Tag Archives: NYC Marathon training

Week #17 NYC Marathon Training: Peak Week

I’ve been looking forward to this week for quite some time, knowing that once I knock it out, it will be smooth sailing to the starting line on Staten Island. I’d repeat, Just keep it together, stay positive, focused, and relentless with recovery, and you will get this done like a boss.

For the most part that has been the case, but I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that marathon training feels ridiculously insignificant right now compared to what is going on in the world. It’s hard not to carry a heavy weight of sadness after the terrorist attacks on Israel and the horrific collateral damage that continues to unfold. I don’t usually share these kinds of thoughts here on this blog because I know readers are much more interested in being wrapped in inspiration and celebrating all the goodness health and fitness gives us, but I’ve decided to share it today because I know I’m not alone.

So what do you do when the world has gone mad?

The only thing you can: just keep going.

You compartmentalize as much as you can. You get your work done. You use your training to sift though your anger, sadness, and frustration, then you spread love and compassion wherever and however you can. You do your small (or large) part in making the world a better place. You help others. You lift people up. You tell others that it’s okay not to be okay right now. Because what happened is not okay. You listen. And you listen some more. You look for the good in others, even if you don’t agree with everything they believe. You remind yourself that we share our common humanity. You acknowledge that we may have different skin tones, religions, and languages, but we are one in the same. You lean into the notion that only love will win, and you do your part to make that lofty goal a reality.

So while I celebrate getting through peak week like a boss (with a few bumps and niggles along the way), I also want to stop and take a breath, and acknowledge that while running is life to many of us, life has a way of putting things into perspective. Let us never forget our history nor our humanity.

I will repeat one of my quotes once again:

“The most important muscles we ever use in life are those we use to lift others up.”

Now circling back to our regularly scheduled programming … here’s a peek at Week #16 training schedule (Oct 9-15):

  • Mon 10/9: Run 5 miles with hills
  • Tues 10/10: Spin class 50 min medium EZ (18 miles), leg weights
  • Wed 10/11: Run 55 minutes on the ElliptiGo
  • Thur 10/12: Run 7.5 miles
  • Fri 10/13: Core and mobility 30 min
  • Sat 10/14: Run 18 miles
  • Sun 10/15: Rest & recovery day

Monday: Whoa, doggy, it took a lot of digging to get my creaky and melancholy body out the door, but somehow when you make yourself go through the motions, (ie-“Don’t think, just go”) and simply put one foot in front of the other, it somehow always comes together. After about 10 minutes, I was in a completely different frame of mind and happily cranking out the miles up and down hills.

Trying to talk myself into this workout before I finally got my body moving. I tested out my Hoka Mach Xs again, messing with the lacing configuration to see if I could get these shoes to settle into my grumpy feet. They felt good for about 4 miles, then I had to switch back to my Rincon 3s for the last mile. This shoe/foot situation is making me slightly insane, but soon enough I’ll just have to put my faith in one and hope for the best.

Tuesday and Wednesday: It was another spin class on Tuesday to flush out my legs, followed by a weight sesh to keep working on strength. Wednesday it took all day to knock out my workout. I finally opted for the elliptical in my garage so I could avoid further pounding on my foot/ankle/shin which currently has a grumpy tendon. It had been also a busy day that pulled me in a lot of directions so this option felt doable.

Just keep moving forward even when things feel dark.

Thursday: My morning run got pushed to late afternoon (gotta bend like a willow so you don’t break like an oak). It was just a 7.5-miler along the waterfront with a little jaunt out to the breakwater, but it felt more like a 10-miler. Some days are harder than others, but all add value. The only thing that matters is that I got it done, and my tender ankle held up mostly well. One step closer to NY.

Friday: Did a short core and mobility sesh in preparation for Saturday’s long run.

