Boston Playlist

I'm not going to say much because this list is lengthy! Like a marathon, my playlist is a collection of different moods and intensities. With that said - enjoy!

Beer on the Table - Josh Thompson
Why Don't We Just Dance - Josh Turner
Ridin' Solo - Jason Derulo
Bedrock - Young Money
The Power of Love - Huey Lewis and The News
Take It Off - The Donnas
Rock Star - R. Kelly
Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
Can't Stop - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Life After You - Daughtry
Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm
Telephone - Lady GaGa
Some Days You Gotta Dance - Keith Urban
Can't Tell Me Nothing - Kanye West
Start Me Up - Rolling Stones
Hillbilly Bone - Blake Shelton
Got Money - Lil Wayne
My Life Your Entertainment - T.I.
Keep On Lovin' You - Steel Magnolia
Rude Boy - Rihanna
All the Right Moves - OneRepublic
Something to Talk About - Bonnie Raitt
Fix You - Coldplay
Gimmie That Girl - Joe Nichols
Hell on the Heart - Eric Church
Ain't Back Yet - Kenny Chesney
When I Look At You - Miley Cyrus
All I Do is Win - DJ Khaled
Hey, Soul Sister - Train
Fighter - Christina Aguilera
Blind - Jason Derulo
That's How Country Boys Roll - Billy Currington
In The Ayer - Flo Rida
Footloose - Kenny Loggins
Tricky - Run DMC
You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
Find My Way - The Gabe Dixon Band
Get A Haircut - George Thorogood and The Destroyers
Whatcha Say - Jason Derulo
In My Head - Jason Derulo
Young Forever - JayZ
Impossible - Kelly Clarkson
Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolf
Last Resort - Papa Roach
Walking in Memphis - Lonestar
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
The World's Greatest - R. Kelly
Outside My Window - Sarah Buxton
Cowboy In Me - Tim McGraw
Work Hard, Play Harder
Haven't Met You Yet - Michael Buble
Hold On - Michael Buble
Skynrd Nation - Lynrd Skynrd
Simple Things - Lynrd Skynrd
That Ain't My America - Lynrd Skynrd
Imma Be - Black Eyed Peas
Kris Allen - Live Like We're Dying
Tik Tok - KeSha
Bad Romance - Lady GaGa

Surprisingly I don't even know if I got them all but you got the gist. :-) 19 days to go!!

Coasting to the Start

And let the taper begin! Three weeks to go until Boston and I've thrown my gear into neutral and am hoping for a seamless ride to April 19. Before I could do that I had to brave the longest run in my training program, 22 miles. Fortunately, the run could not have gone any better but to best honest, I was terrified of the mileage beforehand so I had to pay special attention to my mentality before I hit the road.

One thing I mastered during my OBX training was my outlook before each run. Thinking 'I'm just going for another run' made a world of difference. I would erase the intimidating numbers, like mileage, time and pace, out of my mind and only focus on going for a simple run. This allowed me to find a comfortable stride and have some peace of mind as I set out on some of those longer runs. I applied this technique to my last training run of Boston, and luckily, I was successful. Mentality is EVERYTHING!

Starting at a relaxed pace, I let my body naturally pick up a speed that was fitting for that day. Something else that always sets me at ease is good music and I downloaded a few handfuls of new music the night before so I was set. I also knew that I had my sister, Kate, waiting for me at mile 12 to finish out the last 10 miles of the run. Who doesn't love running buddies?! Needless to say, odds were in my favor that day. I felt and finished strong and that's all I could ask for to begin my taper optimistically.

Before the run I was nervous about the blisters I've been getting on my feet during my runs. I went into the Raleigh Running Outfitters (one of my favorite places) and asked for advice. They told me to use Body Glide on the problem areas. Shocked, but I gave it a shot. To my surprise it worked like a charm! Thank you Raleigh Running Outfitter guys! :-) Oh and thanks for all the GUs, the Mizuno shoes, the 50 percent off running pants, the sports bra, and for letting me kill time during my lunch hour.

