One more race in the books - 13 miles (not 13.1) in 2:30:51!!

I am done! And not a moment too soon.

What a freaking great race! I had so much fun this year!

Only two more races this year - the Turkey Trot 10k in November. and a 5k in Northville (the Junglebell Run for Arthritis) in December.

I am glad that my A-races are all wrapped up. Now I can have a clean seperation and really take some time off before refocusing on my 2009 goals. That means quite simply that from now until January I will be swimming my hiney off!

So I have mixed feelings about my race today. Please do not get me wrong holding an 11:30 pace for 13 miles is very impressive for me, however I really feel bitter sweet on the race.

My knee is all janked up somehow and I do not know how that happened, but those last 5 miles were a little tough on me! I struggled to maintain my pace while having a throbbing knee naggin gme to stretch out. I really did think that it was due to tigh muscles, now I think that it is shoe related. Oh yeah - this girl needs new shoes... AGAIN!

I am happy as I did really well, but I feel incomplete. I feel unresolved somehow.

Notably - it is just different in that I did not get to cross the finish line. It was odd being done, but not feeling like I finished. Secondly, I did not do the full 13.1 miles (13 miles is close!)

On the major sweet side - I loved being part of a team - so it was definitely worth it! I am not all about finishing times and pace. That has improved and I like seeing what I can pull out of myself - but in the end I had a GREAT experience and would love to do this again.

So why the 13 miles, and not 13.1? The knee. I ended up going past my last relay stop but did NOT go all the way to the half marathon split mat. If I had turned around from the relay exchange, I would have added an additional 1/2 mile to the 13.1 - and the 13 mile mark was just past the relay exchange, so I opted to just run with Stacy as far as my bum knee would allow. And that would be to 13 miles. I barely made it that far. My knee was throbbing and there really does come a point when you have to know when to call it. For me that was at mile 13. I was d-o-n-e done. I had ran my race - I had came very clos to what I wanted to accomplish. It was time for me to switch to cheerleader mode and recover.

So here are the numbers, all according to my watch only:

• 1:10:55 - 10K - 2nd best 10K time!
• 12:34 underwater mile (yikes! I slowed down there for sure)
• 1:55:27 - 10 mile mark - 2nd best 10 mile run ever!
• 2:21:18 - 20K mark (? I think)2:26:18 - Relay exchange point
• 2:30:51 - Total time for me, 5:18:49 total team time! Woo Hoo go Conti Retreads!
  

Not too shabby! Especially compared to last year! I felt a lot stronger, and 12 miles snuck up on me like none other. This course was different than two years ago when I last was on it and from what I saw I was not too impressed with the finishing mile or so.

All in all, this is still very much one of my favorite races to do, I have officially kicked 2:35's arse and am on a mission to go... sub 2:30. I know that I can do it! But where will I do it?

The Martian Half Marathon 2009 of course!

Tweaking Goals and the Half Ironman Dream

I have been thinking a lot about my Half Marathon and running goals in general.   I have still been juggling the running faster vs. running longer desire in my head.   I have learned that I can have both as they are not mutually exclusive.   

I have to realize that having both still requires give and take.  I can go long for sure, but need to realize that my 5K pace is not sustainable over 26.2 miles.    Right now I am in endurance mode, so that made running longer my main goal.   I am accomplishing that every day so that makes me happy.    Incorporating the speedwork and tempo runs like I have should be having a positive affect on my long distance running.   

Being that I am just getting back into running half marathons and actually training for running, I think that I need to spend more time adjusting and evaluating my running goals and make some longer term goals that I can work toward in the next year, not just a goal for a race that is happening in less than a month.      With that being said I have made some adjusting in the plan. I developed three distinct sets of running goals:  5K, Half Marathon, and Marathon. 

5K ~ Short 'n' Sweet

• For shorter distances my short term goals (2008) is to run a 5K in 30 minutes. 
• My medium-range goal is to run a 5k sub 30 
• My long-term goal is to run a 5k under 27 minutes. 

