The Need for Speed

I have never incorporated speed work into my marathon training before this year. I was always intimidated by track workouts and was too afraid to push myself beyond my comfort zone, where I had difficulty breathing. I am more of a slow and steady kind of gal.  I could go on forever, but hate short bursts of speed. However, I have set a goal for myself to qualify for the Boston Marathon and in order to do that, I need to get faster.  So for this training cycle, I’ve decided to give speed work a try.   Continue reading The Need for Speed

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Hill Yeah!

Uhhhh hills … if you’re like me, you avoid them whenever possible (at least I use to), you hate when your running group suggests a route with the monster hill you hate (I know we all have at least 1); you dread them when you look at the elevation charts of races, they are the bane of your existence.  While we tend to spend so much time hating them, it’s important to remember that hills will make us a faster, stronger, and healthier runner. So rather than hate the hills, let’s embrace the hills. Continue reading Hill Yeah!

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20 Things to Know When Dating a Runner

Are you dating or married to a runner? Maybe thinking about getting involved with someone who runs? Well dating a runner, tends to add a new dimension to romance and your relationship. Here are some things you need to know when getting involved with a runner!

  1. They have more exercise clothes than street clothes.
  2. They have a large collection of running shoes.
  3. They love their high knee compression socks.
  4. It’s a special event when they put on “real” clothes and when the ladies put on a “real” bra.
  5. You start to accept their really worked feet and are happy to treat them to a pedicure in order to help hide their missing or black toenails.
  6. Sleeping in on the weekends is an obsolete notion. They will always want to get up and run, don’t expect them to lay in bed and cuddle.
  7. You wake up to their alarm and think… “another run, when’s rest day?”
  8. Rest day is the worst day of the week… approach them carefully and beware!
  9. They have a special drawer or cabinet (or both) for their fuel, headphones, arm bands, running belts, sunglasses, headbands, hats, etc….
  10. Get used to sweaty, salty hugs. There will be a lot of them.
  11. Laundry day means separate loads for their running clothes.
  12. Your vacations are often in conjunctions with a destination race.
  13. And just because you’re on vacation, does not mean they’ll stop running.
  14. When traveling, they need a separate suitcase for all their running gear.
  15. It’s easy to shop for their birthday or holidays, because they always want new running gear.
  16. Their idea of nice jewelry is a medal, or an inspirational pendant or bracelet.
  17. You don’t mess with pre-race rituals.
  18. You love joining them for their post race feast.
  19. They love to talk about running, races, PR… they use jargon you aren’t aware of, but quickly learn to understand.
  20. You love their crazy, quirky side and are happy to celebrate their victories with them!

It’s fun to be in a relationship with a runner. Just remember, they’re always on the move, think you can keep up?

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