Track Workout and New PR’s!!

Not to toot my own horn but I am so proud of what I’ve accomplished this week!  I met up with the Run Club on Monday night for our weekly 10k run and hit a PR for that distance, 52:08, a solid minute and a half faster than the same course on the previous week.  I knew when i started running with this group that it would help me get faster, but I had no idea it would happen as quickly as it has.

My new goal: Run the 10k in under 50:00 in 30 days….what do you think??

Wednesday night I went to my first track workout at the Howard Middle School track downtown and it was a lot of fun.  I have been meaning to get out there for the past few weeks but the weather has not been so accommodating.  While it was pretty warm last night as usual, it wasn’t raining!

They really have an organized workout which I like, because the track can be really intimidating when you don’t know what to do, and everyone is so freaking fast.  Last night we did “pyramids” which equates to this:

-2x 400 meters

– 1:30 break

-1x 800 meters

-2:00 break

-1×1600 meters (mile)

-2:30 break

-1×800 meters

-2:00 break

-1x 400 meters

You start with a short distance, build to a longer one, and then bring it back down.  They also had 2 separate groups going, one with runners training for a marathon, and the other for 5/10k’s.  I went out with the 5/10k group. They then had subset groups (1,2,3) based on speed and experience.  Since I was new, and not really that fast, I went out with group 3, which was thankfully the largest 🙂

I was able to get my 400 meter time to 1:36 at my fastest, which is a pretty decent time.  I was most impressed with my mile time though.  I have not really run for speed at that distance in quite some time, so I had no idea what to expect.  My strategy was to take the first two laps at a comfortable pace (1:48) and then pick it up for the last two, and I finished in 7:47!   That’s my best time for the mile ever!

Now i’m defienetly more motivated to get out to the track workouts.  If i can incorporate speedwork into my routine at least once a week, that will bleed into my longer runs for sure.

Only 4 weeks until the Celebration of running 5k…do you think sub 25 is possible??

YMCA Running Club

So last Monday I finally joined the YMCA Running Club for one of their group runs and boy did I get my butt kicked!

I didn’t really know what to expect, how long the run would be, etc.  I found a few ladies waiting up front and was greeted by Theresa, one of the seasoned members of the club, she introduced me to a few people and told me it would be a 6 mile run tonight.  In my head i’m thinking “Oh geeze, I haven’t run more than 3 miles since the marathon, not sure if i’m ready for 6, but oh well”.

The follow route from the Y to Lake Ivanhoe, and wrap around the lake and back.  Theresa ran with me for the first mile and a half until we got to the water stop to keep me company.  We talked so much of the way I didn’t notice how fast I was running to keep up with her!  I bet my pace was somewhere around 8:45,9:00, which is faster than i’ve been running lately.  Thankfully we hit the water stop so I could catch my breath and slow down.

I noticed I a few other girls were keeping the back of the pack with me, so we decided to stick together after the stop, and to take the modified 5.75 (as if that really makes much of a difference).  I forgot how hot it is in the summer evenings!  Most of my training runs for the marathon were in the morning’s, and when i did run in the evening, the summer heat had not kicked in yet.  I’m going to have to get used to that.

I was blown away by how fast these runners are!  Orlando is home to some excellent runners, and I know for sure that if I continue to run with this group, I will see a great improvement in my speed.  I’m going to join them again tomorrow, again not quite sure what the distance is, but i’m excited about the challenge!

The Definition of 26 miles and 385 Yards

(Warning this is long 🙂 )

The name marathon comes from the legend of Pheidippides, a Greek messenger. The legend states that he was sent from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon. It is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping and burst into the Senate, exclaiming “Νενικήκαμεν” (Nenikékamen, ‘We have won’) before collapsing and dying of a heart attack.

Well, as you can tell from my writing, I am still alive and did not suffer the same fate as Pheidippides.  in fact, not even close!  But that is not to say that my journey was all that different either.  Sure, I was not carrying a message that my country had won the war, nor can I say that I never ever stopped, but I did run with a mission and a message all my own and I did win.

