It's Supposed to Hurt

I ran the Jerry Maher Memorial 5k today. Shane and our niece, Gabby, ran as well and we had a blast in the process. This race is held to raise money for Parkinson's Disease research. This year I believe there were 108 runners and I don't know how many walkers.

Team Brunazzi after the race.

I knew going into this that I'm not in PR shape so I dropped that hope before I left home. I thought 27 minutes would be a good goal given that the temperature was a little lower this morning. I know Shane always wants a PR and this was Gabby's first race so her only goal was to finish. I pointed out a group of teens that didn't look like local track stars and told her to beat them, which I believe she did!

By the time we registered the race was already out of shirts except for XL. We opted to take some of last year's leftovers off their hands instead. I ran a quick half mile warm up and the hung out with our group until it was time to line up.

Never look a tech tee in the mouth... even if it is the wrong year!

The race start was crowded and it didn't seem like most people were lining up according to their abilities. There were little kids in front of me and a woman who definitely looked faster than me right behind me. I tried to plant myself at the middle of the front of the pack but I couldn't tell who was walking and who was running so I gave up.

When the race started there was about 2 minutes of mass chaos while everyone figured out their pace. I went out way too fast and was actually ahead of Shane for a little bit. Once we made a couple turns the runners spread out and it was easier to try to pull back. The first little bit was a slight uphill and then a slight downhill. I checked my Garmin and I was running sub-8 minute miles. Time to pull back more!

The middle section of the loop was a long uphill which really got me. I think this is where I lost most of my time. Once we finished the hill runners turned right and ran downhill for a short distance. Then it was a gradual grade up over some train tracks and around a bend to end up back where we'd begun. We ran this loop twice and by the second time around I was really have trouble keeping my pace sub-10 on the uphill. I repeated, "It's supposed to hurt" to myself over and over again.

What really helped was that there was a man right behind me on the second half of the second loop and I got it in my head that I didn't want him to pass me. When we got to the railroad crossing he tried but I gave a little extra and put him behind me again. As we approached the finish he kicked again and once again I caught him. Maybe 10 feet before the finish he was breathing down my neck and gave one last push. I tried but he threw himself across the line before I got there. I wanted to be mad at him for beating me in the last 2 feet but really I'm mad at myself for not having one more kick to out-race him.

My official time was 27:46. After I finished I found Shane and he said he'd done 22:16. I tossed him my water and went back out to find Gabby. I was surprised to find she wasn't far out from the finish line. I turned back and ran with her to the chute. She finished strong in 33:18!

It ended up that I was 4th in my age group. I was a little disappointed but I would have had to run a PR race to get an award so I didn't feel THAT bad. Shane took third in the 30-39 age group! Unfortunately for Gabby teens seem to be finding the joy of racing this year. The 15-19 age group had NO runners last year. This year there were at least more than 3. Gabby didn't get the medal we'd promised her but we did take a pic of her wearing Shane's and post it on her FaceBook page saying she'd won the race! Hey we gotta have fun somehow right?!

Shane with his medal

After the race we stopped at IHOP for some lunch and I mowed down the International Crepe Passport! I could have eaten another full meal too! I'd post pictures of the food but if I'd pulled out my camera to snap a pic it probably would have gotten eaten too!

After we dropped Gabby off at home I realized I had 4 miles for the day counting my warm up and cool down but I was scheduled for 6. I asked Shane to drop me off roughly 2 miles from home and I ran the rest of the way. It was definitely a little hot for my taste but it felt good to have all my miles out of the way early on.

Now I just have to convince Gabby she can race with us tomorrow! And maybe a Firecracker 5k on the 4th.... and maybe next weekend too.....   I hope I've created a monster! ;)

Summer Storms

Things have been hectic the last couple days. My job has jumped up the 'pain in my ass' scale again and marathon training is still leading a charge on my sanity. I just keep telling myself, "It's not supposed to be easy. It's just going to be worth it."

Thankfully there are good things in life too! The race director of the Hell Hath No Hurry race sent me a hand written apology and a medal. I couldn't ask for more! That little hunk of metal is worth its weight in gold to me!

