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Well, this is my last training recap post for… awhile… until I start training again, which won’t be for a few months. This training cycle has been all sorts of disappointing, but I’ve accepted that I did what I could with what I was given. By now most of you should know how my race went (If you don’t, stop reading this and head over to read my race recap of the Indy Monumental Half Marathon). The day feels like a dream! Here’s what my final week of training, taper week, looked like:
- Friday (10/24): 2 mile run, 0.5 mile walk
- Saturday: REST (attending conference all day)
- Sunday: 8.4 mile bike (at normal pace), 0.65 mile walk
- Monday: 25 minutes barre (while teaching), 0.85 mile walk (cool down after class)
- Tuesday: 4o minutes mat pilates, 0.6 mile walk
- Wednesday: 1.2 mi run
- Thursday: REST
- Friday: walking around expo/standing for a few hours at the Team in Training table
- Saturday: 13.1 half marathon!
The training cycle wasn’t all that I wanted it to be at the end, but I had a solid summer of training, and a great first half of my training cycle, and I think that’s what allowed me to have the race that I had.
Thanks for following along with my training this cycle! I think 2014 was a year of building a much stronger foundation, so I’m excited to see where things go from here!
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Dear Grandma,
I can’t wait to tell you all about the half marathon I ran this weekend in your memory. As you know, I wasn’t feeling very confident about the race because the weather was supposed to be bad (up to 20 mph winds and COLD), I had a migraine the day before, and I hadn’t run more than 2 miles at a time for 5-6 weeks because I got shin splints. I tried to do what I could with resting, icing, compression, and keeping up cardio with biking and elliptical, but I was nervous. Race morning I woke up and did my standard routine: blast music to pump me up, eat a protein bar, 10 ounces of OJ, and a banana, and got ready. I also wrote a few messages on my feet to push me forward. I also had my grandma’s initials on my hand.
Running to beat POTS and running for my Grandma
When I got down to downtown Indy and got out of the car, I immediately freaked out a bit because of the weather. The wind was piercing and I was shivering- YIKES! Caitlin, Meg, Melissa, and I, along with Melissa’s husband and in-laws (her father-in-law also ran his first half marathon and ran a REALLY solid race!!) waited in the Convention Center and warmed up in there.
Melissa, Caitlin, and Me. Yes, our bibs are all signed by Jeff Galloway.
Melissa was a little nervous about the race (it was her first full marathon), and we all turned our focus to trying to keep her calm. This was actually helpful to me, as I didn’t have a chance to stress much for myself.
We got out to the corrals about 10 minutes before the race started, and took a few last pictures before Melissa, Caitlin, and I hit the corrals.
It was chilly! This was the race start temp:
We crossed the starting line 5 minutes and 35 seconds after the race clock started, so it was nice and fast. We were SO happy to be moving, as it was really chilly out. I wore my running jacket underneath my jersey, as I wanted to be visible to the Team in Training coaches! The first few miles were sort of rough. It was chilly and we were trying to get our bodies moving in a bitter cold that I haven’t felt since February (I think?). It was cold! Philip had bought hand warmers for all of us, and these were amazing throughout the race! I definitely want to keep these in mind for future years, as I ended up keeping in my gloves until mile 11.
Right around (or right before) mile 3 we hit Monument Circle, and I decided that I had to get rid of my jacket. I ripped off my jersey and unzipped my jacket so that Meg could rip it off me. It all happened so smoothly and quickly, and I was off again!
Right around mile 4 Caitlin and I decided to pull ahead of Melissa. Since she was running the full, she needed to pace slower than I did, so we gave her a hug, told her to believe in her training and have fun, and we were off! We had run the first few miles a little slower than I normally would, mostly due to the cold and stiffness because of that. I immediately started running anywhere from a 9:30-10:00 pace during the run segments and picked it up during the run portions too. I had no idea what my body was going to do since it hadn’t really run in 5-6 weeks, so I hoped for the best!
