If I Can Make it There...

I'm supposed to run 4, but I'm not sure I'll get it in before I have to go downtown and get my hair cut/colored. And once that's done, I'm not going to ruin it by getting it sweaty or putting it in a ponytail! Oh, no! I have to get my money's worth out of a good visit to the salon! That means no running tomorrow either.

Things I'm worried about for Sunday:
1. My achilles. It's been an issue since the end of July. I really should rest it today anyway, but then I worry about taking four days entirely off before the marathon.
2. The crowded start on the Verrazano bridge. My number is really high based on my worst marathon finish. That means I'm supposed to line up at the back. I don't get why I can't line up according to my own projected finish, so I'm worried that I'll be 2-5 minutes behind right from the start.
3. Potty stops. My history is not good here.

Things I'm excited about:
1. My training. It's been excellent. I've gotten significantly faster this year and I've got the logs to prove it.
2. Running through NYC. What could be more exciting than that?
3. Proving to myself that I can keep the energy high for 4+ hours.

My Goals:
Ultimate: Anything less than 4:20
Trained for: 4:20
Acceptable: 4:30

Anything less than 4:39 will be a PR, but honestly, I was trained for better than 4:39 when I achieved it.

Start Spreading the News...

Garmin was being a brat this morning, so it took me a little while to get out the door. It took almost as long to find satellites as it did for me to run my little 3 miler. Yes, you heard right, I said 3 miles.

I love to run 3 miles! It's over and done before some runs even begin. But I kept it easy, averaging about 9:40.

I'm totally consumed with NY. I've used up my five tracking numbers already. I was going to have the splits sent to my cell phone, but why do I need that? I think I'll know where I am!

Tomorrow will be my last run before Sunday. Four miles.

To be...

Ok, so I ran. Not quite 8 miles but close. I listened to another great episode of This American Life. Tomorrow -- more rest.

WTD: 21.83
YTD: 1278.31

Blah, blah, blah

I did a kind of lame (for me) but tough strength session this morning. Mostly upper body. I'll workout next Tuesday, but that's it. Mostly stretching, no weights.

After I attempted a four mile recovery (avg. pace 10:46) but my right achilles told me it was in no mood to finish so I bagged it at 3.70 and walked the rest of the way back to the gym. I'll rest it tomorrow and skip Saturday's 4 mile run. This close to the marathon I don't want to take any chances. If need be, I'll rest it on Sunday as well and do the 8 miles on Monday.

I ordered a pair of tights from http://www.runningfunky.com/. I'd post a picture (I'm actually wearing them at this moment) if I had one. The fabric sample isn't pictured on the website anymore, but it's petal pink background with hot pink hearts. They are VERY LOUD. I'll wear them in NY if it's too cold for a skirt. I'll probably order some other things now that I've seen the actual product. They run very true to size. They are custom made to order. DO measure yourself before selecting a size. They are also very soft and comfortable. The only thing I would improve would be to add a breathable patch of fabric in the crotch. For $40 you would think they'd have that but they are unisex. I also got a bike seat cover.

Ok, then. That's today's report.

Bring it on!

Yes! 3 x 1600 at (almost) 5k pace. I felt good and I felt sharp.

I did the workout on a hilly 6 mile neighborhood route because I didn't want to drive to the track. Anyway, I have the Garmin 305, so it never hurts to use the various features. ;)
I warmed up with 2 miles at mp then did the 3 x 1600 with 2:00 rest in between each repeat. I cooled down for about a mile or so, for a total of 6.53 miles.

Warmup: 2 x 9:36 (ok, a little faster than mp, but it's cold outside)
Repeat 1: 8:50
Repeat 2: 8:50
Repeat 3: 8:57

I'm very pleased, if not for the speed (my actual 5k splits are faster) then with the consistency. I haven't figured out how to get the Garmin to tell me my pace when I'm doing repeats so I have to go by effort/feel. It felt somewhat difficult, but honestly, if it was a real 5k I would have really been hurting. The last one was mostly uphill but I tried to keep the effort consistent.

