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After the Philly HM I did what any runner would do – plug my new HM time into good old McMillan to see what my new marathon time could be.
3:34.
Ha. That’s a bit farfetched – I take McMillan predictions with a grain of salt – but it seems that a sub-3:40 should be doable.
That’s the plan on December 8.
I’m running the Rehoboth Beach Marathon. Oh yes I am.
There’s no half (in my biased opinion) that can top Philly. I love this race. Philly does a fine job of putting on a fun and organized race, all the while maintaining a mom-and-pop-like feel (similar to the old Philly Distance Run days – oh, how I miss you). And the 4-deep spectators along Chestnut Street don’t hurt either.
Based on my 12K finish last week I figured I could maintain a 7:40-7:45 pace. But I also wanted to feel things out a bit too. Settle into whatever pace felt comfortable on that day and go from there.
It was freezing at the start. As soon as I checked my jacket and pants my whole body was trembling. I totally forgot to bring a trash bag (it really does keep you warm!).
my sister showing mile 26 some love pre-race
The first mile was a little rough since my feet were numb and my muscles were tight from being so cold. Soon enough I settled into a pace that felt like HM pace. When I glanced at my Garmin I was around 7:45 pace. Perfect.
The middle miles were pretty uneventful. I enjoyed the crowds and kept my mind occupied by reading the signs. There’s an incline (can’t really call it a hill) around mile 7-8 and a legitimate hill right past the mile 9 marker. That’s it though. Contrary to what people say the Philly Half (and full – I ran it in 2008) is a flat course!
Around mile 10 I started doing the math. 3 more miles at x pace and maybe you can snag a 1:41. Holy shit! Could I really? I started repeating my favorite mantra. You can do anything for 3 miles. Repeat again at mile 11. You can do anything for 2 miles.
The finish line at the Philly Half is deceptive. You must go all the way around Eakins Oval and then down the Parkway a bit to even see the finish line. I forget this each year.
I headed down the Parkway – I still couldn’t see the finish line yet – and my Garmin said 1:41. I had no idea how close to 1:42 I was (after the 1-hour mark I don’t see seconds on my Garmin). I started sprinting – there was no way I was going to let 1:41 turn into 1:42.
1:41:54.
A 4-minute PR from September.
A 6-minute PR from last year’s Philly Half.
Splits
almost all 7s…that’s a first
After the race I did a quick wardrobe change and coffee run and headed back down to spectate. I got to see strong finishes by Megan and Kelly (nice job ladies!) and watch my sister kill her marathon time from March by 20 minutes. Congrats Karyn!!
Completely unrelated but check out this great interview with Kara Goucher. Ultramarathoner?!
I ran this race last year and proclaimed “never again”. The distance (7.45 miles) is strange and I end up running 10K pace and just feel miserable for the last mile. For some reason I ended up registering again…maybe to get some redemption?
I had 2 goals going into Saturday’s race:
1. Not race it. Instead I would use the race as a fast finish long run. A 13-mile warm up and then a 12K where I would keep the pace moderate.
2. Beat my time last year – even though I wasn’t racing it. Given my shitty performance last year (7:59 average pace), it shouldn’t be too hard.
I got up at the crack of dawn on Saturday and was running around Kelly Drive by 6:30AM. 13 nice and easy miles.
I love Philly
I finished up run #1 around 8:30 and had a 1/2 hour to change out of my cold, sweaty clothes, eat some Shot Bloks, sit in my car and blast the heat, and then head over to the race. I felt good.
The course is a simple out-and-back along Martin Luther King Drive. The weather was perfect. I kept my pace nice and controlled during the first mile. When I glanced at my Garmin it read 7:45 pace. Hmm.
I maintained 7:45 pace until the turnaround (mile 17). Then I got this incredible rush of endorphins. I loved everyone and everything. I dropped my pace slightly.
I saw Ann around mile 18 and got another little burst of energy (Hi Ann!). I kept pushing onward. I couldn’t believe how fresh my legs felt. If only this were a marathon.
I crossed the finish line in 57:15 (7:41 average pace). A 2+ minute PR from last year, even with a 13-mile warm up.
Overall – 38/374
Female – 8/223
AG – 4/51
I cannot wait for the Philly HM next weekend!