I took my first shot bloks (margarita flavored for the extra sodium!) around mile 4.5, and they went down easily; I normally don’t have a problem with fueling on the course. Somewhere right around the 6 mile mark I got this weird pain on the outside of my knee that I think was just associated with some ITBS stuff. I looked down and actually yelled at my knee “You need to knock it off. Get your act together!”, and didn’t have a problem really with it again.
My previous PR (which was set on this course in 2012) was 2:31:48, and I had no plans of trying to set a PR. Because of that, and because I was planning to run this race for you, grandma, I decided to just run based on how I felt. I looked at the pace on my garmin, but didn’t try to force anything at all. And you know what, I kept feeling better and better!
Somewhere around mile 7 I took 2-3 cran razz shot bloks, and right before that I had taken a salt tablet (a new thing that I did on race day, and this turned out really well!). I was rotating between water and gatorade at aid stations, and I was feeling good!). I got really chatty at this point, and started telling Caitlin all about you and what you meant to me!
Caitlin was really fun to run with! She is a speedy runner ( and just finished the Chicago Marathon a few weeks ago), so her goal was to just hang out with me and try to motivate me towards the finish. It was great to get to know her a bit better along the way. She has the greatest personality, and while it’s fun to have that in my every-day-life, it was especially great to have that on the race course.
Somewhere between 8.5 and 9, my first team in training coach ran up and jumped onto the course with me! He ran next to us for 5-6 minutes, and it was great and extra motivating to have him there. I noticed that I picked up the pace a little more, and was still feeling good. He was a great encouragement, and said all the right things before turning back around to catch the next team in training member. I picked it up from that point on in the race.
At mile 10, the next team in training coach jumped in, and I again said that I was feeling pretty good, but had no idea why since I hadn’t been training well, even though I was in the best shape I’d ever been in right before I got shin splints at the end of September. He encouraged me to cut back on the run:walk method near the finish and try to push it as I got in! I ate my final shot bloks (again, the margarita flavor shot bloks for the extra sodium) for the race, and I was off.
I was a little nervous about the race as I hit mile 11, since it was in this mile last year that I watched my half marathon PR slip away as a massive bout of cramps hit. That was disappointing, but Saturday I was still feeling great. I actually told Caitlin that I wished that I could slow down, just to make the entire thing last longer! Obviously I didn’t, but it really goes to show much I was really enjoying the moment.
Caitlin says that she realized for the first time that I had a good shot at a PR right around mile 9 when I kicked things up a notch, and she started to mention this somewhere right before mile 12. I stopped her and told her I didn’t want her to say it, because I didn’t want to jinx it! Somewhere part way through 11 the chatty part of me shut down, and I became really focused. I realized that I did have a shot at ending the race strong, although I still didn’t think that I was going to PR. I focused on my breathing and form, and kept talking to you in my head. I’m not sure if I’ve ever been able to zero in and focus on the finish the way that I did today, but it was cool to experience.
Somewhere around mile 12.5 I realized that a PR was going to be possible as long as I held it together. I was running faster than I ever had in a race, and my body was feeling great. I was having a hard time feeling like I was getting enough air, mostly due to POTS and the beta blocker that I’m on. I started to feel a little dizzy around 12.75, and reached out to grab Caitlin’s arm. She steadied me, reminded me to keep breathing deeply, and after walking for about 30 seconds, I was off again.
I started to hear the screams of the crowd at the finish line, and kicked it up again. After almost two years of struggling with cramps while racing, my body felt full of energy, and I felt fantastic. I took the moment in, and starting getting chocked up. I started thinking of you, grandma, and how much I wished that you could be at that finish line to cheer me on. I crossed the finish line at 2:30:19, and immediately buried my head in my hands to cry for a few seconds- it was so emotional!
This nice guy helped usher me along as I had to cry a little bit…
I worked so hard all summer and September with this moment in mind, and I really thought I lost it when I got shin splints and I couldn’t run! I hoped that, with a little extra inspiration since I was running for you, that I would do ok, but this was unbelievable!
