Boston Marathon

Crying Uncle and Boston Week 10 Recap

March 14, 2012 by Kristy 14 Comments

On Monday I posted this on Pinterest (please follow me and then teach me all about Pinterest because I have no clue):

I follow this about 99.9% of the time but it’s ironic that on Tuesday morning I crapped out on my last tempo mile. The plan was to run 10 miles with 4 miles around MP and 4 miles around 7:45 pace. The 4 MP miles were easy, and we (my neighbor was running with me) averaged around 8:05 pace…so faster than MP (maybe that was my downfall?). The next miles (7:45 pace) were harder but doable. We came up on a section of trail that was flooded so we moved over to run on the muddy grass and it slowed us down. Once I transitioned back onto the paved trail I could not pick up the pace again. My legs didn’t want to move any faster. I cried uncle and did a 2-mile cool down instead. At least I was able to get in 3 miles at 7:45ish pace.

I’m not a robot and have to throw in the towel sometimes. It did bother me that I didn’t get that last mile in but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter.

So I can’t NOT talk about The Bachelor season finale. I can’t believe I gave up an hour of sleep to watch it (on the plus side, I need to visit Switzerland immediately!). I kinda had a feeling he would choose Courtney. Courtney did seem really excited about the ring – errr, proposal. “It feels so heavy on my hand, Ben.” That’s a completely normal statement seconds after getting engaged, right?

Boston Week 10 Recap
MON: 8 easy
TUE: 11 tempo with 10 miles at MP – this was an awesome, confidence-boosting run!
WED: 8 easy
THU: 8 easy with 5 long hill repeats
FRI: rest
SAT: 15 with 13 miles at MP – another good run!
SUN: rest

50 miles total and the taper is within my reach! 2 1/2 weeks of hard work left and then I get to rest my legs. I really can’t believe Boston will be here so soon. I’m starting to freak out a bit and get excited!

Do you give up easily on training runs or races? I don’t on training runs but if I’m having a bad race day and I know I won’t PR, I will sometimes throw in the towel. It’s a terrible habit thinking that a PR is the most important thing. You can learn so much from bad races.

If you watched The Bachelor, gimme your thoughts!

A Good Run and Good Fun

March 12, 2012 by Kristy 16 Comments

Happy Monday, folks! I’m struggling a bit this morning. I could blame it on Daylight Savings but it’s more likely due to Saturday night fun (yes, I went out)! Before I get to that, let’s talk running!

I “only” had to do 15 miles for my long run this weekend so I made them speedy. I had a great MP run on Tuesday so I wanted to push the number of miles at MP up a bit with my long run. The result? 15 miles in 2:06 (8:24 average pace). Success! I started with a 1-mile warm up, then 13 miles at MP (8:20), and a 1-mile cool down.

8:18, 8:29 (hill), 8:13, 8:14, 8:21, 8:22, 8:28 (hill), 8:21, 8:20, 8:16, 8:15, 8:14, 8:16

I want to say these miles felt as effortless as they did on Tuesday but they didn’t. I was running into a brutal headwind most of the time and my allergies were awful. I’m happy that I was able to maintain MP despite all that though.

Saturday night was a much anticipated night out. We made these plans months ago. Most of my friends have babies so getting everyone together (both the guys and girls) is tough. It was also the Erin Express, Philly’s Irish bar crawl. I was an enthusiastic Erin Express participant multiple times in my 20s…you are pretty much drunk by 4pm and just plain obnoxious. We wanted to avoid any bar with Erin Expressers at all costs. By the time we met up, the sea of green youngins were dwindling and we snagged a table at Oh! Shea’s. We were there for awhile before moving onto another bar.

Matt and I got home at 2am (technically it was 3am – damn Daylight Savings). Sunday was an intentional rest hangover day for me and I needed it. I have no idea how I used to do this every weekend. Youth, I guess.

Ever do a St. Patty’s Day bar crawl? My last Erin Express was when I was 28. I think we were too old then. I do love celebrating SPD though.

Do you plan your rest days around your social life? I used to all the time. My lack of social life right now affords me lots of flexibility with rest days Years ago, rest days were strictly scheduled around my Saturday night shenanigans.

