Half Marathon Anniversaries + Weekly Workout Recap

This time of year is huge for racing, especially half marathons and marathons. While I’ve never run a marathon (and honestly don’t plan on it), I did run my fair share of half marathons.

Today is the seven-year anniversary of my first ever half marathon — the Hershey Park Half Marathon. Super crazy how time flies, isn’t it? I’m so glad that I ordered the professional photos from this race because this is really one of my most favorite pictures ever.

I think I was wearing Asics for this race? Gosh, I don’t even remember running Asics!!

This past weekend was also the five-year anniversary of that time I ran the Runner’s World Hat Trick.

Not only did I run a half marathon that weekend, but I ran a 5K followed by a 10K the day prior to the half. You can read a recap of those races here.

picture from hotel room with my 3 race medals and blue lips after the half

Years later and my focus has really shifted. I do not run the miles I used to run nor do I run races as I did over the past years of my blog.

I thought about races and my race anniversaries while I was running Saturday morning. The conversation in my head went like this:

Me: Running a race. Half Marathons. Any thoughts?

Also Me: No. Not interested.

Me: On a scale of 1 – 10, how likely is it that you will run a race any time soon?

Also Me: 1. And I only say 1 because I am still running on a regular basis. Otherwise, the answer would be 0.

Of course, this can change at any time but right now, I feel absolutely nothing towards the thought of running a race. I’m proud of past accomplishments and realize that I have 18 seconds to remove from my current Half Marathon PR to finish under 1:45, but no desire to put in the effort or the time on a race day to even try to break it.

Right now I am really happy just getting outside each morning for whatever my workout may be. I like walking more than I ever have before and I really like running less because I feel better overall than I have in years (but remember, I didn’t even  realize that I didn’t feel my best – I got used to the fatigue as and thought it was normal to constantly be chasing my appetite and feel bloated in my clothes).

Less is more for me. It may not be for everyone but it’s best for me as a runner and I’m just really happy that my workouts evolved to where they are now. 🙂

Monday – 60 Min Walk

Tuesday – 5 Min Pure Barre (arms)/5 Miles

I chose a 5 minute Pure Barre workout as I waited for the sun to rise a bit more before heading outside for my run. This is also the day that will be known as the time I was running and saw a raccoon. I nearly died. Not from being attacked by the raccoon, just by seeing it.

Wednesday – 15 Min Pure Barre (lower body)/4 Miles (speed)

I chose a new Pure Barre workout before heading outside to run. This workout was focused on the lower body but truly worked the entire body the entire time.

For my run, it was actually a bit of a speed workout. I wasn’t sure of what I would do but I had energy and interest so I ended up doing something like this:

Mile 1: First .75 mile easy/.25 hard

Mile 2 – 4: Alternating .25 mile easy/.25 hard

Thursday – 30 Min Pure Barre

The weather was super stormy last night with the heavy winds lasting through the morning and day. I chose a 30 minute Pure Barre workout which was great considering I’ve been so out of touch these last few months with the longer routines. I think I’m finally feeling back in sync with the 30-minute Pure Barre workouts!

Friday – 30 Min Run/30 Min Walk

Saturday – 7 Miles

Chilly morning! I wore my lulu half zip with the cuffins — I love the fold-over mitten option for mornings when you aren’t so sure that you need gloves but might need to cover your hands until you warm up.

This run was sort of speed workout but I can’t report the specifics as I didn’t pay close enough attention. I increased my effort at various quarter-mile and half-mile intervals after the first mile. 

Sunday – 30 Min Pure Barre/60 Min Walk

Half Marathon Thoughts + Workouts From Week

 

There’s a slight ping in my heart, every so often lately, as the Long Island marathon weekend approaches.

I ran the 10K portion last year but the thought of the half marathon still touches my heart, even though I haven’t run 13 miles in gosh, almost two years.

I’ve run the Long Island half marathon four times (2013 – 2016), with my current PR (1:45:18) still holding from 2016. I haven’t run a half marathon since.

start line overlooking the Coliseum. Can you spot the Islanders logo?

