Marathons+Moderation: Guest Post #16

Good morning friends! I hope everyone is having a great week! This week I have the chance to hang out with all my East coast co-workers so it’s quite a busy and fun filled week but I’m loving it! I didn’t curl up in bed last night until 12:32am but I was up at 5:30 this morning for my morning run! Without it, I’d be half asleep today!

I’m so glad that you all are enjoying the Marathons+Moderation series! Each week I get a number of emails, in addition to the post comments, regarding the series. It really is here to help everyone realize that’s each person trains and approaches marathons in a different way!

In case you’re new to the series, today is the 16th guest post! Each week I feature a different runner who may have 12 years or tenure or just trained for their first marathon!

Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 1                         Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 2

Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 3                         Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 4

Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 5                        Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 6

Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 7                        Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 8

Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 9                        Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 10

Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 11                                  Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 12

Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 13                                 Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 14

Marathons+Moderation Guest Post 15

Today’s guest post comes from Gia, a New York City runner who is training for her 5th marathon! This time around however, she’s the mother of two adorable twins! Training for a marathon after kids is a whole different ball game. Therefore, Gia’s guest post is split into two parts: what she’s learned from 5 marathons and then training as a mom. Part two will come next month so stay tuned!

Hi Healthy Happier Bear readers!  I’m Gia from RUNgiaRUN and I’m so honored that Ashley has asked me to share my thoughts on Marathons + Moderation with you all.

This November I will be running my 5th marathon!! (NYCM)  I did not take your typical route to becoming a runner.  I was a ballet dancer as a kid, never played organized or competitive sports and loathed PE.  I began running 10 years ago as a form of stress relief and I fell in love.  5 years later I did my first race and soon after I began marathoning.  Now I am hooked.  Running is my joy. 

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I know what you are thinking, oh she’s just another crazy runner girl.  I promise I’m not … I learned through experience.  I used to focus on the accomplishment and competition of running vs the joy that it brings me.  I almost burned out … which would be tragic because like I said, I love running!!

Finding the joy in running is something that takes work.  I like to say that the key to marathoning is to maintain the fun and the best way to maintain the fun is through moderation.  If you’re too serious about your training, the fun gets lost and you may not ever want to marathon again.  Don’t take it all so seriously.  Train smart but keep it light and don’t loose sight of the joy.

Here are my top 3 tricks for Maintaining the Fun and moderating your marathon training

Schedule a "Free Run"

One day a week I leave my technology behind and just run.  In marathon training I usually do this as a recovery run.  On this run I am purely running because I love it.  I’m not focusing on a specific pace or route.  I’m not running because my schedule says I have to.  I’m just running … and loving every second of it. 

Make running conversational

Marathoning can often be thought of as a solo sport.  I say make it social … I have made some of my best girl friends through running and we use our runs to catch up on each other’s lives.  If you are looking for a running partner there are a ton of ways to find one.  Twitter, send a tweet out to your network and see if anyone wants to join you for a run.  Local run clubs are also great, many running stores have group runs or can suggest groups that meet locally.  

Be creative with your run route

Find new routes, run while you travel, don’t get stuck in a rut.  My favorite way to do this is to search for runs on mapmyrun.com.   You can search by zip code and see other runner’s routes.  It really opens your eyes to different paths in your area.

disney princess (427x640) I hope that these tips can help you all find the balance of marathoning and moderation!  Happy marathoning to you all and Cheers to joy filled running. 

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RUNgiaRUN – Deep Breath. Long Run. Big Hug. Repeat.

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Marathons+Moderation: Guest Post #15

Hello Healthy Happier Bear readers!

My name is Megan and I blog over at Runner’s Kitchen. Today I’ll be telling you guys how I roll when it comes to balancing miles and life. I’ve been running competitively for about 12 years now and I think I’ve finally figured out the running-social-work life balance. Well, at least sometimes. Back in my college days, my main priorities were the cross-country/track team and school work. In that order. I went out on Saturday evenings, but a weeknight beer was out of the question. All of my weekends were devoted to traveling, meets, and long runs.

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It was an awesome experience, but obviously things changed a bit when I graduated and moved to New York City. For the first time in my adult life, I had weekends that were completely my own. I could run if I wanted to. Or not at all. For the first year or two after graduation, I didn’t do much running or racing. I needed a break! But after I settled into post-college life, I found myself missing the social aspect of running. And I also had a lot of pent-up energy after a long day in the office! So in the fall of 2008, I joined the Central Park Track Club and started training for my first marathon. As most of you know, training for a marathon (or any race!) takes up a lot of time. You need the time to run, of course, but also extra time to cross-train, shower, massage, eat, and nap. As my non-running friends spent their nights hitting up bars on the Lower East Side and logging long hours at work, I tried to figure out a way to reach my running goals while 1) still seeing my friends and 2) being a good employee.

Below are some things that helped me fit it all in:

1) Associate with like-minded people. Are the people in your life supportive of your lifestyle choices? Or do they heckle you for needing extra sleep? For spending your weekends running races? You can’t choose family or co-workers, but you can choose who you’re friends are. If they make it easier for you to be a runner and do the things you love, that’s priceless. Don’t let them go. I’m not saying you should forget about your college drinking buddies, but if what they like to do in their free-time isn’t meshing with your goals, it’s okay to scale back on the time you spend with them.

