Category: Running

Wineglass Marathon Training: Week Five

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What an interesting week. This week didn’t necessarily go as planned, but in the end, I made the right decisions for training. I intended to have another high mileage week, but needed to cut back as a prevention. My body was tight and sore for every run this week, so I added in some extra rest days to recover. My biggest focus is staying injury free so I listened to the warning signs and played it safe.

I started the week with Body Fusion, and I felt great. We used heavier weights and I could feel myself getting stronger with each rep. Yoga was on point as well, and it really helped to clear my mind. I may have even become a little emotional towards the end.

Tuesday went downhill quickly. I went up to the track, but even as I started my warm up, which was a 10 minute pace, I was falling apart. I figured I’d play it by ear, and try not to push myself too much due to the heat. Well, I barely got one mile repeat in before I threw in the towel. I struggled and could feel myself fading fast. So I did a mile cool down, and decided I’d push my speed work to Thursday. I spent all night beating myself up about the workout, but in the end, I know my body was still tired and partially dehydrated from Sunday. Even though my mile pace wasn’t horrible, I don’t think I would have benefited from overdoing it in the heat.

Wednesday was a rest day, which my body gratefully took advantage of. Then Thursday I did an easy shakeout run before Friday’s race. I ran part of the neighborhood and part on the trail. My pace was probably quicker than I wanted the night before a race, but I tried to keep it light and easy.

Friday was the Twin Sizzler 5k and 10k.  Yep, you read that right, I ran both the 5k and 10k. I’ll have my recap later this week, but it was also my long run, so I added on 5 miles in between and after the races. I ran a half mile warm up, ran the 5k, ran 1.5 miles around town with Mo, ran the 10k, ran 2 miles around town, and finished up the last mile in my development for a total of 14 miles. This was definitely a tough run because the later it got, the hotter it was and I was struggling. My legs were tight for about 12 of the 14 miles and my knees and arch starting hurting towards the end. It wasn’t pretty, but I got it done.

Red, white, blue and happy post 14 miles!

14 red, white, and blue miles!

Saturday I took as a rest day because my legs were in rough shape. Sunday I had planned to do an easy run, but ended up having a little too much fun from the wine party we hosted Saturday evening. Instead I spent the day on the deck, enjoying summer and time with my better half.

Monday: Body Fusion Class – 30 minutes of lifting/abs/squats & 30 minutes of yoga

Tuesday: 3 Miles, 1 Mile W/U, 1×1600 (8:11), 1 Mile C/D

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: 3 Miles

Friday: Twin Sizzler 5k/10k + 5 Miles

Saturday: Off

Sunday: Off

Total Miles: 20 Miles

This week was rough, and I struggled with the heat. I thought I was hydrating enough, but apparently I’m not. Looks like I need to increase my intake of water and Nuun every day. I also need to work on adjusting with the heat. I’m ok for the first half of my long runs, but that changes quickly.

This week was supposed to be my cut back week, but I’ll be changing that since I had low mileage last week. I need to make sure I hit my mile repeats at the track this week, and I’ll be adding in a hill workout, because after Friday’s 10k, it’s clear I’m not doing enough hills!

Columbia Station Half Marathon Recap

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Sunday I ran the Columbia Station Half Marathon. I had my eye on this race over the past couple years, but never had the chance to run it. Well, I finally did, and it was quite the experience. The race started at 8am, and was relatively close so I didn’t have to drive far, but by the time I got there, it was already starting to get a little too warm for my liking.

There was a small turnout, and the start had both the half marathon runners and the half marathon skaters. We lined up, had a quick talk about the race and then we were off. The first two miles I was focusing on find a good pace. I knew it was much hotter than it had been, so I had to go slower than normal. I decided to stick between a 9:30-9:40 pace, hoping that I wouldn’t be pushing myself too hard later on in the race.

We made our way on West River Road and had a few rolling hills. There was some shade, so I tried to take advantage of it the best I could. Still early in the race, the group was close together, but somewhat spread out. I wasn’t familiar with this area so the views helped to distract me from the heat.

Mile 1-9:24
Mile 2-9:41

We hit our first water stop after mile 2 and I passed on filling up. I still had plenty of water and wasn’t too thirsty yet. I did take a salt tab though, because I knew that staying hydrated would be key.

