Planning an invasion

It was the "no plan" plan.

For weeks - really since the December Huff,  I've been following a very loose training plan. The goal was to keep a respectable base and (hopefully) pick up some speed as I looked toward the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans half marathon relay. As I'm doing an 8-mile leg, I needed to keep up my Sunday long runs but didn't have to fret too much about weekday mileage.

After the March race, it was my plan to train for a spring half marathon. I had set my sights on Cincinnati's Flying Pig, which was my first half, but found myself less than thrilled by the $80 entry free. Nevertheless, I set a loose schedule based on the May race date. I planned for three days a week running, per my "survive winter" plan, and I would keep up with the twice weekly strength sessions.

Of course, that all changed when I registered for the Martian Invasion of the Races half marathon on Tuesday. The Martian race is April 14, nearly a full month before the Flying Pig.

Some things would stay the same - the three days a week running and my scheduled runs ahead of RnR NOLA - but I would have to redo the long run schedule. Based on plans by Hal Higdon and one I found on RunnersWorld.com, I came up with something that will get me to the starting line strong.

*Note: I totally flipped a week. My Fanny Freezer 5K is Feb. 11 - not Feb. 4.

As I'm running just three days a week, it's important to have quality runs so I'll be incorporating one speed day. The Runners World three-day plan had one tempo run and one interval run each week but I don't think that's feasible for me fitness-wise nor schedule-wise. Seriously, who wants to push a jogging stroller for 8x400? Not me.

I kept the strength training and Zumba, as well. I find that resistance workouts build muscle and help reduce weak joints thus reducing the risk of injury. Zumba ... well, it's just fun. (I never thought I'd say that!) I think that explosive-type cardio, like Zumba, should help work different muscle fibers and maybe ones that help with speed. Of course, I'm more than likely just making that up and the statement has no basis in reality.

I do have Fridays open in the event that I decide to add a fourth run during the week. I know a fourth run will do a lot to improve my base, stamina and speed but I felt overwhelmed running four times a week when I was training for the Huff. I'm sort of going to see when spring arrives and what sort of schedule Miles is on.

What is your preference when training - 3 days of running or 4? Or, are you crazy and do 5?

Coming up short

You know what the problem is with owning just one pair of running tights?

You own just one pair of running tights. And sometimes (but only sometimes) you discover that said tights are in the laundry basket and smell like ... you know ... and you only make that discovery minutes before you hope to be out the door.

Or does this only happen to me?

I had 4 miles planned for today, and I did not want to cop out just because of something so minor as a pair of pants. Not that pants are minor but ... you know what I mean. So I did what anyone would do - made do with what I had.

 

A pair of Old Navy active capris paired with a pair of knee socks = makeshift running tights. 

Note: I had a pair of running socks underneath so as to not get any blisters.

As it turned out, my haphazard outfit was the least of my worries. The temperature was an acceptable 31 degrees but the wind ... oh, the wind. Weather.com, which I looked at more closely after my run (doh!), said there were gusts from 15 to 25 mph. Eek! Factor in that I was pushing the stroller through a hilly-ish area, and it is undeniable that I had my work cut out for me.

I paused when I could, catching my breath at street crossings and when Denali had to pee, and I made no bones about not running as fast as I could. Even still, as reached my second neighborhood, I had to summon every ounce of #OpHardcoreFit I could and not cut the run short. I knew that if I could push through that I would feel better about the day and myself.

Oh and a little better about this.

After months of "researching" spring half marathons, I finally put my money where my training plan is and signed up for the Martian half marathon on April 14. Maybe it's the awesome medal or the chance to maybe meet the Megans, but I'm super stoked.

What are you looking forward to? Any spring races?

P.S. I'm deeming next week W.O.W. (Words of Wisdom) Week. I saw a lot of questions in comments after the Yahoo! story so I thought it might be good timing. I'll answer any questions you might have - whether it's weight loss, my eating habits, running, etc. Just leave me a comment or shoot me an email!

Hand it to me

Note: I wrote this post yesterday but forgot to post it. Probably because I nominated myself for mother of the year when I turned my back and "let" Miles fall off the bed. Don't worry, though, the only one to suffer traumatic injuries was me.

I tried something so unexpected, something so new thismorning – a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter, banana slices,cinnamon and a drizzle of honey.

Wait. What am I thinking? Such a “dish” – if it evenqualifies is that – is not new. However, I will say that it has been a longtime since I made myself PB&B (&CH) toast in the morning. Lately, evenpre-run, I’ve been eating plain instant oatmeal with a teaspoon of peanutbutter, a tablespoon of raisins and stevia. So good.

Anyway. Back to the new.

On Sunday, after a 7-degree 6-mile run and a marathonshopping day at the mall, I decided to head to the running company to check outtheir new digs. I ooh'ed and aah'ed at the extra space, combed through theclearance and was about to leave when I saw a display of gloves.

Yes. Exactly what I needed. Especially as I have beenwearing $1 Target knit gloves, which can be warm, but don’t breathe and make mefeel all hot and sweaty.

There were gloves from every big name – Mizuno, Saucony,Nike, Asics – and gloves in every price range. The low end was $20 and the highend was $70. I really felt like going for one of the higher end pairs –Mittens! Base layer! USB light thinger! –but my frugal side (aka Mark) won out, and I selected a pair of Nike Thermalgloves, size small, in an attractive gray and pink. 

With a word like “thermal” in the product description, Ifeared that the gloves would be too warm when I headed out this morning. Itwasn’t as warm as it has been but 28 degrees in mid-January is a welcometemperature. Upon stepping out on my front step, I realized that I needn’tworry. If anything, I should have feared the opposite: my hands being colddespite wearing gloves. The breathability Nike touts means, at least for me,that the cold air could come inside the gloves. Brr!

