About Me

Hello my name is Anne... and I like to run, find out a bit more about me. Check out my past races too.


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

I Heart Coffee

It turns out that coffee isn't the evil vice that everyone makes it out to be.

8 Things Runners Should Know About Coffee

Now I haven't let this go to my head, I have been trying to keep it down to 2 cups a day.  When I am looking for the ritual of drinking it then I reach for the decaf. My anxiety is through the roof if I have too much coffee in the morning, and if I drink it after lunch then sleep isn't going to happen. I LOVE my sleep, it is very important to me, it isn't something I am willing to mess with for any reason.

Workout: 3.1 miles / 33 minutes TM

My favorite ice coffee ever, Marylou's Girl Scout Cookie!

Post dinner drinks. Both decaf, one spiked! 


So here is what I learned on top of coffee being my savior for keeping me from face planting into my keyboard on a daily basis.
Caffeine improves performance. Caffeine: Helping people to go farther and faster since the tea went over the edge of the ship in 1773. 
Coffee works the best when it is consumed an hour before the event. I feel like I couldn't possibly function any less than an hour after having my first sip of coffee.  I get up at 6:30 brew the coffee and it is a struggle to changed and to the gym by 7:30, could it be the hour TV show I feel the need to consume before I go? Maybe, but is time I need to be alone with my trashy TV and mostly uninterrupted  thoughts.

Coffee articles always use the milligrams of how much caffeine you consume.  I feel like this means nothing to me.  However this article gives you an example, a 150 pound person (I wish!) should have 12 oz of strong coffee. (Thank you Runners World for breaking it down!)

There are all these studies that prove that coffee does a brain good! Long term effects of promoting healthy brain function and preventing dementia, makes me extremely happy.

Now this one was a shocker... coffee is not proven to dehydrate.  You would have to drink 5 cups a day to start having hydration issues.  I think my anxiety would have me clawing at the walls.  So I am going to pretend I never read this.

Lastly, it has beneficial post workout effects too.  I have been wanting to try CLICK for a while, but for now I just add half a scoop of Gavin's protein shake mix to some iced coffee... delicious and nutritious.

My favorite mug! 

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Turning into a Negative Nance... no y necessary.

Oh NO!! I only have 103 days left until my half! I am kind of freaking out... So far since I started running again in 2013 my PDR (personal distance record) is 5 miles, I need to double that.  I have just over 14 weeks and Hal Higdon's novice half training program is 12... I guess I am not under the gun just yet. (although, I am feeling that way.) I made the mistake when I felt like I had some extra time to try and train for a sub 60 minute 10K.  according to that... I am way under the gun.

I let the training plans get the better of me. I know I have said this before, but are they really worth it?  If I run 4 days a week, and make sure I listen to my body, working my distance up as I go, how necessary is the training program?

Something I do need to come to terms with is my speed and just know that if I stick with a steady running schedule speed will come.

I have a 10K scheduled for less than a month away, so at least that will get me up to 6.2 miles.


I have this feeling that I am stressing too much and putting too much pressure on myself.  I beat myself up when I don't hit the goal I set for myself that day.

Sometimes I wonder, how do people make their long run days work?

Ok, so life has gotten the best of me on my Sundays, and I really should be training on Sundays.

Must train more, relax more and JUST DO IT!

I obviously cannot just post something and leave it alone... edit # 3 (maybe)

I will leave you with this little nugget of wisdom from SkinnyRunner.

"You can focus on how much you have left or how much you've accomplished. Either way it doesn't change your fitness, just your perspective"  (well said and I need to keep reminding myself of that) Just keep on keeping on and the miles will come.


Saturday, June 22, 2013

Taking advantage of the longest day of the year

I have been thinking that I would enjoy 25 hour days, mainly because I love my sleep. Although, extra sun time is right up my alley.

Friday I wanted to go for a run outside. I really need to put more time in sans treadmill.

Friday's Workout: 4.25 miles / 47:33

I wanted to run outside since it had been a while, man did I feel like a failure.  I will say this for myself I didn't completely give up, I ran 2.25 miles and walked turned around and ran another 2 miles.  When I turned around I was relatively close to my car and decided that I would try another couple miles before I called it a night.

I did take some great shots, excuse the blur (if there is one) I took them while running.