Stay tuned for my Boston Marathon mix - coming in the next day or two! Thanks for the continued support!

Four Long Runs Left

Eleven weeks of training completed and only five more to go. Better yet - I only have four more long runs to brave before I jump on a place to Boston. Once again I recorded another week of successful runs last week, which gave me confidence heading into an 18 mile run. Instead of running my long run according to my typical routine on Saturday, I postponed the adventure until Sunday. That decision left me with two rest days before my longest run yet in my training for Boston.

I feel like a broken record but my goodness – those Raleigh hills! There’s no catching a break. All in all I would describe my run as OK. Just OK. It wasn’t great – my pace (8:40) was significantly slower than my 8:11 average during my 16-miler the week before. My shoes are giving me hellacious blisters … something I didn’t experience with my last pair. If I haven’t said it before I bought last year’s model of the Mizuno Nirvanas (the orange pair). When I was fitted for a pair they insisted that I needed a pair of shoes with the most support because of my in-step and my arches and naturally I listened because they are the experts, not me. Well, this particular pair feels like it has no support at all so I don’t know how that math works out. Anyway, I walked a few times for less than .1 mile each time. I’d defeat a majority of many of the hills I encountered and then had a need/want to take it down to a walk over the crown of it, which is always the worse part. If I am not prepared for these Boston hills then I really don’t know what else I could have done.

Rounding out training I have 14 miles to look forward to this weekend and then a whopping 22 before I start to taper. I am ecstatic that the word “taper” is in my very near future. And yes, two weeks and 22 miles is considered near future in a 16-week training program. After my 22-miler I have a 14-miler and then eight before the race on April 19. There is a big 35 written on a pad of purple post-it notes in my cubicle at work, signifying the number of days until Boston. It’s exciting to tear away each day and see how quickly it’s coming. Butterflies are swarming with the thought of it.

Sweet Sixteen

Oh, Monday. Hello again.

I logged some great training last week. The short of it … on Monday I paid a favor to my knees and did an hour on the elliptical, on Tuesday I ran a good seven miles on the treadmill with altering speeds and incline percentages, on Wednesday I was able to get back outside and get in five miles and yesterday I squeezed in a little over five and a half miles outside before dark fell. I’m running consistently at an average pace of 8:25 to 8:30 per mile, which is fine. When Boston comes around I would bet that the adrenaline will pick up the difference and get me down to an 8:10 pace. This is what I’m hoping at least. Not like I can avoid it much in Raleigh but as I’ve been saying, hills have been incorporated into every run for the most part; and not just some rolling hills, I am facing hills I would describe as monstrous! Others may think differently. To my surprise I keep a good pace up the hills too – I just hope I can maintain that for 26.2 miles.

That brings me to my 16-mile long run on Saturday that I was dreading in the worst way. Thankfully it was an awesome run. I had one of those running experiences where I couldn’t help but smile and enjoy myself. My guess is a lot of it had to do with the weather – sunny and mid- to high-50s. Perfect running weather. Spring fever was going around and I was undoubtedly a victim. This was the hilliest run I’ve faced yet and I handled the hills just fine. I focused on what I could do when being challenged with a hill to make it easier. Long, deep and relaxed breathing really helped. I’m so happy that I had a good run because my motivation was getting slim and I was scared I was headed for a bad marathon experience. Anyway, I averaged 8:11 – running below 8:00 for a majority of the run. Am I happy with that? Uh, ECSTATIC!

