Country Music Marathon/Half Marathon: Volunteering

I was at LP Field at 5:15am Saturday morning to check in by 5:30am. It was a breeze to get to the reserved parking area right at the bottom of the Korean Vets bridge. I wore jeans, sweatshirt, CEP socks, & a short sleeved tech shirt under the sweatshirt. I also had on some new balance running shoes that I had run in during a very long & RAINY training run back in January. They gave us clear ponchos & volunteer t-shirts. I put mine over my clear poncho until the rain picked up. Then I took it off & threw it over a fence. (Hopefully, someone who needed it got because I didn't want it.) The rain picked up about an hour & a half after I got there. (I was wishing I had worn a belt, a 2nd pair of socks, walmart bags over my shoes, & a long sleeve tech under my sweatshirt. I was underdressed for this volunteer stint.)

The only thing I did was help open a massive amount of boxes that were on pallets. These had the mini marathon medals, half marathon, & full marathon medals in them. At least 5 if not 6 full pallets, mind you… (Probably around 25 people helping open medals.) Not sure how many people ran this year but I thought I heard that about 30,000 signed up. It's always a very high number but it seems like maybe around 85% actually roll out of bed to run it. I have to say this is one year where nobody could complain about the heat. I think the high for Saturday was low to mid-50's so not really cold or warm but factor in the cold rain & it just felt miserable, especially if you were just standing around with about 30-40 lbs of medals hanging on your arms. The medals themselves were in card board boxes. Each medal was in its own little plastic, square bag that was stapled. We had to rip the bags open & take each & every medal out of its bag. I don't know how most folks would feel but it would be A OK with me if I'm ever handed my medal still in these stapled bags. Just sayin'… I had only one guy ask to be "King'ed". Meaning he wanted me to actually put it around his neck. He got too anxious waiting on me to untangle my batch of medals & moved to the person beside me to be "king'ed". One guy actually asked why he didn't get a kiss. I told him, "This isn't Wellesley, baby & we're not in Boston!" LOL!

I've never been one to want the medal around my neck right as I finish a marathon or half marathon. Maybe I'm jaded a bit on it but when you've run 12 marathons & at least 20 half marathons, you're over the hoopla of finishing. LOL! The closest I've ever come to actually getting emotional as I crossed a finish line was my first half in 2004. It was the Country Music Half. (2:01:46) I had only run a flat 10 miler up to that point & was amazed I did that well. It was my first half & I admit, I did get a little emotional because of my finish time.

It seems that for the half marathon, going sub 2 is the pinnacle for people as well as going sub 4 for the full marathon. I saw lots of people near tears or crying as they finished their half marathon & yes, I was all too happy to hand them their unwrapped medals. After I started shivering in the rain, I got over that warm, fuzzy feeling. LOL! I was so wet that my jeans got heavy enough to start falling down. I had forgotten to wear a belt. It was so bad that if I dropped a medal on the ground & tried to pick it up, I know the top of my crack would peek out. (Kinda scary since I had gotten a message that I had been seen on tv)

When the thin, clear poncho stopped doing its job, I decided I would head on home. I did see the mini-marathon folks finish, of course. I saw probably 75% of the half marathoners finish, & I saw the winner of the full marathon finish. It was exciting but I would have enjoyed it more had I not looked like someone had drug me down the Cumberland river & back.

What is it with running events, rain/ flooding…and me?
I think I need to register for a race in a location that is in dire need of some rain because it seems like I tend to bring it with me. (The Tom King 1/2, I wasn't even registered. I ran as someone else without a timing device, just a bib. PERFECT weather)

Let's hope the rest of 2013 brings some dry races for me whether I run or volunteer at them.
Will I volunteer again at the CMM? Maybe, but not next year….the CMM is the same weekend as the Carmel race due to the Easter holiday being later in the month. Running Carmel again would mean I get to spend time not only with the club but with my friend, Hannah, who lives in Indy. ;-)

Again, I'd post pics but I'm too lazy busy to do that. LOL! They're posted on my facebook page.

3 Goals

1. First & foremost, the fueling on the long runs for the marathon distance

I refuse to let my 3rd attempt to run a sub 3:55 be a failure due to an upset tummy.
I was given a rehydrate gel by Lauren R. to try & I've been told by more than one person to try the honey stinger gels. I've tried a lot of different things over the years but I know there's more out there that I can experiment with over the next few months. I've been picking the brains of the "fast" marathoners in our club.

2. Run a 1:45 half marathon
Where & When? Not sure yet…I believe that with more speed work, I can do it. There….I put it out   there in "blog land" so I know that I'll definitely go for it. LOL! Where to find one that's flat & not too terrible warm will be the bigger challenge.

