Week 16 Marathon Training Plan and Other Stuff!!!

It doesn't feel like Monday, since it's a holiday... but I guess it is... and thus I owe you a marathon training plan update.  But do you see the number in the title - 16?  Yes, I did a 16 week plan this time... which means, this is IT!  Wow, I'm here.  Time flies when you're having fun... ok, ok, time flies when you're busy working your rear off, literally.

Let's look at some numbers:
16 - weeks in my training schedule.
577 - number of miles run in this cycle.
58 - highest mileage week
9 - number of runs I missed - 4 due to vacation, 5 due to a sprained foot.
24 - number of double digit runs
16 - number of pounds I lost during this cycle.
20188 - Rock n Roll San Diego bib number!!!

(20188 - 2 for my 2nd marathon and 18+8 = 26 for number of miles I plan to run fast... also in the middle is 1+8 = 9, my lucky number.)

Now down to the business of Monday... the training schedule recap...

Week 15 Recap:
Monday - 3 - Completed.
Tuesday - 8 - Completed, 5 done at race pace.
Wednesday - 5 - Completed.
Thursday - 9 - Completed.
Friday - Off - Completed.
Saturday - 11 - Completed and recapped HERE. 
Sunday - Off - Completed.

Pretty uneventful week until Saturday's long run which turned into unfortunate misery.  I'm still confident about the marathon as long as I can figure out what in the world is wrong with my digestive system.  It's been 2 1/2 days of blech.

Week 16 Schedule:
Monday - 3
Tuesday - 5
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - 6
Friday - Off
Saturday - Off
Sunday - TWENTY-SIX POINT TWO...

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Last "Long" Run

Today was my last "long" run.  I had 11 miles on the schedule for the last weekend before the marathon.  I put "long" only in quotes because just a week ago, 11-milers were my mid-week runs.  Unfortunately, today was just one of those days... not exactly confidence-boosting or motivating...  (And you're getting the run-down in bullet format because I'm not feeling particularly creative.)
- I'm fairly certain I have a mild food poisoning.  Either that or a mild virus.  Things are not functioning properly, and I'm getting ridiculous stomachaches.  I'm sure this did wonders for my hydration as well.  My legs felt heavy the entire time.

- It was almost 80 degrees at 7am this morning and unbelievably humid, and oh, guess what came back for a visit - that Texas wind.  Gotta love fighting 30mph winds.  (And while it's off and on bearable depending on where you are on the lake, there's a spot at mile 7 where it almost stops you in your tracks.)

- At 9 miles, I felt awful.  My pace had slowed to a snail's pace (compared to my norm), and I seriously felt ill.  I decided that my legs didn't need the miles, so I would walk the last two.  Why mess with my body anymore.  I have the miles, and all this run was doing was stealing some of my hard-earned motivation.

- I walked 1 mile past my car and went to turn around.  As usual, I went to turn and look for cyclists first when one nearly clipped me.  I yelled in shock because he scared the crap out of me.  Now, admittedly, I was a little dizzy and may have veered a foot or so over while turning to look, but there was no traffic the other way, so I'm not sure why 1) he would pass and leave only a foot between us and 2) not have already shouted "on your left" if he was that close.  Seriously, he was insanely close to taking me out.

- Continued the mile back to my car, got in, guzzled a gatorade, and started to pull out very cautiously, as usual, since cyclists often cut through that parking lot.  A lady, on her cell phone, pushing a jogging stroller, just walked right in front of me.  No less than an inch from my bumper (I was already pulled forward out of my space).  The really bad part, she never even noticed... just kept walking with her stroller through a crowded parking lot with cyclists zipping by while talking on her phone.  Thank you lady for adding another heart-rate raising event to my day.

Fortunately for the rest of the day, I came home, got a shower, got to relax, and we even managed to go catch Kung Fu Panda 2 as a complete family of 5... an extremely rare event.  Everyone really enjoyed it!  A quick stop by Chipotle which relieved me of cooking duties made for a nice end to the night.

Tomorrow - church, then I shall enjoy my day of rest before a pool-filled Memorial Day. 

What do you have planned this holiday weekend???


PS  Have you voted lately?  I'm slipping and I really really want to stay in the top 25 Mom Health & Fitness blogs.  Please vote!!!  You can vote once a day until June 1, and you can vote for multiple blogs (I've been voting for all my favorites).  I've never made any sort of blog list... so this would be rockin'!

Don't Worry, It's Not Taper

I haven't gone temporarily quiet because of taper... I've gone quiet because it's the end of the school year and a million things are happening.  I will say with so much to do and reduced miles on the schedule, it's tempting to just skip a run and get stuff done... I mean, I'm supposed to be resting and recupperating for the marathon, right?  Well, I've invested too many hours and given up too many things to get to this point in my training.  I intend to run every mile of my taper as it is scheduled at the pace I am intended to run it.  Now is not the time to get lazy or mess with what works.  It's a little harder to fit things in, even with the reduced distances, but I'm determined to make it work. 

This week we've had some fun events... first you might wonder what this is:

That would be my husband's car parked on the back patio to protect the car from the hail as we waited out the tornados.  Fun times.  For the record, I am the complete opposite of a worry-wart and my kids were all snuggled in bed while must people were huddled in a bathroom or laundry room.  I kept my eye on things, but wasn't going to take cover until I thought there was an urgent need.  Fortunately, that never happened.  This kind of weather is pretty frequent in spring in Texas, so I don't get too alarmed.

