Shamrockin' and Beer Drinking

Due to our stalker issue I haven't posted in a bit. I didn't want to remind the crazy that Shane and I would be leaving our house mostly unattended for three days. Sorry about that!

Chesapeake Bay

Shane and I left Pennsylvania on Friday night after taking the kids to my mother's and then furiously packing our own belongings. Shane had booked us a room in Frederick, Maryland for the night and we made a fairly uneventful trip to that point. Saturday morning we were up bright and early to finish our journey to Virginia Beach for the Shamrock Marathon.

On our way into town we encountered a tunnel. Being from Pittsburgh this really isn't odd to me whatsoever. Shane, however, freaked out. Apparently a tunnel that runs under the Chesapeake Bay is much scarier than a tunnel through a million bajillion tons of rock. SMH!

Shane's Tunnel Face

 

Our first stop was the expo at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. It was pretty organized and we were able to quickly pick up our bibs, bags, and shirts. There weren't a whole lot of vendors and there wasn't a lot to see either. I was kind of disappointed but I told Shane it was better if we didn't destroy our legs walking all over.

 

Convention Center

 

After the expo we met up with our friends, Jenn and Dan, who were getting married the next day, AFTER running the Shamrock half marathon! If that's not a running match made in Heaven then I don't know what is! We hung out for a bit and caught up before Shane and I headed to our hotel.

 

Marathon morning dawned cold and grey. The prediction was low 40's, cloudy, and possible showers. I decided on my INKnBURN leaf shirt, a long sleeve tech tee as a throwaway, and my INB capris along with my Altra Zero Drop Superiors. I added some cheap gloves and my SPIbelt and I was ready to go.

 

 

I also wore an orange bracelet that says "Running for Jenny". Jenny is a very brave (and speedy) fellow runner who is battling cancer. Having her 'with' me throughout the tough points helped me to remember that my pain was minimal and limited in the bigger picture and allowed me to push through.

We parked at around 6:30am a few blocks from the start and finish. We were right next to a grocery store so we took advantage of the warm and dry bathrooms several times while we waited for our 8:30am start. If you ever run Shamrock, arrive early or be prepared to walk several blocks (or miles) to get to your corral and car. We wandered to our corrals around 8am and met up with a couple friends before we all went our separate ways. I was in corral 3 and Shane was in 2 so I wouldn't see hime again until the finish.

There were seagulls everywhere!

A few minutes late we were off. I latched onto the 4:15 pacer with that being my 'goal'. I really thought I could do even better, maybe a 4:10. I figured a 4:20 was the worst I could do. The first few miles I relaxed into the 9:45-ish pace and waited for my body to warm up and everything to begin to 'flow'. Well it never happened. I warmed up enough that I removed my long sleeve shirt but didn't throw it. The wind was finicky, changing directions and alternately freezing and soothing me.

Miles 1-5:
9:56, 9:50, 9:34, 9:38, 9:46

I continued to shadow the 4:15 pace group intermittantly chatting with fellow runners. I found out I was running with a fellow Pittsburgh runner plus a friend of mine from Twitter. That was pretty cool! We talked about our goals and I voiced my desire to run a 4:10. Maybe I jinxed myself.

Miles 6-10:
9:43, 9:34, 9:51, 9:43, 9:39

Around mile 10 we entered the boardwalk. I thought this would be my favorite part but I think it was actually the opposite. There were 15 MPH winds blowing sand and salty mist in my face and the ocean looked cold and grey instead of warm and inviting. Not exactly the way I'd envisioned beach running. I stayed on pace with the 4:15 group but I wondered to myself if fighting the wind was a good idea. I tucked in behind two taller runners and hoped it would save some much needed energy for later.

Miles 11-15:
9:40, 9:32, 9:44, 9:37, 9:34

I crossed the half in 2:08 and my legs were already dragging. I started drinking at mile 14. Yuengling, Guiness, whatever was being offered by spectators, I started tossing back. Thankfully I have a stomach of steel but no amount of carbs and alcohol could put the missing bounce in my legs or lift my flagging morale.

