Tag Archives: half-marathon

Oct8

The 2012 B.A.A. Half Marathon

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Let’s back up to Saturday night to start this story.  The weather was gorgeous on Saturday afternoon so Michael and I decided to head into the Back Bay and walk around Newbury Street.  We had plans to meet his coworkers at 7 for karaoke so we walked around and grabbed an early dinner.  I went with mac and cheese with chicken and a salad.  We had calamari to start.  A really healthy pre-race dinner hahaha.  I tried to stay off my feet while at the bar and we managed to get home and to bed pretty early.  Since I was being all chill about this race and running for fun I didn’t feel like we needed to miss out on plans, it’s not like I stayed in every night before my long training runs anyway.

Sunday morning the alarm went off and I promptly hit the snooze not once but twice.  It was cold and our bed was so warm and cozy.  I got up, washed up, pulled my hair back, ate my oatmeal, taped my knee and got dressed.  You know, the usual race day routine. We got to the race, found an awesome parking spot (yes, good parking spots make me really happy) and headed to the start to meet my friend Lauren.  We chatted while I got ready but we didn’t really get there early enough for me to tackle the massively long bathroom lines.  I figured I could quickly go on my way to the start.  Wrong.  So I made my way to the start and hoped my bathroom urge would disappear.

The start was quick and painless but I could tell as soon as I started running that I was going to have to make a pit stop.  Luckily around .5 I found a porta pottie off to the side and within 30 seconds I did my business and was on my way.  I finished the first mile in an 8:13.  I’ll take it.  As the miles kept ticking by my pace was low.  I was holding a sub-8 pace and was surprised at how easy it felt.  When I ran this race 2 years ago I was able to PR and yesterday felt so similar to that day.  I kept pushing the pace, ticking the miles off.  Around mile 6 we hit an uphill and I could feel my legs getting tired.  I was afraid I’d pushed too hard too early and I was going to pay for it later.  I decided in that moment to just go for it, if the final miles were hard I’d survive and it was too early to give up on a good time.

BAA Half Splits

Here’s the thing about races…they go by so quickly for me! All the sudden we were at mile 8 and I was wondering how that happened.  It felt like we just started!  I knew I’d see Michael and Lo around mile 9 so I kept pushing it until I saw them.  Mile 9 was uphill, the entire mile.  I kept telling myself that mile 10 was downhill and I’m strongest on the up’s so I needed to keep pushing.  Mile 10 came and the downhills didn’t feel as effortless as I’d hoped.  My legs were getting tired.  I rounded the corner at mile 11 and knew that there was a good uphill.  At this point I knew I was a couple of minutes off my PR so I shifted it into a lower gear and just tried to tackle the hill.  Michael and Lo were about mid-way up the hill cheering me on and I was pretty happy to see some familiar faces.

Once I hit the top of the hill I could feel how tight my butt and hamstrings were.  Yep, I was going to pay for my quick pace the last mile.  I kept pushing but my legs were tired and heavy.  I wanted to stop. I kept thinking about how good walking would feel but I kept telling myself it was a mile left.  Lie. There was way more than a mile left.  People were passing me with a good kick and I was getting frustrated and more tired.  I kept pushing and thinking about the finish.

And then I had this nice little chat with myself…If you had done some tempo runs this training cycle you’d have some kick right now.  This is why you do tempo runs so in the last few miles when you are tired and your legs are toasted you can still hold the pace.  How many times do we have to learn this lesson again and again?  Tempo runs are good for you.  You aren’t so awesome where you don’t need them.  You need them.  Note to self…do tempo runs, they make the final miles of a race so much easier!

2012 B.A.A. Half Marathon Results

Thankfully my self talk was interrupted with sights of the finish.  I was almost done.  I pushed it as hard as I could (which felt pretty damn slow) to the finish.  1:45.23 at an 8 min/mile pace.  I’ll take it because let’s be honest I did not expect that at all!

Post race I met up with Michael and Lo.  They had great food for the finishers…including a WHOLE bag of Bear Naked Fruit and Nut Granola (can we say score?!) and JUICE Boxes, which is just brilliant if you ask me.  Seriously, who wants more Gatorade when you’ve just had Gatorade and GU and all that?  Not me!  Juice boxes on the other hand…awesome.  I made friends with a yellow lab who was pretty thrilled that I decided to plant myself on the ground right near her.  She came over and laid down next to me, snuggled with me and let me pet her for a good 5 minutes.  I love some pet therapy post race.  Thanks to the stranger for letting me get some doggie love!  

