Vacation, training and hello 2013

We have just returned from a wonderful trip to Florida, where we saw family and enjoyed some sunshine. I actually have a tan now, which is much welcomed - the older I get, the more having a tan helps:) Aside from a nightmare trip back, with a cancelled flight,  a 7 year old sleeping on the floor in the airport and a luggage that arrived more than 24 hours after our flight, we had a wonderful time. We managed to avoid Disney, and went to Legoland, Wet & Wild, the Science Center and a few mini golf places instead - my son's preferences! We spent a lot of time with family and my mom, which was truly the highlight of the trip.

The moment I stepped off the plane and felt the 80 degree weather I decided that I will completely abandon my training plan. I did not want to wake up before 8am (to avoid the heat) during vacation, and generally wanted to be relaxed and not concerned about fitting training in. The weeks before I had run 65 and 70 miles, so I felt comfortable looking at this week as  recovery. I still ended up with 61 miles and 3 solid progressions with last 3-5 miles sub 7, and last mile @ 5K pace. Good enough.

I ran on concrete the entire week. By the last day my L knee started hurting a bit. I guess going from doing 50% of my runs on trails to 100% on concrete pissed my knee off. So I took it to the elliptical on Thursday, and then ran 8 slow miles on trails yesterday. Today I wanted to do 13 (my longest run the past week was 10 miles), with 6 miles @ 6:30. Last night I used some KT tape on my knee, and by morning I felt awesome. The knee was fine during the run, and I ended up running 10 miles @ 6:55, with 5 @ 6:25 followed by 2x800m @ 6:05. I had to stop at 5 miles bc I got to an intersection/stoplight, and then .5 mile after I stopped to talk to a friend. Still happy with the run. Then ran 3 miles easy back home, for a total of 13 @ 7:05. Pretty happy with this. Now if only my knee would not give me grief!!!!. Running in the 30 degree morning felt so good compared to the 70-80 degrees of Florida. I think I am a cold weather girl at heart:)

I spent some time thinking about 2012. Not much racing for me due to 3 injuries, a bitter sweet 19:00 5K PR, but a lot of knowledge gained when it comes to running, and some great friendships through this blog. This year, particularly the last half was parenting heavy for me, as my son moved more into academics, and I've become the parent responsible for that. Running took a bit of a secondary place in my life - I do not need it as much to cope with things, and this has given me freedom and confidence. At the same time, I do want the PRs, and I do want the fast running. I just want it for different reasons now. The thrill of running fast, and the feeling I carry with me for the rest of the day is, for me, better than any PR.

Thanks for following along and have the 2013 that you want to have:)

Thoughts, training, life and news

With little time on my hands, here we go bullet point style.

* TRAINING  -is going really well. After a couple of weeks where my legs were terribly confused, heavy and sore, I am finally noticing that I am gaining fitness. And this is very motivating. My legs are adjusting to the increase in mileage (65 last week, 70 this week - I won't go higher than this) and feel great. I am not sure exactly what I will be going for at my first HM in February, and will let the workouts I do dictate that. So far comparing my training to 2011 (last time I trained for a HM), I am running more miles, faster average pace, faster intervals and faster tempos. This increases my confidence.

Some great workouts this past week:
 9 miles tempo, 3 @ MAF, 4 @ 10K-HM (6:20 pace), 2@ MAF.
13 miles progression, 6.5 @ MAF, 3 @ MAF+10, 2@ MAF+15, 1@ MAF+20, .5 cool down (7:12 pace)

Still taking it slow here, but working in HMP miles when I feel good.

* CORE CHALLENGE - I am in the middle of a 30 day core challenge. This means I committed to doing 10 min core exercises/day. I have 3 cycles I circle through, to keep things interesting. I feel so much stronger and able to keep my form when my legs get tired, that I think I will keep this in. I may have skipped a couple of days in there, but made up the time the next day, so it is all good.

* LIFE - going to Florida for a little vacation to see family, Legoland and Seaworld (happy that my son has no interest in Disney...I have no interest in spending my time waiting in line, ha!).

* PARENTING - I won't say much here, but do want to mention that all those people with babies who think that raising little kids is hard...just wait until school starts. Oh, my! Between homework, daily reading and activities I am finding that my free time is shrinking and shrinking. Parenting is more interesting, for sure, but much more demanding for older kids, at least for me.

* WHO's getting faster? Katie is! Holy Batman I am impressed on a daily bases by how fast she is getting and how quickly.

* NEWS - I am very excited to be part of the Brooks ID program again this year. I love Brooks and I love the opportunity they give to non elite runners through the ID program.

Observations

I've completed 2 weeks of training for my 2 upcoming half marathons. Things have not been going as smoothly as I would have liked them to go. My legs needed time to adjust to the increase in mileage. I had to slow down my pace on some runs due to higher HR. I was rather puzzled for a bit there, but kept track of the data (both HR, weather, sleep, diet, stress, etc). I now have clear proof that my HR is higher when under stress and/or when I don't sleep enough. Dah!!! But for me, having the data really made a difference. I have always been really good about sleep, but lately I have been staying up too late enjoying time with Chris at the end of some pretty stressful days. There isn't much to do about stress but to ride it out, problem solve and take care of yourself; I had been partly neglecting the take care of yourself part, the part that I have control over.

Anyway, I am out of the stressful patch. Went to bed at a reasonable time last night, got 9 hours of sleep, and today I had a really good run. Nothing out of the ordinary. It was a simple progression, but my HR was lower than I have seen it in a long time, and I felt really strong. I ran 14 miles @ 7:20, 7 miles building up from MAF-10 beats to MAF (aerobic HR) @ 7:45, 3.5 miles @ MAF+5 beats and then 3.5 @ MAF+10 beats, which ended up being 6:52 pace. Nothing hard in this run, just a progression from easy to moderate, on a cool and rainy day, on rolling terrain. Happy!

And now I have to contain my enthusiasm and make sure I won't push it too hard too soon. I have a tendency to run myself into the ground by working too hard too soon. I love running hard and pushing my runs to the limit. But I know that I am not a spring chicken and need to be smart about how hard I push and when I push. My February HM is a B race. My goal race is in March. Plenty of time to push much later on! For now, my main focus will be on making sure I get enough sleep and don't run myself into the ground. Because the big goal is to run myself into a PR:) in March.