I was still feeling pretty good, but I was starting to warm up. By mile three we had turned on a few other country roads, I really had no idea where I was, but luckily the course was well marked. Runners were starting to spread out by this point, but I had a few behind me, and a few ahead of me. I was running alone, but at least had people in sight.

By mile 4 the heat was starting to rise and shade was hard to find. I kept drinking water and poured some on my back and head. Luckily a few kids were out with squirt guns, which at this point felt amazing!

Water stops were spread out nicely, every mile and a half to two miles depending on if they had enough space next to the road. I stopped at mile 4 to fill up and took some sport beans to re-energize. I didn’t lose too much time and felt like I was right on track.

Mile 3-9:37
Mile 4-9:34

I was still feeling ok, but with a few rolling hills, but legs started to become a little tired.  I knew this past week was a lot for my legs and I started to worry it was too much. I was still drinking water at every mile, but I started to drink it every half mile too.

I came up to another water stop at mile 6 and stopped for a bit. I refilled my water bottle, stretched, took some Gatorade and a salt tab. I could feel myself start to wear down, but made a new focus of getting to mile 7.5, the point where I would reach 100 miles for the month of June.

Mile 5-9:41
Mile 6-11:08

I kept chugging away, but I could tell the others around me were starting to slow as well. Shade was no longer an option, and the sun was starting to beat down bad. We made our way through a neighborhood and then back onto the country roads.

I made it to mile 7.5 and had a small celebratory moment, it was enough to keep me going until mile 8 were I walked for a short moment to eat some sport beans, stretch and re-focus on my pace. By this point I was starting to wear down a lot, and I couldn’t get enough water. I may have even questioned why I was running a few times because I felt like I was moving in slow motion.

Mile 7-10:30
Mile 8-10:13

Right before mile 9 we had another water stop. I refilled my bottle again and stretched a bit. I was now into a run/jog/shuffle/walk mode. I started to count down the miles, but they weren’t going quick enough. We also started to pick up more rolling hills which sucked the energy right out of me.

Luckily with the water stop, I was able to regroup with about 5 other runners. Our paces varied and some of us would walk the steeper hills, while others would run, but it was nice to have at least one other person within 10 feet of me.

We hit mile 10 right before a big decline, and it was nice to have some momentum, however, what goes down, must come up. We turned back onto West River, and were greeted with multiple hills.

Mile 9-11:59
Mile 10-11:04

By this point, I was just focused on getting myself to the finish line. The heat was getting to me a lot more than before, and I was starting to feel miserable. We continued on the rolling hills, walking the uphill and taking advantage of the down hill. My energy level was extremely low, so I took more sport beans hoping that would help.

I continued along and stopped at the last water stop. I refilled my bottle again, and dumped a bunch of water on me to cool down. By this point, I was drenched in water and sweat and looking like a hot mess. I knew I was going to make it to the finish, it was just a matter of how quickly I could get there, and by this point, quick was the opposite of what I was doing.

Mile 11-11:33
Mile 12-12:06

We made it to the last mile and all I could think about was the finish. I kept going, but would slow down for the last of the hills. It wasn’t until the last 500 feet that I saw the finish was uphill. I knew I wouldn’t be able to spring it, so I took whatever energy I had left and gave it my all.

Mile 13-11:56
Last .15-10:41 pace

I finished, grabbed my medals and headed straight to the car. I originally planned on running three more miles, but my stomach wasn’t going to let me. Overall this race was ok. The sun and heat was horrible, but I couldn’t control that. The last 8am start was a little rough, but that’s what you get for the end of June in Ohio. The water stops were great, and the sheriff’s department did a great job of constantly driving the course to make sure that all the runners were ok.

My performance had nothing to do with the race support, the heat hit me hard halfway through and I am not a heat runner at all, it tears me apart. My legs were also pretty tired from the week of running, so I was running on borrowed time. I’m glad I got to experience the race and complete half marathon number 18!

Half marathon number 18!

Half marathon number 18!

Official Results:

Time: 2:19:54

Age Group 25-29: 1/1

Female: 12/17

Overall: 32/43

Wineglass Marathon Training: Week Four

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How is it week four already? I can’t believe how quickly these weeks are passing, which means summer is flying by too! We’re a month in, and I already feel better than I did for Akron and Columbus. This week was huge for me and a great way to see just how far I’ve come.

