Birthday Instagram Contest!

It's my 36th birthday today! 

I'm hosting a contest on Instagram where you could win a pair of Balega Grit + Grace Socks.  Head on over to Instagram and check it out.  (I'm @amyschlott if you don't already follow me.)  There will be THREE winners!

Photo: Balega Website

Cellcom Green Bay Marathon Training: Week 5 Recap

You guys!  I had a great week last week!  We had amazing weather so I got SIX runs in and they were all outside.  Also, I finally broke into the 30s for weekly mileage!  HUZZAH!

Monday Feb 13

Plan Says:  Easy 5 miles

What I did: 4 miles, 28:00 (6:58 avg pace).  Yes.  This was too fast.  But after weeks of feeling like a slug and some nice sunshine, (not to mention I was trying to beat the bus and get 4 miles in) I couldn't help but push the pace a bit.

Tuesday Feb 14
Plan Says: Off

What I did: 0 miles

Wednesday Feb 15
Plan Says: Easy 4 miles

What I did: 5.01 miles, 36:47 (7:21 avg pace)

Thursday Feb 16
Plan Says: easy 5 miles

What I did: 3.52 miles, 25:28 (7:14 avg pace).  I did not, unfortunately, make it to 4 this time - the bus arrived home early.  I fought the bus and the bus won.

Friday Feb 17
Plan Says: easy 4 miles

What I did: 5.1 miles, 36:00 (7:03 avg pace)
This run was a lesson in how NOT to pace.  The weather was GLORIOUS.  It was sixty seven degrees outside.  I left work early to get this run in and was so excited to be running in a tank and shorts (despite my WHITE legs).  My first two miles were 6:57 and 6:48.  DUMB.  Especially when I knew that I was going long the next day.

Saturday Feb 18
Plan Says: easy 6 miles

What I did:  10 miles, 1:16:11 (7:37 avg pace)
I again met up with B to get a long run in.  She had 10 miles to do and I was planning on joining her. Our plan was to warm up for a few miles, push the pace for a few miles, and then cool down.  This ended up being a good plan, although my legs took a while to warm up and feel good (likely because I went too fast on all of my runs this week!) She came over to my house at 7 and we both left wearing shorts and a long sleeve.  SHORTS!  In the morning!  It was a beautiful day for a run.

Mile 1: 7:45
Mile 2: 7:40
Mile 3: 7:57
Mile 4: 7:48
Mile 5: 7:28
Mile 6: 7:23
Mile 7: 7:21
Mile 8: 7:31
Mile 9: 7:34
Mile 10: 7:41

Sunday Feb 19
Plan says: Easy 4 miles

What I did: 4 miles, 31:28 (7:52 avg pace)

I am proud of myself for getting out and doing this because part of me was rationalizing that since I did a longer run on Saturday, I could skip this 4 miler.  The glorious weather helped me get out there.  How often was I going to be able to continue running in shorts this February?!  As to be expected, my legs were tired.

Weekly Total
Plan says: 28 miles
What I did: 31.65 miles

5 weeks of marathon training done!  The weeks of nothing but easy runs are officially over.  Bring on the speed and tempos.  I am looking forward to the next several weeks as the "easy" weeks were starting to get boring.  Remind me of this when I am complaining in a few weeks :)

Weekly takeaways: 
1.  I was pleased with how I felt this week, however, in my zest for feeling good paired with good weather, I didn't really take it as easy as I should have for many of my runs.  I need to ensure that my pace is varied enough in the coming weeks.

2.  As often is the case, I abandoned the R8 and Jasyoga this week because I was feeling good.  My goal is to continue to bring that back this upcoming week.  These are things I need to be doing regardless of how my legs feel!

Podcasts:
I didn't listen to any podcasts last week.

Race Discounts!

Through the Bib Rave Pro program, I have some great race discounts to share! (I am only sharing a few that are in close proximity to me.)

1.  Rock N Roll Series
The code BIBRAVE15 will work for the following discounts associated with these Rock N Roll races across the country:

Washington DC - $15 off Half and Full, valid until 3/4
Dallas, TX - $15 off Half, valid until 3/12
San Francisco, CA - $15 off Half, valid until 3/19
Carlsbad - $15 off 20k or 5k, valid until 3/26
Raleigh, NC - $15 off Half and Full, valid until 3/26
Nashville, TN - $15 off Half and Full, valid until 4/23
San Diego, CA - $15 off Half and Full, valid until 5/28
Seattle, WA - $15 off Half and Full, valid until 6/11
Chicago, IL - $15 off Half, valid until 7/9

There are a few more cities with Rock N Roll events lined up.  We have not yet gotten codes for those cities.  Stay tuned!

