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Run + Strength 30-Minute Workout

February 16, 2015 by Jenna

A full body 30-minute workout that alternates between treadmill running and strength training circuits.

On Saturday it was -3 degrees outside with a -20 degree wind chill. That’s not ok. I was volunteering at the photo stop for the Valentine’s Day TC 5K and it was so, so, so very cold. I bundled up in lots of layers, but my poor feet were frozen. Despite putting hand warmer packets between my layers of socks I still lost all feeling. It felt like I was walking on nubs.

BUT despite the cold, it was such a great event! There were hundreds of volunteers and runners out there making the most of the day. Evidence here. The running community in Minnesota never ceases to amaze me.

After my body fully thawed I hit the treadmill for 10 miles. That is the most I have ever run on a treadmill and the longest I’ve run since the Philadelphia Marathon. I’m not going to lie, it was hard. I went slow and took a few short breaks (for mental not physical purposes), but I’m glad I did it. Even though my hips are still a little mad at me right now.

Anyways, I put together a workout involving the treadmill; however, instead of running 10 miles we are only going to be doing three 5-minute sets. Between those sets we are going to do a strength circuit. It’ll be fun.

With this routine you will get a full body workout, plus some cardio, in under 30 minutes.

Pretty cool, huh?

I think so. Not as cool at -20 degrees though, which is a good thing.

PS – Did you watch last night’s 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Live?! Oh.My.Goodness. I was dying.

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The Philadelphia Marathon

November 30, 2014 by Jenna

One week ago today I ran the Philadelphia Marathon. I have been going on and on and on and on and on about it since April and last Sunday was the big day. It seems like forever ago, but I can still definitely feel the marathon in my legs.

PRE-RACE

I flew into Philadelphia on the Friday before the race with three others. The rest of the Minneapolis gang (there were 10 of us total!) arrived either late Friday night or Saturday afternoon. My friend Julia and her parents hosted everyone. Their hospitality was overwhelming. Jack and Mare (Julia’s parents) are such fantastic people. They warmly welcomed all of us into their beautiful home like they’d known us for years.

On Saturday we headed into Philadelphia to check out the expo. The bib and shirt pick up was surprisingly efficient, which I definitely appreciated. Afterwards the group split up to wander around the expo for a bit. Overall it was a pretty standard expo. I ended up buying a SPIbelt, which was pretty exciting, and getting a massage, which was also pretty awesome.

After the expo we ended up at the Hard Rock Café for lunch. I was able to meet up with the City Running Tours Philadelphia manager. It was great to meet another manager face-to-face! I enjoyed hearing about how she runs things in Philly and am excited to start working on some things for Minneapolis.

We ate dinner at Julia’s house where her mom prepared us a pre-marathon feast. It was amazing. Salad, bread, pasta, sweet potatoes – the works! Dinner conversation revolved around the marathon and big ass fans.

After dinner we all scrambled around getting our marathon stuff ready: pinning on bibs, laying out race outfits, testing out music, gathering pre-race throw-away clothes, packing post-race sweats, etc. It was fun having everyone there because I could ask their opinion on important things like if I should wear the SPIbelt over or under my shirt and whether or not I should wear a hat. These are decisions I cannot make on my own.

We turned in early, because our alarms were set for 3:30am. Yeah, 3:30am. Jack and Mare even got up to make us coffee, set out breakfast, and make sure we had everything set to go. Seriously, the best people ever. We got to the start by 5:30am, took the necessary picture on the Rocky steps, and found a place to camp out/remain calm/stay warm until the race started at 7:00.

THE RACE

As you may have read in some of my previous posts I was going into the Philadelphia Marathon with a hip flexor issue that basically halted my training since mid-October. I was still able to do strength training, yoga, and the elliptical, but it’s really not the same. I went to the start line with the mind-set to just finish and take in the experience.

The first 10 miles of the race were great. I was feeling good, feeling strong, and feeling happy. It was fun to run around through Philly and hear the cheers from the crowd and, since I hadn’t been running the entire month before the race, it was fun to just run in general. Then at mile 10 it all went downhill. Literally. There was a huge downhill that really messed with my knee. I stopped for the first time at mile 11 to get water, take a GU, and stretch for a second. Then I basically just hobbled through the remaining 15 miles.

