Weekly Workout Recap 6/2/13

Monday, 5/27/13
35 Minute DVD

It's Memorial Day! We got back from the beach late last night and had a lot to do for the neighborhood party today. We got up early to hit the grocery store and Home Depot to get some flowers. I have been wanting to plant some but have just been too busy! Party started at 2pm so I didn't have a lot of time. I was going to either today or tomorrow if time didn't permit. Flower planting took a lot longer than I had expected so I only had time for my DVD before I jumped in the shower and headed outside to the party. It was a good workout and I needed some strength training anyways!

Tuesday, 5/28/13
3 Mile Run

I had a hair appointment today so again I was pressed for time. I got up early and only had time for 3 miles. I made them fast miles too! The weather was still pretty cool and I just felt great. My legs felt fresh even though I haven't taken a rest day until Friday.

I saw this guy on my run! I love turtles! Apparently, he is often spotted around the neighborhood so I was happy I finally got to see him! Anyways, back to the run. I did 3 miles in 27:15. Not speedy, but faster than most my training runs.

Wednesday, 5/29/13
Summer Decathlon - 4 miles on Track

Today was the first of the Steeplechaser's Summer Decathlons. The group meets every Wednesday evening at a local high school track  throughout the summer.

Thursday, 5/30/13
Rest

Friday, 5/31/13
Rest

Saturday, 6/1/13
The North Face Challenge 50k

This will need a post if its own :)

Sunday, 6/2/13
Rest!

Weekly Workout Wrap Up 5/26/13

Monday, 5/20/13
4 Mile Run with 3 Hill repeats

I didn't run yesterday so I was feeling pretty fresh today. I thought for a second about taking a class today instead of getting in a run, but quickly decided against it. I wanted to run a decent run in today. Since I was feeling pretty good today I wanted to push myself and do some hill repeats. I know I only did 3 but that was better than none at all! My running routes are pretty hilly in general but I have not done true hill repeats in awhile and it felt good to get some in and I really hope that I can get some in on Wednesday too! Since it's a holiday weekend coming up and we are going out of town Wednesday will probably be my last week day run!

Tuesday, 5/21/13
45 Minute Strength Conditioning
1 Mile Run

I did my typical .5 mile run to the fitness center and .5 mile back to my office building after. These few extra miles each month really start to add up over the month! Today's class was really good. After our warm up which is all cardio to get our heart rate up we grabbed some weights. Ana makes us do this routine occasionally that literally kills the muscles in our arms. We start with the heaviest weight that we are going to lift and did 12 bicep curls on both arms. Then we did 6 single bicep curls on each arm. We continued that for 2 more weight sizes. My arms were shaking by the time we were done. Next we did a tricep and shoulder routine. We did 40 seconds of tricep dips and then 40 seconds of shoulder flies. We did each one 3 times. Next we did low jacks with a jump and sprints. Did each one for 40 seconds 3 times. Our last little group of exercise we focused on abs. We did leg lifts with a crunch and planks. On the planks we would bring our knee up in front of us and then out to the side to touch our elbows. Alternating each side. We did the same thing for this round where we did 40 seconds of each. We ended the workout with one last ab move. We get in plank position with our feet on paper plates. We spread out legs our to each side and then bring them back to plank position and then bring them up towards your chest. We did this 10 times and then it was time for our cool down!

Wednesday, 5/22/13
4 Mile Run

I think this might be the hottest run this year yet! It was so steamy and I was dripping when I got back to my desk. Although, my pace was a lot faster than I thought it would be considering the heat. I also got see a ton of baby geese today. They were everywhere and just oh so cute!!

I have run past these geese week after week as they guarded their eggs so I am happy that they have happy healthy babies :) So, back to my run. I decided to do some more hill repeats. I was feeling pretty good and I only did 3 on Monday so I wanted to get a few more in. I did 3 more today, but I had to do use a different hill because I bunch of landscapers were sitting at the bottom of the hill that I usually use and I am a little modest about the way I look it sweaty spandex. The hill I usually use is in a neighborhood right outside of where I work. Instead I stayed on the trail, which was nice because it has more shade -- BUT there were a ton of people out there today and the little path was honestly too crowded. So I am happy with my workout. Hill/speed work all in a days run!

Thursday, 5/23/13
50 Minute Body Sculpting Class
1 Mile Warm Up/Cool Down

I am kind of happy that our instructor that teaches the Thursday class won't be teaching the class for the rest of the summer. She ran late again today - class is supposed to end at 1pm and I left at 1:08pm and she had just started the cool down. After we are done we still need to put all our equipment away and remember I am doing this on my lunch break so it is not like I have all day! It was still a good workout. We worked abs and glutes the most. The toughest round was when we did 5 burpees followed by 10 seconds of high knees. We did this 8 times through with no rest. I have a love hate relationship with burpees. They hurt so bad, but they do work your entire body. We did lots of lunges with weights - bicep curls and shoulder presses mostly.We also use the bosu ball a lot today. Used it to plank while doing glute kicks. These really work the booty. You can totally feel the burn. Here is a picture of me before my workout and after.

I'm not sure that I would be able to tell the difference if I hadn't been the one to take the picture. Whoops. Tomorrow we leave for the beach so I am not sure that I will be able to get a workout in. Another reason I am glad we worked it out today!

Friday, 5/24/13
Rest Day

Left work early and drove to the beach for the weekend so there was really no time for a workout.

Saturday, 5/25/13
8.1 Mile Run

I love beach running. Maybe it is such being somewhere else and getting to try new routes. Something fresh and exciting. Saturday mornings was so beautiful and there were so many yard sales. I decided to follow the yard sale signs to get in my miles. It actually made the run pass quickly. My mom and I had massage appointments so I had to be done running by 9:45am in order to be there on time. This Saturday is the 50k so I only needed to get 1 and a half hours in today. I was a few minutes short, but I don't think it will matter in the grand scheme of things!

Sunday, 5/26/13
Ocean City Greene Turtle 5k

When I found out that we were definitely going to the beach for Memorial day weekend I looked online to see if there were any fun races going on that weekend. I saw that there was a 5k starting at the Greene Turtle a few minutes from our beach house I thought it would be fun to do it. My 50k training plan actually called for a 5k that day anyways so it seemed perfect. I didn't go into the race with any expectations. My parents are avid bike riders and they thought it would be fun to bike to the race and find me on the course. They were there for the last mile and pushed me to run fast the last mile. Of course I wanted to get under 25 minutes again I wasn't really to set on that. I decided to go out there and push hard, but didn't really have a goal time. I ended up finishing in 25:12. Good enough to finish 3rd in the 20-29 age group. They only gave prizes out to 1st and 2nd. Boo. The one time I stick around for the award ceremony I don't get an award!

I was a little disappointed I didn't get under 25 minutes when I was so close it! I felt like I was pushing, but then I thought if I hadn't of slowed down at the water station to take a sip of water maybe I would have come in under 25. But I was thirsty so what's a girl to do?