Saturday's Workout: 30 Minutes on the Elliptical



Thursday, June 20, 2013

History Lesson... Sometimes the Past isn't great but we can learn from it.



I made the mistake of going back in time. Turns out, even in my prime of 24 I was a bit pokey as a runner. 


Fun Fact: CoolRunning keeps everything. If you ever had race results that were recorded there, then they are still there!


Turns out I have always been a slow-ski.


25th Irish Feet are Runnin' 5 Miler 3/6/2005
(I seem to recall being slightly hungover and getting sick after this one, oh to be 24 again)
210 54:18 10:52 24 17/17 F 232


Harpoon 5 Miler 6/4/2005
1163 55:35 11:07 509 21-39 591 F


The Harpoon 5miler after party!

Run To Home Base 9K 5/22/2011
1754 270/340 F3039 1:03:16 11:19


Post 9K


Today was a rest day... probably should have gone for the cross training, but 2 days in a row of running I figured that my body needed a rest.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Nike+ Fails or Rewards

Workout: 5.07 miles / 55 minutes

Only 8.03 miles more and I would have been able to run 13.1 miles!

Today I just felt like running!

I started using earndit.com  as a suggestion from a  co-Sparker  I love a good bargain. (Christmas Tree Shop jingle insert here) If you don't know it... oh so sad.

It syncs with all kinds of different apps including runkeeper.com, as a user I figured, can't go wrong.  I went wrong... it doesn't count manually entered data, and since I have been using a treadmill, manual entry is my only option. The other option that I could potentially use is the Nike+ for my ipod. I had it on my sneaks a few years ago and was too lazy to take it out stepped in a puddle and the rest was history.

Or not as history as I thought, it works! (I swear it wasn't working last time I tried to use it) What a difference time makes when it comes to electronics and water.

I used it this morning so that I could rack up some points, it definitely needs to re-calibrated, but this was not the morning to mess with it.  So while the treadmill had me at 5.07 miles, the Nike+ had 5.7, oopsies!  Is it my fault that they are willing to take my false reading vs the accurate manual entry?  I don't think so!

One of the kids, our Audrey. (Just for fun) She has Gavin wrapped around her left front paw. 



Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Following a plan...

Workout: 2.42 miles / 26 Minutes TM

Go Bruins! (I don't watch hockey but I am all about the home team)... not a band wagon statement, just supportive.

So I decided that I should try and use a training plan for the half marathon I was using Hal Higdon's Novice plan, but in an effort to increase my speed a bit I am doing a training program for a sub 60 minute 10K.  I think part of my problem is time, oh how the 9-5 gets in the way of life... and yet pays for my life so I keep it!

Between weekend plans and me not getting up early enough for me to put in the miles I should do according to the plan, I have been slacking.

Makes me wonder, is it better to follow a plan or to listen to your body and work up to the proper mileage?



This weekend was my company family fun day! Gavin and I had a BLAST at Canobie Lake Park. I like roller coasters and thrill rides and so does he so we are like little kids when we are there. 

We also found the Zoltar machine, "I want to be BIG" if you don't get it... (sad face) 

So I put in about 15000 steps, I didn't get a workout in. 

Sunday was fathers day and I am a daddy's girl so we have a tradition to go out to breakfast at the same place every year. Now that my niece/sister (my rents are raising her) is part of the father's day celebration there is an effort to entertain her as well as my dad. (She was not thrilled with the breakfast) So we headed off to Kimball's Farms! Holy bananas, Batman have they grown into their own version of a theme park. 

We started at the arcade, had some ice cream, dad and D went to see an animal show while I went to hit a bucket of balls a the range. Then there were bumper boats!! Man did we have a great day. 

My dad and I circa... 1988ish

D and I, not at Kimball's but it takes a lot to get her in a picture. 

Oh and I was not feeling my run today... not feeling great about it, not to be a downer, it is on the training program so I can check it off.  I just should have done it in a different order. 

Friday, June 14, 2013

Can I get an Owners Manual for this body?

