December 18 - 24

Sun - 5 miles total with 5k race, tired tired legs
Mon -
Tue -
Wed -
Thur -
Fri -
Sat -
Total: 5

An Analogy

(Background: I want to work in a running store - Alex loves beer)

"You working at Marathon Sports is like me getting a job as a beer taster."

- Alex

December 11 - 17

Sun - 12 miles, felt great!
Mon - 0
Tue - 6 + sit-ups and push-ups
Wed - 4 miles
Thur - 6 miles
Fri - 6.5 miles
Sat - 6 miles + push-ups and sit-ups
Total: 40.5

December 4 - 10

Sun - 11.5
Mon - if running to the T counts, 1 mile
Tue - 6 miles
Wed - if running to the T, then running to the Boston River Rats party counts, 1.5 miles
Thur - 6 miles, threw in some speed
Fri - 6 miles
Sat - 5 miles, got lost from running on the opposite side of the Longfellow Bridge. I guess, living in a city, these things can happen.
Total: 37

November 27 - December 3

Sun - 4 miles
Mon - 0
Tue - 6
Wed - 1.5 - my stomach was bothering me
Thur - 6
Fri - 6
Sat - 6
Total: 29.5

November 20 - 26

Sun - 10 miles
Mon - 0
Tue - 6 miles
Wed - 0, I felt like I was getting sick
Thur  - 0, still felt a little sick
Fri - 6 miles
Sat - 10.5
Total: 32.5

November 13 - 19

Sun - 0 miles
Mon - 6 miles a.m. The weather was beautiful and I felt great
Tue - 8 miles, felt great
Wed - 4 miles a.m.
Thur - 0 miles, I took a long walk instead
Fri - 6 miles a.m. I was underdressed for the cold weather
Sat - 0 miles...
Total: 24

Race Vermont Fall Half Marathon

Going into this race, which was scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. on November 6th, one thing working in our favor was that daylight savings time was set to begin at midnight the same day. Nonetheless, I woke up on Sunday morning at 5:45 a.m. feeling like it was... 5:45 a.m. I got up to eat some toast and drink a cup of coffee, then began to tackle the difficult question of what to wear. It was cold - about 35 degrees, but we knew the sun was going to come out and it was going to warm up as the morning progressed. I decided on my light mid-calf length tights and a short-sleeved shirt with a long-sleeve shirt over it, thinking I would take the long sleeve off  before the race began. I was so cold during my warm-up run, however, that I kept the long sleeve on. My mom, dad, and boyfriend were all doing the race as well, and I was planning to run with my boyfriend, Alex, despite his objections. He thinks I'm faster than he is, but I think he's faster than he thinks he is. We started together at the back of the pack (after waiting in line for the porta-potties for half an hour and then using the indoor restrooms that were supposed to be off limits. Race Vermont really needs to get its act together when it comes to certain aspects of race organization) and went out fast. At the 4 mile mark I looked at my watch and decided we needed to slow down a bit. I was also starting to get a side stitch. The course was beautiful. It wound through Shelburne Farms on dirt trails and took us down to the boat launch. There were views of the lake and the day was bright and clear. My right knee started to hurt about halfway through, but with Alex going strong beside me I wasn't about to slow down. He really pulled me along for the second half of the race and, although the final miles were difficult, I was able to pick up my pace for the final mile. It never ceases to amaze me what a difference it makes to be able to feed off of someone else's energy. I don't think I could have done nearly as well without Alex. We finished in 1:34:11, which surprised me. I hadn't realized we were going quite that fast. I'm super proud of Alex for finishing his first half marathon in such a great time. We celebrated with beer and great food at the Farmhouse after the race. You can't ask for much more than that.

November 6 - 12

Sun - 13.1 - Race Vermont 1/2 marathon in 1:34:11
Mon - 0 miles
Tue - 4.5 miles recovery run
Wed - 0 miles
Thur - 0 miles, since when do I let the rain stop me?
Fri - 0 miles, no excuse
Sat - 6 miles a.m. before leaving for CT
Total: 23.5

My Embarrassingly Long Absence, Semi-Explained

In an attempt to explain my absence from the blogosphere, I will just say that running and blogging were forced to take the back burner for a brief time while I focused on other things in my life. Vague enough for you? That being said, I certainly did not stop running, even though I wasn't blogging about it. I had one of my most epic running experiences to date at Reach the Beach, a 200 mile relay from Cannon Mt. to Hampton Beach, NH. I was given the longest and arguably most difficult legs, and of course I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Running 10 miles, mostly up-hill, at 4 a.m., not having gotten any sleep, was one of the most grounding running experiences I've ever had. My final leg, an "easy" six miler at 1 p.m., still not having gotten any sleep, was one of the most difficult. I was overtired and seriously ready for the race to be over. The sleepless weekend led to a week of sickness, but I'm glad I did it and would do it again.

