Dare You To...

I'm supposed to be running a 10k right now.  I should be out on Roosevelt Island with Alec and Jen, running 6.2 miles for theNew York City 10k.  I should be feeling simultaneously fatigued and energized, on the brink of glory, as I was one month ago at my first 10k.

Instead, I'm lying in bed, drinking tea, considering what type of soup I want, and coughing up a storm.


I've been sick since precisely September 24, when I first felt the itch in my throat.  Over the following weeks, my upper respiratory infection got worse, and then better, and worse again.  Even after I felt well again, my cough persisted, and I was continuously short of breath.  As a result, I did not continue training for my next 10k, and I didn't hit the gym at all.Walking wore me out, and talking exhausted me.After too long, I finally admitted that this was more than a cold and went to the doctor.  He first tried to knock it out of me with some strong meds (which worked for only the one day after tak…

Last weekend, I participated in the Run 10 Feed 10 Women's Health/FEED Foundation 10k race!  I was super excited when I first signed up in June, but was concerned by the time September unfolded in a disastrous first few weeks that left me physically exhausted and achey.  Those stressors/fears/roadblocks were described in my Race Week Post.  Thus, my expectations were low, but I was still excited to be daring to do it.


3rd Annual Women's Health Run 10 Feed 10 Race NYC, West Side Highway, 7:00 am, 80 degrees, 6.2 miles.
VICTORY PREVIEW!
Here's how it went down:
My GOAL for this first 10k, as it was for my second 5k race, was to run the entire thing without stopping.
The farthest distance I'd done this for in the past was 5 miles (once), and even 6.2--a full 10k (but I was only semi-counting that, because I was forced to stop in place at the traffic signals in Summer Streets).  So running this type of distance wasn't quite yet easy for me, but it certainly seemed within…

Here are some snaps from this weekend's Neon Dashand the Damon Runyon 5k for Cancer Research!

The Neon Dash 5k I ran in about 31 minutes, which I thought was pretty darn good accounting for the slow-down while getting neon tossed at me and the blister I got from wearing my very old sneakers.  The excited atmosphere and pumping music kept me going.  Great intermediate race to gear up for my first 10k next month!


It was cool to do a nighttime run--very different from the usual.  Summer night are more manageable than the days, and the path wove around through an open field, so there was a nice breeze. 

It was awesome that thesky appeared to be NEON, too!




For those who plan on doing a Neon Dashin the future, three things: (1) Go in a group! (2) Dress up like crazy! (3) Know that you can definitely run, walk, or danceyour way to the finish line.  All three were popular choices for this race, which isn't even timed, so no pressure!! 


The "neon" stations--where you get "…

Hey friends!

Today, June 4, is National Running Day!  Dare you to lace up and RUN in celebration!  

Why run?  Here's why and how I got started.  To answer the question this year of "Why I Run," I'll simply say that running makes me feel alive, and gives me something to work toward (hint, hint, big news below...)

Where?  Dare you to find a group run.

What else?  Dare you to pledge your miles!  You can put today's miles toward a charity at http://www.runningday.org/.

How am I celebrating?  I signed up for a race!Eeeee! 



Background:  after taking a fitness (and blogging...) hiatus for the spring semester (as indicated in January, I was stepping back from intense and frequent training while I added new work-related stressors to my life), I'm finally ready to dive back in!


Recently, with the weather improving, I'vedusted off my Garmin, gone out on a couple runs, and really enjoyed hitting the road again.  My friend, Jen, let me tag along as she trained for her f…

So you ran a race. GREAT!  But are you recovering properly?  Today, our racing season guest writerdares you to take your race recovery seriously.  Don't know how?  Amanda's got you covered:
-----

Do you take race recovery seriously?
I see it all over the place—runners who run a race on the weekend and then are back out there pounding the pavement HARD a couple of days later. While I understand getting caught up in the race high, I also cringe when I see this happen. Why? Because recovery from a race is something we all need to take seriously.
Racing breaks your body down, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Even a short effort—a 5k or 10k, is enough to do some damage. Yes, you didn’t go far, but you did (I assume!) go hard. Respect that your muscles want some downtime.
What I recommend is that, for races up to a 10-miler, you take the week after a race fairly free form. That is, no specific workouts that you must follow. Instead, let your body and mind be your guide. Feel like r…

Happy October, friends!It's time for all the wonders that come with fall: scarves, boots, leaves, pumpkins, candy corn, costumes, coats, and... races!

Perhaps you read other athletic bloggers describing their training plan, or maybe you see more runners on the road than usual.  You might even notice a road or two blocked off later this fall, and have to take a detour to your Sunday brunch.  Why?  It's marathon time!  

So many big races are held in October and November.  Full marathons and half marathons, 10ks and "Turkey Trots" -- the crisp fall air makes it prime time for runners, new and old, to hit the road and prepare to accomplish their goals.


Although my running has admittedly (though not entirely regrettably) fallen by the wayside, I want to give running some attention this fall and share with you advice, stories, and tips from other runners.  Throughout October and November, these guest bloggers will let you into the life of a runner and dare you to take your…

It's Labor Day, and that means it's autumn.  Yes, I know that fall does not technically begin for another few weeks, but basically, this is it. May as well embrace it!

And I do! I love fall--the leaves, the fashion, the crisp air.  Fall weather is actually my favorite for running!  It was last October that I became a runner and ran myfirst 5k to prove it.  Then, I caught the bug and continued running through winter, before my love affair with running began to stall.

I haven't been running as much as I'd have liked this summer. I found the heat too daunting to even venture out into.  I did, however, log some miles on the treadmill, participate in a 5k run through Yankee Stadium, and enjoy a 5k Fun Run.

This weekend, I aimed to return to my former mileage by taking on 5 miles, motivated by the Labor Day 5 & 10 Virtual Race, hosted by MommyRunFast.com.


I didn't wear the bib, but I did put on some Reebok gear, lace up my shoes, set my Garmin for 5 miles, put on my…

Last weekend, I attended the Healthy Living Summit, 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts.  For the many of you who want to know how it went, I'm sharing!  In stages.

This is Day 3.  
Click here for Day 1.
Click here for Day 2.

For those of you who are not interested in my blogger-fest activities, today you canset S.M.A.R.T. goalsor make fluffy quinoa.  Oh, you want a NEW dare?  Dare you to follow on Google+ and find me on Facebookto stay up to date with posts, see exclusive shares, and browse my instagram feed. 

After the fun night before, I was in a great mood waking up for the 8:00am 5k run!


The 5k Fun Run/Walk



The weather was perfect - it was nice and cool, in the 60s maybe.  A nice relief from the past few days' heat!

Nice sights on the run :) Love the water views!


 Also some nice Boston views, pretty areas, beautiful homes, greenery...


Sometimes we waited for a stoplight. Necessary when running in a giant herd of girls (and Jon)!




The sights and chatter kept me entertained, so befor…