I started Monday with Body Fusion, where I was one of two people in class due to the crazy weather. I almost didn’t go, but made it through the storm and was so glad I did. The instructor even noticed how much I’ve toned since January.

Tuesday was track day, and I was almost certain I was going to get rained out. Luckily the weather was a complete 180 from work and we had sunny skies, dry track and 85 degrees. I attempted my first ladder workout in probably 6 years, and as hard as it was, I actually enjoyed it. I worked on staying under an 8 minute pace, and was on point every time. Next ladder workout I’ll focus on quicker times for the shorter distances.

Wednesday I ran my recovery run with Elayna and Ella. We originally had about 4 miles planned, but ended up taking the long way to the lake, which definitely didn’t disappoint with views. It was hot and our pace was slower, but my legs felt fresh and it was nice to catch up. I even tried convincing Elayna to run her first half marathon this fall, so we’ll see what happens.

This city.

This city.

Thursday I ran with Second Sole, and it was a hot one. I was planning to keep it easy, but started out a bit too quick. Guess that happens when you’re stuck behind 20 year old guys who run a 5/6 minute pace. We ended up going from the store to Roscoe and back. The rolling hills at Roscoe beat me up a bit, but I ended up with an 8:50 average pace, not bad considering I’d already run 11 miles in the past two days.

Friday was my rest day, and Saturday I did a short shakeout run. I managed a little over a mile and I was already feeling drained. Sunday I ran the Columbia Station Half Marathon, recap to come later this week. I had originally planned to run about 3 miles post race, but my stomach had other plans. With an 8am race start, I was also pretty dehydrated once I crossed the finish line.

Monday: Body Fusion Class – 30 minutes of lifting/abs/squats & 30 minutes of yoga

Tuesday: 5.5 Miles, 1 Mile W/U, Ladder-800(3:48), 1200(5:54), 1600(7:54), 1200(5:54), 800(3:57), 1 Mile C/D

Wednesday: 6 Miles

Thursday: 4.4 Miles

Friday: Off

Saturday: 1 Mile

Sunday: Columbia Station Half Marathon

Total Miles: 30 Miles

This week was tough on my legs, but I was able to reach two big milestones. This was probably the first time I’ve ever run 30 miles in one week. I also hit 100 miles for the month, which is something I’ve been hoping to do for quite some time. Thankfully I haven’t had any injuries, and I’ve been playing a lot of attention to my body to make sure I can handle the increase in mileage.

I’ve been focusing on getting more sleep, doubling the amount of water I’m drinking, stretching after every run, and easing myself back into ice baths.

Perfect summer recovery

Perfect summer recovery

This next week will be interesting. The holiday weekend throws me off a little bit, but I’ve got a 5k and 10k scheduled for Friday. They’ll be hot and humid, and most likely slow because I’ll be turning it into my long run. I’m not expecting a PR, mostly, because I won’t be trying for one, but I’m excited to try both races this year instead of just one. Then I’ll have all weekend to enjoy the holiday!

 

What’s your highest mileage in a week, a month? Will you be running a 4th of July race?

Flirt With Dirt 10k Recap

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Saturday I ran the Flirt with Dirt 10k, my second trail 10k, and my first real trail race of the year. I wasn’t sure what to expect because I can count on one hand the number of 10k’s I’ve run, so I’m still not sure how to race them. I also wasn’t sure what to expect with the course condition, due to all of the rain we’ve been having.

The race started at 9am, so I had plenty of time to get up, stretch, eat something and head over to the race. The weather was cooler than I had expected, but it was still pretty humid. There was a good turnout, and I hoped my lack of trail racing knowledge didn’t stick out too much.

We lined up and were off, all trying to get on the trail at the same time. We started out on single track and it was pretty crowded. I knew my pace would  be slower than a regular race, but I found myself at about 10:30, and was quite surprised with how fast I thought I was going.

We made our way around mud, sticks, curving trails, and some slight inclines. I took the first mile easy, because I didn’t want to wear myself down and end up falling behind. Luckily I ended up behind a couple who were the exact pace that I felt comfortable with. I stayed with them for about the first two miles and I think they really helped to push me.

Looking fast

Looking fast

After the two mile mark we hit a giant down hill, but I was cautious so I wouldn’t trip or fall over anything. We ended up at a water stop, but I passed since I had my hand held. We made a loop and ventured on the same hill we just just come down. Slowly I made my way up the entire hill until I was “running” slower than I could walk, so I started to walk up the hill, just like everyone else.