Gavin has always had his protein shakes after a workout but now he has moved into the world of Mark Wahlberg's line of body building nutrition, Marked. After a few trips to GNC it got me thinking if there is some energy booster to take pre-workout to help with endurance. Now as I am sure there is something that gives you a little extra kick, there isn't anything that is going to transform my body into Kara Goucher's overnight.  Not that I expect to become an Olympic Marathoner, or that I am even striving for that, but it will only come with training and hard work to make myself stronger and faster. To be honest if I could just get a sub 10 minute mile on a long run I would loose my mind with joy.

That doesn't mean I should figure out nutrition and what works best for my pre-workout snack/breakfast. Everything I read, has a main message with a lot of suggestions, there really isn't a one size fits all solution. It is a matter of trial and error.

From all the things that I have read breakfast is important. As far as working out, you have the potential to burn more calories if you don't eat anything, but you also can't workout as hard or for as long.  From my own personal experience and obsession with food, I workout better with a small snack anywhere between 30-90 minutes before a workout. I like working out in the morning and really only have so much time to get ready and get to work. I need something quick and not too filling but packed with the nutrients to get me through over an hour of high intensity cardio, alright so at some point I will be doing over an hour.

I had a Trader Joe's yogurt smoothie and fiber granola bar and it seemed to do the trick. I can definitely feel a difference when I am not putting the right things in my body, not that it always stops me from putting the wrong things in there... because things that lack in nutrition, are so stinking delicious.

I would like to go on the record and say this was a party in my mouth.

After a completely unnecessary and long break from the gym I started going back to the gym in January. I know, I know, but with the exception of me declaring that 2013 is the year of the half, I am really not a resolution type of person. I think I actually started for a few days in December. I was just kind of fed up with having my belly rolling over my jeans and not having any of my pants fit. Winter and holidays don't do a body good. Oh My... I had a point... and I wonder why my readership is low.

When I was out of shape, it was almost more easy to feel when I was not getting the proper nutrition. Within the past few weeks, my runs have been all I could ask for. My boredom and my body haven't been getting the best of me. Now if only I could get the gym earlier so I am not late for work and could get the mileage in.

Workout: 4.35 miles / 47 minutes TM

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Throw Back Thursday... Wedding Edition

Now I don't claim to be original, this throw back Thursday thing has been around for a while and I am really just jumping on the band #tbt band wagon.

I was watching GMA the other morning at the gym and they had a girl on that was a bridesmaid 14 times, bringing up that she was almost like Katherine Heigl's character in 27 Dresses. Now I am no where near 27 or even 14, I have only been in 5 weddings. I have shot more than twice the weddings than I have been in.

Seems like things that happened prior to me being on Facebook, doesn't exist, or I just have a much harder time getting pictures of things. So there is one picture missing, and I was an honorary bridesmaid at one point so I will save you the dress I bought at Macy's.

I wanted to share some of these acts of love with all of you, or the few of you that are reading. Also, give you a break from my boring rambling.

There was a lot of beer that night.

Before I was allowed to have beer (Dad and Bonnie "Bonus Mom"'s Wedding) 


The most recent wedding I was in. 

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Victory Cry

More like a theme, or better yet and anthem!

Workout: 4.16 miles / 45 minutes TM

I have an affinity for 80s soundtracks, my iPod is full of them. Top Gun, Footloose, Dirty Dancing, St Elmo's Fire, tend to be on every playlist I make. After a nice relaxed run and I was starting my cool down the Top Gun Anthem came on my iPod. (My life would not be the same without the shuffle feature) It was almost as if my ipod knew i had completed my goal and I myself was being inducted into the fighter pilot elite. (I am almost positive my ipod knows better.)

I have a codependent relationship with my ipod, there are very few places it doesn't go with me. I charge it, keep it full of audio and it makes sure I am entertained at all times. (It was even clutch when my phone died/jammed on April 15th in Boston, I was able to find wifi and get messages to friends and family) If I don't have it or it isn't charged enough, my workout will be rescheduled.

Depending on my surroundings dictates how loud my ear buds are. At the gym, full blast, I am hardly in the mood to be social. Outside, usually I just want to hear it but also be aware of my surroundings, getting run over isn't high on my list of things to do.  I also like to be able to hear the nice things going on around me like, the surf on the beach or birds chirping.

