Ask A Running Coach Q & A

 

I ALWAYS seem to have random questions to ask a running coach. Thankfully, I have Laura who is always so happy to answer any of my questions with explanations that always make sense.

Last week I asked Laura to take two of my most recent running questions and expand the answers into a post that I could share with you today. I figured if I have these running questions, you may too and the answers may provide you with some insight to help you to become an even better runner.

The first question I asked Laura (a few times actually) was in regards to fueling during long runs. All of a sudden, somewhere in the last several months, I noticed that I completely stopped taking Hammer Gels with me as my long run fuel. In fact, I stopped taking any form of fuel with me for long runs completely. It’s like one day I just woke up and realized I didn’t feel that I needed anything beyond my pre-run meal. I used to be so religious with taking in fuel at the hour mark of a long run. But now, I just don’t feel as though I need it and I wondered why/how that happened.

Do I need to consume fuel during a long run?

Meredith posed this scenario to me a few months ago. She no longer feels that she needs a gel on her easy-paced long runs (~90 minutes to 2 hours in duration).

In the scenario of an easy weekend long run under 2 hours long, experienced runners do not need to take fuel. Over time, your body adapts to running long distances and you become more efficient. Additionally, long distance running increases your body’s glycogen stores, meaning that well-trained distance runners can store more energy for running than novices. If you are eating well before the run, you may be able to run the distance on the energy from your meal plus stored glycogen.  You are not running long enough or hard enough to completely burn through your glycogen stores. If you do feel like you should eat something, then definitely do!

If you do not eat before your run, you want to take fuel with you if you plan on running for longer than 75 minutes. If you are running for longer than 2 hours, you want to take fuel approximately every 45-60 minutes to avoid bonking or stressing your immune system.

If you do not want to take gel on a run but know you need the calories, try real food options. Real food tastes better than gels and you can easily customize the amount. You want to select carb-based easily-digestible foods such as applesauce, raisins, boiled potatoes, or dates.

My next question for Laura was about running at my 5K pace. I don’t like 5K races and I don’t love running super fast all that often. However, is training a bit at my 5K pace important for me as a runner? That’s what I wanted to know and figured maybe you did too.

Is it beneficial for long distance runners to train at their 5K pace?

Yes! Long distance runners usually prefer easy to moderate paced runs, but running near your VO2max (maximum aerobic capacity, which is slightly faster than 5K pace for most runners) has numerous benefits. Training at 5K pace will help improve your speed at any distance and improve your running economy – which has just as much impact on your next marathon or half marathon PR as your speed does.

Thankfully, you do not need to train often at 5K pace, nor do these training sessions require long durations of running at 5K pace. Interval training such as track workouts or fartlek runs are the best way to add 5K pace training to your running routine. The recovery intervals between each hard interval lets you run more volume at this pace. Keep the intervals short – 3-5 minutes is ideal, although you could do anywhere from ¼ mile to mile repeats depending on your level of fitness – and allow for ample recovery between each.

If you do two hard runs per week, make one of them a 5K-paced interval run and the other a tempo run. If you run one hard workout per week, you can make every hard workout an interval run during the off-season or alternate between intervals and tempo runs during race specific training.

If you have any running questions for Laura, feel free to ask in the comments! Or, as always, feel free to read her blog and contact her directly. Maybe we will do another post like this soon!

Of Possible Interest:

What To Eat The Night Before A Long Run

The Benefits Of Tune Up Races

5 Basic Tips For Running Your Next Half Marathon

5 Benefits of Treadmill Running for Outdoor Runners

[bctt tweet=”Ask A Running Coach! Q & A with @thisrunrecipes #run #running #longrun #training #hammergel #fitfluential #workouts ” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Do you have any questions to ask a running coach? Ask away!

Do you take fuel with you on long runs? Which is your favorite?

 

 

 

Thought Per Picture (August 2017)

 

 

Starting the week off with a thought per picture!

My son was in Toronto last week with his teen tour. He was kind enough to send me a picture from Niagara Falls. I remember doing the Maid of the Mist attraction thing at Niagara Falls when I was his age!

I was craving chocolate on Friday so I stopped into Carlo’s Bakery for two dark chocolate covered strawberries. Totally hit the spot.

