"Tempo" is an easy way to add strength workouts to your training schedule

Many running coaches (including Hal Higdon) recommend supplementing your race training with weights, or strength training exercises. Strengthening the muscles in your legs provides you with more power to help you increase your speed. Strengthening the muscles in your core helps you preserve your form, and your ability to carry yourself on longer runs.
While most runners understand this, knowing how to approach strength training can often seem very daunting. First of all, the number of strength training options available can be overwhelming. Dumbbells? Kettle bells? Barbells? Machines? Body weight? It's hard to know where to start. It can also be hard to know if you're hitting the right muscle groups, or if you're working them hard enough.

Thankfully - there's a tool for that! MoreTempo.com provides runners with a manageable and practical way to implement strength training into their routine. I signed up for it a couple of weeks ago, and have been thrilled!

Here's how it works:
Once per day, I get an email (it usually ends up in my promotions folder with my MapMyRun data). The email usually contains 3 different exercises all geared towards a particular group of muscles, or a specific function.

For example, this workout was about stability:

All of the exercises shown here target support muscles in your core. In the case of single leg deadlifts, you need to be very careful that you are able to stabilize on one leg at a time. I was definitely feeling the burn in the little teeny muscles around my quads and my hamstrings during this one... 

Sometimes though, the workouts are more directly related to strengthening particular groups of muscles. A few days ago, for example, they sent me a workout geared towards strengthening my core:

I've had leg days, core days, at home cardio days, stability days, and I'm still getting surprised. I've seen so much variety over the course of the last two weeks. Even on all of the leg days that I've had, they've been different every time. I always look forward to opening that email when it's time to work out. 

Something that I love about this service is that the honestly do motivation very well. In both of the screenshots from my email, the first thing you can see a good motivational quote. Occasionally, they'll throw in a good motivational GIF too! 

Honestly, there's no excuse not to use this service. It takes 15 minutes, no equipment, and can be done in the comfort of your own home! Occasionally I'll add weight to certain workouts (like single leg deadlifts) on days when I feel like increasing the challenge, but that absolutely isn't required. This workout is something that can work for everyone, regardless of your fitness level or schedule!  

Oops... where did that week go?

Here are some of the excuses I've used to not run in the last week:

1. "I have a paper due this week, I don't think I have time right now."

2. "I really want to do 5 miles today, but it's probably going to get dark before I'm done, so maybe I'll just do it tomorrow."

3. "I should eat something first so that I don't bonk. " (a few minutes later) "Oops... now I'm really full. Now I must wait." (subsequently never gets back to it). 

4. "I feel generally depressed, I don't feel like getting out of bed"

5. "I'm feeling generally anxious, I don't feel like using my nervous energy in a constructive way. Instead I will let it paralyze me." 

6. "Well... Monday is a rest day on my training schedule, so I should stick to that." (note: this normally doesn't matter, unless you haven't run any of the preceding days, or don't sincerely plan on running any of the following days). 

7. "Today is going to be rough at work, I should sleep in instead of tiring myself out even more."

8. "It's ok, I'll just add more mileage to my weekend runs."


You get the point. I've been feeling lousy, and although running usually makes me feel better, I've been fighting it. I'm still not really sure why.

I always sleep better after my running days. I always feel more focused and energized at work and at home after a good workout effort. It's always so satisfying to log my workout into my MapMyFitness log.

I'm pretty frustrated with last week's version of myself. I feel so much better after 3 miles at the gym this morning (and then slightly worse after trying to do squats sans Smith cage for the first time in about 10 months).

Today was good. I hope I remember how good this feels when I'm thinking about pushing my snooze button tomorrow morning.

So I signed up for a trail race?

I've mentioned before that my race registration strategy is.... impulsive.

How impulsive, you may ask? I just registered for my first trail race. It's in a month.

I'm way excited. But I guess I need to figure out how to race on trails. Trails were what tripped me up the most at the OBX marathon, so I need to make sure that I can actually survive this.

If anyone has any advice about the Willis River 35k/50k I would love to hear it!!!