New York City Marathon - Week 6

"Makes me that much stronger,

Makes me work a little bit harder,

Makes me that much wiser,

So thanks for making me

a fighter."

~Christina Aguilera

I hit my first little speed bump this week in the form of an unhappy left hip.  After crushing Week 5 and hitting some quick paces during my speedwork, Week 6 told me to slow my roll.  My left hip did a little something funky a couple of times during Week 5's long run and felt tight and achy afterward, but by Monday morning I felt ready to tackle my tempo run.  

MONDAY

5 miles with progressive tempo for 3 miles

I opted for a progressive tempo run...1 mile to warm up, 3 miles that each got progressively faster, 1 mile to cool down.  I should've known by how hard it felt to shave just a few seconds off each tempo mile that my body was fighting me, but I pushed through and chalked it up to sticky and humid summer running.  But as the day went on, my hip got louder when voicing its displeasure.  No big deal, I had easy miles on tap for Tuesday.  We got on with our day and had some fun watching the solar eclipse.

NASA approved cereal box eclipse viewers

TUESDAY

Easy 8

Easy 7

The views on these early morning runs never get old.  It's incredible to watch the sky change colors as you go through the miles, ending with an entirely different look than when you started.  I had 8 miles on my training plan, but right around the time I took this picture at mile 3, I knew I'd be cutting this one short.  My hip was tight and sore and wasn't getting looser as I continued my run, so I aimed to finish 6 miles.  By the time I hit 6 miles, I was just down the street from my house and realized the hip finally felt good, so I got in an extra mile (and a teeny tiny bit of redemption).  It was another hot one and I was thankful my sprinklers were on when I got home.

The rest of the day included a whole lot of foam rolling and hoping for the best.

WEDNESDAY

4 hill repeats

Another day, another gorgeous sunrise.  Not to mention the gorgeous company.

It may have taken all summer, but I finally got a sunrise oceanfront run in with Kristy.  Yippee!!!  The hip was feeling better, but it seemed like the tightness had shifted to my hamstring.  With no set mileage in mind, I just wanted to increase my effort a smidge going over the Rudee Bridge.  No all out effort, just picked up the pace as I climbed the hill and kept it super easy on the descent.  I finished with 4 miles in the books and stretched a ton before getting in the car and heading home.  

I had my own personal massage squad at home that night too.  Even though they don't enjoy my picture taking much these days, they were troopers to give me some good karate chops to the hammy while we watched America's Got Talent.

THURSDAY

Spin

It had been months since I had last gone to MY Ride, so I was pretty excited to get back in the saddle.  Even without the music, this class delivered the drenching low impact workout I was craving.  My left hip was making little but significant improvements with each passing day and each smart choice on my part.  I was beginning to have hope for Friday's 16 miler after all.  

FRIDAY

16 miles

For some reason, this run didn't scare me like Week 5's 15 did.  I wasn't stressing out about fuel and hydration the day before and I didn't wake up with that nervous pit in my stomach.  It could be that I wasn't sure I'd be able to complete all 16 miles if my hip started acting up, so I didn't put as much pressure on myself.  I got up and got out the door in about 40 minutes (my new long run double french braids are a bit time consuming, but holy moly is it worth it!).  Lucky me got to share the first 6 miles with Ryan, who had no idea why I was taking a picture of our shoes when we finished.

Still unsure of how far I'd be able to make it, I set out with every intention of doing all 10 I had left.  2 miles in, I stopped to stretch.  

Yup, right there in the middle of the bike path at Sherwood Lakes while people ran and walked their dogs right by me.  It was a pattern I continued for the rest of the run - run 2 miles, stretch, repeat.  It kept me out for what felt like an eternity, but it was worth every stretch session.  I finished feeling decent and my hip was no worse for the wear.

Not sure why my watch didn't congratulate me on my longest run to date (well, since owning this watch, at least), but I celebrated by downing a bazillion ounces of Tailwind, water, chocolate/peanut butter/banana smoothie, and iced coffee afterward.

