Game On.

Here we go, marathon training officially starts this week!  I’m doing a training program run by my local Fleet Feet, which will be great for a number of reasons.  The primary one, of course, being plenty of company and fluids on long runs, not to mention plenty of people I can pester with all of the questions I have about running a marathon, and running Chicago in particular.  Get ready Tammy & co, there are plenty 🙂

The other reason I decided to run with Fleet Feet is that their Country Music training group got me to the half marathon last year fully prepared, and launched me into this love of running that I honestly didn’t think would go this far.  Instead, I’m about to dig into 15 weeks of consistent distance PRs, lots of foam rolling, and way more running through the soupy humidity of a Nashville summer than I ever imagined would be appealing.  And my legs and head are ready for it (I think).

The Fleet Feet team emailed the first four weeks’ training schedule out the other day, and looks like they’re recommending only 3 runs a week.  I was a little surprised, as I assumed the only real way to train for a marathon would require more than 3 days a week, but the more I think about it, the more I think it’ll work for me.  I still hope to have some time and energy to play tennis and go to yoga this summer and fall, and realistically, I’ve never stuck consistently to running more than three times a week.  So hopefully I’ll actually stick to this plan in a way that will get me ready for Chicago.  Since they’ve gotten me to the starting line prepared before (and my only goal here is to finish), I’m willing to put the planning in their hands.

So without further ado, here’s the plan for the next 4 weeks:

 

 I’ll be joining the Fleet Feet crew for speed work on Tuesday nights as well, and will adjust the warm up / cool down appropriately to get to the full mileage for the day.  I’ve also been joining my local Lululemon’s run club on Thursday mornings for the last couple of weeks, so I’m going to try to use that run + extra mileage when necessary for my second mid-week run.  Wednesday nights starting in late July will most likely be tennis nights, and I’ll try to get to a yoga class on Sundays.

So that’s the plan!  15 weeks and counting!

June Foodie Pen Pals

Foodie Pen Pal time again!  I just love the fun of putting a box together for someone, and receiving one in return.  This month, I received a box from Beth in Maine.  After a few emails discussing my love for her state I was thrilled to receive a box full of Maine goodies that she thoughtfully put together.

Reading through her note and looking through the items she put together was like opening a package from Tom’s beloved Nana and Grampy, who have lived in Maine all of their lives, which is a wonderful thing!  Beth included some Maine-specific items – Moxie soda and baked beans, which are made very close to her house – as well as homemade items and a description of how she and her family spend time every year canning homemade jams (the strawberry rhubarb she sent me was delicious and didn’t last long!) and mixing up homemade spice mixes.  It was so interesting to hear her describe this process, as it seems this is a very typical Maine thing to do in preparation for the winter.  I loved that peek into her family’s life.  Thanks for sharing, Beth!

Also included in the box:

• Homemade peanut butter cookies (to. Die. For.  Made it about 5 minutes after the box was open)
• Dunkin Donuts coffee – my favorite!
• A pasta shells mix that her family loves
• A spice mix to use with chicken that I can’t wait to try

I also sent a box to Kati – go check out her blog for lots of delicious recipes and mouth watering descriptions of her culinary adventures in NYC – makes me hungry and makes me miss all of the amazing food options in the city.

If you’re interested in participating – Foodie Pen Pals is set up by Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean – and pairs food-minded folks to send goodies to each other every month. If you want more details, go here for the skinny and to sign up for next month!

Hot, Humid, Hilly

…. And half crazy.  At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what Tom thought I was when I sent him an email along these lines about a month ago:

“Hey there, mind if we celebrate our anniversary the day after?  Cause I may have just signed up for a half marathon on the 22^nd …..”

Five years and two days ago, on the first day of summer, 2008, this happened:

Didn’t want to leave the party!

 It was the happiest day of my life.  I married my best friend, all of my favorite people were in one place (in Alabama, no less, which was awesome in and of itself – so many people there had never come close to stepping foot in the state, and probably never really thought they would have reason to), and I was embarking on a new phase of life that, though filled with sentimental memories of what we were leaving behind in New York, has proven to be absolutely amazing in ways I could never have expected.

Had you told me that five years and one day later I’d choose to run 13.1 miles on a hot day in June on a hilly course willingly, I probably would have told you you were crazy.  Don’t get me wrong, if phrased as a challenge, I would have undoubtedly declared I could do it and figured out how to make it happen, but I never would have imagined that I’d actually choose to do it and enjoy it (well, most of it).

