Kara Goucher

Philly Half Recap

November 20, 2012 by Kristy 13 Comments

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?!

Just What I Needed

August 7, 2012 by Kristy 13 Comments

Two days away, no running, some easy hiking, some sleep, time with Matt, dinner and drinks with family, and lots of Olympics watching is exactly what I needed to snap my mind and legs out of their funk.

Matt and I headed up north this weekend to the quaint town of Milford, PA for his birthday. Never heard of it? Either did we. It’s just south of where PA, NJ, and NY meet and right near the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area so there are lots of trails to hike. And the town of Milford is very pet friendly so Hawk was able to join us.

Before we headed north on Friday, I got my long run out of the way and it wasn’t as miserable as expected given how heavy my legs felt last week. 18 miles at 10:00 average pace. Done and done.

Our weekend in pictures…

Very late on Saturday night (after many drinks) I was faced with 2 options: (1) sleep in and watch the women’s marathon once I got home (and avoid all social media on the 2+ hour trip home) or (2) get up at 6AM and watch it live. Option #2 won and it was well worth the lack of sleep.

Amazing

Also amazing

The men’s 10,000 meters wasn’t bad to watch either!

Did you watch the marathon live or sleep in? Or don’t care? Is that possible?!

Wise Sayings

May 24, 2012 by Kristy 11 Comments

My Dad is the king of sayings and catch-phrases, especially from commercials. Two of my favorite “Dad” sayings are:

No one ever drowned in sweat – although I did object to this once last summer during a 17-miler in 100 degree temps.

sweaty beast – summer 2011

Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you – god, do I love this one. Something as simple as scoring a great parking spot in a crowded mall during Christmas season (sometimes you get the bear) to having a fantastic training cycle and then a less-than-stellar performance on race day(sometimes the bear gets you).

A few of my other favorites:

What goes around comes around – sometimes the only way I can justify not hurting someone (kidding…kind of), is to repeat this to myself. Mean people get what is theirs eventually.

That which matters the most should never give way to that which matters the least – from the lululemon manifesto (which is full of wise sayings). Sometimes a reminder of perspective is needed.

Jealousy works the opposite way you want it to – also from the lululemon manifesto. We always want what we don’t have. I want Kara Goucher’s legs and speed and, on occasion, straight hair with cute side bangs but it’s not happening. The sooner you appreciate what you have, the better off you will be. I’m learning to appreciate my short, muscular legs for powering me through marathons and any small improvements in speed are celebrated. And my hair…well, 9 months out of the year curly hair is great to have.

If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t – a great lesson for all things in life but I apply this to marathoning more than anything. A great training cycle and great race day weather mean nothing if you don’t believe you can do it. And when I say believe I mean that deep down in-your-gut feeling of “yes, I got this”.

Do what you love and success will follow – if I didn’t believe this I would probably be in the fetal position somewhere crying. I am doing what I love – coaching, albeit part-time – and I repeat this to myself often. Someday, someday…

Got a favorite saying to share?

Olympic Trials, Haircut, And A Long Run

January 15, 2012 by Kristy 11 Comments

Happy Sunday! I’m enjoying Day 2 of a 3-day weekend! I just got back from barre class which kicked my butt, as always. My legs were already tired from 15 miles yesterday and all the pulsing and squeezing sent them over the edge this morning.

So, the Olympic Marathon Trials?! So exciting. I cannot wait for London. I just got back from my long run in enough time to catch the Twitterfest of the finish. Meb is amazing and Shalane, Kara, and Desi are a force to be reckoned with in London.

hawk_oly — Hawk enjoyed watching the Trials as well

I wish I could say that I channeled some of that elite energy during my LR but I didn’t. 15 miles with an average pace of 9:04. I will call that a LSD run. I slept 4 hours on Friday night (random insomnia) and, beginning at mile 6, I developed a blister on my right foot (while wearing my Adrenaline 11s – yes, the ones that are supposed to feel good). I have no idea what kind of metamorphosis my right foot is undergoing but it better morph back to my old foot pronto. I’ve never had issues with blisters before. They suck and can really derail a run.

To be honest, my heart was not in this run. I was tired. It was so, so cold. The wind kept smacking me in the forehead and pissing me off. I wanted it to be OVER. I came home and I was upset. This was a slow run for me and a good 45 seconds slower than MP. Then I took out my FIRST plan and looked at what pace I was supposed to run those 15 miles (note: when it comes to long runs I generally “beat” whatever pace the FIRST plan calls for…so I never even bother to look at it pre-run). 9:08. I ran 9:04 and called it a terrible run. I stopped sulking after that.

And…I got my hair cut yesterday! I got a good 6 inches lopped off the back. It feels amazing to have less hair to deal with! It was getting to the point where my hair was in a ponytail every single day. Some pics…

haircut_1 — it may not look like a lot from the front...

Good luck to everyone running Houston today!

What did you think of the Trials?

Did you have a good long run this weekend?

Random Thursday Thoughts

October 6, 2011 by Kristy 13 Comments

10/6/11
6 miles / 54:40 / 9:06 avg pace

1. Kara Goucher posted this on her FB page yesterday:

As some of you may have already read, Alberto and I are no longer working together. He has been a vital part of my running career and life, and helped me to achieve many of my goals. However, we both felt it was time to go in separate directions. I do not yet know what my future coaching situation will be, but I look forward to exploring the next chapter in my running career.

Hmmm…scandalous! I haven’t had time to investigate. Does anyone know why?

2. These are delicious. I ate my way through 2 bags already.

via

3. I wore gloves this week when running. I love it…it’s a true sign that Fall running weather is here. I don’t love cold hands.

4. I need to get to lululemon. My wish list is rather extensive: Run: Inspire Crop, Run: Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve, etc, etc.

That’s all I got today, folks!

Got the scoop on Kara? Broke out the gloves yet? Got a random thought to share?

Lehigh Valley Marathon: Week 10 Recap

August 10, 2011 by Kristy 9 Comments

8/10/11
7 miles easy / 1:05 / 9:17 avg pace

Thanks for your comments on my running etiquette post. The verdict? Those guys were in the wrong and total creepers!

I had to double-check which week I was recapping. It’s all starting to mush together towards the end.

MON: 7 at marathon pace
TUE: 8 speed
WED: 8 easy
THU: REST!
FRI: 15 long
SAT: 5 easy
SUN: 10 tempo

53 miles for the week and 6 days of running (normal for me is 5 days per week). I figured I’d give it a shot but I really prefer 2 rest days.

I was looking over an old post I wrote at the beginning of this training cycle, where I laid out my plans for changing things up and doing things different. Overall I’m doing pretty good:

increase overall mileage — CHECK
switching between hill repeats and track workouts — decided against this since I need the speed work to BQ and my long runs are plenty hilly.
trail running — CHECK. Every tempo run has been done on a trail.
long runs (do some at LSD and some at MP) — CHECK. Thanks to the humidity, the choice as to which runs were LSD was made for me 🙂
cross-train (yoga and strength train) — FAIL! I haven’t been to a single yoga class yet and I went to 1 strength training class.

Somehow, I always imagined that running alone could transform my body into this…

(via)

I’m delusional but I can dream, right? I know it takes a steady dose of strength training (and good genes) to look like Kara. So yesterday I did an at-home, completely made-up, 20 minutes of ST. And it only confirmed that I need to go back to a class. Baby steps, right?

Unrelated question of the day: what do you use to track your runs? Daily Mile, etc? I’m thinking of ditching my excel spreadsheet for something more high tech!