Week 1: The shortest week of training

 The first step of marathon training? Pick a plan that works for you, and will help you reach your goals. In the past I have tried a handful of different training plans, from the Runners world app to a Hal Higdon plan. Both were fine, but my favorite so far has been Hanson’s marathon method.

Their plans consist of longer weekday runs, include a speed work session and a tempo run each week, and a “long” weekend run that builds up to 16 miles as the training progresses. The runs all have specific paces, based on the runner’s goal marathon time. I was using this plan to train for the Chicago marathon in 2019, before I got hurt, and really felt like my fitness was building up well.

The training plan starts on a Thursday, for whatever reason, so it was business as usual until then. Peloton had released a new series of classes that were all focused around the musical “Rent,” so my goal until then became to work my way through those classes.

The week before I started training I had gotten to go to Disney world, and after a few says of walking around the parks my knee had started to get sore, in the same way that it had when I had runners knee in 2019. As a precaution, I started using my knee band, and that carried over to runs during the first week of training. I also started doing some of the exercises that I had learned in physical therapy, in hopes that I could squash this issue before it got any further.

On Monday I did the Rent spin class, and the full body strength class, and then followed it up on Tuesday with the Rent run. I bundled my run with a short strength for runners class. Since injuring my knee in 2019, I have learned that the issue I had can be caused by weak quads, so this cycle I am committing to making time for strength training. When Wednesday rolled around I did some yoga before work, and then a spin class after. I wanted to run more early in the week, but didn’t want to stack on miles before my training plan officially started.

Thursday was the day though – I was excited to officially start a new training plan, which would get me to the start line of the Chicago Marathon. It feels like that is a long time coming, since I was supposed to run this race almost two years ago. The plan said six miles. I laid my clothes out the night before and got up early enough that I could get in my miles before work.

It was pretty nice out that morning, and I was just so happy to have a goal to work towards once more. I did not worry about my pace, and just worked on getting to my goal of 6 miles. I know that by the end of this training cycle 6 miles will not seem like that much running, but right now, that is a longer run for me. I was really happy with myself for showing up and getting my run in before work on the first day of training – this is something that is sure to become a battle as the runs get longer.

Friday had the same plan as Thursday, but things did not go quite as smoothly. Six miles was on the schedule once more, and like I mentioned, at this point that is a “long” run for me. I did succeed in getting up and out on the road before work, but I just could not catch a groove. My breathing felt labored, the air felt heavy, and I was struggling to stay in a running pace – so at mile three I decided to call it. My body was tired, and I felt defeated…. Not the mindset I needed if I was going to make it though marathon training.

But something that I have learned in the last 5 years of running, is that you need to learn to listen to your body – and on this Friday morning run my body was saying stop, I am exhausted. I am not used to six miles two days in a row.

So I listened. It is rare that I start a run and do not finish it, but this was just one of those days. I would try again on Saturday and try not to mentally beat myself up too much. On Friday night we went by my aunts house, and enjoyed hanging out with my family - it is nice that things are going back to normal, but still a little bit weird! We ate pizza, and hung out by the fire, just chatting and catching up.

Saturday was a new day, and I had no plans. Which meant I could get out early and get my run done, before moving on with my day, right? Wrong. It meant that I could procrastinate my run for hours before finally getting out the door. I mean, I hung around the house doing chores in running clothes for hours before finally getting in the “run” mindset. Since I had time, I decided to do some resistance band warmups in a “strength for runners” peloton class before heading out the door, and when I finally got out the door things felt so much better than they had on Friday.

This time around I slipped into faster (for me) paces without really meaning to. Maybe coaches are onto something when they tell you to warm up and cool down. It was a little bit cooler and less humid than it had been on Friday, and by the end of the run I realized I had even managed dip into a sub-10 pace for a few miles. Post run I made sure to cool down and stretch, so that I would be as prepared as possible for my final run of the week on the following day.

