Kristy, Author at Run The Long Road Coaching

Rothman 8K Race Recap

November 19, 2013 by Kristy 10 Comments

On Saturday I ran the Rothman 8K, the first race to kick-off Philly Marathon weekend. It seems silly to write a race recap, since I’m not racing these days, but what the hell.

I have never done the Rothman 8K before but you can call it the “other” race. I swear there were more porta potties than runners – which made me insanely happy (no lines!). There were a few spectators but nothing compared to the crowds you see at the Philly Half or Marathon. Not that I didn’t expect this…it’s just…different.

The best part of the morning was running into my friend Sara, completely unexpectedly. She was supposed to run the HM on Sunday but was sick so she made a last minute decision to run the 8K. Sara was my running buddy for the last 3 miles of the Philly RnR back in September so I was pretty excited about running with her again and not being alone. We decided to take it easy since Sara was essentially running with 1 functioning lung and, well, I’m carrying an 25 extra pounds. Sometimes I’m pretty delusional – like I had any other option other than taking it easy!

and…i look ridiculous. sara doesn’t but she’s hidden here in blue.

The course had an out-and-back section on West River Drive so we got to see all the speedsters and the look of pure anguish on their faces. I can’t even tell you how happy I am to not be racing right now. Running races for fun really is fun! I’m going to have quite the wake-up call next year.

high-fiving mayor nutter at the finish

Official finish time – 52:20 (10:30 average pace). I’m happy with that!

Thanks Sara for being my running buddy again!

When I got home Matt asked me if I was done with races until after the baby is born. Of course not! I found a 5K on Thanksgiving called the Gobble Wobble. With a name like that (and being almost 9 months pregnant at that time) how could you not run it?!?!

Did you run any of the Philly races this past weekend?

Nursery Tour

November 11, 2013 by Kristy 18 Comments

Allow me to divert from boring, pregnant running posts to something a little fun. We finished up the nursery this weekend and I am thrilled with how it turned out! I promised friends and family I’d do a post so they could see it. Don’t worry – boring, pregnant running posts will resume next week with a race recap (I’m “running” the Rothman 8K on Saturday).

When we moved into our house 4 years ago we painted the extra bedroom green and white (think Ireland green)…knowing that the room would eventually become a nursery. The colors were prefect and gender-neutral. When it came time to think about the nursery we definitely didn’t want a theme – like animals, etc. We figured we throw up some bright yellow accents (different shapes and patterns) and call it a day.

That idea only worked for so long. It’s hard to decide what to hang on the walls if you don’t have a theme. Since I love geography and maps, I selfishly wanted to hang a world map (it’s also educational, right?). From there the idea snowballed and our “no-theme” nursery became a “world” theme.

Let the tour begin (click on the image to enlarge)!

We bought the furniture unfinished. For 2 weeks Matt did nothing but sand, stain, paint, repeat. We love the way it turned out but it was a lot of work.

A closer look at the wall art, courtesy of Etsy. The world theme is in full swing!

My favorite part of the nursery: the world map. It’s actually a decal (from Etsy) that wasn’t as hard to assemble and put up as it looks! The map was divided into strips of continents with little dots that you can use to make sure the alignment is correct. I cannot stop staring at it!

From one of my favorite books – Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

The reading nook. We found these alphabet flashcards (you guessed it, on Etsy) representing different countries and how they say “hello” in their native language. We got them laminated and hung them on the wall with bamboo string.

A closer look…

There you have it! I’m pretty obsessed with it and often find myself sitting on the glider staring into space. Now we just need the baby to arrive!

Pregnancy Confessions – Part II

October 29, 2013 by Kristy 7 Comments

Running Update
At 31 weeks running is hard and not hard at the same time…which probably makes no sense. It’s hard when my shins tense up and can’t handle the weight of my growing stomach. It’s not hard in the sense that all I need to do is propel myself forward – set the wheels in motion – and then I’m good to go. I swear the weight of my belly pushes me forward. So the added 20+ pounds is both helpful and a hindrance at this point.

I can no longer run 5 days per week. My legs can’t take it. Running 4 days is manageable and I usually pair a “longer” run (6 or 8 miles) with a shorter run (4 miles) the next day. Then I add in a day of walking – 3 to 4 miles – and it brings me to about 25 miles for the week. I’ll take it.

I have one more “race” on my schedule before the baby arrives. I’m running the Rothman 8K – part of Philly Marathon weekend. I was originally planning on running the Philly Half but then reality set in. I will be spectating the full and half so if you’re running, let me know!

Glowing? Not me.
Our gut feeling all along is that we are having a girl. In fact, I’ll be quite surprised if she is really a he! I haven’t paid much attention to the old wives’ tales regarding gender prediction…until recently. Around 28 weeks I started looking haggard. Like really haggard. Puffy face and bags under my eyes – despite 9 to 10 hours of sleep (I’ve been sleeping great – knock on wood). I don’t feel haggard but I just look awful. Don’t they say that girls steal your beauty? Case in point…

7:30PM at Pearl Jam last week. I wasn’t tired (yet – they did play for 3 hours) but I look…haggard.

