See Ya 2014!

I consider 2014 an off year for me.   

I started the year with big goals that were threatened by MRIs and stupid stitches.  

No marathons.  No half marathons.  I didn’t run or work Falmouth.   

But I did run a 5k at Women Running Wild and a 10k PR at the Tufts 10k for Women!  I also joined a Run Club, bought a house and got a puppy!   

I’m not a big believer in New Year’s Resolutions [see Hello 2014!] but I do hope to run more miles in 2015 than I did in 2014 and sign up for a few goal races to bring the motivation back.

What are your goals for the New Year?  Do you make resolutions?

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Merry Christmas!

It’s my first day of vacation and the perfect opportunity to get back to running. 

Running shoes were dusty.  GPS watch battery was dead.  They hadn’t seen the outdoors since the Cape Cod Marathon Relay on October 26th.  Christmas started out a rainy, yucky mess on Cape Cod.  Georgie and I spent the morning at my parents house getting spoiled and drinking mimosas.  When we got back home, the sun started to peak out and Georgie passed out for her afternoon nap.  #NoExcuses – I had to get out the door.  2 miles later, I felt so much better.  Cardiovascular system was suffering and the legs were tired but that feeling you get after a run is what every athlete craves.

Going for 3 miles tomorrow.  Now off to Christmas dinner!

A Holly Jolly Christmas Spin Playlist

It’s the Eve of Christmas Eve and Tuesday morning spin class was ready for an all Christmas playlist!  It was both fun and challenging putting the songs together for a great class.

It’s The Most Wonderful Time - Johnny Mathis                2:46  Warm up

Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes                                                      3:06  Drills, pedal strokes

Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys                                        2:03  Build

Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley                                               2:08  Keep building, seated climb

Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy - Garth Brooks               2:31  90-110, downhill

We Need a Little Christmas - Percy Faith                           2:09  Jumps

Feliz Navidad - José Feliciano                                                 3:02  Standing flat/running

A Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives                                        2:14  Build

Santa’s Beard - The Beach Boys                                             2:00  Keep building

Run Run Rudolph - Luke Bryan                                              2:52  Jumps

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Michael Bublé   3:09  80-100, recovery

Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town - Bruce Springsteen        4:25  Seated climb

Christmas / Sarajevo - Trans-Siberian Orchestra             3:25  Standing climb

All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey                 4:01  Running

It’s Christmas Time Again - Jessica Simpson                       3:11  Cool down

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Michael Bublé 3:52  Stretch 

Merry Christmas!

Holiday Party Survival Guide

‘Tis the season to overindulge!   I personally made a special trip to my parent’s house this week to pick up some of my mom’s famous Christmas cookies.  And then in a 2 hour time period, I ate 7 cookies.  No control.

Did you know the average American gains 4 to 12 pounds over the holidays?  One holiday meal alone can add up to 3,000 calories and this does not include other meals and snacks that same day.  A cup of eggnog contains 343 calories.  Add rum and you’re adding another 100 calories to this holiday favorite.

Do you have an office holiday party coming up?  Planning a gathering with family and friends?  It’s important to let yourself splurge every once in awhile but here are some tips to help control yourself and not go overboard.

• Make sure you get in a workout that day.  Hit the gym, go for a walk, sign up for a Jingle Jog or anything to get you moving and burn some extra calories.

• Eat normally throughout the day leading up to the event.  Don’t skip meals.  If you go hungry, chances are you will end up eating more!

• When you get to the party, preview the buffet and prioritize.  Decide what you want before you fill up your plate.  What is worth indulging in?

• The obvious: Don’t linger by the food table!  That’s my go-to spot to hang so it’s my friends’ duty to pull me away to socialize.  The closer you are, the easier to grab.  And when you’re chatting you may not even know you’re munching.

• If you are going to have an alcoholic drink, grab a light beer or a glass of wine.  A bottle of light beer has around 100 calories and a 5oz glass of wine has about 120 calories.

• Stay hydrated.  Drink lots of water leading up to the party and keep drinking water while you are there.  This will make you feel full faster.

• Got a long run coming up the next morning?  Don’t eat anything unusual at the party.  Stay away from heavy and creamy foods, seafood, and too many sugary desserts.  Remember that alcoholic drinks will dehydrate you and affect your performance in the morning.  If you must drink, keep sipping on water between drinks!

• Avoid bringing home leftovers and get right back on track the next day!  It’s very easy to let one bad night of eating turn into several.

Like I Love You Spin Playlist

Tuesday morning’s spin playlist mixed in a few extra JT songs after my mama and I saw him perform at Mohegan Sun over the weekend.  So much fun!  What a performer!

Happy - Pharrell Williams                                        3:53  Warm up

Say Hey - Michael Franti & Spearhead                  3:57  Drills, pedal strokes

Like I Love You - Justin Timberlake                       4:44  Build

Mambo No. 5 - Lou Bega                                           3:41  Jumps

Poison - New Edition                                                 4:20  Build

Just Got Paid - 'N Sync                                               4:10  Standing climb

Lovestoned - Justin Timberlake                             4:19  Build

When I Grow Up - The Pussycat Dolls                  4:06  Jumps  

Black Widow (feat. Rita Ora) - Iggy Azalea         3:29  Seated climb, faster at 1:50 & 3:15

Don't Stop the Party - Pitbull                                   3:26  Rolling hills

Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin                         4:03  Standing flat, running           

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays - 'N Sync       4:14  Cool down

Pusher Love Girl - Justin Timberlake                    8:02  Stretch

I'm working on my Tuesday, December 23rd Christmas playlist.  What would you like to hear?  Then the following Tuesday my cousin Melissa will be in town so stay tuned for a special playlist for her guest appearance... :)

Offseason Training & Milo of Croton

If you’ve been keeping up with Run Jen Run, you know I’m on a temporary mental and physical break from running.  During this “offseason,” my focus has been on spinning, dog walking, and dog lifting.

Wait.  Dog lifting?

My awesome Strength & Conditioning Coach Eric introduced me to Milo of Croton.  After a little Google search, I have become intrigued by his training methods.

Milo was a Greek wrestler in the 6th century BC.  His superhuman strength and athleticism came from one simple routine: lift a bull everyday.  There are many versions of this tale out there in cyberspace but many believe that to become the greatest wrestler in Greek history, he lifted a calf every single day.  He carried the calf all around Croton.  As the calf grew, Milo’s became stronger.  He continued to carry the calf until it was a full-grown bull.

I am a runner and trainer but as much as I know about exercise science and running, I tend to ignore strength training.  Why?  I don’t enjoy it.  This is something I can relate to.  Skip strength training, get injured, and I will deal with it.  Skip “dog lifting” and someday I will not be able to help Georgie get into the car or I won’t be able to carry her 30 lb food bag, etc.  Sometimes you need a little extra motivation to get things done.

The tale of Milo can translate into a metaphor for running and life.  Milo didn’t wake up one morning and try to carry a bull.  Work hard towards your goals everyday.  Start slow.  Make small gains.  Be patient.  You will get there.

If it worked for Milo of Croton, maybe it’ll work for me.  Right?

On another note, I have a lot of days off coming up after Christmas and I look forward to getting back to running.  If you would like to join me for a few miles, friends are always welcome!