Showing posts with label chimarathon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chimarathon. Show all posts

October 27, 2016

The Big Chicago Marathon 2016 Recap {Expo and Race}

I have been putting this off because I don't even know where to begin talking about the Chicago Marathon. I've also been dealing with some foot pain and grad school midterms which can take a person's mind off blogging. Anyone else feel like their marathons go by in a blur? After it's over I only remember certain sites, certain miles, and certain feelings (including those steps across the finish line). 

The Big Chicago Marathon 2016 Recap {Expo and Race}

Because of my grad school schedule I missed some fun things and had to get into Chicago late Friday night. I was feeling like a cold was coming on all week which had me thoroughly freaked out about the race. Saturday morning I ended up taking the train downtown to meet up with Kelly Robert's #SportsBraSquad Shake-Out Run at the Westin on Michigan Ave. I had met Kelly briefly at the November Project Summit in Ontario in July but finally got to have a quick chat and snap a photo with her.  She's fabulous and had a nice big group for a 2 mile shakeout run that included lots of beautiful city views and selfies. 


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Also kudos to Oiselle for hooking us up with some swag. I am in love with this shirt! 

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You should totally go to Kelly's NYC Marathon shakeout run if you are in town for it! After a quick pit stop at Trader Joe's for bananas, bars, and beet juice with Emily  before heading over to the expo. 

Since this is my third year in a row, I knew what to expect. Things were still really organized as I expected. I suppose I was feeling a little bit anxious about the race and that my boyfriend hadn't up with me yet so I was feeling a bit overwhelmed.  Also the expo is far more crowded on Saturday than it would have been on Friday so that is something to get used to if you haven't been to a big race expo, particularly a World Marathon Majors race one. 

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So I quickly grabbed my bib and bothered strangers to take photos of me, despite still being kinda gross looking since I didn't shower post-shakeout run. 

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No big race expo is complete without a stop to the Nuun booth to say hello and grab a cute new water bottle to add to my collection. 

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I also got to check out the Moji booth and try out some massage products that I took home with me. This Moji Foot Pro is fabulous on the bottom of your tired feet, especially if you freeze it first!

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As always, I love all the awesome Nike graphic photo backdrops around the expo. Perfect for getting pumped about the 26.2 miles happening the next day!

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I also co-hosted the We Run Social meetup with the fabulous Heather which was nice, despite some people being confused that we were not in fact speaking on the Runner's World stage but rather just meeting near it! 

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There was a few more photos before getting showered and relaxing. I grabbed some pasta with Erica for dinner. I had some pasta with chicken and marinara sauce as my pre-race dinner. 

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Before bed was iPod and Garmin charging as well as laying out all the goods I needed for the next day. 

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{Lululemon Run Swiftly tagged shirt, Lululemon shorts, Ciele hat, Feetures! compression socks, Brooks Launch 3 running shoesHoneyStinger Ginsting gels & Huma gels, Nuun Hydration Lemon-Lime Energy, and Run Gum in peppermint} 

I had worked with Coach Suz (she's fabulous!) to have her consult on my training plan and race day plans and offer her suggestions so I had a general idea of how I wanted to run the race. I was feeling anxious and unsure of how I felt about the race pretty much up until I got to the starting area.  Once I felt the chilly weather (despite not being quite as chilly as I prefer) and all the marathon excitement in the air, I was really happy. 

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It was also possibly that things were going super smoothly. I got dressed and had a banana, Salted Caramel HoneyStinger waffle, and Nuun. I took the train into downtown and caught one just as it arrived from the Austin blue line station. I moved through the security checkpoint super quickly this year and EVEN found a port-a-potty with only 6 people ahead of me in line. There were Nike pacers in line too so I'm almost positive it wasn't VIP or anything and was just covered by bushes so it was less crowded. The realist that I am, I was thinking that things were going too smoothly to be true but tried to roll with it. 

Miles 1-5: Pace groups make me anxious because of my self-placed pressure to keep up with the group, but I decided to line up with the 3:30 pacers anyways. Hats off to the guys that were super fun and amazing.  The start is really crowded which kind of helps with runners starting out slower and not going out too fast so I didn't worry. The beginning miles with the pacers was super crowded and for the first 5 mile I was almost tripped and bumped into people multiple times which was really freaking annoying.  It's such a big race and the 3:30 pace group seemed popular. Especially since I have run this race now twice before, I really tried to soak in the race and excitement with no music or anything. My GPS was yet again messed up because of the tunnels so I really focused on just staying with the pace group.

