Week 2 of 18: 7 miles in 1:18

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"I didn't feel like googling this quote to death to figure out who said this first- so hats off to Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky

This pretty much sums up my week.  I worked 6 days this week which for most people is normal or a day extra.  Since I'm off Friday during the summer, this was a lonnnnng week.  Working Monday through Saturday night equals tired, beat, and drained.

I was very proud of myself given my long schedule and training.  I managed to run 4 times and fit in bodypump.  I also started my healthy marathon eating, which I do think has helped (when I follow it).

All of my short 3 mile run's this week were in the 9-9.5 minute mile range, and the knee/hip pain isn't as bad as it's been.  I was doing well.

I knew working 6 days left only one day to run 7, the dreaded early Sunday morning run...

I was a total old lady and fell asleep way too early last night trying to watch the Olympics (even though I already knew who won- boo).  I was up at 6 and got ready to go- forgetting to eat anything or bring a gel.  I did however, remember my gps watch, iphone, ear buds, and water- so that was a plus.

I started off the first mile, and for some reason mile 1 of 1 or 1 of 1,000 is always the most difficult.  It's almost as though my body is hibernating and there's no way it's moving at that pace.  As I started, I thought through what I had eaten yesterday.  Well..given that my job is running a non-profit hotel esque place, food options are usually pre-packaged unless a meal group is in to cook.

So my food from yesterday:

• 100 Calorie awful fake sugar breakfast bar
• Eggs
• Breakfast potatoes
• Roll with butter (I think)
• 3 delicious chocolate chip cookies
• 2 bottles of water
• 1 pre-packaged tuna salad with crackers
• Chobani apple greek yogurt
• Leftover peas,rice,chicken combo
• Skinny cow ice cream

And this is the reason, I guarantee, my run wasn't as spectacular as I would've hoped.  I ran for about 3 miles before the knee pain kicked back in.  So out of 7 miles I probably walked 7 times- which in my mind will attribute to my slower time.  Due to the knee pain and humidity my mind games kicked in...early.


Today's game was the smile test.  And if i calculated correctly, today was at 98%.  There were thankfully enough people that I passed throughout this run that I could smile at, and pretend 7 miles was a nice, comfy run- and they too should do it- hmm maybe not.  Everyone that looked my way received a smile- now whether or not they smiled back because I was sweaty, red, and pretty nasty, or just being nice is TBD.  Every single man, woman, and child smiled back- except for the woman who gave me the stink eye- I'll let her slide and pretend she needed sunglasses.


7 miles done in a 11:17 pace (including walk breaks).  Chocolate milk after, and currently ice on the knee. 


Best feeling of all: Feeling so accomplished at 8:10am!  Or maybe the creepy man who told me I looked great after finishing all sweaty, stinky, nasty, and red- or maybe NOT!


16 weeks remain.  Week 2 0f 18: DONE!!! :)

Week 1 of 18: 6 miles in 1:04

I've been slacking on my blog entries, so a once a week recap is what it's come down to.

I forgot how much "fun" I have balancing my hectic schedule and training- this week it came to light.  I got in two early morning workouts before work i.e. waking up at 5:30 to get to the gym in time, and was beyond beat by 10pm both nights.  Insert some meetings and a social life and bam, when would I run?!  

Finally broke down and bought a GPS watch, the Garmin Forerunner 110:

I'm totally cheap when it comes to exercise stuff, but again it's a learning curve and I've realized I can't be so "cheap".  When I first started running I broke my foot and had turf toe after wearing the wrong sneakers (the clearance sneaks).  Cotton anything is a no go-- blisters, chafing, riding up, and being soaked in sweat are never on my to-do list.  Running is referred to as a "cheaper" sport in comparison to any sport requiring all of the above and then some.  That being said, please tell me what sports require a monitor to track time and distance that are in the $200-$500 range- yes exactly, there are none.

Now that I've explained how cheap I am, let me explain the above purchase.  My longest organized run was my half-marathon aka 13.1 miles.  Training for this maxed out at 10 miles, so I was able to go to a 3 mile park and run 3 loops and then some for my longest run.  Given that my marathon training tops out at 20 miles- I've come to realize running 7 loops of the same scenery will drive my crazy.  So I can just run and run and this gadget will tell me how far I've come!

Finally got my long run of the week in this morning.  Woke up at 6am to run- again you've got to be some sort of crazy to train for a marathon.  I can think of 10,000 reasons why I shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning- but then again you only live once.  I want to be old and have absolutely no regrets and never want to think I "should've" done that and didn't.  So call me crazy (and I've gotten it a lot already), it's a huge compliment. :)

I got to the park at 6:45 and set out on my 6 mile run, with my new watch!  I wasn't expecting anything crazy, but prayed I could do 6 straight without immense pain.  I really enjoyed having my pace calculated (not my current pace, but my average- it'll do for now).  It still made it clear I run the first 3 miles too fast, maybe I should sign up for a 5k and "test" my speed.  I ran 6 miles in 1:04 averaging a 10:30 pace, which I was happy with. 

What I learned today: 

• GPS watches are awesome
• Cotton wicking mid-quad shorts ride up
• Ear buds fall out no matter their price- sweat has a mind of its own
• Ipod arm bands stretch out
• Lack of water the night before can derail a run
• ITBS is no joke

Yippppeeeee week 1 of 18 done.  17 to go!!! C'mon November 18th :)

First pain free run!