Since RTB, I've been training for a half-marathon which is going down THIS weekend in my beloved home state of Vermont. My boyfriend and I have been doing long runs on the weekends, and I've been doing hills and consistent running throughout. I still don't feel quite as prepared as I wish I were. I'm going to try to run it for fun and to get back into racing mode. After this I'll be thinking about Boston 2012, for which I'm registered! I was out running last week, and it was so beautiful out that I couldn't help but throw some speed into my workout. Running fast again felt so good. I feel really ready to get back into track workouts and see what new levels I can bring my running to this winter.

Week of Oct. 30 - Nov. 5

Sun - 4 miles, pain in my hip
Mon - 0 miles
Tue - 4.5 miles, feeling better
Wed - 3 miles
Thur - 0 miles, pain, tapering
Fri - 0 miles, drove to Burlington
Sat - -0 miles, ate the most amazing pumpkin whoopie pie
Total: 11.5

August 14 - 20

Sun - 6 miles am
Mon - 6 miles rainy lunchbreak
Tue - weights
Wed - 6 miles
Thur - 6 miles with hill workout in beacon hill
Fri -
Sat -
Total: 24

August 7 - 13th

Sun - 4 miles total with 5k race in 20:09 (PR) as part of a triathlon relay in Gloucester
Mon - 6 miles
Tue - weights and 4 - 5 miles (not totally sure), my right hip was really hurting me. Why???
Wed - 0 miles, wanted to rest hip
Thur - probably about 5 miles total, hill workout in the intense midday heat
Fri - 0 miles, ugh, no excuse
Sat - 6 miles and some core
Total: 26

I'm back. I've been really lazy about blogging, but have been preoccupied with... life. Non-running life, I suppose. I don't have any big races coming up (besides Reach the Beach in September, which only kind of counts), so I think I need to register for a half in October or November, just to have something to look forward to/ work towards. I'm having fun doing some shorter races, though, so things are good. Also, hill workouts with my RTB team are lots of fun.

July 10 - 16

Sun - 6 miles total with 4.13 mile race
Mon - 6 miles, evening run, really really hot
Tue - 0 miles
Wed - 6 miles lunchbreak
Thur - 6 miles in the morning, omg my sis arrives today!!!
Fri - 8:30am spin class with my sis - it was killer
Sat - 6 miles + core and foam rolling. Got a new timex watch which I'm really excited about - my old one was almost 6 years old and the velcro strap had seen better days, to say the least.
Total: 30

Going on vacation this week so hoping to get some long leisurely runs in as well as some general relaxation.

I'm Not Crazy...

Proof that running really is responsible for turning me into a positive, calm, life-loving fool:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/06/why-exercise-makes-us-feel-good/?ref=health

July 3 - 9

Sun - 7 miles + core and some weights and foam rolling - I really can't believe that piece of foam's ability to  inflict serious amounts of pain
Mon - 6 miles + foam rolling - didn't hurt any less
Tue - 0 miles, skipped track - tired, tired, tired.
Wed - 2nd PT session in the am: lots of lunges, squats, core, weights, etc. Meant to run in the evening, but it was hot and I was tired - I hope I'm not getting lazy.
Thur - 6 miles am, why don't I run in the morning more often? It's such a wonderfully amazing way to start the day.
Fri - 0 miles, bbq preparation
Sat - 6 miles am + foam rolling: Sangria seemed like a better idea last night than it did when I woke up this morning
Total: 25

Not many miles for the week, but I'll excuse it because, really, who cares. Am I getting lazy?

I can't believe I displayed such a bad attitude (above) on my beloved blog this morning. I'll blame it on the sangria. Of course I care how many miles I run a week, isn't that what this blog is all about??