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My boyfriend got this cool shot of me running by and smiling at around Mile 3ish. 

Miles 6-10:
 I told myself to just try to settle in, stay comfortable, and follow the pace group but not freak if I wasn't right next to a pacer. The pacers were great with one guy telling the guy in front to pull back. I was feeling great and tried to settle in and stopped at most of the water stops. I wasn't carrying any water because it annoys me so I made sure to stay hydrated.  The miles were moving past especially because I wasn't paying attention to my watch. It was nice to feel comfortable with the pace group and not have to worry about anything but running and keeping them in sight.  Still no music and lots of crowd support! 

Miles 11-15: I feel like in my marathons I always am dreading and waiting for the wall so I talked to Suz about throwing in some faster strides and changing my mentality. This time I stuck with the pace group but was feeling really good and was annoyed by the crowdedness of the group behind the pacers so decided to run in front of the pace group around mile 14. I kept my mentality the same as I had at the Philly Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon this year where I tried to just run where I felt good and not get freaked out by the pace. I also took an extra gel around mile 12.5 as Suz suggested to give me an extra boost when I usually start to freak out on the inside.  The pacers reminding everyone from Mile 11 onwards to stop at the water stops was also super helpful. 

Miles 16-20: Around Mile 16 I turned on the iPod. I also peeked back behind me a couple times before I just kept running and knew that if I saw the pace group pass me, I'd have to keep up-but I didn't see them. I kept telling myself my mantra "I am comfortable, I am strong" and reminding myself how crappy I felt at this point last year and how my legs felt good this year. My breathing wasn't heavy or labored, and I was having fun. Once it hit 18 I tried to periodically check out my watch but not let it determine the race for me.  Around 18 the thoughts that I had a fast enough 3:30 BQ (and PR) in reach but tried to not get ahead of myself because as I knew, the marathon is a 20 mile warm-up with a 10K race.  I saw my boyfriend at Mile 18 who had some water and was literally stunned as I ran by smiling and giving him the thumbs up, telling him I felt great. 

Miles 21-26: Obviously my legs started to hurt after mile 20 as is expected with a marathon. I knew at this point that I was crushing it and only had to make it to the finish. Mile 22 on was just giving it all I had left in the metaphorical fuel tank. I had my music and the crowds to help push me. At Mile 22 was the November Project-Chicago cheer station which was a huge boost to get some cheers and high-fives.  During this last stretch I focused on just getting to the next mile marker.  Making it to the next mile was a nice mental game that helped push me to the end.  The miles blur together now. 

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Around Mile 23, pushing it to the end. 
As I got to Mile 25, all the emotions start to hit me. It was different because usually I get more emotional during the race but was surprisingly composed during this marathon (mostly because of my mental game).  Once I was at this point I knew I would make it and tried my best to push it to the end.  As I crossed the finish line I was in tears and just broke down sobbing after I finished. Two different people asked me if I was okay, and I told them it was just happy tears, no worries. 

As I waddled towards the fountain with my Goose Island beer in hand, which tastes effing amazing after a marathon, I was SO damn happy. You can see it in this photo below. That moment of relaxing, with a beer in hand, all by myself was is my favorite post-race moment to savor. 

 I was ahead of the 3:30 pacer, completely surpassing my A goal for the race. I grabbed my bag and had texts from friends. Suz texted me that I crushed it. I was confused because friends were saying I had run 3:34 because the live tracking on the app had gone by gun time not chip time (which I later found out) and caused me to freak out that my results were messed up. 

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Suz texted me my actual race results which made me feel awesome. 3:27? WHAT?!


I met up with my boyfriend and some friends and was on top of the world. ON TOP OF THE WORLD. I was kind of in disbelief that I ran a marathon in crushing my goal time and it wasn't that painful. I mean my legs hurt, and I don't think I could go faster but I did it. Despite not really believing in myself until race morning. Over a 7 minute PR and a nice cushion over my 3:35 Boston Qualifying time.  

Third time's a charm, Chicago. I LOVE YOU. 

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The race was a little warm (not as much as last year thank goodness), but perfect for hanging out afterwards. After frantically finding the results tent I learned that their tracking system was down and others had messed up tracker times so I felt confident that my time was not completely messed up. I threw some sandals on and just hung out with friends jamming to the live band. 

