Philly Half Marathon

Friday Ramblings

November 11, 2011 by Kristy 7 Comments

Today is 11/11/11. I bet there are a ton of weddings today. Speaking of which, I’m sure everyone read about the NYC marathoners that got married at Mile 22. And finished in 3:54. I wonder why they chose Mile 22. Is anyone still having fun at Mile 22? And is this becoming a trend? Oiselle makes a “runaway bride dress” specifically for the purpose of getting married on the run.

I have been a lazy sloth all week. My 12K is tomorrow so I have been “resting” my legs. I debated all week about where to fit in my long run – Friday or Sunday. I don’t want to tire my legs for tomorrow’s race but Sunday we have plans and I would have to get up super early in order to fit in a long run. I’ve decided to forego a long run this week, even though the Philly Half is next weekend. I’m going to run 8 miles today, nice and easy, and will put in a few miles on Sunday morning. Or rest. We’ll see.

I’m excited that tomorrow’s 12K is chip timed! Woo hoo! I don’t have to worry about standing in the front and getting caught up with all the speedy runners.

I’m also terribly nervous for tomorrow’s race. The shorter the distance, the more nervous I get. I hate pain.

Did you get married on a specific date because of meaning (i.e., day you met) or because of numbers (i.e., 11-11-11)? We got married on 7-25-09 which didn’t have any meaning but I secretly liked the “25” aspect of it. And I wanted to get married in the summer.

Which makes you more nervous – longer races or shorter races? I guess 5Ks and 10Ks wouldn’t scare me so much if I did them more often. I just hate the running-until-you-puke feeling. I still get nervous for marathons but it’s a different kind of nervous, if that makes sense.

November Race Goals

November 3, 2011 by Kristy 13 Comments

I have 2 races scheduled so far in November: a 12K on 11/12 and the Philly HM on 11/20. I’m mulling over running this Turkey Trot for fun on Thanksgiving Day. And I’m scoping out a low-key 5K in early December. Low-key = not many fast runners, so I have a chance to place in my AG. I have no shame.

Back to the 12K and HM. The only reliable, recent race time I have is my 1:19 finish at the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler in April. Since the 12K is a little under 10 miles (7.45) and the HM a little over, this should be a good predictor. And…bonus, I know my speed has improved since April 🙂

My goal for the 12K is to start just under 8:00 pace and drop it down from there. I know I’ll be hating life early on from oxygen deprivation. I don’t want to be too balls-to-the-wall about my pace in the beginning cause I’ll just end up crashing. It’s an interesting distance, 7.45 miles. It’ll be a PR regardless of time since the 12K distance is new to me.

For the HM, I want a sub-1:45. I won’t be happy with anything in the 1:45 range. Plain and simple!

I’m itching to race again but also dreading these races at the same time. The way I see it, there are essentially 2 types of race day pain: the marathon pain (my-legs-hurt-I-can’t-go-another-step-please-make-this-stop) and oxygen deprivation/lung pain. Personally, I’ll take marathon pain any day. I hate when my lungs are screaming and I’m in that “no talk” zone. Case and point why I would rather run 20 miles over a 5K.

Any November races? I know many of you are doing the Philly HM or Marathon! I hope to see you there!

Which race day pain do you prefer: marathon pain or oxygen deprivation/lung pain?

Smile

November 1, 2011 by Kristy 18 Comments

11/1/11
7 miles
*6 x 800m at 1oK pace (7:30 pace)

Things that are making me smile today…

1. An unoccupied track this morning! Last week there was a team there practicing at 6:30AM. Totally foiled my plans.

2. A great Halloween with Matt and Hawk.

3. Leftover Halloween candy

4. The Philly Half Marathon is 20 days away. I’m itching to race again!

5. Fall weather! Rumor has it by the middle of the week it’ll be back in the high 50s/low 60s. No more snow!

What’s your favorite Halloween candy? I would have to say Reese’s cups are the best. And 3 Musketeers bars.

How much candy did you eat? We only had 1 trick-or-treater (unreal!) and a bag of candy leftover. You do the math…

Adjustments

October 25, 2011 by Kristy 8 Comments

10/25/11
7 miles
*Pseudo speed work. I went to the track this morning and it was occupied…at 6:30AM?!?!? Peeved, I drove home and attempted a speed workout on my usual paved bike path. I managed 3 x 1-mile repeats at HM pace. I can’t do speed work without a track. I need to be able to count down the laps!

Last night I went to the chiropractor for the first time.

Remember how I raced the Philly RnR Half the week after my marathon and got all sorts of tightness in my right hamstring? Well, it’s still there. It comes and goes. The 2 weeks of rest I took helped but my right hamstring, hip, and glute just feel off. Hard to explain. I’m not in pain; my right side just feels abnormal compared to my left. The tightness is directly proportional to how fast I run. The faster I run, the tighter my hammie gets (I’ve been conscious of my overstriding too). Since I’m not in pain, I’ve been running but I’m keeping my overall mileage low and not doing all-out speed work. And I’ve been icing, foam rolling, and yoga-ing.

