Phoenix Marathon Training Weeks 13-15

Week 13 was easily one of the best weeks of running in my life.  Weeks 14 and 15 were some of the worst. 

Week 13 was exactly what I needed.  I had so many doubts and questions about pace and times and heart rate and everything else that it was making me crazy.  Then our 19 mile long run happened.  I decided before the run I wouldn't check my watch throughout and that we would just run by feel.  We ran four <5 mile loops around town and hid a water bottle and oranges in bushes.  On our third lap around the water bottle was missing!  I could have really used that Gatorade but knew it was a lost cause. Luckily the oranges were still there and provided enough juice to quench my thirst. At the end of the 19 miles I felt great; I never hit a wall and NOTHING on my body hurt!  To top it off, I was pleasantly surprised to see that our average pace was 8:33.  The only mile that was over 9 minutes was when we were searching for the missing water bottle.  This run was a huge confidence booster for me. 

Then week 14 happened.  On my easy, recovery run on Thursday I noticed the ball of my foot felt a little sore.  Didn't think much of it, but by the time I was 5 miles into the long run on Saturday it flared up pretty badly.  At the end of the 12 miles I could hardy walk into my house.  I iced it and took a few days off and ran on the treadmill on Tuesday.  The pain came back at about 4.5 miles.  That's when I decided to skip Wednesday's tempo run and Thursday's easy run.  I went to the pool instead, and even tried aqua jogging for the first time. 

 

 

Then a PT friend helped me put these Ball of Foot Pads into the right place in my running shoes.  

Fresh off from a few days of not running and with some new pads in my shoes, I was ready for THE 20 MILE LONG RUN; the run that I have anticipated for the past 15 weeks. 

The good: 
-perfect weather
-new route (some minor hills, mostly on trails, new scenery)
-fueling was spot-on (Gatorade in new handheld water bottle, ate about 3/4 of Power Bar)

The bad:
-ball of foot hurt off and on first 5 miles, but then went away.  However, my feet were sore from the Ball of Foot Pads.  Takes awhile to get used to them.
-heart rate was high even though our pace was slower than usual. 

The ugly:
-Left IT band flared up from miles 17-20.  I stopped right away and stretched it and that seemed to help a little, but it was still excruciating.

How can I do a 19 mile run that seems so perfect (effortless, pain-free, low HR, fast pace) and then just two weeks later do a 20 mile run that is crap (hard, painful, high HR, slower pace)? 

I'll never know the answer but I need to stop focusing on it.  I am going to clear my mind and rest my body. 

Let the taper begin! 

Phoenix Marathon Training Weeks 5-8

This past month of training has flown by and the miles are adding up!   

A few things of note: 

-I got bit by a dog in the butt, and I have the bruise to prove it.  Luckily it didn't break the skin. 

-I ran in single digit temps and legitimately thought my lips would have frostbite by the time I was done.  Exactly one week later I ran in shorts and a t-shirt.

-I finally caved and bought a handheld water bottle for long runs.  I REFUSE to wear a fuel belt, and in the past we would go drop a few water bottles along our route but that got annoying.  I've only used it once, but so far I really like it.  I can't believe how comfortable and easy it is to hold while running.  Hopefully it stays that way. 

-We are getting pretty serious about doing our easy runs easy and our hard runs hard (aka heart rate training).  I still have billions of questions and at times get a little freaked out about running so slow, but for the most part I am on board. 

-I registered for the marathon with a Cyber Monday deal.  Stuff is getting real. 

 

 

-We had our best tempo run to date, 7 miles at a 7:36 pace!  The stars must have aligned because I couldn't have asked for a better run.  It's important to remember these good runs on days when things don't go so well.  Such as the following day when we did a 4 mile recovery run and it kicked our butts.   

 

Can't wait to see what the next four weeks of training have in store...

Phoenix Marathon Training Weeks 1-4

The first 4 weeks of marathon training have been going great.  I have no complaints and so far I am really liking this plan.  It has us running short and easy on Tuesday and Thursday, a tempo run on Wednesdays, and then the usual long run on Saturday.  I have been cross training on Monday and Friday with Focus T25, swimming, and yoga. 

 

Something new that I have been doing for this marathon training is wearing my heart rate monitor and really paying attention to what zone my heart rate is in when I run.  I'm trying to get used to running by effort and keeping my heart rate in a certain zone, instead of just focusing on the pace.  Sometimes I have to slow way down, which is hard for me, but I'm confident it's the smart thing to do.

 

This morning we got up to 11 miles...and it just happened to have been raining for the past 24 hours non-stop.  I was a little nervous about running in the rain (since it never rains here), but Larissa assured me it would be fine, even a little fun.  She was right.  Those were some of the best miles I've ever run. 