Around mile 15 I started thinking I should start taking some walk breaks. I took a minute at a water stop to walk, take a GU, and drink a little bit extra. I had a little trouble catching up to the pace group and I got the feeling they were beginning to speed up. The pace group leader confirmed my suspicions less than a mile later when he stated he was a little behind and wanted to make up some time. I quickly realized a 4:15 may not be in the cards for me on such a craptastic day. I figured a 4:1x was still doable so I didn't fret too much though.

Miles 16-20:
9:54, 9:34, 10:55, 11:45, 9:47

Around mile 18 I fell off the back of the pace group and I couldn't catch them. I was running a 9:20-ish pace and they were pulling away so I quickly gave up. I took a longer walk break to try to get my legs to wake up. It seemed to help a little as I was able to see a 9:4x pace again for mile 20 but that was the end of my energy.

Miles 21-26:
10:57, 12:45, 12:20, 11:48, 12:04, 11:04

Last .2 (.42 according to Garmin): 10:43 pace

The last 6 miles I was absolutely dying. My legs were like lead. I would force myself to run a half mile and then I would walk for a minute. An 11 minute mile felt like 9 minute mile effort. I had a weird ache in my chest and I started envisioning dropping dead just shy of the finish line. I told myself I would find some way to make it across before I let death take me.

People were passing me left and right. I was getting more and more upset every minute but when the 4:30 pacer passed me I totally lost it. I started sobbing right there on the course somewhere between miles 25 and 26. I managed to choke it back after a minute and chase him down. I got in front of him for maybe a quarter mile and then I fell apart all over again.

I finally came back onto the boardwalk and I bargained and pleaded with my body to just let me hold on to a little dignity and make it to the finish line without walking. Thankfully it cooperated even though I could feel every step was more of a lurch and I wasn't looking fast or smooth. The finish line never seemed to draw nearer until suddenly it was actually there and I managed to take the last few strides across it. And then I moved to the side, fell on the ground, and bawled my eyes out.

medal

A very nice volunteer named Ken picked me up and handed me a kleenex. I sensed he was about to drag me off to the medical tent so I quickly explained I was just upset with myself and that I had trained much harder than my time showed. He still wouldn't let go of me but he walked me through the medal line, Gatorade table, and bananas before I finally was able to reassure him enough that he let me go in peace. I appreciate his concern looking back but at the time I really just wanted to be left in the sand to fall apart and process the complete reversal of fortunes.

Swag

In the end I was happy enough. Marathon number 6 was over and I finished in 4:33:02 which is an official PR of 1:03. I know I can run a much better marathon and I just had a bad day on a tough course. Apparently pancake flat is tough for me. I am more sore then after Baltimore or Marshall University. I know that I will do better when the weather improves and I'm not fighting a sinus infection and I don't have two kids with the stomach flu at home asking for me. I know that fighting sea winds didn't help anything either. I also know that there's a big PR just waiting to happen and now it will be even bigger because I have more time to train. Running is good!

6 states plus D.C. checked off!

Week In Review: Week 12

Only one month to go until Shamrock! One more week of training and then taper begins! Oh the madness and the doubts are about to begin!

Monday: 3.5 miles at 6-8% incline.

Tuesday: 5.25 miles on the CycleOps trainer + 30 minutes of yoga.

Wednesday: 10 miles with 4 x 1 mile at 5k pace.

Thursday: 5 mile recovery run.

Friday: 6 miles with 4 at tempo.

Saturday: Rest.

Sunday: 21 miles.

Total: 45.5 miles running and 5.25 cycling.

Sunday's long run was pretty intense. The weather was brutal with temperatures in the teens and wind chills much colder. On and off snowfall plus icy roads made for a rough day. I kept the pace exactly where I wanted it until my last 6 miles when my lips cracked, my hands went numb, and my face felt like it was on fire from the wind. I still finished though! Mental toughness for the win!

