It's Always Running Season

A running blog about my experiences in racing and training throughout all of the beautiful seasons. You can look forward to race reports, training stories, runner showcases, product reviews (contact me if you are interested in sending me a product to test), etc. If you have a topic you want me to cover, just contact me. I welcome feedback and comments. I hope you enjoy what I have to say and continue to lace up with me! 

[runningseason]

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!

There is a difference between training with a team and just racing for a team— when you combine them both, the results can be astounding!

Let’s back up to last January... After running my first sub-3 hour marathon, I started training with a coach to help realize my potential. I got more than a coach, I got a community! My coach holds organized practices twice weekly. I live just under an hour away from the park we practice in, so I make an effort to attend on weekends whenever possible. Admittedly, some of the workouts look so hard on paper, that I never think I will be able to hit the paces alone—this makes the drive worth it! I surprise myself with how at ease I feel when working with a group to achieve our fitness goals together, verses working alone. 

When working with a coach and a team, you have more than just yourself holding you accountable. I update my coach on every single rep of every single workout—whether I’m running solo or with the team. Knowing that I will be sharing my results with my coach, makes me work that much harder. I want to send a positive message to my coach post workout, I don’t want to make up excuses for a lackluster workout. Running a great workout is a very positive experience for me and it is nice to have someone to share that with who truly understands the physical and mental capacity it takes to complete each workout. I’m sure we’ve all tried to share in the joy of a great workout with our family, just for the split details to fly over their head in boredom! 

The teamwork extends beyond my team. The USATF-NJ network of runners is my BIG team. It doesn’t matter what uniform we race in, we will all work together to see each other succeed. I may race for Leonia Track Club, but Shore AC welcomes me to their long runs with open arms. The Racefaster guys don’t think twice when I ask them to join me for a crazy workout or tempo long run. I do some of my local training runs with a few of the GSTC masters guys when our schedules align. And, although non-USATF, I love to join my Clinton-based team BC-AC for weekend group runs and local races. I am lucky to have so many great people who will join me for a run.

I’m very thankful that I made the decision to train with a coach a year ago. Under the leadership of Coach Hector Matos and the support of the Leonia Track Club I broke almost every single one of my PRs in 2018 with times I never dreamed imaginable and achieved a lifetime high PLP of 83.98%. I’m looking forward to the spring 2019 racing season! 

For more information on Coach Matos and the Leonia Track Club, please visit http://leoniatrackclub.com/.

[runningseason]

Negative is Positive!

We’ve all done it. The gun goes off, the adrenaline takes over and before we know it, we went out too fast in a race. We approach mile 1 about 20 seconds too fast. No big deal, right?! Now we have 20 seconds in the “bank”. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the Bank of Running doesn’t exist! Depending on how long your race is, this could be a very detrimental mistake made by both beginner and experienced runners alike. 

Coincidentally, this error is a hard one to break away from. It’s very easy to get “caught up in the moment” and run too fast in the early part of a race. “But I feel good,” you may tell yourself. “This could be my day for a big PR.” While this can be true, you are most likely setting yourself up for slower splits later on in the race. 

Don’t get me wrong, you can still PR with positive splits, but speaking from experience, it feels so much better (both physically and mentally) when you have a strong last mile and are passing people instead of barely holding on and getting passed. 

Running a negative split takes a lot of practice and patience. 

Let’s start first with practice. When I run workouts, I go in with a plan. My coach prescribes a pace and it is my job to run that pace for a certain amount of time and/or reps with a finite amount of recovery in between. Just like in races, it is easy to go out too fast on the first rep. This is why it is very important to be conscience of your pace and make adjustments as needed. My general rule of thumb is that if I feel I can do the entire workout at a slightly faster pace, then I better be able to keep the pace I start at and not slow down as a workout progresses. Many times, I will run my last few reps a bit faster than I started to practice negative splitting. 

Patience is the hardest part of running a negative split. Patience should be practiced during workouts, but the true test is always during a race. You need to fight that feeling in the beginning of a race that tells you that you can do anything; embrace that feeling later in the race. I have found my Garmin to be very helpful at keeping me controlled early on in a race. I’ve been told in the past to ditch the watch and run on feel, but my problem is that I feel so good in the beginning of the race, that if I don’t have my Garmin to tell me my pace, then I will go out too fast. There is nothing harder than watching people you know you are faster than go out in front of you. This is where you need to be the most patient. If you are truly faster than the person, then you will catch up. 

Last night was the men’s and women’s open USATF-NJ 5k championship. My goal going in was top 5 and sub-17:46 (which would be a PR). The time goal was most important and I figured the place would come with the time. I knew there was going to be some tough competition, but I had to be patient. My coach and I devised a pace plan for the race earlier in the week: 5:49-5:45-5:35-kick. Mother Nature decided to throw in an added obstacle—heat and humidity. The temperature was approaching 90 degrees when I arrived at the race. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to drop down to negative splits based on the conditions, but I decided I would at least go out smart and see what this 36-year-old body was capable of. The gun went off and it took everything I had to keep my pace controlled. I caught myself in the beginning and immediately slowed myself down. A few friends saw what I was doing and tried to stay close as I am known to “go out smart.” The first mile I was constantly being passed. I knew many of the people and I wonder what they were thinking when they passed me. Did they know I had a plan to run negative splits, or did they think that the heat was too much for me? 

