postpartum running

Philly Half Marathon Recap

December 1, 2014 by Kristy 7 Comments

Last Sunday I ran the Philly Half Marathon, just like I do every year. I love Philly Marathon weekend. Yes, I’m biased but Philly does a damn good job of putting on a spectacular race. And the spectators aren’t half bad either! If you’re looking for a Fall half or full, seriously consider Philly (I ran the full in 2008 so I can attest to its greatness too). Flat, fun, and you can high-five Mayor Nutter at the finish line.

my collection of Philly race Ts, 2007 to 2014 (missing 2011 – donated because of size)

I spectated the 8K on Saturday and watched my 2 friends run their first 8K. They worked their asses off for months and were smiling the whole time.

8K finish line

so proud

Sunday was perfect race day weather and my goal was to run a solid effort (my standard goal for 2014). I need to add that if a solid effort didn’t include a 1:4x finish time, I’d be pissed. I saw Megan in my corral and chatted with her until the race started.

My loose race plan was to keep the first mile at 8:40, drop to 8:20, and then drop to (hopefully) 8:00. I’ve done speed work since the Philly RnR so I had some idea of what I was capable of.

Splits –
M1 – 8:13
M2 – 8:05
M3 – 8:04
M4 – 8:18
M5 – 8:15
M6 – 8:24
M7 – 7:41 (not sure about the accuracy of this one)
M8 – 8:23 (hill)
M9 – 8:21
M10 – 8:49 (hill)
M11 – 8:04
M12 – 8:08
M13 – 8:25

Finish – 1:49:01 (8:18 average pace)

The positives? I’m happy with my pacing. I had a loose plan to follow but, for the most part, I didn’t really pay attention to my watch. I wanted to hone in on HM effort and I think I did that pretty well. And miles 11 and 12 were strong (it helped that I went downhill after mile 10 – full disclosure there!).

The negatives? I can’t stop thinking that my now HM pace (8:18) was once my goal MP. Sigh.

I’m almost 11 months postpartum and I *should* be faster by now. It’s definitely not from lack of trying. I trained smart this year. It’s frustrating to not see more progress.

I’m sick of whining about 2014 and postpartum blah, blah, blah. Fiona will be 1 on January 9th (yikes!) and the “I just had a baby” excuse is no longer in play.

So I started something new (for me) yesterday. But that’s for another post… 🙂

Training Update {8 months out}

September 8, 2014 by Kristy 4 Comments

Fiona will be 8 months old tomorrow. Eight months?! I sound so cliche but time really does pass in the blink of an eye. I wish the same was true for training.

This is definitely my longest training cycle so far. By the time the marathon rolls around I will have racked up 20 weeks of training. Totally necessary but daunting at the same time.

Here’s a little look at what I’ve been doing…

The first 10 weeks (when I thought I was doing the 50K) included lots of slow miles, lots of hills, and some trail running. This is exactly what my body craved (it still does). I ran my first 50+ mile week when Fiona was 6 months old. A slow and steady comeback. Structurally I feel great – I’m still religiously doing pre-hab 3 times a week – but I’m exhausted most of the time. Which brings me to the topic of “total work”.

Pre-Fiona, when I was training, I would get solid sleep and sit on my ass for 8 hours a day at work. I recovered as hard as I worked. Now I get less sleep, run around all day, and carry 20 lbs on my hip (alternating hips, of course, to balance out the inevitable imbalances that will result). So my “total work” skyrocketed and 50+ mile weeks knock me on my ass. Too bad I can’t spend some time there and rest.

So this parenting thing is exhausting and coupled with marathon training, it’s really exhausting. Maybe I’ll adjust (has anyone adjusted?) but for now my weekly mileage will remain around 45 so I don’t fall asleep at dinner. And I realize that doesn’t sound like much of a decrease but it seems to be my sweet spot these days.

Since I decided to run the marathon instead of the 50K you would think I would begin to do some type of speed work. Nah, I’m too exhausted for that! In all seriousness, I just don’t want to do any type of organized speed work. I have picked up the pace on a few runs and I do coach a track workout on Tuesday nights, where I run with all different pace groups…well, the ones I can keep up with. My goal for the marathon is a “solid effort”. I’m not in PR shape – nor should I be at 8 months postpartum – so a PR would be an unrealistic goal. I just want to get out there, enjoy myself, get used to marathoning again, and see what I can do.

