Jun 30 2014
June Recap

I already have a sneaking suspicion that hitting 300 miles monthly this training cycle is going to be my Achilles tendinitis.  For the last 3 months, it’s come down to the last few days of the month. Each month I’ve felt I needed more rest.  I don’t have an obsession with 300 miles, I have just found it humorous I keep making the goal and keep hitting above 290 but below 300.  The heat has been a factor too, it has really sucked it out of me some days.

Once again I had a few more rest days than I would have liked but in reality I think it’s just I had a few more rest days.  My body probably needs them more than I really know.

Total miles: 293

Total Rest days: 6

Total races: 3  (Nicknamed “The Races I’ve Run Alone”

Run for the Dream Half Marathon (1:27.53)

runforthedreamhalftrack

CHKD 8k (32:32)

kriskellie

Pineland Striders 10k  (41:03) (Recap tomorrow)

Longest Run: 20.5 in VA Beach

Shortest run: 1.6 mile cooldown at Pineland Striders 10k

timandi1

Range of pace: 6:11-9:57

Most proud run:

The 20 miler I did two weekends ago.  I felt strong, collected and was about to negative split it.

Thoughts about this month:

For the most part, I did what I needed to do training wise.  I would have liked to do a few more races but realistically it didn’t work out.  By the end of the month my body was rather sore/tired that I knew rest days were a lot better than running through it.  All in all, I’m happy with this month of training.  I got in 2 solid 20 milers and built up my mileage despite the heat.  I’m not going to beat myself up about missing runs or cutting runs short in this heat.  Right now, my primary goal in training is stay injury free.  When it comes to August and September, I will start fine tuning and focusing my training more.

Outside of Running:

I’ve gotten a lot done outside of running too.  I have had a lot of run relaxing, hanging out and planning my wedding.  This month Tim and I were able to get a venue, photographer and wedding planner.  Now we have the important things to plan: booze and cake.

So far in July I know I’ll be doing the following races:

July 4th: Haddon Heights Firecracker 5k (Haddon Heights, NJ)

July 13th: Boilermaker 15k (Utica, NY)

I’m traveling the weekend of July 18th and I would like to find a 5k the last weekend in July (I just haven’t looked yet).

Questions for you:

How was your month of June?

What are your plans for July?

Hollie 23 Comments
Jun 29 2014
WG marathon Week 8: 55 Miles (Boring)
Monday: 11 mile easy Nike Core and Arms
Tuesday: OFF  
Wednesday: 12.5 miles easy Nike Core
Thursday: 10.75 miles easy  
Friday: 11.25 miles easy  
Saturday: Pineland Striders 10k (41:03) total miles 10.2 Nike Core
Sunday: 15 miles easy. EDIT: OFF  

 

Thoughts:

I’m not really sure what I think about this week of training.  I had wanted to get a tempo run in but my legs were not feeling it.  My legs have absorbed all the mileage from the last few weeks and I’ve found myself extremely tired and sore.  I was hoping to make it until the week of the 6th to take a cut back week but I’m going to cut back this week.

None of my runs except for Saturday were anything exciting.  They weren’t good or bad but nothing really sticks out from them.  They were just miles in the bank.  My race on Saturday (recap Tuesday) was about the same.  It is about 3 minutes from my PR but it was hot, my legs are tired and I don’t expect a summer 10k PR.  That being said I’m happy with my effort and I can never be upset with a tempo workout.

Sunday I had planned to run a shorter long run. I woke up not really feeling anything. Running a 15 mile run wasn’t going to do anything for me and resting was just an all around better choice. I built up to a couple of 20 milers lately and that is not something I want to maintain every single week (nor would it be smart).

That’s all I really have about this week.  I don’t have anything exciting and no wild animals attacked me.  It was just another week of hot, muggy summer training.

Training plans next week:

I want to have a cut back week.  To start off, I’m getting a deep tissue massage tonight.  I know my legs desperately need it, I just haven’t wanted to cough up 100 dollars (YAY NJ is expensive in everything) for one.   I plan to rest my legs running wise.  I think I would like to do some cross training (elliptical and weights).  I don’t really have a set mileage goal next week but my goal is to really recover.  I’m hopefully doing a 5k on July 4th.  I’m hoping a few days of TLC will really get me feeling good.