Weekly Workout Recap 5/19/13

Monday, 5/13/13
45 Minute Total Body Workout
3 Mile Recovery Run

Today was supposed to be a rest day after all the mileage I put in over the weekend and we were supposed to take a coworker to lunch for her birthday today. However, I decided to pack my workout gear anyways because the ladies in my office are always taking the day off last minute and if lunch was canceled I wanted to have the option to get a workout in. Turns out lunch was canceled because we had people call out of work this morning! Soooo happy I brought my workout gear because I am sure we will go out to lunch another day this week and that would have resulted in missing out on 2 lunch time workouts!

Today's workout was okay. Glad I got 3 miles in on top of the class, even though they were super slow. In the class we did lots of burpees (I lost count but it was at least 25) as well as a ton of squats and lunges! We also focused on abs for awhile do crunches and leg lifts. My abs are my problem area so I appreciate any ab work we get :)

Tuesday, 5/14/13
45 Minute Strength Conditioning Class
1 Mile Warm-up/Cool Down Run

Like I typically do on Tuesdays I took a strength conditioning class during my lunch break. I jogged the half a mile to the fitness center and then jogged back to my building after for a total of 1 mile. I have been starting to do this on the regular - I figure I am getting the most out of my lunch hour. In class we did a lot of cardio and mixed in some arm and ab work. We rarely use kettle bells, but we got to today. I actually like the kettle bells because I think you get more of a total body workout in when you use them. We did a move called around the world, kettle bell swings, and one legged dead-lift type things. I felt like I was my abs and lower body while we used them. For abs we did various plank positions and some crunches. When I was jogging back I took note as to how tired my body feels. I know I need to throw in a rest day at some point I just haven't decided what workout I want to give up yet! Are taking rest days hard for you too? I usually make Sunday a rest day but I didn't this week and I think I might sign up for a trail race this Sunday. I know my body needs rest - so why is this so hard to do?

Wednesday, 5/15/13
Rest-ish Day

So today ended up being the make up birthday lunch day. I was supposed to get 5 miles in today, but I was a little thankful that I was almost being forced to take a rest day. We walked a little over 2 miles to the restaurant and back to our office so at least this was a little something. I thought about trying to get a few extra miles in when I got home, but around noon today I got the worst migraine! I was seeing double and could hardly make it through work! I took some meds and laid down. When I got up I still had a migraine, but I was able to get in my 25 plank push-ups and my 2 side planks for 30 seconds each side for #muscleupmay. I feel very rested, but I still was able to get something active in today!

Thursday, 5/16/13
45 Minute Body Sculpt Class
2 Mile Warm-up/Cool Down Run

I was shopping at MOM's Organic Market and found an end cap display of Vega products. I have been wanting to try their protein powders, but the large canisters are pricey and I don't want to spend that much without trying the product first. It was my lucky to day because they had little sample sizes for Vega Sport products. Score!

I picked up the Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer and the Vega Sport Performance Protein powder for recovery.  I tried the pre-workout energizer before today's body sculpting class.Today probably wasn't the best day to try it out because nothing about my lunch time workout went as planned! I drank the energizer right before I headed out to workout because the package says drink 20 minutes prior to a workout. I wanted to get a mile in before class and a mile after. I got my mile in and arrived at the fitness center in time for class. As I was walking In I was told by the fitness director that the class had been moved to the fitness center across campus to due one of the instructors being sick. So I ran all the way over to the other fitness center only to be told that they changed their minds and the fitness instructor went back to the other center to teach. WHAT? I was literally just there! So then they called the instructor and told her to come back to the fitness center I was at because a bunch of the other students were there too. We still had to sit around and wait for her to get there. What a pain. Some students were really pissed off, I do wish they were a little more organized but what can you do! Anywhoo, I felt really thirsty the entire workout -- cotton mouth almost. And I felt shaky and just a little weird overall. I am not certain if it was the drink mix or what. I plan to try it again just to see if I get the same results. The workout was good. I was happy we did a lot of ab work since the importance of a strong core was stressed last night in my pre-pregnancy consult. We did 3 sets of 10 push-ups too - with plank holds in between. O M G. That was killer! Also did a lot of arm work. Dead lifts with row and flies etc. Again, I was feeling really weird. Not sure if I didn't eat enough before or what. My arms and legs are still shaking!

Friday, 5/17/13
5 Mile Run

Today is the perfect day to be laying on the beach somewhere. But -- it is a little too hot for a run. In my opinion.  Or at least until I get used to the heat. The run didn't feel too bad, but my pace was pretty slow. I ran 5 miles at a 10:30 pace. I keep PRing in races, so a part of me thinks that I should not be so concerned. I haven't done much speed work either, but since I have been running my races faster can I consider them my speed work? I enjoy my speed work on my weekly runs, but at the same time I kind of enjoy just getting out there and plodding along too. Tomorrow we hit the trails for about 14 miles. I am excited for the change of scenery!

Saturday, 5/18/13
11.1 Mile Trail Run

Let me just start of by saying that I have a new found respect for trail runner's. I do not know why, but for some reason I had the totally wrong idea about trail runs. Before Saturday I thought that trail runs were easy because you couldn't go as fast as you do on the road. Slower pace, easier race. Right? Wrong. Completely wrong. My pace was VERY slow for this trail run, but I worked! I was huffing and puffing the entire time and I was sore for the rest of the day. The 50k I have coming up is a trail run which is why we hit the trails today. We need to get some training in on the trails. I unfortunately haven't done much training on the trails and now I am totally nervous for June 1st. What did I get myself into?? Now, the trails we ran today were extremely technical which means that it was extremely rocky. Huge tree roots along the entire trail. Elevation was insane...yeah. It was just crazy. And I only did 11 miles.

I took some pictures when I could. The other ladies I was running with are experienced trail runners so I couldn't stop too many times or I would lose them. I wanted to give an idea of just how rocky these trails were. I didn't get a picture of the rockiest part - but you can still see how rocky it was. I did end up falling and so did at least one of the other women. Luckily no one got hurt and I am truly amazed by that! What an adventure. I just hope I can do this for 20 additional miles on June 1st!

Sunday, 5/19/13
35 Minute Fit Pregnancy Total Body Workout

My fiance and I had a great weekend shopping and completing projects around the house, but it did leave me a little tired. It was gloomy here on Sunday and I just didn't feel like going for a run. Instead when I found some free time (after a nap) I popped in my new DVD. It was a really good workout. It reminds me of the classes I take during lunch at work. It will be nice to have something that I can do at home when I don't feel like running. I plan to use it while I am on maternity leave (whenever that may be) since I wouldn't be able to get out for workout classes whenever I want.

Plus Amanda Tress is so adorable (even in her second trimester) and it she keeps the workout fun and you motivated to keep pushing. throughout the workout. I plan on using this DVD a few times a month (probably on Sundays) when I don't feel like getting out for a run but I do want to get in a nice quick workout that will make me break a sweat!

Pre Pregnancy Anxiety

I am not sure how many other women are in my position, but I imagine that there are some. I have always wanted to have children but now that the time has actually come to seriously start planning for them I keep putting it off. I don't want to lose my fitness or start over from square one as far as my running endurance goes. I will be 28 this year and my fiance is several years older than I am so if we are going to have babies we need to start asap! This has been causing me some great anxiety. So much anxiety that I even question if I want to have children.

So, I have really started planning and thinking ahead. I've been reading a ton of pregnancy blogs to find some inspiration. It is so encouraging to see so many pregnant women getting in hard workouts and running half marathons and marathons. If all these other woman can continue to be amazing throughout pregnancy then I know that I can do it too!

