2009 Suntrust National Marathon: 4:11

Well, first of all, allow me to apologize for my total lack of communication during the past 3 weeks.   Despite my absence here, I have been running.....including squeezing in my last 20 miler on a week-day afternoon after 4 hours of class in the morning.   This was necessary due to our most recent snow storm.   

I have a good reason for my laziness with the posts.   My husband and I are moving to France in May and we spent 8 days there recently.   We found an apartment, opened a bank account, and bought new cell phones.....all in French I might add!    Attempting to conduct business in a language that I have only been speaking for 6 months was enough to take up all my time however. I did stay dedicated to my runs though....even in Strasbourg.   

So, I decided to post one last entry about the events of this beautiful and chilly morning.   While I missed my goal of breaking the illustrious 4 hour barrier, The Suntrust National Marathon was a truly great experience.   I think it may even take the prize of my favorite course.   I think a large part of this was due to the PERFECT weather.   Temps in the 40's, zero wind, and the brightest, bluest sky I have seen in a long time made it hard to have anything other than a great attitude.   (Even when my quads and calves were trying hard to discourage me.)    The course was great too......despite the several significant hills.   Some of which were between miles 23-26.  (Almost killed me!) But the crowds were awesome and the scenery was great.   It was really nice running through the entire district.   Even the last 5 miles by the river were beautiful despite the solitude.   

To add to my admiration, the race organizers provided plenty of well-stocked water stops (every 2 miles), and the stadium-armory building was open before the start with REAL bathrooms and a warm space to stretch and relax before the race.   The post race food was great too.....fruit(oranges and bananas), bagels, powerade, and these great big, salty, soft pretzels.   The only thing that was missing were cookies.   I took care of this by buying one from the organic vendor that was in the runner's village.   

As for my race performance, I am sad to have missed my goal, but happy to have a new PR that is 18 minutes better than my previous best time.   I started with the 3:55  pace group and stayed with them until mile 14.    After they left me in their dust, I hoped that I could manage to stay between them and the 4 hour group.   I did until mile 21 when they came calling.   I stayed with them for a mile or two.   My husband said that when he joined me at mile 22 they were only 100 yards in front of us.   Unfortunately, mile 23-26 is the second hilliest part of the entire race and the hills were enough to do me in.   I was doing the Galloway Method......run 4 minutes, walk 1, and I managed to keep this up.   I never cheated and walked extra.   Even when I walked though a water stop during a run portion, I shortened my next walk to accommodate.    For this, I am proud.  

 I am also a huge believer in this method because I know beyond a shadow of doubt that without the walk breaks, my last 3 miles would have been close to if not totally a walk with no running.   Between 23 and the finish, my calves were on the edge of a major cramping episode.   The last minute of each 4 minute run was excruciating.   But, knowing that a walk was coming kept me going.   It felt great to run past all of the people who were walking unintentionally.    I had planned to run the last 6 if I felt up to it, but I most certainly did not.    The last .2 really sucked.   I think I was close to passing out for the first minute or two after the finish.   Peter said he thought he might have to take me to the medical tent.   But I managed to give my chip back, get my medal, grab some food from the food table, and find a comfy seat on the asphalt.   Then I recovered quickly and nicely.   (The pretzel helped!)

I made a promise to myself before the race that if I didn't reach my goal of 4 hours, I would give up running for a certain time and start doing marathons only for fun.    I figured if I couldn't reach 4 hours after 5 marathons and one ultra, Boston was not ever going to be a possibility.    But, in true crazy-marathoner form, in the past 6 hours since the finish, I have already found a marathon in Frankfurt, Germany that advertises itself as "flat, fast, and fun."   Flat and fast?    Maybe I should give my 4 hour goal one more go before throwing in the towel.   After all, how will I be able to live without my weekly treadmill speed work torture?   What will I have to whine about?   

Well, I guess I should sign off now.   Thanks for reading this blog.   It has been really fun to write and I hope that you found it fun to read as well.   Happy Running everybody!! 

