9 Months + 2 Marathons (Chicago Marathon & Richmond Marathon)

Well, it's been a while!

Since February, life has been full (I refuse to say busy, because who isn't busy?)! I finished my final semester of classes in May, took my qualifying exam and passed, and took my comprehensive exam and passed (with an oral defense, too). Two big hurdles done with my PhD!

I spent the summer mostly at home, with a wedding in June and a trip to the beach in July, and wishing I had more travels coming up! This summer was less busy travel-wise due to writing my dissertation and lack of money due to my new house:) I hated it, but I definitely learned that I need to make sure I find ways to get out of town when the summer heat and humidity arrives and work becomes very slow. I'm convinced I have summer SAD, if that can be a thing!

In the fall, everything picked up. I started teaching two classes at VCU in August-> Techniques in Counseling and Practicum (which is a supervision class). Both have been very fun to teach and have been manageable while writing my dissertation. I went to a conference in Chicago in October and officially defending my prospectus in November, which means I am a doctoral CANDIDATE! My study is currently waiting on IRB, so fingers crossed it won't take too long.

I did a lot of weekend trips in September and October and have quite a few coming up through the end of November and beginning of December. I LOVE getting out of town for a few days on the weekend, but I also love being home in my new house...so balance is key. My big events were running the Chicago Marathon on October 8th and the Richmond Marathon on November 11. Marathon training this year was really great. I met an awesome new group of runners and genuinely enjoyed the training season. I still hate running in the heat, and the long weekday runs get hard with work, but I am more used to it all now. After not making it to the starting line last year due to the flu, I am so thankful to get through 26 weeks of training and 2 marathons HEALTHY!

The Chicago marathon was not great (but Chicago IS great and I had the best time at my conference and exploring the city!). It was 60 degrees at the start and about 75+ at the end, and the entire 2nd half of the course was in direct sunlight. I had a gut feeling pretty early that I would not be able to maintain a sub-4 pace, but I kept it through the first 14 miles and then it was downhill pretty fast. I walked a lot, had to drink a lot of water, and generally hated life for a few hours. The course and crowds were AMAZING, but it was a tough day. I also never got the hang of how crowded it was (especially at the water stops). I finished in 4:10:01.

Ready to go at 6 AM!

Catching my mom and brother at mile 13!

After Chicago, I was not feeling my love of running for a while. I took 5 days off, and then got back into training. I continued with my training team and did another 20 miler before a three week taper. This taper was a lifesaver. By really resting up, my motivation came back the week of the race, and I felt my running "pep" come back. I also knew it would be better than Chicago because the weather was COLD, and I was running with so many friends and on a course I know so well.

Richmond did not disappoint. It was a BEAUTIFUL day, with temperatures in the upper 20's at the start and no higher than upper 30's at the finish. I started in layers and kept taking things off until mile 15. Pure sunshine the entire race.

I was so thankful to be healthy for this race. Last year was such a disappointment-> getting the flu the day before when I had had such a great training season. I got emotional the night before just thinking about what I felt like last year. I read a quote that someone had saying "don't forget to hear the birds." This was exactly how I was feeling-> I wanted to take it all in and really appreciate it. And I did. I didn't listen to any music and ran pretty much solo for 25 of the 26.2 miles. And it went by so fast. It was an incredible day, and I did not take a single part of it for granted. Even when I was struggling in miles 19-23 before my second wind kicked in (which I attribute to an awesome course ending), I was happy.

Look what I saw at the expo! I am on the 10k poster! Haha.

Finish chute! I was taking it all in. Thanks for the photo, Karen :)

Happy :)

My cheering squad!

Happier still:)

Tawny!

I know I have talked before how running is so much more than just running, but what the last 6 months have reiterated to me is how the journey of running is really what running is about. The races are just days, but running is a lifestyle. It brings me new friends, keeps my sanity through some emotional stressors, and makes me feel my best self. Our bodies are so amazing and there is nothing that celebrates the human spirit more than a marathon (even a bad one). I learn something about myself at every race. Yesterday reinvigorated my love for the city I call home.

I ran Richmond at a PR of 3:55:53 and enjoyed every second of it (well, maybe not some of those seconds between 19-23...). And I will bask in this glow for a while.

Thinking Out Loud

Here I am 5 days out from my the marathon. I can successfully walk without pain, had my first short run back today (2.5 miles on the treadmill, thank you rain), have rehashed the race with all my running buddies, and feel like my appetite and energy levels have gotten back to normal. I think my recovery this time around was faster than last March, but it is still a surprise to me how long it takes me to feel normal again after a race like this (aka bathroom habits, sleep schedule, body fatigue, ect). These marathons sure do put a toll on your body! How ANYONE can do a recovery run the day after a marathon is beyond me. 

I posted some race photos that my friends and family took of me, but let's check out the attractive official race photos... (notice I am not posting them all)

Mile 20...about a mile before I started to die.

Down the finish chute!

Salty goodness!

