NYC MARATHON RACE REPORT

Sorry it took so long to write my race report, but sitting at the computer is not so leg friendly right now. Haha. And lots of thinking/emotions going through my head (all good though!!!). And trying to post this LONG report with photos, was no easy task. Thank God Beachy/hubby, knows what he's doing. I'm not the writer in the family, he is, but here goes:

On Sunday, November 1st, I ran my first marathon, the NYC marathon, which runs through the 5 boroughs of NYC; from Staten Island, over the Verrazano Bridge, through Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and finally into Manhattan. I'm doing well, sore, but I'm a marathoner & actually thrilled with my 4:39:21 finish:)!! Wasn't the plan, but at one point didn't think I'd finish, and then was just hoping to come in before 5:30, so, to cross at 4:39:21 made my day.)!!

My Hubby took this pic on train ride home!!

I didn't blog about my last long run (before the marathon) on Saturday, October 17th, which was supposed to be a very slow 18miler. It turned into a 13.9 mile run because at mile 10 I tweaked my right calf. I tried to run through it (I thought it was a cramp, as I was running slowly & how could I pull something 2 weeks out from the marathon), but finally it got to the point where it hurt & I knew the run had to stop. In hindsight I should have stopped immediately when I felt it at 10 miles, but thought it was a cramp. After running NYC, I now know that during this last long run it was a pull/strain, not a cramp, because I now know what cramps feel like!! haha) I called my husband to pick me up (1st run in 22mths that I couldn't finish & that he had to pick me up). The only upside was training for NYC was complete. Race was in 2 weeks, and I was now in taper. Didn't realize my taper would mean no running at all for 14 days on account of injury, but I wanted to make sure the calf, specifically the soleus muscle, located between the Achilles & the calf would heal. I knew these 2 weeks didn't matter much, and I knew that as long as it healed, I would show up on race day, fresh and ready to go, instead of having tired legs.

All went well, calf/soleus was getting stronger/healing by the day, and before I knew it, it was Friday before race day (Sunday), and I was taking the train into NYC to go to the Expo to pick up my Bib# and shirt. This was amazing. I trained for 22 months and when they placed that bib# in my hand I can't explain to you how happy/thrilled I was to run on Sunday. The journey I had worked so hard over the last 22 months was finally here. I was running NYC in 2 days!!!

Saturday we drove to Staten Island to my brother’s place (he lives about a mile from where the marathon starts), had a great dinner (pasta with marinara sauce and chicken, with a 20 oz bottle of gatorade), were asleep by 9:30, and woke at 6am. Even got an extra hour of sleep due to daylight savings time, sweet. I woke feeling well rested, had my oatmeal and banana, and then we left for the start at 7:30. I packed a bagel with peanut butter & honey and a banana to have while waiting. Got to the race start around 7:45am, surprised it wasn't raining & the temps were pretty reasonable: windy and low 50’s I think. The day before, I hit a thrift shop and purchased sweat shirts and sweat pants to wear before the start & throw away. I looked pretty funny, as the clothes were extra large, but they kept me warm, and that’s all that mattered. Someone took a picture of us before the race. Here we are

Me (with my white head band) in my extra-large pre-race gear

As a member of the Richmond Rockets Running Club, I had the opportunity to join the NYPD running club. They had a tent, so we hung out there till it was time to head over to the start. About an hour before the race I ate the bagel and about a half hour before I ate the banana. Drank plenty of Gatorade, water and coconut water, that when it was time to head over to the start, I felt ready!!! Plan was to run with my brother John, friends John B and John C, all training indicated that we could run together, and come in somewhere around 4 hours. My goals for today were 1. Finish; 2. Beat 4 hours; and 3. If all the stars were aligned and I felt good, aim to break sub 3:50:00.

My NYPD running singlet & NYC Bib#29232

We got to our corral in our wave start, and soon realized we were in the wrong wave; we were in the last wave (#3) instead of wave #2. It was so crowded we did our best to walk up to the front of the wave, but in the end it really didn't matter as we had chips on and it would signal when we crossed the start & finish. I did call my friend Josh, to let him know that I would be starting later. He was getting ready to meet me at mile 14 or so, so he could run with me till mile 23.
The only difference was I started at 10:24 instead of 10:00, but I was thinking, no biggie as it gave my husband & children more time to get from Penn Station over to 63rd & First Ave, where I would see them around mile 16, as I came off the Queensboro Bridge. Let me tell you, knowing they were there was HUGE. Many times just thinking about them caused me to choke up, and kept me running when things didn’t seem so good.

Well, the cannons went off and the weather was perfect for running, and off we went in the mass of people. I have never run with so many people before. They say 43,000 people ran NYC this year. They separated everyone into either the Blue, Orange or Green groups, and then broke it down into Wave #1, Wave #2 or Wave #3, and then by letter corrals. We were in the Orange so we crossed the bridge on the upper level of the Verrazano Bridge, to the left. The site going over the bridge was breath taking. We tried to stay at about a 9:15 pace, but with the crowd that was hard to do, I didn't want to zigzag and waste energy at this point. It was very windy. I kept the throw away sweatshirt on till I was about half way across the bridge, and then threw it to the side. People were doing the same at this point, and you really had to watch your step as clothes were flying everywhere.

The mass of people running was amazing, and my calf that had been sore 2 weeks ago seemed to be holding up. Mile by mile we were over the bridge and into Brooklyn. It was really amazing to see the different neighborhoods. All was great until someone kicked my leg at mile 8.7 (still have the bruise on my left calf with their foot print). Here's a pic I took of it about 3 days after the marathon, of the bruise I had. Should have taken it that night, but you get the idea:)

sorry I took this myself, and it was the best I could do!

The kick in the calf caused me to fall head over heels to the pavement. Landed on my hands & thankfully went into a tuck & roll, so though I was bruised up, I survived & got right back up with runners' help & kept running. Thankfully no one fell on me, and the man that tripped me stopped and helped keep people from falling on me, then helped me up. Till that point I was feeling great. Afterwards was thankful the fall wasn't as bad as it could have been. Only thing that hurt at the time were the scrapes on my hands. But yesterday & today the pain of the bruises are now hurting. Josh found me about the 14 mile mark, I told him the legs felt ok, not great, and we plugged on. John C was still with me, and we worked our way around the crowds. We approached the 59th street Bridge, it was dark, but I still felt ok. Running over the bridge, I rolled my right ankle; it hurt, but didn’t think it was that bad. The next day, showed this:

Pic of my ankle the next day

Anyway, I kept running and was keeping about a 9:08 pace into mile 16 where I saw my husband and two girls cheering for me on First Avenue. What a thrill, it was, though it was very brief, because I was afraid to stop, for fear the legs wouldn't keep going, so I waved & continued on knowing I would see them again around Central Park. Unfortunately, my oldest, Rebecca was distracted and jostling for position in the huge crowd and did not see me run past. I tried to yell and get her attention to no avail, but she did say she heard me and I knew I would see her again at the finish.

But then the cramps started about a half mile later @16.5 in both calves. I tried running but by 17 (right around 1st & 72nd), I had to stop and walk. It killed me to stop, but I thought I could walk through it. So, from 17 - 23 miles I spent every mile getting a calf massage by my friend Josh who ran with me from mile 14.5 to 23 (without him I know I would not have finished THANK YOU!!!). I knew if I could just keep a 10 minute pace from here on out I could maybe finish in 4:00 or around there, but that was not to happen as the the massages allowed me to get a foot cadence going again at about a 10min pace, but it would only last for about a half mile, and then I'd have to walk again, pull over to the side and Josh would massage both calves again. And this would repeat till mile 23 where Josh had to bid me farewell/good luck as he didn't have a bib for this year's marathon & didn’t want to chance being thrown out of NYRRs club. He gave me my last massage at mile 23 and said do your best to keep running/stay in cadence, cause if you stop, the legs won't go and you'll really cramp. Well, I proceeded at about an 11:30 pace trying to keep my legs running and eventually entered Central Park. The only thought in my mind was keep going, you've come to far to quit now, my husband & kids are waiting for me just before mile 26 in front of the Plaza Hotel on Central Park West, so I plugged along. It hurt, but the thought of not finishing, or my family seeing me walking would hurt more. Finally I got to the point where I came back out of the Park and onto Central Park west & 59th street. Knowing that my husband & the girls were somewhere to the left in front of the Plaza. I kept running, scanning the crowd. Finally I saw them, hit with the most emotion ever (maybe matched by the birth of my children) I ran over to them, tears flowing down my face, I could hardly breathe. I went to Rebecca first, as she missed seeing me at 63rd & 1st, then Allie, then my husband. The emotions were wild; the crowd was incredible (I learned later that the whole group of people standing around my family all cried with emotion when they saw me hugging my kids. A spectator/ stranger even took a picture of me hugging Rebecca & emailed it to my husband the next day. If you by chance are reading this, THANK YOU for sending the picture, I truly appreciate it!!!).

Me kissing Rebecca (in the purple hat) on Central Park West and my hubby (in the black cap) waving his arm in the air.

I knew with their energy, I had enough to go .2 more and off I went. It was the longest .2 in my life (Vic you were SO right!!), but cramps and all, I crossed the finish line & showed my girls what determination & perseverance are all about. That, my friends/family/supporters was what this race was about for me. Not beating a time (though it would have been cool to Boston Qualify. There's always next time, and mark my words, I will run another marathon!!), but showing my little girls that when things get hard, you stick to your guns, and persevere!!!

I made my way through the crowd, and because I was wearing the NYPD running singlet, they pulled me out of the crowd, and over towards the NYPD tent. I was given a goodie bag with water, a protein bar (that tasted SOOOOO good), an apple, and soon found all my friends, and we made our way to the street, to the NYPD shuttle/van, that brought us to the hotel, where family, refreshments and a shower were waiting for me. In hindsight, I should have walked to the hotel. The 15 minutes or so that it took the van to drive us, just sitting there, my legs completely went dead/stiff. I could barely get out of the van, thank you to whoever it was that helped me off, I walked over to the bus to get my bag, and made my way into the hotel. The party was located on the mezzanine, which was about 16 steps up a stairway. OUCH OUCH OUCH. I found my family, got them settled in the eating area, and went upstairs to take a shower. It felt awesome! I should have taken the time to soak in an ice bath, but time was limited, and I wanted to see my family. Got back to them, ate, and hung out, then said our goodbyes, and we made our way to the subway, to get a subway to Penn Station, to catch the train back home. Overall, it was an amazing experience that I do intend to repeat some time in the future (maybe NYC in 20011)!!!

And here are some pics that NYRR so graciously took of me while I was running. Not pretty, but hey, they show the pain and triumph, I went through, while running this marathon!

I believe this was taken around the 13.1 mile mark, still feelin' pretty good!

Not sure where this was taken, but definitely taken near the end, maybe at the 20?

This one was taken as I shuffled across CPW before mile 26

Instead of a mile by mile time submission, I'm going to note the marathon splits that NYRR supplied. Here they are:

5 K 00:29:43.00 Pace/mile: 00:09:33.08


10K 00:58:15.00 Pace/mile: 00:09:22.68


15K 01:25:38.00 Pace/mile: 00:09:11.21


20K 01:53:18.00 Pace/mile: 00:09:06.84


Half-Marathon: 01:59:36.00 Pace/mile: 00:09:07.73


25K 02:21:57.00 Pace/mile: 00:09:08.37

30K 02:54:43.00 Pace/mile: 00:09:22.35 (Going into about 18miles I still had about a (9:08pace), but that time soon dwindled, as I hit the last 10K and was completely and utterly humbled by NYC. No training could have prepared me for what I experienced that day), but too persevere through the pain, made finishing that much more special!!