Yet, here I am five years and two days later, having just run a half marathon with this elevation and start line weather conditions, and somehow thinking it was fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And though there were some things that were miserable (it was really really hot by the end, and those hills were no joke), running through the gorgeous farmland south of Nashville in an inaugural race,

Surrounded by these views the whole way

enjoying juicy peaches handed out at the finish line by my new favorite food truck to follow in Nashville, @ThePeachTruck

 

 and REALLY enjoying an indulgent anniversary dinner/weekend after such hard work

Love this guy!

overall it was an amazing piece of a special weekend.  And a pretty awesome realization that I’m strong enough to just pick up and run a half marathon when I want to.  And I’m forever thankful for Tom’s patience with this new obsession as well.  (And yes, I will totally be watching hockey, or home by myself while Tom’s away on a hockey trip at some future important date in return for this request – but hey, celebrating at the exact time isn’t what it’s all about, just gotta keep appreciating each other and celebrating at some point, right?)

Oh, and in case anyone is actually curious about time, I finished in 2:04:48 – really happy with that as it means I stuck to my plan of staying between 9:30 – 10:00 in preparation for staying around that pace in marathon training!

Memorial Day Dash Race Recap

Saturday of Memorial Day weekend I decided to run a 5K on Memorial Day.  Nice advance planning, right?  We were taking the weekend fairly easy, with dinners with friends and some BBQ planned for Monday afternoon, but nothing crazy planned since we’d be traveling the following two weekends, so I figured I’d start the summer off with a little speed test so I could gauge how much summer speed sessions with Fleet Feet did for me.  A PR would be nice (23:07), but I’d be happy with anything under 24 minutes.

There were two 5Ks happening in the general Nashville area, and I opted for the one closer by, which started at the minor league baseball field and ended in the Nashville City Cemetery.  I was semi-skeptical the cemetery business (anyone watched House of Cards?  Remember when the woman yells at Robin Wright’s character for running through the cemetery?  That’s what I was thinking of), but the race was to benefit the Nashville City Cemetery, and there were a number of respectful Memorial Day pieces, so all was ok.

As we lined up at the start, one of the race directors got everyone’s attention to explain the water stop.  They were trying out a new concept – these thin plastic bags filled with water, and you simply bit the corner off and drank the water from the bag.  I was a little skeptical, picturing myself struggling to bite the plastic off, then having a little piece of plastic in my mouth – hardly appealing.  It actually worked great though, super easy to bite the edge off, and easier to drink than from a cup.  Anybody else been in a race that did this?  I liked it!

 

Starting With a Bang

 

Anyway, we started off at the local minor league baseball stadium with a bang – literally.  Actors dressed as Revolutionary War soldiers provided the gun start, and we were off, starting the race by running around the inside perimeter of the baseball field, which was pretty fun, but a little crowded even considering the small field.  After that, we wound around and up a hill (wouldn’t be a Nashville race without some hills), down past the Adventure Science Center and the new fangled water stop, and then into the cemetery.

I hit mile 1 in 7:25 and was already hot, but feeling ok.  I struggled with the mental math, but knew if I just hung on at this pace low 23’s were possible.  I struggled up the hill, but was rewarded with some shade and a flat stretch at the top.  I did get passed by a girl around my age just after the first mile, but she provided a great pull.  I made up my mind to stay as close to her as possible, and try to make a move at the end if I was still on her tail.

Before the start of the race, someone had warned me not to think it was almost over as I entered the cemetery.  And thank goodness they did, as we still had .75 or so to go as we entered, and I was really starting to hurt.  Took some major mental fortitude to hang in there as we wound and wound and wound through the place.  Back and forth and around about endless turns through the paths of this cemetery.  Seriously tough end.  But for the first time ever, I kept my head at the end and instead of just finishing, I tried to pick people off.  I never caught the girl who passed me at mile one, but I reeled in two others as they struggled with the last turns and the heat.  It felt fantastic.

 

Details of the Chase

 

As I passed the 3 mile sign, I took a quick look at my watch – just past the 22 minute mark, and I dug deep in hopes of a sub-23 minute finish.  Unfortunately, I didn’t quite make it – 23:02 officially – but that meant a shiny new PR, 3^rd place in my age group (oh, small races :)), and a good fast (for me!) baseline for the summer.  Time to find some more speed!

Runners, Runners, Everywhere Part 2

Let’s go back in time a bit … after my amazing bachelorette weekend in Austin at the beginning of April, I turned back around about a week and a half later and was back in Austin for work.  The trip wasn’t nearly as much fun, but it was interesting and productive (I’ve moved into a new role and it was a training session to kick off my new position), and I both got a few runs in and made a new running friend (Hi Magnus!)

