Lessons from Training

December 13, 2012 by 8 Comments

As I make my racing plans for 2013, it seems only fitting that I do so based on lessons I learned during the past training cycle.

Lesson 1 – Get comfortable with  being uncomfortable
Almost from the outset, I remember looking at the workouts, target paces and mileage Coach Bennett had laid out for me and often my thought was – “he wants me to do what?!” But I chose to work with a running coach because I wanted to shake things up, right? So good bye comfort zone!

Lesson 2 – Trust in the training
Despite being uncomfortable, I followed my plan as it was laid out.  This was much more a test of me getting out of my head (fighting the “I can’ts” or “What ifs?”), and just taking each run as it came.

Lesson 3 – Hill work will make you stronger
‘Nuff said here.

Lesson 4 – Listen and be kind to your body
As much as I embraced my plan, I was also careful to listen to my body and cut a run short or take the rest day when I needed it. I was also diligent in what I call “proactive self care” – in the form of lots of foam roller, icing, massages and a lot more yoga. Collectively, I believe this all helped me to stay off the injured-reserve list.

Lesson 5 – Reflect and find the positives
My bi-weekly calls with Coach Bennett were so critical for this. As I mentioned HERE before the ZOOMA Half Marathon, the biggest gift Bennett gave me was to help me to take the time to look back, whether it was the past 2 weeks, the past month or the entire training cycle. To remind yourself of the challenges faced, obstacles overcome and successes all help to put your mind in the right space.

For 19 weeks I worked with Coach Bennett – through the crazy heat of summer, through hill work, through a sometimes cranky ITB, through many, many miles…and the results this fall were 3 races and 3 PRs. But more importantly, I believe I’m a changed runner, which will hopefully serve me well as I get ready for 2013.

 

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Filed Under: lessons learned, running coach, training

Chilly Half Marathon Race Recap

November 15, 2012 by 17 Comments

All last week I had been agonizing over the hilly route, imaginary aches and pains, the weather & what to wear, my less than stellar final long run….you get the picture.

On Friday, I had a final call with Coach Bennett to discuss race strategy. Then Saturday morning I found this email from Bennett in my inbox:

Have a great run on Sunday.
 Be confident that you have trained well and
that you are well prepared to reach your goal.
I’ll be cheering for you (virtually).
“Run hard, be strong, think big!”
Percy Cerutty, legendary running coach

I read and re-read that email several times on Saturday and once more before heading to the start. Surprisingly, for all my angst all week, I was very calm Sunday driving to the race. Timing worked perfectly and I snagged a parking space with about a half hour before the race started. I ate a banana, took a short warm up run, and since I had time I opted for the indoor bathrooms. Then I headed to the starting area and chatted with a few other runners.  One runner, who had run the race before, warned me where the hills were and in particular to be prepared for one last climb at mile 12…seriously!?!? But despite what I was hearing, I was surprised at how calm I was.

The start was a bit of a mess as there were no corrals to self-seed and it was quickly clear that some people were not where they should have been. The lack of seeding plus the narrow streets made it pretty hectic. Adrenaline definitely kicked in because I went out too fast! I kept checking my Garmin and knew I should reel it in, but I was feeling really good. I decided I’d just keep going for the first 5 miles, knowing that the hills were coming. I saw J and the boys just around the first mile marker. I settled in, enjoyed my tunes and the first 5 miles seem to fly by. I’d see my family again, this time my dad and brother were there too. I don’t know how they managed it but my family seem to be everywhere on the course! (Other runners even commented on how great it was that they were out there, especially since in many spots they were the only spectators!)

As I got into the hills, I let go of looking at my Garmin and ran by feel as Bennett had advised. The water stops weren’t where I expected them so I didn’t take a GU until around mile 6. Almost instantly my stomach was not happy. Hills and an unhappy stomach?!? I took a couple of short walk breaks, hoping things would settle and just willing myself to the 8 mile marker, as I knew there would finally be a big down hill coming. As we came out on to Comm Ave I got the biggest smile on my face — the downhill 🙂 I fell in step with another runner and we chatted a little and just soaked in being able to open it up again.

The course was open to traffic and the police were doing an amazing job of keeping runners and cars moving — until we reached a large intersection where Beacon St and Comm Ave meet. All of the sudden we had a police officer telling us to stop for the traffic. He apologized but said that some local area groups (including a church) had complained that they were holding up people in traffic too long because of the race. So there a group of us stood on a corner, trying to keep our legs going… waiting. I didn’t even want to look at my Garmin and see the seconds ticking by. When we started again, my legs were not happy but at least I was running again.

