Week two of BOS to BHB 750, Upcoming Virtual Boston Marathon, and more

Well. That was a long title. 

Quite bit to get to this week though, as I prepare for some shenanigans. 

First off, my recovery from the epic rib smashing disaster face plant of last week is going fairly well, although a bit more slowly than I appreciate. I kind of got hurt. 

Because of that, I did some creative miles, especially at the beginning of the week. I did some walking. some hobble jogging. And, at the end of the week, some absurd (but NON falling) trail running. Hence, meeting my mileage goal for BOS-BHB while allowing myself to kinda recover. 

Family running up a hill

This past Saturday marked the opening of the window in which to complete Virtual Boston! Since I was still pretty F***ED up, I knew getting an early start was not to be. I plan to run later in the week, day/route TBD but there are some interesting ideas floating around. 

I have already mentioned the face that I have not run longer than 10-ish miles since March... Oh well. Hopefully the hours of thrashing up and down mountains will count for something (they probably won't, but that's ok too.)

In other news, Boston registration for 2021 has been postponed. A good move, as I figured we would all stampede to sign up, simply to be refunded again. 

My feeling is that 2021 will be Elite Field only. 

As I look to the future of my marathon *career* I'm not really concerned, since it is my hobby. But I'm no spring chicken you guys. I'm wondering how a multi year break in high mileage training (assuming the trend of Covid continues) will impact hobby runners like myself, who don't snap back as quickly as the young whippersnappers do. 

I guess will find out! Maybe by the time we get back to it I will have aged up and bought myself an extra 5 minutes, hahahah!!

Anyway. Onward to "taper".  Which is just silly, because I haven't been cranking out the intensity. 

Miles run last week: 32-ish with all the twiddling around included. And this week, I include it. 

Miles hiked: Like, 19 miles total of trail running and crap

Place in the Challenge on Sunday night: 95/472

Hottest day: A bit fall like, I think one day when it was 80

Level of broken-ness: I mean.... There is "broken" and "BROKEN" I am not the second one, but on Monday-Thursday I was a sad sack of sorrow. Might have cracked a few ribs. 

Week 1 of theoretical Boston training 2.0/Pandemic running week 10

Last week was basically exactly what I expected.

It got hot, summer arrived!
(and will be MUCH worse this week.....)

Seriously

Running was fine this week. I had to cram quite a few days in a row to free up days when I was busy. I did end up feeling a tiny bit overcooked, but nothing major at all. I basically just ran. No real hills. No real workouts. Junk miles? Perhaps.

We took another tiny, local hike on Sunday to enjoy the beautiful weather. It really is nice living somewhere when a short drive brings you to a lovely place.

This is fine

I have been moving towards reopening my business, and (to be entirely honest) it has been a little stressful. Of course, I am very happy to be returning to work after a LENGTHY hiatus (I have referred to my current situation as "volunteering" at the stable, as I can still manage to put in a 50 hour week for free.....) It's just the details and the concerns making things complex. I have a lot of responsibility to my clients and staff, and have never been in a situation like this before. My strategy is to take things slow, and cautiously (and maintain insane levels of sanitation) and plan on things being fine. (like.... next year....)

So, what's on the books for this week other than it being hot AF.
I am hoping to chug out about 30 miles again. I have some misgivings about the 90 degree days, but hope to be able to work around them. I should have gone for a run today, but I allowed a work situation to get in the way. (I mean... volunteer situation.... let's be real. nobody paying me for this extra time hahah!) (and I just looked at this forecast again and thing I might just run 3 miles instead of 30.)

So week one of imaginary training:
Miles: 31
Long run: Not long . Like 6.8
Hottest day: 77 at run time on Thursday (which was after 6PM)

Boston Training 2020: Week 12: the time when I ran a 13.1 and everything went wrong

Last week was a decent week. All runs outdoors. Highest mileage in basically a year.

Tuesday was hill day, and since I needed to vote I ran over Bitch Hill and then over to the town office (also on a hill)

It was a decent enough run but I was first aggravated by some GI issues, and then it got very dark, very quickly. (Yes, I know what time sunset is. But as dusk arrived it also became quite cloudy.)

After an easy run Wednesday, I was ready (ish) to tackle mile repeats on Thursday. 

Overall, I felt good about this workout. It was a pretty windy day, and fighting wind while doing speedwork is no joke. Out of the 6 reps, I believe the slowest was a 7:35 (wind) and the fastest was 7:21 (literally being chased by a pack of junkyard dogs. really. it happened.)

One but of misfortune did occur. 

My speedwork road is located right next to the outdoor gun club (they shoot skeet, and such) As I passed by, an unexpected gun went off, causing me to jump in surprise. When I landed, I completely rolled my left ankle over. RIGHT over. Of course I did..... After a bit of hippity-hopping around, I felt fine and continued on. 

Fast forward to Saturday, and I couldn't figure out why the outside of my ankle was really sore. (I did remember, because I am not that forgetful.) I ran a few easy miles that day and felt basically ok. I did notice a little tightness while going uphill, but nothing to get worked up about. 

I did a few easy miles, and then we took my cousin and husband out for a beer. (we actually drove over there like ordinary humans)

Beers with friends <3 td="">

On Sunday, I woke up and felt like I had broken the pinky toe on my left foot. I, literally, was like "what the fuck??" I could not bend my toe without discomfort- it was the VERY strangest thing. I ran around the house for a moment, and things felt fine. It was the strangest thing- I really could NOT bend my toe without feeling like it had been dislocated, but I could walk and run around just fine. 

This being determined, I continued with my plan. 

