Quick Update

Work is crazy busy. I've been spending every minute I'm not at work away from the computer.

Toronto is this weekend and I'm not feeling very confident. Work has left me completely drained and with not a lot of time to run. I am also going to be working overnight Friday to Saturday. So I'm not sure how I'm going to feel when I wake up on Sunday morning for the race.

If I wake up feeling like a zombie I plan on taking it easy during the race and registering for the half in Niagara Falls the weekend after. I did this race last year and it's a pretty flat course.

I'm still hoping to pull out a time that's under 2 hours but it might wind up taking a miracle.

We will see.

Circuit Training

Last week I was browsing Borders and I found a Jillian Michaels exercise card deck. It looked fun and I've been looking for some different strength training ideas.

There are 78 different exercises and 9 circuit training cards that put those moves together. On Tuesday morning I did the Card #1. Just looking at the cards they look pretty easy but boy was I sweaty and tired afterward! It was a great workout and by the end of the day I was already feeling sore.

Thursday morning I did Card #7 (I let boyfriend pick the number). This one was definitely harder and I had to modify some of the exercises, like clapping in between a push up (yea right!).

Between that and running my quads are so sore and tight this morning. I had planned on going to the spinning class this morning but I think I need a day off.

On the running front things have been going well. Tuesday I didn't run because it was rainy and really windy. Wednesday we went to the Ridge and did our 5 mile loop. It was pretty slow like last week but I think it's more because we are lingering after the big hill ("Mother").

Yesterday I did a short 3.75 mile run with couple friends. It was pretty quick but mainly because I was having stomach issues and needed to get back to the bathroom.

I plan on doing some cross training tomorrow and a long run on Sunday.

Update

I've been really slacking on posts lately. Not a whole lot has happened in the past week and a half. After Philly I caught my friend's cold and was feeling pretty crappy. I didn't run much last week. I took off Monday and Tuesday.

On Wednesday a bunch of us ran at the Ridge. It felt like such a hard run yet when I looked at my watch afterwards I learned it had been our slowest run yet. I guess that's what happens when you try to run sick.

Thursday and Friday I took rest days. I was still feeling pretty crappy and knew my body needed rest.

Saturday I decided not to do a long run. My group had 16 miles scheduled for Sunday but I was going to be running the 5K that the group I have been coaching was running. So instead of a long run I decided to run and cross train. I ran 2 miles to the gym. Then took a spinning class for an hour, followed by a PiYo (pilates and yoga) class for another hour. Then ran 2 miles home. I was definitely tired afterward but was happy I did it. The PiYo class was a lot of fun and very challenging.

Sunday I woke up pretty sore but once I got moving I felt better. I got to the race and talked to the runners and coaches. Everyone was very excited and nervous. My plan for the race was to run as fast as I could. I figured I could PR pretty easily (my previous PR being 27:36). I hadn't run a 5K in over a year and thought I could definitely get under 27:00.

Having run a lot of half marathons or 15Ks lately this race went by so quick. I felt a little bit snobbish thinking, well it's only 3 miles. Though I know many of the other runners in the group were thinking, ugh 3 miles!

The race was good. Pretty flat and it was on a college campus so there were students cheering and holding signs. It was nice. I pushed myself and finished in 25:41! I was really excited and definitely beat what I thought I would do.

After I finished I grabbed a jacket and went to the finish to cheer everyone else on. All the runners did great and they were so excited and thankful to have the group. Many of them talked about coming back in the spring for another round.

I really enjoyed coaching. It was a rewarding experience and I learned a lot. I definitely think I'll be back in the spring to help again.

Race Report: Philly Distance Run

This is one race I won't be forgetting anytime soon. And it's not because I got a PR or really ran all that fast. It's because I was lucky enough to meet Ryan Hall!

Let's start from the beginning...

Friday my friend R and I drove down to my mom's house just outside Philly. We got in around midnight and went right to bed. R wasn't feeling all that hot and she wanted as much sleep as possible.

Saturday morning we woke up early to go to my Mom's group run. She is just starting to run and is training for a 5K with the Fleet Feet near her. It is actually the same program (No Boundaries) that I am coaching up in Buffalo but a little different.

We went out for 7 intervals of 3 min run/1 min walk. It added up to about 1.6 miles. It was fun. This is the first time I got to run with my mom and it was really cool. She is doing great! I can't wait for her 5K in November.

After we got back and showered we took the train into Philly to get our race packets. The expo was great. I got a couple new, non-smelly tech shirts. I love expos. Free samples, cheap clothes, new products.

We got back from the city and relaxed for a bit before we headed to dinner. We went to an Italian place my mom's coworkers had suggested. We all got gnocchi done different ways. It was fabulous.

We got home from dinner and went to bed.

We woke up at 5am Sunday morning. We had to leave a little before 6am to stop at Wawa for coffee and head downtown to the start. R still wasn't feeling great but was going to give it a go. She figured if she had to walk during the race that would be OK. This was just a practice run anyway. We weren't looking for PRs.

We got downtown, parked, and made our way to the start line. I love big races because of all the excitement in the air but it definitely makes logistics harder. We immediately got in line for the porta potty. The line was long but it moved fast. We then headed to the bag drop off and parted with our nice warm clothes.

Here's R and I before the start:

We said goodbye to my Mom. She was going to head to the start and get as many pictures of Ryan Hall as possible.

R and I got into our corral and waited. This year, instead of letting everyone go at once, they let one corral go at a time. It took longer (20+ minutes to get to the start line) but when we got to the start line we were going at the pace we wanted to. No weaving through people or walking because everyone was jammed together.


Our plan for the race was to run comfortably and enjoy the scenery. R was still feeling pretty crappy but felt better as the race went on. We kept just under a 10 min/mile pace for most of the race and it felt good. I know I could have gone a lot faster which is good, but I'm saving that for Toronto.

I took GU at mile 4.5 and mile 9. That worked well for me. I drank only water because R had picked up a Cytomax cup by accident and said it was awful. I've never had it before but figured I didn't need it with 2 GUs. I also grabbed some free GUs at mile 8.5.


The route was really nice also. We start in front of the Art Museum and head into downtown Philly. We come out of downtown around mile 4, passing the start/finish, and run along the river. Just before mile 9 we cross the river and head back on the other side. It's such a nice area with great scenery. When we came out of downtown it was a little jarring because we could hear the announcer at the finish and 14 people had already finished! Boy are we slow!

We finished in 2:11:39 (gun time 2:33:51). We were both really happy with the time. We weren't looking for any records but we were looking for a respectable time. I had a lot left at the end so I was happy with that.

We got our medals and some food and finally got out of the chute. They had been announcing awards but it was hard to tell where they were and what they had already announced. R and I decided to go get our grab bag before we met up with my mom. We had just gotten over to that area when they announce Ryan Hall's name. A group of people we clapping and cheering next to us and I asked them if he had won. They said yes. Yay! I saw where the stage was and tried to get pictures from where we were but it was too far away (I had run with my camera). R told me to go up there so I booked it toward the stage. I got a couple pics while he was talking and I was happy with that.


Then the announcer said thanks for coming out. Everyone started to leave and Ryan Hall and Catherine Ndereba were still posing for photographs so I moved up even more and got a good shot.


My Mom saw me taking pictures and came over. She was happy I was there because the pictures she got weren't great. We stood and chatted for a bit and saw that Ryan was signing autographs next to the stage. There were quite a bit of people there but my Mom kept telling me to go over because I wouldn't get this chance again. So R and I stood in "line" and got him to autograph our bibs and take a picture. It was very cool. He was super nice and seemed so down to earth. I congratulated him and he looked right at me and said thank you. After the picture I thanked him and he said no problem.




