We are officially halfway through 2014 (holy cow is it going by fast!) and similar to last year, I thought I'd do a check-in on how my goals for 2014 are coming along.
Complete the Dopey Challenge
This is a pretty obvious goal as I spent most of 2013 preparing for this. I can't believe it is only 8 days away!
COMPLETED
It was nice to start the year off completing a goal right at the beginning. In case you missed them, you can read my recaps here: 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, Final Thoughts. It's been almost 6 months and I still have trouble believing that I did all that and how well the marathon went (second fastest at the time, third fastest post Grandma's).
PR in the Half Marathon
My current PR is a 1:51:52 set back in 2010. I ran a 1:55:03 this past September, so I am hoping to make this happen.
COMPLETED
We can check this one off the list! I set a new Half Marathon PR at the Nike DC Women's Half with a 1:50:04. Since I reached it, wouldn't it be fun to get under 1:50 sometime in the fall? Challenges are good for you.
Check 5 states off my list
I've already got 3 states on the schedule (Kentucky, DC, Oregon). I have a couple of ideas for the other 2 states and will let you know once they are finalized.
ON TRACK
3 states down and 2 to go. Eugene is already on the schedule and since we are talking 50 States, I can tell you all that as of Monday, I am officially registered for state #5 for 2014 - Maryland. I'll be running the Baltimore Half Marathon on October 18th.
Race a marathon
I am not running the Disney marathon with a time goal with Dopey going on, so I would like to actually race a marathon in 2014. I already have an idea for a race and will let you know once it's been decided.
COMPLETED
As you might remember, I just raced Grandma's Marathon during which I set a new marathon PR (which wasn't even a goal, so I feel extra good about this one).
Run 1,250 miles total
I ran a total of 1,145.77 in 2013 according to my Garmin, but I did a lot of my Jan-Mar weekday runs on the treadmill (without my Garmin) and they are not counted in that number. So I think this doable.
ON TRACK
As of July 1, I have run 689.90 miles or 55.19% of the way towards having this goal completed. I'm a little ahead, which is good since I won't be training for a marathon in the fall and won't be putting as many miles in. I have to do about 93.35 miles a month, which I think is (probably) doable. Got lots of halves to train for so it should be fun for the second half of the year! This was always a stretch goal, so if I come close but don't reach it, I'm okay with it.
Commit to core work
This is one area I have definitely been slacking on. I really want to get back to this and to get it started, I am taking part of the Athleta 30-Day Plank Challenge. You should join me!
SLACKING
There had to be one I wasn't doing well in right? I started off well, doing the Plank Challenge for the first week (wow, it's sad that I just said 1 week was doing well). Then Dopey came up and I didn't want to do anything that would interfere with that and then I just didn't go back to it. I would do some ab work here and there, but nothing major.
This is one I definitely want to work on for the rest of the year (and I'm adding stretching in. Man, am I inflexible). So to help me accomplish those goals, I am going to be doing PiYo for the next 60 days (I officially started this Monday). PiYo is a fast paced yoga-pilates combo from Chalene Johnson and Beachbody (the company that does P90X). It's low impact (which will be good for my knees and joints) and focuses on core and flexibility, two things I am in desperate need of improving. Moving foward, you'll see PiYo included in my weekly training recaps. I'll still be running, so some days it will be doubles, but I think committing to this will help me get faster in the long run. For most of the 60 days I'm doing PiYo, I won't be doing any speed work so it'll mostly all be easy runs. I might throw in a couple of tempo runs to change it up, but not at race pace or anything. Just slightly faster. {Side bar: in case you are wondering, I bought and paid for PiYo myself. I'm not being sponsored or anything - although that would be nice, right?}
Not too bad half way through!
Showing posts with label Nike Women's Half Marathon DC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nike Women's Half Marathon DC. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Race Recap: Nike Women's DC Half Marathon
Don't miss my recap of the Expotique.
Nike Women's DC Half Marathon
April 27, 2014
State: #16 (Washington, DC)
Lifetime: #45
The morning of this race did not go well for me. I got up my standard 2 hours before the race, but as soon as I woke up, my stomach did not feel great. I ate my standard breakfast and got ready hoping the stomach would settle. I had always planned on racing this so I knew I'd be nervous, but had no idea if the stomach was nerves or not. It felt a little better by the time we had to go.
Our hotel was only 2 blocks from the start line which was amazing. We meet the girls downstairs about 30 minutes before the start and headed over together.
The walk was short and simple. Megan and I were in the same corral so once we got to the start, we all separated and headed to our respective corrals. My stomach was still not feeling great and I was starting to worry. Megan asked me what my plan was (since I wasn't feeling great) and I said "To start running and hope I feel better". I figure I have no idea how I'll feel on race day so I should learn how to deal with it.
The race started promptly and off we went. It was cool to run towards the Capital building as it started. Once I started running, my stomach immediately felt better. The stomach pains must have been nerves, but I definitely had never felt that before. I'm glad it went away though!