Upon my arrival in Austin, I was immediately hit by some unexpected heat and humidity.  Now, after growing up in Alabama and being back in Nashville for five years, I’m certainly not a stranger to that kind of weather, but the winter/early spring was long and dreary this year, so come mid-April I was not yet adjusted to it.  Without thinking about how the mugginess would affect my running, I set out early the next morning for my planned run – mile repeats – as I was determined to stay on track with training while on this trip, and it’s always fun to explore a new place by running around it.  Well.  It stunk.  Worst run I can remember.  6 miles were quickly cut down to 3, and I came nowhere close to hitting the paces I was supposed to hit.  Felt like a major step backwards.  Probably a combination of heat, travel, and hills, but it was miserable.  I couldn’t even enjoy the UT campus, and I love college campuses.

Pretty Campus!

 This aborted run had a silver lining, though.  As I was approaching my hotel, I heard some quick feet behind me and moved over to the side so that the faster runner could pass by.  He did, and then we both ended up stopping in front of the hotel to stretch.  We chatted about running, what route we’d each explored that morning, what we were both training for – general runner stuff – and I headed on my way glad to have had a runner to chat with, and impressed that he had just gotten off a plane from Sweden and still made it out for a run!

I didn’t think much more about it until lunchtime during the first training day, when I ran into the running guy – turns out he and a few of his colleagues were in town for the same training session!  It was great to have an instant connection with someone over running, and to learn about what Magnus and his colleagues do and why they had chosen to come all the way to Texas to learn the ins and outs of Product Management.

The next morning I used the excuse of pending thunderstorms to hit snooze a couple of times and then hit the treadmill instead of heading outside, and managed to finish my planned 3 miles, building the confidence back up a bit after the prior day’s disaster of a run.  During a break in the training session, Magnus and I shared details of our respective morning runs (he and one of his colleagues had been a bit more brave and journeyed outside despite the threatening weather), and he asked whether I wanted to join them the next morning.  I was VERY hesitant to agree.  Though I love running with other people when I know them well, I get really worried about running with people I don’t know when it’s not in a big group run situation – I overthink pace, worry I’m holding them up, etc.  Mental energy does not need to be spent on these things during a run!  I asked about his pace and he said that AM they had run “just under 6min a kilometer.”  Right.  You’re from Sweden.  That means nothing to me!  We did some back and forth math, trying to translate, and eventually I realized that 6min/km is equal to an hour 10K.  Ok, I can do that.  Let’s try it.  I do love running with other people and if you’re telling me the truth I should be able to hang.

The rest of the day consisted of long training sessions and then a fun dinner with the Sweden crew and a viewing of the bats flying out from under the bridge at sunset.  Apparently it’s a big to-do, and there were tons of people gathered to watch.  Did anyone else know this happened every day in Austin?  I did not.  Apparently every day at sunset millions of bats leave their perch under a bridge and fly toward the mountains/lake for the night.  It’s eerie and kind of beautiful all at the same time.

Bats flying out from under the bridge – kind of creepy!

 

The next morning I met Magnus at 6 sharp, and after a futile attempt at starting our respective GPS devices with no luck, we were off.  Immediately, I knew the pace was faster than what’s comfortable to me, but I didn’t say anything.  I hoped I’d settle in, and didn’t know how fast we were moving since the watch wasn’t working.  We ran down to the river and along a dark path and, though I wasn’t feeling great (this was the week of bad runs apparently), I was grateful for the company.  I wouldn’t have felt comfortable in the dark by myself, but it was a beautiful running path and I loved watching the sun come up over the river and crew shells set out for morning workouts, seemingly gliding effortlessly over the water.  These quiet beautiful moments are a huge part of why I run.

I was the one who made the call on when to turn around – both because I knew we had to in order for me to have time to get back to the training in time and because I was working pretty hard.  My breathing was labored and my legs heavy as we turned away from the river and back up toward the capitol building (which is gorgeous), and I was definitely done by the time we got back to the hotel.  Magnus kept going for a run through campus (I knew I was holding him back!), and I was happy with what I suspected was close to 5 miles on the morning.  It was harder than it should have been, but it was good to work a little, and it was nice to have company even though I felt bad for holding him back!  Also, turns out we were moving much faster than 6min/km – his phone app had started working somewhere along the way and we even briefly dipped before 5min/km and were well under 6 the whole time.  No wonder!

Since the Austin trip, Magnus has kept me updated on his running and races (congrats on the awesome half marathon+!  Or would you call it 22k?) and has been interested to hear about mine too.  Isn’t it amazing how quickly two strangers who are runners can have detailed, lengthy conversation about splits, paces, and races? I suppose this is a rhetorical question for anyone reading this blog, but at this point it still surprises me every time.

On to the next running adventure!

Beautiful Sunset

Sweden Crew on the Bridge