Half Marathon Training

Posted on September 3, 2017 by runstrongrun

Disclaimer: I received a free entry to Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver 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!

Wow! My apologies for my blog absence over the last three weeks. If you are a teacher, were a teacher, or have a teacher in your family, then you know just how insanely busy the first few weeks of school can be! Now that I’ve successfully made it through the first 12 days of school, I feel as though I can now finally take time to sit and write a blog.

Before I get into the meat of this blog post, let’s first stop to appreciate my classroom. I had completely too much time on my hands this summer and totally revamped my classroom! I took out my teacher desk, removed the student desks, and added a bunch of different flexible seating options. Here’s a video of my classroom on the first day of school before all of my students arrived…

Training

Now, on to the reason I started this blog post… Half Marathon Training! Today was Week 4, Day 7 of my half marathon training plan. The training plan I am using for this go around of half marathon training is the New York Road Runners Moderate 10 Week Training Plan. I chose this plan mainly because it was one of the first plans that popped up when I typed “10 weeks half marathon training plan” into Google.

I haven’t been sticking to the midweek runs exactly as they are suppose to be run, but I have been consistent with hitting my long run distances. If you’ve been following my journey over the last few months, then you know that I just started running again mid July after taking a couple months off of running (Read THIS blog post to learn more). I had stopped running not due to an injury, but due to other medical reasons. It’s been tough getting back into running, but I have noticed a big growth with the work I’ve been putting into training over the last four weeks.

Those of you who are moms and/or dads with full time jobs know just how difficult it can be to find time to run in the midst of household duties, making dinners, helping kids with homework, kids’ sporting events, etc. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, 4:30am works for me and seems to be the best time to run! Everyone is still sleeping, I feel refreshed after a good night’s sleep, and the weather is nice outside. (I especially enjoy running in the early am hours when I have friends to run with!)

Goal Race

Just this past Tuesday, I officially purchased my flight to… DENVER! I am so stoked to be running the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in Denver on October 15th! Not only will this be my first time running in Colorado, but this will also be my first Rock ‘n’ Roll series race! In a mere 6 weeks, or 42 days, I’ll be crossing the finish line on my umpteenth half marathon. (Ok, maybe not umpteenth, but I really have no idea how many half marathons I’ve ran since I first started running in 2011!)

Want to know what else is exciting about running Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver? I’m running this race as a Bib Rave Pro, so I get to proudly run in my bright orange BibRave shirt! As a Bib Rave Pro, I’ve got a discount code for YOU so you can join me in Denver! Use code BIBRAVE15 to save $15 off of your half marathon registration. (Insider bonus information: You can use this code for other RnR races too!)

One of my other reasons for being stoked about running Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver (I know, so many reasons), is that I get to visit my Aunt Margie! Not only does she live in Denver which provides me a place to crash for the weekend, but she is also a runner and will be running the Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver half marathon too! SO awesome!

To continue following me on my half marathon training journey, be sure to check me out on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook (if you’re not already doing so). 😉

What are you training for right now? Are you also an early morning runner? If not, when do you prefer to run?

Until next time,

Review: Oofos… Feel the Ooo

Posted on August 13, 2017 by runstrongrun

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Oofos 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!

I don’t know about you, but the first thing that I want to do after a run, is take my shoes off (not to mention also taking off all of my sweaty clothes)! After I take my shoes off, the question then becomes, “What do I put on my feet?” Before Oofos entered my life, I’d normally just throw on any ‘ol pair of sandals. Now, however, with my Oofos, my body can tell a difference and its thrilled!

Makes you say, “Oooo”

Oofos slogan, “Feel the Ooo”, is so appropriate! I can guarantee that the first time you put on a pair of Oofos, you will make an audible, “Oooo” sound. Here’s a clip of my 12 year old putting on a pair of Oofos for the first time. (Note: When he says, “It feels weird,” what he really means is, “It feels so amazing!”)