One of the greatest things I learned in life from you, Grandma, was the ability to persevere with a smile on my face. I did that through training, and I did that on Saturday. I smiled, and had the time of my life. I miss getting to spend time with you and do things with you here on earth, but for two and a half hours on Saturday, I finally felt that we got to do something together again. It was nice to have you close to me.
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Immediately after finishing I gave Caitlin the biggest hug, and kept saying “OH MY GOSH, WHAT JUST HAPPENED? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?” We grabbed our food, took a few pictures, and met up with Philip, his dad, and Meg. We sat inside the convention center eating and stretching before we had to head back outside to start waiting for Melissa.
Cait and I at the finish- this girl got me through!
I was so happy to see Meg at the finish!!
While in the convention center, I opened up my RunKeeper to check out my splits, and I was so happy to see that I negative split the race! Here’s how they looked:
I’ve truly never been able to hold a pace like that the final few miles of a race! VO2 Max sprints for the win!! Thanks to my baby brother for that!!!
If you ever need inspiration in life, watch the finish line of a race! I couldn’t help but crying seeing so many people celebrate! And then we saw Melissa turn the corner for that final 0.1, and all started screaming for her!
She had an awesome first marathon, and I was so happy to be part of it, from all the early Saturday morning runs to race week traditions to race day itself! I couldn’t wait to give her a hug and tell her that I got a PR, since that was the last thing she yelled to me as I ran away (“GO GET THAT PR!”). I ran to her and threw my arms around her, told her congratulations and that I was so proud, and then told her I PR’d. And there we stood, between the finish line and the State Capitol building, sobbing. We’ve both worked so hard for this moment since July, and to have done it and done it well was SUCH a relief!
This has been, by far, the most “successful” half marathon I’ve had. Not only did I FINALLY break my half marathon PR after 2 years of working towards it, but I had a great time with friends, and I was also able to raise $650 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
This whole Friday/Saturday race weekend was truly one of the best moments of my life, and one that I definitely won’t be forgetting. I’m so thankful to Melissa for the countless hours out on the street training, and the encouragement she gave me while injured. She believed that I had this PR in me, even when I didn’t. I’m so thankful to Caitlin who came out to run with me- I’m not sure I would’ve gotten that PR without her there pushing and encouraging me. I’m thankful to Philip and Meg who stood outside in the freezing cold weather (after waking up at 4:30) to cheer us on and hold our stuff for us! Race spectators truly make the race experience fantastic, and I’m thankful for them. I’m thankful to each and every person who donated towards my fundraising goal with Team in Training. The experience fundraising has been absolutely fantastic, and I can’t wait to run with Team in Training again. I’m thankful for my family and the encouragement and training advise they give. And, as I say every race, I’m thankful for my body. With POTS, I shouldn’t be able to do what I am doing, and I’m so very aware of this. I’m thankful that I’ve been able to build up the strength and endurance (with a WHOLE LOT of my own stubbornness thrown in) that I’ve needed to be able to run the half marathon distance. I’m thankful I can run.
So now I’ve cried a few times typing up this recap, and I’m just so happy that I can run, and that I set a PR today! Off to enjoy the post-race high!! (and yes- I was definitely happy that I chose Smokin’ Hot as my nail polish of choice for this race 😀 ).
*Feel free to check out my Monumental Recap in 2012 and Monumental Recap in 2013!
If we were having coffee this morning… I would tell you all about my half marathon! I would probably talk incessantly about it as I picked apart every little aspect of it. (If you want the real details of the race, make sure to stop by my blog tomorrow (Sunday) to read all about it!). This training cycle wasn’t what I wanted, and it wasn’t ideal, but I did my best with what I was given, and that’s all I can do.
If we were having coffee this morning… I would tell you all about my new favorite nail polish colors. I’m obsessed with nail polish, and think it’s one of the fun “little things” in life that just consistently brings a smile to my face! I’d talk about some of my recent favorite colors, like Mint Candy Apple, Where’s My Chauffeur, Mischievous, Chinchilly, and Smokin’ Hot. I’d definitely encourage you to find a new color and try it out!