I've never gotten an autograph from anyone before (aside from Disney characters when I was 10). I felt kinda stupid but R made the point that he is someone we admire in our sport, not some random actor. He does the same things we do, just much much better. :)

All in all it was a great weekend! I could have had the worse race ever and meeting Ryan Hall still would have made it all worth it.

Long Run Fuel

When I first started running, over a year and a half ago, I knew nothing about how to fuel during a run. I learned a lot by reading articles online and seeing what other people did. I tried gels first since it seems that's what most runners use. I hated them. The texture made them so hard to choke down. I immediately looked for other options and found Luna Moons. They were smaller than Clif Shot Bloks and one package seemed to be just enough for a Half Marathon. They worked well for me through my first year of running.

Once I started training for a marathon I thought maybe I would try to Shot Bloks. They have more calories and electrolytes in one package and would be better for the longer training runs. I like Shot Bloks much better than Luna Moons. They aren't as hard and they break up faster. I used Shot Bloks for training and during my first marathon and it went well.

However, I got tired of scarfing down 3 bloks for everyone one Gu my training partners ate. It took much longer for me to get the same amount of electrolytes. I figured maybe it was time to give the gels another chance.

I switched about a month ago and it's been going well. I have tried Gu, Clif Shot, and Hammer Gel and Gu is my favorite with Hammer Gel a close second. I really like the packaging of Clif Shots and the fact that they are mostly organic but they are much thicker than I would like.

I have tried different flavors and with/without caffine. I don't feel like I've found my favorite yet but I have found some that are easier to choke down than others.

I still cringe everytime I choke one down but it is getting easier. I would like to try them cold. I think they would taste better. Maybe in the winter.

I have to say I feel like more of the runner now that "I do the Gu".

Weekly Update

My week of breaking in new shoes while trying to do more cross training has been semi successful.

Monday I had 5K coaching run. I usually hang with the back of the pack since it's my rest day but after one interval of 4 min run / 1 min walk the watch of the coach that was leading the group broke so I was the only one out with a watch that could do intervals. I booked it to the front so we could stay with the intervals. I definitely ran more than I usually do or was planning to.

I was wearing my Brooks Radius and felt a little discomfort in my foot. I think it was more from the previous day plus from running slow and turning every so often check everyone behind me.

Tuesday I woke up early and decided to go for a quick 4 miler. I thought I'd try the Saucony Triumphs instead to see how they felt. Well, I fell in love. They were so comfy and I had no foot pain.

Wednesday I went the Ridge for a hilly 5 miler and also wore the Sauconys. Still no pain.

Thursday I did 4.6 miles with a couple friends. Still wearing the Sauconys and still no pain.

My foot pain is still there but it's not really a pain but a tightness. I feel it a little when I drive and during some points in a run but it's not really a pain, just a little tinge.

Today, after work, a running friend (R) and I are heading down to my mom's house outside Philly for the weekend. On Sunday we are going to do the PDR (Philly Distance Run). Ever since I went to this race last year to cheer on friends and family I have been excited to do it this year. The atmosphere was so great. While I like running in smaller races because it's just easier to run with less people around you, there is nothing like running with thousands and thousands of people.

I'm planning on carrying my camera with me during the race so hopefully there will be lots of pictures to post!

TiaRT -Running Friends

This weeks question is from Jillian at Finishing is Winning:

You get to run the last six miles of your next marathon with 6 different people. They can be dead or alive; famous or not famous. Who are these people and why did you pick them? Furthermore, why did you pick them for the specific mile you did? Remember, you get an extra .2 miles with runner #6.

Right off the bat I knew 4 people I would want to run with. However, I had a really hard time coming up with the last two. Here is what I did, finally, come up with...

Mile 20-21 - My Fleet Feet training partners: I tried to pick just one of them but I couldn't. They are definitely the reason that I love running as much as I do. We push each other. We encourage each other. They are always there for a run and a chat (or bitch fest as it can sometimes be).

Mile 21-22 - My Dad: While my Dad has never been to one of my races he's always been super supportive and encouraging. He used to run back in the day (nothing crazy, just for exercise) and it would be nice to run together.

Mile 22-23 - Kara Goucher: I'm a big fan of hers and I would love to chat with her. I'm sure she could give me late race tips to help me finish strong.

Mile 24-25 - Deena Kastor: I have read that Deena is a big foodie and while I might not be hungry after running so far I would love to hear about her favorite things to make. I put her at 24-25 because it's close enough to the finish that thinking about food will just push me harder.

Mile 23-24 - Boyfriend: He's been nothing but supportive of my running and I want to share it with him.

Mile 25-26.2 - My Mom: I picked my mom last because I want her to experience what it feels like to cross the finish line at a marathon. She's walked many half marathons and is just getting into running. She has supported me, encouraged me, and traveled with me for most of the big races I've done.

Race Report: Rochester Half Marathon

Yesterday I ran the Rochester Half Marathon with my good friend D. After running Boilermaker together in July, D decided she wanted to do a half marathon. "It's only 4 more miles" :)

We had no time goals for this race. My plan was to stay with her the whole way. I wanted to work on running through the water stops. I have a tendency to linger and walk more than I need to at water stops. If I'm going to get under 2 hours in Toronto I need to work on this. 

The race started at 7:45am so we woke up around 6am to eat and get ready. I had half of a muffin and a plum. I wasn't as prepared with breakfast as usual. 

We got to the chip pickup (at a baseball field) around 7am. Parking was a breeze as we the chip pickup. We spent a few minutes looking for a friend, J, we were meeting (another first timer!). Once we found her we headed to the bathrooms in the baseball field so that we didn't have to worry about porta potties at the Start.

The start line was about a half a mile away so we walked there, got rid of our long sleeve shirts, and lined up for the start. The full started 15 minutes before the half and even though the full started late, the half started pretty much right on time. We were off and feeling good. We started a little too far back and had to pass some walkers. It was pretty congested through mile 1 but it quickly thinned out. 

Around 1.5 miles into the race I started getting a side stitch. My guess is from my less than perfect breakfast. It didn't slow down our pace (around a 10 min/mile) but I really had to focus on my breathing and could talk much. My side stitches are always exacerbated my downhills so I just hoped an uphill was in our future (even though I did this race last year I didn't remember an awful lot about the course, and at 90 degrees last year everything seemed to suck much more than it did this year). Around mile 3 we got a mice steady uphill where I could kick my side stitch. I still felt it until about mile 5 but it was much less intense. 

We were averaged about a 10 min/mile the whole first half of the race. It was pretty hilly but we slowed down on the uphills and cruised our way downhill. At halfway D and J wanted to stop and stretch for a minute. I took this time to eat a GU (yes, I've been trying GUs lately, more on this in another post). At this point we went into a park that was pretty flat with just little ups and downs. D started to struggle a bit and J was still feeling good.

A little after mile 7 J pulled ahead of us and D and I continued on. She was really hurting and we stopped for walk and stretch breaks frequently. I tried to talk as much as possible because she told me it help her take her mind off the pain. I told her stories about other races and runs and initial plans I had for the spring. Her fiance was biking around the course taking pictures of us. We saw him every mile or so from mile 7 to the end so it was nice to have someone cheering for us.

Around mile 9 my foot started to hurt. I have been getting occasional plantar fasciitis pain in my right foot on long runs. I figured it was my shoes but I only have 300 miles on them and the owner of my running store told me 300 wasn't enough for a new pair. 