I went to dinner last night with a group of people I trained with during the weekday morning runs (and who also did the Saturday training teams). It was awesome to hear everyone's feelings about the marathon and how awesome/hard it was. I kept thinking how runners are really amazing people and I am so glad I have found a community that share this passion with. We were talking about how we were sad the training program was over because it leaves such a void in our week. As exhausting and time-consuming as it is, I really enjoy how even though running is such an individual sport, you really become part of a group while doing it. We all understand the aches and pains and how many of our days revolve around running (whether they should or shouldn't)-> Going to bet at 8 PM? Totally normal! Who has time to date when you are training for a marathon? -> I won't miss having to run 8-10 miles before work, but I will miss the people and having a goal. After all, isn't that what it is all about?

So it's been a good week, albeit a slight letdown from the anticipation of race week! On the plus side, I AM adopting a new kitty from work though. I need name ideas! 

Tony Romo's new baby sister.

I get to bring her home on Wednesday! I am excited to spend Thanksgiving with her and her aunts and uncles!

As for me this weekend, I have Friendsgiving (I am hosting) on Saturday afternoon and a quick trip to Charlottesville to see my friend's new baby boys! Other than that I am going to try to not spend money, as November has ended up being an expensive month between socializing and my new car. I gotta save up for the holidays and hopefully a trip during my two weeks off from work. 

How did everyone else's recovery go this week? Anyone running races in the next few weeks?

2015 Richmond Marathon

I was thinking yesterday after the marathon how hard it was to put into words how I was feeling, because I was feeling so many different things: tired, sore, thankful, blessed, accomplished, proud...it was an incredible day of love, support, and the strength of the human spirit.

I finished the marathon under my top goal of under 4 hours at a new 11 minute PR of 3:57:49.

This marathon was special to me because it ran in my city. I ran by my condo, my friends' houses, where I used to work, where I used to babysit, where I go to school (VCU), where I met for training team every Saturday for the last 5 months, and it ended in the heart of this city I have called home since I was 7 years old. I saw so many friends and family along the way, those I knew would be there and those I didn't, and I even had a friend run me in from miles 21-25...it was a very special day.

Thumbs up when I saw my parents right before mile 13.

That is not to say this race was easy by any means:) The weather WAS perfect (low-40's at the start and low-50's at the finish-> both my races have had the best weather). But I kept thinking along the route how HARD running is, even when you do all the training for it. I did two 20 milers this time around which I think helped me, but my pace the whole way was a solid 20 seconds faster than any of my longest training runs, so that was hard to keep. I went through many ups and downs in terms of how I was feeling during the race-> miles 10-12 were tough due to hills and running directly into the sun, miles 17-19 were another tough group due to an incline and fatigue, and then after mile 21 I was mentally not in a great place and felt I could not run any faster or my legs would fall off. I had to keep reminding myself that it SHOULDN'T feel good at this point, but to not let me not accomplish my goal when I was so close to the finish. Pain is temporary. The last 5-6 miles really are when you have to accept the discomfort and tough it up. All the training in the world can't make those miles easy. I was lucky in that I didn't have any serious pains- my hips were tight but everything else felt good (even my feet remained unscathed- no blisters or any shoe pain)!

All that being said, this race was FUN and went by SO FAST. I thought multiple times along the route how quickly it was all going by. I blinked and we were at mile 7...and then 17! That could be because I knew the route so well, but I also think because I was more relaxed and thankful this time. I knew I would finish (I just didn't know if I would get my top goal) and with everything happening in the world on Friday night, running a marathon really took perspective. I GET to do this. I don't HAVE to do it. It is a privilege to have the time and energy to train and run races. That mindset made me really enjoy the time even when it was hard.

The marathon training team coaches that I had worked with all training season were all over the course and would always cheer me on or give me worlds of encouragement when I needed it (shout out to a coach that motivated me at mile 18 and another at mile 25). I also had ZERO stomach issues which is always something that concerns me (I sometimes had to go during training runs), and my fueling went great- I took water or gatorade at every stop (mostly water) and took gatorade chews at miles 6 and 11 and gu that was available on the course at miles 16 and 21. I didn't walk through the water stops until after the halfway point, but if I did it again that is one thing I would start during the first half because I don't think I was getting enough water by running through, which may be why I had rough few miles before the halfway point.

My pace was very consistent- I averaged 9:02-9:05 the entire time via the various splits they gave me (10k, half, 20 miles and finish). I could see the 4 hour pace group the entire marathon- sometimes I was behind them and sometimes ahead of them, but they were always close. I also never used music because of the great crowd support and music along the course. I also met some great people that stayed with me for a big part of the race (it was cool to meet out-of-towners and hear their comments on how beautiful the course was!). My group thinned out closer to the end, though. The last mile was downhill, which was a very welcome situation. It was like you didn't have to try to run anymore (ha)! My quads did not like HOW downhill the last .3 was, but it made for one of the best finishes because you can see the river and Brown's Island as you come down from the city. I knew I had PRed and beat my goal, so I enjoyed it!

This was me seeing my dad right before I crossed the finish line telling him I PRed!