35K 03:39:09.00 Pace/mile: 00:10:04.51

40K 04:22:02.00 Pace/mile: 00:10:32.64

Finish Time: 04:39:21.00 Pace/mile: 00:10:39.74

All my training, I thought prepared me for this race. My runs were spot on, my nutrition and hydration has drastically improved over the past few months. Experts say you never know how a race will pan out until race day and when you cross the finish line. I don't think I was cocky thinking I could finish in under 3:50 for my first ever marathon. All my training, and even my races this year, all indicated sub 3:50 was within my reach. I do believe if I didn't cramp, I would have accomplished my sub 3:50 goal, but that is now behind me, and I must try to learn from this race, why did I cramp? And now humbled, must do everything in my power, so when I run marathon #2, history does not repeat itself. As, I said in the beginning, I am THRILLED with the time I finished in, and so happy to be a marathoner!!!!!!!

I must thank all my family/blog buddies/everyone, because you all were such an inspiration to me in finishing the marathon. I thought of you all often when I didn't think I could go on and remembered all your stories of marathon courage, your advice over the last 22 months, and just your unconditional "virtual" support and friendship. I did pace myself; I took endurolytes; 3 capsules every hour, drank water and Gatorade; rotating at every mile, not sure why I still cramped, but I MADE it, and will definitely do another marathon. I'm seriously thinking next year's New Jersey on May 2, 2010, (if I'm ready), or most likely Philadelphia 0n November 21, 2010 (where Beachy is thinking he'll run the Half).

Oh, and if you're wondering why I didn't post a finishers photo. Well, I didn't know at the time, but in talking with someone this week, I realized I didn’t stop after the finish for a Finisher’s Photo. Hahaha, I hurt so bad and didn’t want to stop walking. I had no idea what they were doing, just thought it was the parade of masses walking to collect their baggage and family members. Well, I know now for the next time to stop and smile for the camera. Though, I was smiling from ear to ear, cause I had just accomplished running/hobbling 26.2 miles, which 22 months ago, was just a far out, crazy wild dream!!!

YESTERDAY I RAN THE STATEN ISLAND HALF & HAD A HUGE PR FROM LAST YEAR, ONLY 3 WEEKS TIL NYC!!!

Yesterday, I ran the Staten Island Half Marathon. I traveled the day before to my brother’s apt (like I did last year), as not to have to wake at the crack of dawn to drive the morning of the race. Haha, but still woke at 5:15 the morning of the race. But it was so nice not having to worry about driving, parking and so on. I ate a salt bagel with peanut butter and honey around 5:45am, with my standard coconut water to wash it down. Was planning to bring another salt bagel for the ride to the start, but forgot it. Oh well. We caught the 7:05 train up to the start, and then walked the half mile or so to the start. And it was cold. The sun was coming up, but the walk was in the shade. I didn’t bring pants, as I wanted to acclimate to the cooler temperatures for the race, but in hindsight that was a mistake. I was freezing, and didn’t really warm up until about mile 4-5. Oh well, live and learn. And my zenzah running arm/calf sleeves should be arriving this week. So can't wait!! Thankfully when we got there the porto-potties were basically empty. Did my thing and then joined up with my friends. My friend John, is a member of the Richmond Rockets running club. After listening to him talk about how great they are, I finally had the chance to meet them (though I had met Amy, Nancy and John C., at the Bronx Half Marathon back in February). They were all awesome. We stashed our bags in the ‘van’, and headed to the start.

My goal for today was to beat 1:51:00. I ran this race last year in 1:57:36, and with my training this year I felt the 1:51:00 goal was doable. My friend Josh, felt I could do better than that, and gave me a plan that would have me crossing the finish at 1:47:11. I felt confident from training that I could do this, but I was concerned about a hill on the course at M8, so I ran the course a bit conservative, to make sure all went well at M8. I was able to really run that mile, and then kick it in for the second half, and really sprint to the finish. Knowing I had so much left at the end, makes me believe I could have run the race more solid/faster, but I am thrilled with my finish time. I crossed the finish at 1:49:05, I whole 8 minutes and 35 seconds faster than last year.

I took a gel 10min before the start and again at mile 7. I rotated water and gatorade from mile 4 on, but then no fluids after mile 11.

Here are my splits from last year, what Josh thought I could do, and what I did this year:

2008: Josh’s plan: 2009 results:

1:57:36 1:47:11 1:49:05

M1 - 8:56 M1 - 8:50 M1 - 8:42
M2 - 8:38 M2 - 8:50 M2 - 8:37
M3 - 8:29 M3 - 8:50 M3 - 8:31
M4 - 8:45 M4 - 8:10 M4 - 8:25
M5 - 9:01 M5 - 8:10 M5 - 8:20
M6 - 8:49 M6 - 8:10 M6 - 8:07
M7 - 8:50 M7 - 8:10 M7 - 8:16
M8 - 9:53 M8 - 8:10 M8 - 8:28
M9 - 8:59 M9 - 8:10 M9 - 7:59
M10 - 9:00 M10 - 8:10 M10 - 8:04
M11 - 9:11 M11 - 7:45 M11 - 7:59
M12 - 9:26 M12 - 7:45 M12 - 8:01
M13 - 8:43 M13 - 7:45 M13 - 7:47
.1 - :50(7:38pace) .1 - 7:45 .1-1:45 (6:49 pace).


When I ran the race last year, I went out too fast, so when I hit the hill at M8, I was completely spent and died. I was able to bounce back and maintain 9’s or so to the end, but when I crossed the finish (because a runner next to me told me I’ve come too far to quit now), I had nothing left, and was completely exhausted. I truly believe if this runner didn't help me, I would not have finished.

Ironically, I took the first 3 miles about the same this year as I did last year, I did run the next 4 miles a tad conservatively, compared to what Josh predicted, but that was because I was still concerned about the hill at M8 (I know Josh, I trained hard, and should have known/believed in the system, my bad), but I attacked the hill this year strongly, and was able to get the legs going to be more close to your predictions to the end (or I should say my mind, because my legs felt strong throughout). Guess I was concerned I’d crash and burn (when will that feeling ever not be there? I do believe and trust in the system, or at least I think I do. Because based on todays results, that belief didn't show up til after the hill at M8). But, I had so much left at the end, which makes me feel like I could have pushed harder during, and probably met your predicted paces. I do trust you, but I guess my lack of experience kicked in and took things a tad too conservatively. I’m still super pumped as I crushed my times from last year, and felt soooo strong at the end. I felt like I could have kept running. You have been a huge help and an awesome coach. I could never have prepared myself for NYC without your help/experience & guidance. THANK YOU 100 times over!!

Also, a HUGE shoutout to my hubby, aka BeachRunner411, for allowing me to take this journey and always being SO supportive of my long hours of training, which as time went on got longer and longer. I love you beachy!!!

Wow, NYC is in 2 weeks, 6 days. I started this blog/journey back on January 1st, 2008 (tho running started on Jan 2nd), it has now been 21+ months later, 295 runs, and over 1600 miles later. It has been an amazing journey, and though I’m extremely excited for Marathon day, it will be sad to see this journey end (and hopefully my next journey to Boston, as I aim to qualify for Boston on Nov 1st @ NYC). I am very prepared for this day. I have trained hard and to date have seen amazing results. Stay tuned for the final chapter, Nov 1st : the NYC Marathon!! The day, I will be starting my next blog: my journey to the Boston Marathon.

Sorry folks, tried to put the table above together, but it squished when i posted. Don't know how to fix it, hope it's not too confusing. Just wanted to compare last year to this year, and my final results this year to what Josh thought I could achieve. Next year I will achieve that time and better it, cause I won't be afraid of that hill at mile 8. Still not sure why I was this year, but have to leave some room for improvement for next year!!

STILL HERE, TRAINING GOING STRONG, HARD TO BELIEVE NYC IS IN 4 WEEKS.

Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted to my blog (sorry!!!). The good news is training is going well, and I am right on schedule for finishing NYC with a pretty good competitive time. The downside is I missed a few workouts a couple of weeks ago, but all is fine, I’m HEALTHY and that is all that matters!!!! Back on 9/10, at my yearly mammogram, they discovered another lump on my right breast. I went back on 9/16, for a needle biopsy which eventually revealed the lump was benign, thankfully!! My mom is a 1x survivor, so for years I have been getting checked yearly, and now every six months, so, though it was alarming, I took comfort in the fact that if it was something, they caught it early, and it would be dealt with. Though, at times, to convince my brain of this was hard. Hence, not having the strength sometimes to get out the door and complete a run. (It’s amazing the mind games your head plays at times) I never missed a long run, but getting out the door during that week, wasn’t always easy. So, I could have done without this drama before my favorite race of all time, the Cow Harbor 10K. Up until all of this happened, I hadn’t missed a run, and was feeling really strong. With the missed runs, not having my head in the game, and the needle biopsy, though I had built a huge base/strength in my training, I felt I wasn’t quite prepared for the 10K when the date approached.

The good news is I did run the Cow Harbor 10K race on September 26th, and raced to a new PR. Last years PR for this course was 52:41 (prior was 1:01:30), and with my marathon training, I believed I could break 50:00 this year. I crossed the finish line at 47:44 (7:41 overall pace), crushing last years time, shaving off 4minutes and 57seconds. To say the least I was thrilled with my time!! Woo Hoo!! And the best part is my head is definitely back in the game!!!!!

What else has been happening? I’ve run one 16 miler, one 17 miler, two 18 milers, a 19 miler and this past weekend I ran 21.4 miles over the George Washington Bridge, and up the hilly Palisades and back. This run was fantastic. Though I was a little disappointed, as it was supposed to be a 23 mile run, and I wanted that distance under my belt. But the group I was running with decided, due to the weather (it never did rain, but the skies were threatening rain storms), and in order to add the extra 2 miles to the Palisades course, I was told you have to run on the busy 9W highway that doesn’t have a guardrail separating the cars from the runners. I conceded to the group’s decision and plugged away at the 21.4 course at hand. I took the 1st half (10.7miles) very conservatively, and ran it in 1:44:32 (overall pace of 9:46), and then really pushed the 2nd half and finished in 1:32:33 (overall pace of 8:38). The best part is I ran the last 3 miles at a consistent 8:30 pace and felt when I finished that I could have kept going for more miles. I still would have liked to have run 23, but I learned that I could have done it if it was the mission of the day.

I took a gel 5 minutes before the run, and then again at M7, M12, M17 and M20. I drank Gatorade Endurance every other mile after mile 4. I also took 2 Endurolyte capsules before my run, and then every hour during my run. I still have not trained with water. Not sure why, maybe cause I don’t have the room to carry it, but during this run, I was thinking I should have run the first half with water, and then the 2nd half rotating water and Gatorade Endurance. Which is the plan I have for the NYC marathon, as the fluids will be on the course, and I don’t have to carry it. Not sure why I felt I should have run with water, except when the run was over, all I wanted was water. Could I have had too much salt/endurolytes in me?? Wondering if anyone out there has thoughts to share on this????

But, I am very pleased with my solid run. No pain, no cramps, stuck to the schedule and finished. I was told that if you run this hilly Palisades course in a decent time, that the NYC marathon will seem easy. Well, time will tell about that, but the Palisades run was a huge success in my book.

Oh and my legs yesterday and today are fine!! Hubby/BR411, gave me a deep massage on the legs the nite of the run and again on Sunday morning. No stiffness, and stairs were my friend. That was a huge boost in motivation for me. I'm still amazed my legs didn't hurt. Lets see how they feel after todays run. LOL

Next up for me is the Staten Island half this Sunday, October 11th. I ran it last year in 1:57:30 (which at the time was a PR). My goal for Sunday is to break 1:51:00. I believe I can do this, as I have accomplished this in my training runs. This will be my last race before the NYC marathon.

