DNF...

At some point in our running careers most of us have had a DNF ("did not finish") for a run. Usually the acronym is reserved for not finishing a race, but for me I use it when I don't finish my designated mileage for my training runs as well. I've (fortunately) never had to DNF a race, but training runs... that's a completely different story.

Today was one of those DNF training run days. My legs felt like lead from the very beginning; and between not getting enough sleep last night and being mentally exhausted from a very long, equally frustrating work week, I just could not push myself to do more than 6 (of the planned 10) miles.

I've been trying different strategies to work on mental preparation for my runs and my races because 9 times out of 10 the problem is less of a physical limitation and more of a "I'm not confident that I can do this" limitation. Mental training is hard. Especially since I'm not one of those overly confident individuals to begin with. And when it comes to running I doubt myself a lot.

This morning there was an "awkward yeti" type battle between my various organ systems...
Brain: Can I get through 10 miles?
Legs: I'm tired
Heart: I want to go back to bed
Stomach: I'm hungry
Brain: Well...
Legs: I'm still tired
Heart: I'm really sleepy
Nose: *sniff*
Stomach: Is that fresh baked bread?
Nose: *sniff sniff*
Stomach: *grumbles*
Brain: Well...
Heart: If I was sleeping right now I would be so happy
Brain: Fiiine
Legs: No I think I can
Brain: Too late I'm done. Let's stop at 6 miles
All: YAY!!!!!!

So I stopped at 6 miles. I was running with Mimi who continued on to complete the remaining 4 miles (after we took a quick post-run pic)...

Considering I did a (virtual) half marathon last weekend and I have the Tropical 5K and Miami Half Marathon next weekend, I'm not upset that upset about my DNF training run today. I may do a few miles if others from my running group want to hit the road tomorrow morning. If not, I might just sleep, or swim, or sleep, or do some weight training, or sleep.

This week (so far) I've done two 4 milers and two 6 milers. The distance sets were almost identical...

I'm trying to focus on incremental measurable goals for each week so that I can track my improvement (and not get thrown off by any one run). This week, for example, the group increased our run:walk intervals to 90s:30s and my personal goal was to maintain a sub-12 mins/mile average pace for all my runs (mission accomplished). Next week the running duration won't increase, but the new pace goal will be sub-11:45mins/mile. Each week will have a new goal and I will continue to set new weekly goals once I have accomplished the goal of the current week.

I'm doing the same for cross training. My goal was to swim twice this week for a minimum of 30 minutes each session. I only got through one 30 min session (on Monday) so next week I will aim for the same 2 swim session goal 💪.

What are your plans for this weekend?

Any races planned for the rest of January?

Did you accomplish all your training goals this week?

Key West Virtual Half {"race" recap}

To kick off 2018's running calendar I decided to sign up for the Key West virtual Half Marathon...

Normally I wouldn't register for a race before the Miami Half Marathon race weekend (which is usually the weekend that starts my running calendar); but once I saw the medal I really had no choice but to register...

(The. Lighthouse. Lights. Up!)

I'm a real sucker for cool race medals. I won't even pretend to deny it. The first thing I think about when I'm considering registering for a race is "what does the medal look like?" Well actually, the first thing is probably do I get a medal? and then I determine if it's pretty enough to justify the race entry fee :)

Anyway, since my heart felt obligated to run for the lighthouse, I signed up for the virtual option and ran it this morning...

I ran with Jani for the first 6+ miles and then Mimi and I ran the last 7+ miles. During the first 6 Jani and I encountered a guy who was wearing less than ideal clothing for the 50 degree weather we were having and utilizing the sidewalk as his personal urinal. Not cool. We ran on the road to avoid having to run by him on the sidewalk (especially since he also appeared drunk/high on something). We also dealt with a pretty strong headwind for the first 3 miles, but other than that the first half of my virtual half was great.

When Jani and I got back to our cars, Mimi and I headed out for the second half of my half. We decided to add a change to our normal running route and included a highway overpass as part of an out and back section. Garmin claims that I started at high elevation for this run but I can guarantee you the route was pretty flat apart from those last two "hills" when we ran over the overpass and back...

Fortunately Mimi and I didn't encounter any unsavory characters on our route and we finished faster than I anticipated with a negative split (i.e. second half of the race was faster than the first half)...

