CRAZY Boston Memories!

Where to begin? First things first, thanks everyone for all the well wishes before I left for Boston last week. You are all so awesome and I cannot even begin to tell you how much I appreciated your kind thoughts and words! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

My 2008 Boston experience was a comedy of sorts. I laugh out loud just thinking about it. I'll cut to the chase.

FUNNY (as in odd, not really ha ha) STORY:
Left the hotel at 6:25 and got to Boston Common at about 6:40. Wave 1 runners were supposed to be on the buses by 6:45. Uh oh. The line for the buses was probably a 1/4 mile long! I fell in behind these two cute ladies and just waited. The ladies seemed pleasant and chatted quietly among themselves. One of them looked so familiar, and as soon as she smiled at her friend I realized it was Kristin Armstrong.

I was feeling brave so as soon as I recognized her I tapped her on the arm and said very quietly, "Are you Kristin Armstrong?" She smiled instantly and said, "Yes!" And then I looked at her friend and said, "And you must be Paige." And she laughed and nodded. I said, "Good luck to both of you. Run well today." And they both smiled these huge smiles and said, "Thank you." Then we all went about our business. I will say that they were gorgeous and if they weren't so nice and normal, I would probably say something snide out of pure insecurity. But I have nothing bad to say about them!

Somehow we ended up on the same bus and I was across the aisle and one seat up from the both Kristin and Paige. I sat next to this nice gal from Boston area and by the time we got to the Hopkinton exit, we both were literally ready to cry because we had to go to the bathroom so, so, so, so badly. I had never felt that pain before. I was going to pee my pants. I could not hold it any longer. Our bus was in the 1/2 mile long line of buses that were completely stopped on the freeway for at least 20 minutes.

Finally the gal I was next to got up and asked the bus driver if we could please get off the bus and run into the woods and then get back on the bus. As she spoke to him, I could see Kristin and Paige watching and I turned to them and they said, "Are you guys okay?" I said, "I am dying here. I have to go to the bathroom so bad. I'm dying." They looked at me sympathetically and didn't say anything.

The gal came back to the seat and said, "He was explicitly instructed to NOT let anyone off the bus." As I muttered the word, "Fu#k," under my breath, I said, "Screw it I can't hold it. Please cover me because I'm going to go right here." The gal said, "No problem and then we'll switch and you cover me."

I pulled an extra plastic bag out of my gear check bag and luckily I was wearing a running skirt which made the task easier. But long story short, I relieved some pressure on my bladder right there on the bus waiting in traffic to get to Hopkinton. Anyway, as the gal next to me was using her Nalgene bottle, Kristin and Paige asked me if we were okay and I turned around and said, "Now I am. I had go a little bit, or I was going to die." They asked how I did it and I told them I used a plastic bag. They asked what the gal next to me was using and I told her a big mouth water bottle. They looked at me astonished, wide eyed (probably shocked). I think Paige even said something like, "More power to her." Then Kristin said, "It's times like these... Guys just have it so easy." Then she jokingly pointed out the safety kit hanging over the driver's head that said, "BODILY FLUID CLEANING KIT." She said, "At least he has that on board." With that, we all laughed.

Right then, we all noticed that TONS of people were getting off the buses in front of us, running to the side of the road and just peeing like there was no tomorrow. The bus driver looked at the gal next to me and said, "Okay, you can go now." She said, "That's okay, I went." Doh!!!!! The look on the driver's face was priceless, but at that moment about 8 of us got off the bus and ran to the woods. Yes, I had to finish what I'd started! This incident was a glimpse of things to come.

Okay, so then the buses get moving and there's one more lady in the woods. The driver kindly waits. As the woman rushes back onto the bus, the rest of the people on board erupt into loud applause for her. It was comical!

I got to the school in Hopkinton at 9:38 a.m. and my wave started at 10 a.m. CRAP! I ran to the gear check buses and dropped off my stuff and then ran to the corral and got in with about 4 minutes to spare until the gun. The corral was just packed to the hilt. No one could move. One minute before 10, the sun came through the clouds and it was so beautiful and so bright. It couldn't have been more perfect. The gun went off and it took several minutes to get to the start. The crowds were so great. I ran on the side and high fived as many hands as I could reach. I'm sure I was smiling from ear to ear.

RACE NOTES:
The first mile was my slowest (7:53). I forgot to turn off the Auto-Stop feature on my Garmin so when I stopped to go potty at mile 7 and again at mile 15, the clock stopped running. It started again as soon as I started running. Long story short, I crossed the finish line and my Garmin said 3:14:06 BUT my chip time was 3:17:45. What is this difference of 3:39, you ask? Well had I left the Garmin running through the two potty stops, I'm sure it would have had the same time as my chip when I crossed the finish. Anyway, I ran a 7:24/mile pace but when you add back the potty stop time, my pace reads 7:32/mile. Next time, I'm peeing in my pants!!! (okay, maybe not). But you see how the bus incident was an omen of sorts?

My time for 26 miles was 3:12:49. Trust me, I was elated as I ran the last .2 miles thinking I was going to run under 3:15. Dummy me did not factor in the potty stops so when I finished and found out my time was 3:17-something, I was a little bummed and couldn't figure out what happened. I still didn't know until this morning when I remembered how my Garmin chrono stopped each time I stopped to do my business. Oh well.

Along the way I met Val (the sis-in-law of Cindy from runningskirts.com). She was wearing a running skirt and had very cool logo on the back of her singlet and I knew immediately it was her. I said a quick hello and introduced myself on the run.

I also met Elisa (I hope I spelled your name right) from Running Times as we entered the Newton Hills. I'm so glad she introduced herself! Elisa, I hope you had a great race. Let me know how you did, okay? :)

Backtracking, somewhere around Mile 5 my Boston BB cap began driving me nuts. It kept falling into my eyes and was frustrating the heck out of me. So I took it off and ran to the cheering crowd on the side of the road, spotted a teenaged boy wearing an Oakland A's cap and asked if we could switch hats because I needed one with the hole in the back (for my ponytail). He stood there stumped and finally everyone with him said, "Hurry up, switch with her!" So he took off his hat and said, "Okay." What a relief! His hat fit me perfectly so I knew mine would fit him. Thanks kid!!!

SPLITS:
Somehow I managed to run a 3 minute negative split. I ran 1:40:xx for the first half and 1:37:xx for the 2nd half. I knew I felt stronger going into the hills. I felt so strong through all of the Newton Hills. It was like a great release to get to them. I just let it all go. This was where I focused on even effort, just pushing up those hills and trying to maintain the same feeling I had on the downhills and flats. It was WORK, but I felt GREAT!

Mile 21 was 7:40, but 22-26 were 7;10, 7:05, 7:13, 6:55 and 7:00. The last .2 was 1:17. Did I leave it all out there on the course? Honestly, no I didn't. I felt like I could've run another 5 miles after I crossed the finish line. Did I run hard? Yes. I'd say it was a controlled, hard effort. I am so pleased with this year's Boston Marathon. I can't wait to go back, but it will be a few years from now. Travelling to Boston from California gets pretty expensive.

FUN STUFF:
On Saturday at the expo I saw The Boston Legends! Amby Burfoot, Dick Beardsley, Kathrine Switzer and Joan Benoit Samuelson among them. I was in AWE and completely inspired. I was starstruck and asked them to autograph my Boston Marathon Acceptance Card, and they graciously did.

After seeing them, Hubby, the toddler and I met John Fenton for lunch. We also had dinner with him. John also uses the Runner's World online forums. John, so great to see you and I'm so proud of you and your race! 3:03 is amazing!!!

Saturday after dinner we all went to Boston Beerworks to meet more people who use the RW online forums and although we didn't stay long, it was so, so great to finally meet these terrific people! Chooch, Cmmoore, Remmy's Dad, Brocknoxious, Fishmagic, Smick (who I met last year), Spopey, Runs Like a Girl, Landrunner, MrCanDoIt, Runner In Paradise, Kari26.2, Amble, and I know I'm forgetting some people so please forgive me! What a great group.

REMMY's DAD even gave my hubby a t-shirt from his fire department! That was so cool. Thanks RD! I also met Ashley on the T, LynnC at the pasta dinner, Runner in Kansas on the corner of Boylston and Berkeley and John1 on the plane ride home (poor John had to hear my 2 year old scream for 4 out of the 6.5 hour plane ride). That's a different story all together. Travelling with a 2 year old is not easy. Thank God we're home so he won't scream anymore!

Sunday I met Ali at MIT and we watched the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials. It was worth the lost sleep. I'm serious, it was without a doubt, THE highlight of my 2008 Boston experience. To see Deena Kastor pass Magdalena Lewy-Boulet after Mile 23 was just freaking amazing. I almost started to cry from sheer joy! But was very happy to see Lewy-Boulet and Blake Russell make the team as well. Not only did I get to see Deena run live and in person, but I got to see Joan Benoit Samuelson set a new marathon record for Masters Women. She is simply the best!

Of course race day was just magical. The crowds were breathtaking to me. All along the course, all I could hear were people screaming and shouting for us runners. All I had to do was make eye contact with them and smile, and they went wild! They screamed and screamed and it was just crazy and awesome all at the same time. There is no way you cannot get fired up around these people! I high fived every Wellesley girl I could. I would've kissed them too but didn't want to give anyone the wrong impression (not that there's anything wrong with that). I also high fived everyone I could before I had to dig really deep.

Mile 1 was dedicated to Steph, who broke her foot during the half marathon we ran together, which took her out of Boston this year. Mile 4 to Cody, Mickey's son who is battling cancer. Mile 18 was dedicated to my friend Monica, who couldn't run Boston this year due to a hamstring injury. Mile 22 to Megan who is also battling cancer.

At Mile 24 I heard loud and clear as a fire alarm, my name being called from somewhere in the crowd. I looked over and saw my sweet husband's beaming face. His smile from ear to ear pumped me up even more, and the sight of my son holding his lollipop almost brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to stop but was already feeling the dreaded calf, toe, hamstring and quadricep cramps and knew if I stopped I'd never start again. So I yelled as loud as I could, "I love you, Babe!" And blew him a kiss.