Sunshine Makes Everything Beautiful

This week has been pretty uneventful training wise......I am prepping for my last twenty miler on Sunday, so I have run a few less miles than usual.   Two easy five mile runs and one five mile tempo ( 3 miles at a 8:10) completed my week.   As the weather has continued to be a thorn in my side lately, the treadmill is still the venue for a majority of my shorter runs.   This week, I did the tempo run and one easy run at the gym.   I have thought about it and decided, that the newness of a non-floridian winter has officially worn off.    Those few days of sun in the 50's ruined me.   I thought spring was upon us.    I was sadly, sadly mistaken.   Earlier, during the freezing month of January, I would boldly bundle up and take off into the cold and wind.   Now, it is less blustery, but I am much more likely to avoid an outdoor run in the cold.   I am just plain tired of it.   I want to runs without anything on my ears, hands or legs.   I want to get ready for a run in 30 seconds instead of the necessary 5 that it takes now to suit myself up.   So, all this being said, I loved my run yesterday (wednesday) afternoon.   I reveled in the sunshine.   I think I even ran especially slow as to prolong the run.   The weather was awesome....still a little on the chilly side, but the sky was so blue and the wind was calm.   

I did my stand-by 5+ miler from Rosslyn to Arlington Bridge to Lincoln Memorial and back through Georgetown across the Key.   From the Mount Vernon trail, I caught my first glimpse of the Lincoln Memorial with the Washington Monument behind it and I was wowed.    The monuments are truly beautiful on clear days because their white color pops against the vivid blue in the sky.   Even the Potomac looked sparkling......okay, that may be taking it too far, but I was excited to finally feel the sun's rays.  What can I say?    If I want to look at the glass as half full concerning our new life away from the constant sun of Florida, I definitely believe that living here has helped me appreciate the true value of a calm, sunny day.   It can be such a spirit-lifter!  No wonder Florida is such a popular vacation spot.   People are chasing the sun.    But here in DC, the blue sky and sunshine truly are tools that make all the monuments sparkle.

So, back to the run.   In addition to the beautiful weather, the competitive (and I admit, silly) side of me was also satisfied yesterday because I inadvertently found myself in a little foot-race with another runner.    I passed her the first time near the Lincoln Memorial.    She was walking.   5 minutes later, she came flying past me and I was behind her for the entire mile to the Georgetown river-front.   Then, she walked again, so I passed.    Then she passed me again.   Don't get me wrong, I understand the Galloway method and plan to use it myself during the National Marathon, but the competitor in me was tired of this girl interrupting my sunshine run every 5 minutes.   So, when she paused to walk up the steps to the Key Bridge, I took the opportunity to blow past her and officially leave her in my dust.   In all honesty, she probably lives in Georgetown and didn't cross the Key Bridge, but I am letting myself believe that I won....plain and simple.    Really silly, huh?   And I can honestly say that I usually do not fall into that game during my runs.   It would be disastrous for me here, because DC seems to be filled with serious athletes who could smoke me everyday without breaking a sweat.   But, it was definitely a fun little activity that nicely accompanied my beloved blue sky day.  

I will be running 20 at race pace this Sunday, so you can expect a post that is charged with excited anticipation of the upcoming marathon, or a post that is defeated and discouraged by the failure to hold the pace.    Let's all hope for the former!     

Running for a Cause

Sorry about the week and a half of silence.   Don't worry, I didn't take a break from running, just a break from blogging about running.    But, I'm back and ready to keep you posted on the training events of the last 4 (only 4?  gulp!!) weeks until the marathon.   I actually have two solid reasons for my absence over the last 10 days.    Last weekend, I ran the Breast Cancer Marathon in Jacksonville, Fl and in preparation for that, the weekend before, I did a very short and fun 7 mile easy run.   Last week before the marathon, I tried to take it easy, only running 2 easy five milers.    So, I was busy preparing for my trip, and my runs were not very exciting, so I thought I would spare you the repetitive posts.  I did sneak in a tempo run though--7 total miles with 5 being at an 8:15.  I could have posted something about it, but I will just plead plain ol' laziness in regards to my lack of post on that run.  It was a nice tread-mill work-out and I finished feeling really good.   I knew I would be running the Breast Cancer Marathon slowly, so I figured I should push through with my scheduled speed-work....despite the lovely sirens of the taper whispering in my ear that I deserved a break.    

The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer is very young.   This year was the second annual event and it is amazing.    A local news anchor/cancer survivor/runner started the race and it is unique because 100% of the profits go to cancer research or to treatment of financially struggling patients.   It is such a hopeful event because so many people are running specifically for somebody in their own life.    And the absolute best part is the survivors division.    There are special awards and shirts for the runners who have survived the disease.   The majority of runners are not die-hard runners.    They are there to replace the feeling of helplessness that comes with the disease and put hope and action in its place.   

