Whine Not Another Marathon

After the Dallas Marathon was canceled, I immediately started looking for another marathon to take its place. I had trained all season, I didn't want that to go to waste!

I ended up deciding on the Texas Whiners series, which consists of a marathon on Saturday (12/14, Whine Not A Marathon) and a marathon on Sunday (12/15, Whine Not Another Marathon). Participants can sign up for one race or both and each race is capped at 50 participants. The course is simple: 8 loops around Bachman Lake (about 3 miles around) with a short out-and-back at the end. I discussed this race with Brandon and another running buddy, Jessica, and we decided to sign up for the Sunday marathon and run it together! Brandon was determined to run his first marathon, Jessica was trying to make it into the Marathon Maniacs club (3 marathons within 90 days) and I just wanted to run a race like I had planned on.

The race is usually very small (the race director told us usually 25-30 runners at each event) but both days filled up to their 50-runner capacity due to the Dallas Marathon cancellation. I'm sure their resources were stretched to the max with all of the last-minute additions, but all of the volunteers were so nice and seemed really happy that more people signed up! I picked up my packet at the Embassy Suites near Bachman Lake on Friday evening. I got a shirt (way too big, but I know they had scrambled to get enough shirts as it was), a keychain flashlight and a rubber bracelet.

Saturday evening, Michael said he wasn't feeling well and ended up being sick all night. He was still sick on Sunday morning so I drove myself to the race site. There was plenty of on-site parking, the small lot was full when I got there at 6:40-ish (for a 7:00am start) but I parked on the street directly across from the start line/finish line/aid tent. The aid tent was stocked with water, Gatorade, candy, bagels, pretzels and I think some other "real" food as well. I did not plan on trying out real food for the first time during a race, instead I carried a couple of packages of my usual Honey Stinger Chews. Brandon had brought a whole box of supplies, pretty much anything he thought he might need during the race! His friend Serena and his parents were going to stay in that spot, so I added a couple of things to his box just in case I needed them. It was nice to know we could just drop our layers or pick something up every three miles!

Because there were no timing chips, there were volunteers set up as timers. They recorded our bib number each time we passed them and would record our final finish time. The race director (Angela) welcomed us made a few general announcements while we pinned on our bibs and tried to stay warm. (I think the temperature at 7:00 was about 28 degrees, brr!) She also had people raise their hands who were running their first marathons (Brandon was one of only a few), people trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon (again, only a couple), trying to qualify for Marathon Maniacs (Jessica and a few others), running their second marathon of the weekend (quite a few). Then she started rattling off numbers of marathons people had run. There were quite a few people with a few *hundred* marathons under their belts, the most was 549! Insane! Then we had a prayer, the national anthem and without much fanfare, we were off!

The first lap around the lake was mostly just trying to warm up, our fingers and toes were freezing! There were also a few icy patches on the trail, we made sure to avoid these. We stopped after the first loop so Jessica could use the port-a-potty and checked in with our crew. There was some confusion when Brandon and I thought Jessica was still in the restroom but she was actually just a few feet away talking to her husband and thought we just weren't in a hurry to get started again! Haha, we finally realized our mistake, but it cost us a couple of minutes. No big deal, we started on our second loop.

On the exact opposite side of the lake, my friend Stacey had set up camp! She brought a camping chair and a big white board to make a different motivating sign for every lap! She was awesome, she saw us pass by 8 times and also made friends with all of the other runners! One guy (who did both marathons over the weekend) insisted on a picture with her afterwards!

She is an awesome spectator and an awesome friend to come all the way from Ft. Worth to cheer!

What ended up being nice about the multi-loop course is that we could kind of break it up in our heads. We could focus on getting to Stacey, then getting back to the aid station. Brandon had some GI problems after the second lap and really worried about the rest of the race. He ended up not taking any more nutrition for the remainder, other than water and his own low-calorie Gatorade. A couple of laps later, Jessica started having some serious stomach issues and took some Zofran to try to combat the nausea. Unfortunately, this did not help her and she continued to feel lousy for the rest of the run. She was able to keep running, though, and we kept encouraging her!

I was feeling really good during the race and probably could have even gone a little faster. But having my friends there for company really made a huge difference, so I did not want to leave them! We had some pretty funny conversations and at one point sang what we could remember of "What Does The Fox Say" to entertain ourselves.

During the 7th loop, we saw my parents! They had also parked on the farther side of the lake, not too far from Stacey. It was good to see them, I was so glad they had made it. After the 7th lap, we realized we were in the home stretch! Jessica and Brandon were capable of doing math in their heads (I'll be honest, I'm not good at this even when I'm not 22 miles into a run) and calculated that even if we did a run/walk for the last lap we would finish in under 5 hours. I was very happy with this projected finish time, as it would be a huge PR for me! We didn't slow down that much, but we did take it a little easier on the last loop. After they saw us on the 8th loop, Stacey and my parents headed to the start/finish line.

Once we got to about the 24-mile point, Jessica said, "I hope you guys are ready for a sub-5 marathon because it's happening!" I was so excited for my own PR as well as the others' personal goals!

We passed the start/finish line and started our out-and-back. We had passed this turnaround 8 times already and we knew it was coming! We had to run past the finish line, out 9/10 mi and then back to cross the finish line again. I'm not going to lie, this part of the race was tough, especially for Brandon! I took it upon myself to push the other two for the last 1.8 miles. It seemed like it took forever to get to the turnaround point, at one point I said, "Where the fuck is the turnaround?!" We had passed it so many times, it felt like it would be coming up soon but that last part we just kept waiting for it! I encouraged the other two to not stop, I reminded them that stopping to walk or stretch would make things hurt worse. I was ahead of them, trying to be their bunny.

After we (finally) turned around, it seemed like we were back at the finish line in no time! We decided we wanted to cross the finish line together because this was the end of a journey we had started together and we wanted to end it together!

I love these pictures, you can really see how relieved we are to finish! And as much fun as a big race like the Dallas Marathon is, there is something to be said for your biggest supporters being right there at the finish line.

I somehow missed the guy waiting with our medals and made a bee-line for the water! Once I had chugged some fluids, I noticed the other two had medals and got mine, haha! I also hadn't looked at the clock when we crossed the finish (you can see Brandon immediately turned his head to see), so I asked Brandon and then got confirmation from one of the timing volunteers. We crossed in exactly 4:52:00! It was a 48 minute PR for me! The volunteer was so sweet, she said, "Do you want me to write it down for you?" Haha, no, I'll remember it!

I walked around for a minute to get my heart rate down, grabbed some pretzels and a piece of bagel with peanut butter from the food table. I also called Michael, I couldn't wait to tell him how I had done! (I had started my GPS app and sent it to Michael so he could track me from home, so he at least knew what pace I was keeping during the race.) It was great to talk to him, he hated to miss the race and was happy with how well I had done. After we relaxed for a while, we decided to hit El Fenix for some post-race grub!

