Holy HILLS!

We have been on vacation for a couple weeks, but I'm back! Here's a short recap of my first run in the hills of Westpoint (United States Military Academy). We arrived at the hotel around 11:15. Immediately, my husband bailed on me to play golf with the other members of the wedding party. I decided that was a perfect opportunity to explore the ground of Westpoint and work in my run for the day (necessary after a 5 hour car trip). I asked the groom (and Westpoint graduate) where I should go. Laughingly, he responded, "Hey, you should do Stony Lonesome." I was curious, but since I'm always up for a challenge, I decided to go in search of this route. I ran along the main road and passed some beautiful sites:

These first two miles were gloriously flat just like the terrain to which I've been accustomed living at the beach. The gorgeous campus and picturesque views of the Hudson made me forget that I was even running. Then I saw a sign for Michie Stadium (the groom had mentioned staying away from all signs of this nature if I wanted to avoid hills:) Curiosity got the better of me and I turned left toward the stadium. That left took me straight uphill! Luckily I was rewarded with yet another great view:

As I rounded the corner to pass the stadium, I saw this:

In my head I thought, "Geez, that hill was rough, but how much worse could it get?" Well, for another mile, which was all I could muster, it continued straight up the hill. In fact, I passed an MP (Military Police) car and asked for directions back to the hotel to see if there was a way to avoid back tracking. The MPs laughed and said, "Nope. But you can keep going up the hill to the gate and then turn around...if you make it." Sadly, I must report, I didn't make it to the gate. I wasn't sure my body could take another step up, so I made the turn. Here's a picture from the point I actually made it to:

As most of you can imagine, the downhill was almost worse. My legs definitely aren't used to such a pounding! Overall it was a fantastic run. Putting the hill (both up and down) as the middle 2 miles worked perfectly giving my legs a chance to warm up and cool down as needed. 

As June comes closer to July, I'll be starting my marathon training program. I appreciate all of you who provided insight on what plans have worked for you in the past. I haven't decided on a plan 100% yet, but I'm leaning toward one of the Hal Higdon plans with a few modifications. 

Happy Running!

Self-Discipline...Where Can I Get Some

We just returned from an Easter weekend spent with my in-laws in Virginia. And while we did make it to church to celebrate the rising of Jesus Christ, let's be honest, in an family of Catholics and Methodists who are not overly religious, it's really a holiday shrouded in sugary deliciousness. In my basket alone, thanks to MIL, I received a chocolate bunny, Green Latte hard candies, more Peeps than I could count, Starburst jelly beans, a small box of Godiva chocolate, and some Hershey's Cookies & Creme drops! Have I mentioned that I'm somewhat of a candy addict?!

Source

As soon as we arrived home and unpacked the car, Jason and I stashed most of the candy in a small bag at the bottom of the pantry and tossed some of the items we never intend to eat. (I mean, I like Peeps, but it's sugar coated in sugar and even I can only eat so many:) Then, twice during the remainder of the day, I visited the bag. 


These next few months (yes, there is enough candy to last us months) is going to be quite the test of self-discipline. Instead of denying myself access to these little gems, I'm going to try to limit myself to 5 small pieces a week. That probably sounds like an absurd indulgence to you fitness gurus, but hey, we all have to start somewhere. 

Source

And in the spirit of self-dicipline, I was reading Runner's World on our drive home and came across a great line: "To run faster, you have to spend time running fast." Sounds simple right? Well, I did many months of training in preparation for my most recent half marathon and could count the number of speed workouts on my right hand. I know the science behind the necessity of such torture, but I always find an excuse to skip it. No more. I'm publicly declaring that from here on, I'll be doing 1 speed workout per week. Years ago, my favorite one was this:


Warm up
1 mile at RP
2 Xs 800m at RP
4 Xs 400m at RP
(do this with a partner to limit your rest between intervals)


There are several more great speed workouts included in this month's issue of Runner's World. I'm going to try all of them. I've long believed that doing distance workouts, regardless of how slow they are, is great for training because it teaches your body just how it feels to be on your feet for such a duration. The same principle holds true for speed. If your body doesn't know what running fast feels like, how on Earth can you expect it to perform when you want to pick up the pace?! 


These goals sound well and good as I sit here typing in the comfort of my desk chair, but let's see how I meet the challenges. Today's Stroller Warrior workout is just a 45 minute steady state to burn off some of that Easter sugar I mentioned at the start of this post. But tomorrow, I'll tackle my first speed workout. Wish me luck:)

Runs With A Camera...

In this earlier post, several of you recommended that we take our sightseeing to the next level by running through the city. We arrived in Newcastle, England early one evening. The following morning, we set out for a nice jog with the camera in tow. Newcastle is famous for its many bridges, but it should also be famous for its huge hills! We took 95% of the pictures in Newcastle on this run and it was a great way to see the city since we only had about 24 hours in total there. And thank goodness for picture breaks, because the hills were brutal! 

Here are two of my favorite pictures from that morning:

Hiatus

Remember that trip I mentioned awhile ago in this post? Well, it's that time!!  We departed on a flight to London yesterday and will return on the 31st. I should have been writing blogs to schedule for posting while I was away, but life (and my recently returned husband) got in the way:) So to any loyal followers we will return to posting in February. Thanks for reading!!  And stand by for LOTS of pictures of our foreign running:)

In Need Of Tips!

On Thursday morning, my husband, daughter, dog and I will be driving to Northern Virginia for two reasons. 1) So my husband's family can welcome him home from his most recent deployment and 2) So we can drop off our daughter and dog with Grandma & Grandpa as we travel to England, Scotland, and Ireland for 2 weeks!

I have a family blog where I can ask fellow mamas for tips on coping with leaving your child for the first long duration; but from this crowd, I'm seeking tips on running abroad. The temperatures will be cold and we will most likely encounter plenty of rain. The roads will be unfamiliar. The jet lag might be rough.

That being said:

What do I pack?

How do I locate good places/routes to run?

One or two pairs of shoes? 

Any other advice you can share?

As of right now, we have round trip plane tickets from DC to London and a hotel booked for the first night. Other than that, we'll be "flying by the seat of our pants" (in the words of Pretty Woman). We're both excited about seeing the lands and indulging in the pubs, but I've got a 1/2 marathon coming up in the spring, and taking 2 weeks off doesn't really fit into my training plan!