I'm ready for this marathon. Bring it on!

Holding on

12 miles at marathon pace. (10:03 to be exact). Can I hold it for 14.2 more miles? That's the mystery! It was tough, but I ran 4 fast yesterday and today's run was the culmination of a tough week of runs and workouts. What magic will a little rest and race day bring?

I ordered some t-shirts for my "Wolf Pack." I chose lime green because I figured I'm more likely to see a lime green human billboard in NYC than any other color. I didn't want to pay an extra 25% to ensure they would get here on time, so I'm just going to have to risk it. There will be other marathons in my future anyway. I ordered twelve shirts from CustomInk.com.

WTD: 35.1
YTD: 1256.48 (I think)

Just Run

Four miles this morning. I got up super early. Not to run, but to drive Freddie to school for the PSAT. Then I drove home, procrastinated, and finally went out to run. Four miles can be a real drag sometimes. It's almost too short to warm up.

I don't know what to do with these taper runs, so I decided to just run. It gives me confidence that I am getting faster when I just go out and "run."

Just for fun, here is a four mile run from 12/16/06:

Mile 1 9:46
Mile 2 10:01
Mile 3 10:06
Mile 4 11:02

Now, here is this morning's 4 miles:

Mile 1 9:56 (perfect marathon pace, btw)
Mile 2 9:26
Mile 3 9:17
Mile 4 8:50

Granted, I did kick it in the final .5 miles, but I was never breathing hard. I was thinking about was it Brian Sells(?) quote that "you can run faster than you think you can."

Well, I guess you can.

Running from the Paparazzi

So, is she or isn't she going to run the New York City Marthon? The she to which I am referring is Katie Holmes aka Mrs. Tom Cruise. Yesterday's celebrity rags indicated that she is, but I have found no authoritative confirmation otherwise. I guess when the New York Times prints it then I'll believe it. I've seen blurbs in OK!, Runners' World, and The San Francisco Chronicle, but nothing definitive.

I wonder if she's faster than me?

Yesterday, I squeezed in a 5 miler on sore legs. I ran surprisingly fast, which I attribute to my own musings about Katie Holmes. I wonder if she's in the blue corral with me? Will she use pacers like Lance Armstrong did last year? To heck with her. My average pace yesterday was 9:35.

Instead of taking a rest day today, like I usually do on Friday's, I had to hit the gym for a rescheduled workout. Mostly upper body stuff with alot of core too. Tomorrow I'll run 4 miles and Sunday's long run is only 12.

I'm Getting Excited!!!

8 miles. I decided to take it easy because of yesterday's hard run on top of a challenging strength workout. 10:34 pace, but man it sure felt hard. My achilles was bothering me again, which always seems to happen when I wear the Brooks Glycerin shoes. Also, I have some soreness in my hip flexor.

I think my body is breaking down as the marathon gets near.

Sharpening

First, I did some crazy workout at the gym. 3 miles on the bike then lateral squats over the bosu SS with push-ups on inverted bosu; Single leg lunges with the giant band; mountain climbers, single leg extensions and back extensions. Everything was timed. As many as I could do for :30, 1:00, 1:30.

After coming home and dealing with some computer issues due to my son having an imac and the rest of us on pcs, I finally got to run. I decided to do a "kick my ass/hill workout."
I ran 6 miles (avg. pace 9:25) which includes 5 hills whose asses I kicked. I was going to do hill repeats, but do to various constraints, I had to settle for four different hills (I did repeat one). I'm listing my splits because I'm in awe of them myself!

Mile 1 9:37
Mile 2 9:26 (Hill 1)
Mile 3 9:30 (Hill 2, 3)
Mile 4 9:27 (Hill 4)
Mile 5 9:23 (Hill 5)
Mile 6 9:08

I was hoping to get the last mile under 9:00 but I'm getting close.

