The Time 20 Miles Kicked My Ass

As karma would have it, days after I posted about how running 50 slow miles every week didn't feel like real work, I got kicked in the ass by my 20-miler this Sunday.

The first half of the run went well enough. It was actually a little bit chilly when I left the house at 6am. I was, admittedly, a little discouraged when I looked at my watch the first three miles only to realize I was running an 11 something pace (really?!). Otherwise, though, it was pretty enjoyable.

I always struggle to come up with long run routes since I'm pretty sure I've run every runable route in the city of Philadelphia. For this 20-miler I decided to run all the way up the Schuylkill bike path to Valley Forge National Park. It's 15 miles from my house to the park and then you can do a 5-ish mile loop around the battlefield. I really struggled with this run from about mile 10 and on. The bike path I was on started to get really boring and monotonous. Not to mention the latter half of that path is not shaded very well and the sun was started to heat things up!

I was siked by the time I got to Valley Forge because I needed a change of scenery.

 The park is really beautiful, but I forgot about the hills!

Normally I would not consider them bad. They are mostly short rollers. After 15 tough, boring miles, however, my legs were toast. By the time I finished, t was so happy to see Mike, who was kind enough to pick me up so I didn't have to run the 15 miles home. He brought my a gatorade and a bagel and both tasted like heaven.

So yeah, it was a tough run and I was reminded of it the rest of the day. Normally I can recover pretty quickly, but for some reason I spent the rest of the day feeling like a zombie. I could barely shuffle around the house and was having trouble putting together coherent sentences. While I was wasting away on the couch in the afternoon, Mike introduced me to an amazing new show (based on a web series), called Drunk History. Watching it fulfills two basic requirements: learning something and laughing your ass off. I think they should make another show where they film people who've just run marathons and ultra marathons teaching history. I can guarantee they will sound just as ridiculous. I would have been a prime candidate after Sunday's long run.

By 8 pm I was comatose and slept the deepest sleep I have ever slept. Today I planned a light 4 mile shake out run on the treadmill. Some time ago I learned the best way to loosen up sore legs was to actually get moving. Mile one felt rough, but after that point I had a great run. Four miles quickly turned into five because I couldn't stop listening to 'N Sync. I didn't watch the VMAs, but I have seen the 5,000 "OMG 'N Sync might really reunite" articles on Buzzfeed last week and I just had to add them to my playlist.



I missed you guys

So that was my weekend - got my ass handed to me, lived to tell about it.

Were you an 'N Sync fan or BSB? I was 'N Sync and my sister was BSB, so we basically had the biggest poster rival ever in our bedrooms.


49 Miles in Berlin

Forgive the absence. Mike and I just returned from a wonderful 8 days in Berlin. I will save the trip details for a later post. Right now I just want to talk about the running!

I ran six days in Berlin and covered 49 miles total. 35 of those were outside. The rest were on the ol' mill in the hotel. We spent the first day sleeping in as late as we wanted since we had been up 27 hours from traveling. On day two, however, we were ready to rock and roll! I had two long runs planned for each weekend, both 13 miles.

Since we had barely been around the city at that point I tried to map the simplest route possible. It ended up being very easy to follow and we saw a lot of great sites along the way! I think running is the best way possible to see a new place.

We left around 7 am so the streets were nice and quiet. I should also mention that the summer temps in Berlin are 55/75 with no observable humidity. Yeah, pretty much heaven. That's how summer should be, in my opinion.

The Tiergarten aka the Central Park of Berlin

Mike at the Victory Column

Approaching Museumsinsel

At the Brandenburger Tor

Along the Spree River

On our way back through Potsdamer Platz I found the wall line

I was really good about remembering to bring the long run basics with me - handheld water bottle, compression socks, body glide. I did, however, forget about fuel. I don't use gels and instead look for licorice, fig newtons, etc. I actually brought a bag of swedish fish with me specifically for the long run, but got too hungry on the plane and all of a sudden WOOPS! they were gone. Rather than test new food in a new place, we decided to forego the fuel. If we were running any longer it would have been really tough at the end, but 13.5 miles on a banana and piece of baguette for breakfast ended up working out okay. I only started getting ravenous during the last mile.

