Running in 2012

This questionnaire has been circulating the blogosphere and I thought it would be a fun way to look back and pay tribute  to my running in 2012

1. Best race experience: Hands down the Baltimore Half Marathon. I have never enjoyed myself so much during a race. It was the first time I actually felt like a runner and the first time I really raced a half marathon. I had no expectations going into this race and surprised myself with another PR. This is also my favorite race to do, period, and I will probably do it every single year.

2. Best run: Off the top of my head I would have to say the 10 miler I ran during my taper for the NYCM/Harrisburg Marathon. I ran it and my dad biked along side me. We talked the entire time and a pace that used to be fast for me suddenly felt easy. Another memorable run was my run in Central Park the day that the marathon was supposed to be held. That run made me fall in love with running and realize how amazing runners are. It also solidified my love for all things New York City.

3. Best new piece of gear: Probably the Oiselle Lesley Knicker. I have been looking for a pair of running capris since last year and haven't found any I like until these. I wore them for a hard run last weekend and didn't have to adjust them once. My road bike is also a contender but since it is a Christmas gift I'm not allowed to ride it until after Christmas. We'll call this 2013's best piece of new gear.

4. Best piece of running advice you received: I can't think of any thing in particular but everything that Robert said to me during those last 6 miles of the Harrisburg Marathon motivated me enough to run to the finish. My old swim coach use to say "do the little things right" and I think that apples to every aspect of life, not just swimming.

5. Most inspirational runner(s): Not to come off as some crazy blog stalker but I have never met her in real life.. Page. Not only is she a badass runner, she made the leap from runner to triathlete in one year by signing up for an Ironman. When injury forced her to withdraw from the race she stayed (mostly) positive and vowed to finish her journey to becoming an Ironman in 2013.

My Fitness Christmas List

The holiday season is in full swing everywhere you look. I know Christmas is not about presents but I decided to put together the things that made my wish list this year. My birthday is the week after Christmas (December 31) so this is actually my Christmas/birthday list. Hint hint, Mom ;)

1. Bike

So this is the one thing on this list that I am 100% sure I will be getting this holiday season. I have already picked out and purchased this beautiful bike and can't wait to spend some quality time with it over my six week holiday break. This is also the one thing on this list that I have been lusting for practically the entire year. Money well spent.

2. Believe I Am journal

The Believe I am journal is also something that I am dying to try. My twitter feed is constantly blown up by fellow runners who are crediting this journal with their best training cycles yet. I know that a journal will not magically make me faster but as someone who is studying sports psychology in school I can't wait to see how the journal works.

3. Oiselle runfinity scarf

Scarves are probably my favorite accessory. I wear a scarf practically everyday in the fall & winter whether I am in class all day or just relaxing in my apartment. Infinity scarves are my favorite are I have been obsessed with this light teal color for months. I also really like how the scarf has hidden start and finish lines.

4. Arm warmers

Originally I thought the concept of arm warmers was silly but now I that I can see how practical they are I really want a pair. There have been so many times in the past few months that I have been too cold or too hot and thought arm warmers would remedy the situation. I found a pair that I really liked back in September but they were way too long for my arms. And the ones sold at the NYCM expo were too thick. I tend to get unusually warm when I run so I want a pair of arm warmers that is comfy, soft, and not too thick.

5. Running tights

I have also been on a quest for the perfect pair of tights or capris for months now. I recently ordered a pair of the Oiselle Lesley Knicker but they are for Christmas so I haven't been able to try them out yet. I am very picky when it comes to running tights so hopefully these will do the trick.

6. Yoga mat

Over the summer I got really into yoga, going twice a week every week. I love how yoga enables to me quiet my mind, relax, and focus on being in the present. I am currently using an old mat I bought back in high school to use during dryland at swim practice. The mat is worn out and very slippery. I don't have any mat in particular picked out but my only requirements are not slippery and cute.

7. As the Crow Flies

Craig Alexander is a triathlon legend. He won the 70.3 and full Ironman world championships in the same year while breaking the Kona course record. I bought Chrissie Wellington's book when it came out last year and absolutely loved it. I have always been a fan of Crowie and have heard really great things about the book. I'm not sure if it's available for order yet but you can sure I will be buying it soon.

8. BlueSeventy Vision

While I don't love the look of these goggles I love how functional they are. I have been swimming in the Speedo Women's Vanquisher goggles since I was something like twelve years old, and while I love them for pool swimming they aren't cutting it in the open water. These goggles are designed specifically for the open water and make it easier to see in the early morning with the sun beaming in your eyes.

What are you lusting over this holiday season?!

Putting Together a Triathlon Training Plan

Even though I have not officially decided on which Olympic distance triathlon I will be doing this year, I am almost certain about the Terrapin Sprint Triathlon on May 6. Assuming I do the General Smallwood International Triathlon on July 8, I have 15 weeks to train. I am jumping right into triathlon training on Monday, though, since I only have 6 weeks to train to the Terrapin Triathlon.

