Category: Running

Country Runs-Summer

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It’s Friday and I’m on the edge of my seat excited for my long run. Surprised? I’ve been completely loving my long runs lately and one of the best parts of my long runs is the scenery. It’s been almost a year since we moved, and I have to admit that I love living 45 minutes south of Cleveland. I get to enjoy the busy feeling and the horrific traffic Monday through Friday, but the weekends bring me to a place of peace and soul searching.

Last fall I shared some of my favorite pictures I took along my runs and now that seasons have changed a few times, I found even more. Enjoy the views as you coast through Friday into the weekend!

Open path

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Peace

Lake Medina

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Two roads diverged in the woods, and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Also, if you’re looking for a vacation to Cali, or just happen to live out on the West coast, be sure to enter my friend Jen’s giveaway. You could win an entry to the San Fransisco Giant Half Marathon. I’d enter, but scheduling just doesn’t work out, fortunately this means you’ll have a chance to race in Cali!

Akron Marathon Training: Week Six

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Last week it was too wet, this week it’s too hot. Welcome to marathon training in the summer. With the temperature in the 90’s all week I had to carefully plan out  my runs. Monday I was still exhausted from a busy weekend, so I moved my run to Tuesday, which is somehow becoming a habit. Tuesday we had an air quality alert all day, and it was already 85 degrees by 9:00am, so I waited as long as I possibly could and ran at 8:30pm. It was still hot and the air was still thick, but I knew to play it safe. I wanted to do 3-4, but with the weather I just went by how I felt. I did an out and back and actually felt better on my way in.

Wednesday was supposed to be a track day, but with a heat advisory all day, I pushed it to Thursday, hoping it would cool off by a degree or two. Then Thursday didn’t go as planned. I woke up with a racing heart beat, 98+bpm. My normal resting heart beat is usually around 57bpm, so I knew something was off. I wasn’t feeling good at all, until my heart “reset” itself and skipped a few beats. It’s a normal thing, for me at least, but this time was worse than all of them, mostly because I could barely catch my breath. Shortly after my heart rate started to go down, and by mid morning it was in the low 70’s-high 60’s. I had some small pains throughout the day, but I generally felt back to normal. So instead of mile repeats, I decided on a few easy miles and went by how I felt. It was hot and awful out. I started to struggle in the first mile and knew I wouldn’t last long. My heart just can’t take these 90 degree days.

Sidebar: Skipped beats are completely normal for me and happen most when I’m relaxed, ie when I was eating breakfast. They show up whenever, and usually don’t cause any issues. With the amount of stress I have been under and the heat wave that’s settled over Ohio, I’m not surprised they’ve picked up again in full force. I’ve been cleared in the past to keep running, but I just have to be more aware of what my heart is doing.

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 2.5 Miles

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: 2 Miles

Friday: Off

Saturday: Wellington Cheese Fest 10k

Sunday: 3 Miles, 8:58, 8:54, 8:54

Total Miles: 7.5 Miles

Saturday was slated for 18 miles, a distance I never ran as a training run last year. My plan was to run a few miles, run a 10k, and then finish up the leftover miles after the race was over. Saturday morning I woke up to dark skies and on and off rain. I could hear thunder in the distance and wondered if my race would get postponed. With an 8:30 start, I drove to Wellington around 7:15, the rain was getting worse, but I was hoping that by 8:30 it would be clear. Nothing had changed and the race had been delayed to at least 9:00. I went back and forth from my car to the covered pavilion. The closer it got to 9:00, the more I was less excited about running. I had been looking forward to this race for weeks, but with the weather and the constant delay, my motivation was going out the window. At 9:00, they called the race due to weather. I’ve never had a race canceled on me and wasn’t really sure what to do. I went home and the storm seemed to follow. By noon, things had cleared up, but with the way that morning went, I decided to push my run to Sunday.

After tossing and turning, I woke up Sunday from a dream that told me not to do my 18 miles. I wasn’t feeling too hot and my stomach was agreeing with my dream. I still got up and tried to get in the mind frame of running, but without a planned route I found it harder and harder to get going. I was still having some heavy chest pains and after a half hour, I decided I would take a mental health day and go back to bed. I woke up three hours later and felt better than I had in the past three weeks.

I knew I’d eventually have to get some sort of run in, so I went to the indoor track that evening for some monitored running. I did a tempo run of three miles and felt pretty decent considering the past week. It felt good to get some decent running in and not struggle with the heat.

I don’t regret not doing my long run. The heat had me struggling all week long, and I knew it probably wouldn’t have ended well. I can easily move it to this weekend and not get behind in my training. I’ve also been so worn down, I’m not surprised my body gave up. We’ve been so busy every weekend that I’m not able to fully recover after my long runs. I needed this weekend to touch base with myself and catch up on rest. Next week I’ll be back at it and enjoying the slightly cooler temps.

