Carmel Marathon Training {Week 7}

"Neither rain, nor snow, nor sniffle, nor fever shall keep me from my training schedule." 

I couldn't have written that line from a Runner's World article better myself (which is why I didn't).

Halfway into a "race it" training plan for the Carmel half marathon, I was facing what might have been my toughest week yet. It wasn't the workouts on tap nor challenging weather conditions. Oh, no. Snow and wind – I laugh in your face ... and then run on the treadmill.

Rather, it was lack of sleep due to a sick baby and my own bout of illness. It started with some pressure in my sinuses. And then my nose started to drip. Congestion began to set in and then came the cough. Oh, the cough. It was persistent and dry, reminiscent of a long-time heavy smoker who moonlights as a adult phone operator.

I could have, understandably, phoned it in last week but the whole sick baby thing left me yearning to run more than ever.

So I consulted Dr. Google and Runner's World, finding solace in the "neck" rule – if symptoms are north, you are clear to go. South of the neck? Well, dose up and stay in bed.

This view is supported by research done at Ball State University by Tom Weidner, Ph.D., director of athletic training research. In one study, Weidner took two groups of 30 runners each and inoculated them with the common cold. One group ran 30 to 40 minutes every day for a week. The other group was sedentary. According to Weidner, "the two groups didn't differ in the length or severity of their colds." In another study, he found that running with a cold didn't compromise performance. He concluded that running with a head cold--as long as you don't push beyond accustomed workouts--is beneficial in maintaining fitness and psychological well-being. {Source}

As my symptoms were all in my head, literally, I kept up with my training – if only for my psychological well-being.

Highlight: A surprisingly speedy run on Friday with my BRF. It was a great run for so many reasons but a sub-9 pace after a night of coughing was a great boost.

Lowlight: My long run was a challenge from start to finish. I was heading out solo on a long run for the first time in ages; Mark and I were not on good terms when I left; and I had some mighty headwinds. My plan called for 14 miles with 5 at goal pace, and I was ready to quit after the first 6. (I ran three loops – 6 miles, 5 miles and 3 miles.) I managed to keep going but I had a really hard time hitting the faster pace. The goal miles were between 8:43 and 9:01, and I thought I'd be closer to 8:40 for all. But oh well. It's crossed off the schedule, and I can take pride in that.

The week, in running:

Tuesday: 3 miles
Wednesday: 5 miles, with 3 at tempo
Friday: 5 miles
Saturday: 14 miles, with 5 at goal pace
Sunday: 6 miles, negative split

Carmel Half Marathon Training {Week 5}

Welp, it arrived – that blasted thing called winter.

After a relatively mild winter and running in shorts the last weekend of January, northeast Indiana was hit with a rather ferocious cold front. We had single digit temperatures (and negative windchills) in the morning and just enough snow to frost over and make footing on pavement rather precarious.

While I'd really like to whine about it, I can't. Our instances of spotty weather pale in comparison to the unseasonable conditions we have had.

Case in point: I was sent a pair of YakTrax to review last year for the blog. I had hoped to use them but we had more ice than snow and many days with bitter cold (we're talking windchills of -30). Factor in my pregnancy, and it just didn't seem prudent to use them. But I was going to redeem myself this year, dang it.

Except I haven't. Why? We haven't had enough snow to warrant getting them out. In fact, I'm fairly certain that my family in Cincinnati, 160 miles south, has had more accumulation than us.

But, this past week, I found myself finally pulling on my big girl tights and braving the elements for my weekend runs. I did head indoors to make use of the treadmill at the Y but running intervals in the cold and on slick pavement seemed dumb.

Week's highlights: Setting a PR in the 5K and getting to celebrate with my BRF; finishing my interval strong; and keeping a respectable pace for my long run when my legs were tired.

Week's lowlight: Letting mind games get the best of me on Saturday; fueling poorly Sunday because of the weather

The week, in running:

Monday: 5.1 miles, easy
Thursday: 5 miles, intervals
Saturday: Cupid's Chocolate 5K + 2.1-mile warmup
Sunday: 10.2 miles, LSD

Carmel Half Marathon Training {Week 4}

I am going to let you in on a secret – one that might surprise you.

I don't want to PR the half marathon.

It sounds weird, right? Many times we go into a training cycle with the hope of getting stronger, faster and nailing a certain time. I want to do those things, of course. I want to get stronger. I want to get faster. And, when I toe the line in Carmel on April 16, I want a certain time. I want to run 1:59.

My PR, though, is 1:54:12. I ran that time 5.5 years ago and came within 1:30 of it in September 2014, when I was 12 weeks pregnant with Si. It was hard work to get that fast (relatively) – I ran 30+ miles a week, my log full of long tempos and intervals. I felt pushed to the limit and like I was breaking barriers. I set PRs in the 5K and 10K that helped me believe a half marathon best was possible. It was a type of training that I was ready for, and it was the only way I could tackle it.

Now, life with two kids, I'm not ready for that and as such, I haven't expected super great things with my running. I've been plugging away albeit picking up a challenge here and there along the way. So color me surprised when I crossed the mats at a local, low-key 5K on Saturday in a time of 25:17 – two seconds off my PR.

Later that night, Mark told me that I was definitely going to PR in Carmel. I wanted to shrug him off but part of me wondered if it would be wrong to call him a nut job and ignore him.

The race was part of a long run sandwich – log miles before the start, run the race and then keep going until you hit your mileage goal. The plan called for 12 miles with the mid-4 at race pace (9:00-9:09), making the long run sandwich an ideal option.

The first 5 miles went great. I ran with the girls for four, hitting about 10 minutes/mile for the first three and then picking it up to 8:50 for miles 4 and 5. I felt good and loose by the time I hit the start and told myself that I just had to run two more fast miles and then I could jog it into the finish. My running partner, Karen, was also participating and thought she'd like to be around 8:30 pace for the race. I figured that I'd keep her in my sights and chug away.

