Training Recap week of 10/5 (Route 66 Week 12)

This post should probably be titled "When you realize you are now 4 weeks behind in recaps".  Oops.  My goal really is to at least get my training recaps up weekly, but between work and training, I am exhausted at night.  Both come first, so blogging gets pushed to the back.

I'm going to try and get caught up this week though.  We'll see.

First up is Week 12 - which included Rock n Roll Brooklyn.  If you follow me on Instagram, you already know how it went.  It went AMAZING! My goal was between 1:43 and 1:45 and I ran a 1:43:04 (which is 4:35 off my previous PR).  I will be getting a full race recap up, but let's just say I am still in disbelieve that it happened.  Even waiting to start, I had doubts about whether or not I could do it.  But, as one of my goals for 2015 was to work on mental toughness, I told myself to ignore them and just see how it went.  Take it one mile at a time.  And it worked!  More to come when I (finally) get to the recap!

This week was a bit of a mini taper heading into the race, so not too much intensity.

Monday
Scheduled: Rest
Actual: Rest

Tuesday
Scheduled: 4 miles easy pace
Actual: 4.14 mi, 43:59, 10:37 pace

Wednesday
Scheduled: Speedwork - 4 miles moderate with 10 x 1 minute pickups, plus warmup and cooldown
Actual: 6.0 mi, 55:06, 9:11 pace

Thursday
Scheduled: Rest
Actual: Rest

Friday
Scheduled: 2 mile shake out run
Actual: 2.18 mi, 22:20, 10:14 pace

Saturday
Scheduled: RnR Brooklyn Half Marathon (plus a warmup)
Actual:
Warmup: 0.5 mi, 4:57, 9:54 pace
Race: 13.22 mi, 1:43:04, 7:48 pace (based on Garmin)

Sunday
Scheduled: Rest
Actual: Rest

Total miles: 26.09

Total October miles: 50.66

Miles until goal (1,250): 281.83
Cross Training: 0/4
 

Race Recap: Rock n Roll Raleigh Half Marathon

Here it is!  My PR race recap! 

Rock'n'Roll Raleigh Half Marathon
April 12, 2015

State: #20 (North Carolina)
Lifetime: #53

I thought the easiest way to do this recap would be to break it into segments.  I actually wrote a large chunk of this on the plane back from Raleigh so I wouldn't forget the details!

Waiting to start

Start

The race started right outside our hotel, about a block away.  It made for an easy and quick race morning!  The corrals were pretty small and were starting every 1-2 minutes.  I started in Corral 4, and I remember thinking I should probably have moved back since I was taking it easy.  By that point it was too late and we got ready to go.

Miles 1-3

The first couple of miles took us around downtown Raleigh.  I knew I was going faster then I had thought I would in mile 1, but it was slightly downhill so I figured that was why.  My legs felt nice and loose and I decided I would run how I felt for the next couple of miles.

Miles 2-3 passed uneventfully as well, except my pace picked up even more.  This section was still downhill and I was letting gravity do it's thing.

Paces: 8:37, 8:11, 8:12

Miles 4-6

During mile 3, I had realized the 3:45 (marathon) pace group was right near me.  I did some quick math and figured out a half at that pace would put me pretty close to a PR (or at least one of my faster times).  My legs were still feeling good, so I decided I'd try and stick with them as long as possible.  I knew the courses split well before the Half finish, so it wouldn't be the whole time.

The pacers were great, they chatted and kept me distracted during these miles.  After a bit more downhill, there was a long (close to a mile) up hill at mile 5.  Even still, our pace was about 1 minute of so ahead when we hit the mile 6 marker.  They kept saying we'd slow down on the big hill that was coming, but by this time I had started to think a PR might be possible and those extra seconds were going to be needed to do so.

Paces: 8:25, 8:13, 8:26

Miles 7-9

Just past the 10K mark, there was a water stop.  The pace team decided to take it slow through the water stop since they were slightly ahead of the pace.  My legs were still feeling really good and I didn't want to stop.  I could tell the PR was in reach and didn't want to risk doing anything that would cause a delay.

