Half Marathon Training: Week 18

Week 18:

- Monday - 20 minute dog walk, 1 min plank

- Tuesday - 3.41 mi, 36:00, boot camp w/cheerleaders (10 burpees, 50 mountain climbers, high knees, 20 ab scissors, 30 second plank, 10 push-ups, 40 tricep dips)

- Thursday - 5 min elliptical, free weight arms, 1 min plank, 30 second plank, side planks 20 seconds each side

- Saturday - 20 minute dog walk

- Sunday - Broad Street 10:09 mi, 1:40:32

- Total Mileage = 13.60 mi

Week 18 Goals:
- Ice my knee: A+
- Planks 3 times: A
- Prep for the Broad Street Run (early to bed, clean eating, hydrating): A+

I feel like I may have missed a midweek dog walk and/or plank, but whatever.  This week's focus was all about Broad Street.  When I ran on Tuesday I was really feeling it in my knee, so I decided that resting through the week was more important than getting in another run.  It definitely paid off because my knee felt fine through the race and I haven't had any post race pain either!

I'm a little bummed because I canceled my gym membership on Thursday, but now that I've moved in with Dave it just doesn't make sense.  Between running, my free weights at home, online resources, and the zumba/yoga combo Groupon I still need to activate I really don't see the need to pay for a gym right now.  I love working out at a gym but the only one super close to Dave's is mega expensive.  I'd love to keep paying $10 a month at Planet Fitness, but the closest one is 20 some minutes away and I refuse to join a gym with that kind of commute.  I know I won't go and I refuse to set myself up for failure.

Week 19 Goals:
- Listen to my body to determine how much training vs. rest is best for my knee
- Planks 3 times
- Yoga 1 time
- Survive my 12 miler on Sunday

 Only 2.5 weeks left!!!

Do you prefer to workout at a gym?

Broad Street Run Race Recap!

This is what I look like amped up at 5 am...

Do you see the crazy in my eyes???  My alarm went off at 4:45 am, but I was already up!  Shayna slept over in the guest room and TJ arrived promptly at 5:30 am.  Shayna prepped our breakfast (mini cinnamon raisin bagels, with a choice of almond or peanut butter, and bananas) while Dave packed the cooler full of post race goodies.  We left around 6, not sure what traffic on 76 would be like but made it down to North Philly in a record 25 minutes!  Dave dropped us off near the start and we were feeling lucky when we found some porta potties that hadn't been used at all yet!  What a race day gem!

Next we headed into the Central High School football stadium to kill some time singing random songs, meeting new people, and making jokes about the guy with the shortest shorts ever (and the odds of his member making an appearance at the race)!  We got there pretty early, but I was glad that we weren't dealing with the craziness of the crowds in the subway. 

Next thing I knew we finished an awesome warm up and were headed to our corrals.  There were a ton of people but it was easy to find where we were supposed to be.  We even found Jenn!

Since our corral was second from the back, we waited around 40 minutes just to get up to the start line.

And then we were off!  The beginning was pretty intense, running with so many people was so exhilarating but also pretty crazy.  We spent the majority of the race weaving in and out and passing people.  The first few miles ticked by.  There were random spectators along the sides of the streets yelling for us.  And then we started passing bands, rappers, DJs, there were even some zumba dancers!

We knew Dave was waiting for us around city hall, but we weren't sure if the cross street was before or after so it was kind of fun looking ahead to each street to see if it was the one.  It really made the miles tick by.  Then the crowds really swelled when we got to city hall, and right as we came back onto Broad Street there was an awesome band and we saw Dave!

 

After city hall things kind of died down.  The crowd was scattered and my knees were really starting to ache.  Miles 7 and 8 were probably the hardest part.  I just kept saying we got this and almost there to encourage myself, Shayna, and everyone around us that could hear me.

Then all of the sudden I realized how close we were to the finish.  Shayna and I ran together until 8 or 8.5, but I started to lose her in the crowd around us so I told her I was going ahead.  And then I was off!  I started hauling it and passing a ton of people.  I just wanted to be done.  The course kept getting more and more narrow towards the end, which was annoying because it was hard to get through but I just kept pushing and pushing!

Next thing I know, it was over!  I did it!  I crossed the finish line and received my metal!

I didn't really have any specific goals for this race, I just wanted to finish.  But in the back of my mind I did want to beat the 1:47:42 I ran my 10 mile training run in.  I killed it.

Seriously look at those splits!  I hadn't done any of my long runs nearly this quick.  At the beginning I was worried we were going out too fast.  I didn't want to burn out at the end, but the pace felt natural and every time we tried to slow down, we ended up around the same pace anyway.  It ended up working out, because I felt great throughout.  And look at the last 2 miles!  Holy moly!  My official race time was 1:40:32 as well and I placed 21,425 out of 33,988, not too shabby!  I think the distance on my Garmin ended up being a little over 10 because we rounded city hall on the outside, something to think about for future races.