I was exhausted all through lunch, I kept thinking I might fall asleep at the table! I had my mom drive me home since my legs felt like Jell-O, I didn't trust myself to drive well. Once I was home and showered, I got in bed to take a nap but then I couldn't sleep! I think I was still all hyped up on the adrenaline. I didn't sleep well that night, either, I woke up with a headache (probably from being underhydrated) and then just couldn't get comfortable to fall back asleep.

Monday morning, I took an easy walk (about a mile in 20 minutes) to get the blood flowing and then visited my favorite masseuse for a recovery massage. By the afternoon, my legs were feeling much better. I am still sore but already feeling much better. This week I am planning on taking it easy, just yoga and walking to let my legs rest.

Looking ahead, I don't plan on training for a spring full. I am going to focus on some shorter distances and trail runs. So far, I am signed up for the DRC's Frigid 10k on January 4, the Cowtown Half Marathon on February 23 (I'm going to pace Stacey through her first half!) and the Dallas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. I also have a few trail races in mind but haven't signed up for any yet.

I definitely plan on registering for the Dallas Marathon again in 2014. They promised us that those who were registered to run in 2013 would get both medals if they finished in 2014. I don't think I can turn that down!

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 1 complete!

Last week's workouts:
Sun 7/14: Too Hot to Handle 15K (race goal: don't die) 9.3 miles, 1:39:19
Mon 7/15: Hot yoga (60 min)
Tues 7/16: easy 3-4 miles (our training orientation is that night, not sure if I'll fit in my run that morning or while I'm down at the lake for orientation) Run was rained out, so this turned into a rest day
Wed 7/17: Hot yoga (60 min) OR easy 3 miles in the a.m. (32:40) and ran/walked at the Run On social run in the evening (2.85 miles, 39:00)
Thurs: 7/18: Rest Upper body strength training
Fri: Easy 3-4 miles 3.34mi, 37:37
Sat: DRC Kickoff Run, I think we'll be doing 6-7 miles 7.13 mi, 1:17:55

I was so worried about the Too Hot to Handle 15k, July in Dallas is usually crazy hot this time of year. I planned from the beginning to just take the race easy and not "race," just run it. Brandon ended up having the same goal, so we decided to start together. The race started at 7:30 at Norbuck Park, which is on the North side of White Rock Lake. I got there about 7:00 to park, but the race was much bigger than I expected! I ended up parking much further away than I'd planned, so Brandon and I didn't find each other until the 15k was just starting. (The 5k started after the 15k, which was a good way to avoid congestion at the beginning.)

We really lucked out on the weather, a storm system moved in early in the morning. The temperature dropped (75 degrees and 65% humidity) and a drizzle started as I was parking. Luckily, I keep a baseball cap in my car just in case, so I grabbed that to keep rain out of my eyes. I'm glad I did, as the drizzle continued throughout the race and ended up picking up afterwards. The cap is cotton, a tech one would have been even better. In fact, we got caps as part of our race packet and I wished I had that one! Turned out it wouldn't have helped, when I tried it on later, it was way too big for my head so I gave it to a friend.

Brandon and I ended up running the entire race together, keeping an easy, conversational pace and chatting the whole time.

The race was great, plenty of aid stations (I think 10 in total) with plenty of water and Gatorade, some stations had Cytomax. A lot of the aid stations also had misters, which would have been great if the weather had been as hot as usual. We saw several friends along the course as well.

Afterwards, there was great food and lots of people! I found Kim, Alyson and Jessica and we hung out with them while we checked out the afterparty. We had a delicious breakfast scramble from My Fit Foods (turkey, egg whites, rice and spicy pico de gallo...must recreate!) and some samples from Clif. Unfortunately, they were out of women's xsmall and small finisher shirts, so they took my bib number and told me they would let me know when more were available. (This same thing happened with the Too Cold to Hold race; it only took a couple of weeks for them to come in.)

With our medals. (Thanks for the picture, Kim!)

After a great race, I was super excited to start marathon training! Our first group run on Saturday was great, a hot and humid but fun run. Brandon and I are in the same group (4:10), as well as my buddies Jessica, Jeanette and Jackie. Brandon and Jackie couldn't make the first run, but I had a great time running with Jessica and Jeanette as well as getting to know some new faces. Our pace leaders are Clay and Kristin, I have seen them around at DRC events and I look forward to getting to know them. We also have coaches that will rotate through the groups, so we will have lots of support as we train.

I got our training plan this week. In addition to our Saturday morning long runs, we will run with our group on Tuesday nights. The first few weeks will be base-building, mostly easy runs to build endurance. After a few weeks, we'll do more speed work, tempo runs and track workouts. We are scheduled for a total of 5 running workouts a week, so three of these will be on our own.

This week's plans:
Sun 7/21: Hot yoga (60 min)
Mon 7/22: Base/easy 30 min run; hot yoga (60 min)
Tues 7/23: Base/easy 50 min run (with my training group)
Wed 7/24: Recovery 45 min run
Thurs 7/25: Base/easy 50 min; lower body strength training
Fri 7/26: Rest
Sat 7/27: Long run, 8 miles

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 5 Complete

Last week's workouts:
Sun 8/12: Gaia Flow Yoga (Gentle Flow class, 60 min)
Mon 8/13: 30 min recovery run 2.95 mi, 31:14
Tues 8/14: DRC Training Group, 50 min base/easy 4.88 mi, 52:00
Wed 8/15: Rest or strength training
Thurs 8/16: 50 min base/easy 4.64 mi, 49:52
Fri 8/17: 30 min recovery 2.26 mi, 25:08
Sat 8/18: DRC Training Group, 10 mi 10.5 mi, 1:52

On Monday night, my good friend and marathon training teammate had a horrible accident. He, my husband and our other friend Scott were flying a remote control helicopter at Scott's house when the helicopter got caught in a tree. Brandon used a ladder to get into the tree along with an aluminum pole to knock out the helicopter. He tripped and fell into a power line, was shocked and then fell head-first almost 15 feet. He was not breathing when he hit the ground but luckily Michael and Scott knew CPR and were able to start him breathing again by the time paramedics arrived on the scene.

Brandon is still in ICU at Parkland Hospital. He is expected to recover but has a long road ahead of him. You can follow his progress at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/brandoncumby. You can also donate blood in his name at any Carter BloodCare location (http://www.carterbloodcare.org/Locations), just give them the number 051727. He has already had to receive 22 pints of blood and any blood donated will be credited to him.

Our training group runs are not the same without Brandon, he is definitely missed. I know how much he was looking forward to running his first marathon in December, but there will be plenty of opportunities for him to race in the future. Brandon is a fighter and is in the best shape of his life, so I know he will recover.