I hit mile 1 in 5:45. Although I knew this was a few seconds faster than planned, I knew that this was a good starting point. The previous week, I made the mistake of going out in 5:37 and paid for it dearly in miles 2 and 3. As soon as I hit that mile mark, I increased my effort. Mile 2 had some uphill, so I knew I would need to push harder to maintain the same pace. It was during mile 2 that I started catching up with some of the people who passed me in the beginning and I was not going any faster. Mile 2 of a 5k can be the hardest mile because it is your maintenance mile. It’s the mile in which you want to either maintain your speed from the previous mile, or gradually increase your speed. If you went out too fast in your first mile, you probably already started slowing down before you reached the 1st mile marker, which sets you up for a much slower pace at the start of mile 2. I gave a lot of effort in my second mile of this race. I stayed focused on the task at hand. When I approached the mile marker, my Garmin clicked off another 5:45. 

With 1.1 miles left in the race, it was time to turn it on. Though I didn’t know it at the time, I had worked my way up to the 7th female position. The last mile of this course is downhill. It’s nothing substantial, but you can use it to your advantage if you run smart in the beginning of the race. It took me years of running this course before I realized the last mile was downhill. I typically ran too fast in the first mile and was on a slow death march until I reached the track finish. This year I had a plan and I was sticking to it! I started picking up the pace. I was hovering around 5:40 pace. I pushed harder to get in the high 5:30 range. I started passing a lot of people, mostly men. I saw a woman that I didn’t know in a cluster of men from my old team. I pushed hard to catch up and then I kept pushing forward to pass them. There was another woman that I passed on the downhill as well. All of a sudden, it was time to make the final right turn before the left onto the track to finish. I could see my teammate Alex getting closer. She was the only woman in sight. 

***A few days before the race when I was discussing my plan with her, I told her that I hope to see her in the 3rd mile. Alex and I run very differently, but our 5k times are similar; she is a beast in the longer races.*** 

I made that right turn and it felt like forever before we were able to make the left turn onto the track. The road approaching the track is the slightest bit uphill, so you really need to push here. Finally, I made the final left turn and my feet felt soft rubber underneath. With about 2 tenths of a mile to go, I kicked my pace up to a new gear. I was approaching the 3 mile mark. Just a curve and a straight away until the finish line. Mile 3 clicked off at 5:37. I was fast approaching Alex, so I made a move. I passed her on the curve. At this point I was giving it everything I had. Alex responded and picked up the pace. I could not go any faster, so I watched her cross the finish line 2 seconds before me.  I was so proud of her for taking it to that next level. She wouldn’t have done that if she didn’t have the competition. She is not only a teammate and a friend, but we both pushed each other to new PRs!  My pace was sub-5 minute for my final kick—a new Strava course record for the track portion of this race. I ended up accomplishing both of my goals by running a 17:42 and placing 5th female!

Knowing I ran smart and gave it everything I had to progress my pace to the point of not being able to go any faster is such a positive feeling. If you haven’t tried it yet, I encourage you to try running negative—you will have nothing but positive results!

[runningseason]

Back on Track!

After a few months blog hiatus, I’m back! I ended 2017 ready to break 3 hours at the Disney Marathon in January. With no workouts under my belt, many fall races and 48 miles as my longest week, I accomplished my goal with a 2:59:15! It was a truly magical experience complete with tears at the finish line.

Not long before the Disney Marathon, a friend approached me telling me that with the right training he feels that I have the potential to qualify for the Olympic Trials B Standard (2:45)…wait, what?! I was just trying to break 3, now here I am being told that I have untapped potential. But was I willing to get back into a regimented training program that would afford little days off, increase my mileage drastically and do—dare I say it—workouts??!!

Fast forward to today. I’ve been training with my new coach since my 10-day post Disney running break. I have had 5 days off since I started my training and have been averaging about 50-55 miles per week—and I feel great! I learned to actually take my easy days easy and push hard on my workouts. My races are strategic—some are done as workouts, others are all out. I am currently working on my speed for shorter distances as I train for the Brooklyn Half marathon next month. The theory is to get faster at shorter distances, so a faster marathon pace will feel easier. I’ve already felt the positive effects of this during my tempo workouts.

So far, I’ve raced a 5k, half marathon and mid-distance track races during this training block. The 5k proved to be a great early season test. I bettered my time on a 5k course that I’ve run for my 3rd consecutive year. Unfortunately, the half marathon was not my best race, but it was a hilly course and not a goal race, so I am ok with that—we all have bad days. The track races are the most notable to me. I haven’t run mid-distance track (or any track for that matter) since senior year of college, 15 years ago. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to run at my alma mater (TCNJ) to race the 1500 and 800 meters. The 1500 was a magical experience. I felt amazing and was only 1 second off my college PR—I believe this to be my second fastest time ever by a few seconds. The 800 was not as fast as I hoped, but still a great showing. I forgot how hard that race is!

My first attempt at qualifying for the Olympic Trials will be in October at the Mohawk Hudson Marathon in Albany. I don’t know if I will be ready yet, but I have to start somewhere. I admit, this goal scares the living hell out of me. Talking to people about it and writing about it makes it real—real scary!!! I don’t know if I have the ability to achieve this goal, but if I don’t try, I will never know. All I can do is work hard and have confidence in the training process. Eventually, I will believe in myself and my ability, but it will take time. I’m looking forward to this running journey and excited to see where takes me.

[runningseason]

Hannaford Half Marathon Race Report - Hot, Humid and Headwind!

In April of this year, I decided to register for the Hannaford Half Marathon as my goal fall race. After a 3-min 1:23:23 PR (personal record) at the Scranton Half Marathon earlier this year, I had high hopes for a new PR on this net downhill, scenic course—unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans.

