Bayshore Half Marathon: race report! #bayshore

You might want to settle in with a beverage, this is gonna be a photo-filled long one :)

About 19 weeks ago, I started blogging my training for the Bayshore Half Marathon, but the race prep really started back on Dec 1st when registration opened (and then sold out in about 1 hour and 20 min!).  I skipped a training run that day so I could sit at my computer at 8 am and try to get one of the coveted 2000 slots in the half marathon.  It's a small race, in a beautiful location, it sells out every year, and I had decided that this would be my "A" race for 2013.  Over the course of my training, I ran 4 races in the last 2 months of 13.1 or longer, including setting a 17 minute PR at the Martian Half 8 weeks ago and an 11 minute PR at the 5/3 River Bank Run 25k 2 weeks ago.  I was afraid going into this weekend that I'd already peaked.  Martian was pretty much at a 10 m/m pace on the nose and I didn't think I had 13.1 miles of sub-10s in me.  Seriously - if you think running 4 races in 8 weeks is a good training plan...think again.  I was tired and burned out and really just wanted my spring racing season to be DONE.

This being Michigan (and northern Michigan at that), the weather decided to take a very cold turn in the week leading up to the race, so I completely re-thought my race gear as I was packing Thursday night.  I still packed my skirt and tank, but decided the capris and t-shirt were definitely the way to go when I saw it would be 40 at the start (and in the 30s while I was waiting around).

decisions, decisions

The drive up to Traverse City could not have been more beautiful.  My daughter drove the entire way (yeah for teen drivers) and I was able to relax (as much as you can with a 15 year old behind the wheel) and play on my phone.  She really did a great job driving and will be more than ready to take her driver's test this summer.

blue skies the whole way

We rolled into Traverse City right around 11:00 and were more than ready to hit a couple of the MANY breweries/brewpubs in the area.  If you love craft beer, this is a place to visit - after you stop in Grand Rapids - 2013's Beer City USA - first, of course!

The beer in TC deserves it's own post. (FYI - this app is called Find Craft Beer)

We hit up Right Brain Brewing for a few samples and then tried to go to Brewery Ferment but they were closed.  We ended up at The Filling Station for the most amazing pizza lunch and more samples.  I played it safe, though, and probably only had a pint total between the two breweries.

After lunch, I wanted to drive the course since I had never run here before and don't really like surprises.  I'd been told by some people the course was "pancake flat" and others that there were "rolling hills".  Basically, they were both right, but what was most impressive was that this view was basically 12 miles of the 13.1 mile course.  Most of these pictures were taken around what would be about the 5 mile mark on my race. (The race is an out-and-back for marathoners but half marathoners are bussed to the turnaround and we just run back to town.)

After we'd toured the course with 2 other cars that were obviously runners since they were doing the exact same thing I was - stopping and taking pictures and turning around when we got to the start, we headed to our hotel.  As soon as I'd gotten in to the race, I hit up Expedia and booked a Wolf Den Suite at Great Wolf Lodge.  I figured the water park and bigger room would be more fun for the kids than just hanging out at a basic hotel.  Because I booked so early, we got a decent rate, but it was still WAYYYYY too much to spend on a room.  Lesson learned.

Water park at Great Wolf Lodge

We hit the room and then the water park for awhile.  My teens got bored pretty quickly and we ended up back in the room with them just watching TV and playing on their devices.  At least it kept them out of my hair though.  I got changed and headed to packet pickup - which just stressed me the FFFF out because traffic was a nightmare.  Having this race in a resort town on Memorial Day Weekend is either f*cking brilliant or the dumbest thing EVER.  Still undecided.  Packet pickup was very well organized and easy.  Numbers were assigned alphabetically, you got your bib and then walked over to another table for your shirt.  I must have an uncommon last name because there was no line for me.  Other numbers/names weren't as lucky.  I met up with my friend Megan for a couple minutes, but being bad bloggers, neither of us took a picture.  Next time. Driving back to the hotel was just as stressful and I was ready to pull my hair out by the time I got there.

My kids want me to stop taking pictures of them. Too bad.

I called dibs on the bottom bunk in the Wolf Den so I could have a quiet and dark place to sleep.  We found a Subway restaurant in the local Walmart and I had the pre-race dinner that worked for my last 2 PRs.  We'd see if it would work again.  I was back in my room and lights off by 9:30 pm with alarms set on my phone, iPad and daughter's iPod for 4am.  Surprisingly, the whole family went to bed at the same time instead of playing in the hotel.  Another reason to book the Super8 next time.

perfect race-time temps!

Because I never sleep the night before a race, I was awake before any of the 4am alarms went off. I made myself some coffee at the hotel and because we were in a suite, I also had a microwave so I was able to make my usual pre-race meal of oatmeal.  I wasn't going to be running for another 3 hours though, so I wrapped the container in foil and saved it until I was on the bus heading to the race site.

line of busses waiting at 0 dark 30

A school bus picked runners up at my hotel at 4:55 and then dropped us at the high school where the marathon and 10k would start.  We loaded another bus at 5:30 for the 20 min drive to our starting line.  I was chatting with a woman on the bus and we both remarked it felt like Disney needing to be up and on a bus so early.  I wish I'd sat on the other size of the bus though, because the sunrise over the East Bay was absolutely glorious.  We got to the field where we'd wait and I walked over to the bluff for a picture.

not even remotely close to how beautiful the sunrise really was

I won't lie.  Waiting around for 1.5 hours in mid 30* temps in a frost covered open field is COLD.  I was bundled in my daughter's sweatpants and 2 hoodies while sitting on my gear check bag.  I had plenty of time to hit the bathroom a couple times and get in a warm-up run.  My warm-up wasn't what it should've been though because my feet were ice cubes and I decided 10 min before the start that I really had to pee again.  I made it out of the port-o-john and to the starting masses just as they were finishing the National Anthem. Whew - cutting it a little close.