We went to the Mets game on Saturday. All I could think about during Saturday morning’s progression run on the treadmill was this Margherita pizza from Citifield. As soon as we got to the game, I headed straight to the pizza stand like a girl on a mission.

This Margherita pizza satisfied my long run craving until it was time for dessert.

While I briefly contemplated an ice cream sundae in a helmet, I went with cookie dough again because it seemed more appealing. They only have orange and blue sprinkles for the ice cream which really annoys me. I like chocolate sprinkles. 

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s workout recap post that I ALWAYS warm up on the treadmill with my easy run on the treadmill workout.

Have you tried it yet? If not, please check out the post for the full details and let me know what you think. This workout really warms me up so well! If I start too fast on the treadmill, my feet/legs used to tense up but that never happens anymore.

Continuing with my mission to find the best onion rings in New York, I had onion rings with dinner last night. These onion rings were from Zorn’s. I didn’t even know that Zorn’s had onion rings! They were very good for sure but not as crunchy of a breading as the onion rings I had from Jackson Hole recently.

Who else is annoyed that Love Songs radio was replaced with Yacht Rock Radio this summer on SiriusXM Radio?! The only thing saving me from being annoyed about it yesterday was hearing Kokomo! I haven’t heard Kokomo in forever!

So I am totally dating myself here but Kokomo was THE SONG back in like 5th grade. And remember when the Beach Boys made an appearance on Full House to sing Kokomo with everyone?! Ah, the memories. They still need to replace this Yacht Rock radio thing though. I miss the Love Songs station.

Have a great Monday! 🙂

[bctt tweet=”Thought Per Picture! #niagrafalls #pizza #metsgame #cookiedonyc #onionrings #zorns #siriusxm #kokomo #weekend” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Best thing you ate over the weekend?

Are you a dark chocolate, white chocolate or milk chocolate fan when it comes to chocolate covered strawberries?

Do you like a classic Margherita pizza or do you prefer more toppings?

Who else listens to SiriusXm radio? Which stations are your favorite?

 

Tempo, Treadmill Hill & Progression Runs! (Summer Training #3)

 

I can’t believe that my third week of training with Laura is now complete. The miles are flying by and I am LOVING every single workout she throws in my direction.

This week definitely involved more challenging workouts. I had a tempo run, treadmill hill workout and a last-minute progression run on the treadmill added to the schedule too.

I’ve got lots of details about my workouts today so let’s jump right in to my recap!

Monday – 5 Miles/Pure Barre

The weather was sunny and fairly cool (68 degrees, no humidity) perfect for an easy 5 miles.

I quickly came home to combine two 5 minute Pure Barre workouts (thighs & seat) before getting ready to take my son to the drop off for this week’s teen tour.

Tuesday – 7 Miles (Tempo Run)

The plan for today was a tempo run based on effort rather than pace. The heat and humidity slow me down so Laura said that focusing on my effort is the way to go.

2 mile warm up

3 miles at tempo effort (10K – half marathon effort)

2 miles easy

I felt the higher humidity today but was still able to dial in to a half marathon effort. Not really sure if I felt a 10k effort in there but I know I was working hard for those 3 miles. A lot of it was mental – I had to keep reminding myself to keep up the effort rather than get lost in just running.

Wednesday – 7 Miles

It was extremely humid this morning, especially compared to how it has felt recently so I was glad to see an easy run on the schedule. I considered going up to 8 miles (the range said 7-8 miles for today) but I was totally done sweating by the 7 mile mark!

Thursday – 6 Miles (treadmill hill workout!)

I was SO EXCITED to see a treadmill hill workout on the plan for today! I had told Laura when she was putting together my training plan for this month that I wanted to be pushed to run inclines on the treadmill since it’s something I never do on my own.

Wow, was this a workout. She had me run at a moderate paced speed which meant I was between 7.0 – 7.5 after the warm up. This was HARD but manageable and I felt amazingly exhausted when I finished.

I skipped Pure Barre today – I was dead from this treadmill hill workout!

Friday – 4 Miles/Pure Barre

It was pretty humid but that was fine for me for an easy run. Actually, the 4 miles ticked by really fast. Usually, the shorter, easy runs tend to feel so long but not today.

Since I skipped Pure Barre yesterday, I did a quick 10 minute back & stretching Pure Barre workout.