The last 13 miles were a little bit of a strugglefest both physically and mentally. Physically, because my body was not used to running. The impact was hurting my feet/ankles and my hip flexors were super tight. Mentally, because this section of the course was an out-and-back by the river. I kept thinking that the turnaround point was “just around the corner”, but it wasn’t (until it eventually was). Also because I was wearing my Garmin and I shouldn’t have been. As my pain increased, my pace decreased, so it was difficult for me to stay focused and motivated.

At mile 17 a runner came up behind me to tell me that he noticed me limping since mile 13. Thanks dude, I noticed that too. Apparently he was cramping up and feeling the strain too, but “we’ll keep going and finish, right?!” Right you are, fellow runner, we will finish indeed.

But then at mile 19 I started to cry. I very rarely cry (I’m German), but I desperately wanted to stop.

At mile 21 I had a beer, because YOLO.

The remaining 5 miles were all about putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward.

The one huge help was the support from the crowd. I had my name on my shirt, which was something I’ve never done before, but will do for every marathon going forward. There were so many people yelling words of encouragement to me, specifically to me. It was so wonderful to hear things like “You’re doing awesome, Jenna!” or “Keep it up, Jenna. You’re amazing!” or just a simple “GOOOOO JENNA!!!” Man, it was so helpful.

Finally, finally, mile 26 came. I crossed the finish line while high-fiving the Mayor with a time of 4:38.

POST-RACE

Philadelphia was my third marathon. Twin Cities Marathon was my first in October 2012 with a time of 4:29. Grandma’s Marathon was my second in June 2013 with a time of 3:49. With my injury I knew I wasn’t going to get a PR, but I was at least hoping to finish under 4:30. After crossing the finish line I was disappointed with how I felt and disappointed with my time. I just wanted to sit down and sob for 3 minutes and then go meet up with the rest of my group. Instead I just walked (oh so slowly walked) to meet up with everyone, because there was no way I would ever be able to get up if I sat down.

When I finally made it to the meeting spot (after what seemed like years) I was greeted with so many hugs and words of encouragement from my friends. “You just ran a marathon. You just completed 26.2 miles on an injury. You are amazing and have no reason to be upset!” So true. Who cares what my time was? I still did it! I still crossed the finish line and that is all that really matters. There was no need or reason to be disappointed, so I stopped crying and started smiling.

We spent the rest of the afternoon eating, resting, and telling stories about the marathon. Everyone had a pretty severe case of “Marathon Brain” and delirium. It was pretty spectacular. A lot of hilarious things were said.

THE DAY AFTER

After a low-key and leisurely morning we headed into Philadelphia for some cheese steaks. It is basically a crime to go to Philly and not eat one. Plus, we all just ran a marathon, sooooo… #earnedit.

We then explored a little bit and walked (although it was probably more of a waddle) around to see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. It was a gorgeous 70 degree (!!!) day. A friend and I flew back to Minneapolis later that afternoon.

CONCLUSION

Although I had a hard time training for and running the Philadelphia Marathon I wouldn’t trade the experience in a gazillion years. I was able to train, run, and spend the weekend with such an amazing group of people. Their camaraderie, encouragement, and all around awesome personalities is what got me to the finish line.

Running a marathon gives me the biggest high. All the training, hard work, and dedication definitely pays off when you cross that finish line. It’s so worth it.

Plus, it was awesome to go explore a new city!

A HUGE shout out to Lindsey and Julia for convincing me to register and being the best running buddies, to Monica for lots of early morning runs and great conversations, to Louis, Whitney, Carla, Christie, Kristi, and Martha for being awesome and dominating another marathon, to Jack and Mare for being the best hosts on the planet and for making us so much food and coffee, and to my family, friends, and co-workers for all their support and encouragement.

I ran for the first time today since the marathon. It wasn’t pretty. I only did a mile and my ankles hurt so bad. I really hope to be back at it again soon and start training for my next marathon whenever/wherever that may be…

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5-4-3-2-1 Variety Speed Run

October 6, 2014 by Jenna

I love a nice and easy five-mile run; however, every once in a while it’s good to switch things up and add in some variety speed.

You know, break up the monotony of routine. Spice up coffee with some cinnamon. Listen to country instead of pop. Wear lipstick. Do some speed work in the middle of a run.

We’re not doing anything crazy here. But still, let’s try out something different. Bust through plateaus. Be re-energized. Become better. And when it comes to running, get faster.

