RNR Raleigh Training Week 4

Maybe you heard on Twitter that it is a little cold outside? Here is my personal favorite way to stay warm! He's going to be too old and too cool to cuddle with his mama soon. I am soaking up every possible moment.

I have a feeling that when I start getting into the thick of marathon training -  a time when the newness of training for a new distance wears off but the race is still many weeks away - that I will look back on this week for some motivation.

So much seemed to go right for me this week:

• Monday - Rest 
• Tuesday - 4.6 miles to get to 700 for the year (200 miles over my original goal!)
• Wednesday - 3.1 miles to start the year off right.
• Thursday - 6 miles on my hilly route
• Friday - Rest 
• Saturday - 14 mile freaking cold long run
• Sunday - 2.5 shakeout miles on treadmill to hit my first 30 mile week. 1hr yoga class.

Total miles: 30.2

I am not really following a set training plan for this marathon. I know I want to run 4-5 times per week. I have my running group's long run schedule which I will start following once the weekly group runs hit 12ish miles. Until then I want to keep my long runs between 10-12 miles. During the week I want to run one run where I push my speed, one mid-distance hilly run and one or two short easy runs. Somewhere in there I will try to be more diligent about core work and cross/weight training.

This week was one of my first weeks running 5 days and my very first week hitting the 30 mile mark. I didn't set out to run my highest mileage week ever but between not having work this week and feeling great while running it just happened that way.

I am trying to be relaxed about the whole thing. My race pace is not too challenging for me since my goal is to finish this race healthy and happy. My "speedy" runs are based more on effort than actual numbers. Mostly I am experimenting with adding more running days to my week and running higher weekly mileages.

This week, everything seemed to go well. I ran in my neighborhood for the first time in a really long time and was able to crush 3 different hills that I used to have to walk up. I love seeing progress like that. My 6 mile run on my hilly trail also went really well.  I am starting to feel really strong on a couple of the steeper hills that traditionally give me trouble. My splits for the 6 miles were pretty even. Slow for me for sure, but usually they all over the place because of a few steep hills.

My long run was supposed to be 12 miles - 8 with my running group than 4 more miles afterwards. A couple of other people from my group were heading out for 6 more and told me that the particular trail was not a great place for solo runners. I was (easily) convinced to tack on the extra miles and ended up having a fantastic negative split run, despite the freezing temps.

Bare, frozen wetlands on my long run. I miss the color
green and temps that don't start with the number 1.

Mostly likely I won't see another 30-something week for a couple more weeks, but I really had some fun this week. My confidence is definitely high right now!

RNR Raleigh Training: Weeks 2 & 3

These past two weeks have been a whirlwind of Christmas, road trips and running.

My devil elf.

Week 2: This was a crazy week between work and the kids' holiday events at school. The result in terms of running was nothing very impressive, just some more base building. A last minute trip to South Carolina cut out a 4th day of running for the week. But snuggles with my 7 week old nephew made up for it.

• Wednesday: 3.1 mile progression run with strides on the treadmill at the gym. Rush home so the hubs could get to work early
• Thursday: 5 miles on my go-to trail for hill training. Pretty chilly, but nice to be outside
• Sunday: 10 miles in South Carolina

Total miles: 18.1

We drove to South Carolina on a whim to visit my husband's sister and her 7 week old baby. I was able to find a rail trail in Greenville, which I was pretty excited about. I figured a rail trail would be a perfect place to run my long miles and not get lost. Famous last words. The first three miles wove through the downtown area with quite a few twists and turns. The trail was usually clearly marked, but there were times where I made a wrong turn, stopped and stared for a while before finding my way. When I was finally out of downtown the trail straightened out but I was almost immediately halted by a freight train stopped across the the trail. I waited for a while trying to figure out a way around and almost gave up and headed back when it finally started moving.  Just as I turned around at 5 miles the skies opened up and I spent the rest of the run in a torrential downpour with no rain gear. It was quite the experience, but I was grateful for the new scenery.

 

Week 3: Finally my schedule allowed me to add a 4th day of running to the mix, even with our second road trip within a week. 

