A big training recap! And questions for my readers too...

I think I have been promising my readers a training overview for about three years. Maybe 4. Who's counting.
Since I KNOW all three of you are just dying to know how it's done, here it is: My amazing workout routine. Or: How I continue to lock down my middle of the pack success!

Believe it or not, at this point I am close to being done with this training cycle. I only have about 10 more days of hard training before tapering begins!
(I just had to check my calendar to see if that is really true. It is.)

This cycle has felt fast, and it has felt good! After the arduous torture that came with Summer training last year for Hartford, most of my workouts to this point have had a much better feeling.
*except for the first 2 weeks, when a 9:30 pace felt like a flat out sprint, WOOF*

Yes, this time around has been a little different. I started off in the worst running shape I have been in, in years. (this was due to a SERIOUS case of the blahs after Hartford, and then the November Disney races. I was done. Over it. FRIED.)

So, I did what any normal person would have done this past winter. I took time off. I ran about 15 miles a week (on good weeks) became even more lazy because I was on a break, my legs were miserable because they actually like to run, and I certainly felt more gross post break than I had before. GROSS. UGH. Lazy does not suit me.

Due to the hot mess outlined above, I reached the conclusion that I needed to make my marathon training fun enough so that I never again quit all forms of movement post race.

I also gave myself 15 weeks to train, so that I could slowly increase my mileage and avoid breaking both my legs, my feet and possibly my rapidly aging hips. Gotta stay healthy, yo.

So what has been different this time?
(well, for starters cold weather training is just better for me than heat training. the end.)
-We have had plenty of cold weather.
-I will only complete 2 weeks at or above 50 miles during this cycle.
-I will only run one 20 miler....
-I decided, that if any run made me feel as crappy as MANY of my pre Hartford runs did, that I would STOP the workout. Thus far, no issues have caused me to pull the plug.
-I have been lucky to have a wonderful variety of long runs- different scenery, using races as training runs, having Eric along for some miles. All these things have kept the burnout at bay.
-Oh! I took a cutback week at a good time (a few weeks ago) A wise move that has kept me from counting down the days until taper. Until today when I had to count, for this blog.

What do my actual training runs consist of?
(if you don't run, this is about to GET SO BORING!! FLEE!)

MY SLOWWWWW DAY: The NUMBER ONE thing that people ask me in utter disbelief about, is my recovery run pace. Yes, I shoot for a 10 minute mile pace when I am recovering. I usually come pretty close to this, and I am not at all worried if I accidentally run some miles even slower.
ELITE level runners, on recovery days, run up to THREE minutes slower than their goal race pace.
And it it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. (about to get preachy for a hot minute) Sorry kids, not to be an armchair QB, but if your race pace is an 8:00 then your recovery pace is most CERTAINLY not an 8:02.

I WIN at recovery runs.

My FASTTTTTTTT DAY!!!!!: Over the years I have structured up my speed work. Believe it or not, I really enjoy a good workout. The additional pressure that having specific goal paces can be unnerving, but it is god motivation!
Th one thing I have noticed over this training cycle, is a clear improvement in the return of some semblance of speed. (thank the lord)
I am not a gazelle. But I can chug along.

My go-to workouts, once my fitness is no longer at lumbering-along-dying levels, are mile repeats and 2 mile repeats. I shoot for juuuuust under marathon pace (which, in my head is always 8:00. Aren't I little miss optimistic!!!) Last year, I was running mile repeats soooo fast at like a 7:10 pace, and I LITERALLY felt like the fastest person ever. (I'm not that fast now.)
Anyway. I take about a quarter mile or less recovery between each repeat, at a snails pace (but at a moving pace.)
Prior to Hartford I did a workout of 3x3 mile reps- and while I am sure it contributed to my marathon success, I decided that it wasn't critical to complete this time.
Why? Because, to run a 3:40 marathon you just don't need that kind of whoop ass in your life.

A pretty standard 3x2 mile repeat day, at a standard pace

My LONG and HARD day, heh heh: My long runs are pretty boring on paper.
I run at least a minute slower than my MP goal (I'm perfectly fine with anything from upper 8:50's to 9:15's- faster means I am super fit, or stupid, and slower means it was HOT, early in a cycle, or there was trouble of some sort.) My number one goal is to get through the hours without some sort of GI disaster.... Thus far, things on that front have been fairly quiet WHICH IS AMAZING.

Last week's long run. Decent hills, decent pace.

