2012 Goals

Happy New Year's Eve! Today's post will spell out my fitness goals for 2012 and I'll explain briefly why I want to accomplish some of them.

• Run one race a month that is at least 13.1 miles long
• Why? I only want to do this to feel awesome 
• Races for which I've already registered:
• January: Walt Disney World Half Marathon
• February: Rock 'n' Roll St Pete Half Marathon
• March: Sleepy Hollow Half Marathon
• April: Unite Half Marathon at Rutgers University
• May: New Jersey Marathon
• Races for which I plan to register (when registration opens):
• September: Lehigh Valley Health Network Half Marathon
• November: Philadelphia Half Marathon
• Are you planning to run any 2012 half marathons?  Let me know since I need 5 more.  It would be fun to run with friends.
• Run a marathon in less than five hours.
• Why? I think it would be awesome.  My Philadelphia Marathon time was so close!
• My only planned 2012 Marathon is the New Jersey Marathon but if I don't make it then I'll add another.
• Qualify for the 2013 New York City Marathon
• Why? I want to run the New York City Marathon!
• How?  Join New York Road Runners (done) and run at least nine NYRR races then volunteer at one.
• If you want to do this too, you need to join NYRR by January 31, 2012.
• Do at least 15 minutes of strength training every day
• Why?  Get some tone other than in my legs, prevent leg injuries
• I have a leg routine from my physical therapist
• Do you have any favorite arm/ab/back routines?
• Lose more weight
• Why? Recently got engaged and want to look great on my wedding day; carrying less extra weight will make me faster!
• By eating carefully and working toward my other goals, this should be easy!

Stay tuned for progress and wish me luck!  Also, join me in some of these races!

2011 Year end summary!

It's good to look at the accomplishments of the past year as it winds down.  In the beginning of 2011 I had the goals of running a half marathon and losing some weight.

I surpassed my half marathon goal by running two half marathons and a full marathon.  In addition I ran several other races for a total of 10 for the year.  I also made great improvements in speed as I continued to train.  Bear in mind as you look at the table below that I expect to be slower for longer races.  This is why my average pace/mile doesn't steadily decrease even though I've made progress on the speed front.

Date	Race Name	Distance (miles)	Time	Pace/Mile
3/27/2011	New York CCC 15K	9.3	1:54:53	12:21
5/21/2011	Brooklyn Half Marathon	13.1	2:29:22	11:24
7/9/2011	Boomer's Run to Breathe	6.2	1:03:09	10:11
7/30/2011	Founders 5k	3.1	0:29:55	9:38
9/24/2011	Fifth Avenue Mile	1	0:07:52	7:52
10/1/2011	Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon	13.1	2:17:53	10:31
10/22/2011	Sleepy Hollow 10k	6.2	0:59:43	9:37
11/5/2011	NYRR Dash to the finish line	3.1	0:27:25	8:51
11/20/2011	Philadelphia Marathon	26.2	5:01:36	11:30
12/10/2011	NYRR Jingle Bell Jog	3.7	0:34:09	9:10

As a result of training for races and paying close attention to diet I also managed to lose 50 lbs in 2011!  

I would say the year has been a success! Stay tuned for next year's goals.

Running Christmas Gifts!

As I've mentioned before, 2011 was my first year of running seriously.  So this was the very first Christmas where I received running related gifts.

My parents got me new running shoes.  This will be my third pair of Brooks Defyance 4 Running Shoes.  I switched to them in May 2011 and stopped suffering from black toenails after.  Running shoes need to be replaced every 300 - 400 miles so a new pair is always a great gift!

My sister Jess made a scrapbook with photos from all of my races in 2011.   This was such a great, personalized gift!  She included the finisher certificates from the Disney Wine and Dine half marathon and the Philadelphia Marathon.  This was especially great since I hadn't bothered to print them myself.  Getting a book for the year's races is also fun since I can store all the race bibs.  I hope to have similar scrapbooks each year as I continue running (@Jess, hint hint ;)).

Scrapbook Cover

Sleepy Hollow 10k Page

Philadelphia Marathon Page

Running DOES Improve Mood

We've all heard of the runner's high.  When people mention it to me I typically nod in agreement.  But I was never sure that I'd actually experienced such a thing.