Then there's this little cutie that occupies my days:

(Excuse the poor quality... my phone wasn't happy with the lighting situation.  ;-)  )  And that little princess started back to swim lessons this week.  She was hesitant at first until she got to try on her new swimsuit:

And just like last year, this little one is ready to be a mermaid.  She just turned 3 and amazes me in the pool...

You might recognize her instructor... one of my favorite run buddies for hitting the local races, Elaine.  Yeah, an awesome runner *and* a superstar swim teacher.

And the other major thing I'm dealing with is my middle child, Lily, has her last day of school today.  That means tonight is kindergarten graduation:

And it also means I've spent all week working on the memory board we were supposed to make for the graduation reception:

I think it turned out great, but I am *not* crafty, so this took me a huge load of time.  But Lily is happy and that's what matters.  I have some flowers to surprise her with tonight.

Tomorrow, my oldest has his end-of-year picnic... so we'll be at that event all day getting hot and sweaty.  His school isn't done, though, until next Wednesday... just before I hop on a plane to San Diego.  Woo-hoo!!!!!!!

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Week 15 Marathon Training Plan

Sometimes Runner's World Quote of the Day just has impeccable timing... yes it does.

"Races always evoke some dread about pain that will come. But we can't escape the fact that the more discomfort we accept in a race, the faster we will run. Successful racing means courting the pain."

-John Elliot-

Bring on the discomfort!  As my friend, Robin, often tells me - sometimes going faster doesn't hurt any worse!  Besides, Dr. Magic Hands did his work today and promises to keep my body in tip-top shape... provided I don't trip over imaginary elves and skid up my knees again.

Now down to the business of Monday... the training schedule recap...

Week 14 Recap:
Monday - Off - Completed and appreciated!
Tuesday - 10 - Completed.
Wednesday - 7 - Completed.
Thursday - 12 - Completed.
Friday - Off - Completed.
Saturday - 16 - Completed... first day of taper!  Yes, 16 is now a "taper" run.  That's insanity.  This run was comfortable although it was ridiculously humid which made for some stinky ladies.  Robin was awesome to accompany me despite not being in marathon-mode right now.
Sunday - Off - Completed.

Week 15 Schedule:
Monday - 3
Tuesday - 8
Wednesday - 5
Thursday - 9
Friday - Off
Saturday - 11
Sunday - Off

Wow... here we go...

By the way, as a side note, I decided to do a 16 week training cycle for this marathon.  For many, especially first-timers, I think it's probably a bit short.  I chose 16 weeks because I was already comfortably at 13 miles prior to this cycle, and last training period I got burnt out at about 16 weeks, and didn't give my best the last 4 weeks.  I know myself and since I was already in pretty good starting condition, I chose to cut this cycle slightly to hopefully prevent burn out.  And while I'm definitely exhausted from the last 14 weeks of training, I am still mentally "on" and "ready".

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Gimme a T!!!

Gimme a T-A-P-E-R!  Woo-hoo.  Two things I never ever in my wildest dreams I thought would go hand-in-hand - taper and 16-mile run - which I did today.  I'm no longer afraid of the double digits... in fact, often, I don't give it due respect in terms of preparation.  Today started my first week of taper (75% effort). 

But, of course, I ate as if I ran 22 today... or maybe as if I ran the whole marathon.  Who knows, but it was good.  I'm kind of obsessed with fish tacos lately... I need Jason to pretend not to be a vegetarian for a day, and teach me how to make a mean fish taco.  I'm not sure why a corn tortilla and fish with some coleslaw and a little sauce rings up so many calories at the restaurant. 

Anyhow, back to taper... last time I didn't get taper madness, and I'm hoping to avoid that this time too.  I actually enjoyed the lower mileage and the time to catch up on Mount Washmore and other things around the house that are about to grow legs and crawl off if I don't tend to them.  Pretty sure even my family might grow some spare legs and wander off if they don't get a little more TLC.

A few random things since the weekends tend to make me random:

Shout out to Shannon who as of right now is 7.5 miles from becoming an Ironman!   WOW!

Looking for a good cause?  Consider donating to Tonia and Katye for the NYC Marathon with Team Grassroots Soccer.

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San Diego on My Mind

OK, let me rephrase that... I can't get San Diego *off* my mind.  This marathon has taken over my life. 

In just over 2 weeks, I'll get on an airplane to fly to San Diego for the Rock n Roll Marathon.  On Sunday, June 5th, I will run my second marathon.

I feel ridiculously prepared.  Confident.  But then some nasty thoughts crept in today... I felt really really prepared for my first marathon, and it all went wrong.  But I learned some lessons, right?  I definitely learned the nutrition lesson.  The other lesson... well, I'm not going to dwell on it, because I'm throwing it out the window.  My priorities have changed.  I don't just want this:

I want the runner's high.  Not just the "I did it!"  But the "I gave it everything."  I know that puts me at risk for failure... but to be honest, I've spent a lot of hours thinking about it, and I don't care.  I'm not afraid of failing.  I truly want to go out there and put it all on the line.  Everyone who has raced with me knows that come race day, I have an uncontrollable urge to "race", not just run.  And I'm not racing anyone but myself... challenging my own capabilities.  And sometimes I fail at it, and other times I shine at it.  But I absolutely love knowing I had nothing left to give.  Come race day on June 5th, I will have three thoughts in my head...