Questions for you:

Do you get deep tissue massages?

What are your best methods of recovery from hard training weeks?

Hollie 15 Comments
Jun 28 2014
The Pop Shop (Collingswood)

The Pop Shop (Collingswood) 

ETA: Now the Pop Shop has a location in Medford too.

Last weekend, I met Danielle and Amelia at the Pop Shop in Collingswood, NJ.  I needed an excuse to see them, and the Pop Shop has been on my top to do diner list.  I sat down and was immediately not disappointed. The loud music, the openness, everything about this screamed adorable diner, and why have I not been here? Before even beginning to order or eat, the Pop Shop began at the top of my list.

danielleameliaandipopshop

The Pop Shop Atmosphere: A

The Pop Shop is located in downtown Collingswood. The exterior is funky and stands out among buildings.

Although the Pop Shop is a little bit loud for my liking, I love everything about it.  The dining room of The Pop Shop is fun, bright with bubble gum colors, and it’s open.  I love the general and overall style.

The Pop Shop Coffee: A

The woman was generous and brought a lovely cup of coffee topped with whipped cream.  The whipped cream was so stacked it nearly toppled over.  I can never have complaints about that.  The coffee itself was delicious as well.

thepopshopcoffee

Food: A

The Pop Shop has a smaller menu than most “regular” diners in NJ.  It has a great selection of salads, sandwiches, and their most well known grilled cheeses. They have everything fro American comfort food, to grilled cheese sandwiches made on brioche french toast, English muffins, omelets, and chocolate chip pancakes. They even have a gluten-free menu! I’ve been to The Pop Shop multiple times and ordered a bit of everything.

The first time I went, I ordered the smoked salmon salad.  Despite having a much smaller menu, it’s clear that Pop Shop does each dish exceptionally well.  There isn’t a need for an overall extensive list because everything is okay.

thepopshopsalad

The smoked salmon salad was one of the best salads I’ve had in a while.  It came with smoked salmon, goat cheese, caramelized onions, and mixed greens.  I wish it had come with bread, but other than that I have no complaints.  The salad was perfection.

Dessert: A

You truly cannot go to the Pop Shop without getting dessert.  They are one of the most well-known dessert places in South Jersey.  The Pop Shop specializes in ice cream, soda fountains, and sundaes.  I had to get a Sundae.  (It was, after all, Sundae Sunday). I ended up getting a vanilla sundae with whipped cream, brownie, and cookie crumbles.  It was excellent.  Unfortunately, I was so full from eating all day I had to bring it partially back home.  I enjoyed the second half the day after just as much as the first.

thepopshopsundae

thepopshopsundae1

Price: $

It was 20 dollars for the salad, coffee, and huge sundae.

Would I come back to The Pop Shop?

Yes, I had a great experience, and it’s an excellent spot for kids. They even host birthday parties and events if you are looking to do that.

You can see all diner reviews here. 

Question for you:

Have you ever been to a restaurant featured on television?

 

Hollie 11 Comments
Jun 24 2014
Bulky Shoes Save the Day

A question I’ve gotten is: how have you stayed injury free for a while now?

I’ve been injury free (knock on wood) for close to two years now.  I’m not a pro at keeping myself injury free and I know there will be a time I’ll get injured again.

Being injured has always given me a time to think about how I got to that point.  For instance, when I got a stress fracture on my 21st birthday I orginally thought I had bad luck.  Looking back I had extremely poor training (running every single run too fast and my body couldn’t handle it). To give you an idea, my PR pace in a half marathon was around 7 minutes and I thought I had to run 7 miles under 7:30 daily to get faster. Running fast during every training run doesn’t equal racing fast. It equals eventually getting injured.

Now I’ve adopted a “slow and steady” wins the race type of mentality.  It’s not a secret that I run extremely high mileage.  I’m pushing 60 miles most weeks and my comfort zone (and what I would consider my best running) is done when I’ve run 70 mile weeks.

