What to do? What to do?

I am currently not signed up for any races and have no definite race plan.  It feels very weird to me.

These are some races I'm considering:

Race Name	Date	Distance
3M 1/2 Marathon	1/13/2013	13.1
Cupids Chase 5K/Kids K Georgetown	2/2/2013	5K
Austin Marathon	2/17/2013	26.2
Woodlands Marathon	3/2/2013	26.2
Thin Mint Sprint/kids K	3/23/2013	5k
Texas Independence Relay	3/23/2013	13
Austin 10/20	4/14/2013	10
Big D Marathon Dallas	4/14/2013	26.2
OKC Marathon	4/28/2013	26.2
Pittsburgh Marathon	5/5/2013	26.2
Detuschen Pfest	5/19/2013	5k
Flying Pig Marathon Cincinnati	5/5/2013	26.2
Chicago Marathon	10/13/2013	26.2
Detroit Marathon	10/20/2013	26.2
Adoption Half Marathon or Marathon	Oct-13
Houston Marathon	Jan-14	26.2
Disney World Marathon	Jan-14	26.2
Disney Princess Half Marathon	Feb-14	13.1

Don't think I'm crazy, I won't do all those marathons.  I will pick 1 as my goal race for the next 6-12 months.  I'm just torn about what to do.  I did a lot of training to get to 26.2 and finish in 3:35.  5 days a week of running, 2 speed work and 1 long.  And I really followed the plan - for realz!  So part of me wants to capitalize on what I have already built and go for a spring marathon.  BUT I also have this annoying, nagging pain in my butt.  My right hamstring has been poking me for over a month and I think the only real solution is rest.  That means a fall or winter marathon.  Pro there is I could qualify in 3:40 (my current qualifying time for age 35 in 2015 is 3:40).  Con is starting my training all over in a few months. 

Dallas Marathon Race Report: Part 2

Dallas Marathon, December 9th 2012
8:05am start
Temp @ 8am: 68, feels like 68, 84% humidity, 9mph wind
Temp @ 10am: 69, 6mph wind
Temp @ 12am: 66, 17mph wind

Course:

Elevation:

These are the actual conditions we had to deal with.

Race morning Jennifer and I got up around 6:30.  I checked the weather, and to our disappointment, it was 60 degrees.  Ah well, time to don the warm weather gear.  We got dressed and ate a little breakfast.  For me that was an English muffin with peanut butter and honey and a cup of coffee.  The best part about our hotel was that it was 2 blocks from the start line, so we only had to walk out the front door to get to the race.  It pays to register and book a hotel early!

Ready to hit the road!

My plan was to join the 3:35 pace group and stick with them until the bitter end.  Jennifer and I hugged and wished each other luck.  We planned to meet at the 'post race party' at the finish.  We each headed off to find our pace groups.

My pacer, Chris, was a great guy.  Very friendly, had done 100+ marathons and guaranteed us a 3:34:30 finish. He also wore a giant orange foam cowboy hat.  Before we set off Chris let everyone around him know his plan.  Run 8:12 miles at an even pace, except for the first mile or two might be a little slow.  He also gave us essential advice about our GPS watches.  Pay attention!  He said to turn off the lap alerts on our watches and to use the mile markers on the course.  If we used the GPS distance/pace we would be OFF AT THE END BY AT LEAST A QUARTER MILE.  So I stopped down and asked "What the hell are you talking about?"  He explained that GPS calculations are always off, that whenever you turn, your distance calculation becomes less and less accurate.  And when you do a race, you don't run the exact tangents of the course.  When you have a goal time, like 3:35, you have to run 3:35 on the course and get to the finish line by that time, despite the fact that your Garmin will say you hit 26.2 a quarter mile before the finish.  Chris was totally right too.  As we made our way through the course it would seem like we were going too fast, but we would hit the mile marker flags right at 8:10-8:12.  At the finish my watch had the total distance of 26.49.  SO - if you are ever going for a specific goal time, be aware of this!

Anyway, we started the race at 8:05am.  The beginning 1-2 miles was crowded as expected.  I stayed around the pacer but tried not to be right on top of him.  It is hard enough to maneuver around people during a race, even harder when you are trying to follow someone. 



Mile1: 8:22
Mile2: 8:05
Mile3: 8:04
Mile4: 8:07
Mile5: 8:07

I wore my hydration pack so I had plenty of water.  I also aimed to eat about every 5 miles.  I had Gu, Shot Blocks, mini Luna bars, Zbar, hard candy and planned to pick up Gatorade and Cheez-Its at mile 17 from Peggy.  I did not eat all of it though.

Mile6: 7:59
Mile7: 8:03

The half marathoners split before mile 8.  After that it was much easier to navigate the course.

Mile8: 8:18
Mile9: 8:04
Mile10: 8:08

Around this point Chris asked me how I was doing.  I thought about it and said "This is hard.  I'm definitely racing."  Miles 5-10 were a slight uphill and I could feel it was a lot of work to maintain the pace.  I asked when the next hill was, (mile 20) but Chris just said not to worry about it.  Easy for him to say. 

Mile11: 8:01
Mile12: 7:47
Mile 13: 8:00

White Rock Lake.  This is a nice area of the course, a wide paved path around the north side of the lake.  Knowing how running around Lake Pflugerville feels I was dreading the wind.  It was definitely more noticeable here.  I'm still behind the pacer but now is the time I start to feel like I'm not going to be able to maintain this pace for another 13 miles.  We are consistently hitting the course mile markers right on time (by the pace band) so I know we are running the right speed but it feels hard. 

