18 weeks begins today

Well, I am 18 weeks out from the Pacific Northwest Marathon. Woo hoo! I actually feel really good. I have been on vacation and getting most of my runs in at sub-9 pace. I have been having great treadmill runs and also had a good outdoor run with Jeff in the mountains last week. My only drawback was I was sick on Saturday so I missed my long run. It's okay though, because I am raring to go! Maybe it was a good idea to cutback before training really starts! I still haven't completely chosen my training plan. Right now, I just know I want to run 6 days a week, add in some hill sprints, do a little bit of strength training and would love to do yoga. My plan is to run sub-9 miles as much as possible. I also want to do as many pace miles as possible. :-) So, what did I do for my first training day? Hal Higdon is what I am leaning toward. My fastest marathon was when I followed his Advanced 2 plan. Today was a 3xhill workout that I did on the treadmill. I did a total of 5 miles, with 3xhill at 5-6% incline at 7:30pace for .25 miles each time and then .25 miles recovery. I ended the workout at a 8 minute pace and I was dripping sweat and felt great!

How I "won" a "half marathon"

Alright, I am guessing this is probably never going to happen again so I have to write it down for my posterity. I emailed my friend Cherl after the race so I will copy and paste that here.
Background- I knew I would be at the beach with my sister and I wanted to run long on the beach on Saturday. I contacted local running clubs to find a good fit. This one meets 4 miles from Crystal and Tony so it was perfect. They emailed me the route during the week and mentioned it would be a "mock 10k/half marathon." I thought I might as well race it too. :-)

When I showed up my plan was to start at 8:30's or 8:20's. There was a group of about 20 of us. There were some running the half and some running the 10k. They had emailed me directions of the route and also gave me a printed version. I just planned on following the "fast" runners if I could. So, they said go and everyone started jogging. It was the weirdest thing and I didn't know what to do. I didn't know the route that well so I didn't feel like I could just speed ahead. So, I was behind a couple of guys and we were running 9:30's. Then I just decided to run with a guy who was doing the 10k. Once the route split, I realized I didn't know who else was running the half, so I just kicked it into gear and wanted to see what I could do. I knew the first 3 miles would keep me from as fast as I wanted to run, but I just turned my watch off from overall time and just watched my lap paces. It was so fun!! I got lost a few times but overall it was beautiful and I am proud of how I ran! 

Lap 1- 9:28

Lap 2- 8:54

Lap 3- 9:04

Lap 4-8:15

Lap 5-7:56

Lap 6-8:15

Lap 7- 8:11

Lap 8-8:11

Lap 9-8:21

Lap 10-8:17

Lap 11-8:12

Lap 12- 8:38 (was very lost at this point)

Lap 13-7:56 (just decided to run until I hit 13.1 and then figure out where to go!)

.1- 7:07

Total 1:50:21- 8:25 pace (17 seconds faster than my half in September. :-)

This gets me excited about the half at the end of January! Best I have ever felt, And I won the half. :-)

Things are starting to click!

I wanted to write some things down before I forget! I am having a great training cycle so far. (Even though I don't know exactly my plan yet. :-)) Here are some highlights:

Last week- On Monday did a faster workout with Annie.  threshold run, 10:08, 9:02, 7:51, 7:30, 7:57, 9:52, 10:39, 5 hill sprints at the end, overall pace 6.04 miles at 8:54 pace
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday- Nice runs with friends and some of them longer.
Friday- Annie joined me again and did a pace run with me. 8 miles with 6 below pace 8:12, 8:15, 8:20, 7:55, 8:21, 8:12, overall 8:38 pace for 8 miles
Saturday- 12 miles at 8:56 pace. Very hilly run and I felt great! No soreness from my pace run yesterday. Feeling good!

Mileage for the week was 47 miles in 6 days. Starting to get up there.

This week- I can't get over how good I have felt.
Monday- 5 miles at 8:45 pace- just trying to get comfortable running faster
Tuesday- Nice runs with 2 different groups to go 7.5 miles
Wednesday-Ran with the faster group and they really pushed me. Ran a 7:56 pace for 5 miles. Definitely a tempo run for me! Felt tough but manageable!
Thursday- Treadmill run at the Y in Long Beach. 10:25, 9:25, 8:40, 8:20, 8:20, 7:50, last 2 miles just kept increasing to finish 8.02 miles in 70 minutes, last pace was sub 7. felt amazing!!! I did not wear my watch but this was the best I could remember. :-) One funny part is after I hit 60 minutes it automatically put me in cool down mode. This drops you to 4.5 miles per hour. I had to keep putting it back up. It was driving me crazy!
Friday- Decided to just do an easy 3 miles on the treadmill to save my legs for Saturday's run. It deserves a post all itself.