What I learned:

  • I’d take snow over a heat wave any day. My body can only handle so much heat before it turns on me. The most important thing is to listen to your body on those hot summer days.
  • You can’t cross train when having any issues dealing with the heart, so the best thing to do is wait it out. Not always fun, but better to be safe than sorry.
  • One bad week won’t ruin my training. Sometimes things don’t go as planned and you move on. No need to stress over what you don’t have control over. Easier said than done….
  • I was bummed on the days that the heat took away my running. After a burnout that seemed to go on forever, I’m finally back in love with running, and it never felt so good.

Have you ever been to a race that was canceled day of? How did you handle the heat wave?

Akron Marathon Training: Week Five

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I think I go along with everyone when I say that the rain was putting a damper on my running. After 16 straight days of rain, I was so glad to finally see the sun. This week, well, I think I’d enjoy a few rain showers. I took off Monday to recover from my long run. I was feeling good, but on Tuesday my legs were a little tight. I tried to sneak my run in between the storms, but got caught in the rain not even a half mile in. It helped cut the humidity and felt good to cool off while running.

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Post rainy run

Wednesday was a completely different story. After a huge line of storms came in and about 50 text alerts, flooding became my biggest issue. We were hit hard and many streets, yard and houses were flooded. My little township of Montville was even featured on the news with how bad the flooding was, including some of the streets I ran last weekend, which had two feet of standing water on them. Luckily our home was bone dry, but unfortunately many of our neighbors weren’t so lucky. I knew I wanted to do some hills, but finding some dry land was a challenge. I lucked out and found a smallish hill and decided on 10 repeats. They went quick and I was feeling good. The hill was just big enough that I could feel myself slowing down by number 8. I felt really good working on some hills, but not so much on my warm up and cool down, something I need to work on.

Lake Medina parking lot with a few feet of water

Lake Medina parking lot with a few feet of water

 

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 2 Miles

Wednesday: 3.25 Miles, .75  Mile w/u, 10 hill repeats, .5 Mile c/d

Thursday: Off

Friday: Off

Saturday: 16 Miles

Sunday: Off

Total Miles: 21.25 Miles

Saturday, long run day, was quite the experience. I’m going to go ahead and let you know now that it was a great run. I originally sent out an invite to MCRR inviting anyone to join me for 16 miles. When no one showed up Saturday morning, I was a little bummed out, but now, I’m glad I had another solo long run. I mapped out a new route that included some challenging hills and some roads I’ve never been on. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I figured it was better than doing my old route over and over from last year. I started through some expensive homes that back up against Lake Medina. The views of the lake are worth the pain of a steady incline for a few miles. I then headed out to some country roads with some beautiful rolling hills. I was feeling really good, consistently hydrating, taking my salt tabs and eating my sport beans. The downside to being so far out of town, is that there are no sidewalks, so I had to hug the white line a few times after cars wouldn’t move over.

I started to head back in town around mile 8 and attempted to take a Gu. I took two bites of the peanut butter flavor and had enough. I knew it wouldn’t sit well if I kept eating it. I was also at the point that I needed to refill my water so I stopped at Dunkin Donuts. Seeing all those donuts, I immediately regretting not sticking around for a while, but I had to keep running. For the next two miles I had sidewalks, but that also meant I was stop and go at stop lights. I liked being able to stretch, but I hated that once I found a good pace, I was stopping again. Around mile 10, I had made it to the square. The farmers market was out, which was also tempting to stop for, but instead I stretched in the grass for a few minutes and planned out my last 6 miles. I had originally found a loop that would bring me to 16 at my door, but at this point, my legs were starting to ache and I wanted to be closer to home. It was also part of my dreaded long run route from last year, which would be mentally tough to run. I took the back road out of town and followed it until I came upon a cross roads. I had 4 miles left, I could either head out and loop back home or I could cut down the development and create a few out and backs to hit my mileage. I decided on the longer loop. The more I did now, the less I’d have to do once I was home. It was also at this point that I realized I only had 4 miles to go, something so easy, and short! I suddenly had  some energy and was picking up  my pace.

I found myself on some of the flooded streets from Wednesday, the sun was out, debris was scattered and they smelled so terribly bad. It took everything in me not to gag, but I kept going. I was heading back  uphill towards home and noticed I’d still be short so I did an out and back into the first development I ran. I was at 14.5 miles and my body was now hurting. I was tired, my legs were sore and I was getting pretty hot. I was out of water and knew that the only thing between me and 16 miles was a nice gradual hill. I gave it everything I had, turned the corner and followed my street. I hit my doorstep at 15.30. I knew I had to hit 16, so I chugged some cold water and slowly jogged around my neighborhood. My Garmin beeped, and I was done. Best 16 miles to date.

