20 miles and the work is done!

Three weeks from tomorrow is the Chicago Marathon which means that this weekend is the marathon training favorite...the 20 miler!  It was my second 20 miler and, as is usual for me, went much better than the first one!  I didn't even have to walk this time.  The best thing I did was to slow down to the pace I should be running my long runs.  What a difference it makes!  I can make it all the way through the run at the same speed I started at instead of much slower!
Here's my Garmin shot of my run.  This Garmin leaves whatever is showing as the pace when it is shut off instead of showing the average for the whole run.  As soon as it turned over to 20.00 I stopped running.  I didn't stop the Garmin until my last mile split displayed.  I was right by where we end and the few steps I took must have been really really slow - 35:06 minutes/mile!!  20 miles in 3:32:35 is actually a 10:37 pace.  This pace is actually a little off because on the second half of the run I wasn't turning it off when we stopped at the water stops.  I've already messed up two runs by forgetting to turn it back on after a water stop and I was getting tired and didn't want to take the chance of forgetting to turn it back on.  I did turn it off at a water stop where I took a gu but there were three water stops where I just let it run.  We didn't stop long so I'm thinking maybe 2 minutes between the three stops. 

20 miles in 3:32:35 (10:37/mile)

I got to try:

Salted Caramel Gu

I'm not going to say that it is sooooo good, just like gooey caramel smothered over ice cream.  It's doable for me.  I've mentioned a million times that I just can't get past the slimy texture of Gu.  This really does taste like caramel and almost feels like caramel.  I also tried Chocolate Raspberry Gu.  When I squeezed the packet in my fingers it didn't feel like the gel texture of Gu, it felt more solid and thick.  It wasn't that bad.  I'm not sure if I'll use it in the race.  I also tried Honey Stinger Vanilla, didn't like it. 

After my run, all I wanted to do was to go home but...
I had to go to the downtown branch of the running store.  It's only a block away from where my group run meets.  The running store branch I go to on Thursday nights for running group is on the west side of Ann  Arbor.  Thursday I tried on new running shoes.  I've been wearing Asics Gel Foundations for years but they just discontinued the Foundations and replaced them with a new model called the Forte.  I tried on the same size I currently wear (10.5) but I felt like my toe was pushing against the top of the shoe.  They said I really needed to try on a size 11 but they didn't have a size 11 in the store but the downtown store did have an 11.  One of the employees took the 10.5s to the downtown store on Friday so that I could try on both sizes after my run today.  I ended up getting the 11s.  When they held my current shoe sole to sole with the new 10.5, you could see that they didn't quite match up; the new model is just a tad shorter.  The 11s fit perfectly.   I kept "warning" them that they might need nose plugs and I should have come in tomorrow but the woman who waited on me said that it was the best time to try on new shoes because feet swell during a run and my feet would never get any more swollen than right after a 20 miler.  Then I hobbled two blocks to where I parked my car and headed home.  I so wanted to take a nap but had to hurry up and shower so I could help my neighbor.  Their daughter was getting married this afternoon in their yard and they didn't want a bunch of cars to be showing in the pictures so we let them park some cars here.  One of their guests with a mini van shuttled the wedding guests to their house.  After the ceremony and pictures were done, several of the relatives made a few trips to get all the cars back to their place. 
I never did get my nap and I'm exhausted this evening.  Tomorrow I will run an easy 3 miles and then begins the three weeks of........  TAPER!!!!!!!!!!
I am so ready!  I'm tired out from all this running! 

Runner Nerd
happy taperer

First 20 Miler Done!

Today, I did my first 20 mile training run for my upcoming Chicago Marathon.  It wasn't pretty there at the end.  I started having problems around mile 14.  The last 4 miles were really bad.  I had to walk up some hills during those last 4 miles.  I covered 20 miles on foot so it counts! 
I went to a group training run where a route is mapped out, signs placed at turns and water stops provided.  My friend and I started out way too fast, as usual.  I have been telling myself the last few days that I have to slow down for this 20 miler.  I ended up with an overall average pace of 10:48 which is fine for 4:30 marathon training.  I just wish all the miles had been in that area and no walking. 
Next week should have been my 20 miler but I wanted to do an 8 mile race on Mackinac Island because it falls on my birthday this year!!  I rearranged my schedule to fit it in.  I considered running the race course again and then another 4 miles but decided that I'd rather hang around the island the rest of the day so I moved my 20 miler ahead a week.  I'm taking my bicycle so I will probably do some biking after the race.  After this 20 miler, that 8 mile race is going to seem easy!!  I'm aiming to have all my miles under 9 minutes.