Racing Weight

I hate that I struggle with my weight but it is what it is. I am ready to put the work in to lose some weight before this training cycle.  I weighed in at 135 this morning. The lowest I weighed this year was 126. I would love to get down there again and I should be able to maintain with my running.  I will pay attention to what I am eating. I can do this!

I was reading Boston Marathon Qualifier Questionnaires and all of them weighed 130 or less and most were taller than me. I will be focusing on nutrition!

I will report back!

Thanksgiving 5K Report

I wrote my goals for the 5k on the post before, which is my running history. :-)

1. In a perfect world, I would love to PR- even by 1 second. :-) My PR is 22:38
2. Sub-23
3. Sub-24

To PR, I would need to average about a 7:15 pace. I was able to do this on the downhill section of Hood to Coast so I knew my leg turnover was there. But I didn't know if I had been doing enough speedwork lately. I was very optimistic, but nervous! My last 5k was a year ago and I ran a 25:06. I was pretty sure I could beat that. :-)

I did a bunch of reading on 5k strategy but basically you run as fast as you can maintain as long as you can. :-) My goal (after talking to Cherl) was to run a 7:30, 7:20, 7:10, and then all out! I thought it was a great plan. Jeff and I were running together, but I had a feeling he would beat me. I was okay with this but wanted to keep him in sight. We couldn't run together since we can't talk at that pace anyway! I planned on music, but left my headphones at home.

First mile- Jeff and I together run a 7:28, pretty good!! Second mile was uphill and I tried to keep up the pace, but it was tough. Ran a 7:26. The third mile I thought I would be able to reign it in but just could not get my legs to move fast enough. I ran a 7:43 and Jeff pulled ahead. The last .1 I was able to run a 6:10 and I was done!!

So, official time 23:13. I was really hoping to break 23, but couldn't quite do it. Jeff ran a 22:55. I was very happy for him. I was bummed at first with my results until I realized I have not been training for a 5k and had only done 2 speedwork sessions since September! A 7:28 pace is still very fast and ultimately I am happy. I wanted to know where I am right now and now I know what my 5k fitness level is.

It was fun! The good news is that I won my age group for the first time ever! There were 74 people in my age group, so not too shabby!

I was proud of Jeff. He has been doing Crossfit 3x a week and running 2-3 times a week with me. He is doing awesome!

My Running History

I have been thinking a lot about how I have been training for marathons for 10 years now! That seems crazy! So, I thought I would see if I can remember all the races I have done over the years. I am also running a 5K tomorrow, so I am trying to get excited. :-)

High School- Before my sophomore year, some of my good friends talked my sister and I into running cross country. We went to the summer cross country camp and ran the whole season. I believe my fastest time was a 28:14 and I threw up at the end. It was not my favorite thing. I didn't quit, but after the season, I decided it wasn't for me. :-)

College- I ran to stay in shape. After I gained the Freshman "25" I needed a way to keep weight off once I lost it. I would run a couple of miles every once in a while.

1997- I was dating Jeff and I went home for Christmas. Crystal and Shelly signed up for a 10k and I was offended they hadn't included me. I ran it just to prove I could do it and I think I came in last place.

1998-1999 Jeff and I ran together a little bit to stay in shape.

2000- We lived in Colorado and ran together until Jeff tore his achilles. Then we both gained weight.

2001- I ran on the waterfront of Portland with my friend Melissa. I really enjoyed this. I quit my job and then ended up getting pregnant. I didn't really exercise until I got gestational diabetes and they told me to walk on the treadmill a mile every day. This changed my whole view of exercise. I saw lots of people training for Hood to Coast and thought they were crazy. I worked for GE and they sponsored a team, so when I found out it was free and 6 months after having a baby, I thought it would be the perfect thing to motivate me!

