HOLY COW! It's been a month since I blogged!

I can't believe the time has flown by! It's been over a month since I blogged.

I promise it hasn't been a month since I've ran. I actually have been running quite a bit. I have switched my focus for now from half marathons to 10K's as the race season just began and my hubby, his dad, and I run 10K's together frequently. I plan on running my first half of the season in December so I will be continuing my half training this week.

We just ran our first race of the season. We ran the Race For The Rescues in Pasadena. It's a REALLY cool race. All benefits animal rescues. You can bring your dog and run/walk with them. They have adoption events all day as well as silent auctions and Jane Lynch from Glee was there this year. Last year it was Coach Beast from Glee. The course is around the Rose Bowl. The 5K is one lap and the 10K is two laps. My husband, his dad, and I all ran our fastest 10K times we've ever ran. My hubby and his dad both got FIRST PLACE in their age groups!!! It was a lot of fun, and definitely recommend this race for everyone, especially if you love animals.

We discontinued our half marathon training a couple weeks before our 10K run to focus on faster, shorter runs to make sure we weren't just focusing on our long distance. It clearly worked.

When we go back to half training, we will continue in the week we left off.

Some highlights since my last post:

1. I ran for the first time in Portland. That was awesome. I ran downtown down to the river and a long the river.
2. I ran my fastest 10K (Race for the Rescues).
3. I am working more than ever!
4. I went to the chiropractor and found out that I have arthritis of the feet and I have to get orthopedics for my shoes (I'll be doing a review on those once I get them).
5. I have committed to the Holiday Half (Snowflake Half Marathon) in December.

More to come this week from continued training!

:)Maggie

Accessories I Use: Nike

I've been saying for a while now I want to write a blog on the accessories and 'equipment' I use while I run. This blog will be specifically about the Nike products I use!

I first want to say to all those that are looking for an activity that will help with weight loss, getting back into shape, etc. but don't want to spend all the money on a gym membership, a bike, etc. RUNNING IS VIRTUALLY FREE. Yes, accessories cost money but if you just want to run, you literally can run without shoes. These things I use help me keep my times, paces, and help track what I'm doing but they are not needed. /disclaimer.

First, I must admit I use a plethora of Nike items.

• Nike+ Sportband (get it here)
• Nike+ Fuel Band (get it here)
• Nike+ Free Run Shoes (get them here)
• Nike compression pants
• Nike Running Shorts

I used to not be the biggest fan of Nike because of child labor. I have used their shoes for quite some time due to my pronated ankles and their shoes fit me correctly, but I've always been conflicted so if you don't like Nike because of this, I totally understand.

Nike+ Sportband

2 years ago I bought a Nike+ Sportband as a (relatively) inexpensive way to track my times, pace, and calories burned during runs. I started getting more competitive and cared about my paces and wanted a way to track my progress but I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a GPS driven watch. For $60 I was able to get a cool color and comfortable way to track these things. One of the coolest aspects of this watch is the Nike+ community website that you get free access to when you sign up with Nike+. It keeps your profile and it's like a little social community of runners and walkers. It also stores all your runs for you and notifies when you complete an accomplishment (fastest 5K, when you hit a certain number of miles, blah blah blah). You can also join challenges with people around the world (Guys V Girls first to X# of miles, City challenges, etc.). You can also create maps and map your runs here too. The way it works is pretty cool too. There is a chip that comes with the watch that either goes in Nike+ shoes (a little portion in the shoe bottom is cut out specifically for the Nike+ chip) or you can buy a sleeve if you don't have Nike+ shoes. I really like the fact that if you don't fit well in Nike+ shoes or you don't like them or what-have-you, you can still use this watch! It's pretty accurate for the price and what it is. You can calibrate it as well if you see it's becoming off. It's based off of your stride so if you change your stride you should recalibrate. There are two ways to sync your runs with the Nike+ community: Apple Products (iPhone, iPodTouch) or by plugging it into your computer. I don't use Apple Products, so I use the computer and it works just fine and charges the watch at the same time! It's very easy to use and it's usually to the 1/10 of a mile accurate.

Cons: it doesn't allow for extra calories burned because it doesn't have a GPS so it doesn't know when you're going uphill or downhill. It's not waterproof. It's not user-friendly for a normal everyday watch.

