Runderella

Journey through my love for running and everything in between

Don’t Call it a Comeback…

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…I’ve been here for years. I’m corny, I know. 🙂

Today marks the beginning of my return to running after obtaining clearance from my physical therapist. Since I have not run since November 2016, I will be following Jeff Galloway’s beginner 5K program. Using a run/walk program is a great way to build a training base while reducing the risk of injury.

Jeff Galloway’s 5K program runs 15 weeks and in order to keep me motivated, I’ve registered for the Rescue Run 5K, which occurs at the end of the 15 weeks. Talk about perfect timing, eh? This run benefits The Monster Milers, a shelter dog running and rescue organization in Philadelphia. I’m also excited because it is my first run as a Oiselle Volée runner, a wonderful and supportive community of women.

Plans for this week: (Per Jeff Galloway’s Program)

Monday – Walk or XT

Tuesday – Run 10-15 minutes

Wednesday – Walk or XT

Thursday – Run 10-15 minutes

Friday – Walk or XT

Saturday – Rest Day

Sunday – 1 mile

My XT usually involves taking a class on my Peloton Bike or swim at the gym pool. Stretching/yoga is part of my daily routine, which will aid in my return to running, as well as the recovery process.

Week 1, here I come. Follow my daily journey on Instagram.

Have a great week, and if you’re in the middle of a heat wave (as we are in PA), stay cool.

Oh, hi there! It’s been a while.

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It’s been a while, friends, and I’ve missed being here talking to you about my running or traveling adventures. Yesterday, I found myself at work, crying while watching the live broadcast of the Broad Street Run on the TV in the break room. This is why.

Countless visits to the sports medicine doctor, multiple X-Rays, acupuncture, chiropractor visits and physical therapy has left me in a state of frustration. I’m seeing a new physical therapist and for once, I am experiencing positive changes, although it isn’t without experiencing both physical and emotional pain. Janet, my physical therapist, cleared me for running and has suggested a goal for me to run a 5K in 3 months. This makes me beyond excited.

The pain I experienced while running was on my left hip and IT band, with some minor pain on the right knee. MRI showed normal hip scan, however, it showed chronic bilateral hamstring tendonitis. This explained the hamstring pain I felt whenever I went to my beloved Flywheel classes, and it was always when off the saddle. I stopped going to Flywheel and stopped running and giving up both pained me immensely.

But I’m really stubborn…I mean, REALLY stubborn.

Since I was cleared to run, I deleted a 5K and added another 5K. I also added a half marathon: Disney’s Princess Half in February. Not only it is the 10th Anniversary of the half, but my 5th running anniversary. That’s my girls trip, and I cannot wait!
Back to the stubbornness part. Not only did I sign up for a half marathon, I bought a Peloton bike.

 

This bike is beyond amazeballs! I fell in love with spinning years ago and now that I’m able to do this from the comfort of my own home is fantastic. I’m taking it easy and concentrating on endurance classes, which focus on heart rate training and ensuring to spend less time off the saddle. Hopefully that will be helpful when it comes to training for races.

So, where have I been?

In February, I went on a last minute trip to Disney World. Last month, had a blast from taking an 8-day trip to Puerto Rico with my sister. This year, I have a few trips planned – Montréal, Seattle, DC and back to WDW in September for a week. I’ve also been working, a lot, and currently studying for my neonatal nurse certification (RNC-NIC)

On a flight to San Juan 🙂

I just want to take a moment to thank all of you who reached out to me on Instagram and Twitter as well as  the emails you’ve sent just to check in.

It means a lot to me, so thank you! <3

Have a wonderful Monday!

Goodbye, Summer. I’ll miss you.

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Summer has come and gone and while I’m bummed that it’s over, I’m looking forward to autumn. I love fall for its cooler weather, pumpkin-everything, sweaters and boots, as well as the races that I will hopefully be running. I mention ‘hopefully’ because I’ve had my share of injuries, especially with my left hip. Physical therapy exercises, yoga, and Flywheel have helped tremendously in getting me back on the pavement, but the recurring fear of injury always lingers in the back of my mind.

Aside from working, this summer I made a week-long trip to Disney World, spent numerous weekends relaxing and soaking up the sun at the Jersey Shore and went on a few trips to NYC to see a few concerts. Didn’t take out my beloved Schwinn out all summer, so back to the attic it goes until next year.

This season, my focus will be on keeping my mind and body healthy. I’m working full-time, part-time and per-diem. Fortunately for me, the per-diem position doesn’t start until November, but it means I have to cut my Disney’s Wine and Dine trip a few days short. I am also taking six credits at the university doing nursing research. It takes me back to my days studying to become a nurse. I was working full-time and at the college full-time. Looking back, I still don’t know how I managed to pull it together, yet it is a reminder that you can do anything you put your mind, heart, and soul into. I wanted to be an RN so bad.