Hills for breakfast

Hills for breakfast

I honestly felt great for 14.5 miles of this run. I kept a decent pace, never going over 10:25 and sometimes saw myself down at 9:40. I powered up those hills like I was on the heel of a PR and never once thought of walking them. Most importantly, never once did I wish I was back in bed instead of running. Ok, well, maybe the first few minutes, but I loved that run, and I can’t remember a run were I’ve felt so solid for so long. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d actually be able to train for a marathon, mentally or physically. And I’m sure some readers doubted I’d actually stick with my plan or get my long runs in. It feels good to see what I’ve done in five weeks, and even better to imagine what I can do in the next eleven.

This next week I have a 10k that I’ll combine with my 18 miles for Saturday. Does anyone know how to race a 10k, cause I sure don’t.

What I Learned:

  • Hills are so empowering. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. My elevation change for this run was 828 feet. It may not seem like a lot, but I know it’s making things that much easier come race day.
  • Even though I’m only running three days a week, I think it’s best for me. My body is feeling good and I’m staying injury free. I’ve debated adding a fourth day, but think I’ll just play it by ear.
  • I’m having less headaches than I used to, and I’m thinking it might be from all the running I’m doing. If not, it’s still nice to have a few weeks away from migraines.
  • I’m not a huge fan of warm ups and cool downs, this needs to change. Besides, it’s only a mile each time, it should be easy!
  • I miss yoga. Last week was the holiday and this week I had plans, so I haven’t been in two weeks. I’m so excited to get back to it this coming week.

Did your runs get rained out this week? Do you prefer running on sidewalks or the edge of the road?

Twin Sizzler 5k Recap

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Almost a week later, I have my recap on the Twin Sizzler 5k I ran on the 4th of July. Last year I ran Bay Days in  Bay Village and was a little bummed I wouldn’t be able to run it this year. Lucky for me, Medina had their own festival of events for the holiday. The Twin Sizzler provided a ton of events for the community including a 5k run, 10k run, 27 mile Community bike ride, 27 mile expert bike ride, 1 mile kids fun run, and a 5k walk. If that wasn’t enough, you could run both the 5k and the 10k for a double workout. All proceeds went to the Red Cross of Medina County, and with well over 800 people in attendance, we definitely helped out our local chapter. There was also a DJ, activities for kids, and a ton of families out for the holiday.

The race was slated to start at 7:45 and with how hot and humid it has been, it was much better than a 9:00 start. Lucky for us, the sun stayed behind the clouds, but the humidity was thick and people were sweating before we started. I got there around 7:25, and headed straight to bib pick up. If you registered early (which I finally did for once!) you were promised a t-shirt. Unfortunately they had run out of smalls by the time I got there, so I was given a medium. I plan on donating it since I already have way too many shirts.

Around 7:40 we were told that we’d had a delay of the start. We eventually got going around 7:55, only a 10 minute delay. Still feeling warmed up, I didn’t have a goal, I just wanted to survive the muck of the humidity. The first mile had a bit of a down hill and wound through some of the downtown streets. I knew I didn’t want to go out too hard, but didn’t want to focus on my time. I let my legs do the work and I was somewhere near a 7:50 pace. I pulled back and tired to slow myself down. It was getting hotter and hotter and I knew that it would be a tough race. We came up on the first mile and I was around 8:30. Right after the marker was a water stop. I grabbed a glass, drinking some, but dumping most on my head. I don’t normal grab water in 5k’s, but I couldn’t get enough of it.

We continued on through more neighborhoods and I could feel my pace slowing down. I bounced between 8:45 and 9:10, always struggling to keep a solid pace. Most of the course was very familiar either from previous runs or from the Medina Half Marathon. It was relatively flat, but had some gradual inclines throughout the second mile. I was still feeling pretty strong, but didn’t want to go too fast and not have anything left for the finish.

I don’t remember what time I hit the third mile, but I was excited to see more water. This time the cup was filled up a bit too much, so I had more difficultly drinking it and running. I slowed down a bit, but then tried to pick my pace back up. The last mile was straight towards the square and I knew we’d have an uphill incline. I was starting to get hotter and sweatier, but tried to ignore it. With a half mile to go I was around 23:xx and everyone started to pick up the pace. I felt great and followed the crowd. Crossing the rail road tracks we had about 400 feet left, the incline of the hill started and I felt off. I hate finishing uphill because I usually feel sick so I tried to relax and just ignored my pace. I slowed quite a bit, but was nervous that I’d lose whatever was in my stomach on the course. About a hundred feet to go and I gagged. I told myself to stop, and just get to the finish. Fifty feet from the finish I gagged again, and nothing. I jogged to the finish line, barely stopped my Garmin and was off to the side. The humidity had gotten the best of me.

