Christmas Gift List for Runners

Are you like me and find it tough to get just the right gift for the runner in your life? Here are some ideas to make it easier!

1-Massage Gift Card
What runner wouldn't love this gift?

2-Running Warehouse Gift Card or Merchandise
Using my code ATHLETEBIZ at checkout, you will get 10% off on most products. Click this link for a list of my favorite Adidas gear and learn how your purchase helps support my goals! (I recommend cold weather gear, new shoes, and a new gym bag!)

3-Coaching Services
Give the gift of coaching to show your support! Check out my coaching page for more info or just email me at neelyruns@gmail.com

4-Get Running T-Shirt
Support Team Get Running by wearing these super comfy v-necks.

5-Trust The Process Bracelet
Momentum Jewelry and I partnered to create a wrap bracelet with my favorite mantra.

6-Sunglasses
I can't run without them! So many cool options to choose from on the Adidas website!

7-Compression Sleeves
Practical, but a very useful item for all runners!

8-A Training Log
I use the Final Surge to upload my watch data... but I still record my complete day in the Believe I Am training Journal.

9-Nutritional Product
BeetIt shots, PowerBars, HotShot, and Sword Caffeine Tabs are all part of my training and racing protocol. Your runner might appreciate some new products to try out!

10-Training Tools
Some of my essentials are the Proform 9000 treadmill, 8c ElliptiGO, TRX straps, R8 Roll Recovery, and R3 Roller.

The Coffee Taper 2.0

Utilizing the benefit of Caffeine in Training and Racing

There is just something about the promise of a hot cup of coffee that helps me get out of bed in the morning. If nothing less, the smell of roasted beans brewing is enough for me to be glad I’m awake. Don’t you agree? Even people who hate the taste of coffee seem to love how it smells. Last winter, I did a short blog on the Coffee Taper and how I utilize the benefit of Caffeine during training and racing. It has continued to be a popular subject, so I decided to resurface the topic and share more details.

My weekly routine is caffeine on workout/long run days, and decaf on the recovery days. I follow this for all caffeinated products, not just coffee. The boost on the workout days is 100% worthwhile, and the recovery run days I still get my cozy early morning atmosphere of a warm drink before I head outside. (Because we all know the culture of coffee time is essential to our day). 

For me, a typical day starts at 5:45am. My husband Dillon gets up for work, so I wake up, drink 6-8oz of water, and then lay back down for 15 minutes or so to let myself slowly wake up. I’m not the best morning person. Around 6, I get out of bed, and head downstairs to feed Strider (our Vizsla Puppy) and get my coffee started. I grind my beans of choice, and turn the water on to boil. I am a craft coffee girl… French press or Pour over are my two go-to methods. I don’t actually own a normal coffee maker. I’m not a purest either, and I need my creamer. I sip coffee, eat a light breakfast, and check emails. I am most productive before 8am! Spending some time coaching (I have an online coaching business), posting on social media, and responding to texts is my usual pre-run rituals. I drink some water or electrolytes after I finish my coffee and breakfast and then I start getting ready for my training with stretching and drills. You can see, my routine stays the same, but the difference is in my coffee choice… caffeine or decaf.

The week of a race, this routine changes slightly. According to smart people like my coach, Steve Magness, the body needs at least 4 days off from caffeine to regain sensitivity to it’s ergogenic benefits. Race week, I have coffee before my first workout, but then it is strictly decaf the rest of the week. This gives me 4-5 days to crave the caffeine and helps me get even more excited for race morning!

*Disclaimer: I always feel terrible on the final workout before the race due to no caffeine. But, I have learned this is normal for me and it doesn’t mean I am not ready.

And to finish this discussion, the best video ever (trust me, it's worth your next 53seconds) !

Not a Part of the Plan

I’m a planner. And when things don’t go according to plan, well, I guess no one likes that. I am withdrawing from the TCS New York City Marathon.

After my last race, the arch of my right foot started bothering me. I listened to my body and took a few days off to let healing take place. The swelling went down, and I felt significant improvement but not enough to get back to full training. I knew after two weeks of nagging pain, I needed answers. An MRI confirmed that there was edema (inflammation in the bone) starting to form, and while there is no fracture, continued stress on the bone would lead to that. So I shut down training, cried, and then came up with a new plan.

