Xtend Barre – Ballet on Crack

OC Marathon Race – So What Happened!?

During a Not So Great Moment in OC Marathon

I’ve had over a week to reflect on my first (or would it be second?!) BQ failure at the OC Marathon. I am still at peace with what happened and I’m proud of myself for that PR, but I’m always looking to improve and I wanted to write an honest analysis of what I think went wrong.

After further discussions with Mike, Asia, and my coach (all of whom know me and my training best), we’re still not really sure why I performed below expectations at OC Marathon. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still thrilled about my PR, proud to have finished my third marathon, and relieved that training is now over and I can focus on wedding planning. However, I still wonder why I wasn’t able to achieve my goal when my training told me I could (not to mention my training partner Asia did).

After reading my race report, my coach still emailed me telling me he was “baffled.” All the data said I could run 3:30 (he said even 3:24) yet I ran 10 minutes slower. These are the things that I think contributed to me missing my goal to qualify for Boston at the OC Marathon:

1) The DNF at Eugene. Clearly having a panic attack and quitting a race that you built up for so long isn’t exactly a stress free event. Every marathon taper article I read advises that you avoid stress in the week prior to a race since it affects your performance more than you realize. Although I felt “fine” after the race, I still should have probably taken into consideration the stress it put on my body and realized that it would likely have an impact.

2) Extended/Awkward Taper. My planned taper was extended by the DNF at Eugene which likely threw things off a bit. My coach had me do some tempo intervals on Wednesday and while they did boost my confidence, they could have fatigued me a bit for the race. Key word could – we really can’t be sure!

3) Race Course and Conditions. I really do believe that my training was there for me to get my BQ at Eugene. Had I had not had what I think was a panic attack, I’m pretty confident I would have gotten that BQ. The race conditions were perfect and the course is know to be a fast one. Asia and I have ran and raced side by side and I know that we would have finished within minutes of one another (she finished 45 seconds behind me at the Hot Chocolate 15k just five weeks prior). The OC Marathon course was long and/or I ran the tangents incorrectly (I ran 26.51 miles), it was very windy (beginning miles and last 6 miles strong headwind), the temperature was higher than at Eugene (60s instead of 50s) and there were more hills than expected. I definitely don’t think these factors were the only reason I didn’t BQ, but they came into play and probably cost me a few precious minutes.

4) Electrolytes/Fueling. I didn’t “carbo-load” for this race, although I did increase carb intake, but not significantly. I tried to eat fairly normal to prevent the heaviness I’ve felt on race day in past races that I’ve over-zealously carbo-loaded for. On race morning, I made the mistake of not bringing enough cereal and I didn’t have a large breakfast. I had half a cup of a decaf/non-decaf mix of coffee because I heard caffeine can trigger panic attacks. I usually get some calories from the coffee creamer and sugar I put in so that was reduced. However, during the race, I think my fueling was fine. I took a Gu every 35 minutes and never had any GI distress or hunger. I only really used about a half a Nuun for electrolyte replacement, instead relying on my Gus to get me there. I ended up cramping and drinking Gatorade in hopes that it would help, but I think it was too late. Going forward I’ll be training and racing with electrolyte/salt tabs and eating a bigger breakfast.

5) The Marathon is a Beast. And of course, there’s the fact that no matter how “ready” you are for a race, no matter how many months of preparation you put in or how bad you want it, it won’t always go as planned. Marathons are long. Racing them requires a lot of focus. There were a couple miles in the beginning where I lost focus and my pace got a bit off track. The marathon is also a race that is so long that normal glycogen stores are depleted, requiring correct nutrition in order to perform well. A lot can happen and at the end of the day, anyone should just be proud to cross the finish line.

Happy to Have Finished!

What about my training? I don’t think I’d change anything. I got significantly faster over the last 7 months. My improved my half marathon PR by 9 minutes over the last 7 months – the same as my marathon PR at OC. I ran a 15k on a very hilly course at a 7:30 pace. My long runs went well. I felt strong on long runs and my tempo interval pace dropped significantly. I had been doing long runs of 18+ miles consistently since late October. The endurance was there, the speed was there. At one point I was 100% confident that I had Eugene in the bag. If anything, I need to work on my mental game. Toward the end of my training I started getting doubts and fears about the race. I got nervous, I put a lot of pressure on myself and then I ended up self-sabotaging at Eugene.

The most important lesson I can teach myself from this experience is that your mind can play serious tricks on you. Not only is it important to have “mental toughness” during a race and during hard training sessions in order to conquer pain and push through, it’s equally important to come into the race with a calm, confident attitude. There is no room for self-doubt or anxiety in racing. I need to be confident in myself and in the work I put in and focus on what I can control and know that I can handle the things in stride that I can’t control (i.e. weather, a crazy crowded start, a long course, anything else that comes my way).

So when will my next attempt for a BQ be? I’m not sure yet, but I can tell you it won’t be in 2013. For now, I want to focus on strength training and running speed at shorter distances. In 2014 I’ll put in a solid 4 month training period for a full marathon, but until then, there will be no 16+ mile long runs. I’m going to enjoy being engaged, marrying my best friend and having a wonderful Italian honeymoon. I’m ok knowing I won’t be at the 2014 Boston Marathon but I will be there in 2015!

What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned during a race?

The Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge

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On Saturday a team of my co-workers and I completed the Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge,a 5k course filled with crazy, game-show style obstacles held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. I organized the event as a company team building activity and was really happy with the turnout and the course (we only have about 25 employees in our office so 9 was pretty good!). We decided to wear bright and/or neon colors and some of us got matching crazy socks for the event.

Our wave was supposed to go off at noon but they were still sending off the 11 a.m. waves. They were breaking the groups up into 10 minute segments to avoid pile ups at the obstacles. I definitely think this was a great idea, although it didn’t completely stop lines from forming. As soon as we started a group of five of us (four girls, one guy) broke off. The first obstacle was simple – just crawl through some tubes. The second obstacle was really cool – we climbed up onto some platforms via a rope and then bounced on trampolines between platforms (they advised two bounces, I found three worked for me). At the end, we took a fire pole down.

After running a bit more we hit more obstacles, including one of my favorites – a water slide! We grabbed big inflatable tubes and ran up a hill and then slid down a crazy slide into a pit of muddy water. We kept running and hit up more obstacles. Some were simple like just literally jumping over a wall, scaling short concrete dividers and a tire run. Some of the more difficult ones were the monkey bars (So slippery! Only Allison made it across without slipping off!) and the rope swing over a mud pit (was somewhat simple/easy but it was intimidating at first). There was also an obstacle where you had to walk across a rope over a mud pit while holding on to a rope above. The tricky part was that a guy was there to try to shake you off! We saw a young boy in front of us get knocked off and he fell right over the bottom rope and was hanging over it for several seconds. After that happened, we told the guy NOT to shake us!