2) Realize it’s okay to say NO. You can’t do everything. I’m kinda type-A, so it’s definitely taken me awhile to accept this, but I’ve gotten better at saying no. If I have a long run scheduled for a Sunday morning, I might have to cancel on a night out with friends. Sometimes sleep is more important than a blog-post. I’m on a budget, so sometimes running shoes might be more vital than a dinner out with my boyfriend. If running is important to you – make it a priority and don’t be afraid to let others know that’s the case.

3) Be creative with the way you manage your time. I try to integrate running with my life as much as possible. I literally "run errands" – to the post office, to Target, to return my internet router (yes, really). And once a week I "run commute" to work. It’s easier than you think! It might mean I sacrifice some primping time, but to me, miles are more important than make-up. I also try to make run-dates with my friends. This way I get in my workout and also maintain social connections!


4) Always remember that life is short – do what makes you happy. Is what you’re doing making you happy at least 75% of the time? We all have days when running is hard, when it’s boring, when we’d rather be drinking beer….But as long as the training and racing experience is making you a healthier and happier person at least most of the time, you’re on the right track. If it’s not making you happy, change things up. Maybe you need to stop racing for awhile. Maybe it’s time to get a new running buddy. Being in shape and setting PRs is important, but never let that get in the way if enjoying life! (Even if that means sometimes skipping a run in favor of happy hour with your lady friends…)
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What are your tips for training hard while still making time for other important things (you know, like husbands and jobs and stuff….)?

Question: Want to be featured in October or November’s Marathon+Moderation guest posts? If so, email me or leave a comment!

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Marathons+Moderation: Guest Post #13

 

Helloooo Healthy Happier readers! My name is Christine and I blog at These Happy Miles. When Ashley e-mailed me about guest posting for this series, I jumped at the chance because I’ve been following the series each week.

Helloooo Healthy Happier readers! My name is Christine and I blog at These Happy Miles. When Ashley e-mailed me about guest posting for this series, I jumped at the chance because I’ve been following the series each week.

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nice to meet you! here i am on a sweaty summer run in central park

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bling bling from a half marathon

I also LOVE to talk about, ponder, and discuss strategies for still having a life while marathon training. Striving to balance out training with a full-time job, a long commute, family obligations, a social life, and other things like blogging, eating well, and sleeping is NOT easy.

But, like running itself, I’ve come to find out that it’s not supposed to be.

marathonmoderation4 (234x368)i’m a cheezeball

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It’s this chase to fit in running and everything else you need to do each day that makes life interesting and fun and keeps you on your toes (no pun intended).

One thing’s for sure: I know I’ll never be bored.

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I’m training for my second and third marathons at the moment (Chicago and Philly this Fall!) and I happily take on the life balance challenge because I just love to run and I’m obsessed with racing.

Here are my 8 tips for trying to make it all work.

  1. Be OK with making sacrifices. I can’t tell you how many things I’ve turned down and invites I’ve declined because I had a long run or a race in the morning. I hate missing anything fun and my family and friends may not completely understand, but sacrificing for the bigger picture (crossing the finish line with a smile after a feel-good race) is WORTH it. Other things that may be sacrificed on any given day: a good night’s sleep, a well-written blog post, a dinner that is not a PB&J sandwich.
  2. Open up to family, friends, bosses, and co-workers. After all, they may wonder why you’re always scooting out the door at 6PM or passing up invitations. Explain to them why you’ve made a commitment to marathon training. Also, keeping people in the know about your training holds you accountable too!
  3. Capitalize on gaps of time. Morning person? Set your alarm a little earlier and get in your run for the day before work. Have a gym nearby work? Do a cross training workout on your lunch hour. Night owl? Jump into your workout clothes and run right after work. Seize each and every day! And warning: don’t let yourself sit on the couch "just for 5 minutes." Just 5 minutes on the couch is never 5 minutes.
  4. Plan out the week. If possible, it helps to figure out which days will be obligation-heavy or late nights at work. Or, realize that’s there’s NO WAY you’ll be able to do a long run on a Saturday when you have tickets to Countryfest and will. not. miss. the pre-concert tailgate (long run successfully completed on Friday instead). Knowing in advance that you can’t run at your regular time on a particular day is key to scheduling a time when you are able to run. Prioritize your life and shift around runs on your training schedule if necessary.
  5. Think about regrets. I have honestly never regretted getting my bum out the door to go for a run. But I have regretted dark times when something plagued me from running (most likely just plain laziness). When you’re on that starting line with 26.2 miles ahead of you, it’s a comforting thought to know that you hit the majority of your runs and gave the training your all. Which brings me to…
  6. Don’t beat yourself up. Sure, there are some days during the 3-4 months of a training cycle when missing a training run is inevitable. And that’s OK. Don’t let it bring you down and just get out there again tomorrow.
  7. See your run time as "me" time. Running is the cheapest therapy. It gives me time to think about the day, make to do lists in my head for the next day, plan what I’ll do with the rest of the day/night, and to chill out to some good music.
  8. Have fun. Whether that means seeking out fellow runnerds in your area to carb load and watch a movie on a Friday night or going out to dance/dance on tables/replace all of the calories you lost during a long run that day through beer consumption on a Saturday night. I RUN for my Saturday nights and swear they are more fun after a nice, long sweat session.

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And… if you’re doing it right… marathon training should be fun too.

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