This week's plans:
Sun 8/19: Yoga for Runners, 25 min
Mon 8/20: 30 min recovery run + Gaia Flow Yoga
Tues 8/21: DRC training group, 1 hr base/easy
Wed 8/22: Rest or strength training
Thurs 8/23: 50 min base/easy
Fri 8/24: 30 min recovery run
Sat 8/25: DRC Training Group, 12 mi

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 15 complete

Last week's workouts:
Sun 10/28: YMCA Fired Up! 5K, 34:33 (a new PR... for slowest 5K time!)
Mon 10/29: Yoga Power Yoga 4, 35min
Tues 10/30: 1:10 mile repeats tempo run, 6.67 mi, 1:11
Wed 10/31: Rest Run On Social Run, 3.03 mi, 31:44
Thurs 11/1: 1:00 easy run strength training
Fri 11/2: 40 min easy run OR bike + upper body strength training 3.69 mi, 45:27
Sat 11/3: Yoga Yoga for Runners, 25 min
Sun 11/4: Dallas Running Club Half Marathon 2:11:08

Sunday's race was tough but a lot of fun! I knew I wasn't in PR shape, so I tried to stick with the 2:10 pace group (led by one of my 4:10 pace leaders, Melinda). I ended up falling a little bit behind them after the halfway point. The course was very hilly and I was really struggling, but I'm proud of myself for pushing forward at the end when I really just wanted to stop and walk.

I loved seeing so many familiar faces during the race! I got to the race pretty early and spent time chatting with fellow DRC members, talking about our race goals. My brother-in-law and nephew Luke came out to cheer for me, plus I saw lots of people from the running community. I knew Michael would be at the finish line, but so was our friend Brandon! It made me so happy to see them both, I know it was hard for Brandon to be there because he wishes he could be running with us. But considering he almost lost his life just a couple of months ago, it is amazing that he was able to be there at all!

Michael got some great pictures of me coming into the finish line, here is where I spotted them and ran over to give Brandon a high-five!

Unfortunately, I have been really sore since the race so this week's workouts have been a little lackluster. I skipped our Tuesday night group tempo run to just do an easy few miles around the neighborhood. I'm hoping for a little longer run tonight, but we'll see. I'm mainly focusing on being ready for Saturday's long run.

This week's plans/actual:
Mon 11/5: Walked, 2.28 mi 38:04
Tues 11/6: Ran, 3.13 mi 36:23
Wed 11/7: Stationary bike 15 min, 4 mi; upper body strength training
Thurs 11/8: 45 min easy run
Fri 11/9: Yoga
Sat 11/10: 18 mi easy

Dallas Rock & Roll Half Marathon

I haven't done a running update in a while, so it's time for a race recap!

I signed up for Rock & Roll at the Dallas Marathon Expo. I had run the race the last two years and liked the course and how well the race is organized. Michael did it last year and also enjoyed it, so I signed him up as well.

I needed to rest and recover after the marathon, but after the new year I started slowly building up my mileage. At the same time, some speed was coming back! Back in February, Michael and I ran the Too Cold to Hold 10 mile race at White Rock Lake. I finished in 1:29:24, just under a 9:00 min/mile pace. This got me thinking that I could perhaps break 2 hours in the upcoming half marathon.

Then a few weeks ago, I managed to pull an adductor (groin) muscle. I took it easy for a couple of weeks and tried to slowly add back in some mileage before Rock & Roll. The weekend before, I did 9 miles and felt pretty good but I still wasn't sure how I would feel on race day. As race day got closer, the weather turned on us. By the morning of the race, it was cold and extremely windy- 25-30 mph gusts to be exact! So I didn't have high hopes going into race weekend.

Sunday morning, our wakeup call came early at 4:30am. Brandon picked us up and we drove to Fair Park, where we would finish the race. The race actually started downtown, but because parking is very tricky, Rock & Roll had early morning shuttles running from Fair Park to the start line. I was nervous about being late (the website said shuttles only ran until 6:30am, the race started at 8:00) and traffic was very congested going into Fair Park. Luckily, once we entered the park, it was a breeze to park and get to the shuttles. We didn't have to wait long to get on a bus but while we were waiting I realized just how cold it was! The wind was crazy, the windchill had to be in the 30's. I had worn capris and a zip-up jacket but really regretted not bringing a throwaway layer or at least gloves.

Once we unloaded downtown, we made a quick stop at the Port-a-Potties (again, not much of a wait) and found Brandon's friend Aaron. We tried to find somewhere to stand out of the wind but no luck, so we just shivered while we waited! The guys had decided to start together near the 2:15 pace group around Corral 10. I was assigned to Corral 5 and normally would have started with them, but I wanted to get moving! So I made my way to my corral and once the corral was full, I warmed up a little bit. The corrals started about a minute apart, so it wasn't long before my corral was moving across the starting line.

This was my first race with a watch (I got a Forerunner 10 as an early birthday present from Michael) and I was determined not to be overly reliant on it. Instead, I just looked every time I heard a mile beep and took a mental note of my pace. Surprisingly, I was able to keep a faster pace than I thought I would. Early in the race, we ran from downtown into Uptown. It was so cold and windy, but luckily we were not running into the wind. The whole first half of the race is a gradual uphill. By around mile 5, my right hip/left ankle were definitely hurting from the uphill, I could feel it affecting my gait. I tried to focus on keeping my form strong. I was also taking in fuel (Honey Stinger chews) every 3-4 miles to keep my energy up. I rarely use fuel during training runs, but I think it helps me during races. I only took fluids about every other aid station, so about the same intervals as fuel. I mostly stuck to water, but did take one cup of Gatorade about halfway through.

Just after the 10K mark, both my parents and Michael's were cheering! (I knew they were going to be there and had been looking forward to seeing them.) They managed to get some good action shots.




At this point in the race (between about miles 5-7), we were running East and did not feel any wind at all! It was such a relief. Once we turned south around mile 8, the wind was back. But luckily, again, we did not have headwinds and at some points the wind was even at our back. Also at this point, the rest of the course is a gradual downhill. So I was feeling much better by this point and started doing some mental math to see if I could make that sup-2:00 "stretch" goal. I figured if I could keep my current pace, I could. Mile 8 was my slowest mile (9:22) but after that I was able to hover around 9:00 min/mile.

Finally, when we turned into Fair Park I realized I could make my goal but I'd have to really haul butt! So I kicked it into gear the last stretch. I could see a platform with a photographer and vinyl logos on the ground. It wasn't until I got pretty close that I realized that wasn't the finish line, just a photo op! One more turn and I crossed the (real) finish line! I smiled for another camera as I crossed and then stopped my watch. I got my finisher's medal, a water, a Gatorade, a Power Bar, a bag of chips and a space blanket. Before I knew it, my hands were too full to look at my watch!

I made my way out of the crowded finisher's chute and tried to find the family meet-up area. We had made a tentative plan to meet at the "B" letter after the race, but I couldn't find any letters or anything designating a family meet-up, so I finally just found a spot to put down my stuff and get organized. I was finally able to look at my watch and see that I'd clocked in *just* under 2 hours. I was excited but knew I'd have to wait for official results before I could really be sure. I wrapped myself up in my space blanket and ate my snacks while I waited. I texted my location to Michael, hoping he had stayed with the other two guys. I finally saw Brandon and waved him down. He had a great race, finished in about 2:11 which was better than he thought he would do. He said he had left both Michael and Aaron, Michael's foot was hurting and Aaron was having knee pain.

Finally, we found Michael, who had finished in about 2:24. He had hurt his foot a couple of weeks ago and while he said it felt better going into the race, he was hobbling now. His time is still better than last year's (his only other half marathon), so that is a success! Finally we found Aaron and his wife Becky and we all headed out for Mexican food and race stories! (Always a good combination.)