Now I just have to patiently wait for my lighthouse medal to come in the mail! And start getting ready for the Tropical 5K and Miami Half Marathon coming up in two weeks!!!

Do you run virtual races?

What was your favorite virtual race (and why?)

What's your biggest motivator for registering for a race?

Off To A Great Start...

2018 is off to a great start so far (training-wise). Which is good since I spent most of the Christmas/New Years holiday period not training. Instead I focused on spending time with family and friends and trying not to stress about the amount of calories I was consuming. 

But when 2018 rolled around (and I woke up from my nap after ringing in the new year,) Sanya (my twin sister) and I headed out for a walk. Not just a simple walk though, a 1 mile uphill I-can-barely-breathe-while-doing-this walk...

(One day I'm going to try and run that entire mile uphill)

I came home later that day and didn't do anything related to training until the 5th, which essentially was my first run of 2018. Fortunately it didn't suck as much as I thought it would considering I hadn't run since December 21st! What made it even greater was the fact that we had more people doing the group run...

And then this morning I kicked off Pittsburgh Marathon training with a 10 mile group run!

Today marked the official start of the Pittsburgh Marathon training cycle and while runners headed out on a "kick off" run in Pittsburgh, I ran "virtually" with my running group...

I'm trying to get more people to run Pittsburgh with me! And as an official blogger for the race I have a discount code so you can get $10 off the race registration (for any distance: full, half or relay). The discount code is: YOUNGDSGPM18 and this is the link to register. It's the 10th year anniversary of the marathon so you know it's going to be an incredible event!

While most of the group braved the South Florida cold weather close to home, we cheered on our missing running teammate Mimi who completed an absolutely incredible Disney Marathon today to close out an even more amazing 2018 Dopey Challenge! 

(so proud of you Mimi!!!)

I'm really excited about this year and all my 2018 goals. I decided several weeks ago to try journaling this year. But instead of writing a mini dissertation about my thoughts and feelings (after all that's what my blog is for right?) I decided to incorporate a daily note of gratitude and a variety of different little things in my Commit30 planner....

I got the planner as a "pixie" Christmas present from my younger sister. My siblings and I do a pixie gift exchange (we started a couple of years ago) and it has become something I look forward to each year. 2017 was even better since we decided to post our "wish list" which made the gift buying process a whole lot easier. A planner or bullet journal was on my list and fortunately my "pixie" listened ;)

I also got a 2018 running log from my parents which is perfect for tracking my training specific activities!

I have a lot of goals for this year. A marathon PR is one of them (an important one), but so is:

1. Improving my running pace;

2. Swimming 1 mile (freestyle only... right now I can do breaststroke without a problem but freestyle kills me); and

3. Running 1000 miles (which I'm visually tracking in my planner as well)...

What are your 2018 goals?

Any major races on the calendar for this year?

Have you ever journaled?

Runners Support Each Other...

Running groups are like a family. Typically close knit, with a variety of unique personalities. Some members are closer than others (whether that's because of pace or similarities in training that facilitate different bonds developing, or just like-mindedness). Some members see/run with each other more often. And some members show up on occasion (for that "seasonal" group run) and then aren't seen again until next season. At times, just like with family, the running group dynamics become... dysfunctional tense. And ideally that period of tension is short lived because at the end of the day we're a "running family" right?

image source

Over the course of my short (i.e. 4 year) running life I've run with a variety of different groups and I've also run solo. There are pros and cons to both group and solo runs, but the one thing I love about group runs is that the miles go by faster and I finish feeling stronger...

source

Bigger running groups have different pace options and so those groups definitely have the ability to make runners of all levels feel welcome. That can sometimes be harder with smaller groups. Which means that if you run with a small group it's important to be intentional about not isolating anyone or making anyone feel like they:
1. Don't belong because they run at a different pace
2. Don't belong because they are training for a different race
3. Don't belong because they don't run with the group all the time
4. Don't belong because they want to do different mileage

I could go on, but the point is we should not make people who want to run feel like they don't belong, or shouldn't run with our running group because their plans/goals/abilities differ from our own. As members of a broader running community we should encourage and embrace everyone who wants to run and try to facilitate each of us reaching our running goals (as best as we possibly can).

I'm dealing with some of these challenges in the group that I run with right now. And I'm pretty transparent about my life and my feelings so I recently felt like I had to comment/post a reminder that we (as a group) need to be accommodating to all the group members. To say the least, it wasn't taken well by everyone...