Saturday – 12 Miles  10 Mile Progression Run (treadmill)

I saw rain in the forecast so I told Laura I was probably going to be running on the treadmill. Once I told her that, she asked me if I would like to change up the original long run plan of 12 easy miles to a treadmill workout instead.

Um, sure!

She cut the planned distance to 10 miles and increased the effort.

I asked Laura if she felt that shorter distances with more effort were better than for me now than longer distances at slower efforts and here is what she said:

Definitely! This workout is probably an even a better workout for you because you could run 12 in your sleep practically!  A hard 10 miles provides a new stimulus over a long slow distance to which your body is adapted.

OMG is all I can from this long run on the treadmill workout. Don’t let the easy miles fool you. Once I got to the last 3 miles, life was challenging. I made it half way through the 3 miles before needing to drop my pace from 7.5 – 7.7 range to 7.3 to catch my breath.

Blame it on those ranging inclines. It’s all the inclines fault. However, I think I love a good treadmill hill and will do this workout again!

I spoke to Laura after this workout. She told me to take the easy effort miles a slower next time to save energy for the last 3 miles. While I followed my easy run on the treadmill workout for the warm up, I then ranged at times from 6.6 (during inclines) and then 6.8 – 7.0 on the flatter portions of the easy miles.

Sunday – Pure Barre

Not sure yet which Pure Barre workout I will do. I see that Pure Barre On Demand added some new workouts which means I need to browse through!

Quick Reminder!

Laura is currently offering my readers 15% off a month of training,  If you are interested, definitely reach out to her and tell her I sent you! I will also receive 15% off if you sign up but that’s not why I am referring you. I LOVE training with Laura. Last year she helped me achieve my current half marathon PR.   She is really good at what she does. And she’s my good friend now too. 🙂

[bctt tweet=”summer training plan week #3! #run #running #treadmill #workouts @thisrunrecipes #purebarre” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Would you rather run long and easy or cut the distance and put in more effort?

How do you feel about running inclines on the treadmill? Do you do it often?

Summer Training Plan Week #1

 

This was my the first week of my summer training with Laura. I’m not training for a race just yet, she’s just giving me a month of workouts that mix up my mileage and rejuvenate my routine in preparation for maybe a Fall half marathon.

I believe I ran 41 miles and I never even felt any sort of lingering fatigue at any point in the week. Laura really knows how to balance out my miles with my Pure Barre workouts to keep my muscles from tiring out too much from either form of fitness.

Most of the miles were easy miles as you will see below. I can’t be pushing myself too much outside in the summer here. While I have adapted to handling the heat and humidity for easy runs, I just cannot push my pace during these heat waves (as I was reminded on Tuesday – see below 🙂 ).

This article  was really helpful in explaining how the humidity and dew point affect running. I didn’t even consider dew point as a separate factor but it was higher than the humidity here this week which explains a lot about how I felt on Tuesday.

Monday – 5 Miles/Pure Barre

On the plan for today in my new pair of Energy Boosts was 5 easy miles followed by 15 minutes of Pure Barre. I picked a 13 minute Pure Barre thighs & seat workout from Pure Barre On Demand which burned real good after my run.

Tuesday – 8 Mile Progression Run

I was not at all intimidated by this workout, it was the high humidity that scared me most! The plan for today’s progression run was nothing crazy – 2 miles super easy, 4 miles a little faster but still fairly easy and then 2 miles comfortably hard. There was no focus on pace, rather on effort.

I was doing just fine even though it was already a sunny 73 degrees and like 100% humidity. It was during mile 6, when I was pushing my pace, that things started to fall apart. I can’t fully describe the feeling but it was a mix of my stomach tightening, my breathing getting very labored and the fatigue finding my legs. Of course I slowed down, I was not looking to die out there!

The next time it’s a heat wave, I will be bringing these progression runs (or speed work runs) inside to the treadmill for sure.

I recovered quickly enough to walk to Fire Island later in the afternoon. It’s worth including the walk to Fire Island as part of today’s workout since the walk to and from Kismet is somewhere between 2-3 miles each way.

Wednesday – 7 Miles

It was just as hot and humid as yesterday but since I was only scheduled to run easy, I had no problem at all.

