Week in review and Fresh Pond Race take..who knows?

This week was another heavy mileage/intensity one. On Monday I start tapering for my half in 2 weeks.

Since my half I have been having a cold, on and off. I've also been feeling super tired. I've read about this on other blogs, so I think something is going around. My workouts have been going well, however. Work,on the other hand, was a drag for a few days in there. In good news, today I am feeling like myself again, so maybe I won the bug war. Will see.

Monday I had to run on the treadmill because we got snow and then rain again, and I really wanted to hit my interval paces. I suck at running on the treadmill. It was so hard to hold a pace I have no problem holding on the road. I even had to hold onto the rails a couple of times. I was pissed. I ended up adding 4X400meters @ 6 pace at the end, just to make up for that. My legs did not like that, and I was sore the next day.

On Thursday I ran 13.5 miles, with a 5k @ 19:50 at the end. Yes, I can run a sub 20 5K in training, but am yet to run one in a race! It felt pretty good, actually, but it was on a flat to slightly downhill (I think) terrain.

Today I had 2X 4 miles @ HM pace. I ended up running 1 mile easy, 3.25 @ 6:50, than .75 @ 7:50 to the race site, then the race (I only had time to pee, so little rest) 4.75 @ 6:46. The 5 miles home easy on the hilly route sucked big time. I am super happy with this effort. I ran the race 6 seconds slower than my PR, but given a hard effort before it, I think I did well. We had lots of people today, since it was a relatively warm day. However, we also had lots of dogs. I started laughing at some point as one little dog literally climbed up a runner, and would not get away from him, while the owner was obliviously talking to someone. I did not laugh when I had to literally jump over another dog while the owner started yelling that I should run on the track. Seriously?! Lets just say that she got a $%%%%&*& from me and from other runners!

I am still biking and swimming a bunch (biking more than swimming, though my swimming has definitely improved a lot. It just that swimming is a little....boring, but so good for my mind, I think!)

I have 2 more weeks before my running season sadly ends, and I switch gears to more biking and swimming. I'll probably start biking 5 times a week for a bit and do all my hard runs off the bike. I will also have to switch gears mentally. Running is going well, so of course I want to run more... The tri training will be a nice change, though, and I will be back to mostly running in the summer, when I'll train for a fall marathon! Now if I could stop being nervous about riding my tri bike outdoors....

ABCs, play with me!

I've enjoyed reading some of these, so thought I'd play along. You should, too:)

Age: 37
Bed size: King (and since we are here I have been known to push my husband out of the bed in my sleep...lets just say I like to migrate)
Chore you dislike: All (they are chores, right?)
Dogs: none. I have a kid, that's enough for me.
Essential start to your day: kisses from my boys!
Favorite color: red.
Gold or silver: gold.
Height: 5'7''
Instruments you play: unfortunately, none, but Petru is teaching my drumming!
Job title: worker bee!
Kids: a 5.5 y old little imp!
Live: Arlington, MA
Mom's name: Ana-Maria (we ran out of names in my family:)
Nickname: Nonurs
Overnight hospital stay: post delivery.
Pet peeves: drivers picking their noses at traffic light stops (seriously!)
Quote from a movie: let me ask Chris...
Righty or lefty: righty
Siblings: one brother
Time you wake up: 6-7:30 in the winter, 5-7 in the summer.
Underwear: not all the time.
Vegetables you don't like: none!
What makes you run late: things outside my control.
Xrays you had: teeth and legs
Yummy food you make: don't!
Zoo animal favorites: partial to turtles.

February by the numbers

February was another great month for me. I ran the Saturday 5 mile race 3 times, and had a PR in a cold and windy half marathon. My running confidence is UP!

But I did not only run, I also swam and biked.

I feel more comfortable on my bike, and can wear tri shorts for rides 2 hours or shorter. I have been doing a lot of big gear, lower cadence intervals as well as low gear superhigh (for me) cadence intervals and my legs have gotten really strong as a result. I also watched more TV than I thought possible, but for some reason I can't read on my bike, and I save my "good music" for my runs.

I also feel better in the water. I have been doing some interval training, mostly ladders and 300 or 400m repeats. I am not timing myself because my goal for the swim is not necessarily to be faster, but to swim the same pace I swam in August, with less effort. I know this is not the best strategy, but it is what I choose to do. I don't flip turn, I don't push from the wall, I swim continuously from one end of the pool to the other. One thing I need to work on is my kick. I forget about it and barely move my feet.

