My Posts about Running
Last Mile of Boston Marathon (in Pictures)
My Favorite Running Resources
Runner’s World – my #1 go-to for reliable info on everything running-related (training plans, food/recipes, injuries, shoes, you name it)
Running Times – another good go-to for a variety of running info
Map My Run – plot out all of your running routes and save them for future use on your free account (I have a BIG list on my account that I label them with the length of the run and a brief description, i.e. “5 mi. home to gym” or “17 mi. loop comm. ave.”)
Gmaps Pedometer – sometimes easier to use than Map My Run and has more features (can draw your own lines on the map or have it automatically go on roads; easy to track elevation; can also save and export)
Active.com – good for looking up races, but they also have some helpful articles
Customizable Printable Split Bracelets – Simply enter your distance and goal time, and this will print you a mile-by-mile cumulative time you should be at. (I wore two of these when I qualified for Boston – a 3:40 and a 3:35. It was extremely helpful to not need to do math while I was running!) Laminate and tape around your wrist.
Running Calculator – put in your best time for pretty much any distance and this will spit out your projected times for lots of other distances (*this was extremely accurate for me and I definitely recommend using it when coming up with training plans)
Vdot Calculator – Enter a recent race performance and get your performance-based VO2Max index.
Run the Planet – tips, race info, running routes
Running Planet – variety of training plans
Cool Running – Finding races and race results
Running Log – log workouts, create calendars, track and analyze progress
New England Runner – for Bostonians/New Englanders to find local events and updates on local runners
My Running Definitions
Easy Run - A run (usually 3-6 miles) at a pace that is easy enough to talk pretty comfortably. The purpose is to recover from more difficult workouts, so I don’t worry about time or pace for these because what feels easy one day may be different than what feels easy to the body on another day. Easy runs also allow me to keep my mileage up a bit more without wearing down my body. I tend to have 3-4 of these per week.
Long Run - A run (usually anywhere from 9-22 miles) at an easy pace, the main purpose being to build endurance. When training for a half marathon or marathon, usually there are one of these per week. In my current training program, often my long runs will be at an easy pace for most of it, but the last 2-3 miles will be at my goal half marathon pace (to get the muscles used to being pushed when tired). Occasionally a long run is replaced with something like a 10k race to get me in racing mode.
Tempo Run - Usually a run of a designated distance (i.e. 8 miles) in which I warm-up and then start running at a “comfortably difficult” pace (i.e. not easy but also not a pace I couldn’t sustain for a good number of miles), and when I get to the middle 20-30 minutes of the run I pick up the pace to about a 10k race pace, then go back to the “comfortably difficult” pace until the end of the run. The length and pace of tempo part (the hard part in the middle) depends on the length of the total run (i.e. if only 4 miles, might do 15 minutes at a 5k pace; if 12 miles, might do 35-40 minutes at a little slower than 10k pace). Usually 0-1 of these per week.
Repeats - After warming up, running a certain distance (most commonly 800 m, 1200 m, 1600 m, or a combination) at a difficult pace a certain number of times, with designated rest periods in between. The pace of the repeats might be specific (i.e. at a 5k pace) or more subjective (i.e. “all out”, or at 90% effort). Example: 4 x 1600 m at 10k pace with 800 m rest between. Usually 0-1 of these per week.
Fartlek Workouts – A Fartlek is a form of speed work (the word actually means “speed play”), that encompasses a lot of different workouts. A Fartlek could be anything that involves periods of rest (“off”) alternated with periods of pushing yourself (“on”). So I might do a warm-up, followed by 30 minutes alternating 2 minutes “on” with 1 minute “off”. The “on” could be the subjective (i.e. breathing heavily) or at a specific pace. It’s fun to get creative with these – I like measuring the intervals by city blocks or telephone polls. Usually 0-1 of these per week.
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