Blowing snow over the lake

 

My personal frozen hell

Week in Review: Week 11

It feels like it should have been unlucky 13. Nothing went right this week. After I forced myself to do my scheduled 10 miles on Thursday I had to work all day Friday. I worked 8am to 7pm or so and then headed home. I was supposed to run 5-6  miles that night but figured I would switch it with Saturday's rest day.

Actual schedule:
Monday: Yoga + cross training
Tuesday: 6 miles
Wednesday: cross training
Thursday: 10 miles
Friday: rest
Saturday: (5-6 miles) *ended up resting
Sunday: 12 miles

Shane finishing his 5k on Saturday

Saturday Shane was planning to run a 5k in Kittaning. I agreed to go with him to take pictures and cheer but I didn't plan to race. Looking back I should have. I would have won second place woman and at least gotten a workout in! Shane did really well, taking second place male despite the icy conditions and cold. After the race we went to lunch and then picked up a few things. By the time we got home it was almost dinner time. We decided to watch a movie and then eat. As soon as I ate my stomach began to hurt. Within an hour I had a blinding headache. It was all I could do to stay awake until an acceptable bed time. I couldn't even force myself to try to walk or run.

Shane and his trophy

I woke up today feeling fine but worn out. Shane and I had made plans to run 12 miles with some friends but by the time I dragged myself out of bed we were running late so we told them to go ahead without us. We made it to the trail and found an ice slick. Shortly after the one mile mark (which took us 12 minutes) we decided to head out onto the roads of the township. No sidewalks, small shoulder, busy roads, and no flat terrain. It was slow going but we made it an adventure and explored housing plans and communities that we've never had a reason to tour before. We ended up with just shy of 2,600 feet of vertical gain in 12 miles!

Elevation profile

In the end I finished out the week with only 28 miles. It's my lowest week of the year so far but my coach reminded me that life happens. Now to forget about the bad week and focus on getting back on my game for week 12! 

Week in Review: Big TEN!

This has been a week of highs and lows and crazy times. I sometimes doubted myself but in the end I always exceeded my own expectations and usually had fun doing it.

Yes, I giggled. I'm still 13 at heart sometimes.

Monday: 7 mile steady state run. Ended up being a progression run because the effort felt too easy.

Tuesday: 2 mile warm up, 1 mile/800m/400m/200m ladder workout then repeat in reverse. 1 mile cool down. Total: 8.5 miles + 30 minutes of yoga

Wednesday: 8.5 mile easy run.

Thursday: 1 mile warm up, 60 minute tempo run, 1 mile cool down. Total: 8.5 miles + 15 minutes of yoga.

Friday: 6.5 mile easy run + 30 minutes of yoga + 30 minutes of core strength.

Saturday: Rest.

Sunday: 21 mile long run.

Total: 60 miles in 10:25:01

To add to the craziness of the week our treadmill was still out of sorts. It wasn't until today that a maintenance guy was able to come to our house. It turns out Shane and I aren't exactly 'average' treadmill users. The technician was able to see how many miles are on our roughly two year old treadmill. The answer? 1,804 miles and 284 hours of use. Unfortunately the model we were sold is not up to that kind of use and beating, especially at the speeds Shane and I need to run for speed work and such. Replacing the drive belt (and possibly the motor) is a temporary solution but it's only a matter of time before our treadmill goes to an early grave. So now the hunt (and RESEARCH this time!) is on for a new and commercial-grade torture device.

Lake view during my long run

 

Another exciting event this week was Shane's first published article. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it but Shane started his own blog. He has a knack for writing apparently (though he still needs help with spelling - must be a boy thing!) and the Mon Yough Trail Council asked him to contribute an article to their Milepost newsletter. I'm very excited for my husband!

 

 

Shane's article

 

The weekend was the most up and down part of the week. From Saturday to Sunday one of my friends was running Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile Endurance Run. She is very similar to me in terms of running times and distances. However, she has trained REALLY hard in the last several months and I was interested to see what it would mean for her in terms of ultra performances. I was thrilled to see her finish with a smile and collect her first buckle. It gave me a lot of hope for Burning River in less than 6 months! EEK!

