Wednesday, March 30, 2011

45 Days :)

I can't believe that in 45 Days I will be running my 3rd Marathon. Yikes!! Training has been going really well this cycle. I am pumped about my 3:12:43 at Around the Bay 30km...It was a challenging course...Although Mississauga Marahton is a net downhill there are hills...a big one at the 10km and quite a few rolling ones...I am proud because last week I did not taper...it was my Highest Mileage week to date with 60km (37miles) and I was able to be strong on the ATB course... I hope I can re-create that on May 15, 2011. I have been doing my hill training every week and will continue to with 9-hill repeats tonight... Next week is my last hill week then I will starting doing some longer tempo runs and Yasso 800's :) I plan on following my Running Scheduled for the next 7 weeks...Currently I am running 4 days per week with an attempt at two cross training sessions. I am going to try and manage another 6km steady run on Saturdays...My legs have been feeling good...if they start to stress then I will pull back and continue with my stretching, rolling and icing plan with only 4 days run (one long slow distance, tempo run (6km), hills training (8-15km) and a steady run (8-10km)...I am hoping that by Chicago I can increase that mileage big time! How often do you run in a week to prepare for a full marathon???

Monday, March 28, 2011

Around the Bay Race Recap





Saturday: Lindsay and I went down in the afternoon and arrived at the Expo. Honestly...it wasn't horrible but I was expecting a bit more. Quite a few local running stores selling Winter gear for 50% off. There were some Race booths as well which I always enjoy looking at...

Speaking of Races: While there I did Register for the Mid-Summer Nights 30km!! I loved this race last year and it fits in perfectly with training for a fall Marathon...They have THE BEST SWAG as well!

We relaxed by looking at some of the vendors(I looked but no purchases) then checked into our Hotel in Oakville. The hubs was in TO for the weekend for Work so it was nice that we could crash together (love saving money)...He was such a great morning support...he got up with me and Lindsay and headed to Tim Horton's to get us from fresh Bagels to go with our Peanut Butter!! :)

Saturday we went shopping at Mountain Equipment Co-op where I was able to get some bike accessories...more to come on this later...it involves me giving up my parking space at work...

We said goodbye to the hubby and then went to East Side Mario's for Pasta Dinner....It was yummy and a great carbo load! We rested and watched TV for the remainder of the night and watched the weather Chanel a few million times....It sounds like most people struggled with what to wear!



7am Wake up: AWESOME! Loved being able to sleep in...so great...I honestly could not decide what to wear. They were saying with the windchill it could have felt like -18 out there...I should have worn different pants and maybe ditched the jacket for a vest...who knows...at times I was boiling and then other times I felt the wind....just one of those tough days all around!


9:30am: Start....I put myself with the 3:15:00 Pace Bunny...he was doing 10:1's which I planned on doing...all was good for about a KM....he was going VERY speedy then when you hit a water stop he would slow down...I brought my own water and easily could power walk the water stations and knew I would try and use mine for as long as possible...Aid stations were every 5km...


My current 30km PR is 3:09:53 at Mid-Summer Nights Run....I was in great running shape and it was a FLAT course...I was not going for speed this race...I was really hoping to finish under 3:22:00...





I started to get a head of the pace bunny...At this point I felt really steady and just wanted to keep going...I thought I might regret it later but I just went with it!

1-5km...Felt great...Lots of navigating around Runners

5-10km...Feeling strong here...I took my first and only Chocolate GU at 8km....It was a nice treat but as usual my stomach felt "funny:...I decided not to risk anything and just stuck to Water and G2...


The next 10km were a blur...I felt like I was on Auto-Pilot....My pace slowed a bit but I wasn't concerned as I knew the hills would be coming at around the 20km mark...At the 20km I took a salt tab for the first time ever...I loved it...I totally felt better and plan on using these a bit more during training and especially for Chicago!

The Hills: They came...there were a few challenging ones but I just kept going...The nice things about these hills are that they are "Rolling"...I honestly felt like I got a bit of a break on the down-hill..

26km had the HUGE HILL that everyone talks about...before the race I had thought about walking part of it...I did...I ran the first half...took a 15 second break then ran a bit more then power walked to the top...It was a great game plan for me...at the top I felt great...I didn't loose my pace and just gave'r until the finish line....

I passed a few friends who were super encouraging(both running and on the side lines)....and ran right into Copps Colosseum



(Not my Photo)

My Finish Time: 3:12:43 Not too shabby!!!


I wasn't sure if I was going to "RACE" yesterday but my time and my how my legs are feeling today sure let me know that I did! I was really proud of how yesterday went...It was very auto-pilot...I can't remember a lot about the course...I do know I enjoyed it...and just felt pretty darn good...I am sore today...but in a good way...

It also let me know that I am ready...I am ready for May 15, 2011...I am ready to Run...




I wasn't going to run this race....or a full marathon this spring...An opportunity came up to run it and I thought..."Why Not?"...I was too scared initially to register...I was so worried that my training...although I have a lot of KM under my belt didn't feel "quality like"....yesterday changed that for me...I had a great race with a great time on a challenging route with challenging weather....The next few weeks are going to be busy...but I am so excited!!!!


Overall I cannot wait to do this Race Again...the route was great, the volunteers were wonderful...the runners were so awesome! I can understand why this is the oldest run in North America!!!



Wednesday, March 23, 2011

SNOW!

There is snow and ice...everywhere...ugh....PLEASE COME BACK SPRING!

Monday, March 21, 2011

6 more SLEEPS!!!