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Oh and I used my beer ticket to grab my free beer (the one at the finish doesn't count-I love you Chicago). It was so sunny out I actually got a little sunkissed on my face.  

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After a shower and some relaxation, I headed out to Small Cheval for my post-marathon meal of choice-a burger, fries, and a beer. Amazing

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Finally the night was ended with a few more beers and some Jeni's Ice Cream in Wicker Park. I was going to go for the double scoop, but the triple scoop was the marathoner's special for the same price so obviously I went with that. The perfect end to the day! 

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The race day was better than I imagined and now I'm a little worried I won't have a better marathon!  Thank you again everyone for all the love, support, and good vibes!

What is your favorite big race moment? 

October 12, 2016

I DID IT! {Chicago Marathon 2016 Initial Thoughts}

If you follow me on social media you probably saw that Sunday was one of those perfect race days. It went so smoothly I still want to pinch myself to make sure it really happened that way. 

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Obviously since it was my third year in a row running the Chicago Marathon, you might have already guessed that I was a fan. Besides the flat and fast course, the whole thing is so well-organized. I love the city route, the atmosphere, the spectators that line the entire course, and all of the amazing volunteers. 

Race morning was a breeze, and I stayed calm, collected, and just let myself run. I can't thank all my friends, family, fellow runners, and followers for all the love, support, and good vibes I was given.  When I knew at Mile 20 that I had a Boston Qualifying time and my goal in me, it was just a surreal moment. I wanted that dream of running Boston really badly. 

I tried to tell myself not to get too excited since the race was just starting at Mile 20, but deep down I knew I could do it. I spend a lot of time trying to fake confidence and believe in myself (#workinprogress). The days before the race I was anxious about my goals and saying I was ready for the marathon despite so many people telling me I was going to rock it, yet it took race day for me to positively believe it.  I trusted the training and myself especially once I past the halfway mark. I knew that my legs and heart were going to get me to the finish line strong.  All those early mornings, hot & humid summer long runs, and tough workouts were worth it. 

The last 6 miles hurt (I'm pretty sure that's just a given in all marathons), but it was one of the couple marathons where I felt so in control for most of the race. My mental game was on point, and I stayed fairly composed during race until I saw the finish line. Immediately after crossing it I started sobbing. Sobbing so that people were asking me if I was okay, and I was like it's all good-they are happy tears! That elusive Boston Qualifying acceptance time (not just qualifying cuts it anymore!) was mine. I crushed and surpassed my goal time of 3:30 all while not only telling myself that I was strong but truly believing it.  

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I'll have a full race recap up at the end of the week, but just remember to run happy & dream big. You have all the power to achieve your dreams already inside of you.  

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My custom Momentum motivate wrap bracelet with my mantra from last year still holds true. 

And sorry that you'll have to keep hearing about the 2016 Chicago Marathon. Most of my races aren't this amazing so I'm soaking it alllllll in. 

October 7, 2016

Chicago Marathon 2016 Goal Chat

THE BIG RACE IS IN 3 DAYS, GUYS. Seriously can't believe at the end of this week I'll be running the Chicago Marathon for the third year in a row. This year feels a little different-like it snuck up on me somehow? I'm sure I'll be feeling more marathon excited once I get into Chicago tomorrow night. 

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Honestly the whole idea of writing about my goals is scary. It's stupid because everyone I am friends with or who follows me on social media knows I'm running the Chicago Marathon. People who run who I've talked to more in depth know that I want a BQ. And that means a faster BQ not a BQ like last year where I will not get accepted to run the Boston Marathon. 

The weather is looking cooler this year which means I might feel better than last year. My training wasn't perfect. School and life get in the way. I didn't get my mileage as high as I ultimately wanted. It's easy to sit in taper and look at your training schedule and think you should have ran more, or done more speed workouts, or ran an extra 20 miler run.  But now the work is all done and the race on Sunday is the victory lap. 

I did run many hard workouts and ran some really great races so I am proud of this training cycle.   

It's just the idea of putting your goals out there and not achieving them that scares the crap out of me because it's embarrassing and a terrible feeling. There's nothing I can do but put my goals out there and hope that lots of love, support, and good vibes are with me on race day.  I believe in the power of positive thinking and mentally getting yourself prepared but not psyched out. 