Saturday: It was my last long run before tapering for New York!! Woot!! I had originally planned to run 20 miles, then heeded the advice of multiple coaches/sources who said running longer than 3:15 often does more damage than good. In the end I ran 18 miles in 3:30. I coined this run “Beauty & the Beast” as all went well until about mile 13 when the tendon in my ankle went south again. Let’s just say the last 5 miles provided ample opportunity to work on my grit. I was especially grateful for the fun and beautiful 10 miles I ran with my friend Becca at the beginning. The solo miles at the end were there to remind me once again that I can do hard things. Got ‘er done. Soaked my legs in the ocean afterward to quickly knock down inflammation, then did the full-court press on recovery with compression, ice, foam rolling calves and quads, lots of protein, hydration, rest, a soak in the tub, more protein. And oh, there might have been some pizza too. :-).

So happy to have this one in the books, and a share some laughs with Becca as we work on our tall running posture. 🙂

As I sign off this week, gratitude floods me once again for the gift that running is in my life, especially during weeks like this. From the time and space in which to process life’s complexities to the friends who bring so much joy, to the never-ending reminder that we can do hard things. It’s all there in every breath, step, and mile, delivering a meditation of sorts, along with a profound sense of satisfaction, knowing we are able to complete what we set our minds to, even when the going gets tough.

Here’s to keeping on, celebrating all that is good in life, and lifting others up whenever we can. It’s a new week ahead. Let’s go get it!

xo Becky

PS: If you’ve missed any of my previous NYC Marathon training posts, you can click here to check them out:

Kicking off 20 Weeks until the NYC Marathon

Week #2 NYC Marathon Training: Patience & Grace

Week #3 NYC Marathon Training: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Week #4-11 NYC Marathon Training: The Good, the Bad & the Evolving

Week #12 NYC Marathon Training: Showing Up

Week #13 NYC Marathon Training: Staying the Course

Week #14 NYC Marathon Training: Honing the Details

Week #15 NYC Marathon Training: Upping our Game

Week #16 NYC Marathon: Counting Down, Visualizing, and Keeping It Moving Forward

The Long and Winding Road to NYC

Words and Photos ©Janet Cook

Guest Post by Janet Cook

Oh, hey. Hi! Coming at you from Hood River, Oregon, where I live, run, work, play. Of late, I’m also training for the upcoming New York City Marathon on Nov. 5, which has me exchanging lots of daily text messages with Becky. In one of them, she asked me to make a guest appearance on her blog, so here I am.

I’ve been a lifelong runner, having started on a youth team at age 10 in my running-crazed hometown of Boulder, Colorado. I ran competitively through high school, continued running for sanity through college (where I met Becky!), and then just kept on running for the pure joy of it all the way until, well, now. Which means I’ve been enjoying the perks and enduring the inevitable pains of running for 47 years.

Where it all began in Boulder, CO

Through all that time, I’ve run a lot of races and completed lots of distances — but never a marathon. In Becky’s early years as a marathon runner, she tried to get me to join her, but I always had an excuse. Too busy this, too caught up in that. Well, now that I could have a legitimate excuse (my aging body! My aching knees/hips/ankles!), I decided this is one of the things I really want to do. Better late than never, I guess.

So, in the spirit of imparting my take on this marathon journey, I offer a kernel of wisdom that lies at the heart of this whole thing and actually has nothing to do with running: Get yourself a friend who’s always up for an adventure. Last fall, after stalking all the NYC Marathon social media sites I could find post-race as I do every year, and watching video after video of all the hoopla, I had an epiphany. This is the one marathon I’ve always wanted to run, and I would run it next year. With Becky. She didn’t know that my epiphany involved her, but a quick text took care of that. She is, after all, the one friend I have who I can message saying, essentially, Hey, wanna do this crazy thing with me? and she responds, verbatim, Let’s do this!!! and then we actually do it. So here we are, with only a month to go before toeing the line at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island.

