Hello 2016! A recap and a preview.

Happy New Year internet!

2015 was a good year. I learned from my past mistakes and got my act together just a little bit more. (we are speaking on a strictly running front here, although I actually balanced my checkbook ALL year so there's that.)

What did I do?

Well, I ran 3 well executed non vomiting marathons. WIN.

My favorite, with my 2015 (so, new age group) PR was BOSTON. No doubt. In a rainy 3:33:07.
Boston kicked ass this year, I honestly loved it SO HARD!

Boston WHOOO!

I ran a couple of 13.1's as well. MDI for the Relay, Moose Pond for death hills and training and the Jingle Bell Half for fun.
My favorite? MDI all the way. Fan for life. My new AG PR was at Jingle Bell- 1:44:38 and while that was a really fun race MDI always wins for me.

MDI, WHOOOOO!!

I ran a couple of 5k's which I can hardly remember.... My fastest was 21:40 and that is plenty fast enough!

5K, MEH

I set a couple of automatic PR's in the Eastern States 20 and the Falmouth Road Race. Both of these events were a blast- I am already signed up for the ES20 again and while Falmouth isn't in the plans it was a GREAT race.

Falmouth, where you can SEE the humidity, WHOO...??

I qualified for Boston 2017 in Philly, which was awesome. I loved Philly and while I don't expect to do it again in 2016 (lots of other races/places to run!) I would recommend it. Great city, super easy race to navigate the logistics of and not break the bank expensive.

Philly! BQ! WHOO! Hahaha....

So what is in store for 2016?
I look forward to revisiting some favorites, Boston and MDI being on the top of the list. As mentioned I'm running the Dopey Challenge next week and while none of those are goal races for speed the total mileage is enough to make me sit up and pay attention!
I am not yet sure what my Fall Marathon might me. There are a few possibilities and I know I want to see a new place and run a good race. (hence: it needs to be mid November or later!) I'm open to suggestions!

My goal for 2016 is to shave a little time off both my 13.1 and 26.2 times. I felt great about my racing in 2015, I corrected many of my mistakes from 2014 which is smart. I took very few risks though and my hope for 2016 is to get a bit braver and push a little harder.

My other hopes for 2016 are to see a bit more of the world, try things I haven't done before, continue to balance my checkbook and to say NO to things I don't want to do and YES to things I do want to do, even if it doesn't feel like the "right" time to do them.

Happy New Year to all, kick some ass in 2016. Allons-y bitches :-)

Bridgton 4 on the 4th 2015 Edition

I decided to head out and take another crack at the Bridgton 4 on the 4th this past Saturday.

This is a race I have done several times since 2010 and I am quite familiar with the route. Basically it goes up a big stupid hill and then comes back down. Pretty common terrain for this area but common does not make it easy.

Elevation profile. Hills, like I already mentioned. 

I'm in decent shape right now.  Want to run hills? I'm in. Want to run hills at pace? Find another running buddy. Want to run for a couple hours? No prob. Want to bust out some sub 7 miles? Go away, you're drunk.
Knowing this I decided to shoot for sub 30 and basically not care. I've had a bit of terror about pushing the pace too hard after my super sick finish late last summer at a random 5 miler so finishing in a NOT vomiting way was high on the list. Big goals.

We arrived to find a pretty packed little town but I was clever enough to pick up my bib the evening before so getting to the start on time was a snap. While it wasn't too warm at all it was rather humid and I had trouble deciding what to wear. I was also a bit hungry and so when it came time for a pre race pic I looked slightly put out.

Grumpasaurus Rex

Anyway. I got over it and ran a solid little warm up. Things felt better than normal which is pretty standard for a race day and I felt like running that pesky sub 30 might actually be possible. The humidity was a little surprising but it was only about 64 degrees so basically arctic.

Typically this race is a complete chaos clusterfuck of death at the start. Kids toeing the line like little jackasses. Campers strolling hand in hand. Self seeding missteps. Stupidity.
They did something right this year because it was the most pleasant and smooth start that I have ever had there. I felt decent and locked into a manageable pace. I actually felt pretty happy and positive at this point.