Once the hill became more gradual than steep, I started to run again. The gradual elevation continued from mile three to mile four and I could tell my legs were getting tired. I took a sport bean at mile 4 and with the almost level ground, I started to pick up my pace a bit.

Look of determination

Look of determination

We started to spread out more, and our trail started to widen up. I was able to pick up my speed, but still stayed above a 10:15 pace. By this point I really focused on my breathing and making sure that every time I took a step I wasn’t going to trip.

We came up around another pond and you could hear the music in the background. I knew I had a little over a mile to go and focused on getting through the last of the trails. My body was started to become sore, but I rallied through and made my way to the finish and enjoyed every step along the way!

I quickly met up with Jeanne after the finish and we went out to the roads to finish up four more miles for our long run. We made it back just in time to get a group shot of all the MCRR members who ran the 10k.

MCRR 10k runners

MCRR 10k runners

I really enjoyed this race, and plan to do more trail races this year when I can. To me there was a huge difference in trail races versus road races. My pace was much slower than a normal road race, but the terrain was much more difficult, I think I spent the entire time staring at the ground to make sure I wouldn’t fall. Instead of pavement, we ran through dirt, lots of mud, gravel, grass, and on bridges. Sticks, branches and rocks were always on the path, which means you’re moving all over the place. My body was definitely beat up after the race, but it was worth it!

Race keepers

Race keepers

Results:

Official Time: 1:07:34

Age Group 25-29: 4/11

Gender: 31/86

Overall: 109/187

Wineglass Marathon Training: Week Three

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Week three is complete, and the heat and humidity have arrived in full force. I’ve really been struggling with exhaustion and this week was no exception, in fact, it was actually worse. I haven’t been getting enough sleep, and although I don’t think it’s hurting my runs now, I want to make sure I don’t let it slip too far before I’m at much higher mileage.

I started the week with Body Fusion, and it was another tough class. I’m almost back to the weights I used before I took May off, but I can tell we’re also working harder in class too. My muscles are definitely coming back, but my jeans are fitting tighter, balance?

Tuesday I was back on the track, and decided on 800 repeats since I haven’t done them in about 5 years. I chose to run four and I think that’s just about all my body could handle. The heat and humidity were rough, but I was able to fight through and finish each 800 around the same time. I didn’t have an exact time I wanted to hit, but the 4 minute mark sounded like a good place to start. I have a lot of work to do on my 800’s, and Tuesday reminded me just how much I hate them.

Wednesday a few plans changed, so I went out for a run on my own. I’d been hearing of an old golf course that a few members of the group had run. The views were pretty, but the rolling hills were taking a toll on my legs. I only managed to get three miles in before the storm broke, but I think it was all that my legs could handle.

Rough and hilly

Rough and hilly

Thursday I took part in Ladies Night on the Square, so I intended to move my run to Friday. But by 4:30pm on Friday I was nursing a huge headache and was starting to feel sick. So I took the day off from running and hoped I’d be better by Saturday morning for my long run.

Monday: Body Fusion Class – 30 minutes of lifting/abs/squats & 30 minutes of yoga

Tuesday: 4 Miles, 1 Mile W/U, 4×800 repeats (3:52, 3:57, 4:04, 3:59), 1 Mile C/D

Wednesday: 3 Miles

Thursday: Off

Friday: Off

Saturday: Flirt with Dirt 10k + 5 Miles

Sunday: 4 Miles

Total Miles: 22 Miles

Saturday I ran the Flirt with Dirt Trail 10k, recap to come later this week. I managed to run a mile before and then followed it up with four road miles with Jeanne. The miles after were definitely a lot harder than I expected, but it was an easy way to get my long run for the day.

New shoes, broken in. Check!

New shoes, broken in. Check!

Sunday I was feeling pretty beat up from the trails, so I waited until about 8pm to run. I started on the trail and finished up in our development to get four in for the day. I kept it relatively easy for recovery and was glad I waited until evening.

With the exception of Friday, I just about hit all my miles. I don’t regret skipping the run because my body needed an extra rest day. I’m still getting used to running higher mileage and more days per week and my body is still catching up. I need to pay better attention to my sleep cycle and try to keep not only injury, but sickness away.

