Marathon Monday: Training Week #18

ONE WEEK TO GO.


I wasn't nervous until I just wrote that. As I mentioned in my post on Friday, last week was a very off week. The only run we actually did was a 6.5 miler on Saturday (which, by the way, was beautiful and warm...I had to take off the black long sleeved shirt that I wore). This week is a whole new story, I plan to be very intentional about my training and eating and drinking and just really get ready for the race on Sunday.

Running schedule is shifting around a bit this week because of a work trip to Denver tomorrow and Wednesday, but it's all easy fun runs and [god willing] wonderful weather.

Here's the schedule:

I'm hoping for as much lunchtime/airport yoga as humanly possible as well. Today, I was lucky enough to get outside and enjoy the weather and practice a few huge hip opening poses... 

Pigeon pose

and frog pose

and now, it's back to work so I can go home and enjoy a nice easy run and grilled black bean burgers for dinner. Good luck to everyone who's running the race this weekend! I'll see ya out there!

Peace, Love & Beautiful Weather,

Cleveland 10 Miler Race Recap + Training Week #16

With the finish of the Cleveland Ten Miler, we officially have 3 weeks to go until marathon day!

I was really thrilled with the 10-mile race on Saturday. I didn't PR, but we definitely enjoyed the flat, easy course and happily took the opportunity to get a little change of scenery and run with others. I love how running affords me the chance to explore new neighborhoods that I probably wouldn't have gotten the chance to explore otherwise.

The theme of the race for Brandon and I was: you know you have to do laundry when you run a 10 mile race in argyle socks (for the record, that was Brandon...not me :)) Whoops! Having a new puppy in the house and training for a marathon left us precious little time to do any laundry in the past few weeks. 

Our plan for this race was to extend our run/walk training from 4 minutes of running, 1 minute of walking to 2 miles of running, 1 minute of walking. We haven't really decided how we're going to do it for the marathon, but for this 10 miler, we ran in between water stopped and took a walk break while we were enjoying a bit of hydration. Unfortunately, right around mile 6, I got a side cramp that made it difficult to breathe and run at the same time (normally, an essential part of running). So the walk break at mile 6 was a must! Then, the cramp came back to haunt me just after our mile 8 walk break and I had to walk for several minutes to let the feeling pass. I hate side cramps. There is never a comfortable way to run though them...I always have to stop an walk! Regardless, we finished strong...only two minutes slower than my last ten mile finish! I'll take that. It was a (thankfully) dry and warm race. So I couldn't have asked for anything better. Plus, I pooped twice before leaving that house that morning, so I wasn't in any danger of any mid-race tummy rumblings. I was also pleasantly surprised to see my name on my race bib! There is nothing better than spectators calling you out by name, it's so motivating for me!

Our finishing time was 1:36:49, which is about a 9:46/mile.

We pretty much didn't do any running besides that race last week. Monday was an easy 3-mile day and then between traveling to Virgina, bad weather (er, I should say Cleveland weather) and Brandon not feeling at the top of his game...taking a VERY easy week was definitely in the cards. This week is the last week of big runs for us, so we're gonna nail them, along with some much needed yoga, and then ease into our two week taper! 

This week I really want to focus on bringing cross training back into the mix. Yoga is at the top of my list and getting out on the bikes are up there too, if the weather becomes a bit drier.

I just read something on Twitter that I'd like to try - do 100 push-ups every day this week by doing 10 pushups every hour for 10 hours in a row. Think I can do that? I do!

Who else ran the Cleveland Ten Miler and how did everyone do? 


Peace, Love & Bagels,

Marathon Monday: Training Week #14

Training week 13 recap:

Monday - crosstrain. It was too rainy to get out and run so we had a challenging yoga practice instead. We followed one of the doyogawithme.com classes, Connection to Core. Like I said, it was a challenging practice and I am still a tiny bit sore from it. I really like the classes on that website though, they are more like going to a yoga class at a studio than watching a video. I've been using they're classes at lunch fairly often.

Tuesday - speedwork, total of 6 miles with 3 x 1 mile repeats at 8:39 and 1/2 mile jogs in between. I also had an easy yoga practice at lunch because I have been really tight, but this run was a challenge for Brandon and I. We rocked our speedwork a few weeks ago, but this time we knocked about 5 seconds per mile off the pace...and we could totally feel it! We also started the run doing the first mile in our VFFs. I am pretty sensitive to cold weather (even if it's only marginally cold) because I have terrible circulations to my fingers and toes! So my toes were SO COLD because the Vibrams keep them separate and they can't warm each other! I think they'll be better to use when the weather is a bit warmer outside!