After grabbing some water and heading to my car, I started to feel much better. I drove home and suddenly felt that like I could run some more…if the humidity wasn’t so thick. I almost regretted not signing up for the 10k as well, but after the 5k, I was glad I only had one race. Besides for the last half mile I felt great throughout the entire run. I was dissapointed with my time and pacing, but I know that the heat plays a big factor in this. It was no where near a PR, but I feel that I’ll definitely be dropping time once the weather cools off.

Overall the race was great. The course was well marked and relatively flat considering some of the major hills around. Having two water stops was awesome, but I think I had too much water in my stomach, which didn’t help later on. There was only one sprinkler on the course, but many more would have been appreciated. I’ll definitely run this race next year and even think about doing the 10k.

Decked in Red, White, and Blue!

Decked in Red, White, and Blue!

Results:

Garmin: 27:06

Overall: 298/670

Female Overall: 107/356

Age Group (25-29): 15/40

Akron Marathon Training: Week Four

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This week didn’t start off so great, but it finished exactly where I  needed to be. Tuesday’s run was short and rough. I had a hard time breathing from the humidity and felt like I wasn’t going anywhere. Still a little nervous about running two days in a row, I moved my tempo run to Thursday and ran the Twin Sizzler 5k. I’ll post more on the race later this week, but it was quite humid by 7:30 and made for an interesting race.

I had hopes of running with MCRR on Friday, but with a lack of sleep, I knew I needed to let myself get some rest. With a busy weekend and even more lack of sleep, I pushed my long run to Sunday morning. I knew that I had 14 on the schedule, but decided I’d be satisfied with 12  because I only hit 10 in my last long run. Last year I  made the  mistake of doing the same route for all my long runs, this year I wanted to mix things up so I set out for some back roads hoping to find some peace in the country. I also didn’t want to have a repeat of the dehydration issue so I set up a game plan of staying hydrated and full of energy.

  • Drink water at every mile marker
  • Take a few sport beans every 4 miles
  • Take Gu around mile 6
  • Take salt tabs once every hour

I started out easy and kept my pace around 10:15-10:30. It felt slow, but I knew I’d need the energy later on as the miles went on. It wasn’t too humid yet, and the sun kept hiding behind clouds about every other mile, not bad for an 8am run. I had some rolling hills, but was enjoying my time out on the back roads. I also knew I had a huge hill coming up, so I tried to relax as much as I could.

So much peace

So much peace

I really do enjoy moments like this, with no cars, no other people, and just the pure beauty of the land.

About a mile later I had found my “heartbreak” hill. From 963 ft to 1037 ft in less than a quarter of a mile, followed by an additional 50 foot elevation gradual change over the next half mile. It  may  not sound like monster, but my legs were hurting pretty bad when I got to the top. Fortunately I felt strong and never once thought about giving up on that hill. I continued on my way and started to have some heavy chest pains. I was at a point in my run where I could turn and go further from home, or I could make a slight change and stay within two miles of home. I decided to play it safe and stay closer to home. I quickly had to crunch some numbers and create a new route that would still get me over double digits without doing the same loop over and over. The pains went away and decided it was probably from the heat and my body was caught off guard by the hill.

I eventually figured out a plan and was getting close to 9 miles when I could feel my body starting to get sore. I was close enough to home that I could stop, refill my water bottle, stretch and head out for the remaining miles. And then I had my first incident with a car. Classic case of driver looks right at me, stops for a moment, and continues a right on red while I’m in the middle of her car. Luckily I had my eyes on her and moved out of the way at the last minute. *Drivers, please, please be cautious of runners, walkers, cyclists when turning right on red.

I made it home in once piece, but I could feel my hips and legs getting tight. I spent some time debating if I should continue my run or save the rest for later tonight. I only had 3-5 miles left, which at the point wasn’t much, but felt like it would have taken forever. After stretching, re-hydrating, snacking and mapping out what would be next, I headed to the lake for some softer ground. With an out and back on crushed gravel and grass, my legs felt so much better. By mile 12 I was feeling the pain and ready to get back home. After doing a few loops in my development I approached my front door with 14 miles for the day, my longest run since last October. It was tough, but I felt strong, and finally felt like I was really training for a marathon again.

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 2 Miles

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: Twin Sizzler 5k

Friday: Off

Saturday:  Off

Sunday: 14 Miles

Total Miles: 19 Miles

This week had it’s ups and downs, but I survived. I’ve got another long run this weekend, and I’m actually looking forward to it. I also have another tempo run that I may turn into hill repeats. Because hills, actually aren’t that bad!