BITCH HILL: My hill work is, well, hilly. I like hill day, even though it is tough, because I always notice the benefits once the work has been put in.
Prior to Boston I make sure to run like a TOTAL MANIAC on the downhills, coat flapping in the breeze, complete chaos, to make sure my quads are so super strong for race day.
Inside info: THEY WILL NOT BEEEEEEEEEEEE. (I swear, nothing I have ever done prior to Boston has kept me from feeling like a bit of an asshole around mile 20. All gimpy like I've never run a hill, or anything in my life. WHAT.)

Bitch Hill 

That other day that nobody cares about because boring: That's about it. I toss in one other run that is usually a bit of this and that, and there you have it. I skip about and play a little Pokemon (or, I do a little speed play, or cruise around town and snoop on the neighbors, the usual.)

The other question that I get a lot, and that I find hard to accurately answer is: how do I decide what my race pace will be on Marathon day?
To which I reply, with hysteria: WHO CAN EVER KNOW!!!!!

But really. Multi part answer.

For my fall marathon I am always looking to Boston Qualify, by at least 5 minutes faster than I need to for a nice buffer. I base my training paces around an 8:10 pace or so. Then I pray to the sweet baby Geezes and know that it might be out of my hands anyway, if the weather is suddenly 89.

For my Spring marathon (which is always Boston, evidently) I try to nail down how fit I am sometime between Hampton (Early March) and Eastern States (late March.) I use Eastern states as a final long run, with some tempo thrown in if I am fit enough.
I think I ran the damn thing at an 8:10 pace last year, or something truly ridiculous. That's when I knew I was in shape to crush the every loving crap out of Boston. (then it was 900 degrees and I adjusted, accordingly.)
So, we shall see how it goes at ES this Sunday, I am in the process of catching a cold so that will be a terrific excuse if things don't go all that well! As of right now, unless the weather on Marathon Monday is one bazillion degrees I feel fit enough to run a 3:40. (I feel like I have become fairly good at guessing, so this is probably pretty accurate!) (If it is 80 then, nope.)
Eric predicts a 3:42 finish, and he says this is "weather related" and because "Boston is HARD." (it is.)
(FYI by best Boston was, I believe 3:31 and my worst was 3:54 because I ran like a douche canoe.)

So, if anyone AT ALL has made it this far, I have questions for you!
-Have you ever run Boston and do you think it is HARD (IT IS SHUT UP!)
-What is your go-to workout, that you think helps you more than ANY other?
-How do you go about predicting your race finish times? Logic and reason? Magic 8 ball?

Harrison Old Home Days 5K

It seems to be the time of year when there are local races to choose from every weekend, or even more often.
The great thing about the shorter distances is how often you can race/run them without getting completely overcooked. I must admit that I get used to the marathon lifestyle and the limitations on how often you can race that many miles. It's nice to get out locally this time of year, see friends and get in some quality speedwork.

Or hill work with an attempt at speed.

Hills. Very hilly.

And of course, there is the always present 86 degree weather because we wouldn't have it any other way!

Last Wednesday Eric and I drove 5 whole minutes to participate in the Harrison Old Home days run by the lake 5k.
By some stroke of luck I won this race in 2012 and haven't been back since to defend my honor.

Pre race. Not too sweaty.

I was feeling loads better than I had on Monday the 4th and I was ready to push for a better race and faster time. I wasn't going to kill myself for the podium because my speed just isn't what it used to be (and 86 degrees. and I'm lazy) but I wanted to do my best.

I made it out pre race for a 2 mile warm up which was very helpful but hot, man was it hot!
(not as hot as VCM though, so there's that.)

5K race recaps are easy:
I ran 3 miles each one faster than the one before, which seems to be my thing lately. Then I ran .1 even more super fast and then it was done, the end.

There was also a huge hill, as previously mentioned. 

I ran it in 22:19 which is a 7:12 pace, a speed that I currently think of as "super fast"

Flying! Whoot!

I didn't win but I came in 2nd!! The woman who beat me was only ahead by 10 seconds but I'm in no condition to chase people down, she had it in the bag. 10 seconds could be 10 minutes as far as I'm concerned!

I like this race, I like that I see lots of people that I know, I like that they control the traffic well and have lots of water and whoopie pies at the finish. Mmmm lots of good stuff!

The other thing that there was lots of at the finish was BARFING. Several young people blew some massive chunks like, IN the finish chute which created a dreadful mess. Gross. Running is gross!

I had a great time and Eric did too, he finished about a minute behind me and was NOT one of the finish line pukers. It was a really enjoyable evening despite the hot temps and mountain! My legs felt really good, maybe not as quick as I'd like them to be but they are really appreciating the month I spent fixing them. I like it when hard work pays off!

