50 Marathons/50 States

Cross-Training Day

2012-02-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my "off" day, since I headed up to Blue Mountain for some skiing/cross training. My legs were pretty sore and tired from Tuesday's threshold run. I felt decent after a few runs, and skied for about 4 hours. I have a track workout planned for today and I'm feeling a little tired. Hopefully, once I get all warmed up as I did the past two days, things will go smoothly. 2 miles easy, 8 x 800 @10k pace, 2 miles easy. Probably close to about 9 miles of running, and I'm really hoping to make it to yoga afterward. I need it!

Also...what a deal - a co-worker told me about a GREAT site to buy running shoes on! Great for me because they had the shoe and the the model that I wanted. Holabird Sports has some amazing deals - I consistently run in the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11s, and they recently upgraded to the GTS 12. Unfortunately, I wasn't too into the new edition and prefer the 11s. This site has shoes, such as the GTS 11, at crazy prices. I got my usual $100 kicks for $64! If you spend $70, it's free shipping - so I ordered some Under Armor socks.

Additionally, I got suckered in to signing up for the Broad Street 10 Mile run in Philadelphia. The race is on May 6th, and it's after Boston. Hmmm, maybe a PR? I didn't get to run a fall 10 miler like I usually do, so I'm pretty excited about it. I'll have lots of good stuff to report on for tomorrow: my track workout, yoga, and recipe that I'm hoping to try tonight - Sweet and Sour Seitan and Sweet Millet Soup. Mmmmm. It's rainy and snowy out, so that sounds nice and warming.

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-15T02:51:00.000-08:00

Monday
I ran my easy five miler with some hills and headed to the studio to complete my entire ashtanga practice. The run felt just okay, and I had a little headache when I started. I wasn't as interested in the run as I was the yoga practice that followed, but I kept about an 8:20ish pace overall. I didn't sleep so well the night before so my body felt tired and sore, but I ended up feeling great during yoga and even had enough energy to make it through some really advanced postures. I'm trying to work on something called tic-tacs right now, where you lift into a handstand and then drop over into a backbend, and reverse it. So challenging. I LOVE IT. Below is a video of my teacher, David Garrigues, breaking it down. If you watch the first minute, you can see what they look like. The strength needed for something like that...incredible.

Tuesday
Happy Valentine's Day! My scheduled run was a threshold run. I always get so nervous for those - so challenging and intense for me. I chose the same hilly route from last Tuesday (extremely hilly in the second half) and headed out. 2 miles easy, 2x15 minutes @half-marathon/10K pace, 2 miles easy. Same run from two weeks ago, which I completed on a Friday and averaged a 7:54. I was slightly slower today when looking at my overall pace, (7:58) but my speedy miles were a lot speedier. My legs were tired and I had some GI problems in the final two miles so I slowed it down a bit. Overall, I was happy with the run and the pace, especially considering the route. To celebrate Valentine's Day, we headed to the Hotel Bethlehem to have dinner at 1741 on the Terrace. It was excellent, though I've eaten out the past three nights and would really like to do some cooking.

No running for me today! I'll definitely have quite the workout at Blue Mountain, but I'm excited to have a rest day today. I have a track workout tomorrow, easy run on Friday, and a long easy run on Saturday. I'm just trying to stay healthy and well-rested so I can keep progressing.

Sunday Funday!

2012-02-13T09:56:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, a day of REST!! Well...sort of. I'm resting from running...not yoga. Off to the Ashtanga Yoga School of Philadelphia to work with the amazing Sarah Durney on some asanas. A much needed trip and day off of running for my legs. What an incredible workout - I made it through my entire practice and had some success with some challenging poses. My practice took me 2 1/2 hours to complete, and the final pose that I am working on in second series is Pincha Mayurasana - a forearm stand. I can get into this pose pretty easily, but the challenge is holding it with the proper form. I tend to arch my back a bit to keep my balance, and my new challenge is to make sure my form is straight and sturdy. The final posture before the three closing poses is Sirsasana, or headstand. I have a strong headstand but Sarah changed the positioning of my hands to build the core strength necessary to hold the forearm balance with the correct alignment. If my practice wasn't already physically exhausting, it is now!

I'm entering week 12 of Boston training now, and I'm all caught up with the three runs that I missed back in the first few weeks of training. It feels great. I've got some fun runs planned for this week: two easy runs (a 5 miler with some hill sprints, and an easy 8 miler), a track workout that will total somewhere between 8-10 miles, a long easy 14 mile run, and a threshold run where I'll do 2x15 minute at half marathon pace - that run was about 8.4 miles last time. I've got a rough idea of how I want to work this week, as long as all goes according to plan:

Sunday - Full yoga practice
Monday - 5 mile easy run and full yoga practice
Tuesday - Threshold run
Wednesday - Skiing (off of running!)
Thursday - Track workout and full primary series
Friday - 8 mile run before work, yoga after work
Saturday - 14 miles, easy pace and some yoga

And now, for some backtracking...

Saturday
What a run. 12 mile progression run - overall pace was an 8:33. That's one second per mile slower than my previous attempt at this exact same run over a year ago - but I chose a much more difficult course. After running my hill sprints up South Mountain on Friday, I was itching to run that monster again. I chose my 12 mile route so that I could completely ascend and descend the enormous hill. My uphill miles were between miles 5-7, and I still kept a perfect progression - even if it was a little slower than I'd hoped. The last four miles of this run were so difficult - my legs were pretty tired out from the ascent. Knowing I had a day off on Sunday and a light run on Monday pushed me through to the end. Below are the links with the details from my Garmin with data from Thursday - Saturday:

Saturday, 2/11 - 12 Mile Progression Run by afiorini at Garmin Connect - Details
Friday, 2/10 - Hill Repetitions by afiorini at Garmin Connect - Details
Thursday, 2/9 - 10 Mile Easy Run by afiorini at Garmin Connect - Details

Another macrobiotic recipe to share...I was craving some sweets so I tried a brown rice pudding recipe. I think I might tweak it a little next time, but I'll share it anyway:

Macrobiotic Brown Rice Pudding

2 cups of brown rice (70% short grain brown rice, 30% sweet brown rice)
4 cups of vanilla rice milk
1 cup of raisins, rinsed in warm water
Juice and zest from one orange
3 tablespoons of maple syrup (100% organic)
Cinnamon

Cook the rice per the package. When done, add the 4 cups of milk. Bring it to a boil, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the raisins, juice and zest and simmer for another minute. Off the heat, stir in the maple. Garnish with cinnamon. You could also toast up some hazelnuts and garnish with that, if you like.

I actually added a teaspoon of cinnamon to my finished product. Changes for next time: I'm going to omit the raisins and all citrus ingredients and keep it more traditional so I can add fresh fruit to it when I serve it (blueberries, strawberries, etc). I think I'll also grate up some fresh nutmeg and add about 1/2 teaspoon of my homemade vanilla extract. I know the milk is vanilla flavored, but I love the taste of vanilla beans. For my first try at this recipe, I was pretty pleased with the results. I've done lots of cooking and baking, but when you apply it to a macrobiotic perspective, everything changes.

Stay tuned for some more macro recipes this week. I made a mock lobster salad for lunch that I'm going to share, and I'm also going to make a "sweet and sour seitan" (seitan = wheat product that resembles meat, kind of like a tofu but a little heartier) for dinner one of these nights.

Hills & Music

2012-02-11T05:10:00.000-08:00

Thursday
10 mile easy run...it was ANYTHING but easy. Sure, the pace was nice and easy compared to what I've been running, but I was exhausted for some reason. The whole run was so incredibly hard, and I was so glad it was over. The route I chose to use was the same as my Tuesday run, so heavy on the hills in the second half. As difficult as hills are, I always try running as many of them as possible on each run. It makes you so much stronger and increases your endurance so much. I had concert tickets to see Citizen Cope at a local venue last night, so I had to forgo my Thursday night yoga class. Pace was somewhere in the 9 minute range, which was fine for my easy run day.

Friday
HILLS! Headed up to South Mountain with a few of my running friends yesterday for a nice hill workout. 2 miles easy, 6x1 minute sprints up the mountain with active recoveries, followed by 2 more easy miles. I was tired, sore and feeling a little rough before the run, but I was surprised to find I felt great while out running. My pace on the hill sprints was in the 7:30 range, which was a pleasant surprise. The run totaled 5.9 miles. Overall pace was in the 9 minute range again, since we took it nice and easy on the warm-up and cool-down.

I'll upload the data from my Garmin a little later - after my 12 mile run today. It's a progression run and I'm looking forward to it because it is SNOWING out there! I don't even think it's enough to break out my new YakTrax, but I curious to see how they work so I might give it a shot. I might head up South Mountain again today, so it might be worthwhile to have them in case it's slippery. I'm just enjoying my coffee and breakfast before I head out.

I'm pretty excited to crank up my iPod and run outside this morning. Besides yoga and running, I have a pretty big music/concert addiction. I love having a sweet music selection when I'm running or completing a yoga practice - usually from the indie genre. When I train for a marathon, I usually begin a playlist before my first longer run with about an hour of music. As the training runs increase in distance, I usually add songs. My latest playlist, which is up to several hours worth of music, can be found here. Lots of more upbeat songs with a few more mellow beats, mostly indie and alternative. Sometimes I throw in some pop or some of the more mainstream music if I'm feeling it...I think there's even a dubstep song on this one. Check it out, and enjoy!

50 Marathons/50 States?????

2012-02-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

Sooo...what happened to that goal? You know, the one where I decided it was a genius idea to run a marathon in each state? Oh yeah, that one. Hmmm. It's been awhile since I planned some races around my goal...the goal my entire blog is based on. Lately, it seems like it's more centered on achieving PRs and running Boston. Well, Boston is 9 short weeks away...its about time to make some marathon race plans so I can keep checking states off of my list and work towards my ultimate goal. I've only hit 12 states so far...I'd like to at least hit the halfway point sometime...someday...

I'm actually registered for a second spring marathon - have I even bothered to mention that? My days are so consumed with planning and training for the Boston Marathon that I often forget about it. A friend and I registered for the Cleveland Marathon, which takes place at the end of May. She wants me to pace her for a sub-four hour race. At this point, I'm not sure what I want to do that day. I don't think I want to try to PR at that race - it's pretty close to Boston and based on my injury history, I should probably take it easy. As of now, I have no other spring marathons on the horizon. I'm toying with the idea of the Vancouver, Washington Marathon in June, but it's definitely not something I'm seriously considering. I'm thinking more towards the fall, and what states I can knock off my list.

One of my more definite races on the horizon for the fall is the notorious New York Marathon. I qualified and registered for the 2011 race, but deferred due to my running hiatus. Another race I have my sights set on is the Smuttynose Marathon in New Hampshire, which occurs on September 30th of this year. I'm not registered yet, but I'm pretty sure I'll be knocking NH off of my list. Finally, I'd like to wrap the 2012 marathon season up with the Palm Beaches Marathon . It's in Florida in December, and it would give me a chance to visit with my family that lives in Fort Lauderdale. This would put me around 17 states...18 if I choose to do Vancouver. I know if I do that, I will be tempted to run eight marathons in 2013 to hit the halfway point. Probably not the best idea, but absolutely something I can see myself doing.

Hitting the road for a nice easy 10 mile run after work today with my running partner. I'm looking forward to a nice, relaxing run. Not planning to hit a particular pace, but our run will have a nice easy progression to because her training plan calls for it today. I'm looking forward to my workout for tomorrow, which is a a series of hill sprints up a super steep hill near my home.

Threshold Runs and Mochi!

2012-02-08T07:39:00.000-08:00

Tuesday
Oh, was I worried about doing my threshold run on Tuesday. Two miles easy, six miles at half-marathon pace, followed by two more easy miles. 10 miles total...and that six mile portion just seemed so daunting. I haven't run a half-marathon in about a year and a half - and that was my PR for that distance (1:35). I keep basing my half-marathon time on that, which is about a 7:15. Since six miles is the longest stretch I've had to hold that pace for since I began my Boston training, I was just shooting to keep the miles under an eight minute pace. My crazy side chose a course that was quite hilly, particularly in the second half of the run. Success! My tempo miles were: 7:17, 7:19, 7:27, 7:30, 7:41, 7:47. Pretty sure the hilly second half had a lot to do with my positive splits. Weather was excellent - about 47 degrees and sunny - and I felt great. Overall pace was a 7:54. I've been using the data transfer feature from my Garmin now, so click the link below to see the specifics from my run.

10 Mile Threshold Run by afiorini at Garmin Connect - Splits

Glad I did it, and glad it's over. I wasn't sure how much I could handle yoga-wise after that, but I headed over to the studio anyway. Some yoga is better than no yoga. I had the option - full, led primary series or half-primary series...I changed and dragged my ass out to the studio, so I figured I might as well do the full practice. I could always modify or skip some vineyasas if necessary. Turns out, I was feeling better than I thought and made it through the entire practice. It was actually one of my better practices as of recently. Strange. I'm glad I did that, too - full primary really works the core and upper body while stretching hips and hamstrings, which was much needed. Plus, I can't practice on Wednesday since I'm hitting the slopes after work.

Finally, after my workout...dinner! More macrobiotics to share...made a super delicious meal after my practice. I've been playing around with mochi lately - basically just a "rice cake" type of food. It's typically found in the organic/refrigerated section of the grocery store. Last week, I pan fried it in sesame oil and had it with a little maple syrup for breakfast. It was really good, but a little heavy so I'd rather eat it for lunch or dinner. I decided to try melting it - there are lots of different ways to prepare mochi - pan-fried, baked, melted, etc. Last night, I made a "casserole" with some onions, tofu and mochi. Almost everything you need for a macrobiotic meal is included in this one little dish - a long(er) cooked veggie (onion), protein (tofu), and a grain (mochi). I also made some steamed edamame on the side, as a short cooked veggie. Give this one a shot - I couldn't get enough of it:

Mochi Melt (serves 1)

Sesame oil
1 cooking onion, sliced thin on the bias
Sea salt
1/4 block of tofu, pressed and crumbled
Umeboshi vinegar
Water
2" pieces of Mochi - about 3-4 of them, cut into squares and then sliced horizontally (mochi is sold in one big block so you can cut it up to whatever size you want)

In a heavy saucepan, saute the onions in the sesame oil, and add a pinch of sea salt. Crumble the tofu, and layer it over the onions. Sprinkle with some umeboshi vinegar (best stuff ever - it's made from pickled plums! You can find it at health food stores...but I've seen it at some regular grocery stores). Add a bit of water to cover the onions, and top with the mochi slices. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the mochi melts. Wow. Tastes like french onion soup...but it isn't soupy. I slapped it in a bowl and ate it just like that - with some steamed veggies on the side. I generally don't make macrobiotic food for my husband - I'm still learning the cooking techniques and he doesn't prefer it, so most of the recipes I share are either for things you can reheat, or for one person.

Wednesday
4 am came way too quickly this morning, and I couldn't believe I actually got out of bed. Today's planned run was a make-up run from week six - a seven mile progression run. I made it to the gym and completed the run, but I took it extremely easy. I wasn't too sore, but my body was tired. It was only supposed to be run at a "moderate" pace during the last 20 minutes, so there was no reason to really push myself. My first mile was barely better than a 10 minute pace (a 9:50, to be exact), but I didn't care. As a matter of fact, my first three miles were in the nine minute range - 9:50, 9:13, 9:05, 8:57, 8:49, 8:41, and then something ridiculous for the last mile. I was trying to fit in all seven miles before the treadmill reset itself after the 60 minute window.

As much as I hate the treadmill, I love getting my run in before work. The only downfall is I end up running and getting ready for work at the gym. Meaning I didn't get to cook my delicious tofu scramble for breakfast - I had to settle for some plain oatmeal with nuts and dried fruit when I got to work. Actually, Wednesdays are kind of my day of no cooking, since I go skiing right after work. I'm looking forward to going up to Blue Mountain tonight for some skiing - it's supposed to snow, so the conditions should be pretty sweet. I'm going up to the mountain with someone who is an extremely aggressive skier so I know I'll be getting a decent workout.

Monday...a Day of REST!

2012-02-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, what a great day! Nice long yoga class at the Ashtanga Yoga School of Philadelphia to stretch my sore muscles, an hour long massage, and the chiropractor. What a great way to start the week, and a great reward for making it halfway through my training. My lower back is a bit sore, but that usually happens to me when I begin running with this kind of intensity. In the past, I've followed many different training plans, and had many positive and negative results. It's so important to incorporate other factors into training as the mileage increases, such as diet and "damage" control.

Diet
I've been finding great success with incorporating a macrobiotic diet into my training. Choosing to eat as cleanly as possible is giving me the kind of energy I need to make it through the work day and be successful on my training runs. Each week, planning my meals and cooking with these principles is getting a little easier as I learn more and more techniques. I'm not 100% macrobiotic, and I still eat my fair share of "normal" food - but macrobiotics have a strong presence in my diet. I consume some meat - but very, very little. If I eat red meat, it's only grass fed and less than four ounces. I'm a little more liberal with chicken, and I eat fish once per week. This morning, I made a Tofu Scramble for breakfast - I kind of winged it on the recipe but it was so good that I thought I would share:

Tofu Scramble (serves 1)

Handful of mushrooms (I used baby portabellas)
Handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 block of tofu, pressed (I used a softer texture)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/4-1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
A few tablespoons of vegan cheddar cheese (or your cheese of choice)
1-2 tablespoons of fresh basil, chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
1 slice of Ezekiel bread

Saute the mushrooms and tomatoes in the olive oil and season with a little sea salt. When the mushrooms are browned, crumble the tofu into the pan and continue to saute for a few minutes. Add the turmeric and chili powder (I didn't measure, just sprinkled it in) and combine. Add the vegan cheddar cheese, and let it melt. Toss in the basil, add a little more sea salt if you need it. Toast your Ezekiel bread, slap it on a plate and top with your tofu concoction. Voila:

Mmmmmm. Confused about what it means to "press" tofu? Open and drain your block of tofu. Wrap in a double layer of paper towels to get rid of the initial moisture. Unwrap, discard the towels, and re-wrap in fresh paper towels. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel and place a heavy plate on top. Weigh the plate down (I used some heavy cookbooks) and let sit for 1-4 hours. I only had time to let mine sit for about an hour, and it was fine. Apparently you can store the unused portion in an airtight container for a few days. I'll let you know how it tastes tomorrow. This was such a satisfying and energizing breakfast, and left me feeling full until lunch time.

Damage Control
In the past, I would go for sporadic massages and never visited a chiropractor. I've been going for massages every 2-3 weeks, and visiting the chiropractor monthly to focus on my alignment. I am hoping this helps keep my muscles performing efficiently and recovering as quickly as possible. As I've said in the past, the chiropractor is a whole new ballgame for me, but it seems to be a beneficial addition to my routine.

Although I was always a "yogi", I never practiced as often as I currently do. The benefits of a consistent, powerful practice are incredible. Practicing the primary series helps keep my hips and hamstrings loose, and second series decompresses my spine and stretches my back. In my opinion, both practices work my core and upper body more than any other activity out there.

There are so many more factors that could influence your training, but these are just some suggestions I've found success with incorporating. It's sunny and 47 degrees out there, so I'm hoping for a great run today.

Super Bowl Sunday 10K

2012-02-05T12:11:00.000-08:00

Paced a friend at the Super Bowl Sunday 10K today. The goal was to get her across the finish line around an 8:30 pace - we ended up around an 8:15/mile! It was a beautiful day - sunny, perfect temperature, great crowd. I'd love to race a 10k sometime this spring. Regardless of whether I was pacing her or running on my own, this was not a good week for me to actually run something at race pace. My schedule made my harder training runs occur closer together and all toward the end of the week - close to the race. Even though my legs felt great while running today, my calves are a bit sore and I'm looking forward to stretching them out with a bit of yoga this evening.

I've never actually "raced" a 10K, and our time was 51:11. This was actually a PR for me for this distance. I think if I raced one, my goal would be somewhere around 43 minutes. After Boston, this could be a definite possibility. Right now, my goal is to stay healthy so I can run and PR in Beantown. In the past, I tend to lose sight of the ultimate goal and end up injured at the starting line. I had a great time, met my goal for the run, hung out with fun people, got a cool shirt and some yummy post race food. Success.

I have a nice plan for how I want this week to play out with my training runs, so hopefully all factors cooperate.

Monday: NO RUNNING!!! Full yoga practice. I'm seriously excited.
Tuesday: 10 mile threshold run - 2 miles easy, 6 miles at half marathon pace, 2 miles easy - followed by yoga afterward. There is a full primary and half primary series class that night, so I'll see how I feel after I'm done running. This is my hardest run of the week - so I'm glad to do it early on.
Wednesday: 7 mile progression run in the AM on the treadmill (bah) and skiing at night
Thursday: HILLS! Finally...South Mountain. 2 mile warm-up, 6x1 minute uphill sprints, 2 mile cooldown. Followed by full primary series with Maureen.
Friday: 10 mile easy run
Saturday: 12 mile progression run, last 30 minutes hard. Maybe I'll get it done with enough time to get to yoga - if not, 1/2 primary series in my living room.

Week 10 Wrap-Up

2012-02-04T14:21:00.000-08:00

11 mile progression run...COMPLETE! I wasn't too concerned with my pace and actually focused on being slow and steady. I had two really successful speed runs this week, nice easy runs, and the Super Bowl Sunday 10K tomorrow. I'm not racing it - I'm pacing my friends so it should be really nice. Since I was running longer today, I made sure to start super slow:

Mile 1- 9:10
Mile 2- 9:04
Mile 3- 8:58
Mile 4- 8:50
Mile 5- 8:44
Mile 6- 8:39
Mile 7- 8:33
Mile 8- 8:29
Mile 9- 8:13
Mile 10- 8:08
Mile 11- 7:38
Overall Average Pace: 8:35/mile

Perfect progression :) I wish I would have started at a nine minute pace or maybe even just under a nine, but it felt good to warm up nice and slow to get my legs stretched out and moving. After doing half of the primary series to stretch out after the run, I felt great - minimal soreness. Just the 10K tomorrow, and then a REST day on Monday!!! Well, there will be a nice long yoga practice...but a rest from running. I'm planning to visit the Ashtanga Yoga School of Philadelphia for a Mysore class, and I also have an appointment with my masseuse and the chiropractor. Rest and recovery day before I start beating myself up again!

One More to Go

2012-02-03T17:37:00.000-08:00

After my lacking motivation last week, I jumped into this week with the intention of making up two of the three runs I missed in the earlier weeks of my training. Barring any catastrophes, I still have one more day of running this week. It really motivates me knowing I'm at the halfway point in my training. Of course, the runs I have scheduled aren't easy ones, but knowing where I am in my training inspires me. If I complete tomorrow's run, I will have made it through week 10 and made up two out of the three missed runs. I'm so grateful that I got accepted into Boston this year and have another shot at completing this race.

Thursday
Thursday's run was an easy 10 miler with my running buddy. She had to run eight miles, and I had 10 scheduled. I ran two miles on my own, and then headed out for the remaining eight with her. Overall pace was about 8:50/mile, which was great. This was her second time ever running eight miles as she trains for her first half marathon, and she did really well. We kept a steady pace the entire time, and added a few sprints in the middle of the run. My energy level and legs felt great on the run, but my stomach wasn't in the best shape. I ate the same foods that I ate on Tuesday, so I'm thinking it was my vitamins. I just have to start taking them with dinner from now on.

Following the run, I went over to the yoga studio and took Maureen's led primary series class. Such an amazing class - the students all have incredible energy and dedication, and Maureen is an excellent teacher. She decided to do primary series to a certain point and then work on some second series backbending. It was the perfect class for me - great hamstring stretches during primary series and nice backbends/chest openers during the second series segment. Exactly what I needed after a difficult week and to prepare for Friday's run.

Friday
It was a little bit tough getting my butt out the door today - I was ready to relax with my husband and kick off my weekend. It was beautiful out - about 45 degrees and sunny - and my energy level was pretty good. I put on my clothes, laced up my shoes, and queued up my iPod with my latest indie rock playlist. As usual, I'm so glad that I went. My scheduled run was a threshold run - 2 mile warm up, 15 minutes @ half-marathon pace with 3 minutes of active recovery, 2 mile cool down. My goal was to be under a 9 minute pace for the warm up and cool down, with my half-marathon pace around a 7:30. I was around an 8:30-40 during my warm-up, and my half marathon pace was more like a 7:20. Cool down was in the 8:20s. Overall pace was a 7:56. I feel great, and when I revisited my journal from last year I found that I ran this run at an 8:32 pace. It's really fun to look back at my runs and see how everything compares - weather, health, diet, pace, attitude, etc.

Of course, it's Friday - which means PIZZA FRIDAY! I typically toss out my macro diet on Friday nights and indulge in some pizza. Sometimes I REALLY let loose and have a Diet Coke...tonight was one of those nights. I've been very dedicated to the macrobiotic lifestyle and I really enjoy pizza the night before a longer run, so I allowed myself a few slices tonight. Mmmmmm. 11 mile progression run and some yoga on tap for tomorrow. Sounds like a great way to spend my Saturday!

Sore!

2012-02-01T10:19:00.000-08:00

Its a long one today...full of running, yoga, and recipes! It's not often that I don't write for two days and have THREE runs to report on. My little journal from the last time I completed this training plan is proving to be quite the reference guide, so I want to make sure I report on each and every run so I can refer back to my blog when I'm training for future races.

Monday
Nice and easy four mile run with some hill sprints on Monday. I felt pretty good, and the pace was around an 8:42. Temps were in the high 30s-low 40s, which was beautiful. I was getting a little bored with the four mile route that I normally run, so I mapped out a new one before heading out. My running partner and I joked about how easy four miles was compared to the other distances we've been running. That got me thinking back to October, when I first got back into a regular running routine. I can distinctly remember hitting up the Ironton Rail Trail to run my three mile "long" run, and how difficult that felt. I spent nearly that entire run staring at my Garmin, waiting for it tell me that the torture was over. I'm thankful that I got into Boston, because I forgot how good it feels to be able to breeze through easy runs and enjoy being outside and active. I didn't think I could ever get back to where I am now, and it feels good to be here. I went to yoga afterward and did my complete ashtanga practice (takes nearly three hours). It felt really good to stretch and tone but I felt a little tired as I practiced, which was expected.

Tuesday
I had a slight sense of dread all day since I knew my impending run was going to be difficult. It was such a fun workout, but I wish I could run in the morning. It ended up being 10 miles, as expected: 3 miles easy, 15x1 min @ 10K pace/1 min hard (I estimated that would be somewhere around 4 miles), 3 miles easy. A pretty tall order after a full day of work. The first three miles were great - nice and easy, between 8:30-8:45. The four miles of speed in the middle were challenging, but ended up being around a 7:30-7:45 pace. One of the speed miles was nearly entirely uphill - that was the 7:44-ish mile. My final three miles were all somewhere in the 8-8:15 range. Overall pace was 8:06/mile. At the end of my run I was tired, sore, and happy.

My journal from last fall details when and where I completed this same training run about a year and a half ago - during my speedy season. The exact same run ended up being closer to 9.79 miles, and my overall pace was 8:54/mile. I was so excited to see that this very same run took me nearly 50 seconds/mile faster and covered almost an entire quarter mile more. I'm going to chalk it up to feeling good, eating well, and the weather. It was almost 60 degrees out - in JANUARY! I wore shorts...it was awesome. Don't get me wrong - I'd love a good snowstorm and some chilly temps. However, the runner in me is loving this winter.

After running, I made it over to the studio for a led 1/2 primary series yoga class. It was the perfect way to wrap up my day. It was only an hour, and it forced me to stretch my hips and hamstrings. It took everything in my power not to go home and pass out on the couch instead of going to the class, but I was so happy I went. I really believe all runners benefit from yoga. I particularly feel it should be ashtanga yoga, because it provides the perfect combination of stretching and strengthening - but any type of yoga is better than no yoga at all.

Wednesday
When my alarm went off at 4am this morning, I didn't know how I was going to get out of bed. I was sore, tired, and just wanted sleep. After two cups of coffee, I made an executive decision: I'm going to the gym - but I would do my easy five mile run instead of the eight mile threshold run. It was a good decision. I held about an 8:53 pace, and ran very comfortably. My legs loosened up after about a mile. I'm glad I chose the easier run, and I'm going up to Blue Mountain tonight to ski so I'll have some energy left for that. I probably could have muscled my way through the eight mile run, but treadmill running is so incredibly boring. Besides, I'll get the better workout if I complete the threshold run outside, so I'll be doing that on Friday.

I've been really trying to stick with the macrobiotic principles as I prepare my meals each day. I've been eating a macrobiotic breakfast and lunch, and the food is pretty good. I'm still learning so the whole concept is still new and challenging to execute, but I am determined to stick with it. As a matter of fact, someone told me that I looked like I lost a bunch of weight! I never feel hungry, and I have a ton of energy. I actually only had one cup of coffee today, and I was up pretty early for my run. I should be crashing by now. After my run and yoga class last night, I was too tired to prepare a full on macro meal, so I made a smoothie and some steamed bread. I just used ingredients I had in the house, and I was pretty happy with the result:

Recovery Smoothie

1 cup of vanilla almond milk
1 handful of frozen blueberries
1 handful of frozen strawberries
2 tablespoons of all natural, organic cashew butter
1 teaspoon of all natural, 100% pure maple syrup
1/2-3/4 teaspoon of vanilla

Frappe the ingredients up in your blender and enjoy!

Steamed Bread (total macro treat!)

1 slice of Ezekiel bread
1 tablespoon of tahini
1 teaspoon of barley malt

Place about an inch of water in a saucepan with a strainer or a veggie steamer (don't let the water touch the strainer/steamer!). Bring water to a boil, add the bread to the strainer and cover. Steam for 3-4 minutes. Spread the tahini on the warm bread, drizzle with the barley malt and enjoy!

Ohhhh, We're Halfway There!

2012-01-30T09:05:00.000-08:00

Yep, here we are...HALFWAY TO BOSTON! Last week was definitely ROUGH. The weather and my motivation did not want to cooperate, and my runs are beginning to increase in intensity. I'm definitely much more enthusiastic and excited about training this week...and I am making up two of the three runs that I missed in the past nine weeks. I know, I know...I said I wouldn't be so hard on myself, but I really want Beantown to be a success this year. When I started, I said I didn't care if I PR'ed...well, I do care. I mean, if I don't PR it won't be the end of the world - especially since running and I had that little break-up this summer. My current marathon PR is 3:37-ish...anyone who read my blog last year might remember that my ultimate goal is 3:25. I am not training for a 3:25 right now, but I am training for closer to a 3:30. So, the secret is out...my goal pace for Boston is an 8 minute mile. We'll see if I can do it.

Week 10, If all goes according to plan...

