Last August, when I ran the Reno 10 Miler, I wasn't sure how to approach the race as it was my first time at that distance, and it was quite hilly. I decided to just run and use my watch solely as a guide rather than the law. What I discovered was that I was able to keep a relatively even pace, and finish faster than I could have if I went by watch time. Unfortunately, it has taken me a long time to apply this method in other races.

In May, I did the American Parkway Half. Like every race I do, I planned for this one to be the race. The race I would break my PR. Honestly, it was a dream race for me. Low elevation (I normally train at about 5000ft), pancake flat course, early start. Despite the perfection on paper, this ended up being one of my worst races, and I'm not just talking about time, I'm talking about the way I felt. I was chained to my watch. I had a plan on exactly what pace I would be at on exactly what part of the course. I planned to start off slow and then speed up. It didn't happen that way, I started off slow and got slower. By the time the halfway point came up where I would generally start to speed up, my body felt like it was running on empty. I was mentally and physically drained. When I approached the 10 mile marker, my mind and body where down and trying to shut down. I did what I swore I would never do in a race, I walked.

If anyone has ever read any of my previous posts, they would know my biggest fear in racing is starting out too fast and having nothing left for the end. That happened at the Parkway Half, and you know what, I'm still alive. Yeah it was horrible while it was happening, but it wasn't the end of the world. Now that that has happened to me, I honestly no longer fear it, and since I no longer feel it, for the past 3 races, I have barely even glanced at my watch. I have been running completely by feel.

If my body says lets speed up, I listen. If it says to slow down, I slow down. The only reason I glance at my watch every now and then is just to make sure I'm not terribly off pace, but if I am, no big deal. I feel like the clock is no longer my enemy. Since adopting this new race style, races have become so much less stressful. I have gone in to each race hoping I do well, but not beating myself up if I don't. I just finished a half last weekend, and I PR'd (a race recap post will follow shortly). I looked at my watch a total of 4 times. Mostly I was looking at it to judge when to take my GU.

I used to look at my watch and think "wow, I'm going this slow ad I feel this tired" or "jeez, I still have this far to go". I found that each time I thought those things, I built up a mental block little by little. Imagine 15 of those thoughts during a 5k. The mind is a powerful thing, and whether you think you can or can't, you're right. Ignorance is bliss sometimes, and in the case of running, it is for me.

GPS watches can shake your confidence, your body knows best

I have actually adopted running by effort into my training runs as well. Easy runs and tempo runs are all done by perceived effort. I have to say, I have never been such a consistent pace runner in my life until now. Now, I'm not saying GPS watches aren't helpful, but I think as runners we rely on this data too much, rather than listening to our internal data.

Moral of the story, trust your body, it knows best. Your watch has no clue how your feeling that day, it doesn't know what kind of shape you are in, it doesn't know the weather. But your body does, and it wont lead you astray. I would challenge everyone to give it a try at least once.

Have you ever ran solely by feel?
If so, how was it?

On Sunday I ran Kaleo’s 5k in Carmichael, CA. I was really excited for this race because the peak elevation was 50ft. I have been wondering if elevation really does affect performance. Here in Reno, I train and usually race at 5000ft. Max and I made a weekend trip to Sacramento for the race. It was a short, but fun trip. We ate at this awesome restaurant that is unique to the Sacramento area called Brookfield’s. They had the most amazing garlic fries I have ever tasted. I was expecting fries covered in garlic salt, but this were covered with olive oil and actual garlic. Needless to say, I was definitely in need of some Orbit Gum (for that nice clean feeling, no matter what). After dinner we saw Guardians of the Galaxy. AMAZING MOVIE!!! It was funny, action packed, and super cheesy. I loved every second of it.

 

On the day of the race, I woke up and went down to the free breakfast the hotel offered. I was a little bummed because my race morning breakfasts are usually incredibly plain. I opted for a piece of toast and some apple juice. I was bummed because this was one of the awesome hotel free breakfasts with waffles and pancakes, etc. I showed up to the race about 45 mins early in order to get my bib and warm up. I was a good runner and actually warmed up for a full 20mins prior (usually my warm-up consists of about 5 mins of slow running…the end), and I included dynamic stretches and even 4 100m strides. I have a bad habit of judging my competition and while warming up I saw 2 other runners stretching dynamically and running pickups as well. One was a man and the other a woman and they were both super fit looking.

