Thursday, November 7, 2013

Race Report: Disneyland 1/2 Marathon

I just realized that I never wrote this race report. Probably because I was busy concentrating on the goal ahead: St. George Marathon. But here it is, the race report of the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon.

I was in the midst of marathon training, just five weeks from race day. I wasn't trained to run a fast 1/2 marathon, but heck why not give it a try? My current PR was 1:40 and change. Could I beat that? My mind was saying I wasn't ready, but my body wanted to give it a go.

Race day comes mighty early at Disney races. but even though it was early, it was super hot. I mean like 80 degree hot already. This was going to be a tough day.

We got to the race start and I had to use the bathroom. By the time I made it to the front of the line of the port-o-pottys, the race had begun and my friends were already gone. I began running and felt just ok. My legs were still feeling a little tired from our epic 22-mile trail run just 3 miles prior. And did I mention it was HOT? Oh yeah and so humid. Usually Southern California isn't so humid, but you never know what you're going to get on race day.

Within two miles I knew that something magical wasn't going to happen this day. I knew this would just be a training run. But I was struggling. The humidity and tiredness in my legs was getting to me. At the halfway point I tried calling Skyler to tell him how horrible I felt. All I wanted to do was quit. But I didn't. I stopped crying and told myself I was better than this. I wasn't going to accomplish my goal that day, but I could make it worthwhile. I picked up the pace and ended up negative splitting the race, with my fastest mile as my last one.

The best part of the race was around mile 12 where Skyler, Desmond, and Pumpkin were waiting to cheer me on. I get so emotional when my family comes to see me race. It made the day so wonderful! 





I don't have my split times because I forgot to upload before it got erased. Here's the info I got from the runDisney website:

Total Time 1:45:40
5k split 24:22
10k split 49:42
15k split 1:15:57
Division Place: 14
Gender Place: 83

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

My Favorite 4-Legged BRF


She always listens. She doesn't let me sleep in. She keeps a good pace. She practically laughs as I try to keep up running uphill. She never has excuses. She's always ready to go. If only she could pace me at my paces. She the best BRF a girl could ask for.

Friday, October 25, 2013

How I Got Faster by Running Less

I've been waiting to write this post for months. Before I started my marathon training earlier this year, I wanted to show that you don't need to put in a million miles to have success. My body (specifically my knees) won't let me run every day. What I was hoping to prove was that you could train for a marathon without running as much as everyone thinks and not hate it by the end.

So what did I find?

I think I was able to show that it is possible to run less and still get faster. So how did I do it? Triathlon.

Being a triathlete means I'm swimming, biking, or running every day. I love this because I don't get bored with my training. So it got me thinking, how could I incorporate triathlon into my marathon training? I googled it and saw very little results. I had been hoping to find some specific plans. But what I did find was other triathletes had been using cycling as their recovery days during marathon training. I liked the sound of that. Less running, but still staying very active.

Here's what a typical week looked like for me:

Monday - Spin at home (1 hour)
Tuesday - Treadmill workout (speed training, 800s or 1600s for 1 hour)
Wednesday - Spin at home (1 hour) & GNO Swim (40 minutes)
Thursday - Treadmill workout (tempo run for 1 hour)
Friday - Spin at home (1 hour)
Saturday - Long run (13-22 miles depending on the week)
Sunday - Rest

My spin days were usually recovery days. I would ride at a good pace, but didn't ever push it. My weekends were based around me (and Skyler) getting out long runs done. This was a priority and we didn't miss any of them. I did one swim workout a week to keep up my swim fitness. Plus I really just love swimming. At first I dreaded my treadmill workouts, but by the end I learned to love them. There is just something so rewarding about completely sweating through your clothes.

Skyler and I tried to do our long runs in different places, meaning not on the same trail every week. I think that's what made these runs so fun. I ran up Mt. Baldy, Black Star Canyon, Kalalau Trail in Kauai, and Virginia, along with our local Santa Ana River Trail.

Some people can't believe that you can get faster by running less. I was able to prove it. I PRed by 29 minutes and earned a BQ time. I will definitely be following this plan again on my next marathon. Who knows when that will be?...