Miles 1-5
Right on time, the crowd started moving forward and we were off!  I lined up between the 9:30 and 10 m/m signs (the farthest forward I've ever lined up in a race) and prayed I wouldn't go out too fast. The race starts on a bit of a downhill and I didn't want to burn out my quads in the first 3 miles.  I did a lot of weaving though in the first mile which slowed me a little, but I was still going faster than my planned 10:15/10:20 starting pace.  My friend Jenny caught me right at a mile and we ran the 2nd mile together.  We've never run together in a race so chatting with her for a mile was really nice.  She took off ahead and I settled in.  Little rollers that were enough to make it interesting but not big enough to kill you.  I was liking this course.  Right around mile 4 or so, the lead marathoners came through with their police escort.  Holy Crap!  They were already at mile 9 and only had a 15 min head start over the half marathoners.  So awesome to see but I made it my goal for him to not pass me on the way back :)  By mile 5, my legs were already screaming at me to walk.  I was very afraid that I'd gone out too fast and blew my chances at a PR because I was already TIRED and SORE.  I was trying to drink at every mile (I carried water) and I took 2 shot blocks every 3 miles (except for mile 12 because I was so close to being done).
Splits: 9:50, 9:37, 9:34, 9:45, 9:47

Miles 6-10
It was in this section that we saw the most marathoners coming from the south.  I managed to spot a few of my friends but missed the majority of them.  A few of them also saw me and it was cool to hear my name - thanks Mandy, Dan, Tim and Glenn!  My legs were really screaming at me but I told them to STFU.  I couldn't believe I was holding right around a 9:45 average but I was starting to feel like I was slowing WAY down.  I figured I'd ride it as long as I could and hopefully bank some minutes in case the wheels fell off at the end.  Somewhere around mile 7, I stopped at my only aid station.  The signs said "Beer Ahead!" and "Not Water...because we care!"  Yes, 2 guys had a pony keg set up at the end of their driveway.  I had about a shots glass worth of really bad (read - Miller Lite or something) beer and it tasted AMAZING! I hit mile 10 and kept telling myself that at this pace, I had less than 30 minutes to go and I could do anything for 30 minutes.
Splits: 9:57, 9:50, 9:40, 9:46, 9:46

Miles 11-13.1
My legs were toast.  I was beginning to cramp up and this was probably one of the most painful 5ks I've ever run.  There was another beer station in here but I was afraid if I slowed down for the beer, I'd just want to sit there and drink.  We started to move away from the water's edge, too, which made this section even more difficult mentally.  I'd been relying on seeing that water to my left and taking in the beauty of the course.  I was also very focused on my playlist and it seemed songs played exactly when I needed them to.  Every song is there for a reason, be it pace or the message or because it reminds me of someone.  On Saturday, they WORKED.  I kept looking at my watch.  I knew I was going to PR at this point but I didn't know by how much.  I told myself "NO 10s" and if I saw a 10:xx pace on my watch I made myself speed up, no matter how badly it hurt.  I wasn't going to lose my PR in the last 3 miles of this race when I'd run so well up to this point.  I'd read on someone's blog about the uphill at the end and they weren't kidding.  Still - my fastest mile of the course!!!! The final .1 is run on the high school track and I channeled my track-running daughter and sprinted to the end.  I think I heard the announcer read my name but I was so focused on the finish line that I wasn't really listening.  What I did hear right after I crossed was him announce the first marathon finisher was coming up the track - That guy finished in 2:25:11 - unreal.
Splits: 9:40, 9:43, 9:26, :54.9 (for .11 - an 8:09 pace)

Garmin data

I looked down at my watch after I crossed the finisher's mat and about cried!  I'd just set another PR by 3 minutes!!!!! I felt like I left it all out on that course and I could not have been more proud of myself.  My "A" race really was my "A" race after all :)

Happy!

I found a backdrop and had my picture taken.  The nice girl even took one with my phone - but I hope the professional one turns out better.

Snapped a selfie and posted my happy smile to twitter and facebook.  The race timing tracking system was not working very well and it didn't show I finished until about 3 hours later.  If I hadn't posted this picture, those tracking me would've thought I'd fallen off the bluff or something after mile 8!

I got a couple things to eat and drink but really didn't want any of it.  This is typical for me after a long run but I forced myself to drink a little chocolate milk, eat a few potato chips, and eventually drink some more water.  I even found my other half-crazy friends and we snapped a group picture before heading over to the ice cream tent.

Jenny (who I ran a bit with at the beginning) is in the blue shorts and Molly in the other yellow top. Molly took 5th in her AG!

After getting some ice cream, we headed back out toward the finish line to cheer on the marathoners.  I had a bunch of friends running and it was so incredible to watch them all finish.  I'm proud of each and every one of my friends who ran that day.  Lots of PRs were set and everyone did a fantastic job.


I'm absolutely thrilled with how well I ran on Saturday.  I wanted another PR, doubted my ability to get it, but then sucked it up when the going got tough and ran my fastest half ever (and only about 30 sec per mile slower than my 5k pr!).  I even managed to end up in the top 50% (even a bit better - 42% in my age group and 39% women)!


How else did you think I'd celebrate?  After meeting up with the family, we went to North Peak Brewing for lunch and I had a couple of beers and my first buffalo burger.  All delish.  Then we headed to Ferment where my husband had a few samples (I wasn't a fan of the beers there but that might have been because I was just DONE).

Overall, I don't think I could've asked for a better day.  I would recommend this race to anyone - awesome volunteers (and unofficial volunteers) on the course, it was well organized, and the course is hands-down the most beautiful course I've ever run.  The swag is pretty decent too.