However, I have noticed that going for a run when I'm under a lot of stress or just irritable does make me feel better for the remainder of the day.  Today I woke up in a fog.  At work I felt irritated.  Fortunately I was able to work alone for most of the morning so my grouchiness only led to an unpleasant inner monologue.  But thoughts like "You are so dumb, any idiot could do this better than you." do no lead to any improvement in mood.

When lunch and a diet coke didn't take me out of the fog, I bumped up my planned run from 5 PM to 1:30 PM.  I got back to work at 2:30 and I was happily productive for the remainder of the afternoon.  Yay endorphines!

Next time you're feeling miserable for no good reason, you should try a run!

1000!

Today I completed my 1000th mile since I started tracking runs in late 2010!  How did I get so far?

I ran my first 5k in Septemeber 2010 but then took a break from running for a bit.  It wasn't until I signed up for the Brooklyn Half Marathon in spring 2011 that I started to take training seriously.  Starting out was downright hard.  I was out of shape.  Running just one mile was difficult and I thought that achieving a sub 10 minute mile was impossible.  The largest motivation for sticking with it was that I committed myself to money for Millenium Promise.

I don't know when it happened but at some point I started to enjoy the runs.  This must have been a result of being in better shape and not hurting as much afterwards.

Even now, after 1000 miles, it is sometimes tough to get out there and start the run.  Today I really had to build up motivation.  When I went to run it was 24° F outside.  I told myself that after the first half mile it would be fine.  It was.  I even managed to get too hot toward the end of the run.  I have never regretted going for a run but I've certainly regretted not going.

Finishing Sleepy Hollow 10k; running isn't always easy but it is always worth it!

Vacation Workouts

Whenever I take a trip out of town, I pack running clothes.  I've found that unless the trip is specifically for a race, I don't make actually end up running anyway.  Despite my lack of runs, I usually don't feel too bad. Most trips provide a great opportunity for cross training.  If I'm not on a trip where I spend the whole day walking, I usually find myself swimming or hiking enough to make up for not running.

A few weeks ago, Alek and I went to Puerto Rico.  On our last day there we had planned to lay on the beach and swim before catching our 10PM flight.  Alas, when we woke up it was raining.  Clearly not a beach day.  After some indecision over what to do we headed to El Yunque Rainforest.  Once there, we decided to do a 1 mile out and back hike up to Mt. Britton Tower.  The tower is located on a peak that is 3,088 ft high.  The hike out was nearly all up-hill and fairly steep at some points but definitely doable for us.  Of course, this means the hike back was nearly all down-hill and quite easy.

While it wasn't raining too hard when we started, the skies opened up by the time we reached the top of the peak.   The small streams that we passed on our way up gave way to rapids on the way back.   It was an awesome thing to see.  Despite being completely soaked, we were both happy that we did the hike!

Alek and Wendy at the top of Mt Britton tower

2011 NYRR Jingle Bell Jog

Saturday I ran my first post marathon race - the NYRR Jingle Bell Jog 6k.  The race was held in prospect park and it was a great time.  All entrants were given bells for their shoes, making the holiday spirit present throughout the course.  The sound of bells jingling, my Christmas song playlist, and various elf, santa, and reindeer costumes made the run in prospect park feel like much more than just another run in the park.

When we were in Disney World for the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon in October, I picked up a Yeti hat.  This was the perfect opportunity to wear it.  The hat did make me a bit hot, but I wanted it in my photos and so I kept it on.

In early November I finished the NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5k with an average pace of 8:50/mile.  This new official NYRR pace has bumped me up from one of the last starting corrals to the middle of the pack.  For the Jingle Bell Jog I started the race 3 minutes off the gun rather than 14!

I finished with a time of 34:09 (9:10/mile).  After finishing I took Alek's "Run ALL the Miles!" sign to cheer other runners.  Unsurprisingly, everyone loves that sign.  As we left the park, runners and spectators alike gave us smiles and called it the best sign ever!  Go Alek!

Beware the Yeti!

Now What?

It's been 5 days since I completed the marathon.  The muscle soreness is gone and I haven't run nearly as much as I'm used to.  Where do I go from here?

For this week, the first after the marathon, I'm following Hal Higdon's marathon recovery plan.  The plan allows me to slowly ramp my mileage in a way that will help to avoid injury.  Yesterday was my first post marathon run.  It was a slow two miles.  But it felt good to be back out there, especially knowing that later in the day I would be eating a tasty Thanksgiving dinner!