Mile 14: 8:03
Mile 15: 8:05

This is getting hard.  I debate quitting, but I really want my finishers shirt and medal.  And I dread having to tell my friends and co-workers that I DNF'd.  I had spent an hour at lunch on Thursday telling my VP about the race and my goal to Boston Qualify.  I WILL FINISH.

Mile 16: 8:03
Mile 17: 7:59

Mile 17 I'm focused.  "Just keep running, just keep running."  I know Peggy & Billy (Jennifer's brother) will be somewhere between mile 17 and 20.  Through the noise of running, breathing I hear "AMANDA!"  The pacer says "AMANDA!"  and I see Peggy RUNNING along side the course trying to catch me!  I navigate my way across the runners, Frogger style, and get my drink and snack.  I am really quite impressed that she chased after me!

Mile 18: 8:01

Mile 18.  Oh Mile 18.  I'm running along, knowing full well that I cannot keep up this pace.  We are almost off the lake, but there is nothing I can tell myself to make my legs keep running.  My stomach feels yucky, my water is gone.  I ate some of the Cheez-Its but the salt isn't helping.  And then I realize I have to pee.  No wait, I'm peeing.  Yep, that's right folks, I'm just peeing.  That was when I decided to walk.  I admit, having twins does not help keep the bladder muscles strong, nor does the constant impact of running.  But when my body starts giving up on the basic process of just not peeing, I know I'm going to a bad place.  I pulled off to the side of the road and started walking.  I watched Chris and his big, stupid, orange hat move off in the distance.  A minute later I came up on the porta-potties and stopped to empty.  I figured that was a good idea.  After I came out of the bathroom I walked a little more, ate and drank some, then started the marathon shuffle.

Mile 19: 8:43

I have a delusion that I might be able to get my pace back up and maybe just stay back.  I know 3:35 is gone, but I keep running.

Mile 20: 9:15
Mile 21: 9:46

Now the wheels are completely off.  I'm walking, running, walking, running.

Mile 22: 10:17
Mile 23: 10:18
Mile 24: 9:02

I see quite a few runners that I started with.  We take turns running past each other, walking, and running past again.  One guy and I were leap frogging each other for a couple miles.  At one point he stopped and put his hands on his knees.  I jogged past and said "No man, don't do it, keep walking!"  and he numbly said "ok".  At the finish he thanked me for keeping him going and I said "I really wanted to stop with you!"  The 3:45 pace group flys past me, I don't even care. 

Mile 25: 10:07
Mile 26: 10:26

This sucks.

Mile 26.2: 10:19
Mile 26.5: 9:40

As I ran through the finish I felt like I had 0 left.  I did not stop my watch right away, so my finish line photo was pretty good.  Chip time: 3:48:54.  I was so happy to finish, this was the hardest marathon I've done and maybe the hardest race to finish.  I was 14 minutes off my goal time, but I was glad to be under 3:50, a great time.  And I am glad that I wasn't even close to 3:35. 

 I got my medal and limped through the chute. As I made my way through the runners area, under a bridge, into the convention center, up an escalator, over to the the t-shirt pickup spot I texted John, Jenna and posted to Facebook.  I did NOT meet my goal.  I got some food, a beer and walked around a bit, waiting for Jennifer.

She turned up a little while later, but she was wearing a sweatshirt and didn't have her hydration pack.  She said "Well?  Did you do it?"  "Nope, I hit the wall, not even close.  And you?"  Turns out, she had an even worse day than me!  At mile 13 Jennifer started run/walking - which SHE never does.  She decided if her mom was at mile 17 she would stop, if they were at mile 20 she would finish it.  Since Peggy was at mile 17, Jennifer stopped.  A DNF is epic.  Epic in it's own way.  That is how rough the course was.  We trained for months for this race, in hot weather most of the time, did 2 18 mile runs and a 20 mile run that was pretty good.

So, we went back to the hotel, showered and dressed.  I was not feeling well, it definitely felt like I ran a marathon.  We went to lunch, but my stomach was kind of blah still.  On the drive back to Dallas Jennifer and Peggy kept the conversation lively, so I didn't have any time to feel sorry for myself.

And I don't feel sorry.  I didn't meet my goal but I feel like it is obtainable... some day.  I don't really know what happened or if there is anything I could have done differently.  Maybe I went too fast and should have run my own pace.  Maybe the week off prior to Thanksgiving and getting sick the week before killed my momentum.  Maybe I really can't do 8:10 miles for 26.2 miles. 

I took a full week off from running, slept in little, foam rolled.  I spent a fair amount of time perusing Marathon.com and looking at the schedule of marathons within driving distance.  I'm still registered for Houston, but I can't recover enough to run the full marathon by 1/13.  Austin is 2/24 but it's a killer hard course.  There are other marathons in Texas in March and Oklahoma City in April, but really all have the same chance of being 60 degrees or warmer.   And I kind of don't feel like running another marathon right now.  I need to rest and recover.  2 weeks later my hamstrings are uber tight and my shoes bug my feet.  Meh.

I thought the Dallas Marathon was well run, organized, great support on the course and crowds.  The swag was good, a long sleeve t-shirt and a long sleeve technical shirt for finishing.  They also had hats for the first 100 male/female finishers (not me) and beer coozies.  The finish line food was plentiful and the medal was pretty cool (I left it at work but I will post a picture).  The course itself was pretty, plenty of things to look at around the city of Dallas.  The host hotel, the Hyatt, was great and a good location to the start and finish of the race.  Would I run this race again?  Yes, maybe. 