Sunday: 4 miles easy, yoga (done!)
Monday: 4 miles plus some hill sprints, full yoga practice
Tuesday - Specific Endurance Intervals - 3 miles easy, 15x1 min at 10K pace/1 min easy, 3 miles easy
Wednesday - Threshold Run - 2 miles easy, 2x15 min at half marathon pace, 2 miles easy, skiing
Thursday - 10 miles easy, yoga
Friday - 5 miles easy
Saturday - 11 mile progression run, last 20 min hard and yoga

I don't want to do the intervals and threshold run on back to back days. Unfortunately, life gets in the way and I don't have much of a choice. I'll go easy on myself on Wednesday if I find that I am still sore from the day before. Over the weekend, I found this journal that I kept during my "fast" season - which was fall 2010. I did less yoga but also incorporated swimming. Lately, I've been contemplating getting back in the pool. I can't start going for another two weeks or so - I need to wait until I am done with skiing for the year to add a new activity. If I do it, I don't think I will do it more than once or twice per week.I'm afraid I'm missing out on the physical benefits of swimming. Although, without swimming I am able to focus more attention on running and yoga. So what's the right answer? How much is too much? I mean, when I am off of work in the summer it's one thing to incorporate all of those activities. Is it worth adding swimming if I can only go once or twice per week? I'd like to do the Steelman Triathlon again this summer, so I'll have to get back in the pool eventually...

Lacking Motivation

2012-01-28T07:36:00.000-08:00

This was my first week during my training that my motivation really sucked. It took everything in my power to get me out of my door this week. Two of my training runs were done on the treadmill. Everything about this week was rough - the weather, my energy level, and how I felt in general. Yoga was the last thing on my mind - I just had to get the runs in. I mean, most times I drag my feet a little to get my butt out the door. Once I start, I never want to stop. This week, I wanted to stop at each and every mile.

I didn't want to get sick, and we had some really chilly rainy days when I was supposed to run some longer, faster distances. I chose to do an eight mile threshold run on the treadmill - 2 mile warm up, 2x10 minutes at half marathon pace (about a 7:30 for me right now) with a two minute active recovery in between, 3 miles easy to cooldown. I really dislike the treadmill, but it was necessary to get it done. I also had my first attempt at 10 miles this week, and I had two runs scheduled at that distance. Lack of motivation and weather ended up causing these runs to occur on Friday and Saturday - back to back days. Probably a bad idea. I know better...however, I did it. Friday's run was a 10 mile progression run, and I finished strong. Today, I just finished the following 10 mile workout:

3 miles easy (8:48, 8:48, 8:37)
3 miles, fartleks: 1minute fast/1 minute easy (7:45, 7:44, 7:48)
2 miles, easy (8:25, 8:37)
2 miles, hard (8:04, 7:34)

If I were to do this again, I'd want all of my easy miles to be around an 8:35, and all of my speed miles to average under a 7:30. My two hard miles at the end I'd like to see between an 7:30-40 pace. I was just happy to complete this workout today and feel good at the end based on the quantity of miles I ran towards the end of the week.

My motivation seems to be returning after my successful run today. I keep telling myself: one mile at a time. One day at a time. One WEEK at a time. My goal for next week is to spread my distances throughout the week a little more evenly so that each of my runs can be run safely and at enjoyable paces. Next week is my halfway mark. I'd like to start picking up the pace a little bit. The last time I completed this training plan, I didn't run the paces I am currently running until after week 13, and week 13 was when I PR'd in the Diva Half Marathon. So I THINK I'm on schedule...I think...who knows. I wonder if a 3:30 is a possibility for Boston...

Happy Running!

The Dreadmill, and Tune-Up Races

2012-01-24T06:52:00.000-08:00

Ohhhhhhh week nine is not starting off so nicely. Besides the two runs I missed early on in my training, everything is progressing well. I know things get a little easier after this week because I get two rest days built into my schedule, which I am SO ready for. I'm just feeling so exhausted this week, and the weather is being very uncooperative. Sunday was freezing and icy so I used it as my rest day. I kind of regret that decision, and wish I would have at least done my four mile run. I came home from work yesterday afternoon with the intention of running my ten mile progression run, but it was cold and pouring down rain. I don't mind running in whatever the weather has to offer, but I also don't want to get sick right now. So, for the first time in an entire year, I ventured to the gym and did my easy four miler on the treadmill. It actually wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. I mean, the workout is definitely not the same, but it was better than skipping the run. Since I have to reorganize my week a little, I might have to use the treadmill AGAIN on Wednesday morning.

Due to my crazy schedule and the weather, it looks like I'll be doing the following workouts (if all goes as planned):

Tuesday - 9 mile easy run, full primary series

Wednesday - 8 mile threshold run (in the morning, on the treadmill...eek), skiing

Thursday - 10 mile progression run, full primary series

Friday - 4 mile easy run + hills (hopefully outside, in the morning)

Saturday - 10 mile fartlek + progression run, 1/2 primary series

Sunday - Full ashtanga practice; REST!!!

Next Sunday is the Super Bowl Sunday 10K. I'm not sure whether I'll be racing it or pacing a friend, but I am really looking forward to it regardless of what I end up doing. Doing tune-up races really helps with my motivation, especially in the cold winter months. The last race I ran was the Christmas City 5 Miler, and it was such a motivation booster. I'm ready for my next fix!

Happy running!

Week #9

2012-01-22T13:18:00.000-08:00

Started off my ninth week of Boston training with a day of complete rest. It was 15 degrees out and I felt run down and exhausted. I have six runs scheduled for the week, so I used today as my rest day. Sure, I could have muscled my way through four miles, but I don't want to start my work (and workout) week off being tired. I stretched a little, hydrated, and made some hearty meals to restore my energy. Caught up on some cleaning so I could start the week out with a little organization in the midst of training chaos. I really want to stay healthy and happy throughout my training this time around, so I thought the rest was necessary. In the words of the great Ryan Hall, "Embrace rest."

After this week, I get two non-running days per cycle. I'm planning to rest on Sundays, since I'd really like to either continue my trips to Philadelphia for yoga or just practice my full Mysore practice at Lehigh Valley Yoga Studio. Also, my Saturday long runs are about to start getting a lot longer, and I will need the rest and stretching on Sunday. My second "rest" day will probably be Thursdays or Fridays, to prepare for the longer distance on Saturday and give my body a break towards the end of the week. I really want to use my rest days wisely to keep my body healthy.

I'm honestly looking forward to running Boston this time around. Last year, I was excited to run the race but hated training for it. I barely even blogged about the experience when it was over. I was so excited to start my training, but was diagnosed in the early weeks with a tibial stress fracture. It made training an absolute nightmare (many hours spent running in a pool and torturing myself on the dreaded elliptical) and completely broke my heart. Though I don't always write consistently, I started this blog years ago to track my training runs so I could qualify for the coveted race. I spent season after season analyzing my training and race results to see what I improve on to meet my goal.

When I finally qualified at San Antonio in 2009, Boston was already sold out. Then, when I finally had the opportunity to run it, I get sidelined with my worst injury to date. Anyone who is close to me can tell you that I was completely miserable, and I shut down. I made lots of careless decisions and mistakes personally, professionally, and emotionally. I'm still cleaning up some of messes that I made during that dark time. It sounds so ridiculous...that running (or lack of running) could have such an impact on my entire life. I sound so whiney...but I worked so hard to qualify for that damn race, and my experience was so flawed. I actually really enjoyed race day, regardless of my training...but part of the beauty of running a marathon is the training. For me, completing really challenging training runs makes me feel unstoppable. They make me feel like I can do anything.

That feeling was taken away from me last year, and I lost a piece of my identity. I took my frustration out on the people I love (particularly my husband), my diet, my bank account, and my body. I even went out and got my nose pierced (side note: I actually like the nose stud. it's staying!) since I devoted my attention toward yoga and thought I needed it. I spent my summer driving to Philly to take yoga classes almost daily, and since the classes began at 6am I would be up at 4am and home by 11am. I'd sleep the rest of the day away, and do it all over again the next day. My house? A disaster. My motivation? Zero. I was a mess...all because of running.

I realize how crazy I sound. It's only RUNNING. However, I know I'm not alone in this boat. I'm not the only one that suffers a running injury and shuts down. I just really want to avoid such distress again. No matter how good I take care of myself, injuries are sometimes unavoidable. All I can do is keep learning and evolving with each one. Some of the areas I am working to improve on:

Rest
Sleep
Hydration
Nutrition
Consistency (Not trying to run, bike, swim, yoga, and lift a million times a week. Running and yoga are it for me!)

I'll be touching on each of those in the weeks to come. For now, I just have to keep up my hard work and listen to my body.

Happy Running (and sorry for the whiny rant)!

Let it Snow!

2012-01-21T06:34:00.000-08:00

As I began the day yesterday, I planned to come home from work and run three miles with a few hill sprints. As I was driving home from work, I noticed how nice it was outside...and what the weather forecast was predicting for Saturday. We were finally forecasted to get some snow. Since I had the time, I ran my eight mile progression run instead. I'm so glad that I did...I woke up to a bunch of snow on the ground this morning! I still have three miles to run, but it isn't as daunting as a snowy eight mile progression run. I'm currently relaxing on the couch with a cup of coffee. I'll move...eventually. My DVR queue is pretty full so I think I'll spend my morning catching up. I ordered a pair of YakTrax from Amazon this morning...not that I'll need them since this is the first real snow of the winter and its supposed to be about 52 degrees on Monday...but I was interested in checking them out anyway.

As for my eight mile run yesterday, it was horrible! In all fairness, I had a great week prior to yesterday. My eight mile fartlek run on Thursday at an 8:01 pace was excellent. My legs were tired and anything faster than an 8:45 felt like death. I still did it as a progression run, but my "progression" was minimal. I'm not worried about it. I'm just glad I did it. I'll get out for my three miler at some point today. For now...back to my coffee, couch, TV, and cozy fireplace!

Embrace Rest

2012-01-20T02:45:00.000-08:00

Runner's World Quote of the Day:

"I constantly remind myself that resting takes confidence. Anyone can train like a mad man but to embrace rest and to allow all the hard training to come out takes mental strength." - Ryan Hall

I arrived at work on Wednesday morning and opened up my email to the above quote. I've had a really productive training week so far, and today the plan was to wake up early and make up the four miler I missed a few weeks ago before heading to work. Back in week five, I missed a four mile easy run and a seven mile progression run and I've been trying to make them up ever since. However, for the next two weeks, my training plan has me scheduled to run six days per week - so making up those runs would mean running for the next 14 days - no rest. I woke up Wednesday morning with the intention of running the four miler, and my body felt so tired. So, I bagged the make-up run and rested. I had energy, but my legs felt so tired.

By the time I got to work, I felt badly about skipping the run...until I read that quote. I'm going to see how I feel around week 10, when I have more rest days built into my schedule. As of now, I am sticking with what I am scheduled to do each week and I'm not going to add any extra miles in. I am feeling good, and enjoying running. If I listen to my body, I will get faster and stronger. Training plans assume that you feel 100%, 100% of the time. That isn't life. That isn't practical.

My week has been pretty productive so far:

Sunday - 4 mile "easy" run (ended up being around a 7:57 pace) and ashtanga second series practice
Monday - 9 mile progression run (overall pace, 8:14) and my entire ashtanga practice (primary and second)
Tuesday - 6 mile easy run, ashtanga primary series
Wednesday - skiing!
Thursday - 8 mile fartlek run (overall pace, 8:01), ashtanga primary series

Two more runs left for the week: an easy 3 miler with some hill sprints and an 8 mile progression run. There is a chance for snow on Saturday, so the pace might be a little slower...not a problem. I'm actually hoping for some snow :)

Last week, I ran a total of 37 miles. If I finish this week out, I'll have run 48 miles. I'm doing pretty well with my diet but I need some more options. As the miles increase, so does my appetite. I'm looking for some more healthy snack options. I've been eating lots of clementines, edamame (not together!), and ezekiel bread. I think I am a little dehydrated, because I've been craving sweets. I try to use reusable water bottles but somehow I end up drinking less water...so I guess I'll start buying cases of water again. I've been pretty good about taking my vitamins, too. All important components of implementing my training plan.

The difference between what I am doing now and what I was doing a year ago is consistency. I was usually consistent in my running, but I was all over the place with diet and cross training. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to be a little more serious about yoga. I stopped all other activities: swimming, biking, lifting, etc. I'm choosing running and yoga. I love both, and I really believe in the benefits that each provide. An ashtanga practice requires you to lift your body weight repeatedly over a 1 1/2- 2 hour time period. It is extremely challenging and rigorous. Honestly, if you engage in a dedicated, six-day-per-week practice, you do not need any other fitness activity in your life. However, I love both running and yoga, and want to pursue both. With marathon training and a job, it's hard for me to participate in a traditional ashtanga practice six days per week but I can do some form of ashtanga yoga each day. The strength and flexibility that the practice gives me is unmatched in any other fitness regimen. I love it.

Happy running!

Sunday Funday

2012-01-15T13:24:00.000-08:00

...on the couch, in front of the fireplace, watching some crappy TV shows. Of course, this started after my easy four mile run and two hour ashtanga yoga practice. I hit the road this morning with the intention of running about a 9 minute pace. It was FREEZING out. I mean, thermometer said it was about 18 degrees but after the warm winter we've been having, I forgot what 18 degrees actually felt like. I didn't look at my watch until about halfway through the run and saw that I was at a sub-8 minute pace. I mean, I wasn't out of breath or anything and it felt pretty good, but I think it was just my body's way of warming up. So my four mile "easy" run ended up being a brisk run around a 7:57 pace. Oops. I headed to the yoga studio and busted out a pretty intense second series practice, and now I am relaxing, with a tray of hearty lasagna in the oven. Ahhh, I love Sundays.

I find myself wanting to run, I don't have too much to say about running right now except that I am enjoying it. The only time it doesn't feel so good is after work sometimes - especially after a long day. If I had my way, I would always run in the morning. After a nice breakfast and a good cup of coffee, I love heading out and waking up with the sun (or whatever the weather happens to be that day). So far, I've only had to complete easy runs, progression runs, and fartlek runs. The fun really begins when I start doing workouts like threshold runs, specific endurance intervals, ladder intervals, and hill repetitions. I think all of those begin in a week or two...and I know I will miss the first eight weeks of my training dearly once they arrive.

My diet since my juice cleanse has been pretty good. Today's dinner will have been the heaviest I've eaten since the cleanse, and I don't think I will really eat too much. My longest run since my return to running and training is going to be tomorrow morning - a nine mile progression run - so I figured a little italian food would be good energy. I'm confident that nine miles won't be a problem, and I'm really starting to feel like my old self.

Happy Running!

Post-Cleanse

2012-01-12T06:26:00.000-08:00

It's finally Thursday and my juice cleanse is over. I really enjoyed doing it, but I'm glad it is complete. It was a long three days this time around. By the end of the day yesterday, I was physically and mentally exhausted. I don't attribute that to the cleanse as much as to what I did while I was on the cleanse. I made it through my workouts on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, which included running, yoga, and skiing. By the end of the day yesterday, I had nothing left in me. Logging all of those miles on the road and all of those hours on my yoga mat might have been a little too much during a juice fast. However, my clothes are quite loose, leading me to believe that I lost a few pounds. There are few post-cleanse days to re-introduce foods, and I'll officially weigh myself tomorrow or Friday. I definitely feel amazing right now.

What did I learn from juice-ing? Well, I've done it before, so really nothing that I didn't already know. However, not having any processed foods for a few days knocked everything out of my system and I am craving lots of whole, natural foods. For example, I have an entire spaghetti squash and I can't wait to roast it and eat it with some fresh tomatoes. Avocados. Cashews. Brown rice. Mmmm! The thought of candy and junk food actually does not sound appealing at all (well, with the exception of pizza...and buffalo chicken wings. I smelled some last night at the mountain...wow).

For today, the idea is to eat mostly fruit throughout the day. Since I'm training and plan to log six miles, I am going to eat an apple and a clementine for breakfast, and maybe a handful of cashews with some green tea for a snack later. For lunch, I have organic vegetable broth and half of an avocado - I'll have the same for dinner. I'll have a banana in the afternoon before my run, and maybe another piece of fruit after my yoga class tonight as a snack. I can re-introduce veggies tomorrow, but the weird thing is that I'm actually looking forward to that more than the fruit.

My running paces are a little slower this week, but I was okay with it since I wasn't eating so much. I don't expect to really be back to normal until Monday-ish, but I feel good so that's all that matters. My yoga practice, on the other hand, feels excellent. I feel so light during class and can just float through the vineyasas. It feels great. I wish there were a way that I could keep the sense of lightness I felt while completing the juice cleanse. Following a macrobiotic diet will surely assist me with that, so I need to remember that when I begin a normal diet again.

Well, hoping for a successful six mile run today...in the pouring rain! Happy running!

Juice-ing!

2012-01-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

It was a fairly decent week last week - there were two days where I wasn't feeling well so I have two runs to make up. All in all, I completed the majority of my training runs and held some faster paces. I have a pretty good plan for the next two weeks. If I stick to it, I will be completely caught up and things will get a little easier after that. Here is the game plan:

Sunday - 5 mile easy run, Ashtanga 2nd series practice

Monday - 8 mile progression run, 1/2 primary series

Tuesday - 6 mile easy run, full primary series

Wednesday - 3 mile easy run with some hills, skiing at night

Thursday - 6 mile easy run, full primary series

Friday - 7 mile progression run; Ashtanga 2nd series

Saturday - 8 mile progression run, 10am yoga class

A bit overwhelming, but I already made it through Sunday and Monday. The hardest part about this week is that I'm also completing a three day juice cleanse. It's called the BluePrintCleanse, and this is my second time doing it. Yesterday was day one of my three day juice fast. I'm completing the renovation cleanse, and I figured this was a good time to do it. New year, and still not super intense with my training so a few days of juice will be cleansing and detoxifying. I'm "resetting" my system so I can start the year off right. Once I'm done with the juice, I'll ease my way back into food and a macrobiotic diet. I really enjoy the macrobiotic foods I've been cooking so I'm looking forward to keep trying new recipes.

People have different reactions to a juice cleanse. I find that I am extremely energized and really enjoy it. The only time I find myself a little hungry is in the morning, usually before noon. At night, I like to have something sweet so I kind of want something to eat then, but I'm not actually hungry. There are six juices to drink throughout the day. Two of them are green and include ingredients like kale, cucumber, celery, and apple. Though they aren't that bad, they are not my favorite of the bunch. The second juice of the day is a pineapple/apple/mint, and the last juice is a cashew nut milk. Those are definitely my absolute favorite. Mid-afternoon is a "spicy" lemonade and dinner is a beet juice, both are decent. It's definitely an interesting experience, and I feel pretty good. I've been craving cashews since I've been on it...I have an entire bag of roasted cashews in my desk drawer and it is taking everything in my power not to start eating them. Again, not out of hunger...I'm just ready for solid food. Mmm, and steamed edamame. Definitely having that when I am done with my juice.

As for yoga, it's been pretty interesting lately. My ashtanga practice is a three hour practice, and technically should be completed six days per week. Which is super intense, on top of marathon training. My philosophy? Do what I can, and take it one day at a time. I might only get my full three hour practice in once or twice per week, but I don't want to abandon yoga altogether. It will frustrate me if I try to practice for three hours every single day, but breaking it down makes it more accessible. I can divide my practice into sections: standing poses, primary series, second series, and finishing poses. The non-negotiable poses are the standing and finishing. They warm and cool the body down accordingly. Some days, I can fit in full primary...and other days, I can just complete second series. Yesterday, I ran eight miles after work and had to teach yoga at 6pm, so I could only fit in about an hour of practice. I decided half of the primary series was most important because it consists of a lot of forward bending, and after a more difficult run, that was what my body needed. I wanted to sleep on my couch until I had to teach, but once I was on my mat I was glad I chose the yoga. I'm really looking forward to a led primary series practice this evening to stretch out from my six mile run.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T13:19:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012!

I keep saying that 2011 was the worst year of my life. It began with a stress fracture in my tibia as I trained for the one marathon that I wanted to run more than any (Boston), and spiraled downward from there. The entire spring was full of set backs and problems both personally and professionally. I gave up on running entirely until October, and I only began running again because I somehow got accepted into Boston for 2012.

It's funny how the year ended, actually. On New Year's Eve, the plan was to wake up and run 5 miles plus some hill sprints, and then attend a six hour yoga workshop in Philadelphia. I woke up, and felt terrible. Tired, achey, and like I was coming down with the flu. Pretty awful. Pretty funny, since "awful" is how I viewed 2011. I made myself run anyway, but I made it two miles and had to stop. I knew I had six hours of practice ahead of me and every step I took was just excruciating and exhausting. I listened to my body and called it a day at two miles. I have a three and four mile easy run planned for the week. I can tack the extra miles I missed onto those two runs if I'm really that upset about missing the miles. If I'm going to do this, I need to listen to my body. I did not feel bad about cutting the run short. Bad would be not trying at all. Sometimes I feel crappy but running helps kick whatever it is out of my body. Rest was definitely necessary yesterday and will make me a stronger runner.

I'm excited for the new year, and I'm going in with a glass-half-full attitude. I hope to continue running with ease, and continue my yoga practice. Yesterday, my teacher gave me a BUNCH of new poses to work on. My yoga practice now takes about three hours. I'm excited and slightly overwhelmed, since it is a LOT to work on. Which brings me to New Years Resolutions. I don't really make them, because I feel like there are so many areas I can improve on. I have sort of a "short list" that I want to try to stick to, but my general resolution every single year is to be a better person.

Fitness: run safely, and keep practicing yoga - both frequently. Even if I don't feel like doing something and I am scheduled to do a training run or go to a yoga class, go. I can stop running or modify postures if I am tired. Today is a holiday, and I am resting and spending it with my husband. I worked out and busted my butt over the past month, and I will be continuing the streak through 2012.
Diet: Eat as cleanly as possible. Avoid refined sugars and processed foods when possible. Limit meat and dairy. Have more control over what goes in my mouth. I love junk foods, and I don't mean not eating ANY junk, EVER. That's too difficult.
Personally - Follow through. Follow through with plans, promises, work, hobbies, etc. Follow through with this list. A lot is to be said for someone who can be counted on to just show up and follow through with everything. I think I take on too many things in my life and end up shutting down when things go wrong. Following through means learning to say no when I already have a lot going on in my world.

I'm going to relax, rest, and enjoy my day. Happy New Year, and happy running!

Running and Yoga

2011-12-28T17:19:00.000-08:00

Since I completed three out of my four training runs for the week on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, my intention was to spend the rest of the week at the Ashtanga Yoga School of Philadelphia. Rewind to Wednesday...alarm clock went of at 4am...it was cold, and dark, and cozy in bed...but I got up and hauled my butt down the turnpike to 8th and Sansom. I had a pretty crappy yoga practice yesterday, making me resent my decision to leave my warm and cozy bed. I was stiff from not practicing during the holiday craziness and all of the recent miles I've logged. I felt like I weighed about 300 pounds from all of the junk I've been eating (yep, still eating garbage). I had a hard time with many of the postures and transitions. I was certain I would not be making it to class on Thursday. Not after that awful practice.

Fast forward to Thursday. I couldn't sleep Wednesday night at all...when my alarm clock went off, I had a pounding headache and I just laughed...no way...no way...no way....UGH FINE. I dragged my ass out of bed, picked up my friends and off I went. I still have a pretty awful headache right now, but I had a great practice today, somehow. I am glad I went - practicing in Philadelphia with the hardcore ashtangis made me realize that I absolutely CANNOT let my practice go during marathon training. It's way, way too important. Even if it means I can only practice 3-4 days per week - I have to do it. The flexibility and strength that you gain from an ashtanga practice is unmatched. You are repeatedly forced to lift your body weight over and over and over in multiple ways. The entire class is focused on stretching and lengthening the entire body - exactly the opposite of running. Being a runner will surely stunt my growth as a yogi, but being a yogi will allow my running to flourish.

I am unwilling to give up either activity. Many hardcore yogis turn their nose up at the idea that someone could love something just as much as we love yoga. In their eyes, I am doing a disservice to my body and my yoga practice by being a runner. Well, I don't believe you have to choose. If you would have asked me about this in July, I would have told you otherwise. I was sure I was done with running. I was burned out and defeated, and my yoga practice filled the void.

Of course, you can't just "turn off" being a runner. It's who I am. There are times in my life when my body needs yoga more than running, or vice versa. The fact of the matter is, both activities keep me grounded, sane, and happy. Both keep me healthy and from sitting on the couch watching mindless TV shows and eating junk food (haha, MOST of the time). Both help me work through problems and sort out whatever disaster I've managed to get myself into. Sure, there are things I could be doing instead of running or practicing yoga - cleaning my house, working on lesson plans, laundry, etc. I think being active is a much better use of my time, and I refuse to give it up. Would my yoga practice benefit from giving up running? Most likely. But my spirit wouldn't. Do what you love, regardless of what anyone else tells you. It's what makes you, YOU.

Six Day Streak

2011-12-27T09:23:00.000-08:00

Today ends a six day running streak for me. Probably the most consecutive days I've run since I've been back to running...maybe even since this time last year. I almost hate to say it, but I'm feeling pretty good. I'm okay with saying it because now I get to take a break for a few days and let my muscles heal...with lots and lots of yoga! My right calf is a little tight, but nothing a few downward facing dogs can't fix. My next run with be an easy five miler on Saturday morning with some hill sprints. Great way to end the week!

This past Sunday morning began week five of Boston training, and I mentioned in my last post that I did a nice and easy seven mile progression run. I knew I had to run on Monday and Tuesday in order to be able to spend some quality time doing yoga in Philadelphia over the rest of my break, so I kept the pace slow and steady, increasing just a few seconds each mile.

Monday was just an easy seven mile run with some hill sprints at the end. Ran with my new running buddy, and we held an easy 9:13 pace. It was her longest run yet, and I was so proud of her! Woke up today and did an eight mile fartlek run, which marked the end of my six day streak. I did six 40 second sprints throughout the run and ended up with about an 8:26 pace overall. I'm feeling pretty good now, and eight miles was my longest run since I'm running again.

I ran three out of my four training runs right in the beginning of the week because my yoga instructor is leaving for India next week and will be there until March. I plan to take his morning Mysore class tomorrow and Thursday, which is about three hours of ass kicking Ashtanga. On Friday, I'm going skiing in the morning and to a second series workshop in Philadelphia at night. Saturday I'm back to running, followed by six more hours of second series in Philly. Same with Sunday. There is a possibility that I will do a three mile run super early on Sunday morning, but we'll see. I could make Sunday my day off of running for next week.

However, beginning next week and for the entire month of January, I have to run six days per week each week. I go skiing on Wednesday nights so it's likely that I'll use that as my day off from running, though I could also go to the gym and do it on the treadmill early in the morning. I guess I just have to take things one day at a time. Actually, I have to take things one day at a time. Not only is it a tough month, but it is the middle of the winter and life happens.

Happy Running!

Week 4 in Review, and Christmas Running!

2011-12-25T14:06:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!!

I've been trying to get on here and blog for about a week, but I had to choose...either write about running, or actually go out and run! Week four of training was the week leading up to Christmas, and being part of a huge family means lots of planning and preparation. My sister-in-law and I host a huge Christmas Eve bash, and the entire week prior to the event is spent in the kitchen. I knew that running needed to be a priority, regardless of how I felt. I scheduled a few runs with friends to make sure I didn't skip. I ate terribly all week long, and my energy level really suffered for it. However, here we are on Christmas day, and I can sit here and write about running because I not only made it through the week in one piece, but I didn't skip any of my runs! I somehow made it to yoga on Thursday night, and I was so beat by then that I actually fell asleep in savasana and started snoring! That's a new one for me.

Tuesday and Thursday
Easy five mile run with a few hill sprints, accompanied by my newest running buddy. She is about to begin training for her first half marathon, and joins me for my easy runs. Pace was pretty good, but I felt terrible on both days - no doubt due to my diet this week. Monday morning started with my high school kids bringing me Chtristmas cookies, and it all went downhill from there. What a huge difference in my energy level when I eat more "macrobiotically". We still held around an 8:45-8:50 mile and got the runs done.

Friday
Six mile progression run, ending at a moderate pace. I ran by myself and finished nice and strong. I didn't feel so great again, but I'm sure it was all of the garbage ate. After a week of no sleep and junk food, I'll take what I could get. I was running on minimal sleep and lots of processed sugar...how good I expect to feel?

Saturday
Seven mile fartlek run. First real speed run of my training, and I did six 30 second sprints throughout the run. Overall pace was an 8:10, and I felt pretty good when I was done. I was really surprised at my pace, and it was nice to run in the morning. My stomach and energy level was much better.

Sunday (BEGIN WEEK FIVE!)
Seven mile progression run...I kept the pace somewhat slow after being up extremely late prepping for the holiday. It felt good to go out for a nice run on Christmas morning! Last chance to stuff my face with junk food before I go back to my semi macrobiotic self. I even got a pressure cooker for Christmas to make my life easier!

Busy week ahead with running and yoga. I'm off of work, and this is my last chance to go to Philadelphia to practice yoga with my teacher, David Garrigues. He's off to India for a few months so I'll be practicing locally, which is kind of a good thing. I'm going to run on Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday. I'll be practicing yoga on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Yep, Sunday...NEW YEARS DAY. Looks like it will be an early night for me this year!

Happy Running!!!

Easy Runs

2011-12-14T11:21:00.000-08:00

My easy six mile run on Tuesday was a success- ran with a friend and we kept a pretty consistent, easy pace. I enjoyed running through Bethlehem once again, and enjoyed having some company. I felt pretty good the entire time and made sure to throw in some good hills. It's important to build up my endurance on the hills since I took a nice long break from running over the summer. Anyway, I have two runs left this week: an easy five miler and an easy four miler - both with some hill sprints to continue my hill work.

Since I ran on Monday and Tuesday, I decided to dedicate Wednesday to a nice long ashtanga practice. I visited my teacher, David Garrigues and completed my personal practice, Mysore style. It was the first time since I began experiencing back pain and since my newfound love for the chiropractor that I attempted practicing the primary series and second series through the pose Dwi Pada (the last posture that I am working on in second series). My practice, though it felt a little weak, was great. The weakness was definitely due to my lack of practice. I missed the stretching and vineyasas so much over the last two weeks. Yoga is such a critical part of my running, and I have to make sure to fit it in each week to help prevent injury and keep my muscles loose. I just have to make sure I remember that since I'm running again, and some postures may feel and look different as I increase my milage.

As for today, I ran an easy four mile run with three easy hill sprints at the end. It felt pretty good, and I'm about to head out to the yoga studio for a led primary series class. I'm sore from yesterday so I don't know how strong of a practice I will have, but it will be good to stretch out. Definitely a rest day for tomorrow, and I'll finish up the week with an easy five miler with some hill sprints on Saturday morning. I was reviewing my training plan, starting with the new year things get harder...but it should be good. I hope I can keep everything going and stay healthy throughout this training.

Happy Running!

Graston Rods and Macrobiotics!

