Athens Half Marathon: Final Countdown

My first "A" race of the year - the Athens Half Marathon - is a mere four days away. I think I'm in a state of denial or, maybe, ignorance with all that has gone in the past week that it will actually happen. Either way, I feel so separated from the quality training I've put in that a hard-earned time seems almost out of reach.

And then I ran today.


I had 3 miles, with 2 at race pace, on tap, and I set myself up for success {insert sarcasm font}by deciding last night that I would take advantage of warming weather, sleeping in and taking Miles in the BOB. Stroller running is tough - period. Running a race pace workout is tough - period. Together, well, it was sure to be interesting.

As it turns out, interesting was a surprise run that felt hard but not as hard as it should have for the splits on my GPS: 9:07, 8:37, 8:30, 2:13 for 0.25-mile (8:54 pace).

Admittedly, I was pushing the pace out of fear, fear that I wouldn't nail the range I had in my mind for the race pace miles - 8:45-8:50 - but I didn't feel dead. I didn't feel defeated. I didn't feel like goals were out of reach. I had a bit of "help" with a couple stops, meeting requests for suckers, tying shoes and following traffic laws. But still, I was faster than goal pace and pushing 23 pounds of stroller + 28 pounds of toddler.

Does it mean that I'll smoke the course on Sunday? No. Of course not. It's the work I've done that will give me the edge then - and the work is what gave it to me today.

Training, in summary:

Plan: "Train Like a Mother" Half Marathon: Own It plan

Miles logged (thus far): 271.86

Farthest run: 14.6 miles, at 9:22 pace, on March 23 (three weeks out from race)

Fastest run: 8:34 pace for 5.75 miles (total time 49:16) on March 12. The workout was 2 x (1-2-3-2-1) intervals with 2 minutes recovery and 5-minute recovery between sets.

Most challenging run: Recently, it was my failed intervals on Friday but I think my long run on March 2 takes the cake. There was 4 inches of fresh snow, and I just could not get into it. I would have called it quits after 2 miles if I hadn't been with Joe. We manged 8.1 miles in 1:30:57, an 11:14 pace.

Shoes: I've been rotating between a pair of Brooks Ravenna 4 and Altra Provisioness 1. Both have less than 200 miles on them, and I'll be wearing Brooks on race day.

Fuel used: Rough estimate - 24 Gus (Salted Caramel and Chocolate Outrage) and 3,421 tubes of Nuun (currently using Nuun Energy Wild Berry - so good)

Biggest hurdle: No doubt, it was the weather. While I was able to stick to the weekday runs in my plan, thanks to the treadmill, I did not fulfill the long runs. Indiana was covered in snow and ice for the entirety of three months - no joke - and it made going far very challenging, if not impossible.

Greatest success: Toughing out the quality workouts. This cycle is the first time in a long time when I've put in some hard miles week after week. Even when I felt sluggish or tired, I made myself attempt the workout and only twice did I not make it through.

Goal working toward: A strong half, hopefully beating my post-baby PR of 1:58:56 at Fort4Fitness last year and coming as close to my life PR of 1:54:12 (from F4F 2010) as I can.

2013, in running

2013 was the year to Make Shit Happen - in my life but in my running as well. And while I didn't smash any PRs or take on a new distance, I did fulfill a dream to run Hood to Coast with Team Nuun and finish a few races where, literally, shit happened.

So, I'm linking up with Miss Zippy to share my year on the road.

Best race experience. I think every runner has an event that will make the calendar every year - regardless of life or fitness - and, for me, it's Fort4Fitness. It's a well-organized event that unites and motivates the community, and it's the one to see and be seen. This year, it kept its place as the only course where I have broken two hours in the half and I did so by staying mentally strong. Crossing the finish line with a the number 1 at the front of the race clock and with my newfound friends in the pace group behind me was so satisfying.

Best run. The training, the runs - they all seem to blur together as the miles pass. However, I feel grateful that this was the year that I connected with my local running community and logged some miles in a group. The 8-miler I had the week before Veterans where G pushed me at a strong pace was confidence boosting, and my most recent 8 with J was reinvigorating. They were both outings where I felt glad to be a runner.