October 5, 2016

Chicago Marathon Training Weeks 14 & 15 Recap

IT'S RACE WEEK, GUYS. Seriously can't believe at the end of this week I'll be out running the Chicago Marathon for the third year in a row. Here's a recap of really my last two weeks of training. Don't worry a post on race goals and taper madness will come later.  Here's a recap of weeks 14 & 15 of my Chicago Marathon training. 

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Marathon Training 2016 Week 14 (9/19-9/25)

MondayRest
Tuesday: Charm City Run training group coaching, 3.1 miles  I wanted to squeeze in a workout but didn't make it there early enough due to traffic. BLAH
Wednesday: November Project-Baltimore workout at the top of Fed Hill and run there/back , 5.0 miles 
Thursday:  Tempo Run with 4 miles at race pace, 8.4 miles 
cooler temps mean HOT DAMN feeling strong
Friday: Nuun Year Dash virtual run , 5.25 miles
Saturday:  Long run coaching and a couple miles to finish it out, 15.04 miles 


I FINALLY got the chance to meet Erica in person and she joined  me for 6ish miles around the Inner Harbor!
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Bloggers always need a photo op

Sunday
: Dogfish Dash 8K, 4.9 miles

Felt really strong and held a faster pace than I expected I was 8th female with a surprisingly speedy, beer-loving crowd. Full race recap to come!  

Total miles: 41.69 miles

September 12, 2016

Chicago Marathon Training Weeks 10 &11 Recap

Things have been way more hectic in my training now that graduate school has started again for the semester. The weather has been bouncing around between cooler mornings and the usual hot & humid weather which has made how I feel on runs more variable than usual.  Here's a recap of weeks 10 & 11 of my Chicago Marathon training. 

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Marathon Training 2016 Week 10 (8/22-8/28)
Monday: morning run with 3 tempo miles thrown in the middle, 6.0 miles
Tuesday: speedwork run with 4x 1 mile repeats, 5.4 miles
Wednesday: November Project-Baltimore workout and some extra miles , 8.0 miles 
Thursday:  easy morning run, 4.25 miles
Friday: Rest
Saturday:  long run in NJ that felt great and my 18 miles for the day eneded up being 20 with two tempo miles at the end 

This run was such a surprise! I met up with some people from the Run856 Facebook group and ran with some people who all had different distances. This guy ended up running the full 18 with me which was great, and with some water fountain stops and different little loops I ended up feeling like I could keep going and at the end finished the last couple of miles fast around my tempo pace just to see. After refueling with Wawa donut and coffee (which makes me SO happy) and then having a big breakfast when I got home, I napped! 

Sunday: recovery run on treadmill and some core, 3.1 miles


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Total miles: 46.75

August 31, 2016

Chicago Marathon Training 2016 Weeks 7,8,9 Recap

I know I keep being shocked that Chicago is getting closer and closer, but I seriously cannot believe that October is just about a month away. I've been trying my best to stick to my training plan despite lots of travelling and have been feeling pretty good with all of the running I've been doing, despite pretty much sweating buckets every time I workout. Honestly, that's really nothing new. Here's a recap of weeks 7-9 of my Chicago Marathon training. 

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Marathon Training 2016 Week 7 (8/1-8/7)

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: solo speedwork: 6x yasso 800s, 7.25 miles
Wednesday: November Project Baltimore workout and run, 5.5 miles
Thursday:  track Thursday run and 30 minute of strength, 5.0 miles
Friday: AM November Project Baltimore hills run & PM BOMF relay race, 6.8 miles total
Saturday: hot & humid easy paced long run #sportsbrasquad, 17.0 miles
Sunday: easy and hot recovery run, 4.0 miles

Total miles: 45.55<-- made it into the 40 mile club for the week! 


Marathon Training 2016 Week 8 (8/8-8/14)
Monday: strength/lifting at the gym
Tuesday: AM tempo run, 8.0 miles
Wednesday: AM November Project Seattle workout, PM trail run in Seattle at Discovery Park, 7.6 miles 
Thursday:  waterside run in Seattle, 5.5 miles
Friday: November Project Vancouver pop-up workout 1.1 miles
Saturday:SEAWHEEZE lululemon half marathon (Half marathon #20!), 13.2 miles
Sunday: post-Seawheeze recovery run, 4.0 miles

August 8, 2016

Chicago Marathon Training Weeks 5&6 Recap

I just saw today that we only have 63 days until Chicago. What?!? I've just been chugging along in my training, getting in those long runs. Baltimore has been having it's usual summer weather this past month, hot and HUMID. I finally have a few weeks off from school and am soaking in every last day of it.  Here's a recap of weeks 5 & 6 of my Chicago Marathon training. 

