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Month: April 2012

Taper Time!

Taper Time!

Mint Posted by Mint on April 30, 2012 6 Comments

Candles
Tapers! Image via alykat.

Let’s talk taper.  As I mentioned in my intro post, I am in the thick of my taper before toeing the 26.2 line for the 13th time at the Wisconsin Marathon.

Most runners scale back their running for the 2-4 weeks prior to their goal marathon.  This is critical to ensuring that we are rested and in peak form on race day.  There is some consensus on how it should be done, but it always leaves us runners thinking obsessing about it pre-race since we have more time on our hands then we are used to and we are getting fired up for our key race.  I have tapered many a good taper and have compared notes with many running buddies who have different taper styles than I.

So today, I am going to throw some of my observations and practices out there.  I am very interested if you have the same or different experiences.  Indeed, the taper was discovered by accident (an elite runner was sick and could not train up until race day, then all were amazed at how fresh he was; Voila = taper became a staple), so we may as well perfect it by sharing what we found did or did not work through our own trials and errors. Read more >>

Categories: Marathons, Racing
Tags: marathons, taper
Ginger With a J: Running Down Faith

Ginger With a J: Running Down Faith

Ginger Posted by Ginger on April 30, 2012 12 Comments

See, waxing philosophical

Since I’ve been coming back from a little injury, I haven’t had an opportunity to write about getting fast. So with all this extra energy, I’ve found myself waxing philosophical lately.

Faith. I thought it was just something to have to ease pain and sorrow, a mechanism for escaping the reality of life; a life that will end. Last weekend, my mind was piqued during a poignant discussion with James. Both raised Catholic, but now having two separate viewpoints, we pushed each other’s spiritual buttons for the first time in our two and a half year relationship. We probably avoided this topic because neither of us are active participants in our beliefs. Prior to our discussion, I assumed spirituality was only for the religious or those at least believing in something. Read more >>

Categories: Mental Training
Tags: faith
Cinnamon’s Training Log 4.29.12

Cinnamon’s Training Log 4.29.12

Cinnamon Posted by Cinnamon on April 29, 2012 Leave a comment

This week I really worked hard to up my mileage to 30.  That meant lots of taking it slow and listening to my body and running by feel.  Most of the week I felt great and just wanted to run a lot, which was a really good feeling. I attribute this to being out of work right now and getting lots of sleep and spending lots of time sitting on my butt working on some fun new stuff for the Salty site (coming soon)!

Freedom Tower
The Freedom Tower construction soaring above Washington Market Park in TriBeCa. I thought it was so pretty up there in the rainclouds!

Sunday: Massage, then 8.5 miles enjoying the City. Recovering from last week’s Muddy Run I really needed to take a day to myself because I just can’t trust myself to go slow at a club run! I love living in NYC, but when everyone’s in such a hurry all the time it’s easy to forget how beautiful it can be to run here.  It was a rainy, hazy day but I had a great time!

Monday: 4 mile club run mostly through Prospect Park.  Tacked on some extra distance when the Subway failed me on my way home – total of 6.25 for the day.

Tuesday: 4 miles up and down Cat Hill in Central Park for some speed work with the team…”Hills are just speed work in disguise,” goes the old MRP mantra! Also tried on about a zillion Sport Bras in effort to research for the famous and popular Running Boobs post.

Huh.
Dissappointing T-shirt test with a compression bra last Tuesday.

Wednesday: I wasn’t gonna run but I just felt like it, dammit! So I logged 4 tough miles with the club. My legs felt really heavy and tired after speed work but was glad I did it nonetheless

Thursday: Thursday was a day of rest. I did nothing. And it felt damn great.

Friday: Worked instead of running. I got a fun job for the day with some really great people – and got a lead on another possible camera gig!

Saturday: 3 miles on my own and 4 miles of forest trails in beautiful New Jersey. Coming from Northeast Ohio I absolutely LOVE running in the woods. CHEESE ALERT: When I’m on a trail I feel really one with the earth, and I imagine I’m some sort of nymph, dancing over the rocks and the brush. This trail was extra tough from what I’m used to too, but that just made the nymph feeling better! I was a tough nymph! A strong, wild woodland creature out to to conquer! /CHEESE  I can totally see why Clove loves the trails so much, and I’m looking forward to more of this stuff this summer.  But it’s a good thing I didn’t trip on a tree root or I would have really felt one with the earth! *THWACK!*

Still, as nymphy as the forest makes me feel, nothing can beat gliding over this on a rainy day (less tourists!) and knowing it means I’m almost home:

Rain? Fuhgettaboudit! Every day's a beautiful day in Brooklyn, baby!
Categories: Training Logs
Tags: Cinnamon training logs
Peppers Training Log 4.29.12

Peppers Training Log 4.29.12

Pepper Posted by Pepper on April 29, 2012 Leave a comment

Taking a break from cheering at the Outrun 24 hour race!

