Marathon Training: Summer Wardrobe Additions

A change in season means a change in wardrobe. In the beginning of June, short sleeve shirt and shorts or capris were my normal morning outfit; and even then it could be a bit chilly. Suddenly BAM, end of June it's 75/80 degrees at 5am and you better be in your tank and short shorts! When I assessed my summer running wardrobe, I found that a lot of my tanks were super tight, and I didn't like that. It's the old school style; I'm loving the new "loose fitting" running tanks! Also, I noticed that the piping on my current tanks were chaffing up the inside of my biceps when it got really hot and sweaty, so I wanted to find tanks that, well, didn't do that! 

Here are a few pieces of running apparel I added to my summer running wardrobe this year*:

GapFit Motion Seamless Cami:

I am always wary of camis. They never fit right; either too loose, too tight, or too short. This one was great! I am so vane when it comes to tan lines, so this is a good choice if you know you're going to be in the sun and need to work on those permanently display "white raceback tanks", aka WHITE SKIN! No chaffing on the arms: score.

GapFit Motion Seamless Racerback Tank:

I love this tank! It's just loose enough that it breaths and it stays relatively dry. If I sweat like a fiend, it generally dries quickly. It is super soft and the bright colors are my favorite! It was a great race day choice. No chaffing on the arms: score.

c9 Womens Seamless Racerback Tank and c9 Womens Premium Athletic Shorts from Target:

Concerning the tank: I love it! It had a similar feel as the GapFit racerback, but was just a bit looser and perfect for a HOT HOT HOT run in Connecticut! It is also super soft, thin, and ready for when the  humidity was out of control. No chaffing on the arms. Score.  

Concerning the shorts: They're great! I LOVE that they are BRIGHT blue! They are very comfortable and don't ride too high; the waist band is a cool design of colors, but that'll never be seen on a run ;-) The website only has drab colors like black and grey, so check your local target where they have some awesome MERRY and BRIGHT color schemes! I recommend trying them on. I had to go up a size because the leg openings were cut very slim. Hello runner's thighs...well, at least my runner's thighs.

Well, there you have it! Some great summer running gear items to ensure that you look good, feel good, and sweat good during marathon, 1/2 marathon, 10k, or 5k training! Speaking of summer, head over to Mom Runner and check out my guest post in her Smoothie Love series! There are some delicious recipes that I can't wait to try out!

What are your summer running apparel must-haves? Are you a Lulu Lemon gal? Are you all Asics? Does your running wardrobe need a revamp? Tell me about it!

114 days until the ING NYC MARATHON!!!

*I was not given any of these clothing items. These are items I found myself, purchased myself, and chose to blog about myself. 

Cross Training for a Marathon

It's the C-word of Marathon training! *C*ross training! I know I know, it often falls by the wayside for most of us. Me specifically? Around September, when schools starts and I'm clinging to the miles I have time to run like nobody's business....and BEGGING for the taper to start. (Odd, I know.) However, I'm currently excited about cross training because the local public pool has opened! Morning and even lap swimming is available at NYC public pools, and mine in particular is delightful. It was used as a qualifying pool for the 1936 and 1964 Olympics. HELLO inspiration!

Currently, I plan on swimming two days a week; more if time permits. Yesterday I swam 10 laps in the morning. This was not enough for this mermaid! Unfortunately, I have to leave for work BY 7:55 Monday and Tuesday, so I only got 20 minutes of swimming in! Obviously I went back last night, with a friend, and completed 20 more laps. 

30 laps total. LOVE the Hamptons Half Marathon Towel! PERFECT!

It's interesting to see pool etiquette. This includes staying to the right of the lane, flip turns are optional, checking to see if you can swim in the lane next, etc. Apparently, people take lots of breaks. I don't take breaks. I grew up swimming laps in my parent's pool (From 5 years old and beyond), and missed my calling as an Olympic swimmer. It was an awesome night last night, and I look forward to more cross training such as this!

Other cross training activities I love to do:

-Yoga

- Biking at the gym (EEK!)

- Kettle Bell swinging (Coming soon...when I get kettle bells...)

- Elliptical Trainer

- Rollerblading (Wish I was brave enough in NYC)

- Good old fashioned WALKING

After cross training in the evening, I did not know how my hill work run was going to go this morning. Oh, how did it go? MAJOR negative splits and a great average. I started out pretty slow, but I finally found my groove in hilly Astoria Park. I can't believe the difference having a coach makes. I know my times and splits are being sent in. I love it.

How about you?! How do you Cross train?! Is it a shameful thing in your life? Do you love it? Do you look forward to it?! Tell me about it!

115 days until the ING NYC MARATHON!!!

Glad Game Monday XVI

I'm back in the workforce, so maybe I have a case of the Monday's?! Nah. Today was the first day of summer school, and it went by quickly, so I can't complain! Plus it's only half a day, so, let's be real, plenty to be glad about! Whether you're feeling great entering Tuesday like me or you feel like you will not last without an extended vacation, let's get GLAD with it!

I'm glad I'm working summer school! Crazy but true. Winter vacation fund in full effect! To be honest, I did miss the kiddos. Loved seeing some of them today.