Toward the end was some of the best obstacles. Unfortunately these had really long lines, up to twenty minutes each! The first one was “The World’s Largest Moon Bounce” and was basically a bounce house with low walls. Once they let us on, we all rushed onto it and then tried to jump up on the higher tier and all failed and bounced back. It was pretty hilarious watching us all attempt to bounce, crawl, and climb up onto the second level without assistance. Once we made it up we took advantage of the bounciness and hung out and bounced a bit – I felt like a kid again!

The next big obstacle reminded me of Oh Sit! We waited in line quite a while then got up on a platform and had to run/walk over barrels over the water. The barrels rotated so you had to keep your balance perfect to make it across. On top of that, two huge red balls were spinning above and you had time to it to make sure they didn’t hit you during one of their rotations. I made a good attempt but still didn’t make it across! Only one in our entire group made it!

The last obstacle was awesome! It was a HUGE slide and contained the finish line. Once you go to the top, the guy scanned your chip to get your time and then you slid down. Honestly, I don’t know why they bothered with timing chips at this race because the lines were so long there is no way you could compete. It ended up taking us over 1.5 hours to make it through the obstacles and 3.1 mile course.

Despite the lines, we still had a blast! We all decided we’d love to race again next year and hopefully our group will be even larger! Post race we enjoyed a beer and then headed home to relax. I was actually really tired from it all! I kept my effort low to moderate for the entire event since I’m only one week out from my last marathon, but just being out there for so long was tiring! And of course, I was sore the next day, mostly in my back and arms. A sure sign I need to get back to the weight room!

Allison and Me – We Made It!

Have you ever done a race like this? Would you want to do it?

Ironman Makes Swim Starts More Safe

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Ironman CdA Swim Start 2012

In breaking, non-running related news, the Ironman just announced that they will be making several significant changes to the swim portion of the Ironman race. Statistically, the swim is the portion of the swim that most fatal incidents occur and it is typically the leg of the race that gives participants the most anxiety. I’d say at least half of the people who I tell that I was training for or have complete an Ironman tell me that they could never do it because of the swim. There are a variety of reasons that they proclaim they “can’t” do it – some physically don’t know how to swim, some just don’t like to swim, and some have a deep fear of the open water. These fears mixed with race day nerves can unfortunately lead even the most experienced athletes to avoid triathlon or the Ironman distance all together.

Last year when I raced CdA, there was a man who unfortunately did not make it out of the swim. This was the first swim death at IMCdA in over 10 years but it definitely startled the triathlon community. I found a study that analyzed USAT sanctioned events from 2003-2011 and found that out of the 43 athlete fatalities during a race, 30 occurred during the swim. The most plausible cause of the deaths were “sudden, fatal arrhythmia — a primary cardiac problem” and the cause of death is not related to factors such as length of swim, swimming ability of the participant, or type of swim start.

There are probably several reasons why these sudden fatalities tend to occur in the swim, but they are probably aggravated by the anxiety and nerves the participants feel leading up to the race start. Once an attack begins, if a participant is swimming it is much more difficult to signal for help or stop exercising completely to get help than if they are running or biking.

Luckily, Ironman is addressing some of the reasons that athletes may feel anxiety going into the race by adjusting it’s swim starts at several of its North America events.

First, the following changes will be made:

1) Some races will have modified swim starts rather than a mass swim start (IMCdA, IM Lake Placid, IM Mont Trenblant). This will help reduce pre-race anxiety and fear of being hit, punched, kicked or swam over during the race. Also, since there will be less roughness in the water, this will also prevent swimmers for panicking while being swum over or kicked (not to say it will prevent these things all together but it will reduce them).

2) Whenever possible, athletes will be allowed to get in the water for a pre-race warm-up (this helps soothe nerves and creates less shock when the athlete enters the water for the first time).

3) Swims with temperatures under 52 degrees and over 88 degrees will either be shortened or canceled. Swimming in water not within this range can be dangerous and should be avoided.

4) The swim course will be easier to navigate with numbered buoys. Even better, there will be swim rafts positioned on the course that athletes may rest on without penalty.There will also be additional personnel and rescue watercraft on the course to assist those that need it (there were already way more personnel at IM events than the requirement).

I really like these changes and I definitely think that Ironman is doing the right thing in adding them to the race. I personally had extreme anxiety going into IM CdA, mostly as a result of my fear of being pummeled during the mass swim start. As a woman, it was very intimidating to think about running down a beach into a lake with 2,000 people, most of which are big, strong men. IM CdA’s modified start will basically be a self-seeded wave start. As soon as an athlete crosses through a threshold, then can run down the beach and begin the swim. This will begin at 6:30 a.m. with the intent of all athletes being in the water by 7 a.m. to allow the full 17 hours to complete the course. Athletes will have 2 hours 20 minutes to complete the swim course after the final swimmer enters the water.

At the same time, I do feel like that experience of “Ironman” is slightly altered with the non-mass swim start. That is part of the excitement and also part of the pride you feel when you tell people you did an Ironman. Is that worth safety? Probably not, but I do see why many will be disappointed in these changes.

Although I’m not sure that these modifications can prevent sudden cardiac arrest in some individuals, I do think that it will reduce some anxiety and stress which could in turn help prevent some episodes. The new safety measures will also put many triathletes fears at ease and provide a much safer environment for racing.

For the complete article from Ironman, click here.

What do you think of these new standards? Does the Ironman swim start scare you?

OC Marathon Race Report

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Surprise! I ran a marathon this weekend. Although some people knew, I tried to keep it mostly private to avoid extra pressure for the race. Of course, my intent was to qualify for Boston at this race and I picked it with the help of my coach via text within an hour of my DNF at Eugene. Originally I’d thought I’d race Mountains to Beach Marathon (know to be a big BQ race) but it was sold out and I considered San Diego RnR but I knew that race would be crazy crowded too and I already have plans to be out of town that weekend. My coach said OC would be fine – would be good actually since it was only one week out and we could just add on to my taper from Eugene. I actually had run my last 20 mile run 2 weeks before Eugene so it would just be a fairly average 3 week taper (with an extra light 2nd week).

Since I grew up in Orange County, I have friends and family there so Mike and I ended up cooking my usual pre-race pasta dinner at my friend (and bridesmaid) Jill’s house with her husband and our mutual friend (and also bridesmaid) Jenny. I’d actually already had plans with them that day – they were going to come to San Diego for a visit – so it worked out well. My Dad and Step Mom could be there on the course to cheer me on and my Mom could make it to the finish line.

I told close friends and coworkers as well as some people at Eugene about the race, but I didn’t make a peep on Twitter, Facebook or my blog about the race. I had some race jitters the day before but not nearly as bad as the heart pounding anxiety I had while trying to fall asleep the night before Eugene.My main concern going into the race was the crazy winds that were ripping through Southern California. The forecast showed up to 15 mph winds on race day. Based on the direction, I guessed they’d be at my back for the majority of the race but I knew that the final 6 miles would be into the wind so that made me nervous.