My plan was to head to NH and run a 5 mile warm up, and then the half marathon (on nice, flat ground) with 8-10 miles at/near marathon pace (anywhere between 8-8:15) 

It was a pretty nice day. Dry roads, no snow at all, sunny and beautiful and windy AF. (typical) 

My 5 miler was nothing exciting at all. Basically, laps around the start area with a couple stops to pee, change clothing, and grab my race gear. After standing in a needlessly long bathroom line, I discovered two more, basically unused bathrooms a bit farther from the start. YAY!

When the race portion of my day began, I was very pleased with how my legs felt. I was dropping a solid (just sub 8) pace without even breaking a sweat. I have been waiting for a breakthrough workout this cycle, and thought that this was it. 

YEAH. Then, at mile 3 I needed the restroom. Since I had already scoped out every bathroom option, I dashed into one of the ones close by the start, as the race route took us on a loop past there within the first 3 miles. I (delightfully) discovered that lady time had made an appearance. Early. Uninvited. Unprepared. YAY FUCKING YAY. 

So, there was that. 

Plus, some really debilitating cramps that began showing up around mile 4. I was like "body, are you actually serious???"

And my body was like "yes, enjoy the ride."

And, of course, because my female parts were losing their ever loving minds, my whole GI system began to panic. I know there was a porta potty at mile 10.2 (FYI: one on course bathroom is not enough, in any world, ever.) So from mile 5 to mile 10 I basically skipped along, clenching my butt cheeks together. 

It was cute. 

Finally, the bathroom was in sight. 

I dashed up to it!!!

And it was locked up tight with a zip tie. I could not believe my eyes. 

Since it was next to a water stop, I asked for assistance (and suggested that next year, the bathroom should be opened PRIOR to the race... FFS.) Anyway. This took some time. 

Oh, and also? While I was running along, period in full swing, poop action making things EXTRA fun, my damaged left leg also began to holler. SO many things going wrong. ALL if them. It was not my shin, or even my broken toe, but my KNEE of all things. And my knee never hurts, so this was extra freaking bizarre. 

OK so where was I.

Right. Potty open, business taken care of. 

I left the bathroom and reached into my flip belt for a Huma Gel, and (of course) it was GONE. 

Of course it was. Why would it not have been??

So final 3 miles. 

-Period on full blast

-Hungry/hitting full wall. Big wall. 

-Knee, occasional weirdness

-Stomach, still bumming out

PURE FUCKING MAGIC. 

I still managed to finish in 1:48:43, which (remarkably) still meant I hit my goal paces. Only a couple miles over MP, so yay? UGH.

How I felt

I always say that I can handle a single system breakdown. But this was FULL chaos. I needed to go to the ICU of shitty running after this, as it was just head to toe chaos. 

But speaking of toes, my toe was fully normal and fine after running. So who knows what the hell that was all about. 

So a good week. Definitely putting in some work. Some terrible work. 

Total miles: 50.7
Long run: 18
Coldest Day: Not very cold. It was chilly and windy on Saturday (I don't think it was even 40) but nothing terrible. 

Snow? NO
Random: When people ask how to locate me in a crowd, I give a valid clothing description and say "and I am shorter than you are expecting" As much as I hate to say it (because I feel big) 90% of the time people say those exact words to me, so I assume it is true. 

Boston Training 2020: Week 11: The time when I ran, possibly not well

The good news: Last week I was finally recovering from the death cold. 

On Monday I ran some serious bitch hills. Compared to the previous day, I was feeling a lot better and no longer felt like a bubble head. (My ears were still blocked though, and are actually STILL blocked. Absurd.)

The hill BEFORE bitch hill 

I shuffled around for some easy, late, after work treadmill miles on Tuesday. Boring, and my legs were pretty junky. (not sore, just made from concrete)

Wednesday was my official return to speedwork day, and also marked the first outdoor speed day of 2020. Kind of a big deal! 

I ran 6x1200 in the mid to teen 7's. I was quite happy with this, as I missed my last TWO speed sessions because of poor health. 

Post speedwork tired face

Thursday was another dead legs on the treadmill day. It was pouring buckets of rain, and we also got about 2 inches of slop, so it was GROSS out. 

I took two days off (off running, anyways) so that I could spend some time with my sister. 

We enjoyed a really fantastic lady date which included brunch, shopping for gorgeous handbags that are basically *investment* pieces (read: expensive...) going to soakology, and then having dinner (where I promptly had a colossal anxiety attack- cute! fun! #mylife)

Anywhoo. Fast forward to Sunday. It was windy AF, and chilly (about 24) but the roads were dry, and I was finally reasonably healthy, soon I went. 

After two days off, my legs had forgotten how to run. Luckily, after a few miles the feeling of junk leg began to ease up, and the run was decent, if not spectacular. The cold temps made breathing pretty sucky for the final few, but that's to be expected. 

I met my peeps at the pub (NOT "THE pub" because it closed.... but *another* pub.) We had fries and beer and laughed about the misfortune of having a terrible name (my sister and I have a list of terrible names that we always laugh about. inside joke maybe? who knows)

Pub run!!

Anyway. Clearly a better week than the past couple. The hill workout and the speed workout felt pretty decent. Everything else was mediocre. But, I finished a solid week and that is a win. 

Total miles: 46.7
Long run: 16.3
Coldest Day: It was about 6 on Sunday morning. And in the low 20's over the weekend 

Snow? Yeah, like 2 inches of slop plus an inch of rain on Thursday. Mess. No school 
Random: Kate and I would not name our children Keith, Kyle, Dwayne, or Quentin. No offense to people with those names, we are sure you are truly lovely. But maybe not our first choices. Or Todd. No. 

Boston Training 2020: Week 10: The time when I was STILL SICK

So, yes. I was too sick to run until Thursday. 

I just can't see the sense in even trying when one is basically barely hanging on enough to finish a work day. Nobody gets hero points for running when deathly ill. 

