peak week

Last week I peaked at 50 miles. I realize for many this isn't all that much, but for me it was a huge step forward. I finally hit the big 5-0 and ran my highest mileage week ever. It felt great.

Here's how it went:

November 3-9

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 10 x 200 on, 200 off at 10k pace w/ 15 min warm up and 10 min cool down. I enjoy these types of workouts and felt really strong. All 200's were at or under 10k pace with the last one being the fastest. Total = 5.5 miles

my happy place

Wednesday: about 57 min easy. Total = 6 miles.

getting to be as many leaves on the ground as in the trees

Thursday: 4 x 2 miles @ MP with a 10 min warm up and cool down. I wasn't sure how this one would go, but to my surprise it went great! My paces looked like this: 8:50, 8:45...8:48, 8:53...8:34, 8:37...8:32, 8:26. The last 2 sets were faster than MP but I felt good so I went with it. I kept reminding myself to stay calm and picture myself running smoothly around the track. For some reason that helps me and this run was no exception. Total = 10.5 miles.

playing with the flowers in between mile repeats

Friday: about 57 min easy. Friday's are typically rest days for me, but I had to work Saturday and then had some friends visiting from NH. So I moved the run to Friday. Total = 6 miles.

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: 22 miles. This is the first time I've done 22 miles in a training cycle. My goal was to keep it slow and just get through the miles. That's what I did. For the most part I felt pretty good. My legs started to feel tired about half way through, but I wasn't surprised considering this was my highest mileage week. Thankfully I lucked out with a beautiful day, which made the miles that much better. I was beyond happy when I finished this one.

beautiful day to run 22 miles

this incline is so gradual it's hard to feel, but the elevation chart always makes me laugh...
and feel a little badass 

Total = 50 miles

With two weeks to go I'm feeling prepared and ready to run the marathon I know I'm capable of, which is my number one goal this time around. I've been thinking a lot about how I plan to attack this marathon mentally as I know that's my biggest obstacle.

And now we taper.

NYC + training last week

Cheering for all the incredible runners who ran the NYC marathon this past weekend was one of the most fun and inspiring experiences I've had recently. I made the trip with Stacey and we spent the weekend with Beth in her apartment (a huge THANK YOU to Beth for letting me spend this amazing weekend with her). I'm not sure I can capture the incredibleness of this weekend in words, so I'll try to do so with pictures. 

Let the good times begin...enjoying some wine on the train on the way down with Stacey.

We spent the first night ordering dinner, chatting about all things running, planning our route for our long runs Saturday morning, and enjoying some wine in Beth's apartment. Saturday morning we got up early to run. I had 20miles to get through before noon when we planned to go to the Oiselle team meet up. It was so fun seeing some familiar faces, and finally meeting so many fellow birds. 

I loved running around central park

Beth, myself, and Stacey at the start of 20 miles

I got to see the infamous Little Red Lighthouse

Oiselle meet up
So many fabulous women in 1 room

After the meet up, we went and checked out the expo for a bit, and then finally made out way back to Beth's to order dinner, enjoy some more wine, and put our feet up in preparation for some serious marathon cheering the next morning. 

We woke up Sunday bright and early to squeeze in a recovery run before breaking out our cowbells.

love these ladies

yay running!

After our run we made our way over to 100th and 1st to cheer for everyone running the marathon.

lead pack of men

heading to the next spot to cheer

Enjoying central park one last time before catching the train back to Boston.

I had so much fun cheering and ringing a cowbell until my arm hurt. Experiencing the NYC Marathon as a spectator was amazing. Seeing everyone who ran in the incredibly windy and cold weather was inspiring. I definitely feel the fire burning a lot stronger after this weekend for the Philadelphia Marathon. With three weeks to go I'm feeling pretty confident that I'll be prepared to do my best. Training last week went really well and it was capped off with a great weekend of running in New York.

October 27 - November 2

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 2 sets of 1000 @ MP, 800 @ HMP, 600 @ 5k pace, 400 @ mile pace w/ 3 min jog recovery between everything plus 15 min warm up and cool down - 7.2 miles total. I felt pretty good throughout the whole work out. I hit all my paces except 5k. For some reason I tend to struggle to hit that pace. But otherwise I felt strong.

Wednesday: about 58 min easy - 6 miles. Easy recovery run. 

Thursday: 70 minutes on hilly terrain - 7.2 miles. 

