Things That Happened in May

I was a running machine in May.  Perfect weather coupled with some free time means I meet and exceed my goals.  I have this habit of making a cumulative mileage goals every month. In May I was able to power through that goal.  71 miles in the whole month!! 

I also destroyed my 5 miler PR. So maybe not placement wise, but beating my time from 9 years ago meant a lot to me. 

Harpoon 5 Miler 6/4/2005 
1163 (place) 55:35 11:07 509 (place in Division 21-39) 591 (Place in Female div)

Harpoon 5 Miler 5/18/2014

3337 (overall) 52:19 10:28 644 out of 817 (Female 30-39) 

A week later, Memorial Day weekend, Gavin and I decided it would be all about running.  Friday to Monday I ran a total of 18.78 miles. 

Marblehead run

Post Boston Run

Boston Strong and Running On

I am not sure how today will not be an emotional one for years to come, but it is also a day that will remind us all that something broken only grows stronger.  There are so many inspirational stories of victims striving through so much physical and emotional pain, and they are standing strong today. They truly give me motivation to strive harder for that next mile or 10 and make me so thankful for what I have and to live so close to the Best City, Boston.

Although, I had already signed up for my first half marathon 2 days before Marathon Monday 2013, it definitely gave me a push to train and accomplish a goal I had set for myself 3 years prior.

Very excited to be able to attend the Red Sox Game on Patriots Day again this year and as the game empties out onto the Marathon route and watch the runners once again.

Photos from last year...

From our race 4/21/2013

Castle Island Running

Gavin has been very excited about running as much as possible lately. He has discovered how nice it is to run around Castle Island in Southie. So we drive down and run around the loop as many times as possible.

This was my contribution. He of course went around almost 4 times. It is a little over 2 miles each loop.  Running in circles is not usually my thing, but when the ocean is all around you for a majority of the run, it makes up for it. Also, the people watching is never really a disappointment.

A little faster than last week's run, but also a little shorter

My view while streching

Looking forward to seeing leaves on the tree

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 The past few weeks there has been a lot more coverage of Marathon events, memorials, and celebrations of life. It might seem weird since I wasn't at the finish line last year, but it has still been emotional reliving that week of events from Monday to the Friday capture of the bombers. I had a hard time walking past an MIT Police car without getting a bit choked up.

I will say it is inspiring to hear survivor stories and see all the Boston Strong gear in support. Running around Castle Island I can't help but stare at peoples' T-shirts to see what sort of positive message people have put out into the world.

That  being said, I can barely run 13.1 miles at this point and don't know if I will ever have the opportunity to run the illustrious Boston Marathon, but for anyone who might see this here is what the State Police have put out in regards to what the runners should and shouldn't bring with them.

I am hoping to see some runners this year, as I am attending the Red Sox game again.  So excited, but if I can't see a police cruiser without getting emotional. I might need my fannypack full or tissues.

And lastly... 

Look I found Spring! 

Castle Island Run Behind Gavin

Both Gavin and I are signed up for the Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon.  It is the same weekend that the Rock N Roll San Jose is, so I guess we are staying local this year.

He is very excited about training all ready, which is great for me and gets me motivated. Yesterday we went down to Castle Island in Southie.  He tried to start the run with me, but I could tell I was going just a little slower than he wanted so I told him not to worry.  He then became my slowly shrinking carrot.

As long as I meet my distance goal, I am not going to beat myself up over the pace.

And who is going to argue with the calorie burn! 

It is a little crazy that I see this 75 Thoughts Every Runner Has While Running this morning while flipping through Facebook. It isn't terribly far off from where my head was at, only there were lots of other runners and lots of puppies.

Then I joined some of my girls to watch the UCONN game and have jalapeno mango margaritas and taco night. Which was followed up by this...

Unfried Froyo! So delicious! 

Zombies, Run!

So one of the things that kept me busy this winter was binge eating watching. I managed to catch up on Walking Dead and love it! (Orange is the New Black and Chuck were also on the list) Netflix is really a productivity killer, but I am not sure I will ever give it up.

In previous years the changing of the calendar and the thought of spring really gave me that push to hit the gym after a long holiday season. The whole month of February was consumed with the move, knowing that my January was a wash, with the though, I will just start back when the move is over.

