Marathon #5! The Holy Grail of Marathons.

Marathon #5, and the 3rd in 3 years.  It was just a week ago, but it already feels like it was ages ago.  The soreness left my legs a few days ago, and now I'm just itching to get out and run in this beautiful sunshiny weather.  But I've never been very good at recovering properly from a marathon.  And in the last 3 years of marathon training, I have had to live with not running as fast as I would like at the shorter distances, and I miss being able to truly race those.  Now that Boston is over, I can focus on the shorter stuff, and I am so excited to do that!  But if I want to start successfully training for the shorter stuff, I have to make sure I am fully recovered first.  And so, even though it is gorgeous outside, and warm, and my legs feel like running today, I am not going to run.  I'm going to bike, because I can't just sit around and waste this day, and I would like some exercise, but I am not going to run.  I'm going to attempt to hold out until next Monday for running.  (Wish me luck...)

The week leading up to Boston was a nail-biter with the weather.  I was purposely not checking the weather, because I knew the forecast would probably change each day.  But other people were checking, and posting on Facebook.  And then the B.A.A. started sending out emails saying the weather would be like 2018 and that we should prepare for cold and wet.  The night before we left for Boston I was in Walmart agonizing over rain gear options.  Do I just stick with the $1 clear flimsy poncho I picked up at the dollar store a few days ago?  Do I buy a cheap plastic rain coat that might tear if I'm not careful, or do I buy the $25 dollar rain jacket that looks like exactly what I need, but that I won't want to toss if the rain stops?  I finally decided on the rain jacket.  It looked the most reliable, and it was looking more and more likely that I would end up wanting to wear it for the entire race anyway.

And then, after 15 hours of car travel, we arrived in Boston.  And the weather prediction changed to say that the rain would stop before I started running, and the temperature would get into the 60s.  My suitcase was packed with tights, and fleece lined tights, and fleece lined shirts, and all sorts of warm running clothes.  Not a single pair of capris or shorts and no tank tops.  And only one short sleeve shirt.  So, the shirt decision was made easily...from my one choice.  And the pants decision, since it was between tights and fleece lined tights.  I was wishing I had packed more warm-weather clothes.  I had meant to pack for all weather possibilities...but when packing the night before leaving, I was too busy worrying about rain and cold to remember to pack cooler clothes.

We headed to the Expo on Sunday and I perused warmer-weather running clothes, but nothing caught my eye.  I did buy a sticker for my car, some race dots (magnetic race-bib clips), and some tie-less shoe laces that I'm looking forward to trying out.

 

Flat Gretchen.  Not really the ideal outfit for the weather, but the best from what I brought with me!

Marathon Morning arrived, and it was POURING the rain, as they say here in Virginia.  It was still supposed to stop before I started running, but I needed to stay as dry as possible until then.  I put on water resistant pants and my new rain coat to head to the busses.  My plan was to take off the pants and jacket and give them to Coby right before boarding the busses, and wear the cheap poncho until race start.  But it was absolutely pouring, and there was no way I was going to stay dry while standing in line for the busses if I took off the rain gear I had on. We decided I would just keep them on and they could get donated with the rest of the discarded clothing at Athlete's Village.  Me staying dry was more important than saving the nice clothing.  Only runners were allowed in line for the busses, so Coby and I parted ways around 8:00, and I went and stood in line for probably 15+ minutes, while the rain continued pouring down.  I was wearing an old pair of shoes, and clutching plastic bags with my running shoes, dry socks, snacks, and water.  Finally, we got on the busses, and I found a seat.  And sat there, getting warmer and warmer.  I was wearing arm warmers and a sweat shirt under my rain jacket.  I couldn't take off the jacket without a lot of trouble, but I managed to pull off the arm warmers at least.

The rain stopped at some point during the bus ride.  I don't know how long the ride was exactly, but it had to have been at least 30 minutes.  After getting off the bus, I made my way to the port-a-potty lines, which were all very long.  I finally found the end of one of the lines, and joined it.  It was slow moving, but I eventually made it to the front.   After that, I found a place on the muddy field to lay out a trash bag and sit down.  A little bit of snacking, and then they started calling my wave to head towards the corrals, about a mile away.  I changed into my compression socks and running shoes, deciding to leave my tights rolled up to my knee for less fabric on my lower legs, dumped everything I had with me except for my soft flask of Tailwind, a water bottle to hold on to until the start, and my rain jacket, which I wore until shortly before start.  All the other clothing I had with me, along with the old shoes, went to the donation truck.

In my corral and waiting to start!

After just a bit of standing in my corral, the time came to start, and we were off!  Got the text from Coby that my live track was working, and then I just had to focus on the running.  The first mile came and went, and I was already peeling off my arm warmers and gloves.  (I probably hadn't needed them at all, but I lose circulation in my hands so easily, even above 50 degrees, that I wanted to be absolutely sure I didn't need them before I removed them).  I was doing my best to keep the pace easy, and it wasn't really that hard because there were people everywhere and most of them weren't running super fast.  The ones who were, were weaving in and out and very nearly tripping lots of people.

I accidentally peaked at the pace when my watch beeped the 2 mile mark.  8:00.  Thankfully a time I wanted to see, because if it had been faster or slower I probably would have started playing mind games with myself.  But 8:00 seemed like a very good pace to be at early on in the run.  I did not look at any other splits throughout the run.  The miles seemed to be ticking by fairly quickly though.  I had about 3 scoops of Tailwind in my soft flask, and took sips here and there, always near water tables, since it was so super-concentrated.  I had to slow down to get water off the tables, and stay slow while drinking it, and then wait for my breathing to regulate before I could get back to pace.  Early in the race I stopped at every other water table.

The sun came out in full force around mile 11, and I got even warmer than I already was.  I was starting to feel tired, but kept pushing on.  I was now getting water at every water station.  The crowds throughout the course were phenomenal, and definitely helped me keep up my energy.  I eventually got used to the sun and felt ok again.  I was feeling pretty strong, nothing was hurting, and I wasn't hitting a wall.  I passed the halfway mark, and continued on.  Then came the hills.  They slowed me down a bit, but I still felt like I was going steady, and I was able to coast on the downhills.     I wondered which hill was Heartbreak Hill, and I thought I was watching for signs, but I never did figure it out.  (Later, I was told there were giant signs announcing Heartbreak Hill...who knows how I missed them.)  Then I was past the hills and still feeling ok, so I started trying to pick up the pace in between water stations.

