Sunday, November 30, 2014

The Last Long Run & My Six Songs...

This morning was home to the last long run before my final half marathon of 2014. It was a struggle. I'm not sure what's going on with me lately. That's not true...I kind of know...but I really need to figure out a way to stop being my own worst enemy...
(the "anyone" referenced above includes myself)

The scenery on the beach this morning was overcast, windy, chilly, and beautiful...

The end result of my run...

I started to feel left lateral knee pain during mile 4 and so I slowed down a lot (from 4:1 to 2:1 intervals). I was going to stop at 5 miles and just "call it a day" because I'm actually tired of having to deal with knee pain when I run [feeling frustrated]. Then I decided to "suck it up" and finish the 6 miles my running group was scheduled to complete...

Pace per mile breakdown...

Post run selfie...

Next week is my taper week and I'm looking forward to tapering and doing some easy runs, maybe some yoga and stretching in preparation for next weekend. As much as I want to PR at the Palm Beach half, a lot will depend on what's going on with my knee...

*****
And now....it's time for my weekly installment of the 10 "Day" YOU Challenge!
I go back and forth between "I love listening to music when I run" and "I kind of enjoy the distracting huffing and puffing of my own breathing". I've been trying to find songs that have a beat that will help me with my pace when running, but these are also songs that I simply enjoy listening to (and surprisingly no country music made the list). Sometimes I keep one song on repeat and that also helps me stay focused on a steady rhythm during my running intervals.

So the top 6 songs I listen to when I run (based on my music app's "Top 25 Most Played" playlist) are...

1. Magic (by B.O.B featuring Rivers Cuomo)

2. Run This Town (by Jay Z, Rihanna, Kayne West)


3. I'm Into You (Jennifer Lopez featuring Lil Wayne)

4. It's My Life (Bon Jovi)


5. Candy Rain (Anthony Lewis featuring Billy Bang)

6. Animals (Maroon 5 featuring J. Cole)
My musical taste is quite diverse as you can see, but these songs have the right tempo and keep me upbeat (which comes in very handy on the Sundays I'm running double digit long runs). 

Happy Sunday!!!
Is anyone running the Palm Beach half or full marathon next weekend? Or any other race?

Friday, November 28, 2014

The world through my iPhone camera lens...and the Full dilemma

I woke up this morning, rolled over to look out the window and saw gray skies; checked my weather app and saw 52 degrees; checked the time and realized it was 6am; rolled my eyes and went back to sleep. When I finally got my lazy butt out of bed it was after 7. I got ready for the gym very slowly (like 2 hours "very slowly") and finally made it there around 9:15. I haven't been to the gym in weeks and since I'm still paying the membership I didn't want to miss an opportunity to go. 

I did a short session at the gym...

And then I decided to go for a walk. These feet were made for walking (& running)...

It was such a beautiful day outside today...

Shadow selfie...

Smiling in the sunshine...

Walking mileage summary...
(which I deleted from Runtastic after because I only want to track running mileage on the app for this year)

The afternoon was spent doing a few errands and then I had a nice coffee break at the Barnes & Noble cafe...

And later went home to watch back-to-back episodes of "Brothers & Sisters"...
(this show will put any family drama into perspective)

Tomorrow is a rest day, and I'll probably spend it stretching and foam rolling in preparation for my run on Sunday with my running group. As December rolls around the mileage schedule for the running group is increasing. I got the new training calendar today and I definitely need to decide if I'm going to train with the "full marathon sub-group" or cut back and focus only on the mileage that the 1/2 marathon sub-group will be doing for the rest of the year. 
There are pros and cons to both options I think. The primary benefit of joining the "full" group is to see how my body responds to that type of distance early in the year so that I have enough time to recover and get ready to train for Chicago in October 2015 (Chi town full training will officially start at the beginning of May). The primary drawback is...well why train for a marathon you're not running? (my running group is training for a full on Feb 15th...but I'm not doing that event). The group will train up to a 20 mile LR and then taper. That will give me enough time to rest prior to my last FL Storm Series half marathon (on March 1st). Then I will rest, do yoga, strength train and swim in preparation for Swim Miami 2015 (on April 19th). And then I can kick off my Chicago Marathon training cycle with the Wings for Life World Run on May 3rd! Is it just me or is 2015 going to be an insanely busy and intense year?! Am I crazy for wanting to do all this? (I hope not)...