I have been working on trying to motivate myself and after my many hours sucked into the life of Rick Grimes and others, I wondered if I should look into those Zombie running apps the kids are talking about these days. I went over all the reviews and found Zombies, Run!  and while they are running a new years special I snatched up for the bargain price of $3.99 on iTunes.

After reading all the reviews I was planning for a few glitches, but it seems that they were all written so long ago that the creators/developers have worked out the bugs. So far so good, I don't use the GPS feature because I run with my iPod on a treadmill (for now) and not my phone. I have turned on the accelerometer and although it could use a little calibration I have no complaints.

The story is distracting and keeps my ADD brain entertained enough and it shuffles my songs in between the "transmissions from Abel Township". After your run you see all the things you have collected and you can build up the town. I am currently on season 1 episode 7 and definitely think I will stick with it for the long "run".

Today's Run: Random Hill Mode Treadmill - 30 minutes 2.64 miles, workout 2 of my 10K training program

My First Half: Complete! Rock N' Roll San Jose

Who knew that running for 2 hours and 44 minutes while suffering from dehydration would be fun... but I am here to tell you that it was.

I have to admit there were a few times during the race I was a bit concerned.  Around mile 10 I could feel myself slowing down, not necessarily my feet since I was already at a snails pace in the running world.  Around mile 10.5 I walked a bit to get my GU (I stole 2) and hydrate.

Gavin was able to run the first 5 miles (the Mini Marathon) with me so that made it even more fun! I also had the best cheerleaders in the world.  Although there were local high schools and college teams present my sister and brother in law came out and watched me run by them at 3 different spots along the course!! The local cheer squads had nothing on them.

The course was a great way to see San Jose, my family has lived out there for more than a decade and I still get confused within the City limits. My sister's neighborhood was very close to the first neighborhood we ran through and the people there were so into watching the runners go by.  Although there were a decent amount of people that seemed surprised that so many people were so excited to run that early in the morning. There were band stands within each mile marker playing, but in this neighborhood people just came out and played with their bands. It was really fun to see the community get involved and they were excited to be part of the race. 

The other part of town that was nice to run through was the Garden District, the houses and yards were very impressive, although the community support was a little less impressive. 

Although I saw lots of the city, I am pretty sure I wouldn't be able to give anyone a tour. My sister tried to ask me questions about the course the next day and I had no answers, I guess I was in a zone. Or it could have been when I started seeing stars. I was trying to stay ahead of the thirst, drinking at every hydration stand.  I think my chances of over-hydration were slim... definitely need to work on the electrolytes in the future. 

The course was for the most part flat, an underpass or 2, but nothing that I couldn't handle at the time. It was also amazing how many people I had to run around. Around mile 7, my Garmin was giving about .5 mile more than the mile markers, you don't think about how much more your run. 

Was so nice having Gavin to run with for the first 4.5 miles. 

Gavin finishing out the 5 miles

Honestly this is just a happy face, the guy was standing there with a camera and I felt the need to do something! 

I am ready for the next... Mentally maybe, physically I need to get on my training shoes!

Sunday FunDay's for Running

With a new pep in his step Gavin is volunteering to run with me outside! This weekend we parked in Cambridge and ran along the Charles River for a little change  of scenery and a relatively flat training ground.

I started out great and about 4 miles in I realized that the shorts I had chosen has very irritating seams. Not to get into too much detail, but I made it to 5 miles and change but had to cut the run short, walking back to the car was not great. Gavin of course kept running, I was so impressed for a guy that hasn't been out running in a while.

Running along the Charles is so nice, there was a great breeze and always something to look at, even if it is just to people watch.  There is no shortage of scenery, the Cambridge skyline on the first leg and the Boston Skyline on the second.  The other great thing about it at least the course we took, is there is rarely a need to stop for traffic.

It was nice having a running buddy.

The Running Bug has Biten

Gavin has the opportunity to run the "Mini Marathon" in San Jose along with my half. He is also currently waiting for his new job to start and feeling a bit antsy... maybe. He has been all about going out for runs with me, and for a guy that has taken about 3 months off from the gym, I am very impressed.