I am the Big Bad Wolf

The (big) kids didn't have school today, which meant that I didn't have to work in the college information center. Yeah! I went to yoga and I feel great! I really need to do that more often. I'm totally stretched out in all the right places.

***************************

I've been contemplating what to wear for NY. Should I be cute, stylish, functional? After reading most of last year's race reports, I've decided to pander to the throngs of New Yorkers along the course. I will not put my name on the front of my shirt, but will instead, go with an unoriginal, but always appropriate, classic NY graphic. The logo will be on the front, "I am the Big Bad Wolf" will be on the back. I will wear a racing singlet whether it is 30 degrees or 80 degrees (I can always wear a long sleeve shirt underneath). I also ordered my husband a matching long sleeve shirt.

50 Down -- Whoo Hoo!!

My last 20 of the cycle is in the books. I have now completed three 50+ mile training weeks in the course of eighteen weeks. If I hadn't followed along in Marilena's blog when she worked Hal's Intermediate II program last spring, I never would have imagined that I could do it too.

Officially, I ran 20.25 miles in 3:40:52 for an average pace of 10:54. In my mind, I was doing a 3/1 and was running the last five at marathon pace, but in reality, those laps were 10:16, 10:21, 12:05 (???), 10:23, 11:03, and 10:25. Hmmm..... If I can't do it in training, how the heck am I supposed to do it in a marathon??? Anybody know the answer to this? Again, I feel like I am going into a marathon with no idea how my training will translate to the actual race.

Highlights of the run were 1) I got to run with my rabbi for about a half a mile at mile 4, 2) I took three hammergels and they were very tasty -- I recommend them over any other brand of gel, and 3) because I was surprised by another runner during an impromptu potty stop I have chafing for the first time in training. I scouted for a good spot for over two miles. Where'd this guy come from???

So now, I have to stay sharp for the next three weeks. I'll do some speed work and some hill repeats. There's alot going on between now and the end of the month. Before I know it, it'll be November 2 and we'll be off to NY.

WTD: 51.25
YTD: 1221.38

30 Down

It's cold out there!

10 miles. Avg. pace 9:49 which is faster than marathon pace, but I was freezing when I started out. Anyway, I am continually amazed that I am able to carry out this program (Int. II) without any injuries. I'm still getting faster -- even now at my final "Big" week.

My final 20 is tomorrow then . . . TAPER!!!

20 Down

Push-up rows (10 lb db) 3x15, 15 SS Single leg on air pad db curl (5) 3x10, 10
Single leg extension (10) 3x20, 20
Jumping jacks on bosu w/ rev. pike 3x10
Explosive single leg lunges 3x20
Single leg band lunges 1x10, 2x15

5 mile recovery run. 10:22 avg. pace. Probably a little fast, but I was running late for an appointment.

15 Down

The weather is now perfect for running. 55, dry, and sunny. So, I took my 10 miler to the treadmill! I wanted to get my Yasso workout in and I didn't want to go to the track.

I warmed up the first three miles, with 2 of those miles at pace. Then I cranked out 10x800. The first 3 were at 9:15 pace, 3 at 8:49, 3 at 8:20, and the last one at 8:15. Total miles: 10.5. Rest intervals were .25 mile combination walking and easy running.

I am thankful to have that workout in the bank. I woke up this morning feeling lethargic and I think it was because I dreaded today's workout. I am also thankful that this is the last high mileage week in the cycle. I just want to run the race. Please, bring on the taper!

5 down

Today started at the gym. I warmed up on the bike for 20 minutes, did some stretches, then
Single leg band squats 3x10,10
Leg scissors - 3x20 SS pushups 3x10
Cross plyo box step-ups 3x30 SS jumprope 3x130, 150, 100 (3rd set alt. feet)
Seated row alt (20.5) 3x15 SS wall sits 3x1:00
abs (knee slides, leg raises)

As I was leaving the gym, one of the trainers said, "Well, you're finished for the day!" and I said, "nope. 5 miles left to go."