The beauty of a fresh start

One of my favorite things about running is planning my season and creating a training plan. I love the possibilities, the creativity, the progression of workouts and the unknowns. Tomorrow I start my 12 week training plan for the Hampton Half marathon in New Hampshire. My A race will come 3 weeks after, at Quincy Half Marathon. I worked on my training plan yesterday and made same decisions with regard to mileage, long runs, and races along the way. My 19:00 5K predicts a 1:27:XX which seems like a lofty goal now. However, I might be aiming for a bit faster (ha!), because I think that I am in better shape than a 19:00 5K right now, and will get even faster in 12 weeks, assuming all will go well. Will see.

I have been thinking a lot about running goals. I confess that I am  a not in the "believe it and it will happen camp". I am more in the "work for it and it may happen camp". However, I do believe in setting lofty goals. I mean, why not? There is no prize to be paid for not meeting a running goal, as long as one is having fun. And I love running and training. So, I decided to work toward running goals without taking myself too seriously and without putting unnecessary expectations on myself. I do what I love to do, how I like to do it, try my best and not stress over the process or results. I am approaching this training cycle with curiosity and excitement to see what this 39 year old body can do. I am seriously considering racing track for a club once I turn 40, so this may be my last HM training cycle for a while.

Another 5K and a couple of things I love

So I ran another 5K last Sunday. It went well. I PRed on an accurate 5K course and ran it 19 flat. My watch had me @ 18:59.6 for elapsed time and 18:57 for moving time, but whatever. It is a 19 and I am going to be happy with it. I mean, a second more or less, same thing. I ran a good race and although I feel like I should be running a much faster 5K based on my training runs, I am not yet able to deliver. I think I don't know how to race 5Ks still. I plan on running many more of them in 2013. They are cheap and they boost my fitness. On Tuesday this week I ran my easy run at the pace (within my easy HR zone) I used to run my easy runs prior to my injury in April. This made me happy. I was also happy when I calculated my age graded 5K time (18:15 if I were 34 or younger). I am going to be using the age graded calculator more and more bc it feels so good:)

During the past week I spent a lot of time reviewing my training log from 2011. That was one of my best years of running. I PRed in the HM with a 1:28 and in the 5K with a 19:26 (from a 20:12, with no specific 5K training). I ran a 5K on January 1st 2011 in 20:26, and by March I was able to run a HM at a pace that was 10-15 seconds faster than that 5K. My 19 minutes 5K right now before starting any HM training is a really good baseline. I am confident that with more experience and tries, rather than more specific 5K training, I will learn how to race a sub 19 5K. I tend to achieve my short term goals easily, so not getting the sub 19 is actually good for me and makes me want it even more; in fact, I think I am easily capable to run an 18:30 and I will.

With Thanksgiving in mind, I want to share some of the things I am enjoying these days, in no particular order.
This book:

This book is AMAZING! I don't think it is for everyone, but if you are into nonfiction, learning the ways of the mind and into getting humbled, read it. I think it has great applications for athletes and I hope someday someone will apply the concepts presented in the book to athletics.

Shoes:

Brooks Pure Connects. Marketed as neutral shoes, they offer a tad of stability and arch support with no added weight. They fit like a glove and make you feel light on your feet.

Homework with my son:
I confess that I dreaded first grade and the American system (at least in the greater Boston area) where parents are required to do homework with kids. That was not what we did when I was growing up. In fact, I don't remember ever having my homework checked by my parents and it served me well. But, I confess that I love homework time. There is something magical about seeing your kid learn, and how quickly that happens. One days they struggle reading a couple of sentences and a week later they are fluent readers. One day they seem to know almost nothing, and the next day they tell you things you had no clue when they learned. I am not saying that homework time always goes smoothly, because it does not. There are times when we are both tired and just not into it. But generally we find a way to move pass that and create positive associations to learning that hopefully he will be able to take with him the rest of his life. Few things in life are more magical than learning.

Speaking of learning, off to learn more about racing a 5K from this speedy lady who ran with me on Sunday and finished some 25 seconds ahead of me:) Rockstar she is!

On training, running surface, being sick and politics

On track versus road
I wonder why the track is so much faster than the road. Is it the surface? Is it the consistency of running in circles? Is the GPS inaccurate on the track? Is it being used to it (since I have been consistently going to the track for weeks now)? For me, running on the track is like running on a slight downhill; it does not feel like a downhill on my body (e.g., my quads are not overworking), but the effort is less than on the road.

On treadmill versus road/track
The TM is much harder for me, mentally and physically. I believe this is a function of not being used to it. I remember running consistently on the TM in college, and then trying to run outside and OMG, so hard. Now it is the opposite. My easy pace (per effort and HR) on the TM is slower by 10-20secs than on the road. Also, my hip flexors get sore after a TM run, while when I run on the road my hamstrings seem to be doing more work. I wonder how much this is an issue of economy and efficiency. It is easier for me to run on the road even in the wind than on the TM bc my body is more economical/efficient on it, due to lots of practice.

On varying surfaces
Right now I am experimenting with running on a variety of surfaces, with a variety of shoes (thank you Brooks!). I run on track (once), on the TM (once), on the elliptical (once), on trails (3 times), and on the road (the rest of the time). I never run in the same pair of shoes twice in a week. Will see if this makes a difference in terms of injury.

On flu versus cold
I have been sick for 2 weeks now. Two weeks ago I got a flu shot, and then the next day I started to feel shitty. No, I did not get the flu from the flu shot, just had the bug in me before getting the shot. The shot probably helped me have a shorter, less symptomatic flu. I had fever for 3 days, and was so tired and weak that I would come back from work, sleep for 2 hours, get up for one hour and then sleep some more. I tried to run and my HR went up to 223. I abandoned a workout. I felt better toward the end of the week and had no issues while racing last Saturday. Then I caught a who knows what cold bug from Chris: sore throat, congestion, headache, chills. I did an easier fartlek run on Monday rather than a track workout. I was surprised that my HR was good and I felt fine running. On Wednesday I attempted a much harder workout (thanks PPC) and my HR was really good. I don't have the weakness and fatigue of the flu, and running actually helps with the congestion. Interesting to me:)

On election
It is very interesting to me that people stay away from talking politics on social media. Why? People talk about other "sensitive" topics like religion on social media and blogs all the time. Is it because of concerns about loss of followers, judgements? I grew up during communism and free speech was not a right that we had. Don't take the right to speak your mind lightly! It is a privilege.