By the time Thursday rolled around I was no longer coughing in the night, so I decided to get back to it with some easy treadmill miles. I stuck with that on Friday, and then ventured out for a few outdoor miles on Saturday. Weirdly, after that short (5 mile!) run, my legs felt as though they had run a half marathon. Very weird. 

Unfortunately, the general malaise stuck around through Sunday. The weather was just incredible on Sunday- sun, mid 40's, just perfect! I headed out to attempt 15 and called it a day at 11. 

My head was so congested that I felt like I was in a bubble. My ears were totally blocked, and it made me feel kind of dizzy and out to lunch. I couldn't think of what good could come from running any farther when things felt so gross, so I did not. 

Kind of a drag of a week. No speed work, no hills, no long run. GROSS!!!!!

I did enjoy the nice Sunday though.... 

My sister is visiting this coming week, and my original plan was to have a light week, and a super short long run. NOT going to happen, after the last two half-price-crap-mileage weeks. If I don't want to scrap this training cycle entirely, I am going to have to pack in some mileage regardless. I plan to front load the week, and hit a decent long on Sunday. Fingers crossed that my body cooperates...

Anyway, on to week 11. 

Total miles: 25.4
Long run: Well... 11.3
Coldest Day: A couple cold mornings, close to 0. It was gross and 18 on Tuesday, and raw and snowy and I was sick and hated it so much. 

Snow? Yes, 6" Tuesday 
Random: The worst fillings for an omelette would be:

Lettuce

Spaghetti (like a big, thick layer of plain spaghetti. BARF)

Beets

Pickled herring with onions 

Boston Training 2020: Week 8: The time that the winter intermission ended

It was bound to happen. Fools spring in February is not really a thing, after all. 

Well, this is the upcoming week too. And FYI-it was WAY colder than expected today. Minus 10.

I was lucky on Monday. It was 40 degrees, the roads were bone dry, and since bitch hill was on the schedule these were both good things.

I was still MIGHTY sore from horsepocalypse 2020. I decided to just get out and do what I could, and it payed off. It might not have been the most stylish run, but it was decent and I finished what I planned to do. Low snowbanks allowed for a pretty photo as well. 

Hi Bitch Hill. Or "Hi, FROM bitch hill" is more accurate. 

Tuesday and Wednesday both ended up being my off days for the week. While I usually prefer to break up rest days, there was no choice. I'm working solo 99.9% of the time this winter (which is making for some legit 80 hour work weeks. not complaining, but if anyone happens to be wondering why I'm not available basically EVER, this is why. I'll text you back in May.) 

I also had a really weird finger problem. Since I am still alive, and recovering, it seems that it was not cellulitis, MRSA or flesh eating bacteria like I suspected for a hot minute. Of course, this all came to a head in the middle of a nasty storm (that took out the internet, so I could not even use Dr. Google!) I figured I was headed straight for a snow day amputation. It seems I narrowly missed such a dire ending, as the gross finger seems to be recovering.) 

(short story long... it all began with me picking at a little white bump which I assumed was a splinter. later that night, the finger was so painful it actually woke me up! it then got red and hot and swollen and stupid. my Mom is basically a wound care specialist, so before I decided to hack the thing off, she sent me home with a strict regimen of soaking, bandaging, other stuff, and it does seem a lot better now! Seriously, I live in the sticks and am not gonna head to urgent care when the roads are covered with death!)

Creepy, although you can't really see how bumpy it is from this pic

After a long work day on Wednesday, I headed off for another round with my Chiropractor, which was good. I have had trouble (more in life than in running) for the past year with my left side. From my back, to my hip, to my leg and ankle, it is all left side trouble. We are working through the pieces of what's really out of whack, and what needs to be made stronger. Every week I'm feeling better- which is actually pretty awesome, since I was feeling alright to begin with! For the first time EVER, I headed in for some help BEFORE I was a hot mess. 

I began mile rep work on Thursday with 4x1 @ 7:36. 

I tried out my new Hoka carbon-x shoes, and loved them. 

And honestly. It is 2020. If you don't have a pair of carbon shoes, are you EVEN a runner??

Friday was a pretty gross snow/sleet day. The internet went down. In the most epic display of First World Problem, I had to run 7 miles on the treadmill with no form of entertainment! It wasn't actually too bad- but I can not possibly wish to do this daily. 

Long run Saturday... I expected crap, since crap has been the norm. Plus-it was windy, COLD, and the roads were covered with shit. 

And. It wasn't too bad. A good step better than last week! A gnarly final few miles, as the temp plummeted, my hands and lungs froze, and the sun went down. It legit took me hours to warm up. 

Sunday was a few easy miles. The EASIEST. 

Then, Eric did his long run to a new pub and we met up for a quick beer (before I basically had to go back to work. because this is my life, currently.) (and no, I didn't actually go "to" work, but I went "to" scheduling, accounting, ordering, communicating. I need office staff...) 

As it turned out, it was a better running week. 

For this, I thank:

-Luck

-Skill?

-Random things that I will never be able to recreate 

-Fitness.....???

-Other

Stats:

Total miles: 42.1
Long run: 16
Coldest Day: Sunday morning, -10. Cold long run, started at 22 degrees, finished at 16 degrees. 

Snow? 2.5 inches on Thursday, a whole day of sleet on Friday which made a mess. 
Random: I love it when people assume that since I have no children, that I have infinite time, sleep, money. No cares at all! Living life all foot loose and fancy free. No. As it turns out, I am still an adult and seem to be plenty busy managing things (like dealing with your children btw) I also enjoyed having someone tell me that it must be great not to have to care about the environment since we don't have kids. NO. This is not how it works. Life still continues to be very meaningful, and real, even if you choose not to have children. (surprising, I know!) 

Boston training 2020: Week 7: The time that the thaw continued

Seriously, the January thaw went on and on.

