Get by with a little help from my friends…

A while back, I reached out to Meghann in hopes of some clarity around marathon training. Bo and I were trying to decide whether we needed to join a formal marathon training group/cause or whether we could train for the marathon as a couple without the power of a team. 

Meghann is frequently a running inspiration for many bloggers and readers alike. She has gone from zero to hero in just a few short years. In fact, she ran her first 5k in March of 2008

Then, in June of 2009 she ran her first marathon with a little help from her friend and fellow blogger, Bobbi!!

SDRNR 028

My goal for the NYC 2010 Marathon is to be smiling this much during the last mile! Hopefully some of Meghann’s tips, tricks, and insight below will provide you with the same, great inspiration it gave me!

1) How long had you been a runner when you decided to train for a marathon?
I started running in January 2008 and began officially training for my first marathon in February 2009. So, I guess you can say I had been running for exactly a year before training for my first. J
2) What was the turning point or moment when you decided a marathon was your next race event?
The moment came when I volunteered for the Disney Marathon in January of 09. There was something about seeing all of the marathoners running by at mile 21 that really pumped my spirit. I figured if they could do it , then so I could I! I believe I registered for San Diego a week later. 🙂
Disney continued to hold a special place in my heart and I was thrilled to finally have my own chance to run it this past January. There was something about running the race that had inspired me to run my first marathon that just felt magical. It was as if life came full circle.
3) How many months did you have before the marathon?
I had 4 months to train before San Diego.
4) Did you train alone or with a group/cause/team? Did you ever consider training with a group/cause?
For my first marathon I trained with Team in Training in spirit. I raised all the money for Leukemia and Lymphona Society, but I never really ran with the group. Team in Training is set up for very beginner runners and they were training at a much different level than I was.
Though I was happy to raise money for a great cause through TnT, I wouldn’t train with them again. For Disney I was on my own.

5) When you trained alone, how did you put together a training plan? Is there a website or book you recommend for marathon rookies who are also training alone?
When I was on my own I took to google to create my training plan. I took an intermediate plan from Runners World and then reworked it to fit my needs. I had success with my marathon plan, but I’m not sure I would use it again. I think each marathon is different and each one requires a new approach with training.
6) Did you ever get lonely on your long runs since you weren’t training with a group? What tips do you have to help marathon rookies build up their mental "toughness"
I don’t mind long runs on my own. I always find gorgeous areas to run and zone out in my music and scenery. I also take the time to think about life. Having all that time to myself with my thoughts helps keep me sane. I would say the key to mental toughness is zoning out while getting lost in your thoughts.
7) How did you find motivation to stick with your training schedule even when you weren’t accountable to a running group?
The motivation came with knowing I had a marathon to run at the end of it! I was also motivated by time. I had a goal in mind and I was determined to beat it!
8) What, in your opinion, is the best aspect of training solo?
Not having to account on anyone else for training runs. You can run where you want and when you want. You can also run at what pace you want without having to worry about going to fast or slowing someone down.
9) What was the biggest lesson you learned during the training for your first marathon?
I learned to do more speed work. I did zero speed work while training for my first marathon and always regretted it because it meant I wasn’t training for my full potential.
10) What was the biggest lesson you learned on the course of your first marathon?
Not to give up and not to walk. Walking only makes things worse when you start to run again! They also weren’t kidding when they said miles 20-26.2 are a bitch!

DSCN1123.JPG

If you’ve run a marathon..or 10 before and are interested in sharing some thoughts and insights please email me! I’d love to feature multiple marathoners during our training process to help all readers who are on their path to a healthier, happier life!

Thanks Meghann for all you support and inspiration!

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Get by with a little help from my friends…

In case you didn’t catch last night’s post, this is Part 2. Part 1 can be found here. I hope you enjoy 🙂

A while back, I reached out to Meghann in hopes of some clarity around marathon training. Bo and I were trying to decide whether we needed to join a formal marathon training group/cause or whether we could train for the marathon as a couple without the power of a team. 
Meghann is frequently a running inspiration for many bloggers and readers alike. She has gone from zero to hero in just a few short years. In fact, she ran her first 5k in March of 2008