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Race Report: St. George Marathon

Of course I'm always nervous leading up to race day. But I was especially nervous when I heard the weather report for race morning was 30 degrees. Yikes! I was not prepared for that. That's all I thought about for the two days before the race. And when we arrived in St.George and it was 48 degrees and super cold...I knew I was in trouble.

Luckily my dear husband helped relieve my fears by picking up some throw-away clothes at a thrift store the night before. I knew this would help, but I still didn't know what else I would wear. My whole outfit was under construction!

And forget about what I was wearing....how fast was I going to run? I still had no idea what I was planning on doing. I had never properly trained for a marathon before, so I wasn't sure how fast I could run. My last stand-alone marathon time was 3:58, but that was a training run for Ironman last year.

Since I am under 35, my Boston qualifying time is super fast. I never planned on qualifying until after I turned 35. This was never in my training plan. This was never a goal. But since Boston registration happened recently, it got into my mind that maybe I could qualify. So I decided that maybe I could do it. And if I didn't succeed, then I would still probably be able to PR, right? So that's the thought process I had when I decided to make 3:34 my goal. But then I heard that you had to be 1:38 faster than your Boston time to be able to register this year. So what if that happened again next year? I needed to re-do my plan. And so that's why my pace bracelet became 3:32.

Race morning came and I was sick to my stomach. Skyler and I didn't have to take the buses to the race start since we were staying at his dad's place that was only 10 miles from the start. I could barely eat anything, but I forced it down so I had the right nutrition. We drove to the race start without a problem. I was near tears because of how scared I was. Scared of the cold, scared of the race, scared I would fail.

Skyler and I huddled around a bonfire for about 30 minutes. It was so cold! I had chose to wear running shorts with a Sparkle Athletic skirt over, a black tank top, cheetah sparkle arm warmers, a pink sparkle visor, gardening gloves, and race legs. I was also wearing a blue sweatshirt and black carpis over my race outfit. We used the port-o-pottys one last time and cuddled until it was time. I ditched my capris right before the gun went off, then it started. We separated and that was the last I saw of Skyler for a few hours.

I began running and felt great. It was cold, but I never really thought about it again. It was dark out so I couldn't see my watch. I knew I was supposed to keep a certain pace, but I hated having to turn on the light on my watch so much. I changed my watch settings to only show distance and total time.


The sweatshirt came off around mile 3 or 4, right as the sun was coming up. It was still chilly, but my body felt fine. At every mile, I would check the total time with my pace bracelet. I was right on target. But THE hill was coming. Veyo Hill was a killer. When I first laid eyes on it, I was shocked at how steep it was, but surprisingly just kept a good even pace. I stayed right on pace through the hill. Mile 9-11 were killer too, uphill mostly. Mile 10 went right past Skyler's dad's house. He was out there cheering for us and captured this photo of me.


Every time there was a downhill, my legs felt good. The downhills weren't too steep that I felt like I was going to be wrecked near the end. There were aid stations every two miles, which made the time go by quickly. My first 1/2 was finished in 1:47, right on target since I would be speeding up at the end (I hoped).

My favorite part of the race was at Diamond Valley at mile 17. This is where a steep downhill started and the scenery opened up to view all of Snow Canyon. It was beautiful and I felt great! Less than 10 miles to go and I knew I was going to make it.

Not much interesting happened for the next little while. I had to stop myself from thinking in time. I could tell myself I had 7 miles left, but couldn't tell myself there was 60 minutes left. Too hard to think in big numbers. After Ledges, the rest of the race was mostly downhill. The only issue I had was that my calves felt rock solid. At one of the aid stations I stopped so someone could apply Icy-Hot. It helped. 

I ran past the intersection that led into town and was surprised that there were still 3 miles to go. I know that's what my watch said, but it didn't seem that far to go. I was about a minute or so ahead of pace so I knew this was going to happen. I wasn't going to walk, but if I needed to I could slow down to catch my breath. My legs felt slow, but not heavy. Does that make sense? I didn't look at my watch anymore because I knew I couldn't go any faster despite what my watch said. With one mile left to go I began counting in my head. I figured I would be close when I got to 300.

I could see the finish chute and was so happy to finally be close to finishing. I glanced at my watch and couldn't believe that it said 3:28. I only had 100 yards to go and I could make it under 3:30. I pushed hard and did it! How?...I don't know, but I did it! 3:29:45. Wow, I couldn't believe my eyes! Skyler was there to meet me and he was just as surprised as me. Later I looked at my splits and my last 3 miles were some of my fastest of the day. Go figure! I guess that's where I found those extra minutes.