Post race. Much more sweaty.

So that's it for the summer race recaps at the moment. More to come soon about summer marathon training at the busiest time of the year. Fun! 

Week 12 of Boston Marathon Training: Taper edition

The past week was all about the taper. I always wish that I would notice my mileage reduction in a really obvious way, like suddenly having many more hours for sleep or recreation. However, this week only brought enough extra time to clean the house sufficiently so as to not need flip flops inside. #win

I was trying to think about my feelings regarding this years Marathon and, as promised last week I have basically nothing. Clearly, I'm very excited to be heading to the start line again. This year's qualification was earned at a time when I was mentally struggling with marathon training/marathoning/running so even though that seems so very long ago (it was in 2014 after all...) I still appreciate the work and struggle it took to get where I'm headed in a a week.

There is NOTHING easy about qualifying for Boston. Nothing. Perhaps I tend to get more emotionally involved in the races that I run to earn qualification and I view running Boston as a reward and the icing on the cake. Boston is one big party and it is so SO exciting to be part of the crowd that is lucky enough to experience the event. I'm really looking forward to it this year! I tend to feel all the emotions while actually running but not before. I feel fine now, normal, busy at work and I want cookies and pancakes and a steak but that is par for the course.
(I know I said I had nothing and then I wrote two paragraphs. Still, less than I see in a hot minute from complete strangers on instagram, hahah!)

So how was week one of tapering?
It was fine. I am good at tapering.
No, I'm not kidding.
I forgot to take pics this week so this blog is boring.

Monday:
Bitch Hills, in 25 degree snow showers. Like, steady freezing cold snow.
My lips were blue by the time I got home. Cute...
This was a good solid workout and one that I won't miss skipping for a few weeks!

Wow. Really cold.

Tuesday:
5 miles, easy pace, in 28 degree wind. Why is it winter again? WHY? At this point I was like, well, it had BETTER be 35 on race day or I am fucked.

Wednesday:
Off. Time to clean the house and do 5 loads of laundry!

Rest day beer: Foundation Brown is great

Thursday:
6 miles, mostly base pace with about 3 at marathon pace.
The weather for this particular run was amazingly similar to what we dealt with in Boston last year. 48 degrees, pissing down rain and wind! It was quite an exciting run and very wet. Sometimes it's rather fun to head out in the most crap of conditions. (really.)

We were sopping wet.

Friday:
Off day, time to see the Chiropractor.
It hasn't really merited mention but I have had a series of rather nasty issues with my back for the past 8-10 weeks. Non running related obviously, but serious enough to impact my daily life, sleeping and comfort. Because my chiro is a magician I am already feeling much better!

Saturday:
Today I could finally look at the 10 day forecast and I hated what I saw. 65 degrees and blazing sun sucks giant hairy ballsacks. I was not amused, and continue to feel unimpressed.
There's nothing that can be done and I refuse to look at the forecast again until like, next Sunday. I refuse to let the damn weather piss on my cornflakes. I won't have it!!

After recovering from the shock of thinking about going from 25 some odd degree running weather this week, to 40 degrees warmer next I headed out for my last real workout prior to race day.

Of course, it was barely 40 degrees with freezing cold wind so hardly good for acclimation. Oh well.
I ran 10 mostly MP miles (a few slow, a few fast) I felt fine, it was a solid run and if a marathon was 10 miles in ass freezing cold weather I would win, each and every time.

I felt a little icky after but I'm pretty sure it was just female issues. Another situation this winter that didn't really merit mention was that (through no fault of my own) my birth control situation got completely screwed up. Hence, so did I. I'm at the tail end of the issue and it was dumb and a strain on my ovaries and what not. Seriously, I'm  an old woman and I don't need to be put through hormonal trauma, thanks. I was pissed, and my doctor was pissed and it was just a giant hassle. #rantover

Sunday:
6 suuuuuuper easy recover miles on a nice brisk 45 degree day. All was well.

With just over a week to go I'm feeling ready and excited. This year will be a fun new experience because I have SO many friends running and we are ALL in the same wave! It's going to be amazing. I'm so used to being allllll by myself for 100 hours before the race that having friends to talk to and take a ton of selfies with will be a fantastic change.

So what am I hoping for at this point?
-That the weather doesn't decide to get crazier.
-That I have a calm week at work. This weekend was a borderline shit show.
-That I continue to feel good.
-That I find everything that I have ever wanted at the expo and that it is all half price!!!!
-That I remember to take more bad selfies because, without those, this blog is nothing.

Week 10 of Boston Training: which makes this the longest training cycle in years.