1.  "Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great." -Prefontaine
2.  "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” -T.S.Eliot
3.  "You've. Freakin. Got. This."  -EMZ

With all that said... I need some advice... while I travelled for the Princess Half, I had about a week to acclimate... it was also a half, which is a very different beast to me than a full.  I'm worried about things like the time change.  Being stuck with restaurant food that isn't my "norm" right before a big race.  Things like that.  I fly in on Friday for the Sunday race.  Any advice you have, please leave a comment!!!

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North Trail Half and Long Run Recap

Yes, you read that blog title right.  No need to click back through my posts... yes, I ran a half May 1st, 7th, and 15th.  Yes, I have a racing problem.  No, I didn't plan to run this race... Yes, I give into peer pressure way too easily.  All the cool kids were doing it.

North Trail is a tiny half marathon put on by White Rock Racing.  There were maybe 100 people there.  And of course, our clan made up for a good portion of the party...

(Me, EW and Dana, Elaine, Libby, and Robin W)

EW is the one who started roping me in for this run, and then Libby clenched it when she mentioned that she needed to do her first 20-miler.  Since I had 20-22 on the schedule, well, that sealed the deal.

Libby and I met about an hour before race time at a lot that was just over 3 miles from the starting line.  I broke the golden rule of "nothing new on race day" because Libby brought me my lime North Texas Runners shirt.  Duh, of course I'm wearing it... check out the socks... come on!  I let Libby set the pace for the run in.  We kept it slow and steady.  We clocked in 3.28 miles on the run in and got a mini-preview of the course.  I loved this trail.  It's just north of the lake, and I didn't even know it existed.

I had time for a quick potty run and the above photo, and then we headed to the starting line.  The race started a little late, I believe due to some last minute changes to the course due to construction.  Anyhow, I was very happy to see that a guy was announcing paces and asking people to go to the start line when he called their pace.  Wow, smart move.  It was a narrow trail, and even with only 100 people, being lined up poorly could cause harsh starting conditions.  It made for a very smooth start.  I had already told Robin W, who has been itching for a 2:20, that I would be glad to run with her... otherwise, I'd take it easy since I had a lot more miles to do and already had 3.25 on my legs. 

We started out and just ran what felt good... which for the first mile, was a bit slow, but we steadily fell into a really nice pace.  I didn't look at my Garmin much.  The only thing I occassionally checked was to make sure the pace was below 10:40 min/mile to get Robin that goal time.  As long as we were below and running comfortably, we kept going.  The course was relatively flat, but felt like it had a very gradual uphill grade.  Just enough to confuse you and make it feel harder than you mentally think it should be.  And the quads could feel it.  We kept pushing along nice and steady until around mile 6 of the race when the ground decided shift and grab hold of my toe and send me flying into the pavement (my toe caught a metal rail that was connecting a bridge to the sidewalk).  I managed to keep myself from doing a face plant but when I hit my knees, I felt like I just kept skidding on them.  My body must've been in shock cause other than a minor sting, it didn't really hurt... I poured some water on it and just let the blood flow as I continued on (that was our worst mile and it was still only 10:59).  (The picture below is after it was cleaned up by medical at the finish.)

My first battle wounds.  I really didn't care about the bloody knees, I was just ready to plod on.  And so we did... it wasn't until around mile 9 or 10 that I noticed that the salty sweat was starting to make it sting and I could also feel the skin tightening which made it pull a bit while running.  But nothing major... keep on trucking.

Around mile 10, I was sure that Robin had this 2:20 in the bag.  Remember, I hadn't been looking at my watch much, so it wasn't until 10 or 11 that I started calculating in my head and realized she was going to have an awesome PR.  I was feeling a little tired, but nothing excessive.  I still felt pretty peppy.  So I just kept it steady in.  OK, I admit it... and Robin probably knows this... but I actually sped up that last mile because, well, there were two ladies in our sites, and well, you know me... I wanted us in their sites, not vice versa.  So the last mile was a 9:50... yeah, ok, I sped up.  Sorry!  And then, of course, I cannot stand to not sprint the finish.  I'm pretty sure Robin wasn't down with that idea, but she stayed right on my heels.  (Have I mentioned this is only her 4th half and her 1st was on April 11th?  She's done the same 3 in 3 weeks that I just did.)  Anyhow, I sprinted it in and then turned around to wait for Robin.  I didn't stop my watch until she crossed because this event was not chip timed and I wanted her to have an accurate number for her PR time.  A few seconds one way or the other didn't matter to me.  She came in at 2:16:32.  Her previous PR (set last week) was 2:25.  W-O-W.  This lady is a machine.  That's amazing.  She'll be leaving me in the dust in no time... she just started at this distance.  Unbelievable.

I gulped some water, refused some medical attention, rested for a couple of minutes, handed Robin W my medal, and headed back out onto the course... I ran out and had decided that I would run back in with either Elaine or Libby, whomever I found first.  I didn't want to add more than 2 miles on because with the distance back to the car, I would already be around 20.  On the way back out, the course was lonely.  It was such a small race that there was a lot of distance between runners.  Motivation can be tough when you are out there and feeling alone on the course.  Right around 0.9 miles, I found Elaine.  Perfect distance.  Elaine, unlike me, is not a buddy-runner... so I asked her before turning if she minded if I ran in with her.  Turns out that the loneliness of the course had been wearing on her a bit, and she was up for the company and even let me jibber-jabber the whole way back in.  (And trust me, she knows me well enough to tell me to shut up if she needs to!)  She pushed in with a great time and ended up with 3rd place Athena.  Rockin'!!!