This is the only photo I could find where my soft-flask wasn't empty, which makes it the only photo from before mile 22-23. I think the crowd was too thick for my number to be identifiable earlier in the race .

Then came the last mile.  I wanted to speed up and give the last mile everything, but at this point my body decided it was done.  Mentally, I kept telling myself it was only one more mile, so I should be able to give it everything.  Physically, my body said heck no, you're going to crawl to the finish.  One foot in front of the other, right on Hereford, left on Boylston, the crowd was deafening, and people were passing me telling me to finish strong, but I just kept slogging.  Given how I had felt up until the last mile, I was thinking I would finish faster than at Pittsburgh, because I felt so much better.  Then the finish line clocks came into view, and I learned that I was in fact running my slowest marathon.  That came as a disappointment, but oh well, I managed one final little surge and crossed the line with a smile.

Right on Hereford. 

Left on Boylston.

I think this is the moment I saw the time clock...

Finish line so close! 

I did it!  My longest training run was only 21 miles, and I barely ran more than a marathon each week, but I did it!  And I actually felt "good" for most of it! 

The road out of the finish line to the family meeting area felt so long, but I kept on moving.  I got a bottle of water, which I drained fairly quickly, and kept moving.  I got my medal and had my photo taken.  I was looking everywhere as I walked, hoping for more water.  I declined a heat sheet because I was more hot than cold.  I declined a bag of food because it didn't look like it contained anything I would want to eat.  Finally, a table with more water.  My legs and feet hurt so much, how much longer til I find Coby?  And then there he was.  I'd been trying so hard not to cry, but the adrenaline let-down after a marathon always makes me cry, and though I had fought it off through that long walk, I couldn't fight it off any longer once Coby had his arms around me.  He led me out of the crush of people, and we found a wall to lean against so I could drink my recovery drink and switch my wet shirt for a dry sweatshirt.  And then it started raining again.  My rain jacket was gone of course, but Coby gave me his.  I couldn't have told you where we were or how to get to the bus that would take us back to the hotel, but Coby had it all figured out and all I had to do was let him lead me.  

I was a bit disappointed about my time of 3:34:37, but I was so happy about how well the run had gone, and proud of myself for running a smart race and not wearing myself out too soon.  After mulling it over for awhile, I finally realized why my time was slower despite my feeling better.  It was all the time I spent slowing down at water tables.  I got water from so many of them, and I can't hold my pace while drinking water, and all of that time had to have added up to quite a bit.  After seeing many stories from people who got dehydrated and either were unable to finish this run, or finished significantly slower than me, I am glad that I did the right thing and stayed hydrated!  The time is so much less important than staying strong and not ending up in a medical tent.  And in the end, I was actually rather relieved that I did not re-qualify for Boston.  If I had, I would have been tempted to return next year when some of my friends are going.  Now, the decision has been made for me, and I will be enjoying a much-needed break from marathons.  I would love to run Boston again someday, but it won't be next year.  I'm excited to get back to work on my forever goal of PR-ing the half marathon instead!

Post-race party at Fenway!  Coby was super excited that we got to walk around the field on the brick dust.  We took photos in front of the Green Monster and in the dugout.  

Real Life Marathon Training : Road to Boston

Road to Boston : a/k/a marathon training by barely running a marathon a week. In which I came to the conclusion that 20-30 miles a week, in 3 runs, is my body's running happy place. Much more than 30 miles or 3 runs is too much for me while working a full time job and trying not to fall asleep on the couch at 8 PM.

I can make all sorts of grand plans for marathon training, but the truth is they never work out.  Life always gets in the way.  I didn't get nearly as many long runs as I wanted to in this training cycle, but it all worked out in the end!  My primary goal for Boston was to feel "good" during the race, rather than feel like I was dying the whole time like I did at Pittsburgh.  Despite my training hiccups (cough that lasted 3+ months), I DID achieve my primary goal!  Hatfield McCoy still wins as the marathon I felt the best in (hello ALL the long runs, including a 30 miler), but Boston gets to go down as the 2nd best!  The other three were mostly misery.

This training cycle came out to 22 weeks.  I didn't actually know how many weeks long it was until I counted them the week of Boston.  Basically, marathon training started the week when I knew I had achieved the proper fitness to run 10+ miles, 3 times a week (or 30 miles in 3 runs).  The very first week I did this, I knew it was the right plan for me.  My body felt so much better on each run, even though they were longer, because of the extra rest days I had.  I was probably supposed to bike 1-2 times a week along with the 3 runs, but I rarely did.  I did strength train 1-2 times per week though.



Week 1: 11/12-18
36.8 miles : 11, 12, 3.1, 10.6
The extra 3.1 this week was a women's 5k that I walk/jogged with the 7 year old.  Made the last run of the week a tempo run : 3 up, 4 tempo, 3+ down.  The tempo portion included hills and paces ranged from 7:04-6:50.

Week 2 : 11/19-25
39 miles : 12, 10.4, 16.6
First official long run of this training cycle.  Not as easy as I'd hoped for, but I kept the pace under 8:00 the whole time so I felt pretty good about it!  I completely ignored the fact that my knee started hurting 2-3 miles in, and just kept on going.  Luckily, it turned to be fine and I didn't put myself out of training by being stupid in week 2.

Week 3 : 11/26-12/2
25.3 miles : 8.1, 8.7, 8.5
After the 16 miler, I decided I should back off for a week.  The cold rainy weather also helped influence this decision.

Week 4 : 12/3-9
22 miles : 10, 12
The 12 miler was an impromptu 8 mile tempo, hills included, with paces from 7:31-6:59. Then the Snowpocalypse hit, the roads weren't clear, and the snow was too deep to run through.  So I hit the bike trainer for an hour instead of getting my 3rd run.

Week 5 : 12/10-16
34.6 miles : 8.5, 6.3, 10, 9.8
Our road finally got plowed.  I wasn't confident enough in the state of the roads in general to drive anywhere, so on Monday I ran laps around the neighborhood.  ~1 mile figure 8 laps.  I wanted 10 miles, but called it quits at 8.5 because I was losing my mind.  I ran again the next day to make up for it.  My legs complained the whole time because "I don't run 2 days in a row anymore." I probably would have quit for the week after the 3rd run, but some friends offered to run with me on Sunday.

