F.Y.I.

Just thought I would let you know that the Wasatch Back Relay is officially SOLD OUT. 650 teams for a total of 7800 runners, and that isn't including the Ultra Teams. Should be a fun Race!

Adrienne

M.O.M Quotes

When you get a minute in the next few days will everybody please email me their favorite inspirational running quote. Don't post it here, just send it to me privately. I need them as soon as you can. :)

The get together at Jarrie's house this Friday is certainly not mandatory but please try to make it if at all possible as I have some "housekeeping" items to cover and it will be much easier for me to go over them once rather than 12 different times. To our out-of-towners Sarah and Natalie I will let you know any pertinent info discussed at the meeting/party. Please email me if you know you are not going to be able to make it.

In the meantime Happy Running everyone!

Adrienne

MOM Get Together

The Magic Mile

Have you ever wondered, "Am I running fast enough? Could I go faster? Am I going too fast? How do I determine pace for a 5k vs 10k?"

I found a training tip called, "The Magic Mile." When you determine your magic mile, then you can determine your race pace. Here's how it works.

Warm up. At least a mile, and maybe 2. This test is best performed on a track so you can make sure you have accurate distance.

Run 1 mile. Do this at FASTER than your normal pace, but not so fast you are totally gasping for air, or want to throw up. The time you run this mile is your own personal magic mile. Then to determine Race Pace:

add 33 seconds for your pace for a 5K
multiply by 1.15 for 10K pace
multiply by 1.2 for half marathon pace
multiply by 1.3 for marathon pace

There is a nifty little calculator HERE that will do the math for you.

Repeat this test about every two weeks to really determine an accurate pace. And watch all the improvement you will make!

This is a great way to find your pace and try it out at different distances. But, the best way to determine pace is to RUN THAT DISTANCE and see what happens. So predict your pace, try it out, and then make adjustments from there.

Happy RUNNING!

I'm a WHORe

I was talking to Emily - a psycho trainer at Lifetime - and we were talking about racing (she is WAY out of my league, but I felt accomplished that I could at least follow her conversation).... anyway, she is on a Ragnar team for the race in Arizona, and they are actually trying to win the race - they were 2nd place last year.  Sorry ladies, with me on our team, it's a good thing that's not our goal (at least I hope not).

ANYWAY, we were talking about team names and she said there's this team call the "WHORes."  It stands for Women High On Running.  I had an awesome speed interval workout yesterday - seriously, probably my best running workout ever - and really got a sense of the runners high everyone talks about (I thought I'd achieved that before, but I don't think I had, cause this was different) - and I loved it!  YAY!

By the way, have you realized that our team name acronyms to MOM?  Just thought I'd throw that out there...

My love/hate relationship with Amber's Hill run

Let me start off by saying that the 4 mile-incline 2 run I did yesterday was a piece of cake! I was going to post a comment on Amber's post but I had so much to say (are you shocked) that I decided to do a separate post. So, it all started off well, mile 1 on incline 1, then mile 2 on incline 2, it felt hard, I was starting to breathe heavier but it was fine. Then we hit mile 3 and the incline goes up to 5. Okay, this is really hard, I know it's only for 1/2 a mile but I'm breathing hard and running hard. Finally the 3 1/2 mile comes and I'm back down to the 2 incline thank goodness, catching my breath and thinking I have to run on an 8 incline next? Yowsers....! Thankfully I recover pretty well and when mile 4 hits and the incline goes up to 8... I'm okay....at first....okay, not for very long....I quickly realize I need to pull out the unedited version of my Eminem song that I go to in extreme situations like this one. That next 1/2 of a mile was messed up, seriously messed up which is why I'm going to do this workout again next week because messed up and my life go together. I was sucking serious air, trainers were looking over at me wondering if they were going to need to call 911. I could hear my breathing over my Ipod which has never happened. Finally mile 4 1/2 comes and I'm so relieved to get back to the 2 incline. The rest of the workout was fine. In fact the next 5 incline I was sort of in a daze still and my mind had wandered off and I was just going through the motions that I ran the incline for .70 miles instead of just the 1/2 mile. I recommend this workout to any that like to run on the treadmill but need a realistic run that will simulate hills. It's a good one. On a scale of 1-10 I give it an A. Adjust as needed like Amber mentioned she runs it twice or you can take the inclines to smaller numbers at first if you need a little less but I'm definitely adding it into my weeks. Try new things, your body gets use to the same old stuff. BTW I hate Eminem but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do but if you see Kanye on my playlist feel free to slash my throat on the spot.....if your a true friend.

