marathon training - Brooklyn Active Mama

7 Easy Ways To JumpStart Your New Running Goals

by Nellie July 16, 2019

7 Easy Ways To JumpStart Your New Running Goals

One of the things that I hear the most from my friends is “I wish I could do that” or “It’s always been my dream to run but I could never…” I get it, trust me, I was there only 3 years ago. Prior to taking running seriously, I ran completely untrained 5ks (with a fitness base of dance cardio and ellipticals) and they were always semi difficult, but somehow I always felt so accomplished at the end.

Had I known then what I know now, I would have approached running from a different angle. I didn’t realize how much mental capacity is needed and how much training is needed even to run your best 3.1 miles!

If you are looking to one day run a 5k or even a marathon but don’t know where to start, today I’m sharing my top 7 Ways to Jumpstart Your new Running Goals.

Get In A Groove: Before I started running seriously I used to think that all runners ran every single day for miles and miles. Just the thought of this was SO overwhelming for me because I wanted to run, but I also wanted to cross train and do other things. I started by running a conservative 2-3 times a week and added on according to how I felt versus running every single day of the week. Building a base foundation for running is critical! Don’t forget that in order to run, you must walk so run/walking is a great option too!
Have a goal: A goal can be anything you want it to be–1 mile? 5k? 10k? It is a lot easier to stay focused on your running journey when you are looking towards a goal. Plus you can keep track of your progress and not burn out so easily. Having a race on the calendar (even a virtual one) is a FANTASTIC motivator!
Understand that this is NOT easy: The one mistake I made when I started running was comparing myself to everyone else. I’d see people on the race course, the track, the park and wonder why running wasn’t the easiest task for me. Now I understand that like anything else running takes a lot of practice to improve. You may be a natural born runner, but even the fastest runners can admit that running their quickest pace is HARD. That feeling of accomplishment and happiness you get when you start to see the fruits of your labor make it SO worth it!
Believe in Yourself: This is a tough one because believing in yourself is such a personal task. When you look to go past your limits, it’s easy to get discouraged and think that you can NEVER achieve that pace or distance. I felt that way more than once during my first round of marathon training. The key is getting out and hitting the pavement, put some confidence in your back pocket and attempt that distance or pace with everything you’ve got!
Push a (Little) Harder: At some point things are going to become a bit easier for you. This is where you need to kick it up a notch. Since growth is only found outside of your comfort zone, you have to be constantly diligent about working harder and getting better. That could mean running faster for 30 second intervals, or simply running longer distances.
Listen to your body: When you get in a good running groove it is SO hard to break. The stars align and you find yourself looking forward to every run. However, you start to feel a tweak here and there. Or you have had a lingering sickness and maybe you didn’t skip your run to get better. You always should listen to your body, the signs could be small and minor to very loud and painful. ALWAYS take the time to address the issue whether its with rest, or the doctor. The problem could easily spiral and leave you sidelined for months!
Have FUN: I know this sounds super simple and obvious but when I started running I took everything so incredibly serious! I was devastated when a training run wouldn’t be up to my standards, or super discouraged if it was scheduled to rain on race day–now I know that there will be good days and bad. The weather will never always be perfect but some days, more often than not–it will be. I will not set a personal record at every race but I will smile, give high fives and sometimes even dance in the streets.

Looking to start a brand new #running journey? Check out these 7 Tips To Jumpstart Your Running #Goals! #runchat #run Click to Tweet

Running is an amazing adventure! If you are starting a brand new running regimen, welcome to the running community. If you know someone that wants to start running be sure to share this post with them!

For my experienced runners: What would you add to this list to help with running goals?

For my newbie runners: Did you learn anything new?

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healthy living marathon training

3 Effective Low Impact Cross Training Exercises For Marathon Training

by Nellie October 14, 2016

With just a short 4 weeks to go for marathon training, I have been extra careful with my training by working hard to prevent injuries (read: laying on my couch when not training) and also by doing some of my favorite cross training activities. One of my biggest mistakes last year was my lack of strength training during marathon training.

This week’s theme as a TCS NYC Marathon Social Media Ambassador is Cross Training. This year I have made it a huge priority to cross train, even sacrificing a week day of running here and there. To see more themes from the past weeks, check out my Facebook page!