No bling?! Finishers’ Gloves

Around 10 1/2 miles I spotted my oldest son running down the sidewalk towards me. He ran with me and told me he and J were leaving for his lacrosse tournament. So we wished each other good luck and I thanked him for sticking around for so long. (He did make it in time for the 2nd half of his first game!) The 12 mile marker appeared and I thought, ok one more hill. As I got to the top, I felt a little light-headed (despite having taken another GU at mile 10), I started to walk for a second and I heard a woman behind me say “Oh don’t stop. I’ve been pacing off of you for the last couple of miles.” I told her how I was feeling and she encouraged me to pace off of her. I promised her I’d catch up and that she should keep going; and soon I started to run again. There was one final uphill before the finish so I just tried to focus on picking off each runner in front of me. Then I came up on the woman who’d been pacing off me. I ran up beside her and urged her to push with me to the finish – and we came across the line together!

2:26 and a 3 minute PR! I was ecstatic!
I have lots of thought swirling in my head regarding this training cycle, but this post is long enough, so I will save those for another day.
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Filed Under: Chilly Half, PR, race report, running coach

Fall Classic Race Report

October 31, 2012 by 9 Comments
Nice tech shirt this year!

On Sunday, I ran the Canton Fall Classic. I just love this race! It’s really well organized, it’s a challenging course and, being a local race, it’s fun to see so many familiar faces.

My goals for this race were simple: to have fun and to hit the target of 30:00 Coach Bennett had set for me — done and done!

Unfortunately, when I woke up that morning I had a good headache brewing and my left ITB was feeling crank…hmm not exactly how you want to feel on race morning. But I was psyched to meet up with my friend E and her son (who was running his first 5k!) and head over to the race, so I went through my usual pre-race routine and got moving. E’s husband dropped us off, we picked up our numbers and race shirts and then milled around chatting with friends.

E was planning to start out slow with her son towards the back, so we wished each other good luck and I weaved my way to about the middle of the pack. Soon we were off! The start was a little crowded and I did my best to find an open lane to run without doing too much bobbing and weaving. But within the first half mile I found some space, I spotted J and the boys cheering and then settled in.

The climbs begin in the 2nd mile, my cranky ITB was not happy and I could feel my pace started to slip. There’s a short down hill before the second climb and I started targeting people to pass as I pushed up the hill. Thankfully, most of the final mile is a straight flat shot with a final turn towards the finish. It was great to spot my guys again right before that final turn. Garmin time: 30:00/Guntime 30:28 — a new PR!

I caught up with a few more friends and then found E and her son. He passed me, by the way on his way to a 28:44 finish and E PR’d too! I checked out a couple of the vendors and it was nice to get to meet Nick Warren the creator of Perfect Fuel Chocolate – a new fuel option I’ve been trying out.

It was a fun morning and I’m already looking forward to running it again next year!

 

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Filed Under: Canton Fall Classic, PR, race report, running coach

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

Taking on the hills

August 17, 2012 by 13 Comments

It’s Friday! And my legs are toast!

It has been a good week for workouts – my runs have felt good, though yesterday’s hill work was killer hard and did leave me wondering – “How will I do this for the next 5 weeks?!” The plan called 8 x 250 meter hill repeats with 5 miles of warm-up and cool-down. Somewhere after the 5th or 6th repeat I think I may have started to question my coach’s sanity, and by the final repeat there was definitely a fair amount of cursing involved.

While I have done an occasional hill workout on the treadmill to break-up the monotony of a mill run, this is the first time I have hill work as an integral part of my training plan. I have always read that hill work will make you a stronger runner, and I’m definitely up for that benefit! I also freely admit that I’ve always had a bit of a mental block when it comes to hills – I can easily psyche myself out, so I’m counting on this devotion to hill work to help me break through that barrier.

After yesterday’s torture session, I know the key to taking the sting out of hill running is proper form. I went back to re-read a timely article my coach included in his most recent newsletter from the International Association of Women Runners – which you can read HERE. I also broke out my notes from my Chi Running workshop and their Hills and Trails DVD. Lean into the hill, quicker turnover and increased arm swing…Yes I’m going to become a student of hill running! I’ll let you know how it goes.

So tell me – do you find hill running easy? Is it a regular part of your training?

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Filed Under: ChiRunning, hill work, running coach

6 weeks down, 6 to go

August 14, 2012 by 11 Comments

This past weekend I wrapped up the first 6 weeks of my training plan. Some observations so far?

  • I’m learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable! With past training, I have been training within my comfort zone — working hard, but within my comfort level. With the plan Coach Bennett has designed for me, I am definitely stretching — running paces I would have written off as being too much.
  • I shouldn’t underestimate the power of sleep. I have been short-changing myself on sleep and it has been showing up in my workouts of late. I blame my late nights on the Olympics and now that we’ve said goodbye to London, I need to start heading to bed much earlier!
  • More attention needs to be paid to what I’m eating, especially post-run. my recovery, especially after long runs and speed work would benefit from paying more attention here.
  • Pro-active self care in the form of foam roller, consistent yoga practice, and massages have helped to keep me injury free. Some tweakiness in my left knee did cause me to miss one run last week, but rest, icing and KT tape seem to be keeping it in check.
  • After discussing my tweaky knee with my coach on our bi-weekly call, he has urged me to do some of the hamstring and ITB strengthening exercises he sent me; so I’ll be doing those exercises at least 3 times a week going forward.