Thanks Amber

Happy Running Everyone.

Adrienne

Hills, hills, hills, hills, well- you get the point!

I was recently reading an article about how important hill training is to overall running fitness. If you are like me and run on a treadmill most of the time (when the weather is junk,) then you may want to add the following session once or twice to your weekly routine:

Mile Marker Elevation
0 to 1 -1%
1 to 2 -2%
2 to 2.5 -5%
2.5 to 3 -2%
3 to 3.5 -8%
3.5 to 4 -2%
4 to 4.5 -5%
4.5 to 5 -2%

I did this twice on Monday and it was really a good workout! Way better than the normal flat grade. Actually, the article said that running without an incline is comparative to running downhill outside and that you should be running at least at a 1% elevation in order to duplicate that of an outdoor track. It also said to run about 1 min/mile slower than your normal pace. If this workout is too easy, then you could do it twice (like me) or speed up your pace. If it's too hard, then just do it once and slow down your pace. Apparently, adding hills is one of the major components to increasing your speed on race day. Just thought I'd share ;)

Garden of the Gods

So the link to register for the Take 5 in the Garden of the Gods race is:

http://www.csgrandprix.com/garden.html

I'm going to do it. It sounds like it will be a good training one for our race in June with some hills and possible weather issues.

I think we're going to make a very small weekend of it and stay in Colorado Springs Friday night, I'll go run and then we'll go do something with the kids on the way back home, or maybe also stay Saturday night since we have late church.

The registration fee is $25 if you register before race day. If anyone else that's going to register wants to give me their checks and forms, I'll send them all in and save you all 44 cents in postage! I'll probably send mine in at the end of March so let me know!

Warm-up

Someone ( maybe Tara?) please explain to me the process/style of a good warm-up.  I usually spend 5 minutes warming up with a brisk walk, and usually a little incline, before starting to run (on a treadmill).  I still seem to struggle a bit for my first mile, then walk for a few more minutes, and then it seems like from that point on (we're talking nearly 10 minutes into my workout) I can then run quite a bit with no problems or stops (30-45 minutes - hey, that's good for me!).  What's the deal?  How can I warm up faster or more efficiently?  Do I have to spend this amount of time warming up on race day too?  Ugh.

Get Together

While running stairs yesterday with a few of the girls from Mind Over Mileage, we were discussing having a little get to know you get together.
We can  talk about some goals,and how we can help one another.  Maybe we can start scheduling some Saturday runs or something.  How does everyone feel about this?
I can do it at my home on a Friday evening sometime the beginning of March.

Jarrie

Also I follow this blog that is pretty hilarious.  If you need a good laugha bout the joys of running and exercise-check it out.  It is called Shut Up and Run found here:

http://twentysixpointtwoormore.blogspot.com/

10k races

Ok--Here's a list of a few races I found that we could run. I did only one's that aren't on Sunday.
March 20 - Spring Spree - 10K - Platte River Bar & Grill - Littleton, Colorado - 9:00 a.m. - 303-791-6166
April 10 - HRCA Heritage Adventure Run - 5K/10K - Mountain Vista High School - Highlands Ranch, Colorado - 8:30 a.m. - 303-471-7053
April 17 - Bash The Bluffs - 5k/10k/1M - University of Colorado - Colorado Springs, Colorado - 8:00 a.m. - 719-262-3463
May 1 - Take 5 in the Garden of the Gods - 5k/5M - Garden of the Gods Park - Colorado Springs, Colorado - 8:00 a.m. - 719-635-8803 (this isn't quite a 10k, but 5 miles is still good!)
May 8th- Blazing Bullets Trail Run - 5K/10K - Christopher Softball Fields - Westminster, Colorado - 8:00 a.m.
May 23 - Airlife Memorial - 5k/10 - Hudson Gardens/Event Center - Littleton, Colorado - 8:00 a.m. - 303-694-2202

I kinda thinking the May 8th in Westminster sounds pretty good. What do you guys think?
I'd also love to do the Garden of the Gods race. That would be BEAUTIFUL.

website was http://www.racingunderground.com

Please Note!

