Weekly Workout Recap 5.7.18 – 5.13.18

Popping in with my weekly workout recap before we head out for our 9th Annual Mother’s Day Breakfast Tradition!

After Sunday’s 10K race, I recovered really quickly. Basically, I was not sore or fatigued at all after the race. I kept Monday easy but was able to jump back in to my regular week in workouts by Tuesday. As I mentioned in Thursday’s post, I am eyeing two 10K races for September and will likely make a decision by late July, giving me time to train specifically for the race.

Great Cow Harbor 10K < – A nationally ranked race and listed by Runner’s world as a top 100 race in the country, I’ve run this race in the past (2012 – before I had a blog). The hills of this race are not keeping me from signing up, it’s more the logistics and large crowds that I’m not interested in as I recall the traffic getting there and the need for a bus to the start line. Plus, this race has so many runners that it even starts in waves. I guess I’ll see.

Great South Bay 10K < – I ran the Great South Bay Half in 2015 (recap here) — I think a 10K on this race would be awesome! I’m leaning towards this race but I will wait to make my decision based upon where my menstrual cycle falls (I can’t run a race during my time of the month).

Okay! A quick look at my workouts from the week! Enjoy Mother’s Day. 🙂

Monday – 30 minutes elliptical

I felt fine from the 10K race yesterday but figured I shouldn’t run, just to give my muscles a rest. The elliptical seemed like a good idea for movement though.

Tuesday – Pure Barre Sculpted Arms (54 minutes)

This is one of the more challenging Pure Barre workouts because the focus on arms means we basically work the arm muscles in every exercise throughout the 54 minutes. I also notice that arm-focused Pure Barre workouts include a heavy emphasis on core work too. I am not complaining as I think I’ve come to find these specific Pure Barre workouts the most rewarding in terms of strength and toning results.

Pushing the ball into the wall may seem simple but you really feel it in your tricep! Always leaves me sore.

^Pure Barre On Demand Screenshot

Wednesday – 5 Miles

I was super excited to get outside to run! It was a nice morning and I hadn’t run since Sunday so I was fresh and ready to go. When my workouts fall in negative splits without trying, I’m always happy.

Thursday – 10K workout (35 minutes)

Woah. 35 minutes and a little over 4 miles doesn’t sound intense but within those miles was 5 X 3 minutes hard/2 minutes easy which left me DEAD. Not so dead in my legs, it was felt more in my lungs I think. In either case, it was a great workout which Laura sent me as a start for my interest in training for a 10K race.

You can read Laura’s VO2 Max Interval workout post here but here’s what I did:

5 min warm up

5 X 3 min hard/2 min easy

Cool down to 35 minutes which was a little over 4 miles

As this workout was run by effort, I just focused and pushed myself to move faster than my half marathon pace. Whenever I glanced down during the hard minutes, I was in the high 6’s/low 7’s. No wonder I was dead.

Friday – Pure Barre Pure Results (focus on Abs)

One hour of Pure Barre focused on abs? KILLER in a good way. At least that’s how I feel after I finish the workout!

In case you are interested, I’ve written full reviews of two other Pure Barre Pure Results workouts:

Pure Barre Pure Results (focus on thighs)

Pure Barre Pure Results (focus on seat)

Saturday – 6 Miles (treadmill)

I haven’t run on the treadmill in a while! The forecast was dreary with rain so rather than get wet, I opted inside for today’s run.

6 miles hit EXACTLY at 49:30 — I think this was a great run. To be honest, the dark clouds had me mentally not in the mood to run but once I started the treadmill, my legs were awake so I went with it. The first mile was relatively easy, right under 9:00 and then the rest of the run was random intervals.

Back in bed after a shower and post-run breakfast. Seriously, rainy weather affects my ability to feel awake!

Sunday – Rest/Out for our special breakfast!

[bctt tweet=”Week in workouts on the blog today! #running #purebarre @pure_barre #treadmill #10k #fitfluential #workouts #mothersday” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Best thing you ate so far this weekend? Do you plan on any special meals/foods for Mother’s Day?

How was your week in workouts? Did the weather play a positive or negative role in your usual workout routine?

10K Training Desire + My Favorite Camisole

 

Sunday’s race left me with an inspired feeling for wanting to train specifically for a 10K race. I’ve been talking to Laura about it all week because I find the 10k distance so interesting.

For starters, the 10K race distance is not a super popular race offering and I beg to wonder why! In my opinion, a 10K is a great race distance to run. It’s longer than the 5K so you don’t have to run ALL OUT and feel like you want to VOMIT. For me, signing up for a 10K race also feels worth the effort of registration and getting myself to the start line. When I think about a 5K, signing up to drive somewhere to run for a little over 20 minutes really isn’t what I want to do.

For 6.2 miles though, I feel like it’s a great workout and worth the schlep to the start line. Anyone else feel this way?

The 10K race distance is also NOT the half marathon distance, which requires a lot more energy and time. 6.2 miles are killer for sure but in such a different way than 13.1 miles. And, recovery is much quicker too.

