Two months.

I've been avoiding this blog. Not because I don't love it. And, certainly, not because I no longer love running.

I've been avoiding the blog because I haven't been running and what the heck do you write about when you're hanging around on the disabled list for months?

In my case, nothing. You choose not to write about anything because if you did write about something it would probably sound like whining and, honestly, who wants to read that?

No one.

And so. Here I am. Two months into living with my injured hamstring. I tried to run earlier in January and it did not go well. So I am sticking with cross-training these days. I use the elliptical a few days a week and sometimes still ride the bike. I've also been doing some HIIT workouts that I've found on the trusty TV. Their fun -- and different. 

What else?

Well, I've been going for chiropractic treatments and my chiropractor recently started doing the Graston technique on my lame hamstring. Working toward full recovery!

I've also been very busy with my doTERRA business -- teaching lots of classes and sharing my enthusiasm for natural wellness solutions and essential oils with anyone who wants to listen :-) This time of the year, I am especially grateful to have these things in my life -- as people all around me are catching one illness after another, my family and I are staying healthy! Woo hoo!

So, that's where this happy runner is these days. Recovering. Working. Enjoying my boys. All good.

Of course, it would be better to be running. But, I'll take what I can get :-)

Have a great week, everyone!

Scaling back?

I didn't race on Saturday.

Not that I had firm plans to do so, I just kinda wanted to. There's a 5K that takes place 5 minutes from my house and last year I ran it and ran well, finishing just seconds off of my PR for 1st in my age group, and 4th female overall. 

In my head, I figured that if I felt good coming off the half marathon, I'd run the 5K. But then there was the issue of my fall at mile 5 of the half and the fact that my ankle is still not 100%. It is healing well, but it is still a little swollen and I knew that if I raced again less than one week after the half, I'd risk messing up my ankle big time.

And I'm all about running over the long term. I don't need any sort of lingering injuries.

Which was the point of my recent email exchange with my friend, Tami. She ran a marathon the week before my half and went ahead and ran that 5K that I'd been thinking of running. She ran a great race and finished third female overall. But, she'd battled a cold after the marathon and racing the 5K lowered her resistance just enough so that cold came back with a vengeance.

There's Tami with her third place medal! Way to go!!

Discussing our shared desire for PRs and a healthy winter full of running, the subject of winter and spring race plans came up. What are you running next? What are you running this winter? Planning on a spring marathon?

We went back and forth and our discussion eventually led us to conclude that scaling back could be good.

For me, that meant skipping the 5K and rethinking what races I plan to run this winter. For Tami, it meant likely shelving plans for a spring marathon . . . but contemplating a fall ultra (hey, what happened to scaling back?!?!). 

So, now I have some decisions to make. I know I'm going to run a 10K in early November but should I also run the 10K turkey trot on Thanksgiving? And what about December? Our road runners club puts on a great winter series and that kicks off with a 15K on December 9th. And then there's the Hangover Half on January 1st, two other winter series races in January, the Winter Marathon Relay in February . . . and I really would like to run the inaugural Nike Women's Half in DC in April.

Phew!

I need to prioritize. Quality over quantity. I need to make it through the winter healthy and ready to race strong in the spring. So, I need to get my A races lined up, and back-fill from there. I'd also like to focus on cross-training this winter, to head into the spring with a stronger foundation.

Now the question is . . . do I focus on that spring half marathon or full? Hmm . . . 

Do you reduce your running mileage over the winter? Or do you keep up the same level? 

If you reduce, for how long before picking back up?

In other news, I just picked up a stack of running books from the library, including one by Adam Goucher and one by Scott Jurek. Lucky me!

Have a great day, everyone!

~ Felice

Killer legs.

Holy cow.

My legs are screaming right now. In a good way. I hope.

My workout? It was a killer. Kill. Er.


Wanna try it? 

1 mile jog to warm up
6 x 400 repeats in 1:45 (7 min/mile pace) w/400 jog/walk recovery
1 mile cool down


100 squats
15 push ups
75 squats
15 push ups
50 squats
15 push ups
25 squats
15 push ups

Done.

Really. Done.


Remember these ham-hocks?



Yeah, I'm whipping them into shape. Squats and speed.

Do you have a favorite killer leg workout? 

Plan to try this one? Let me know how it works out!

Thanks for stopping by.

~ Felice

My 20-minute full-body workout.