I enjoy running less these days but I do still think about half marathons and breaking 1:45. I mean, I am only 18 seconds away!

But could I just jump in and start running half marathons again?

I know that I am conditioned enough to complete a routine 13.1 miles around my neighborhood on any given day. You don’t forget how to do it. It’s all mental if you ask me.

But race a half marathon at the moment? Or even, on a whim, sign up for a half at last minute? A race atmosphere is so different from a leisurely run, even when you aren’t technically racing the distance.

I decided to ask Laura if someone like me (meaning, a former higher mileage, seasoned half marathoner) could just jump into running a half marathon.

Here’s our conversation:

Me: I wanted to ask you as running coach, could someone like me just sign up on a whim to run a half marathon?

Laura: You’ve run 10 recently right?

Me: Yes.

Laura: So if you can run 10 now, you could. You wouldn’t be in PR shape but you would have the endurance to finish. From where you are now, you could safely do 12 before race day and still taper.

Me: But I don’t want to even run 12 miles before a race day right now! < – who have I become?!

Laura:  Not that you would have to – you could do it off of 10 – but if you have a few weeks and could get up to 11-12, it would make race day mentally and physically easier.

Me: Good point.

Me: Also, for someone like me, if I wanted to train to break my half marathon PR but do not want to run high mileage, what’s the minimum mileage I could train on to do it?

Laura: That’s a good question because mileage varies so much not just runner to runner but for individual runners in different seasons of life. I think 35-40 would be optimal, but you could maybe do it off around 30 miles per week as a “minimum maximum.”

Me: Oh, 30 it would be. I definitely do not want to run more than that on a weekly basis.

*****

So we shall see. I do not plan to train to run a half any time soon, but at least I have some information to work with, should it become something on my list.

There is a very slight chance, very slight, that I will decide at the very last minute to sign up to run the Long Island half in a few weeks. No stopping to think about it, just sign up, go and see what happens.

That would be interesting right? Just go and run and see what happens? I don’t know. I don’t like to wake up that early or spend my money on a la de da run but the mental part of jumping in with nothing in mind sounds interesting. At the moment. I don’t know. What do you think?

******

My workouts over the last week were fine and flexible. Best way to describe it. I had to move things around based upon weather and the Islanders. The playoffs leave me tired!

Monday – 47 Min Pure Barre

Yes, this was 47 minutes, not 45 minutes. Pretty sure they added extra plank work with those extra 2 minutes — never my favorite (because it’s hard!) but I know it’s worth the effort.

Tuesday – 3 Miles

9 miles on Sunday no problem, today 3 miles was a major achievement. The weekdays are so not my running days right now! The entire first mile was spent thinking maybe I will stop after a mile and just walk. But then I said — my goodness, you can run 3 miles! Geez. It’s only 20 something minutes of running, why are you stopping?

So I made it 3 miles. Ridiculous.

Wednesday – 49 Min Pure Barre

I mentioned this Pure Barre workout more in-depth in Friday’s post.  Such a strong work out.

Pure Barre On Demand screenshot from ending section of abs

Thursday – Rest

I knew last night’s Islanders game (which went into overtime) was going to leave me exhausted today.

Friday – 5 Miles

I don’t normally run on Friday’s but I didn’t run yesterday and wanted to get outside. Decent run. No complaints.

Saturday – 60 Min Pure Barre (Pure Results  – Arms)

It was still raining at 9:00 am so I opted for an hour of Pure Barre, knowing that I can run tomorrow.

Exercise in photo below =  DEAD.

screenshot from Pure Barre Pure Results Arms workout

Sunday – 8 Miles

I flew out the door full of energy (excited about the noontime start for the Islanders game !) and happy to be running at my leisure in 60-degree temps. Usually, I need some adjusting to warm weather but not today. It felt terrific, even if I did start to get a bit warm. I wouldn’t say it affected me — I appreciated it.

Have a great week! Good luck to the runners in Boston!