2011-12-13T06:52:00.000-08:00

Week three of Boston training began yesterday with a 5 mile progression run. I wasn't sure how it would go since I came directly from a visit with my chiropractor. Since I began running again, my knees felt a bit stiff and tight - mainly my IT bands- but it is enough that I feel it when I am practicing yoga. I mentioned this to my chiropractor and he had me come in for a visit to try out Graston Rods. Oh my. It wasn't too painful, but I woke up with some pretty ugly bruises this morning. However, immediately following the run I headed out for a 5 mile progression run...and it felt incredible. After being adjusted and having my knees worked on, it felt effortless. I hope I can continue feeling good running. Yesterday was so enjoyable - I felt great, and it was perfect running weather. I went a little later in the day and it was getting dark. There is nothing like running through the Christmas City at Christmastime...the lights, the people...what a wonderful way to experience the holiday season.

I'm not sure if going to the chiropractor or my diet are my reasons for feeling good lately. Over the summer, I began exploring macrobiotics. Theoretically, I should be a vegetarian to be 100% macro, but I have a hard time avoiding meat. I like meat. I'm not into the whole animal activism thing. Chicken, pork, red meat, all fish and seafood - I like it. I try my best to limit the quantity that I consume, but avoiding it completely is just not in the cards for me. What exactly is macrobiotics? I've been trying my best to be a semi-macro chick for the past four months, and I still don't totally know. It is a diet that consists mainly of beans and whole grains. Lots of veggies, and avoiding refined foods and overeating. I actually like a lot of the food I've been eating, which is good because the prep work involved is a little rough.

I eat veggies with every meal. Every meal - including breakfast. The other thing is, the veggies have to be somewhat cooked. If you've read my past posts, you might remember that I tried the whole raw food lifestyle - it really wasn't for me, and I actually found that uncooked foods aren't the best for my stomach. There are a lot of different things I can try for breakfast, but my favorite has been blanched sugar snap peas and corn grits with a little sea salt. The weird thing is, I usually have to be so careful of what I can eat before going out running. I can eat corn grits and peas and feel GREAT on a run - I ate it before the Christmas City 5 Miler and my stomach was FINE! Oatmeal is also among the foods I can eat, so when I am in a rush I often stop at Starbucks for their "perfect" oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts.

For lunch, I'll eat some kind of a bean/lentil/barley stew that I make on the weekends, and some "pressed" salad. Basically just Nappa cabbage, radishes, cucumbers and celery sprinkled with sea salt and "pressed" for about a half hour to remove excess water. It changes the chemical composition of the food, so technically its like I cooked it. For a dressing, I'll mix up some tahini with shoyu (naturally brewed soy sauce), brown rice vinegar, umebushi plum vinegar, and orange juice. If I'm feeling really creative, I also make sushi with brown rice, tahini and umebushi plum paste. My dinners are slightly more normal, but I make more macro-friendly side dishes and limit the meat that I consume.

I still drink coffee, but I've noticed I actually need the caffeine much less and just drink it because I like the taste of it. One of the biggest benefits is that I am not as tired as I used to be. I'd crash after lunch and be too tired to workout after work...but now I feel great. I stopped weighing myself awhile ago so I have no idea where I am weight wise, but I feel great and my clothes fit fine. I also enjoy kukicha tea ("twig" tea) with a little barley malt as a sweetener in the mornings or after a run. As for snacks, that gets a little more complicated. I'm such a snacker, and that is one aspect of the diet that doesn't fit my lifestyle, since snacking isn't really macro-approved. However, I eat roasted/unsalted nuts, and a few treats I've tried making. I made "rice crispy" treats" (brown rice cereal, nut butter, brown rice syrup, vanilla, umebushi plum vinegar) or "peanut butter cookies" (with ingredients like maple syrup for sweetness, whole wheat pastry flour, and a pound of natural peanut butter). I also make a delicious oatmeal bar with natural fruit preserves that tastes better than any granola bar I've bought at any store. After a run, a great recovery food is a piece of Ezekiel bread, steamed and then topped with tahini and barley malt. Sounds weird...but MMMM. I've began to experiment with things like tofu and seiten, which are soy or wheat based protein products. Pretty tasty, but still learning how to use them.

Running an easy six miler after work today. Looking forward to being out in the fresh air and in Bethlehem again.

Happy Running!

Christmas City 5 Miler

2011-12-12T11:20:00.000-08:00

So glad I signed up for the local Christmas City 5 Miler. It's always my favorite race of the year, and I usually PR. I almost didn't do it because I've only been back to running since October, my longest run has only been 6 miles, and I haven't done a speed workout since the end of last fall. I signed up anyway, just to get me excited about running and racing again. I had no expectations.

Race day...I felt a little shaky, so I really had low expectations. I ate breakfast (not even getting into my diet today because as of the summer I've been following a macrobiotic based diet, and I am going to have to create a whole post on diet alone at this point!) and had my coffee, and got dressed. At the start of the race, there were tons of my old running friends that I hadn't seen since before the Boston Marathon. It was so good to be at the starting line of a race, and I knew I made the right choice to run it, regardless of my time.

The race followed a new course this year, and it was an improvement from past years! The old course was okay, but the new course is far superior. It goes up Main Street and down some of the more scenic areas in Bethlehem. Much, much hillier, but really great. As I started running, I sprinted around the crowd to get moving - something I always do regardless of how well trained I am because I hate crowds. I settled into a comfortable paced and heard my Garmin beep, signifying that I reached one mile. I glanced down...7:04 pace?? Really? Not even sure how that was possible because the fastest I've seen lately was a recent 3 mile run where I ran about an 8:10 pace...and nearly died. I figured I would probably start feeling pretty crappy towards the end but I decided to stick with the pace I was running while it felt good.

I felt pretty great the entire time, ended up finishing somewhere around 36:20-ish, and got 3rd in my age group! No idea how...but I was extremely excited and surprised. I signed up for the Super Bowl Sunday 10K since I was so excited with how things went! Great end to week #2 of Boston training, and excited to begin week #3 today.

Happy running :)

Chiropractors!

2011-12-08T06:29:00.001-08:00

On Monday, I had my first appointment with a chiropractor. I've always been a bit skeptical of those guys...I mean, how good can it be to have your body tweaked and cracked like that? Then I think about all of the weird positions I put my body in during my yoga practice, and I willingly participate in that as often as possible. I mean, every year I hurt myself training for something. I eat pretty well - a macrobiotic based diet when possible - and take pretty good care of myself. I might beat myself up a bit with running, but I practice yoga to stretch everything out and help with my alignment. Still, each year, I end up suffering from some ailment that keeps me from running.

The first preventative step I started with this time around (before Boston training began - when I started running again) was regular massages with my sports masseuse. In the past, I would visit her irregularly, and often after problems arose. When the running started again in October, I started visiting her every other Monday...ahhhh. After I tweaked my back a little in yoga (yeah...injured...IN YOGA...come on!), I finally gave in to the chiropractor thing. I mean, my issue is muscular - what could he POSSIBLY do to help me? Besides, my masseuse worked out some kinks and kineseotaped my back. Was it worth the trip?

I knew who I wanted to go to, since I was always curious I'd been asking around for the past few years. I ended scheduling my appointment with a guy in Bethlehem who had a great reputation with my friends, family, and my masseuse. As of Monday, I am no longer skeptical of the chiropractor. After verbally describing the back pain I had (yep, that's right...HAD) he pinpointed the spot the second he touched me. He had me spend some time with his masseuse loosening up the area, and then he did a few adjustments on me. He is also a fan of kineseotape, and so he re-taped my back. At first, I thought, okay...do I feel any different? As I walked out of there, my back felt incredible. My 6 mile run the following day felt absolutely effortless, and I went back on Wednesday to see his masseuse and for a little "tune-up". He didn't really adjust me again, but the muscular issue was already beginning to resolve at this point. I have another appointment on Monday, and then I think I'll just see him once a month to make sure everything is aligned properly. It was pretty incredible, and I feel so good.

Boston Marthon: Weeks 1 & 2

2011-12-07T10:56:00.001-08:00

Week one started off a little shaky, but ended up successful. My schedule included three 3 mile runs, and an easy 6 mile run. I strained a muscle in my back during my yoga practice last Sunday (Who gets hurt in yoga? Yup, that's right - ME!) and it locked up during my run last Tuesday. After two massages and a visit to the chiropractor, I was able to finish out the week. I'm only doing easy runs at this point in my training, so I keep the pace around a 9 minute mile. The first four weeks of my 20 week plan are all about base building, and then the fun really begins.

This week, my schedule had three easy 4 mile runs, and a 6 mile run. I'm running the Christmas City Classic 5 Miler on Saturday, so I decided to alter my training a little. I'm doing a 3, 4, 5, and 6 mile run this week to keep the mileage even with my training plan. I know I won't PR this Saturday (I'd need to break 34 minutes, definitely not happening since I just started training again) but it will be a fun way to get my motivation back. Not that I don't have motivation right now, I'm just feeling extremely neutral when it comes to running. I'm enjoying my yoga practice and I am putting a lot less pressure on myself with my running, which is good.

I also signed up for the Cleveland Marathon today - it's on May 20th. I will use that as my Ohio Marathon and plan to run it with a friend - unless I am in decent shape to run a Boston Qualifier. I'm truly excited to run Boston again this year, and really hope I can keep myself healthy so I can enjoy the training experience.

My Return to Running: Reviewing the Past Few Weeks

2011-10-24T06:49:00.000-07:00

I've been back to running for about a month now, but my longest run was only 5 miles to date. I'm loosely following a 5K training plan to get me back into running shape. It's hard!!!! I thought that since I was a runner, I would easily be able to go out and rack up the miles. I was totally wrong. By the end of my 5 miles, I had a cramp and I was so ready to be done. I have a lot of work to do...but I am willing to do whatever it takes to get back in running shape.

So far, I've only really been working on distances of 3-5 miles. On Saturday, I plan to attempt an easy 6 miler. For the duration of my 5K training plan, 6 miles is my longest run so I can really focus on getting back my endurance. My longest run during my first week of marathon training will be something like 5 miles, so it will put me right on track and ready to train for Boston. I also signed up for the Christmas City 5 miler, which I have mixed feelings about. I ran that race last year in 34:14 - I know that I am nowhere near capable of running that time this year, and I am okay with that. It's motivating knowing that I used to be capable of that, but discouraging because I am seeing how much I've lost since then. I haven't worn a watch so I don't know what kind of pace I've been running. It's not super slow, but it is a work in progress.

On the Ashtanga front, I was lacking energy in my practice on Sunday. I wonder if this was a result of my "long" run on Saturday? After my Saturday run, I took a class and got deeper into several poses that I normally struggle with - Hanumasana (basically a full split) and Eka Pada Sirsasana (one leg behind your head, opposite leg extended in front of you). Saturday was one of my better practices of the week, and then Sunday I felt extremely lethargic.

My yoga practice is going to suffer a little bit this week - I am unable to work out on Monday and Wednesday because I am going to concerts both days and will be home extremely late. I'd really like to get out for a run on Wednesday morning. I'll be running and teaching yoga on Tuesday, and then running and practicing yoga on Thursday. I'm taking the day off for an appointment on Friday and plan to head down to Philly to practice yoga with David. Saturday will also be a run/yoga day. I'm not going to get stressed out with fitting in my running and my practice as I get busy...I'm just going to keep doing the best that I can, and hope for the best!

Boston Marathon, Take 2: My Return to Running

2011-10-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

Here we are - October, 2011. It's been quite awhile since my last post...and since my last race! Back in April, I ran Boston. Though it was not my fastest race, it was definitely my favorite marathon. I ran it coming off of poor training and a stress fracture in my tibia. The training experience was terrible, but I ran it in 3:59:36. After a long 20 weeks of training on treadmills and running in the pool, I was thrilled. what an incredible experience. However, I was also incredibly burned out.

After Boston, I took about a month off of running and continued exploring my ashtanga yoga practice. June came and I was supposed to start running to train for Chicago and New York. Unfortunately, my motivation was non-existent. My school year ended and I figured it would be easier when I could go out running early in the morning to beat the heat. I was wrong. I stopped running completely, and wrote off running. If you were to talk to me in July, I would have told you I was done running for good. I was a full-time ashtanga yogi.

So as I boycotted running, I spent my summer driving down to Philadelphia to practice yoga with my teacher, David Garrigues. What an incredible and humbling experience. The past five years of my life were spent training my body and my mind to accept pain and continue training regardless of the circumstances. Each race I ran was a competition with myself, and I was extremely hard on myself when I didn't achieve a goal or PR at every race. Being on my yoga mat this summer allowed me to face a lot of those issues in a completely different light. As a yogi, your practice is different from day to day - it is never the same. Some days, I can put my legs behind my head or complete crazy backbends. Other days, I come to my yoga mat feeling sore or tired and can't do certain poses. As a runner, this is something I was never comfortable with. If I went out for a 10 mile run and ran it comfortably at an 8:00 pace, and then completed that same run on the same route a week later at a 9:30 pace, I would be irritated. After a few months of dedicated yoga practice, I realized that this mindset was not conducive to enjoying running and was probably part of the reason I burned myself out.

As a yogi, I was previously practicing the primary series in ashtanga yoga. My teacher started working with me and started me on the intermediate series - basically what you do after you master the primary series. By no means have I mastered every single aspect of the primary series, but my practice took leaps and bounds this summer. I'm not sure if it was because I was not running, or because I was not in that competitive mindset. As I practiced, I found myself exploring more about myself than just the physical asana practice (asana = the actual physical yoga postures). I learned a lot about myself emotionally. I think part of my sudden dislike for running was because when I was out running, all I could do was think about things going on in my life that I wanted to avoid, and it would stress me out even more. On my mat, all I had time to focus on was my breath, bandhas, vineyasas, and dristi - some of the main components of a yoga practice. At first, yoga was like my escape - but I realized that being on my mat put me in a meditative state and when I was done, I could work through anything that was bothering me. I mean, when you think about it, if you start your day with an ashtanga yoga practice, everything after that gets easier. As I find myself in class completing crazy postures like Kapotasana (an intense backbend), Dwi Pada Sirsasana (legs behind your head), or working towards Viparita Chakrasana (handstand/backbending sequence), I feel like I can overcome anything.

Additionally, being more involved in the ashtanga yoga world is helping me transform my diet. I've been exploring the world of macrobiotics, and really like it. I'm not completely following a macrobiotic diet, but I've been working on adding the basics to my diet. Short grain brown rice, more blanched vegetables, beans, and unprocessed foods. Macrobiotic diets do not usually include meat, and I went a few months without it. I don't want to cut meat out completely, and I've been eating it a little it here and there, but I've been minimizing how often it appears in my diet. So far? I feel pretty good, and feel slimmer. I'm not hungry all of the time, and I like the foods I am eating. I crave sugar much less, and am learning a lot of new cooking techniques. I've tried lots of weird diets in the past, and I've learned a little something from each one. However, I've yet to adopt a diet but can see myself liking the macrobiotic philosophy.

Fast forward to fall: I found myself wishing I were enjoying the cooler temperatures and feeling a slight twinge of envy when I would see a runner out on one of my old routes. I already deferred my fall marathon schedule, but decided to register for Boston. I qualified last year at the OBX marathon but did not expect to get in based on all of the changes they made to the registration process. I registered when my day came around...much to my surprise, I got in! I received my acceptance two weeks ago - it was a Monday. I celebrated by going out and running two miles. Even though I hadn't run since June, it felt pretty good. My head felt clear, and my body felt light. Being out in the sun and the beautiful fall weather brought me back to when running was still fun.

I haven't followed a "training" schedule, but I've been back to running for the past two weeks now. 2-3 miles at a time, and loving every second of it. My current goal? Build a solid base, because I start training for Boston in December. I am going to follow the same training plan I followed last fall - the level 1 marathon plan from my favorite book, Run Your Fastest: From the 5K to the Marathon. The first week of training you run a total of 15 miles, which is reasonable. I haven't really worn a watch (there was one instance where I wore it on a trail but it was for distance, not pace) and don't plan to until I begin training in December. As I train, I really want to continue maintaining and progressing in my yoga practice. I'm not sure if it will be entirely possible to progress with yoga as you train for a marathon, but we'll see how things go. As long as it all feels good, I will keep on going. So, here we go...Boston Marathon, Take 2!

Boston Bound

2011-04-03T03:29:00.000-07:00

I'm getting closer to the Boston Marathon and I am keeping my fingers crossed that all continues to go well for the next few weeks. I've now completed 15 and 18 mile runs and am consistently running about three days per week. I'm a lot less serious about my training, but it feels good to scale things back. My short runs vary somewhere around an 8-8:30 pace, and the long runs are between 8:35-8:50. Yesterday, a friend and I did our 18 mile run on a "trail" - it was relatively flat but difficult footing. My ankles are sore the way they were after my trail run through Trexler Game Preserve, along with my abdominal muscles. It was a beautiful run, the pace was comfortable, and I had great company.

The plan is to get in one more long run. 20 miles. It will be just over a week out from Boston...but I think it will be fine due to my lack of training. Lots of yoga and swimming to help supplement my running:

Sunday: Mysore and Swimming
Monday: Running and Power Fusion
Tuesday: Swimming and Led Primary Series
Wednesday: Led Primary Series (workshop with Sharath!!!)
Thursday: Running and Led Primary Series
Friday: Swimming and Yogaglo
Saturday: 20 mile run, yin yoga

I don't have much to say because lately running is not my primary focus. Days like yesterday, when the weather was beautiful and the trail was stunning are the kind of days that renew my love for running, but I am happy with the way things are going. I'll keep it up as Boston approaches, take a short break, and train for a 5K. I'm definitely excited for the fall, when I get to run Chicago and New York - but I am not focused on that yet.

12 Miler!!

2011-03-21T05:33:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning, I woke up sort of dreading the run I planned. Some achiness in my leg on my previous run made me a bit nervous, so I slept in a bit and hung around the house. The weather looked great, so I mapped out a route that starts with a two mile loop in my neighborhood so I could easily walk it in if necessary.

Much to my surprise, it was amazing. The weather was incredible, and I wore shorts - and the best part? No leg pain. My overall pace shocked the hell out of me again - it was an 8:09. I am beyond confused about this and have no idea what is going on. Was it the time off of running coupled with the insane amount of cross-training and yoga? Or, just the break from running in general - was I getting burned out? Maybe it's the fact that I'm only running three days per week - so it increases the time it takes for me to recover? I wish I knew and understood, because I would gladly continue to implement whatever I am doing right into my training for the next round. All I know is I hope I can keep it up through Boston...I don't expect or deserve a PR. However, I generally always shoot for under 4 hours if possible...for Boston, I had no goal at all...could a sub-4 hour marathon happen? Should I even bother caring? Whatever...I am having fun the way things are going so I'm not over-thinking. I'm just running!

As for now, this week is complicated with working out. Next weekend is a crazy yoga weekend for me, with two famous teachers coming to town. I'll basically be in yoga workshops from Thursday through Sunday...and I have two appointments this week, plus a bunch of work stuff to go to on Saturday (fundraiser and school play)...so for now:

Monday - Swim and Power Fusion yoga
Tuesday - 5 mile run, Led Primary Series
Wednesday - AM yoga practice, teach PM yoga
Thursday - PM 5-8 miler, David Williams class at Emmaus Yoga
Friday - AM elliptical, PM yoga with David Williams again
Saturday - 15 mile run

Ideally, I would like to sneak another swim in there somewhere, but I have appointments after work on Wednesday and Friday so it might not happen. I am definitely getting to the pool today because I don't want to go a whole week without swimming, but I am a bit tired. I teach a 6pm yoga class so I'll be taking the 7:30 to make sure I get some yoga in today. I'm nervous for the impending 15 miler this weekend but will feel so much more confident going into Boston if I can get through it.

Happy running...and congrats to all who ran marathons/races this weekend...there were some really good races going on - including the New York Half-Marathon and Shamrock Marathon!!

2011-03-18T05:50:00.000-07:00

Two runs for the week down. Felt great on Tuesday, rocking a 7:57 pace overall, and then decided to run with a friend on a nice flat trail at her pace yesterday. We ended up somewhere around a 9:10 pace, which I really enjoyed. The weather was absolutely beautiful - so nice that I could wear a tank and shorts. This is the time of year that I truly enjoy running and hope I can continue!

I'm still feeling good - slightly achy in the leg from time to time, but from what I hear from others who experienced stress fractures before, this is pretty normal. As a matter of fact, one of the cross country runners at our school (I am a teacher) was complaining that his stress fracture was bothering him a few days ago, and he had it a year ago. There is no localized, sharp pain so fingers crossed that all is well.

I've felt pretty strong in both running and cross-training this week. My plan for today is to swim and do a bit of yoga, but I did stay up late last night and feel a little sleepy today. If I only swim or do yoga (not both), that's fine too. I want to make sure that I am rested up and good to go for my 12 miler on Saturday...eeek! I will be going early in the morning, and nice and slow.

2011-03-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

"The more you frame the marathon as a stressful experience, the more negative messages you'll receive. But it's just as easy to frame it as a positively challenging journey."

Such a fitting quote for everything that's happened with my Boston training. Somehow, I will run this race. It will not be my easiest marathon experience, but I will get through it and enjoy it. I feel like I really need to run this race to remind me why I love running marathons. I know as soon as I run it, I will be so sad that I am only signed up for one spring race. Hmmm, maybe Missoula in July...just kidding. It's only Tuesday, and my second week trying to become a runner again and train for Boston. My run on Saturday was fantastic, as I ended up with 8 miles at an 8:21 pace. I was just trying to be comfortable and not keep an eye on my watch, and ended up being a little faster than I'd intended to go.

I ended up just doing yoga on Sunday - I was so exhausted and got very little sleep on Saturday night, so it was all I could handle. I was still a little sore from Friday and Saturday's runs (I can't remember the last time I was sore from running!) so I chose to swim on Monday. 2400 meters (96 laps), but the workout I used was to practice endurance and speed, so hopefully it will help as I transition back to running. I did a few timed 50 meter swims (two laps), and my fastest was 36 seconds - not very impressive, but I was pretty happy with it. Afterward, I thought I would have zero energy in my yoga class, but ended up having an amazing practice anyway. I think a good balance for me is 3-4 days/week running, 2-3 days per week swimming, and as much yoga as possible (ideally, 6 days per week).

Since I swam yesterday, I'm going to do 5 miles today and on Thursday. I'm supposed to go back to the doctor on Thursday to assess the stress fracture and my progress. Things have been so crazy busy that I might have to move the appointment again, but I am shooting for an easy 12 miler on Saturday morning. I don't think I am going to taper for Boston - since I didn't really train for it. At this point, it is just the ultimate long run. Here is my goal mileage for the next few weeks to get me to the race:

Week of 3/13-3/19

Two 5 mile runs
12 mile run

Week of 3/20-3/26

5 mile run
8 mile run
15 mile run

Week of 3/27-4/2

8 mile run
8 mile run
18 mile run

Week of 4/3-4/9

8 mile run
8 mile run
20 mile run

Week of 4/10-4/16

5 mile run
Two 4 mile runs
Easy 3 miler 1-2 days before the race

Thoughts/feedback? I mean, I can't figure out what is more important. Keep the long run shorter and just try for more days per week, or follow the schedule I've come up with. I guess I'll know more after I run a bit this week and see what my leg can handle. On one hand, I want to make it to the race pain free, but I want to be able to know that I will be able to run the race without re-fracturing my tibia.

Happy running...

Perspective

2011-03-12T03:56:00.000-08:00

My last entry was a little over a month ago, and a lot happened since then. For example, I ran 3 miles on Tuesday, which was my first run since the last time I blogged. My pain in my right leg was a tibial stress fracture - a very mild one, luckily. I've spent the last month pool running and elliptical-ing to keep up my endurance...I also decided that I hate both of those things. Running, biking, swimming (actual laps) and yoga are the only activities that interest me.

Yes, I'm still doing Boston - somehow! I might be crawling, but my doctor says go for it. I ran on Tuesday, completing three exhilarating miles - with no watch. I was supposed to run again on Thursday, but we had crazy rain and flooding. Normally, I would hit the treadmill but I ended up just hitting a yoga class. One thing this injury helped me with is to be more flexible with my training and not worry about missing runs. The weather was better yesterday, so I ran 5 miles. I wore a watch and didn't look at it until the end - I ran an overall pace of 7:50 - COMFORTABLY. What??? That makes no sense. Pretty sure the overcast day was messing with the satellites on my Garmin. It was a nice thought, and I am not even sore today, which is a good sign. I am still planning to go back out today for another 5-8 miles, but I will be wearing my Garmin and going about a 9-10 minute pace. I'll also be staying close so I can cut things short if I have to. My doctor said I could go out for a few miles, and if it doesn't feel good, to finish it in the pool. That could be the plan for today since I ran yesterday. It would bring me to about 16 miles for the week - yay!

In addition to the dreaded pool running and elliptical, I've occupied my time and continued to "train" over the past month using a lot of swimming and a TON of yoga. In fact, I've enjoyed yoga and been told by nearly all of my yoga friends that a break from running was the best thing that could have happened to my practice. I actually considered not returning to running. Even poses that I always considered strength poses (rather than flexibility poses) started actually happening for me. Part of it had to be my energy level - I wasn't running, so I had more strength in my practice. I was convinced that my love for running was done, and I was ready to focus on yoga. Outside of the fitness world, I also bought concert tickets for a bunch of shows coming to Philly - Taking Back Sunday, Cage the Elephant, Foals with Freelance Whales and Naked and Famous, and Rise Against. All are after Boston, so it will help keep some balance in my life. I've also rediscovered my love for red wine. Running? Who needs running? My life has much more balance without it...

Until Tuesday...the sun was shining and it was beautiful out, so I "ripped off the band-aid" (my doctor gave me the okay) and just did it. There is no way I could give up running. I missed being outside in the fresh air, my familiar loop, and the feeling I had as I cruised down the roads. I felt the same way during my five beautiful miles on Friday. Ahhhhh. The plan for the spring only includes Boston for me. Possibly the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon, but I'll decide that later. It's sold out but my friend is the event organizer so I am good to go if I want to. One spring marathon, and then I've decided to "train" for a 5K. I've never done this, and I actually have a pretty sweet training plan for it. I thought it would be a good way to get myself back into a good place during the spring, and build up my mileage and pace.

I am registered for Chicago and New York for the fall, and I may decide to also complete Akron, Ohio depending how my legs feel in June. I'm sure I will complete some shorter distances, too - but I am cutting back. It's strange - I was a little upset about not being able to run for a few weeks, but not nearly as upset as I should have been. Particularly because it basically really messed up my Boston training. Still - I never really got upset about it. I think I was getting a little burned out, and a month of different activities seemed to really do me a world of good.

For next week, I'm planning to do something like this:

Sunday: Yoga and swimming
Monday: 5 mile run and yoga
Tuesday: Swimming and yoga
Wednesday: 5-8 mile run and yoga (most likely 5 miles)
Thursday: AM elliptical, PM yoga
Friday: Swimming, 12 miler (might be something like 8 miles outside and 4 miles in the pool after, depending how I feel)

If I feel any pain, I will take it to the pool or the elliptical. I'm hoping to get to a four day running week in the next three weeks, but if that doesn't happen, it's cool. At any rate...I'm baaaaackkk - I hope I don't overdo it by doing too much too quickly.

Long time no see!

2011-02-07T06:55:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been awhile since my last post - I don't have too much to say! The winter weather has been tough for training and I am feeling drained. My calf strain is much better, but I am still dealing with something in my right leg - weakness/dull ache feeling. I've been loosely following the FIRST plan, which, under any other conditions would probably be great - but we've had a ton of ice lately so I've been stuck on the treadmill. I've missed long runs because I simply can't bring myself to run another mile on that dreaded machine. I miss being outside - I run in all elements except for ice, and we've been hammered with it lately. I'm going to run my speed on the treadmill this week, but plan to try the tempo and long runs outside since we had a bit of a warmer day yesterday and some of the ice melted. We'll see how it goes.

I've been swimming. A LOT. More than I've been running...I know, it makes me bulkier...but it's just feeling so good right now...Boston will not be a PR - it will probably be pretty ugly, actually - but I will get through it. My mantra right now is "I only do things that are fun and feel good". I'm staying active, which is really what it boils down to for me. Lately, it's been swimming and lots of Ashtanga yoga. As a matter of fact, the less I run, the more improvements I see in my yoga practice. My hamstrings loosened up a LOT (probably means I am going to be much slower right now, haha) so many of the poses that challenge flexibility have become easier for me. My new favorite pose (which used to be my least favorite pose) is Utthita Hasta Padangustasana, a standing balance pose that also challenges hamstring, hip, adductor, and abductor flexibility.

About my spring marathons...it might just be Boston. I am registered for Chicago and New York for the fall - yay! As for spring, I might run Boston and then focus on some shorter races, like 5 and 10ks. The main reason? I'm thinking it is time for me to train for something a little different...a challenge my husband and I can take on together...hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu!

Nothing is set in stone yet - there is a chance that we will just end up enjoying ourselves on the beach in Mexico instead (our other cheaper, safer option!) - but I am working with a travel agent and hope it all works out! It's a 27 mile hike, and it is done over 4 days, with Day 2 being the most difficult. However, the altitude makes this a tough challenge, as some of it is nearly 14,000 feet above sea level. My parents visited Machu Picchu a few years ago, but they didn't hike the trail- there is a train that takes you to the top. Either way, we haven't taken a trip that doesn't revolve around a marathon or out of the country since we went backpacking through Nicaragua two summers ago. It's kind of funny, though - if we do this, our vacation would revolve around a 27 mile hike, which is similar to the 26.2 mile marathon distance.

Our proposed itinerary is still being ironed out. We are working with Condor Travel, and I am hoping for it to look something like this:

Day 1 - Travel/Arrive in Lima, Peru.
Day 2 - Transfer to Cusco, Peru via domestic flight, and then take a tour of the city and the ruins.
Day 3 - Full day of river rafting down clas 2-3+ rapids in the Andes Mountains, through the famous Ollantaytabmo.
Days 4 - 7 - Hike the Inca Trail, end up in Machu Picchu. Overnight in Aguas Calientes.
Day 8 - 1/2 day at the Inca Trail, 1/2 day traveling back to Lima. Overnight in Lima.
Day 9 - Full day to visit in Lima, red-eye flight out back to the states!

Still working to get the itinerary and the cost finalized, which are really the deciding factors on if the trip will happen or not. Not sure if my husband can get all of the time off of work that would be necessary for the trip, and airfare is a bit pricey right now. Anyway, I'll need to run and stay in good shape to tackle the hike, so I'll have lots to write about. I'm not abandoning the 50 state thing...but I am not going to run marathons over the chance to visit the lost city of the Incas!

Hopefully I'll have more to report in the next few days!!!

Rest, Recovery, and Yoga

2011-01-17T04:42:00.000-08:00

Martin Luther King day = no work for me! I was nervous for the day after my long run to assess how my legs/injuries would feel - but I was pleasantly surprised as I got out of bed on Sunday morning, and even happier this morning. No muscle soreness, and my injuries were not exacerbated. I'm still icing frequently but I haven't taken anymore ibuprofen, which I am trying to keep to a minimum. I'm really enjoying the two day break after my long run...I almost feel like I'm not training for anything...ALMOST!