After the marathon I’m running the Philly Half Marathon in November. I definitely want to race it (and would love to PR) but I need to see how the marathon goes and how recovery goes.

But before all of that I’ll be running the Philly RnR in 2 weeks. That kinda snuck up on me. So I guess I’ll see where my speed is (or isn’t) very soon.

I guess what all of this means is that 2014 is my rebuilding year. Exactly what I intended it to be and exactly how I’m training. It may be a year without any PRs but my engine will be strong for 2015 – and ready for a PR.

ODDyssey Half Marathon Recap

June 13, 2014 by Kristy 6 Comments

I ran the ODDyssey Half Marathon for the second time on Sunday. Last year I was 10 weeks pregnant. This year I’m 5 months postpartum. Same race but 2 very different experiences.

I love Fiona’s arm rolls

I’ll cut right to the chase – it sucked. I ran a 1:57:42 – a far cry from my 1:53:08 in March. And I try not to think too much about how far off it is from my PR.

I have only 1 excuse for my poor performance – utter exhaustion. In hindsight I should have never attempted to “race” this race. I should have kept the pace nice and slow – inline with my 50K training. Matt was away for 2 weeks and came home the day before the race. I had some babysitting help from my parents and niece but I was still exhausted. Fiona is a good sleeper but likes an early start to her day (between 4:00 and 5:00AM in the days leading up to the race). By the time Matt got home I was hurting.

My goal, as with the LOVE Run and Broad Street, was to hide the pace field on my Garmin and run HM effort. I was struggling right from the start. I thought it was the heat so I plugged forward. By mile 5 I wanted to DNF or take a nap under a tree (preferably both). I couldn’t get over how tired and worn out I felt. I knew I had to slow my pace in order to finish. I’d like to say I consciously slowed my pace down but, let’s not kid ourselves, my body shut down at mile 5 and my pace came to a halt.

Splits: 8:18 / 8:12 / 8:09 / 8:13 / 8:52 / 9:23 / 9:00 / 9:05 / 9:18 / 9:18 / 9:16 / 9:01 / 9:23 (hill climb to the finish)

Lesson learned? I’ll never make it through 50K training (or the 50K) if I don’t make sleep a priority. I felt like 5 months of not-so-sound sleep finally caught up to me. Totally caught me off guard too. If Fiona gets up at 5AM (her wake-up time this week), I need to be in bed (asleep) no later than 9PM. (And if you’re wondering, that’s her wake-up time regardless of when she goes to bed…6PM or 8PM.)

On the plus side: my pacing was pretty consistent, I kicked off 50K training, and was able to run a fun race which included a tasty beer at the finish (missed out on that one last year!).

Big Plans {revised}

April 16, 2014 by Kristy 8 Comments

In February I posted about my Big Plans for 2014 and then, 6 weeks later, posted about how running kinda sucks. I have updates on both fronts…as I’m sure you are on the edge of your seat in anticiptation!

First let’s talk about running. This is the good news. It’s getting better…dare I say running seems to be clicking again? Maybe it’s the weather and more outdoor running? Maybe I needed to get that first race under my belt? Maybe, structurally, I’m finally adapting to my new normal? Whatever it is, I hope it sticks around. My weekly mileage is still low – 25 to 30 mpw – and I intend to keep it there for at least another month. Lower mileage is giving me ample time for pre-hab (hips and glutes) and core work which is vital right now.

My big plan for this Fall was to run a 50 miler – specifically the JFK 50 miler – in November. Training for an ultra, as opposed to training for a marathon PR, just made sense postpartum. My body cannot handle the rigors of speed work and fast finish long runs this year. Instead I crave long, slow miles…the building blocks for a strong 2015. (Goals for 2015 include a marathon PR and Boston in 2016.)

Registration for JFK opened April 1st and I went back and forth about it. I so wanted to do it but my gut kept telling me to run a 50K instead. Since your gut is always right (always), I registered for the Blues Cruise 50K in October. My primary reason for dropping to the 50K distance? Motherhood is physically exhausting! And I don’t mean in a sleep deprived way…I’m talking about hauling around almost 15 lbs (Fiona’s a good eater!) all day while bending, twisting, and kneeling. By the end of the day, I’m beat up.

The back-to-back long runs needed for a 50 mile race would surely do me in on the weekends and it would require a lot of time away from Fiona (and family time). I just don’t want that right now. A 50K is much more manageable in terms of long runs and overall mileage and I already have experience with the distance and training for it. And the race is an hour from my house and is supposed to be pretty good – a 31 mile loop around a lake that isn’t too technical (but hilly).