Sunday morning I had picnic plans with Mike and Carson. I had intentions to run before heading to old Westbury gardens, but It just didn’t happen. But we spend a fun morning among the flowers, and found a shady spot to enjoy some bagels together and catch up. 

After a morning outside, I decided on a treadmill run for the afternoon. I felt like sitting around and watching T.V., which was honestly a big part of my treadmill decision. I had 8 miles on the schedule, and settled into an easy pace to get through my first “long” run of. It was for sure a “dedication over motivation” kind of day, but I got it done and was happy that I talked myself into getting on the treadmill – it felt like a strong finish to my first week of training!

Treadmill Review: The Peloton Tread Plus

If you follow me on social media, you may have noticed that I am logging a lot of miles on the peloton tread plus these days. I have been staying with my parents while my husband and I get closer to closing on a house which means that I have had access to my Dad’s peloton tread, which is quite the upgrade from my treadmill. Don’t get me wrong – I love my treadmill and am thankful that I have one at all, but the incline on it is broken, and it is not quite as nice as the peloton tread.

I am going to start with a shameless plug – if you would up here because you were looking for a discount code, use my referral code “B8RAS5“ to save $100 on tread or bike accessories when you purchase a new peloton tread or bike.

If you are unfamiliar with the peloton tread plus, let me tell you about some of the technical highlights of the machine –

• Instead of a traditional running built, the peloton tread plus has a shock absorbing slat belt. The slats are made of aluminum, which are coated in rubber.

• Adjustable, rolling control knobs, mounted to the left and right hand rails. Each knob has a “jump” button in the center of it.

• Max speed of 12.5 miles per hour.

• Max incline of 15% grade.

• 67 inch running belt.

• 32 inch tv screen, mounted onto the treadmill with sound bar.

 The day that the treadmill was delivered to my parent’s house I was off from work, so I watched excitedly as it was installed. It is a heavy machine, at over 500 lbs, so it took several people to get it into the house and setup. Once it was in place, we connected it to the wifi and logged in to our peloton account and it was ready to use.

I had taken peloton running classes before both outside and on my treadmill but was excited to take a run on the tread plus. My first reaction? I could not believe how smooth the treadmill felt – it was like running on a cushy track, without the annoying turns. It is one of the louder treadmills that I have run on, but the noise isn’t too distracting.

Now, as I mentioned, my treadmill has a broken incline. So when I have taken peloton classes in the past, I just up the speed when the instructor tells us to up the incline. For my first class I took a 60 minute fun run with Matt Wilpers, from 7/21/19, and let me tell you, it humbled me. I live on an island, in an area that can be broadly described as flat. I typically pick up less than 20 ft of elevation on my local runs, and in 2020 I really just ran by my house for most of the year so I am not accustomed to hills at all. The hills killed me in that class, and I knew that I had some work ahead of me to get stronger with running hills.

The knobs on the left and right handrails control the incline and the speed, which means that you don’t have to reach forward to interact with the touch screen while you are running. The left knob controls the incline, and the right knob controls the pace. While running on the treadmill, you just roll the knob forward towards the tread screen to go faster or increase the incline, or roll it back to decrease the pace. The knobs move really smoothly, so at times I have been known to just give them a good glide when going into a sprint and seeing what I can do.

Each knob has a button in the center of it, and when you click it the value jumps by a full point – so for the incline it would go from flat rode to a 1% grade with a click, and for the speed it would go from 5 to 6 miles per hour with a click. You can also set custom levels, so that when you click these buttons options pop up above your pace and incline values on the tread screen, which you can tap to jump to pre-set paces or inclines.

When the belt is stopped, you can activate “Free Mode” on the treadmill. This mode disengages the treadmill belt from the motor, so you can’t set the belt speed – instead you have to push it yourself. While running you hold onto the bar at the front of the treadmill, and just start running to get the belt moving. I have a love-hate relationship with free mode. It is an AWESOME workout that makes me feel so strong, but it absolutely kills my average pace for a run. I know that it shouldn’t matter to me, but when I am working hard to hit paces during a run, it can be discouraging to see the average speed go down as my butt is getting kicked in free mode.  