We continued on at a slow pace for the rest of the run. D was hurting a lot and was frustrated but I just kept trying to be positive and tell her how there was a nice medal waiting for her at the end, along with food, and chocolate milk. We made it to the finish with a time of 2:25:42. This is my slowest half to date but I really didn't care. It was all about D having finishing and half a good experience. J was waiting for us at the finish line. Her time was around 2:12 and she was feeling good. My boyfriend and D's fiance were also waiting for us so we met up with them, got food, and found a spot to stretch and relax. 

I immediately took off my shoes (Niek Pegasus 25+) because my foot was still killing me. I looked at the bottom of my shoes and noticed the treads on the ball of my right shoe are almost gone. I'm guessing this is accounting for all the pain. I guess it's time for new shoes! Good thing I have two pairs of "new" shoes at home. A couple weeks back my running store had a sidewalk sale to get rid of the older shoe models they still had. I picked up a pair of Brooks Radius 7 (my first and still favorite pair of running shoes) and Saucony Triumph 4. I also got a pair of Nike Pegasus 25+ Trail so I can wear them for snowy winter runs. Today I am wearing the Brooks Radius around the office. I'm hoping to break them in by Sunday so I can run in them for the PDR. I really don't want to run with foot pain again.

All in all I felt great during the race yesterday. The foot pain didn't hurt enough to change my gait and I know I could have run a lot faster. I wouldn't have PRed but that's why I'm running races before my goal race, to work out the kinks.

Today I am feeling pretty good. My hip flexors are tight but that's about it. I do feel a little soreness in my foot but not much. I am coaching tonight and I'm going to run in the new Brooks. 

The plan for this week is to run enough to break in my shoes but not enough to kill me for the PDR this Sunday. I am running this race with a friend from Buffalo so we are heading down to Philly on Friday night. I'm not sure what my goals are for this race yet. It will really depend on how this week goes. 

Spin Time!

This morning I went to my very first Spinning Class! I have been wanting to try spinning for a while now. It's a great way to cross train and a great workout.

Last night I did a pretty fast 5 miles of hills at the Ridge with a friend. The past couple weeks there have been a few of us heading to the Ridge each week but yesterday only 2 of us could go. It was nice, we got chatting and took off. We did 5.10 miles at 9:34 pace. The past couple weeks we've done 9:50 and 9:51 pace so this was just a little bit faster. It felt great though. I love finishing fast, hard runs. It makes me feel so strong.

I went to bed early last night thinking if I wasn't too sore I'd try spinning class. The alarm went off at 5:30 and I got out of bed and felt pretty good. My hamstrings were a little tight but not too bad. I was also wide awake and figured I might as well do something if I'm up at 5:30. So off I went to the gym.

I've never been much of a biker. I had a mountain bike (and still do) when I was younger but I haven't ridden a bike outside in 7-10 years. I haven't even ridden a stationary bike since college (3 years).

The class started at 6:15 and I got there early, with plenty of time to stretch. The instructor got there and I got the bike situated, following others lead on what parts I could change. We got started and it went well! It took me a little time to get used to the positions and "dialing it up to a 7" ("There are no numbers on here!" -- Me) but it was fun! I definitely didn't work or "dial it up" as much as I could have but I wasn't sure what too expect and I didn't want to wear myself out too quickly. Now that I know what it's like I'll be prepared for the dialing next time.

So far I am feeling it a little. My crotch is definitely sore from the seat and I'm feeling muscles that don't usually get worked the same way when I run. I'm planning to do some yoga tonight and in the morning, so hopefully that will help.

Tomorrow will be a rest/yoga day to prepare for the Rochester Half Marathon on Sunday. I am running this with my friend D (we did Boilermaker together in July). This will be her first half marathon so I'm really excited for her. We have no pacing goals, just to finish. I want her to enjoy the race so hopefully I will have a running partner for future races.

Race Season!

Fall Race Season has officially begun! And it started off well! 

Monday I did the Fleet Feet Run Into Buffalo 15K. I run with Fleet Feet so it felt more like a training run than a race, aside from the extra couple hundred people. :) This was my first time ever doing a race twice. Though, last year it was a different course, so maybe it doesn't count...

It was nice weather. A little humid but not very hot. I started off running with a friend and we eventually caught up to another friend. The first half was good but it took me about 4 miles to find my groove. After that I felt great and had to say goodbye to my friends. I felt too good to not go with it. At that point I was thinking I could PR. The second half went well, though I lingered too long at the water stops and I know I could have gone faster because I had too much energy at the end. I did PR, barely. My official gun time was 1:26:33 (previos PR of 1:26:59). They didn't provide a chip time for some reason but my watch had 1:26:00. So either way I PRed. It was nice, I definitely wasn't thinking about a PR before the race so it was a nice surprise to be mid-race and think I could do it.

One thing that was weird about this race was the finish line. I love crowd support during a race, especially longer ones. At smaller sized races you might not be able to count on spectators on the roads but you can expect a big crowd cheering you on at the finish line. The finish line on Monday was at the bottom of a small hill and, like I said before, I had a lot of energy at the end. I passed a couple people coming down the hill and was really booking it into the chute. There were a lot of people standing around but no one was cheering. There 
was a man announcing the finishers but when I was coming in he was talking about something else (of course he announced the names of the people I passed). It was pretty surreal. I had just ran as fast as I could to the finish and there was nothing. Oh well. It definitely made me excited for the upcoming weekends with bigger races. 

The rest of my weekend was good but uneventful running wise. Friday I met up with a friend to run at a park alongthe Niagara River. Neither of us had ever been there before but we were told it was definitely safe. It was, there were plenty of walkers, runners, and bikers. We did a nice 5 miles, not too fast, not too slow.

Saturday - I went to the gym for some cross training. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and then some upper body and core work in the weight room.

Sunday - Rest day.

Monday - Race

Tuesday - I was originally planning on going to the track workout but my legs were stiff and my foot was bothering me so I wound up going home and doing some Ballet. Yes, that's right, Ballet. I used to dance, from elementary school to college and I got this DVD for my birthday several years ago. I had never actually done the whole workout before. It was a lot of fun and pretty challenging. It was about an hour long and did strength work as well as the classic ballet moves. 

Wednesday - This morning I went to the gym for some more elliptical. I did 25 minutes. I was planning on doing another 25 minutes on the bike but they were all taken so I headed to the weight room. I did a potpurri of exercises; abs, lower back, leg presses, triceps, mid rows, inside and outside thighs, and leg curls. 

Tonight I have 5K coaching since Monday was Labor Day. They are up to 3 miles, 4 minutes of running, 1 minute of walking! They are doing great. I'm so glad I was able to be apart of this. 

TiaRT - Getting Motivated

This weeks question is from Lindsay at Chasing the Kenyans:

Whether training for a specific race or just running for the fun of it, we all experience the ups and downs of running. What do you do to get yourself motivated to run when it feels like it's the last thing you want to do?

I usually have motivation issues after a big race. I need and want to take some rest time but that rest makes me lose my motivation. Also after a big race I usually don't have another big race scheduled yet so I feel like I can relax and rest more than I need to. 

I have two tricks to keeping myself motivated, maybe not every single day but definitely for the long haul...

My first trick is to start planning the next big race and goal as soon as the last big race is over. Doing this helps me stay motivated because I am always training for something. It doesn't have to be a PR or a marathon, just some goal or race that I am interested in and will keep me wanting to run and stay in shape. After my first marathon in May and decided I didn't want to do another marathon in the Fall but that I would try for a PR in the half marathon.

My second trick is having running friends and a running group to keep you accountable. I am much more motivated to get out and go for a run when I'm meeting up with friends. It's easy to convince yourself not to go for a run but when you are meeting people it's hard to say you aren't going to make it. I have been using this trick a lot lately. I have a really hard time getting motivated when it's hot out. I hate running in the heat. I've had hard hill runs, track workouts, and even easy runs with friends the past couple weeks and it has made running much easier. 