One woman that I found extremely inspirational was Amanda Tress from Fit Pregnancy and Parenting. She is on her second pregnancy and does not workout with any less intensity while she is pregnant. She just ran a half marathon at 33 weeks pregnant! My role model!

I decided to have a one time consult with Amanda to get some advice and guidance on the best ways to prepare my body for pregnancy. I want to do everything possible to have a smooth pregnancy, labor and delivery. I realize that something will be out of my control, but there are something that are within my control that will help me retain my fitness and bounce back quickly.

Amanda spent an hour going over my diet and fitness routine and making some personal recommendations. I feel a lot better about it and I plan on hiring her as a virtual coach during my pregnancy to keep me on track and hold me accountable. Her fees are extremely reasonable - I think any amount of money is worth some peace of mind during 9 months of pregnancy!

Amanda also sells this Fit Pregnancy Total Body Workout DVD that is perfect for pre pregnancy workouts and workouts during your first, second and third trimesters. It promises to work you into a decent sweat. I believe it's only about 35 minutes long - perfect way to squeeze in a decent workout on days that you don't have a ton of extra time.

I just received it in the mail yesterday so I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but can't wait til I get the chance!

Does anybody else feel a little anxiety at the thought of becoming pregnant? Did you hire a personal trainer to keep you in the best shape possible?

Last (really) Long Run Pre 50K

If you have been keeping up with my previous posts you know that I am training for my first 50k. I ran a marathon back in April, so up until now it hadn't really felt like I was training for a 50k. The ladies that I am training with who have lots of experience in endurance running said that we really need to get one last (really) long run under our belts. We needed to get 26 miles in. 26 miles is the longest distance I have run to date so I knew that it was going to be a challenge. My last long run before the last marathon I ran was 21 miles and I really bonked out by the end. Some people went on to get in 22 - but I had to stop at 21. I am typically not in pain when I bonk, but rather my legs are just really tired and I feel like I can't get them to move any further.

After a 4:30am wake up call my day was started!

With that said, I was really looking forward to this training run because we were going to do a point to point run through a beautiful paved trail. One of our fellow runners who didn't need to get in as many miles as we did offered to drop us off at the start of the trail and pick us up in another town at a location that would be close to the ending point of our 26 miles.

The park we ran through is known as Rock Creek Park. The section of the trail we started at is known as Lake Needwood. It has been really rainy here the last few weeks and today was no exception. The forecast was calling for rain and thunderstorms. It made it hard for me to decide what I wanted to wear. However, as soon as I stepped outside I knew I wouldn't be able to wear a jacket. It was really muggy out. Like step out side and instantly start sweating muggy. I had packed a hat but decided against wearing that because I was afraid my head would get too hot! I decided to just go with my t-shirt and capris and off we went.

I didn't take a rest day at all last week so I was a little worried about how I would feel on this run and was happy that I didn't feel to achy when I first started. First few miles were pretty uneventful. We just chit chatted and watched the miles pass. Unfortunately for me, my time of the month decided to come at mile 6. Luckily I had a feeling it might so I was prepared, but I still had to run 3 miles to a port-a-potty! I knew that was going to make me a little tired and maybe not on my A game, but it was just a training run so I just wanted to cover the 26 miles and not worry about time.

For most of the run the other 3 ladies that were running with me were running a little ahead of me. I was totally okay with that. I don't usually worry about my speed on my long runs. I do speed work during the week and that is how I have been able to improve my race times. I wanted to run a pace that was comfortable for me and not risk not being able to finish.

The first part of the trail was pretty flooded. A lot of energy was spent jumping over huge puddles so we didn't our shoes soaked!

We needed to run a little ways past where our friend was going to be picking us up. I thought we had figured out how many miles past the parking lot we needed to go so that we knew at what point we had to turn around to get the 26 miles. Some how we still managed to mess that up and we ran further out than we should have. 2 miles further -- which made it a total of 4 miles over the planned 26 miles! The other ladies continued to run past this "rest stop" however, I knew that we were going over our 26 miles at this point and since they were a little ahead of me I couldn't ask them why they weren't turning around. I decided to stop and take some pictures until they came back around. Turns out they weren't trying to get extra miles in, but that they for some reason miscalculated the out and back route! Oh well.

 

The run was really beautiful. It was just a lot of the same scenery for 26 miles. It did get a little boring at times and I kept looking at my watch and the miles were just not passing as fast as I would have liked ;) 

I mean this is a gorgeous view right? It's better than trying to get 26 miles in on the side of a road somewhere. The weather did hold out alright which I am very thankful for. It did rain during the middle part of the run, but there were no thunderstorms. We were soaked by the end of the run and I'm not totally sure if that were because of the rain or just our sweat!

 

Once my Garmin hit 26 miles I turned it off and decided to walk the rest of the way back to the car. The other ladies decided to walk as well so I didn't feel too badly about. Sometimes I worry about slowing the group down I don't want them never to invite me out with them again!

I was never so thankful to be done a run! Okay well maybe I feel this way after every long run. We met up with Cindy who was patiently waiting for us in downtown Bethesda to finish our run so she could drive us back to our cars!

Downtown Bethesda was hustling and bustling on this beautiful Saturday afternoon. There are tons of fun shops and if I was by myself and not completely spent I might have done some damage to my bank account.

Here are some of my fabulous running buddies - Brenda D., Cindy, Barb, Brenda J and myself. We sat down for a few minutes and collected ourselves. There was a fun bagel shop a few doors down so we headed down there before making it to the car. We got the egg and cheese bagel sandwich and it was so yummy! I am glad I ate it because I didn't eat anything the rest of the day -- after really long runs I have trouble getting food down.

I was pretty much out of commission for the rest of the day. It's not that I couldn't get myself to do anything, it's just that I didn't HAVE to do anything else that day, so I figured why not just lay around and do nothing? My fiance and I hung out for the rest of the afternoon and evening and I loved it.

My time was pretty slow. I had a great pace the first 21 miles, but I really lost it when I started realizing we were going over the 26 miles. I think that it is tough to get over mentally and it results in your body just not wanting to give anymore. Am I proud of myself for finishing this last long and painful training run? Yes. However, I was really disappointed at how much I slowed down those last 5 miles. It makes me wonder if I can complete this 50k. I try and go back to that last long run pre-marathon where I couldn't take another step over 21 miles, but I managed to run 26 with no problem a few weeks later. I will take extra rest days the week before the 50k and really focus on nutrition and hydration.

Since the 50k is a trail run we are hitting the trail for next weekends long run. I am really excited about that. I haven't really done much if any trail running so I guess it is better late than never, right??

Weekly Workout Recap 5/12/2013

Monday, 5/6/13
4 Mile Run

Monday morning have PRing in a half marathon. Zero motivation. Late start to a lunch time run. Empty stomach. Dreary raining weather. All this should have made for nothing less than a miserable run, right? I would have thought so to - in fact I was mentally preparing for a painful slow run. Much to my surprise it was the exact opposite. When I first stepped outside I thought I was going to freeze. It was supposed to be in the high 60's and sunny, but when I got downstairs I felt really cold air coming in through the doors. I started kicking myself for not bringing a lite pullover. However, once I got outside and moving I felt amazing. The chill in the air felt so good and my feet felt light. My pace obviously wasn't fast, but today's run felt effortless. These runs don't come along too often so I had originally set out for a 3 mile run but ended up adding on an extra mile!