I felt surprisingly good after the race at the post-race party and got to reunite with friends and family. Hunger didn't kick in until a few hours later and all I wanted was SALTY FOOD. I was done with sugar due to all the gatorade and gu:)

Literally 1 minute after I finished!!!

Friends at the finish!

My parents!

We celebrated with dinner later Saturday night at Mellow Mushroom (pizza!) and I had a slightly rough night of sleep due to the soreness kicking in but I went to be early so I got a decent amount of sleep:). I know I will be sore for a few days and I am looking forward to training for shorter races! I have a Turkey Trot 10k coming up on Thanksgiving that my whole family is doing and then a half marathon on December 6th in Fredericksburg (I have never run a half there before). I do not have a strong desire to do another marathon any time soon, but I loved this course and training experience, so I may think about doing Richmond next year...we'll see how I feel once all the soreness has worn off:). I honestly don't think I can go much faster, and I am spoiled that my first 2 races were both under my goals for each and the weather was perfect...I know I can't keep that up! Maybe running a race with a friend who needs support would be fun, or in a new city...we'll see:) I am also so lucky not to have been injured either of these training seasons. Our bodies are incredible things!

Thank you again to friends and family for all your support and listening to be talk about training for so long:) And a big shout out to all my friends that ran the full and those that did the half!!! Runners are AWESOME!

Richmond Marathon Training Part 4 (aka TAPER CRAZIES)

Ya'll...it's race week! I am 5 days away from Marathon #2!!! I am PUMPED.

The last few weeks (of taper) have been a great and awful part of training...you are excited about lower mileage and more rest/sleep, but you begin to doubt that you can actually hit the higher mileage again. I have had a lot of good runs during taper that were at marathon goal pace (9:10), but the doubt is still very much present. Can I hold that after 20 miles?!

To make myself feel pumped/capable/emotional, I have been reading blogs of people's Richmond Race Recaps and looking at various other training plans to not feel so crazy about my taper:) This good news is I FEEL good. I just want Saturday to be here!

That being said I have three goals for race day:

1. Finish (-> obviously a marathon is no joke any time you run it)

2. PR (4:08:52 was my Shamrock finish time)

3. Sub-4:00 (!!!)

(^I think if the stars align this is very doable based on my training runs as long as I can hold my pace for the last 6.2 miles)

Good quote to keep in mind:)

Anyways, here is my running during the taper!

October 26- November 1 (Week 16)
Mon- Rest
Tues- 5 miles
Wed- 8 miles
Thurs- 4.1 miles
Fri- Rest
Sat- 12 miles -> this run was exactly at marathon goal pace and I had negtive splits
Sun- Elliptical
Total: 29.1 miles

November 2- 9 (Week 17)
Mon- 4.05 miles
Tues- 6.1 miles
Wed- Elliptical
Thurs- 3.85 miles
Fri- Rest
Sat- 8 miles
Sun- 4.2 miles
Total: 26.2 miles (see what I did here?)

November 10- 15 (Week 18/RACE WEEK!)

Mon- 3.5 miles
Tues- Rest
Wed- 3 miles (planned)
Thurs- 3 miles (planned-> I may rest again and do a shake out on Friday instead)
Fri- Rest
Sat- RICHMOND MARATHON!!!!!!!!!!!
Sun-  Rest...like a boss

Total: 35.7 if I run my tangents well:)

Good luck to all the Richmond Marathon/Half Marathon runners!!!

Richmond Marathon Training Part 3

I am officially in taper time! I am actually looking forward to a few weeks of more sleep and rest, but I am very excited for race day. My 20 miler on Saturday was on pace for a marathon PR and I felt great when we ended (still running negative mile splits). I also wasn't very sore on Sunday, so I think this bodes well for race day if I can stay healthy:) I think running two 20's actually was good for me because I noticed big gains between the two. I wouldn't recommend that for a first time marathon training cycle, but I see the benefits for people who have done a marathon before and have better muscle memory. My paces between the two were 9:25 versus 9:18 just two weeks later and my recovery was much faster after the second 20 miler. Our bodies are amazing things:)

September 28- October 4 (Week 12)
Mon- 4 miles
Tues-  Elliptical
Wed- 8 miles
Thurs- 5.15 miles
Fri- Rest
Sat- 12 miles
Sun- Elliptical
Total: 29.15 miles

October 5- 11 (Week 13)
Mon- 4 miles
Tues- 3.5 miles
Wed- 9 miles
Thurs- Rest
Fri- 5.15 miles
Sat- Rest
Sun- 20 miles
Total: 41.65 miles

October 12- 18 (Week 14)
Mon- Elliptical
Tues- Elliptical (extra sore this week from the 20 miler)
Wed- 9 miles
Thurs- 5.05 miles
Fri- Rest
Sat- 12 miles
Sun- 5 miles
Total: 31.05 miles

October 19- 25 (Week 15)

Mon- Rest
Tues- 10 miles
Wed- 5 miles
Thurs- 5 miles
Fri- Rest
Sat- 20 miles
Sun-  3 miles

Total: 43 miles (This is about as high as I can go without getting aches and pains)!