At this point in my last few Marathon training cycles I have trained, tapered and raced. The fact that I am still in training, and hard training at that truly boggles the mind.
...And is SO AWESOME.
I fucking love Spring training, the weather has been right at that point between miserable and slightly better than miserable which is the best running weather out there.
*****I am not lying so quit scoffing******

This week was a real and legitimate ass kicker. Last week's suffering payed off in decent gains in fitness and general badassery.
Once again I compare running to riding, lots of structured work where you suffer a bit followed by some REALLY awesome runs/rides which remind you why you do what you do.

Monday: The typical Hill work in 37 degree temps and some of the highest winds I have run in all season.
Right from the start this was an incredible run. Fast, less effort, just KILLING it.
Next week will bring the same, or very similar route with a slightly easier pace.
This happened to be the best run I have ever had on this route- hello to my skillz. Don't leave.

Smirking about my hill skill

Tuesday: Some easy outdoor miles. It was still windy. What the hell....

Wednesday: Speed work. I had 5x1 mile repeats on the to do list with instructions to "run absurdly fast." Well, that I did. Yipes. It was also just freezing and for some reason I wore shorts. My legs were so damn cold that it was a little icky and I felt like a dodo.

SO RED SO COLD

It seems that all my repeats were very close to the same pace which puts them in the 7:10 range which is absolutely friggin ridiculous.

TOO FAST!! But not actually too fast...

I was putting in a concerted effort to go into the weekend tired, completely worn down. Hence, the ultra turbo hard workout.

Done. Happy. Cold. Old.

Thursday: 3 miles easy, 4 miles controlled base, 1 mile straight uphill back home. I expected my legs to be completely useless and smoked after the 10k pace mile repeats. I was wrong, they were just fine and dandy. As previously mentioned, this good week was just payback for last week being a bit gross and wretched. It's just how things work. And again, it was NOT warm.

Cold. And my car is like REALLY dusty. Gross.

An exciting thing happened. In addition to being back in the blog world Danielle also joined Strava which is so fun! It's like 2012 again back in the day when she was the queen of the internets. She is making a comeback and now we can compare training notes online and give each other "thumbs up" which are critical things in a good training cycle.

Lying, she actually runs a ton more than I do!

Friday: Off and good thing. I was finally tired and starving hungry and the weather was horrible and I had to go to the optometrist which isn't my favorite. So I rested while being busy....

Shit weather

Saturday: Eastern States 20, which I already yammered on and on about. Good times.

Sunday: REST DAYYYY
I like to rest cuddled up to an ice cream the size of my head. 

YUM

It was A REALLY GOOD WEEK.
And kids, on the off chance that you missed the memo we are getting pretty damn close to race day. I, personally have one more week of hard work and then I taper. I have enjoyed training so much that this makes me a little sad but there's always more miles later! 

Miles: 53 and change, I don't remember the oh-point-whatevers
Favorite TV: NO TM RUNS!!! But in real life, Criminal Minds
Favorite beer: I had a terrible beer drinking week... I had nothing good or exciting!
Low temp: Ugh on Thursday it was 26 and then it stayed 26 all damn dayyyyyy
High temp- 50 on Saturday (which I missed, it was 43 on the coast)
Favorite food: I actually prepped some meals in advance so we had (well, I had) some steak and fresh kale from my Dad's garden. I also made peanut noodles which were soooooo good! My Mom made an incredible pizza and a whole turkey because she knows how I get.... And she still takes good care of me which I totally require because #helpless 

Boston Training week #7: the tardy edition

I'm a few days late with this post which means that I can't remember most of what I accomplished last week.

We all know that I wrapped the week up with a very successful 13.1 plus 3 miles at the Hampton Half. (thus far I can't find any mid race pics. this is a blessing in disguise!)

Backtracking a little, I started the week with a bang, hitting my hill work on Monday. With the up tempo long run that I had on Saturday I would not normally have made this choice. However, between work and weather it was really the only day to get it done.
I did one loop of my big hill route which is an honest to God ass kicker. It was a great weather day, 46 and sunny and the workout went extremely well.

Top of the hill. Really super pretty.

Tuesday was a rest day. Again, this was a last minute schedule change but I had some work issues that took up my entire day. No big deal, flexibility is key.

Wednesday was speedwork on the treadmill (it was a messy day with snow and rain and crap)
I did 8x800 at HM to 5K pace. Another solid effort.

Wednesday weather

Something confusing happened during my speed workout though. I check off repeats as I do them but I more or less lost count. I was quite sure I had done 8 but one got lost. So I did another one just to be on the safe side because I felt like finishing without being sure was cheating. *sigh* So yeah, I did 8 or maybe 9 but certainly not SEVEN repeats. That extra 800 is bound to pay off someday. 