 

At the start line, those 2 runners were lined up right at the front. When the gun went off, I kept repeating to myself, don’t go out too fast. I settled into a comfortable pace for the first maybe .25mi until I glanced at my watch and saw that comfortable pace was 8:47 min/mi. Since I was hoping to PR in the low elevation, I knew that pace wouldn’t cut it. I picked up the pace a little and fell in perfect stride with a man right in front of me. I looked down at my watch again and saw 7:38 min/mi and I thought, what the heck, let’s see how long I could stay with him. I ran the first to miles directly behind him. Right after mile 3 started I noticed he was starting to slow, I was still feeling pretty good, so I passed him and tried to work on catching a man in a bright yellow shirt who was a ways ahead of me. This last mile was tough. I had to do a lot of self-talk to keep myself going at the same pace. With about a quarter mile left, I started closing in on the guy in the yellow shirt, I knew I had less than 2 minutes left of running and thought, I can do anything for 2 minutes. I stepped on the gas and passed him. I kept that final pace all the way to the finish line.

 

I have to say, I was very proud of myself for this race. I really wanted to slow down for most of the race, but I was able to keep going. I do believe if that man that I paced for most of the race wasn’t there, I would have slowed, but I was determined to keep with him. The result? A brand new shiny PR! I dropped exactly one minute off of my last PR. I came in at 23:46 which is 7:39min/mi. I was hoping to come up with an age group award with that time, but there were some pretty fast people in this race. Including the 2 runners I saw warming up earlier. I think they got 1^st and 2^nd overall. The women placed 2^nd overall with a time of 17:XX. Crazy!

 

Official Stats:

Time: 23:46

26/171 overall

10/114 female

7/23 in AG

 

 

As far as my training went for the month of July, not so good, I fell short of my weekly mileage goals every week. It has been very rainy here this month so I had to do a lot of treadmill running, and unfortunately, I can only run on a treadmill for so long before I want to shoot myself. Also, with having class on Saturdays, I am unable to go as far for my long runs as I planned on. Also the class interferes with my Tuesday and Thursday runs. I just haven’t worked out a plan to get all my runs in. I am a little worried about the upcoming 10miler in 2 weeks. I am definitely not as prepared as I should be. I did get a new PR for the mile, 6:37! I never thought I’d see a 6min pace for me in anything. So that’s pretty awesome.

 

Total Miles: 90.8mi

Peak weekly mileage: 7/14/2014-7/20/2014 (28.8mi)

Longest Run: 11.3mi

Average Pace: 10:11 min/mi

Races: 1

Truckee Firecracker Mile – 6:37 - PR

 

Lesson(s) learned

• Sometimes you have to sacrifice in order to stay on schedule
• Juggling work, school, personal life, and running is a lot harder than I thought it’d be

 

Plans for August:

Arrive at the 10 miler injury free and enjoy the race. Don’t stress too much about time. I have no other races I am signed up for, so I would like to return to building a stronger aerobic base for running.

 

Upcoming August Races: 1

Reno 10 Miler – 8/17/2014

Just when I thought I was improving on this blog thing, I mess it up and wait over a month for a new post. Oops! Last month was all about me joining the EFAST run team, which to date I am no longer a part of L. When I first started running with them I thought I was taking a step backwards in my running. Running because more difficult than it was when I first started. My legs were always heavy and tired. My race times were declining, and then suddenly, just like that, everything stopped hurting, my legs felt light as light as air, and I became faster. I am not able to continue with the team because I just started a medical assisting class that is tailored for working professionals. This basically means, the time I used to go running after work, is now the time I spend in class. So, it didn’t make any sense to keep paying for something I wouldn’t be able to do.

My mileage in June was very low. With all of the stiff leg muscles I had going on, I found it hard to complete scheduled runs, and I took more days off than I normally would. This was probably my worst running month in terms of how I felt and mileage in a long time.

 I ran 2 races in June; I plan on doing race recaps for both of them, because in my mind, they both taught me great lessons that would be too long for just one post. In short, the 5k I did on the 29^th, I ended up running a 2^nd loop when we were only supposed to run it once and I dropped out of the 10k I had planned for the 14^th and switched to the 5k.

 

Total Miles: 70.1mi

Peak weekly mileage: 6/16/14-6/22/14 (28.4mi)

Longest Run: 8.3mi

Average Pace: 9:57min/mi

Races: 2

Walk, Jog, Run for Prevention – 6/14 – 26:43

Reno 5000 Race #2 6/29: 31:50 (accidently ran more of the course than I should have, total distance was 3.67mi)

Lesson(s) learned

• Sometimes you have to break your body down completely, and get yourself out of a rut to see true improvement.
• Trust your instincts and pre-course running when it comes to following a race course.
• My body is capable of more than I think it is.