[bctt tweet=”Workouts from the week plus my half marathon thoughts at the moment #running #run #purebarre @pure_barre #halfmarathon #longislandhalfmarathon #lihalf” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

When was the last time you ran a half marathon? Are you currently training for one?

Have you ever run a half marathon just for fun or as a last minute decision?

Trying To Pick A Fall Half Marathon. Or Not.

 

As I sit here trying to pick a fall half marathon, I keep thinking back to my post, It’s Okay To Not Sign Up For A Race.

I am not big on running races. Running a couple of races a year is MORE than enough for me.

However, it’s been over a year since my last half marathon which is a little bit unusual for me. At the very least, I have been running at least one half marathon a year, if not two!

I am trying to pick a fall half marathon and I’m finding problems with all of them on my list.

The Great South Bay Half Marathon, scheduled for Saturday September 23 most likely interferes with my menstrual cycle as well as Rosh Hashanah. I did run this half two years ago and sort of thought I would run it again by now!

Then there’s the Suffolk County Half Marathon on October 29. The entry price is $75 which to me, seems insane to me right now for running 13.1 miles when I can just run for free around my neighborhood. My first thought when I saw the entry fee was what else I could with $75, like restock my Dior Hydralife Lotion To Foam Cleanser and Kerstase Shampoo!

I also have the Queens Half Marathon on November 18 on my radar but the start time is 7:00 am. Who wants to get to Queens so early in the morning when they can run a little bit later, the same distance, at home? Not to mention the $80 registration fee and the fact that I would need to drive to Queens (I hate traffic) the day before to pick up my number.

Of course I see most of my race decision problems as excuses.

If I really wanted to run a fall half marathon so badly, I would make one of these three races work for me without an issue.

When I want to do something, I do it. When I don’t really want to, I find an excuse. I know this very well about myself. I never do anything that I don’t want to do.

It’s always good when we can be brutally honest with ourselves. My excuses are showing that maybe I’m not really in the mood to run a half marathon. At least it doesn’t look like it right now, right?

Of course I could decide at the last-minute. I don’t necessarily need to train to run a fall half marathon but I do know that training with Laura for my last half was a great experience. My body can run the half marathon distance anytime, anywhere but training and preparing feels so much better.

At this point, I just don’t know what I’m going to do! I can’t even offer you my reasons for not having the desire to run a fall half marathon at the moment. Even with knowing I am so close to breaking 1:45, the whole sign up to run a race is just not overly appealing.

I wish I had that first half marathon approaching feeling again. My first half marathon was 5 years ago this fall which I just can’t believe!

While I don’t have the race excitement brewing right now, that doesn’t mean I give up my workout routine. I still love to run and I’m still out there six days a week averaging 40 miles pretty much without fail.

You don’t need a race to keep running.

[bctt tweet=”Trying to pick a fall half marathon #running #halfmarathon #races #fall #fitfluential” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Are you planning to run a fall half marathon?

Did you think about running a race this fall but now aren’t in the mood?

This post may contain affiliate links. Thanks for your support!

 

My 5 Basic Tips For Running Your Next Half Marathon

 

I received an email from a reader last week asking me for a few basic tips for running a half marathon.

It’s not an easy question to answer, especially by email because you have to choose your words carefully so that you make sense and don’t ramble.

In order to answer her question, I decided to list the first 5 things that came to my mind as advice for running a half marathon.

I actually liked what I came up with so I turned the topic into a post for today!

While I am not a running coach and don’t consider myself a running expert, I’ve run a decent amount of races and tons of miles in between so I feel that I can speak about running the half marathon from my own experience.

I hope you can use my perspective and 5 basic tips for running your next half marathon to assist you in preparing for your next race!

1. Do not start out too fast.

I think I have run 9 marathons now? It took me several half marathons to fully implement the DO NOT START OUT TOO FAST when running a race. While I do think it’s a tactic that comes with experience, I can only hope to help someone just starting out to avoid this big mistake.

Do your best to start the first two miles 10-15 seconds slower than your goal pace. Let your body adjust to running and to the energy of the race around you.

