I switched up my long and short run this weekend to accommodate weather that we didn’t get. Yesterday I ran a glorious 7 miles out on the road with Bern. The hills weren’t as bad as they used to be and we kept a steady easy pace of about 10:50. It was great to catch up with her and felt good to get out of the house and stretch my legs. Continue reading
As a trail runner, I’ve learned that I have to pay special attention to my ankles to help maneuver the rough terrain. Here are 8 ankle exercises from WikiHow that you can do to strengthen your ankles. You can actually do some of these at your desk if you work in the office.
The detailed instructions can be found here. Continue reading
It’s funny, but I knew of Katy long before I actually met Katy. We had a mutual friend so I would hear about her and sometimes see her in passing at races. When we finally met, I liked her in an instant. I love her perseverance and her unrelenting determination. I was so impressed and SO PROUD when she knocked of 41 minutes off of her personal marathon best in one training season! 41 MINUTES!!!! Unbelievable! How can you not be inspired by that?! I knew instantly she was an inspiring runner and I had to include her in my RIR series. Check out our interview below. Continue reading
I’m happy to say that I did NOT fall today! Yay me! I had a couple of slips and close calls considering most of the trails were a sheet of ice, but that was it. We set out to do 2.5 hours and I think we came up a little short, but that’s okay. Next week’s run is going to be a doozy, so I’ll take all the easy runs I can get. Easy. Yep, I said it! I can’t believe that trail running is getting easier. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a challenge, but I’m still keeping up with the group and I’m running all the hills that weren’t a sheet of ice and I’m still feeling strong. Again, I’ll take what I can get. I know next week this will most likely not be the case. Continue reading
Aaahhh…the quest for speed! At some point in your running life, you’re going to have the desire to increase your speed. Some have stronger desires than others, and some who don’t think they’d ever care at all will eventually find that they want a new personal best. There are many things that you can do to increase your speed and they range from fartleks (and yes, I snicker every time I say it), interval training, track work, drills, and tempo runs. Continue reading
So, I was at the gym this morning busting my butt and this girl comes up to me and asks me if I’m pregnant. I smiled and looked at her and said “No, I’m just a big girl. It’s just fat.” I can tell she was a little embarrassed and I can tell that the conversation that she thought she was going to have with me went right down the tubes. I’m sure she planned on telling me how amazing I was for working out so hard being pregnant and how she probably could never do it herself, but instead, I ruined her day by telling her that the “baby” I was carrying was conceived by eating junk. Continue reading
As a runner, you know to appreciate any good run you can take during training season. It seems like a long time since I had a great long run, but yesterday – it was GLORIOUS! I don’t know what I did different to make yesterday’s run better than any other run I’ve had since I started ultramarathon training, but who cares! Continue reading
Great advice for first time ultramarathoners! I will keep all of this in mind when I run my first ultra. It may not be a 50-miler, but I’m sure it’ll help me during my 50K.
As I begin to shut the (mental) door on my first 50-mile ultra, I decided to reflect upon the 5 most important things I had learned from the journey. I had originally written this post the day after the race, but wanted to wait and come back to it to see if these lessons still rang true a few weeks later – and they do. Needless to say, below are the 5 most important things I learned from running my first 50-miler.
Respect the distance
I have no doubt you’ve heard those words many times before. The truth is, they take on a whole new meaning with you’re talking distances of 30, 40 … 50 miles. You can pay your respects in many ways: by constantly being aware and of—and honest with—your pace (both during your race and in your training), making sure your weekly mileage and long runs have…
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Oh those poor, poor newbies that showed up to work this week. They saw me in my running gear and then asked the question that non-runners ask without realizing that by asking “the question” they have just opened the door to my entire life running story. “Oh, do you run?” You be your sweet ass I run! Continue reading
Yesterday’s workout was supposed to be speed work at the track. Of course it was colder than a bucket of penguin shit and I didn’t pack the appropriate cold weather gear to change into for training. I figured, what the hell. I’m going to gear up and earn my badass status and get it done. I closed my office door and proceeded to quickly get dressed with what I had, two thin long-sleeved shirts, a vest, and my Mizuno tights. Continue reading
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