3 mile workout. Start at around your normal pace. Every .5 miles increase the speed one tenth a mile in speed (e.g. 6.8 mph to 6.9 mph). The last .5 mile increase the speed every tenth of a mile and the last tenth of a mile increase about 5 notches. It’s a short but intense workout and speedwork isn’t something I do consistently when I’m running on my trail so it’s a good change of pace for me.

Here’s another thing I discovered and where being a mom comes in handy. What to do with those stinky workout clothes? You don’t want them stinking up your clean stuff in your suitcase or the stuff you don’t wash as frequently like sweaters. Solution – wet bags! These are bags used for wet diapers, baby clothes, potty training mishaps, etc. They are lined with a waterproof material so the moisture and stink is contained. They are also great for wet swimsuits. I bought mine from this etsy buyer, I love the ones I bought and the seller shipped pretty quickly, there are lots of etsy options if you just do a search.

This is from my new fave singer, Ray LaMontagne called Hold You in My Arms which after missing my little one this week was all I wanted to do when I got home. So I didn’t mind much when she woke up at 3 a.m. and needed some nighttime cuddles.

Tomorrow I leave for 5 days out of town for work. After a few years out of the workforce to focus on the mama aspect of my life, I’m a bit out of the business travel routine. But I have to admit, finding a way to fit in a workout or run was always the hardest part of business travel for me. I’m a creature of habit, I like to run pretty much the same route every day. And I hate the treadmill. Sometimes the treadmill is the only real option, as it will be for me this week so I’ve already bargained with myself, I just have to do 3 miles. If I feel like doing more, awesome, but that’s the minimum I need to do. It’s like I have a little drill sergeant in my head.

Sometimes though, business or personal travel takes you someplace where it’s more fun to run than your own home turf. My favorite place to run when I travel is in Sarasota, Florida. My good friend and fellow runner Saralyn lives there. I love running on the beach with her and talking and catching up, the miles just fly by. And it doesn’t even bug me when I find that fine white sand in my shoes weeks later at home.

If you are traveling someplace new and want to keep up your running routine, a little homework can help you plan ahead and get your motivated to try a new running route. Check with your hotel, I’ve stayed in some places where the concierge has pre-printed running maps. Runner’s World is an excellent resource to find running routes, check out this resource area for running routes all over the world. Though I generally like to run the same route every day, it’s the runs somewhere else that are firmly planted in my memory. I’ve run along the seawall in Vancouver, on a road lined with poppy fields in Tuscany, and through the English countryside on a dreary day. That beats my little park trail with the occasional dead armadillo.

For your on the road running mix, even when we’re running Tuscany, it’s still nice to get home.

The NY Times reported on some recent research by economists about the lasting effect of sports and girls and Title IX. Their conclusion is that participating in sports has a positive effect on education and employment in later life. Playing sports and being active was easier when I was a kid, cable TV didn’t really become part of our life until I was in junior high and the video games that were around then weren’t all that exciting. So we spent our free time outside, dragging ourselves home when the streetlights came on. Life is different now but we can help our kids be active by being active ourselves. Model good habits and encourage outdoor activities. For me, I’m going to push my daughter to run, throw, and catch like a girl because there’s not a single thing wrong with that!

Here’s something for your running mix to remind you of your days as a girl.

My family history stinks when it comes to heart disease, my dad was only 55 when he had a heart attack and quadruple bypass. So that’s one big reason I run. I really want to live long enough to see my grandchildren and maybe even run a race with them.

Running is just one thing you can do to keep your heart healthy, check out Go Red for Women to learn more.

This is something for your mellow mix from one of my favorite singers, it’s a little something about hearts.

Today my mother claimed that he has ennui. Which reminded me of Neville in the Gashlycrumb Tinies, poor Neville died of ennui. My mother’s source of ennui is winter. They’ve had a particularly cold and brutal winter in her neck of the woods so I don’t blame her. We moved to Austin particularly because of the mild winters and in some strange city swap, this year we seem to have been given Seattle’s winter. Our back yard is a sort of pond and I realize that the toddler’s rain coat and rain boots are now too small. While I am a somewhat hearty runner, cold and rain are my least favorite combo so the past few days I’ve chosen to hit the gym.

I think a change of pace is just the thing for a touch of ennui. My least favorite piece of equipment at the gym is the dreadmill so unless I’m training for something and HAVE TO get the miles in, I opt for the elliptical machines (actually I’d love to swim but my gym doesn’t have a pool). On the few occasions I skip a workout because of weather, I feel guilty all day so I’d rather at least do something. A routine is nice but as I told my daughter last night after she discovered she liked the broccoli nuggets I made her try, if you try new things you’ll discover you just might like them. So if winter or life has got you dragging, make a little change. Try a new class, download a yoga podcast, or take a swim. Don’t end up like poor Neville.

I feel really sorry for people who live in tropical locales where the weather is beautiful every day. What must they use as a topic of conversation when they meet someone new? And without the universal complaint that binds us all together “boy this weather sucks today!” They don’t know what they are missing.

My linkmaker isn’t cooperating today, but if you want to listen to a little musical ennui, check out Django Rheinhardt’s Fleur d’Ennui.