This next week I’ll be back on a regular schedule and I have a half marathon Sunday that I’ll use for pacing, and possibly add on additional miles. Three weeks are done, how is this going by so quick?

Park 2 Park Half Marathon Recap

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Sunday I ran the Park 2 Park Half Marathon, a race I’ve wanted to run for three years, but never had the day available. This race has had my eye for years because it goes through two of the parks I grew up running in. I used to run at each of these parks at least once a week, so I had a bit of home team advantage on race day. To make things easier, the race was only about 5-10 minutes from my parent’s house, so I was able to stay with them and get an extra hour of sleep.

I woke up at 5am, got ready, stretched and was out the door by 6:30. My nerves were out of control, but luckily they calmed down once everyone started to line up. The weather was just about perfect and I made the decision to stick with a 9:30 pace, and hopefully finished between 2:03-2:05, but wanted to aim for 2:04.

We started in French Creek Reservation, and most of the first mile was crushed gravel and dirt. I hadn’t run on the path for years, but as soon as we were off,  I wanted to turn off and run every trail around me. I started with a conservative pace, and focused on not going out too fast. We turned out of French Creek onto Colorado and made our way past the entrance for James Day Park. It instantly brought back memories of playing in the fields with my babysitter when I was just a small child, and really made me feel like I was at home on the course.

I made sure to drink water every mile to make sure I’d be hydrated by the time the temperature rose. We turned into what I’ve always called the “Mars” section of the park, really called the Steel Mill Trail, because it’s always so desolate and hot. The mounds of dirt and steel mill trash make for a less than exciting view. There was a huge chunk of runners around me, so it wasn’t too bad, but it seems to be never ending any time I run it.

Mile 1-9:38
Mile 2-9:13
Mile 3-9:26

We hit mile three right at the entrance to Day’s Dam and were greeted with a nice long, winding downhill. The paved path was about three miles with some winding and smaller rolling hills, including a few bridges. As I made my way through the park, I couldn’t help but smile, thinking back on all those runs that I did over the years on this exact path. I tried to take in the views and reflect on the past. I kept wanting to sneak off the path and run the trails along the Black River, but I knew I had to stay the course.

I took a sport  bean at mile 4 and still felt relatively good. My pace was right where I wanted it to be, and even though some miles were under 9:30, I knew I’d need the extra time with the two major hills on the course.

Halfway through this three mile section lies the giant bridge. It’s always been a bit bouncy, but this time, my legs felt like I was in a bounce house. To me, this was the hardest part of the race. My legs felt like jello, and I had to stare straight ahead or I’d be sick. I knew what to expect, but the bridges have definitely gotten worse over time.

We had a few other bridges, but they were much more shorter, and stable. Once we crossed the last bridge I knew we’d have a decent stretch of flat pavement before we got to the large hill and halfway point of the race. I was still with a group of about 5, but we started to spread out more. This was also about the time that I saw Ryan on his way back to the finish.
Mile 4-9:21
Mile 5-9:28

After we left the Bur Oak path, we went directly to the large hill. It was about a half mile of a semi steep gradual incline. I took it a little slower than my race pace, and hoped my legs were ready for it. The guy next to me mentioned that he was having trouble, but I mumbled something about the hill not being so bad and pushed my way passed him. We finally got to the top, and surprisingly I felt pretty good. The hill was a lot easier than what I remembered, and I felt that running trails the week before paid off for sure.

I got to the turn around point and took a salt tab, water and a sip of Gatorade. I wasn’t sure if I could stomach it, so I didn’t drink much, but it helped to fuel me toward the second half of the race. Next up was heading down the long hill we had just climbed and I tried to use it to my advantage as best as I could. But I also didn’t want to wear out my legs with about half of the race left.

On my way down, a woman told me I was in first place for my age group, so that was a nice surprise and gave a little extra pep to my step. After the hill we went back into Bur Oak. The entrance to Bur Oak is one of my favorites and looks beautiful in every season. I knew what I had in store for me, I just had to make sure my legs were on board.
Mile 6-9:37
Mile 7-9:26

I started to pick up speed a bit, and took advantage of the flat sections of the paved path. I was definitely off in my own little world, chugging along and feeling at peace with my running. I was still making decent time, and I hadn’t had any issues yet. I crossed the bridge again, this time by myself, and that seemed to help the bounce a little bit. But the bounce feeling stuck with my legs for another half mile and slowed me down a bit.