Squantam 5 Miler: I Like Doing This

After doing weights on Wednesday I was unsure as to whether I wanted to run this race or not, and hadn't made a firm decision until about 1:00 yesterday afternoon when my boss came to my desk to say that the weather outside was absolutely perfect and that I would be crazy not to go. I agreed with her and started getting excited about the race. I rode down to Quincy with Zani, Doug, and Deb, and we arrived with enough time to register, warm-up, stretch, and do some striders before the start. I started out at a pretty quick pace with Zani and Tom, but before we even hit the 1 mile mark I started chasing the women ahead of me. On the first hill I passed 2 women that had been ahead of me for the first mile and a half or so, and I then proceeded to chase down 2 other women throughout the hilly section. One was a 14 year old girl who was tall and thin and looked made to run, and the other was a strong looking woman about my height probably in her mid-thirties. I caught the (relatively) older woman first and, not content to be passed, she ran with me until we caught the younger girl.  As soon as we caught up to her I pulled away from both of them, exchanging breathless pleasantries (gasp, good, gasp, job girls, gasp) in the process. I was feeling good at that point, and right afterwards I passed the halfway point of the race. The course continued along the water for a bit and we were running into the wind when I started to feel tired/ lazy, having felt like I had done what I wanted to do in passing the two women ahead of me. I instinctively knew, however, that the older of the two women I had just passed would be back to get me. I glimpsed her out of the corner of my eye during a turn probably 1.5 miles from the finish. She passed me with about 1 mile to go, and I spent the rest of the race trying to stay with her, all the while knowing that I wasn't going to be able to pass her again. I knew that we were the 2nd and 3rd women, so I was happy enough with that to just hang on for the finish. It was a painful race for me - I was feeling pain in my hip and my legs were tired and sore; towards the end I was ready to throw in the towel and call it a day. I kept thinking, "wait a minute, I like doing this? This is what I love to do? What's wrong with me??!!" I was able to run through it, though, with my usual inner dialogue of, "relax, stay strong, calm down, you got it, relax..." I finished in 33:47 with an average pace of 6:45, which I'm pleased with. The post-race party was out of control with free beer, hot dogs, a band, fireworks over Boston, of which we had a beautiful view from where we were on the marina, and lots of crazy runners. We spoke with a man who was the 20th person in the world to run a marathon on every continent. He was the kind of person who uses running as a means by which to live every moment of his life to the fullest. He told stories of staying up drinking shots until 3:00am, only to wake up two hours later to run a marathon. It may have been the beer, or the post-race high, or the beautiful view of my new city, which I am falling in love with, but it felt like things could not get any better than this. We raised our drinks to "extreme physical pain" or something like that, and, while I had planned on getting home early to do laundry (I can be pretty lame, sometimes), we stayed out until 10:30 celebrating. I got home an hour later and grabbed my journal to write down, through my drunken haze, "the best part of life is the part that involves running." I like doing this. This is what I love to do.

June 26 - July 2

Sun - 6 miles
Mon - 6.5
Tue - 6 miles
Wed - Weights, lunges, squats, core, and foam rolling(which hurt like hell). I am already envisioning my strong new self...
Thur - 6 miles total with 5 mile race in 33:47 in Quincy - 3rd female overall, awesome post-race party, and general life-loving type sentiment. Post to follow.
Fri - 4 miles, beautiful evening along the river
Sat - 0 miles, really sore legs
Total: 28.5

low mileage for the week but I'll excuse it because of the race and the weight session. Tomorrow: relatively short long run (10 miles is what I'm thinking), then some weights.

June 19 - 25

Sun - 9 miles, beautiful day
Mon - 6 miles
Tue - 6 miles
Wed - 6 miles lunchbreak, pouring rain + extreme hunger = the kind of run I do to prove to myself just how tough I am
Thur - 0, still raining, not feeling so tough
Fri - 6 miles lunchbreak
Sat - 0 miles, bridal shower in NY
Total: 33

The Milton 10k, and some sentiment

I don't know if I can calm down enough to write a blog post that will make any sense, but I guess I'll try. I won the women's division of the Milton 10k last night, and I am so overwhelmingly excited about the race, and racing in general, and running, and life in general, that I feel like, if running were a religion (which it kind of is), then I would be a fanatic. I would be the person in church who is suddenly overcome by the power of God and falls to the floor shaking and speaking in tongues. My new running attitude, which I adopted pre-marathon, is to just have fun. I was tired yesterday afternoon, and it was cloudy and rainy, and I thought about what excuse I could come up with to get out of going to the race. Of course I went anyway, and it wasn't until I did a short warm up jog and some striders that I felt like I had enough energy to race. Lined up at the start with Zani, Doug, and Tom, I told myself to just have fun. We started out at the front of the pack, and settled into a 6:40 pace. Zani has a garmin, and told us to slow down a few times during the first mile (he also wanted to chat, so we talked about the Bruins). The four of us stayed together for the first 2 miles or so. Around the 2 mile mark the spectators started yelling out that I was the first woman, and the energy that I got from that was amazing. Young girls were jumping up and down and trying to hand me water, women were yelling "go girl!" etc. I don't want to get too sentimental about it, but I used to be a young girl that would jump up and down when I spotted the first woman in a race, and, you know what, it just felt so unbelievably COOL to be that person, even in a small race, and to feel like I was having an effect on those girls who may want to be runners someday. What I personally love about running (again, trying not to be too sentimental) is that it makes me feel strong. I think especially as a woman it has always been something that has, in addition to making me physically stronger, has given me a lot of inner strength and confidence. It makes me feel like there is nothing I can't accomplish; it makes me feel like no one can tell me what I can and can't do (see quote above). That is why it is so special to me to have people yelling "go girl!" and "first woman!!" to me from the the sidewalks. I feel like my inner strength is visible at that moment. I was having so much fun during the race just taking the energy from the spectators and channeling it into my run. I hadn't had so much fun since the marathon.

I finished the race with a 10k PR of 42:33, the 1st woman out of 106. I won a medal, a laurel wreath (which I was made to wear for the rest of the evening, I don't know if the guys will ever let me live it down), and a cash prize. My first monetary prize as a runner! We jogged to Tom's house for pizza and beer after the awards, it was the perfect end to a great race.

