Tag: SLO Marathon

A Little Taper and SLO Strategy

For the first time, I think I am fully embracing taper week. Saturday’s race left me a little sorer than I thought I would be so taper has come at the perfect time. However that also means that the SLO Marathon-1/2 is only 4 days away. How did that happen?! Where has the time gone?

After resting on Sunday, I headed to the lake on Monday for an easy 4 miles. I completed 3.5 and they were not easy. I don’t remember being this sore after last years Firehouse 5K. I would have said that I was better trained this year but the calf tightness and overall soreness told me differently. Not cool. The first mile was rough, my legs were so not happy. Mile 2 was wonky but a little less awkward. Mile 3 involved a short walk- got a text message, it was the perfect excuse to walk a bit. 🙂 That mile actually felt the best by the end. 3.5 miles brought me back to the car and I figured it was best not to push it, so I called it and stretched before heading home.

On Tuesday, I managed to wear heeled boots all day. Sometimes I feel like heels help stretch my calves and ease them somewhat. You know what else helped? Foam roller and ice. It was a rest day from running but I did some yoga poses and stretches and spent some time with my roller. I also slept in a pair of compression socks. 🙂 And I wore a pair to work today (under my dress pants) with flats. Gotta change it up right?

Tonight I met my mom and the puppy at the lake path. She had heard me talk about it had never really seen it. It’s very dog friendly and I always thought the puppy would like it. She loved it- so much to see and smell- she was in doggy heaven. She was also very behaved. I walked a 1/2 mile warm up with them before running ahead. I felt a little lingering stiffness but was overall better. Since we were planning on doing dinner after, I figured the same 3 laps as Monday (3.5 miles) would be good. I finished up and saw them getting water at her car, so I turned off my Garmin. My mom decided the path was fun, so we ended up doing another lap of jogging/ walking. I hadn’t turned the Nike+ app off it so I let it gather mileage until 4.5 miles.

collage4-23 — Why is that visor so purple?!

Tomorrow will be another rest day, loving this taper right now, so I am heading into SLO to pick up a cake from the Madonna Inn. The Madonna Inn is also the finish line and expo location for the race. The cake is my thank you to my mom, since I have hired her as my driver all weekend. 🙂 I think that’s a promotion from race photographer to crew chief, right? I bought a bus ticket for the race on Sunday but I get antsy if I have lots of time to think. The plan is for her to drop me off as close to the start as possible. 🙂 This might mean a walk, but that’s just warming up right?

I am so excited for this race weekend to come. I’ve accepted that this is probably not going to be when I break 2 hours in a race. While the medication my doctor prescribed has helped me feel better in some ways, my system does not like it in other ways. 😦 My last dose will actually be Sunday evening. Ugh. My goal for the race is to hang out with the 2:00 pace group as long as possible. I was in front of them for 9 miles at City to the Sea, so maybe if I start slower, maybe I will get closer to the 2:00 mark. Fingers crossed!

In other news, I have vacation days coming up!!! Friday and Monday, I will be sleeping in!!!! Another thing to look forward to this weekend!!! The day off on Friday gives me time to contemplate the serious things. Like, what does one wear to a race expo where they are an Ambassador? No really, I mean it. I am looking forward to the expo, it will be the biggest one I have been to and I am excited to check everything out. I am also looking forward to meeting all of the other ambassadors.

Happy Hump day!!!

How has your week been going?

What’s the biggest expo you’ve been to?

Firehouse 5K -Recap

I met my goal, but just barely.

Firehouse 5K offers packet pickup at the firehouse the night before and it was a breeze. My only hesitation came when I saw the sign for an Easter Eggstravaganza being held in the nearby park on the same day. I asked what time that started because I was concerned that it would affect parking. It didn’t start until 10 so no worries there!

Right after this pic, the truck behind me pulled out with lights flashing!

I had laid everything out the night before but right before leaving the house in the morning, I grabbed a long sleeve layer. It was foggy and a little bit cold but I was hoping it would warm up. The plan was to head out with my mom and the puppy. Since it was so close, my dad and brother were thinking about following later. Once we arrived it was still foggy and I figured that since my lungs have become babies who don’t like weather below 50, I put on my long sleeve layer. I also used the inhaler again before heading to the start line. I have had 3 rough races this year for a variety of reasons and I didn’t want this one to be the same.