Official finish time: 1:59:51! I am still a little surprised I was able to make this goal with what felt like tough obstacles. But sometimes we surprise ourselves!

Overall, I enjoyed my third RnR race and will definitely do it again. It's a huge race, which of course has its pros and cons. It's so well-organized, everything from having enough bathrooms to the smooth corral start system make it a stress-free race. The crowds are a lot to contend with, but the corral starts alleviate a lot of the congestion during the actual race. Lots of friendly volunteers and course support, not to mention the bands! I didn't hear any stand-outs this year, but it is always uplifting to hear good music during a race. The course is great, it hasn't changed much in the last few years and runs through some really great parts of Dallas.

Once again, a great event and I hope to be back next year!

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 0 Complete

Well, I am officially signed up for fall marathon training with the Dallas Running Club! Watch out, Dallas Marathon, I'm coming for you again.

I'm hoping to have a stronger season this year. I have been running with DRC's Summer Bridge program and kept pretty good mileage through the summer. I have also been doing more runs in the evenings, when it's still hot, which improves endurance. I have also added some lower-body strength training, which I think will benefit my running.

With that being said, the DRC Independence Day 10K (our time trial to determine pace groups) did not go as planned. My friend Brandon and I started together. The start was very crowded, I didn't want to waste too much energy bobbing and weaving but eventually we made it through the throngs of runners. We passed my friends Kim and Michael from last year's training group. After we passed them, we tried to pick up the pace.

After just a few minutes (we must have been around 1.5 miles in), I realized that my heart rate was getting really high. I tried to keep up, but finally told Brandon I wasn't feeling well and to go on without me. My heart was pounding and my ears felt like they were full of cotton. I migrated to the right (with the slower movers) and tried to just slow down to get it back down, but I finally stopped to walk with my hands above my head for a few minutes. I've had this happen before when running (especially in the heat), but never during a race so it was a little scary for a bit. Luckily, I felt better soon and started (slowly) running again. By the two mile mark, I was feeling much better. I grabbed some water at the aid station and powered on.

Just before the turnaround point, I saw Kim and Michael again (they surely had passed me while I was slowing down) but they were walking and Michael was limping. He had pulled something in his calf and Kim caught up to me at the turnaround. We ran together for a mile or so, she had run the night before and was taking it easy. I got some water and Gatorade at the next aid station and not long after, pulled ahead of Kim. The rest of the race was tough (lots of full sun) and I was really ready to be done! I crossed the finish line in 1:02:36, a new PR for my worst 10K time! Haha, oh well. At least I managed to average less than a 10:00 min/mile pace.

I'm interested to see what pace group the DRC puts me in. Based on my experience last year, I know it's easy to change pace groups so I'm not too worried.

This week's plans:
Sun 7/14: Too Hot to Handle 15K (race goal: don't die)
Mon 7/15: Hot yoga (60 min)
Tues 7/16: easy 3-4 miles (our training orientation is that night, not sure if I'll fit in my run that morning or while I'm down at the lake for orientation)
Wed 7/17: Hot yoga (60 min) OR easy 3 miles
Thurs: 7/18: Rest
Fri: Easy 3-4 miles
Sat: DRC Kickoff Run, I think we'll be doing 6-7 miles

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 2 Complete!

Last week's workouts:
Sun 7/21: Hot yoga (60 min)
Mon 7/22: Base/easy 30 min run 2.96 mi, 30:50; hot yoga (60 min)
Tues 7/23: Base/easy 50 min run (with my training group) 4.6 mi, 50:24
Wed 7/24: Recovery 45 min run 3.8 mi, 43:32
Thurs 7/25: Base/easy 50 min; lower body strength training, 20 min stationary bike warmup
Fri 7/26: Rest 3.82 mi, 43:45
Sat 7/27: Long run, 8 miles 8.48 mi, 1:33:17

This past week went well, I was able to do all my planned workouts. Wednesday night, Brandon and I did our recovery run together at the Run On social run, some other friends were there as well. It's always a great motivation when I know there will be cold beer and good friends there!

Our Saturday long run was great! Some rain moved through the night before and the temperatures dropped overnight. We had cloud cover and a good breeze, we hardly noticed the humidity!

I have some social plans this week, so it will be a little harder to keep up with all my planned workouts. I predict several early morning runs this week!

Sun 7/27: Upper body strength training
Mon 7/28: Base/easy 30 min run; hot yoga (60 min
Tues 7/29: Base/easy 50 min run
Wed 7/30: Recovery 45 min run
Thurs 7/31: Base/easy 50 min run; lower body strength training
Fri 8/1: Rest
Sat 8/2: DRC Cross Country Relay race + extra miles for a total of 8

Saturday's race should be fun! Michael, Brandon and I will be a 3-person team and even have matching outfits planned!

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 1 Complete!

So I decided to bite the bullet and train for the 2012 Dallas Marathon (the race formerly known as the White Rock Marathon). Three other friends have signed up as well and we are doing the Dallas Run Club training program, so it's great to have a group to train with as well as people I already know in the group.

This past Tuesday, we had our orientation meeting where we learned what pace group we would be in and met our pace leaders. In order to determine our group, the DRC used past race times (which we submitted when we signed up online) plus the results from the DRC Independence Day 10K. The 10K was my slowest 10K to date because of the heat, so I was surprised to learn that they wanted to put me in the 4:00 pace group. That seems awfully ambitious to me! My friend Brandon finished the same race faster than I did and was placed in the 4:20 pace group. He thought that would be too slow so we decided to split the difference and both run with the 4:10 group.

Saturday morning, I met my running buddies Brandon and Laigha bright (well, dark) and early so we could carpool to White Rock Lake for our first training run with the group. Our friend Lauren met us there, she will also be training with the 4:10 group. For our first run, we did an easy 7 miles. Nelson, our pace leader, kept us at a comfortable 11:00min/mile pace. The pace leaders let us know that our long runs would be much slower than we are used to. The first 8 weeks of the program are base-building weeks.

The DRC has group runs on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The rest of the runs I will be completing on my own (or with some running buddies if that works out). There is another group, an offshoot of DRC, that meets Wednesday nights so if it works out that I can run with them some weeks I will.

So, after all that explanation, here is the plan for this week. The training schedule that the DRC gave us has times instead of miles (ex: 30 min instead of 3 miles) but I will note my planned mileage as well.

Sun 7/22: 30 min cross train (yoga)
Mon 7/23: 30 min recovery run (3 mi)
Tues 7/24: DRC training group, 50 min base/easy
Wed 7/25: 30 min recovery run (3 mi)
Thurs: 7/26: 50 min base/easy run (5 mi)
Fri 7/27: Rest
Sat 7/28: DRC training group, 8 mi long

That's more days running than I am used to, so we shall see!

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 3 Complete!

I was so positive about week 3, but unfortunately it didn't start out on a good note. I've had some nagging shin/calf soreness for the last couple of weeks. On Monday morning's run, I realized it was really hurting and starting to feel like the beginning of last year's injury. So I took a couple of days off from running and got in some other forms of exercise, plus foam rolled and took the same anti-inflammatories my doctor prescribed last year.