Me waiting patiently to walk across home plate after the Run to Homebase 2011 (notice the armband, I took the ipod out so I could take pictures inside the park)




I also made a special playlist for this run. (My Hero - Foo Fighters comes to mind)

I know Apple has algorithms to play songs that you listen to more than others, sometimes frustrating when I am in the mood for something I haven't heard in a while, but I comes in handy.  Sometimes I think it knows exactly what I am in the mood for. Some might chalk it up to my brilliant ability to put together a playlist. (Gavin might disagree, since he is always asking me to tweek his gym mix, I say, "if you don't like Holding out for a Hero for the 50th time, then you should take it off your list.")

I take pride in my playlists, if and when we hire a DJ (Most likely we will for our wedding) that poor person is just going to get a list of songs to play and a whole lot of "Do Not Play."

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

crappy weather + crappy TV = me on the couch

(Warning: This post is full of excuses and no follow through)

It might have started with the trip to the beach Sunday.  Gavin and I met up with my buddy Amy at the beach on Sunday.  I was already not feeling 100% since the day before, just a general feeling of blah.  Hydration is usually my go to cure all. Although, I think there was some over compensation with the sports drinks.

Then there was a huge dose of vitamin D. I do it to myself, I love the beach Gavin and I make a point to go when we can. (Yes, we were sunblock.) I am beat!

Waking up on Monday... I could barely muster the energy to make it to the gym yesterday. "Ugh, alright I will go in the morning" So much for that, the weather didn't help, but I also had to finish watching the Bachelorette before Gavin got up. Everyone has a guilty pleasure, but this season is pretty good. (Judge if you must)

I like to get up an hour before I have be at the gym to relax, have a cup of coffee and breakfast. This morning I actually took a nap before hopping in the shower to get ready for work.

Moral of the story... I have been lazy and I haven't gone to the gym in a few days.

Tomorrow is another day, with less excuses. I am also looking forward to a good nights sleep.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Inappropriate Laugher… not the first time

We had reserved a camp site this weekend, but then found out that  monsoon was on its way, so we rescheduled the trip until August. Saturday turned into the usual of watching the HGTV and making our way over to the gym.

Workout: 50 minutes / Elliptical

Not gonna lie, didn’t put a 100% into it, but according to runkeeper I hit some new records.
Achieved new personal records for elliptical activities:
  • Distance in a week
  • Duration in a week
  • Calories burned in a week
I think it has more to do with me not spending as much time on the elliptical in the past. I have really been kicking it up a notch when it comes to the cross training while I am in wait for the gift card.

Who uses the mail anymore? Marathon Sports and my mom.

They also might be the last company that uses hand written gift cards. Holding back on the judgment in a very digital world.  Hell, I get impatient with the idea of ordering something online. Must have right now will pay for gas and higher prices to have things instantly.  I have thought of just biting the bullet and buying shoes, but I am cheap. In the mean time I just keep signing up for races.

I would like to give a shout out to the Nerdist Podcast with Timothy Olyphant it was very entertaining. (Previously noted that I am a nerd)  Turns out while I was oblivious to all things around me besides the podcast in my ears, I was laughing out loud (I don’t use the acronym) at very inappropriate times. Gavin was iPod-less and was fully aware of all the horrible things showing on the news and the other people in the gym doing embarrassing things, so my laughter was perfectly on queue for all of those things. 

I laugh when I am nervous so it wouldn’t be the first time in laugh inappropriately.

Since we thought there would be a monsoon, we didn’t make plans to do anything Saturday, after the gym we decided to go for a walk.
Some highlights
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our favorite beach to go to on the weekends
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Oh and then there might have been some watermelon beer.
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Friday, June 7, 2013

The joys of Summer TV

I am a total TV nerd and I have plenty of guilty pleasures.  I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy a good weight loss show. I am a long time fan of the Biggest Loser.  I guess ABC has joined the game but I am only just finding out about Extreme Weight Loss.  I like the fact that Chris Powell guides people for 365 days and there isn’t any one getting kicked out of the ranch. Who really needs, in my best Allie Sweeney voice, “A quarter of a million dollars”?

 

I was practically balling in my salad last night when I was watching the latest episode with Meredith, and her struggles with being put up for adoption.  I am not adopted, as much as my sister tried to convince me I was as a kid, I am just over emotional for people I have never met before.  As part of her journey to lose weight the trainer signed her up for a full marathon.  I was so inspired by her!  Still not sure a full in in the cards for me, but it definitely made my run this AM way easier. Not only did she run it with weight yet to lose, but she had a torn meniscus.