Rockin' the Instagram filters! (@warriorprncss3)

Marathon training is still kicking my tail but with the help of my daily multivitamin plus supplements I'm feeling much better. I ran 3 miles Tuesday without any real issues. Wednesday I was scheduled to run 6 but Ash didn't like that idea so I traded it for Thursday's 3 miler. Yesterday I took an extra long lunch and got 5 miles in the gym but that still left me one short. So when I got home last night I ran 4 more, because that's what any sane person would do right?!

Well, thankfully today is a rest day. I took full advantage of it and pampered myself. I knew just what my sore knees and aching hips needed. New Saucony Triumphs!

The fact that they're hot pink just makes them doubly awesome!

Tomorrow we've got the Jerry Maher Memorial 5k on the menu. Not sure how I'll do. Heavy training could mean I'm too worn down to do well or today's rest day could have me kicking tail. I'll cross my fingers for an age group award!

Well, the thunder and lightning are beginning here so I'd better shut up now. Have a great weekend!

The Silent Killer...

Of your training, that is. I've been suffering from some serious fatigue lately. Yes, I'm in marathon training and I expect to be tired but this is something entirely different. I feel like I'm living in a fog. It's hard to concentrate, I'm paler than normal, I can't seem to lift as heavy as I would like, and I've been getting headaches. All the signs point to something I've dealt with on and off my whole life. Anemia.

Who doesn't feel like this sometimes?

If you're an athlete, and especially a female athlete, you are at a higher risk. Your body has higher iron needs than a man and you have to meet those needs on a smaller calorie intake. It can be virtually impossible for endurance athletes like marathoners and Iron Man triathletes.

First, let's take a look at the symptoms:

-Fatigue: This is your first sign. Take it seriously. If an extra rest day or more carbs aren't fixing it then it is likely anemia.

-Irritability: Another common sign that too many women put down to hormones or stress. If you're crying at baby commercials or ready to leave your husband over unwashed dishes, it could be anemia.

-Weakness: When your legs feel like jelly after a long run or a 'brick' workout, it's normal. When you feel like curling your 5 pound dumbbells for a full set is impossible ask your doctor to do some simple blood tests.

Other symptoms include low blood pressure, shortness of breath, sore tongue, brittle nails, unusual food cravings, decreased appetite, and headache. One other indicator I always get is being COLD. I'm not talking about getting a chill when heading into an air conditioned office. I'm talking being wrapped in a sweater and wishing for a blanket when others are wearing shorts and a tank top cold.

So what are the causes and treatment you wonder? Well, the cause is usually two-fold. Not enough iron in your diet and blood loss. For women the answer to blood loss can usually be found in that wonderful time of the month we all love. However, it can be caused by other pathways of blood loss as well. Your doctor should be able to help find the cause if you're unsure. The typical athlete's diet is also a cause, high in carbohydrates and low in meat, poultry or fish. A woman of childbearing age typically needs about 18mg of iron per day, an athlete needs slightly more. Men need about 8mg per day.

The treatment for typical causes of anemia includes working more iron into your diet, adding vitamin C to your iron-rich meals (increases iron absorption), avoiding calcium with iron-rich foods (blocks iron absorption, and taking a multivitamin containing iron or an iron supplement. Your doctor can decide on the best course of action for your case but prevention is the best medicine so be proactive and find out your iron levels at your next check up. In rare cases, too much iron can cause liver problems so it's definitely in your best interest to have a medical professional follow your levels.

As for me, I'll be more mindful of taking my multivitamin daily from now on. And of course, I just might get myself a juicy burger or steak for dinner! Yum!

Forge Your Own Path

I'm not trying to say that anyone is evil but sometimes people are wrong. Personally, I find it REALLY hard to admit when I'm wrong but it's something I've been working on. Maybe that's why it gets under my skin when other people are stubborn and rude.

Thankfully I have my husband, two gorgeous kids, and an awesome family and friends to remind me why I am working on myself. Everyone who has commented on my last post or on my FaceBook and Twitter has reminded me that the world is full of people who have my back. That stupid meme about "all my friends live in my computer"... I think it applies to me!