Luckily I have a somewhat solid base in running and have a rock solid base in swimming. The problem for me is the bike. Last year I bought a nice hybrid bike which I will use since I can't justify paying $1,000-2,000 for a road or tri bike when I have never done a triathlon before. I know how to ride a bike fine and I actually really enjoy riding, the problem for me though is climbing.

Even though I have never done a triathlon before, I decided to create my own training plan. I have a lot of circumstances that do not fit into the majority of the training plans I found online and I don't want to pay for custom training. I know my strengths and weaknesses and I don't necessarily care about how speedy I am.

I have put together a plan of sorts but I decided to only lay out which workouts I want to do each week. My schedule changes from week to week and I have found that I get stressed out when I can't do the workout that is written for a particular day. I am also going to be revising and editing the plan based on what is and isn't working, and if I fall behind at all.

Swim
I am a very strong swimmer and even though I haven't been to the pool since December I know that this is by far my strongest leg and that I don't need to put much time into training for this leg. Since I was a swimmer for such a long time I really don't have to worry about much. I love doing freestyle but I also like backstroke and butterfly and like doing kicking and pulling drills. Just because triathlon has long open water swims I am not going to limit myself in the pool. I am planning on swimming twice a week for 30-45 minutes and focusing on enjoying something that I have spent my entire life doing.

Bike
This is the tricky part for me. I know the bike is my weakest leg so I want to really spend a lot of time getting myself comfortable in the saddle. The big dilemma that I have is that I don't live in a very safe area so riding outside is not really an option until classes end and I come home to Pennsylvania for the summer. I have a bike trainer and I strangely really enjoy riding on the trainer, but I know that getting outside is crucial. Luckily I should have enough time after school ends before the General Smallwood International Triathlon to get in the proper time on the roads. I also need to get comfortable using my clipless pedals. I can use them fine on the trainer because I can't fall over, but going out on the road with them terrifies me.

If only this was me..

Run
The run in a sprint triathlon is 3.1 miles and the run in an Olympic distance triathlon is 6.2 miles, both of which I know I can successfully complete. Because I am running the Rock N' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon in September I don't want to lose a lot of my running fitness while triathlon training. I really struggled to do the long runs while training at school though so I am excited to be able to focus on shorter distances. With that being said, though, I want to establish a nice base for when I transition back to half marathon training.

The plan:

• 2 30-45 minute swims a week 
• 4 bike rides a week, including a brick, a long ride, a recovery ride, and a hard ride
• 5 runs a week, including a brick, a longer run, a recovery run, an interval run, and a whatever run

I know there is more running than what most people incorporate into triathlon training, but I am setting some big goals for myself for running this fall and I want to go into training as prepared as possible. I am also planning on adding open water swims when possible and doing two bricks a week in the summer.

The part of my training that I need to work on the most is my nutrition but that will be a whole other post so stay tuned! 

About My RR USA Half Training Plan

Even though training for the Rock N' Roll USA Half Marathon officially started a few weeks ago, I still wanted to do a post about my training. I didn't stick to a training plan while training for Baltimore and it showed. When I was training for Baltimore I was only concerned with finishing. I didn't really care about what my time would be or what paces I should be training at. While I don't want to put a lot of pressure on myself for this race, I still want to PR in a big way. I really truly believe that I can crush my current PR with some actual training.

I really enjoyed having the ability to look back on the things I did, and didn't do, while training for Baltimore. When I was writing my training plan for this race I wanted to incorporate a lot of cross training. First, I get injured very easily and I really don't want to get injured. Second, I want to also use this time to build a solid base for triathlon training. I also had to really take my class schedule into account. Some days I have class earlier than others and I can only get to the pool on certain days.

So here it is:

• Monday: speed run AM/ long bike PM
• Tuesday: swim & strength AM/ medium bike PM
• Wednesday: tempo run & short bike PM
• Thursday: swim & strength AM/ long run PM
• Friday: rest
• Saturday: rest
• Sunday: easy run & short bike

I decided to stick to four runs a week because any more and my IT band becomes very angry. As for what types of runs, I chose to do a long run, an easy run, a tempo run and a speed run. Originally I wanted to do two easy runs but I opted for only one easy run since four runs a week isn't really that many. I thought doing two hard runs a week would help build strength and increase speed. My main goal for my runs during this training cycle is to hit all of my long runs. I am aiming for between 8-12 miles. I didn't do runs that long last time it really hurt me in the end.

I also decided on biking four days a week. I am not an experienced cyclist and need to work on this leg the most. I don't have many guidelines for my rides, it is all about spending time in the saddle and getting used to being back on the bike. I have a longish ride planned for Monday nights and I want to do some interval work since I am such a slow cyclist but other than that my rides will probably be at a pretty easy pace and used for recovery.

I knew I wanted to do a few days of swimming a week so that I would be able to take advantage of my experience in the pool come tri season. Since I have two scheduled swims a week I want to do one as a recovery and technique swim and the other as a speed workout. Swimming will be the least important part of my training though. Swimming is what I am best at and I know that I can still do well in a tri with minimal time in the pool. 