Again, sorry I haven’t blogged for so long. Back when I last blogged I was getting achy knee ITB pains in my knees (NOT when I ran, but when I was driving or sitting at my computer blogging). I found that when I stopped blogging, and sitting upright at my computer, that the discomfort in my knees went away, so blogging stopped, but I wanted to update everyone where I am at, and that all is still going strong for NYC Marathon. I can’t promise to blog consistently again, but I will do my best to keep my blog current.

Plan for today is a 9mile run: 2 mile w/u, followed by 5 miles @ a 7:50 pace, then a 2 mile c/d.

18 MILE LONG RUN @8:55 AVG PACE

Plan for today was 18 Miles:
3 @9:00
12 @8:30
3 @8:10 or faster

Brought 32oz of gatorade fuel belt & carried 20oz of gatorade w Nuun (I know, a big no no, but didn't have time to place it on the course). Didn't get on road til 10:35. Temp said 73F and 43% humidity. Just perfect conditions for a long run. Ok, a tad hot at times, but loved NOT running in humidity.

Before the run I had 1/2 an egg & cheese sandwich & a banana, and coconut water. About 20min before the run I took a Gel. I took fluids and gel at the times you told me too. Btw, by the end I wanted to puke from injesting that 4th gel. Was really hard to get that one down. HAHA

Legs felt strong throughout, but as you'll see, I didn't hit your recommended paces. I didn't get great sleep last nite. Kids woke me again. GRRR.... So my plan for today was just get in a grove and FINISH under a 9min pace (wanted to beat last weeks 16mile avg pace of 9:05) So, tho I didn't hit the faster paces, I'm thrilled with the overall time I finished in, as I've never run 18miles before:)!! and I broke the 9min avg pace I wanted to:)!!

18 miles in 2:40:38 (avg pace 8:55) Avg HR 148 Cardiac Drift: 163

Garmin showed these as my splits:
M1-9:00 Avg HR 144 Cardiac Drift: 154
M2-9:03 Avg HR 149 Cardiac Drift: 157
M3-8:53 Avg HR 147 Cardiac Drift: 153
M4-8:59 Avg HR 152 Cardiac Drift: 163
M5-8:44 Avg HR 151 Cardiac Drift: 160
M6-8:50 Avg HR 151 Cardiac Drift: 157
M7-8:47 Avg HR 151 Cardiac Drift: 155
M8-8:49 Avg HR 152 Cardiac Drift: 157
M9-9:01 Avg HR 152 Cardiac Drift: 156
M10-9:02 Avg HR 148 Cardiac Drift: 151
M11-8:59 Avg HR 149 Cardiac Drift: 155
M12-9:01 Avg HR 147 Cardiac Drift: 153
M13-8:58 Avg HR 149 Cardiac Drift: 154
M14-9:03 Avg HR 147 Cardiac Drift: 153
M15-8:56 Avg HR 147 Cardiac Drift: 153
M16-8:50 Avg HR 145 Cardiac Drift: 152
M17-8:52 Avg HR 149 Cardiac Drift: 156
M18-8:51 Avg HR 148 Cardiac Drift: 156

TEMPO RUN: ROUND 2; 6 MILES IN UNDER 51:00, OH SO CLOSE, BUT BETTER THAN LAST WEEKS(ROUND1) WOO HOO!!

Today's Plan:
Tempo Run- Your mission ... Round 2: complete this 6 miles in under 51-minutes!

Well, I didn't hit under 51:00, but I did better than last weeks Round 1 (51:49) Hahaha, granted I only beat it by 8 seconds, but I'll take it!! It was hot as hell out there today, Temp said 80% w 72% humidity.

45 min before the run I ate 1/2 an egg & cheese sandwich, with coconut water, and then 15 min before the run, I took a Gel.

Legs felt heavy again for the first few miles, but then opened up. I'm pleased with this run because when I wanted to push the last 2 miles, my legs responded. FINALLY, and by the last mile I was sprinting for darn close to the whole mile. Woo Hoo:)!! So, I'd say in this heat/humidity, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:)!!

6 miles in 51:41 (avg pace 8:36 ) Avg HR 151 Cardiac Drift: 168

M1-8:53 Avg HR 145 Cardiac Drift: 153
M2-8:55 Avg HR 152 Cardiac Drift: 157
M3-8:41 Avg HR 151 Cardiac Drift: 154
M4-8:55 Avg HR 150 Cardiac Drift: 155
M5-8:32 Avg HR 153 Cardiac Drift: 160
M6-7:45 Avg HR 161 Cardiac Drift: 168

My HR avg/max for M5 was 153/160 My HR avg/max for M6 was 161/168
Finally, I pushed at the end and my legs responded. Haha, Josh, I heard you whispering in my ear, push, push, push:)!!

6 MILE RECOVERY RUN @ 10:08 PACE

Plan: 6 miles @ Maintenance & Recovery

Legs felt OK, not great in the beginning, kind of like clearing out the cob webs, but by mile 3 things were all good and overall great run. Nothing hurt, just heavy.

6 miles in 1:00:52 (avg pace 10:08) Avg HR 129 Cardiac Drift: 147
M1-10:21 Avg HR 120 Cardiac Drift: 138
M2-10:02 Avg HR 130 Cardiac Drift: 140
M3-10:04 Avg HR 130 Cardiac Drift: 140
M4-10:02 Avg HR 133 Cardiac Drift: 147
M5-10:18(up a hill) Avg HR 131 Cardiac Drift: 143
M6-10:05 Avg HR 129 Cardiac Drift: 140

INTERVAL WORKOUT

My youngest woke with pinkeye, and a subsequent doctor's visit revealed she had a double ear infection on top of the pinkeye, hence no camp, and no babysitter, so my run had to wait til hubby got home. No biggie, kids always come first!

So after hubby got home and I got everyone fed, I hit the road. 7PM, and hot but the sun was already going down, so instead of doing this workout at the track I chose to do it by the pond route over the bridge. It was delightful running at this hour. Never ran at dusk before. Got lots of funny looks, as I repeated this workout over and over the bridge 8 times LOL But legs felt strong and I nailed it!! All my sets were at 7:45 or faster!!! I also wore my fuel belt as it was hot and I didn't want to have to deal with stopping to get my fluids. I believe I drank after the 2 mile w/u, then after the 3, 5, 7th sets, then after the 2mile c/d. and then pounded the remaining gatorade. In all drank 32oz.

Oh yeah, because I was tired, and was running late, at 5:30 after my kids karate class, I had a cup of coffee (I know, a no no before a run, but I was exhausted), and I had a peanut butter on whole wheat bagel with honey. This was about 1 & 1/2 hours before my run. No issues at all during the run.

Today's plan:
2-Mile w/u
8 x 3-minutes @ 7:45/pace w/ 2-minute jogging recovery
2-Mile c/d

8.69 miles in 1:18:55 avg pace 9:05 HR avg 149; Cardiac Drift: 169

Here is the info that uploaded to my computer when I got home:

2.01 Mile w/u- time 20:12 avg pace 10:02 (6.0-7.0mph) (HR avg139; Cardiac Drift: 156)

.39M - 3:00 avg pace 7:45 (7.7-8.9mph) (HR avg159; Cardiac Drift: 163)
.18M - 2:00 avg pace 10:56 (5.5-8.3mph) (HR avg146; Cardiac Drift: 160)

.39M - 3:00 avg pace 7:45 (7.7-9.8mph) (HR avg154; Cardiac Drift: 159)
.20M - 2:00 avg pace 9:53 (6.1-8.7mph) (HR avg150; Cardiac Drift: 159)

.39M - 3:00 avg pace 7:41 (7.8-9.9mph) (HR avg159; Cardiac Drift: 167)
.18M - 2:00 avg pace 10:53 (5.5-7.3mph) (HR avg150; Cardiac Drift: 161)

.39M - 3:00 avg pace 7:45 (7.7-9.7mph) (HR avg157; Cardiac Drift: 160)
.20M - 2:00 avg pace 9:52 (6.1-7.9mph) (HR avg154; Cardiac Drift: 164)

.39M - 3:00 avg pace 7:40 (7.8-8.6mph) (HR avg160; Cardiac Drift: 165)
.19M - 2:00 avg pace 10:46 (5.6-7.9mph) (HR avg153; Cardiac Drift: 164)

.40M - 3:00 avg pace 7:30 (8.0-11.4mph) (HR avg160; Cardiac Drift: 163)
.20M - 2:00 avg pace 10:03 (6.0-7.1mph) (HR avg148; Cardiac Drift: 159)

.39M - 3:00 avg pace 7:45 (7.7-8.7mph) (HR avg159; Cardiac Drift: 163)
.19M - 2:00 avg pace 10:47 (5.6-7.7mph) (HR avg149; Cardiac Drift: 160)

.40M - 3:00 avg pace 7:25 (8.3-9.7mph) (HR avg160; Cardiac Drift: 163)
.20M - 2:00 avg pace 10:01 (6.0-8.4mph) (HR avg148; Cardiac Drift: 159)

Then 2 mile cooldown 18:43 avg pace 9:20 (6.4-7.4mph) (HR avg148; Cardiac Drift: 155)

13 WEEKS TIL NYC, WEEKLY RECAP(7/27-8/2), REST DAY

Week #12 finished.

Overall, my legs feel good. Heavy at times, but strong.

Weekly Recap: 7/27/09 - 8/2/09

Mon- 5.6 miles - 2m w/u, 6 hill sprints w jog recovery, & 2m c/d
Tues - 8 miles easy @9:28 avg pace
Wed - 6 mile Tempo run @8:38 avg pace
Thurs - rest day
Fri - 16 mile progression long run @9:05 avg pace
Sat - 6 mile recovery run @10:05 avg pace
Sun - Rest day

Total miles for Week #12 = 41.60

Total weekly mileage Week #12 = 41.60

6 EASY RECOVERY MILES @10:05

Plan: Recovery Run (9:30 Min/Mile) **NO PACE/RELAX**

Great run with my hubby around the pond. Ran the first 5 miles with him, & the last mile on my own. Legs felt VERY heavy for the 1st 3 miles, but then opened up after that. Hot, but not that bad. Drank Gatorade at miles 3 & 6. Had my coconut water, wwbagel w peanut butter & honey, about 45 min before the run.

6 miles in 1:00:30 (avg pace 10:05) AVG HR 135 Cardiac Drift: 148

Garmin showed splits as:

M1-10:18 AVG HR 130 Cardiac Drift: 146
M2-10:16 AVG HR 138 Cardiac Drift: 148
M3-10:08 AVG HR 132 Cardiac Drift: 142
M4-10:15 AVG HR 135 Cardiac Drift: 143
M5-10:05 AVG HR 135 Cardiac Drift: 147
M6- 9:28 AVG HR 138 Cardiac Drift: 147

Felt great to up the speed for the last mile. Legs feel good, no ill affects from yesterdays 16 mile long run in the heat/humidity. Woo Hoo:)!! Enjoyed Coconut Water right after the run, and then had my COFFEE:)!!

16 MILE LONG RUN @9:05 AVG PACE

Plan:
3@9:00,
10@8:30
then 3 No slower than 8:10

Legs felt good today, I was ready for this run!! But man the 97% humidity sucked big time!! But got it done, it's over, ready for my next run!! I ate oatmeal/banana, and had my coconut water about 45 before the run. & 30min before the run, I downed a gel. During the run I drank gatorade at miles 3, 5, 7w/gel, 9, 11, 12w/gel, 13 and then rotated water/gatorade for miles 14,15&16. Ok, truth be told, I am SO glad this run is over. Ouch, it hurt, but a different hurt than before.