Sunday
Mysore class was incredible and I felt strong as I practiced today. I mean, I felt pretty good the few times I practiced the primary series during the week at home, but it was nice to have a day at the studio where I felt great, so that my teacher could provide adjustments in different poses. For those of you who don't practice yoga or are just beginning a yoga practice, mysore is a great way to go. I was intimidated by the concept of a mysore class - you actually complete the primary series on your own, and the teacher assists you. I always thought if I were to go and pay for a class, I want to be TAUGHT something. Also, before doing my teacher training I never committed the entire primary series to memory, so how could I go? Mysore is the best place to learn - beginners and advanced practitioners alike. Beginners work on learning the sequence, breath counts, and vineyasas. Advanced practitioners work on the same things, but learn how to advance in the poses. Regardless of how long you are practicing, mysore is a challenge for anyone. As for a workout, I know I'm dripping sweat by the time I am finished.

My point is, many runners don't take advantage of yoga and the benefits it offers. My personal favorite style is Ashtanga, but there are many styles for many people. Anusara, Iyengar, Jivamukti, Bikram - all different styles of yoga for every personality. I hear of so many runners who say things like, "Ugh, I tried yoga. Worst experience of my life!" Don't base your decision of whether or not you are a yogi on one class at one studio. Try several studios, and many teachers - you might hate yoga with one person but love it at another studio with different teachers. If you went to a hairdresser and had a bad haircut, would you go back? Probably not - so think of yoga that way. Not every teacher and every studio is for everyone.

Another problem with runners and yoga is our competitive nature. Runners are usually competitive, and in your first yoga class you may feel defeated - something we usually hate! When you attend your first class, focus ONLY on you, your mat, and the teacher's voice - don't look around. People practice yoga for years before they start getting "good". I use that term loosely, because I believe yoga is a lifelong learning experience and the point is to become more comfortable with your body and your mind, not to be "good". If we are lucky, we see improvement from time to time. Runners like to see improvement from race to race, season to season and expect the same with each yoga class - but it just doesn't work that way. Many runners can't get past this and quit after their first class. Don't quit - try it out and keep an open mind!

As for today, I'm heading off to the pool shortly for a 2400-2600 meter swim, followed by some yoga (what else!). The weather is not looking too great for tomorrow, and I'm supposed to do another crazy speed workout - 5x1000 @ 4:03 - about a 6:31 pace - not sure if I'll be hitting that, especially since it's looking like I might need to be on the treadmill. At any rate, Saturday's run left me feeling a bit more confident. Hoping that another week on this training plan will continue to improve my injuries and allow me to keep training. When I see some significant improvement I'll sign up for my spring races!

Happy running!

Winter Ice Baths are COLD.

2011-01-15T18:48:00.000-08:00

Boston Training, Week of 1/9
Training Week: 7
Weekly Mileage: 25
Total Training Miles: 236

A little scary when I see the numbers - a mere 25 miles for the week? By the end of my fall training and beginning of spring training I was hitting 40-50+ miles/week. Is this plan really going to prepare me for Boston? I really hope so, because I am feeling good - even (dare I say it) a bit better? Well, I'm going to trust in what my body is telling me...and it is telling me that I am doing the right thing. This is going to work.

Saturday
Left for my run this morning not knowing what to expect. As I got dressed, I even contemplated hitting up the treadmill again since I had luck with it this past week, and it seemed like it was pretty cold outside. Since I started the FIRST program in it's third week, I could choose a 13 (week one), 15 (week two), or 17 (week 3) mile run. 17 miles was the prescribed distance for this week, but that was saying I successfully completed weeks one and two. I was still using my previous plan and took the week of rest, so where to start?

I chose to complete the 13 miler because the last long run (14 miles) that I did was more than three weeks ago. If I do the 15 miler next week and the 17 miler the following week, I can pick right back up with the scheduled long runs. I felt surprisingly good as I started my run, and it continued through the end. I actually felt like a runner again. The past few runs, everything felt off balance and nothing seemed easy, but finally I felt comfortable as I cruised along. I'm not saying it was "easy" - I was tired by the end of the run, but I expected that! I was supposed to hit at 8:30 pace for the run today, and I was actually slightly better than that, averaging an 8:23! I wasn't really trying to do that - I just felt good in the earlier miles and thought that I was going to crash hard around mile nine, so I tried to bank a few extra seconds. I didn't "crash" until mile 11, but I still finished strong.

If I slowed the pace a little, I definitely could have hung in there for the full 15 or 17 miles, but I always do that. I always do more than I should, against my better judgment and I always pay for it. Just because I COULD run the extra miles doesn't mean I SHOULD. So, I stopped while I was feeling good, and I am happy with my decision. I'm out of my comfort zone with this training plan, but I hope it pays off. I don't care so my about scoring a PR in the spring - I had a great fall and if it means kicking it back this spring, so be it. What I care about is getting to the finish line and feeling good. The recovery and cross-training for this plan will hopefully get be back to normal.

So, the questions remain...if I am feeling better, Is it the lower mileage? I wore my old shoes again...could it be that? The increase in my cross-training? The increase in my yoga practice? Who knows. I could wake up tomorrow and everything could feel worse. At any rate, I returned from my run with a big smile on my face, and completed my new yoga DVD - Yoga for Back Care, which was great. Not a calorie burner, but the perfect practice for after a long run. Even though I was freezing, I braved an ice bath and took some ibuprofen. Here I am, almost 10 hours later, still feeling good. At this point, I'm thankful that I had a good run today and hope that I can have more of those in the remaining 12 weeks of my training. I have two days before my next run, and I am going to make the most of my cross training.

Total time working out - 2.5 hours

On the agenda for tomorrow - an intense Mysore practice, which I am so excited for! I'm off on Monday so a nice long swim and more yoga is on my schedule. Tuesday's track workout (or treadmill workout depending on the conditions) looks a lot more brutal than what I did this past week, so I better rest up!

Other than that, I am thinking about purchasing a bike trainer so I can also use my bike for cross-training in the winter months...I'm such a fair weather cyclist. I'd love to set it up in my basement so I could do my own personal spin classes. Anyone have one? Recommendations? A few friends of mine (from the Trexler Game Preserve trail run a few months ago) are trying to convince me to sign up for my first Half-Ironman in October. It's at the right time of the year, so I am contemplating it. I just don't know if I am ready for that kind of commitment! I definitely want to do one in the next year or two, but am I ready for October? I guess I could be...especially if I got the bike trainer!

Friday, YAY!

2011-01-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

"Man imposes his own limitations, don't set any."

- Anthony Bailey

Almost one week into the new training plan! It's interesting, and pretty fun. So far, however, I've had to do both my track workout and tempo run on the treadmill...aka the dreadmill...ugh! On Tuesday, I went to the track to do my speed workout - I tried to use the track at Muhlenberg College. Unfortunately, it was still covered in snow from last week's snowstorm. My options were to head over to Lehigh, or just gym it. I didn't feel like driving all over the creation AND there was an impending snowstorm, so I chose the gym. As for yesterday, we had another snowstorm so I opted again for the treadmill because I thought it would be too slippery outside and too cold for my calf.

Tuesday

Since I chose the gym, I did a 10 minute warm-up and cool-down - the plan called for 10-20 minutes, and the treadmill bores me to death. I did the following intervals as my speed:

1200 meters - 5:07

1000 meters - 4:16

800 meters - 3:25

600 meters - 2:34

It was a bit slower than the workout called for - I stuck to a 6:53 pace for the speed intervals, but I probably should have been more like a 6:35 pace. Oh well. It wanted to see how my calf and right leg responded. The entire workout, with the warm-up and cool-down was only five miles, but WOW was it a workout. My calf felt OK, but my right leg was feeling weak as I ran. It bugged me, and it is still annoying me. I stretched when I got home but chose to lay off of the yoga - it was snowing and I curled up by the fire, icing my legs.

Total time working out - 50 minutes

Wednesday

It was an off from running and I ended up going skiing alllll day long! We had a nice snowstorm the night before that dumped about four inches of snow on us. It was enough to have off of school, so I hit the slopes with my dad and some friends - by then end of the day, I was beat! What a workout!

Total time working out- 5 hours!

Thursday

First tempo run followed by the primary series. I decided to use my old shoes - I think it was better?? It's so frustrating because I didn't feel my calf the whole time - but of course my right leg was still irritated. I'm not sure if it was in my head but I felt that it was not quite as bad. I'm not going to go off of one run, though. I warmed up for a mile and cooled down for a mile at around a 9-10 min pace. I ran the five tempo miles around an 8:08 pace - I kept switching the treadmill speed from am 8 minute pace to an 8:13 minute pace. I was frustrated because the REST of my body felt GREAT - responding very well to the new program - except for my right leg. Blahhhhhh!

Yoga, however, felt great! I did the full primary series in front of the fireplace with my Kino Macgregor DVD. I was planning to take a led class, but there was going to be a sub so I chose to do my own practice. I felt really strong, especially compared to when I did the led primary series on Sunday. I'm loving all of the time I am getting to devote to my cross training activities, particularly yoga. The lack of yoga I did over the last month really weakened my core, so I am looking forward to getting that back.

Total time working out - 2.5 hours

As for today, I woke up this morning and did the primary series again. It felt awesome, once again. Planning a 2400 meter swim for this afternoon, so I hope that feels good too. Tomorrow will be my first long run on this training plan, so we'll see how that goes. Based on where I picked up the plan, I could do a 17 mile run - but I could also do a 13 miler this week and still be back on track in about three weeks...so I am going to see how I feel. Ideally, I'd like to do a 15 mile run but I don't know that I can make it that far.

Overall? My body feels great using this plan, and I am enjoying the flexibility and cross training. I am seeing improvements in my legs at this point, so I'm giving it one more week and then it's off to the chiropractor. If that still doesn't help, I'm going back to the doctor.

Happy Friday!!!!!

Take it to the Track

2011-01-11T05:40:00.000-08:00

Forgot to post my mileage from last week:

Boston Training, Week of 1/2
Training Week: 6
Weekly Mileage: 35
Total Training Miles: 211

Not a bad week for not feeling 100%. Toward the beginning of the week, my pace was fine and I felt pretty good - but toward the end my legs were tired and my injuries were aggravated. Between that and the snow we received, I finished the week pretty slowly. It was even more of a reason for me to take it easy and rethink my training.

As for this week, I'm starting the FIRST plan and feeling great about it. I've moved past the "worried" stage - I was a bit concerned about cutting down my mileage and number of days running - to the excited stage. I kicked off the week with some cross-training, and will be completing my first training run on the program today:

Sunday
My favorite yoga instructor spent a month and a half practicing with teachers in India, and she's baaaaaaacccckkk! She taught her usual Mysore class on Sunday, which I attended. It gave me the chance to focus on my primary series at my own pace. While practicing, I noticed how weak I felt - not something I am used to feeling in a yoga class. It reminded me that I of how I allowed my yoga practice seriously slack through the fall as I increased my running volume.

Last spring, yoga helped me through my injuries, and my practice became extremely strong. I'm excited to have more time to focus on my practice and other areas of my life, and still train for my spring races (I hope!). The more time I spend reflecting on the past five years of my running career, the more apparent it is to me that my body tends to break down in the cold. I'm hoping that this may be the balance that I need - train harder for my fall races, and focus on less days and more cross training for my spring races. Who knows, maybe just varying my routine from season to season will make me stronger.

Time spent working out - 1.5 hours

Monday
Chose a 30 minute class from Yogaglo in the morning, taught by Elana Brower. It focused on strengthening your core, for the purpose of completing difficult inversions - also the perfect practice for a runner in need of some core strength.

After work, I stayed true to my word and re-joined the Bethlehem Township Community Center for their indoor pool. I have a book of swim workouts and I chose a 2400 meter swim - that works out to 96 lengths. In the past, I used to complete workouts of 3000 meters or more each time, but based on the FIRST plan, that seems a little unnecessary. 2400 meters was also more than the required exercise, but since I used to be a swimmer (not a very fast one!), the workouts they recommended would take me about 25 minutes to complete. The 2400 meters took me a little under an hour, and it beat me up! I was pretty exhausted last night but woke up feeling great this morning. To avoid using the same muscles the entire time, I mixed up the strokes and did a lot of kicking drills to work my legs as if I were out running. My workout looked like this:

Warm-Up - 100 meter swim (freestyle), 300 meters [100 kick, 100 drill (I didn't feel like a drill do I did breast stroke), 100 swim (backstroke)], 6x50 meters (I alternated free, breast, back)
Workout - 4x100 (freestyle), 300 meter kick, 3x100 meters (freestyle), 300 meter kick, 3x100 meters (freestyle)
Cooldown - 100 meter kick

I usually like to swim longer distances, like 500 meters at a shot, but since it's been awhile since my last swim, this felt pretty good to me. My calf and shin felt great this morning, but I iced both and took some ibuprofen anyway.

Time spent working out - 1.5 hours

As for today, I'm completing a track workout based on the new plan. 10-20 minute warm-up (I'm going to go for a two mile warm-up since that worked well with my old plan, about a 9 minute pace so it will be somewhere around 18 minutes), followed by some speed intervals:

1200 meters @ 4:55
1000 meters @ 4:03
800 meters @ 3:13
600 meters @ 2:24
400 meters @ 1:35
(all with 200 meter rest intervals) = 5000 meters

All of that followed by a 10 minute cool down - I'll probably run a mile at a 10 min pace just to keep it nice and easy. It should end up in the ballpark of 6-7 miles, which is good since I haven't done too much speed lately. Hopefully, by the time I am done it will be snowing, so I can go home and practice the primary series by the fire! I'm more excited for that - it will feel so go after a hard run.

Lots of rambling lately, but I'm excited to try the new plan and really want to monitor my progress to see how it affects my performance this spring! Not really looking for a PR at this point, just to feel good and run Boston. I'm just taking things one day at a time, and loving it.

Run Less, Run Faster

2011-01-09T06:06:00.000-08:00

We received some snow this week! It was so pretty and made it a lot more fun to go out and run. I woke up on Friday morning and heard that we had a two-hour delay, so I laced up my shoes for my 7 mile progression run. As I ran, the fresh snow was still falling and made the progression a bit difficult, so I chose to do the easy six mile run instead. The scheduled seven mile progression run was pushed off to yesterday morning, but I ended up doing it as an easy seven miler. It was so cold, and quite frankly - things aren't improving with my "injuries". I was progressing until the third mile and then threw in the towel and kicked back. Running at an easy pace feels good and allowed me to finish my run, so why not? At this point, a PR might not be attainable for the spring, and I am fine with that.

As I ran yesterday, I started thinking about my past injuries. It occurred to me that my injuries occur in the spring - when I first started running, it was my IT band as I trained for the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon. Last year, it was my hip with bursitis (really, who gets bursitis at 27 years old? Come on!!!). This year, for the coup de grace, I'm having lower leg issues with BOTH of my legs - as I train for my spring races! What gives? I started thinking about how I feel great when I train in the summer, but when the cold comes things start to break down. I thought about how I rush home from work to catch the last hours of daylight for my run. I thought about how I keep saying I am going to cross train, but really have no time to fit it all in. Or, how I love snow, but whenever it shows up in the forecast it sometimes is an inconvenience to my training schedule. As all of these thoughts were going through my mind, I remembered my research last year as I wanted to find a new training plan. The plan I was going to use was the "FIRST" plan, from the book Run Less, Run Faster.

I am not giving up on my current training plan altogether. I will use it again for my fall race schedule (if I'm not crippled by then!) - I love it and it really does work. I will even attempt the "level 2" plan for the fall. As the winter really settles in and things start to ache, I need to adjust my training. My body simply can't take the six days per week - between the mileage and the cold weather, I am just breaking down. There are tons of testimonials of people using this plan and blowing their PRs out of the water, but it isn't about that for me. It's about training safely and enjoying Boston...and knocking a few more states off of my list.

I've not yet registered for my spring marathons (other than Boston) at this point, and don't plan to until I see some improvement. If my pain doesn't subside, I'll get through Boston and take some time off...and start all over again. Until I began running five years ago, I was NEVER an athlete. Not in high school or college - the only thing I ever did was ski, and then yoga as I got older...so yes, I tend to make a lot of stupid choices when it comes to my running. What can I say...I love it, and I get excited about it - and it's still a learning experience for me. I've learned the most about running in the past two years and have made lots of mistakes. One day, I'll figure out what I should and should not do...but for now, this is all a learning experience.

So, the new plan. Three quality runs per week, toss out the recovery miles. Cross train in place of the 2-3 days that would be used as "easy" runs. It also advocates strength training but all of the exercises in the proposed circuit mimic my yoga practice - squats and lunges that are similar to the warrior poses - and core work, which yoga is centered on. So, more of a reason to stick with my practice (and I stuck with it through the week and it felt GREAT!). Planning to tackle this week a little bit like this:

Sunday - Mysore practice
Monday - AM Yoga (30 min), Swimming
Tuesday - Track Workout, Primary Series
Wednesday - AM Yoga (30 min), Skiing (after ski club ends I'll take Spin classes)
Thursday - Tempo Run, Led Primary Series
Friday - Swimming, Yoga
Saturday - Long Run, Yoga (30-45 min)

Heading to my Mysore class now...will report in this week and see how things feel on the new plan.

New Pants!

2011-01-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

"Love yourself, for who and what you are; protect your dream and develop your talent to the fullest extent."

- Joan Benoit Samuelson

Well, two more runs down for the week, bringing my weekly total to 18 miles so far. I was exhausted at work yesterday and completely dreading my 8 mile progression run, but somehow I actually felt better after doing it. Pace was decent - I only had to do the last ten minutes at a "moderate" pace so I didn't get to crazy with that. My legs were a bit sore from the previous day's fartlek run - I am noticing that my left leg is significantly more sore than my right leg. I think my body is compensating for the right side and the weakness I've been experiencing - even my left butt cheek is more sore than the right! I'm becoming more and more certain that my issue is with my sciatic nerve, since it felt better yesterday than it did the day before. I ran my 3 easy miles with some hill sprints early this morning before work, but I didn't feel quite as good. Oh well, it was early and I was tired and I hadn't eaten any breakfast yet - so I'm going to blame it on that.

I made sure to fit in my yoga practice yesterday (the past two days, actually) - I did the entire primary series after my run and it felt awesome. I forgot how much I missed doing that...last year, I did the primary series several times per week since I was enrolled in the teacher training program. I also notice that my hamstrings are significantly tighter than they were when I was practicing regularly, so I am looking forward to regaining some flexibility as I increase my practice. My right leg feels fine during yoga - really, it feels fine when doing any other activity OTHER than running. I'll be testing it out tonight on the slopes...I'm really looking forward to that!

As for the title of my post...I have an product review for today!

Product: Run: Dash Tight
Company: lululemon (of course!)
Cost: $92 (I got them on sale for $69!)

Description:

A dash of feminine and a dash of sport in this run tight!
Made of 4-way stretch power luxtreme™ for 'no bounce' muscle support; quick drying wicking capabilities
Mid-rise waistband with drawstring; elastic for comfortable support
Reflective for increased low-light visibility
Back zipper pocket for secure storage
Close fitting hip pockets create jiggle-free storage
Chafe resistant - flat seamed

Yep, so they are for chicks only...but they are amazing. The material they use for the 'no bounce' muscle support actually adds compression, so they are more like a compression pant! They feel like you are wearing absolutely nothing and move with you. There are three pockets, but the best one is the one along the back.

Cute waistband...no muffin top! They also come in all black, so if you don't like purpleNotice the "pockets" below the hip - there is one on each side - perfect for your GU packets (or in my case, Honey Stinger packets - I just bought a box of those to try out.)

Ruffled look along the lateral side of the knee/shin...so adorable. Notice the reflective strip and reflective logo for safety...it's not much, but any bit of reflective gear helps. They are a bit long, but I am 5'1 so everything is long on me. If you purchase them or bring them to a lululemon store (closest one to the Lehigh Valley is Philly, BOO), a product educator will hem them for you...for FREE!

Check out the cute zippered pocket on the waistband...my lululemon shorts that I wear all through the summer have the same pocket, and it is surprisingly functional. I've put keys, cell phones, GUs, iPods, and many other items in it. Glad to see they incorporated the feature in their running tights!

I used them yesterday and LOVED them. I bought them after Christmas, on a whim because they had them in their "We Made Too Much" section (aka SALE) of the site. Personally, I think they would be great for temps between 25-45 degrees - but I plan to try them on colder days to see how they feel.

Off to finish my work day...and then up to the mountain! Can't wait to get some good skiing in today!!

A Week off of LIFE!

2011-01-04T09:34:00.000-08:00

"Running is about finding your inner peace, and so is a life well lived."

- Dean Karnazes

Boston Training, Week of 12/26
Training Week: 5
Weekly Mileage: 0
Total Training Miles: 176

Yep, you saw that correctly. ZERO!

Last week, I had a great schedule proposed. I had great intentions of running a LOT and doing a ton of yoga. I also wanted to start swimming again. Then, Christmas Eve hit...and Christmas day. I was all partied out and slept on the couch all day on Sunday...and Monday...and Tuesday...you get the point. With the exception of Wednesday - I went skiing at Blue Mountain with my dad - I did not move much. Outside of running and working out, another hobby of mine is knitting. I've been doing it since I'm eight years old - so, I have TONS of leftover yarn from random projects. I pretty much took all of my leftover yarn and knitting up a bunch of little projects this week - hats, cowls, legwarmers, etc. The point is, I spent my final week of 2010 doing exactly what I wanted and needed to do: resting and recovering.

I also made another decision. I'm following my level one training plan from the fall. Do I want to PR at Boston? Sure. What I want more than that, however, is to actually be able to RUN the race, regardless of my pace. I want to enjoy running and training, just like I did throughout the fall - and I was starting to hate it over the past four weeks. I think I would enjoy the level two program, but I need to start it during the summer - when I am off of work and can do the majority of my running in the morning.

Did all of these decisions help? I'm not sure yet. I ran yesterday. It felt weird. My calf didn't hurt at all while running, though it is a bit tender today. I don't think that is going to go away anytime soon. What is concerning me more right now is my right leg...whatever was up with it doesn't hurt when I walk, do yoga, stretch, etc. When I run, it seems to go numb and weak. I'm bothered by it but not really upset - I think it has to do with my sciatic nerve. I have all of the symptoms - the low back pain especially (I always get that). Additionally, sciatic pain increases with DECREASED activity because you need activity to keep your discs healthy. It was worse after a week of rest, which seems supports my theory.

The game plan? To keep running and really increase my yoga practice. Additionally, I will make sure my practice really includes strengthening exercises for my abs and lower back. I may even start lifting (yuck) again...I hate lifting though. Definitely getting back in the pool, too. As for this week, here is what I've done and plan to do:

Sunday: Yoga
Monday: 7 mile fartlek run, 1 1/2 hours of Power Fusion yoga
Tuesday: 8 mile progression run, 2 hours of Ashtanga yoga
Wednesday: 3 mile easy run plus some hill sprints, skiing after work at Blue Mountain
Thursday: 4 mile easy run, some kind of yoga at night (either Ashtanga or Power Fusion)
Friday: 7 mile progression run, hot yoga
Saturday: 6 mile easy run, either yoga at the studio or at my home

I'm feeling like I was hit by a Mack truck today - woke up with a headache and just feel exhausted! Going back to work yesterday seemed to take a lot out of me after a week of vegging out. I'm not complaining at all - I was glad to have the time off - it was just tough to go back. Hoping it all blows over and I feel like a new person tomorrow, but who knows! Anyway, I'm back from my break that I took last week...I keep referring to it as "my break from life" since I pretty much took a break from everything!

Weekly Wrap-Up/Week #5

2010-12-26T06:05:00.000-08:00

Boston Training, Week of 12/19
Training Week: 4
Weekly Miles: 54
Total Training Miles: 176

For not feeling 100%, I had a pretty decent week! By Friday, my legs were definitely telling me that it was a tough one. My calf is improving, but still not back to normal yet, but I kicked my cold. I was keeping it at bay all week, and thought for sure I would be in bed with a fever for Christmas. I kept popping Zicam (zinc supplements) and drinking Airbourne all week long...as soon as I would start to feel better, I'd have a late night cooking (whole other story) and be right back to where I began.

As for the cooking - Monday was my mom's birthday, so I had her over for dinner. I only had to do my four mile run that day, so I squeezed it in before cooking for her. The rest of the week was spent in the kitchen with my sister-in-law preparing Christmas Eve dinner for our family. Tuesday night was spent preparing creme brulee and desserts to dip into a chocolate fondue that we planned to serve for dessert. We were in my kitchen until about 12:15am on Wednesday night, preparing homemade pasta and filling for the homemade manicotti, along with meatballs and sauce to serve with it. We had another late night on Thursday as we prepped different appetizers, and set our table. Our house is pretty small, so we set up the table in my living room. Sounds weird, but it is super cozy...Here was the finished product and our family:

Table is all set...

Family

My sister-in-law (left) and me (right), aka the chefs!

Success! We had a blast. Between cooking all last week and then helping my mom prepare Christmas dinner yesterday, I am staying out of the kitchen for a few days. Lots of leftovers to eat, so that will make it easy to do.

Back to running...training plan has me running for five days this week, and I am off of work...so here is my tentative schedule:

Sunday - off - yoga!
Monday - 15 mile progression run
Tuesday - 6 miles, easy
Wednesday - Off...spending the day skiing!
Thursday - 10 mile fartlek run
Friday - 10 mile easy run
Saturday - 10 mile progression run

I plan on throwing in lots of yoga and some swimming for 1-2 of those days. I had off of running yesterday, and I'd like to take off again today...just to give my legs a good break after last week. Planning on checking in with my body on Saturday, after I spend the week doing yoga and swimming a little. If my calf/right leg issue improves, I'll stick with this plan. Otherwise, starting on Sunday, I am back to the level one version. I have to take care of my body and do what is right for me.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

2010-12-22T06:59:00.000-08:00

Well, another training run down. Somehow made it through 11 miles yesterday. I say "somehow" because of course the calf strain isn't enough for me to deal with right now. On Monday, I came down with a bit of a cold - not enough to make me stay in, but enough to annoy me! I went out for the 4 miler on Monday and I felt completely off - everything felt wrong. I felt like it was my first time running...actually, I didn't even feel like I WAS running, it felt so awkward. Got a great night's sleep on Monday night and woke up feeling significantly better on Tuesday. Good enough to attempt the 11 miler, so I did it. Easy pace, decent run. Much better.

I'm happy to report that the calf pain is getting better by the day, and my cold feels a lot better today. HOWEVER...everything bad happens in threes...so naturally, NOW something is up with my right leg. P.S.- My calf pain was in my LEFT leg. So, this is a new development. Could it be my legs adjusting to the minimalist shoes? Possibly. Some muscle soreness because I was compensating for the calf pain? Perhaps. My body hating on me? Definitely. Who the heck knows anymore. All I know is that I want both legs to feel good so I can enjoy this training, already. I'm hoping allllll of these kinks can get ironed out now, while I am still in my base building period. Either that, or I'll be one hot mess by April 18th.

Looking back, here is what I should have done this fall with my race schedule. There are some things I would not change (green), yet some seemingly small mistakes (red) are now coming back to bite me in the ass:

1. Diva Half Marathon: Run hard, shoot for a PR - did this, worked well for me. Increased my confidence since I was coming back from that injury.

2. Rhode Island Marathon: Run cautiously - as a training run - which I did and really enjoyed.

3. Oley Valley 10 Miler: Run as a hard, long taper run - I did this, albeit a little too hard, but I don't think it hurt me - my issues started long after.

4. OBX Marathon: Try to hit an 8 minute mile pace at OBX (I tried for a 7:50, wayyyyy too ambitious) - I think I would have preserved my body a bit, and maybe even hit a faster PR. I went out too fast here, and it was really hot that day - I was also having trouble getting fluids down so I was a bit dehydrated.

5. Post Race: Complete rest from running after OBX until Thanksgiving, when I ran the 5K - I started running very loosely three days after OBX - not smart. I should have just gone swimming or something.

6. Pumpkin Pie 5k: Race/run hard and try to PR only if my legs felt OK. I felt fine during and after this race - no reason why this should have been an issue.

7. Las Vegas/Boston Training: Start training on 11/29 and run Vegas slowly - did this and all seemed fine.

8. Christmas City 5 Miler: Not run the Christmas City 5 Miler. Obviously, I suck at holding back at races, so not running it would have been a better option, regardless of the PR.

There is nothing I can do now except take things one day at a time and try to avoid the same mistakes. Which brings me to my plan of attack...next Thursday, I have an appointment with my sports masseuse and I am also going to FINALLY check out a chiropractor. I have it narrowed down to two different places, so I'll figure that out after the holiday craziness dies down.

I already ordered a more hardcore pair of compression socks, and they should be here tomorrow - pictured to the right. I hear great things about the CEP socks, and I got a great deal on the Running Warehouse site. I'll be using both the CEPs and the Zensah compression calf sleeves that I bought. I am excited to try the CEPs because of everything I've heard.

Additionally, I NEED to re-join my pool. If I am going to stick with the plan I am using, it requires six days per week of running. I decided that if it is too much on my body, I can take the smaller, easy run days and do them in the pool. The community center that I belong to has all of the equipment necessary to do it, so why not give it a try? I hear great things about athletes taking advantage of pool running...might as well give it a go. Regardless of pool running or not, I have GOT to get back into the pool at LEAST once per week to get in some good, low impact cross training.

Also, my yoga practice is beginning to suffer. This is is not an option. The holidays barely give me enough time to squeeze in my runs, but I could be making a better effort. I will either go to the studio or do yoga at home a minimum of four days per week...six would be ideal...but I would settle for four. At least one day has to be the full primary series. Yoga keeps me healthy and able to run...now is NOT the time to neglect it.

Lastly, I am giving it two more weeks. Then I'll decide if I drop back down to the level one plan in my book. Going to let the calf heal and see what the right leg does. I was successful with the level one plan, and believe I can STILL PR again with it. I'd be training with more intensity, so I'll still benefit. I'm definitely not opposed, just want to give level two a fair shot.

Of course, I'll continue with ice baths after long runs, taking my vitamins and eating right. I'm not going to cut any marathons off of my list in the spring, but there will be a complete week of rest (maybe even two) after Boston. I might not run the LV Half, even though it is one of my annual races. If I am unable to hold back, it is not a necessary race for me to run. I really want to focus on my marathons for the upcoming spring and fall seasons. I'll add some tune up races in there, for example - the Caesar Rodney Half, if I'm up for it - but my focus is to try to hit around a3:30 for the spring and then see what I can do for fall.

Hope my post didn't come off too annoying - just regrouping and reassessing where I am. Wishing everyone a happy, HEALTHY (read: injury free) holiday season! Merry Christmas!

Knock on Wood...

2010-12-20T02:15:00.000-08:00

"When you have the enthusiasm and the passion, you end up figuring how to excel."

