So...I've still been running, but obviously not blogging. Below are the Cliff's Notes for the past couple of months.
April: Trained for the Colfax 1/2. Wasn't sure if I'd make my "dream" time of 1:45:00 here, but decided I'd give it all I had on race day and wait and see what would happen.
May: Ran the Colfax 1/2 on May 17. Finished in 1:53:xx. Per mile I shaved off 37 seconds from my last half in March. I was very excited by that. It gave me a lot of confidence for my next marathon training cycle. The 1:45:xx goal is still out there, but just on hold for the time being.
Also did a couple of shorter races - Mother's Day Mile and the Girls on the Run 5K. Both were great - as I got to celebrate my sport with all sorts of other runners and great people!
June/July: Began training for my second marathon. I'll be running the Little Grand Canyon Marathon in Huntington UT on September 12. Should be an interesting course as it meanders through a canyon on a dirt road. Can't wait!
This time around I decided to switch from a traditional 7 day cycle to a 10 day cycle. I have found that I need more time to recover and cross train so my body will hold up under increased mileage. The only caveat I'm finding with this method is that I tend to "over-do-it" on my rest and cross train days. Since my mileage is more spread out I feel like I'm slacking. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
My long runs have gone pretty well so far. I've done a 10, a 12, a 14, and a 17. My splits are a little fast and I know I need to slow it down if I want to make it to the starting line in September without injury.
Speaking of injury...I haven't run since last Tuesday because of it. My piriformis is flaring up again and creating pain all over my left leg - hip, knee, and ankle. I tried to ignore it, but it didn't go away. I haven't run in 6 days in order to let it "heal" but nothing's working. I'm headed to the chiropractor today - I hope he's a miracle worker!
Assuming all goes well and I'm "cured" today I'm not sure what to do about my training. Bret is on vacation this week from work and we have plans to get out and raft, fish, and backpack. I planned all of this activity in to my training plan, but I didn't plan the past six days off. So now I've taken 6 days off and will maybe run one or two times in the next week. Two weeks off in the middle of marathon training - not good. I don't know if I should jump right back in to where I was supposed to be or if I should reassess? I don't want to do too much too soon and end up in this boat again! I guess I'll play it by ear - I really want to break 4 hours in this marathon. I know I can finish it, but now I'm doubting I'll get the time I want with this break in training.
We'll see what the doc. has to say and go from there.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Simon Says What?
So, really, I haven't forgotten about this blog. I just haven't had much to say for the past few months. I have been training for the Moab Canyonlands 1/2 Marathon. Everything went according to plan. Tempo runs, sprint intervals, long runs - I've done the mileage at a pace that was good for me. Since I put in the work I figured Canyonlands would be a good gauge of how back to "normal" I am.
Last year at Canyonlands I ran the 1/2 in 1:48:18. My ultimate goal is to run a 1/2 in 1:45:00. The most recent 1/2 I ran was a few weeks before the marathon - way back in September. My time was awful, but I was also running on a messed up foot (probably an indication of the torn ligament to come during the marathon, but I digress). I figured I could probably run this year's Canyonlands between 1:50:00 and 1:55:00. My training pace was around 9:13, on long runs.
So...on to the race report.
I headed to Moab on Friday afternoon and stop in Grand Junction to pick up a friend of mine and her daughter who were also racing at Canyonlands in the 5-miler. We arrived in Moab and headed to the expo to pick up our packets around 6:00. By then we were all famished so we went to my favorite restaurant in Moab - Miguel's Baja Grill. They have the most delicious portabello mushroom enchiladas! After I stuffed my belly full of yummy food we attempted to find the condo we were sharing with some other friends. It was starting to get dark which made seeing road signs a bit difficult. Eventually we found the condo and got settled in for the night. Put the chips on our shoes, bibs on our shirts, laid out our clothes for the race, yada, yada, yada.
Our wake up call was 5:30 on Saturday morning. The race didn't start until 10:00, but since it's in a canyon it is a logistical nightmare to get everyone to the start line any earlier. Ate my breakfast (oatmeal, banana, yogurt) and started to get ready. Karah, Alexis and I left the house around 7:00 to head to the bus pick up area. We found a parking spot pretty easily so we just chilled in the car "people watching" until about 7:30. Hit the port-a-potty lines - OK sidenote...the port-a-potty company was called 'Prairie Dawg' (hee hee), and then hit the bus lines.
The buses snaked up the canyon to the starting line. I rode up with my friend Cindy and her sister and brother-in-law. A couple more potty stops and it was time for the race to begin. It was a cold wait in the canyon, but once we got going the weather was absolutely perfect!!
I decided not to line up with a pace group because it was SOOO crowded. I hung at the back of the pack where people were a bit more spread out. Since it was chip timed I figured I would avoid having to weave and bob through the first mile. We started with a nice down hill and continued on rolling hills until mile 9 where there's a "big" hill. Since I live in an area where you can't go anywhere without going up or down a hill during a run it didn't bother me too much. I took water at the first aid station, Gatorade at the second, water and my Honey Stingers at the third station (mile 6), and then Gatorade at 8, water at 10, and Gatorade and water at 12. Since it was hotter than it has been during any of my recent runs I figured I should really be careful with hydration. I slowed down and walked during aid stations but ran the rest of the time.
About mile 8 my calves started cramping something awful. Not so bad that I had to stop running, but I knew if I moved them in the wrong way, I'd be done for good. So I had a very uncomfortable run after mile 8, but kept going. I was really trying not to look at the Garmin too much. I didn't want it to mess with my head. I was most focused on enjoying the beautiful weather and the beautiful scenery. Between mile 9 and 10 there were drummers - that was a great sound - the reverberation off of the canyon walls, the river - awesome! That's what this race is all about.
Mile 10 spits you out on to the main road in Moab. It's not a fun part of the run - more like a death march, but that's when the crowds start to appear which helps a ton. I continued through town and finally made my approach to the finish line. I knew at mile 10 I was not going to hit my goal. Now I was focused on finishing in under 2 hours. I was a bit disappointed in myself, but I had nothing else to give during the race - the leg cramps got me. I headed into the chute and saw the clock time at 2:05. I knew my chip time was about 4 minutes delayed. My Garmin read 1:59:00. Close enough.
Here are the splits...
Mile 1 - 9:01
Mile 2 - 8:23
Mile 3 - 8:49
Mile 4 - 8:51
Mile 5 - 8:39
Mile 6 - 9:26 (trying to eat Stingers apparently slows you down!)
Mile 7 - 9:10
Mile 8 - 9:37
Mile 9 - 9:08
Mile 10 - 10:03 (the wheels came off here)
Mile 11 - 9:26
Mile 12 - 10:00
Mile 13.1 - 9:07
So...where do I go from here? That's the question I'm left with. Do I just chalk this up to a not so great race and trust that I'm still headed in the right direction - a 1:45:00 is possible this year? Do I set my sights a little lower and aim for 1:50-1:55 in May? I don't know. The only variable that is still out there is my weight...I'm about 7-8 pounds heavier than I was at this time last year. Is that really making a difference?