Sun 7/27: Upper body strength training
Mon 7/28: Base/easy 30 min run 2.62 mi, 28:53; hot yoga (60 min)
Tues 7/29: Base/easy 50 min run Rest
Wed 7/30: Recovery 45 min run 1.15 mi walk
Thurs 7/31: Base/easy 50 min run 15 min elliptical; lower body strength training; Baptiste Power Flow Yoga podcast 20 min
Fri 8/1: Rest 3.56mi, 38:32
Sat 8/2: DRC Cross Country Relay race + extra miles for a total of 8 7.72mi

Saturday morning, a few of us met up at the DRC clubhouse to run to Norbuck Park for the Cross Country Relay Race. Brandon and I met up with Michael at the race, we each ran a 2-mile leg and then we ran back to the clubhouse (taking a slight shortcut due to time constraints). Thankfully, my leg was feeling pretty good!

We didn't have time to make shirts like last year, so we all wore the shirts from this year's Rock and Roll Half Marathon.

The race was really fun! Team Fall Risk did pretty well.
Total 55:23
Michael 20:41
Rebecca 17:47
Brandon 16:54

I have done that Norbuck Park loop so many times over the summer that at least I knew what to expect this year! I was able to keep a faster pace than I thought I would be able to do. After I got home, I put on compression socks and foam rolled. I think this helped, my leg is feeling good today (knock on wood).

This morning, Michael and I cross-trained by riding our bikes on the White Rock Creek Trail. I forget what a good workout biking is! My legs are definitely feeling it, but in a different way than running.

This week's plans:
Sun 8/3: Bike ride 8.56 mi, 45:24
Mon 8/4: Base/easy 30 min run; hot yoga (60 min)
Tues 8/5: Base/easy 50 min run
Wed 8/6: Rest (getting a sports massage)
Thurs 8/7: Recovery 45 min run; lower body strength training
Fri 8/8: Base/easy 50 min run
Sat 8/9: 9 miles long

I also started a 30-day plank challenge on the first, by August 30th I'll (supposedly) be able to hold a plank for 5 minutes!

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 16 Complete!

Last week's workouts:
Mon 10/28: Vinyasa yoga 1:00
Tues 10/29: Progression run 1:00 5.97 mi, 57:00
Wed 10/30: Recovery run :50 Strength training, arms and abs
Thurs 10/31: Strength training 4.77 mi, 50:56
Fri 11/1: Base + strides 1:30 Rest
Sat 11/2: Rest
Sun 11/3: DRC Half Marathon 13.1 mi, 2:01:20

Poor Michael has been sick for a couple of weeks and, unfortunately, it caught me this week. Wednesday afternoon, I wasn't feeling so hot and Thursday morning I woke up congested and achey. I was feeling a little better by that afternoon and went for an easy run in the neighborhood. Thursday also happened to be Halloween, so it was fun seeing the kids in their costumes getting ready to trick or treat!

I decided to rest Friday and Saturday to make sure I'd be ready for Sunday's DRC Half. I didn't have any particular goals but planned on at least starting with the 2:05 pace group. Sunday morning, I felt a lot better and my congestion was only in my sinuses, no chest congestion or coughing. The weather was very cool, but I wore a short-sleeve tech shirt and shorts. I would rather be cold waiting at the starting line than too warm later in the race. (The DRC Half does offer bag drop, but I don't tend to take advantage of this. For some reason, I am afraid that my stuff will get lost!) I parked at Mockingbird Station and used the shuttle provided by the race to get to the start line.

I found Clay, who was pace leading the 2:05 group and lined up with him and several of our 3:70 group. I looked for Brandon, but didn't see him. I knew he was shooting for a PR and was planning to start with the 1:50 pace group. The DRC Half was doing a corral start this year and corrals were not assigned but you were asked to get in one of three corrals based on your estimated finish time. The 2:05 group was starting in the second corral (estimated finish times 2:00-2:15). Our wave didn't start long after the 7:30 start time at all, before I knew it, we were off! In fact, when we crossed the start line, I went to start my watch and realized I hadn't even asked it to find my location yet, whoops! It took about a mile until it found me, so I wasn't sure of my progress during the race.

The course took us north first, then back south to run along the west side of White Rock Lake. Next, we got to go into some of the surrounding neighborhoods, including my sister-in-law and brother-in-law's neighborhood! They brought my nephew out to cheer, I think he had fun watching all the runners go by! They also got some fun action shots, I'll have to go back and add them later.

I had told myself that I would stick with the 2:05 pace group for the first 10 miles and then pull ahead if I felt good. However, once we were around the 5 mile mark, I realized my legs felt really good and decided to go ahead and speed up.

Michael's sister, brother-in-law and our nephew came out to cheer! They got some good action shots. Luke now says, "Want to see Auntie Becca run the race!"

I managed to keep a pace close to 9:00 per mile as we looped the south side of the lake. As the course approached the 10 mile mark, I tried to do some math in my head (remember my watch was off) to see what kind of time I thought I could finish with. I figured I could get close to 2 hours if I kept my current speed. I was able to keep my pace, even speeding up a little bit the closer I got to the finish line.

When I crossed the finish line, the clock said 2:03:xx, so I knew I had beat that time (as the clock was displaying the gun time and I was in the second corral). I was happy knowing that I had just finished my second fastest half marathon! It's funny how when I go into a race with no expectations, I end up surprising myself. I had to walk around a little bit to get my heart rate back down, I didn't realize how hard I had been pushing until I stopped! I got my medal and some water, said hi to my friend Jessica who was working in the finish chute, then headed into the finisher's area.

I got in line for my finisher's shirt and found a few friends to chat with. Everyone had a great race, lots of my running friends set new PR's! I think the weather played a major factor, we could not have asked for a better day for a race! Brandon and I finally found each other, he had smashed his PR goal with a 1:52 finish! That's almost 20 minutes faster than his previous PR, how amazing! He, Serena and I went to the beer tent and got some Lakewood Brewery Company beer to celebrate.

Running and beer, what could be better?

My official time was 2:01:20, much better than I would have thought I could do and about 10 minutes faster than last year! The DRC Half was a huge confidence boost and a great way to finish off Week 16 of training! It's hard to believe we're in the home stretch, December 8 will be here before we know it.

This week's plans:

Mon 11/4: Strength training (legs)
Tues 11/5: Base/easy 1:20
Wed 11/6: Vinyasa yoga
Thurs 11/7: Base plus strides 1:30
Fri 11/8: Recovery :50
Sat 11/9: 18 mi long

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 6 Complete

Last week's workouts:
Sun 8/19: Yoga for Runners, 25 min
Mon 8/20: 30 min recovery run (3.11 mi, 33:22)+ Gaia Flow Yoga (Ocean Practice, 90 min)
Tues 8/21: DRC training group, 1 hr base/easy (5.83 mi, 1:01:35)
Wed 8/22: Rest or strength training
Thurs 8/23: 50 min base/easy (3 mi, 35:00)
Fri 8/24: 30 min recovery run
Sat 8/25: DRC Training Group, 12 mi (12.65 mi, 2:17:26)

First things first, our friend Brandon is improving every day! He was taken off the respirator on Friday, had his neck brace taken off Saturday and was moved out of ICU on Sunday. Yay!