As I've rested this week, letting my blister heal, I've turned from running to cross-training. My husband is into CrossFit these days and maybe his enthusiasm has rubbed-off a bit on me because I've decided to create my own CrossFit-inspired workout. (Inspired, I say. Not actual. I'm using 6-lb weights, after all. And you'll notice that there are no burpees to be found anywhere.)

My goal this summer is to better supplement my running with cross-training. But, I need something that is quick and doesn't require a gym, or much equipment at all. So, I've come up with a whole-body workout that I love. 


Check it out!

Right now, I'm using 6-lb dumbbells for the arm exercises (the standing upright rows, overhead presses and bicep curls) and I'm also holding them for the squats and the lunges. I'm building up to holding them for the curtsy lunges.

The key to this workout is to move right from one exercise to the next, keeping your heart-rate elevated and making this strength workout also a good cardio one. If you make it through the routine twice, with a minute or two break between the first and second time through, this workout should take right around 20 minutes.

What is your favorite cross-training activity? 

Happy Friday, everyone! Have a good weekend.


~ Felice

Get Moving Today!

If you have kids and you'd like them to move a little more, then I have a great resource for you: The Get Moving Today Activity Calendar!

This calendar is put out by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD) and National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) with the goal of getting kids -- and their parents -- moving. 


The calendar is chock-full of creative suggestions for getting active, with a different activity for every day of the month. Have a look at today's activity:

"Roll up a t-shirt into a lasso and swing it over your head. Try using your other arm. Add some galloping."

Lasso. Huh. Honestly, I wouldn't have thought about doing that with my kids and yet, what a good workout for the arms!


The calendar is very easy to access. Each month is listed separately and you simply click on the month you want to view and that opens a PDF. Print it out, hang it on your fridge or wherever, and you'll never be at a loss for how to get active!


May is hanging on my fridge right now. This activity calendar is right up my alley and, folks, I think it will be right up yours, too.


Enjoy!


~ Felice


Disclaimer: I was sent a link to this calendar but was not compensated for this post in any way. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Learning from my first marathon.

I ran my first and only marathon waaaaay back in 2004. Things were different then and I know more about running and how to train well now than I did then. Since I've gotten some questions recently about marathoning and some of my friends are training for their first marathons, I thought I'd share some thoughts about my first marathon, what I've learned, and what I'm doing differently this time around.


My First Marathon -- 2004 Mohawk Hudson River Marathon

Base

When I trained for my first marathon, I did not have much of a running base. I was an on-and-off runner up until that point and, prior to beginning training, my longest run ever was a 15K race (9.3 miles). That's it! I had run that distance in November 2003, then taken much of the winter off, and was maybe running 12 miles a week before starting the marathon training.

Weekly Runs

My training maxed-out at 33 miles, with most of my weekly mileage hovering around 20-23 miles (holy cow!!). I ran 3-4 times a week, a long run on the weekend and mostly 3-5 milers during the week. My longest run of the training cycle was 20.3 miles (which I ran once) and I ran that 3 weeks before the marathon.

Every run during my marathon training was a solo run. I never ran with others. I just didn't know many runners back then!


Injuries

Yup, I got injured. Two weeks before the marathon, I went out for a long run in (what was I thinking?) new running shoes. Something went wrong 8 miles in to the run and I hobbled for 2 miles back to my car. My foot felt like it was broken. I had to take most of the following week off and my remaining runs before the marathon were only short, very easy runs.

You can be sure I will never make the new shoes mistake again!

Cross-training

Huh?

The Marathon

I ran the Mohawk-Hudson River Marathon in Albany, NY. My goal was to finish in 4:20, which would have been 10-minute miles. I finished in 4:12 and felt like a rock star. The last 5 miles or so were as tough as anything I'd ever done and I seriously felt like walking off the course. But I didn't. I finished.

And was proud.


My Upcoming Marathon -- 2012 New Jersey Marathon


Base

In the past 10 months, I've run 3 half-marathons, so I started with a much stronger base this time. I'd kept my mileage up even when not training for a race so I've been able to quickly ramp-up my mileage to around 35 miles a week (it was 37 last week) at this point.

Weekly Runs

This time, I'm running 5 times a week. I have a long run on the weekend, followed by a recovery run the next day. I also do some sort of speed work each week (some races, some pick-ups, some tempo runs, some mile repeats), at least one hilly run, and one or two easy runs. My training plan has me running mostly 35-40 miles a week, with 4 weeks above 40 miles (maxing out at 45). My longest training run will be 20 miles and I will run that distance twice.

