Author Archives: Natalie

Long, Slow, Hot Summer Distance Runs

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hot-sunI had an 18 mile run on the calendar for Saturday. My hope was to be out the door running at 5:30 a.m. When I hit start on my watch it was 5:50. The sun was up, it wasn’t terribly humid and it was almost cool for a summer morning. By the time I got to mile 5 I was thinking how much better it would’ve been if I had actually left at 5:30. And if I could’ve run at 5 a.m. I bet I would’ve enjoyed even a few cooler temperatures earlier in the morning. The point is, the earlier, the cooler. At the end of 18 miles I was hot, covered in salt and had downed all four bottles of water in my fuel belt. And it’s only June. I have 11 more weeks of marathon training to do and the long runs inevitably peak during the hottest parts of the summer. Continue reading →

Back-to-Back Races: 5K to 10K

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On our flight home from the Cooper River Bridge Run I was still on such a high from my 10k time that I decided to register for a local 10k to see if I could maintain that performance. The next opportunity I could find was the Father’s Day Dawson’s 10k in Severna Park which is a race I’ve wanted to do for a few years now. I hit submit on the registration form and had the June 16 race on my calendar. I also had my eye on a few 5k races, two of which I did last year. The first 5k in June I  skipped but weather and timing was looking perfect for the second annual Run Awake 5k…except it was June 15, the day before the 10k. I registered anyway. Continue reading →

Do I Need a Running Break?

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DSC_7071I took on what I consider to be serious long distance running and training in the early fall of 2008 when I signed up for and started training for my first half marathon. With the exception of the last 6 months of my pregnancy (in 2011-2012) I have been pretty much consistently training for one race or another. There may have been a few “down” moments where I wasn’t heavily logging miles or focusing on a specific plan, but I have regularly been running, biking and swimming for about six years now (ok, mostly running). And just when I hit my peak, just when I decided I should try and train for a BQ, just when my first tri in over a year is on the horizon and just when I felt like I might have figured out even the slightest ability to balance work, life, motherhood, wifehood, and training–I decided, I realized, I’m tired. Continue reading →

Testing Under Armour Spines

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1235703-001_DEFAULTI’m coming up to the mileage and wear mark where I need to replace my running shoes. I typically alternate between super lightweight trainers for 3-6 mile runs and then my ‘standard’ running shoe for longer distances and races. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know I’m a Nike girl with a pair of Nike Frees and Zoom Vomeros. I don’t feel like I have to be a Nike girl but I’ve just not found another perfect shoe. So when I had the chance to try out a pair of Under Armour’s Spine Venom shoes it seemed the ideal way to test out whether or not another brand is for me. (Disclaimer: UA did not give me these shoes to test; they were a friend of mine’s who felt they weren’t for her.) I had actually been checking out UA shoes at the store and have been following their evolution. I distinctly recall the first pair that came out and being tempted to try them but my Fleet Feet store owner gave the honest assessment that they weren’t quite “there” yet for running shoes. But that was years ago and UA shoes seem to have come a long way. So I laced up for a 3 mile test run. Continue reading →

Running Rewards | My Office Has a Candy Wall

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candywall-slideOn the opening slide of one of our capabilities presentations is a brief infographic with an overview of r2i, (the digital marketing and technology agency where I’m Director of Marketing) and there is a snapshot of things we love. At the top of the list is the Candy Wall. For the purposes of this post, it is absolutely a proper noun. The problem is, it’s not just one Wall of Candy where there are jars of Reese’s Pieces (my favorite), gummie bears, peppermint patties, peanut M&Ms and more; there’s candy around every corner. It’s in the lobby, conference rooms, the kitchen, at the printer stations, on our desks! And it just so happens one of my biggest weaknesses is my sweet tooth. Continue reading →

Boston Marathon Bombings: One Runner’s Reaction

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I did not run the Boston Marathon this year. I did not qualify for the Boston Marathon this year. I did not even try to qualify for Boston this year. However, two years ago, I started a blog post (it’s still in drafts) called “My BQ Quest” which I never finished and never posted out of fear that I may never be able to actually qualify for Boston. The bombing of the 2013 marathon has given me new resolve. I am no longer afraid to share my goal. I am no longer scared to try to train for the time I would need to qualify. I am no longer intimidated by the challenge of qualifying for Boston. I am no longer embarrassed about the possibility of publicly failing. I am simply determined. Continue reading →

2013 Cooper River Bridge Run Recap

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bridgerun-2013 I went into this year’s Cooper River Bridge Run with a strange combination of feeling cocky about the prospect of running fast and at the same time not feeling confident that I could run fast. In the two weeks I had to really train for speed I lost the opportunity due to being sick one week and not focused the other. I was hopeful that all the magic of race day would help me hit the 7:30 pace I was targeting. Not only did race day magic have an effect but so did a little ‘tough love’ coaching from my husband, friendly competition with my best friend and sheer determination. I pulled off a 7:20 pace for a 10K PR of 45:36!! Continue reading →

DC Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon: My Negative Splits PR Race

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dc_athletesforequality_2013_blogSomewhere between mid-January and early February I decided I wanted to do a half marathon in March. I had been intentionally maintaining long runs in the 6-8 mile range knowing that I hoped to run 13.1 in March. But I hadn’t settled on a race and hadn’t settled on a training plan. Finally, via Facebook I learned about the March 16 Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon in Washington, D.C. and promptly signed up. At the time I think I had something like 5-6 weeks left to train.

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This Run’s For You

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Weekends tend to be dedicated to the long run and the long run typically equals quality thinking time. Recently on a long run I found myself thinking about some family and friends whose new year started off rough. And then I thought about other friends and family whose new year began with joy and fresh starts. My mind kept switching from one extreme to the other and I found myself wanting to dedicate that run to my friends and family. Continue reading →