My husband has always been my champion but I have to hand it to him this time. Our niece is visiting from out of state and he dragged her to our house late in the evening. I came out from moping in the bedroom to find them and the baby dressed and ready to run. I switched into running clothes thinking to myself how hard it was going to be, how much it was going to hurt after Saturday's race, etc. Wouldn't you know I had a great run?!

Our niece surprised the heck out of me! She was holding a 9:50-ish pace for over a mile and a half before asking for a walk break! My husband and I took turns pushing the jogging stroller and handing out flyers for our upcoming race. Everyone we spoke with was smiling and excited to hear about the race and a few already knew about it. Three miles later I felt like a whole new woman. It was a great way to finish off the weekend.

I woke up bummed again. It stormed all night and I had weird dreams. The pounding rain kept the dogs awake and whining at our door too. I wasn't looking forward to work at all. At lunch time I dragged myself to the gym. After all, I pay for it so I might as well use it right? I don't know why I can't get it through my thick skull! I feel SO much better after a good, hard session with my personal trainer. Every Monday he kicks the after-weekend-blahs right out of me. Today we did every set to failure. By the time I left I could barely drive the mile back to my office and typing was difficult. And I LOVED it!

Time to quit moping! I've got a marathon to PR at! And my husband says he's coming to do the half too! Wonder if he'll break the stellar 1:44 he ran in April? Who wants to take a bet on his time? I think I can come up with some kind of giveaway for the closest guess! Watch out for that in a new post.

In closing, thank you to my friends, family, FitFluential peeps, Team Aquaphor crew, and my supporters. You all make this world a better place and I'm blessed to share it with you!

Haters Gonna Hate

Yesterday I ran the Hell Hath No Hurry 4 & 8 hour trail race. I ran it last year when it was just a 6 hour event. For some reason the race director decided to put some weird rules in place for the events. You had to finish a minimum of 25k to be considered a finisher in the 4 hour or 50k for the 8 hour. I thought it was odd to put a minimum distance on a timed race but figured I'd have no problem completing it anyway.

I arrived at the park an hour early to register. The 8 hour runners had already started and I said hello to a few I recognized as they came through. I talked with a few of the runners for the 4 hour event and soon enough we were lining up to get started. The race director, Peter, told us the rules (minimum 25k and you had to finish three 'big loops' before you could move onto the 1 mile loop) and then said a prayer and we were off.

Everybody seemed reluctant to take off so I took the lead. I knew that wasn't where I should be so I stepped off to the side about a half mile in and let the lead pack pass me. There were about 6 men and 2 women in the lead pack so I made it my goal to stay third woman until the end. I chugged along, running a comfortably hard pace and letting loose on the downhills. Halfway around the loop was a small table set up with water and Gatorade. I refilled my handheld with a mixture and moved on. There was nobody visible in front of or behind me and I mused about how I must run an awkward pace because I always seem to end up alone while others are in groups of twos or threes.

The elevation profile of the 'big loop'. It was supposed to be 5-ish miles.

I came to the last uphill of the big loop and saw the clock. One hour and twenty minutes had elapsed. I knew there was no way I was running an 8k loop that slowly so I asked one of the 8 hour runners what his Garmin was reading. He got 10k on the nose. Another runner told me he got 6.25 miles. I figured Peter had to know the loops were long. He assured me that I had nothing to worry about and I was running about average pace for most of the runners on the course.

I have to note that the aid station at the start finish was stocked with everything a runner could want. Gummy bears, pretzels, chips, ice, Gatorade, water, PB&J sandwiches, etc. I grabbed a handful of gummy bears and a couple pretzels after each loop while the volunteers filled my bottle with ice and water. This part of the race was outstanding.

I was moving into loop two in under two minutes from arriving at the aid station. I continued to go kamikaze on the downhills. On one steep section AWOLnation's 'Sail' came on and I pretended like I was Jeb Corliss flying over the mountains. I was having a blast and cruising along quite well. I ran every runnable section and fast-hiked the steep climbs. So I was even more worried when I finished the second loop with only 1:13 left in the race.