The plan was to start at 8:30 and then pick up to 8:20s. I was so focused on my pace that I unfortunately didn't take in a lot of the sites. From what I do remember it was really pretty.
It's mostly flat, which worked in my favor. Once we left downtown there were not as many spectators but those that were out where pretty great. The lack of spectators didn't actually bother me because when there are no people I can dial into my head and really be in the zone without distractions.
There is a section in the middle that goes around a park and was really great. It was on the water so it got a good breeze and was wide enough that I was able to run the pace I wanted. After the island, we headed back into downtown to the finish.
I stayed in the 8:30 range (some slightly higher, some slightly lower) until about mile 8 when I really started to pick it up.
When I was in the park and passed mile 10, I started doing some mental math. I knew my PR was just under a 1:52 and realized that based on my pace through 10 miles, I would most likely PR. I picked up the pace a little more because I really wanted that PR. The last 4 miles were my fastest so that made me happy - I really like negative splitting!
{Sidenote: My splits from the race (on my watch) are kinda screwy because near the beginning/end (it's a circle) you go through a big tunnel and I lost GPS tracking. I tried to manually split it at the marker, but it still got all screwed up.}
After the tunnel there was only about a mile left and I was giving it all I could. My legs were burning but I kept pushing. As I made the final turn to the finish, I realized I was really close being sub-1:50. I was really pushing it because I wanted to know that I had left it all out there.
Crossing the finish line felt amazing. I looked at my watch and knew I hadn't broken 1:50 (so close!), but I had still PR'd so I was SUPER happy. My PR had been back from 2010 so I was so happy to have a new one!
After finishing, I made my way through the finish area. First we got a cute water bottle (filled - loved that they were being green and using reusable bottles), a bag of food and then the best part: the Tiffany's necklace!
The necklace is a big sell for this race and it did not disappoint. I really loved the design this year. I posed with the nice kid (jailbait) for a photo opp and made my way to the finishers merch. They also had a finishers area with changing stations, charging stations, stretching areas, etc. I did merch first and then made my way back to that. It was really nice to sit and stretch for a while (and I ran into Nadia so it was nice to hang with her!).
Originally I hadn't planned on buying any finishers merch, but after PR'ing, I could not resist! The shirt was really cute. #ihaveaproblem
Overall, I really loved this race. The course is pretty and flat. I never felt over crowded and was able to run the race I wanted. The finishers necklace was gorgeous and well worth the entry fee. This is my third Nike Women's Race and I have to say they really do know how to put on a good show. The merchandise is always pretty, the race is well organized and of course - the Tiffany necklace!
Plus, new PR!!!
Results
Official: 13.1, 1:50:01, 8:23 pace
Garmin: 13.31, 1:50:02, 8:16 pace
Splits
Nike Women's DC Half Marathon
April 27, 2014
State: #16 (Washington, DC)
Lifetime: #45
The morning of this race did not go well for me. I got up my standard 2 hours before the race, but as soon as I woke up, my stomach did not feel great. I ate my standard breakfast and got ready hoping the stomach would settle. I had always planned on racing this so I knew I'd be nervous, but had no idea if the stomach was nerves or not. It felt a little better by the time we had to go.
Our hotel was only 2 blocks from the start line which was amazing. We meet the girls downstairs about 30 minutes before the start and headed over together.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Abby |
The race started promptly and off we went. It was cool to run towards the Capital building as it started. Once I started running, my stomach immediately felt better. The stomach pains must have been nerves, but I definitely had never felt that before. I'm glad it went away though!
The plan was to start at 8:30 and then pick up to 8:20s. I was so focused on my pace that I unfortunately didn't take in a lot of the sites. From what I do remember it was really pretty.
It's mostly flat, which worked in my favor. Once we left downtown there were not as many spectators but those that were out where pretty great. The lack of spectators didn't actually bother me because when there are no people I can dial into my head and really be in the zone without distractions.
There is a section in the middle that goes around a park and was really great. It was on the water so it got a good breeze and was wide enough that I was able to run the pace I wanted. After the island, we headed back into downtown to the finish.
I stayed in the 8:30 range (some slightly higher, some slightly lower) until about mile 8 when I really started to pick it up.
When I was in the park and passed mile 10, I started doing some mental math. I knew my PR was just under a 1:52 and realized that based on my pace through 10 miles, I would most likely PR. I picked up the pace a little more because I really wanted that PR. The last 4 miles were my fastest so that made me happy - I really like negative splitting!
{Sidenote: My splits from the race (on my watch) are kinda screwy because near the beginning/end (it's a circle) you go through a big tunnel and I lost GPS tracking. I tried to manually split it at the marker, but it still got all screwed up.}
After the tunnel there was only about a mile left and I was giving it all I could. My legs were burning but I kept pushing. As I made the final turn to the finish, I realized I was really close being sub-1:50. I was really pushing it because I wanted to know that I had left it all out there.
Crossing the finish line felt amazing. I looked at my watch and knew I hadn't broken 1:50 (so close!), but I had still PR'd so I was SUPER happy. My PR had been back from 2010 so I was so happy to have a new one!