Starting out too fast often leads to burn out much sooner than you want! Trust me, you will make up the seconds in the later miles while feeling much stronger than if you jump out like a cannon at the starting line.

I also think that including warm up miles in your daily runs will help you get in the habit of not starting out too fast in a race. So, if you aren’t already incorporating warm up miles in your workouts, please consider adding them in!

2. Make sure to stop for water at the first water stop.

Even if you think you aren’t thirsty, do not skip that first water stop, especially during a warm weather race. I made this mistake once and I will never do it again!

By the time you are thirsty, it’s too late. Even if you don’t drink the full cup, grab one and get some water into your mouth.

3. Miles 10 – 13.1 are going to be hard, no matter what!

No matter how well-trained you are or how fast you run, the last 3.1 miles are hard. You are tired, your legs are fatigued and you just want to be finished.

Know this, prepare for it and accept it. Then mentally, you will push your body through it.

4. Draw from experience.

I mean a few things when I say draw from experience.

Maybe you ran a specific half marathon in the past and plan to run it again. Think about the race course as you experienced it prior – were there specific parts that were easier or more challenging? Knowing this can help you devise a mental plan of attack for race day.

For me, I know that the portion of the Long Island Half Marathon that runs on the Wantagh Parkway is tough. It’s around mile 9, I am already tired and the open stretch of road can be boring and brutal. Each year after my first race, I did my best to mentally prepare for that portion of the race by thinking about during training and preparing myself with race day tactics to get through as best as possible.

If you are planning to run a new to you race, do some research. Look up blogs that have reviewed the race before and speak to people you know who may have run the race for any pointers they can offer.

Draw from the experience of your training runs too. The clothing that feels the best is what you should wear on race day. The food that sits best in your stomach is what you need to eat before and after the race.

Being prepared definitely makes things easier!

5. Showing up and running your best race for that day is beyond good enough.

I don’t know why people are so hard on themselves. We are not machines. If you miss your PR but did the best you could on race day, what more could you really ask for?

Of Possible Interest:

Taper Strategies Q & A

Race Fueling Strategies

The Benefits Of Tune Up Races

What To Eat The Night Before A Long Run

[bctt tweet=”My 5 Basic Tips For Running Your Next Half Marathon #running #halfmarathon #races #fitfluential” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Any tips you wish to add that you have learned from your own race experiences?

Do you have a favorite race distance?

Are there any running questions you have that you want to see answered here on the blog?

Solid Week Of Running, Fall Half Marathon & Pure Barre

 

What a solid week of running I had! Wow. I can’t help but keep saying how I feel so much more like myself out there lately.

Sometimes I don’t think we realize how not like ourselves we feel until we realize we feel like ourselves again. Does that make sense?

I think that the winter months were really hard on me this year in terms of getting up and out to either run in the cold or run on the treadmill. I can’t say enough how much I appreciate the early sunrises for waking me up. Even if I am a morning person, even if I wake up according to my internal clock and never an alarm clock, seeing the sunlight just makes things a whole lot better.

The miles are ticking by these days and my interest in breaking my half marathon PR is something I find myself thinking about while running. A fall half marathon is now on my radar. My current half PR (from May 2016) is 1:45:18. Surely I can find the 18 seconds plus another one or two to break 1:45, don’t you think?

Monday – 8 Miles

The forecast is calling for rain tomorrow morning so I switched my routine around to run 8 miles today. No real plan here, just an 8 mile run to start the week.

Tuesday – 4 Miles/Pure Barre Mile High

I was able to squeeze in 4 easy miles before it really started to rain!

Wednesday – 4 Miles/Pure Barre

I probably should have checked the weather forecast a little more closely before going out for my run. Last night they had said a chance of showers lingering but I decided that meant for somewhere else.

By mile 3 of my run, it started to pour! I called it quits at mile 4 and headed home for Pure Barre. You can tell from my splits that I was running easy until it started to rain and I need to get home quick!