What I learned:

  • Long runs are all about pacing. In the beginning I always feel slow, but the pace will eventually work itself out in the last miles.
  • Staying hydrated is key. I felt so much better using salt tabs this week.
  • Hills make or break a run. When you feel strong on the hills, you feel stronger about your run.
  • Always be cautious of your surroundings. Drivers, animals, pedestrians or cyclist may be in their own zone and not see you. When you lose touch of everything outside you’re run, that’s when you get hurt.

How was your holiday weekend? Have you ever had an incidents with cars while running?

Akron Marathon Training: Week Two

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Week two of marathon training is complete and it was a much better week. Last week was a shock to my body by adding so much mileage, this week I think I handled it much better. I started the week with an easy 4 miler. I’ve started doing out and backs with my smaller runs to keep things simple and to see how much my pace changes. This route included rolling hills, but I somehow managed to negative split each mile. Talk about improvement.

I followed up my awesome run with some speed on Wednesday. It’s been quite some time since I spent some real quality time on the track so I was curious with how my mile repeats would go. I was supposed to hit my miles around 9:09. I knew I could get at least one down to that time, but wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do all three. I started my on my first lap and noticed I was at 7:42. (Ummm,  hello, you can’t go that fast!) I quickly started to slow my pace and reminded myself that this wasn’t a race. Apparently I didn’t do that good of job because my first mile was 8:22. My second mile was a little slower at 8:33 and I could feel some of that good sprinting pain in my legs. I didn’t think I could go any faster for my last one, but gave it a shot and tried to go as fast as I could. Third mile, 8:18. Good to see I’ve still got it.

Thursday was my normal yoga class and Sunday was my long run. I got up at 6:45 and was out the door by 7:30. I had hoped this was early enough to avoid some heat, but unfortunately the humidity was thick. I started off feeling pretty good and kept myself around a 10:00 pace. The heat was getting worse and I could feel myself sweating more than I was taking in fluids. I had some Sport Beans at mile 4 and felt pretty good after that. I started cramping at mile 6, but focused on my breathing and got rid of them quickly. At this point my water was hot and running low so I stopped at Starbucks to fill up and take advantage of some AC. I got back on the roads, headed towards home and was straight in the line of full on sun. Without any shade I started to struggle. I slowly made my way up one hill, but walked up the steeper one. Luckily at the top there was a bike path in the woods. I ducked inside and tried to stretch out and cool down. I was at mile 8, and only had 2-4 miles left to go. My body made the decision for me when it decided I was way too dehydrated. I wasn’t sure if I was going to pass out, get sick, or worse. I almost got out my phone to call home, but remembered there was a porta potty about 400 feet up ahead at the intersection. My goal was to get there and then decided what to do. I started to run again, and eventually got myself under control, passing up on the porta potty. I slowed my pace down a lot and kept drinking water, stopping to stretch and catch my breath whenever I needed it. I somehow made it home right as  my Garmin beeped for the 10 mile mark. No way I could do another two in the heat, so I called it a day.

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 4 Miles

Wednesday: Speed- 4.5 Miles ( W/U, 3×1600-8:22, 8:33, 8:18, C/D)

Thursday: Yoga

Friday: Off

Saturday: Off

Sunday: 10 Miles

Total Miles: 18.5 Miles

I followed the rule and didn’t add too much more mileage this week. I felt good for most of my runs and I know I gave it all I had. This next week is supposed to be my 14 miler. However, I’ll be out of town for a wedding Friday-Sunday so I’m switching my long run with next week’s easy 6 miler. It’s still early in the training cycle, that switching a weekend shouldn’t be a big issue. Plus, I knew this would happen at least twice, so I’ve made sure to move things around where I can still fit everything in.

 

What I learned:

  • I need to hydrate better on my long runs.  I’m always so fearful for the sloshy belly, but in this heat, it’s necessary. I’ve even thought of running with my Camel Back because I feel like I’m running through the desert. I’m not? Oh, alright then..
  • Running at 7:30am isn’t early enough. Last year I was fortunate enough to do my long runs along Lake Erie, with a breeze. This year, there is no breeze and all heat. Either I run earlier or I head indoors.
  • I can definitely see an improvement with yoga. Not only am I doing better in class, but it’s helping me to calm my breathing during my runs. I may or may not be addicted to yoga now.
  • Sometimes I miss track. I never thought I would, but now I get excited for my track workouts. Favorite track workout? 200’s! Can’t wait for those!

How are you dealing with the heat? What’s the earliest you’ve gotten up to run a training run?