It's amazing what a weather change will do for your pace. I felt totally relaxed and casual, using minimal effort, and we ended up running both long runs in the low 9's. Crazy considering a 10 minute pace felt like a death the week before on the east coast.

Other than taking the scenery and enjoying the weather, the runs were pretty uneventful. I did fall flat on my face at mile 12 of our first long run. Too busy looking at pretty dresses in the store window. Thankfully I was unscathed except for an annoying bruise on my right hip bone and some dirty hands and knees.

I think the strangest thing about running in Berlin was just not seeing that many other runners. Considering the city hosts one of the world's best marathons every fall, I would have thought Berlin to be a runner's haven. Don't get me wrong, we did see some, especially on our second long run when we headed into the Tiergarten more and ditched the tourist hot spots. However I could probably count them on two hands. Strange indeed.

In my next post I will talk about the most important part of any vacation - the FOOD!

The Latest

Oops, its been awhile. The last month and a half has been a whirlwind. Weddings, summer class, vacation planning, work, work, work, etc, etc.

When we last spoke I talked a little about my leg pains post River Towns Marathon. After taking one full week for recovery immediately after the race I had a good running week. Then, the next week I started having IT Band pain in my left leg (typical left leg!). The pain didn't start until between miles 4-6 and everytime it started I stopped running shortly thereafter. After 3 runs of this happening I finally cooled my jets and took five full days off. Since then I haven't had any pain. I also went back to PT and haven't been running "normal," but no pain is no pain. And hey, I can totally deal with 6 weeks of lesser running when I've spent 6-7 weeks with no running with my last two injuries. I caught this one in time and nipped it in the bud.

After spending about 3 weeks on the treadmill I went outside this Saturday for 8 miles. Man, were they tough! The first few miles felt like the worst, but by the end I think my body had re-acclimated to road running. The good thing is that since I never really stopped running, I haven't lost much endurance. That's nice, because I have a marathon in 12 weeks and no time to waste!

Since I've been such a bad blogger I may as well catch you guys up with some pics of the last 5 weeks.

I actually put on real people clothes for a few big events:



My sister's college graduation!

 

For a wedding

More wedding

Another wedding. PS. Don't wear black when its 90 degrees and an outdoor cocktail hour

I ate some yummy food:

Bean sprouts belong on everything



 

I went running in NYC:

 

I like to call this one "the first humid day of the summer when you realize how much things will suck until October"

 

All in all, things have been good here in Philadelphia. 

Reflections on Running

Today is a great day. For one, I successfully ran 10 miles yesterday, my first double digit run since November and I spent 4 of those glorious miles outside on the bike path. I won't lie. Running outside after five weeks on the treadmill felt more challenging than I expected. I was surprised how sensitive my body was to the minute changes in elevation and terrain. The best thing about running 10 miles yesterday, however, is how great I feel today. No aches. No pains. No soreness or weird tweaks.

But today is a great day for another reason. Today is my wonderful sister's 22nd birthday! I might be a little biased, but I have the best sister in the entire world and I could easily write 50 posts on how great she is. Last year Caitlin spent several months living in Senegal for school. She stayed with a host family, spoke almost exclusively French, and had the oppotunity to completely immerse herself in the culture (including getting up and close with all the mosquitos). One of the best things about running is all of the places it can take you. You could live in a city for 10 years and never really experience it until you hit the pavement. For me, running and travel go hand in hand. So, I'd like to share a poem that my sister wrote about running in Senegal (complete with some awesome pics). Happy birthday Caitlin!

Reflections on Running

Hello. This is where it begins

The home turf,

Where I learned to love to run.

Monuments streak past,

Photo-bombing a thousand tourists.

 

Ohayo Gozaimas. Black and deep,

The water undulating as a rolling cavern

Dips past me unaware.

Strange buildings loom over the river

As I run silently and alone through thick air.

A tranquil place,

Retaining the spirit of the old country

Amidst the electric modernism that surrounds.

 

 

 

Top o’ the morning! A field of curious cows

Turn their heads to follow us.

Sheep blocking the path,

We find unexpected undergrowth

Emanating from the country road.

We step swiftly over creeks, up mossy banks.

The air is pure, the smell of time slowed down.