I’ve never trained specifically for a 10K and I’ve never really practiced my 10K pace often enough to naturally start to find it, and hold it. Over the last bunch of years, I started to develop a natural progression to my half marathon pace. As my running ability and endurance increased, my half marathon pace became clear and somewhat easy (relative term) to hold. But jumping to my 10K pace is definitely not as natural.

But I want to be able to speed up and hit my 10K pace, and hold it better than in the past. Laura tells me that my 10K pace range is 7:40 -7:45. While I do see that average pace on occasion and ran around that range in my previous 10K races (and my 10K PR might have been even faster, not sure how I did that!), I want to hit it and hold it comfortably for a race now. It’s on my list to work on through some running workouts, with two possible 10K race choices for the fall. More on that soon.

In other news, I shared this photo on social media the other day as my documentation of the face of a girl about to run her last race in the 35-39 age bracket.

A few thing about the above photo:

I wonder if I will look back at this picture when I am 49 to say OMG look how young I was at 39. Isn’t that always how it goes? Like if I saw a picture right now of myself at 29, when I thought I was old, I would laugh about I young I was. We usually don’t see ourselves the way we should in the moment.

Do you see the photo collage of my son hanging on the wall in the background? I’m one of those moms who likes to hang a lot of pictures of her baby. We have a few photo collage frames around the house, including one in my bedroom. I don’t like to plaster his face all over social media but I do like to plaster his bunny face all over my house.

That’s the Gap long cardigan I told you about a while back which I love but still can’t find the link to online! Ugh, it’s one of my favorites.

And that black Splendid camisole? I am OBSESSED WITH IT. I have the Splendid camisole in white too (see below) and keep trying to order it in pink and navy but I’m having a terrible time locating those colors! You need my favorite camisole in black and white though. Trust me. I think my favorite part of the camisole is that the straps are adjustable. I’m able to make them as small as I want which is a huge selling point for me as I’m pretty petite, especially in my shoulders. Bloomingdale’s is currently 25% off!!

And just another reminder for local readers, I hope you can join me next Saturday May 19 for the Dior Beauty & Skincare 101 event! I know that a few of you are running the Brooklyn Half Marathon which means you can’t make it so my plan is to organize another event in the coming months.

However, if you are local and not running I want you to come next week! Please let me know in the comments or contact me directly. Thanks. 🙂

On This Day:

5/10/17: Crying Over A Salad & Nighttime Snack Rut

5/10/16: What’s Next?

5/10/15: Mother’s Day/Workout Recap

[bctt tweet=”Random thoughts on the blog today including training for a 10K, my favorite camisole, and upcoming Dior Beauty event! #thinkingoutloud #running #10K #makeup #dior #splendid” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Have you ever trained specifically for a 10K race? 

What’s the next race on your calendar? Do you like to run summer races or do you hold off now until fall?

 

 

Long Island Marathon Weekend 10K Race Recap (2018)

 

I ran my first ever Long Island Marathon weekend 10K race yesterday, my sixth 10K race of my running life.

As I’ve said, choosing to run the 10k instead of the half marathon felt so nice mentally in the days leading up to the race. While a 10K is no joke, the fact that I have run four Long Island Half Marathons in a row to only run the 10K, does provide a different feeling. Side note: I heard other runners say they were “only” running the 10K too — only a runner would refer to the 10K distance prefaced with the word “only”!

The pressure level in preparation for the 10K felt much lower than going into a half marathon. I didn’t have to worry as much about hydration/nutrition in the days leading up to the race. Of course I thought about it, but overall 6.2 miles is very different from running 13.1 miles.

I didn’t train for this race and haven’t been running my former higher mileage routine. 6.2 miles right now is a high mileage day for me! That wasn’t so much on my mind though— I’ve certainly put my time in over the years so consistently that running 6.2 miles still feels like a very manageable distance on any given day. Maybe not at a pace that calculations would predict my true 10k race pace to be without training, but I certainly had it in me to give a good effort.

Race Morning:

My usual routine of coffee, water, oatmeal.

Race Arrival:

I parked in my usual area of Eisenhower Park by 7:00 AM. It’s a perfect location for running a warm up, using actual bathrooms, and provides easy exit after the race.

I took this blurry photo while running my warm up around the park.

After about a mile warm up, I then walked to meet up with Gianna! She messaged me Saturday evening to say she was running the half so we planned to meet before the start! It’s a bit of a walk to the start area (like a mile from where I park I think?) so I walked to meet her and then we walked over to the start lines.

We had about 20 minutes until the start so we were standing around and chatting. Next thing we knew, a reporter from News12 approached us for an interview. HA.

Start:

The 10K race start is adjacent to the half marathon/marathon start line, running in the opposite direction. Gianna and I said good luck before lining up for our races. I was totally calm, fine, and excited.

The majorly cloudy skies were perfect. This race course is brutal with sunshine so I was really happy about the weather. (I had removed my sweatshirt after running the warm up. Short sleeves felt comfortable).

Mile 1:

My plan was to try to start out closer to an 8:00 min/mile, find a groove, and speed up from there.