I took another sport bean at mile 9 and started taking water every half mile. The temperature was starting to heat up, and I didn’t want to become too dehydrated with a decent chunk of the race left.
Mile 8-9:20
Mile 9-9:31

As I got to the end of the path, I knew that the hill at the entrance of Day’s Dam was waiting for me. I had done hill repeats on that hill no less than 40 times growing up, so I knew what to expect, and I knew the point on the hill that it would start to hurt. I pushed all negative thoughts out of my head and went for it, telling myself that it was only a little bit more. I got to the top and knew that all those years of hill repeats had paid off, even if they were miserable while running them.

I reached the water stop at mile 10, walked for about 10 feet to catch my breath and dumped the water on my back. I knew I’d be entering the “Mars” territory next and I wanted to be ready.

The next half mile went by quick, but I was ready to be back in the shade. Everyone was pretty well spaced out at this point and I didn’t have anyone in front of me that I could see. I followed the path, hoping this section would be quick and tried to make my way to the last water stop as quick as I could.
Mile 10-9:52
Mile 11-9:32

I came around back to Colorado Avenue and knew I had just a little over a mile left. I grabbed water and dumped it on my back, and made my way back into French Creek Reservation.

The trail was a little bit harder to run on at this point because my legs were starting to get tired, but I knew if I just pushed through I’d be done shortly. I followed the path, checking out all the trails that were calling my name. They’d be a lot more fun that the giant switch back I had coming ahead. My pace really slowed down during this section and I felt weaker than I normally did, but I kept going knowing I was getting closer to the finish.

Without fail, at 12.75 I started to feel sick. I knew it was from the heat and the nerves of having my parent’s at the finish line. I sucked it up and kept my head up, repeating to myself that I wasn’t allowed to throw up. I finally made it out of the woods and kicked it as quick as I could towards the finish line.
Mile 12-9:31
Mile 13-10:17
Last .1-8:56 pace

Coming into the finish

Somehow, despite the few hills and my attempt at almost getting sick near the finish, I came in right at 2:04, exactly where I wanted to be. I don’t think I’ve ever run a race where I hit my goal time right on the nose. And not only was my time perfect, but this was my second best half marathon time!

I ended up with first in my age group (25-29), but honestly I don’t know how many there were in the age group. Results haven’t been posted, but it was a relatively small turnout.

Post race sweaty smiles

Post race sweaty smiles

I had an absolutely great time running this race, but I think it’s mostly due to the fact that I was on home turf. I benefited greatly knowing every hill, turn, and type of terrain we’d be running on. I am so glad I was finally able to make this race, and plan on running it every  year I can make it.

Half marathon number 17!

Half marathon number 17!

Post race I talked with Ryan and Jess for a bit before I went out for a few impromptu miles. Since I had the chance I ran a few trails, all of which I somehow remembered from memory. It felt great to just get out there and zone out, enjoying a few miles by myself. I only went out for two miles, but it was good enough to put me at 15 for the day!

These old trails...

These old trails…

All in all it was a great day and the perfect finish to week two of marathon training.

 

*Official Results added after post published.

Time: 2:04:54

Age Group 25-29: 1/3

Female: 6/18

Overall: 22/39

Wineglass Marathon Training: Week Two

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After a long weekend of being on my feet, I was a little nervous for week two to start. Luckily I had Body Fusion on Monday, so I could relax a little bit. But after class, just about everything was shaky. It was a tough class, but improvements are being made and muscles are being formed!

Tuesday was track day and I had another set of 1600 repeats on deck. I started with my warm up and felt pretty good. Last week I went out too quick, so I wanted to keep my pace in check and hopefully stay around the same time for each mile. I’m not sure where the speed came from, but I was able to keep all under 7:45. I got a little slower with each, but I’m not complaining. I finished up with a mile cool down and an urge to race another 5k!

Wednesday was a recovery run on the rail trail, but I think I spent most of my time swatting at bugs. I wasn’t really in the mood to run, mostly because all I want to do it eat and sleep now, but after I received a surprise from Jen, I had instant motivation.

Surprises can lead to the best motivation and remind you how far you've come.

Surprises can lead to the best motivation and remind you how far you’ve come.

