Tag Archives: accessories

February 28, 2013 · 11:40 am

Winter Running Gear

Let’s all stop and talk about this outfit:

Like woah.

Like woah.

I am not the biggest fan of running in cold temperature but realize that it needs to be done from time to time.  I always overdress and die of a heatstroke a mile into my run.  I can never seem to find the right combination of running hat, gloves, jacket, etc.  On this day, I was in a hurry to get outside and do a quick run before it got dark and started raining. It was only at the end of my run did I actually look at myself and start laughing at my outfit.

In my head, I imagined myself to be one of the outdoor runners in Nike or Lululemon ads.  I’m not. Not even close.  This is why I thought I’d share with you this monstrosity of an outfit.  And my face post run is not cute so I had to edit that out.  Boy, I can’t wait for spring when shorts and a tank top are all I need.

What do you wear on your outdoor winter runs?

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February 15, 2013 · 1:05 pm

Runners are bad at recovering

marathon-recovery

I’m really bad at recovering. It’s one of those things that you don’t do until you have to.  I should know by now that I need to focus more on things like recovering, stretching, and healing.  I recently started to spend time each week on aiding my body in recovering from long runs and tough runs like tempos or sprints.  I’m at the point in my training where I start to get injured and I want to have just one successful training period without an injury.  So I’m doing what I can to take care of my body after beating it up.

When I get home each night, I have my compression socks and foam roller waiting for me.  I have to keep them right next to my Recoverybed or else I won’t use them.  I’ve recently started running my long runs with compression socks on as well.  I’m not sure if it helps during the run but I figure with my blood clotting history and the stress I’m inflicting on my legs, it can’t hurt.

I also started taking notice of what ailments and aches I have during my runs.  Usually, if I feel a pulled muscle or a knee pain, it tends to pass after a few miles. But now, I’m taking note of it and dealing with it post run. That little knee pain can become much more a few weeks later.  I’ve also started planning my recovery days better. I use to push through and my runs would be all over the place. After reading about how to properly let your legs recover, I know I need to work my rest days into my schedule as a mandatory training day.

I’ve had too many regrets about not recovering properly after a run. It’s now becoming part of my workout rather than an afterthought.

How do you recover?

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Filed under Injuries, Lessons Learned, Rules of the Road, Training

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January 31, 2013 · 2:42 pm

Rewarding yourself

rewardsAs with any goal, you should always look to reward yourself. Not only so you have something to work towards but also so you remember what you did to reach that goal.   The end of a training cycle is not just reaching the finish line; but also the struggle and commitment it took to get to the finish line.  Celebrate your daily/weekly devotion and effort.

When I first started running, I would reward myself with an awesome dinner or some wine. Then I started running more often and longer and I was packing on the pounds.  I realized my reward was counterproductive to my goals. I have since learned that I want to celebrate the journey and have a reminder of what I accomplished.

Here are some of my favorite ways to reward myself:

1.  New running clothes!

runingskirt

My thought is that if you use the ones you have often enough; its time to shop for more.  And who doesn’t get excited for that first workout in new clothes? One of my new favorite online running apparel stores is RunningSkirts.com.  They keep me stylish while sweating it out!

2.  Sleeping!

There’s nothing I look forward to then taking a nice mid day nap after my long runs.  I let myself sleep as long as I want with a movie of my choice playing in the background. My muscles get to relax and my body can rest.

3.  Race Bling!

ericasara26.2necklace

When I ran my first marathon, I promised myself a 26.2 commemorative necklace to mark my triumph.  And the day after the race, I placed my order. And now I wear it everyday to remember the journey that got me to the finish line.  EricaSaraDesigns.com makes great jewelry to keep you motivated during training and to reward yourself!

4.  Signing up for another race!

When you accomplish one race, keep going and look towards the next with a different goal. Whether it be to run a longer distance, run faster, conquer a trail run or a hard course, or to just run for fun.

*I was not paid by any retailers mentioned in this blog.  And I realize I abused the use of exclamation points – sorry.

How do you reward yourself?

 

 

 

 

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