I didn’t want to go out too fast and didn’t think I went out too fast but the pace clock at the mile mark pretty much said I went out too fast. Oops. I tried to ease up but I’m always afraid to ease up too much and then lose my ability to pick up my pace again.

I’ll share my splits at this point so you can see how I started too fast and how really, the last 3 miles should have been my first 3 miles and my first 3 should have been my last 3 miles. Ah well!

After the first mile, things are a blur. The 10K course mostly runs a different course than the half marathon and didn’t have many spectators in comparison. I tried to stay focused, grabbing water at the water stops which were located at every other mile or so.

It’s a quiet course compared to the marathon/half marathon and pretty boring.

The thing about a 10K race is that you know it’s not that long which can be great but then you find yourself starting to count down the miles too quickly in your head which makes them feel longer than they need to be.

With mile clocks at every mile, I thought I was holding on well to meet my best 10K time of 47:59. At 3 miles I was at 23:XX, at 4 miles I was at 31:XX, at 5 miles I was at 39:XX.

Then came the turn into the park. It’s the exact same turn into the park that the half marathon route runs and mentally, that started to work against me! Usually, that point in the half marathon is when I’m dying and tired and can’t pick up my pace at all. I had to remind myself over and over at that point that THIS IS NOT MILE 12. You are only at mile 5, you are not that tired and certainly can move faster to be finished!

One thing about me, I cannot find that sprint at the end. Nah. It’s almost like a feeling of oh, you want me to speed up? No thanks, I don’t feel like it. It’s SO MENTAL. I just can’t find that last burst of energy!

My official time came in at 49:39. Out of 564 runners, they say I came in 85 overall.

Overall thoughts:

A very small part of me wondered if I would feel anything towards the other side of the start line, wishing I was running the half again. Nope, not even a little bit. In fact, I’m sort of in awe of my past ability to run nine half marathons. That takes a lot of work and energy and desire!

Even with those lovely positive splits, I would say I ran a strong race. I think I ran exactly at the point of where my current training level stands at the moment. Sure, I would have loved to clock in with my fastest ever 10k time but whatever. This is my first spring time 10K in warmer temperatures so now if I run another one next year, I will have this race as my bench mark.

Speaking of the weather, I can’t decide if I was hot. It definitely felt warm, but not too bad for me thanks to the cloud cover. I felt hydrated enough although had I run any longer, I think I would have felt more affected by the spring running weather.

While I knew I was running faster than my average run, I knew I wasn’t really pushing my limits. I can’t fully answer you as to why. It’s like I have a defense mechanism which stops me from going too hard in fear of not feeling well/burning out before the end of the race and needing to crawl home. Or something like that.

It was beyond amazing to drive home and get out of the car like I didn’t just run a race. After a half, YOU FEEL IT. This 10K left me feeling like any other day. No soreness or anything for the rest of the day. Not an ounce.

And there we have it. My last race in the age bracket of 35-39. While I do have a few weeks until my birthday, I do not plan to run additional races between now and June 5. It is just too warm starting at this point for a race. Last year I ran the 10 mile race in Long Beach Memorial Day weekend but I am so not doing that again this year! TOO HOT.

I think at some point I would like to train for a 10K race. It’s a nice race distance and certainly worth training for as I do feel that I have it in me to run this distance in a race a few minutes faster than I did yesterday. With proper training, I just know I can clock in faster with some ease. Ease is a relative term! We know these races hurt but with training, I can do it more comfortably if that makes sense.

If you are interesting in the rest of my race recaps, I have them all organized in my race recap page. 🙂

[bctt tweet=”Recapping yesterday’s 10k on the blog today! #runli #race #run #10K #fitfluential #longislandmarathonweekend #longisland @news12″ username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Who else ran a race over the weekend? How was it?

Do you have a favorite race distance? What is your opinion of the 10K race distance?

 

 

 

 

 

Race Today (!!)/Weekly Workout Recap

 

 

I’m ready for today’s 10K race! Somehow I got lucky with the weather forecast. The rain seems to be holding off until the afternoon! Just morning clouds, temps in the high 50’s, and calm winds expected during the race — um, perfect.

Although I didn’t register until yesterday morning at the race expo and certainly didn’t train to run this 10K , I did have the race on my radar so I thought ahead to slightly lighten up my week in workouts. I wouldn’t call this week in workouts a true “taper week” as my workouts in general these days aren’t high mileage anyway. I did however keep Pure Barre lighter than usual, took a rest day yesterday, and ran just a little less than routine.

Of course I did ensure to get the whole pre-race dinner down perfectly. PIZZA. I love pizza the night before a race!

Please follow me on Instagram if you care to see my race results this morning. Otherwise I’m hoping to get a race recap up tomorrow or Tuesday the latest. 🙂

Monday – 30 Min Running/15 Min Pure Barre

There was a gusty wind that wouldn’t get out of my way this morning! 30 minutes went by fairly quick though and then I headed home for a few minutes of Pure Barre. In my head I figured I would do a 5 minute Pure Barre workout but after the 5 minutes for arms, I added in my old-favorite Pure Barre Tone in 10 seat & ab workout.

