running

Running in Place for 10 Miles

/ Jess / 8 Comments

This winter thing can take a hike. While we’ve been spared the absolutely ridiculous amount of snow that our northeastern neighbors have gotten (sorry, Boston), here in NJ we’re still suffering. Every week is a loop: snow on Monday, ice on Tuesday, negative temps and high winds through the week, then a thawing day to allow everything to melt slightly, only to re-freeze again when the temps drop back to the single digits on Monday when the cycle begins again.

As a result, running outside is a dangerous and icy adventure and I’m confined to the treadmill for many of my runs – which STINKS. Take, for example, this past Sunday’s 10 mile treadmill run at the local YMCA.

I started psyching myself up on Wednesday by creating a “To Watch” list on Netflix that would have me covered for 2+ hours, I picked up some of my favorite Gu’s, I experimented with Nuun during my weekday 4-milers to see if my tummy could handle it (it could!), and I even bought a new tank top that matches my new shoes perfectly.

IMG_2728and capris. shush, they were on sale.

So when Sunday rolled around, I loaded up my gym bag with all the essentials, charged up the iPad, made some Nuun, and set out on my adventure.

IMG_2790It looked like I was running away from home.

Right from the beginning, I could tell this run would be a struggle. After only logging about 8 miles in 9 days due to lack of motivation, achy knees, and probably a minor concussion after belly flopping into a snow pile that turned out to be an ice pile, I was not very well prepared AT ALL. Looking back, I probably should have set out for another 8 miler to ease back into things, but live and learn, I suppose.

Mile 1-3 went relatively easily as I watched the first half hour of Wayne’s World. But about 40 minutes in, I started to get bored. I needed something to take my mind off the monotony, and having memorized every second of Wayne’s World back in 1996, I knew I’d have to pick something I’d never seen before.

And that’s how I met Francis Underwood.

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I love that man like a shark loves blood…

I’m late to the House of Cards party, but damn am I glad I finally showed up. Because 3 minutes into the first episode, I found myself gaping in shock and I was hooked instantly. Full disclosure: I’ve had a mild crush on Kevin Spacey since I was about 13. But anyone with eyes can see that he is at his absolute best here.

I was so engrossed in the show that I almost forgot to reset the treadmill at 4.5 miles (stupid 60 minute limit!) and motored through the next 3 miles and the full first episode. I started on the second episode and got about 15 minutes in (and 7.5 miles into my run) when it finally happened: I hit the wall. Hard.

I still had 2.5 miles to go, but it may as well have been 25. The running was easy: I was (relatively) pain-free and keeping a good pace of 5.8-6mph, but mentally I broke down and the wheels fell off the wagon.

The show didn’t even interest me any more, so I switched to music. And I skipped through, like, 18 songs in a row because nothing interested me. This has happened in almost every run over 10 miles I’ve done: nothing works to re-spark the fire, not even my favorite songs, and I just want to stop moving. It was SO hard to restart the treadmill one more damn time (DAMN that 60 minute limit!!!), but this time I told myself “The quicker you run, the quicker it’ll be over!”

So I stopped assing around with my music and just let it play, stopped walking and started running, and powered through those last few miles. It started to hurt with a mile or so to go, but I knew I had to finish, and finish I did.

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I’m only smiling because I know I get to sit down now.

At first I was super discouraged at my performance. With all the walking I did (and having to stop the machine twice), I had convinced myself that it was my worst 10 miles ever, time-wise. But when I actually added up the times, this was pretty much right on par with my previous 10-milers – in a few cases it was even better!

IMG_2828Final tally: 10 miles in 2 hours, 11 minutes.

While it wasn’t the prettiest (and I still don’t like the treadmill), I count it as a win – any time you run 10 damn miles and spend 2+ hours in the same 6 by 3 foot space, it’s a win.

So how is your training going? Are you stuck on the treadmill like me? What’s your favorite show on Netflix right now?

How to Beat Training Burnout

/ Jess / 7 Comments

This is the first time since before my injury that I’m really sticking to a solid training plan, and I can totally feel a difference in everything I do. My endurance is better, 4 miles is pretty much nothing, and even though I lost two total weeks of training due to illness, I’m feeling confident and strong!

