October 2014

10/31/2014
by She's Going the Distance 3 Comments

Happy Halloween!

Wednesday: 45min shoulders & core

Thursday: 5m whatever pace i felt like.. which ended up being (8:05, 7:11, 7:18, 7:29, 6:57!)

Recently I visited the Edgar Allen Poe house in Baltimore and for only $5 to walk through, it was worth it.

The people who work for the Poe house were extremely into the history and theories of his life, death and written works. It made the tour interesting and I learned a few new things for sure.

This house was the one he grew up in and began writing but it’s definitely not the house he started writing his most famous short stories. I’m curious if there’s a Poe house in Richmond? Anyone know?

And here are some fun houses I saw during my stay in Chicago earlier this month..

And this one i couldnt stare at too long cause it was that creepy!

Have a happy halloweeen!!

10/28/2014
by She's Going the Distance 11 Comments

What I do After A Race

Monday: 5m progressive run 8:06/pace

Tuesday: 3.1m easy 8:50/pace, 10 abs,

One of my favorite things about a racing is the Post Race. And no, i’m not talking about the crappy d-list cover bands or the space blankets or biting a medal in a soon to be very expensive ‘foto.’ I’m talking about the things that make me smile after running hard and how to enjoy the rest of the day (with people that love you so much they’d wake up at ass-o-clock just to watch a ton of sweaty smelly people in herds pass by so they might catch a .25 second glimpse of you with just enough time to shout, “WOOOOOO!!!”)

Here’s my “after” checklist:

-drink chocolate milk & water, eat a protein bar

-hug my family, if they let me

-take off my shoes and put sandals or clean socks/different shoes on

-shower, smell like a normal girl

After Philly 1/2

-put comfy ~~jeans~~ compression tights on and look like a ~~normal~~ ~~person~~ runner

-find food/beer/brunch/yummy calories/be not normal

After the Philadelphia 1/2 this year, I stumbled upon a place that made me really happy. A place where brunch and beer met to form world’s greatest brunch, specifically designed for Cori Maley. All my favorite things were stuffed into my favorite things. Butternut squash, goat cheese omelet. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

The Standard Tap Philadelphia, PA– If you’re ever in town I highly recommend this place. Bonus- it’s all organic and local.

After Chicago Marathon my friends, Patrick and Liz took me to Burger Bar and it was delicious. I love when burger places get it right!

Bison burger with goat cheese (i love goat cheese if you can’t tell) and truffle fries. Luxury fries people. They were amazing.

I hope this gives you a little insight to what i do after a race. Basically i change from Marathon Badass Extraordinaire to Uncomfortable Little Baby..I wanna be washed and put into warm, dry clothes. I want to be fed until my belly is full and i’ll cry until I have a bottle or two, and finally I’ll want a nap.

In all seriousness, I am forever grateful for those of you who have stood in crowds (or drank in bars) waiting for me to cross a finish line. At the 1st Chicago marathon I completed, one of my best friends, Kristina and her boyfriend David, saw me during the last 2 tenths of the race (the hardest and only uphill part of the Chicago marathon) and they screamed out name. I couldn’t believe I saw them out of the huge crowd and while wearing headphones. I didn’t know they were even coming to the race so it meant the world to me.

Last Week

Monday: 30 min legs, 10 abs

Tuesday: 20min jacobs ladder, 25min cycling, 30min shoulders

Wednesday: 3m easy 9:30/pace (first run back!)

Thursday: 30 min full body

Friday: 4.5m easy 8:35/pace

Saturday: 5.9m trail run 9:42/pace

Sunday: Rest

Total Miles: 13.5

What’s your favorite part of the Post Race?

Anyone racing in NYC this weekend?

10/20/2014
by She's Going the Distance 13 Comments

Chi-Marathon Recap!

Recapping a marathon is a tough thing to do. Which is why i needed the week to digest and reflect on everything. Now being a week removed, I think it’s safe to say i had a pretty awesome race :). I didn’t hit my A goal–to qualify for Boston 3:35. I didn’t even hit my B goal–under 3:45, I did however reach my C goal–under 4:00. With a new PR 3:50:10, it was the best I could give last Sunday and I couldn’t be happier!