 

 



 

I even braved an ice bath when I got home.  Complete with hot chocolate.   

Shin Pain

Shin Pain.  Ain't nobody got time for that. 

About 4 weeks ago I noticed a tender spot when I touched my shin.  Over the next few weeks it turned into a dull ache, but never bothered me during a run.  My immediate thought was shin splints, but then I started freaking out because I've had shin splints a few other times (7th grade track, high school track, and training for my first half) and the pain was always all over and in both legs.  This time the pain was more localized and only on one side.  It was on the inside of my shin, about 3 inches from my ankle. 

After doing lots of research (aka googling) and talking to a friend who is a PT, I determined it was "just" shin splints and nothing more (like a stress fracture).  This would make sense since I tripled my
weekly mileage as soon as I finished P90X2.  Plus I was overdue for a new pair of running shoes.  My chiropractor and PT friend also both immediately suggested orthotics to help shin splints. 

So I immediately cut back on running, even though at this point it still never hurt while I was running.  I also started icing, doing ultrasound, bought compression sleeves, and got fitted for new running shoes and orthotics.

 

 

So far, so good.  After resting my shin for 7 days and trying out all my new gear, the pain in my shin has gone down considerably.  It's not lumpy or tender to the touch anymore, but you can bet your boots I'm going to keep babying it to make sure it doesn't get worse.  I really don't have time to deal with a running injury right now.  I'm having too much fun just running. 

Free to Run

With P90X2 complete, and no races or triathlons that I'm currently training for, it's kind of weird to have "free" workout time.  That means I can do whatever workout I want any day of the week.  For me it's a no-brainer, and my choice is always going to be running.  Anything else that I choose is always a supplement to my running, like yoga, swimming, or core work. 

I went from doing about 5 miles a week during P90X2, to 20+ miles immediately in the weeks following P90X2.  I just couldn't help it.  I was so excited to be able to run again!  And the best part is that it coincided perfectly to when my running partner could start running again postpartum.  It's not unusual for us to be out running at 5:30 am, 4 days a week.  We've been doing tempo runs, long runs, and fartleks and it's been awesome.

I'm a very Type A personality so I like having schedules, but every once in awhile it feels so good to be free to run whatever, whenever, and however I feel like it that day. 

1st Place Female Overall WRH 10K 2013

1st Place Female Overall WRH 10K 2013.  It has a nice ring to it, right?! 

I found out about the Winslow Residential Hall 5K/10K last week and wasn't sure if I was going to be able to fit it in with our busy family's schedule.  About an hour before the race things worked out that I could go (thanks Uncle Jason for babysitting!).  As Larissa, my mom, and I signed up, I decided to just do the 5K with them.  We warmed up a little and I kept seeing the people who were doing the 10K and I felt a little envious.  I kept going back and forth if I should just do it or not.  I wasn't worried about the distance (although let's be honest, I haven't been logging many miles while doing P90X2), but I was more worried about getting home to my family sooner.  As they announced for the 10Kers to line up I couldn't take it anymore and switched my entry to the 10K.  Off we went!

What can I say, it was a dreadful "out" and a wonderful "back" course.  It was uphill, into a strong headwind, and with the sun blaring right into our eyes on the way out.  I just ran slow and steady and noticed that I only saw guys ahead of me.  At about mile 2 I had the thought that maybe I was actually the first female!  This never happens for me, usually because I'm running with Larissa and she's always going to be ahead of me.  When I got to the turnaround point (at 3.7 miles!) I could check out everyone ahead and behind me.  Sure enough I was the first female.  There was one lady pretty close behind me so as soon as I turned around and had the wind at my back, with 3 miles of downhill ahead of me, I was able to pick up the pace.  I was determined not to let her pass me.  I kept a pretty consistent pace throughout, although I could feel my energy getting low.  I definitely didn't fuel properly for a 10K race that day. 

I kept sneaking glances and noticed that the lady behind me wasn't getting any closer, if anything I was getting farther ahead of her.  I kicked it in and heard them announce, "Here comes the female 10K winner!" and everyone was clapping.  It may have been a small, low-key race but you know what?  It was a great confidence booster for me.

 

Obviously the course wasn't a true 10K, more like 7.3 miles in the heat, wind, and hills, but I'll take it!  Best of all it was free, including a technical race shirt, medals, trophies, and finish line snacks! 

Pat's Run 2013

We signed up for Pat's Run for the 3rd year in a row and were not disappointed.  The Boston Marathon bombing happened the week before so the kids were a little nervous about doing a race after seeing the pictures on the news.  We assured them that there would be extra police there to help protect us and they were okay with that. 

