Week In Review: Week 7!

Time flies when you're having fun! Ummm, training hard? Sleeping 9 hours a night? Spending double digit hours running? Yeah, that's fun right?

I've been meaning to write a post about keeping your body in top shape during blocks of heavy training (and I know what I'm doing is moderate by most standards but it's the hardest I've ever consistently trained). I'm really trying to nail down the things that make me feel better and experiment with recommendations from other runners to find more recovery tricks. So if you're interested look for that soon!

Now onto the nuts and bolts fun:

Monday: 10 minute warm up, walk at 8% incline for 5 minutes, walk at 2% incline for 2 minutes, cool down. Ab Ripper X afterwards. Total: 4.5 miles

Tuesday: 2 mile warm up, 3 x 10 minutes at 5k pace with 3 minutes recovery between, 1 mile cool down. Total: 7 miles

Wednesday: 90 minutes of 9:1 run/walks. Total: 9 miles

Thursday: 1 mile run + weights.

Friday: 1 mile warm up, 5 miles of hills, 1 mile cool down. Total: 7 miles

Saturday: Rest.

Sunday: 10.6 miles of hills!

Sunday's elevation profile

Total: 39.1 miles

It's funny how that seems like low mileage to me after having a few weeks in the mid 40's - 50's. Not that long ago I would have been stoked about running this much and now I feel like a slacker for not hitting 40. The good news is the coming week is going to beat that slacker feeling right out of me!

How was your week? How are you keeping track of your training in relation to your goals?

Big News!

I'm now an Altra Zero Drop ambassador!

 

My Altras in the snow....

 

On the trail....

 

And off the beaten path....

 

Man I love these shoes and I love the Altra Zero Drop crew! They have been awesome and supportive and helpful at every turn. Now it's my turn to share the love and I can't wait to put up my best race season yet while representing the brands I believe in!

PR'ing in the New Year

First off, sorry this took so long! It's been a crazy day which I will explain in tomorrow's post!

Now, for the good stuff!

Yesterday Shane and I travelled to West Virginia to take part in the Run To Read Half Marathon. I was scheduled for 18 miles anyway so I had no intentions of actually racing. My plan was to run 5 super easy miles right before the race and then run the race as close to 10 minute mile pace as I could depending on how I felt.

We had a fast trip and pulled in to Prickett's Fort just after noon. We found the bathroom and then picked up our packets. No T-shirt, no finisher's medal, no goodies in the bag, just a hat and gloves. I guess I should have realized that considering the race only cost $25. The volunteers also parked Shane and I about 5 feet from the edge of the river which made me really uncomfortable. I would kind of like to pay off my vehicle before I let it get swept away by a freak flood or something.

View from our parking spot

 

I asked a volunteer for some directions about which way the race ran from where we were. They pointed out the path and I headed off to do my warm up. I was disappointed to find my legs felt like lead and my heart rate was sky high for how slowly I was moving. I had plenty of time before the 2PM race start so I just kept moving and taking some pictures of the course I would soon be running with 400 of our closest friends.

 

The running path

 

This race is nice in that the views are pretty cool. The first part of the race runs a 2.25 mile out and back which goes through a tunnel (which threw my Garmin off by a good bit). Going out it's slightly uphill but it gives you a good boost coming back down on the way back past the start. After you cross the parking lot where the race started you continue on the path over a couple bridges (a little scary with the ice in January) and beside the river. There's another turn around at the 9 mile mark and then the runners make their way back towards the parking lot for the finish.

 

Running in the hills of West Virginia

 

After my warm up I headed back to the car to drop my jacket and hydrate and fuel. I expected Shane to be in the car staying warm but he wasn't there. I ate two Shot Bloks and drank some water before I checked my watch. I had less than 15 minutes until start time! Whoops!

 

I made my way past the fort to the parking lot and lined up at the back of the pack. There were no real directions on paces or walkers being towards the back. I was hoping I was in the right place based on the looks of the people around me. That is until the woman beside me started talking about running Boston. Apparently I think I look a lot faster than I actually am?

 

Prickett's Fort

 

The race started only a minute or two late after a couple runners realized they weren't wearing their chips. Doh! I was down to just my INKnBURN denim print pants and peacock long sleeve top plus a hat and gloves and I was COLD! I believe it was about 35 degrees with a wind chill of 28. Getting started felt so good that I went out way too fast. I was passing lots of people despite the uphill grade and I was wondering if maybe I had started too far back. Then I hit the first mile marker and my watch beeped out a 9:11. Whoops!