Then, in June of 2009 she ran her first marathon with a little help from her friend and fellow blogger, Bobbi!!
SDRNR 028
My goal for the NYC 2010 Marathon is to be smiling this much during the last mile! Hopefully some of Meghann’s tips, tricks, and insight below will provide you with the same, great inspiration it gave me!
1) How long had you been a runner when you decided to train for a marathon?
I started running in January 2008 and began officially training for my first marathon in February 2009. So, I guess you can say I had been running for exactly a year before training for my first. J
2) What was the turning point or moment when you decided a marathon was your next race event?
The moment came when I volunteered for the Disney Marathon in January of 09. There was something about seeing all of the marathoners running by at mile 21 that really pumped my spirit. I figured if they could do it , then so I could I! I believe I registered for San Diego a week later. 🙂
Disney continued to hold a special place in my heart and I was thrilled to finally have my own chance to run it this past January. There was something about running the race that had inspired me to run my first marathon that just felt magical. It was as if life came full circle.
3) How many months did you have before the marathon?
I had 4 months to train before San Diego.
4) Did you train alone or with a group/cause/team? Did you ever consider training with a group/cause?
For my first marathon I trained with Team in Training in spirit. I raised all the money for Leukemia and Lymphona Society, but I never really ran with the group. Team in Training is set up for very beginner runners and they were training at a much different level than I was.
Though I was happy to raise money for a great cause through TnT, I wouldn’t train with them again. For Disney I was on my own.
5) When you trained alone, how did you put together a training plan? Is there a website or book you recommend for marathon rookies who are also training alone?
When I was on my own I took to google to create my training plan. I took an intermediate plan from Runners World and then reworked it to fit my needs. I had success with my marathon plan, but I’m not sure I would use it again. I think each marathon is different and each one requires a new approach with training.
6) Did you ever get lonely on your long runs since you weren’t training with a group? What tips do you have to help marathon rookies build up their mental “toughness”
I don’t mind long runs on my own. I always find gorgeous areas to run and zone out in my music and scenery. I also take the time to think about life. Having all that time to myself with my thoughts helps keep me sane. I would say the key to mental toughness is zoning out while getting lost in your thoughts.
7) How did you find motivation to stick with your training schedule even when you weren’t accountable to a running group?
The motivation came with knowing I had a marathon to run at the end of it! I was also motivated by time. I had a goal in mind and I was determined to beat it!
8) What, in your opinion, is the best aspect of training solo?
Not having to account on anyone else for training runs. You can run where you want and when you want. You can also run at what pace you want without having to worry about going to fast or slowing someone down.
9) What was the biggest lesson you learned during the training for your first marathon?
I learned to do more speed work. I did zero speed work while training for my first marathon and always regretted it because it meant I wasn’t training for my full potential.
10) What was the biggest lesson you learned on the course of your first marathon?
Not to give up and not to walk. Walking only makes things worse when you start to run again! They also weren’t kidding when they said miles 20-26.2 are a bitch!
DSCN1123.JPG
If you’ve run a marathon..or 10 before and are interested in sharing some thoughts and insights please email me! I’d love to feature multiple marathoners during our training process to help all readers who are on their path to a healthier, happier life!
Thanks Meghann for all you support and inspiration!

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Give yourself a break…

Today has been one of those days. I found out some really exciting work news which includes a new role but immediately started to doubt myself. Will I be able to handle the roll? How will I manage the work load and my new marriage? How can I be a good wife when I can’t even manage to make dinner for us on a nightly basis? Our evenings have turned into relaxing on the couch for an hour while eating sushi from YoYo, a Pax salad, or a bowl of cereal. Maybe it’s because I was raised in a family where my mom was able to provide this for our family every night but I have a level of expectation for myself that right now I just can’t maintain. I feel like a failure in my personal life and that i’m not properly balancing my work and life. The unfortunate thing is that this negative energy has a tendancy to infiltrate the rest of my life.

“If I don’t have time to cook dinner is it fair to take an hour to invest in myself at the gym?”

”I’ll never be able to run a marathon as I can barely run 15 miles right now.”

Some of this negative energy has kept me from running lately. The past few weeks spinning has been an easier workout because since I had a class looming over my head and that feared Equinox x on the horizon if I missed the class, I always popped out of bed for spin class. Last week I only ran a hand full of miles each time thinking that I wasn’t going fast enough, I wasn’t going far enough, and constantly comparing myself to the people on the surrounding treadmills. After one bad run I decided I’d had it for the week.

Who was this person filled with negative energy? Where was my optimism and excitement?

By Sunday I craved a good run. Maybe it was the monotony of a moving weekend and looking at the same walls and 700 square feet all weekend but I wanted to bust out of the walls and feel the ground or tread beneath my feet. What I needed was a plan and some inspiration.

My plan included a few components:

1) I decided that I would treat running like a workout class. Each day would have a theme.

               M: 5 mile tempo run + abs and stretching

               T: 3 mile speed run + Body Conditioning class

              W: 5 mile intervals + arms

             Th: Sweat Cardio Sculpt or Core Fusion class

             F: 5 mile tempo run

             S: Long run before party prep

2) Each morning would include TWO separate alarms to ensure I didn’t curl back under the covers and hit snooze just because a spin class wasn’t looming.

3) I have returned to watching the news in the morning while I run when on the treadmill. Equinox lets you change the TV channels at your leisure so I can put it on CNBC or the news and catch up on everything before I get to the office. This also takes my mind off the run.

My inspiration included reaching out to fellow runners for some inspiration, catching up with friends to remember who I am and get in touch with those i’m close with, and ensure that Bo and I are on the same wavelength. He was so proud of me tonight and has NO expectations of what I can do right now as a wife other than being his support system and best friend! My dad said it best tonight on the phone,

“ Ash, your mom and I are living the life of leisure right now with an empty nest and even we didn’t cook dinner tonight! Give yourself a break sometimes!”

I love you Dad and you’re right and I think we ALL need to give ourselves a break sometimes. You’re not always going to be the best runner, best employee, best friend, best wife, best daughter, or best blogger. Sometimes we’ll forget an email or comment. Sometimes we’ll have a bad run or a bad day. But you know what? We’re human and sometimes we just have to get in touch with those people that can help ground us and make sure we’re all under the same expectations.

Tomorrow, Meghann, a running diva who knows how to keep a smile on her face during even the hardest runs, will provide us all with some marathon inspiration!

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