Michelob 13.1

WOW has it been a while?? Philly seemed like so long ago! Since then, I’ve been training with a new coach and have set a new goal for a spring marathon. I haven’t chosen the race yet but will keep you posted. I am looking for a course I can hopefully BQ on (yes, that’s my new goal!). I ran Queens yesterday and of course there was a snow storm on the first day of spring, the night before the race. The race crew did an awesome job clearing the course but there was still some unavoidable slush and puddles. I finished 5th in my age group in 1:41:25, missing my goal time by 1:25 :( However, given the conditions, I am happy with my performance bc I still PRed! I plan to run the course again in April to redeem myself.

Do you see the snow in the background?!

This is a short post but I would LOVE to hear if anyone is also trying to BQ or has any tips on a BQ course???

Race Report: Philadelphia Marathon

I made it! It’s been a little over three weeks since the Philly Marathon. I finished in 3:50 and I’m pretty happy with that. I had very even splits which I’m also happy with. My “A” goal was 3:45 and my “B” goal was 3:50. Never a bad idea to have more than one goal. Things change on race day.

The course: Whoever tells you the Philly Marathon is flat is lying to you. Ok yes it’s mostly flat but there were definitely a few steady uphills that hurt around miles 10 and 20. The first half of the course goes through the city and its different neighborhoods. There are a ton of spectators. The second half is an out and back along the water. Not as many spectators but those who were out were awesome.

Phil paced me during the second half and I don’t think I would have met my goal otherwise. I never really hit a wall but was so tired by mile 20 that I knew I would have slowed down if he wasn’t keeping pace. I don’t regret anything that I did during the race and for the first time am proud of my performance. Go, red blood cells! I felt so different during this race than any other marathon.

I’m signed up for my first post-marathon race this Saturday, a local 10k. Can’t wait to start the next cycle!!

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Who ran a fall marathon?? How did it go??

Taper Time!!

Hello, strangers. It’s been so long that I am now tapering for the Philly Marathon, which is THIS Sunday!! I am sooo nervous but excited. Like I’ve said, this is my first marathon since my anemia and I have absolutely no idea how I am going to do. Some news to share with you all:

1) I got a new watch!!! Garmin Forerunner 620, courtesy of Phil for my birthday :) I really love it and it is much lighter than the Forerunner 610. It has the same touchscreen and is very easy to use. I was able to figure it out after my first run with it. It also calculates your cadence and vertical oscillation so you can check your running form – always a good thing!

2) I registered for an RRCA Coaching Certification course!! This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time so when they finally opened up courses for 2015, I immediately signed up. Once I am all certified and junk, I hope to start working with some newbie runners and get my coaching biz rolling ;) Any takers?!

Since I am now tapering, I want to share some things I’ve been doing this week:

• Trying to up my protein and carbs (this is never a problem). A lot of people make the mistake of ingesting a ton of carbs the day before. You should ideally start “carbo-loading” days before the marathon but don’t forget to increase your protein so your muscles can recover from all your hard work too and be fresh for race day!
• Drinking tons of water + electrolytes: Again, start a week before!
• Trying to foam roll everyday.
• No alcohol :(
• Sleeping early (again, not a problem for me)

Fingers crossed for PHILLY!!! Good luck to anyone else running!!

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Has anyone used a coach before? Anyone interested in coaching??

Any tips for Philly??

Another Half + One liners

Ok, no more halfs before Philly! I ran the Grete’s Great Gallop Half Marathon last weekend because I’ve been hearing that Philly has some Central Park-like hills. Since I haven’t been running in CP much lately, I thought this race would be a great training run. I ended up finishing (13.3) in 1:49, with steady pacing over the hills and negative splits. I was happy. I was also surprised that my time was better than the Queens Half, which was a pancake flat course. Based on recent race times, my coach also adjusted my goal marathon finish time. I will keep that time to myself until after the race, so I don’t jinx myself ;)

During hard runs/races I often find myself repeating the same one-liners and I also find myself giving the same advice to friends who are either training for a race or just starting to run. So I thought I’d share a few:

• Focus on the mile you are in: Do not worry about what your pace will be the next 3 miles. Do not think about how many miles are left. Just concentrate on getting through that mile. The rest will follow.
• Never judge a race by the first mile: You will either start out too fast or you will be slower than you anticipated. It’s okay. You have time to adjust…unless you are training for a 5k- then you should worry about the first mile ;)
• Slow down. This usually comes during the first half of a race. The adrenaline is pumping and you just want to go all out because you THINK you can sustain this pace. You are wrong. You will never regret those negative splits. Save your energy for the second half- that is when the race really starts.
• Where there’s an uphill, there’s a downhill: Hills can be our friends. Befriend them. Think of the downhill as your time to recover.
• Trust the training. You’ve put in the work and come this far. Now is not the time to stray. Let the training take over.