Last year, I paced the 5 hours group and it was by far my favorite race experience ever.   So, when the race director asked for pacers again this year, I was one of the first to sign up.   This year was extra special because my running partner of the last 3 years came into town from Memphis to run with me.   She and I trained together for several races (including our first marathons) while we lived in Jacksonville, but we are both married to Navy Pilots and are currently enduring our first training program without each other right now.   So, it was awesome to be able to reunite in Jacksonville to  pace together.   Two of my other running friends did part of the course with us as well and it could not have been more fun.  

Part of the race is on the beach, which I love.   Yes, a little sand does get in your shoes, but it is 100% worth it to see the ocean and feel the sea breeze.   People were cheering from the hotel balconies  and every 100 yards or so, big signs were set up with an encouraging word......hope, love, determination, faith.   These signs were at the expo and people had signed them with dedications for family members and friends.   At the risk of sounding really sappy, these signs really were a source of strength during the run.   Unfortunately, the beach part of the run is in between miles 4-8, instead of mile 20-24 when the signs really could have provided an added boost.   

The crowd support in this race is spuratic, but really awesome.    The run winds through some of the most unique and beautiful neighborhoods in the beaches community of Jacksonville, and the home-owners were so so supportive.   My favorite parts of the race were definitely the big front-yard parties (one family even had a bouncy house for the kids), complete with beer, food, and huge speakers blaring awesome songs like "Love Shack".    A couple of these parties were giving out frozen ice pops which are such a welcome treat at mile 15 or 17 as the Jacksonville sun was started to cook the course!   

I felt great the entire time, which was really encouraging.  But I think the best part of being a pacer is that I don't have time or energy to focus on my own pain because I have to concentrate on the pace and keeping my group going.   Shannon and I definitely deserved the award for most obnoxious pacers because around mile 20 when the going started getting really tough for some of our runners, we started in with the corny jokes and stupid antics that we hoped would be a big enough distraction to keep them going.   Some of our jokes were met with silence and even frowns......some of the runners were not fans.    Our goal was to drown out the sound of screams from their quads with our silliness, and I think it was a pretty effective strategy,  because after the race, they were all super happy that they came in before there goal time.   Shannon and I crossed at 5:00:02......we would have been on the money to the second, but we were waving at the crowd and slowed down too much at the finish.   We tried to sprint the last 10 yards, but we didn't quite make it.   Last year I was under by a few seconds, so I think I'll go by the average of the two to find my accuracy rate as a pacer.  :) All in all, the entire weekend was exactly what I expected:  amazing and I feel extremely blessed to have been a part of it.  

Now, I have just 4 short weeks until I get to do it again, hopefully an entire hour faster!     

The Joy of Mile Repeats

My training schedule is pretty simple.   Four runs a week, including a long run, a speed work-out, and two easy runs.   I recommend this because it prevents burn-out by giving you three days off each week.   This week my speed work-out was awesome.    My training plan has me doing more tempo runs and less mile repeats,  which I normally like because I am a huge wimp about running fast.   But, this time it has been different and I find myself looking forward to the mile repeats.    Weird, huh?   Anyway, the weather on Sunday was short-lived so I was back on the tread-mill for this one.   I was a little concerned about the boredom factor because I had to run 8 miles total.   But I brought along my trusty mp3 player and let "Standing Outside the Fire", "She's a Maniac", and "The Eye of the Tiger" carry  my through.   The work-out started with an easy mile warm-up.   Then I did 4 x 1 mile repeats with an 800 walk/jog in between each.    I walk for a minute after each repeat then finish the 800 at a jog that slowly builds back to a 7:45 pace for the next repeat.    My schedule called for a 8:00 pace, but I was feeling inspired, so I did them all between 7:30 and 7:50, with the last one being the fastest.    

Needless to say, I left the gym feeling great.   Based on my work-outs so far, I'm starting to feel that my 4 hour goal may actually be achievable for the National Marathon.   We'll see in 6 weeks!   Hope everybody takes a run to enjoy the sunshine this weekend!  