On my next 5K
In 1.5 weeks. My last one. Whatever happens, happens. I might not be able to run a sub 19, even though my training clearly points into that direction. I want the sub 19 but in that last mile of a 5K maybe I don't  want it enough. Life is smooth sailing for me right now. A PR would only bring momentary thrills on a canvas of a pretty stable life. Or maybe the fact that it's been a while since my last PR is messing around with my confidence. It is much easier to believe in a PR when you come from having just gotten one. Maybe chasing Katie around will help with that. Regardless, I am ready to take a week of rest after the 5K and then plunge into HM training for the winter. I love winter running!

Wakefield Run for all ages 5K

OK, sorry to disappoint, but no sub 19 today.
The course was great. Fast and flat. Only 67 feet elevation gain. Accurate (3.15 on the Garmin).
The only issue today was the wind. 15-20MPH per accuweather.  When I checked last night, I wondered about my pacing and came across this little gem from Daniels.

Wind Speed (negative values denote tailwinds)	VO2 Demand	min/km	min/mile
-20 mph (-8.9408 m/s)	-9.6%	3:00.3	4:50.1
-15 mph (-6.7056 m/s)	-8.7%	3:01.9	4:52.7
-10 mph (-4.4704 m/s)	-6.8%	3:05.3	4:58.1
-5 mph (-2.2352 m/s)	-3.9%	3:10.4	5:06.4
0 mph (0 m/s)	0.0%	3:17.2	5:17.4
5 mph (2.2352 m/s)	+4.9%	3:25.8	5:31.2
10 mph (4.4704 m/s)	+10.8%	3:36.1	5:47.8
15 mph (6.7056 m/s)	+17.7%	3:48.0	6:07.0
20 mph (8.9408 m/s)	+25.6%	4:01.6	6:28.9

In this particular table I inputted my average pace from today (6:07) @ 15MPH wind, and was able to see equivalent paces in various conditions. This made me feel better about today:).

OK, so the race.

Here are the splits from my Garmin (not that good at cutting and pasting).

1	6:01.8	6:02	1.00	9	0	6:02	6:02	4:40	176	182	76
2	6:05.8	6:06	1.00	5	0	6:06	6:06	5:30	185	188	86
3	6:18.4	6:18	1.00	23	31	6:18	6:18	5:22	188	190	91
4	:48.9	:49	0.15	0	7	5:26	5:26	5:07	190

Ended up with 6:07 pace for 3.15 for 19:15, HR 183. 5th woman!

So how did it go down.
I had several goals for this race:
1. To run each mile at a higher HR than the one before. Not pace, but HR.; CHECK
2. To run mile 1 @ 5:55-6.; ~CHECK
3. To run mile 2 @ 6:00-6:05~CHECK
4. To focus on my breathing and stay focused on the race.~ CHECK and ~~ CHECK.
5. To run sub 19. NOT TODAY!

I warmed up for 20 min with no watch, just easy pace. I did 4x10 sec strides fast to get HR up. Paces for these were 6:30 to 6 for the last one. It was cold. But I like cold. I warmed up 10 min one way, and I was pleased that I did not feel the wind. When I turned around, however, I felt it and it was strong. I immediately realized that the last mile of the race will be hard.

Mile 1 went fine. I felt good, as good as you can feel running 6 min pace (not easy for me, ha!). I got passed here by 5 women and I never saw them before. They looked fast and I knew one of them, Kara Haas, who runs sub 18s easily in her 40s. I assume I had a tailwind for the first mile, and that was clear based on HR. The next mile was mostly with a side wind. I passed one woman, and then I was alone. I focused and maintained 6pace for most of it. But then we turned into the wind and I slowed down. Last mile was all into the wind. My watch showed 6:26 at some point and I felt so defeated. I could not go faster. Then I got passed by this guy who does Fresh Pond a lot, and I went with him for a bit which helped my pace (later on he told me he hoped I would go with him!). But he was just too fast (always faster than me at FP) and I could not keep up (I wonder if he were a woman, whether that would have helped...). I pushed as hard as I could when I saw the finish line, but was not enough. I knew it at the beginning of mile 3. Could I have fought harder? Based on HR, yes. Average HR was 183. I race half marathons @ 185 average. For 5Ks, I should be in the 190s. The thing is, 185 in my last half marathon did not feel as bad as that last mile felt today. This tells me that I need more steady state/tempo runs. Oh, and less headwind would be good too.

In spite of not breaking 19, I had a great time before and after the race. I loved to talk to other runners. Funny to me how I was a bit disappointed in my time, but so many others were impressed. Speaks to how relative "fast" is.

5Ks are hard in a different way than HMs or marathons. You never really feel good. The concentration required is intense. You need practice to run a good 5K, I think. Things happen quickly and so much depends on reaction time. No time to really think things through. For a very analytical person like me, this is good. For my development as an athlete, this is good.

So I go again in 2 weeks. If I don't get the sub 19, I try again later. I don't think one can continue benefiting from track workouts for more than 8-10 weeks, without a break. And I have other plans for my winter. But, breaking 19 will continue to be a goal. It will surely happen, I have no doubt, as long as I continue having fun running:)

I should be able to get an official sub 19 5K...

Ok, Ok, so I have a bone to pick with the 5K.

At the end of 2010 I started working toward breaking 20 min in the 5K. It took me 4 5Ks, and I ended up running a 19:26 during HM training the following spring, on no 5K specific training.

Then I got the sub 19 bug, which I started working on in 2012. I got a 17:29 on a short course, and a 19:04 on a long course. Then got injured.