I'm still trying to sort out my goals for my next attempt, but one thing I definitely need to work on is evening out my splits...I feel like I'm all over the place! I'm also going to work on losing a few pounds and see if that makes a difference. I am ready to start training for the Colfax 1/2 Marathon on May 17. This week is going to be a recovery week and training starts next Sunday. Wish me luck!
Last year at Canyonlands I ran the 1/2 in 1:48:18. My ultimate goal is to run a 1/2 in 1:45:00. The most recent 1/2 I ran was a few weeks before the marathon - way back in September. My time was awful, but I was also running on a messed up foot (probably an indication of the torn ligament to come during the marathon, but I digress). I figured I could probably run this year's Canyonlands between 1:50:00 and 1:55:00. My training pace was around 9:13, on long runs.
So...on to the race report.
I headed to Moab on Friday afternoon and stop in Grand Junction to pick up a friend of mine and her daughter who were also racing at Canyonlands in the 5-miler. We arrived in Moab and headed to the expo to pick up our packets around 6:00. By then we were all famished so we went to my favorite restaurant in Moab - Miguel's Baja Grill. They have the most delicious portabello mushroom enchiladas! After I stuffed my belly full of yummy food we attempted to find the condo we were sharing with some other friends. It was starting to get dark which made seeing road signs a bit difficult. Eventually we found the condo and got settled in for the night. Put the chips on our shoes, bibs on our shirts, laid out our clothes for the race, yada, yada, yada.
Our wake up call was 5:30 on Saturday morning. The race didn't start until 10:00, but since it's in a canyon it is a logistical nightmare to get everyone to the start line any earlier. Ate my breakfast (oatmeal, banana, yogurt) and started to get ready. Karah, Alexis and I left the house around 7:00 to head to the bus pick up area. We found a parking spot pretty easily so we just chilled in the car "people watching" until about 7:30. Hit the port-a-potty lines - OK sidenote...the port-a-potty company was called 'Prairie Dawg' (hee hee), and then hit the bus lines.
The buses snaked up the canyon to the starting line. I rode up with my friend Cindy and her sister and brother-in-law. A couple more potty stops and it was time for the race to begin. It was a cold wait in the canyon, but once we got going the weather was absolutely perfect!!
I decided not to line up with a pace group because it was SOOO crowded. I hung at the back of the pack where people were a bit more spread out. Since it was chip timed I figured I would avoid having to weave and bob through the first mile. We started with a nice down hill and continued on rolling hills until mile 9 where there's a "big" hill. Since I live in an area where you can't go anywhere without going up or down a hill during a run it didn't bother me too much. I took water at the first aid station, Gatorade at the second, water and my Honey Stingers at the third station (mile 6), and then Gatorade at 8, water at 10, and Gatorade and water at 12. Since it was hotter than it has been during any of my recent runs I figured I should really be careful with hydration. I slowed down and walked during aid stations but ran the rest of the time.
About mile 8 my calves started cramping something awful. Not so bad that I had to stop running, but I knew if I moved them in the wrong way, I'd be done for good. So I had a very uncomfortable run after mile 8, but kept going. I was really trying not to look at the Garmin too much. I didn't want it to mess with my head. I was most focused on enjoying the beautiful weather and the beautiful scenery. Between mile 9 and 10 there were drummers - that was a great sound - the reverberation off of the canyon walls, the river - awesome! That's what this race is all about.
Mile 10 spits you out on to the main road in Moab. It's not a fun part of the run - more like a death march, but that's when the crowds start to appear which helps a ton. I continued through town and finally made my approach to the finish line. I knew at mile 10 I was not going to hit my goal. Now I was focused on finishing in under 2 hours. I was a bit disappointed in myself, but I had nothing else to give during the race - the leg cramps got me. I headed into the chute and saw the clock time at 2:05. I knew my chip time was about 4 minutes delayed. My Garmin read 1:59:00. Close enough.
Here are the splits...
Mile 1 - 9:01
Mile 2 - 8:23
Mile 3 - 8:49
Mile 4 - 8:51
Mile 5 - 8:39
Mile 6 - 9:26 (trying to eat Stingers apparently slows you down!)
Mile 7 - 9:10
Mile 8 - 9:37
Mile 9 - 9:08
Mile 10 - 10:03 (the wheels came off here)
Mile 11 - 9:26
Mile 12 - 10:00
Mile 13.1 - 9:07
So...where do I go from here? That's the question I'm left with. Do I just chalk this up to a not so great race and trust that I'm still headed in the right direction - a 1:45:00 is possible this year? Do I set my sights a little lower and aim for 1:50-1:55 in May? I don't know. The only variable that is still out there is my weight...I'm about 7-8 pounds heavier than I was at this time last year. Is that really making a difference?
I'm still trying to sort out my goals for my next attempt, but one thing I definitely need to work on is evening out my splits...I feel like I'm all over the place! I'm also going to work on losing a few pounds and see if that makes a difference. I am ready to start training for the Colfax 1/2 Marathon on May 17. This week is going to be a recovery week and training starts next Sunday. Wish me luck!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Back to the Grind
So...lots to catch up on.
Here's the Cliff's Notes version.
Felt great after the marathon - minimal soreness, a little tired, a nagging pain in my left foot. Two days later - pain is worse, and ALL other pain had dissipated. Hmmm...something's not right. Tried to run one week later, ouch. Monday morning I visited the Sports Med. doc. No stress fracture, but not sure what it was. I got "THE BOOT OF DOOM" and two appointments with a PT. Bottom line - torn ligament on the lateral side of my foot. Took about three weeks to heal. Eventually I graduated to an ankle boot. In the mean time I was able to do some spinning, but that was about it.
I've been back to running (half-heartedly) for about 5 weeks now. During this time I've realized that my body never had a chance to 'recover' from the marathon stress. My running has reflected this. For the first three weeks I felt slower than molasses and had 'heavy' legs. It's only been in the past two weeks or so that I've felt sort of normal - my pace is back in my pre-marathon range.
I ran the Winter Sun 10K this past Saturday (12.6) to sort of test out my fitness and pace. I was honestly hoping to finish. I haven't done a 6 mile run since the marathon! The longest I've done was 5. My secondary goal was to break 60 minutes. Happy to report that I reached both goals and crossed the line in 50:51. Not quite up to par, but I'm happy with it.
So now I need to get it in gear and get ready to train for the Ogden Marathon in May. I'm a little apprehensive to commit to this race because I don't feel that my base training is where it should be. I've been averaging 10-15 miles per week but I'd be more comfortable taking on this next round of training with at least 20 MPW. We'll see how it goes.
I intend to start training during the second week of January so I have some time to up the mileage. Problem is...we're in the middle of buying a new house and selling ours. This process seems to be life consuming. Add the holidays on top of all that. Oh boy - here goes nothing!
Here's the Cliff's Notes version.
Felt great after the marathon - minimal soreness, a little tired, a nagging pain in my left foot. Two days later - pain is worse, and ALL other pain had dissipated. Hmmm...something's not right. Tried to run one week later, ouch. Monday morning I visited the Sports Med. doc. No stress fracture, but not sure what it was. I got "THE BOOT OF DOOM" and two appointments with a PT. Bottom line - torn ligament on the lateral side of my foot. Took about three weeks to heal. Eventually I graduated to an ankle boot. In the mean time I was able to do some spinning, but that was about it.
