Friday Tip of the Week – Running Calf Strength Exercise: Ankling Drills

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Ever since I injured my calf this past summer, I’ve been very careful about not injuring it again. I wear a compression sleeve during races and long training runs, and I make sure that I stretch them and warm them up before running. It occurred to me that I probably do some exercises to increase and develop strength in my calves too. I found this very simple exercise on Kinetic Revolution, one of my go to sites for running advice, and thought I’d share their Ankling Drills Exercise. Continue reading →

Philly Marathon Recovery

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If you recall, my recovery sucked for MCM. I did everything wrong, wrong, wrong. I waited 7 – 8 hours to get a REAL meal in, endured a not so great massage, didn’t stretch, didn’t take an Epsom salt bath, didn’t foam roll, and didn’t continue to hydrate. Remember when I said “lessons learned,” well I heeded my words and paid special attention to make sure I recovered correctly after Philly. This is what I did different: Continue reading →

Just Call Me Joe (Philadelphia Marathon Recap – Part 1)

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I hate to break this up into two parts, but there’s just so much to write. And if you have a short span of attention like me, you would probably stop half way through any way, so there it is, Part 1 of 2 of the Philadelphia Marathon Recap.

Earlier this week when I told people that I just ran a marathon, they assumed I was talking about Marine Corps. When I say, “No, I just ran Philly.” I get the “Wha-whaaat??” Call us crazy, but we did. I got a text message from my friend Kendra the day after MCM which said, “I wanna run Philly.” And that was the beginning of our mad quest to secretly run a marathon without letting anyone know, well, with the exception of our families.

plot Continue reading →

Ooops! I Did It Again!

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Wonder why I’ve been so quiet lately? Well, I’ll let you in on a secret…I just ran the Philadelphia Marathon yesterday. Yep! That’s right! First Marine Corp Marathon on 10/27, then Philly yesterday. Two marathons in 21 days! I’ve been dying to tell you all about it and the days leading up to it, but I made a pact with my running partner in crime about keeping it a secret until we actually pulled it off. It was killing me! Every time I sat down to write, I wanted to tell ya’ll what was going on, so I just had to keep mum. I’m sorry for the teaser, but I haven’t had a chance to do a race re-cap, but I hope to have it published by tomorrow. Continue reading →

Baby It’s Cold Outside! (Cold Weather Gear and Other Tips for Winter Running)

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Well, it happened. The cold weather has reared it’s ugly head and now I have to transition my summer gear to my winter gear. I remember when I first started running, it was in the winter time, and boy did I get it all wrong. I remember going out with two layers of sweatpants, three layers of shirts (all long sleeved, once was a fleece), PLUS a coat, hat, gloves, and double socks. It was no wonder that I was burning up after the first mile. Continue reading →

PlowOn Energy Gum – Review and Giveaway

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I am a caffeine addict. Plain and simple. I need my caffeine and I LOVE my caffeine. I also consume energy drinks, both the full sized cans and the 5-hour energy shots, and in the past, taken energy pills such as Hydroxycut and the like. Yes, I know I’ve got some all-natural, organic only readers, but please understand that caffeine is my vice and I hope you forgive me for my weakness. Now, with all the bad hype about the pills, I’ve stopped taking those and frankly, the energy drinks are too expensive and have way too many chemicals that I decided to give them up too. Which leaves me with coffee as my only source for caffeine, or caffeinated GU’s during runs. Then, I discovered PlowOn Energy Gum! Continue reading →

Pumpkin Pancakes and Trails (11/10 Weekend Recap)

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I’m sorry that I’m not writing as much as I was when I was training for the Marine Corps Marathon. I guess I still have a touch of the post-marathon blues and have been “eh” about the run…until this weekend. I think I found my running mojo again…thank goodness! Yesterday I set out to run ten miles at the NCR trail. My friend Becky was set out to run six, so we decided to meet up and run some of the way together along with a couple of her friends. It was great to catch up with Becky. If you recall, she was one of my first interviews for Runners Inspiring Runners (which I need to pick back up). She has come so far and I’m so proud of her! Continue reading →

Friday Tip of the Week: Knee and Ankle Stability Exercises

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If you follow my Facebook page, you know that I was annoyed by an ex-runner who gave me grief about running because they suffered knee injures. Needless to say, I had to bite my tongue, smile, and say “If I develop issues, I’ll get it taken care of.” If you ask me, I believe that if you run smart, cross train properly, and ensure you are consistent with warming up before and stretching after runs, you’ll reduce your risk of injury significantly. Continue reading →

Yes! We Are All Celebrities!

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When Runner’s World’s article about celebrities who finished the NYC Marathon popped up in my Facebook newsfeed, I just had to see how I compared. Well, my time for my first marathon last year (4:56) was better than Pamela Anderson first marathon, who came in at 5:41. Supermodel Christy Turlington Burns’ time was better than mine at 4:35, and former NY Rangers player and 1994 Stanley Cup Champion Nick Kypreos’ time of 4:43 beat my MCM time by a minute. Oh and of course, I have yet to beat Oprah’s MCM time of 4:29. Continue reading →