3. Run under 3:55 in the marathon by the end of 2013
Kate J. made me feel pretty good about the whole missing the goal thing this week. She told me she was really proud of my two sub 4 hour marathons this year. Last year at this time I was struggling with getting my pace down to run sub 2 hr half marathons even though I had done it years before…..
When she told me she was proud of me, it dawned on me how far I've come. A year ago, I didn't really even have the "idea" in my head to run a sub 4 hour 26.2 let alone obtain a boston qualifying time. So, dang it, I'm damn proud of my 3:56:49 New Orleans marathon & then 8 weeks later a 3:58:56 Carmel Marathon time.  I put in the work & even though I missed my goal, I ran injury free & faster than I ever have for the marathon distance.  Go me!  ;-P

How am I feeling?
I feel pretty awesome! I'm practicing patience right now in a big way, though. LOL! I jogged a 10:17 pace for 3 flat miles Wednesday before joining the "Couch to 5k" program that the club is organizing. I helped time a few women for their ½ mile time trial. They did great. During the half mile my right calf muscle let me know that it had run a marathon 4 days earlier by tightening up. It has since loosened up by way of the elliptical & me stretching the bejesus out of it. I've got a massage this afternoon & she's going to work on the calves for sure.

What have I been doing this week?
This week I've hit my weights since I missed doing them last Sunday. I have been on the bike, the elliptical, done some yoga, & P90X ab ripper. I appear to be bouncing back just as quickly after Carmel as I did after New Orleans. I may not "Run like Roy" but I may be "Recovering like Roy". For those not familiar with Roy T. in our run club, it's nothing for him to run a 50k trail race one weekend & then the next weekend run a marathon. That's exactly what he did when he ran New Orleans one week after doing a 50k race!

This weekend:
I've always said that I would like to volunteer at the Country Music Marathon/half Marathon sometime & this year is the year to do it. I'm extremely excited about being at the finish line. I hope the rain holds off for the runners. Sunday I'm planning to run 6 miles in Crockett Park at a conservative pace. If the legs feel good, I'll pick it up for another 2 miles at a faster pace to test them & of course I plan to be in the gym.

What's next?
May 4th: Rutherford Relay for JDRF (My "legs" total 13 miles)
May 18th: Viola Half marathon (No PR but heat & hill training, baby!)
June 15th: help out with the 5k that the "Couch to 5k" folks are doing at the end of their training
June 22nd: Inaugural Franklin Half marathon (No PR but more heat & hill training!)
July 4th: Firecracker 5k

Beyond this is another Fall marathon & the CIM in Sacramento Dec 8th.
This week there's been lots of chatter via email & in Uncle Bud's Wednesday night as to what Fall marathon we want to do. For now, we'll keep it a secret until we're done chit chatting about it.
What I love about NRC is that it's a club where more than a few of us with the same goals can put our heads together & give each other advice. I think that's the thing I like most about this club that we're now calling it the "Nolensville Run Family".

Carmel Indiana Marathon: As Dory says, "Just keep swimming." In my case, just keep running....

It's taken me a while to process the last few days much less the last 7 days….

I can't really give an accurate course description since I didn't run the "real" Carmel Indiana marathon course. The course got changed at the last minute due to flooding issues. No, I'm not joking! Carmel had flooding issues just like New Orleans did eight weeks ago. I've now run two different marathons, two different states in the last eight weeks that have been flooded & had last minute course changes.
Don't you just love my "luck"?! LOL!

As soon as we got done with the Expo on Friday, we jumped in the car with Jake & tried to drive the course. Notice I wrote "tried". Crissy kept saying at one point, "We need to go right but the road is closed." Then I remember Jake saying something about Carmel getting 10 inches of rain. Then it registered & all I could do was laugh nervously. I have no idea how much these closed roads attributed to the actual elevation on the course but Carmel's course seemed way hillier than the New Orleans course. Keep in mind I never got to run the "real" New Orleans course!  (laugh with me!.)

So, let me clarify this for those that have come to my quest to run a "sub 3:55 marathon" party a little late. I've run 12 marathons & most were not pretty…two of which I ran with shin splints many years ago.
Last October when my "forrest gump" husband qualified for Boston in Chicago, it lit a fire under me to really WANT & TRAIN for my own Boston Qualifying time. I did a 4:12 in Chicago last October.  I knew reaching a sub 3:55 was within my reach. I knew based off my ½ marathon time last November in Indianapolis that I had it in me. I trained in such a way that it suited me without getting injured, of course. So far, so good… I don't feel any worse today than I did two days after New Orleans & I've not even had a massage yet like I did the day after New Orleans. I managed to do yoga class yesterday & I did soak in a tub of COLD water. Tonight I'm making time for an ice bath!

I missed the sub-3:55 by 1 minute & 50 seconds (3:56:49) in New Orleans eight weeks ago. I had Carmel as my "B" race provided the weather was cold. (Be careful what you wish for…)
During the race, I would get too warm in the sun, then a breeze would hit me as I turned a corner then I would shiver…not a good feeling. The wind wasn't bad like it was the day before but it was enough that I questioned what I was going to wear all the way up until we were about to leave the room Saturday morning.

I ended up with a 3:58:56 in Carmel, Indiana on Saturday. I wasn't a happy camper to say the least but seeing most everyone else reach their goals was priceless. I wouldn't trade this past weekend for anything. We had SEVEN new marathoners come across that finish line on Saturday if I'm counting right. PRICELESS!!!!

When I came to my senses after sitting laying down a few minutes near the sidewalk next to the finish line, I asked Scott & several others about Laurie P. When I knew I was feeling sick to my stomach out on the course, one of the things in my head was…"if I can't do it today, Lord, please let her do it." She trained her A$$ off & that's putting it mildly. When I was told she was in the medical tent & that she probably missed it by less than a minute, I headed over there. When I saw her on a cot or stretcher, I couldn't help it. I couldn't hold a weeks worth of tears in any longer. I hope she knows I'm sorry for losing it. I guess the whole Boston bombing, fire in TX, my aunt dying of cancer last week, etc….just sorta caught up with me. I'm happy to report that even though Laurie was taken to the hospital, she was well enough to come to the hotel lobby party that evening. She will get her Boston Qualifying time the next one for sure!