These never get old for me and I always find myself repeating them at least once during a race.

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Does anyone have a running mantra….that they’d like to share???

How is your fall training going?

Queens Half Marathon Recap

Sunday was the Queens Half Marathon! Like I said, I was a bit nervous because I had no idea how I would do but I finished the 13.34 mile course (yes, the course was actually longer and not just because I didn’t stick to the insides..) in 1:50:26.

The course: Two loops around the park/lake and a lot of turns, some pretty sharp. It rained the day before and water built up around the lake so there were a few detours. This actually made the course longer than 13.1 soo that means I actually finished around 1:49. The entire course was also pretty flat. Only a gain of about 65 ft.

Organization: Very well organized despite the detours. And a great post race spread too!

My pacing: I tried to stick to a consistent 8:30 for the first 8 miles then ramped it up to 8:20 and faster for miles 9, 10, and 11. I ended miles 12 and 13 around 7:30. I felt pretty good the entire time and definitely had energy left in me. I definitely think I could have picked up the pace a little earlier.

So far I’m pretty happy with my training. I’m really nervous about Philly but also super excited!! I hope to PR this marathon and maybe exceed my goal. Here’s to some hard training!

It’s FALL race season + Exciting News!

I am so very excited that fall is almost here. It is probably my favorite season of all because of the perfect running weather and also because the top marathons are all around this time!! I am running the Queens Half Marathon this Sunday and I am a bit nervous. It is the first longer distance race I am running since I was told I had basically zero red blood cells and had to inject iron into my blood, and I have absolutely NO idea how I am going to do. That is why I think I am going to just use this race to gauge my marathon training progress and just work from there.

Also, and most importantly, we need to take a minute today and remember and thank every single soul who sacrificed or lost their lives 13 years ago today. Not only should we remember but we must also be thankful for even the smallest things in our own life. There are days when I think back about how my runs became so physically exhausting from my anemia and I am just so thankful that I am better now and still able to run every day. I know it seems small, but it should be those small things we appreciate every day.

And some exciting news! I got a new job!! No, I did not quit my daytime lawyer job but I got a second job at a running store where I will be working one day a week. This should be exciting for ya’ll too because now I can tell you when I discover new running gear! I just thought it would be something fun to do and it will be good for me to surround myself with people who have the same interests as me. And maybe I will even get speedier!

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Has/does anyone work in a running store? Any advice for newbies??

What is your favorite season?

Races

In prep for the Philly Marathon on Nov. 23, I just scheduled my fall races and am super excited. Here they are:

Sept 14: Queens Half Marathon

Oct. 5: Grete’s Great Gallop Half Marathon

Oct. 18: Flushing Meadow 10k

Oct. 23: Hoboken 5k

Ideally you want to schedule a half marathon about 4-6 weeks before the full so you can sufficiently recover. A half marathon is also a good time to execute pacing and fueling strategies and to test out that new running outfit.  Remember, nothing new on race day! Schedule shorter distance races closer to the marathon to build strength and incorporate the last bits of speedwork into your training. Just be careful not to schedule anything too close to the race or you will not recover properly. 

I am getting excited for Philly and also am excited to watch the NYC Marathon coming up in a few weeks!

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Who is running a fall marathon this year? Tell me how your training is going!

