Last week was another week of hitting my highest mileage since I fractured my foot (all the way back in fall 2018)! I ran 37 miles (and change) and felt great. My focus over the next several weeks is building my running economy and aerobic base. This involves lots of easy miles and some short, fast bursts of running. I do many of my runs with the stroller, so this approach works well for this stage of motherhood. Monday: Rest day Now that the weather is getting nicer, longer walks ...
Postpartum Running: My Experience at Seven Months Postpartum
Postpartum running varies significantly for every runner - and for every pregnancy. This post is not intended to be prescriptive. Rather, I want to share my experience of postpartum running at seven months after having a C-section. Motivation and Enjoyment I seldom struggled with motivation in the past. In the recent postpartum months, I enjoy running just as much as ever, if not more. It does not matter if the run is on the treadmill, with the stroller, or alone outdoors. ...
Weekly Workouts: Increasing Volume
Last week was another enjoyable, productive week of running. I ran my highest mileage week since September 2018, with 35 miles total! I skipped the previous week's workout recap due to Easter. I took a cutback week that week, with only five days and 28 miles of running. After that, I was ready to increase mileage. Right now, I am focusing on improving my aerobic capacity and running economy. It is the appropriate balance for me. In these postpartum months, I find that my body ...
Running Workouts You Can Do Year-Round
The cancellation of races due to the COVID-19 pandemic left runners in an odd situation. At the publication of this post (April 2020), it is at least months before racing resumes. Most want to maintain or improve their fitness, but not peak early or burn out. The solution is not in following a prolonged race-specific cycle; that will only backfire. Instead, year-round workouts provide the happy medium for building fitness without burning out. Year-round workouts apply moderate stress. ...
How to Maximize Your Virtual Race for Performance and Enjoyment
As the COVID-19 pandemic has halted road, track, and trail races for the foreseeable future, virtual races are soaring in popularity. Runners flocked to virtual races as a solo alternative to their cancelled races. Virtual races lack many of the features that make racing special. However, they do offer an alternative to assess your fitness and indulge your competitive edge when normal races are not an option. You can maximize your virtual race experience, both from a performance and enjoyment ...
Weekly Workouts: Virtual 10K
Without an actual race for months, now seems like the best time to try something new with my running. Last week I added in a sixth day of running. This week, I moved my rest day to Monday, which is typically my busiest work day. I ran 33 miles last week, which felt good. The intensity was higher than I plan for the next few weeks, since I ran a virtual 10k on what would have been the day of my first postpartum race. Monday: Rest day I actually liked having Monday as a rest ...