A few days before the race, the cool, crisp fall weather turned hot and humid. I knew that I had to change my race plan. My goal of a low 1:23 half would have to wait, but I wasn’t giving up my goal to finish as one of the top 3 females in the race. Leading up to the race, I kept telling myself that we all have the same weather, so we all have to struggle through it. I knew that the overall times would be affected by the weather, so I just had to run smart—place, not pace.

I checked in at the Elite table to get my bib. I actually missed the elite cutoff time by 1 min and 23 seconds, but they let me into this corral as, I suppose, they did not have enough people under the 1:22 standard. I spoke to the race director and he informed me that there were 6 females in the elite corral. After a quick chat with him to try and get the 411 on the other competitors, I felt that 3rd place may be within reach; but I didn’t have the confidence that I would place any better than this.

Race morning arrived. I slept well, but I woke up tired and this feeling didn’t subside until a few miles into the race. We arrived onsite and it was already humid and in the 70s. Rain was predicted for 8am, the exact time the race was to begin. Sure enough, the sky opened up right before the gun went off. This was a blessing in disguise. The rain cooled us off a bit, but it was still hot and humid. 

The gun went off and I quickly got into stride. At this point, there was 1 female ahead of me. I let her take the lead, as I didn’t belong upfront, I was only good enough for 3rd place (right?!). The first mile started downhill, but gradually went up a small hill—the only noticeable hill over the 13.1 mile trek. We went out very conservative. My Garmin clicked off a 6:38 mile just before the course mile marker—1st place was only steps ahead of me. 

The next few miles were downhill, so I decided my body could handle a slightly faster pace. I took the lead (which only lasted for about a 1/2 mile) until a 3rd woman passed both myself and the other woman. After the first mile, the majority of the course was run into a headwind, but the downhill sections helped overcome this. For most of these next miles I ran with Danielle, the woman who originally was in the lead at mile 1:

Mile 2: 6:20

Mile 3: 6:28

Mile 4: 6:19

Mile 5: 6:11

Mile 5 was too fast for me. There was no reason to go this fast this early in the race, so I backed off. Danielle pulled ahead and she looked strong enough to catch the leader, Nicole, who was about  8-10 seconds ahead of us.

Sure enough Danielle caught up with Nicole and they formed a pack with a few guys. I could see them from a far, but I was falling behind. Partway through the 7th mile I looked at my watch and saw that I was falling back to my marathon pace. There was no reason (except the weather conditions) why I should be falling behind. I wasn’t hurting, so I just convinced myself that the 4th place female was gaining on me (she wasn’t, but how was I to know) and I picked up my pace. You see, the top 3 overall in each gender win prize money at this race; this is why I wanted to be in one of the coveted top 3 positions. It was here that I stopped thinking about the weather. Mind over matter, I knew I could overcome the obstacles that Mother Nature put in my path.

Mile 6: 6:43

Mile 7: 6:48

Mile 8: 6:37

Mile 9: 6:34

Partway through mile 9, I noticed that my plan to build distance between myself and 4th place brought me closer to Danielle and Nicole. I was speeding up and they were slowing down. Right before the 10 mile marker I caught them. I had no intention to pass them, I figured I’d run with them for 2 miles and then hope for a final kick in the last mile. I convinced myself in the beginning of the race that I was only good enough for 3rd place. These women were racing well and I would be happy with any of the 3 of us winning. 

Mile 10: 6:19 

Though I planned to work with Danielle and Nicole when I caught up to them, my body just kept propelling me forward and neither woman responded to my taking the lead—though I didn’t know this until the end. I spent the final 5k of the race “running scared.” By now, the thought of first place could be a reality, but I had to keep my lead. In order to do this, I focused on the 2 men in front of me. I focused on closing the gap between myself and them. I passed both of them, but one responded and passed me back. 

Mile 11: 6:28

Mile 12: 6:28

It was finally time for the last mile, this seemed like the longest mile ever. Would the finish line ever come? Would Nicole and Danielle pass me and out kick me at the line? Could I win?

I ran mile 13 in 6:32 pace. I struggled through this mile, but kept telling myself how much I wanted this. I was my own biggest fan and worst enemy. I kept thinking back to a month prior when I was pacing my friend to a BQ (Boston Qualifying time) and how much I yelled at her the last mile... 

“You want this!!!” 

“You can do this!!!” 

“Get in the hurt, you are not in the hurt!!!”

I kept mentally yelling at myself until I saw the finish line. Once my watch clicked 13, I knew that this dream was a reality. Only a tenth of a mile stood between myself and the finishing tape. I proudly picked up the pace for that finishing sprint, put my arms up in victory and broke the tape!

[runningseason]

What’s your favorite race distance?

Often times I get asked what my favorite race distance is. Most don’t realize, but this is a very hard question to answer; especially for someone who regularly races the 5k to the marathon. For years, I struggled with the half marathon distance. I ran my first half marathon while training for my first full marathon—I hated it! My first half was a flat course in Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ. Around mile 8 or 9, I started getting very tired and by mile 10 I was struggling. I ended up running a 1:45:46; I didn’t know how I would be able to race double that distance and it made me afraid for the marathon. Now, here I am 13 years later, over 20 minutes faster and feeling good (some of the time!)

What has changed? I learned to respect the half marathon distance, and learned to love it in the process! It took me YEARS to learn how to run a half marathon. All of my other races predicted much faster half marathon times, but I just couldn’t deliver. Finally, in 2010 I ran 2 half marathons (back-to-back weekends) and PR’d in both with times in the 1:33 range. I finally had the confidence I needed as a runner to perform in this distance. I was finally performing at the level expected of me, I thought I reached my peak…

Here I am, 7 years later and another 10 minutes faster. I realized it takes more than confidence to run a half marathon well. I learned that I need to pace myself in the beginning. Patience is truly a virtue when running this distance. It takes an extreme amount of willpower to run the first few miles slower than you are capable and watch your competition create space between you. This is where the confidence comes back in. You need to have the confidence to know that when it is time to pick up the pace, that you can progressively go faster and close the aforementioned gap. Once you make your move, you need to be confident that you can keep that pace — and then some — for the remainder of the race. With 13.1 miles to cover, this can be a very daunting task.