SATURDAY

5 easy miles

Here's something that never would've happened the last time I trained for a marathon...I ran 5 miles the day after running 16.  There's no way I would have ever even dreamed of doing that the last time...part of it is that I feel I'm simply more fit than I was last time, but it has way more to do with how much smarter I am this time around.  My easy runs are easy.  My ego has been kicked aside and I'm doing what's right for my body.  If I run 16 miles too hard, I'm not recovered enough to get those easy 5 in the next day.  It's a lesson I learned the hard way, but I'm thankful to have learned it nonetheless.

I got a late start on this run but it wasn't dreadfully hot out and I didn't suffer much.  I couldn't help but think of how many times I'd run this very route while training for the last marathon I ran...it was winter so these crape myrtles were barron, but I'd always see a bluebird in this little stretch and be reminded of my mother-in-law and her battle with cancer.  She loved birds and seeing them out here on this path always made me smile.  There weren't any birds out during this run, but I was still reminded of Peggy, putting these otherwise unremarkable miles in the meaningful column.

Then I enjoyed some R&R on the beach for a bit by myself.

Glorious.  All of it.

Finished up a great day with a great evening...there's definitely a fall chill in the air these days, and even though Ryan and I could've easily gone to bed at 8pm, we made the push to squeeze a little more summer fun (and s'mores) into the day.

SUNDAY

Rest (P90X3 yoga)

Sundays are usually 100% rest days for me, but my body was craving some ohms and asanas when I woke up.  That's the beauty of the P90X3 series...they get the good stuff in and they get it in quick.  This yoga video has a few basic poses for strength, a few for balance, and some great stretches toward the end.  

Week 6 finished with 37 miles and considerably less soreness in the hip than what it started with, and leaving me to wonder what kind of fun Week 7 has in store for me.

New York City Marathon - Week 5

"It ain't what you do, 

it's what you do tonight.

There ain't no shortcuts 

for doing something right."

~Usher

I survived Week 5.  Slap it on a t-shirt and I'll wear it every day this week.  Here's the thing about training for a marathon that sometimes gets overlooked because the weekly mileage and the race itself are the main focus...you still have a life when you're in the middle of training for this beast of an athletic endeavor.  You still have a husband and kids and work and a house to tend to.  And if you're me this week, you had a steady stream of orders to fill, a sleepover birthday party to throw for one very particular little girl (translation: better get it right!), and a husband who took Thursday and Friday off to cram in as much summer fun as humanly possible before the saddest weekend of the year (Labor Day) arrives.  Have I mentioned said husband of mine plays hard?  Mama's tired.  Here's how Week 5 went down.

MONDAY

5 miles with 1-2-3 ladder tempo + Burn Bootcamp style leg circuit

 This run was hard, but seeing this pregnancy test box made me realize things could be worse.

Med ball lunges in front of the peanut gallery..."This is a BUS, Tante!"

TUESDAY

Easy 7.5, a few with Karen

77 degrees + 99% humidity = total suck fest 

I got in almost 3 miles on my own, joined Karen for 3 more, and finished the rest on my own.  Sherwood Lakes looked really cool with the haze of the humidity.  Pea soup, I tell you.

WEDNESDAY

Speed work - 6 x 800s

I needed to do this workout on the treadmill.  I needed the a/c and I needed the screen to show me running around the track and giving me an end goal.  So that means I also needed to do it a little later in the morning so I could bring the kids to the rec center to play while I ran.  And whenever I put off a run until later in the morning, it reminds me of why I run early.  When I wait, this is what happens:

The sign I planned to drop in the mail on the way to the rec center needed another coat of white.  Tragic. 

I have a hate-hate relationship with packing tape.   

Finally got out of the house and my coffee spilled as I was peeling out of the driveway.  In Ryan's car.  Greeeeeeeat.  But we finally got there and I got my work done, leaving DNA anywhere it would fling.  Sorry, treadmill neighbors.

The rest of the day was spent gearing up for Camryn's birthday party.  We had a handful of girls come over for some backyard fun which was supposed to culminate in a camp out in a tent, but the heat + humidity + mosquitoes made us switch gears and put the tent up in the living room.  It was so buggy we didn't even bother with the s'mores, but luckily I made this giant one for them all to enjoy:

Between the party prep, the party, and staying up way past my bedtime with these party animals, I was glad Thursday was a rest day.  

