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RRCA

GMP Talk (again)

February 15, 2011 by Kristy 2 Comments

2/15/11

5 miles speed work

2×1200 and 3×800 at 7:24 pace.  Done.

A few days ago I posted about not running enough miles at goal marathon pace (GMP).  Surprisingly, I have some more to say about that 🙂

Your GMP should be realistic based on current race times (not the half marathon you PR’d in 5 years ago).  You want to sustain this pace over 26.2 miles so it should be a cakewalk.  I say cakewalk because everything gets harder during the last 10K of a marathon.  I’m not talking about hitting the wall, just the normal aches and pains that come along with running 26.2.  You want your GMP to feel easy so that you are able to hit that pace later on in the race.  It is so, so easy to let your pace slip during those last few miles.

If your GMP is too fast for your current fitness level, you’ll start too fast, deplete your glycogen stores (more on that here), and hit the wall hard around Mile 20 (if not sooner).  At RRCA coaches training we learned that by going out too fast early on in the marathon you make up for it by running 2 to 3 min per mile slower during the last 10K.  Ouch!  That’s like beginning the race running a 9:00 pace and finishing with a 11:00 or 12:00 pace!  Banking time for a marathon never works.

Once you figure out your GMP, you should incorporate GMP runs throughout your training plan.  You can do tempo runs at GMP or add some GMP miles to your long runs.  You should be on autopilot with your GMP – knowing how your stride feels, knowing how your breathing feels – so on race day you can just get into the groove and enjoy the race!

One Year Older, One Year Wiser

February 9, 2011 by Kristy 5 Comments

Today is my birthday!  I’m 34.  I immediately start to think of my age in terms of running (is that strange?).  This is my last year in the 30-34 age group and (the best part) I get 5 more minutes added to my BQ time.  Let me explain…according to the B.A.A., “qualifying times are based upon each athlete’s age on the date of the Boston Marathon in which they are participating”.  Since I’m clearly not running Boston in 2011, my first chance would be 2012 and I would be 35 on the day of the race.  That means I need a 3:45 qualifying time…as of now.  The B.A.A. had some changes in leadership this year and there is some talk of changing the qualifying times.  We’ll see.  I’m not even focusing on BQing this year (of course, I’d welcome it with open arms if it did happen).  I’m just trying to get my marathon pace below 9:00 and try for 3:50 at the NJ Marathon.

I’m in San Fran for my birthday!  Matt asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday and I said “go to SF”!  It’s been almost 3 years since my last visit and I’ve been itching to get back.  This is the BEST birthday present.

Back to turning 34.  I’m fine with it.  I certainly don’t feel 34.  My friend Kristin said that’s because I don’t have kids…and that may very well be true.  My 34-year-old self could kick my (drunken) 24-year-old self to the curb!

My 30s have been great so far (I included highlights below!).  Fun like my 20s but also fulfilling, if that makes any sense.  And my definition of fun has changed (I know that’s a sign of getting older!).  Movies and pizza on a Friday night vs. going to a bar.  I still like to go out and have fun but I hated crowded and loud bars.  I prefer dinner and drinks and nice conversation 🙂

1.  Getting engaged (June 2008).  Matt and I dated for 10 years before getting engaged.  He proposed on St. Joe’s campus and completely surprised me.  It was absolutely perfect.

Engagement Spot
After a night of celebrating

2.  Buying our first house (June 2009).  We looked at almost 40 houses.  We saw our house on a Friday night and put a bid in the next morning.  We knew what we wanted.  And we love it!  We moved in 6 weeks before our wedding, which was a little crazy.  Sorry, I don’t really have any good pics but promise I’ll post some when all the painting is finished.

3.  Getting married (July 2009).  BEST day of my life.  I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.  We had beautiful weather and everything went smoothly.  We danced the night away with family and friends.  I wish I could do it again every year (not the planning, just the reception!).

I do

Our delicious cake
I'll explain the glove in another post

4.  Becoming an RRCA-certified running coach (April 2010).  I’ve coached family and friends but wanted to make it “official”.  That weekend in Boston was the first step in doing something I’ve always wanted to do.  Hopefully soon I’ll launch a coaching business.

5.  Getting Hawk (May 2010).  I’ve always wanted a dog of my own (I come from a family of dog lovers).  Matt was not a dog lover (but not a hater either).  It didn’t take long for Matt to come around.  He’s smitten with Hawk.  Hawk makes us laugh on a daily basis and we love walking in the door and being greeted by 25 lbs of cuteness.

First day home
Afraid of the steps
Hawk on Hawk Hill (St. Joseph's University)
Rittenhouse Square

6.  Breaking 4:00 hours in the Steamtown Marathon (October 2010).  This was huge for me mentally.  I kind of got stuck in the 4:10 range for awhile and was dying to break through.  I ran my first marathon at 27 but didn’t really “train” until my 30s.  Now I know what works and what doesn’t and how hard I can push myself.

7.  Going to Europe (September 2009).  This was our honeymoon.  Since neither of us had been to Europe and we couldn’t decide on a single country to visit, we took a cruise.  The cruise itself was hokey and cheesy but we saw so much!  It was like a European sampler.  We loved the Amalfi Coast of Italy and Santorini, Greece.

Florence, Italy
Santorini, Greece
Croatia

8.  Going to Australia (October 2010).  This was a dream vacation for both of us.  We stayed in Sydney, Melbourne, and Port Douglas (Great Barrier Reef area).  Unreal…and the trip of a lifetime.

Sydney
Surf Lessons at Bondi Beach

Melbourne

And with that I’m off to do some birthday celebrating in gorgeous San Fran!

Week 4 Recap

January 30, 2011 by Kristy 3 Comments

1/30/11

75 min yoga

3 miles easy

Yikes, my legs are tight!  Poses that I did with ease on Friday seemed impossible in class today.  Guess that’s what you get for running 20 miles.  After yoga I came home with the intention of running 5 easy miles (adhering to my 5 mile training rule) and I couldn’t.  My legs weren’t feeling it.  I managed 3 miles at 10:00 pace and called it a day.  Gotta love adaptive training 🙂

Week 4 Recap
MON:  rest
TUE:  5 miles speed
WED:  7 miles tempo
THU:  rest
FRI:  60 min yoga
SAT:  20 miles long
SUN:  75 min yoga + 3 miles easy

A total of 35 miles for the week.  A little less than I’d like but I was happy with my runs overall this week….and that’s what counts!

Tomorrow is a rest day since I have a CPR re-certification class at night.  I have to keep my CPR certification current for my RRCA coaching license.

Good night…I’m exhausted and in a sugar coma thanks to a 1st birthday party today (Happy Birthday Joseph)!

 

 

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