Thursday Thoughts – Back at it

September 27, 2012 by 4 Comments

1)  While I’m still very excited about Saturday’s PR, it was time to get back to training this week – the “A” race, the Chilly Half Marathon is a little more than 6 weeks away. By Sunday evening, Coach Bennett had sent me the next phase of my training plan – the hill repeats have been replaced by speed work. And, while I love being on the track, I’m scurd (yes, that’s beyond scared) just looking at some of these workouts!

2)  When I looked at my splits from ZOOMA, it’s clear that just a couple of miles kept me from an even bigger PR, despite the course’s never-ending hills. I’m really encouraged by that, but know that I have to do everything I can to strengthen my hip/ITB area so they’re not an issue come November.

3)  My brother just asked me to help him to put together a training plan to first get ready for a 5k and then work up to a 10k! Yea another runner in the family – can’t wait to get started!

 

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Filed Under: 3 things, family running, half marathon training

ZOOMA Cape Cod Race Recap

September 24, 2012 by 16 Comments

Let me start by saying that I don’t think this post can do justice to the great time I had at ZOOMA!

Fun started Friday evening

Brooke, Felice, Tricia, Amy, me & Brae

E and I headed down to Falmouth late Friday afternoon. We checked in and headed to the expo so I could pick up my packet. First person to greet us was the wonderful Tricia! We did a quick tour of the handful of vendors there, met up with a few of the Ambassadors and chatted up Dimity (of Another Mother Runner fame!). Then we headed over to the “Mocktail Hour” sponsored by Hint water. It was great catching up with the other Ambassadors.

E, Felice & Amy

After a pizza dinner it was time to hit the room and get some sleep. When I called home to say good night to my kiddos, J & the boys told me that they were coming down to see the race (earlier we had agreed  that it was going to be too early of a start for them to drive down — apparently once I left my boys made it clear that they weren’t happy about not being there to cheer and promised J they’d be up and ready to go!) Needless to say I was thrilled to hear they were coming!

Race Day

It was wonderful to be staying at the Sea Crest – to just step out the front door and be looking at the starting line. E & I worked our way into the middle of the pack and we were off! Our plan was to try not to go out too fast and to run together until we got to the 10k/half marathon split. The first mile was an out and back that brought us up the road about a half mile then back by the hotel – and there at the turnaround was J and the boys! What a great boost to see them right at the start…and little did I know how many times I’d see them during the race!

The first 3 miles flew by! We were going faster than either of us had planned, but the pace felt good and every so often I’d tell E the pace and make sure she was ok. As we hit the 3 mile marker I told E I was going to slow down just a little but she should keep pushing. We high-fived and she was off and I tried to settle in and prepare for what lay ahead….hills! And oh my the hills seemed to never stop – seemed like every time we turned a corner there was another hill. Lucky for me on the very first climb was my family again! The roads were not closed to traffic so J & the boys could literally drive the course – every couple of miles I’d look up and there they were again and again! It was the best! The comraderie among the women on the course was great – there were about 4 of us who stayed within strides of each other for a good chunk of the race and we would chat and encourage each other which really helped!!


The hills took a toll on my ITB and I slowed considerably during miles 8 and 9. I pulled it back together for miles 10 and 11. Then came my least favorite mile – Mile 12, part of it was uphill and then there was this crazy out and back down a side street- uggh. (Big thanks to Nicole who shouted to me that I was in range of my goal!) Over the final mile I just kept picking up the pace and as I crossed the road to the entrance of the Sea Crest there was J yelling to me. I hit the final turn into the drive and my boys were running along behind me on the lawn. I crossed the finish line with a 2 minute and 21 second PR! The first person I saw was E – she yelled “You did it sub 2:30!” and gave me a big hug. When I asked how she did, she had PR’d too! Awesome!!

After catching up with my family and then seeing the women I’d been running with all finish (Nicole PR’d too!), E & I headed to the after party.
Yes I waded into ocean!
with the amazing Colleen

Ever since I was invited to be a Race Ambassador I have been super excited to be a part of this great race series! I just loved the spirit of this event and it reminded me why I love women-only races. I have to say that I was truly honored to been a part of ZOOMA’s inaugural Cape Cod race!

 

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Filed Under: Half marathon, race report, ZOOMA Cape Cod

Getting Ready for ZOOMA

September 21, 2012 by 10 Comments

I just finished my bi-weekly call with Coach Bennett and I’m feeling so positive and fired up I wish I could run now! We talked about my last few training runs this week and how to approach Saturday’s race. But beyond talking race strategy, the biggest gift Bennett gave me this morning was to help me reflect on this training cycle — to remind me of the challenges he put before me and how far I’ve come since we started.  He says things in such a calm, matter-of-fact way that you can’t help but feel confident.

So I am ready to see what tomorrow brings. My goals?