 

Plans for July:

I am running the Reno 10miler in August (the race I DNF last year) and that is my main focus. I just want to be strong and ready for that race. It is going to be very hard juggling full time work, school and running but as long as I prioritize, I know I can do it.

 

Upcoming July Races: 1

Firecracker Mile 7/4 – 6:37 PR!

 

This month I joined a running team (EnduranceFAST) that includes 2 runs per week (I opted for the 1x per week option) and a personalized training plan. It has been a tough month for me in terms of training. My running intensity has gone up since joining the team. We have a speed workout every Monday, and I have progression runs and hill intervals sprinkled in on the other days. This has made for very tired legs for almost every run. They also have me running a lot by time rather than distance. This method is supposed to promote quality over quantity. I have to admit, I am losing a little confidence in my running ability. I used to be able to run at a very easy pace at 10min/mi, but sometimes this month I was struggling to keep my pace under 11min/mi. I spoke with my coach about it, and he has adjusted my schedule to include a base mileage day rather than more intervals. I also don't believe I was recovering correctly. I noticed on the days where I ate immediately after (usually some sort of protien), my legs felt a lot better the next day. I am excited to see if this intesnsity increase will show on race day.

 

Total Miles: 91.0

Peak weekly mileage: 4/28-5/4 (30.9mi)
Longest Run: 10.5mi
Average Pace: 9:44min/mi
Races: 2
Mom’s on the Run 10k 5/11/2014 (53:48) PR!
Biggest Little 5k 5/17/2014 (25:48)

Lesson(s) learned:

• I’m not the “speedster” (McMillian term) that I thought I was. As it turns out, its takes me a while to recover from a speed workout.
• I need to recover correctly after a hard workout to have a better quality workout the next day.

Plans for June:

My main goal is just to stay healthy. I originally said in May that I wanted to increase my weekly mileage, but because I increased my intensity drastically, I don’t want to risk increasing mileage and getting hurt. I have to remember my run teams mantra “quality over quantity”.

Upcoming June Races: 2

Walk, Jog, Run for Prevention 10k - 6/14

Reno 5000 Series Race #2 5k – 6/29

How did your training go in May?

What are your plans for June?

 

Last weekend I ran the Biggest Little 5k. I always hate the chance to pass up a cheap 5k on the weekends (this one was only $25). I should have had some sense of how things would go down just by the start time of 10:00am in 80 degree weather.

At packet pickup, they told me the t-shirts have been lost in the mail along with all of the samples. So the only thing I got at the pickup was my bib. Lucky number 666.

The day of the race at the start line, I was greeted by a cloud of smoke from spectators. The person starting the race was thanking us all for coming and then randomly said "begin". Everyone just kind of stood around looking confused. He said again "start". Again, everyone was standing around. Finally, he said, "start means go". A few people started walking past the start line a little confused, and then finally everyone took off running. I was confused myself. Usually we sing the national anthem, or at least have a countdown to the start. Because of this delay, everyone had 10sec added to their overall time (it was not a chip start). The run itself was hot and kind of dreadful. The course was poorly marked, and there were not any volunteers along the course except at the aide station. Luckily, a lot of 5ks around Reno are held on this exact course, so I knew where to go. I don't really have much more to say about the course. I did ok and came in at 25:48 (25:36 according to my watch). They gave out prizes for the top 3 overall, which kind of sucks because the top 3 were all men. I don't think I would do this race again, but since it is the inaugural year, it might be better next year after they get feedback.

In other news. I got a running coach! I joined a program called Endurance Fitness and Scientific Testing (EFAST). It includes a personalized training plan and a 1 or 2 days a week run team. The run team is awesome, because it is highly coached and I receive a lot of feedback on my form and speed. At the beginning of each run we perform running drills and at the end we have a team stretch and core workout. I have heard a lot of positive things about EFAST and how much people I know have improved upon joining. I am excited to be part of this and see is I improve any. I just finished my first week in the program. It was a tough first week. The week included track intervals, a hill run, a progressive run, and then a long run. I have to admit, my legs were like lead all week. I am used to running easy almost every day.

Have you ever joined a coaching program?

I thought it would be a good idea to start a monthly training post where I can reflect on what I’ve done, lessons I can apply to future training, and what I hope to accomplish for the coming month. April was a low month for me as far as mileage goes. I ran my first half marathon and with the taper week, race week and the recovery week, I lost a lot of running time.

I have been trying to focus on running my easy runs easy lately, and I did well at that this month. I just started adding speed work back into my training after an almost year hiatus. Unlike most runners I have met, I am a speed junkie! I love running fast, so I am looking forward to the speed sessions coming up.