This past spring, I ran the smartest, fastest half marathon of my life, 1:23:23. I paced myself in the beginning, was confident in my ability and then switched it to a gear I didn’t know existed for me. This race made me love the half marathon. The half marathon is a beautiful distance. You get to experience many levels of racing if you run it smart. In the beginning you feel comfortable, almost too comfortable; you may even be able to have a conversation. This pace allows you to take in the sights and sounds around you, allowing you to enjoy the race. During the middle, you may start going faster and feel more confident. At the end — if you’re lucky — you can get into that gear you didn’t know you had. This is when the “race” starts. This is where you get into “the hurt” and give it everything you have left. Before the Scranton Half Marathon this past spring, the race director very cornily said, “You’re just running a 5k with a 10 mile warm up.” Once I approached the 10 mile mark of that race, I thought about what the race director said and this is where I really switched gears. I gave it my all for those last 3.1 miles. In the words of John Mellencamp, “it hurt so good!”

Yesterday, I was tasked with running another half marathon. My last half marathon in May was an embarrassing display of going out too fast on untrained legs. Yesterday, I was presented with less than ideal, humid conditions. I changed my race plan almost every day leading up to the race, including the moments before the gun went off. I was not trying for a PR. My goal half is in 3 weeks, so the PR can wait until early October when I’m ready. Yesterday, I respected the distance while being mindful of the weather and my competition. I started slow. I picked up my pace in the next mile and kept it decently consistent for the remainder of the race. I experienced many runners “in the hurt” during the middle miles resulting from going out too fast on a humid day. I was happy to go out smart and finish faster than my goal time. All in all it was a good day at the races.

Getting back to my original question, “what is your favorite race distance?” At this moment in my life, I really do like the half marathon distance. It is a race that you need to train for, you need to be fast, smart, confident and patient all at the same time. It is easy to mess up this race by going out too fast. Weather conditions, can also take a huge toll when racing this distance. It may have taken me 13 years, but I have finally learned to love this 13.1 mile distance!

[runningseason]

The Mental Side of a Marathon

I’m going to tell you the story about my 22nd marathon. This is the marathon I was supposed to break 3 hours; this is the marathon I learned the power of a helping hand. I am humbled by this marathon experience; this is a story of a new friend picking me up when I figuratively fell down. 

Let’s back up to 3 weeks before the marathon. As I detailed in my last blog post, I ran the Scranton Half in prep for the Coastal Delaware Marathon. My 3-min PR time of 1:23:23 predicted a 2:54:04 marathon according to the VDOT02 app. Two weeks before the marathon I ran a 5k PR of 18:09. I knew that at 35 years old, I was in the best shape of my life. I was scared, but I had faith that I could go under the 3 hour barrier. 

One week before the race, my right hamstring felt tight. I didn’t think much of it, until it continued to hurt for the next few days. I went to PT and took almost the entire week off before the marathon. 

Marathon day finally came. The weather was overcast and 50s. There was some wind, but not as bad as originally predicted; but I knew it would be tough on the coast. The day was near perfect for a marathon. My friend Huan, his friend Chad and I started out together. The plan was 6:50 first mile and then maintain between 6:43 and 6:49 for the rest of the race. We had a head wind for the first half of the race, so we took turns blocking the wind, 2 upfront, 1 in back; we switched off every mile. By mile 3 we added 2 more to the pack. 

By mile 5.5, we had a group of 10; I was the only female. From the start of the race, my legs felt heavy and my hamstring wasn’t great. I was not sure how long I would be able to stay with the group, but I was planning to stay with them as long as possible so I wouldn’t have to fight the wind alone and I could utilize the positive energy from the group to keep pushing forward.

Not long before the half, I started falling off. The group was pushing a pace I wasn’t comfortable keeping; I was still on goal pace; they were faster. I was able to catch up around the half marathon mark, but wasn’t able to hold on for too much longer. We crossed through the half marathon at 1:28 and change. 

After the half, this guy Dillon and I started falling off; we worked together as long as we could, but I couldn’t hold on. My goal 6:45 pace turned stale quick:

Mile 16: 6:56

Mile 17: 7:27

Mile 18: 8:08

Mile 19: 8:38

I remember miles 18-19 so vividly. The course was absolutely breathtaking here. It was a wide “rail-like” trail lined with trees to create a perfect shade. It was here that I was hurting most. It was here that I gave myself permission to give up. One of the guys who fell off our pack earlier passed me here. He offered words of encouragement and tried to get me to come with him; mentally, I wasn’t ready to “try.” 

At some point in mile 19 we curved around a big open field. I remember looking at my watch and seeing I was close to 9:00 min/mile pace. I wasn’t happy, but I accepted it. Just to put this in perspective, I don’t even know the last time I ran this pace during an easy run; this was not normal. Figuratively, I fell down during this 19th mile; but luckily a new friend was there to pick me up...

I met Brian Reynolds at Montclair Bread Company’s Doughnut Run 5k in December. I honestly don’t remember if I officially “met” him, or if I just “saw” him there. We were Facebook friends and part of the same team and running community. Brian is a double amputee distance runner; one of the fastest. I had the pleasure of hearing his story the night before the marathon. He is truly an inspiration in the running community. 