I always dedicate the last 2 miles to my older son and daughter. I carried their pictures in my skirt pockets this year. I felt them with me! I passed so many people in the last 2.2 miles. I saw some people just down for the count with cramps and a few who looked downright delirious. The home stretch down Boylston didn't seem so long this year. The entire 26.2 miles was pure joy and bliss for me. When I felt kind of bad, I prayed. I worked through the cramps and never hit anything that resembled even a short wall. The only thing I would change if I could do it all over again is I would have made sure my bladder was good and empty before the race started. Anyway, my overall place was in the 3,700s, I shaved 12 minutes of my 2007 Boston time and 2 minutes off my marathon PR, so I have a new PR!

Ali walked and jogged on her torn meniscus and finished in 4:31, which is pretty darn fast considering her injury. She rocked! Two other gals from our local running club finished strong too. Kim in 3:16 and Katie in 3:38. All in all, good, solid efforts.

Knowing that I could've run a 3:14 on Boston's course gives me great confidence for my Fall marathon plans... I feel a 3:10 coming on. God willing!

Thanks for reading and I hope I did not offend with my bathroom stories.

I'll post race pics soon. Time to recover and then get ready for my 50K in May! Can't wait!!!

Four Days and Counting

I have to start this by saying thank you for all the great messages you've left me. I feel loved! :) I'm getting so excited for the weekend and for Monday. We leave first thing in the morning tomorrow.

Yesterday I got up at 4:30 and was out the door around 5:15 a.m. and ran 6 miles. I did the 2 in the middle at marathon goal pace and felt pretty good. I really feel confident about my ability to run a 3:10 marathon. What I'm wondering is, can I do it on Boston's rolling course (and factoring the Newton Hills). I certainly will try. That is my A-goal. My B-goal is to set a new PR, which would be anything faster than a 3:19. Other than that, I want another Boston Finisher's Medal. :) I will crawl to the finish if necessary, but I'll be praying to finish strong.

I've been eating crazy food and in exorbitant amounts. It's absolutely disgusting. But I seriously have lost all will power this week. Of course those crazy 'binges' stop today because my stomach is thrashed. I think I need a day or two to feel normal again. My pre race nutrition and hydration begin tomorrow and I'm pretty good about that. All in all, I'm READY!

I don't think I'll be bringing the laptop to Boston so I probably won't have any updates until we get back. I will post my bib # before I leave though, just in case you're bored on Monday and feel like tracking me. ;)

Thanks friends for the kindness and prayers, and for being a part of our runner community! You're the best!!! Steph, you can bet I'm dedicating a part of my race to you. Rock on!

OBSESSING ???

Okay, kind of obsessing, but overall not as much as last year. I'm taking a rest day from running today. I ran 7 days in a row which is not much for most of you, but I decided not to make it 8 in a row because I was a little sore during yesterday's workout.

I had run 2 miles warm up (including strides), then 2 miles tempo at an average 6;45/mile, then 2 x 800s @ 3:04 and 3:06 (or thereabouts), then 2 x 400s at 1:28 and 1:29, then 1.6 miles cool down.

I'll do 6 tomorrow and MAYBE throw in 2 miles at goal pace, but probably not. Then 4 miles on Thursday, nice and easy. We fly out Friday. Yaaaay! Saturday I'll do 3 easy then hit the expo. Sunday, I'll watch the WOMEN'S OLYMPIC MARATHON TRIALS, and then rest... then eat at the BAA Pasta Dinner. Yum!

I think I need to pinch myself because I can't believe it's almost here. It feels like the week before Christmas for me!

SEVEN DAYS to go

Wow. Can't believe it's down to one week before Boston. Thanks to everyone who reads and comments on this blog. I'm serious when I say that your good vibes go a LONG way! I know they will carry me to the finish line.

Yesterday completed week 2 of tapering. Today begins week 3, and you know what? I am not going to sweat ANYTHING this week. I've trained, and trained some more, and this week I'm going to run based on how I feel and not based on the training plan (which thankfully is light anyway). I got 9 hours sleep lastnight and honestly I still feel like I could sleep all day. My body is TIRED, but my mind says "GO RUN, you SLUG." I'm tuning my mind out!

Good thing is I finished a Sudoku puzzle and believe me, it's been months. Granted, the puzzle in today's paper was an easy one, but still. :) And more cool news... my hubby bought me my birthday present early. He bought me a Level 1 CrossFit Certification class. I'm so excited!!! I'll be attending at the end of June (right after my big 3-9). It's nice to have things to look forward to.

I'm REALLY excited about the Ohlone 50K on May 18. I'll be running it with some friends from high school, Mike (also a blogger) & Dan. Danny has run it before and he's also a sub 3:10 marathoner. Both are inspiring and we are going to have a blast on that trail! Right guys? :)

Okay, time to chow some lunch. You can tell my carbo loading has begun because the scale said I'm a pound heavier than I was 2 days ago. Oh well, it's all for a good cause, right? See ya' soon, friends.

Boston Outfit for Last Longish Run

Okay, the 13.1 miles is complete. Did it in 1:42 (7:48 pace) with Cheryl. She ran 11 miles on her own beforehand, but overall she rocked her last long run of 24 miles in 3:11! I ran it in the outfit I'll be wearing in Boston. All was well. :)

Nerves - Gotta Love 'Em

Yep, I was feeling a little uneasy about today's run. Just a 7.1 miler, but sandwiched in the middle of warm up and cool down were 2 miles tempo, 2 x 800s and 2 x 400s. For some reason during the taper, I start to doubt myself. Hmmm, I wonder how many other runners feel this way. ;)

So I got out there and just said, "Do it already, it is what it is." My hubby and the toddler rode along side me on the bike and we chit chatted during the warm up. Then I ran 4 x 100 meter strides, then I stretched a few minutes and off we went. There was no chit chatting now.

But surprisingly I felt GREAT. My legs felt strong. My upper body felt relaxed. I ran the 2 tempo at a 6:41/mile average pace, followed it with a 1-1/2 minute recovery walk, ran the first 800 at 3:05, 1 minute recovery, 2nd 800 at 3:06, 1 minute recovery, 400 at 1:27, 1 min. recovery, 400 at 1:29.

For comparison's sake, here is how I finished the same workout before the CIM in December.

Finished with a 1.57 mile cool down jog, and we were back to chatting. :-)

I felt immediately compelled to thank God as soon as I finished each interval. I dunno, it's just something that happens.

Anyway, last medium run is tomorrow. 13 miles with Cheryl, probably between a 7:45 and an 8:00/mile pace. I'm going to do the last 'test' run wearing the duds I'll wear in Boston. I got the singlet in the mail 2 days ago and it's all washed and ready to be tested tomorrow. I'm getting so excited for April 21. It's also my mom's birthday! I'm definitely dedicating a good portion of that race to her.

I wish the kids were going with us and I will miss them like crazy, but I'm going to carry their pictures with me on the course this year. They drive my heart! And knowing that my hubby and toddler will be waiting for me on Boylston Street will keep me going. Okay, enough rambling... bedtime. G'night.

Back on Track - sort of

Thanks to everyone who reads this silly blog and for finding time to comment, too. I appreciate it, and you all motivate me way more than you know! I've still been running and following my Boston training schedule but as you know, with taper comes fewer miles. The intensity remains the same, however. And yes, my hamstring tendinopathy is still giving me some issues. But I rehab as much as I can, ice, stretch, rest, you know the drill. I think I'll be okay for the big event. I have to remind myself that during taper I tend to feel every tiny little ache or muscle twinge that I normally ignore.

As far as eating properly, I'm pretty much back on track and still 122 pounds. For some reason though, I want to eat everything and a TON of it. Again I'm sure this is somehow related to tapering. My body is still used to burning so much fuel even though it's not as active. I bet it takes several more days for my body to adjust, and by then I should be good and ready to carbo load. I'll basically eat the same amount of calories as I did when in the thick of training, but include more carbs.

I've been doing CrossFit workouts that supplement my running, so they include push ups, pull ups, sit ups, back extensions, one legged squats, squats and occasionally hand stand push ups. I definitely feel strong as well as lean. I can't wait to get more into CrossFit over the summer while I'm not actively training for a goal race. I want to get CF certified, but can't justify the $1,000 expense right now (so soon after I'll be spending bucks for Boston). Oh well, that's a future goal!

It will be good to see a couple of good girlfriends from high school this weekend. I haven't seen them since summer at our 20 year reunion. We're going to enjoy Sunday brunch, then a movie. I can't wait! I can't believe Spring is in full swing. It is supposed to be 85-degrees this weekend. Unbelievable. Anyway, I'm looking forward to my last 'medium' long run of 13 miles on Saturday and then the countdown begins. Here's what I'm wearing on the marathon course, weather permitting.


But I will substitute this singlet instead of the technical t-shirt I have on in the picture, along with a navy blue Boston Red Sox baseball cap:



I want to look as patriotic as possible on April 21, to celebrate Patriot's Day in Massachusetts. :)

Thoughts on Taper

I love tapering for marathons. After training so hard for so many weeks, my body just needs to take it a little easier. The first week of my taper ended with a 20 mile run yesterday on a very hilly road. The net elevation gains were 2561 feet and the descents were 2691 feet. Cheryl, Ali and I ran it at an 8:00/mile pace. We also had a couple of hard and fast training runs during the week. My total mileage was 56. This week it will be only 43 and the week of the marathon I'll have 27 leading into Boston, and then the marathon itself.

I'm tired and as far as my hunger goes, I feel like I did in the first few days of my 'diet' back in January... FAMISHED. I gorged on the junkiest junk food you can imagine tonight. I won't even tell you because you'll probably get nauseous just reading about it. Okay, I'll tell you a few things: 3 mini bags of greasy chips like cheetos, doritos and lays. A few spoonfuls of chocolate frosting (for cakes) mixed with peanut butter, 3/4 of a pint of Ben and Jerry's low fat Pfish Food, and a handful of almonds. I know, I know... gross. But boy did it TASTE GOOD!