I managed to snag the same parking spot as last year so it was about a block and 1/2 to the start line. As we were walking up, I heard my name being called. Huh? Looking to my right, I saw a couple walking up. It was another SLO Marathon Ambassador! It was Lisa from Runner In Training! Both she and her husband were running too. It was great getting to meet another ambassador 🙂

Can you see the singer all way up there?

The start time had been pushed back to 8:45 for some reason but there was a group warm-up put on by a local sports therapy group. Then the usual pre-race announcements, followed by the national anthem. I love how they display the flag at this race, and the singer gets to sing the anthem from the top of the big truck! I’m kind of jealous. With a blare of the truck horn, we were off!

A little under 1/2 a mile is on streets up to the trail, then it’s about 200 yards until we start climbing. This is where it gets tricky. All of the trail section is single track. 2 miles of the race is trail, which means 2 miles is single track. Which for the last mile is ok because the crowd had thinned out. However, the initial, biggest climb was a crawl. At one point, I was stuck behind 6 people walking. The short length of the switchbacks made it hard to try and pass people. I managed to get past a few but not all. We were so on top of each other that I could have smacked the firefighter in front of me on the backside. ( I didn’t!)

After finally getting to the top, I was able to get around some people. It also leveled out briefly so I picked up the pace a bit. Then we hit our first downhill. We went down a different way than we came up, so the downhill was shorter than the uphill. The trail is shale-like, with some bigger rocks and divets, so you had to watch where you were putting your feet. I tend to have kamikaze tendencies when running downhill on trails, and I have fallen before. I skidded out once but managed to reign it in. Then there was another uphill. This one was small but I was already tired from the mountain. It also bottle necked again. Then it was down hill back to the street. Kamikaze me came back and I a hit a 6 minute pace for the entire downhill. Then it was back to the street and across the bridge to the finish line. I crossed the line and stopped my watch. Final time- 32:59. Really? Yes, it was faster than last year but only by 32 seconds.

I really felt like I was running faster than that. The only thing I can think is that I probably walked close to a mile of it, between the climb and the bottleneck. And even me running downhill like a crazy person couldn’t make that time back up. It was hard to go off my Garmin because it never matched up with their mile markers. All I really used it for was current pace. I have to admit that maybe it’s just that this race kicks my ass.

This is a smaller race, only 3 years old, but it has been impressively organized each time I have run it. The course is well marked and any time there was a trail split, there was always a volunteer directing which way to go. There was only one water station but that more due to land constraints than poor planning. There is also a small health fair. The crowd was smaller than last year but there was a conflicting race in a nearby town that accounted for that. The other race is a very popular 10k that draws thousands every year. It really was too bad that they both fell on the same day.

She's in front of the camera! — She’s in front of the camera!

My family was at the finish line which was cool. We took advantage of some photo opportunities. And in keeping with last year’s failed selfie, I have a new one to add to the collection. I tried to get a photo with my brother and he ducked. So my dad photo bombed again-

Today my legs are feeling the results of my crazy down hill running. That probably wasn’t the best idea the week before a half marathon, but it was a fun race. Maybe I will try again next year. 🙂 Running another 5 miles yesterday didn’t help either. 🙂 But the pizza reward for lunch was amazing!

How was your weekend?

Happy Easter!

Sometimes You Listen

In my March Recap, I likened March to a truck that had run me over. Well, April is a freight train barreling through. I have been trying to stay upbeat, particularly when I post but I am not sure if it worked. 🙂

Work has been crazy busy since the beginning of March and it’s likely to stay that way through late August. I did not think it would affect me as much as it has. But I am tired, so very, very tired. But again, I tried not to say much because, 1- who wants to read a Debby Downer all the time, and 2- my boss reads this blog. (Hi awesome boss!) I think with work being crazy and then trying to stay trained for 3 half marathons (plus 5k’s) in 3 months may have been a little more than this Slacker was ready for. I still love my job, I’m just a little worn out and somehow when I was planning my race schedule, I wasn’t paying a lot of attention. My next few weeks look like this-

This weekend– work/ long run*
April 19– Firehouse 5K -may be a 5K but there’s a 500 ft elevation in less than 1/2 a mile
April 25-27– SLO Marathon weekend- half
May 3– Run or Dye
May 10– work

My last post mentioned an irksome migraine, and it hasn’t really left. This is not horribly unusual; I average a lingering one around once a year. 😦 Between that and being overly tired, I got a little emotional driving home on Friday. There may have been some loud, off-key singing involved as well. 🙂 Maybe a little Let It Go.