Wednesday - rain. Haha, kidding. We were going to do our 4-miler today, but it was yucky out and Brandon was still at the recording studio, so I practice yoga instead. A class full of twists was just what I needed to wring out the toxic office goo that I accumulate throughout the day. I also threw in a few cards worth of Hit The Deck to warmup. For the record...I hate burpees. So I usually turn them into mountain climbers or something that doesn't make me wanna vomit at just the thought.

Thursday - 3 mi easy. Turned out to be a 3 miler completely in our Vibrams. We considered putting it off until Friday but that goodness we didn't because it was more rain all morning.

Friday - rest. Cav's game!

Saturday - 18 miles. This run kicked my ass. I wasn't in it mentally just about the entire time. I felt like I dressed too warm and had to shed some layers in the beginning only to put them on again halfway up MLK. There were several long stretches where I just had to walk because I simply couldn't get one foot in front of the next. I was mentally and physically in a bad place...my body was just breaking down. Low on self esteem, high on self doubt. I think the only way I got through this run was because Brandon was right there, encouraging me and sending positive vibes my way. This was the fourth week of long runs in a row and I think my body was showing that.

Check out the map of our run

and the elevation...no wonder I died towards the end!

Sunday - rest, rest and more rest.


Now we have only four more weeks to go! This week is a low mileage, no long run week! Phew. We have a wedding to go to on Saturday so we're only going to do 7 miles for our long run and I think our bodies are going to thank us for that. The schedule looks like this (the dates are incorrect, because I shuffled weeks around to accommodate the wedding this weekend):

I'm really looking forward to an easy week AND spending lots of time with our new puppy!!! (New pup post coming soon!)

Peace, Love & Bagels,

Marathon Monday: Training Week #13

This was a "take it easy" week for us - well, okay, minus the 16 mile run on Saturday. We decided to completely forgo our tempo run on Thursday so we could just REST, which turned out to be an excellent idea. We rested on Friday as well, since it was a Cleveland holiday that day and obviously had to attend the Tribe home opener!

It basically amount to us running an easy 4 miler on Tuesday and our long 16 miler on Saturday.

16 miles. Phew. I haven't done that in two years! It was Brandon's longest run to date. I'm not going to say it wasn't tough. I think at some points it was tougher mentally than it was physically even. We tried something new also, instead of running 4 minutes on, 1 minute off (walking) the whole way, we started running the first three miles 1 mile on, 1 minute off. Then we switched to 4 on, 1 off for a mile. Then did another 3 miles in a 1 mile on, 1 minute off pattern. We switched back and forth between those two patterns the entire way, pretty much. I think that's probably how we'd like to run the actual race; 1 mile on, 1 minute off. It's a good way to keep myself from starting off too big and too fast and then dying at the end...which is exactly what I did in my last marathon. I'm not trying to PR, I'm not trying to break a certain time, I'm just running to run and to finish. Finishing with a smile on my face is my goal...and hopefully Brandon will too!!

This week's schedule is looking like this:

If the weather holds out, we'll be running our 4 miler today (mind you, it's 70 degrees and stormy!) but the best part of that is that we get to try out our new Vibram Five Fingers!

photo credit: http://www.buzzillions.com/reviews/women-vibram-bikila-reviews

In honor of spring, and Brandon's 28th birthday, we got ourselves [matching] Bikilas. So hopefully by this afternoon the rain and lightning and thunder will have let up a little so we can spend a mile or so in these beauties during our nice easy run! I am SO looking forward to bringing these into my shoe rotation!

...which is currently at five different pairs of shoes. Ha!

I'm interested to know...Do you wear vibrams (or no shoes) running? What do you think about barefoot running?


Happy Stormy Monday,

Marathon Monday: Training Week #12

Have you entered my Happy Herbivore Cookbook giveaway yet??? You can enter until Wednesday!

Last week was a wonderful week in running but a not-so wonderful week in cross-training.

photo credit: http://www.emotion-potions.com

Let's start by talking about yoga. I've been trying to practice everyday on my lunch break, but my office is less than yoga-friendly. For a while I was practicing in the document room - which is just a room where we keep all our old paperwork, since the room is fireproof. It's the only place that is semi-private and has the room to move a bit. It's apparently not private enough because I got walked in on mid-uttanasana (forward fold) which was WAY AWKWARD! So the next day, I moved into our shower room, which is approximately 6" long by 3" wide. Good thing I'm not very tall (a towering 5"0' thank you very much!). The shower room worked out okay and I can just lock myself in and be alone with the hum of the machines in the prototype shop right outside the door. Finally, I figure no one will be around Friday afternoon, so I can practice in the document room again, without being bothered...