I think back to the runner I was when I ran my first half marathon and set my original PR of 2:27:52 back in October 2010 and I realize how much I've changed - not only physically but mentally.  That runner from 2010 would have walked when the going got tough rather than sucking it up and pushing through.  In fact, she wouldn't have tried for a PR at all because there's no way she would've believed it was possible.  The really crazy thing?  I was just out of my boot a year ago.  In fact, I "ran" a virtual 5k last Memorial Day weekend and it took me 40:51 to finish (a 13-something min/m pace) and this weekend I ran 13.1 miles at a 9:42 min/m pace!!! That half PR from my very first half marathon stood until April of this year when I shocked myself and ran a 2:10 at Martian.  To take another 3 minutes off 8 weeks later was a bit surreal.  In this midst of this training, I also managed to shave 11 1/2 minutes off my 25k time and even ran a couple sub-28 minute 5ks in training.  To say this has been a great spring would be an understatement.  What's next? Lots and lots of rest, cross training, a break from running (we'll see how long it lasts - my goal is at least a week, maybe 2).  I have a few more races on the schedule but not until later in the summer and the first is another sprint tri, so goal numero uno will be to get brave enough to ride my tri-bike with the new shoes and pedals I got for Christmas somewhere other than my basement.  I'll keep you posted!

Bayshore Half Marathon Training: week 18 - the home stretch!!!

Woo-hoo!!!! I've made it through the last long run before Bayshore :)  Next week at this time, you *should* be getting a race report!

I'm definitely feeling the effects of 18 weeks of training and 3 running races as training runs for the past 6 weeks.  In hindsight, that probably wasn't the smartest move on my part since it seems from the PRs I've set in 2/3 of those races (and the 3rd being my 2nd fastest half ever), I'm incapable of NOT racing a race.

Anyhoo....because I'm feeling the effects of training and at this point, I can't really do anything to IMPROVE my result at Bayshore but could certainly injury myself if I'm not careful, I went pretty much off-book this week.

Monday 5/13/13 - Plan RUN 3 MI - Did BIKE 7.8 miles in 34 minutes.  I was still sore from the River Bank Run 25k 2 days prior (mostly my ankle being all jammed up) and didn't think a run was the best plan.  Instead, I saw my sports chiro and biked.

Tuesday 5/14/13 - Plan SWIM (:30)/STRENGTH (:30) - Did REST.  I'm not sure why, I must have had stuff going on or something because it's unusual for me to log nothing.  

Wednesday 5/15/13 - Plan RUN 6 MI tempo - Did RUN fail.  I tried to run and only made it about 1/2 a mile.  Too much stuff hurt that hadn't hurt before I started running that day.  I ended up walking most of my 2.35 mile route (that I obviously turned around early because that was no where close to 6 miles).

Thursday 5/16/13 - Plan RUN 3 MI - SWIM 1000 yards in just under 30 minutes.  I'm slow but the water felt nice. 

Friday 5/17/13 - Plan SWIM (:30)/STRENGTH (:30) - Did RUN 3.1 in 29 minutes.  I got another new skirt to try and only planned to run about a mile, but I had a really shitty day at work and needed to burn off some stress.  My legs felt great and I just needed to RUN.

Saturday 5/18/13 - Plan RUN 12 miles - Did RUN 6.07 miles in 1:01:29.  Who in the name of all that's holy thought a 12 mile training run the week before a half marathon was a good idea???? That Runner's World Smart Coach plan is whack, I'm telling you!  I had 8-10 miles in my head but I wasn't feeling it Saturday morning so 6 miles it was.  I tried to pace myself and go nice and easy, but I still managed to average a 10:07 pace.  Oops.  The good thing? My new Lululemon Pace Setter skirt decided to ride up for the first 3 miles, but then I pulled the shorts back out of my Hoo Ha and they were fine the rest of the run.  I'm going to wear the skirt for Bayshore and hope for the best.

Sunday 5/19/13 - Plan BIKE/RUN brick (1:05/:20) - I went shopping with my girl.  Sometimes that's just more important and I came out of it with quality time with Kay and a really HOT pair of Toms platform wedges.  Don't worry, I won't wear them until AFTER the race since it would be my luck to roll and ankle this week.

Truth be told - I'm tired and getting worn out.  Chatting with one of my friends this past week, I realized I need a break after Bayshore.  Biking, swimming, strength training are fine - but my running muscles need a rest.  I have a friend coming into town the 2nd week of June, so I'll be running with her, but I probably won't run much before that.  I'm hoping I can keep up with her when she gets here :)

Bayshore Half Marathon training: week 17

Week 17 was a pretty good week for me.  I feel like my training is back on track and the week ended with a "training run" that was a post-injury distance PR (and a time PR for that race)!

Monday 5/6/13 - Plan RUN 3 MI/STRENGTH (:30) - Did RUN 3.1 miles in 29:58 (9:39 pace) then 15 minutes of stretching and strength work.

Tuesday 5/7/13 - Plan SWIM (:30) - Did BIKE 8 miles in 33:40 (14.3 mph).  Biked on the trail at dusk and managed to get stung 3 times.  The ride was good but the bug bites sucked.  

Wednesday 5/8/13 - Plan RUN 6 MI speedwork - Did RUN 3.1 miles in 29:53 (9:38 pace) with a local running group.  The runners in this group were much too fast for me and I ended up having a pity party.  I'm over it now.  

Thursday 5/9/13 - Plan RUN 3 MI - RUN 2 miles watchless to test out my new running skirt.  

Friday 5/10/13 - Plan SWIM (:30)/STRENGTH (:30) - Did REST

Saturday 5/11/13 - Plan RUN 15.5 miles - Did RUN 15.5 miles in 2:41:33.  I kicked this race's ASS.  I posted the race report here.

Sunday 5/12/13 - Plan BIKE (1:00) - did BIKE 4.8 miles in 30 minutes on my trainer.  Nice and easy to spin out the legs.  Finished with a few sessions of rolling and stretching, as well as my foot in a bucket of ice water.  

I need to be careful this week to make sure I'm recovered from Saturday's race.  I can't do like I did after Martian and end up hurt this close to Bayshore.  Less than 2 weeks to go!

Bayshore Half Training: week 16!

Can I start to freak out a little that this race is in less than 3 weeks now and I'm running a 25k in 4 days???? Clearly, I was nuts when I signed up for all these races because they are taking a toll, mentally and physically.  I seriously just want to get through the next 3 weeks uninjured and celebrate with a beer...or 10.

