Hartford Half Marathon

I haven't written this up because its a little depressing, but this was my slowest solo half ever. I have been dealing with achielles tendinitis this fall, and this was a painful and super undertrained run. But I finished. And the race itself was lovely. Good course support, decent scenery, beautiful weather and a great finish zone. This was also the first time I stayed in a hotel near the start/finish and that totally kicked ass. 

The medal was kick ass and huge and heavy too. 

2:20:16. Less than 50th percentile. Oh well. Better luck next time!

back on the wagon

A short 2 week goal to stick to Weight Watchers. Starting at 176.2 yesterday.

motivation? 10k on Memorial Day and my 58:22 time from 2012 to beat.  Based on my last half marathon time, I should be able to hit a 57:12 (9:12 pace) 10k.

So McMillan tells me I should be training at 9:23-9:50 steady state (which is, uh, faster than my run this past weekend), 1:55-2:02 400s and 4:00-4:11 800s.  I guess I should knock out some speedwork this week and next...I'm thinking two interval sessions, a short run and a 6 miler this weekend, and the same next weekend (with the race on Monday). Reasonable? I hope so.

NJ Half Marathon

More later, but a quick recap...

2:07:32.  an over 30 PR by 1:13 (I think, it was at least 60 seconds!). Still 15 minutes over my lifetime PR, but for how little I train, this is ok.

Overall Place

2690

of 5347

Womens Rank

1410

of 3352

Age Grade

51.59%

Pace

9:45

mins/mile

NYC half details

Part 2 of 2. The wordy follow up to the much more exciting picture recap.

The NYC Half is a NYRR race, and has grown a TON since I was first registered for it in 2008 (when it was still in July. And I didn't run it because I broke my foot 3 days prior. Womp Womp.).  As you would expect (marathon debacle aside, though I suspect a lot of that had to do with Bloomberg and not NYRR, but guess who took the fall?), it was what you'd expect from NYRR. Clean, polished, well organized and such.

Pros:

• Terrific course
• great corral set up (including potties in each corral, which made a last minute pit stop enroute to the start line easy)
• relatively fast start for a 20k race (took me about 20 minutes to cross, and the streets were moderately full the whole way, so I think this was appropriate spacing)
• TONS of water, every half mile or so
• Did I mention the awesome course?
• Fair amount of spectators
• Tons of photographers (if you're into springing for race photos. some of mine were ok, but I am not buying)
• Great baggage system
• Good weather (30s, dry, not windy) considering the weird winter we had

Cons:

•  kind of weird demand to be in corrals 30 minutes in advance of start time
• TIGHT finish area
• finisher bag had a sport drink, water, and pretzels. Disappointing. I expected a banana and a bagel.
• Medal was so-so

I had a decent race, especially considering I was only 70% trained or so (running theme with me, pun intended, ha ha). I did 90% of my long runs and 30 or 40% of my midweek runs. My Garmin was all over the place, I assume due to the city influence, but here's my splits:

5k: 29:33
10k: 1:00:10
15k: 1:31:20
20k: 2:02:07
Finish: 2:08:42 (9:50 pace)

Age/Gender: 927/1679
Gender: 4134/7609
Overall: 9402/14535

So overall a somewhat sub-average finish, and still no where near back to my 2008 sub-2 hr half time, but for sub-par training, respectable. And no tears, no frustration, and I enjoyed the race, so that's a win.

NYC Half

Part 1 of 2

Just the photos.

This WAS one of the cooler courses I've ever run. Probably second to the NYC Marathon :)

Times Square

Intrepid (shuttle is covered in tarp things)

West Side Highway/new WTC I can't recall the name of

Brooklyn Battery Tunnel

decent medal. It's silver hued, not gold. Instagram magic.

Winter

This has been a good running week.

I did five on the treadmill Wednesday, did a run in the dark for the first time in ages Thursday, and ran after the snowstorm today. I was going to wear my yak traks, but after half a mile decided the streets and sidewalks were too clear (at noon. Seems you have to go early to run in snow when it is a significant storm).

Tomorrow: 10 miles. I may do 8 and do ten next week (seeing as next week is a step back and I am using it to make up last weeks 8, but we will see how I feel, as well as how the roads are and the wind!)

8 miles

I knocked out an "easy" 8 miles yesterday for my long run. It actually wasn't that bad, albeit cold, and I only stopped 3 or 4 times. 1:19:19 (without stops). Pretty good.

The amazing part?

