Buying and Running with a Jogging Stroller

One of the most crucial gifts that we received before the twins were born was a jogging stroller. We use ours all the time for running, walking and general use. Running with this stroller took a little getting used to, so I thought I would give some tips that I have learned along the way for purchasing and running with the stroller.

1. Do some research, and test drive one at a store - Although it's hard to know what you truly need until your child arrives and you see what life and your needs truly are, you can at least get a sense of what you like and don't like. Babies R' Us has the BOB brand stroller, and although they did not have the double stroller for me to test, I could at least test out the single stroller to get a sense of how they were made and how easy they were to push. Don't be shy, pull that stroller right off the display and push it around (trust me, the sales folks really don't mind). We ended up going with a BOB Revolution SE Duallie, but there are other options. They also have a newer Flex Stroller that I haven't tried, but has an adjustable handlebar for different height runners that looks interesting. Some running shops and bike shops have strollers for you to check out.

My kiddos enjoying some stroller time. My son just learned the idea of saying "cheese" for pictures, and this is his very best "cheese" face.

2. Find a good local bike shop - Your stroller is essential a bike. We use ours on all kinds of surfaces (sidewalks, asphalt, packed crushed gravel/dirt paths), and inevitably, you will get a flat tire. A good bike shop can have you back up and running in a matter of about 5 minutes. Kuddos to you if you can fix a flat bike tire by yourself, but I find trying to do this while dealing with my two kids to be too much to juggle. I actually brought my flat tire in the other day with both kids in tow to the bike shop and they had me fixed up in no time and because they could tell I had my hands full with the kids, they carried the tire back out to my car for me. For those in the Baltimore County area I highly recommend the Bicycle Connection on the corner of York and Warren Road. You may want to carry a small bike pump in the pocket of your stroller to refill a tire on the go if you have a problem after you get going.

3. Find out when the manufacter recommends it is safe to run with infants in your stroller - our manual recommended waiting until at least 6-8 months old when the babies could hold their heads up on their own. It is not considered safe to run with them before this, and although I have seen many people do this, I wouldn't recommend it, and our pediatrician agreed. You can use your stroller at about 8 weeks old for walking though or sooner if you buy an infant car seat adapter. Unfortunately, they do not make a double infant car seat adapter for 2 infants (clearly they did not have twins in mind when they made this accessory), so we just waited until the kids were 8 weeks old to take them out in it and used another stroller that my two car seats clicked into until that point and for a long time for non-exercise outings. We used inserts made by Boppy for some extra head support. We still actually have the inserts in the stroller and they have a fleece side for winter and a non-fleece side for summer. The removable side head support piece is helpful when they are very little and have no head support.

4. Look for a stroller that has a front wheel that locks in place for jogging and also converts to a swivel for walking. Its tough to use the stroller for general use if the front wheel is always in a locked position.

5. Make sure the stroller fits in your car - this really isn't an issue for us as we have an SUV and a Minivan, but if you have a smaller car, this is something to consider. The BOB wheels do come off to make it more compact for transport, but this is one extra step to put the wheels back on your stoller before you can start your run.

6. If you have more than one child, or expecting more than one child, you probably only need the double stroller. There are rare occasions when I find the need or opportunity to take one child without the other, and it would be nice to have a single stroller for this, but for the once a month that this actually happens, it is not worth the cost or storage space. We don't have a garage so our stroller lives in our cars most of the time, and when I do end up only running with only one in the double stroller, it feels like a dream because I am pushing 25 less pounds than I usually do.

7. People always comment to me about how hard it must be to push two kids in a jogging stroller. Yes, it is harder than running without one. But one thing I have learned is that although it is harder, the better running shape you are in, the less you notice the difference. I took my daughter out on my long run one day because it was that or not run at all, and I wasn't sure I could go the 12 miles I was planning because the most I had ever done with the stroller before had been about 5 miles. But I was in good running shape, so although the run was slow, it actually wasn't as hard as I expected. It was also really nice to be able to carry extra water with me. It's probably best to build up to longer runs though. I don't recommend planning a long run the first few times you run with the stroller. I am about a minute slower per mile with the stroller than without, but hey, I am pushing about 80 pounds between the stroller and the two kids, and getting a great workout. I try not to pay too much attention to my pace.