Which is what I did. Except, she ran more like 8:05 and I averaged 8:09 (officially).

I'm not going to give you a blow-by-blow of the race – don't even think I could if I wanted to – but a few notes. It was hard, and I definitely was working. However, I know that there were 3 seconds that could have easily been shaved. The park is known for its hills, and I nearly called "trail hill" on the second go-around. It was windy, and I definitely tried to draft off some of the high school guys who weren't keen on letting me pass them any way.

The course, two loops at a local park, and I know I finished the first lap in less than 12:30. According to my Soleus, my splits were actually pretty consistent between 7:55 and 8:05. But as with most GPS devices, it had me finishing the 5K distance in 24:4X and finishing the race around 3.2 miles. To break 25 in the 5K is a definite goal for the year, and it was rad to think I'm close.

I'm not getting ahead of myself, mind you. I'm going to continue training for Carmel as I have. Goal pace will be 9:00 to 9:09 and training paces will be based on that. But, I'm not going to hold myself back either.

The week, in running:

Tuesday: 5.2 miles, tempo
Thursday: 5.1 miles, hilly
Friday: 5 miles
Saturday: 12 miles total

Carmel Half Marathon Training: Week 3

When life gives you ice, make ice cream. And when the universe delivers unseasonable temps, you get your ass of the treadmill and run outside. But when life gives you unseasonable temps and a bit of overnight freeze ... you do what you do an improvise.

BRF Tami and I had scheduled a run date for Friday morning and being the awesome person that I am {please note the sarcasm}, I had agreed to tackle her hill workout. The goal was to spend 15 to 20 minutes of the workout climbing a hill for 30 to 35 seconds before jogging back down and doing it again. Our normal route is fairly flat but there is a hill nearby, and I suggested that it could work.

But when I headed out to the car that morning to warm it up, I slipped and nearly biffed it before even jogging a step. The temperature was just cold enough that the morning frost was able to create a sheet of black ice. I called Tami and suggested we would meet downtown, as it just didn't seem safe to do hill repeats on a likely slick sidewalk. She agreed and made the turnoff to head my way.

When we convened in the parking lot, we worked out a plan of attack. We were both dressed in fleece tights so heading to the Y for a go on the treadmill wasn't an option. The downtown sidewalks are usually salted as are the streets, and we could easily run loops to hit 5. But I felt terrible that she would miss a workout. She saved the hills for us.

I thought and thought. And, then, I had an idea. It wasn't my own idea. I had read about people doing this many a time and thinking, "I should try that sometime," but never half-knowing I'd never actually try it. It would be perfect, though, for our early-morning quandary.

Running in a parking garage!

Tami agreed and off we went to run a cautions mile warm-up around downtown before heading into one of the garages. We stopped, stretched, took a deep breath and then headed up, up, up.

There were so many pros to this, I can't even tell you. Wait, I will. It was relatively covered so there was no concern about ice. The building kept us shielded from the wind, which has been the biggest con of this mild winter. The garage, about seven levels, offered about 4 minutes of climbing – inclines like that are near impossible to find in this part of Indiana. At the end of each set (we did it three times), we were rewarded with an amazing starlit view of the downtown skyline.

Don't get me wrong, it was HARD. I might have cussed a few times ... or a thousand – but in the best way. 

The one thing to note: GPS tracking was next to nill on this excursion so we just guestimated the distance based on time and effort. 

The week, in running:

Monday: 5 miles as 2-mile warmup, 2 miles at tempo (8:03, 8:11), 1-mile cool down 

Wednesday: 3.2 easy miles

Friday: 5(ish) miles, hills

Saturday: 10.8 miles as 8 miles easy and 2 miles fast finish (8:36, 8:33)

Sunday: 6 miles (Scott Jurek run)

Total miles: 30

Training Plan Redux

I whined about it. I moaned about it. I came to despise to looking at it. At times, I  hated the 12-week training plan with every muscle fiber in my being.

Why? It made me work.

After completing Fort4Fitness on Saturday, I thought it would be good to look back on the plan that brought me so much anxiety and talk about whether it was successful.

Spoiler alert: It was.

I have been gunning for a half marathon PR for the past two years but it seemed elusive. I had followed myriad training plans, including the "Train Like A Mother" own it plan and Hal Higdon Intermediate schedule. The plans offered challenging but doable speedwork but despite putting in good efforts - or what I thought were good efforts - my times stagnated, if not got worse.

2013 half marathons
March: Run the Bluegrass, 2:02:42
May: Wisconsin, 2:01:10
September: Oak Brook, 2:01:05; Fort4Fitness, 1:58:56

2014 half marathons
April: Athens, 2:03:18
June: ZOOMA Napa Valley, 2:03 flat

During this time, I felt like I was getting better during training but it never translated on race day. Never. Of course, race days hand us things out of our control - heat, stomach issues, hills - but a good runner can overcome those. Or at least with every run feeling like bad conditions, the times in bad conditions should improve.

Though I didn't come away with a PR on Saturday, I bested my times this year by 7.5 minutes and my time at last year's race by more than 3 minutes.

How?

Twice weekly quality workouts. I did steady states and tempos, threshhold intervals and goal pace miles.

Longer workouts. My short runs were never really short, with midweek minimums at 6 miles and going close to 9. My base mileage was much higher than year's past where a midweek long run was 6 miles.

Step back? I think not. I had gone over the half distance in training with other plans but I always had the luxury of stepback weeks. I would get an 8-mile run on a weekend here and a weekend there, and it was glorious. This plan did not give me that. After week 2, the long run never dipped below 10 and I think the number of double digit runs also improved that base.

Less cross training. I am not sure if it's coincidence or overtraining but the decline and later improvement with my race times corresponded with my teaching schedule. The more classes I taught - and led - the slower I got. I continued to strength train during this cycle but I was down to two or three sessions a week rather than four plus.