Nike+ Fuel Band

After the explanation of the Nike+ Sportband I will try to keep this one a little shorter. This is the BEES-KNEES. I am obsessed with it. This is very similar to the sportband but it is for everything else besides running. I wear it during my run because it measures movement and it seems to account more accurately for running uphill than the SportBand does. The Fuel Band gives you points for your activity level and you can set a Fuel goal per day. It tracks your progress through the day and when you reach your goal, it celebrates for you by lighting up like a slot machine! It tracks Fuel Points, calories, and steps taken...not mention it is actually pretty stylish for everyday wearing and it's a cool watch! You plug it into the computer to charge it just like the SportBand and you can either sync it that way or with Apple products.

Cons: Price ($150). It only comes in black. If you are just running it doesn't give your paces or distances.

Nike+ Free Run 2 Shoes

Everyone has a different take on shoes, but I LOVE these shoes. They are lightweight, they breathe really well, and they keep tight right below the ankle across the mid-foot where it feels the best for me. I can wear lightweight socks without blistering and bunching. Not to mention, they come in a variety of colors or you can even design your own!

Cons: If I run on gravel the gravel tends to stick in the sole because they are so pliable.

Nike Apparel

I wear all kinds of shorts and pants and shirts, but I do love the compression pants I just bought. I was looking for something that would help from chaffing during the hotter weather without getting overheated. I actually used these pants today for the first time on a 6 mile tempo run and absolutely loved them. I didn't get too hot because they were dry-fit, they didn't scoot down, and of course I didn't chaff. I don't think this is because they are Nike but how do I pass up a $40 pair of pants on sale for $6!?

Just a quick rundown of all the Nike products I use. All in all I love them and I think they are actually made with decent quality through and through. There is great variety in the styles and colors which is always nice. I have only seen one other person with my exact color of shoes but I see my shoes all the time. A lot of my friends own the Sportband and seem to like it and I know a couple people who use the FuelBand and all like it.

:)Maggie

A Week Without Training... :-(

So for the last week and a half I wasn't able to train a complete week. I did Kettlebells twice and I ran twice. I am bummed because I feel like I haven't made progress but I know it's a part of life. I am extremely busy with an 80% travel schedule. It's not an excuse; I can always go to the gym while on the road, but it's hard.

Since I wasn't able to really complete a full week of training I am just repeating week my 3rd week of training. This week is 800M repeat sprints, a 6 mile tempo run, and a 10 mile long run, with Kettlebells in between. I will report back at the end of the week on how this week went when I'm done.

For this blog I just wanted to do a little research on how busy people keep with training programs and how they train intensely with holidays, travel, etc.

What I've come up with is that every runner has a different philosophy on missing runs. Some keep progressing, some repeat, some even go back to the previous week. As I said before,  I am choosing to just repeat week 3.

Some of the things I do to keep myself on track (or at least try to do) is I like to set my week up at the beginning of the week so I know what my plan is for the entire week and then if I'm traveling or there is something going on I can plan around it. I also like to always plan to go in the morning and if something comes up I can plan to make time in the evening.

So with that I did Kettlebells yesterday, my hubby and I are running tomorrow, and I will be doing Kettlebells again on Friday, and doing our 10 miler on Sunday.

Sorry for the boring blog today... it's been pretty uneventful over here on the running front lately!

Day 9: Long Run...9 Miles!

Day 9: (8/19/2012)

Sorry for not updating this recently! I've been traveling for work.

On the 19th I did week 2's long run: 9 miles!

This was supposed to be a long, slower run at Half Marathon Pace + 20 seconds (9:39/mile) I ran with my husband so we ran a little slower than that (9:58/mile) and the course we use is EXTREMELY hilly. I love incorporating hills because it makes me a stronger runner. There is one hill in particular that is pure hell. It's only .3 miles but it is intense. All of last year we couldn't make it up the climb without stopping and during our 9 miler we were able to make it to the top without stopping (we were both very excited about this!). The rest of the course is filled with other hills as well as some great declines.