I crossed the finish line and nearly collapsed. My legs were jello. I hugged Skyler and started crying. All of my hard work had paid off. I didn't know I was capable of accomplishing this, but my brain was saying it was logical. Hard work = good results. I ran through the showers of the finish line and received my finisher's medal. It was beautiful. I am going to Boston. Boston, baby!!


Skyler finished his race just under my goal. His time was 3:09 (his goal was 3:10). I am so proud of him and am thankful to have such a wonderful husband. I know he would have liked to qualify too, but I also know he would give it up for me if he could. He's just like that. He has 11 months to try to qualify, if he wants. I know he can do it.

After the race my legs were so stiff. I could barely sit down or stand. Looking back, I wish I could have gotten in an ice bath. I'm sure that would have helped immensely. We celebrated with a burger lunch and a long nap.Three days later and my legs are still so sore and stiff. At least today I'm able to walk like a normal person. Going downstairs is another story though.

So there you have it, my St. George Marathon recap. A beautiful race, a wonderful finish to my summer of marathon training, and a beginning to my journey to Boston. I couldn't have asked for a better day.

8:15
8:13
7:54
7:38
7:54
7:39
7:40
9:09
8:14
8:07
8:48
8:44
7:49
7:56
7:28
7:33
7:41
7:54
8:22
7:41
7:48
8:04
7:58
7:39
7:49
7:53

Total Time: 3:29:45 (7:59 pace)
71st of 363 in age group
262st of 2634 females


Wednesday, October 2, 2013

My Marathon Training Journey


Everyone told me the hardest part of running a marathon would be the training. I would dread it. It would become something I "had" to do. I didn't want that.

So Skyler and I sat down to plan our marathon training summer. I wanted my long runs to be part of the experience, not just something I had to do.

What a journey it's been! I've done runs at Lake Mead, to the top of Mt. Baldy, on the Kalalau Trail in Kauai, the local Santa Ana mountains, and randomly in Virginia. And let's not forget the treadmill...it's become my best friend.

No matter what happens on Saturday, I have already succeeded. The hard part is over. Now all that is left is enjoying a marathon.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Last "Long" Run


Saturday was the last long run of my marathon journey. It was 7 whole miles! Yes, this was the shortest "long" weekend run. I celebrated by running outdoors with the stroller and pup. It was a warm day and it felt good to run a nice easy pace. Looking forward to my next long run of 26.2 miles.

Monday: Trainer, 17 miles, 1 hour
Tuesday: Run @ marathon pace, 7 miles, 59 minutes
Wednesday: Outdoor bike ride, 26.3 miles, 1:40
Thursday: Stroller run, 6 miles, 52 minutes
Friday: Trainer, 15.5 miles, 55 minutes
Saturday: "long" run, 7 miles, 1:07

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Marathon Training Week #16


Oh the curse of the taper! I never know exactly what to do except cut back on my mileage and intensity. This week's long run was "only" 13 miles, but it was still a long run. I made it fun by running from my front door to the beach. I met Skyler there, where we passed off Desmond, then Skyler ran home. The best part of my run was the "ice" bath in the ocean after. Some of my joints hurt a bit, but I know they will hold up for the race. EXCEPT for maybe my knees. They have been acting up again. I made it through almost all of my training without a problem and finally the old injury comes alive. Here's hoping to a pain-free race. Actually, I just need to make it through the race. If I'm in pain after, I'm ok with that.

Monday: Bike ride pulling trailer, 18.3 miles, 1:21
Tuesday: Temp run, 5 miles @ 7:00 with negative incline, 8 miles, 1 hour
Wednesday: Trainer, 15.5 miles, 55 minutes
& GNO Swim 2100 yards, 45 minutes
Thursday: Run with stroller, 6.6 miles, 1 hour
Friday: Trainer 16 miles, 1 hour
Saturday: Long run 13.1 miles, 1:49

Marathon Training Week #15

The week of my last long run. It's kind of sad to see my training come to an end, but of course I'm excited to see it all pay off. Praying for everything goes right on race day.

