Run, Mica, Run

Over the past couple of months, BRD Sport’s very own Mica has been training for the NYC Half Marathon on March Mica NYC Half Bib20. But before she runs on Sunday, we sat down with her to find out about her training schedule, her go-to meals, as well as her motivation and what obstacles she had to obstacles.

Q: How did you get into running and how many races have you run so far?

A: I started running because I wanted to spend time with my dad. So far, I have run four half marathons—The Long Branch Half, Runners World Half, the Philly Half and I fundraised for Team Lifeline (www.teamlifeline.org) for the Miami Half.

Q: What is your goal time-wise?

A: My goal is to be able to run the race in two hours flat. As of now, my closest time is two hours and four minutes.

Q: What has been the hardest part of your training?

A: The most difficult thing for me was training through the winter because I got sick for three weeks. I also felt much weaker this time around because of having [daughter] Orly. She’s 15 months now. I know a woman’s back can get weaker after pregnancy. I definitely felt it. 

Q: How have you been training for the race?

A: On Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays I run at least three miles. And on Sundays I work on increasing my distance. Early on in my training I would just run five miles and increased my distance by one mile each week.

Q: Besides running, what else have you included in your training regimen?

A: I normally like to cross train at least one day a week by doing spin, yoga, or taking a weights class—but up until approximately five weeks ago I was slacking on this aspect of my training. I just couldn’t fit classes into my schedule because of work, kids and other responsibilities—this was a downfall.

But once I started cross training at Adventure Health & Fitness with Coach Mike at Adventure Health & Fitness (www.NorthJerseyFitnessTraining.com) it helped a lot. I also started using Sunwarrior protein shakes and my recovery shakes, which includes natural peanut butter, ice, almond milk, one large date and coca nibs. I started having more energy, recovered faster and felt like I was getting stronger.

Q: What is your sleep schedule like when you are training?

A: Normally, I like to go to sleep by 10 p.m. and sleep until 6 a.m. It was a little harder with a baby because she was waking up in the middle of the night. Thankfully, we are both sleeping through the night these days.

Q: Is there anything special you eat when training?

A: I started upping my protein once I started putting on the miles, and I try to eat a green veggie every day. I happen to be a big veggie and fruit eater. However, I make sure to watch my sugar intake, especially with fruit because you don’t want to over do it. I’ll have berries, one banana, an apple, and melon only a little bit.

For lunch, I eat chicken or turkey every day. I also cook everything! Another thing I keep on hand are trays of veggies. If I didn’t have a lot of time I would just buy pre-chopped tray of broccoli at Trader Joes or chopped of trays of cauliflower.

I also make a lot of soup through the winter. One soup I loved this winter was spin on minestrone/lentil soup. Here is the recipe:

  1. Sauté onions, 1 garlic clove, celery, carrots and bay leaves
  2. Add 1 cup of red lentils, fresh spinach or kale, crushed or diced tomatoes.
  3. Add 1 can of cannellini beans to about 6 to 8 cups of water, veggie stock or chicken stock
  4. Add salt, pepper, oregano and/or basil to taste
  5. Cook for at least 1 hour

Q: What is your key to your successfully train while maintaining a balance in your life at the same time?

A: The answer is simple: preparation and planning. Every Sunday I take 10 minutes for me and think how I’m going to accomplish my week. These 10 minutes set up my week and help me figure out when I make time for myself as well as making sure that I’m taking care of my family and my work obligations are being fulfilled. I know it sounds easier said than done, but once you get in the habit of doing it—it really helps!

Q: One last question. Every runner has a tradition or something lucky they wear on race day. What is yours?

A: I always race in orange! It’s my favorite color and you can always find me in a crowd.

 

All of us at BRD Sport wish all of the runners of the NYC Half Marathon Good Luck!

Check in with us next week to see how Mica did at the NYC Half Marathon! And remember you can always connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments