Weekly Roundup 1.9-1.15

Week 14 of 16

I’m getting SO CLOSE!  This week was the first week of tapering down and it felt wonderful.  My last two goal races (Houston Marathon & Buffalo Half Marathon) I got injured late in training and did not get to fully enjoy the taper process.

GeorgieGSD is ready to become Miami Famous

I took to the treadmill on Monday and Wednesday and put on the thermals for some heat training.  I figured a little overdressed would only help me prepare for the potential warm weather in Miami.  The good news is that the race starts at 6am before the sun comes up.  The bad news is that the race starts at 6am.  😩😩😩  (I just discovered I can insert emojis into blog posts!! 🎉) Wednesday was also my last speed workout before the race and I got to run some short quarter mile intervals to get the legs turning over fast.

Thursday morning I brought Georgie out for a quick jog and she ran 0.99 miles without stopping once!  It was great!

I decided to run long on Friday again—and man was I excited to only have to run 14 miles.  I spent a lot of time questioning at what point of marathon training does one get excited about a 10 or a 12 or a 14 mile long run?  The weather was nice.  A little on the cool side but definitely not cold like its been.  My mom passed me on her way home from work and drove alongside me for about a mile.  That was a nice surprise!  Especially considering she told me the night before that she was thinking about biking with me and then she realized Friday morning that her bike was hanging up in the garage and she couldn’t get it down without my dad’s help.  LOL thanks mom.

Saturday morning it was back to being COLD but I had 3 miles left on the schedule and my friends were meeting up for Jason’s birthday bRUNch.  We ended up running 5 miles down the Shining Sea Bikeway and went to Persey’s Place after.  Jason, Danielle, Gary and Kyle all agreed that I won breakfast.  2 pancakes topped with strawberries and whipped cream, 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon and 2 sausage patties.  So good.

 

2 more weeks!!!!  And side note: I’m so proud of Kristen for running her 10 miles!

Other highlights:

·      Miami Marathon bib numbers have been assigned and I’m lucky number 2301!  The route map has also been updated to incorporate the Venetian Causeway back into the course.  I’m getting more and more excited!!

·      I received a new product to test as a BibRave Pro!  You may remember a few months ago I reviewed the Legend Compression Performance Socks.  Another opportunity came up with Legend Compression and I couldn’t pass it up.  This time I’ll be trying their leg sleeves and I especially love the pretty aqua blue color they sent me.

Upcoming events:

·      2 weeks until the Miami Marathon!

·      13 weeks until the Newport Rhode Race!

Monday 1.9.17

3 treadmill miles (24:00)

12,713 steps

Tuesday 1.10.17

Taught spin class

9,474 steps

Wednesday 1.11.17

5 treadmill miles (36:48) with 8x400s <--2 at 9.0, 4 at 9.2, 2 at 9.4 mph

5x1’ planks

17,708 steps

Thursday 1.12.17

0.99 miles with G (8:48)

Taught spin class

Power Water

14,289 steps

Friday 1.13.17

14 miles (1:50:05)

32,709 steps

Saturday 1.14.17

4.95 miles with Danielle, Jason, Gary & Kyle (45:07)

16,718 steps

Sunday 1.15.17

Taught spin class

Burdenko H2O

10,637 steps

ICYMI

Week 1 of 16 – Week 5 of 16 – Week 9 of 16 – Week 13 of 16

Week 2 of 16 – Week 6 of 16 – Week 10 of 16

Week 3 of 16 – Week 7 of 16 – Week 11 of 16

Week 4 of 16 – Week 8 of 16 – Week 12 of 16

This week’s mileage: 28 miles

This week’s G mileage: 1 mile

January Totals: 73 miles

2017 Totals: 73 miles

Weekly Roundup 1.2-1.8

Week 13 of 16

I am one happy runner writing this week’s recap.  13 weeks down, 3 weeks to go.  Not only did I survived the toughest week of marathon training… I made it to taper!  I LOVE taper time!

A few longer workdays, a baby shower invite for Saturday along with more snow in the forecast made this week’s training a little tricky.  I knew I would have to do my long run on Friday if I wanted to go to the baby shower on Saturday so I got my 3x1 mile treadmill workout over with on Monday instead of my usual Workout Wednesday. Last week I had 4 one mile repeats and I ran them at 8.5, 8.8, 9.0 and 9.3 mph.  This week I only had 3 so I went for them all at 9.0 mph.  I felt awesome.  And I was pretty pumped up watching the Rose Bowl pregame show on ESPN during the last few miles.  WE ARE!

