Category: Training

Yes, running hurts, but it’s just pain

9

Ironman training is hard. But, more than anything, Ironman training involves loooonnngggg hours. Ultramarathon training doesn’t have as much volume – but oh boy, it packs a much more painful punch. It’s been a few years since I trained for an ultramarathon, and after the third or fourth looooonnnnggggg run, I remembered just how painful ultra running can be. But, let’s be honest, here. The pain is part of what I like about it. Yes. Running hurts. But, that’s living, as the nerves fire and the muscles strain. With each footfall, you get a very tactile sense of the kinetic …

The fog lifts to reveal the present moment

7

The last two months have been busy. In fact, I haven’t been this busy since I-don’t-remember-when (which explains the poorly updated blog as of late…). When I get this level of busy, and I have limited “me” time, I tend to get cranky, anxious, and fatigued. Needless to say, a busy work schedule is not optimal for training. And, I’ve felt a little off most days, as if my body was not 100%, and my mind has felt foggy. At first, I thought these feelings were simply a result of my I-can-do-two-ironmans-in-one-month stint. To be sure, that trick left a …

I have a secret… I love to taper

12

That’s right. You read that headline correctly. I. LOVE. TO. TAPER. In fact, I think it’s pretty darn taper-ific. I realize this taper-love makes me something of an endurance-weirdo. I read the tweets, Facebook statuses, and articles that attest to how much people hate to taper, or find the taper as something that must be tolerated, not loved. Sure, I understand the taper-tantrums. The first time I did a “real” taper was before my first marathon. I didn’t like it so much that first time. But, on race day, I was able to run so well, on such fresh legs …

Training Days are Teachers – Learn From Them

9

“Tomorrow you will find out where you are with your training,” I said. “Take note of what goes well and what doesn’t. It’s just a training day – learn from it. You’ve got 8 weeks until race day to work on whatever needs work.” It was Friday night, May 31st, and I was giving a presentation to the group of athletes assembled for the Draper Training & Nutrition Lake Placid Training camp. The next morning, we’d be doing two loops of the Ironman Lake Placid bike course. But that night, I didn’t realize how important my advice would be–for myself. My …

(Not) Just Like the First Time: The Ironman Lake Placid Bike Course

8

As we drove north to Lake Placid last weekend, and the one-dimensional terrain of southern New Jersey gave way to the peaks of the Adirondacks, I could feel the flapping of those butterfly wings in my belly. It was a mixture of both excitement and anxiety as we returned to what I consider to be my “home” Ironman course. We were heading to Lake Placid for a long training weekend. John would be running Mt. Marcy in preparation for the VT100 on July 20. I would be joining the Fireman Ironman training camp for a swim-bike-run of the course in anticipation …

Conquering Pain: Accept it. Don’t Ignore it.

10

When John was training for Ironman Cozumel, where he went on to qualify for Kona, he had a piece of paper that read: Pain cannot be ignored: It has to be conquered, and when it inevitably returns, it has to be conquered again. Find what you have and handle it.  Physical Mental Emotional Spiritual Now, I have this same piece of paper, hanging from a clip in front of my desk. It is a reminder of what is different about my training this year. It is a reminder that I have to learn how to conquer pain. Again. And again. …

Road Noise Vest Passes the 100 Mile Test

[Note: Road Noise provided  John and I with road noise vests for our review. We agreed to review the vests and provide our honest assessment.] “So, how did you like the Road Noise vest during the race?” I asked John the morning he ran 100 miles at the NJ Ultra Festival. “It’s the sh!t.” He replied. If you’ve never heard of the Road Noise vest, then I am excited to be the one to introduce you to this invention which solves problems for endurance athletes of all type–runners and cyclists in particular. In sum: Road Noise is a headphone-free way to …

When Ironman Becomes The New Normal

1

After a few years of racing Ironman, John and I have got a solid rhythm. We have a routine that works for pre-, during- and post-race. I’m not saying that Ironman has gotten boring–because for me it definitely hasn’t–but I will say that much of the mystery and uncertainty has been revealed. The unexpected still happens, but in general, we know how the system works. Nutrition, gear, spectating – we got our routines and they work. So what do you do to shake things up? Well, if you are my crazy husband, you sign up for a 100 mile ultrarun. …

Getting My Irish On: Annual St. Pat’s Boardwalk 10 miler

3

For 5 or 6 years now, my spring season has begun with the St. Pat’s Boardwalk 10 mile run, which runs up and down the length of the Atlantic City-Ventnor Boardwalk. This is a very community-friendly race, that raises money for The Donny Fund. I love doing this race, as many of my friends from the local running and triathlon community come out of winter hibernation to enjoy a fun and festive day. This year the weather was still in winter mode, with 35-40 degree temps, and a relatively light 10-12 mph northeast wind. Compared to some years, this is great …

Suffer Today, Win Tomorrow: 20 Weeks to Ironman Lake Placid

9

Twenty weeks, five months, less than half of a year. That’s how much training time I have from now until my third go round with Ironman Lake Placid. (Previous IMLP race reports here: 2010, 2011.) With some experience, my understanding of what “5 months of training” means has changed considerably. For my first Ironman, 20 weeks to go was filled with questions such as: Will I finish? Will I hear Mike Reilly call my name as I cross the finish line? How difficult will it be to pee during the race? What goes on in the changing tent? Is it …