Course description: This "revised" course was hillier than I expected. I'm not trying to make excuses for myself. I'm just saying that New Orleans is still very fresh in my mind & was way flatter. The first half of Nola was totally pancake flat. If you can get past their poorly paved roads in Nola & want a good ½ PR, go there. The 2nd half of Carmel seemed hillier than the 2nd half of Nola. I was honestly shocked at how rolling Carmel seemed on Saturday. I did make sure I did some hill training when we got back from Nola. I felt like I was way more hill trained going into Carmel than I did going to Nola.  I'm not a fan of snaking through neighborhoods & trying to run tangents.  Jake mastered that in this race & got his sub-4 hour marathon Saturday. He owes Crissy big time for being out in the cold, driving around, & handing off his fuel. An example of one of many supportive spouses out there on the course.

Nutrition: I knew my gus were starting to make me ill. I was taking a gu every 4 miles during my training for Nola. On our last 20 miler before Carmel, I knew I was feeling icky sick from them but what could I do? It was really too late to start experimenting with something else. So, instead, I started taking a gu every 5 miles. I also took in an "e-gel" with no caffeine but with 150 calories at around the 12.5 mile area. I wanted to start the 2nd half with a little more in me other than the gu. As we passed the 20 mile mark my tummy went from feeling somewhat ok to just plain miserable. I knew I was slowing down big time. I tried to keep pace & the disappointment on Joe's face was almost too much to take. He has worked real hard & put up with a lot from me over the last 5-6 months pacing me all over Nashville, San Antonio, TX & Lake Orion, MI during the holidays, etc….Not to mention the New Orleans marathon…. He has sacrificed his own pace & races to get me faster. He's been VERY successful but I've not quite delivered the "prize" yet.
You know the old saying, "3rd times a charm". Well, that's what we are hoping. I'm not going to bore anyone with my mile splits. They are what they are….and at one point I was on track for roughly a 3:50-3:52. It just wasn't my day to do it.

Goals: The biggest goal I have now in front of me is to solve the "tummy issues" that seem to happen the last 6-7 miles of the marathon. I've got to make a drastic change with how I fuel myself for 26.2 miles. I would also like to get faster. I've come a long way on "pace" in the last year. I would love to keep progressing. Hey, who wouldn't?! I figure if I can get faster then maybe I can build some time in the last 6 miles to sit down on the side of the road & eat saltines. ;-P

We do have a funny story pertaining to the 3:55 pacer dude.
He caught up to me at around 23 miles. He came to an abrupt "walk" & handed Joe the sign. He said something about coming off an injury & not feeling well. Joe took the sign & decided he would get that sign to the finish line on time. Joe finished at 3:55:15; I think…that 15 seconds was wasted yelling at me trying to motivate me to follow him. (You don't want to know what was going through my mind at that point!) There's a cool pic that Michael T. took of Joe holding the 3:55 pace sign posted on the clubs facebook page.. . I did finish before the "original" 3:55 pacer. LOL!
Thank God for the angel who came to help pull me into the finish line. Tim L. is a true gentleman & if you tell him he's more than welcome to help pull you into a marathon finish line, be prepared for him to do it.
What a guy!

Joe & I had a blast as usual with the club much like we did last year.  Will we go again?  We might. Our good friends, the Heusers, have moved to Indy. They've even looked at homes in Carmel.
We plan to keep on training & finding another "mountain to climb"soon. It ain't over till the fat lady sings or until I go sub-3:55, dang it!

26.2 different emotions yesterday.....

After multitasking yesterday, tracking about 10 runners in Boston from our run club & working….
I'm pretty much speechless. One of the spectators that died was an 8 year old boy waiting on his dad to finish the marathon. His sister lost a leg & his mom has some brain damage.
Two men standing near this boy & his family (brothers) each lost a leg. 

I really hope the responsible parties involved with this horrific incident are found. I think a lot of us are still in shock. The Nolensville Run club had around 10 runners there. (Two of them re-qualified for Boston 2014.) Thank God, all of them are safe & will be home soon. We have so much to celebrate & we've not even made it to Carmel, Indiana yet. All I know is that obtaining my Boston Qualifying time for me now means something more.
 

I had people calling, texting, etc…all the way up till this morning wondering if we were in Boston. I even had text messages from folks that aren't saved in my phone. LOL! Joe qualified for the 2014 Boston marathon in Chicago last Fall so next year is our year to go.

Yesterday, I met up with Jo Ann, Matt, & Blake at 5pm for 5 really warm, easy miles. I need to make sure I take my little hand held for now on. When I noticed that my overall pace was 9:11, I sort of shivered.
 

