Improving as a runner requires more than just running. I've talked frequently about the importance of strength training (HERE and HERE) as a way to prevent injury and increase overall strength, subsequently improving performance. Form drills are another way to improve running efficiency and speed without actually running. To understand why form drills are important you have to understand the ... Read More
Training Update: riding a bike to nowhere
Training lately has looked VERY different than any kind of half marathon prep I've ever done. Let me back up. About a month ago my coach, Kim Nedeau gave me a road workout. "Can I do it on the track?" I asked. I really do like the track and it's measurability and comparability with past workouts in past years. It's easy to plug numbers into a pace calculator and see if you're on track for ... Read More
Training Update
Last week was a solid week of training and I felt really strong. The weeks I spent in November and December slowly layering hill repeats and strides are starting to pay off and come through in stronger-than-expected intervals and a really solid long run. My focus this week has shifted to making sure I take care of the little things, like continuing to do band work (bridges, clamshells etc) as ... Read More
Training Update and Life Lately
I'm excited for 2018. Last year was the YEAR OF THE HOUSE. I dominated everything we did. Took all our energy. Zapped our emotions. It was all consuming. Now that we're settled and have a home base-a haven- I'm excited to move forward with other dreams and projects that were put on the back burner last year. [BTW I've taken the pics and really want to put together a 'home tour' post so I ... Read More
Becoming a Better Runner
I originally wrote this post in September of 2012 when I was pregnant with my second child. It's fun to look back on this post and see how far I've come. I am a better runner than I was five years ago because of this advice. Even though this post is older the advice is solid and has been the cornerstone to my improvements as a runner since 2012. There are few things that have been part of my ... Read More
6 Tips to Pace your Next Half Marathon
The ability to properly pace a half marathon can sometimes feel elusive. We all know that the smart thing to do is start slower and finish faster. But actually executing that plan is a totally different thing With a full training cycle complete and your adrenaline pumping, it is easy to go hard in the first few miles. You're feeling ready to take down your goal time in record fashion. Fast ... Read More
Life Lately and a Training Update
We're basically homeless bums right now. The house isn't done and we're not living at the beach anymore, instead we're camped out in my Mother-in-Law's basement. It's not ideal, but it's nice to have supportive and gracious family willing to accommodate us and our never-ending-house-building. It's hard to see much beyond the moment when basic things like eating breakfast in the morning ... Read More
Training Update: climbing for clarity
Despite the stress of life lately, my running has been going really well. Perhaps because it is one of the ways I process my thoughts and find clarity. Sometimes when I take the first few steps of a run, I imagine all my stress and responsibilities falling off my shoulders and tumbling to the ground behind me. I leave them there in the driveway and when I come back I only pick up the thoughts and ... Read More
Training Update: scenic miles and stretch routines
With the sound of my alarm this morning, my two-week transition period came to an end. It's back to regularly scheduled training after two weeks "off." While the last two weeks did include some rest days, I got some runs in as well. The first week I babied my hip a bit, taking three days off after my final snowshoe race then did a strength workout meant to target the left glute, but I ... Read More
Training Updates: step back weeks and sunrise runs
Looking at the calendar, it is hard to believe that the snowshoe racing season is winding down. The last race is this weekend in Woodford, VT. This is the first time I've raced with so much frequency. Even with some of the snowshoe race cancellations in early February, I managed to race four weekends in a row with two weekends featuring double headers where I raced on both Saturday and ... Read More