Training for Lumiere’s Challenge has not been an easy task, that’s for sure. The plan is to take it real easy on the 10K, possibly walking it, and conserving any and all remaining energy to run the half on Sunday. I signed up for Aaptiv (formerly Skyfit), an app for iOS and Android that has multiple workouts, including training plans for races. Last week, I started using it for the half marathon training and I loved it. I ran faster than I had in years! The coach walks you through pace, breathing techniques and alerts you when it’s time to slow down or speed up. The music is fun and upbeat and while the workout was tough, it pushed me to give everything that I had in me. I plan on continuing the Aaptiv half marathon training, including on race day. This is not a sponsored post, btw. I am just really enjoying Aaptiv at the moment.

Goals after Wine and Dine weekend are to pick a late spring/early summer race that I can properly train for. Working again with Coach Kristy is also one of my running goals.

Well, this is a brief update for now. I’m off to do some major homework since I’ll be away in Puerto Rico for two weeks 🙂 I’ll be back soon!

Until next time,

Lindy xo

Spring Fever – Spartan Race Giveaway

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Temperatures are slowly rising and what better way to celebrate the upcoming arrival of spring, than with a Spartan Race Giveaway.

 

Spartan Race is an obstacle course inspired by Ancient Spartan warriors who embodied ultimate endurance, resilience and strength.  Spartan Race is designed to push you to tap into your highest potential and greatest strength. It is a true adventure that will leave you exhilarated and empowered in ways you’ve never experienced before.

If you’ve tried a trail race, mud run, obstacle race, or adventure race then it is time to try a Spartan Race.

And there is something for everyone:

  • Spartan Sprint: 3+ miles with 15+ obstacles
  • Spartan Super: 8+ miles with 20+ obstacles
  • Spartan Beast: 12+ miles with 25+ obstacles

Enter the Reebok Spartan Race Giveaway below. The giveaway will run for a week from March 11 until March 18, 2016 at 11:59 PM. Winner will be announced on the blog and on Facebook.

Good Luck! If you don’t win, don’t fret. You can still win big by saving 20% off all races with the code listed below.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Philadelphia Half Marathon: Race Recap

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Better late than never, I’m back blogging and I want to share my experience at the 2015 Philadelphia Half Marathon.

It’s usually a 20 minute drive to the start line from my house and due to the pre-race jitters, I leave really early so I can park in my go-to garage and relax with my bagel and coffee. Although some people expressed disappointment with the length of the security lines, having walked through at 6:30, I experienced no issues whatsoever.

Having lost a few weeks due to IT Band issues during the summer months, I didn’t feel good about aiming for a PR in this race, therefore I moved back to the penultimate corral and set a goal to just have a good time. Coach Kristy recommended I take it easy during the first half, and if feeling okay, give it all I’ve got during the latter half.

Waiting at the corral was probably the worst part. Most of it was my damn fault – I didn’t dress properly for the temperature. I wore a short sleeved tech shirt and my Lululemon capris. Race morning temperatures were scheduled to be in the 40’s, but the wind was brutal, therefore with the wind chill, it felt like they were more in the 30’s. The race started a bit late and waiting in the cold just stiffened my body. My body was in so much pain before I even started and I contemplated leaving. A runner standing in front of me saw me shivering and offered me his space blanket, but once I saw he was wearing shorts and a sleeveless top, I politely declined.

First three miles were really crowded and I couldn’t slow down to maintain the pace Coach Kristy suggested for the first half, which was 11:50/mm. I was averaging 10:30/mm pace and even then I was pushed by a girl who seemed upset she couldn’t get by due to the crowded course. While I do understand her frustration, some runners went up on the sidewalk, an option she had and chose not to take, instead she pushed runners around. From what I witnessed, I wasn’t the only one.

There was a headwind that followed us throughout the course. The sun peeked between the clouds, yet the cold didn’t deter Philadelphians from coming out and supporting runners on the course. The city was awake and alive, one of my favorite things of running in my city. The screaming and cheering is music to my ears!

I kept my usual tried-and-true routine of fueling every 5K with gel (used Carb Boom Energy Gel) and hydrated frequently. I was still feeling pain in my joints from the cold wind, so aside from that, I was feeling okay for the most part. The hill past the Philadelphia Zoo, (you Philly runners know what I’m talking about) nearly killed me. It’s a steep hill and just downright mean. There’s nothing sweet about Sweetbriar Road. I walked the entire hill in order to avoid depleting glycogen stores. In fact, most of the runners I saw were actually walking it.