On Sunday I'll move on to Hal Higon's post marathon training plan.   Judging by the mileage in the plan, running the Walt Disney World Half Marathon two weeks after completion should be no problem.  I don't expect to set any personal records at that race but it'll be fun anyway.  I'll also be starting a new marathon training cycle on January 1 for the New Jersey Marathon on May 6.  Let me know if you're interested in running in NJ with me; you can run a half or a full!

First Marathon!

I did it!  26.2 miles in 5:01:37 for an 11:30 average pace!

Saturday my mom made an early Thanksgiving dinner (thanks, mom!) allowing me to finish my carb load with stuffing and sweet potatoes.  After dinner, Alek and I drove to our hotel in Philadelphia and went to sleep around 9 pm.  On the drive down I started to feel really anxious.  I knew I could finish, but what if the experience was so rough that I'd never want to run again?  How sore would I really be afterwards?  Would I even be able to run the whole thing?

After some restless sleep on Saturday night, I was up at 4am on Sunday for breakfast.  I had a bagel, a banana, some gatorade and coffee.  At 6, we headed down to the start area.  At 7:20, my corral was off!  I was feeling great.  Around mile 5, the crowds were thick and random people were calling out "Come on Wendy, you've got this!"  It was all so overwhelming, at several points during the race I started to tear up.  These people who I didn't know were cheering for ME!

At the halfway mark I was still feeling quite good.  I saw that my parents and Rebecca had made it and I paused for a moment for hugs.  Shortly after I passed Alek with his "Run ALL the miles" sign.  The sign is an instant smile bringer.

After mile 14, I made a restroom stop.  The line alone made me lose roughly 5 minutes but these things can't be helped.  After the break, I kept going - still feeling good.  But I knew the worst was ahead of me.  Around the 17th mile I started to feel exhausted but I knew I could push through.  I had a banana and after about 20 minutes I regained enough energy to get me through to mile 22.

Around mile 22 my back started to cramp.  I'd never experienced back cramps in my long runs and I couldn't run through it.  I slowed down, had some water and a gel and after a bit it was ok.   I started to run again, but had already been passed by the 5 hour pacing group.  I knew that I likely wouldn't finish in less than 5 hours.   By mile 24, I was a little teary-eyed at the thought of being unable to finish in less than 5 hours.  I told myself that I would never run another marathon.  After a few minutes I was able to push on in a run again knowing that less than 2 miles remained.  There was one final water station just after the 25th mile.  I stopped there for some gatorade so that I would have energy for the final stretch!

The final stretch!

I passed my family and Alek again.  I knew I had it.  They were at mile 26.  Then I made it!  I crossed the finish line.  Despite needing to do "marathon walk" just like all of the other runners, I decided that this is something I'll try again.  After all, I need to run a marathon in less than 5 hours!  

Finish line photos!

I ate my way through the rest of Sunday, ending the day with a celebration dinner with my whole family, including my older sister Jess and her family.  It was a great finish to a wonderful but challenging day!

Eating for a Marathon

I mentioned that I had some nutrition issues during my first half marathon in my last post.  I started seeing a nutritionist in June.  I learned that my vegetarian diet lacked the protein required for marathon training.  After consulting several times with Lisa at Nutrition Energy I had a more sustainable food plan.  I noticed the difference too. I began to feel far less tired after runs.  Even after a long run I no longer needed to spend the rest of the day lounging around.  Fage greek yogurt has become a staple of my diet.

...Until now.  I started carbo-loading on Tuesday.  Lisa suggested that I start earlier since this is my first marathon.  The idea is to replace most calories from protein and fats with carbs.  Carbs produce glycogen, the compound responsible for fueling muscles.  Carbo-loading allows you to top off your muscle's glycogen stores leading up to the event, allowing for better performance during the event.   It isn't quite as easy as it sounds because many carbs come with lots of fat.   This isn't a free pass to eat all of the sweets I want.  Rather, my diet now consists of more Powerade, rice, pasta, and fruit.  Greek yogurt is out until after the marathon on Sunday.  I'll be quite happy when I can get back to my normal breakfast of greek yogurt with peanut butter!

When running long distances you also need to consider how to refuel during the run.  I typically take a 30 second to 1 minute walk break every half hour while I have a Power Bar gel and sip some water.  I use a camelbak to carry 3 liters of water and it has nice pockets for the gels.  I've found that the camelbak (even the larger size) doesn't chafe as long as its isn't touching skin.  It also gets lighter as time progresses which makes speeding up for the second half of the race feel natural.