When I was deciding on a race plan the week of the marathon I still wanted to shoot for the BQ qualifying time, but I was trying to be honest with myself and 3:40-3:45 seemed more realistic based on the training I had. The plan was to head into the race nice and slow (just as i’d done in training) and pick up the pace about halfway through and try to makeup time in the second half. I basically wanted my first half to be as comfortable as possible.

The start line was electric! The weather was beautiful, 55 and sunny, and I had some really great tunes loaded into the ipod. For the first 30 minutes of the race I chatted with a really nice lady who was running her very 1st marathon. Then I said goodbye and good luck to her, put in the headphones and took the first half of the race pretty easy, just as planned.

Chicago was so energetic and loud the entire race! There were very few spots of quiet running and I actually embraced them and enjoyed the few minutes of silence when they came around. Especially when I hit the halfway mark and decided it was time to work. Unfortunately my legs only wanted to go faster for a few miles.

Around 19-20 I slowed down consistently from 8:20s-8:30s to 8:45s. I don’t feel like I hit a wall. I felt well fueled.There was a point that I honestly couldn’t make my legs move any faster. I was just cruising where I felt slightly uncomfortable. Once I passed the 20 mile mark I realized the Boston Qualifying time was near impossible since I had no giddy-up left.

Instead of giving up or feeling defeated, I chose to focus on goal #2. Get in under 3:45! Around this time, mile 22, both inner quads cramped up. Never in my running career or life have these muscles cramped up. It was bad. I don’t know if you recall the last and only marathon I ran, at the same mile 22, I hit a wall. And a Santa Claus looking man was handing out Pabst Blue Ribbon. After shot-gunning a beer with a fellow runner, a good laugh and full belly of carbs later, I was back to it. This time at mile 22 I was in a squat position against the side of the road trying to stretch out my quads, a black figure walked up to me (he was back-lit by the sun and basically looked like a saint), pulled a white pill out of his pocket and said the magic words “do you need salt?”

After I took the salt and water he handed me, thanked him about a million times, I started running again. The cramps subsided quickly but I had definitely lost time. Staring at the Garmin I decided it was time to focus on Goal #3–Sub 4 hours. Again, I didn’t let this deflate me, I kept telling myself I was going to finish a marathon. And that in itself is freaking awesome.

The last few miles I had to play a game that humbled me to the core. Run a few minutes, walk for 45 seconds. Run a few minutes, walk 45 seconds. I didn’t get upset at this beginner style running technique, instead it made me smile..that damn marathon is always harder and tougher than you can imagine. There are no 20 mile runs that can ever prepare you for a marathon. Those last few miles are ran with heart, not your legs. At least, that’s what the posters near the end told me.

The last half mile was my favorite. The cheering and crowds were awesome, the hill at the last turn was horrible, but forced a strong finish. I finally pulled out my headphones to cross the line. No distractions, just the sounds of hundreds of feet finishing their 26.2.mile trek.

Here are the things that went right from this marathon: I made it through the training and the marathon uninjured! I had a 38 minute PR! I stayed positive and happy the entire race. I didn’t give up when my pace wasn’t where I wanted it. I high-fived my best friend at mile 5!

Here are the things that didn’t go well: Pro Compression socks make my feet sweat–I had MONSTER blisters that I started to feel at mile 11 (next time I’ll run in calf sleeves). I think I started too slow. I almost had the nutrition down, but kinda forgot once mile 20 came around (should have grabbed the bananas that were offered!) Stress from work had definitely taken it’s toll during training. Cramps happened in my left foot at mile 16 and kept happening off and on until I crossed the finish. Cramps in my quads stole a lot of time.

I already feel a lot more prepared with marathon knowledge! It takes a lot of practice to hit major goals. I still have an urge to qualify for Boston, but I’m ready to hit shorter race goals and run a fast half marathon next spring. Stay tuned and thank you always for your love and support here and on instagram!

Last week!

Mon-Thurs: DESERVED REST!

Friday: 30min lateral elliptical, 20min biceps/core

Saturday: 2m walk

Sunday: REST

Miles: 0 running, 2 walking

How long do you take off after a marathon?

How long do you wait to start planning your next race 😉 ?

10/07/2014
by She's Going the Distance 10 Comments

Chicago Marathon – Just the Tip(s)!