Adding in intervals and speed work into a regular run can do just that.

Running at your “easy run” pace is great, but eventually your body will get too used to it. You won’t be improving, because you won’t be adding new stresses (good stress in this case) for it to adapt too. Incorporating speed work into your runs can help break up the muscle memory of your usual pace, helping you to become faster with the same amount of effort. Speed work can also lead to a VO2 Max improvement, allowing you to be able to work harder for a longer period of time.

These are all good things, so this is what we need to do: 5-4-3-2-1.

This workout is definitely a workout. It’s not easy, but it goes surprisingly fast.

Once the second speed interval is completed you’re basically almost done! This is also about the time I need to start my mantras: “Three minutes! You can push it for three minutes!”, “Two minutes. Two minutes. Two minutes. That’s it. Just two short minutes”, “I just need to pick it up for one more minute – that’s basically nothing!” Some days it’s easier to convince myself of these things than others.

The key is to make the last one-minute interval of speed work as fast as (if not faster than) the first five-minute interval. This will help you train your body/legs/mind how to kick it into gear and push through the fatigue, which will come in handy during the last few moments/miles of your next race.

You can check out some other speed workouts here and here. Maybe add in some burpees just for fun?

Kidding.

(I’m not kidding)

This workout is perfect for a 6-7 mile run with a full two-mile warm up and cool down (depending on your pace). If you want something shorter you can decrease the warm up and cool down, just be sure to get at least eight minutes in for each. You can also start the speed intervals at four minutes rather than five.

If you are a go-getter or are further along in marathon training, feel free to add on a six-minute speed interval with a three-minute recovery at the beginning. This would probably get you closer to 7-9 miles. I will be doing tomorrow this after work. Cannot wait.

Speaking of marathon training and marathons… the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon was yesterday!

This marathon. It’s amazing. I love it. The runners. The spectators. The course. All wonderful.

I am on the Marketing Committee for Twin Cities in Motion and organized the cheer zone contest. Part of my duties for this was to bike along the course and judge the cheer zones to determine the winners. My friend Katie and I biked, stopped at the cheer zones, chatted with people, ate, drank, cheered on runners… it was rough, but we got the job done. It was my second year working on the cheer zones and being on the association – I loved every minute of it!

Now that I have run a couple of marathons I understand the blood, sweat, and tears (literally) that go into training for and running one. The 26.2 mile journey begins long before the start line. It’s a true feat of endurance and is (in my opinion) just as much of a physical challenge as it is a mental one.

8,848 people crossed the finish line yesterday. All at different times for different reasons with a different story. I hope they are all celebrating right now. And foam rolling.

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The Magic Of Foam Rolling

September 22, 2014 by Jenna

Foam rolling. It’s a magical, magical thing.

Are you familiar with the magic of foam rolling? If not, let me tell you about it. If so, let me remind you.

Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release. I know, “self-myo-whaaaa?” Fascia. It’s the connective tissue that surrounds all of your muscles and nerves, kind of like tendons or ligaments.

Self-myofascial release (SMR) is a stretching technique just like static stretching and dynamic stretching. I can get really sciency here and talk all about Golgi tendon organs (GTO), muscle spindles, and autogenic inhibition, but I won’t. Basically SMR helps muscles and tissues to relax. Due to things like overuse, repetitive movements, and poor posture, muscles can become tight and develop adhesions. Over time this can lead to muscle inflammation, spasms, impaired movements, and muscle imbalances.

Who wants that? No one. That’s where the foam roller magic comes in.

The purpose of a foam roller is to put pressure on these sore spots or “trigger points” in order to release the knots. It’s like giving yourself a deep tissue massage.

The act of foam rolling is really quite simple. Roll the foam roller along the targeted area (calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, upper back, etc.) until you feel a tender spot. Hold the roller on this spot for 30-90 seconds. This is the hard part. It is painful with a capital p (AKA: Painful). Hold it, try to relax your muscles, and breathe through it. You’ll feel better later, I promise. After the hold continue to roll along the targeted area looking for more of these trigger points to release.

The SMR technique can be done as part of your warm-up routine or as a post-workout cool down or just do it everyday while you’re catching up on The Mindy Project. It also pairs well with static stretching.