16 miles in 2:25:26 (avg pace 9:05) Avg HR 149 Cardiac Drift: 178

Garmin showed these as my splits:
M1-9:12 Avg HR 152 Cardiac Drift: 152
M2-9:19 Avg HR 146 Cardiac Drift: 178
M3-9:23 Avg HR 152 Cardiac Drift: 169
M4-8:57 Avg HR 153 Cardiac Drift: 161
M5-8:40 Avg HR 154 Cardiac Drift: 158
M6-8:45 Avg HR 150 Cardiac Drift: 158
M7-8:59 Avg HR 145 Cardiac Drift: 156
M8-9:02 Avg HR 144 Cardiac Drift: 152
M9-9:32 Avg HR 147 Cardiac Drift: 148
M10-8:58 Avg HR 150 Cardiac Drift: 162
M11-9:08 Avg HR 150 Cardiac Drift: 155
M12-9:18 Avg HR 148 Cardiac Drift: 156
M13-8:54 Avg HR 153 Cardiac Drift: 155
M14-9:07 Avg HR 148 Cardiac Drift: 156
M15-9:22 Avg HR 151 Cardiac Drift: 155
M16-8:50 Avg HR 149 Cardiac Drift: 156

TEMPO RUN- MISSION FINISH 6 MILES IN UNDER 51:00

Todays plan: Finish 6 miles in under 51:00

Well, it was as thick as pea soup out there today. Temp said 78F w 97% humidity. YUCK, but I got out there as soon as I dropped kids off at camp/school. I decided to run the Cow Harbor 10K course, but just leave out the last .2, since I knew this course like the back of my hand, and would know when to push, etc.

Legs felt good, but a little tight, but they loosend by the end of the 1st mile. I took the 1st mile a little slower than usual as it's downhill, and I knew the humidity would suck me dry by the end (M1-8:01). I attacked the 2nd mile (James St), and was very pleased, did it faster than past runs (M2-9:02), and then opened up for miles 3 & 4 (M3-8:40 M4-8:31, legs still felt strong, and then going up Waterside, I could feel the legs getting heavy. Still pushed, but legs didn't want to go. M5-8:45. I was sprinting/pushing in my head, but I think the humidity finally got to me by mile6. @mile 6.5 I got the worst stitch in my rib cage ever. I almost stopped/quit (but that's not in my nature, I downed some Nuun and worked thru it), and finished M6 in 8:50. Good run over all!! I didn't hit my under 51:00 mark, but I came damn close and in this humidity, I say this run was a HUGE success!!!

I wore the fuel belt, and filled the 4 8oz bottles with Nuun. I drank at miles 2, 4 & 6 and then finished all the Nuun at the end of the run. I was completely soaked by the end of the run, and hurt, but jumped in a 7min ice bath when I got home, and feel good as new now!

6 miles in 51:49 (avg pace 8:38) Avg HR 150 Cardiac Drift: 163

M1-8:01 Avg HR 143 Cardiac Drift: 152
M2-9:02 Avg HR 155 Cardiac Drift: 163
M3-8:40 Avg HR 152 Cardiac Drift: 163
M4-8:31 Avg HR 152 Cardiac Drift: 157
M5-8:45 Avg HR 153 Cardiac Drift: 157
M6-8:50 Avg HR 147 Cardiac Drift: 155

8 MILES @9:28 PACE

Plan: 9:30 pace (stay within +/- 10s)

Legs felt strong and I wanted to stay with the hilly course by the club. It was hot out there, but not too bad. Took my noon with me, and drank at miles 2, 4, 6 & 8. Total drank about 32oz.

My plan was to push thru the hills, but not at the point of huffing & puffing, as today was an easy run (and I have my orders to hit under 51:00min tmo for 6miles:)!! I was very pleased I maintained the 9:29 pace throughout all hills/run. Legs felt great and tho the HR was higher today for an easy run, I attribute that to hot/humidity and hilly course, but again, no huffing and puffing, so alls good. Just hope I didn't over do it for tmo's run:)

I'm actually psyched for tmo's run:)!! I'm going to run the Cow Harbor 10K course again, just leaving out the last .2 I know that course like the back of my hand, and it's a hilly course, so will give me a good idea of where I am at.

8 miles in 1:15:50 (avg pace 9:28) Avg HR 143 Cardiac Drift: 164
Mile splits:
M1-9:28 Avg HR 136 Cardiac Drift: 151
M2-9:30 Avg HR 145 Cardiac Drift: 156
M3-9:28 Avg HR 141 Cardiac Drift: 156
M4-9:27 Avg HR 143 Cardiac Drift: 156
M5-9:30 Avg HR 153 Cardiac Drift: 164
M6-9:29 Avg HR 146 Cardiac Drift: 158
M7-9:28 Avg HR 139 Cardiac Drift: 149
M8-9:30 Avg HR 144 Cardiac Drift: 159

HILL REPEATS

Plan:
2-mile w/u
6 x 75 second hill sprints w/ jogging recovery back down; 10 push ups and 20 crunches each time you get to the bottom
2-mile c/d

Didn't get out till 12:30 pm, not sure of the temp, but it was hot and humid. Legs felt good, and I felt like I pushed harder than the last time I did this workout. Still trying to make my hard run days HARD.

5.6 miles in 57:43 Avg HR 143 Cardiac Drift: 167

14 WEEKS TIL NYC, WEEKLY RECAP:7/20-7/26

Week #11 finished.

Great week, but was forced to miss Tuesdays run because it rained and the kids didn't have camp. No babysitters, so run was cancelled. So, I pushed Tuesdays run to Wednesday, and missed out on 6 easy miles. But overall, not bad. First missed workout this training and if I'm going to miss a run, better it be an easy run then a speed workout or long run. Also a bit of a milestone this week by going 15 miles for my long run. Woo Hoo, great week!!

Week @11 Weekly recap: 7/20 - 7/26
Mon- 8 miles easy @9:29 avg pace
Tues - Forced rest day
Wed - 7.5miles: Gauntlet track workout
Thurs - rest day
Fri - 15 mile easy progression long run @8:57 avg pace
Sat - 6 mile recovery run @9:43
Sun - Rest day

Total weekly mileage Week #11 = 36.5miles

Saturday, July 25, 2009

6 MILE RECOVERY RUN @9:43 AVG PACE

Plan: Recovery Run 9:30pace

Legs felt heavy today, but not sure if that was due to PT yesterday after the long run (they up'd the weights on the leg press machine), or the 15 miles, but after the 1st mile they felt better and all was good.

6 miles in 58:20 (avg pace 9:43) Avg HR 135 Cardiac Drift: 150

M1-10:05 Avg HR 120 Cardiac Drift: 141
M2 - 9:38 Avg HR 137 Cardiac Drift: 148
M3 - 9:41 Avg HR 137 Cardiac Drift: 146
M4 - 9:40 Avg HR 139 Cardiac Drift: 148
M5 - 9:40 Avg HR 140 Cardiac Drift: 150
M6 - 9:36 Avg HR 137 Cardiac Drift: 148


M1-10:05 M2-9:38 M3-9:41 M4-9:40 M5-9:40 M6-9:36

Friday, July 24, 2009

Plan: 15 mile progression long run
4 miles @ 9:20
8 miles @ 9:00
3 miles - no slower than 8:20

Fluids @ mile 3, 9, 11, 13
Gels @ mile 7 & 12

Legs felt good. I was excited for this run, as I'm feeling stronger, and I wanted to test out my Nuun that I bought to drink. I ate oatmeal and a banana one hour before my run, and 30 minutes before my run I took a Hammer Espresso Gel (never tried this before, and I liked it, and it didn't seem to matter with my system that I never had it before; no issues. YAY)

I wore my fuel belt, and filled the 4 8oz bottles up with water/mixed with Nuun (orange/ginger flavor). I also filled my hand held 20oz bottle with orange gatorade, and I stashed that bottle about a mile from the house, and would pick it up when I ran by. For the NYC Marathon they will have Gatorade Endurance on the course. I am looking for that, and once I find it, will train with it for my long runs of 15+ miles or longer.

I never felt thirsty while running, but took the fluids/gels at the planned times. I drank about 3oz at the 3 mile mark, and then finished the bottle when I took my first gel @ mile 7. I took the carb boom orange/vanilla flavor, as I didn't want to have issues while running, and have been using them for a long time. At mile 9 I drank most of the 2nd bottle of 8oz nuun, and another one at mile 11, finishing that one with the gel at mile 12. At 13 I drank the last of the nuun, and when I started for the home stretch, I grabbed the gatorade bottle, and when I hit 15, I downed the 20oz gatorade. I felt strong from the beginning to the end, tho I probably could have run faster the last 3 miles, I was just happy that I was able to give it a good kick at the end. Plan was for no slower than 8:20 for the last 3 miles, and I hit 8:35, 8:25 and 8:18. It was hot by the end, and I was sweating like crazy, but again, I had more energy for this long run than I have for any past long runs. So I think the Nuun was a success. I did weigh myself at the beginning of this run and at the end of the run. Hmmm.... I still managed to lose about 2 lbs over the 15 mile run, even though I consumed 2 gels, and 32 oz of Nuun/water, and a 20 oz bottle of Gatorade by the time I got home. I did spend the remainder of the day replenishing my fluids. With Coconut Water and more gatorade.

Also, want to point out, I think todays run was a milestone. Running 15 miles. In Feb I ran 16 on the TM watching my tv shows, but I don't think I had run this far outside. Woo Hoo, and to run it strong, WOO HOO!!!

Dropped kids off at camp, and was on the road by 9:30am. Temp said 70F and humidity seemed to be low, running conditions were just perfect.

15 miles in 2:14:20 (avg pace 8:57) Avg HR 146 Cardiac Drift: 162

M1 -9:20 Avg HR 138 Cardiac Drift: 150
M2 -9:22 Avg HR 139 Cardiac Drift: 151
M3 -9:20 Avg HR 136 Cardiac Drift: 143
M4 -9:21 Avg HR 139 Cardiac Drift: 157
M5 -9:00 Avg HR 143 Cardiac Drift: 157
M6 -8:56 Avg HR 148 Cardiac Drift: 152
M7 -8:55 Avg HR 147 Cardiac Drift: 151
M8 -8:59 Avg HR 149 Cardiac Drift: 153
M9 -8:56 Avg HR 150 Cardiac Drift: 154
M10 -8:57 Avg HR 152 Cardiac Drift: 160
M11 -8:56 Avg HR 148 Cardiac Drift: 156
M12 -8:58 Avg HR 148 Cardiac Drift: 153
M13 -8:35 Avg HR 153 Cardiac Drift: 160
M14 -8:25 Avg HR 155 Cardiac Drift: 159
M15 -8:18 Avg HR 150 Cardiac Drift: 162

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Rest day, just chillan with kids.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2009

Plan for today: The Gauntlet (Track Workout)

- 1 LAP JOGGING RECOVERY BETWEEN EACH SET
.5-Mile w/u @ 9:30 pace (2 laps)
100m Hard (1 straight away)
200m Hard (1/2 lap)
400m Hard (1 lap)
800m Hard (2 laps)
1200m Hard - @ 8:20-8:30 pace (3 laps)
1600m Hard - @ 8:10 or faster (4 laps)
1200m Hard - @ 8:20-8:30 pace (3 laps)
800m Hard (2 laps)
400m Hard (1 lap)
200m Hard (1/2 lap)
100m Hard (1 straight away)
.5-mile c/d @ 9:30 pace (2 laps)

- WORK WORK WORK! If there is NO pace listed I expect you to push HARD through the entire set ... there is no let down in exertion. You may be tired, but you push whatever you have the ENTIRE set until it is done to jogging recovery- Only after you finish through the 2nd 1200m can you walk at all AND then only for half a lap

WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED:
I hit the projected times I wanted (faster in fact), but what I found was that on the longer 1600m set my legs got stronger and stronger and just took off (same with the 1200m set), enabling me to hit your paces or surpass them. Whereas, with the shorter sets, my legs didn't want to take off. I'm guessing this is a sign of strength/endurance for the long runs, where my legs are getting stronger and stronger as the distance increases. I'm also, guessing this is a good thing, as I am training for the marathon, and I want my legs to be stronger every mile for the duration, no??