I was promptly out of bed at 3:45 am on Sunday less nervous and delirious than I was prepped I would be.  Not sure what to credit that to, but I guess preparation?  I had laid out my gear and outfit from head to toe, packing the pockets of my race shorts with everything from salt packets, chap stick, and anti-bacterial wipes to my waterproof camera.  I kissed Jon goodbye and out the door I went to meet up with all the TNT participants in the lobby.  It was exciting to see how excited and nervous everyone was, the emotions that were swirling could have written many a blog!

All the pre-race festivities were so well organized, from the bus ride, to the food and beverages, to the ample amount of port-a-potties  they had it figured out.  It was chilly, but not cold, more refreshing than anything else.  I really felt good about everything that morning.  I lined up in the corral with Sherry and Michael from my training group and we all pumped each other up before the start.  We were in corral 14 out of 22 I believe.  The wheelchair racers were off first, followed by the runners start, which had the VIP runners up front, an impressive group of marathoners, including Kenyan Daniel Yago who won the Chicago Marathon last year.  And about 7 minutes or so later, I crossed the start line.

The first 6 miles wound through Balboa Park and Downtown San Diego, past all the sites Jon and I had spent visiting over the past 2 days.  I felt strong, my pace was right on time with my chart.  Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was being up longer before my run than any other long run before, but man I had to pee around mile 3.  As we passed port-a-potty after port-a-potty, the lines were too long!  I didn’t feel like wasting time when I was feeling great to stand in line to pee.  So I kept going.

My first mental check point was mile 7, right outside our hotel where I knew Jon and my family would be waiting to cheer me on.  Unfortunately my parents hadn’t made it yet due to the race traffic, but Jon was there with a “GO Tara” poster and it was such a relief.  On to the next checkpoint, mile 14.

After mile 7 is when I would say the course “showed it’s true colors”.  Once we left downtown, we headed onto the freeway (highway for us Floridians).  The freeway provided less music and crowds to cheer and gave us the hills.  I knew the course had hills, I was not totally naive in training for this race, but these were a whole different kind of hill.  They were slopped hills.  I didn’t train on sloped hills.  My ankles were grasping for flat ground (I am from Florida after all).  But it was hard to find, and the areas that were flat, were crowded.  It was around mile 9 on the freeway that I saw a woman pants to her ankles behind a bush and I said, “oh no, it’s not coming to that” so I saw a line that wasn’t forever long and waited.  I told myself that flat ground was coming after mile 10 and I could make it there no problem.

I lost about 3 minutes in line for the bathroom but man did I feel better!  Off I went.  The next 3 miles didn’t feel as much of a relief, the slopes still felt strong to me. I knew the half marathon mark was approaching and I was right on time.  Seeing the half participants veer off to the right was so tempting 🙂  The crowds got larger as we headed into the suburbs and the cheering was great.  I kept my eye out for my cheer squad around mile 14 but it was hard to see, turns out I was too fast for them 🙂

It was great having families come out from their homes to pass out oranges, water, and pretzels to runners, the community in San Diego is awesome.  The sun had made it’s way out and the temperature was starting to rise.  I felt strong, but could feel pain in my feet that was starting to grow.  All of the TNT coaches along the course were such a great support system.  I had my name on my singlet so everyone I ran by would yell out words of encouragement.  Best idea ever 🙂  I tried hard to concentrate on my fluid intake I would not be over loaded or dehydrated.  I was sort of fearful on the accelerade from the horror stories people would tell about its effects on your stomach, but I was mixing it with water and feeling OK.

Mile 16 brought us into Mission Bay Park which was beautiful and gave us a view of the water finally!  It also had some fun and energetic bands.  It was about this time I felt my time was slipping.  My feet were sore and I was getting a terrible cramp in my left shoulder.  But, some reassurance because the 4:45 pace leader approached behind me and I was excited to see I was still on my goal pace after all.  The pace leader was awesome, he was so encouraging and kept me going.  I followed along with him until we got close to mile 20.  Mile 19 started us through the Pacific Beach neighborhood and it was uphill…again.  As my legs weakened from sore feet and my shoulder was driving me nuts, I extended my walk after the water stop and quickly saw the pace flag fade off into the distance.