Tuesday, 5/7/13
1 Hour Strength Conditioning Class

I had a coworker join me today, so that was something fun! Ana focused on triceps again today. And we did more work than usual with the ball. I am not a fan of the ball, but I still feel like we got a good workout despite that. We did tricep push-ups (a lot of them) and different variations of the plank. Ana even came over to me said she has noticed a huge improvement in my push-ups! I used to not be able to do any in the "big girl" position. While I still cant go all the way down to where my chest touches the floor I can almost get there and come back up. Last night I did 12 on my own just to see how many I could do comfortably.

I wasn't sure how my coworker was feeling after wards, but I told her to come back for a couple more classes. I like that all the classes are different. Sometimes we use a lot of equipment and sometimes we don't use any. Sometimes the classes feel more like a Denise Austin video while other classes feel like a variation of Crossfit. I like the fact that every time I walk through that door I don't know what we will be doing.

Wednesday, 5/8/2013
5 Mile Run

5 miles is usually the max number of miles I can fit in on my lunch break. I work on the 9th floor so it takes awhile to get to and from my desk. Anyways -- this run started off feeling rough. My calves were sore and I had to stop and stretch a few times over the first mile which actually helped a lot. I started to feel better as the run went on. Over the winter months the trails I took were pretty desolate. Now that the weather is getting nicer more and more people are coming out to walk during their lunch breaks. My biggest pet peeve is when people walk 2 or 3 abreast on the path and even when I am coming towards them and I KNOW they see they do not move! Um, hello there are signs everywhere that say this is a shared path!

Didn't everyone's mother teach them that you must walk single file in narrow spaces when people are coming towards you? I usually have more patience, but not when it comes to this. I now refuse to move over. I am not going to run in the grass so that you can continue walking 3 abreast. It's almost like playing chicken. I have had to shoulder a few people who just don't get it! Other than that I had a decent run and I am looking forward to tomorrow's workout!

Thursday, 5/9/2013
50 Minute Body Sculpt Class
2 Mile Run

I started the day off right this morning with a CLICK protein drink. I love the vanilla latte flavor. It is extra yummy and gives me that extra kick I need to get going in the mornings.

By the time I get to workout on my lunch break I have already been up for more than 7 hours so I need something that will keep me going throughout the morning and into the afternoon so that I can be productive at work AND perform my best during my workout. Anyhoo -- today was a tough one. I wanted to get a couple more miles in this week. My original plan was to take the class at lunch and then run 2 miles when I got home. However, my finance randomly asked me on a date tonight and of course I said YES! I still wanted to get those 2 miles in today though - so instead of waiting to run after work I ran a mile before class and a mile after. Then when we got to class we ended up jogging as a warm up too! We ended up staying outside for most of the workout again. These tough workouts in this warmish weather really make me sweat! We broke into groups and had three different stations set up. 1. Hill sprints with a push-up at the top 2. Squat jumps 3. Arm flies with an arm band. We did each station for 1 minute and then we switched. We did each station 3 times. For some reason the squat jumps seemed to be the hardest. Timed seemed to move really slow for that minutes. Holy cow we were all feeling it at the end! Then we headed back inside and did more arm, glutes, and ab work. Class ran over again so I had to cut out at the cool down. I wanted to get that last mile in and I was already late getting back to my desk.

Here I am post workout getting ready to change and get back to my desk. Today's workout felt really good. I feel like I pushed myself and I can't ask for any more than that. I am also noticing a huge difference from when I first started taking these classes. When I first started running I neglected my my upper body. I enjoy these classes because we work on the total body. This benefits my running and I give a lot of credit to these classes to all the PR's I have been setting recently :) Really hoping to get my arms in tip-top shape for summer!

Friday, 5/10/13

45 Minute Zumba Class

1 Mile Run

One negative about working out on your lunch hour is that sometimes things pop up that are out of your control. A meeting, an important phone call that lasts too long, a managers birthday cake celebration...Today is my supervisor's birthday and I was just notified that we will be having cake for her at 11:45am today. My class started at 12:15pm! This was going to be a close one. I knew I had to go to the celebration and I was going to do everything I could to get to the class too. That meant wearing my workout clothes to the party as discreetly as possible :) 

Do you think I fooled anyone by putting a sweater over my workout clothes? I feel slightly guilty for needed to leave the party after just 20 minutes or so, but sometimes you have to put yourself first. It's my lunch hour and I need to workout for my sanity! I know there will be times when I cannot do both things, but this time I felt it was doable. I didn't even have any cake! Well, I did take a piece so I didn't appear rude or ungrateful. Okay, I did eat the icing. But only because it had little chocolate shavings sprinkled on it ....

Zumba was fun as always. I am not a huge Zumba fan. But is something on the lighter side for a Friday and since I usually do my long runs on Saturday mornings I don't totally mind that. Ana isn't your typical Zumba instructor either. We do a various forms of squats and lunges, mountain climbers, burpees etc. We are drenched in sweat at the end so it must be a somewhat decent workout. I also decided to run to and from the fitness center. I got a 1/2 mile in before class and 1/2 mile in after. Last half mile was slow. My body was already tired and its 82 degrees and sunny today! I don't do well in the heat. Well, at least not working out in the heat. Sitting on the beach, drink  and celeb gossip magazine in hand? That I do well in the heat!

Saturday, 5/11/13

26 Mile (Training) Run

I would like to create an entire separate post for this run. I have lots of thoughts to share!

Sunday. 5/12/13

2 Mile Run & 25 Inch-Worm Push-ups and 25 Bicycle Crunches

I was 2 miles short of 40 miles this week and that was my motivation to get out there at 5pm on a Sunday night and run! I had a lot of Mother's Day activities to do today with my mother and by the end of the week I was just really tired. I have also had some yard work looming over my head for the past week that I really wanted to knock out. I don't know where my motivation came from, but I was able to get the yard work done and run 2 miles while my fiance made dinner. It feels good to be sitting here on a Monday morning happy with all that I accomplished this weekend and not regretting having not done something! Whoo-hoo!

Frederick Half Marathon Race Recap

Last week was a pretty stressful week for me -- as far as my training plans were concerned anyways. Back in November I had set a goal of running a sub 2 hour marathon at the Frederick Running Festival Half Marathon on May 5th. I came so close at the Rock N Roll USA Half Marathon back in March where I ran 2:01:51. I knew I could shave off 2 minutes, but I needed to make it my priority and really train hard.

A few months ago I registered for a 50k that will take place on June 1st. Training for two completely different types of races had not really been a problem until this weekend. The ladies I am training for the 50k with were going to run 14 miles on Saturday -- the day before my goal half marathon. I skipped my long run last weekend so I knew I needed to get some extra miles in AND they were driving down to run on a part of the trail that will be included on the 50k route. I didn't want to jeopardize my 50k training and I wanted to run on this trail, but at the same time I wanted to perform my best at the half marathon the next day. After talking it over with the group and realizing that we are going to run 26.2 miles next Saturday for our last long run I decided not to run the extra 14 miles on Saturday. I didn't think I needed to run 26 miles on back to back weekends and my half marathon goal was just too important to me. I wanted a sub 2 hour too bad to risk it. It made me feel like a whimp for not doing the extra miles, but I knew the feeling of crossing that finish line under 2 hours would erase all those feelings. Okay -- so moving on to the Frederick Half Marathon!

