by Natalie on February 25, 2010
While training for my first marathon I have really been focusing on the distances that I like the most, where I feel most comfortable, and what my sweet spot is for mileage. There was a recent article in Runner’s World that talked about what distances different body types are made to run and even though I haven’t run the full marathon yet, I’m pretty sure I’m a content middle-distance runner with the half-marathon being where I’ll have my peak performance. One of the reasons I think this, and it’s not scientific at all, is that my ankles usually start to hurt around 12 miles into a long run, and never any earlier.
The pain I feel is not so much like a sprained ankle or pulled muscle but like teeny tiny zings at the ankles. (Trying to describe different pains is like trying to describe car noises.) Once it starts it doesn’t last until I finish running so it’s not like a dull throbbing, but once I feel the first zing they will come and go until the end. I usually try to run the last 1-3 miles hard and always try to sprint the last .25 and the faster I run the less pain I feel. So I can narrow down that the pain is most noticeable when I’m at my normal 9-minute pace. What I think is strange is that as soon as I’m done running and walk through my cool down, the pain goes away. When I stretch and roll my ankles around I don’t feel it at all. [click to continue…]
by Natalie on February 24, 2010
This winter my running mileage tapered off and as I got back into building my base I landed on and stuck with four mile routes and routines for a couple weeks. Three just wasn’t enough and for some reason I didn’t have the time or the motivation to get much beyond four. I know that doing the same thing over and over can sometimes minimize results and effectiveness but I used my four mile runs as a way to experiment and achieve more out of each run. By using four miles as my distance I had a good measurement of what I could achieve in those four miles; I either improved or I didn’t. I wasn’t trying to add miles, I was trying to make those four miles as good as they could possibly be. [click to continue…]
by Natalie on February 18, 2010
With all the snow on the ground and the need to log time on the bike, spin class is an ideal solution for getting in a good ride. In fact, I probably push harder in spin class than I do when I’m out riding on my own. There is a trained instructor who guides an intense work-out and the combination of hills, surges, speedwork, lifts, and steady climbs makes for an incredible 60 minutes on the stationary bike; plus there is the added bonus of what are usually great playlists made by the instructors!
Though I’ve been attending spin classes for a few years now, I do not consider myself an ‘advanced level’ spinner. I only go 1-2 times each week and I have very specific goals each time I go. 1.) Build better endurance to use the higher gears longer and 2.) Improve my form. I am sure there are plenty of articles and blogs out there with great advice on how to achieve these things and I will definitely be seeking them out. In the meantime, I thought I’d share the few things I’ve figured out that seem to be effective spin class tactics. [click to continue…]
by Natalie on February 15, 2010
I joined the Big Vanilla gym in Arnold in January 2006 during a typical New Year’s resolution high and at the time happily signed a two-year family contract for my husband and myself that seemed to be the best deal they had to offer. The Big Vanilla is extremely convenient to where I live–I can get there in about 5 minutes–and my membership is inclusive of the lap pool, spin classes, pilates classes, racquetball courts, and an enormous spread of treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical machines, weight machines, and free weights. All of these perks are bundled into my family monthly membership of $79. Since joining in 2006 I’ve really not had much I could complain about. Sure, I could nitpick, no gym is perfect, but there hasn’t been anything that really pushed my buttons…until now. [click to continue…]
by Natalie on February 13, 2010
It’s been a couple months since I last wrote and despite my neglect of my blog, I haven’t entirely neglected my winter work-out plan…although it hasn’t exactly gone according to schedule. In November I ran the Richmond Marathon with a PR and had high hopes of maintaining my running base while re-building my swim and bike base and blending in reasonable sets of weight work-outs. My running plan was to run three times a week, with an easy 3-5 mile run, a speed work-out, and a hill work-out. The reason for this is because my goal this year for the Cooper River Bridge Run is to complete the 10K with an 8-minute pace (and beat my husband).
When I look back at my RunningAhead log, I did pretty well with my goals immediately after the race. I took a well deserved break the week immediately following the marathon with just one pilates class that week. I then did a good job maintaining five days of work-outs weekly alternating runs with swims and added sessions of pilates–something I missed terribly during the height of marathon training. And then December came and from the looks of the log, holiday season hit in full swing. [click to continue…]
by Natalie on December 5, 2009
My home page on RunningAhead shows the graphs and charts I selected.
A while ago I went on the hunt for the perfect online training log and I decided to use and review as many as possible in my search. I started with RaceNation and moved on to use and review the Runner’s World training log. The list of logs I planned to review included probably half a dozen to 10 different sites and next up was RunningAhead. My original intent was to use each log for one month, give it a review, and move on. I started using RunningAhead in June (2009) and have yet to try another online log. I love RunningAhead, am very comfortable with it, and have now built a nice history of work-outs on the site. Is my search for the perfect online training log over? Quite possibly. Let me tell you why. [click to continue…]
by Natalie on November 24, 2009
I was recently at my first T3 event, the happy hours organized by the Annapolis Triathlon Club of which I am now a member, and I was talking to a new friend who asked me how long the buzz lasted from a marathon. He was convinced that triathlons leave a longer lasting buzz with athletes than running events. I imagine every athlete will have an opinion on this, but it’s more than a week after my second marathon and I’m still enjoying my runner’s high. So before it fizzles I’d like to recap the Richmond marathon, my second 26.2 mile experience. [click to continue…]
by Natalie on November 18, 2009
I’m pretty sure I speak for the majority of runners when I say we are not elite runners. When I sign-up for a race it is not because I expect to win it. Never do I think I will leave a race with the cash prize nor do I expect to set any records. In a few smaller races I’ve placed well in my age group, but for the most part I am on the start line with the same goal as most of the other runners–to finish and/or to achieve a personal record. If we are not expecting to win the race, why then do we average runners get the pre-race jitters? [click to continue…]
by Natalie on November 12, 2009
After a rainy night, but well lit, run!
When I first started running, I was not serious enough nor did I run far enough to think that I would ever be running before the sun came up or after it went down. As I started to run more and added longer runs (6 miles) to my schedule I continued to run only during daylight. All of a sudden my running, and life schedule, changed. I was running longer distances (half and full marathon training runs) and working more hours and seemingly the only way to do both was to get up earlier and/or stay up later. I didn’t mind that some days I’d be running in the dark, I just wanted to be prepared–I wanted to be visible. [click to continue…]
by Natalie on November 9, 2009
I believe one of the first 5K races I ever did was freshman or sophomore year at college. It was probably the farthest I’d ever run and I’m positive I didn’t train. After that first 5K I continued to run, added longer distances to my work-outs, and found myself signing up for 10Ks, 10-milers, and finally half and full marathons. Now after a nine year hiatus from 5K races I’ve done two in three weeks and am loving the 5k race! [click to continue…]