Another 4 hour runner was at the aid station when I got there and he asked if I planned to attempt the third loop in the time left. I replied that I guessed I had to and grabbed my gummy bears and took off. The other runner and I stuck together for a little while but I was fading as the temperature crept into the upper 80's and he left me after a bit. Just before the halfway water stop I caught a group of 8 hour runners. They took longer to refill their bottles than I did so I took the opportunity to pass someone for the second time in the race. (I passed a woman who was just walking one or two loops too.)

I made up my mind not to let them catch me and I pushed myself to grind down into low gear keep moving. I ran every somewhat level section and jogged every mild incline. I continued to speed hike steeper sections but my coordination was getting a little funky and I know it wasn't as quick or as graceful as the first two loops. Around what I judged to be 4 or 4.5 miles into the third loop I looked at my watch and saw it was 12:45PM. I had 15 minutes to finish the loop and I knew it wasn't going to happen.

I continued to push myself forward but the last steep climb saw the 8 hour runners catch me. I let them pass and then latched on to their group and finished strong. I made it back to the start/finish area in 4:18 with 30k under my belt. I sat down and drank some Gatorade and asked the guy I had run with on the third loop if he made it under 4 hours. He hadn't. I asked Peter if we were still going to be counted as finishers since the loop was 10k instead of 8k and we'd both put in the minimum 25k before 4 hours had elapsed. Peter said no and that we weren't the only ones, which I knew because I was never passed except by the 8 hour runners during the race. I pointed out that 25k was 2.5 loops and I had obviously done that much before 1PM but Peter's response was, "Sorry, I lied."

It was at that point that I gave up and left. For a race director to make a mockery of their own race by going back on their word and alienating all of the middle and back of the pack runners is disgusting to me. To say that you falsely advertised the 'minimum' distance required for the race is even worse. And to take $35 from all of those runners and let them run 4+ hours in the heat and sun for nothing, no t-shirt (cost extra), no goody bags, and no medal is completely rediculous. All I wanted was a finisher medal, which for this race is a handmade thing; a bunch of pieces of wire welded into the letters HHNH. I'm not asking for the moon here. I'm asking for what I earned and what the other runners just in front and just behind me earned too.

So to Peter and any race directors who feel this is okay, let me just say: NO! It's not okay. You make newer runners and slower runners feel unwelcome. You make experienced runners like myself begin to doubt themselves. You make our community of trail and ultra runners look snobby and idiotic. I for one will not take part in this again. I will welcome 5 minute milers and 15 minute milers alike and I will not let you make me feel bad for not being born with more raw talent.

So go ahead and hate but I know what I'm worth and I know I did what I was asked to do yesterday. I can hold my head high because I accomplished something. And now I'm going to go run, for free, with no one to tell me it's not far enough or fast enough.

Are You Scared?

I admit it. I am terrified. Of my long runs that is.

I'm not sure what my issue is. I look at my weekend long run on the schedule and my knees start to shake. I start looking for excuses not to do it. Sunday I tried to use the excuse that my husband was working night shift all weekend. How could I do my run if he was sleeping all day and no one could watch the girls?!

Ash already knows the joys of earning hardware!



Of course, Shane wouldn't let me bail on myself like that. He stayed up for 2+ hours after he got home from work to let me run in the cool(er) morning air. The first half of the run I was okay but not loving it. When I hit the turn around point I found my stride. This is the point where I remembered WHY I love distance running. Things start to feel effortless, the right pace takes less effort and your mood just improves by leaps and bounds.

I finished my 11 miles in 2:06:35, 11:30 pace on the nose! This is actually slightly faster than my planned paces but I felt strong and I was barely sore Monday. That makes two weeks of marathon training in the bag and 16 weeks to go. I know I can do this!

I can't wait to have a PR in Marathon #4 to add to my 50 states hanger!



Monday is my cross training day and my trainer, Ryan, put me through a tough workout but I handled it well. First up were deadlifts. We started with a 35 pound bar and it was too light. Ryan added 10 more pounds and it was still too light. He added another plate to each end (not sure on the final weight) and I blasted out 3 sets of 25. His eyes almost popped out of his head when I told him my deadlift PR is 145. It's all in the form baby!

