Half Fanatic

Hi all, just wanted to give a little update of what has been going on here at nthefitzone. A few weeks ago, I finished the Salt Lake City half marathon. It was a goal of mine since the beginning of this year and I am proud to say I finished and in under 2 hours. I was not sure how I would perform since I had never ran a race in altitude before. I struggled in the beginning with my breathing. There were hills the first couple of miles and then things began to level off and the downhills began 🙂 A minor injury had been nagging me a couple of weeks prior to the race and it surfaced about mile 7 causing me to slow down. I walked a few times, but in the end I still finished with a time I am proud of (1:57:00 official). Overall, the race was well-organized, the weather was perfect,  and it was a beautiful course.

This is me about mile 6 feeling pretty good.

and after the finish feeling great.

Then, the very next weekend, I got wild and crazy and decided last-minute to run the Auburn Running Festival, Finish on the 50 half marathon. I graduated from Auburn and I wanted to run this race last year but unfortunately I did not. My intention was to do the 10k but I woke up that morning and said why not just do the half. The course was very hilly and it was warm. My nagging injury returned about mile 8 but I kept moving forward the best I could. I took a trip down memory lane as I ran through campus and I proudly finished on the 50 yard line of Jordan-Hare Stadium, the home of the AUsome Auburn Tigers. I also got to pose after the race with Cam Newton. Haha!

So here is my bling and bling 🙂

So after I finished on the 50, a couple of people told me that I qualify to be a Half Fanatic. I had never heard of this but apparently it is an official group. By finishing back to back half marathons, I qualify to be in this group, eeeekkk, fun! I will definitely check this out. FYI: there is a Marathon Maniac group too.

So that is a quick update of the happenings over the past month. I do not have any big races planned until the end of August. I am meeting some friends in Atlanta to do the first “Hotlanta” half marathon that starts in Underground Atlanta. Sounds like a burner! I do have some new goals and a new workout that I am excited about that I will share with you in the next post. For the next month or two I am keeping my runs shorter. I feel the need for speed!  Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

Have you heard of the Half Fanatics?

 

Half Marathon Training

For those of you who run and race, have you ever had the day-to-day ups and downs during training? Well, that is what my training has been like during this half marathon prep. I know there are going to be bad training days but it seems like I have had a too many. One thing I have learned during these days is that these types of runs are what make me stronger. It is so frustrating having a bad run, but I learned this weekend that it motivated me more to go out there and try again.

This weekend’s training was supposed to be 8 miles on Saturday. It was a beautiful spring day, not a cloud in the sky, and this happened.

I only got in 4 miles. I was sluggish and tired. I did not sleep well the night before so I knew ahead of time it was going to be tough. I finished this run with a little stretch and told myself I will not give up. I immediately planned on running the next day and wow what a difference a good sleep will make.

Another beautiful day and my run was strong. I totally got my confidence back and feel like I am right on track. After this awesome run yesterday, I sat by the lake and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Now on to the yum yums. I do the best I can to avoid processed foods especially when I am training for a race. Whole foods give me the energy and nutrition I need. After my run I was craving a green drink but I wanted something  besides just spinach as my base so off to Earth Fare I went. The kale was beautiful and on sale. I got a bunch of kale and then I thought about dinner and found these Natural Beauties 🙂

I decided I wanted roasted sweet potatoes for dinner, so while thinking of what I wanted to go with my lovely potatoes, I made my kale drink and headed to the porch. There is nothing like a gorgeous Sunday afternoon sipping on a kale drink. Hale to the kale! 🙂

I can say the weekend training was a success even with the bad run on Saturday because it only made me stronger! Dinner was baked chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli on the side.

To prepare these beauties, I just gave them a good wash, chop, and tossed them lightly with EVOO, sea salt to taste, and sprinkled with fresh rosemary, then roasted at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. Simple and delicious.

What’s on your dinner plate when training for a race?

 

Get Outside! Day 6 #FitIn5

Today is a beautiful day! The sun is shining so I took it to the streets. I got an awesome 8.5 mile run done. I am training for the Salt Lake City Half Marathon in April. I know the weather is not as beautiful everywhere as it is here but the challenge for today, day 6, is to get outside. Just get out there for 5 minutes of fitness, whatever you want to do. Walk, run, hike, push ups, jumping jacks etc. Breathe the fresh air and enjoy the great outdoors. You may surprise yourself and your 5 minutes of fitness may turn into 15 or 20 or more 🙂 Comment below and let me know how you crushed your 5 minutes of fitness!