Saturday was a work day and I was trying to psych myself up for the 10 mile run that I needed to do. Meanwhile, both of my co-workers were lecturing me that I needed to take of myself. After work, I headed home for the usual lunch and errands. It was while I was in Target with my mother that I had to face facts. I jokingly mentioned that a nap sounded like a great idea. She looked at me, paused and then said that it was a good idea. Ummm, what?

My mother is not the type to suggest that. Growing up, one of the things we argued about most was my inherent laziness. If there are hours in the day then there are hours you could and should be doing something. The name of my blog came from her; one day I said I didn’t feel like running, she called me a slacker. So for her to say I needed a nap meant I must look like a train wreck. Ha!

Even then I still thought about trying to get in my run. I was telling myself I could start with 5 miles and see how it went. Finally common sense prevailed and my planned *2 hours of running turned into 2 hours of napping.

slo — This will be the finish line in 2 weeks

I was still feeling a little rough today, so I took it easy again. That’s not to say it wasn’t a good day. I headed down to SLO for some more hardwood shopping with my mom, seriously, how long does it take to make a choice? The choice was finally made, so now I just get to look forward to helping her rip out the carpeting in the near future. My brother gets to install the hardwood. 🙂 So that’s coming up in a few weeks too.

I ate some yummy food, didn’t buy too much and finally managed to get this shot-This is the local landmark that inspired this years medals for the SLO Marathon and 1/2. I can’t wait to earn this crossing the finish line. 🙂

Tomorrow, depending on how I feel, I will get back to running. If I am still tired, I may rest another day. I would rather feel rested and slightly under trained for the half than exhausted and sore. Work is likely to be just as busy in the coming weeks, we will down a person, so I am thinking of dropping my training back to 3 days a week. I need to think on it a little more though.

How was your weekend?

March Recap

I kind of feel like March was a runaway train. It knocked me around some and then sped off. Between 2 crazy weeks at work and then trying to give myself a concussion, I am ready to say hello April! While the month may have been insane, I did manage a few things.

Races– Wine Country 13.1 – 2:07:08 Course PR

Training– Unofficial 5K PR- 26:35

I also joined the Around the World Running Blog Relay for March and April with a goal of 200 KM (which also means I have to do the conversion each week when I send in my numbers. 🙂 )

So-

74 Miles, sweet! I’ll take it. Taking 5 days off last week put a dent it what could have been my highest mileage month ever. I had also planned on running yesterday but a crazy rain storm came in and I just could not bring myself to go to the gym instead. Daylight savings time has really spoiled me. 🙂 Instead I drove straight home. Which was probably better because between the pouring rain and water coming off the tires; visibility was crap. I was just thankful to get home.

While Saturday’s run was rough, I got in another 4 miles on Sunday. While I may brought the pace down by the end on Saturday, my legs never felt right. Sunday’s average pace was similar to Saturday but it felt so much smoother. My legs remembered how to work 🙂 Woo hoo! I had a little trouble with my Garmin, though. I thought I hit start but half a mile later I was wondering why I hadn’t felt the slow pace alert buzz. I always walk the middle part of the first mile on my neighborhood route. (Hill denial) I looked down and it had never started, boo!

I thought about starting it then but saw an opportunity. Earlier in the month I had signed up for the virtual kickoff run for the Rock n Roll Las Vegas Marathon. I have been wanting to run this race for years and any chance to win a race entry, I was taking it! I needed to run a 5K and submit photo proof as part of the deal, and it had to be in by April 2. The incident with my head had pushed my original planned run back. Since I had my Nike+ app tracking the whole run and I was planning on doing 4 miles, I didn’t start my Garmin until around the .9 mile mark. From there my only goal was to get that 3.1 in under 30, which I knew may be tough because I figured I would need a walk break or 2. It was tough but mission accomplished! 3.1 miles on the Garmin and overall 4 miles in 39:20 on my Nike+ app. Then I took a photo and a less than great selfie so I could submit my time.