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 4 miles easy, 4 @ MP (8:48, 8:52, 8:46, 8:51), 5 miles easy, 3 miles @ HMP (8:03, 8:03, 8:03), 4 miles easy - 20 miles total in NYC. I was super nervous for this run and about hitting the half marathon paces from miles 13-16. I was beyond happy when I finished it exactly where I wanted to be. I am also so grateful for the ladies who helped me get through this one. I couldn't have done it without them.  

loved having the opportunity to run around NYC

Sunday: 5 miles easy along the Hudson River 

Total Mileage: 45.5 

I can't believe there's only 3 weeks of training left until the marathon. I'm feeling more ready after this weekend and inspired by all the runners who finished the NYC Marathon. Here's to an amazing weekend and another great week of running! 

thanks for a great weekend, New York

 

  

four weeks to Philly

Four more weeks until I will be running around the streets of Philadelphia. This is both exciting and terrifying. While I don't feel ready yet...I do think I will be with a few more weeks of miles under my legs and Hokas. I finished this week at 47.4 miles total. While I'm not 100% sure, I am pretty confident that is my highest mileage week ever. It definitely is the highest of this training cycle. I felt pretty good all week with the exception of Saturday's long run. I managed to catch a pretty good cold at the end of last week, just in time for a planned 20 mile run. Other than that small set back, I had a really great week of training. I'm hoping more miles will equal more confidence come race day.

sometimes you just have to stop and take a picture
of the leaves and your matching hokas

I haven't been posting a whole lot about my training lately, but I thought with four weeks left to go, I'd post a recap of each week leading up to the Marathon. So, here we go:

October 20-26

Monday: OFF

Tuesday: 10 x 1 min on, 1 min off @ 10k pace with 15 min warm up and cool down - 5.4 miles total. I always like this workout. I did all 10 slightly faster than 10k pace.

Wednesday: 40-50 min easy on the schedule. I ran 56 min easy for a total of 6 miles. My coach told me if I feel good on these easy days that I can go a little longer than what's on the schedule. I've been trying to do this whenever I feel up for it.

Thursday: 8 x mile @ MP with 1 min rest - 11 miles total with warm up and cool down. I was a little unsure of how this one would go. I had to work early that day (5:30am-2), which meant I'd have to run after work. Running after work is not something I enjoy, and typically feels pretty sluggish. It was also rainy and super windy that day. I told myself I have no idea what the weather could be like on race day, and if I got through this workout in unfavorable conditions, it would only help me if the weather on November 23 isn't the best. I've also been feeling like I've had a bit of a mental block or something during marathon pace workouts. They always feel harder than I feel they should, and I'm usually left questioning myself and my ability. I've been doing some longer track workouts this cycle at MP, which have been going really well. I told myself if I could do 1200's I was capable of doing these mile repeats (just one more time around the track is how I mentally prepped myself). In addition to everything mentioned above, Thursday was when I started feeling my cold coming on. I planned to start slow with my warmup and see how I felt. I knew I could stop at any point, and I would if need be, but I wanted to give it a try. After a lot of mental prep, I slowly ran out to one of my favorite places to run, Horn Pond, and started my workout. I felt amazing. Every mile felt better than the last. Even as the wind and rain continued to soak me from head to toe, I was so happy to be out there, killing this workout. Huge confidence boost after that one.

one of the trails at Horn Pond...it never disappoints

Friday: OFF - Friday's are typically rest days for me, but I was especially happy for this rest day because I woke up feeling pretty sick and run down. I stayed home from work and spent the day on the couch.

sick day on the couch made better by the delivery
of these amazing moto lesley tights 

Saturday: I wanted to do my long run on Saturday because we were going to a wedding in NH Saturday night. I knew a long run on Sunday would be out of the question. I got up at 5:30 to try and get through 20 miles before we needed to leave. I hardly slept that night for some reason and woke up sneezing and sniffling like crazy. I took some DayQuil and prepped like I normally would for a long run. I figured I'd give it a try and if I wasn't feeling it, I'd cut it short. The first few miles felt tough, but then I got in to a bit of a groove around miles 6-12. Then suddenly at mile 12 I knew 20 would be a stretch that day. I slowed my pace way down and got through 18. I was disappointed I didn't make it to 20, but my body forced me to listen.

Sunday: 40-45 min easy on the schedule. Thankfully I felt much better today, though surprising considering I danced the night away Saturday night at the wedding. I wanted to run a few extra miles to make up for what I couldn't do Saturday, so I would still end the week around 47 miles. I felt a little tired, but generally good. I kept the pace slow and enjoyed a beautiful fall day in New England.