I've been back to running (half-heartedly) for about 5 weeks now. During this time I've realized that my body never had a chance to 'recover' from the marathon stress. My running has reflected this. For the first three weeks I felt slower than molasses and had 'heavy' legs. It's only been in the past two weeks or so that I've felt sort of normal - my pace is back in my pre-marathon range.
I ran the Winter Sun 10K this past Saturday (12.6) to sort of test out my fitness and pace. I was honestly hoping to finish. I haven't done a 6 mile run since the marathon! The longest I've done was 5. My secondary goal was to break 60 minutes. Happy to report that I reached both goals and crossed the line in 50:51. Not quite up to par, but I'm happy with it.
So now I need to get it in gear and get ready to train for the Ogden Marathon in May. I'm a little apprehensive to commit to this race because I don't feel that my base training is where it should be. I've been averaging 10-15 miles per week but I'd be more comfortable taking on this next round of training with at least 20 MPW. We'll see how it goes.
I intend to start training during the second week of January so I have some time to up the mileage. Problem is...we're in the middle of buying a new house and selling ours. This process seems to be life consuming. Add the holidays on top of all that. Oh boy - here goes nothing!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Denver Marathon Race Report
I'm not even sure that I'm ready to write this race report. I'm not sure that I've had enough time to let the experience set in. I know that there are a few people who might be interested in what my race was like - so mostly I'm writing this to share the details...
We (my hubby and I) headed to Denver early Saturday morning. We checked into the hotel, met up with my mom (who came from OH to see me run), and headed over to the Convention Center. We got to the expo around 1:00 to pick up my number and chip. I also decided to buy a new skirt to run in rather than the shorts I bought on Friday night. I broke cardinal rule number one - "don't try anything new on race day". Well, the skirt was just so cute I couldn't pass it up! Plus it had POCKETS! None of the shorts I own have pockets so I had no where to store my Honey Zingers. Anyway...back to the story.
While we were in Denver we were also able to meet up with the best man from our wedding (Matt). After visiting with Matt for a couple of hours we went to dinner at Vine Street Pub. We ended up eating a little bit later than I would have preferred. Got back to the hotel at a respectable hour and tried to get some "sleep". I had the alarm, my phone, and a wake-up call set for 4:45. Basically, I was up every 30 minutes looking at the clock waiting to get up. Thank goodness I did get some good sleep on Friday night.
When 4:45 finally rolled around I set out for the Starbucks across the street from the hotel. I was a little stressed about where I would get my oatmeal from on race morning, but good ol' SBX came through for me!
I had arranged to meet a friend of mine from Silt, who was also doing the full marathon, in the lobby at 6:15. So, after eating breakfast, I had plenty of time to don the race gear. Skirt, tech shirt, shoes, etc. Everything felt "just right"!
As we got to Civic Center Park the porta-potty line was very easy to find - because it was so long!!! Finished up that task with about 15 minutes to spare. Just enough time to check my bag and make my way to the corral.
I figured I'd start somewhere between the 4:00 and 4:30 pace groups. That's where my training would put my finish time. The corrals were VERY crowded and it was tough to find a spot, but eventually I made it across the start line - about 7 minutes behind the gun.
As I started off - I was near tears for the first mile. I'm sure that was for lots of different reasons - excitement, fear, etc. As I settled into my pace and found my own space I was so happy! I was excited to finally be in this moment, proud of myself for all of the hard work I put into this, and just having a good time taking in the sites of the city of Denver during a beautiful morning.
The first half of the race was pretty uneventful. I felt great! Legs were fresh, nothing was hurting. I had to stop around mile 8 (I think) for a potty break and some refueling. Up to this point I had been drinking water at every aid station.
I did start to second guess myself around mile 9. I wasn't sticking to my plan of running a mile, walking a minute. I had done this on all of my long runs and my splits were pretty consistent. My splits were consistent during the race, but I was about 15 seconds per mile faster than I should've been. Rookie mistake, right?? "Don't go out too fast, aim for negative splits." Oops. More on that later.
As I approached mile 13 I was very envious of the people who were running the 1/2...I was wishing I was one of them. I pushed on down 7th Street (I believe) and was still feeling pretty good. After the turn around I started getting hungry and parts of my body started screaming. When I got to Washington Park things started going downhill pretty quickly - and not in a good way.
Mile 19 was tough...I really wanted to quit, had a few tears and a few words with myself and pulled it back together. I wonder if Washington Park was more of a mental challenge or a physical challenge? I knew I had fallen off my pace for a 4:15 finish and was looking at a 4:30 finish - a far cry from the 4:00 I was hoping for. The way the park is configured you can see all of the runners who are about 30-45 minutes ahead of you looping towards the exit. It was very frustrating to see how far ahead they were and knowing I had a long way to go, just to get through the park! I had used up all of my Zingers long before mile 20, so I took a Shot Block from the cute little cheerleaders at the aid station just in case.
I finally made it out of Wash Park and was determined to finish this thing. The 4:30 pace group passed me somewhere near mile 22 and I didn't want to let that fading dream get too far away, but then, my AWESOME husband appeared out of no where. He caught me at the perfect moment! I was in tears (yes, again) and walking. I had just turned on to 1st Avenue and in to mile 23. There he was ready to snap some pictures...perfect timing! He gave me a good pep talk, walked with me a bit, and left me smiling. I told him to jog ahead a bit and I would start running so he could get a "good" picture of me. You be the judge...
Since I only had 3 miles to go my spirits were up. I was so excited about finishing this endeavor that I honestly don't remember any pain. The folks who were running near me were definitely feeling the pain I was. We must've all been a little bit punchy because we were awfully chatty. That was a good change. Twenty-some-odd miles of running in silence is BORING!!!
As I caught a glimpse of the Capital Building I started to pick up my pace, even though there was a slight uphill. I felt as though I was sprinting but um, no, not so much...I think my split was about 10:30 on that one. :)
I saw my hubby and Matt right before the finish line and gave them a quick high-five. As I crossed the line I threw my hands up in the air and let out a great big "woo hoo!" I'm sure I looked like an absolute dork, but I earned it!!!
I received my two bottles of water and then my MEDAL!! Such an awesome feeling! My hubby joined me in the post-race area. I think he was surprised by how much energy I had left - I think he was expecting me to collapse.
We met up with my mom and headed back to the hotel, after a stop by Subway. As soon as I inhaled that sandwich, I took a short, luke warm shower (ick), and then lowered myself to the tub for an ice bath. Not fun, but so worth it. I stretched for a bit and took a short nap. Sunday evening I was feeling pretty tight but not terrible. We went to a great restaurant for dinner (Irish Snug on Colfax). When we returned to the hotel B and I went for a short walk on The Mall to find some ice cream.
I was a little afraid to go to sleep because I was afraid of how sore and tight I would get over night. But, surprisingly I felt great today! It's a little rough getting up out of a seated position but I can make it up and down steps under my own power. Pretty good for a first timer.
Now on to the numbers...