If we were having coffee this morning… I would tell you all about the five healthy habits I’ve implemented into my life that I feel have completely changed it! I would tell you all about each of these things (and I wrote a post all about it!), and encourage you to try to pick one of these things and start trying to implement it in your life too!
If we were having coffee this morning… I would tell you all about my latest projects. I just spoke at a conference, I’m about to give another presentation, I just finished the largest percent of work I’ll have to do for a grant that I have, and submitted an article for publication. This fall has been INTENSE and I’ve done all of this on top of working full time (or… you know… anywhere from 50-70 hours the last few weeks), and I’m so happy I’ve accomplished all of this while staying somewhat balanced and healthy. It’s been hard work, but I’ve tried to intentionally do life giving things every day to care well for myself.
If we were having coffee this morning… I would tell you how obsessed I am with books on tape (books on CD? What do we say nowadays? When I was growing up the books were on tape, so that’s what I naturally say) right now. I picked up yet another job this summer, so that’s made the fall extra busy as well. Because of this extra job, I drive A LOT more than I have the past few years. This summer (I can’t remember if it was late July or early August), I randomly picked up the first Hunger Games book on CD, and I loved how it helped pass the time while keeping me entertained. I’ve listened to five full books on tape, and am about 2/3 of the way through my 6th book on tape since that time, and I’m loving it. I’d definitely encourage you to look into it as well. It’s definitely one thing the library is good for!
Now it’s your turn to share! If we were having coffee today, what would you want to share with me?
Traditions help me get excited, so I’ve been trying to do them this week, especially because I am so nervous about this race. It’s supposed to be COLD tomorrow (Much colder than any other half I’ve run), and I’m still nervous about the fact that I haven’t really run in the last month. As I said earlier this week, I’m a mix of all sorts of emotions, like fear, anticipation, worry, and hope.
My friend Cait, who will be running the half tomorrow with me, posted this on her tumblr right before she ran her first marathon in Chicago a few weeks ago. I immediately copy and pasted it into a draft, just for today. I love it:
“We cannot control the competition. We cannot control the weather. We cannot control the struggles that will undoubtedly arise during the run. All we can control is ourselves. Standing at the starting line, I make the simple commitment to myself that today I will try my hardest. No matter what happens during the race, I will give it everything I’ve got and won’t give up without my strongest fight.” (Dean Karnazes)
That summarizes everything. It’ll be me and the memory of my grandma, fighting for everything I have, given the circumstances which haven’t been ideal.
I’ll fight. I’m in.
Isn’t it BEAUTIFUL?! This is Essie’s “Smokin’ Hot”. I found this color via Melissa this summer, and was anxious for fall to hit so that I could wear it (Remember- I’m crazy and wear nail polish seasonally). I absolutely love the dark gray neutral, as it pairs well with almost any color clothing. I have the Seche top coat on in the picture as well, so that adds some of the sheen. I can guarantee that this color will be in regular rotation through the winter 🙂
And some random Friday Facts for you:
1. My main meals the week before a race are pretty standard. Just making them gets me excited, because it signals RACE WEEK! I made my cranberry sweet potato quinoa salad, peanut butter chocolate protein balls, and pasta (with veggies and beans)! YUM! Of course I eat plenty of other things throughout the week, but these things are my staples.
2. My legs ache so badly the last few days before a race. They are so antsy and have so much energy, and I absolutely hate the feeling. I also start developing all these weird pains that I don’t ever believe are actual injuries… just weird expressions of the energy. The day before my first half marathon, I got a weird twitch in my knee that has never happened before or since. So strange.
3. Because I’m a fan of all things seasonal, it should come as no surprise that I really love decorations. I have all sorts of pumpkins and gourds around my living AND my office. And of course, I have these decorations around my place as well 🙂
happy friday.
Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one of your favorite nail polish colors? Tell me a fun Friday fact? Are you dressing up for anything today?