I thought briefly of going inside to grab my cheapo glovesbut we were all ready to go, and I thought I’d see how it went. And it went …OK. I noticed my hands less and less as the run progressed, and my hands nevergot clammy the way the do with the cheap gloves. However, I did find myselfflexing my hands at stoplights and street crossings to keep the bloodcirculating.

After finishing 3.5 miles (which required me to run past my house and down the block), I found myself at the front step. I took off the gloves and went to unleash Deanli. My hands were cold but mobile - a win ... sort of.

Nike Dri-FIT Lightweight Women's Running Gloves

Product description: Keep your hands free of cold and sweat in the Nike Dri-FITLightweight (Small) Women's Running Gloves, a breathable stretchdesign with the safety features you want for a hassle-freeexcursion.

• Dri-FIT fabric to wick sweat away and help keep you dry andcomfortable
• Rib cuffMesh fabric between fingers
• Reflective pattern at outer handKey compartment at palm

Pros: handKey compartment - the gloves might not be the warmest but having a spot for the house key was awesome; and they are machine washable.

Cons: Not very warm. These would be fine for those in a more mild climate but for the temperamental Midwest, I think I'd want something better. Also, if you are an iPod user, these don't have the smart feature that allows you to do touch screen stuff.

Parting words: I might not love these gloves but I'll keep wearing them. They are better than my $1 gloves and, at $20, not something I'm just going to toss in the back of the closet. I think I might look into some running mittens (hi, Asics) to wear over the gloves for the very cold days.

Lessons in night-time treadmill running

1. Search the interwebs for a structured (and challenging) interval workout so you know exactly what you’ll be doing, making it less likely that you’ll just hang on for 20 minutes

2. Do not eat dinner – like dinner dinner – an hour before you plan to run. That is, of course, assuming that you don’t like burping up pork “fried” brown rice for half your workout. If you like that sort of thing, carry on.

3. While sitting on the couch with a bowl of Turkey Hill’s light cookie dough and watching “Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” seems like a better alternative, it’s not.

4. Find an acceptable Pandora station on your phone before starting the workout in an effort to avoid stopping several times in the warmup.

5. Creating a “Bye Bye Bye” station on Pandora does not guarantee that you’ll hear “Bye Bye Bye.” You will, however, hear “Cry Me a River” by Justin Timberlake. Though “River” is no power “jam,”  the thought of Timberlake will help you push through a tough interval.

A moment of silence, please.

6. Listening to a ’90s pop station will remind you of a better workout song than “Bye Bye Bye”: “Dirrty” by Christina Aguilera.

7. A drink of water is an acceptable reason to stop the treadmill after a tough interval. If anything, it might help get rid of the flavor of pork “fried” brown rice.

8. Pausing because you’re afraid that you can’t keep up? That is not an acceptable reason to stop. You will only run as fast as you let yourself. #OpHardcoreFit in full effect.

9. It’s a smart idea to grab a towel from the laundry pile – even if it is the dirty laundry pile – to keep next to you. It will come in handy when the sweat is literally dripping down the backs of your legs, past your ankles.

10. The bowl of ice cream that sounded so good doesn’t sound so good 41 minutes and 4 miles later. What does sound good is peppermint tea and a hot bath.

Weekend warrior

It all started with a missed workout. Actually, it started with a blog challenge. Wait. No. It started with an email. Or the discovery that the gym where I took boot camp.

Shit. I don’t know where it started. All I know is I showed up at the gym at 8:30 Saturday morning and didn’t leave till 11.



After boot camp finished up in December, L and I were excited to learn that the gym was going to offer Body Pump in the new year. I know this class isn’t new to about 90 percent of the world but Tumble X is only the second gym in the area to offer the class and the other one is about a half-hour drive. Arg.



This week was our second class and let me tell you – I was excited. It’s challenging and fun all at the same time, and I find that my competitive spirit helps me push a bit harder than I would at home.



It’s just hard not to feel hardcore and not want to work when you are lifting a barbell and weights. Of course, sometimes like my stomach, my eyes were bigger than my muscles.



There were a couple tracks where I had to stop in the middle and reduce the weight. Just gotta give myself a place to work up to!



After class, it was time for Zumba.

Now let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am not really a dancer. Sure, I move on the floor but I usually reserve such activities for times when I can consume alcoholic beverages. L had wanted to try it, though, and I’m all about giving things a whirl.



And I’m glad I did. It was a lot of fun though it was clearly evident that I’m no Zumba superstar. I spent a good part of the class following L’s advice: when in doubt, move your hips. Of course, that’s how I got myself into trouble …



Anyway … 45 minutes of Zumba later, and we had finished two classes.

While two fitness classes in one weekend is more than enough exercise, I still had a run to fit in.



I am training for a yet-to-be determined spring race, and I’m following a run less, run faster approach. As the runs are about quality not quantity, it’s important not to skip one.

Even if it’s 7 degrees.

The weather Sunday morning was against my principles (aka the 10-degree rule) but there was no wind and a lot of sun.



And Denali was on my last nerve. God, that dog gives me a reason to run even if I don't want one.

We logged  6 snow-covered miles, and I felt surprisingly good. I had tried to keep the pace on the slow side as it was a "long" run but Denali kept it honest. (I think I watched too much of the Olympic Trials yesterday.) Thankfully (and surprisingly) my body responded, managing a 9:38 average - a pace that hasn't been seen much, if at all, since I had Miles.

It was a perfect way to wrap up such a movement-filled weekend.

Wait.

Scratch that.

Shopping at the mall and getting two pairs of sweats and a new workout tank ... for $24 total ... was the perfect way to end my weekend.

How did your weekend shape up?