This past Saturday – post 8 mile run. Isn’t running supposed to leave you looking refreshed?!

Another sign pointing to a girl? I’m the very definition of carrying high. This picture makes me laugh because it’s so ridiculous.

Other perks
*Cankles – the reward for sitting on my ass all day at work. The more I am on my feet, the better off I am.

*Picking something up off the floor is impossible without loudly grunting and feeling as if my head might explode.

*I have maybe 2 inches to go before my belly rests on my legs (a perk of carrying high?). My friend Sara warned me about this. I’m still freaked out that my boobs rest on my belly. Now belly on legs?!

What other perks can I look forward to over the next 9 weeks?

how to study for and pass the NASM-CPT test

October 10, 2013 by Kristy 22 Comments

I passed the NASM certified personal trainer test back in August so this post is a long time coming. When I began to think about which certifying agency I wanted to go with, what to study, how to study, etc., I consulted a ton of blogs and message boards for information. They were all extremely helpful and now it’s my turn to share my experience in the hopes that others will find this information useful.

Why NASM?
The 3 most respected certifying agencies are NASM, ACSM, and NSCA. In the future I may get my CSCS certification (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) which is only available through NSCA, so that eliminated NSCA right away. I want to try and keep my certifications diversified so that I get exposure to different training philosophies.

That left NASM and ACSM. NASM was more attractive for 2 reasons: (1) their focus is on movement deficiencies and muscle imbalances which, as a running coach, would be incredibly valuable and (2) there was guidance on how to study and what to study. I only had a finite amount of time to study and take the test (2 months – I had a nursery to think about!) and I didn’t want to mess around with guessing what I needed to know.

Which package did you choose?
I went with the CPT Self-Study package – the *cheapest* one. Note: none of the packages are cheap. This package did not include a live workshop. Not attending a workshop didn’t matter in the end (I don’t believe it would have given me an advantage). And from what I read online, many people found them unhelpful. So save some money and time and don’t bother with them.

Study tips
You have 180 days to study and take the test once you purchase a package (or pay a fee for an extension). Don’t procrastinate! I committed and purchased the package only when I knew I could dedicate a few months to study and take the test.

I do have a background in science (BS in Chemistry and MS in Pharmacology) so much of what I studied wasn’t new information. Do I think a science degree is necessary to pass the test? Absolutely not. You may need more time to digest the information but it is certainly doable.

There are 20 chapters in the textbook. I reviewed 3 chapters per week, sometimes more if the chapters were short. That left me with about 2 weeks to review everything and take practice tests before the exam.

read it, know it

For each chapter I did the following:
(1) Read the chapter thoroughly. Understand what you are reading and highlight anything important. I kept the study guide close by as I read the chapter so I didn’t miss anything important.
(2) Make notes. This is the most time-consuming process. Definitions were placed on flash cards and more intricate notes were written in my notebook. This gets old quickly but once you take good notes, you don’t have to go back and look stuff up. Believe me, it’s worth the added time!
(3) Review the online tools. With your package, you’ll get access to an online review of each chapter with a few quiz questions at the end. After reading and note-taking, the online review really solidifies everything you just learned. Review the online material after each chapter and don’t save it for the end – you will not pay as close attention!

so many notes…

(4) Review constantly! Don’t just fly through chapters and forget what you learned previously. I constantly reviewed my flash cards and notes from previous chapters. This is critical!

You MUST know…
The overhead squat assessment table (Table 7.6 of the 4th Edition). Know it by heart. Review it every day until you can rattle it off without hesitation. Also know the muscles and their isolated function. Be familiar with everything listed on the study guide.

Exam tips
I gave myself 2 weeks to review and take practice tests, once I read and studied all the chapters. This was probably too much time, since I was constantly reviewing everything all along.

The exam is 120 questions (multiple choice) and you have 2 hours to take it. The test is pass/fail, so you’ll never know your exact score. You take the exam at a testing center (you cannot bring anything into the testing center – I walked in with just my license and keys – leave everything in your car).

I felt the exam was a bit harder than the practice tests. The practice tests, in my opinion, were more straightforward where you needed to know basic concepts. The actual exam did include concepts but much of it was application based (i.e., real life scenarios).

Now what?
I definitely plan on “officially” using my CPT in some capacity in the future. But, right now, I’m using it with my running clients.

Many running injuries are the result of muscle imbalances (mostly caused by training errors – it’s a vicious circle). When you think about it, running is a series of single-leg balances moving forward. You have a split second to make contact with the ground, absorb impact, and push-off. If you are deficient in any one of those areas (for whatever reason), it’s compounded with each step and with each mile. Over time an injury can develop. I find this incredibly fascinating (don’t you?!) and I’m so happy I went with NASM because it was very much focused on this.

I’m happy to answer any questions you may have about the NASM-CPT test. If you have any advice to share, I would love to hear it!