Right now I'm feeling ready to go in to the next 4 weeks. I'm excited to get another shot at a 20 mile run next weekend (IN NEW YORK!) and 22 miles (YIKES) the following weekend. I feel like I'll be more prepared for this marathon and I'm loving the training process. I really feel like some good things are to come.

Sunday funday beautiful rainbow

next stop...PHILLY!

After a not so great first half of the year racing, the second half has been a big improvement and a big confidence boost. I've ran a couple PR's, most recently at the Smuttynose Half Marathon, and training has been steadily improving. All good things! Now I've just got to keep this train moving forward for 6 more weeks and I'm golden. If only it were that simple.

flying high at the Smuttynose Half

I've decided not to race anymore between now and November 23. I feel like this will allow me to really focus on my training and make sure I get enough long runs in as well as ample recovery time. This is something I didn't do for Newport RI or Vermont City. I'm hoping it will help me feel more rested, prepared, and ready to fly come race day. 

Why Philly? 

I've been asked this question a few times recently. When Vermont City didn't go so well, I initially thought I would take some time off from running marathons. I scared myself when I finished overheated, dehydrated, and landed myself in the medical tent. However, it's amazing how just a few days rest can get you thinking about the next one. 

My first thought was that I would run something new, but close to home. I thought about running the Baystate Marathon, which is known for being flat and fast. It sounded like a good idea. But the more I thought about it, the less excited I became. I felt like I wanted something a little later in the year (Baystate is actually this weekend, October 19). The slight possibility of a warm day in October was enough to steer me away. I couldn't handle another unexpectedly warm weekend like VT. I also felt like I wanted a little extra time in between marathons to feel more mentally prepared. 

During the time I was trying to decide what to do, I saw some chatter on twitter from a few Oiselle teammates who were running the Philadelphia Marathon or Half Marathon. This got me thinking. I've been wanting to travel for a race, and while Philly isn't too far from Boston, it would require me getting on a plane...or getting comfy in a car for many hours. I would have the opportunity to race with, meet, and spend time with some birds I've met IRL, and others I've only "met" through social media. I quickly became very excited about the possibility. I reached out to Danielle, who was one of my amazing Ragnar teammates back in May, and who also happens to live in Philadelphia. So Danielle, when you said I was welcome to come visit anytime, you really meant that, right? Ok good. After a few emails back and forth, and the reassurance that Philly was Danielle's favorite marathon, I clicked register and started searching the internet for flights. I was fired up and ready to tackle the marathon once again.

Carolyn, myself, and Danielle...can't wait to be reunited with these ladies next month

The next few weeks of training look pretty intense, complete with two 20 mile runs, and a 22 miler. I was admittedly terrified when I first saw that. After some time to digest and think about it, I'm more excited than terrified, and I know I will be much more prepared this time around. I'm coming for you, Philly! 

Have you ran the Philadelphia Marathon? What was your experience like?

Smuttynose Rockfest Half Recap and a new PR

I didn't think I would write this post tonight, but as I sit here waiting for the Patriots to start while the bf is asleep on the couch, I can't help but continue to relive my race at the Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon this morning. I am too damn happy.

Let me rewind a bit. I set a pretty lofty goal at the beginning of the year to PR in every race distance I ran in 2014. I knew it was a possible goal, but a big one. I also knew when I set that goal that my half marathon PR would be one of the toughest to break. My current PR (at the beginning of the year) had been set in May of 2013 at Boston Run to Remember. I had tried to surpass that number of 1:46:48 multiple times, with no luck. Just as it's larger counterpart (the marathon) the half can be a tricky one. However, I knew I had it in me. I knew I was capable. I knew I could do it.

Today started as every other race morning does. I had to drive about an hour to get to the starting line. I played some music loudly in my car to get pumped up, and of course had to make a bathroom pit stop on the way. When I got to Hampton I met up with my friends who were also running, warmed up in their car, waited in line for the bathroom, and eventually headed to the starting line.

My friend Lori was running the race and we briefly talked ahead of time about starting in the first wave of people who hoped to finish under 1:50. She had never finished a half under 1:50 and that was her big goal. I was secretly hoping to PR, but would have been happy with a sub 1:50 finish. We found each other at the start, she nervously chatted while we waited for the green light, and I listened while trying to keep warm. It was cold in the shade and the wind. Maybe 45 degrees. My legs and hands got pretty cold while waiting. I tried to keep them warm, but it was tough. Before I knew it it was time to go and we were running.

beautiful morning for a race

I thought maybe I should start a little slower than my planned pace of 8:10 to get my legs warmed up because of the cold.  However, as I started running a bit I felt ok and decided to go with whatever pace felt manageable, no matter what it may be. I think the first mile beeped right at 8:10. OK. I'm ok, I thought. Lori and I were running very close together and it was helpful to have her in my sight.