In addition to the strength I get from running, now, more than ever before in my life, it is giving me an energy and appreciation for life that is absolutely overwhelming. I don't know if the energy is coming from running and spreading to the rest of my life, or coming from my life and spreading to my running, but I am becoming one of those annoying people who is exceedingly happy all the time. I just might start going around talking about how beautiful the world is, and everyone in it, and how in love I am with everyone and everything. That's kind of how I feel. It's kind of sentimental, I know, but it's real.

My New, Possibly Magical, Mizuno Wave Elixirs

June 12 - 18

Sun - 0 miles, wanted to do a long run but my hip has been bothering me and my legs are still tired post-marathon, took a nap instead
Mon - 6 miles lunchbreak with the crazies, Milton 10k tomorrow
Tue - I WON the Milton 10k, with a PR of 42:33. They gave me a medal, a laurel wreath, and a cash prize. Life does not get any better than this (or if it does, it will be overwhelming).
Wed - 5 miles lunchbreak. Beautiful day but I cut it short as my legs were hurting. One of the guys had the nerve to call me a "wuss".
Thur - 0 miles, so tired, and my legs are really hurting me
Fri - 6 miles lunchbreak, felt like a new person
Sat - really wanted to at least get to 30 miles this week, but today got in 0, bbq preparations
Total: 24

June 5 - 11

Sun - 0 miles, went to martha's vineyard
Mon - 0 miles, had a great idea that I should sign up for a triathalon in August to shake things up a bit and have a new challenge to work towards so I visited a gym with a pool, but quickly remembered that I don't like to swim and that all I really want to do is run, so probably all I should do is run
Tue - 6 miles in the unbearable heat
Wed - 0 miles, work-related clambake
Thur - 5.5 miles lunchbreak - tried to wimp out and use the treadmill but thankfully my running friends will show me no mercy
Fri - 6 miles
Sat - 6 miles - new kicks!! post and picture to follow...
Total: 23.5

May 29 - June 4

Sun - 26.2!!!
Mon - 0
Tue - 0
Wed - 0
Thur - 0
Fri - 6 miles lunchbreak with luke, still pretty sore but feel better after having run
Sat - 0, went to cape cod.
Total: 32.2

http://asiorders.com/view_user_event_video.asp?EVENTID=75616&BIB=2611

There's a video of me crossing the finish line! I'm really surprised that I don't look as tired as I felt. I also love how crossing the finish line doesn't seem to register with me at all (I had had visions of lifting my arms in victory, or doing something similarly ridiculous).

Vermont City Marathon - the Play by Play

Although I had been nervous leading up to the marathon, in the couple of days before I calmed down a lot; I think I realized that at that point stressing out about it wasn't going to help matters at all, and that the marathon was going to happen whether I was ready for it or not. I went to bed early on Saturday night, and slept pretty well. I woke up at 5:30 to eat breakfast and start drinking water and an electrolyte-containing beverage (I'm anti-gatorade). I'm lucky in that my parents live about 3/4 of a mile from the start of the race, so I left home at 7:30 to jog to the start. As soon as I got to Battery St. Park it started raining fairly heavily. I found the 8 minute/mile pace marker, and did some stretching and my usual pre-race jitters-induced jumping/ dancing around routine. My feeling prior to the start of the race were pure excitement, I couldn't wait to start running. Finally, at 5 past eight the gun went off, and we were off. I crossed the start line about 30 seconds after the gun went off, and felt really comfortable with where I was in the pack - the pace felt perfect. The first 3 miles is through downtown Burlington, and there were lots of people out cheering. I passed the first mile marker in 7:27 (although it felt much slower than that), and started telling myself to calm down and slow down. I didn't, really, and ended up running the first half of the marathon at about a 7:30 pace. That whole time I felt amazing, I felt like I was floating, I was having the time of my life, I was giving out high-fives and yelling to the crowd and generally acting like a doofus. The sun started to come out shortly after I passed the half-way point (it had stopped raining a couple miles in), and I started to feel the heat. The big hill comes at mile 15, and going up it was the first time all morning where I felt like I was really struggling. My parents were waiting for me at the top of the hill to pass me my hat and tell me my pace (they were tracking me online), then we were off for the North End portion of the race. By mile 18 I was starting to feel tired, and realized that I really needed to concentrate on slowing my pace if I wanted to make it all 26.2 miles. I consciously slowed my stride, and started to focus all of my energy on the task ahead of me. The next few miles passed in somewhat of a daze, I was just putting one foot in front of the other. With 3 miles left to go we were on the bike path for the final stretch. I found the dirt path on the side of the pavement (my legs were killing me), and tried to pretend it was just another easy 3 mile run. It was not easy, however - I was really struggling through every step. It's a hard portion of the race because there aren't many people out cheering, but the few people that were there were very encouraging, and it helped a lot. A half-mile from the finish there was a final water station, and I keep laughing about this in retrospect, but I grabbed a cup of water like my life depended on it and downed it - at that moment a half-mile felt like a marathon. I entered waterfront park to the cheering crowds, although I wasn't able to enjoy it as much as I would have liked to (it turned out my family was cheering for me loudly right next to me and I didn't hear them - I was so focused on finishing.) I crossed the line in 3:26:21, with a net time of 3:25:59. After crossing the line I stumbled around for a few minutes, unable to decide whether I should keep trying to stand or fall to the ground. Finally a nice man suggested I sit on his foil blanket for a moment, so I did. I started feeling better shortly thereafter, and left the runners area to find my family. I was so excited about my time and my run, and have pretty much been excited ever since. Of course, now I'm thinking about what I can do to get a better time next time, which I think I can. I'm psyched that I qualified for Boston, and am totally planning on it for 2012 (provided I get in given the new registration process).

