Whitney v/s the Marathon: Part Deux

Well, it has been a little less than three years since I last posted on this blog and, MY, HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED.   To say that the last three years have been eventful would be quite the understatement considering that in this time period I:   moved to France, learned to live in a new culture and language, made new friends, joined a new church,  gave birth,  traveled to more countries that I have the energy to count right now, moved from France to Southern California,  lost and replaced half of our family's household goods due to mold, made even more new friends, and joined yet another new church.        

During all of these changes and chaos, though, two things have remained constant:  1.   my relationship with Jesus, and 2.   my relationship with running.    While this blog will be focused mostly on the subject of that second relationship, I'm sure that my faith will ooze over into my writing here as well.   I've decided to restart this journal as a way to document my training for the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon.   The race is four months from now and I started my training program yesterday.   The last time I wrote about training I failed to meet my time goal of four hours for the National Marathon in DC, and I vowed to never again train for a marathon with a specific time goal in mind.  Until now, I have kept that promise.   (I ran two marathons while we were in Europe, Hamburg and Stockholm.   I plan to write up race recaps on this blog sometime in the future.)   But now the marathon sirens are calling to me and I am responding.   Inspired by an encouraging half marathon time this fall (1:45),  I have set a time goal of 3:45 and will be tracking all of my training here.   I will be doing most of my training with Susannah, my 14 month old daughter.   I'm hoping pushing 25 extra lbs for the majority of my runs will help me meet my race day goal.

Yesterday was training run number one, and considering the fact that I'm still on antibiotics for bronchitis and hadn't run in over a week, I was pretty encouraged with my performance.   I did 6 easy miles (according to the Mcmillan pace calculator, my easy run pace should be 9:00-9:30 pace.)   Including stops for redlights and sippy cup retrievals, I kept a 9:25 pace.   I finished the run feeling really encouraged that I hadn't lost as much fitness as I had feared during my illness.  

Today was training run number two and I again felt encouraged.   I was supposed to do a 45 minute tempo run.   According to McMillan, my tempo pace should be 8:00.    In the past I have always done tempo runs on the treadmill so I could moniter the pace, but since I no longer have access to a gym, I was left to my own devices for this one.   I ran the first two miles at what felt like an easy pace (mile 1 9:29   mile 2 8:45) then at mile three I picked it up to what I guessed was an 8:00 pace.   And by this I mean I ran pretty much as hard as I could for mile three.   I figured that I had lost some speed during my week off, so I thought that I would really have to kill myself to hold an 8 minute pace.   During that mile, I felt like I was dying which is most definitely not how one is supposed to feel on a tempo run.  My understanding is that one should feel like they are pushing hard, but also feel refreshed.   Refreshed is definitely not an adjective I would choose when describing how I felt during mile 3.   I was tired.   I was dragging.  I was sucking wind.   I was not refreshed.    My original plan was to run mile 4 and 5 at an easy pace.   When I hit mile 4 though, after allowing myself to slow down enough to catch my breath, I looked at my watch and realized we were going to be late to our ultimate destination, storytime at the library.   So, we cut our run short and instead of an easy mile 4 and 5, we did a faster mile 4.  

I am happy to report that we did make it to storytime and Susannah enjoyed herself immensely.   Thankfully she is too young to be embarrassed by her sweaty mother.   I usually try to arrive a few minutes early so I have time to cool down and change shirts.  I don't want to offend the other moms by dripping sweat on the alphabet carpet tiles.  Today there was no time though and I couldn't help but consider the irony as we sang the opening song, "The more we get together, together, together....The more we get together the happier we'll be."  I'm pretty sure that not one person in that room felt inclined to get anymore together with me or the sweat puddle around me than they already were.   Luckily, everyone was kind enough to pretend they weren't grossed out, even if they were.  

I am also happy to report that when we got home, I checked my splits for the tempo run and saw that during mile 3, I was sucking wind with good reason....7:32 pace!!   While this shows that I definitely need to work on getting to know my body concerning pacing, I am super happy that I had a 7:32 in me after battling this bronchitis for 2 weeks.  

Well, I guess I should draw this post to a close.    I am really looking forward to blogging about this training cycle.  Feel free to comment.   While I'm mostly doing this blog for my own entertainment, I would love to know that there is at least one or two other people who read this.  ;)  

Happy Running Everyone!

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.