The treadmill allows you to pair headphones via Bluetooth, and heart rate monitors via ant+. Personally, I have connected apple airpods and aftershokz headphones for runs, and when I use the noise cancelling mode on my airpods I can’t hear the treadmill belt at all. I don’t like chest strap heart rate monitors (I know they are more accurate, but they make it so hard for me to breathe when I have them secured tight enough that they are reading my heart rate properly), so I use my Garmin to transmit my wrist based heart rate to the treadmill. I have been able to do this with my Garmin 235 and 645, with an easy pairing process.

For my old Garmin, the 235, I was able to toggle to the heart rate screen and then hold the “up” button, which opens the heart rate options. From there I just select the “broadcast heart rate” option, and the watch pairs with the tread.

For my new Garmin, the 645, I can turn on the heart rate broadcasting the same way I described above, but I also had the option to make the watch broadcast it automatically when I start any activity. I was constantly forgetting to turn off the broadcast after a workout, so this was a much better option for me.

The peloton app is integrated into the treadmill, and the splash screen of the tread offers suggestions of classes to take based off your class history – i.e. which instructors you like and the typical length of class that you take. You also have access to the “collections” of classes that peloton has curated and the full on demand library, which is searchable. Once you select a class, a screen pops up that lets you know if you have headphones or a heart rate monitor paired, and you just click “start” to begin running. In addition to classes that are lead by peloton instructors, there are scenic classes that run you through various locations, and a “just run” mode, which just lets you know your stats as you run through the miles.

I noticed on some of my longer runs on the treadmill that I was feeling a lot of static electricity build up – I could even feel the hairs on my arms raise at times! I looked into it, and treadmills have to be plugged into grounded (three prong) outlets, because the action of the belt generates a lot of static electricity, which is discharged through the grounding prong of the outlet. I checked that my receptacle was grounded properly, and after confirming that it was, I looked into what I could do to decrease the buildup of static. The treadmill is in our living room, so it lives on a carpet – so I ordered a rubber mat to place under the tread, and it has helped so much with the issue. So if you are planning to install your treadmill into a room with carpet, I recommend ordering a mat to go under it.

The treadmill draws a lot of amperage when it is running on higher speeds – on some of the first runs that I did I learned this the hard way, when the power cut out mid run because I tripped a breaker. If you have never had a treadmill turn off while you are sprinting, let me tell you it is a terrifying experience. Now that it is winter and we do not have the air conditioners running in the house I haven’t had this problem lately, but it is something to consider. Make sure that the circuit that you are putting the treadmill onto isn’t shared with other devices that draw a lot of current, like air conditioners and refrigerators.

My wishlist for the future of the treadmill? I would really love if they added some sort of streaming integration. I love the classes, but sometimes when you need to get a long run in for marathon training, it would be nice to have the option to watch a movie instead of taking a class. I would also love if they added a pause button for on demand classes and the “just run” mode. I understand that for live classes it would impact the leaderboard if users were able to pause the class, but it would be great if there was an option to opt out of the leaderboard in exchange for the ability to pause. When you are using the peloton app (on a cell phone or tablet) to take a class, you can pause the class, since you can’t feed speed stats into the mobile app, where as the treadmill automatically records them for you.

My wish list for tread classes? I am dying for an all treadmill marathon training series! The peloton app has an outdoor marathon training series of classes, which I really enjoyed taking the first leg of over the summer. But with the likelihood of races being cancelled in 2021, I would love to see an all treadmill series, with long classes for long run days. I also love the pop punk running classes that Chase Tucker hosts and want more of those!

Overall, the Peloton tread plus is honestly my favorite treadmill I have ever run on. The one downside? The price tag. A peloton tread will run you $4,295, plus a monthly app membership fee to access classes. I am currently trying to convince my husband that we totally need one for our new house, but it is an uphill battle for sure. I am starting to save up, so hopefully I can get a Tread plus of my own in the future.