Thursday – 6 Miles (treadmill hill workout!)/Pure Barre

It worked out perfectly that Laura scheduled me to be on the treadmill as today was going to be the hottest day of the heat wave!

I really enjoyed this treadmill hill workout which went by SO FAST. I ran 2 miles easy and then completed 3 miles of this hill cycle followed by 1 mile without incline. My last mile felt comfortable at 7.5, probably because I was finished with the hills – speed feels easy after hills!

Once I finished the 6 miles, I headed home for 15 minutes of Pure Barre. I combined a 10 minute seat workout with a 5 minute Arms workout. I really do love the options in Pure Barre on Demand right now. Just a little bit more time before I can really review it!

Friday – 4 Miles

I haven’t felt tired or fatigued at all this week but I listened to Laura’s plan for just an easy 4 miles today. It was almost 80 degrees at sunrise this morning!

Saturday – 11 Miles

It was 80 degrees and super humid once again. The plan was 11 easy miles which after mile 2, seemed to fly on by. The weather didn’t totally overwhelm me either which I think has a lot to do with staying within an easy pace range and not really pushing myself too much.

Sunday – Pure Barre

[bctt tweet=”summer training plan week #1 recap! #running #run #training #workouts #treadmill #fireisland #workoutrecap #fitfluential #purebarre @thisrunrecipes” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

How was the weather by you this week? Were you affected by the heat wave?

How often do you run on the treadmill in the summer? Do you like to run treadmill hill workouts?

 

Running & Pure Barre Workout Recap

 

Just a few things worth mentioning before getting to my running & Pure Barre workout recap:

1 – I am suddenly feeling much stronger when holding planks. I don’t know when or what happened but all of a sudden, I can hold my planks during Pure Barre with more strength than ever before!

Of course I still drop my knees when I feel I have to but I don’t have to as often. It only took me close to three years of routine Pure Barre to get to this point but still, this is big!

2 – Speaking of Pure Barre, the variety I have access too right now as a beta-tester for Pure Barre on demand is amazing.  I get so excited every day to try a different workout. Even if the classes and workouts still follow the classic Pure Barre format, the tweaks to positioning and variations have rejuvenated me beyond belief.

3- My main pair of running shoes (Adidas Energy Boosts < – best running shoes ever) are starting to burn out. I feel as though I just bought a new pair but that was already back in March! The time and miles are just flying by.

Monday – 6 Miles

It was hot! That is all.

Tuesday – 3 Miles/35 Min Pure Barre

It was so beyond hot at 6:00 am that 3 miles was a struggle! I think it was already over 70 degrees and super humid.

3 miles was more than enough and then I came home for a good Pure Barre workout. I chose one of the 30 minute options that uses a towel as resistance. I love it!

Wednesday – 8 Miles

I was able to run later which left me unaffected by the early morning thunderstorms. It was still hot and humid but not as humid which made for a decent run.

Thursday  – 30 Min Running/30 Min Pure Barre

I was out late and had to be up and out the door early to get into the city. What did that mean for my running routine? Well, I still wanted to get in a run AND Pure Barre without feeling rushed so I did my favorite combo where I split an hour between the two workouts.

I did a 30 minute burn Pure Barre workout – and yes, it burned!

Friday – 5 Miles/Quick Pure Barre

I thought I was in the mood to run 6 miles but then I got outside and was totally dragging. Since I wasn’t in a rush, I just held my 10:00 min/mile pace and stopped when I reached my front door at exactly 5 miles.

Then I did a quick 10 minute Pure Barre workout for thighs and seat.

Saturday – 11 Miles

It was cloudy yet humid so it was a really sweaty run without much effort.

I was moving along fairly slowly as compared to where I have been pace-wise lately but I couldn’t really get anywhere, the air just felt so heavy to me! At mile 8, I decided to turn this long run into a fast finish run so I picked up my pace until mile 10 and then did a mile cool down. Long runs lately are mentally challenging for me because I hit 10 miles and feel like stopping!

Sunday – Pure Barre

I am excited to choose one of the 50 minute Pure Barre options this morning before my son’s hockey game and Father’s Day things.