The Frederick Running Festival is put on by a company called Corrigan Sports. They hold amazing races. They pride themselves on giving every runner the best experience possible. The premiums that you get for running one of their races are amazing. The medals are amazing. They get everyone super excited for the race through social media. If you were unhappy about something they want to hear about it so that they can make it better next time.

I went to the expo early Saturday morning just so that it wasn't hanging over my head all day. It wasn't crowded when I was there and I was able to get in an out quickly.

 

Love that the expo and race's start take place at the fairgrounds. Frederick is such a charming town and the fairgrounds is a good representation of how quaint and beautiful our town really is.

I was so excited when my Boston Strong Bicband arrived in the mail on Saturday - the day before the race!

I had just purchased this blue Danskin top from Walmart last weekend and I thought it went perfect with my headband. I LOVE these tanks by the way. I bought one in every color because they were under $6 each! Love the fit and colors and you can't beat the price! When I got home from the expo I laid all my gear out. I always lay everything out the night before a race (I am sure most runners do this). I just want to sleep in as long as possible and when I do get up I just want to drink so water, eat some toast, clean myself up a little bit and head out the door!

The Frederick Half Marathon has a big time race feel with small town charm. It takes place in my hometown and the course consists of all the roads that my group runs every Saturday morning. You run through downtown Frederick where there are tons of little shops, parks, and neighborhoods. The weather was perfect for running and spectating and we had a lot of people out there cheering us on.

They had these Boston strong signs at the start and finish area. It's my first larger race since the Boston bombings so it was nice to see that Boston is still at the forefront of our minds.

The fact that this race is held in my hometown really helped cut down on race jitters. I didn't have to plan too much ahead of time because I already knew exactly where I had to be and how to get there. The starting line is 10 minutes from my house and parking is right up close to the start line. All of that just makes race morning less stressful. The race starts at 7am -- which is early, but I love it because it leaves the rest of the day open.

Race morning was a bit rushed and it was all my fault! I cut it too close and didn't have time to hit the porta-potties before the race. I waited in line for 15 minutes before I had to bail and head to the start line. Someone took off in a hot air balloon right before the start of the race. It was pretty neat to see!

It was pretty chilly before the start. It was about 40 degrees and I had a tank top on so I was shivering! My friend Brenda runs at about the same pace that I do. She's actually probably a little bit stronger than me, but I like that because she usually pushes me to my limits. She actually ran 17 miles the day before so we weren't totally sure she would be able to hang with me the entire race. She wasn't sure how sore she would be feeling and kept telling me that I could leave her at any point. She knew I had a goal and I needed to do whatever I had to to reach it.

Since we arrived to the start line last minute we ended up behind the 2:10 pace group. I was okay with this because I had a plan it didn't matter where I started. I knew the first couple miles would  be my slowest. It's crowded and it can sometimes be difficult to find an opening where you can really pick up the pace.  I kept thinking about a quote I had read recently. It was from Shalane Flanagan and it was something along the lines of believing in your mind that you can do something and your body will follow. Of course this all has to be somewhat realistic. I would love to believe that I could run a marathon in 3 hours but that is just not going to happen. A sub 2 hour half was realistic for me so I kept telling myself I was going to do it.

When the gun went off I was so happy that I felt really good right off the bat. Many times it takes me a few miles to workout some stiffness, aches and pains. Not this time. My target pace was 9:20 for the first two miles. I ran the first mile at 9:28 and I ran the second mile at 9:14 so it evened out. I knew that I would have to pick up the pace after that.

Just about every mile after that was under 9 minutes. Everything our Garmin's beeped I would hear Brenda say "we are running faster than our target pace" and I would say "Okay, we can slow down." We just never did actually slow down. I know Brenda was feeling those 17 miles and I was so proud of Brenda for hanging with me. She is pretty determined so I had a feeling she would be by my side the entire 13.1 miles. At one point I remember her telling me that 9 minute miles would get us to the finish line at 1:57 minutes and we were running a little faster than that. We actually caught up with and passed the 2 hour pace group - I cant remember what mile it was, but it was then that I realized we were going to break 2 hours and couldn't contain my excitement.

At the 10 mile marker I remember being so surprised that we only had a 5k left and I still felt great. I knew that there was a decent sized hill around 12.5 miles. We were going pretty fast so I asked Brenda if she wanted to take it easy up the hill and recover a little bit. She looked at me and said "I just want to get to that finish line." So we plowed up that hill and had about 4 tenths of a mile to run. This last part is on a horse racing track. Its a packed gravel surface which wasn't awful, but it did slow us down slightly.

We crossed the finish line at 1:56:50. I don't think either one of us could be more thrilled. We both set a PR and I had achieved my goal!. Even better? They had military personal placing medals around the runners necks. I love this! It is such an honor to share our experience with these men and women who make it possible for us to enjoy days like this without having to worry about our safety.

Brenda and I after the race. 

Our splits looked like this:

Split	Hours:Minutes:SecondsTime	Miles Distance	Minutes per Mile Avg Pace
Summary	1:56:51.0	13.12	8:57
1	9:27.9	1.00	9:28
2	9:14.1	1.00	9:14
3	8:53.9	1.00	8:54
4	8:52.1	1.00	8:52
5	8:58.9	1.00	8:59
6	8:49.2	1.00	8:49
7	8:52.3	1.00	8:52
8	9:10.1	1.00	9:10
9	8:49.9	1.00	8:50
10	8:40.6	1.00	8:41
11	8:53.7	1.00	8:54
12	8:38.2	1.00	8:38
13	8:28.4	1.00	8:28
14	1:05.9	0.13	8:43

This averages out to 8:56 minute miles! Yikes! For me this is a huge accomplishment. I haven't been able to run sub 9 minute miles in any distance besides the 5k. Ever. I am not a super speedy runner, but I am seeing progress and that is all that I can ask for.

A very happy me

I wore my awesome premium and medal shopping after the race. The medal is top notch too. Everything from the ribbon to the actual medal are just awesome. I love that the beautiful Maryland flag was incorporated on both the medal and the premium.

It was really just an amazing day and I am so happy that I am sitting here today telling you that I achieved a goal I have been training towards for months. And now my focus can switch to my 50k next month. It is on to the next challenge!

Weekly Workout Recap 5/5/13

Monday 4/29/13
3.5 Mile Easy Recovery Run

I didn't do anything yesterday because I was feeling so miserable once we got home from the beach. So even though today was a rest day I decided to head out there during lunch. We have rain in the forecast for a few days so I looked out the window before I headed out. Looked gray out, but it didn't appear to be raining to hard. I headed out for the same old route I usually run. Which by the way I think I need to switch up because I am getting a bit bored!

It might be pretty, but running the same route 3 times a week, week after week gets old. Quick. It started pouring as I ran past the entrance to by building so I decided to end the run at 3.5 miles. Felt pretty strong today so I think it was a great way to start off the week!