Total Miles: 83.6

Peak weekly mileage: 4/21-4/27 (27.4mi)

Longest Run: 13.1mi

Average Pace: 9:43/mi (including races, without races my guess would be about 10:05/mi)

Races: 2

Downtown River Run Half Marathon 4/13/2014 (1:59:48) Automatic PR!

Race to End Domestic Violence 4/19/2014 (26:16)

Lessons learned:

• Racing less than a week after my first half marathon was probably not the best idea. Legs felt great and recovered all week…until I started running.
• For next half marathon, I can run the first half a little less conservatively.
• Hydration really does affect performance.

Plans for May:

This month I just hope to keep increasing my weekly mileage. I am following a new training plan to help me increase safely. I also hope to run more hills this month. I am used to running on flat roads, but I have a hilly race in June that I need to be prepared for. I have one race that I am signed up for in May, the Mom’s on the Run 10k. I have previously only ran one 10k, and I would like to see if I have improved, but I am not putting too much pressure on this race.

How did your training go in April?

Today was one of those days. One of those days where my legs just don't want to work. I was supposed to run an easy 3mi, but for whatever reason, it felt like those were the first miles I have ever ran. I felt incredibly sluggish, though, oddly, not the whole time. It came in waves. I started off feeling stiff, and although I was breathing fine, my lungs felt tight. Then all of the sudden the feeling would go away and I was feeling perfect, light as air. Then, as before, that feeling would pass and the stiffness would return. Are you starting to see the pattern here? I actually didn't even finish the 3 miles. I only went 2, because of the wonkiness (don't mind me, just making up my own words) of the situation. I'm not really sure what's going on, but I'm sure glad today was not race day. Which brings me to the 5k I'm running on Sunday. I feel kind of silly for saying this, but I am actually tapering for the race.

 I haven't reduced my mileage at all so far this week, but I have been doing only easy runs since Tuesday and I will not be running at all tomorrow (which is normally my long run day). I was telling a friend this on Tuesday (she is in taper phase for her half on Sunday), and she kind of laughed at me. I didn't think it was that dumb. I think it's good to have fresh legs, no matter how far your race is. Well, because I am a Googleholic (still making words up), I decided to search for an answer. What I found was good enough to make me feel a little better. An article on active.com states that (clears throat), "Tapering isn't just for marathoners. In fact, one recent study showed a huge performance benefit when subjects tapered for a 5K." Well, there you have it. Tapering for a 5k is officially ok. So, I will just get back to my tapering duties (is it just me or are there a lot of parenthesis in this post?). 

What do you think? Is it weird to taper for a 5k?
Anyone else running a race this weekend?

I am pretty sure I mentioned before that I am currently in training for my first half marathon on April 13th. This will be my longest race distance to date. I am honestly terrified of running a race distance that long. So much can go wrong (or right) in 13.1 miles. I LOVE 5ks, because not much happens for me in the 3 miles. I either feel good, or I feel bad. And if I feel bad, I’ve only got to struggle through 3 miles. Consequently, if I feel bad during the half, well, that’s a whole other story. However, my goal this year is to think positive. So, like the little engine that could, “I think I can”. I am on my 10th week of training, following a highly tweaked Hal Higdon Intermediate Plan. Last year, my mileage jumped pretty quickly, and as a result I was injured quite often. This year, I have done a lot of research on proper training. As a result I have made some training rules:

1. Running easy on easy days
2. Running even easier during long runs
3. Running hard on hard days
4. Never allowing my long run to exceed more than 35% of weekly mileage
5. Increasing weekly mileage slowly (slightly less than 10%)
6. Weight Training

I know a lot of those rules sound like common sense, but last year, I did not have any “gears” when it came to training. All of my runs were at the same pace except when running intervals. Then, I would just run as fast as I possibly could and then burn out after the 4th or 5th interval. I think that my first year of running was learning a lot of lessons the hard way, and now this year is about running smart. Following these newfound rules, I have remained injury free, which for me is a miracle.

I stayed pretty closely to my schedule this week.

	Scheduled	Actual
Mon	Easy 4.5mi	Easy 5mi
Tues	Tempo 6.5	Tempo 6mi
Wed	Weights	Weights
Thurs	Easy 4mi	Easy 3.25mi
Fri	HM Pace 4mi	HM Pace 4.27mi
Sat	Long 10	Long 10mi
Sun	Weights	Rest
Weekly Totals	29	28.52

I varied very slightly and I wish I would have done weights again on Sunday as scheduled because I think that is one of the main reasons I have been injury free this year so far. It’s something I did not incorporate at all last training cycle. Also, my long run on Saturday was faster paced than I would have liked it to be. I ran with NSET running group and I didn’t want to get left behind. Hope that doesn’t come back to bite me.