Elevation Chart for Philadelphia Half Marathon

Reached the top and started to run again when tummy issues decided to strike. Past the Please Touch Museum was a fuel station which happened to have no gels, and I knew I’d be in trouble since I only carried two gels with me. Mile 10 was a beautiful downhill and at the start of 11, we were greeted by people dressed in costumes, dancing and cheering on. That was probably the highlight of my day! I was feeling tired and upon reaching mile 12, I looked at my Garmin and saw that my time was 2:27 and I knew I wasn’t going to PR.

Mile 13 is a slight uphill and I just gave it everything that I had in me. I crossed the finish line in 2:38; my goal was 2:35.

Running the Philadelphia Half is probably one of my favorite races, aside from the Broad Street Run. The medal is absolutely perfect, too! Many thanks to Coach Kristy at Run the Long Road Coaching for her guidance.

I’ve taken some time off to relax and take a break from training. I’ve spent time reading, spending time with family and friends and my pets but now I’m ready to get back into running and cross-training.

I have a giveaway coming up for the New Year, so stay tuned because it’s a pretty cool one 🙂

Hope you’re all doing well.

Lindy xx

Galloway Blogger Tips | Training Plan

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Here are some useful tips from Jeff Galloway on the importance of having a training plan.

THE TRAINING PLAN

  • WHY SHOULD I HAVE A TRAINING PLAN?  When using a proven strategy, a runner gains control over fatigue while improving motivation.  Those who follow the right training plan, for the individual,  tend to improve more, with less injury risk.
  • WOULD BEGINNERS BENEFIT MORE FROM A PLAN  Unfortunately, most beginners “run as they feel” or follow conflicting advice.  This leads to confusion and more aches and pains.   The right schedule will systematically increase the type of running needed for a goal, with strategic rest for rebuilding.

 

  • KEY TRAINING ELEMENTS:

1)   A longer run builds endurance,

2)  A hilly run builds strength,

3) Scenic or social runs insert fun and keep you coming back for more.

WHAT IS ADDED TO A PLAN IF THE GOAL IS TO RUN FASTER?  The right training plan will gradually increase the speed repetitions needed for the individual goal.  Easier days and rest days must be inserted before and after speed workouts.  To avoid injury, the pace and the increase must be realistic for the individual.

  • EVERY OTHER DAY!  Most runners—especially beginners—run best when they run every other day.  This allows for the “weak links” to heal.  The very slow long run is usually on the weekend, when there is more time available.  Hills and fun days can be run on the short runs during the week (for example, Tuesday and Thursday)
  • SHOULD I EXERCISE ON NON-RUNNING DAYS? While you don’t have to exert yourself on non running days to improve your running, exercise will energize your mind, and improve your attitude and vitality—while burning some fat.  So I recommend any exercise that does not fatigue the calf muscle, such as recreational walking.DOES VARIETY HELP?  Changing things a bit can improve motivation.   You don’t have to change the “mission” on specific days, but alternating some of the courses or running with different groups can make each day more interesting.
  • WHAT ARE VARIOUS MISSIONS, FOR VARIOUS DAYS? Each type of run bestows a different benefit.  Hill runs build strength.  Drills that work on cadence, gentle acceleration and gliding will improve your running form.  Long runs produce stamina and endurance.
  • WHAT SHOULD I DO THE DAY BEFORE AND THE DAY AFTER LONG OR FASTER RUNS?  Take it easy on these days.  Do little or no exercise, don’t over-eat, drink 8 glasses of water/sports drinks, and focus on how you will enjoy the next run.
  • SHOULD I SKIP THE REST DAYS—TO IMPROVE MORE QUICKLY.  Not Recommended!  It is during the days off from running that the running body rebuilds and improves.  While some runners can get away with running short and slow runs on rest days for a while, these “junk miles” can compromise recovery and lead to injuries.
  • IF I DON’T LIKE A WORKOUT CAN I SUBSTITUTE? Following a consistent plan is more likely to lead to success and improve motivation.  Those who pick various elements from different schedules experience  more burnout and injury.

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When I first started running, I ran by “feel”, not having an actual plan in place. While this allowed me to finish a race, I wasn’t finishing strong and caused a lot of injury to my body (ankle sprains, continuous IT band issues). Having a training plan along with a running coach, I lowered my half marathon time from 3:04 to 2:37 and I’m feeling much stronger every day. I’m currently training for the Philadelphia Half Marathon in November.

 

Do you run with a training plan?