When I ran Boston 13.1  a couple weeks ago I felt amazing through the first 10 miles. I was riding a high and felt like nothing could stop me. I believed I could PR. Then mile 10 hit and I crashed. Hard. Today I didn't feel that same high, I didn't ever feel like I could run forever. I knew I would have to fight for it, but I was ready.

As the miles went on I managed to run at a consistent pace... 8:00, 7:59, 7:59. 7:58, 8:00... I felt strong, but it didn't feel easy. I made mini goals for myself. I pushed. Lori was a step ahead of me most of the time but it kept me fighting and motivated to stay with her. The first 10 miles went by relatively quickly and then mile 10 hit like a brick wall...again. I kept trying to do the math in my head of where I was and how fast I had to run to finish under 1:46:48. It kept me motivated knowing I was well within reach.

Mile 11-12 felt the longest and most painful. I tried to embrace the pain and not fight it. I knew if I slowed down and gave up I'd regret it. I kept pushing. Once I hit mile 12 I knew I could do it if I could just hold on. I kept wishing to see the finish line, and when I did I had just enough left in the tank to pick up my pace. I crossed that finish line at 1:45:27. I almost couldn't believe it.

PR's all around

This race is extra special because not only was it a physical PR, it was a mental PR as well. I still have a lot of work to do in the last couple miles, but overall I was mentally stronger in this race because it physically felt more difficult. I could have, and wanted to at some points, slow down and give in but I didn't. I fought hard for that race, which gives me a lot of confidence going forward.

Boston 13.1

This morning I ran the Michelob Ultra Boston 13.1. I had kept pretty quiet about this race leading up to it for a couple of reasons. One being that I've been caught up in marathon training, so this race wasn't a main focus. Another being the fact that the last time I ran a half marathon was in February and it was an absolute disaster. Of course I wanted the chance to redeem myself, but I couldn't help but feel a little bit of fear that it would happen again. The final reason was because I knew I wanted to do well...but I was afraid to put it out there. I was afraid of announcing my goals, only to come away defeated again. I know, I know...I shouldn't think that way...confidence and believing in my abilities and myself is something I'm still working on (more on that later in the post). So, I quietly went in to this race with only myself knowing my A, B, and C goals. 

This morning started as every race morning does. Alarm set early, breakfast, coffee, Nuun, too many trips to the bathroom, bags packed, water bottles filled, Oiselle singlet on, Hokas laced up, out the door and on my way. The race was in Revere, MA, which is only about 20 min from my house. I got there about 45 min before the 8:15 start. Plenty of time to get my bib, and make a couple trips to the porta potties. 

Jill and I pre race!

We lined up just before it was time to go and right at 8:15 we were off. The weather was perfect, 50's and no humidity. The sun was out, which kept me warm, but a strong wind every few miles kept me from getting too hot. I had never been to the area in Revere where the race was, so I enjoyed seeing a new part of town and really tried to soak it all in. We started out twisting and turning around some neighborhoods, and then did a small loop around Belle Isle Marsh Reservation. To my surprise, this area wasn't paved. It was a fairly narrow, but groomed path. I had to weave my way around some other runners by running on the grass. The area was beautiful though, and a welcome change to the typical pavement miles.

After going through the marsh, we ran back through some neighborhoods, and made our way over to the beach. We ran close to 6 miles on Revere Beach Blvd. Out one direction, turned around, back the other direction, and then turned around again before making our way towards the finish. It may sound a little repetitive, and maybe it was to some, but I loved it. I love the beach, and I love running along the beach. Since we did a couple of out and backs, I got to see the leaders twice, along with many other people...twice. I find it a great distraction being able to watch the other runners, as well as a huge motivation to see the leaders in front of me. 

confusing course map

I felt great for the first 10 miles. Great. Better than I have in a while. I felt strong, confident, and actually believed I had a PR in me today. And then came mile 10 and slapped me in the face. I struggled to hold on. I knew if I could hold on to my pace I would PR, or be pretty damn close to it. I couldn't hold on. When I realized I wasn't going to get my A goal, I switched focus to my B goal, which was still well within reach. I couldn't let that one slip away. I walked through a couple of water stops, sipped some Gatorade and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. I had slowed down considerably. When I saw the finish I tried to push harder, with little effect. I finished my 12th half marathon at 1:49:05 on empty. I reached my B goal of finishing under 1:50 for the 4th time. I finished happy. Happy to erase the memory of February's struggle. Happy to feel like I'm making forward progress.        

pretty cool bib complete with the Zakim Bridge

A few side notes:

This course was FLAT. I loved it.

this is what it looks like on the website...

and this is what it looked like on my Garmin...definitely one of the flattest I've done...
I think I like it here

Splits. It's pretty clear how I was feeling in the last 3 miles. Not good. Something I still REALLY need to work on. I must stop dying at the end.