On to the week:

Monday 4/29/13 - Plan RUN 3 MI - Did RUN 3.2 miles in 33:45 (10:32 pace).  A nice, easy run to shake out Saturday's half marathon.  

Tuesday 4/30/13 - Plan BIKE (:45) - Did STRENGTH (:30) The chiro wants me working on my weak glutes so I did the exercises he gave me on Monday plus a lot of stretching and rolling.

Wednesday 5/1/13 - Plan RUN 6 MI tempo - Did RUN but my tempo was a fail.  The legs just didn't have it in them after the hilly half and since I'm trying to listen to my body, I cut the run short.  Ran 4.24 miles in 42:27 min (10:00 pace) in the pre-dawn hours and then ran 2 more miles in 21:12 (10:35 pace) after school.  So, I got in my miles but not in the way I was supposed to.

Thursday 5/2/13 - Plan RUN 2 MI/STRENGTH (:30) - RUN 2 miles in 19:33 (9:46 pace) and STRENGTH (:30) - the same butt routine as Tuesday.  My swimming? SUCKS

Friday 5/3/13 - Plan SWIM (:30) - Did SWIM (:30) - 1000 yards and they sucked. It's amazing how quickly one can forget how to swim.

Saturday 5/4/13 - Plan RUN 10 miles - Did RUN 10 miles in 1:44:15.  A solid run on the Butterworth Hills portion of the race coming up next weekend.  Had a little mental break in the middle (this is becoming a nasty trend) but pulled my shit together and finished strong.

Sunday 5/5/13 - Plan SWIM/BIKE BRICK (:15 / 1:10) - did BIKE 7.8 miles in 33:23 outside on my hybrid.  Brick workouts were build into my plan with the thought I'd be doing an early June triathlon - but I've bagged that idea.  I'm not ready and I need a racing break after Bayshore.  

I didn't really plan to have a week with no rest days, but the swim and bike workouts weren't very strenuous so I'm not going to stress about it.  This coming week I'm tapering a little for the 25k so I'll make up the rest days then.

I want to leave you with a video of what has become one of my favorite songs to run to: Quiet Your Mind by Zac Brown Band. If you have 4 minutes, I encourage you to listen to the lyrics. I plan to have this song pop up a couple times in my playlists for the next two races to remind myself to soak it all in and enjoy the ride.



Do you have a song that helps you settle like this one does for me?

Bayshore Half Training: Week 15

This will be a quick read.  It was another week plagued by rest due to injury, but I'm not going to dwell on missed workouts.  I still managed to run my 2nd fastest half marathon this past weekend as a training run, so even though the week overall was pretty minimal as far as workouts went, it ended up ok.  (On the days listed as "NOTHING" I usually did stretching and rolling but I don't log those.) One day this week I also got in to see the massage therapist at the chiro's office and that hurt like Hell, but I don't remember which day I went and I don't think that really counts as exercise.

Monday 4/22/13 - Plan RUN 4 MI - Did NOTHING

Tuesday 4/23/13 - Plan SWIM (:30) - Did NOTHING

Wednesday 4/24/13 - Plan RUN 4 MI tempo - Did BIKE 8 slow miles on the trainer.

Thursday 4/25/13 - Plan RUN 4 MI/STRENGTH (:30) - Did NOTHING 

Friday 4/26/13 - Plan REST - Did REST - Plus some more stretching and rolling

Saturday 4/27/13 - Plan RUN 13.1 miles - Did RUN 13.1 miles in 2:20:29.  Finished my 7th half marathon, the Rivertown Races Half Marathon, on a very hilly and hot course.  This race was definitely a huge learning experience and taught me a bit about how little race results should matter.  You can read my race recap here.  

Sunday 4/28/13 - Plan BIKE (:60) - did NOTHING but stretching, rolling, heat, ice and walking around the mall like Frankenstein with my girl.

I need the next 4 weeks to go much better than the last 2 weeks have gone.  While I've had a couple of really great half marathons in there (close enough to qualify for Half Fanatics status - but I'm waiting to apply until I decide whether to throw in a 6th half in 6 months this June to get up to the next level), from a training aspect, these 2 weeks have really sucked.  I'm not beating myself up over it though. It is what it is.  

Bayshore Half Training: week 14

This week was pretty much a disaster.  I'd come off of a HUGE PR at the Martian Half the weekend before and rather than go easy on my runs I just jumped right back into the training schedule.  It was incredibly stupid and a huge rookie mistake.  I should know better but because I was dumb and didn't give my legs a chance to rest, I may have completely screwed up my chances for decent runs at the next 3 races I have on the schedule. I'm now dealing with a very pissed off hamstrings and calves.  I'm waking up with leg cramps and they just feel shredded. It's totally my fault and I'm pretty much beating myself up over it.  I'm sad.  I'm worried about ending up with another serious injury like last year.  Worrying and being upset is what I do so please don't tell me to relax or just go out and have fun with my runs.  Going out and having fun wasn't the goal when I started training for Bayshore.  PRing the crap out of it was.  Who knows what will happen now.

Monday 4/15/13 - Plan RUN 3 MI & STRENGTH (:30) - Did RUN 3.1 miles easy with no watch.  Looking at the clock when I was done put it at about 33 min (10:40 pace).  My legs were heavy and my calves hurt during the run.  Skipped the strength work. 

Tuesday 4/16/13 - Plan SWIM (:20) - Did WALK 26.2 minutes (1.8 miles) for #Boston at lunch the STRENGTH (:30) after school.  

Wednesday 4/17/13 - Plan RUN 5 MI tempo incl middle 3 at 9:22 pace - Did RUN 5 MI tempo with middle 3 at 9:22 pace (overall 49 min and a 9:50 pace).  My hamstring started to hurt early in the run and so did my calves.  I stopped several times to try and stretch but I had it in my head that I was getting 5 miles and faster didn't hurt any worse than slower so I kept pushing.  This was incredibly STUPID and I could barely walk when I got done.  I ended up icing my hamstring when I got home.  How pathetic that one stupid run may have fucked up everything for the next 5 weeks.

