half marathon training

Everything’s Better at the Beach

/ Jess / 5 Comments

This weekend the hubby and I made our 9th annual trip down to Long Beach Island, NJ, for a few nights of relaxation, seafood, claw games, and fun – and even though it rained for most of the time, we still had one of our best trips yet!

We arrived in the early afternoon on Friday to a brisk 59 degrees and a light on-and-off drizzle, but we made the best of things by hanging out at Ron Jon’s Surf Shop and heading out to one of our favorite low-key restaurants before taking over the arcade for shoot-em-up video games, skee-ball, Donkey Kong, and claw machines!

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I won little Grumpy Cat on the first try!

The next day I woke up and decided to go for a run. I tried something different and took a gel (peanut butter flavored, my new fave!) about 20 minutes before I hit the pavement instead of during the run, and I think I’ve finally cracked the fueling code! It made a huge positive difference in my run and I look forward to trying it out at the Oakley Mini 10K this weekend.

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It was a perfect 55-ish and still drizzly but not enough to stop me – I took off down one of the super-long, super-straight roads that go the entire length of the island and fell into a rhythm almost immediately. See the runner in the dark blue shirt and shorts in the distance on the left up there? I kept her about that far away from me for the first mile and found that her 11:15/mile pace was almost effortless for me! That was a huge shock, especially after all the wine (and ice cream!) I had the night before – hey, it’s vacation, I don’t deny myself the yummy stuff!

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I set out with the goal of doing 5 miles, so I planned on going out 2.5 then heading back. LBI is my favorite “destination running” spots because the roads are as flat as you can possibly get and the area is so runner/biker/fitness-friendly that you can’t help but want to get out there with your people as often as possible. Even in the miserable weather, the 2-3 other runners and bikers that passed by gave me big waves and hearty “Good morning!”‘s – I swear if it weren’t for our jobs, we’d move down there in a heartbeat!

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Everything’s alright down the shore – even a run in the rain 🙂

Suddenly around mile 1.5, the skies opened up and unleashed a full-on monsoon! My unwitting pacer slowed down slightly but I kept pace – I hate passing people then seeing them pass me when I inevitably slow down later! So for about 10 minutes we ran through the rain, me about 15 feet behind her and both of us wiping buckets of water away from our eyes every few feet. I was drenched in seconds, but I can’t lie – I felt pretty badass 😉

I briefly considered turning around at mile 2 and calling it at 4 miles, but persisted. After 10 minutes, the soaking rain started to taper and my pacer slowed to a walk. That’s when I decided to keep going for my 2.5 miles and passed her, thanking her for pacing me as I did, to which she smiled widely and said “No problem!” I love that island.

From there I stayed steady for the next half mile and finally turned around at around mile 2.5, seeing that my pacer had vanished. I briefly worried that I would slow down without her, but I did just fine! At mile 3.5 I stopped briefly to adjust my BioSkin (both the brace and my capris were completely soaked through so a little slippage was expected!), and  the wet weather did cause my ACL to ache in general. But other than that I felt great all the way through mile 5 as I stopped right at our hotel and discovered what an absolutely stunning time I had posted!

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Seriously, I haven’t seen consistent, effortless numbers like that since before my ACL surgery, so this was a serious breakthrough. I haven’t been logging as many pavement miles as I feel like I should be, but my knees need a break and the DeskCycle is evidently keeping my endurance up quite nicely! The only negative part about this run though? The completely solid, knotty rat’s nest that was my ponytail after an hour in the wind and rain:

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Ouch!

After 20 minutes of conditioner and painful combing, I managed to tame my mane and we headed out to the local Wine Festival, conveniently being held right down the road! I swear I didn’t plan it like that, it was just a happy coincidence!
IMG_6016The next day (yesterday), I woke up early and took off for a quick, watchless 2-miler to wake up and stretch out – the hotel bed was absolute murder on my back. I also wanted to keep up the momentum from Saturday’s run, and had a great time! While I don’t think I was as fast (I can’t be sure), the beautiful sunny weather and gorgeous scenery made it perfect. After we packed up the car, we ended our vacay with a walk on the beach and the most perfect ice bath ever:

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As I stood there letting the water freeze up my toes, I looked out at the waves and breathed in deeply a few times. Things have been a little hectic lately; and without getting into too much detail, I got a bit of a wake up call a few weeks ago and realized that I had to refocus and re-prioritize what’s really important to me.