Pure Barre Tone in 10 Combo:

• Full Body
• Seat & Abs
• Back & Cool down

Thursday – 7 Miles

I woke up ready to run and felt good during the warm up so I gave this a try:

2 mile warm up + 3 miles effort + 2 miles easy

Friday – Pure Barre/4 Miles

Pure Barre Tone in 10 Combo:

• Arms & Abs
• Back & Cool Down

This week I am appreciating the Tone in 10 workout: Back & Cool down a whole lot. It includes a lot of stretching but also focuses on strengthening the back and core while also giving a bridge section at the end.

I stepped outside for my run, it wasn’t raining. Only a few steps in, it’s starts raining. Ugh! What’s with the early morning rain this week?!  I went back into the house for my rain jacket and then ran 4 miles.

Saturday – 13 Miles

Once again, it was raining in the early morning! This time with thunder so I waited until it finished to head outside. All I can really say about this run is that IT WAS HUMID. Yikes. It was the first really humid run of the season but I guess it’s okay since I need to get used to running in heat/humidity at some point.

I had dinner Friday night at George Martin’s Burger Bar. Thankfully nothing I ate (or drank) bothered me during this long run in the warm temps. While I definitely have a tough stomach, the heat and humidity can sometimes make things a little more sensitive. Of interest: What To Eat The Night Before A Long Run.

Sunday – Pure Barre

I usually reserve the Pure Barre Pure Results (focus on thighs) workout for Sunday mornings. 🙂

[bctt tweet=”recapping my workout from the week! #running #purebarre #longrun #runner @pure_barre #workouts” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Did you get a lot of rain this week? Did it interfere with any of your workouts?

Would you say that you had a solid week of running?

Best thing you ate so far this weekend?

Race Decision: Long Island Half

 

 

I figured I would pop in today with my final decision about running the Long Island half marathon May 7.

In a workout recap post recently, I mentioned that I didn’t think I would be running Long Island half marathon for the first time in years. Although, at the time of that post, I still wasn’t sure.

My period is now due ON RACE DAY. I knew it would be a close call but this month’s cycle has confirmed it.

If you are fairly new to the blog, you may not know that I do not run races when I have my period. I have a history of fainting during my period (especially upon exertion) and I am not looking to put myself in a bad position just to run a race.

I guess things happen for a reason though because I didn’t even have my parents around to watch my son for the race. Usually my son sleeps at their house the night before a race but this year they have a wedding to attend!

I am more than okay with missing the half marathon this year.

In fact, it’s almost like a blessing in disguise because I honestly don’t think that I felt much like running a half marathon right now anyway.

In case you are interested in my Long Island Half Marathon race recaps:

Long Island Half Marathon 2016 – My current half PR! I trained with Laura and learn so much from her in terms of how to best prepare for a half marathon.

Long Island Half Marathon 2015 – Horrible race! I was sick a few days before the half and never should have assumed I was up for running a half marathon in the warm weather and bright sun.

Long Island Half Marathon 2014 – Barely remember this half although I don’t think it was too great.

Long Island Half Marathon 2013 – First time running this half, third half marathon ever and my half PR until 2016!

As far as upcoming races, I am planning to run the 10 mile race in Long Beach Memorial Day weekend. While I will wait until the last minute to register (just to watch the weather), I ran this race in 2014 (recap here) and enjoyed it, so I might as well run by the beach again to kick off the summer season.

I took this picture after the race three years ago! Feels like yesterday.

[bctt tweet=”I won’t be running the Long Island Half this year #running #halfmarathon #races #LIhalf #longisland #runner” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

What’s next on your race calendar?

Anyone else not totally in the mood to train for a race right now?

Of Possible Interest: It’s Okay To Not Sign Up For A Race

 

Running & Workout Recap (3.20.17 – 3.26.17)

 

I am not totally sure that I am going to be able to run the Long Island Half Marathon. For starters, my parents have a wedding the night before the race. While this may sound unrelated to the race, it’s totally related!