There was another long (almost a mile) climb in mile 7.  This was the big hill the pacers had been talking about, but I didn't realize it until it was over.  Since I didn't know it was "the hill", I just put my head down and push through.  The flat when the hill was over felt so good.  We went made a loop around a neighborhood and then it was time for the Half and Full to split (about mile 8).  At this point (mile 8), I was rapidly trying to do the math on what pace I needed to make to PR.  I thought it was possible, but just to be sure, I tried to pick up the pace a little starting at mile 9 (which was on a slight downhill, so that helped).

Paces: 8:12, 8:29, 7:59

Miles 10-12

These miles were a bit rough.  I had picked up the pace and didn't feel horrible for mile 10.  There was a pretty big section of downhill, which felt amazing then, but on Monday my quads were hurting.   It was during this mile I caught up to the 1:50 pace group, which I knew had started in the corral in front of me.  I knew if I stayed in front of them, I'd be fine.

Mile 11 brought on another hill.  It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't pretty either.  I had some thoughts go through my head that maybe I had picked it up too soon.  What if I died in the last mile?

Mile 12 was by far the worst.  There was another hill.  It wasn't as long as the earlier ones, but it was pretty steep and to be honest, my legs were hurting.  I remember making a left turn and seeing the hill and saying (out loud), "Are you kidding me?".  There was a part of me that just wanted to stop and cry during that hill (but don't worry, I didn't).

I think this section was a big mental game for me.  I said in my 2015 goals, I wanted to work on mental strength and learn to push through the pain and I think this race showed that I am getting stronger on that front.  For these last miles, every time I crossed a mile, I'd start to do the math of "I have to run at least an ___ minute per mile pace to PR".  Every time I'd do this, I'd force myself to stop.  I didn't want to think that way because I felt like I was giving myself an excuse to slow down because it hurt.  I'm not kidding that in mile 12, I wanted to stop and cry on that hill, but I pushed through.  Mile 12 wasn't pretty, but I am pretty proud of myself for that mile.

Paces: 7:44, 7:52, 8:02

Mile 13-Finish

By the time I made it to the last mile, I was an odd combination of emotions.  I was completely spent, but knew I still had a mile to go.  I was so happy that it (the PR) was going to happen.  I was in shock, since I hadn't planned on this at all.  Basically, I spent the entire mile 13 trying not to cry.

Every time we made a turn, I'd look for the finish line.  For the last 0.5 miles, I was counting down the tenth's of a mile.  Okay, only 0.5 to go.  Only 0.4 to go.  And eventually, we were at the State Capitol building, which I knew was right near the finish line.  And when I made that final turn and saw the finish... I honestly can't even think of how to describe it.  I think relief is the best way.

The finish was here and I was going to do it.  I was going to PR.  And not just PR a little, PR by a lot (by 2 minutes and 22 seconds to be exact).  Passing the mile 13 marker, I started sprinting to the finish line.  I wanted to know I had given it my all.  Crossing the finish line was awesome.  I was definitely crying, but they were tears of joy (mostly, there might have been some tears of pain in there as well).

Paces: 8:02, 6:28 (for .19, according to my Garmin)

After crossing the finish line and collecting my medal, I made my way through the finisher's chute.  I made sure to pick up a water and a Gatorade as well as some food for later (I am a weirdo and can't eat right after I race.  I use a recovery shake as that's about all I can get down).  Fortunately, the finish chute ended right in front of the hotel so I made my way inside to get some recovery in before heading to the beer garden (I figured I deserved my free Mich Ultra).

Final Thoughts
Basically, I loved this race.  And it wasn't just the PR (which we'll talk about below), but it was the race itself.  Rock n Roll puts on a good race and this was no exception.  From arriving at the start to the finishers chute, it was well run.  The corrals were organized, the course was challenging but gorgeous (Raleigh sure is a pretty place).  If you are looking for a North Carolina race, I'd recommend this one.

Now about that PR.  Basically, anytime you PR, it's awesome.  But this wasn't just a small PR, this was a pretty big one (2:22 minutes!).  It's been about a year since Nike DC and I've spent some time since the race thinking about the two races (Nike vs Raleigh).  Even though I was dying at end of Raleigh, I actually felt much better then during Nike last year.  I remember crossing mile 13 (at Nike) and thinking I could not move any faster.  I had really want to get sub 1:50 at that race and missed it by 2 seconds.  I just could not get my legs to move faster.  That was not the case this time around.  I still manage to sprint the last 0.1 to the finish.