4:45 AM Start Line Picture

Race morning came EARLY because the marathon start was 5:30 A.M. My assigned shuttle from the finish to the start was 4 a.m. so instead I had Mike drop me off at the start line around 4:40ish. It was odd to be at a race completely alone but it was also calming. No pressure. I used the bathroom 3 times (for future racers – there are some porto-potties near the runner drop off that have no lines – the ones near the bus drop off got long!), warmed up and got in my corral – Corral 1. I noted that the 3:35 pacer was in my corral but didn’t pay attention to him otherwise because I didn’t plan to use him.

I basically started five rows back from the front and due to the fact that the vast minority of runners do the full marathon (about 2,000 compared to 8,000 in the half), it was not crowded at all at the start. Since the first few miles had some downhill, my plan was to cruise but not go faster than an 8 minute mile for the first five. Then I was to back it down to an 8:10 then pick it up to 8 min/miles for 10-20, then give it all I had for the final 10k (coach’s instructions – 7:50 pace). Same as Eugene, my estimated finish time was around 3:30.

The first mile felt pretty good. I knew going into it that there were some inclines on that first mile so I should not be worried if my pace was slower than 8:10 since the next mile would definitely be faster. We ran through the parking lot of the mall and up some slight inclines and as my legs warmed up they felt better. The first mile ticked off on my Garmin at 8:15. Not bad. As we left the mall and ran toward Corona Del Mar, a beautiful beach side community in Newport Beach, we enjoyed a very nice long downhill portion. This is when the 3:35 pacer passed me while I was running in a the mid-high 7s, so I didn’t try to keep up. Mile 2 ticked off 7:51 and I knew I did the right thing not following them.

Miles 3 and 4 looked like they were still a bit downhill according to the course elevation but they really seemed to just be full of small rollers. We ran past all the shops in CDM then ran through the neighborhood to the coast, passing gorgeous multi-million dollar homes propped up against the ocean. The headwind was hitting every time we headed South and it was noticeable enough to cause a change in pace depending on which direction I was running. Miles 3 & 4 8:08 and 8:10. Right on track but not as fast as I had hoped. Mike had parked nearby and was running between the streets as we wove through them so I was able to see him at least four or five times during this stretch which was nice. I was in high spirits and feeling good. I shouted at him at one point “right on track.” My Garmin said my average was about 8:07.

Miles 5 & 6 felt good – I finished them in 8:00 and 8:09 but also started to realize I was either running the tangents poorly (I swear I was running them perfectly – especially since there weren’t many other runners so I had a direct path and rarely had to weave to pass people) or the course was a little long. Maybe both? Not sure, but already by mile 6 I was about 0.10 behind the mile markers, meaning I knew I’d be running at least 26.3 miles that day, but likely more. My coach had told me even though I could bank some time miles 1-5 because of the declines, I should keep the pace at around 8:10 for 5-10. I remember being thankful for the cool weather and lack of sunlight, but also remaining cautious of the winds. The wind is not your friend.

Miles 7 and 8 were the first indicator that it could be a hard race. We were slowly making our way back up that nice decline we had at mile 2 – via a different route, but nonetheless, I knew the uphills were more prevalent than the down. We ran up a path in a small park that led us up to a cliff overlooking a lagoon which was beautiful. Gorgeous homes lined the path and it was very scenic, but I didn’t love the hills. I told myself just to run based on effort and not worry so much about the pace for these miles, and unfortunately that meant the pace was slower than targeted – 8:20 and 8:18.

After mile 8 clicked off I knew I had some catching up to do so I picked it up a bit more and knocked off a 7:58 pace for mile 9. My average pace per Garmin was still on track – around 8:07 or so, but I also knew I was getting further behind those mile markers and I had to make up some time. The pace just didn’t feel as easy as I knew it should and around this point was my first indicator that it may not be my day. However, I told myself, rather than slow down now and lose time, I need to at least keep up with my pace, even if it feels faster than it should. Based on my experience at Surf City Marathon where I was able to run a basically even split the entire time (8:47 pace), I knew that miles 1-14 should feel really easy if I was going to be able to maintain or pick up the pace at the end. Unfortunately, they didn’t, but I didn’t give up hope yet.

Mile 10 was 8:11, which I told myself was fine since my goal pace was 8:10. I knew it was time to pick it up and Miles 11 and 12 clicked off at 8:02 and 7:58. However, they didn’t feel as easy as they should. Somewhere around this point is when we broke from the half (not that any half marathoners were running since they had a later start time) and this is when the course got significantly less scenic. I’d been warned via the yelp reviews and blogs I’d read about this race so I was prepared, but honestly it was a pretty boring second half! However, I was so in my head with my paces and everything else that it didn’t bother me too much. If you are running this race for “fun” and to get a good view of OC, I’d pick another race. If you are trying to run really fast, I’d also skip it.

When I hit 13.1 (13.3 on my watch), I was disappointed that my watch said 1:47:20. Halfway to 3:35 is 1:47:30 so I knew I was cutting it VERY close. I also knew I was already tired. The thought of running another 13.1 miles at the same pace seemed daunting. Just after we crossed the 13.1 marker we hit a pretty big incline and just over the top I saw my Dad and Step Mom for the first time. I tried to act like I wasn’t tired but I had just scaled a big hill so I probably didn’t look that happy! It was great seeing them though and I was glad for their support.

Despite a little setback after scaling that hill and knowing I was cutting it close, I reminded myself that this is what I worked for. This is what I put in all those hours of training for. This Moment. Dig Deep, I told myself. You can do this, I reminded myself aloud (I spoke to myself more during this race than I ever have before – maybe the lack of fellow runners/crowds made me feel like it was a good idea?). The next few miles I got some sort of energy boost. Hope crept back into my mind and I just kept telling myself to forget picking up the pace, just focus on maintaining.

Mile 14: 8:08

Mile 15: 8:08

Mile 16: 8:04

Mile 17: 7:48

Mile 17 is when there was a small out and aback and I saw the 3:35 pacer for the first time since mile 2. I thought to myself Catch Them!!! And picked up the pace. Mike saw me sometime around this point and he said that I looked really strong. I was ready to do this. Only 9 miles to go. Not too much longer in the pain cave. Let’s go!

The momentum I had at mile 17 slowly waned and Miles 18 and 19 faded to 8:08 and 8:11. Sometime during Mile 19 we ran through a High School parking lot (yes, I kid you not) and that’s when I saw Sarah . She had told me last weekend in Eugene that she’d be at the race to pace another friend so I wasn’t surprised when I saw her. I was getting really tired at this point, and I called out to her. She asked if I wanted to be paced and I said sure! She asked what pace and I said 8 – 8:10. The wind was in our faces at this point so I told her to run in front of me. However, My breathing was too hard, my legs were too heavy, and I was clearly struggling.