For a hot minute there though, I did feel a little bit of the training burnout I’ve experienced while prepping for previous races. You know it well, I’m sure: the existential dread you get when you’re staring down another 4 mile tempo run on the treadmill after 3 straight 10+ hour work days and the sun has already been down for 2 hours and the temperature hasn’t cracked over 20 degrees in a week? Yeah, that feeling.

BUT – this time around I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve to help me battle the burnout beast:

1. New Music

That little ditty right there is pretty much single-handedly responsible for getting me through my 8 miler this past Sunday, thank you very much.

I don’t know about you, but there’s just something about some new tunes that puts some pep in my step and makes me look forward to yet another day of running when I feel like that’s all I’ve been doing for years.

2. Switching it Up

While my training plan calls for three days of workouts from Tuesday-Thursday, it created a fun new thing that I like to call “Anything Can Happen Wednesday”. Because it’s cross-training day, I’ve used these non-running breaks as a perfect opportunity to go all out and feel the burn in other ways. To break up the monotony I’ve biked, done hot yoga, and even started a personal challenge to get to the pool more often too. Did someone say Sprint Triathlon this May? 😉

10518076_692018487577664_325416926_nMermaid in Training

3. Setting Personal Goals

While it’s nice to do other things, the downside of seriously training for a race means that the majority of my workouts involve running, running, and more running. So to keep things interesting, I set little challenges for myself – sometimes even in the middle of a run! For example: last week, when I finally returned to running after being sick for more than a week, I told myself to take it easy with 2-3 miles of light jogging at the most. Well I ended up feeling much better than planned, and cranked out 4 miles at my pre-illness pace basically without even breaking a sweat.

10946258_385301244974827_1302672925_n…or breaking a “sparkle”, I guess.

So what did I decide to do the following run two days later? Beat that time, of course! I picked up my pace at mile 3, pushed harder than I would have normally, and kicked the previous me’s ass!

10932497_404686453045050_1578764512_nTuesday Jess says, “Take that, smug Sunday Jess.”

4. Treat Yo Self (and then Eat Clean the other 80% of the time)

Listen: I’m all about eating to run, and running to eat. Imma be real, there ain’t NOTHING like a slice of peanut butter silk pie after a week of hard training. But while I do like to indulge every now and then, I know that those treats are special because they’re so few and far between. And to balance things out, I experiment in the kitchen with things that make my tummy happy and keep my training on track. Case in point: roasted Brussels sprouts:

10946415_279318275525094_2110719772_n::pauses to lick the screen::

Yes, these were pre-roasting, but damn were they tasty when they came out of the oven 30 minutes later. Finding new ways to make healthy choices makes it a whole lot easier when I do decide to indulge – because let me tell you, those sprouts were definitely healthy, but they were DEEE-licious!

Those are just a few ways I like to shake things up and break out of the training monotony, but how about you? Any go-to’s to keep the crazies at bay? Favorite new running tunes? Share in the comments!

It’s Photo Contest Time!

/ Jess / Leave a comment

Some of you may or may not know, but I’m involved with an awesome group of inspirational folks called The Mermaid Club, and a part of my role in the organization deals with spreading the word about the club and helping to inspire others to Live Life and Make Waves in whatever fitness-related adventures they go on. And today I got to start a new project that I’m so excited about: the Mermaid Spotlight 2015 Photo Contest!

The Mermaid Club is all about living life and making waves, and 2015 is going to be a pretty epic year if we do say so ourselves. To get everyone excited about what’s in store, we’re opening up this contest and we hope you’ll join in. It’s simple: Send us your best inspirational, motivational, funny, or otherwise awesome photo of you living life and making waves: pounding the pavement, in the water, on a bike, or wherever! – for a chance to be featured in our new Mermaid Spotlight series and to win some fun gear, too! Here’s the fine print:

  • Pictures must include your badass self and The Mermaid Club logo or slogan (Live Life, Make Waves) in some way. Be creative! Collages, quotes, drawings, typography, we want to see it all!
  • Each photo will count as one entry, but we encourage you to submit as many different photos as you want.
  • You can post your photos to our Facebook page, Twitter, and/or Instagram – just be sure to use the hashtag #MermaidSpotlight2015 to ensure your pic is seen by our judges.
  • All entries may be used in future posts on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds, with full credit to the original poster. If you’re so inclined, feel free to include a watermark or your name (or Twitter or IG handle) in the photo somewhere too!
  • At the contest’s end, the top 5 winning photos will be posted on our Facebook Page, along with instructions for winners on how to claim their awesome gear – and I’ll be following up with you for your Mermaid Spotlight “interview” via email, too!