I was thinking, around mile 6.5 when I was ready to go home, how 5 (FIVE!) years ago I was knocking out 8 milers midweek marathon training.

That made me feel a little crappy. Besides that I don't run 30+ mpw now, I'm a good 15+ lbs heavier and quite a bit slower now.

But then I got to thinking...in 5 years I've(/we've):

• bought 2 houses
• sold one
• moved three times
• had twins

• took two new jobs, then got promoted/moved to a new role at the latter

So maybe I'm really doing ok?

and on the upside, I'm pretty on track with training for my March 17 half, and its been a LONG time since I said that.

2012 review

Considering I didn't have a "good" training year, I'm pretty damn impressed with myself. I guess every mile does add up.


So far I am on mile 7 of my 1000 goal for 2013. Good thing my half training is starting for real this week...I think I'm going with (the latter 10 weeks) of Hal Higdon's Novice II.

Day 1

Ate: 42 points
Used: 12 earned activity points (6 running; 6 elliptical) and 3 weekly points.

Today's big takeaway: maybe eating two big cookies for breakfast at home (then having real breakfast at work) isn't a great idea.

On the upside,  I ran for the first time in almost a week...30 minutes, 3 miles and change (3.27?). I decided to add "Run 1000 miles" to my goals for the year. That's about 2.7/day and almost 20/week, which is ambitious for me at this point and I think a good motivator. I hit 700 in 2007 running Jan-March (half training) and July - Nov (full training)...

Turket Trot

My dad and I (and my mom and a friend of mine) did our annual Thanksgiving 5k this past weekend. We started running it in 2009 (I even managed to blog about it in 2010).  I ran it in 29:02 (on my watch, the chip times were all screwed up. I didn't run a 23:xx nor did my mom do a 40:xx (she did come in under 50 minutes though which is a huge PR for her, not that she keeps track...).

It's a great race, sizeable (at around 2k runners) for a local run, if crowded at the start. I can't blame the runners for me time (ok, maybe for 30 seconds of it). I can only blame myself, my walking on the hills and my lack of general training.

In other news I started weight watchers today.

the Race that Wasn't

It's not big secret in the world of social media that  the NYC Marathon was cancelled this year in light of Sandy (which I won't go into any detail on, since unless you've been living under a rock you probably know that parts of the Jersey Shore, Staten Island, Queens and Long Island are quite literally in the ocean now - we were lucky, losing just some shingles and holding onto our power. A week out and millions are still in the dark.).

I will say I am WILDLY disappointed in how this was handled by NYRR, and I suppose, given the source of the announcements, the Mayor's Office.  Any idiot could have said on Tuesday, seeing the wild destruction, that it needed to be postponed. Not held. Whatever. I can't speak to the motivations for not doing so immediately (though I imagine they were financial), but it was really disgraceful and disrespectful to both the runners (many of which were traveling from far away, and travel to NYC is by no means cheap) and the city as a whole. And cancelling 36 hours before the race due to (I assume) wild backlash in social media and a general feeling that the runners might not be safe (from people, much less the environment)? Salt in the wound.

That said, I am glad it was cancelled, though I admit I am (perhaps selfishly) dying to know what will happen to our entries. We went to the expo Saturday, spent a good deal of money (some of which is supposed to be donated to the relief funds) and got our numbers and tees for The Race That Wasn't.  I know these things take time, blah blah, but I do want to know. To be honest, in light of our questionable training and the fact this is a bucket list item for Chris, we are not registering for another marathon this fall but just riding this out. We'll run if it is rescheduled, though I would prefer automatic deferral to next year (and donation of this year's entry fee to a relief fund would be nice, are you listening NYRR?). I promise to train properly next summer if you make this happen Running Gods.

Now, in light of my fake taper, I basically haven't worked out in weeks, so I have 3 weeks to try to get into shape to try to PR in the Thanksgiving turkey trot. Given that my 5K PR is around 26:30 or something like that, it should be achievable. Except I am still 172 lbs and haven't been training.

so...

We're still doing the NY Marathon, though in all honesty just running to finish. no time goal. We're both mildly injured (well, C is more than mildly injured and is in PT) and I'm overweight. Finishing at all with 2 one year olds is good right?


It kind of pains me to "waste" an entry to NYC on racing to finish, but I'm kind of over it. It's a fun, huge, crowded race, and we're running it together. It'll be a lot more fun than running with time pressure.  I can save that for a less cool race someday (though I doubt I'll do another marathon anytime soon).