Tuesday – 35 Min Elliptical

I didn’t feel up for running and didn’t feel like I had the energy to put in a quality Pure Barre effort. So, I headed to the gym for 30 minutes on the elliptical which turned into 35 minutes because once I got going, I found my energy.

Wednesday – 5 Miles

Nothing fancy, just an outdoor run which felt really nice. And fresh. My legs felt fresh.

Thursday – Pure Barre (50 Min – Sculpted Abs)

Friday – 30 Min Run

Nothing like an easy run that feels effortless! I figured I should run a few miles easy and then take tomorrow off before the race on Sunday. It shocked me to see what was easy for me today, clearly I was feeling great because this run happened with extreme ease.

Saturday – Rest Day

It’s always weird when I don’t run on a Saturday morning although I didn’t mind as much as in the past. I spent some extra time online shopping (I know, I can’t stop lately), cleaned up the house and then left to register/pick up my number for the race!

Sunday – 10K Race

[bctt tweet=”10K race today plus weekly workout recap on the blog! #run #running #purebarre #10Krace #race #runli #longislandmarathonweekend #workouts” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Who else is running a race this weekend?!

Do you have a favorite/routine pre-race dinner?

Lower Mileage + Killer Pure Barre + Possible 10K Race (Workout Recap)

 

A few quick notes before getting to my workout recap!

It was a lower mileage week for sure. Lately I find myself naturally hovering around 20 miles a week but this week was much lower. I can’t really give you a great reason why beyond saying my mood dictated a 30 minute cardio limit during the week. So I went with it.

I’m forming a pattern in my workout routine. Assuming I choose 4 days of running/cardio a week, the pattern that works best for me is  Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday OR Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday.

I really like Friday as a rest day or Pure Barre day so that I am fresh and eager to run on Saturday.

I’m totally eyeing the Aspire 10K Race on Saturday April 7! It’s a super local race for me with such a great start time (8:30 AM!) that I really think I would like to run this race! I’ve run this 10K race twice before (recaps for 2016 here and 2015 here), only problem is, both times the weather was not ideal. I’m not interested in running a race in rain or snow so I will hold off on my decision until a few days before race day just to see the forecast. Let’s hope for decent weather! The race is a week later than usual due to the holidays so maybe we stand a chance for no snow or crazy cold rain!

Monday – 30 Min Treadmill Run (3.5 Miles)

It’s always nice when I hit an even mile mark right at my finishing point! 30 minutes = 3.5 miles. Great way to start the day.

Tuesday – Pure Barre

I combined a few Pure Barre On Demand workouts today. For a change, I chose a 30 minute Lower Body Intensive and then added on two, 5 minute seat workouts plus the most KILLER Pure Barre 5 minutes for thighs.

Seriously, this 5 minute thigh workout is intense!

^You stay in that lunge position with back heel against a wall for 5 full minutes (2 1/2 minutes per leg). Trust me, it’s killer.

Wednesday – 30 Min Treadmill Run/In The Gym

I slept SO WELL and was SO READY to run. HA. At least that’s what I thought. I don’t really know what was up but I felt like I was getting nowhere. As if I wasn’t covering my distance, as if the display screen on the treadmill was set in slow motion.

My socks felt too thick for my shoes today which may have been my main problem. Sometimes my Thorlos feel great and other times, I guess my feet swell and they feel too thick.

Whatever. 30 minutes = 3.57 miles. DONE

I bounced around the gym after that with some free weights, jumping jacks, walking lunges, and things like that. I have no formal circuit or I would certainly share it with you.

Thursday – 30 Min Elliptical/5 Min Pure Barre Arms

My legs were SORE from whatever I did in the last two days! I don’t know if it was from the Pure Barre thigh workout on Tuesday or the short sets of walking lunges I did yesterday in the gym. Either way = sore.

I chose the elliptical today for 30 minutes and then came home for a quick yet totally challenging 5 minute body weight Pure Barre arm workout.

^Do not ever let body weight exercises fool you!

Friday – Pure Barre Sculpted Arms (54 Min)

Even with being out late last night, I woke up with plenty of energy for a killer Pure Barre workout. I say it every time – the Pure Barre workouts with focus on the arms are so killer. They get my heart rate up and really work the entire body, the entire time. I avoided the arm focused workouts for so long because I just couldn’t do them effectively when I was running more. I didn’t have the energy or patience. I’m so glad I can do them, enjoy them, and reap the benefits now. 🙂

Saturday – 6 Miles (Outside!)

I got it in my head yesterday that I would run outside this morning. It was supposed to be sunny and while there are some snow piles remaining, it’s not icy.

I was not factoring in that the temperature would be below freezing though nor did I consider wind! Ugh. Whatever. It was time for an outdoor run.

It’s been a few weeks since I ran outside so it was a nice change and interesting to now run a bit blind. I’ve gotten used to the treadmill display screen so for today’s run, all I had was the Runkeeper voice chiming in with my mile splits.