Tho at times, my legs did feel dead, they also felt strangely stronge at the same time, or during the same workout Haha. I'm attributing the deadness/lathargy I felt to the lack of sleep I got last nite (kids woke me 3x) and the fact that I once again did not eat before my workout. Tho this time, I had only been awake about an hour before I ran. We overslept, so with rushing to get kids off, I didn't get my breakfast:( I know, not good. I was going to take a gel to compensate, but forgot it:( I did use Nuun for the 1st time today, I fixed 4 bottles and put them on every corner of the track, about 72oz, I only drank during the recovery runs, and didn't drink at all until I completed the 1st 1200m set. I think the Nuun helped. Strangely I think I felt stronger/recovered quicker with it, but again, it was only my first time using it. I will use it on Friday, during my 15 miler.

7.5 miles total in 1:05:00 (HR 142-161)

Overall, I give todays workout a thumbsup, and can't wait to do it again.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Forced rest day, as babysitters kept flaking on me. Will do todays plan tomorrow, and just skip tomorrows easy 6. First day of my marathon training that I had to miss. All considered, I'm still being fairly consistent, but when it rains there is no camp, and when the babysitters aren't available = forced rest day:(!!!

Monday, July 20, 2009

15 WEEKS TIL NYC: START OF WEEK #11

The Plan: 9:30 pace

8 miles in 1:15:56 avg pace 9:29 Avg HR 136 Cardiac Drift: 156

M1-9:32 Avg HR 123 Cardiac Drift: 143
M2-9:29 Avg HR 135 Cardiac Drift: 143
M3-9:30 Avg HR 139 Cardiac Drift: 150
M4-9:28 Avg HR 140 Cardiac Drift: 151
M5-9:29 Avg HR 141 Cardiac Drift: 148
M6-9:28 Avg HR 143 Cardiac Drift: 154
M7-9:31 Avg HR 145 Cardiac Drift: 156
M8-9:29 Avg HR 126 Cardiac Drift: 157

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Weekly Recap: 7/13 - 7/19

Week #10 finished.

Mon- 8 miles easy @9:28 avg pace
Tues -7.42 miles - 2m w/u, the 6x3min @8:00 w 2min jog recovery, & 2m c/d
Wed - 6 mile recovery run @9:27 avg pace
Thurs - rest day
Fri - 13 mile easy progression long run @9:00 avg pace
Sat - 6 mile recovery run @9:41
Sun - Rest day

Total weekly mileage Week #10 = 40.42

6 MILE RECOVERY RUN @9:41 AVG PACE

Plan: 6 mile Recovery Run @9:45

Got out late today (12:05pm), cuz kids had karate & book club at the library, but I got it done, and supprisingly it wasn't that hot:) Temp said 82F w 50% humidity, way better than yesterday:)!! The 6 miles today were the first 6 of yesterdays long run, and my hr stayed low again, yay, I knew my HR was high yesterday partly because of the humidity:)!!

I weighed myself before and after this run to check fluids, and took G2 at mile 3 and 6 when finished, I was never thirsty, and probably didn't need it at all, but drank it since it was warm and I am coming off a long run yesterday that was really HOT.

It looks like I lost a tad over 1 pound. Hmm, wonder if that means I need to drink more during the run, or just make sure I get 16+ ounces in me at the end when finished???

Legs felt really good and strong today.

6 miles in 58:08 (avg pace 9:41) Avg HR 145 Cardiac Drift: 156

M1-9:38 Avg HR 139 Cardiac Drift: 150
M2-9:45 Avg HR 146 Cardiac Drift: 153
M3-9:39 Avg HR 143 Cardiac Drift: 150
M4-9:41 Avg HR 147 Cardiac Drift: 152
M5-9:44 Avg HR 147 Cardiac Drift: 156
M6-9:41 Avg HR 145 Cardiac Drift: 152

13 MILE PROGRESSION LONG RUN

Plan for today:
3 Easy (9:30 pace)
7 Moderate (9:00 pace)
3 Hard/Fast (No slower than 8:30 pace)
Fluid @ mile-4, Gel @ mile 7 with fluids to wash down the gel, then fluid @ mile 9 & 11.

Was on the road by 9:25am. Temp said 82F and 70% humidity. Legs felt strong. I had no discomfort on this run at all. On past long runs my calves hurt, or I cramped, or the bottom of my feet hurt by the end of the run. Non of this happened today:)!! Fluid/gel intake seemed ok. I did exactly as Josh instructed, tho at the end I was a tad thirsty, I still felt strong tho. Came home and downed a 20oz Red G2 Gatorade.

13 miles in 1:57:05 (avg pace 9:00) Avg HR 151 Cardiac Drift: 162

M1-9:26 Avg HR 143 Cardiac Drift: 154
M2-9:33 Avg HR 150 Cardiac Drift: 157
M3-9:31 Avg HR 152 Cardiac Drift: 153
M4-8:58 Avg HR 154 Cardiac Drift: 161
M5-9:02 Avg HR 153 Cardiac Drift: 157
M6-9:03 Avg HR 154 Cardiac Drift: 157
M7-9:07 Avg HR 151 Cardiac Drift: 156
M8-9:05 Avg HR 150 Cardiac Drift: 158
M9-9:03 Avg HR 152 Cardiac Drift: 155
M10-8:59 Avg HR 152 Cardiac Drift: 155
M11-8:32 Avg HR 153 Cardiac Drift: 162
M12-8:06 Avg HR 150 Cardiac Drift: 160
M13-8:40 Avg HR 155 Cardiac Drift: 158

(Last .5 mile lost my 8:06 pace as the sun was beating down on me:( But still a great run. Very happy:)!!

6 MILE RECOVERY RUN @ 9:27 AVG PACE

Plan: 6 miles @ 9:30pace

Temp said 64F and there was no humidity. Ran around the pond 3x and up past Camp Alvernia (where the hills are). Fantastic run. Legs felt really strong, and I never broke a sweat. I felt like I could run forever.

I did not drink anything during this run and I was never thirsty at all. I did down a 20oz G2 gatorade (cherry) when I got home, but again, never thirsty during the run. Woo Hoo:)!!

6 miles in 56:43 (avg pace 9:27) Avg HR 140 Cardiac Drift: 156

M1-9:25 Avg HR 130 Cardiac Drift: 143
M2-9:26 Avg HR 139 Cardiac Drift: 146
M3-9:27 Avg HR 143 Cardiac Drift: 154
M4-9:30 Avg HR 143 Cardiac Drift: 153
M5-9:30 Avg HR 143 Cardiac Drift: 155
M6-9:25 Avg HR 141 Cardiac Drift: 154

INTERVAL WORKOUT

As soon as I got the kids to camp I hit the road. Legs felt good, and really liked this workout!!

Today's plan:
2-Mile w/u @ 10:00/pace
6 x 3-minutes @ 8:00/pace w/ 2-minute jogging recovery
2-Mile c/d @ 9:45/pace

7.42 miles in 1:09:07 avg pace 9:19 HR avg 143; Cardiac Drift: 162

Here is the info that uploaded to my computer when I got home:

2 Mile w/u- @ 9:51 pace (6.1-7.3mph) (HR avg131; Cardiac Drift: 148)

3min @7:53pace .38miles (7.6-9.1mph) (HR avg150; Cardiac Drift: 156)
2min jog recovery @11:43pace .17miles (5.1-6.2mph) (HR avg144; Cardiac Drift: 153) Drank water

3min @7:47pace .39miles (7.7-9.3mph) (HR avg153; Cardiac Drift: 157)
2min jog recovery @9:35pace .21miles (6.3-7.5mph) (HR avg148; Cardiac Drift: 155)

3min @7:58pace .38miles (7.5-8.7mph) (HR avg155; Cardiac Drift: 159)
2min jog recovery @9:40pace .21miles (6.2-7.0mph) (HR avg148; Cardiac Drift: 156)

3min @8:00pace .37miles (7.5-8.9mph) (HR avg157; Cardiac Drift: 162)
2min jog recovery @11:52pace .14miles (4.3-6.5mph) (HR avg142; Cardiac Drift: 155) Drank water

3min @7:47pace .39miles (7.7-8.8mph) (HR avg154; Cardiac Drift: 160)
2min jog recovery @9:37pace .21miles (6.2-7.4mph) (HR avg148; Cardiac Drift: 160)

3min @7:53pace .38miles (7.6-9.1mph) (HR avg154; Cardiac Drift: 157)
2min jog recovery @10:15pace .19miles (5.8-7.1mph) (HR avg145; Cardiac Drift: 156) Drank water

Then 2 mile cooldown @9:41pace (6.2-7.8mph) (HR avg143; Cardiac Drift: 153)

I did not bring anything to drink on this run. I chose to run around my pond route, by the church, as time was limited, and I knew I could quickly duck into the church and take quick sips from the bubbler, if needed. I did just that after the 1st, 4th and last interval before the 2mile cooldown. I was fine during the workout, never felt thirsty, but it was hot out there and I figured what the heck as I was running the recovery jog anyway, though by the end of the 2 mile run, say around 1.85, I was thirsty, and I was thirsty the whole walk back up to my house. When I got home I grabbed a 20oz G2 gatorade, grape flavor and downed it. Then I did the core workout, and Yoga for runners by chaz. Great workout. Compared to this same workout back on 6/23/09, I feel I did better and was stronger this time around. Though last time I did it on the H.S. Track and it was HOT, blazing sun. Today, around the pond, I had the luxery of having shaddy trees for some of it!!

8 EASY MILES @9:28 AVG PACE

Starting week #10!!

The Plan: 9:30 pace

Legs felt really good today. Because my time was limited I had to do the out & back from the club, so the 1st 2 miles were uphill, which accounts for the higher HR. But again, no huffing and puffing so all was good. I drank powerade mixed with water at mile 3 and mile 6 today.

8 miles in 1:15:45 avg pace 9:28

Avg HR 144 Cardiac Drift: 159

M1-9:30 Avg HR 143 Cardiac Drift: 155
M2-9:29 Avg HR 150 Cardiac Drift: 159
M3-9:29 Avg HR 145 Cardiac Drift: 156
M4-9:28 Avg HR 145 Cardiac Drift: 151
M5-9:27 Avg HR 142 Cardiac Drift: 149
M6-9:28 Avg HR 145 Cardiac Drift: 154
M7-9:25 Avg HR 141 Cardiac Drift: 153
M8-9:29 Avg HR 139 Cardiac Drift: 153

Legs realy wanted to take off today, but I stuck to the plan. Can't wait for tmo's speed workout:)!!

16 WEEKS TIL NYC, WEEKLY RECAP 7/6-7/12, REST DAY

Week #9 finished. Legs feel strong and refreshed from this light recovery week. Can't wait for next week to ramp things back up again.

Weekly Recap: 7/6/09 thru 7/12/09

Mon - 7 miles easy @10:07 avg pace
Tues - 6 miles easy progression run @9:34 avg pace
Wed - 5 mile recovery run @9:43 avg pace
Thurs - rest day
Fri - 10 mile easy progression long run @9:16 avg pace
Sat - 5 mile recovery run @9:46

Total weekly mileage Week #9 = 33

5 MILES EASY RECOVERY RUN @9:46 AVG PACE

Great run today. Had the pleasure of running w Hubby as my Dad was able to watch the kids!! Legs felt strong today, no lathargy at all!! Had a peanut butter and honey sandwich on Whole Wheat bread about 45min before the run, and had nothing to drink during the run. Wasn't thirsty at all during the run. Pushed the hills, as shown by my HR, but again, no huffing and puffing, and hit the planned splits

Temp said 69F and 64% humidity. Just a gorgeous day and great run

Plan for today was 5 miles @9:45

5 miles in 48:50 avg pace 9:46

Avg HR 143 Cardiac Drift: 163

M1-9:49 Avg HR 138 Cardiac Drift: 163
M2-9:47 Avg HR 142 Cardiac Drift: 156
M3-9:48 Avg HR 145 Cardiac Drift: 156
M4-9:45 Avg HR 146 Cardiac Drift: 157
M5-9:41 Avg HR 144 Cardiac Drift: 150

Week #9 done, bring on Week #10!!