Hello and happy Thursday (this is my 100th “Thankful Thursday” post!)! I’m sitting here in the sunshine, enjoying a bit of peace while watching The Hunger Games. I’m also stressing about the typical race week things, and building up some adrenaline for race day. Here’s what I’m thankful for right now:
I’m thankful that it warmed up over the weekend! I even went out in shorts and a t-shirt this weekend to run errands! I love feeling the warm sunshine hitting me while out walking, biking, and driving. It’s been nice to have, even though I know that we’re getting chilly once again.
I’m thankful for a day off! From October 12th to today, I’ve only had one full day off. Intense, right? I’m so thankful for that day off, though, and for some time to relax and breathe. I tried to really relax and care for myself, even though I wanted to get a bunch of chores done. Sometimes the cleaning can wait just a bit in order to care well, right?
I’m thankful that I got to go to and attend an interesting conference last weekend. Last Saturday I spent the day at a fantastic conference. The keynote speaker was one of my favorite authors, and I got to eat lunch with him and ask a few specific questions. I had that opportunity because I led a workshop during the conference as well. I’m thankful for that opportunity.
I’m thankful for delicious fall foods! I’m the queen of all things seasonal, and I love it. I love foods like this roasted acorn squash bowl. It helps me really experience fall, and I’m a fan 🙂
I’m thankful for all the love in my life. Between this weekend’s race and the last three very busy weeks at work, I have been surrounded with so much love and encouragement. When I stop for a minute to really think about it, I actually feel overwhelmed. My phone has been blowing up with texts and calls throughout every single day. I’m thankful for the people I’ve surrounded myself with in my life.
I am thankful that Melissa is indulging all my pre-race traditions… and still responding to my frantic texts. Sometimes with the taper crazies, I get a little irrational. On Tuesday I sent her the following text: “We didn’t get spirit of the marathon!!! What if I DNF because of that?!?!” She’s also been listening to my debate over nail polish color choice since July. I understand these things are irrational, but… race week. So- thank you Melissa for still loving me even in my race week crazies. (Also- she’s running her first marathon this weekend, and I’m so excited for her!!)
Now it’s your turn to share! What are you feeling thankful for today?
I came into this training cycle in the strongest place that I’ve ever been in, which I was thrilled about. I was convinced that this year would be my year to finally PR at the half marathon. I spent the summer focused on it, and I was WELL on my way to PRing.
After hitting the 8.5 mile mark, I started to recognize that I had shin splints. I took a month off, which was really the last thing that I wanted to do. A week and a half ago, I went on my first run (1.62 miles) in a month. I loved it, but had these weird cramps for awhile afterwards. This rattled me.
I’ve been on two more runs since that time, both topping at 2 miles. I didn’t want to go much more, as I’m tapering and trying to make sure I don’t aggravate my injury. Obviously this is not anything close to an ideal month leading into a race. My schedule hasn’t been close to ideal either.
My confession: I’m scared. I’m scared of what race day will bring. Maybe everything will come together really well, and I will do well. But, I’m scared that this injury will flare up and I either won’t be able to finish, or that I’ll struggle through intense pain the last few miles.
My confession: I’m frustrated. I put everything into training well this summer, and I came into this training cycle SO strong. There’s really nothing else I could do differently, and that’s frustrating to me.
My confession: I’m sad. This race was supposed to be for my grandma, as I raised money for the leukemia and lymphoma society. I so badly wanted a strong race while running with her, and while I’m hopeful that I’ll still get it on race day, I’m also trying to accept the reality of what has been the last 5 weeks.
My confession: I’m hopeful. I’m hoping I’ll have a fun race, that I’ll enjoy it, and that I’ll finish. That’s what’s really important to me.
For now, I’m enjoying doing all my race week traditions: icing, rolling, slow walking, one shake out run, all my fun pre-race meals, watching spirit of the marathon, and panicking about the weather!
Ingredients
- 1 acorn squash
- 1 medium sized apple
- approximately 1/2 of a medium sized white or sweet onion
- a little chicken broth (or sometimes I just use a bit of water with spices)
- butter (if you want, for the squash)
- Salt & Pepper
- Any other items you might want (I’ve used lentils, chicken sausage, spinach, and mushrooms before as well)
I started out by poking holes with a fork into the sides of the squash, and then microwaving it for about 2 minutes to soften it up a bit (this makes it easier to cut). I then cut the squash in half, clean out the insides, and place in a pan with a bit of water at 350 degrees. I cook this for about 30-40 minutes (I just check in on it right about 32ish minutes).