I decided that I want to nip this in the bud before it became an injury, especially with 2 races coming up in November. I have heard such great things about ART but I wasn’t sure if I was a candidate since I’m not really experiencing pain. I chose a chiropractor that performs ART over a physical therapist since my insurance covers it and I didn’t need a prescription from my primary care doctor to make an appointment.

Fast forward to last night. First, I couldn’t believe that people were getting treated right in front of everyone (it’s a small office). People are laying down on these crazy beds right near the waiting room. And these people looked like they were in so much pain! Ice packs, traction, etc. Scary! I got the whole work-up (x-rays, foot analysis, my oh my) and then laid down on a crazy bed. The doctor immediately told me to put both of my arms out in front of me (if I was standing up, think of the mummy walk) and resist while he tries to push my arms down. My right arm was fine; I was able to resist. My left not so much. I tried with all my might but I could barely keep him from pushing my left arm all the way down. Strange. Then he did something with my feet and my left was hanging lower than my right. Hmmmm. He did an adjustment to my left arm and then he tried to push it down again and it didn’t budge. I was shocked! I was pretty skeptical going into the appointment but maybe this will work???

I’m going back next Thursday for another appointment to discuss my x-rays and possible ART. I just want to be in tip top shape for my upcoming 12K and the Philly Half.

Have you ever been to a chiropractor? I’m trying to keep an open mind about it…
Do you prefer the track for speed work? I’m OK with the treadmill too, at least it passes the time quickly.

Things I Don't Get

October 20, 2011 by Kristy 16 Comments

10/20/11
6 miles / 56:21 / 9:23 avg pace

My running has been pretty boring lately. Training for the Philly Half is just…there. I much prefer running HMs as tune-up races for marathons or for fun. Solely training for one…is just blah.

So instead of boring you with the details of this morning’s 6-miler, I had to come up with some new material. Without further adieu, things I don’t get…

Hawk repeatedly eats things he is not suppose to and then throws up later on. Grass, baskets, seashells, etc. Then, the next day, he does the same thing. How does he not see the pattern here?
Gaper delays. People complain about traffic but then slow down for a fender bender or gawk as someone gets pulled over. It’s not that interesting; keep moving.
Women that run with their hair down. How does that not drive you crazy? I see a woman on my way to work that always runs with her hair down. I want to pull over and offer her a hair band.
School bus stops. Why are they so frequent? Can’t all the kids from a single neighborhood congregate at a single corner so just 1 stop could be made?! Why must the bus stop at every block and pick up 1 kid?
Blog traffic. Why are my page views sometimes higher on days I don’t post?
Mullets. Are they back in style? I’ve seen quite a few of them lately.

What things don’t you get? Share something! Have you ever had a mullet?

The truth and some redemption…

October 16, 2011 by Kristy 10 Comments

10/16/11
13 miles / 1:48:55 / 8:23 avg pace

I ran last Friday and didn’t even blog about it. Who cares, right? Yes, but I want this blog to be an honest look at my running. I was too frustrated and pissed off to even mention Friday’s run. I set out to run 13 miles and ended up with 9 at a slow 9:24 average pace. I never cut a long run short. I can run through blood, freezing temps, boiling hot temps but I never cut a run short. So I was clearly PO’d enough to call it quits.

Friday’s run basically went like this: 9:00 pace (normally my LSD pace) felt labored. Maybe I needed to warm-up? Nope. After 5 miles, I passed my car and was ready to throw in the towel. But I didn’t. Two miles later I was officially DONE and turned around and headed back to my car. I was more frustrated than anything. What the hell was going on?

As I posted earlier this week, I’ve been having trouble breathing when running. It just feels way more labored then it should. I’ve already mulled over the possibility that I’m completely out of shape but I realize that is irrational and just plain crazy. The more I thought about it the more I kept thinking it was my asthma. My asthma is never an issue anymore, due to some incredible medications that keep it under control. But I got a cold a few weeks ago and it started drifting into my chest which is never good for my asthma.

I took Saturday as a mental health day from running. And vowed to come back strong on Sunday.

I used my inhaler pre-run on Sunday (I did the same on Friday). I generally use it pre-run when I’m sick or when it’s very cold out. I was determined to make this a good run. I started out at MP (8:30), dropped the pace slightly, and then stayed consistent. I felt great and my breathing was right where it should be. Ah, redemption tastes so sweet 🙂

It’s funny that I finished right around my half marathon PR. I’m now ready for the Philly Half. Bring it.

Got any redemption runs this weekend to brag about? I have to give a shout out to Kara and Alyssa for going sub-4:00 at the Baltimore Marathon yesterday. Way to go ladies!