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!

Broad Street Run Expo & The Reading Terminal Market

Yes, I did it!  I ran Broad Street and I killed it... but we need to start at the beginning!

I was dreading the crowds and driving down into the city two days in a row, so I decided to go pick up my race packet and check out the expo on Friday afternoon.  My coworker Ricky, who was also running, was my partner in crime for the day.  We cut out of work at noon and our first stop was the Reading Terminal Market.

Omg, farmer's market on steroids!  It was my first time and I'd heard so many amazing things about this place and it did not disappoint.  We started our trip by taking a lap around trying to pick from the overwhelming amount of delicious choices and devouring some free cheese samples.  I settled on a place called Mezze Mediterranean Foods.  There were so many drool worthy sandwiches there it was so hard to decide, but a delicious italian hoagie caught my eye.

Next up was dessert, needed to load up on extra calories for the race after all ;)  After some more roaming around, we found an Amish bakery we were both excited about.

Strawberry rhubarb pie for him, pumpkin roll for her.

The market was great, I'll definitely be going back!  After we sufficiently stuffed ourselves, we headed down to the expo!

 

It was my first race expo and it was pretty crazy.

There was a ton of goodies for purchasing and this one caught my eye: a spibelt for carrying a few things while running.  It's waterproof... and purple!

(source)

I was also looking for a super supportive sports bra, but they didn't have any big enough for my girls (not kidding).

The expo definitely pumped me up and really made the race real for me!  I still can't believe it's over.  I should've done some blogging yesterday, but I was a waste of life and did nothing but nap and eat.  So I'll be writing my race recap later tonight!

What's your favorite market place?  Have you ever been to a race expo?

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?

Half Marathon Training: Week 16

Week 16:

- Monday, 3.5 mi in 88 degrees through the park, 41:11, BTN arms & abs, 1 minute plank
- Wednesday, 4.52 mi, 42:39, some intervals with a buddy
- Sunday, 9 mi, 1:35:00 with Shayna!
- Total Mileage = 17.02

 Week 16 Goals:
- Run 3 times: A+
- Try a new bodyrock.tv workout: F
- Planks 4 times: Big time F!

I sucked at my goals for the week!  There are a ton of bodyrock.tv workouts that are only 10 or 20 minutes long.  And planks only take a minute.  One minute!  I definitely could've fit these workouts in, but I really just didn't get it done.

On the flip side, I had a great week of running.  Monday night was a flop due to the heat and a struggling running partner, but it was good to get some hot weather miles in.  I have no idea what the weather will be like for my half.  Wednesday was a great run!  Remember my favorite running buddy from my 6 miler a few weeks ago?  We got together for some quick miles on a new-to-me portion of the Schuylkill River Trail.  We ran the first half at a consistent pace and then the second half doing half mile intervals, including a speedy ending, 8:42 whaaat?

Shayna signed up for the half with me months ago but she spent the winter in Florida so we were excited to get out together.  The forecast was looking pretty grim, but like I said before, who knows what the day of the race will bring, so we decided we were going rain or shine.  We totally lucked out with the weather and we only got a little on and off rain that actually felt good.  Shayna shared her gummy fuel with me, which was my first experience with fueling during a run.  They tasted like candy and weren't too bad to snack on.  I'm not sure if I noticed a difference in my run, but I know I need to practice fueling for my race, so it was a good start.  We ran a great pace and I loved running with her, the miles just ticked by!
 

We were having a grand old time, until about 7.5 miles in... my knees started really aching, my hips were getting tight.  I'd say this was my hardest long run yet.  Last week's 8 miles were so slow that they seemed pretty easy.  But on Sunday, finishing the run out was a mental game.  It was intense, but I'm so glad I did it.  9 miles in the books!  I accidentally hit the lap button in the middle, so excuse my awkward splits.

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

Double digits this weekend!  I couldn't find a partner in crime, so Dave is going to join me on his bike.  I'm excited to have a buddy... and a gear carrier!  A week and a half till Broad Street, and one month till the half :D  I hope you're having a good week!