All smiles right after a 9:18 mile pace 20 miler!!!

Three weeks to go!

Richmond Marathon Training Part 2

Here is another cluster of weeks of training! I had 1.5 weeks of no running due to a nagging hip/IT band pain developing. I figured I would take it as a sign to rest and make sure it doesn't develop into anything worse. This is what happens with long training seasons!

August 23- 30 (Week 7)
Mon- Elliptical
Tues- 4.1 miles
Wed- 6 miles speed work
Thurs- Rest
Fri- 13.1 miles
Sat- Rest
Sun- 6 miles speed work
Total: 29.1 miles

August 31- Sept 6 (Week 8)
Mon- 4 miles
Tues- Rest
Wed- 8 miles
Thurs- 4.15 miles (am) + 3 miles (pm)
Fri- Rest
Sat- 16 miles (hip pain developing)
Sun- 3 miles
Total: 38.15 miles

September 7- 13 (Week 9)
Mon- 8 miles (hip pain recurring)
Tues- Elliptical
Wed- 4 miles (ankle pain- decided to take some time off)
Thurs- 3 mile walk
Fri- 3 mile walk
Sat- Elliptical
Sun- 5 mile walk
Total: 12 mile running + 11 miles walking

September 14- 20 (Week 10)

Mon- 3 mile walk
Tues- Elliptical
Wed- 3.75 mile walk
Thurs- Rest
Fri- 4 mile walk
Sat- Elliptical
Sun- 3.5 mile run:) Injury feels good!

Total: 10.75 miles walking + 3.5 running

September 21- 27 (Week 11)

Mon- 4.25 miles
Tues- Elliptical
Wed- 8 miles
Thurs- 4 miles
Fri- Rest
Sat- 18 miles
Sun- 3 miles
Total: 37. 25 miles

I have 7 weeks to go! Two more long runs (I may do two 20's this cycle) and the rest of the longer runs are drop backs of 12 miles. Weekday runs are heading into high gear, though, with some 9 and 10- milers coming up and the shorter runs jumping to 5 miles. It's nice to have the end in sight, and I am enjoying the cooler weather but am even more excited for it to cool off even more!

Richmond Marathon Training

I officially started marathon training at the end of May, but the long weekend runs didn't amp up until mid- July (before the weeks I list below, we had gotten up to 11 miles for our long weekend run and the longest weekday run was 6 miles). I have enjoyed the training team on Saturday mornings when I am in town, and I am excited to run with them more from here on out! I did a great job following the runs during my travels, though they were not as fun.

Here are my stats up to now (I start with week 8 technically, but I will call it week 1 on here since the mileage was about what it was when I started training in December for the Shamrock Marathon).

July 13- 19 (Week 1- Vancouver!)
Mon- 3.1 miles
Tues- 4.1 miles
Wed- 6 miles (left for Vancouver)
Thurs- Rest
Fri- 8.5 miles
Sat- 5 miles
Sun- Rest
Total: 26.7 miles

July 20- 26 (Week 2- Alaska Cruise!)
Mon- 4 miles
Tues- Elliptical
Wed- 6 miles
Thurs- 4 miles
Fri- 12 miles
Sat- Elliptical
Sun- Rest
Total: 28 miles

July 27- August 2 (Week 3)
Mon- 4 miles
Tues- Rest
Wed- 7 miles
Thurs- 3.5 miles
Fri- Rest
Sat- 14 miles
Sun- 5 miles
Total: 33.5 miles

August 3- 9 (Week 4- went to NYC for the weekend so long run was early)

Mon- Rest
Tues- 3.5 miles
Wed- 14.1 miles
Thurs- 3 miles
Fri- Rest
Sat- 5 miles
Sun- 3.1 miles

Total: 28.7 miles

August 10- 16 (Week 5- spent the week at the beach, so long run was earlier due to guests coming)

Mon- Elliptical
Tues- 10 miles
Wed- 3.1 miles
Thurs- 16 miles
Fri- Rest
Sat- 5 miles
Sun- 3.5 miles
Total: 37.6 miles

August 17- 23 (Week 6)

Mon- Rest
Tues- 4 miles
Wed- 8.3 miles
Thurs- 4 miles
Fri- Rest
Sat- 14.25 miles
Sun- 3.2 miles
Total: 33.75 miles

I haven't been paying attention to my pace too closely, but I will as the temperatures start falling. It is amazing the differences that heat and humidity make! The race is in 12 weeks.

If you are training for races, I hope your runs are going well:)

Oops! I did it again...

It's official...I signed up for another marathon! I will run Richmond November 14, 2015!