• Tuesday: 3 treadmill miles
• Thursday: 6 miles on hills. This was a great run for me because it was the first time I made it all the way around a challenging 3 mile loop twice. It's been a goal of mine for a while now but I always manage to talk myself out of it.
• Saturday: 11 miles through Lancaster County, PA. This was definitely one of my favorite runs in recent memory. It was sunny, yet chilly and the scenery was just amazing.
• Sunday: 3 easy treadmill miles at the hotel

Total miles: 23

 

The Best of 2013

As per usual, I am a little late to the party, but I  sure do love Miss Zippy's Year in Review. 2012 was a pretty good year for me and I am psyched to say that 2013 was even better!  So let's get to it.

Best race experience?

This year was pretty stellar when it comes to racing. I PR'ed in the 8k, 10k, 10 mile and half marathon distances. It's too hard to pick just one race so I'm going to break the rules on the very first question and pick 2 races.  For the spring, my favorite memory is definitely the Cherry Blossom 10 miler. I have wanted to run this race forever and it did not disappoint. I had a really strong run and had so much fun running through the streets of DC.

Without a doubt the Philadelphia half marathon will always be one of my favorite running memories. I have had the goal of a sub 2:30 marathon for 3 years now and I finally achieved it in my hometown. Coming off of a foot injury I worked hard all summer and it paid off this November!

Best run?

I had to think hard about this one but definitely my 12 miler in Boston wins the title this year. I love Boston so much and miss living there, so it was awesome to have the chance to go back this past September and run along the Charles and on paths where I first found my love of running. Everything came together perfectly and I had a really strong run that day.

I will always love that dirty water

Best new piece of gear?

I'd have to say my Garmin 10. This year I committed to the Galloway method of training and like having my GPS and interval timer all in one.

Best piece of running advice you received?

This comes from my amazing partner in crime running, Bang: "Stop running like an a$$hole". It might seem a little rough but, not only is it our sense of humor, but it came from a place of love. This year I've learned that pacing myself results in better overall times because I don't go balls to the wall in the beginning of a run only to blow up in the end because I wasted all of my energy in the beginning. I'm pretty sure this is the underlying reason for PRing in nearly every distance I raced this year.

Most inspirational runner?

This is easy for me. After years of running and training solo, I found an awesome running partner and friend. It is so much nicer and easier having someone by your side through all of the ups and downs of training, a cheerleader at races and a therapist when you are injured. This year has been great for my running and I owe a lot of it to her. (Now if only her own foot would get better, I miss her terribly)

#runlove

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be? So much fun! I feel like I progressed so much this year and just had a great time doing it. Reeling from the confidence I've gained, I am so motivated for 2014 where I will attempt even bigger goals!

RNR Raleigh Marathon Training Week 1

Last week was the first week of my 18 week training cycle for my first full marathon!  I had the thought to keep up with the training on my blog so I can look back on it afterwards and remember what I've done and how far I've come. I'm not sure how interesting and entertaining it will be for others, but I'm going to give it a go anyways!

As far as a training plan goes, I have my running group's plan for the long runs, but the mid-week runs are up to me to figure out. I wish I had enough extra cash for a coach, but I don't so I am going to do my best to figure out on my own what works best for me and my family's schedule. I've been checking out a few different sources like Hal Higdon and the New York Times Run Well Blog (Thanks Courtney for sharing this with me!). I'll have to compare them and figure out something that will work. But for the early weeks of training I am going to try to get in definitely 2 and maybe 3 mid-week runs. Add that to 2 runs on the weekends for 4-5 days of running per week.

I have a modest time goal (5:30) so I won't necessarily be focusing on speed during my training, but rather time on my feet. And hills. Lots of hills to prepare myself for running in Raleigh.

For week 1 I was happy just to have some structure back into my running. I didn't have quite the week I planned, but overall I am happy with how it went.

Monday - Rest

Tuesday - 3 easy miles on the teadmill + Core work

Wednesday - Sleep (after 3 nights of not being able to sleep, I slept right through the alarm. I needed it and didn't beat myself up over missing this run)

Thursday - 4.3 miles on the treadmill with the 2 middle miles at HMP. This run was just plain fun.