Not too much later Libby came in... she also convinced me to go ahead and let medical clean up my knees.  It was just saline but seriously... wow... ouch.  (Yes, I'm whining over scraped knees... despite knowing that there are lots of bloggers right now who have suffered much worse... eek... I can't imagine.)

We only rested for a minute.  In fact, I didn't even remember to re-fill my water bottle... and neither of us ate anything.  Not too smart.  We headed back out towards the car.  We made it about a mile in, and Libby just wasn't feeling well.  I think we were both a little underfueled.  After a little bit of walking together, Libby asked me to go on (particularly because my marathon is in 3 weeks... for her, this was her first of 3 20-milers for a marathon in 11 weeks).  So I went on, and I ran the rest of the way back to the car.  I was a smidge short on mileage still... so I ran back out to Libby after I hit the car, and then I walked it in with her (she only had about half mile left by time I got back to her).  I needed the walk to aid recovery anyhow. 

In total, I tallied 22.15 miles.  And I actually felt pretty great.  Other than some pain in my rear-end (seriously... stupid glutes)... I feel fine.

Today, the knees have tightened and they actually look worse and feel worse... but it seems to just be flesh, so it should heal soon enough.  Other than that and this stupid glute, I feel fine.  The stairs aren't even bothering me.  I'm quite shocked how good I feel after 22 miles despite all the short breaks scattered into that run.  I had an appointment with Dr. Magic Hands today and he tore into that glute, and I'm fairly certain its more sore now... but I'm confident it'll feel improved tomorrow.

Back to the grind tomorrow... taper starts Saturday... woo-hoo!!!

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Week 14 Marathon Training Plan

First, before I sneak into talking about my own training, can I just say that I am thrilled that not one, but *two* of my runners asked me to redo their schedule today because they wanted to set bigger goals.  Happy, happy coach.  I love it when the bug really catches, and both have plenty of time to safely achieve those goals, so I'm really excited for them!

Now down to the business of Monday... the training schedule recap...

Week 13 Recap:

Monday - 3 - Completed plus 1 hour of bodyworks class.

Tuesday - 10 - Completed.  And did 7 miles of it at half marathon race pace.

Wednesday - 7 - Completed 7.5.

Thursday - Off - Yes, please.  Spent it with 22 crazy kindergarteners.  Fun times!

Friday - 11 - Completed. - I talked about this run a little HERE in #2, but basically... I ran too much.  I went 11 at a pretty nice pace for me... and walked 1.  That part was fine.  But then I ran with my nephew that evening for 3.4 miles to practice the course for his 5k leg of his family triathlon.  Really enjoyed the time with the nephew, but my legs were not happy that I gave them 15.4 total miles on a mid-week run.

Saturday - Off - Oh yes... legs up most of the day and relaxing.  Thank you Saturday!

Sunday - 20-22 - Completed 22.15.  Felt fantastic, well except for... well, you'll have to wait for the recap... coming super soon.


Week 14 Schedule:
Monday - Off - Changed this from the normal 3 since I did my long run Sunday. 
Tuesday - 10
Wednesday - 7
Thursday - 12
Friday - Off
Saturday - 16 - Let the taper begin!!!
Sunday - Off

Three weeks left until the big day.  And for those of you that read my earlier post about being unsure on my race plan... I'm sure.  I'm completely decided... but I'm not telling!  We'll just have to see what happens on race day.

And pssssst... don't forget to continue to vote once a day for me and your other favorite blogs (you can vote for multiples) up to once a day HERE.

Four for Saturday

1. In what is now being referred to as "The Great Blogger Outage of 2011", I lost most of my comments on my marathon countdown post.  I read them and know what most people said, but there were some inspiring words there that I wish were still there to refer back to.  Oh well.

2. Yesterday was way too much running... I got in my planned 11 miles in the morning with my good friend Robin.  I love running with her.  It was a strong and motivating run at the lake.  Walked a mile at the finish to aid in a speedy recovery.  Felt good most the day, but was slow to get nutrients back in my body.  In the early evening, I had agreed to help out my nephew who needed a 5k training run before his triathlon this Sunday.  I figured 3 miles, no big deal.  My nephew is super speedy, but he seemed to stay a hair behind me and let me lead the way, so I kept it at 10 min/mile... which for me is challenging, but not all out.  Loved that I got the chance to run with him!!!  Afterwards I engorged myself on a lovely cloud of carb-heaven.  I was stuffed.  As soon as I got the kiddos to bed, I got in bed to relax and maybe watch a flick... and then it started... cramps all up and down my legs and feet... would start  in one area then hit another.  Wow, it hurt bad.  It immediately popped in my head that I hadn't had any sports drink and I had covered 15.4 miles for the day and perhaps my electrolytes were out of whack.  I quickly downed 3 servings of gatorade... and surprise, surprise... the cramping went away.  Moral of the story:  a) Electrolytes *are* important.  b) Even if you feel fine post-run, don't forget to continue with appropriate hydration/nutrition.  I know better.  But it still sometimes slips the mind when you come home to other duties/responsibilities.  Today, I shall be taking it easy.