Another Recovery week! More volunteering and cheering!

Coaches orders were easy miles, total mileage was up to me.

Monday- Rest!

Tuesday – 7 miles easy

Wednesday – 3 miles easy

Thursday – trails! 6.5 easy

Friday- Am ART session. 7 easy lunch miles. Evening 1600 meter swim.

Saturday – 1 easy mile while cheering at a 24 hour event.

Sunday – 30 minutes easy on trails.

Body is a bit “out of whack,” hoping that starts to turn around sooner than later!

 

Categories: Training Logs
Tags: Pepper training logs
Mint’s Training Log – Gearing up for Race Week! 4/29/12

Mint’s Training Log – Gearing up for Race Week! 4/29/12

Mint Posted by Mint on April 29, 2012 Leave a comment

Wow!  It is officially race week!  Only six more sleeps until I toe the line for the Wisconsin Marathon!  I am winding down and getting super excited to see what race day will bring.  I have had a very strong training season and I feel prepared to have a break out race.  So, this week, I am focused on rest, clean nutrition, hydration+, carbo-loading, stretching, and mental relaxation.  Hopefully if I can do these things, Mother Nature will do her part as well.

Nearing the end of the path for this training cycle

Training Recap:  Okay, I will admit right upfront that I deviated a little bit from my training schedule this week due to timing and personal preferences.  But that is okay.  When I talked to Coach last week, he said the key was to do what was comfortable these last couple of weeks.  Don’t overdo it.  Don’t under-do it.  I know my body better than anyone and how my tapers usually play out.  So I felt like I had a bit of permission to give and take with my training schedule.  That said, I did complete all of my scheduled workouts.  I just shaved a few minutes here or there so my total running time was about 35 minutes less than scheduled.  With the time logged during my Girls on the Run sessions, it probably ended up a wash, but I don’t record the running I do there.

Here is how week # 2 of my taper panned out:

Monday:  Rest / upper body weights.

Tuesday:  7.2 miles with strength intervals: 4 x 1 mile @ 10 seconds per mile faster than goal marathon pace in the morning / 2.25 miles with my son in the evening.

Wednesday:  Rest (since I ran 2x yesterday) / upper body weights.

Thursday:  9 miles with 8 @ goal marathon pace (7:45).

Friday:  5.3 miles with 5 striders / upper body weights.  My son joined me for just over a mile to shake out his legs before his race.

Yes, I was as excited and geeked out as I appear in this photo! Ready to run an 8K with my 10 year old son

Saturday:  CrazyLegs Classic 8K with my son.  I was so excited for this race and indeed it was awesome, amazing, incredible, fun.  We did a short w/u and c/d, but I did not record it.

Sunday:  10 miles.  My right ankle felt wonky and my hamstrings are crazy tight.   My heart rate was too high.  Fortunately this is familiar for this point in my taper, so I am not worried.  All will improve next week.

Total:  38.8 miles

My mileage is substantially lower this week (I maxed out this season at 67, but was normally near the 60 mile mark), but I also had a few high quality runs.  I am hoping all of this uptempo pacing will make race pace feel very comfortable on Saturday.  Wish me luck!

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Categories: Training Logs
Tags: Mint training logs
Salty’s Training Log – 4.29.12

Salty’s Training Log – 4.29.12

Salty Posted by Salty on April 29, 2012 4 Comments

Yeah. So. Um. Well. Hmmm.

Things just keep getting worse on the running front. 9 weeks pregnant and more or less a useless lump. I am on medication for the nausea and vomiting yet I’m still almost constantly nauseated and vomiting a few times a week. I have barely had any fruits or vegetables in the past two weeks. I can eat carbs and cheese and eggs and occasionally meat. This is really hard for me because I pride myself on a balanced adventurous healthy almost-vegetarian diet full of legumes, veggies and whole grains. It’s hard to subsist on eggs and animals and boxed mac and cheese. I really want mashed potatoes and gravy. Anybody got some? Who am I?!

A small plate with a serving of mashed potatoes.
Pass the gravy. Ew. Image via Wikipedia.