I guess you could say it was at this time I hit the wall.  Maybe more of a mental wall than a physical one.  When i saw my time run away, I lost focus, I felt defeated that I wouldn’t make my goal time of 4:45:00 so I let it get to me.  I walked over the bridge that led to mile 20 and then tried to pick up the pace again.  The last 6 miles are where the race really begins they say..and I was not competing on all cylinders.  I probably walked/run the next 3 miles here and there, battling with my mind to keep going even though it hurt.  The cheering was starting to annoy the crap out of me, I was irritable and I just wanted to finish this damn thing!  At mile 22 I saw my coach Sandy and she could tell I was hurting.  She sprayed some biofreeze on my shoulder and pushed me along the mile to 23 and gave me some more courage.  So I dug for it.

I told myself, when I see mile 24, my lucky number, it was full steam ahead, and that’s what I did.  Even thought it hurt, and I was mentally exhausted, I ran, and kept running.  I could feel the finish line approaching and I wanted it.  I knew 4:45 was gone, but dammit 5 hours was still attainable!   I wanted so desperately to see Jon and my family at the finish and i wanted them to be proud and see me finish strong.  Once you enter the Marine Corp Depot, where the race finished, it was sort of a cruel joke,  corner after corner it was like “where the heck is the finish?!?!”.  As soon as I got a glimpse I pushed every last ounce of energy into my legs and my arms and headed towards the finish line, seeing 4:59 hit my watch.  I heard someone yell “GO TARA” from my left and there was Jon, so excited to see me and he ran along the side towards the finish.  I could see the smiles on my parents faces and I just let it all go.  1, 2, 3 4, more steps and BAM, I made it….4:59:38!!!  Thankfully my family was able to sneak in to the finish area so they could be there to hug me as I crossed the finish line.  I just cried seeing them.  I cried because I was happy and because it hurt.  I cried because I made it under 5 hours and because I didn’t make it under 4:45.  I was a mess…or as San Diego newsman Ron Burgundy would say “I’m in a glass case of emotion!”.

Ice packs, cold washcloths, water and random snacks followed as i waddled my way out of the finish area to find a patch of grass to lay down.  My family and Jon were so wonderful and supportive and got me whatever I needed.  The rest of the time there was a but of a blur but before I knew it I was on a bus back to the hotel and enjoying my heavenly bed.  Jon followed shortly after with two large bags of ice and took a little too much pleasure in pouring in on 🙂

A few hours of rest and I was ready for a cheeseburger and a beer, which tasted amazing!  Legs were sore, but it was worth it.  The next two days we were there we actually  walked way more than i should have, but I think it helped me really.  Today I feel great and my legs aren’t really sore at all.

So was I a success?  Absolutely!  I finished the race, i used every ounce of energy I had and did not waste a drop.  I pushed myself to the limit and accomplished an amazing personal goal.  The whole experience changed my life in so many ways and I’m so thankful for it.  Was it hard? Sure.  Could I have done better?  Ya, knowing what I know now about that course I would approach my training in a different way.  But for a first timer, I did my very best. Im really proud of myself.

And what was my message that I was trying to deliver?  While not as monumental as Pheidippides message of a war won, my message is that attaining a personal goal like running a marathon can change lives.  While not for everyone, anyone who wants it bad enough can do this, and the 22,000 people that lined up on Sunday morning can attest to that.  Training for over 4 months for something is the most dedicated I have been to one thing in my life.  It forced me to take control of my life and focus on what really matters.  I think that people who are looking for clarity in their lives can find it in a running program.  You can find health, mental well being, friends, organization and empowerment.  Why not give it a try?

And the question I get the most….  Will you ever run another marathon?

Absolutely!

(Pictures to come soon!)

Who would have thought 10 miles would be easy??

OK, in my case 9, but all the same.  We had our last group run this morning at the Cady Way Trail, and thanks to my air-headness, I drove to the wrong starting point…so after catching the group I completed only 9, but a quality 9 so i’m not too concerned.

There were new TNT participants out on the trail today from the fall training group, I think this was only their second week.  Michael and I stopped at a water station and gave some encouragement to a new member, it felt a bit like being a senior and giving advice to the incoming freshmen.  We promised her that it would get easier, it’s hard to believe, but that running 10 miles today felt like a cakewalk…she would get there too.

It was so hot this morning, I cannot wait to run in a place where there is no humidity and cool temps, San Diego here I come!!!

What does running 20 miles feel like you ask….