After that there were step ups, 3 x 15 on each leg. Then lunges, also 3 x 15 on each leg. Last of all he had me do 3 x 20 calf raises on the stairs. It was a good burn for sure! I contemplated doing some core work on the mats after we finished but I decided against it. No need to sabotage my marathon training by overdoing it on the strength training.

Today's plan calls for an easy three and I'm looking forward to it. I think I may eat lunch at my desk so I can run outdoors instead of at the gym. And this week I will try to look forward to my long run too!

Tick Tock

The days seem to be going by so quickly lately. It's like I blink and it's bed time! I'm still clicking off the miles right on plan. Well, with the exception of switching my Thursday 3 miler with my Friday rest day. I just felt like I needed a break Thursday and I couldn't force myself to move.

I ran an easy 3 Friday and an easy 5 today. Tomorrow calls for 11 miles and my husband has promised to get me up to do it early before the heat kicks in. I have a little extra incentive too. My Team Aquaphor gear arrived yesterday! I'm dying to try it out!

What do you think?! I'm a little worried about rocking the white again. It's so hard to keep clean, especially after a couple trail races. But I am THRILLED to be representing such an outstanding brand and a team of amazing athletes! I only hope I can live up to half their expectations!

Lemons and Lemonade

Sometimes I just have to stop and look around and remind myself how good things really are. Today was one of those days. It started out with waking up tired and being 15 minutes later than I wanted to be to work. It went downhill from there with screaming emails from a client and demands from my project manager that I'm not equipped to meet. It culminated with a rejection letter from the job I really wanted and just KNEW I was going to get.

I felt my mood spiral downward and I knew I would most likely snap on the next person to demand something from me. Thankfully it was close to lunch and I hatched a plan. I would run it out. I thought about a sign for a trailhead I had seen a few weeks back and decided I was going to check it out. I changed in the bathroom and let the secretary know where I was headed (for safety's sake) then headed for my car.

I arrived at the trailhead to find utility workers running new electrical lines right in the parking area. No new trail for me. I *almost* let the feelings of defeat take over but then I decided I NEEDED to run. So I drove around looking for a neighborhood with some decent sidewalks. I parked at a corner market and took off into the hills of an upscale neighborhood. I was almost out of time but I wasn't out of frustration. Two miles later I felt better, at least enough that I could face the rest of the afternoon without having a meltdown.

When I got back to my desk I had an email. It was simple but exactly what I needed. I was given the okay to announce my big news! I've been chosen to represent Aquaphor as an ambassador and team member! I'm super excited to have a new team and a new opportunity to do what I do best, RUN! And trying a new product is always a bonus! So look out for all the dirt once I get some samples to try and share!

To top it off, marathon training has been going perfectly even if I am only 9 days in. Sunday I ran my 5 miles which were supposed to be at marathon pace. I was dead on pace until 3.5 or 4 miles when the 90* heat caught up to me. I still finished, albeit slower than planned, and felt good about not giving up. Monday was cross training and my trainer put me through a tough upper body and core workout with a little leg thrown in. It was a good workout.

When I got home that night my husband had flowers for us to plant. The baby was having none of it so we let the girls color with chalk on the garage floor while Shane and I worked. I think our little garden turned out pretty well if I do say so myself! And the rain can't wash away the girls artistic works since they're safe and sound in the garage!

After my quick two miles at lunch I made it through the afternoon. After dinner the baby wanted nothing but mommy time and I knew I still had miles to put in. How to balance the baby's clinginess with my need to follow my plan? Stroller run! I only needed one more mile to fill out my plan for the day but Ash was enjoying her run so much I didn't want to stop either so we made it 2 miles. We ran on the trail which was wet from the rain storms that came through in the afternoon. I was surprised how many people were out walking dogs, running, biking and enjoying the cooler weather. Ash had a blast pointing out everything that caught her eye and waving to people and dogs along the trail. It's hard to be upset when I'm around such a happy baby. I probably did my legs in a little more than I should have but I wouldn't trade those 20-ish minutes for the world!