So I bring all of my things into the room, lock the door, then decide I want to go get my water bottle. When I return with aforementioned bottle, I find myself locked out...and my yoga mat, clothes and computer locked IN.

So much for that. 


I have a new hope for yoga this week and lots of new videos to try (I am currently having "yoga block" when I make up my own practice...I need some new ideas). That is going to start today with some yoga cross-training via doyogawithme.com (got that idea from Maria - thanks!!)

Last week, we successfully ran our first 14-miler of the season (and Brandon's longest run EVER). The highly of my running last week was our tempo run. Our "smart coach" called for a 6 mile run, with a mile warm-up, for miles at a 9:21 pace, followed by a mile cool-down.

I was worried about the pace, to be perfectly honest. But, once we got out there I had to keep asking Brandon if he felt like we were running slow. I was actually comfortable running at a 9:21 pace! WHAT?!?! We ended up running the middle four miles faster than that, because it just felt right. I think we both felt really strong at the end of that run!

This week in running...

Hopefully we'll get out for a bike ride one of these days and then FRIDAY IS THE TRIBE HOME OPENER!!! It's only the best day of the year!


Spring, my friends, has finally sprung!

Peace, Love & Bagels,

Marathon Training Re-remixed

First of all, there was a 7 foot surge that hit Maui this morning because of the earthquake in Japan. My mom had to evacuate her house, but she's alright. She said the roads were flooded and closed but everyone is okay. My dad didn't have to evacuate because they are above the tsunami evac zone, but they were "housing some evacuees" (direct quote from my stepmom). Thank god that all is well with my family but my thoughts and prayers are still with anyone else who had any flood damage!

Now, lets talk training. Brandon and I decided to change the rules in the middle of the game and start a new training plan.

New training plan, new philosophy. I like.

I got the new plan from the runnersworld.com Smart Coach (you might need to register with the website to use it) but what I like about it is one less day of running, one more day of crosstraining. Also, the fact that it's a slower increase in long run mileage than my original plan.

My shins were starting to hurt again a couple of weeks ago, and I cannot end up with another stress fracture. So, one less day of running and a slower mileage increase is definitely going to help that. I am listening to my body, taking the time off that I need to and adjusting my training when I need myself to!

With a few exceptions because of races we already have planned, the new schedule will look something like this:

Our running has been all over the place this week. In part because of being very very tired from last weekend's debauchery, but also because we are doing all kinds of new things for the next 40 days. Oh yes, and the weather of course. 

We decided not to do our runs until last night because we were so tired. We were supposed to run on Tuesday, which was sunny and 50 degrees. Instead, we ran yesterday. We did our tempo run in the middle of the Cleveland rain/snow hybrid. Yick. But it was a good run, and tonight we're planning to try to run in the 8 inches of snow that is currently on the ground. Then, tomorrow is the St. Malachi 5 miler! Super excited for our first race of the season! Our running schedule this week looks like this:

Monday - rest

Tuesday - 30 minute yoga practice (sidebends are awesome!!)

Wednesday - 30 minute morning yoga practice, afternoon push-ups/sit-ups/squats

Thursday - 6 mile tempo run, including at least 4 miles at a 9:26 pace

Friday - 5 miles easy, or yoga...depending on the conditions outside

Saturday - St. Malachi 5-miler in downtown CLE

Sunday - mayyyybe a nice long yoga practice, depending on how we feel

So, next week we'll get back in the groove after today's snow day and a nice weekend at home! How is your training going? 

Peace, Love & Bagels,

Marathon Monday: Training Week #9

This week marks the [drumroll please...] halfway point of our marathon training!

Last week went something like this:

Monday - 48 minute, run 4/walk 2. Fairly easy run, south on Belvoir and back home. Brandon and I had a good run talk, which I think distracted me from over focusing on the fact that it was our first run back after a weekend-long break. I love having a running buddy!

Tuesday - 7 mile run. We did this 4 on, 1 off and discovered some new neighborhoods while we were at it. That was the best part! I mapped a run on mapmyrun.com so we could get away from our regular loops around the house. It was definitely a good move - broke up the monotony.

Wednesday - 6x800. This was supposed to be our Thursday run, but since we're doing our long run on Friday this week, we decided it's better to have a day in between hard 800's and the long slow run. I felt really good with these splits! We walked in between instead of jogging, but that's what both of us needed. My body was like "ok, I'll run these 800's hard, but you better give me more rest in between". At our slowest, we ran a 4:07 (for the 800) and at our fastest, we ran a 3:50. Stronger everyday!