Thursday I met up with Second Sole Medina and MCRR members to run a loop around town. I tried to keep an easy pace, but I was definitely under a 9 minute mile most of the way. It was a nice, hot, sweaty run and I was able to push myself while discovering a new loop in town. I also picked up my trails shoes, so it was extremely tempting to go find a few dirt paths to test them out.

Can't wait to muddy these up!

Can’t wait get these dirty!

Monday: Body Fusion Class – 30 minutes of lifting/abs/squats & 30 minutes of yoga

Tuesday: 5 Miles, 1 Mile W/U, 3×1600(7:33, 7:39, 7:44), 1 Mile C/D

Wednesday: 3 Miles

Thursday: 5 Miles

Friday: Off

Saturday: Off

Sunday: Park 2 Park Half Marathon + 2

Total Miles: 28 Miles

Friday and Saturday I took as rest days because I had a half marathon scheduled for Sunday. I’ll have a recap on the race later in the week, but it was definitely the redemption race I needed after Medina. I added two more miles of trails on after the race, because I couldn’t resist running on my old trails.

These trails stole my heart over 12 years ago

These trails stole my heart over 12 years ago

That meant that I ended up with 15 miles on Sunday and I felt great! Sunday’s mileage also put me over 50+ miles for the month, and we’re only half way through! I’ll no doubt break 100 miles for June.

I’ll have to move a few things around this week, but that’s why I added an optional day in my training cycle, so I can add on more mileage if I need it. I also have the Flirt with Dirt 10k coming up Saturday. I haven’t raced a 10k in over a year, so it will definitely be an interesting race.

What are your favorite track workouts? How often do you add a race in with your long run?

Summer Racing

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With a number of fairly empty summer weekends ahead and plenty of miles to log, I’ve been looking around for summer races to mix into my training cycle. Most of them are longer races, but that’s because I have some major long runs that I need to accomplish. But with the recent track workouts I’ve been running, I’ve also been craving the perfect 5k to see if I can crush my post college PR.

Here’s a list of the summer races I’m most likely adding into my schedule. Some I’ve registered for, and some I haven’t yet, but all of them have been on my radar for some time now.

  • Park to Park Half Marathon (June 15th)
  • Flirt with Dirk 10k (June 21st)
  • Columbia Station Half Marathon (June 29th)
  • Twin Sizzler 5k/10k (July 4th)
  • Buehler’s Heart & Sole Half Marathon (August 16th)
  • Leave No Trace Half Marathon (August 30th)
  • Run for the Trails 5k (September 1st)
  • River Run Half Marathon (September 7th)

While I can’t run every race, here’s a list of some other great summer races in the area.

  • Towpath Ten-Ten
  • Jim Klett 10k
  • Bay Days 5 Miler
  • Smiles for Sophie 5k
  • Orrville Firecracker 5k
  • Winking Lizard, A Shot in the Dark 4 Miler/2 Mile Relay
  • Classic at Mastick 5k

So that’s how I plan on spending many of my summer weekends, lacing up my shoes and getting some more races under my belt while training for Wineglass. And now you know what races you should be adding to your schedule as well!

What are your favorite summer races?

 

Wineglass Marathon Training: Week One

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The first week of marathon training is complete and I don’t think it could have gone any better! Monday I was finally able to get back to Body Fusion, and after a month off I could tell the difference. I started with lighter weights, but felt great the entire time. I was sore the next day, but over time I’ll get right back to where I was before my May break.

Tuesday I headed to the track for my first speed session of the cycle. I met with some members of MCRR, and we started our warm up together. I originally wanted to hit them at 8:15-8:30, knowing I wasn’t used to the heat, I wanted to be cautious. But my legs had other plans. I started out a little too quick, and kept trying to slow myself down. Apparently it didn’t work, because my 800m split of my first mile was at a 6:25 pace. Whoa! Eventually I got my legs under control and I ended up with two sub 8 minute miles. I went back and forth about trying a third one, but my legs were getting a little sore, so instead I opted for an 800 and followed it up with a mile cool down. I hadn’t run those mile times since college, so it was a nice surprise to see those little 7’s on my watch again!