Monday: 3m easy 8:35/pace, 20 min triceps, 10 abs

I have a good handful of friends and bloggers that are running this Sunday’s Chicago Marathon! I want to help as much as I can with course tips & things to remember as we all begin to pack our bags for the weekend. Hope this helps!

Don’t Forget!

#1 Bring lots of different clothing options. Chicago’s weather is crazy this time of year and you never know if you’ll need shorts or pants, tshirt or tank come race day. Make sure you have an outfit plan set beforehand i.e. If the temps start at 55 or higher, I go in shorts and sports bra (sometimes a tank top). Anything under 55 gets a tshirt/capris.

#2 Bring throwaway clothes. You will want a sweatshirt/pants/hat/gloves you can toss off at the start line or in the first few miles of the race when you start warming up. You can clean out your closet, or just stop at a goodwill and get some ugly race day clothes :).

my throwaways. very old clothes from the closet

#3 Wear sunscreen/sunglasses. Sunscreen will keep your core temperature cooler longer–important during a marathon! Plus you know..who wants wrinkles?

#4 Don’t Chafe. It isn’t fun. Even if you’ve never ever, ever chafed before, a marathon might just do it to ya. Get some body glide, lube, vaseline, or what I love to use Bandaid Friction Stick and do what Frank’s Red Hot’s would suggest and put that shit on everything. No joke. I put that friction cream on inner thighs, under boobs, even the places where a tank or tee could rub against my skin. Toes, heels, arches…I’m not joking, i put this on everything. It’s skin insurance. (the friction cream is dry and non-messy which is why it goes everywhere…vaseline might be too messy for everywhere)

don’t forget the little things!

#5 Bring Compression socks/pants for traveling. These things have saved my ~~life~~ legs more than once while sitting on an airplane or driving home for hours. Seriously throw on a pair after a race or after you shower, your legs will never feel better (after a marathon of course).

#6 Race Day Nutrition- Bring the stuff you’ve tried and tested on your long runs. Honey Stingers have been my jam for the last year. Big thanks to my coach Lauren for introducing me to them!

#7 Coffee. Lots of it on race day. mmmmmmm

Course Info (that I wish I had known before the longest run of my life.) *SPOILERS!* <–haha

-The first 7 miles you run through the beautiful downtown area & then along the parks and lake for a bit. This tends to be windy since you’re on the lakefront and heading north. Don’t fight the wind or get caught up in pacing just yet. The crowd will be thick and the excitement will catch you early on. You’ll need your energy for the end of the race.

-Don’t forget to enjoy seeing all the different neighborhoods, they pass by quickly so try and take it all in.

-There are a lot of straight miles. Like you run in a straight line without breaks or turns for a mile or two at once. Around Mile 23 the crowd support becomes scarce, the neighborhood is not very pretty and the last 3.2 miles are a straight line back up Michigan Ave. Just hang in there, put one foot in front of the other and crank up the motivational jams. You’re gonna need it. The crowd will reappear the closer you near the finish.

-It ends on a hill. Earn the medal. A flat 26 miles and you’re gonna finish on a .2 hill, but don’t worry, the crowd support is back and it’s almost time for a free beer.

1st marathon medal 2011

-Don’t forget to enjoy yourself. This is one of the country’s biggest and best marathons! Take the time to distract yourself from the hard running and read the signs people are holding up, high five little kids, read the tech shirts in front of you to learn about different charities and reasons why people are running, smile, say hi to your fellow racers, give a couple words of encouragement if you see someone struggling near the end, give someone a compliment if you can. No matter what, enjoy this race, enjoy the run and have fun while you’re doing it.

Last Week’s Workouts

Monday: 20m Chest/Biceps, 10 abs

Tuesday: 5.3m tempo 7:49/pace, 10 core

Wednesday: 30m triceps & back

Thursday: 6m easy 8:23/pace

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 1.5m hilly hike!

Sunday: 10.2m easy 8:09/pace

Total Miles: 23

What your best marathon advice?

What’s your favorite race day nutrition?

10/02/2014
by She's Going the Distance 14 Comments

Let’s Recap it! Philly Part Deux

Let’s start at the end. I PR’d my 10th half marathon in a row. I don’t know when this crazy ass streak will end, I’m hoping not anytime soon! I went into this race with no idea of what pace I could maintain or a race plan in general, I figured the day would choose the pace.