Thursday - rest! Although, I might do some of my pushups, situps and squats. I decided to spread the workout out over the whole week instead of trying to get 5 sets in, three days a week. That might sound silly, but I am still doing the same amount of strength training in one week, just not concentrating it into three days.

Friday - 13 miles. I mapped a course similar to our 7 miler on Tuesday and it ended up being a pretty nice run. It wasn't too cold, until the wind blew of course. Yay for 13 miles, three days off and HOBOKEN ST. PATTY'S DAY!

Saturday - Sunday - REST (plus, green food and green beer!)

Our training last week essentially looked something like this (I love the garmin website, because it gives weekly mileage)

Next week will look something like this:

except, Monday is a rest day due to a seminar at Great Lakes Brewing Co. on keeping backyard livestock and the 7-hour, turned 10-hour drive back from NJ we had yesterday. There was a freak snowstorm in PA that absolutely covered the roads and had us moving at 30 mph (at the fastest!) Needless to say, we need a day off before getting back into it.

How did you spend your weekend??


Peace, Love & Bagels,

Marathon Monday: Training Week #8

So long, warm weather. Last week we had to do a little mixing and matching of our run days:

Monday - 48 minute run turned rest day. Problem #1: I broke one of my Yaktrax. Problem #2: snowing/icing all day made the road/sidewalk conditions unsafe. Problem #3: I hate treadmills. So we decided to do this run some other time during the week.

Tuesday - 7 mi pace. This was an awesome run, paired with a few sets of push-ups, sit-ups and squats. Our longest tempo run yet! We warmed up for a mile and ran the next 6 miles at about a 9:30 pace. It was so cold, but I felt strong. These tempo runs are becoming one of my favorites, because they are very telling of how strong we are getting. About a third of the way through our training, I am feeling very confident, especially after tempo runs.

Wednesday - 48 minutes run 4, walk 2. Lunchtime run, in the sun! I don't necessarily like running at lunch from work, because that either means running laps around the parking lot (boring and more importantly weird - my colleagues already think I'm nuts) or running for about half a mile down Route 18. The speed limit is only 50 mph, but cars frequently drive 65 or 70 because it's a big long stretch of road. I chose running on 18, it turned out fine.

Thursday - 48 minutes run 4, walk 2. Again, running at lunch along route 18. The run actually felt a little better than yesterday, but I'm starting to become a bit concerned about my left calf/shin. My calf is ALWAYS very sore when I run, which has been the case sine our trip home to Maui. My shin has always been a problem child for me, but I'm trying not to end up with another stress fracture.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday - yoga and rest. We decided to take this weekend off because my shin has been hurting a bit. I want to nip this before it becomes a bigger issue. No stress fractures this time around!! Resting now is the best way for me to just listen to my body, and let myself heal before a shin splint turns into a stress fracture.

Here's what is coming up this week:

We will be doing our long run on Friday instead of Saturday, because we're taking a trip to Hoboken, NJ for the weekend. Parade Day is Hoboken's day to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and not compete with the New York City St. Patty's Day parade. It's basically the happiest day of the year; lots of green bagels, green beer and Gio's pizza! It's also become a quasi-reunion for my friends from college...and I'm thoroughly looking forward to it. Even if that means running 13 miles and then driving 7.5 hours to Jersey.

Peace, Love & Bagels,

Marathon Monday: Training Week #7

So last week, our runs went a little like this:

Monday - run/walk for 30 minutes. I did this one at lunch and it was kind of a nice change of pace, running in the daylight instead of dusk/darkness. I felt really great about it all (well, except the half mile long stretch of Route 18 that I have to run to get anywhere). It was a little colder and definitely windier than I anticipated, as I (regrettably, I might add) wore my thin spandex. Plus, it's always fun coming back from a run in spandex to work...I can't wait until the summer so I can wear real clothes that I don't look ridiculous in.

Tuesday - 6mi pace. This is our bi-weekly tempo run, and we KILLED it again. I can't begin to tell you how great this makes me feel, because I can tell I'm getting stronger. We averaged about a 9:30 pace for our 5 tempo miles! That pace used to be very difficult for me to hold. I attribute it 100% to having a running partner to keep me motivated. If I was running alone, it's highly likely I would slow down if I got uncomfortable. Now, I have Brandon to look to. If I get uncomfortable and I see that he is still going strong, I just dig a little deeper and keep it up. That is making all the difference this time around. Thanks, Brandon!

Wednesday - rest!


Thursday - 5x 800. Wow! I am so amazed at how strong we've gotten. We ran all of these half mile repeats consistently at about an 8:00 minute/mile pace. Last time we ran 800's (three weeks ago) we did four at about the same pace, but by the fourth one I felt like I couldn't possibly do another. This time we slowed it down at the start a tiny bit, and ran all five very strong repeats. I was dreading the run all day, but it's much less intimidating now that I am feeling real changes in my running strength. Oh and guess what? It was 60 degrees out!