Adele on Repeat and Boston Week 9 Recap

March 8, 2012 by Kristy 22 Comments

One of the many reasons I love barre is the music. I don’t listen to music when I run, so it’s a treat to hear a good playlist when working out. I especially love it when yoga teachers mix it up a bit…using popular music instead of that chant-y yoga stuff.

Since last week’s barre class, Adele has been on repeat in my head. It’s starting to get annoying. You know when you just cannot get a certain song out of your head? Last week it was “Rolling in the Deep”, which is played during class. Then it was “Someone Like You” and now it’s “Rumour Has It”. Rumour has it. (rumour). Rumour has it. (rumour). Over and over. Thankfully, I like Adele.

My taste in music goes from one end of the spectrum to the other. I was in lululemon over the weekend and heard “Get Busy” by Sean Paul and pretty much had to restrain myself from breaking it down in the store. Oh yeah, you know you love it too.

Some more barre favorites are Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative” and some old school Britney. Would you believe me if I told you this blog was partially named after Pearl Jam’s song “Long Road”? Yep, one end to the other.

If you run with music, what’s your go-to song? This is a little embarrassing but I love the Black Eyed Peas “I Gotta Feeling” (along with most 3^rd graders). It was playing when I crossed the finish line at the Lehigh Valley Marathon (my BQ). Now I have even more reason to love it.

I have to mention my run on Tuesday, since it was definitely a confidence booster. I’ve been doubting my ability to run 8:20 pace for 26.2 (eeek!). On Tuesday I ran 11 miles with 10 at MP (8:20). I felt springy, my breathing was controlled, and my stride effortless. I felt amazing. I have 15 miles as my long run this weekend and my goal is to run 12-13 at MP (with hills!). Maybe, just maybe, I can do this!

Boston Week 9 Recap
MON: 5 easy
TUE: 8 with 5 at (faster than) MP + 3 hill repeats at the end
WED: barre
THU: 7 with 4 at tempo (2 at 7:45 pace and 2 at 8:00 pace)
FRI: rest
SAT: 20 at 8:36 pace
SUN: rest

40 miles total. A drop back week. 38 days until Boston!

Friday Favorites: Training Essentials

March 1, 2012 by Kristy 14 Comments

There are obvious training essentials (Garmin, dry-fit gear, shoes, fuel, etc.) and not-so-obvious essentials. Here’s what’s keeping me sane, healthy, and hydrated as I approach the Monster Month…

DQ Blizzards
Today is a big day. My local DQ is re-opening today after being closed for the winter (that should be illegal). How was I supposed to train for a marathon without my beloved Blizzard? It has been a long few months. My mouth is practically watering. Turns out, I have a 20-miler on Saturday. Guess who is enjoying a Blizzard on Saturday?

Tennis Ball / Hand Sanitizer
These are grouped together only because they were sitting on my desk together. Obviously hand sanitizer keeps those nasty work germs away (people, if you are sick – stay home!). But the tennis ball relieves piriformis pain from sitting too long. I try and move around every hour but sometimes it’s not practical. Put the tennis ball under your butt and…relief! People at work already think I’m a little nuts anyway.

Compression Shorts
I’ve already posted about my love for Aspaeris compression shorts. These little (very little) shorts get the job done. At this point I’m wearing them to bed every night so my legs are refreshed for my next run.

Sleep
So, so important as I increase my mileage. Since I don’t have kids I have the luxury of making it a priority. I generally get 8-9 hours every night. I’m usually asleep before my head hits the pillow.

Amphipod Water Bottle
I’ve been using the same handheld water bottle for years now. I love this thing! I usually carry it through the winter since I dehydrate so easily. I never even notice that I’m carrying it.

Anything else to add?

Do you use a handheld water bottle? Or fuel belt? Or CamelBak?

Do you love Blizzards? I can’t imagine someone saying no!

Boston Prep and Week 8 Recap

February 29, 2012 by Kristy 19 Comments

The Boston Marathon is a mere 46 days away and my Type A self is going into “prep” mode. Race logistics, course info, expo, hotel, race outfit (so important…lululemon, it’s only a matter of days before we are reunited!), etc. I don’t want to be overly stressed during the taper period so it’s best to get this stuff all figured out now.

