On runs more than an hour or two, it is necessary for runners to refuel. The idea of eating while exercising is enough to turn most people's stomachs. I've tried bananas, jelly beans, fruit snacks, dates and Lara Bars as refueling foods. Once I was describing to my daughter how I'd need to eat a little something every five miles or so on a run of 13 miles plus. She said, "I'd love to have snack time; I guess I'd want to run six miles so I could run five and then have a snack!" Not quite how it works, but I used her enthusiasm for snack time to reshape my thinking from, "Oh ick, can I stomach this," to "Hurray for snack time!" There are a number of commercial products made for fitness enthusiasts. Probably the most popular one is Gu. Since Stephanie is training for a marathon and will need to seek out some good fueling options, I thought I'd share this article I saw in Runner's World. I had no idea there were so many flavors. A couple of years ago, both of my brothers-in-law, Stephanie and I were all training for marathons. At Christmas time, I bought the brothers-in-law Gu samplers so they could try lots of flavors and decide which they'd like to use for their marathons. In the spirit of Merry Christmas To Me, I got one for myself, too. For the rest of the winter and into the spring, I'd blindly dip my hand into the box and pull out the number of Gu's I thought I'd need plus one, just in case. I'd stick them in my coat pocket and each snack time was a total surprise. I always thought that the fruit flavors sounded most appealing, so it was interesting that some of my favorites turned out to be Vanilla Bean, Peanut Butter and Salted Caramel. I ended up getting a good buy on a whole box of Peanut Butter...too much of a good thing. From reading the article, I saw that Totally Naked was not a popular flavor. That sounds like licking a pot of Vaseline. Yuck! I am currently working on Week 2 of my training plan. So far, so good. While my runs are not as fast as I'd like them to be, I'm steady and getting those quicker paces done. This Saturday will be a good test with two faster miles inside a 10 mile run. Hopefully the weather cooperates. Feel free to share your long run fueling strategies in the Comments. What is your favorite flavor of Gu, or what would you like to see them add as a flavor? Enjoy the run, and the snacks! Happy running--Missee
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Good luck to Missee as she begins her half marathon training program. I completed my week #2 long run of seven miles today. Only 16 more long runs to go before the Fargo Marathon. :) More than ever before, I am sore and tired. One reason for the soreness is that I went back to a high intensity interval training class (Crossfit like workout) on Thursday. For one reason or another, I took about three months off of attending these classes. BAD IDEA! I will be paying for my absence for a while. Attending HIIT classes two times per week is an important part of my marathon training. The classes I attend include weight lifting and strength training. After doing a HIIT workout, my legs are tired. Running on tired legs helps to build endurance for long races. I also attend these classes because I really enjoy exercising with a group. Have a happy weekend! Happy Running! -Stephanie
I was lucky enough to get some new winter running gear for Christmas and my birthday. The items I had been wearing were functional, but were starting to get some "features" like zippers that were permanently closed, tights that had been repaired several times because my thighs had worn holes in them, etc. My husband got me a new jacket that I totally LOVE! It's the Asics Wind Blocker. The thing I most like about this jacket is that it is both lightweight and super warm. This morning the temperature was 29 degrees with a windchill in the upper teens. I wore only a long sleeve T-shirt under the jacket and was completely comfortable. The fabric is whisper quiet, so no swish, swish, swishing down the road. There are thumbholes which I don't really use often, but my arms are a little long, but a jacket with thumbholes is usually a little longer in the sleeve and my wrists stay covered. The back and arms are not covered in the wind blocker fabric, so more mobility without sacrificing warmth. There are reflective strips down the zipper for safety. I wore a reflective vest today, but if I was heading out in the almost light, I would feel comfortable using that as my reflector for the first few miles, especially if I have a headlight on anyway.
This jacket is comfortable and stylish enough that I would wear it out and about as a light jacket...unless I had sweat it up good on a run and it's smelling funky. Good news, friends, I have washed this jacket already so I'm not stinking up the streets. To keep my running gear looking good longer, I wash and hang dry all my jackets, bras and tights. Hope you are keeping warm on the run. If not, you might want to check out a new jacket like mine. We are officially back to track season...remember it's one of my favorite seasons, like cross-country and Nordic ski season. Tomorrow is the Alumni Meet at CSB/SJU. My husband and I are indeed alums who were invited to participate, but we will limit our participation to cheering for our daughter. Go Haley and the Blazers! Happy running! Missee I am all set to begin a 13 week training program leading up to the Earth Day Half Marathon in St. Cloud on April 21, 2018. Last year I tried a heart rate training program which ended up with disastrous results although I don't believe that the training itself caused the difficulty. I had managed to get myself into a lot of doubts and worry leading up the event and had a difficult time executing the race strategy. I ended up ignoring the beginnings of an injury which reared its ugly head about a week after the slowest half I'd run in quite a few years. So...whether or not hear rate training could be good for me, I'm taking a more traditional approach this year with the "Own It" plan from Another Mother Runner.