My pace was fast but I wasn’t even trying to be fast which was the best feeling. I was just running where I felt comfortable which was a little quicker than running easy if that makes sense! I didn’t know if I would run 5 miles or ultimately 6 miles which you can kind of tell in my splits. I started to slow down when I contemplated a cool down but then chose to keep going to 5 miles and then cool down to 6 miles (and until I reached my front door).

I was at 5 miles in 40 minutes so why not a few more minutes to make it 6 miles, you know? It’s Saturday and I wasn’t in a rush.

Sunday – Rest

[bctt tweet=”workouts from the week on the blog today! #run #running #workouts #purebarre @pure_barre #10k #fitfluential” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

How was your week in workouts? Did you run more/less than usual? Were you able to run outdoors?

Do you notice a patterns to your workouts in terms of the days you like to run?

What’s the next race on your calendar?

The Benefits of Tune Up Races

When I signed up for the 10k race that I ran a few weeks ago, it just so happened that it fell at a perfect point in my training schedule which made it a tune up race for my upcoming half marathon. I thought it would be beneficial for all of us to learn a little bit more about tune up races so I asked Laura to help us understand the how, what, when and why! She is so insightful and explains things so well  — Thanks Laura for today’s post!

Hi everyone! Today Meredith has graciously let me step in and post for her. Over the past few months, I have worked with Meredith as a running coach (she won a giveaway over at my blog, This Runner’s Recipes). Meredith is such a gifted and disciplined runner that she makes coaching easy, and I am so excited for her to race the Long Island Half Marathon in a few short weeks!

As many of you recall, Meredith ran the Aspire 10K race as a tune up race for her half marathon training. So today I want to talk about tune up races, their role in training, and how to use them for each distance.

Tune Up Races Aren’t Just for Marathoners

The most common scenario for tune up races are marathoners signing up for a half marathon 4-6 weeks out from their marathon. However, 5K, 10K, and half marathon runners will benefit from tune up races as well!

Always opt for a tune up race shorter than your goal race. So 10Ks are the ideal tune up race for half marathoners and 5Ks are optimal for 10K runners. 5K runners will benefit as well from 5K races, which have a short recovery time and can be race more frequently. Regardless of the distance, you should run your tune up race approximately 4 weeks before your goal race.

Tune Up Races Double as Speed Work

In the week leading up to your tune up race, swap your normal speed or tempo workout for the race. A tune up race will serve as your speed work for that week, and taking an additional easy day will save your legs a bit for race day.

Tune Up Races are Practice Races

Marathons and half marathons require fueling and hydration plans. As much as you can (and should) practice your fueling and hydration during your long runs, a race will help you assess how well your pre-race breakfast sits on your stomach during hard running and pre race nerves.

Tune up races are also the ideal time to practice your race day outfit and any fuel belts that you plan on wearing on race day. No one wants to chafe during their marathon or half marathon, so test your new outfit in a 5K or 10K first.

Many runners suffer from pre race anxiety and nerves. The more you toe the line for a race, the more accustomed you are to the adrenaline you will experience. Tune up races help you deal with pre race nerves so that anxiety does not defeat you on the big race day.

What Tune Up Races are Not

Tune up races are not peak races; the longer race you are training for is the peak race. The workouts and weekly mileage in training prepare your body for a specific “peak” at the end of 12-20 weeks. So, for example, if you are training for a half marathon, you should be completing workouts specifically for the unique physiological demands of a half marathon. When you do a 10K race along the way, you will not be in peak shape for the 10K, which requires more speed. Adjust your expectations for the race, knowing that while it may be a PR, it may not be as fast as you would hope.

Tune up races are also not your peak race in the sense you should not race 100% in them. You do not fully taper for tune up races and you resume a normal week of training afterwards. Pushing yourself to your absolute limits in a 10K race may detriment your training.

[bctt tweet=”The benefits of tune up races #running #races #fitfluential @thisrunrecipes” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Laura also contributed to my Finding Balance posts a few months ago:

Finding Balance Between Our Diets & Workouts Part One

Finding Balance Between Our Diets &Workouts Part Two

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Do you include tune up races in your training?

How do you manage race days nerves?

Are they any other racing topics in particular you would like to see covered on the blog?

WIAW – Pre-Race Meals

 

Although I eat a fairly high in complex carbohydrate diet on a daily basis, I still make adjustments to what I eat in preparation for races.

Let’s take a look at what I ate last Friday, the day before I ran the Aspire 10k race. Even though I handle fiber extremely well and can totally run on veggies, I wanted to skip eating vegetables completely before the race because I do think that I run better (and feel lighter) without them.

Breakfast:

I had my usual pre and post run bowls of oatmeal (only pre-run bowl is pictured today) with a few cups of my new favorite coffee. The Stew Leonard’s Donut Shop Blend is so good! It’s noticeably better than the Trader Joe’s K Cups I had been drinking every morning.

My post-run bowl of oatmeal looked the same as the above only it had banana, Skoop B-Strong and egg whites mixed in 🙂

Lunch:

My initial plan for lunch was to have an open-faced sandwich on toasted cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread with one half peanut butter and banana and the other half eggs with avocado but then I found myself out for an early lunch before picking up my number for the race.