We had a big group of friends running Coastal Delaware, so Brian (along with a few others) came to support us and cheer us on. When i was in my 19th mile, Brian had just broke off from the “cheering section” to get a few miles in. He happened upon me during this dreaded mile and saw my obvious struggle, so he jumped in and ran with me.  He provided encouraging words and helped me to start bringing down my pace. My 8:38 19th mile quickly turned into a 7:24 20th mile, then a 7:03 21st mile.... My mile pace fluctuated between mid and low 7s until the 25th mile. We were passing people. We caught up with a few people from my starting pack who also fell off. We tried to encourage them to come with us, but they had nothing left; similar to how I felt when Brian found me. Brian pushed me to a 6:47 26th mile. I gave it everything during the last 0.2..oh wait, 0.37, since no marathon is actually 26.2 miles...or I just suck at tangents! This final kick was in 6:09 pace to finish in 3:05:05. During the final miles I was passed by one woman. After stalking her on Strava after the race, I saw she ran a huge negative split; she deserved to be in front of me. This placed me 3rd female in the race with my 2nd fastest marathon time. 

I learned a lot during this marathon. One lesson I learned is that it is great to have an ultimate goal, but you also need a secondary goal in case you fall off your initial goal. I know this may seem like a cop out, but if I had a secondary goal from the beginning, I may not have given up so easily. When Brian started running with me, I set a secondary goal to run a 3:05; which I  achieved. It was not easy to get back on track, but I did it.

Another lesson learned is the power of the human mind. I try to preach “mind over matter,” but I don’t always listen to myself. It is so easy for the human mind to give up and convince your body that you can’t go any faster; it took a friend (not myself) to convince my mind that I could keep going.

Lastly, I learned the power of human encouragement. I know I could have run the time I ran without the help of a friend, but I also know that I wouldn't have run the time I ran without the help of a friend. It’s funny how your mind and body respond  to the positive energy of others. 

I leave you with this quote,  “Even when you have gone as far as you can, and everything hurts, and you are staring at the specter of self-doubt, you can find a bit more strength deep inside you, if you look closely enough.” — Hal Higdon

[runningseason]

Racing my way into shape

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you will notice the hashtag I often use, #allracesnoworkouts. You may ask how a seasoned marathoner can expect to improve with no formalized workouts. There is a method to my madness. My race choices are not random; I put a lot of thought into my plan. Though I am restricted to the races that are available during my training cycle. 

It is not easy to find races in January and February in NJ. Oftentimes, the ground is covered in a blanket of snow and the temperatures reach frigid lows. I am lucky enough to live near the Pennsylvania border and was able to start my year with the Ice Scrapers series hosted by the Lehigh Valley Road Runners. As luck would have it, it snowed the night before my first 5k and I was forced to race on a blanket of snow on a trail. Despite the conditions, I was very satisfied with my effort for my first race of the new year. 

My next race was a 4-miler on Super Bowl Sunday hosted by Superhero Racing. I ran this same race last winter and mentally gave up when the hills started after the first mile. This year, I went into the race with a newfound sense of confidence. Since last year, I moved out to an area that hosts rolling hills. I do the majority of my weekday runs locally, so I have the benefit of running these hills several times a week. To prep for the race, I compared the elevation of my training hills to the race course elevation and I realized that the hills on the course are no worse than anything I run on a daily basis. This year I was lucky enough to run the first mile with my friends Reno, Bob and Ted;  pacing with them helped keep me controlled on the downhill section. Once the uphills started, I pulled away from the pack and just concentrated on running an even effort. I felt strong on the uphill sections and picked it up on the down hills. I was able to finish strong and was very satisfied with my race. 

Mid-February brought on another race in the Ice Scraper 5k series. The mild February weather gave way to great race conditions. Although the weather cooperated, I wasn’t fully satisfied with my performance. I had a little trouble on an uphill section, but was able to get it back in the downhill. Unfortunately, I followed 2 guys slightly off course and was super confused when we were running diagonally across a grass field to the finish. Although our little excursion did not add any extra mileage, my sheer confusion at the end slowed me down and frankly pissed me off. I got over it quickly as I knew I still had a good “up tempo” effort for the day. 

An early spring was expected based on the warm February conditions, but mother nature had a different plan. March brought cold temperatures back to the north east. I was looking forward to the Run O’ the Mill 5k race in Clinton, NJ. The race was under a 30 minute drive and I performed very well last year. This year brought a sub-20 degree temperature at the start and a very cold headwind for half the race. Because of the headwind, the hill during mile 2 seemed exceptionally hard this year. I had a tough time at this race. I was disappointed, because I was looking forward to a fast time; but I quickly got over myself when I had the opportunity to talk to the winning female and realized that she would be a great local training partner. I’m looking forward to our first run together next week! 

The end of March brought on the USATF-NJ Kick Off weekend. I chose the Ocean Drive 10 Mile race because it simulated the marathon I am training for - flat and at the beach. The added bonus for this race is that one of my boyfriend’s closest friends from college lives about 10 minutes from the race, so it was a great excuse to visit. Race day was overcast, chilly and very windy. I knew that I would have a tailwind for the first 5 miles, but I would be fighting the wind coming back. My goal pace was 6:25 per mile, so my plan was to go out in 6:20 pace and allow myself to finish in 6:30 pace. I ended up running faster than planned both out and back and was very satisfied with a faster than goal average pace of 6:23. 