Pace training. In previous plans, there were rough guidelines for the times to hit during certain intervals. The TLAM plan wants you in certain zones but I don't usually wear a heart rate monitor to run, and the zone system can be confusing. Using accurate race times for the 5K and 10K, both of which I PR'd during this cycle, helped me to have a number to hit and thus led me to make the gains. Sure, I sometimes didn't hit those, usually going faster, but having a range helped me complete the workouts where as I often felt defeated before.

For all of its advantages, though, this plan is not for everyone and even for the right runner, it's not an all the time plan.

It's time consuming. The longer runs during the week can be close to an hour and a half if you are a middle-packer. It's difficult to find the time to run sometimes much less that much time.

High mileage. I was around 35 miles a week for most of this plan. It's not a lot by many standards but it was more than I had done. It can be difficult to make that jump and lead to injuries. Prior to this plan, I would have said that higher mileage plus five days a week running contributed to injuries/niggles during both of my marathon training cycles.

Fun times? Running for pace and mileage can be all consuming, and it can take the fun out of running. You have to be ready. To be dedicated. To be able to say no - to running dates and casual jaunts around the park.

Rest. If you are going to do this plan, you will need to be coming off an easy cycle or some downtime so you can complete it physically and mentally. Otherwise, you will face some serious burnout.

As I look forward to some downtime (hello, pregnancy), I am happy that I was able to find that break through and learn what works for me. After all, it's about finding what works for you as a person.

What kind of training plan have you used to bust through a plateau?

Weekly Training Update: 3/31-4/6

Bam!

Proof I run with people. Also proof that it was warm enough to wear shorts on Sunday, that I cannot be serious in a photo, need better posture and LIKE bright colors.

This week, as it turns out, it was all about the group runs. For three out of the four, I had at least one person with me and I was actually scheduled to have all of them but  life, drama, life kept me out till 10:30 p.m Thursday and I canceled my 5 a.m. Friday. Blah, blah, blah.

I know I've said it before but I'll say it again, I can't tell you how much running with people has changed the sport for me. I've learned to push harder, stay stronger and laugh more than I ever had. I've found enthusiastic cheerleaders and sympathetic ears.

All of these came into play as I set out for my long run on Sunday. It was a fairly large group of us - six - and we "agreed" to start the run at an easy pace around 9:30. We set off down the towpath, a space we hadn't gotten the chance to explore this snowy winter, and it all felt so new and fun. I got a minute (or half mile) to vent and then it was on to the chatter of a run. The miles seemed to blow by - maybe because the closest we got to 9:30 was in the third mile when one of us had to adjust a slipping car key.

The pace started creeping up faster as we turned around, and my body and taper brain desperately wanted to slow. I started thinking about dropping back as my breathing became more labored.

"Endure."

The word began to play on repeat in my brain, not surprising as it's been stuck there since listening to a Runner Academy podcast with Jacqueline Hansen. I could fall back or I could endure. I chose endure. I tucked in behind Joe and just kept going, following the speedy legs ahead of me.

The last mile was 8:42. An 8:42 after a week of training and a Saturday spent cutting down trees (seriously). I wouldn't have done it on my own.

The week, in training:

Monday, March 31
RUN | 3.26 miles
I ran with Mark, Miles and Denali. I pushed the BOB for the first 1.25 miles and then Mark took over. I wanted to keep the pace easy but somehow we ran an 8:39. He said it was my fault, I said it was his. So he was the culprit.

Tuesday, April 1
RUN |  4.05 miles with Joe
Early morning run with the bud. It was fairly warm, almost 50, and quite foggy out. I am so glad he has a head lamp!

Wednesday, April 2
CROSS TRAINING | Indoor trainer ride, 20 minutes
I was super proud that I got up early to ride on the bike but Miles came down 18 minutes and told me to get off. Nice, eh? I got annoyed by 20 minutes and got off. We sort of made up for it by going on a family walk after breakfast.

CROSS TRAINING | Bodypump

Thursday, April 3
CROSS TRAINING | Ripped

Friday, April 4
RUN | 5.25 miles, intervals
I had a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 interval workout on tap, and I was tired. With a capital exhausted. I was also peeved that I had to cancel my run date (to sleep in) and was doing the workout alone. I managed the warm up fine but couldn't find a rhythm in the first 5-minute interval. I cut it at 3.5 minutes and decided to try again. Nope. I ended up with two half-assed intervals and then did a 1-2-3-2-1 (in minutes) with 2 minute recovery jogs.

Saturday, April 5
CROSS TRAINING | Boot camp-type class

CROSS TRAINING | Yard work
Normally, I wouldn't count this but I used a chain saw for the first time (yee haw!) and cut down two trees plus some bushes. I'm not sure if it was class or the yard work but my entire posterior chain was sore for two days.

Sunday, April 6
RUN | 10 miles

Weekly Training Update: 3/17-3/23

A ridiculous and shameful selfie. I am so sorry. I pledge to make an effort of taking workout photos for these posts.

WEEK'S WINNER | I challenged myself to lift a bit heavier this week, and it was nice to know that I can do it and not feel ridiculously sore. I think I (or we, as runners) sometimes shy away from heavier weights as to not wreck our legs and affect workouts. However, an interesting study reports that endurance-type training - like Bodypump - does not improve athletic performance. Runners, rather, will see gains from heavy weights (think four to six reps per set) and explosive movements, such as plyometrics.

WEEK'S LOSER | The treadmill. I realized during my tempo run that no matter how scared I am of not hitting prescribed paces outside, the benefits (mental, especially) of being outside far outweigh the fears of not measuring up. On the upside, my co-worker was waxing on about the benefits of Garmin's virtual pacer and how much he enjoys using it. I had to laugh because he got his Garmin for Christmas and is using these features; I've had a Garmin for four and not done one thing but locate satellites and press start.