Man, I have no talent at these :) — Man, I have no talent at these 🙂

My bruise has faded and the welt is gone, and so is the tightness in my head, woo hoo! I have worked out a little training plan for the next 26 days leading up the SLO Marathon and 1/2. I have 2 race options for the weekend before as well. I am deciding between a 10k on the beach and pretty tough 5k that kicked my ass last year. Decisions, decisions. I have a week or so to decide.

Also, race pictures are finally up and one doesn’t suck! In the other I look like an 80’s reject, but this one isn’t bad-

Who wants to race SLO with me? I have a discount code that’s good until registration closes on April 11. Odds are good for great weather and a beautiful course!!

Any good April fool’s pranks? Either done by you or to you? My coworkers tried this one on me today-

Apparently April is race month! Who else is racing and what are you racing?

Hope you’re all having a good week so far!

Loving this Light

I mentioned in my previous post that this week is inspection time at work. I thought I was prepared but what I was not prepared for was for him to show at 8:05 on Monday morning. Seriously?!!? I hadn’t had my coffee or my soda; I was in a sudden panic that I hadn’t crossed my I’s or dotted my T’s. Aargh!!!! By the time the day was done, I was just stressed and cranky. I needed to run but I knew it wasn’t going to be awesome; my brain was tired.

I may have been stressed but I was so excited to take advantage of the time change! I changed after work and headed for the lake path that I haven’t been able to run since the time changed last year. My commute is a narrow two lane highway going through a canyon which is prone to rock slides. The road has no shoulders, blind corners and is heavily shaded. Seriously I think my hips are bigger than the “shoulder”. The speed limit is 55 but most treat that as a suggested minimum. Imagine my surprise rounding one of the corners to find a man running with traffic wearing black. Seriously, dude?! I get that you want to make the most of the extra daylight, but this is not the road for it!

Once I arrived at the park, the weather was amazing. I was aiming for 5 miles. The path is a little over a mile around so I was hoping that 4 laps would be 5 miles. That would be perfect, right? Not so lucky. Lap 1 came in at 1.18. Lap 1 included my warm up but I could tell I was sluggish. I was ok with that because I just wanted to run. I was also a little sore from Saturday’s long run, wearing new boots all day hadn’t helped either.

Miles 2 and 3 were a little rougher than I would have liked; this trail is flat after all. I feel like it was just after mile 3 that I settled in. Mile 4 felt good and 5 was better. Since I was on the backside of the lake when I hit 5 I kept running until 5.5. I figured that still gave me a quarter mile to cool down before hitting the exercise equipment that I use to stretch. I didn’t have any real goals with this run, just to enjoy the weather and the path and run off some stress. Mission accomplished!

The lake was not as low as I thought it would be. We still desperately need rain but the ducks and geese had some water. There were plenty of people taking advantage of the weather as well. I saw other runners, walkers and plenty of dogs. Some were running solo, some with friends. Everyone was friendly too. I had a conversation going with a guy as we passed each other on laps. He was out walking and saw me pause to take pictures. I told him I needed a little break. 😛 I also loved that there were 3 guys who looked like they had just come a jam session with their garage band doing laps.

Today, I had to remind myself that rest days count as training too. The weather was awesome again. The inspection is still going on and I am discovering the meaning of stress sweat (TMI?). I have been through so many of these before but this one just seems intense. Leaving work I had to go return the previously mentioned new boots. They ripped yesterday, classy right? Then driving home, I passed no less than 9 people out running. Against traffic on wide roads, yay! I was so jealous. But rest is good, plus I had classwork to do. 😦 Besides tomorrow is another inspection day, more stress to run off!!!

I am thankful that the extra daylight brings the lake back into play. It is outside and flat, both dirt and paved. More fun than a treadmill but better for my ankle than all hills. It also brings me back to be being a 3 town runner. I don’t know why, but the fact that I can run in 3 towns on a weekly basis just makes me smile. 🙂

I am 11 days out from the Wine Country Half and we are officially 46 days away from SLO Marathon. I am so excited for both but I am getting nervous. I still have a discount code for the SLO Marathon– anyone want to come run with me? Or faster than me? 🙂 Check out the amazing town and people too! Check out this bling for SLO Marathon–

Who is ready for hump day?

Anyone taken advantage of daylight savings yet?

Am I the only one who has formatting issues? Thanks WordPress, thanks.