Post speed work beer of the week. This is always a great choice.

Thursday and Friday were both good but also extremely uninteresting. Both workouts were 6 miles of warm up then base pace. Yawn. Fun to run, boring to read about. It was also chilly, temps were in the low 20's which isn't my favorite.

Saturday was a rest day with some stretching and yoga.

Sunday was race day and then the week was over!!

This was a very solid week of training. I felt that I had some clear fitness gains which is encouraging. Some tricky weather made climbing onto the treadmill inevitable but I'm ok with that, the treadmill has benefits and I had two key runs outside. Good stuff! 

The weekly wrap up
Miles: 46.1
Favorite TV:
Favorite beer: North Coast "Old Stock" 2016 edition
Low temp: 7 on Friday AM
High temp- 46 on Monday
Favorite food: I had amazing dinner with my BFF at 76 Pleasant St. This is our favorite restaurant and a real gem! I had some fabulous oysters and salmon and bourbon and it was incredible......

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!

Towns2gether 5K... Yes, I ran a 5K!

The past couple of weeks have been devoted to getting back into the swing of things post marathon. After feeling shockingly good post race (thanks, 3:54...) I definitely came down with a case of the "oh shit my legs feel like crap-itis" last week.

It really was rather awful.
It was also 38 degrees in raining, which was disgusting.

DISGUSTING

I hate to admit it, but my body is very well acclimated to running in 38 degrees and rain, so if nothing else the cold, windy, damp weather had me feeling more like myself by last weekend. It was gross, but I was zipping around like a damn fool. Thank heavens.

And feeling better can lead to some solid life choices....
All last summer, while training or the GCI 50K I said "No" to every race or fun run activity that sounded amusing. This was because my sole focus was to get to the 50K uninjured, not over raced and ready to go. Basically my plan went as I hoped (lousy finish and all) but I got a little bit bummed, missing out on all the local races, saying "no" left and right like it was my second job.

So. When I found out that my best friend's school (she is a teacher) was having a 5K fundraiser I said "sure, why not"
(the day before, but it's not like training for a 5K would actually help, hahah!)

Not so sure it was a good idea before.... Happy after!

I showed up. It was cloudy and chilly. We ran around a little to warm up and to find a bathroom. Angie was pushing Quinners in his stroller because at 1 year old it's high time for the kid to learn to race. So we talked to him for a bit and he looked mad. I asked Angie if she would push me in the stroller too and she seemed oddly reluctant. Then I was mad too.
I tried to continue my warmup until the very second the race started but wasn't particularly successful, since I wasn't exactly sure where the start line was, or which way we were supposed to go. Luckily, one lone person had that info so I did not miss the start, as I have been known to do.

I hope that this race becomes a yearly event, as with the exception of absolutely nobody paying attention to the pre race announcements (I suggest a much more amplified communication device) and the slight confusion about where the race actually started from, it was a solid little 5K.
I never expect "big time" race support from small town 5k's but this one was pretty decent. They had an actual timing company working instead of a dude with a stopwatch (good), the course was marked well enough and at intersections there were volunteer and police support (good) the course seemed to be advertised as long- but was close enough for me (3.13 is close enough) there was plenty of water at the finish and I really enjoyed the relatively flat out and back route. Also, the volunteers at the bib pick up were extremely helpful and if it had been my first 5k I can't think of anything they could have done to make me feel more comfortable (so a good race for your first time.)

I was really surprised at the number of people starting- there were over 300 which is kind of insane for a town that has a population of 5. (I'm kidding. I basically live there so I can kid.)
I lined up near the front and suddenly we were starting.
All the little kids took off, ready to win the damn race.
100 feet later they all stopped. It was very funny but made for an rather creative beginning to the race. I liked the attitude of those 1st graders though, they were in it to win it until the discovered that a 5k is slightly longer than 100 feet.

At this point I had passed the 1st graders. And a few middle schoolers from the looks of it.

 A bunch of men and a few woman had broken off with the lead pack, and not wishing to kill myself in the first 0.3 miles I maintained a reasonable pace.
I have not run a 5K for real in about 2 years, and honestly had no idea what to expect. It had warmed up quickly and was 60 and sunny- and I felt warm. Duh. Where is my 38 degree weather?

By the half mile marker I had already caught several of the lead woman but could no longer see the front runners. Since I knew that a fast time was beyond my reach I aimed to maintain sanity in my pacing (and since I had had nothing but shit runs all week, the fact that I felt great was enough to make for a very fun run.)

