Have you ever wondered what tracked more accurately a Nike plus or the treadmill? When I first started running I would track my time by writing down all of the stats the treadmill gave me after a workout. When looking at the numbers I thought the numbers were a little off, was I really only running at a 10 min pace mile? So I decided to use my Nike plus and compare it to the treadmill information. To my surprise the treadmill was off by .25 a mile! Now that is a lot to be off by! Yesterday when I used my Nike plus I ran 3 miles and it paced me at 9.5 a mile. Those numbers made me feel really good. I am running under a 10-minute mile! From now on I am only going to use my Nike plus. Also the great thing about the Nike plus is it keeps track of all of your past times so I don’t have to write anything down after a work out. If you are a runner and don’t have a Nike plus you need to get one! They are the best investment ever!
Hey everyone! So on Saturday I joined Nike’s running group in NYC. They have on in every major city so I encourage you all to look into it. And did I tell you . . its FREE! And did I also tell you that they provide healthy snacks after?!?. So far I have run with the group on Saturday, Tuesday, and tonight (Thursday). This week I have been so good, The only day that I took off was Sunday. I will say I am a little exhausted. Both yesterday and today in the morning I kept saying to myself “I need a day off.” But the funny thing is, about halfway through the day I can’t wait to get to the gym, or out to the park and run. I absolutely LOVE my gym, we have been rated to have the best trainers in the city for the past few years. (David Barton Gym (new Location in Seattle coming soon!)) One of the trainers once said to me that when you get to the point where you are feeling really challenged, and you want to stop or give up, that is the time to push on just a little longer, (also known your threshold) and that pushing beyond that point is what ends up bring results to people that are truly committed to working out and challenging themselves. Anyways, i like to think about that whenever I get to that point in my running sessions.
On that same note, when I went to run with the nike group on Tuesday I was a little bumbed out after, because I felt like I pushed my self way too hard, and that at the end I was thinking to myself, “I cannot run any further!” I made it, but I was utterly exhausted. Tonight when I ran I made sure to run with the 7.5 minute mile pacer instead of the 7 minute pacer, and enjoyed my run so much better (even though it was pouring down rain the entire time!) While I was jogging back I got stuck in between traffic with this other guy. He asks if I went on tuesday, and then tells me that he cant remember the last time he worked out as hard as he did that night. That made me feel better because I knew I want the only one, and all of these experiences can only make me a better runner. Which is probably the best part of this group, I dont feel like im on my own when I am running, and there are others there to talk about the run, and give each other pointers. I was never on track in high school, and almost think this is the next best thing!
I can not beleive that is almost Snowboard season again! I needed some new gear this year so I did a little shopping online at BoardCorner.com they have all the latest new gear including brands I love like Salomon, Burton, K2, Ride, Gnu, Forum and Lib tech. It has been a while since I have purchased some new gear and it was long over due! I am so excited because I got a new snowboard along with some great snowboard bindings. Now I am ready to hit the Mountain! I hope it is a good season this year, since last year my season was cut short! I am looking forward to a lot of snow and good times. Last year I had a pretty rough fall and ended up breaking my wrist, so this year I am going to start out very slow.
My fiancé loves to snowboard as well and he is all ready to go with his season pass. Every year he gets a season pass to Mount Hood Meadows and this year is no different. He has a lot of friends that go up with him every weekend and sometime during the week. I go with him as often as I can, but he goes a lot more then I ever have time for. This year I am going to try to get to the mountain more often, but we will see what happens!
On Sunday according to my training coach I was scheduled to run 4 miles. Now I cannot run 4 miles with out a few walking brakes involved. By three males I was right around my usual time of 34 minutes. The 4th mile was by far the hardest mile but once I made 4 miles I was so proud of my accomplishment. My goal this week is to be able to run 3 miles under 34 minutes. I keep trying to increase my speed each run and so far that method seems to be working pretty well. I can’t wait until I no longer have to take brakes but I have a feeling it is going to be a while before that happens. My training coach has me slowly increasing distance over time to reach my final goal of the 8k races I am training for.
When I woke up this morning I was so sore I could hardly walk! I talked to Misty and she said that it is normal to be sore and that it just means I trained harder then my body is used to. We also talked about warming up, cooling down and stretching after a run. These steps are very important and help prevent injury.