Happy Father’s Day to all of the dads including my dad! In honor of Father’s Day, I am sharing my dad’s New York City Marathon flashback to his first NYC marathon recap again. Take a read if you missed it, it may be the only marathon ever to be recapped on my blog. 🙂

[bctt tweet=”running & pure barre workouts from the week #running #purebarre @pure_barre #workouts #fitfluential” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

This post may contain affiliate links, thanks for your support!

Who else is due to get a new pair of running shoes? Which is your main pair these days?

How were your workouts this week? Did the weather affect you in any way?

 

 

 

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?

running & workout recap (2.13.17 – 2.19.17)

 

Overall I would call this a great week of running and workouts. A few things to note:

I started each morning again this week with about 10-15 minutes of pre-run yoga. It definitely makes a difference to loosen up and stretch so I am really trying to make this a permanent habit just like the rest of my routine functions by habit!

I went a little bit lighter with Pure Barre and other strength workouts this week. No real reason, it just sort of happened that way.

Since this week was also my time of the month, I tried to remain cognizant of the fact that I took Aleve for four days to prevent menstrual cramps. As the Aleve prevents cramps, it also masks soreness and fatigue in my muscles which means I may run more than I should because I don’t realize I am tired.

I’ve written about the dangers of running on anti-inflammatory medications in the past which is an important read in case you missed it!

Monday – 7 miles

Started the week off with a great treadmill run! I’ve gotten real good at accomplishing 7 miles right before the treadmill shuts off at the 60 minute mark.

I normally run a little less on Monday mornings but I didn’t think I would have a ton of time tomorrow morning so I switched up my workouts to fit my schedule.

Tuesday – 6 Miles

So I had more time than I thought this morning to get a run in on the treadmill.

I felt good on there so I ran 6 miles at a mostly easy pace. Sometimes two days in a row in the treadmill doesn’t work for me but thankfully, today did.

Oh, and my jump rope snapped in half today! There goes that. I like jumping jacks better anyway.

Wednesday – 30 Min Pure Barre/30 Min Run (OUTSIDE!)

I hadn’t run outside in like 10 days so I was happy to get out for an easy 30 minutes today! There were still major piles of snow and some random patches of ice but it was clear enough to run without much issue.

I chose the Pure Barre Mile High Series DVD for this morning – definitely one of my top favorite Pure Barre workouts!

Thursday – Speed Interval Treadmill Workout

I wasn’t so sure when I started that I would be able to run that fast (you know, my time of the month), much less run my new 60 min speed interval treadmill workout but I made it work!

Here’s what I did:

2 mile warm up

1 mile starting the treadmill workout intervals

10 min elliptical — My feet felt a little achy during the third mile so I hopped off at the 3 mile mark and switched to the elliptical which helped tremendously!

mile 4, 5, 6 – back to the intervals! Finished stronger than I started.

So I basically ran my new treadmill workout, skipping only the cool down mile. It’s funny sometimes how we get our workouts accomplished. Those 10 minutes on the elliptical definitely helped me get my muscles more comfortable and ready for speed.

Friday – 20 Min Pure Barre/35 Min Running

I ended up combining two Pure Barre Tone in 10 workouts after some yoga:

• Full Body
• Arms & Abs

Then I headed outside for an easy run. I am so happy that the sun is rising earlier these days.

Saturday – 13 Miles

I think it was around 30 degrees but the sun was shining and the snow mounds were melting a bit so I was happy.

I had no plan for this run and realized after 3 miles that I was just happy to zone out and run wherever I was comfortable so that’s what I did.

See, here’s a section of my splits which were all over the place.

Sunday – Pure Barre

It’s supposed to be 60 degrees outside today which will make it hard for me to not run a few miles this morning in the beautiful weather!

[bctt tweet=”running and workout recap #running #workouts #purebarre @pure_barre #treadmill #fitfluential” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

How is the weather where you live? Is it starting to warm up?

Best thing you ate so far this weekend?

Is today a run day or a rest day?

 

 

 

 

Soreness, Hip Pain & Why Did He Make Waffles

 

As I put together this week’s workout recap, I am not really sure where to begin. Even though I update each day’s workout as they happen in order for this post to be accurate, I think this week needs some additional explaining.

Let’s see.

First, I ended up running 5 miles last SUNDAY which is usually my day off from running. I ran on Sunday because I didn’t run the Friday before so I figured it would be fine. However, I was a little bit in fear that running on Sunday would throw me off for this week because I really don’t like to run more than six days in a row.