Me and my running buddies.

8. Consider some accesories - Although I love my Bob Revolution Duallie, my one complaint is that although there is a pocket on the back of the each seat, there is no built-in parent console. Luckily they actually make one (yes it costs extra, and in my opinion should just be a built in design feature of the BOB, but at least it is available). This is a must-have accesory. I use mine to carry a phone, water and my keys, or anything else I may want to have handy. Other accessories that I use all the time are our sun shield for blocking out UV rays, and a weather shield for rainy or windy/cold days. These make the stoller more versatile and allow me to not worry about the kids getting sunburned on sunny days without spending 10 minutes chasing my kids around trying to get sunscreen on them. The links are all for the double stroller, but they sell them all for single strollers as well.

My Parent Handlebar Console

9. Running form - When you are running with your stroller, you want to watch your form. Its very easy to get lazy, especially when you are tired a few miles in and lean on your stroller. Try not to do this. Try to keep your body upright. I typically use the wrist safety strap and either put one hand on the handlebar and keep my other hand swinging at my side as I normally would for running and then alternate arms periodically, or I push the stroller away from me and let it freely roll as I jog to catch up to it (still with my wrist in the strap). If I am running up hill, I usually need to use both hands to push the stroller. You will get a better upper body workout with a stroller than you get with running alone, which is not entirely a bad thing. Because the front wheel is locked for stability while running, turns can be tricky. I find them easiest if I tilt the stroller back just a little with both hands on the handlebar so that the front wheel is actually off the ground. This makes turns much more fluid.

10. Family outings are fun and help split the work - My favorite runs with the stroller are where my husband and I go together. We get to spend some time together as a family, and we tend to alternate who pushes the stroller every mile or so, so no one person has too much of the workload.

Hubby and me running in our neighborhood 5K in May. The whole family participated.

11. Plan ahead - especially if your child is less than a year and still taking milk frequently, or if you are going on a long run, don't get caught unprepared. If I am going long, I often bring sippy cups with me, and sometimes a small travel diaper bag that carries wipes and a few diapers and doubles as a changing pad. If I am going short (3 miles or less) or if I am just running around my neighborhood, I often don't bother take these things, as I am pretty close to home if we need to swing back unexpectedly. If your child is a bit older, you may want to consider bringing snacks or a small toy with you to keep them entertained. I find my kids don't really need a toy though as they just really enjoy riding in the stroller and often look around, point things out ("puppy", "car", or my favorite "Go, Go, GO!") or take a little snooze in the stroller. You also want to bring anything you might need, water, fuel, music. I sometimes play music on my phone and sit it in the parent console.

Passed out in the stroller during a run

Note: Thank you to my husband who provided me with input for this post. He runs with the stroller about as much as I do, and had some useful things to add to the information in this post.

 

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Charles Street 12 and Feeling Good in My Own Skin

Yesterday I did a 12 mile race in Baltimore called the Charles Street 12. It was a bit humid, it was long, and I loved every minute of it.

This is me at the start. I even managed to knit a few rows on a sock before the race.

I haven't written about my post-baby return to an active an healthy lifestyle, but this has been a huge part of my life over the past 6 months.

Like most women who have had babies, my body was wrecked after the twins. Although a lot came off easily (mostly water weight) in the first few weeks, the rest stuck around for over a year. I was also nursing, and you can't run with infants until they can hold their heads up (about 6 months old) and my husband was commuting 4 hours a day. Oh, and add in a move in the middle of all that, and needless to say, my focus for a whole year was not on myself.