My long runs have almost all been with others, including some of these lovely ladies:

From the 2011 13.1 NYC

Injuries

Prior to starting this training cycle, I messed up my left leg -- my whole hamstring/knee/calf area. I took a little time off in December and I did some at-home rehab. It is mostly healed but I do feel it every now and then so  I try to be careful with that leg and I've been keeping up with the rehab. Other than that . . . so far, so good!

Cross-training

Yup! At least once a week I do some sort of cross-training -- I've been on a kettlebells kick recently and I love it.

The Marathon

I'm running the New Jersey Marathon in May. Stay tuned to see how I do!

*     *     *

I learned a lot from my first marathon and from all of the running I've done in the years since then. I've also read a ton about running, training, and racing.

I believe that the quality of the miles I run is important so I'm making sure to run hills and run speed so my form and economy will be better. I also know more about properly fueling for the run. As I've written about before, I'm trying to eat better, more wholesome foods. That makes a difference. But, I'm sticking mostly to gels on the run because that's about all my body can handle. I can't chew on the run so anything that requires doing so is out.

I'm also very good about rest. When my plan calls for it, that's what I do. I do not want to get injured so I will do everything in my power to make sure I don't.

Will my race go better than last time? We'll see. I had a great first marathon. I crossed the line faster than I expected -- who can complain about that? But, when I look back at my training . . . sheesh . . . what was I thinking? You could file that cycle under "How to run as little as possible and still finish a marathon" and it would not be out of place.

It will be interesting to see how the differences in my training this time around affect my marathon experience and my finish time. I have big goals for this marathon so my hope is that my running smarts will help me to achieve them!

Do you have any lessons learned 

from your first marathon, first race, 

or from when you first started running? 

Hit us up!

~ Felice

Kickin' it Sportskool style.

In my new-found zest for yoga, I decided I needed to try two programs yesterday evening. So, I started out with Athletic Stretch (a short one) on the regular exercise tv. And then I decided to hunt around to see if there was a yoga for runners, or similar, program.

I typed "running" into the find shows screen and lo and behold a bunch of Running Training programs popped up. They are all on-demand, on the Sportskool channel. Who knew?


So, I tried it out. I mean, how could I not, right? Right.

I like it. I did one session and I can't wait to try some of the others. The session I did was all about "pre-hab" or, preparing your body fro the rigors of training so you avoid injuries. Some of the exercises were familiar to me, but many were new. The one called Y, T, W, L -- for shoulders and upper back -- is excellent! I know that if I keep on with it, the strength gained in those areas will help me in the late stages of the marathon.

My new plan: Incorporate the Sportskool Running Training programs into my pre-marathon training. I'll let you know how it goes!

Have you tried the Sportskool programs? It looks like they have tons of other sports, too!


Thanks for stopping by -- don't forget to enter my Half Marathon Entry Giveaway!

~ Felice

On cross-training.

"Invest in rest."
"Incorporate cross-training into your plan."

I've read this advice again and again. And, again and again, I've tried to take it, with varying degrees of success. For me, the cross-training and rest thing came together when I was pregnant. I needed to rest and I needed to give my body a break with cross-training in a different way than I did when I wasn't pregnant. So I appreciated rest and cross-training for the benefits that they provide.

After I gave birth in October and starting running again, I knew that rest days would be more important than ever. I wasn't getting much sleep (sick of hearing that yet?), was trying to adjust to life with an infant, breastfeeding, and fitting in half-marathon training with work deadlines, laundry, preschooler activities and the rest of life.

Since then, I've tried to keep up on rest days and make sure to cross-train. So far, so good. I've been cross-training at least once a week -- definitely more if you count playtime with the preschooler! Most of what I do is workout to some exercise tv on demand programs, because they are convenient -- I can do them in the comfort of my home, whenever I want to. Lately I've been enjoying Jillian Michaels' Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism (DVD available on Amazon HERE), her kettlebells workouts (HERE) and her 30 Day Shred (HERE). I've also been checking out some of the other programs and I like some of the Cindy Whitmarsh programs but not the Amy Dixon ones. I don't know why. Something about her bugs me.

Anyway, I've been doing some cross-training at least once a week and I think it is helping me with my running. My arms and core are stronger and that should mean they'll help me to maintain my form late in the half-marathon when I'm starting to tire. At least that's the plan!

Do you like Exercise tv on demand? What's your favorite way to cross-train? 

Share away -- it's great to hear about new things!

Cross-training was for yesterday. Easy run tonight -- might even get a friend or two to run my hilly route with me! Yay!

Have a good day, everyone.

~ Felice