The crazy thing is after eating a healthy dose of calories yesterday after the long run, I weighed in at 122 this morning. A little over 12 lbs. lost! I'll get back to normal eating tomorrow and all will be fine. One night of overdoing it out of many weeks of eating healthful meals won't sabotage everything. I have to focus on the big picture. :)

Not much to write about at this point. I just need to brush my teeth and rack it. Hubby comes home from work tomorrow and I can't wait to spend time with him. I miss him when he works, but at least the kids are great to be with. I have a wonderful family. :)

Okay, see ya' soon.

Runner Community - A Beautiful Thing, and a Message for Steph

I am so happy to be a runner. I am so blessed to be a runner, to be able to use God's gifts (my health, my body, my legs) and to feel true joy from it. I have always shared my enthusiasm for running with EVERYBODY that asks. Running is something I absolutely, unequivocally LOVE. Running is in my heart, in my soul and a part of me. Notice though that I did not say that running is who I am, because it is not. Running is only a small, tiny part of who I am.

Through running I have become part of a neat community of sorts. You all know, as runners, that when you meet another runner the walls come down and there are no awkward silences. You and this new person have something (you both no doubt love) that you can talk about. And if you run with this person, you can run in silence and all is good. It's a wonderful thing!

At the half marathon I ran several weeks ago, I remember running next to a very fit woman for the first couple of miles. I remember thinking, "Awesome, someone to run this race with. We can help each other and push one another through this." And then I remember in a matter of one second, she appeared to have twisted her ankle and then wince in pain. We were literally side by side and I asked her if she was all right. She kind of nodded and continued to run next to me. But eventually she was no longer there. :( I thought about her later in the race and hoped she was okay and maybe just fell behind a little. Well, I have heard from her and I'm glad she touchd base, but her news is a bummer. However, I know she will come back stronger and more ready to race than ever.

I wanted to share her message with you all. Having her touch base in this way really made my day and made me feel good about our little (but HUGE) running community. It spreads far and wide and I hope you all feel a part of it, too. Here is Steph's message, but first...
I want to thank you Steph for letting me know how you're doing. I am so sorry to hear about your foot, but so glad that you are taking care of it. I'll keep you in my prayers for a speedy recovery and hopefully I'll see you at the races again soon! Please continue to touch base now and again. :)

"Hello,

Congratulations on your great half up here in Sac. I don't know if you remember or not but I was running with your for the first 2 miles. Before the 2nd mile marker, I caught my foot in a pot hole. You reached out to grab my elbow to keep me up. You asked if I was ok. I didn't respond. I was is too much pain and as much as I wanted to say yes and have it be true, I knew it wasn't. At that instant I had broken my foot. I walked to the start, went home and got X rays that confirmed what I had feared. I'm now on crutches and non weight bearing for a while. That was a horrible day for me as I was also training for Boston and using that race as a tune up. I was happy to see you went on to run a pr! I'm not sure most people would slow down to help a stranger mid pr effort but you did. I have wanted to thank you since that day. So thank you for being there, being concerned and helping me. Your half time shows that the sub 3 marathon is in your reach. Your workouts look to support it as well. SO I wish you all the best in Boston. Run well for the both of us."

Steph I will think of you when I run Boston!

I Did It!!!

I ran 21 miles today instead of 22, but that's okay because the last 12.31 miles were at an average pace of 7:07/mile... that's 8 seconds faster than my marathon goal pace! The average pace for the 20 miles was 7:37/mile. The 21st mile was a cool down. The run was challenging, but it didn't leave me feeling completely spent. However I am pretty sore now, as I type this at almost 10 p.m.

Anyway, started the day with a trip to my favorite coffee shop and had 2 cups of full strength coffee, a piece of broccoli-tomato quiche, a half of a 4" bagel with 1 tablespoon peanut butter and a cup of mixed fruit. It was enough food that other 'regulars' that know me there said, "Are YOU eating all that?" Embarrased, I said, "Yup." They all know I run so they asked how far I was going today and I told them I was shooting for 22. Then they nodded and understood the need for the grub.

I headed out the door at almost 11 a.m. It was overcast but warm enough that I didn't need more than one layer. It felt muggy out, or as we Californians say, it felt like earthquake weather.

The first 8 miles of the run were around an 8-minute pace, give or take. The next 7.3 miles were at a 7:14/mile and the next 5.01 were at a 6:59/mile. I did not waver from those paces by more than a second. They were that consistent. It was weird and amazing to me all at the same time. The cool down mile was 9:19.

I said quite a few quick prayers as the going got tough. And God must've heard them because I got through the entire run in one piece. :) I also was more conscious of my stride today, as one of my training partners, Ali, has taught me to be. When I got tired in the last 10 miles, I'd say, "lengthen" as in my stride, and I'd relax into it. Soon it felt like the road was moving underneath me as I ran on top of it. And everytime I got into this groove I'd check my pace and it was always faster! This little stride exercise also helped get me through to the end in my goal time. :)

I also was so inspired today by fellow blogger, Squirrel. He's training for the Flying Pig in May and working to improve upon his already sub-3 status. HE WILL! Last week he ran his first 100-mile week! That was coming off of an injury. Today he ran his fastest 20 mile training run to date. He did the WHOLE thing at a 7:11 pace, and that's just a training run for him. Anyway, I've sought his advice many-a-time throughout this training cycle and he's always honest. He pulls no punches, and it's that forthrightness that motivates me. So thank you Squirrel, aka Steve!

And thanks to all of you for YOUR feedback on my training. And Pastor Greg for your prayers! It's like having a bunch of coaches and I feel so fortunate. I hope to carry your spirits with me as I run Boston a few weeks from now.

Watch Deena Kastor on her "EASY" run

This link is courtesy of Runner's World Online. I find Deena Kastor so inspiring and I cannot wait to see her run live and in person in Boston this April!

Recap

I've been lazy about logging my runs on the blog lately, but have been having good workouts all week.

Monday: MUCH needed rest day
Tuesday: 15 miles, 7 miles worth of fast hill repeats
Wednesday: Recovery 6+ miles
Thursday: 15.35 miles with 3 goal pace miles, 8 x 800s and 3 tempo miles
Today: I'm going out w/ the toddler after his nap to run 6 recovery miles
Saturday: 22 miles with the last 10-12 at marathon goal pace (7:15 - 7:25 per mile)
Sunday: Recovery 6 miles

Total for the week will be (God willing): 70+ miles, my first 70 mile week ever!

My legs are tired though, screaming for the taper. I'm actually taking a 2 week taper this time instead of 3. Next week I will be cutting back to 57 miles, but I still have 2 quality workouts and a long run of 20 miles left. After that, it's TAPER time! YAAAAAAAY.

Okay, now on to the good stuff... Celebrity Apprentice. As much as I love Trace Adkins, he just did not work like Peirs Morgan did. I was glad when Trump hired Peirs and fired Trace. Both were well deserved if you are looking at things in a business sense.

American Idol: I think Kristy Lee Cook should've gotten the boot before Chikezie did. His voice was so much better than hers. My favorites are still Brooke White and Jason Castro. Brooke especially. She is pure talent!

Biggest Loser: I predict it's either Mark or Ali. Ali might just be the first female Biggest Loser.

Okay, time to clean the bathrooms while the baby naps. Have a nice afternoon!

EASTER Weekend

Happy Easter tomorrow, everybody! I'm starting the day with a 6 mile run at 5 a.m., then hubby is off to work while I get ready for the day. After church, the kids and I are spending it at my brother's house and we're looking forward to it!

I wanted to make sure I blogged my last few runs. Thursday was a GREAT workout. 15 miles, 10 of which were solid speed. It was the triple play, 3 miles at goal pace (averaged 7:09/mile) followed by a 2-3 minute recovery, then 8 x 800s all between 3:04 and 3:11 with only 1 minute recovery between each. After the 800s I took a 2 minute recovery and then went into 3 miles at tempo pace (6:51/mile average). It was tough but felt great, especially after a few days of slower miles to recover from the race.

Friday the kids and I did an recovery 6 miles together (they rode their bikes and I pushed the toddler in the jogger). It was nice, but very windy. At the end I felt wiped out.

Today I ran 21 miles. My hubby and toddler rode along side me for 13-14 miles and then he had to get the little guy home for lunch and his nap. I ran the last 9 miles at a 7:32/mile average pace. Miles 18 and 20 were run at a 7:15. Overall the pace was 8:15/mile. I was seriously fatigued during this run. I am so, so, so glad it's over.

After tomorrow's recovery run I will be at 68 for the week, a new mileage PR for me. Next week it's 70, God willing, and then it's taper time! I can't believe it!

Have a wonderful Easter weekend everybody. God bless!

Thanks Everyone!!!

I really appreciate your comments! They keep me motivated to work hard. :)
Feeling good this week. Ran 14 miles yesterday in the form of a 'double day.' I met Cheryl at 5 a.m. for 10.35 miles (8:22/mile average). Then at 4:30 p.m. I ran 3.7 miles at the track while my kids had track practice (8:33/mile avg). I will say that the afternoon session left me feeling VERY fatigued. But all is good today. The toddler and I ran 6.3 recovery miles at a nice 9:31/mile pace. I needed it. :)

Tomorrow it's 15 miles on tap, with goal pace, 800s and tempo miles. It's gonna hurt, but I'm looking forward to it!

Have a great evening.

Half Marathon Tune Up

Oh man, what a race. What a day! That was exhilirating to say the least. It was sooooooo cold this morning and sooooooo windy. The temp was about 40 but it felt like 32. My husband is a champ for standing out in the cold waiting for me to finish. I couldn't race without his support and amazing support it is!

Let's see, 2 days leading up to the race I threw all the calorie counting out the window. I didn't eat pure crap, but I ate more calories and indulged in some foods I don't eat anymore, like 100% real crab sandwiches with mayo, lots of pasta, mini chocolate bars and jelly beans. I felt so full and bloated on Friday and Saturday.

Breakfast this morning was a large cinnamin raisin bagel with 2 tbsp. peanut butter, 1 packet of instant oatmeal, a small Starbuck's coffee, black with sugar, and a bunch of water. About 45 minutes before the race I drank 12 oz. of Gatorade Endurance.

There were 6 of us from my hometown running this half. Three of us are running Boston, 2 are running Big Sur and 1 is running Avenue of the Giants in May. This was a tune up race for all of us and we all wanted to gage our training and aim for PRs. The weather was beautiful, but the wind was NOT.

