turkey swamp 50K

A marathon as a training run

July 28, 2012 by Kristy 20 Comments

This weekend I ran a marathon as a training run. My last big run to kick off my 3-week taper.

I was a bit giddy at the prospect of running 26.2 as a long run but also dreading it at the same time. Mother Nature has been relentless with the heat and humidity and I was envisioning a repeat of Boston…without the amazing spectators, ice, and sprinklers.

I treated the marathon as a dress rehearsal for the 50K. I tested out my sausage casings groove shorts. I bring a whole new meaning to wicking fabric.

I was completely drenched by mile 10

I stuck to my hilly long run loop of 5 miles. And around and around I went. My car doubled as an aid station.

Shot Bloks and salt – the essentials

My legs were tired at mile 15.

At mile 18, I questioned (1) why I was training for a 50K so soon after Boston and (2) why I chose to do a 50K in August.

I fueled every 4 miles or so. It was a mix of Shot Bloks, PB crackers, and PB-filled pretzels (my new favorite). Add in a little salt and over 100 ounces of water, and I felt pretty well hydrated and fueled. If you include my post-run chocolate milk, I consumed around 1350 calories. I took care of the 1250 calorie deficit with 4 slices of pizza and some Miller Lite.

I don’t care how many times you run a marathon, 26.2 miles is tough. It was hot and humid and I felt spent at the end. I could not run another 5 miles. Not in that heat. I kept thinking that if August 19th is a day like today, I won’t finish.

Then I remembered to never, ever listen to the craziness that creeps into your mind after you run a marathon. You are delusional and not thinking straight. You say never again and then, 1 week later, start looking for your next marathon.

I did finish…in 4 hours and 28 minutes. 5 minutes faster than my Boston time. Hooray for heat acclimation.

And, about those crazy thoughts, it sounds like someone is in desperate need of a taper, both mentally and physically. Thank god it’s here.

Ever say “never, ever again” after crossing the finish line? I said it after my marathon in 2007 and definitely said it after every 5K.

Monday Updates

July 23, 2012 by Kristy 10 Comments

Blogging lately has been sporadic at best. Either I don’t have much to say or don’t have enough time to string it together in a post (which is usually the case these days).

So annoying and so true…so I will just stop right now with the OMG sooo busy!

Booty shorts
Last weekend I bought these:

lululemon groove short

Normally I shun away from anything that may make my thighs look like sausages. I was surprised with how flattering these look and how comfortable they feel. So they are not technically booty shorts (compared to these), but I was a tad self conscious the first time I wore them (I’m already over that). During the summer my shorts are stuck to me anyway because of sweat, so why not wear shorts that stick to you to begin with? Makes more sense to me…

Olympics
OMG sooo excited! The women’s marathon is Sunday, August 5 while the poor men have to wait until the very last day – Sunday, August 12. That sucks.

50K training
This is my last big mileage week before the taper, which will be a 3-week taper this time around…as opposed to my 2-week marathon tapers. I’m feeling really good and my legs are holding up just fine.

Last week’s training…

MON: 7 miles
TUE: 10 miles
WED: 6 miles
THU: 5 miles
FRI: 9 miles (9:27 pace)
SAT: 17 miles (9:32 pace)
SUN: rest

54 miles total with most of my runs Garmin-free. This weekend I’m attempting 26.2 as a training run.

Do you run in booty shorts (i.e., spandex)?

Which Olympic event(s) are you most looking forward to?

The best laid plans…

July 15, 2012 by Kristy 11 Comments

…often go awry.

That sums up running for me this past week.

MONDAY
My alarm went off at 5:00 and when I lifted my head off the pillow, it immediately snapped back down. I could not get up. Normally I have no trouble getting out of bed for a run (I’m anti-snooze button) so when this happens, there’s definitely a reason for it and I better take a rest day. So I did but cringed because it was an unplanned rest day.

TUESDAY – the heel incident
I ran 9 miles before work and felt great. I had to wear heels for an hour on Tuesday so I switched into them at the very last minute, took one step with my right foot, and audibly yelped. This is exactly why I hate heels and never wear them. I shaked it off but felt some pain below my knee, off to the right side. Damn heels.