Now I am back at it. My workouts clearly show that I can run a sub 19 on an accurate course. I have no problem running 5x1000m with 200m jog @ sub 6. Because tempos come harder to me, I decided to run 2 continuous miles @ 6 on the track yesterday morning, and ended up with 2 miles @ 5:53 average, followed by 800m @ 5:41, 400m @ 5:29, 400m @ 5:21, and 100m @ 5:02, all with 1 min rest. I did these after 2 miles warm up and one mile MP/HMP pace, to ensure that I was starting the intervals a bit tired. The 400s were hard, and there was some puking going on after the first one, but overall I did well. I ran this workout on track, which is a faster surface, but there was a headwind for half of it, so certainly more effort than on a treadmill. Surely this workout points to the fact that I should be able to run a 6pace 5K, right? I mean, when training for a marathon, we never run more than 16 miles @ MP, and we have confidence that we can hang on for the last bit. The same theory should work for the 5K, too. Right? Right? Except that the 5K is so quick and the discomfort is much more intense, and one does not have time to work through a rough patch as in a marathon. I mean, if I slow down and mentally work though a rough patch, by the time I am done the race is over and I did not PR. I also have a hard time holding pace in a 5K. I need to constantly check my watch bc otherwise I slow down. That requires a level of concentration that is not always easy for me. Further, there are moments in a 5K that you can't quite prepare for, moments where no matter how much mental prep you did, and how much you want the PR, the mind just gives up in the moment, automatically, without conscious control. If you don't catch that right away, you don't have enough real estate to make up for the little "blunder". I know I experiences this during my last mile of my last 5K. I ran on a narrow bridge on the way back to the start (for the finish) and had to slow down bc the slower runners were blocking the bridge running in the opposite direction, and I flustered for a bit and completely lost my pace. I recovered quickly and pushed the pace, but it was too late. The course was long, but I could have had the sub 19 regardless.

And then I start thinking. Regardless of whether I get the official sub 19 or not, I am getting faster. No doubt about it. And that is what I need to focus on. That, and the "controllables" and the "modifiables".  Accurate course, good weather, perfect concentration, no mental blunders...they all have things I can and can't control to different extents (yes, I can control the weather to some extent by choosing now to run a 5K in July).  And then there is the probability issue - the more 5Ks I run, the higher the probability I will get the official sub 19. If I stay healthy, the sub 19 is a given, sooner rather than later. Boom!

Random Observations

I put 6 solid weeks of 50+ miles running (with a couple weeks in the 60s), and am finally feeling like my old running self. I feel light on my feet again and strong. I can see the hills and valleys in my quads when I run. I have that slight tightness in my legs when I go up the stairs. And I am beginning to feel fast again (for me). I am not one who comes back from a break easily. My first aerobic runs hover around 8:30-9 min/miles. I get out of breath. My legs forget how to turn over. My stride shortens. It takes me time to get back my fitness base. I don't believe I lose it; rather, I try to think of it as buried inside; with each mile, I get closer and closer to it. And then, hopefully, as it happened before, I get faster. This is to be determined still.

I bit the bulled and went back to Fresh Pond for their weekly free races. I am planning on a 5K sometime in  November, and so I am using FP as a tempo run, and only run one loop (2.5 miles). I have a couple of half marathons in the winter, so will be using the 2 loop as a tempo for that distance. I am being careful here not to get my body habituated to training. I am the kind of runner who needs constant change.

So, the one loop at FP is interesting. The speedsters never go for the 2 loops (surely why I won the 2 loop every time I did it, ha!). Two weeks ago I got second to a 26 year old; I ran slow, high HR, but I was sick. This past week I ran 20 sec/mile faster, and still lost to a 20 something cross country runner (she ran 5:20s for the 2.5 mile which now includes a 300m hill on a trail! Yup, can't compete with that, ha!). I ran effortlessly this past week, and enjoyed being paced by a couple of men. I have never been paced in a race before, but I can surely see the huge benefits of pacing. I am planning to use this speedy pacer for my upcoming 5K. Girl runs 5:45 mile repeats at the end of marathon training. Yes. I am planning on putting an imaginary elastic around our waists so she can drag me  to the finish line. Ha!

After running well at FP in 50 degrees or so, I suffered through 4x1 mile @ faster than 10K, slower than 5K pace on 1 min jog in 73 degrees. My HR for each of these miles was about 5-10 beats higher than during the 2.5 continuous miles. Initially I thought I was tired. Then I thought again and decided it was the heat (and yes, 73 is hot for me. Give me freezing temps and I run really well). I don't feel tired. But I am also a poor judge of fatigue. Sometimes I wish I was the type of runner who gets tired, or loses motivation...I just feel fine and then boom, injured!

I watched Kona on and off all day Saturday. It solidified the fact that I do not have the desire (perhaps even the ability) to suffer as much as those pros. At some point in my life that would have been upsetting. or would have become a goal (to get to a higher level of suffering). Now it is just an observation. Good thing that running is not my day job!

Things I like:
* Brooks Pure Connects
* Trail runs on rocky trails
* Naps in the middle of the day
* Hot showers
* The track
* Brilliance
* Nonconformism
* Tight jeans
* Books
* Scars
* Chocolate
* Raises
* Salads in popcorn bowls


Things I don't like:
* Superficiality
* Insecurity
* Falls
* Overreacting
* Cold coffee
* Perfection
* Fear
* Settling
* Financial planning
* Dramas
* Shorter days
* Dry skin
* Sluggish runs

It's been a while since...

...I've had a fall!

Half a mile into my trail run this morning my R foot got stuck under a rock (darn you forefoot strike!) and I proceeded to fall face down. I managed to stop myself a bit with my hands and arms, but my legs got the best of it. I was a bit worried about an infection (the wounds were covered with dirt and I had no water with me) and Chris offered to pee on them, which made me laugh because a scene from my favorite TV show "Girls" popped in my mind. We skipped the pee on the wounds (in case you were wondering) and kept running. We ended up having a great run and I stopped trying to push the pace so that we could beat our time from the previous week (we did not, but my HR was 8 beats lower!) AND let Chris lead (not easy for moi!).

Training musings

So..my running is going well! Hurray! After a couple of weeks of "OMG, my legs have forgotten how to run", I finally feel light and springy on my feet. What a relief! I took myself to the track on Monday for 15X200m, with the goal of running these at 5K to mile pace (which I conservatively set to be 5Kpace-30 seconds). I had done nothing but a few 10 sec hill sprints and one 10x20 secs strides run on the treadmill, so I had no idea how I'd do. Most importantly, I was worried I lost my joy for the track (the track is one of my favorite places to run. I could even run a marathon on the track, no problem). I am fine with getting slower (not yet, but it will happen), but I am not OK with losing my love for the track:) The thing is, I was absolutely amazed that I did not lose any of my high end speed. I lost endurance for sure, and 13 miles seems a bit too far to go these days, but my speed is still there. I yearned to do an all out interval, but managed to stay within my time constraints. And I had so much fun. There might be some track races in my future once I become a masters runner!