Thursday 4/18/13 - Plan RUN 2 MI/STRENGTH (:30) - Did NOTHING but stretching and rolling. Got into the chiro for a massage and she beat up my legs for the full hour.  Lots of trigger points and it hurt so much that there were a few times I actually got queasy.  I left that appointment very sad.

Friday 4/19/13 - Plan REST - Did REST - Plus some more stretching and rolling, but pretty much everything hurt - stairs, regular walking, everything.  

Saturday 4/20/13 - Plan RUN 10 miles - Did BIKE 18 miles in 1:37:32 (that would be slow as fuck if you want to do the math)/STRETCH (:15).  What a sharp contrast to my PR 13.1 miles the weekend before.  I thought I was over being injured and needing to swap out biking for running, but I guess not.  

Sunday 4/21/13 - Plan BIKE (60) - did NOTHING but stretching and rolling.

What a difference a week makes.  Last week I was riding a great post-race PR high and this week I"m wondering how I'm going to pull off the next 5 weeks and still finish Bayshore with a smile on my face.  I'm feeling defeated and I haven't even lined up at the starting line yet.  It's like last spring all over again.

Bayshore Half Training: week 13

*note - I wrote this post on Sunday, before all of the events unfolded in Boston yesterday and I considered not posting the original post at all.  I'm incredibly sad and my heart is breaking for the individuals who were injured or lost their lives yesterday afternoon, for their families, and for all of the people of Boston.  It's absolutely unfathomable to me that this occurred.  It makes no sense to me and I'm sure never will.  I will (in all likelihood) never run the Boston Marathon, but I know what it feels like to train and pour your heart and soul into something you love.  I know how proud I am when I watch friends and loved ones reach a goal - whether that goal was to run a block or 26.2 miles.  The fact that those events were occurring when the unthinkable happened just breaks my heart.  However, I know that the running community is strong and we support each other.  Watching footage of runners heading TOWARD the blasts to help those injured is just a testament to that strength.  The evil that occurred in Boston yesterday will not win.  I know a number of people personally who were in Boston yesterday, either running or spectating, and I'm giving thanks to God tonight that they are all ok.  "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" Romans 12:21

I'm wearing my 2011 GR Marathon shirt today (my only 26.2 - it's ironic that it's also one of my only blue/yellow race shirts - the colors for Boston), sending out love and #PrayersforBoston.  If you have a race shirt - any race shirt - wear it today in support and love for this amazing running community that is like a family to so many.*

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It looks like this was both lucky and unlucky week 13 for me.  I got really sick so the vast majority of my workouts did not happen, but I did manage to do something awesome on Saturday, which also happened to be a 13th :)  "8" has always been my lucky number, but that might change now.

Monday 4/8/13 - Plan RUN 4 MI speedwork incl w/u, 2x1600 at 8:55 w/800 jogs, c/d - Did RUN 4 miles speedwork.  Hit the TM before work not feeling 100%. Hit the paces but really struggled and averaged a 9:45 across the workout.  Realized I was sick. 

Tuesday 4/9/13 - Plan SWIM (:20) - Did NOTHING 

Wednesday 4/10/13 - Plan RUN (3 miles)/STRENGTH (:30) - Did NOTHING

Thursday 4/11/13 - Plan BIKE (:30)/RUN (2 miles) - Did NOTHING but a tiny bit of rolling.

Friday 4/12/13 - Plan REST - Did REST - Plus a little walking around the race expo and some stretching and rolling.

Saturday 4/13/13 - Plan RUN 13.1 miles - Did RUN 13.1 miles in 2:10:36 (9:58 pace)- I set a HUGE new PR at the Martian Invasion of Races Half Marathon.  You can read all about it here if you missed the race report yesterday.  

Sunday 4/14/13 - Plan SWIM (:20)  - Did BIKE (:30)/Stretch and Roll (:20).  Needed to try and work out some of the soreness in my legs.

So, my disastrous beginning of the week turned out to be pretty awesome.  I had no intention of Martian being my "A" race for the year, and I guess it still isn't, but I'm starting to re-think my goals for Bayshore.  I figure I'll talk about them in the next 5 weeks or so.  For now I just want to recover from Martian and get ready for the 25k I have coming up in less than 4 weeks.  Again, not going in as a huge PR quest, but it would be nice. 

Bayshore Half Marathon Training: Week 12

Another week down and still feeling pretty good other than this horrific cold I'm currently rocking. Again, the game of life tried to frak up my training, but overall I think I managed to get in most of my workouts, even with spring break and a house guest, pretty well.

Monday 4/1/13 - Plan RUN 2 miles/STRENGTH 30 - Did watchless RUN 3.2 miles 31:53 (9:58 pace).  I was still feeling pretty drained from Saturday's long run and tried to run this "easy".  Apparently my easy pace is what my uber fast pace used to be.  

Tuesday 4/2/13 - Plan SWIM (:25 min) - Did BIKE- With my house guest, getting to the gym for a swim was tough, plus I had to take a trip to Chicago for the day, so the trainer it was.  Just under 10 miles in 45 minutes.

Wednesday 4/3/13 - Plan RUN (5 mile tempo) - Did RUN 5 mile tempo in 46:55 (9:21 pace average, including the 1 mile w/u and 1 mile c/d).  Not sure where this came from, but I'll take it!

Thursday 4/4/13 - Plan RUN 2 miles / STRENGTH (:30) - Did CORE - I tried to do a core circuit and ended up quitting after 30 minutes.  It happens.

Friday 4/5/13 - Plan REST - Did BIKE - 11 miles in about 58 minutes OUTSIDE!!!  My daughter and I went for a nice (but freezing) bike ride.  I rode my old hybrid because the roads and my nerves aren't ready for my road bike and new pedals.

Saturday 4/6/13 - Plan RUN 9 miles - Did RUN 9 miles in 1:31:20 (10:08 pace).  I ran with some friends for the first half and then solo for the last half.  Lots of hills, an easy pace for 7 miles and then busted out a 9:30 and 9:20 for the last 2 miles.  Feeling pretty strong (other than the cold) about my training so far.    