Week 6 : 12/17-23
32.3 miles : 8.3, 14, 10
10 mile run was 3 mile tempo, 2 mile tempo, 1 mile sprint, with 1 mile up, recoveries, and down.

Week 7 : 12/24-30
8 miles : 8
I took 6 days off to spend time with family over the holidays, and to see if the random pain on the top of my right foot would go away.

Week 8 : 12/31-1/6
30 miles : 8, 10, 12
Developed a head cold somewhere around this time.  Tried to run a marathon-pace 8 miles anyway (10 mile run).  Paces ranged from 7:39-7:04 on mostly flat road.

Week 9 : 1/7-13
23.6 miles : 8.6, 15
New orthotics this week, hooray!  Still dealing with the cough and trying to take it easy so as to get better.

Week 10 : 1/14-20
39.2 miles : 10, 5.6, 5.5, 18.1
4 runs this week because I revisited Track Tuesday and didn't want to run 10+ 2 days in a row.  Ran the 18 miler with a friend and didn't feel too bad, although didn't feel super strong either, and it was slower than I would have liked.  Cough still lingering.
Track Tuesday : 1200, 1000, 800, 600, 400.  400 walk recoveries.


Week 11 : 1/21-27
26 miles : 6.4, 11.5, 8.1
The first run was short because it was a recovery run after the 18 miler, and because I forgot my inhaler... I felt great on the other two runs this week and was happy that both were around 7:35 average pace.  Still coughing.

Week 12 : 1/28-2/3
31.2 miles : 10. 8.1, 13.1
Slower runs this week in frigid temps, debated about doing the half marathon on Saturday given my head cold/cough, but decided to do it anyway.  Didn't push super hard but finished in 1:36:27 and felt great about it!

Week 13 : 2/4-10
17.6 miles : 9.5, 8.1
My legs/body were tired and dragging this week so I cut both runs short and didn't run a 3rd time. I did bike twice though, once outside on a random warm day, and the other on the trainer. Cough still not gone.

Week 14 : 2/11-17
40.7 miles : 11, 8.7, 21
STILL COUGHING.  Woke up feeling even sicker on Saturday morning but was determined to get the long run anyway.  Was afraid to put it off and never get it.  Run didn't feel too bad, other than the random foot cramp that kept coming and going.  Almost had to call it quits several times but then the pain would go away.


Week 15 : 2/18-24 
0 miles
Took the whole week off, trying to get this stupid cough to go away!  Also, I've learned that sometimes my legs really appreciate a week off.  It's hard on my mental game, but it definitely never hurts my legs to get a break in the middle of a long training cycle.

Week 16 : 2/25-3/3
17.3 miles : 5.1, 6. 6.2
Gave up on every getting rid of the cough, went to the doctor.  Got put on a steroid to help get rid of it.  Was told I could go straight back to running if I felt like it. Could have run forever on Tuesday, but called it quits at 5 because I wanted to be smart.  Cough still wasn't gone by the end of the week.

Week 17 : 3/4-10
26.1 miles : 9.5, 8.5, 8.1
On Monday my legs felt great for exactly 8 miles and then they not so politely requested that I stop immediately.  I crawled through the last 1.5.  On Saturday, I attempted a tempo progression run, but had the wind in my face going out, and at my back coming back, so that influenced my paces quite a bit... I killed the last tempo mile in 6:31.  Still coughing.

Week 18 : 3/11-17
22.2 miles : 8.1, 8, 6
Legs were feeling sluggish, but then I ran a 4 mile race on Friday evening and it felt SO GOOD to run fast! Averaged 6:43 pace.  Still coughing.  I'll be coughing for the rest of my life.

Week 19 : 3/18-24
32 miles :14, 8, 10
I felt GREAT this week!  14 miler was under 8:00 pace, the 8 miler was a 2x2 mile tempo, and the 10 miler was an unplanned tempo run because I just felt so good.  Yep, still coughing.

Week 20 : 3/25-31
30.7 miles : 8.1, 12.1, 10.5
On Wednesday, I decided to revisit the track.  I was 3.5 miles in when I got to the track.  I was thinking about doing 1 mile repeats.  At the end of the first 1600, I felt like I could hold the pace for another 1600...so I kept going.  And then I went down by 2 laps at a time, with my final interval being 800.  400 walk recoveries in between each interval.  Cough is still here, but at this point I'm just pretending it's not. Life goes on.

Week 21 : 4/1-7
25 miles : 18, 7
I know it's awfully close to race day for a long run, but mentally I needed one more long run before the big day!  I felt pretty good for this 18, and that made me feel much better going into Boston!  Cough?  Oh yeah, that's still here.  Whatever.

Week 22 : 4/8-14
20.1 miles : 8, 6.1, 6
Trying to take it easy this week to be as well rested as possible for Boston!

April 15 : Marathon Day!
26.2 miles
3:34:37 What an incredible experience!  Race recap coming soon.

Haunted Half Marathon 10/27/18

Half Marathon #36!  This was my first race since the Pittsburgh Marathon back in May, and it felt so good to race a half again! I had forgotten just how much I loved it, and now I'm itching to run another one!  BUT Boston is the goal right now, so I can't just go and sign up for a bunch of half marathons...

Race day was wet and cold, which did not make me feel very excited to run.  It was tough to decide how to dress for high 40s with rain, but I managed to pick out an outfit and hope for the best. 

Starting line photo with our friend Tony (dressed up as Bob Ross).  

My face is a rough approximation of how I felt about the temperature and weather...

We started out in the middle of the pack, as I intended to make the first mile or more my warm-up, and then speed up if I felt good. I tried to keep the pace comfortable as I weaved in and out of runners for the first mile or two.  Eventually the pack thinned out and I just focused on keeping my pace steady.  I pushed a bit harder on the ups and relaxed on the downs.  Eventually, I found myself near a girl running with her small dog on a leash.  Dogs were allowed on the course.  But this girl was letting her dog dash back and forth behind her, and after the 2nd time it almost tripped me, I got fed up and decided that I would have to use some extra energy to get ahead of her so I wouldn't have to worry about falling on my face.  We were 4 or 5 miles in at this point, and Coby and I had been running together, but when I sped up he chose not to, so I ran the rest of the race alone.  I had broken my 6ish year no-headphone rule for races, and I never regretted that decision during this race.  The music definitely helped make the cold, wet, windy course more enjoyable!  