Day 6 Baltimore Training

I ended up sleeping in this morning. I woke up and asked my hubby what time we needed to get moving to make it to the race and he said it was already too late. I can't say I was too disappointed. It's been a good weekend so far and extra sleep was a bonus.

I walked 2 miles with the dogs after work yesterday evening. Once I got home the dogs plopped down and went to sleep. My husband was getting ready to leave for work and my mom had already picked up the kids for the night. I was a little lost on what to do with myself. Thankfully my best friend decided to invite me out to the bar. I don't usually drink but I figured I deserved a little time with my bestie and a drink.

I only stayed for about an hour and a half but it was nice to talk about a lot of the stuff that's been bothering me plus playing pool and silly songs on the juke box. Driving home I felt lighter and a little bit more hopeful than usual as of late. I enjoyed reading a book for about an hour and then hit the sack. Finding out I wasn't racing this morning just made my extra couple hours that much more enjoyable.

When I finally dragged myself out of bed my husband was just coming up from the treadmill. He told me he'd run 8 miles in 59 minutes. Oh the time I could save on training if only I had his speed! Instead of smacking him I padded off to the kitchen to find some food. I forgot how much I can actually eat when I start running regularly. My 'normal' appetite returned full force today and I'm dreading the next grocery bill.

After two waffles with peanut butter and syrup plus coffee I was satisfied enough that I thought I could get in my long run while the kids were still at my moms. I hope I won't have to make switching Sunday long runs with Saturday pace runs a habit but it seemed like the best option this weekend. I mixed up some nuun and loaded my pockets with GU and headed out.

I guess I should know better than to let the baby play with my iPod but it seems to be her favorite toy. Of course that meant that today my running playlist was deleted and my music wouldn't shuffle. I lost a lot of time the first two miles taking walk breaks to manually flip songs because I was sick of listening to a certain one five times over. I finally got one playlist to work and shuffle so I just went with it and hoped I could make up the time I'd lost.

I was doing well when I reached the 5 mile turn around, about 1-2 minutes behind schedule. I picked it up as I head back but, by the time I hit the more residential sections of the trail, the heat was high and the sun was baking. I was drinking more and slowing down. I tried to focus on just maintaining pace but it was hard. I started throwing in a short walk break every mile. By mile 8.5 my bottle was empty and I was getting angry. I probably walked way more than I should have the last mile and a half but I was afraid of getting overly dehydrated.

I finally made it back home a little over 2 hours after I set out and checked my first long run of this training cycle off the list. It felt really good to do that and I feel surprisingly good for having run more miles today than I have in most weeks the last two months. I have some little aches but I'm pretty sure I just need new shoes. It wasn't a priority when I was barely running but now I'll have to budget for another fitting quickly.

All in all, I'd say I'm happy with things so far. Just 127 more days of training to go!

Resting Ain't Easy

It's Friday and it's Day 5 of Baltimore training. On the schedule today? Rest. Insert deep sigh here.

After two months of laziness I'm ready to jump back in and find the woman who took an hour off her marathon time. I'm ready to find the me that would run 5+ miles and THEN go to CrossFit. What I'm not ready for is the mental fortitude it takes to embrace rest. I know I need it and I WILL do it but I'm a mess right now.

I had an interview yesterday that I feel went spectacularly. I talked with the placement agency that found me afterwards and she thought I would have an answer by 5PM today. I'm a bundle of nerves and ready to jump out of my skin at every sound. My phone hasn't left my pocket yet (nor has it rung). I made lunch plans with some of my coworkers in hopes I can let go of some of this nervous energy over some pizza and wings.

It's not helping that I have decided to pull out of the Hatfield McCoy Marathon this weekend. I'm not in marathon shape and I'm not willing to injure myself to finish and check another state off my list. My husband and I set our sights on a local 10k instead. I'm schedule to run 5 miles Saturday and 10 Sunday so I think doing 6 Saturday and 9 Sunday is a good compromise as long as I hold myself back in the race. Even thinking about trying to contain my competitiveness is draining but I want to PR so bad at Baltimore that I can taste it!