HONORABLE MENTION | An attempt at an early morning workout. It's been ages since I've gotten up at 5 a.m. - and oh do I have excuses - but I set the alarm and tried to get on the bike. I had the tires pumped and my Kindle ready. I even had 10 minutes at a low cadence before I heard the screaming of, "MAMA! I WANT MY WAFFLE." The workout (and a great early run today) made me realize that I'm far happier and more positive when I'm active earlier, and I'm not trying to cram shit in between daycare and work.

Monday, March 17
REST

Tuesday, March 11
RUN | 3.3 miles
I had some scheduling issues so I headed out on an evening run with the dog. Denali decided it was drag ass night, and I seriously could not get him to pick up the pace. It's time from him to do the Rug to 10K plan.

Wednesday, March 12
RUN | 4 miles (failed tempo)
I had 6 miles, total, on tap with 4 at tempo. I managed the warm-up, 2 miles at pace but couldn't hack it. I finished the fourth mile with intervals and called it a day. I tried this on the treadmill at the Y, and it was unbearably hot. So that's my excuse.

CROSS TRAINING | Bodypump

Thursday, March 13
CROSS TRAINING | Indoor trainer, 8 miles
I tried to get up early and do the workout but I swear Miles heard the moment my foot hit the pedal. I did 10 minutes before making his breakfast, and I finished up with him playing the basement. I tried to coax him to ride his trike down there but he wasn't in it. So I gave him the Kindle with Diego and stared at myself in a mirror. Totally rad.

CROSS TRAINING | Ripped
I went a bit heavier and totally tweaked my back. Apparently, I shouldn't be doing bentover rows with a 45-pound bar. Time, my EvoFit enso roller and a gracious, accommodating husband have been the only thing to ease the knot and soreness in my mid back.

Friday, March 14
RUN | Hill(ish), 7 miles
My plan called for 6 x 4-minute hills, which don't exist in Fort Wayne. I could do it on the treadmill ... or just run the hilliest route by my house. Easy choice. I took advantage of Mark being home from school, and I did this about 8 a.m. I tried to keep a strong pace to make up for my scrapped tempo run, and I feel good that I held sub-9 for the run.

Saturday, March 15
CROSS TRAINING | Bodypump

CROSS TRAINING | Chasing Miles at Target
No nap = no trainer ride. We shopped instead, and Miles charmed teenage girls by pushing a toy princess grocery cart around the store.

Sunday, March 16
RUN | 14.6 miles
This will be the longest run of this half marathon cycle, and it might have been the best. I met my buddy Joe, who was using this run as a gauge as to whether to run a spring full. The conditions were, by far, the best all winter and only a headwind on the first half. I felt like the miles ticked off and fairly strong through the first 12 miles.

Weekly Training Update: 3/10-3/16

This week was about commitment. Getting it done in the face of adversity.

There was the 7 inches of snow on Wednesday that required a push to the YMCA and a push out to get in the interval ride. There were crazy winds and cold for a long run on Sunday that made it feel like running against a wall.  There was a busted tube on my bike just as I was about to start a nap time trainer ride.

There was also the realization that if you stick it through that you will feel stronger - or at least feel like a bad ass. Well, except for the burst tube on my bike. My reaction to that made me feel more like a drama queen and a bit incompetent.

Note to self: Learn how to change a tube on the road bike or you'll never make through a triathlon this summer. Also, buy some tubes so you're not rooting through old ones in the basement. Oh, get some swim lessons, too.

Monday, March 10
REST

Tuesday, March 11
RUN | Easy 4 + strides
This run was how you want running to feel. It was delicious. was in capris and short sleeves, and the air was crisp. There was no ice or slush to navigate, and the pavement felt nice underneath my feet.

Wednesday, March 12
RUN | Z5 intervals (5.75 miles total)
I totally underestimated this workout. It called for, in minutes, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1 in Zone 5 with 2 minutes recovery between interval. I had a 5-minute break and then I got to do it all over again. The intervals seemed so manageable on paper but I really had to fight for it.

CROSS TRAINING | Bodypump
Fun class! I had a new-to-me gal in class - a runner - and some regulars. It was a good confident boost to have some (relatively, speaking) better numbers.

Thursday, March 13
CROSS TRAINING | Indoor bike, 7 miles
A quick ride after taking Miles to daycare. I zoned out and watched "Chopped" on my Kindle.

CROSS TRAINING | Bands, balls and bar
The highlight of this class was me falling ... wait, no ... smacking my back on the wood floor after slipping off a stability ball. 

Friday, March 14
RUN | Tempo, 6.25 miles
I did it! I did it! This workout was the toughest one yet - 2 x 2 miles at tempo pace with a quarter-mile recovery - but I did a good job of not psyching myself out before. I managed the first interval just fine and when I started struggling in the second, I decided the faster I run, the faster I'm done. I started picking it up every quarter-mile and finished at an 8:00 pace or maybe slightly faster.

Saturday, March 15
CROSS TRAINING | Bodypump

CROSS TRAINING | Indoor trainer, 15 miles
The ride that almost wasn't. Miles took a bit to get down and then a tube busted on my bike when I was pumping up the tires. Of course, my bike knowledge/skills are limited and I was sure I broke my bike big time. Tears were nearly rolling when I called for my cycling-seasoned husband, proclaiming something was effed up and I needed help. A big thanks to Mark for coming to the rescue and guiding me through a tube change. Well, more like doing it. I kept the ride steady and easy while I watched "Chopped."

Sunday, March 16
RUN | 11.69 miles
As one of my running partners said, just when you think winter is done and you've run through the worst, the Old Man smacks you in the face. There was no snow, mostly, but the thermometer read 21-23 degrees and with 23 mph winds, the "real feel" temp was 9 degrees. Three of us ran a relaxed three miles at the university and went back to the cars to pick up a fourth. The first part of the nearly 9 miles wasn't bad - we were with the wind - but the last half was a struggle. S-T-R-U-G-G-L-E. All of us were more than willing to stop the watch at 11.69 when we got to the cars rather than looping to hit our goal of 12.