The course was a double loop with quite a few hills.  I was worried about how it would feel to run the same hills twice, but I ended up not minding at all!  The hills were just about the perfect distance and grade, so that I was able to get a good strong push up them and reach the top before getting too tired.  I was carrying my inhaler in my pocket and had decided that I would use it halfway through if I felt that I needed it.  I felt fine at the halfway, so I spent the rest of the race wondering if I would regret not using it.  Turns out, I did not need it this time!  I didn't start feeling the effects of oxygen debt in my legs until the last two miles, at which point I was close enough to the finish that I felt I could push through it.  It certainly wasn't worth using the inhaler that close to the finish!  

I didn't catch up to the 1:40 pacer until the last 2-3 miles, and while I managed to pass him a few times, he eventually ended up back in front of me.  I wasn't looking at my watch, but judging from the few time clocks I had seen on the course, I decided he had to be running ahead of pace.  I was right, as I crossed the line in 1:37:47, and he finished ahead of me!  I had felt like I was running stronger than a 1:40 finish, so I was glad to see that even though I was behind the pacer, I wasn't actually running slower than 1:40.  

I waited a few minutes for Coby to cross the line, and then we headed back to the car and home.  The weather wasn't really the best for hanging around, and I didn't figure I had placed, so when he wanted to go home, I agreed.  I checked the results about halfway home and discovered I had finished 5th female, 2nd in my age group!  I got in touch with a friend who was still at the event and arranged for him to pick up my trophy for me.  

about 4 miles in

I believe this was taken in the same spot as the 1st photo, but this was the 2nd time around. 

I'm slowly working on correcting that heel strike...but it's a slow process...

Training Tuesday : Update

I submitted my registration for Boston on Friday!  And now I just wait to hear if I got in or not. I had a buffer of just over 5 minutes for the qualifying time so hopefully...

I've been slowly trying to get my mileage up, after a rough time returning to consistent running after the Pittsburgh Marathon in May and a very busy summer!  I finally made it to 10 mile runs a few weeks ago, and then backed back off to 8-9.  Two weeks ago I had a total of about 34 miles for the week which was much higher than I had been doing (usually 20-25).  I also re-started my after school fitness class last week, so my legs were beat by the end of the week!  I kept the weekly mileage under 30 since my legs were beat, but hope to reach 30 again this week, as well as getting my long run back to 10 miles. 

I made the decision not to run the Bluegrass 1/2 at the end of September this year.  I think it will be better for me to continue training until the Haunted 1/2 at the end of October and not tire my body out with a race so soon.  I remind myself that Boston is the goal and I can't be hurting myself just when I am picking my training back up!


For the last two Saturdays, I was lucky enough to be able to do my longer run for the week with my 9 year old step-daughter!  We bought bikes for the girls earlier this summer, and she has been zooming around the neighborhood so we decided it was time to take her on the Creeper Trail.  Two Saturdays ago, we went out and back from Watauga for a total of 9.2 miles.  It was getting tough for her by the end, but she did awesome and was excited to do it again.  So this Saturday, we did a point to point from Abingdon to Alvarado for 8.6 miles.  This time, we only made 2 brief stops for water, and our overall pace was just under 8 min/mile, compared to above 9 min/mile the first time.  I was super proud of her for doing so well, and love having her with me on my run!  She will be getting stronger as my long run distance increases, so the only thing standing in the way of having her on my run each weekend will be the cold weather!  We'll be working on outfits to keep her toasty warm...

May Review

Oof what a month it has been!  Today was the last teacher work day of the year and now I am officially on summer vacation!  As I was falling asleep on the couch around 7:30 PM I suddenly realized that it was the last day of the month.  When I managed to rouse myself, I checked Strava to see how many miles I had run this month.  I learned that I only ran EIGHT times this month.  For a total of 53.5 miles. 

I did take 2 full weeks off after the marathon, on purpose.  Only running 4 times in the past 2 weeks was...less intentional.  But still ok.  There has been an awful lot going on this month and overworking my body by trying to come back too soon post-marathon would probably do a lot more harm than good.  Now that I am on vacation and "mostly" settled into my new house* though, I'm hoping to get back to some kind of running/strength training business-as-usual. 

*Anyone ever tried cramming a 5 day school field trip, a marathon, moving out of an apartment and into a house, wedding planning, and the last month of school before?  I don't recommend it.  But I wouldn't change a thing.   Also, I am in love with our house, and I survived much better on inadequate sleep at the end of the school year than I would have thought possible.  Even with absolutely terrible allergies driving me completely crazy. 

Anyway, I'm taking it one day a time.  I'm gonna spend the next week getting everything in the house into it's proper place.  And hopefully I will run more than twice.

Week 1 : 5/1 - 5/6 : run 35.6 miles
2 flat runs in Georgia in the midst of full days of kayaking in paddle boarding, and then the Pittsburgh Marathon.  My body was so beat by the end of all that!

Week 2 : 5/7 - 5/13 : nada

Week 3 : 5/14 - 5/20 : nada

Week 4 : 5/21 - 5/27 run 9.6 miles
After 2 full weeks off, I thought it was time to run again.  I did a nice easy run with the group on Monday, and planned to do the same on Tuesday.  But the Tuesday group was doing a track workout.  I should have just run by myself, but of course I went with the group instead.  I did their relatively-easy 1600, then did the 800 a bit faster, but not as much faster as them.  Then I knew there was no way I was going to make it through their whole workout (a bunch of 800s and then a bunch of 200s) and a cooldown, so I did a 400 and a 200 and then called it quits on the workout.  And then somehow I didn't manage to run again all week.  I could have run on Sunday with Coby but I took a nap instead while he ran in the rain...

Week 5 : 5/28-5/31 : run 8.3 miles
Week 2 of trying to come back.  On Monday we did our first run from the new house.  Only one questionable dog encounter.  Then I did the smart thing and did not go to run club on Tuesday.  (It was a really smart thing, because apparently the group did a timed 5k on the track.  Ew.)  Easy group run on Wednesday, and now here I am falling asleep on the couch again while Coby runs in the rain.  I think I'll run tomorrow...

Pittsburgh Marathon 2018

Marathon #4 is in the books!  The 2nd that my body was totally unprepared for, and it's hard to say because I've probably blocked the last bad marathon from my memory, but I think this one was worse.  BUT, I did make it to the finish line, I did run the entire race, and I did get my BQ!  A little bit sad that my slowest marathon is the one I plan to use as my Boston Qualifier, but oh well.  All that really matters is I beat the 3:35 cut off time by 5 minutes and change.