Do you like to do planks?  How do you convince yourself to fit in workouts?

Half Marathon Training: Week 15

Week 15:

- Tuesday, 6.01 mi with a group on the Perkiomen Trail, 58:56
- Wednesday, 10 min dog walk
- Thursday, 2.81 mi walk/run intervals, 26:07
- Friday, BTN arms
- Saturday, 8 mi with some ladies on the River Trail, 1:28:26, BTN arms & abs
- Total Mileage = 16.82 mi

Goals for week 15:
- Run 3 times: A+
- Leg workout: F
- Arms & abs 2 times: B+

This was a great running week!  Tuesday I went to the group run, there's usually two pacing groups and I started out with the fast group.  I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with them the entire time, but I figured I'd go as far as I could and then drop down and go join the slower group.  I stuck with them for the first two miles, but the pace kept getting faster and faster and so finally just when I thought I was going to be running alone, one of the other guys dropped back with me.

This was a great run.  Even after slowing down, we kept a great pace!

Then Thursday I tried out something new, I did walk/run intervals.

The goal was to run fast (well faster than my usual pace) during the running portions and then recover while I was walking.  I didn't go very far, but it was pretty tough.  Even with walk breaks (and lots of them) my pace was faster than usual.

I want to run faster in general... which means I have to run faster.  I can't sustain a 9:18 pace for an entire run (yet) but I think intervals are a great way to push my pace!  And yay for burning some extra calories!

Saturday was 8 miles and it was pretty uneventful.  The pace was slower than I generally cared for, but it made the miles easy and enjoyable.

Anyway, my runs were great this week, but additional fitness was kind of a flop.  I fit in some BTN arm exercise and did some ab work one day, but I haven't really been feeling inspired.  I would like to tone up for bsuit season and I know I have to shake up my routine to get the results I'm looking for!

Week 16 Goals:
- Run 3 times
- Try a new bodyrock.tv workout
- Planks 4 times

Running 9 miles this weekend, 10 next weekend, and then the Broad Street Run!  6 weeks until my half... holy moly!  I still can't believe I'm really doing this!

Do you ever find yourself in a fitness rut?  What's your favorite way to mix up your workouts?

Half Marathon Training: Week 7

Week 7:

- Wednesday, better than nothing workout (random body weight exercises in Dave's kitchen)
- Thursday, better than nothing workout (random body weight exercises at cheer practice), 2 yoga videos

- Sunday, 20 minute dog walk
- Total Mileage = 0 mi

This week was a big fail.  I actively took this week off from running to rest my hip, but that shouldn't have given me a free pass to be lazy all week.  If I can find time to run 3 times a week, I should still be able to find the time to workout without running!

Something that really surprised me over the past two weeks was how much I missed running!  I can't believe I'm saying it, but it's true.  We had some gorgeous weather and I just wanted to get out and go run.  I guess I could've gone for some walks instead, but it just wasn't the same.  Maybe I need to work on my all or nothing mentality, although I don't seem to have that issue with working out in general... I love those better than nothing workouts.  Thursday I did some jumping switch lunges and a bunch of cheer jumps and my hamstrings and shoulders were burning for a few days!

Goals for the week:
- Workout 3 times: C
- Buy a foam roller, learn more about it, and roll: B+
- Do some type of yoga: A
- Stretch 4 times: B-

Well, it's behind me now.  This week I'm looking forward to testing out the waters with a nice easy run.  If I don't have any pain then I'll be getting back into my training plan.  I definitely won't be following the week 8 schedule of my training plan, I need to ease myself back in.  My goals for week 8 are to workout 3 times (hopefully there will be some running, but either way I need to get moving), do another yoga workout, and do lots of foam rolling.

Oh and guess what I did this week, I signed up for the Broad Street Run!  It's a huge 10 mile run in Philadelphia, 3 weeks before my half.  Please, please, please let my hip pain be behind me, or at least something I can manage with rolling, yoga, and ice!  We will see... crossing my fingers!

How do you motivate yourself after a bad week?