Obviously these tricks don't work everyday. There will always be days when I just can't get myself out of the door but having something to train for and running with friends help make those days happen less often. 

Feeling the Hills

Last night we did a fast 5 miles of hills and I am feeling it today. It was the same route we did last week but we definitely picked up the pace this week. It was fun and felt great at the time but I knew walking around last night that I was going to be stiff today. And I am! I tried to wake up early to do some yoga but my body wanted that extra hour of sleep.

Run Stats:

Distance: 5.00 miles
Time: 49:14
Avg Pace: 9:50/mi
Ascent: 1310 feet
Descent 1306 feet

I am going to take today off from running and do yoga and some weights tonight.

Catching up

I've been a crappy blogger. My running, however, has been going well. It's getting easier and feeling better to run faster. I think the key for me in the last couple weeks is running with people that are faster than me, especially for long runs. Doing long runs at or near tempo has given me the confidence to know that I can run faster than I think I can.

Here's a breakdown of the last week:

Friday: Rest day.

Saturday: The boyfriend and I went to the gym. We warmed up on the elliptical for 5 minutes, then did a bunch of strength training exercises. It was really fun to do it together. I let him figure out the workout and I just followed him along. It was nice not to have to think about anything.

Sunday: 11.5 mile long run in 1:47:19. 9:20 min/mile pace. It was a good run. I'm getting used to running at a faster pace and even slowing down to stay with the group.

Monday: 5K Coaching. We did 2.5 miles, 3:30 run/1:00 walk. It was a nice night and a good run. Everyone is doing great!

Tuesday: I ran to the track (1.35 miles), did 8x200m, and got a ride home. :) My split times were pretty good:

52:47 seconds
53:79
54.19
54.37
53.17
51.39
52.07
51.77

It was a good workout and nice to be on the track. I need to go there more often.

Tonight we're heading out to the Ridge for 5 miles of hills!

Thursday

It's Thursday! The Runner's Lounger Take it and Run question for today is from JillWillRun:

It's the morning of your weekly long run... what do you eat and why?

I have struggled with this. I don't want something too big. It can't be time consuming to make. I almost always do my long runs in the morning and I wake up extra early to make sure I eat at least an hour before I run, preferably closer to two hours. It also can't include bananas. For some reason bananas don't sit well in my stomach if eaten before a run and I end up getting side stitches. 

My usual meal is a bowl of cereal (MultiGrain Cheerios are my favorite), a little milk, and some blueberries on top. This has worked well for me for some time now. If I'm on the road for a long run (or race) I will bring a bag of dry cereal so I don't have to worry about buying milk and keeping it cold. I don't like to eat a lot. My main reason I eat at all before a long run is to get my stomach moving and help me go to the bathroom. This is crucial for me or I will have a lot of pain during the run. 

**************************************************************

Last night I met a couple friends out at the Ridge for a 5 mile hilly run. It was a great night and a fun run. Our average 9:57 min/mile. It was challenging but felt good. 

Tonight was an easy 4 mile run with a friend I haven't seen all summer. We run the Cleveland Marathon together in May (first marathon for both of us) and then she went away for the summer so it was nice to catch up. We had plenty to talk about and it made the 4 miles zoom by.

Feeling strong

I have had a really good weekend of running. Yesterday morning I went for a run at Chestnut Ridge Park with some friends. We go there because there are a lot of hills and it's a great workout. We had planned on doing anywhere between 9 and 12. I did 9.73 (according to the Garmin). And it was a great run. I don't usually run with these people so it was great to get to know them and they also run faster than me. So I pushed to stay with them and it felt great. I think I underestimate how hard I can push myself because I'm too scared I'll break and have to walk. 

Below is the elevation chart:

This really doesn't do the run justice. Usually my runs have ascents and descents of 600-700 feet. Yesterday's run had an ascent of 2140 feet and a descent of 2131 feet. That gives a little more indication of just how hilly it was. 

The great thing about running hills is how strong you feel afterwards.

Last night I was debating on running with my usual group this morning. We were only going to do 6 miles but I was thinking I'd be pretty sore from the hills. I stayed up way later than usual last night but woke up around 6am this morning and my legs felt great. I fooled around on the computer, got to watching the Women's Marathon Championships and kinda forgot to eat. I figured this was OK since if the run was during the week I wouldn't have eaten before it and it was only 6 miles. 

We went out for our run. I started out running with just one other girl and we kinda took off. We were chatting so I didn't even realize how fast we were going. When we stopped for water we joined another group and continued on, still running at a good pace. About halfway through the run I was just feeling so great and I felt like picking up the pace. I tried to stay with the group but I got into a zone and my body wanted to go faster. It felt great. I don't find rhythms like this very often. We wound up doing 7.15 and I stayed with the group until about a mile from the end when I knew I could and needed to go faster. So I went. My average pace was 9:06. Had it been half marathon day, I know I could have gotten under 2 hours. 

I'm feeling good now and I can't wait to go back out there and work on finding that rhythm for every (or at least most) runs. 

Take it and run Thursday

I've been wanting to participate in this for a while now. Today's question is from Marlene at Mission to a(nother) Marathon:

When did you know you had become a runner? Was there a defining moment, or was it a gradual progression over time?

Sometimes I still wonder if I should call myself a runner. For the first 22 years of my life I disliked running and stayed away from it as much as possible. I was in Color Guard in high school and during the seldom occasion when our coach would make us run I hated every minute of it. Even in college when I was going to the gym a lot and trying to lose weight I would stay away far away from the treadmill. 

Then in January of 2008 I decided to train for a half marathon. I highly doubted my ability to do it but losing weight by "working out" wasn't working for me. I needed a bigger goal to take my mind off of losing weight and onto something else. I surprised myself during me first run and ran farther than I thought I would though it still felt horrible. As the weeks and month went on I went farther, got faster, and actually started to like running. 

In May of 2008 I completed my first race, the Buffalo Half Marathon. I had such a good time and that night I immediately went online to find out when other races were nearby. The following week I was registered for three more half marathons. It was during this time when I realized that running had become a part of my life and that it wasn't going away anytime soon. That is when I really started to think of myself as a runner. But the other part of this, at least for me, is when someone else called me a runner.

Last fall I was in a running specialty store outside Philly with my mom. She was getting new shoes and I was tagging along. Neither of us had ever been to this store before. My mom was getting fitted by the owner who was very friendly. We were talking for a while and at one point she looked at me and asked me if I had run in high school. I said no and that I run now though. She said, yea you definitely look like a runner. I was surprised because I don't think I look like a runner at all but I was flattered and excited that someone else thought that.

In other news I did an easy 4 miler this morning. I was definitely feeling all the manual labor from yesterday so I took it easy. I am feeling good night and depending on how late I stay up with our company I will try to do a 6 mile tempo run in the morning.

On Saturday I am headed out to Chestnut Ridge Park with some running friends for a tough 12 miler. The hills out there are BRUTAL. I'll definitely have an elevation map of that run!

Summer is finally here...

...and I wish it would leave already. My running hasn't been so great lately. After having such a nice and mild summer here in Buffalo, we are now back to normal (or above normal) temperatures. I don't do well in heat, which is the main reason I decided not to train for a fall marathon. 

Sunday I did a long run with my running group. We did 9.5 miles at an average pace of 9:49 min/mile. It was a very hot and humid day so as much as we tried to run fast to get it over with we were too hot and tired. 

