via lehigh valley marathon

WHYY 12K Recap

November 12, 2011 by Kristy 10 Comments

Well, today wasn’t my day and that’s OK. Really, it is. I tend to beat myself up over races but this was only a 12K and I’m going to cut myself some slack.

FACT #1: I mentally checked out at the turnaround.
This was an out-and-back course (out-and-back on West River Drive is never fun). My pace was feeling hard and, as I predicted, I was hating life. I went around the turning point and just let my pace slip. I was done.

FACT #2: I lost a bit of speed since my last marathon.
The LVM was 2 months ago and I’m currently toeing the line between maintenance running and maintaining my speed. I have been training non-stop for the past 2 years and this is the most lag time I’ve had between marathons (Boston training doesn’t start until around Christmas). I need to allow myself some down time….some time away from weekly speed work. So it’s only natural that I lost some quickness.

FACT #3: I really need to get my iPod fixed. I generally run without music but there are some races where music is a necessity (like today). My iPod has been broke since the NJ Marathon last May!

FACT #4: I can’t wait to run an ultra! I just need to hang in there with the speed work for another couple of months until after Boston.

FACT #5: I need to reevaluate my goals for the Philly Half next weekend…or maybe I’ll have a better day next Sunday!

Here are the Garmin stats. A 12K is 7.45 miles so I didn’t do too bad running the tangents. Clearly, if I held back more in the beginning I probably would have done better. Mile 6 makes me laugh….yeah, that’s marathon pace!

The best part of today’s race? Hanging out with Sara, Trish, and Ann and having a delicious brunch of french toast with Trish afterwards.

Tomorrow is most certainly a rest day too 🙂

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.

Back On Track

October 13, 2011 by Kristy 10 Comments

10/13/11
6 miles
*3 x 1200 @ 10K pace…a mini speed session.

I was winded during Tuesday’s tempo run (3 miles at 8:00 pace). Breathing labored, wishing the run was over, and hating life. That kind of run. I kept thinking how the hell am I going to run faster than this next month (at the Philly Half)? And…how out of shape did I manage to get in 4 short weeks post-marathon?

My 4 weeks after the Lehigh Valley Marathon looked like this:
Week 1 – race a half marathon (bad idea)
Weeks 2 and 3 – take it easy because of bad idea (and by “take it easy” I did run…just 2-3 times a week and nothing over 6 miles)
Week 4 – 34 miles of easy runs

I’m not out of shape. Seeing it written out in black and white makes it more clear. You’re supposed to rest after a marathon, lay off the speed work, and just enjoy not training for a bit.

BUT…

It took me sooo long to get my speed to this point, I’m terrified of losing it. I worked so hard and I want to further build on the foundation that I have now.

So I made it back to the track today to prepare for the Philly Half. I’m staying away from the crazy speed work I once did (running until my lungs screamed). For now, 10K pace is adequate and will allow me to improve and maintain, which is all I can really ask for.

AND I’m chalking that tempo run up to a bad run day. Yep, just like a bad hair day.

Have you ever been afraid of losing fitness, endurance, speed, etc. after a race that you trained months for? I must admit, I’m a little nutso about it right now.

I’m Running The Boston Marathon (it's official)!

September 30, 2011 by Kristy 27 Comments

OK, OK…I know…enough of the Boston talk! But I promise this post won’t be whiny.

It has been a long 2 1/2 weeks since this happened…

Thanks Amanda for the video! Pay no attention to my bad form.

But I finally received my acceptance email from the B.A.A. on Thursday (at 2:11pm, not that I was waiting or anything). What did it take?

6: emails to the B.A.A. from me
4: phone calls to the B.A.A.
1: fax to the B.A.A.
1: email from the LVM race director* to the B.A.A.
1: email from the LVM race timer to the B.A.A.
*this email came from Gerry Yasso (yes, Bart’s brother). Bart designed the LVM course. I love Bart Yasso and now his brother is pretty awesome as well.

I cannot believe it’s finally official!

AND, I cannot believe how lucky I am.

After the NJ Marathon (May 2011), I knew I could BQ. I was lucky enough to get another shot at BQing and found a marathon within driving distance the day before Boston 2012 registration opened. Talk about down to the wire.
There was hurricane Irene, then more flooding, and 90% humidity leading up to the race. I was lucky enough to get a cool and overcast day with little to no mud.
Then the unthinkable happened, Boston registration was still open on September 19th and I was lucky enough to register.

Little did I know that I was about to get even luckier…

One second slower (say I had a violent sneeze during Mile 24) and I would not be running the Boston Marathon.

This is a dream come true! There are no words to express how happy I am right now!

Boston will be my 10th marathon. What a way to ring in the double digits!

PS – My running twin, Cindi, is going to kick ass at the Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday. Stop by and wish her the race of a lifetime!

Boston Update: Thursday Edition

September 29, 2011 by Kristy 13 Comments

If you want to hit “mark all as read” in your Google Reader because you are sick of hearing about Boston, I don’t blame you. I’m pretty damn sick of it myself.

The update is that I still don’t know. I make daily calls to the B.A.A. (I swear there is an audible groan when they hear my voice). I send emails and faxes. Has it helped speed up the process? Nope.

Yesterday I was told there were 300 runners in my situation (most of them ran international races) and they hope to get through them yesterday and today and let us know on Friday. I was told they are not giving away my spot; just checking that my finish time was not falsified. They have 2 emails (which I also faxed to them) from the LVM stating that my finish time is 3:43:46. What the hell more do you need?

Maybe I’ll hear today? I’m not holding my breath. Take your damn time, B.A.A.

In the meantime, I’m trying to focus on other things. Like the fact that I’m running a 5K this weekend with my niece, Sarah (her second 5K!).

A Quick Update On Boston…

September 27, 2011 by Kristy 21 Comments

The update is that I still don’t know and may not know if I’m officially in for some time (officially is the key word here). Most runners found out yesterday if they were accepted or not. I have yet to receive an email. All I know is the cut-off time for my age and gender is 3:43:46 which is exactly my finish time at the Lehigh Valley Marathon.

See the time for the 35-39 age group? Through and including 3:43:46? So technically, I’m in (by the skin of my teeth)! How incredibly lucky is that?

There appears to be an issue verifying my finish time. I have spoken and emailed the B.A.A. twice today. They cannot use the posted times on the LVM website for verification (I asked). The LVM does not give out finishers’ certificates (which the B.A.A. would accept for verification). I also emailed the race director of the LVM to see if he/she can help in anyway.

The second time I spoke with the B.A.A. she said it may take up to 4 weeks to verify my time. I burst into tears (thankfully, I’m working from home). It has been a stressful 2 days and that was the last thing I wanted to hear.

I know my finish time meets the requirements but I cannot celebrate and be happy about it until I receive an acceptance email from the B.A.A.

I feel like I am doing everything in my power to help out and move things along. I guess I just have to wait some more 🙁