- Deena Kastor

I'm afraid to say it...the calf might be feeling a little better...??? I really don't want to jinx things, but I got frustrated on Friday afternoon after my visit to the local running store. I just want to run...train...and enjoy winter running...PAIN FREE! So, because my doctor said I could run, that is exactly what I did.

Saturday AM? Started my day with the slower 10 miler, followed by yesterday's 14 mile progression run. Yep, woke up and went to church, and met a group of friends around 9am. It was cold, but a great run...and the pain in my calf never increased. We started around a 9:15 pace and progressed until our final mile was slightly below an 8 minute pace:

Mile 1 - 9:12
Mile 2 - 9:07
Mile 3 - 9:00
Mile 4 - 8:47
Mile 5 - 8:45
Mile 6 - 8:39
Mile 7 - 8:34
Mile 8 - 8:30
Mile 9 - 8:24
Mile 10 - 8:17
Mile 11 - 8:13
Mile 12 - 8:07
Mile 13 - 8:01
Mile 14 - 7:54
Overall Pace - 8:32

I was thrilled by this. I felt amazing by the end of this run...particularly since I started out feeling exhausted and uneasy about running 14 miles as a progression run. When I got home, I took probably the coldest ice bath EVER - I stayed in for a full 20 minutes - and got right back into my compression socks. I took an ibuprofen and went about my day. I kept waiting for the pain to increase as the ibuprofen wore off...soon it was 6pm, and I was teaching a yoga class...then it was 8pm, and I was relaxing on the couch. I woke up this morning and started to walk, expecting to be limping...nothing.

I don't know what this means. It is not 100% better by any means - I can still feel a tender area when I touch it. On the other hand, I ran 24 miles in the past two days and I am seeing improvement. Is it the shoes? The compression socks? Started both of those around the same time. The ice bath? I also added magnesium to my long list of vitamins and minerals, which aids your muscles and nerves. Most runners are deficient in it, so I took one yesterday. Probably too soon for that to make a difference. Maybe it's just a Christmas miracle...I like that explanation best. I hope to keep seeing improvement.

I've already mixed up my schedule a bit this week. I still have an easy 4 miler on tap for this afternoon - I planned to run it this morning, but here I am still cozy on the couch with my coffee. Fire is burning in the fireplace...I'm way too comfortable. Definitely not happening before work. It's going to happen after work, and I'm planning to use the Green Silences and running slow, slow, SLOW! I'm switching the easy 11 miler and the 10 mile fartlek run. For the fartlek run, there are 8 x 25 second pickups - I was thinking of warming up for two miles, and running the pick-ups at the beginning of each mile, and then cooling down for the final mile. The weather looks somewhat pleasant this week, I'm hoping I can get everything in without a problem.

Still haven't baked any holiday cookies, but there is lots of cooking and baking on the agenda for this week. Tonight is my mom's birthday and I have this great recipe that I'll be preparing for homemade ricotta gnocci with a sage butter sauce - definitely not healthy, but incredible. My sister-in-law and I host Christmas Eve dinner and have quite the menu to prepare this week...baked brie, homemade manicotti, meatballs, steamed clams, stuffed mushrooms, and creme brulee are just a few of the items we will be working on all week. Mmmmm. Better get to work...

Weekly Wrap-Up/Week #4

2010-12-19T04:02:00.000-08:00

Boston Training, Week of 12/12
Training Week: 3
Weekly Miles: 34
Total Miles: 122

Looking at my weekly mileage, I'm not thrilled about skipping the four miler and the nine miler, but I guess it is more important to ensure that I get better. Still, 122 miles in the first three weeks of training is pretty good - I was nowhere near that in the summer.

Dropping down to the level one plan is still lurking in the back of my mind. However, level one has a much easier introductory period and doesn't introduce runs of considerable distance until about halfway through the plan. Another thought was to rewrite the plan and mix level one and two together - the idea of this plan is actually that you customize it for YOU and what YOU need, but I don't know if I am ready to design my own training plan. I use the ones at the back of the book, as suggested by the authors, until I feel ready to start designing my own. I'm going to see how things go this week.

Since the doctor was confident that I should run, I did an easy 10 miler yesterday. Just under a 9 minute pace, and my calf is status quo. The plan for week four is as follows:

Sunday: 14 miles, progression
Monday: Easy 4 miler
Tuesday: 10 mile fartlek run
Wednesday: Easy 11
Thursday: Easy 6 miler, hill sprints
Friday: 9 mile progression
Saturday: Merry Christmas - Rest day
Total Miles: 54

I'll see how things go. 54 miles is kind of a jump. Besides last week, I've been consistently running 40-50 mile weeks for about a month and a half. So, as long as my calf doesn't get worse...that's the game plan.

Ended up with the Brooks Defyance - more neutral shoe. I'm hoping the extra support was my problem and things can go back to normal!

To Run, or Not to Run...That is the Question.

2010-12-17T08:59:00.000-08:00

So, doesn't look like a death sentence from my doctor regarding my calf muscle! I can run. AND, she LOVED the Brooks Green Silences for my feet. However, my beloved Brooks Adrenalines are apparently not helping ANY of the injuries I've had. She looked at my shoes and the wear pattern is on the outside of both shoes - suggesting that I supinate a little bit. A more neutral shoe might be in the cards for me, such as the Brooks Glycerin. Also, she pointed out an interesting fact - all of my little nagging injuries like this one are always on my left: the foot that is most consistently my "downhill" foot. The roads slant slightly to help with water drainage, and since I run against traffic, my left side is constantly downhill. Hmmm...something to consider when I hit the streets next time

If you haven't figured it out, I've been running for four years and STILL haven't completely ironed out the shoe issue. I'm always trying something new, and it is very frustrating. I always venture away from my normal selection, end up choosing the Adrenalines again. I think I am onto something with the Green Silences, but in terms of a heavier duty shoe for long runs - I am back to square one. Whenever I try on something OTHER than Brooks, they just don't quite feel right. The only other brand that I feel comfortable in is Mizuno, but those wear out so quickly. Back to Aardvark tonight to see what I can come up with. Maybe I should just go straight up BAREFOOT. Just kidding...I'm not completely into the whole barefoot idea (not judging anyone who is AT ALL, just not my thing) but I am into minimalist shoes.

My doctor also said compression socks are a great option for me, and it was her second time recommending them - so this time, I bought a pair. I actually put them on after leaving the store and slept with them on, and I still have them on right now. She said I had a teeny bit of swelling, and they seemed to have helped with that. I know, probably gross - they are more like sleeves around my calfs with no feet, but don't worry - I will wash them tonight anyway. The good news? They seem to be helping a LOT. Maybe it's in my head, which is more than likely...knowing me...

The overall decision she gave me about running was actually to keep going. She thinks the shoe issue needs to get ironed out, and I should try running in the parkway or on a treadmill for a more neutral surface if possible. It's a muscle that I tweaked and she thinks that stopping isn't my best bet. I think I'll proceed with caution and take one day at a time. I'm thinking of trying the easy 4 miler that I skipped earlier in the week today...super easy. Or not. I'll see how things go. As of now, the plan is to resume training on Sunday. I know I mentioned a week off, but the doctor said to see how things to. I'll go easy, and take it one day at a time.

Happy Running!

Baby, it's COLD Outside!!

2010-12-16T05:58:00.000-08:00

This week seems to be pretty brutal in terms of temperature around these parts...I think it is a combination of the wind and fast drop in temperature, but it just seems extra bad out there!

Not the best week. However, I am in really good spirits considering what is going on. Ran the 16 miler on Monday afternoon, pace was in the 8:40s. Calf felt awesome when I was running - all warmed up and no pain. I took an ice bath afterward and some ibuprofen, and all was fine. A little additional pain on Tuesday, so I decided to move the easy 4 miler to Thursday. Yesterday, my running partner and I did an 8 mile fartlek run. Not hardcore speed - just easy peasy 20 second pickups along the 8 mile course. I was feeling a bit more pain, and this morning, it is not feeling so hot. I'm staying true to what I said back in November: ANY little pain or issue and I am heading to the doctor. I called first thing this morning - and I have an appointment this afternoon.

I can't be mad at my body, only at myself for the reckless decisions I make. Haha, reckless running. I'm good at that! I was asking for it...I ran 3 marathons - one was a PR, and also PR'ed in my fall half-marathon, 10 miler, 5K, and 5 miler. Many of my races were run much to close to the marathons. I think the hardest part about the 50 state thing is going to be holding back. Just because I CAN run the short races and PR in them doesn't mean I SHOULD. Maybe until I can stop being so damn competitive with myself I should stop signing up for the little guys. Or, I can sign up for less marathons each season. Nahhhhhh, what fun would that be? I love taking those weekend trips.

I can't make any plans for how to handle rehabbing this lovely calf pain until I get word from the doc, but here is my plan - as of now:

Step 1: Hit up the doctor, sports masseuse, and possibly a chiropractor. 10 day break from running - starting today through the day after Christmas. Weird that the injuries always occur on my left side first. Hmmm, alignment issues? All I know is I don't want to keep running until the stupid muscle tears completely, OR I injure my good side like I did in the spring by overcompensating on the right side. Also, look into compression socks. Interesting idea to increase blood flow...anyone into those?

Step 2: Resume my training plan after my break - it is a lighter week so good for coming back. Maybe nix any speed or hill training for the week. If all goes well, keep chugging along.

Step 3: Back to the level one marathon plan from fall. I tried graduating to level two, but maybe I need to be held back until my ~~grades~~ endurance improves. I'm cool with that. I may be better to try the level two option in the summer when I am off of work and it isn't so COLD outside!

Anyway, a break couldn't come at a better time. I have some major Christmas knitting that I REALLY need to finish. Also, I haven't even baked one batch of holiday cookies and I have soooo many recipes I want to try - I just got the new Cooks Illustrated "Holiday Baking" issue. I am a sucker for anything written by Cooks...they are incredible!

That's all for now. All I want for Christmas is a HEALTHY BODY!

Week #3

2010-12-13T07:06:00.000-08:00

...is off to a not so great start! I was scheduled to do my 16 miler yesterday morning, and it was absolutely pouring. Not that I mind the rain, but the last thing I need is to get sick before the holidays. Also, I raced the 5 miler the day before so I decided a rest day was necessary. My new schedule for the week is as follows:

Monday - 16 miler
Tuesday - 4 miler, PM yoga
Wednesday - 9 mile progression run, yoga
Thursday - OFF, yoga
Friday - 8 mile fartlek run, AM swim
Saturday - Easy 10 miler

I might move the 4 miler to Thursday, but it all depends on how my legs feel after today's run. I would like to have my second "off" day later in the week, so hopefully this works out the way I want it to. I really didn't want to skip yesterday's run...but it was pouring and I always get sick this time of the year. I thought it would do my sore calf some good to take a day off. It actually feels a lot better today, so the plan is to go easy on the run and then take an ice bath when I get home. Ughhh, winter running. It seems like as soon as the temperature drops all of the aches and pains come out. I think a combination of activities contributed to this issue - running too many miles too quickly in my minimalist shoes, not warming up enough in the cold weather, and slacking on my vitamin regimen.

What vitamins are good for runners/endurance athletes? A friend of mine is a pharmacist and recently helped develop a program for me. I was already taking many of the items we discussed, but she added a few things and recommended certain brands. We don't get all of the nutrients we need from foods, and endurance athletes require a lot. Here is what I am now taking:

Glucosamine and Chondroitin with MSM
Fish Oil
Iron
Vitamin D3
Vitamin E
Vitamin C
Multivitamin (I am currently not taking this because I need to get to a GNC - my friend told me of a brand that they sell that is worth the extra money....I'll report on that soon!)

The only "new" one I am now taking is the iron - my friend suggested it, and she said I should notice a difference in a few weeks. My favorite of the bunch is the Glucosamine and Chondroitin with MSM. Last year, when I had my battle with bursitis in my hip, nothing was working. I started taking this, and it was gone in seven days - during the loading phase! Over the summer, I began to slack a bit with my vitamins and stopped taking it. I began my loading phase again on Saturday (six of these pills per day for two weeks!) and already notice a difference today. I'm wondering if it is helping with my calf pain...it is a natural remedy for pain and inflammation, so who knows.

Additionally, I need to shape up with my diet. Damn holiday season...and I thought I in pretty good shape after Thanksgiving. Oh well, I'm not going to starve myself...I love all of the holiday treats!

Christmas City!

2010-12-11T08:16:00.000-08:00

Boston Training, Week of 12/5
Training Week: 2
Weekly Miles: 46
Total Miles: 88

Bethlehem is known as the Christmas City...and in honor of it, there is a race called the Christmas City 5 Miler. Including this year, I've run it for the past four years...even though I run the course frequently because of where I live and it is an out-and-back course, I LOVE it. I think it's more the whole vibe of the race - everyone wears costumes and is so excited, it often flurries during the race. I think it's the energy, because I PR there every year! It isn't really a PR course - kind of hilly-ish and all over the place. Ran it in 34:17 today! 1st in my age group...so excited! However, I woke up and my calf felt tight...it didn't hurt when I ran yesterday, and not while I was running today. I definitely pulled something. Ughhhh! I am staying positive and hoping for the best...planning to ice like a mother...and assess how it feels daily. It's still pretty far out from Boston so if I need a break, I can manage.

Besides the soreness in my calf, my pace felt good this week. Running in the 8:30s felt effortless, so I am hoping that this will not be much of a set back. This is my favorite time of year to run...so I am willing my leg to mend QUICKLY!

Transitioning into Training Mode

2010-12-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

I want to keep track of my mileage as I train to Boston, and meant to add a post about that last week - but totally forgot to add it because of last weekend's marathon and travel. So, here it is:

Week of 11/29
Training Week:1
Weekly Miles: 42
Total Miles: 42

Yesterday was my first run back since the marathon. It felt pretty good - I completed an easy 6 miler with 2 x 8 second hill sprints, and it was nice to be back out there. It was cold and windy - I was nervous to go out in that weather - but I realized how much I love and miss winter running. I took as many days as possible off after the Las Vegas Marathon before resuming my training. Mostly because I want to make sure I am fully recovered, but partially because of some residual soreness in my left calf. Nothing to be alarmed about (I hope) as it started last week and gotten BETTER since I first felt it. Even after running 42 miles last week, and the marathon on Sunday. I ran yesterday, and it still felt better today. I'm just keeping my eye on it for now, and I WILL go to the doctor if it doesn't get better. I was thinking of using my minimalist shoes for the Christmas City 5 miler this Saturday, but I don't know if I will. I might use them today on my easy run, and keep breaking them in slowly. They were great for the 5K, and feel incredible on my easy runs, but I might not be ready for 8 miles in them - 5 of which will probably be run at a race pace. Now is not the time to make any stupid decisions.

I'm not feeling 100% today - I feel completely exhausted and sore. I'll definitely be moving very slowly today, but that is fine by me - I may even wait for it to get dark so I can look at all of the Christmas lights! Bethlehem is so beautiful this time of year. I did about three hours of yoga yesterday - I took a 1 1/2 hour Led Primary Series class, and then taught a 1 1/2 hour Power Fusion class. My shoulders and back got quite the workout and are a bit tired today. My plan is to run another easy 6 miler with some hill sprints today, and I was contemplating going to a Hot Yoga class at 6pm. I don't know if I will be up for it - sleep and rest might win!

I have an idea as to how I want to tackle next weeks runs...of course, my schedule always changes, but as of right now:

Week of 12/12
Sun: 16 miles, easy pace
Mon: 9 mile progression run
Tues: OFF running...yoga!
Weds: 4 miles, easy pace with hill sprints
Thurs: Off...yoga!
Fri: 8 miles, fartlek run (yay! I've missed those!)
Sat: 10 miles easy

I'm really glad I have no more big races until the spring. Sure, I have a few 5 milers and 10Ks, but nothing big until March, when I run Caesar Rodney. I'm also considering a 10 miler in Quakertown on my birthday, but it will really depend on the winter and my training - I don't want to overdo it. I'm still considering running the Myrtle Beach Marathon, but as a training run for Boston.

Recently, someone called me "arrogant" behind my back since I said I was running Las Vegas as a "training run". I was just getting into the mindset that it would be impractical to race each and every marathon since I run a LOT of them each season and want to avoid injury. If I work hard, why not use a marathon as a training run? Is that arrogant? Or is it smart? Isn't it really my prerogative, anyway? Who cares if I want to run one marathon a year, or 100 - or how I want to pace myself for them? I sincerely hope I don't come off as arrogant - I love to run long distances, love to travel, and love my t-shirts/medals! I know people work extremely hard to train for marathons - I work just as hard and would never want to make someone feel badly. Running a marathon is NOT easy - the training, the lifestyle, and the sacrifices alone make it a difficult feat.

Looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend of running, cooking and Christmas shopping! I'm really hoping to finish up shopping and get everything wrapped...that would be a miracle in itself!

Marathon Review for 2010

2010-12-07T13:51:00.000-08:00

A lot of times, I'm asked which of the marathons I've run are my favorite/least favorite. Or, someone looking to run their first marathon asks if there are any that I would recommend. I've run some really great courses, but also some poorly organized courses. Since 2010 is wrapping up, I thought I would review the different courses I've run to date. I've ordered them from my LEAST favorite down to my most favorite. I've also included my 2008 and 2009 marathons, since I didn't start doing a post-race report until more recently!

12. The Baltimore Marathon
Poorly organized event - everything from the expo to the course was just a huge mess of people and a lot of confusion. The course is ugly, pace teams were not so friendly, and there was way too much going on at one time. There were three races occurring that day - a relay, half-marathon, and full marathon. Half-marathon started at the halfway point for the marathoners, and they start around when the marathoners REACH the halfway point, making this portion of your run congested and annoying. On top of it all, the course is extremely hilly. The bright side? Awesome shirt. It's sponsored by Under Armor. The medal is pretty nice, too. I'd never recommend this race, and anyone I know who completed it says the exact same thing.

11. Rock 'N Roll San Antonio Marathon
I know, I know - it was my first Boston qualifier - but it was terrible! The only entertaining part is running by the Alamo, but it goes by so quickly that I didn't even see it. Besides the Riverwalk, San Antonio is not the nicest place - and you can't run down the Riverwalk. After weaving through town, which would be the more interesting portion, the race takes a turn for the worse and ends up out in the middle of nowhere with no crowd support. Pretty much every mile after 13 is depressing! The half and full start at the same time but run slightly different courses, but they meet up around mile 24 and finish together. This was difficult because the people you encounter as you are in your final two miles of the marathon are the people at the end of the pack for the half-marathon, and so you spend the final two miles weaving around the walkers. The course is rolling hills - the variation is actually quite nice. Again, cool shirt and medal.

10. The Nike Marathon (San Francisco)
Please don't get this confused with the San Francisco Marathon - I hear that one is actually pretty cool. I wish I would have chosen something better for California, like Big Sur, or one in Napa Valley. I might go back for Round 2 in California at some point. This was my first marathon and I didn't know better. San Fran is a seriously cool city, so if you want to do a marathon here, choose the San Francisco Marathon.

All of Union Square is pretty much converted for this marathon - there is a tent set up in the center of the city for packet pickup, and the Nike store across the street is ONLY selling marathon merchandise. Even the Macy's in Union Square is selling a ton of Nike "Run Like a Girl" stuff. So besides the Rock 'N Roll scene, this is pretty much the biggest expo I've ever been to. This is a HUGE event for Team in Training, so you can expect to see a ton of these groups from everywhere participating.

The course is extremely hilly - think about the steep cable car hills in San Francisco and you will know what I am talking about. For the Nike Marathon, you don't cross the Golden Gate Bridge. Many of the sights you would want to see are not included in this race, and the worst part occurs around mile 20 - there is a loop around Lake Merced and it is DISMAL. The road isn't even closed for that portion - they have the shoulder closed off and there is a ton of traffic. The medal is probably the best, however - it is a Tiffany's necklace. There are firemen dressed in tuxedos at the finish of the race with the boxes on silver trays, and they give you the necklace. The shirts are really cool, too.

9. Outer Banks Marathon
Read my recent race report for the complete lowdown!
Decent expo, nice shirt and cute medal. Downside was the course. Wayyyyy too flat - and really boring after mile 13.1. Finish line area was really spread out but in the cute town of Manteo. There were lots of shuttles, but you had to wait a long time at the end of the race to use them. Beer, clam chowder, bagels, Gatorade and fruit was available at the finish. Runners also received a bonus item at the finish - a cute little lunch box! Option to dress like a pirate was encouraged and awarded prizes. Overall a great race, just not my most favorite course.

8. New Jersey Marathon
Read my full race report from May 2010!
I should hate this race. Most people who ran it in May 2010 hated it. I didn't go to the expo, but I heard it was terrible. The shirt? One of the worst marathon shirts I ever received. It was huge, made of a weird material, and just plain ugly. I purchased a really cute one from the company who supplied additional merchandise - MarathonStores.com (worst company EVER, we'll save that story for another day), so I can at least sport that.

It was sunny and HOT HOT HOT on race day. 90 degrees, high humidity. I should STILL hate this race...but for some reason, I loved it! Two loops, 13.1 miles each. The crowd support was awesome, and many of the locals had sprinklers set up in for us as we ran by their homes. The pacer I ran with was incredible - he ran the 3:45 pace team and was so sweet. The medal was pretty nice, and the finish line was well organized. Probably the best gear check system I've seen - they had a whole conference area of a hotel rented out, and used the conference rooms for the half and full marathon gear check. When you wanted to get your gear, you could sit inside and stretch - there was plenty of room. Since it was so hot outside, this was great! I don't know what it was about this marathon, but I really enjoyed it.

7. Shamrock Marathon
Well organized and fun event - I recommend it to anyone looking for a relatively close, fun marathon. The course is pretty flat - but enough course variation to keep it interesting. The expo is bigger than you would expect, and Brooks sponsored it the year that I ran it. They had a lot of cool merchandise for purchase. The shirt that they gave out was really cute, and fit pretty well (shirts never quite fit me and are always huge, so I don't really factor it in).

My favorite part of this marathon was around mile 10. The course went through the nearby army base, and all of the soldiers were out, yelling "Hoo-rah!!!" It was so touching - here are these men who risk their lives for our country, out yelling and cheering us on. It still gives me chills when I think about it...they were lined up on the sides of the road with their hands out to slap you five. This went on for about a mile, and was the perfect adrenaline burst. Some of the later miles were a bit unpleasant and dull, but the finish was on the "promenade" down by the beach . They gave out great medals and a finishers cap as you finished, and there was a huge tent set up for the after race celebration. There was an enormous "sand castle" created by an artist in the shape of the event's logo, and plenty of beer and stew. Great finish line, race, and overall vibe!

6. Rock 'N Roll Las Vegas
Read alllll about it here!
Huge expo, great shirt and medal. Nice course up to mile 20, the final 10K could have been a lot better. Great post race celebration - probably could have used a bit more food, since I was starving. Lots of aid on the courses.

5. Philadelphia Marathon
Even though I ran this as a "pacer" for my friend, I enjoyed this race. I understand that the course changed a bit in 2010 - I ran it in 2009. In my opinion, this marathon has the best shirts. The medals are really nice, too. My friend finished around five hours, and I was a little disappointed in the finish line - there wasn't too much left for the runners finishing at this pace. The course was really nice - winding through different parts of the city, and then looping out to Manayunk and back. The out-and-back was pretty tough since it was a pretty long stretch, but still enjoyable. I didn't get to go to this expo, but I heard it was awesome. Nice course, great vibe, and a fun city to experience on foot.

4. Run for the Red Marathon
I ran this twice - it is beautiful. If you blink, you'll miss the expo - you get your shirt, a huge goodie bag, and that's it. There happened to be one vendor there this past year - I think it was Carb-Boom or something like that. Definitely not one your run for swag.

The course showcases the beautiful poconos. Starting in Tobyhanna, you descend for nearly 13 miles. The course becomes more "rolling hills" for the second half, but I often forget I am in PA as I run this one. Finish line is around the East Stroudsburg High School track, and the medal is nice. They used the same medal for the past two years but changed the date on the back.

3. Utah Valley Marathon
Another one I should hate - it was one of my slowest times, raining, freezing cold, and early. The high altitude also didn't help much. The expo? Reminded me of Run for the Red - and you didn't even get your shirt there - they were given out at the finish! I never did a post race report since I took a break from blogging then, being as I was all cranky and injured.

The course was closed down early, early, early so you had to be shuttled to the start. I had to get up by 2:30 in the morning - the shuttles left at 3:45am! The shuttles were easy to find and plentiful. It was pitch black as we wound our way up, up, up the 26.2 mile climb - the entire run was a 1,500 foot descent. The starting altitude was around 6,000 feet above sea level. The shuttles dropped you off at the start - it was raining, cold, and pitch black. There were bonfires lit in garbage cans in the tall grass fields, and we all huddled together for warmth. It started to pour, and we were scrounging for whatever we could find to cover ourselves so we could stay warm until the race began. As the gun went off, the sun began to come up - from this point on, the run was breathtakingly beautiful - but brutal because of the altitude. Canyons, mountains, waterfalls, horses, rivers - you name it, this course had it. Part of me is glad I ran this injured, or I would have missed the beauty that this course offered.

The finish line had tons of great stuff, but I was in pain and didn't take advantage of any of it. The shirts are one of my favorite, but some got held up in customs so mine was mailed to me.

2. Rock 'N Roll Mardi Gras Marathon
I can't believe I am rating a Rock 'N Roll race as my second favorite...but I LOVED New Orleans. LOVED IT! Not much to comment on for the expo - same as every other RNR event.

The event wasn't cool because of the organizers - it was incredible because of the city and it's sights. I can't say enough about visiting and running in this area. Running down Bourbon St and all of the historical areas...seeing the famous St. Louis Cemeteries, and experiencing the culture were just some of the perks.

The finish line concert featured Cowboy Mouth and Sister Hazel. It was a beautiful day and everyone hung out on the grass and listened to the show. Great shirt and medal - the "ribbon" was a strand of Mardi Gras beads.

1. Amica Newport Marathon
Full Race Report
Disappointing expo and shirt, and the medal was just OK - but the course was fun and interesting. Lots of hills, adding variety to the course. The second half wasn't as exciting as the first but still great. Great amenities at the start and finish, and a great shuttle system to get you to and from the race (no parking available at the start/finish line) that spectators were allowed to use after the runners. Lots of food and delicious soup at the finish. I think it was the vibe of the town and event that made me enjoy this run so much!

Vegas, Baby. Vegas.

2010-12-06T09:24:00.000-08:00

Sunday marked my final marathon of the fall season, and pretty much the end of my fall racing! I am running the Christmas City 5 miler on Saturday, but besides that - no racing until February. I'm pretty excited for the break, but extremely grateful for the fall I've had. Looking back, I feel fortunate that I was able to participate in every race. Especially after being injured all spring - I truly appreciated each and every experience. Here is a little overview of what was accomplished...

5K PR - 20:25
10 Miler PR - 1:10:54
Half Marathon PR - 1:35:25
Marathon PR - 3:37:02
Knocked off 3 more states on my 50 State Mission
Qualified for Boston (again)
Ran two additional marathons as training runs (I used to race each and every race)
Successfully stuck to a training plan (not like previous seasons, where I would run inconsistently and without purpose)

My training plan for this week (week #2 of Beantown training) had a 12 mile progression run, 14 mile easy run, two easy 6 mile runs, and an 8 mile progression run in the cards. I used the marathon in place of the 12 and 14 milers, and plan to take a break from running until Wednesday. I'll run my easy 6 milers on Wednesday and Thursday, but SUPER easy - 9+ minute pace, just to get the miles in and get my legs moving. If something doesn't feel right, I'll cut back the mileage. I'm running the Christmas City 5 miler on Saturday, so I think I'll use that as my "progression" run (it might end up being more like a threshold workout, but I need more of those anyway). I'll warm-up for a mile, run the race, and then run home (it's about 2 miles from my house, so PERFECT!!).

Now, about VEGAS!! Official time was 3:49:01! I'm perfectly happy with that - for many reasons. I planned to run it as a training run and just hit under four hours - success! Also, we walked a TON the day before, when I usually spend time resting. I didn't have my usual food with me, and settled for Starbucks oatmeal. I didn't feel totally awful, but it wasn't what I am used to. The night before, we went to a 9:30pm Cirque du Soliel show and I didn't get to bed until 1am. The race started at 7am...needless to say, that is NOT enough sleep! Lastly, the altitude was different than what I was used to - 2,000ft above sea level. This was a problem after the 20 mile mark...

The Expo
Typical Rock 'N Roll scene. Sooooo overcrowded, more merchandise to buy than I would ever know what to do with, countless vendors, and lots of famous people signing autographs. Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray hosted a Rock Band competition, and there were people like Meb Keflezighi and Josh Cox leading discussions. It was pretty exciting, albeit a RNR event. I'm usually not much of a fan, but I didn't mind this one. Maybe it was the Sin City vibe...The t-shirt was actually REALLY cool, and there was a lot of sweet gear by Brooks available for purchase. We went to the expo later in the afternoon on Saturday, so there was nothing in my size even if I wanted to buy something. Oh well, I dd my damage at lululemon later in the trip :)

The Starting Line
Sooooo many people...soooo many corrals!! I was supposed to be in corral 7, based on my predicted finish time of 3:50, but took my time since I knew I wasn't "racing". For once, I was still in the bathroom when the gun went off - so I started with corral 13. This ended up being good AND bad. It forced me to slow down, but I also wasted a lot of energy dodging people. Oh well, lesson learned. The start WAS pretty well organized, and it was in front of Mandalay Bay. We stayed at the Luxor, which was right next door - perfect distance. Plenty of restrooms, and easy to navigate - even with the huge crowd.

The Course
Miles 1-13.1 - Sin City
A 13.1 mile tour of the strip, including "new" Vegas and "old" Vegas. I'm not a huge Vegas person - we stayed in the newer section, where you can find places like the Bellagio, Venetian, and Caesars. In front of the Venetian, they were offering run-through weddings! I didn't see any as I ran by, but a friend of mine walked the half-marathon and a bunch of newlyweds were in her corral...along with some people dressed as Elvis. As a matter of fact, the Elvises were partying it up with Cytomax bombs - really just the Cytomax at the water stops mixed with vodka. Of course my friend joined in the festivities...she had a blast! From what I saw of "old" Vegas, it was more in the area where the Golden Nugget is located and pretty vintage looking. We never ended up going back there, but I enjoyed running through and experiencing the vibe. Overall, the first half was basically a loop down and back on the strip - very entertaining, and I didn't mind the "out-and-back".

I ran miles 1-12ish as a progression run. Each mile got progressively faster, but I didn't go crazy with it. If I were ONLY doing a 12 mile progression run, the splits would have been much more negative. Miles 1-5 went from 8:40-8:35, 5 through 10 were around 8:35-8:30, and 10 through 13 were in the 8:20s. I felt pretty good - just really tired from staying up too late the night before. My legs felt a bit heavy from all of the walking the day before, but nothing to be concerned about. Yet.