Coming off the momentum of the 10-miler, I ran the Scranton Half Marathon the following weekend. This race was planned back in 2016. I knew I would need a half marathon a few weeks before my goal marathon. I ran this race in 2016 and enjoyed the course; the prize money incentive was also a big draw. I convinced my friend Alyssa that this would be a good race for her goal half marathon as well. After a strong 10-miler, I had a lot of confidence going into this race. My plan was to start in 6:30 pace (knowing that the series of hills in mile 4 would slow me down), then gradually pick up the pace in the final miles. My goal was sub-1:25. I knew this would be a stretch because my previous PR was just over a 1:26, but I was feeling confident. I kept with my plan for the first 4 miles. Right after mile 4, I started running with a random guy (later discovered his name was John). We just fell into a perfect cadence. I felt good, real good. I looked down at my watch and saw that I was faster than my planned pace; at times I was creeping towards PR 10k pace. This scared me, but I felt so good. I knew that running with someone would help me, so I needed to see how long I could hold on. I was essentially running John’s race and just along for the ride. At mile 7.5 we entered the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail. At this point, I turned to John and thanked him. I told him that I was really enjoying running with him and hoped I could keep up the pace. I admitted that I was running faster than I planned, but I felt good. He reminded me that once we turn around the wind will be at our backs and had confidence that I would be able to keep up. We chit chatted for a short time about my upcoming marathon and goals. Then it was back to business. A little after 9.5 there was a turnaround. At this point, I started pulling ahead. I still felt strong. Soon enough I was at mile 10 and I was reminded of what the race director said at the start line, “you are only racing a 5k with a 10 mile warm up.” Well, I just completed my 10 mile warm up and now it was time to race! I felt good, and I only had a 5k to go. I could do this. I just focused on finishing strong. I started picking up the pace. I slowly started catching up to some men, but there were no women in sight. I knew the top 5 women win money, but I had no idea what place I was in. I was pretty confident that I was in the top 5, but wasn’t sure where. Finally, someone told me that I was in 5th position. I knew from the turn around that no women were near me from behind, but I wasn’t sure how far they were ahead. I kept pushing myself. My last mile was near my 5k pace, so I wasn’t sure if I could push it any harder if I saw a woman. I was almost thankful that I didn’t have to put myself into another gear, because I know I would have pushed even harder if it came down to it. I entered the track - 300 meters to go. I knew that I was going to be faster than my goal, but wasn’t sure how much faster. I crossed the finish line in 1:23:23 - almost 3 minute PR and 1 min faster than my goal. This race proved to me that I am ready for my marathon.

One short week later, yesterday, I ran my final race of my training cycle; a local 5k. I was excited for this race because it was close to home and I heard the course was flat. I wasn’t sure how fast I would be able to run because I just came off 2 weekends of long races. Though my PR was 18:26, my goal was to simply break 19. I was having difficulty running much faster than 19 (if at all) this training cycle, so I found this to be a realistic goal. As soon as the race started, I clicked into a good rhythm. I was 3 seconds faster than I planned to go out in; but I was ok with this. I got stronger as the race progressed. There were only 2 men in front of me. I overtook one of them (a high school boy) a little over halfway. I felt strong; so I kept pushing my pace. I continued to push my pace in the last mile. I was approaching the finish and saw the clock was still in the 17s; I couldn’t believe my eyes! I knew I was too far away to finish under 18, but I knew this would be a PR - 17 seconds to be exact! I crossed the line in 18:09; smashing the previous women’s course record by over 2 minutes. I couldn’t believe it, sub-18 may be in my future. This is unreal to me, because 3 years ago, I couldn’t believe that sub-19 was in the cards. For the third weekend in a row, I gained even more confidence going into my marathon and feel that my goals are within reach. 

These races have helped me build a foundation of speed, endurance and confidence to work towards achieving my marathon goal. I planned all of my long runs around these races. This means that some days I was doing a 12-15 mile run the day before a race. Other days, I was doing up to a 20 mile run the day after a race. I learned to run on tired legs, but always push myself in my key training runs. I have not been doing any formalized workouts, but there are some runs where I have felt good enough to drop down to near marathon pace at the end, just to see how hard I can push myself. I always did a mid-week long run of 8-10 miles in which I always tried to push myself beyond training pace. The few weeks that I didn’t have a race, I strategically reached out to my friend John to run because I noticed he’s been running extremely fast; I knew if I ran with him that I would be pushed to a faster pace. You may consider these workouts, but they were mostly unplanned and not formalized. If I felt good, I would run fast; if I felt tired, I would run slow. I learned to listen to my body. I learned to take 2 days off a week. I forced myself to do yoga as often as possible - even if was only for 10 minutes. I highly recommend doing a YouTube search for “Yoga for runners,” there is a wealth of videos to choose from that are specifically designed for endurance athletes. I continued to do 5 minutes of core every weekday. I started to do 5 minutes of glute strength after my core workout. I made sure to roll my glutes almost everyday. I religiously go to Physical Therapy once a month for maintenance.

As you can see, there are a plethora of reasons why this training cycle is going seemingly well for me. I may not be doing formalized workouts, but I am sure as hell working hard towards achieving my goals. I love to race, so this plan works well for me. The true test will be 2 weeks from today at the Coastal Delaware Marathon. My planned racing partner Huan and I are very well matched as far as current fitness. We took very different routes to get here, but we have the same goal. I look forward to working with him and sticking to our race plan. See you at the finish line!