Although I had literally just been on pace, this was when things went downhill. I knew these evil miles were coming and I’d been mentally preparing for them, but when they arrived, I wasn’t ready for them. Miles 20-24 are down a lonely concrete path next to the river bed. This “river trail” may sound scenic, but really it’s a concrete path next to an empty concrete river bed. We were running south and the wind was in our faces, blowing hard. I couldn’t keep up with Sarah. She was running my pace as I asked her to and I just fell behind. I wasn’t able to draft off of her because she was running too fast (clearly not her fault – my pace was too sporadic to be able to easily run just ahead).

Knowing that I had to literally maintain my pace and I had nearly no cushion to work with, this is when I knew what was going to happen. Instead of looking at my watch and freaking out, I just focused on effort. I kept up my effort and just kept chugging along. Sarah was really awesome and gave me words of encouragement and tried to help the best she could, but I was so deep in the pain cave at this point that nothing could help. My thoughts went from BQing to praying for the race to be over.

Oddly enough, I was ok knowing my BQ wasn’t going to happen that day. My thoughts were actually surprisingly positive. Every mile marker was a flag that had written on it a reason “Why I Run,” presumably submitted by runners themselves as reasons why they put their body through 26.2 or 13.1 miles. I had been reading them the entire race, but during these miles they were particularly inspiring to me. I focused on the fact that I could run. That running makes me healthier. That running has been the inspiration for this blog which gives me so much joy. That running makes me part of an amazing community. That as long as I didn’t have to walk, I’d still PR. That I was going to finish my 3rd marathon that day. I should be proud no matter what happens. I mentally celebrated the fact that after I crossed that finish line, I didn’t have to think about training for a while. Heck, maybe I didn’t even have to run a marathon ever again!? I just tried to look on the bright side.

After pacing me for about 3ish miles, Sarah jumped off and headed back to find her friend to pace. I thanked her for her help. Later I saw her as she passed with Monica (EatRunRepeat) and several other runners and she told me to get in their group and out of the wind (yes still running into a headwind, all alone, since there was no one to draft off of). I tried to keep up, but I just couldn’t. I can’t remember if it was now or another point when I saw Sarah that I told her, “I’m going to finish and I’m going to PR!” letting her know that although the BQ wouldn’t be mine, I’d still be proud.

Mile 20 : 8:28

Mile 21: 8:47

Mile 22: 9:02

Mile 23: 8:54

Mile 24: 9:11

I remember hitting mile 24 and bemoaning the fact that I still had 2 miles to go. My watch was now nearly 0.30 miles ahead of the mile markers so I knew I would be running at least 26.5 miles that day. My legs were exhausted, my breathing heavy. I had refilled my water bottle 5 times now (I’d take off the cap, run through the chute and pour 4-6 cups of water in it) yet was still so thirsty. I was cramping in my feet and legs so I’d started drinking gatorade (I had put half a Nuun in my bottle around mile 16 but the other half disintegrated my running sleeve). I wanted to walk so bad but I knew I couldn’t. I wanted to PR. I vaguely thought it’d be nice to go sub 3:40 but I really didn’t care enough to push it harder. I just wanted to cross that finish line. I wanted to be done.

Mile 25 – 9:20

Mile 26: 9:05

My family had gone to the finish line so I didn’t see anyone from Miles 20 to the finish. The miles went by in a blur. They seemed so long. I fantasized about finishing and just laying on the grass immediately and drinking gallons of water. I wanted relief. I was in pain. The marathon is a beast. I had forgotten how hard it was to race one.

My watch showed that I had run 26.2 miles even before I hit the 26 mile marker. Around this point I also made it through two main roads where they were letting traffic pass and stopping runners. Luckily I wasn’t stopped by I felt for those that did get stopped because I don’t think I could keep going if I had to stop at mile 25.9. I saw the OC Fairgrounds where the finish line was held and I was so relieved to almost be done. I couldn’t muster up much energy, but I was able to pick it up a little bit at the end (final 0.51 miles 8:13 pace). I saw my Dad first, then heard Mike and my mom cheering me on to my right, then saw my Step Mom just before I crossed the finish line. Relief.

THANK YOU Mike for Waking Up at 3:30 AM and Driving/Running All Over Town for Me!

With My Dad and Denice

I didn’t cry. I was just happy. Relieved the race was over, relieved my training was over, relieved I didn’t have a huge goal looming over my head. The worst had happened last weekend in Eugene and I think it eased me into accepting that getting that BQ may have to wait a while. I did lay on the grass for a bit, fulfilling my mid-run pain-inspired fantasy, but my legs were so achy and my heart was still pounding so I decided I better keep moving. I found my family and they timidly approached me, not sure how I’d be feeling. I greeted them with huge hugs and smiles and said “I did it!I finished! I’m so happy it’s over!”

My final time was 3:40:52. Under the old standards I would have qualified for Boston. I was 11th in my age group (originally it was 10th! Somehow I got bumped back) and only 5 people in my age group even qualified for Boston. Despite the disappointment that I did not achieve my goal, I am supremely proud of myself for achieving a 9 minute marathon PR and even more proud of finishing the race. The marathon is an incredibly difficult distance – I respect it even more now than I ever have. I’ve read the race reports of friends who tried to BQ and have also failed. All their training and tune up race times indicated they’d do it too and they just didn’t. As to why it didn’t happen for me or for those others, it’s hard to pick just one thing. What I do know is that I’m a much faster runner than I was 7 months ago and that won’t go away. I also believe that my race time doesn’t completely reflect the training I put in, but I’m at peace with that.

Look for another post soon with some post-race reflection on what may have gone wrong as well as review of the OC Marathon itself, but for now, I’m going to just continue to celebrate my accomplishment and enjoy some much deserved rest!

Coaching Girls on the Run – Season 3

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My third season as a coach for the amazing program Girls on the Run is coming to a close. Yesterday was one of my absolutely favorite practices and it really reminded me why I coach. If you need a recap on how the program Girls on the Run works, you can read the post I wrote when I first began coaching in the Fall of 2011. In a nut shell, Girls on the Run is a not for profit program for girls age eight to thirteen years old which combines training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the programs are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development (summarized from gotr.org).

For the last two seasons I’ve been coaching Girls on Track, the Girls on the Run Program tailored to slightly older girls, ages 11-13. Nearly all of the girls in the two groups I’ve coached have been in 6th grade (11-12 years old). For me, personally, 6th grade was a really rough year for me. I was growing into an adolescent but I was kind of still stuck back in childhood. Some of my friends were starting to “hang out” and talk about boys at lunch but I was still playing hopscotch. It was an odd year for me as I began the process of becoming a woman yet still felt like a child. It was also my first year of middle school (luckily these girls are still in elementary school in 6th grade), so in the midst of all these changes I was also thrust into a new school with new social expectations. As a very shy girl, it was a rough year to say the least.

This season has been awesome because the girls are smart, cooperative and friendly. In past seasons there have been a disruptive clique of three that have made it difficult to move the lessons along, but this time my team is comprised of wonderfully behaved, talkative and amazing girls who all support and uplift one another. Four of the girls from the previous season returned this time so I also was able to build stronger relationships with these girls.