Sunday 4/7/13 - Plan BIKE (60 min)  - Did Nothing.  Took a rest day.

Obviously, the training plan is still pretty much off the rails.  No swimming and the biking and strength training have been minimal.  This is what usually happens at the mid point of training for me.  I get the runs in, but the rest tends to fall by the wayside. I'm trying not to let the happen but events of the last couple weeks have been pretty crazy, so the fact I've gotten as much done - workout wise - is pretty much a victory.

I know there were lots of races this past weekend.  Did you race or do you have something coming up soon?  

Bayshore Half Marathon Training: week 11

This past week was a perfect example of life getting in the way of training (this week isn't going to be much better).  For the most part, I did pretty well getting at least the important workouts in, but will admit that some stuff just got pushed off to the side.  I'm also starting to feel the effects of training with a few niggles here and there popping up.  I just need to keep moving forward.  (You'll notice all the target paces have been removed from the plan - I'm blowing them all away so I'm going to just go with it.  If I was running them slower than planned, I'd be worried, but instead I'm going to choose to be happy about my speedy legs for the time being.)

Monday 3/25/13 - Plan RUN 4 miles - Did RUN 3.1 miles 30:15 (9:45 pace).  I apparently can't read my spreadsheet because I went out thinking I only had a 3 mile run instead of the 4 mile run I was supposed to do.  Oh well.  

Tuesday 3/26/13 - Plan STRENGTH (30 min) - Did STRENGTH - Core circuit for 50 minutes and then a 1 mile WALK (which was totally stupid and in rain/sleet/snow but I was pissed off and needed to get out of the house).

Wednesday 3/27/13 - Plan SWIM (:25 min) / RUN 3 miles - I wanted nothing to do with the pool so I just went home to run.  Did RUN 3.1 miles in 26:53 (8:40 pace).  I had no intention of running this fast but all the stress of the day needed somewhere to go.  I ran so hard that I actually puked at the end and ran my first sub-27 5k (unofficially since it wasn't a race).  The comments on DailyMile about puking were awesome and made me smile on a day I really didn't have much to smile about.

Thursday 3/28/13 - Plan RUN 3 miles / BIKE (:40) - Did CORE - a quick 20 min core workout before I needed to take care of family business.  It was better than nothing.  Obviously, any hope of an early season tri is pretty much flying out the window.

Friday 3/29/13 - Plan REST - Did BIKE - 10 miles in about 45 minutes on the basement trainer.  I needed to make up some of Thursday's missed workouts.

Saturday 3/30/13 - Plan RUN 11 miles - Did RUN 11 miles in 1:54:43 (10:25 pace).  I wasn't sure how this run would go. I'd gotten almost no sleep the night before and really wasn't sure if I should actually do the run.  I'm glad I did.  I felt strong and aside from stopping to take 1 picture, this was nearly 2 hours of continuous running at essentially my goal HM pace.  My fueling went pretty well (2 shot blocks every 3 miles) but I know I didn't hydrate enough.  Hard crash by the afternoon.  I'm hoping my race in 2 weeks goals even close to as well as my last 2 long runs.  It will really suck if I've peaked too soon like I did before Disney's Wine and DIne.  

Sunday 3/31/13 - Plan BIKE (60 min)  - Did Nothing.  I was exhausted.  It was Easter.  I needed a break.

I think I've accepted the fact that I'm not doing a Tri in June.  I'm not getting swims in and my biking has all been on the trainer.  The weather is getting better but there are still far too many potholes and loose gravel to attempt to learn my new pedals outside right now.  Maybe I'll be brave enough to ride outside after I finish Bayshore.  

Bayshore Half Marathon Training: week 10

I can't believe I'm 10 weeks into training for Bayshore and less than 3 weeks away from my next race.  Time flies when you're workout out almost every day :)  This week was a pretty decent week and was capped off with an amazing long run, so I'm happy with it. After last week's crappy runs, I needed some success this week.

Monday 3/18/13 - Plan RUN 2 miles (11:08 pace) - Did RUN 3.1 miles in the sleet and rain in 34 min (11:03 pace).  The run was pretty much a clusterf*ck with the weather and the paths I was planning being closed, but I got it done.  

Tuesday 3/19/13 - Plan Swim (30 min) - Did SWIM - 1/2 mile in about 22 min / STRENGTH - arms and abs for about 30 min. 

Wednesday 3/20/13 - Plan RUN (5 mile tempo inc w/u, 3 miles at 9:31, c/d) - Did RUN TM Tempo. Covered the tempo in about 50 minutes total with the tempo portion right around a 9:30 pace.  Got up extremely early for this and felt tired and crappy the rest of the day.  Pre-dawn runs are not my friend but I knew it wouldn't happen if I didn't get up and for this I'm proud of myself. STRENGTH - 30 min of abs and rolling.

Thursday 3/21/13 - Plan RUN 2 miles (11:08 pace) / STRENGTH 30 min - Did BIKE - a quick 20 min spin on my lunch hour.  It was an ok 5 miles.  

Friday 3/22/13 - Plan REST - Did BIKE - Completed the JellyBean virtual 21k bike ride (13 miles in a very slow 1 hr 4 min).  Just spinning out the legs mostly.

Saturday 3/23/13 - Plan RUN 8 miles (11:08 pace) - Did RUN 12,1 miles in 2 hrs 4 min (10:17 pace).  This run absolutely ROCKED.  I ran negative splits and finished feeling fantastic.  I wish I could say I continued to feel fantastic, but my stomach pretty much revolted by the time I got home.  

Sunday 3/24/13 - Plan BIKE (45 min)  - Did BIKE 45 minutes.  It was eh.  Legs were toast.

I realized this morning that trying to blend my half plan with a 25k plan is more complicated than I thought.  I also learned that I can't read my own spreadsheet.  I clearly need help.