I like to have my son sleep at their house the night before a race so that I don’t have to worry. While I am sure that I can figure out other arrangements, I don’t want to worry/wonder if my son will end up needing me for something the morning of the race. If he is with my parents, I know I can get the race run and done without issue.

Also, my period is still a factor. There is still a strong chance that I am due the morning of the race but I won’t know the likelihood of that for a few more weeks.

I haven’t made any final decisions yet (and don’t really need to) but have considered another race in the back of my mind instead.

There’s a 10 mile race in Long Beach Memorial Day weekend. I ran this race in 2014 (recap here) and although it’s super hot and sunny (no shade by beach) it’s a good race choice.

So I guess we will see! For now I will keep up some of the speed work anyway just to prepare myself for either race. I can always run the half at the last-minute!

Monday – Pure Barre/30 Minutes Running

A Pure Barre Mile High DVD (35 minutes) followed by 30 minutes of running outside is just a perfect way to start a Monday morning.

The thigh section in the Pure Barre Mile High Series never gets easier! I’ve been doing this series for almost 3 years and it still burns!

Tuesday – 8 Miles?

I don’t even know for sure what went down today.

The plan was 8 miles with 8 x 3 min hard/2 min recovery. I knew this workout was going to happen on the treadmill as it was still too dark in the morning to start the run outdoors. I considered dressing a specific way so that I could switch to running outside once it was light enough but decided I would be fine on the treadmill.

Ha.

Within 3 miles, I was hating the treadmill. My shins were not thrilled and my mood was following suite. I paused the treadmill to stretch, tried again for a mile and paused again. Then I walked around the gym, lifted a few weights and tried again.

The treadmill and I called it a day after another mile or two. I made the decision to run outside for 3 miles (even though I wasn’t dressed to run outside) which maybe brought me to 8 miles total?

I told Laura later in the day that the treadmill and I are done for the season. I reached my limit and need a break!

Wednesday – Pure Barre/35 Min Running

I went with a Pure Barre Mile High DVD again (disc 1 – 35 minutes) followed by an easy run outside for around 35 minutes.

Thursday – 8 Miles

My training plan said I should run 2 mile warm up + 4 miles at half marathon pace + cool down.

I have not been running at half pace all that much lately outside so I figured it was time to give it a try.

Hitting my half pace without going too fast or too slow is always tricky at first!

I am aiming for a half pace (if I run the half!) of around 7:55 so clearly I was a little too fast and then too slow. Overall though I felt great.

Friday – Strength/4 Miles

Instead of turning on a Pure Barre workout, I chose to watch the news while doing some strength work on my own. I’ve been doing Pure Barre for so long now that I am capable of doing the arm sequences and ab work by myself. I liked this little routine actually! When I was finished, I headed outside for an easy four miles.

Saturday – 10 miles

My son had another early morning hockey game but I was able to squeeze in 10 miles before getting him to the rink. It really took me 5 miles to warm up but then out of nowhere, I felt great.

Sunday – Pure Barre

It’s been a while since I did the Pure Barre Pure Results workout so that’s the plan for today!

[bctt tweet=”weekly workout recap! #running #purebarre #halfmarathon #lihalf @Pure_Barre #fitfluential” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Who else is still taking Pure Barre classes or doing the workouts from home?

Best thing you ate so far this weekend?

Is today a run day or a rest day?

 

LI Half Marathon Training Week #1

So technically this week was my first week of training for the Long Island half marathon. If I am being completely honest with myself and with you, I don’t really know that I 100% feel like training to run a half marathon.

I keep going back and forth on the subject. It’s not that I don’t feel like running, it’s that I am not so sure that I care to run a race or follow any sort of race training structure.

Yes, I can run the half marathon without training specifically for the race. However, I learned last year when training with Laura that following a training plan makes a huge difference in how I feel on race day so if I am going to run the race, I do want to be prepared in the best way possible.

I don’t know. I guess for now I will follow my training plan (which is last year’s plan, slightly tweaked) and just see how I feel about it in another week or so.

Running overall this week was great though! I had taken a few days off completely while away in Chicago which definitely made a positive difference in how I felt when I returned to my workouts. Let’s take a look.