2. Run Madtown 5/27-28, Madison, WI

Code: RAVE15 for 15% off all Run Madtown adult races (5K, 10K, half marathon).

3.  Madison Marathon - 11/12/17, Madison, WI

Code: RAVE10 good for $10 off Madison Marathon or Half Marathon

If you are considering signing up for a race, tweet me or comment and I can check our LONG file to see if there is a discount code associated with your race!

Friday Links!

It's been a while since I have posted some Friday Links!  Today's links are all about the DREADMILL!

I will admit that I am not a fan of treadmill running; however, I have come to see it as a way that makes it way easier to achieve a goal:  To get a run in.

We took the plunge and purchased a treadmill earlier this year.  I have used it several times when it was too dark/late to run outside.  Better yet, my husband, who is not a "runner", has used it several times to get some physical activity in.  I have come to appreciate the treadmill for giving me the ability to be able to consider running 5-6 days a week a reality and not a pipe dream.

That said...our weather forecast for the upcoming week looks INCREDIBLE!  We are talking temps in the 40s and 50s!!!!  I cannot wait.

1.  Treadmill tip of the week: How to Calibrate Your Treadmill
(For the record, I have not done this.)

2.  Another Salty Treadmill tip of the week:  How to teach yourself to pace

3. Don't Be Fooled: Treadmills are Miserable

4.  From the Treadmill to the Western States 100

Through their morning newsletter, Runner's World asking people to comment on treadmills.  Here were my two favorites:

At least for me, yeah, it sucks. But when I hear people say “Oh, I NEVER run on a treadmill,” I can’t help but feel like it comes from a place of privilege. I’m a female who works full time, and I often run after dark, alone. To feel safe, going to the gym and running on the treadmill is often my only option. And I love running more than I hate the treadmill. 
—Jenise Anderson

My goal is to run, and if running inside lets me stay healthy, I’ll do it. To me, that’s the exact opposite of not valuing running for running’s sake. 
—Jennie Coughlin

Product Review: Aftershokz Sportz Titanium Headphones

It's time for another product review!

Product: Aftershokz Sportz Titanium Headphones

I was very excited to try out these headphones because I have not had the best of luck with ear buds while running.  The Aftershokz headphones were a huge upgrade for me in two ways:

1) The design of the headphones is such that ear piece cradles around each ear and they are connected around the back of your head/neck so they stay put while running;

and

2) The ear pieces do not actually go in your ear.  Rather, they rest on your cheekbones.

Wait.

WHAT?!

Let's back up to when I actually opened the headphones box.  I didn't look at any pictures.  I didn't read the insert.  I put them on and headed down to my treadmill.  I tried putting them in my ear like regular ear buds and was having all sorts of problems.

I hit stop on my treadmill and went back to consult the packaging.

This is when I had a HUGE "DUH" moment.

The whole point of these headphones was NOT to go in your ear.  They work by "bone conduction technology" which means that sound vibrations travel to your inner ear, bypassing your ear drum.  Once I had the headphones on my cheekbone, as intended, they were awesome.  I couldn't believe that they actually provided great sound quality.

The purpose of utilizing this technology in a headphone is that you can also be more aware of your surroundings.  This is a great feature for me whether I run outside or inside.  For example, the other night my husband had a meeting so I was home with the kids.  After they were in bed, I went down to our treadmill to run and because I cannot be on a treadmill without something to listen to, I fired up a podcast but could still have some indication of if they woke up.

Outside, these allow for greater awareness of traffic, which is helpful for me as I have to run about a mile on a busy street to get to any of my regular running routes.  Also, I feel more confident having more sound awareness because I periodically have those "Is someone behind me" moments.

Of course, the trade off of this is that you are not blaring music and disconnecting 100%.  I imagine that my eardrums are happier making this trade off.

The headphones that I tested were corded, which is my preference since I run with a first generation iPod Nano.  (No, I am not kidding.)  The cord didn't bother me as much as my earbuds cord did because they have a little clip that you can adjust and clip on your shirt/bra/jacket so it isn't bouncing and hitting you.  A feature I did NOT test out (because, NANO) is that there is a noise canceling microphone piece with a play/pause/skip button right at your chin level.  Therefore, if you run with your phone, you can easily take a call. Since I put the iPod in my back pocket, I did like having the easy ability to skip tracks.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the headphones have a power switch and have to be charged. The charging is easy - you connect to your computer via a USB cord which is provided.  My first round of use was quick because I was forgetting to power them off when I was done with a run.

My husband recently started running on our treadmill and using my old earbuds with the Nano.  He had the same complaint about the earbuds falling out of his ear.  Being a kind, loving and generous wife (!), I let him test out the Aftershokz Sportz Titanium headphones.  Once he got used to the fact that they weren't in his ear, he really liked them and now uses them for his treadmill runs.