I’m excited. And relieved. There are lots of new “firsts” right now and I just don’t want training to be one of them. I also have 3 half marathons scheduled for this year and my goal is to PR at the Philly Half in November.

First things first though – Broad Street on May 4th…

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RTLR Coaching is having a SALE on online coaching services now through April 21st! Now is the time to start planning for your Fall race. More details here.

The LOVE Run Philly {Race Recap}

April 6, 2014 by Kristy 5 Comments

Last Sunday I ran Philly’s first ever LOVE Half Marathon. CGI Racing put together a fantastic half – super organized with wonderful volunteers (who stood outside for hours in a freezing downpour). If you like the Philly Half in November (my favorite race), then you’ll like the LOVE Run. I’m so happy that Philly has another distance race in the Spring…something other than Broad Street.

This race was a lot of firsts for me: first race postpartum, first race in a total downpour, and first race where I didn’t look at my Garmin (not one single time). The weather was awful – freezing, windy, and nonstop rain.

My original plan was to make this a fun run, especially since postpartum running has been very blah lately. Standing at the start, freezing and wet, all I kept thinking was the faster you run, the faster you get done. Screw the fun run, I didn’t want to spend another minute in these conditions if I didn’t have to.

That’s when the strategy changed to let’s run HM effort and not look at the Garmin. I love running by effort (although I rarely do it) – there’s no magic pace to hit, no pace charts to follow, just you and your breath. And not looking at my Garmin was WAY easier than I thought…partially because it was under my windbreaker and I couldn’t see it anyway.

M1 – 8:51
M2 – 8:19
M3 – 8:51
M4 – 8:14
M5 – 8:20
M6 – 8:43
M7 – 8:19
M8 – 8:08
M9 – 8:52
M10 – 8:48
M11 – 8:41
M12 – 8:45
M13 – 8:36

Official time: 1:53:07 (8:38 pace)

Not the most consistent pacing and the wheels came off a bit towards the end but that’s to be expected after a year plus of not racing. I was in total shock when I crossed the finish line and looked at my watch. I was hoping for a (barely) sub-2:00 finish time. If I were eyeing my Garmin I would have freaked out about my pace during the middle miles (what are you doing? You have no business running that fast!). Not looking at my Garmin was the best thing I did that day. And also having absolutely no expectations helps tremendously.

Thanks to Oiselle teammate Danielle for keeping me company for a few miles. It definitely took my mind off the misery of the weather.

Race photos: me, my sister, and sister-in-law pre-race (and rain) and post-race awkward selfie.

postpartum running: the real deal

March 17, 2014 by Kristy 12 Comments

During my long run on Saturday I thought about everything my body has gone through in the past year. A 30-lb weight gain, a gait that changed (and back that ached) because of said weight gain, a wider pelvis, a squished sciatic nerve, feet that grew both in length and width, labor and delivery, and then weight loss.

So why am I surprised that running kinda sucks some days and I often feel like I’m running in someone else’s body? During pregnancy I had these visions of effortless runs where I was flying. I mean, I ran throughout my pregnancy – don’t I just hop right back in the saddle?! Not exactly.

how we spend most days

Structural Fitness
Cardiovascularly, I feel good. While marathon pace may feel like half marathon pace, I know that in time my speed will come back. I’m not overly concerned about that. My structural fitness (muscles, bones, tendons, etc.) has taken a hit. Again, I’m not sure why I am so surprised. My last substantial long run in 2013 was the Philly RnR Half in September. I was 6 months pregnant and knew my days of double digit runs were numbered. I ran 12 miles this Saturday and, structurally, it felt like 20. This system takes longer to adapt than the cardiovascular system so I just need to give it time.

Sleep
Sleep just ain’t what it used to be. While I shouldn’t complain – Fiona sleeps very well – I could definitely use more (couldn’t we all?) or more deep sleep (checking the monitor excessively doesn’t lend itself to sound sleeping). Less sleep = less repair.

Hormones
This surely has something to do with it, right?

one more because i couldn’t resist…

Taking all of this into consideration, I need to give myself a bit of a break. Maybe I’ll feel back to my old self in 6 months? Or maybe I’ll adapt to my new normal?

Just like it has in the past, consistency and hard work will pay off. I just have to be patient.

Any moms out there feel the same way about running postpartum?