But then there was this guy. He was THE MOST excited. This guy is incredible. Best start pic ever.

I ran along at my "not lazy but not dying" pace and made it up the monster hill none the worse. Due to the humidity it was a bit sweaty but not anything to get your knickers in a twist about.
There was this dude a short distance away from me and he was apologizing like crazy and thinking he must be talking to me I was like "ummmm, it's all good man you're fine....?" He looked at me like I was legit losing it (ME?? maybe YOU!?) Upon further listening I discovered that he was conversing with Jesus. "I'M SORRY Jesus!" He would mutter "I'm SO SORRY this is SO HARD!!!"
OK, this went on and on for quite some time and he definitely inspired me to run on away. Praise be.

The downhill section of the race is worth all that praying so maybe the repentant man had the right idea. You get sucked straight downhill for a ways and it is a nice break. I felt totally fine and at mile 3 I definitely felt that while I was doing well avoiding the puke train I was more fast running than racing. Fuck it. Fast running works just fine for me and I'm not in sub 7 shape. That would have caused DEATH. I did kick it up nicely for the last mile and motored along. I'm badass and amazing.

Heeeeeeere I come. Moseying along Depot Street. Stupid boys decided to outkick me. Whatever.

Seriously though. Nothing is more annoying than a bunch of little boys who basically draft off of me for a mile and then outkick me in the last 400. UGH. At least stop and the end and thank me for pulling you along (yeah I know that drafting in running basically isn't a thing but all of you know exactly what I am talking about.)

My form is on point. WHICH NEVER HAPPENS!!!!

I zipped thru the finish in 29:15 which is a 7:19 pace and my second fastest finish here ever, second only to the infamous 2012 season. I was rather pleased! I was154th out of 2,000 and 2nd in my AG (22nd overall woman. yes I looked. you would too.)

I managed to achieve both my goals- sub 30 and no projectile vomiting. I don't think that I have run a short race in a long time (unless I have forgotten, sometimes I try not to remember...) Short races are fun because they are done really quickly which is nice. There is that whole "needing to run fast to do well" thing but who pays attention to that?!


Anyway that's it for now. Life is crazy to the max but I do have another cooking post in the works. So until then, happy summer running!

It's the first race week of 2015!!

It's RACE WEEK!!!!
So the weather has gone to hell in a handbasket!

Yeah, Big old Ice Storm. GROSS. 

Ok, time to slow my roll. Despite the fact that I awoke this morning with a quality case of race week delight I need to chill the heck out and remember that I am not actually racing this Sunday.

It's time to mosey on over to Derry again for a race that I actually have a bone to pick with- the dreaded Boston Prep 16 miler.
Oh yes, I have had two solid races at this event of discontent. However, nothing about either one of those experiences was what I would call enjoyable.
In short, it is a brutal course. After each of my times trekking the shockingly mountainous Derry countryside I have questioned most, if not all of my life choices. At least the ones that require running shoes.

"MODERATELY" Challenging my ass. See that mountain? IT IS HARD!

So what, you might ask, am I doing heading back to a race that is not on my list of favorites?
Good question. I'll let you know when I figure it out.

I kid. There is a method to my madness, all in the name of doing my pre Boston long runs with a gang of friends, aid stations and scenery that I have not seen before. Or in this case- in two years. I think that after so many solitary training adventures over the past year that I will really enjoy being in a crowd for higher mileage days.

Let's be honest. Am I going to have a hard time containing myself and not racing the damn thing?
Probably.
I'm quite determined not to hit race pace for a single mile of this race. That is not part of my ultimate plan of Boston success and since success is my end game I feel fairly confident that I will not run off like an asshat and live to regret it. UGH. Such dedication....
Ok... I'm going to take that back. If, for some absurd reason I have a ton of energy at mile 15 I'll sprint like an idiot to the finish. (unlikely. but there certainly will be *zero* steps of the Idiot Sprint before that point!)