I took Tuesday off and returned to the treadmill on Wednesday.  I went back and forth about running 8 or 10 miles so I ended up with 8 miles on the treadmill then I grabbed G for another 2 miles outside.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love night running with her?!

Friday was… fun?  My friend Steve (THE Steve Infascelli) asked if I wanted to run not knowing I had 22 miles on the schedule.  He agreed to run about 8 of the middle miles with me and I would meet up with him around mile 8.  We knew it was going to snow Thursday night into Friday morning but we definitely didn’t expect the amount of snow as we actually got.

The original plan was I’d start running from my parents’ house around 10am but the roads to Falmouth were horrible so I procrastinated a bit in the morning and pushed the start time back to about 10:45am.  It was still snowing when I started running and was about ankle deep in snow if I ran on the sidewalks or a mixture of snow, ice, slush if I ran on the roads.  I felt like I was putting in a lot of effort to lift my legs and kept switching from sidewalk to the roads then back to the sidewalk again.  I knew from the beginning it was going to be a long and slow epic adventure but I didn’t realize how hard it was going to be.

In my mind I broke up my run into 3 parts—8 miles alone, 8 miles with Steve, then 6 miles to the finish.  I knew if I could get to Steve I would be fine until at least mile 16 and I started debating the difference between 16 miles in the snow vs. a normal 22 miles.  I made a few stops to capture the route’s beauty along the way because it truly was gorgeous.  The weather was also better than I expected—not too cold, hardly any wind.  I started getting in my groove and picked up the pace so I was between 8:00 and 8:15s.

 

I’m pretty sure mile 7 was my fastest mile of the day.  I was looking forward to having company and really wanted water!  I didn’t carry any with me and I was surprised at how thirsty this run made me.  Maybe it was the humidity?  I saw Steve’s car in one of the Surf Drive Beach lots and we were going to run to Woods Hole and back.  I’m pretty sure it was my brilliant idea to take the nice and flat bike path down.  Yeah, the *unplowed* nice and flat bike path.  The further we went, the deeper the snow got.  I was struggling.

Once we got to Woods Hole, we looped around and followed the Falmouth Road Race course back to his car.  Yeah, the hilly and windy roads of the Falmouth Road Race course.  I continued to struggle.  By now the snow had melted on the roads and we were left with some slush.  My mom drove by us on her way home from work and I got some more water.

I thought about stopping at mile 16 with Steve but I thought I could maybe make it to 18.  I took off my YakTrax and traded in for a warm hat and continued.  I was so thankful Steve offered to stay with me until I decided to stop.  I would pick a spot about a mile ahead and he would drive there and wait for me.  I saw him just before 18 and wasn’t ready to give up just yet.  I knew I wouldn’t make it to 22 but I was going to try for 20.  Mile 19 was still ok but mile 20, holy crap!  I turn a turn onto Maravista and was going straight into a strong headwind—the first wind I noticed all day!  It was also shady and I was getting cold.  When my watch beeped for 20 miles, I jumped into Steve’s car and he drove me back to my parents’ house.  My total moving time was 2:43:59 or 8:12 pace.  Not bad considering my splits for the first 2 miles were 8:42 and 8:43.

18 miles on a treadmill a few weeks ago and 20 miles in the snow.  Miami, I’m ready for you.

I ended the run week on Saturday.  We had a lot more snow coming so I got out pretty early with Georgie.  I ran 3 with her then 3 on my own.  It was pretty slow.  More snow.  More ice.  We were anticipating Blizzard conditions and with over a foot of snow, I never made it to the baby shower.

Ahhhh… taper.  With a side of #NormaTecAndChill.

Upcoming events:

·      3 weeks until the Miami Marathon!

·      14 weeks until the Newport Rhode Race!