If this post helped you to make a decision about purchasing a peloton, use my referral code “B8RAS5“ to save $100 on tread or bike accessories when you purchase a new peloton tread or bike.

If you have any Peloton Tread plus or peloton questions in general, drop them in the comments below!

Gear Round Up: Mid-Weight Winter Soft Turtle Gloves

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Turtle Gloves to  review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

As the seasons move from fall to winter in New York, the first accessory that I add to my running attire is a pair of gloves – Yes, I have totally been that runner that has a pair of shorts and a t-shirt on, with a pair of gloves covering up my hands.

Last year I had the chance to test out a pair of turtle gloves referred to as “the Flippers,” which are both wind and water resistant, which became my go-to gloves when I was running or just existing in general. This year, turtle gloves brought a different pair of gloves to the BibRave team, the mid-weight winter soft model. I excitedly volunteered to test out another model, and was so excited when they arrived in the mail.

It may seem strange to be excited for a pair of mittens, but my hands are always cold. When I opened up the package with my mittens, turtle gloves had also sent me a drawstring backpack, some stickers, and a bottle koozie. The gloves were bright orange, and had the BibRave logo printed on them, so they match all my other BibRave gear! I tried them on, and was pleasantly surprised with how soft the inside of the gloves were. The gloves are made of Polartec® Power Stretch Pro® material, which wicks sweat, dries quickly, and is very breathable – and of course since they are turtle gloves, they have the added breathability when you flip them from being mittens to exposing your fingers.

The “flip” feature is what sets turtle gloves above other brands for me. As someone who always wears too much at the beginning of a run, this is the perfect design. It lets me start my run with a pair of mittens, and then “open” them to expose my fingers when I warm up, and roll them down further as needed. Plus, since they are tubes when flipped open, I can slide them right onto my running belt if my hands are just too warm.

On one of my runs recently, there was snow lingering on the streets from a recent storm, and I lost my footing as a rounded a corner. After trying to regain my balance and failing, I took a tumble, and bared the brunt of my fall between my hands, my hip, and my knee. My hands stung, but luckily I had been wearing my turtle gloves at the time – I looked at my palms which were red and stung, but there were no cuts or damage to my skin. My hip and knee both wound up with bruising and scrapes that kept me from running for a few days. But after saving my hands, my gloves were a little dirty from the fall, but undamaged. This experience gave turtle gloves even more points in my books.

 I found that my new turtle gloves, the mid-weight winter soft model, are much warmer than my flippers. They are great on days that you are dealing with frosty temps outside during a run, but I have also used mine on chilly mornings when I get in my car, and when I am working on a computer with cold hands. 

I love that turtle gloves went the extra mile to get us the perfect BibRave orange color, and were even able to print our logo onto the gloves! If you are searching for a glove that will keep your hands warm on the coldest of run, some turtle glove midweight winter soft mittens are just what you need.

If you decide to pick up a pair, the coupon code “TURTLEBIBRAVE” will save you 15% on your own pair! Click HERE to check out all of the color choices they have available for these awesome gloves.

Welcome to 2021!

Hi guys – it has been a while since I have posted here with any real consistency. You’d think with all the time spent sitting at home in 2020 I would have found more time to write, but I often found myself with nothing to say. 

For me, this blog was once a place where I held myself accountable with my running and fitness goals, and shared some of my favorite races, experience, and running gear with my readers. While I may not have any races on the horizon, I hope to get back to that in 2021 – even if it is just to hold myself accountable.

In 2020 I managed to log just over 1,000 running miles. While I am happy that I reached that number, it is lower than my total from 2016 through 2019 – so I guess my first goal is to start ticking my mileage up. While races are starting to occur again, I am not quite comfortable with getting out there yet. But I still want to continue to improve my fitness and get stronger.

What has my training looked like lately? Well, it has been mostly indoors. I have access to a peloton bike and tread at the moment, which makes the idea of heading outside much less appealing in the middle of a New York winter. Especially since there are no races, so I don’t need to acclimate to the weather, and since I am mostly running solo, as a Covid precaution.