3. I'm up for Top 25 Health & Fitness Mom Blogs.  Please help me out by voting (once a day) between now and June 1st.  I would love to make the top 25.  I've seen these lists before and found many of my fellow bloggers from these lists, but never been on one myself.  Also, you can vote for multiple blogs each day... I think you'll see lots of your favorites on there.

4. I have some fun things up my sleeve for while I'm at the marathon... coming sooooooon... 3 weeks and counting!

25 Days...

... until Marathon #2.

I keep waivering on my plan for this marathon... so that's where *you* come in.  Talk to me, folks. 

Let me give you some background...

1.  As many of you may know, Sherry agreed awhile back to go with me to San Diego and run this marathon.  I couldn't have been more thrilled.  Sherry is the perfect pacing partner.  We run almost exactly the same pace... sometimes she pulls me, sometimes I pull her.  Plan set...

But as you may or may not know, Sherry has been on a journey for many years to become a mommy.  Most recently going the path of adoption... which she's been on the waiting list for around a year.  If you don't follow Sherry's blog then you might have missed a little bitty teenie tiny announcement.  God had a different plan for her, and she's pregnant!!!  I am over-the-moon excited for her.  You can't pull me off the ceiling.  So thrilled for her.  Seriously, becoming a mommy outranks a marathon any day of the week!

But...... that means -1 pacing partner for the marathon.  So it's just me and the pavement.  Although Sherry *is* still going on the trip with me and maybe doing the half.  Cannot stinkin' wait to share this trip with her!

2.  In all honesty, I am way better running *with* someone, and while I think I could pull off a 4:40, there are pace teams from a local running club at 4:30 and 4:45.  I'm afraid if I push with 4:30, I'll fizzle.  I'm afraid if I go 4:45 and I slow a little at the end, like most people do, then I'll be too far below what I think I'm capable of.

3.  This quote I posted last week is really bothering me:

“Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”

-Steve Prefontaine-

I really want to cross that line not feeling defeated like I did last time... but I don't want to be so conservative that I'm giving up the great and settling for the ok.

4.  Numbers for you...
- My last marathon time was 5:12 in December.  I finished the first half around 2:23 and then cramped badly at mile 15 and hobbled for the last 11 miles and crossed the line feeling utterly defeated and disappointed.
- I've run 14 half marathons.  My PR is 2:09 (9:52 min/mile).  My last half was a 2:20, but it was in the middle of an 18 mile run and I felt fantastic.
- I train slow and race fast.  I do the majority of my miles at 11 min/mile.  My long runs usually a tad slower than that.  I do very little speedwork since I race so much (that's my speed!), but I have been doing the middle 6-7 miles of my Tuesday runs at 10 min/mile.
- My 5k PR is 26:54 (8:41 min/mile).  My 10k PR is 59:35 (9:37 min/mile).  All my PRs are within the last few months.  But my 5k PR and 10k PR were before I lost 12 more pounds.
- The only runs I've missed in my plan were the ones during my vacation and the week that I had a sprained foot.
- I currently have zero injuries.
- I've done a 14-miler, 16-miler, three 18-milers, and a 20-miler (with another scheduled for this weekend that I *will* do).  My mid-week runs have included at least two 9-11 milers for the last 6+ weeks.  I run 5 days a week.

Alright Coach Blog-readers... talk to me... give me your input.  Help me devise my marathon plan.  AND throw in there a little time prediction and maybe I'll throw in a prize for the closest guess.  The marathon is San Diego Rock-n-Roll.

Centennial Half Marathon + 5 Recap

Sherry and I had decided awhile back that we would not be running the Centennial Half Marathon.  We wanted to run last Sunday's Heels and Hills Half, and we didn't want to over-tax our bodies in the middle of marathon training.  You all know where this is going, right?  Well a couple weeks out, there was just too much peer pressure... I mean, all the cool kids were doing this race... and Sherry couldn't do the 18 with me, so I didn't want to do the whole thing alone, so... well, I signed up.  Yes, I just did a half marathon on Sunday and this was Saturday of the same week, but who's counting?

But I still needed to get in my 18 miles.  So I devised a plan to park at one of the remote lots (that they shuttle from).  I would run from the lot to the race (3.25 miles), then run the race, then either run the remaining 1.5 as an out-and-back and catch the shuttle... or just run back toward the car and walk the last 2 or so.  I posted my crazy plan on facebook and to my surprise, I had a new friend jump on board!  Mary and I had actually never met in person, but we're on a local running facebook group and she had posted about considering running San Diego, and we connected that way.  (She actually decided not to do San Diego, but is still marathon training for one that's 3 weeks later.)  Mary had 18 miles on her schedule too, and despite the fact that I'm a slightly slower runner than her, she was excited to join me for the 18 (not as excited as I was to have company).

Quick recap so far - race I'm not supposed to run, parking 3.5 miles from the start, running with someone I've never met.  And people say I'm not spontaneous!  Bwahahahahahaha!

OK, race morning... up and ready to go at 6am and decided to leave early.  (Excuse the master photography, but I was rocking the new Ruu-Muu which is the Nuu-Muu with pockets - review coming.)  I get to the parking lot at 6:30am even though I'm not supposed to meet Mary until 7am (we didn't want too much rest time between our miles and the race).  I sat there with the car off and the radio on playing on my phone.  And then the radio zapped off.  Yep, car battery was dead.  Ridiculous.  It wouldn't even turn over, just a click.  It was really odd.  But I decided to brush it from my mind and deal with it later.  Right now, I had 18 miles to focus on.