The good news is that it's almost lunch time! Just another hour and then I can enjoy some conversation and company that doesn't revolve around my inability to sit still today! The good news is my work is all caught up with plenty of time to spare for the weekend. I guess a rest day is good for something after all.

Happy National Running Day!

In case you somehow missed it or were living under a rock, today is National Running Day! So what's on your agenda?

I'll be celebrating by trying to cram 5 miles into my lunch break. I don't foresee this going over well at work but you can't argue with a national holiday right?! And if you want to get really into it you could always do something like this video from Runner's World! I think I'll go running as Busy Mom today. Oh wait, that's every day...

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Day 2 of Baltimore marathon training is in the bag. I should probably be giving myself a pat on the back for making it this far considering my training track record. Well, I sort of did, I gave in and ate a brownie but only after my post-run banana! That makes it okay right?

What's nagging me is that I used the McMillan pace calculator to figure out my pace guidelines for training. I based it off my PR and goal of 4:30. As I was plugging in numbers I was a little terrified. I expected to see 8's and 9's all over the place and to feel inadequate. To my surprise it was all 10-12 minute mile paces.

Here's what I got:
Recovery: 12:34 - 13:04
Long Run: 11:34 - 12:34
Easy Run: 11:34 - 12:04
Tempo: 10:04 - 10:30
400m: 2:10 - 2:18
800m: 4:32 - 4:45
1200m: 6:59 - 7:20
1600m: 9:19 - 9:40

What surprised me is these paces all seem SLOW (for me). Following common advice I would ideally start out at the slower end of each range at the beginning or training, move into the middle, and finish at the faster end in 18 weeks. However, I tried today (I swear I tried!) and I just can't seem to do it.

Today's plan called for 3 miles easy. Without thinking I set the treadmill for 5.5 MPH. I realized quickly that was too fast. I nudged down to 5.4 MPH. I felt like I was slogging along and tried to tune out the little voice in my head that all the other gym-goers were staring and laughing. After a mile I ate my pride and went down to 5.3 MPH. After 2 miles I went down to 5.2 MPH. I ended up doing the 3 miles in 33:54 for an 11:18 average. TOO FAST!

I'm not sure what to do. I'm not used to trying to go slower. I assume I'll be better able to avoid injury and tolerate high mileage but there's the downside of the time factor. By the time I changed into gym clothes, ran, cleaned up and changed back I'd been on lunch for an hour! Tomorrow calls for 5 miles and I don't know how I can do that as a lunch run but I have to because our soccer season finale party is tomorrow night. Not to mention the bruising my ego is experiencing when I add these times to my log book.

Ahhh, the woes of marathon training begin again. And I ask myself, "Why do I do this to myself again?"

I Think I Can...

I finally feel like things are getting back to normal. I have a job interview this week that I feel really good about. It's made dealing with everything at work a little easier when I think that I could be out of there by the end of this month. The reduction in stress brought back the return of my running mojo just in time to focus on the Baltimore Running Festival marathon as my goal race for the fall.

I did the 5k back in 2009 when I was running for Team Under Armour. It was a great experience and I'm looking forward to going back. I have the added benefit of running for a new team this year. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to announce which company just yet so look for that in a future post!

I also get to look forward to running with a friend. One of my fellow runners from RnR DC is running Baltimore as his second full marathon. We have very similar paces and marathon time so we've set our sights on going 26.2 in 4:30 at Baltimore. It should be a HUGE motivator to have another person depending on me to train right and run a smart race.

Knowing that I have 19 weeks to get ready I printed out an 18 week training plan and started today to give myself an extra 7 days should I need to rest or repeat a week for any reason. Today was just cross training but it felt good to have a reason to get my butt to the gym. My favorite trainer, Ryan, put me through a tough upper body and core workout. Then I got to run around with my soccer kids for an hour at our last practice of the season. Even though I'm excited to get my weeknights back I am sad to be done. I had a great group of kids this season and Gemma isn't sure she wants to do soccer in the fall so this may have been my last go-round as coach.

I'm feeling strong though. A tough 5 mile race on Saturday, an easy 4 miler on Sunday, and lots of cross training today and I still feel ready to start the running portion of my marathon training tomorrow. I want to do this training cycle right and really find out what I'm made of. I set a huge PR in Savannah and I want to feel that rush of accomplishment again. This time I plan to train a little harder AND smarter.