  • Execute a smart race strategy – especially avoiding going out too fast
  • Run strong on the back half of the course
  • PR (I’ve got A and B goals on this one)
  • Finish the race without injury so I’m set up for the rest of my fall races

I’ll be heading down to the Cape this afternoon with my friend E once our kids get home from school. Looking forward to seeing the whole ZOOMA crew tonight at the “Mocktail Hour” sponsored by HINT water – should be a fun way to kick off the race festivities!

Who else is racing this weekend?
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Filed Under: pre-race, race goals, running coach, ZOOMA Cape Cod

Race Week Craziness

September 17, 2012 by 11 Comments

I have a confession to make….

I do not enjoy the final week leading up to a race!

My mind and body play terrible tricks on me and I find I spend the week working to keep my anxiety level in check.

I’m happy to say I had a good solid long run on Saturday. I got to run the first 3 miles with my friend E who will be joining me at ZOOMA then we split up at her turnaround and I headed off to get 7 more. My legs felt pretty good and I didn’t even mind getting caught in a crazy flash downpour that lasted about a half hour. It was a good way to end what had been a pretty good week of training. From there I was off to enjoy a fun weekend with J, the boys and friends.

All should be good right?
Wrong….all the sudden I’m discovering all kinds of mystery tweaks and aches, my mind is in hyper-drive (which is messing with my sleep) and I’m definitely a little edgy this morning. I’ve already had dreams that I missed the start of the race or, worse that my left leg refuses to let me run at all.

Crazy I know….irrational I know….welcome to my world leading up to a race 🙂

You’d think with this being half marathon #5 that I’d have all of this under control, but I find it’s getting worse with each race, not better. Maybe because my expectations are higher…I’m passed the point of just wanting to finish with a smile on my face. (And, this isn’t even my “A race” for the fall, so can you imagine what I will be like in November?!)

So first of all, please tell me I’m not alone in my craziness? And, how do you keep yourself both relaxed and focused during race week?

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Filed Under: race week, taper time, ZOOMA Cape Cod

Friday Five

September 14, 2012 by 9 Comments

1)  Made it through this week’s hill work without any angry outbursts from the left ITB! My schedule has been crazy this week so I ended up swapping Wednesday & Thursday’s runs so I did my hill work on Wednesday. It was a solid workout and the ITB behaved…what more could you ask for?

2) Thursday’s recovery run didn’t happen. I could feel my left wasn’t going to cooperate even before I got out of bad, so I put my ego in check and skipped the run. I’m trying to be smart about this!

3) “Yikes!” is never a comment you want to hear from a massage therapist when she feels how tight your ITB is 🙂 She beat the tar out of  intensely worked on my legs then sent me home for an epsom salt soak. My schedule didn’t allow for the time for a soak, but I will do one after Saturday’s long run. I did get to my “Yoga for Runners” class and after that 2 hr session I can say my legs were officially junk!

4)  My boys have been back in school now for a week and a half and the family calendar is a ridiculous sea of colors and I’m desperately trying to carve out white space! How did we get so crazy so quickly!?!

5) Just 8 days until the ZOOMA Half Marathon – Let the weather watch begin 🙂 I’ve got my last long run tomorrow to use as my dress rehearsal for clothes, shoes and fueling decisions. Hopefully the ITB will continue to be quiet!

What Have you got lined up for this weekend?
 
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Filed Under: crazy week, Friday Five, ITB, ZOOMA Cape Cod

The knee watch continues

September 11, 2012 by 7 Comments

After a forced hiatus for most of last week, Coach Bennett gave me the green light to try 8 miles on Saturday. But he was very clear, if the knee/IT was causing any pain I was to shut it down, call J and have him come pick me up!

My friend E had 8 scheduled too – it was her second time going that far, so we decided to run together. I knew this way I would not be tempted to do anything but take it nice and easy. I did pick a route with a couple of rolling hills because I did want to see how my legs would feel on the downhills. I’m happy to say that for the most part it was an uneventful run. E & I ran and chatted and took a couple of walk breaks along the way. For the most part I didn’t feel my knee/ITB until about 5 miles in…and even then it wasn’t much.

It seems like the rest and focus on strength training helped. Bennett’s given me the go to continue with the training plan this week – keeping in mind that if the pain returns, the running must stop. I ran 7 yesterday with mixed results. My ITB was really tight and I had a hard time holding my target pace. But there was no real pain, so I’ll take that as a small victory.

I’ve got 5 more on Wednesday and Thursday’s hill work before my last double digit run on Saturday. In between runs, I plan to foam roll, ice and strength train like it’s my job 🙂 Thankfully I’ve got a massage scheduled later this week and my “yoga for runners” class is back! So fingers crossed, the knee watch continues…
 

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Filed Under: half marathon training, ITB, left knee

Resisting the urge to run

September 6, 2012 by 15 Comments

Towards the end of my long run on Saturday, I tweaked my left knee. I was on my last down hill when I must have landed funny on my left foot because I felt a zinging sensation on the front outer part of my knee that radiated up my ITB — pretty much stopped me in my tracks. I walked for a minute and it seemed to subside so I went on to finish the run (I only had just over 2 miles left). After the run I iced my knee and then went on to join the family for more vacation fun. On Sunday we did a little hiking, nothing strenuous, but I didn’t feel any soreness until towards the end of the day…so more icing.

