New York City Marathon - Week 10

"All I wanna do is

zooma zoom zoom zoom

and a boom boom

(don't break ya rump)."

~Wreckx n' Effect (Fancy's marathon remix)

As we get further into training and the weeks tick by at warp speed, these posts get harder and harder to write.  I look at the pictures and remember taking them, but they seem like a lifetime ago, not just days ago.  Part of it is probably that I do most of my runs before my brain is fully awake yet, but it's mostly because my days are filled to the brim, juggling all the hats I wear.  It's both exhausting and exhilarating at the same time.  Normally, writing would be the first thing I take off my plate when life gets hectic, but I know I'll regret not keeping some sort of written record of this journey, so I forge ahead with Week 10's recap.

MONDAY

6 miles total with 4 conservative tempo miles

Thanks to my unhappy hip, most of my miles have been at an easy pace.  While I'm thankful to be able to still put in the miles, they are starting to feel like a bit of a grind.  These runs have not excited me nor given me the boost of confidence one needs at this stage of marathon training.  To change up my headspace a little, I dusted off the pretty blue Nikes I normally reserve for speed work and wore them for this tempo run.  If I'm wearing my fast shoes, then I'll run fast, right?

I wasn't sure what my target pace would be for those tempo miles, but I knew it certainly wouldn't be 5k pace.  I just went out and ran a comfortably hard pace that I thought I could hang on to for 4 miles.  And while the paces I found comfortably hard were slower than I would have liked them to be, I was pleased that the hip and hamstring felt decent during and after.  It's gotta be the shoes.

TUESDAY

Easy 8 miles + dry needling

As I mentioned, all these easy miles are starting to feel a bit monotonous, especially since I run a lot of them in the same general area.  I had to switch it up a bit for this 8 miler, so I threw it back to 2011 when I was training for my first half marathon and ran down Dam Neck and all through Ocean Lakes.  

It's where I did the majority of my long runs - including my first ever 10 miler - for that training cycle, and between the nostalgia and the realization of how far I've come as a runner, it was a truly enjoyable run...dreadfully easy pace and all.  

I had my arse dry needled later that morning, and PT Lauren and I were both really pleased with how little the hip musculature was jumping now compared with when I first came to her.  I was in and out of my appointment and right on time for lunch at school with my girls.  But all day, I couldn't stop thinking about milkshakes, and somehow I managed to work one into my day.  Pregnant?  Nope.  Just marathon training.  They're similar like that.  

Next time I get a bigger one.  A much bigger one.

WEDNESDAY

3 x 1600s

I tried my damndest to fit this workout somewhere else this week but this day had to be the day. Since I got needled the day before, my pace for the mile repeats was going to be determined by my level of soreness. Zero soreness = move your ass!  While the 1600s were significantly slower than I would have preferred to do them (and have done them in the past), I kept reminding myself there was no need to run that fast right now.  I won't come anywhere near those paces on race day, and it's not worth blowing my body up just to feel better about the numbers.  

I didn't get any photos before, during, or right after the run, but I did get a good chuckle about where I charge my watch these days.  I have a solid 30 minute commute to and from work, so I can charge my watch without missing out on any step counting and mile tallying.  It's important to keep myself in check in these late weeks!

And keeping myself in check usually doesn't mean wearing high heels at the end of a long day, but on this particular day it did.  The price you pay for being Fancy (and working for some amazing people) is a mid-week gala with my guy.  And my feet did just fine.

THURSDAY

yogahhhhhhhhh

I never have much to say about yoga other than ahhhhhhhhhhh.  I love you.

And not only do I charge my watch in my car now, but sometimes I eat dinner there.  Don't worry...I only take photos (and text and Facebook and Instagram) at red lights.    

FRIDAY

Long run (12.2 miles)

When you're training for a marathon, at some point you consider 12 miles "just 12 miles."  I have reached that point.  I paid little attention to my nutrition and hydration the day before these miles, and I was hoping I wouldn't suffer too greatly for it.  12 miles is still 12 miles and your body doesn't care that you did 18 the week before...it's work.  And it was hot.  And there were snakes.

Thanks to our mother hustler schedules not jiving very well the past few weeks, I had the rare opportunity to run these miles with Sara at First Landing.  Aside from us nearly stepping right on this guy as he crossed the trail, it was great to catch up on life and running on a gorgeous September morning.  