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It’s a hard lesson to learn (especially when you’re a stubborn Polack like me) but this weekend was just what I needed, and those few moments of peace were the cherry on top. And as if I needed any more proof that was the case, a little waterlogged ladybug landed on my toe in the water as I stood there!

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Don’t worry – I saved him and left him on a wooden dune fence to finish drying out 🙂

So that was my weekend – how was yours? Did you have any running adventures, or do you have any planned in the future? How do you find a proper balance between life, work, and family? Have you ever experienced the ponytail from hell after a messy run like that? Tell me everything!

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Playing Catch Up

/ Jess / 3 Comments

OK, first: I am SO sorry it’s been so long since my last post! We’ve got a big product launch going on at my day job, and my new role is heavily involved in almost every aspect of the marketing launch, so I’ve had to log lots of extra night and weekend hours trying to get things ready in the past two weeks, meaning this blog had to suffer! The good news is that we launch today and I can finally breathe now. And to make up for it, I’ve got a fun, picture-filled post for you today!

Let’s rewind to almost 2 weeks ago, when I hit my peak mileage in preparation for the Asbury Park Half Marathon. My weekly runs were going well, and the spring weather made things even better – I was finally able to run outside after work again!

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These solid weekday runs had me feeling pretty good leading up to my long run of 10 miles that Easter Sunday. I decided to run for the first time with the Jersey Shore Running Club down in Ocean Grove, and I was super stoked! I joined a month ago to connect with local runners and to take advantage of their long boardwalk runs on Sunday mornings, and since Easter was going to be a full day, their start time of 6:45AM worked well. The only catch was the 5AM wakeup call I’d have to make. Ugh.

Of course, Saturday night I was hit with a bad case of insomnia and stress-dreams. Why? I have no idea! But I ended up only getting a solid 3 hours of restless sleep at best, and dragged my ass down the Parkway before the sun came up for the sorriest 10 miles I’ve ever run.

IMG_3977But oh, that sunrise!

While the run itself stunk, everything besides the actual running was beautiful and positive! The JSRC people were the most welcoming, friendly group of runners I’ve met in a long time. I quickly bonded with Hazem, who kept me company for the entire 10 miles! He’s in the bright green, I’m in yellow 🙂

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Bless that man for sticking with me, too – thanks to the total lack of rest the night before, I was achy and exhausted from mile 3. We started off at sunrise going south from Ocean Grove, and after a mile or two of sticking together, little groups broke away from the pack and either dropped back (me & Hazem) or took off (everyone else). Once we were on our own, we chatted about work, life, running – the usual. Through Bradley Beach, Belmar, Spring Lake, and back we went, slogging along and taking turns going silent as you do on long runs.

Seeing as how I’d never even met this guy before, I kept telling him that he didn’t have to wait for me – because I was dogging it. It’s like I was made of lead. And as much as I now like running with others, I truly hate feeling like I’m slowing them down. It makes me feel worse and starts the negative thinking spiral. But even though I told him at every water and bathroom stop to keep going without me, he said no and stayed with me until the last half mile when he picked it up and finished, then even waited for me too! Thanks for the company, friend – you made a miserable run totally bearable!

And I also want to issue a public apology for loudly serenading you with some off-key Taylor Swift when she came on my headphones at around mile 6. The long run mania will make you do some crazy things, and I’m sorry you had to witness me Shaking it Off like that.

IMG_3980Another one of the sweet Asbury Park message shells, spotted perfectly on this Easter Sunday Runday!

Final tally: 10 miles in 2:08, Average Pace 12:50/mile. BLAH. Because I performed so poorly, I took the experience as a learning opportunity, and focused on resting and strength/cross training, which helped boost my confidence and made for some solid mileage on Tuesday and Thursday. I think it was the new Skirt Sports gear I tried out on the treadmill!

IMG_4067What up, Lioness Skirt! Want one of your own? Use code SSJRH20 to get 20% off your order!

Come the weekend, I was ready to run and do other running-related things. Namely, pick up my Asbury Park Half Marathon bib!

IMG_4112sounds like a lucky number, yeah?

I decided to go down to the shore one last time before the race to get my feet acclimated to those boards even more. Last year I explicitly remember cursing my thin socks at mile 8 because that boardwalk is HARD. My legs felt fine in the days after the race, but my poor feet were blistered from the beating. So this training cycle I purposely did most of my long runs on the race course to familiarize myself (and my feet) with the work it was going to take on.