(also, this blog is really late. Really really. I have been SO busy.)

And we got zero snow over the weekend

On Monday it was 40 degrees and I ran up bitch hill. It was a hard run. That's all. 

Wednesday was 5x1200 on the treadmill at a mid 7 pace.  It felt hard too. 

On Thursday I headed out for 7 miles, at what I decided was going to be a "sustainable but working" pace. It's always nice to know what that pace actually is at different points in training. 

Well. Currently that pace is 8:46. Part of me is like, HEY, that's better than a month ago. And part of me is like HEY, BLEH. Pretty standard set of emotions. 

Saturday was long run day, and I was looking forward to having a better run this week. The weather was solid, the roads were bone dry, and I was ready to go. 

And it sucked. The end. 

In my defense, I did have something of an accident on Saturday afternoon. I had a very unpleasant horse encounter (and while I certainly was not grievously injured, I was a bit wounded.) This might have contributed to my terrible feelings of terribleness, but who really knows. At mile 3, I figured I might have to bail. It was one of those awful days. At one point I saw a cop, and hoped he would arrest me and put me in jail so I could stop running. But he did not.....

To add insult to injury, I managed to accidentally pause my watch for a few minutes and lose almost a half mile of my run. Just so irritating!!! 

On Sunday I had planned to do 5 recovery but (due to the horse incident) I felt as though I had been in a minor car accident, or hit by a small bus. I decided to run nothing. In the end, I split the difference and ran a couple. I actually felt better at the end, and since my legs/back were completely uninjured, I knew I wasn't causing any more damage. 

So all in all, kind of a shit bag week. It happens. 

In good news, the World's BEST Chiro moved just two towns away! (making it a 27 minute drive instead of a 70 minute drive!!) And yes, I have had an appointment, and have more planned. This is such good news!!)

Stats:

Total miles: 40.9 (annoying.)
Long run: 17.1, closer to 17.5 IRL
Coldest Day: It never was cold

Snow? NO!
Random: I hate the feeling of needing new shoes. And yes, I need new shoes. 

Boston Training 2020: Week 6: The time of the January thaw

Yep, you heard that right. 

Monday and Tuesday were cold and nasty, and then, BAM. spring came. 

And it. IS. AWESOME. 

Here you have last week, Cold mon/tues and THEN. BETTER.

It has been consistently in the upper 30's and low 40's. This weekend's snow storm was actually in the form of rain. And (most of) the roads are nice and clear. 

So this was week six. I feel like the foundation has been built, and it is time for the real work to commence. Yay?? 

I had a fine, but totally unexciting treadmill 6 last Tuesday. 

Wednesday was speed day, a day when we said a final goodbye to 800's. (which I think is actually a lie. I'll probably do a couple during taper.) Either way, I did 7 at 7:30-7:36.

On Thursday I scooted (labored) over Bitch hill. The weather was quality, and it seemed wise to use my outdoor time to hit some hills. "Hills" on the treadmill never feel like the real deal to me. 

It was clear that more of this needs to happen- I was like "ughhhhhhhh steeeeeep woooooof."

I had a remarkably blah 16 miler on Saturday. My legs took miles to warm up. I felt like I was running uphill into a massive headwind until mile five, which just seems rude. Of course, during those miles I both had to pee, and was stopped by a random walker to "look at animal tracks, possibly a lynx or a mountain lion!!!" I quickly determined that they were tracks from my own dog. I told her "those are tracks from a WILD VIZSLA!!!!" She was more curious than I bargained for, and I had to curb the conversation as I was racing dusk. 

The run continued in an uninspired manner, especially when I hit over a mile of back road in decidedly poor condition. Despite the warm weather, it was full blown snow, ice and ZERO traction. On a day when one is already feeling like they have flat tires, this was a real smack in the teeth. Anyway. I persevered. 

With about 4 miles to go, I merged onto another, blissfully un-snowy, dirt road. Before long, I realized that I was seeing animal prints to pique my own interest. "Hmmmm" I thought to myself "This was one snazzy dog...." Of course, a short time later, I realized that I was actually tracking a WILD VIZSLA. Sure enough, I came across him soon enough and had to stop for a chat, as he is Ellie's full brother, and the only other Vizsla within 50 miles of us. I actually enjoyed seeing him so much, that the remaining miles of the run were the most pleasant of the day. 

I'm very honest with myself when it comes to stopped time during long runs. With 8+ minutes of stoped time during this one, I was feeling somewhat displeased. However, I know that in the big picture it makes no difference because dawdling is not a habitual thing for me. (I will always stop to pee-and there is just NO way I can manage a long run without 2 plus quick pee stops. But that is nature calling, and will also happen in a race.) 

So the meal of my story. Stop all you want. Do whatever. But be honest with yourself about your actual, honest-to-Garmin moving time. 

On Sunday I ran the easiest 5 miles that ever existed, and then the week was over. 

I'm being proactive for the first time ever. I have been remembering to stretch, foam roll and get ahead of the hip/back problems (those actually hinge more on snow than running- but shoveling is bound to happen....) 

Stats:
Total miles: 42.0
Long run: 16
Coldest Day: Tuesday was a high of 19 which was not pleasant. 

*we should just note, that Wednesday was the start of a lengthy January thaw*Snow NONE just rain this week
Random: I take note of all the road trash while I run. Bud light cans. One orange glove. A long, long screwdriver. One cashew. I see it all. 

Boston Training 2020: Week 5. The time when winter came, and it got cold

This was another perfectly fine week of work. Despite some cold and snowy weather, I continued along right on schedule.

On Monday, I headed out for  6 miler which ended up taking place in an unexpected storm. Things were just fine when I headed out, but drastically changed at the point when I was as far away as could be. It was instant ice- a HUGE mess, and I'm thankful that I met zero traffic on my return trip.