He was able to run almost 4 miles his first time out and then almost 6 the time after that. Too much too soon could have gotten the better of him, because the next 2 runs were not as long.  It has been a great motivational force for me in my "training" (I say in quotes because it is more about when I feel like running or guilt that I have a half to run and need to step up my game).  Running with someone really does make a huge difference, I even don't mind running without music.

After the Half... I will be working on speed.

Now that I have my Garmin I don't need to carry my phone with me on runs to track myself. This results in less pictures, which makes me sad.  I love pictures, even when they are a bit shaky from taking them while running.

Blogging Hiatis

It has been a while, but things got a little crazy in my life. I am not going to lie, my half training hasn’t been what it should have been.

There has been a lot more of this than running.

Of course when one of these opens down the street you have to check it out!

There was also a lot of this... 

Then feeling like this...

And who wants to run when you slept on the rock solid ground all night? (Should have packed the air mattress)

Camping at the beach... very nice, only wish the weather had been better.

I finally got the Garmin, splurging on the Forerunner 610 and so far my only concern/complaint is scratching the face. It keeps me off the treadmill, only problem has been finding a trail to run on.



Soon after the Garmin entered my life I figured out that Marathon Sports will honor a gift certificate without the physical piece of paper. IF only I had called before… wha whaaa...  These shoes make so much difference.  I have already noticed certain aches going away.

The people at Marathon Sports were super helpful, and they ask just the right questions to make sure you don't leave the store with something that doesn't seem right on your foot. It was a little tricky because after they figure out what support you need base on how you pronate and your support needs it is up to you to make sure you feel comfortable. I have been wearing New Balance for so long they just felt natural, but the cushion in the Asics and Saucony just made me feel like I was floating. I must have tried on 8 pairs of shoes. The best part, for those of you who are similarly large footed, they really didn't seem to have a problem with finding shoes in my size.  (I have gone to other stores where a 10.5 or 11, I have big feet, was just not easy to come by.) They also have a great return policy, make sure you get the most use out of the shoes as possible in the first 15 days and if you find that they are not the shoes for you, full refund.

I ended up with a pair of Saucony's so far so good.

Week 7

With only 7 weeks left of training time, I went on vacation. I was all geared up to go running while on my vacation.

What I learned about running in new places, specifically the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Whether you intend to or not, you will be doing hill training.  When the lake you are running around was formed by glaciers, it will be very hilly. I managed to get out to run twice while I was there. (or all of last week total)

This is pretty much the terrain you are working with... if only I could run on water.

Summer weekends are not my own. The good news is the rest of this summer (what little there is left) I have full control over my schedule. Which I will need to kick into high gear and get out to some nice scenic running spots to make things interesting.

My Garmin is my new best friend... I think I am still working on a learning curve.

Don't you hate when life gets in the way?

Things have been a bit hectic in my life... and I feel like it isn't even my life that has caused the chaos. Gavin has been on a job hunt.  He found a new job but had to pass a personal lines insurance licensing test. One would imagine with the TV off for a whole week I would have plenty of time to blog... nope, when I take on other people's stress (sympathetic stress-er, that's me!) I find television very comforting.  Retreating into other/mind numbing entertainment really makes everything fade away.

My first adventure to Duxbury Beach with my friends

Good news is with 5 days of intense studying, he has passed and gets to move forward with the job training.

My television watching hasn't kept me from the training schedule, if only my runs at week 8 were as long as Hal has indicated they should be. So if you run on the days that you are supposed to but don't go the distance, seems like only half the battle.

FYI, Starz new period drama The White Queen... already hooked after one episode. If you don't like a bunch of people in costume running around without any for of technology and British accents, this is not your bag!

Recap: Ladies Night Out 5K

Such a good idea in theory and executed well by the B&S Fitness Management.  My ability to execute a 5K at 4pm on a Saturday afternoon was not impressive.  I would like to state for the record the event was well done and the only disappointment stems from my lack of ability to run the entire course. I also found a wine that I really enjoyed, Barefoot Summer Red! They also gave out super cute T's and a wine glass to all the runners. How could I forget the carnation at the finish line?

Some days are better than others and usually I can pull myself together for a race.  This was not one of those events. I lost all momentum, I am not sure if was the heat or the microwave burrito I had eaten early or that I found the need to organize my whole apartment that day, but once 4pm rolled around, running was the last thing I wanted to do.  So there was some walking.