Monday – 5 Miles

Taking a few days off from running really does do wonders. I flew out the door with my first mile at an 8:11 pace. I barely felt it!

Tuesday – 7.2 Miles

This was my first workout of this Long Island half marathon training cycle. I chose the treadmill for this run since it was going to be rainy and timing the minutes for the intervals works well on the treadmill anyway.

10 minute warm up + 20 x 1 min fast/1 min recovery + cool down.

The funny part about this workout is that I thought I was supposed to do 24 rounds of intervals and I had dropped it to 20  rounds to save myself some time. Turns out, the original workout in my training plan from last year was only 12 rounds!! This is what you get for winging things, thinking you remember accurately and not looking up the plan right before heading out the door.

I ranged between setting the speed to 7.7 – 8.3 for a minute and dropped the speed to 6.8 for every recovery minute. This was a challenging workout for sure! The first 10 minutes of intervals were fine, it’s after that when you really start to feel it.

Wednesday – Pure Barre/3 Miles

I didn’t have a ton of time this morning but that worked out just fine because I really didn’t feel the need to run more than 3 miles. Less is more for me lately I think.

Thursday – 7.17 Miles

The plan today was 2 mile warm up + 3 miles tempo pace + cool down.

I went with a 3 mile warm up because I ate breakfast too close to running which created an annoying side stitch for the first 20 or so minutes. After that, I felt better but not exactly in tempo running mode at all.

I pushed as much as I could against my brain really telling me the entire time that it didn’t feel like running fast.

Friday – Pure Barre

I chose a 45 minute Pure Barre workout (Pure Barre Studio Series) and a rest day from running. The weather threw me off a bit. It was supposed to be snowing when I woke up but it wasn’t. I really could have run outside I guess but I just didn’t feel like it nor did I feel like running a few miles on the treadmill. With frigid temperatures, ice and snow expected to be on the ground tomorrow, I preferred a rest day from running to prepare for a long run on the treadmill in the morning.

Saturday – 12 Miles (Treadmill!)

The plan for today was 9 miles easy + 3 miles at moderate effort for a total of 12 miles.

Oh boy, I made this long run on the treadmill run work for me but I was definitely DEAD at the end! Not only was I dead, I was thirsty and grateful for the water fountains in my gym.

Sunday – Pure Barre

A part of me feels like running a few easy miles but I doubt that I will because its super cold here at the moment. I don’t feel like running on the treadmill today and already know the treadmill is where I will likely be the rest of the week with a blizzard in our forecast! Ugh, is it Spring yet?

[bctt tweet=”LI Half Marathon training week #1 #LIHalf #running #workouts #halfmarathontraining #purebarre ” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Who else had a long run on the treadmill this weekend? How did it go?

Is there a blizzard in your forecast?

Are you in the mood to train for a race or not really?

 

Unplugged & That Half Marathon Feeling (TOL)

After receiving my replacement phone, I had to log back into all of my apps. For the life of me, I cannot get into my Instagram account because I can’t get the password correct. All it does when I try to reset the password is redirect me to log in without the chance to actually reset it.

Right now the only Instagram account that I can access is the one I manage for work. In case you were wondering, it can get real confusing to juggle so many accounts (personal and work) so in some ways, I am more than happy actually to not have access to mine at the moment.

In fact, I think I liked not having my phone for a bit. It was super nice to be unplugged from the world.

I am NOT ready for this season’s Girlfriend’s Guide To Divorce to end. This season went way too fast, probably because I think it has been the best so far. The whole Abby and the baseball coach thing with the ex-wife who wasn’t totally the ex-wife yet is just so real life. You may think it’s not, but it is.

In the spare time that I don’t have, I should start a dating after divorce blog. Oh, the stories I could tell.

So I’m back in the mood to listen to my race playlist while running which makes me happy. The songs immediately give me that starting line/finish line half marathon feeling. Interestingly enough, the songs rarely remind me of the middle of a race.