On Monday I had 5K coaching. It was equally as hot and the runners were feeling it. It was definitely a smaller group than usual but everyone that came out did a great job in the heat. I stayed in the back and wound up running a lot more than usual because they were more spread out. So I moved from one group to another to make sure everyone was doing alright. 

Tuesday I slept in. The air conditioning felt so nice :) I worked out a little when I got home but nothing crazy. 

This morning I got up right after 5am to head out for my run. I planned to do 6x800m (not 6x400m like last time). I got through 3 and knew I had been going slower than usual. I looked at the time and saw 6am. I needed to leave for work at 7am because my company was doing volunteer work with United Way today. I figured if I finished my run I would get home after 6:30 and barely have time to get ready and eat so I decided to make 4 my last interval and head home.

I thought about doing the last two intervals when I got home but after volunteering I decided I was good. We did work at a cemetery and it was a lot of hard upper body work; shoveling, raking, and some painting. We got back to work dirty and stinky. Thankfully, my boss let us go early so we could shower. 

Tomorrow I am planning an easy run and maybe finishing up those intervals. My boyfriend's good friend from Jersey is heading up to stay with us for the weekend so I need to get my workout done in the morning. 

I'll leave you with my interval paces from today:

8:50

9:04

8:57

8:41

Yea, those are more like half marathon pace. How am I ever going to finish in under 2 hours!?!

Less than productive week...

This week wasn't as productive on the running front as most. Let's just go through the days...

Monday: 5K Group Run was cancelled because we had Thunderstorm and Flood Warnings so I did about 50 minutes of Yoga. It felt really good. I needed that stretch after Sunday's long, hot run.

Tuesday: I did 5 miles, easy; with 3x(3x30m) sprints on flat ground. I measured the same way as when I did these 2 weeks ago: 3 house lengths. My times looked like this:

9.67 seconds

9.28

8.85

8.73

8.40

8.60

9.20

9.00

8.07

Not too consistent but not too horrible.

Wednesday: I woke up, mentally ready to run but my stomach was not having it. I was still so full from eating too much on Tuesday and I knew the run would be painful until I could go to the bathroom. I decided I would cross train instead. I did an hour of Jillian Michaels DVDs and really tried to push myself. Using heavier weights on moves that I normally would use lighter weights. It was, as always, a great workout. 

Thursday: Wed into Thurs I worked an overnight at work. I got home around 5am Thursday morning and slept until about noon. Then I did some work and more cross training. It was really hot outside and I wanted to hang out by the computer in case there were any issues at work I needed to deal with. I wound up doing an hour and a half of cardio and weights. 

Friday: My plan this morning was to try a 4-5 mile tempo run. As soon as I woke up I knew that wasn't going to happen. My legs are really feeling the workout yesterday, which feels great by the way (more on that in a bit). I started off at a pretty quick pace but my legs just couldn't keep up. I still wound up doing 5 miles at 9:43 pace. Not too bad. 

Back to the sore legs...I have to say I was happy when I woke up this morning and felt the soreness in my legs. I haven't been sore in a long time so it was nice to feel that my muscles had been challenged. I need to switch up my workouts and cross training more so that I can work muscles that don't usually. 

Plans for the weekend: Run or cross train tomorrow, I haven't decided yet. Long run on Sunday, 12 miles. And of course, it's supposed to be another hot and humid day. 

Have a great weekend!

End of Week Motivation

I read an article or blog post the other day (I read so much stuff online and tried unsuccessfully to find it) about motivation and tips to getting in your runs. The author talked about how the hardest part for most people is the beginning of the week and that it gets easier to fit in workouts as the week goes on. I noticed this past week that I feel the opposite. At the beginning of the week I go to bed early, wake up early, get in good runs/workouts, and feel great. As the week goes on I itch for the weekend and start slacking. Case in point, on Friday I slept in and didn't get up to do the 6 mile tempo run I had planned. I was asleep by 9:30pm on Thursday night but I woke up Friday and felt tired so I decided to sleep in and run after work. I even went in to work early so I could leave at 4pm and get in my run before the boyfriend got home.

4pm comes along and there is an emergency at work. I hang around til 4:15pm when they tell me I should leave but could I be on-call in case there are more issues. This means I need to be near my phone and computer. So much for running. I did find that Netflix had the harder version of the Jillian Michaels DVDs I do for Instant Viewing. So I did both of them (Front Side, Back Side) for an hour. At least it was something. The Friday before I took the day off and moved my hill workout to Saturday. This week I didn't think I should move the tempo run to Saturday because I was nervous I'd be so tired for my long run on Sunday. So Saturday I did a lot of walking and cleaning but no formal workout.

Boy was I glad that I took Saturday off! I got up early Sunday morning for my planned 9-10 miles with my running group. I haven't run with them in over a month so I was pretty excited to catch up with everyone. That was until I walked out the door and my first thought was "Ew". It was already 70 degrees with 90% humidity. It hasn't been this hot and muggy all year. I really feel for everyone living in the South. I couldn't do it.

The run sucked. It was hot and gross. It was cloudy and threatening to storm for the first half, then the clouds parted and the sun blazed down on us for the second half.

When we finally got back I looked at my watch and saw we did 9.37 miles at an average pace of 9:32 min/mile. What?!? 9:32? On a day like that? I saw that number and I was so excited. The run felt hard but I thought it was mostly because of the heat.

So that made me feel a bit better about Friday and Saturday. But still, anyone have tips for staying motivated toward the end of the week?

Fall Races!

I just registered for two more Half Marathons this fall bringing the total to three!

I finally registered for Toronto which is my goal race for PRing. I also registered for the Rochester Half Marathon. The friend I did Boilermaker with is doing this one. It'll be her first Half Marathon and I wanted to do it with her. There is not time in mind, just finishing. 

I am also registered for the Philly Distance Run (which happens to be the weekend after Rochester). I was originally going to run this with a friend from High School but she has had a busy summer and hasn't trained so I'm going to this one on my own. My plan is to trot along with my camera and just enjoy the race. I watched and cheered for friends/family last year and it looked like so much fun. I knew I had to do it. 

It's going to be a busy fall but I'm excited. The only race I'm really focusing on is Toronto. The others are just training runs with a whole bunch of other people. :)

I guess I shouldn't do math at 5:30am

Yesterday morning I went out to do 6x800m at about 5K pace. I got outside and set my watch to do 6 intervals with a warm-up and cool down. I set the interval distance to .25 miles (see my problem?) and off I went. After a nice warm-up I started the intervals and felt good. I kept thinking that this is going by way faster than I thought it would. Soon I was done the intervals and jogging home. 

Later, I'm sitting at work thinking about running and wondering what I have planned for the rest of the week when I realize I set my watch for .25 miles instead of .50 miles! I did 6x400m instead of 6x800m. Ugh! I don't know what made me think that .25 miles was about 800m. I'm going to chalk it up to the fact that it was 5:30 am and that I'm not thinking as clearly then. Now I know to set my watch the night before!

Either way, my 6x400m intervals went well. Here are my average paces for each:

1) 8:09

2) 8:32

3) 8:08

4) 7:58

5) 7:47

6) 7:49

I think that's pretty good. And sorta consistent.....

I was thinking about doing 6x800m when I got home last night or this morning but I thought that would be a little much. Today I am cross training. I already did an hour of Jillian Michaels' DVDs that kicked my butt and I'm planning on heading to the gym after work for some more cardio. 

Tomorrow I have a 6 mile Tempo Run scheduled. I'm a little nervous but am definitely going to try my best.  

In other news this week I have gotten back into the habit of cooking dinner every day. I used to cook a lot but sorta fell out of the habit. Last weekend I planned all our meals for the week and have been holding to it. Monday was a healthier Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo. Tuesday was delicious Turkey Burgers. Last night was Apricot Glazed Chicken Thighs. And tonight will be Shrimp Stir-fry. 