I ran one mile for the warm up because I was short on time, and did only 2 strides. I ran the first mile too fast, but it felt good to loosen up. I settled in to pace for the 2nd mile and by the third mile I fell into a nice groove. It helped that the 1:30 pace group (which I did not know existed until today) sucked me into their group. They were a good bunch of runners, pleasant, and the leader was knowledgeable beyond my dreams so I decided to hang on to them for dear life!

It was WORK. There were many times that my mind played tricks on me, but the comfort of the group helped me through it as did my usual prayers, and thinking about the hard training and mileage I've been putting in. It all clicked. When the wind was unbearable, we all worked as each other's shields. Have I mentioned it was really a wonderful group of runners? The pace group leader, a long haired man in his late 40s or early 50s, wasn't overly chatty but reminded us to stay close and help each other, he would tell us to slow down or pick it up in certain spots on the course, he would remind us to not lean forward when tired and to tuck our hips under when heading up the few hills along the course. He was a dream of a pacer.

Here are my splits:
6:39
6:52
7:01
6:47
6:47 (drank 3 oz. of sports drink)
6:49
6:55 (took a GU with water)
6:48
6:52
6:57
6:43 (took 2 sips of water)
6:48
6:36
I forgot to turn off my watch at the finish so I don't know what the last .1 mile split was. Oops!

Chip time: 1:29:17
Gun time: 1:29:21
1st place in age group. :)
Avg overall pace of 6:49/mile

I was so elated at the finish that I hugged the pacer and he was thrilled that his entire group of about 15 runners made it within 1:30!!! Now that is a pro.

Ali and Cheryl both got 2nd in their age groups (Ali was the 2nd female overall. Cheryl was the 2nd female Master's runner). Kim placed 3rd or 4th in her age group. Toxie finished 3rd in his age group. Chris finished in the top 10 of his age group. We all set new PRs. What a joyous race for all!

After the race I had a Carl's Jr. Bacon Western Cheeseburger and a Diet Coke. Yum. Now it's back to regular eating habits. I'll be resting and stretching tomorrow and will resume training with very easy miles until Thursday (then it's back to the hard stuff). Thanks everyone for reading and for all the good vibes and well wishes ahead of time!

Hubby's 5K - Henry's March

It was sooooooo great to watch my husband run the 5K today, and he pushed the toddler in the jogging stroller! He drove right over to the race location after he got off work. I offered to watch the toddler while he ran, but he insisted on running with him. Mr. Tough Guy. ;)

The race director asked all walkers and stroller pushers to line up in the back of the pack and my hubby did. Off they went. There were about 200 runners in this little local race to benefit the Children's Craniofacial Association, on behalf of little Henry Johnson, a cutie through and through. Our running club did the timing for the race. Hubby ended up 43rd out of the 300 runners with a time of 28:05! His first race since 2004! Yaaaaaay, sweetheart!

Here's a link to the video from our local newspaper. It's a short video and my hubby and son are in the first 10 seconds or so. He's the only runner they show with a jogging stroller. I have to admit it's cool to see him running on film!!! :)

The race director estimated 200 runners.
RACE RESULTS are at http://www.henrysmarchraceresults.blogspot.com/

The event actually raised $23,000. Random people who saw the initial newspaper article about the run donated huge amounts of money and prizes for the event without even being asked. Wow! There are angels everywhere!!!

On the Down-Low

Yaaaay, the quality workouts are behind me for this week and after a nice recovery run of 4 miles today, I will be in the clear until race day Sunday. I am looking so forward to the race, although the weather people say it's going to be quite windy (which I DO NOT like). Ya' can't win 'em all I guess.

Yesterday I ran a V02 max workout. 4 x 800s and 4 x 400s, all intervals with 1-1/2 minutes recovery between. I sandwiched the speedwork in the middle of a 9 mile run. My splits for the 800s were 3:02, 3:08, 3:04 and 3:01. For the 400s they were 1:29, 1:29, 1:28 and 1:24. Speed intervals are tough, but less stressful mentally to me than the longer tempo runs. I don't know why though.

I'm carbo loading and hydrating very well today and tomorrow. My plan is to not have to stop at more than 2-3 aid stations during the race. That really waterlogged me during the October half marathon I ran. I don't want to suffer through that sluggishness again.

Tomorrow my dear hubby runs a local 5K and I can't wait to cheer him on. He's looking forward to running it and I am so happy for him!

Have a great Friday and I'll try to post pics of the my hubby at the 5K tomorrow.

Nerves and Confidence

Oh boy, I was kind of a nervous wreck this morning before today's workout. It seems to be a given before this particular training session, the 2 x 4 miles at tempo pace. I tried not to dwell on it too much this morning, but I could feel the apprehension take over as I was getting my sunscreen on before the run.

During the 2 mile warm up, still nervous and almost feeling tired. I know it was the nerves. Then I did 4 x 100 meter strides and started to loosen up and started to feel better, more calm. I did a few quick hamstring and calf stretches, looked at my husband and toddler on their bike and said, "Ready?" My hubby said, "We're just following you." Off I went.

Nobody told me about the darn headwind today. For the first two miles I battled it. I managed to kick out a 6:53 and a 6:56. Then I got to turn and run with the wind. Yaaay! My energy level just kicked into gear then. I ran sub-6:50s for miles 3 and 4. My total time for the first 4 mile tempo was 7:31, for a 6:52/mile average.

I sipped some Gatorade Endurance and took a 2-1/2 minute recovery then said to my hubby, "Ready?" He said, "Where we going?" I said, "We're doing that all over again." He said, "What??? Wow! Okay." And off I went.

Same headwind, but I fought more fiercely this time and kicked out 6:53 and 6:54. Then with the wind at my back I was able to run sub-6:50s again for the last two miles. My total time for the second 4 mile tempo was 7:27, for a 6:51/mile average.

Everytime I tried to focus on something I'd notice my pace getting slower. But as soon as I said, "Please God" or "Please Jesus" I got right back on track. Strange, but true! When the workout was done I ran a 3 mile cool down. My hamstring insertion points did not bother me at all today. I was so happy. I now feel ready to the half marathon on Sunday. :)

CrossFit note: Lastnight before bed I did 3 sets each of 10 dips, 15 push ups, 20 sit ups and 10-12 one legged squats per leg. Maybe that helped today.

Have a good night!

Sunday Recap

Hey there. Just a quick check in to recap the weekend's happenings. Friday I ended up taking the toddler on a 22-1/2 mile bike ride because the jogging stroller had 2 flat tires that I was too lazy to take care of. The ride felt great and I managed to keep the RPMs between 88-91. We did this on my shoddy mountain bike with just a few gears! I was DONE, COOKED, FINISHED when the ride was over. So much more than after any hard or long training run. Kudos to all the cyclists out there!

It turns out that 22-1/2 miles of cycling with decent RPMs made my heart work in such a way that the ride was equivalent to a little over an 8 mile run. I needed the break from pounding the pavement, but my legs still worked, just differently.

Saturday I worked at the running store and it was GREAT. Baptism by fire for sure. Within 5 minutes four different families came into the store, all of them needed to be analyzed and fitted for new running shoes. It was awesome. I learned so fast about the different types of runner's feet and the shoes best suited for each type. I actually did the analysis and my coworker (who is a 2:40 marathoner and much more experienced) double checked my "work" and I got everything right! Yaaay!

After work I did a shake out/easy run of 4.3 miles. Today I met up with Kim, Toxie and Chris and we ran 20 together on the hilly roads about 45 minutes outside of town. Kim and Toxie were crazy fast, averaging a 7:22/mile pace, while Chris and I ran together for 16, and then I finished the last 4 alone. (Chris had to go). My average mile splits were 8:12. I was happy with that considering the much heavier week I had mileage wise, along with the 2 quality workouts on top of it. Next week we all race the half marathon. Should be good!

Tomorrow I rest. Very thankful for that. Side note: Jenny G., a Hodgkins Lymphoma survivor and a fellow blogger, logged over 210 miles last week... of running!!! That girl is amazing. She did not let the cancer get her down, and she's obviously doing phenomenal now as a survivor. Go Jenny!

Non running related: the kids are home from their dad's. He flew off to the Army today and the kids were okay until night time. As I kissed my daughter goodnight, her tears for her dad flowed and flowed and flowed. I did all I could to not cry with her, and held her until she calmed down. My son is doing all right, for now. I'm just going to be there as they let it all out and pray that they don't feel sad too long.

I Have To Talk About Celebrity Apprentice

I love the show! I've never watched Donald Trump's Apprentice before but when I saw the first advertisement for Celebrity Apprentice and actually recognized the celebrities as true celebrities (except Omarosa) I had to watch. Of course I think it's wonderful that the money they compete for is all for charity. The fun part is watching them work for it! I must say I was ECSTATIC to see Omarosa get FIRED. She was a mean spirited player who never had anybody's back but her own. Can't wait to see how things unfold next week. My favorites so far are Peirs and Trace.

And of course there is American Idol. My favorites are Brooke White, the multi talented nanny, and Jason Castro, the dread lock haired man with the sweetest voice! I think Brooke will be in the final 2.



I'm also addicted to watching the Biggest Loser. That show is so inspiring to me. I think one of my first posts in 2007 was about last year's Biggest Loser, Erik, the deli owner in New York.







Back to workouts. Today I might rest or I might run a recovery 5-6 miles. The DOMS has creeped in big time after the CrossFit workout 2 days ago and yesterday's training run. I ran 14.4 miles which included the Triple Play (only 2 more of those until the marathon). I was pretty happy with the workout considering the mild soreness from CrossFit the day before. 3 @ Marathon Goal Pace: 21:41 (7:12/mile average), 2 minute recovery, 6 x 800s with 1 minute recoveries: 3:17, 3:13, 3:12, 3:05, 3:14, 3:12, 2-1/2 minute recovery, 3 @ Tempo Pace: 20:40 (6:53/mile average). It felt tough, but I managed. I really wasn't feeling it during the warm up but just gave it up to God and said, "It is what it is." Things came together. During the 3 miles cooldown, my legs felt like cement blocks.

Okay, time for breakfast. Have a great day!