I was not tapered or rested in the slightest, this wasn’t a “goal race”, I’ve never done a race this difficult before a half or full marathon, and I’m coming off an injury where training began later than ideal (mid-July). Which is why i didn’t have a goal time in mind. At the last minute I figured I’d think of this as a long tempo workout instead of a race. It definitely helped to take the pressure off.

Relaxed walking to the start

My tempo workouts (holding a faster-than-goal-pace for X amount of miles) have been in the 7:00-7:35 range, so I wanted to be conservative and try to stay as close to 7:30s as possible and push if anything was left at the end. Unfortunately my Garmin went a little haywire after Mile 1 and I was on my own as far as pacing goes.

Pacing is not a strong suit of mine and as the first miles flashed across my watch– 7:30 (sweet!), 7:07 (shit!), 7:17 (sllloooww down!).. I really tried to run based on feel and effort while still trying to keep as close to the 7:30 pace as I could. After mile 7 I realized just how hard it was going to be to finish the race at this pace for several reasons.

It was warm and muggy . Even in the early morning hours it was close to 80 degrees and SUPER humid. There’s a good article on how humidity affects your running. Basically the more moisture in the air, the hotter your body feels. And I was definitely feeling warm. So much so that I actually felt nauseous at mile 8 until the race was over. There were definite moments of “i’m gonna run against the grass just in case I hurl…” and “this is going to be a funny finishing photo of projectile vomiting.” No joke, it was bad. But obviously that didn’t happen, so yay!

Those were the two things that were physically effecting me. The mental side was a different story. I was coming up with ~~reasons~~ excuses not to do my best when I felt like giving up because things weren’t going perfectly. It’s a very strange feeling running a race with friends/family/bloggers/coaches looking for you to hit your goals (sometimes this is a great motivator, other times it’s stressful).

So there I was, in the middle of running my “not for a PR, not a goal race” pace and I’m coming up with all these excuses as to why i didn’t PR or do my best BEFORE I was even finished!! I battled with this for a while and finally snapped out of it. Every runner was dealing with the same humid conditions, and every runner came out there to accomplish something. I went out to run a 13 mile tempo–not an 8 mile tempo and a few slogging miles.

I did the best thing I could have done. I shushed my brain and checked in with my body. Legs felt better than fine, arms weren’t tired, and form was good. Why was I being such a wuss!? My mental game hasn’t been the best and to get me out of feeling sorry for myself I started to focus on the big picture. I was injured 4 months ago, and coming back from that was a slow process. I am so fortunate and lucky that I was able to jump right back into a marathon training plan and stick to my fall schedule.

Here’s a secret: i love racing. I love testing the training and seeing improvements. I love running alongside people with similar goal paces. I love crossing the finish line feeling good about myself and the countless hours and miles I put my body through. I get excited each and every time I cross a finish line, look to the sky and think, “what’s next?”

Around this time of self- high-fiving, a girl ran up next to me and said “You look great, you’ve been pacing us for the last 5 miles, are you going for a 1:35:00 too?” I looked at her laughed and said thank you and no i wasn’t shooting for that time, just trying to stay under 1:40:00. But it was just what I needed to give me a boost, stop thinking about puking and keep putting one foot down in front of the other.

Her name was Maria and yes she hit her goal. She inspired the crap out of me that day because I tried keeping her and her pacer in eyesight once they passed me. I’m hoping when Chicago comes I can just keep the time of 3:35 in my head and work at hitting that goal with a smile on my face like Maria.

Got to catch up with maria after the race

Minus the pukey feeling from the humidity, i felt really good about this race. This is probably the first time I finished a race smiling in ages, almost cried and wasn’t in pain all day. My legs felt normal. Which means I didn’t demolish myself on the course. I ran a smart race and did what I needed to do to prepare for Chicago.

Last Week

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 5m easy recovery 9:25/pace

Wednesday: 20min back, 10 abs

Thursday: 7m tempo 7:49/pace, 20min legs, 30min core

Friday: 5 easy 8:55/pace, 30min upper body

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: 14m easy 8:16/pace

Total Miles: 31

Anyone else running Chicago?? in 10 days!??!