I am really excited about next Sunday. I am racing the Leprechaun 5k Race.

Since I just started running consistently last February, it was my very first solo race ever last March. This is going to be a very good indication as how far I have come a s a runner in a years’ time. My time last year was 30:33, I can’t wait to see what I run this year.

I have been wondering lately why I can run 400m easily in 1:10 or 800m in 3:00mins, but I can barely run a 10k in under 55 mins. I know there's a big difference between 400m and 10,000m, but I feel like I should be a little faster. After many weeks of research, I think I have finally found my problem. I have a very weak aerobic system.  When I look at McMillian running calculators predicted race paces after plugging in my 800m time this is what I get: 

These time are predict if I'm correctly trained. I have never been able to run any of these times for any of the races listed above. I think because I have always been a sprinter, I have the speed, but nothing to back it up with. 

In my research I discovered MAF Training. the basis of this training is to run at you 180 formula heart rate This formula was developed by Dr. Philip Maffetone. 

The 180 Formula

To find the maximum aerobic heart rate:

1.Subtract your age from 180 (180 – age).

2. Modify this number by selecting a category below that best matches your health profile:

1. If you have, or are recovering from, a major illness (heart disease, high blood pressure, any operation or hospital stay, etc.) or you are taking medication, subtract an additional 10.

2. If you have not exercised before or have been training inconsistently or injured, have not recently progressed in training or competition, or if you get more than two colds or bouts of flu per year, or have allergies, subtract an additional 5

3. If you’ve been exercising regularly (at least four times weekly) for up to two years without any of the problems listed in a or b, keep the number (180 – age) the same.

4. If you have been competing for more than two years duration without any of the problems listed above, and have improved in competition without injury, add 5.

For example, if you are 30 years old and fit into category b: 180 – 30 = 150, then 150 – 5 = 145.

So my MAF HR is 152. You are supposed to give yourself a 10bpm range, so my range is 142-152.

To start this training you do a MAF test, in which you warm up for 15mins then run at your MAF HR for you desired distance. You are never supposed to let your HR go above this number. You repeat this test on the same exact course every 3-4 weeks to see your improvement. 

I performed this test today, and let me tell you. I was served a hearty helping of humble pie. I honestly felt embarrassed with how slow I had to run jog. I think a lady with a walker blew past me. My test results were as follows:

Mile 1 - 11:53

Mile 2 - 11:17

Mile 3 - 12:12

Mile 4 - 13:08

Average pace 12:10/mi and average heart rate 151

As you can see I was keeping it really close to my MAF HR. According to Dr. Maffetone, it is normal for the mile paces to decrease every mile. During mile #1 I was running downhill, and the final mile was uphill. 

I have been running at a low HR for the past week and so far what I have noticed about this type of training is:

1. I sometimes have to walk uphills to keep the HR down
2. My legs get really tired during these runs.
3. It is going to take a lot of patience and discipline to keep up the slow pace

Regarding #2, it's weird that my legs are fatiguing. The only reason I can think of why this may be happening is because my slow-twitch muscles are not used to being activated.

I am putting a lot of faith in this training. I guess I technically have nothing to lose. I'm not an elite athlete that has to be ready for some big race. I am training for a half marathon in April, so I am kind of training backwards, but I will need the aerobic strength to complete the race. It will be my longest race to date. I hope to come in under 2 hours, but it is a soft goal.

Have any of you trained at a low HR?

What were your results?

Warning: This is a post where I will be down on myself and over analyze.

Life Running is not fair!!! I started running regularly almost a year ago (my runniversary is on Feb 5th). Here are some quick facts by the numbers: It took me 

1. 2 months to run a sub 30 min 5k
2. 4 months to reach my goal of a sub 9:00/mi pace for a 5k
3. 6 months to work up to running 12 miles straight
4. 8 months to run a sub 26 min 5k

So, it seems like a long journey to accomplish some of those feats. After all of that, it took 2 weeks and 2 days to loose it all. My last run (before the hiatus) was a 6 mile run on 12/21/2013. My hubby and me went to Seattle for Christmas to visit his sister and I forgot my running gear. My nephew gave me the gift of his sickness while we were there, so I have been sidelined since we've gotten home. My first run of the year was on January 6th.