And speaking of love...I am also running a lot of trails. Chris and I have been running the Skyline Trail in the Fells (7.5 miles with the detour, 1300 feet elevation gain) once a week for the past 2 weeks, and are having so much fun that will keep this up. This trail is all up and down, with very steep inclines and declines. It is also very technical with huge rocks that one needs to climb, so that it becomes more of a plyometric/strength type exercise done @ 12-14 min miles, which is just perfect for where I am in my training. First, I need strength. Second, the pace of this run totally kills my average weekly run pace in my Runningahead account which is GOOD for someone like me who has a bit of a pace/ego thing going on that needs to be tamed:) Plus, Chris and I have always had the best conversations while running/hiking, and he gets to channel his inner macho by protecting me from the unleashed dogs whose owners are going about their business while their dogs almost chew my shorts off (it happened, but rant over!).

So...if you are curious, my week goes something like this:

M: a.m. intervals/fartlek type workout; p.m. 30 min elliptical + core while Petru swims.
Tue: p.m. very very easy run on trails with no watch/HR monitor, some hill sprints.
Wed: a.m. progression by HR; p.m. spin class + strength legs
Thursday: a.m. Fells trail run; p.m. 30 min elliptical+ core
Friday: p.m swim
Saturday: a.m. long; strength; p.m. swim as a family maybe
Sunday:  a.m. spin class+short easy run immediately after with strides no watch/HR monitor; p.m.

Feels like a routine, ha? Will see where it takes me.

I am not training for anything right now, and am just working on getting my baseline mileage and speed back. The plan is to kill the half marathon this winter/spring, and maybe some 5Ks and 10Ks too in the process. You know, the stuff I LOVE. Would be nice if the killing would result in some PRs; the 10K PR will be easy since I have yet to race a 10K, but the other 2 will be challenging. I am up for it though. I will be using Canova/Hudson training principles incorporating a lot of what I learned from Lucho during the past year. I am excited to write my own workouts and see what I can do. Fall and winter (call me crazy!) and my favorite seasons for running, and I am getting giddy for the miles!

Happy Birthday to ME

Perfect birthday for me yesterday. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Breakfast and coffee with my boys.
A 2 hour trail run with Chris in the Fells.
A nap followed by watching part of Vegas 70.3 and Wisconsin IM.
Apple picking, cider donuts eating with my boys.
Barbecue, champagne and chocolate cake with good friends and family.
Snuggling with my little boy before bed.
Snuggling with my other boy and eating salted dark chocolate.

And now, I am feeling some inner pressure to do something really crazy and different during my last year before the big 40!

Update

* School started today and I found myself envious of the herds of kids walking to school in the morning. Although my job has a large learning component, I miss  being in school. My little guy had no issues getting off the door this morning, particularly since his 2 best pals were waiting for him.

Walking to school with his wife. They got married on Tuesday. They want to have 2 kids, a girl named Horse and a boy named Cheetah. She will stay home, he will work as a policeman giving tickets to those who do not respect traffic signs. They will live in Wisconsin (near Dells Water park) and in New Mexico in the winter. They will make the kids do all the chores.

Waiting to cross the street along with new and old friends. 

Walking with an old friend before yelling at mom "no more pictures".

* Running is going well. I am up to 50 miles this week and so far so good. I did some strides on the treadmill the other day - first in months - and woke up with DOMS. This made me laugh. Still, it is fascinating to me to see how quickly the body regains speed after some time off, with just easy running. It's like you really do not lose fitness; rather, you think you do, but then a few weeks in you are back to where you were before you took the time off. I am nowhere near where I was yet, but my aerobic pace is definitely improving pretty quickly with not too many miles and no speed work. Sweet! 

* I am down to 2 spin classes per week and 1 swim during my day off and will most likely keep these in my schedule. My body feels so good and relaxed after I swim, like I just had a massage (yes, I swim easy!). The spin classes are great quad and glute workouts, better than any strength work for me. 

* And yes, I do strength and core 2 times a week. Recently I've incorporated exercises to strengthen my shins and calves. Interestingly these have become issues for me only when I transitioned into a forefoot runner. I would like to go back to a mid foot strike (because I think it may be the least injury related strike) which now I can do only when I wear bulky running shoes, but won't force it. 

* Truly excited to vicariously cheer on for the various half and full marathons, as well as Vegas 70.3, IMWI and Kona this fall! Not missing racing yet - probably because my fitness is not at a racing level (for me) right now, but I am starting to think (and getting giddy!) about the possibilities. 

Summer

 It's been a busy summer over here with lots of time spent with him:

(Dancing at an outdoor concert)

     (down the slide during a camping trip)

And his friends:

  (Making waterslides with marble works in my living room....and not cleaning up, of course:)

I find that the older my son gets, the more he needs me - perhaps a bit different than how I thought things would turn out (but most of what I thought parenting would be, parenting is NOT:) - and the more interesting and difficult parenting gets. I love being kept on my toes by a 7 year old blond boy - particularly since those toes have needed to be kept busy since there has been very little running during the past month. My shin splint turned out to be a sore spot and perhaps a stress reaction. I wouldn't know because I did not see a doctor for it (I believe in a good PT, but tend to stay away from doctors - I believe that they cause more trouble when it comes to running injuries). But now I am "all better" and ran 15 miles this week keeping the pace easy at my aerobic pace minus 5 beat (which is 8-8:30 these days). I am taking things super slow because I want my legs to get used to the impact; I kept in pretty good shape aerobically with high intensity elliptical and more recently 5 or so hours of spinning a week, so I could easily run a bit faster now, but this would not be good for the legs. If I can give one advice to keeping in shape when injured is to use your HR monitor and train at your aerobic zone, with intervals going up to 95% HR. These are much tougher to do without the impact from running, but they worked for me. I feel strong.

I missed running at times, but honestly not as much as I thought I would. I really dislike summer running and having to wake up at the crack of dawn to run. The AC at the gym allowed me to keep a schedule that worked well for me. But, the main reason why I did not miss running was probably because I did not allow myself to miss it; I simply embraced the bike and the elliptical and stopped reading running books for a bit (I still read blogs though:). I focused on the benefits of not running, and reminded myself that I tend to come back stronger after a break. I also reminded myself that the injury gave me an out - I did not have to run a Fall marathon, phew, because I really do not like the marathon.