Miles 13.1-20 - Are we still in Vegas?
As we exited the strip, I was not looking forward to the rest of the course. At the expo, I watched a video of the course. It looked like a lot of out-and-back, weaving through town to make up the remaining 13.1 miles. However, I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this portion of the course. As you exited the strip, you were surrounded by mountains and canyons in the distance. It was picturesque and made you forget that you were even IN Las Vegas, showcasing the beauty of mid-western USA. There were actually some hills here, mostly over bridges but steep enough that you noticed them more than the gradual changes in the first half.

Miles 15-17 were a little slower for me, returning to my "easy" pace and sticking in the high 8:40-50s. I hit a downhill portion at mile 17 and started picking things up - maybe a little too much. Miles 17, 18 and 19 were all sub-8 minute miles, and I felt awesome. My legs were still a bit heavy, but not too terrible. I was on pace to finish around 3:45 at this point.

Miles 20-26.2 - UGH.
As we turned a corner and entered our last 10K, things got ugly - on the course, and in my performance. I quickly realized that the last 10K would be the WORST part of this race - we were on some access road that ran next to a huge highway, and then we looped through some ugly industrial park. This went on for FIVE MILES. I was so sad that the race had to end on that note, because I actually really enjoyed the course until this point. My energy level and legs took a nosedive here, and my pace slowed to 8:50s and 9+ minute miles. I don't walk much during marathons, but gave in at mile 21.5 - I was actually having a bit of trouble breathing. My throat and lungs were screaming at me, and my chest felt tight and heavy. I'm guessing my body had enough of exerting so much energy at that altitude, and my adrenaline rush was gone. My legs felt uncharacteristically heavy, even for that point in the marathon. Maybe it was the altitude, maybe it was the amount of walking I did the day before, or maybe it was just what I was capable of that day. Either way, I wasn't feeling great. As soon as mile 25 hit, I picked up my pace and finished strong.

The Finish Line
The medal is pretty sweet - it looks like playing cards - but they put it on a plain old boring ribbon. Rock 'n Roll races DO have cool medals, though - even though I'm not a fan of the actual series. The finish line was well organized and had lots to offer - food, aid, bags of ice (they were actually giving entire bags to runners to sit on), merchandise for sale (of course), and a great family reunion area (something the OBX marathon could learn a thing or two from). Brett Micheals was the headliner concert - not my personal favorite, but he did an amazing job of working the runner crowd and put on a great show. You could tell he was thrilled to be there, and I enjoyed his performance.

Overall, the only thing I would do differently is to go to bed earlier. Actually, I take that back. I had such a blast with my friends, going to the show, and hanging out that it was worth being a little tired for the race. This whole 50 state thing isn't about always running my fastest time, but it is enjoying the time I spend away from home, and with my husband. We had some great meals, lost a few bucks on the craps tables, spent time with great friends, and enjoyed a fun show. I'd say this marathon was a great success.

Up next...BOSTON!!!

And So it Begins...

2010-11-30T03:04:00.000-08:00

Day one and two of Boston training, complete!

Kicked off my Boston Training on Sunday with a nice "easy" 12 mile run! Pace was nice and comfortable, but I decided to head up our local monster, South Mountain. It was challenging, and every time I ascend that damn thing I ask myself - what the hell I was thinking?? Overall pace, 8:46 - everything felt really easy during the earlier miles, but I slowed down after the hill. I'm planning to do that hill at least once per week - if not more - for Boston training. In the earlier weeks, I will probably incorporate it into all of my long runs. As the training gets more difficult, it will probably be part of my "easy" runs over 10 miles (the loop I do is a 10 mile loop). Next week, I probably won't run it because of Vegas, but I'm planning to run it for my 16 miler in week three, an easy 11 miler in week four, easy 10 miler in week 5, etc. It works out this way during my entire training. The only problem I should run into will be snow - it is already a dangerous road to run since it's really narrow and winds all over the place. Snow might make impossible to run during some weeks.

Yesterday, my training partner, Emily, and I did our first progression run of our training. I love, love, love, love, LOVE progression runs! We started just under a 9-minute mile and ended our last mile at a 7:39 pace. Overall pace was somewhere in the 8:20s. Best part about it? Even though you are flying by the end of the run, you feel incredible because you ease your body into it. So much fun...it was Emily's first progression run - she rocked it and seemed to like it, too. Day #2 was also a success. I think I want to shoot for a 7:50 pace for this marathon...if train hard and smart, I think it is within my reach. It's important that I don't lose sight of that even if I PR in some spring races as Boston approaches - I need to stick to whatever plan I choose now. I was a little too confident before Outer Banks and went out entirely faster than I was prepared for.

The day before I began training for Boston (Saturday), I ran an "easy" six miler. I still don't understand how I can feel so great one day and so terrible other days. It seemed effortless and I averaged an 8:09 pace - the whole run was consistently that pace, too. I had to keep slowing down to keep it easy. I know things are about to get really tough over the next few weeks, but the last few runs just felt really great. I wish that pace always felt effortless - I have no idea what I did differently. Speaking of Saturday, the Bethlehem Turkey Trot was that day, and I heard it wasn't too great. I did that 5K the past two years - loved it the first time, but it seemed more disorganized in the second year. I chose the Pumpkin Pie 5K over it this year and plan to do so from here on out.

My hardest runs of the week are behind me - planning two more easy six mile runs and an eight mile progression run. I'm starting to look forward to Vegas a little more, but I really wish I would have signed up for a more local one for this time of the year, like the Rehobeth Beach marathon. I have so much to do at home - Christmas shopping, decorating, baking, etc. Oh well, another state out west will be complete. I'd like to knock a few more of those out in the next year or two.

Boston Training: STARTS TOMORROW!!!

2010-11-27T05:02:00.000-08:00

Hitting the road for an easy 6 mile run soon to finish up my week. Yesterday's 8 miler was a nice moderate pace, so I am running today nice and slow so my legs are fresh for tomorrow. Starting tomorrow morning...Boston training! I can't believe that it's already time to start. Most marathon training plans are 16 weeks, but mine is actually a 20 week program. For my spring training, I'm going to attempt the "Level 2" version of my training plan from the fall. More miles, more intensity, more difficult. If I have to back off, I will drop back to the "Level 1" program. Following that plan brought me a successful fall, and I know winter training is difficult. Weather, flu season, lack of daylight, and work seem to interfere with spring training.

The first six weeks are considered the "introductory period". It's not about intensity - it is about building an initial foundation of fitness. It will (hopefully) enable my body to withstand the training that is yet to come. Weeks 7-16 are the "fundamental period" and will help build race-specific fitness. Finally, the last three weeks are considered the "sharpening period", where I'll be completing challenging, race-specific runs. . For this week, I have to schedule my runs so the harder ones occur earlier in the week. The Las Vegas Marathon is eight days away!

Boston Training: Week 1
Sun - 12 miles, easy pace (planning to run South Mountain again)
Mon - 10 mile progression run, last 5 miles moderate
Tue - 6 miles, easy pace + 1x 8-second hill sprint
Wed - 8 mile progression run, last 10 minutes moderate
Thurs - OFF
Fri - 6 miles, easy pace + 1x 8-second hill sprint
Sat - OFF (Vegas on SUNDAY!)

No taper for Vegas, and I plan to run at an easy pace. I'm going to start by running the first five miles easy, easy, easy. If I feel good, I can pick it up a bit for each 5 mile block. My goal is to keep it easy and run it as a progression run, with the last six miles as "moderate". Doing this will allow me to continue my training for Boston without missing anything.

Speaking of "moderate", I need to start defining some goals. My goal marathon pace for a spring PR is somewhere between 7:50-8 minute miles. "Moderate" would probably be anything from 8-8:30, and "easy" would be anything above that. I'm planning to race Boston, but it might be a difficult race for a PR. Hilly course, later start time, large crowd. If I don't PR there, no big deal. I just want to be in the best shape possible so I can enjoy the experience. My plan would be to recover and then try again either at Vermont or Vancouver, Washington. Vermont is a bit hilly, but somehow that works for me. Every race I PR'ed at this fall had some rolling hills.

Anyway, after my run yesterday morning, I came home to relax...when the mail came...MY IPOD CAME! Yay! It's nice to know that there are still honest people out there - I was so happy to have it back. I love, love, love, LOVE running with music and never thought I would get it back. Even though the OBX course might not be my favorite, the race is definitely among my favorites based on the organization and overall experience.

I'm so happy with the "southern hospitality" I've received that I am thinking of signing up for the Myrtle Beach Marathon in February. Depends if I can convince my Boston training partner to make the trip with me! I'd want to drive there, but it is a looooonnnggg drive. Would be a great long run to use as a training run for Boston! It's only an idea for now...we'll see!

Thanksgiving and PUMPKIN PIE!!

2010-11-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Or, by now...Happy Black Friday! So far, I can proudly say that I've purchased NEARLY all of my Christmas presents online - and received free shipping. Besides the few items I purchased in the Outer Banks at the outlets, I haven't left the comfort of my couch to do any shopping. I hate going out into the crowds, waiting in line, etc. I do, however, love the decorations, music, and the feeling of the holidays...but my hatred for crazy Christmas shoppers trumps that and keeps me home on Black Friday.

Ran the Pumpkin Pie 5K in Nazareth yesterday to celebrate Thanksgiving. AWESOME race! Haven't run a 5K since last fall. PR, and 1st in my age group! I ran it in 20:25, about a 6:35 pace!!! That was according to my Garmin - official results not yet posted as far as I know. I started in the front of the pack so it should be pretty close, within seconds. I was ecstatic - my PR prior to yesterday was 22:11, so it was a great day for me. Since I barely run 5Ks, I didn't realize how close I was to hitting the 19 minute mark - 26 seconds faster and I would have done it. I don't care, though. I am totally happy with the race and my time!!! There were 850 people there, and I was the 7th woman overall. All of my friends ran amazing races - PRs, placed in their age groups, etc. The prizes were fun - I won a pumpkin pie from some bakery, and a $20 gift certificate to Aardvark (our local running store). Yay! I used to do the Bethlehem Turkey Trot each year, but this year decided to try the Pumpkin Pie race. Great idea!

Since my 18 mile run on Tuesday, I've been taking it easy on myself. I didn't work out at all on Wednesday, and just did the 5K on Thursday. This morning, a friend and I ran 8 miles through Lehigh Parkway at a nice comfortable pace. Planning a 6 mile run tomorrow, and kicking off Boston training with an easy 12 miler on Sunday. I'm hoping to get in the pool at least once next week - we leave for Las Vegas on Friday so I probably can't fit in more than one swim. Not totally looking forward to the Vegas trip, but it will be a nice weekend with my husband.

Running, Swimming and Training

2010-11-23T06:46:00.000-08:00

Runner's World Quote of the Day

When people ask me why I run, I tell them, there's not really a reason, it's just the adrenalin when you start, and the feeling when you cross that finish line, and know that you are a winner no matter what place you got.

Courtney Parsons, athlete

Not sure how, but I finished the 18 miler yesterday. Actually, I know how I did it - I had a friend run the first ten with me, and then another friend met me for the last eight. Thank God - I would have quit after the first ten, but I had good company pushing me through the last eight. I was completely unmotivated to complete that run and solely did it to avoid injury in Vegas. The training plan/philosophy that I follow states that if you are going to run a lot of miles each week, you have to be consistent. Inconsistency (i.e. running 70 miles one week, and 20 for three weeks, then 70 again, etc) is how injury occurs. Sounds a bit like my training about a year ago...hmmmm...and what happened? I ended up injured.

Yesterday's run was for consistency purposes...and I feel pretty good today. My lack of motivation is stemming from the fact that I know I am not "racing" Vegas and really just want to complete the state - no real time goals other than trying to keep it under four hours. At least when I ran Rhode Island, I knew the purpose was to be a training run for OBX. Ok, ok, let's just be real: Vegas is my third marathon this fall, and I just don't want to train for it. I want to RUN it, but I don't want to put the work in. I have no other excuse. My spring schedule isn't any easier and I am scheduling four marathons, but I think the timing/spacing between them will make it more feasible and the states are pretty interesting. I've also been to Vegas before and it isn't my favorite place (it's pretty cool, just not my scene) so that might also be part if of it.

I am excited and ready to focus on Boston now. My body is still a little tired from Outer Banks so I am not going to push my pace at all until next week, when Boston training begins. I kept yesterday's pace nice and easy - between a 9:00-9:30 - partly because I was tired, but also because I just didn't care/feel like doing anything else. The first ten miles were up our lovely South Mountain - what a killer. Things went much better yesterday as I ascended the steep monster than my Sunday attempt. No running for me today or tomorrow - but I did go for a SWIM this morning!!

I only swam 1600 meters (about a mile) - but it was tough since it's been awhile. I did sets of 200 meters and felt pretty good. As I mentioned before, I have mixed feelings on swimming. Love the workout, and love the activity - but I find it makes me bulky. Recently, I've just been running and doing lots of yoga (about six times per week), and I can tell that I have leaner muscles from this. I really want to swim because I love the workout, so I only plan to do it once or twice per week. I tend to focus on a lot of freestyle, and I should really mix up my strokes a little more to even out the muscle tone.

I did some Christmas shopping on Amazon, and decided to order the book I mentioned yesterday since I was getting free shipping. I'm looking forward to reading what Matt Fitzgerald has to say about running and nutrition. I know HOW to eat healthy, but I get so bored with my options and never seem to time my meals out well. Not to mention the nausea I experienced in the last marathon...I'd like to avoid that in the spring!

Recipes and Ramblings

2010-11-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

I've never really been one for dieting. My "healthy eating" philosophy is to make fresh, healthy food choices...and allow for the occasional junk food treat. I try my best to practice what I preach...but it's kind of hard since I have a HUGE sweet tooth and LOVE junk food. Love it. I have no problem consuming large quantities of processed, unhealthy foods...baked goods...mmmm. My self-control is pretty decent (thankfully) - if its not in my house, I can usually turn it down. Until the holidays begin. It allllllll goes downhill, starting with Halloween...candy is everywhere, and I should NOT be left unsupervised with candy. I usually clean up my act pretty quickly, but then BAM! Thanksgiving hits. Holiday parties begin. Most importantly, holiday COOKIES are abundantly available, offering fresh baked goodness. It's pretty much a big train wreck for me by the time New Year's Day rolls around.

Back when I was in college (before I was into the whole fitness thing), I tried Weight Watchers. I was a little heavier than I wanted to be after my sophomore year and thought, "Why not?". I lost 20 pounds, and kept it off to date. I also ran two miles a day for the entire summer. I guess you can say that Weight Watchers was my gateway drug into my present lifestyle. Granted, I didn't run again until college was over, but when I started working out again, it was the activity that I went to first when trying to get back in shape.

Enter the past four years of my life: running, yoga-ing, and healthy eating. I never tried Weight Watchers again, but if I had to recommend a diet to get yourself back on track, I'd definitely go with that. I got thinking about this today because a friend from work brought in a Pumpkin Spice cake. Usually, I can politely decline the treat, but she used a Weight Watchers recipe. I have to say - YUM! Sure - it isn't "all natural", but it is a GREAT recipe to have on hand:

1 Box of Spice Cake mix
1 can of pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling - straight up PUMPKIN)

Combine the cake mix and pumpkin together and mix, mix, mix - NO other ingredients necessary - DO NOT include the ones on the spice cake mix (i.e. eggs, oil, etc). Just two ingredients! For the canned pumpkin, you can use 2/3 of a large can, or one whole small can. Your choice! Bake according to box directions, and serve with low fat cool whip. Delish.

If you have unexpected guests, are asked to a party, or just know that you can't stop eating the Christmas cookies as they come out of the oven, this is a GREAT treat to have prepared! Low-fat and sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Update on the lost iPod...THEY FOUND IT! THEY ARE SHIPPING IT TO ME! WOOOOO HOOOOO! NEVER in a million years expected that. They were a little slow on getting back to me, but I don't care AT ALL! My own dumb fault for leaving it there...fingers crossed that I get it back soon. I am hoping they will send my water bottle/water bottle holder too, but I'd be happy with just the iPod. Yay! I am NOT a fan of the new 6th generation iPods and didn't want to buy one at all.

Back to what this blog is really about...after trying to teach high school students Photoshop all day, I am so ready to tackle the 18 miler. I hope the run goes better than it did yesterday. I feel better - not so sluggish and exhausted - and the weather is beautiful. A bit warm, but at least I can still rock the shorts today. Once I get today over with, it is smooth sailing for this week from here (I hope). We'll see!

Jumped the Gun!

2010-11-21T12:34:00.000-08:00

A big congratulations to all who participated in the Philadelphia Marathon and Half-Marathon today! I loved that race last year, and was sad that I decided not to sign up this year. What a great race.

Woke up this morning and it was beautiful out - went to church and grabbed a bagel with my husband and looked forward to my scheduled 18 mile run. I decided (maybe a bit too ambitiously) to head up South Mountain since I was not concerned with pace. What a mess it turned into - I have no idea where things went wrong! Had a side sticker within a mile and I was just cruising slowly, and felt exhausted. The five miles it takes for me to hit the base of the mountain seemed torturous...before I even headed up the hill, I knew I was cutting today's run short.

I was planning the 18 miles for today and 10 for tomorrow, but decided to reverse the plan - so I did 10 today, and plan to try for the 18 again tomorrow. I guess I was just a little too ambitious to get back out there...not that I cared, I was moving sooooooo slooooowwwwlllyyy! I just couldn't get into it today. Oh well, we all have off days. I also decided that I am not going to concern myself with pace this week - no progression, etc - all easy. I'll add intensity back again next week. I'm more concerned about getting the 18 miler in before Thanksgiving...my other option would be on Friday morning, but can you imagine trying to run 18 miles after eating that meal? Ewwwwww...I am particularly glutenous on Thanksgiving and don't want to worry about a long run when there is a pretty good chance I'll be in a food coma on Friday. I've already been preparing for it as I DVR random, useless TV that I plan to watch allllllll day on Friday. Not only that, but Christmas is RIGHT around the corner, and I have some knitted presents to complete - which I've been slacking on. Wow, Friday is sounding better and better...that alone should get me through my 18 miles tomorrow.

Can I start training again? Please????

2010-11-20T05:05:00.000-08:00

Well, what a week. All I can say is...when can I start training again?!?!?!?! I am becoming a lazy blob! I took Monday and Tuesday completely off, and tried an easy three miler on Wednesday. Thursday brought rain, and so I stayed in and did a nice yoga practice with a friend. Ran an easy five miler yesterday and felt like I was getting my stride back (though exhausted from the week - my legs felt great!). Today, I am pacing a friend for a speed workout - nothing too crazy, but enough to get my legs moving.

To prepare for the Las Vegas Rock and Roll Marathon, I've made a decision. I don't want to repeat my second to last week of training from OBX - the intensity is pretty great. My first week of Boston training has the right amount of miles, but no "long" run. I'm going to blend the two weeks together - the lower intensity of week #1 for Boston training, and the mileage of my OBX training. Thanksgiving is this week, and the preparations will probably make this all the more complicated. Here is what I am planning:

Sunday: Easy 18 miler
Monday: 10 mile progression run
Tuesday: Yoga
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Pumpkin Pie 5K (3.1 miles)
Friday: 6 miles, easy with some hill sprints
Saturday: 8 mile progression run

Notice the 5K in there...I haven't done a 5K in about a year! I'm pretty excited about it! Fingers crossed that I can keep up my fall PR streak - though I aready hit the trifecta with the marathon (Diva, Oley, then OBX) so who knows...I would need anything below 22:11 to make it a PR. I've been getting more and more comfortable with maintaining a sub-7 minute mile (really I only hit in the 6:50s, but it still counts for me!), which is really where I need to be for this one. From what I understand, the course starts uphill followed by a steep downhill. Who knows...but I am looking forward to it.

All progression runs will be run at a moderate pace - nothing too crazy. I have my first two weeks of training planned out for Boston and Vegas actually fits in rather nicely. Week #2 of training, when the race occurs, has me scheduled to run both 12 and 14 mile runs. I will be using the marathon to cover those two runs, and the rest of the week is actually pretty easy. By week three, I will be completely back on track.

I'm thinking of running Vegas sans Garmin. I want to run it by feel - and I really don't want to push too hard. I was looking more carefully at the course map, and I actually think it will be more my style than the OBX course was:

The elevation is a little concerning, but the course looks great - even for a Rock 'N Roll race. It's hard to see, but miles 1-6 are slightly downhill - about a 100' drop in elevation. As we approach miles 7-17, it IS an uphill grade - we gain about 300' - but it is pretty gradual and there are some areas where it levels off. Once mile 17 hits, the last miles look to be more downhill/rolling hills, which I like. Going to just run it as I feel that day...I'd like to break 4 hours, but if my body isn't feeling it, then whatever. I wonder how long the course will be - Rock 'N Roll races are notorious for their long courses.

Still no word on my lost iPod. I got an email three days ago from one of the race directors saying they DID find an iPod on the bus, but they were waiting for confirmation as to whether it was mine or not. I haven't heard anything since...booo! No offense, but how long could it take to "id and iPod"? I LOVE running with music. I just love music in general, and I think part of what I love about running is putting my headphones on and just GOING! When I say I love to run by myself, I think it's because of my music - I can drown out the rest of the world and spend time out in the fresh air.

As a technology teacher, I've been researching my options in case I don't get my iPod back. I had the 5th generation iPod Nano before, complete with a video camera that I've used plenty of times - I even filmed my friend crossing the finish line at the Philly Marathon last year (I was her personal pacer that day!). The new, 6th gen Nano is pretty cool - touch screen, much smaller, and clips on your clothes - but it really just looks like a glorified iPod shuffle. The cost is the same, but there are LESS features than the 5th gen. Most concerning is the design - since it is small and designed to clip on your clothes, there are NO cases for it. What about crazy people like me who run in all elements? Pouring rain, snow, ice, etc. I am torn. I've located some 5th gen Nanos, but they are MORE expensive than the new one because of the supply/demand (Apple isn't producing them, but consumers are still trying to purchase them). Even the used or refurbished ones are costly. Anyway, I've been a crazy person since I lost it (crazier than usual, that is) and even had a dream that I got it back last night. As much as I want it back, I really just want to know if it is really lost or not so I can wait for it to arrive or go and buy a new one.

Going to work on my diet again for this training cycle. I made a lot of changes and improvements last training cycle, and now really need to figure out some pre-race meals. I've been reading a few books, The Runner's Diet and Performance Nutrition for Runners. I don't like The Runner's Diet at ALL. It is not for people who are already runner's - it is for people looking to take up a run/walk program and want to begin a healthier lifestyle. It is advertised as a great resource for all runners AND walkers, but I am not finding it very useful. I've had Performance Nutrition for Runner's for quite awhile, but just started really read it. It's pretty good, but still not great. Since I like my training plan so much, one of the author's (Matt Fitzgerald) actually writes a book on nutrition, called Racing Weight: How to get Lean for Peak Performance. I am thinking of ordering it to see what he has to say.

It is a beautiful day out there...ready to head out for my run. GOOD LUCK to all Philly Marathoner's tomorrow! I am sad that I didn't sign up for that one...what a great race!

The Aftermath

2010-11-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

Runner's World Quote of the Day

It's very hard to understand in the beginning that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants to quit.

- Dr. George Sheehan

Well, its Wednesday...and I am itching to run! I'm heading out today for three very easy recovery miles in my new shoes, wooohoooo! Going to run a few miles with my training partner for Boston and hit Lehigh Parkway for the nice soft surface. I'm planning to run an easy 5 miles on the Ironton Trail tomorrow - it's a nice flat surface - and another 5 on Saturday. Sunday will resume my training for Vegas, but I will be taking it super easy - really just getting my legs ready for my Boston training!

MIGHT have made some progress on the lost iPod front. I called the OBX Sporting Event office and spoke to a woman who asked me to send my missing items in an email to keep everyone straight. I sent THE MOST ridiculous e-mail describing what I lost, down to the flavor of GU that I left in the pouch of my water bottle holder (vanilla gingerbread) and the flavor of Gatorade I selected at the finish but never drank (Riptide Rush, of course).She responded to me today and said that an iPod was found on one of the buses, and she is just trying to figure out if it is mine based on the information I gave her. Still no guarantees that it is mine...but I am keeping my fingers crossed. If I buy a new one, it will be a 6th generation iPod Nano, but they are different than the one I have now (5th generation) and don't include the video camera. I've used it for video before and really liked it...ugh, I want it back! I love my music!!!

Probably won't have too much else to report on until next week...race pictures posted below!

2010-11-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

Runner's World Quote of the Day

We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves.

- Sir Roger Bannister

What a successful day on Sunday! Great race. I didn't run exactly the race I wanted to, and I am not quite sure why at this point - but I am not disappointed. If I look at my splits, I was pretty consistent until mile 20, then things went all over the place. I didn't hit my goal of 3:25, but I still set a new personal best and ran a Boston qualifier! My official time was 3:37:02, almost three minutes off my previous PR.

I felt pretty good up through mile 16 and held about a 7:50ish pace until then, with the exception of a few miles run a trail. From the start of the race, I never felt completely right - stomach seemed off. The course was mainly flat, but about 3 miles of the race were run on a trail (miles 10-13) and the trail was actually sand, so that was really difficult. I held my pace through the trails and even through a bathroom stop at mile 10, but got very nauseous at mile 16. After that, my stomach seemed to stop accepting water and GU. I forced myself to take it but it made me feel REALLY sick. I think I need to find a new game plan for eating before and during marathons. My current pre-race breakfast includes one or two bananas and a bagel with peanut butter. I make sure to eat the bagel with peanut butter about an hour and a half before the start of the race, but it is still heavy on my stomach. I'm thinking of switching to oatmeal and two bananas, but I don't know if that is enough food. I guess I have 20 weeks of Boston training to figure all of this out.

Overall, the course was pretty boring and flat, which also could have attributed to some of my slower miles. Here is my course/race review:

The Start
Well organized, easy to find, and great system for gear checking. However, they were a little unclear about where to park. It said there would be parking at the Kitty Hawk Elementary School, and also at a local Wal-Mart, which was a half-mile away. If you opted to park at the Wal-Mart, they would shuttle you to the start. We arrived early and were able to park at the Kitty Hawk Elementary School, but found out after the race that they only shuttled back to the Wal-Mart (there is a whole story associated with later in my review). Plenty of parking and porta-pots for use before the race. The energy at the starting line was excellent. Runners could choose their own corral to start in, and seemed to do a good job of seeding themselves.

Miles 1-8: Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills
The first 10 miles of this race were my favorite, and the first eight miles really made me think the course was going to be beautiful and scenic. The race began in Kitty Hawk, and took us through some back roads. Very flat, but winding all over the place. I felt really great during these miles, and the scenery was gorgeous. The beautiful back roads of the Outer Banks took us out to Bay Drive, where we ran along the Albemarle Sound. It was picturesque. I wish the second half of the run would have been as interesting!

Pace
Mile 1 - 7:48
Mile 2 - 7:48
Mile 3 - 7:47
Mile 4 - 7:43
Mile 5 - 7:45
Mile 6 - 7:53
Mile 7 - 7:51
Mile 8 - 7:54

Miles 9-13: Wright Brothers Monument and Nags Head Woods
These were the miles that took the most out of me, and set the tone for the rest of the race. Around mile 8, we ran by the Wright Brothers monument - the location where the first flight ever took off. My stomach started acting up, so I stopped for the bathroom at mile 10 - but I was able to maintain my pace for that mile. Once we hit mile the trail, I had an extremely hard time maintaining my pace through Nags Head Woods. The trail was sandy and runners were sliding all over the place. Around mile 12.5, the path took a turn for the worse - it changed to true off road conditions and was only wide enough for two runners at a time, so passing was difficult. The miles run on the trail took a LOT out of me, so when we hit the pavement for mile 13 I slowed my pace to recover.

Pace
Mile 9 - 7:48
Mile 10 - 7:50 (bathroom mile - still kept up the pace)
Mile 11 - 8:21 (getting my footing on the trail, not so easy)
Mile 12 - 7:55 (trail turned to true off-road conditions)
Mile 13 - 8:09 (recovery)

Miles 14-21: BORING!
At this point, I was glad to get back out on the pavement but the race got extremely boring. There was nothing to look at - the course took us out on the main drag, Croatian Highway, and then weaved through a bunch of neighborhoods to add extra mileage. The temperature really heated up at this point, and there was not a cloud in the sky so the sun was beating down on us. It was hot, hot, hot. At mile 16, I began to feel a bit sick. I knew I still had 10 miles to go, so I forced myself to drink water at every stop, even though my stomach really didn't want it. I also took a GU around mile 18, just because I knew I needed the electrolytes - but it didn't go down so easy. My struggle in this race began around mile 16, but not because my legs were tired. Looking at my pace, it is obvious where I struggled the most. My legs felt fine, but my stomach was terrible. I walking the line of feeling better, then back to feeling nauseous. Mile 19 and 20 were extremely difficult for me.

Pace
Mile 14 - 7:48
Mile 15 - 7:52
Mile 16 - 8:09
Mile 17 - 8:13
Mile 18 - 8:08
Mile 19 - 8:28
Mile 20 - 8:27
Mile 21 - 8:11

Mile 22-26.2 (or 26.48): Washington-Baum Bridge and Manteo
As we turned a corner on the highway, a monster loomed in the distance: after an entire race with absolutely NO hills, the Washington-Baum Bridge was in sight. After seeing nothing for miles, the 1.05 mi long, 82' high, 650' climb to the top at a 4% grade bridge looked daunting. It actually wasn't too bad and it was nice to use some different muscles. I actually walked through the water stop at mile 22 before actually running up the incline since I knew this was going to be a slower mile for me - and it was. My right calf cramped up a bit, so mile 25 was uncharacteristically ugly for me - usually by then I feel great since I know the end is in sight. If I had to say what disappointed me most with my performance during this race, it would be miles 22, 24, and 25. I ran the tangents the entire course but my Garmin measured the course at 26.48 - it was long.

Pace
Mile 22 - 9:21
Mile 23 - 8:44
Mile 24 - 9:03
Mile 25 - 10:18
Mile 26 - 8:27
Mile 26.48 - 7:13

Finish Line
Really cute area (Manteo) - the town was adorable. Organization? HORRIBLE. You basically walk through the finish line and come out onto a street, and then make a left - everything was located on this block. Family reunion area? Practically non-existent - read the funny story below for more info...

Overall, I am thrilled that I PR'ed and BQ'ed - but my 7:50 pace was definitely a bit aggressive for right now. I don't think it is an unreasonable goal for me at all, but it was for this race. Back in July, my goal was just to run a BQ again - and get back to where I was last November. Mission accomplished. My 1:35 half marathon finish at Divas made me feel like my goal was not aggressive enough. My goal for Boston is going to be to run a sub 3:30 - even if it is a 3:29:59. I will not change my goal, even if I see my paces improving throughout my training. I need to stick to my plan and trust that it will work for me. It definitely worked this time - 5-6 months ago, I was running marathons in 4+ hours and sidelined with an injury. I came back strong, and PR'ed in every fall race that I ran so far. I'm going to stick to what works and continue getting stronger.