Even though we live in different states, training for NYC “together” has been so much more fun than if I had been doing this alone. Plus, as a first-time marathoner, I’ve gotten invaluable advice and recommendations from Becky on everything from foot-strengthening exercises to fueling on long runs to the pros and cons of various hydration belts. We don’t get to run together very often (we have managed it on a couple of occasions when I happened to be in the Santa Barbara area) but we connect daily, checking in on each other’s runs and comparing notes on cross-training activities, strength-building regimens, fueling strategies, running attire, challenges, triumphs, aches and pains, and life in general. I treasure all of it. A training pal who you can run with in real life is ideal, but this is the next best thing.

One of our rare training runs we enjoyed together while I was in the Santa Barbara area.
View on a morning run along the Columbia River Gorge.
A blistering hot mid-August run to the Mosier Twin Tunnels.

Probably the biggest takeaway for me on this, my first marathon journey, can be summed up by one of my favorite quotes from the poet Robert Burns: The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Since Becky and I signed up with Team for Kids early on, pledging to raise money for a great charity that brings free running programs to kids all over the country in exchange for guaranteed entry to the marathon, we had plenty of time to discuss our goals, come up with a target finish time and formulate our training plans. I landed on a 20-week plan that seemed to balance this being my first marathon with the fact that I’m a fairly seasoned runner starting with a relatively solid base. Last spring, as April turned to May, I was doing my usual “maintenance” running, getting out four or five days a week for a few easy miles. But I couldn’t wait to get started on my real marathon training.

Finally mid-June arrived and I launched my 20-week plan right on schedule. I followed it to a T for the first week, running exactly the prescribed miles on running days and cross-training when indicated, doing core and strength exercises, and dutifully taking a rest day. Basically crushing this marathon training thing! Then, on Day 7, I broke my ribs. (Long story short, I crashed on my wingfoil board.) In case you were wondering, running with broken ribs is impossible. I could barely move for a few days; a trip from the couch to the bathroom felt like climbing Everest. Then it was a couple of weeks of walking gingerly, looking like I was carrying a vessel filled with water on my head (and moving about as fast).

I regrouped, and four weeks after my crash started a 16-week marathon training plan. Needless to say, it has not gone entirely as planned. Setbacks have included a flare-up of plantar fasciitis from jump-starting my running after weeks of doing practically nothing on my feet; some unwanted but necessary days off for travel; a wonky knee following an unruly downhill leg on Oregon’s annual 200-mile Hood to Coast Relay, which I do every August with my team of 12; a few days laid flat by a bug my son brought home from school; and grumpy quads from ramping up my mileage too quickly, forcing me to reduce said mileage until they became more cooperative.

One of my favorite trail runs in the Hood River area
This views never disappoints

Whenever I hit a bump in the road that makes me veer from my training plan, I freak out a little about whether I’ll be able to get the starting line — or, really, the finish line. Fortunately, Becky is always there with some words of wisdom to calm me down. After I fire off a text lamenting my latest issue along with a bunch of stress emojis, she sends back gems like, “Success simply means getting to the start, having fun, and crossing the finish line, no matter what pace.” And “…throw out all expectations of what you think you ‘should’ be doing and just enjoy the fact that you GET to run the NY-freaking-marathon …” When I was laid up with the virus my kid brought home, she walked me through a visualization of the course, which I’ve now incorporated into my routine. It came with this sage advice: “Our minds are what’s going to make this happen. Our bodies are just along for the glorious ride.”

And, training setbacks aside, a glorious ride it’s been. My weekly long runs have prompted me to expand my horizons beyond the few 3- to 5-mile routes close to my house that I dearly love, but have run so many times I could practically do with a blindfold on. I’ve made friends with some sheep in a pasture I run by on one of my new routes, and chat with a friendly Bernese mountain dog who always greets me on another. Running alongside pear and apple orchards that I normally whiz by in a car allows me to see — and smell! — the fruit up close.

Scenes from some of my exploratory road runs.