There really isn't much drama to report, I ran fairly decent splits- 6:53, 6:51, 7:02 and since I have not seen "6" as the first number in so long I was really a bit shocked. I never gave up (although in mile 2-3 I was in no man's land with not a single person to chase, so perhaps got a bit lazy?)

Forrest Gump running style. Seriously, this is how I run.

 Anyway, to zero fanfare I finished. My time was 21:36 and of course my first thought was "ugh, slow!!!" I shut that down though, because at a 6:58 average pace that is fast for me and that's all that counts. Also, that's reasonable close to how I run when I train to be fast for short distances. So no tears here.

BIG FINISH.

I thought I might have been the first woman. Angie's husband was fairly sure. Nobody really knew!
So, needing to get to work I hopped in my car and left.

As it turned out I was 6th overall and the 1st place woman.
Yeah, I know that at a big race this time would not have been competitive. I don't care though, for me this was a fast time, a good effort and I'm really pleased with it.
And it was FUN.
I can't remember the last time I had so much FUN at a race! Go figure. I claim to hate 5K's...
I really enjoyed being done so fast.
I was ZERO percent tired or sore.
I then worked all day, no problem!
The next day I went on a 10 mile trail run over a mountain with no "race" feelings in my legs.

So bottom line, this was a great day. I was glad to say "yes!" to something spontaneous and fun, I was glad to feel fast, I was glad to have a good day with my friends. sometimes you just have to live a little and remember that running does not always have to feel hard!
And I was glad to see my little buddy Quinners really enjoy his first race. He looked so pumped once he got going! I expect him to be a big track star (no pressure or anything.) And really. I expect Angie to be a big track star because if you can run fast while pushing an enormous stroller than you can do anything (like push me next time!!)

Half At The Hampton's, friends, PR's, puddles and more.

This winter has been so lousy in the weather department that one might think we would have been either frozen or snowed out of all our winter races.
This has not been the case. Which is straight up amazing.
We now have a 100% success rate for the winter season, all 3 races going off without a hitch, with reasonable (or better than average) weather. (and now the winter season is over so I am not jinxing us!)
We did get a bit of a scare on Saturday evening when Jaimie posted a horrible ominous picture of Facebook. What in the ever loving hell is this? It was a "puddle" at mile 1, that's what.

Ohhhhhh shit. I better learn to SWIM!!

This created an amusing conversation on our household about lugging along extra shoes and having a legit transition area to change up in since this clearly was a duathlon or steeplechase event. Yikes.
Despite this concern we awoke (early) on Sunday ready to go, and happy to see that we would be seeing temps climb well into the 40's. Which is a damned heat wave according to THIS winter. And it meant that if nothing else, our socks and shoes would not freeze after running thru the *puddle*.

The dead sexy couple at the ass crack of dawn.

 We arrived nice and early (I'm a changed woman, I swear) to find all our friends for our amazing anniversary! We all met a year ago at the decidedly soggy Hyannis and have been BFF's ever since. Seriously, we are all meant to be together because we are fairly crazy. I love these kids!

So here we have Andy, Isaac, Jaimie, Mike, Crystal, Raquel and my Exclusive Dating Partner sexy Future Husband

I was feeling relaxed and ready to see what the day brought. We all made our way to the start with some amusing conversation and lined up, as people tend to do at races. Meaning, that for 10 or so minutes all I can see is a sea of elbows or, if I'm lucky, shoulders. It is the short girls burden.

At the start I felt that my goal time could be impacted by the puddle/lake an by the rather icy road conditions. Once we started I also discovered that (once again) the course was different! (than last time I ran it, not- I'm sure, from the map. which par for the course I had not so much as glanced at.) This is my third time running this particular race on a different route. I rather like this as change is good but I wasn't particularly fond of the first couple miles.
The good news in all this is that the lake/puddle had greatly diminished into a fairly minor icy slushy mess. A huge relief!

My first couple miles went by faster than the Mid Winter Classic which was to be expected because I was racing this course rather than meandering along for a training run. My pace for the first two miles showed me to be right on par for my 1:38-1:40 finish time. Not bad because I was slipping, sliding and spinning my tires like crazy. I saw a couple people go down HARD and I really didn't want to follow in their footsteps (or butt prints, ouch.)

Just after mile 2 the ice diminished and my pace picked up, looking a little something like this:
Mile 3: 7:18 "huh. that's a bit faster than I had planned..."
Mile 4: 7:16 "shit. that should not have been that fast."
mile 5: 7:12 "Oh F**K!!!! Now I need to keep this shit up. UGH. Damnit."