Mile 1: 9:32
Mile 2: 9:12
Mile 3: 9:31
Mile 4: 9:14
Mile 5: 9:27
Mile 6: 9:20
Mile 7: 9:14
Mile 8: 11:10
Mile 9: 9:21
Mile 10: 9:31
Mile 11: 9:50
Mile 12: 9:14
Mile 13: 10:08
Mile 14: 9:55
Mile 15: 9:15
Mile 16: 10:44
Mile 17: 11:00
Mile 18: 10:45
Mile 19: 10:46
Mile 20: 11:22
Mile 21: 11:24
Mile 22: 10:23
Mile 23: 11:26
Mile 24: 11:19
Mile 25: 12:01
Mile 26: 10:47
.2: 10:01
Garmin Time: 4:30:08
Chip Time: 4:33:20
Gun Time: 4:38:25
Thoughts for the next marathon...
I'm definitely going to change my training plan. Not sure to what, but whatever it is I will definitely run more long runs. Due to weather and injury I was only able to get one 20+ miler in. I believe I ran 2 16's, 2 18's (early on in the training cycle), and 1 20+ miler. Obviously this was one of my problems.
I'm also questioning the likelihood of qualifying for Boston in my next attempt. I was hoping to do that this Spring (April 2009) in Salt Lake City. I really don't think I can shave off 50 minutes between my first and second marathon. I don't know what the "learning curve" is in this situation, but I'm pretty sure it isn't possible without quitting my job and training full time. Hmmm...the idea has merit!
Before I end this report I want to say thank you to all of the people who have supported me through this endeavor. First of all my hubby - he has put up with a LOT of crap from me and helped me to keep everything in perspective. I also owe a big thanks to all of my work friends who've had such kind words for me, although, I know they all think I'm crazy! Thanks also to the WL Forum of RWOL - you gals are the best! Especially LA Runner - you are such an inspiration! Thanks also to the BF folks who also suffered through the trials and tribulations of training for a first marathon. I think the second marathon should be considered a "THE first". Concur? Finally, thanks to my other "local" runners - deltarose and Kazz. I look forward to all sorts of fun with you gals in the future.
In the event that I have some major epiphany regarding my experience I will update this diatribe. Thanks so much for spending your time reading.
Some pictures from the race...
"Break Down at Mile 23"
Post Race
We (my hubby and I) headed to Denver early Saturday morning. We checked into the hotel, met up with my mom (who came from OH to see me run), and headed over to the Convention Center. We got to the expo around 1:00 to pick up my number and chip. I also decided to buy a new skirt to run in rather than the shorts I bought on Friday night. I broke cardinal rule number one - "don't try anything new on race day". Well, the skirt was just so cute I couldn't pass it up! Plus it had POCKETS! None of the shorts I own have pockets so I had no where to store my Honey Zingers. Anyway...back to the story.
While we were in Denver we were also able to meet up with the best man from our wedding (Matt). After visiting with Matt for a couple of hours we went to dinner at Vine Street Pub. We ended up eating a little bit later than I would have preferred. Got back to the hotel at a respectable hour and tried to get some "sleep". I had the alarm, my phone, and a wake-up call set for 4:45. Basically, I was up every 30 minutes looking at the clock waiting to get up. Thank goodness I did get some good sleep on Friday night.
When 4:45 finally rolled around I set out for the Starbucks across the street from the hotel. I was a little stressed about where I would get my oatmeal from on race morning, but good ol' SBX came through for me!
I had arranged to meet a friend of mine from Silt, who was also doing the full marathon, in the lobby at 6:15. So, after eating breakfast, I had plenty of time to don the race gear. Skirt, tech shirt, shoes, etc. Everything felt "just right"!
As we got to Civic Center Park the porta-potty line was very easy to find - because it was so long!!! Finished up that task with about 15 minutes to spare. Just enough time to check my bag and make my way to the corral.
I figured I'd start somewhere between the 4:00 and 4:30 pace groups. That's where my training would put my finish time. The corrals were VERY crowded and it was tough to find a spot, but eventually I made it across the start line - about 7 minutes behind the gun.
As I started off - I was near tears for the first mile. I'm sure that was for lots of different reasons - excitement, fear, etc. As I settled into my pace and found my own space I was so happy! I was excited to finally be in this moment, proud of myself for all of the hard work I put into this, and just having a good time taking in the sites of the city of Denver during a beautiful morning.
The first half of the race was pretty uneventful. I felt great! Legs were fresh, nothing was hurting. I had to stop around mile 8 (I think) for a potty break and some refueling. Up to this point I had been drinking water at every aid station.
I did start to second guess myself around mile 9. I wasn't sticking to my plan of running a mile, walking a minute. I had done this on all of my long runs and my splits were pretty consistent. My splits were consistent during the race, but I was about 15 seconds per mile faster than I should've been. Rookie mistake, right?? "Don't go out too fast, aim for negative splits." Oops. More on that later.
As I approached mile 13 I was very envious of the people who were running the 1/2...I was wishing I was one of them. I pushed on down 7th Street (I believe) and was still feeling pretty good. After the turn around I started getting hungry and parts of my body started screaming. When I got to Washington Park things started going downhill pretty quickly - and not in a good way.
Mile 19 was tough...I really wanted to quit, had a few tears and a few words with myself and pulled it back together. I wonder if Washington Park was more of a mental challenge or a physical challenge? I knew I had fallen off my pace for a 4:15 finish and was looking at a 4:30 finish - a far cry from the 4:00 I was hoping for. The way the park is configured you can see all of the runners who are about 30-45 minutes ahead of you looping towards the exit. It was very frustrating to see how far ahead they were and knowing I had a long way to go, just to get through the park! I had used up all of my Zingers long before mile 20, so I took a Shot Block from the cute little cheerleaders at the aid station just in case.
I finally made it out of Wash Park and was determined to finish this thing. The 4:30 pace group passed me somewhere near mile 22 and I didn't want to let that fading dream get too far away, but then, my AWESOME husband appeared out of no where. He caught me at the perfect moment! I was in tears (yes, again) and walking. I had just turned on to 1st Avenue and in to mile 23. There he was ready to snap some pictures...perfect timing! He gave me a good pep talk, walked with me a bit, and left me smiling. I told him to jog ahead a bit and I would start running so he could get a "good" picture of me. You be the judge...
Since I only had 3 miles to go my spirits were up. I was so excited about finishing this endeavor that I honestly don't remember any pain. The folks who were running near me were definitely feeling the pain I was. We must've all been a little bit punchy because we were awfully chatty. That was a good change. Twenty-some-odd miles of running in silence is BORING!!!
As I caught a glimpse of the Capital Building I started to pick up my pace, even though there was a slight uphill. I felt as though I was sprinting but um, no, not so much...I think my split was about 10:30 on that one. :)
I saw my hubby and Matt right before the finish line and gave them a quick high-five. As I crossed the line I threw my hands up in the air and let out a great big "woo hoo!" I'm sure I looked like an absolute dork, but I earned it!!!
I received my two bottles of water and then my MEDAL!! Such an awesome feeling! My hubby joined me in the post-race area. I think he was surprised by how much energy I had left - I think he was expecting me to collapse.