Weekly Training Update: 1/13 - 1/19

I've been very non-committal about racing this year and even more so, if possible, about racing in 2014.

Don't get me wrong - I'm going to go out there and run. I'm going to sign up for some events. I'm even hoping to do my first triathlon. However, when it comes to saying that I want to PR in a certain distance or tackle a particular race, I haven't been feeling it.

I think part of it is fear - not being able to do it, being disappointed, getting hurt. I think part of it is being "burned out" after a full year of training in 2013. And, the other part, is how much time I want to give up. I did more longer races than I anticipated in 2013, and it added up to quite a few hours away from my family - not including the training, traveling and post-long run naps. 

With a half marathon in Athens, Ohio, 13 weeks away (with Twitter BFF Alyse), I need to decide what I want to do. I have been logging long runs with the group, and I could continue that and fill in the week. This approach would be known as "winging it," and I'm pretty happy that I'm in a place where I could "wing" 13.1 miles. But ... I could fly. I could follow a plan. I could put in some effort. I could see what I have.

Or, I could sit at Starbucks and drink another Awake tea latte while I think about running.

The week, in training:

Monday: 30 minutes on elliptical + 2.25-mile run
Tuesday: 3-mile run + 30 minutes on indoor bike trainer
Wednesday: 5-mile run + Bodypump
Thursday: Ripped
Friday: 4.68-mile run
Saturday: Bodypump + 13.1 miles on indoor trainer
Sunday: 7-mile run (SNOWY)

Shameless plug: I entered the ZOOMA contest to win a trip for me + a blog reader (!!!) to run the women's race series event in Napa. I very much need running and wine right now so I'd appreciate your vote! Go HERE.

Veterans Marathon Training: Week 16

For all intents and purposes, this week should have began my taper. Emphasis on should have.

While I have never been one to dislike the taper - rather, I embrace it - this cycle, I've found myself channeling my inner toddler. "Just one more double." "Just one more mile." "Just one more long run." "Just one more M&M." "Just one more minute of TV."

I blame fear - fear that I didn't do enough, fear that my injury set me back too much, fear that I'll show up to the starting line thinking, "Coulda, woulda, shoulda." And I don't want to show up scared. I want to show up feeling like I put in the miles. I want to show up knowing I did the work.

I want to show up strong.

And, yes, that last one is probably why I should embrace the taper (rather than show up overtrained and risk injury). Starting today.

The week, in training:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Piloxing + Ripped
Wednesday: 6.02 miles + 3.16 miles
Thursday: 5.06 miles + Ripped
Friday: Heated yoga
Saturday: Ripped + 3.25-mile trail run
Sunday: 12.23 miles + River City Rat Race 5K

Veterans Marathon Training: Week 14

Some notes from the week ...

Double down. I brought back two-a-days. Woo hoo! After discovering it was very difficult for me to get in 8 miles before Mark had to get to school, I decided a double was just what I needed. I forgot how challenging and rewarding these runs can be both physically and mentally. I was happy, though, to see that I ran faster the second time without much more effort.

There's an app for that. I'm not sure if I ever really said it but my MOTOACTV died a quick death right before Hood to Coast. I'm thankful I had my Garmin 305 to fall back on but I've had a nagging suspicion that it's a bit slow and needs an update. But anyway, neither here nor there. I saw the Mother Runner + Saucony Run4Good contest and thought I'd try the app. It was fine, good, I don't know. I'm just curious how accurate such apps are and, more importantly, how much data they use.

Long run. I had the distinct pleasure of running my long run in Cincinnati this weekend. And by pleasure,  I mean I ran more hills than I have since Hood to Coast. Mark and Miles ran the first 4 with me before I headed off with a loose plan to do an out-and-back. The plan was thrown off course when the sidewalk ran out, and I turned left. I knew the road, by name at least, but was running blind in a sense. I had no idea where I would need to (or even could) turn to get the miles in. I just winged it and may or may not have checked my phone to make sure I wasn't going the wrong way.

The run itself, despite feeling hard, was great. I found myself running through some beautiful neighborhoods and along a scenic creek. I definitely didn't feel like I was in the middle of the city! Even better, despite running two of the hilliest roads I could (according to Grandma), I was two seconds over my old goal pace and negative split the run.

The week, in training:

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Piloxing + Ripped

Wednesday: 6.14 miles + 3.4  miles

Thursday: 5.14 miles

Friday: Rest (Brain workout - ACE exam)

Saturday: 6.5 miles + Ripped

Sunday: 12.05 miles

Veterans Marathon Training: Week 11

Motherhood cramps my running style.

There's just no other way I can put it. For good or bad, better or worse, having a child - and a young one at that - has changed me and the way I trained for distance races and the way I perceive others train for distance races. It's something I've known for some time but not a fact that I felt fair to admit.

After a second weekend of buddying up for the long run, though, I could no longer deny it.

"Who picked 7 o'clock?" a new running friend said from the parking lot as she stretched and savored the last few sips of her coffee.

A pang of guilt stung. It was me, me who picked 7 a.m. It was me who was responsible for the yawns, for getting everyone out of bed early to drive downtown.

I didn't select the start time because I wanted to avoid heat or humidity or had to work but because I didn't want to leave Miles all morning. The early I started, the earlier I could be done, the earlier I could be back to Miles. Maybe I shouldn't think this way. Maybe I shouldn't feel guilty about taking three hours on a Sunday to run 17 miles. Maybe I shouldn't feel like I'm thrusting my parental responsibilities onto Mark so I can seemingly destroy my body.

But I do.

As we ran, the unofficial leader of the group and active club member was encouraging in her invitations to run during the club runs. I feel sheepish having to turn down opportunities because I have to get home, make dinner and read stories. I feel silly, sort of, turning down invitations because I am tied to a 7 p.m. bed time routine.