 

The really cute mile markers for this race

 

I backed off and tried to get closer to 10:00 pace. My legs and lungs seemed pretty happy in the 9:30-9:45 range though so I just went with it. It was really odd to be moving so well after such a tough 5 miles right before but I figured I'd be slowing down soon enough. My splits for the first out and back:

 

Mile 1: 9:11

Mile 2: 9:21*

Mile 3: 9:21*

Mile 4: 9:23

Mile 5: 9:39

 

* Miles 2 & 3 are averaged because the tunnel screwed up my GPS signal.

 

As I hit the second out and back portion I lost a little steam and walked through the aid station just after mile 5. I wanted to take a GU but didn't want to take my gloves off. I was just comfortable and I knew that as soon as my hands got cold I would be freezing. I decided to walk the next water station and take one there. However, I started running next to an older man and at the 7+ mile water stop we started talking while we walked and drank and I completely forgot to take my GU. I stayed right behind this man up to the turn around hoping to catch him and passing quite a few people in the process. I was really surprised how many people were quitting and walking back. Splits to the turn around:

 

Mile 6: 10:05

Mile 7: 9:50
Mile 8: 10:04
Mile 9: 10:01

I was pleasantly surprised reviewing these splits. Every other mile is a little bit slower because I walked and drank a little bit. I had been planning to carry my handheld but with aid stations just over 2 miles apart I didn't really see the point. If I had actually been in the frame of mind to race and not walked every aid station I bet I could have put up a really good time! As I came around the turn around I could see the older gentleman in front of me and I decided I would slowly reel him in before I got to the next water stop. It worked perfectly and I caught him at mile 11.

Another section of the trail

We ran together for the next mile or so. He introduced himself as Jim and we didn't chat much because we were both working hard to keep passing the large number of 'walking wounded'. There were a surprising number of people trying this as their first half and a lot of them were under-trained. The looks of desperation and pain on the faces I passed were a little disconcerting. I remember those feelings all too well. Somewhere in mile 12 Jim jumped into a port-o-potty and I was left to continue on my own again. I glanced at my watch and was surprised to see I could still make it under 2:10.

Mile 10: 10:17
Mile 11: 10:34
Mile 12: 9:45
Mile 13: 10:13
Last .23: 8:27 pace

My brain was screaming at me to walk but I told myself there was no time to be a baby now. I pushed on, setting my sights on each person in front of me and slowly working to pass them. Finally there was no one left in front of me and I could see the finish line. I wanted to lay down, I wanted to puke, I wanted to just walk so freaking bad. I threw in one last surge and crossed the mat. I looked at my Garmin and couldn't believe my eyes! 2:09:45!

Visitors' Center

I stumbled around the finish area for a bit and grabbed a can of Pepsi and a flavored water. I couldn't find any plain water and I really didn't care at the moment what I drank so long as it was wet. I wobbled back up the hill to the visitor center where we were treated to chili and cookies. The chili totally made the lack of medals and shirts worth it.

I finally found Shane a little while later. He had gone to the finish later expecting me to come in around 2:15-2:20 so we just missed each other. He finished in 1:49! I ended up coming in 185/277 finishers and 12/25 for my age group. There were 73 DNF's according to the timing site. I think that they included people who registered but didn't show up maybe? It's hard to believe that many people quit.

In the end I'm thrilled to start off 2013 with a new PR (prior 'official' PR was 2:20) and a great long run. And I have some more big news to share tomorrow. It's going to be a great year!

Week In Review: Week 6

Wow! Have I really been doing this for 6 weeks already? My weekly average mileage is sky high compared to just a few months ago and the extra work is beginning to show rewards already. I'm really excited about what this will mean for me by summer!

Monday: Silvester Harmony 5k plus warm up. Total: 6.1 miles

Tuesday: 7 miles in the snow.

Wednesday: 6 Rounds: 24 squats, 24 push-ups, 24 walking lunges, run 400 meters.

Thursday: 5.5 miles easy.

Friday: 2 mile warm up, 5 hill sprints, cool down. Total: 4 miles

Saturday: Off. Volunteered at the Odyssey 5k.

Sunday: 18.23 miles including the Run To Read Half Marathon. Race report to come tomorrow!

Now I am exhausted! Off to bed! 

How was your training this week? Any races?

Three Cheers for Volunteers!

Today was the inaugural Odyssey 5k in Monongahela, PA. It wasn't huge, it wasn't the easiest course (but it apparently wasn't the toughest either!), and it wasn't the most competitive field. What was it? A show of solidarity and community. It was a gathering of strangers and acquaintances who left as friends. It was also a huge blow to neuroblastoma.