It feels great! No, really, it did, but not in the way you are thinking. Sure, it hurt, it was hot as all get out, and it took hours, but it was the best I have ever felt in, well, I’m not sure my whole life, but its up there in the top 5!

After I had hit the 5 mile mark on Saturday it was as if I just hit my groove, and it all started to become effortless. My feet were moving and my arms were swaying in perfect sync and I was mentally clear. I tried to simulate race day and pace as much as possible so I could be prepared for what that would be like. I kept my pace card with me during the run and aimed to follow the 4:35:00 marathon finish time pace.

Here’s a picture of me at mile 10 after I had just turned around and was heading back out for another 10…I was going too fast for Ernie’s lens so I had to turn around to pose 🙂 This is really genuine happiness…

I encountered the most challenges from miles 15-20 naturally, but they were good learning experiences. When I was approaching mile 15 I started to feel a bit lightheaded and not 100%, so when I reached the water stop I took a 1 minute break to collect myself and get my head back to normal. I think I started to experience some over-hydration, as I was consuming a lot of fluid on the course, more than I needed perhaps.

Miles 15-18 I got a bit faster and was really pushing myself to stay on pace with my goal finish time, which was 20 miles in 3:35:00. I had gotten behind slightly from extended pauses at the water stops, but I was doing a pretty good job of making up the time during the run itself, so I was feeling confident. After I hit mile 18 I got really excited 1) because I knew I only had 2 miles to go, and 2) because I was beating a new mileage goal as 18 is the longest I had ever run.

Here is a shot of me around mile 17-18…as you can see the singlet was no where in sight, it was so freaking hot outside I was forced to strip it off 🙂

I would be lying if I said the last 2 miles were easy, because they weren’t, but they were the most meaningful. I have to send a huge THANK YOU to Coach Sandy for following me the last two miles on her bike and keeping me motivated, without her I’m not sure how strong I would have finished. The weirdest thing did start to happen to me around this time, I got cold! I was sweating bullets but having goosebumps at the same time! My body temperature started to drop, which I have heard is normal, but still strange. I can understand now why it’s so important to thrown on a sweatshirt or towel of some kind when you finish the marathon to bring your temp back up so you don’t get sick.

As I caught a glimpse of the finish line I pulled together all of the energy I had left in my and sprinted to the end, and was able to finish in 3:42:00. Not exactly on target with my goal pace, but, I know the next time I run this distance, on race day, it will be easier, and all of the adrenaline from the crowd and the race atmosphere will keep my on track.

The most important thing I discovered after running 20 miles though…

I am soo ready for this marathon and I can’t wait!!!

Pic’s from Big Bertha

rThis is delayed, crazy week…but last weekend I finally had the chance to conquer Big Bertha…or, a really steep hill in Clermont, lol. The hilly route was definitely a challenging journey, but the sight of the hill ahead was kind of scary. Running up the hill, or, whatever it was that I was doing, was crazy hard! It felt like i wasn’t even moving, but what a reward to get to the top! There was such a beautiful view at the top of the hill that it made it all worth it. It is so amazing how the land changes only 20 minutes away from Orlando. I went up and down the hill 4 more times before heading back. It was definitely a challenging morning, but, I’m glad that I accomplished it!

Here are some pics:

The beginning of our journey..

Who says runners never smile?!?!

Heading up…

And back down..

The look of accomplishment 🙂

I Ran 18 Miles!!!

5 am came awfully early on Saturday and it was rise and shine for what would be by far the most challenging run yet. I met my training group at the West Orange Trail-Winter Garden Station at 6 am and we headed out in the darkness for our 18 mile run. We started earlier than normal since the run would take a few hours and it has started to get pretty hot by 9 am.

It was so early that we heard roosters as we started on the trail…then saw them running around people’s front yards, it is a bit country out that way. The sun rose quickly by 7 am, around 4 miles into the run. I had paced with some new girls that I had not run with before, Amanda and Stephanie, who were super nice. We would end up running the entire course together and be a good support team.

My leg was a little stiff the first few miles into the run as usual, but started to feel better by mile 4. To say that the run was hard would be an understatement, it was incredibly challenging. Once we passed the 12 mile mark, which passed our starting point, it was very enticing to stop right there at the sight of my car. But we had to go 3 miles out, and 3 miles back. Thinking of the run in small segments is a great mental technique for making the run a little easier, when you think of shorter destinations the task does not seem as daunting.