The forecast said it would be in the low to mid 50s for the whole race, and there was an 80-90% chance of rain as well.  I debated wearing a shirt since the morning air felt cold to me, but in the end I decided against it, and I was barely a mile into the race before I knew that leaving the shirt behind was the right choice!  I never got too cold or too hot during the race, so that worked out pretty well.  And luckily, it really didn't rain at all.  I think it started sprinkling in the last mile or two, but it wasn't a big deal.

I had a "seeded" start position, which allowed me to be near the front of Corral A, but I ended up not even trying to be that close to the front.  I think I started somewhere near the middle of Corral A.  I settled into a comfortable pace, not wanting to be too slow, but making sure it didn't feel like I was really working either.  I had my camelbak on with about 1.5 liters of water, and 1 stick pack of Tailwind mixed in.  I was carrying my inhaler in my Hydraklick belt.  At some point in the first 5-6 miles, I noticed that the belt pouch felt very cold and wet, and I was feeling occasional cold drips go down my legs.  It seemed way too cold to be my sweat, and also my belt pouch has never gotten that soaked just from sweat.  I reached up and discovered that the back of my camelbak was also dripping wet.  I think by the end of the race, I had drank about half of what went into my camelbak, and the other half leaked down my back.  That's what I get for buying a cheap knock-off bladder to replace the one I filled with mold, I suppose.

The course was not a difficult one at all, especially considering all the hills that could have been included.  There was a long gradual hill or two, but there was nothing even close to steep, and most of the race was flat. Most of the inclines were going on or off of bridges, and they were pretty short.   I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get a strong push up the longer hill around mile 12 because of all the flatness before it, but I didn't have too much trouble.  I'm guessing the lack of steepness helped with that. 

I felt ok until about mile 12, and then I started to feel the stress of the distance. Coby was on his bike riding around to cheer for me at various points on the course, and when I saw him around mile 13.8 it gave me the boost I needed to wake my legs back up and run a few more miles.  By mile 15, I was in the surge-crawl cycle, with the surges gradually getting shorter and the crawls getting longer.  By mile 18 I was hurting quite a bit.  Mile 25 I was completely dead, and then somehow managed to pick it up for the last mile, and give a good, pure adrenaline-filled surge to the finish line.  After I crossed the line, I was barely able to walk, but managed to stagger through the very long finish chute.  I downed a whole bottle of water, and grabbed another one to drink more slowly later.  When I finally came to the crowd of spectators at the end of the finish chute I just walked blindly hoping Coby would find me, and thankfully he did very quickly, as I was on the point of collapse.  My body was so done, I had barely made it through the chute without crying, so of course I lost it once I had a shoulder to lean on.

The walk back to the car was long and painful, and I had nothing but a heat sheet and a towel wrapped around me to keep me warm, but I made it.  And even managed a smile for a post-race photo... but my legs hurt so bad for that walk I don't know how I made it to the car!

Blue Ridge 1/2 Marathon 4/21/2018

My 8th time running this race!  It has been my favorite ever since the first year.  I'll never understand how I decided to come back after that miserable experience in the rain, but I guess the course was just that awesome.  And it's even more awesome since they added extra hills a few years ago.

I wasn't really looking forward to the race this year, since my training has seemed like nothing more than one setback after another since November.  However, there is no way I was going to skip my favorite race, so I showed up hoping for the best.  I hoped to run a good race and hold my own out there, but knew that I couldn't push too hard for a fast time since I have the Pittsburgh Marathon coming up in 2 weeks.

As always, this was a superb event!  The Blue Ridge Marathon always does a top-notch job of putting on the race.  Packet pick-up was a bit confusing in the new location (Patrick Henry Hotel) this year, but I figured it out.  Everything went smoothly on race day, the volunteers were great, and there were plenty of aid stations with volunteers at the ready (though I personally did not take advantage of any of them).

It was around 40 degrees at the start of the race, I believe.  It did warm up to the high 50s or low 60s later in the day, but it was pretty chilly for most of the race.

I chose not to warm up, so that I would be forced to use the first mile or 2 as my warm-up.  I started out at a comfortable pace, not too slow, but not at all pushing the pace either.  I didn't concern myself with who was passing me or who I was passing.  The first mile marker comes at the beginning of Mill Mountain, (the first climb) and I let myself open up just a little bit on the hill, as uphills are where I am most comfortable.  I still didn't let myself push too hard, but I did let myself work a bit, and start to pass people one by one.  I passed Coby around mile 2.7 where the half marathon splits from the full, and he got some great photos of me as I passed by.  There was about one more mile of climbing left, and then I headed down the back side of Mill Mountain.  The road is pretty steep there, with several switchbacks.  I took it pretty easy, knowing I would get passed by quite a few people, but I know it's not worth the risk to my knees and hips to pound down the mountain.  When I reached the Greenway after the descent I picked the pace back up.  I didn't really gain on the 2 women I could see ahead of me, but I don't think they were growing the distance either.  When I reached the bottom of the next hill - a long, mostly gradual one, I started pushing harder.  I think this hill has become the place I generally pass most people.  It is the perfect hill for my strengths.  I passed two women on the long gradual part, and then as I went up the steep part of Peakwood, I gained on another woman, who was alternately walking and running.  I was unable to catch her, but I could tell I was much stronger on the hill, so I knew there was a still a chance I could catch her before the finish line.

My lungs were feeling pretty tight after Peakwood, so I used the downhill coast to use my inhaler.  And then I was headed up the last steep hill.  I continued to gain on the woman ahead of me, but still couldn't catch her.  I started to really push myself on the last long downhill, knowing there was less than 3 miles to go, and most of it downhill.  There were 2 bridges in the last 1.5 miles or so, and I dug into my reserves of strength to push them and to finally catch up to the woman in front of me.  By then, I knew that she was in 2nd place, and I could see 1st place in the distance, though she was too far to catch.

There was a time clock shortly after the 12th mile marker, and I was surprised to see that it read 1:33, which meant I actually had a chance to beat my time from last year, which I had thought would be impossible.  That plus the woman in front of me gave me the final edge I needed to dig deep, and I caught up to her.  We traded back and forth and ran side by side for a bit, and then on the final bridge I finally pulled ahead.  With a quarter mile to go, I pushed as hard as I could, sprinting to the finish and just hoping to come in 2nd place and under 1:39.  I held on to my 2nd place, and finished with an official time of 1:39:01.  (last year was 1:39:27).