On Wednesday, my calf felt a little sore. We had done a little off-roading (not trail running exactly but definitely off the beaten path) and I was also wearing new shoes. Wednesday was a planned rest day from running and Thursday I woke up ready to get my run on. Unfortunately, I felt pain immediately and knew something was not right. I cut my run short and went home to ice and foam roll. I took Friday as a rest day and did more icing and foam rolling. By Saturday morning, it felt much better, but was hurting again not long after we started our 12 mile run. I stretched really well on our 8 mile water stop and the rest of the run felt a little easier. However, by Saturday afternoon, I was really hobbling around and going up and down stairs felt horrible.

Sunday I did yoga, foam rolled and iced some more. I called my doctor's office first thing Monday morning and they managed to fit me in that morning. Luckily, the doctor thought it was just a minor muscle strain and recommended rest and some prescription strength anti-inflammatory meds. I'm already feeling good this evening, but I'm definitely going to continue to rest most of the week to make sure everything is healed up.

So no plan for this week, I'll do yoga as many days as I can.

Have a happy and healthy week!

Rock & Roll Half Marathon Training: Race Week!

Last week's plans:
Mon 3/12: Yoga for Runners podcast, 25 min
Tues 3/13: 2.5 mi run + upper body strength training
Wed 3/14: 5 4.2 mi social run
Thurs 3/15: Rest or easy yoga
Fri 3/16: 3 mi run
Sat 3/17: Yoga class
Sun 3/18: 6-7 mi run

Not bad, considering that work has been crazy. My boss asked us to all come in early and stay late, so I've been doing 11 hour days and it's going to be the same way this week, too! Add in the time change and it was a challenging week.

Tuesday I got up extra early to do my run and came across a fox in the neighborhood! So strange, I have never seen one in person before. It looked like a cat at first-- it was running several yards in front of me and keep in mind it was still dark out. It wasn't until I saw its head that I realized it was no cat! It was so odd to see a fox in our neighborhood which is so urban. He must have been looking for bunnies!

I did manage to make it to the social run on Wednesday night, it was great to run in the evening while it was still light out! We tried out a new route and then Michael, our friend Brandon and I decided to go a little further. We thought we would end up at 5 miles but not quite.

Saturday's yoga class was different than usual. I am used to a fast flow style of class. Our substitute instructor had us use straps to get really deep into our poses. It didn't feel difficult at the time, but I was super sore Sunday morning. Our run was really difficult, I was sore all over (my back especially) and it was very humid out. It was not a pretty run, but we did 7 miles as our last long-ish run before the race.

Whew! That was my exciting week!

This week's plans:
Mon 3/19: Yoga for Runners, 25 min
Tues 3/20: 3 mi run + strength training
Wed 3/21: 3 mi run
Thurs 3/22: Rest or easy yoga
Fri 3/23: 3 mi run
Sat 3/24: Rest or yoga
Sun 3/25: Race day! 13.1 miles!

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 7 complete!

Last week's planned and actual:
Sun 8/25: 45 min walk
Mon 8/26: 2.79 mi, 30:25
Tues 8/27: 5x hill repeats 4.6mi, 52:00
Wed 8/28: Recovery 45 min run 3.34mi, 42:08 + 60 min sweaty vinyasa practice
Thurs 8/29: Yoga and/or lower body strength training Rest
Fri 8/30: 60 min base + strides 5.09mi, 59:04
Sat 8/31: 13 mi long 13.35mi, 2:28:40

Tuesday's hill workout was tough! Our group met at Norbuck Park and ran to Flagpole Hill (and back afterwards, about 1 mile each way). At Flagpole Hill, we practiced springing and binding, basically long strides up one side, recovery jog as we went down, then high knees on the way back up. Whew!

I decided I wanted to make a Wednesday evening yoga class, so I got up early that morning to do my recovery run and my legs were crazy sore from the previous night's workout. Wednesday night's vinyasa practice had lots of warrior (lunging) poses, so Thursday my legs needed a break! Even Friday morning, they were still sore as I did my base plus strides workout. My pace was slower than it should have been, but the effort was definitely there!

Saturday morning's long run was a fun one, though very hot and humid! I drank lots of water (and some Gatorade) throughout, but I think I sweated it all out and then some! We ran part of our route on the Santa Fe Trail, which I had not been on before. Once we were back at the lake, our group kind of separated and I stayed back with Brandon who was struggling a bit. We took a few walk breaks the last mile, but finished strong.

Sunday morning, I got up early and met a trail-running group at Big Cedar Wilderness Trail for a very fun run! I was hoping for a short recovery run, but ended up starting out with some more experienced trail runners for a 6.5 mile loop. I thought after a while I would drop back, but I kept up with them out of fear of getting lost! It was a really great run, my legs felt surprisingly fresh afterwards. Because trails are (obviously) a softer surface than road, it's much easier on your feet and legs.

A group shot after the run.

Today is Labor Day, so I'm off work. It's raining and I'm about to head to a vinyasa practice at the yoga studio. Is there anything better than yoga with the sound of rain in the background?

This week's plans:
Sun 9/1: 6.5 mi trail run, 1:16:54
Mon 9/2: 1 hour vinyasa flow
Tues 9/3: Speed workout, 8x400's
Wed 9/4: Recovery 45 min run
Thurs 9/5: Lower body strength training
Fri 9/6: 60 min base + strides
Sat: 9/7: 14 miles long (part of that will be the DRC Breakfast Bash 5 mile race)

Have a happy and healthy week!

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 4 Complete!

Last week's planned and actual workouts:
Sun 8/4: Bike ride 8.56 mi, 45:24
Mon 8/5: Base/easy 30 min run 2.67 mi, 30:01; hot yoga (60 min)
Tues 8/6: Base/easy 50 min run 4.51 mi, 50:18
Wed 8/7: Rest (getting a sports massage)
Thurs 8/8: Recovery 45 min run 3.48 mi, 41:04; lower body upper body strength training
Fri 8/9: Base/easy 50 min run 4.52 mi, 49:30
Sat 8/10: 9 miles long 9.3 mi total

Tuesday happened to be the hottest day of the year (so far) in Dallas! There was a heat advisory in effect and I think with the heat index it felt like 105. Whew! My shirt from the Too Hot to Handle 15K had come in so I decided it would be a good day to wear it. I wasn't the only one!

Jessica and Brandon had the same idea!

On Saturday, I did something a little different for my long run. My friend Stacey and I had decided we wanted to go to the Run On social run because there would be Brooks reps there to let us test the new Glycerins and Ghosts. They had also planned to do part of the social run on the new Northaven Trail so I was sold! Because I needed to get in 9 miles total for the day, I decided to run the extra miles beforehand, starting from my house and ending at the Run On store.

