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Category Archives: Training

Training Last Week: Two Miles of Running

April 22, 2019 By in Running, Training Tags: , , , , , 5 Comments
Training Last Week: Two Miles of Running

Last week, I ran 2 miles. I’m not hurt or injured, but I didn’t feel like running. After the Atlantic City Half Marathon on Sunday, I needed a break from running. It didn’t go well, and I had no desire to run. On Monday I woke up and said eh maybe tomorrow. Tuesday I said, perhaps tomorrow…

Monday: 2000 meter swim
Tuesday: Hour Hike
Wednesday: 2-mile run/hike with Alexis
Thursday: 2050 meter swim
Friday: 2000 meter swim
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 13.4-mile hike at High Point State Park

Thoughts:

Spring never came together for me. I showed up and showed up and showed up. I ran hard workouts, I ran hard races, but other things got in the way. Life was busy and often mentally draining.  No big deal, but it played a role in my running. My Spring season isn’t mainly done, and I have plenty of races but will I run anywhere close to a 1:22 or even 1:25 this Spring, probably not. Rebuilding seasons are essential, and I know the rest will do me well.

So anyway, after the Atlantic City Half I decided I wanted to take a couple of days off. A couple of days turned into mostly a week (with 2 miles on Wednesday) because it was so beautiful.

Swimming:

The white elephant in the room…OMG, I went swimming. Yes, the rumors are true. As many people know, I grew up a swimmer (You can read my “growing up story” here). I swam competitively through high school and college. It was fun. I decided to get in the pool for the first time in a long time.

Back in my day (LOL), we didn’t have GPS watches to count laps and meters, so it was a new experience for me to have a watch that does it all. It’s so cool to see splits from each lap. I’m enjoying swimming. I don’t know how long I’ll swim and keep it up, but I’m enjoying it now. I swim 2000 meters straight.  I’m enjoying how I put my face into the water and don’t talk or know anything for about 45 minutes.

swimming me

13.4 Mile Hike:

This was one of our longest hikes yet. We’ve never been to High Point. We woke up early and treked along. It was a fun loop because there every mile was different from stream crossings to rain, to climbing up to the top. It was a lot of fun.  As it gets into the Spring and Summer, I’m looking forward to adding more hiking into my week (when time permits).

hiking high point state park me

Next Week:

The last week has been a nice break from running. I am going to start running again.  I think I’ll probably swim some too. I joined a gym and have at least a one month contract so might as well use it.

Posts from the Week:

Guide to Vital Proteins Products

April Fools Half Marathon (1:30.30)

Finally, have you subscribed to the LOLZletter?

It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport. This week I’m talking about recovery!

Questions for you:

When was your last running break?

What is something you did growing up but not anymore? 

 

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April Fools Half Marathon (1:30.30)

April 17, 2019 By in Running, Training Tags: , , , , , 13 Comments
April Fools Half Marathon (1:30.30)

This year’s April Fools Half was a personal worst for me. It wasn’t the worst weather, but it wasn’t my day. It hasn’t my season, but that’s okay they all can’t be. I’ve come to terms with that, and I’m not magically expecting PRs. I’ve run the last five half marathons between 1:29-1:31. Far from the 1:24 I ran a couple of years ago in AC.

Going into April Fools, I had a lot going on. Earlier in the week, I had gotten shots in my upper thigh. Even though it had nothing to do with running, it made me sore. The week before, I cut out a workout, added an extra rest day, and just tried to rest. My legs did not feel good, and mentally I didn’t either.

But I love racing in Atlantic City, and I think the race is always well put together. The week leading up to the race had everything from torrential downpours, to thunderstorms, to the wind, and finally settled on no rain but 100% humidity. Joy! We haven’t had many days that have been humid. Yet, they seem to fall on race days.

While walking around, I felt like I was breathing through a straw. The race started with no issues, and we were off. Immediately I found myself as the fifth woman. The first four women were no more than 20 seconds in front of me. I bounced around a few places but ultimately settled into fourth.

The first mile I hit in 6:40. I felt pretty good. I thought, wow this might be a surprisingly good day for me. I just kind of cruising and felt like I wasn’t putting in that much effort.

april fools half marathon atlantic city me running

Thank you Lisa for the photos

The second mile I ran in 6:36 which looking back was a way to fast for the day. I didn’t feel bad, but you shouldn’t “feel bad” at mile 2 of a half marathon.

I hit the 5k in 20:38 which isn’t all that far off from some 5ks I’ve recently run. We just kept running along the boardwalk and couldn’t see more than 20 feet in front. The fog and humidity were thick, and I was sweating up a storm.

We left the boardwalk and headed towards Ventnor. I was running alone, and I couldn’t seem to get any sort of groove. I thought I might be able to hold the same pace, but the humidity began weighing on me.