Then January came. I stopped nursing, I finally felt again that my body was my own again to do with it what I wanted, instead of what these two little creatures needed. I looked in the mirror, truly looked, for the first time in a long time. And here is what I realized: I wasn't happy with my body and it wasn't just the way I looked. I wasn't as active as I wanted to be, I was eating pure junk, and I didn't feel good about myself, even though I did feel good about what I had done. I had carried two beautiful children to 37 weeks, dealt with bedrest, gone through labor and surgery, nursed them almost exclusively for 6 months and partially for almost a year. Our bodies are pretty amazing, right?

I decided to change the way I was eating, and started running more again. I signed up for a half marathon in March. Races have always been a good motivator for me to get out and actually do the workout. I bought an elliptical for my basement so that I could workout over the winter even when the weather was bad and the roads were icy. I also used it to sneak in quick workouts after work. No excuses, even with kids. I pushed a double jogging stroller when I had to get a workout in. I have run 12 miles while pushing my daughter. This time to focus on myself has made me happier and healthier. I can't say my diet is perfect, but I at least started eating less. I lost a lot. 25 pounds actually. Other people noticed, which made me feel good. I bought some new clothes that fit my new, post-baby shape (because trust me ladies, even if you lose the weight, pregnancy changes things). I feel good in my own skin again. I weigh less than I have in years (even pre-baby).

I don't have any secrets for losing weight. Its really very simple and at the same time incredibly hard. Work out more, eat less. Its all about the calorie balance. Try to eat fruits and veggies. It's really not about what you eat, its about how much you eat (sorry organic and all natural folks, if you eat too much of even good foods, you will gain weight). Personally, I have to focus on both diet and exercise. One or the other alone isn't enough. Count everything (calories and exercise). There are some great apps out there that make this so easy. I like MyNetDiary, but I know many who use MyFitness Pal. It doesn't really matter which one you use, its about making yourself accountable for everything you eat, and giving yourself credit for the exercise you do while also making it clear in writing that you skipped a workout or over ate. I still have days or weeks where I struggle and eat too much, or don't make working out a priority, but overall, I am a much more active and healthy person.

I enjoyed this race. Moving is never an easy process, but my favorite way to explore a new city if by running it. You really get to know the character of a place on your own two feet. I was worried this race would be too warm (Maryland in August?) but actually it started early enough and at the beginning it was a bit overcast, so it was not really hot, just a bit humid. There are a few hills, but after the first few miles, it is mostly downhill, albeit a gently rolling kind of course. And the race swag (an Under Armour long sleeve that if I were to purchase outside of the race would have cost me almost my entire race fee) is hard to beat. So far the Baltimore race swag is pretty great. The Baltimore 10 Miler also has a great race premium. Its almost worth doing the race just for the running gear!

I will definitely look forward to this race again. The only negatives I will point out are that the start and finish being so far from each other is a bit of a pain for parking (they do offer a shuttle to the start though) and that there weren't that many spectators out, even once we got in the city.

I ran a good race, not my fastest time, but one I was very happy with, and getting out on a Saturday morning and running 12 miles with 2000 other people, priceless!

 

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Running Playlist

In the last year I have learned the merits of running with music. I never understood before what the fascination with running with the little white headphones really was. I was a purist, it was me and the road, and music is for cheaters. But something happened while I was attempting to train for my third marathon this year. I was struggling. Running 16 miles by yourself can be really daunting, so the desperate me grabbed my IPOD and went out for a 16 mile run. By the end, I was hooked. I had a soundtrack to my running and songs to pump me up when my energy was down. I still don't listen to music while I am running with the running club, or with other people (and yes, some people do do that), but now when I run without a partner, it is me, the road and my IPOD. For those interested, here is my running playlist. It might seem like a lot of music, but I have actually run for long enough to get through the whole thing and start from the beginning again.