So what have I learn during this bout with injury?

1. 80 miles is my top mileage for now. Going above it = potential for injury.
2. I need the hard/easy methodology. Running the same pace, even during base, stresses the legs in the same way, and leads to injury for me.
3. I may not be able to handle doubles. I may be able to run 15 miles at once, but not as 10 and then 5 later. I used *may* because I am not convinced yet about this.
4. I can't log high mileage or do lots of high intensity training during periods of high work stress. I cope well with stress, but nonetheless, when stress is there I either need to sleep even more (ha!), or cut the mileage or intensity.
5. I enjoy training myself. I love training logs, numbers, paces, reading about anything running related.
6. I need to be true to what running means to me during the present moment. This has been changing for me over the years. I rely on running less and less (a good thing!). I am attached to goals less and less (another good thing!).
7. You can work the bike and the elliptical and get endorphins just as much as you would from a run. This requires a mental shift, however.
8. I absolutely love to cheer on my friends training for marathons, especially Jenn and Katie, and am secretly happy I don't train for one myself (though I terribly miss running with Katie!).

Run/Cross train Happy:)

Bloggers in real life

When I started this blog many years ago I was not interested in followers (I still am not, sorry!). I was not interested in making connections. I simply wanted to write anonymously, document my training, and have a record of my running(s) and living(s). It took me over 4 years of blogging to even consider responding to a comment; when I received a couple of emails after my first marathon in 2009, I thought it was kind of weird. I felt perfectly content in my personal life, with enough friends and family to consider letting anyone from the blog in. Ha! How things have changed. I am now emailing almost daily with 2 women I met via this blog, who have become very close friends.

I virtually trained with Jenn for Baystate 2011 and rapidly became able to share private details of my life that typically take me years to share. Perhaps because we are so similar. I am looking forward to the time when we will be able to both train for something without one of us getting injured. I am also looking forward to our sweat contest - you see, she think she actually sweats more than I do, ha, ha, ha!   Jenn is someone who puts a lot of thought into every aspect of her life. She is a no nonsense, no excuses super busy person who somehow always makes time for those who are important to her. Oh, and she is also very hot.

 Sometime early 2012, I think, I started to exchange emails with Amanda. It was Boston 2012, however, that really sealed my friendship with her. Amanda and I are very different in many ways. She carries emotions on her face while I  often choose not to show my emotions. She is a free spirit while I am more of an analytic thinker. But Amanda won me over with her big heart, genuineness, and incredible ability to connect. She is a ball of energy and sexy muscles. You think you know her from the first meeting, but girl's got layers and depth and wisdom beyond her years.

After many many emails we finally met in Boston 2 weeks ago. Amanda arrived earlier and she and I waited for Jenn (whom none of us had met before) pacing around the airport. And then we got home and talked nonstop in my living room from 12 noon to 2:30am. Boom! It was easy conversation, and we covered topics from G to NR17 and more. There were no hang ups. Everyone was comfortable getting food, sleeping late or waking up early, emailing or talking. It was truly perfect. We walked the streets of Boston, shopped for jeans, ate a few bags of chips and a pound of dark chocolate, ran some, ate some more.... Several bottles of wine and some beers disappeared in the process. Sometime Saturday night I fell asleep on the armchair while these 2 played dress up and took pictures for a dear friend who could not make the trip (sorry, none of those will be posted!). We went to bed at 4am.

In no particular order:

                                                                    Jenn and Amanda!

                                                            Jenn and I - the dark circles under my eyes clearly show that I    
                                                               need my 8hs of sleep!

                                                             Jenn and I

                                            Amanda - this little bundle of muscle - showed us some of her talents!
                                            She can also do 10 pull up in a row, thank you very much!

Monday morning came too soon and I feel that there were so many topics I wanted to cover and did not get to. Next time for sure. In the meantime, really thankful for this little blog and for the email to continue our friendship!

How it goes?

It's been so long since I blogged that I needed a minute to familiarize myself with the new blogger layout. Ha! Lots to say, here it goes, in no particular order.

* Just got back from a little get away (avoid the word "vacation" bc I actually had to work about half of the time) in Connecticut to visit friends and go to Lake Compounce, a waterpark/ amusement park. My little big 48 inches guy is obsessed with waterparks and we ran out of all Massachusetts had to offer. And 48 inches is a very important height - it symbolizes that he does not need mommy with him on the "lights out", "death tunnel", "twister" and other such "thrilling" rides...

* It's been one on my busiest summers in terms of work. Lots of grants to write. I love my job so much that I know I will do it to some extent for the rest of my life past retirement, but the stress of meeting deadlines and responsibilities that affect many peoples is not always, particularly in the summertime:).

* The stress is most likely linked to my recent encounter with shin splints (posterior) on my L leg. This is the type of pain I could run through as it gets better after I warm up, but this strategy combined with icing did not lead to a speedy recovery (ha, ha!) so I have been resorting to the bike, elliptical and pool/pond and I am *almost* ready to return to running.

* Dealing with this setback has been easier than I would have imagined, largely because work has been  very busy, but also because after running in the crazy temps we've had, I enjoy the AC at the gym and the ability to sleep in and work out at any hour I have available regardless of weather. In addition, I did some pretty hard workouts on the bike and elliptical, keeping my HR on the elliptical within MAF, tempo and VO2 max range (which is very hard because of the lack of wind and pounding!) so I feel I am pretty fit. I only miss running when I read about it, which I did little of during the past week.

* Super excited for a girls weekend coming up in 6 sleeps. Two dear friends that I met through this blog are going to come from far and even further away to spend the weekend with me. I hope to be able to run and take them to some beautiful trails in the area. If that won't be possible, there will  be many more things to do...my fridge is stacked, the wine is bought, my boys will leave the house Friday morning and my last grant of the summer will be in Thursday night! Happy!

A bit of fast running goes a long way

Today it has become clear to me how important fast running is for my confidence as a runner. For the past month I have been running mostly aerobic pace, as I built my miles up and up and up. I enjoyed that for a bit, as I was, I think, a bit tired mentally and physically after my intense 5K training. But with the high temps and high humidity, I ended up doing a lot of slow (for me) running. Last week I hit 81 miles but my average pace for the week was the slowest I had seen it the entire year. Rationally, I understood that running in 95-100 degrees means running slower, and that in order to run your first 81 miler in over one year you have to slow down, but I did not like that one bit. 

