Tag: Running & Training

How I Ran 24.7 Miles on a Treadmill

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24.7 miles in 3:46:58 on a treadmill?! I’ve heard of people running their 18 or 20 mile training runs on the treadmill to avoid running outside in 0 degree weather. I always thought those people were crazy! I never thought I would have to experience a long run on a treadmill while living in California. But unfortunately, our state has recently been hit by devastating fires and the air quality is too unhealthy to be running outside.

Here is how my not-so-average morning went.

I woke up at 4:45 AM to get ready for my run, as I normally would have. I mentally set out for somewhere between 22 and 24 miles and started to gather all of my gear together. The good thing about treadmill running is that I didn’t have to carry anything. I packed a bottle filled with water and a bottle filled with nuun. I also brought along some salt tablets and Gu gels. Then, I was quickly on my way to hop on the treadmill.

I decided to start off slow.. after all, I was going to be running on the thing for a few hours. This helped me physically, in order to warm up, and mentally, so that I could find my rhythm. I decided that 24 miles didn’t seem so bad if I cut the run into 6 mile segments in my head. Little did I know that the treadmill would shut down and and restart every 60 minutes anyway. Since I was forced to take short breaks in between, I used that time to refuel and use the bathroom – it kind of worked out perfectly.

Miles 1 to 7 were effortless. Miles 8 to 14 weren’t that bad either. Miles 15 to 21 is where it definitely got tough – I even had a hard time focusing on Grey’s Anatomy. At 21, I wanted to stop and be done but I thought hey, maybe I can even make it to 26.2! The last few miles were hard and at 24.7, I decided that I wasn’t going to make another step.

Even though I kind of gave up at the end, I hopped off the treadmill with a huge smile on my face. This felt more accomplishing than any marathon that I have run. I was literally on the treadmill for almost four hours!

While I would not necessarily recommend doing all of your long runs on a treadmill, maybe there is some value to changing it up every now and then.

Best Running Routes in Copenhagen, Denmark

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If you are looking for some good running routes to explore Copenhagen, then look no further! These routes are very safe but keep an eye out for bicyclists.

Nyhavn-Amalienborg-Little Mermaid

As you can tell from all of the pictures below, this route was one of my favorites because it shows you several landmarks throughout the city – Amalienborg, Nyhavn, Kastellet, the Little Mermaid, Frederik’s Church and more! I started at the Copenhagen Island Hotel and ran about six miles but this run can be easily adjusted based on where you are staying.

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The Lakes – The Søerne

If you’re near the Copenhagen Lakes, follow the path around the three lakes and see why this is one of the most popular routes in the city. This will be about 4 miles!

lakes

Amager Faelled

Here’s a route for when you want to get out of the city. I received this recommendation from a fellow runner on Instagram and loved it! I ran about 4 miles but there are a ton of trails so you can make this run longer. Pro tip: don’t stop too many times to take pictures because you will get bitten by bugs (oops!).

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Hope you’re able to check out these routes during your time in Copenhagen, good luck! Stay tuned for some great running routes in Sweden.

Long Hill Repeats: What the HILL?!

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Hill training is a runner’s best ally and worst foe. It is difficult and easy to neglect but it is also crucial when it comes to building strength in your legs. The resistance that comes with running uphill pushes you to work harder than you would running on flat surfaces. To put it simply, hill training will help you to become a better runner.

Today, we will focus on long hill repeats. Long hill repeats help to improve endurance over a moderately hard effort. For this workout, the hill will ideally be about a quarter to a half mile long and not overly steep.

Workout

  • Warm-up 10-20 minutes of running (easy effort)
  • 4-6 repeats uphill at a moderately hard effort (5k race effort), with an easy jog back down after each repeat
  • Cool down 10 minutes of running (easy effort)

Tips

  • Avoid starting out too fast.
  • Use short strides for efficiency.
  • Remember to look up at the hill, and not down at your feet.

Swim: Descending Pull Set

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After four weeks of not running, I’m starting to the get in the groove of other activities that will help me to maintain my fitness level. Of these other activities, my favorite has been swimming though I may be a little biased since I used to swim competitively and teach swim lessons.

TOTAL: 2,200 YARDS

Feel free to adjust the times as needed!

Warm Up

1 x 300 Free

6 x 50 Kick (Streamline on back) @ 1:20

4 x 25 IM (Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle) @ 0:45

Drill Set

4 x 50 Drill (3 Strokes + 12 Kicks) @ 1:20

4 x 50 Drill (Zipper Drill) @ 1:10

Main Set

1 x 200 Pull @ 5:00

2 x 100 Pull @ 2:30

4 x 50 Pull @ 1:20

8 x 25 Pull @ 0:35

Warm Down

1 x 300 Free

Elliptical Workouts for Injured Runners

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It’s official. I am starting the new year with an injury. It can only go up from here, right? Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely hate being injured and not being able to run. Yet I also love how being injured forces me to hit a reset button and focus on cross-training. When it comes to cross-training, I usually choose to swim or cycle. I have never enjoyed exercising on the elliptical but it is time for a change.