Dallas Marathon Race Report: Part 1

Marathon #3: Dallas Marathon December 9th, 2012

I realize the race report is long over due, but I needed some distance before delving into what happened on marathon day.

Friday night I finished packing and got a good night of sleep.  Saturday morning I was up early, hanging out with the kids.  I did a quick 2 mile tune up run around the neighborhood before getting ready to head to Dallas.  Jennifer picked me up and we headed up to Dallas.  Jennifer's Mom, Peggy, also came with us, acting as honorary Sherpa and entertainment.  The drive up was fine, we stopped for lunch, and chatted the whole way.  First stop in Dallas was at the Expo.  We picked up our packets and walked around but didn't do any shopping.  Then we checked into the hotel, the Hyatt host hotel.  After running some errands we got back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.

Now this is where weather.com messed with our minds.  We had been checking the weather forecast multiple times per day all week.  Pretty much it was 60 degrees for the 8am start, getting up to 70 by the afternoon.  A little too hot for my running taste.  A cold front was planned to come through late Sunday night.  BUT weather.com started reporting the cold front hitting Saturday night, with 30 degrees at 8am Sunday.  Holy smokes.  Talk about a complete shift.  We had brought warmer clothes but no ear covering or hats.  So we stopped at Target and picked up some ear muffs and gloves, that matched our outfits of course.  We stuck with a chain restaurant for dinner, the ever predictable Olive Garden.  After we got back to the hotel to get ready for bed, the news channels were all reporting 60 degrees for the start and weather.com was committed to 30 degrees.  We decide to make the call on what to wear in the morning and went to bed around 11pm.

Marathon day coming up in the next post...

Training update, the final count down

So, when last I left you I was taking a forced rest week from running.  SIX full days of no running.  I think the last time I did that was in January after the Houston Marathon. 

Sunday 11/18 - slow run around Lake Pflugerville, lots of walk breaks.  Feeling ok but not 100%.  5.5 miles total.
Monday 11/19 - 3 miles around the hood before our drive to South Padre.  Legs are incredibly tight.
Tuesday 11/20 - rest
Wednesday 11/21 - 5.3 miles on the beach 52 minutes, 9:51/mile avg.  I did not wear my Garmin at all while on vacation.  Instead I wore my sport watch and just did out and back runs on the beach.  I had my 'Map My Run' app on my phone to track my total miles when I was done but I didn't' look at it until I stopped.  I felt ok during and after this run, was a nice break to run on the beach.
Thursday 11/22 - Thanksgiving!  5.5 miles, 50 minutes, 9:20/mile avg.  Felt great!  Lots of people on the beach today made for interesting sights to see.  I spent a lot of time rolling my legs with 'The Stick' and a tennis ball.
Friday - 11/23 - Rest.  I was going to run but the kids actually all got up at the same time so I convinced everyone to go out to breakfast instead of running.  We ate a great meal beach side and had a wonderful morning together.
Saturday 11/24 - 3.5 miles, 30 min.  I'm guessing about the distance on this run.  It was so windy that I quickly changed my plans of running 5 miles to 15 minutes out and back. We drove the 6 hours back home today and my legs were so stiff riding in the car.  My butt was the sore.
Sunday - 11/25 - My Birthday! and long awaited longest long run!  Jennifer and I drove down to Austin and started from the Lady Bird Trail and headed North.  Running along part of the Austin Marathon course to Shoal Creek to meet Monica was much hillier than we are used to.  But we were both glad to have run together and catch up after the holiday.  And even nicer Monica joined us in the middle miles for extra entertainment.  We finished 20 miles in 3:08:33, 9:26/mile avg pace.  I gotta say, this was a good training run.  It wasn't easy, I didn't feel like kicking ass at the end, but I wasn't in pain either - WINNING!

When I got home from the 20 mile run I iced my legs and got ready go to out for lunch with the family.  The kids made me some really sweet birthday cards and John got me an iPad that I am super excited about. 

Now this is where things go south for the Mills family.  Unfortunately Maddy was not feeling well and was going to make us all miserable.  And John wasn't feeling great either.  They both stayed home and I took Jack and Gwen out for lunch and to pick out an ice cream cake.   Over the course of the day John and Maddy did not get any better and it looked like they would be spending Monday at home too.  I was a bad Mommy and went out with Jennifer and Christina to see Twilight (which was great) and have a beer for my birthday.  But I had just spent 9 solid days with my family, so I didn't really feel bad at all.  ;) 

Monday - 11/26 Rest day.  It was a planned rest day after running 20 miles, but as it turned out I would not have run anyway.  I am starting to feel a little tickle in my throat, but John is getting really sick.  Gwen, Jack and I escaped to work and school and left John and Maddy to enjoy their sick day together.  Maddy had a great time, John not so much.

Tuesday 11/27 - Rest/Sick day.  I'm sick.  Sick enough to go to the doctor and beg for drugs.  Normally I would suffer through a sore throat but I'm running a marathon in 2 weeks!!!! 

Wednesday 11/28 - Rest/Sick day.  John is scaring me, I am terrified to get what he has.  What I have is bad, but he is way worse off.
Thursday 11/29 - Rest/Sick day.  I joined a conference call from home in the morning and while I was croaking on the phone 3 people emailed me to ask if I was ok, because I sounded like hell and they were worried about me.  I am not getting better.  So it really is true that antibiotics don't do anything for viral infections.
Friday 11/30 - After a full night of sleep I feel better today.  Turning the corner friends!!!  I did a short run around the lake today and felt ok.