SATURDAY

1 mile beach walk + 3.3 easy miles

I was going to the beach this day come hell or high water.  I got jipped out of my beach day last weekend and I wasn't letting it happen again.  It's late September and we don't know how many more beach days we'll get.  I knew I wanted to get 4ish miles in, but I was in no rush.  In an effort to soak up as much of the salt air as I could, I headed south for a little walk to cut down on the miles I'd have to run on the blacktop later.  Beach walks are always a good idea.

SUNDAY

Rest (like for reals)

My rest days have been more restful these days.  It's needed.  My body is tired, and it's amazing how one little day off can recharge your battery for the next week. I think I reached maybe 25% of my normal daily steps and it was glorious.  And I also found this fun little watch face app for my Garmin that counts down the days until the race.  I'm in love.  And see that?  8:46pm and I'm in bed.  

With only 6 weeks to go, the next few weeks are going to be tough.  If I can hang on for another 3 weeks, I'll be rewarded with a solid taper.  I also booked my plane ticket for New York this past weekend.  It's really happening.  In 42 days.  Ermagerd.

New York City Marathon - Week 9

"Ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes..."
~David Bowie

Week 9, you were a blur.  But I strapped in, held on tight, and enjoyed the ride.  From a training logistics standpoint, I was supposed to have a cut back week.  But my training plan has gone rogue as I deal with this little hip issue, and since I felt great after my 17 miler last weekend, I really wanted to keep the momentum going and increase the mileage again this week.  This change was Coach Bob and PT Lauren approved and it was full steam ahead.

MONDAY

6 easy miles + PT exercises + dry needling
My hip has been feeling really good lately.  Not 100% and not ready to kill any kind of speedwork, but ready to push the pace a little quicker than I have been in the past couple of weeks.  To be honest, these slow paced runs have been getting to be a bit of a drag and I ran 2 of these 6 miles a little faster just to break up the monotony.  I'm sticking to the 3/10 rule for discomfort, and thankfully the hip has been staying below that 3.  I loved breathing a little harder on this run, but I did not love how dark it still was when I finished.  

After getting the kids off to school and a quick shower for me, I did a big thing:

I started my new job at J&A Racing!!!  Crazy pants.  I'll be taking the helm of their retail operation next spring, so right now I'm learning how to do my future job.  I wasn't looking for work - in fact, I was wondering how I could clear my plate a little and really focus on training for New York - but this opportunity was too good and too compatible with my primary role of wife and mom to pass up.  I still can't believe I get to do this.

After work, it was home to get the kids off the bus and back out to PT for some more dry needling.  The girls got to watch this time...that was interesting.

TUESDAY

MY Ride w/Mike

I sat in the back row this time...I normally like the front row because a) the air flow seems better and b) I don't have to look at anyone's ass in front of me for 45 minutes.  But it was kind of nice to just do my thing without feeling like anyone was watching me.

When I got home, Kristy alerted us all to an email we received about our fundraising status:

Um, yeah...this is out of all teams raising money for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to run the NYC Marathon.  We're in 3rd place, with 4th place right on our heels and 2nd place totally within reach.  It was just the push we needed to dust off our fundraising hats and get back to working for donations.  

WEDNESDAY

5 miles with 3 at marathon pace + PT exercises + dry needling

This workout lit the fire again for me.  It was hot and the humidity came back with a vengeance, as evidenced by my nest of a ponytail I finished the run with.

But I was able to push myself for 3 miles at a pace I haven't seen since I started PT, and the hip felt good doing it.  This run truly set me up to kick ass all day long.  

I'll spare you the play by play of how this day went down, but let's just say I killed it.  And I slept really well that night.  

THURSDAY

6 easy miles

This run was nothing to write home about, but I'm proud of it because I didn't look at my watch once.  These miles were totally by feel, and once I finished and looked at my splits, I was pleasantly surprised by the perfect progression of negative splits that happened naturally.  I knew I needed to save everything I had for Friday's long run, and I was able to do just that.  I didn't get a photo during or right after the run, so here's a shot from where I parked for work on Thursday.

FRIDAY

18 miles with Kerry

  Ooooooh this run.  In an ideal world, I would've started this beast long before the sun came up and finished just as it started to get hot.  But that just wasn't my reality on Friday, so I had to start this run at 8:30 and endure the heat and humidity Mother Nature thought would be cute.  

Kerry and I met at the aquarium and got along on our merry way.  She immediately scolded me for not carrying water with me.  The thing is, I bought myself a FlipBelt at the start of the summer and hate it.  It doesn't let my shorts move the way they need to and I end up with hellatious chafing in so many god forsaken places.  I'll give the FlipBelt a second chance when the weather cools down enough for capris and tights, but it ain't happening with shorts again.  