My training has spanned two seasons now, and I’ve had a front row seat to the change from summer to fall. Early in my training, the long Pacific Northwest days allowed me to indulge my love for sunset runs. I could set out at 8 p.m. and cruise along under red-orange skies that faded to purple as I finished my miles. Now, with the shorter days, I run earlier and have even developed a newfound affection for morning runs in the cool, crisp fall air. Running every day (or nearly) has a strange way of slowing down time. From one day to the next, I see leaves turn from green to yellow and red, then fall to the ground. I witness practically in real time the subtle change in light and shadows as the sun drifts south.

The Historic Columbia River Highway, a paved trail between Hood River and Mosier, one of my go-to running routes.
After a beautiful but hot summer, signs of fall on a country road.

Ever since I started running as a 10-year-old, fall has always reminded me of cross country season. So it feels right that I’m here, in yet another autumn running season, striding toward New York and the longest run I’ve ever done. I feel immense gratitude that I’m still able to do this thing that brings me so much joy. I have to listen to my body more, compromise, forego a few miles here and there in favor of staying healthy and running again tomorrow. The best-laid plans, I’ve come to know, must sometimes be replaced with alternate plans. But that’s ok. Onward I go to that starting line on Staten Island — and, with a little luck and Becky by my side, to the finish line in Central Park.

I wonder what our next crazy adventure together will be?

Week #15 NYC Marathon Training: Upping Our Game

With just five weeks to go until race day, we are now heading into our peak weeks of training before we start tapering back down to get our batteries fully recharged before our big event. This is both an exciting and grueling few weeks because while we’ve been steadily building up our bodies to be able to handle the load, no matter how disciplined we’ve been with our training, we are still doing long runs of 18 and 20-miles in addition to all our other usual training. GREAT stuff all around.

These are also the weeks when we focus on putting it all together in earnest, working intently on our mental game, fueling our bodies well, and trying to get as much rest as possible.

I’ve said this numerous times before, but endurance events are 85-90% mental. If you skimp on training your mind in addition to your legs, lungs and heart, you will do yourself a great disservice. Long runs offer us perfect opportunities to work on steeling ourselves to the challenges and discomfort that come with this sport. How will you respond when fatigue hits hard? What will you do to keep moving forward when your feet are telling you they have other ideas? What kind of discipline and focus will you have to remember to fuel and hydrate like clockwork so you feel your best? What mental techniques will you use to help you reach your goals when the going gets tough?

For me it’s mantras, counting steps, visualizing, singing, focusing on what feels strong, not letting my mind wander too far so that I don’t space out my nutrition, and most of all it’s about swimming in gratitude. It’s celebrating the fact that I GET TO DO THIS and be part of this remarkable moment.

Never underestimate the power of gratitude. It has a way of wrapping itself around your pain and reminding you of how lucky you are that you get to experience this incredible journey–the one you so boldly signed up for so long ago, and trained your heart out to get to where you are. So many other people will never know the beauty of this adventure, so be in the moment and appreciate it all, especially during the hardest moments.

Here’s a peek at my Week #15 training schedule (Sept 25-Oct 1):

  • Mon 9/25: Run 6 miles (w/ 2.5 mile pick-up effort in the middle), strength 45 min. (Kim Miller Fitness legs/glutes)
  • Tues 9/26: Spin class 55 min EZ (15 miles), mobility work 25 min
  • Wed 9/27: Run 6 miles, undulating hills
  • Thur 9/28: Active recovery day–yoga, core, & foot exercises 35 min, walk with Jeffrey
  • Fri 9/29: Run 5 miles with 4x80m strides, core and mobility work 25 min.
  • Sat 9/30: Run 18 miles
  • Sun 10/1: Rest & recovery day, yoga, walks

Monday morning, short on time, I set out directly from my house instead of driving somewhere scenic, and knocked out a 6-mile run on nothing but concrete and asphalt. It wasn’t the most exciting route, but it was good mental practice for running through the streets of NYC. In the middle of the run I pushed the pace for 2.5 miles.