9 days until the marathon and how do I feel?  I don't know.  I took a week off, ran at 1/2 capacity for a week and then took another week off.  I know I'm supposed to taper before a marathon, but this is not a controlled taper to the plan.  I'm cautiously optimistic I can still run a 3:34 marathon and qualify for Boston in 9 days.  But do I go all out balls to the wall for it and perhaps push myself too far?  Or do I make a call that morning to run it easy and try again in January in Houston?  Or does running 26.2 miles really just screw me anyway and it will take me 2 months to recover if I run hard or easy anyway? 

My plan this week is to get lots of sleep, eat reasonably well, hydrate, and think positive thoughts.

Training Delays

Last week's training started out well.  Monday I ran sprints with Jennifer and we had an awesome workout.  Jennifer killed her usual pace and kept me chasing the rabbit.  Tuesday was an off day.  Wednesday was supposed to be a 6 mile run, and Thursday and hard threshold workout.  I decided to swap them and do the hard workout Wednesday.  I got the workout done, struggled a little to get to the fast pace dictated by my schedule but nothing unusual.

Later on Wednesday night I thought my right knee felt a little weird.  I foam rolled and figured it was just soreness.  Thursday I got up to do the 6 mile run and right away knew something was not right.  I decided to warm up really slowly and see if the tightness in my right knee (on the left side of the right knee) would work itself out.  I walked a little, ran a little.  1 mile in I headed back home.  This is not soreness, this was pain I didn't want to run through.  Not because it hurt a lot, but because it was a sign of something bad.

When I walked in a 6am, John was confused.  "Did you go running?" he asked. "Um, yeah, it didn't go well.  I came home."  John looks at me, wondering how to handle this.   Amanda at 6am without a run is not very pleasant.  "It's fine" I say, "just feeling a little off."

Thursday I iced on and off during the day, which helped a little.  But by the time I came home from work my mood was dark.  John had only to look at my face and he was scared.  "Uh... can I get you anything?  A drink???"  I had a beer and he sent Gwen to give me a big hug and tell me what a great Mommy I am.  I see through his game, but it was very nice.  After the kids were tucked in bed John approached the lion.  "Hey, what's the matter?"  "Well, my knee hurts.  Hurts in a not good way.  I'm not going to run for a few days."  "Uh OH".

So I didn't run Friday or Saturday and really by Friday evening it didn't bother me.  Friday night we went camping and I spent most of the day sitting around.  Saturday we went for a long walk and had no issues.  Sunday morning I met Jennifer for our 18 mile long run.  I felt fine for the first 4-5 miles.  We stopped to stretch a lot, but after about 6 miles I could feel that little pain in my knee again.  It was a warm, windy morning and we slowed down as we went around the lake.  By the time we got off the trail and Jennifer pulled up next to me at mile 17 she said "Your gait is off, you're limping".  Shit.  Double shit.  My feet hurt, my knee hurt.  It was ugly. 

I got home and John went out to get me 2 bags of ice.  I iced in the bath, Maddy chatting away with me for 20 minutes.  I didn't feel too bad Sunday.  I decided not to run Monday and booked a massage on Tuesday.  Monday I was sore and felt the little pain still nagging.  Tuesday's massage was just what I needed.  For about a month I had felt like my hamstrings and glutes were incredibly tight and I could not get a good stretch.  My suspicion is that the tightness in my legs is pulling the muscles around my knees into an uncomfortable position and running is aggravating it further.   The massage therapist worked my legs for almost an hour, and I was right, there were point in my legs she had to beat to release.  At least it felt like a beating.

John told me I would be stupid to run my planned 20 miler this weekend and I looked at him like he spoke another language.  NOT RUN THE LONG RUN?!?!  I sputtered for a moment "but I have a schedule, 20 miles, it's in the plan"  John kindly said "You've done the training, running this long run is only going to set you back.  Would you rather do this 20 miler, or the marathon?"  Humpf.

I didn't run Wednesday or Thursday.  I slept in *till 6:15!*.  I'm eating my way through the candy at my desk.  I'm trying to be rational.  This morning I woke up with a headache. I need to go running.  But no, I know the right thing to do is to rest and recover.  I will come back strong next week.  We are spending Thanksgiving in South Padre so I can do some short 3 mile runs and test myself out.  Since I won't have my regular routes I may feel less compelled to go longer.  I'm going to drink.  Beer, wine, margaritas.  I'm going to have pie.  Pie will heal my little knee.  I might even rub some on my knee.

Chosen Half Marathon Race Report

On October 27th I ran (with Jennifer) the Chosen 1/2 Marathon in Greune, TX.  I wanted to do a half marathon before the marathon in December as a test run, to make sure that I am on track to meet my primary goal - qualifying for Boston.  This race fell around the right time and was close enough we could drive in the same day.

Jennifer picked me up at 5am, FIVE AM, and drove us down to the race.  I had picked up the packets the day before and paid a little extra for premium parking, so we were able to park close to the start and stay in the car a long as possible.  It was about 48 degrees and we spent most of the time before the race debating on what to wear - shorts or pants or crops, long sleeve or short sleeve?  We both went the warmer route but probably could have sucked it up with short sleeves or shorts.  We were right at that sweet spot of too cold to stand around waiting for the race to start but just warm enough when the sun peeks out. 

My GOAL was to run between 7:45 and 7:50 pace and finish in 1:42. Jennifer had looked at last year's results to see what the competition might look like.  She planted some little seeds that I might have a good chance of placing, which I hadn't really thought about.  But my goal was all about Boston, and I did NOT want to run stupid.