We didn’t stick around for long and headed to a new to us brunch spot.  DELICIOUS.  I had strata with kale, chourico sausage, broccoli  tomatoes, cheese and a side of home fries and fruit.  Let’s not forget the coffee.  It was so fun to chat with Lo and Michael! The perfect way to end a fantastic morning!

I’m off to cheer on and support our Team in Training participants at the Tufts 10K for Women in Boston! I love my new job!

Congrats to everyone who raced this weekend with a special shout out to all the Chicago Marathon Finishers!!!

How did your weekend races go?  Did anyone do better than expected?  

Oct5

On My Mind Pre B.A.A. Half!

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It’s hard to believe that race weekend is finally here! It seems like just yesterday I signed up to race the B.A.A. Half Marathon.  So what’s the race weekend plan?  It’s to have fun!  This training experience has been very different from with my last marathons.  For both Boston and Chicago I was so focused on time and numbers but this time I’ve just been running because I love it.  I think yoga teacher training is to thank for that, it’s been front and center for me so running has been the “break” I need.

Ultimately I’d like to run in the high 1:40′s but I know that will be a really fast race for me.  Realistically  I’ll be happy to finish around 1:55.  That’s about an 8:45 min/mile which is what I’ve been averaging on my long runs.  I haven’t done any speed work or tempo runs for this half so I’m not expecting to PR.  I really just want to enjoy the fall weather, the race and have fun!

The BAA Half 2010

The weather is looking good with high’s around 57, cloudy with a chance of showers.  Why wasn’t it like that at Chicago last year?!  I’ve been mentally having the what to wear debate.  Do I go with crops and a short sleeve?  Stick with shorts, a short sleeve top and arm warmers? I’m thinking it’s going to be a race morning decision!

My real concern though is the fact that I haven’t been feeling great this week.  Last weekend in teacher training we focused on splits which requires a lot of hip and hamstring openers.  Since I’m tightest in those areas it was a hard weekend for me.  My hips have been so sore since Sunday! I’ve felt ok on my runs and my pace has been normal but I’m definitely concerned about my soreness.  Here’s my plan so I’ll feel my best race day…

  • Rest days on Friday and Saturday.
  • Foam roll, foam roll, foam roll.
  • Get to bed early and get extra rest, sleep in on Saturday.
  • Drink plenty of water to flush out my muscles.

Historically, and by that I mean every year, I get sick following this race weekend.  I get an awful cold, usually spend a good 2 days on the couch.  Since I just started a new job, already have a mild cough and quite honestly just don’t want to get sick here’s how I plan to ward off sickness…

  • Emergen-C.  Best. Stuff. Ever. I find this stuff really keeps me from being down and out when I have a cold.  I also think it helps prevent illness too.
  • Rest, and more rest.

So if you haven’t caught on, the plan from now until Sunday morning is to rest as much as possible.  Even though my plan is to race for fun, I still want to enjoy the race, feel good and give it my best shot.

One thing I’m looking forward to on Sunday is the mental miles I’ll run…

  • I’ll run for my friend, who passed away this week.  A runner who ran Boston year after year for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a runner who left us all too early, who had more smiles and hugs to give.  I know I’ll find some extra motivation to run happier thanks to him.
  • I’ll run for Jess and Scott who’ll be tackling 26.2 in Chicago the very same day.  Jess has so openly and honestly shared every moment of her journey to run her first marathon. I’m so excited for them and wish them the best of luck! I know I’ll think of them when I need some motivation.
  • I’ll run for Michael and I.  It’ll be the one year anniversary since we ran Chicago together.  I’ll never forget that day, the smiles we shared and the memories we made.  It’s hard to believe that a year has already passed!
  • I’ll think of Michael’s sister who is running Chicago this year and his parents who are out there again this year to cheer her on.

I love that I have so many thoughts to fill my miles, thoughts to keep me going and miles to “share” with others!  I’m really excited and looking forward to my fall race!  I’ll be back on Monday with a recap!!

Best of luck to all of those who are running the Chicago Marathon this weekend!

How do you fight off aches and pains in the days leading up to your race?  What are you favorite ways to avoid the common cold?  Are you running Chicago this weekend? Who will you run your miles for?

Sep24

12 and Done!