10MILE SLOW PROGRESSION LONG RUN

Plan for today was 10 miles:
First 4 miles @9:30
Next 4 miles @9:15
Last 2 miles @ no slower than 9:00

Legs felt good, tho at the start felt like cob webs, but by mile two they set into the grove. First 2 miles were uphill, which accounts for the higher HR, but again, no huffing and puffing so alls good. For the last 2 miles my legs just wanted to take off, but I held back and kept it in check with the plan. Nice breeze during the run and at end barely broke a sweat. During todays run I sipped powerade cut with water every 2 miles. Trying to acclimate myself hydration wise for the marathon.

10 miles in 1:32:49 avg pace 9:16

Avg HR 144 Cardiac Drift: 159

M1 - 9:35 Avg HR 139 Cardiac Drift: 150
M2 - 9:37 Avg HR 147 Cardiac Drift: 155
M3 - 9:31 Avg HR 140 Cardiac Drift: 153
M4 - 9:31 Avg HR 142 Cardiac Drift: 149
M5 - 9:12 Avg HR 147 Cardiac Drift: 159
M6 - 9:11 Avg HR 147 Cardiac Drift: 155
M7 - 9:14 Avg HR 143 Cardiac Drift: 150
M8 - 9:15 Avg HR 145 Cardiac Drift: 153
M9 - 8:47 Avg HR 148 Cardiac Drift: 155
M10-8:53 Avg HR 147 Cardiac Drift: 157

Recovery week is over tomorrow, I am definitely ready for next weeks workouts:)!!

REST DAY

No run today. Enjoyed a very restful day with my children.

EASY 5 MILES @9:43 AVG PACE

Plan: 5miles @9:45

Got out the door as soon as I got kids to camp (10:15am). Temp said 70F, and it was gorgeous out there, really no humidity at all. Legs felt great. Again, nothing to drink during the whole run. Felt strong, like I could run forever.

5 miles in 48:39 (avg pace 9:43)

Avg HR 134 Cardiac Drift: 150

M1-9:44 Avg HR 121 Cardiac Drift: 137
M2-9:41 Avg HR 133 Cardiac Drift: 140
M3-9:48 Avg HR 138 Cardiac Drift: 148
M4-9:45 Avg HR 142 Cardiac Drift: 150
M5-9:41 Avg HR 137 Cardiac Drift: 138

NICE EASY PROGRESSION RUN

Woke feeling tired again, but not like yesterday. I slept better, but not great. Got the kids off to camp and was out the door for my run. Temp said 70F, and it was gorgeous out there. A bit hot in the sun, but delightful in the shade. Again didn't drink coffee before the run, kept it for the reward after the run.

Plan for today was 2miles @9:45 2 miles @9:15 and 2miles @9:00

Legs felt a tad sluggish at the begining, but not as sluggish as yesterday. Since I ran mostly hills, I adjusted the paces. I wanted to keep it to a recovery run, and not a hard run, and the paces I ended w worked perfectly. I forgot my water bottle, so no drinky for me for the whole 6 miles. I never felt thirsty, and I finsihed strong. I felt like I could have run another 6-10miles. HR was a tad higher than what it should have been for recovery week run, but that is because I pushed the hills to keep pace, but I never huffed and puffed, so alls good!

6 miles in 57:29 avg pace 9:34 Avg HR 140 Cardiac Drift: 165

M1-9:59 Avg HR 134 Cardiac Drift: 152
M2-10:00 Avg HR 133 Cardiac Drift: 157
M3-9:29 Avg HR 138 Cardiac Drift: 150
M4-9:30 Avg HR 142 Cardiac Drift: 153
M5-9:15 Avg HR 156 Cardiac Drift: 165 (really big hill)
M6-9:16 Avg HR 144 Cardiac Drift: 165

7 MILES EASY @ 10:07

Today is the start of Week #9 This is also a recovery week so all miles are being run at slower paces.

Plan: 9:45 pace (stay within +/- 10s)

I didn't get great sleep, woke tired, and legs were very heavy/sluggish during the run. I did not drink coffee before the run & only took sips of powerade at M3 & M6. Never really felt thirsty, but felt great running after each sip. No knee pain at all, and was never winded:)!

7 miles in 1:10:54 (avg pace 10:07)

Avg HR 132 Cardiac Drift: 144

M1-10:18 Avg HR 121 Cardiac Drift: 137
M2-10:26 Avg HR 121 Cardiac Drift: 137
M3-10:28 Avg HR 121 Cardiac Drift: 137
M4-10:06 Avg HR 121 Cardiac Drift: 137
M5-9:53 Avg HR 121 Cardiac Drift: 137
M6-9:46 Avg HR 121 Cardiac Drift: 137
M7-9:57 Avg HR 121 Cardiac Drift: 137

Sunday, July 5, 2009

17 WEEKS TIL NYC, WEEKLY RECAP 6/29-7/5, REST DAY

Another week finished. Really pleased with how consistent my running is going.

Weekly Recap: 6/29/09 thru 7/5/09

Mon - 7 easy @9:38
Tues - 5.58miles - 6x75 hill sprints, with 2mile w/u & c/d
Wed - 7 mile recovery run @9:51
Thurs - rest day
Fri - 14 mile long run (avg pace 8:48)
Sat - 5 mile recovery run @9:51

Total weekly mileage Week #8 = 38.68

5 MILE RECOVERY RUN @ 9:51 PACE

Another beautiful day for a run. Got out the door around 9:20am, and took it nice and easy. No pain at all in the legs, tho they felt VERY heavy. I only drank water after mile 3 and at the end of the run.

5 miles in 49:16 (avg pace 9:51) Avg HR 131 Cardiac Drift: 145

The run went as follows according to my Garmin 305:
M1- 9:47 avgHR 123 - Cardiac Drift: 141
M2- 9:45 avgHR 133 - Cardiac Drift: 144
M3- 9:53 avgHR 135 - Cardiac Drift: 145
M4- 9:56 avgHR 132 - Cardiac Drift: 143
M5- 9:55 avgHR 134 - Cardiac Drift: 140

14 MILE LONG RUN

Ok, tried to improve from last fridays long run. Yesterday drank water, and for dinner had penne with marinara sauce and chicken and drank 20oz of gatorade. Was supposed to wake at 6am, and out the door around 7:30. LOL, overslept, didn't wake til 8am and finally got out the door at 9:20. After having oatmeal and banana, and coconut water about 40min before my run. It was hot, but not bad. Temp said 70F and 73% humidity.

Plan for today was 14; 1-4 @9:00, 5-12 @8:30 and miles 13-14 no slower than 8:10.

Well, I didn't hit the above plan, but I did a lot better than last Fridays run.

14 miles in 2:02:50 avg pace 8:48

Avg HR 151 Cardiac Drift: 170

The run went as follows according to my Garmin 305:
M1- 9:05 avgHR 143 - Cardiac Drift: 153
M2- 9:05 avgHR 148 - Cardiac Drift: 158
M3- 9:05 avgHR 147 - Cardiac Drift: 154
M4- 9:05 avgHR 152 - Cardiac Drift: 164
M5- 8:35 avgHR 154 - Cardiac Drift: 161
M6- 8:35 avgHR 157 - Cardiac Drift: 170
M7- 8:35 avgHR 157 - Cardiac Drift: 160
M8- 8:35 avgHR 154 - Cardiac Drift: 159
M9- 8:40 avgHR 150 - Cardiac Drift: 157
M10- 8:40 avgHR 150 - Cardiac Drift: 155
M11- 8:40 avgHR 151 - Cardiac Drift: 158
M12- 8:40 avgHR 156 - Cardiac Drift: 159
M13- 8:45 avgHR 152 - Cardiac Drift: 159
M14- 8:45 avgHR 143 - Cardiac Drift: 153


Tho I didn't hit the 8:10 pace as plan for miles 11 & 12, I was able to keep it at an 8:45 pace, MUCH better than last fridays run, where the last two miles were 9:29 and then 10:10 to finish. Tho the run overall was much better than last weeks run, I still had some discomfort. For the last two miles I had a serious cramp in my ribcage that I just couldn't shake, and the bottom of my feet killed. Grrr. Never had that happen before, hope it doesn't again.

7 MILE RECOVERY RUN

Todays run was supposed to be a 6 mile recovery run done at 9:45 pace. I mapped out a new hilly run to do, but made a turn during it, and ended up adding an extra mile. LOL Though it was a recovery run, I really liked the hills. I pushed, but not so much and the legs/lungs felt great. I was never winded and I kept the pace slow (avg 9:51) to make sure it was a recovery run.

7 miles in 1:09:00 (Avg pace 9:51)

Avg HR 137 Cardiac Drift: 159

M1 - 9:52 Avg HR 133 Cardiac Drift: 152
M2 - 9:50 Avg HR 131 Cardiac Drift: 157
M3 - 9:50 Avg HR 136 Cardiac Drift: 150
M4 - 9:51 Avg HR 141 Cardiac Drift: 159
M5 - 9:50 Avg HR 138 Cardiac Drift: 148
M6 - 9:52 Avg HR 140 Cardiac Drift: 155
M7 - 9:55 Avg HR 139 Cardiac Drift: 156

HILL REPEATS

Plan:
2-mile w/u
6 x 75 second hill sprints w/ jogging recovery back down; 10 push ups and 20 crunches each time you get to the bottom
2-mile c/d

Got out as soon as I dropped kids at camp. Temp was 70F 60% humidity, another great sunny day.

Great workout, legs felt good, tho a bit heavy on the last .5mile of the c/d. But it was hot out there.

Did the Core6 workout immediately after the run, and then followed that up with Yoga for runners.

7 MILES @ 9:38 AVG PACE

Today marks the beginning of training week #8

Got out for my run after I got the kids off to camp. Woo Hoo schools out for summer:)!!

Hit the pavement around 11:30am, and the temp said 75F and 60% humidity, it was blue skies and sunny: GORGEOUS!! Decided to run my 4 mile loop backwards, and then add the 3mile pond route to it. It was great.

7 miles in 1::07:31 for an avg pace of 9:38

HR avg was 136 and cardiac drift: 157

According to my Garmin 305 my splits were:
M1-9:41 avg HR: 120 cardiac drift: 130 (all downhill)
M2-9:39 avg HR: 141 cardiac drift: 157 (all uphill)
M3-9:40 avg HR: 139 cardiac drift: 154 (flat to downhill)
M4-9:35 avg HR: 144 cardiac drift: 151 (gradual uphill)
M5-9:35 avg HR: 135 cardiac drift: 151 (flat to gradual uphill)
M6-9:12 avg HR: 137 cardiac drift: 147 (flat to downhill)
M7-9:12 avg HR: 139 cardiac drift: 144 (flat)

18 WEEKS TIL NYC, WEEKLY RECAP: 6/22-6/28, & REST DAY

18 Weeks til NYC. 7 weeks of training finished. I have not missed one day of training. Yeah, let the consistency continue!!!

Woke this morning around 7:30. Legs feel great. Had oatmeal and banana with O.N.E. coconut water, and will enjoy my day off/rest day!! Looks a bit cloudy out there but the plan is to hit the club for pool/beach.