There was wine and chocolate at the finish line!!

Oh how unflattering race photos are. 

Someone decided that let us take pictures of people tired and sweaty and they can remember the event forever. Joy me! Oh and completely bootlegged, my bad.

Week 9

Last night I wanted to make sure to run at least what Hal had suggested. To my surprise, I felt pretty good the whole outing I felt really good. (I think I am going to stop saying "run" I think most people would consider my movement a slow jaunt) When I am outside I feel like my pace is faster than it really is.  If I am comfortable I guess it doesn't matter my pace, it just matters that I am going... right?

The Salem 10K really rejuvenated my positive mentality about the Half.  My "can do" attitude has been in full swing for a whole 3 days, I will keep you posted on how long that lasts. 

Oh the finish line photos...I have had worse.

And for a tidbit of wisdom I feel the need to bestow: Don't go to Target hungry! You will only end up with a much more full cart. 

Last Nights Workout: 3.69 m / 43 minutes (goal per Hal, 3.5 miles)

Salem's Bridge & Back 10K, Fantastic!

I learned a lesson, that when I dread a run, that usually means it will be a better run.  I just think back to all the runs that I could have had that I dreaded so much I talked myself out of going. 

It was definitely a smaller race, but managed really well after a little confusion about where the start line was everything was smooth sailing from there. For only $25 and I received a tech T-shirt and 2 Sam Adams draft tickets. 

The coarse was beautiful from Historic Salem across the Bridge to Beverly Waterfront and then back across the bridge to see move of Salem again.  So these are places that I spend a lot of my time. In fact I ran past a beach that I went back to lay out on later that day.  It is rare that I see these places at 8 in the morning. The weather was perfect, dry cool 70s. What a difference a few degrees makes! 

Me hanging out in the back of the pack, where I stayed. 11th from the end! 

These two ladies were nice enough to let me run with them for a while and I even learned a little bit about pacing and running form.  I felt like I owed her a trainer fee.  Once we hit the first incline of the bridge they were off. 

 The race was for the Boys and Girls Club of Salem, so the support along the course was actually really great. Plenty of people cheering and directing and three water stations.  Even though I was holding up the end of the pack I felt like people were still cheering me on. Not to mention running with this view and salty sea air was so invigorating.

 Since I finished 11th to last out of 335 people I don't really have to tell you that my time wasn't stellar, but I ran the whole thing and I actually feel better about this one than the Gansett run.

Also, Yasso was there again!! If they are the new standard at the end of road races, I want to do more!

I definitely want to do the Bridge and Back again, and try for a spot in the last 25 people. 

Final time: 1:13:50 (I trust this time a bit more since I crossed the timer on the start line and at the finish.) 

Post race hydration?!?!?

2013 so far! With 4 more races on the docket. 

Hit the beach post race! 

Running Gods Smiled

This morning the running gods smiled on me.  Best run I have had in over 2 weeks.

No one said it would be easy but it can be rewarding if you can get past the fumbles. This past week i have felt defeated by the prospect of running a half in October, "What did I get myself into?" Now I am a bit behind in my training program according to Hal Higdon, but not so much that I will let it get me down.

I am very excited about the 10K this Sunday, it is practically in my back yard. Going over the bridge and back might not be great, but it has to be better than the Gansett Run.

This morning I was watching the Today Show and Gone Baby Gone, to say I was a bit over stimulated is an understatement. As a girl with ADD that is the best way to keep me going. I have already admitted to be a total crybaby (Here is a question, does cardio enhance emotions?)  There was a story entitled Dream Wedding, which perked my interest as Gavin and I are planning on tying the knot some time in the near-ish future. I should have known that this story was going to be a tear jerker. A San Francisco couple was getting married before the bride died of terminal cancer. The strength of both bride and groom is astounding and if it doesn't make you tear up, take your breath away and not take advantage of the life you have all at once, I don't know what will. Heart breaking and inspiring all at the same time. The whole thing really made me pick up my pace, I should just consider having The Notebook on repeat when I start on my long runs.

My attempt at taking a picture of a double rainbow... not sure you really get the effect.

Workout: TM 3.15 miles / 34 minutes