Couple Things to Post

Hey there! First of all, thanks to everyone for the kudos regarding the weight loss. :) Way to go to fellow blogger, Jen, for also losing 10 lbs. recently. She's running Boston again too... Jen, hopefully we can actually meet this time!

For those that are wondering how the weight loss has affected my running, I am feeling so much lighter and faster. My speed workouts have improved dramatically. In fact, I shocked myself over the last couple of weeks with the paces I've hit. Yes, the workouts are still as tough as ever, but I never thought I'd ever run them at the paces I've been hitting. I know the weight loss has something to do with it. I was actually thinking of doing an easy run while carrying 10 extra pounds around my torso, just to see how it feels now. Anyway, the true test will be March 16 when I run a half marathon. Studies have shown that when properly trained, you can lose so many seconds per mile for every pound of weight you lose. I think it's 3 seconds per mile, per pound. Over a half marathon or marathon, that adds up and potentially I could run a nice new PR!

Okay, the workouts:
Yesterday I ran 12.3 miles including 2 x 1 mile cruise intervals (6:29, 6:35), 4 x 800s (3:05, 3:06, 3:08, 3:02), 2 x 1 mile cruise intervals again (6:27, 6:20). I took 2 minutes recovery between all intervals and sets, except between the last 800 and the first of the 2nd set of cruise intervals. I was tired and had to take 2-1/2 minutes.

Today I pushed the baby in the stroller (okay, he's not really a baby anymore) for 7 miles at an easy 9:00 pace. I love easy days! Then I followed it up with the CrossFit Workout of the Day:

"MARY"
Complete as many sets of the following in 20 minutes --
5 hand stand push ups
10 one-legged squats, switch legs (10 each)
15 pull ups (I had to do jumping pull ups today)

I did 7 sets in 19-1/2 minutes and man did it feel good. When I think of it in those terms, that's 35 hand stand push ups, 70 one-legged squats per leg and 105 jumping pull ups.

The one-legged squats actually made my glute/hamstring issues practically disappear. Of course I know I still have them, but the exercises alleviated a lot of the soreness and fatigue. Well, tonight I'll finish the day with sit ups and back extensions. Probably 3 sets of 15 each.

Tomorrow another crazy Triple Play workout (like last Thursday). My hubby and the toddler will ride along side on the bike. :) I love that! Have a great afternoon everybody.

10 Pounds - GONE

It's official. I weighed in at 124 lbs. today. My starting weight was 134.4. I'm very happy about this considering that I am still eating ALL the foods I love. However, portion control keeps things in check. I will say that lastnight I had the most delicious hamburger from Red Robin called The 5 Alarm Burger.


Oh my goodness, absolutely amazing. And I had a half order of their steak fries (even better), along with a 4 oz. glass of red wine.


I just want everyone to know that I am not starving myself and that I am actually now taking in about 2200 cals/day in order to keep strength with marathon training. My maintenance level of calories is 2500/day so in essence, I am only cutting about about 300 a day. Sometimes 400. It's all good. I don't feel deprived at all.

Tomorrow I REST

Hi there, just a quick catch up on the running stuff. My butt hurts, and hamstrings too. I have come to grips with the fact that this hamstring insertion issue will be with me for quite a while and it will be a never ending battle through Boston and through the Ohlone 50K. I'll do the best I can with it, God willing.

After Thursday's workout and the increase in mileage, my legs felt so heavy on Friday and Saturday's recovery runs. I think I ran both at about a 9:15/mile average, or slower. I was just beat. Today I opted to run 18 on the treadmill rather than run them in the wind. My legs are kind of tired still and I knew that running into the wind would just suck all the energy out of me. Anyway, the 18 on the TM averaged an 8:38/mile. I needed that... a low key and easy long run.

I'm feeling good other than the hamstring/butt stuff. I will have my older kiddos one night this week because they will be with their dad all week before he goes to Iraq. Thanks again to all of you for your kind thoughts, words, prayers. It means a lot to all of us!

It's going to be a busy week ahead with more hours for the police department, hours at the running store, home stuff and marathon training. I need to be sure to get adequate sleep and food. I've still been eating very healthful stuff, and am still watching portions. Tomorrow I weigh myself and I think I may be around 124. We'll see. That would be a 10 lb. loss since January 1. Feeling good!

I'm resting tomorrow so I'll probably check in again on Tuesday. Have a great Monday!

Thursday Triple Play

I really enjoy training with Ali and Cheryl whenever my schedule permits. They push me to dig deep when I really don't want to. I think I'm a stronger runner when I do workouts mid-morning or over the lunch hour, and it really seems to "hurt" when I run the workouts at 5 a.m. Well, the workouts hurt all the time, they just hurt more when I'm still half asleep! They help me get past that hurt.

Anyway this morning we did the triple play: 3 miles marathon goal pace, 6 x 800s at cruise interval pace, 3 miles tempo pace. I started with a 2 mile warm up jog and strides with the gals and ended with a little over 3-1/4 mile cool down jog.

3 @ goal pace were 7:15/mile (that's the pace for a 3:10 marathon)
6 x 800s at 3:14, 3:15, 3:15, 3:14, 3:12, 3:12
3 @ tempo were an average 6:53/mile

On a non-running related but kind of running related note, I picked up a part time job working at my friend's running specialty store. I LOVE IT! I am learning so much about running shoes, how people run, athletic gear, etc., etc. I am also working more hours at my previous full time job, still as a reservist and that is making me very happy. Life is nice!

I am gearing up however for when the kids' dad leaves for Iraq. It still hasn't hit them. I know when it finally does, it will hit them hard. :( Thanks for all the kind thoughts and prayers!

Two-a-week Speed Sessions

Yesterday I ran a very hard workout (well, hard for me). It was like torture! The nice part was my husband and little guy showed up a 1/4 of the way through, on the bike. It was so nice to see them and they rode along side me as I ran the workout. Aawww!

2 mile warm up w/ 4 x 100m strides
2 x 1 mile with 2 minute recovery jog between --6:25, 6:26
2 x 800s with 2 min. rec. walk/jog between --
3:09, 3:13, 3:11, 3:10
2 x 1 mile with 2 minute WALK in between (oh yea, tired) --
6:35, 6:34
3 mile recovery jog
11.5 total

I did not think I'd break a 6:45-6:50 mile during those intervals, so I was pretty pleased.

This morning I met Cheryl and Ali for an "easy" 4 miler plus strides. Well, I think I mentioned before that their "easy" pace is like 7:40/mile. As soon as we got going, literally the first step, my hamstring insertion points just seized! I knew immediately that I'd REALLY have to go at MY easy pace. I ended up getting 5.5 miles in (without any strides) at an 8:27/mile average. That's still a little faster than I would like, but I seem to run faster in the dark (must be survival instincts or something).

If I still feel tight tomorrow, I will hold off on the next speed session until Friday, and just run easy miles tomorrow. Overall though, I feel good.

Have a great day!

A Rest Day

Rest day today after running 56.1 miles last week. I need it. I've got 61 on this week's schedule.

Makita, TWW & Pace Runner, thanks for including us in your prayers. I really appreciate that. The kids will be spending all week with their dad next week and then he leaves the week after. Off to Iraq he goes. Their step mom is afraid that the kids won't want to go over there while their dad is away because they might not see a reason to, since I'm their mom. But they need to spend time there like they normally do because they have a little brother and two sisters there, and their step mom loves them. Gosh it's going to be crazy for a while. But I'm ready. I'll do anything for my children.

Anyway on a lighter note, I've lost 8.8 pounds since Jan. 1. I seriously feel great! I look lighter, I feel lighter and my training is going well. I think I can get to 120 by Boston, and stay strong despite marathon training AND weight loss.

Had a great long run yesterday of 16 miles on the treadmill. I ran 5 easy then 2 at tempo, then 1 recovery, then did it all over again. My overall average pace for the 16 was 7:50/mile. The 2 x 2 mile tempo portions averaged 6:57 and 6:51. It was tough, but it broke up the treadmill monotony. Tomorrow we start two speed sessions per week. It's gonna be great!

"May your children never have to endure..."

...those were the words my friend and former co-worker, Buzz, wrote in my copy of the book that was written about his military unit in the Vietnam War. The 101st Infantry. When he signed it my children were babies, and he prayed that they would never have to go through such a hell on earth. My children aren't old enough to go away to war, thanks be to God, but unfortunately their father is. I know he and his wife are preparing for him to leave in March and that their lives are about to turn upside down. They have two children together, in addition to my older kids. I really feel for their step mom who is also my friend. I can't imagine the worry that must be filling her heart right now and all I can do is pray for her peace of mind, and pray that my kids' dad - her husband - makes it home safely when his tour is done. The part that truly breaks my heart is what his absence might do to our children. They've survived and thrived through our divorce, through remarriage, through blended families with new brothers and sisters. I just pray they handle their dad's absence okay, that it doesn't worry them too much, that they don't feel so sad while he's gone. It breaks my heart to KNOW that there will be many nights of tears on mine and my husband's shoulders, on their step mom's shoulders, and probably on each other's. I can't imagine being their ages and having to cope with the thought that, "My daddy is going to war."

My God, for their sake, for the sake of their hearts, minds and spirits, please let their dad be safe, please let him come home safely when his job is done. Please watch over my kids and please help me and their step parents guide them through this with patience, understanding and love. Please God, don't let them have to endure too much. Amen.

Rainy Triple Play Day

Hi gals and guys. I'm over the migraine. I'll tell ya, both ibuprofen and Tylenol work wonders! Wednesday I ran 4.7 with the gals at their easy pace which is 7:40-something. Ouch! Yesterday I ran a very nice recovery paced 5.4 miles with the baby. And today... let's say I'm pretty pooped. I'm about to have leftover homemade lasagna. Yum! But wanted to post this workout first. It was raining lightly through the workout, but temp was about 50.

2 mile warm up,
3 miles @ MGP (7:14/mi. avg),
2-3:00 recovery;
4 x 800s @ Cruise Interval w/ 1 minute recoveries between each-- 3:13, 3:13, 3:13, 3:16;
2-3 minute recovery;
3 miles @ Tempo (6:52/mi. avg);
3 mile cool down.
13 total.
I am seriously tired.