Despite this I managed to run both Monday and Tuesday. Monday my kids have classes at the Y. My son goes by himself so I’m stuck at the gym anyway. I managed 4 miles around 8:30 on the treadmill and it wasn’t bad. Tuesday I had a terrible morning. Threw up and spent most of the day on the couch. My husband needs to get stuff done for his farm business so I didn’t want to cancel our Tuesday evening sitter so I reluctantly headed to the track with my saltines in tow. I warmed up an easy mile and then did 1 at 7:40. I did drills, no strides. I tried to jump in with a slower group doing 200 on and 200 off, but I did one 200 at 46 and thought I’d pass out. I said forget it and jogged intermittently and chatted with friends (including Pepper and Ginger!) until I had 4. Then I went home to bed.

Tuesday on the track. Ginger's all lips. I'm no lips. And Pepper's askew. Only photo I had!

Since then, I’ve done no running or exercise of any sort. Wednesday I had my first midwife appointment and a massage. That was too much activity for me as I was useless again on Thursday. But I rallied to see one of my best friends in town from NYC. He’s the director of store design for Saks and was giving a talk at the local art school. I saw his presentation and then went out on the town. I didn’t get home until 9:30, y’all! I was too tired to get photos. I actually put make-up on and looked pretty good if I do say so myself. Argh. Friday was another puke day. Yesterday was pathetic. Um. This is getting old. I’ll quit whining about it now.

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Categories: Training Logs
Tags: Salty training logs
Ginger’s Training Log – 4-28-12

Ginger’s Training Log – 4-28-12

Ginger Posted by Ginger on April 29, 2012 Leave a comment

This week, I ran or walked for time, going by feel. I’m sure I jogged a few 10 and 11 minute miles in there! Despite the slow paces, it felt great to just follow my body’s lead as it begins to get used to consistent running again. I didn’t have an ART session this week due to scheduling but will have one this coming Monday to work out what is hopefully the remainder of the foot issues. My best run all week was with my old college roomie, Julie, on the bike path and trails by her apartment. We ran about six slow miles but I could start to feel my form coming back. It was so nice to get out and run with someone of similar ability, to share life’s hopes and dreams and challenges. I also had a few walks and talks in there with James. He is starting to run normally again so this upcoming week, we will both probably have less walks and more runs.

Julie and me at a 5k this past New Years Eve

 

Sunday: 3 mile walk

Monday: 2.5 mile walk in the morning, 3.5 mile run in the evening

Tuesday: 3 mile run, 1.5 mile walk before bed

Wednesday: 6 mile run with Julie

Thursday: 4 mile run in the neighborhood

Friday: Off. No excuses. I just fell asleep.

Saturday: 6 mile run on the towpath, 1 mile walk as well

Total: 22.5 miles running, 8 miles walking

Categories: Training Logs
Tags: Ginger training logs
Clove’s Training Log: 4.27.2012

Clove’s Training Log: 4.27.2012

Clove Posted by Clove on April 28, 2012 2 Comments

Live from Monterey

Wow, this was an interesting week.  It started out as a final “rest week” before I geared up for my 12 week training cycle for the Vermont 100.  But life intervened and it wound up being a very emotional week as well.  The plan had been to get in an easy 50 (not only because of the “rest” week, but due to work travel), and believe it or not, I actually got them in.  Hoping for brighter days and better miles ahead.  51 miles for the week, and I won’t lie – the last 17 were stunning.

Saturday:  11 moderate miles with Saturday morning long run group.  Many were recovering from Boston, no one was in the mood for much.  Core/Pilates class.

Sunday:  15 trail miles at Mohican with my friend Kevin, who’s running his first 50 there in June.  Way too much trash on the trail.

Monday:  Two back to back spinning classes.

Tuesday:  8 easy miles on my standard loop; core/Pilates class.

Wednesday:  Fine.  Totally off.  I cried and packed and then cried some more.  Not my best day.

You would cry too. Part of my very very bad day on Wednesday - snagging a loose toenail and learning it was definitely NOT ready to come off.

Thursday:  8 beautiful and healing miles on the Monterey bike path along the Pacific Ocean.

Friday:  9 miles on the Monterey bike path.
Had to do a self-portrait this week, this was the best I could do. Not staged; note sweat ring around t-shirt collar.
Categories: Training Logs
Tags: clove training logs
5 Food Fixes for Your Poop Problems

5 Food Fixes for Your Poop Problems

Ginger Posted by Ginger on April 27, 2012 10 Comments

Friday 5Let’s talk about poop. Why not? We’ve already discussed sex and boobs this week. Might as well discuss that other tmi topic while we’re at it.

When I began upping the volume and intensity of my running during the winter, I started spending significantly more time in the bathroom after each run session. Not to get into too much of the dirty details, but I will say that at times blood was involved. And my stomach would act up the rest of the day or into the night.