WEDNESDAY
I was nervous about how my knee would feel on a run after the heel incident but I was fine. Another 9 miles before work. I wore my CEP compression sleeves to work (under my pants, of course). I could still feel some slight pain below my knee later in the day.

THURSDAY
I had 4 easy miles planned but woke up with some lingering knee pain. Damn heels. Knowing that Friday and Saturday would be big mileage days my gut was saying rest. Although my brain was saying it’s only 4 miles. The gut always wins. Unplanned rest day #2. Ugh.

FRIDAY
I had 24 miles planned. The rest of FRIDAY may be TMI for some so feel free to skip to SATURDAY.

I always use the bathroom before long runs, just like everyone else. In rare cases, I can’t and it always comes back to haunt me. I woke up Friday at 4AM and couldn’t use the bathroom. I don’t know why – maybe it was too early?

My stomach started to revolt at mile 5. I toughed it out for another 15 miles before I waved the white flag. I felt amazing – no heel incident pain, no nothing. I could have easily done another 4 miles.

Damn heels, damn stomach.

SATURDAY
I planned for 12 miles but ended up running 13. Again, I felt so good. My legs are finally warming up to the back-to-back long runs.

SUNDAY
Rest day (yes, another one). Matt and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary a little early and I wanted to sleep in, spend time with him, and go to brunch. I’m always running Saturday and Sunday mornings so it’s nice to get a day off once in awhile.

I can’t complain – although that’s exactly what I just did – I ran 51 miles in 4 days. Was it an unexpected drop back week? Yes, but I still got in some quality workouts. And aren’t I supposed to be relaxed about ultra training? Isn’t that what I said? Please remind me of that.

Do you wear heels? Considering I trip in running shoes, I should just stay away from heels altogether. Aside from weddings and special work occasions, I never wear them. I’m either in flats, running shoes, flip flops, or Uggs.

My Strange Addiction

July 12, 2012 by Kristy 18 Comments

Apparently eating salt on the run is strange? This isn’t a common practice? Should I be on My Strange Addiction with people that eat couch cushion and sniff pine cleaner?

I did receive a few questions and it’s worth mentioning on the blog.

First and foremost, I sweat a lot. When people say they are dripping with sweat, I literally am. After last Saturday’s run, my shoes were soaked from all the sweat that poured off of me. I threw them directly into the washer when I got home.

I have come close…(via)

Second, I have visible salt lines on my skin after runs. If I wear a black visor, you can really see it.

Third, that horrible hungover feeling generally haunts me after long runs.

My Shot Bloks contain sodium and potassium but it’s not enough. I’ve tried Gatorade, Nuun, and salt tabs…still not enough. I’m a serious sweater.

So last summer I brought in the big guns and went straight to table salt. I was amazed at how much better I felt during and after a run. I was hooked.

To clarify, I don’t stash a salt shaker in my Stow-N-Go bra. I take a small amount of salt and put it in a baggie. Every 5 miles or more, I eat a very small amount of it (small amount as in I dip the very tip of my pinky finger into the bag and eat whatever sticks). I don’t mind the taste probably because I’m so salt-deprived.

Overall, I consume a small amount of salt. Probably on par with runners that dip boiled potatoes in salt. And I don’t use salt every time I do a long run, just on the hot and humid days.

I definitely attribute salt with getting me through Boston in one piece.

My advice would be to not jump to salt without trying other things first: Gatorade, Nuun, salt tabs, etc.

Now you know my strange addiction…

I haven’t been recapping my 50K training consistently so here’s a look at last week’s runs…

MON: 4 miles Garmin-free
TUE: 8 miles, 9:52 avg pace. Ugh, GI issues strike. Once in a blue moon my stomach revolts.
WED: 8 miles, 9:22 avg pace
THU: rest
FRI: 4 miles Garmin-free
SAT: 22 miles, 10:30 avg pace. Hot as hell.
SUN: 10 miles, 9:54 avg pace

56 miles –> a new mileage PR! Not by much though…only 1 mile.