Also, about 80% of my race-day anxiety involves the unfamiliar aspects: how will I get there, where will I park, what does the course look like, etc. By driving myself down to the race course and running it every weekend for the entire month before, all of those unknowns were now simple facts that I don’t feel anxious about anymore. I think I’m going to try to adopt this plan-ahead process for all races going forward!

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I got to Asbury at around 8:30 – the sun was shining, the air was getting warmer by the minute, and I was feeling unstoppable. I set out in the same way I would on race day – back and forth on the boards in Asbury, then straight through the casino building south to Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach, over the Belmar Bridge, and down the boardwalk until I hit about 4 miles, and back for my 7.  I couldn’t have asked for a better day to run: the boards were packed with other runners, bikers, walkers, and generally nice people that were just as thrilled about the weather as I was!

IMG_4125Just breathe it in!

I was determined not to let my previous week’s long run cloud my mood, so I didn’t look at my pace until I turned around – and was so happy to see that I was averaging almost a FULL MINUTE FASTER per mile than last week!

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That’s one happy (and overdressed) runner right there.

I was jamming out to some new tunes (thank you, Kendrick Lamar) and turned into a full-out whack job by the 10K mark, singing along to my music and even run-dancing a bit. I’m sure the locals appreciated that. But who cares?! I crushed those 7 miles in 1:26 at an average pace of 12:04 per mile – holy crap!

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I know better than to expect a SUPER awesome performance like that again this weekend, but who knows? It was definitely the perfect confidence-boosting run I’ve needed this training cycle. I didn’t know what to expect going into the “two-halfs-in-one-month” plan that I basically created on the fly. But 4 days from go time my knees are feeling great, my legs are feeling strong, my confidence is high, and I’m nowhere near as burnt out as I have been before other races. I feel more like a border collie, with tons of energy and excitement about getting to that boardwalk starting line and showing myself how strong I’ve become!

How about you? How has your training been going? Are you loving the spring race season? Tell me everything!

Adventures in Asbury Park

/ Jess / 9 Comments

This week’s long run was 9 miles, and because I’ve grown oh-so-weary of plodding along the same roads for mile after mile, I decided to move my buns in a new location: Asbury Park.

Seeing as how I’ll be racing there in about 18 days, I figured why not? It’s a nice, long, flat stretch of land right on the boardwalk, there’s free parking, clean public restrooms – what more could a runner ask for? Plus, I’d get to cover the final miles of the race in a controlled practice environment. The last time I raced there, I fell apart around mile 10 because the boardwalk seemed to stretched on FOREVER. This way I could prove to myself that I could go even farther if I had to, and make the course on race day seem even shorter!

So I layered up for the 16 degree “real feel” temperature (WTF?!) and headed down to the seaside bright and early, thankful that the sky was so clear. There wasn’t a cloud to be seen, which was a far cry from the last long run I did by the beach! I staked out my free parking, stopped in a restaurant to use their restroom (with their total permission!), stretched out, and headed south on the boardwalk towards Bradley Beach.

IMG_3773These shells were strewn all over the boardwalk, every quarter mile or so. “Smile, God is Watching”, “Have a Blessed Day”… they all had little motivational phrases written on them and made me smile every time I spotted one. This one was my favorite.

It was chilly at first, but I quickly warmed up and realized that I was over-layered (as usual). Plus my tights were a little loose around the waist and kept sliding, causing me to stop every few feet to tug them up. I was starting to get frustrated when I finally slipped into the groove and powered through miles 1 and 2 at an easy 11:30-12 min pace per mile.

I passed where I fell apart on race day last year, near the turnaround point at mile 10-ish, and kept going through Avon and all the way to the bridge that would take me into Belmar. But seeing as how I was scheduled to meet my friend Kevin back near where I parked at my half-way point, where he would join me for the last 4-5 miles of my run (and brunch on the boardwalk afterwards!), I turned and made my way back to our meeting point and hit 4 miles.

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Running buddies are the best!

It was *super* windy going north, and my time slowed considerably here because of it – almost to 13 minute miles! – but I kept going because I had a friend to meet! Once we met up in front of Langosta Lounge, I stopped at my car to take a gel and get some water – it was really WARM once I got going! – and we set off north for a half mile or so.

We skirted Deal Lake and jumped back onto the boards going south once again, cutting through Boardwalk Hall (and stopping for runfies, because duh), and easing into the next 4.5 miles.