Covered in ice chunks

My mid week runs were all treadmill. At some point I did 6x800 at the infamous 7:36 pace that I seem to gravitate towards.

Saturday long run was done in some COLD (18 degree) weather, and in the aftermath of a decent sized snow storm on Thursday. The challenging footing (either glazed over road, or snow that was similar to beach sand) made things more challenging than one might wish for. However, I got the workout done, I stayed warm, and my legs cooperated.

It has been cold and snowy

Sunday's recovery run was in possibly even grosser conditions. Another good sized storm moved through overnight, and temps rose to about 33 during the day. When I headed out, the roads were covered with a remarkable amount of slush, slime and grossness. Lovely.

I was happy with this week of running and can notice that my legs are coming back. I'll be easing into some slightly higher mileage for February, with the big workouts scheduled for March.

I don't have any "training" races scheduled prior to Boston. I managed to spend all my race cash on Boston, and a fall race for 2020 so I plan to pass on other race options. If Boston doesn't yield a BQ for me, I'll make a plan change and shoot for a smaller, local marathon if I feel that is the correct choice (as in: I fail to BQ due to a shitty day, not a stupid injury or similar.)
The past two years I have run the Mid Winter Classic, and then Hyannis (marathon in '18, half in '19) It's nice to have supported long runs, but I don't mind passing this year to save some cash. I can make the training happen in my own.

Stats:
Total miles: 36.2
Long run: 14
Coldest Day: COLD. A high of 10 with bad wind chills. 
Snow: 9" Thursday, 7" Saturday  
Random: even though I have been running for a while, the thought of running two miles still seems almost unfathomable! Like, I'll drive two miles and my subconscious will say "a person could never run THIS far!!" Weird.

Boston Training 2020: Week 4. The time that running became slightly better

As the title implies, it was a better week on the training front. I feel like I was noticing the (slight) fitness benefits of a few consistent weeks, which was pleasant and helpful.
Strava sent me some helpful stats from last year. I should have tried to estimate the bike mileage I put in prior to MCM, because it would have brought those numbers up a bit.

Another pretty straightforward week. A couple treadmill runs, including 12x400 at 7:30's. Not super fast for 400's but it never makes a huge difference. The thing about speedwork is it all helps in the end- and while it's nice to be hitting wicked fast paces, it's better to just do SOMETHING then avoid it, in terror, over the wicked fast paces.
(quality training advice)

I had a decent enough, VERY warm (over 50) 12-ish miler over the weekend with no ill effects. While I am really not concerned about my summer leg condition returning (since we rarely hike in the winter) it is still good to feel no pain.

There was a full moon. Which meant the dog wanted to wake up in the night and look at it!!

I was contemplating my summer leg/lameness issues the other day. The number of time I rolled my damn ankle last summer was just insane. I ended up with so many issues because of that, and I was congratulating myself on clearly being stronger/more coordinated now.
SADLY, that is not it. All winter long, I wear boots. (I work outdoors) and my boots keep me from constantly straining my ankle. Actually, I can imagine that my ankles are mostly likely at an all time high level of weakness, due to being constantly supported by my boots. So yeah, I'm probably one shitty step away from being a hobbley jackwaggon again!

It would be nice to be able to make time for some strength work and stretching. Ya know, bolster up the weak little stems.
DREAMS, ALL DREAMS. It probably won't happen!

Anyway. Week 4 in the books. With the past two winters containing a February marathon, one part of me feels very behind schedule! However, I know I'm on the right track.


Stats:
Total miles: 33.5
Long run: 12.3
Coldest Day: 20, and it felt damn cold 
Snow: About an inch of rain..... 
Random: In addition to running, my hobbies are hiking (which you all know about) reading (which I love) and puzzles (because I like hobbies that most people find dull) Oh, and drinking beer. 

Boston Training 2020, Week 3: The time when I wrote a post and forgot to hit publish

So yes, delayed. Hitting publish helps.

Of course, I know that nobody waits for this with bated breath (if you do, cool!) Blogging isn't really a thing anymore, but I certainly think this is a handy way to keep a training log.

So, on to that.

It was a fine week (as in, no impending injury, no real issue) but my motivation to run, and my enjoyment of the actual act was at a pretty solid low (not an all time low. but low.) It shall pass.
If not, it's not like I actually need to do this. However, I'm pretty sure this is just a temporary dislike and I'll snap out of it soon.

I managed to get in a couple runs outdoors, despite the increase in snow.

I did a 10+ miler, in some pretty constant rain to the pup (as usual.)

We've had a tough go the last month or so, as one of the owners of our pub had a horrible accident and passed. It was unexpected and extremely jarring. Over the past two years he became a good friend to us. Much more than just a "bartender" but truly someone who we enjoyed seeing, talking to, and sharing a lot in common with. Rarely a week went by when we didn't find ourselves heading that way to share conversation, let our puppies play, and just hang out. We are working our way back to pub runs, and pub time, but it really has not been the same. However, the best way to honor our friend's memory is to continue to support his business, and to let our dog run amok in there the way he always allowed. Hence, pub runs will continue to be celebrated.

I managed 8 400's at mid 7 pace at some point. Had a couple basic runs. That was it.

Stats:
Total miles: 26.4
Long run: 10.4
Coldest Day: Not cold enough to care about. 
Snow: 12" The biggest storm of the season
Random: It took me two years, but I wore out a pair or darn tough socks. On principle, I have sent them back to be replaced. However, I do not plan on doing so again, as two years is plenty to expect from socks. 

Boston Training 2020, week 2. The time when December was brown.

Week two was no problem. Basically as unexciting as one could wish for.

I had a couple treadmill runs, which will continue to be a trend as long as I continue to work until well after dark.

In the theme of discontinuing my habit of leaving speedwork until the last moment, I did 6x400 at 7:48 early in the week. Hey, gotta start somewhere!