Half Marathon ~ Keeping the Pace

• My 2009 medium-term goal is to be able to run a half marathon in 2:11:00. 
  
• My 2010 long-term goal is to run that same half marathon sub 2 hours. 
  

But for now, my short-term goal for Brooksie Way (10/5) is to finish it in under 2:40.   2:39 and change was my best time ever in a half marathon and that was pretty limited training.   

Marathon ~ Testing the limits

• My 2009 medium-term goal is to run a marathon and finish it strong. No time goal for this. 
• My 2010 long-term goal is to run a marathon, finish strong, and be under 5:15. My best Marathon finshing time? 6:45 and change. 

It will take work and time to achieve these goals, however I am giving myself the time to accomplish the work set forth ahead of me.  

 

As for my Half Ironman in 2009 - after much consideration, I feel that Steelhead 70.3 is not a good venue for my first HIM. I heave heard a lot of things about this particular race that makes me feel as if it will be a little overwhelming in both cost - a good $90 over the price of non-Mdot long distance races, and in field size - it is the largest 70.3 Mdot race in the world, or at least darn close to it.

With that and with much reviewing of other long course races I have decided to do the Muncie Endurathon in July 2009. February 23, 2009 starts my HIM training!

Hills and Yards and Fartleking... Oh my!

This week has been an amazing training week for me. Heck - this has been the eye opening simple week that I needed to get me back on track with my ped sport - running.

Monday I did a 1.2 mile run at lunch. :o) I did it in work clothes and snowboots and managed a very easy 12:30 pace. I mean it actually felt easy. I RACED at that pace just the day before - but then again, I really didn't race. lol. I really did keep it slow to make sure I was fit enough to run the whole distance.

Tuesday I swam 600 yards easy and after quite a few 25's I decided to just go for it. I did a 150 out of no where! WOO HOO!! Then after about :20 of rest I did another 100 just for fun. My swim fitness is improving for sure.

Wednesday was the day that I discovered a great way to not hate my time on a treadmill... by doing hill repeats on it.

No.

For real.

You see, Runner's World online has a great video on hill challenges - you do a 10 minute warm up, then a set of hill repeats at or just above 10K pace. I did all the hills and the run at a nice and suprisingly EASY 11:30 pace. The repeats then go as such (staying at your pace!!!)

90 seconds at 3%
3 minutes recovering at 0%
90 seconds at 3%
3 minutes recovering at 0%
60 seconds at 5%
2 minutes recovering at 0%
60 seconds at 5%
2 minutes recovering at 0%
30 seconds at 7%
60 seconds recovering at 0%
30 seconds at 7%
60 seconds recovering at 0%

The cool down with 10 minutes.

I was happy that I was able to maintain the 11:30 - which shows me that I am improving in speed. I actually could have gone into the 10's but I wanted to be comfortable (at least the first time I do the challenge!)

I am doubly happy about my heart rate as it was MUCH lower after this crazy run than a few weeks ago - hmmmm.... improvements in fitness? Guess what? They really do happen! You just sort of have to work for them.

I did the hill repeats at lunch at the gym by work. The after a 3 hour trip home after work(SNOW STORM!) I went to the gym (AGAIN!) and did my swim workout. :o)

This time my workout was courtesy swimplan.com - the BEST swim website evah! It gives you a personalized swim workout based on your fitness, endurance, pool length, equipment, and goals. So I did the 750 yard workout (granted in my gym's pool it is only 690 yards due to the whole 23 yard length thing - how odd!) with no issues.

I went back to swimplan.com today and asked for a more difficult workout and the leads us to today's great swim!

W/U 100 yard FS easy, rest :20
Build up (did this set 3 times) 1 x 50 FS single arm (6xleft, 6xright) rest:10, 1 x 50 FS lateral kick, rest :10
Core 12 x 50 FS target time 1:25 (I completed each in an average of 1:09!) :15 rest after each 50
C/D 2 x 50 FS easy

Of course it ended up being only 1012 yards due to the pool length - but it was a nice workout. The 12 x 50 actually took less than I thought it would and the 100 warm up was great! As my mentor over on BT said - those yards are really starting to add up. Man 1 month ago I did not think that I would be able to do a workout like that. Amazing how so much can change in so little time!