I did have a hydration plan though, so don't think I'm a total bonehead...we were running along the oceanfront and into First Landing State Park, where there are ample opportunities to stop at a water fountain, which we did. The shade of the park was so refreshing, but once we emerged and hit the blazing sun again, we were both feeling less than amazing.  But oh, thank heaven for 7-11!!!

A gatorade and a cup of ice later, we were off to finish the rest of that run.  We stopped a bunch of times along the way...sometimes for water, sometimes for shade, sometimes because it was just so f-ing hot.  But we finished that run strong and could only tell ourselves race day should be cooler.  Hopefully much, MUCH cooler.

After I finished, I walked around in the shade for a while before feeling the need to kick my shoes off and get off my feet.  What better place than the aquarium parking lot to sit and enjoy a water bottle full of Tailwind (part of my amazing hydration plan was having a full bottle in the car for when I finished and needed replenishment).  I got up and went home before anyone had the chance to offer medical assistance.

After Week 8's 17 miler, I rode my beach cruiser around Norfolk, which I think helped contribute to my quick recovery.  I employed the same strategy after Friday's 18 miler by riding my bike up to Green Flash for hydration, calorie replacement, and leg elevation.

I also returned later than evening for another dose of hydration with Sara, who beasted out a 22 miler in that heat.  At this rate, we're going to need to modify our Cancer Better Run gear to read "Cancer Better Run - sponsored by Green Flash."

SATURDAY

Rest

I actually did rest a lot this time.  I planned to have my ass parked in a beach chair and toes in the sand most of the day, but through no fault of our own, only the former part of that plan came to fruition.  I sat in my beach chair in my driveway and got some work done while watching the Blue Angels air show and my kids played with their neighborhood friends.  We also got to go for a little joyride in my neighbor's antique (yet still younger than I am - don't get me started) Mercedes convertible.  I think we turned a head or two going through the Wendy's drive thru for some Frosty's.  

SUNDAY

4 easy miles with a few passes over the Rudee Bridge

The thought of running another out-and-back down Nimmo Parkway bored me to tears, so I hopped in the car and had some bridges for breakfast.  It was another hot, sticky morning, but the breeze we're already getting from Hurricane No-Way Jose made it bearable, as did one of my favorite views of the water.

After this run, I had to scoot over to a far-too-lengthy training session to coach Girls on the Run at my girls' school, but I checked my weekly mileage after dinner and realized I was at 39.3.  Unacceptable.  So with a belly full of tacos and a Blue Moon Belgian Wheat Ale, I headed out to get that number to 40.  My first 40 mile week of this training cycle, and it just so happened to be my first week of work in almost 11 years.  From this day forward, I'll be trying my best to listen to the words of encouragement I give my girls...you can do hard things.  I can do this.  I am surrounded by the best people who push me, pull me, listen to me, guide me, run with me, and raise a glass with me.  Week 9 was a big one.  And I can do big things.

New York City Marathon - Week 8

"You just call out my name

And you know wherever I am

I'll come running"

~ James Taylor

Week 8.  The halfway mark in our 16 week journey to the start of the NYC Marathon.  And the last day of summer vacation.  And the first day of school for my girls.  And last week of holding an official title of stay-at-home mom.  It was an emotional week, and I'm glad running - but more importantly my people - were there for me.

MONDAY

Easy 8

I was a little nervous about this run...my last attempt at more than 6 ended in a long walk home, but I was hopeful that keeping it slow and steady would allow me to finish all 8.  The running gods had my back on that one...it was a great run that included one stop at the world's coldest water fountain (because Sunday night included Green Flash).  

I hit the road again right after my thirst was temporarily quenched, and finished out the 8 miles with a 1 mile phone conversation with Dayna.  I never ever ever answer my phone mid-run, but I was craving company and what better company than your BFF.  

We really lucked out on the weather for Labor Day, and we hit the beach for one last hurrah before the school buses rolled in Tuesday morning.  

God help these kiddos...they all have runner moms and surfer dads.

TUESDAY

Easy 4 + PT exercises and dry needling

This run was totally boring, other than I ran into Karen and got to see her off on her mile repeats.

WEDNESDAY

Spin

I was invited to try out a new spin studio in town in a private session with my new coworkers.  They put me front and center...which authorities do I notify to report hazing of the new girl???

THURSDAY

Easy 5  + PT exercises and dry needling

I got to go for a moonlit run with my hubby at 5:45am.  The full moon was bright in the sky and we got to compare notes on training plans and race strategies.  Totes normal married people behavior.