Monday 1.2.17

6 treadmill miles (43:52) with 3x1mi at 9.0 mph

18,271 steps

Tuesday 1.3.17

Taught spin class. The playlist: All I Do Is Win Spin Playlist

2x1’ planks

8,960 steps

Wednesday 1.4.17

8 treadmill miles (1:02:07)

1.88 miles with G (17:44)

3x1’ planks

26,681 steps

Thursday 1.5.17

Taught spin class

Power Water

11,977 steps

Friday 1.6.17

20 miles with Steve for miles 8-16ish (2:43:59)

44,775 steps

Saturday 1.7.17

2.99 miles with G (29:15)

3 miles (26:59)

18,010 steps

Sunday 1.8.17

8,828 steps

ICYMI

Week 1 of 16             Week 5 of 16             Week 9 of 16

Week 2 of 16             Week 6 of 16             Week 10 of 16

Week 3 of 16             Week 7 of 16             Week 11 of 16

Week 4 of 16             Week 8 of 16             Week 12 of 16

This week’s mileage: 42 miles

This week’s G mileage: 5 miles

January Totals: 45 miles

2017 Totals: 45 miles

BibRave Pro Product Review: Brilliant Reflective Safety Strips

Disclaimer: I was recently Brilliant Reflective Safety Strips to review as part of being a BibRave Pro.  Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador) and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

“Be Brilliant!”

Did you know that according to the National Safety Council the chances of being struck and killed as a pedestrian increase 1100% after dark?  That’s crazy, right?  I was lectured last week by a patient who asked me if I was one of those stupid people that ran at night in all black?  Absolutely not!

True Life: I’m a sucker for anything reflective.  For real. 

Last year I started night running with Georgie and found that she is way more focused running in the dark with way less distractions.  The biggest problem we ran into was how DARK my neighbor hood is.  I started spending a ton of money on all kinds of reflective gear—both for me and the dog—and my friend hooked me up with a pair of Knuckle Lights but I never feel like it’s enough.  So when BibRave offered the opportunity to try out Brilliant Reflective Safety Strips, I was all about it!

   

Make Your Favorite Gear Reflective

So the cool thing about Brilliant Reflective is that you don’t have to go out and buy expensive reflective gear like I did because you can apply the strips to your favorite running gear.  When I got the strips in the mail, I immediately put them on Georgie’s running backpack and running leash.  Her fur covers her flashing LED collar and the hands-free leash we run with is all black so even if I am highly visible, I never feel like cars can see her.

 

Iron-On vs. Stick-On

Brilliant Reflective Safety Strips are packaged and sold 2 ways: Stick-On or Iron-On.  They are sold in 4 colors: Black, Blue, Purple and Red.  I personally prefer the Stick-On version and I’ll tell you why. 

First of all, the Iron-On versions are permanent and made for clothing.  By permanent, Brilliant Reflective says they won’t come off for at least 50 washes.  Second of all, you need an iron to apply the strips.  And lastly, I’m a 30 year old homeowner that doesn’t own an iron.

The Stick-On strips are much easier to apply and can be used on clothing and gear including water bottles, helmets, bikes, strollers, running belts and dog leashes.  I have the Stick-On strips on my winter running jacket and a pair of thermal tights—both of which has survived about a half dozen washes with no signs of them falling off.  If for some reason you do change your mind after applying, they are easily removable.

Other bonuses:

·      Made from 3M Scotchlite Reflective Material, it provides optimal visibility in low-light conditions and is 200x brighter than a white t-shirt.

·      Brilliant encourages you to create your own biomotion.  “When you outline the human form with Brilliant Reflective, the light reflecting back to a driver will be in the shape of a human.  Studies have shown that drivers react more quickly when they know they’re approaching a human rather than un unknown object.”  Pretty cool concept.

Cons:

·      Washing will shorten the life of the strips but they recommend washing the garment inside out with cool water.

·      I didn’t take any pictures of me in my updated reflective gear because I was too busy playing paparazzi to my photogenic pup.  I swear, I’m Brilliant too.

Can anyone really have too much reflective gear?  I think not.  And Brilliant Reflective is a perfect option to keep you safe without spending a lot of money on new, reflective gear.

Join us on Twitter for the Brilliant sponsored #BibChat on January 10th at 9pm EST!

And don’t forget to use code BIBRAVE25 for 25% off your order!  Order soon because the discount code expired at 11:59pm on Tuesday January 10th.

Happy running!

P.S. Georgie gives Brilliant Reflective “2 paws up!”

Run Jen Run’s Favorite Vegetable Tortellini Soup

Here I go, here I go, here I go. I said girls what’s my weakness? 

SOUP.

Does anyone remember the SNL skit “Give it on up to Homelessville” with Justin Timberlake?

But really—I’ve been eating SO MUCH soup lately.  This one in particular I’ve made about a dozen times since marathon training began and since I’m pretty superstition and training has been going well, I keep making it.  It’s a slow cooker recipe that originally came from Southern Living but I’ve altered a bit to my liking.  I love that it ends up being about 6 or 7 meals for me and I can heat it up quick on the stove on lunch break while out throwing rocks for G.