Nike DC was also much flatter then this race was, which is crazy to me, because I don't usually run hills very well.  So I am extra happy that I PR'd on a hilly course.  Which (of course) makes me think that I might even be able to run faster on a flat course.  But that's a discussion for another time.

Results
Official: 13.1 mi, 1:47:39, 8:13 pace
Garmin: 13.19 mi, 1:47:39, 8:10 pace

Anyone else run Raleigh?  What did you think?

Raleigh Half Marathon Expo

We headed to the expo on Saturday before lunch.  Luckily, our hotel was directly across from the convention center, so it was super easy!

They had live music playing outside all day and the expo was very organized.  Our first stop upon arriving was number and shirt pickup.  There was no line for either and we moved through quickly. I am a big fan of the shirt - both the color and the design.  In the words of Dug (from Up) - SQUIRREL!

And the squirrel is playing the banjo!

Apparently Raleigh is the 'City of Oaks' as oak leaves and acorns were also a theme for the weekend.  Either way, I was a big fan!

From the shirt pick up, we headed to official merchandise.  I hadn't planned on getting anything except my customary pin and guitar bottle opener (it's a RnR race tradition for me), but the merchandise for this event was just too cute too pass up!

After looking around, I ended up picking up a cute racerback.  It has an oak leave and a small outline of North Carolina on it.  Perfect souvenir for a 50 State race!  The material is very soft and comfy.  I am already thinking it'll be a great shirt to bring to Disney to wear in the parks (in addition to running it it!).  It's wicking material, but doesn't look like a normal tech shirt.  It'll be great on really hot days!

I also picked up a baseball cap.  It's not technical or wicking, but I just thought it was so cute.  During the summer I like to wear baseball caps running errands or when on the beach.  It's probably one of my less practical purchases, but I just thought it was so cute!

There's that oak leaf again

And of course, I picked up my standard pin and guitar bottle opener.

After official merchandise, we made a loop of the rest of the expo.  It was pretty standard expo vendors and we picked up some postcards for other 50 State races we could do.

After making a loop and checking everything out, we headed to lunch!  We ate lunch at a very yummy barbecue restaurant in Raleigh.  More to come on that!

Training recap week of 4/6 (Pixie Dust Challenge Week 14)

Let's just say that this week's training recap is not at all what I thought it was going to be about.  I thought it was going to be about a pretty normal training week with a half marathon thrown in.  Which I used as part of a Pixie Dust Challenge progression training build (Friday, Saturday and Sunday runs).  But, if you follow me on Instagram, you already know that was not quite what happened - I got an unexpected, pretty big, PR!

I'm still a bit in shock - PR'ing was in my goals for the year, but I did not think it would happen yesterday.  I wasn't planning on it and spent several hours on Saturday tasting my way around Raleigh's breweries and eating lots of barbeque.  I didn't get enough sleep Saturday night.  The course was hilly (oh so hilly).  But somehow, it still happened (maybe Tinker Bell visited me while I slept and gave me some Pixie Dust?).

I'll have a full recap of RnR Raleigh soon (and I promise, I want to write it while I still remember everything!), but it was just one of those days were everything comes together.  It was magical.  It made me so appreciate the times I dragged myself out to do runs in snow, sleet, freezing temps, etc.  It definitely would not have been possible if I hadn't put in the work, that much I know.  More to come in my recap this week!

Monday
Scheduled: Rest
Actual: Rest
Cross Training: :45 second plank, Sleek Arms Day 6

Tuesday
Scheduled: 5 miles easy
Actual: 4 mi, 38:54, 9:43 pace
Cross Training: Tone It Up Bikini Arms, :50 second plank, Sleek Arms Day 7

Wednesday
Scheduled: 7 miles easy
Total miles: 7.06 mi, 1:07:04, 9;30 pace
Cross Training: Tone It Up Mali Booty, :55 second plank, Sleek Arms Day 8

Thursday
Scheduled: Rest
Actual: Rest
Cross Training: New Balance Girls Night Out - The Sports Barre, 1:00 second plank, Sleek Arms Day 9

Tonight was the first Girls Night Out of 2015!  It was another fun time and challenging workout!