The 1/2 marathon started after the full marathon kicked off, at 7:15.  We ran the first mile in the dark before the first rays of light started to peek out.  I found it very hard to gauge my pace the first few miles.  I wanted to run fast to warm up, but knew the course had some rolling hills I should save my energy for.

Mile 1: 7:50
Mile 2: 7:35
Mile 3: 7:53
Mile 4: 7:35

The hills!  I do not run hills in training, there aren't many opportunities in my flat neighborhood.  The few on my regular route are more inclines than hills.  I am staying within my goal pace but it's a struggle.

Mile 5: 7:46
Mile 6: 7:47

Heading to the turn around point of the out & back course it's now light out and the road is scenic along the river.  There are camps and empty tubing spots and no cars.  I finally see the leaders making their way back and I count the women - there are at least 8 in front of me.  After I make the turn I see Jennifer and she's holding up all 10 fingers saying "10! 10!"  I know she means I'm 10th woman, which is pretty kick ass.

Mile 7: 7:39
Mile 8: 7:38

This part of the race is enjoyable, I get to see the other runners in both directions and get lots of enthusiasm from the other women out there, and get to check out what all the girls are wearing too.

Mile 9: 7:35
Mile 10: 7:51

Stupid hills on the way back are just as challenging.  I get passed by 2 women pretty quickly here and do not pass any others.  I figure there is still a chance I'll place, but I'm super happy with my performance so far and meeting my pace goals. 

Mile 11: 7: 29
Mile 12: 7:37
Mile 13: 7:25
Mile .2: 6:24

Yeah!  I cranked it out at the end and finished really strong.  My hamstrings hurt and my toes feel bruised from my shoes.  I'm going to HURT for a few days and I know I gave 100%.  My final time was 1:40:53 - knocked my goal time out and set a new PR by 4:00.  KICK ASS!

I walked around a little after the race, hobbled maybe.  They had a great food spread of Rudy's tacos, bagels, fruit, beer and soda.  There were lots of families hanging around waiting for loved ones.  I got to see Jennifer finish and also set a PR time.  We hung around long enough to check the leader board and I was in 3rd place in my age group!!  Woo hoo!  The volunteers said awards would start in 15 minutes so I wanted to stay.  Of course it was actually 45 minutes later before they just gave me my award so we could leave - Mommies have soccer and baseball games to get to!

It was a really nice race, hills and all.  The volunteers were nice, it wasn't too big and they had good food and drinks.  The race raises money for families going through the adoption process.  Instead of a traditional medal, kids passed out handmade beaded bracelets and thank you cards. 

Another race in the books, another PR and a milestone in my training plan.  Great all around.

Workout recap 7/9-7/15

Monday Maintenance 4.2 miles, 9:07 avg, with JC
Tuesday Rest
Wednesday Maintenance 4.4, 9:35 avg, with JC & CM
Thursday Farlek 7.0mi, 8:32 avg
Friday Maintenance 5.0 miles, 8:58 avg
Saturday Long Run 13.1 miles, 1:57:13, 8:57 avg
Sunday Cross Training: 30 minute circuit workout, with JC & CM

Total 32.70 miles. 

Long time no post

I'm well aware it has been almost 2 months of no posting from me.  I have had 0 motivation to keep up with blogging and I think most of you are my Facebook friends anyway, so you all know I'm alive. 

I have started a family blog that I plan to use as an archive for a family photo album.  I plan to post our family photos and adventures there and will make that public eventually.  For now my blogging there is in somewhat random order as I get to it.  I will also post here but in consolidated format. 

This week starts 2 weeks of vacation.  We have lots of fun family activities planned and I will be posting that insanity as is happens on Facebook. 

When I return from vacation it will be almost 4 months until the Dallas Marathon.  I am officially registered and have my training plan and build up races scheduled.  August begins official training season to meet my goal of qualifying and running the Boston Marathon (with a qualifying time).  In January 2012 I ran the Houston marathon in 3:37 and qualified for the 2012 Boston Marathon in April.  Of course, registration for Boston is in September so it was already too late to run in 2012.  Normally my time would have qualified me to run in 2013, but 2013 starts the new qualifying standards for Boston for all age groups.  My qualifying time for 2013 and 2014 would be less than 3:35.  If I want to run Boston in April 2014 I have to run a qualifying marathon time of 3:35 before September 2013.  Talk about planning in advance right? 

How am I training?  I am going to stay with the "Run Coach" website that I used last year to create my running schedule.  This is a great website that creates a schedule for you based on your current fitness and goals.  Since I have progressed in my fitness, the schedule is harder now.  I also contacted the coaches and asked specifically about my goal for a Boston qualifier.  They recommended running 5 days a week (vs. 4) and adding in an additional day of speed work.  This is similar to most advanced training plans I looked at.  5 days a week is new for me, I am a little nervous about the extra day of running.  I am also paying more attention to nutrition.  I am back on My Fitness Pal to track my calories.  I would like to stay around 135 pounds (134-138 is my anal retentive preference).  Now I am looking at more than just calories, but how to fuel for optimal performance.  I saw a nutritionist through Well @ Dell, who was pseudo helpful.  I am already at the right amount of carb/fat/protein for a normal person.  I would like to get more protein and less fat, focusing on eating more vegetables, smaller portions and cutting out the junk food.  I am also considering giving up alcohol, but I really don't drink much as it is, only the occasional beer, wine or margarita (that promptly puts me to sleep). 