Tuesday 4/30/2013
1 Hour Strength Conditioning Class

Apparently Ana wanted to end April with a bang! She really worked us today. We used almost every piece of equipment that the facility has to offer! bands, balls, 4 different weights, mats and bars. The workout ended a few hours ago and when I am sitting still at my desk I can feel my muscles trembling. We not only did a ton of upper body weights but we incorporated our legs and abs too. Since I run a lot I really enjoy the days that we don't focus on cardio in class. I want to build muscle so that I can run faster. Today was one of those days! It hurts so bad during, but you forget the pain quickly. We also used our own body weight for a few moves as well. For things like tricep dips (these seriously kill me every time) and push ups. Which I still can't go all the way down for, but have made a huge improvement on since I started going to these classes a few months ago. I call what I can do now baby push-ups :)

Wednesday 5/1/2013
4 Mile Run

Totally wasn't feeling a run today, but I knew I needed to get one in. Weather is really gorgeous out -- although it does feel quite warm once you get running. I can feel my body starting to adjust to the warmer temps. And my time reflects that too :) I switched up the route for the first part of my run and I think it helped me mentally a little bit. I was able to get lost in my thoughts and just run which made the run more enjoyable. Running at lunch time works best for me and my schedule, but its not always easy. By the time I get a chance to get out for a lunch time run I have already been up for 7 hours, probably haven't eaten as well as I should and in the warmer months this is probably the warmest part of the day! I try no to over think this and just see that I am able to run longer distances and my times are improving so something must be working!

Here is a picture of the entrance to my building. The building is the huge brick one in the background. It was a beautiful 65 degrees today!

Thursday 5/2/2013
1 Hour Body Sculpt Class

 I seriously love my strength classes. I look forward to them every week and do whatever is possible NOT to miss them. Since I take them during my lunch break, sometimes I have to put a work obligation first. Today was a great workout and since it was so beautiful out we did most of the workout outside. My only gripe is on the Thursday class instructor always has the class run late. I'm not talking 2 or 5 minutes late. I'm talking at least 10 minutes but most of the time 15 minutes. When you are squeezing in this class on your lunch break its hard to go over that much! I usually have to start clearing my station while the teacher is ending the workout and going into a cool down. I don't like to miss out on the cool down! I have earned it and my muscles need it! Okay now that I am done whining I will recap the workout. We took it outside and did some partner workouts with the bands. I don't really care for the partner stuff because you really have to be paired with someone who is of equal or better fitness level than you. Most of the women in my class are older and just take the class a few times of month. I didn't feel challenged at all with the partner I had. Then we broke up into small groups and rotated between three stations. Lunges with a twist, burpees, and sprints. We did each station three times and increased the time for each on every rotation. It was a good workout. Then we headed back inside and finished up with dead-lifts, bunch of BOSU routines, and various plank exercises.

Friday 5/3/13
Rest Day 

I skipped my workout today because I thought I would be running Saturday morning. I changed my mind about Saturday's run so I wish I had worked out today. Oh well!

Saturday 5/4/2013
5 Mile Recumbent on Bike

Nothing fancy here. Would have felt lazy having to complete rest days in a row, so I did a little something to get my legs moving. We got a lot done around the house and yard today too - so it was an active rest day for sure!

Sunday 5/5/2013
Frederick Half Marathon 13.1 Miles

Race recap in separate post! :)

Island to Island 1/2 Marathon & 5K

This is going to be a long one! It was a jammed packed weekend.

I have been looking forward to this race since I ran it for the first time last year. I have been going down to Ocean City on the last weekend in April for years now. We went to go support the local humane society who holds a fundraiser each year on the last Saturday in April called Board Walk'n for Pets. Last year we became aware that there was a half marathon and 5k that takes place that same weekend. Since we were already going to be down there I decided to sign up. I would have been tempted to run the half marathon, but a bunch of my family members wanted to run so a 5k was more practical. My mom, dad, my boyfriends girlfriend and few of her friends all ran this race in 2012. We had such an awesome time that as soon as I crossed the finish line in 2012, I knew that I would be back in 2013.

I set goals for 2013's 5k that same day. I wanted to run it in under 25 minutes. I don't run 5k's that often and if I do they are usually just spur of the moment races. Since this has become a family weekend I knew it would be a good goal race since I knew that I would be back to run and I could train accordingly. No one else in my family signed up to run except for me this year, but my parents were still going to come down to support me!

We drove down to the beach Friday night so that we could swing by packet pickup and not have to worry about getting to the race early the next morning. Thank you to my lovely fiance for driving 4 hours to the coast after a long day at work!

Packet pickup was pretty easy. It was held in this beautiful and quaint hotel. It was beautiful at night with all the lights lit up! We were in and out in 10 minutes and on our way to the condo. Which is a good thing because it was almost 9pm and I am always exhausted on Friday nights!

Right when we got to the condo I laid out my stuff so that I didn't have to think that much in morning! How awesome are the race shirts? 5k early bird registration is $20 and you get this awesome shirt, fabulous race location, and free food and drinks at the after party located at Seacrets. Seacrets is one of the most popular bars in Ocean City.

If you have read my previous post then you know that I was not feeling well last week. I thought I would start to feel so much better now that I was on medications, however unfortunately, the medications have made me pretty sick. Since taking the medications I have felt dizzy, nauseous, extremely thirsty and weak. There was nothing I could do about it at this point so I tried not to think about it too much. I just wanted to get a nights rest and enjoy the race and the weekend.

When I woke up Saturday the thought of skipping the race crossed my mind for a brief moment. However, as soon as I stepped out onto the balcony that morning I quickly dismissed that thought. How beautiful is this view? The weather was absolutely perfect. I knew I had to make the most of this amazing day.

 The half marathon starts 45 minutes before the 5k so you can't drive right up to the start line unless you get to the race early. My fiance dropped me off as close as he could and then I walked the remainder of the way down the boardwalk to the start line.

 I had originally planned to do a warm up mile, but I just didn't feel up for it. I used the restroom and did some dynamic stretching.

Before I knew it we were lining up at the start line. I lined up towards the front right behind what looked liked the more "elite" runners. I made the mistake of starting to far back last year and it was too hard to find an open spot once the race started and I think I lost valuable time. I snapped this picture from the start line. My parents made it to the race and I saw them standing at the start line with my fiance a few minutes before the start. It was a great way to start off the race.

As soon as the gun went off I worked my way to an open spot near the curbs that would allow me to get the best tangents. Most of the race was run right on the boardwalk. I knew that in order to reach my sub 25 goal I needed to run 8 minute miles. I could start off a little slower and finish faster. I know that's the best way to run a race - with negative splits - but it's hard to do.

My first mile was 7:49. Which I was actually pretty happy with. It might have been a little too fast, but yet it left me a little room for error. My second mile was 8:16 and I new that I would have to kick it up a little. A part of me wanted to quit and just race a comfortable pace and not worry about my goals. However, I knew my family was waiting at the finish line waiting for me and I didn't want to disappoint them or myself. My mind was consumed with thoughts during the last 1.1 mile. I usually check my watch to see how much I have left to run. For the last mile I mainly just looked to check my pace to make sure I wasn't going to finish a few seconds after 25 minutes! I would beat myself up mentally for weeks to come if I missed my goal by a few seconds.