Our club met at the town hall at about 6:30. Two news stations were already there waiting. I still had our signs we made on Sunday for our Boston runners for our facebook page in my trunk. So, Adam M. & I held up the biggest one with all the Boston NRC runners names on it. I don't have a picture of it or I would post it here. Little did we know when we made it that it would end up on the 10 o'clock news a day later. (See link above for the video)
 

I am so proud to be a part of this group. I didn't really become a regular until maybe 15 months ago when I was training in the winter with another group on Saturdays. I would run with that group then go eat breakfast with the Nolensville group. Over the last year & half we've all grown close, especially the "core" group that shows up at every single run or event we plan. I can honestly say I think of them as "family" now.
 

The rest of the week, I have nothing but a slow, flat 4 miler, yoga, & P90X ab ripper going on… I still have packing to do, which shouldn't take that long. I'm so very excited & blessed to able to do this again…8 weeks later. What I didn't do in New Orleans, I pray I do in Carmel. Only my body knows what it is capable of on Saturday morning but I know what my heart wants & that's a battle I'm going to let them fight.
 

This is the last post until post – Carmel, Indiana marathon becomes my 12^th marathon. I hope to have a race report done after we get back on Sunday & before I go to bed.

sweaty run, weights, bike, & some yoga to top it off later...

I joined Joe, Andrea, Tim, & David D. for three miles (they were doing 11) in Crockett Park.  I almost forgot to turn around I was so caught up in the conversation. I ended up with a little more than I wanted to get back to the car.  I went straight from there to the gym to knock out weights & jump on a bike for 35 minutes.  Later I'm stretching it out at Erin's yoga class.  I could tell it was definitely a warmer morning than yesterday.  I was pretty sweaty when I got to the car.

6.2 miles - 8:49 pace - 54:45
Mile 1- 9:12
Mile 2- 9:00
Mile 3- 9:17
Mile 4- 8:57
Mile 5- 8:21 (noticing I'm sweating pretty good now)
Mile 6- 8:18 (oh my, I wasn't on a downhill)
       .2-8:16 (whoops...)

Saw "42" yesterday at the movies.....LOVED it!  A really inspirational movie & something I needed to see a week away from a marathon.

11 miles of smiles

11 miler - 8:56 pace- 1:38:21

Mile 1: 9:15
Mile 2: 8:57
Mile 3: 9:09 (ran into Danielle)
Mile 4: 8:45
Mile 5: 8:50
Mile 6: 8:42
Mile 7: 8:44
Mile 8: 9:15 (Jonathon's water stop)
Mile 9: 9:03
Mile 10: 9:03
Mile 11: 8:34 (I feel like I can run forever today)

We talked the entire time about EVERYTHING.
I had eaten my usual breakfast & had a gu right before we started.
I didn't eat a thing during the run...just sipped on my handheld bottle of powerade.

Absolutely beautiful morning to be outside running. Great run with Grant, Danielle, Traci, & Jonathon.

5.26 hilly miles in the heat...

April 10th & the first heat wave arrives to middle TN.  80+ degrees today! 
I ran with Jayson & a new guy (didn't catch his name) over the hilly 5+ mile route.
(I also knocked out ab ripper before the run & stretched)
I talked the whole way but felt like crap. By Saturday morning, we'll be back down to perfect running temperature, though.  My body won't know what to do.

5.26 hilly miles - 46:45 - 8:54 pace
Mile 1- 8:56
Mile 2- 9:01
Mile 3- 8:32
Mile 4- 9:11
Mile 5- 9:00
      .26-8:13

Ahhh, let the "heat acclimation" begin....

2nd Tapering under way......

Well, I have no reason to believe I can't shave less than 2 minutes off my marathon time from less than two months ago provided the weather is to my liking. It's still early to be stalking the weather but it looks to be cooler in Carmel Indiana next week than in Boston. I really hope the weather pattern shifts a few days for those running on the 15th. All that being said, I'm fully prepared to shift to the 1/2 if the temperature is not to my liking.  I do have a back up in mind....  ;-P 

There are so many variables with the marathon as I've stated before on here & again, I hope to arrive there with nothing to worry about other than the weather. I can honestly say I've worked hard & it all started over a year ago by shaving weight off first. I'm extremely proud that I've kept it off….405+ straight days on myfitnesspal! No gimmicks, just consistency, & eating within reason. 

 

I ran easy & in the heat yesterday with Stephanie S. (my favorite NRC Coffee County runner)  ;-)

Carmel is going to be her first & she is ready.  She wanted 4 miles at a 10:30 pace but she did 6.38 with me at roughly a 10:12 pace & then kept running for another few miles with someone else.  We did stop to drink water for about a minute mid way since we weren't carrying water.  When I got home I did P90X ab ripper from memory.  Yes, I've done it so much I can do it from memory.  If there is anything that's really STRONG about me right now, it's my core. 

 

Today, I'll do the bike for a while at the gym & knock out the"Yoga for Runners" dvd when I get home.  This week is all about stretching everything out.  I'll likely do the 5+ mile hilly run with the group tomorrow but I'm not busting out any speed for it.  The next 10 days are going to be about "recovery" for me. 

 

Cross training & testing the tired legs...

I did my weights at the gym. (I do them once a week EVERY week)
I spun my legs out for 35 minutes & did some IT Band/Glute exercises.

I later ran 5 miles with Joe in our 'hood.  At first I thought it should be recovery but then I thought...."let's test the tired legs & I did..."  I don't really consider this tempo because it just felt easier to me than tempo but who knows what tempo is to me anymore, really.  I did Erin's yoga class to stretch everything out.  I feel pretty great after inhaling a Burger Republic black n' blue turkey burger.  Craving protein = muscle repair. 