Since the Broad Street Run in early May, I've experienced some sort of pain during running.  I was forced to walk a bit during Broad Street and during my half marathon due to the pain.  The pain was a deep gnawing sensation in my left hip- and I just assumed it was because I have wider hips.  The pain would come and go during a long run, but little walking bursts seem to make it ok.  This was very frustrating when I knew my conditioning was much better and I could run both of these races in their entirety- aside from this pain.  I took Advil and iced a bit, but wasn't sure of the real issue.

I did get a massage after my 10-miler and was told my IT band was really tight.  I'd heard of it before, but didn't give it a second thought.  I then went on to my half which the same mysterious hip pain reemerged, again forcing short walk breaks.  I'm very competitive with myself- so these walks breaks were pure torture because I knew I could do "so much better", i.e. 2 minutes off my entire time.

The area where I live is very hilly and no parks or trails are completely flat.  I started running hills on a trail nearby to prepare for the hills in the half.  I had some hip and knee pain, but would taper the hills back when it became an issue.  Recently every single run I do is outside- because it's gorgeous out, and summertime!  So each run is essentially running up and down hills of some elevation.  

I also started doing tempo runs while training for the 10 miler and half and did shave some time off my old 5k PR.  The problem with this is my comfortable 10-minute mile pace that I usually hold pretty steady, got messy.  The first few miles of a long run I was running between 8-9 minute miles.  While this is great for a 5k, this is bad when trying to really train for a endurance run.  

Between the hills and speedier time- I was doomed from the beginning.  So I decided to reach out to fellow runner's on twitter for ideas.  I've iced, taken ibuprofen, stretched, done yoga (even though I hate it), taken days off from running, bought new shoes, purchased a running stick- to no avail.  Thankfully someone I reached out to responded with "two words: foam roller".  

I had seen these before and kept reading about them for ITBS relief, so I sucked it up and bought one.  After rolling around on this thing, it does provide some relief.  I've also found some interest sites that show how to release trigger points causing ITB pain- I like to call this torture.

I decided I was running 3 miles today straight through and going for a swim.  My body wasn't holding me back- and didn't, thank you God!  I ran 3 miles on the treadmill in 29:33 straight through without pain!!!!  I don't know if it's the new shoes, foam rolling or the steady even pace, but it worked.  

I then went for a half hour cool down swim..in the 88 degree water.  So much for a "cool down".

....let the training begin

Well this is it, my last night without a set training schedule to follow till November 18th- and my MARATHON!!  I should be super excited for this, but i've been stuck on the couch all day with ice and aleve- thank you ITBS.  Hopefully after the purchase of another pair of new shoes (my second pair in 3 months), i'll be a-ok!


Looking back on my half marathon training through pictures made me laugh, so here's to training, once again!


Lessons I've learned after running 13.1 miles:

1.  Jelly beans are meant to be sweet, not salty.  

If they are salty a) good luck with that run b) you're sweet jelly beans are way past expiration.  After using these as "fuel" for an 8 miler and making it about 3 miles before wanting to die- these will never be purchased again.

 2.  Running 10 miles before going to work will require mental and physical dedication- along with some fuel.  And some awesome bragging rights when you get to work!

I bought all of this immediately after my run at 9am- thinking this would be a snack.  This actually ended up being my food for the entire day. (Note: gels with caffeine i.e. the chocolate outrage below are great, until the caffeine kicks in- and you are "cleansed" a bit more than you would like).

3.  Expect the unexpected.

I originally signed up for my half with two friends.  By the time the half came, it was just me.  I had trained alone and was ok with that, but going into Philly in the early am was...scary.  Google Maps took me through one of the worst areas in Philly at 5:45am (so I could beat the road closures).  Needless to say after almost dying, crying, and praying- I made it!

 4.  Post-run photo ops are not preferable.

My mom and her new smartphone were great when I passed them during the course.  An audience of familiar faces is a serious pick-me-up when you take on a big run.  That being said, after the run I was in no mood to "pose".  So this is my only post-run photo.

5.  After running 13.1 miles it's time to eat (or so you think)!

I ran my half and was starving, I thought I could eat everything.  My awesome fam came to cheer me on and we ended up at a diner outside of Philly.  The only thing I managed besides drinking two chocolate milks and a few bites, was this picture.

6.  Whenever you wonder why you run: just ask your family.

My sister told me after I finish my marathon, I'll receive the below.  Is this the only reason she thinks I run, seriously?  I mean I do totally use running as an excuse to eat whatever I want- but it's so much more than that.

To workout...or lay on the beach

Deep in the back of my head I know my actual "training" doesn't start till mid-July.  I knew pre-training would be a better idea so I don't end up with some crazy injury once the runs become longer.  My goal was to run on the beach every morning, barefoot. 

After figuring out that low tide is at midnight or noon, I realized this would be a lazy vacation.  The beach is not flat by any means, and the thought of aggravating my ITB to the point of no return doesn't really intrigue me.  Low tide is the only time of day when the beach is "flat"- and I decided against running at midnight with the ghost crabs or at noon when it would be sweltering heat.

Instead of doing nothing at all I've walked almost everyday on the beach and did run..once.  Too beautiful to stay away from:

The running options at the beach rental we are staying at include the sand, or a highway.  I opted for the highway after seeing many other runners and cyclists. 

At least I ran, once.

The worst part of all of this, is the fact my runner's knee has actually gotten worse.  I know uneven footing has a lot to do with it, but geez.  I never realized walking to and from the beach and a daily beach walk could mess me up so bad.  I'm starting to feel like my parents with their random ailments.  The knee has gotten to the point a handful of times this week where it feels like it's just going to give out.  I really need to figure this out prior to marathon training.  I would be devastated to train for 4 months- only to injure myself and not be able to run.

I guess it's either a runner's knee brace (oh so cute), or a trip to the doctor this week.