Once I came to the conclusion that I was going to continue running hard, I did.
And it was hard.
My slowest mile for the rest of the race was a 7:25 and that was up this sucky section of hills that people never mention when talking about pancake flat Hampton.. (I actually kid, if I had been running more outside this winter these hills would be nbd, but to hit them at a stupid fast pace on treadmill legs went exactly as I predicted. A little tough.)

It's a good thing we had some kickass cheerleaders. Thanks Andy and kids for being awesome.

More cowbell. 

 Overall, despite the fact that I find running an average pace of 7:22 to be challenging the race was fine. I did not have any dramatic problems during the race with either my legs or stomach. While I still don't think that my lazy left leg is as strong as my amazing badass right leg it is much better than it was 6 months ago! I met a very nice friend at mile 8 (a Team Hoyt member) and we basically ran shoulder to shoulder for several miles. I thanked him for being my personal pacer!

With just over 2 miles to go we began to run by the ocean again and the wind punched me right in the face, I fell down and quit running forever.
Well.... Not exactly. There was a bitch of a headwind though which made me think longingly of the October Hampton race and the brilliant, PR inducing tailwind. At this point I lost my pacing friend and was left with my own troubled thoughts. As we all know, my own troubled thoughts don't bother me in the least and part of every race is me getting pissed off. So on I trudged.In a pissed off way.

(insert editors note: luckily for all, there are no race photos to be found, yet. I feel that every photo of me from this race will be less than flattering as in the last couple miles it felt (oddly) like my head was falling off and my mouth was wiiiiiiide open. you all know I will share when  find these gems...) 

With half a mile to go and not much gas left in the tank Isaac leaped out on the course with me, like a super caffeine charged, bouncy, pumped up race pacer on crack. "COME ON!!!" He shouted, in glee, while easily jogging along at a sub 7 pace "Let's finish!!!!" At this point, I ever so slightly wanted to kill him but also did not want to be shamed by blatantly not keeping up, so I did my damn best to run faster. He asked my how my race was, like any nice person would do. "UGHHHHH" I replied, because really, who can race recap at mile 12.6? Trying to be civil I asked how he had done. "ONE TWENTY FIIIIIIIIIIIVEEEEEEEEE! he sang in glee, while kicking up his heels, springing cartwheels and back handsprings and sweating sparkles and rainbows. Clearly the only correct response to this would be to groan loudly and say "ughhhhh you sluuuuuut....!" right? Right. Hopefully so because that is what happened.

So when I managed to muscle out a 3 second PR I credited it fully to Isaac, the slut, and his sub 7 pace and amazing enthusiasm.  Thanks buddy :-)
I high fived my Team Hoyt friend, told him I was going to puke and ran off. (I did not puke. this time) 

Yes, the moral of the story is that I did snag a PR with a 1:36:37. It was a challenging run but I am no worse for it which makes me happy. I think that for a runner of my caliber keeping up that pace for a prolonged period of time should feel challenging so I'm ok with being a little tuckered out today.
I was 6th in my AG and the 25th overall woman. Also, this is a solid course PR for me by 12 or so minutes.

Trying to drink beer. Trying not to poop my pants. I'm hot.

I felt a little junky post race! Not 100% terrible but there was some minor GI disturbance that I could have done without but merits blog mention because that is what blogs are for. Poop talk. fun! I missed Eric's (huge PR) finish because I was in the bathroom... I missed the famous "race jump" pic with the blog friend because I might have been in there again, yuck.  I recovered quickly but not quickly enough to enjoy the remarkable spread of food and beer that this race always provided. This is a great race... I love the nice warm hotel ballroom, the ample bathrooms for me to have GI issues in, the dudes scraping the ice off the roads, the easy bib pick up and (usually) the beer. But not so much on this day. Boo.

So! A decent race, a goal accomplished an now onward to Boston!
With 8 weeks an counting I'm ready to get down to business. 

My predictions for The Half At the Hamptons....

It's officially race week around here.
This Fall I declared that the Hampton Half was going to be my A race for the winter, a great way to crank up some pre Boston speed work and, most likely, a chance to PR.

I think at this juncture we can all agree that training this winter has been odd.

15 mile runs on the treadmill, that is odd indeed

That certainly should not imply that I haven't been working very hard and putting significant effort into my workouts, because I have.

Quite simply, with so much indoor training and the subsequent reduction in challenging terrain I don't feel that I can predict my race outcome with the almost psychic ability I had last summer.

And not to (continue) complaining about (more) shit weather, but I think we can all agree that it's endless this year! Endless. ENDLESS.