2002- I had Dallin in February 2002. I lost my baby weight fairly quickly because I only gained 15lbs. Fritz from work gave us a training plan and I followed it exactly for Hood to Coast.
First 5K post baby- We were supposed to run a 5k to see our time. I ran one in May and surprised myself by running a 27:xx. I remember I never saw a 1 mile sign and I was so frustrated that it was taking me so long to run a mile and then I saw the 2 mile sign. :-) Too bad I didn't have a Garmin back then!
15k- This was a 9 mile race called the Columbia Classic and you run on the old highway at night. It was a beautiful race, but it was hard! I think I averaged between a 9 ad 10 minute mile.
Hood to Coast- Ran leg 11, first leg was a 4pm and there was no shade. It was miserable. I didn't bring water because I thought my van would! I ran 11 minute miles and was discouraged. Second leg was same distance but at 2 in the morning and it was amazing! I ran 9 minute miles! Last leg was 7 miles uphill and I did not love it. Also, nursing a baby and Hood to Coast do not go together. Got milk?

2003- I wanted a better Hood to Coast experience. I trained with Marlo and Carrie Cook. I got sick right before so I only ran leg 1 and leg 3. A little better than the first time. In November of 2003, I was doing a fit test at the Y and she heard some things with my heart that she didn't like. I tried to get in to see a cardiologist. They found nothing wrong with me but I gained quite a bit of weight in a couple of months and was going through infertility. Got pregnant with Emily. Did not run.

2004- Had Emily in October. Decided to sign up for a marathon to motivate myself. Signed up for Newport Marathon, but really started training in January 2005. Followed Hal Higdon Novice. Never missed a run. Started running with Ed Dillon and Marnie Evans.

2005- March- Champoeg 10K- ran with Ed Dillon, 57:20, listened to music
March Mudness- First Half Marathon, 2:38:06, was training for a flat race in Washington, but when we found out my dad had brain cancer, my sister (who was in town) and I wanted to be close to an airport. The race was in Forest park and I had not trained on hills. It was rainy and I didn't have music. I thought it would take me 2:10. Crazy race.
Newport Marathon- I had an awesome training cycle, never missed a day, ran everything at around 10 minute pace, but just started too fast. First mile was 8:52! :-) ran a 5:11
Crawfish Crawl- 5K- 24:16- Ran with Jeff, wanted to run a sub-8 pace. He got me there! We ran with Ed Dillon too. Told him he was fired. :-)
Hood to Coast- Finally had a great Hood to Coast- ran leg 1 and ran faster than I ever have! Had fun!
Best Dam Run- 10K- 49:13, quite a drop from my 10k earlier in the year!
Autumn Leaves Half Marathon- 1:59, not my favorite course, went through some dirt! But I was happy to get almost a 40 minute PR!

2006- Training for Ogden Marathon with Sarah- We were planning on running Newport Marathon again, but didn't sign up in time
March- 30k- Last year had thought people running the 30k were crazy, I was having heart rate issues, 2:50:53
May- Ogden Marathon- 4:38
June- Green River Marathon with Sarah- Trying to figure out my heart rate
July- Foot Traffic Flat Half- 1:49, ran this with Sarah, stayed with her for the first few miles and then had to ease back. Met up with Cherl for the first time after we had been on the Marathon Mommy blog together.
Pregnant with Bryce!

2007-
Pregnant with Bryce, sign up for St George and get in :-) Have Bryce May 21st, start training 2 weeks later! Had some rough runs but overall went well. Barely hit 20 miles. Ran a 4:06!! 32 minute PR, woo hoo!

2008-
Training for Salt Lake Marathon
March 2008- Champoeg 30K- 2:41- 10 minute PR
April 2008- Salt Lake Marathon- 4:03, 3 minute PR, very disappointing
May 2008- Newport Marathon- 3:48
May 2008- Friar Trot- 5k-23:06- PR
June 2008- 1 week after Newport Marathon- Nike 5k for kids- 22:38- woo hoo!! 7:17 pace
September 2008- Best Dam Run- 49:52
November 2008- Give n Gobble- 50:37

2009-
March- 30k 2:32- Another PR
May- Hippie Chick with Kristyn, ran it as a 22miler
May- Newport Marathon- 4:15ish ? Had stomach probs and knee issue
June- Ragnar w/Marathon Mommies, did not love the elevation, Sarah announced her pregnancy