IMG_3771That sky! That CHIN!

We motored on, chatting about life and the usual stuff – it had been so long since our last workout date! As a girl who used to say I would never run with other people, I have solidly recanted my statements and will publicly state that I love it. Sharing the miles with someone else just makes them go by so much easier. Miles 5-7.5 were filled with chatting, dream-house hunting, and laughing when I pocket-dialed my mom and caused her to panic because, as she put it, “I just heard gasping and snippets of conversation and a man’s voice, I was so worried!” Hehe – sorry mom, that was me and my guy friend trying to have a conversation while running, not imminent danger to your daughter!

Before I knew it, we were already at the 7.5 mile point near the Belmar bridge once again, ready to turn around for the final few miles – but that’s when the miles took their toll. The week before, I got my mileage in as per the plan but skimped on cross and strength training because of 12+ hour work days. Bad idea. Heed my warning, kids: do NOT skimp on cross & strength training. That last mile or so, I felt it badly in my hips and quads, and vowed to hit the squat rack a tiny bit harder this week to make up for it.

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I was amazed though, to see that we were already at 9 miles, and still had about a half mile to go! So I stopped the Garmin, stretched a bit, and we walk/jogged back to our cars for a successful run.

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After some action shots, of course 😉

I grabbed my bag from my car, we drove around for a bit to find a brunch place, and finally decided on the Langosta Lounge right on the water – where I changed out of my sweaty running gear and proceeded to sing to my cinnamon bun.

IMG_3808It was either Aretha Franklin’s “Natural Woman” or “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift.

Seriously, people – if you ever have the chance to get brunch in Asbury Park, GO to the Langosta Lounge. You will not be disappointed. I had Eggs Marion: poached eggs on top of a bed of asparagus and smothered in a basil cream sauce with a side of shrimp, lobster, and veggie-fried potatoes. I die.

IMG_3811I can almost taste it again…

It was a fantastic way to start my Sunday, and added to my excitement over this upcoming race for sure. I’ve still got a few weeks to go, but I’m already feeling more confident at longer distances than I was this time last year. Even runs of 8 miles used to make me nervous, but I’ve managed to clock those miles without any issues lately, and that’s huge for me.

This training cycle I’ve learned that it’s important to take a step back and appreciate how far I’ve come sometimes. When I stop and look back at where I was a year, or even 6 months ago, I realize that I’m in a much better place both physically and mentally when it comes to running. I’ve found a great balance in my training, I’m having fun, and I look forward to what the future holds. If you ask me, that’s cause for celebration right there!

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An Ode to Vitamin D (aka Spring Running is the Best)

/ Jess / 10 Comments

Now that it’s still light enough after work for me to get some miles in, I’m 100% loving it.

Last night I went for an easy 4 miles after a particularly tough work day. It was a bit chilly, and I am admittedly a big baby when it comes to the cold weather, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the sunset was shaping up to be a beauty. So out I went.

The first few miles were my typical post-work weekday training miles: full of huffing and puffing for the first three quarters, with a final mile of bliss. I trudged through the creepy tunnel next to my house and up the hill to Broadway, adding some distance going up and down the side streets as I went. This slightly different route got me to the waterfront park just in time for sunset, and it turned out to be one of those moments that makes you grateful to be alive:

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Seriously though – I don’t know if it was the runner’s high creeping up on me, the extended sunshine, the impending warm weather or what, but it was pure bliss. This week at work has been particularly stressful and I’m not even very well rested either. But it was all forgotten once I got to the gazebo up there and took a minute and breathe in the air, listen to the sea gulls talk to each other, and capture the moment.

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In past training cycles, I found myself getting so caught up in the number of miles that I “had to” run that I ended up losing the joy of running. I just ran to get the miles done and that was it. The faster I got it done the sooner I could go home and relax. Not this time around.

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I’m pausing to take the photos, stopping to listen to the waves, taking that side road to see where it goes, even if it adds mileage or keeps me out a half hour later and pushes dinner back a bit.

As I pile on the miles and fall into a more regular running/training routine, I find that I’m more psyched up to run and less inclined to be lazy. On the contrary, it’s like a positive feedback loop, where the more I run, the more I want to run. It really is true what they say about running: you get out of it what you put into it!

What about you: Have you been feeling a pep in your step because of all this extra daylight we’re getting? When was the last time you stopped during a run to take a nice picture or really soak in the moment? What did you find when you did? Share!