I could not believe how well this race went, and that I was able to beat last year's time despite a much worse training cycle, and not actually trying to race until somewhere in the second half of the race. It is confirmation of something I have been picking up on for awhile now--I run best when I am not trying so hard.  It's hard not to try to train hard and race hard, but clearly it's not what my body wants right now.  As I'm getting older, I'm slowly learning to let go and just see what happens.  I'm still going to have races where I try too hard and crash and burn (because let's be honest, I'm a total control-freak...), but hopefully I'll manage to mostly just let the races run themselves...!

1st place : 1:38: 37

2nd place : 1:39:01

3rd place : 1:39:08

It was a close year for the top 3!

I couldn't believe how good I felt after this race!  I'm usually hurting pretty bad afterwards, and this time I wasn't hurting at all.  I didn't do a cool down like I normally do, and maybe it really was better for me to stop first.  I probably should have done a cool down after a brief rest instead of skipping it entirely, but oh well.  

Check out those splits!  Fastest two miles were the last two!  I usually don't have enough energy left to pull that off... I looked back at splits from the past 2 years and my last mile was around 7:20 for both of them.  

This is the Strava segment for the 1.5 mile Peakwood climb, the toughest part of the race. Nice improvement this year!

March Review

I'm a little late with my March review...but there have been other things on my mind the last few days with getting engaged, Easter, and trying to catch up on housework over the 4 day weekend!

I'm still having to take training one day at a time, since getting hit with a head cold towards the end of the month.  I've thought a lot about not going to Pittsburgh, but I hate to back out of a race I've already signed up for, and so I mostly keep reminding myself that I don't have to "race" it, I can just use it as a long run and try to have fun out there!

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Week 1 : 3/1 - 3/4 : run 16.5

A successful 10 miler!  I took Coby along for his first long run...slowly turning him into a distance runner like me.  He'll never like running more than biking, but that won't stop me from pretending to try and turn him to the light side. 

Week 2 : 3/5 - 3/11 : run 30.9

On Tuesday I returned to the track for a workout : 6x800.  I didn't try to run them too fast, but was pleased with my consistency at 3:07, 4x 3:04, 3:01. They were consistently faster than the last time I did 800s way back in June, which was also pleasing.  On Wednesday we were hit with more cold snowy nastiness, but I still ended up with a successful 11.6 mile run. 

Week 3 : 3/12 - 3/18 : run 32.3

Spring Break this week!  I passed my NASM CPT test on Tuesday, and on Wednesday I got back to marathon mode with a successful 16 mile run. On Saturday Coby and I ran the Celtic Knot 5k in Lewisburg, with him finishing in 21:00 and me hot on his heels 1 second behind.  (He outsprinted me in the finishing stretch...)

Week 4 : 3/19 - 3/25 : run 25.1 

On Tuesday the weather was chilly with freezing rain, and I did not dress properly for the run.  2 miles in my head was hurting from being cold and wet, and I called it quits when we passed my house at 3 miles.  By Thursday, I was feeling pretty sick (and I wasn't the only one who ended up sick from running in that stupid weather...).  I took the weekend off to try and recover. 

Week 5 : 3/26 - 3/31 run 23.2

Had to start out running pretty slow this week to not anger my lungs which were weakened by a bad cough.  Still managed a good 8 mile run on Tuesday though, which replaced the speedwork we had planned.  My legs felt pretty dead on Wednesday and Thursday so I didn't run again for the rest of the week, though I did hike on Saturday and bike on Sunday. 

This month has been a constant back and forth of snowy cold weather and warm springtime weather.

February Review

A pretty light month of running, and none of the serious marathon training I expected to do this month, but of course taking care of myself is more important!  I've eased my way back into consistent running as slowly as I could, and I'm now about 2 weeks pain-free and ready to try a 10 mile run this weekend.  Still taking training one day at a time though.  

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Week 1 : 2/1 - 2/4 : run 4.6 miles, bike 10 miles
I ran in an icy crunchy winter wonderland on the 2nd, which was also a snow day for me!  I was on a 2 hr delay when I headed out for the run.  When I came back I decided to scrape the very thick layer of ice and snow off my car before showering, and halfway through the job I got the snow day call. 

Week 2 : 2/5 - 2/11 : run 22 miles, bike 10.6 miles
I started out the week with a brand new pair of orthotics!  I went for a run as soon as I got home from the appointment.  The run felt pretty good, but the very next day my foot hurt worse than it had in awhile, so that was rather worrying.  It didn't stop me from trying them out in a different pair of shoes the next day though.  I meant to take it easy all week as I knew the orthotics probably wouldn't be a magic instant cure, but somehow ended up sprinting a tough uphill on Tuesday and flying through a 5.5 run at sub 7:30 pace on Friday. 

Week 3 : 2/12 - 2/18 : run 26.3 miles
On the 13th I decided that my foot was strong enough to try a 6 miler.  It felt so good to do more than 4-5 miles!  By then I could tell that my trail Hokas were the best pair of shoes I had for my feet, and no longer trusted my Brooks, so I bought a pair of Hoka Cliftons.  I got to try them out in gorgeous 65 degree weather on the 15th.  Two days later I was running around Lewisburg in a mix of snow and rain. 

Week 4 : 2/19 - 2/25 : run 28.5 miles
This week was gloriously warm, and I loved getting to run in summer running attire!  I tried out an 8 mile run on Tuesday, had a really good 5 mile pick-up run ending below 7:00 pace on Friday, and did a good hill run on Saturday.  Breathing was getting a bit rough by the end of the week...I'm blaming spring allergies. 

Week 5 : 2/26 - 2/28 : run 16.8 miles
Not quite so warm this week, but at least it's not hat and gloves weather again.  Yesterday the guys said we were going to do 3 miles at 6:45 pace.  I wasn't sure how that would go for me, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try.  The first mile was 6:25.  The second mile was 6:40, and I was struggling hard, but I managed to pull a 6:36 for the third mile.  (1.5 slight downhill, 1.5 slight uphill)  It's always a win if I can prevent the uphill mile from being the slowest!

Summer in February, what's not to love?

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Year to date:

total run miles : 215

total bike miles : 76

Thursday Thoughts : marathon training...or not.