Are you a serious sweater like me and rock the sexy salt lines post-run? To clarify, I rarely sweat outside of running. I’m more likely to be the person with a hoodie on in the summer.

22 in 102

July 7, 2012 by Kristy 18 Comments

So the high today will only be 98 degrees. When I checked yesterday it said 102. 22 in 102 has a much better ring to it than 22 in 98. So my title is inaccurate but sounds good.

This morning I ran 22 miles. I prefer running in hot weather but today was a bit extreme even for me. I finished in 3:51 (10:30 average pace).

If I were training for a marathon, I would have considered this run an absolute train wreck with all the walking I did. But 50K training changes all that. I was on my feet for 3 hours and 51 minutes. Other than hot-as-hell Boston, I haven’t run that long in awhile which made today’s run the perfect 50K training run.

I gathered all my gear last night since I got up at the crack of dawn today.

Some things to note…a beach towel was 100% necessary. The little baggie next to my Shot Bloks is table salt. Today I experimented with potato chips and PB crackers as fuel.

Here’s how fueling went since I’m still trying to figure it all out.

Mile 4 –> 3 Shot Bloks
Mile 8 –> 3 Shot Bloks
Mile 10 –> potato chips. I wasn’t even hungry but forced these down. How can something so light and airy feel like complete lead in your stomach? I’m officially crossing potato chips off my list.
Mile 15 –> 3 Shot Bloks (thankfully, the potato chips were beginning to digest).
Miles 17-18.5 –> PB crackers. I think we have a winner here. They didn’t bother my stomach at all.

Add to this a massive amount of Nuun-infused water and salt every couple of miles. Add in the chocolate milk I drank immediately after my run and I consumed around 1000 calories. But I burned close to 2200…so I have some eating to do today!

I began the run/walk approach around Mile 10 (yes, it didn’t take long). I was able to run on a shady trail for miles 17 to 20 and when I reemerged into the sun I felt like a vampire.

It’s entirely possible that I could have weather like this the day of my 50K. I’m glad I toughed it out and I’m so glad it’s over.

Now it’s time to eat (again)…

Has the heat changed anyone’s running plans this weekend? Did anyone race?

Laid Back

June 21, 2012 by Kristy 11 Comments

That’s my approach to training for this 50K. More miles at a relaxed pace…no muss, no fuss. Physically, it has been smooth sailing. Mentally, it takes some getting used to.

Hawk, perfecting the art of laid back

I figure out my training for the upcoming week on Sunday, so my plan is created on a week-by-week basis. This allows me to adjust if my legs are feeling especially tired and work my runs around whatever I have going on that week.

The 3 most important things I’m focusing on for 50K training…

Pace
Mentally, this is what I struggle with the most. Compared to my last few training cycles I feel as if someone flipped the switch entirely pace-wise. To put it into perspective for all you numbers people like me, last summer I ran a 22-miler at 8:30 pace and my 17-miler last weekend was done at 9:39 pace. One minute and 10 seconds slower per mile! I have the best intentions at the beginning of a run but find it hard to remain slow once I zone out and autopilot kicks in.

I know I should probably go even slower – no faster than 10:00 pace – but it’s a work in progress. The more I slow down, the more beneficial it will be for me come race day.

Back-to-back long runs
I’m doing a long run on Saturday followed by (at least) a 10-miler on Sunday. My weekend mornings are almost consumed with running, which is OK in my book.

Saturday’s LR is done on the same hilly route I use for marathon training. Sunday’s LR is done on trails.

Volume
I hope to max out hopefully in the 60s for mileage. This will all depend on how my body adapts though. Doing no harsh speed work definitely helps, as this was the reason I never went over 55 miles per week during marathon training.

Here’s what my training looked like last week.

MON: 5 miles, Garmin-free
TUE: 8 miles, 9:22 pace
WED: rest
THU: 5 miles, Garmin-free
FRI: barre rest, I just couldn’t get out of bed!
SAT: 17 miles, 9:39 pace
SUN: 10 miles, 9:42 pace

I see plenty of this in my future, just much slower Smile

And, no, I don’t miss track workouts one bit! Slow and steady wins the race this summer.