We met up with my mom and headed back to the hotel, after a stop by Subway. As soon as I inhaled that sandwich, I took a short, luke warm shower (ick), and then lowered myself to the tub for an ice bath. Not fun, but so worth it. I stretched for a bit and took a short nap. Sunday evening I was feeling pretty tight but not terrible. We went to a great restaurant for dinner (Irish Snug on Colfax). When we returned to the hotel B and I went for a short walk on The Mall to find some ice cream.
I was a little afraid to go to sleep because I was afraid of how sore and tight I would get over night. But, surprisingly I felt great today! It's a little rough getting up out of a seated position but I can make it up and down steps under my own power. Pretty good for a first timer.
Now on to the numbers...
Mile 1: 9:32
Mile 2: 9:12
Mile 3: 9:31
Mile 4: 9:14
Mile 5: 9:27
Mile 6: 9:20
Mile 7: 9:14
Mile 8: 11:10
Mile 9: 9:21
Mile 10: 9:31
Mile 11: 9:50
Mile 12: 9:14
Mile 13: 10:08
Mile 14: 9:55
Mile 15: 9:15
Mile 16: 10:44
Mile 17: 11:00
Mile 18: 10:45
Mile 19: 10:46
Mile 20: 11:22
Mile 21: 11:24
Mile 22: 10:23
Mile 23: 11:26
Mile 24: 11:19
Mile 25: 12:01
Mile 26: 10:47
.2: 10:01
Garmin Time: 4:30:08
Chip Time: 4:33:20
Gun Time: 4:38:25
Thoughts for the next marathon...
I'm definitely going to change my training plan. Not sure to what, but whatever it is I will definitely run more long runs. Due to weather and injury I was only able to get one 20+ miler in. I believe I ran 2 16's, 2 18's (early on in the training cycle), and 1 20+ miler. Obviously this was one of my problems.
I'm also questioning the likelihood of qualifying for Boston in my next attempt. I was hoping to do that this Spring (April 2009) in Salt Lake City. I really don't think I can shave off 50 minutes between my first and second marathon. I don't know what the "learning curve" is in this situation, but I'm pretty sure it isn't possible without quitting my job and training full time. Hmmm...the idea has merit!
Before I end this report I want to say thank you to all of the people who have supported me through this endeavor. First of all my hubby - he has put up with a LOT of crap from me and helped me to keep everything in perspective. I also owe a big thanks to all of my work friends who've had such kind words for me, although, I know they all think I'm crazy! Thanks also to the WL Forum of RWOL - you gals are the best! Especially LA Runner - you are such an inspiration! Thanks also to the BF folks who also suffered through the trials and tribulations of training for a first marathon. I think the second marathon should be considered a "THE first". Concur? Finally, thanks to my other "local" runners - deltarose and Kazz. I look forward to all sorts of fun with you gals in the future.
In the event that I have some major epiphany regarding my experience I will update this diatribe. Thanks so much for spending your time reading.
Some pictures from the race...
"Break Down at Mile 23"
Post Race
Thursday, October 9, 2008
September 15 - October 9
Yup. I've been a slacker again. Oh well...the important part is I'm updating now, so just be happy with that. :)
I won't bore anybody with the details of my last month of marathon training. I'll do a quick synopsis of the highlights.
The weekend after the Lead King Loop I was signed up for the Buena Vista Autumn Colors Half Marathon. Up to that point I had been ignoring some knee pain for about a month. I didn't know what was going on in there and it didn't really hurt too bad when I ran. When I tried to stretch, however, that was a different story. I could hardly straighten my left leg. The Thursday before the 1/2 marathon I did an easy 3 mile run on a treadmill. The next day, I could barely walk. It wasn't my knee that was bothering me (well, yeah, that hurt too) but the bottom of my left foot right on the ball. Seeing as I could barely walk on Friday night I had no idea how I planned on running a half marathon the next day. I iced and rested and decided to at least start the race. I would've been so mad at myself if I didn't TRY to run it. The 1/2 started at Cottonwood Lake at around 10,500 feet. The first 7 miles or so were a steady down hill. My splits were about 8:10-8:15 for the first three miles. Not too bad, but I knew I needed to slow down if I had any chance of finishing. So I latched on to a guy who was running the pace I should've been running. He was great. We stuck together through mile 12. I had a slight breakdown there - I was just tired. But, I sucked it up and finished strong. It wasn't my best time, but it wasn't my worst either. I took a couple days off after that to figure out what was up with my knee. The best I could figure was that I had a slight tear in my MCL. I M.E.A.T.ed it. That made all the difference. Now my knee is in pretty good shape. I just need to remember to keep it loose and stretch.
Moving on. The weekend after BV I raced in a local 5K, which was actually the sight of my first 1/2 marathon just a year ago. I didn't have any huge expectations for this one, I was hoping for a possible age group place or win. I ran with a new friend of mine who is a great runner. She's running the Denver Marathon too. Anyway...I was very surprised with my finish on this run. My time wasn't particularly great, 24:06, about 2:30 slower than my fastest 5K, but it was good enough for 3rd place (women), and 10th place overall.
This past weekend I went to Denver with some friends from work to participate in the Komen Race for the Cure 5K. No racing, no timing - yes, I wore the Garmin, but nothing official. My splits were decent after I got out of the crowd. The most exciting part of this trip wasn't the 5K but the chance to do my last long run on part of the marathon course. I printed out a map and everything. Problem was - I lost it in the first mile. I sort of had an idea of where I was going but only did about 7 miles on the actual course. I did get to see the "hill" and found my way around two of the parks. I ended up doing 13.5 miles in Denver on Saturday. It was reassuring to run the distance and see some landmarks. I am a little worried that I didn't do enough long runs toward the end of my training. In the past month I've only done a 16 and 2 13's.
Oh, well - whatever happens, happens. I have just 10 days until the magic moment is actually here. I can't say that I'm too nervous, excited, worried, or anything. I did watch 'Spirit of the Marathon' last night and that did get me a little excited, but I know it'll be about 100x the emotion when I'm actually in that position.
I have a couple more runs left to do. I was supposed to do some speedwork today, but didn't get home early enough. I'm planning on doing it tomorrow and throwing out a 4 mile recovery run. It's impossible to "make it up" at this point and I don't think 4 miles will make or break me on October 19th.
I won't bore anybody with the details of my last month of marathon training. I'll do a quick synopsis of the highlights.
The weekend after the Lead King Loop I was signed up for the Buena Vista Autumn Colors Half Marathon. Up to that point I had been ignoring some knee pain for about a month. I didn't know what was going on in there and it didn't really hurt too bad when I ran. When I tried to stretch, however, that was a different story. I could hardly straighten my left leg. The Thursday before the 1/2 marathon I did an easy 3 mile run on a treadmill. The next day, I could barely walk. It wasn't my knee that was bothering me (well, yeah, that hurt too) but the bottom of my left foot right on the ball. Seeing as I could barely walk on Friday night I had no idea how I planned on running a half marathon the next day. I iced and rested and decided to at least start the race. I would've been so mad at myself if I didn't TRY to run it. The 1/2 started at Cottonwood Lake at around 10,500 feet. The first 7 miles or so were a steady down hill. My splits were about 8:10-8:15 for the first three miles. Not too bad, but I knew I needed to slow down if I had any chance of finishing. So I latched on to a guy who was running the pace I should've been running. He was great. We stuck together through mile 12. I had a slight breakdown there - I was just tired. But, I sucked it up and finished strong. It wasn't my best time, but it wasn't my worst either. I took a couple days off after that to figure out what was up with my knee. The best I could figure was that I had a slight tear in my MCL. I M.E.A.T.ed it. That made all the difference. Now my knee is in pretty good shape. I just need to remember to keep it loose and stretch.