The plan is from the book Train Like a Mother. They put the Finish It plan on the internet for free so I included that one as a sample to look at in order not to violate any copyright laws...stealing is stealing. I'd highly recommend all three of the Another Mother Runner books. Highly entertaining! The first book is mainly anecdotes about running in general for beginners to women who have run many years. The second one is specific to training and the third one is all stories of mother runners...I'm off-topic from training, but I got all three books for a Mother's Day gift a couple years ago and go back to them often. The library sometimes has them, too. The reason I chose this particular plan is the addition of two speed workouts per week. Speed has a different meaning depending on your age, skill and motivation, but for my purposes, it means get my feet moving at different paces for different runs. I also like that this plan ramps up the distance run early...we are starting with 8 miles on week one...and has several runs of 13 miles or more. Deb and I tend to love our long runs, so we like a program that allows and even encourages those 12-15 milers leading up to the 13.1 mile race. Most of our long runs have sections at race pace, so that will be a third day each week my feet will have to get going! This training plan is about five running days per week which is about my normal. I was a six day lady until a stress fracture shortly after qualifying for Boston in 2011. I was deathly afraid I was not going to be healed in time to train for the April 2012 race, but with encouragement, I cross trained and once I could run again, backed off to 3-4 running days per week and then eventually went to five. My 46-year-old body handles that amount most of the time. Stephanie and I will be keeping you posted on our training. Sometime soon I will share my experience of the Fargo Marathon in 2010. It's a very nice race and Stephanie pointed out how it ends indoors. Let's just say indoors can be a little hazardous if you are with anyone with a week stomach... If you aren't planning to do a race this spring or summer but want to train along with us, feel free to print off the training plan Stephanie or I posted and set yourself a virtual race day. At the end of the plan, you can make your Saturday run a "race" distance, time yourself and be sure to have a celebratory lunch out or buy a new "race" shirt for yourself! Happy running--Missee We have had glorious weather this week unless you are a snowman or a skier. Afternoon highs are pushing 40. I even got outside and vacuumed my car yesterday. The warm afternoons and cooler nights make for the most beautiful frost in the mornings. Today, the whole road looked like glitter! I felt like Olaf. The only kicker on the whole freeze/thaw cycle is that there are random slick spots, but that didn't stop my enjoyment of a easy 10 miler. Stephanie is already on her marathon training plan and has chosen a race. I will be starting a 13 week half marathon program on Monday which I will share on the blog. Starting a training program is really exciting because it gives you a specific assignment every day rather than deciding daily. I hope you are able to enjoy the sights and silence of winter. Happy running! Missee
Seventeen weeks from today is the Fargo Marathon... and training begins today. I completed my first long run in the 18 week marathon training program. I am using the Hal Higdon Marathon Training Program Novice 1. The link to this program is here. Along with training programs that are free online, there are apps and books that are available for purchase. The following training program is free online. Hal Higdon has a variety of programs to train for half and full marathons. I have used the Novice 1, Novice 2, and the Intermediate programs. The reason I chose to do Novice 1 is that it is on the lower end for milage. Due to time constraints, and my age, I wanted to keep my milage low for injury prevention and to keep my energy up. I will be following the long run schedule exactly as prescribed. For mid-week runs, I stick to about 4.3 miles, five days per week with additional time doing cross training when time allows. I downloaded a new book from Audible today. This book collection (abridged versions) is written by Sue Grafton. I remembered that Missee and Mom have read these Kinsey Millhone murder mysteries from letter A to Y, so I decided to give this one a try. So far, I'm enjoying it. Kinsey Millhone, the main character, went for a run in the part I listened to today. She had a funny statement about running. "It (running) hurts and I'm slow, but I have good shoes and I like the smell of my own sweat." (A is for Alibi by Sue Graftson, Chapter 2). I agree with Kinsey except for the sweat part. There was a sense that the character appreciates her time running. I can relate with that.
Happy Running! -Stephanie Single digits above zero with a windchill below zero again this morning. This cold stretch is scheduled to come to an end by tomorrow's run. I can't wait! I counted up the number of clothing items (minus shoes) that I wore this morning on my run and it added up to 17. I won't give you the entire list, but I have been wearing three pairs of pants. It isn't very comfortable, but at least my legs are warm. The Friends episode where Joey wears layers upon layers of Chandler's clothes came to mind. Could I BE any more ready for some warmer weather? According to my phone, the temp (without windchill) is supposed to be 24 degrees. Sounds wonderful!