Best new piece of gear. I made big changes this year in terms of shoes. I ditched the Nike Structure Triax for the Brooks Ravenna in April, and I'm now flirting with the Altra Provisioness 1.5. I'm really loving the Altra - from the airy feel to the speed it inspires. The wide toebox is good for me as I often get black toenails, and I do feel like it is changing my gait for the good.

Runners up: Anything by Oiselle. I raced Fort4Fitness in the Flyte tank, and it's long and lean. I scored a Lux Layer for Hood to Coast and it's by far my favorite winter running shirt. It's soft on the inside, a gorgeous color and very flattering.

Best piece of running advice. Finishing is winning, courtesy of an Another Mother Runner T-shirt.

Most inspirational runner. Everyone who runs inspires me but I was particularly impressed and awe-struck by Kim. She was smart and steady about running through her pregnancy and was logging miles past her due date thanks to a stubborn and gorgeous girl. It's been so long since I've been pregnant that I almost fear if it happens again that the prospect of running pregnant would be daunting. Kim and a few others (Jess + Liz) made it a reality again. The pregnancy, though, is not. Just to be clear.

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be? Abundant. I raced much more than I anticipated and in places I could only dream. I tackled a second marathon when I didn't think I would, and I found people to carry me through the training and the race. It wasn't the year I planned but I couldn't ask for more.

How would you describe your year?

Friday love: Lately

Let me stop you before you roll your eyes and click through: This post will not be a front for a gratuitous wish list/running gift idea post. There are enough of those and mine would include just one thing: a Garmin Forerunner 220.

Now, onto things that I love. Or like a lot. Maybe even things I like a little bit.

The great outdoors

According to last year's running spreadsheet, I first succumb to the temptation of the treadmill on Nov. 15 and was using it about once a week through the rest of the year. While I have hopped on the 'mill to walk as I watched TV at night, I have yet to run a single step on it. I tried, once, and decided that I'm going to do my best to keep outside. I picked up a new pair of tights during the local running shop's Black Friday sale (Mizuno Breath Thermo Layered Tight) to keep me motivated. And, of course, Indiana was blessed with unseasonable weather this week and I was out in shorts twice.

Altra Zero Drop Shoes

I entered a Facebook giveaway for a pair of Altras on the IFIT LIVE page on a whim and, as luck would have it, I won. I selected the Provisioness 1.5 as its a stability shoe, ordering a half-size up as advised. The shoes are cute but definitely different, and I had no idea what it would feel like to run in them. As it turns out? It feels freaking fast to run in them. The first time I wore them was for a short family run where Mark and I ended up making a mad dash to beat the rain since Miles was in the stroller. Average pace, a week post-marathon: Sub-9. I've continued to rock some of my fastest runs in too long in these shoes, and I have successfully added them into the rotation after a break-in period. (As these are zero drop and encourage mid-foot strike, it's advised to ease into them as the body needs time to adjust.)

My Brooks Ravennas are close to the end, and I'm now faced with going Altra all the time or keeping a more traditional shoe for backup. If only I had taken the bait with Altra's Black Friday sales ...

Strawberry Lemonade Nuun

Strawberry Lemonade was the first flavor of Nuun I ever had, and it was hate at first taste. I couldn't water it down enough to choke it down. Even as I've grown to love and embrace the product, including some of the less favored flavors, I had yet to revisit good ole SL. Well, the other week when Nuun was having a promo for a free pint glass, I decided it was time to try it again. And, as the title of this post would indicate, I love it. I've been drinking it A LOT at work because sitting at my desk is, obviously, an endurance sport.

By the way, if you order this week you can score a free trucker hat with a $30 purchase. The hat is slightly less cute than the one I wore repeatedly over Hood to Coast weekend but it's close.

The holiday season

Sing it with me. You know you want to ...

I have a tendency to be a giant grouch during any big holiday as they weren't always the best of times growing up. However, I'm having a total blast this year as Miles is getting to an age where he can enjoy it. He loves Christmas trees and Santa Claus, and I've read "It's Christmas, David" a million times.

Note: That book is the best ever - David runs around sans clothes and pees in the snow. Chock full of lessons for little boys.

Really kicking off things, though, was a visit from St. Nicholas last night. St. Nick always visited in our German Catholic house growing up, and I love sharing those traditions.

Even if it means M&Ms for breakfast.

What are you loving lately?