5 miles - 8:48 pace - 43:58
Mile 1- 10:12 down & UP over a hill to get warmed up
Mile 2-8:34
Mile 3-8:26
Mile 4-8:12
Mile 5-8:38

Tomorrow, I'm running an easy 2 miles or so then joining the speedwork group for their "relay" if it's not something that's going to be WAY too fast.  I'll make that judgement call when I get the email explaining the work out.  (and of course I need to fit in P90X ab ripper tomorrow)

I can't wait to incorporate some of my favorite dvds into my weekly workouts again. 

15.25 rolling to flat to rolling...

We actually had some pretty good hills heading out of our neighborhood & down to Nolensville this morning. What I didn't like was the camber on the other side of the road when we came back. It's been a long time since we have run out of our 'hood like this & done an out & back. Normally I'm not a fan of doing this on this road but we were pressed for time. The goal was to keep it reeled in since we are in "taper mode". I wore my new CW-X tights. They felt really good. Too bad I didn't have them back in jan & feb. I like that we had these hills at the beginning & the end. I feel like I'm better hill trained now than I was before the New Orleans marathon.

15.25 miles - pace 9:11 - 2:19:56
Mile 1: 9:32
Mile 2: 8:43
Mile 3: 9:23
Mile 4: 9:13
Mile 5: 9:09
Mile 6: 9:19
Mile 7: 9:09
Mile 8: 9:06
Mile 9: 9:10
Mile 10: 9:13
Mile 11: 9:12
Mile 12: 9:09
Mile 13: 9:10
Mile 14: 9:09
Mile 15: 9:05
.25: 9:33

Next Saturday we will be up at the crack of dawn for 11 miles....

Tapering down....

My legs gave me the signal this week to taper down, finally.....
It's been just under 6 weeks since our little 26.2 jaunt through New Orleans.
Am I recovered from it?  I think so...my training over the last 6 weeks has been solid enough.
I didn't get a full 22 miles in but I got a 16.5, 19.25, & a 20 in the last 5-6 weeks.
I'm pretty proud of myself for being gutsy enough to even think about continuing the training post- Nola. 
How do I feel?  Great, but I've been tired this week.  I did two 8 milers.  One of which was a hilly tempo run & the other was an easier pace two days later over the same hills.  I decided to give myself a two day break before tomorrow's 15 miler & get more sleep this week.  We are running rolling hills to flat all the way from our 'hood into Nolensville & back starting at around 6am tomorrow morning. (7.5 out & back)
Do I dread it like I did last week's long run?  not at all...  We plan to keep it fairly easy at around a 9-ish pace since we're in taper mode.  Next week, we'll likely do 11 miles either super early Saturday or early on Sunday.  2nd marathon taper of the year will soon be complete along with possibly my 12th marathon....weather permitting.  It's starting to heat up a little here so who knows what the weather will be like 5 hours north of here on the 20th but I'm still hopeful.
We have our "plan" in place but I'm still reserving my right to downgrade to the half if it's too warm.  If our plan works for us, I'll eventually post it. ;-P

Am I getting excited?  Yes, it will be a fun second trip to Indiana with our favorite running peeps!
 

8 miles....with the best run club in middle tn....

Felt tired, felt kinda blah....but the Wed night run was the pick me up I needed.  I took it easy for about 3 miles then we had our "photo shoot".  Long story short, a local is doing a coffee table book & wanted to take a pic of some of us in race bibs taking off. LOL  (You just had to be there!)  We then took off again for the 5+ mile hilly route.
I pretty much chatted my way over the hills & started feeling alive again.  Now to bed!

8 miles - pace 9:12 - 1:13:38
Mile 1- 10:14
Mile 2- 9:20
Mile 3- 9:56
Mile 4- 9:19
Mile 5- 8:49
Mile 6- 8:47
Mile 7- 8:29
Mile 8- 8:45

8 miles...hilly tempo

Actually, I just wanted to do 8 miles at marathon pace with about 6 of it on the hills in Nolensville. For some odd reason we decided to push the pace down. It became a hilly tempo run. I was sure feeling the hills. Soak in tub of COLD water after…YES, I DID…. Had this been a flat run I would have expected some sub 8 minute miles here but we did the 5+ mile hilly course backwards & added about a mile of hills & of course about 2 miles of it was fairly flat. For the record & this is my opinion, that "Wednesday night 5+ mile hilly route"….is worse backwards. ;-P

8 miles – 8:35 pace-1:08:38

Mile 1: 8:48
Mile: 2: 8:42
Mile 3: 8:26
Mile 4: 8:50
Mile 5: 8:48
Mile 6: 8:30
Mile 7: 8:22
Mile 8: 8:12

Today: P90X ab ripper & Yoga for Runners dvd (must strrreetttcccchhh……)

Happy Easter....a day late!

We had a quiet Easter weekend.  Always love going to the service at MTSU's Murphy Center....this year they had a guy from that "Duck Dynasty" show. We've never seen it but he was pretty inspirational & certainly entertaining. 