My thoughts towards marathon training have been all over the map lately.  There's the part of me that says my body clearly does not want to handle the level of training that my mind says I can handle.  There's also the part of me that says I am not a quitter and I'm not going to let anything get in my way. 

Maybe I keep having setbacks because my goals are beyond what my body is capable of.  Maybe I keep having setbacks because I am just too enthusiastic about training and I keep upping my mileage/pace too quickly.  Maybe I keep having setbacks just because life happens and luck has not been on my side.  It's probably a combination of all 3 scenarios...

Now that I've lost a full month of marathon training, I was seriously considering deferring my Pittsburgh Marathon entry for a year.  Not because I think it is impossible for me to be ready for the race in May, but more just to take the self-induced pressure off myself for awhile.  And also because I will be chaperoning a week-long field trip to Tybee Island/Savannah with my middle school students the week before the marathon and so I will already be exhausted when I hit the starting line.  The timing of this field trip + marathon will not be kind to me.  BUT, it turns out the Pittsburgh Marathon does not give you the option to defer entry for a year, like some races do.  So, I'm going to run the race this year, but am currently working on convincing myself not to care about my finish time, but just to run the race for love of the run. 

I know I still have plenty of time to prepare for the race and maybe I will magically manage to get adequate sleep on the field trip and arrive in Pittsburgh well-rested and ready to crush the race, but realistically that is unlikely. 

After several weeks of just a few 3-4 mile runs per week, I have successfully run two 6 mile runs so far this week, and my foot seems to be doing ok.  I have new orthotics to help take pressure off my tendonitis, and today I test-ran a new pair of Hokas that are nice and stiff to help reduce the bending in my foot as I run, which should also help.  It's still too early to go back to planning long runs, but I'm starting to feel more optimistic about being able to resume training rather than needing to take a month completely off. 

Today, I'm grateful for a fabulous test-run in my new Clifton 4s, with a last mile fast-finish of 6:56.

I'm also grateful for shorts weather twice in one week, in February.

And, of course, I'm grateful for my running buddies!

Friday Five : Winter Running Edition

Since I had a snow day today, this seems like a good time to share my winter-running go-tos!  The day started out with a 2 hr delay, but I went to bed early last night and was wide awake around 5:30, so sleeping in was not going to happen.  I got up and had breakfast, gave it some time to settle, and then headed out the door for a run.  I was really glad we got the delay (which I had been expecting, due to the snow and ice accumulation forecasted for last night) because without the delay, I wouldn't have had time for exercise today!  I finished my run and then shoveled off my sidewalk and began clearing the 2 inches of snow and thick ice off of my car...and then got the snow day message.  I wanted to go run some more miles, but I'm trying really hard not to make my tendonitis any worse right now, so I'm limiting myself to 4-5 miles every other day until I get new orthotics on Monday.  So no extra snow-day miles, but at least I didn't have to rush through my shower to get to work on time!  And I had time this morning to get my taxes done, which was another bonus to a day off!

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20 degrees, feels like 10. 

Not a whole lot of snow, but there was a thick crunchy layer of ice under what snow there was.  Most of the trees were covered with a layer of snow that looked really pretty, especially with the morning sun shining on them. 

Here are 5 things that I am currently 

finding indispensable 

for cold weather running.  

1) Hat with a hole for my ponytail, with an earband on top. 

I find that most hats don't quite cover my ears the whole way, unless they also are so big that they cover my eyes.  So I love a hat that keeps the warmth in my head, but is also thin enough to comfortably layer an earband over which takes care of my ears.  This hat from Brooks has the added bonus of a hole for my ponytail to stick through, which is pretty awesome. 

2) Fleece-lined shirt with a neck. 

I LOVE my fleece-lined shirts.  I got this one from Target many years ago, and it is still probably my favorite!  I like the mock-neck, which comes up high enough to overlap with my buff and not let any heat escape my core.  It's only downside is that it doesn't have thumb-holes, but the sleeves are nice and long.  My other fleece-lined shirts are from Under Armour (thank you, Black Friday online sales) and have the thumb holes, but not the mock-neck.  The fleece lining keeps me extra warm, and I've also found that this shirt can block some wind, which is an added bonus!  

3) Thick wool socks. 

My toes can get pretty cold on these frigid runs!  I find a pair of normal thin running socks fits nicely under these wool socks, and the double socks keep my feet nice and toasty!  This pair of socks was a gift from a girl I used to ride with West Virginia, and at the time I had no idea I would end up finding them so useful!  

4) Ski mittens. 

These mittens were a life-saver a few years ago when we had a really frigid winter in WV.  I didn't dress properly for an April race one year, and ended up losing circulation from the elbow down for the first few miles.  My hands were weird and tingly for several months afterwards, and though  they eventually felt normal again, I've had trouble keeping circulation in them during cold runs ever since.  When we had a winter in which sub-20 degrees was the norm, and single digits were frequent, I found I couldn't run much more than 2 miles before my hands hurt so bad I had to go home.  I tried many different pairs of gloves, and none of them kept my hands warm enough.  I found these mittens on Amazon for $19 and they turned out awesome!  They keep my hands toasty warm no matter how cold it is (actually, they keep my hands sweaty no matter how cold it is, but sweaty is far preferable to frozen!), and they even have little zipper pockets that can fit my house key.  

5) Fleece-lined Buff. 

Fleece-lined everything is awesome.  I also have non-fleece lined Buffs which are fine when it's not quite so cold out, but for the frigid temps I am in love with this thick fleecy Buff.  It is thick enough that so far it doesn't freeze when it gets a little wet from my breath, like my thinner ones do.  (When they freeze, they start to rub my face and that hurts!)  

All bundled up for my run this morning!

 This windbreaker from OneMoreMile is also very useful
as an outer layer to hold in heat and block the wind. 

January review

Well, January started out really strong, and ended really weak, but I at least managed to get 100+ miles in the bank and I'm still feeling strong even if I haven't been able to run much lately.  Tendonitis pain came back in my left foot after Wytheville, and I've had to take it pretty easy.  I've got an appointment to get new orthotics on the 5th, and until then I'm just trying to hold my foot together without completely quitting running.  There's been a lot more time spent on the bike trainer than I would like, but oh well!  I'm glad I have the trainer so that I have something to do other than run.  I also went to the gym to use the rowing machine once, and that was a nice change of pace.  

I like that the rowing machine is a full-body workout!  