Alternatively...I could focus just on half marathon training mileage until after the end of my 4th FL Storm Series event (which like I said is March 1st); then focus on Swim Miami; and still stick with the same Chicago Marathon training start date on May 3rd. The drawback to this option is that the first time I run a 20 miler will be at the peak of Summer...with the associated heat & humidity...and without the benefit of the moral support I normally get from my running group.

What to do, what to do, what to do? I'll have to decide after the Palm Beach half marathon...which gives me a little over a week to make up my mind. What option would you choose?

Hope you had a great Friday!!!

Thursday, November 27, 2014

The 27 random things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving...

The holidays (Thanksgiving & Christmas) are the time of year when many of us reflect on the things that are truly important in life. This season of gratitude starts today (Thanksgiving Day...just in case you weren't sure) so, in keeping with the season (and everyday life), I'm thankful for all the "big stuff" like my family, friends, health, job  etc.
The "big stuff" things are obvious, so for this blog post I wanted to share with you the 27 (because today is the 27th) random things I'm also grateful for:

(in no particular order)...
1. My PR at the Ft Lauderdale half marathon
2. My running group (the Memorial Milers)
3. My Brooks sneakers (Adrenaline GTS 13s & 14s)
4. I only have 1 blister this week
5. People read my blog so I'm not "cyber talking to myself"
6. Running my first half marathon in Chicago
7. Sweet potatoes are Paleo
8. Ice packs for my knees after my run
9. The color purple. Not the book. Or the movie. The actual color.
10. My Hulu+ app (so I can keep up to date with my favorite shows)
11. Popcorn (it's my Paleo cheat snack)
12. Walgreens was open this morning
13. The 2.7 miles I ran this morning (before going to Walgreens)
14. The 450+ miles I've run so far this year
15. People follow my blog profile on Twitter, IG & FB (it might not be a lot of people but I'm glad I'm not the only one liking my posts)
16. Free energy chew samples from Runners Depot
17. My Runtastic app
18. The Lifeproof case on my iPhone (because I drop it so many times my phone would be in pieces without it)
19. My purple nail polish does a great job at covering up the toenails that are discolored.
20. Tupperware containers for Thanksgiving leftovers
21. People (other than myself) ate my thanksgiving sweet potato casserole (and liked it!)
22. Red wine
23. White wine
24. Running in humidity levels less than 70% and temps less less than 70 degrees
25. My calf compression sleeves
26. IcyHot & Tiger balm
27. All the people I have met/things that I have learnt through blogging

I had a great run today...

I made sweet potato casserole for the first time ever and it was a big hit!

And I had a great day with friends...

I hope your day was wonderful also!!!
What are some of the random things that you are grateful for this Thanksgiving?

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

I just wasn't feeling it today :(

Today was not a good running day. I just wasn't feeling the running mojo this morning. I was supposed to complete a 50minute run this morning but I only did 30 minutes instead. I wish I could blame it on the weather since it was so ridiculously humid...
....but there was also a gentle breeze so that helped with the humidity.

I also wish I could blame it on lack of sleep but I was asleep by 9pm and up at 5am so I got a full 8 hours of (mostly) uninterrupted rest.

My session wasn't as long as it should have been but it could have been worse right? I could have skipped it all together.
Summary pics...

The backdrop to this morning's running session...
(no filter)

Post run selfie...
(I wasn't able to muster up a smile because I was that disappointed in my run)

Post run recovery "legs up the wall" yoga...

The other half of me...
(finally able to muster up a smile)

Later in the day I was speaking to a co-worker that is preparing for the Reggae 1/2 Marathon in Negril, Jamaica on December 7th...
We were comparing training notes and the aftermath of that conversation was a new training app to help me improve my cadence when I run! Also, I got some more tips regarding mileage for my weekly runs...

Milepost motivation for your Wednesday...
Find a way to boost your confidence in your running ability and that will lead you down the path to success!