It's time to break out the pace calculator and nail down my goal paces for each training run. Every run should be about adding value to my training, not just miles. Quality over quantity and making sure I'm in the right shape to run a 4:30 marathon. It's not going to be easy but nothing that's worth it ever is, right?

So now comes the hardest part for someone like me, rest. Instead of curling up on the couch and enjoying the quiet of a sleeping house, I will head to bed and let my body recover. After that comes trying to whip my diet back into shape which means no more skipping breakfast in favor of coffee! It also probably means I'm going to have to plan ahead on packing my lunch instead of throwing in the first things I touch every morning. I can do this!

Run For Alex 5 Mile Race Report

When my husband told me he'd signed me up for a 5 mile race on Saturday I can't say I was really thrilled. For the last two months I've been barely running and I don't think I've run 5 miles at a single time since Umstead. I resigned myself to this race being some form of torture and hoped that I wouldn't DNF a 5 mile run. I was pretty sure I was going to be embarassed no matter what.

Saturday was cool compared to the recent temperatures and I appreciated being able to wear a jacket at the starting line. The race actually has three distances: 1 mile, 2 miles, and 5 miles. At the starting line I was wondering if it would be okay to drop down to one of the other races. The Run for Alex is a memorial for a 15 year old girl who was killed by a speeding car while walking home from soccer practice. Part of the race is a head-to-head challenge of the local schools' track stars in honor of Alex's track record. Being surrounded by teenage boys and girls who looked like stalking lions was intimidating for someone who feels like a blob of jelly right now.

But I took a deep breath and placed myself in the front of the mid-pack group. Shane reminded me not to try to keep up with him and then we were off. I went out trying to focus on treating this like a long run. About a tenth of a mile into the race we made a turn off the main road and started heading uphill into the countryside. I checked my Garmin and I was running sub-9 pace. I pulled back into the 9's and tried not to grit my teeth as several people passed me.

When I say we headed uphill, I mean UP hills. I didn't realize the race was a loop so I just kept telling myself to make it to the turn-around and then it would be all downhill. After about 15 minutes I realized I wasn't seeing the leaders coming back and it must be a loop. I continued tackling the hills and reminding myself to take short, quick strides. It seemed to work because by mile three I hadn't walked yet. Then we encountered what people were referring to as 'the mountain'. It seemed to be straight up and there was no end in sight. I kept up my shorter strides and passed a few people who were walking but about 2/3 of the way up I couldn't keep up the momentum and began to walk. I reached what I thought was the top but it turned out to just be a left turn and then we continued on our journey towards the heavens.

Finally we came to a downhill which began right at a cow pasture. I couldn't help but wonder what the cows thought of the herd of crazy humans running past their field. That helped to lift my spirits after the big hill and I picked up the pace a bit. I checked my Garmin and was shocked to realize that I just might be able to make a sub-10 average pace if I really let loose on the downhills. I pushed as hard as I dared and tried to monitor my breathing because I was sure a blow up was coming after months of laziness.

After that false start to the downhill there was one more uphill to tackle and then it was almost straight down to return to where we'd started. I set my sights on a group of men in front of me and didn't even bother reeling them in. I just let gravity take me and blew by them on a steep downhill. I could hear them complaining about wrecked quads and I wondered to myself how I could still be fit enough to not feel the strain.

At the bottom of the downhill we made a quick left turn and I passed another pair of men running together. I looked for women to catch and saw only one. A girl in hot pink shorts about 100 yards ahead of me. I tried to pick up the pace even more but we were headed slightly uphill again and I didn't have it. I got close to her but she crossed the line about 30 seconds before I did.

My official time was 50:43 for a 10:08 average pace. I never would have imagined I still had that in me. I was 192/241 overall and 18/25 in my age group. Not really an impressive placing but better than I'd hoped for. Shane finished in 38: 32 and took third in his age group. I guess my goal for next year will be to keep up with him. Definitely going to have to add some hills if I want to do that. Oh, and ya know, run too!