Tomorrow I run a recovery paced 5-6 miles with the running club and the little guy in the stroller.

Hubby is home from work today and tonight we're going to my friend's running store for the grand opening. It's the first running specialty store ever to open up in our county, let alone town! She also owns a very popular one over in the SF Bay Area on the peninsula. Hopefully it'll be just as successful here.

You all have a great Friday and I'll see ya'll later.

The Overpass

This morning's 5 a.m. 10-mile run was my introduction to the only hill in our town, which is actually a long, steep overpass. I met Cheryl and Ali at the parking lot and off we went on our 2-1/2 mile warm up (which was a sub-8 minute pace). Then we attacked the 'hills.' Oh, they felt steep and tough and my butt hurts. It was so dark and foggy at the overpass. There is no sidewalk and the shoulder is about 2 feet wide. There were a lot of cars on that thing before 6 a.m. Thankfully Cheryl and Ali had on their headlamp thingies. I need to buy one of those!

Anyway, the run pretty much did me in. I kept up with them, but it turns out they usually run the 10 miles at an average 7:15/mile pace. Today we did it at a 7:29/mile average. (Thanks gals for slowing down for me). But the hills were done at a 7:00/mile pace. Ouch. And I have to confess that right this second, I have a migraine. The 'aura' is blocking my peripheral vision as I type. Hope there aren't many typos.

Time to take the kids to school and go have breakfast with my hubby and toddler. I hope to get rid of this headache. I've already popped about 3 Ibuprofen. Thank God the run is DONE!

Have a great day!

Sunny Day Long Run

What another gorgeous day. It's supposed to rain all week beginning Tuesday, so I will take this weather now and just revel in it. The toddler and I went to church lastnight because I knew I'd be running 14-15 this morning and that I'd be tired the rest of the day. Honestly, what a blessing. I don't know if it's post run feel-good feelies or what, but life is grand!

I had a huge breakfast this morning. Instant oatmeal with a handful of almonds, 2 Lego Waffles with a tablespoon of peanut butter and 2 tablespoons of lite syrup and about 2 cups of coffee. About 2 hours after breakfast I went out for my run. It was so nice that I wore a light weight running T and a pair of shorts. I wore gloves and that kept me warm enough that I never felt a chill in the 65-degrees (it's now 70). I ran 14.5 miles at about an average 8:20 pace. The first 7 miles were 3 minutes slower on average than the last 7, and I ran a half mile cool down.

During the run I drank 2 16 ounce bottles of Gatorade Endurance, and took one GU gel at mile 8. I still felt kind of fatigued. I think it was jumping from the cutback week last week of about 35 miles to over 50 this week (51). My legs were achy through the entire run, but I thought good thoughts and prayed a bit and God helped me through, as always. :)

Had my post run snack (Slimfast Meal Bar has perfect ratio of 4:1 carbs to protein), and stood in the 45-degree water of our pool for 20 minutes. The sun was so warm on my upper body, that I hardly had to drink the steamy hot decaf I made special for the ice bath. Granted I had on a wool beanie, 2 sweaters, a pair of gloves and some socks.

Anyway, there's just something about weather like this in the dead of winter that raises my spirits and just makes me feel glad. I waved hi to everybody today on my run. Even smiled at motorists. I love days like this.

Wherever you are, I hope you find a little sunshine somewhere in your spirit. :) Enjoy!

Fall-like Friday - Triple Play Workout

Hey happy Friday everybody. Had a busy day with the kids off of school and my parents coming to visit. We played a lot outside. It was 70-degrees today!

At lunchtime, I managed to squeeze in 11.5 miles which included the Triple Play workout: 3 miles marathon goal pace (MGP) - 4 x 800s at Speed Interval pace - 3 miles at Tempo.

MGP split was 21:55 (7:18/mile avg). 4 x 800s were 3:07, 3:09, 3:08, 3:05. Tempo split was 20:42 (6:53/mile avg). Minimal rest between all intervals/portions. The last mile of the tempo portion was killing me, but I was very happy with the workout especially so close after that Newton Hills workout.

I stood in the 45-degree pool for 15 minutes and today it was Heaven. Tomorrow it's a recovery paced 3 miles pushing the toddler in the stroller, and with the running club. I am looking so forward to it.

Treadmill Hills Newton Style

I went to the gym before I picked up the kids from school to get 11 miles in. My hubby was hanging out with the toddler at home.

I ran a 4 mile warm up at an average 8:28 pace. I ran the inclines at my tempo pace equivalent based on Hillrunner.com's conversion table. My tempo range is 6:49 to 6:54/mile. The 1% inclines simulate "downhill" or flat and I ran those at marathon goal pace (7:24/mile).

MILES - INCLINE - PACE
First 4 -- 1% -- 8:28/mile (warm up)
4.0-4.7 -- 3% -- 6:54/mile equivalent
4.7-5.7 -- 1% -- 7:24/mile marathon goal pace (MGP)
5.7-6.0 -- 6% -- 6:49/mile equivalent
6.0-7.4 -- 1% -- 7:24/mile MGP
7.4-7.8 -- 4% -- 6:49/mile equivalent
7.8-8.4 -- 1% -- 7:24/mile MGP
8.4-8.8 -- 6% -- 6:49/mile equivalent
8.8-9.0 -- 1% -- 7:24/mile MGP
9.0-11.0 -- 1% -- 9:09/mile (cool down)

I will say that the faster I run this workout of Newton Hills, the more challenging I find it. For me, the hardest part is maintaining goal pace between the hills and then picking up the pace to tempo on the hills. Specifically the 3rd hill at 4% hurts the most, and Heartbreak just makes me feel numb.

Thank God it's over. I was so bent on getting it done right that I pulled the IPOD ear buds out of my ear as I approached the last 2 hills. I just could not focus with the music blaring in my ears. But I usually love running on the TM with tunes.

Anyway, time to watch some TV with the kiddos and the hubby. I'm so excited that the kids have a 5 day weekend with us!!!

Gorgeous Weather

It's going to be 70 degrees today and it would be a real shame to not get out and run in this weather. The toddler and I will be heading out shortly for an easy 60 minutes. I took yesterday off and was sore all day!

Sunday I ran 12 miles at an easy average pace of 8:42/mile. I felt great even after racing the day before. But the delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMs) hit me yesterday. It's better today, but we're still taking it slow. Tomorrow I will do 8-10 miles with 8 minutes total uphill time. If it's nice, I will probably do those uphill charges at the basin.

I hope everyone is running well and healthy!

Lions Club 5K Race Report

Pictures are in chronological order from before the race to after the awards. The first pic is of Ali, Cheryl and me.







What a gorgeous morning! Race day weather was perfect. Low 50's and NO wind at all. I jogged a warm up with Ali and Cheryl and did 4 x 100 meter strides. My hamstring/butt issue was a present, but not painful. I thought, "I'll do my best and if I feel any PAIN or pulling, I'm dropping out."

We lined up at the front and off we went. Ali led the entire field of runners and did not lose the lead at all. She won the whole thing and finished in 18:19! Cheryl was the 2nd female finisher (not bad for a Masters runner), finishing in 19:32. I was the 3rd female finisher (and boy did it HURT), finishing in 20:10. I was 2nd in my age group, behind Ali. :)

I so badly wanted to break 20:00 today, but it wasn't meant to be. That's okay, I will next time. *Knock on wood.*

My splits were 6:22, 6:30 and 6:37 for the last 1.1 mile. I was aiming for even splits of 6:24 to be able to break 20 minutes, but I just could not hold onto the pace and no matter how hard I tried to pick it up in the last mile, my body would NOT respond to my mind.

It was so great that my hubby and toddler were there. I love it when my family can join me on race day. My hubby took all the pictures. Thanks sweeters!

I feel great right now. I will stretch and do some core work later. Tomorrow is a 12 miler. I'm looking forward to running it at a slower pace.

More Rehab for my BUTT

Yesterday's training run did not go as planned. I felt a little soreness in the hamstring insertion areas (where you sit down), but pressed on. I was able to get the 4 x 800s done at recommended training paces (3:10s- 3:14s). The last 800 was a little odd. I was very stiff at first and had an altered stride for the first quarter mile and then fell into the groove.

As soon as I started the 4 x 400s I immediately was forced to stop... by my right butt and hamstring. It felt like hard pulling in the area and I just could not move my leg forward. I almost tripped as I hobbled to a stop. I tried to jog slowly but ended up walking for a while. Unfortunately I was 2-1/2 miles from home, so I walked/jogged/limped home.

I've been sitting on ice and tennis balls and rolling on the roller. However I will say it's constantly throbbing. It REALLY is time to buckle down and take care of it. No more being stupid and stubborn and pushing beyond what my poor body can handle. Such is life! But all will be better soon. I really have nothing to be negative about. Just don't give me the flu again... please! ;)

Take care and stay healthy.

The Computer is Up, but we're buying a MAC

We got the computer back and we are still getting invaded by pop ups and slowness, despite the fact that Best Buy's Geek Squad got rid of the viruses (supposedly). So we are buying a Mac on FRIDAY. Yippeeeeee! I wish we could buy the cute little new Airbook, but we have to cut costs somewhere.

Anyway, quick catch up. I went to work for the last couple of days, celebrated our 3rd year wedding anniversary yesterday, and have been tending to a household full of sick people. I started it, then it went to the toddler, then my husband and older daughter got it. My older one still has it now and her doc said it was just the flu and to monitor her fevers with Motrin. She's been waking up every morning with a temp of 105. But the Motrin helps. He said to rush her to emergency if it crept up to near 108.

Sunday the toddler and I ran an easy 6+ miles and then watched the GIANTS pull out a SWEEEEEEEEEEET Super Bowl victory. Oh my goodness, simply amazing!!! That last 2 minutes was the best 2 minutes of football I've ever seen.

Monday after work I ran on the path alongside the airport near where I work. It was SOOOO freaking windy that day, but so sunny. I could NOT run indoors. I ran the 2 x 3 miles at tempo and it near did me in. Running like that in the wind is so hard. I had wanted to hit 6:50-6:55/mile average for each segment, but only managed 6:56 and 6:59 averages for each of the 3 mile intervals. And I had dried salt all over me from the sweat. During the cool down my lower legs cramped so severely that I had to limp to my car to get my sports drink. Within minutes after drinking it, I felt as good as new and was able to jog the rest of the cooldown.