We’ll be sharing our favorite entries as we find them throughout the month, so what are you waiting for? Get snapping, and submit your picture by February 28th for your chance to win!

I’m in Love with My Sneakers: Brooks Transcend 2

/ Jess / 4 Comments

Up until recently, I limited myself in my sneaker choices. You see, I had convinced myself that I had to run in the shoes recommended to me by the folks at Road Runner Sports, lest I face the wrath of my angry knees and super high arches. But while I am sure they did me a huge favor by helping me discover that I over pronate and need a stability shoe with extra cushion, those people are by no means the final word in sneakers.

So over the weekend, I sat down with the internet and a pen, and I searched for all the “stability plus” shoes I could possibly find, and went to town selecting my favorites simply based on color and style. Then I bought my list to Road Runner and tried every single pair on.

And wouldn’t you know it, I STILL landed on my old favorites? While there were a few other cute color combos and sleeker designs, every single pair absolutely paled in comparison to my new beauties:

photoThe Brooks Transcend 2

Say hello to the lovelies that will carry me over the finish line of the NYC Half in March, and most likely the Asbury Park Half in April, too! After trying on those 6 or 7 other pairs yesterday, I can honestly say that they are, hands down, the best shoe I’ve ever run in, period. I know they’re not for everyone, and they are a little heavier and more pricey, but I would not trust my poor, overworked joints to anyone but the good folks at Brooks Running.

How about you? Do you have a favorite shoe? Can anyone out there recommend a good stability plus sneaker? Share!

The Lazy Runner Girl’s Guide to Hair

/ Jess / 5 Comments

For as long as I’ve had hair, I’ve struggled with what to do with it, because it’s always been greasy. I’d wash and “style” each morning, only to throw it up in a ponytail by the end of the day because it got too dirty and flat. I was SO envious of girls who claimed a simple spritz of dry shampoo and blast with the hairdryer gave them the perfect “second day hair”. Then I took up running and it all went downhill. After my morning wash and “style” and the evening’s run, I’d have to wash my hair again – ouch!

But we live in a world where we’re told to exercise daily but only wash our hair every other day. How does that make sense??

It all came to a head back in 2013, when my knee surgery meant that I couldn’t shower for 3-4 days after the procedure – no hair washing either. And I learned something amazing: my tresses were like some captive animal, rebelling against the angry onslaught of blow dryer and shampoo by overproducing oil and grease. Because when it was left alone for 72+ hours, my hair went from greasy, to super greasy, to “Hey, this isn’t so bad”! And when I finally showered on day 4 (PS: best. shower. EVER.), I let it do its thing again for another 2 days, and wouldn’t you know it, it was like my hair’s reset button had been hit. I could let my hair go for a day – or even 2! – before needing to start all over again. My hair had returned to its natural state!

This is all to say that, when it comes to hair issues, I’ve been around the block. Once I really got back into running after my surgery, I had to learn how to treat my hair kindly both before, during, and after a run so that it stayed happy enough to go without washing every 24 hours. I had to experiment with different headbands, clips, and styles to tame my mane on the road, and tried about a dozen dry shampoos before finally finding a brand that works for me. So now I’m here to share all of those little tips and tricks that allow me to say that I am officially a recovered hair-washing addict – because I know I can’t be alone here!

1. Products

This has become my absolute go-to. I use it every other day (and then some), and have probably used 4 cans in the past year.

P0252_packshotSeriously, if they stop making this, I’m just going to shave my head and wear a wig.

It instantly dries up any grease and lifts my hair up just a tiny bit, and it’s impossible to use too much of it. The number one selling point for me though, is that it doesn’t make it stiff or gritty like some other dry shampoos I’ve tried. Plus it smells delicious and it’s only like $4 a can at Target. I buy two every time I see them!

If I’m feeling especially lazy – or my hair has been a little overworked – I skip the drying process, throw a tiny bit of this goop in my hair (skipping the roots), chuck it all in a braid and call it a day. Let it air-dry, finger-brush and floof as desired, and voila: deliberately messy hair don’t care.

How about you: are there any products you can’t live without? Share!