2010- Got sick with H1N1, took a long time to come back
April- Spring Burst 10K- 51:31- first coaching group
May- Lake Run with Jeff- 12K, whole family ran the 5k :-)
June- Helvetia Half with Jeff- 1:58
August- Provo Half with Jeff- 1:47
St George- Had an awesome training but it was too warm, 4:18, Cherl ran this race as well, but we did not meet up before the race. We were only a few minutes apart so we should have run together. :-)

2011- Trying to get pregnant, not in the best shape

2012- Had a miscarriage in January and signed up for Newport Marathon
May- Hippie Chick with Stephanie as part of a 20 miler
Newport Marathon with Stephanie- 4:51
Run for the Roses- 5k- 24:06
Signed up for St George, got pregnant
St George Marathon- Jeff

2013- Had a baby :-)
Aug- Ran a 5k with Dallin and helped him train for it! I thought I would keep up with him, but he got a 22:45 and I got a 25:06!
Dec- half marathon- December Holiday Half- 1:52

2014-
March- 30K, in great shape for marathon, used it as a marathon training, 2:37, love this race!
April-Yakima Marathon- 4:28, got injured right before
August- Hood to Coast with Jeff- Awesome!!!
September- Oregon Half Marathon- 1:50

I realized that I am missing a couple of races in there! I know I did a run on New Year's Eve one year on the waterfront and Jeff and I ran the Starlight Run 5k. Both of them were probably around 24 minutes. :-)

My goals for the 5K-
1. PR- That 22:38 needs to go :-)
2. Get a sub- 23
3. Get a sub-24

Training update and my first "Ultra"

Well, training has been going pretty well. I have been getting in 4 days a week of strength training and running a little on the side. I have also played basketball and clogged. :-) I am just focusing on getting fit and eating healthy.

On Tuesday of this week, I was feeling kind of down about my races this year. I am happy with how most of them went, but there is so much anticipation and then disappointment. There is also some satisfaction in finishing a race strong, even if I didn't meet my goal. I have learned a lot, but I feel like I haven't had very much "fun" involved in my racing. The problem is that any distance I run, there is a goal in mind. So, after watching a video about a 50k, I got it in my head that that is what I need! I need to run a race for "fun" and 50k is the way to do that. Reach a new distance. :-) I, of course, got online and looked some up. Apparently I had missed a great one by a couple of days (my luck!) and there was one coming up Saturday at Silver Falls, but it was full. So, I just resigned myself to waiting until next year. On Thursday I got a text from the trainer at the Y asking if she could borrow my GPS watch. She was doing a 12 hour run for donations and I had thought it was an indoor run. She informed me that you can run anywhere, and you can have a team do it with you. I decided this was the race I was looking for!! I ran it by Jeff and he supported me while shaking his head. :-) I had some logistics to figure out- like family pictures, a soccer game that Jeff was the only coach for, and a 19month old who needs to nap! Well, I figured out all the details, got a couple of friends to fill in the couple of hours I couldn't run, and then I went for it! I started at 6:30am at the YMCA track with the trainer Katie. Then at 7 I ran with my normal running group(including Jeff!) and then the rest of the day was a little crazy.
9am- Shower and get ready for pictures
10-10:45-family pics
10:45-11:30-run and end up at a house for sale
11:30-12:45- run and meet up with Emily
12:45-1:30 Run with Emily to the toy store to see the Frozen cast (had run/walk over 20 miles by this time)
1:30- Have chipotle brought to me by my friend Cindy and watch Dallin's soccer game.
2:45-3:30- Run to the Y to meet up with Katie
3:30-6:30- Walk with Katie and other friends join us at the Wildlife Refuge

Total running/walking time- 8 1/2 hours, total distance- 33-34 miles, or longer. :-)

It was a little crazy (or a lot!) but it reminded me that I love running. I love being outside. I love being with friends and family. What a great day!!

Week 1 of pre-training get fit and healthy!

I would like to start checking in on Sundays, but we will see. :-) Here is my final update for the week.

Nutrition- Finished 4 full days of Whole 30 and the only cheat I had was Jeff wanted to celebrate an accomplishment at work and brought home ice cream. :-) I had a tiny bit. The rest of the time I have stuck to proteins, fruits, veggies, nuts, and healthy fats like avocado! I have had sweet potatoes and eggs 3 out of the 4 mornings and I have not been hungry and the weight is melting off like it always does when I get rid of grains and dairy. My body just does not do well with them and I need to accept it.