Feels good to be back

Feels good to be back

Wednesday I stopped by my parent’s house after work for a short recovery run. I convinced my dad to ride his bike with me (he’s been on a 60+ day cycling streak!) and we went for a short out and back. I held up a pretty fast pace for a recovery run, but I enjoyed every moment of running on my old streets again. Sometimes you need to get back to where it started and really just let go. I may have also felt like a rock star with my own personal entourage.

Thursday I ran with Second Sole Medina and MCRR out at Buckeye Woods. We started out as a group, but as the first mile went on, it was a little too quick for my liking. We spread out and I ended up with a few members as we tried to slow down our pace. We did a loop around the marsh, then headed out toward the inlet and back. I ended up with a little over 4 miles and an 8:37 average pace.

Monday: Body Fusion Class – 30 minutes of lifting/abs/squats & 30 minutes of yoga

Tuesday: 4 Miles, 1/2 Mile W/U, 2×1600(7:28, 7:45),1×800(3:55), 1 Mile C/D

Wednesday: 3 Miles

Thursday: 4 Miles

Friday: Off

Saturday: 13 Miles

Sunday: 1 Mile

Total Miles: 25 Miles

Saturday I met up with a few MCRR members and went out to Hinckley to run my first trail loop in the park. I was definitely excited and a little nervous. Most trails I’m used to are flat and relatively easy. Knowing I’d be up for 13 miles of trails I’d never experienced, well…I wasn’t sure what I was in for. Over the span of a couple hours we climbed rocks, jumped streams, trail blazed through grass, ventured single track and much more.

Hello trails!

Hello trails!

I had such a fun time, and forgot how much harder it is to run trails than it is roads. I enjoyed every minute of the run and look forward to adding more miles on my shoes doing a little off road running.

Stream jumping

Stream jumping

I enjoyed the trails so much, that I ended up at Second Sole that afternoon testing out trail shoes. Due to my tiny feet they’ll arrive later this week, but I was also able to pick up a pair of the Asics Kayano 20 as my second shoe for rotation. I’m hoping this will cut down on damage to the shoe as I add on miles, and keep any injuries away from my legs.

One pair had more fun than the other

One pair had more fun than the other

And naturally I couldn’t let them sit in their box all weekend, so I did a short shake out/recovery run on Sunday. I was definitely sore from the trails, but it was nice to get a morning run in before all of the rain.

I’m excited to jump into the second week of training. I’m a little sore from standing for about 4 hours straight on concrete Sunday night, but hopefully that will wear down throughout the day. I’ll be switching my long run to Sunday as I run the Park 2 Park Half Marathon this weekend. One week down, 17 to go!

How many shoes do you keep in rotation? Do you prefer trails or road?

 

 

May Rewind

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I can’t believe how quickly May went by, and with it went a crazy month of running! The weather finally got onto somewhat of a normal schedule so I was really able to push my limits this month. Let’s take a look at the numbers.

Miles run: 83

Races run: 4 (Run.4.Fun 5k, Flap Jack & Jill 15k, Cleveland Half Marathon, Medina Half Marathon)

Miles biked: 0

Favorite Workout: 5/21 – Mastick Trails

Books read: Started The Runner’s High

Places traveled: 0

New recipes: 0

This month was by far my best month of running in a long time. Even though I had a few weeks of taper, I still managed to run more miles than I did in April. The last time I ran this many miles was last July, where I barely made it to 84 miles. This month also pushed me to 325 miles for the year, so just over halfway to my goal. Due to marathon training beginning in June, I should be on track to run at least 100 miles next month. I’ve never accomplished that, so I’m excited to cross into triple digits!

Not only did I get the miles in this month, but I raced a bunch. I ran a 5k, 15k, and two half marathons, and managed to PR in three of them! I finally broke my post college 5k PR after many attempts, and the next goal will be to get back under 25 minutes. But the real winner of the month was finally breaking 2 hours at Cleveland. It was a complete surprise and a long time in the making. It meant even more that I was able to break 2 at the place where I ran my first half marathon!

My favorite workout was through the Mastick trails with Elayna. Mastick has always been one of my favorite places to run, and I look forward to more summer miles there. I’m still reading The Runner’s High, but because it’s a combination of short stories, I don’t feel like I’m falling behind in it.

I finished the month with the end of my training cycle, and retirement of my favorite shoes. June will bring high mileage, marathon training and hopefully quick paces!

 

How was your May? What’s your favorite distance to PR in? What big plans do you have for June?