial Bridge, along Rock Creek Parkway, around Tidal Basin, around Hains Point, and make our way to the finish back at National Monument.

My trick for motivating myself to run races is treating myself right before the race with a new outfit for race day.  I feel like I deserve a little treat after endless weeks of training.  I don't know why, but this motivates me to get out of bed at 5:30 am to run these things!  New purchases below....

The race went well but this year the course felt long to me.  I don't know what it was about running around the Tidal Basin this year, but I was ready to finish!

Mile 1: Ran with a friend & her sister-in-law.  We spend most of the mile on the grass trying to pass people and find our pace.

Mile 2: Found my pace and was loving the spectators cheering us on

Mile 3: Starting digging for my energy Jelly Belly's (already??)

Mile 4: I found it interesting at this point that I was sweating, yet I could see my breath in the air (it was about 48 degrees out)...that's all I could really think about

Mile 5: The water stations kept switching from the right to left so I was keeping an eye out for the next stop.  I felt pretty thirsty throughout the race and stopped at every water stop, which probably hurt my time a little in the end

Mile 6: Pandora finally started playing good music, started to speed up this mile

Mile 7: Pandora started acting up so I was focusing on my phone and trying to get that good music back on for the final 2 miles

Mile 8 - 9: To be honest, at this point I just wanted the race to be over!  The course goes uphill for the last half mile or so.  I took off towards the start of the hill but about 0.25 miles from the finish, I slowed down a bit

Mile 10: Finally, I felt so glad this race was over!  Ok, where's the metro!?

I ended up with a pretty good time, 9:54 pace.  I was happy with that - I wanted to finish under 10:00 pace and that was accomplished!  Now, after the half marathon two weeks ago and this 10 miler...I think I am taking a running break for a bit!

The best part of races = food after! After the race, we went to a delicious brunch at Founding Farmers.  I love this place!  It's all natural and healthy ingredients from local farmers.  I have decided I need to start getting back to eating well since I am no longer training for races.  I enjoyed a delish Veggie Omlett with Spinach, side of fruit, and a biscuit with apple butter.  We'll definitely go back here in the near future!

St. Patty's Day Rock 'n Roll DC

Call me crazy, but what a great way to celebrate St. Patty's Day!  Woke up bright and early and ventured down to DC for the SunTrust Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon!

Was not sure how long it would take since you can never count on Metro when you need it most. But, arrived at RFK close to 7:30 and had plenty of time to walk around before the start.  By the way, if that start-line photo below doesn't motivate you, I don't know what will!

Start-Line at Rock 'n Roll

I was in Corral #13, so took off around 8:15.  This is one of my favorite races since it's the only race that is run entirely through the District.  Today was a perfect spring day - 60 to 70 degrees, nice and sunny.  During the 13.1 miles, runners pass the United States Supreme Court, Monuments along Constitution Avenue, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, the Reservoir, Howard University, H Street, and back to RFK.

....And results are IN!  Not as well as last year's (9:54 pace) but I'm still happy with the results.  I think the warmer weather definitely made me a little slower this year, but that's okay.  I am just fortunate that I'm able to run 13.1!

And of course, I had to come home to enjoy my St. Patty's Day Kale Smoothie!

Running is my Therapy!

The last few months have been the busiest months of my life - with school, work is unbelieveably exhausting, training for a half marathon, family, sticking to ToneItUp lifestyle, etc....I feel like I have been going non-stop from 5:30am - 10:00pm everyday!

However, I have realized I need running in my life - it's just something I cannot live without or I will not be a happy camper.  Last Saturday I spent 6 hours doing homework and I was exhausted; my mind did not have the energy to run.  However, my half marathon training plan said I had to run 8 miles.  How on earth am I going to do this? 

I thought about this quote above and realized that someone who is busier than I am is most likely squeezing in that workout.  So, I forced myself to the gym (it was raining!) and just got on that treadmill.  I  personally prefer out-and-back runs rather than point-to-point so I visualized I was running down my favorite local trail.  There was no way I could stop at 4 miles because in my mind, I had to get back "home" - I was only half-way!  I managed to complete the entire 8 miles and I felt surprisingly more energetic than when I got to the gym!  I was so proud of myself!

Even if you think your life is overwhelming busy, it's important you keep that thing you love going.  For me, it's working out and running!  By squeezing in my workout, even if it's just a 30 minute workout,  I know my mood completely changes and I am able to conquer those stressful things in life. 

Speed Training

Tonight I had my first speed work on the calendar for the Half Marathon training. It actually felt good to get a good sweat in tonight before dinner since it's absolutely freezing cold out tonight!