You know, this spring has been amazing. While running has always been a part of my life, I think that I have realized the extent to which it contributes to my quality of life. In January I simultaneously moved to Boston and started my marathon training, and through running I was able to make new friends, keep a positive attitude, get to know my new city & neighborhood, stay grounded and healthy, and basically just have the time of my life. I'm SO happy. I'm just so happy, and I think I can thank running for allowing me the freedom to feel that way.

Some VCM photos... Post to follow (but I ran a 3:25:58)

 Mile 10, feeling great

At the finish, exhausted but happy

Be grateful for your presence at the starting line. The ability to stand with your fellow runners in that quiet, solitary time before the gun goes off requires weeks of hard training, pure luck, good health, the support of family and friends, and an internal fire that fuels your body for an activity that evolution has prepared it to do over tens of thousands of years.

May 22 - 28

Sun - 9 miles at tempo - a little tiredness/soreness in hip but otherwise felt great
Mon - 0 miles, had dinner with colleagues
Tue - 5.5 miles lunch break - only meant to do 3, I don't know what happened
Wed - 5 miles lunchbreak, again, don't know what happened, have to stop trying to taper on beautiful days with charismatic people
Thur - 0 miles, I think I'm done until the marathon as my legs were feeling sore yesterday. I can't sleep I'm so excited/ anxious.
Fri -
Sat -
Total: 19.5

Marathon Thoughts

The marathon is now only a week away, so it's a lot of what I think about these days. Ever since I got back from my trip in Central America I've been worried about the marathon. My training had to take the back burner while I was traveling, and I had to take a week off due to sickness prior to leaving for my trip. I have been really focusing on these incidents when thinking about the marathon. I realized yesterday, during a beautiful lunchtime run with Dave, that what I should really be focusing on are all of the miles that I have logged this winter/ spring, all of the great workouts I've had, and how much running is a part of my life. I know how to run, I run a lot, I love to run. I was running along the Charles alone the other day, taking it easy and trying to gauge how my hip was feeling, and I ran past a man who was out of breath. I don't think he liked the idea of a woman passing him, so he tried to stay with me for a little while. He was huffing and puffing and finally, through his breathing, he said, "you run with ease!" I need to start to focus on all of the reasons why my marathon should go well. Training has been a journey - through good days, bad days, sickness, health, elation, and depression, and the marathon itself is going to be a journey. More than anything, training has been fun, and I really hope that the way I run the marathon next Sunday will reflect the joy that I take from running. I am prepared for it, whatever happens. This final week I want to do some easy runs, stay loose, stay focused, stay positive, and get psyched up for next weekend.

3 x 1600 on a rainy day

Objective: 4 x 1600 at threshold pace

Recovery: 1:00

Results: 6:24 / 6:30 / 6:34

Overview: I was not happy at the end of this workout. My right hip and knee have been bothering me, and going into the third repeat I was really feeling it and thought about stopping after 800 meters. I finished the repeat, but my progressively slower times and the pain in my hip left me feeling depressed. The feeling of elation that sometimes follows my track workouts was not there. The marathon is in a week and a half, and I really don't want to be injured for the marathon. I guess, at this point, less is more, and I should really just concentrate on making sure I'm pain-free on marathon day. Advice, anyone?

May 15 - 21

Sun - 10 miles - my right hip and knee were hurting
Mon - 0 miles, ate cookies
Tue - 7 miles with track workout
Wed - 5 miles lunchbreak - hip hurting but ok
Thur - 0 miles
Fri - 3.5 miles with Dave - great pep-talk, feeling better about my running abilities (I've been kind of freaking out about the marathon lately)
Sat - 4 miles - there was a round yellow thing in the sky which appeared to be giving off light and heat (joke stolen from the guy behind me at the sandwich shop)
Total: 29.5

May 8 - 14

Sun - 0 miles, spent most of the day in airports and airplanes
Mon - 6 miles after work - sore from flying
Tue - 5.3 miles lunchbreak
Wed - 6 miles lunchbreak
Thur - 0 miles, sore and tired and really lethargic
Fri - 6.1 miles lunchbreak at average 7.38 pace with luke and dave
Sat - 6 miles easy
Total: 29.4 miles

Not many miles for the week, but I don't want to talk about it.

