Uncategorized

how running has changed

February 18, 2014 by Kristy 10 Comments

Last week was the first time where I feel like I returned to real training. Some substantial weekly mileage (22 – yes, that is substantial right now) and a 6 mile “long” run. I feel confident about the Philly LOVE Run (half marathon) at the end of March. Confident I can finish without keeling over, that is.

Fitting in runs and how I go about them has certainly changed since Fiona was born. Honestly, it hasn’t been too bad. Of course, she’s not mobile and sleeps all day. I imagine that I’ll have to get a bit more creative when she’s older (4AM runs?!). Back in the day, I was very creative about fitting in my long runs around my social schedule (and by social I mean drinking). Guess I’ll have to tap into that creativity again.

You run when you can
The luxury of running in the early morning no longer exists (for now, at least)! Instead, I hop on the treadmill whenever I can predict that Fiona will sleep for a decent amount of time (+1 for the white noise of the treadmill). Pre-baby, the thought of running in the afternoon – or worse, at night – was unthinkable. Now I relish any run…no matter what time of day it is.

what fiona does while I’m on the treadmill

Running clothes are my wardrobe
Since I never know when I can run I must be prepared at all times! I change into running clothes shortly after I get up (and brush my teeth, if it’s my lucky day). Thankfully my running wardrobe is far superior to all my other clothes (err, sweatpants).

Being proactive
Since I have big running plans this year and I know my body has changed with pregnancy I have myself on a strict “pre-hab” regimen of hip, glute, and core strengthening. These are all areas that have weakened for me during pregnancy. I don’t want pre-hab to turn into re-hab and derail any of my plans.

All runs are fast finish
Keep in mind fast is a relative term these days. Fiona will generally sleep for a good amount of time but I’m constantly checking for signs of her waking up. Once I see her stirring, up goes the speed on the treadmill. Might as well end the run on a good note!

Completely unrelated but Matt took this picture a few days ago of Hawk and Fiona. It’s too cute not to share!

*****

Running Broad Street and looking for group runs, a training plan, and the guidance of a running coach? Join my BSR training program today!

Big Plans

February 1, 2014 by Kristy 11 Comments

2013 was a good year in running. A year ago I was running 20 milers for fun (it’s my favorite distance), then got pregnant, and was fortunate enough to run throughout my pregnancy. I truly loved running while pregnant and didn’t miss racing or the pressure of PRing. It was just the break my body and mind needed so that I could enter 2014 fresh, eager, and determined.

I’m a little over 3 weeks postpartum and I’m dying to get back to training. I’m dying to run 20 miles again. I’m dying to have goals again and races on my calendar. But I’m realistic and cautious. I know I’m not running in the same pre-pregnancy body (reminds me of the saying contents may have shifted during flight – the same is true of my pelvis).

I started walking on the treadmill 2 weeks after Fiona was born. After a few days I ran a mile – very slowly – and felt really good. I have slowly worked my way up to 3 miles. Technically, I’m not cleared for exercise yet so I’m going to stick with 3 miles for awhile since it feels good and it’s feasible (Fiona will tolerate her bouncer and nap).

So what are my big plans for 2014? On my calendar right now is the Philly LOVE Run – a half marathon on March 30. This is a new race for Philly and the course looks great. I have NO plans to race. This will purely be a fun run. I want to cover the distance and enjoy myself.

Next up (assuming I get into the lottery) is Broad Street on May 4. I WILL be racing this one. I figure it’ll give me a good idea of where my speed is (or isn’t). Also – this is a shameless plug – RTLR Coaching has a Broad Street training program! Our first training run will be 2/22 (after the lottery is announced). This program is great for first time Broad Street Runners or anyone that would like to train for BSR under the guidance of a running coach. All the details are on my website – check it out!

After that is the ODDyssey Half Marathon on June 8. I ran this for the first time last year (10 weeks pregnant) and fell in love with this race. It’s a small field, great course, and feels more like an ultra because it’s so laid back.

So that brings us to Fall and my big plan – a 50-miler! My second ultra but first “real” ultra. I have been wanting to train for and run this distance for awhile now. And postpartum seems to be the perfect “fit” for an ultra (in my opinion). If I truly am being realistic about my return to training I don’t want the pressure of PRing in a marathon and the harsh training that comes with it. I don’t want myself getting into a too much, too soon scenario and ending up injured (remember…contents may have shifted during flight). Not that training for a 50-mile race is a walk in the park – not at all. But it will allow for a slow, gradual increase in mileage without the punishing workouts. That’s exactly what I need right now.

I have my eyes on JFK but I’m open to other 50-milers (please recommend one!) as long as they are somewhat local to Philly and later in the year (Oct/Nov). I’ll probably run a marathon as a training run for the 50-miler. I’m thinking maybe Steamtown – I was signed up to run it in 2013 – but I’m pretty open on that as well.

I do have plans to PR in the marathon and run Boston again but that’s for 2015. Right now I need to be patient and take baby steps.

What are your big running plans for 2014?

Can you recommend a good 50-miler besides JFK?

New Year, New Look!

December 17, 2013 by Kristy 4 Comments

Welcome to Run The Long Road COACHING!

I am so thrilled to unveil my new website, just a few weeks shy of my 3-year blogiversary! I also can’t believe I’ve been blogging for that long…just about running?!

My intention 3 years ago was to have the blog promote my coaching business. I consistently blogged 5 times a week and, over time, I acquired new clients. The more clients I had, the less time I had to blog.