Happy Running! -Stephanie If you didn't catch my pun... I have registered for the Fargo Marathon! The Fargo Marathon will be held on Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 7:00 am. As of Sunday evening, I am officially registered. However, I am about 80% sure that I will be in that race. For the first time ever, I purchased the "Race Insurance" that allows me to get my money back (minus a fee) if I am unable to do the race. There is a piano event that same day and if my daughter qualifies for that, I will not be racing. We also have the potential for track meets that are yet to be scheduled. However, I need to start the training process so I will begin my training program next weekend and the rest is yet to be determined. When looking for a marathon, I decided on Fargo for these reasons. *It is in May. Let's face it... we can never predict the weather. However, I hope the weather will be good (that means less than 70 degrees). *There is a half marathon and a 10K that occur the same day as the marathon. I am strongly encouraging my husband to commit to one of those races and we can both participate. *It is a relatively flat course. *We will start and finish at the Fargo Dome. Having a large indoor space will be nice before and after the race. *Finishers receive a hoodie. In another blog, I will outline my training plan. It is an 18 week program that will begin on Saturday. Although I strictly follow the long run schedule, I have tailored the weekday runs to fit my schedule. Happy Running! -Stephanie
*Do you have a favorite race (5K, Half Marathon, Marathon, etc.)? Tell us what it is in the comments. *Is there a race that you are thinking about doing? Which one? What is keeping you for signing up? On New Year's Eve, I posted some goals for 2018. Since you all saw the web gem from Thursday, those goals could also be assumed to be my goals as a 46-year-old. As runners, there is no way to hide your age and still be honest as well as in the proper age group in races. I'll own being 46. I might just have a lot of polite people in my life, but I am regularly told I don't look old enough to have two kids in college. Age is merely a number. Anyway, back to my goals. Since I put them in writing and on the internet, I felt inspired to work hard and achieve some good things this year. Goal #1: Drink 32 oz of water per day. I am doing a great job on this goal so far. I am making effort to fill my water bottle at work immediately after breakfast service and get at least 20 oz then. I also keep a water bottle handy in the kitchen at home. It even says, "Drink More Water." This still takes thought daily, but I'm getting it done. Goal #2: Eat foods with added sugar one day per week only focusing mainly on sweets, but being aware of added sugar in other foods. This goal is also going very well. I'd mentioned an inability to moderate my intake of sweets, so cutting it down to once weekly helps a lot. My chosen "free" day is Sunday, so even on my birthday, I managed to abstain. My husband and son took me out for Mexican food that night. I declined a margarita and the complimentary fried ice cream was not gluten free anyway. My husband did buy me a candy bar at the convenience store today which I am looking forward to enjoying tomorrow...maybe even for breakfast. Don't judge it, only notice. One day last week, I was wondering about a snack in the evening. Once I had run down the options available, I decided what I really needed was a drink of WATER. Can you believe it?!?!? Goal #3: Do strength training at least 10 minutes three times per week. I'd say this is the goal that I still will continue to work harder. I'm getting the minimum amount, but maybe not as solid as I'd like. I am still doing exercises for my feet, calves, hips and hamstrings. When I'm at the gym, I try to add exercises for my arms and shoulders. So, all three goals are going quite well after two weeks. It's supposed to take about three weeks to start a habit, so I'm in not in the habit range just yet. I will commit to giving another update in a few weeks. You, blog followers, are my accountability friends. Minnesota remains in a deep freeze. We are back to very cold nights and struggle to climb above zero in the afternoons. This morning I tried a treadmill run instead of outdoors due to a -32 windchill. It was so boring compared to running outside with a friend. I did get some new cold weather running gear for my birthday, so look forward to some reviews when I can get outdoors. This is Charlie riding in the truck on a cold, cold night. I think David helped him write that on the window...LOL. That's kind of how I feel after multiple days of super cold weather...HELP! By the way, Bobby made David scratch that off the window before a well-meaning stranger called 911 on the freeway. Life is never dull at my house!
I hope you are able to get out for your runs this week and if not can find a reasonable way to work out before you are also calling for help. Thank you for keeping me accountable to my 2018 goals. Happy running. Missee |
AuthorMissee and Stephanie are two Minnesota sisters and moms who love to run. We are not experts in running, parenting or anything else, but we do have years of experiences that may be helpful or entertaining to others. Archives
May 2020
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