Expect to see more training updates starting in August! 

Post Race Report: Mostly for My Benefit

This post is mostly for my record keeping, so pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

Marathon prep -
What did I wear?  Lululemon short sleeved shirt and shorts - my favorites.  Garmin watch, hat, Wright socks, throw away gloves, Brooks Adrenaline shoes, and hydration back pack filled up to the top.

my gear

What did I eat?  In the morning I had a bagel thin & peanut butter.  Before the race started I had a Gatorade Fuel drink.  During the race I tried to eat every 5 miles.  2 Cliff Shots Chocolate Cherry, 1 pack of Cliff Shot Blocks, 2 candy orange slices, 4 peanut butter crackers, a couple Gummy Bears, all the water in my pack (72 oz), plus 8-12 more ounces and 8-12 ounces of Gatorade on the course.  This was probably the perfect amount of food for me.  I finished not feeling hungry or dying of thirst.

What else did I carry?  Chap Stick, tissue, sunglasses, iPod and phone in my back pack. I also had an extra Cliff Shot I didn't eat.  I started out with a throw away long sleeve shirt on, but tossed it before I crossed the starting line. 

Any regrets?  Not really.  All my pictures look sort of dumb because I'm decked out like I'm on a mountain climbing expedition.  I did use almost everything I carried and nothing annoyed me.  Next time I will try to carry a spare bottle with Gatorade to refill at water stops, especially if the weather is any warmer. 

Race Report: Houston Marathon 2012

As far as the event itself, the Chevron Houston Marathon was excellent.  Organized, efficient, great volunteers and crowd support, plenty of fluid stops, potties and medical stations.  Start was on time and the corrals were enforced.  The finish line was well laid out to keep runners moving.  The recovery area was spread out, so you did have to look for what you needed, but there were no issues getting food, fluid and rest in the post-race area. 

My race experience could not have been better.  In fact, I may never have such great conditions for a marathon again.  That is why I decided to go all out on Sunday.  I was in the starting corral stretching and watching the other runners.  The 3:40 pace group lined up next to me.  I had multiple goals for this race.  My first goal was to finish in under 4 hours.  My stretch goal was to finish in 3:42, which was the fastest projected finish based on my previous races.  That would have been 8:29/mile pace, which I though would be a challenge for me based on my training.  My original plan was to keep a 9:00/mile pace for the first 13 miles and then see how I felt for the second half.  Well, that 3:40 pace team lined up next to me and I thought "Fuck it, I'm going to go all out and see what happens.  I may end up hobbling to the finish, but I'm going to give it everything I have." 

The pace team's plan was to run even splits for the whole race, hitting 8:24/mile.  I tucked in behind them and waited for the start.  We crossed the starting line in about 3 minutes.  It was crowded as people jockeyed for position and tried to find their pace while navigating the crowd.  There were at least 25 people trying to stay with the pace leaders, so it was an even bigger challenge until we started chatting and realized who all was in the same group.  In first 5k I saw sunglasses get smashed, a Garmin watch fly off into the crowd, water bottles kicked across the course and clothes thrown off to the side.  There was a guy in the group running in a neon green unitard with a matching tu-tu - hot stuff!  After the first 6 miles I find I'm feeling good and keeping up with the pace team easily.  The sun is up and lots of people are out along the course cheering on the runners. 

After the 1/2 marathon route splits off around mile 9 it finally feels like we have some room to move.  I get out next to the pace group to have some space and see the crowd.  I'm near Rice University and the neighborhood is nice.  I'm enjoying the run.  I get a little nervous here.  I'm going really fast, faster than I planned.

Split	Time	Diff	min/mile	mile/h
5K	0:26:18	26:18:00	8:28	7.09
10K	0:52:09	25:51:00	8:24	7.15
15K	1:17:50	25:41:00	8:21	7.19
20K	1:43:08	25:18:00	8:18	7.23
HALF	1:48:39	5:31	8:18	7.24

 
I'm afraid I"m going to crash and burn around mile 20.  But the weather is perfect and I feel like this may be the best chance I get to rock a marathon.  I decide to keep up the pace as long as I can.  I eventually get in front of the 3:40 pace group and keep going.  I eat my Cliff Shots, Blocks and drink water from my pack.  I start listening to music at this point, now that there are less runners around. 

Miles 13-17 I'm mostly looking for Jenna, Jeff or the Batey's.  I spot Jenna around mile 16 and swoop in for a hug barely breaking stride.  After I pass her I realize I should have asked her to get the extra food out of my pack.  I've still got a Cliff Shot left, so I"m not too worried.  Around mile 17 I hear Jeff and the Batey's cheering, I wave and smile as I run past, then think "DUH! They can get my extra food!"  I spin around and demand assistance.  Bill and Jeff help me out and I take off. 

Split	Time	Diff	min/mile	mile/h
25K	2:08:42	20:03	8:17	7.24
30K	2:35:13	26:31:00	8:20	7.21

At this point my hydration pack is running low, so I start grabbing water and Gatorade at the aid stations.  I eat some of my peanut butter crackers and start seeing signs hung up around the course to prepare for "THE WALL".  I'm not comforted by these signs.  In fact, I just want to get it over with.  The sun is getting brighter.  My feet are hurting, my calves are burning.  But people are yelling "GO AMANDA!", so I can't walk. 

The rest of the run is sort of a blur of park scenery and runners backs.  People are starting to walk with a look of anguish.  I probably don't look so good myself, but when I see a race photographer I try to smile at least.  I pass a GIRL who is probably 12 running the marathon - CRAZY!  I see lots of funny signs, best one: "Worst Parade Ever".  The crowd is passing out orange slices, gummy bears and Oreo cookies. 