Over the next 6 week phase, it looks like I’ll be replacing the intervals with hill work to get ready for the rolling hills of ZOOMA Cape Cod and increasing my weekly mileage.

How’s your fall race training going? What have you learned so far?

 

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Filed Under: comfort zone, half marathon training, running coach, ZOOMA Cape Cod

July Rewind

August 1, 2012 by 12 Comments
Good things for the month:
  • 88 miles – haven’t had this kind of mileage since March!
  • Started working with running coach Bennett Cohen
  • “Yoga for Runners” class
  • Eased in some miles with my new Merrell Pace Gloves

Things I could do without:
    • Heat…Humidity….I promised at the beginning of the summer that I wouldn’t complain, so moving on….

    What’s up for August:

    • Unfortunately, my 12-week yoga class is ending this week. But, I am hooked on the benefits so I’ve promised myself to keep up a consistent practice going forward (probably not the 2hr marathon sessions the class was, but I will do what I can to keep my hammies happy!)
    • I’ll be getting phase 2 of my training plan from Coach Bennett
    • Hill work!
    • Finish Ripped in 30 (review to come!) 
    • Turning 46!

     How did July treat you? Any goals for August?
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      Filed Under: month in review, running coach

      Part coach, part therapist

      July 27, 2012 by 8 Comments

      I had my bi-weekly call with Coach Bennett this morning and as he listened to me recount my runs of the past two weeks he made the observation that he sensed that I have a “strong inner critic” He felt I wasn’t giving myself enough credit for the level of running I’d been doing, especially in heat and humidity….in so many words, I need to give myself a break.

      I am definitely a perfectionist and can be fairly tough on myself – it was interesting to me that it was coming through so clearly to Bennett over the phone line. As we talked about the upcoming weeks in the training plan, it occurred to me that his role as coach will be as much about getting my head in the right place and building confidence as it is in helping me hit the right paces.

      Many of us can be our own worst critic so the question is, how do you quiet that critic when it comes to your running?

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      Filed Under: inner critic, running coach

      Coaching, Yoga, New Shoes, etc.

      July 13, 2012 by 4 Comments
      Coaching….

      I had my bi-weekly check in call with Coach Bennett this morning. We reviewed how the first couple of weeks are going and he gave me some suggestions on my pacing and acclimating to this never ending heat. So far I’m really enjoying working with him – he’s got a great attitude and has put together a plan for me that is both challenging but doable.

      Yoga…..

      Last night was week #9 of my Yoga for Runners class – it continues to be a bit of a 2-hour torture session but my hamstrings always appreciate it later! If you aren’t already doing so, I seriously encourage every runner to incorporate a little yoga into your training – really makes such a difference!

      New Shoes…..

      Finally got my first run in the Merrell Pace Gloves on Wednesday — love them!! I think it was the right call to keep the first run in them short – there is really a big difference in the feel of a zero drop shoe. My calves were a little achy later in the day but a little time in compression sleeves seemed to take care of that. For now I’m going to plan to use them just for short runs and stick with the Kinvara 2s for longer ones.

      etc……

      I cannot believe that we’re just about at the half way through July! I still have way too much on my “want to do this summer” list. I’m trying really hard to balance that feeling of “summer’s too short and we’ve got to get it all in!” vs. staying in the moment and enjoying the days as they come (sometimes easier said than done).

      How’s your summer going so far? Does it feel like it’s flying by?
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      Filed Under: Merrell Dash Gloves, running coach, Yoga

      Monday Motivation – Let Training Begin!

      July 2, 2012 by 14 Comments

      Training for my two fall half marathons kicks off this week! Yeah I’m just a little excited!

      I’m running the Harvard Pilgrim Finish at the 50 10k tomorrow evening – should be a ton of fun! I’m not going into this race with any big goals. Given the heat ( mid to upper 80s projected), the start time (I am exclusively a morning runner) and the fact that I haven’t run a 10k race since last October, my main goals are to put in a solid run and have fun. In June, my speedwork went well, but overall I didn’t get in as many miles as I’d hoped (recovering from my May malaise lasted a bit longer than I wanted). So the bottom line, as I told Coach Bennett the other day is that I just have no idea what to expect for this race. I’m going to run by feel and see what happens.

      So Week 1 training looks like this:

      Monday — Yoga, rest and hydrate!
      Tuesday — Race
      Wednesday — Rest
      Thursday — Tempo run (5)
      Friday — Yoga
      Saturday — LSD (7)
      Sunday — Rest**

      ** I may through a light shake out run of just a couple of miles cause I’m dying to try out my new Merrell Dash Gloves!

      What have you got planned for the week? Any 4th of July racing?
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      Filed Under: 4th of July, Finish at the 50, half marathon training, Monday Motivation, Quotes, running coach