On a different note - I’ve been thinking about the idea of the training program lately. For a lot of beginner runners – it’s like the Bible. If you don’t hit the mileage recommended for that day, for example the six-miler in week seven of training, then there’s no way you’ll finish your race. Hmm … not true. It’s kind of like relationships if you want to think about it like that, because when you’re training for a race you tend to feel like you’re involved enough for it to be considered a relationship. There’s isn’t a need to marry the program. Sure, it’s stable and always there for you, but it’s better to date and keep it in close reach in case you ever do want to cling to it. But seriously, who wants to be committed when you have so much going on in your life, like work or school, a social life and not all that much time. When I was running with the man I talked about in my previous post he told me about his “perfect 50” week. First he asked me how many miles I do a week and maybe I’m just that new of a runner but that isn’t how I calculate my training mileage. I’m a day-to-day kind of runner – not weekly. Anyway, his “perfect 50” was something to this nature – eight on Monday, seven on Tuesday, six on Wednesday, nine on Thursday and then his long run on the weekend. No thanks. I rarely hit seven during the week, and if I do, that’s probably the max.

When it comes down to it, it’s whatever works for you. That guy likes his “perfect 50” and that is good for him. I typically don’t exceed 40 during the week (not including my elliptical or video workout) if I were to count like that. The program is just a skeleton for ideas on how to build up your endurance and ability – but it’s not a schedule set in stone to follow. I know some who only run four or five miles during the week and their long run on the weekend. The most important run is your long run and so I DO recommend hitting those numbers, but other than that listening to your body is crucial. What works for one may not be your best compass.

I hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather. I know I am!! Oh, and six more days until DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!

Bad Run, Decent Time

Contrary to my previous post …

There are good runs and there are bad ones. When it’s bad … es no bueno. My usual routine before my long run when it comes to mapping a run is either set out on a route that has been recommended to me or go to MapMyRun.com, make a few twist and turns and write down the directions. Then, off I go without much of a clue in how the run is going to pan out. Needless to say, the verdict was not in my favor this time.

Let me start with some positivity since there isn’t a great deal of it that pours out of this past long run. I was a little more than a mile into my 11-mile run when I saw an older man running in my direction. He was obviously a veteran runner with his spandex running outfit and long, lean physique. To my surprise, he slowed up when we crossed paths and asked if I wanted some company. “Sure, I’d love company,” was my response. We chatted about running, races we’ve competed in and the Boston Marathon for about two miles. He’d run Boston twice roughly 20 years ago and he was going to try and qualify again next year. Of course I asked for advice being a relatively new runner and a virgin Boston marathoner and like everyone else he had heard countless things about heartbreak hills before he faced Boston for the first time. So, he concentrated on those and during the race he worked to conquer them. Around mile 20 when the hills were evening out he realized that he still had another six miles to go … something he did not concentrate on. I guess that goes for most things in life … don’t focus on the tough parts or one thing in particular … keep your eye on your bigger goal and all else will become just a part of the race (figuratively and literally).


Anyway, he left just short of three miles into my run and I was on my own for the next eight. It started out with rolling hills here and there, nothing to speak of, but I made a turn and it was for the worst. Maybe I wasn’t hydrated well-enough and maybe I just wasn’t in the moment but the steep inclines got the best of me that day. I walked for a minute or so about three times, feeling pretty terrible for a majority of the run. If I didn’t know any better I would have thought I was pulling a 30 pound wagon behind me with lead in my shoes. My average pace ended up being 8:27. I’m more than satisfied with that considering how I felt.

I wasn’t going to do anything on Sunday but I knew a recovery workout might work in my favor. A run outside didn’t seem too appealing, especially after the day before, so I went to my apartment’s fitness center and did an hour on the elliptical. I didn’t push any limits but I was worked hard enough to break a decent sweat. Time passed quickly as I watched the end of the Louisville basketball game (Chris is a huge UofL fan). They won in the last seconds! Then I watched the USA hockey game. Very exciting but a disappointing finish to the game. Oh well – I’m proud of our boys.

Tonight was another elliptical night. I think my knees appreciate a break from the constant pounding. Again, it was an hour-long workout and this time I worked a lot harder.