Honoring Each Other With Kind Words

The season is reaching and end and yesterday we had a really fun lesson where we honored each other. For our “warm-up” game, we had each and every girl sit in the center of our circle and then we went around and each said a few kind words about the girl in the center. Each girl was beaming with pride by the time they left that spot in the center. All of the girls considered their words wisely and thought of wonderful things to tell their fellow teammate. I even got to have a turn in the middle and the girls made me feel incredibly special. They all told me I’m pretty, but the compliment that touched me the most was when one of the girls said “you are a really good coach.” It meant a lot to me.

After all of the praises had been sung, we had our final workout. This time I decided to run too and ran around the track in the opposite direction as the girls. Each time I reached one of them I asked them to tell me a favorite memory from the season or something they learned. Although most of them started by telling me they liked capture the flag (they ask to play this every single practice) or the scavenger hunt, they other most common answer was that they liked running with their friends.

I’m so thankful to have found this program and to be able to hopefully help these girls become better prepared to handle the challenges of adolescence as they enter middle school next year. Yesterday at practice I told them a little of my story – that I had been made fun of when I was in middle school but as I grew older I realized that those people who made fun of me were doing it out of their own insecurities. I told them that they all should all be proud to be who they are no matter what anyone tells them. I’m not sure if anyone actually digested my words but even if just one girl remembers my advice one time I will be glad that I shared.

The Awesome Blog Community

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I’ve had this tiny space of the internet here for a little over 2 years now. My blog (and the twitter account I opened at the same time) began solely to document my experience going through the home fitness program P90X while also training for my first marathon, but it has evolved over time. When I first started writing, only a few people listened. My posts were focused mostly on describing P90X – the workouts, the nutrition program, and ultimately my results.

As time went on, I started to open up more and share more of my personal life. The more I opened up, the more people seemed to read. Ironically, I found, it wasn’t really the information about running, working out, or nutrition, that people wanted – they wanted to get to know a person who was going through something that either they were also going through or were curious about attempting. I started to notice I had regular readers (via their comments or tweets) and I got feedback from readers that I was inspiring them to achieve their own goals. Over that first six months or so, writing this blog started to mean much more to me than just a creative outlet for me to document my experience and keep me on track – it become a way to connect with others, build relationships, and enter a community.

Never have I been so happy to have started this blog than I was this weekend. My Eugene marathon race weekend was a true testament to how incredible the “virtual” running community is. This weekend I strengthened my friendship with Page, a fellow blogger who I bonded over the inter webs via over our lack of cycling (and triathlon) experience while we both trained for our first Ironman (Page is doing Ironman CdA- check out her blog!). I also got to meet a few of the bloggers whose blogs I’ve been reading for months or even a year or two (Sweaty Emily, SarahOuaL, Jocelyn , EnduroTwerd/Megan, fellow San Diegan Patty, and ALMOST met Sarah) as well as met a whole crew of bloggers/runners that I didn’t follow on Twitter and/or read their blogs previous to this weekend (including Lora who I met on the plane, Courtney who I met at the expo, Corey who offered amazing support post-non-BQ, and SO many others!).

Running Friends at the Expo with Our Favorite Pancake

Running Bloggers!

Despite having an absolutely worst case scenario thing happen to me at Eugene (although a big part of me thinks worst case would have been to continue the race, finish and then have to recover and train all over so this wasn’t 100% worst case), the weekend was AWESOME! No matter how odd it may feel at first to meet someone in real life that you semi feel like you are stalking because you read their blog and know more about their life than half their friends and family, it is totally worth it to introduce yourself. All of the bloggers I met were so down to earth, so real, and SO nice. Like crazy nice. Everyone was in such a great mood at the shake out run and expo – everyone so pumped to achieve their goals, whether it be a BQ, PR or a “training run” (ahem, Page). At the post race party, everyone was so excited for those that did achieve their goals and so supportive or those that didn’t.

The best thing about the running blogger (or just running period) community is that they are so accepting. Everyone is competing against themselves, not each other (somewhat unlike triathlon where people are hunting each other down using the age printed on the back of their fellow athlete’s calves as honing devices- albeit I still think people are supportive its just a bit more competitive with one another). People are so happy for each other’s accomplishments and are sympathetic for their failures. Nearly every single person I talked to about my race experience had a story to share – We’ve all been there. Bad races happen. The amazing tweets people sent me with words of reassurance and encouragement after the race were even more numerous than the ones I received after I achieve my goal of completing an Ironman. I read every message and every message made me happier and stronger. It helped with my healing tremendously.

Just some of the supportive words

But this weekend was just an example of how awesome and supportive the running community is. The incredible response to the Boston Marathon tragedy is a great example of how runners have each other’s backs. The running community as a whole mourned the tragedy together and then rose up together to support those that were affected directly as well as help heal all of us who weren’t directly involved but felt the sting of betrayal that day.

This weekend fueled my fire to get back out there and get that Boston Qualifier. I want to toe that start line in Hopkinton with all of my incredible fellow runners and run side by side with them for 26.2 miles before crossing the most famous of all marathon finish lines. If it’s not in 2014, then it’ll be another year, but I will get there.

Last, THANK YOU to all the Twitter followers, readers, blogger/runner friends, real life friends and family who have cheered me on over the last two years as I’ve attempted, achieved and failed at my goals. Your support means everything to me.

And, if you ever see me at a race, on the road, in the airport, or on the streets – say hi!

Have you ever met a fellow blogger IRL? Do you feel the twitter and blogging community for runners is a positive, supportive one?

The BQ That Wasn’t

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I just arrived home from a really fun race weekend in Eugene. All in all, it was a great weekend full of getting to know new and old friends, eating at yummy new restaurants, and lots of girl talk. Unfortunately there wasn’t as much running as I had hoped but in the end, it wasn’t all for naught. I learned a lot about myself as a runner this weekend as well as earned even more respect for the marathon distance. I didn’t earn my BQ – I didn’t even finish a marathon – but it was definitely a weekend I won’t forget.

Pre-Race Festivities

Friday morning I made my way to Eugene, prepared for a long travel day by myself. Asia was on an earlier flight with a different airline and I’d meet up with her and Page at the airport when I landed. Luckily I was reading a pretty awesome book (Gone Girl – highly recommend!) so the day went quickly. On the 2nd flight on a small plane to Eugene, I was seated next to an athletic looking woman with a foam roller in her bag so I immediately asked if she was running the race. Her name is Lora and I was right!

We quickly got to chatting about how we both were going for our BQ and shared our stories with each other for the next hour and a half of the flight. Turns out, I had just found her blog via Twitter just days before (yes we shared Twitter handles – the plane needed to go back to the terminal for maintenance check so we were able to turn on our phones and that’s when I made the connection). It also turned out that we were both on the same Google Group emails that a group of runner bloggers had created to keep track of the various meet-ups for the weekend. Small world!