Last week there was no group run because so many of the group went to a huge 10 mile race in Flint called the CRIM.  I've run the CRIM before and would have liked to have again but with already having rearranged my schedule for Mackinac Island it just wasn't possible.  I even won an entry and a bus ride up there at a fitness expo back in the spring but decided to turn it down.  Anyway, with there not being a group run, I had to do my long run all by myself.  I ran 18 miles alone.  It was tough, I sure missed the group run.  I ran a 10 mile route first, refilled my handheld water bottle at my car and then ran an 8 mile route.  I even started a half hour earlier than the group run starts.  I ran out of water on the 8 mile portion.  I was really running slow at the end (last 2 miles) but I got through it. 

It's hard to believe that 6 weeks from tomorrow is the Chicago Marathon!!  I registered wayyyyy back in early Feburary. 

Runner Nerd
ran 20 miles

10 weeks to go

Here I am, 10 weeks away from the Chicago Marathon!! I guess I didn't do a very good job of catching up from July 4th until now.
My long runs have been going quite well.  I ran 15.5 miles this past Saturday at a 9:29 average pace.  Most of my miles were in the low 9s until the last 1.5 which were 10:22 and 10:25.  I was beat!  My plan called for 15 miles, the group run was an 8 mile out and back course.  Nobody else was turning around at 7.5 miles so I decided to go all the way to the end since I ran 14 last week and a 2 mile increase would be fine.We took a wrong turn in town and ended up cutting a half mile off; the others went around the block to get the half mile but I called it quits because I was beat. 
Last week my 14 mile run came in at a 9:36 average pace and the week before 12.5 miles came in at 9:47.  I was running with my friend, Erika, and we were running along in the high 8s to low 9s.  It was Art Fair weekend in Ann Arbor which means quite a few streets downtown are closed off and there are hundreds of artists with booths.  Art Fair wasn't open yet when we were running in the morning and the course wound through Art Fair before heading out of town and then came back through on the way back.  As we were heading back into the Art Fair area, I tripped on an electric cord that was laying across a street.  I fell hard, I scraped my left knee just a little.  I was more embarrassed than anything.  After I fell, I never really got back up to the pace I was running, I really slowed down.  We missed a turn and ended up running an extra 1/2 mile. 
My Monday tempo runs have also been going well.  Last Monday, I ran 7 miles at 8:51 average pace.  The week before I ran 6.3 miles at 8:43 average pace at 8pm after working a 12 hour day shift. 
I've been doing speedwork with the triathlon group on Wednesdays.  Last Wednesday, we did 6 1200s with a 400 recovery.  The first 4 came in under 8 minute pace, the last 2 at just over 8 minute pace.  I can live with that!  Oh, did I mention that it rained the whole time and I was soaked and miserable?  The week before we did two 2 mile repeats in a park.  My first 2 miles were 7:53 and 7:46.  The second 2 miles were 7:57 and 7:56.  Pretty good for me!  I was barely moving by the time we got back to where our cars were parked which was almost a mile from where the repeats end.
After all these tempo runs, speed workouts and 9:30s long runs, running a marathon at a 10:15 pace should be easy, right!!  I can only hope! 
Two weeks ago, I did a virtual 5K.  It was organized online by "From Fat to Finish Line", a group of 12 people who have all lost at least 100 lbs and formed a Ragnar relay team and a documentary is being made about them.  It was a Sunday which is supposed to be a short, easy recovery run.  I ran my 5K in 26:26 for an 8:32 average pace!!  Oh well, it was fun! This is the picture/results I posted on their Facebook page:

virtual 5K

I was standing behind my car because that made the sun behind the camera; I didn't intentionally take my picture next to my 26.2 sticker!  I noticed it later when I was getting the picture ready to post to their page!  I made my virtual race bib number -35 because I lost 35 lbs in 2005. 
So, that's about it.  This week is one of my favorite events - the Red Carpet Run.  It's on Wednesday night.  I call it prom night for runners!  The theme is formal wear.  I ran it last year with my friend, Erika.  We had a blast.  Erika and I are going "over the top" this year!  We are wearing long dresses that we found at thrift shops.  Mine is sapphire blue and is sparkly!!  I'm so excited!  