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Marathon Training 2016 Week 5 (7/18-7/24)

Monday: easy recovery run, 5 miles
Tuesday: 5K coaching group, 2 miles
Wednesday: November Project Baltimore workout and run, 5 miles
Thursday:  Tempo run, 6.6 miles
Friday: November Project Baltimore hills for breakfast run, 5 miles
Saturday: HOT HOT HOT long run and coaching, 16.3 miles. Had to split it up briefly to coach but happy to get it done strong. 
Sunday: Rest

Total miles: 39.9


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Week 6- crushing stairs and burpees at #NP_BAL PR Day {Photo thanks to Gio}
Marathon Training 2016 Week 6 (7/25-7/31)
Monday: Treadmill easy miles and 20 minutes upper body weightlifting, 5 miles
Tuesday: 5K coaching group and easy harbor miles, 4 miles 
Wednesday: November Project Baltimore PR Day workout with an 8.0 PR!, 5 miles
Thursday:  HUMID and HOT too late tempo run, 5 miles
Friday: November Project Baltimore workout running bleachers at JHU, 1.29 miles
Saturday:Drenched #sportsbrasquad humid long run and 5K group coaching, 14 miles + 3.1 run/walk coaching. 
Sunday: 60 minute #ChurchofEC spin class at Rev Cycle Studio with Sarah

July 27, 2016

Chicago Marathon Training Weeks 3&4

It's time for another recap of how marathon training has been going. I've been travelling a ton so my schedule has been kind of all over the place with lots of resting/travel days thrown in. 

I still can't believe I'm already weeks into training and got my corral assignment for the Chicago Marathon this week. I'm in C again like last year. Corral C party anyone? That definitely gives me a twinge of anxiety knowing that race day is approaching quicker than I think! 

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Marathon Training 2016 Week 3 (7/4-7/10)

Monday: #traverbal to November Project DC (1.0 mile plus lots of burpees!)
Tuesday: 5K Coaching Group and hill workout, 5.8 miles
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday:  Tempo Run in Boston along Charles River, 6.2 miles
Friday: Summit Ave hills with November Project Boston and SARAH :)
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 15.0 miles for long run split into morning and afternoon runs. Made the afternoon run route so that I stopped at Blackbird donuts because #motivation. 

Total miles: 34.0


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Marathon Training 2016 Week 4 (7/11-7/17)
Monday: November Project Boston Destination Deck Workout + run there/back, 4.2 miles
Tuesday: 5K Coaching group and Shack Track and Field Run, 6.7 miles 
Wednesday: November Project Baltimore Pokemon BAL_1 workout with lots of stairs!, 5.0 mi
Thursday:  Rest
Friday: November Project Summit Workout, 3.2 miles
Saturday:#ECSON Marathon Relay at Blue Mountain, hilliest 10K ever plus some easy extra miles, 10.7 miles
Sunday: Rest

Total miles: 29.8


Lows
Travelling for a volunteer weekend in Boston and then #NP_Summit threw off my schedule a little bit, but I think things went fine despite having to be flexible and taking some more rest.  I try not to stress and just fit in most of my workouts if I can when travelling. I didn't fit in all 13 miles on Saturday for Week 4 but that hilly 10K makes up for it in my mind! Definitely need to foam roll more and drink more water for real. 


Highs
Getting to run with Sarah and go to November Project Boston twice and then getting to go to NP Summit were amazing. I'll recap NP Summit sometime soon when I figure out something to say besides OMGITWASAWESOME.  It was really great getting to run in different places, challenge myself with some workouts, and hang out/workout with different people these past couple of weeks.  
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Blue Mountain Ski Resort in Ontario. Yup we ran up that hill. 
How do you deal with training when you are travelling? 

July 13, 2016

Chicago Marathon Training 2016 Weeks 1&2 Recap

Well folks, it is that time again. Things have been a little crazy. I consulted a couple coaches about my plan and am pretty much following the plan I created last year with some tweaks such as more speed work, more easy miles, and actually sticking with adding some pace miles or fast finishes to my long runs. If you are looking for a run coach or some advice, check out Coach Suz or Amanda from Run to the Finish ! 

It's taking me some time to get into the groove with marathon training because I usually don't follow training plans or a strict workout schedule year round. I mostly do what I feel like, go to November Project, and attend fitness classes when they pop up as well as get in a longer run sometime during the weekend.  I had a really solid first two weeks of workouts and am trying a different kind of training recap this time around. 