Monday: Trainer 17 miles, 1 hour
Tuesday: Speed Intervals, 5x1600 @ 7:03, 8.25 miles, 1 hour
Wednesday: Trail run at Peter's Canyon, 6.7 miles, 1:07
& GNO Swim, 1800 yards, 35 minutes
Thursday: 16 miles easy, 1 hour
Friday: off (work)
Saturday: Long run 20.3 miles, 2:53

Thursday, September 19, 2013

I needed this

Work led me to Virginia on the week I needed to do my last 20-mile run. I was nervous I would be too tired or lazy to get my run done, but I knew how important this was. Not only did my legs need it, but my mind needed it too. The past few weeks was full of crappy runs, and I needed this run to go well so I could look back on it during the marathon.

My plan was to run a 1/2 marathon in the morning and run 7 miles later in the day. Luckily, I changed my mind the day before and I decided to run 20 miles by myself. 

An angel told me about the W&OD trail. She told me it was a bike & run trail that had stores and bathrooms throughout the trail. This was the solution for my water problem (because I can't carry water for a 3-hour run).

I found the trail and it was heaven. Maybe it was just because I was running somewhere new, but I loved this trail!


Within the second mile, I came across a stop with a restaurant and bike repair stop. I know how popular this trail was and how friendly everyone was. Within four miles, I came across a bike stop - port-o-pottys, air-filling station, and benches.


The halfway point was at the W&OD Railroad station. It was near a park and downtown area.


Bike love


I took a caffeinated gel at the halfway point and it really pepped me up. I felt like I was flying. I was running 8:15 miles. But my knees were feeling a bit tight because the road was a bit off-camber which always makes my knees hurt. I loved seeing this stretching post.


Yes! I did it! 20 miles in under three hours (2:50), about 8:35 pace. I couldn't have been happier! If I feel this well on race day, then I'll be meeting my goals for sure.


So what is my goal for race day? Well, my first goal is to PR (3:59. That shouldn't be hard to do. Second goal is under 3:40. And the ultimate goal is 3:34, which would qualify me for Boston. I can't expect to qualify for Boston on my first try, or while I'm still so young (it's a faster qualifying time when you're younger), but it would be so awesome if I did.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Found My Speed


All it took was a "new" Pandora station and a new pair of shoes to shake the slowness out of my legs. Welcome back speed!

Monday, September 16, 2013

Marathon Training Week #14

What a day! We got it worked out so Skyler and I could run together for our last long run up Black Star Canyon. It was our anniversary activity and I was excited! At the last minute we decided to bring the pup, which turned out to be the reason for our demise. 

We didn't plan well and didn't pack enough water for all 3 of us. It was an unbelievably hot day! By the time we got to the top, I was drenched in sweat. Pumpkin was doing great too.

We began our descent and within 2 miles I knew Pumpkin wasn't going to make it. We were all super thirsty and I was trying my best to conserve our water. At mile 10 of 15.5 Pumpkin laid down. That's where our run took a turn for the worst. What could we do? The only way back to the car was down 5 more miles. We had to coax Pumpkin to walk. She would hop from shaded patch to shaded bush. We both gave all of our water to her. Skyler even carried her part of the way!

About 2 miles from the end, I ran ahead to get more water. I got 2 full water bottles from a group of hikers. I thought it would be plenty, but when I returned to Skyler and Pumpkin, we devoured it within a minute. We slowly walked back to the car. We all felt defeated. I especially felt awful because of how bad all of my runs had been lately. When would my speed return?





Monday: Bike ride, 12 miles, 46 minutes
Tuesday: Tempo run, 8 miles, 59 minutes (with negative incline on treadmill)
Wednesday: Trainer, 17 miles, 1 hour & GNO swim, 1800 yards
Thursday: Speed intervals, 1600x4 @ 7:00, 7.5 miles, 1 hour
Friday: Trainer, 17 miles, 1 hour
Saturday: Long "run", 16 miles, 3 hours
Sunday: Rest


Marathon Training Week #13

Race week. I purposely planned on making the Disneyland 1/2 marathon fall on a weekend where I needed to do 12 miles. I had high hopes for a PR, but my legs were still feeling tired. It was almost 3 week since I did my epic run in Kauai, but still hadn't recovered yet. This was really eating me and I felt discouraged. 3 weeks of bad runs was not leading me to think a PR was possible. Then, after working all weekend, and horrible weather (hot & humid), my fears were confirmed. I knew by mile 2 that a PR would not happen that day. And I was ok with it. My eyes were on the bigger prize.