Michael and I went to see Kathy Griffin Friday night and didn't get home until late so it was really hard to get myself up and out the door early Saturday morning! But I did 6.3 miles before the social run and then left from the store with the crew for our run (and changed into the new Brooks Glycerin 11's). We actually ended up only doing 2 miles and only a very small part was on the trail so I was a little disappointed about that. (Usually the social runs have a 3 mile loop.) Oh, well, the company was good! I did another mile to get in my total before I joined everyone back at the store. We visited and got some Brooks goodies (tote bag and sticker) and then Stacey, Katie and I went across the street to Panera for breakfast.

Sunday morning, I planned on going to my favorite hot yoga class because it would be my last chance to use my American Power Yoga groupon before my 90 days expired. Unfortunately, I woke up with a terrible headache so a challenging, heated practice did not sound appealing. Instead I did an easy podcast at home and really stretched my hips out.

I've been keeping up with my August plank challenge, today I was up to 1 minute! I am terrible about doing ab strengthening, but it is so important to keep your core strong in order to keep your running form even.

This week's plans:
Sun 8/11: Hip Opening yoga podcast (20 min)
Mon: 8/12: Base/easy 30 min run
Tues: 8/13: Base/easy 50 min run
Wed 8/14: Rest
Thurs 8/15: Recovery 45 min run; lower body strength training
Fri 8/15: Base/easy 50 min run
Sat 8/16: 10 miles long

Have a happy and healthy week!

Rock & Roll Half Marathon Training: Week 3 complete

Last week's workouts:
Mon 2/27: Power Yoga class
Tues 2/28: 3 mi run + strength training
Wed 2/29: 3 5 mi social run
Thurs 3/1: Rest
Fri 3/2: 3 2.5 mi run
Sat 3/3: Yoga class
Sun 3/4: 11 mi run

The weather has been beautiful this week! And it has started to stay light for longer, so getting my evening run in on Friday was no problem.

Our friend Brandon joined us for the Run On! social run on Wednesday night, it was nice to have some more company so we did a 5 mile route. We couldn't quite keep up with the faster pace group, but we let them know before we left that we were following them (the store didn't have any maps for us) so they knew to make sure they were in our sight.

Sunday's long run was tough, my legs were sore from yoga class and just did not want to go very fast. We also started out later than I like (after 9:00am) so it warmed up quickly. But we finished!

This week's plan:
Mon 3/5: Power yoga class
Tues 3/6: 3 mi run + strength training
Wed 3/7: 5 mi social run
Thurs 3/8: Rest
Fri 3/9: 2-3 mi run
Sat 3/10: Yoga class
Sun 3/11: 12 mile run

This is the first time in half marathon training that I have gone over 10 miles for a training run. I have never thought it was necessary, but we'll see if this helps me finish a little stronger this time! I can't remember if I have already shared this or not, but Michael decided to run Rock & Roll with me, his first half marathon! It has been great to have a training and racing buddy. I'm glad this is something we can do together!

Have a happy and healthy week!

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 2 Complete

Last week's plan and actual:

Sun 7/22: 30 min cross train Yoga for Runners podcast, 25 min
Mon 7/23: 30 min recovery run 3.12 mi, 32 min + upper body strength training
Tues 7/24: DRC training group, 50 min base/easy 4.89 mi, 53 min
Wed 7/25: 30 min recovery run Rest
Thurs: 7/26: 50 min base/easy run 3.28 mi, 34 min
Fri 7/27: Rest Detox yoga, 22 min
Sat 7/28: DRC training group, 8 mi long 8.02, 1:27

These Tuesday night runs are going to be hard for me in the heat of the summer. I brought one of my small water bottles and had to refill at least twice. I'm thinking about getting a handheld bottle since I hate wearing the fuel belt. The rest of the runs I did in the early morning.

Saturday, our long run went great! I had ordered a new pair of Glycerin 9's on liquidation and was so excited to take them out for a spin. I noticed the laces didn't seem as long as I was tying them and thought it was odd. They felt good during my run, just a little tight even though I had room in the toe box. When I got home, I took them off, looked at the label on the tongue and realized they were a narrow. Fail! Back they go.

This week's plan is almost the same as last week's, just a few tweaks for scheduling reasons.

Sun 7/29: Rest
Mon 7/30: 30 min recovery run (3 mi)
Tues 7/31: DRC training group, 50 min base/easy
Wed 8/1: 30 min cross training (yoga)
Thurs: 8/2: 50 min base/easy run (5 mi)
Fri 8/3: 30 min recovery run (3 mi)
Sat 8/4: DRC training group, 8 mi long

Saturday's run should be interesting, we will do a relay race in three-person teams. Brandon, Lauren and I are Three's Company and we even have shirts! We will run as a group to the race start, run the race and then run a few more miles to round it out to about 8 miles.

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 5 complete!

Last week's planned and actual workouts:
Sun 8/11: Hip Opening yoga podcast (20 min)
Mon: 8/12: Base/easy 30 min run 3.07 mi, 34:32; Vinyasa yoga, 1 hour
Tues: 8/13: Base/easy 50 min run Rest
Wed 8/14: Rest 4.34 mi, 48:19
Thurs 8/15: Recovery 45 min run 2.5 mi, 30:15; 20 min elliptical; lower body strength training
Fri 8/16: Base/easy 50 min run Rest
Sat 8/17: 10 miles long 10.52 mi, 1:54

On Monday, I went to use a Groupon for a yoga studio in Carrollton, I had used one there before previously and really liked the studio. Unfortunately, I didn't read (well, didn't pay attention to) the fine print that said it was for new students only. They let me use what I had paid towards a class card so I went ahead and bought a 20 class card. It was more than I would usually pay for yoga, but I really like this studio a lot and the card doesn't expire for a year so I have plenty of time to use it.

On Tuesday, there were patches of storms in Dallas. They looked like they would pass over White Rock before my group run, but right when I pulled into the parking lot, the rain started coming down in sheets accompanied by lots of lightning. The run was delayed about 30 minutes, but unfortunately Brandon and I had plans to meet up with Michael and our friend Scott so we had to abandon the run and head out.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the only day that the weather messed with my running plans! Friday morning, I got up early to get my 50 minute base run in. It was raining and when I checked the radar online, thunderstorms were headed my way. I probably could have gone out and done something, but instead I got back in the warm bed. Hey, sometimes a girl needs her beauty sleep!

Saturday's long run was great! The rain throughout the week had cooled the temperatures down and there was very little humidity. We had a nice big group and played a game our coach Steve called "leapfrog." We run two-by-two, so every mile or so, the two people in the back would move to the front of the group. It was a fun way to move throughout the group!

This week the forecast looks better, so I hope I'll be able to do all my planned workouts!
Sun 8/18: Detox flow yoga podcast (20 min); upper body strength training
Mon 8/19: 2.9 mi, 31:39
Tues 8/20: Base/easy 60 min run
Wed 8/21: Recovery 45 min run
Thurs 8/22: Rest
Fri 8/23: Base/easy 50 min run
Sat 8/24: 12 mi long

The August plank challenge is still going! I was supposed to hold a plank for 2.5 minutes on Sunday and made the mistake of doing it right after my arm workout. Ouch! I had to rest on my knees a couple of times.