I previously said I was planning on signing up for this race and the training team that is in the area, but I am going to be honest-> the closer the deadline came to sign up, the less and less I have wanted to do it. I think the humidity and time commitment hit me and it did not sound as fun as it did when I signed up for Shamrock this winter. However, I really want to run Richmond because it is in my backyard (literally), the training program is AWESOME, I will have so many friends and family that can cheer me on here, and the course is beautiful. The race itself is at a great time of year (November), it's just that a chunk of the training is in the heat and humidity of Virginia summers. However, I am going to shorten my training like I said I would after Shamrock and really focus on only intensely training for 12 weeks. The training program is 24 weeks and starts May 30th but doesn't ramp up in intensity until late August (until then it doesn't even get above 13 miles). SO, I am going to go on the Saturday runs when I am in town during the summer, but I won't begin the weekday training until late August. Instead, I will run my normal 3-5 miles a few days a week in the summer. I really dislike summer running, so I think a more casual approach will help me get motivated to work harder in the fall.

Right now I have no goals for the race and will see how I feel come fall until I set any. Ideally I would love to get a sub-4 hour marathon, but it is still 6 months away, and I honestly just want to get to the starting line healthy. I hope to do more speed work for this training season, run fewer days, and log less "junk" miles. The cool thing about this training team is I will have an entire plan already made for me, unlike this winter when I made my own plan. I am interested to see how it works differently and how I feel following a different approach and with one already under my belt.

Currently, I am almost done with my week running break, and I have enjoyed walking more. I think that I will incorporate more walks when the heat gets really bad throughout the summer, so I can still get mileage in but can give my body a break. I also have a long two week vacation in mid-July where not much running will happen:).

So here is to marathon #2! It is true what they say- marathoners are crazy! You hate yourself miles 20-26.2 and then you sign up to do it again:) I feel a little crazy for doing it right now, but I look forward to experiencing the training team!

Upcoming

Life has been very exciting so far this year! From marathon training to school to various travels...I have had a great few months! I am excited to see more fun continuing as I head into summer, too. Here are some of my "upcoming's":

1. School ends...and starts again! My last class date of this semester is next Wednesday, April 29th! This semester has felt longer than the fall, not necessarily because of more work, but I think the winter tends to make everything feel longer. My classes went great (I only have a presentation separating me from being totally done), and I am still loving being in school. Working with the master's level students this semester has been SO great. It has reaffirmed that this is the right path for me.

I don't get much of a break, though, because on May 18th I start TWO summer school classes...

I am co-teaching a 5 week course (Secondary Counseling Seminar) for my teaching internship experience that runs Tuesday and Thursday's from 4-8:15. I will also be planning, grading and getting supervised for this course. I have already begun planning, though, and I a super-excited about teaching it! I think it will be a lot of fun and up my area. The class ends June 18th, though I will need to log hours and work on updating the course for next year until I get to 300 hours. Hopefully the slow summer days at my job will allow me time to do that!

My name isn't listed yet...but for a course next fall it will be!

During this time, I also am taking a statistic course (the first of many) Monday and Wednesday's from 4-6:40. This course should be easy, but taking it means that for 5 weeks I am at VCU Monday- Thursday. UGH. Those will be long weeks, but I am hopeful it will be over before I know it! The statistics course runs until July 9th. That is when I reward myself with a nice trip!

2. Traveling.  I have been traveling a lot the last month or so and more is coming! I am headed to Chicago May 1-4 with my brother, sister-in-law, and her twin sister. My whole family is going to Cincinnati to celebrate my grandmother's 95th birthday over Memorial Day weekend, and then my mom and I (along with some college friends and their families) are headed to Vancouver, Seattle, and a cruise to Alaska (!) in July. I am SO PUMPED about that trip- it'll be a full two weeks! To cap it all off, I am going to the Outer Banks again for a full week in August. Mixed in will be weekend/day trips to/from D.C. and Virginia Beach visiting friends for weddings and bridal showers, but those are the big ones! I am looking forward to them all.

The dunes of OBX!

3. Running. There is always something in the works with my running plans! I am not racing anymore this spring, but I am going to join the training team program we have in Richmond for the Richmond Marathon in November. Training officially starts the first weekend in June, but I will only go as it fits in my schedule throughout the summer. Once September hits I will start going weekly and really up my training. I also may do a local half marathon in August to kick-start my training. I am looking forward to being a part of a big training program and running a marathon that literally goes by my backdoor! :)

The last .1 of a hilly end to a half marathon...

Those are the main three things coming up for me! I will be busy, but it's all in a good way! 

What are your upcoming plans this summer?

I'm a (Shamrock) MARATHONER!

I am officially a marathoner!!!

Happy smiles at the finish line

That was HARD!

BUT...I completed my first marathon in under my goal time of 4:20 at 4:08:42! 

Mile 1!

Mile 11.5ish

Smiles right before the halfway mark!

My friend and I ran the entire time together. We lucked out with overcast skies in the upper 40's and minimal wind.

Happy smiles at the starting line!

It was great to stay on the boardwalk and be able to walk to and from the start and finish. This is the first time I have stayed on the oceanfront for this race (when I did the half marathons I stayed with friends). It was very also cool to see all the runners throughout the weekend. The expo was fun and it was nice to walk around all day Saturday.