As we progressed to the 3 mile destination, we found the section of the course that was wide open with no tree cover, and it was around 8:45 am, and it was getting hot. The sun was beating and there was no sign of relief in sight. Once I hit the 14 mile mark my legs, hips, and everything else started to feel pretty tired and sore. I had to take a few walk breaks and used the water stations to do quick stretches before heading back out. We all as a group started to feel the pain at this point, and seeing the turn around point was a huge relief. All I could think about was the finish line, a cool drink of water, and sitting down.

I searched for some inner strength along the 3 mile journey back, and kept chanting to myself “you got this” to encourage my legs to keep moving. It was good to know that even at mile 17, I was able to push it harder and pick up the pace, which will definitely come in handy on race day.

Seeing the “finish line” was a God-send and it felt so wonderful to sit down and stretch. My training group and I were all in the amazement that we just accomplished what we did. 18 miles is an incredibly long distance on foot, and I was able to do it in 3 and a half hours, which was not bad all things considered. If I can improve on that a little bit in the next two weeks and save up more energy, I think I will be able to run my goal time of 4:30.

Taking the suggestions of my team members, I stopped on the way home to pick up 2 bags of ice that I would use to create an ice bath. And let me tell you, I think that may have been worse than the run itself. It was FREEZING!!! I think I was supposed to stay in it for 15 minutes. HAH, I was in there for maybe 2 minutes but it felt like forever. As terrible as it was, I do feel pretty good today and think that may have helped.

Next week is hills, then the big one, 20 miles! More to come…

One month to go…

So last week I mentioned that I would be running 15 miles while I was up in St. Augustine for the weekend with my girlfriends, and I kept me promise! Up at 6:45 and out the door by 7:15, I hit A1A for my long run. The weather was absolutely beautiful, no clouds in the sky and about 75 degrees with an ocean breeze. My goal was to run to downtown St. Augustine and turn around, about a 7 and a half mile distance one way. Unfortunately there was not much of a beach view for most of the run, but getting to downtown St. Augustine was an awesome reward! You climb over the Bridge of Lions that crosses over the St. Augustine Inlet right into downtown. What a beautiful sight! The inlet is filled with boats and offers a really refreshing breeze. That was awesome motivation to make my journey home…although there were some minor hiccups. My leg pain has been acting up again and I did have to make a few stops to stretch out, but I made it back successfully.

(View from the Bridge of Lions into the inlet)

This week I have been trying not to push it too hard in anticipation of the 18 mile run I have scheduled for Saturday, I am even contemplating taking today off altogether since my shin has been really sore. I am pretty nervous about Saturday, again this will be a new mileage “milestone” (no pun intended) and a true test of my readiness for the marathon. I am starting to get pretty anxious about the whole thing, there is so much preparation and anticipation that it feels like it will never come…but I know that one month from today I will be running a marathon!

And We’re Back!

OK…so a lot happened over the past week and I have been a bad blogger so here’s a recap:

– I continued to run early last week with some luck, leg was feeling a bit stronger but not great, total mileage was pretty low. With urging from my boyfriend Jon, I decided that I had to go see somebody about it so I could stop worrying and get better one way or another.

– I called Michael over at Florida Hospital Sports Medicine on Friday morning and thankfully he said come on by at lunch time. Back story… I e-mailed the “ask the expert” e-mail address at the Florida Hospital Sports Medicine website last week, http://www.fhsportsmed.org/askexpert.asp, and received a response from Mike right away. He gave me some advice and said give him a call if it didn’t get better. I was pretty nervous about this…mainly because I was afraid he would tell me that I’d have to stop for a while and maybe sit the race out…

– Mike couldn’t have been more helpful. He gave me a thorough exam, stretching out my legs to determine my range of motion and flexibility, and also to sense where the tightness was coming from. Sure enough, he confirmed that it was Illitobial Band Syndrome…but I didn’t necessarily get it the way that I thought. Turns out, my inner quad and butt muscles (like my technical terms? 🙂 ) are not as strong as they should be, therefore its causing an imbalance that is forcing my knee’s to move more to one side when I run, instead of being balanced in the center. Since the IT Band is directly linked to the knee, it all works together. So my prognosis was not race-threatening, in fact, it was not as bad as I thought at all. Here was his advice:

1. Continue taking two doses of ibuprofen everyday for the next two weeks.
2. Every other day do a series of strengthening exercises that target the quads and the butt
3. Stretch after every activity, and target the IT Band (he gave me a few great ones, if you are having a similar problem let me know and I can detail them for you)
4. Massage the IT Band using a foam log
5. Once stretching is done, apply ice for 10 minutes
6. Active Rest! This is the best part, I don’t have to sit around, but in fact get out there and do the best I can.