Yesterday, we did 3 easy miles at a 9:11 pace.  It really should've been slower but I was in my cw-x tights & those things feel amazing. By mile 3 my legs wanted to take off. Pam P. calls them magic tights.  LOL!  I wore them for probably 4 hours to help with recovery.  I feel awesome today due to the tights, ice baths, yoga, etc...  I do not have any 2nd day soreness whatsoever! Woot!

Lately I've been reading this blog. She is too funny & she's easily become my favorite to read.
She's my age & oh so very entertaining.  Check her out!

Today, Joe & I are doing 8 miles at marathon pace after work.  I'm only to do around 34 miles this week.
I can't believe we will be caravaning with our run club in 18 days back up to Carmel, Indiana. Has it really been a whole year!?  My God, my running has come a very long way in a year. 
I have to say sticking with myfitnesspal, staying on top of my week day runs, my weekend runs, strength training, yoga, etc....it's made all the difference in my body.  It will be interesting to see what it will do April 20th....8 weeks after the New Orleans Marathon.  Feeling this awesome after a 20 miler makes me feel hopeful at least.  We will have some runners with us this year who are doing their first full marathon.  If I remember correctly, Wendy, Zack, Stephanie, Keith, & Lauren C. are all going to become marathoners that day.  They've worked their tails off & it will be pretty exciting to see them accomplish their goals.

I am still beyond excited about running the CIM in December.  It will be a birthday gift to myself & our anniversary trip all rolled into one.  We have a couple from the club that have already registered & two more gals who are thinking about it.  It's going to be a GREAT trip!

minor adjustments....

We cut our planned 22-23 miler back to 20 this morning.  See reasons below.  LOL!

I've had a couple of crazy work weeks & really that's no excuse but it is what it is...
I've not got the best sleep this week either, especially last night...
Joe had a lymph node removed (hello, minor surgery & he still ran 20 miles this morning) from his arm on Monday (cat scratch fever)...
I'm tired.  Period.  Adjustment over the next 3 weeks...GET MORE SLEEP!

At mile 17, I wanted to lay down in the road & go to sleep. I still think of what David C. told me a while back about having the same feeling.  I dreaded this run & pre-NOLA I never dreaded any of the long runs. (That is the difference between a slow build up vs. what we're doing.  LOL!)  Poor Joe started having issues with his arm after mile 15 this morning but continued to run...faster than me, of course.
But...the positives that I'm taking away from it....it was fantastic weather.  I ran in shorts, sports bra, & a thin singlet.  I only got cold when I took a few walk breaks during the last 2 miles.  It stayed overcast, we ran mostly flat...we never made it to the pedistrian bridge during the last 5 miles of our run like we had planned but that's ok.  We got a little lost towards the back of Shelby Park.  LOL! 
By mile 16 when I took my 4th gu, I wanted to puke.  The thought of taking in that 4th gu just made me sick but I did it.  I'm using plain gus now because the other flavored ones were really starting to get to me.  I'm going to make an adjustment in my gu intake for the next two long-ish runs & for the marathon.  I'm starting to think that every 5 miles would be better for me, especially if I take one before we run. 

I keep reminding myself during this abbreviated training cycle that I ran my fastest marathon ever 5 weeks ago. I only really allowed 1 week for recovery then we started ramping up again. Yes, I have been doing things to speed recovery along & I've done very well I might add but it's time to rest. If a sub 3:55 is to be had by little ole me in Carmel, IN then great but if the moons just don't line up just right for me, I'll live.

20 miles - pace 9:02 - 3:00:47
Mile 1- 9:06 (is my sock twisted...I stopped a second to check)
Mile 2- 8:44
Mile 3- 9:00
Mile 4- 8:59
Mile 5- 9:04 (back at the car for fuel & I'm stretching my calfs out)
Mile 6- 8:50
Mile 7- 8:57
Mile 8- 9:01
Mile 9- 9:20 (back at car for fuel & I'm stretching again)
Mile 10- 8:46
Mile 11- 8:51
Mile 12- 9:00
Mile 13- 8:46
Mile 14- 8:54
Mile 15- 8:55
Mile 16- 9:03
Mile 17- 9:05
Mile 18- 9:15 (I tell Joe we are cutting it short & he tells me his arm has been hurting for 3 miles.)
Mile 19- 9:39 (walk breaks)
Mile 20- 9:33 (more walk breaks)

Next week...15 miles....we will start our taper.....

Planning ahead....

Yesterday, I did a turtle slow 3.23 miles with the South Siders run club (in our 'hood), did P90X ab ripper, my IT Band/Glute exercises, & rode a bike at the gym for 20 minutes.  Altogether a productive Thursday post workout.  LOL! 
The past two weeks have been super busy & tiring to say the least.  Running sure does help keep you centered & after a rare hard day at work, I sure enjoyed my Wednesday night staying out until nearly 9pm with the run club. LOL!

I made a HUGE decision today about December.....
Luckily, I've about talked my Texas sister into coming here for Christmas and/or New Years, which opens up our Dec travel budget a bit.  (We'll have our Thanksgiving in Michigan this year)

I signed Joe & myself up for the CIM in Sacramento, December 8th, Sunday.  That elevation makes my mouth water.  All I've got to say is that they better be playing some Johnny Cash at the start line!