Have a great day!

Consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program.

Pilates For Runners, The Hip Circle

Hello all of you runners in the world. As a runner, I know that a strong core is essential for good running form. With all of the races going on this time of year, I thought I would share a couple of moves this week that may inspire you to give Pilates a try. Pilates, when done correctly, and progressed with proper form is great for strengthening and gaining power in the core. This is one of my favorite moves which strengthens the core. The hip circle. I start in supine position and lean back to my elbows, keeping my back straight, shoulders rolled down and back, I keep my chest lifted. I scoop through my belly as my legs are extended in “pilates stance”. I circle both legs clockwise 3 times and then counterclockwise 3 times and repeat. I am inhaling through my nose and exhaling through my mouth throughout the exercise. I usually do this 8-10 times. Below is a photo of the hip circles.

Check back this week for more Pilates for runners. Hey runners, have you tried Pilates? If so, how did you like it?

It’s Tempo Week

Hello Everyone,

The weekend was great. Quiet time at home with The Husband and Piper. She has decided she likes fruit trees. We know she has been eating the figs off of the little fig tree we planted not long ago. I have proof of her trying to steal a mini orange:)

We were just grilling and having fun in the backyard. It is fun to watch her run around chasing bugs and birds. Full of energy. I need her energy on some of my runs.

She is striking a pose in this picture. That’s what good supermodels do of course:)

So tempo week started. My goal is to get 2 tempo runs and 2 steady runs this week. Tempo runs will help me increase speed and strength. First I warm up with any easy pace for about 10 minutes. Then I increase the pace to just below my 10k race pace and do that for about 20-30minutes. Finish with a 5-10 minute cool down of easy pace. Then stretch. It is going to be a tough week but I will give it my best.

This is me ready to go! How was your weekend? How is your running going?

Fartleks

Week 1 of my latest running challenge was not so great. I confess, it did not go exactly as planned but I did get 2 runs in. I am not giving up, so I started Fartlek week yesterday.

Fartlek is a Swedish term meaning “speed play”. It is a form of interval or speed training to help improve running speed and endurance. It is different from traditional interval training which has specific times or distances. Fartleks are unorganized, meaning each interval can vary. It involves running at faster segments with slower jogs. Fartleks can be done on any type of terrain. If you are just starting speedwork, introduce short distances at a faster pace.

To me Fartleks are fun and challenging. You can measure distance or use a timed Fartlek such as 200m or 30 second intervals. I run in my neighborhood most of the time so I just use mailboxes.  I run different lengths of mailboxes and also vary my pace. During Fartlek week, include 2 Fartlek runs on nonconsecutive days (if you are following along with me). The other 2 days should be regular pace and distance runs. As always, consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise program.

How was your last run? Did you do a Fartlek? How did you measure them? Love to hear your comments:)

Good Morning! Coffee:) Run!

It is peaceful, beautiful, not so hot and my favorite time of the day. Early mornings:)

I love how all you can hear are birds chirping their cheery little music. This is my favorite time to run, however it has not been happening very often lately. I feel inspired to set some new running goals. But first my other favorite time of the day.

Below is one of my favorite things in the house, the Keurig. If it broke right now, first thing on the agenda would be to purchase a new one. Now I am not saying I am a coffee addict, but I do enjoy coffee first thing in the A.M. Well on to the new goals:)

I am going to set myself up for a new challenge. I believe when you state your goals for others to know about you are more likely to follow through. It worked when I followed the Cellulite Project from www.myYogaspacebook.com , so here it goes. I have currently  been running just a couple of days a week, ugh.  For the next month I am going to rise and shine, 4 days a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday) and hit the streets.

1. Week 1 will focus on 3 to 3.5 miles steady pace
2. Week 2 will focus on fartleks or “speed play” up to 4 miles
3. Week 3 will focus on tempo runs up to 4.5 miles
4. Week 4 will focus on hills up to 5 miles

OUCH! I am ready! Who is in with me? Let me know if you have questions. Each week I will post instructions for fartleks, tempos etc… Friday it begins. I hope you join me so we can keep each other motivated.

So, What is your favorite time of day?

As always, consult your doctor before beginning a new workout program.