 

Workout:  TM 4.04 miles / 44 minutes

 

Then since it was National Donut Day (apparently June is full of National ‘Pick a thing to celebrate’ Days) I found myself the beneficiary of a free donut, what am I going to do just throw away food?

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37 days until the 10K

120 days until the Half

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Happy National Running Day

I felt a bit bad about not getting to the goal I set for myself, again time and eh, boredom. 4 miles complete if you add both together.

2-a-days Workout: 1.12 mile / 11 minutes

The beautiful vista...




Tomorrow is a day off... or did I just have one of those? 

Nap time?

It has become an Obsession

I have signed up for my first half, which inspired me to start this blog as the few of you reading my know.
Saturday I booked the flight to San Jose, where the Rock’n’Roll  (aka my very first) Half Marathon will take place.  This is getting real!

Workout: 3.42 miles / 37 minutes

Although I haven’t hit any significant distances why am I obsessed with  running more of them, I am so close to signing up for a second that I am starting to worry about my sanity.

Today is National Running Day, I actually planned so that running was in my schedule for today. Also, to celebrate the big day, the good people over at RnR have decided to give out $20 off your next race if you sign up today. I am on the verge.  I have been eyeing the Savannah one for weeks (Love that city), but it is pretty much a month after my first and I feel like that just might be too soon. Not to mention the logistics of getting down there and staying over. (The official Kibosh!)

That leaves St Pete, FL (2/9/2014) which would be a great winter get away or Washington, DC (3/15/2014) I am leaning towards DC. I can drive there, I have family a few hours away, and when I did my internship in DC I would run along the Potomac and LOVED every minute of it, even taking my lazy butt back home on the Metro. Lastly, Gavin might actually be able to take time off to go down with me.

Me being as touristy as possible! (I think I nailed the look)
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Places I would love to run by… and I used to run by.
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OK, so the MLK Jr Memorial didn’t exist in the days I interned there, but you can see TJ in the distance.
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Do you think it is too soon to commit to something that far in advance?  Plus, what if I hate the whole half experience?

Even if the first one sucks they can only get better, right?

In other news I signed up for my first 10K the other day, part of the Narragansett Running Festival. Now if you are thinking the town in Rhode Island or the arch nemesis of my high school in field hockey team you would be mistaken. It is the beer company and I did it more for the after party than the actual run… although if I had known it was 2 loops around the Stonehill College campus.I might not have signed up. I get bored easily so looking at the same thing twice might not be as much fun as I thought.

Last obsession is the Ragnar Relay on the Cape.  I volunteered at it this past year where I managed to get a black eye.  (stunning self photography)
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As much as I promise people not to share my black eye misfortune I can’t seem to get 11 other people as excited as I am to run 3 separate legs of 5-7 miles overnight through the mean streets of Cape Cod. Go Figure! (And when I say mean streets of the Cape, I am referring to the wild turkeys, I  hear they can really eff you up!) 12 people, 2 vans, 2 days and 1 night of running, what else could you ask for?  Oh and from what I saw, a whole bunch of crazy.

Look at the swag! (They double as bottle openers)
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Who is with me? It is the first weekend in May 2014 SOOO much time to train.

Monday, June 3, 2013

No treadmills (sad face)

 I would like to start by saying, I wasn't feeling great Saturday morning. I put it out there, 4 slow miles were set for Saturday, then I got to the gym.

My gym is relatively small, just one of those apartment complex gyms that only has 4 treadmills, one of which is a little glitchy. (I like making up words) All 3 working treadmills were taken. So I went for the stationary bike. About 5 minutes into my bike ride I felt much better and kicked up my effort. The bike isn't a huge calorie blaster but great for cross training.

Some might say, just take it to the streets, why do I keep running inside. Well, my early summer allergies are brutal, it has been crazy hot and humid the past few days, and my sneakers are still the old ones and the treadmill adds a little extra padding. (Sounds like excuses... alright I will take the accusation)

Wanna see what I did yesterday?

Orange Leaf, my new obsession! It might not look appetizing but it was amazing.