Those pictures are awesome Darcy! I wish I had a paved trail like that I felt comfortable running on at dark. There is not a lot of options here in the dark so I have been limited to running in the gym, which gets really boring. This week it doesn’t matter becuase I am just recovering from Sunday, but in the coming weeks I’m going to have to figure something else out.
Alyssa, nice blog about organic food!
I’m am feeling pretty crappy so I’m going home to relax and get cozy in my bed.
Misty sent me this great resource called smart coach. It has you answer some questions and then it sets up a running schedule that will help you train for a race in the length of your choice. You tell it how hard you want to train, how often and fast you are currently running now and what length of race you want to train for. I did mine in preparation for the Shamrock run. It then lays out a 16-week plan of attack to get you on track. The link is http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/smartcoach/0,7148,s6-238-277-278-0-0-0-0-0,00.html it is a really cool tool. The funny thing is when I printed my running schedule out it was the same days I am currently running and the first couple of weeks were what I am currently doing now.
I am trying to stay on track and keep a good schedule and this is a great way to make sure you are headed in the right direction for training. If you do not currently use any tools like this and you are on your own like I am it is a good resource to use! Good luck fellow runners and happy running! Ps. I am reading up on the Shamrock run right now so I will post on my next blog the deadlines and website if anyone wants to sign up with me ☺
Eating healthy is an important part of life. After years of eating foods with pesticides is nice to have the altrenative thanks to the organic farming of vegetables and fruit. Eating organically is a personal choice that everyone has to make for them selves. It is just like any other choice you make in life. I have also made the personal choice to work out on a regular basis. It makes me feel good to know that I am taking good care of my body. When I was growing up my mom always taught my sisters and I to eat right and also get plenty of exercise. To this day my family is very health conscious.
My favorite organic vegetables include carrots and broccoli and my favorite fruits include apples and oranges. If you are trying to decide if you should eat organically or not I suggest you give organic eating a try. The flavor is always crisp and clean and you never have to worry about any unwanted chemicals. Before I made the choice to eat healthier I always worried about the excess pesticides that might be on my food. Now the worry is gone and I can eat peacefully!
Hello all! Last week I was going to write this great post about running in the blistering cold in NY, and then about the fact that I ended up dancing at a subway station in BK at 1am just to keep warm, but I have had no internet for the past week, so I was unable.
Did you know that it is officially HIP to live in Portland?!? I was at my favorite drinks for cheap bar last night and met this skateboarder that let me hold onto his skateboard for half the night, and told me of his dreams of moving to Portland in the next year.
I ran yesterday twice around the reservoir in the park, and have to say that it is probably my FAVORITE run in the city in the evening. Soft ground, water all around, and amazing views of the city. Anyways, when you all come to visit we will have to run it!
Alyssa, thanks for the shout out and encouragement! The half marathon was really fun and such a great accomplishment. Andy was a strong support all along the way. He went to about 2 different spots along the route to cheer me on and was at the end when I finished. The weather was perfect and I finished in 1 hour and 51 minutes, and my goal was to finish in under 2 hours. Alyssa you know I will be there to run your very first half marathon with you, and can’t wait to run the shamrock run with all of you. Darcy, I am still waiting for you to run your first race, so I can see if you beat my time, which I’m sure you will. I think registration for the shamrock run opens Dec 17th, so make sure to go to the website and check it out. If you need motivation, you do get free beer at the end of the run! Hope everyone had a good weekend and keep training!!
Hello everyone! Misty congratulations on the completion of your half marathon! That is such a huge accomplishment! I bet you feel amazing! I am working on keeping the habit of running every other day so that I can someday run a half marathon. So far it is going very well. When I first started running it was the beginning of November and today is the first day in December! So it has been one month since I started training. One month ago I could barley do 2 miles in 30 minutes and now I am almost completing 3 miles in 30 minutes. My best time so far was 3 miles in 34 minutes but I am hoping by the New Year I will be completing 3 miles at 30 minutes. The good news is that not only have I inspired myself to run but I also have inspired Brian to go to the gym with me. He sometimes runs by me but he is not training the same way I am so I am on the treadmill a lot longer then he is. My goal has been to go running three days a week. The days that I have gone consistently are Tuesday, Thursday and then I go either Saturday or Sunday. Everyone keep up the good work and don’t forget to log your progress on the blog! 