Runner Nerd

16 weeks

16 weeks from right now, I will be lining up with 39,999 others to run this thing called the Chicago Marathon!!  I'm getting excited. 
I still need to pick a plan and commit to it.  I've been going over a couple of plans from the Chicago Marathon website.  I'm also going over Hal Higdon's Intermediate plan.  I'm pretty sure it was the plan I used for my first 3 marathons.  (My 3rd one is my PR of 4:09)

I didn't do my long run yesterday because I'm doing it today at 4pm.  I'm running with the Ironman training group from the gym, same people I do track workouts with on Wednesdays.  They are swimming this morning, I believe they are swimming the Ironman distance of 2.4 miles. They will then be biking 100 miles, they are out there biking right now.  There are a couple people who will be joining them for the last 30 miles of the ride.  After that, they will be running 10 miles and that's when I join in the fun!  I'm running with two men who normally run faster than I do but after a long swim and 100 mile ride won't be moving along normal speed.  They want to stay right around 10 minute miles so that's my job!  It's going to be around 85 degrees when we run and the sun is out and shining brightly today!  This will end their biggest training week, then they will taper for 3 weeks and do their Ironman!  They may be running 20 miles next week, I'm not sure.  If so, I'll probably run along some portion of the 20 but that will be in the  morning.  Today's training is to mimic the actual race day.  They will be running the marathon in the afternoon heat and sun so today they practice in it. 

Runner Nerd
runs with Ironmen

Working on a comeback

This week, running group changed back to Thursdays like it used to be.  Tonight I ran the best I've run in a long time!!  5.5 miles in 52:19 or 9:24 average pace!!  ALL 5 miles were in the 9s!!
When we finished, I was spent but it felt good to push myself again!
It was 34 degrees and no wind so not bad.
I've lost 17 lbs now!!  Pre-college weight is getting close!!
I still have a while until a 16 or 18 week training program would begin.  I'm undecided on how to proceed until that time.  I'm super paranoid of getting my mileage back up because of the plantar fasciitis coming back.  My friend wants me to run a half marathon with her on June 2nd.  That's a week before an 18 week training program would begin.  It would be good to be up to 13 miles but then again, I'm not sure if I should because I'm so paranoid of the PF coming back.  Most plans begin with 6-8 mile long runs the first week. Every now and then I get some soreness in my heel.  It's nothing like when it was bad but it scares me.  Saturday night, it was letting me know it was there so I wore my splint to bed which I haven't done in a long time.  Sunday it was fine but I decided not to run.  I researched rowing machine workouts.  I found some you tube videos made by two gals on the USA Olympic rowing team.  They showed how to use a rowing machine and proper form and how to row.  I guess that should be a reliable source!  I found a "beginner" 20 minute workout.  It's much harder than it looks!!  It took me some time to get the hang of the form.  I could not get to the speeds in the beginner workout.  After I finished the 20 minutes, I just rowed for 10 more minutes.  I was dripping sweat!  I was sore the next day, in fact, I was still sore yesterday when I went back and did another 30 minute workout!  It was easier to get the form this time but it was still a hard workout.  I barely made it through the 20 minutes and by the end of the extra 10 minutes of rowing I was slowing down big time!  I do think rowing machine workouts will be good during marathon training.  I am looking into different things such as elliptical, rowing machine, swimming, biking.  I am thinking of running 4 days per week and cross training 2 days per week.  I hope that it will keep PF from coming back.   I just want to have a really good time with my Sis running the Chicago Marathon, especially after all we went through getting in!!  I saw an e-card on Facebook that said, "I hope running the Chicago Marathon will be easier than registering for the Chicago Marathon!"  Yep, that is how we feel!!

The former world's oldest college student and Valedictorian of her class is still looking for a job.  I've applied for a bunch but have yet to hear anything.  The two places where they were all excited about me when I was doing my clinicals and asked me to let them know when I have my Registered status haven't been back in touch with me after I called them.  Hopefully soon.

Runner Nerd
feeling like a runner again