[runningseason]

I'm so proud to announce that I was chosen to be a brand ambassador for nuun!!! #nuunbassador #nuun #nuunlife #nuunhydration #nuunrunning

[runningseason]

2016: A year of PRs and Friendships

It’s the day before New Year’s Eve and my Facebook posts are flooded with yearly mileage totals. According to my Strava app, I have run 1763 miles thus far this year and I plan to end the year with a 10 mile run tomorrow. The truth is, I’ve never been too concerned about my yearly miles. While it is fun to check your year-end stats, I’ve never stressed about not reaching a certain yearly goal. To be perfectly honest, to end the year injury-free is the best goal to achieve, in my opinion. 

Looking back on this year, my running went through many changes. First and foremost, I changed the way I train... and I got faster! In 2016, I set PRs in every race distance from the 5k to the marathon. From summer 2011 until summer of 2015 I trained under the direction of a coach. I had 2 different coaches during this time. I excelled under both of them. It wasn’t until my injury in 2015 that I stopped training under a coach. When I started up again, I just did my own thing and it seemed to be working for me. 

Earlier this year, I wrote my own marathon plan for the first time. I borrowed a few workouts from past coaches, but mostly incorporated races into my plan to keep me in shape. I had no idea how I would do under this plan, but I figured I had nothing to lose. Of course, I had big goals for my spring marathon, but I stayed confident. My plan proved to work and I beat my goal time by 4 minutes and set a new PR.

I owe a lot of my success to my training buddies. For this marathon, I had a solid group of teammates who I met weekly for an up tempo mid-week long run. I also met some of them for weekend long runs and other mid-week runs. This group pushed me to limits I did not know I could achieve. All of a sudden, my up-tempo pace from year’s prior was my comfortable pace now.

Early in the summer, I made a difficult decision to leave my competitive running team for another team. This decision was particularly hard because I created the training enclave in the area I reside when I moved out to western jersey in the spring of 2015. How could I leave the training group that helped me PR in my marathon? Then it dawned on me, competing for a new team did not mean that I had to stop training with my old teammates. The bond you form when you run with others is stronger than the colors of a jersey. My true friends and training buddies did not stop training with me because I decided to compete for another team, rather, our group got larger as some members of my new team started joining us for some of our runs. 

I’m sure it was not linked, but as soon as I stopped competing in my old uniform, I started to break all of my previous PRs in the shorter distance races. I know it was a coincidence, but it felt good! Summer racing brought me so much satisfaction. I was placing in the top of most races, beating people that I always considered faster than me, and making new friends. 

The fall continued to be good to me in terms of racing. I had a few duds in there (including my marathon), but I had a lot of great races and new PRs to celebrate. 

Running brought me great fortune in 2016. Looking beyond the trophies, medals, PRs and prize money; by far my favorite part of 2016 running is the new friendships that I made. I met an amazing group of people this year that I do more than lace up with. We are true friends who are there for each other in the good and bad; we are just lucky to have met each other through  our mutual love of running. I look forward to an even more amazing 2017!

2016 Stats

Total Miles: 1763 (+10 tomorrow)

Total Runs: 296 (+1 tomorrow)

Elevation Gain: 40,965 ft

2016 PRs

5k: 18:26

8k: 29:45

10k: 38:56

15k: 1:00:49

20k: 1:21:57

Half Marathon: 1:26:09

Marathon: 3:01:16

[runningseason]

It’s ok to take a day (or 4) off!

These days I see many runners embark on a running streak. The official definition of a running streak, as adopted by theStreak Runners International, Inc., and United States Running Streak Association, Inc., is “to run at least one mile (1.61 kilometers) within each calendar day. Running may occur on either the roads, a track, over hill and dale, or on a treadmill.”

I think my longest “running streak” this year, may have been 4 days; and even that is a stretch for me. If you follow me on Strava (or Garmin Connect), you will notice that I haven’t uploaded an activity since December 15th. That’s right, I took 4 unplanned days off in a row! 

Typically, I take 2 days off a week; which I feel is more than most runners at my level. I like to give my body the opportunity to recover each week. Plus, I’ve been seeing very positive results with my new found recovery. 

Let’s back up to July 2015...  It was in this month that I sustained an injury that resulted in my longest time off of running since a college injury in 2001. I trained very hard for the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon in July 2015. I took very little recovery after the Sugarloaf Marathon in May 2015 before I started training for Napa. In years past, I always took a full week off after every marathon. This time, I didn’t allow my body the recovery it needed before entering into the next training cycle. I went into Napa in very good shape. Race day came and I felt tight. I was able to maintain my pace until about mile 4. My plan to progress my pace each mile fell short when I couldn’t even maintain my starting pace. I started slowing down, but I didn’t know why. Nothing hurt, my wind was fine, my body just could not move any faster. The next day, I noticed a pain in my hip flexor. After being assessed by my athletic trainer friend who also ran the race with us, I made an appointment with my PT when I returned back to NJ. I did, in fact, sustain a hip flexor injury. I stopped running and did everything my PT told me to do. My “no running” streak lasted 6 weeks. 

About 2 weeks into my newfound running, I was back to my normal pace. It took this long because I forced myself to run with slower people in order to ease back in. About 2 months later I ran my first post-injury race; and impressed myself with my speed. Within another 3 weeks, I set a new PR in the 8k. I was back and better than ever!

It’s been over a year since I started running again after my injury. Since then, I have completely changed my training. I allow myself 2 days off a week now, instead of just one. I no longer follow rigorous training plans created by anyone other than myself; I have become my own coach. My training now consists of more races and fewer workouts (if any). Life is too short to burden myself with forced workouts that I don’t enjoy. Instead, I constantly test myself with races that I build strategically into my marathon plans. This year, at age 35, I PR’d in the 5k, 8k, 10k, 15k, 20k, half marathon and full marathon... So, I must be doing something right! And that “something” is listening to my body.