When I saw a progression into the mid 6s today on my schedule, I was excited but also a bit concerned (OK, I was nervous!). Would I remember to run fast? How in the world I am going to be able to hold 6s if my HR was getting close to my lactate threshold holding high 7s and low 8s during my 21 miler on Saturday? But then I shut my mind up, picked up my i-pod and ran a kick a$$ progression with a HR lower than most of my miles on Saturday, and a perceived effort much lower than anticipated. We had some cooler temps, mid 70s today which helped a ton. My legs felt fresh in spite of the higher (for me) mileage. I felt light on my feet and stayed present in every mile, working hard to slow myself down for the first half of the progression. I loved this run. I loved running the last 2 miles fastish. I loved that I finished the run with a lot left in the tank, and with a renewed confidence that my legs have not forgotten how to run fast (nothing like a behavioral experiment to show one that!)

Now it will be much easier to return to building up my miles and running slower. I know this is not my time for intense speed; my marathon cycle is very different now than it was last year or the year before, and I truly believe that this periodization is going to work well for me. I already feel my legs are getting stronger and have adapted to the miles. I still have my speed in spite of no speed work since early May. 

Things are progressing well. I love running!

Kids, marathon training and books

In the past weeks I have started several blog posts only to leave them unfinished as drafts. Lots of little ideas pop into my mind and then I lose them or find them incredible boring, or too private, and let them go.

We are having a busy beginning of the summer. The weather has been finicky with lots of rain, but we managed a few trips to the pool, which are always nice. I am getting used to having a 6 year old who can leave the house and play with his friends for a few hours at a time without an adult present. Sure, sometimes there are fights, but it is amazing to me how quickly kids forget and move on. There are also missing packs of mini kit kats, and chairs stalked to get to said kit kats which are shared among friends, and fire hydrants to be opened, and tupperware containers to be taken as little houses for insects (my "good tupperware") but all in good fun! I love our neighborhood and the 8 kids on the street are like my own.

Marathon training is going well. I am building up miles, running mostly easy, and actually enjoying the no pressure running. I ran 19 miles today and felt good but my feet hurt for the last 5. It is amazing to me how quickly I lose fitness. I always struggle with pain in my feet during the first big weeks of marathon training, and even getting out of bed is painful for a while. But somehow it all goes away as my body gets strong and adapts, and I know that pretty soon I will be running stronger and faster. My Garmin 210 is really keeping me honest. It measures the miles .2-.3 longer than the Garmin 305:)

I am reading a lot. I am a nonfiction reader and I binge on good books. I read Chrissy Wellington's book in 2 days (and I worked those 2 days). I ate, dressed, walked and even ran (on the TM) while reading. Loved it so much. Loved her first coached and completely got that type of coaching style and how it could make a champion. I also read Scott Jurek's book "Eat and Run". I am not a cook, and so the "eat" part got lost on me, but the "run" part was interesting. It was an easy read and had some good tips for runners, particularly beginner runners.

In other news, I am forbidding myself from buying any more Lulu shorts, whether or not they are on sale. There, I put it in writing! And no, I will not tell you how many Lulu shorts I own.

Randoms:)

* We turned the fireplace on tonight. 60 degrees in the house in June. WTF, Boston?
* I bought a yogurt at Whole Foods when I left work this afternoon, as I wanted some fuel before my run. Only when I got to the train station (about 10 min after WF) did I realize that I forgot to return the basket. Almost as impressive as when Chris found the toothpaste in the fridge several years back when I was writing my dissertation. Stress much?
* It has been raining non stop since Saturday.
* I ran through water up to my knees on the bike path this Sunday.
* Every year Chris transforms me into a Celtics fan; I end up biting my nails, staying up into the wee hours and watching every single game. Game 5 tonight. Go Celts!
* My almost 7 years old has finally mastered riding his 2 wheeler. After unsuccessfully chanting "don't leg go, I am scare, I am scared" he switched to a little song "Petru can do it, yay, yay, yay, Petru can do it" and proceeded to ride with no help. The smile on his face was precious. And good lesson for both of us:)
* Taking 10 days off of running slowed me down by 30 secs/mile, which came down to 20 secs/mile in just one week. In 2 more weeks I'll be just where I was before. Perfect. Truly enjoying running again:)

Ooops, it's been too long...

This is most likely the longest gap in posting for me! Lots of news, little time, and bullet point style it is.

# Planned to run a 10K early May, but ended up running a 5K as the 10K was sold out. Great course, with some hills, perfect weather. Went 19:04 for 3.2. Yes, I went from racing a short 2.99 5K in 17:30 to a long 3.21 5K in 19:04. No matter how you look at it, I ran slower the second time. In my defense, I slowed down a lot in the last mile bc of lack of space - the course was an out and back and we went on a narrow bridge where I got faced with the slower runners running straight into me. Still, not happy about seeing that 19 in front of my 5K time. My battle with the 5K is not over, and will surely go back at it sometime in the winter.

# I spent 10 days in Hawaii! I attended a work related conference in Oahu and before it I flew to Maui with the entire family: Chris, Petru and mom (who turned 70 early May). Chris and I had our honeymoon over there 12 years ago.This was no honeymoon (as we joked!) but in so many ways it was even better. Life is settled and we have grown into the persons we are, and into our marriage. Plus, we have our not so little imp of a boy! Maui was beautiful. My favorite island. Before I left I developed a bit of leg pain (which I would have ran through had I been home), and after my first swim in the ocean (along with a sea turtle!) I decided to take a break from running and just swim. I swam about 2 miles every day there and it was peaceful and beautiful. Some of it was alone, some with Petru who is becoming a little fish. I would go out into the ocean and let my mind go blank for a while. Precious!

# I am back to running right now, a bit slower than before (of course) but not concerned. I am no longer afraid of taking breaks from running bc I know in the end I come back stronger. My main goal moving forward is the Baystate Marathon in October (my 4th - I went 3:29, 3:19 and 3:14 there for the past 3 years). This year, my goal is loftier than ever. But, I feel confident it can be achieved on a good day. After having trained for the 5K for a few months, I am very excited for a change of pace and some longer running. I miss the marathon, which is unusual for a self professed marathon hater. Ha!

# That's it...I'll leave you with some pics for a change:)

 My little fish. He never got tired of the water!

 The Sea turtle who would rest on the beach every afternoon.