THURSDAY
Rest (meaning ride bikes 3+ miles to the water park, walk about 4 miles + countless flights of stairs while we're there, bike 3+ miles home)

 Poor kid has no fun.

Some actual rest was involved.

FRIDAY
15 miles
5 easy miles
3 easy miles
30 minutes on elliptical

One of the greatest things about training for a marathon with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training is that I get to enjoy the luxury of having a coach.  And boy did I hit the jackpot with Coach Bob.  It gives me the warm fuzzies to know someone is looking out for me, my goals, and my health every mile of every run, and Friday was a prime example. 
 After he checked in to discuss my long run plans, we decided to cut the original 5 miles down to 3 since I'd be logging some serious miles walking around Busch Gardens on Friday. Long story short, all the weather talk was about how hot and humid it would be both Friday and Saturday, so I scrapped my plans for any running at all on Friday and hopped on the elliptical before making the trek up I-64 to Busch Gardens.  Getting a pat on the head in the form of an encouraging text from Coach Bob was all I needed to dump the doubt I had over "skipping" a run.  Remember the bazillion goals I have for this training cycle?  Being smart is one of them and swapping a hot and humid run for some elliptical work was probably the smartest thing I could've done this week.  Like I said, I still have to live my life while training for this marathon, and I couldn't miss out on fun with my kids at Busch Gardens because I was worried about a stinking run the next day.  

 Turkey and cheese on a giant pretzel bun.  Because carbs.

Beer.  Because carbs.

Got to rest my weary legs on the SkyRide across the park as the sun was setting and storms were rolling in.  I love this place.  My garmin logged 8 miles of steps there...good thing I refilled my water bottle 67 times.  

SATURDAY
15 miles

Ohhhhh, this run.  I was dreading it all week.  I know I can run 15 miles.  I did 14 strong miles last week and adding one more really isn't a big deal.  Only this week it was.  Once Ryan decided to take Thursday and Friday off work and pack in all that fun, I started to feel a bit stressed over this long run.  I immediately began thinking of how I could move it to a day where I wouldn't be running 15 miles the day of or the day after going to Busch Gardens, but there simply weren't enough mornings in the week to allow it.  Saturday had to be the day.  And I couldn't let my nerves get the best of me and ruin our fun at Busch Gardens either.  I knew I'd be walking a ton and it would be really hot and humid, so hydration was paramount.  And I couldn't cut the fun short because I had to get up early the next morning to run 15 miles in more heat and humidity...we didn't get home until after 10pm.  So when my alarm went off at 4:45am, I hit snooze.  Then I hit it again.  Then I got up, checked the radar to make sure all the thunderstorms had passed through, and started the process of dressing and fueling.  

The run felt better than I imagined it would after such a busy week, and being able to finish the last mile under 8 min/mile was a real confidence booster.  Not just for running, but for the training cycle as a whole...that strong long run reminded me that it will take a lot of work and planning, but as long as I remember where my priorities lie, the rest will fall into place.  I was able to be the wife and mom my family needed me to be this week and still manage to have a successful week of training.  My kids will remember riding roller coasters after dark and watching a great thunderstorm follow us home instead of leaving early because Mommy had to run in the morning.  

As for the rest of Saturday...

There was no epsom, but it was a salt bath of sorts.

SUNDAY

Rest (like actually kinda sorta rest)

I rest as much as Psimasly possible on Sundays.  This week, my rest was watching my girls shred at the East Coast Surfing Championship Super Grom event.  It's been a summer favorite of ours for the past few years, and it's bittersweet knowing this year was Brynn's last time participating since she'll be too old next year.  We've had a lot of crummy weather the past few weekends, so getting to hit the beach two days in a row was just the dose of Vitamin Sea we all needed. 

 It truly is amazing how an entire day of rest - especially one that includes some time in the ocean - can energize your body and soul for the week ahead.  I'm feeling ready to tackle my Monday tempo run and Week 6.  But first, we've gotta squeeze a few more drops out of this weekend and catch some lightning bugs.

New York City Marathon - Week 4

"I just wanna take it nice and slow."

~Usher

The build up of the first three weeks of marathon training was good and tough.  Hard enough to make me realize that shit just got real but not so hard that I was left wondering how I'll get through the next build up, but I welcomed Week 4's drop in mileage and intensity with welcome arms.