I really owe Triathlon a huge thanks. Without the diversity I would be a sore runner. Sort of like a sore loser, only worse. That girl who laces up only to dread every step. NOW... well now I love running again - to the point where I am actually training not just running. Hill repeats, tempo runs, easy recoveries, and long runs will all be in rotation. I look at swiming, running, and cycling as equal parts in who I am and the activity I partake in. No longer will activity detract from my running - all this alternate activity is making me a better runner!

In addition to the swimming and eventually cycling (you know, when I get that bike in the next 3 weeks!) I am going to be training for the CRIM (a huge 10 mile race in Flint, MI)- no not just running to get ready... I mean actually training. I want to toe the line and have a plan to follow on the course. I want to toe that line and be excited for the next 10 miles... I want to toe the line knowing that not only will I finish - but I will finish STRONG.

I want to run the CRIM with no more than 11:30 pace per mile. So that means the addition of tempo runs and real speedwork. Oh yes - this year I am fartleking.

Excuuuuuuse me.... I am about to fartlek.

Also on the plan - two half marathons - the Brooksie Way (held in Rochester, MI by the CRIM organization) and of course - my favorote run - the Detroit International Half Marathon.

So see - all this triathlon training has made me a better person all around. I no longer see running as a necessary evil - I see it as an extension of who I am, and triathlon is just making the running all the more fun!


Swim, Bike, and above all else - RUN.

})i({ Runnergirl to the end!

My dirty little secret.

Not so "dirty" really, and definitely not "double-r" dirrty (ala Christina A) ~ although I have had my moments. Misleading I know. But hey, call me a sensationalist!

The QUEEN of DIRRTY

My 2007 race calendar has looked something like this:

1. Half #9 - PF CHang's RNR AZ Half Marathon - mission accomplished


2. Half # 10 - Chicago Distance Classic Half Marathon - mission accomplished


3. Half #11 - Detroit Free Press/ New Balance International Half Marathon - 5 weeks away

Muy impressivo, no? No. And my training for these races has been as lack-luster as you can imagine - as some have witnessed first-hand *cough*DenisePatBarbMike*cough*.

PF Chang's Training consisted of: running ZERO miles. Sadly, that is not an exaggeration. Not even a casual bike ride or swim for cross-training was to have been had. I could not face a DNS. I just could not do that. I learned a lesson that I should have just watched the race to cheer on Denise and Pat, not actually attempting it myself. Oddly enough, it wasn't my worst half. Crazier things have happened in my life.

I trained much harder for the CDC in August. And we all know how training for that went. MUCH better than for PF Chang's... not as good as for the Freep last October. I beat my self-predicted finishing time by 0:07. I am talking 7 seconds people. I finished with a hard-earned smile on my face thanks to the Running Jayhawk Barb running me in to the final stretch, Denise cheering me on from the side-lines, Josh cheering me on via Denise, and my local Chicago friends coming out to run across the finish line with me. That was probably one of the most satisfying races I have ever completed. I really had pushed myself.

So here I am 5 weeks out from my favorite race EVAH and I have JUST gotten back into the training zone. It feels good. My type-A personality would not let me settle for my performances this year. I am pushing myself every day a little more and making... yes you guessed it... forward motion.

I am going to be a training machine for the next month. I got my groove back Wednesday at Master' Swim class. I kicked a lil ass Thursday with the miracle mile. 5 weeks out and I am back on track for training.

So then, what is my dirty little secret? I am running race tomorrow. This race will be my first non-13.1 miler all year. And I am GEEKED.

I have finally proven to myself that I am worth my salt (to borrow a phrase from the Romans, and my mom.) I am more than capable.