Friday - yoga. Brandon and I generally practice at home for our cross-training day (speaking of cross training, I started doing my sit-ups on an exercise ball, which seems to be MUCH more effective than on the ground - so if you're following the twohundredsitups plan, try making that change if you hate sit-ups like I do!)

Saturday - 11 miles. Ok, so this run turned into a 9.2 mile run because my Garmin froze on me 10 minutes in, so we had no clue about the time or mileage...and we got lost. It was the best time though! An absolute Cleveland adventure, and even though we didn't do all 11 miles, I feel really good about it! We got to see the city of Cleveland from a whole new perspective, and we spent the last half of our run trying to figure out where the heck we were. I'd like to do more runs, sans watch.


Sunday - rest!


Here is what Week #7 is going to look like:

So, despite the fact that there is another half inch of ice on the ground and it took me two hours to get to work this morning, hopefully we can have another strong week. I need go to Dick's straight after work and invest in a new pair of Yaktrax so I can actually run tonight. 

Oh Monday. 

Peace, Love & Bagels, 

Marathon Monday: Training Week #6

This week's running schedule!

Last week was a strange week. Let's start with, the temperature was below zero for 3 out of the seven days. Instead of a nice easy 6 miler on Tuesday, we got out, ran for 3, then I decided I was just too uncomfortable to finish. Thursday was, again just too damn cold...so we decided to practice yoga INSIDE instead of doing our 800s. Training is supposed to be fun, not torture. I'm still going to be able to run a marathon in May regardless of whether I skipped a few training runs here or there.

Besides, every now and then you need an easy week.

Friday and Saturday were both pretty easy runs. We just did a 10k on Saturday and it was the first time we ran in the sun since we were on Maui. I overdressed because it was supposed to be cold and WINDY. Windy, it was, but the sun is stronger than the wind (I believe there is an Aesop's Fable about that) and I had to take off my sweats within 5 minutes of beginning.

This week, we're only going to do five 800s, instead of seven, since that is what we were supposed to do last week and we skipped it. Plus, I haven't updated my training schedule but it's really only supposed to be six this week anyway. I'm looking forward to a tougher week, mostly because the weather is going to warm up. So maybe, just maybe I won't have to spend 20 minutes getting ready to run!

Some things I want to keep an eye on this week:

• My left shin, it's been nagging a bit on the last few runs. At the very least, I need to do a few toe taps before heading out the door to warm up those muscles a bit. 
• Brandon's right foot, which has been hurting him again. Two of his metatarsal bones (2nd and 3rd ray I think) sit very close together and rub against each other. Painful.

Today, I'll be venturing outside for my run at lunch. I'm excited to have the afternoon off because of running earlier in the day - that's what I love so much about running in the morning. When it is lighter and warmer earlier (like maybe in April or May) we might begin to do a few of our runs before work instead of afterwards. 

I can tell I'm getting stronger. The most telling thing is the number of push ups I can do in a row. I think I'm up to about 23 right now, which is awesome!! That's 11 more than I could do two weeks ago! I'll try to get some in before or after my run today, but I always feel so ridiculous working out in my office. We really need a dedicated workout room!

This week, I also want to pay close attention to how I'm fueling my body. We have several tough runs coming up, so gorging on sugary snacks and pizza is probably not my best choice (guilty, there were a lot of those things last week!) Although, I'm not gonna lie, one of my colleagues brought in the most adorable "conversation heart" sugar cookies. I will be enjoying one of those shortly.

If you're training, how did your last week go? What's in store for this week?

Peace, Love & Bagels,

Marathon Monday: Training Week #5

Last week, the weather threw a curveball at us; lots of snow followed by an entire day of ICE!

Needless to say, Brandon and I made the smart decision to spend Tuesday and Wednesday inside resting so we could get back to running on Thursday. 

Our run on Thursday was awesome. I don't know if it was the two days of rest beforehand or the fact that we were running on snowless streets rather than snowy sidewalks. Probably a little of both. It was a tempo run that we absolutely killed. Now, I know most of my running friends run faster than 10 minute miles, but our goal pace for tempo runs is a 10:15/mile.

We did five solid miles averaging about a 9:35/mile pace on Thursday! With the first a slow warm-up, here were our splits:

I think I'm still in shock!