I'm glad that there was a BREAK in the heat wave! A cold chill on my run this morning? Enough said.

I'm glad that my sister and my niece came to visit me Sunday! We had such a great time! We got scones from Alice's Teacup (We weren't waiting an hour to sit in no AC and drink tea and eat scones!), walked through Central Park (BOTH of them were first timers!), shopped in Soho and found a Hipster restaurant to my niece's liking. Perfection in a day.

I'm glad that I got a running coach! Yes, it's true. I met someone at the July 4th BBQ and it was Runner Love at first sight! She's an amazing athlete and has run, oh, a million marathons. So, Coach C is rocking my world! The daily emailing makes me giddy, not going to lie.


I'm glad that I rocked out a tempo run today! Who, me? Yes! It's strange but true! Coach C is trying to gradually increase my speedwork by breaking down goal paces. Today's goal pace was 10:50/mile for four miles, with a warm up and cool down mile. Whoa, six miles on a Monday?! Well, it happened. I think I was nervous to be late for work and ended up doing negative splits with an average of 10:13. So, Coach C says that my newer goals will be lower. EEK.


I'm glad I had my first Walk/Run group with my teachers tonight! These awesome ladies showed up to try out the run/walk method. We did 3 minutes walking and 1 minute running. These ladies were fantastic! I think I even heard "Hey, that's not that bad." Many more are interested in coming next week. Let's get fit, teachers!

So, what are YOU glad about? Did you avoid chaffing on your hot long run this weekend? Did you eat strawberry shortcake? Were you happy to not feel hot WITH your AC on?! Tell me about it!!!


117 days until the ING NYC MARATHON!!!

Sunday Food Section: Runners eat your avocados!

People Magazine, I loved your reads this week! As I was reading this week's riveting edition of People Magazine, I somehow move past the shock and awe of the demise of the Cruise/Holmes marriage and the compellingly amazing piece on Norah Ephron  to find a great food section addition. Now, I love avocados, but anyone who is counting calories KNOWS that it's a HIGH CALORIE food! Plus, it's HIGH IN FAT! OH MY! However, there are many benefits to eating avocados. We actually needs fat in our lives, albeit good ones, and avocados has all the good stuff! 

Runners, eat your avocados! I found this article when I googled if runners should partake, and they made the top 10 of everyday eats! Let's just say, if Runners World says it, I believe it @Bartyasso. Avocados also have some good nutrients to help you in training according to this article. I found all this information out just because I read a silly People Magazine food section, and I'm glad I did. Here are four fun ways you can get your avocado intake:

From People July 9, 2012 issue:

Mmmm, bacon. But I think I'll stick to turkey bacon:

 Bacon Guacamole recipe continued PLUS a dressing recipe! 

 BETTER THAN MAYO! I have a mayo phobia...this is doable!

 The jury is still out on this ice pop recipe. I may try it!

My personal favorite came from a cool health and fitness blog. As I mentioned, I can't stand mayo, and I love egg salad. I found THIS great recipe and loved it!!! 


Do YOU eat avocados? What recipes do you use? Do you look up nutrients in your food? Will you make guac pops?! TELL ME ABOUT IT!


118 days until the ING NYC MARATHON!!!

Marathon Training in the Heat

I knew my Saturday 9 mile long run was going to be HOT HOT HOT (Insert brass section...). However, when Bart Yasso calls you tough in a public forum, you better be darn certain that the run will be happening.

 

Thankfully, my friend ditched her date with the treadmill to brave the heat with me. We agreed to a tough course: Run from Astoria, over the Queensboro Bridge (We own you, bridge), then up the East River Path because it was flat. Well, on the Queensboro Bridge (Remember, I own it?) I got SO nauseous from the heat/direct sunlight that we changed our plans to run in shady Central Park...aka Hill Country. 


Central Park went ok, but it was still over 80 degrees at 7am. Suddenly, after a LONG hill on the East side (You know what hill I'm talking about), I heard the sound of water. Running water. Hopefully COLD running water! Yes. There was a fountain in a children's playground that we took FULL advantage of:

 I've never been so relieved:

So, my mantra is "respect the heat". Running in the heat can been tough. I didn't make my goal pace on the run today, and that's okay. The heat can truly effect you in strange ways, so here are some of my personal suggestions for a successful hot hot hot run! 


- Start as EARLY as possible, even Bart Yasso approves. My Epicurious friend said this was the earliest she had done a training run, good for you S!
- Slow down just a bit, your body is already working harder to run in the heat.
- Try to run in the shade.
- Wear sunblock and chapstick (I forgot both), your skin can really dry out.
- Drink plenty of water (DUH).
- Supplement with something more than water. If you can do gatorade, cool. Other options for those of us with sensitive tummies include Nuun and Hammer Endurolytes. These are two things I've had success with.


Need more tips to #beattheheat? Runnersworld.com as an entire section on Running in the Heat, which is basically like a runner's handbook on Marathon Training in the summer!


Finally, the best way to finish a hot hot hot run? An iced coffee. Mmmm. And maybe I found a sprinkler and stood in front of it for 5 minutes straight. Thanks Central Park for watering your grass.