I'm in the information gathering and 2015 marathon training planning phase (so please feel free to leave your tips/suggestions etc). 

Happy Wednesday!

Is anyone racing this Thanksgiving weekend?

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

The eve of Thanksgiving Eve "aka" the day when your office has their Thanksgiving Lunch...

I knew today would be filled with food so naturally I was excited when I woke up...

I did my workout this morning before work:
Sit-up challenge (5 sets of 25)
Leg raises (5 sets of 10)
Wall sit (3 mins)...
I'm getting better at sticking with my new cross training schedule!


In general I'm not a big "Thanksgiving person". I think everyone has their favorite holiday and since I didn't grow up celebrating Thanksgiving it's just another day for me. However, I am thankful that other people celebrate it because that pretty much means: great food, great company, and very little work gets done only "essential" work gets done.

The morning started off great with a special coffee purchased for me by my friend Jennifer (my favorite Research Pharmacist)...

And then, because I knew the afternoon would be nothing but festivities, I settled in to do as much work as possible (see? I can still be productive even when I dream about turkey). I got through half of my to-do list when the moving guys came to change the furniture in my office (no...I didn't know that was happening today). They seemed a bit annoyed that nothing was packed up or cleared out of my office and were oblivious to my concern that my place in the buffet food line was now going to rank in the double digits. Luckily I'm very motivated by food and I cleared out my office (with the help of Candace) in 15 minutes...and by "cleared out" I mean I made a path (which I'll figure out how to rearrange tomorrow).

I made it to lunch ontime AND I was first in line! Everyone was acting "shy" and no one wanted to start so I decided (you know, as a public service) to relieve everyone of the burden of being the first one to uncover the containers and dig in (I do what I can for humanity. You're welcome).

The lunch was great! I only had a small amount because I had another lunch to go to and I didn't want to feel too stuffed (first world problems).
A pic of the Trauma team (one half of my "work family") eating lunch and making Thanksgiving speeches...

I didn't take any pics at lunch #2 (with the other half of my "work family") because I was so busy socializing. But the food looked great (I sampled one or two items but I didn't eat again...my attempt at not getting stuffed at lunch #1 was unsuccessful).


I got this timely message in the middle of my food fest today...
In a rare moment of inspiration I wrote this today...

Does your "work family" have a Thanksgiving lunch?
What's your favorite holiday?

Monday, November 24, 2014

The LR Countdown and email excitement!

Today was the longest Monday in the history of long Mondays. I required a lot of coffee to make it through the day. Thankfully I didn't have too much...

I did my sit up challenge this morning before work. I completed five sets of 25 sit ups (it's easier for me to break down the session into manageable sets...for Day 24 I was supposed to complete a minimum of 115 sit ups, so a total of 125 isn't bad). For the rest of November I'm going to aim at adding an additional set every couple of days or so, but I'll need a new approach to my 30 Day Challenge for December. I'm planning on restarting the sit-up challenge and maybe incorporating some wall sits in there as well. Thoughts?

My legs felt good today. I have some mild soreness but  overall I think the hot/cold soak and compression leg sleeves really helped in the whole recovery process. I also wore knee-high socks today which provided some mild compression for my lower legs :)

Can you believe the year is almost over?? Below are a few of the major events I'm looking forward to for the rest of the year (as measured by Long Runs)...
Zero LRs before Thanksgiving
One LR before the Palm Beach half (my third and final half marathon for this year)
Two LRs before my Dad's birthday! (December 11th)
Three LRs before my 2 year anniversary at work (which means extra special stuff will happen!...or so they tell me)
Four LRs before Christmas (this is probably the most exciting news ever! I can't wait to go home!!)
Five LRs left in 2014 (I'm excited to see what 2015 will bring)

I'm trying to come up with a safe training plan for 2015. As you may know, I adjust my training plan as needed to incorporate safer mileage incremental increases and to accommodate for changes in my work schedule. For 2015 I will be sticking to a formal plan that's well thought out, not complicated, and not too intense (so it doesn't put me at risk for injury) but intense enough (so that I push myself safely to get stronger).  So I'm trying to get a general consensus on what other runners are doing (or have done) to prepare for their full marathon(s). Please leave a comment with your answer to the following questions (it will be greatly appreciated)...
1. What is your longest LR during your training cycle? (some people don't go past 20 miles, others go up to the full 26 or more)
2. How many LRs (20 miles or greater) do you run during your training?
3. How far apart are these LRs?
4. How many weeks before your marathon is your longest LR?