I did manage to hit the actual road twice, in the first time in a very long time. Luckily, one of the outdoor days was my "long" run, which (at 8 miles) was not terribly long. However, it should be noted that it was my longest run in a training cycle since September 12th (again with the "you have to (re) start somewhere!)
Currently, the snow levels are almost non existent. The roads are in great shape.
(this will come to an end, there is a foot of snow in the forecast. barf.)

Brown December evening

We did a great hike of Webster, Jackson and Pierce on Boxing Day. The weather was just outstanding (30, no wind, just amazing.) We cruised around the loop in exactly 5 hours. The next day, this caused me to feel like I had run a half marathon. (totally counting this as downhill work!! Not really. But I'm sure it counts for something.)

Well this is nice!!!!

Anyway. That's it from week 2. Pretty standard stuff. Low mileage still, low intensity. I plan to add a reasonable number of miles on this week, not that I have had a month or so of consistent running.

Stats:
Total miles: 22.4
(plus 9 hiking miles) Long run: 8
Coldest Day: Not cold enough to mention, or remember. A few days when it was legit 40. 
Snow: Nope
Random: I'm really delighted in the sub-culture of Vizsla owners. We all get "it." If you have ever found your dog on top of your car, or refrigerator, you get it too. Plus, you really never knew how much "help" you DID NOT have, until you have a a little Vizsla helping you with EVERYTHING. I love her. 

Boston Training 2020: Week one. The time I wrote a boring recap.

Week one was uneventful.

I ran 21 total miles, a "long" run of 7, and a few short (400) repeats. Everything was done on the treadmill this week, because I was working until well after dark.

Things, in general, felt fine. My treadmill has been having some technical challenges. The incline has become uncalibrated (I'm not sure if that is what it is called, but you get the idea.) I have not been fretting about it, but I have been amused to find myself running up a quite steep incline when it is set at zero. Oh well, hopefully I'll be able to make it out onto the roads pretty soon.

It has been two years since I have not attempted a mid winter marathon, and hence, the first December where I am not well into training. We will see how fit I feel come April (I certainly imagine that 18 weeks can get the job done.) After the summer fiasco, my first goal is to simply stay healthy. My second goal is to Qualify for 2021.

Stats:
Total miles: 21
Long run: 7
Coldest Day: Cold, one day with a high of 12 which was terrible but short lived
Snow: The first "real" storm of the year, on Tuesday, with about 3-4 inches
Random: I often think back to my early days of running and remember feeling so impressed and proud of myself for hitting milestones- first 5 miler, first 10k, first 13.1!! I kind of miss that, one really looses sight of how impressive just running a few miles is, when one has been doing it for a while.

Beginning the countdown to Boston 2020

I'm about 90% sure that next Monday is the day that we begin the 18 week countdown to Boston. 

For the past 6 weeks since MCM, I have in no way, shape, or form been training hard (or at all.) This is the first time in two years that I do not have plans for a mid winter marathon, and hence, my training has not begun yet. 

Yes, skipping a mid winter race means leaving all my eggs in one basket for a 2021 BQ in Boston. This is not my favorite approach, but after having a fall race I really didn't feel it was wise to begin training again in November. Especially after being legitimately injured for the better part of the summer. 

I have run just a bit in the last few weeks and (other than being remarkably out of shape) things feel good. This last training cycle for MCM was 90% pure crap. Hopefully, this time around is better. Every training cycle tends to have its own challenges, and I'm sure this one will be no different! However, hopefully I don't have/make the same issues/mistakes twice. 

I'm going to be cautious during the first several weeks, and not ramp up my mileage too quickly. It's easy to want to begin training with a "bang" and I'm sure that would be an idiot move after basically sitting around eating cake since October.

While winter training can be tedious because of lack of daylight, snow covered roads, and frigid weather I have historically found it to be more pleasant than summer training. I do NOT miss the heat, humidity, or the need to drink 200 gallons of water just to survive (and then to feel as thought I a going to float away, or barf.) 

An obvious thing that should keep me from having unexpected ailments... We don't hike NEARLY as much in the winter (we will probably hike twice, to be honest.) So, not only are weekends free and open for long runs, but I don't run the risk of smashing my foot and shin to bits while blazing up and down massive mountains. (I suppose this is a blessing. but I miss hiking at the moment so it is also a curse.)

Reflecting back to my Boston training last year, I went into that race very fit and ready to go. I wasn't 100% on board with my physical or mental training prior to Hyannis in February, but developed a strong base and was able to really crank up the training after that. A setback (with my back) a couple weeks before was of no impact, because I had done the important work. 

So, thoughts for the upcoming training cycle. 

-Keep a closer eye on my back/hip pain that tends to flare up in snow shoveling season

-Stick with what has worked for Boston in the past. (which, in a nutshell is basically "work.") But to be specific, the combo of speedwork/downhill repeats/and long runs at slight up-tempo have worked. I tend to keep my long run pace juuuust under 9:00 miles. My race pace is like, 8:15 I believe, so I easily could set off on a long run closer to 9:30's. However, I have found that upping the pace just a touch allows me to run fewer miles each week. 

That's where I'm at at the moment. I'll report back in next week at the start of week one. 

Boston Marathon 2019: Post race edition

I have enjoyed my post marathon recovery time very much.

I think it is easy to enjoy a few days off, when you are 100% satisfied with the way your race turned out. To be honest, as the days have gone by, I have felt more and more pleased with my race execution. This is a nice change from how I felt after Hyannis, but as mentioned, that was a good wake up call (if not a good race.)

I was pretty sore until Thursday, and then *poof* I was fine. Thanks to my multiple massages and chiropractic adjustments leading up to race day, I am actually feeling better than I have in quite a while.