 

 

 

Buenos dias. My muscles swiftly climb stone steps,

Rising above the historic city,

Exhaling memories of ancient festivals past.

Tienes frío? And me in my summer shorts—

Pack light.

 

 

 

Kalimera. Feet pound against cobblestone,

A veritable maze intended to ward off pirates,

Now feeding my momentum.

A different winding alley every other step,

Until I exit the puzzled old town,

Welcomed by the open sea.

 

 

 

Asalaam Maleikum. Pollution leeching into my lungs,

Grabbing hold for a future with better air quality.

Excusez-moi, I need to breathe with those.

Yet in another village, breath comes quickly

In the desert heat.

Mangrove forests to my left,

Orange African sun rising to my right.

Giant paw prints guiding my way across the sand.

 

 

 

— No greeting here, anti-social society.

A different home,

Where I learned to love distance,

Hard concrete pressing back against my feet.

My personal peace in the city

That never sleeps.

Rehoboth Beach Marathon: Spectator Report

Confession: I was actually signed up to run this race. I know, I know. Its only three weeks after JFK. Stupid, right?

I was actually hoping to decide about signing up for this race the week of, since it is a small event and doesn't usually sell out. After the whole NYC Marathon debacle, however, runners were scrambling for races and I had to make a decision fast or risk losing a spot. So about two weeks before JFK I paid the $130 knowing that there was a good chance that I either wouldn't be ready or wouldn't feel up to running the race. After Baltimore I really had marathon fever though, and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to run 26.2 one more time in 2012.

Well, we all know what has happened since JFK. A big bunch of nothing! But while I'm cooling my heals and taking a running breather, my husband was still ready to roll with Rehoboth and had been keeping up on training pretty decently. So, at 3:30 am Saturday morning we headed out the door and made the drive down to the beach.

Even though I wouldn't be running the race, I wasn't too bummed to be missing out. Thankfully I was super sore from hot yoga on Thursday and the idea of moving my legs that much sounded terrible. Secondly, Mike has supported me on countless numbers of races, and I really owed it to him to be there and support him from the bench. I was excited to cheer him on and finally have a day that was all about him.

Up for 4 hours and it still dark out

As I said, this race is pretty small. Only about 1800 runners split evenly between the full and half marathon. I think they ended up over selling a little bit after welcoming some of the displaced NYC runners, but it was still way smaller compared to the other two marathons I've done in Philly and Baltimore.

We arrived around 6 am, picked up our packets, and headed back to the car so Mike could change and fuel up. The weather ended up being perfect. It was fairly warm out in the low 50s, but the overcast sky and ever-so-slight mist coming down made for perfect racing conditions.

Super nice Brooks long sleeve tech shirts. And you bet your ass I'm wearing mine even if I didn't run. 

I have actually never spectated a race from beginning to end, so I was really excited to see the elites up front. All guys of course. 

The race ended up starting about 7 minutes late, which was kind of lame. They also didn't seem to have nearly enough port potties for the field size. I don't know what the required ratio is, but I think I saw 10 or less port potties at the start for 1800 people and the lines were about 50 people long.

Finally the race got going, I waved Mike goodbye, and started walking down to meet him again at the 5 mile marker.

It wasn't long after I got there that the first half marathoner came through. He was totally alone with the next guy at least few minutes behind. I ended up seeing him finish the race. He ran a 1:12 half and the second place male was a full 5 minutes behind! Ridiculous.

Mr. So-speedy-it-makes-me-nauseous-to-think-about

Mike rolled past me at mile 5 just under 40 minutes, right on target. He ran his first marathon just two months ago in Baltimore and ran a 3:39:58. His main goal going into Rehoboth was just to set a PR and also pace himself through the first half better.

After mile 5 the runners took of north along the beach and then through a park. It sounded really pretty and serene especially with the fog and mist coming down. I didn't see Mike again until he finished. I stuck around the finish line to see the winners come in and spent some time huddled in the Starbucks across the street. I'm usually great about paying attention to race day weather, but as a spectator I totally dropped the ball and was freezing my tuckus off outside!

When the clock hit 3:20:xx I commandeered a spot right before the finish line with a great view of the runners coming in. Mike may have been skeptical about his running time, but I had a feeling he would come in sooner than expected.

Rounding the corner to the finish!