Have a happy and healthy week!

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 18 Complete!

Let the taper begin!

Last week's workouts:
Sun 11/10: Rest
Mon 11/11: Base/easy :40 3.5 mi, 38:40
Tues 11/12: Tempo 1:20 8.53 mi, 1:21:41
Wed: 11/13: Vinyasa yoga 1 hour OR strength training
Thurs 11/14: Base plus strides 1:30 8.02 mi, 1:27:07
Fri 11/15: Recovery :50 3.14 mi, 39:59
Sat 11/16: 22 mi long 22.44 mi, 4:04:07

This week's training was great, I feel like I am finishing the season feeling confident about the Dallas Marathon!

Tuesday night our group did a tempo workout. We warmed up, then ran our tempo pace (around 8:50) for 20 minutes, ran easy for 10 and then picked it up to a tempo pace for another 20 minutes. We were supposed to do an out-and-back run but we actually figured out we could go all the way around the lake it we took a shortcut. So it was a fun, adventurous run! It was definitely a tough workout, too, the tempo pace was really hard for me to keep up with. The temperatures dropped significantly on Tuesday so at least we were running in the cold.

Wednesday I was happy to be able to make it to yoga, I haven't been to the studio in a couple of weeks. It was a great class, very challenging with lots of backbends and hip openers. Thursday my legs were pretty sore (from speedwork and yoga) but I managed to keep a pretty good pace for my run. Friday I ran a little shorter than scheduled and really slowly with some walk breaks. I wanted to make sure my legs were well-rested for our 22 mile run!

Saturday's run went great. It was actually really humid (about 95% humidity if I remember correctly) but the sky stayed overcast and there was a breeze, so it didn't feel that bad. We all made sure to take in plenty of water and electrolytes throughout the run. Myriam led us on the first 9 miles, then Clay met up with us to finish the run. (He is tapering for the Tulsa Route 66 Marathon next weekend.) We had great conversation and I think everyone felt strong through the run! I finished feeling very tired, but happy with the way my run went.

Post-run: me, Brandon, Clay and Jessica.

Now I am officially in taper mode! I'm still reluctant to set a time goal for the marathon, I think my main goal is just to beat my time last year. The weather is going to play a big factor in how confident I'll feel going into the race. At this point, the training is done and I feel like I've had a strong season. Now all that's left is to wait for race day!

This week's plans:
Sun 11/17: Rest
Mon 11/18: Base/easy :50 + strength training
Tues 11/19: Pace 1:00
Wed 11/20: Vinyasa yoga
Thurs 11/21: Base + strides 1:30 (plus I have a massage scheduled)
Fri 11/22: Recovery :40
Sat 11/23: 14 miles with fast finish

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 3 complete!

Last week's workouts:
Sun 7/29: Rest
Mon 7/30: 30 min recovery run (3 mi)- 3.35 mi, 37:00
Tues 7/31: DRC training group, 50 min base/easy- 4.71 mi, 50:41
Wed 8/1: 30 min cross training (yoga)- Gaia Flow Yoga, Mountain Practice (90 min)
Thurs: 8/2: 50 min base/easy run (5 mi) Rest
Fri 8/3: 30 min recovery run (3 mi)- 4.4 mi, 48:71
Sat 8/4: DRC training group, 8 mi long- 6.5 mi to and from race start (1:10:30), 2 mi leg of relay race (17:44)

Wednesday, I left work early enough to (barely) make it to Gaia Flow Yoga, where I had a Groupon I needed to redeem before it expired. I knew they had classes every weeknight at 6:00 but I didn't bother to check what class was on Wednesday nights. Turns out it was an advanced class, gulp! After 30 min of abs, we proceeded into an extremely challenging series with lots of headstands, standing splits and handstands with splits. I was sore before I even left: abs, glutes and biceps especially. Thursday was a much needed rest day!

Saturday I met up with my 4:10 pace group to run to the DRC Cross Country Relay Race. The race didn't start until 8:00am so we met up at 7:00am. That means I got to sleep in a little bit! Sad. Here is a picture of the Three's Company Relay Team, we got lots of comments on our shirts!

We ran 3.25 miles from the DRC Clubhouse to Norbuck Park for the race. The relay race was not exactly what I was expecting, it was almost a trail race and there were even hay bales we had to jump over (or run around). I was nervous about falling so I kept my pace slower than I probably needed to, but I made it across the finish line in one piece!

#118 Overall - #17 in our age group - 0:51:03
17:44 (Me = slowpoke)
17:25 (Lauren)
15:54 (Brandon= long legs)

After the race, I went home, showered and we hit the road for the Hyatt Lost Pines for a much needed getaway! Michael and I had a blast hanging by the pool and just relaxing.

This week's plans/actual so far:
Sun 8/5: Rest
Mon 8/6: Recovery run- 2.74 mi, 30 min
Tues 8/7: DRC Training Group base/easy- 4.63 mi, 50:55
Wed 8/8: Yoga for Runners, 20 min + strength training
Thurs 8/9: Base/easy, 50 min
Friday 8/10: Recovery run, 30 min + Gaia flow yoga (gentle flow class this time!)
Sat 8/11: DRC Training Group, 9 mi

Rumor has it that we have a hilly route planned on Saturday. Eek!

Dallas Marathon Training: Week 4 Complete!

Last week's workouts:
Sun 8/5: Rest
Mon 8/6: Recovery run- 2.74 mi, 30 min
Tues 8/7: DRC Training Group base/easy- 4.63 mi, 50:55
Wed 8/8: Yoga for Runners, 20 min + strength training
Thurs 8/9: Base/easy, 50 min- 4.25 mi, I'm not sure on the time because my phone died during the run. I was going super slow, though!
Friday 8/10: Recovery run, 30 min- 2.75 in 29:44 + Gaia flow yoga (My legs were feeling sore and I decided that sweating for 90 min was not a good idea the night before a long run)
Sat 8/11: DRC Training Group, 9 mi- We ended up at 9.4 mi, in 1:42.

Saturday's run was awesome! I didn't have my usual buddies with me (Lauren and Brandon couldn't make it), so I was a little nervous as I usually am in big groups where I don't know people well. I had also woken up with a sinus headache that progressively got worse throughout our run. :( I think running into the rising sun was especially unhelpful, so I ended up taking some good meds when I got home. (I didn't want to take anything before the run, I have learned the hard way that that is no bueno for my stomach.)

Other than the headache, it was a great run! We went off of the lake path and into the neighborhood next to it. We did sooooo many hills! It was an awesome workout and the weather was beautiful! It had cooled off overnight, it had only gotten up to 84 by the time we finished. So refreshing! (And a little sad that I consider the low-80's "cooled off!")

This week's plans:
Sun 8/12: Gaia Flow Yoga (Gentle Flow class, 60 min)
Mon 8/13: 30 min recovery run
Tues 8/14: DRC Training Group, 50 min base/easy
Wed 8/15: Rest or strength training
Thurs 8/16: 50 min base/easy
Fri 8/17: 30 min recovery
Sat 8/18: DRC Training Group, 10 mi