MONDAY

4 easy

This amazing team of mine is all over the map when it comes to where we live and work, as well as our family responsibilities.  Since the three others are part of the J&A Fall Training Team, they get to run with each other most Saturdays, whereas I've got a husband with a triathlon training schedule to consider and can't make those long runs (or the $2 mimosas that follow...boo!).  Being able to run with two of out of my three teammates early Monday morning was such a treat.  The dewpoint, however, was not.  4 disgustingly sticky miles to go along with 4 times up and over the Rudee Inlet bridge was a great way to start the week. 

TUESDAY

7 easy

.

With lightning and low rumbles of thunder off in the distance, I started this run nice and dry.  Less than a mile into it, the skies opened up and dumped on me.  These rainy summer runs feel so good because it takes the suckage out of the humidity just a bit.  We won't talk about what they do to my hair though.  The rain only lasted long enough to make my shoes feel like bricks and it was back to uncomfortable humidity.  

I've gotten into the habit of carrying my phone with me on all my runs...you never know when you'll need to send out a mayday, and sometimes I'll listen to music.  Thankfully I brought my ear buds along on this run because I was struggling.  Motivation was low and I wanted to be done before I was even halfway through my miles.  The rain had started up again, but I found shelter under a big tree and got my music up and running.  Salt n Pepa radio on Pandora was the cure for what ailed me, and I finished the run and checked the box.

WEDNESDAY

Rest (in this case, walk 6 miles and climb countless flights of stairs at Water Country USA)

I originally planned to do my 7 miler on Wednesday, but I thought it unwise to do all that and then walk around Water Country all day during what was supposed to be an easy week for training.  Good thing I shuffled my workouts around a bit because this little birthday girl was up way earlier than usual and I would've been so bummed if I wasn't home when she got up.  We had a great day riding water slides and eating churros, and I enjoyed a refreshing Big Wave Golden Ale from Kona Brewing Company...we went there on our honeymoon and I've had a soft spot for it ever since.

THURSDAY

4 easy

This run was exactly that...meh.  Nothing fun.  Nothing exciting.  Nothing earth shattering.  Just ran some miles.

FRIDAY

Yoga

Tony Horton's tip of the day on the P90X3 yoga video is simply, "Don't skip this."  And I don't.  

SATURDAY

ASYMCA Mud Run 8K

My bad ass babies.  Yes, I know Brynn's almost as tall as I am.  She's also wearing my shoes. Be quiet.

I'm not gonna lie...I was not looking forward to this race.  Ryan had done it a few times but this was my first one.  The thought of running an 8k on a course comprised of mostly soft sand gave me agida, but we registered as a team - Psilent But Deadly - and believing we had the potential to finish on top was enough to make this buttercup suck it up.

The running gods smiled upon me on Saturday with rain all morning...it helped pack the sand down a little bit and kept the heat from getting to be too much for me to handle.  But this race was still so hard.  I didn't realize there'd be so many hills of soft sand to climb, and it was nuts to feel how unresponsive my legs seemed to be as I tried to power up them.  At one point about halfway through, we were running through some grass and my left quad started talking to me...it felt like it wanted to cramp up and I was terrified of it locking up going down one of those sandy hills.  Thankfully it worked itself out over the next half mile or so and I was able to get through the course without any sort of peg legging.  


We were in the 4th wave of runners and didn't know if there were any couples in the waves ahead of us, so we just kept another couple in our wave in our sights for the entire race.  They had been a bit ahead of us for most of the race, but the guy - a self-proclaimed "fat and old" guy (who turned out to be 4 years younger than me and Ryan) - started to fade and we reeled him right in.  The rules were that couples and teams had to finish within 10 seconds of each other, so even though his strong ass chick was way ahead of him, she held up before the finish line so they'd finish together.  They crossed about 10 seconds after us, and Psilent But Deadly ended up going home as champions.

The rain was on and off during the 8k, and as we waited for the start of the kids' mini mud mile, some more serious weather moved on in.  Lightning strikes gave them a 30 minute delay, so we took cover under a picnic shelter and enjoyed pizza, slurpees, and beer while we waited for an all clear that never came.  The kids' race was cancelled and we made our way back to the car, stomping through puddles and making the best of it all the while.