I felt fine Monday morning but figured I should keep things shorter and easier so that I didn’t burn myself out for the rest of the week.

But then, I woke up Tuesday EXTREMELY SORE. In fact, I felt the soreness in my legs all night while I was sleeping.

I am never sore. What happened? What did I do? I really can’t imagine it stemmed from running those few easy miles on Sunday.

My legs felt as though I tried a new workout and worked muscles I haven’t worked in my life.

I was so sore that I skipped my run Tuesday morning. I never do that but trust me, I was sore and running on the treadmill seemed like a silly idea.

The soreness wore off by Wednesday morning but my right hip was achy. I get a little achy in that hip from time to time. It’s probably a nothing pain for anyone else but I get NUTS if something bothers me.

I pride myself on my ability to run injury free for so many years that I get so nervous if something bothers me!

Combine all of this with my new thought process of worrying about running too much in my 30’s only to feel the effects in my joints and bones and whatever later on in life. 

I think that’s a topic for another day but really, we have to make sure we aren’t overdoing things in our younger years that may destroy our joints for real adulthood. I don’t want to need hip replacement or require a wheel chair simply because I thought who I was to run every day when I was younger.

Anyway.

I ran a lot less this week and even changed my sleep position which helped that weird feeling in my hip immediately.

So what was wrong?

I spoke with Laura about it and we aren’t really sure but here are some ideas:

*Sometimes even people like me get sore.

*I’ve been running a lot on the treadmill which may alter how I run.

*I had added back little bits of yoga again and maybe I stretched muscles that hadn’t been stretched in a while.

*Running on the treadmill also means I am not finding a natural pace. My easy runs have been a lot faster than they would be if I was running outside.

*Maybe the way I sleep really does affect my hip.

*Maybe I need to change the structure of my routine, making some weeks lower mileage but higher intensity and some weeks lower intensity but higher mileage. Or something like that.

*Perhaps I was dehydrated or maybe my hormones played a role in muscle recovery (I had my period last week and ran what totals about 43 miles and I usually run less during my period).

Thankfully I feel normal again is all I can say.

Are you still with me? Thanks for listening to me ramble, on to the actual workouts from the week!

Monday – 30 MIN Pure Barre/30 MIN Running

In my effort to not burn out before Saturday’s long run, I figured 30 minutes on the treadmill (3.50 miles) couldn’t hurt me mileage wise.

Tuesday – Skipped My Run!

I did not go to bed planning to skip my run but when I woke up, something said skip today’s run. The lower half of my body was just plain sore.

I know that I could have run but figured it was smarter to take the day off.

Instead of running, I stretched with yoga and then did the Pure Barre Tone in 10 for Arms & Abs.

Wednesday – In The Gym (3.25 Miles)

The soreness I was feeling yesterday was basically gone but I didn’t want to push it so I kept things easy.

10 min elliptical warm up

free weights

30 minutes treadmill (3.25 miles)

10 min elliptical cool down

jumping jacks

Thursday – In The Gym (5 Miles)

I slept really well and woke up feeling fresh and ready to run. There was no soreness or stiffness left but I didn’t want to go crazy returning to my usual running routine. Clearly something was bothering me this week and jumping back to normal too soon is not smart.

3 miles easy (6.3 – 6.8 < – easy run on treadmill workout plan)

10 minutes elliptical

2 miles (6.8 – 7.0)

Friday – Pure Barre/4 Miles

Before heading to the gym for the treadmill, I combined two Pure Barre Tone in 10 Workouts:

• Full Body
• Seat & Abs

Saturday – 11 Miles

This run flew by! I swear it’s because I decided to run only 10 miles with a one mile cool down. Funny how only 10 miles seems like nothing sometimes.

This was my only run outdoors this week which made it a really treat. It wasn’t too cold, just a bit windy.

I kept things easy and felt really normal which was important to note after the way things were going earlier this week. Here’s a screenshot from Runkeeper for the first 7 miles (I can’t fit the entire run on the screen, so annoying!).I slowed down a little towards the end but averaged I think 9:15? 9:10? Something like that.

I could have done without walking in the house to find my son in the kitchen making waffles from scratch though! Doesn’t he know by now not to be in the kitchen making waffles after my long runs?!