Workout:
Run 9 miles at a steady, controlled pace. We chose a challenging course so we had to walk at the top of some of the hills to catch our breath. Remember, Galloway always says that walking is okay; it's not anything to feel ashamed of and it's perfectly fine. The goal is the distance and if you walk, remember to keep it controlled as well. We kept our walking to a minimum; only at the tops of 2 of the hills and when we had to stop to refill our water jugs.

Method:
We ran outside on a premapped course. I use Nike+ (Blog to come very soon on this), but there is also MapMyRun. I write down the course and stuff it in my running belt (Blog to come on accessories soon as well), so that if I forget where we planned to run I can reference it. I think premapping runs is crucial so you aren't running aimlessly or running in circles. I also recommend running outside for this so your body can acclimate itself with terrain to simulate races.

How I Felt:
We felt great afterward. We weren't extremely tired. We were able to continue our day as normal.

What I'd Recommend:
Run outside and premap your run. Don't feel bad if you walk; just keep it controlled. Stay hydrated!!

How I Felt Afterward:
The next day I had to leave for work so I thought my back was sore because of travel but I talked with my hubby and he said his back was sore too along with his legs. My legs felt fine, but I stretched extensively afterward, and he didn't.

Day 8: Tempo Run

Day 8: 8/16/2012

Yesterday I was bummed because I really wanted to run but work called so I postponed the tempo run until today.

The tempo run I did today was just a straight 5 miles at a pace of 8:54. I ran up to a park by our house and back early in the morning. As I've said in past blogs, it's been extremely hot here lately and it starts getting hot around 6:00am. I left around 5:45 but it was so hot and humid I was dying before I hit 3 miles. I exhausted all my water by the 4th mile and just felt awful. I completed the mileage but was a little under my goal time because of the heat. Galloway says that when it's hot you should have plenty of water but also slow your pace to accommodate the heat, so I didn't feel like I wasn't performing.

Workout:
Tempo Run. 5 miles at a pace of 8:54 was the goal. I ran 5 miles with a pace of 9:25. The idea is to keep a consistent pace the entire time.

Method:
Road.

How I Felt:
Nothing short of awful. It was very hot and humid and half the run is uphill so the two combined was a recipe for disaster.

What I'd Recommend/What I Learned:
If it's hot, slow your pace to take into account for the heat. I would also recommend that you do tempo runs on the road and not on the treadmill to get used to terrain and weather.

How I Felt After:
I was overheated directly after, but once I cooled down, I was fine. I felt good afterwards as well.

:)Maggie

Day 7: Strength and Cross Training

Day 7: (8/14/2012)

Today was a cross training and strength training day. I felt really good after my run, so I definitely wanted to work my legs out as well as do some cardio so I did a lifting routine concentrating on my legs and finished the workout with a low impact cardio workout: rowing.

Workout:
I started with just 5 minutes of walking uphill to get my heart rate up without running and then I did a leg workout. I started with lunges and leg extension alternations. First I did a right foot lunge. Most people do alternating lunges but I started with concentrated lunges. I had a 15lb weight in each hand and lunged my right foot out (see pic below). I lunged down and came up, lunged down and came up keeping my right foot out. I did 10 of these and switched legs and did the same with the left leg. I then jumped on a leg extension machine (see 2nd pic below) and did a warm up set of 12 at 70lbs, double legged. I then did another set of reps alternating right and left foot at 40 lbs, and did a set of 10 at 100lbs. I then jumped off and did another set of concentrated lunges. I repeated this for a total of 3 sets alternating. Remember when doing lunges to keep your knee behind your toe and when you're doing leg extensions to remain slow and controlled. If you have to swing your legs or grip anything with your hands, the weight is too heavy.

*Lunges work your quads and butt the most*

*Leg Extensions work your quads the most*

 

Next, I alternating sets of leg curls and alternating lunges. Leg curls can be done a few different ways, but I prefer on the machine in which you lay down. There is another machine where you sit down but I don't like it as much. Alternating lunges are similar to concentrated lunges except instead of keeping one foot forward, you lunge down and pop back up and lunge out with your other foot. I did a warm up set on 40lbs of 12 of leg curls and then did 12 alternating lunges. I then did leg curls again but alternated each foot on 25lbs and then another set of alternating lunges. I finished up with another set of double legged curls and one more set of alternating lunges.

