Monthly Archives: December 2013

HAT Run 50K Training – Week 4 (Learning How to Fall)

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Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later and I’m actually surprised that it didn’t happen sooner. I fell. Twice. The good thing was, neither fall was a face plant and I did not get injured. And, I also realized that the good thing about being in the back of the pack is, only the person in front of you gets to witness these events. I am embarrassed to say that I apparently squeal like a little school girl when I fall. Both times I let out this high-pitched EEEEE! It also happened when I almost had fall #3. EEEEE! Seriously folks?! So not cool. Continue reading →

Friday’s Tip of the Week – Running Hills

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All this talk about running hills and how difficult it is has me thinking, is there something that I should be doing to help me get up those doggone hills? Well, I turned to my best online friend…Google, and found this video “How to Run Hills with Coach Jenny Hadfield.”

Some of the tips she offers are:

  • Open your stride
  • Lean into it from your ankles
  • Land with your foot just behind your hips – rather than under your hips
  • Relax and let go and let gravity pull you down

I’m going to give it a try tomorrow and see how it goes. Hope this helps!

HAT Run 50K Training – Week 3 (Going All In!)

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Okay, Okay! I know I’m late in posting this weekend’s training, but ’tis this season to be caught up in the holiday bustle. Actually, I was just too worn out to move.

This weekend’s training started Friday with an intense upper body workout with an old friend of mine. I was unable to meet up with John, so I met up with my old personal trainer/friend who does competition body building. Three days later, I’m just now able to touch the top of my head…ow. It was good to see him and switch it up a little, and I’m grateful that he let me tag along so I wouldn’t miss out on training due to scheduling conflicts. But up until about an hour ago, I was cussing him out under my breath anytime I had to lift my arms more than six inches above my waist. Continue reading →

Friday Tip of the Week – Run Faster with Strength Exercises

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The HAT Run 50k training has me really wanting to find a routine to build stronger legs. Stronger legs equal faster speed. I found this fantastic video on Runners World’s website. I remember doing these exercises years ago with my trainer, but I haven’t done them lately. Guess what’s getting added back into the routine. Enjoy!

Guest Review – Winter Gear: Balaclavas and Neck Gaiters (plus DIY instructions!)

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This is a review written by a dear friend and runner. Thanks Bern for writing this guest blog!

A balaclava is a winter hat with face protection. It can be worn three ways: over your head and lower face, over your head and under your chin, or just around your neck.

My balaclava is from Brooks Running. It’s made of a polyester/spandex fabric that is ultra-light but very warm, and it does a great job of wicking the moisture away from my skin.  The manufacturer’s specs rate it for 40-60 degrees (Fahrenheit), but I find it’s too warm to wear under those conditions. However, it’s perfect for cold, blustery days and it’s quickly become my go-to winter accessory. Continue reading →

HAT Run Training – Week 2 Track (Tales of the Asthmatic Runner)

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I’ve never been much of a writer, but during a lot of my runs, especially in the cold when my asthma kicks into high gear, I always ponder about writing a book titled Tales of the Asthmatic Runner. I don’t know why. I think I just like the title. But I have no idea what the plot would be, et cetera, et cetera.

Last night at track we did hill work around Goucher. The track was icy, so we skipped the track portion of the workout. Probably a good thing. My lungs were tight and I could tell that it wasn’t going to be a good night. So, if I were to write about last night in a story format, I think it would go something like this… Continue reading →

HAT Run 50K – Week 2 (The Slush Can Suck It!)

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Okay, let’s try this again. I initially wrote this post on Sunday in a Word document and as I was ready to transfer it over to WordPress, my laptop crashed. And I don’t mean, just shut down…I mean the hard drive completely blew up. It also happened to my spare laptop. Both have been sent back to HP for repairs and I’m glad they’re still under warranty.

Anyway, my post was a little longer when I originally wrote it, but I have since forgotten most of it. It’s amazing how just a little bit of time makes you forget details that you thought were initially important. Lucky you, this is going to be short.

Sunday’s run was great, except for the stupid slush. Ya’ll know I hate wet feet, but what I hate worse than wet feet is freezing cold wet feet. Thirteen minutes in of schlepping through the slush, both feet were wet and cold. I eventually couldn’t feel my feet but my SmartWool socks did a decent job of keeping me from getting frostbite. It’s funny, I was telling some of the folks in my training group that this training is going to knock the prissy little girl right out of me. Last week I was “ew” or “gross” with every muddy step, this week it was more like “ew” or “gross” with every other slushy muddy step. Progress. Continue reading →

2013 Celtic Solstice Race Recap

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This is where it all began two years ago. This is the race that gave me the fire in the belly to take on running as an additional way to get fit, which in turn kinda changed my life. I absolutely love this race! The people, the course, the volunteers, the wassail…all of it is just fantastic!

We were expecting a mixed bag of precipitation today, but Mother Nature decided to just sprinkle us with a couple of flurries here and there instead. Thank you Mother Nature! Since I was dressed for crappy weather, I ended up very hot at around mile two. Oh well. I hate the cold and I’d rather be hot than cold. Continue reading →