The aftermath was crazy, there was no cell phone service since everyone and their mom was trying to meet up with someone, and it was mobbed.  I wandered around for a while and ran into Ricky, someone from my Tuesday night group runs, and a neighbor from college!  Eventually we all found each other and headed back to FDR park for some tailgating.

And then the rest of my day was spent doing a lot of this.

(I'm pretty sure Dave is snapping to get the dog away from licking my face and waking me up!)

So that was Broad Street!  It was a great success and I'm definitely feeling ready for the half.  And for some weird reason my knee doesn't even hurt today.  Win!

Half Marathon Training: Week 17

Week 17:

- Monday, arms, 1 minute plank
- Tuesday, 5.9 mi, 59:42 with my running group, 1 minute plank
- Friday, arms & abs, 1 minute plank
- Saturday, 10 mi, 1:47:42, 1 minute plank, 15 minute dog walk
- Sunday, 20 minute yoga video on Xfinity On Demand, lots of stretching
- Total Mileage = 15.90 mi

Week 17 Goals:
- Planks, 3 times: A+
- Arms & abs, 2 times: B+
- Finish my 10 miler: A+

An excellent week for my goals!  Still can't get over the fact that I ran 10 miles.  And I even did yoga,  along with some foam rolling, it really helped me recover from Saturday.  I've been experiencing some knee pain since I tweaked my knee a few weeks ago when I tripped over a gift playing gift giver at Kimber's baby shower (womp for being clutsy!), so when I felt a little knee pain on Tuesday I decided I would rest until my 10 miler.  It worked out and my knee felt good while I was running, but it definitely felt rough the rest of the day.  Hopefully I can listen to my body and avoid a serious injury!

Anyway, now I'm getting super pumped for this weekend!  I'm running the Broad Street Run, along with 30,000 people!  Two of those people being Shayna and Jenn!  There's also a bunch of people from my work running too.  On Friday I'm taking a half day and heading down to the city to check out the expo and pick up my race packet with one of my coworkers.  I'm excited for my first race expo.  I'm getting paid on Friday and heck, I've been training since January, I think I deserve some goodies ;)

I am kinda anxious for the race too:
1.  It's my first race longer than a 5K.  I'm nervous I'll go out too fast, choke on water trying to drink quickly through water stations, and/or generally burn out at the end.
2.  30,000 people + spectators = clusterfuck, I'm worried about traffic, bathroom lines, finding people, completely missing Dave when I run by him, etc.
3.  My knee... I'm just praying that it feels ok during the race!  I have a knee brace from a random injury a few years ago, but I'm not even sure it would help and I really don't want to run with it for the first time at the race (hello possibility of horribly chafing).  I'm also still keeping my eyes on the prize.  I don't want to go all out at this race if it means I'm not going to be able to run my half.  So I may end up taking it easier than I want to.  We'll see!

Week 18 Goals:
- Ice my knee
- Planks 3 times
- Prep for the Broad Street Run (early to bed, clean eating, hydrating)

But wow, it's May and I can't believe I'm running my half marathon this month!  Seems like just yesterday I was struggling with 2 miles and wondering if my hip pain was going to be a serious injury.  Now I'm feeling like a boss!

Have you run in any large races?  Any tips for dealing with the crowds?

I did it!

I ran 10 miles yesterday!  One more time... I ran 10 miles yesterday!!!!!  Double digits!  I still can't believe it.  I mean, I've been preparing for this since January, but when I put together my training plan I remember looking at April and May and thinking, am I really going to be able to do this?

Since I couldn't find a running buddy and I couldn't bare the though of doing the 10 alone, Dave came with me on his bike!  He carried all of my supplies (water, tissues, fuel, sweatshirt when I got hot), played paparazzi, and cheered me on at the end when I really needed it.  What a great boyfriend!

The weather was perfect, mid 40s into the low 50s, cloudy with some sun.  The trail had a lot of traffic since it was so nice, tons of bikes were flying by us (some a little closer than I cared for), but it wasn't a huge deal.  The first 5 miles out flew by.  I kept the pace pretty slow and didn't stop at all.  I felt great.  At the turn around point I ate a few apple slices.  I wanted to pick up some real fuel before the run, but I never got around to it, so I went with what I had, which seemed to work out.

 
The second half went well too.  But again, the end was such a mental game.  I always thought these runs would be hard because I would be winded and getting side stitches but that's not the case at all.  As far as all that goes, I feel like I could run forever.  But my legs, oh my legs.  They are screaming by the end.  My hips get so tight and my knees start to ache.  The last 2 miles were so tough, but I also pushed it and finished strong!

Again with the awkward splits, I hit the lap button at our turn around, so laps 7-11 were the second half.  Check out those last 1.88 miles!  Like a boss!

Finishing a long run is the best feeling ever!  Oh what did you do Saturday morning?  Sleep in?  Go to breakfast?  Battle a hangover?  I ran 10 miles!  I seriously feel like a rockstar.  And next weekend is the Broad Street Run and I am ready.

What's something big you've accomplished lately?!