I was really excited and nervous all day Saturday. My stomach felt good (thanks to probiotics), but I also knew I had missed many days of rest and carb-loading from being sick. I never thought I wouldn't be able to finish, but I was nervous all the same. I didn't know how my body would react!

Miles 1-13.1 felt pretty good. The course didn't have a ton of spectators and got boring in parts, but I was pretty motivated, so it didn't bother me. I also knew the 2nd half of the course, so I felt mentally that would help me in the end. We made a habit early of alternating water and gatorade at the drink stations, which were about every 2 miles. We took water for the first time at mile 4.

From miles 11-13, we saw a lot of people we knew- my parents and friends, and there were a lot of spectators- so that made the middle section really fun. We also ran on the boardwalk and near the beach, and we saw the half marathoners who had finished (they started at 7 and we started at 8:30). That was probably my favorite part of the race!

After halfway, I started to tire and got stiff pretty quickly. My friend and I started talking a lot less, and I was getting worried. Nothing hurt awfully, but my body was breaking down a bit sooner than it had during training runs, which very well may have been because I had been sick earlier in the week. Luckily there were spectators until about mile 16, so that helped.  Once we got to 16 my friend and I decided to put our music in and literally just shuffled along with minimal words until mile 25. I took Gatorade chews at miles 6, 11, and 16 and then took a chocolate gu at 19 (I was so tired of  the sour/sugar flavored stuff). After mile 20 there was also more food (bananas and pretzels) along the course, so I took part of a banana. At that point I wanted anything to stay moving! Luckily, my stomach cooperated the whole race.

I can't really pinpoint what kept us moving for 10 miles when neither one of us felt great, but our pace stayed the same and we were motivated to finish. At that point moving at the same pace was the same amount of effort (and probably less painful) than actually walking. It is a funny thing!

Once we hit the numbered streets coming out of the military base at about mile 23, I knew we would do it. I kept thinking about how ridiculous it is to run this long, but I dug deep and kept moving. It helped that spectators increased a lot at this point. I started to notice the unevenness of the road, though, and every stride hurt when I hit unevenly. I was also worried I was getting blisters.

When mile 25 hit, we both took out our headphones to enjoy it. We knew we had it, and I really wanted to savor the last 1.2 miles. My GPS watch was .2 ahead of where we were on the course, so I was annoyed about that, but figured that was probably average when you run for so long. It was cool to come back into the home stretch knowing we were almost done.

We hit the boardwalk with about .5 miles left, and this was my favorite part of the race. It was totally flat and smooth, and spectators increased as we closed in on the finish line. We actually got a sudden urge to pick up our speed because we saw friends and family! I think it was the best I have ever felt the last .2 of a race. It was an awesome finish. What an accomplishment! I didn't feel too awful when we started walking after finishing, but bending over was very painful!

Our pace was completely consistent the whole race- 9:32 @ 10k, 9:28 @ the half and 9:30 @ 19.4. We had some faster miles in there (some of my watch splits were around 9:10) and the last 3 were much slower (about 9:50), but overall we did great.

I am 100% pleased with how it all went. It was hard and exhausting, and I am sore today, but I am so proud of myself. I don't know when/if I will do another one (though there is definitely a desire for me to break 4 hours now), but I am going to enjoy taking some time off and running some halfs! The Flying Pirate is next in mid-April in the Outer Banks:) I am already excited for a shorter run!

What a fun weekend! Thank you all for your support!

Shamrock Marathon Training Week 16

Ahhhh! Final week is here...hard to believe! The nerves are full force!

 I am currently on my way down to Virginia Beach. My friend and I are heading straight to the Expo at the Convention Center and then our hotel. The stomach bug has cleared, and I am hopeful that three days of normal eating and drinking (and a whole lot of bread all week) will be enough for me to finish and not die:) This week did not entail much running, but luckily not much was scheduled anyways!

Monday: Rest (Sick)

Tuesday: 2.75 mile (slow) walk

Wednesday: 2 miles run/walk (weights)

Thursday: 4 miles @ 9:40 (abs)

Friday: 3 treadmill miles  (weights)

Saturday: Rest!

Sunday: SHAMROCK MARATHON! I hope my GPS watch clocks this course right at 26.2:)

Totals: 35.2 running miles + 2.75 walking 

Wish me luck! Recap and race/training thoughts coming early next week:)!

More than a Marathon

Any serious or frequent runner will tell you that running is so much more than the physical act of running itself. Sure, you can put one foot in front of the other for a few miles...but when it becomes an hour and then a few hours and you are training for half and full marathons or even more, running becomes about something else. You begin to see your body not strictly for how it looks, but as this amazing machine that adapts and needs to be nourished and cared for as it carries you through the miles of pavement pounding and the decades of your life and all you put it through.

As I have trained for my first marathon, I have thought a lot about why I am doing it.  It's not about changing my body or weight loss (I would actually tell any person trying to lose weight to NOT train for a half or full marathon...those leg muscles go a little crazy and your appetite gets a little cray as well), it's not about keeping in shape (you only need to run a few miles a few times a week to do that and this honestly can lead many to injury), it's not about doing it because other people are doing it (you would be insane to do something like this "just because"), it's not because you love to run (many people love to run and have no desire to do a marathon-> I was one of them until about a year ago!) and it's not even about checking off a bucket list item (heck, there are a million other things you could be doing for your bucket list that take less time and energy and who even gets to their full bucket list in a lifetime?!). You have to have a reason that goes deeper.