2. Styles

  • Daily/Non-Running Styling

My hair hasn’t ever had a style. If I were to hop on the therapist’s couch, I’d have to say it stems from my very first hair fail at the age of 7, when my mom decided to give in to her crazy daughter and get her a PERM. At age SEVEN.

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My heart hurts just looking at it.

The perm finally grew out when I got to middle school (praise Jesus), where I continued to make even more questionable – but less permanent – choices like Manic Panic, Kool-Aid hair dye, and the like. Cut to my high school and college years, where I basically went for a longer version of The Rachel, in either a pony or down, depending on my mood.

A few years ago I learned how to “curl” my hair with a flat iron (which also taught me that, in moderation, hair spray is my friend), and wouldn’t you know it, I had a new “going out” hair style!

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And then along came this magical hair tutorial:

No-heat styling? What is this madness? I suddenly don’t even need to blow dry the ever-loving hell out of my hair! I’m hooked, and have worn my hair like this at least once a week since I discovered this video. I’m also going majorly crazy over all the other easy-to-follow tutorials they’ve got there.

Do you have any go-to styles that you want to share?

  • Running Styling

Similar to my every day hair, my running styles are basically non-existent. I stick with a headband and pony and it seems to work.

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But sometimes, I like to get a little creative – especially on race day. That’s when the braids come out:

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I’ll admit: my race-day hair style is dependent more on the cute factor than any weather forecast or logistical need. For example: the hat/braid combo you see up there is because I ran my last race in a pair of cheap ray-ban knock offs and looked like a fool in all my race photos. So since I hadn’t found the right running sunnies by race day, I opted for a hat. Not my best sartorial choice, but whatevs.

But aside from the pony and the braids, I’m hopelessly out of ideas. Due to an abundance of layers and lack of practice on any siblings for the first 15+ years of my life, I cannot french braid my hair to save my life so that’s out. And I am SO envious of girls who have those fantastically swishy ponytails that trail forever and never get tangled. You are all witches, and I wish I were you.

How do you wear your hair for a run vs. race-day?

3. Tips and Tricks

  • My number one tip to save post-workout hair from needing a shower is this: as soon as you’re done working out, get ye to the nearest hair dryer, STAT! Take out your hair tie/ponytail/headband/clips, and blast your hair with cool air to dry all the sweat from your scalp. Then once it’s dry, do the dry shampoo thing.
  • Try to stay away from heat styling as much as possible. I know it’s pretty unavoidable, especially in the winter months when going out with a wet head of hair is an old wives’ worst nightmare/recipe for your death by cold, but all that extreme heat can’t be good for your locks day in and day out.
  • If you’re desperately greasy like I was (and you’ve got a full 2-3 days to swing it), try doing the hair reset thing like I did! Just take a page from our Frozen gal-pals and Let it Go. You may be surprised what your hair will do when you leave it the hell alone for a while!

How about you? Do you have any tricks of the trade that you swear by? Fun race-day styles? Headbands that you adore? Let’s spread the hair love!

The State of the Union

/ Jess / 3 Comments

I don’t know about you folks, but the holiday season of 2014 – 2015 has been pretty great to me so far!

First, Christmas came to town, and we had a blast. I mean, my mama-in-law got me a tiara. Like, a legit crown.

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“Put it on me, put it on me, put it on me, put it on me!”

Santa Claus was also really good to me this year, with an awesome new Under Armour hoodie in my favorite Kelly Green, a gorgeous little 13.1 silver necklace, and a brand spankin new Garmin!

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I’ll be the first to admit: I love my old Garmin 305. That thing has been steadfastly there for me on every run for more than 4 years now, and I’d venture a guess to say that it probably runs better than I do (imitate rimshot here). But the thing is like running with the Startship Enterprise Command Module on your wrist. It doesn’t feel like it, but it looks ridiculous, and makes easily glancing at my stats near impossible if I’m wearing sleeves – nevermind the fact that sleeves won’t even fit over the thing. This new 610 was a welcome addition to the family, and I broke it in with a nice run Christmas morning and haven’t looked back since!

Unfortunately hubby caught a nasty cold that day, so instead of the usual post-Christmas shopping bonanza, we spent the next 3-4 days laying low.

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I did make a friend on one of my runs though! He followed me for a whole block and I had to walk him back to his house.