A race would not be complete without any stupid Allison stories...just a fall re-cap - forgot my sneaker for the Divas Half in October, gave my key to my friend at the 10 miler and had to wait until the final runner came in to get the key BACK (she got warm while running and gave her jacket to the water station at mile 3) - so waited for about 1 1/2 hours in the freezing cold with no extra clothing. Why not go for the gusto at OBX...

I completely lost my friend at the end of the race. She ran it in 4:01, and I never even saw her finish, even though I was standing RIGHT THERE. After a while, I sat at the family reunion area (which was not very well organized) and finally decided to ride the shuttle back to her car at the start. Turns out, we parked at the elementary school in the AM but were supposed to park at the Wal-mart (1/2 mile away). The bus driver was SO nice and actually drove me (JUST me, haha) to where we parked (actually said he would take me to my hotel if she wasn't there), where I finally found my friend. On the bus, I was carrying my gear bag that I checked at the race start, and the little lunch box they gave us at the finish. Now, when I was waiting for my friend at the finish, I had not picked up my gear bag yet and I decided to put my iPod and water bottle holder in the lunch box. Take a guess as to what I left on the bus...uh-huh...the lunch box. AWESOME job, Allison. I called the lost and found number yesterday, and they are looking for it - but who would turn that in? I would - my husband and I found a wallet this summer in Salt Lake City with $300 in it and we found the kid on Facebook and sent it back - but most people? I'm going to call again today, but looks like I will be needing to buy a new iPod. The iPod I was using was only a year old - because I broke my original one exactly a year ago at the San Antonio Marathon. I told my husband that I will never run a marathon the second weekend in November ever again, since it seems to be cursed for me with iPods.

These races are getting expensive - not because of the travel so much, but because of my stupidity! Also a side note - saw a girl on the course running in my new Brooks shoes and she LOVES them. She was running the full and I saw her at the beginning and again at the end - she looked great. I wore the shoes to break them in all weekend and didn't want to take them off- they were so comfortable. Hoping they are going to be just as comfy to run in. As of now, I am resting today and will run some recover miles this week. I'm ready to begin Boston training...

He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.

- Muhammad Ali

2010-11-12T16:35:00.000-08:00

Runner's World Quote of the Day

Don't be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.

- Belva Davis, broadcast journalist

These quotes seem to come at the BEST times! Dreaming of a PR this Sunday...hope the stars are aligned for me. I've got my goal time ingrained in my head...

Left the Lehigh Valley at 6:30 this morning, and the drive was surprisingly painless. Arrived in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina at 2:30 - so with several bathroom stops and one lunch stop, we made it in eight hours. That was a LOT better than I thought - I was expecting a 10 hour stretch on the road. Sad to not have my husband here, but happy to have good company for the trip. Let the girls' weekend begin!

The story so far...

The Expo

On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the worst and 10 being the best), I would rate the expo around a 6. It was somewhat small, but had some cool vendors. The bibs feature the "B" tag, which was the same type of tag featured at the Amica Marathon. The chip is adhered to the back of your bib - I think it is the best choice and hope to see more of those in the future. Nice short-sleeved technical t-shirt for all marathoners that fit pretty well - the extra small was a LITTLE big, but wearable. Most importantly, they sold official marathon merchandise. I know, I'm lame - but I work hard for these races - I like to train in my race gear! I bought a cute pullover (something I wear often in the winter) and a t-shirt that says "twentysix.two" with the marathon logo on the bottom of the shirt. Cute.

After leaving the expo, we checked into the Holiday Inn Express in Kitty Hawk. In all of my destination marathon running, I've found that the Holiday Inn Express seems to be the best value. Reasonably priced and includes lots of amenities - breakfast, free wi-fi, a refrigerator and microwave in the rooms, and coffee 24 hours a day. I'm pretty low-key, so this is all the comforts of home for me.

To warm up our legs, we ran a super easy 4 miler. We followed the road along the beach, and it was SO windy. Weather report states that the wind is blowing 18-20 mph out there! I was so beat from the car ride, but we still ran the four miles and felt pretty good. Ended up choosing a little pizza joint (which ended up being less than steller but extremely inexpensive) for dinner - I went for a grilled chicken panini, since I had some pizza for lunch. Might be weird, but pizza really agrees with me as a pre-race food. With my weird stomach, I have no idea why or how this is even possible.

Probably not too much more to say until after the race...now that the expo is behind us, all there is to do is relax, carbo-load, go to church, and SLEEP!

2010-11-11T05:28:00.000-08:00

Runner's World Quote of the Day

If you train hard, you'll not only be hard, you'll be hard to beat.

- Herschel Walker, American football player

Ahh, tapering. I look forward to it during my training. Especially during those peak weeks where I am running upwards of 50-60 miles, hitting the track for intervals, and/or doing hill sprints. I wish for the two weeks before the marathon when I can just run...easy...no pressure. As soon as it gets here, I get bored, cranky, and restless. I don't get it! The grass is always greener.

All week I've been occupying my time after school with different random activities...cooking complicated meals, cleaning (if you know me, you know I hate cleaning and I try to take care of all cleaning on the weekends...so this is really an act of desperation), knitting, yoga, going out with friends, etc. What amazes me is the kind of structure running gives my life - even though I am busier while training, I get more accomplished because it keeps me in check. I get used to coming home from work, hitting the streets for my run, and then going about my evening - dinner, yoga, and then hanging out with my husband is the usual routine. While tapering, I feel like I have all the time in the world, but actually end up getting less accomplished overall.

On the horizon after OBX is the Las Vegas Rock and Roll Marathon. I am looking forward to it, and already need to think about being prepared for it. I'm starting my 20 week training plan for Boston after Thanksgiving, so Vegas will be my long run - and I will run it slowly. There is no reason for me to try to run hard at that point - I have 20 weeks of hard running ahead. I really need to sit down with a calendar and figure out how to run the race and not miss any key workouts so early in my training plan. Just like in Rhode Island, I don't want to be sore after the race so I can keep training. I'm mostly excited to go out west for a few days in the middle of my school year. Although the trip kind of falls at a bad time (being so close to the holidays), I am looking forward to a weekend away with my husband.

On the minimalist shoe front, I visited Aardvark yesterday and tried on a few pairs of shoes. I ended up narrowing it down to the Brooks Green Silence and the Saucony Progrid Kinvara. And the winner is...

Brooks Green Silence

I jogged on the treadmill with both, and the Brooks just felt like me. Like an old friend. I'm used to the feel of the shoe and I know how my body responds. They felt really good - almost like I was wearing nothing, but I really didn't miss the support. I'm not going to do anything crazy, like wear them for the race this weekend - but the guys at the store recommended trying them on an easy recovery run next week. I'm running a 5K on Thanksgiving, and they actually recommended trying them out there if they feel OK next week. I'm excited...they feel great and look great. I'm going to wear them to walk around in OBX this weekend, too.

Probably not much else to say until I get down to OBX and hit the expo!!! Fingers crossed that the weekend is beautiful and the race goes well.

2010-11-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

Runner's World Quote of the Day

Some people follow their dreams, others hunt them down and beat them mercilessly into submission.

- Neil Kendall

After my success at the Oley Valley 10 mile run on Sunday, I decided to take my final week of tapering a little more seriously. My training plan for the week included a hard 10 miler, which I took care of on Sunday - but also suggests a 7 mile run, with two miles to warm up at an easy pace, followed by four at marathon pace, and one mile as a cool down. I was supposed to do that yesterday. Instead, a friend asked me to run an easy 6 miler with her. I agreed - I figured whatever I've done at this point is done. We ended up averaging somewhere in the 8:20s, but it felt comfortable - I never felt strained or tired throughout the entire run. Nothing will increase my endurance at this point, and any extra work will result in tired legs on race day.

I've trained hard over the past 20 weeks, and I hope I am ready to race hard. In the past, my marathon training was lacking in many areas. I skipped runs, engaged in poor or minimal speed training, and neglected any type of hill work. My mileage was always inconsistent - one week I'd skip a few runs, and then the next week I would feel badly about it and try to make up for it by tacking on extra miles - usually in the double digits and run at exhausting, irrational paces. I didn't know the meaning of an "easy" run or "recovery" miles - I always thought I had to go out and run each run as if it were a race, which put unnecessary strain on my body. The past 20 weeks challenged me, pushed me past my limits, and increased my dedication and motivation. If I don't PR on Sunday, I'll be disappointed - but I know I have a lot of great spring races coming up, and will just keep on trying. Regardless of what happens, I believe in the training plan I've used and know that I've taken care of my body. I've listened and backed off when necessary, and pushed when I didn't think I could push anymore. Even if I don't run a spectacular time, I feel as though my experience was successful and changed me for the better. My number one goal is to make it through the race injury free, and ready to begin the road to Boston.

All I have left now are two easy four mile runs. I don't even think I will be wearing my watch for those - and I plan to just go out and cruise for those miles. Ideally, I would like to run one of these when we get to the Outer Banks on Friday afternoon - just to get an idea for how it feels to run around the area. We are leaving early Friday morning, and plan to hit the expo on that night. I'm hoping for some good weather on Saturday, so we can go to the beach for a few hours - even if it is only between 60-70 degrees, it would be nice to lay in the sand and relax.

My only other concern right now is avoiding any type of illness. As a teacher, I am surrounded by it - but as a computer teacher, I have 24 germ infested computers in my classroom. I've been washing my hands and using hand sanitizer like crazy, and pretty much drink Airborne and take Zicam around the clock, just to boost my immune system and keep myself healthy. I've been in bed by 9:30 every night the week, and have been making good food choices. I hope I am ready!

I've also been icing my ankle religiously. I don't have any pain, but I found a lot of relief from icing last week so I am going to continue with it through race day. Whatever was up with my ankle responded well and I am just taking precautions. When I wake up in the morning, I spend my coffee time icing my foot before I begin my day. My Achilles felt a bit tight this morning so I iced that too - I will do some gentle yoga stretches for it tonight at the yoga class I am teaching.

In my quest to try a minimalist shoes, I've done a bit of research, and found a few options that interest me. The Nike Free was recommended by several individuals, and then I began looking into different options. I have it narrowed down to four pairs, some are more of a transitional shoe but still in the "minimal" category:

Brooks Launch
Brooks Green Silence
Saucony Progrid Kinvara
Nike Free

I am by NO means an expert on this topic, feel free to throw out some suggestions. For those of you who already adopted the minimalist philosophy, you may not even consider these as minimalist shoes. Of the three, the Brooks Launch and Nike Free weigh the most, and the Launch has the biggest heel to toe differential. None of the options have a "zero" differential (I don't know of any shoes at this point that do, either). The front runners for me right now are actually the Saucony Progrid Kinvara and the Brooks Green Silence. Really, I think the Saucony's might be the best choice but I've never run with that brand before, so that concerns me...Brooks always worked for my feet so I almost feel as though I should stick with what works. It might be time for a trip to my running store, if they carry these options. I know they don't have the Nike Free, but they carry Saucony and Brooks so they might have those models.

For the last bit of news...I signed up for the NYC Marathon! Yay! I signed up for the past two years, but this time have a qualifying time so I should be good. When I logged into my profile and resubmitted my information and added my qualifying time, it still put my status as "In Lottery". Not sure if that means I am in the lottery until they review my time, or I did something wrong. Hmm. I have until April to figure it out.

Oley Valley: A+

2010-11-08T09:58:00.000-08:00

Runner's World Quote of the Day

Before your next marathon, think about a person who helped make your marathon possible. Then consider showing your appreciation by dedicating the race to that person.

- Joe Henderson, American runner, running coach, and writer

Oley Valley...GREAT race! I hate to say it, but it looks like I have a new favorite fall 10 miler. It seemed as though everyone I know who ran it had a great day. Most of my friends were shooting for PRs, and they were successful. As of that morning, I had no idea how to handle the run. I was debating between trying for a PR, or just kicking back and enjoying a nice run through the country. At the start of the race, I found a bunch of the people I met at the trail run a few weeks back. Let me tell you, I am so glad I went to that group run. I really made some really nice friends that day, and it was great to share the Oley experience with them. Really amazing people/athletes who have some incredible accomplishments under their belts. Anyway, I started at the front of the pack and decided, at that moment, to run how I feel as the race progressed. If I felt good, I would go for it, but if I was not feeling it, no big deal. I ended up running a PR - 10 miles in 1:10:54ish (official results not posted yet)! Overall pace? 7:03/mile! Six of my ten miles were in the sub-7 minute range - but I had one that was a 7:17, and another in the 7:20s. I felt great and still feel great today - oddly not even sore.

Everyone who ran yesterday had a great day - all of the friends I traveled with set new PRs or placed in their age group. The course was beautiful - definitely not easy, with rolling hills and a crazy headwind in the later miles. The awards were cute - they gave out porcelain beer mugs with the hex symbol on it, and they were very colorful. The weather was great for running though a bit windier than I would have liked, and it was freezing while we waited for awards. After race concessions included soup and hot chocolate - great amenities. All in all, I can't believe I only paid $20 to run it - I would definitely participate again...and I am looking to do more with the Pagoda Pacers, as they seem to put on a great event.

As for the above quote - not to sound mushy...but it makes me think of my husband. He makes all of my races possible, as weird as that sounds. No, he doesn't spend hours running and training with me - I can barely get him to come out and run a three mile loop, though he is capable of it - but he always asks how my run went when I come back. He will make sure his schedule works with mine on weekends where I have long runs and races so I can still train, and we can do things afterward like go for dinner, go to church, and spend time with each other. He comes to my marathons, and spends hours just waiting for me to run by. Last year, he even biked 13.1 miles to the half marathon point on the Run for the Red course, and then 13.1 miles by my side to encourage me as I struggled. My husband is in good shape, but he hasn't biked more than a mile in years, yet he did that for me that day since he knew I was injured and would need his support. He never complains about the hours we spend traveling to countless marathons. He will not be coming to OBX - but only because one of my friends is doing it with me and we are doing a "girls" weekend. I'm dedicating my run to him.

Game on

2010-11-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

Runner's World Quote of the Day

Running well is a matter of having the patience to persevere when we are tired and not expecting instant results.

- Robert de Castella, World champion marathon runner

Great quote. I need to remind myself of this often!

Doctor appointment was today, and it went well! She gave me some range of motion exercises to start after the OBX marathon. The diagnosis? Weak ankles. Could turn into shin splints if I don't watch it, but she was very positive. Funny part is, I know I have weak ankles - I had an issue with this when training for the Shamrock Marathon in 2009. I used to do "ankle alphabets" (drawing the alphabet with your ankle) everyday, and then I began to slack off. I figured that all of the balance poses in yoga were great for ankle strength, so I was covered. In addition to some physical therapy exercises, she suggested a series of strengthening poses from the July issue of Runners World, The Quick Fix, which she likes because of the muscles it targets. I'd like to do some more trail running since I felt such a soreness in my ankles afterward - maybe shorter distances to start, though.

I showed her my shoes and insoles, and she was very pleased with what I am using. She suggested wearing more of a minimalist shoe for shorter runs and the ankle therapy exercises she prescribed since it will force my body to even itself out. I'm thinking of checking out the Nike Free's, as she is the second person to mention those to me. On a more superficial note, they are super cute so I can see myself wearing them more often, which could be a good thing to help work on my balance/alignment. I might end up going through them a bit faster, though. Aardvark, our local running store, does not sell them so I might have to order them online...I hate cheating on Aardvark!

Yesterday's run went really well. Ended up being nearly 8 miles, not 7! When I do speed, I really miscalculate my mileage. I was able to hold a nice pace for the two ten minute half marathon intervals, and my easy miles felt great. My ankle felt fine, no increase in pain at all it's actually much better today. Instead of using Saturday as my rest from running, I'm resting today. I had a bit of a headache and was exhausted from the week. Rather than run myself down even more, I decided to save the run for my favorite time of the week - Saturday morning. I popped some Airbourne this afternoon, since I've been surrounded by students all week that are coughing, sneezing, and gross. Just want to stay nice and healthy for next week's race.

That's a Wrap!

2010-11-04T07:39:00.000-07:00

Runner's World Quote of the Day

I'm not sure that I can describe what has been called the "runner's high," but like poetry and beauty, I know it when I experience it.

- Matthew Shafner, Runner

I've been so busy the past few days...but...my final long run was complete as of Tuesday, and I am enjoying my taper! I had a day of rest yesterday so I just did some light yoga in the evening. My body really needed it.

Not only is the 18 miler over, but I'm very pleased with how it went. Warmed up with the first two miles between 8:40-50, then ran my marathon pace +20 seconds/mile for 14 miles! Each mile was an 8:10 or slightly under, with the exception of one mile - I threw a bit of a hissy fit. It was somewhere between miles 11-12, when I decided to stop for a some GU. I reached down to touch my ankle "bruise" (which surfaced during my 23 mile run) and it felt tender to the touch. It doesn't hurt at all when I run, walk, hop, etc - just to the touch. Anyway, it was definitely more tender from when I left so I got upset. That mile was an 8:30...but, I felt significantly better after throwing my little fit and ran the last two of my speed miles at a sub-8 minute pace to even everything out. So there. Final two cool-down miles were below a 9 minute pace, and felt comfortable. Overall pace was an 8:16/mile, including warm-up and cool-down. Finished in 2:29:03...SWEET!

After resting yesterday and icing a few times, I have almost no pain at all in my ankle. I'm wondering if it is a touch of tendonitis - which would make sense, since I overtrained like an idiot right at the end. I made a doctor's appointment just for peace of mind, and I am going to go on Friday. The nurse at the office of my sports medicine physician who I spoke with did not seem very concerned. She told me to ice frequently and keep running as long as there is no pain while I am doing it. Which is the case - it is only feels tender to the touch. It feels fine today - doesn't hurt when I walk or do pretty much anything - I just want to play it safe.

I am more interested in finding out what may have happened to cause this. Sure, there were a few tough runs that occurred a little too close together - but there are a few factors to consider:

My ankles were sore in this exact spot after the trail run - could I have aggravated the tendon there?
I wore the Brooks Ravenna's for my long run this week (but I also wore them for the Rhode Island Marathon with no problems), and they are fairly newer - I previously ran in the Adrenaline's or Axioms - maybe it isn't the right shoe for me?
I twisted my ankle several times running in the dark recently - maybe this aggravated the tendon?

It might sound absurd, but I plan to visit the doctor anytime I feel even just a little off, or there is a nagging pain that won't go away for the rest of my Boston training. I feel very good right now, and I feel well prepared, and I want to keep it that way. Following OBX, I plan to rest and run only at an easy pace - no intervals or hill sprints - and then start my Boston training at the end of November. I plan to use Las Vegas as a long run - slow, slow, slow - I am not looking to PR there, just complete the state and move on.

My plan for today is somewhere around a 7 mile run. It is supposed to be a threshold run, and I am to warm up for two miles and cool down for three (so at a nice, easy pace). In between the warm-up and cool-down I am supposed to do two 10 minute intervals at half-marathon pace with a two minute recovery in between. I'm going to complete as scheduled but if something feels off, I will back off and finish the run at an easy pace. Since I am taking a half-day for my doctor's appointment tomorrow, I'll be able to get my easy 4 miler in before I go. It is, however, cold and rainy outside and I don't want to get sick. I could always suck it up and go to the gym and complete it on the dreaded torture device...the treadmill. Ugh. Hate the treadmill.

Really looking forward to tomorrow night...five year anniversary with my husband and we are going to our favorite restaurant, Bolete, to celebrate. I'm planning on enjoying the chef's tasting menu with the wine pairings, which is a six course ordeal. The best part? No long run on Saturday, and I get to burn it all of on Sunday at the Oley Valley 10 mile run!

The Last "Long" Run

2010-11-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

My five easy miles felt great yesterday. The weather was beautiful, and I just went out nice and easy. Ran about an 8:43 pace, and enjoyed every second of it. I went by myself, and was just able to zone out to my iPod...I need days like that. My ankle feels great, and my legs are not sore. However, I know today will not be as easy...I have my last "long" run scheduled for after school ...a hard 18 miler. Uh-oh.

As I've said before, running long distances in the morning? No problem. Bring it on. After a full day of teaching? Not so much. Today is not going to be easy, either - I can't just cruise at my comfortable pace. Unless I go out and feel completely awful, I am supposed to warm-up for two miles, and then run my marathon pace +20 seconds/mile for the next 14 miles...at which time I can cool-down for the final two miles. Since I am aiming for a 7:50/mile marathon pace, +20 seconds puts me at an 8:10 pace for the hard portion of today's run. Eeek. I feel pretty good - just didn't get the best night's sleep last night, and hope that doesn't affect me. I've been sitting at my desk for most of the day today since I am grading student notebooks and gave an independent assignment out so I don't have to be on my feet too much, so that should help. I guess we'll see how it goes. If I can get out running by 3:30, then I'll be back just as it starts getting dark!

Good thing I threw dinner in the crock pot today - no preparation necessary so I can eat right when I am done running. I'll definitely be taking advantage of the ice bath I plan to take afterward, and I am excited to have a rest day from running tomorrow!

Marathon Pace Run

2010-10-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

Woke up this morning, and began to ease myself out of bed the way I usually do the day after a long run: slowly sit up and get out of bed, test my legs out walking down the stairs, do some light stretching, etc. Realized pretty quickly that I was not sore...at all? What is that all about? As a matter of fact, I felt surprisingly good. My first thought was, At least my 5 mile run should go pretty smoothly.

As I drank my coffee and reviewed my training plan for the week, I started to realize though it was my 2nd last week of training, and though many of the runs are a bit easier, I still have two tough runs to conquer. As I sat in church, I thought, Should I try the 7 mile threshold run? I really do feel fine...hmmm.

After church, we went to Johnny's Bagels on Main Street in Bethlehem, and I ordered a bagel with peanut butter. I was talking to my husband, saying how how I should have had this breakfast yesterday before my long run...and a thought crossed my mind. Do I dare attempt the 11 mile marathon pace run that I planned for Thursday? It would be great to get it out of the way today...my legs would be much fresher for next Sunday's 10 mile road race in Oley Valley...I have such a stressful week ahead...this would be one less thing to stress over...

I know, I know. I know better. After my lovely spring (note the sarcasm), I should know better than to do back to back tough runs. Trust me, I don't plan to make a habit of it and WILL make sure to plan better so this doesn't happen again. I've been good about following up my long or difficult runs with easy runs to keep my legs fresh. Everything would have worked out fine this week if I would have done my long run last Sunday - at the beginning of the week - rather than at the end. Poor planning on my part - thought I was doing the right thing because of the Rhode Island Marathon. I still have a tough 18 miler this week, and the 11 miler on top of it was stressing me out. So...I did it...and it went, well, pretty well. Really well, actually - just afraid to jinx things by saying that. Miles 1 and 2 were warm-up miles and I kept them around an 8:45 pace, same for my final cool-down mile. The eight miles in between? 7:55 and under. Mainly around 7:55, because my goal marathon pace is a 7:50 and I was supposed to run five seconds slower than my goal pace. It felt great - the weather was perfect, and I felt great. I definitely did not feel as though I ran 23 miles the day before. Overall pace with warm-up and cool-down was an 8:06. I was thrilled.

Planning my easy 5 mile run for tomorrow - for real this time! I am looking forward to an easier run, and I plan to stick to that. I'll do my 18 miler on Tuesday, and then rest days on Wednesday and Saturday. I am looking forward to those. Once I get past Tuesday, I think I am in the clear...and into my taper. Bruise on my ankle seems to be better - it is actually right where the bottom of my Under Armor pants cut into my leg and where the tongue of my shoe rubs. Wonder if it has something to do with that? Who knows...at any rate, I wore my Brooks Ravennas and shorts, whereas I had on the Brooks Adrenalines and the pants yesterday. Also went to Aardvark (our local running store) and purchased a second pair of insoles. The last ones were a bit short because I cut them for my Mizunos, and then I switched back to my good old Brooks. Love them - the technology the company uses stabilizes your heel to keep your body in alignment while running.

Anyway, fingers crossed that I didn't overdo it...

The Suspense is OVER!

2010-10-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

So, I was sitting at work yesterday and I had my e-mail open, and I saw the little number pop up telling me I had one new message. Over the past two weeks, that little number telling me that I have new e-mails has actually become a source of annoyance and disappointment. Each time, I would think, It's here! My email from Boston! The disappointment would settle in when I would find that it was only J. Crew informing me that I could get 20% off if I open a credit card, or Crate and Barrel offering me a free Wusthof 3-piece starter set, or Ann Taylor Loft telling me about the great 30% off of everything if I shop this Saturday. Until yesterday...I saw the little number appear, proceeded to roll my eyes in frustration...until I clicked...RE: Boston Marathon Entry Confirmation!! FINALLY!

Dear Allison M. Fiorini,

This is to notify you that your entry into the 115th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 18, 2011 has been accepted, provided that the information you submitted is accurate.

You can verify your acceptance into the field by searching the 115th Boston Marathon Entrants database on the B.A.A. web site. Additionally, a Confirmation of Acceptance card will be mailed to you via US Postal Service mail.

We look forward to seeing you in April! Best of luck in your training!

Sincerely,

Boston Athletic Association

What a great way to end my Friday workday! Thankfully, I was sitting in an in-service writing curriculum - and only two of my close friends were in the room with me. I actually jumped out of my chair and skipped around the room. What am I, five years old? I'm just glad I was with friends so I didn't have to hide my enthusiasm and act professional. Who am I kidding, I'd probably do the same thing if I had a classroom full of kids. Friday was already a good day simply because it was Friday, we had a half day with students and a half day of in-service - now it was also the day that Boston became official!

Yesterday's run was an easy paced four miler, and I ran with a fellow Boston qualifier yesterday afternoon. About an 8:42 overall, and it felt really good. Not sure what happened this morning, though - ended up having company for the entire 23 mile run, which was nice. A friend who is running OBX and traveling to the race with me decided to come along. I was only scheduled for an easy paced run, so we started at 5:30am and held just under a 9 minute mile for the first 10 miles. I was looking to run 60-90 seconds slower per mile than my goal marathon pace, so 9 minute miles fit in perfectly. I don't know why, but I just felt tired and couldn't settle into a comfortable pace today - it felt all over the place. When we met my other friend for the second 10 mile loop, we held about the same pace, but finished mile 20 at an 8 minute mile. I didn't feel warmed up until mile 19 - the last four miles were all 8:45 and under. My final mile? 7:37. Where was my energy the entire run? My legs feel great now - not like I ran 23 miles.

Part of the reason I feel pretty great might have something to do with my post long run ritual. I started this over the summer and it really seems to aid in my recovery. Immediately following my run, I make it a point to:

1. Make a protein smoothie
2. Change into dry clothes and wash my face
3. Stretch for about 15-20 minutes
4. Elevate my legs - 1 minute for every 15 minutes of running
5. Ice bath with a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate
6. Warm shower
7. FOOD!

Needless to say, I am feeling better now. My front of my left ankle is a bit sore - it feels like a bruise. Not completely inconceivable since I had two really good tripping instances when it was dark out. Probably just tweaked it a bit, going to test it out tomorrow and see what the deal is. Doesn't hurt when I walk or press on it, sometimes I touch it the wrong way and a I feel a little pain - like the pain of a bruise.

On the 50 Marathon horizon, I've decided on a new goal to accelerate the process. 12/12/12: 12 marathons in 12 months in 2012! It will definitely be a challenge, and if I actually do what I have planned plus my new goal, I will have completed 31 states. I actually came up with a TENTATIVE line up...this will most likely change:

12/12/12 Challenge

January: Mississippi Blues Marathon, MS
February: Myrtle Beach Marathon, SC
March: Publix Georgia Marathon (formerly the ING Atlanta race), GA
April: Kentucky Derby Marathon, KY
May: Eugene, Oregon Marathon, OR
June: Casper Marathon, WY
July: Missoula Marathon, MT
August: Mesa Falls Marathon, ID
September: Sioux Falls Marathon, SD
October: ING Hartford Marathon, CT
November: Marshall University Marathon, WV
December: St. Jude Marathon, TN

Lots of oddball states in there...and also notice the LACK of Rock 'N Roll Races! I am running the Las Vegas Rock 'N Roll and then plan on not to running any more from that series unless it is the only way to complete the state. Love the energy, t-shirts, and medals but it isn't my favorite series. I was actually going to make the exception and do the Country Music Marathon, but Memphis has the St. Jude Marathon and the proceeds benefit the children's hospital. I can't think of a better cause to support - and St. Jude is my favorite so it seems fitting. Of the entire schedule, the race that will not change even if I decide not to pursue this is the Eugene, Oregon Marathon. Looks incredible.

Going to see how my legs feel before I decide on a game plan for tomorrow...or the rest of my week!

Progression Runs

2010-10-29T02:38:00.000-07:00

Runner's World Quote of the Day

People often ask how I stay motivated, particularly on my long runs - but I actually enjoy running. It makes me feel alive and free. When I'm running along the coast or through beautiful forest, I can't imagine anything better. Of course there are days (afternoons especially) when I'm tired and I think it might be nice not to have to train - but it's when you conquer a tough session that you were nervous about that you feel the best.

- Paula Radcliffe

I can't believe how "me" this quote is...every word of it. I love running, especially when it is beautiful out, or I am in a new place. During the entire Rhode Island Marathon, I had a smile on my face the whole time - it was so gorgeous, the weather was perfect, the whole DAY was perfect. Most afternoons are really tough for me and it would be easier to not have to run, but then I would miss out on all of the great experiences I've had. The last three tough speed sessions? I was nervous that I was going to fall apart. I definitely felt awesome afterward and feel hopeful that I could accomplish what I did each time.

My progression run yesterday actually went fairly well. I was not feeling it - after a long week, I had a headache and I was exhausted. My first mile was somewhere in the 8:40s, then upper 8:30s, lower 8:30s, 8:20s, 8:10s, and then a sub-8:00 mile. Not too bad for how badly I was feeling. On Thursdays, I take a 6pm yoga class and teach a 7:30pm class - I totally died in the first one and had to back out of a lot of postures. It was good that I did, because I had a ton of energy for my class - it was an extremely challenging class!

Gearing up for my looooong run on Saturday...23 miles. Looks like I will do 13 by myself and then 10 with a friend - so at least I will have some company for some of it. For today, easy four mile run and pizza for dinner. Yum!

Back to Back Runs, Intensity, and Exhaustion!

2010-10-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

Now that I am nearly three weeks away from the end of my training for the OBX Marathon, I am running a significant amount of miles and days per week. I added an extra run this week to make up for the hill sprints I missed a few weeks back when I was under the weather, making this a six day running week for me. Really, it all will depend on how my legs are feeling after work today - I have a 6 mile progression run planned, but I technically don't have to do it since I did the extra run on Sunday. My legs are still pretty tired from Tuesday's speed workout so I will see how I feel when I leave work today. I also have to make it through three hours of yoga, and some of that includes time I am teaching this evening. Thursdays are the hardest day of the week for me, and make me look forward to Friday more than ever.