How do you beat the heat? Does your fuel plan change? How does it effect your pace? Do you have a pool to enjoy afterwards? (If you do I'm INCREDIBLY jealous) TELL ME ABOUT IT!


119 days until the ING NYC MARATHON!!!

July 4th in NYC

Happy July 6th! It's FRIDAY! WOOHOO! Big plans for the weekend? Does anyone else feel like me, that July 4th was a weekend all crammed into one day?! Well, it was an awesome day which I will simply tell through photos and quick captions. We've been celebrating with our good friends, The Grays, for three years now, and this tradition continues to be fantastic. I decided to list in reverse order, from the end of the night to the beginning of the day! Obviously the fireworks are the best part! Enjoy!

Macy's Fireworks: We were on a rooftop right on the Hudson River.

We went upstairs to be with Lambeau Puppy during the finale; he gets a bit nervous being all alone with the loud explosions!

Annual Fireworks photo; Mr. Gray took some fab photos with his fancy schmancy camera, so hopefully those will be making an appearance soon!

The crew minus Mrs. Anders. She had to work. Mr. Anders tried replacing her...he's crazy.

I made a fruit pie because I read this awesome blog post! Note to self: Let it cool...if you had people desperate for the treat right when it was finished, CAREFULLY carry the pizza so it doesn't slide and ruin your design! Ooops... 

We had perfect weather! I love this man.

These girls made the day so fun!

The boys entertained themselves by throwing pop it's. Don't worry, no one was injured during the boy's play time.

Lambeau Puppy was a model traveler and guest! He loves going places; unfortunately, the Gray's cats were hiding from this little guy. (He was also disinfected after his commute...blech)

How did YOU celebrate Independence Day?! Did you BBQ? Did you beach it? Did you run or race? TELL ME ABOUT IT!

120 days until the ING NYC MARATHON!!!

NYC Running Routes: West Side Highway

So, if any of you have been reading my blog since, oh, April, you would know that I began a series about running routes in NYC. They are some of my more popular posts, so if you care to backtrack, check out running the Queensboro Bridge, running the East River Path, and running beaches in NYC. Throughout the summer I will try to dabble in this series as experience allows. 

Today, I did a barre class, then did a 3 mile run on the West Side Highway! It was an awesome July 5th! After what was maybe my healthiest 4th of July BBQ ever, we spent the night at our friend's house who live along the Hudson River. After a 6:30am barre class with my dear friend Mrs. Gray, I set out to conquer the West Side Highway. I did an out and back from 42nd Street to about 75th Street. If you're thinking about running on this path, check out my experience below!

Name: West Side Highway Bike Path, Hudson River Greenway/Path, Manhattan Waterfront Greenway.
Location: The path runs all the way from the tip of Manhattan to the Bronx (See this site for a clearer explanation of the pathway, see this site for a bike map route) 
Entrance: I entered on 42nd Street and 12th Avenue. Entrances are all along the West Side Highway on 12th Avenue.

The path had very clear signage. In certain portions bikers and runners share the path; in other portions they are (GRATEFULLY) segregated. When heading "downtown" from 42nd Street, the path is mostly shared (A single path instead of the double path in the photo below). If you head uptown, the path is quickly separated and clearly states so.

The running pathway moves away from the crowded West Side Highway. As I moved uptown, the pathway moved closer to the water and further away from the honking taxis. Although the bikers are closer to the highway, a friend suggested using their path in the morning to take advantage of some shade. Shade is VERY limited until you get to the 70's, and even then is sparse in the morning hours. As you move north, the casual pedestrian traffic tends to dissipate and you are left with mostly runners and cyclists.

Bathrooms and water ARE available! This cafe is located near 70th Street, and has public bathrooms. There were also portapotties situated in various locations, perhaps for construction. This is convenient for runners in a tight squeeze! As you move uptown, there are bathrooms and water fountains at major exits such as 72nd street, 96th street, etc.

If you need to get some distance in, run to the George Washington Bridge and find the cool red lighthouse! It's about 5 miles from the 72nd Street entrance to the red lighthouse. It is a beautiful run along the water, and the lighthouse is a good "goal" to run to!!! Remember to take a picture!!! 

There is spectacular art displays that are updated often, including this submarine! There was also a train, a weird skull like sculpture, sitting areas, everything. My run went by so quickly because I was paying so much attention to the new attractions that seemed to be never ending!

Who could forget the INTREPID?! Yes, this amazing boat began and ended my run. It is such an incredible thing to run by, so grand and and majestic. Perfect way to cap off a fabulous July 4th. (Updates coming soon...if you follow me on Twitter, well, you got the photos to tell you about my holiday!)

Verdict: The West Side Highway is a great running route if...
- You can run for a while without water, or carry your own bottles.
- You run early in the morning or in the evening as there isn't much morning shade in the warm months.
- You can run without music to stay aware when being passed by numerous bikers.
- You enjoy art or being entertained while running. 
- You want a generally flat route.
- You like ships, lighthouses and water.

Where do YOU run? Have you run this path? Have you tried anything new lately? TELL ME ABOUT IT! 

121 days until the ING NYC MARATHON!!!