I like to be flexible about what I eat so even though this change in lunch plans fell on a day that I was trying to eat certain foods before the race, I knew I could still eat something perfect to fill my lunch needs.

I switched my lunch mindset from the above plan to the below bowl of baked oatmeal (which is served with warmed milk – it’s so cute). Maureen’s Kitchen has THE BEST baked oatmeal there is, even better than the baked oatmeal from the Premiere Diner.

There’s a part of me that wants to figure out how to make this baked oatmeal at home and the other part of me knows there is no way I would come close to replicating it! It’s like a big bowl of mashed up muffin, total carby goodness.

Previous posts at Maureen’s Kitchen here and here.

Dinner:

All I could think about for dinner was a big plate of sweet potato wedges with avocado. I sliced and roasted a large sweet potato plus a regular potato and topped the wedges with some barbecue sauce and mashed avocado. So so good.

It’s not pretty but it’s certainly delicious. I could eat this for dinner every night and not grow tired of it.

Dessert:

We suddenly started eating Vitalicious VitaTops again. I bought a random package of the double chocolate muffin tops on sale recently and since my son has been enjoying them so much, we placed an order from the website and split it with my parents. I know I can make my own version of these muffin tops but sometimes I just don’t feel like it!

Lately I warm up a muffin top and then top it with sliced bananas, strawberries and Midnight Moo (the chocolate syrup from Trader Joe’s).

How I felt during the race:

As you know from my recap, I felt great even though it was pouring raining on me. My stomach may have felt a little lighter from the lack of vegetables although who really knows for sure. As I said, I can run just fine on fiber but I do think it’s worth it to me to skip eating vegetables in the day or days leading up to a race.

What I will do differently for the half marathon…

A half marathon is much more serious for me in terms of what I eat in advance especially for the upcoming half in May which usually involves warmer temperatures.

In addition to being carb-focused, I will probably add:

Salt. More salt will be added to my diet in the days leading up to the race, especially if it’s hot out by then!

Tomato soup. I did really well running the Runner’s World Hat Trick of races when I had tomato soup with a sandwich as dinner both nights before the races. It’s possible that my pre-race dinner will be a nice big plate of roasted potato wedges with a side of tomato soup.

Watermelon. I meant to eat watermelon last Friday but ran out of it in the house and did not have time to get to the store. Watermelon makes a huge difference in my hydration levels and how I feel overall.

Pizza. I usually have pizza two nights before the race or the night before – I think it will all depend on our weekend plans.

Lots of water. Because waiting to hydrate the day of the race is too late!

Less vegetables. By the Wednesday before the half, I will probably cut down my vegetable intake significantly and then down to none.

Bananas, Sweet Potatoes and Oatmeal. You know, just more of the usual.

Click here to check out what everyone else is eating for this What I Ate Wednesday!

[bctt tweet=”WIAW – Pre-Race Meals #wiaw #running #halfmarathontraining #fitfluential #recenteats #maureenskitchen” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Are you good about being flexible when your meal plans change at the last-minute?

Favorite pre-race foods/meals?

Have you had Vitalicious muffin tops?

 

Aspire 10k Race Recap

 

This was my second consecutive year running the Aspire 10k race in Plainview, New York. This was also my second year running this 10k in less than favorable racing conditions.

Last year it was snowing, this year it was pouring rain. I am hoping to run this race next year simply for the chance of running with some sunshine!

Pre-Race:

I was up early even though the race didn’t start until 8:30 am. I did my best to drag out the morning (8:30 am is a late running start for me) so I drank water, made my coffee and had some of my breakfast at about 6:00 am.

I had one cup caffeinated coffee, almost a full cup of decaf and half a bowl of oatmeal with banana, saving the rest for a little later if I wanted it. I guess my stomach is a creature of habit because I normally only eat half a bowl of oatmeal with some banana for routine runs. Only for races (unless I am hungry) do I increase what I eat to the full bowl of oatmeal and/or half/whole banana.

The beauty of running a local, later morning race is that I was able to run 3 very easy warm up miles at home. It was not raining during my warm up so I was feeling confident for no rain at race time.

Of course it started to rain when I left my house for the race!

Before getting in the car, I had another piece of a banana and brought a handful of jelly beans in my pocket. I knew I wouldn’t need a gel for the 10k but like to have some sort of sugar with me just in case 🙂

I was able to get a parking spot fairly close to the start line and waited in my car as long as I could to avoid waiting in the rain. I timed things pretty well in that I did not need to use the porta potty before the race began!

I was so happy to get a text from Laura prior to the start. She is three hours behind New York time so this was extra special, unexpected and so super nice.

The Race:

It’s hard to go mile by mile for a 10k because it all goes so quickly!

I had a few jelly beans right before the race began.

I used to be the queen of starting out way too fast during the first mile and then losing steam. I am getting much better at going slow! It was fairly easy though to not go out too fast because the start was very crowded until about the one mile mark when things opened up a bit.

I did not really pay much attention to who was running around me, who was ahead of me, who might pass me. I just ran my own race as if it was a tempo run on my schedule.

