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Goals

It's always exciting to start a new training cycle. Once you pick a goal race you may be starting to think about what your goal time should be. It's really important to choose a realistic, obtainable running goal time. If you choose a goal that is too fast for your current fitness you will likely run your workouts too hard and end up overtrained, burnt out, or injured and you won't reach your race goal.

How to Choose a Running Goal Time for a Race

July 16, 2025view the post

At the start of 2025 I set some running intentions, and similar to last year I thought it would be goo to check in halfway through the year. This helps to keep my accountable and is a good chance to make adjustments as I head into the second half of the year. While things have not really gone as planned, I have made alot of progress this year. Here is my 6 month check in on my 2025 running intentions.

6 Month Check In On my 2025 Running Intentions

July 2, 2025view the post

Now that 2024 is over, many runners are starting to think about their goals for 2025. If you haven't started planning out your races for next year, it can be helpful to consider your year as a whole and what you want to accomplish. This can help you to prioritize your races and have a plan in place for your strongest race year. Here are some guidelines to consider as you are planning for next year.

How to Plan Your Strongest Race Year in 2025

January 1, 2025view the post

During a training cycle our bodies go through a lot to prepare us for a race. Once you have completed your goal race and are entering your off-season, its important to avoid injury even though you may be running less.

How To Avoid Injuries After Completing a Goal Race

November 6, 2024view the post

I usually set goals at the start of the year but I don't always check in on them throughout the year. So now that we are halfway through the year I thought this would be a good time to check in and see how they are going!

6 Month Check-In on my 2024 Running Intentions

June 26, 2024view the post

Even if you are not training for a race, you can still work towards running goals to help you stay focused. Here are some ideas for running goals to keep you focused without a race.

Running Goals To Keep You Focused Without A Race

April 10, 2024view the post

This year I want to focus on some things that I would like to eventually accomplish, even if they don't happen right away. By setting some postpartum running intentions I hope to keep my long term goals in mind and focus on the little things that are within my control each day.

Postpartum Running Intentions for the New Year as a Mom of Two

January 3, 2024view the post

It's important to have race goals, but sometimes it can be confusing to know what running goals are challenging but achievable. You want to push hard, but not overtrain. Here are some ways to determine an appropriate race goal before beginning your training cycle.

How to Determine an Appropriate Race Goal Before Beginning Your Training Cycle

July 20, 2022view the post

It's that time of year when the off-season is ending and spring races are right around the corner! Maybe some of you have already been training for a spring race. I'm sure there are others who are just now starting to think about what's ahead. This is the perfect time to do some planning, goal-setting, and preparation for a strong spring racing season!

5 Tips for Choosing a Successful Spring Race Goal

March 9, 2022view the post

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Alright, my last post about the Richmond Marathon Alright, my last post about the Richmond Marathon (maybe). This one is about lessons learned/areas for improvement.

1) Starting in the right corral- I knew I wanted to start a little slow but I think I started too far back and I ended up boxed in later in the race. 

2) Increasing fueling- I think I did the best I could on this day but now that I know more about what works/doesn’t work for me I think I can try to get my carbs/hr a little higher for next time

3) Self-doubt- On paper I knew my training showed I could run a certain time. My coach knew I could run a certain time. But deep down did I believe I could run that time? I’m not really sure.

4) My right piriformis- This little muscle has been giving me trouble FOREVER and it likes to rear its ugly head the most during races. I’m working with a PT but it’s hard to address the issue when I can go months without any problems and then at mile 15 of a marathon it starts acting up. So while this is certainly an area for improvement I am not really sure what I’ll be able to do to keep it from happening next time.

5) Ignore the data leading up to the race- During race week my sleep scores were horrible, my HRV tanked, and my watch told me I was “strained”. I might just stop wearing it during the taper next time.

What lessons have you learned during a marathon or big race?

@richmondmarathon #racerecap
It’s been 5 days since the Richmond Marathon and i It’s been 5 days since the Richmond Marathon and it feels like a lifetime ago! I am working on my full race recap which I will post on my website but I wanted to share some reflections on here. Today I want to focus on what went well. Every finish line is an accomplishment, and while every race can teach us something I think it’s always important to focus on the positive.

First off, Richmond was a great race with amazing crowd support! There were some hills (a few steeper than I expected) but nothing crazy.

Fueling went well- after my train wreck of a run a few weeks ago I had to adjust my fueling plan and took out the Tailwind High Carb and went back to regular Skratch instead. I tried to make up for the difference with gels but my overall carbs per hour was a little less than it had been when using the Tailwind. I think I got about 65 g/hour so I’d like to get that up a bit next time but I didn’t get nauseous and took gels up until the end of the race.

Shoes felt good- during that same training run I had some top of foot soreness from my laces. I changed my lacing technique and had no issues on race day. 

Mindset- I did a lot of work preparing for the race mentally and was able to use those strategies during the race. I focused on one mile at a time and shifted my goals when I knew my original goal was not going to happen. 

Pacing- Even though I didn’t run my goal pace I was able to run fairly consistently without drastically slowing down at the end. 

Recovery- I felt pretty good following the race and wasn’t even sore anymore by Tuesday. This was probably the least sore I’ve been after a marathon.

Strong training cycle- this year I feel like I’ve been clawing my way back to where I was a year ago after several illnesses last winter and spring. I had a great training cycle with @lauranorrisrunning and I know I’ve made more progress than my race time shows.

Marathons are a huge investment so I really tried to make the most of the experience!

@richmondmarathon #racerecap
Happy Medal Monday! I can’t believe the Richmond M Happy Medal Monday! I can’t believe the Richmond Marathon was only 2 days ago. I’m barely sore (probably because I was trained for a faster time than I ran) and am feeling good.

I included a list of my marathon times on the last slide here, which I posted in my stories yesterday. I got some messages about how others can relate to feeling like their times “reset” at a certain point- whether it was after an injury, having kids, or just time off from running.

I think we can get so caught up in PRs that it may take away from the overall progress made in the process of training. Sure, there are runners who come back from having kids and immediately set a new lifetime PR. But many of us will need to chip away at our times to get to where we want to be.

Focusing on progress and the gains made in a training cycle vs a specific race time can help to keep things in perspective!

Now, I’m trying to figure out spring racing plans. What’s everyone running this spring?

#medalmonday
What a day! This race (and really, this week) was What a day! This race (and really, this week) was a rollercoaster. I knew pretty early on that my legs and my lungs were not feeling my goal pace. Each time I sped up it felt really hard- way too hard to not even be at 10 miles yet. So I just focused on running the effort that my body would allow. I used all the mental strategies I had to get through each mile. Ultimately, I wanted to run faster than my marathon last November, which I did by almost 2 minutes, making this a postpartum PR. More importantly, I smiled almost the whole time.

After finishing we had to rush to get out of our hotel room and spent the whole afternoon driving home. Over the past 2 days I’ve spent almost 10 hours in the car.

More to come soon…just hoping to get home and get some rest soon!

#richmondmarathon
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