One thing Week 8 reminded me of is that training for a marathon makes you hungry.  So very god damn hungry.  I took my mom out to lunch for her birthday and devoured every last bite of the most delicious balsamic steak and bleu cheese wrap you ever did see, and she may have been slightly disgusted about my membership to the clean plate club.  Dinner was no different.  I wanted something quick and easy - because I was so friggin hungry and didn't want to wait long for food to actually cook - so I whipped up this Asian quinoa concoction with chick peas, broccoli slaw, peanuts, and a homemade peanut dressing.  

I then proceeded to eat entirely too much of it and needed to walk around the block to aid digestion.  Luckily I had a willing companion.

FRIDAY

Easy 5

Rest (hang out with an inquisitive 4 year old and his copycat 2 year old brother) 

Lauren (PT extraordinaire) hit a new spot with the dry needling on Thursday, leaving me pretty sore on Friday, so I decided to let the hip rest up and save itself for Saturday's long run instead of running a few junk miles on Friday.  That worked out well, as I had been in a Benadryl haze for the better part of the week thanks to being stung by a bee last Sunday.  Five days later, this is what it looked like:

And since social media is a pretty reliable tool for diagnosing medical conditions, I dragged my little buddies to urgent care - on their last day with me, no less - to rule out a nasty infection.  The nurse practitioner didn't find my elephant arm as alarming as others did and instructed me to keep up with the benadryl but hang on to a prescription for antibiotics if the redness spread.  My worries were eased tremendously, so thank you to everyone on instagram who advised me to get it checked.

SATURDAY

17 miles

Not gonna lie.  This run scared me.  Like scurrrrred scared.  Not knowing how my hip would hold up was stressing me out, and I knew I'd be so much better off having company for as many miles as I could muster.  Enter Team Cancer Better Run.

I made my way to the oceanfront to crash the J&A Training Team party and run with my people.  Karen and I did 6 miles at 6am before the rest of the training team kicked off at 7.  At 7, we headed out for 10 more miles, and Steve was with me as I tacked on one more to make my 17.  This run wasn't fast.  I stopped a number of times.  But there was no quit in me.  I set out to run 17 miles if my level of discomfort stayed below a 3 out of 10, so 17 miles I ran.  I'm not sure what would've happened if I had to run those miles by myself, but I do know I'd be bored to tears.  I am so thankful I had these people to pull me along, and it was great to meet the other runners they spend their Saturdays with.

One thing that makes marathon training such a challenge is that I'm still Mommy after I've run for 2.5 hours.  My kids still deserve my time and my energy, so once I've showered and refueled, it's always on to the next adventure.  On this particular Saturday, that adventure included packing up the bikes and heading out to Norfolk to explore some new (to us) bike paths and breweries.  And street corn from the food truck.

By the time I collapsed into bed, I had racked up some steps.

SUNDAY

Easy 4-or 5

Rest

I thought about going for a run pretty much all day Sunday.  My legs felt pretty decent after Saturday's 17 miler, and I definitely could have squeaked a few more miles out of the week, but I spent my energy around the house instead.  Ryan took the girls to the rec center so they could play while he got his swim done, and I stayed behind to clean.

When they returned, the girls found some friends to play with and Ryan and I found some yardwork to get into.  I was pleasantly surprised by how good I felt all day, which made me really look forward to the coming week.  We're getting into the meat of training now, and we're going to have to dig deep.  I'm so glad I'm not the only one holding a shovel.

New York City Marathon - Week 7

"Always move forward;

going straight will get you nowhere."

~Green Day

Having run one marathon before training for New York, I've been excited about how I can do this one differently.  And when I say differently, I really mean better.  And by better I don't necessarily mean faster, either.  I mean smarter.  Stronger.  Did I mention smarter?  So along with the knowledge and experience I've gained over the three years since the last marathon, I am also so very lucky to have an incredibly knowledgeable and experienced coach to guide me through this journey.  And by guide me, I mean give me a little smack upside the head when needed and keep my eyes on the prize of running strong in New York.  He may be Leprechaun Bob to a lot of you, but he's now Coach Bob to me.

One of my mantras for this training cycle is "Let go and let Bob."  I have a tendency to overthink each run and each decision I make when it comes to my training, and it has been amazing to be able to shoot Bob a text, pick his brain, and have him offer a solution that's so obvious I smack myself in the head for not coming up with it myself.  This week was a prime example of that.  Coach Bob suggested I simply swap weeks so I'd have a cut back week this week instead of next week, let the hip settle the F down, and see where to go from there.  Duh.  Brilliant.  I started the week relieved to have an easy week when I wasn't feeling 100% instead of pushing through tough miles and making things worse.  