I’ll post again soon but in the meantime, happy running! We have Daylight Savings Time to look forward to!!!! YAY! :-)

Boston On My Mind

Some weeks just don’t play out in your favor, but some weeks really do … and they are great. Running wise, of course. I had three solid weekday workouts this week. They weren’t easy by any means; they were challenging and trying. But I did them, finished strong (enough) and am ready for a successful long run tomorrow. Lately , I’ve found myself typing “Boston Marathon Training Tips” in the Google search bar partly because I’m eager and obsessed and partly because I want to make sure I’m getting the most of out of my training program. The last thing I want to do is qualify for Boston and go through the motions of training – I want to kick butt too! I’m discovering a lot about the marathon and what to expect, which has in turn changed my perception of how I should train.

Everyone has heard of Heartbreak Hills. If not, it’s the series of hills during the Boston Marathon that start at mile 17 and continue until mile 21 or so. Apparently, they aren’t steep and wouldn’t rattle any typical run. The catch? Yes, there’s always a catch. The first 17 miles are downhill, with small rolling hills here and there. Wouldn’t your muscles go into shock after changing what you were doing for 17 miles? That’s what I hear happens. The change from downhill to a steady incline is what gives the hills the infamous name. On the flip side, I’ve even heard quite the opposite. After mile 21 the course is dominantly downhill, which set some people’s muscles off with the drastic change from up to down.

So how have I changed training? HILLS! I’ve said it before, that I want to incorporate hills, but I haven’t quite challenged myself like I should. This brings me back to my workouts this week, which starts with my long run last weekend. I finished a tough 14 miles last Friday. I faced a lot of hills, the height and duration I think Boston will prove to be. After that run I realized that I am not prepared for a hilly course. Even though I felt heavy and slow for a majority of the run I still averaged an 8:30 pace, which is perfectly acceptable in my book. I have been very sore all week and mostly as a result of that run but what better than to keep pushing and fighting when you’re preparing for one of the biggest sporting events. Whoa. Tuesday I ran about six and a half miles and made certain to squeeze as many hills as I could. It was a difficult run but I felt good and light. I didn’t have my GPS watch but I would bet my pace was much faster than my long run pace the weekend before. Wednesday and Thursday weren’t as hilly of runs because I had to make friends with the treadmill but I hit my numbers, four and six, and ran hard. It’s much more satisfying when you completed a workout knowing that you put everything you had into it and probably even became a better runner because of it. I can tell I’m becoming a “runner” – I’ve stopped running just to run and finish a workout and have started thinking strategically in how I can best prepare my body and mentality for this particular race.

Tomorrow I scale back to 11 miles. My knees are looking forward to a bit of a break. I hope everyone has a great weekend! Happy running! :-)

Training - In Good Times and In Bad

Training last week was strong. Usually separating my week runs and my long run helps in my mental game. If I can hit all my goals Monday through Thursday then I get a nice, relaxing Friday. When Saturday rolls around I have to prep myself in a completely different mindset. During the week I’m running hard, I’m hitting my mileage and working on various techniques, like hills, intervals and speed. Long runs are a task by itself. It’s something I don’t ever think about – I just do it. Saturday morning routines typically consist of waking up, brushing my teeth, throwing on workout clothes, grabbing my watch and walking outside. Hopefully by then I’ve woken up and my eyes have opened to notice I’m actually outside and about to go on another adventure. Then I start without thinking of time, mileage or anything else really. It’s going to take awhile and there’s a good possibility I’ll be a little achy but I’ll push through it and finish yet another weekend long run.

I’ve had to do a lot of overcoming treadmill boredom during the week. Monday is my cross-training day so I did a 45-minute Jillian Michaels workout two Mondays ago and a P90x plyos workout yesterday. Both consist of constant core work, a lot of jumping, squatting and cardio. Last Tuesday I ran six-mile intervals on the treadmill. I warmed up with the first mile and then ran half mile intervals for the rest of the time, varying the speed increases each time. Tuesday was a good run; I felt strong. On hump day I worked in a four mile run on the treadmill (again) and incorporated hill inclines. Runner’s World says running at a 1 to 2 percent incline on the treadmill is similar to road running. So, I maintained that incline and then went up to 3, 4 and 5 percent to simulate hills. Thursday rolled around and I had to do a lot of digging for motivation. It happens to everyone. When I finally got to the workout center, I ran five miles at a tempo pace. I didn’t do the higher mileage here (six) but I did the other two days and that was good enough for me. My pace ranged from 7:45 to 8:34 during the five miles. The last couple were tough to get through but I did it.