Fun in the Sun

Well, while my last post was all about the snow, thankfully, this week I get to describe my long run in the spring-like weather last Sunday.   It was lovely because it was the first time I had run without leggings, ear-warmers, and mittens.    It felt to so good to feel the air on my skin without it stinging and chapping my skin!  (By the way......I have a tip for the skin chapping issue......I have found that if I put body glide on my cheeks, nose, and chin before a cold, windy run, it works as a barrier for a little while.)   But, as I was saying, last Sunday was gloriously sunny and 55 degrees so I was body glide free and loving it! 

I needed to run 16 miles, so I modified my typical long run loop, starting in Rosslyn, running down the Mt. Vernon trail to the Arlington Memorial Bridge.    After crossing the Potomac, I headed along the river to the FDR Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial.  The wind was pretty strong along the river, but I didn't care because it was warm wind!   I had never seen the FDR Memorial, so I took a walk break and checked it out.    It was extremely cool and so many of his memorialized words that are on display seemed to be speaking specifically to the country right now.    Like I have said before, the best part of being a runner is all the cool stuff that you happen upon during your work-outs.  

I continued on to the Jefferson Memorial which is so beautiful and provides such awesome views of the rest of the mall across the river.   I headed back to Lincoln, then ran down the mall towards the Capital.   Of course, the Mall was packed with people coming out of winter hibernation to enjoy the warm sun.   Unfortunately, the mix of melting snow and ice and the 4 million feet that tromped around during the inauguration, the mall is a mess.    I usually run on the gravel, sandy paths that run along the mall, but I had to use the paved sidewalks Sunday because the mud was everywhere.   

I usually take a gel and get some water in the bathroom at the ticket stand for the Washington Monument.   But it was closed for cleaning.....(why are they cleaning this thing in the middle of the first sunny afternoon in weeks?)   I was irritated for maybe 5 seconds, but as soon as I looked up and saw the Capital ahead with the blue sky as a back-drop, I dropped my attitude and headed to my plan B, which is the Smithsonian Information Center.    They have a nice, big, clean bathroom so it is a great place to take a gel and get some water.    On the topic of water, I am perplexed every time I run on the mall that none of the water fountains work.   Does anyone know why this is?    It makes me crazy because if I'm thirsty, my hopes go up every 200 yards or so and then they are quickly dashed when I try each fountain unsuccessfully.   As I find more water stops around town, I will post them.

I ran up Capital Hill (ouch, that's the one tough part of running in DC)  and around to the Supreme Court and Library of Congress.    Then I headed back on the other side of the mall towards the White House.    I received a happy surprise when my husband called to say that he had run down to meet me.    So, we met on 15th and finished the run through Georgetown along the river and back across the Key Bridge.   It was over-all a wonderful run.   This weekend is supposed to be equally beautiful so I plan on running both Saturday and Sunday.    (Short runs because I am in taper mode for the Breast Cancer Marathon in Jacksonville next weekend.)   Isn't tapering so fun?      

Fun in the Snow

Sorry for the lack of posts this week.    For those of you that live in DC, you know that the snow/ice/sleet/freezing rain made it pretty difficult to do any outdoor activities.    This unfortunately includes walking to the metro or the drug-store.    At least in my neighborhood, certain side-walks are still an invitation for a head injury or broken leg.    

But, as I've mentioned before, my husband and I are transplants from Jacksonville, Fl, so snow is something that we have been anxiously anticipating.    On Tuesday morning, we kept a watchful eye on the snow as it fell, proclaiming excitedly, "It's definitely sticking....look!   How cool!"    It really was beautiful and the first chance we got Tuesday afternoon, we were bundling up and out the door to go for a run/play in the snow adventure.   

The snow was covering a lot of the sidewalks, but it was soft and powdery so instead of being dangerous, it was just fun.  (at least at first while the novelty was still alive and well.)   We ran from our apartment in Rosslyn and took the Mt. Vernon trail to Roosevelt Island.    It was so neat running on the Mt. Vernon trail because the snow created a new variation of quiet and peacefulness.  Also, the Potomac was still frozen and was now snow covered.   It was really beautiful.    The run to the island is less than 2 miles from our apartment, so we were still feeling great and loving our snow-running experience when we arrived.   We stopped on the bridge over to the Island to throw a couple of snow balls at the river.   We were like children...really.   