In years past, I would have cross trained like crazy with an attitude that nothing would get in my way of running the TCS NYC Marathon. I’ve been training for 15 years, and I’ve been the most consistent in the past 3 years. This consistency has come from a more objective approach, one where I look at the long term, and don’t take unnecessary risks. While I am disappointed to not be able to run my goal race of 2017, I feel fortunate that I can take 2-3 weeks to reset and then focus on being healthy and ready to race in 2018. Thankfully, my coaches, agent, and the NYRR staff are fully understanding and have pulled together in support to help me feel confident in my decision. The good news is that I already have a race on my calendar for November 2018, so don’t worry NYC, I will be back!

Cheers to this stupid, wonderful, heartbreaking, and amazing sport.

My Marathon Journey in Numbers

Here is the behind-the-scenes of my build up to my 9th place finish at the Boston Marathon.

Training:

It was so different than anything I have done before… which is good, considering I have never run a marathon before. But, it also was challenging at times because paces I used to hit for 400s, 800s, and miles were not at all possible, while I was nailing tempos, and long runs, and having amazing strength workouts feeling good with 90-100 miles per week. I am very proud of myself and feel that honestly I was more emotionally fatigued than physically worn out at the end of the day. See my last 8 weeks of of training:

Shoes:

• 3 pairs of Adizero Boston
• 3 pairs Adidas Glide Boost
• 4 pairs Adidas Energy Boost

Nutrition:

• 2 tubs or Osmo Active mango
• 3 boxes of Honey Stinger Waffles
• 1 box Honey Stinger gel
• 12 lbs of coffee beans (decaf on non workout days)

Health:

Taking care of my body to allow me to do the training necessary has been key. I managed to get through travel for both RnR New Orleans and NYC United Half without any illnesses, and that was critical for me to get right back into training. I adjusted my sleep schedule, starting to bed at 8pm with lights out by 9pm. I woke up before 6am every morning, and typically ran between 7:30-8:30am. Having a routine really helps me stay focused and take the best care of myself.

Supplemental:

• 3 bottles of Dr Ron’s Flora Probiotics
• 3 tubs of Osmo Recovery protein
• 2 liters per week of Upstart Kombucha
• 6 batches of bone broth (turned into soups)

Medical:

I rely on diligent daily work to keep my body in one piece. Each week for the past 4 months, I have driven 2 hours each way to see my amazing therapist Heather at the Olympic Training Center. We do soft tissue work, rigorous exercises, and she finds and adjusts imbalances to ensure that my body is ready for another week of hard training. I also check in with Brandon, my lifting coach, who designed three strength routines for me throughout my marathon build up. I see Jeff, my massage guy in Boulder, who always has me marked on his calendar for Tuesday and Saturday. Every time I leave, I feel like my muscles have been ironed out smooth. I had an unfortunate situation occur where I had tape that rubbed the bottom of my arch during a long run resulting in a horrific blister (I’m still cringing from the memory of the pain). I had to see a wound specialist, and though I never missed a day of training, there were two weeks that were very difficult to get through.

Dry Needling

• Sofsole gel inserts
• 50$ worth of bandaids
• 3 tubes of neosporin
• 4 containers of Jason’s sport ointment
• 5 rolls of KT or Rock tape
• 5 bags of Epsom salts

Support:

Whew. I would not have made it through without my loving (read: very on my case about every little thing but in a good way) husband, Dillon. Coach Steve Magness who talked me through some frustrating training weeks. My dad who provided experienced wisdom. My mom who would remind me of perspective. Friends running and biking along to get me through long training runs. My athletes for their continued encouragement (if they could do it, so could I, right?!). A great group of Sunday afternoon aqua jogger ladies to help cross training be tolerable. Adidas for a limitless supply of shoes, gear, and funding to make it all possible. David Bracetty for the amazing photo shoot and gallery of pictures so I could be present on social media.

HUGE thanks to Runner’s World and Competitor Magazine for boosting my confidence with these amazing cover shots.

Everyone has a story, and I am so honored that they decided to share mine.