For those of you who were in Northeast Ohio this weekend, you know it snowed all day on Saturday. Our 10-miler started out really nicely, with no snow on the roads. About halfway through we were getting pelted in the face with little ice-balls and the roads were getting slick. Finishing that run felt awesome! We followed it up by sharing a (saved from Christmas) Great Lakes Christmas Ale!

This week, it's just going to be cold. All week. I can hope the the roads will be clear, but those hopes will likely be dashed by the Cleveland Weather Gods. I'm looking forward to an easy weekday runs (except for our 800s) and an easy weekend run.

In other news, I'm up to 25 push-ups in a row! I've started the path of strength training, sans gym and I am absolutely loving it. 

Oh, and for the record, I did my push-ups routine in the fireproof room in my office last Friday after work. We really need an office workout room. 

Peace, Love & Bagels,

Marathon Monday: Training Week #3

Alright folks, back from the two week Maui vacay. Two weeks of training under our belts. Training on Maui has been a blessing (I absolutely love running in SHORTS!) but it has also been a whole different world. Running on the beach is much different that running on the road; even in the snow. Now I'm working on not getting sick because of the 70 degree temperature difference between Cleveland and Kihei.

This week should be a tiny bit easier than last week since we don't have much of a "long run"...instead, just a 10k pace run. That, and Cleveland is just flat, flat, flat compared to Maui. The lack of hilliness will be a welcome change to our runs, but the sub-freezing temperatures will absolutely not be.

So thank goodness that tonight is an easy run, because I'm pretty sure the weather looks something like this:

Um, that's approximately a 65 degree difference from what we've been training in for the past two weeks!! I have to make sure I take this easy so I don't get sick. I plan on wearing mucho mucho layers...I once counted twelve articles of clothing on an early winter run, this is going to have to be at least fifteen. It's an absolute must to get out of my wet clothing as soon as I get back inside. I'm definitely recharging with an Emergen-C, a shower, and dinner as soon as I get inside. 

Later in the week the weather shows a picture of a blue thermometer...I don't even know what that means!! I guess I'll be hanging up my running shorts for a while, huh?

Welcome Home to Cleveland!!

Peace, Love & Bagels,

Marathon Monday: Training Week #2

For some reason I cannot take a screen shot of my running schedule for the week, so I'll just write it out:

Monday: Rest or crosstrain
Tuesday: 30 min run 3min/walk 2min
Wednesday: 5 mile run
Thursday: 35 min run 3min/walk 2min
Friday: Rest or crosstrain
Saturday: 9 miles
Sunday: Rest

Our first week of training on Maui (yep, loving it!) was absolutely divine as far as winter running goes! We decided to forego our 800s on Thursday to go to my mom's spin class instead...holy wow! I forgot how tough her classes were. It ended up being a great stand-in for the 800s.

Our crosstraining day consisted of a private 2-hour yoga class and then a hike along Waihe'e ridge, which was basically a vertical incline for the first quarter mile and then a very steady uphill the rest of the way. No complaints though, it was beautiful. We finished just before it started to rain, but waterfalls were still going off. It was really incredible...I can't believe I never did that hike when I lived here.

Our pace run was really challenging. We held about a 10:15/mile for the first 4 miles, the last was the most challenging because of a huge headwind and a long hill to finish on. The hills here are nothing to underestimate, it's definitely a reality check compared to flat Cleveland.

Our first long run on Saturday was also challenging and hilly, but very rewarding as there was a jump in the ocean as soon as we finished. We did a run 4 minutes/ walk 1 minute cycle, which was absolutely my savior. Those rests were totally needed! With some maple syrup water and some of Angela's raw energy cookie bites we were well fueled for the first 8 miles of marathon training.

Sorry Cleveland...I don't miss you at all.

Marathon Monday: Training Week #1

Today, my friends, is the day that Brandon and I officially begin our marathon training! The picture above is our first week of training. Nothing too difficult, except our first 8 mile run since last August. Other than that, you already know my run/walk plan and how to do a tempo run and a Yasso 800. I'm so excited to officially log some miles toward my next marathon! 

We're being completely spoiled for the first two weeks of training, given that we're on Maui right now visiting my parents. Beautiful 70+ degree weather. Runs along the beach. Breezy, fresh ocean air. Sunlight!

As soon as we return to Cleveland, it's going to be back to winter workouts and training in below freezing temperatures, snow and darkness. I'm okay with that though. This is the first race I'll be training through the winter for and it'll only make me stronger. Running in a few feet of snow is not only great cardio, it's like a strength workout too! So the long runs toward the end will not be so daunting; since we were out in the cold, dead of winter, dredging through the snow!