The magic of foam rolling is that it helps improve range of motion, muscle alignment, flexibility, and neuromuscular efficiency. It is also way more cost-effective than getting regular $70 massages. It is only about $20 for a foam roller than you can use over and over and over and over again. Not a bad deal, huh? I have this one.

For more information and some pictorial instructions, go here.

I can’t begin to express how important foam rolling is. After you add it into your routine on a regular basis you’ll begin to notice and feel all of the benefits. I really hope you try it out.

I’m sitting here typing this after a week of running 42 miles, including a hill workout, a variety speed workout, and a 17-mile long run. Yikes. Let me tell you, I did not do a good job at foam rolling this week. My legs are tight and I could definitely feel my left hip flexor and knee during the last 14 miles of my 17-mile run. That’s not ok.

Lesson learned: foam roll, errday.

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Pre-Race Strides

August 4, 2014 by Jenna

On Saturday morning I kicked off my Philadelphia Marathon training by running a half marathon. Pretty exciting.

Signing up probably wasn’t the best decision I have ever made, since I am a little untrained and haven’t run over 10 miles since Grandma’s Marathon last June. But it’s ok. I survived (clearly otherwise I wouldn’t be typing this).

This was my 4^th half marathon and unfortunately I didn’t set a new PR (Personal Record). At mile 10 there was a chance that if I just pushed it those last 3.1 miles I could have done it, but I didn’t. My racing mentality just wasn’t there that morning. Oh well. #betterlucknexttime

Overall though, I’m still happy that I did it. It was a nice long run and a good course. It will be a great baseline to see how I improve over the next few weeks with some actual training.

Now that I am officially in marathon training, it’s time for me to really get down to business. The next 16 weeks will be work, but fun work and exciting work. My goal for this marathon is to finish below 3:45, which would be a 4 minute improvement over my last time. I can do it! I hope.

Are any of you signed up for a race? 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon??

If so, it’ll be good to add some strides into your training and pre-race routine.

The thing that I love about doing strides is that they make me feel so good! First of all, they only last 30 seconds. Second, they really do help loosen up my legs. The goal is to stay relaxed during these bursts and just let your legs go. It almost feels like you’re flying and it’s pretty cool. When I do these I try to imagine myself in a race and it’s the last 30 seconds before crossing the finish line.

Try them out a day or two before your next race!

What? You aren’t signed up for a race? That’s ok! You can still incorporate these to the end of a normal easy run. It’s a good introduction to speed work. And then go sign up for a race.

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Fartlek Training Run

July 22, 2014 by Jenna

I have another fun running workout for you: Fartlek training!

Yes, I said it: Fartlek. Did the 3^rd grader in you just giggle? Mine did. I mean, how can you not?!

Ok. I am terrible. Moving on…

So, Fartlek: what the heck is it?

It’s a Swedish term meaning “Speed Play”. It is very similar to interval and tempo training, but is unstructured. The key is to play with different speeds throughout your run. The random sprints and middle distance running keeps your body guessing and works both your aerobic and anaerobic systems. Instead of set intervals (example: 1-minute at “5K pace” + 1-minute recovery) the speeds and distances vary (example: “run hard to that tree” + “walk to the next sign”).

Sounds kind of fun, right? It is.

Fartlek training was developed by Gösta Holmér, the Swedish cross-country coach, in the late 1930s. The Swedes were continually dominated by the Finns through the 1920s and didn’t have fancy training equipment or facilities at the time. With Holmér’s new Fartlek method the Swedish runners could do their training basically anywhere, like through some intense Swedish trails, while working to increase their speed and build their stamina.

Fartlek training really paid off for Gunder Hägg, a Swedish runner, who set 10 world records in 3 months in 1942 and broke 5 more world records after that. #success

So let’s be like Gunder and Gösta and Fartlek!

You can also do this workout on your own and/or inside. I do strongly recommend doing it in a group and running outside, because it will be more fun. Group running builds camaraderie. Plus, you’ll then have other people to compete with a little bit, motivating and pushing you more than you maybe would have if you were by yourself. Most of my fellow running friends are faster than me, which forces me to become a better, faster runner – I still have a lot of opportunity to improve, so I better keep on keepin’ on.

All in all, Fartlek training is a great way to add in some spontaneous speed work during a normal run, building speed and endurance. Lace up your running shoes, grab a friend, and go Fartlek it up!

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