I missed out on things due to strictly adhering to my long run schedule. I came home early on Friday nights, went to bed early on the weekends, didn't get to go out of town as much as I would have liked, was super-lame with friends due to being tired all the time, and I probably drove people crazy talking about training (i.e. how tired, hungry, or sore I was and what my next long run would be). It is mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting. At least it was for me. This is not something you do because of the above factors I mentioned. If my reasoning didn't go deeper, I never would be entering this race having stuck to my training plan. I would be injured, completely goalless or would have dropped out.

My reason isn't easy to pinpoint. I just feel it when I run. I try to think of all the things that I have been lucky enough to be able to do in my life: get an education, travel, find a job easily, buy a house, support myself, be healthy and have a wonderful network of friends and family near and far. I have had a relatively easy life, in the grand scheme of things. Sure I have struggled with things and had my share of up and downs, but I have been so lucky.

So I run for them: the people who can't; the people who want to but haven't; the people who enable me to be where I am today; the people who have touched my life; the people who haven't been lucky enough to do what I have done in my short life. I run for my past, present and future, because I don't know what will happen. I run because it heals me and sets me free. I run for the times when I wasn't and won't be able to. I run for what I have overcome. Sometimes I don't know the why but I simply know the how. And the how brings me full circle.

So thank you to all who have been with me through this experience and have influenced me for where I am today. No matter what happens during the race this weekend, I have achieved so much already. I don't need to complete 26.2 miles to make me feel any more lucky or grateful than I already do.

Running is hard, but it is easier than a lot of things we go through in life. 

Check out these great organizations around Richmond that running supports: Still Easier Than Chemo, Massey, Girls on the Run, and Race for the Cure.

Shamrock Marathon Training Week 15

One more week...I am definitely having doubts now! This taper syndrome is no joke. I can still run a marathon after weeks of lesser running...right?!

Monday: 6.3 miles @ 9:31 (abs)

Tuesday: 45 minutes crosstraining (weights)

Wednesday: Rest!

Thursday: 5.45 miles @ 9:10 (abs)

Friday: Rest!

Saturday: 8 miles @ 9:50-> Both Saturday and Sunday's runs weren't great due to me coming down with a stomach bug:(

Sunday: 2.35 miles @ 9:50 (weights)

Totals: 22.1 miles

I hope I am healthy next Sunday!

Shamrock Marathon Training Week 14

Still had to deal with winter weather this week...but as I type this it is 60 degrees outside, so spring is in sight!

Monday: 8 miles @ 9: 50 (abs)-> I had to move my long weekday run to Monday due to rain and cold forecasted on Tuesday. I was still sore from Saturday's 20 miler, so a very slow run.

Tuesday: 5 treadmill miles (weights)

Wednesday: Rest! Didn't even try to walk 10,000 steps...(abs)

Thursday: 5 miles on treadmill due to more snow and ice (weights).

Friday: 12 miles @ 9:32. Moved my Saturday run to Friday due to having rhe day off due to snow and the temperatures being warmer mid-afternoon than Saturday morning (weights)

Saturday: Rest and drove first thing in the morning to Virginia Beach for a friend's baby shower brunch! I stayed overnight, and we ate and drank a lot and didn't move much all day...:) Yet I was still exhausted at 10 PM! Resting and socializing is exhausting. My abs hurt this morning from laughing so much!

Friends since high school show choir:)r

We ended our day of eating with smores!

I finally saw FROZEN!

CUTE BABIES EVERYWHERE!

Sunday: 5 miles @ 8:43 (abs). GORGEOUS weather by the beach and fast miles. I am hopeful for race day:)

Totals: 35 miles

:) Who else is ready for spring?!

Shamrock Marathon Training Week 13

It's officially TAPER TIME! Biggest week of training is done- yay! It was another cold week with some snowy weather, but I fit everything in!

Monday: 5 miles @ 9: 35 (abs)

Tuesday: 10 miles @ 9:24 (weights)

Wednesday: Rest! Still made sure to get in my 10,000 steps (abs)

Thursday: 5 miles on treadmill (weights). Snow day! I felt good on the treadmill...I must be getting used to it and it definitely helps to just go based on effort and not speed since I can't run as fast on it.

Outside my bedroom window Thursday morning:)

Snow day from work but PhD reading to do!

Friday: Rest and walking! Still made sure to get in my 10,000 steps (abs)

Saturday: 20 miles @ 9:37. Pace would have been faster but there was one 11 min/mile due to dodging ice on a bridge. My friend and I ran 16 with a training group and added on a little before and after to get our 20 in. It's still tough to go above 16, but my legs felt the best they have at that high of a distance. I will be able to run 6.2 more...right?! That seems a little crazy right now.