The part I am most excited about is actually strength training. I only lifted weight while swimming during my last year but I saw an insane amount of improvement. Not to mention how much strength training helps prevent injuries. I will focus on upper body one day and lower body on the other day. And I won't be able to start strength training until I go back to school at the end of January.

Not written into my schedule is yoga and Insanity. I want to try to go to yoga once a week but I don't know what the spring schedule is yet. I wanted to be able to do Insanity regularly but I just don't have enough time. In the end I decided on using Insanity as cross training if I miss a run. For example, if I am unable to do my tempo run for some reason I will do an Insanity workout instead.

January Goals

January is a big time for New Year's resolutions. Even though I did set some goals for 2012, I think it is a better idea to set monthly goals or resolutions. That way you are only committing to 30 days, not 365. Furthermore, the things I want to accomplish in January and probably going to be very different from what I want to accomplish in August. A year is a long time and a lot can change.

Some of my January goals are based off of my yearly goals, while others are just fun things that I want to do throughout the month.

1. Run 70 miles. This is the most important goal for me because of half marathon training. I want to break two hours and I know that I need to stick to my training plan. I added up the miles I have planned for January and 70 is a few less. This way I still have a little wiggle room in case I miss some runs.

2. Bike 180 miles. This is just a rough estimate goal since I will only be biking on the trainer and I can't tell how fast I'm going while on the trainer. I am just basing this off of the assumption that I will be biking at 15 mph. The main goal here is just to start spending time in the saddle to prepare myself for triathlon training.

3. Swim 9,500 yards. This one is like the first two. Having a concrete number that I need to meet will help me get my butt to the pool on the days that I don't want to. This number could be way off depending on when the college pool reopens so forgive me if this goal just doesn't work out. Let's hope it does though.

4. Start strength training. I started strength training a few years ago as part of physical therapy after I had rotator cuff surgery but I stopped after I quit swimming. I know how important strength training is and I always see great results with my running and swimming while training regularly. I also know this will help me develop power and speed while on the bike.

5. Read two books. I absolutely love reading so I have decided to try to read 15 books this year. I know once school starts it will be hard to find the time to read, which is why I am going to read two books and get in the habit of reading instead of watching tv. Hopefully this will carry over once I start school.

6. Go ice skating. This is one of those for fun goals. I have been ice skating once before but I was pretty young so I don't really remember much. I think this will be a fun date for the boyfriend and me, and will be a great way to enjoy the winter weather.

7. Learn to ski. I have always been weary about learning to ski or snowboard because I am afraid of getting hurt, but I don't want my fears to hold me back anymore. My boyfriend is a regular snowboarder and has been begging me to learn to ski so we can go together. This goal is really more for him than me, but I do think it will be something fun to do together.

8. Organize and clean my apartment. I am going to go to my apartment before the spring semester starts to do some serious cleaning and finally get my apartment organized. I am hoping that by starting off the semester all nice and organized it will help me stay organized. This is by no means a fun goal, but it is really necessary.

9. Go to the National Aquarium. For my birthday my boyfriend got us a couples membership to the aquarium at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. I absolutely love going to the aquarium and have been begging him to go with me. January is the perfect time to go since neither of us will be in school and we will have the time.

10. Meditate for one hour once a week. I have always been intrigued my meditation but have never really tried it out. A few summer ago I would meditate for a few minutes here or there but never consistently. This is something that I can only commit to for one month but I am interested to see the results. I think it will also be good for me to slow down and teach my mind to relax.

11. Track food at Sparkpeople.com. I hate to be cliche and say I want to lose weight this year, but I really do. I don't want to just lose weight though, I want to be at a healthy weight to racing and training for triathlons and half marathons. By logging my food I can see where I am slacking and where I need to cut back. Tracking my food will also make me feel guiltier if I start to get off track.

12. Cook one meal a week. I hate cooking. Not only do I hate cooking, I am terrible at cooking. However, I want to go into the spring semester able to whip up some delicious meals. I am not counting breakfast because I already make breakfast pretty successfully. I am only going to try to cook one meal a week because I am currently staying with my parents, who are always doing the cooking. The goal here is learn how to make healthy dishes that I can make at my apartment when I don't have anyone cooking for me.

Clipless Pedals

One of my Christmas gifts from my parents was a pair of shoes and pedals for my bike. So today my mom and I went to a bike shop in Lutherville, MD to pick out some shoes. I was so excited to buy my first pair of bike shoes!

I went to the store, talked to the store owner, and tried on some shoes. First, I tried on a pair of triathlon shoes. I really liked them but they were pretty narrow and I was worried about my feet going numb.

I then tried on a pair of road shoes that I loved. They were super comfortable and were pretty adjustable. They were also easy to slip on and off.

I debated between the tri shoes and the road shoes, but I ultimately decided on the pair of road shoes. They are awesome shoes and will allow me to do many types of riding.

I ended up going with the Specialized Ember Road Shoes. I also picked up a bike jersey because I really wanted a top with pockets for riding.

The Boyfriend is coming up tonight and is going to help me set up my bike and pedals. I will report back soon with how I like everything!