My next training plan has 14-16 weeks where I am supposed to be running six days each week. I need to make sure I am eating right, taking vitamins, and getting enough rest or I will get burned out and/or injured quickly. I admire people who run seven days per week, every week...just thinking about adding a sixth day seems like a sizable effort for me. When I began running, I was happy with three days per week. Training for my first marathon got me running four days per week, and now somehow five became standard for me. I enjoy this volume - it is a reasonable commitment in my life and allows enough rest and recovery time in between difficult runs. If I feel that six days are too much and I begin feeling overwhelmed, I will cut back to five. If I am not enjoying it, there is no point - I'm not an elite runner and will never be, so why put my body through that?

What started me thing thinking about all of this was my run yesterday...all I had on the schedule was four easy miles plus some hill sprints. However, this run followed Tuesday's speed run, which was quite possibly one of my most difficult speed sessions yet. I don't know that I've ever done speed with the intensity I am doing now. Compared to last year when I first started incorporating speed training, I was following a speed plan that was mainly on the treadmill and resembled something like quarter mile repeats. It was difficult, but what I am doing now is more challenging and targets my specific weaknesses.

I find that when I am outside and on a training run, maintaining a specific race pace is difficult for me. Threshold runs seem to target exactly this particular weakness and have challenged me more than every over the past 17 weeks. Although I usually dread these types of runs, I am looking forward to continuing the momentum and see where they can take me.

Anyway, back to my point...the four mile run. I went out pretty easy yesterday, about 90 seconds per mile slower than my goal marathon pace. I expected to speed up and hold an easy pace of about 60 seconds per mile slower than my goal marathon pace, but I struggled through the entire run. My body was showing signs of exhaustion - legs didn't want to move, cramps in both side, etc. Looking back on the day, I got a great night's sleep the night before (in bed by 8:30pm) and I also made sure to eat and drink enough during the day. When/if I try for the progression run today, I will not exceed a moderate pace and will turn around if the effort is too great. It isn't worth risking an injury.

I think once my body gets used to the six day running cycle, this is actually going to be a factor that will cause improvement. As long as I am watching how my body responds to back to back runs of this intensity, I feel it could be beneficial and increase my endurance significantly. If I don't listen to my body and follow the adaptive training philosophy, I will end up injured. The key is adjusting my training based on how my body feels, and being able to recognize when it is getting to be too much. After last winter/spring, I hope I am responsible enough to do this.

Which brings me back to cross training. Still haven't done much of it besides yoga, and I plan to keep it that way. I will start swimming again when I begin my Boston training, but again - no more than twice per week. My adaptive training program discusses cross training and advocates only doing it when necessary - and to keep it to a minimum. Swimming and yoga are fun for me, so I will continue with both. Since I've cut back on the swimming and increased the yoga, I've noticed I am not as bulky. In the spring, I was swimming a lot more and noticed a bit of bulkiness, so even when I do begin to swim again, I'll be keeping it to 2500 meters at the most.

Kind of rambling about everything today...still waiting for confirmation from Boston and wish I could hear something now. Two more tough runs left in my training cycle - Saturday's 23 miler, and then an 18 miler next week that is starting to scare me - two mile warm-up, 14 at marathon pace + 20 seconds, two mile cooldown. It's looking like I need to do that on Tuesday again...scary.

Rough Speed Session

2010-10-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

Sooooo glad that yesterday's run is DONE! Even more glad that I decided to take a complete rest day on Monday...I would have been drained if I hadn't done that. If I were able to complete that run in the morning, I think it would have been so fun. Even though I felt awful, it went by so fast because I had so much to "do" - between the warm-up, several miles at marathon pace and then the repeats at half marathon pace, recoveries, and cool-down. Thankfully, I miscalculated how many miles it would end up being - it was only 13.3. Probably could have hit 14 miles if I ran faster during my recoveries but I was pretty beat. Felt pretty tired going into the run, and was worried because the 2 mile warm-up was tough and I struggled to keep the pace sub-8:50. Once I picked it up for the first four miles of speed, things got rough. I think if it were a Saturday morning it would have been fine to maintain half marathon pace, but I kept it closer to my goal marathon pace.

By the time my first three minute recovery came around, I was so ready for the break and took full advantage by slowing to a very slow jog. The 4x1 mile repeats weren't as difficult - probably because I knew I just had to hang in there for a mile. I was able to maintain half marathon pace for those (not as fast as Saturday or last Wednesday...those were great runs!) and slowed for the recovery in between each. By the final two cool down miles, I was beat - but still kept them under a 9 minute pace. Overall, 8:17 pace with my warm-up, cool-down and recoveries. I was happy with that, especially since I didn't really feel all that great. Ended up sick to my stomach the rest of the night and could barely enjoy the homemade baked ziti I made over the weekend. Oh well, that's what leftovers are for.

Only a few miles on the schedule for today with some brief hill sprints. My legs feel surprisingly good - the only soreness I feel is actually from Sunday's trail run! Totally different type of sore - my lower shins, calves, and ankles are sore - I've never felt that from road running. Makes me think I want to do it again because I am working muscles that are otherwise neglected. Besides the 23 mile run scheduled for Saturday AM, the rest of the week is now pretty easy. I'm actually looking forward to Thursday's run, since it is a progression run and I haven't had one of those in my training plan for awhile. Even the 23 miles are only supposed to be run at an "easy" pace, so I don't care how long it ends up taking me...even if I run 11 minute miles. I have a pretty hard long run scheduled for next week so I have to save my legs for that, anyway. I plan to do some yoga this afternoon after my run to stretch out whatever I did to them yesterday. I have to teach a class this evening, so really I should feel pretty good after all of that.

Unless I hear from Boston, that's all for now!

Act as if you already are...

2010-10-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

Runner's World Quote of the Day:

Act as if you already are. This is one of the many mantras that we employ when it comes time to go after a goal that is beyond what has already been accomplished. Breaking new ground physically requires you to first break that mental barrier so that it can come into being.

-Terrence Mahon

As I wait impatiently to be able to officially say I am running Boston this year, I am planning my training and goals for the big race. I've started to feel even more impatient as several of my friends already received confirmation. I actually called the BAA (if you haven't figured it out, I am crazy and obsessive) and spoke to a really nice woman on the phone who verified that my application has not yet been processed. Whew. She informed me that it could be weeks before I hear something, ugh! Anyway, in Boston, I would like to run a really strong race since it is a privilege to be able to take part in such a historical event.

As I read through my emails this morning, the above quote was the Runner's World Quote of the Day. It made me think about Boston and what I would like to run in terms of pace. I'll really pinpoint my goal after running OBX - if I can run near or under 3:30, then my goal would be closer to 3:20 for Boston. I'll have to see how the next race goes before I decide anything, but the quote from today was a great way to get my mind thinking in terms of my goals.

Thinking back to running the Diva Half Marathon, I definitely can see how breaking through mental barriers is important. I was in such a different frame of mind that day - mainly because I started with the elite runners and felt like I had something to prove. In my mind, I had to keep up with them for as long as I could. If I can figure out how to get into that mindset again before OBX, I think I can break 3:30. Maybe just thinking I am going to break 3:30 is a way to get myself there...1:35 was my goal time for a half, but I thought I was a long way off from that. Leading up to that day, I had that goal stuck in my head, and just did it. As I ran the race, I thought to myself, Don't let your watch go above a 7:18. As the miles flew by and the pace stayed consistent, it got easier and easier to maintain. I truly believe that at least half of my performance that day was due to my frame of mind. I wasn't too sore afterwards, so I think my body was ready to hold that kind of pace. Would A 7:50 pace be too ambitious for OBX? Who knows!

When I started training this summer, I didn't think of setting any pace goals - my goal was to finish my entire 20 week training plan injury free and build up a significant amount of endurance so I could focus on pace for the spring. Now I am not sure what my body is ready for. I felt relaxed and comfortable for the entire race in Rhode Island. Realistically, I should really focus on maintaining anything to break 3:49 in OBX.

As for this week, I didn't realize how hard it actually is going to be. I ended up taking a rest day yesterday because I realized how much energy I needed for my run today:

Today (Tuesday): Threshold Run/Specific Endurance Intervals: 2 mile warm-up, 4 miles @ marathon or half-marathon pace, 3 minute recovery. 4x1 mile at marathon or half-marathon pace with 3 minute recoveries in between. 2 mile cool down (probably about 14 miles).

Wednesday: 4 easy miles + hill sprints

Thursday: 6 mile progression run - last 4 miles moderate

Friday: 4 easy miles

Saturday: 23 miles, easy pace

Once I complete this run today, it gets a bit easier until Saturday. It is bright, sunny, and warm out - so it may be a tough run. I'm thinking of shooting for marathon pace for the first four miles of speed - if I feel good, I will pick it up to half marathon pace in the mile repeats.

Crossing my fingers that the BAA gets to me sometime soon...

Trail Running Trial

2010-10-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

Not sure I realized what I was getting myself into today - but what a fun morning!!! Met with a group of people for a group run organized through the Lehigh Valley Running Scene site. Finally got to meet the woman who organized it, who I've spoken to online often but never actually met in person! What a fun morning filled with new friends and new experiences.

I knew it was a "trail" run, but it was definitely NOT what I expected! I've never gone trail running before, unless you count Lehigh Parkway (which you definitely should not, and I now know better). In my mind, the gravel path of Lehigh Parkway was what I imagined for the run at the Trexler Game Preserve today. Not even 25 feet into the run I realized that I was very, very wrong. Obstacles everywhere - rocks, fallen trees, tree stumps, ditches, creeks, mud, etc- to me, this was a real trail (who knows, I am not a trail running expert, I suppose it could get crazier than what I experienced today!). The uphill portions were so steep that even the seasoned trail runners walked when they reached a hill. I had more trouble with the downhill than anything - I was terrified of slipping and tumbling down the enormous descents and breaking something.

The views were magnificent - clear skies, open fields, and the beautiful colors of fall surrounded us. A portion of the run literally crosses over a creek - again, it was not what I pictured! When I read the description of the run, I was so naive and pictured a little stream that you could high step to get across without getting too wet. In reality, the water went up to my calves and soaked my shoes completely through! Luckily, I wore an old pair of running sneakers, so I didn't mind...they are currently on my back patio drying out!

Besides the trail running group, there was no one else in sight as we ran the 8.5 mile loop. It was so peaceful, and a great start to the week. I particularly enjoyed running with the people I met today. It was a completely different frame of mind - many of the runners were avid trail runners and ultra-marathoners, so it wasn't all about the pace. Today was more more about the experience of good company and enjoying your time in the wilderness. Everyone was so friendly, and had such great energy - I really enjoyed hearing the stories of others and the types of races they run. One thing I have to say, trail runners have incredible strength and endurance. It was a very humbling experience, and I am so glad I gave it a shot. I showed up thinking, "Hey, if someone is doing the loop twice, I am in. It will only be 17 miles - no big deal." HA! Just because I can run a marathon does NOT mean I can hang with the trail runners!

Would I do it again? Absolutely! I might not try it again until after Boston, since I don't want to run the risk of twisting an ankle or breaking something before the big race. Sure, it could happen anywhere - but knowing my luck and level of klutziness...I better wait to do it again.

I thought my legs would be more sore from yesterday, but I am glad they aren't. My hamstring seems to be all healed up, whatever the issue was - I am now completely convinced that it was in my yoga class on Thursday, and it was during one of the four prasaritas. After the run today, I made it to a mysore class at the studio with my favorite teacher. She pointed out something with my form that actually could cause a hamstring pull. When she was explaining what I was doing and what I should actually be doing, I mentioned how my left hamstring was tender after class on Thursday, particularly after that pose. Makes a LOT of sense, and that pose could certainly be the culprit.

For this week, the runs I have planned are not too bad - but I have a 23 miler on Saturday. Next week, however, it is a pretty tough week - but then it gets a bit easier in the week leading up to the marathon. Looking forward to the trip, the race, the expo, the beach - really just the whole experience! It's something like 19 days away...I can't believe it! The fall is just flying by.

Threshold Run SUCCESS!

2010-10-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

Woke up pretty early this AM, especially for a Saturday. I didn't have intentions on running until about 9am - just wanted to savor the fact that I have no plans at all for today and could take my sweet time. A bit before 9, I started getting my act together and headed out for my 10 mile threshold run. Per my last post, I did a 8 mile threshold run on Wednesday, and it kicked my butt (by accident)! My expectations for today were not high, especially since I went faster than I intended to on Wednesday. Planned on holding about a sub-9 minute pace for the first and last two miles, and then maybe an 8 minute pace for the six miles in the middle. Here is how it really went down:

Mile 1 - 8:49
Mile 2 - 8:42
Mile 3 - 7:20
Mile 4 - 7:19
Mile 5 - 7:31
Mile 6 - 7:28
Mile 7 - 6:54 (yeah...not sure how that happened???)
Mile 8 - 7:21
Mile 9 - 8:36
Mile 10 - 8:45
Overall Pace: 7:53
Time: 1:18:51

Whew! That was not what I expected to happen, but I felt (and still feel) great! The six miles in the middle were supposed to be run at half marathon pace, but I thought that was a bit ambitious for today. According to my most recent half, I was hitting the mark for those miles (I held about a 7:17 the Diva Half). I was just surprised at my energy level today since I left for the run feeling a bit tired and had a slight headache. I also have a really hard time training at race pace and dread when I see that in my training plans - usually end up 20-30 seconds slower (lack of adrenaline?). I just took today one mile at a time, and kept thinking, "Just finish this mile at this pace. See how it goes. Don't get ahead of yourself." At any rate, even if I DON'T PR at the Outer Banks Marathon, I will feel good about my training and have a positive mindset going into the race, particularly because of the last two threshold runs, the Diva Half, and the Rhode Island Marathon.

It is amazing how much better I feel when I run in the morning and begin when my body is ready. For example, I ran 6 miles at an easy pace after work yesterday. I was exhausted and drained from the week, and my pace was 8:57/mile, finishing the run in 53:48:18. Same with my easy 4 miler the day before - I was lucky to hit an 8:50, and that was only because of my pace on the hill sprints at the end. On days like those, I can't fathom running any faster even if my life depended on it. I often find myself wishing I could do all of my runs in the morning...but on the other hand, I wonder if maybe the really tough afternoon runs help increase my strength and endurance. I just know I like how I feel when I run in the morning versus what I encounter in the afternoon - the fatigue, stomach problems, ugh!

Last school year, I'd hit the treadmill by 4:30 in the morning and do 10 mile speed workouts before work. It may have hurt me more than it helped me - I find I am getting much stronger by doing my speed outside, either on a track or during my normal run (like today - the six faster paced miles were on whatever challenges my 10 mile course threw at me - uphill, downhill, flat, windy, chilly, etc). By doing speed outside, my body can do what it is ready and able to do in conditions that likely mimic what I would find in a race. I hope to continue running outdoors as much as possible through the winter, regardless of the conditions...though the ice and snow makes holding any type of faster pace a little more difficult. I've seen those silly looking shoe covers at Aardvark that help maintain traction on your shoes when you run in poor conditions. Wonder if they are worth trying...???

As I begin preparing for my training for Boston (pending my acceptance, of course - I refuse to assume I am in just because I applied - that is grounds for disappointment!), I find myself wondering how I fit so many more workouts in last year. I somehow ran five days per week, swam two or three times per week, and did yoga at the yoga studio nearly everyday. Again, it was the morning workouts on the treadmill...but I am hesitant to resort to those since I really have seen improvement in my times since I've done less cross training and more running. I don't mean that I want to give up cross training - I think I just lost sight of what I was really training for. As I said yesterday, I am going to really focus on running first, yoga second, and then add some light swimming in just for the extra endurance. Besides, I love swimming and it is an incredible workout...I am going to start again after OBX training is over, since I am hitting some really difficult weeks and don't think I should introduce more activities at this point in the game. Only way I will swim now is if I do some morning swims one of my friends who often does easy swims before work. Besides that, I won't go out of my way. I think doing the morning and evening workouts may have burned me out - I don't know that I want to do anything more than some nice easy yoga practices in the morning before work.

Lots of rambling today...going to do a light yoga practice now, and then spend my day relaxing! Group run tomorrow morning with the Lehigh Valley Running Scene group - can't wait to run with some new friends in a new area.

Tight Hamstrings!

2010-10-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

Nice easy 4 miler yesterday with some hill sprints. Overall, held an 8:50 pace for the run - just wanted to keep it easy. Planning a 6 miler today, easy pace - looking to hit a 9:00 mile. My left hamstring feels a bit tight/sore - I felt it in yoga last night. On Thursdays, I take a 6pm Ashtanga class (full primary series) and then teach a level 2/3 Power Fusion class at 7:30. When you do the primary series, there are several poses that can aggravate your hamstrings. In the standing sequence, any of the prasaritas (standing forward bend with wide legs) will do it. During the seated sequence, there are a TON of seated forward bends - all can aggravate your hamstrings - . Anyway, during the primary series, I felt some soreness in my left hamstring. It is still lingering today so I am going to take it easy when I am running and try to loosen it up.

Still planning my threshold run for tomorrow as long as my hamstring feels good. I need to keep up the yoga practice and make sure I am practicing at least 4-5 days per week - Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. I didn't practice on Monday since I took a complete rest day, and then Tuesday I intended to practice but had my car accident and just took a nice long nap. Got to practice briefly with the class I teach on Wednesday, and then had a good practice last night. Being consistent will help me to avoid injuries (like tweaked hamstrings).

When I begin Boston training, I have to make sure I continue cross training. Besides yoga, I've been terrible at it. My membership to the pool expired and I need to renew it - swimming is a great way to cross train through the winter, since I am a fair weather road biker. Although my weeks will change based on my schedule, I plan on following something like this for Boston training:

Monday: AM Yoga, Run
Tuesday: AM Yoga, Run
Wednesday: Skiing (helping with ski/board club at school)/Swimming when ski and board club ends
Thursday: Run/PM yoga at LV Yoga
Friday: Run
Saturday: Run/Swim
Sunday: Run/AM Mysore at LV Yoga

Pictures were posted on the Capstone site from the Amica Marathon! Came out pretty cute. Here is what I have:

Not all of them are cute but at least I am starting to look for the photographers so I can avoid some of the really super terrible shots that I used to come away with. There are still some scary ones, but they aren't as terrible as they were before!

Really glad it is Friday...this hasn't been my week! I am looking forward to a nice girls weekend for the Outer Banks Marathon! My husband is staying home for that one, and I am going down with my girls! I can't WAIT!!

Threshold Run Mishap

2010-10-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

First run since the Rhode Island Marathon yesterday. Planned on doing a threshold run: two mile warm-up and cool-down, with two 15 minute pick-ups at half marathon pace and a one minute recovery in between. Came home, changed and grabbed my usual running gear - which includes my Garmin, of course. My Garmin screen is usually set to display the following data fields: Time, Distance, Lap Pace (pace for the current mile), and Average pace (pace for the overall run). Completely forgot that I was playing with my Garmin in the car and messed with the data fields, and I mistakenly had "Average Pace" twice, and no field set to "Lap Pace".

I set out for my run, aiming for 8:50ish to be my easy pace. I felt good and comfortably settled in around an 8:40. I knew my two 15 minute increments might not be too impressive since I just did the marathon on Sunday, but I figured I would just do what felt comfortable for my body. My watched beeped at mile 2, and I began to speed up. I looked down, still not realizing that it was set to "Average Pace" for both data fields and started to get frustrated. I was at an 8:40 for the first two miles and it felt effortless, and now I was picking it up and my watch read 8:27 and it felt like death. I picked up my pace and felt as though I was in an all out sprint, but my Garmin only began to show my pace improvement very slowly. What was going on???

Garmin finally read 8:00 pace, and then I looked at the data field that usually shows my overall pace and it also said 8:00/mile. I was so confused until I realized I didn't have lap pace on my Garmin at all! Of course, when I looked at my mile breakdown after the run, I ran mile 3 at a 7:02 pace since I thought I was only running somewhere in the 8 minute range. Ha. NOT what I wanted my legs to do two days after a marathon...but it was funny. When I realized it, I was at the intersection of Rt. 512 and Macada Road - a highly trafficked area, especially at the time I was running. I started cracking up so people probably thought I was insane. I finished my first 15 minute increment and my overall pace was a 7:54, rested for a minute and by the end of my second pick-up was at an overall pace of 7:50. Mile 6 was a 9 something as I began my cooldown, but my final mile was in the 8 minute range again. Overall pace was an 8:09 with my warm-up, cool-down and recovery. I was thrilled with that!

I was planning to do an easy run today, another threshold run on Friday, and then possibly squeeze in an 18 miler with some friends on Saturday, even though my training plan only has me running 6 miles. I was hoping to make up some of the miles I missed when I was sick, or the one run I skipped last week in my weak attempt to "taper". I am going to stick with my plan, so I don't get hurt - Rhode Island was my long run for the week - it isn't like I am skipping a long run...it will just feel weird to wake up on Saturday and not be running for three hours! For the remainder of the week, I plan to do the following:

Thursday: 4 mile run plus 8 (10 second) hill sprints
Friday: 6 mile easy run
Saturday: Threshold run - 2 mile warm-up, 6 miles and half marathon pace, and 2 mile cooldown

Looking forward to Sunday, when I plan to participate in a group run with the Lehigh Valley Running Scene. Planning to do an extremely hilly 8.5 mile loop - I've been loving the hills lately and see major improvements when I do them, so it will be really beneficial. I'm also looking forward to running with some new friends. One of the runs I missed when I was sick a few weeks ago was a hill workout on South Mountain, so I am going to use this as my make-up run for the hill sprints I skipped!

On the 50 state goal front, I received an interesting email today...regarding the Palm Beaches Marathon. Sparked my interest, because I want to complete Florida in 2011. Miami was the race that I had my sights set on. I know, Disney is the one that most people do and looks like a great option, I honestly have absolutely no interest in running it. Miami was attractive because I have relatives in Ft. Lauderdale, and could visit/stay with them. Additionally, Kino MacGregor's yoga studio, The Miami Life Center, is located there. She is my yoga idol and I loved each workshop I took with her and would LOVE to visit her studio.

So, as I read the subject line about registering for the Palm Beach Marathon, I was intrigued. It starts in West Palm Beach, which is 50 minutes from my grandfather's house. This race only has results for 2009 so I am wondering if it is only a year or so old - if so, it would be good to give it one more year to work out any kinks. It's not like I could even fit it in this year, since it is the same day as the Las Vegas Marathon. At any rate, it did not take too much to convince me to add it to my line-up...I STILL would like to do Miami, but I just like early December marathons better - gives me time to cool off before spring marathon training begins...complete the race, take a few days off, resume with some easy runs, and all is right in the world. So, Palm Beach Marathon Festival 2011...one to add to my "scheduled" list!

Nothing on the Boston front yet - checked the entrants list today and they are definitely accepting runners, just nothing about me yet! If they are checking in order of the qualifying marathon date, I should know soon because mine was in November of 2009...come on, BAA! I am impatient!!

Thoughts on the Boston Fiasco

2010-10-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

Still anxiously awaiting my acceptance into the Boston Marathon. I know I will be "anxiously awaiting" this for quite awhile - I was just telling one of our cross country runners about it, and I mentioned how they sold out of the 26,700 spots in eight hours. After saying this, I realized how foolish I am to check the "Entrants" page every hour...it will probably take them awhile to sort out the mess. I am still panicked that I messed something up on my application and will be denied entry...with the kind of luck I've been having, that would not be inconceivable.

More thoughts on the situation in Boston...there are many different ideas on how to ensure that this situation doesn't happen again. It is sad that runners who worked to earn a qualifying time were turned away, and many suggestions were provided on the Facebook fan page. Suggestions such as tightening up the qualifying times, increasing the field limit, price increases, and reducing the number of charity spots are just several ideas. What do I think? I am on board with tightening up the qualifying times that runners need to achieve. Yes, I was one of those runners who qualified by the skin of my teeth (3:39:49 was my time, and the qualifying time for my age group is 3:40:59), but I think I could work harder to qualify. I'm not saying it would be an easy task for me, but I was really even following a traditional training plan with hills, speed/intervals, and progression runs - I did all of those things, but very inconsistently. I SHOULD have to follow those to achieve this goal.

I think New York has it right - not with the lottery, but with the qualifying times:

	Open (Age 18-39)**		Masters (Age 40+)**
	Marathon	Half-Marathon	Marathon	Half-Marathon
Men	2:55:00	1:23:00	3:10:00	1:30:00
Women	3:23:00	1:37:00	3:38:00	1:44:00

	Veterans (Age 50+)**		Veterans (Age 60+)**
	Marathon	Half-Marathon	Marathon	Half-Marathon
Men	3:30:00	1:40:00	3:45:00	1:48:00
Women	3:52:00	1:50:00	4:13:00	2:00:30

	Veterans (Age 70+)**
	Marathon	Half-Marathon
Men	4:00:00	1:55:00
Women	4:35:00	2:11:00

Now, do I think Boston should allow the half-marathon as a qualifying time for its race? Absolutely not (though I am glad NY is, because my 1:35 at the Diva half marathon qualified me for 2012!)! However, if I went by this qualifying time standard, I would need a 3:23 to run the marathon. That is pretty tough and maybe a bit excessive, but why not drop it down around 3:30? I can't speak for the men or for the other age groups, but I don't think 3:30 is unreasonable for women in my category. I don't even think 3:23 is unreasonable - just a heck of a lot tougher. For me, if I want something bad enough, I WILL get it. It might take me years, or my entire 50 marathon challenge to attain the goal, but if Boston said I needed a 3:23, I would work my tail off to GET that 3:23. It's Boston...every runner's El Dorado...maybe I will be over it after I run it once, but I feel like it will always be the ultimate goal and test of my strength and dedication.

Though it would not ward off the runners, Boston COULD increase the entry fee. I think runner's will pay whatever they charge, personally, but they could give it a shot. I know New York charges upwards of $180 - AND a non-refundable fee charge to ALL applicants of $10! I don't agree with the non-refundable fee, but why not increase the cost and see what happens. I paid more for the Rock 'N Roll Marathon in Vegas ($145...well, $135 because I had a coupon) and I am not nearly as excited to run it as I am for Boston.

The field limit should stay as is. Increasing the amount of people running is going to make for an even more crowded race with runners zig-zagging all over the course to avoid other runners. Sure, NY and Chicago might have larger field limits, but listen to all of the complaints from those races - PARTICULARLY about the crowds! If Boston went this route, I would hope they would not increase to more than 30,000.

The charity spots seemed to be a pretty sore subject on Facebook, as people were aggravated that they were shut out of running when there were spots open, if you were willing to donate obscene amounts of money. I have mixed emotions on the charity spots. The charity spots should definitely stay, but I don't particularly agree with them. Over the years they became part of the tradition and Boston would be foolish to take that aspect of the race away. I understand the frustration of runners who did not get in and see the open spots - if I got denied entry, I might consider taking a charity spot just so I could run it. However, I can see how people would get upset with this and attack this aspect of the race.

Ok, Boston rant is now complete...now, pending my acceptance into the race, I begin training on November 29th. Why so early? Well, I have a 20 week program that I am going to attempt - it is the same program I am using now, but I think I'd like to attempt the Level 2 version (I previously tried Level 1 and loved it). It is pretty intense - requires running 6 days/week and lots of variety in types of runs: progression runs, threshold runs, specific endurance intervals, fartleks, ladder intervals, hill sprints, easy runs, moderate runs, and more. I might become a hermit for the 20 weeks I am training, but I hope to run a good race in Beantown.

This being said, the question that is on my mind...what the HECK do I do in Vegas???? It will be two or three weeks into my Boston training...well, I am going to use the same strategy I used in Rhode Island - slow and comfortable - just to break 4 hours and complete the state. It will be my long run for the week. I might even go SLOWER than Rhode Island to ensure minimal soreness - I could take the Monday following the race off and start Tuesday with a short, easy run. I'll decide as it approaches...for now, I just need to get ACCEPTED into Boston, run OBX, and stay injury free. That sounds like a tall order...

Planning my first run since Sunday today - got a nice threshold run planned. Two mile warm up, 2x15 @ half-marathon pace, two mile cooldown...followed by some yoga. Might be a bit rough but it should be fun - weather looks awesome! I have an easy run with hill sprints planned for tomorrow, another threshold run for Friday, and then a few ideas for the weekend...

The Boston Marathon

2010-10-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

I stayed home from work yesterday to recover from my race and ended up being around to register for Boston. Huge ordeal trying to register! I filled out my application at 9am on the dot, hit submit, only to have my form cleared and to start all over. You can read more about this experience on the Lehigh Valley Running Scene's site. I think all is good for me, as I received an email with my submission ID! So excited for the race, as long as I get accepted. Hoping there are no issues and my name is posted on the site as quickly as possible...I feel terrible for those who qualified but did not get to register before it closed. This was the first time the race closed and the field was filled in less than a day in 115 years. I can't imagine how I would feel if I were in their shoes.

I had a moment of panic where I realized how many times I typed my credit card number and information, so I emailed the BAA around 9pm yesterday night. They actually responded in a half hour and actually confirmed a completely different mistake on my application! I typed my last name in the first name area and vice versa. I emailed them back with my credit card information (probably a dumb thing to put in an email - and I am a computer teacher so I know better - but this is BOSTON on the line!), and my qualifying race and time in case I messed that up, too. They haven't wrote back since, probably thinking I am a nut case...as they should! If I were on the receiving end of my emails, I would probably deny my application based on questionable sanity. I wouldn't put it past myself to mess something big up - I forgot my running shoes for the Diva Half, messed up my name on the Boston app, and got into a car accident today.

So, I should sound a lot more excited about Boston, BUT as I mentioned, I got in an accident on my way to work this AM. I am fine, but my bumper of my car is completely cracked down the center. It was my fault, and there was no damage to the other person's car - just mine. Lovely lovely lovely. I hate today and do not want to be at work at all, and now I feel like I am going to puke because I am so upset. My husband was awesome when I called him, asking if I were OK. I know he is upset, but he didn't get mad at me at all and was just happy that I am OK. Anyway, I am going to try to get it taken care of on my own and not have my husband deal with this. I think I feel worse about it because he is such a kind, good person and then I do stupid things like this. Ughhhhh.

Thankfully, I don't have to run today. Usually I like to run to burn off stress and anxiety, but I am in the mode where I want to curl up and sleep for days. By tomorrow, when I am ready to burn off some my anger, I will be running again. I am going to get an estimate on the damage right after work today...awesome. I really wanted to run the Miami Marathon and was going to buy my mom a ticket to come with me so we could visit her dad (my grandfather). I am sure the cost of fixing my bumper, however, is equivalent to the two airline tickets and race registration, so I am going to take care of the car.

Should be a much happier post today, but it isn't! Maybe if I get accepted into the marathon I can have a good, fun post then!! I have lots to say about speculation on new qualifying times and increasing the field limit...just don't have the heart today.