Let’s get straight to it. These are my favorite hard effort elliptical workouts to keep us runners in shape.

Speed & Resistance

  • 10:00 warmup
  • 10:00 medium effort (4-5 resistance)
  • 2:00 active recovery (1-2 resistance)
  • 10:00 hard effort (6-8 resistance)
  • 2:00 active recovery (1-2 resistance)
  • 2×5:00 hard effort with 1:00 active recovery
  • 10:00 cooldown.

Progression

  • 10:00 warmup
  • 5:00 resistance level 1
  • 5:00 resistance level 2
  • 5:00 resistance level 3
  • 5:00 resistance level 4
  • 5:00 resistance level 5
  • 5:00 resistance level 6
  • 2:00 resistance level 7
  • 10:00 cooldown

Gear Review: Tabio Trailblazer Socks

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Disclaimer: I was one of 100 influencers selected through Fit Approach/Sweat Pink to test these socks out and share my experience (always honest though!).

Make sure you keep reading for details on my giveaway to find out how you can win a pair.

Who is Tabio?

Tabio makes “the highest quality socks in Japan” and are officially sold in the US as of this fall. I should also mention that their socks are used by many elite and Olympic athletes!

So Many Choices!

When it comes to sports socks, Tabio offers five choices. When comparing high-quality sports socks, Tabio definitely has some of the best prices that I’ve seen across the board. (P.S. They also offer really trendy ‘every day’ socks!)

  1. Ultra-light Compression – $30
  2. Ultra-light Compression Knee – $35
  3. Signature Run Toe – $25
  4. Signature Run – $25
  5. Trailblazer – $30

tabiosocks

Review Time

Lucky me, I got to try out a pair of the Trailblazer sock. For starters, the design is SLEEK! I absolutely love the look and feel of this sock – the toes spell out “TRAIL”. There were a couple of features that I was not used to: non-slip grip, toes and thickness. The non-slip grip and toes were pretty cool and although the socks are thicker than most socks that I wear, its two-layer design is worth it when you are running trails. The inside layer is made of wool to wick moisture and outside layer is made of water-resistant polyester/nylon for durability.

Other Important Details

Material

  • Polyester 33
  • Cotton 23%
  • Lyocell 15%
  • Nylon 13%
  • Wool 13%
  • Polyurethane 3%

Extra Ankle Support

  • Yes! If you are like me, you will want the extra support on the trails. The signature elastic shaping keeps your ankle aligned.

Arch Support

  • Another win! I personally like that the sock adds additional support to your arch muscles.

Toe Guard

  • Kind of weird at first but I think I can get used to the extra guard to prevent fraying while running up and down hills.

Stabilizer Heel

  • No more blisters? Designed to prevent your socks from sliding around.

In my opinion, a person can never have too many great-quality socks and this is truly a high-quality sock that is worth a try.

Giveaway

The part we’ve all been waiting for… please visit my Instagram page @_kellinickole to enter the giveaway, details are listed there.

As always, hope you enjoyed the review/giveaway and found it to be helpful. For additional details, please visit the Tabio website!

2017 Recap // 2018 Goals

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This past year was crazy to say the least. We moved back across the country to California. Cade proposed at the San Francisco Marathon where I also reached my sub 4 hour marathon goal – did I mention it was the best weekend ever? And then we bought our first home in October!

The past year will definitely be a tough one to beat. I was disappointed to be closing out the year with a small injury but I am excited to starting working on reaching my new goals.

Goals

  • A year without injuries (fingers crossed).
  • Run a 3:50 marathon.
  • Run a 1:50 half marathon.

2018 Races

  • San Jose 408k – March 4th
  • Silicon Valley Half Marathon – April 16th
  • Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon – May 6th
  • Across the Bay 415k – June 10th
  • The SF Marathon (or half) – July 29th
  • East Bay 510k – September TBD
  • Rock n Roll San Jose – October 7th
  • California International Marathon – maybe?

*use discount code REPRESENTKH to save on the San Jose 408k, Across the Bay 415k and East Bay 510k, remote options available.

Ab Exercises for Runners

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It hopefully comes as no surprise that having a stronger core can help you to become a stronger runner. And how does one get a stronger core? You guessed right… ab exercises! Is it time to start adding some ab exercises in after your runs? Or maybe it’s time to change up your current ab exercise routine.

Here are a few of my favorite exercises to do after my runs.