After one day of work last week, I was laid up with the same funky sickness from the 30th-the 2nd, and while it SUCKED, I’m pleased to say that I slept for about 18 hours of every day to recover, and I loved it. After the first few days, the week was still a huge success! We rang in the new year with loved ones..

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…I found cool new workout tops on sale at Kohls for $5 each…

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… we had a perfectly quiet, talking about life, caffeine-filled, hot cocoa and people-watching night at Starbucks…

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he’s all mine 🙂

…we took my Dad into Red Bank for a day of Surf Taco, hobby shop wandering, and comic books…

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Catholicism WOW!

…and even though I had to skip 4 days due to illness, I managed to get right back on track for week 2 of my training plan with an Insanity workout (OUCH) and a totally-out-of-my-comfort-zone trail run with my friend Kevin yesterday!

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The smiles before the hills.

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Finally some action shots in nature!

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Overcast and 60 degrees – perfect running weather! 

I had a real blast on those trails. A year ago I’d be petrified to run on uneven terrain like that: the instability in my knee, the weakness in my quads, my lack of confidence in my running… let’s just say I would have passed on this invite. But as I finished my morning coffee and looked out at the misty weather, prepping for 4 miles on the treadmill to satisfy my training schedule requirements for the day, Kevin texted me with an invitation to go out and explore. And explore we did! For 4 whole miles and change, we ran through the hills and woods of Holmdel Park discussing life, love, and the need for two laundry baskets in a relationship. In a word, this run was perfection!

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And that brings us to today! I’m sore beyond words and exhausted – just like pretty much everyone else out there today who went back to work after however long they had off for the holidays – but I’m happy. At first I was super upset that I had gotten sick: there’s nothing worse than feeling like caca and having to stay home when you’ve got time off from work and want to be out celebrating and doing all the things.

But the cold or flu or whatever it was actually gave me just what I needed: down time. It forced me to relax and nap and recharge my battery, and I was able to recover with enough time to get some fun stuff done too. Instead of going at full tilt the entire 2 weeks, I was able to rest for most of it and as a result, I’m feeling relaxed, recharged, and ready to take on whatever’s coming my way in 2015!

How about you? I hope your new year is treating you well so far! Tell me all about it in the comments…

2014 in Review

/ Jess / 8 Comments

Hey there everyone! I’m sorry I’ve been MIA lately – the usual holiday madness coupled with work insanity had me running pretty ragged until this week. But I’m back, and I hope everyone had an awesome holiday filled with love and laughter and family (and let’s be honest: lots of wine)!

With 2015 on the horizon, everyone’s talking about resolutions and goals and all these great plans for the New Year. But before I do that, I’d like to take a minute and reflect on the past year first. Yeah, it’s fun to remember all the great times I’ve had while running in 2014, but more importantly: looking at how far I’ve come will help me set smarter goals for the year ahead! So to help me do just that, I’m going to take a different approach on my year in review and look at my favorite lessons learned from my favorite races of 2014.

1. Running Happy at February’s Manasquan 2-Mile Beach Run.

race

This was my first race in nasty weather: 30-ish degree rain, sleet, and snow – it was also my first race in sand, too! But instead of focusing on all the things that were miserable about the day, I ran happy from start to finish. I mean come on, look at that dork in the gigantic winter coat up there. Clearly I gave two figs about the sleet and just enjoyed it.

At that race I learned to just go with it. I’d been lucky up til that point and had relatively perfect weather for every race I’ve run in the past 4 years. But the nasty weather during this run taught me that sometimes you’ve just got to suck it up and tough it out to get through it with a smile – because that way you’ll end up with some fun race pictures!

2. Tackling my first post-ACL surgery half marathon in Asbury Park’s Runapalooza.

IMG_3519I had a lot of anxiety coming up to this race. I didn’t necessarily follow the training plan 100% and was still leery of my knee in certain situations – and if I’m being honest, my superstitious mind had me convinced that I’d suffer the same fate as I did in the half before this one!

But I went out with the same mental attitude I found in my beach run that winter: just go for it with a smile. And what I learned that day is that anything is possible if you really put your mind to it. I hit the wall at mile 11 and didn’t really see myself crossing the finish line as triumphantly as I’d imagined, until I realized I was so close to a PR. My unofficial goal had been to beat my injured race time, and I just barely did by a few minutes, in tears and completely elated. While it wasn’t the shining, time-crushing win I had hoped for, it was still a win because I put my fear of the half marathon distance to bed for good!