This is a hilly course. I sort of remembered that from last year but I wouldn’t say it’s overly challenging in comparison to other races.

I would say there are four hills that feel sort of like large inclines beginning around mile 2, somewhere again at 3, during mile 4 (I think?) and then again as you make the approach to the mile 5 marker.

I felt extremely strong during this race. The weirdest part of this race was that each time I felt as though I kicked things up a notch, my miles would chime in at basically the exact same pace!

I did not shut MapMyRun off until after I stopped walking so the last .32 is not accurate. I wish it was because I am curious how I sped up as I approached the finish.

I am pretty in tune with what my paces feel like so I am a little confused as to why I felt much faster than this. It’s quite possible that the rain I was running in, which I didn’t think was as bad as it was, affected this race. When I made it beyond the finish line and started to walk, I immediately felt how soaked and squishy my feet were. Um, yeah, I was SOAKED. Beyond soaked. Like, I am surprised I didn’t notice how soaked I actually was while running.

What I Like About This 10K Race:

I love how close this race is to my house! We are talking less than 10 minutes away which makes for an easy race morning.

Parking is decent and close to start/finish line so you don’t need to stress it much.

The course runs the streets I drive all of the time so it’s kind of cool to run on them.

What I Don’t Love About This Race:

The weather. I realize the weather is the not the race’s fault but geez, every year it’s doing something other than showing me sunshine!

The potholes. I think because this race falls right after the winter, the roads have not been fixed from the damage of the salt/plows/snowstorms. I remembered this from last year’s race so I was extra cautious and constantly looking at where my feet were going to step. The puddles were covering some of the broken ground too which is dangerous.

Parts of the course are open to traffic. This is annoying. Even though the police are there and certain parts of the race are closed to traffic, there are many points where cars are sharing the road with you which is something that takes your focus off of running because your safety comes first. Especially in bad weather, you must pay attention to the cars around you < – Hoping my mother is skimming this post and not reading this part.

Finish Time Thoughts:

My official time is 48:40 even though I looked up and saw 48:38 when I crossed the line and even though I didn’t cross the start line when the race started.

I find it extremely annoying that they do not adjust your finish time to take into account when you actually start the race!

Last year’s time was 48:56 so this year was an improvement.

I try really hard not to compare races, even this race in comparison to last year’s race because circumstances are always different.

This year I am seriously training for a half marathon. This year I ran 3 warm up miles and 30 miles during the week in advance of this race. Last year I ran in the snow which I think is harder than running in the rain. See, you can’t compare races!

Overall Thoughts:

I felt terrific and loose the entire time. I really noticed, even as I was getting tired in the second half, that I was in my zone and comfortable with my paces. Could I have gone faster? I always wonder this. Yes, I do think I could have but I was trying to not burn myself out too soon.

Having Laura as a running coach is the best. Seriously. She is so there, so interested in her runners and so knowledgeable. I texted her as soon as I finished (even before I called my dad – I always call my dad as soon as I cross a finish line) and we texted all morning to keep discussing. She is such a cheerleader of inspiration!

Race Outfit:

Although it turned out to be a steady rain throughout the race, I stuck with my outfit plan, adding my Runner’s World hat over my headband at the last-minute. I have no idea how people were wearing shorts and tank tops! I would have been freezing even though it was in the 50’s. The rain felt cold.

This is what soaked and cold looks like after a race.

If you asked me for a list of my absolute favorite running apparel, what I wore for this race is it for sure:

• Lululemon Runderful Half Zip
• Lululemon Run Swiftly Short Sleeve
• Luluelmon Run Inspire Crops
• Thorlos Experia Socks
• Adidas Energy Boosts
• Runner’s World Festival Hat Trick Hat

[bctt tweet=”Aspire 10k Race Recap #running #10k #racerecap #halfmarathontraining #fitfluential @thisrunrecipes” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

For a full list of the races I have recapped on the blog, check out my race recap page here!

Anyone else race over the weekend? How did it go?

Least favorite running weather condition?

Do you have a favorite race outfit that you try to wear to all races?

 

Long Island Half Marathon Training Week #4

 

I can’t even believe that I am recapping week #4 of half marathon training with Laura already! In fact, I didn’t believe it so I had to double-check to ensure I wasn’t making a mistake. Tomorrow starts week #5 which means the Long Island Half Marathon is, um, 4 weeks from today. I can’t help but wonder about the weather a month from now. I know I have said this before but it’s usually fairly warm by race day yet the weather here right now is super cold, snowing(!!) and crazy windy. A lot can change in a month I guess, I would just like a little bit of time to adjust to running in some warmer temperatures if I am going to need it for race day!

This week’s workouts were slightly lighter than usual — not so much in mileage but in the intensity which worked well for yesterday’s 10k race. I didn’t taper (and ran a few miles prior to the start) but the reduction in speed work during the week helped me get to the start line with legs that weren’t what I would think of as fatigued at all.

I will recap the race in tomorrow’s post but it was a good one – even if it rained like crazy the entire time!