I kind of love and hate weekly workout recaps. I like reading other peoples and seeing what they do because it's interesting. However most times I feel like it just becomes a comparison trap for people (myself included).  Since I'm insanely busy (do I say that enough on the blog?), and it will get tough to stick to my schedule once fall classes start again, I figured recapping my workouts on the blog adds another layer of accountability for me.  So I'll share my workout overviews from the weeks as well as a high and low (that part is from the future occupational therapist in me). So here we go! 

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Marathon Training 2016 Week 1 (6/20-6/26)

Monday: 2 miles at BWC 5K Coaching Group + 1 solo miles easy run
Tuesday: SB Barre Class
Wednesday: November Project Baltimore workout #doubleverbal
Thursday:  REV45 spin class
Friday: November Project Baltimore hill workout
Saturday:Coaching 5K training group + 13 easy miles
Sunday: BWC 5K 

Total miles: 31.1

Marathon Training 2016 Week 2 (6/27-7/3)

Monday: Rest-30 minutes of light yoga
Tuesday: Speed Workout 4x800m with rest, 5.9 miles 
Wednesday: November Project Baltimore PR day workout 5 miles
Thursday:  5.25 tempo run 
Friday: November Project Baltimore Sunrise 6K race
Saturday:Coaching 5K training group + 100-10 workout with 10K run for 9.8 miles otal
Sunday: easy 10.5 mile long run around harbor 

Total miles: 40.15


Lows
I had lots of speedwork coincidentally these weeks with the BWC 5K, speed workout Tuesday, NP PR Day, and THEN the NP Sunrise 6K. I was pretty proud of holding it together but definitely know I can't do that all the time. I'm definitely not going to be up around 40 miles for the next couple of weeks again. I also REALLY need to dust off my foam roller and be sure to spend time recovering better.  

Highs
Despite feeling a little sore and tight naturally, I was really happy with how I felt having more weekly miles than usual at the start of training. I've been hovering around 20-25 weekly miles during the spring so bumping it up and making sure I including some easy miles felt good. I also got in a lot of faster runs and was hitting the pace I wanted on my tempo run which always makes me feel great. 

Are you training for any fall events? Do you like reading or sharing weekly workout recaps? 

April 26, 2016

I've got a fever, and the only cure is more marathons

You know after the Boston Marathon, a day in which every runner at work is in fact sneaking away to watch the Boston Marathon streaming online, that it is almost fall marathon season. Okay so it's at least fall marathon lottery and registration season.  

Everyone and their mother is registering for marathons, maybe catching the fever and running their first or running multiple races. 

Of course as always, I'm super inspired and motivated to train again after watching the Boston Marathon and seeing all the heart and reading all the stories that come out of it. 

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I want another, faster BQ (Boston Marathon qualifying time) since I am less than a minute under my qualifying time and need to be faster to apply and be accepted to run nowadays.  I'm still shy about talking about it, but it's something I want that I can't deny. 

I talked about why a BQ is an A goal but obviously it's not everything here last year before I ran the Chicago Marathon.  Since I wanted to run a flat-ish marathon course, my options were limited. Because of my school schedule I also didn't want to run a marathon that was going to be a big trip and farther away.  

The Philadelphia Marathon has been on my list of races to run for a while.  I've shied away from it the past couple of years because I really would rather run a race earlier in the Fall since I have more time to train in the summer and less in the Fall, especially now that grad school is crazy.  I ran the Philadelphia Half Marathon a couple years ago and have obviously raced there a bunch.  

Once I PRed a half marathon in Philadelphia a couple weeks ago (recap to follow!), my choice to run it was solidified. I love Philly, and it loves me.  I signed up on the day registration open, sadly missing their really discounted marathon entries, but still getting early bird registration. 

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So yep, Philadelphia Marathon 2016, and I'm all ready to go

Not so fast. Did you forget that I'm a crazy runner lady? 

I've got a fever, and the only cure is more marathons
Maybe I'm an old fart, but this skit never gets old!
I've been getting emails for weeks from the Chicago Marathon about entering the lottery or applying for guaranteed entry (which I qualify for again, as I did last year).  Then I saw a bunch of friends were entering the lottery. Then I thought long and hard about getting vengenace on that Chicago Marathon course which mostly because of the heat last year, kicked my butt.