Baba O'Riley The Who
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (The Quiver Mix) Led Zeppelin
Brick House The Commodores
Bring Me To Life Evanescence
Bulls On Parade Rage Against The Machine
Do the Evolution Pearl Jam
Enter Sandman Metallica
Everything Zen Bush
Freedom Rage Against The Machine
Going Down/Love In An Elevator Aerosmith
Going Under Evanescence
Hail, Hail Pearl Jam
Hangnail Nickelback
Hella Good No Doubt
I Come From The Water The Toadies
Killing In The Name Rage Against The Machine
Kung Fu Fighting Carl Douglas
Leave R.E.M.
Let's Go For A Ride Cracker
Long Train Running The Doobie Brothers
New Year's Day U2
Not To Touch The Earth The Doors
One Thing Leads To Another The Fixx
Party All Night Quiet Riot
Pour Some Sugar On Me Def Leppard
Remedy The Black Crowes
Running No Doubt
Soul Man Sam & Dave
Star 69 R.E.M.
Strong Enough Cher
Super Freak Rick James
Superunknown Soundgarden
Tainted Love Soft Cell
The Distance Cake
The Fly U2
Through The Never Metallica
Vertigo U2
Wake Up Rage Against The Machine
Without Me Eminem
You Could Be Mine Guns N' Roses

PR!

So I have been training vary hard over the past few months, and yesterday, I finally got to test how well my training would pay off.

Saturday night brought a Philly Runners Dinner at Marra's in South Philly. A large group attended, and Ryan kept us all amused by scheming to steal cake from 4-year-olds celebrating their birthday. I have to admit the cake did look awfully tempting. And I think we could have taken the 4-year-olds.

Sunday morning I woke up at 6 am and had my race morning meal of sweetened oatmeal. Out the door at 6:30am to pick up Andy and Bear for the ride down to Wilmington. Left Philly at about 7 am and by the time we got to Wilmington it was on and off pouring and not looking like a great race day. I was nervous and pumped for this race at the same time. I had trained very hard, and wanted the result to show it. But I haven't had many great races in the last year, so I didn't want to be dissapointed again.

The cannon went off, and we were on our way. I don't tend to run my races with other people (even other Rhilly Runners members) because I tend to get sucked into faster or slower paces than I want. Usually this ends badly. My target goal was 1:50 or 8:23 min/mile pace.
Mile 1: 8:15
Mile 2: 8:11
Mile 3: 8:19
Mile 4: 8:17 These 1st 4 miles I got into a good pace groove. A little under goal pace, and I wonder if I will pay for this later. I feel great though
Mile 5: 7:54 Bump into Marita and Erin and run with them for awhile. But their pace is a bit too fast so I slow it up going into the hills.
Mile 6: 8:41 Arg, hills. I slow down more than I had hoped but continue on.
Mile 7: 8:49 Hills continued. Somewhere near the end of this mile I see Seebo and Kevin and Ian and a few others making there way back. This pumps me up and I gain momentum.
Mile 8 & 9: 16:42 (Avg 8:21) Even though the big hill is over, a series of seemingly endless smaller hills ensues. I am running strong though and feel great. I know I am running a great race.
Mile 10: 8:19 By the end of this mile I know that I have a PR even if I slow down significantly for the remainder of the race.
Mile 11: 8:19 Pretty consistent.
Mile 12: 8:03 I think we are going downhill here, but I also was booking it, knowing I didn't have much left, and wanted to PR by as much as possible.
Mile 13 + 0.1: 9:11 The hill at the end nearly killed me. I came around the corner and felt like it was time to sprint, but could not go any faster. My body was already at it's max. I am floating when I cross the finish line....

1:49:03 Chiptime in my second half-marathon. 1 minute under my goal time of 1:50 and a PR by nearly 4.5 minutes. I can't help but wonder what I might have run without any hills!

I slept most of the way home, and I am very sore today, but as tired as I am, I feel awesome. A few days off, and an easy week, then I start in training for Broad Street.

Caesar Rodney

1:49:04 for Half-Marathon, under my goal time of 1:50
Will Post Race Report later.