 

Another view of the lake

 

As I drove to North Park for my long run Sunday morning I was saddened to learn of the passing of a member of the running community. I decided then that the frigid temperatures and blowing snow didn't matter. I was lucky to be out there and able to run. I threw in an extra mile to honor the indomitable spirit of a women that many knew and loved. Her passing will leave a hole in the hearts of many runners.

 

Despite the ice clinging to my brows and lashes I was determined to make it a good run.

 

In all, it was an excellent week for my running and, even though I may have to suffer through the weather more often in the near future, I am blessed to be a runner. Whether I have a treadmill or not, whether I ever get that one hundred mile buckle or not, and whether I ever hit all 50 states or not.... It's been a hell of a ride and I'm glad that I've been able to share it with so many inspirational people.

Silvester Nacht (New Year's Eve)

Yesterday Shane and I ran the Harmony Silvester 5k for the third year in a row. This year it was kalt! (Cold!) This race through historic (and hilly!) Harmony celebrates its German heritage by kicking off Silvester (New Years) on Germany's time. A 3PM race is followed by a 6PM countdown and ball drop with fireworks (midnight in Germany).

Shane and I knew parking would be a nightmare. The timing company (Miles Of Smiles) owner had warned us that over 300 people had pre-registered earlier this week so we made sure to arrive early and get a good parking spot. We picked up our race bags and dropped them in the car and then ran the course as a warm up. We arrived back at the starting line 10 minutes before the start and I did some form drills to stay warm and hopefully get ready to PR!

Race day weather was not ideal

 

At 3 o'clock on the dot.... we stood there.... There was a flatbed truck and a bunch of cars on the course (open course) so we had to wait for them to move out of the crowded starting area. We finally got the bullhorn about 5 minutes later. I took off with a woman I had lined up beside and quickly realized I was being pulled out too fast. My Garmin flashed 6:35 pace and I pulled back, maybe too much. The first mile is rolling and ends with one GIANT uphill but I was fresh. It should have been fast! 

 

Mile 1: 8:05

 

The second mile is more downhill than uphill. There's a few good ups but it's mostly runnable. However, I was fretting over my slow first mile and trying not to overcompensate on the downhills. I was worried about ice and the broken asphalt and the fact that I fell on ice yesterday and my knee was feeling a little tender. Once again, I erred too much on the side of caution.

 

Mile 2: 8:00

 

The last mile is almost entirely uphill with one good downhill stretch. I tried to let my legs fly on this downhill but I couldn't catch my breath. I think partly due to the fact I overdressed and partly due to the cold air temperatures and wind. I really struggled on the last hills and people were flying by me. I think I kind of mentally threw in the towel as groups of women passed me.

 

Mile 3: 8:32

 

As I came into sight of the finish line I checked my watch and realized a PR was out of reach. I was getting really angry at myself at this point and I heard footsteps approaching my left shoulder. I dug deep and out-sprinted a man to the timing mat. I beat him by 4 tenths of a second! At least I can be proud of that.

 

Final .13 miles: 1:05 (8:24 average)

 

Overall time: 25:41

 

I was kind of sulking in the church where the food and water was set out until I talked to a few other runners. It seems like a lot of our friends had a pretty rough day, probably due to the weather. Finishing only 36 seconds slower than last year and placing better was a big morale boost.

 

Elevation Profile

 

Last year I placed 5th in my age group. This year I was.... wait for it.... Second! There were 19 women in my age group. I think it's pretty awesome that I was able to take an award when there was that much competition! I finished 2/19 age group, 56/255 women, and 163/518 overall.

 

Happy with my award

 

Shane and I

 

Shane and I had to haul our butts home pretty fast though as the weather began to deteriorate even further. We ended up driving home in a white out!

 

Right in the middle of a snow storm!

 

Overall, I think this was a good way to end the year. It may not have been the PR I was hoping for but it wasn't PR conditions. I still outperformed my competition and took an award for the first time at this race. I'll just have to look forward to a very big PR in 2013!

 

Shirt, bib, and medal

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!