Mary got there right on time, and we said our hello's and then headed out.  I'm sure we looked a little odd with our race numbers taking a little jaunt around the lake.  We had planned to take it around 11:30 min/mile for the distance before the race, so we slowed ourselves into a steady pace, but we really hit an 11:11 pace.  OK, so the race day adrenaline was already pumping.

We got to the race start with 3.25 miles on the Garmin around 7:40 in the morning.  We had just enough time to walk up the hill and wait in line for the porta-potty.  Took care of that, then straight back down the hill to line up for the start.  We lined up right at the 2:20 pacer where several of my friends had lined up - EW & Dana, Robin W, Pat, and Denya (who you might remember just ran her first half less than a week ago, but it was cut short due to the weather).  Mary was also going to run the race portion with me.  You all *know* how much I love running buddies.  It completely alters my mental state during a run.

I don't have many details about the race itself.  We kept a comfortably hard but steady pace.  The 2:20 pacer was always within eyesight (sometimes ahead of us, sometimes behind).  It was hot, but there was a breeze.  The wind was heavy at times, but not anything crazy.  There were plenty of water/gatorade stops.  And despite thinking at some point the wheels would come off, Mary and I just stayed steady the whole time and came in right on target, beating the 2:20 goal time by just a few seconds... 2:19:54.  My sweet friend Robin (who paced me for my PR back in March) was cheering me through the finish with her girls!  Loved it. 

We decided the best way to finish out the run was to just go for it immediately, so that we could enjoy the after-party and not worry about having more miles to do.  So we grabbed a quick water break and went straight back out to run.  Despite the fact that we said we'd slow down for the remaining miles, we actually sped up and were running at a steady 10 min/mile pace.  Must have had some post-race adrenaline or something.  It was greatness.  Run completed... 18.03 miles, 3:11:57, 10:39 min/mile average pace.  I usually average 11:30s or so on long runs, so I was stoked about keeping the pace the entire time.  Major confidence boost. 

Mary and I relaxed, sat back, and ENJOYED the after-party.  Music, pizza, and chatting with friends.  Eventually we headed to the shuttle.  It seemed to take forever to shuttle back.  Both of us said we should've just walked it... we would've gotten there faster.  We arrived finally, and I was prepared to pull out the jumper cables when I thought I would just give it one more try.  I put the key in and it chug-chug-chug-chugged and finally it started!!!  Thank God for that.  (When I got home, Peter checked and the connection was pretty lose.)

Great day, great confidence boost, and a new running friend.  Can a day get any better?  Oh and check out the loot!!!

And congrats to Denya for finishing all 13.1 feeling great in 2:27.  As a coach, I am ridiculously proud of how dedicated she's been and how well she pulled off back-to-back half marathons as her first and second.  I see big things coming for her!!!

Week 13 Marathon Training Plan

Week 12 Recap:

Monday - Off - Completed

Tuesday - 10 - Completed 10.5 on the gym treadmill.  Did 7 of the miles at my half-marathon race pace of 10 min/mile.  It was comfortably hard (one of those terms that sounds ridiculous when you first hear it, but eventually your body tells you what it means).

Wednesday - 7 - Completed 6.8 at the lake.  Outside.  Again with my friend, Pat.  It was a lovely run.  No other word for it.  It felt comfortable.  The temperature was perfect, the breeze was great.  My body felt right on.

Thursday - 11 - Completed 11.5 at my usual easy 11 min/mile pace on the gym treadmill.

Friday - Off - Completed.

Saturday - 18 - Completed.  This was one of those runs that just boosts your confidence going into a marathon.  Up until now, all my 16+ mile runs have been miserable and ridiculously hard.  A new friend agreed to be a little crazy with me and the plan was to park 3.5 miles from my race, the Centennial half.  We ran the 3.5 miles plus the 13.1 mile race, plus the remaining 1.5 miles and kept a stellar pace... faster than my hoped for marathon pace that I was worried about.  If I could just repeat Saturday mentally and physically, this marathon will be conquered... details of this run coming soon in the Centennial Half race report.

Sunday - Off - Completed.


Week 13 Schedule:
Monday - 3
Tuesday - 10
Wednesday - 7
Thursday - Off
Friday - 11
Saturday - Off
Sunday - 20-22

Shifted Thursday and Saturday runs to Friday and Sunday so I can work around some other plans.  This should be more do-able.  My last 20+ run before San Diego.  Yee-haw!!!

Random Revelations of Wednesday

1.  Everyone says that 1 lb is approximately 2 sec/mile.  Half Marathon PR in October at 168 lbs - 2:15:30.  Half Marathon PR in March at 156 lbs - 2:09:17.  A difference of 28 sec/mile.  Hmmmmm... I think that might be right on (I'll attribute the other 4 seconds to my just being in better shape!).

2.  Have you ever heard that if you have a weight loss plateau it might be because you're not eating enough?  And even if you shake your head yes, you still don't really believe it?  I hit another plateau at the 156 and I really wanted 10 more lbs to be done.  Guess what?  I added 300 calories a day to my diet to account for my current high mileage due to the fast approaching marathon and guess what?  Plateau broken.  Hmmmmm, maybe there's somethin' too that.  Must fuel!