After finishing, I made my way through the finish area. First we got a cute water bottle (filled - loved that they were being green and using reusable bottles), a bag of food and then the best part: the Tiffany's necklace!
The necklace is a big sell for this race and it did not disappoint. I really loved the design this year. I posed with the nice kid (jailbait) for a photo opp and made my way to the finishers merch. They also had a finishers area with changing stations, charging stations, stretching areas, etc. I did merch first and then made my way back to that. It was really nice to sit and stretch for a while (and I ran into Nadia so it was nice to hang with her!).
Originally I hadn't planned on buying any finishers merch, but after PR'ing, I could not resist! The shirt was really cute. #ihaveaproblem
Overall, I really loved this race. The course is pretty and flat. I never felt over crowded and was able to run the race I wanted. The finishers necklace was gorgeous and well worth the entry fee. This is my third Nike Women's Race and I have to say they really do know how to put on a good show. The merchandise is always pretty, the race is well organized and of course - the Tiffany necklace!
Plus, new PR!!!
Results
Official: 13.1, 1:50:01, 8:23 pace
Garmin: 13.31, 1:50:02, 8:16 pace
Splits
 |
| See? A little screwy... |
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Nike Women's DC - Expotique
Since I was going to be racing this race, I knew I would be stressed out and anxious. To make it easier on myself (and save everyone from my freak outs), I decided to take the train down and back. It was definitely a little more money then I would have liked to have spend, but it really worked best for my stress levels. Megan joined me on the train in Philly and we both relaxed until we arrived in DC.
After arriving in DC, we headed to the hotel, dropped our backs off (rooms were ready, yay!) and headed to the Expotique. It was held in Georgetown not far from the Nike store, which I get, but was really not convenient. We took the subway as close as we could, but then it was another 10-15 minute walk.
Upon arriving, first thing we did was head to number pickup. Megan had done the race the year before and said number pickup was a disaster - she waited over an hour! They seemed to have gotten the kinks out because this year number pickup was smooth as butter. There were maybe 30 people in line when we got there and it moved quickly.
 |
| Not too bad of a line |
 |
| The goody bag. |
 |
| Lots of ladies shopping! |
I really had hoped not to buy too much, but of course I have no self control. I really loved the branding this year and could not resist! Here's what I picked up.
A cotton short sleeve top (grey one on left). I had absolutely no need for this, but I love the saying! On the right, a DriFit long sleeve run top. Could not resist this color. Holy cow is it bright!
And my collection of waterbottles and headbands grows! Seriously, I have a problem. #someonehelpme
I also picked up a new pair of running socks. My socks are all getting to the end of their lifecycle, so these were needed.
I had also picked up the above 2 items prior to the race. I just loved them both! Was hoping this would be all I got... but no such luck. I love race gear, what can I say?
After doing all our shopping, we headed back to the expo. Since the race is all Nike focused, it's not a huge expo. They finally added in a running shop so if you forgot gu's or something you could pick it up (I don't remember that from my two SF events). They also had Nuun sampling (they'd be on course), sign making and hair braiding.
I picked up two tubes of Nuun, which I did need, but really just wanted the adorable water bottle. #seriouslyhelpme
After that, we headed back to the hotel. Both Megan and I really wanted to get off our feet and relax a bit before loading up on some pasta!
Up tomorrow - the race recap!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Training recap week of 4/21 (Grandma's Week 10)
This week was a little better in terms of aches and pains. I ended up taking Tuesday off to help with recovery.
It was good I did, because this week included state #16 - Nike Women's DC. And for some even bigger news, I accomplished one of my goals this weekend, I set a new PR during the race, a 1:50:01. I'll have a full recap soon, but it felt great. It was hard, but makes me feel pretty solid for Grandma's (in just 8 weeks).
Monday
Scheduled: Rest
Actual: Rest
Tuesday
Scheduled: 5 miles easy
Actual: Rest
Wednesday
Scheduled: 3 miles at Half Marathon Pace (8:20), plus 2 mi WU and 1 mi CD
Actual: 6.03 mi total, 54:40
Paces: 8:14, 8:23, 8:14
Thursday
Scheduled: 4 miles easy
Actual: 4.00 mi, 39:44, 9:56 pace
Friday
Scheduled: Rest
Actual: Rest
Saturday
Scheduled: 2M shake out run
Actual: Rest
Between heading to DC and the expo, ran out of time. Did do a good amount of walking to and from the expo though!
Sunday
Scheduled: Nike Women's Half Marathon (race effort)
Actual: 13.31 mi, 1:50:02, 8:16 pace
Total miles: 23.35
Total April miles: 121.13
Miles until goal (1,250): 833.53
Monday, December 2, 2013
Got some exciting news...
Mondays can be a drag, you know? They are rough in general, but they are especially tough following long weekends/holidays.
But my Monday was made a little bit better today by this awesome email:
Yay! Team Mean Girls is in (yes, we named our group after the movie and there has been talk about themed costumes relating to the movies). Can't wait - time to check another state off the list!
Anyone else is?
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