This is special. BARF.

Hopefully soon the conditions really improve and I can get back on the roads. PLEASE RUNNING GODS!

Ahem. Anyway, back on point.
My current PR (2012, Great Bay Half, on a great weather day, running angry) was a 1:36:40
(oh and on a side note, I also met Eric at the GBH. So a PR and a good day in general!)
(And I also met Andy that day too because they do most things together....)
(OH! An that's the day I met Danielle too, but we had known each other for ages on the internets...)
My 2013 PR, on a hot but lovely day, on legs that (theoretically) should not have been fast was 1:37:15

So where am I at now...
I trained almost exclusively on the treadmill for my first half 3 years ago (which was Hampton! It's my Half-aversiry!) I believe I ran in 1:48 (this was the year now famous for sub arctic temps, horrific wind chill and the works. It really was a bit awful.) I hope that my winter of treadmill training leaves me a bit faster lo these many years later!
I ran Hampton again the following year for another 1:48- I used this run as more of a social outing on this particular day so it felt nice and easy. And the weather could not have been better!

Taking into account my finishing time a few weeks ago at the Mid Winter Classic I believe that a 1:40 is a very possible outcome. Realistic.

That is not my official guess though. IF the weather is decent- no frigid temps, no slushy roads, no driving winds I feel confident (perhaps unjustifiably) that I can pick it up a little. But not more than a little.

I predict a finish of 1:38:58 which will leave me wiped out, and possibly annoyed!
I will admit that I think this is a lofty goal and that none of the speed work I have been doing lately indicates that a sub 1:40 finish is in the cards. Screw it, I'm gonna dream big because why not!

Sp plan on that friends, I will run my 1:38:58- then, assuming I am not dying I will run a few more to make it a long run. And then we will all celebrate excellent races, the upcoming Spring season and fabulocity in general with beers and pizza!
And it will be awesome.

Fast people, famous people, and me...

This past week has been pretty normal on the winter training front.
There have been 2 common themes over the past week or so.
1: I am very, very busy at work. 10-12 hour days have not been unusual
(this makes mid week 2 hour workouts a tad tricky. I'm pretty good at managing my schedule but it has been tight!)
2: Winter still sucks

Sucky stupid winter

Despite these little challenges I had another solid training week. I clearly felt a little bump up in my fitness this week (finally! good gahd it took long enough..) With Boston finally registering on my race radar this is a good thing- now all we need are warmer temps and safe roads an I'll be back in the game. Until then, the basement and I are spending serious quality time.

Eric and I went to Boston yesterday for the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. This was a fun run-nerd road trip an we really had a good time! I was really curious to see the Nike team- since flotrack has more or less been devoted to them and their racing/training I was eager to see them in the flesh.
In an excellent twist of fate we got to see Danielle again (twice in one week!) as she and Sarah were spectating too. I believe we all hold on to hope that breathing the same air as the fast kids will make us fast.
I'm counting on it....

Crappy phone photo's...
Famous people! Alberto Salazar's back! Whoot!

I have been super impressed by the Rupp and Cain phenomenon so I was a bit crushed when Rupp pulled out, clearly hurting in the men's mile race. (Eric and I have been saying in our *expert* tones that he was going to make it or break it.... and we saw him break it...) Mary Cain is really just adorable, she was quite dominant in her race (the 1K) and pretty pumped about her win.
We witnessed a world Record in the 4x800 men's relay- wow it was so exciting!
An we saw a bit of a debacle in the women's 2 mile when Jenny Simpson lost count of her laps an hit the turbo with 2 laps to go.... Needless to say when she realized her mistake it was too darn late and she had to settle for second. As I said to Danielle "You don't see THAT every day..."
Since all the cool kids were out and about I got to say a quick hi to the always super sweet Kate Grace, who I managed not to fangirl all over this time. Kinda. Whatever you guys, she is pretty cool and also a really nice person. So Oiselle meet up success! Unplanned but success!!!

Chillin' with elite runners like it's NBD.

So a quick training wrap up from here- I finished the week with 33 miles (to last weeks 39) 90 minutes on the bike and about 2:40 of core/yoga. Decent. Every run had something of substance, which I find far more beneficial than tons of junk miles. Long runs are easy, fast runs are fast, progressive tempo runs have... tempo that progresses haha. (well they do) So things are shaping up for some bigger mileage soon!

Coming up soon.... My predictions/expectations for the Hampton Half.
More on the amazing things I eat every day! (hint: I eat like a normal person...)
My continued training.
My biggest peeves!

So get excited.