Please note that you need to be totally honest with your 10k time. A team can be penalized if they are WAY off. I don't foresee this as a problem but forgot to mention it in the previous post. They give each team their start time depending on the overall team time and if it is way off then there will be too many vans at exchange points and they will hold a van there if there time is way off and then add additional time to the end time--not good. This usually only applies to teams that say they are slower and then are suddenly way faster and they usually don't penalize you if you are slower than what you have stated. I assume all of us are going to get a bit faster come race day and I can edit times up until a few weeks before the race so don't worry if your time is say 10:30 but you think at the end of training you will be closer to a 9:30, just keep me up to date.

Thanks,

Adrienne

Business

Please check your email for an important email about the Race. Let me know if you are not able to sign in to the Ragnar site and input your information.

Thanks,

Adrienne

Shoes are VERY important

hi, I just wanted to add thoughts on shoes.... Adrienne is totally right when she says you need to go to a good running store, and try them out on the treadmill. Here is a perfect example of why.

As most of you know I was training for the Disney marathon last fall. I ran into a major IT band issue. Did all kinds of work on it, never really seemed to go away. I was running in a full support shoe because even on the treadmill with that shoe, my feet looked ok, with a very Very small pronation in my left leg. (But my IT problem was my right leg... so just know even though they are two different legs they are all connected!) Then one day, I went to the boulder running company (I also am a HUGE fan of Solepepper sports) to talk about clothes to wear during the marathon and ended up spending over an hour trying on shoes and trying each one out on the treadmill! Just so happens the super support shoes I kept buying were actually contributing to my problem. I have wide feet and need them to be able to flatten out when they run. So I now run in something that support where I need it and not where I don't. The first time I took those shoes home and tried them out..... 6 miles, no problem.....10 miles no problem...... MARATHON NO IT BAND PROBLEM...... also, Not a HINT of an IT problem since.

So I guess I would recommend going to the store when you will not feel rushed. Go by yourself maybe so you don't have kids or husbands wondering what is taking so long, talk to the person who is helping you about your running style. Take your time and don't feel bad if you make several trips over to the treadmill to try them out..... find a shoe that is Good for you, not just fine for you. It could make a big difference.

Better than any Hollywood Celebrity

It's not every day an Olympian picks out the perfect pair of running shoes for you. Not everyday---but it was today for me! Thank you Mr. Alan Culpepper, I feel faster already!

Pop Quiz: Who ran a 2:09:41 marathon? Answer: The dude that picked out my new running shoes! Awesome!!!!

BTW: His fastest mile is 3:55......Insane!

Stairs and Winter weather......

Blah, I am sick of the winter. Anyone else? I can't wait for the nice spring days when we can all find some local spot to go do speed work together or something. As for the stair workout tomorrow I am thinking of postponing it until Friday? Would anyone be able to make it? There is a park right at the bottom of the stairs for the kids where we will be able to keep an eye on them while running up and down. Let me know? I can also be flexible about the time this day so we can do either am or pm? I just hope by Friday the snow will be melted and it will be a little nicer.

Jen

Spring 10k?

I remember Adrienne saying that at some point we will need to giver her our current times so that our overall team time could be calculated.  So, I'm thinking it would be fun to run a 10k with as many of our team members as possible.  I've done several 5k's this winter, but I'm anxious to see what my current 10k time would be (haven't run one of those in almost 2 years).  And, I usually perform better for a race than daily workouts anyway.  I saw an advertisement for the Boulder Spring Half Marathon & 10k, but it's on a Sunday - March 14.  Even if I wanted to break the Sabbath (eek!  j/k), I can't that day because Fred has a church assignment that morning.

So, anybody know of any other big races - except the Boulder Bolder... will be out of town for that one (frown), but we probably need to have our times before then anyway... Suggestions?

Quote of the day

So I get a quote of the day email from Runner's world everyday and today I thought it was a good one and wanted to share with you guys!

"Ultimately, the best runners are the ones who are willing to work very hard but who have a little bit of a lazy streak in them."

Benji Durden, Coach

I like this because I do feel like I work hard and I am sure that we all feel that way, either at work at home or running, and sometimes I feel like I do get a little lazy but it is comforting to know that WE ARE THE BEST RUNNERS!!!

Happy Weekend!!

XO,
Sarah

Next Week some Stairs...

Hi, I am going to do a stair workout next Tuesday if anyone would like to join me. The Stairs are located in Westminster on the corner of 104th and Sheridan. I am going to do a workout that I did with the Melvers a few months ago and I really thought it was a good one. It will most likely be between 9:30 and 11:30. Let me know if you guys wanna come?

Jen