There was a detour on the way home, so I had to drive the route that is 4 miles from the gym to my house (instead of 2). I was thinking "jeez, this is a really long street. Oh, my, it's taking a long time to get home on this detour." Then I realized that I was driving half of my running route. The one that I was going to do today. How's that for reverse motivation?? If it seems long in the car, you know what it will seem like when you run it.

I managed 5.5 in 51:49. Six seconds slower than I ran the same route last Tuesday as a tempo run. Today, however, I didn't use the Garmin.

5 down; 45 to go.

Little Miami Triathlon

"The one with the most guts wins."
That was my mantra in today's 88 degree heat.
I decided on the spur of the moment to enter the Morgan's Little Miami Triathlon when a neighbor told me on Friday night that he was looking for a partner. I was scheduled for a 12 mile run -- this being a stepback week -- but I'm bored with marathon training. Why not?
This tri is called an "eco" event. There is no swimming. Instead, participants canoe about 5.5 miles down the Little Miami River, run about 5.5 miles back to the staging area, then bike about 18 miles. My goal is always to come close to 3 hours -- 1 hour for each event. I didn't even come close to hitting it today, but it was my best effort ever and some things are beyond my control.
The canoe: Albert Hammond's song It Never Rains in California should be changed to It Never Rains in Cincinnati. We've been in a draught all summer and I don't need to tell you that you need water to canoe. The river was so shallow that racers launched in the river instead of from the shore because most people had to get in the river to get their boat off the bottom. Not us, of course, because with a marathon in a month there was no way I was going to get my shoes wet! Male/Female pairs were instructed to use a plastic, flat bottom, canoe (the 'girl' canoe) and thank goodness! The metal canoes were constantly beaching. At one point there was a river guide on a sandbar in the middle of the river pushing canoes over the dry spot. I've never finished the canoe in more than 58 minutes, but today -- drumroll -- 1:18. Ridiculous! Our start time was 9:14, so by the time we finished, it was past 10:30 and the heat was brutal.
T1: 1:23
Run: This was my best run in this race EVER. Yes it was hot, but the run felt so good on my legs after sitting in the canoe, that I started out feeling easy. My average pace was 9:35 which includes a steep climb up "Killer Hill" which is a vertical climb -- including steps -- straight up through the woods. Before that, I was probably averaging a 9 m/m pace. As I ran, I did something I've never done in this race, and rarely done before this year, I passed people. I passed more people than passed me. Whoo! Hoo! As I ran, I said to myself "guts will win this race." I've trained in the brutal heat and humidity of the summer of '07 and I've run farther than 5 miles in the heat. I gave it my all, knowing that the bike was yet to come.
T2: 4:11 Ok, as you will see, I hit the lap button to soon because disaster was about to strike.
Bike: No sooner did I hit the lap button timing the bike leg, that I noticed my chain was completely off. I have no idea how to fix this. Guess what? Neither does anybody else. I wander around, looking lost and helpless, and finally a wonderful woman -- a spectator -- comes to my rescue. It's a major operation, requiring turning the bike upside down. She gets it repaired, and I'm thinking I have to make up lost time. Off I go, quads are burning, but I'm going to push this 18 miles of hill and cornfield! Bring on the gusting wind, let the sun beat down, I am going to pick off as many riders as I can. I caught a small break when a couple of *hole riders wouldn't let me pass. Oh, yeah? I think. Thanks for the break -- drafting is legal in this race! Three miles barely pedaling, averaging 17 mph. They kept turning to glare at me but, whatever, let me pass and I'll leave you alone. Finally, they got tired and I was able to squeeze through the two of them and leave them in my dust. Literally. I never saw them again. My goal for this leg was 1 hour, but I did it in 1:11. I probably wasted a good 5 minutes with the chain mishap.
Finish: 3:25. PW for the course overall; PB effort. Had the river been at normal levels, I feel certain I could have finished in about 3:05 which would have been a PR. Once again, a testament to my training and fitness.

Six Becomes Three

It was 90 degrees and sunny at 2:00 when I thought I'd go out for my six mile pace run.