Moving on. The weekend after BV I raced in a local 5K, which was actually the sight of my first 1/2 marathon just a year ago. I didn't have any huge expectations for this one, I was hoping for a possible age group place or win. I ran with a new friend of mine who is a great runner. She's running the Denver Marathon too. Anyway...I was very surprised with my finish on this run. My time wasn't particularly great, 24:06, about 2:30 slower than my fastest 5K, but it was good enough for 3rd place (women), and 10th place overall.
This past weekend I went to Denver with some friends from work to participate in the Komen Race for the Cure 5K. No racing, no timing - yes, I wore the Garmin, but nothing official. My splits were decent after I got out of the crowd. The most exciting part of this trip wasn't the 5K but the chance to do my last long run on part of the marathon course. I printed out a map and everything. Problem was - I lost it in the first mile. I sort of had an idea of where I was going but only did about 7 miles on the actual course. I did get to see the "hill" and found my way around two of the parks. I ended up doing 13.5 miles in Denver on Saturday. It was reassuring to run the distance and see some landmarks. I am a little worried that I didn't do enough long runs toward the end of my training. In the past month I've only done a 16 and 2 13's.
Oh, well - whatever happens, happens. I have just 10 days until the magic moment is actually here. I can't say that I'm too nervous, excited, worried, or anything. I did watch 'Spirit of the Marathon' last night and that did get me a little excited, but I know it'll be about 100x the emotion when I'm actually in that position.
I have a couple more runs left to do. I was supposed to do some speedwork today, but didn't get home early enough. I'm planning on doing it tomorrow and throwing out a 4 mile recovery run. It's impossible to "make it up" at this point and I don't think 4 miles will make or break me on October 19th.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
September 8 - 14, 2008
This week served as a bit of a cut-back week. It was sort of hard to think of it that way as I ran a trail race today, but the mileage wasn't nearly as high as it has been. So, here's the synopsis of my week:
M 9/8: 5.5 mile bike and lift
T 9/9: 6.25 mile progressive speed work
W 9/10: yoga and a 2 mile hike with the dog
R 9/11: 5 mile trail run
F 9/12: rest day
S 9/13: 7.5 slow miles
S 9/14: 8 mile trail race - Marble Quarry Hill Climb
I've been a bit lazy with my lifting lately. This week was pretty packed with school stuff, but that's still no excuse. My goal for next week is to lift three times.
I've also been trying to incorporate some new training scheduling into my current routine. The plan I'm following to train for the Denver Marathon is a combination of Smart Coach from Runner's World and Hal Higdon's Intermediate program. I've used Higdon's progression of weekly runs and distances for my training but I've used the suggested paces from Smart Coach. The component of the Higdon plan that I like the best is doing a tempo or speedwork run the day before a long run. The idea is to start the long run on fatigued legs to simulate the feeling your legs will have later in the actual marathon.
The new plan I'm trying to ease into is a 21-day cycle with 8 key runs during that time. The remainder of the days are a combination of recovery runs and cross training. Of the 8 key runs there are 3 long runs (one of them being a "race-simulator" run with negative splits), 2 hill runs (one is a steady climb, the other is repeats), 2 speed work sessions, and 1 tempo run. I still need to work through some of the details regarding the speed work and tempo runs. I hope to use this type of strategy during training for my next marathon in the Spring.
Anyway...all of that aside...I really want to share my experience from today's race!
The Lead King Loop 25K/Marble Quarry Hill Climb 12.5K was my first trail race. I entered at the suggestion of my husband. He is definitely a purist when it comes to sports and thought I was spending too much time on the roads. I should be in a more "natural" environment. So, I started running more hills and trails during the past month. Luckily, one of our local hills - Red Mountain - is virtually a twin to the course I ran today. That definitely helped build my confidence.
I woke up this morning around 6:00 a.m. Ate my usual breakfast of oatmeal with cinnamon, half a peach, and brown sugar, some yogurt and Kashi, and of course some coffee! I started gathering my "race gear", packed my post-race snacks, and dragged my hubby out of bed. We were on the road by 7:45. I was hoping we'd be headed out by 7:30, but that wasn't to be.
We arrived in Marble around 9:00. We parked near the Beaver Lake Lodge (race HQ) and I picked up my race packet. For some reason they had me registered twice - never did get that sorted out, but I was runner 309 today.
With about 30 minutes to assess the weather, get warmed up, and make a "costume" change I made my way to the starting line. I originally planned on racing in pants but it was about 60 degrees when the race started so I opted for shorts instead. I got my Garmin set - I was a little worried it wouldn't pick up the signals because of the surrounding mountains, but no trouble.
The course started off through the town of Marble with a few rolling hills (very little hills, mind you). After about 1/2 mile we hit the Jeep road that lead to the quarry. The first mile was at a pretty mild grade. The split for my first mile was 9:32. Pretty respectable for me on a flat course, much less one with hills. In this mile, I managed to get out to an early lead on most of the other women running the course. I was running with the eventual winner at this point following her pace.
The second mile was a bit more challenging and I took my first walk break at 1.25 miles. The rest of this mile was much steeper than the beginning of the course - my split was 13:16. Ouch! The race director did say that this was the steepest part of the course so I was definitely looking forward to mile 3! Jeanne (the women's winner) got a big lead on me during this stretch!
Thank goodness the course flatened out at this point. I think I ran the majority of this mile. I was leap frogging with a younger runner and an older runner (maybe a father-son duo?). I kept looking over my shoulder as well because there was another woman closing in. Yikes! I made it through mile 3 in 12:03.
Mile 4 lead right into the quarry. This was definitely the most scenic section of the course. We made our way up through the aspen and pine. The road followed the flow of Yule Creek. At the apex we crossed a couple of wooden bridges and ended our climb at a marble cave. I really wish I had my camera with me so I could share that view with you. I completed mile 4 in 12:07.
The path down the hill was much more enjoyable - thank you gravity! I was also able to enjoy the view of aspen beginning to change into their bright yellow hue. Somewhere during mile 6 I was passed by the woman who had been "stalking" me during the uphill. She was running really strong and there was absolutely no way I was going to catch her. I was just hoping that no one else would pass me! Even though I didn't want to use this race as a competition there was still a little part of me that wanted to place. The splits for the downhill were great - mile 5 - 8:14, mile 6 - 8:11, mile 7 - 7:46, and mile 8 - 8:29.
I was able to maintain my speed and ended up placing 3rd over all (women's division), and 1st in my age group! Not too shabby for my first trail race!
The post race food was absolutely amazing! A local smokehouse catered the main course - BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, and the local community provided the side dishes and desserts! Whoever made the lemon bars is an absolute saint! There were also great door prizes and almost everyone who participated in the 12.5K and 25K walked away with something! I got a free night's stay at a hotel in Redstone. We'll probably use it next year - the night before the race!