4.6 + 4.14 = 8.74 miles......hilly & flat

Yesterday, I wanted at least 8 miles.  I should've just shot for an even 9.
When I first got home, I ran in our 'hood & hit some hills for 4.6 miles.
My garmin was doing weird things so I had to shut it off & restart it during the first 1/2 mile.
By my calculations it was around 40:11 (8:44 pace).
I then joined the run club about an  hour later for a relatively flat 4 miles but it turned into 4:14 at around 36 minutes (8:46 pace).  Joe was pacing Rachel on a 4 mile tempo run & she exceeded her goal big time, plus Preston, Jane's son, ran with us.  He & Tim pushed the last mile down. 
Overall, I'm ok with the paces...honestly, I just wanted the 8 miles on my feet in the middle of the week. 
Today, I plan to run a very slow 3 miles & I want to work on the glute/IT Band exercises.
I'll likely knock out ab ripper, too.
Friday, I truly do need to stretch everything out again...P90X Stretch may be on the agenda along with lots of good carbs.
That 22+ miler on Saturday morning in Shelby won't run itself!  ;-P

something resembling "speed work"....

Yesterday, I knocked out ab ripper & I attempted some speed work early since I was home early.  We had some strong winds & lots of flurries swirling around. I like the cold but this kind of cold just irritates me when I'm trying to do "speed work".  I only did 6 X 400's because frankly, the wind wasn't worth fighting.  I ended up with 5.52 miles at around a 9:32 pace overall.  I did an easy 2.25 miles to warm up & then took off into the wind for the first one.  It was a 2:03. LOL!  I changed directions & the 2nd was a 1:42, I believe...that's how bad the wind was in our 'hood.  My fastest one was only 1:41 & honestly that's slow for me.  I knew after the 6th one it wasn't worth doing anymore so I jogged back home & got warm.  As much as I'd like for the cold to carry over through out most of April, I'm over this type of extreme cold. 

Today, I'm hitting the stationary bike & doing my "Yoga for Runners" dvd.  I could tell in my legs when we ran long Saturday that I had skipped doing that dvd last week.  With the 22-23 miler coming up, that's not happening this week.  I'm a BIG believer in yoga, especially for runners. 

Last week, I ended up with over 43 miles & next week I should be just a tinsy bit over 40.  Then it's time to taper for the 2nd time this year. 

recovery run, new tights, a party, & VERY cold temps!

Last year March was unseasonably warm on into the first week of April here, then we had a two week break in the heat, & then it was hot for the CMM marathon the last weekend in April.

This year March has been unseasonably cold. It feels weird wearing a wool sweater & boots to work on March 25^th! I pray this is a good sign for April but I know it could go from one extreme to the other in a VERY short time. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that we "ease" into Spring. All that being said I'm not looking forward to the very chilly speed work we are doing tonight. We are doing something called, "The Russian". I'm not even sure I understand it but I'm bundling up & going. This may or may not be the last week of "hard" speed work for me anyway. We are a week away from April 1^st! Wow!!

I bought some CW-X tights over the weekend that I'm going to try to use all week long. I ran just over 4.5 miles in them yesterday. Apparently, I fit into the XS size per my height & weight. I was shocked given the fact that they looked so tiny before I put them on. They perform basically the same function as if you were to have your IT Band or around the knee area taped. There are different types you can buy but the pair I bought supports the IT Band, knees, & lower back. I've only run 4.5 miles in them so the verdict is still out. I'm taking full advantage of the colder than normal temps to break in those $90 tights..... BUT I'll make a game time decision as to whether to wear them Saturday for our 22-23 miler. I did notice the last two miles of the run yesterday that they do loosen up as your body warms up. I was a bit worried about my range of motion but they will take some getting used to for longer, faster runs. As for how I feel after Saturday's hilly 19.25 miler....I feel pretty dang GREAT!   Yoga & COLD soaks sure do work wonders for recovery.

Yesterday's workout included a flat, recovery 4.57 miler at around a 9:23 pace with Tim. Scott & Lauren ran part of it with us. We very narrowly avoided the storms that rolled through. I also did all my weights at the gym, rode a bike for 30 minutes, & did yoga for an hour. The class seemed to be very "runner specific" which was nice.

Other than ab ripper & the cold ass speed work today….that may be all I do unless I head to the gym to spin my legs out.

The Nolensville Run club had a HUGE 3 year anniversary party last night.  I'd post a few pics but they're all over our facebook page.  Great food, great company, & so many great running plans were made....  I'm entertaining the idea of the California International Marathon December 8th.  Funny how I can think about running more marathons when I'm "trained" & running well.  ;-) 

Last week of March………bring it!!

19.25 miles with some hilly craptastic miles

We started out with Traci (who did 10), a new guy named Brian, Daryl, a gal named Nicole, & Jayson at 6:30am.  We hit a lot of hills on the outskirts of Crockett Park.  The park itself really isn't that hilly but once you're out of it in the 'hoods & near Ravenood High School, watch out.  They ate me alive on the later miles.  We dropped fluids at the high school & we hit that area every 5 miles or so much like last week.  Carmel has some hills but not like this so I'm A OK with the pace even though it wasn't 9 or under.  You can tell from my splits where we were hanging at the water stops & where I was climbing hills later in the run.  I am proud of this run simply because I was able to push the last two miles down & it's only been 4 weeks since the New Orleans Marathon. I don't stop my garmin on training runs.  The clock doesn't stop during a race so why should it on training runs?