I tried to encourage Steve to train a little before the race this year (considering that the last time he ran was last year at Pat's Run) but he would hear nothing of it.  I told him that I really wanted to beat my previous best time so that I might have to go ahead of him during the race.  He didn't seem to care.  We started off in the 3rd corral, not bad considering there were 28, 000 people, and ran together.  After the first mile I told him I needed to pick up the pace a little and he stayed right with me.  During the second mile there was a significant hill and I was surprised that he actually pulled ahead of me a few times.  The third mile was where I passed him for good the previous year so I was kind of expecting that to happen again.  Not so!  He stayed right with me all the way to mile 4.  By then I knew we would finish together AND beat our previous times!  The only bad thing was that I started dry-heaving the last 100 meters.  I was sure I was going to puke right there on the turf at the finish line.  Luckily as soon as I stopped I felt fine. 

We finished the 4.2 miles in 31:28.  That's a 7:29 pace...and it felt comfortable and easy for me.

 

 

After our race, we rushed to get the kids ready for their race.  They all did great!  Talan and Tatum ran the whole thing, and Tobin alternated running and me carrying him. 

 



Tobin ran with me

 

Talan ran with Steve

Tatum ran with Kalli

It was such a fun race and a fun weekend!  I'm pretty sure we wore the kids out.  This is what they did during the whole drive home.

Fartlek

Another Saturday.  Another awesome run. 

I wanted to mix things up a little and incorporate some speedwork so I decided to do a fartlek.

Fartlek is a Swedish term that means "speed play,"  It's a form of interval or speed training that can be effective in improving your speed and endurance.  Fartlek involves varying your pace throughout your run, alternating between fast segments and slow jogs.

I used music as my guide.  The first song I did a slow warm-up, the second song I picked up the pace, the third song I slowed down to a jog, the fourth song I went faster, etc..

In the end I did about 5 miles.  And I was spent.

Runner's High

Nothing compares to the feeling after a good run.

After my long run on Saturday I couldn't believe how good I felt.  When I woke up I didn't really feeling like running.  I didn't have my running partner, I was tired, and it was freezing outside.  I was thinking I should stay inside and snuggle up on the couch with my kiddos.  But in the long run (that seriously just happened) I couldn't miss it.  Once I got going I felt like I could have gone forever.  I had to force myself to turn around at 4 miles so I wouldn't overdo it too soon after the marathon.

Just remember, you usually feel better after a run than you did before it. 

 

 

I've done a lot of exercieses (P90X, Insanity, cycling, swimming, etc) and nothing else gives me a feeling like a Runner's High.  I freakin' love that feeling!  

Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon

"She worked really hard and finished two seconds slower." 

That's the text Steve sent to a friend who asked how I did after the race. It just about sums up my Rock 'n Roll Arizona Marathon experience.

I had a such a good running experience at my first marathon last year, but missed a sub-4 hour time by 24 seconds, that I've been itching to run another one.  You better believe that 24 seconds has haunted me for a year.  I knew this race was coming up and it was close to home (no flights, rental cars, or hotels involved), plus I had just finished an olympic distance triathlon so I was in pretty good shape.  Even though Larissa couldn't run with me this time around and the thought of doing long runs alone seemed daunting, I went ahead and signed up.  It seemed like a good idea 3 months ago. 

I followed the FIRST marathon training plan and loved it!  I didn't skip any runs, but I did have to shorten a few of the long runs to make time for some family things.  I think my biggest mistake was that my Nike+ iPod wasn't calibrating accurately.  Looking back, most of my long runs were not as far or as fast as I thought at the time.  That gave me a false sense of security, hope, and confidence going into the race. 

Fast forward to the days before the race.  I did everything I was supposed to do, and nothing I wasn't supposed to do.  I felt good going into it.  Everything went smoothly race morning.  I had my favorite pre-race breakfast (banana walnut bread from Starbucks, banana, and water) and Steve dropped me off right by the start.  There wasn't even a line for the gear check or porta-potties, and the weather was looking good.  It was chilly around the start (45 degrees) but with the prospect of it warming up  (and, boy, did it warm up!).  All signs were pointing to a perfect running day!

 And then the race started.  I can't pinpoint why, I wasn't tired or sick or injured, but I just wasn't feeling "it" for some reason.  I had commented to Steve the day before that I would be running with a smile on my face for 26 miles because I was always happy to be running.  I must have jinxed myself.   Truth be told, by mile 2 I knew I was in for a long, hard race.  I was already thinking, "Crap, what have I done?".  Where my music usually motivates me, it was annoying me.  Where I usually feel light on my feet and a spring in my step, I was sluggish and it was a chore to run.  Where I have done long runs at 8:45 min/mile pace easily for the past year, I was barely able to keep a 9:10 min/mile pace.  It just wasn't my day.   