Akron Marathon Training: Week One

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Week one is officially in the books, and I’m still a little surprised that I’m training for another marathon. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect this week considering my mileage has been pretty low going into training. I figured I’d give it all I had and see what I could do. Monday’s easy 4 was just that. I ran a familiar out and back and included a half mile incline on my way back in. I felt strong and it was the perfect run to kick off training.

Wednesday’s tempo run was a bit challenging. To make sure I kept my pace even, I headed to the track. Unfortunately, once I started to run, I had the instant feeling that I needed to go fast. I was supposed to stay at 9:49, but didn’t even come close. To bring my pace down, I decided to head for the streets. I was still going pretty quick until I got lost, and then suddenly my pace dropped as I crept around trying to find my way back to the main road. I finally made my way back and finished up on the track, still under the 9:49 pace. These tempo runs will be one of the harder things during this training cycle, because I’m horrible at pacing. But I know how important they are, and hopefully one day I’ll figure them out.

I followed up my tempo run with Yoga on Thursday, with a focus on legs. I could feel my muscles burning and left knowing I had a good workout. My long run was tricky this weekend. I had a bachelorette party to attend Saturday night, so I knew if I ran that morning, I’d never stay awake. I had thought about running Friday night, but after a long work week I found myself on the couch with a glass of wine. I pushed the run to Sunday and looking back, it wasn’t the smartest idea. I was extremely tired and thirsty, but still met up with a friend to run the first three miles. They were slow and we both struggled. It was about 83 degrees and the worst time of day to run. I knew that this run wouldn’t be easy. I finished up the last part on my own and thought running the additional seven wouldn’t seem as daunting. Not even a mile in I was sweating more than I ever thought I could. The miles continued and I kept feeling worse. By the time I made it to mile 5, I knew I couldn’t do that much more. I made my way back home and felt extremely disappointed in myself.

Monday: 4 Miles

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: Tempo Run-6 Miles, 9:00, 9:39, 9:22, 10:45, 9:28, 9:18

Thursday: Yoga

Friday: Off

Saturday: Off

Sunday: 6.5 Miles

Total Miles: 16.5 Miles

So in review, the first half of the week was great. I hit all my miles and I kept a decent pace. The second half of the week, not so much. Just for fun I looked back at the past few weeks of my runs to see how I compared. I actually ran more miles this week than the last two combined. It’s not saying much, but I think my body took a toll from amping up my mileage. I’ll need to take a look at these first few weeks and possibly cut back on the weekday mileage if I want to last for my long run. Also, I don’t recommend saving your long run for Sunday night, especially the day after a bachelorette party.

This next week brings my first speed workout, which I am actually really excited for. I’ll also have a normal weekend so I can get my long run done at a normal time.

What I learned:

  • Don’t go overboard on mileage if you’re not ready. I went from running 6-8 miles a week to over 16. The increase is way too much and can cause injury. There’s not point in pushing myself to the high mileage so quickly if I can’t benefit from the workouts.
  • Stay hydrated! I’ve been really good about staying hydrating during the week. This weekend, I failed miserably. The weather is finally staying in the 80’s so staying hydrated is key!
  • Tempo runs are challenging, but the feeling after finishing them is awesome!

Have you recently started a training cycle? What are your tips?

Throwback Thursday: The HUFF 50k

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In honor of Throwback Thursday, I wanted to look back at a race I ran in high school. Most of my races throughout high school were either the 5k in the fall or the mile and the 2 mile in the spring. This race was a little more special and hands down one of my favorite races and experiences. In 2004 and 2005 I started my winter break by traveling to Huntington, Indiana to run the relay event at the HUFF 50k. Totally normal thing for a high schooler to do, right? Our coach, who had a sister in the area, told us about this race and many of the cross country team signed up right away. We divided up into teams of three, and after season was officially over, we “trained” for our next event.

At the time, the HUFF was located in Huntington, which is where the name came from, Huntington Ultra Frigid Fifty. The course made its way through a number of terrains, including trails, roads, bridges, and fields. The weather was always unpredictable, going from clear roads, to a dusting of snow, to tromping through a foot of snow. Between the course and the weather, everything was unpredictable, but that’s what made it interesting. Because we were running the relay, each person would run 10.8 miles, a small feat compared to the runners doing the entire 50k.

The race started off with a cannon and nearly scared me to death each time. I don’t remember the course by heart, but remember that it started off through the trails and my feet were numb within the first mile. We always tried to pair up so we wouldn’t be alone, but also were aware that many of the other runners were experienced in trail running, so we stayed out of the way when we could. Around 3 or 4 miles we found ourselves on some paved roads and quickly ended back up in the woods to head towards some fields. The views were something I’ll never forget and were absolutely gorgeous. Everything was peaceful and untouched. A few miles later, I think we headed towards a long stretch of road across the dam. The wind was rough and you felt like you weren’t moving. You finished up the course by running back in the woods, where you would make your way to the start/relay exchange area. At this point, you would either continue the loop two more times, or your relay partner would take their chance at the course.