Exercise- I have been running, but not very much. When I do it is following low hr. My monitor seems to jump around even when I don't feel any change, so that is a little frustrating! But, I am enjoying not being as stressed about getting miles in. I ran just under 20 miles, but I also did 2 strength training workouts- one of them Jillian Michaels, played basketball, and did clogging! Oh, and don't forget about Bikram Yoga! This week I want to try short yoga at least 3 times.

Sleep- Jeff and I planned on getting in bed at 9:45 but it only happened once this week. I will do better this week.

MAF Test #1

I am going to try to track my progress a little better than normal. :-) Today, I was able to talk my friend Kirsten into doing the baseline MAF test. The standard formula is 180-age which would be 144 for me. Then there are a few places that say to add 5 points if you have been working out consistently without recurring injury. I decided I fall into that category, so the number I am aiming for is 149. For the next 12 weeks I will do all I can to stay below that number and work aerobically. Today was interesting because my heart rate started in the low 130's for the warmup mile but then it jumped to 185. I am not sure what was going on, but my heart was definitely NOT beating that fast. I am not sure if it was confused by Kirsten's heart rate monitor, but it seemed to level out a few times. So, these are not super accurate results but they will have to do for now. :-)

Mile 1 warmup- 10:56- hr 149 (I know this is wrong! It was downhill and kept jumping to 180's
Mile 2- first test mile around neighborhood- 10:49- hr-144
Mile 3- on the track 10:22, hr- 143
Mile 4- on the track 10:19, hr-148- this is an almost perfect mile
Mile 5- on the track 10:53 hr- 146
Mile 6- partly on track, partly in neighborhood slight incline, 11:30, hr 146
Mile-.19 cool down 11:37, hr 147

Well, this was an interesting first test. I hope I can figure out my watch better, but for now was a good start. I love the numbers. We will see how tomorrow goes. Jeff says he is willing to run slow with me. I hope it doesn't kill him. :-)

My New Plan- Hooray!!

Alright, it is time to suck it up and do it! I have always wanted to devote a full 12 weeks to low heart rate training to build my base, and now is the time. I don't think I have anything to lose.  I have exactly 12 weeks until speedwork of Hanson's starts for the Northwest Pacific Marathon on May 2nd. I am spending this 12 weeks following Phil Maffetone's formula of 180-age and I am going to add 5 beats because I have already been training. My heart rate max is higher than most people, so I don't know if I really fit into this formula, but I am going to try it anyway and see how it goes.

I also feel strongly that I need to follow the Whole 30 again while I do this. I want to train my body to burn more fats and I think this is the way to do it.

Tomorrow will be my initial 5 mile test on a treadmill and I will retest every 4 weeks to see how I am doing and will do one more right before I start Hanson's.

Jeff has agreed to run slow with me on Tues, Thurs, and Sat and I am hoping to get others involved on the other days, but if I can't I will have my treadmill and I am buying a new Shuffle today to celebrate. I worked hard this year!!

Yeah!!!

Getting Ready for the Best year yet- 2015!

Well, I guess I should recap how my summer went and then get going with my plans!

Whole 30 was great and I felt better than I have ever felt. I got down to my wedding weight (even a little less) and was enjoying the new energy and confidence it brought me! Unfortunately, Crossfit was not for me, but Jeff loves it and continues to see progress by going 3 times a week! Jeff and I went to Brazil in June and we had a fabulous time and even kept up with the running, just in case I decided to run a marathon in September. Ultimately I decided to run the half and wait on the marathon.

Jeff and I also ran Hood to Coast together in August. The first and last legs were some of the best running I have ever done! My goal was to average under 8 minute miles for the whole 17 miles.

Leg 1- Around a 7:10 average for 5.5 miles, with 2 of the miles being sub-7! It was a downhill leg, but I was still surprised I could make my legs go that fast! I ran a 5k pr and still had to run another 2 1/2 miles after I was finished!

Leg 2- Tough leg with tired legs :-) but I am proud of myself for not giving up. I averaged just over 8 minute miles for 6 miles.

Leg 3- I expected my legs to feel worse, so I didn't think I would get my goal. I also knew there was a steady uphill for most of the last mile, to end with a downhill for the last quarter mile. I surprised myself when I looked down and saw I was running sub-8 minute miles. I felt fantastic!! So, my slowest mile was that uphill one at an 8:30 pace. I passed 25 people on this leg! I felt like a real runner!

