(S)he's Going the Distance*

I have always taken perverse joy and speed workouts. When I was in high school track my workouts focus mostly on 100, 200 or 400 repeats. Sometimes there were hurtles literally throwing in the max depending on what was going on. I've  been known to schedule a ladder workout or two for Frisbee team that I've been on in the past. I find satisfaction in working hard, facing some pain, and overcoming it to see the results. I've never, however, done long distance speed work out.  And I am finding this is going to be a different beast entirely. 

Before the Run to Remember I started trying to do some temple run and did one 400 repeat based on a quick training program I found.  The tempo runs were  but on Tuesdays when I would try to keep up with a certain group of runners from my run club. They were hard, they hurt, and they seem to go on FOREVER.  With the goal of Baystate to qualify for Boston I know I need to work on my lactic acid threshold as well as my VO2 max and, unfortunately, that means long distance speed workout.

So I started this Wednesday with mile repeats. I did a 1 mile warm-up, 1 mile at 7:10, 400 meters in between, 1 mile at 7:00 and 1 mile cooldown.  And the funny thing was I found myself zoning out like I used to when I did my track repeats either in high school or with ultimate. I found the time going by and the countdown is not seeming to drag like I expected them to. I also found that I wasn't entirely sure how to gauge my comfort level and that will be one of the interesting developments in this training. I'm going to have to learn how to gauge when I really don't have a lot left because it is different to push through 200 meters or chase down a disc on a field that it is to run three more miles (or more).

Despite finding myself fairly exhausted Thursday (although I still met up and literally almost walked my way through 3.35 miles with friends) now reflecting during my rest night I find that I am somewhat excited (?!?)  to see what I will learn about what I can do. And what I cannot do. 

*(S)he's Going for Speed.

Another One Bites the Dust

When you run regularly it is important to remember that there will always be good days and bad days. Equally or maybe more important is to remember a good run one day does not guarantee the next one will be good or better. Same when you have a bad run. Today was a Bad Run and so, I am trying to remind myself that my next run, and particularly, my next long run, won't be terrible.

Today's run was hot, unfocused, hot and too long for only 6.5 miles. And hot. Did I mention that? I am working on pacing myself for long runs which, right now, are starting short, but even with that I was dying. I walked which is just something I don't really do. I struggled to keep my breathing normal and my Garmin told me I should rest for four day (FOUR) after this because it took so much out of me.

I am now trying to recovery and stay focused and not concern myself with the idea that my next run will be awful. I am trying to remember all the other terrible run I had but how many good runs I've had and how those tend to be the norm. I feel like these next twenty weeks will continue to be a mental up and down like this.

When Day is Done*

Officially following a training plan will begin the first weekend in July but before then I'm trying to get used to a move involved routine. I've always been pretty good about getting some workout in nearly everyday but this training is going to be much different. For one it's just going to be MORE. On top of the increase in running, I need to add speed workout to get faster, strength to avoid injuries and better body movement and, of course, more stretching. So, all in all, I want to get used to more which I'm trying to use June for. 

But as I sit here waiting for an appointment, not having done anything athletic yet today but hoping to do some arms, abs and rolling I think "man I am tired."

These next few months are going to test endurance in so many ways, hopefully in the end I come out victorious.

*Sleep in peace when day is done.

Mile to Go Before I Sleep*

In between my first post and today, my training focused on the Run to Remember half marathon which was yesterday. I'll get to the race below, but first up just some background.

A few things to know about me is that I ran high school track (and cross country because our coach made us. I was a hurdler so sprinter by nature and pretty much hated distance and was not good at it because I didn't like to try or the discomfort with the longer runs. I think my PR then was like 29:50 for a 5K. In college I played ultimate frisbee and so, again, focused on sprinted and skills. To this day, I love ultimate and often wished I had my a stronger go at playing on the top teams, but I made great friends and teams so no real regrets. I started to run much after a stressful college break-up and needing to release pent up emotions. Between my frisbee focus, I did race some 5Ks and four half marathons. In August 2012, I tore my left ACL and after a very difficult summer and surgery, began running again in the spring of 2013 and played frisbee again in the winter of 2014. I kept running, eventually getting a job at a running store (now part time as I'm back in my professional field) and found playing frisbee competitively was difficult for various reasons. In July of 2015 I tore my right ACL (WTF, seriously, I know). After my second surgery and hitting my mid-30s it began apparently I should hang up the cleats, but maybe still play on sand so I have pretty much done that.

Being competitive, I decided to make new goals such as PR in a half marathon (best time was 1:51:20), then run a half in 1:45:59, get a 5K under 22 minutes, run a marathon and qualify for Boston. And so that is where I find myself today. Side note: maybe I'll go back to cleated frisbee but if I tear something again I will probably never forgive myself.

As mentioned above the Run to Remember was yesterday. In 2008 this was my first half marathon and it's a great course through Boston. Yesterday was nice weather, a bit warm around mile 9 as the sun came out but nothing that took away from the pace. I managed to run a 1:49:53 which is a PR! I believe I can do better and I have to eventually try to push the pace being aware that I run a risk of really having a crash. Or maybe not. What this race shows me is that I can focus on goals and will need to also improve a lot over the next few months if I want to BQ.

About three-four weeks prior to R2R I did start to bring in speed work outs to my running, including tempo runs and one 400 repeat. It made me feel like my old self during track and frisbee workouts so there is a part of me that looks forward to the marathon speed work outs. I also tried to focus on arm and ab workouts which, although basic, I believe do help. I plan to increase my stretching focus which I desperately need to do. All in all, what I've come to realize is that I will need to focus and prioritize my running, other work outs, food and sleep to do this. I have a month of prep before I start to follow a schedule. I hope by then I'll have made some adjustments so that the changes don't seem so startling or difficult.

Regardless, everyone has heard it: nothing worse having comes easy (kudos to Theodore Roosevelt I believe).

*Original quote, I know.

Stop...Wait a Minute*

I have made many attempts at blogging over the years. I always wanted to have something to say that I wanted to write and that, I'd hope, others would want to read. The thing is there are a lot of blogs out there about a lot of things and I've never had a niche that I've committed to and never began a business that needed the exposure. But still I've always wanted to find something out there to take the time to keep a diary of for myself and others.

And so, with attempt number who-knows-what, I'm once again taking a step into the world of blogging with a focus on...

QUALIFYING FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON

I know this is not a new idea and, although I haven't yet, I bet I could google that term and find many blogs documenting the exact same topic. But I've decided to say that's okay. This blog isn't going to be unique. It isn't going to be my job where I try to recruit people over to my side of Boston training. It simply is going to be about my journey towards this goal. Hopefully over the months I'll get some folks who are interested, but maybe not. Ideally, at the end of it all, I will get a good enough time for the blog to be happy memory.

So, here's the first entry and just the basic of information to start:

My husband and I have signed up for the Baystate Marathon October 22nd. My BQ time is 3:40 and, with the way things go with Boston these days, I'm aiming to run at least an 8:20 pace (3:38:30). Baystate will be my first marathon, although I've run five half marathons with a sixth coming up Memorial weekend. Official training will start in July but in the meantime I'll warm up with the blog and trying to get things in order to achieve this goal.

*Thank you, Bruno Mars, for the help today on an 11 mile run.