So only 6 more sleeps until AROUND THE BAY!!! There are quite of few of us Ontario Bloggers running this 30km event. I know most of us have been checking the weather like mad...looks *okay*...I am a little worried about the WIND....This will be my first ATB ever so from all the stories I have heard I am not expecting any miracles with the wind/rain/weather in general... I am pretty pumped....Plus I haven't had a "race" since Chicago Marathon...it is the kick off to my Spring Race Season...

Week 10 in Review


Monday: 60mins Cycle on the Trainer...watching the Bachelor...It was awesome...actually and before that I went to Port Huron, MI to Dick's Sporting Goods and picked up two pairs of my Asics 2150's...They are last season's model but I did so well in them I figure why not keep with them for a little bit more...plus at $69.99 a pair...I couldn't go wrong...Even better is when I crossed customs I was completely honest about my purchase and the lady thought I was nuts for A) needed more than one pair of shoes and B) training for a marathon she let me through and I didn't have to pay duty!




Tuesday: 6km Tempo....Fastest tempo of this cycle! Love it...getting faster...still not at where I was but it is coming every week! This day I was starting to get a cold :(


Wednesday: Full blown cold...but I did run 12km and complete 7 hill repeats...just took it a bit easy...It was tough but oddly enough it "cleared" my nose and head for a few hours...It made me feel a bit better...

Thursday: still sick but had a great 8km steady run...it was such a gorgeous night out :)

Friday: REST

Saturday: We moved the Long Run to Sat. 29km done and done...due to my cold I wasn't feeling that great but we someone finished it and surprisingly I felt great!

Sunday: Rest


So far so good...I have taken 3 rest days so far this month and I feel like they have all been needed...If tonight goes according to plan then it will be Cross-Training #6...Also known as sit on my bike and watch TV :)



Happy Running!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Marathon Training Week 9 Review

Well I cannot believe that Week 9 is already over ! Only two weeks until Around the Bay





Week #9

Sunday: 60min Hot Yoga (I def' needed it after doing 26km on the treadmill the day before!)

Monday: 18mins Wii Fit Boxing, 10mins Biggest Loser Arms, 10mins of Biggest Loser Abs and 50mins cycle on my indoor trainer.

Tuesday: Great 6km Tempo run

Wednesday: 11.5km with 5 hill repeats

Thursday: Steady 8km

Friday: REST DAY (ps. That was my FIRST rest day for March! Woohoo!)

Saturday: 60min Hot Yoga (delicious on a Saturday morning)

Sunday: Today I did a good 19km at a slow pace. It was super nice to have a cut back week...next week is 29km and it looks like it will be on Saturday....


So Around the Bay is on March 27th, 2011...It is now on the 14 Day Weather trend...I have now become obsessed with checking the weather! Anyone else out there do that??



**Tomorrow plan is to do another cycle while watching the Bacholrette!!! Anyone else watching? Who are you rooting for?

Friday, March 11, 2011

Seriously??

Ugh...more snow!
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Sunday, March 6, 2011

First Week of March Recap

I can't believe that the first week of March has come and gone!!!

My number one goal this month is to do more cross-training and less full rest days!

So March Goals:


Rest Days: 5 max

Cross-Training: 7 times min

KM/Miles: 180/112


This Week's Recap


Tuesday: 6km Tempo Run: I had a GREAT RUN! Going to do the same route this week because it was perfect for tempos...finally felt like I had some speed.

Wednesday: 7.22km with 5 Hill repeats (Need to try and run for a bit longer on these nights)

Thursday: 8km Steady (Had a great run again and was able to keep a consistent pace...this could be because I had great luck with Street Lights and the sidewalks were fairly clear)

Friday: Hot Yoga at the Yoga Shack super great...It was really challenging...

Saturday: 26km at a SLOW pace on a TREADMILL! Yes the ENTIRE run was on a treadmill..the weather in London was rainy...really rainy and they were calling for floods...A) Did not want to run in rain...I did not need a repeat of Flying Pig '10 B). The Park system can be dicey when it floods...C). I couldn't run on Sunday so the Treadmill it was...

Lindsay was able to keep me going for the 3 hours we were there...The positives were that we kept a STEADY pace the entire way...we had access to bathrooms and water...we took the time and stretched after the run...This helped a lot...need to do more...It was a good reminder to keep that pace slow for Sundays...We have a tendency to go fast...so I did kind of like that...I really hope that I do not do another treadmill run that long again this cycle...

Sunday: Evening Hot Yoga...can't get enough of the Hot Yoga...I just feel so great after and have NEVER sweat that much on any run....




Anyone else out there addicted to Hot Yoga like me?!?!?



~Happy Running!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

February Recap

Monthly Goals

Running
Number of Runs: 16
Number of Actual Runs: 15

Goal: 150km/93miles
Achieved: 162.23/100.8


Cross-Training:

Goal: 6
Achieved: 2 (It was a bad month...Muskoka and Toronto Trips) Here is to doing better in March...

Rest Days:

Goal: 5
Achieved: 11 haha...I EXCEL in rest days!!!


*I took too many rest days and did not cross train enough....my goal is to focus on that for March and to stretch and roll a great deal more.

I am really happy with the number of runs and the Total KM's...I am right on Track with Tall Mom's 1000 Miles Club :)

Environment Canada issue a statement yesterday saying that March, April and May will be colder...man...last St. Patty's Day I ran in Shorts and a T-Shirt....tonight's run will feel like -13 ugh....Winter...I do love you but please...I need spring....


Side Note: Last night I had a GREAT tempo Run....6km in 33min10sec for a 5:29 overall pace (per KM). I have not seen numbers like that since October! Hoping I can really focus those Tempo Runs...I have now find a great 3km out and back to help with those!


Happy Running....Can't believe it is already Wednesday!