Thinking About All the FAST People Who Have Run on This Track

Once we arrived in Eugene, Page and Asia were waiting with the rental car and we gave Lora a ride to her hotel ( we were not strangers anymore!). We were all hungry so we headed straight to a vegan friendly restaurant that I had found on Yelp and dug into a big bowl of chips and salsa and delicious, healthy bowls full of brown rice, black beans, sweet potatoes, plantains and tempeh. Delish! Page and I washed it down with a beer and we had a great time getting to know each other better (Page and Asia had never met IRL). After dinner we headed to the University of Oregon track where legend Prefontaine himself used to run and where the Olympic trials are held. The track also served as the finish line for the marathon on Sunday. It was fun to see it and imagine ourselves achieving our goals there.

Pre Shakeout Run with Some Awesome Gals!

After a relaxing night on Friday, we woke up refreshed on Saturday and immediately headed out for a pre-arranged “shake out run” with a big group of fellow runners and bloggers (many of which are Oiselle ambassadors). I was blown away by how amazingly welcoming and friendly all of the bloggers are. It was really fun to meet people who I have only known via their Twitter handle or blogs. It was also awesome to meet even more great women who I didn’t know via their Twitter avatar previously. The shake out run felt fine on my legs – it was just an easy run.I stretched afterward for a bit (probably not as much as I would have had I been at home) and then after more chatting we all went our separate ways in search of food.

Shake it out!

Post Shake Out Run

Vegan French Toast!

Asia, Page and I found a yummy all vegetarian/vegan restaurant that served breakfast. I was wooed by the promise of vegan french toast (although I ordered it with a side of eggs and a soy sausage so the breakfast wasn’t fully vegan) and the coffee was delicious. Post breakfast we headed back to the hotel for showers and more relaxing before heading to the expo.

The expo was small but well run. There was a banner prompting runners to send well wishes to the Boston Marathon and we all signed it. While at the expo we ran into even more of our blogger friends and also saw Lora from the plane ride as well. We went back to the room for more relaxing before heading out to a local vegan restaurant that had a simple marinara pasta on its menu for dinner. The meal came with vegan garlic bread and a yummy soup but unfortunately our pasta was stone cold. We awkwardly sent it back and started to notice some of the things we had read on the (4/5 star) yelp reviews – dirty floors, odd people. The pasta came back luke warm rather than cold but I ate it anyway. Page took hers back to the room with intentions of microwaving it later but never at it. #EugFail

Silliness at the Expo

Photo With New Friends and a Pancake

Cold Pasta in a Shady Restaurant? Perfect Pre-Race Dinner

After dinner we went back to Hayward field to get more pumped up about the race and we took a bunch of fun photos on the historic track and in front of the recently constructed finish line. We were back in our hotel room before 8 p.m. to get ready for the next day, relax and get in bed early. Once I got in bed, I got really nervous about the race and I had a hard time sleeping. My mind was racing and my heart was pounding and I just couldn’t get over the nerves. Eventually, I did and fell asleep and didn’t wake up until morning.

Hayward Field

Race morning went just as planned. First I opened the card that Mike had written to me to be opened on race morning. It gave me a boost and I also found myself wishing here was there. I ate cereal that I had brought from home with almond milk we got at Trader Joes and even drank the same type of coffee and creamer I always do thanks to a 711 being right across the street from our hotel (free entrainment from the drunk Everything seemed fine pre-race and my nerves never got as strong as they were the night before.

After bathroom breaks, warm-up, etc, Asia and I found ourselves in the front of corral C, the largest of the five corrals. We stood slightly behind the pacer (who we had talked to at the expo and had told us the first mile is usually a bit slow due to the crowds but he picks it up for the 2nd mile and t hen runs even splits. We had decided we might start with him and then play it by ear), listened to the national ant hum nervously and soon we were off!

The Race

It was incredibly crowded at the start. The most crowded start I’ve ever experienced at a race. And it seemed that despite being near the 3:35 pacer, no one was running fast. Our watches were telling us we were at times running in the high 9s. The pace group picked it up a bit through the first mile and used a downhill as momentum so my first mile ended up being just about on pace. It was really difficult for me to run anywhere next to Asia (we both had our individual plans but we had thought we’d at least stay together for the first few miles) and I kept trying to catch up to her but I’d get blocked or elbowed by someone. I finally got up near her about 3/4 of the way through the first mile and commented that we should have started at the back of the B corral to avoid all this craziness. I told her it was making me anxious. Mile 1 ticked off at 8:09 average – right on pace.

During Mile 2 the pacer started to really pick it up. My watch showed we were running in the mid to high 7s for quite a bit of it and I flipped the screen on my Garmin to the average pace for the lap and saw it was in the high 7s. I immediately scaled it back and started to fade away from Asia as she kept up with the pacer. My race plan had me going around 8:10 min/miles for the first 10 miles so I knew I had to back off from the pacer. It was stressing me out to keep up with the group and with Asia anyway so I just let myself fall off a bit. When the second mile clicked off was just a bit fast – 8:03. I consciously slowed down for the 3rd mile and kept my watch on the lap mode so I could see my average pace for that lap only, not my current pace. I felt good – it felt easy. I felt like I could maintain the pace for a long time. My breathing was easy. I was going to do it. Mile 3 -8:10. Perfect.

As soon as I started mile 4 my lap average pace showed I had actually slowed down to about a mid 8:20 pace. The pacer was getting farther ahead of me and I picked it up a bit. I looked for Asia, thinking she must have picked it up and passed the pacer by now and I didn’t see her. I told myself to focus on my run. Mile 4 was a 8:11 pace, but my average was still perfect – around 8:08 at this point.

Somewhere during the 5th mile (it was right before a short incline), I suddenly got a bit nauseous, my heart beat really fast, and my body was overcome with chills. Then an exhaustion set over me which I could feel most prominently in my arms. I suddenly went from easy running to feel like I’d hit the wall. It felt like I was on mile 22 of the marathon, not 4 or 5. I panicked a bit – wondering if I was having a heart attack or something. I wondered if this was how people felt before they died in marathons (a little dramatic but I honestly was so confused). I slowed way down. My pace dropped, I tried to catch my breath. I chugged up the hill and enjoyed the slight decline on the other side. I thought maybe my blood sugar had suddenly dropped so I took a Gu even though it wasn’t time (this makes me sure that this all happened before 40 minutes when I was scheduled to take the Gu). It didn’t help.

My legs felt heavy. My breathing was hard. I was running high 8/low 9 min miles and I felt like I was sprinting. It was bizarre and scary. I passed by the first medical station because I knew stopping meant I was pulling out of the race. I wasn’t ready to pull out yet. I needed to see if it would go away. I kept running. It kept feeling hard. I started getting passed by basically everyone. I was no longer running the right pace. I let myself run like this for another mile. I watched my average pace start to drop. I cringed as I ran over the 10k timing mat, knowing people were tracking me and would wonder why I slowed down. I felt exhausted. I slowed more.