Friday - Rest

Saturday - 10 miles. 4 miles with my running group + 6 solo miles. Felt great to be out there for a long run since this was my first double digit run since the Philly half.

Sunday - I had planned for 3 easy miles but when this face is begging you to bake Christmas goodies with her you don't say no. Christmas memories >>> easy miles.

She's a goober.
We set a family PR in rice krispy treat eating.

Total miles: 17.3

Overall, there's definitely room for improvement. Missing 2 runs in my first week does not bode well, but it was a nice gentle transition back into training after 3 weeks off.

What's Next?

Ever since Philly my running has been a pretty rare phenomenon.

 I've been training since July, so I think both mentally and physically I was really needing to have a few weeks off. I really tried to get out there more, but I've found that I'm pretty good at talking myself out of things when the alternative is a warm down comforter and a hot cup of coffee in the morning.

But I know it can't last much longer because I have plans for the spring. Big big plans of the 26.2 mile variety.

On April 13th I'll be at the start line of my very first marathon!

I used to say I would never have the desire to run one. Then this summer I ran a 16 mile training run. It wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination, but when I was done I started feeling like maybe training for 26.2 wasn't as far out of reach as I thought.

Once the seed was planted, I couldn't get it out of my head and I knew it wasn't a matter of if but when. One thing I knew for certain was a that I didn't want to wait for fall of 2014, so I started researching for the spring. I decided on Rock 'n Roll Raleigh as the best choice. Actually pulling the trigger to register was no easy task. I put more thought into my decision than almost anything I've done before. In the end, with the encouragement of my husband and my running partner, I decided to take the leap.

I'm excited and scared and every emotion in between. I know that I will have some obstacles along the way between juggling my family's schedule and training through the winter, but I really feel like I'm up for the challenge.

This past weekend my running group started its winter season. I decided to sign up again with the a Raleigh Galloway group again. To be honest this was another big decision for me because I had a hard time trusting the method towards the end of my training cycle for Philly. However, with my 5+ min PR and achieving a goal that had been eluding me for 2 years, I became convinced that this method is right for me at this point in my running. 

I have a modest time goal but right now I think I am better served with just finishing my first full marathon strong and healthy. I'll be keeping tabs of my training here to both keep me accountable and to have a record of my journey. I'm pretty dang excited! 

This weekend my running partner surprised me with this Endorphin Warrior bracelet I've had my eye on. During the later stages of training for Philly the word "Courage" became my little mantra. The courage to push my limits, to venture out of my comfort zone and do what was needed to achieve my goals.  I repeated it to myself when things started getting hard during the race. Now I'm using it to psych myself up for this huge goal I've laid out for myself. Here we go....

Ridgewood Turkey Trot 8k

Thanksgiving weekend is winding down and I would seriously argue that every weekend needs to consist of 4 days of family, friends and all of the food.

On Thanksgiving morning, I met Bang bright and early for the Ridgewood Turkey Trot 8k in Raleigh. I love me a good old Turkey Trot and was excited to run this one since it was my first time for this particular race.

I was not, however, excited for a temperature of 27 degrees at the start. I've been in the South long enough now to not be ok with that.

Being friggen cold is better when your BRF is suffering along with you.

I really didn't know what to expect from this race. I know that Turkey Trots are supposed to be fun low key races, but my early splits in the Philly half had me thinking that I could PR this race so that's what I set out to do. Besides the faster I ran, the sooner I'd be warm again.

My goal was 55 minutes and I was excited to see my first 3 splits in the low 10's. Which, for me running 4:1 intervals, was a nice pace. I was psyched to be passing people on the hills and felt good running at a faster than normal pace. Mile 4 was my slowest thanks to a long gradual uphill, but I was able to recover for the last mile (my Garmin measured at 5.03) and finish strong.

In the end I got my PR (53:09) and a picture with this giant turkey...

 

The rest of the day was spent basking in my runner's high and eating everything that was put in front of me. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!!

Philadelphia Half Marathon Race Recap

Since late Spring/early Summer I have had one singular focus when it came to running: my first sub 2:30 half in Philadelphia. Every single run. Every single gym session. Every single plank.  I came into this race with huge doubts and was even making contingency plans for a Spring half marathon. I really didn't think I was going to do it.