But there's no other way. And no real point to this, either, except I want to feel sorry for myself a little bit.

The one good thing out all of this, though, is that I am breaking out of my shell, seeking out new people to run with and may have found a training partner in the same pace range for the marathon.

Scene from start of my Sunday long run.

The week, in training:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Piloxing (taught) + Bodypump (taught)
Wednesday: 5.36-mile run
Thursday: 6.25-mile run + Rip (taught)
Friday: 30-minute indoor cycle
Saturday: Bodypump + 2.25-mile run
Sunday: 16.65-mile run

Veterans Marathon Training: Week 6

There's one run each week that causes me to shake in my Ravennas. One run that causes me to toss and turn. One that makes me feel unsettled and resistant.

The pace run.

The run is the only semblance of speed work in Hal Higdon's Intermediate I marathon plan, and it is one of the longer runs of the week. As my Dream Big marathon goal is to go sub-4:00, my pace runs should come in at a 9:09 pace. It's a pace that isn't that difficult for me, right now, unless, say, I'm woken up at 2:30 a.m. to retrieve the "other paci" and spend the subsequent half-hour listening to the Laugh 'n' Learn Puppy tell me about his red heart.

But anyway.

Even though a 9:09 pace is manageable, the idea of having to do it freaks me the eff out as does having to hold it over my mid-week long distance. At 5 a.m. And before I teach Bodypump. I worry about burning out, not being able to hit targets. I worry about how hard it will feel. This week, the anxiety was especially high as the mileage went up to 7 miles, and 7 miles seems significantly longer than 6 miles. I think it's because it's an odd number and required a great deal of mapping to find a safe route.

Crap. I forgot how this post was going to go. I had it all mapped out in my head ... yesterday. Now, post-run and coffee, I feel garbled. Something's not right.

Also not right? My overthinking the pace runs. Want to know why? I have yet to come in at 9:09 - and not because I'm too slow. Even with warm-up and cool-down miles, my average pace is 8:55 or better. For Saturday's 7-miler - the long one - my pace was 8:44, and I negative split the pace miles ending with an 8:31.

I'm fairly certain I won't be running an 8:31 mile at any point Nov. 9, which probably means I should reign in these pace runs. And my ridiculous worrying.

The week, in training:

Monday: Spin class
Tuesday: Piloxing (taught) + Bodypump (taught)
Wednesday: 7.3 miles, hillish + 4 miles
Thursday: 4.1 miles + Rip (taught)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 7.25 miles, pace + Bodypump (taught)
Sunday: 14 miles

Veterans Marathon Training: Week 5

"So what do you think about while you're out there running for hours?" Mark will ask me.

I look at him. And I look at him. I think. And I think some more. Then I look at him again.

"Uh, stuff," I reply in an obviously concise manner.

To tell you the truth, though, I don't think much on long runs. I don't usually listen to music. I don't talk ... because I'm by myself and that would be weird. And creepy.

This week, for entertainment purposes, I tried to hit Ctrl + S on my thoughts as I completed the first part of my long run (Mark + crew joined me for last 3 miles).

Slow then slower. I'm focusing on taking long runs easy, annoyingly so, to build the aerobic base I'll need to avoid bonking (ha!) in the marathon.

Slow and steady. Usually the first thought leads to this sort of mantra but it takes a mother runner twist. There's an episode of Elmo's World where the tale of the tortoise and the hare is re-created with Elmo as the tortoise and the hare. I can't help but have the scene replay in my head, with Elmo's annoying voice chanting, "Slow and steady."

Hold back. This one is not related to pace. It's more closely related to the urge I had to poop about 3 miles in as I ran over a foot bridge. Taking a crap on the side of the bridge didn't sound like a good plan or legal so I tried to hold back. Miracle of miracles, it went away.

Cock suckers. There was a giant spray-painted rendition of male genitalia on the path under a different bridge than the one where I nearly pooped. I thought about how inappropriate it was for a good quarter-mile.

Mathlete. OK, I've ran 5 miles and it took me this many minutes so my pace is probably around this. Wait, this. No. Crap. Who cares? I'm finishing with Mark, and he's going to make me run the last 3 miles as close to race pace as possible. It will change.

Yum. I love salted caramel Gu. I wonder if I should just buy a case. Oh, I wish they sold a mixed case of Chocolate Outrage + Salted Caramel. Wait. Better. Espresso Love + Salted Caramel. It would be like a caramel latte. I wonder if I can trick Mark into taking me to Starbucks this morning. I love Starbucks. 

The week, in training:

Monday: 1-hour spin class

Tuesday: Piloxing (taught) + Bodypump (taught)

Wednesday: 5 miles, hillish + 4 miles

Thursday: 3 miles + Rip (taught)

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 6 miles at pace + Bodypump (rehearse, in basement)

Sunday: 9 miles

Veterans Marathon Training: Week 4

It's going to be hard.

Mark has told me that it will be hard. My spin instructor has told me it will be hard. Mark has told me that it would be hard after thinking about it some more.

Breaking 4 hours in the marathon is not just a personal benchmark for me but one for many runners. A runner I interviewed for a story at work told of training for several cycles to get a 3:5X. I have heard of others pushing hard in training to get the time and ending up injured. Others can be on track and have to poop at mile 24.

So, yes, I know breaking 4 hours is hard - and hard for people who are fitter than me, more naturally gifted, can devote more time to training. It is one of the most ostentatious and demanding challenges I have ever taken on.

But listen to me when I tell you this: I'm not thinking about it. I wouldn't even be writing this post if Mark hadn't told me of a mental conversation he had with himself about the goal.

But also listen to you when I tell you this: I refuse to psych myself out so early in the cycle or get obsessed with 4 hours when I have a life to live. I am more concerned with putting my head down and getting the work done - run by run, week by week. I am logging the miles. I am taking the long runs slow. I am trying to do hills. I am hitting the numbers for my pace runs.