Mike's final stats: 3:36:40, 8:12 pace and a 3+ minute PR!

In case anyone is curious about how he pulled off two marathons in eight weeks, he took the first week after Baltimore easy, then did five more weeks of 15-20 mile weekend long runs, and a two week taper.

He had really doubted that he would beat his Baltimore time especially after no sleep the night before. I was sad not to run, but thrilled that I got to support him and be there to watch him set a new PR. Of course, after this race his marathon PR is almost a full 10 minutes ahead of mine. The gauntlet has been thrown!

Just Roll With It: Baltimore Marathon Recap

I'm still in shock at how the Baltimore Marathon went down this weekend. Before I talk about race day, however, let's back up a bit.

Last week I wrote up a quick summary of all of my October "training" races. The goal was not to really race any of these, but use them as long runs for JFK prep. Regardless of this point, going into Saturday's marathon I wouldn't have had high hopes for a PR anyway. I ran my first marathon last November after what I felt like was a solid training season. After my injury this past spring I've felt endlessly slow, far slower than I was last fall. So my thoughts for Saturday were that I wasn't in PR shape anyway and I should just roll with a comfortable pace and readily accept a 4:15 or a 4:20 or wherever the time fell.

I owe this race to a lot of things coming all together at once: perfect weather, perfect fueling, perfect outfit choice, and a perfect attitude and race plan.

We left work early on Friday and drove straight to Baltimore and hit up the expo first to pick up our packets.

Nice Under Armour tech shirts for the win!

Afterwards we checked into the Baltimore Hilton. The hotel was super convenient to the race. The next morning we literally stepped outside and were at the start line. I was not expecting it to be so fancy!

We went in search of dinner and found a deli a few blocks away where we carbed up.

Better than bottled sparking water? Sparkling water in a can - how did I not know of this before?!

We finally got up to the room and I started laying out things for the race:

Shorts, shirt, bra, Pro Compression socks, SPIbelt, salt tablets, fuel, bib

The next morning, after a decent enough night of sleep, I woke up at 6 am, stretched, ate a granola bar and banana, got dressed, and got my fuel together.

I've been experimenting with non-traditional running fuel for awhile. Swedish Fish = tastier than a GU, but difficult to carry. The fish kept trying to flee my SPIbelt every time I unzipped it!

At 7:30 am we made our way across the street to gear check and then the start line.

I mentioned at the beginning that we had perfect weather. It was about 44 at the start and in shorts and a thin long sleeve I was frigid, but of course several hours later everyone who wore pants and jackets was drowning in sweat and was still cruising.

So cold!

Mike and I settled into the crowd behind the 4 hour pacer. I had no intention of attempting the sub-4 that I had coveted so much last fall, but I wanted to hang out with my husband until the gun went off and he was hoping to finish around 4 hours.

At 8 am sharp the crowd started moving and we were off! Mike sped off right away and I wished him luck on his first 26.2. I knew the first 3 miles were going to be straight uphill. I settled into a comfortable pace and paid attention to my breath. Anytime I started to feel like it was becoming strained I scaled back a little. When we passed the first mile marker I looked down at my watch (I didn't wear a Garmin) to see where I was at. I was shocked to see an 8:53 because the pace felt so easy. I was a little concerned I would bonk early if I kept up that pace (considering 90% of my training runs have been10 minute miles), but since it felt good I kept going.

When I got to the top of the hill I was still hitting sub-9 paces. I flew on the downhills. I kept thinking of my boxing instructor when he tells us to "refuel your gas tank" in between rounds. I let gravity take over and let my lungs and heart recover on the downhills.

The miles flew by and before I knew it I was at mile 11 and was passing the 3:50 pacer. That's right, 3:50, not even the 4:00 pacer. My mind went a little "WTF!?," but I still felt like I was running easy so I kept it up.

I passed the 13.1 mile marker at 1:51:58. Coincidentally this would have been a half marathon PR. Still, I didn't let myself think of possible finish times, because as I learned at my first marathon anything can happen in 26.2 miles. In my opinion, nothing is really in the bag until after you hit mile 25. So, while I started having dreams of crossing the finish line in not only a sub-4, but a sub-3:50, I refused to do any revised goal setting and kept to my original race plan of "just roll with it."