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This weekend I welcomed in fall with apple picking, a trip to Wilson Farms (<—LOVE this place!), homemade apple pie, warm hearty meals, shopping for fall clothes and boots and long runs.  This weekend was my last long run for the B.A.A. Half marathon.

All week I’d walk outside at lunch and take in the cool weather and sunshine and psych myself up for my 12 miler.  To be honest, I wasn’t really looking forward to it so it took all week to psych me up.  I was more in the mood to sleep in, drink coffee and relax.  But Michael made an 8:30 tee-time with a friend to play golf so I had no excuses to postpone or skip it.

The alarm went off and Michael got up to get ready.  I reluctantly followed suit to make my oatmeal.  And then Michael told me it was raining.  Raining?! Really?!  This was not the long run I’d envisioned.  So I proceeded to procrastinate.  I changed the sheets on the bed, started laundry, picked up the house and by then it was almost 8:30.  Ok.  Time to go.  No more procrastinating.  

I set off for my run and settled in to a pace.  I was ignoring my Garmin because I couldn’t imagine the pace was good but it felt good and that’s what mattered.  I had my loop all planned out- 3 miles to the lake, 2 laps of 3 miles each around the lake, 3 miles home.  Mentally this run was easy.  Then the Garmin beeped, mile 1 done.  I couldn’t resist and looked at the pace and was content with what I saw.

12 Mile Long Run

The 3 miles to the lake flew by and I wasn’t hating the drizzle and cool air.  It was actually peaceful and calming.  The path around the lake itself was flat and I just settled in.  The people walking and other runners were motivating to me and I felt my pace pick up.  The Garmin beeped and I was surprised to see a sub 9 min/mile!  I cruised, trying to keep the pace. The people watching was awesome.  Truth, I love checking people out when I’m running.  I love hearing bits and pieces of their conversations and guessing what their story is or where they might be from.  It’s a fun game to me and it passes the time. 

I was loving running around the lake, mentally it was easy and my pace was quick.  I knew the 3 miles home would have a good uphill and part of me wished I could stay and finish the final 3 at the lake but I had to run home.  I pushed the uphill, determined to keep up my sub- 9 min/mile pace.  I told myself “3 and done”.  It was a good little mantra.  For as good as I felt, that final mile was hard.  I was tired and I knew I just wasn’t used to a sub- 9 min/mile pace but I was happy.  Happy for a quick pace, happy for running in the drizzle, happy to be closer to race day.

I love when you have a great run AND your race bib and packet comes in the mail on the same day! A sign of a good race to come?  I sure hope so!

B.A.A. Half Marathon Bib!

Point of this recap:  sometimes the runs we dread the most will be some of our best not only mentally but physically too.  

Random side note:  I thought about this for a good mile and half on Saturday.  And then again on Sunday.  I love running, I love fall races, I love training for fall races.  I love that final long run before my fall race.  Why?  Because I love winter and winter follows fall.  I love not having a training plan, running less, and feeling my aches and pains from weeks and months of running during the spring, summer and fall fade away. I love hiding in the warm yoga studio.  And I love sleeping in, hiding under the covers, drinking coffee and relaxing on cold, snowy winter weekends.  Except of course if you’re training for Boston.  What can I say? I am a New Englander and love my seasons.  Even the ones that are dark and involve less running. 

Sunday I was up early again for my first practice as Coordinator for Team in Training!  The ladies running the Tufts 10K met for a 5 mile run.  I went to introduce myself and join them for the run.  I was surprised to see a few ladies from the Boston Team last year and loved meeting some new faces!  This is definitely one really fun part of my job!

I felt pretty good but my legs were a little slow and sore.  I kept it light and easy and held a solid recovery pace of about 10 min/mile.

The highlight of this weekend was getting 17 miles done. It’s nice to go into the week being “up”.  I have a 5 miler planned for Thursday again but would love to make that a 6 or 7 miler.  I’m going to try to get all my runs done in the morning this week and start to shift my routine so I’m not sure I can fit that in before work.  We shall see how it goes!

How was your long run this weekend?  For you fall marathoners how is your taper going? Do you look forward to winter like I do? Tips for getting 7 miles done before 7 am?

Sep10

BAA Half Training: Long Runs and Pace

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Can you believe the BAA half marathon is less than a month away?!  Seriously, it seems like just yesterday I signed up for the race and was creating my training plan.  Where does time go?  Training for this race has been a completely different experience than before.  When I created the plan I was concerned about how it would all fit in with yoga teacher training but so far this really hasn’t been a problem.