Since the  Monday is generally a rest day, but it's the first day of training, we are going to a yoga class with my mom and then going for a hike in the West Maui mountains. We will also be continuing our daily morning yoga practice on most days...OUTSIDE because the air is crisp and warm and beautiful. Maybe even on the beach.

I hope you guys enjoy some of the guest posts that I have coming in the next two weeks, I'll check back next Monday to let you know how our first week of training went! I'll leave you with some fun Maui pictures that my dad has taken:

Kealia Pond at sunset

my baby sister, fingerpainting

Peace, Love & Bagels,

Anatomy of a Training Run

Anatomy of a Training Run: the Tempo Run

When I trained for my first half marathon, I followed a training plan that I got from the Smart Coach tool at runnersworld.com. If you're not used to running lingo, those training plans can look like Chinese. 

At least that's what I thought when I saw "tempo" workouts on the plan. They looked something like this:

5 mi, inc Warm; 3 mi @ 9:17; Cool

wtf?!? (yep, I'm using texting abbrevs even though I have a full keyboard and all ten fingers at my disposal)

According to Running Times Magazine, Jack Daniels (hahaha, what a name!) popularized the tempo run and defines it as such: "A tempo run is nothing more than 20 minutes of steady running at threshold pace." Basically, you're running for extended mileage (3+ miles, depending on what you're training for) at a pace that is right at your anaerobic threshold (holy college flashback, batman!) which is the threshold where lactic acid starts to accumulate in your blood because you're exhaling more oxygen than you're taking in. Anaerobic = the way your cells metabolizes energy without oxygen. For most people, that  is the pace that corresponds to about 90% of your max heart rate, or a pace that is 25-30 seconds/mile slower than your current 5k race pace. Well, unless you're like me and like to leisurely jog a 5k.

So your tempo run is higher intensity exercise over a longer distance (in relation to speedwork and long, easy runs). Back to my "smart coach"...

5 mi, inc warm, 3 mi @ 9:17, cool just means to run a total of 5 miles, which include 3 miles at my anaerobic threshold pace (or 9:17 according to smart coach) plus a warmup and cooldown for about a mile each.

The tempo runs don't have to be that specific though. For me, it's going to be all about perceived exertion. My training plan says things like "5 mile pace" which will translate into running 5 miles at a "comfortably hard" pace - one that can be maintained for an hour. Maintaining your pace over the course of the mileage is the ticket here, which is where my trusty Garmin will come in. (I love you Garmin!)

Some benefits of tempo running are:

• helps improving speed (over any distance, not just marathons)
• trains your body to sustain speeds over longer distances

And here's why it works (directly from Runner's World):

"Tempo running improves a crucial physiological variable for running success: our metabolic fitness.Tempo runs do just that by teaching the body to use oxygen for metabolism more efficiently.The better trained you become, the higher you push your "threshold," meaning your muscles become better at using [lactic acid byproducts]. The result is less-acidic muscles (that is, muscles that haven't reached their new "threshold"), so they keep on contracting, letting you run farther and faster."

So, get a couple tempo runs into your training regimen and you're likely to see an improvement not only in your race time, but your overall fitness. I'm down with that!

How long do you run your tempo runs and at what pace? Do you enjoy doing them?

Peace, love & bagels,

Anatomy of a Training Run

Anatomy of a Training Run: the Yasso 800

Anyone that's trained for any long distance race know that there is enough running jargon in one 16-week training plan to fill a dictionary...the Yasso 800 is no different (the workout is the brainchild of Bart Yasso, hence the name).You've probably been living under a rock if you're a runner and you haven't heard of them. At it's simplest, it's just another form of speedwork to enhance a training plan. The more complex explanation: if you want to run a 4 hour marathon, you train to run 800 repeats in 4 minutes each (a 3:30 marathon? run the 800s in 3 minutes 30 seconds, etc.etc.etc.)

In doing a little research on the topic, the Y800s are a pretty controversial subject when it comes to marathon training (you can read more about it here, here, here and here). Some people believe they are a good predictor of your marathon time, many don't, and others like to think they're simply optimistic. There is a lot of disagreement about whether or not they're even a good way to train for a marathon - after all, the energy system your body employs to run an 800 (anaerobic, running at a pace above your lactate threshold) is different than the energy system used for a marathon (aerobic, paces below your lactate threshold). I'm no running coach and I'm not a trained professional, but my training plans always come from a mix of professional running advice, advice from friends and my own experience. It seems like Yasso 800s aren't the BEST way to train for a marathon, but paired with long runs, short runs, pace runs and crosstraining...they become just another tool your marathon training arsenal.