3. You’re stronger than you think: Seaside Semper Five 5K & Make A Wish 5K

In September I had signed up for a handful of races before my big October race, and had told myself from the beginning not to push it. So while I approached these races as fun runs and went in with no expectations, I ended up surprising myself with both my results and the lessons I took away from each race.

In Seaside I lost my music a few feet into the race, and then decided to run without looking at my Garmin the entire race. When I got to mile 2.75 and realized I was blowing away my old 5k training times, I floored it and finished under 37 minutes!

2 A few weeks later I ran my first race with a cold at Liberty State Park for the Make a Wish Foundation, where I stopped to blow my nose every quarter mile and coughed through the end, and still came in only 10 seconds shy of my time in Seaside – proving to myself that all that training really does help!! While it may seem like I’m going nowhere fast between injuries and schedule setbacks, the miles really do add up and train you to perform some truly amazing feats that you never thought your body was capable of – and that’s pretty freakin cool if you ask me!

IMG_76824. Making Friends at the Atlantic City Half Marathon

Throughout the summer I’d been plagued by recurring knee and calf injuries that eventually forced me to drop from the full marathon to the half, and my ego (along with my joints) were still pretty sore over it. Before I even toed the start line, this race had taught me that sometimes things don’t go your way, and you need to change your goals. That doesn’t make you a failure, it makes you smart. It was one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn in a long time, but it was worth it.

While this race was supposed to be my first full marathon, it ended up being an even more important “first” – my first race with a running partner, who taught me that the road is a lot easier to travel when you’ve got a friend by your side.

IMG_8295In my 4+ years as a runner, I resisted running with others because I was afraid I’d slow them down or I’d tire too fast from talking. I met Alain through The Mermaid Club, and while we hadn’t ever run together before race day, we covered the entire 13.1 miles practically joined at the hip, chatting about everything from Melissa McCarthy movies and gummy bears to religion and family. We kept each others’ minds off of the task at hand and off the wind fighting us at every step. When I didn’t think I was going to pull a PR out of thin air, Alain told me matter of factly that I WAS, and he was right. It turns out that the old saying is true: “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

IMG_82975. Living in the Moment at the NYRR Dash to the Finish Line

This was an unexpectedly meaningful race for me. Originally I was simply excited to run my first race in NYC and cross the Marathon Finish Line the day before the big race. But from the moment we crossed the starting line in the pouring freezing rain, I realized that this was going to be much more than just a little 5K.

IMG_9199Being surrounded by almost ten thousand other runners from all parts of the world, the amazing skyscrapers of Manhattan, the tourists and locals standing on the streets cheering us on – it was a completely surreal experience. On more than one occasion I glanced around me and told myself to soak it all in: this was what running in the moment was all about. I’d never run in NYC before, but I was instantly hooked and couldn’t wait to return. Even though I was overdressed and overheating, I bobbed and weaved through the crowd (and added .75 to my distance!) and still managed to PR by an astounding amount.

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While it was “just a little 5K in the park”, this race renewed my love of running and showed me that there’s this whole world out there just waiting for me to run all over it! Because of this race, I signed up on a whim for the NYC Half Marathon in March, won an entry, and now find myself a week into training for what’s probably going to be the coolest half I’ll ever run – and I can’t wait!

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So that was my 2014 in a nutshell – what about you? What has running taught you this year, and how are you going to take those lessons with you into 2015? Tell me all about it – and Happy 2015!!

From Zero to Two (Half Marathons)

/ Jess / 3 Comments

So how is it that I went from absolutely loving the “no race to train for” off season to suddenly having only 12 weeks to prep for two half marathons only a month apart? Hmm…

3196d892ad5b284ae2f5800994bf804aThe truth is I’m not really sure what happened, because the fact that I got into that first race was pure LUCK!

On Black Friday I got a reminder email for the Asbury Park Runapalooza Half Marathon in April, and finally signed up. I knew I wanted to run this one again – it was my first post ACL surgery half  marathon last year and I loved it. They’ve finally repaired the last remaining parts of the course that were still damaged by Hurricane Sandy (plus I just really adore Asbury) so it was a given.