My dad snapped this picture of me and I remember looking at my gps when I saw him. 2.88 so just about .2 miles left. As soon as I turned a corner right after this picture I saw the finish line and I looked down at my watch again and saw that I had 40 seconds to cross the finish line or I would be over 25 minutes. I didn't think I had anything left, but I picked up my speed big time and was able to cross the finish line under my goal time!!

As I said before, these medications were making me nauseous so I almost threw up immediately after crossing the finish line. I grabbed some water and snacks from a finish line volunteer and ran to find a trash can! As sick as I was feeling I was still going to bask in the glory of achieving this goal! My official time was 24:54. My fiance asked me if I planned to attend the award ceremony, but I told him no because I didn't think I placed and the ceremony didn't start until 10:30am and I had finished my run just after 8am. We had so much planned that day and I just didn't think there was a point to hanging around for 2+ hours.

So, we walked down to the end of of the boardwalk where the humane society fundraiser was happening to donate some money and snap some photos.

My parents have been trying to get me on a bike for awhile. So, after the race I agreed to join them on a bike ride. I haven't ridden a bike since I was a child and I have been nervous about getting back on the bike seat! Ridding a bike a on the road is a little different than running on the road, so I had a little bit to learn about the biking etiquette but my parents were there to make sure I didn't get run over or wipe out :)

We rode an out and back of 15 miles. I think we would have done even more, but we had massage appointments for that afternoon that we weren't going to miss!

My fiance Larry, my dad and brother all went golfing later that afternoon while my mom and I got massages, pedicures and did a little shopping. Then we all met up at Outback for dinner. It was late and we were all exhausted from the long active day that we all went home right after dinner. It was after 10pm -- and that is my bedtime anyways. I had been checking the race result page all day because I wanted something official. They were finally posted at 10:30pm. I was laying in bed about to go to sleep when I found out I placed 55 out of 700 runners. AND get this -- I won my age division!! I placed 1 out of 69!! This is a HUGE accomplishment for me. I never thought I would win ANYTHING. Now I know this isn't a super competitive race, but it doesn't matter to me. I won't let that dampen my accomplishment.  I was bummed that I had decided to miss the award ceremony. But do I really need a medal to validate my win? It would have been nice, but it doesn't matter if I was there or not. I still won my division.

I was over the moon. It is performances like this one that keep you going out day after day to train. It almost erases all the bad training days from your memory. Next weekend is the Frederick Running Festival Half Marathon and I hoping to set a PR there as well.

The next morning we met up with my family and my grandpa who lives in OC for brunch at the Ocean Pines Yacht club. Again it was an absolute gorgeous morning. Look at our views from the table!

And here is my dad treating me like #1 for my win on Saturday. Brought me my waffles and poured my syrup.

It was really a special weekend and the weather made it even that much better. What is your most memorable race?

Weekly Wokout Recap 4/29

Monday 4/22/13
4 Mile Recovery Run

Started off this week with a 4 mile run. Still recovering from the marathon and technically in taper week for the 5k this coming weekend and my half marathon the following weekend. It's a weird period and leaves me struggling with a lot thoughts. Am I going to be well rested? Am I keeping up with enough miles to make it through to my next endurance race? I wish it were that easy to just tell myself to do my best in every aspect and let it be!

Also got it Monday's #AbApril workout! I held a plank for 3 minutes!! It was killer and I am still in utter amazement at those who can hold for 4+ minutes. That's just crazy!

Tuesday 4/23/13
45 Minute Circuit Class & 1 Mile Walk

It's a 1/2 mile walk from my office to the fitness center here on campus, so I typically add that walk onto my workout! Today our instructor Ana set up 15 different stations around the room and we did each one for 50 seconds and then once we heard the time beep we had 10 seconds to rotate to the next station. To give an example of the stations we had a burpees station, push-up station, triceps dip station, jump rope, squat jumps, lunges etc. There was no breaking for 20 minutes! Then once we finished we did a few group cardio moves to finish up before our cool down. It's a really great workout. I am feeling a little guilty now because I missed a going away party for an intern here at work to go to the class. It's my favorite class of the week. Sometime I just need to be selfish. Is that bad?

Wednesday 4/24/13
4 Mile Run

I struggled through my run again. I am still hoping I am still recovering from my marathon. I am left feeling defeated after my runs more often than not. So frustrating! My knee is also bothering me a little. It has been since Monday. I just keep hoping it will go away. I have been icing a little too. 

I ran past the "Loft" today and snapped a picture so that you all can see where I take my classes at work during the week.

Thursday 4/25/13
1 Hour Body Sculpting Class

Today I woke up in so much pain. I knew I had a urinary tract infection and that hat to have been what has been wrong with me all week. My body has been fighting an infection and therefore taking its toll. In the past I have always put off going to the doctors. I hate the inconvenience of going. Taking off of work early, sitting in a waiting room forever, maybe not getting the answers you need on the first visit. Since I have become an athlete I demand a lot from my body and when it doesn't perform the way I want it to I feel discouraged and frustration. When I get sick now I can see how much it affects my athletic performance. I have two races within the next two weeks and I knew that I had to go to the doctors to get some medication so my body could start healing. I made an appointment and I had to leave a few hours early, but it's not the end of the world! I even still took my lunch break and when to my body sculpting class. That is my "me" time and I need it every day!

Even though I wasn't feeling well and I struggled through, I thought the class was great today. One of the other instructors from the fitness center came and took the class and I think that is the reason why the instructor pushed us so hard.

I took this photo after the class had just ended so everyone was already cleaning up there stuff. Our instructor Katja loves to use the BOSU ball and so do I because I don't have one at home so it's nice to use stuff that I don't have at home. The trailer we work out in -- which we call "The Loft" is nothing fancy, but we only pay $25 a month for unlimited classes! AND I get my workout done during the work day. AND the instructors are great. AND I love everyone else who takes the classes. It's a win-win in my book!

Friday 4/26/13
1 Hour Zumba Class

I started taking Zumba on Friday's to change things up. If you're like me then you get bored doing the same thing on the same day every week. Part of me likes having a set schedule, but when it comes to workouts I do like to try new things. I think its good for the soul and body! I will sometimes run on Friday's but sometimes I just want to do something different or a little less taxing on my body. This week since I have been sick I just wasn't up for a run. When we got there the teacher told us we were going to do Zumba circuit. What is Zumba Circuit? I am always up for trying new things. Just tell me what to do and I will do it. I just want to get my workout on. So Zumba circuit is apparently just like circuit training. You have a bunch of different stations set up in an oval shape around the room. You get 55 seconds at each station and then 5 seconds to move to the next. For Zumba circuit every other station you follow the instructors dance moves who is dancing in the center of all of our stations. It was kind of fun. However, a lot of them ladies that go to the Zumba classes only want to do Zumba. They don't know what a burpee is - nor do they care to do one. We made it around the oval once, but Ana said she could see some people faces and that they weren't digging it. So finished the class off with straight Zumba.

Tomorrow is the OC 5k. Yippeee. Family time with some fitness thrown in!

Saturday 4/27/2013
Ocean City 5k

Excited to recap this race in a blog post of its very own!