Now that I want to grow my business even more I knew I had to shift the focus of my website to more coaching-centric and less blog-centric. And it definitely needed a makeover to look more professional. It was important for me to keep the blog. I think prospective clients like to read about my training, my PRs, and my failed attempts at PRs. I have always maintained the blog as an honest look at my training – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and I intend on keeping it that way. Speaking of bad and ugly – tomorrow’s post will explain why I haven’t run since December 2nd.

I now have more coaching options, including more options for runners in the Philly area. Just in time for those New Year’s resolutions! Please spread the word if you or anyone you know would like to tackle their first race, make the jump to the marathon, or PR/BQ. As crazy as it sounds I am accepting new clients even with the impending birth of baby RTLR!

You may need to update Feedly, etc. with my new site – runthelongroadcoaching.com – so you continue to receive blog updates. My old site will also automatically redirect you to the new site.

I owe a HUGE thanks to Rita at Blog Genie. This was my second time working with her (the first was when I made the jump to self-hosted). She is amazingly talented and incredibly patient! She literally had the new site up and running in a week! I was terrified I was going to have the baby mid-design (ha ha ha, so naive of me) so I’m grateful to Rita for working quickly. It looks so professional, clean, and simply amazing!

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!

Seattle

May 24, 2013 by Kristy 12 Comments

Last weekend I headed out to Seattle to visit Matt (he was out there for 2 weeks for work). It’s a great town – I was never there before – and reminds me of San Fran…although it could never replace my beloved San Fran!

I have 3 general observations about Seattle:

1. It’s cold. Really cold. Temps ranged from low 50s to low 60s each day. Not bad, right? But Seattle’s 50 degrees is on par with Philly’s 30 degrees. Guess I really do like humidity?

2. There really is a Starbucks on every corner. Seattlers are well caffeinated. We did visit the first Starbucks – total tourist trap – but it was cool.

3. 7-Elevens are really clean, which is totally not the case in Philly. If you’re from the east coast, Seattle 7-Elevens are on par with Wawa. I could practically eat off the floors. Philly 7-Elevens smell nasty and I purposely walk on my toes so my pants don’t drag on the ground when I walk into one.

I arrived on Friday and had a few hours to kill until Matt was done with work. Naturally, I went for a run. Nothing felt better after sitting on a plane all morning. I love that so many people were out and about running over lunch.

We did typical tourist stuff – The Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit.

random photobomb

We love Farmers’ Markets so we checked out Fremont Market. Definitely not our scene – a little too hippy-ish and flea market-ish. Although they did have a large pig truck in the back where Matt enjoyed some pulled pork.

mobile pig truck

We loved Discovery Park and walked the Loop Trail – a 2.8 mile trail with incredible views of the Puget Sound.

We even saw the Fremont Troll.

It was a great weekend overall. For only having 2 and a half days we saw a ton of sites. I just have to remember to pack winter clothes next time.

I almost jumped in…

Ever been to Seattle? Or live in Seattle? What’s your favorite place, park, running route?

Be Your Own Coach

May 5, 2013 by Kristy 8 Comments

Most of my running clients are half marathoners and marathoners. Some are first timers and some have a few races under their belts and are looking to improve their time.

When they first contact me, they complete a questionnaire where I ask them all sorts of questions. I call this “getting to know them more as a runner”. It’s so important that I gather as much information as possible so that I can properly develop a plan for their goal race.

When I begin to lay out a training plan and begin to work with my clients I always keep the following in mind…

Plan, plan, plan
I always tentatively plan the long runs first. I say tentatively since my training plans are highly adaptive and, in general, I only plan 3 weeks of training at a time. I would be weary of a coach that hands you a 16-week training plan at once (unless you asked for it).

Long runs are the bread and butter of any endurance training plan. I take into account tune-up races, drop back weeks, vacations, and any other things I may need to work around. It’s easier to manipulate the long runs later on if you pencil them in for the entire training plan.

Keep your eye on the prize
Speaking of tune-up races, I ask my marathon clients to keep racing to a minimum during marathon training. I generally allow 1 HM and they either race it or use it as a marathon-paced training run. Either way, it’s a great confidence booster for race day.

For chronic racers, marathon training can get a bit boring. Long runs are the priority and racing has to take a backseat temporarily.

The more you run, the better you get at it
I have my clients run as much as they can. What constitutes high mileage is unique to each runner. Thirty miles can be enough for some while 70 is enough for others. I like to have enough time during marathon training to do adequate base building…slow and gradual increases in overall mileage and long run distance. This increase in aerobic capacity will not only make you faster but will lay a solid foundation for marathon or HM-specific speed work.

There’s a time and place for speed work
Many clients want to jump right into speed work thinking it is the only thing that will make them faster. Speed work will make you faster…to an extent. Over time, without proper increases in aerobic capacity, your speed will plateau. As I said above, the right time for speed work is after we have a solid foundation of base mileage. Your body is stronger and can handle the increased stress of speed work.

When clients begin training for a HM or marathon after a period of low mileage, I begin with so-called “pre-training” to base build. After an adequate base is established, then we can layer on the speed work. I sometimes use strides and hill repeats during the base building phase just to break up the monotony of all those slow miles and to help with leg turnover.

That’s just a few of my basic principles I follow when coaching. To find out more, hire me as your coach! Winking smile