And in 5 weeks, when I cross the finish line OUTSIDE OF FORD FIELD (can you tell that I am upset about the lack of finishing on the 50-yard line INSIDE?) HM #11 will be in the books, and I will be stronger than ever.

})i({

Mmmmmmm grilled cheese.

So I just got back from a nice 3.6 run. I call this type of workout "grilled cheese". Not just because I follow up the run with one - but because I find comfort and fun in both grilled cheese, and this type of training run.

I was just going out to run 2 miles as that is what is on tap for today. Well... as I was running, I decied to play around with intensity, speed, cadence, hills, and hydration. SCORE! This was the most fun 3+miler I have had in a long time. I got in my 2 miles, plus some cadence drills UP HILL.

I fueled up this morning with a shake made with Carnation Instant Breakfast, 1/2 C of blueberries, and 1/2C of FF Milk, blended with ice. YUMMY! I then mixed up my waterbottle of Accelerade (fruit punch flavored), fired up the iPod to Phedippidations, and took off.

At the mile mark I was like - oh crap I have to turn around already? - but then I thought, why not see how far I can push myself. So I ran out another .71 miles then turned around. On the way back is nothing but hills - both up and down - so I worked on my down-hill cadences, as well as my up-hill sprints. Every up hill I ran at a 9:30pace. We are talking a 9:30 pace UP hill. For a half of a mile. Straight. ;)

Once I rounded the corner that leads me back to home, I decided to play with cadence once more. Amazing - I ran a solid sub-10 minute mile and felt wonderful. And of course once I hit the hills I upped it to 9:30. Then I slowed down on the last down hill, and gradually came to a walk, walking back home.

SWEET.

I felt good with the Accelerade. It is easy on my stomach, and I feel like I am getting hydrated as well as fueled. I don't care much about my overall pace - I just had fun out there. ;) It is good to have fun and get in good mileage. Awesome.


The remainder of the day is work, and then when Mike gets home from work - dinner and then the gym. We have started to eat dinner first then workout later at the gym. Personally, I like this much better because most people are gone by 9 or 10PM, and also we are fueled and not starving. Plus I am no longer getting home at 9PM and then eating, only to rush off to bed. It is nice and relaxing.

Last night I did chest and tris. It was nice because now we are spending far more time in the "Temple of Testosterone" (AKA the free-weight room) and less time on machines. I am finally feeling the workouts, and suprisingly, when I went to the pec deck to work on thegeneral overall chest- my strength had increased from doing 3 reps of 12 at 62.5lbs.... to 3 sets of 12 at 112.5lbs.... all in 1 week. What the.... oh. Right. I am actually getting stronger. I am just not so keen on gaining mass, so I am going to plateau off my weight for a while and maybe increase reps instead.

Tonight is back and bi's. Again, plenty of time will be spent in the free weight room. I am no longer scared of it. I am embracing it as yet another part of strength training. Also - by mixing up the workouts we do for the different muscle group pairings each time we work out, we are assuring that we will not get burnt out.

Doing the typical machines every third day started to be a drag. Yeah you see progress, but still with the free-weights you can really work and isolate muscles in a more varied manner than by machines alone. PLus you can feel the difference between isolation and mass0building exercises. Somehow on the machines I never really feel that. Maybe I aid too much with other parts of my body on the machines - whereas with free weights it is all... well you.

I am feeling stronger and getting sooo geared up for the Freep this year. That bridge will be nothng to me! ;)

Enough bablling off to work!

~})i({ RG

I did it!

I just signed up for the Detroit Half Marathon as well as the Chicago Distance Classic. Oddly enough, the Freep's early registration ends tomorrow... WAAAAY ahead of race day. That should let you know how crazy busy that race is!

So I now have my hotel all set in Chicago (The Palmer House Hilton), my registration in the actual event, and my training plan all set.

W00T! It feels good to have a plan.

I feel so good that I think I will head out and get in a few 400's on the track. Gotta love speed work!