Training Hard or Hardly Training?

/ Jess / 11 Comments

With the United NYC Half a week in the rearview mirror, I’ve turned my attention (and my training) to the Asbury Park Runapalooza Half Marathon in less than 4 weeks. My original plan was NOT to run two half marathons within a month of each other, but here I am. So after attacking the hills of Central Park and still managing to get within 3:13 of my best half marathon time, I’m super psyched to return to the boardwalk of Asbury Park, the scene of my first post-ACL surgery half marathon last spring where I managed to beat my previous time by just a few minutes, and prove to myself that I truly am a runner!

After last Sunday’s race I knew I had to take it easy – those hills were no joke – but I also knew that there would be no lazing around and falling back into the “I raced last week, I deserve a third dessert!” trap I sometimes fall into after a race. So I gave myself a total of 3 days off, with nothing but stretching, foam rolling, and wine.

But by Thursday, the combination of not running and the increasingly nice weather (hello, 45 degrees and sunny at 6pm!) had me pacing the floors like a border collie. So after work I laced up and hit the pavement without looking at my watch the whole time – this was a purely “ease back into running” run, and man did it feel good!!

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It didn’t hurt that I wore one of my favorite cold weather tops – and found it a little loose, too! I felt sleek, strong, and capable the entire run. It was one of those runs where the only thing stopping you is the creeping darkness (and the fact that dinner was at home waiting!): the cool air energized me, the sunset was so pretty, and running for fun just felt so great.

After taking it easy once again on Friday & Saturday, I created a revised 4-week plan to get me safely to the Runapalooza finish line, and was relieved to find that I only had 6 miles on tap for the following day. So Sunday I woke bright and early for a cold, windy, brisk 6 miler around town while the rest of my neighbors prepared for the local St. Patrick’s Day parade!

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While it was cold and windy as hell, especially by the waterfront, it was still a beautiful morning – and another confidence-boosting run to boot! Perhaps it was my awesome first run back, or maybe it has something to do with all the delicious vitamin D I’m finally getting by moving my runs off the treadmill and onto the pavement once again… whatever it is, I’m loving it!

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I kept a nice pace for the first 4 miles until the wind picked up after I headed in the opposite direction, but I still managed to stay around 12 minutes per mile, with hills and wind battling me too!

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And to make matters even better, I capped off my Sunday morning with one of my absolute favorite things to do once the spring comes around:

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A post-run pedicure!

Granted, the poor nail salon guy had to skip the one funky toenail that’s hanging on for dear life and was confused when I stopped him from scraping off my callouses (I am NOT about to feel the pain of running on un-calloused feet as I build them up all over again!) – but he got a good laugh when I started practically purring as he massaged each little toe and squeezed the ever-loving crap out of my calves! It’s been almost a year since my last professional pedicure, and it showed. But I hereby promise my little piggies: I will not be waiting that long again for my next one!

After my pedi, I poured myself into a big comfy chair at home, watched about 5 episodes of House of Cards, and capped off my first week post-half-marathon and first long run into training cycle #2 with a few glasses of wine curled up on the couch with my husband and cat.

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And that’s all, folks!

All in all, I’m pleased with myself this spring. I’ve managed to find a healthy balance of training and relaxing, I’m feeling stronger than almost any previous training cycle, each run leaves me feeling more confident than the last, and I’ve still got another great race to look forward to in a few weeks! Some days I feel the strain of hard training, but for the most part, it’s the other way around: I feel like I’m hardly training!

How about you? Are you training hard or hardly training? Is your schedule wearing you down yet or have you found a proper balance? When was your last pedicure? Let me hear it in the comments!

My NYRR Spotlight

/ Jess / 6 Comments

About a month ago, NYRR sent out an email requesting stories of the folks who planned on running the United NYC Half Marathon. I sent in my story on a whim (kind of like how I did with my race entry!). To my surprise, they contacted me shortly after that to see if I would be willing to share my story on their social media channels – I was floored! What an honor. I’m content to tell my stories here on my little blog and through The Mermaid Club, but I never would have thought I’d be able to reach such a huge group of fellow runners through the NYRR!

10403469_10153068412528329_63437464441116418_nClick the photo to read my story!

Check out the original Post by United Airlines NYC Half on their Facebook page, and stay tuned to read the new stories they’re posting every day until the 15th – if you ever needed inspiration or motivation, you’re sure to find it with this group of awesome folks!