*Leg curls work your hamstrings and butt the most*

Next I did a set of seated leg presses. This was to ensure I worked my legs out to exhaustion. I did a warm up set on 30lbs, a set of 10 on 110lbs, a set of one legged presses at 40lbs, and a set of 12 double legged at 90lbs. I always like to try start at less than a 90 degree angle so that when I return to the starting position I don't clank the weights and I have a more controlled lift.

*Seated Leg Press works pretty much the entire leg*

Next, I did abductors and adductors. There is a machine for this and I enjoy using a lighter weight and doing a ton of reps to feel the burn! Abductors are done by opening your legs with weight pushing against your legs and adductors are done by pressing your legs together while weight resists.

I do 50 of each on a lighter weight.

*Abductors work your outer leg and butt the most*

*Adductors work your inner thigh*



Finally I did some calf raises. These can be done a variety of ways, there are machines built for this or you can just find a block, step, etc to step on. Keep your tippy toes on the ledge and let your heel fall down and just stand up on your tippy toes. I did 3 sets 20.

To conclude the entire workout I did a 15 minute rowing exercise. According to my book, rowing is one of the best cardio exercises to do on a down day. There are rowing machines in most gyms that are a lot of fun. During your down times from running it's important if you do cardio to make it extremely low impact as you recover. Rowing is very low impact, it's fun, and it's a good workout. Rowing isn't all that hard either. It takes a couple tries to get in sync with yourself, but once that happens, it's easy. In 15 minutes I burned 215 calories, and today I feel a little sore in the muscles in my back, which is always a good sign!

Method:

GYM!

How I Felt:

I felt great! At the end of the lifting portion, I could feel my legs tiring out which is the goal.

What I'd Recommend:

Always use lighter weights and work up to heavier ones. This way you aren't burnt out the next few days and you don't risk injury as much. Also, when using machines, read the instructions if you need. Don't just hop on a machine and go...there are certain settings for heights and you want the optimal workout, so read!

How I Felt Today:

I felt really good. My legs are a tiny bit sore, but nothing like last week. My back muscles are sore from rowing, but that will subside tomorrow. Today was a rest day so I should be good as new tomorrow

:)Maggie

The Start of Week 2: Day 6...Track Repeats

Day 6: (8/13/2012)

So my first week of training is complete and now I've moved on to my second week of training! The weeks are all structured alike so my first run of the week was track repeats. 

Workout:

The schedule was to warm up for 10-20 minutes, then run a 400M, 600M, 800M, 1200M, 800M, 600M, 400M with 400M Rest Intervals in between each repeat. Each repeat was to be ran at the same speed, so as you move up in distance, you're just keeping the same pace for longer. The pace was slightly faster than 8:00/mile, so the times are as follows: 1:56, 2:55, 3:55, 5:59; 3:55, 2:55, 1:56. The rest intervals I varied depending on how tired I was after the track repeat. For the first 2 I jogged the rest period, the 3rd one I tapered off from a jog to a walk, the long one I walked the whole time while I got water and I tapered the rest of the them after the 1200M repeat. I ended up after everything was said and done, with warm ups, rest intervals, and cool down running 7 miles.

Method:

I used a treadmill. Again, this to me is the best way to do these because they keep you consistent. Remember that they aren't accurate though. For example, in order to run my right pace, I had to set the treadmill at 8.0MPH which is 7:30/mile, but my pace on my watch was about 7:41. I set a speed on the treadmill and then compare it to my watch to get the right pace. It's important to run with a watch :) I run with the Nike+ Sportband (learn about it here). In a future blog I'll be reviewing this watch and tell why I love it so much.

How I Felt:

I felt great! The only time I got really tired was during the 1200M repeat, so my goal next time I do track repeats like this is to do better during this repeat. Instead of focusing on being tired I need to focus on my form and running strong. I felt myself get a little sloppy. Sloppy running makes you more tired because your muscles are working extra hard. 

What I'd Recommend:

Run on a treadmill, focus on form and breathing, use a running watch to get a good pace, and stretch after you're done. 

How I Felt After: 

Today, I feel lovely. My legs aren't tired or sore. My back is a little sore but that should subside by tomorrow. I don't feel as though I ran 7 miles yesterday.