My husband also tried on my Oofos. After trying them on, he quickly hopped online to purchase himself a pair. Here’s my husband and son discussing how amazing the Oofos felt and trying to decide which color to buy.

What’s so great about Oofos?

ABSORBS MORE SHOCK THAN TRADITIONAL FOAMS – Traditional athletic shoe foams are designed to “rebound” and propel you forward. With OOfoam, however, it does the opposite, absorbing 37% more shock with every step than traditional footwear foam.
REDUCES STRESS ON SORE FEET, KNEES AND BACK – Your feet and joints take a pounding on hard surfaces everyday. Slipping on OOFOS after a workout, provides them with relief and a chance to recover.
CRADLES YOUR ARCHES – Unlike flip-flops, the OOFOS patented footbed is designed with tremendous arch support to take the pressure off of ankles, knees and hips, as well as your lower back.
ENABLES MORE NATURAL MOTION – Biomechanically designed, OOFOS flex with both your foot and the ground. The soft, flexible OOfoam material enables your foot to articulate the way nature intended. (Oofos.com)

An Everyday Shoe

While testing out my Oofos, my husband and I traveled to Cancun, Mexico. Yes, my Oofos most certainly came along with us! Here’s my Oofos on the beach.

Here’s my Oofos on our kayak. (The Oofos are made with a moisture resistant closed cell foam which is shower-ready and machine washable!)

Here’s my Oofos during a relaxing morning by the ocean with a mimosa in hand.

After spending a whole day walking around with my brown sandals on, I could not wait to put on my Oofos to finally feel some relief from my tried feet, ankles, knees, and back!

Although my pair of Women’s OOriginal Sport Sandal may seem a little big, it’s amazing how lightweight they are! They provide the support my body needs while adding minimal weight to my feet!

One Monday evening, while at my friend’s house to watch the Bachelorette, my friend asked, “Are those Oofos really as great as you say they are?”

I then took off my Oofos, handed them to her, and said, “Try them on for yourself.”

As soon as she put them on, she giggled and said, “Wow! These are amazing!”

Recently, while at the Oakland Town’s Half expo representing the California International Marathon, I spotted some Oofos for sale at a booth across from me. I so badly wanted to purchase a pair of the Women’s OOlala sandals, but I was a good girl and kept my wallet put away. (I’ve spent way too much money lately for my classroom!)

In the end, I’d highly recommend that everyone own at least one pair of Oofos. Wear them before you workout, after you workout, and even on your rest days like I did below.

Check out what my fellow BibRave Pros had to say about their Oofos.

Jeannine Amy James Vanessa

Do you own a pair of Oofos? If so, what do you think about them? If you don’t own a pair of Oofos, what do you normally wear after a hard run / workout?

Until next time,

Review: Knuckle Lights… See and Be Seen

Posted on August 12, 2017 by runstrongrun

Disclaimer: I received a set of Knuckle Lights 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!

If you follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, you’ve surely seen my early am running posts. As a busy wife, mom, and 5th grade teacher, running at 4:45am makes sense. When I try to run in the evenings, helping kids with homework, making dinner, or simply feeling exhausted all get in the way. It’s no surprise that at 4:45am, it is dark outside and I have found myself in need of a light of some sort. Enter Knuckle Lights.

Similarly to Dan Hopkins, founder of Knuckle Lights, I too have tried carrying a flashlight with me and wearing a headlamp. The flashlight was annoying since I didn’t like having something in my hand that I had to carry. The headlamp was annoying because 1) it’d leave a line indent going across my forehead (and it’d still be faintly visible when I went into work) 2) it’d hurt my head. When I found out about Knuckle Lights, I couldn’t wait to try them!

Here are my thoughts after testing out my Knuckle Lights…

Pros

Lightweight – hardly felt them there!
Bright – it was easy to see in front of me!
Steady – the wide beam of light did not bounce around, even with my arms moving!
Adjustable – the knuckle lights can be made smaller or larger depending on hand size and/or with gloves.
Magnetic – great for storing at home and once the sun comes out! (Since I usually wear my SPIbelt, I was able to attach my Knuckle Lights to my SPIbelt once the sun came out.)