I really think he does this to me on purpose. We all know I do not like to speak more than two words until after I have showered and eaten my post run breakfast. Let alone clean up his waffles mess!

Sunday – Pure Barre

I am definitely not running today. Although I really would like to get outside for a few miles, I don’t want to screw up the rest of my week by running today.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
[bctt tweet=”workout recap, so much to say today! #running #treadmill #purebarre #longrun #waffles #workoutrecap #fitfluential” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Do you ever experience out of nowhere, unexplained soreness?

Are you good about taking days off when you need one?

Anyone else worried about running too much now which may affect your joints when you are older?

 

Don’t Mess With My Running Routine (workout recap)

We runners all have our routines.

My weekday runs are one thing as the mornings can be a bit rushed but my long run day? Don’t mess with that routine.

Now, I am totally fine if I have to switch my long run day or even adjust my distance but the routine part of my long run morning (run – > shower – > eat) leaves no room for interference in the form of human interaction.

On a good day I feel this way but especially on a long run day, PLEASE do not try to look at me, speak to me or be anywhere near me until after I have showered and eaten my post-long run breakfast.

Everyone knows this.

Imagine my reaction when I walked into my house yesterday morning after a not so easy 13 miles in the chilly air to find my son in my kitchen mixing together ingredients to BAKE A CAKE.

Do you think I wanted to clean the kitchen after running 13 miles?

Do you think I was up for speaking before my shower and breakfast to say what the heck are you doing up and about already so early on a Saturday morning?

Why is every light on?

What are you mixing together at this hour?

What do you mean you are going to bake a cake before breakfast?

Why are you doing this to me on my long run day?

Doing what he wanted to know. What did he do?

What did he do? WHAT DID HE DO?

Maybe one day if he becomes a runner he will understand what he did.

Monday – Pure Barre/6 Miles

Even though I ran 6 miles on Sunday which is a day I do not normally run, I was full of energy with an overall average pace that was super comfortable at 8:54.

Pure Barre Tone in 10: Thighs & Seat

Tuesday – 8 Miles

Another great run in the fresh morning air! I had zero plans for these miles other than to run where I was comfortable which turned out again to be anywhere in the 8:00 min mile range.

Wednesday – Pure Barre/4 Miles

I started my morning with Pure Barre Mile High Series (35 minutes) and then headed outside for 4 easy miles. Although I ran easy, I ended up with negative splits:  10:33, 9:28, 9:10, 9:06

Thursday – 8 Miles

My wonderful week of running continues! Overall average pace: 8:36

Friday – Pure Barre/3 Miles

I was starting to feel my week of workouts by today so after Pure Barre Studio Series (45 minutes in length but I skipped part of the thigh section) I ran 3 slow miles which came in right under 30 minutes.

Saturday – 13 Miles

It was 30 degrees and the weather people on the news were making it sound so cold that I bundled up for the first time this season (hat, gloves, neck warmer and jacket) but I removed the neck warmer by mile two and my gloves by mile five.

My legs were tired from the week and my feet were bothering me because my Adidas Energy Boosts are shot.

According to my blog, I bought this pair of Energy Boosts at the beginning of August as this photo is dated August 3, 2016. Ugh!! Time sure flies when you run a lot of miles!

I knew I would be due for a new pair right around now but I was hoping to somehow last a little bit longer. No such luck.

I ended up switching my shoes at mile 5 because I was that uncomfortable and immediately felt better once I put on my Saucony Rides.

Sunday – Definitely Not Running!

Making the decision to run last Sunday on a day that I don’t normally run was great and all but without that day off from running, I have now run every day for like two weeks which is way too much! I definitely started to feel the mileage by the end of this week and DEFINITELY realize that six days of running in one week is more than enough for me.

[bctt tweet=”we runners have our routines! #workoutrecap #running #purebarre #routine #adidas” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

How do you feel about speaking in the morning, especially before you have had breakfast?

How many days a week of running is best for you?

Are you due for new running shoes? What do you feel when you know it’s time for a new pair?

 

What To Eat The Night Before A Long Run

Laura and I spent a lot of time trying to find a recipe we wanted to make this week. We have plenty of recipes on our list but we are both training for races at the moment which affects what we want to put in our stomachs since what we eat can directly affect performance.