Sunday 4/28/2013
Rest Day

I planned on doing some ab work today, but my medications made me so sick I didn't get out of bed once we got home from the beach. I was so dizzy that when I did stand up I felt really nauseous.  Waste of day, but my body couldn't do much more!

Marathoner x2 - HIS Marathon Race Recap

I swore that my one and only full marathon would be the Marine Corps Marathon of 2012. However, I ran my second marathon on Sunday 4/14/2013.

I never really dropped my mileage after the MCM. I continued running with my group and they really pushed me to keep up the mileage. Many of the other runners were training for the Rock N Roll DC Marathon that took place in March. I was essentially training for a marathon, but hadn't signed up for one. So one day after an 18 mile run, I asked my fellow running buddy Brenda if she'd be interested in signing up for a full marathon. We were training for one so I figured why not! Finding one to run in a few months notice wasn't that easy. I had already signed up for the Rock N Roll DC Half and was looking forward to running that distance.And my race schedule for April and May were pretty busy. Brenda was able to find HIS Marathon and the date worked for both of us so we registered and continued our marathon training through the rest of the cold winter and into spring.

I met Brenda at her house and we drove down to the race together with her two daughters and husband. The race was about an hour and a half away so I am forever grateful to her husband for driving us to the race!

This marathon was different from my first marathon in so many ways. In fact, I think the only similarity was that they were both 26.2 miles! Unlike my first marathon, I didn't stress about this one at all. I didn't over think my training. I hardly even thought about the race until the day before when I figured I should start getting my stuff together. This marathon ran through a beautiful state park. I had heard that it was extremely hilly. Huge hills. I figured I would do my best and be elated if I PR'd. I wanted to PR and I assumed I would because I feel like I have become a much stronger runner since running my first marathon.

Brenda dropped a bomb on me the morning of the marathon. I had no idea how big (or small) this race was going to be (again my fault for not doing my research beforehand). Turns out only 35 marathoners signed up for this race! I'm sure my mouth fell open when Brenda told me this. I assumed there would at least be a few 100. I had visions of finishing last flashing through my head. My first marathon had 23,519 finishers. This race would have 35. I tried not to panic too much. There was nothing I could do at that point. Clearly I was not going to back out after months of training!

(Photo obtained from HIS Marathon Website)

Once we arrived at the park we decided to drive the course because we arrived a little early. The marathon was two 13.1 loops through the hilly park. The hills on the first 3 miles were insane. They hurt the first time out so we knew they were going to hurt through miles 23-26.

After we drove the course we parked and head to the restrooms. It was nice that parking, restrooms and the start line were all within a few minute walk of each other. After we all used the restroom we headed back up to the car to get all geared. The race was set to start at 8am and we started down to the start line around 7:45am. At the start line, it started to become obvious that this was the first race that this group had ever put on. It seemed a little unorganized, but we ended up only starting a few minutes late. There were about 35 marathoners and 50 1/2 marathoners.

Even though the course was basically two loops around the park, it was still a little confusing at some points as to what direction we were supposed to run. There were a few side streets that we had to run down to the end and turn around and come back. Around mile 3 we ended up passing runners that we assumed were coming around the other side of the loop. However, once we made the turn around at the end of the side street, the volunteer directing traffic pointed us in the opposite direction that we had just passed the runners that were ahead of us. That left us wondering for the next few miles if we were heading in the wrong direction or if the other runners were headed in the wrong direction. Someone was off course - that much as clear! A few miles later I had several fast runners fly passed me. I thought it was odd because I knew Brenda and I had started in the back of the pack. Brenda decided to ask one of the ladies where she was coming from and she told us that they had sent some runners in the wrong direction and they had gone several miles off course. UGH! How awful is that?! We were so thankful that we had started at the back of the back and had not gone several miles off course.

 (Photo obtained from HIS Marathon Website)

The weather was actually gorgeous. It was in the 70's and the course was mostly shaded. While the park was beautiful, there wasn't much else to look at other than trees! I think the mental aspect of the race was tougher than the actual physical part of the race. Brenda and I stuck together for a majority of the course. There were a few points where we were separated (I had to tie my shoe once), but I was always able to catch back up. Thank goodness to because those last 10 miles were tough. It was hard to go all the way back to the start just to turn around and do another 13.1 miles.

I knew early on that I was going to PR. We had a really great pace going and I knew that we were making up for the time that we would lose over the last 3 miles of serious hills. It was just a question of how much time I would shave off from my first marathon. We started counting down the miles when we had 9 miles left. We were in single digits we said at one point. Then we only had a 10k left. Then a 5k. Then we were down to the last two miles and the biggest hills on the course were looming ahead. We jogged up hill and let ourselves literally fly down the other side. When we came to the top of the last hill we could see the finish line at the bottom of the hill. I always get a little emotional when I see a finish line. Especially after a race like that. Brenda yelled to me to give her my hand and we crossed the finish line with our hands together raised in the air. We had a few pictures taken at the finish and we were handed a water and our medal.

The medal was glass which makes me nervous that I will break it, but I like it because it's different than any of the other medals that I have. I ended up with just over an 11 minute PR on a much tougher course. I will always be happy with a PR even if it might not end up being as big of a PR as I would have wanted. You have to learn to be proud of your accomplishments and understand that not everything is going to go exactly the way you dream it will.

MCM time was 4:43:54

This is the elevation chart that I found on the HIS Marathon Website.

The marathon website said that there would be a hot meal served after the run. I was curious to see what would be served. We dropped our stuff of at the car, used the rest room and headed to the lunch pavilion.

By the time we arrived to the lunch, we were told that the food was cold. You could tell that there were no runners involved in planning this race or ordering the food because they had lasagna, fish, meatballs, salad and bread. Where were the bananas? Chocolate milk? Bagels? I don't know. Just didn't seem like fish is something that a runner would want to eat after a marathon. I knew my stomach couldn't handle it so I had two pieces of bread and decided that would due until I made it home. We had lunch on a picnic table right outside the pavilion. It was such a gorgeous day to be outside.

I have yet to have a negative experience at a race. There are always things that I think can be done differently or things that I think the race company completely failed on. It's just hard for something to ruin my race day and that feeling you get from crossing the finish line. The food doesn't matter, the lack of spectators, the late start, the poorly run water stations. It may bother me and I might wish that these things had been gone differently, but I am not going to let that ruin my day. This was the inaugural HIS Marathon so I will cut them some slack. The race director encouraged feedback from all runners so that they can make adjustments next year.

Although, had it been me that they had sent off course, that might have been a different story. After all, the course marshals SHOULD know the course. Right? Running more than 26.2 miles or running less than 26.2 MIGHT be enough to ruin race day!

It was getting late and we knew we had a long ride ahead of us so we didn't hang around that long. I knew I wanted to get home and relax for a little bit before I had to get ready for work the next day.

This is pretty much all I did for several hours after I got home. My fiance had cleaned the house while I was gone and he made me lunch while he listened to all the details about my race. He's not a runner so I know my stories bore him -- but he always listens anyways!

Overall, I know this wasn't the most well organized race. But I will never regret running a race. This was an experience and  one that I will remember forever. It was a really tough course and I am a better runner because of it.

Do any of you have interesting marathon stories to tell?