In the meanwhile, I'm setting my sights on a 5k PR for this Thanksgiving (starting training this week) and losing some weight. I was 175.6 this morning, the most I've been in a while. Granted, I am probably bloated etc yuck etc, but ugh. I need to stop fucking around. Its been nearly 4 years at this weight and I just keep bitching like that'll change something.

So small goals, 10 lbs by Thanksgiving (8 weeks).

so that fall marathon

So this November, my wife and I are running the NYC Marathon. This is a bucket list item for her, and I wanted to do it again, so we're going to run together.

Truth be told, we're running to finish, not to "race" it. This is good for a couple of reasons:

• it is her first full (and likely my last, at least as far ahead as I can think), and anyone with marathon experience knows running to finish is a good game plan for 26.2 miles.
• we have infant (almost toddler, omg) twins

So, in light of these issues (plus that we work full time and don't by any stretch of the imagination have enough babysitters at our disposal for childcare for an intense running schedule), we opted for a pretty basic and stretched out (eg, flexible) marathon training plan.  So far so good. I had a set back about a month ago when I strained my hip (actually i strained by back, and then I strained my hip. I can't even remember if I wrote about this but I don't want to relive it so we'll just move on). Due to some weather/timing/laziness issues, we're currently a week behind, but since the schedule has so much room for flexibility, I'm not too concerned. This weekend we need to do 14 miles. My in-laws will be visiting for the girls' birthday, so I am hoping we can knock them out all at once, sans stroller, Saturday morning.

On a related note, the race is 14 weeks from this coming Sunday. I currently weigh 16 lbs more than I did when I ran it in 2007. Should I try to lose the weight? I don't know. The biggest most ridiculous hurdle to that for me right now is I don't want to have to admit to anyone I didn't/couldn't find the motivation/whatever if I do try...ridiculous.

Another 10K PR

Sadly, I don't have the official results of placement. I know I wasn't in the top 10 of my age group though (lol). I emailed the scoring company when neither of us turned up, and they said they fixed it, but the result they assigned to me is about a minute slower than my Garmin PLUS in the wrong age group, so I'm just writing it off and using my Garmin time. Boo hisssss.

Anyway, the race was nice. This is the same race where I did the two miler last year and got 1st in my age group. This year, my dad got third in his age group, but they did away with medals in the two miler except for the top 3 M/F. boo hiss.

Aside from these issues, it was really nice for a local race. Probably 600 runners total, and a good set up area with water (even pre-race), bagel, oranges, and a bounce house for the kids. The teeshirts kind of sucked, but whatever, straight into the goodwill bag. I wish races offered a discounted entry for no teeshirt. I don't need more teeshirts (unless it is a special race) and would rather save $5 or $10.

Start of the Two Miler

Chris and I both did the 10k. She is a beast and did it with the stroller in about 1:11 (11:30 mile or so) and just a couple of starts. I did it on my own and finished in 57:45 (I think, about a 9:25 pace, a 45 sec PR - sidebar,

Instant PR

This morning I ran a Memorial Day 10K in a lovely nearby community.  I have to say, this is one of the best organized races I have ever attended.  Of course, its been running longer than I have been alive, so they've had some time to perfect it!!  It was a good sized race - 3500 people between the 10k, 5k and fun runs - which is a size I love. I don't like small races -- too lonely on the course.

I started out a little fast. It was just around 80, and humid (when the race finished the car said 86, and weather.com said the heat index was 90ish while Accuweather/the paranoia network said 100). It felt good to be running without the stroller. Alas, it was hot and I am not as fit as I think (not to mention I do have mental toughness issues). I'd planned to walk the water stops, but added in walking the 1/2 and 1 mile points from 3.5 miles on.  It was rough.

I did manage to keep my overall pace under 10 min/mile, which I guess is good. (Considering I'm carrying around 20 lbs more than I was 5 yrs ago at my marathon, and 30 or 35 more than I should be, I suppose its respectable even though I am still clinging to my 40 min 5 miler PR from 2007...)

Splits:
1 mi - 8:47
2 mi - 8:52
3 mi - 9:20
4 mi - 9:44
5 mi - 9:51 (see me walking more and more!)
6 mi - 9:33
0.2 mi - 2:28/9:05 pace
58:33 overall, 9:25 pace
591/934 (looks like there was 1500 or so in the 5k, but we left just before it was starting...there was also an elite (like 5 min qualifying times) mile race and a big kids' fun run)
199/409 women
F30-34: 26/47

This was my 1st ever 10k, so it is an instant PR. Score.