Eric and Ellie and I enjoyed out typical post-race Tuesday in Boston. It was a sunny but chilly day, and VERY windy! If the heat on Monday had killed me, I would have been pretty offended (but it didn't. So I wasn't!) We enjoyed a nice walk after sleeping in (I woke up at 6, was too tired to deal, and fell back asleep until 8:00 which is RARE.)
Then we tried to have a little breakfast, but ended up enjoying a nice walk more than food.

Spring everywhere

I thought my stomach had bounced back from the hot-race-grossness, but I actually felt a little off all day. This was a bummer, because I was both STARVING and slightly SICK. Rude. My plan was to march through Boston eating pastry, ice cream, ramen, burgers, donuts and gelato, but I basically bailed after one lame ham and cheese croissant!

I did have some Thai... 

I ran exactly zero miles until Sunday, when I went out for an easy Easter 4, and it felt fine. I certainly don't have any "workouts" planned at the moment, but I think I'll shuffle around a couple times next week. Or not. I'm really not into having a plan until about 6 months post race. (more accurately: I make sure NOT to push anything for at least 14 days.)

So. What is next??

I had the Sugarloaf Marathon in my calendar as a backup, incase I did not BQ in Boston. Despite the fact that I would like to run Sugarloaf someday, this will not be the year. I did what I planned to do in Boston, and another marathon so soon just doesn't sound fun or particularly wise. While lying in bed post Marathon last Monday I said to Eric "ummmmm, I don't think I'll bother with Sugarloaf." And he was like "well. that seems like a GOOD decision!" (rare???)

I seem to have forgotten my dislike for Fall marathons (or more accurately, summer training) and secured myself a bib for the Marine Corps Marathon. I'm actually really looking forward to it (or so say I, in April!) But I'll also need to make sure to run more than 12 miles this summer. My plan is to take it pretty easy through May, and then contemplate my training *plan*.

Oops

Generally speaking, I tend to do some pretty random Spring things (run up all the hills! Do a 60 mile week! Run a random 50k!) but as of today, there is nothing of the sort on the agenda.
*We will see how long that lasts*

Boston Marathon 2019: Lucky #7

Boston Marathon 2019. Lucky number 7 for me. (7 Boston's, I have done a few other marathons here and there.)

This is one of the only times I have gone into this race without my BQ for the following year already in the bag.
Years ago, I randomly decided that I really wanted to qualify for, and run, 10 consecutive Bostons. Kind of an arbitrary goal, but isn't that the way goals are sometimes? Anyway, Boston 2020 (#8) was most definitely NOT locked down yet, and I was certainly feeling some self imposed pressure.

Eric and I were walking down Boylston on Sunday evening, while looking at the forecast for the next day. The prediction was holding steady from the day before- temps rising from 60-70 during my race hours, humidity, possible thunderstorms, maybe some rain, or some sun, or some wind who knows!!! I had received no fewer than 3.2 million texts wishing me luck in "the sauna". I was like "Eric! I have to go for it, I can't mess around. You think I can do this, right?" And he like, snorted and said "duh, of course you can." So the plan remained intact, run BQ pace for as long as possible. Do or Die.

We were awakened early on Monday by a fire alarm. While it did not affect our floor, Ellie woke up quickly and needed to go out, and then she and Eric were stuck in the lobby for close to 40 minutes. I was glad that I stayed put in the room, as I was able to putter along and get ready according to plan. Just as Eric returned, a huge thunderstorm blew through Boston.
This is a first for Marathon day (for me, anyway.) It was pretty exciting, although I was glad to hold off on hiking to the bus until it had let up.

This is the thunderstorm

I had originally planned to dress in 19 layers of winter clothing, to avoid frostbite in the village. That ended up being completely unnecessary, as it was both warm and humid. I chucked on a couple bonus layers, my trusty muck boots, and (umbrella in hand) I headed off into the storm!!!

Ellie and I ARE READY TO BRAVE THE STORM

I hopped onto lucky bus #15 (as one does) and enjoyed the LONGEST RIDE EVER (in the HOTTEST BUS EVER!!) I was lucky to make friends with a super nice woman from NYC, and we passed the time chatting and sticking our heads out the window to stay cool (not really.) It was just a really long trip this year. I was on the bus at 8:06, and off of the bus at 9:26. Not a problem at all, but pretty rare.
(I have never been on the bus for more than an hour.)

I MADE IT TO HOPKINTON! And it was warm and not raining.

Athlete's village was an absolute delight compared to last year. I mentioned to my bus friend that I expected the rain to finish up before we arrived, and it did! The clouds were still quite ominous, and it was cool-ish. I stood in bathroom lines, and ate some food, and my feet stayed nice and dry in my huge boots.

Pics of potty lines are critical

It was not long at all until my wave was called for corral loading. I was not in the mood to procrastinate this year, because I wanted a few minutes to pee, and get my kit in order. So I actually left the village on time, possibly for the only time in my life.

Off we go!

On the walk into town, the clouds began to break up, and the temp began to rise in a very noticeable way. I was sad to part with my too big boots, but it was time!

Bye big boots

I had become nervous in the morning, and had applied a layer of sunscreen but was uneasy that in the following hours (and sweating in the bus, and pulling layers off) that it easily could have rubbed off. So who do I find? A wonderful fellow Mainer, who was also running for Crow, who knows me on the Insta (as Ellie's mom!) who had a tube of sunscreen and was happy to share (spoiler: this was a LIFE SAVER.) (and hi Leslie!! Thank you and congrats on a great race!)

Due to my mindful planning, I made it into Corral 1 with two whole minutes to spare. Impressive!!

Down to bare min clothing at the start.... Not always a great sign.