Unlike my first marathon, where we started the race with the half marathoners and then lost them at the 13.1 mile marker, at this race they started at our 13.1 mile marker and ran with us to the finish. I liked this setup a lot better. While the course did get a lot more crowded the second half, they brought a renewed sense of energy. It was also encouraging for me as I passed not only fellow marathon runners, but many half marathon runners also.

The second half of the race had another hill climb. It wasn't as static as the first climb, however, and felt more like rolling hills. And even though it wasn't as high the first, I was feeling more fatigued and was having a harder time getting myself up the inclines. At mile 17 I turned on my music to try and perk myself up.

At mile 20 I reached the top and had to run a one mile loop around a lake before heading back downtown to the finish. Mile 20-21 was the last "feel good" mile for me and I think I was running around an 8 minute mile.

Miles 21-26.2 were just pure hell. Everything hurt and I was slowing down. At this point I had calculated, however, that even if I ran 10 minute miles I would come in under 4 hours. I decided that I should keep trying to push the pace through the finish even though initially I had no time goals for this race. I mean if I didn't try to race the last hour wouldn't that make the previous three a total waste??

There were a few more little uphills between miles 21 and 24 and I cursed under my breath during every single one. My "ride the downhills"  strategy was becoming harder to do because my legs were so sore already. The crowds were really good the last miles and I turned my music off to let them spur me on.

I was still clocking 9:xx minute miles and realized I would likely finished under 3:50 and it was just a matter of how much under. Finally, after what seemed like forever, mile 25 came around. At mile 26 I gave a full out sprint with my last bits of energy. When Mike later described his final miles of this race, his first marathon, he said he was surprised because he had never felt such a full depletion of energy before. It's true, you give it all and have practically nothing left by mile 26.

Final stats: 3:46:05, average 8:37 pace

I found Mike at our pre-arranged meeting place. He had a great race and came in a 3:39:58! Super job for his first marathon! (He is totally hooked now by the way and is already talking about attempting a sub-3:30 next time)

In case anyone is curious, I took four Swedish Fish at miles 5.5, 11, and 16.5 repsectively. I walked through 2-3 water stops during the first half of the race and walked through 3-4 stops during the second half of the race and had some gatorade a few of those times.

Post-race we met up with Baltimore friends and found a delicious grilled cheese shop:

The perfect ending to a perfect race

I cannot believe I am a sub-3:50 marathoner! It is such an unexpected thing to happen. I will have a goofy smile on my face the rest of the week!

A Near Perfect Race Day

Today's Baltimore Marathon: 3:46:05

A new PR by 24 freaking minutes! Recap coming later this week!

Let's Get Ready to Ragnar!

Today is happily my Friday because tomorrow I am taking off work to run in the DC Ragnar Relay. Last year I joined a team for the inaugural PA event (initial recap here) and had an absolute blast.

Who knew sweaty vans with strangers could be so much fun

This year Mike and I decided to start our own team and run the DC race. Since the starting line is four hours away we will be leaving tonight, camping out nearby, and will be ready to rock and roll tomorrow morning!

I'm excited about this relay for a couple of reasons:

1) Last year Mike signed up to run, but was injured and ended up being our driver instead. This time he is actually running and I am so excited for him to participate!

2) We are running with two members from last year's team, but everyone else is a stranger. Events like this make me realize how much I like getting to know people I've never met before.

3) New running routes! Enough said.

4) The race ends in DC near my mom's house so she is joining us at the finish line. Its been a month since I've seen her, which is wayyyy too long.

5) After last year's relay I distinctly remember waking up Sunday morning and cursing the fact that I did not take Monday off of work. This time around I made sure to put in my vacation time, so yay for four day weekends!

Mileage-wise, I am runner #11, which is slated for 22.2 miles. My friend Sally, who was captain of my team last year, will pace me through my nighttime 9 something miles and then I plan to pace her for her 9 something miles immediately afterwards. We had back-to-back legs last year, did the thing, and ended up running 13 some miles at 2 am. This year we should end up running closer to 18/19 miles in the wee morning hours. All in all, I should come out with 32 or so miles for the event including pacing, which fits in perfectly with JFK training.

Now off I go to become a two time Ragnarian!