In conjunction with my runs last week I also did leg, arm and ab work. For legs, squats (bodyweight or light weights), lunges (same as squats), leg raises, calf raises and pelvic thrusts are good for long distance runners. You get toning and strength but not too much. Hill workouts also act as a great leg workout. For arms I keep it simple with bicep curls, tricep pulls, overhead presses, weighted punches and push-ups. Again, I don’t have a goal to bulk up – I just want to be strong. I do all kinds of ab exercises, on the stability ball, on the balance ball, weighted, not-weighted … anything you can think of. I try and get a good core workout in three to four days a week. Running is easier when you have a strong core for support.

Friday night was my rest day and I took full advantage of it. They were calling for snow flurries and possibly rain on Saturday but when I stepped out on my deck and noticed nothing had fallen yet I got dressed and went out for my long run. When I stepped outside – the flurries were there to greet me. Great. I ran anyway though. I spent a lot of time dodging puddles and spots of mud. All in all I felt good and ran a solid 10.5 miles averaging 8:34 minute/miles.

I knew I was going to do a good bit of eating on Sunday for the Super Bowl so I decided to go against my typical routine and workout on Sunday. The elliptical was my safest bet since I didn’t want to cause too much strain on my muscles. I did 30 minutes on the machine and then worked in some arm, leg and core exercises. And as I said before, I did a P90x plyos workout.

That brings me to today … and my lack of motivation. I listened to my body tonight and didn’t run. I am mentally exhausted and needed a break. My program will start back up again tomorrow and I plan on getting two hard runs in and then taking Friday off. Twelve miles awaits me this weekend – stay tuned for the verdict! Happy running!

Why I Run

I've been pretty bad at this, haven't I? Well instead of rambling off what I've done to prepare for my next marathon - I'm going to share something a little more personal. Why I run.

Running isn’t something I am forced to do each day. There are reasons behind my madness, behind my passion. It’s like that quote that talks about how the road won’t miss you if you don’t run. Basically, it’s your decision and every runner has a different drive behind his or her step.

I have a few. The more obvious reasons are to stay fit, to be able to eat more of what I want and for the competition. Constantly challenging myself is an exhilarating test each time I go out for a run, and it's even more heightened when I line up for a race. But there are other reasons ... ones that have become clearer with each year and more experiences.

My sister and I were talking the other day about running and why we do it. The short of it - it’s therapeutic and it's a place to go where you are completely alone with your thoughts. There’s no better place to think with an uncluttered mind than on the pavement. In the last six years of my life I have lost five very close family members and running has been what I've turned to so I can sort out my thoughts, cope with my heartbreak and ask God the questions I don't seem to understand. It's not always that deep of course - sometimes I run to get away from it all. I can leave reality for a little bit and then come back refreshed.

Even more, I can deal with whatever anxieties or stresses I've taken on that day or whenever. Anxiety often times clouds up my chance for sanity in a particular moment, and to experience the openness of the road is the best escape. I don't always turn to running when I'm dealing with something negative though - a majority of my runs are because I just like the feeling. I love passing other runners who share a similar joy, I love seeing different parts of a city that I never would have seen any other way and I love pushing myself to a limit that I didn't seem imaginable before that day.

So when asked why I run - well I guess I have a few reasons. People handle the cards that was dealt to them differently. Sometimes running is a cure, sometimes it can be a celebration or it can just be something I want to do that day. But it is definitely a part of my life in a big way.