Most importantly, I still LOVE LOVE training!

The numbers:

RUN: 214. 5 miles (including a low week of 40 miles as taper)
BIKE: 20 hours (including a week of only 2 hour biking as taper for my half)
SWIM: 12 miles
Strength: 2 hours
Plyos: 6 sessions....skipped on a few
BRICKS: 3
* 2.5 hour bike+5 mile run
* 2 hour bike+ 4 mile run
* 3 hour bike + 5 mile run

March will include a few running races, before I switch gears to triathlon only for my June race. I am hoping to be able to ride my bike outside - I am really nervous and hope that riding my tri bike outside will be just as much fun as it has been inside. I also hope I won't break any bones during the multiple falls I know I will take. Any tips about tri bike riding would be much appreciated!

Back at it!

Things are back to normal after my HM last week. Oh, how I missed the normal. I am finding that the more my body gets used to longer training hours, the harder the taper is both physically and psychologically. Paradoxically, I did enjoy having more time, and being able to do things I don't normally do (well, more like enjoying having done those things rather than the actual process).

I noticed a few things about my tapers: 1) I always get sick (mild cold), but that does not affect my performance; 2) I always gain weight but it goes away after I go back to training; 3) I race best when I am about to get my period (I complained about feeling yucky to my mom before my last race and she told me she used to perform best before her period; then I checked my training logs and noticed that all my PRs are in races where I got my period either during the race (oh, yes, lots of fun!) or a couple of days after); now I wonder if there is any data on that, hmm, must check that out*; 4) taper works for me when I keep the training schedule the same, but reduce length of workout (rather than give myself full rest days).

****

I had zero soreness after the HM. I think this was a function of my fitness level, and the little help from my trusty E21. I don't remember ever having a race where I felt so good the day after, and managed to run some tough workouts the week after the race.

Back to normal means hours in the saddle, laps in the pool, miles on the road and, of course, going back to Fresh Pond for the weekly race. We had a bigger crowd today, but conditions were bad, since we got lots of rain, little snow, and then chilly temps yesterday. I ran 1 mile easy and 4 miles @ @ 7:25, and then waited around about 5 min for the race to start. I felt good from the beginning and raced a bit with 2 other women I had not seen there before, but easily passed them withing a half mile from the start. And then, I had to walk. Not because I was tired, but because there were about 3 50 meter areas within each loop with shiny ice that were non runnable. I was a bit pissed because my pace would slow down on these sections, but ended up feeling OK with no getting a PR. I ended up running 30:50, which is 20 seconds slower than my PR over there.

After the race I started talking to the second woman and realized that we work at the same hospital and we live in the same town. She told me about the Liberty running club at Harvard (geared toward women) where she trains, and invited me to join. I am really excited about this because unfortunately all my running friends are a bit too slow for me to run with now, and they are not really interested in training and improving. I am planning on joining the club after my last half marathon (in 3 weeks).

On the way home from race I bonked really bad, and ended up in a coffee place drinking coke and eating a blondie. I felt amazing after (of course) and managed to run the last 2 miles of hills back home at a pretty good clip.

Happy Saturday!

* looked up the research, and it is a bit inconclusive (of course). However, apparently luteal phase (preperiod) is beneficial for endurance running (high estrogen favors fat burning for fuel and lower lactic acid accumulation); the follicular phaze (starting with first day of period) is beneficial for short distance, fast running (low estrogen).

Pictures

A couple of pictures from the Hampton Half, courtesy of Capstone Photography. They were both taken toward the end of the race.

Check out my heel strike! When I get tired my form collapses, still. Must work on that! And yes, I carry water with me in races (it was hot water for this one!)




















This is right at the end, after crossing the mat. Check out the required "I am going to puke now face". It means I worked hard.




















These are pictures taken by my friend Sue! Thanks Sue! After the race I managed to find one of the advertised empty hotel rooms and wash up and change into my warm fleece pants!

Nr.1 male, Nr 2 female, me and Nr 2 male. Nr. 1 female who ran a 1:21 did not stay for the ceremony! Part of the prize was a 6 pack of beer, which made Chris's day (I don't like beer!).













Petru and Chris came to pick me up after the race. Petru had a hard time in the room bc "It stinks in here". Yup, not everyone got a chance to take a shower like mommy!

Hampton Half Marathon 2011 RR+PR

It was cold and super windy, flat with rolling hills!
I hear the course was pretty - I wouldn't know, all I saw was the butt of the person in front of me, luckily I had a lot of variety over the course of 13+ miles. Yes, I passed a lot of people!