Ingredients

8 oz chopped celery

12 oz chopped onion and bell pepper mix

1 zucchini, chopped

1 can cannellini beans, drained

1 can diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic

16 oz package frozen mixed vegetables (I use carrots, corn, green beans, peas, baby lima beans)

32 oz chicken broth

1/2 tsp pepper

Fresh garlic (optional)

1 package refrigerated cheese tortellini

Directions

Optional Step! Before putting into the slow cooker, sauté celery, onion and bell pepper mix for 5 minutes or until tender.  If I’m short on time, I skip this step which leaves a little crunch to your soup.

Place all ingredients into the slow cooker EXCEPT the tortellini.

Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours.

Add tortellini and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes.

SOUP there it is!  Enjoy!!

Weekly Roundup 12.26-1.1

Week 12 of 16

Happy New Year!  I’m pumped to end the year with 985 total miles.  I’ve never been a high mileage runner—I ran 815 miles in 2015, 564 miles in 2014 and 807 miles in 2013—so this was a good year for me.

Monday was a short work day so I took G out for a bit then finished up on my own.  I woke up feeling pretty crappy on Tuesday and felt even worse after spin class so I didn’t make it to Run Club but had major FOMO as like everyone was there!

I had one of my hardest workouts of marathon training scheduled for Wednesday (4x1mi) and opted indoors to tackle it on the treadmill.  I actually felt great.  A lot better than I expected and nailed it with 8.5, 8.8, 9.0, 9.3 mph or roughly 7:00, 6:50, 6:40, 6:30 pace.  I was even called a “Majestic Neon Gazelle” which totally made my day.

The highlight of the week had to be my run with Georgie on Friday.  We ran 4.25 miles!  Her longest ever, ever.  Most runs G stop about every 2 minutes to sniff or poop but I think we only stopped 3 maybe 4 times total—I couldn’t believe how content and focused she was running.  It was pretty chilly and we ventured out of the neighborhood a bit.  We even encountered 2 off leash dogs in the middle of the road that she totally ignored!  I was floored!

Then on Saturday I head out for another really cold long run with my dad on the bike.  He thought this was the coldest so far but I didn’t think it was quite as bad as the first 16-miler we went on a few weeks ago.  Either way, it was cold.  A little breezy.  I was excited to have 14 as my long run and I wanted to push the pace a little bit with a goal of 7:40-7:45.  I went out strong and maintained a 7:31 average.  Again, I’d say I nailed it.

I guess I do wear a lot of neon...

I originally planned to finish up the week with another run with Georgie but my parents came over Saturday night for New Year’s Eve lasagna (our 2nd annual!) and guess who developed a little limp after playing outside with grandpaw?  Seriously.  It’s always something.  She seemed ok the next day but I didn’t want to risk it so I left her home to rest.

Other highlights:

·      The Buffalo Marathon delayed their price increase until 1/3 (that’s tomorrow!) so sign up TONIGHT and use code 2017-BibRave-JS for an extra $5 off!  I’ll be running the half… www.buffalomarathon.com

Upcoming events:

·      4 weeks until the Miami Marathon!

Monday 12.26.16

1.89 miles with G (18:18)

3.10 miles (22:25)

15,926 steps

Tuesday 12.27.16

Taught spin class

8,695 steps

Wednesday 12.28.16

8 treadmill miles (58:56) with 4x1mi <--8.5, 8.8, 9.0, 9.3 mph

21,982 steps

Thursday 12.29.16

Taught spin class x2

11,855 steps

Friday 12.30.16

4.25 miles with G (36:38)

13,662 steps

Saturday 12.31.16

14 miles with daddo on the bike (1:45:09)

33,431 steps

Sunday 1.1.17

Happy New Year!

2.80 miles (21:10)

14,805 steps

ICYMI

Week 1 of 16             Week 5 of 16             Week 9 of 16

Week 2 of 16             Week 6 of 16             Week 10 of 16

Week 3 of 16             Week 7 of 16             Week 11 of 16

Week 4 of 16             Week 8 of 16

This week’s mileage: 34 miles

This week’s G mileage: 6 miles

December Totals: 162 miles

January Totals: 3 miles

2016 Totals: 985 miles

2017 Totals: 3 miles