3.  Remember *this post* about how hard running is and how I don't necessarily find "the zone" or feel "joyous" while running but cannot deny the feeling of accomplishment afterward?  Well, while still mostly true, I did find some of my running joy... finally.  I usually only run outside on the weekends for my long run.  So when I finally get outside, which I love, I am always struggling through a really difficult run for a long duration.  There are numerous circumstances that make it nearly impossible for me to run outside during the week... no, not even at 5am.  So I spend my weekday runs at the gym on the treadmill, where I love the company and conversation, but rarely enjoy the actual run... it's all about getting the miles in.  Well circumstances have had a very brief change for the past 2 weeks, that'll end next week... but I've been able to get outdoors for a shorter mid-week run... wow, I just feel good almost the whole time.  I actually understand the "I could just keep going forever" feeling.  It's been lovely, and I am going to miss it when it's gone.  But I'm still dedicated to getting in my miles any way I can... definitely looking forward to a few easy weekend runs once I get through this marathon.

Coach's Corner

Note: Everything posted in "Coach's Corner" is my opinion. I am not a doctor or a dietician. As with anything on the internet, take everything with a grain of salt!

Tip of the week:  Sunscreen!!!  It's already getting warmer (especially here in Texas), and the layers are coming off.  I'm going to admit upfront, that I hate sunscreen.  I just don't like the feeling on my skin.  But you have to face facts, if you are a runner, you likely spend a lot of time outside exposed quite directly to the sun.  We're all running to stay healthy and live longer, so we should be protecting ourselves while we're out there doing it.  Be safe folks... protect your skin!  It's easy to forget, but when you go on a long run for 1 or 2 hours, sometimes even 3 or 4 if you're training for a marathon, that is a long time. 

My favorite sunscreen for running is Mission Athletecare.  You might recall I did a review for them awhile back.   But this is one of those products, for me, that just stuck.  I absolutely love their anti-sting face stick.  I can sweat like crazy in this Texas heat and I don't feel it running and certainly don't get burning eyes from sunscreen running into them.  For my body, I love the ultra sweatproof lotion.  I've done 3 and 4 hour runs covered in this stuff on days I've seen people with awful sunburns and there is only the faintest tan line.  This stuff lasts and stays on.  Good stuff.

But the point here is, find one you like, test it out on some shorter runs, and then start using it!  (If you have a brand you use and love, feel free to leave a comment for other readers to get ideas of some brands to compare.)

Motivational Quote of the Week:

Inspired by a week with a lot of racing going on...

“Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”

-Steve Prefontaine-

Hmmmm... considering a recent conversation about my own marathon goals for June, maybe I should re-read that quote a few more times.  Have a great week of running!

Note: Everything posted in "Coach's Corner" is my opinion. I am not a doctor or a dietician. As with anything on the internet, take everything with a grain of salt!

Crazy Race Day!

Sunday was one of my favorite races, Heels and Hills!  Love it for many reasons (besides the fact that I consider the race director a friend).  First, the real heart behind the event is getting women active - all shapes and sizes.  It offers all the options - 1 mile, 5k, 10k, and Half Marathon.  The course is flat and fast.  The race is walker-friendly.  For the May Heels and Hills, the pace team is generally men (in skirts) and only women can win awards.  (They do have a September event - Heels and Hills and Him that lets the men win awards too, and that one has an all-female pace team.)  And the bling and shirts are always awesome.

The weather predictions all week, though, were showing plummeting temps and huge storms all day Sunday.  Fun times.  But we were all gonna show up anyhow and see what the day handed us.  (Yes, if you read SUAR's blog, you'll notice that my outfit is exactly what Beth originally picked for her Boston outfit... Sherry and I had picked this out at almost the exact same time for the San Diego RnR marathon... funny coincidence.  Anyhow, we decided to try them out during this race.)

I also started the day by meeting some bloggy peeps... I finally ran into The Bitchy Runners (these girls are masters at the self-photo) - trying to get a copy of it (Angie, if you're reading this, send me a copy!!!)  I also saw Aimee. 

And then, I was fortunate enough to meet Keelie!  I've followed her journey for awhile, and she decided to run with us for her first half-marathon. 

In case you didn't see my post from Thursday, I was an official pace leader for 2:45 (12:30 min/mile).  Of course, I can't do anything alone (it just looks weird if I talk to myself), so I asked my trusty pace-partner-in-crime, Sherry, to pace with me.  She's such a good friend not to turn me down. 

And it was a big day as a coach because I had two runners doing first-time events - Denya doing the Half Marathon and Holly doing the 10K.

I got to the start early and already had a small group forming for the 2:45 group. My typical goofy self was all distracted taking photos, and I hear the gun go off... OOPS! Hurry Garmin, hurry. I managed to get it together and we were off.  We stayed right on pace. The temperatures were already dropping and not long in, the rain started coming down. We had a group of about 10 awesome ladies coming along with us for the journey. It was a huge pace group, and I loved it. We stayed nice and steady and walked through water stops, and tried to keep everyone together and motivated. It was all nice and smooth despite the cold and occassional rain until about mile 9.5 when a cop told us that hail was coming and that we needed to take shelter. Well the ladies I was with were having no part in that, they wanted to continue on. At one cross-section people were being waved into the police station, but the ladies wanted to continue, so Sherry and I obliged. But at about 10.5, we were officially stopped and forced off the path into a tiny covering over about 6 picnic tables (with the heavy side winds, I'm not sure how protected we were, but we were there nonetheless). Sherry and I both immediately started getting really cold (especially Sherry because I had brought a thin rain jacket), and then the tightening began. Oh how my knees started aching. Eek. After about 15 minutes of hanging out, someone said we were clear to go ahead and go (yes, it occured to me after we left that we didn't have a clue who made that announcement, but it was not the police/medical staff who were making the decisions regarding the weather). So off we went. Our group had shrunk a tad because in the commotion of the re-start we got split up a little. But these ladies were determined to push through the last 2 1/2 miles... and we did (slightly ahead of pace). 