Once on the Island, we walked up to the Theodore Roosevelt monument, which was breathtakingly beautiful in the snow.    It really was amazing how different the quiet sounds in the snow.    We took in the monument for a few minutes and then continued our run on the trail that follows the exterior of the island.    This is when the newness and novelty started to fade ever so slightly and my quads started to whisper that they were a little annoyed with me.    This snow was really powdery, so it was exactly like running in soft sand. By the time we ran the 1 mile loop around the island, we were both breathing much harder than normal considering our snail's pace.    (I was insistent that we go slow and be careful as to prevent a stupid injury that would make all the training documented on this blog a complete waste.)   And, in addition to the breathing hard, my quads were no longer whispering their opposition to this run....they were complaining loud and clear.  Each step was a new rigor, and the quads were not amused.   

We paused on the bridge to throw a  couple more snowballs.   A family with a small child was doing the same thing, making me feel a little ridiculous, but it was our first snow!  Acting like small children was our prerogative and responsibility!   We were excited!    As we started our journey home, we were thankful for a brief respite from the snow when we ran through the parking lot at the island.  It had been salted and was snow-free.   But once back on the trail we were in the snow the rest of the way home.   Our run home from the island is uphill.   Those of you familiar with Rosslyn know this well.   So, by the time we made it back to the apartment, my quads were very angry with me.    They were not impressed with the snow at all.    But, while it was difficult, I found myself really enjoying the challenge.   It was such a unique work-out.    And the sound of each foot-fall is so satisfying as you crunch your way along your route.   

Unfortunately, the sleet and rain that created a rock-hard frozen layer on top of the snow made our snow-run a one time opportunity.   The rest of the week, it was treadmill or nothing.    I was forced to do another dreaded tread-mill speed work-out.   This one was a 7 mile tempo with 5 of the miles at an 8:30.   Thanks to my previously-mentioned old-school mp3 player, I killed the workout and even managed to keep the pace for mile 7 instead of slowing down for a cool-down.    I was proud and pumped.    Later this afternoon I will do a 16 miler.   I am very excited because the weather forecast is predicting temperatures in the 50's.   This will be my first run in shorts in several weeks and I am excited!!  I'll keep you posted.  

 

Celebrity Sightings

Wow!   What a week it was in DC!  My husband and I attended the Inauguration on Tuesday and the concert on Sunday night.  They were both memorable and inspiring, but I think my favorite experience of the week was our run to the mall on Monday morning.   

My husband had the idea to get up early and run down to the mall.   We knew lots of the cable news networks and national network morning shows would be set up down there and embarrassingly enough, we are "those people" who enjoy watching TMZ and Access Hollywood. So, camera in hand and clothed in as many warm layers as we could find, we headed through Rosslyn and onto the Mt. Vernon Trail.    We ran across the frozen Potomac via the Roosevelt Bridge, down a little path by the Kennedy Center and onto the mall from the Lincoln Memorial. It was fun running by the Lincoln Memorial and marveling at just how long the line we had stood in the afternoon before really was.   

As soon as we passed the Washington Monument we saw the promised land of celebrity ogling. Our first stop was the set of CBS's "The Early Show."   They were preparing to interview Simon Cowel's opera singing sensation "Il Divo."   The group and their entourage were waiting in several dark Suburban's.   We snapped a couple of photos,  watched a few minutes of a cooking segment, and then decided to continue on and scope out our next sight.  Our top priority was a picture with Al Roker, so we were keeping our eyes especially peeled for a black weatherman or an NBC's "Today Show" logo. 

Our next dose of excitement came a few yards later when we spotted the CNN set.   Soledad O'Brian was there, as was the governor of New York.   (His body guards were huge!)    Once again, we observed for a few minutes, snapped some photos and continued.   Hanging around in one spot was not an option because it was freezing (literally) and it had started to snow.    

Our next stop was in front of the MSNBC set.   Their set-up was definitely the most impressive, but we saw no sign of any reporters, only a few technical people.   We inquired if Al was in one of the trailers and the response was a rather unfriendly "no."   We ran practically all the way to the capital without sighting our favorite weather man.  So, while our hopes of an Al spotting were dashed, we turned around and headed home feeling relatively satisfied with our run.    After all, we had spotted a couple of famous CNN anchors, a governor, and a famous musical group.....not bad for a morning jog.    