MONDAY
Easy 5 + massage

This has been a very common view for my runs lately.  Run a few miles, stretch, repeat.  The tightness high in my hamstring just keeps creeping in after a mile or two, and I stop to stretch in hopes I can complete the miles I have planned.  Since I had a spin class planned for Tuesday morning, I decided this would be a great day to cash in on a massage gift certificate I've had since last fall.

Ahhhhh.  Heavenly.  Lorri at Natural Balance by the Sandbridge Harris Teeter has some good hands.  She's worked on pro baseball and hockey players before, so she can certainly handle these little legs.  I left feeling loosey goosey and great.

TUESDAY
MY Ride with Mike

Normally getting up at 4:30am for this 5:30am class is absolutely brutal, but after waking up around that hour most days all summer, it really felt like any other day.  There was a low off the coast that morning, and I woke up to driving rain, howling winds, and a huge sense of gratitude I didn't have to run in it that morning.  

WEDNESDAY
9 miles, last 3 at marathon pace
6 easy miles
3 easy miles + 3 miles walking

This run actually earned the title of "shit show" on my garmin app.  First mile was great.  Second mile was meh.  By the time I finished the third mile I knew I better stretch my hamstrings a bit...the left one was tight and throbbing by this point.  I stopped at a spot with a pretty view, where an unexpected rain shower began.  I started to get cold, so I picked up the run again, deciding I'd cut 3 miles off the run for 6 total.  The hamstring actually felt worse than before I stretched, and I slowed to a walk, hoping I could run/walk the 3 miles back home.  After a short walk break, I picked back up to a jog again and knew I had to stop.  The hamstring was throbbing and the discomfort was throwing off my gait.  I sent Ryan a mayday text to come pick me up, but he never looks at his phone and didn't see it until I was turning down our street.  Frustrating, but it was just as well because I got to see this as I walked mile after mile home:

The huge rainbow made me smile and reminded me that things could be worse and time is on my side.  I made another mayday text to Kerry to get the name and location of the PT she speaks so highly of.  Thankfully I was able to get an appointment that day because panic was starting to set in.  

Enter Lauren.  A physical therapy wunderkind who evaluated my body and my running form and concluded I'm not getting enough hip extension when I run, which doesn't tell the glutes to fire, which makes the front of the hip and the calves do more than their fair share of the work.  Stretching the front of the hip and strengthening the glutes should do the trick, and sweet baby Jesus I can keep running - albeit slower - while we work on the rest.  So a little dry needling and a little massage later, I was on my way to happy hips.

Not gonna lie...lying there for a while was pretty awesome, even if I did have needles in my ass.

THURSDAY
Elliptical + PT exercises

My hip was moderately sore from the needling, as expected, so I held off on any running and hit the elliptical before doing the glute strengthening exercises Lauren gave me.  One thing she won't have to worry about with me is patient compliance.  I do my homework.

FRIDAY
Hip check - easy 3.4

I was nervous at the start of this run, but it went in the win column by the time I was done.  Lauren told me I can run as tolerated as long as my pain levels don't go higher than a 3/10.  By about mile 1.5, the high hamstring started talking, so I stretched the hip flexors - not the hamstrings - and continued on my merry way.  Pain stayed at a minimum and all hope was restored.  We headed off to Busch Gardens for one last hurrah before summer ended.

Tailgating before roller coaster riding...I highly recommend it!  And is it me or are these drinks 2017's Zima?

Tight hip flexors?  Pshhhhhhh.

My brave girl waiting to ride the front row of Invadr

8 miles of walking the park and my hip was no worse for the wear.  #winning

SATURDAY
Easy 4
Easy 5

I planned to do 4 miles but these felt soooooooo good I snuck another one in.  And of course did my stretching after.

SUNDAY
Easy 5

This is where the crazy comes out and I have to keep myself in check.  I calculated my mileage for the week and saw that if I ran a few more miles on Sunday, I'd be pretty close to where I originally planned to be before this hiccup of a hip issue.  Because I was feeling good - and only because I was feeling good - I ran an easy 5 miles before cheering on the nut jobs running the Rock n Roll half.  I'm happy to report I was smart enough not to run all the miles I needed to equal the original plan, but just enough to ease my mind while resting my body as well.  Some beach time and Green Flash time with these gals was exactly what I needed to finish up a tumultuous week of training with a smile on my face and a skip in my step.

Training for a marathon is hardly going to be a straight line from start to starting line, but as long as I keep moving forward and relying on the advice of others who want to see me succeed, I'll get there strong and smiling.