Monday - 3 miles easy

Tuesday - 5x400m; 1 mile backwards running; 5x10sec 8.5mph 12% incline

Wednesday - 3 mile easy

The problem with the schedule so far, is those 3 miles "easy", were anything but. Before my short hiatus, running a 9:30/mi was easy and relaxed. However, Monday and Wednesday, it felt like I was running race pace. I was breathing harder than a smoker climbing 100 flights of stairs at 10,000ft elevation.

Yeah, that's about right!

I don't know if I can blame my bronchitis for this, or just the fact that I have lost a lot of my fitness in the last 2 weeks. According to an article by Jeff Gaudette titled "Losing Running Fitness" he says that:

"Research shows you shouldn't be too worried about losing significant fitness if your break from running is less than two weeks. You’ll lose some conditioning in your aerobic system and muscles, but pre-inactivity fitness will return quickly. Again, this assumes that you have built a healthy and consistent base of training of 4-6 months prior to taking time off. "

So, less than 2 weeks, does that mean because I took an additional 2 days off I'm in worse shape. I may be over analyzing, but I sure hope what I have worked so hard for, comes back. With days like today and Monday, I have no idea how I was ever able to run 3 8:07min miles 3 times in a row for a 5k. It seems impossible.

Ok enough of the negative. It's a new year and hopefully a new me. I only have one New Years Resolution this year. I participated in Run Chat this past Sunday and they asked us to finish the line "2014 is going to be:________" I had no idea what to put, but then Cori wrote:

 "2014 is going to be my year, my year to be fearless." 

I could n't said it more perfectly. So my one New Years Resolution, is to be fearless. Last year all I ran all my races with fear. Fear of failing, fear of taking off too fast and then dying in the end, fear of not finishing, etc. This year, I wont sweat the small stuff. I will run for the joy of running, and race for the joy of racing. I am nowhere near an elite runner, so I need to stop expecting to be one, and be happy with my times. I will strive to be my best, but I wont be held back by my fear of failing. Quoting the movie a Cinderella Story, "never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game". Amen to that!

What are your New Years Resolutions?

Have you ever taken time off running?

If so was it hard to get started again?

Okay, so I am probably the worst blogger in the history of blogging. I have noticed I have really only been posting when I have a race recap, or once a month, whichever comes first. I started writing this blog so I could keep track of my training and I don’t know, maybe look back down the road in a few years and reflect on how my running obsession began. But, according the frequency of my entries, it doesn't look like I’ll have much to reflect on. I did the same thing when I tried to keep a journal when I was younger. I wrote in it about once a year and it was always about some new boy I had a crush on. I digress. I think one of my New Year’s Resolutions this coming year will be to blog weekly. Anyway, a lot has been going on in my little world of running. I scored another 5k PR in the Trick-or-Treat 5k on October 29^th. It was a little short of a full 5k (I think it was 3 miles on the dot), but I will take a PR anyway I can get it. So…my new PR is 25:19 (8:07/mi)! I can almost take the sub 25 minute 5k! I wont get a chance to try out another 5k for some time because 5k season in our area is definitely over.

I am only signed up for one more race this year, the Turkey Trot. It's one of the bigger races here in Reno with over 1,000 participants. It will be my first 10k ever and my longest race to date. Because it's my first 10k, I'm not taking it too seriously. I just want to get a feel for the race distance. Best part about this race, is I get a free sweatshirt, rather than a t-shirt, AND it was only $25 to sign up!!! This could potentially be my last race for a while. My hubby and I are looking to start a family pretty soon. I really hope to keep running throughout pregnancy, but I think racing will be out.

How many times can I change subjects in one post? Three. I'm changing subjects again (but that's what happens when I have a lot to say and don't post enough). I have started running with a new group last week. Northern Sierra Endurance Training, they are a free running/training group here. I love free! They typically meet on Tuesdays, Wednesday, and Saturdays and have 3 different distances you can run depending on what you're training for. I met up with them last Tuesday and Saturday. I ran with this group once before a few months ago and I was scared to go back. The group took off at a pace faster than I could keep up with. One of the guys in that group didn't want to leave me behind, so he ran with me the entire time. I felt bad because I knew I was holding him back. This time however, there were 2 newbies to the group who were running the same distance I was, so we agreed to stick together. They were a perfect pace for me! I decided to make Saturdays my long run day rather than Sunday, so I chose the 8mi distance. There was one other guy who was running that distance and he didn't want to run by himself, so he said he'd run at whatever pace I wanted to. He forgot his glasses, so I was appointed navigator. Bad idea!!! I have never ran a new course without getting lost! And true to form, I got us both lost. I missed a turn somewhere (there were over 16 turns to make total) and we had to backtrack. So our 8 mile run, turned into 9.25mi. Oh, well. He had good spirits about it. I felt good about this run because the last time I ran more than 6mi was over 3 months ago. We averaged 10:07/mi while talking, with hills. I know that may not be a fast pace for some, but it was a fast training pace for me to be able to talk all the way through.