I feel so much better when I eat right and am happy I've been sticking to it. The boyfriend and I were supposed to go away Saturday through Wednesday but due to his job we had to cancel it. At least I'll be able to stay on the cooking kick and not have to worry about getting my runs in. Though, I was looking forward to a little vacation and running in a different place. Oh well. 

Sunday Long Run

Good Morning. I didn't get a chance to write about my long run last night so here goes...

Sunday morning I woke up around 6:30 to eat and head out for the run. I was supposed to do a 20K (12.4 miles) increasing my pace every 5K. I decided to do 2 10K loops around my house so I could come back and get some water. I also brought Jelly Belly Sport Beans with me and had some every 5K. This is the first time I ever used these. I have had them sitting around for a while and figured I'd give them a try. I usually use Clif Shot Bloks or Luna Moons.

So I headed out for my run around 7:30 and felt pretty good. It started raining a bit but not too bad and I ran in a cemetery with lots of trees. The first 5K was just about the right pace as was the second 5K. I got home and drank some water (I forgot to buy more Gatorade) and headed back out. I did the next 10K on a somewhat different route so I didn't have to run in the cemetery again, I like it but there are a lot of rough hills and it can get lonely. It had also stopped raining which was nice. The third 5K was just a little bit slower than the pace I should have been at and the last 5K was where the third 5K should have been. My legs were tired and couldn't go anymore. I figured since I haven't run 12 miles since before my marathon in May (Wow, really?), that it was OK that I not hit the pace exactly. 

I came home and drank some Chocolate Milk, made a Smoothie, and stretched for a while. 

This morning I'm not really sore. My abs and back are a little sore. I'm not sure if that's from running or if I slept weird. Tonight I have 5K Coaching and maybe a little upper body. We'll see.

Progression Run and Hills

I switched my Friday run to Saturday. I slept in Friday morning and just wanted to relax after work. So Saturday morning I woke up semi early and headed out for a run. I didn't quite wake up early enough cause it was pretty toasty.

I started with a 25 minute progression run. I have trouble with these type of runs. I generally increase my pace but I don't go as slow as I should in the beginning so the increase is only a little. I also did 3 sets of 300m, 200m, and 100m hill repeats. The distances were definitely not exact. I went to a hill in a park near me. It was the only hill I could think or that was bug enough for 300m. So I ran up the whole hill for 300m and then estimated 200m and 100m. I kept it consistent for all 3 sets. I didn't set my watch for the repeats so it's hard to tell how long they each took me but I'm thinking they were pretty slow. 

After the hill repeats I jogged home. All-in-all I ran 6.5 miles in 1:03:36. 

This morning I did a 20K run but I'll write about that a little later today. Time to go grocery shopping!

Cross Training Day

Today my schedule called for a 40-60 minute Recovery Run but I decided to do some cross training instead. I'm still trying to stay focused on building strength in my upper body and core. This morning I did Jillian Michaels' The Biggest Winner Front Side and Back Side. Basically it was an hour of cardio and strength rolled into one. I sweat so much when I do this workout. Afterwards, it feels like I really accomplished something. I've been doing this workout at least twice a week for a month or so now and I can definitely feel a difference in my strength. 

My plan for the afternoon was to go to the gym and bike for a while but I stayed late at work and really just wanted to go home. I did do a half hour of yoga which made my muscles happy. I've been really stiff lately. 

Food wise I feel like I've been doing pretty good. I've gone back to eating more smaller meals throughout the day instead of three big meals. I was doing this most of last year and liked it. I don't know how I got out of the habit but I'm back now and hopefully going to continue. 

Time for bed! Tomorrow morning is a Progression Run with Hills. Fun!

New Training Plan Week 1

This week I have started a new training schedule. I decided to switch to a new training plan because I felt I needed something more structured and detailed. After a lot of searching I settled on this plan from Runner's World. So far it has been going very well.

Monday was a rest day aside from 5K Coaching. They are up to 1.5 miles, 2 minutes of running and 2 minutes of walking. Everyone is doing great. They really seem motivated. I hope it sticks!

On Tuesday I did 4.57 miles in 46:16. Then I did 3 x (3 x 30 meter) sprints. I couldn't get to a track so I just ran from the house to the left of my to the house to the right. It was a little over 30 meters but I figure the consistency of the distance was more important. My average time was 9.10 seconds. Not bad I guess. I got faster toward the end. 

Today I did 4 x 1 mile  and 4 x 200 meters. I was supposed to do the miles at 8:45 - 8:55 per mile pace. I was a little faster than that. My splits were 8:11, 8:26, 8:43, 8:38. I set my Garmin so that I couldn't see time or pace. I didn't so this on purpose. I used the Interval feature and I didn't realize I couldn't see the time/pace until I started. The whole time I was thinking how slow I felt I was going and that my splits would probably be over 9 mins. I was really excited when I saw I was actually faster than 8:45 every time. In the end I think it was better that I couldn't see the pace because I might have slowed down more than I needed to. 

The 200m were really 0.12 miles. My average time was 57.16 seconds. The last two were way faster than the first two. I think I hold back too much in the beginning because I'm nervous that I won't be able to finish. 

I know its only day two of the training plan but I'm really enjoying the hard, structured workouts. It makes me feel like I've accomplished more and makes the runs go by so much faster. I'm always thinking about what I have to do next. 

Tomorrow is a Recovery Run day. I think I'm going to cross train and work on weight training instead. 

Intervals

After reading an article about Intervals in this months Runner's World I decided to try them Thursday morning. I started off with a 10 minute run and then did 2 minutes running as fast as I could and 2 minutes walking. I did this 6 times. I followed it by a 10 minute jog. 

It really wasn't that bad. I've done stuff like this before but not this exact thing. I don't do enough speed work but when I do I enjoy it. It sucks and is hard to run so fast but I just keep thinking about the 2 minutes of walking I get to do after. My fast running was between 7:30-8:30 minutes/mile. I tried to stay more consistent toward the end but it didn't work out all that well.

This run, reading other blogs, and looking at the training plan RW has for Half Marathoners looking for a PR has made me think I need a new training plan. The plan I get from my running group really doesn't have any speed work with it. They tell you to run part of your long run at HMP and do a Tempo run once a week but I don't think that's enough for me. I've been looking for a plan that will still let me run with the group on Sunday's but give me more quality workouts to do during the week. 

I think I am going to use this plan from RW but with a few tweaks. It seems to look a lot like the FIRST plan, I've seen and read good thing about from many bloggers, except that there are 4 key workouts a week instead of 3. My first tweak would be moving everything back a day so that my long run would be on Sunday and I would be off or doing a Recovery Run on Monday. My next tweak is I think I would make some of the Recovery and Aerobic Runs Cross Training instead. I still want to work on strengthening my upper body and core and I would like to get to the gym more to bike, get on the elliptical or swim. 

I still have 12 weeks until my half marathon. This training plan is only 10 weeks but I still think I am going to start it next week. I can foresee myself needed a week to work up to all the speed work that comes with this.

What do you think? Is this a good plan?

Backpacking, etc

It's been a pretty busy week for me. I apologize for slacking on posts. Tuesday I skipped the track workout because I really need to go pick up a prescription and run other errands. When I got home I did an hour of a Jillian Michaels' Workout DVD. That thing whoops my butt but makes me feel realyl strong. 