And that's it.

Come race day, I want to know I did my best to run a strong race. I hope it brings me a PR; I hope it brings me satisfaction; and, with the perfect day, maybe I will cross the line at 3:5X.

The week, in training:

Monday: Spin, including almost 10 minutes at max resistance
Tuesday: Piloxing (taught) + Bodypump (taught)
Wednesday: 6 miles, hillish + 3 miles
Thursday: 3 miles, with the stroller + Rip (taught)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 6 miles + Bodypump (taught)
Sunday: 12 miles

Veterans Training: Week 3

I am one of the cool kids. At least according to Justin Gillette, a local elite runner who has WON 65 marathons. So yeah, I'm cool.

The "compliment" was sparked when I announced that I had tried the new Salted Caramel Gu and it was as every bit delicious as I had hoped. So delicious that for at least a mile I imagined myself drizzling it on ice cream.

The packet, which I took at mile 8 of Sunday's long run, was part of a new fueling strategy for this cycle. In years past, for fulls and halfs, I have found myself skimping on nutrition during the run. There was something in me, maybe the prior fat girl, who hated to log that I ate 400 calories in Gu as a morning "snack." Or, maybe I thought that I had enough "stores" that I wouldn't need more than 100 calories an hour.

However, I began to reconsider this strategy as I followed Dimity's training for her Ironmother. She mentioned on the Another Mother Runner Podcast a couple times that she took in 300 calories an hour (I think) on the bike. It seemed like a lot of calories to this skimpy girl.

But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. A triathlete is going to take more calories on the bike to makeup for the swim and prepare for the run but also to maintain energy on the bike. If it worked for triathletes, it could possibly work for me.

Don't get me wrong - I think three gels an hour might be a bit excessive (but it would still be half the calories you were burning, depending on the pace). I am aiming for three to four every two hours, more specifically one every four miles. I am hoping that it helps with consistent energy and pacing on the long runs, aided by the addition of nuun.

What's your fueling strategy?

The week, in training:

Monday: Spin class
Tuesday: Piloxing (taught) + Bodypump (taught)
Wednesday: 6 miles, hilish + 3.5 miles
Thursday: 3 miles + Rip (taught)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 6.25 miles at pace + Bodypump (taught)
Sunday: 11.15 miles

Veterans Marathon: Week 1

The time has come. The days of running for fun - or whatever you call it - are done. With 16 weeks until the Veterans Marathon, it is time to start training.

By the way, that's Justin Gillette on his way to win the 2012 Veterans Marathon. We've been tweeting, and he says I can break 4 in November. I pretty much love him.

While I followed "Train Like A Mother" plans for my most recent training cycles - Wisconsin half marathon, Run the Bluegrass half marathon and the Columbus Marathon - I've decided to shake things up a bit. Go crazy. Dare to do something different. For Veterans, I'll be following Hal Higdon's Intermediate I plan.

Bucking tradition, that's me.

While there are a bajillion other plans out there, I decided to go the road tested Hal Higdon because it offered some decent mileage (two 20-milers), little intimidation and a new-to-me way to build endurance - running hard on Saturday and doing a long run on Sunday. His idea is that you put miles on tired legs and are also more likely to take the miles slow.

I was tempted to try a Runner's World plan to break 4 hours, even posting it on Facebook to seek feedback, but in the end, I decided that it was too aggressive and the mileage was too high, especially with my teaching load. However, I will be incorporating some of the things I was attracted to in the plan - hill workouts and tempo runs - into the Higdon schedule.

Oh, and a quick note: Though I call this week 1, I jumped in at week 2 to accommodate Mark's upcoming camping trip and to give myself a "free" week during Hood to Coast festivities. I'll obviously be running during the week and at HTC but I didn't want to worry about long runs and tempos and race pace.

The week:

Monday: Spin class
Tuesday: Piloxing (taught) + BODYPUMP (taught)
Wednesday: 5 miles, hills + 3 miles
Thursday: 3.5 miles + Rip (taught)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 5 miles, race pace + BODYPUMP (taught)
Sunday: 9 miles

Spring training: Week 17

Spring Training posts document my training for my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: 3.5 miles
Tuesday: 6 miles +  BODYPUMP (taught)
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 6 miles, intervals
Friday: 4 miles
Saturday: BODYPUMP (taught)
Sunday: 8 miles

◊ ◊ ◊

Holy effin shoot. It's here. The week I've been working toward for the past 17. It's been forever and yet, I'll be honest, I don't feel 100 percent ready. Like I could use another month of solid training before I toe the line for a half-marathon. 

But, shockingly, I don't have the ability to make race scheduling changes or turn back the clock. It is go time. 

And, as such, it's time to focus on what should happen. Or at least what I'd like to happen. Since I have been following the Train Like a Mother plan, I deemed it appropriate to use the book's model for setting race-day goals.

Good goals: The time ones.

• Goal C (so help me God): Sub-2
• Goal B (attainable yet challenging): Overall pace a sub-9
• Goal A (pie in the sky): Come in at 1:53:59 or faster, which would be at least a 13-second PR

When I started this training journey at the beginning of the year, it was my absolute goal to PR at Wisconsin and to PR in a big way. I was going to do plyometrics every week and nail the speedwork but time, scheduling, motivation and weather played a big factor. I spent much more time on the treadmill than I anticipated and, as such, have focused much of my speed training on effort rather than pace. Even as I am back outdoors, I'm much more concerned about how the work feels than what the numbers say. It makes me feel a bit uncertain about what I'm capable of. My long run paces of late, though, definitely point to a sub-2, if not the sub-9 pace. I feel confident in that. Only race day will tell whether I put in the work for the PR.