(I ran ahead of the group to try to get a photo... great idea... poor execution!)

We came upon police directing us unto the final stretch.  Both Sherry and I know this course pretty well, and we knew it was too early for that... so I asked and confirmed, that yes, they had cut the course short to get people back and to safety as soon as possible.  We brought it in at 2:33 for 12.45 miles.  We were pretty on-target for coming in just a couple minutes ahead of the 2:45 pace time.  I know some were disappointed at the shortened distance, but I still say they completed their half marathon.  There's not much you can do when the weather doesn't participate.  Fortunately, the huge storm with damaging hail and wind just missed us.  We just got the wind, cold, and drizzle... and all the excitement of a crazy day.

At the finish - Me, Keelie (who is wearing the race shirt), Monica (who you might remember ran her first half just a month ago at Rock n Roll Dallas), and Sherry

Me and the awesome Denya, who I helped coach to her first half marathon.  Yeah, she asked me to coach her to a 10k for Heels and Hills, but you know me... I knew she had more in her.  She did AMAZING.  She told me after that she felt strong the entire time.  She started with our pace group but then left us in the dust.  She finished in 2:22 for the 12.45 miles... which puts her right around 2:30 had the course not been shortened.  That's amazing.  And if you think it's just me that's a crazy raceaholic... Denya is going for half marathon #2 this Saturday.  We'll be running together at the White Rock Centennial.  I love when my crazy rubs off!!!

And if you remember, Sherry and I also had some friends running the 10k... I gave Holly two goals - 1:15 is the I'm happy with my performance and 1:11 is the go big and lay it all on the line performance.  Could I be a prouder coach?  Holly came in at 1:10:46 for her first 10k.  I love it!  I'm all about going for it on race day, and she did!!!  And Heather (who Sherry has been coaching to her first 10k) did unbelievable and stayed side-by-side with Holly the whole time, and surpassed her goal time!  They also ran with a friend, Jennifer, who hung in at their pace as well.  Congrats to all of these ladies!  (Me and Holly in the photo to the right.)

(Me, Jennifer, Holly, Heather, and Sherry)

A crazy race day... but plenty of reason to celebrate!!!

Week 12 Marathon Training Plan

Week 11 Recap:

Alright, here we go with the recap that if *I* were my coach, I'd reprimand me.  There is a reason for recovery days... do not follow my example.

Monday - 3 - Completed - Plus the 1 hour bodyworks class.

Tuesday - 10 - Completed

Wednesday - 6 - Completed - And even got outdoors to the lake (something that is rare during the week) with my friend, Pat.  It was crazy windy, but we still had a really great, confidence boosting run.

Thursday - 11 - Postponed - I had a dentist appointment that I didn't want to reschedule, so I decided to just move this run to Friday since my race wasn't until Sunday.

Friday - Off - Did the 11 from Thursday!  And I have to say that my good friend, Emily, who spends hours upon hours next to me on weekdays on the treadmill has been sticking with me during my longer mid-week runs... she'll run a few miles, then walk awhile, then maybe run some more, just to keep me company while I run... yes, she's amazing.  Be jealous.  Well on this particular Friday, Emily decided to just go for it, and she stuck with me running for 9 of the miles.  Yes, she's done 2 half-marathons, but it's been awhile since she's had a good long run where she felt good throughout... it was a huge accomplishment, and I was thrilled for her... made my run that much easier.

Saturday - Off - Here's where the fail comes in... ya know, I just did 11 and I was pacing a race on Sunday, so Saturday should be a rest day... or at least a light recovery day.   (Can you feel the "but" coming???)  BUT... my sweet friend Robin finally returned from a month out of town (the lake has been lonely without her).  She wanted to get in 13-14 miles.  She asked if I'd go out there.  Now, give me credit, I didn't do the whole 13, but I did agree to one loop around the lake (9 miles).  And (second fail), I pushed my pace for a longer run and just really enjoyed it... probably should've taken it easy.  OK, I know I should have, but it was so nice to have her back.

Sunday - 13.1 Heels and Hills Half Marathon - 12.45 miles complete.  The course was cut short by local police due to impending severe weather.  Since I was pacing a group at 12:30 min/mile, I made it through ok, despite my 3-in-a-row days totalling over 32 miles... but I could feel the fatigue in my legs.  Wow... definitely fatigued.  It was an odd feeling considering I felt so strong cardiovascularly (which is usually what gives out on me first).

Week 12 Schedule:
Monday - Off - Officially changing the schedule for this day due to my little unintentional 3-day streak.  I will make myself rest!
Tuesday - 10
Wednesday - 7
Thursday - 11
Friday - Off
Saturday - 18 - White Rock Centennial Half Marathon + 5 (should be interesting!!!)