Friday, February 14, 2020

Happy Valentine's Day!

We've been together for many Valentine's Days and Jerold has been by my side for a lot of running highs and lows. The best part is, I haven't achieved my highest high in running yet, which means we have so much to look forward to.



I've had the best day which included sending the kids off to school this morning with their backpacks filled with Valentine's cards and candy for their friends. Of course then they came home with tons of candy and I had to put a stop to the consumption, because Elle has a serious sweet tooth.



I ran 3.3 miles today and that was all I wanted to do. It's really important to listen to your body after an intense training period and race. No matter the race results, you have put your body through a lot and it needs time to repair in every way. I know it will be time to get serious again and I want to be all in for that.
I just wanted pop in quickly and wish you guys a happy day and weekend filled with love and lots of fun running.

xo,
Natalie

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Getting Back Into A Groove

Who thought January 2020 was the longest month we've ever had? I thought I was alone in my thoughts and then I started talking to friends and realized we were all in the same boat. Even though January started a fresh new year (and a new decade), I couldn't wait to turn the calendar to February.




I've had a really good recovery period since Houston and has it really been over three weeks since the race? I still don't know what caused my body to fail starting at mile one of that marathon, but I'm so incredibly glad that I finished. Let's just say it builds tons of character to finish a marathon knowing something is wrong, off, or whatever and you feel horrible. I haven't been able to write down the words in this space (I certainly have plenty to say on Instagram) about how I felt that day, but this is the first step. One of the great things about running is that it for sure stings when you miss your goal (especially when you completely bomb your goal, missing anything close to it by a long shot), but we get to wake up and try again. No one promised that it would be easy. There are no guarantees that just because you work really hard and show your potential in training - that it automatically means you will have a dream race. I will say that I honestly felt like I had the flu that day, without any other symptoms except extreme fatigue and achiness. I kept thinking things would turn around (just get to the 5K mark and you will feel better) and unfortunately they never did. I could feel the pain with every step and I still shake my head (and cringe) thinking about it. By the way, I would absolutely go back and race in Houston. The course was fast and well organized, the weather was cool and perfect, even with the windy conditions, the volunteers were wonderful with fluid stations and overall it was a great race. I shared with you guys the other day on Insta about my quest to chase the Olympic Trials Qualifying Time for the marathon (known in the running world and at our dinner table as the OTQ). I did not start trying for the goal until October and that story is a long post for another day, but I went for it. Even though my race did not in any way reflect the fitness, I had such a blast training faster than I ever have in my life. The experience has made me a better, stronger, faster runner and this is the start of a really awesome journey. 

Here is what my week of running looked like last week - I've getting back into a groove, figuring out what's next and excited about the possiblities.

Monday February 3rd - 7.05 miles
Tuesday February 4th - 3.41 miles
Wednesday February 5th - 10.01 miles (I picked up the pace a bit on this easy run and it felt great).
Thursday February 6th - 8.35 miles (with 2 strides at the end to get my legs moving)
Friday February 7th - 7.47 miles
Saturday February 8th - 8.24 miles (with a couple of pick ups thrown in)
Sunday February 9th - DAY OFF (It is so rare for me to take Sunday off, it felt very strange - but good :)

Total miles 44.53

After logging 70+ mile weeks for months, this felt pretty much like a breeze...





Also, I'm on a podcast that drops today!





The Hamilton Review: Where Kids And Culture Collide is a brand new podcast hosted by Dr. Robert Hamilton, a Santa Monica based pediciatrican that is really fantastic and very well know for THIS method to calm a crying baby. 
Dr. Bob has been taking care of my kids since they were born and I couldn't love him more. We've been working together on a bunch of projects, which has been a lot of fun for me this past year (I get to work from home on this project and coaching runners - then the kids come home and its chaos). Anyway, I hope you give it a listen and let me know what you think! He has a lot of great guests coming up with a variety of topics about parenthood, kids and navigating through it all.


I hope you guys have a great run and never forget that if you want to achieve something, you absolutely can do it (it might take a while, but keep going!) - don't limit yourself.


Work hard, dream big.

Natalie







Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Happy New Year 2020!

Do you record the miles you've run over the year?
I love having a training log, which I've only had for the past 5 years - before that I had no clue how much I was running. I partially use it as a journal to record my rambling thoughts and feelings, and it's really reflective to go back and read how I felt on certain days, what particular workouts were better than others and what was working to improve my running and racing skills. I didn't race a lot in 2019 (one marathon in February, which is my current PR, a beautiful Lake Tahoe high altitude half marathon in June, two 5ks -one in April and one June, a track race in Santa Barbara in July, and an awesome relay race in August with my running friends, where my total miles were about 17 spread throughout the day) and yet my theme of the year was speed - how much can I push my body without falling into a danger zone?
Each year we run can be a year of growth and I have grown so much this year.  Not only did I work on the running, but I did more weight training and core workouts than I ever have. This picture was from the New Year's Eve track session that I did - speed is your friend!


Doing a series of strides before the actual hard work.


To look at the nuts and bolts of the training for the year, my highest mileage month was in January, where I ran 323.75 miles in preparation for the Phoenix Marathon. Second highest mileage month was in May at 315.49 miles to start and build a solid foundation for a fall marathon. The lowest month was in September at 111.99 when I was forced to take two weeks off due to an injury. The dull ache in my left calf that wouldn't go away was misdiagnosed as a stress fracture and two weeks of rest later, was revealed to not be a stress fracture. I'm actually super thankful for this in a weird way, because it forced me to take two weeks completely (no cross training) to heal and I know I wouldn't have done it on my own.
Total miles for 2019: 2,790.91


Got down to 4:30 pace on the 100 meter reps. So much respect for the men who run a marathon at this pace...


That number doesn't excite or disappoint me at all - it just shows that I worked hard on running in 2019. The work stacks up over time and makes us stronger and ready for big breakthroughs. I believe that as long as you are loving the process - that you truly enjoy the sport, you will patiently allow yourself the time to absorb all the work and let it unleash when it's time. On New Year's Day, I had the day off from running and it was glorious. Lots of time with my family, lots of delicious, healthy food (I have a marathon in 2.5 weeks! I swapped champagne for sparkling cider - champagne after the marathon) and a huge afternoon nap. As much as I love running on New Year's Day, this was beyond perfect...





How are you feeling about a new year and a new decade? I'm excited to share running tips and info with you and help be a resource to improve your running. If you are brand new to running - welcome! Give yourself a whole lot of grace as you step out the door on your journey and let me know if you have any questions. I feel like running is so easy (repetitive jumping movements that entail putting one foot in front of the other) and yet there are so many details that can improve your performance.


My last blog post was at the end of July (a brief, unintended hiatus - I let parenting 3 kids, working from home and training get in the way...) and I'm looking forward to writing and connecting with you guys in 2020. If you have any topics that you would like for me to cover, please let me know (my e-mail is: natalie@natrunsfar.com - I love hearing from readers!). I'm so passionate about this sport and my goal is to help you become a better runner! Lots of great new content coming in 2020 - let's do this!


What are your running goals for 2020?

Do you record your miles for the year?


Happy New Year friends and happy running!