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Week 1 : 1/1 - 1/7 : run 35.7 miles
What a week!  I can't imagine a stronger start to a new year than this one!  A nice easy New Year's Day run with a friend, a spectacular 4 mile tempo run paced by feel (all 4 tempo miles ended up under 7:00), an extra long wandering run around Bristol (8.8 solo, 6.5 with friends), an easy 5+ miler on tired and sore legs, and then finished out the week by running a few more easy miles with a friend.  Somewhere in there I also tried a circuit workout with my balance discs for the first time and all I can say about that is ouch! Great workout, but I was feeling it all through my 15 mile run and the 5 mile shakeout.

There have been some very cold days this month!

Week 2 : 1/8 - 1/14 : run 35.5 miles
Another really solid week!  Started off with a nice group 7 miler, had a great pick-up mile repeat session on the track at school after a circuit workout with co-workers, got introduced to a fun new hill, ran a mountainous half marathon and then kept going for 3 more miles to get a 16 mile long run, and finished out the week with a 2.5 mile shakeout. 

Week 3 : 1/15 - 1/21 : run 23.5 miles, bike 20 miles
Started off with some easy group 6-8 mile runs, then had a snow day and did easy AM miles in the snow and then a short group run in the evening.  By the end of that day, I knew my foot pain wasn't going to go away and I made the decision to take time off from running.  The rest of the week involved 2 trainer rides, a TRX workout, and a hike. 

Week 4 : 1/22 - 1/28 : run 13.3 miles, bike 25 miles 
I started off the week with a trainer ride and a circuit workout, then tried a run. Meant to ease my way back into running but got overly excited to run after 6 days off, ran 3 days in a row, and then had to take more time off because clearly my tendonitis is back.  Those three runs were each only 4-5 miles, and I tried to take them easy, but my foot started hurting about 3 miles into the first run.  It didn't hurt the second day, perhaps because I was wearing my Hokas and they are more cushioned, but by the end of the third run I could tell it needed more time off. I finished out the week with the rowing machine, a flat photo-walk, and another trainer ride.

Not my favorite way to exercise, but grateful for the option!

Week 5 : 1/29 - 1/31 : run 9.3 miles, bike 10.2 miles
Now that I've made an appointment to get new orthotics, short runs every other day feel like an ok idea.  So, easy run Monday, trainer Tuesday plus circuit workout, then an easy run on Wednesday.  Didn't really feel any pain today so I may run tomorrow, especially since I know I won't have time for exercise on Friday. 

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Year to date:

total run miles : 117

total bike miles : 55

Sandman Extreme 1/2 Marathon 1/13/2018

I was on the fence for awhile about doing this race because of budgeting my money and because of it's timing at the beginning of my marathon training.  But, it's hard to pass up a half marathon that's less than an hour away, and even harder to pass up a half marathon with a giant mountain climb in it! 

I questioned my decision again when I woke up this morning to find out that the snow that was supposed to have stopped early in the morning had not stopped.  And then all of my car doors were frozen shut and I had to dump out half of one of my water bottles to get a door open.  But, I had already paid for the race so I wasn't going to let snow or frozen doors stop me.  Thankfully the drive was almost entirely on interstate, the snow was not sticking, and I did not hit any icy patches on the drive. 

When I planned out my long run schedule from now til the marathon on May 6, I scheduled a 16 miler for today, even knowing that I would probably do this race.  I've never liked the idea of needing to keep going after a finish line, but it's how the timing worked out in my schedule.  Last week my planned 12 mile long run became a 15 mile run, so I decided that if I really wasn't feeling it, I could skip the 16 miler today.  But I like to stick to my schedule (unless I'm doing extra...), so I ended up just making sure I had energy left at the end of the race. 

I used the first mile of the race as my warmup, then picked up the pace when I hit the bottom of the 4 mile climb around mile 1.3.  I had been about 10 ft behind the 1st place female until that point, when I gained on her and passed her.  She kicked it up a gear and passed me again not too long afterwards.  I held my pace and waited for her to slow down and it wasn't too long before I was in the lead again.  I ran strong all the way up the mountain, at race effort or slightly below.  Once I turned around to go back down the hill, I backed off to an easy effort.  I knew the downhill was going to hurt my hips since I have neglected to do yoga for about a month or so, and I also remembered that last year after pushing the downhill I found myself unable to push the remaining uphills. Today I wanted to see if taking it easier on the downhills would enable me to do better on the uphills. 

I lost my 1st place about halfway down the mountain, but I had expected to lose it sooner, and I had promised myself I wouldn't listen to my competitive side and try to hold on to it.  I never traded places with anyone else for the entire race.  My strategy of taking it easier on the downhills did pay off when I hit the remaining uphills, as I was able to take them all at race effort and not feel like I was dying, as I did last year.  Strava tells me I ran every single uphill just a few seconds slower than I did last year, but I felt so much better, so I'll take feeling stronger over being faster!  I crossed the finish line around 1:40:45 (2nd female, 4th overall), and had no trouble continuing on to run the 16 miler I had planned.  I started getting hungry around mile 14 or 15, but other than that I felt fine. 

I never ended up using my inhaler other than before I started.  I don't know how much it was due to not pushing the entire race, and how much it was due to maybe my lungs being a little bit stronger, but either way, it was nice not to need it!  I did end up coughing a bit after the run, so I know my lungs did work a little too hard for the cold air.  I don't think I wore them out too hard, but I'll try to be careful the next few days to make sure they are alright before I push them again.  Don't want to set myself back!

I was invited to go out for pizza with some of the other runners, but declined because eating out isn't in the budget right now.  (Thanks to having ceiling heat and no downstairs neighbor, my heating bills are atrocious right now).  After I started driving home I realized the more important reason not to stay for lunch was that if I did, I would not make it home before the post long run crash happened.  Driving is no bueno when I'm crashing from a long run, so I'm glad I drove straight home!  I started to crash about 15 miles from home, but I was close enough that I made it home before I got too tired to drive. 

I'm hoping to be able to actually race this course next year, and see if I can beat my course PR of 1:34 from 2014.  January has been an awkward time of year for me to race a half marathon, as December tends to be a recovery month, but I'm currently not planning a November half marathon, so maybe my training will be different and I will be in a place to run a strong race next January. 

I saw several people taking photos during the race, I'm hoping they get posted so I can see them!  If I find them I'll post them here.