Monday: Swim 2000 yards, 38 minutes
Tuesday: Taper run, 4 miles, 37 minutes
Wednesday: Nothing
Thursday: Swim ???
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Race day, 13.1 miles, 1:45:40

Marathon Training Week #12

Not feeling it. Even since I got back from Kauai, I just haven't been feeling it. My legs feels heavy and tired. I know the Kalalau Trail got the best of me, but I had hoped to jump back into training quickly. I guess everyone has an off week.

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Trainer, 45 minutes, 13 miles
Wednesday: Speed training, 7x800 @ 3:30, 7.5 miles, 60 minutes
Thursday: Outdoor ride pulling trailer, 18.5 miles, 1:24
Friday: Temp run, 5 miles, 40 minutes & Elliptical 10 minutes
Saturday: "Long" run, 8 miles, 1:06

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Marathon Training Week #11

WHAT A WEEK!!

This is what training should be about! I had been waiting for this week since we started our marathon training three months ago. I knew this run was going to be awesome, mixed with some pain and struggles, but well worth it. I wrote about my whole experience a few days ago. Kauai was a great place for getting lots of run done. This week was my highest mileage and frequency for running. My knees and IT bands were definitely sore at the end of the week. I'll be cutting back next week for sure.

Monday: Kalalau Trail, 22 miles, 8 hours
Tuesday: Rest day!
Wednesday: Shake-out run, 6.5 miles, 0:57
Thursday: Easy family run: 3 miles, 0:30
Friday: Treadmill tempo run: 7 miles, 0:53
Saturday: Swim 2600 yards, 0:53
Sunday: Long run 16 miles, 2:20






Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Conquering the Kalalau Trail

It's difficult to try to put into words how amazing this run was! Skyler and I had been planning this run since we first heard we were going to Kauai. The Kalalau Trail is a 22-mile trail run along the Napali Coast of Kauai. It ends at a beach that is only accessible by boat or the trail. This trail traverses over all types of terrains and climbs 10,000 feet. Crazy, I know!

Skyler and I started at the trailhead a little before 7:00am. The sun was just coming up and it was beautiful! We began our adventure and it climbed straight up. The first two miles were wet, muddy, and slippery. I hoped the whole day wouldn't be like this. At the two mile mark, you hit a stream and a beach. This is a popular stopping point for most people. No stopping for us though.


We continued on and were greeted with the most beautiful views I've ever seen. Around every corner was a huge valley filled with lush green trees and sometimes waterfalls in the distance. We would run down into the valley and then climb up, usually with switchbacks, to approach another valley. When we'd reach the corner, we would be around 200-700 feet above the ocean. The blues and greens of the water were beyond gorgeous! And the smell of lilikois was intoxicating. 


At mile seven we encountered the steepest part of the trail. Photos can't do it justice, but we were gripping the edge of the mountains with each step. I discovered that Skyler is scared of heights. I had no idea before!



I was having a blast with Skyler! I was in good spirits, especially when we were running. A lot of the trail was too steep to run, which was kinda a bummer.


When we got within a mile or so of the end, we hit this crazy red dirt section. It looked like we were on Mars. It was pretty steep too.

We finally made it to the beach and it was pretty, but the real view was when you turned around. I don't have a photo because I couldn't fit the whole view in. Lush green mountains with a cascading waterfall. And we had the beach to ourselves. Boats are not allowed to dock there, so this is not a tourist beach.  After playing in the water for a while and eating our pb&js, we were ready to begin the trek back.


It took us 4 hours to get the beach, including rest and water purification times, so I knew we had at least that long to go on the way back. The first two miles were ok, but then I started to get lethargic and bonked HARD. Skyler could tell something was wrong with me when I could barely walk and eventually sat me down to help me out. I drank lots of water and ate more food, and started feeling better quickly.

My good spirits lasted for a while, but then the pain in my ankles became pretty intense. All of the rolling over rocks had weakened my ankles because I'm not used to this type of running. The last two miles had lots of "running" over rocks, which made the pain worse. I had to walk most of the way and carefully climb over each rock. I couldn't wait to go back to the car.