Friday
Scheduled: 1 mile easy
Actual: 1.00, 9:30, 9:30 pace
Cross Training: 1:01 second plank, Sleek Arms Day 10

Saturday
Scheduled: 3 miles easy
Actual: 3.1 mi, 29:27, 9:30 pace 
Cross Training: 1:02 second plank, Sleek Arms Day 11

Sunday
Scheduled: Rock and Roll Raleigh Half Marathon
Actual: 13.19 mi, 1:47:39, 8:10 pace (based on my Garmin)
Cross Training: 1:03 second plank, Sleek Arms Day 12

Total miles: 28.35

Total April miles: 49.93

Miles until goal (1,250): 931.94
Cross Training: 3/4

Race Recap: RnR Providence Half Marathon

Rock 'n' Roll Providence Half Marathon
September 29, 2013

State: Repeat
Lifetime: #38

This past weekend I ran the Rock 'n' Roll Providence Half Marathon.  This was my 3rd year running the race and it has definitely become one of my favorites.  It's a nice course and the weather in Providence this time of the year is just beautiful.  The leaves were just starting to change which made it really nice.

I did this race as part of my 14 mile run, so before it started I got some extra mileage in.  The start was right up the block from our hotel, so it made for a nice and easy race morning.  Race morning was typical for me - oatmeal and a banana when I first got up, followed by PowerBar Energy Blasts 30 mins before the start.

It was a little cooler then I anticipated at the start and I had forgotten to bring any throwaway clothing.  But I had brought an extra long sleeve shirt just in case of this, so I had something to keep me warm.  I ended up keeping the shirt on until like mile 10.

The start was delayed for about 10 minutes before the start, but otherwise it was pretty well organized.  I am not sure why there was a delay.  Once they got started, the waves went off quickly.  Only took me about 5 minutes to get to the start and off we went.

The course is nice and goes through several Providence neighborhoods and includes some time on the water.  There are several hills in it which do make it a little more challenging.  The one between miles 4 and 5 is pretty tough, but not impossible.  It's also short so that's nice!

This is one of the smaller RnR races, so the course never felt crazy crowded which is nice.  Since I was doing this as part of my long run, I really tried to keep the pace easy.  It was faster then my long run pace should be, but it felt comfortable.

I have to admit I am not a fan of the medals this time around.  The previous 2 years I really liked (they had sailboats on them) but this one is just not my style.  I know people who did really like them though!

Results
Official: 13.1 miles, 2:10:34, 9:58 pace
Since I kept my watch going for the full 14 miles, only have official times this time.

RnR Providence Expo

So this past weekend, we headed to Providence for the Rock n Roll Providence Half Marathon.  This is my 3rd year doing the race - it's a gorgeous course and a nice weekend away!  I did the race as part of my long run, so no racing for me.

We headed to the expo first thing on Saturday morning - mainly because Pam had only packed 1 shirt and if she wanted to run on Saturday (which she did) she'd need another.  We figured we'd get in before the crowds and get out.

We arrived about an hour after the expo opened.  It was empty (such a nice change from Philly when it was packed).  We got our numbers easily and headed to the race merchandise.  I wasn't really feeling any of the official clothing so I passed on that.  There was no 'Run Happy Island' set up this time, which I thought was weird.

The expo it's self was pretty small, but we still made our way through it.  I picked up a box of my favorite pre-race PowerBar Energy Blasts (cola only, it's the best flavor by far).  It was $20 for a box of 12 which comes to $1.66 each.  I usually pay about $2.50 each so it was a good deal.

Everything else was pretty much standard fare.  They had Clif Bar samples and the typical booths you see at expo's.  But then, we discovered our downfall (aka the greatest find ever).  Marathon Sports, a store based in the Boston region, was having a great expo sale.  Items 1 & 2 at 40% off, 3 or more all 50% off.  Usually when a booth/store has an offer that good I never find anything I want to buy.  This time was different.  Both Pam and I picked up some good finds.