I took a rest day yesterday and today will be 4 x 800s followed by 4 x 400s, both at speed interval pace. I can't wait!

Okay thanks for reading and I'll see ya' soon.

Computer Problems, UGH

My computer is in the shop getting checked out for a trillion viruses, so I'm borrowing my husband's laptop to post on the blog. Personally I think we need to bite the bullet and buy a Mac already. Sheesh.

Anyway had a great run this morning. I met Cheryl at 7 a.m. for an 8 miler and then met the running club at 8 for 6 miles, total of 14 with a fast finish. Well, the first 13 miles were at an average pace of 7:45 with the last 2 miles at 6:55 and 6:51, and the 14th mile was nice and slow. :)

Feeling good, hungry, but good. Broke down and had a scone today. First one in over a month. Weight is still good and coming down. I'm 7 lbs. away from goal weight. I think I can do this.

Have a great weekend. Enjoy the Superbowl tomorrow. Go GIANTS. hee hee.

Epic Run & No Whining

I woke up at 4:30 a.m. out of a very sound sleep in the middle of a dream (which I don't remember). I ate a half piece of wheat toast with 1/2 tablespoon of peanut butter for fuel. Drank a glass of water and also drank some Airborne. I met Ali and Cheryl at 5:00 a.m. and off we went.

We ran a mile warm up and 4 x 100 meter strides and then the workout:
2 mile interval at marathon goal pace, average 7:18/mile (my goal pace is 7:26/mile),
4 mile interval at tempo pace, average 6:48/mile (6:44, 6:52, 6:51, 6:45). Felt GREAT! A little tightness in the butt, but not bad at all.
2 mile interval at marathon goal pace, average 7:24/mile (much better).
1 mile cool down.

Then I got home and proceeded to have some very horrible gastrointestinal issues. I am still recovering from them as I type this. I think I was too dehydrated during and after the run. I'm feeling better now, but need to rest on the couch.

I'm definitely sore from CrossFit the other day, but in a way I think it helped me feel stronger for today's workout.

A Little CrossFit to Make Me Feel Better

Yesterday was a rest day, mostly due to the fact that I had no childcare and didn't feel like pushing the toddler as I ran. Anything to not aggravate the butt/hip situation.

But I felt the need to do something very physical, so I did a combination of two CrossFit workouts: Cindy and Mary. I love those girls! Of course I had to do modifications, but I am SORE today. It feels GREAT! Here's how my sets panned out:

In 20 minutes I ended up with 10 sets each of 5 jumping pull-ups, 10 traditional push-ups (no knees); and 6 sets each of 10 one-legged squats per leg; and 4 sets each of 15 squats.

Later I will run an easy 4 miles and finish with 6 x 100 strides. And I will ice and stretch, ice and stretch. I am going to rehab this as much as I can before I see a physical therapist (which I have discovered my insurance happily covers). I know, you're shaking your heads at me thinking, "She just needs to stop already and go straight to physical therapy." But I just can't... not yet. I'm shaking my head at myself. Trust me. I don't see a need to go to an orthopedic surgeon. What will that do for me? I don't need surgery.

Okay, enough of my rambling. I just want to quote what fellow blogger, Nat, left in her comments on my previous entry: "Better to struggle in training than in a race." So true, so true.

X-Ray Results

Well, they were negative. That's good news. My doctor (God bless him) was a marathoner himself back in the day and he won't order an MRI at this point. Oh well, it'll save me some serious money I guess. He did refer me to a sports medicine doctor though and I'm grateful for that.

I'm sitting on a tennis ball right now, and it's digging into the sore spot where my hamstring meets the glutes. Ouch. It's effective, but man it hurts.

I pulled a very stubborn maneuver yesterday and went running. I did 10 miles at an 8:30 pace. Was supposed to get at least 6 minutes of uphill time in there, but everything was too jacked up to add hills into the mix. Well, I'm sore today. My hip is kind of throbbing. But I won't complain anymore because it's really of no use.

I will run anyway. I figured out that I will run until I physically collapse to the ground and can't get up.

I don't know if that's just stupid or stubborn. A combination of both I suppose. I don't know what I will be doing as far as speedwork for the week. I will probably attempt it on Thursday. Today I'm resting, tomorrow I'm doing 4 miles and 6 x 100 strides. I just can't stop no matter how hard I try!

What is Happening?

Oh I could just scream, but at the same time I feel at peace with whatever it is that's going on with my body.

I set out on my 12 mile run yesterday and had a little soreness in the outer right hip. No big deal, I thought it would clear up as my body warmed up. Well it got worse and started to hurt and then I could feel my pace slow. The pain stuck with me for the rest of the 12 miles, even after taking 3 ibuprofen after the first 6 miles.

I stood in our 40-degree pool for 10 minutes after the run, and I iced the hip off and on all day yesterday and it's still sore today. Although not painful at the moment. It just kind of kicks me in the pants when I walk, stand up, go up and down the stairs, you know, when I move. :(

I'm hoping it's just bursitis or something, and that a little cross training will keep me in shape for when I start pounding the pavement again. But I HAVE to force myself NOT to run on it even though I want to so, so, so badly. I know I'd get out there and still feel the pain and still run through it like an idiot, possibly side lining myself right through Boston.

I am calling my doctor tomorrow and insisting on an MRI. I just need to know what this sudden, acute pain is. Could it be a result of the prolonged wear and tear on the IT Band, or my on going piriformis problem gone bad? Who knows? I hope to find out soon.

In the meantime it looks like A LOT of stationary cycling and swimming, possibly pool running too. God, please get me through this! Just help me accept it.

REST DAY!

I love my rest days. After taking the kids to school, the toddler and I had a leisurely breakfast and I'm still sipping coffee (it's after lunch). The toddler is down for his nap (but I hear him talking to his bear in his room). My legs are tired and sore from the killer workout we had yesterday.

I met Cheryl and Ali at 5 a.m. for the marathon goal pace (MGP)/tempo/MGP run. After a mile warm up and some strides, we set out for the hard part. Their goal pace and tempo paces are faster than mine, so my goal for yesterday was just to "hang" with them as much as I could. Ha! These women are CRAZY fast.

My splits were like this:
2 miles at an average 7:12/mile pace (my goal pace is 7:26/mile)
4 miles at an average 7:00/mile pace (within my recommended range)
1 miles at an average 7:18/mile pace (still a little too fast).
Then we ran a mile cooldown.

Can you tell why my legs are so tired and sore?

The Spirit of The Marathon was a good movie. I enjoyed it so much. I laughed a lot through the film because of some great one-liners by a few of the runners, and some of their spouses. It really was inspiring to follow all the different runners on their marathon journeys. Of course the highlights of the film for me were Deena Kastor and the historical perspectives of the marathon. Daniel Njenga was pretty good too! What a sweet man. I'm a new fan of his now.

I recommend this movie to anyone that is remotely interested in running a marathon someday, or to anyone who is married or a family member of someone interested in running a marathon. It's pretty honest.

Okay, I rambled enough. Time to take care of things around home. See ya' soon.

Good Couple of Days

Thanks again for everybody's very kind words! You all know how to lift a person's spirits. :)

Monday night I met some friends from work for a great dinner to celebrate my good friend Lisa's promotion to Police Sergeant (she's on the right in the picture). Yaaaay Lisa!!! We all had a great time talking about old work stories, old romances (and laughing at those) and all kinds of funny, present day stuff.

On the way there (2+ hours) I literally sat and kind of rolled on a tennis ball and it worked WONDERS on my sore spots, the piriformis and the hamstring tendinopathy. It was like 2 hours of trigger point therapy. It hurt, but I tell ya' I feel a thousand times better. I also sat on it on the way home. I will never underestimate the tennis ball on pressure points again!

Yesterday I was able to do a solid 11 mile run on the treadmill. 5 of those miles were the Newton Hills Simulation workout and I ran that entire portion at an equivalent 7:08 pace. I say equivalent because you have to adjust your speed on the hills but you still put out the even effort as you would on the flats.

After a quick pitstop, I did another 4 miles on the hill program setting of the treadmill, slightly slower than tempo pace and during the flats I ran at marathon goal pace. My butt started to get sore toward the end, but overall no pain and no problems! Thanks to the tennis ball.

Anyway I was cooked, done, toast, by the last mile. I was so dehydrated that I couldn't even talk to my husband and kids afterward and it took a good 2 hours for my body to feel normal again. I slowly ate and drank and eventually it got into my system and I felt better. I have to remember to bring water to the gym next time. Hello!

This morning I met the gals for an easy 4 mile run followed by 6 strides. It felt great. I think I'm at about 80%.

Tomorrow I will run a hard workout with them again and then it's a very busy day with the family. But we will end the day on a GREAT note. Out for a pizza dinner and then I get to watch THE SPIRIT OF THE MARATHON. Woo hoo, I cannot wait! My hubby and kids opted not to watch it. (I think they just don't share the same love of marathons as I do). ;)

Ryan Hall's Blog Entry on TheFinalSprint.com

THIS couldn't have come at a better time. As you know by my last entry, I've been feeling sorry for myself. After the NY Giants won the playoffs in an incredible game against the Packers, my spirits were lifted a bit (I like rooting for the least favorite). But I digress.

I stumbled upon Ryan Hall's first blog for TheFinalSprint and it was so uplifting. He reminded me of my faith and that through the Lord I will always 'get up.' I will always be lifted through Him. So thanks Ryan Hall!

Anyway my two running partners got in touch with me lastnight and realized that I was having an "injured" moment and just feeling down on myself. They were so nice, they kept reassuring me that I am always welcome to run with them, no matter what pace I go, and that I never finish too far behind them. I guess when I'm out there at 5 a.m. it just feels like I'm way behind! But they're right, I'm usually within 10seconds and always within earshot and sight. I just have to rehab my minor injuries a bit and I'll be back to running with them.