------------------------
As I look forward to this week's schedule it looks like another cut-back week, but I am planning to do a half marathon in Buena Vista next Saturday. I'm hoping to use this as a gauge for the marathon. It'll be nice to see what pace I can actually hold during a race. Plus, the colors will be gorgeous up there!
M 9/8: 5.5 mile bike and lift
T 9/9: 6.25 mile progressive speed work
W 9/10: yoga and a 2 mile hike with the dog
R 9/11: 5 mile trail run
F 9/12: rest day
S 9/13: 7.5 slow miles
S 9/14: 8 mile trail race - Marble Quarry Hill Climb
I've been a bit lazy with my lifting lately. This week was pretty packed with school stuff, but that's still no excuse. My goal for next week is to lift three times.
I've also been trying to incorporate some new training scheduling into my current routine. The plan I'm following to train for the Denver Marathon is a combination of Smart Coach from Runner's World and Hal Higdon's Intermediate program. I've used Higdon's progression of weekly runs and distances for my training but I've used the suggested paces from Smart Coach. The component of the Higdon plan that I like the best is doing a tempo or speedwork run the day before a long run. The idea is to start the long run on fatigued legs to simulate the feeling your legs will have later in the actual marathon.
The new plan I'm trying to ease into is a 21-day cycle with 8 key runs during that time. The remainder of the days are a combination of recovery runs and cross training. Of the 8 key runs there are 3 long runs (one of them being a "race-simulator" run with negative splits), 2 hill runs (one is a steady climb, the other is repeats), 2 speed work sessions, and 1 tempo run. I still need to work through some of the details regarding the speed work and tempo runs. I hope to use this type of strategy during training for my next marathon in the Spring.
Anyway...all of that aside...I really want to share my experience from today's race!
The Lead King Loop 25K/Marble Quarry Hill Climb 12.5K was my first trail race. I entered at the suggestion of my husband. He is definitely a purist when it comes to sports and thought I was spending too much time on the roads. I should be in a more "natural" environment. So, I started running more hills and trails during the past month. Luckily, one of our local hills - Red Mountain - is virtually a twin to the course I ran today. That definitely helped build my confidence.
I woke up this morning around 6:00 a.m. Ate my usual breakfast of oatmeal with cinnamon, half a peach, and brown sugar, some yogurt and Kashi, and of course some coffee! I started gathering my "race gear", packed my post-race snacks, and dragged my hubby out of bed. We were on the road by 7:45. I was hoping we'd be headed out by 7:30, but that wasn't to be.
We arrived in Marble around 9:00. We parked near the Beaver Lake Lodge (race HQ) and I picked up my race packet. For some reason they had me registered twice - never did get that sorted out, but I was runner 309 today.
With about 30 minutes to assess the weather, get warmed up, and make a "costume" change I made my way to the starting line. I originally planned on racing in pants but it was about 60 degrees when the race started so I opted for shorts instead. I got my Garmin set - I was a little worried it wouldn't pick up the signals because of the surrounding mountains, but no trouble.
The course started off through the town of Marble with a few rolling hills (very little hills, mind you). After about 1/2 mile we hit the Jeep road that lead to the quarry. The first mile was at a pretty mild grade. The split for my first mile was 9:32. Pretty respectable for me on a flat course, much less one with hills. In this mile, I managed to get out to an early lead on most of the other women running the course. I was running with the eventual winner at this point following her pace.
The second mile was a bit more challenging and I took my first walk break at 1.25 miles. The rest of this mile was much steeper than the beginning of the course - my split was 13:16. Ouch! The race director did say that this was the steepest part of the course so I was definitely looking forward to mile 3! Jeanne (the women's winner) got a big lead on me during this stretch!
Thank goodness the course flatened out at this point. I think I ran the majority of this mile. I was leap frogging with a younger runner and an older runner (maybe a father-son duo?). I kept looking over my shoulder as well because there was another woman closing in. Yikes! I made it through mile 3 in 12:03.
Mile 4 lead right into the quarry. This was definitely the most scenic section of the course. We made our way up through the aspen and pine. The road followed the flow of Yule Creek. At the apex we crossed a couple of wooden bridges and ended our climb at a marble cave. I really wish I had my camera with me so I could share that view with you. I completed mile 4 in 12:07.
The path down the hill was much more enjoyable - thank you gravity! I was also able to enjoy the view of aspen beginning to change into their bright yellow hue. Somewhere during mile 6 I was passed by the woman who had been "stalking" me during the uphill. She was running really strong and there was absolutely no way I was going to catch her. I was just hoping that no one else would pass me! Even though I didn't want to use this race as a competition there was still a little part of me that wanted to place. The splits for the downhill were great - mile 5 - 8:14, mile 6 - 8:11, mile 7 - 7:46, and mile 8 - 8:29.
I was able to maintain my speed and ended up placing 3rd over all (women's division), and 1st in my age group! Not too shabby for my first trail race!
The post race food was absolutely amazing! A local smokehouse catered the main course - BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, and the local community provided the side dishes and desserts! Whoever made the lemon bars is an absolute saint! There were also great door prizes and almost everyone who participated in the 12.5K and 25K walked away with something! I got a free night's stay at a hotel in Redstone. We'll probably use it next year - the night before the race!
------------------------
As I look forward to this week's schedule it looks like another cut-back week, but I am planning to do a half marathon in Buena Vista next Saturday. I'm hoping to use this as a gauge for the marathon. It'll be nice to see what pace I can actually hold during a race. Plus, the colors will be gorgeous up there!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Week ?: September 1 - 8
It's been forever since I've updated this blog. I have a bad habit of being ambitious and never following through, then trying to play catch up.
Here's the Cliff's Notes of what's been going on with the running lately...
We took a week long vacation to MN to visit family. The running went VERY well while I was there. Did my 18 mile long run and a bunch of other shorter runs and a tempo. I really like running at a lower altitude. It really does make quite a difference!
When we came back school started. It's been a bit of an adjustment but I've been able to get most of my runs in. I had some troubles with allergies and a tight knee but nothing too serious.
As for long runs since school started I've done a 10, 14, 16, and this past Saturday 21.5.
So, I'll hop right back into this...here's what I accomplished during the past week.
Monday 9/1: lift and core
Tuesday 9/2: 4.5 miles [easy pace]
Wednesday 9/3: yoga
Thursday 9/4: 5.5 mile bike ride
Friday 9/5: 5.25 miles [easy pace/hills]
Saturday 9/6: 21.5 miles [long run]
Sunday 9/7: 4.5 miles [recovery run]
Recently I met with my trainer. She's not working at the club anymore, but she's still training privately. So she set up a program I can do at home with a few weights, a ball, and a BOSU. I absolutely love the program! Plus, it's such a relief to know that I don't HAVE to go to the club in addition to all of the other stuff going on in my life. She has also helped me realize that I'm a runner, not a weight lifter, so I don't NEED to do four workouts a week. Two or three sessions should do the trick. I'm also adding in one yoga class per week, bonus is that it's at work!