The bottom line is that Derry is going to have to wait another year, or possibly forever- for me to take a crack at actually racing the course and feeling good about the outcome. (as in: not barfing post race. seriously guys, it's a bitch out there!)
For this year I have a feeling we might actually be friends since I plan to hobbyjog along in the back of the pack, happily getting in a long run earlier in this "training cycle" than I might have otherwise.

For old times sake, Derry 2013. This smile is FAKE. 

Let's all cross our fingers for some decent weather. I'm recovering nicely from The Sick but think an arctic day would be ghastly, for many obvious reasons the least of which being that I would cough up a lung.

Even though this will not be a competitive race day for me I'm still excited to hit the road for the 2015 season! I have some good plans and I'm ready to get started.

Happy New Year, and some 2015 Goals!

Happy New Year everyone!
Now that we are moving into 2015 I'm going to move away from reflecting upon last year and get ready to jump into the New Year with both feet.
I have a few goals for 2015 and plans pertaining to their success.

THIS

Goal number one: Learn to better pace, hydrate and eat thru a long distance race so that, at mile 19, I am not flipping like a flounder on the ground, half dead and pissed off.

Last year I decided that it was in my best interest both physically and financially to race less, and to try hard to make every race count as a competitive goal- not a practice session.
These were good and honorable intentions and while I feel that I made the best use of these guidelines I decided at year's end that I did miss something that is still important at my stage of running.

Mileage.
Not literal mileage, but the kind that you can only get on race day.

One thing that I find interesting is how my two sports manage to relate to each other in many ways- even though one requires the cooperation of a 1,000 pound beast and one does not.
The need for mileage parallels the horse world in such an accurate way that I gave it some thought over stall mucking time one recent morning. (I do my best thinking over stalls)

I have been competing in the horse world for so long that I am able to adapt my show day plan to flex under a huge variety of variables (they are endless) Weather, footing, conditions, strange situations, things out of my control, ornery horse, horse who doesn't remember how to act, show running late/early, judge has the wrong test sheet, me being sick, or injured, judge totally misses a movement and wants you to show it again, a tent gets loose and rolls down the hill at you. Ya know, The usual. While I am no Olympic competitor I literally have ice running thru my veins and shit simply doesn't mess with my day. I might grouch around a bit if it is pouring dumping rain yeah, but I can get past it after a good moan. Years of practice made me this way, I have put in a ton of work to become a confident competitor and it took a lot of time, mistakes, learning, and MILEAGE to get here!

I feel rather differently about running.
My goal last Spring was to "bulletproof" myself so that not hills, or speed, or a water stop could slay me. I ran hard, yoga-d myself into relative flexibility, worked out my squashy bits and did any number of squats which I don't enjoy. I thought I had it in the bag.
But was I in any way experienced enough to re-work my plan for weather? For taking off too quick and being able to make a snap decision to modify my pace? Was I self aware enough to monitor my hydration levels? Nope. And that, in the end has everything to do with my amateur status in the running world. I simply do not have enough competition miles in the saddle (oops, on the road) to be able to adapt to what is happening on that day in that moment.

With the horses, my students and with myself on my training runs I try to simulate the day of competition. From the beginning of the day, to the practice itself I try to recreate things that might happen on race/show day. How does your show/running kit feel? Was your warmup effective? What happens if we have an audience? (this pertains a bit more to horses possibly...) Can I eat and not barf? (while this only affects my running I know a few people who have needed to work on this on horse show day..)

At the end of the day, the bottom line is that no matter how hard you try the only way to get competition mileage is to get out to the damn show/race and take a crack at it. Something about having an actual judge, or actual running participants really changes the dynamic.

So (if anyone is still here after all this musing.)
My plan leading up to Boston is to run a series of races in order to get some real race day practice but with NO intention to "race" these events.
This will be very hard for me- I tend to get a bit overexcited at the start and my competitive nature doesn't like to hear about how we are doing a progression run, or a few miles at tempo on a race course.

Well, I'm certainly never guilty of THIS!

I'm looking at these races as being the "schooling shows" of the foot race world. A place to try things out, gain experience, learn and improve for when I get to my "A" race of the season.