The best part was yet to come, however.   As we ran back by the CBS set, we spotted......drum-roll please.....STEVIE WONDER!!!   He was being interviewed about the concert and he was literally 5 feet from us.   I was amazed at the small number of spectators.   (Although considering the 20 degree temps, wind, and snow, I suppose my amazement was a little silly.)   We stood and listened to the interview and, of course, snapped a couple of photos.   We probably should have stayed until the end of the segment because the crowd was so small, an autograph would have been a definite option.  But our toes were freezing and our clothes were starting to feel wet from the snow so we headed for home.  

The entire run back to our apartment, my husband and I talked about just how cool our morning run had been.   One of the coolest parts was that, with only a few exceptions, the only people on the mall that morning were runners.   They, like us, had their cameras and would pause to snap a couple of photos when they ran by a set or a reporter.   I guess some people would respond by saying that only runners are crazy enough to be outside in the bitter, early morning weather.   But I, of course, disagree.   I think that our experience Monday morning is just another reason to add to the long list of reasons why running is so freakin' awesome.   There really is no better way to see a new city or experience a new event, than to run there.  If we weren't "crazy runners" we would have missed such a rich experience......not just the celebrity sightings; but the celebrity sightings on a quiet, peaceful, snowy morning on the National Mall.   The same National Mall that would be covered in 2 million people 24 hours later.  I mean, seriously, how cool?   

Okay, enough sentiment for now.....I'm sure the warm fuzzy feeling will flee quickly when I attempt my 7 mile tempo run on Wednesday.   I'll keep you posted.  

A Husband's Support

    My first 20 miler of this training program was this Saturday.   Surprisingly, considering the polar temperatures, it turned out to be a fabulous run.   My husband had agreed to ride his bike along side me as I ran, but this promise was made prior to the nation-wide cold spell.   Luckily for me, he was faithful, and didn't bail.   He did call me crazy a couple of times;  specifically when his toes froze and he had to run the bike alongside me to take a break from the wind gusts.

     We waited until noon to head out, figuring this departure time would provide us the best window for the warmest temperatures.    I think that plan was successful.   However, I should note that the warmest temperature of the day was 24 degrees.   

      Our plan was to leave Rosslyn, cross the Key Bridge, and run on the Capital Crescent trail to Bethesda.    I was worried that this route would quickly become laborious due to the unchanging scenery on the trail.    Luckily, I was completely wrong.    First of all, despite the Potomac being frozen solid, the trail was actually warmer than the streets in Rosslyn because the trees blocked the wind.    And the frozen river created the most peaceful of settings.   It reminded me of a recent Runner's World "Run of the Month" in Livingston, Montana.   I remember remarking how peaceful and quiet the run looked because of the frozen trees and snow on the ground in the picture.   Our experience Saturday was similar.    There were very few other people on the trail.   Without the sound of the river, silence surrounded us for miles at a time.    It was awesome!  

      We did spot several red birds and a couple of squirrels.    The only other interesting sighting was a group of lunatics playing hockey on the frozen Potomac.   It may be presumptuous for a Floridian like myself to judge any winter activities, but this one really screamed "DANGEROUS" to me.   They seemed to be having a grand time, however, and were still at it an hour later when we ran by on our way out.      

       We stopped every 70 minutes or so to drink water and eat a couple of shot blocks.     This was an interesting activity because the water in our water bottles was freezing quickly.   My husband finally resorted to keeping the bottles in his back-pack in the spot closest to his body to prevent them from freezing.  In addition, removing mittens to tear the shot block packages was truly painful.   We were in good spirits though, when we arrived in Bethesda.  We took a quick tour of some of the lovely homes in Chevy Chase before turning around and heading home.   

       The Capital Crescent Trail is actually a great trail for a long run because it is slightly uphill almost the entire way to Bethesda.    While this may sound daunting, the fun starts when you make the turn-around.   I ran the second 10 miles of the run 5 minutes faster than the first, a rarity for me on such a long run, because my back usually starts screaming around mile 14, requiring me to slow down.   But the slight down-hill grade kept my spirits up and gave me an added energy boost.   

      Probably due in part to my wind burnt cheeks, nose, and chin, my usual back and IT band issues were absent.....or maybe  I wasn't noticing them because my brain only had room to process the biting cold.   Despite the cause, though, I was a happy camper because I felt so strong through the last mile of my run.   It was  a great feeling.    I was able to maintain a 9:50 pace including our water breaks and traffic pauses in Rosslyn and Bethseda.   This is encouraging for me because my goal for the marathon is the slippery, yet attainable goal of 4 hours.    After this first 20 miler, I feel optimistic that my goal is within my grasp.    Thanks in part to my wonderful husband for facing the cold to be my water boy, timer, and cheer-leader.    