Feeling stronger each week, and spending time focusing on my mental game.
Monday afternoon was a quick strength and core session after seeing a chiropractor and getting my Covid vaccination.

Tuesday was another fun outdoor spin class at the gym with Kristine. I intentionally took it easy and used this workout to simply flush out my legs from Monday’s run in preparation for Wednesday’s run. I came across a quote somewhere the other day that said something like, “The sign of a maturity in a runner is knowing when to reign it in, and also having the discipline to do it.” I’m definitely a work-in-progress in that department, but today was a win.

Refueling after spin class with a garden salad and a fruit smoothie with protein.

Wednesday I felt strong after taking it easy on Tuesday, and knocked out 6 miles of rolling hills in the early morning. Repetez, s’il vous plait: “I like hills, I eat them up. I like hills, I never give up.” Mantras aren’t just for race day! 🙂

Testing another new pair of shoes (Hoka Rincon 3s again), still trying to make my feet happy for the long haul. Up and down hills today, getting my quads ready for the bridges of NY and the final push in Central Park.

Thursday was an active recovery day after yesterday’s hills, and in preparation for Friday’s 5-miler and Saturday’s 18-miler.

Mash-up yoga, core, mobility, foot exercises, and balance. Still trying to embrace pigeon pose and get past the “oy.”
Went on a nice morning walk with my main squeeze (aka my hubby Jeffrey, who also happens to be my #1 supporter). Clearly we’ve been married a long time when we meet up and discover we’re wearing the same kind of vibe. Next thing you know we’ll be wearing matching silk baseball jackets. 🙂

Friday morning was a steady 5-mile maintenance run, topped off with 4-5 strides at the end. I countered our gray weather with cheery color, fiery tunes, and thoughts drifting to race day.

Chasing the gray away and embracing the journey by being transported to NY in my mind during my run.

Visualization is a powerful training tool I lean on often for endurance events. For NYC, I begin by imagining myself at the starting line on Staten Island, swimming in gratitude, feeling all the feels, then taking off, light on my feet, soaking up the experience, smiling, running strong and steady, turning the crowd’s energy into my own, remembering to fuel and hydrate as I cruise through each borough, powering over the “forever long and quiet” Queensboro Bridge, and then being lifted off the ground by the indescribable energy reverberating from throngs of spectators as we turn onto 1st Avenue; making it all the way up to the top of the course at mile 21 then turning left and heading back down 5th Avenue into Harlem, knowing this is where it gets especially real; thinking about how I will focus on the parts of my body that feel strong, then count steps to stay focused, remind myself of tall posture and good form; then finally, oh finally, turning into Central Park where there last two miles will feel like forever, but knowing my mental toughness will help me find another gear to get across the finish line, all the while savoring every second and appreciating all that has gone into getting to this moment.

Saturday was an 18-mile dry run for race day, starting with carbo loading the night before, trying out shorts I plan to wear, practicing my fueling and hydration, testing out the shoes I’m hoping will work, and working on my mental game. This ended up being a great learning day, for which I’m eternally grateful, because some things did not work well for me. Traditional carbo loading did not feel good on my run so I will adjust that to a lighter pre-race meal and start with small carb meals/snacks earlier throughout the day. The shorts I had to planned to wear on race day continually felt like they were going to fall off (which Becca and I laughed about hysterically. Thankfully I discovered this during our quick warm-up loop not far from my car, and had also thrown in a back-up pair of shorts in my car so I was able to remedy the annoying problem before knocking out the other 17 miles.

Team B & B (Becca & Becky) sharing laughs on our long run.

Sunday is a whole lot of aaaaah (ie-rest, recovery, and reset) after yesterday’s long run. The deeper we get into training, the more important this day feels in order to be ready to knock out another run on Monday. Today is all about good food, nice walks, and friends and family.