This year is going to bring new challenges, but who knows that those will be. Personally, I am looking forward to challenging myself to get stronger every day…. Well, maybe not EVERY day – recovery is important too!

The Year of the Virtual Race: The Scooby Doo Run

Disclaimer: I received an entry to the Scooby Doo Run to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

The best thing about virtual races? You can do them on your own time, at your own pace.

I am still missing in-person races, but until they return, I will continue to enjoy virtual ones – and thanks to the team at BibRave, I had the opportunity to participate in the scooby doo run. I grew up watching scooby doo, and was excited when I spotted the swag that I could earn in the race – a water bottle, a hoodie, and a medal for me, PLUS a bandana and a collar for Riley! It was a special treat that they even had pet friendly swag.

I signed up, and when my race package came in the mail, I may have broken one of my cardinal rules – usually I am very superstitious about not using any of my race swag before race day, but I could not resist trying the bandana on Riley!

I signed up for the 10k option, and since that is a little far for the pup to run along with me, I started taking him on shorter runs so that he could cumulatively finish a total of 6.1 miles. He usually was able to run about 2 miles at a time before he got tuckered out because of the summer heat. Some days we even had to stop for water breaks, but the pup was ultimately able to finish his miles, and earn his fancy little collar before I finished my race!

I was planning to take on my virtual races like I usually do, by running around by home, my husband biking along to support me through the distance – but when “race day” came, we decided to shake things up – and walk the distance together! Another perk of a virtual race – there’s no pressure on your pace if you don’t want there to be. We took our time as we explored our neighborhood, taking paths that I don’t usually follow when running. We even had an aid station at mile 4…. In the form of ice cream from baskin robins! If that’s not a delicious mid race stop, I don’t know what is! It took longer than a usual 10k for me, but the miles were high quality, on a beautiful early fall afternoon.

There is still time to register for the scooby doo 10k or 5k, and take on your miles in the way that best suits your day, and you can even bring a furry friend along for the journey.

Tips to make Virtual Races a Real Life Experience!

Disclaimer: I received an entry to the Virtual DC Wonder Woman Run and the Scooby Doo Run to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

The first race that I was registered for that fell victim to 2020 was the NYC United Airlines Half Marathon – my favorite race, which I had ran for the last three consecutive years. My friends and I constantly checked the NYRR website for an update, and we were shocked when the cancellation hit just days before the event was supposed to take place. At the time Corona cases were rising in NY, and it made sense to play it safe. We all agreed that losing the NYC half would make the Brooklyn half that much more exciting – surely the would would have returned to normal by May, right?

Well, spoiler alert – the world did not return to normal, and cancellations continued for the rest of the year. Local races, destination races, RunDisney events and world marathon major races all were cancelled, one after another. The first ones were disappointing, but eventually it just became almost expected. I was supposed to run both the NYC and the Chicago marathons this fall, and once those got cancelled, I found myself with a big race void, missing the end goal that my training usually works towards.

Prior to 2020, I had completed one virtual race – the 2018 Star Wars Light Side half marathon, as a part of the Kessell Run Challenge that RunDisney hosted. If we are being honest, it was the Millennium Falcon medal that you earned by completing the virtual and in person half marathons that convinced me to sign up. I guess you could say I am motivated by some good swag.

With typical races being cancelled for the most part, I have come to appreciate virtual races more than ever before – the flexibility of not having to wake up at the crack of dawn combined with a reward for finishing my miles has gotten me out the door when I was feeling less than motivated more than once this year.

I like to make my virtual races an experience – here are some of my favorite ways to make things a little more special:

1.     Have someone complete the race with you!

 This one has to be done safely – for me, my husband has been biking along for my races, helping me keep a good pace and passing me water. Other times, I have been bringing the dog, Riley out to run with me. Riley loves it when he gets to trot along with me for a run.