My mind started to go crazy. WHAT WAS HAPPENING!? How could this happen? My dreams were being crushed and I felt I had no control over it. I knew I couldn’t pick up the pace and maintain it for 26 miles. I knew that my BQ dreams were over. I didn’t feel like running 1 more mile, let alone 20. I decided I would stop when I saw a medical tent. I knew that the first 9 or 10 miles of the race was a loop just south of the campus and then it headed north, so I knew we were heading back to the finish line. I kept looking for a medical tent so I could make sure I was ok. I stopped and asked a volunteer where the next one was. He didn’t know. I kept going. I probably looked miserable because I was. I knew my race was done but I didn’t want to walk. I just slowly jogged, silently crying as I was passed, as my average pace got slower and slower. My mind started racing with thoughts about which race I would try to run next. If I dropped out now, I knew that given that nothing was seriously wrong with me, I could race again soon.

I turned the corner close to the mile 8 marker and saw a pretty significant hill. I knew that it was time to walk. I looked to my left and saw a building with an empty parking lot. I veered to the side and immediately started to cry. Not cute tears, huge, aching, sobs. I sat on the curb and bawled my eyes out into my hands. A man came over and asked if I needed help. I asked him where the medical tent was and he said it was probably up near mile 8. I thanked him and kept crying. Then I called Mike who of course was shocked to hear from me. I told him everything and cried. I then texted my coach to tell him what had happened and we started to brainstorm future races.

After composing myself, I took off my bib and shoved it into the belt I use to carry my phone. That was the worst part. I’ve never dropped out of a race and this DNF came at the worst time. I walked back to the finish line, which was luckily only about a mile away. I was shivering because it was cold (yes perfect race weather!) and I texted Page, knowing she probably was finishing the half by now. I looked for medical and never saw it. By then I was feeling just fine and didn’t think I needed to get checked out. I went to gear check and soon realized Page must still be in the finishers area so I waited there for her. I saw some of the girls that I had met the day before and I tried to pretend I didn’t see them because I didn’t want to break down again. When I saw Page I couldn’t hold back the tears and she hugged me and comforted me.

I tried to look on the bright side. At least I dropped out when I did and didn’t have to wait 3 weeks to fully recover from the race. At least it happened early on. I guess. You lose some, you win some, I told myself. Everyone has a bad race, and I was due for mine. I’ve PRed at every single race I’ve ever done except one. I’ve been lucky and today wasn’t my day.

Asia About to BQ!!!

It was so awesome to go watch the marathon finishers come in. Page and I cheered on all the finishers from about 2:55-3:35 and it was an inspiring way to wrap up an emotional morning. The best part was seeing Asia coming down the street, knowing that she had achieved her goal of qualifying for Boston. At least if I didn’t do it, I knew my training partner did. After the race we ate a delicious meal and celebrated with beer then relaxed and showered before meeting up at Ninkasi Brewing for an after party. Lora (from the plane ride) and several other bloggers/runners were there and it was fun to hear everyone’s race stories. Some girls achieved their goals, others, like me did not, but everyone was still in good spirits and it was a fun afternoon of drinking good beer in the sun.

Figuring Out What Happened

I tried working though all the possibilities of why something like this could have happened. At first I considered the shady pasta I ate the night before from the dirty cafe. I considered the fact that I forgot to take my birth control on Saturday night so I took it Sunday morning instead (which I never do). I thought of everything I could. Only later did I realize after talking to some friends who have had them and doing some research, that I think I had a panic attack. I’ve never had one mine my life but the description seemed to fit. In several articles it compared the way your body feels after panic attack to having just completed a marathon. Panic attacks wipe your energy out. I think I panicked for a variety of reasons – most monumentally the pressure I’ve put on myself for this race. I’ve been training for 7 months for one goal. I’ve told everyone I know (and many I don’t know who read this blog!) that I’m going to BQ. Being around all the running friends that weekend put additional pressure – many others were trying to BQ and they all knew I was going for it. I had told myself that Eugene was my one and only chance to qualify for the 2014 Boston Marathon because I would be busy wedding planning after this. Lots of pressure on one race.

The crowded corrals didn’t help. The birth control probably didn’t help either (hormonal changes can affect panic attacks). The large coffee I drank contributed as well I’m sure. It was the perfect storm and unfortunately it hit at the wrong time. But at the end of the day, it happened and I’m moving on. I’m not letting this training go to waste – I will be running another marathon soon. Now that I think I have a better understanding of what happened I hope I can control things a bit better so that it never happens again. Less pressure, more fun. Start at the front of the corral and NEVER run with a pace group (too crowded, too many people jockeying for position). Control what I can and know that no matter what happens, I should be proud.

Eugene Marathon Race Plan

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3 days until race day and everything is falling into place. The sluggishness in my legs from last week has gone away and instead my runs have seemed easy – like I’m holding back and I can’t wait to let go. I had another sports massage yesterday and the masseuse commented that my left hamstring which has been tight for weeks seems to be back to normal (and I agree). I met with my coach last night for the final pre-race pep talk and game plan and it was a confidence booster.

Race Plan

My coach loves data – I think most do, but he really seems to love it. He came to the meeting with a cool chart that shows exactly why he is so confident that I will run a sub 3:35 marathon on Sunday. He marked off some of the key races I’ve had from the Long Beach Half until now and there is definitely a big improvement in my fitness level over that time! It was really cool to see it in graph form and although I already can tell from my workouts that I’ve gotten faster, it was nice to have it reconfirmed. Below, you can see the blue line is my fitness level and it has gone up and up and up (the dip in late Nov/Dec is our trip to Belize). The red line is the training load and the yellow line is how rested I am. If you’ll notice, the last few weeks I’ve added a lot of training load and not much rest, which is probably why I was feeling so tired toward the end of that cycle. But the hard work paid off because it increased my fitness. According to this, I’m even faster than I was at the Hot Chocolate 15k.

My coach really believes on a perfect day I could run a 3:26 marathon. However, our pacing plan is built around a 3:30:14 in order to be safe. My qualifying time is 3:35 so if for some reason I’m not able to pick up the pace after the first 10 miles as planned below, I will still qualify. Here’s the plan:

First 10 miles at 8:10 pace = 1:21:40

Second 10 miles at 8:00 pace = 1:20

Last 10km at 7:50 pace = 48:34

Finish time of 3:30:14

Basically, I will be “holding back” for the first 10 miles. This pace should feel easy to me but I shouldn’t let that feeling cause me to pick it up. I need to consciously work on holding back. After 10 miles, I can release a little bit. He says this method works (3 segments – 10 miles, 10 miles, 10k) not only for the physical benefits of starting out slower and allowing a proper warm-up but also psychologically it works well because in the first 10 miles feel like a breeze (or somewhat of a breeze) and by the time you get to mile 10 you are ready to get the party started. By Mile 20, if I really have paced myself properly, I should be able to pick up the pace to sub 8 and finish strong. The psychological benefits of this are even greater because most people struggle during those last 6 miles and I will be passing a lot of people.