 Getting a little help from dad on a hike.

 With mom during one of the less busy (for me) Oahu nights.

Our family!

Observations and pictures

I've been struggling with some really tired legs since my race. I've done several pretty hard runs, and managed to hit my paces (OK, confession time, I did run my track workouts way, way faster than I was supposed to, stupid, I now). I am entertaining the idea that I peak quickly and go flat thereafter.

Case in point:

2010 - HM PR by 7 minutes, one month later feeling flat at Boston 2010 (blister as well, but I did feel flat).

2011 - 30K @ 6:57, one month later feeling flat at Baystate (still great result, but I was capable of more).

I am a fast twitch gal. I believe my best distances are 200m and 400m. The longer the distance, the more I slow down. I've got some really strong quads which help with the speed. I can take a lot of pain, but for short periods of time. This also means that I tire easily and I am starting to believe that my body can only handle 8 weeks max of speed before needing rest. Although I had a great 5K last weekend, I am confident that I could have had a better one 1 or 2 weeks before. This is something I am going to discuss with my coach and take into consideration when planning for my fall marathon. I think I need a long base, with lots of 20 milers, all at MAF HR, and then an 8 week push of speed and MP. My MAF pace has gone down a lot and I believe that when rested, my current MAF pace is lower or close to my MP PR pace. Crazy.  

So, I think I am going to need to rest a bit in May. I so happen to travel for a conference in Hawaii on May 10th, and then go to Maui for a vacation with the family, and what better time to rest than then? I can swim more and run less, and just move away from a strict season. The stress will be gone and I won't need the endorphins as much as I do during the typical work week. More time for my family, and now that Petru swims well, he and I can have a ton of fun in the water. Can't wait!

The folks at Run in Blue posted a couple of photos. Interesting to see myself run. I tend to run with my head down instead of looking ahead. My shoulders are not straight. But, I do have a good knee drive and I don't heel strike. 

Start line. Big race, ha?

At the start. Doing some jumps to stay warm. See Tim, sometimes I do listen!

Starting - hunched over, looking at my feet, arms all over the place...hmm

Crossing the finish line with my eye on the watch

Finish line

 

Run in Blue (almost) 5K race report

For those who like short reports:
3.1 (2.98 on my watch) 17:26; 5:52 pace (Garmin pace)
First woman, Second overall
####

This was an A race for me. I started specific training for the 5K in March and truly enjoyed it. I did a lot of track, sometimes 2 track sessions in one week. I ran tempos as well. I felt great and my legs and lungs amazed me. Last week I ran 5x1000m with 1 min jog in 5:30-5:45 each and I felt strong, so strong. Then I started tapering and had the roughest time with it. I ran only 30 miles this week and I was going out of my mind. I was moody. All my runs felt horrible, and things got worse and worse as the time went by. I did have a great run on Wednesday morning; 2.61 miles @ 5:58 as part of a "float workout" where you keep the recovery intervals fast.
Here it is, as an excerpt from my training log:

.12; 0:42 5:43 - comfortable; 
.12; 0:48 6:30 -REST 
.12; 0:42 5:43 - easy, slowed myself down 
.12; 0:48 6:30 -REST 
.50; 2:54 5:48 -comfortable 
.15; 1:01 6:46-REST 
.25; 1:26 5:46 - comfortable 
.16; 1:00 6:30 -REST 
.25; 1:26 5:44 - getting hard here, nausea 
.15; 1:00 6:44 -REST 
.25; 1:26 5:48 - HARD, how the hell am I going to run a sub 19, this sucks -> breath, relax, you want to hurt here 
.15; 1:00 6:36-REST 
.25; 1:23 5:38 -push it, give all you've got - surprisingly there was a lot left. 


But my runs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, all 3-4 miles of each felt hard. My legs felt heavy, I was out of breath, and I worked hard not to get in to much trouble with the family. Few people knew about my race, but a good friend who knew sent me some nice emails and they helped a ton. I was going to give 100% on that day, no matter how I would feel. I went to bed thinking about that and tucked my "Today I will" bracelet in my shorts.


####
Race:
I got to Somerville @ 7:30 with the family. I was happy to have them there. I warmed up while they searched for traffic lights. I felt horrible. I was slow. I did 4x1 min strides starting @ 6:30 and finishing @ 5:15. My legs felt better after the strides. I was more worried about my mental state. I have never felt like this before a race. It was not good. 


I finished the warm up 2 minutes before the start of the race. Good. I went to the line and started chatting with a couple of guys. It was a small race and I wanted to have faster people in front of me to chase. 


We took off. I lead the pack for the first  .2 and saw my average pace going from 10 something to 5:10 (Garmin slow at picking up actual pace). I was to run this mile no faster than 6, but after the first bit @ 5:10 I was unable to slow this mile down more than a 5:50. It felt...not hard. I was surprised. Tim said the second mile will be the hardest, and it was. I slowed down to a 6 (but was at a 6:15 lap pace for at least .25 there). There were no mile markers on the course and I had no idea whether the course was going to be long, etc. I ran all the tangents as best I could. I passed 2 guys and there was only one other guy in front of me (he ran 16 something). In mile 3 I told myself that I am doing it , I am breaking 19.   I started looking at the time on my watch, and kept telling myself that I have X, Y, Z minutes left. Around 2.5 I noticed that the lace on my L shoe went undone. I started thinking whether I should stop and tie it, or kick my shoe off completely, or just go with it. This served as a nice distraction and it gave me some extra adrenaline, I think, as I was getting faster. I saw Chris at 2.6X and I started running all out. He said I looked strong. I felt like I was running so slow, but my watch said something else. Last mile had average pace 5:43. I crossed the line and collapsed on the dirt. I was dizzy. I asked what my time was and they said 17:23. My watched showed 17:26. Who knows. 


So the course seemed short on my watch. I talked to a few runners and they all had various distances, but no one as short as me. Who knows. I am putting this as a PR for a short 5K, because I want to give myself the option of being able to beat this PR. LOL. This would have been something like 18:05 for 3.1, so I am very pleased. 


Super happy with this race. I beat the mental demons. I ran well. The training paid off. Thanks Tim (but I do want less of a taper next time:). And as I was waiting for awards, my eye caught these beauties. Can you say 'lucky course"? And yes, there is dirt on my hands from collapsing at the finish. Ha!