Better goals. These are the goals about how you execute the race but not necessarily from a numbers perspective. For me, for this race, my better goal is to pace myself and trust the training. It's so easy to go out too fast too early but very rarely does it work to bank time. I know that I perform much better when I run negative splits, and I need to ease into the hurt.  I also want to knock the Negative Nelly who resides in my post-partum brain straight on her ass. I am not the runner I used to be - the one who was so self assured - but I am a better one. I am stronger and more determined. And I need to remember that race day.

Best goals. The ones that, hopefully, matter most. I want to revel in the accomplishment - not just finishing but sticking out the training. I want to smile so much it hurts. I want to have a good time, soak in the scenes of somewhere new, embrace my friends at the finish line.

And, I'll apologize in advance to Kim, Kim, Bobbi, Sarah and everyone else - I'm a really stinky sweater.

T-minus 4 days.

Spring Training: Week 16

Spring Training posts document my training for my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: 4.5 miles
Tuesday: 3.5 miles (for Boston) +  BODYPUMP (taught)
Wednesday: 6 (birthday) miles
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 6.31 miles
Saturday: BODYPUMP (taught)
Sunday: 11.36 miles

◊ ◊ ◊

I don't think it's been a big secret that I've been playing with my fueling these past few months. I've tried Honey Stinger chews (love), Sport Beans (meh) and Clif Shot Bloks in about a million different flavors but all the while I've stuck with chews. I found last year, during Columbus Marathon training, that I couldn't stomach gels. Maybe it was the unbearable heat or changes in my body but my once reliable Gu made me nauseous.

And so it was with great caution that I accepted an invitation from Kevin Sherbourne, the co-founder of Huma Chia Energy Gel, to try his product.

According to the website:

The idea for Hüma was born in the sands of Iraq. In the summer of 2009 a US Army soldier named 1st Lieutenant McCollum was charged with leading grueling missions throughout Iraq. At the time he was reading a book about the Tarahumara, a tribe of Mexican Indians who regularly compete in epic 100+ mile races as part of their culture. To fuel themselves on these ultramarathons, they use a special chia seed blend. He figured if it worked for them in Mexico, maybe it would work for him in Iraq. Hüma brings together Tarahumara tradition, sports nutrition research, healthy ingredients and great taste as our best shot at helping you enjoy your gel. 

Reading that story and learning about the company made it impossible for me to turn down the chance to sample the gels, which come in two flavors - strawberry and apple cinnamon. After all, if I'm putting work to clean up my diet, shouldn't I do the same for the fuel that powers my runs? The ingredients for Huma include fruit, evaporated cane juice, brown rice syrup and chia seeds - a far cry from the long list that you see on other products.

I decided to take one of the gels - strawberry, if you are curious - on my long run Sunday at Chain O'Lakes, along with some Shot Bloks to see how it would work for me. As I said in my post about the Indiana Trail 100, even the roads in the park are hilly and I could feel the toll on my legs early on. I normally fuel at miles 5 and 10, and I was more than ready for a gel once the watched turned over from 4.99 to 5.00.

I stopped cold in my tracks, took a drink of nuun and took out the gel. My hands, cold from the blustery April temperatures, seemed to struggle to tear the foil but once I got the right spot, it opened immediately. I took the first bite(?) a bit apprehensively but was pleasantly surprised once the gel hit my tongue. It tasted just like strawberry jam, with a similar texture is well. It went down very easily and was far less goopy than traditional gels. It could very easily be taken mid-stride if fingers aren't frozen together.

People always talk about this jolt of energy that comes from taking a gel or sports fuel but I'll be honest, I'm not sure I've ever felt that way. More than anything, it just makes me feel like not crapping out. And I didn't crap out with Huma. Same as when I took Shot Bloks at mile 9. (Fueled early because I wanted to delay running up a hill.) But the bonus, which is one of the pros of Huma, is no stomach problems. Not a one. So I literally didn't crap out.

While I don't really think one time is enough to warrant a fair review, I look forward to trying the Apple Cinnamon gel on my run this weekend. A good run will earn it a spot in my SPIbelt for Wisconsin otherwise I'll stick with Margarita Shot Bloks and give the gels a second go as I base-build for my fall marathon. But I sincerely feel like the company - and the product - is one worth supporting.

Have you tried any new fuel lately? What do you take on long runs?

Disclosure: Huma provided me with samples of the gels to try at no charge but all opinions and thoughts are my own.

Spring Training: Week 13

Spring Training posts document my training for the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon on March 30 and my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: 3.25 miles
Tuesday: 6 Week 6 Pack Abs, Level 1 +  BODYPUMP (taught)
Wednesday: 3.2-mile run
Thursday: 4.1-mile run
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon
Sunday: Rest

◊ ◊ ◊

First off, can I get a prize for respecting the taper? I totally rocked taking it easy last week!

Highlights of the week: Pretty much every thing. I really enjoyed the extra rest last week as did my legs. My easy runs seemed so slow and yet two of the runs were sub-9 averages, which is really good for me. All of the runs were outside and during daylight, and the weather was just slightly warmer. I also ran two new routes - Run the Bluegrass (race review in the works), which I loved, and the towpath trail near my dentist's office that I wasn't so enamored with.

Lowlights of the week: Pretty much none.

Moving forward: I have just less than six weeks until the Wisconsin half and between reverse taper and taper, I only have a few weeks of real work. Even though I went plan-less, sort of, for Run the Bluegrass and did well, I feel like I need more guidance going forward. Especially in terms of consistent speed work, which I decided was the difference between this cycle and the training cycle that I did when I trained for my PR in 2010. 

There are tons of plans out there, as we all know, but I really like the "Train Like A Mother" plans, and I will be following the last few weeks of the Half Marathon: Own It plan. I was drawn to the fact that it will take me up to 15 miles and and has speed work based on minutes. I will have to include more cross-training that it recommends but I'm not worried as it's been a constant in my routine.

Taking care of business: I finally created a Facebook page for Healthy Strides. It would be great for you to "like" me, and I think it will be a nice way to interact with all of y'all.