So, then going into my half marathon, I was hoping that I could PR with a 1:45. I will admit I wasn't training as hard as I had been, and my eating was going downhill. :-) I had gained a few pounds and just didn't feel as strong. I was still hopeful after a great Hood to Coast. I started a little slower since it started uphill, but I never got the burst I thought I would. It was a little more hilly than I realized it would be and was a little warmer than I like. In the end, I fought hard for a 1:50, which is still a great time and I am proud of it!

Now, I have been switching things up and taking a little break from running. I have been doing Bikram Yoga and I want to do more strength training. I signed up for the Pacific Northwest Marathon on May 2nd and my goal is to PR in all distances in 2015! I think that is a great goal! So, I have 12 weeks to get in shape. Jeff and I just started a challenge today. My focus is on my eating and strength training. I am not focusing on a number for my weight, but I need to feel light and strong by January. :-)

I will try to update how it is going. I am also considering doing low heart rate training. Either way, I will be building my base!

Whole 30 and Crossfit

Running has not come back to me yet the way I would like it, so I am changing things up! I decided my focus is getting in as good of shape as I can and trying something different. A lot of my friends rave about Crossfit, so I decided to give it a shot. Jeff and I signed up for a free week to try it out. If we like it then we will buy a month membership and go from there. We went 3 days in a row and then took today off because we were sore. :-) I would definitely like to get stronger! My ideal would be to do Crossfit 3 days a week and run 3 days a week, but I am not sure financially if that will work.

One of my good friends was at our Crossfit class the 2nd day. She texted me to tell me congrats. :-) She happened to mention that she had started the Whole 30 challenge. This is a 30 day challenge to cut out grains, dairy, legumes and sugar for 30 days. There is no "free" day. This is supposed to reset your body and help you figure out the best way for you to eat. It is based on a book called, "It starts with food." I have been fascinated by nutrition since I was first introduced to Michael Pollan and Food Inc. I definitely agree that the best way to eat healthy is to eat as fresh as possible. I wasn't so sure about Paleo (which this is based on) because I didn't think it allowed for enough carbs to fuel my running. Since I am not running tons right now, it is the perfect time to try it out. I know how good I feel when I cut out sugar so I knew the others would just make it even better. I am on Day 3 and I  love it! I devoured the book in a day and it all made sense to me. I am testing out the experiment and go from there. The food I get to eat is so yummy, in fact I get to have an avocado every day if I want! That is my favorite.

I will keep you posted! Technically my marathon training would start on Monday, but I am not sure if I am going to train for a marathon- yet. We will see how this goes!

Dreams of Boston

I didn't write up my marathon report from Yakima- oops! You can tell I was not happy with it. Short story is my legs felt great, but my cardio was shot after 2 weeks of no running. I am proud of myself for running it and I did my best, but I am ready for a redo! :-) I ran a 4:28.

I followed the Boston Marathon today and I know it is my turn! I have 3 weeks to recover and then I am back to marathon training. This is my time. I will have a great base. I had a fantastic 30k and I know I was getting in good shape. I am going to follow the Hanson's plan again, but use their advanced program. I am ready for this! I am done nursing, so it is all up to me now.

The deal is that I need to be in balance with the other areas in my life. So, that will be my focus! I can do this! I was inspired watching my friends train and finish! I want to be there next year!!!

Plans and Goals for Yakima Marathon

Well, the good news is there is not a bone injury! So, the Dr. gave me the green light to run. The bad news is, there is tendon inflammation. This means there will be pain involved in my running and this is not an injury that will just go away.

Well, having no experience with injuries, I went out for a run yesterday thinking all would be well. :-) I was so excited to get a chance to run. I went for a slow 5 miles and I felt the injury the entire run. It was a dull ache, not a sharp pain, but discouraging nonetheless. I am not running again until Saturday. :-) I was talking with my husband last night and he said if it were him he wouldn't run the marathon. However, we ended up having a long conversation and here are the reasons I want to run:

1. New course, new area

2. Want to know if it's a good race for me to choose next year

3. I want to at least try the marathon.

4. Dr. gave me the green light and feels I won't do permanent damage.

5. I want to hear Katherine Switzer speak

6. I want to experience the marathon.

Reasons to not run:

1. There will be pain involved.

2. Not getting the time I trained for.

This is from an email I sent to Malcolm. I will run a smart race and listen to my body. If there is too much pain, I will be brave and pull out of the race. I want to enjoy the beauty and give it a shot. I haven't decided if I will do the ibuprofen or not. 