Things I’m Loving Right Now

Training for a marathon takes a lot of time, as we well know. Finding time to make gourmet meals to replenish our bodies isn’t always easy, even with good planning, so I thought I would share a few ideas here that I have leaned on recently when there aren’t enough hours in the day (or energy in the body).

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Week #13 NYC Marathon Training: Staying the Course

“Stay the course. When thwarted try again: harder, smarter. Persevere relentlessly.”
~John Wooden

This week is a celebration of staying the course and persevering despite a fairly bumpy start to this marathon training cycle. Nothing out of the ordinary–just injuries, family events, scheduling logistics…life–little frustrating setbacks and challenges that multiplied over time and caused enough friction to make me question myself and my ability to pull off another 26.2 mile adventure.

As I write this post however, I am feeling relentlessly optimistic again, knowing that Staten Island will see my toes, and my running partner Janet’s toes, on the starting line in six weeks. And what a moment we will share as we run through the five boroughs of New York and cross the finish line in Central Park!

To any of you who might be struggling with your training, you’re definitely not alone. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t bump up against at least a few of these common obstacles during a 16 or 20-week training program. Life happens. It’s how you manage to keep your chin up, your head on straight, and your eyes laser-focused on the prize–that glorious starting line.

Progress, as we know, isn’t always linear, and it’s okay to step back, regroup, start again, and/or figure out a new approach all together. It’s your story to write, and your journey to enjoy, so make it fun and make it work for your lifestyle. Most importantly, stay the course and keep moving forward in some form or another. You will get there!

Success isn’t always linear, and it’s often in the midst of all the twists and turns that we learn the most.

Here’s a peek at my Week #13 training schedule (Sept 11-17):

  • Mon 9/11: 5 mile recovery trail run at Ellwood Bluffs, core 30 min.
  • Tues 9/12: Spin class 50 min, strength (leg weights) 25 min.
  • Wed 9/13: Run 6 miles hills and fartleks
  • Thur 9/14: Yoga 30 min, rest day
  • Fri 9/15: Run 4 mile trail run at More Mesa, core 25 min.
  • Sat 9/16: Run 16 miles
  • Sun 9/17: Rest & recovery day, walk 2 miles w/ my hubby

Monday was the 22nd Anniversary of 9/11, and even after all these years, it still hits hard. After being glued to all the tributes on TV, mid-morning I opted to lose myself in a trail run. Nature cures much.

Running through the eucalyptus-lined trails of the Ellwood Butterfly Preserve in Goleta, and venturing out to bluffs overlooking the ocean below, a sense of calm and joy always washes over me. It’s the perfect place for a easy recovery run, especially on a Monday morning when my heart was heavy and my body was feeling a little creaky. Five miles later and I was ready to conquer the week.

Tuesday’s cross-training was another high-octane spin class with my favorite instructor Kristine, who always brings the energy. It was a sweatfest, then it was leg day in the weight room.

Morning fuel before spin class: oat yogurt with dates, a banana, and almonds.

My favorite run this week was Wednesday’s late afternoon run. I don’t usually like to run in the evening nearly as much as the morning, but it took me allllll day to get out the door, so when that happens, you get what you get. Thankfully what I got was an incredible run, and I credit that in part to “letting down my hair,” changing it up, and turning it into a “free-form” run (ie-anything goes).

I went to a location I had never run, but often cycled, a nearby rural neighborhood with a couple steep hills, dreamy flats, and a few tiny rollers. The beautiful late afternoon light added to the awesome autumn vibe. My choice of music–some of my fav old rock-n-roll like the Stones–and my choice of hills and fartleks (unstructured and playful speed intervals) had me smiling from ear to ear for the 6 miles I knocked out. It just reminded me once again, that hard work doesn’t have to be torture. It’s a win/win when you push yourself, and still feel the joy bubbling through.