My calendar said 2x1600 @ 9:13 pace with 2x800 jog.  So here's my workout -

0.00 - 0.50 Warm Up (5.3 speed)
0.50 - 1.50 @ 9:13 pace (6.5 speed)
1.50 - 2.00 JOG (5.5 speed)
2.00 - 3.00 @ 9:13 pace
3.00 - 3.50 JOG
3.50 - 4.00 Cool Down

Training for Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon

I always enjoy celebrating the New Year since it's a fresh start, year after year.  Not only that, but on 1/1, I start my personal training for the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon!  I ran the National Half Marathon in March 2011 and it was my most favorite (and PR!) race run to date.  This year, the Rock 'n Roll series is sponsoring the race which makes it sounds even more fun!

Although I have tried a vigorous training program (Montgomery County Road Runners) for other half marathons, I have found I personally do best when I set my own training schedule.  I feel less pressure throughout the training program, I enjoy my long runs more, and I tend to get surprisingly better results on race day.

So, I came across the Runner's World Smart Coach and thought I would share!  They ask simple questions like: Last Race Run (time and distance), Weekly Distance Preference, Training Intensity, Long Run Day (yes, you set which day you prefer!), and the Race Date.  Then with a simple click of a button, my 12 week training program is configured!

Runner's World Smart Coach Training Schedule

 If I stick to this program, the goal is to run 13.1 miles at a 9:36 pace and finish at 2:05. 



Snapped this photo at the beginning of 2011 Race - such a pretty course all around Washington, DC!

In the past, if you have found programs like Hal Higdon helpful for your training, this Smart Coach seems very similar.  I'm looking forward to this new program - I'll let you know how it goes come RACE DAY!

New Year = New Goals

As 2011 is coming to an end, I've decided to think back on this year and everything I've accomplished!

Set new PR for Half Marathon - Ran the Suntrust National Half Marathon on March 26th and ran in 2:09:30 (9:53 minute mile).  I was quite proud since I've never run that course before and it was quite hilly through Adams Morgan in Washington, DC....basically uphill from mile 4 thru 8.  I'm all signed up for the 2012 race, which is now the Rock 'N Roll series - CANNOT WAIT!  This year, I'm hoping to use Runner's World's Smart Coach to help me train for an even faster race in 2012!

Became an overall faster runner - I've been running races since May 2008, all my races averaged about 11 - 12 minute miles.  However, in 2011, I started running 10K's under a 10 minute mile.  My new PR for 10K is now under 59 minutes (9:32 minute mile).  Wahoo, hoping to become even faster in 2012!

New Year, New Goals - Most of my time the last year has been devoted to school (getting MBA).  I've realized when I graduate in early June, I will have so much more free time on my hands.  I've considered training for a Triathlon or a full Marathon.  However, for 2012, I will focus on becoming a faster runner.  I'm hoping to run several 5K, 10K, and half marathon races this year and hope to set even better PR's this year!

For the first time in my entire life, I'm actually watching what I eat! - Thanks to the ToneItUp Team, for the first time in my entire life, I'm actually saying "no" to ice cream, desserts and carbs for dinner.  It's amazing how your body appreciates you when you feed it the proper fuel.  I have come a far way with my new lifestyle (not diet!) but I know that I can do even better in 2012.

Runner's World Run Streak

Runner's World Magazine created this fun event from Thanksgiving through New Years Day!  It's a hard time to stay motivated this time of year - lots of food, family fun, cold weather, daylight savings....the list goes on & on.  This is also the time of year when fall races are over and the spring training hasn't started, so it's a great way to stay in shape over the holidays.

Starting on Thanksgiving (Ryan's family and my family have started a tradition to run in the Turkey Chase 10K - we're on year 4 and going strong!) and continuing through New Year's Day, I will attempt to run at least 1 mile (hopefully more) every day.  I will be logging my mileage to stay motivated and also tagging #RWRunStreak on Twitter. 

Who else is up for the challenge? :) 

Friday Favorites - Running Edition

I personally prefer to run in the Spring and Fall months - before it gets too humid but you don't have to worry about layering up.  I usually try to complete one log run per week - usually 6 to 12 miles.  For my long runs, I have my "must haves" that come along with me!

Brooks Adrenaline Running Shoe

Runner's Hint: For those who run long distances, make SURE to buy your running shoes a half size larger than usual.  Your toes will thank you!

Under  Armor Draft Compression Capris

I prefer capri length pants most months of the year.  I tend to get too hot in full-length pants and shorts tend to ride up and make long runs uncomfortable.

Fuel Belt

For long runs, I always carry a fuel belt...winter, spring, summer, and fall!  It's so important to stay hydrated.  I've tried various belts and this one above is my favorite - it doesn't leak and it feels balanced while I run.  I love the pocket - perfect place for my key, cell phone, and sport beans (below).

Jelly Belly Sport Beans

I have tried gels, gums, goos.....however, these beans are my favorite.  They taste good and I find they really do give me the energy to get me through long runs. 

Reflective SpiBelt

I love this SpiBelt - I wear it around my waist and it provides more room to carry things and it is also reflective....great for long runs in the evening hours!



It's important to find out what works for you.  Make sure you try all these products before the big race day!