I think my brain chooses to block the middle miles of a race out of my mind.

This thought of blocking out the middle miles of a race got me thinking again about how I can run 13 miles at any time like no big deal yet running 13 miles in a half marathon is a totally different experience. Running a race is HARD, regardless of how used to the actual distance you can be.

I start training for the Long Island half marathon in like two weeks!

And since I have zero new photos this week after losing my phone, here’s a #TBT to my first half marathon taken minutes before the race began. I can see the no make up applied innocence (and nervousness) in my face!

Running my first half marathon at Hershey Park was such a proud moment.

But really, isn’t every single run a proud moment? Each morning I am proud of the run I accomplish, no matter the pace or distance. I think this is just another reason why running first thing in the morning is a great way to start the day. 🙂

On This Day:

2/23/16: NEDA Week < – I am always good for a disordered eating, body image, and amenorrhea conversation.

2/23/15: Things That Make Me Happy < – Still loving Red Mango and I need a new coloring book!

2/23/14: My Kind of Plant-Based Power Bowl < – The easiest meals to make, if you ask me.

Be sure to check out what everyone else is thinking about today!

Are you glued to your phone or do you prefer to unplug more often lately?

Which songs remind you of the races you have run? Do you have a set race playlist or do you make a new one right before a race?

Which race was your first race to run?

The Bloat Is Real (TOL)

 

My mind has been gearing up with major interest in training for the Long Island half marathon.

The Long Island half marathon for this year is Sunday, May 7 which means I would start training in a few weeks.

The only slight issue at the moment is my menstrual cycle. It may be another month before I can tell if my period will coincide with race day and if it does, I cannot run the race.

If everything stays EXACTLY on schedule, I should be fine and good to go. However, if things get thrown off by a day here or there, I won’t be able to run the half marathon and that’s okay.

I’ve had a good run (no pun intended) being able to run the Long Island half four years in a row so if I can’t this year because of my period, then I guess I can’t.

As you may recall, I can’t run a race during my period.

I have fainted in the past (more than once) during my time of the month. I had to drop out in the middle of running the Fitness Magazine half in 2014 because I didn’t feel well, not realizing until after that my period started while I was running the race.

We all have our limitations and this is one I don’t like to mess with!

Speaking of my time of the month, every time I try to wear my black high boots during my period or during the PMS time right before, I struggle to zip my black boots up my calves.

Monday night was no exception. In fact, I almost had to leave for the city (work event) with my left boot only half zipped.

The bloat is real people, the bloat is real.

I started feeling that overall bloated feeling on Sunday. You know, the whole I am a sausage stuffed in my clothing feeling? I knew I didn’t look it but I sure as heck felt it.

Well, my boots not zipping is surely proof that we really do bloat during PMS.

It’s NOT just in our heads.

I always laugh at the fact that my boots get too tight during my time of the month while knowing I would FREAK if it was the waist of my pants unable to zip. Every time I have this thought though, I realize how ridiculous it is.

Like, why does my lower leg not phase me but higher up in the leg/waist would cause an issue? Something to think about and something I have written about (in this body image post).

I totally laughed about my boot situation on Monday and texted Amanda (our thinking out loud host) so we could laugh together.

Amanda and I always joke about needing to drink more water as if hydration will solve every problem in life. But seriously, I am basically drowning in tea and it didn’t solve my bloating issue this month.

I broke my rule on taking selfies in mirrors (I really HATE selfies especially when one takes a picture of themselves and you see the phone) but I felt it was my duty to show the world that my boots did in fact zip up eventually.

And hey, there’s my new black bag!

On This Day:

2/16/16: New Running Playlist

2/16/15: Cast Iron Skillet Baked Oatmeal

2/16/14: Easy French Toast

2/16/13: Saturday Treadmill Run & Confession

[bctt tweet=”The bloat is real #thinkingoutloud #PMS #running #halfmarathon #boots #onthisday” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Anyone else ever unable to zip their boots?!

How do you feel about the selfies that show the phone in the mirror?

When is your next race?