Awareness about stomach issues, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Celiac Disease, has increased tremendously in the last decade due to better research and education about the human body and nutrition. I didn’t think my symptoms were serious enough to warrant any of these conditions but I thought that if I tried a few of the nutritional recommendations I read about that I could at least rule out the causes of my stomach woes. To my surprise, I haven’t had a stay longer than 5 minutes in the “john”, unless I was reading a good article. More importantly, blood hasn’t made an appearance either.

So, what are these nutritional changes you ask? Well, let’s take a look! Read more >>

Categories: Food & Nutrition, Friday Fun
Tags: gi problems, poop
Second Base: A Runner’s Guide to Bouncing Boobs

Second Base: A Runner’s Guide to Bouncing Boobs

Cinnamon Posted by Cinnamon on April 26, 2012 22 Comments

Kyle's boobs
My boobs. Runbow T-shirt by Oiselle.

I have something on my chest that I’d like to discuss, something very close to my heart. Two somethings, in fact.  What I’m going to talk about today is a factor that weighs heavily on some of us but is a light topic for others.  I’m sure you’ve been sore on the subject and wanted to keep it locked up, but maybe you’ll feel better if you just…let it all out.

Dear readers, sit back, relax, take your shirts off if you like and join me as I investigate something many have explored but few have conquered. Let’s talk about boobs. Read more >>

Categories: Shoes and Gear
Tags: boobs, bras
Pepper’s Sexy Secret to Success

Pepper’s Sexy Secret to Success

Pepper Posted by Pepper on April 25, 2012 12 Comments

A warning sign with an exclamation mark
Warning! Adult Content! Image via Wikipedia.

It’s  well known, and much discussed behind closed doors, that runner’s race better if they engage in a certain activity the night before the race. Or it could just be a myth made up by non-running significant others to get us weary runners excited after a long week of workouts…

Be warned, when you click *Read more* the content will be adult in nature! Read more >>

Categories: Racing
Tags: sex
Meow: The Catty Post

Meow: The Catty Post

Salty Posted by Salty on April 25, 2012 9 Comments

Catty-Cornered
Image via Wikipedia.

“OMG! What is that girl thinking wearing those shorts?”

“Who does she think she is lining up that far in front?”

“Nice tutu.”

Let’s face it. Get a bunch of competitive Type-A chicks all on one starting line and there’s bound to be some cattiness. But does it have to be that way? Read more >>

Categories: Ethics
Tags: cattiness
All About Ultrarunning: A Salty Primer

All About Ultrarunning: A Salty Primer

Clove Posted by Clove on April 24, 2012 13 Comments

Disclaimer: This is merely a cute and snarky sticker. It in no way reflects Clove's deep and abiding respect for runners of all abilities. Image via zazzle.com.

One of the reasons I was so excited to join the Salty Running team was that we have such a wide representation of backgrounds and abilities in our group.  I love that our writers aren’t just “fast marathon runners.”  But it’s not only the time spectrum that’s well-represented.  We have single women and married women.  Women with kids and women that don’t have children.  Women that work traditional jobs, women that work not-so-traditional jobs, and women that work from home.  And as with every group of runners, we each have very different, but deeply personal reasons for how and why we run.

As the primary ultrarunning voice in the group, I thought one of my first posts should be a sort of “primer” on ultrarunning for those not as familiar with life beyond 26.2 (or less).  Things can get a bit crazy over here on the dark side, so allow me this brief attempt to establish my sanity – before I immediately undo all my own hard work.  Ready? Read more >>

Categories: Trails & Ultrarunning
Tags: ultrarunning - general
Minty Miles: The Journey Continues

Minty Miles: The Journey Continues

Mint Posted by Mint on April 24, 2012 5 Comments

Greetings fellow runners!  I am so excited to be part of the Salty Running community!

I first met Salty about 6 years ago.  At that time, we were both rather new to running competitively (at least I was) and we were both complete marathon newbies.  We stumbled upon each other while we were both trying to gather up as much information possible to do our very best in our first marathons.  At that time, it was very difficult to find much information on marathoning, high level training for amateurs or women-specific running/life issues.  But, there was a small niche on a site called Cool Running, where we swapped training stories and race reports for quite some time.  Years and many big life changes later (job changes, marriage, babies), here we are.  Still running and still navigating the crazy course of life. Read more >>

Categories: News
Tags: Mint bio

Mint

Mint Posted by Mint on April 24, 2012

Read all posts by Mint HERE!

Friend/Follow Mint online:

Full bio after the jump: 
Read more >>

Categories: Writer Bios
Tags: Mint bio

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