Well this says 1:49:02, my official time said 1:49:05...
either way, the last 3 miles are sad. Need to fix that. 

And lastly... I mentioned above that confidence in myself, and well self-love really, is something I am currently working on. I've been using some positive affirmations to help me on this journey. Last week's was "I am capable" and this week's was "each step is taking me where I want to be." I said both of these to myself at many points throughout the race to keep my head in the right place. I also decided in the early miles of this race that it was going to be kind of a competition between myself, the person full of doubt, full of self-consciousness, full of disbelief...and well, myself...the person who believes I am capable, confident in myself and my abilities, and the person who loves who I am. Cheesy? Maybe. I don't care. It worked. The right person won this race and I'm already looking forward to my next half October, 5. Another chance to prove I AM capable and I AM taking steps that will get me to where I want to be. 

floating on a runner's high

This weekend was one that every runner needs every now and then to remind us why we love running. To remind us why we wake up at the crack of dawn to squeeze in a run most days of the week. To remind us why we continue to push ourselves through the good days and the bad to reach goals that sometimes seem insurmountable. Weekends like this one make it all feel worth it. Weekends like this one leave me flying high and ready for more. 

My weekend actually started on Friday this week. I worked on Monday, Labor Day, in hopes of taking Friday off so the bf and I could spend the day together (he worked Monday too). I wanted to do some exploring and find an outside adventure we could enjoy. In my search of "things to do on a hot day in Boston" I found a beach that was about 20 min away from us, in South Boston. We hadn't been to the beach this year yet, so I guess the first weekend in September was as good of time as any! We packed our bags and a cooler and headed to Carson Beach. It was an absolutely perfect beach day, 90 degrees, sunny, a slight breeze, and not crowded at all. I was a pig in shit. 

watching the planes...you'd never know you were right outside the city

Saturday morning I had plans to run with Kristin. Kristin and I met first through social media, and only recently realized we live just a few miles from each other. She's an amazing runner, newly crowned IM finisher, and a super sweet person. Maybe someday I'll actually be able to keep up with her! We met at Minuteman Park, which is this beautiful area of trails that start in Lexington. This was the first time I had been there, and as Kristin warned, it may just be one of my new favorite places to run. I had 50 minutes easy on the schedule, so we went out for about 25 minutes, then turned around and came back. The trails were wide and mostly groomed, the scenery was beautiful, and on an incredibly hot and humid day, the trees offered some welcomed shade. I ran hard trying to keep up with Kristin, but felt pretty good overall considering the hot and humid conditions. Not quite sure what I would do without my running friends.

Post run, super sweaty and smiling...totally unplanned twinning.

This morning's agenda included a 16-17 mile run, split between the beginning miles with Stephanie and the final 6 miles with some of my fabulous Oiselle teammates who also live in MA (some of us had met before, most of us had not). Stephanie ran over to meet me on the bike path in Lexington. We ran 3.5 miles out and back one way, and then another 1.5 miles in the other direction before I had to turn around to make it back in time to meet the Oiselle birdies at 8:30. By the time I met them I had already completed about 10.3 miles. I was surprised by how good I felt and was very ready to continue on with these incredible runners. We continued down the bike path, 3 miles out and back, sharing stories, and getting to know one another better. I finished the day at 16.34 miles, my longest run of this training cycle, and feeling great. After our run, we planned to have brunch at a place called Lexx. We had delicious food, bloody mary's, and mimosas and continued to talk like we've known each other for years. It was perfect. 

follow the spike bags
photo credit: Amanda

birds at brunch

Now, as I sit here on my couch, watching the Patriots and reflecting on this weekend, I can't help but smile. I am so grateful for the friends and teammates I have made through running. I am grateful for their support and encouragement, and how they pick me up when I am down and questioning my abilities. I am grateful for all of them, all over the country. I am grateful for this weekend.