While this is cooking, I put whatever I am putting into the squash bowl into a frying pan with a bit of water or brother, and some spices (I like oregano and salt, but sometimes I’ll add cayenne pepper for a bit of spice). If you’re using lentils, you’ll need to cook that a bit beforehand too, as well as the chicken sausage. Caramelizing the onions is also an option; I do it when I have more free time, and skip it when I’m in a rush.
Once everything is done cooking, scoop some of the fruit/veggie/bean/meat mixture into the acorn squash bowl, and enjoy! Pretty easy, right? I’ve refrigerated half of this before to eat the next night, and it’s held up just fine!
For more recipes to enjoy, check out my recipe page!
Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one of your favorite fall recipes?
These last two weeks have been a lesson in flexibility for me, as I’ve had a huge amount of extra crises work to do. I want to start out by saying that I am in no way complaining about this, and am so happy to have the job I have, and to do all that I get to do. However, crises work is unpredictable, so while I’ve tried to plan the best that I could, it just didn’t always play out the way I wanted it to.
Take two weeks ago. What was supposed to be a 40 hour week turned into a 70 hour week. Just a little more than planned, right? Everything else I had planned for the week was thrown aside while I dealt with the situation at hand.
Then there was last Wednesday. I was planning to eat lunch from 1-2, see a client from 2-3, do paperwork from 3-4, lift and clean up from 4-5, and see another client from 6-7. That seems nice and simple, right? Well it was, until I had a crisis that started at 12:50. Out went my plans to lift, and I was focused and working until about 7:30 that evening… there was no time for lunch even. While that’s not a feasible situation on a consistent basis, there are times that things pop up, and we just need to adjust.
Or how about the day before (Tuesday)? I was sitting in my office, starting my 2 o’clock appointment, and suddenly the power went out. I don’t have any windows in my office, and there are no windows in the hallway/waiting room, so when the power goes out, it is completely dark. The power flickers from time to time, so we sat in the dark for a minute, waiting to see what would happen. I then lit a candle, and we proceeded to finish the entire session by candle light. My next session was done by candlelight as well. Out went my ability to do notes, as they are all done on the computer, and I need the power and internet to do them. I was flexible, and did what I could.
I’ve made choices to sleep over lifting when I really want to lift, knowing that I need to care well for my body. I’ve thrown my plan for the last two weeks out of the window. I only have one day off from October 12-31st, and while I wouldn’t want to do that all the time, I’ve learned to be flexible in doing the best I can with what I’m given. Sometimes it doesn’t look ideal, and then we have a choice. Do we hold to what we wanted, not be flexible, and get bent out of shape about it? OR, do we shrug our shoulders, adjust to the reality, and bend with the stress so that we don’t break?
Now it’s your turn to share! How do you try to remain flexible when necessary?
Well, while I’ll have one more training recap to post from this cycle, this will be the last training recap that you’ll see before race day! Everything about this week was less than ideal. Besides working a normal day, I’ve done crisis work almost every day, so I’ve worked mostly 12+ hour days (and even worked on the weekends). Some days I’m lucky to just get something random to eat during a typical meal time… so I’m not eating as well as I’d like before a race either. But I’m doing all I can do, and that’s all I can do. Here’s how the week looked:
- Friday (10/17): 1.6 mile run, 45 minutes barre
- Saturday: 40 minutes pilates
- Sunday: 13.5 mile bikeride
- Monday: 25 minutes barre (while teaching class)
- Tuesday: 2.0 mile run, 0.2 mile walk
- Wednesday: REST (Worked 13 hour day)
- Thursday: 1.25 mile walk
Everything feels all wrong about this taper, and I don’t like. But it is what it is…
It doesn’t even feel like race week.