Forearm Plank

  1. Start face down with your forearms on the ground and your legs extended behind you. Align your elbows under your shoulders. Though many people prefer to clasp their hands, it is recommended to try palms up or palms down. That way, you are focused on engaging your core and avoid putting additional stress on your hands.
  2. Ready? Engage your abs, tuck your toes and lift your body off the ground. Check to see if you form a straight line. If you notice that your hips are a little high, you may need to drop your hips and engage your core even more.
  3. How long can you hold this for?
  4. Side Plank Variation – Yup, you guessed it. Choose a side to face, stack one leg on top of the other and balance on one forearm. If you’re having trouble balancing to begin, start by practicing with your knees stacked on the ground.

Glute Bridge

  1. Lie on your back (face up) on the floor. Your knees should be bent (90 degrees) and your feet should be flat on the floor. Your arms will stay at your side, palms down.
  2. Now lift your hips and back off the floor until everything forms a straight line down to your knees. Make sure you squeeze your glutes to keep a strong back.
  3. Hold for 10 seconds then lower slowly to the floor, repeat 10 times.
  4. Single Leg Variation – Same instructions but one leg will be lifted. Remember to keep your quads even and your hips straight.
  5. Twist Variation – Instead of holding for 10 seconds when you get into the bridge, you will slowly dip one hip (keeping the other hip in place), then raise it slowly back up. Then slowly dip the other hip (keeping the first hip in place). Repeat, 10 times on each side. Remember to keep your glutes and abs engaged.

Bicycle Crunch

  1. Get ready. Lie on your back (face up again) and place your hands behind your head for support.
  2. Now extend your legs into the air. The motion will be similar to pedaling a bicycle, hence the name.
  3. Rotate to the left, your right elbow will meet your left knee while your other leg extends.
  4. Keeping your feet off the ground, now switch sides, continuing to alternate or pedal your imaginary bike.
  5. How long can you keep this up for? For starters, try to aim to reach one minute.

Of course, these are only to name a few. It is important to switch up exercises and continuously challenge your body in new ways. What are some of your favorite ab exercises?

Pre-Race Countdown

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With a little over 72 hours to go until the Berkeley Half Marathon this weekend, it is almost countdown time! These are some of my favorite tips to follow but more importantly, always follow the golden rule: do not try anything new on race day.

Thursday – 72 hours to go!

  • Go for a run but don’t push it too hard by trying to cram in last minute runs.
  • Check the forecast for Sunday, read through the race guide and start to finalize your race day plans.

Friday – 48 hours to go!

  • Choose to take the extra rest if you need it or try for a short, easy effort run.
  • Start adding in small amounts of extra carbs to your meals. For me personally, I also start adding more salt to my meals.
  • Might want to check the forecast for Sunday again, especially if there is a chance for rain. I’m crossing my fingers that Sunday will be dry!
  • Rest up for a good night’s sleep – the nights leading up to the race are crucial!

Saturday – 24 hours to go!

  • Sometimes I prefer the extra rest day and sometimes I prefer a shakeout run the day before a race – up to you!
  • Go for a higher-carb diet today but be careful not to overdo it. The last thing you want is to show up to the start line feeling sluggish and full.
    • Pro tip: Choose foods that have worked in the past, remember nothing new!
  • Avoid spending unnecessary time on your feet, meaning try to avoid spending too much time at the expo.
  • Pack your bag and lay out your outfit, plus any additional items that you need on race day. This will help to cut down the stress and nerves that you might be feeling the next morning.

Sunday – RACE DAY!

  • Eat something small unless you normally run without eating anything – it is not the time to try something new.
  • Arrive early to find parking, chill out and even make a trip to the bathroom before the lines form.
  • Warm up with some jogging and dynamic stretches.
  • Have fun!!!

Also, make sure you check in next week for our Runner Holiday Guide!! (Discounts will be included!)

Review: RaceHer Box

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I recently had the opportunity to try out and review the October box from RaceHer Box – the subscription box company catered to women runners. Check out my review below for 10% off your first box!

RaceHerLogo

The Review

I love getting stuff in the mail, especially when it is a surprise. That is what you get with subscription boxes. For $35 plus $6 shipping every other month, you can receive a pretty pink box filled with 4-7 goodies that include run gear, snacks and pampering items.

The October box included a tank from The Gym Swag Shop, Lock Laces, Hammer Nutrition gels, a pumpkin spiced pie CLIF BAR, tea and a bath scrub. I had never tried any of the brands or items in the box so it was a great way to try out some new gear and new snacks! I’ve tried some running subscription boxes in the past but I really enjoyed and appreciated that this one was catered to women runners.

Plus with the holidays coming up, everyone will soon be thinking about holiday gifts. This subscription box is a great gift idea for any female runners in your life, or maybe even a treat for yourself! I should mention that they have a Deluxe Holiday Box coming soon so make sure you check out the website for the latest details and use code RUNHAPPY10 for 10% off any box!