Then came Sunday. And this:

That's a 5:40 PR!

Pre-Race
Getting to the race was incredibly easy....exit hotel at an ungodly hour of the morning and follow all of the other runners on the street to the start line. This is the largest race I've done and it was amazing to be in my hometown with 30,000 other runners.

There was a lot of communication from the race organizers that there would be security checkpoints to enter the starting area and to allot enough time to get through them. We were in line for approximately 3 minutes. We checked our bags and waited for the portopotties before walking around the art museum to our corral. I was assigned the Orange corral but moved back to the Blue (last) corral to stay with one of my friends as long as we could.

As we were listening to the waves before us being released I kept getting the sense that today was going to be my day. Each wave was released to its own song. We heard the Rocky theme, which got us all excited. Then the next wave got New York, New York, which pumped up my favorite New Yorker, Bang. The next wave got Sweet Caroline, which made my Boston-loving heart happy. Finally, our wave was released to Avicii's Wake Me Up which was designated our official Philly Road Trip Fist Pumping Song. We were psyched and ready to go.

Miles 1-3 (10:35, 10:29, 10:45)
These miles were pretty flat and I felt pretty strong from the onset. I was a bit shocked to see my first mile split. I made a mental note to slow down, but clearly, I was not very good at that. The course was super flat and the crowd support was amazing. By the time the 3rd mile beeped I knew I had to get serious about slowing down. I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to keep up these paces through the whole race.

Miles 4-6 (11:16, 11:10, 11:11)
Around mile 4 I was having a little mental breakdown about keeping up the pace. In mile 4 I was able to slow down a little and was happy to see I was still above race pace. My effort was strong but doable. I focused at this point on making it to mile 6 where Melanie and Fran would be waiting for me. I struggled a little bit coming up South Street and back towards Independence Mall. I relied heavily on the crowd support. I was pretty excited  to see that I was still below race pace.  High fiving my friends gave me the boost I needed to head into the hills that were coming up.

So happy to see my friends!

Miles 7-10 (10:37, 11:30, 11:03, 12:23)
Mile 7 was a steady down hill and I let myself go down that one. I knew that mile 8 would be a steady incline for the entire mile. I was happy that I had banked quite a bit of time and that took some of the pressure off. Mile 8 was in University City and the drunken college students were pretty entertaining. This mile was tough, but I kept thinking off all of my runs in Umstead and I knew I could handle the hills in front of me. I was pretty psyched to see that this mile was only 10 seconds off of my goal pace. But I knew that the hill at the zoo was going to be harder so I put my music on and focused on getting through mile 10. I kept telling myself to get through this hill and it would be easy sailing until the end. The hill was steep and most of the people were around me were walking. I willed myself to make it through my intervals. I wasn't surprised to see my split on this mile.

Miles 11-13 (11:05, 11:14, 12:15)
Mile 11 was the reward for mile 10. It was scenic, downhill and fun. It was the funnest mile I have run in quite some time. Unfortunately my left hip,which had been nagging me since the first half of the race, was starting to get worse. I just had it in my mind to finish the race.  My Garmin 10 wasn't set up to show me my overall running time so throughout the whole race I had no idea where I stood in terms of PRing. I could see my interval timer and my pace but not my overall time. I had been trying to do the math and knew it was a possible sub-2:30 but I wasn't completely sure. I couldn't wait to cross the finish line and find out. The last mile was a complete struggle because my hip was so incredibly sore.

Mile 13.1 (9:32)
As we rounded the corner back to the art museum I turned off my music and soaked in the finish line atmosphere. There were people everywhere and I was so excited to finish. I saw Mel and Fran again at the finish and was so happy to be done. I threw my arms up at the finish line and looked at my watch to find out that I made my goal and crushed my previous half PR by nearly 6 minutes.

Pain face at the end.

I have worked so hard this summer and through a couple of injuries and I was so excited by my time. This was one of the best races I have ever run. It was so well organized, the course was spectacular, and the spectators were amazing. The fact that I PRed in a race in my hometown just made it all the more sweet.

The rest of the day was spent eating, napping and more eating. This was without a doubt one amazing weekend.