The Run/Walk Approach to Running a Marathon – Steamtown 2011

October 10th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (11 Comments)

I do not recommend running a marathon on short notice.

I will never do that again.

But do I regret it?

Destined to Be an Old Woman with No Regrets

Absolutely not.

And if you told me you wanted to try it, I wouldn’t talk you out of it either. If you’re an experienced runner and have run a marathon or two before? Go for it.

With that said, it’s obviously best to run a marathon when properly trained – but if it weren’t for the fact that I went into this under-trained, I probably wouldn’t have investigated the run/walk approach to a marathon.  From where I sit now, I’m very grateful I had a reason to try it.  Read more...

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Steamtown Marathon 2011

October 9th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (9 Comments)

I made it!

Steamtown Marathon 2011 Finisher

4 hours and 50 minutes (go slowly was exactly right) and a sore left knee, but so SO relieved and happy!

And can I just say: Krispy Kreme donuts after 26.2 miles?

Krispy Kreme at Steamtown Marathon

Best. Donut. I’ve. Ever. Eaten.

EVER!

I’ll write a real race recap tomorrow, but I’m here tonight to say that I am delighted with how it well went, sore knee or not. I can’t wait to sing the praises of Jeff Galloway’s run/walk approach to a marathon – it worked like a charm!  Read more...

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Last Minute Marathon Lessons

October 3rd, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (4 Comments)

So it’s the first week in October, and that means this is marathon week over here.

October Calendar

I’ve had a couple of training trial and errors through the month of September, and there’s a couple things I’ve learned over these past 4 weeks.  This little ditty is for you long distance runners out there who might find yourself signing up for a marathon at the last minute because you were thinking “hey, that sounds like fun!!”  Read more...

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Yoga at Home

September 27th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (8 Comments)

With all this extra mileage from last minute marathon training, I’ve been trying to get back into the groove with a more regular yoga practice.

Increased mileage –> greater risk of injury –> more yoga to help offset the additional time and distance on my legs and feet.

I really fell in love with yoga at the beginning of the year when I started getting to yoga classes on a regular basis.  I was going a few days a week and absolutely noticed a difference in myself – both physically and emotionally.  Read more...

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Long Run Saturday

September 17th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (5 Comments)

OK baby girl, enough with the bike riding birthday breakfast bonanzas – you’ve got a marathon you’re supposed to be training for.

Steamtown Marathon Letter

Oh shoot, you’re right!  Well, it’s Saturday, so I guess that means we’re running long today, eh?

A few weeks ago I made my own version of Brendan Brazier’s Direct Fuel Bites for long runs. This batch was made much like the one I made last year – with dates, coconut oil and cocoa powder. This time I threw in a little dulse (for electrolytes), hemp seeds (for protein), chia seeds (for kicks) and shredded coconut (for fun).  Read more...

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Homeschool Lessons for All

September 13th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (1 Comments)

Now that Maxine can ride her bike, Homeschool Phys Ed class is officially in session.

Riding Buds The Claw Over My Shoulder Ready to Ride

Is this really Phys Ed? Or is this just a morning run in disguise?

Whatever you want to call it, a bunch of lessons were learned on our group outing this morning – lessons for both young and old.

A Lesson for Mom

When Maxine says “Whoa, whoa, whoa!!”, that means she’s about to come to a sudden and complete stop in the middle of the sidewalk.

This lead to the discovery that I run too closely behind Maxine.  Read more...

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Steamtown or Bust (except hopefully not bust)

September 4th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (2 Comments)

About a month ago, my crazy running friend Shawn got the crazy idea that we should put our names on the waiting list to run the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  This is the same dude we watched participate in the Lake Placid Ironman this year – thus confirming his insanity.

Steamtown is known for being one of the fastest marathon courses in the country, which makes it a really popular race.  Many people want to run this race to increase their chance at qualifying for the Boston Marathon – and I totally get that.  Read more...

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Let’s Play Matchmaker

August 27th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (1 Comments)

When it comes to what to eat after workout or run, I don’t think much beyond “eat real food” unless that workout has been particularly long and hard.  (I am purposefully ignoring the obvious joke here.  This post just started!)

The neighborhood running group I occasionally run with sent an email yesterday saying they were going 10 miles Saturday morning. I haven’t run much more then 4 or 5 miles at a shot all summer – but I decided to join them for 10 today, and my reasons for doing so were three fold:  Read more...

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Getting Ready for a Race

August 12th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (1 Comments)

I’ve got a 5K road race tomorrow morning, so all of my usual pre-race rules are on my mind. If you’ve got an upcoming race on your calendar – here are a couple of things to think about before you toe the line.

Nothing New on Race Day

Let’s say that again.

NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY.

Race day is not the day for brand new clothes, brand new shoes, brand new food or brand new crazy ideas. Stick with tried and true gear and grub.  No new theory or hypothesis testing today either.

no new gear  Read more...

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Sea of People

July 24th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Fitness - (4 Comments)

Zak and I are in Lake Placid today to cheer on a friend who’s participating in the 2011 Lake Placid Ironman.

Sea of People Lake Placid Ironman 2011

(click pic to enlarge!)

All those green and pink round things in the water are the athletes who were waiting to head out on their 2.4 mile swim at 7 AM this morning. (The men are in green, women in pink.) After their swim is a 112 mile bike ride and then a 26.2 mile run for dessert.  Read more...

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