20 cold miles by 10:30 am!

Celebrated with a trip to Charlottesville to watch UVA beat Virginia Tech!

Sunday: 2 miles run + 1.5 walking recovery on treadmill (weights)

Totals: 42 miles!

I know that my max training week being at 42 miles is low for a lot of marathoners, but I feel that my body can't handle much more than that (before I started training I typically ran 15-20 miles per week, so this is over double that). I think I have been generally healthy (besides some hip pain) this training cycle, but I do sometimes feel I am pushing it. I would rather go into the marathon slightly undertrained and healthy than overtrained and injured. I honestly feel as trained as I can be at this point, though- now it's all up to the race day Gods! The flat course with no wind and temperatures above freezing sounds great! I think I definitely have built up weather tolerance from this training cycle!

Marathon Burnout

I am tired of marathon training.

There, I said it.

I was so INTO marathon training for the first half of my training cycle. I looked forward to the runs and the schedule and the challenge of it all. I was training for a marathon! I felt like I was high on life and achieving a new goal!

Recently, though, probably because of the weather and slight aches/pains and just getting tired of HAVING to run a certain amount of distance on a particular day, I am just ready for it to be over.

I am ready to feel like my body is rested and running on its optimal fuel. I have been dragging lately.

...ready to not be so hungry all the time.

...ready to not be tired at 7 pm every night.

...ready to say goodbye to all these new aches and pains.

...ready to be able to go out of town or out on a certain night and not worry about how that will affect my Saturday long run.

...ready to run however many (or not) miles I want to in a day.

...ready to be lazy when the weather sucks (i.e. is cold or snowing) and not worry about it impacting my training.

...ready to EXPERIENCE the race and check it off my bucket list.

...ready to be done.

I hate that I am feeling this way on the biggest mileage week of my training cycle, but I am. I think if I do another marathon, I may need to have a shorter cycle. I think I could probably have cut this cycle 2 weeks shorter than I did. I will end up doing an 18, 19 and (weather permitting) 20 miler, and I probably could have eliminated one of those. I am even thinking that if the weather this weekend stinks due to snow on the roads, I won't be too worried about not getting my 20 in. I got my 19 in, at least, even though it would end up being 5 weeks out from the race when ideally your last longest run should be 3 weeks out. But my body and spirit are just tired and could probably benefit from a longer taper. Maybe. But I also know that I like doing things "by the book" and the run will most likely happen. I haven't missed a single run this training cycle (hence why I might be burnt out). I am just mentally trying to cut myself some slack:)

Anyways, you live and learn. I wish I could find more blogs that talk more about mentally becoming "over it!" during a training cycle. Half marathons look SO GOOD right about now. I am actually signing up for one in April in the Outer Banks:)

Long story short: I still love running, just would love running a little less:) 

Any mental tips for me?!

Shamrock Marathon Training Week 12

The cold temperatures and snow affected my training this week- mainly in that I had to adjust running days and my pace was WAY slower due to avoiding ice and my muscles feeling stiff. Next week looks better (thank goodness)! We really lucked out with the (winter) weather so far this winter, so I am thankful it came during a drop back week towards the end of training. Hopefully this was it!

Monday: 5 miles @ 9:44 (abs). I knew a big storm was coming so I ran in case the rest of the week was a bust. I was still stiff from 19 on Saturday, so I was slow but I felt much better afterwards.

Tuesday: 2.5 mile walk + 30 minutes elliptical (weights). SNOW DAY! Walking in the snow to lunch was no joke!

THIS IS WHY NO RUNNING HAPPENED TUESDAY!

Wednesday: 9 miles @ 9: 49 (abs). I dodged ice and snow all on this run. At some points I had to slow WAY down to not fall. I was just glad I go it in. My area does not clean up well after a snow storm (hello, Virginia).

My white puffy vest is now my cold weather running staple.

Thursday: 4 miles on treadmill (weights). Icy and FREEZING outside. Below zero wind chills. I find that if I go slow on a treadmill I can tolerate it more, but I don't pay attention to my speed since it is so different from my pace outside (like a full minute slower feels the same effort).

Friday: Off! Still made sure to get in my 10,000 steps (abs)

Snow a few days after the storm at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts...aka Happy Hour time!!!

Saturday: 14 miles @ 9:30. It was about 15 degrees the whole run with a slight breeze. We ran 12 outside and then I added in a 2 mile warm down because my body was SO COLD. My friend and I commented that we never got into a groove during this run because of how cold it was. Thankfully it was a lower mileage day! My hip felt ok the whole time but still is something I am watching.

I deserve Funfetti Cake after a long run...I ATE IT ALL!

My afternoon spot watching Boyhood with Tony Romo. Weather sucked. I loved the movie!

Sunday: 3.2 mile shakeout @ 9:22 (weights)

Totals: 35.2 miles

Four weeks from today! I am definitely ready to get this big week behind me (40 miles!) and then rest up for the big day. I also have some ideas for a half marathon in April! Half marathons sound so great right about now...

What is your favorite distance to train for?