I'm probably overly sensitive to the need to make everyone feel welcome because there have been times when I've felt like I wasn't good enough, or fast enough, or had enough endurance to keep up/fit in. And I will acknowledge the fact that I completely control whether or not I will allow a passing comment or an exchanged glance affect how I feel or whether or not I run. But, at the same time, I deal with enough insecurities (actually I have a lot of insecurities) and running is a "safe place" for me. So when I'm out on a group run I don't want to feel like those insecurities are surfacing. And when some of my insecurities are related to running, that's definitely the last thing I want to feel.

Runners support each other

Unlike bigger groups, small running groups have to be even more careful to avoid the pitfalls of isolating others because... karma. I'm kidding, because it's just not the right thing to do. So if everyone has different mileage goals, then plan runs that have loops or an "out & back" option. If everyone has a different pace, an out & back option is especially accommodating. Another option is to schedule different start times for different mileage/pace goals. Regardless of the option the group chooses, it's important to ensure that the plan takes everyone into consideration (or at the very least, if you can't accommodate all, then accommodate most of the group).

This morning, I did a 6 mile loop, as part of a "let's try to accommodate most of our training" group run...

Mimi (in the picture with me) was doing her final really long run in preparation for Dopey, and graciously broke her run into 6-6-6-4 mile loops so that I could do 6 (first loop), another runner could do 12 (middle loops), and another runner could do 10 (last two loops). Of course, it's mutually beneficial because Mimi gets a change of company and pace with each of us that did different loops with her, and the rest of us get our desired mileage completed. This is how running groups should work. Ideally, we should find a way to work with each other in supporting each other's goals. It won't always fall into place nicely. Sometimes a runner may need to break off/turn back early, or continue to do more mileage after the group run is over. But the spirit of encouragement should be at the forefront... and when it is running groups shine.

Do you run with a running group?

If yes, how does your group accommodate runners of different levels?

If no, why do you prefer to run solo?

Kicking Off My Pittsburgh Marathon Training...

This training week started off with a 4 mile run on Tuesday and ended with a 10 mile run this morning. My training plan for Pittsburgh includes 4 days of running + 2 days of cross training & 1 day of rest. I nailed the 4 days of running part, but my 2 days of cross training were converted to 2 days of "rest". Tomorrow is supposed to be a rest day but we'll see what the morning holds.

Until then, I'm just going to focus on this week's runs and the fact that I was able to get through them all...

(not really the pace I'm aiming for but hopefully that will get better on future runs)

While I'm super excited about completing my runs and the start of my Pittsburgh Marathon training, nothing was more exciting than finding out I was selected to be an official blogger for the marathon!!!

I'm honored to be a part of this esteemed group of bloggers and I'm really looking forward to blogging for the marathon. Pittsburgh happens to be in May (my birthday month) which makes it extra special for me. It will be a birthday present to myself and I plan to train hard for it so that when I cross the finish line I can cross it smiling (not crying like I did for Berlin & New York). Deep down I really want to PR in Pittsburgh (so that's goal A), but I'll also be happy with a sub-6 hour marathon finish time (since both NY and Berlin were over 6 hours and I really don't want that to be a trend)...

(source: somewhere on IG) 

What's next on your race calendar?

How is training going?

What exciting things are you doing this weekend?

The "Not A Real Race Recap" Rundown of Ragnar South Beach...

After a lot of contemplation I decided not to do a traditional race recap of the Ragnar South Beach Relay I did last weekend. I had (have) a lot of thoughts feelings about the event and how things went. Not all are good. So instead of focusing on the not-so-good stuff, I'll just share the highlights and some of my favorite moments of the weekend...

The Friday before the relay began included several last minute changes and associated logistical challenges that seemed to set the tone of the entire weekend. But despite all of that I happened to be on a team with great people who I am better off for having met and run with...

(Some of Van 1 & 2 before we started)

(Some of Van 1 after all our legs were over)

And of course, at different points along the course, we had (most of) the team together...

This was the first time I happened to be team captain...

But being captain of the team didn't mean I got to sit back and kick my feet up...

(although I did do that once)

My captain time was mostly spent try to ensure that everyone was having a good time and that they spent (most of) the time smiling...