Ever get an endorphin rush and love everyone and everything? It’s like being a happy drunk.
First things first – a huge congrats is in order for my nephew Philip! He placed 2nd in his cross country championship! That’s 1.25 miles in 9:48 (7:50 average pace). Did I mention he just turned 8?!
He also smashed 30 seconds off his old PR from this season. Philip’s strategy is simple – start out slow and then pick the other runners off one by one. Pretty impressive for an 8 year old. It takes years to master the art of pacing.
Showing off the trophy
Philip’s cheering section
In other news, winter has arrived in Philly. Time to ‘get up and go’ in the morning and not stop to ponder about how cold it is outside and how warm your bed is. At least the sun comes up at a decent hour.
I ran 57 miles last week with 16 miles on trails. I’m still in quasi-ultra training mode – only because I enjoy it so much and not because I’m planning to run another ultra soon. If the spirit moves me I may even throw in some “fast” miles. I’m really enjoying just running right now. Plain, simple, and uncomplicated running.
I might as well post while we still have power.
The news is freaking me out. I’m afraid we’ll be underwater by tomorrow morning.
Is it wrong of me to worry about fitting in my runs this week? My beloved trail will be swallowed by the Schuylkill River soon so treadmill running will have to do. That’s IF we have power, which doesn’t seem likely.
In all seriousness, stay safe everyone in PA and NJ. I’m happy my parents escaped the Jersey Shore yesterday and are safe and sound in PA. I just hope their house doesn’t sustain too much damage.
Last week was an awesome week of running. 55 miles that felt like 30 miles. I think my weekend of rest had something to do with it.
I’m counting down the days until Daylight Savings. Running in the dark is getting old. And terrifying. Matt and I started watching The Walking Dead and I’m convinced zombies are going to attack me.
On Saturday I was up at 5:30AM to knock out 16 miles so that we could be at a Halloween dog walk by 10AM. I totally white-knuckled the first 5 miles.
this is scary in the dark. think headless horseman.
Sunday morning was another dark run coupled with rain and early morning walks-of-shame from Saturday night Halloween parties…still dressed in costume…Scream mask and all. Terrifying.
I’ll leave you with a few pics of Hawk all decked out for Halloween. He was quite the handsome stegosaurus.
Does running in the dark terrify you?
Are you resting while the hurricane hits or devising ways to sneak in a run?
UPDATE: Due to Hurricane Sandy, the Grand Opening class for Barre Focus Fitness University City has been moved to Thursday, November 1 at 6:00PM.
Before January of this year, I hardly ever strength trained. I just wanted to run and not be bothered with anything else. But as I started to build my mileage up and run more marathons, I knew strength training was important but still couldn’t bring myself to consistently do it.
The more miles we run, the more we need to strengthen our bodies to support the added mileage. You can only avoid strength training for so long. Sooner or later, those twinges can turn into injuries.
Fearful that my many years of back-to-back training cycles and added mileage would sideline me, strength training was a must. My #1 criteria? It MUST accompany marathon training and not take anything away from it. I didn’t want my marathon training to suffer because of strength training. Running will always come first.
This immediately took CrossFit off the list. I’m highly skeptical that anyone can consistently do CrossFit and effectively train for a marathon. CrossFit is too intense and marathon training is too intense. You’re asking for burnout and injury.
I tried barre because it seemed to be a perfect fit. Highly effective yet low impact. No squatting, lunging, or weights (except for 2-3 lb hand weights). I was sore enough the next day to know it was effective but not too sore to get a training run in.
I equate barre to a ridiculously hard yoga class. It doesn’t send your heart rate through the roof but your muscles are definitely working. There are many times in class I need to rest for a few seconds so my legs can stop shaking.
I was lucky enough to find a great studio – Barre Focus Fitness – with amazing instructors. I only plug the things I’m truly passionate about on my blog and Barre Focus Fitness is one of them.
While I frequent their Haverford location, I’m excited that Barre Focus Fitness is branching out into Philly! If you live in the Philly area and want to try barre or are looking for something new join them for a free grand opening class on Halloween!
Do you strength train? Like barre? How about CrossFit (am I opening a can of worms with this one…I’m personally sick of hearing about it)?!