SUNDAY

Rest

I woke up Sunday feeling better than I thought I would after the mud run.  I expected to be sore in places I didn't know existed, but it wasn't too bad.  So much so that it took some discipline on my part not to get started on Week 5's miles on Sunday.  The cut back week did its job, and I went into Week 5 feeling ready to go...what a nice little reminder to trust the process.  

New York City Marathon - Week 3

"Is it worth it?  Let me work it."

~Missy Elliott

Week 3 signaled the end of the honeymoon phase of marathon training.  It didn't help that Week 2 ended with a bunch of beers, but that's neither here nor there. 

 Completing the workouts on my training plan is incredibly satisfying, especially when I earn that feeling of accomplishment before my kids are even awake, but it does come with added pressure to get it done.  One of my 67,489 goals for the next few months is to make sure it's a healthy amount of pressure and I cut myself some slack when needed.

MONDAY

5 miles with 20 minutes of tempo

Due to Sunday night's poor - albeit fun - decisions, I knew there was no way I was getting up at 0-dark-thirty and having myself a good tempo run.  I am hyperaware of weather conditions these days, so I knew damn well I'd be able to get this run in a little later in the morning without suffering greatly.  While the physical suffering was minimal thanks to fall like temps and humidity, the mental suffering was almost too much to bear as I had to make this outing fun for my kids as well.  So thank you, Sherwood Lakes, for your bike path, pretty views, delicious breeze, and classmates for my kids to play with while I got to work.

TUESDAY

Easy 7 + P90X2 chest + shoulders + triceps

I got to share 5 out of 7 of Tuesday's easy miles with Karen, who despite already having her ass handed to her by her trainer that morning, was dragging me along for the better part of this run.  This chick is no joke.  I'm a little afraid of her.

Tricep dips on med balls, anyone?  

This one's called the 3 ball extravaganza and I giggle every time I hear it.  Step 1 is a push up with each hand on a med ball and both feet sharing another.

Step 2 is bringing your knee to your elbow while the foot that's still on the med ball shakes precariously behind you.  The 3 ball extravaganza hurts.  Everywhere.

WEDNESDAY
4 easy with 3 pick ups

I struggled to get out of bed for this one.  Mommin' wasn't easy the day before and I was beat.  But it had to be done early in the morning so I got myself up and out the door.  

Box = checked.

THURSDAY

Yoga

Life goal = being able to do full splits forever.  Only on my good leg though.  Seriously, who needs to do full splits on their bad leg when they're old and grey?  Crazy people, that's who.

FRIDAY
14 miles

Mile 1

Mile 10ish

I don't know what it is about double digit runs that gets me every time.  I've done countless runs over 10 miles and plenty over the half marathon distance of 13.1, yet there's an uncertainty about every single 10+ mile run that makes me anxious.  I don't dread every one of these runs, but I get a nervous stomach when I wake up to do them, making it hard to get down the necessary fuel I'll need to complete them.  Add the fear of oversleeping that comes along with an alarm that's set for 4:30am and you've got a pretty rough morning before you even walk out the door.  But knowing a good sunrise (and 2 hours of glorious, much needed solitude) awaits helps a little.


I broke these 14 miles up into two 7 mile runs, both mentally and physically.  I didn't want to run to the oceanfront and back by myself so early in the morning (scary!), and I also didn't want to run one loop twice (boring!).  So I did my go-to 7 mile route first, stopped at home for water and a bathroom break - one that I didn't actually need but wasn't stupid enough to pass up - and continued on for a completely different 7 mile route feeling like it was a brand new day.  

SATURDAY
4 easy

So far, I'd have to say these shorter easy runs the day after the long runs are the toughest - mentally, at least.  It's not that I've been hurting after the long runs - I'm working really hard at keeping those at a super easy pace - but I think in the past, I've always had a rest day after a long run and old habits are hard to break.  

SUNDAY

Rest

There aren't many, so I take rest days very seriously.

Week 3 ended with me feeling pretty good about how the workouts went, but also more than ready for a cut back week.  Week 4 brings way fewer miles and lots of easy paces.  Oh, and a little 8k through sand and mud to close out the week.  Doh!