DawnB also had such encouraging words. I loved it when she said, "It's always better to trail behind than not trail at all." So true! Thanks Dawn. :)

Well I enjoyed the day off of running today. Went to church, gave the dog a bath, gave the toddler a bath, watched the football games. I also made the decision to run a 50K a month after Boston. It will either be the Ohlone 50K or the Quicksilver 50K. My friend from highschool, Danny, will be running his 4th Ohlone this year. Knowing someone on the trail is almost enough to inspire me to pick that one. But I hear the Quicksilver 50K is a tiny bit easier...so I dunno. Either way, I'm doing one and I can't wait!!!

A Little Sad

Oh this might be a long entry, but I'm feeling a little sad. I moved to this sweet little town in 2004 and I love it. It's peaceful and pretty safe and a good place to raise a family. My husband grew up here. But I left behind some dear friends (who thankfully still include me in their lives) and the full time job that I truly love.

I don't regret moving here, I don't regret my decision to stay home with the kids and work only part time hours. I'm just a little melancholy. It's been hard to make close friends of my own, like the ones I had where I used to live. I've made a few here, but not the kinds I feel I can really be myself with. I thought that changed a few months ago when I met and began running with a few of the gals from the running club.

Just when I started to feel really comfortable with them, like with my other friends from my old town, things are falling by the wayside. I was training with them and it was great. But now they are training faster and faster for every workout and I just can't keep up. It's okay to finish behind them (I always have), but sometimes doing so just makes me doubt myself as a runner. And when I try to keep up, I get injured. So it's either risk more injury, or train on my own.

I have to just train alone...again. :( I did it for my last 3 marathons, and I can do it for this one. I'm just going to miss the camaraderie I shared with these women.

I'm discouraged because I wonder if I'll ever really feel AT HOME here. I wonder if I'll ever really make lifelong friendships here. My husband is so sweet, and he listened to me as I talked about this. And he said he was sorry and I KNOW he meant it. But it's not his fault and I don't regret the life decisions I've made. I just hope to feel really happy here someday, with my own friends and not ones I've made through my husband. Thanks for reading.

BLAH

I ran today, against my better judgement. I pushed the bambino in the stroller and we did 9.25 together. Sandwiched in the middle were supposed to be 2 miles at goal pace (prescribed at 7:26'ish), 2 at tempo (prescribed between 7:00-7:14) and 2 at goal pace. I hit the paces for the first 4 miles, but immediately after the tempo miles I started hacking fiercely and clearing out all kinds of phlegm. Nice. And it hurt to cough, too. So the last 2 miles were 7:43 and 7:39, about 15 seconds slower than where I was supposed to be. I was sucking wind.

I will say that today's run just plain HURT all over. In my chest, in my glutes and hammies, in my back. Just not my strongest run. I am crossing my fingers that this chest congestion is on its way out. I finished my last antibiotic today and I don't want to take anymore meds!

After getting the baby down for his nap, I stood in the 40-degree pool for 10 minutes, then moved around for 10, then back in the cold for 10. I will stretch a lot tonight, and roll on the foam roller. I've been doing my CrossFit warm up exercises faithfully, but not any of the hard workouts yet. I'm just afraid of making this piriformis/hamstring issue worse.

On a GOOD NOTE: I have lost 5 pounds since I started watching my portions and calorie counting (on January 1). The first 3 days were the roughest and I felt starving all the time, but now my body has adjusted and I'm not super hungry all that often. I am still eating the foods I love, and even drinking wine, but just in much smaller amounts than before. I went from taking in about 2600 cals/day to roughly 1900 cals/day. I'm happy with the results. My goal is 120-124 lbs.

Okay, time to go get warm. Thanks for listening to my whining!

Official Cal 10 Results

I just sneaked a peak at the website and I came in 8th overall female, and first in age group of 35-39. Yippee!

But man, does my butt hurt. Piriformis issues are baaaad right now. I have got to cut that off before it gets worse. More stretching and more rolling on the foam roller.

In the meantime, I am still hacking up a lot of crud and my nose will not stop running. Yuck. I'm just thankful (knock on wood) that my body feels better. I'm hoping it stays that way.

CAL 10 Race Report

Hey there! I am very happy with the race today. I really wasn't feelin' it when I got there, and I was hurting during our warm up jog. But something clicked and all was good.

Long story short, ran the 10 miles in 1:11:26 (averaging a 7:08/mile pace).

Splits were:
7:04
7:06
7:13 (uphill then a downhill)
7:09
7:10
7:04
7:14 (uphill and downhill again)
7:06
7:08
6:49

In the first mile I nestled in with a great group of ladies who were trucking along a little over a 7:00 pace and stayed with them for the first 6 miles. (My 6 mile time was 42:46). Today was so great because it felt like I was truly racing and not just trying to hit a pace. We even alternated spots to help each other in the light headwind.

Then the leader of our "pack" took off and I stayed on her coat tails until mile 7 when she flew away like a bird. The others were behind me. I ran along side a man probably in his 50's and he was awesome to pace with. He finally said, "Can you catch her?" And I said, "I'll try." And I left him, but could not catch the bird.

Started to hurt a little and felt a QUICK calf seizure, but got rid of it and managed to kick it home at a 6:50 mile for the last one.

I seriously gave it EVERYTHING I had today and I am so happy with the result. I didn't get the sub-70 t-shirt, but I think if I hadn't been sick all week I might have had a chance.

Official age group results weren't up when we had to leave so I don't know who placed where, but my training partner, Kim, won the entire female division with 1:04! Smokin'!

Okay, time to EAT. I'm starving.

Thanks for the well wishes and good thoughts. I feel so much better. I think it shook this cold right outta me.

Cowboy Up

You know, my mind plays so many tricks on me. I woke up Friday morning still feeling sick, but my body was no longer tingling or feeling week. My nose was stuffy and I began coughing up a LOT of green gunk, so I knew I was on the mend. After dropping the kids off at school I strapped the bebe into the jogger and off we went for a 7 mile run. Before we left, I was so NERVOUS. I just kept running through all the excuses as to why I shouldn't run, but in the end I just told myself to get moving and it worked. I ran nice and easy and felt great.

Today was another "better" day. Same green stuff clearing out of me, finally, and same nose issues. Either stuffy or runny. Oh well, I went for a run anyway and managed 5.6 at about an 8:20 pace. Didn't feel too bad. At times I felt like I was floating. Heh, could be the cold meds.

Well tomorrow is where I have to Cowboy Up.
COWBOY UP means: tuff-up, get back on yer horse, don't back down, don't give up, and do the best you can with the hand you're dealt. Damn skippy!

As nervous as I am, I just have to get back in the saddle and RACE. I might not be as fast as I'd like, but damn it, I'm going to try. My goal for the 10 mile race tomorrow is to finish without hacking up a lung and hopefully I'll manage that in about 1:15. My original goal before getting sick and missing a week of training was 1:10. We'll see if I even break 1:20.

I'll report again in the next couple of days. Yippe ki yay!

Marathon Woman- KV Switzer #261

Another person who regularly visits the Runner's World Forums started this thread, and it gave me a huge laugh when I read it. It cheered me up yesterday when I was feeling pretty sick. Thanks Pascal!

And by the way, I'm still feeling pretty sick. I have got to see the positive side of not running through the sickness, rather than hang on to the downside of missing workouts. Thanks Kirk/Gettin Older for reminding me of this. :)

In the meantime, I've finished Kathrine Switzer's book, Marathon Woman. I have another running hero to add to the list. I wish I could thank her in person for everything she's done to make women's running what it is today. I literally cried when I read the last chapter of the book. I can't imagine the pride and triumph she felt when she watched Joan Benoit in 1984. Terrific stuff! I HIGHLY recommend this book to men and women. I hope I can meet her in Boston this year!

Ugh.

I do not like being sick.
First day of marathon training... down the drain.
I'm fighting off the flu or something. My body feels like crap and I feel light headed. My throat is sore and scratchy.

Waaaaaah, waaaaaaah, waaaaaaaah.
I wannnnnna runnnnnn. :(

Oh well, I have to think of the big picture and stay as healthy as possible rather than push through it and risk getting worse. I'm hoping to be back to my old self in a day or two.

I'm supposed to race this Sunday, my first 10 miler. We'll see how that goes.

50th Anniversary Pictures

Here are a few photos from my parents 50th Anniversary celebration. These pics were taken at the renewal of vows ceremony/mass. I still can't believe they've been married 50 years! Ain't love grand? :)

The grandchildren's blessings

Mom and Dad with Father Bill

The family

First Week of January

It's been a fun week and I'm a little sad that the kids are going back to school next week. At least we ended on a high note, celebrating my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. They renewed their vows in front of family and friends and threw a nice party afterward.

Quick log on running:
Thursday 1/3: 9.1 miles with marathon goal pace and tempo mixed in. 2 @ 7:30/avg, 2 @ 7:04 avg, 2 @ 7:28 avg.

Friday 1/4: 9 miles on the TM at gym, 8:35/avg pace

Saturday 1/5: rest

Today 1/6 (HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD): 11 @ 7:59/mile avg.
Ran the first 5 at an avg 8:12 pace and the last 6 at avg 7:48 pace. Felt good, but my right piriformis acted up a little.

Going to rest tomorrow and start "official" training on Tuesday.

Happy New Year!

It's 2008. Hmm, not a whole lot has changed since yesterday. :)

I ran 8.6 miles today while the toddler was napping and my hubby and kids hung out at home. I warmed up w/ 15 minutes at an 8:46 pace. Included in that were 4 x 100 meter strides. Then I ran 4 x 1 mile cruise intervals with 2 minutes recovery jog in between. The intervals were 6:53, 6:54, 6:59, 6:53. I really DID feel terrible during the 3rd interval. It was hard to get into my groove and I was surprised I did it in less than 7 minutes. The other three were right within my recommended paces for cruise intervals, so I was pleased. After one month of relaxed running it felt good to speed things up.

Do I have a resolution? I guess a couple of them. Eat healthier choices to slim down for better racing. I'd like to get down to 120 pounds.

I also want to read the Bible for at least 15 minutes a day.

I don't like calling these goals "resolutions." I'll just call them lifestyle choices instead. Eh, whatever works.

Happy New Year and best wishes for a wonderful 2008!