The booth was nicely stocked with high quality items.  I got all Moving Comfort and Brooks items.  For 50% off!

They had these great tank tops from Moving Comfort - super soft fabric and a cute crisscross in the back.  I picked up 2 - one grey and one teal.

They also had a t-shirt in the same material in a pretty pink that I snagged.

Next up, I got a great purple heather long sleeve light weight pullover.  I debated on this one because I have other similar tops, but in the end I got it.  I think this is going to become a travel top actually (and not worn for running).  It's super light weight and rolls up pretty small, so it would make a great top to keep on me in Disney when it gets a little chillier.

Rounding out the tops is a great find that both Pam and I picked up for a future costume.  It's a nice lightweight tank top from Brooks.  Anyone guess what Disney character we are thinking of?

I also picked up 2 pairs of shorts and a really cute pink skirt.  I didn't really need the shorts, but I loved the colors and couldn't resist at 50% off.

Plus to top it off, I got 2 free Sweaty Bands with my purchase.  I picked up a skinny teal sparkly one and a skinny purple sparkly one.

It turned out to be a great deal and an excellent way to end the expo.  Can't wait to start wearing all my new gear!

Race Recap: RnR Philadelphia Half Marathon

Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon
September 15, 2013

State: Repeat
Lifetime: #37

This past weekend, Abby, Pam and I took a road trip to Philly to run the Rock n Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon.  This weekend was also our friend Megan's daughters first birthday party in Philly and it worked perfectly for us to run the half.

We headed to Philly early Saturday morning (not without some stops on the way) and headed straight to the birthday party.  It was a great afternoon filled with delicious food (Megan had an awesome Hawaiian food truck cater!) and time with friends.

After the party we headed to the expo (after checking in to the hotel).  The expo was pretty small.  After getting our numbers and race shirts, we headed to the merchandise.  They had some really cute race tanks, but they were all sold out of my size.  I guess that is what happens when you show up 1 hour before the expo closes.

The Brooks area (they are the main sponsor) was themed 'Run Happy Island'.  They were doing a thing were if you got 3 stamps from their different booths you could get a nice 'Run Happy Island' insulated bag for free.  I have to give Abby credit for this one as I didn't want to do it initially but she convinced me.  I was glad I did 'cuz the bag is really cute!

Stamp #2: Abby, Pam and I getting ready (photo courtesy of Abby)

After getting our bags and checking out some of the booths (it seemed like a small expo to me) and then headed back to the hotel to get settled and have some dinner.  Even though the race wasn't until 8am, we headed to bed early for a solid night of sleep!

Sunday morning came and I had my usual oatmeal for breakfast.  I had laid out my clothing the night before so getting dressed was easy.  Our hotel was about a 20 minute walk from the start which gave us a nice warmup.  It was little chilly when we first started walking, but I warmed up quickly.

After wishing Abby and Pam good luck, I headed to my corral.  Let me tell you, the corrals were insane.  It was very packed but I managed to make it in.  They were sending the corrals off in waves, but I couldn't figure out how.  I think in sets of 3 maybe?  Who knows but fortunately I only had to wait about 10 minutes to start.

My legs had been heavy all week so I didn't think this would go well.  I figured I would run how I felt. I tried to conserve in the beginning because I didn't want to die in the end.  After the first couple of miles, I was really settling in.  The first 7 miles just flew by, I could not believe how quickly they went!

I was feeling really strong so I decided to pick it up a bit.  The miles kept going quickly and the pace was steady.  Once I hit mile 10 I upped the pace again.  This was a little more difficult but not so hard that I couldn't maintain it for ever.  Mile 11 I gave it a little more and mile 12 I decided to just leave it all on the course.  I pushed myself and got another sub 8 minute mile for the last mile.  It still amazes me how far my speed has come!

As I crossed finished line, I was spent.  I knew I had left it all out there.  It felt good.  But more importantly, I had hit the time goal I had set earlier in the summer - my final time was a 1:55:04.  So proud and so excited to have reached a goal that I had set.  Now time to focus 100% on Dopey!

Results
Official: 13.1 mi, 1:55:09, 8:47 pace
Garmin: 13.24 mi, 1:55:04, 8:40 pace

Splits