All right, enough of the chatter.

Do you still have any races you are signed up for the rest of the year?

This past weekend I ran the Liquid Gold 5k at UNR. I ran it with my sister-in-law. This was her very first race and I was glad to be a part of her experience. I was kind of a jerk and I took off and left her behind, I should have ran with her, but I really wanted to PR. My training runs have been a lot faster, so I thought I would really fast, but the course was super hilly and tough. I ended up running only 12 seconds slower than my fastest time, so I do think if it was a flatter course, then I would have PR'd. Stephanie (my sister-in-law) ran really well. She is from Washington and was really worried about running in high elevation. Her goal was 40 minutes, but she finished in 32 min. I was so proud of her. She is a natural at running, I think I'm going to have to watch my back.

Me and Stephanie at her first race

Action shot

Finished in 26:38

One week until my 10 miler! I'm getting nervous already! I don't really have a strategy planned out other than running the first 2.5 miles conservatively. The first 2.5 miles are uphill and then it levels out and continues slightly downhill after that. I know I shouldn't have a goal other than finishing because this is my first race over 3 miles, but I already know I can finish. My longest run to date is 12 miles. But, I do have a time goal my conservative goal is 1:35 and my actual goal is 1:29. We'll see what happens.

So, I have been using my borrowed Garmin all around town. I keep trying to find extra excuses to run, just so I can use it again. It is soooooooooooo much easier than carrying my phone with me. I just discovered it even has a map on it (which is great for me because I have the absolute worst sense of direction. I have never ran a new route and not gotten lost...sad, I know)! I just learned how to upload all of my workouts, and I swear I probably feel how Benjamin Franklin felt when he discovered electricity! Ok, probably not, because I have no clue how he felt, I'm going to guess a lot of pain. Anyway, I have been uploading all of my data on a plethora of websites. Strava, Dailymile, Garmin Connect, Map My Run, just to name a few. I know, I know, I've gone obsessively a tad overboard, but I can't help it I'm so excited i dont even want to use capitalization or punctuation in this sentence anymore! My favorite site in particular is Strava. Did you know that you can race other people when there not even there? Well, you can. I am trying to set a course record for the Sparks Marina. I currently hold the second fastest time for a female, but that #1 spot is in my grasp!

Besides the excitement of the Garmin, I have recently convinced my sister-in-law, Stephanie, to start running. She has been doing so great, running 4x per week! She is even buying new running shoes! She is a lot more committed than I would have been starting off. She runs with her stroller, which is insane and intense. I really hope when I have children I will be able to do that. Right now I struggle just trying to lug my own body weight around. She lives in Puyallup, WA, but she is coming down for a visit in August. She is going to be running the Liquid Gold 5k with me when she comes. I'm super excited that I will have someone to run with. This will be her very first race!

Switching the topic yet again. On Saturday, I did a pretty tough speed workout with the running group. 5x 1000k. We ran the first 2 intervals on grass and the final 3 on the track. I think the grass running really messed me up. The next day I woke up sore beyond belief. My ankle and the muscles surrounding it were super stiff and sore. Unfortunately for me, that day was my long run. I was scheduled to run 11mi which would have been a distance PR for me, but I was only able to bust out 7. My ankle was just too stiff and I didn't want to risk injuring it. I went for a tempo run yesterday, and it was still stiff. I'm not sure what's going on, but I am praying it goes back to normal soon.


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Last week was a very interesting week! I think I have been signing up for too many races lately and they are cutting into my training time as most races are on Sundays, and that is my current long run day. My schedule for this week was supposed to be

Day of Week	Scheduled	Actual
Sunday	9mi LR	7.79mi
Monday	Rest	Rest
Tuesday	5mi EZ	Absolutely nothing
Wednesday	Yoga	Nothing again!
Thursday	3x1mi repeats	5k race
Friday	Rest	Rest
Saturday	5mi EZ	3x1mi repeat
Mileage total	24	16.89