At first I definitely missed a lot of my planned runs.  During my 9 day intensive for yoga teacher training I didn’t run once and I skipped the long run I had scheduled before that started in favor of some extra rest…needless to say training was not off to a great start.  In the weeks since then I’ve kicked it in to gear and have gotten in a few good long runs.  Now, I’m above the long run mileage I actually planned to be at, which is awesome if you ask me.  I managed to get in a 6 miler, two 9 milers and as of yesterday an 11 miler.

On Labor Day my friend Lauren, her husband, sister and I took on 9 miles.  We ran in Gloucester, MA along the ocean with the views of the gorgeous beach homes.  It was such a nice change of scenery.  It was nice to just chat it up and run.

9 Miles in Gloucester

Yesterday I ran 11 miles by myself on what was a gorgeous morning to run.  It was nice and cool with overcast skies.  I found my groove early on and the miles just ticked on by.

11 Mile Long Run

My pace has been kind of slow for me lately.  The other night I was telling Michael about this; he asked me if my runs felt good and I told him they feel great- relaxed, easy and peaceful.  Then he asked me if I’m enjoying them and having fun.  I am, a lot actually.  Then he simply said, who cares.  He’s so right, who does care?  No one but myself and even I don’t care! I’m loving yoga lately, my practice and this journey is like nothing else.  I love just going for a run because I love it.  Training for this half-marathon is just enough to help motivate me to keep my mileage high, get my long runs in and let me enjoy the fall running and racing I love so much.  For so long (like the past year) all I’ve worried about was long runs, pace and training plans but now it feels so good to be thinking about yoga poses, playlists and which arm balance I want to tackle next.

I haven’t done one speed workout the entire training cycle which is likely contributing to my slower than normal pace.  In the next few weeks I plan to add some speed to my runs.  I can’t bring myself to hit the track so I plan to do fartleks within a 4 mile run a few times over the next few weeks.  Maybe, if and only if, I feel motivated will I do a tempo run.  I’m kind of hoping the motivation hits me, so that is a good sign that a tempo run will likely happen.  As for long runs, I have a 12 miler planned in a couple of weeks and hope to sneak in a couple more 8 milers after work before now and the taper.

My goals for this race? I’m thinking I might just run this one for fun.  No time or pace goals.  Just a good, solid, fun 13.1 miles.  Wouldn’t that be a nice change?!  I feel like I’m in a really good place with yoga and running lately.  I’m enjoying each for different reasons and it’s nice for running to be in the backseat for a change.  There’s no pressure from myself to be anything or do anything when it comes to running and that feels awesome.  I’m just running purely because I love it!

How’s your fall race training going? Has your pace been fast or slow? What are your fall race goals?

Jul31

B.A.A. Half Marathon Training Plan

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With every successful half-marathon there is a training plan behind it.  Considering the B.A.A. Half- Marathon is 10 weeks away I figured I’d better get a plan together.  The challenge in creating this plan is that *little* thing called Yoga Teacher Training.  There are a lot of unknowns with Yoga Teacher Training, the most concerning being how tired will I be and how sore will I be.   To be successful this plan is going to require a lot of flexibility.  My goals each week are to get in one easy run, one long run and one track workout in addition to the requirements for yoga teacher training.  Some weeks have 4 runs scheduled which is an effort to get in enough miles since I’ll be missing 3 long runs.  As always, I listen to my body and adjust any training for injury, and tiredness.

B.A.A. Half- Marathon Training Plan

A few side notes:

  • I follow all runs with Abs, Strength and Stretching.  It totals about 20 minutes post run.  
  • I take an easy yoga class at lunch time on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.  It totals about 45 minutes per class.
  • I plan to run a few long runs with a friend, distance may vary slightly. 

Color Codes:

  • Purple = Yoga Teacher Training
  • Gray = Yoga Class
  • Blue = Easy Recovery Run (~9:15 min/mile)
  • Orange= Run (~8:30 min/mile) 
  • Pink= Long Run (~8:50 min/mile)
  • Yellow= Tempo Run (~5K pace)
  • Green= Track Workout

I’m really curious to see how Yoga Teacher Training will impact race day.  You can be sure I’ll be blogging about my experiences in Yoga Teacher Training and will update you all about my training progress throughout the next 10 weeks!

Have you trained for a race and done Yoga Teacher Training simultaneously? What do you look to accomplish with your half-marathon training plans? What questions do you have for me about the plan?