Cut to the following week when I threw my hat into the ring for the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon (scheduled for a month earlier than Runapalooza), never expecting to get in. It was a total blind try: my first time trying to get into anything NYC related that wasn’t guaranteed, I’m not even an NYRR member, I was brutally honest about my 3 hour predicted finish time; to say the odds were against me would be an understatement. But wouldn’t you know it, the Running Gods smiled upon me, and I got in!

So within about two weeks I went from leisurely starting my serious training around the middle of January to “Holy crap I’m running two half marathons within a month of each other with 12 weeks to prep!”

Have you ever found yourself in a similar position? I know I’ve asked about running semi-consecutive races like that, but does anyone have any advice (aside from “don’t fall in the first race”), or other training resources for a condensed schedule? HALP!

2015 United Airlines NYC Half Marathon: I’M IN!

/ Jess / 4 Comments

OMG you guys, I am dying right now – somebody pinch me, because it’s actually happening:

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I’m officially running the NYC Half Marathon on March 15th, 2015!!

After having such an amazing time running the streets of Manhattan in the NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5K, I knew I had to race in NYC again, stat. So after seeing a few emails and online ads about the NYC Half , I thought “Wouldn’t that be cool?” and applied for entry, never expecting to be picked. I mean come on: I’ve only run one other NYRR race, I’m not a member, and I was brutally honest about my 3-hour predicted finish time. Why would they pick me?

My cousin ran this race last year and told me that they charged her entry fee before she got her acceptance email, so I began my day by obsessively refreshing my online bank statement. I didn’t have to wait long, because that magical NYRR charge popped up at 9am on the dot!! To make sure I wasn’t seeing things, I clicked over to my NYRR Account page and nearly screamed: there was the half, in my “Registered Races” section. I was in!!

So now I’m officially running my next half marathon in just over 3 months, and the Asbury Park Runapalooza a month later! My approach to running lately has been all “Meh, I’m not training for anything,” to “HOLY HELL I’M TRAINING FOR TWO RACES IN A MONTH?!”

This’ll be new for me, running halves so close to one another. Any of you super runners have any recommendations? Words of wisdom? Or even better- is anyone going to be racing that day? I’d love to meet some of you!

Tough Times Don’t Last, Tough People Do

/ Jess / 3 Comments

If you know me personally, you know that I’m a big fan of lists (no, really – I freakin love them). And when you combine lists with running, I am allll over that.

So when this list of things the Hungry Runner Girl does to get through the toughest part of a run popped up in my FB feed today, it really struck a chord with me. There are some super helpful tips here! Many of these are tricks that I’ve used on myself before, like the “pick a spot and get there” trick, which I used to great effect in my last half marathon. I’ve also discovered that moving my arms faster actually does help me speed up, so I was happy to see that make an appearance here too!

But there were also a few tips that I never would have thought of in a million years! I love it when I stumble upon a helpful new running tip, don’t you? I was particularly excited by the idea of counting your steps: my major issue when I start to flag is that my mind gets sucked into a negative vortex and nothing short of an atom bomb will bust it out. But focusing on something as mundane as counting the number of steps I’m taking sounds like a fantastic way to break the negative cycle and focus on the literal “one foot in front of the other” motion!

I also enjoyed the idea of tying a rope around the person in front of me – usually I don’t like to concentrate on others in a race, but this seems like it’s more about the idea of visualization and distraction, which, much like lists, I am ALLLL over.

It got me thinking about some of my own Tough Times Tips:

1. Imagine how great it’ll feel to tell everyone about this after you’ve succeeded. Pride can be a hugely motivating thing. I personally have lost count of how many workouts I’ve pushed through, just to be able to say “Yeah, I lifted that much/ran that far/did that!” Vain? Maybe. Effective? 100%! Similarly:

2. Do it for the reward. Maybe you’ve promised yourself an awesome victory lap at the local diner after your race. Or perhaps you’ve got a massage on the schedule to relieve those sore muscles? Even if it’s just for the medal or for the personal satisfaction, keep your eye on the prize and you’ll be crossing that finish line in no time.

3. Go someplace else. This one is a little harder to do, and sometimes if you’ve been smushed up against The Wall for too long you may be better trying something else. But when I’m finding it hard to physically push when I’m at my limits, I just look up at the sky, pick a cloud, and imagine what that cloud has seen. Sometimes I’m able to picture some pretty awesome places – even if they’re 100% made up in my mind 😉

So what do you think? Do you have any other tips to add to this already awesome list? I’d love to hear them!