224

As of May 7, I have run 224 miles this year. I've had this goal in the back of my mind since late 2007 to run 1000 miles in a year. I think I hit 700 that year, a year when I was "single," young (lol), pretty fit, and running a lot. And 20 lbs lighter than now.

To hit 1000, I'd need to run 3.26 miles/day for the remainder of the year. Just about 100 miles/month, or 25/week. I'd really need to pick it up. Should I try? I'm not sure.

I feel like a bit of a health and fitness failure these days. I've put on 20 lbs in 4.5 years, 10 of that in the last 9 months or so.

on the road again

How many times have I used that title?  I've been running 10 miles/week or so since my half in March, which is more than zero, but less than I "should" be running.

I went for a run tonight. Chris and I had taken the babies out for just over a mile, and I went back out after dinner and bedtime for another 2. It was nice. I haven't run in the evening in, well...over 9 months, since before the babies came (not on my own anyway and not this late). I felt like I was flying without the stroller.

Of course, when I checked my garmin....I ran a 9:54 and a 9:35. Right on par with normal. Sigh.

Georgia Half Marathon

So once again I didnt come anywhere close to my two hour goal. Blame my 15 mile per week training, my extra 20 pounds, my lack of mental toughness. All and especially the first.

I'll start with the bad. As it turns out, they are NOT kidding about Atlanta being hilly. Or humid. Of course, given that it is March, I didnt really anticipate it being 70 and humid at the start line. That made the first few miles really rough. It kind of baked off after an hour or so so it could have been worse.

The start was also not a good as it could have been. The corrals were totally unmanaged, and unlike most big races, the calls to line up weren't audible from the gear or bathroom areas. I went to get online at 6:40 and never made it to my corral. The pacers only had small signs and I have no idea where the two hours pacer was....the only one I ever saw online was 3:55.

Ok.

Overall this is a super well run race. The expo was nice (though parking was $10) and the finish was organized. I'm not really clear why the food bags weren't given out with the medals (mini shoppers prefilled) but they were near gear check (which was painless) and there wasn't a line.  They also had heat sheets (grabbed one for the ride home) and both wet and dry towels. My wet one is  still on my neck as I write this on MARTA. They had water and chocolate milk at the finish (nice in theory but maybe better with food. I love chocolate milk but in an overheated state couldn't grab one).

The course itself was hard. This was my 12th half and definitely the most challenging course (which made my fairly dramatic undertraining and the heat more of a problem). Around mile 5 the trip hour pacer passed me. Awesome. Around mile ten the 2:10 pacer flew by. I'd stuck with a walk water stop plan till then, after that walked every 5 min as well. At mile 11 I knew I couldn't hit my 2:07 time from October and kind of gave up. I walked a lot at the end and finished in 2:11.

Sigh.

trying

I'm really trying to be better about meeting my goals. My big goal for the spring is to break a 2 hr half marathon. I think losing 10 or 15 lbs would assist greatly in this (and get me back to where I was when I ran my half PR in 2008, not to mention be close to being out of "overweight" on the stupid BMI chart), but I haven't made it a priority yet (same 10 or 15 lbs I've been talking about for eons).

So...8 weeks to go.

The first two weeks of January went ok.  I missed my first long run (5 mi) of the year due to a personal fiasco I don't want to get into right now. Last week was good. 2 4 milers and a 6 miler. I only stopped twice (that I recall) during the fridid 6 miles, which is a huge accomplishment for me. The pace was ok, about a 9:20. I need to drop that at least 10 seconds/mile to hit my goal...

On tap this week is 3 3 milers and a 7. One run down, three to go... (and I need to get to Crossfit twice. I'm planning on Thurs and Fri mornings).

so how'd I do?

really going to hit my goal this time. If I keep saying it either I'll believe it happened or it will happen, right?

Last week's goal was 3, 4, and 5 miles (12 total). I ended up with 3.5, 2.3, and 4.5 (10ish). Not great, not terrible. This week is 13 weeks pre-race, and my last screwing-around-pre-training week before the proverbial heat is on. 3, 4, and 5 to do. 3.3 and 2.3 (lol) down.  Why the weird off plan mileage? Turns out there is a YMCA next to my office where I can use my AWAY membership 5 times/month. I have this crazy idea I can run at lunch once a week. I tried it today, hence the 2.3 miles. I could probably squeeze in 3 if I left my office on time...