I’ve only run 2 marathons (Ironman marathon would be the 3rd but it doesn’t really count in this sense) so I can’t really say I have a ton of experience with 26.2 miles. I do know that no matter what, those last 6 miles hurt. Especially the last 2 miles. The above pacing plan in my mind seems great but I do know realistically those last 6 miles are going to hurt like hell, even if I am able to pick it up. Even if I don’t pick it up, they will hurt. But, that’s why I’ve pushed my limits during training and gotten myself used to dealing with that pain. I’m ready for it.

Other than the pace there are a few other things I need to think about to ensure I have a good race. The course has a lot of turns so I need to be really conscious of always running the tangents, even on the path along the river which will have slight curves that I won’t realize are there. I am planning to carry my handheld and refill it at least once. I’m going to unscrew the lid, put the lid in my pocket (my Lulu capris have huge pockets so this works well!) and then approach the aid station and ask some of the volunteers to dump their water into my bottle. If they aren’t able to help me, I’ll just stop and refill. But I think that carrying the water bottle will help me so that I can ensure I’m getting lots of small sips of water throughout the race and also ensures that I will always have water when I take a Gu (one every 40 minutes, as always). At some point in the last 6 miles I will most likely ditch the water bottle as I’m sure it will feel especially heavy in my hands at that point.

Asia and I Running Our First Marathon Together

Also, I plan to run the majority of, if not all, of this race with my bestie Asia. I think we are both trained to qualify for Boston and I love having her by my side during races. We push each other and make each other better runners and I’m so glad she is making the trip to Eugene with me to run! We tend to split up toward the end of races but usually we stick together for the majority so I’m expecting that to happen at Eugene.

Eugene Travel Plans!

I fly into Eugene on Friday afternoon and will be meeting up with Asia (running full) and Page (running half – but as a training run since she is training for Ironman CdA). We are renting a car and staying at a hotel about 2.5 miles from the start but less than a mile from the expo, which is also one of the free parking areas with a free shuttle the start on race day. There are SO many bloggers headed to Eugene and I can’t wait to meet them! Some people are meeting near the river for a shake out run on Saturday followed by breakfast and there is a big celebration at a local brewery at 3 p.m. after the race. I really hope that Asia and I are celebrating a BQ!

The biggest thing I need to focus on for Friday and Saturday is NOT eating a ton of junk and NOT walking/standing for too long. In the past I’ve made the mistake of carboloading too much and eating crap food. Before the San Diego Half I tried a new strategy – instead of switching my diet to the typical pre-race diet of white flour carbohydrates, I just ate what I normally do – brown rice, veggies, whole grains, fruits, etc. I ended up feeling great on race day. My plan for the next few days is to eat slightly more carbs in general, but not overdo it. The biggest meal will be brunch/lunch Saturday and I will probably eat pasta for dinner on Saturday but nothing too crazy. Taking Gu during the race will be enough fuel to get me through 3.5 hours.

Tracking

Eugene does have a live race tracker and a finish line camera! If you want to track me, my bib number is 2462. The link for athlete tracking is: https://register.bazumedia.com/event/tracking/eventID/3271 The race starts at 7 a.m. so I expect to be finished by 10:35 ! I’m guessing the race day finish line video will be on the main website http://www.eugenemarathon.com/ .

WISH ME LUCK!!!!

Are you running Eugene!?

Eugene Marathon Race Week!

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Race week is here! It’s official! I got my final race instructions, the weather forecast for Sunday is showing up on my iPhone and the taper sluggishness is in full effect (it may even be starting to wear off).

Despite having a pretty tough long run at the 2 week-to-go mark (20 miles with last 6 @ MGP), these last 2 weeks of my taper have been lower mileage weeks than I have run before my past two marathons (that’s one big advantage of having a coach -he can tell you what to do during training and what NOT do during taper). Last week I experienced quite a bit of sluggishness – I was very tired despite sleeping 8-9 hours a night and my legs felt tight and heavy on every run. Despite knowing this was a side effect of the taper, the doubts started to crawl into the back of my mind.

After Long Beach Half

However, this week is a new week and time for a new attitude. I’ve put in the work and now it’s time to reap the benefits. I’ve been training VERY hard late September for this race. That’s over 7 months of tempo intervals, tempo runs, strides, recovery runs, speed work, and long runs. Countless 5:30 a.m. wake up calls and lonely miles, many of which were before dawn. I’ve worked my butt off and I know I deserve to qualify. Back in October at the very beginning of my training I ran the Long Beach Half Marathon and tried to break 1:50 and failed. I couldn’t even run my BQ pace for 13.1 miles and I knew I had work to do (finish time was 1:51:32). I kept working hard and got my half marathon time down at the Surf City Marathon in early February down to 1:46:37. That’s when I knew I would be cutting it close and I needed to hire a coach. With his help , I ran a half marathon 5 weeks after Surf City nearly 4 minutes faster (1:42:48). Finally my race times according to McMillian’s Pace Calculator were telling me I could qualify.

In the Pain Cave at Surf City Half

Hard work and dedication have provided me with the fitness and mental toughness to qualify for Boston on Sunday at Eugene. I’ve gotten used to being uncomfortable thanks to my coach’s tough tempo interval workouts. Knowing that he would be analyzing my data after each workout motivated me to push myself to the brink each time, often feeling like I was going to throw up because I was working so hard. During those last 6.2 miles of the Eugene Marathon I hope to pull out my memories from those hard workouts and remind myself that I can push through. I won’t give up.

#EatCleanUntilEugene

My motto post Easter weekend binge was to Eat Clean Until Eugene. I promised to cut back on sugar (1 dessert/week), avoid all alcohol and stop drinking coffee. I can’t say that I did any of those things (oops), BUT I have been eating pretty clean. I’ve had a drink or two on several occasion but never more than 2 in one sitting. I’ve had dessert, but not as frequently as in the past and usually just coconut milk ice cream or some dark chocolate. And coffee – well, we’re back together. I can’t quit you coffee!

Loooove Coffee

I’m not beating myself up about the above. I really have been eating a mostly clean, plant based diet and I feel good for it. I could have cleaned it a bit more but at the end of the day, I’ve done just fine.

Taper Schedule

My taper workout schedule this week looks like this:

Monday: Yoga (as always)
Tuesday: 4 mile easy run
Wednesday: 30 minute run with middle 15 minutes @ 8 min/mile
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 3 miles easy with 3 x 100 m strides
Saturday: 2 miles easy
Sunday: 26.2 Miles in 3 hours 30 minutes (more on my coach’s pacing schedule in the next post!)

In addition the above, I plan to eat well, sleep a ton, stretch, foam roll and get a sports massage (Wednesday). My left quad and IT band are still feeling tight but actually feel better after I went after them really hard with the running massage stick on Saturday (it was actually sore to the touch on Sunday but now is better!). And of course, starting Thursday I will be upping the carb intake (but not too much as I have in the past!).

Race plan coming soon!

What is your favorite thing about the taper?

Fitness Fatale

Conquering Fitness Goals One at a Time