Bayshore Half Marathon Training: Week 9

So, after a few really great weeks, I finally had a not-so-stellar week.  It was bound to happen eventually - anyone who's been a runner long enough knows that a bad run or workout isn't the end of the world, even if at the time they think it is.  Moving on.  Here's the week's recap...

Monday 3/11/13 - Plan RUN 2 miles (11:10 pace) / STRENGTH (30 min) - Did RUN TM 1600s (4 MI inc w/u, 2x1600 in 9:00 w/ 800 jogs, c/d).  4 miles total in 40 minutes.  I knew with my schedule this week, I needed to shift things around, so I got up before the sun and hit the gym.  I was at Parent-Teacher Conferences until almost 8:15, so it's a good thing I worked out in the morning.

Tuesday 3/12/13 - Plan BIKE (45 min) - Did SWIM - 1 mile in about 57 minutes.  Did a ladder workout of sorts and it was slow and made me lose confidence in my swimming.  Is it possible to forget how to swim? 

Wednesday 3/13/13 - Plan RUN (4 mile tempo inc w/u, 2 miles at 9:00, c/d) - Did amazing RUN.  I did my first 2-a-day run workout and it was phenomenal.  Run 1 was 3 miles in 31 minutes (10:24 pace) and run 2 was with Brea and she pushed me to 3 miles in 27:46 (9:15 pace)!!! We finished the run with a night out at a brewpub with 3 of the guys from the running group.  So glad I was able to make this run happen and meet up with Brea.

Thursday 3/14/13 - Plan RUN 2 miles (11:10 pace) / STRENGTH 30 min - Did nothing.  I had Parent-Teacher Conferences and decided to take a rest day.

Friday 3/15/13 - Plan REST - Did BIKE - I rode on the trainer for about 10 min and realized my back tire was flat.  Finished with about 15 min of abs.  It wasn't what I wanted but at least I got something in.

Saturday 3/16/13 - Plan RUN 10 miles (11:10 pace) - Did RUN 10.4 miles in 1 hr, 55 min (11:01 pace).  This run really sucked. Yes, I met my pace goal but at this point, I'm really better than that.  The route was icy and the wind was brutal but I really shouldn't use that as an excuse.  I hated pretty much every minute of the run, especially the part at mile 2.5 where 2 dogs ran up to me.  If you know me at all, you know I'm not a fan of dogs - especially ones that are unleashed and jump on me when I'm running. Literally - one jumped on me and they were not small dogs. I tolerate my friends dogs and even had dogs when I was growing up, but dogs on runs and me don't mix.  I don't like it when people bring their dogs on group runs and I'm terrified of stray dogs I see on the trails/streets.  So, it's no surprise I was completely freaked out and the stupid dogs decided it would be fun to run with me for about 1/2 a mile.  They would run up to every house's front door and then back to me.  I've had friends who were bit and the entire time I was afraid one or both of them would turn on me.  They eventually left (ran into someone's back yard through an open gate) but I worried the rest of the run that they'd be back there on my return trip through that area. To make matters worse, I had GI issues before I even left the house and felt sick the entire run. I think the stress with the dogs just compounded the tummy ache.  I only took in about 3 sips of water and 2 shotbloks, which I'm sure didn't help my energy levels. Between the weather, road/sidewalk conditions, GI troubles and dumb dogs, this run was nothing like my last few runs and I was frustrated and pissed off the rest of the day.  I bitched to a few friends about it, but basically it was what it was.  I even ended up much more sore than I thought I should which just pissed me off even more.

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Sunday 3/17/13 - Plan BIKE 45 minutes - Did BIKE 4 miles in 20 min.  This ride frustrated the shit out of me. I had a friend come over and fix my bike tire and I figured inflating the tire would get my biking speed back up to where it belongs.  Even in the big gears, I struggled to get over 14 mph and I only averaged 12 mph for this ride.  After 20 minutes I gave up.  I don't like to think of my self as a quitter, but that's what I was.  Mentally, I was done.  I was pissed and felt like a failure.  Between the slow swim I had earlier in the week, Saturday's long run, and the shitty bike rides lately, I'm really questioning my ability to do a tri this summer and not completely suck. I know I have until July, but still. I'm supposed to be getting better, not worse.

This is my take-away from the week, though.  Or at least this is what I'm trying to tell myself.  My goals for this year are not going to be defined by one crappy weekend of training.

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Bayshore Half Marathon Training: week 8

This past week was pretty stellar on a number of levels.  I'm starting to wonder if I need to rethink all the training paces (for the "easy" and "long" runs) in the plan I'm following and just start running by feel, because I feel pretty freaking amazing right now.  I'm noticing that the faster I run, the less pain I have.  I don't know if it's just my magic shoes (I really think the Newtons have special powers and I'm running in them exclusively now) or if I'm just getting stronger and finally moving past my injury - which seems completely crazy but I don't know how else to explain it. Am I running 100% pain-free? Not exactly.  I still have a little shin soreness here and there and my calves/ankles are getting used to the Newtons, but from where I was a year ago at this time, I'd say I'm 85-90% better.

Monday 3/4/13 - Plan RUN 2 miles (11:10 pace) / STRENGTH (30 min) - Did RUN 3 miles in 32:02 (10:40 pace) because I felt really good and didn't want to stop at 2 miles and STRENGTH 15 min arms and 15 min abs.

Tuesday 3/5/13 - Plan SWIM (20 min) / STRENGTH (30 min) - Did BIKE 10 miles in 45 min and STRENGTH 15 min of abs.  I wanted nothing to do with getting in the pool.  I really still don't.  Maybe as summer gets closer and so does tri season, I'll be more motivated to swim.

Wednesday 3/6/13 - Plan RUN (4 mile tempo inc w/u, 2 miles at 9:26, c/d) - Did RUN 4 miles in 37:27 (9:21 pace).  I'd had a really emotional, sad, messed-up day and just needed to get out of my head.  I hit this pace on a hilly loop near my house and felt so much better when I was finished.  One of the responses to the picture I posted of my watch was "Holy Shit!" and that really made me smile.  I think this was my fastest 4 mile run EVER and while I don't advocate running pissed and frustrated, sometimes it just works. Finished with STRETCHING for 20 min and some ab work.