19:25 miles - 2:54:36 - pace 9:04
Mile 1: 8:44
Mile 2: 8:43
Mile 3: 8:42
Mile 4: 8:32
Mile 5: 9:31 (fluid stop/major hills...dropped gloves there because I was getting warm)
Mile 6: 8:41
Mile 7: 8:54
Mile 8: 9:10 (damn hills)
Mile 9: 8:45
Mile 10: 9:13 (started really feeling the hills here)
Mile 11: 10:25 (fluid stop, said good bye to Traci & put some more gloves on...hands got cold for some odd reason)
Mile 12: 9:10 (taking in gu & trying to find a groove again)
Mile 13: 9:05
Mile 14: 8:51
Mile 15: 9:46 (fluid stop...tried to stretch a bit)
Mile 16: 9:12
Mile 17: 9:13 (damn hills)
Mile 18: 8:44
Mile 19: 8:55
       .25: 8:44

Next weekend....22 or 23 miles & I'm thinking Shelby Park with a run over the Pedestrian bridge towards the end....

5.25 flat tempo run

I did P90X ab ripper & stretched a good bit before joining the group.
Goal: push at least one of the miles below an 8 minute pace. I got two! ;-)

5.25 flat miles - 8:03 pace - 42:14

Mile 1: 8:13
Mile 2: 7:43
Mile 3: 7:43
Mile 4: 8:00
Mile 5: 8:35
     .25: 8:04

my "tired legs run"

5 miles - 9:11 pace - 45:51 rolling hills in the village

I felt really good the first 2.5 but then the sudden urge to lay down in the road & go to sleep hit me.  LOL!  Someone recently told me that is how they feel during long runs sometimes if they don't get enough caffeine.  I avoided the big hills in the 'hood but did some of the smaller rollers. Heck, you can't avoid them.  I spent 30 minutes stretching everything out since Tuesdays are usually my yoga days anyway.

9:33, 8:47, 8:34, 9:14, & 9:46....uphill to the front door as always....
I love TN but the hills here just suck the life out of me sometimes.

Tomorrow evening with the club I'll either do a flat tempo or I'll do hills again but they sure won't be "tempo" pace. 
Thank goodness, I'm running some recovery miles with Kim on Thursday & doing yoga only on friday.  Saturday's 19 miles should be interesting!

1 mile time trial....6:59!

After running 16.5 miles yesterday, I was VERY happy with my one mile time trial tonight.  I jogged over 3 miles warming up then we did some strides.
I ended up with 5.28 miles (47:34) for the evening at a 9:00 minute pace with a 6:59 mile in the middle of it.  My most recent timed mile was probably a 7:23 from a tempo run back in January so I'm pretty dang happy about it.  I wonder what I could have pushed it down to had our long run been on Saturday.  ;-)

16.5 miles with hills

16.5 miles - 2:25:10 - 8:48 pace (3 weeks after the NOLA marathon!)

I knew our planned 8:50-9:00 min pace would go out the door since most of the fast guys from NRC showed up.  LOL! I just went with it & made up time on the down hills. The TFL never bothered me & my new inserts rocked! I still HATE the taste of gu & gatorade together. (Powerade tastes better to me & thank God that's what's on the Carmel course unless they change it.)  If Jake & Crissy show up in Carmel & if the weather allows me to run the full there, we've got to get a plan in place to drop water with electrolytes in it.  After 14-15 miles of that mix, my tummy felt bad. 
It was 50 degrees when we started & I was shivering, of course, but the humidity seemed to be nonexistent. I never felt too warm but then again, I ran in a sports bra, shorts, & my CEPs.  I ran without the ankle wrap for the first time in a long time & so far my ankle feels great.  I took a 15 minute ice bath & I'm heading to the gym to spin out my legs for a bit.  Hopefully, Erin's yoga class will help open up the hips & maybe....just maybe the "one mile time trial" will happen tomorrow.  Jayson & I dropped to the ground to stretch our TFL & IT Bands when we were done.  Overall, I feel pretty fantastic!

Mile 1: 8:48
Mile 2: 8:48
Mile 3: 8:56 (water stop where I jogged while everyone filled up at Ravenwood)
Mile 4: 8:48
Mile 5: 8:45
Mile 6: 8:38 (some down hill)
Mile 7: 8:47
Mile 8: 8:45
Mile 9: 9:18 (water stop at Ravenwood & I'm circling while everyone fills up)
Mile 10: 8:32
Mile 11: 8:39
Mile 12: 8:34
Mile 13: 8:55
Mile 14: 8:52
Mile 15: 8:46
Mile 16: 9:00 (craptastic gu & gatorade mix was getting to me)
         .5:  8:41

Next week.......19 miles.........

Friday's tempo run

5.1 miles mostly flat....70+ degrees, yuck! 8:19 pace

8:36
8:00
8:01
8:12
8:41 (tummy issues)
And the final .1 was at an 8:40

I cooled down & did my weights at the gym after I ran since we are running our 16 sunday morning. Spun my legs out on a bike & hit the glute exercises.
I feel really good after doing P90x stretch today but I'm trying out new inserts tomorrow.
Hoping it goes well.