From what I remember, the water stops weren’t that far apart and they had a great arrangement of food and drinks. I also remember a lot of walking. Most of us had never run that far, especially on snow covered trails, but we never gave up. Both years I ran, I had a wonderful time and wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything. The whole weekend was very well run, and the post run food was amazing. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures on the course, but if you search Google images for Huff 50k, you’ll get a good sense of what to expect. Spoiler: Snow and trails.

Since then, the course has been moved and appears to be a more challenging event. I haven’t been back, but over the past few years I keep thinking that I’ll take another shot at this event. Whether it be the relay or the whole shebang, I’m excited to run the HUFF again someday.

Interested in learning more about the HUFF 50k? Check out this site, and their Facebook page!

Hard work pays off

Hard work pays off

2004 Results:

Leg Time: 1:54

50k Time: 5:02:51

Mixed 19 & Under: 3rd Place

 

2005 Results:

Leg Time: 1:52

50k Time: 5:30:16

Mixed 19 & Under: 2nd Place

And so it begins….

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It’s here again, and it came a lot sooner than I had originally planned. In just 16 weeks, I’ll be running my second marathon, something I didn’t think I’d do until 2014. But the more I thought about it, the more I decided I wanted to give it another shot this year. Today marks the first day in a 109 day journey. I know what to expect this time around, and I know what to change. I’m looking forward to seeing how I can improve and what else I can learn from this challenging distance. I’ve come up with some important training goals for this round.

1. Follow the plan. I want to drop some major time off the marathon and PR, so I need to follow my training plan exactly. I can’t skip on the long runs or the track workouts. Plus, I want to show up at the starting line with no regrets.

2. Eat Healthier. If it weren’t for running, I’d probably gain 50lbs easily with all the junk food I put in my body. I definitely need to cut this out and start eating more fruits and veggies. The better I eat, the better I’ll feel and the better my running will  be.

3. Cross train. I really can’t remind myself enough about this. I fully believe I managed to stay injury free this year based on the fact that I cross trained. I can tell yoga is helping, but I need more personal time with the weights and the bike.

4. Listen to my body. So important. My body will let me know exactly how training is going and I need to listen to it and not ignore it. If I don’t listen to it, I could end up injured, something I don’t want this time around.

5. Run with friends. One perk of joining a run club is that I have access to group runs. I can’t make them during the week due to my work schedule, but weekends will be open to joining the group for some long runs. This is something I definitely want to take advantage of.

6. Plan ahead. Planning my routes for the week will make it easier to just get out there and run. There will definitely be days that I’ll want to lounge on the couch, but if I have a set plan, I’ll be less likely to back out. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll plan a few weekday morning runs when it gets too hot.

7. Switch it up. I usually run the same routes over and over and over again. I burn myself out by doing this. I want to mix up my routes and find new ones. Hopefully this will keep  me motivated, especially on the long runs.

Alright, so there are a few of my goals. The only one missing is my goal time, which will eventually show up as we get closer to race day.

463.2 Miles

463.2 miles of training

Only 109 days to go….

Medina Half Marathon Recap

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Months ago I found out Medina would be hosting a half marathon through the Medina County Road Runners. I joined the club a few months ago and I am so glad that I did. Not only have my eyes been opened to a bunch of races that I never knew about, but I’ve been able to meet a whole new group of runners in my own backyard. Because this year was a preliminary race to the inaugural race being held in 2014, the half marathon would be free! The event was supported by volunteers, donations through wonderful local companies and help from the community. It was original capped at 350 runners, until a higher than expected 450+ signed up to run. This made my heart smile, knowing that Medina welcomed a running community.

The course was a tour of Medina, starting in the square downtown, running through neighborhoods, around the lake, and back through more neighborhoods before finishing on the square. I had run most of the course many times throughout marathon training, so I was excited that I’d know what to expect. This gave me an extra boost of confidence that would definitely help me out on race day.

Course Map

Course Map

About a month back, I had convinced a friend and fellow Muskie to run the race with me. She had paced me to a PR at St. Malachi in 2012 and I hoped that she could help get me out of my funk for this race. Friday night we picked up our  packet at the new Second Sole location and drove the course. This wasn’t something I’d normally do, but I wanted Melissa to be familiar with the course because I had no idea what I’d be feeling the next day.