I have the Horrible Horrible 16 miler of Hate, in Derry at the end of January lined up as practice race number one. There should be absolutely no problem taking it rather easy, as I am most certainly not tapping out high mileage right now. (unlike, apparently, the rest of the population I won't start fussing over Boston training for a few more months weeks.

Well. If my boyfriend says so....

In closing, and in theme with "mileage" I ran 1400 miles (So basically I ran from my house to Orlando, Florida.) While this looks like a crap ton it's 500 fewer miles than last year, apparently I have become rather lazy (so, so very lazy.) I got this shit for brains idea to chase 2015 miles in 2015 but I can factually say that in no way, shape or form will than happen.
So, perhaps 1500 miles for 2015 is a better plan!

My week of training....

Any post that features me looking badass and tough is clearly going for the win.

                                                 Don't mess, I'll get you with my neon.

I was a blogging slacker last week because of two big important reasons. ONE: Things were going REALLY well and I didn't want to jinx mah shiz.
TWO: Do you all REALLY want to hear daily details? Maybe. I am pretty amazing and exciting after all. And fashionable to boot.
Anyway...
15 miles was my long run last week with 3 of the miles at a sub 8 pace. Effing brutal. But fine.
The weekend was normal stuff, easy Saturday run, 7 mile Sunday with striders. Both good.
I started the week with a progressive tempo run. It was fine in the way that pain and agony are fine.
Then I had a day off.
Then I want to spin, which was a legit sweaty mess this week. Good stuff.
The day after that I had an easy 5 which was good because my legs were junk.
On Friday I pounded out 18, at an 8:45 pace and felt just fine about it.
Happily, Saturday was an off day!
Sunday was an easy hour of easy running. Gotta love easy anything... That's what she said? However. This run was actually a strugglebus. My legs felt junky from their day off post long run and my belly felt just awful from an ill advised slice of pizza. So dumb. It was also absurdly foggy- foggy enough to soak me thru and to make my eyelashes weigh 15 pounds each. Gross.

Anywhoo. At this point, nightmares aside, I'm still feeling good. I'm really practicing my happy-mental-marathon place (not to be confused with the state that most marathoners are typically in FYI) Remembering back to MDI I firmly believe that it felt like an easy marathon because I told myself 14,897 times that it was going to be one! So Hyannis, you are going to be an easy marathon, my legs are going to be turbo charged rock stars, and I am going to make you my best friend. So there...

Big Exciting News!

For a change my blog absence has little to do with "nothing" going on. The opposite is actually the case, I have SO much to report on that I've had a hard time putting it into coherent posts.

Luckily, coherency has rarely been important to me so why start now? (did I just make up the word coherency? awesome...)

 

Here is a quick update of my goings on, starting at the beginning. Expect some juicy details (or sweaty details, whatevs...) coming in the next days and weeks.

 

We all know Boston is looming on the relative horizon. My original goal was to stay fit and healthy and bang out a BQ there for next year, effectively making me a one hit wonder (or one marathon per year wonder but again- WHATEVS!) I changed my goal about a month ago because I have an intense desire to run Boston with "no pressure." However, my desire to BQ for 2014 nice and early is still there. How to do this logically (what?) reasonable (WHAT?) and injury free (WHAT WHAT?!?!?) presented a big problem for me.

 

 So I called in the the coolest experts around...

 

 

 

 

I really like doing everything that Eric and Andy do, so jumping on the TSA bandwagon seemed wise. And wise it is proving to be.

If nothing else I chose my own, seriously badass, zero percent body fat coach. (She is so ripped it puts me to SHAME. which is good, shame is the best motivator for me!) I really liked the coaches that the boys used but sometimes a girl needs to step out of the formidable shadows of the Ironmen and do her own thing, even if she is a copier! Coach Kelsey will be kicking my ass into the best shape ever this winter/spring/possibly the rest of my running life, UGH! (but UGH in a good way, for real.)  I'll talk a little more about my recent workouts soon but suffice it to say- there is cross training involved. OH NO!!!

And what's next on the agenda?