Then we got on the topic of what to eat the night before a long run.

It’s important to experiment with which meals work best for us individually the night before a long run since this meal most likely becomes what we want to eat the night before a big race. Everyone is different – you have to find what works for you as what works for you may not be the same as work works for another runner.

What to eat the night before a long run is actually not a topic we have discussed in-depth yet, isn’t that amazing?

For what to eat the night before a long run, they say the focus should be on easy-for-you to digest carbs as the star of the show and focal point of your plate.

Plenty of people eat a protein source at this meal that they find works well for them but I am not one of those people. I am a meatless eater and not a huge protein eater to begin with so the meal I eat the night before a long run or race doesn’t really focus much on protein. I try to get my protein in earlier in the day and then just find a carbohydrate-rich meal for dinner.

When I started taking running seriously almost five years ago, the dinner I would eat the night before a long run immediately involved sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are easy to digest and high in complex carbohydrates which is great for loading your glycogen stores. The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants help repair and restore your muscles.

I am quite capable of handling my vegetables too. In fact, I don’t have to avoid vegetables for routine long runs. I have even run a few half marathons fueled with plenty of vegetables the evening before the races. While you certainly may want to avoid vegetables since they can sit a little heavy in the stomach, if you routinely eat vegetables, you don’t necessarily need to cut them out completely before a long run or race. Doing so may limit your ability to use the bathroom if you know what I mean. 🙂

I do venture beyond potatoes though the night before a long run. I’m not set to just one night before a long run meal. The more I have thought about this topic in order to write this post, the more realized that over the years, I had my best runs and races the morning after eating pizza and bread. You know, the processed stuff versus the nutrient-dense, clean eating carbohydrates.

Oh, and soup. I am not a routine soup eater but a good tomato soup with bread has worked really well for me the night before a long run or race.

There are two race weekends that stand out to me in regard to what I ate the night before the races.

The Runner’s World Half Marathon & Festival Weekend.

It was this weekend of races (5K, 10K and a half marathon) back in 2014 when I first discovered how much better fueled I felt when eating bread and soup versus potatoes as the star of my plate.

I had this sandwich with tomato soup at Panera the night before the 5k and 10k races. It’s the Mediterranean veggie sandwich but not overly loaded with vegetables.

The night before the Runner’s World half marathon I had this hummus veggie sandwich and tomato soup at Cosi. I loved how well the Panera soup and sandwich worked that I wanted to go with the same type of meal.

You can read more about the weekend of races and full fueling recap here.

Long Island Half Marathon 2016:

In more recent times, including the Long Island Half back in May which is my current PR race, I switched over to pizza the night before a long run or race. Not only do I love pizza but I can digest it well too. I don’t have a problem with cheese but usually, before a race, I choose two slices — one with sauce only and one grandma slice.

It’s important to note that what works the night before a long run or race for one runner may not work for another. And, even more importantly, what worked for one during one training cycle may not work the next.

There have been times when I could handle beans the night before a long run and times that I just can’t.

However, I try not to be fanatical about it. Since my long runs are typically on the weekend, there’s a good chance that I am out for dinner the night before a long run and I don’t want to miss out on going out to eat. I think that it’s good to have a variety of meals and foods that I know I can eat the night before a long run and still run well the next morning.

Being open and flexible to what and where you eat the night before a long run while realizing what works the best for you is crucial if you want to enjoy your life. I would hate to see people always turning down the opportunity to go out and be social simply because they need to always eat at home.

It’s also important to be flexible about what and where to eat the night before a long run or race if the race is a destination race. While yes, it’s totally possible to pack and bring all of your food, it’s nice to be able to dine out and not feel totally limited while away.

My best advice that I can offer on this subject is to experiment to see what works for you. Pay attention during your routine long runs to how you feel will give you a good indicator if last night’s dinner is the right meal for you. Get a good list going of foods you know you need to avoid plus the foods that work really well for you the night before a long run. You never want to try anything totally new before a race! But hopefully, you know that already. 🙂

Be sure to check out Laura’s thoughts on what to eat the night before a long run.

[bctt tweet=”What to eat the night before a long run #running #races #fueling #fitfluential @thisrunrecipes” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

What do you like to eat the night before a long run?

Which foods definitely don’t work for you?