“I know, it’s only rock-n-roll (and fartleks), but I like it” ~ Rolling Stones
To read more about the rest of the week click here

Week #12 NYC Marathon Training: Showing Up

Much of marathon training, and life in general, is about showing up. It’s the simple act of getting out the door, embracing the challenge, and putting in the work, even if your motivation is waning. It’s about getting through aches and pains, life’s scheduling challenges and the onslaught of mental fatigue that often comes with week after week of training. It’s about keeping your eye on the prize, even if that prize still feels like it’s miles away.

That is what this week was about for me: showing up.

Some days training was a struggle, other days it was like butta, but each day of dragging my hiney out the door added a drop of grit into the mental toughness bucket because I didn’t allow excuses to creep into the day.

No matter how much you love running, you will absolutely have days when you’d like to do anything but run. It’s usually those days that are the most important because figuring out ways to overcome your mental block becomes gold on race day, especially when you hit rough patches (and there will definitely be rough patches during a marathon).

Here are a few mental strategies that have helped me over the years:

  • Create personal mantras. One I lean on often when my motivation is waning is: “Don’t think, just go.” I simply shut down my brain, block out all the things that are pulling me in a different direction, lace up my shoes, and go through the motions of getting out the door. Once out the door, everything usually falls into place. On the run I repeat, “Just keep moving forward.”
  • Know your “why.” Lean into why you decided to commit to running a marathon. Every person has a different reason. Maybe it’s a Bucket List item. Maybe it’s a milestone celebration like turning 40 or 60. Maybe it’s a cause like Team for Kids, or in honor of somebody. Whatever it is, write it down and put in somewhere prominent so you look at it every day.
  • Visualize. Imagine yourself running through different parts of your race and visualize yourself successfully crossing the finish line. Internalize how incredible it will feel to reach your goal.
  • Focus on what feels strong. This is especially helpful during a run. If your calves are grumpy, focus on your core. If your quads are screaming, focus on engaging your glutes. No matter what, you will be able to find strength somewhere in your body, especially your heart and mind.

Week #12 training schedule (Sept. 4-10)

  • Mon 9/4: Run 5 miles EZ recovery run (Goleta Beach bike path), strength 35 min
  • Tues 9/5: Spin class 55 min, strength 30 min, walk 2 miles
  • Wed 9/6: Run 6 miles tempo run (SBCC track and waterfront)
  • Thurs 9/7: Run 3 miles EZ (Lake Los Carneros), walk 1.2 miles
  • Fri 9/8: Rest day, walk 1.5 miles
  • Sat 9/9: Race She.Is.Beautiful 10K plus 1.25 mile WU and 1 mile CD (8.25 miles total)
  • Sun 9/10: Rest day, walk 1.5 miles
Monday, Monday, so good to me [cue the Mamas & the Papas]…easing back into the week with a nice little recovery run from Goleta Beach.
Tuesday’s workout was fueled entirely by caffeine, heart-pumping music, and an awesome spin instructor. Thank you Kristine for always bringing your positive energy to keep us going!
Wednesday, I was feeling a little creaky, but there’s nothing like a good warm-up and an inspiring audiobook, (A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York), to get you in the right frame of mind to knock out a solid 6-mile tempo run along the waterfront on a gray morning. I always look forward to my veggie sammies afterward with a protein smoothie.
Thursday early morning 3 mile cruise around Lake Los Carneros, sporting my “Dream Big” hat for a little motivation, with a big shout out to my friend Jenni Miller and the Smith-Magenis Syndrome research foundation, who created these hats to support this important cause. It always gives me perspective and inspiration when I wear it. After my run, I had the joy of finally catching up with my friend Emma, whom I hadn’t seen all summer. Making time and creating balance while training is the secret sauce to a happy journey to the starting line.
Friday was a rest day, so I took a nap, went for a nice walk in nature with my hubby, then tried to figure out what kind of “get-up” I was going to throw together for Saturday’s She.Is.Beautiful 10k. I love this race, which I’ve run 4 or 5 times, and always like to bring a little flare to the morning. These were my options. And this is what I ended up choosing…
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