Cons

Sweaty – Yes, they made my hands sweat. Not really too big of a deal because when my hands would begin to feel a little sweaty, I’d simply adjust where the knuckle lights were placed.

The Knuckle Lights that I tested out were the Knuckle Lights Colors. Here are the specs:

2 LIGHTS PER SET — The units connect together magnetically. The soft silicone straps can be adjusted to fit any size hand and even over gloves.
120 TOTAL LUMENS — The super bright lights provide a wide flood beam, providing a steady, even light in front of you that does not bounce around, even with your arms moving.
BATTERIES INCLUDED — Each Unit Operates on 1 X AA Battery.
WATERPROOF — Units can be used in any type of weather.
Price point: $39.99 and ALWAYS free standard shipping for US orders

Knuckle Lights has recently come out with a new, rechargeable design! So, if you’re looking for a product that can be recharged, be sure to check out the new design. (I’ve been using my Knuckle Lights for about a month now and the batteries are still going strong!) There’s also the o riginal Knuckle Lights design.

So, if you’re an early morning runner such as myself or a late night runner, then you need to ditch your flashlight / headlamp and get yourself some Knuckle Lights! BONUS: Use code “BRKL2017” for 15% off your purchase at https://www.knucklelights.com/ (expires 9/1/17).

Check out what my fellow BibRave Pros thought about their Knuckle Lights.

Mai Allison Amy W. Lindsey Tedrick

Until next time,

Thursday Thoughts

Posted on July 27, 2017 by runstrongrun

I’ve said it once I’ll say it again… Thursday is my favorite day of the week. Why? Well it’s because you’re excited about the weekend, but the weekend isn’t quite here yet. By the time the weekend starts you are sad because you know the weekend is coming to an end. What’s your favorite day of the week?

Disclaimer: this blog is going to be filled with a lot of random thoughts. Not all of the thoughts will pertain to running.

Can you believe that three weeks from today school starts? I told that to a friend yesterday and her response was, “It seems like just yesterday summer vacation started!” As much as I love summer I’m actually very excited for the new school year! Out of my nine years of teaching, this will be my first time to be at a school for more than two years!

Wow! I just counted and I’ve been on summer vacation for six weeks now. It doesn’t really feel like it’s been six weeks. But on the other hand it does. A lot has happened this summer. I ran a marathon in Utah, the daughter traveled to Europe, and as a family we traveled to Napa, San Francisco, San Diego, and Palm Springs. In two days, the husband and I leave for another week long vacation! Yes, we are truly utilizing our summer vacation!

Do not be fooled however, because this summer has not been all sunshine and happiness. There’s been some trials and struggles but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Right?

Through the struggles, I find myself being incredibly thankful for my husband, for my parents, and other friends and family members who have been so supportive. Truly I am blessed beyond measure.

It doesn’t do any good to stay in the muck of struggles. Instead, you must move on and trust that God knows what he’s doing. How am I moving in and trusting God? Well, I’m finding projects to work on. Naturally, I am someone who doesn’t do well being still. So I’ve worked on a few big projects this summer which included doing some curriculum work as a side job, organizing my pantry, organizing my closet and transitioning to flexible seating in my classroom.

As you can see, these Thursday thoughts are quite unorganized partly due to the fact that I am writing them by speaking into my phone while out on a walk at 5:30 in the morning. Some of the best thoughts are done in the wee hours of the morning. My 4:50 AM partner is moving to the other side of the town, so I may be having some more solo wee hours of the mornings in my near future.

Speaking of the future, what’s next for Run Strong Run? I have Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver on tap for October and the California International Marathon (CIM) in December. Use BIBRAVE15 to save $15 off of Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver half marathon and use code RUNSTRONG10 to save $10 off of CIM.