Pushing Through Rough Times

Once again I've slacked on keeping up with my posts. These last couple weeks have been a whirlwind to say the least. Traveling to Orlando in early January for work was my first hurdle. Not that the trip was anything negative, but I needed to show more motivation then I did when it came to my running. We worked long days and long story short, the fitness center and I did not get acquainted. On the second day of my trip I received devastating news - my mom-mom passed away. The news was unexpected and heartbreaking. After contemplating getting an early flight home, I decided to stick it out in Orlando to keep myself busy. The weekend after I got home was the weekend Chris and I had to move into our new apartment. Since we needed to drive to Maryland for my grandmother's services we had to pack all the work into one day. Missed my long run. I still planned on squeezing it in at this point but a few very long, emotional and exhausting days had passed and still no running.

We returned to Raleigh late Tuesday night and so I picked up where I left off on training Wednesday. I ran a little over three miles and then Thursday I ran a tempo three miles. Friday called for a rest day - not like I needed any more rest - but I took it regardless since I had a long run on Saturday, which was seven miles. I felt pretty good but I did face a couple steep hills that took a lot of energy and strength to get up. As I've said before, it's going to be crucial to work in hill work outs with Boston's course having several throughout.

Today I rested. My program says to run a recovery run the day after my long run but after some experimenting last time around, I decided that I felt better when I take the day off the next day. With my long run going fairly well I'm confident that the week I missed won't rattle my training at all. The weather is getting nicer so I think hitting the pavement versus running on the treadmill might be a little more inviting.

Boston Bound

Sorry it's been so long since I posted last ... but I'm back now and training for the 2010 Boston Marathon is underway! I'll be using the same training schedule that I used for the OBX Marathon. Why change something that worked so well? Monday kicked off the 16 week long journey. What I didn't realize is how much harder it's going to be to stay motivated when it's so cold and dark all the time. Training for OBX will seem like a cake walk compared to what I'm setting out to do for Boston. I guess this is where I'm supposed to get tough and not let the weather break me down and not let the early mornings scare me away. Conquering the obstacles during this training will be a very rewarding experience, and there's no doubt that I can do it.

I went home to Maryland for Christmas, which is where I started my first day of Boston bound training. It was supposed to be a 30-minute run but the bitter cold turned it into a quick and stiff 20-minute run. Sadly, I took the next two days off just because of my busy schedule and my holiday exhaustion. Good start, eh? Thursday I found a drop of motivation again and I ran with it - literally. Something tells me there will be a lot of treadmill work outs this time around because that's where I found myself running four miles that night. Since treadmill running is typically easier because of the rotating belt, I varied the incline percentage throughout the run to simulate running up and down hills, and I also cranked up the speed. My average pace was 8.05 (or something like that), of course with variation there too. I figure if I'm going to resort to those kinds of work outs, I'll need to make it challenging and realistic. That brings me to Friday, where I took advantage of my rest day to, well, rest! Today marks my first long run and I'll head down to the treadmill again to run four to five miles. With wind chills making it feel like 18 degrees - I say NO THANKS to braving the cold.

I haven't been doing that much since I ran the OBX Marathon. A lot of elliptical work outs, an occasional treadmill run and some weight lifting and ab work. To keep my body guessing, which is always good when you're trying to slim down, I like to incorporate intervals and weights into my elliptical work outs. Since I train for long distances my intervals need to be longer too - like two to five minutes on and off - depending on how I feel that day. When I use weights while I'm on the elliptical, I weave in curls, presses and arm raises, or just hold very light weights. I like to think of it as multi-tasking! Strength work is usually kept simple. Squats, lunges, leg raises and calf raises round out my leg work, and curls, presses, tricep pulls and some other made up lifts make up my arm work. Also, I like to incorporate weights into my ab work outs so that I know I'm not just going through the motions. Weight training will be especially important in training this time around since I'll be facing a lot more hills than I did in OBX.

Happy New Year! Here's to many SUCCESSFUL RESOLUTIONS! :-)