Stats:
GARMIN: 13.29, 6:58 pace, HR: 184; 1:32: 42 (PR by 14 seconds)
OFFICIAL: 13.1, 7:04 pace, 1:32:43 3rd woman overall/850

Garmin splits:

Mile Pace HR
1 7:07 180
2 7:07 180
3 7:07 180
4 7:07 177
5 6:46 181
6 6:48 182
7 6:58 183
8 6:56 183
9 6:55 181
10 6:55 185
11 7:04 185
12 6:58 185
13 6:52 183
.29 5:23 186

So how did it go?
I ditched my race plan from the start. I felt strong, and I went for it from the beginning. I asked myself whether I could hold that effort for 13 miles and I felt like I could. I am glad I did not look at my HR, it was v high, as you can see (my resting HR is below 60 and my HR in a recent 5K was 182!), and had I known that, I would have slowed down. I feel I ran the race in fear, waiting to crash and burn. This winter I had a hard time doing long tempo runs and felt unprepared. However, it seems that my weekly races at Fresh Pond, on ice and snow, were enough to get me to run 8 sec/mile faster (Garmin comparison) than last year in March (my old PR).

I never crashed and burned, in fact, I feel I could have gone faster. The wind was certainly and issue (the cold never bothers me); more than that, it was scary to see a few miles of 6:4X so early on (mile 5), as that used to be my pace for 5 miles total at Fresh Pond, and I'd feel like death after. Next time I might not look at lap pace...

I can't think straight, I am super happy. This is a small PR by official results. However, my last PR was on a course that registered as an exact 13.11, while this one was 13.29. At this speed 8 sec/mile improvement in a race is huge! Most importantly, I do not feel trashed, and I know that in March I am going to start out a little faster, and hopefully do even better with better weather (no wind) on a more accurately measured course.

###
In ending, I want to thank Jenn for her support going into this race. Who needs a coach when you have someone who knows exactly what to say and when to say it?

"Yes-everyone is going to expect you to run fast because you DO run fast and you CAN run fast! I expect you will run QUITE fast but regardless of what the clock says, my opinion of you and my belief in your abilities would never change! Bloggers and friends are great accountability as long as one doesn't allow them to become stressors instead of encouragers. (I'm more speaking for myself here-you seem to have this together!) Have a great race, run for yourself-BALLS TO THE WALL!" J

Thanks Jenn!

Defining a good race

I have been thinking a lot this week about my past races, good and bad. I remember my first half marathon, running it on an injured hip, finishing with a facial expression that Chris read as "I am in the worst pain ever". After that, I remember running with friends and not pushing myself nearly enough. Then a breakthrough race where I actually suffered and ended up running a 1:46, slow by my current standards, but a PR by over 5 minutes at that point in time. It's been about 3 years since my first half marathon, and I have gotten so much faster. Sometimes I wonder if I am getting closer and closer to my physiological limit. Other times I wonder whether I should try to take baby steps with my training, rather than huge jumps, like I have been doing this training cycle. I have come to believe that the body needs time to adjust to a certain pace, a time that is longer than the typical 2-3 months training cycle. But most often I realize that I am not racing hard enough, early enough. I read an article today about pacing in a race. The author talked about how she starts out fast and then she just hangs out. She said that if she starts slower, than she settles into a pace that is slower than her actual ability. A pretty fast blogger I follow talks about how if at the half point of a race she does not feel like quitting, she is not running fast enough. Unless it is a 5K, I never get to that point, which makes me thing that I may be getting closer to my physiological limit, but not to my psychological limit, my true ability to suffer and hurt in a race.

I am going to try hard to have a good race on Sunday. Here is what are the elements that would allow me to feel like I had a good race:
1. Starting the race warmed up (1-2 slow miles).
2. Starting the first mile slower than HM PR, seeing how that feels, and taking it from there.
3. Hanging out with the hurt for at least 10 miles.
4. Hanging out with the real hurt from mile 10 to the finish.
5. Hanging out with pukie (sp?) not earlier than mile 10, but surely for mile 13.
6. Racing with an average HR over 175, more like 180 (I will not check HR during the race).
7. Not giving negative thoughts power, letting them flow by.

If I manage to do 1-7, I am going to be a happy camper regardless of the result. It's going to be 30 degrees and windy on Sunday, and we are running over 5 miles by the Ocean. I am pretty nervous for a half, but also excited to see what I can do.