New Running Toy

I received a new running toy on Monday. The Polar RS200 with footpod. It measures speed, distance and heartrate. The best part is that all my data can be downloaded to my computer and an online training diary via the microphone on my computer. This system is much less expensive than a lot of the GPS and other systems out there at $199 (I got it for less at RRS with discounts). Has some cool features like an autolap feature that will record lap times at whatever distance you set it at, or a feature that will turn on the backlight, take a lap or do one of several other things if you bring the watch close to the heart strap. I haven't calibrated the footpod, and I think it is actually over-estimating how far I am running. One thing I was suprised by is how high my heart rate is when I feel like I am running "easy". I am not sure what I am going to do with this information yet though, as I feel like if I slow down more, I will be going impossibly slow.

Tempo Run

Another Tempo Run today. 1.1 mile Warmup, 3 x 1 mile c short break between. 5 minutes Warmdown. Total of 4.6 miles. Splits: 8:12,7:58,8:06. I felt very strong. I think next week I will aim to have splits 8:00-8:05.

Easy 4.2

An easy 4.2 this afternoon on Kelly Drive. 39:44 total time. This felt pretty good, but my legs are definetely tired from the last 2 days' workouts. Tommorrow is a rest day, and I am definetely looking forward to it. My sleep schedule has been totally off. I am working nights and have had trouble sleeping during the day, so I have only been getting 5 to 6 hours per night, to my usual 7-9 hours. I just feel totally exhausted and if I don't catch up soon, I think it will start to show in my running...

Marathon Fever

I have marathon fever. My training for the Caesar Rodney Marathon has included some changes and I feel that my training is much stronger than it used to be. I developed a marathon training plan based on some of these elements. Basically the key workouts at the Speed workout (every other week is a Yasso 800m workout) and the long run. I also plan in 4 days/week of running instead of the 3 I had been doing.

Week Slow Hills Speed X-Train Long
17 40 min 45 min 4 x 800m 30 min 7 20.45
16 40 min 45 min 4 mile TR 30 min 9 21.5 1.051345
15 40 min 45 min 4 x 800m 30 min 11 24.45 1.137209
14 40 min 50 min 4 mile TR 30 min 13 26 1.063395
13 40 min 50 min 6 x 800m 30 min 8 23.45 0.901923
12 40 min 50 min 5 mile TR 30 min 15 29 1.236674
11 40 min 50 min 6 x 800m 30 min 17 32.45 1.118966
10 40 min 50 min 6 mile TR 30 min 10 25 0.770416
9 40 min 50 min 8 x 800m 30 min 19 35.95 1.438
8 40 min 50 min 7 mile TR 30 min 21 37 1.029207
7 40 min 50 min 8 x 800m 30 min 10 26.95 0.728378
6 40 min 50 min 8 mile TR 30 min 23 40 1.48423
5 40 min 50 min 10 x 800m 30 min 14 32.45 0.81125
4 40 min 50 min 8 mile TR 30 min 24 41 1.263482
3 40 min 45 min 10 x 800m 30 min 10 RP 27.95 0.681707
2 40 min 45 min RP 5 mile 30 min 8 RP 21.5 0.769231
1 40 min Rest RP 4 mile 30 min 26.2 34.2 1.590698
499.3
800 m done at 3:30-3:35 pace
RP = Race Pace





Now the only other question is which Fall Marathon should I aim for? Chicago has the potential to be a PR. NYC could be amazing, but is not a PR course. And then there is Philadelphia, but I feel like that's a bit boring, as I run here already, although it is a pretty flat course.