The next couple of miles are on the streets of Ventnor. There isn’t a huge crowd, but it’s still fun. I hit the halfway point at 44:00 and I knew I would not be able to keep that pace. I had taken the race out too fast for the weather…

As we headed back towards Atlantic City, we began to see people coming in the opposite direction. It’s always my favorite part to see friends, and it makes the miles go by quickly.

My miles began to creep up, and I was averaging about 7 min miles. I’ve been hard on my running lately, and that didn’t help. I kept plugging along.  I waved to friends and just put one foot in front of the other. Just keep moving forward.

april fools half marathon atlantic city me running

Around mile 9, we went back on the boardwalk, and I told myself, just a half hour to go. I was using a lot of (out loud) self talk to get me towards the finish line. I counted down every mile which is not the attitude to have.

I determined at mile 10 I would need to run exactly 7-minute miles to break 1:30. People cheered for one woman and me kept saying: you are so close to 3rd place, she is only 2 minutes (LOL) ahead. Go. Go. Go. Finally, I said that wasn’t close at all, and she looked at me like I was crazy.

april fools half marathon atlantic city me running

Mile 11 and 12 continued, and I ran a 6:58 and 6:56. The final mile felt like it took forever. I crossed the finish in 1:30.30. My GPS said it was 13.2, but I won’t say I ran any tangents well (or even good).

Thoughts:

Two years ago, I had a similar experience at the April Fools Half. The race was well put together, but it wasn’t my day. Although, not my day in 2017 was still a 1:26. I’ve been hard on myself recently, and it feels as though running just isn’t coming together as I would like. 1:30.30 is a great time for so many, but for the amount of work I’ve put in, it’s not for me. I still had a great time at the April Fools Half, and it’s one of my favorite races of the season.  You can argue the weather was bad, but in ideal weather, it wouldn’t have been my day, my legs weren’t there.

Finally, have you subscribed to the LOLZletter? It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport. 

Questions for you: 

Have you ever been to Atlantic City?

How do you shake out a bad race? 

Training: Recovery and Half Marathons

April 15, 2019 By in Running, Training Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments
Training: Recovery and Half Marathons

Last week was a recovery week before the Atlantic City Half Marathon. I’ve needed a lot more rest and recovery this Spring. It’s caused my fitness journey to be much slower, but (knock on wood) I’ve stayed healthy. A few weeks ago, I came to terms that my fitness is not coming back (this Spring) anywhere close to what it was other years.  It’s hard, of course, not to compare yourself to previous fitness levels but you can’t always be there.

On a personal note, I also got a shot into my inner thigh on Tuesday afternoon. Nothing running related but it hurt a lot and on Wednesday I knew there was no way I was running, let alone doing a workout.

Monday: Easy 60 minutes
Tuesday: Easy 8 miles with Alexis
Wednesday: Easy 20-minute walk
Thursday: Easy 60 minutes
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Easy 60 minutes
Sunday: April Fools Half Marathon (1:30.30)

Thoughts:

Not a heck of a lot to say this week. It was low key and boring and truthfully that’s fine. I’ve been dealing with a lot of outside and life issues that have kept me busy. My easy runs were easy.

View this post on Instagram

Nice to get the legs moving this morning.

A post shared by Hollie (@fueledbylolz) on

Taking a walk on Wednesday loosened up muscles from my shot but it was nothing strenuous.

Atlantic City Half (1:30.30):

This was my slower year by 4 minutes. I’m not blaming the weather because even though it was humid, we’ve had years it’s been Gail force winds, torrential downpour, and everything in between.  It just wasn’t my day. I was pretty bummed to run a 1:30.30, because I ran Shamrock last month in 1:29 (the day after racing the Adrenaline Run).  It is what it is. I remind myself that running doesn’t define me.

Posts from the Week:

The Difference Between Runners and Non-Runners

Four Years of Marriage

Four Years of Marriage

Finally, have you subscribed to the LOLZletter? It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport. 

Questions for you:

Did you race this weekend? (Or Boston?)

What is your favorite type of weather to race in? Your least favorite?

Training Log: Grinding and Workouts

April 8, 2019 By in Running, Training Tags: , , , , , , , , 1 Comment
Training Log: Grinding and Workouts

I got done what I needed too last week. I ran the mileage, I did workouts, and for the most part, feel good about the training week.

Monday: Easy 60 minutes/core
Tuesday: Easy 60 minutes
Wednesday: 5X1000 with 90 seconds rest (average 6:28)
Thursday: OFF
Friday: Easy 10 miles with Alexis/core
Saturday: Solo 5k (20:19) (6:40, 6:29, 6:32) (Warm up/cool down total mileage 6
Sunday: 10 Miles averaging 7:14 pace

Thoughts:

Last week, there were several races I could have done, but none I really wanted too. I figured a week off would do me good since I’ve raced each weekend since early March. I like racing, but there is something about getting up on your own time, doing your own workout, and moving on. If I want my workout to start at 7:53 am…good! It’s hard to run when it doesn’t feel “omg so awesome”.  Luckily I’ve been getting Active Release on my legs with Dr. Craig (I pay him like anyone else) but if you’re local the entire team is great.