Do you ever find yourself needing to clear your mind of random thoughts? What’s coming up on your schedule that you’re excited about?

Until next time,

Race Recap: San Diego Craft Classic

Posted on July 20, 2017 by runstrongrun

Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the Craft Classic San Diego race 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!

As stated in my Friday Feels blog, this was my first timing running a race in San Diego. I, therefore, didn’t really now what to expect when I signed up for the Craft Classic half marathon. Now that I’ve completed the race, I’m ready for more San Diego races and perhaps a relocation down to Southern California! 😉

Our first stop upon arriving to San Diego was Road Runner Sports, the location of the race expo. Bib pick up was well organized, quick, and easy. My race swag included a pint glass, a racer back tank top, and a customized bib!

One of the things I was looking forward to about the race was the Green Flash Brewery beer at the finish line!

Since I was on a family vacation with the husband and two kids, they all got to join me at the expo. They enjoyed trying all the Nuun flavors and the Honey Stinger waffle and energy chew samples.

Earlier in the week, while on Twitter, the Fat to Finish Line gang reached out to me and told me to stop by to say hi at the expo. So, that is just what I did! It was so wonderful to talk about weight loss (since I too have gone from fat to finish line) and Ragnar races. I have yet to do a Ragnar, but it is definitely on my bucket list.

That evening, I prepared myself for my half marathon (as best as I could since I had recently taken a month off of running). One of the things I do in preparation for a race, is I lay out everything for a #flatrunner picture.

The next morning, I woke up at 3:30am. My goal was to leave the hotel at 4:15am so I could catch a shuttle to the starting line at about 4:45am. (The shuttles ran from 4:30 – 5:30.) I ended up being right on time, got a front row view on the shuttle, and made it to the starting line with a little over an hour to spare!

I had the pleasure of meeting up with my fellow BibRave Pro ambassador, Mai, at the starting line.

I also got to meet up with some fellow ProCompression ambassadors too!

In no time at all, it was time to line up at the starting line. There were two waves of runners: the under two hour group and the over two hour group. Maria and I waved goodbye as Mai and the other Pro ambassadors started in wave one. A little less than 1.5 years ago, I earned my half marathon PR of 1:52:32. I will get back there someday, but today was not the day.

Maria and I ran together for the first couple of miles and then I began my walk/run intervals for the remainder of the course. Taking a month off of running really takes a toll on one’s ability to run. 😂

The aid station at mile 3 was probably one of my favorites since they had popsicles! Yes, popsicles at 7am when you’re hot and sweaty are the BEST!

From that point on, the race was fairly uneventful. I had the 2:30 pacer come up behind me at about mile 6 and two thoughts came through my mind, “Ugh! Am I really that slow?! Hmmm… can I keep up with him?” Sadly, yes, I really was running that slowly and no, I was not able to keep up with him. Don’t be fooled by the smile on my face… yes, I was having fun, but my body was revolting against me! Side note: way to go 2:30 pacers!

The next notable event happened sometime between miles 9 – 10. This is where we approached a monstrous hill. It was steep and long. This hill even has its own split on the race results! It’s the King of the Mountain split. The hill may not look that scary in the picture, but it was a beast!

Slowly, but surely I finally made it to the finish line! I stocked up on some Honey Stinger waffles, filled up my water bottle, and made my way to the Green Flash beer garden.

I walked around and took a few more pictures before heading back to the hotel.

Interested in seeing more of the Craft Classic San Diego course? Be sure to check out my Craft Classic San Diego 2017 video! While you’re at it, please also subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking SUBSCRIBE.

Overall, I’d highly recommend the Craft Classic San Diego race! You can read my full race review at BibRave.com and while you’re at it, read other reviews and/or write your own race reviews!

Until next time,

Run Strong Run

From couch potato to marathon maniac

Tag Archives: bibchat

Half Marathon Training

Training

Goal Race