Monday – Pure Barre & 5 Miles (treadmill)

5 miles on the treadmill because the early morning rain did not look too inviting. I followed my new easy run treadmill workout but bumped up my easy pace range because I felt like I could go a little faster without burning myself out for tomorrow’s harder/longer run.

Pure Barre Tone in 10 Combo:

• Full Body
• Seat & Abs

I also did that Pop Sugar 10 minute workout for runners that we have talked about – I really like it!

Tuesday – 8 Miles (Treadmill)

I made the decision to run on the treadmill due to what the news was calling Tropical Storm force winds (40-50 MPH). The plan for today was 8 miles – 4 easy/4 going from moderately hard to hard.

It’s not so easy for me to do this type of run on the treadmill since I am supposed to base the pace on effort but I did the best I could!

Miles 1 – 4: speeds between 6.3 – 7.0

Miles 5, 6: speeds between 6.8 – 7.5

Miles 7, 8: speeds between 7.5 – 8.5

Wednesday – Pure Barre & 5 Miles

I was not at all in the mood for a Pure Barre DVD so I went with the Pure Barre Tone in 10 workouts instead.

The 10 minute workouts totally trick me mentally into getting in the mood to move myself. I think to myself – it’s only 10 minutes. What usually happens is that I end up combining a few of the Tone in 10 workouts which sometimes can equal the length of a DVD <- see how it’s all mental?!

Tone in 10 Combo:

• Arms & Abs
• Seat & Abs
• Back & Cool down

Click here if you missed my Pure Barre Tone in 10 Review.

5 miles easy outside, faster than what I consider an easy run but it felt comfortable.

Thursday – 8 Miles

The plan was for an easy 8 miles. I ran 3 miles on the treadmill until it was light enough for me outside to finish up this run outdoors.

A little later in the morning I quickly squeezed in my favorite Yoga For Runners: Pre-Run.

Friday – 4 Miles

I skipped Pure Barre today to give my muscles a little bit of rest before tomorrow’s 10k race.

Saturday – 10k Race

3 mile easy warm up + 10k race + cool down walk/run back to the car.

Photo credit: Aspire 10k Race/GLIRC

I will recap this rainy Aspire 10k race tomorrow but it went really well. I felt strong and happy, finishing faster than last year.

Sunday – Pure Barre

I totally feel like running today most likely because I didn’t run as long as usual yesterday. I will stick with just Pure Barre today though in order to rest up for the week of training ahead.

Previous Long Island Half Marathon Recaps:

LI Half 2015

LI Half 2014

LI Half 2013

[bctt tweet=”Long Island Half Marathon Training Week 4 #running #halfmarathontraining #10k #race #purebarre #fitfluential @thisrunrecipes @pure_barre #aspire10k” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Have you ever run a race in the rain?

Best thing you ate so far this weekend?

Is today a rest day or a run day?

 

 

 

Running & Recipe Links of Interest

 

One of the largest misconceptions about working from home is the belief that you are free to run your errands and get things done whenever you want. While there is some flexibility when working from home, if you want to get your job done, you have to hold to some sort of schedule. I try to run my errands during what I would consider a lunch hour and then get back to doing my thing as if it’s a normal job.

I did some food shopping yesterday during my lunch hour because today I have to pick up my number for the 10k race which is tomorrow morning.

I am excited about this 10k race tomorrow! I don’t run a lot of races so when a race comes up on my calendar, it’s a treat. My last race was back in October for the Great South Bay Half Marathon (recap here if you are interested).

I ran this same 10k last year (recap here) and although it’s going to be fairly chilly, I am grateful that it doesn’t look like it will be snowing like it did last year. It’s a local race, about 7 minutes or so from my house, which is an added bonus. I am ignoring that there’s a chance for rain in the morning.

When Laura put together my half marathon training plan, I let her know about this 10k so that she could build it into the schedule. She was all excited about this 10k actually because she said that it is a perfect tune up race before my half in four weeks. And here I thought it was just a great 10k race to run since it’s so close to my house and they give out a really nice long sleeve shirt 🙂

In addition to sharing recipes today, I came across a few great fitness related posts for you too – I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Mastering the 10K: Your Guide to Your Best Race < – perfect timing!

The Real Truth About Pre-Workout Snacks

3 Yoga Poses For Tight, Rounded Shoulders

Tips For Overcoming a Running Slump

5 Ways To Make The Most of Spring Running

Ultimate Girls Guide to a Fitness & Foodie NYC Weekend < – I love this! So many great places on this list including some I keep meaning to try!

Recipes:

Spicy Roasted Sweet Potato Spirals with Guacamole

Vegan & Gluten-Free Mac N Cheese

Roasted Carrots with Honey Butter

Springtime Cobb Salad

Spring Vegetable Stir Fry with Lemon Ginger Sauce

Easy Zoodle Pie

Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies With Fudge Sauce

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Bowl

[bctt tweet=”Running & Recipe Links of Interest #running #10k #race #halfmarathontraining #recipes #mealprep”]

3 things you are doing this weekend?

Which do you prefer – 10k or 5k?

What do you normally do during your lunch break?