Workout Wednesday: 5X1000 (average 6:28 pace) with 90 seconds rest

My legs did not feel great during the workout, but I still got it done. Over the past few months, my legs haven’t felt great and I’ve started contemplated looking to see if something else is going on. Of course it’s not life threatening but paces that once felt effortless (6:28), feel like I’m running a new PR. Anyway, there wasn’t much to note about the workout and I was glad to get it done.

Solo 5k: 20:19

I thought about racing last week but nothing wowed me and I just wasn’t in the mood to run a longer race. There was a 15k but I ran a 10-mile last week and I have a half marathon next so it would be 3 long races in a row. I can do shorter races in a row, but I’m not ready to do longer races. Anyway, the weather was perfect and I ran 6:40, 6:29, 6:32. I was on dead legs so I’m happy with the effort level.

Long Run 10 miles averaging 7:14

I wanted a solid effort long run. The pace didn’t feel comfortable but I wasn’t gasping for air either. I was able to say hi to all of my friends (I feel like I saw a lot of people I knew). This is one of my better workouts of 2019 and I feel happy with it.  This gave me a little more confidence.

Posts from the Week:

Garden State 10 Miler (1:08.34)

March Training Log

Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to the LOLZletter!

I’m so excited that we just reached 500 subscribers and a new one comes out today (with a giveaway!) It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport.

Questions for you:

Do you have any big races in April?

How do you recover from hard workouts, races, or anything else?

Garden State 10 Miler (1:08.34)

April 5, 2019 By in Running, Training Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment
Garden State 10 Miler (1:08.34)

Last weekend, I ran the Garden State 10 Miler. To preface, I wasn’t feeling great the entire week before. My legs felt as though they lacked any pep, and my calves were just tight.  Not tight in an injured way but tight a “I’ve been running sort of way”.

I had gone back and forth a dozen times about even racing. Since I knew the race director, Mike, I decided I would. Plus if I ran a 1:02 or 1:32 no one would care all that much. It would still be fun.

I got to the race around 8. It started at 9:30, but between walking to the start to pick up my bib, back to my car, it was time to go.  There was a 5k beforehand, which my husband ran. If you run both the 5k and half marathon you can do “the half marathon challenge”.

The start of the race was about 60 degrees, windy, and humid. It was sprinkling lightly but forecasted to downpour. Spoiler: it did.

With that, we were off. The first mile went slightly downhill. I was running next to a young kid who would surge and then slow down multiple times. He was doing the relay. He surged, fell back, and I would pass him. When I ran by, he would pick it up. I hit the first mile in 6:51 and thought it was a solid place for how I felt for the day.

The next couple of miles racers began to thin out. I could feel a pack behind me, but for the most part, I was running alone. The next mile went into the wind, and I ran a 6:47.

In my mind, I computed it to staying under a 90 minute half which is what I’ve recently been around. The third mile was one of my fastest, and I ran a 6:35. I attempted to throw a few surges in to break up the pack behind me.  I didn’t want to deal with it for the rest of the race.

I don’t like running close to anyone, and I would rather run alone.  The next mile looped around back near the start. I saw the race director, and the relay handoff went through. “Only six more miles to go”.

There wasn’t any Gatorade, which based on the 60-degree humid weather, I could have used.  I’ve said before but in any race 10 miles or above, I take the on-course beverage aid.

I focused on making it halfway and truthfully, that mile felt the longest. It had not rained but had already gotten humid. I hit the halfway in 34 minutes and thought 1:08 was doable.

Mile 6 was my other fastest mile, and I ran a 6:35 without much note. The next mile had Gatorade. When we passed the volunteers said, “one second we aren’t ready yet”. So I ended up doubling back and getting some. It put a hiccup in my stride, and I couldn’t get my rhythm in. I ran it in 7:08.

The next three miles were just focused on getting to the end. I was tired.  Between mile 7-8, two females passed me. I knew I was in the top 10 but had no idea where.

me running

We entered the park around mile 9 — one more mile to go. Then the skies opened up, and it began torrential downpouring. I mean pouring! We were running in a headwind, and it was pouring rain. I laughed because it reminded me of a scene out of a bad movie.

I crossed the finish in 1:08.34. I won’t say I’m especially happy with the time, but I made do for where I’m at with training in life. The course was challenging, and it was a humid day.

Have you subscribed to the LOLZletter?

It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport.

Questions for you:

Do you like 10-mile races?

Would you rather run in torrential rain or very humid, thick weather? 

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