Running a Half for the First Time

All of my spring 2011 training was in preparation for the Brooklyn Half Marathon on May 21, 2011.    My longest training run before the race was 12 miles.  While I thought 13.1 would be manageable,  I wasn't completely sure.

The race started with two laps around Prospect Park then went down Ocean Parkway to finish at Coney Island.  The first two laps were no problem.  There were people cheering in the park, that made running really exciting.  Exiting the park took me up to mile 7.  Immediately after the route took the runners down a highway ramp that was closed for the race.  I'll admit, I thought that running down a highway ramp was pretty damn cool.  However the stretch down Ocean Parkway was difficult.  There weren't as many spectators cheering and it felt like it went on forever.  Around mile 10, I started running with another woman who had noticed that I'd slowed down.  She helped me through the last 3 miles by encouraging me to walk a short distance so that I could finish strong.  By the time we got to the boardwalk, the crowds were back and I was able to cross the finish line with a smile.  My parents, Rebecca, and Alek were there waiting for me.  Sharing the excitement of my first half marathon with loved ones made it feel much more special.

My goal had been to finish in 2:30, and I just made it with a finish time of 2:29:22!

Its worth mentioning that I made some mistakes during the half marathon.  I hadn't been training with any sort of gels, so I didn't use any for the race.  I also avoided the Gatorade at the fluid stations in favor of water.  Later I learned that after about an hour and a half of activity your muscles need some sort of fuel to keep going.  For the rest of the day, every time I sat down to do something I dozed off.  A lot of that had to do with improper nutrition, but more on that later.

Nearly finished (I'm on the left)!  

The Taper!

It's no coincidence that I found time to start my blog this week.  Ever since my last very long run (22 miles),  I've been tapering my training.  For non-runners out there, this just means that slowly decreasing  weekly milage for the 3 weeks leading up to the race.  The idea is to have well rested legs so that on race day I'm at my best.

The week leading up to the marathon is especially difficult.  My runs will be much shorter than I'm used to.  I typically run 4-5 days per week, usually all but one run takes longer than one hour.   In contrast, I only have 3 training runs this week and all are less than an hour.

The first time I ran 10 miles back in April, I felt like a rockstar.  My final long training run on Saturday was 10 miles, and I wanted to keep going after 10.  I love coming back from long runs each weekend feeling like I really pushed my limits and 10 miles just doesn't do it anymore.

Alas, I'll just save my energy for the marathon on Sunday.

2011 Colon Cancer Challenge 15k

My first race of 2011 was the New York Colon Cancer Challenge 15k.  It fit nicely into my half marathon training plan, being the right distance at the right point in time.  It was the second race I ever ran, and it would be the longest distance that I had run to that date.

Prior to the race, I had been training on the indoor track at the McBurney YMCA.  My training did not prepare me for Central Park's hills.  The first lap of the race felt all right but the second lap was pretty tough.  Around mile 8 another runner encouraged me, helping me get through the final stretch.  When I finished I was excited to see that my sister, Rebecca, had come to cheer me on.

I finished in 1:54:53 with an average mile of 12:21.  I was pleased with myself with the distance but incredibly tired.  Finishing 9.3 miles at the end of March gave me confidence that I could work up to 13.1 in time for the Brooklyn Half Marathon at the end of May!  Afterwards I went for a celebratory breakfast with Alek and Rebecca.

First post!

I started running seriously in January 2011.  I started with the goal of running my first half marathon in May of 2011.  I had initially planned to take a break from running after finishing the half marathon but I missed running after just one week.  So I signed up for another half marathon and then I signed up for a full marathon - and I'm just 8 days out (Philadelphia, 11/20).

Why another running blog?  I've made a lot of progress over the past 11 months. I've also learned a lot of stuff that is worth sharing.  Finally, I'm so excited after each of my races and I don't want to lose that.  As time goes by, I think the races will all blend together.  But, each race is different - and all are an accomplishment so I want to document them as they occur (horrible race photos included)!

Welcome to my new running blog.  I have some ambitious goals that I'll share after I finish the Philadelphia Marathon next week (if I think I'm still up for them)!

Me finishing the New York Colon Cancer Challenge March 27, 2011