I've also been looking ahead to my next marathon. It may be a little naive to think about a second one before running my first, but unfortunately I have to plan ahead to accommodate the other aspects of my life.
I've developed a list of criteria for my second marathon in hopes of qualifying for Boston 2010. I'm looking for a relatively "flat" course, at lower elevation, in late April or early May, and in a location that is relatively easy to travel to. There are a few options I'm considering: Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, Flying Pig (Cincinnati), Tacoma, Eugene, and Salt Lake City. Right now I'm leaning towards OKC. We'll see.
With all of that being said I'd also like to develop and more intense but manageable training program for that marathon. I'm looking at doing a 10 or 14 day cycle rather than a 7 day. It would give me more flexibility with my runs rather than having to do the same thing over and over and over, week to week. Hopefully something will workout as I look into it more closely.
As though this post isn't already long enough...I thought I'd mention some of my upcoming races...
Saturday 9/13: Lead King Loop 12.5K = This is a relatively local event up towards Carbondale. I'm mostly running it just for the experience of a trail race. The course is very comparable to a trail I run weekly so I'm pretty confident that I'll run strong but I'm sure I'll pale in comparison to the other runners there. They have a pretty good lunch afterwards too. I'm really looking forward to that. Plus, it's in the mountains and the colors should be pretty nice by then.
Wednesday 9/17: GWSHS 5K = This is just a little fundraiser 5K for one of the local high schools. Last year was it was a benefit for a local runner who was hit by a car and left for dead on the side of the road. Luckily, he recovered and is running and racing again. Oh, did I mention that he's in his 70's! I saw him during my last long run and he is so inspiring!!
Saturday 9/20: Buena Vista 1/2 Marathon = I ran the 10K of this race last year. It was my first 10K race. Amazing how far I've come in one year, as this will be my 5th half marathon since that 10K. Anyway...again, the colors should be beautiful up there! I keep telling myself that I'm using this as a training run, but I also have a PR goal in the back of my head. We'll see how I feel on race day.
Saturday 9/27: Canyon Shuffle 5K = Last year I ran the 1/2 marathon at this race and it was my first. Good memories and nostalgia on that trail, but this year I'm looking forward to the abbreviated version.
Sunday 10/5: Komen Race for the Cure, Denver = This is becoming an annual pilgrimage for the gals at work. A weekend in the big city for a great cause. Really looking forward to doing this one.
Saturday 10/11: Zen Run 10K = As part of the "Phedippidations World Wide Half Marathon" I will be joining runners around the world to "think global, run local". This will be my last "long" run before the marathon. This should be a good chance to reflect on my training and look forward to the big pay off.
Sunday 10/19: Denver Marathon = Enough said. I ABSOLUTELY can't wait for this opportunity!!!
I thought I'd throw a couple of pictures in from MN.
Sunset on Lake Miltona...
Me and the in-laws...
Roan, taking a dip in the lake...
Me and Roan relaxing at the cabin...
Bret and me hanging out at the beach...
Here's the Cliff's Notes of what's been going on with the running lately...
We took a week long vacation to MN to visit family. The running went VERY well while I was there. Did my 18 mile long run and a bunch of other shorter runs and a tempo. I really like running at a lower altitude. It really does make quite a difference!
When we came back school started. It's been a bit of an adjustment but I've been able to get most of my runs in. I had some troubles with allergies and a tight knee but nothing too serious.
As for long runs since school started I've done a 10, 14, 16, and this past Saturday 21.5.
So, I'll hop right back into this...here's what I accomplished during the past week.
Monday 9/1: lift and core
Tuesday 9/2: 4.5 miles [easy pace]
Wednesday 9/3: yoga
Thursday 9/4: 5.5 mile bike ride
Friday 9/5: 5.25 miles [easy pace/hills]
Saturday 9/6: 21.5 miles [long run]
Sunday 9/7: 4.5 miles [recovery run]
Recently I met with my trainer. She's not working at the club anymore, but she's still training privately. So she set up a program I can do at home with a few weights, a ball, and a BOSU. I absolutely love the program! Plus, it's such a relief to know that I don't HAVE to go to the club in addition to all of the other stuff going on in my life. She has also helped me realize that I'm a runner, not a weight lifter, so I don't NEED to do four workouts a week. Two or three sessions should do the trick. I'm also adding in one yoga class per week, bonus is that it's at work!
I've also been looking ahead to my next marathon. It may be a little naive to think about a second one before running my first, but unfortunately I have to plan ahead to accommodate the other aspects of my life.
I've developed a list of criteria for my second marathon in hopes of qualifying for Boston 2010. I'm looking for a relatively "flat" course, at lower elevation, in late April or early May, and in a location that is relatively easy to travel to. There are a few options I'm considering: Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, Flying Pig (Cincinnati), Tacoma, Eugene, and Salt Lake City. Right now I'm leaning towards OKC. We'll see.
With all of that being said I'd also like to develop and more intense but manageable training program for that marathon. I'm looking at doing a 10 or 14 day cycle rather than a 7 day. It would give me more flexibility with my runs rather than having to do the same thing over and over and over, week to week. Hopefully something will workout as I look into it more closely.
As though this post isn't already long enough...I thought I'd mention some of my upcoming races...
Saturday 9/13: Lead King Loop 12.5K = This is a relatively local event up towards Carbondale. I'm mostly running it just for the experience of a trail race. The course is very comparable to a trail I run weekly so I'm pretty confident that I'll run strong but I'm sure I'll pale in comparison to the other runners there. They have a pretty good lunch afterwards too. I'm really looking forward to that. Plus, it's in the mountains and the colors should be pretty nice by then.
Wednesday 9/17: GWSHS 5K = This is just a little fundraiser 5K for one of the local high schools. Last year was it was a benefit for a local runner who was hit by a car and left for dead on the side of the road. Luckily, he recovered and is running and racing again. Oh, did I mention that he's in his 70's! I saw him during my last long run and he is so inspiring!!
Saturday 9/20: Buena Vista 1/2 Marathon = I ran the 10K of this race last year. It was my first 10K race. Amazing how far I've come in one year, as this will be my 5th half marathon since that 10K. Anyway...again, the colors should be beautiful up there! I keep telling myself that I'm using this as a training run, but I also have a PR goal in the back of my head. We'll see how I feel on race day.
Saturday 9/27: Canyon Shuffle 5K = Last year I ran the 1/2 marathon at this race and it was my first. Good memories and nostalgia on that trail, but this year I'm looking forward to the abbreviated version.
Sunday 10/5: Komen Race for the Cure, Denver = This is becoming an annual pilgrimage for the gals at work. A weekend in the big city for a great cause. Really looking forward to doing this one.
Saturday 10/11: Zen Run 10K = As part of the "Phedippidations World Wide Half Marathon" I will be joining runners around the world to "think global, run local". This will be my last "long" run before the marathon. This should be a good chance to reflect on my training and look forward to the big pay off.
Sunday 10/19: Denver Marathon = Enough said. I ABSOLUTELY can't wait for this opportunity!!!
I thought I'd throw a couple of pictures in from MN.
Sunset on Lake Miltona...
Me and the in-laws...
Roan, taking a dip in the lake...
Me and Roan relaxing at the cabin...
Bret and me hanging out at the beach...
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