May 1 - 7

Sun - 7 miles am, 8 miles pm, total 15 miles on the treadmill
Mon - 4 miles am treadmill
Tue - 3 miles - planned to do more but was so tired from being out in the hot hot sun all day
Wed - 8 miles total
Thur - 0 miles, took a walk on the beach instead and saw a double rainbow
Fri - about 4 miles on the streets of Costa Rica
Sat - 7 miles through the Costa Rican countryside - got caught in a tropical rainstorm, almost got taken out by a couple of trucks, was afraid of attack by stray dogs, and dealt with lots of strange looks/ taunting comments, but I prevailed
Total: 41

April 24 - 30

Sun - 8 miles, really wanted to do a longer run but my body wasn't feeling it
Mon - 6 miles
Tue - 5 miles upon arrival in San Diego along the boardwalk. Beautiful weather, beautiful view of the city, very sore body from flight.
Wed - 0 miles, went to Mexico
Thur - 7 miles on the treadmill on the ship - the treadmill is located in a room the size of a jail cell with no windows and a mirror directly in front of the treadmill. I listened to my i-pod and alternated between staring into my own eyes and staring at the distance I was running ticking past on the treadmill screen... I now have a greater understanding of why some people say they hate exercise.
Fri - 0 miles, really planned on a run but tender problem with ship delayed departure for day's activities which meant that we returned later than planned which meant I had to go to a cocktail party rather than run
Sat - 9 miles in 2 increments, listened to some good music
Total: 35 miles

Overview: Not as many miles as I would have liked but I suppose such is life when you're sailing the high seas

BAA 5k

There's a poster at my parent's house with a picture of someone reading a book on a hill overlooking Lake Champlain, with Burlington and UVM in the distance. It says "Have it all, every day." My motto, lately, has been "Do it all, every day" and I like feeling like I don't necessarily need to make decisions between activities. For example, last night was my roommates birthday and also the night before the 5k, so I went out for what was supposed to be one drink and turned into two, saying I would be home by 10:30 although of course wasn't home until 1:00... by the end of the night I had convinced myself that if I woke up and it was raining I wouldn't go to this race (I think I said, "I need to stop confusing fun with masochism"), although even as I said it I knew I would go no matter what. I woke up hung over, dehydrated, tired, and it was raining. I got dressed and left - my wonderful roommate got up to drive me to the T, and miraculously by the time I arrived at Park St. the rain had stopped. I warmed up with Dave before getting into the chute for the start. Again I found myself much further back in the chute than I would have liked to be, and the first mile was spent weaving my way through other runners. I felt good until the last half mile or so, when I just really felt like I was ready to stop. I finished in 20:29, a new 5k PR for me, which is awesome. I had a great time hanging out with friends after the race, watching the elite mile racers and enjoying the sunshine. I had one of the best weekends ever, and I can't wait to watch the marathon tomorrow!!

April 17 - 23

Sun - 8 miles with 5k race in 20:29
Mon - 0 miles - took a dramatic trip to the ER due to extreme dehydration
Tue - 0 miles, laid on the couch recovering
Wed - 0 miles, head still hurts and weak from not having eaten these past few days, hope to be back at it soon
Thur - 0 miles, really sick
Fri - 0 miles, still sick
Sat - 0 miles, still recovering
Total: 8

Overview: What a week. Sunday was an amazing day; I got a new PR, I hung out with new friends watching the elite mile races, I went to lunch with old friends, I was so happy and full of energy. Monday I found myself in the emergency room after my roommate called 911, having found me passed out in our apartment. The only remnants of my illness are a bump on my head from falling when I fainted, and a reminder to drink lots of fluids - especially fluids with electrolytes. I'm so glad to be feeling better after this week, and I'm ready to get back into my training. I'm going to do a long run this morning (Sun), and then I'm off on a cruise in Central America for 2 weeks, where I'll just have to make the treadmill my new best friend. When I get back I'll only have 3 weeks until the marathon. Eek, I'm starting to get nervous.

3 x 1600, 1 x 400

Objective: I couldn't decide when I started whether I'd do 3 or 4 1600s. I thought I'd see how I was feeling.

Recovery: 1:15

Results: 6:32 / 6:23 / 6:19 / 1:30

Overview: I feel like I've had a continuous runners high for the past couple of weeks, and this workout only intensified the feeling. I honestly thought I had pressed a wrong button when I finished the second repeat almost 10 seconds faster than the first. Then the last in 6:19 - I was psyched. I didn't think I could keep that pace for a 4th mile, so I decided to just run a fast 400 to finish the workout, also because I couldn't stand still I was so excited about my workout. I can't even begin to express in this blog post how in love I am with this feeling that running creates in me. It sounds silly, I know, but really.

April 10 - 16

Sun - at times like this I wish I had a garmin - according to gmap pedometer I ran 18.9 miles, but I don't think it was quite that long. I'll call it 18. Feeling good.
Mon - 0 miles, made the most amazing pizza
Tue - 6.5 miles with track workout
Wed - 1 mile on the treadmill until I was dragged out into the wind and rain for 6 exhilarating miles = 7 miles
Thur - 6 miles beautiful lunchbreak
Fri - 0 miles
Sat - 4 miles with core
Total: 41.5


Overview: Awesome week, looking forward to the 5k tomorrow!