Thankfully, course-wise, there is so much information. I’m a big believer in studying your marathon course as much as you can before race day. I have this handy little guide that I’m reading(per Robin’s recommendation)…

I’ve been running hills during my long runs and occasionally doing a few repeats during easy runs. Yesterday I threw in 3 long hill repeats at the end of a 7-mile tempo run. Whoa, that was tough. My tempo miles ended up being faster than MP (8:08, 8:10, 8:07, 8:09, 8:08) so maybe that’s why? I’m having a hard time nailing down my MP (8:20) based on feel. I always seem to run faster. Guess that’s not the worst thing in the world!

Boston Week 8 Recap
MON: 8 easy with 3 long hill repeats at the end
TUE: 8 speed (6×400). Ugh, awful run. I ended up doing a few miles at HMP and MP to hit 8 for the day.
WED: barre REST! It was like there was a magnet on the back of my head when my alarm went off at 4:50AM (yep, no wonder, right?). I could not lift my head or get out of bed so I slept.
THU: 9 with 7 miles at tempo (8:12, 8:08, 8:12, 8:03, 8:07, 8:03, 8:13). Again, I was trying for MP and ended up faster.
FRI: REST (again)!
SAT: 18 at LSD pace (9:07). It was windy and I ran through a snowstorm.
SUN: 9 easy

52 miles for the week. This week is a drop-back week before I head into the monster month before taper!!!!!

Help, please! I’m looking for a pair of arm warmers for Boston that are comfy. Any suggestions? I’ve tried Saucony but ended up sending them back. Anyone have the lululemon Swiftly Arm Warmers?

Weekend Routine

February 27, 2012 by Kristy 21 Comments

Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day. My weekends are pretty much the same from one week to the next and, naturally, they revolve around running. Eat, sleep, run…repeat.

Friday night
Going out on a Friday night is definitely not happening since an early morning long run beckons. Ever do a long run with little sleep or a hangover? It’s not fun. So my Friday nights go a little something like this: pizza for dinner if I’m running around 18-22 miles the next day, getting everything ready for my long run (clothes, fuel, etc.), watching House Hunters International with Matt, and a 9:00-9:30 bedtime. Whoa, that’s living life in the fast lane, folks.

Saturday morning
I generally get up around 7:00 (sadly, this is sleeping in). I get dressed and get on my way. I don’t eat before any of my runs, so I don’t have to worry about factoring time in for digestion and what not. Then I drive to my hilly long run route and hope for the best! I’m going to have to alter my routine in the next few weeks to prepare for Boston’s late start (closer to 11AM for me – eek!).

I always have chocolate milk waiting for me in the car so I can drink it while I stretch. I drive home, stretch some more, do my PT exercises, foam roll, take the longest, hottest shower, and the finally eat breakfast. By this time it’s usually 11AM. Phew!

If I am planning to go out, Saturday night is usually the night to get wild and crazy since my Sunday run is easy. If I can stay awake until 11PM, it must have been a really fun night.

Sunday morning
I “sleep in” (i.e., don’t set an alarm) and bang out an easy run just to give the old legs a good shake after Saturday’s long run. I also figure out my training schedule for the week ahead so I can do this all over again!

It’s funny how drastically different my weekends are now as compared to my 20s!

My long run this weekend was interesting. We had a wind advisory so, instead of killing myself by adhering to a certain pace, I made it a LSD run. No lie, the wind was intense.

It was nice out though – about 40 degrees and sunny. Around mile 15 the sky got dark and the temps started dropping. By mile 16 I was running in a full-on snowstorm. I couldn’t believe it. As soon as I finished running, the sun came back out and the snow stopped. Those last 2 miles were not fun.

I finished 18 miles in 2:44 – 9:07 average pace. Not bad considering the crazy wind.

Do you fall into a routine when training? Kudos to you if you can manage to have a social life too. Training and going out were much easier…when I was younger!

Did you run in the crazy wind on Saturday?