I also bought a pair of Montrail Continental Divide Trail Running Shoes. The boyfriend and I went on a hiking/camping trip this past weekend so Tuesday morning I tried on my hiking boots to see how they felt. They did not feel good. I couldn't imagine hiking for several miles in them so I thought this would be the perfect time to buy Trail Running Shoes. Hoping it would give me motivation to go hiking more and find more trails around me. I went to my local running store and found out they don't carry Trail Running Shoes. Probably because there really aren't any trails in Buffalo. They did happen to have the old pair of Montrails they originally brought in for running in the snow but they didn't do too well with that. They happened to have my size and they also happened to be 50% off. Win, win!

Wednesday I ran in the morning. I did 4 miles in 38:57. Not bad. 

Thursday I did the Jillian Michaels DVDs again. I also increased the weights from 5lbs to 8lbs for most of the exercises.

Friday I took a rest day. I didn't want to be sore for all the hiking we were doing over the weekend. Plus I still had so much to do to prepare for our trip.

Saturday morning we headed down to the Morrison Trail in Allegheny Nation Forest. The plan was to hiking 6.5 miles to the campsite, stay overnight there and hike 5.5 miles back Sunday morning. We set off into the beautiful woods carrying all our gear. My pack was about 20lbs and the boyfriend's was about 40lbs (he had the tent). It was a beautiful hike and the Montrail shoes we wonderful. I was surprised how much easier it was to hike with 20 extra pounds than I originally thought. I was nervous I would be holding us up a lot and want to stop and take breaks but that wasn't the case. I think we each asked to stop and rest an equal amount of times. The hike on Saturday was downhill over the whole 6.5 miles but there were uphills mixed in. Here are some pictures from the Saturday hike:

It took us about 3 hours to get to the campsite and we were both pretty tired. We took pretty much the first campsite we found. It was uphill from the lake and away from people. We wanted something on the beach but it seemed like there were a lot of people down there and we didn't want to be right next to a bunch of screaming kids. We set up our tent and took a walk around. Of course, on our walk we found a perfect campsite right on the water. It was fairly secluded. We could hear the people next to us but their were bushes and trees between us. After some convincing on both our parts we decided to move down there. We were both glad we did. It was great to watch boats out on the water and just have a great view. 

The View!

Our Campsite

Once we got settled the next task was to get a fire going. We brought hot dogs and smores for dinner we needed to "cook". It had rained the night before so all the decent sized wood we found was wet. We had a pitiful fire but it did it's job. the rest of the night we relaxed, enjoyed the view, watched boaters, and went to bed early. 

Sunday morning we were up a little before 8am. We ate breakfast (bagel and peanut butter) and packed up to leave. We decided to take a shorter trail back (3.8 miles instead of 5.5) because we were both pretty sore. Boy were we glad we did. The way back was mostly uphill and steep uphills too. I wish I had my Garmin with me, though I know it wouldn't have worked under the trees. It would have been nice to see a map of the elevation changes. It took us about 2 hours to get back because of the hills.

Sunday Hike

It was a really great trip, especially for it being our first time doing something like this. We didn't forget anything crucial and we learned a lot about what we need and don't need to pack.

Just about finished!

I'm still sore today; my shoulders the most. But it's not too bad. I have 5K Coaching tonight.

Sorry this post wasn't really about running. Hopefully this week will bring some quality or at least interesting runs to share. 

5K Coaching - Day 1

Yesterday was my first run as a coach of a 5K beginners group. The group consists of about 110 people. 15-20 of them are either returning or beginners that can run for a complete mile. The rest are run/walkers. 

There are 6 coaches. Alice is in charge of the group and hangs out during the run, watching everyone's stuff and setting up water. Dan goes with the runners. And the 4 of us (all girls) go with the run/walkers. 

We took them on a 5 minute or so walk to get warmed up a little then onto the run. This week we did one mile with 1.5 minutes of running and 2 minutes of walking. Not everyone can run for the 1.5 minutes but they try their best. Myself and another coach had a bell to ring when they should switch from running to walking or walking to running. 

I was in the middle of the pack so I chatted with a few people but most people had friends/family doing it with them. There was a woman in front of me that was walking and we only had a few more seconds of running left so I called out, "Only a few more seconds" hoping that would make her run for the last bit. It didn't. I caught up to her and asked her if everything was ok. She said yes. When it was time to run again she didn't start so I said, "Come on at least for a little." She complained about her shins but started running. I told her to run to the curb, then the next curb, then the driveway. We did this for about minute and I knew she probably needed to stop so I didn't say anything more and she did. But we were about to cross a street and I did look behind to see her running to cross. 

Afterwards several people asked us about stretching so I got down on the ground and showed them the stretching I do.  It was fun and weird to be the one who they were coming to with questions. 

I'm excited to see where the next two months goes for them. I feel happy and lucky to be apart of it and hopefully I'm able to help them at least a little. The goal race is Sunday, September 27th. 

Boilermaker 15K - Race Report

This was a fun filled weekend. The race went well and we had a great time. 

It started on Saturday morning. I headed out to Rochester to meet up with my friend D then we headed out to Utica. We got to the race expo and tried to find where packet pickup was. Since it was supposed to rain they had moved the packets from inside a tent to some garage near the start which was about half a mile away. So a bunch of us were standing there trying to figure out where to go to get them. The volunteers were very helpful and let us get our goody bags first before heading over there. They just asked us to please remove the goody bag tag on our bib and not to get another one. That was fine with me. The goody bags consisted of a Walmart reusable bag and a pint glass. I'm glad they didn't get us the regular mass of papers and junk but I was expecting a little more. Oh well. Not a big deal.

So goody bags in hand D and I headed over to find the packet pickup. We realized when we got there that we took the long way. But it was the most straight forward for someone to explain. We also got to pass the start and I got to take this "lovely" photo. 

We made it to the packet pickup and there was a mass of people because they were still setting everything up. We eventually got in the garage and got our packets. I also happened to see a coworker through the crowd so we chatted for a bit. Then D and I walked back to the car. We had a few steps to get back to the car and it started to rain. Good Timing! We headed back to Syracuse where her parents live and we were staying for the night. It's about an hour drive so not too bad.

We woke up bright and early (4:50) Sunday morning, got ready, and left by 5:30. I ate in the car, D had eaten before we left. I just had some dry Special K Strawberry (or Red Berries?). I realized I didn't bring any Clif Shot Blocks or Luna Moons. So I planned on drinking Gatorade during the race. I usually drink mostly water during races so that I'm not all sticky when I inevitably spill it all over myself.

We got into Utica around 6:30 and headed to the finish. We decided to park near the finish and take the shuttle to the start instead of having to worry about it later. We found some random overpass to park under. People we parking everywhere. Luckily it was a Sunday and I doubt any businesses were open.

Here's a photo we took before we left the car:

We started walking in the direction we thought we should go. We saw a police officer and asked him where the shuttle pickup was. He knew exactly where the closest one was and gave us directions. I love that people actually knew where things were. In Buffalo I doubt the officer would have known. 

We got to the shuttle pickup around 7:00 and there were a lot of people but the buses were coming every 2-3 minutes so the line moved really fast. 

We got to the start and threw our jackets in my bag and dropped it of at the baggage truck. Then headed over to the porta potties. The line was long and wasn't moving very quickly. We finally got there and luckily mine had toilet paper. D wasn't as lucky :(.

We got to our starting corral (the last one) 2 minutes before the start. It took us 11 minutes to get to the starting line anyway so it didn't really matter. We were finally off and it was going well. HIs and LOWs from the race:

- All the people cheering pretty much the whole way

- Lots of music. Bands, belly dancers, etc

- Hoses and "rain machines"

- Spectators handing out water and ice

- Spectators handing out popsicles

- Passing the Utica Zoo and seeing a Donkey. The zookeepers had brought it out to the sidewalk.