For me, it's all about breaking my marathon up into smaller, bite-sized pieces...because speed intervals are the bane of my marathon training existence. Sure, running mile repeats would be a more effective predictor of my finishing time and maybe even more beneficial in the long haul. I've been through mile repeats and back, though, and I hate them. Yasso 800s are going to give me a chance to change things up. I've said it from the beginning, my marathon training is going to be flexible. If the 800 repeats don't work for me, then I'll try something different. This time around, it's all about listening to my body.

So here's the workout:

Begin running your 800s a few months before your goal marathon

On the first week, do four repeats:

    run 800 in your goal time (a 3:30 marathon translates to a 3 minute 30 second 800)

    jog in between repeats for the same amount of time

Each subsequent week, add one more repeat until you get to 10

Complete your last Y800 at least 2 weeks before race day

Have you used Yasso 800s in your marathon training? What do you think? What other types of speed work do you typically include in training, if any?

Anatomy of a Training Run

Anatomy of a Training Run: the Run/Walk Run

One "different" type of run that I'm following in my marathon training is the Run/Walk run. At a very basic level, it's just interval training: run for an allotted amount of time, walk for an allotted amount of time. 


I scoffed when I first read about run/walk training, thinking, "doesn't that defeat the purpose? I'm a runner for pete's sake!" Walking was the enemy in my training runs. It made me feel like less of a runner...lower on the B.A. scale. Well you know what? I was a runner, but one that was all too often plagued by injury. I'll be the first to admit, thinking that way was just plain stupid.


First, let's walk through some of the benefits:

• decreased chance of injury
• the mental benefit of breaking longer runs up into segments
• interval training often equals maximum results (be it a time goal, distance goal, etc.) many people have even PR'ed by following a run/walk training plan
• if you're trying to lose weight, intervals actually burn more calories and fat

According to Runner's World, Jeff Galloway pioneered the idea of taking frequent walk breaks during marathons and marathon training and it has been used successfully by thousands of marathon runners. So how does it work? ...and more importantly, why?


"By using muscles in different ways from the beginning, your legs keep their bounce as they conserve resources. When a muscle group, such as your calf, is used continuously step by step, it fatigues relatively soon. The weak areas get overused and force you to slow down later or scream at you in pain afterward. By shifting back and forth between walking and running muscles, you distribute the workload among a variety of muscles, increasing your overall performance capacity. For veteran marathoners, this is often the difference between achieving a time goal or not. Walk breaks will significantly speed up recovery because there is less damage to repair. The early walk breaks erase fatigue, and the later walk breaks will reduce or eliminate overuse muscle breakdown." (source)

There are a lot of different ways to utilize run/walk training. I generally follow a 4 to 1 ratio (in minutes) of running to walking, but my marathon training will be structured as follows:

Weeks 1-4: run/walk ratio of 3:2 on some weekday runs and long runs
Weeks 5-9: run/walk ratio of 4:2 on some weekday and long runs 
Weeks 10-18: run/walk ratio of 4:1 on some weekday and long runs

You can also structure your run/walk training based on your pace:

8 min/mi—run 4 min/walk 35 seconds
9 min/mi— 4 min run-1 min walk
10 min/mi—-3:1
11 min/mi—2:30-1
12 min/mi—-2:1
13 min/mi—-1:1
14 min/mi—30 sec run/30 sec walk
15 min/mi—30 sec/45 sec
16 min/mi—30 sec/60 sec
(source)

You don't have to follow such a regimented run/walk plan either, if spontaneity is your style. Just take walk breaks early and often. I tend to like the 4:1 run to walk ratio because it breaks those longer runs up into 5 minute segments and sometimes makes it much more bearable. But you don't need to run every single one of your training runs this way. As my own general rule, anything less than 3 miles is pretty much a run all the way run. Between 3 and 6 miles is always questionable...sometimes I like to walk a bit, sometimes run. 6+ miles is where I almost always utilize my walk breaks. If I'm feeling extra good about my run for the day, I'll just take a 1 minute break for every mile I run. It's all up to you and your body, the only advice I can give you is to listen to it! 


If you're stuck on determining your pace, but still want to use this type of training, you'll be happy to know that you generally only lose 15-20 seconds when you take a 60 second walk break. Over the course of 26 miles, this could end up being negligible or even add to your overall time, because you'll be less fatigued and able to put in more effort in those last few miles. Fortunately, Runner's World has a nice little chart to give us all a little bit more pacing information:

If you run a mile in... (Col. A) and then walk 60 seconds, your overall pace will be...(Col. B)

6:00		6:40
7:00		7:37
8:00		8:34
9:00		9:31
10:00		10:29
11:00		11:26
12:00		12:23

Will you use run/walk training in your next training plan? What other training techniques do you employ in order to stay injury free?