Whenever I see older runners, especially women, I say to myself, “I want to be like them when I’m that age.” I’d also like to be like Betty White who always answers “Robert Redford” when asked “what’s the one thing in your career you’ve never done.” But then I saw this video of Joy Johnson, an 81 year old marathoner. And now, I’d like to be just like Joy. Well if I could be a Betty/Joy hybrid, I’d be pretty content in my old age. Take a few minutes to watch this video about Joy, it will put a smile on your face and might even make you want to lace up your running shoes and start training for a marathon.

If you listen to my running mix suggestions you’ve probably picked up that I love me some French music. Today’s pick is a French singer and the daughter of a French singer. I love French things even though France to me is a lot like New Years’ Eve. You always think it should be way more romantic and awesome than it usually is so it’s kind of a letdown. But I have this very vivid memory of sitting on a park bench near the Eiffel Tower next to my husband, each of us reading a book, and tearing pieces off the most amazing baguette  and I think France is kind of cool. Seriously, any country that invented pain au chocolat can’t be all bad.

Despite evidence to the contrary (I almost took a swig of olive oil last night since I wasn’t paying attention to what I was grabbing), running might be a brainbooster. Turns out exercise might help your cognitive function so add another thing to the “pro” column for exercise.

After a couple months of casual running after my marathon, I’m starting to ramp up my training. I am going to run the Zooma half marathon at the end of March. If you live in Austin, Annapolis, Atlanta, or Denver and want to run a fun race, check out this series. I ran it last year and for the first year, they put on a pretty well organized race. The race shirt was cool – pink and a technical tee, they had a post race brunch at the hotel that served as race headquarters (side note, this year my friend and I are going to spend the night at the hotel for a fun escape), and everyone got a necklace at the finish. It’s a women’s race series but open to men as well, though the women runners tease them in their pink shirts. Ok, I made that up but they do allow men.

Now that it’s training season again, Sundays are long run days. If you are training for something, here’s something for your long run mix.

Saralyn’s not alone, lots of runners give swimming a try when recovering from an injury because it’s a good low impact exercise alternative. Many people shudder at the thought of swimming for exercise, thinking that it will be so boring just swimming laps. I started swimming because I wanted to do triathlons but I had the same thought and wondered how on earth I would keep sane doing the distance I needed to train. I found that after a few laps I get into a zone and just enjoy the solitude. But there are a few tools that have helped my swimming get to the point where I could do the 2.4 mile Ironman swim. If you’d like to start swimming or build more swimming endurance, check these out.

Total Immersion Swimming This is a swimming technique that teaches you to swim efficiently. The goal is “fish like” swimming where you glide through the water. I love it, I bought the DVD, an open water training book, and the book of drills. I would love to attend a workshop but haven’t had the time to do it. If you would like to swim more but feel like it’s so difficult and you just couldn’t do any distance, check out TI swimming.

Workouts in a Binder It’s easy to get in a rut with whatever your workout routine, so it’s good to have a plan. The workouts in a binder do all the planning for you. This waterproof workout binder has a good mix of speed work and endurance workouts. Because it’s waterproof you can set it down at the end of your lane to refer back to so you don’t have to memorize your workout.

Another reason I was thinking about swimming today is because I was listening to this song. It’s by Kate McGarrigle who just died, she was the matriarch of a musical family. I love this song because it reminds me of the summers of my childhood which were spent mostly in a swimming pool, playing marco polo with my friends or taunting the lifeguards by pretending to hit our heads on the diving board. It’s a good song for your running mix too.

I recently came across a box of medals and race numbers. The medals are great fun for my toddler to play with but what about the race bibs? Here’s a clever crafter who made a bag out of race numbers and t-shirts. Here’s something for my talented friend Sandy to add to her bag offering!

I am of the opinion that if you’ve run a race, you can brag about it forever. Go ahead and wear that marathon race medal around town every day if you want to. Or you can be a little less subtle and turn your race stuff into more useful gear! I think I’ll start making a pattern for a race shirt snuggie.

I love soundtracks, this song was in Julie and Julia which I just saw and I really like it, it’s a good one for your running mix.

It’s an odd race run in a series of underground storage facilities. But there are lots of donuts at the finish line! It got me thinking of fun and funny races, like the one a running friend’s brother did. It was a relay and instead of a baton the runners passed each other a burrito and the rule was that your burrito had to be completely eaten by the end of the race.

Thinking of my first race got me excited about running some more races and better yet, got me looking ahead to warmer, sunnier days that as the groundhog will tell us soon, are lurking on the horizon. I’ve already got one race on the schedule and I’m trying to convince my friend Joanna to venture south and do the Danskin triathlon with me in June. And if Joanna’s willing to do something different, I’m thinking I should be too, so I’m going to try and find a fun or different race too. I’ve always wanted to try one of those adventure races. As long as it doesn’t involve orienteering, because I do not need the embarrassment of being the only competitor who gets lost with GPS.

I think 2010 should be the year of venturing outside your comfort zone. Do something that scares you a little bit. My mom was telling me about an episode of This Emotional Life about fears and the guidance was that you really need to face your fears. “Unless it’s bears” I said. “What?” said my mom. “Unless your fear is bears, it’s not a good idea to confront them.” “True” she agreed. So let’s all resolve to do something a little bit frightening this year. Something that doesn’t involve bears that is. Like running a 10k instead of a 5k, that’s scary, but in a good way.

Here’s a little something bearish for your running mix.