So I took his advice, and on Saturday morning I was up at 5:45 am excited as ever to get out to the West Orange trail and join my team for a long run. After a stop at the 7-11 for a cup of coffee and a power bar, I was on my way. I was definitely nervous about the run, my team was running 16 miles, i didn’t know how far I could make it. The start was a bit rough around the edges, but i was in a grove around mile 2 and the rest was history. I made it through the winding trails and hills and back again, totalling 13 miles. I know I could have kept going, but airing on the side of caution I cut it short and plan to make it up next week.

I did my stretches and strength training yesterday, lots of ice, and today I feel pretty good. So I am very thankful I saw the doc because now I know how to manage the injury, and hopefully, it will work itself out soon. My mood has been so much better and I am determined to be ready for this race…only 6 weeks away!!!

A Few Missed-Steps

So all of my excitement surrounding running 14 miles last weekend has unfortunately diminished rather quickly as the pain started to set in on Monday and didn’t seem to dissipate. I went out on Monday for my 3 mile run and after about 15 steps realized I couldn’t do it, my ankle felt so weak and I couldn’t put pressure on it. Hmm I thought, OK, maybe today is not the day, just a little rest and I’ll get back out there tomorrow. And I did…6 mile run in Blue Jacket Park. The first two miles hurt like hell…but I thought, “Just run through it Tara, it will work itself out”. So I did, and from miles 2-6 felt OK, and I was able finish, a few minutes slower than normal because I took a few short walk breaks, but I finished. But man, as soon as I cooled down the pain was severe! As if that wasn’t good enough, I went back out again on Thursday and ran 3.75 miles around Lake Eola, same type of symptoms along the run, except now, it started to hurt more in my hip and my hamstring now. Now I started to worry….

Maybe running through it was not the answer, maybe this was more serious. Have you ever tried to self-diagnose yourself from research on the internet?? Wow is that confusing! I think I have given myself 4 different diagnosis’s over the past 4 days, and to be honest, I’m still not really sure, but I reached out to the people I thought could help me best. My first concern was the hill workout I had scheduled for Saturday morning, inside I knew that was not going to help me at all, but I didn’t want to miss it. After advice from Coach Sandy, a therapist at Florida Hospital via their e-mail advice services, and posting a question for Hal Higdon on his forum, I got the same answer from everyone, don’t’ do the hill!

So i took the weekend off, to much dismay and anxiety. I followed the RICE method, (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) for the past few days, and frequently stretched. I spent some more time researching online, and I think after everything, I have a case of IBS (Illitobial Band Syndrome) but not that causes pain in the knee, but in the hip, which can also happen. I found some helpful stretches that I did throughout the day at my desk at work which really seemed to help and remove some of the inflammation and pain. The Aleve I have been popping the past few days has also made an impact. Tonight i spent some time of the stationary bike for about 40 minutes and that helped loosen me up, I am definitely seeing a positive change.

So how did this all happen you ask?? I think it’s because I increased my weekly mileage by about 20% from the previous week when i ran the 14 miles…not smart. Hal Higdon thinks there is a deeper cause than that… I was not quite ready to pound the pavement again after being sick…so maybe pushing my limits and getting a PR at the Winter Park Road Race was not the best idea 😦 Whatever it was, I now know more than ever how important a steady increase, stretching, and proper rest is to my success. It has been really hard for me not to run the past 4 days, even harder thinking the worst, like what if I this injury kept me from running the marathon all together. I realize now that I am going to do all that I can physically and mentally to stop that from happening, but I have to exercise serious discipline over the next month and a half if I want to be ready. And I want to be ready!!!

I’ll keep you posted how my effort to slowly get back into it goes…