 2.     Have a photo op setup for the finish line

When I completed the Wonder Woman 10k, I pulled out some chalk I purchased earlier this year and had fun making a backdrop on our driveway! It was a good way to cool down post race, and I loved the photos that I got.

3.     Save the swag I earn for after I have completed my mileage

When I get a package in the mail with race swag, it is hard for me to not immediately start using my new goodies – and for this reason I like to save them for AFTER the race – that way I have something to look forward to earning.

4.     Enjoy a sweet treat after my run

This one is pretty self-explanatory – usually I go for an Italian ice or a big cookie!

5.     Share a photo on the next #MedalMonday!

You never know when your virtual race photo could inspire someone else to take on their own challenge, and for that reason I love sharing my photos with the running community and seeing all of the posts that people share of their medals and accomplishments each Monday. It is an inspiring way to start the week. 

There are lots of virtual races to choose from, but two of the races I have registered for are the Wonder Woman 10k and the Scooby Doo 10k! There are so many runners participating in these races on social media, and it has been fun to see everyone’s take on their virtual mileage!

My favorite swag from the Wonder Woman race is the ¼ zip – it is comfy and high quality, and I am sure it will become a staple in my winter running wardrobe. I was so excited to get to wear it when I finally completed my 10k.

For the Scooby Doo Run, there was so much gear to pick from, but my favorite is actually not for me – it is for Riley! Don’t get me wrong, the pullover that I will earn upon completing my miles is sweet, but they included the cutest little collar for him, complete with his own medal! If you are a dog lover or have one in your life, you need to check out this bling!

What virtual races are you taking on in 2020? Up next for me is the RunDisney Wine and Dine vacirtual two course challenge!

Gear Roundup: The Buff Pack Run Cap

The shorts that I managed to comfortably fit this hat into the pocket of.

Disclaimer: I received an Buff Pack Run Cap to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

You may have noticed from my photos that I pretty much always have either a hat or sunglasses on when I’m running – heck, sometimes both – regardless of the season. I am for sure a person that prefers the sun to be kept out of my face, since I burn after about two seconds of sun shine. When Dad and I head out for long runs (where he bikes along with me), he even brings along sunscreen so I can re-apply mid run. I am serious about my sun protection!

Most of running hats that I have acquired over the years are from various races, and are more focused on the race itself over their functionality as a running hat, so I was eager to get my hands on a Buff Pack Run Cap when they came to the BibRave Pro program, especially because I loved the headband that I got from them last fall.

When I got my package in the mail containing my hat, I was shocked at how light the hat was! It is a normal size hat but felt like I was practically holding nothing (something I texted at least 5 people about upon discovering, because I just thought it was so cool!). Plus, the design I got has fun, bright colors, which is always a plus in my book. The hat is adjustable, and there is a bungee with a part that holds the size setting.

 Of course, I had to coordinate an equally bright outfit to match my hat and set everything out for my run the next day. I had to adjust the hat a little bit to get the sizing right, but then I was good to go for the rest of the run. It was so light that I honestly forgot it was on my head at times, and I did not have to adjust it as I ran, like I have to with many of my other hats. It was a humid day, and the hat even helped with keeping sweat from dripping into my eyes – it is made from moisture wicking materials which is a nice feature.

 There was one day I headed out to run, and the wind picked up so much while I was out that I started to worry that my hat was going to blow off my head – so I decided to try the “pack” part of the Buff pack run cap, and folded it up and tucked it into the tiny zipper pocket on my running shorts, and was pleased to find it was easy to fold got very tiny. Plus, when I pulled it out of my pocket at the end of the run, the hat happily popped back into its intended shape.

 Also, remember how I mentioned my commitment to sun protection at the beginning of the post? Well this hat is made from UPF materials, for extra protection from the suns rays.

 This hat has been the one that I grab every time I need a hat for my runs since I got it, and I keep considering ordering a second one so I have more color choices!

 If you decide you want to try one out for yourself, visit https://buffusa.com/bibrave and sign up for emails to receive 15% off of your purchase.