On a more exciting note, I received an absolutely fabulous amazingly wonderful email from my boss today...
Never before have I felt so excited to work in an area that is considered to be "non-essential". I'm so happy that I'm off on the Thursdays and Fridays of the holiday weeks!!! However, the term "non-essential" is kind of insulting isn't it? They need to come up with a better phrase/term like "totally awesome departments that are vitally important but can take the days off since we have other people to cover life threatening emergencies"...or you know, something like that.

A quick reminder: The Holiday Giveaway closes on Dec 11th! Don't forget to enter :)

Also, please take a moment to comment on your training cycle LRs! (thank you, thank you, thank you!)

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Meanwhile, eleven miles later...

Today's long run was great (now that it's done). At different points during the run I felt like it was as challenging as my first half. Not the entire time but for 76% 86% of the time. My left hip and left ITB have been bothering me since my evening run on Thursday. They haven't been painful, but felt "tight" (that's the best way to describe it). So going into the run already feeling "off balance" gait-wise was hard mentally for me because I didn't feel 100% confident I would be able to complete the mileage (and that's never a good way to start)...
(within reason of course, don't do anything silly like ignore an injury!)

I wore my compression sleeves again because even though I still have some initial transient pain in my shins for the first 3 miles, the recovery time was much faster this past week...

I was a well behaved marathon trainee today and stuck with my 4:1s pacing group 99% of the time. There was a brief period where I was a little ahead so I dropped to 3:1s. Once I was back in sync with everyone we were approximately 1.5 miles away from completing the training mileage goal of 11 miles! It felt good to finish strong as a group.

Summary pics...

Pace per mile breakdown...

It was insanely windy along the beach before, during, and after our run. I took a few before pics to try and capture the waves and the trees billowing in the wind...

And my pre-run selfie...

Once I got home I took a nice relaxing hot shower. And then I filled the tub with hot water and did a hot-cold soak to help remove the lactic acid from my legs. A lot of people have told me about this so I figured I would try it. It's supposed to help with the recovery process so I'll let you know how my legs feel throughout the week.

I also spent some time hydrating and refueling...

So I have some important information to share (well I think it's important):
When I stepped on the scale after my run there was a 4 lb difference between my weight post-run and my weight yesterday morning. That's probably mostly water weight (despite the fact that I drank consistently throughout the run...both my bottles were empty by the end). Losing that much water weight is not a good sign. Also (and I apologize in advance if you think this is too personal) my urine post run was really dark. Which means I probably wasn't hydrated enough BEFORE my run (my own fault because I know better). 
Hydration is so important. Don't underestimate how much water you should drink in the days leading up to your long runs and your races. Another sign that you probably didn't drink enough is if you get dizzy during the run (which has happened to me before also). If that happens SLOW DOWN (or cut your training distance short that week). It's better to take a long time to get to the end of your run than to not get there at all. Running should be fun. Don't allow simple mistakes to take the joy out of it for you or put you in danger. Always remember that your performance during training and during your race (among other things) depends on how well you listen to your body and your coaches/physical therapists/doctors etc. {OK, I'm off my soap box now}

The rest of the day was spent relaxing. I'm a bit homesick so I worse my favorite Jamaica top (and matching earrings)...

I also cooked (yay)! It's hard to believe eleven miles later I still had a desire to be on my feet in a hot kitchen cooking Sunday dinner. But I did, so I made Chicken Tikka Masala, Baked Potatoes (sweet for me, irish for everyone else), Plantains, and Arugula Salad (with Chick-fil-A sauce for my "dressing").

How was your Long Run today?
What's on the menu for Sunday Dinner?
What do you like to hydrate with (water, Gatorade, coconut water etc)?