My goal was to ensure that they started their legs looking this happy...

Even if they ended feeling this exhausted...

I had pretty short legs for this event, and overall the first two weren't too bad...

But then fatigue and hypoglycemia kicked in and I lost all sense of rational thinking...

(ready to run with only one shoe)

(night gear)

My third leg definitely sucked...

(I walked A LOT)

And my "Leg 3.5" also sucked, but it wasn't as bad as my regular Leg 3...

When Van 1 was officially done we went to the Finish area to wait for Van 2's Runner 12 to come in. The finish was crowded and parking was a nightmare, but the joy of knowing I was done was great...

(post race finish area)

The post-race team & medal & feet/shoe Ragnar pic... 

Team 13: Run Away With Me...

(missing Stephanie)

I'm grateful for all my teammates! (even when we got on each others nerves); and I have to say a special thank you to Kirsten for her last minute fill in (and saving us from having to do a lot of extra miles)...

(I really appreciated it!)

There's never a question about whether or not I would do Ragnar again. I absolutely will, every year for as long as I can run. This year I ran two and was able to earn the coveted "connector"...

Next year I want to do another trail (or two) and several road relays. I would do a South Florida Ragnar again (they just need to work out some of the logistics and maybe don't have us run through areas that are not the best safety-wise), and I plan to do the Alafia trail again (next year December), but I'm hoping my other Ragnars can take me to new cities/race courses. 

Right now my 2018 "Ragnar Race Calendar" wish list looks like this:

June: Ragnar Wasatch Back (road)

June: Ragnar Pennsylvania (road)

Sept: Ragnar Cottage Country (trail)

Sept: Ragnar Reach the Beach (road)

Nov: Ragnar South Beach (road)

Dec: Ragnar Alafia (trail)

So I need a lot of other suggestions for next year. Most of my Ragnars will have to be in the second half of 2018 because my race/training calendar is already packed for the first half of the year (leading up to the Pittsburgh Marathon). In the meantime, I have to shift my focus to the Tampa Hot Chocolate 15K coming up next month, which will be my final race of 2017! 💪🍫🏃(Blogger really needs to update their emoji options 😒).

How are you closing out your race calendar for 2017?

Did you already plan your races for 2018?

Do you have a Ragnar Relay in that plan? (if no... why not??? 😉)

Ragnar Race Week!

Ragnar South Beach Race Week is finally here!!!

source

In t-minus 5 days team Run Away With Me will be running south from Melbourne Beach to South Beach for my final Ragnar of 2017!

I wanted to do more Ragnar events this year but money has been tight and my schedule has been hectic. Last year, when I was planning for my 2017 running goals, I wanted to complete 2 road and 2 trail events this year. But unfortunately time and money did not allow for that. It sucks when your bank account and your schedule don't comply with your running/racing expectations doesn't it? Next year I'm hoping that I'll be able to do at least 3 Ragnar relays (fingers crossed).

But I don't have to worry about that this week because race week is finally here and my team is ready! Well... we're mostly ready. There are still a few logistics that need to be worked out, but it's mainly minor stuff so I'm not too worried. What's most important is that we are excited to start a weekend full of fun and fatigue! 

Training for Ragnar has not been the greatest but I also wanted to make sure I had a slow return to running after the Berlin Marathon. So I tried to stick to a "no more than 4 runs a week" plan for October, and then for November I started with 3 runs but I'll resume my 4 runs/week schedule this week (hopefully tomorrow)...

Even with my slow build up and the decreases in temperature, I'm still battling blisters :( I even tried using an excessive amount of anti-blister powder (as evidenced by my shoes after my run yesterday)...

But that didn't work so I'm still on the hunt for effective blister prevention methods (share your tips please!) I definitely need to get them under control before Pittsburgh marathon training starts next month. I've planned for an earlier start because Christmas (and all the associated holiday activities and travel) may throw my training schedule off a bit. So I decided to build some "cut-back" weeks into the plan to accommodate that. But, if all goes well with my mileage build-up, there shouldn't be any negative effects on my training as a result of the adjustments I've had to make. In the meantime, I'm just going to focus on one run at a time and, during my Ragnar weekend, one leg at a time :)

How do you adjust your training schedule during the holidays?

What are your running/racing plans this week?

If you've run Ragnar before, what's your #1 piece of advice for all the newbies on my team?