After a 7 hour car ride Monday, I was stiff and tight and really looking forward to my run on Tuesday. Unfortunately, my knee was not! Within the first half mile I was uncomfortable and by the time I reached 3 miles I was starting to worry that I was just aggravating the situation so I cut the run short for more icing and rest. I got in touch with Coach Bennett to get some advice on whether to attempt my easy run on Wednesday. Given that the soreness is persisting, his advice was to not run again until my next long run Saturday. With just two and a half weeks until ZOOMA, he told me that I’ll benefit more from additional rest than running hills today.

So despite that fact that I’m itching to run, I’m heeding his advice, taking the extra rest and focusing on the strengthening exercises he’s given me so this doesn’t turn into a full-blown injury. Fingers crossed for Saturday!

 

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Filed Under: half marathon training, left knee, listening to your body, ZOOMA Cape Cod

August Rewind

September 1, 2012 by 6 Comments
I blinked and August was gone…..
Good things for the month:
  • 98 miles – a new monthly high!
  • Completed all the workouts on my training plan.
  • Added a new pair of Saucony Mirage 2s and Kinvara 3s — have I mentioned how much I love  Saucony!!
  • Lots of birthday celebrations around my house; great days at the beach, and all around, lots of family fun!
Things I could do without:
  • Happy to say…no complaints…if I could make time slow down a little, that would be my only wish.

What’s up for September:

  • Returning to the schedule of school and fall sports commitments.
  • “Yoga for Runners” class returns!!
  • ZOOMA Cape Cod Half Marathon – as you can imagine, I’m really looking forward to this race – should be a great weekend! I’m still figuring out my goals for this race, but more on that later.
  • As much as I hate to say goodbye to summer, I’m so looking forward to fall temps 🙂
  How did your summer wrap-up?
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Filed Under: end of summer, month in review

Thursday Thoughts: Vacation Edition

August 30, 2012 by 10 Comments

We arrived in beautiful Canandaigua Lake yesterday – visiting J’s family and enjoying the last hurrah of summer before the madness of school and sports schedules take over once again.

I woke up to this beautiful view this morning…seriously my little camera cannot do this justice!

Then I went out and ran this! I don’t think this picture does this hill justice either….


Despite being on vacation, Thursdays still means it’s hill repeat day and lucky for me (did I really just say lucky?), there are no shortage of hills in the Finger Lakes region. The real trick was finding one that wasn’t going to completely shread my quads 🙂

Got the run done, the boys have already dragged me out on to the tennis court and now they’re begging to go swimming. I think they’re on a mission to see how much we can cram into the first day! I cannot blame them – summer feels like it’s gone by much too fast. Need to make the most of every last day. And, besides, I’m quite sure there will be a cold beer or two waiting for me at the end of the day!

 

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Filed Under: end of summer, hills, vacation

Monday Monday

August 27, 2012 by 14 Comments
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I love getting in an early morning run on a Monday – love the feeling of accomplishment and it’s not even 8:30 yet! Sets a good tone for the week ahead.

After a rough night of sleep (I have bouts of insomnia), that 5:15 alarm sounded like nails on a blackboard so I asked J to hit the Snooze twice for 20 more minutes — yes the alarm clock is on his side of the bed…I’m not a morning person and despite my preference for morning runs, if the clock were on my side the Snooze button and I would be BFFs. 20 minutes later I was greeted with some rap/pop number (note to self – check the radio station on the alarm clock) and while I wasn’t feeling any peppier I did get up this time, stumbled over the dog and made my way down to the kitchen. As I mentioned before, I’m searching for the right pre-run meal so there was a moment of indecision as I debated whether I would even bother eating. But since I was hoping to get 7 in, I leaned towards eating something and settled on a Honey Stringer, and planned to carry a GU with me just in case.

I got my act together and got out the door and was a half mile into the run when I realized I’d left my handheld and GU sitting on the kitchen counter….oh well, just keep going. I swear every morning should be like this morning….temps in the high 50s, a slight breeze, sun just breaking through and no humidity – perfect! After 28 miles last week (most I’ve ever done), I wasn’t sure how my legs would do – but they felt surprisingly good. Soon I was back home, 7.5 miles done and a negative split on the back half – a good start to the day and week 9 of the training plan!

Now I’m off to rally the kids – we’re taking off for a few days on Wednesday (sqeezing in a mini vacation before school starts next week) and of course there a bunch of errands to do before we leave.

Happy Monday!

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Filed Under: early morning runs, Monday Motivation