Hundreds of people were passing me in the first 10 miles, people that didn't look like they should be able to pass me, you know what I mean?  But when the 4 hour pacer passed me I reeeally started to worry.  I would end up playing cat & mouse with her for the remaining 16 miles.

I saw my cheerleaders (Larissa, Steve, and the kids) around mile 12 and I shouted out to them, "I'm sucking!".  They told me to shut up, that I was doing fine, and to keep going.  That gave me a much needed boost.  Miles 13-20 flew by and I felt pretty good.  I saw my family twice more during that time and gave them high-fives. 

By this point the temperature had started to creep up (70 degrees) and the sun was beating down on me.  I was smart with my hydration though so I never felt thirsty, and I must have been smart with my fuel because I never hit "the wall".  I took sips of Gatorade every time it was offered, and had water when it wasn't.  I took a GU at the 10K point, a power bar around mile 14, and another GU at mile 21.  I could feel my body getting really tired, but I kept trudging along.  My legs were so heavy, and my muscles were on fire.

Then out of nowhere, around mile 22, I felt an excruciating and debilitating pain in my IT Band.  I hadn't had any trouble with it during my training so it definitely took me by surprise..  For the first time that day, I seriously contemplated stopping.  I didn't think I could finish, but I kept on running, albeit rather slowly.  After a mile or two, the IT Band loosened up, the pain went down, and I was able to pick up my pace again. 

There were a few hills at this point and the majority of people were walking (oh, it was so tempting!!) but I just knew I couldn't live with myself if I walked.  The last mile I felt surprisingly good!  I knew I was close, but I thought for sure the sub-4 hour time would become a reality.  I knew the 4 hour pacer was behind me a ways so I thought I was golden!  I failed to realize it at the time, but now I know she crossed the start line a few minutes after me, therefore our chip times were off by a minute or so.  I sprinted in to the finish line to see my time...4:00:26.  D'oh!!  I was 2 seconds slower than last year, and 26 seconds slower than my goal.  Seconds, people, not minutes!!

Although I am terribly disappointed in my time, I can't help but feel good about some things that happened:

• I didn't get any blisters or chafing.
• I didn't lose a toenail this time.
• I didn't get sunburned (thanks, hat and sunblock).
• I was dressed perfectly for the weather (shorts and a tank top, with a long sleeve shirt and gloves that I tossed after the first few miles).
• I ran for 26.2 miles straight, never stopping for water, porta-potties, etc.
• People may have passed me in the beginning, but I sure passed A LOT of people the last few miles.
• I ran smart by not going out too fast, and fueling and hydrating properly.
• I gained a newfound respect for the distance.  It's not easy. 

And most importantly,

• I had to dig deep to finish.  This race was so much more about mental toughness than physical toughness.

Here's the screenshot of the race from my Nike+ account:

Notice the consistent pace until the IT Band pain around mile 22.  And once again, the calibration was off, this time falling a little shorter than actual.  I think I need a Garmin watch to help me out, hint, hint, Steve .


A few funny things:

Driving to the race Steve said he would never do a sport where they have to put porta-potties on the side of the court/road/field/etc.  Someday I will make a runner out of him! 

I was running close to the 4 hour pacer, who holds up a sign while she runs that has 4:00 on it, for the majority of the race.  I heard quite a few spectators comment, "Oh, there goes the 4 min/mile pace group!"  We all got a pretty good laugh about that. 

 

Couldn't have done it without the support of my incredible family.  I love these guys! 

Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Prep

I finished my last long run before the marathon...and it was a good one!  Despite running in the frigid temperature of about 12 degrees, I kept a good, fast pace and, most importantly, I didn't have any aches or pains.  Now, I am tapering my workouts and resting with my feet up until race day.

I can't help but feel nervous about the race, even though when I look back at my training I have logged almost twice the mileage to prepare for this marathon than I did last year to prepare for the Carlsbad Marathon.  I think the difference is that I went into Carlsbad just hoping to finish.  I am going into the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon with a goal time in mind (<4:00).  Either way, I still have to run 26.2 miles. 

All that's left to do now is make an inspiring and entertaining playlist, do two easy runs, pick out my race day outfit, and hope for some great running weather.  We've been stuck in a freak cold front for the last week and haven't seen a temp above freezing.  Supposedly, 55 degrees is the perfect temp to run a marathon in, and according to the forecast it looks like it might be my lucky day!