Time for another full marathon!

Tomorrow, we leave for Dayton. I'm having my rematch with the AF Marathon. I would really love to finish under 5 hours, and part of me thinks this is possible. I might even run with a pace group.

Tuesday, I ran a 5k on base and was still sooooo sore from Saturday that I was thrilled to pull off a 25:10 finishing time. Good enough for 1st female, and 3rd place predicted time (I predicted 25 minutes).

I could not believe HOW DIFFICULT it was to run, though!!!! (perhaps because I haven't done such a good job of resting this week! Can't help it, the taper makes me crazy!)

And then there's today- 80 degrees, 90% humidity, and the worst run I've had this training cycle. I'm  hoping it was all because of the heat. It was difficult to maintain even a 10 min/mile pace. Hopefully, and being (way too) sedentary most of tomorrow for traveling, I'll wake fresh on Saturday.

We shall see!

Have you ever ran with a pace group? I'm torn. I want to try to break 5 hours, and on paper I should be more like 4:30 (yikes!) so I know it's possible. I might try to hang with one just for the camaraderie. Who knows. Maybe I'll surprise myself!

Boom.

I'm still a little shocked.

At mile 2, I asked the guy, "are you sure?" He thought I was questioning distance, but I told him no, I've just never run this fast before.

First place in my age group. Top 10 finish. 23:40-something (official results will be posted later).

Are you SURE????? 

Fan-freaking-tastic day. It was great to begin with- shopping and PSLs with my good friend (who happens to be coach/friend's wife). It would have been fabulous if it ended there. But we both had so much fun, and exceeded all expectations we had for our runs. She had the best run she's had in 3 years, and I got a trophy. 

What a great day. Friendship and fast times. 

:)

EDIT: Official results have been posted:

23:48! WHOOOP WHOOOP!!!!!!!! 9th place out of 135. I am pumped. Lesson learned: summer speed work pays off!

3 Things Thursday!!!

1. Speed work lately has been surprising- 800s in 3:35 consistently (in 90 degree heat!), and today's 400s were all between 1:30 and 1:35. Are you SURE these are my legs? And lungs? Which leads to...

2. I have a 5k this weekend that I've been looking forward to for weeks- it's a Girls' Night Out 5K, complete with high heel dash (which I'm skipping because the big day is sooooo close), yoga, and then the run. I've never done a ladies-only event, so this should be fun!!!

BUT my coach/friend told me today he expects me to run-- get this-- sub 23:00. ARE YOU SURE? Last night, the Husbeast and I got together with Coach/friend and his wife (who is also running on Saturday- she's such an awesome person; I can't wait!), and after a beer or 2, I might have said I'm gunning for an age group award. Sometimes, given our small local community, I can place. So I said it out loud, and am now afraid I'll be embarrassed if I don't. And them he has to go and tell me that I *should* be able to run that fast.

So now, what started out as a super fun, laid-back 5k I was going to run for shiggles the weekend before the next full hast turned into something that will probably keep me awake all night. Me and my big mouth.

3. Speaking of that full, I can't believe the Air Force Marathon is next weekend!!!! And that makes the Veteran's marathon right around the corner, too. EEEK!!! I'm so excited for the AFM. It should give me a good idea what kind of goals to set for the Vets marathon.



Ever surprise yourself during a training run? I love it when I'm surprised with speed. It still feels surreal that I ran those paces.

Random: do you play Euchre? We played last night, and I still find it funny that it's such a regional thing.

the taper...

So, I have been "enjoying" the taper in a similar fashion as last March- chilled out, mostly relaxed, excited for race days, and sniffles galore!

But, where last spring I knew it was a cold/flu and therefore would end, this time it's allergies... which won't end until we get a massive rain or it freezes. So I've been sniffling, sneezing, and apologizing everywhere I go for my chapped, nasty nose.

The interesting thing is that all year, my allergies have been the best ever- as in minimal impact, if any. And then I ate something that caused a severe allergic reaction on Wednesday evening, which then caused every other allergy I have to flare their ugly heads. So not only have I been sneezing and sniveling, my skin itches everywhere (especially my poor underarms- which REALLY sucks when I exercise) and my eyes look like they belong in a Visine commercial.

So much fun. PLus, the drainage makes me lose my voice. My poor yoga class yesterday (several of them first timers) struggled to hear every cue even though I felt like I was yelling.

The upside that all these allergy issues have made it easier to forget I have marathon #3 in 11 days.

ELEVEN DAYS! EEEK!

I guess I better suck it up and run this afternoon... even though it's going to be 96 degrees! UGH.

Lest you think I'm only allergic and whiny these days, I have been having fun:

You know you're a runner when your bike night outfit consists of a race tee and a running jacket!

 We rode down to Indy with some of the guys from the unit on Saturday night, and had a snack (and I had some Smithwicks's) at the Tilted Kilt. Don't get me started on their waitresses- it was blatantly obvious who in the crowd picked the venue. But it was tons of fun.