Running and Traveling

I am back from my Alaskan cruise! Actually I’ve been back for over two weeks but have been busy with our new house and planning my next trip :D Ok, no excuses. I will do a separate post on Alaska but for now, I wanted to talk about running while on vacation/traveling. It is really one of my all-time favorite things to do and I think it really is the best way to see a new city and explore where you are. If you really love to run then I guarantee running in a new place will make you love running even more. One good thing about traveling with Phil is that he is the only person I know who will run with me during our travels and it is kind of important to me to be with someone who shares this love. Here are some tips for running while traveling:

1. Map out a route before you go: Do some research on where you will be staying and map out a running route, especially if you will be in an unfamiliar place. That way you won’t stress about where to run and you can also plan out how far you want to go.
2. Look for nearby trails or parks: This makes planning out your run easier because you will already have a paved route and I guarantee you will see locals running in these areas.
3. Research and contact local running clubs/stores. Often times, and especially in larger cities, local clubs and running stores will have scheduled group runs. This is a great way to meet locals and see the town.
4. Look for a race: Do some research and see if there is a race going on during the time you are in town.
5. Try to run with someone. If not, bring a phone. This will not only help if you get lost but in case you run into any sort of trouble.
6. Run an out and back. I usually plan a route that starts and ends at wherever I am staying. That way, you won’t have to worry about how you will get back to the hotel from your run. However, sometimes it’s fun to end your run at a local coffee shop or bakery too if it isn’t too far from your hotel.
7. Always bring your I.D. and cash. Just in case. On the same note, don’t run with too many valuables.
8. Be aware of your surroundings. Always be alert, especially in unfamiliar territory. Try not to run with earphones or run with the volume low.
9. ENJOY/EXPLORE where you are!! It is the best.

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Does anyone run on vacation/travel?

Where was your favorite place to run?

Share some tips!

Great News and Miami!

I have some great news.

NO STRESS FRACTURE!! I am so relieved. SO relieved that I ran every single day while I was in Miami over the weekend. In the flaming heat and humidity. On the sand. It was the best.

According to my doc, I have the beginnings of mild shin splints, which is what I thought but ALWAYS better safe than sorry. It is never, ever a good idea to run with a stress fracture. At least now I know that I can still run but I just have to take it easy for a little bit. Whew.

Other great news: I found a store that still had my Wave Rider 16s!!! I found a pair at RUN by Foot Locker. This is one store that I have never set foot in but pass on a regular basis. To be honest, I just didn’t think they would have a good selection of running shoes but I was wrong. They also have a very knowledgeable staff so I will definitely be going back there for my running shoe needs. I thought that the staff was more knowledgeable than these “specialty” running stores throughout the city. Good job, RUN.

Look at these beauties:

 

I have been to Miami too many times to count and am always excited to go back because of this ONE restaurant: Puerto Sagua. It is the best Cuban food in the city. If you go to Miami, you must try it. Reasonably priced, big portions, and yummy. Another amazing place to try is Yardbird. Hands down some of the best fried chicken. The place is super cute and everything we got was delicious. My faves were the fried chicken and waffles and the fried green tomatoes. Not a very healthy weekend ha!

Chicken n’ Waffles:

 

And now I am back to the daily grind- at least I can run!

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Anyone ever been to Miami? Favorite places to eat?

Who has had a stress fracture?

 

Another 5K

Are 5Ks my new favorite distance?!? Maybe but probably not. I still love putting my body through 23 mile runs in the grueling heat every summer so that I may put myself through 26.2 grueling miles every fall. The things we do for love. Sigh.

I podiumed in my second 5K race- 2nd place in my age group. I also PRed with a 22:29 (ish) – I forgot to stop my Garmin. I was hitting around 7:16s until mile 3. Then came a mini bridge and my pace slowed to around 7:30. Other than two mini bridges, the entire course was flat. I love flat races.

my plaque and messy hair/sweaty outfit.

3 reasons why I am starting to love 5Ks:

1. GREAT for speed work: If you are tired of running laps around the track, doing pick-ups/intervals every week, switch it up and just run 3 miles..fast.
2. Perfect way to gauge progress: Running a few 5Ks before a big race is a great way to see how your pace has improved. The distance is short enough to not interfere with longer runs/get injured but long enough to be challenging at a hard effort.
3. More races! There are wayyy more 5Ks than longer distance races. You can find a race almost every weekend and often during the week as well.

In other news, I went to the doctor for my posterior shin splints to make sure I don’t have a stress fracture. Even though I’m glad I raced that 5K, was probably not the best idea :( I will hear on Thursday.

Other other news/impt questions: Has anyone ran in the Brooks Glycerin 12s yet????