So, not very good at keeping with the schedule. Last training schedule I was so good at sticking to. I followed that plan to the tee. This week is already a little bit off. I am on, mileage wise, but pace wise is all over the place. I think I mentioned I found a running group to join, well on last Saturday I met up with them for 1 mile repeats at Virginia Lake.  Those people are crazy! They are all sub 3 hour marathoners! One of them was attempting to set the CR for Virginia Lake on Strava, which he killed by over 30 sec. The “coach” of the group was super nice and is letting me take his Garmin for a 2 week test drive. I wore it on Sunday for my ling run, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. It’s a lot easier than carrying my phone around, but it is really big and bulky. It does make me feel like more of a runner though.  For my long run on Sunday, I met up with Reno Running Co for their weekly Sunday Store Runs. I ran with them last week as well, but that was a disaster. As you can see from the above table I was supposed to run 9 miles, but I quit right before 8 miles. I didn’t have the energy, I got lost twice, I ran out of water, and I was just hot. I called my husband to come pick me up. This week, however, was better. I ran the first 7 miles solo, and then met up with the group to run the final 3. I finished with an average pace of 10:37/mi (thanks to the final 3 I did with the group. I can’t help it, when everyone else is running fast, I don’t want to get left behind) which is crazy because before I started with the group, my 7 mile average pace was 11:20/mi.

I am meeting up with another group, NSET, today for a 5 mile run. I met 2 of the NSET runners on Sunday and they convinced me to stop by and run with them. If I keep up with all of these group runs, I will only have to run one day solo, which would be incredible. I would much rather run with others.

In other news, I ran the Tahoe Firecrakcer Trail Trek on the 4^th. I was really excited about this race for some reason. I had this great idea in my mind that I was going to kill it. I would finally get one of those age group medals (judging by previous year’s results). Not so. This was the absolute toughest race I have ever done (even though I haven’t done that many). I know the title of the race includes the word “trail” but don’t ask me why, I had convinced myself, that it was mostly a road race. Wrong again! ¾ of the run was on trails…the soft (like running on sand), extremely narrow (two people aren’t gonna fit on here at the same time), and hilly. It was also the longest 5k of my life. I felt like I was running for hours. I looked down at my phone at one point and I was already at 26 mins (so much for a PR or an age group placement) and I still had half a mile to go! I really wanted to just give up! I had already stopped and walked during parts of the race (with my head hanging low), but instead I thought I would just enjoy the scenery and not try and push my already slow steady pace. I finished in 30:11. This was a short course according to my GPS of 3.02mi, so that puts me at exactly a 10:00/mi pace. I have to say I was a little surprised, seeing as I had walked at three different times, that this wasn’t my worst 5k…just my second worst. All in all, though, I had a good time. I loved the foresty trail we got to run on and just like the last race, I learn a lot from (what I consider at least) my failures. It’s only going to make me a better, stronger runner!

Tox-ic Miles
/ˈtäksik mīlz /
noun
a run that is too short to build endurance, to slow to build aerobic or anaerobic capacity, not hilly enough to build eccentric resistance, then it is toxic


Yep that sound about right. That sums up today's run to end my 2nd week of half marathon training. My schedule this week was:

Sunday - 5k race
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 4mi EZ
Wednesday - Yoga
Thursday - 5mi EZ
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 4mi EZ

Sunday was supposed to be 7mi, but I had signed up for a race that day, so I skipped it. The beginning of this week went well. I competed all I was supposed to in the ranges I was supposed to. Which brings me to today. I have been lacking on sleep lately, and I went to sleep last night at around midnight. So when I woke up at my normal weekday time of 5:45am, I thought it'd be better if I just went back to sleep to catch up on some ZZZ's. This was mistake number 1. When I woke up again at 8:00, I felt completely un-rested, groggy, and heavy, like I had overslept. I felt fine when I wok up at 5:45, I should just gotten up and ran then. My second mistake, not eating or drinking anything before I ran.
By 8:30, it was already 81 degrees out. I had to force myself out the door. The heaviness and grogginess was very present on my run. My breathing was sooooo out of control and my HR was through the rough! Near the beginning of my run, I dropped my phone, which is my GPS (I really, really need to get a watch), I dropped my phone. i picked it up and made sure it wasn't damaged, and continued to run. At some point a while later, I looked down to see how close to ending the torture run I was, when I noticed I'd apparently only gone .43mi (I'm assuming when I dropped my phone the GPS stopped) and the pace for the .43mi was 11:09/mi. Are you kidding me? That was the final straw. I threw in the towel right then and there and turn around and ran home.  I was supposed to do 4 miles today, but I have no clue how many I did. I'm positive I didn't make the full 4, but I definitely went more than .43mi. How can run 2:30/mi slower than my race pace feel so. excruciatingly. difficult? It is days like this that makes me wonder why in the hell-o kitty I run. On the hopefully flip side, usually after a disastrous run like this, I usually have a great run the next day which is good because I have a 9mi long run tomorrow.

Have you had a disastrous run recently?
How did you get back on your feet?