Split	Time	Diff	min/mile	mile/h
35K	3:01:09	25:56:00	8:20	7.2
40K	3:26:51	25:42:00	8:20	7.21

As I get into down town Houston there are a few rolling hills and some head wind.  I am now singing loudly to myself about being "A FIREWORK!", and killing it with Kanye's "Better, Faster, Stronger".  I probably look insane.  The Convention Center is ahead and there is a huge crowd in the bleachers around the finish.  I am pretty sure I heard Jeff yelling, and Jenna saw me finish, but I was all about ending the damn marathon!

Split	Time	Diff	min/mile	mile/h
Finish Net	3:37:48	10:57	8:19	7.22

 

Place (Gender)	265
Place (Div)	66
Place (total)	1315
Total (Net)	3:37:48
Total (Gun)	3:41:01

The course was a little long by my GPS, 26.4.  My final time was 3:37:48.  I am ecstatic!  So happy with my time and so glad to be done.  I definitely felt like I gave it everything I had left and ran HARD.  As I made my way into the Convention Center my legs feel stiff and sore, I have to keep moving.  I got a quick massage and texted Jenna.  I manage to get my finishers shirt and mug, find the food and make my way to the family meeting area.  I am so glad I have Jenna to take over from this point.  If I had to find my car and drive myself home I'm not sure I would have made it.  She steered me around, bought me a bag of ice and patiently waited for me to ice my legs, shower and pack up all my shit back at the hotel. 

Race Swag

Sign my Seester Jenna made

Meanwhile, Jennifer finished in 4:10:10, which is awesome!  We did not get to see each other at the finish and she rode home with her family.  But we caught up the next day and hashed out or experience.  She also had a good day and is already talking about "the next marathon"!  I've created a monster! ;-) 

All in all a great day and a great race.  I am super proud of myself and excited to have done so well.  A couple people asked if I qualified for Boston.  Not really.  I technically had a qualifying time for my age group for the 2012 Boston Marathon, but registration is long over.  For 2013 they are changing the qualifying times, so I would have had to run 3:35:00 or better to qualify to run it next year, and THEN get through the registration process.  So, I am not at all disappointed that I didn't qualify, I was not attempting it to start.  Maybe next time though!  It seems like a more manageable hurdle now.

Pre-Marathon Report: Houston Marathon Weekend

Sorry to have bailed on the running updates, for those of you who cared.  Training went well through race week.  Taper week wasn't as frustrating as I expected.  As it turned out it was much needed rest.  Wednesday night before the marathon I started sneezing, Thursday I felt a cold coming on.  I loaded up on water and vitamin C, but no luck, Friday morning I felt like I had been hit by a small car.  I was worried about the race, and started mentally making adjustments about my performance.  After going to bed extra early I still felt like crap Saturday morning before we drove to Houston.  I decided to let it play out and "pretend" not to be sick, put myself in the mental state of taking care of my body but not letting it drag me down.

Saturday Jennifer and I picked up (a hung over) Jenna and headed to Houston.  The ride down was easy, we chatted and gossiped most of the way.  We had a quick stop for lunch at Quiznos then went right to the Expo to pick up our packets.  The Expo was at the GRB Convention Center in Houston, which is also where the start and finish of the race would be held.  We had no issues parking or picking up our packets.  Then we looped our way around the Expo checking out the merchandise. 

After the Expo we managed to find our way to the hotel, no easy feat even with maps, navigation and phones to guide us!  We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott about 10 miles from the race start, but a couple blocks from the 15 mile mark of the race.  After settling in we headed over to Macaroni Grill for dinner.  Normally I would not eat at a chain when traveling, I'd much rather find a place unique to the area.  But marathon eve is not the day to try something new!   Bread, pasta, sauce, chicken and some veggies was the perfect meal.  About half the people at dinner appeared to be other runners with their family and friends as well.

We headed back to the hotel and Jennifer and I spent about an hour laying out our supplies for the next day, checking the weather and debating what time we needed to get up.  Final decision was 4:30!  We watched some terrible TV and went to bed at about 10:30.  I think I finally fell asleep somewhere around 2am.  I just could not turn my brain off.  But 4:30 came and we were up and about.  We left at 5am and Jenna dropped us off close to the start.  Jenna went back to the hotel and I would later see her at the 15 mile mark.  Jennifer and I went into the Convention Center, hung out for a little bit then went outside for a final potty stop before getting into our starting corrals.  It was 48-50 degrees at the starting line, perfect weather. 

Ready to go inside the Convention Center

With my training buddy Jennifer

At this point, I know that my "cold" from Thursday and Friday was really Cedar allergies.  I still have a runny nose, but the mental fog and other symptoms have gone away.  YEAH!  On one hand it sucks to have allergies, but I'm glad to know what it was and that it was not a major factor of my race in Houston.  What will happen next month for the 1/2 Marathon in Austin - I don't know. 

Next post will be the actual race review!