 

Full Marathon, Hopefully a solid BQ. February, 2013.

I'm feeling good about things. SO glad to have someone creating an amazing training plan for me so that I don't have to strugglebus thru it myself. Always nice to have an expert voice of reason to intercept my desire to over train like a complete idiot (who, me?!! yeah, me...)



I feel like this is a potential big step for me. I'm really excited to see what a little help will do for me in the fitness and injury department. (I take that back- I might need a LOT of help come to think of it.) Either way, I'm realy to work hard and see where the road takes me this time... 

Countdown to Smutfest 2012

I continue to refer to tomorrows race as The Smutfest. I imagine that will earn me some interesting blog hits/google searches. Enjoy, creepers, enjoy!

Off I go tomorrow to run the 4PM heat of the Smutfest Indoor Half. Sounds intense, no? Should be an interesting time.

Did I manage to complete my Training Plan?
-YES. HELLS TO THE YES. YES! yes. YESSSSSS! First time EVER! I KICKASSSSS!

Did I have a Taper Tantrum? Phantom pains? Imaginary illness? (3 part answer)
-Ummmm. Not too badly to be honest. Better than last year.
-No phantom pains. A real pain when I hurt my hip on Monday (see more below)
-My throat felt crappy last weekend but I am suspicious that had something to do with the 7 mile tempo run in VERY cold weather. Death on Mt Everest, yo.

Am I freaking out?
-Nah
-Unless you mean this: OMG! It might snow! I might not be able to get thurrrrr! It is going to be 59 degrees in that dome! I am going to die of heat stroke! My legs are so pale and hairy and I am gonna have to rock the short shorts! I am going to get so bored of track running! I am going to get LAST! AKKKK!
-So as you can see, no freak out happening here AT ALL.

What is my plan for this race?
This is a tricky one. I consider myself to be in the best running shape that I have ever been in. Come on over, challenge me to a race and I'll take you down (no. I won't... unless you are geriatric or only have one leg.) (I digress) On the 22nd I have a 16 mile race which is the most absurd thing I have ever signed up for in my life. I might have to find that sweep vehicle... BUT! With that in mind I do NOT feel that I can push the pace at ALL. I would like to finish in less than 2 hours and MORE than 1:50:00. I think that 1:55:00 would leave me with fresh legs for next week and the ability to drive myself home safely (and will emable me to hit the LAZY button- yay!)

What did you do to your hip, you idiot?
I developed a side stitch due to the fact that I had eaten almost an entire package of TJ's Gummy Tummy Penguins (not so good for MY tummy!) I lifted up my arm in a vain attempt to quell the pain and POP my hip tweaked. OUCH. 4 miles from the finish, I considered calling for a ride but decided to suck it up. Lots of ice, a quick massage, more ice and 24 hours later I could tell that all would be well.

Anyway. With 24 hours to go I am as ready as I can be and plan to rock the crap out of this insane indoor half. Good times people, good times...

Will the Big 12 happen??

**Update** Yesterday evening I ran 5 miles, on the road, in a snow squall, up massive hills and a 19 MPH headwind (wtf...) at an average pace of 8:22 per mile. TAKE THAT!!****

I had a few simple goals coming into the 2011 "Race" season.

-Run a 10K (did it)
-PR in a 5K (not gon' happen)
-Run a Half Marathon (did 3!!)
-Run 12 races (well... Only about 3 days left in 2011 so it's not looking good!)

As it stands right now I have 9 races under my belt. The 3 halfs. 2 10K's. A 4 miler. And 3 miserable 5K's! (MAN how I hate those 5K's...)

At this time of year there is very little to do and I missed my shot at another Half due to the wounded foot crap of doom and gloom.

I have signed up for two 5K's (UGH.) One local, boring and thoroughly dismal one on November 20 and another, more fun and beer laden opportunity in Mid December.

I would like to make my 12 race goal happen. I just have to decide if it is worth it to take a weekend morning off (loosing lots of money from the clients I would be missing out on) and driving at least 3 hours total for a dreaded 5K.

Time will only tell...