You know, it’s funny.  Before having Zach, I never gave much thought to how I fueled my runs and I, quite frankly, didn’t need to.  But, as a breastfeeding active mom, I am ALWAYS hungry and the concept of fueling for my runs has become SUPER important to me.  At first, I would use Trop 50 apple juice (the full-cal stuff is just too sweet for me and I like the watered down version more) to give myself a little pick-me-up as I was noticing a “bonk” during even short runs (aka 3-4 miles).  I’ve talked about this before:  I am DEFINITELY WAY more hungry as a breastfeeding mom than I was as a pregnant lady.  And my runs often fall during times when I have not just eaten, as they happen when Zach naps.  This also tends to be when I eat, which obviously needs to happen after my run.  So often, I am entering a run hungry.  Never a plan for success. So, suffice to say, for long runs, trop 50 apple juice just doesn’t cut it. So here is what I have been doing.  About an hour before my run, I will jam a granola bar of some sort into my mouth; something around 150 calories.  Today it was two mini Snickers 😉  Then, if it is a long run, I use Clif Shot Blocks.

(source)

Anyway, I will usually have 100 calories worth (3 shot blocks) but I wish I could have 500. I LOVE them SOOOO much. I love everything about them; taste, texture, EVERYTHING! I wish I could eat them all day.  Really.  I used to think these things would be gross.  But when I received a pack in my Rothman 8K goodie bag, I decided to try them; eh they were free right?!  The verdict?! LOVE them. So far I have tried cran-ras, and cherry. I have some strawberries and I am SURE I will love these as well.  The one thing is they make me REALLY thirsty; which most runner’s fuel products do, but I see this as a great thing; I NEED to drink more water.  So tell me; how do you fuel for a run?  

So, I signed up for my first half marathon post-baby.  It is the More Fitness Women’s half marathon on my birthday; April 14!  It is thru Central Park in New York!  What a way to spend a birthday!  A birthday weekend; a race expo, overnight in New YOrk able to carb-load in a NYC restaurant and an amazing race through the city that never sleeps 😉  I am super stoked but nervous because I hear the course is quite hilly.  As you know, I have done ALL of my training thus far (and since I started running again post baby (save fora handful of runs outside when it was nice out) on a treadmill.  So I decided to start trying to hill train on the treadmill.  I asked this girl to do a post on how to best do this.  She knows her treadmill stuff big time.  I also am going to start integrating speed training.  Up until now I have only been doing same-pace runs not matter what the distance pretty much.  I truly have been ENJOYING my runs and loving this “me time.”  So I generally try to enjoy it as much as possible, so I do a “nice” pace for me.  I would say I average around a 10 minute mile.  I also have not really being sticking to any type of training plan involving a long run and distances with a purpose.  Basically I’d alternate between different distances.  Sometimes based on what I did the day before, but sometimes not.  A lot of it depended on the baby’s nap length or even how I felt that day.  So I’ve been taking it easy and just doing what works.  I have decided to start a “training plan” and by putting it in quotations, I mean it will be a quasi one.  I will know each week what needs to get accomplished.  So for instance in 7 days, I know I need to do:

1.  Long run

2.  Rest Day

3.  Swim Day

4.  30 % race distance (4)- “easy day”

5.  40% Race distance (5)- speed train

6.  6 miles

7. Hill Train

Then, I will look at my next week and decide what might work when and consider options to swap (like a 4 for a 5, etc),  I have been taking my rest day (or swim) prior to the long run.  So For last week my training was (I’ll refer to the numbers above):

Monday- 6

Tuesday- 2

Wednesday- 3

Thursday – 1 

Friday- 4

Saturday- 7 

Sunday- 5

Anyway, that is how I am going to continue training. My long run this week is a 7. Then I am going to have two weeks each of 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.  Then rest week.  Then HALFIEEEE!  The only thing I might change since I have a lot of time to train (12 weeks I think) is to do 12 only once …dunno.  Anyway, what are your thoughts on training?