I can't wait to try it!! 

My new goals:

1. Enjoy the scenery

2. Listen to my body.

3 . Have fun.

4. Follow my heart rate.

5. Meet new people. 

6. Pull out if the pain is too intense.

7. PR if feeling good. :-)

8. BQ if the stars align. :-)

9. Trust my training. I have put in the work. 

Will I get to run?

I have a lot to catch up on, but I wanted to write down some thoughts. I have had an awesome training cycle. I feel faster and stronger than I have in a long time. I had a rough pace run the week after the race and it knocked my confidence down for a little while. I came back even stronger and had 2 amazing pace runs. The second one happened on my birthday! Jeff was running the first half with me and I finished the last 6 miles by myself. We were in Arizona and I felt like a million bucks.

Unfortunately, when I came home from that run I felt pain just above my ankle. Normally, I would take time off, but I was afraid I was having "phantom" pains during taper week. The next day I ran 8 miles on it and it turned from dull ache to stabbing pain and I had a hard time walking the rest of the weekend. I have not run since March 21st.

As soon as I got back from Arizona, I went to the dr. I had an MRI yesterday. I will be getting the results today. We fasted with my family that it would be healed if that is what is best for me at this time. I know I have the faith, along with my family to make this happen. I have worked really hard and would love a shot at this race on Saturday.

However, if it is not to be, then I will enjoy family time at the beach and find a new goal. I am wearing my running clothes to the dr so I can go for a run if I am given the green light. I will be smart about this. I will be prayerful going in that I will know the right answer if he leaves the choice up to me. I will weigh the pros and cons.

I am really grateful for my 30k race. I know I have worked hard and in good shape. I can get there again if I can't run Saturday. I have not been eating too great this week, so I will need to figure that out if I get to race. I need my nerves to calm. I am going to clean for the last 30 minutes. Woo hoo!!

5 weeks left- Catchup and Champoeg Race Report

I thought I would be better at keeping track of my training. I guess being extra tired and taking care of a baby is keeping me from my plans! So, here is the update!

I am up to 9 miles of pace runs and my Monday speedwork is 6 miles at 8:13 pace. It started with a 1x6mile and worked its way to a 2x3mile workout, which was today. I have really enjoyed it, but it definitely takes effort. I am really enjoying all these marathon specific workouts. On my slow days I really try to go slow.

Champoeg 30k was Saturday. I tried to have an easy week but on my Wednesday run, we ran a little faster and hillier workout. I was hoping I wouldn't regret it. I took the last 3 runs really slow. Friday night I started questioning my ability to run an 8:23 pace for 18.6 miles. I knew it would shatter my confidence for the marathon if I couldn't do it. I decided I couldn't worry about it and just had to go for it. If my heart rate and body were having a hard time, I would pull back a little. The main thing was I didn't want to start out too fast.

So, the day of the race came, without much sleep the night before. Some due to nerves and some due to baby Caden. :-)  I met up with my good friend Cherl and we only had time to do a little warmup. The race started and we split up. She went ahead and I just kept my eye on her white rain jacket. The weather was a little cold and rainy but not too bad. My first mile was an 8:16. A little faster than I wanted. I tried to slow down, but I didn't do so well. The next one was 8:18 and the third was 8:09. At  that point I realized my Garmin was reading longer than the course. So, I decided to slow down a little but not too much. My goal was to do each 10k in 52 minutes. The first one I did in 52:08. I was pretty happy with this. I took off my jacket, took a Gu and kept going. My pace stayed around 8:20-8:24. I ran the next 10k in 52:30. My heart rate was staying in the 180's. I was trying to keep it in the low 180's. Once I cross into the 190's I know I am in trouble and it is hard to get it back down. What was cool was that I hit a couple of second winds where my body just felt like it was gliding along at that pace. Toward the end of the second loop I caught up to Cherl. She was not loving the race. It was tough but I ended up passing her. I was sticking to the plan. I kept thinking she would fly by me at any minute.
On the third 10k, my heart rate got up to the 190's and it felt tougher than I wanted it to. I hung on and tried to get the downhill to get it back down. It never really happened so I just finished strong. I didn't feel like I maxed out, but I was definitely pushing it. My last lap was 52:24 for a total time of 2:37, which is an 8:25 pace. My garmin says 18.87 for an 8:20 pace. :-) Either way, I am happy. I still have work to do, but this program is definitely working. This is a faster pace than I ran for the half marathon and my heart rate stayed lower and it felt easier. Also, I maxed out in that one and hit the 190's much earlier! I crossed the half marathon mark of this one in 1:49 which is exactly where I want to be in the marathon! I still felt good too.