My new strategy to battle helmet hair is to wear a sparkly headband underneath.

Anyone else wear some of their running apparel for motorcycle riding (or other non-running activities)?

I often wear my reflective gear while I'm on the back of the bike. I'd rather be highly visible and dorky than a splat on the road!

Taper crazies... do you freak out, or just go with it?

At this point, it is what it is. I'd rather be undertrained and well-rested than exhausted or injured. I get phantom pains sometimes, but for the most part, I enjoy the taper (minus colds and allergies, that is!).

When menu planning lets you down

We all know menu planning works wonders- helps save money at the grocery and makes life easier when you're not staring down 6 o'clock with no clue what to make.

What I want to know, though, is what these menu-planning mavens do when Life happens. See, this week, we had Thai meatballs, bourbon chicken, and tuna casserole on the plan. The meatballs happened (and were delicious), but then the Husbeast went on an impromptu road trip, leaving me here. Bourbon chicken and tuna casserole make waaaaaay too much for one. So what's a girl to do?

Lazy lunch.

Today's solution is au gratin potatoes with broccoli. 

This is serving as a good reminder that I need to start thinking of cooking for one again since he Husbeast will be heading to OTS in a few months. Ugh. I love to cook, but when it's just for me, it becomes almost torture. I'm going to have to look up more freezable meals.

Any favorite meals that you like to freeze for later?

5 by the 5th: fall edition

Laura is hosting another 5 by the 5th- but this time it's 5 or 10 miles instead of 5k or 5 miles. Today, I ran my first for the series- 5 miles in 75 degree weather with- get this- 100% humidity.

Yeah. So the fact that I finished and only walked to 1) take my soggy shirt off and 2) get up the beast of a hill we live on makes me happy with the effort. 

The mostly shaded running trail helped.

And I smiled and "good morning"-ed everyone I saw.

But I was happiest when it was done.

5 miles in 49:30 in this weather conditions? I'll take it. And to feel so overall amazing after just running 14 on Saturday? Bonus. I didn't think I'd be back to that level of fitness (not being sore after 14 miles) so quickly. Another mark in the "I can finish a marathon again" column.

I spent some quality time with a book and a beverage in the backyard afterwards, and went for a motorcycle ride with the Husbeast afterwards. All in all, a fabulous Labor Day.

I hope yours was just as great!!!

Veteran's Marathon training- August recap and September goals

In case you haven't noticed, my mileage is "low" by most other marathoners' standards. I've found I stay injury free running less and cross training/strength training more. So, I was kind of surprised to log 91.33 miles for August. That's A LOT for me! It's actually my highest mileage month.... EVER.

That 13.7 mile long run really served as reassurance that I can finish the AF Marathon. Finishing = winning for that one... but I'm also hoping to at least keep it around either of my other 2 marathon times.

And the 14.11 yesterday (minus the cooler theft and mysterious return) helped boost my confidence, too (and while I'm glad I got the cooler back, I'm still pissed about the incident, and the fact that because I was out of water I had to end my run early).

So now, I enter the taper crazies for September. The plan is to keep is easy, run the AF Marathon with the sole goal of finishing (ok, maybe I semi-secretly want to PR, but I won't push things if it's not reachable), and then ease back into training. I'll probably take 5 days off, maybe more, maybe less. Playing it by ear. But I will be running a local 15K the first Saturday in October (which I can run home from to add extra mileage), then the Highway Half in Kokomo the next week, and hopefully a Halloween race of some distance. Between the 15k and the half, that leave just one week to run long alone. Just the way I like it!

Again, October wille be lower mileage than most marathon training people run. But this is what works for me. Frankly, if I hit 90 miles again, that would be stellar. Maybe I'll go big and shoot for 100.

I'm still following my half-assed Hansons plan. Fitting in the workouts I can, but listening to my body. I know when to push it, and when to pull back and look at the training plan and say, "Yeah, that's not going to happen." But if last March is any indicator, this is what works for me.

That takes me into taper #2 for the fall. As I sit here, I feel like time is going to fly by, and before we know it, I'll be at the starting line for the Veteran's Marathon, dreaming of a sub-5 hour finish.

Training this last week:

Sunday: 13.7 miles
Monday: Taught yoga and strength and conditioning
Tuesday: 3.5 hot, humid miles
Wednesday REST
Thursday: 8 x 200 (on grass), 3 miles total distance
Friday: class cancelled; 1 hour yoga at home
Saturday: 14.11

If I'm going to have another high-mileage month, I need to get more compression socks. 2 pairs isn't cutting it anymore, especially when I go balls-to-the-wall during strength and conditioning. They squeeze my swollen legs back from sausage to normal human being.

How is your September shaping up? 

Fan of compression or no? I think my love affair is in part due to super low blood pressure. Without my socks, my legs would be swollen for days. With them, they're fine by the next morning. If only they didn't cost so much....

Do you follow a training plan to the T, or use it as a guideline? Life is too unpredictable for me to try to follow training plans exactly, hence my half-assed Hansons plan.