Gatorade in hand, jog bra but no shirt, hat, skirt, a smile on my face.
At the three mile mark I was screaming at the sun. What is this weather fluke that turns October into July?

I kept to pace: average 9:56. Now it's to the gym for another kind of torture. Then, I might drag my bike out of the garage for a tune up ride. I told a neighbor I'd be his partner in a triathlon tomorrow. I'm scheduled for 12 miles, but this sounds so much more fun, don't you think? 6 miles canoe, 6 mile run, 18 mile bike. My goal is 3 hours.

Random thoughts

I'm taking a break from running today. I'm feeling tired and can't seem to shake it. I went ahead to the gym and did a high rep/low weight workout. Core, pushups, jumprope, chest press, chinups, leg presses, stepups, rows, stretching on the foam roller. It went fast... I didn't realize until now just how much I fit into the hour.

I'm looking for my tape measure. I haven't taken any measurements since the spring and I'd really like to. I think a child may have "borrowed" it -- for what purpose I can't imagine -- so I may need to break down and spend the sevent-nine cents for a new one. I've been noticing real definition in my legs and would like some concrete confirmation. Just for fun.

My NYCM jacket came today that I ordered from the New York City Road Runners. I'm not sure that I like it. It's very, very lightweight (it is called "Ultralite" LOL), but I would have liked to try it on in a medium. The ingNYCM logo is on the back and my hair covers it up. The problem is, it's thirty days out from the marathon and the merchandise is selling out. I think that's absolutely ridiculous. They obviously didn't buy enough. Anyway, I didn't want to risk getting to the expo and finding all the good stuff in my size sold out.

Bootsylicious

I'm in heaven

With the maven of funk mutation

Clinton's musicians such as Bootsy Collins

Raise expectations to a new intention

Those are actually the lyrics in the song "Genius of Love" which I've chosen as my blog title iver at Hal Higdon's web site. How ironic that 1) I had my photograph taken with Bootsy on Saturday night 2) the song was in the queue when I did my six mile run today, and 3) Flashlight (Parliament Funkadelic) also queued up! Mind you, I was on "shuffle" so I could have had Cecilia Bartolli or John Denver. I guess it's just a funky day!

Speaking of which: 6.2 miles recovery including six 100 meter strides the last mile. Last week's high mileage has taken a heavy toll and I'm feeling very tired this week. I may skip tomorrow's run after my strength workout. My achilles is starting to make it's presence known again. Two days off should take care of it.

Let's end with the rap:

Stepping in a rhythm to a Kurtis Blow

Who needs to think when your feet just go

With a hiditihi and a hipitiho

Who needs to think when your feet just go ...Bohannon Bohannon Bohannon Bohannon

Who needs to think when your feet just go ...Bohannon Bohannon Bohannon Bohannon

James Brown, James Brown

James Brown, James Brown

A Little Tempo

A little training.

Workout at the gym was cancelled. Scott called me halfway to getting Sarah to school and told me he had a flat tire. I had to go back and pick him up at the tire store and drive back downtown to take him to work.

I decided I'd go back to the old tempo run standby. I haven't done a Tempo run since the mileage picked up and this is a stepback week so what the heck. My goal was 35 minutes at a little more than 5k pace. I didn't check McMillan before I went, so I sort of went by feel. I think I was a little faster than I should have been, but that's not a bad thing in my book. My heartrate was probably a little high because at the end of 3 miles when I slowed down, I felt like I might puke. I warmed up the first half-mile (about 5 minutes) and cooled down the last 1.5 miles.

Mile 1 9:47 (includes .5 warmup)
Mile 2 8:55
Mile 3 9:04
Mile 4 8:55
Mile 5 9:57 (cool down)
.49 10:43 (cool down)

I am amazed how utterly consistent I stayed for miles 2-4. I'm not going to quibble over + or - a few seconds. I was aiming for 9 min. miles and I'm pretty close. Now, if I could just hold that for 23 more miles I'd qualify for Boston.