Running

Today I did a Tempo workout. I had low expectations from this workout, as I ran 11 miles yesterday, my legs were tired, and it was seasonably cold today, in contrast to the warm weather we have been having. I was pleasantly suprised. I was aiming for a 10 min Warmup, 8:15 x 3 miles with a break between each mile of a few minutes, and a 5 minute warmdown. My splits were 8:16, 8:12, 8:03. Total miles of about 4.6. Not bad all things considered. I am rejuvanted after a dissapointing week last week. My milage for this week was 25 miles. Last week was 24 miles. Next week the plan is to do 4 workouts.
1. 40 minutes easy (M)
2. 50 minutes Hills (W)
3. Tempo Workout (R)
4. 12 miles easy (F)
Caesar Rodney is getting closer. I am feeling pretty well prepared, but I need to stay motivated in these last few weeks.

Great Track Workout

Completed another great track workout today. Jogged 1.1 miles to Franklin Field, Ran 6 800m with 400m slow (about 3 minutes) in between. Then 1.1 miles home. Here were my splits:

3:27
3:32
3:37
3:30
3:31
3:38

Not bad, my only gripe would be that they are not as consistent as I would like. I felt great though, and it was a great running day, sunny and warm.

January

Ran 88.6 Miles in January. Not to shabby, and only topped by my milage in peak marathon training. This week was a bit mixed with a horrible hill run on Tues night that I cut short because I was so tired and dragging my feet along. Thurs brought an easy 4.2.

Wissahickon

Today's run was incredible.....Dave and I got in the car and drove out to Wissahickon and did just under six miles. Pace was very fast but felt great two of the miles were under 8 min miles. How did that happen? I think my training is starting to pay off. This run felt great and I was shocked by how fast of a pace I was able to keep. Just beat the rain, but I can't complain about the weather. Its the end of January and it will hit 50 degrees today, feels more like April! This warm spell has definetely made getting out to run much easier and enjoyable.

Track Workout

I woke up this morning at 10:30 am, having slept 11 hours last night and feeling like my little cold turned into a train running through my sinuses and head. After some oatmeal, tea, and a healthy dose of OTC cold medicine, I headed out for my scheduled track workout with less than stellar expectations.

I was suprised though, at how much better I felt after getting outside. Such a beautiful sunny day albeit cold and windy, but I was glad to be outside. The plan was originally run down to the Franklin Field track, run 4-6 800m lengths at 5k pace (3:40-3:45) with a slow 400m lap in between.

I ended up doing 1.1 mile warmup, 5-800m lengths with 400m slow lap between of about 3:00, and 1.1 mile warmdown. Here were my splits:
3:45
3:42
3:36 (several people randomly started cheering me on, hence the faster time)
3:39
3:43

I felt like I could have done a sixth, but since I am feeling a little under the weather, I stuck with 5.

If I can run all my splits faster than my goal pace on a day when I don't feel so hot, then I think I need to adjust my goal pace for these interval workouts. Perhaps 3:35-3:40 is more realistic, or challenging, depending on how you look at it.

Anyway, this was a great workout today, and I felt really good doing it, even though I haven't done a track workout in awhile. Total milage including my in-between slow laps was about 5.7 miles. Next week I will aim for 6- 800m at a slightly faster goal pace.

Runs over the last week.

Haven't posted much in the last week.

Here were my runs the last week.
Sat 9.25 with the group. Felt great, picked up the pace at the end.
Mon 4.2 before work (night shift) Nice and easy miles.
Wed 4.3 Hills with Dave. This run gets easier every week. Unfortunately, Dave is not in shape for hills and thus spent much of the run cursing at me. I was just glad to have a running buddy though, expletives of not! :)

I am on my way out the door for today's track workout...Haven't done one in awhile. Will post later on that.

Running and women's safety

I just got back from my weekly hill run. ~4.3 miles with a couple of rounds on Lemon Hill. Lemon Hill is pretty deserted even in better weather when more runners are out in general, but today was the first time I ever felt threatened up there running on my own. It really stinks that as a woman I have to constantly be aware of my surroundings, where and when I run. A lot of the time I either run with my running club, and I have sort of made my boyfriend into a runner as he joins me so often for safety (and health) reasons. Today though, I when in the late afternoon and Dave was at work and we have some errands to run later, so it was now or never, and no running partner.