WEEKLY RECAP: 6/22-6/28
Mon - 7mile recovery run @9:45pace
Tues - 6.68 track interval workout: 6 x 3min @8:00 w 2min jog recovery (15min w/u&c/d)
Wed - 6 mile recovery run @ 9:15 pace
Thurs - rest day
Fri - 12 mile long run (steady pace this time)
Sat - 5 mile recovery run @9:42 pace
Sun - rest day

Total miles for week #7 = 36.68

Saturday, June 27, 2009

I woke Saturday morning at 8:30, after going to bed at 9:30pm. Great/fantastic sleep. Legs felt great, no soreness. I had my coffee and heavy cream, and I also ate oatmeal and a banana, and had a O.N.E. coconut water with it, then about 10:20 I went out for my 5 mile recovery run. I decided to run totally by heart rate, and to keep it average of 132ish, legs felt really good/strong, and had no knee issues with the slower pace, and I completed the run in 48:30 with an overall pace of 9:42.

I had no knee ill affects today at all from the slower pace. I’m more convinced than ever the occasional achiness I’m feeling in my left knee is from sitting, not the running pace. Sitting in an upright position, or driving position.

The run went as follows according to my Garmin 305:
M1- 9:45 avgHR 122 - maxHR 144
M2- 9:40 avgHR 134 - maxHR 139
M3- 9:44 avgHR 136 - maxHR 147
M4- 9:42 avgHR 134 - maxHR 141
M5- 9:39 avgHR 135 - maxHR 146

Today’s run was not as hot/humid as Fridays. The legs felt really good/strong, and again, I had no knee pain at all. I did run with my water bottle filled with O.N.E. coconut water, 20oz, and I drank about half of it during the run, and finished the rest walking back up to my house. After I did the core workout and yoga, I took a 10min hot bath. Then I had lunch, which was a whole wheat bagel with tuna fish, and a 20oz Gatorade. Then we spent the day at the club in the hot sun, probably 1-5pm. I drank about 32oz of pelligrino during the afternoon, and also noshed on some almonds, probably 2oz worth. Then for dinner we had Greek, and I had the lemon/chicken soup, greek salad and the gyro. I followed dinner with Baskin Robbins again; same mint chocolate chip ice cream. Don’t worry I won’t make a habit of the ice cream. I hadn’t had it in years before Friday nights date night, and my girls were jealous that we went out for ice cream without them. Usually we take them out and Gregg and the girls splurge, but not me LOL. Went to sleep around 9pm.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Today's plan was supposed to be 12 miles in the progression that I had done last week. Miles 1-4 @9:00min pace, miles 5-10 @8:30 pace, miles 11-12 no slower than 8:00min pace.

I had a pretty good sleep Thursday into Friday morning. Woke at 8ish, and got my 8 year old off to school (my youngest was with me, as her school finished Tuesday, so I couldn’t run right awayL. I fed them, but I did not eat, other than my standard/staple coffee with heavy cream. Picked the oldest up from school at 10:45, and then waited for the babysitter to arrive who arrived around noon. She was supposed to be here at 11am.

I didn’t get out for my run till about 12:20, so it was a really bad move on my part not to eat first. I knew it, but I had to get out there. I didn’t just want to eat and then run. Since I was waiting for the babysitter to arrive, I didn’t know when she’d get there, since she was running late.

I don’t know if my not eating before the run, or not having enough to drink during the run, or if it was just the heat/humidity that did me in today, but I guess in the overall scheme, the run was still a good one, and I learned a thing or two.

I usually don’t eat before I run, and it works for me, but since it was so hot/humid and a 12 mile run, I think I learned not such a great thing to do on a long run. Unfortuneately, by the time I got out for my run, the rain had stopped, nada, nothing, not a drip and it was HOT. By the end of the run I was looking for sprinklers to jump in to. LOL. I would have run in the rain, but I was waiting on the babysitter. The downside of being a mom some times.

I also changed my route up a bit to add mileage to make it a full 12 miles loop. I didn’t want to do any repeat running, I wanted it to be one big loop. In so doing I added a couple of hills (the nature of my neighborhood). Not crazy hills, just not flat. But I LOVED the route and plan to do it again.

I did eat a Carb Boom vanilla/orange gel about 20min before my run, and then I had another one at mile 8. I also ran with my hand held water bottle that holds about 20oz of water, and ran out of water at about mile 9. Actually it was G2 mixed with water. I’d say, 15oz G2, 5oz water. At about mile 11 ½ I passed a pizza store, and ran in and they filled my bottle back up with cold water. I drank about 10oz of it immediately, and then at mile 11.5 I took a swig, and then at the end of the run, I pounded the rest.

After the run I drank 3 O.N.E. coconut waters, drank my EAS protein drink, and took a 7min ice bath. Then I had a whole wheat bagel with tuna fish, and a 20oz Gatorade. I definitely felt better/fine within 2hours. I also ate a handful of almonds (healthy fat).

At 6pm I had sushi for dinner and then Mint Chocolate Chip Ice cream from Baskin Robbins for dessert.

The run went as follows according to my Garmin 305:
M1- 9:00 avgHR 142 - maxHR 149
M2- 9:04 avgHR 150 - maxHR 155
M3- 9:06 avgHR 144 - maxHR 153
M4- 9:06 avgHR 147 - maxHR 156
M5- 9:13 avgHR 140 - maxHR 152
M6- 8:59 avgHR 146 - maxHR 160
M7- 9:12 avgHR 148 - maxHR 154
M8- 9:13 avgHR 147 - maxHR 152
M9- 9:09 avgHR 146 - maxHR 155
M10- 9:14 avgHR 149 - maxHR 151
M11- 9:29 avgHR 148 - maxHR 176
M12- 10:10 avgHR 128 - maxHR 141

Miles 11 and 12 are down hill, and my legs really hurt doing it this time. It was painful. My calves were cramping and the legs just didn’t want to move. This was the same hill that last Friday, I ran 7:30 and then 7:53 pace to finish, and today I couldn’t go faster than 9:29 and then 10:10 to finish.

But again a great run and a great learning experience.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Total rest day today

6 MILE RECOVERY RUN @9:15 PACE

Originally plan was 6 miles @9:45 pace, but since my left knee was achy yesterday, coach and I talked about it, and decided to up the slow pace to 9:15. We're thinking that maybe the slower paces are changing my gait too much and I was getting a little discomfort in the knee. Again, never during a run, only afterwards if I was sitting in an upright position.

I find it funny that my slow pace (or comfortable pace) is now 9:15/mile. When I started running back on January 2, 2008, at this same avg HR (146), I was run/walking about a 17min pace. Wow, I've come a long way:)!! Just hoping that this faster pace, won't take it's toll on me, and will enable me to recover properly. Will monitor it and make sure there is no knee pain, and that I am taking each workout one day (or week) at a time:)!!

So, I got out the door at 9:51am, and did an out and back route of 3 out/3back for 6miles. Legs felt awesome. I kept to the 9:15pace and the left knee was not an issue at this pace at all. No pain before, during or after run today:)!! I kept an avg speed of 6.5 for each mile.

6 miles in 55:35 for an avg pace of 9:16

HR avg was 146 and cardiac drift: 156

According to my Garmin 305 my splits were:
M1-9:13 avg HR: 141 cardiac drift: 152
M2-9:17 avg HR: 149 cardiac drift: 156
M3-9:17 avg HR: 146 cardiac drift: 153
M4-9:23 (uphill) avg HR: 147 cardiac drift: 154
M5-9:12 avg HR: 148 cardiac drift: 155
M6-9:12 avg HR: 147 cardiac drift: 155

Just a great run. Looking forward to tmo's rest day:)!! It was hot and humid out there today, but it didn't affect my run:)!

Followed the run immediately with the Core Fun (10 core exercises) and Chaz's Yoga For Runner's. Still not great at stretching, but doing this yoga and the foam roller is definitely helping:)!!

INTERVAL WORKOUT AT THE TRACK

Plan: 15-minutes w/u @ 9:30/pace
6 x 3-minutes @ 8:00/pace w/ 2-minute jogging recovery (no slower than 10/pace)
15-minutes c/d @ 9:15/pace

Legs were a bit heavy when I woke this morning. Tho I did have great sleep:)!! But once I got to the track and started the workout, my legs felt awesome. My left knee did ache on the car ride home. Did not hurt at all while running. I don't think my legs like being in the upright sitting position for too long:( But I iced it as soon as I got home, and then it felt great again. Will monitor it!!

This was the first run with my brand new Garmin 305 and I LOVED it, so much more accurate than the 301, just wish I could get it to sync with BuckeyeOutdoors. Oh well, so close, but yet so far.

Here is the info that uploaded to my computer when I got home:

Total workout time: 1:00:00 Total mileage: 6.68 avg pace 8:58

15min w/u- @ 9:32 pace 1.58 miles (6.3-6.9mph) (HR avg133; Max146)

3min @8:02pace .37miles (7.5-9.2mph) (HR avg154; Max158)
2min jog recovery @9:43pace .21miles (6.2-7.4mph) (HR avg145; Max157)

3min @7:56pace .38miles (7.6-8.6mph) (HR avg153; Max159)
2min jog recovery @9:51pace .20miles (6.1-7.8mph) (HR avg145; Max157) had water

3min @8:06pace .37miles (7.4-9.2mph) (HR avg153; Max156)
2min jog recovery @9:44pace .21miles (6.2-7.6mph) (HR avg146; Max155)

3min @7:56pace .38miles (7.5-8.8mph) (HR avg154; Max159)
2min jog recovery @9:49pace .20miles (6.1-8.9mph) (HR avg151; Max160) had water

3min @7:55pace .38miles (7.6-10.1mph) (HR avg158; Max162)
2min jog recovery @9:54pace .20miles (6.1-7.9mph) (HR avg148; Max155) had water

3min @8:02pace .37miles (7.5-9.0mph) (HR avg156; Max159)
2min jog recovery @9:41pace .21miles (6.2-6.7mph) (HR avg147; Max154)

Then 15min cooldown @9:14pace, covered 1.62 miles (6.5-8.0mph) (HR avg146; Max 155)

Great workout. I put in where I stopped for water, which explains why my HR was higher during the jog recovery, because in order to maintain the no slower than 10min pace, I had to kick it in a bit, to catch up, after stopping at my water bottle and taking a couple of swigs. It was HOT and HUMID today:(!!

Followed above with the core 6 workout out. Felt great:)
Strength Core6
1-Min Planks 2sets
Bicycles 2sets of 25
Oblique crunches 2sets of 25
Crunches 1 set of 25
Hip Extensions 1 set of 25
Pushups 1 set of 20

7 MILES @ 9:45 PACE

Plan: Nothing Fancy; 9:45 pace (stay within +/- 10s)

Legs felt good, but I did feel a twinge above my left knee. Nothing serious, iced afterwards, and went away.

My last run w my Garmin301:

7 miles in 1:08:09 avg pace 9:44 (avg HR 140 Max HR 157)
According to my Garmin301 splits were:
M1-9:42 (avg HR 145 Max HR 152)
M2-9:45 (avg HR 144 Max HR 157)
M3-9:45 (avg HR 138 Max HR 151)
M4-9:42 (avg HR 143 Max HR 155)
M5-9:45 (avg HR 144 Max HR 153)
M6-9:45 (avg HR 130 Max HR 153)
M7-9:45 (avg HR 139 Max HR 150)

Followed the run with the Core Fun (10 core exercises) and Karen Fowler's Yoga for Runners

19 WEEKS TIL NYC, WEEKLY RECAP: 6/15-6/21, REST DAY

FIRST AND FOREMOST, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL THE DADDY'S OUT THERE.