I was hoping my recovery would go well and it did. I was able to do 9 miles on the treadmill today. I did my 6 miles pretty comfortably at an 8:13 pace. Didn't love it, but felt strong.  I want to make sure and take my slow days slow and follow the plan for the speedwork day. I am feeling pretty confident for Yakima. I know I can at least PR if I run a smart race. In a perfect world, I will also BQ. :-)

We will see...

Hanson's Plan Progress

I didn't realize it had been so long since I had written! Cherl and I keep a google doc with our times and paces for each run. It is awesome for a math nerd like myself. :-) So, it feels like I am recording my results even though I am not posting to the blog.

My update is that I have finished the speedwork portion of the training plan. It started with 12x400M and worked its way to 4X1200M. It was always 3 miles of fast work. I loved the mathematicalness (is that a word?!) of the plan. I was able to do every workout at 7:20 pace. It got tougher as it got longer, but I could do it, so that is good.

The pace runs are now up to 8 miles of pace. So far I have been able to do this and keep my heart rate down until the end. My big test will be a 30k in 2 weeks. My goal is to do all 18.6 miles at Boston goal pace of 8:23.

I feel pretty strong right now. I was doing a 6 week pushup program that was getting me doing over 100 pushups in one sitting. I think it really helped! I also have been slowly losing weight and am now down to 131.8lbs. I can definitely feel a difference when I run.

I have loved the program! I have been running 40-50 miles a week and feeling very good! The longest run I have done so far is 15 miles, but at the end I felt like I could keep going. I think that is a fantastic sign. :-)

I will post more. I am also loving that Jeff has been running with me for the last couple of weeks. We had a hilly run this morning and it was awesome! I am so proud of him for working so hard and it has been fun to do it with him!

Hanson's Marathon Plan

I have a good friend, Cherl, who has been through a lot with me in marathon training over the years. We met on a running forum when we discovered we had identical first marathon times- 5:11. Both of us knew we were capable of better than that. We have gone our own ways but now I believe we have similar PRs and have run a similar number of marathons. We even ran one marathon "together" at St George, but didn't find each other at the beginning. This was too bad because we finished just a few minutes apart. It would have been nice to have her to keep me going even when the race wasn't what I wanted. :-)

So, this brings us to now. Cherl's PR is a 3:52 and she needs a 3:45 to qualify. My PR is a 3:48 and  I need a 3:40. She is much faster than me on normal runs. She found a marathon plan that has worked for some of her friends called Hanson's Marathon training. It intrigued me enough that I am going to "experiment" with it.

It has a day of speedwork, a day of marathon pace running, 3 days of slow runs and a long run. The long runs don't get longer than 16 miles. That seems crazy, but the idea is that you are running tired from the other runs, but you can recover faster for the quality speed miles. We will see how it goes. I ran 41 miles last week and this week was my first attempt at the schedule. I am somewhere between their beginner schedule and their advanced schedule so that makes it a little tricky to plan. Here is my week so far.

Monday- 12x400s at 5k or 10k pace. I ran them all between 1:44 and 1:50. It was tough, but I did it!
Tuesday- short recovery run on the treadmill- 3.5 miles
Wednesday- today was a 6 mile pace run. I was hoping it would go really well, but it was tough and I couldn't hit the paces. I am not sure what this means. I felt a little light headed so I don't know if I had enough in my system. I need to make sure I eat more carbs. With nursing still, I am sure I need to be extra careful.

My heart rate got too high too soon. I ran 8:20, 8:19, 8:22, 8:48, 8:48, 8:47. I am glad I hung in there even when I wasn't feeling great. I was thinking about giving up and then I went home and actually signed up for the marathon. So, now I am stuck!! I am hoping this keeps me working hard. I may not be ready to BQ, but I am ready to get racing again. I love having a goal, I just need to accept where my body is.

Okay, the baby is crying hard. I thought he would go to sleep.

I will keep updating. I am running Yakima River Canyon Marathon on April 5th and no matter what it will be an amazing experience!