What's neuroblastoma? It's the most common cancer of infants. Everyone's heard of leukemia and yet neuroblastoma is almost twice as common in young children. 70% of children diagnosed with this cancer will be in the late stages and less than 40% of them will survive 5 years. It's hard to diagnose because the symptoms can mimic normal childhood illness with fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or breathing difficulty. This cancer needs to be more widely recognized and more research needs to happen to save the lives of the children affected by it.

The reason for the race today was two-fold, a mix of grief and celebration. The director and founder of Team Odyssey, Laura, is a mother of two. Both her son and her daughter were diagnosed with neuroblastoma in 1999, just 6 days apart. Her daughter went into remission in 2000 but still suffers the late effects of neuroblastoma and treatment today. Laura's son was not so lucky. He passed away in 2004 after a courageous fight. Laura's war on neuroblastoma began from this heartbreaking chapter of her family's life.

The Odyssey 5k began at 11:01 am, the time of her son's passing. 119 runners and 25 walkers started under sunny skies after a brief prayer from the church pastor. It really didn't seem the day could be going any better.

Blessing before the race

This race was different for me because I wasn't lined up and I wasn't wearing running shoes. Instead I stood on the sidelines and cheered as the runners took off. I was a volunteer...

Race morning started as usual, with an early wake up and some strong coffee. However, I followed the usual routine with loading my car with a Gatorade dispenser and some steel tubs to hold bottled water. I arrived at the church a little after 8 am and was introduced to a couple other volunteers. We got right to work mixing Gatorade, cutting bananas and oranges, laying out food tables, and setting up registration. Laura kept us organized and moving right along.

On your marks!

Before I knew it people were filing in to register or check in and more volunteers continued to arrive as the morning went on. I couldn't believe the amount of giving that I saw today. Volunteers brought soup, chili, cookies, sloppy joes, and all kinds of homemade goodness to warm up the runners. There were baskets and baskets of goodies donated for the chinese auction and door prizes from business throughout the community.

First year races usually have a lot of flaws and issues but Laura and Team Odyssey planned everything really well and the volunteers came together perfectly. There was a table for pre-registered runners, a table for race day registration, a table to pick up race packets and t-shirts, and a table to buy raffle tickets. It all moved like a well-oiled machine and there were volunteers to spare. Soon most of the volunteers moved off to different corners of the course to direct runners along their way. The local police and Team Odyssey closed the roads and marked the course and a cruiser followed the last group throughout making sure everyone was safe.

The after party

After the last person crossed the line the timing company got right to work on sorting out results while volunteers organized the medals and attended to runners. There was even a massage table! It wasn't long before results were handed over and Laura read off the winners. Even after the awards were doled out and the food was mostly gone, runners and volunteers continued to hang out and talk shop. The atmosphere was just that positive and fun!

The volunteers didn't disappear as soon as the race ended either. I could hardly believe how quickly the church's rec room returned to its pre-race state. Food was packed away, tables were returned to proper order, and banners were taken down. The floor was swept and all of the trash was moved to receptacles, even separated into garbage and recycling.

Lots of happy runners

I could easily list out all of the duties that the volunteers today performed and overwhelm this page with a list a mile long. But in the end all that really matters is that the volunteers made this race amazing and helped raise funds and awareness for neuroblastoma. I am honored to have been included in such an amazing group and I can't wait to take part again next year!

For more information on neuroblastoma vist the Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation.

Kicking off the New Year

I spent my first day of 2013 on the trails, in the snow. It was cold and it was slow going but it was awesome nonetheless! The crunch of fresh powder under my Altras and my warmest jacket over my new INKnBURN gear were just what I needed to feel like I was starting out on the right foot (pun intended).

I think I've made my goals for 2013 pretty obvious but for the sake of having them listed and quantifiable I want to put them here:

1. PR at every distance from 5k - 50 miles
2. This is a sub-part of #1: PR at the Shamrock Marathon
3. Run 80+ miles at the North Coast 24 Hour
4. Finish Burning River 100 Mile
5. Run my third leg of the Baker 50 Mile and complete my medal
6. Return to Oil Creek for a distance I haven't done there (either 50k or 100M)
7. Run at least 2013 kilometers in 2013 (1,250 miles)

These are my 'bare minimum' goals. These are things that I believe I can accomplish with my current training and history. I will refine these goals throughout the year and for most races I will have 'A', 'B', and 'C' goals. For example: Just finish, finish in X:XX time (time I will be happy with), and finish in Y:YY time (time I will be over the moon about). I try to make all of my goals attainable and reasonable but there's always outside forces. It may be snow or extreme heat or an injury, whatever.... It's important that I remember that just putting in the training and getting to the starting line is an accomplishment in itself. The rest is the icing on the proverbial cake.

So there's my 2013 goals in writing for all the world to see. So what's your goals? Have you made them quantifiable and attainable? Let's see them!

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