 I felt good from the start. Really good. The snap that I hope to feel in my legs after a nice taper was right there, and I felt ready to roll. Oh, and it was humid AF. Like a dripping mess. I kept thinking "wow, we need a puff of wind" and right on cue, a little puff of wind would come along. This gave me the amusing notion that I was somehow in charge of my climate zone, like in a little bubble of magic. This was quite cheering.

I stopped to pee at mile 7 because I can not not pee. It took me an actual 5 seconds. NBD. This was the only time I stopped for bodily functions. (YAY!)

Here's the thing. At mile 10 I knew it was my day. WHO KNOWS WHY THIS WAS, THERE WAS STILL SO MUCH RACE LEFT! But in my mind, I knew it was going to happen. I did not care that the sun had come out in absolute blazes (WHAT?) I totally ignored how warm I was. (and it WAS warm- close to 70.) I was running calmly, and still was running with a healthy buffer for the second half of the race.

Yes. I came in with a solid plan to positive split. I have run this course enough to know how to manage the miles to meet my needs. Even on a day when I feel good, I plan to add several minutes to the back half of the course. (because it is a bitch. and because, let's be real, I'm just not that strong! Fuck it. I get it done.)

I came into the half with a nice bit of time to play with. 1:42:37. This, absurdly had me not just on a BQ pace, but a borderline PR pace. I was like, "hahah woman, nope. today is NOT that day!" (and this was not self sabotage, but an honest reminder to myself about my current fitness, the weather, and realistic expectations. I came to run a 3:37 not a 3:25.)

At mile 17 I shouted a text to my Dad. "MILE 17 104 PM. RUNNING WELL, THIS WILL NOT BE A LONG STOP." Poor Lee drives 8 gazillion miles, and then he and my Aunt and Uncle set up camp by Chestnut St to see me for 12 seconds. I felt bad! But with the sun beating down on me, I thought an epic crash could possibly happen and I needed the banked time safely in hand. I had sent in a pre-order for chapstick (I was desperate for it)

Thank heavens for Lee's chapstik!

So I basically cruised though my mile 18.2 pit stop in a complete flurry.

Hi Lee. Bye Lee.

Everyone was like "GO GO GO!!!" And it was very exciting. So off I went! (literally, 16 seconds later)

GO GO!!!

At mile 19 my body decided, rudely, that it had had enough gel, enough water, enough sun, and enough running and it was going to be sick. I'm like, "body, you are NOT." I began to calculate exactly how much time it would take me to barf and get going again. I did not like how the numbers looked, so I shut it down. ALSO. ALSO, you don't want to be the person who blows chunks on heartbreak hill. That is just wrong. I decided that that when I felt super sick, I would keep running but keep my mouth shut and tread gently. And when I felt better, I would speed up! This was a good plan, and it kept me going (although, in a rather heater skelter way) until mile 23 when I suddenly felt better. YAY! Feeling better is the best.

So, barfy feelings left behind, I decided to finish the damn race.

Shockingly (especially since I really had not been able to eat since mile 16 or so) my legs were feeling good. I was poaching a bit in my own sweat, but I had hiked up my singlet and had been dumping cups of water on my torso for quite some time. (I was very *moist* GROSS.) But I was happy.
I was happy to have had a great race on a day when the weather easily could have messed me up. Or, messed with my head.
I was happy that I was going to BQ again, and with a "safe" amount.
I was happy to have enjoyed almost every mile!
I was very happy that I had not succumbed to a fit of violent vomiting.
And MOSTLY I was happy that I was close to the finish, and would be able to get an extra extra large ginger ale, with extra ice. I had been thinking about that since mile 20, and I was SO SO thirsty that I never thought I would not be thirsty again. I could not stop imagining the deliciousness of a ginger ale. (I get a weird ginger ale craving after certain long runs. Clearly, this was one fo those runs!)

As I cruised down Boylston, I was able to pick it up for one last "sprint" (haha.) I heard my name being called, and saw Eric, Evan and Ellie waving to me! I was so happy to see them!

YAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

I finished and went all weird hands-on-knees gasping for air ugly crying. This is the kind of behavior that beckons the medics, but I assured them that I was fine.

AND I HAD DONE IT. 3:30:38, my BEST Boston time Ever!!!!!!

I was 100% delighted

I was tired. THIRSTY, SO THIRSTY. Salty. Definitely not jogging to the family meeting area like last year. I was pooped, I had left everything out there. I ran a much better race than I thought I could. I refused to let the heat, or the hills, or anything get in my head. When it got tough, I refused to stop. And I was pretty exhausted because of that. But happy. VERY happy.

And believe it or not, I saw Mainer/sunscreen goddess Leslie again! I babbled incoherently to her about lord knows what. Marathons make me even more verbose than normal. And dumb.

And go figure, by the time I made it to meet Eric (and Elle, and Evan) clouds had rolled in (and 30 minutes later, it was raining! CRAZY.)

My babykins. Too big to hold post marathon!

The 3 of us humans, and one of us dogs, walked the one magical block to the hotel. Evan immediately collected a giant, icy gingerale for me (which I drank in one big gulp.) And I babbled to Eric for a solid 40 minutes about my whole day! I took a painful, blistery, chafey (but NOT sunburney!) shower and then proceeded to lie in bed for 90 minutes, drinking endless ginger ales and eating the Kings Hawaiian sweet rolls that we get in the finishers snack bags. I love those stupid things.

Then, so as not to spend the rest of the day in bed, we took a magical family walk (and the wind had picked up, and was all aggressive!)

My hot husband

Because we are bossy parents, we made Ellie pose on/with things.

Ducks!!

Big trees!!

So that's a wrap! What a great Boston experience. I'm extremely happy to have secured my spot for next year, (and it's a weight off my mind, to be honest.)

I'm very happy with this race, and felt that I did my best in many ways. It's races like this that remind me why I work hard to get here in the first place! See you in 2020, Boston.