All in all - the Aftershokz Sportz Titanium headphones received two thumbs up in our house!

If you are interested in checking them out, you can go to this link to read more, as well as other reviews.  The headphones are $59.95 and you also get a free stainless steel water bottle with purchase through this link.

Disclaimer: I received a set of Aftershokz Sportz Titanium headphones to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!  All opinions are my own and the links within this post do not provide any incentive to me personally, nor does your purchase of the product benefit me personally.

Cellcom Green Bay Marathon Training Week 4 Recap

I am here to say that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  I finally started to kick "the illness". Unfortunately, my husband still is sick (he was a few days behind me in the course of things) and has shared the exact same symptoms.  I think my son is on his way out...and then my daughter woke up with it today.  AHHHHH.  I can only hope that our upcoming trip to FL will cure us all for good.

The other good news is that slowly but surely my hamstrings have started to feel better.  I wouldn't say they are at 100% yet but definitely improved over last week.  The tendon on top of my right foot is still bothersome, especially when I wear heels.

Monday Feb 6
Plan Says:  Easy 5 miles

What I did: 4 miles, treadmill 33:50 (8:27 pace) followed by Jasyoga for hips and glutes and the R8 roll recovery

Tuesday Feb 7
Plan Says: Off

What I did: 0 miles, R8 Roll Recovery

Wednesday Feb 8
Plan Says: easy 3 miles

What I did: 5.03 miles, 38:03 (7:34 avg) outside, R8 roll recovery

Thursday Feb 9
Plan Says: easy 3 miles

What I did: 4.2 miles, 35:50 (8:32 pace), Treadmill Run, Jasyoga for hips and glutes and the R8 roll recovery

Friday Feb 10
Plan Says: easy 5 miles

What I did: 3.5 miles, 25:22 (7:15 avg pace), outdoors

Saturday Feb 11
Plan Says: easy 5 miles

What I did:  9.07 miles, 1:10:13 (7:45 avg pace), outdoors

Earlier in the week, my sometimes running partner, B, and I made plans to meet for a run.  She is using the Advanced Hanson Marathon plan to train for Boston so we are not on the same weeks or intensity.  She had 15 miles to do and I had 9 so we did 9 together.  It was really a fun run, we did not push the pace (since long runs on Hanson are meant to be on the slower end of the pace continuum). It was fairly warm out, which was the first day in a pretty long stretch of milder weather we are expecting here in Wisconsin!

Sunday Feb 12
Plan says: off

What I did: off

I wanted to run 5 miles on Sunday.  I was going to have to get up early and do it before everyone in my house was awake to get it in because yesterday was JAM packed with travel and activities.  Given that my husband is in the narcoleptic phase of "the illness", we went to bed at 830 on Saturday night.  All was well until randomly our smoke alarm hooked up to our non-activated security system began going off sporadically all night long.  Hello being up from midnight to 3:30 AM.  Yep. Slept through the 5 AM alarm.  Given that I had already surpassed the mileage for this week, I wasn't too bent out of shape about it.

Weekly Total
Plan says: 21 miles
What I did: 25.8 miles

I was pleased with the week.  I tried to take it easy on all runs to give myself some recovery as I was also recovering from illness.  This upcoming week is the last week of the Hanson plan in the "easy" buildup phase before speed workouts and tempo runs start making a regular appearance.  I finally will break into the 30s for weekly mileage this week!

Weekly takeaways: 
1. Continue working on mobility from the hip down.  Jasyoga and R8 Roll Recovery have been a good combo.

2. Try to get into the habit of going to bed earlier.  In a few weeks when mileage ramps up, I am going to need it.

3. Hydrate!  My hydration has always always been subpar.

4.  Treadmill runs are SUPER easy to run at the pace I should be running at.  Just set the speed and go.  This is more difficult for me outdoors!

5.  My new goal during the workday is to walk the full set of stairs (8 flights) in my building down and up at least one time a day and focus on glute activation.

Podcasts:
I didn't listen to any podcasts last week.

#BibChat Tonight

Join the BibRave #BibChat tonight at 8PM CST!  The topic is "Runner Do's & Don'ts" with sponsor LEGEND Compression.  Two pairs of calf sleeves will be given away at the end of the chat.

Never participated in a #BibChat?  It's easy.  Go to Twitter.  Follow @BibRave and at 8 PM they will post questions to start a discussion.  Answer the questions and use #BibChat.  They are fun!

If you don't win or can't participate, the code 'rave 20' gets you 20% off a purchase of Legend Compression on the website.