We got to sleep in today, which was awesome. My body feels better/rested and my legs feel great. Tho I pigged out at Outback last night celebrating Father's Day with my family. I ate a whole bloomin Onion by myself. BR/hubby still can't believe it. LOL

Well, one thing I am accomplishing, I have just completed 6 solid weeks of marathon training. WOO HOO:)!! Only 19 more to go!!

Weekly Recap: 6/15 thru 6/21:

Mon - 6 miles easy @ 9:35pace
Tues- 5.53 miles - 4 x 1 mile repeats w/ jog recovery & 1mile w/u & c/d
Wed- 6 mile recovery run @9:45pace
Thurs- rest day
Fri- 10 miles Long Run (w progressive paces)
Sat- 4 mile recovery run @9:30pace
Sun- rest day

Total miles for week #6 = 31.53

Week # 6 Officially completed Woo Hoo:)!!!!

June 20, 2009

4 Mile recovery run. Plan was to keep the pace @9:30

8:30am - I got out the door early, as the day was going to be rainy and busy & I wanted to get the run in before the rain hit:)!! Temp said 65F and it was cloudy, but the sun did pop out during the run for a bit.

Legs were a bit crampy/heavy the first mile, but then they loosened up.

4 miles in 38:17 avgHR 143 - MaxHR 183

Mile splits/HR as per my Garmin 301:

M1 - 9:35 (avgHR 145 - MaxHR 180)
M2 - 9:33 (avgHR 142 - MaxHR 168)
M3 - 9:34 (avgHR 140 - MaxHR 170)
M4 - 9:35 (avgHR 144 - MaxHR 183)

My heart rate was all over the place. Some due to spike, some due to humidity (it was hot), but I'm also guessing the body may not have recovered from yesterdays long run, plus it didn't help that I didn't get great sleep:(

I didn't get my Core Fun workout in till much later, as I had a meeting at our club for the Kids Camp this summer. So at 12:15, I did the core workout.
Knee Crunches 1set 20reps
Hip Lifts 1set 4reps
Standard Crunches 1set 20reps
Push Ups 1set 25reps
Push Ups 2nd set 25reps
Obliques Crunches 2 sets of 25
Heel Touches 2 sets 20 reps
Bicycles 2sets 20reps
Oblique Twists 0 0
Supermans 2sets 20 reps
1-Min Planks 2sets

LONG RUN - DONE WITH PROGRESSIVE SPEED

Thankfully weather held off for me today (even saw the sun briefly at the end of the run:). Temp said 65F. As soon as I got kids to school, I got myself ready for this run.

Plan for today was 10miles. 4 Easy (8:45 pace) 4 Moderat (8:15 pace) 2 Hard/Fast (No slower than 8 pace) I think my friend Bruce calls this kind of a run progression???

To be honest I was nervous to do this workout. I believed I could do it, but the pacing set by my coach had me a tad worried. Thankfully I trust/believe in him, and just let my legs feel it.

After the run I immediately did the Core6 workout. My legs were heavy, and definitely started to tighten up and get crampy. I followed the Core6 with yoga, foam roller, and then a 7min ice bath. After all that, legs felt great again:) Tho I can feel them tightening up as I sit here typing away. Must finish quick and foam roller again.

10 miles in 1:23:53 for an average pace of 8:23

Avg HR 160 Max HR 196

According to my Garmin301, my mile splits were:
M1-8:47 avg HR 149 max HR 183
M2-8:47 avg HR 173 max HR 188
M3-8:51 avg HR 156 max HR 178
M4-8:51 avg HR 157 max HR 165
M5-8:17 avg HR 171 max HR 188
M6-8:20 avg HR 159 max HR 178
M7-8:17 avg HR 162 max HR 168
M8-8:20 avg HR 162 max HR 168
M9-7:30(downhill) avg HR 158 max HR 166
M10-7:53 avg HR 163 max HR 196

Core6 workout was:
1-Min Planks 2sets
Bicycles - 2sets of 25
Oblique Crunches - 2 sets of 25
Crunches - 2 sets of 25
Hip Extensions - 2 sets of 25
Pushups - 1 set of 25

REST DAY, NO RUN

Thank God today is a rest day, as it has been POURING all day & the neighborhood is flooded. Hope it clears itself out by tomorrow's Long run:)!!

6 MILES EASY

Plan today was to run 6miles easy, sticking to a 9:45 pace (+/-10secs 9:40-9:50)

Didn't get out for my run till 1pm, as this morning my 8yo daughter had her moving up/graduation ceremony. I still can't believe she's going into 3rd grade. Seems like yesterday we brought her home from the hospital:(

Temp said 66F, and blue skies and sun (tho it didn't last long, by 5pm, sun went behind clouds as we are expecting 5-6 more days of rain Grrrrr).

Great run today. Legs felt kind of heavy at first, think they just needed to wake up, as I had sat through the ceremony, just before my run. Overall legs felt awesome:)

According to my Garmin301, mile splits were:
M1- 9:41
M2- 9:47
M3- 9:41
M4- 9:45
M5- 9:51
M6- 9:44

Pretty consistent, and within the range Josh said:)!!

I'm a little bummed I realized into the first mile that I forgot to put my HRM on. Been so long since I wore it, I have to train myself to wear it again. Make it apart of my running gear and put it on every run!!

I followed the run immediately with the Core Fun workout. No yoga, but will get back to doing that again too:)

MILE REPEATS ON THE TRACK

Plan for today was: .5mile w/u, then 4 x 1miles w 2min jog recovery in b/t, followed by .5 mile c/d. Basically I was told to push it so hard that I felt like I'd puke, or the way I felt in Saturdays race, sprinting up Cat Hill (for all you people who race in Central Park, YOU KNOW what I'm talking about LOL). and I was told to keep each mile within 5-10secs of each other.

Got to the track at 10:25, sun was peaking in and out of clouds, and it was breezy, so not hot. Did get hot during run, but workout felt awesome.

Did my .5mile w/u in 5:44, the proceeded to do the mile repeats. I set my Garmin 301 to interval workout, by distance and rest, for 4 laps. I've never done a track workout before, and was amazed how well the Garmin told me my pace. It was awesome (certainly helped that there we no trees around at all), and the 305 will be even better when it gets here.

This is the data that uploaded to my computer from the 301 when I got home:
M1- 7:25 (avg speed 8.1mph max speed 9.8mph and avg HR 153 Max HR 161
2min walk/rest - .21miles i jogged slowly this time (HR 142 Max HR 158)

M2- 7:23 (avg speed 8.1mph max speed 9.4mph and avg HR 159 Max HR 183
2min walk/rest -.13miles i jogged a little, mostly stood drinking catching my breath (HR 149 Max HR 169)

M3- 7:29 (avg speed 8.0mph max speed 9.8mph and avg HR 159 Max HR 169
2min walk/rest - 484.5 feet no jog, walked sucking wind, drinking (HR 140 Max HR 169)

M4- 7:31 (avg speed 8.0mph max speed 10.0mph and avg HR 161 Max HR 174
2min walk/rest -524.7 feet no jog, walked sucking wind, drinking (HR 137 Max HR 170)

Overall workout times are 4.53miles in 37:50
of that, I ran for 29:50 and covered 4miles and walked/rested 8min and covered .53miles

Ok, I didn't puke, but I definitely pushed, cause on the last mile I dry heaved, and some of my breakfast came up in my mouth. I know, too much information, but coach, you wanted to know LMAO.

I followed this workout immediately with the core 6 program, and OMG, I was SOOOO close to puking, but I did it.
Pushups 1 set of 20
Hip Extensions 1 set of 25
Crunches 1 set of 25
Oblique crunches 2sets of 25
Bicycles 2sets 25
1-Min Planks 2sets

My knee dropped to the floor on the 2nd set of planks, but I pushed thru it and got the plank form back and finished it out. OMG, what an awesome workout:)!!!

EASY 6 MILES

Plan: Nothing Fancy; 9:35 pace (stay within +/- 10s)

Legs felt awesome today. This time I actually wrote out the split times I wanted to hit, so I didn't have to deal with the Garmin301 pace bouncing BS. Helped alot, tho i CAN'T wait for the 305 to come in the mail:)!! Also, when it comes going to start tracking my HR again:) to make sure my hard days are HARD, and my easy days are easy.

According to my Garmin301 splits were:
M1- 9:25 (I go downhill at the beg)
M2- 9:15 (not sure what my prob was LOL)
M3- 9:30 (getting better)
M4- 9:37
M5- 9:39
M6- 9:41

Well, overall pretty consistent, so I'm happy:)! Plus it was hot out there, and I got out late today, cause there was stuff going on that I had to attend to in the a.m.

20 WEEKS TIL NYC, WEEKLY RECAP: 6/8-6/14, REST DAY

I woke today and my legs felt great. I expected to be sore, or at least a little sore after crushing my 10K yesterday. Hmmm... Does this mean I could have pushed harder? or just that I am conditioned enough and recover quickly? Strange. Maybe I've just learned something. Even when I don't think I can go any faster, maybe I should push a little harder anyway?? Hmm...

The sun finally came out around 1:30pm, so the family and I hit the club for some rays on the beach and a great BBQ with the in-laws. Fun times:)!!

Weekly recap: 6/8-6/14:
Mon- 6 miles easy
Tues- 3.55 miles - Hill sprints w/ jog recovery & 1mile w/u & c/d
Wed- 6 mile recovery run
Thurs- rest day
Fri- 4 miles easy
Sat- 10K race
Sun- rest day

Total miles for week #5 = 25.75

Week #5 training officially done:)!!

DASH TO 10K RACE RESULTS: NEW PR WOO HOO:)!!

I woke this morning at 5:15, did the usual pre-race rituals. I ate oatmeal with banana, had my coffee with heavy cream & DaVinci Vanilla syrup. I left at 6:30 am to drive into NYC. Today was a little different. I parked up on 99th bt Park & Madison because the race was starting on 102nd Street. I wasn't going in with anyone. Kind of lonely feeling, but I was meeting my friend Josh, who is coaching me to get me to NYC. I got to the Parking garage at 7:30, walked up to the starting area, and then did the normal stuff before the race started.

I totally was absorbed in the fact that I was running with Josh, that I forgot to put on my Garmin 301. Kind of freaked, then laughed and said I wasn't allowed to look at it any way, and kind of nice to race without it. I didn't even look at the clock when we crossed the start, so I had no idea how things were going, all I knew was that I was running the course faster than I had ever before. LOL

I ran this course once last year, July 08, and the race was called Park to Park, and I crossed the finish line at 54:38, thrilled at the time because that was a 10K PR for me back then. Today, the race is now called Dash to 10K, or something. LOL Today, I crossed the finish line at 50:10, crushing my previous course PR, by 4min and 28secs. WOO HOO:)

I'm waiting for Josh to send me my mile splits (as I didn't have my Garmin on), and to explain the course, and how we ran it, LMAO, as I was so focused, my mind is a blur as to how the course was and how I ran it. All I know is I pretty much stuck to his hip, tho a few times I did slow down, but pretty much ran next to him pacing me the whole way. So, I will post again, in another post, that stuff, but for now here are my official results for the nyrr website:

NYRR Dash 10K
Distance: 6.2 Miles
Date/Time: June 13, 2009, 9:00 am
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: 72 Degrees, 61% Humidity, Overcast

Sex/Age F44
Bib 3688
Overall Place 1140
Gender Place 206
AgePlace 13
FinishTime 50:10
Pace/Mile 8:05
AGTime 46:55
AGGenderPlace 99
AG % 64.6

Afterwards, hubby/BR411 said he wanted to get me a new running outfit because he was so proud of me, I said, what I'd really would like is a Garmin 305 to train for NYC because it catches the signal better. I really don't need any more running clothes. He said OK and ordered me the Garmin 305, should be here next week. WOO HOO:)!!! Thank you honey, I love you SOOO much:)!!