If you remember my last post, I had a disappointing performance at the Marine Corps Marathon. As usual, I took my week off after the race. Once I started running again, I ran very short runs and took extra days off when needed. Two short weeks after the marathon (after 1 week of barely training), I was back racing a 10k. I did not expect to perform well at all; but I needed this race for the USATF -NJ Grand Prix. I ended up with a 1 min course PR and felt amazing. Less than two weeks later, I raced again. In between these 2 races, I ran short recovery runs and took days off. I ended up running a huge PR and one of the smartest races of my life. 

Now this brings us back to my random 4 day running hiatus. I have proven to myself time and time again that I won’t lose my fitness by taking some time off from running. I was in a lot of pain after my last marathon, but raced 3 times since then. My body needed a break before I enter my next marathon training cycle in January, so simply enough, I listened to my body and gave it a break. When’s the last time you listened to your body?

[runningseason]

Race Recap: 2016 Marine Corps Marathon

The Marine Corps Marathon was my 21st marathon. I had high expectations for this race. I was finally going to go for the sub-3 marathon that I was so close to capturing in the spring. I went into this marathon in very good shape. My recent races predicted around a 3 hour marathon, so I knew I was capable of achieving this goal... or was I?

I had a good position near the start line, so I was able to get into a great rhythm. I felt strong and I was right on pace. I use course specific pace bands at www.findmymarathon.com in order to adjust my pace up and down hills.  

As you can see, I was feeling pretty great at mile 6. This continued for a few more miles. Around mile 11, I started feeling pain in my glutes, quads and hips and started slowing down. When I went through the half marathon in 1:30:05, I knew that the sub-3 goal was not happening during this race; I was fading fast. It was too early in the race to feel the effects of the miles; I knew that I was in trouble. 

It was now time to refocus. Could I still PR? Maybe. I tried to get back in a rhythm to attempt a sub-3:01 (current PR). This attempt was very short lived. Somewhere not too far before the Capital building, I had to stop for my first walk break. I carried Biofreeze with me, so I slathered it all over my hips, quads and glutes. The cooling sensation of the gel over my muscles gave me a second wind. This, again, did not last long. I repeated this over the next few miles until I used my 4th and file packet of Biofreeze.  

Let’s now fast forward through a few more failed attempts to pick up the pace. I just didn’t want it enough. I was already off pace and I knew I would finish eventually; I had no motivation to run faster. I gave up. I hate this feeling. Yes, I was in pain, but I think if I wanted it enough, I may have been able to push through the pain. 

Most of the miles after the infamous “bridge” were a blur. The 3:05 pace group caught me at the bridge. I tried to stay with them, but they overtook me. I remember being passed a lot, but also noticed there were a few others having just as much trouble as me; so I was not alone.

In the last 1/2 mile, I finally decided to pick up the pace. This is much easier to do when you know that the finish line is not too far away. I was warned that the hill at the end was terrible. Challenge accepted. In the straight away leading up to the hill, I passed a women (who ended up being in my age group). I then conquered that last hill with the determination I wish I had for all of those other miles leading up to the finish. I finished in 3:10:28; a respectable time, but over 10 minutes slower than my goal. 

Despite my struggles, I ended up second in my age group and 19th female (of almost 10,000). I was happy with my placement, but I couldn’t help but be disappointed with my performance. Marathon running is very mental. "When your legs can't run anymore, run with your heart.” (unknown source). On October 30, 2016, my heart was just not in it. 

[runningseason]

2016: The year my running reached the legal drinking age...

As I was walking my pup the usual 2.5 mile trek today, my brain was tirelessly thinking of ideas for my first blog post. As usual, my mind went off on its many tangents and I started thinking back to when I began running competitively. I was 14 years old when I ran my first track race. At the ripe age of 35, I realize I’ve been racing for 21 years! That is more than half my life. And to top it off, I completed my 21st marathon in my 21st year of running. It is amazing how much I’ve changed in these past 21 years; but throughout these years, the love of running has always stayed constant. Running has impacted my life drastically. What started out as a way to keep involved in high school has paved the path to a seemingly amazing life thus far. 

My relationship with my father... When I was 17 years old, going into my senior year of high school, my father challenged me to the local Labor Day 5k in our town. My dad was not a runner (at least not during my lifetime), but he was determined to beat me in this 5k. He trained all summer, while I slacked off. Race day came and my dad put up a good fight, but he did not beat me. What he did do was set a foundation for a priceless father/daughter relationship. My father developed a love for running and racing. Soon after, I went to college where I continued my running journey, but I ran with him on breaks. I continued to run and race with him after I graduated college. We developed such a strong relationship mile after mile together. He even encouraged me to run my first marathon, which we ran together. 

My romantic relationships... I’ve had 3 official boyfriends in my 35 years. Every single one of them was met through running. The current (and only relationship worth mentioning) started as a friendship. We met at a team long run 4 years ago on Labor Day weekend (what is it about Labor Day weekend??!!) Through the next year we became friends and ran together occasionally and socialized through team events. During one particular run, we encountered a bear and so many thoughts ran through my head. Aside from the initial “survival” instinct, something clicked in my head and I realized that I was falling for Dave. We now own a house and a dog together and look forward to continuing our future together.  

My career... I spent many years in a career I did not love. I was looking for a change. It was through a running connection (and a summer shandy) that I was introduced to a company that had a job opening in the pharma technology field in which I wanted to pursue. It has been 3 years and I haven’t looked back on this decision. 

There is so much more that running has brought me through the years and will continue to bring me. This crazy life has taken me through twists and turns, ups and downs, but I am far from the finish line. I welcome you on this journey and hope you will continue to lace up with me.