Saturday morning rolled around, and I was up bright and early. The race started at 8:00, and luckily because of the cool weather, this wasn’t an issue. It was 35 degrees and Memorial Day weekend, I probably couldn’t have asked for better racing weather if I tried. We headed down to the square around 7:30, another perk of the race being so close. We found parking right away and got in line at the start. About a minute before the start I realized that my bladder was full, but there was no chance to get to the porta  potty before the start. I knew that there would be one at mile three, and it would be a very challenging three miles.

I didn’t have a goal for this race, well, a dead set goal. I knew that my last three halves had been awful time wise. Last year at this time I was running 2:05, and this year I was lucky if I got under 2:30. I knew my training was a big part of this problem, but I didn’t want this to go on any longer. I wanted to enjoy the race more than anything. This was my new “big” race of the spring, my Flying Pig redemption, I just wanted to be happy running it.

We started the race and we were quickly ahead of pace. I tried to slow it down, but I was just too excited. We finally slowed to about a 9:00 minute pace. I felt good, but knew I couldn’t keep it up the entire race. I figured I’d just go with what felt right and see where that took me. Besides for chatting throughout the race, I wanted to dedicate each mile to each of my half marathons. Coincidentally, Medina would be my 13th half, and I was running with a friend who was there for my first, who had helped me train, and was a big part of my running family. It really all seemed fitting, and it helped to keep my mind off of my Garmin. It was also a great way to reflect back on how far I’ve come, remember the good with the bad, and what I’ve learned over the past two years.

So back to the race, we started on the square and went North to some of the older neighborhoods and wrapped around Regan Parkway. This area has a few parks off of it and has a few rolling hills. Luckily it was under construction, so I found a porta potty and felt like a brand new person, possibly a minute or two wasted with the line. We turned on to a back road that led to Lake Medina. This is probably one of my favorite places to run because it is absolutely beautiful in all weather. By this point, it was getting warmer and I was started to heat up. I also took some sport beans to keep my energy up. We wrapped up around the lake and headed on Rt 18 to the first big hill of the race. Because this was so close to my home, I knew what to expect and charged the hill, feeling great.

All smiles around the lake

All smiles around the lake

At this point we made it to mile marker 5 and I knew Darren would be out watching. I didn’t see him until I finally found him sitting in his car in the parking lot. I waved to him, and Melissa dropped off our cold weather gear we didn’t need. A woman behind me commented on how lucky I was that he came out to support me. Lucky I am. We continued up a gradual incline and made a left into the housing development that I’ve run almost too many times. As we approached the development, I noticed Darren’s car stopped in the middle taking pictures. I quickly ran up to him, gave him a kiss and thanked him for waking up “so early” to watch me.

So many happy pictures, best race photos

So many happy pictures, best race photos

We approached mile 6 and I took my first Gu. I knew that I had been losing energy in the second part of my half marathons, so I needed to make sure I took this now before it was too late. We were at the one hour mark, but I wasn’t concerned. I was feeling great and I felt like I could still keep going without any worry. The second half of the race was pretty much all housing developments. They were mostly shaded which wasn’t necessary but will help a lot next year if it’s hot. It was generally flat with some rolling hills, but honestly I’ve become used to them so I don’t even notice them. We kept things at a 10:00ish pace and were able to talk without losing breath most of the time.

The crowd support was awesome along this part of the race, so many people came out of their houses to cheer us on, held up signs and one water stop even had chalk notes written to the runners on the ground. There was no shortage of volunteers or spectators at any point, which really helped to keep up the motivation.

With one mile to go, I knew that nothing else could help or hurt this race. I was on a great pace, and decided I wanted to beat 2:15, my first half marathon time. I could feel myself getting excited and had to calm myself down so I had something left for the finish. We turned a corner and started running on brick road. Instant flashback to Muskingum and I had even more energy to finish the race. I started to push it just before the finish and completed my 13th half marathon, in 2:14:13.

Coming up to the finish

Coming up to the finish

I loved this race, there is no doubt about it. It  wasn’t by best time, but I felt great the entire time. I didn’t have the stress of a PR, and I was about to run with a great friend. This half was exactly what I needed to get my confidence back to where it should be. I know I can run fast and I know I can run a half without having to walk in the later miles. MCRR did a fantastic job of putting on the race and I am so proud to be part of this group.

I highly recommend this race for anyone looking for a half after Cleveland next year. The scenery is great, the course is unusually flat for Medina and it’s perfect timing after Cleveland for either redemption or a casual run. I’m sure to talk about it more than once within that time frame, but I can’t help to share it now. Next year’s race will be on May 31st and start at 7:00am. Next year will also include chipped times and an awesome medal (seriously). Registration right now is only $40 so sign up!

Half Marathon #13!

Half Marathon #13!

And that Flying Pig redemption….24 minutes shaved off my time.

 

*Official Results*

Overall: 227/324

Female Overall: 104/182

Age Group 25-29: 7/18