4 x 1600 continuous

Objective: 4 x 1600 continuous, alternating marathon pace and threshold pace

Results: 7:10 / 6:33 / 7:00 / 6:40

Overview: Fun workout. I didn't really know what pace I should shoot for as a "marathon pace" but the first mile felt really slow to me; I was pleased that a 7:10 pace felt as easy as it did. The next mile was definitely harder work, but it was also kind of that fun pace that I like. It was interesting to try to find the same pace at which I ran the first mile after doing a faster mile, but I'm glad that mile 3 was faster than mile 1. Also pleased with the last mile, not too much slower than the second. I almost didn't go to practice today, I was tired, and sore, and my head hurt, and I just wanted to come home and go to bed. I play the most ridiculous head games to get myself out the door, and today before I got home I thought "as soon as i walk in the door I'm changing into my running clothes and braiding my hair (which might be fun!) and leaving." It was another one of those days where the run took everything that was boring, or bad, or frustrating, or tiring about my day and made it mean absolutely nothing next to the feeling of running outside on the track and feeling strong and fast. God I love running.

April 3 - 9

Sun - 12 miles
Mon - 0 miles, ate thai food and watched bad TV
Tue - 7 miles with track workout
Wed - 4 miles with core
Thur - 6.5 miles
Fri - 6 miles with core
Sat - 4.5 miles - for some reason my saturday morning run is the hardest one to get out for, but the one that I'm the happiest to have done once I've done it.
Total: 40

Good week. My legs are tired all the time but I think that's kind of the point. La vie est belle.

March 27th - April 2nd

Sun - 15 miles, the wind almost took me out but I prevailed
Mon - 0 miles, have some strange but seemingly not-serious pains in my right knee/shin
Tue - 6 miles, core strengthening
Wed - 4 miles
Thur - 6 miles, core
Fri - 0 miles, it was snowing out, I'm only such a big wimp on the first day of April
Sat - 6 miles
Total: 37

Holyoke St. Patrick's Day 10k

This is a race that I've done several times and watched almost every year for my whole life. My mother's family lives in Holyoke, and this race weekend is always a big event in our family. I got a ride to Holyoke Saturday morning with a friend and her husband who was also doing the race. We arrived at my grandparent's house, changed into our running clothes, and jogged down for the 1:00pm start. It was a beautiful day for a run and as always there were lots of people out. I started at the 8 minute mile pace marker, which I knew was too far back but I was with my family and wanted to start with them. It took me about half a mile to get past the crowd of slower runners ahead of me, and once I did I started running pretty fast to try to make up for lost time. Miles 2 and 3 are mostly uphill, and then the second half is mostly downhill - both are difficult in their own ways. I was hurting for most of the race, which I saw as a good sign, and I felt like I was running about a 7 minute pace. I crossed the finish line in 43:17 with a net time of 42:52. I was the 21st female out of 2384, which is cool. It was a good race for me overall. I was a bit sore the next day, but an easy 4 mile run got me feeling back to normal.

March 20 - 26

Sun - 4 miles easy
Mon - 4.5 miles lunchbreak in the snow/sleet/rain/hail = extreme misery
Tue - 7 miles - didn't go to track
Wed - 0 miles - slept for 10 hours straight
Thur - not quite 6 miles but i'm going to call it 6 because it was fast
Fri - 6 miles lunchbreak
Sat - 4 miles + push-ups, sit-ups, etc. - getting myself out the door this morning may be one of the hardest things I've had to do in a while - really really didn't feel like going. Of course, feel great now that I've gone.
Total: 31.5

2 x (1 x 1600 1 x 600)

Objective: 2 sets of 1 x 1600 at threshold pace and 1 x 600 at interval pace

Recovery: 1:00 between 1600 and 600, 1:30 between sets

Results: 6:24 / 2:15 / 6:30 / 2:16

Overview: My legs have definitely been a bit tired, but this workout felt good nonetheless. The second 1600 didn't feel any slower than the first, so I can't imagine why it was.... but I'm glad my second 600 was barely slower than the first. I'm looking forward to taking the day off of running tomorrow.

March 13 - 19

Sun - 12 miles, felt comfortable
Mon - 4 miles & "feats of strength" aka pushups, situps, etc.
Tue - 7 miles with track workout
Wed - 0 miles
Thur - 6.5 miles beautiful day
Fri - 0 miles, race tomorrow
Sat - 7 miles with 10k race
Total: 36.5

3 x 1600

Objective: 3 x 1600 at threshold pace

Recovery: 1:15

Results: 6:27 / 6:23 / 6:29

Overview: I'm pleased with my effort and results - the fastest mile repeats I've done this spring. My lower back started to hurt on the second repeat and I thought about stopping, but kept going and was able to run through it. I did feel quite sore at the end of the workout. I'll just have to see how I feel tomorrow and make sure not to overdo it if my body's tired.