When I got up to Lemon Hill there were two cars up there with some shady characters hanging out. I ran by and continued my run as planned, making note, but just trucking along. On one of my passes of Lemon Hill though, the one car moved out of the place it was parked and actually seemingly started to follow me. When I turned down to head back to Kelly Drive, they took off in another direction. At that point I saw a young couple heading up Lemon Hill so I tagged along and finished my run as planned.

It sucks that I have to feel like the only places I can run have no hills (Kelly Drive and Center City), and that I don't feel safe when I am out trying to be healthy and training hard.

5 Miler With the group

Ran up to the Art Museum last night to run with PRs. About 3/4 of a mile up there. Laura, who I hadn't seen in awhile was there. Ran with Laura and her crew out to the John Kelly Statue and back with Ryan. 4.4 miles plus the 3/4 for about 5.1 miles total. Pace ended up being 9:20. Not as fast as I had hoped considering that this was supposed to be my fast run. Ryan and I definetely picked up the pace at the end though. Everytime I run with Ryan I find that we tend to push each other in a weird sort of saddistic way. My recent experiences included setting out for a 6 something mile run (originally planned as an 8.4 mile loop) when neither of us had done more than 3 since doing the Marine Corp Marathon, and a Tuesday group run 2 weeks ago where we really pushed the pace down into the 8s.

Still, I can't help but wonder where my mid to low 8 days have gone. I used to come out and run a fast pace being 8:15-8:30, a bit slower than race pace with exception of marathons. I guess I shouldn't get too discouraged though, as I was able to keep that pace as recently as my training for the Marine Corp Marathon this past fall 2005. I think that with time and the better mileage I am putting in compared to last winter, my times will come down.

For a long time I was a proponent of three days per week, but recently I have picked up a modified version of a half-marathon training plan from Her Sports. I am usually not a big fan of woman targeted fitness magazines, as they tend to be a little "soft" and very geared toward weight loss and not really toward fitness or competition. But this magazine is pretty good. I picked up a copy at the expo for MCM, and it has a good mix of novice and advanced advice and focuses mostly on running but also covers triathalons, biking, hiking and other sports.

So in this training plan I do 4 days running per week
1. Hills 45-50 min
2. 40 min easy
3. Long run 6-12 miles depending on the week 2 of these are at race pace
4. Hard day (tempo, intervals, 50 min) depending on the week

And then 1 day of cross-training 45 min

The thing I really like about this 10 week plan is that it consistently includes hills (my addition to the plan) which will help for Caesar Rodney. The original plan also included 5 days per week of running...but I scaled it to 4.

I am on the 3rd week of the plan, and so far so good.

So far this winter has been much more active than last winter, but to be fair, the weather has also been milder. But I will take what I can get.

Running Goals for the Year

So last winter I had a lot of trouble with motivation. I never wanted to run, so I never did. Having goals has always helped me to stay on track, so here are my goals for the year:

1. Run Caesar Rodney Half Marathon in a time under 1:50. My last, and only half was the Philly Distance Run in September in a time of 1:53:34. I realize that this goal may be a bit lofty as it is more than 3 minutes off my best time and on a fairly challenging course. So far setting the bar high has kept me running even in the cold. I have signed up to be part of a women's team with my running group the Philly Runners. You can see more of my race results on this website. Here is a picture at the Race for Clean Air in April 2005.

2. Complete my third marathon. My two previous marathons are Philly in 2004 and Marine Corp Marathon in 2005. I haven't decide which marathon I want to run yet but the options (so far) are Chicago, Nike Women's in San Francisco, Philly, NYC. This is, or course, a goal hinged on staying healthy and injury-free.

3. Complete Broad Street Run # 3 in a PR time.....I am hoping that by staying on top of my training it won't be a struggle to get in shape for this. Running that half in March should help :)

That's it for now. More to follow.