Thursday 3/7/13 - Plan RUN 2 miles (11:12 pace) / Bike 40 min - Did BIKE 10 miles in 43 minutes.  No run.  My legs were pretty wrecked from the hard 4 the day before and the thought of a brick made me shake.

Friday 3/8/13 - Plan REST - Did REST

Saturday 3/9/13 - Plan RUN 8 miles (11:12 pace) - Did RUN 8 very hilly miles in 1:20:41 (10:05 pace).  I completely crushed this run and aside from a little shin soreness that night, I felt pretty freaking good.  I had no plan to run this as fast as I did and I even had enough gas at the end to run the last mile in 9:36 - it was my fastest mile of the morning!

Sunday 3/10/13 - Plan BIKE 45 minutes - Did BIKE 10 miles in 46 min.  This ride frustrated the shit out of me.  I rode intervals while I watched GLEE and I was a sweaty, hot mess at the end, but my average pace was only 13 mph.  I can't figure out why I'm riding so slow on the trainer and I'm worried when it's time to move outside, I'm not only going to be worried about clipping in and out (which I'm terrified of) but also that I'm going to be so slow that I'm not going to want to do the tri I'm registered for.  I don't go out thinking I'll win or even place, but I KNOW I'm better than 13 mph on my road bike, so why am I sucking so much right now?

Anyway....besides one shitty bike ride, the week was pretty awesome.  I just hope to stay healthy and keep running as great as I have been.

How was your training this week?  What is your next race?

Bayshore Half Marathon Training: Week 7

This week was supposed to be a cut back week, but I went a bit off course so to speak.  Sadly, I'm paying for that with some really achy legs (to the point of keeping me up at night), but I'll live.

Monday 2/25/13 - Plan: RUN easy 3 miles at 11:12 pace.  Did: RUN - I took advantage of a very gorgeous day here in West Michigan and just ran.  I picked a hilly route and didn't really watch my pace but I felt fantastic and ended up running 4.25 miles in 41:31 (a 9:46 pace).  I really surprised myself.

Tuesday 2/26/13 - Plan: CROSS TRAIN.  Did: BIKE/STRETCH - 45 minutes on the basement trainer and then a 15 min stretching session.

Wednesday 2/27/13 - Plan: RUN easy 3 at 11:12 pace. Did: RUN - the weather turned to shit again so I hit the dreadmill and it was AWFUL. Did 3 miles in 31:55 (10:38 pace). I just kept upping the speed to try and fight boredom, so yet again, I blew the "easy" run.

Thursday 2/28/13 - Plan: RUN easy 3 at 11:12 pace.  Did: BIKE/RUN BRICK - I had planned on running at the gym right after work and then going to a "bring your own bike and trainer" spin class, but the spin class fell through.  Decided to do a brick at home instead.  BIKE inside on trainer 10 miles in 46 min then RUN outside 3.32 miles in 37:28 (11:17 pace). The run felt like crap and I could never get a rhythm due to all the snow piles and ice I had to jump over at every intersection.

Friday 3/1/13 Plan: CROSS TRAIN. Did: REST - Had to work the carnival at my school and then I went out to dinner.  Decided a rest day was in order because my ankle and calf were very sore and tight. 

Saturday 3/2/13 - Plan: RUN "long" run of 6 miles at 11:12 pace.  Did: RUN - I had a conference for work to attend during the day, so my run didn't start until around 3:30 in the afternoon.  The good part of this was that it was still sunny and had warmed up a bit.  By "warmed up" I mean it was in the mid 30s with the wind chill in the 20s.  I wore my jacket but was so warm within the first mile from the sun that I took it off and then froze in my t-shirt.  I'm actually following 2 different training plans and one had me going 3 today and the other 7, so I sorta split the difference because I need my long runs to be more than 3 miles, step-down week or not.  I picked another hilly route (only because it was free of ice and snow) and busted out 6 miles in 1:02:09 (10:21 pace).  I definitely have an issue with finding an "easy" pace.

Sunday 3/3/13 - Plan: CROSSTRAIN. Did: BIKE/STRETCH - rode one of the spin bikes at the Y for 50 min while I watched the end of the Wings game and my girl ran.  Finished with some running stretches with my girl.

I'd say it was a pretty decent training week, but I think I should have tried to follow the plan with regard to the easy runs.  My legs are feeling pretty nuked this week - especially after the back to back run days.  But...I'm really loving my Newtons - all those fast runs have been in them.  I don't know if they improve my gait and my run is more efficient/strong or if it's all in my head, but I'll take it. 

Yesterday, my girl came home with the track and field schedule.  Practices start the 11th and there are already race conflicts - the one Saturday meet falls on a day I'm running a half marathon and she was going to run her first 10k, and if she makes an invitational meet, that happens to fall on the day of the Bayshore Half - which I've already paid for and have non-refundable hotel reservations for.   My son is also in the spring musical and has rehearsals 3-5 days a week.  Neither of them are driving solo yet.  Now I'm panicking about how I'm going to get in all my workouts and what to do about the races I have scheduled.  The fact is - I'm not going to get in all my workouts and because of this, even if I still run the races, my performance is going to suffer.  No matter how much I try or how much mom guilt I have, I can't be in two places at once.  I can try to move more of my workouts to before school - and I'll need to do this next week because I also have parent-teacher conferences (FML) but history has shown that pre-dawn workouts really only work once or twice a week, otherwise I turn into a raving bitch from lack of sleep. Missing meets is hard for me.  What if she gets hurt? What if she has the meet of her life and I'm not there to see it? Mom guilt on top of control issues really sucks.

I'm not really asking for advice but just need to vent a little. My girl has already told me to run the half that she's missing the 10k for.  If I run REALLY fast, I might be able to make it back to where the meet is before it's over, but I probably won't see any of her events.  Sigh.  Can I just say I hate this time of year?