March 6 - 12

Sun - 11.5
Mon - 0 miles... tired from yesterday but still feel guilty not running
Tue - 6 miles with speed workout
Wed - 0 miles, yoga
Thur - 6.5 miles lunchbreak, windy day
Fri - 6. 08 - to be extremely precise, at an average pace of 7.28 (running with runners who run with garmins)
Sat - 4 miles easy
Total: 34.08

Overview: This was a good running week for me, my legs are sore and tired but not in a bad way, and I'm looking forward to another longer run tomorrow.

February 27 - March 5

Sun - 0
Mon - 6.5 rainy lunchbreak - felt great to run after taking a week off
Tue - 0 miles, was still feeling a bit sick, did yoga instead
Wed - 6 miles pm, felt light as a feather - must be all the time off
Thur - 6 miles lunchbreak fast
Fri - 0
Sat - 0 miles - feats of strength
Total: 18.5

February 20 - 26

Sun - 0
Mon - 0
Tue - 0...I'm under the weather after my weekend in the big city. Is it better to take time off or run while sick?
Wed - 0
Thur - 0
Fri - 0
Sat - 0
Total: 0

I've been putting off this post because I feel so guilty about a week with 0 miles. 0 miles! I can't believe it. What happened is that I went to NYC over the weekend and didn't run at all, which was fine, my plan was to do a long run on Monday when I got home, then continue my usual weekly running routine. I started feeling sick on Monday, though, and decided not to run, then my sickness got progressively worse until Thursday and Friday I was home from work sick, and running wasn't even an option. I started feeling better on Sunday and thought about running, but was also kind of enjoying using my sickness as an excuse to lay around and not do much of anything. Anyway, feeling much better today (Monday) and got in a good 6.5 mile run on my lunch break. As much as i hate to have lost a week of training, it was good to be forced to get some rest, and it gave me some time to think about my training and my attachment to it. I'm going to try to focus on enjoying my runs and not overdoing it or stressing myself out about missed runs, etc. I need to remind myself that I run because I find it relaxing and fun (among other things) and if it's not relaxing and fun then I need to reassess.

Tuesday Track

Objective: 2 x (1 x 1600 at threshold / 1 x 800 at interval)

Recovery: 1:00 between 1600 and 800, 2:30 between sets

Results: 6:55 / 3:02 / 6:35 / 3:06

Overview: I was feeling a bit lethargic during the first 1600, so the faster 800 helped wake me up and I was glad that I was able to do a faster second 1600. Good overall. I still haven't made any friends in my new track group, so I'm going to work on that next week...

February 13 - 19

Sun - 10 miles
Mon - 0... tired from yesterday's run
Tue - 6 miles with track workout
Wed - 4 miles
Thur - 7.4 miles tempo @ 7.32 pace with Dave and Zani - warm beautiful perfect day
Fri - 0
Sat - 0
Total - 27.4

The beginning of my week was pretty running - intense (except for Monday of course), so it worked out ok that I left for NYC on Friday and didn't run at all for 4 days in a row. I had a lot of fun in the city, though none of that fun was even remotely running-related.

4 x 1600

Objective: 3 x 1600 at "threshold" pace (about 6:50)

Recovery: 1:15

Results: 6:58 / 6:43 / 6:37 / 6:42

Overview:  My goal was to not start out too fast and to try to find a sustainable pace.  I also wanted to stick to 3 repeats so as not to overdo it early in my training. Problems arose when I started getting passed by other runners doing the same workout and the competitive side of me just couldn't let that continue.  I was feeling good and it felt good to run fast, even though it was probably a bit faster than I should have been going.  After my fast third repeat the adrenaline was pumping and I didn't even consider stopping there. It was a fun workout. 

Week of February 6 - 12

Sun - 8.5 miles
Mon - 6.5 miles lunchbreak
Tues - 7 miles with track workout
Wed - 0
Thur - 5 lunchbreak
Fri - 5 lunchbreak
Sat - 0
Total: 32

Week of January 30 - February 5

Sun - 8 miles
Mon - 0
Tues - 5 miles total with track workout
Wed - 0
Thur - 4 miles
Fri - 6.5 miles
Sat - 4 miles
Total: 27.5

Week of January 2 - 8

Sunday - 8 miles
Monday - 0
Tuesday - 5 miles on my lunch break in beautiful Brattleboro VT
Wednesday - 3 miles am
Thursday - 6 miles in the dark
Friday -
Saturday -
Total: 22

January 1, 2011

This morning I ran the First Run in Burlington, VT, a 5k that I've been running for the past few years.  I don't know what times I've run in the past, but I'm pretty sure that this year was my fastest to date; I finished in 20:41.  It was an unseasonably warm day, and it felt strange to be running in shorts for the first time in the past couple of months.  My legs felt a bit tired and having been out late last night celebrating the new year didn't necessarily set prime conditions for success in the race, nonetheless I feel good about it and think it's a good start to a new year of running.  I'm going to take it easy for the next couple of weeks as I work on moving to Boston and starting my new job, and will start my training for the Vermont City Marathon once I'm settled into my new apartment.  I'm excited about what's to come.