       Next week is an easy 6 miler.   (Yippee!!)  Then I will begin building back up to next month, when I will pace the five hour group in the Breast Cancer Marathon in Jacksonville, FL.   Then 3 weeks before the National Marathon, I plan to run another 20 miler.    For this one though, I plan to run the first 10 miles easy (like this weekend), and then pick it up to my goal pace of 9:00 for the last 10 miles.   I figure if I complete the last 10 miles on pace, I should feel confident going into the National Marathon in March.    We'll see.   I'll keep you posted.  

Music Makes All the Difference

This week, my speed work-out was a 6 mile tempo run---one mile warm-up, 4 at a 8:30 pace, and a one mile cool-down.   Fortunately, this one went much, much better than last week's work out.  I braved the tread-mill again because it seemed to be a better option than the polar temps that are currently plaguing the country.  It was a great work-out:  I was motivated, energized, and barely breathing hard.   Even during the cool-down, I kicked it back up to 7 miles per hour because I felt that good.   

What, you may ask, caused this drastic change in attitude and performance?   The answer is music.  Instead of bringing headphones and watching one of the five TV's, I brought my trusty mp3 player.   This thing has been with me in three marathons, two half-marathons, and three 15-ks.   It is full of close to 4 hours of the most wonderful mix of songs.....I have 80's rock, old-school country, old-school rock, some slow ballads, even some christian praise songs from my church.   All the songs mean something to me and they are all inspirational in there own way.   I haven't changed the play-list in over 3 years, which may sound crazy to some of you.    But I rarely run with it so the songs are yet to lose their appeal.  I enjoy listening to the sounds of the neighborhood when I am running outside and, of course, as a women running alone in DC, I need my ears to listen for the attacker that is sure to be around the next corner.   Therefore, my beloved play-list was a wonderful boost.   

I felt so good that I actually ran the four fast miles at an 8 minute pace instead of an 8:30.   I left the gym feeling really proud and pumped for my 20 miler that is scheduled for Saturday morning.   Yes, I am referring to the saturday morning that is predicted to be the coldest morning of the season.    I am going to run on a trail, so hopefully the trees will block the wind.  And my husband is going to bike beside me, adding encouragement and inspiration.   Hopefully I won't be too sore to walk to the concert Sunday night.   I'll keep you posted.   Happy Inauguration!   

18 miles of biting cold and inaugural excitement

     Well, thankfully, Sunday's long run went much, much better than the speed work-out described in the last post.  I was scheduled for 18, which is miserable to do by oneself, so my husband was kind enough to accompany me for my last 12 miles.   The route turned out to be quite pleasant.   I live in Arlington between Rosslyn and Courthouse, so I did the first 6 miles as an out-and-back on the Custis bike trail.    It is a great paved path with lots of rolling hills.    Not especially scenic, but it gets the job done.   

      After the 6, I grabbed some water, shot-blocks, and my husband, and I was back on the run.   The rest of the route was excellent.   We started on the Mt. Vernon trail that begins at the base of the Key Bridge.   Then we ran along the river, past Roosevelt Island, and onto the Memorial Bridge.   Getting up onto the bridge can be a little challenging because it requires crossing 4 lanes of traffic and climbing up a pretty steep grassy hill, but it is definitely manageable.  From the bridge, we ran past the Lincoln Memorial and through the mall.   I'm sure those of you who have lived in DC all your life may no longer notice, but for a runner from Jacksonville, the mall is truly a magnificent place to run.   There are so many beautiful buildings and diverse people everywhere.  It is impossible to notice the cold wind or your screaming quads.   If it hasn't already been featured in Runner's World run of the month section, it should!!   

     I traveled to DC several times as a child and teenager, but I never truly appreciated the beauty of this city until I had the opportunity to run in it.   At the risk of sounding sappy, I would even go as far as to say that running past all the monuments fills me with a sense of pride.   I will definitely miss it when we move.   I will say, however, that the beauty of our nation's capital is slightly depleted by the massive collection of porto-potties that are currently everywhere, awaiting the record breaking inaugural crowds!   It was a good thing that I was distracted by my patriotism (and the porto-potties),  however, because boy was it cold on Sunday.    The wind was brutal, especially on top of capital hill.    Which brings me back to the description of the route.   