Here are my top three favorite ways to cross train:

Indoor Cycling: This is definitely one of my favorite ways to exercise. From the pumping music to the awesome people all pushing towards the same goal, indoor cycling is my preferred way to workout when I am not running. Plus you can get a pretty great cardio workout for your heart without pounding the pavement!

Yoga: I love a good yoga class! Whether I am practicing yoga right in the privacy of my own home or if I got to $5 bikram hot yoga class in Midtown, Yoga brings sweet relief to my body after running so many miles. It’s also a great way to stop and really pay attention to the tightness and less flexible parts of your body.

Strength Training: Resistance training is my all time favorite way to exercise. It is easy to get into and with hard work you can advance at it pretty quickly. It is a low impact way to strengthen all the muscles you use to run (which is pretty much ALL your muscles) and it will only help you get faster in the end. I’ve spent a lot of time strength training this marathon cycle and it’s made a really huge difference in my long runs and hopefully will on race day too! Runner’s World has a great section on Strength Training that details how to use weights in detail when it comes to running.

Some great #crosstraining options for the @nycmarathon! #tcsnycmarathon @nyrr #runforlife

How do you cross train when marathon training? If you don’t train for marathons what is your second favorite form of exercise?

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marathon training

Should I be running more miles for Marathon Training?

by Nellie August 19, 2016

Should I be running more miles for Marathon Training?

When I started marathon training last year I really had no idea what I was getting into. I saw the miles ahead but I really had no clue how I was going to execute them and how fast/slow they would be. As I approach week 9 of marathon training I’m beginning to notice that a lot of people are doing a LOT of different plans that calls for tons of different mileage, but which one is right?

I always thought that you needed to progressively build up when it came to mileage for a marathon. For example, last year I did a 16 week plan and my first long run was 7 miles. It went up every week after that, usually by a mile with some cutback weeks happening in between. Imagine my surprise when I saw one of my local running groups planning a 18 miles simulation run on the same week that my plan calls for a measly 11 miles, still building ever so slowly.

I had to check twice to make sure that they weren’t training for the Chicago Marathon which is about 4 weeks before the the NYC Marathon–but nope, 18 miles with 12 weeks to go! At first I was crazy intimidated, like I am nowhere near 18 miles, I likely won’t even be there for at least another 6 weeks (at least). It makes me feels a) I didn’t choose the right plan for me and b) I am NOT running enough miles per week.

I know in theory that every single plan is different. I also know that a lot of people run 18 miles for fun, and this is SO not me. Somehow even knowing that I will be running my 18 in October it still gives me pause and a lot of FOMO to be missing out on this epic 3 bridge 18 mile run. I am steady trying to be better about my training this year vs. last year. Unlike last year, My training runs are definitely not a chore, I can complete the shorter runs during the week with barely any issues. The long runs have been a bit harder to schedule with busy weekends and kids that haven’t returned to school yet but overall I am feeling good about my training.

Yet, I can’t help but feel a tad of jealousy? Nervousness? Doubt? Under achiever-ness? When I see all of my peers training way harder than me. My goal is to finish 30 minutes faster than last year. Was picking a conservative plan the right choice?

A major goal for my second marathon is that I also don’t want to completely hate running by the time I’m finished. Confession time: I hated running SO much for the first two weeks after the marathon was over. I only made up with running when I ran a decent 5 mile turkey trot on thanksgiving day 3 weeks later. It was pretty touch and go for a minute!

Continue As Scheduled

I will run my own race, my own miles and put on the blinders to everything else. I was so happy when I came across this article from Runner’s World that says:

Rule 2: Mileage requirements increase as performance goals increase.

If your goal is simply to finish a race, you can run fewer miles than if your goal is to finish with a fast time.

In the end, yes, my training plan is different but, what works for me. I encourage all of you to stick with a plan and hold to it, do more if you want a fast time, but if you just want to cross the finish line (like me, no shame in my game) maybe don’t pay attention to epic 18 mile bridge runs. 🙂

Have you ever trained for a race dramatically different than someone else?

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