2nd trimester running recap

September 29, 2013 by Kristy 8 Comments

Farewell, 2nd trimester! On Wednesday I’ll be 27 weeks and beginning my 3rd trimester, according to my Sprout app. Whether this happens at week 27 or 28 – I don’t know – but I like the sound of it so I’m sticking to it.

I know I sound like a broken record but I still feel pretty damn good. Aside from having a gut that won’t go away and grows after each meal, I still feel like “me”. Although I must admit, over the past 2 weeks, I get pretty cranky from 3-5PM. I’m exhausted from carrying around the excess weight and just want to lay down. After dinner I generally feel better so maybe I just need a snack? Why do I feel like a toddler?!

Running during the 2nd trimester was pretty consistent, with the exception of a few days of extreme humidity, where I just bagged the run all together. I decreased my overall mileage to 30-35 miles per week, compared to 35-40 miles per week in the 1st trimester. My long runs stayed in the 10-13 mile range. And I completed (pregnant) half marathon #2!

The 2nd trimester also brought some so-called “shin tension” while running. I really can’t describe it any other way. My compression sleeves helped a bit but my legs have to continually adapt to the increased weight. Even more so now that my weight gain will be more rapid (awesome!). I’m super vigilant about recognizing any shin tension, taking extra rest days, using the Tiger Tail, and icing.

Now that it’s cooler out my running wardrobe is limited. All my tanks and shorts fit fine but my race Ts are a bit snug. My weeks of wearing them (decently) are numbered.

Instead of buying new ones, I decided to take advantage of Matt’s Ts (some of which were originally mine but too big). Since Matt is “retired” from running, he shouldn’t miss them.

This morning I ran an impromptu 5K! Might as well leave the 2nd trimester on a high note. My goal was to give it a solid effort and beat my PW of 28:22 way (way) back when I was 25. That was my first 5K ever – on University of Maryland’s hilly campus. That race is probably why I still hate 5Ks to this day.

Anyway, I didn’t think it would be that hard to beat – it would be close – but feasible. What I didn’t expect was for my legs to feel like bricks after mile 1. I felt like I was at mile 24 of a marathon…where your brain and lungs are saying “go, go, go” and your legs are uncooperative. My breathing was fine, my stomach wasn’t “in the way” or bothering me but I just couldn’t move my legs any faster. I did run 6 miles on Friday and 8 on Saturday but I really think it was just all the added weight and increased “speed”.

I finished in 28:44 – 9:16 average pace. And now my legs are sore. Who knew 17 lbs (and counting) could cause such havoc?

26W5D

Looking ahead to the 3rd trimester, I think my motto is going to be “grateful for each day that I can run”. I will cut myself some slack on my miles per week mandate and just be happy running 25(ish) miles per week.

I decided (after MUCH debating back and forth) to drop out of the Philly Half Marathon and instead do the Rothman 8K in November. I’ll be 8 1/2 months by then and I need to be realistic. Even with using a run/walk approach, 13 miles is too far with all this added weight. Today’s race confirmed that!

Philly RnR Half Recap

September 17, 2013 by Kristy 10 Comments

I came, I waddled, I finished…in 2:18:12 (10:33 average pace). Only 2 minutes slower than my very first HM back in 2002!

Let me back up a bit first…

A small part of me wasn’t sure I would finish. I have never felt that way before. I was well trained (I had done numerous 8 to 12 milers in the past few months) but you just never know what you are going to get day-to-day. I was worried about the tension in my shins – would it be unbearable? Would I have to walk half the race? Would I get excessively tired? Would today be the day some new pregnancy symptom would appear?

my SIL and I at the start

At least I had the weather on my side. It was about 50 degrees at the start. Had it been anywhere near the humidity we had earlier in the week, I would have not run the race. My tolerance for humidity decreases each week I get bigger.

I knew it was going to be a good day during mile 1. I had no shin tension whatsoever (it generally appears ASAP). I was enjoying the crowds and laughing at my shadow. I looked ridiculous! I was moving slowly and was definitely doing more of a waddle than run.

I stopped to pee right before mile 3 (already?!) and then before mile 9. I lost 4 minutes total – mostly waiting in line at mile 3 – but what can you expect at 6 months?

Screen Shot 2013-09-17 at 11.59.16 AM

having fun

I saw my friend Sara at mile 10 and I was so happy for the company. I was getting a little bored and really wanted to chat with someone. I was feeling really good at this point…I wanted to go faster but I knew my body wouldn’t cooperate. Or I would pay for it dearly on Monday.

After mile 12.5, I picked up the pace. I weaved in and out of runners and raced to the finish line. I had the biggest smile crossing the finish line – I wish there was a picture to capture it. My 2nd HM while pregnant done! For comparison:

HM #1 (10 weeks): 1:59
HM #2 (24 weeks): 2:18

Screen Shot 2013-09-17 at 11.51.29 AM

thanks sara for letting me chat your ear off

Congrats to my SIL, Sara, Jimmy, and Jen who all had fantastic races!