    After running past Washington Memorial we continued to the right side of the capital and ran behind it by the new visitor's center and the Supreme Court.    Then we ran back down the other side of the mall to 15th street, stopping once to buy some water from a vendor.   (Unfortunately, the majority of the water fountains don't seem to work during the winter.)   We took a shot block, drank some water, and were on our way fast because running is warmer than standing.   Then, we ran up 15th to Pennsylvania and then down Pennsylvania.   This was the coolest part because we saw Obama's viewing platform for the parade.   Then we ran up to the Hay-Adams Hotel with hopes of catching a glimpse of the new first family.   No such luck, but it was worth a shot.   

     After this we headed down Pennsylvania towards Georgetown.   We ran through Georgetown on M St. which is great in the mornings because it is peaceful and the store-fronts are fun to admire.   However, this was mid-afternoon, so we were constantly having to stop for red-lights and strollers and shoppers.   This was no fun for me because after 16 miles, my quads were not very excited to stop and restart every 60 seconds.   But we made it though Georgetown,  over the key bridge, and back to our apartment without any major mishaps.   All in all, it is a wonderful run that really high-lights so many of the coolest land-marks of the city.I highly recommend it!      

This week-end is my first 20 miler and I think I'm going to avoid all the inaugural craziness, running the capital crescent trail to Bethesda instead.   My husband has agreed to accompany me again, this time on his bike.    I'll keep you posted.   Happy Running!  

The evils of speed work

Speed-work is most definitely my least favorite part of training for any race, but especially for a marathon, because the speed work is not only hard, but also long.   Today I attempted my most difficult speed work-out yet, and it was truly miserable.   (I'm not breaking some rule by starting my very first post with negativity, am I?)   

I was supposed to do a total of 7 miles with 4 of them being mile repeats at an 8 minute pace. This may sound like a piece of cake for some (most) runners, but I am a middle of the packer at best, so this is a significant work-out for me.   Anyway, the gym resembled a sauna due to all the extra bodies that were packed in there attempting to fulfill their New Year's Resolutions.   My first sign that this would not be a stellar work-out was when I started sweating during the first two minutes of my warm-up.    Unfortunately, it was all down-hill from there!   

The first two repeats were okay.   Most likely because I was watching some ridiculous reality show about the life-guards in San Diego.   It high-lights all sorts of interesting action, including drunken beach parties, encounters with sting-rays and jelly-fish, and rip-tides.   It is reality television at its best, and it kept me engaged during the first 25 minutes of so of the work-out.   Then the show went off, and I was forced to choose between Wolf Blitzer or the History Channel.   These options were not nearly as promising.   

I started on my third repeat (I'm now 3.5 miles into the work-out and slinging sweat on everyone within 5 feet.)  Around 3/4 of the way through the mile, the fatigue really set in and I tripped.   Luckily, I caught myself and recovered without smashing my face or breaking my leg.   I'm certain that at least a couple of people saw me and enjoyed a silent laugh at my expense, but nobody was bold enough to laugh aloud.    I was still humiliated enough to allow myself an early break though, so I stopped before finishing the mile for a little water and a short recovery walk.  

My last mile was the worst; I had to stop and walk two more times.   After my near crash, I lost what little focus and motivation that I had.   I didn't even do the mile cool-down because I was so disgusted with myself.   The entire drive home from the gym, my poor husband had to listen to me moan about how "maybe I shouldn't even do the stupid race," and "why couldn't I just finish the freakin' work-out?"  

By the time we were home though, I had convinced myself that running inside on the treadmill was definitely to blame.   Maybe the speedometer was off and I was really running faster, or maybe the temperature in the gym was the culprit, or maybe I just needed some fresh air and the feel of the wind in my face (yeah right, everyone knows that the wind in our face is a runner's nightmare).  But fresh air is always desirable.    

So, in conclusion, I have decided that my assignment for this week is to find a track. Then I won't have to subject myself to the evils of the treadmill for anymore speed work-outs.  Next week, you can probably expect a post titled "The evils of the track."   

Saturday is an 18 miler so expect a post.   If speed-work is my least favorite part of training, then long runs are probably my favorite, so I promise that the next post will be much more positive!