- Running up a hill and being able to see the top then making a left turn and running up an even steeper hill

- Running up hill and seeing people to your right, across a golf course, running downhill. However, they were a lot higher up then we were.

- The hill to get to the highest point was gradual and not as bad as we thought it would be

- The downhills :)

- Fireman hitting the horn on the fire truck and laughing when everyone jumped

It was a great race. The first half was slow for us. And it took me a while to start feeling good. Once we hit the downhill at the highest point of the race we cruised doing well under 10 minute/mile pace. We kept that pace the rest of the way except on a few hill and when we walked to drink water. 

The crowd support was great and I solved my lack of block shots problem by splitting a popsicle with D. 

We finished in 1:35:03. Not a PR for me but with all the hills I wasn't expecting one. For me it was a fun race. For D it was the longest race she's ever done! She ran track in high school and college as well as cross country a few years but had never run more than 6 or so miles in a race. She was tired but excited and is even planning on doing a Half Marathon in September. She said, "It's only 4 more miles". Yay!

We gave our chips back and got our finishers pin and started walking with the crowd. We figured out where we were and where the car was so we went back to the car to change into flip flops and get my camera. Here is us back at the car:

We headed back over to the party and the mass of people. We got my bag and BEER :). I got a pair of sweatpants that have the Boilermaker logo and I bought D a hat since she drove us around all weekend and wouldn't take gas/toll money.

We finally found food (we passed it the first time). They only had sandwiches left but at least it was food. We walked around for a while. I got another beer and we enjoyed the music. Then headed back to the car and back to Syracuse. Then Rochester and me back to Buffalo. 

It was a great weekend and a great race. I would definitely do that race again. I might even spring to say in Utica though driving from Syracuse wasn't bad at all. Here are some more pictures from the post race party. 

I'm going to be a coach!

I run/train with Fleet Feet Buffalo. In case you don't know, Fleet Feet is a running store located in different cities around the country. FF Buffalo has several different training groups from 5K to a full marathon. I've been running with them for a year now. I joined right after my first half marathon because I knew I wanted to continue running and also wanted to meet people in Buffalo that liked to run. I have met a lot of great people and close friends from the group and would definitely suggest joining a running group.

Anyway, yesterday the FF owners (our coaches) sent out their weekly training email about our long run on Sunday and various other things. In the email they asked for volunteers to be coaches for their 5K (No Boundaries) program. I gladly volunteered. I'm really excited about doing this. I'm excited to help people start running but also to learn from them. 

Monday is their second group run and my first with them. I'm glad it's on Monday's since this is usually my rest day and we won't ever be running more than 4 miles. 

Track, Rest, and More...

It's been a busy couple of days. 

Tuesday night after work I headed over to the track to workout with the GBTC (Greater Buffalo Track Club). I decided to run to the track. It's only 2 miles and it was a nice day. I got there right at 6pm and we started doing our normal drills (high knees, butt kicks, a,b,c skips, strides, scissors, etc). Towards the end of the drills our Coach told us to think of a hard, but obtainable 5K time that we would like. Since my 5K PR is 27:36 I went with 25:00. Then, of course, he tells us that we are going to do that tonight. I thought, yea right. 

He had us do 12x400m and 1x200m with a 1 minute break between each. It was hard. I remember thinking I'd never be able to keep this pace up the whole time. I just kept mentally preparing myself to not be able to do it. Then there were only 2 left, then 1, then the 200m. I finished in 24:52!! I was so excited and so exhausted. The run back home was definitely a SLOW one. I wound up doing over 7 miles. I definitely wasn't expecting that. 

Wednesday I gave myself a rest day from running. I did 20 minutes of upper body and went for a couple mile walk with the Boyfriend. 

This morning I went for a 4 mile run. It was pretty slow. 10:13 min/mile pace. My legs still feel tight and tired from Tuesday. I need to get in the habit of doing yoga everyday. It really makes me feel better. 

Tomorrow I'm planning on doing a short 3 mile run and maybe some upper body and core work. Saturday will be a rest day. I'm heading out to Utica, NY with a friend from Rochester to run the Boilermaker 15K on Sunday. Neither of us have done this race before and we are really excited. I know other people from work and running club that will be there as well. It should be a good time. 

Beautiful Morning

It was 58 degrees when I went out for a run this morning. What happened to summer? It is July, isn't it?

I ran 5 miles this morning in 49:46. Not very fast. The whole time I felt like I was running really fast and was disappointed when I looked down at my Garmin and it showed my pace was over 10 minutes per mile. Ugh. I also did 30 minutes of Jillian Michaels Backside workout. 

I'm also starting to go back to eating the way I ate last year when I was losing weight. I was/am eating 5 smaller meals rather than 3 big meals. I need to get back in the habit of doing it. Sometimes at work I get so involved in what I'm doing that I forget what time it is. Maybe I could set an alarm on my phone to remind me. That would definitely help. 

Tomorrow I plan on doing upper body weight workout in the morning and then going to the Track tomorrow night. 

Hills, hills, and more hills

I currently live in Buffalo, NY but I am originally from a suburb of Philadelphia. Whenever I come to Philly I make it a point to run as much as I can. This area is full nice big, steep hills where Buffalo (at least in the city is not). The problem is I'm never here for more than a couple days. There are plenty of things to do, people to see, and late nights out. 

I'm down here for the holiday (Happy 4th of 

July!) and enjoying a more relaxed visit than usual. Yesterday morning I went out for a 4 mile run with a ton of hills. I did the run I usually do when I'm here backwards and WOW. I never realized how many downhills there were in the route until I was going uphill for all of them. It was definitely a workout. I even had to walk some and I still did the 4 miles in 40:08. That's definitely not the pace I need for the half marathon but with all the hills I was surprised I pulled a 10 minute mile. 

Here is the elevation chart but I really don't think it looks as bad as it felt:

Goals

Lose Weight

Get Strong

Be Fast

These are the three things that need to happen in order for me to reach my goal of completing a half marathon in under 2 hours. 

Lose Weight - I need to focus on my calorie intake a lot more than I currently am. I would like to have at least a 250-500 calorie deficit each day so that I can plan on losing 0.5-1 pound a week. When I lost weight before I kept track of everything I ate each day. I need to get back in the habit of doing this. 

Get Strong - I know that having a strong upper body and core will only help my running. I've been doing circuit training/weight lifting workouts about twice a week. I can already feel a difference in the strength my arms have.

Be Fast - This is what my goal is all about. Being fast and getting under 2 hours. I want to start making hill workouts a weekly part of my training. I have joined a Track Club in my area and have been to one track workout. It was fun and completely different than anything I normally do.

Focusing on these three aspects of my training should get me to my goal in October.

First Post

Welcome! A year and a half ago I started training for a half marathon. I had never run more than a couple miles. I wanted to lose weight (as I had for several years) and needed a goal to work towards.  Just "working out" didn't do it for me. I would make up excuses and tell myself I would do it tomorrow instead. Training for the half gave me something else to work towards. I didn't want to miss a run because then I might not be able to complete my goal.

I really didn't lose too much weight in the 5 months I was training for my first half but I gained muscles I never knew could exist and found something I genuinely loved to do. Crossing the finish line at my first half marathon was just the cherry on top, I was hooked. 

Five more halves and one full marathon later here I am, still running and still loving it. This fall I plan on running the Toronto Half Marathon and my goal is to finish it in under 2 hours. The closest I've come is 2:04:40. Speed has been tough for me in the past but I don't think I've devoted myself and my training to it enough. 

I plan on using this blog as a journal for myself to keep track of my progression as I try to become a faster runner. I hope maybe this helps other runners along the way.