Workout Recap 11/21-11/27

Monday -  6.2 miles, 58:31, 9:26/avg
Tuesday - Hill workout at the gym 4.5 miles, 50 min.  Was thundering and lightning in the AM so we ditched the run.  I went to the gym instead and set the treadmill for what I thought would be a challenging workout.  In the end I was struggling to finish without using the handles or slowing to a walk.  Killer workout!
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Turkey Trot!  5M, 37:30, 7:29/mile average
Friday - Sea World, did at least 3 miles of walking
Saturday - Elliptical 45 minutes, abs/arms 10 min
Sunday - 16 miles, 2:32:20, 9:31/avg

Workout summary 11/14 - 11/20

Monday - rest from long run and race
Tuesday - 7 miles, 9:16 avg (this was the insane up at 4:30 day)
Wednesday - El Diablo speed work
Thursday - rest
Friday - 4.00, 37:14, 9:18/mile
Saturday - 17 BIG MILES, 2:42:25, 9:33/mile avg
     *we found a new route so that we can run around Lake Pflugerville and this was an awesome end to 17 miles.  Great run!
33.61 miles total

Weekly Workout Report 10/24 - 10/30 and Bonehead of the Week

Monday - Maintenance run: 5.15 miles, 47:32, 9:14/mile avg, w/ JC
Tuesday - Track: WUP; 4x500m @ 7:43/mile + 3:00 recovery; CD.  6.00 miles, 51:54, 8:39/mile avg
Wednesday - 6 week 6 pack, 35 min
Thursday - Tempo: WUP; 30 min marathon pace; CD. 6.01 miles, 54:28, 9:04/mile avg (too fast), w/JC
Friday - 30 minutes arms & abs
Saturday - "rest"
Sunday - Long run: 12:10 miles, 1:49:37, 9:04/mi avg (too fast)

Friday I wore my ole' black boots with the heel and by the end of the day my messed up big toe was killing me.  John mocks my sensitive toes, but it was killing me almost all day Saturday.  By Sunday I could feel it but it wasn't nearly as painful.  Stupid kids dropping shit on my feet!

Sunday was our long run.  Jennifer and I planned to meet at 6am, which means I need to leave at 5:50.  So I set my alarm for 5:15, giving myself enough time to get dressed, eat something, drink water and go to the bathroom.  I groggily woke up about 4:30, and snuggled back in bed glad for another 45 minutes of sleep.  My alarm went off at 5:15 and I dragged myself up.  Clock in the bathroom reads: 6:15.  Clock on my phone reads: 6:15.  Mother effer.  My 15 year old alarm clock though today was the F-ing end of day light savings time, so had "rolled back" the clock for me.  GAH!  I knew Jennifer would have already been at our meeting spot at 6:00, would have gotten to my house at 6:10 and seen it completely dark.  In panic mode I run downstairs, turn on the outside lights - no Jennifer.  I text "COME BACK!!!" hoping she might go home and check her phone.  No luck.  So I grab all my crap in record time and get out the door at 6:24.  We run a pretty standard loop around our neighborhood, but I really had no idea if she would run the regular route or run it backwards, or might come home early.  Turns out she decided to do the full 12 and ran it backwards.  I eventually caught up with her at her half way point, 3 miles in for me.  I was glad to see her, I felt like a dummy for getting up late, but was very glad she decided to do it without me (good girl!)! 

She finished off 12 and I had 3 to go.  I ate a Gu.  My digestive system decides Gu in means I have to go to the bathroom - NOW!  See, I neglected my normal second bathroom trip when I sprinted out the door this morning.  I was fine for the first 10 miles, but there's only so long I can go before I have to 'go'.  It was daylight, there were people out, even if I was brave enough to drop trou' in the open I can't do it in daylight!  This becomes a race to the finish.  The faster I run, the more I have to 'go', but I really don't want to crap my pants.  At 11.5 miles I drop my water bottle and belt on the lawn, unlock the door, knock innocent children out of the way and dart into the bathroom. 

Afterward, I jog around the block to cool down and finish the last .5 I owe to the running gods. 

Two lessons for today.  One, get a new alarm clock that isn't so smart.  Two, the second bathroom break is worth the extra time.

Marathon Training Schedule - Longest of the Long

Through the Houston Marathon Registration I purchased a training plan from Focus n Fly.  So far I like it and feel like it's appropriate.  This week there was some kind of glitch and I had to recalculate the rest of my schedule.  Now it has our longest long run scheduled for December 24th, 22 miles.  Total suck fest.  Not only is that a very busy day, but we will probably be arriving in Orlando after a 20+ hour drive.  Sooooo... we'll have to figure out an alternative plan.  Luckily I have some time to plan for this.

Link to a Marathon Training Article

I thought THIS was helpful. 

Houston Marathon: Check Yo Self

Well well well, lottery results are up and we got into the Houston Marathon.  Hells yeah bitches!  Jennifer and I are in for 26.2 and Jenna for 13.1.  So... now what?  We have 200 days, almost 7 months, to train.  Through the marathon I bought a training plan from Focus-N-Fly.  It factors in your current milage, race pace, days you want to run or cross train, etc.  Or maybe it just makes shit up, I don't know.  It has me running or cross training 6 days a week, which is ambitious to say the least.  I know I've been a little workout crazy the past 2 weeks but that is hardly a trend.  I took a peek at the schedule in December and was exhausted just to see all the long runs.  Whose idea was this again?  Oh, mine.  NO!  It was JENNIFER's  damn it.  I can't really blame her, I've done this before and know better.

So - here we go!  Houston Marathon here we come.

Jenna's advice was "Check yourself before you wreck yourself", truer words never spoken.

From Urban Dictionary, the phrase means "Take a step back and examine your actions, because you are in a potentially dangerous or sticky situation that could get bad very easily. Often in a harmful manner."

Brooke Shields in Playground Tales from Brooke Shields

or the fuggin original

27 days until insanity

http://www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/

Lottery registration complete, 27 days until we find out if we're in or out.