That being said I’m running them at a lot easier pace.  That is why (I believe) I’ve gotten faster and stayed injury free for now.  I’m running high, easy miles.  It’s almost as if I don’t leave the base building phase. I’m less tired than running for an hour at a faster pace.

I don’t go to the track and run 400s, 800s…actually I just don’t go to the track. I’ve been to the track twice in my running career to do a “speed workout”.

My speed work is done in the form of races or long uptempos (runs at a slower pace then tempo…for me that is around 7-7:15 pace).  I would rather run 12 miles at a 7 min pace versus running 12X400s at a 5:30 pace.

Outside of my training I put running as one of my priorities.  I try and get enough rest and sleep to recover and I try to eat somewhat healthy.  That being said there are some days that I get neither.

I’m terrible at stretching so I won’t pretend that I do that.

Another thing that I believe has kept me injury free are the shoes I wear.  I love running in heavier and more cushioned shoes.  With the exception of race day, the shoes that are my favorite are the most supportive.  The Brooks Glycerin, the Newton Gravity and occasionally the Nike Vomero all have a lot of support.  The lightest shoe that is currently in my rotation is the Nike Pegasus. Most people would describe them as a big, bulky shoe.

Mimilist shoes such as the Nike Free, Vibrams, Kinvera or the Brooks Pure series might work for some but they don’t work for me.  The moment I wear something light weight is the moment I begin to feel aches and pains. Personally, I don’t think that wearing light weight shoes works for me if I want to wear high mileage and I’m okay with that. I love the cushion provided in these shoes.

Finally I’m not afraid to take rest days or a few days when things feel weird or off.  There have been several times that I have felt a weird ache or pain and taken 2-3 days off.  I’ve gotten a deep tissue massage or I’ve foam rolled until it gets better.  It’s mentally hard to watch as a week of training goes down the tubes because you’ve taken 5 rest days…but it’s a hell of a lot easier to watch two days versus two months of training go down the tubes.

These are just things I’ve found to help keep me healthy.  They might work for you or might not.

Questions for you:

How do you stay injury free?

Do you like light weight or heavier shoes?

Hollie 39 Comments
Jun 23 2014
Real Wedding Updates

I guess I can finally update the wedding news.  Tim and I now have a date!  We will be getting married April 12, 2015 in Norfolk, VA.

When one of my best friends, Theresa, sent me photos of an absolute stunning venue down there….I just knew that was the venue for me.  Unfotatenly after multiple emails and a phone call or two, I was unable to get into contact with anyone.  I thought maybe they were closed for good.

So two weeks ago Tim and I decided to look at other venues.  They were okay but as I said previously said they weren’t for me.  I wanted something big and open and they were closed and dark.  Not dark in a bad way but darker than I wanted.  Since one of the venues was close to my dream venue I walked over and looked from the outside in.  My dream venue was closed but I knew just looking at the venue it was the one for me.

The only good thing about that wedding venue tour day (aside from knowing the previous two were not for me) was that I met and loved our wedding planner Hannah.  She is down to earth, casual, relaxed and was already willing to help.

And help she did.  She was able to get more information about the venue I wanted as well as other comprable and most similar options. 

So last week I (Tim was away) went and toured the venue of my dreams.  I loved it.  I loved everything about it and there was nothing I didn’t like.  After finding a date in our range we committed to it.  So we do have a venue and a date.

So now we currently have:

Date: April 12, 2015

A venue in Norfolk, VA

Photographer: Justice Photography (They took some photos of me last January and I loved them).

A Wedding Planner: Hannah Hildabrandt Events

A Rough Outline of a Guest List (100-130 guests)

I guess you could say it’s coming along quite nicely and I’m actually excited to keep planning.   I’m not excited to try on wedding dress…maybe I’ll just wear runderwear.

Questions for you:

If you are married, how many people did you have at your wedding?

In one sentence tell your dream wedding.

Mine is in a big open facility facing the water.

Hollie 39 Comments
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