When we were within sight of the finish, I couldn't have been happier! Our journey was coming to an end. I wish the finish could have been more exciting, but really I was done and wanted to sit for a long time. We did manage to grab one last "finish line photo."


Yes we finished 22 miles of trail running 9-1/2 hours later. Our actual running time was probably closer to 8 hours. This was harder than an race I've ever done (besides my Ironman). This run didn't have any spectators, aid stations, race t-shirt, or medal, but I'd consider it as big of a success as any marathon I will ever do.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Marathon Training Week #10

What was special about week #10 of my marathon training? Well, half of it took place in Kauai! Some people might see a vacation as a time to break from running or training, but I see it as the perfect time for training. What could be a better way to explore a new place?!

Monday: Swim 2200 yards, 0:40 & Nike strength workout 0:45
Tuesday: Treadmill sprints, 8x800 @ 3:20, 7.92 miles, 0:60
Wednesday: Trainer, 1:00, 17 miles
Thursday: Rest/travel day
Friday: Kauai run, 7.1 miles, 1:00
Saturday: Easy run, 5.1 miles, 0:43
Sunday: rest


Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Marathon Training Week #9


Last week's training was a bit off schedule since I raced a sprint triathlon on Saturday. I trained through the race, but still took two rest days to prep for it. The best part of the week was my Sunday morning run up Black Star Canyon again. I recruited a friend to come with me and we had a great run. I'm really loving my long, slow runs, especially when I can do them with other people.

Monday: Trainer 1:15, 21 miles
Tuesday: Treadmill speed intervals, 7.8 miles, 5x1600 @ 7:00 pace
Wednesday: Swim 1200 yards
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Camp Pendleton sprint tri (recap to follow)
Sunday: Trail run, 16 miles, 2:45

Friday, August 2, 2013

Marathon Training Week #8

This was sort of an "easy" week. Actually my midweek treadmill runs were the same, but I didn't do a long run on the weekend. That's all part of marathon training. Plus, Skyler, Desmond, and I went on a trip up the coast, so the last thing I wanted to worry about was getting a long run in.

Monday: Swim 2200 yards, 40 minutes & 45 minute Nike strength
Tuesday: Treadmill Speed 8 miles, 60 minutes, 5x1600 @ 7:00-6:30
Wednesday: Trainer 21 miles, 1:15
Thursday: Treadmill Tempo 8.1 miles, 1:01, 3 miles @ 7:30, 3 @ 7:00 neg incline
Friday: rest
Saturday: Run along beach with Skyler and Des, 6 miles, 58 minutes
Sunday: rest

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Ran to the Top of Black Star Canyon

This isn't normal marathon training. The St. George Marathon is a downhill marathon, so I need to incorporate downhill training into the mix. Orange is pretty flat, so I knew I'd have to hit the trails to find my downhills.

Saturday morning Skyler and I got a babysitter for Des and we headed out to Black Star Canyon. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep the night before. The weather was perfect and there was even some sprinkles at the beginning.

Black Star is 8 miles up and 8 miles down. The up was just a conduit to get to the downhill. I really enjoyed the run and of course I loved that Skyler and I got to run together.

We made it to the top in 1:29. I was sweaty, but felt great. I couldn't wait to run down.

I thought running down would be faster, but we maintained an 8:00 pace. We came down in about 1:05.

I loved this trail and can't wait to do it again! I felt great for the rest of the day, but the next day my legs were sore. I felt like I had run a marathon.





Friday, July 26, 2013

Marathon Training Week #7


I used to get butterflies every time I thought about running the treadmill at the gym because that meant SPEED INTERVALS. And running fast scares me. Or at least it used to.

I've been hammering the treadmill lately with my speed and tempo workouts. I've been sticking with my 3 days a week running schedule and I feel it's been working. I'm not killing my knees and I'm getting faster. Oh, and I discovered negative incline on the treadmill. Hooray! This will be great for my downhill training!

Monday: Swim 2300 yards
Tuesday: Speed intervals on treadmill, 1:01, 8 miles, 8x800 @ 6:40
Wednesday: Rode outside! Hill sprints, 6 x Cannon hill, 22.1 miles, 1:49
Thursday: Temp Run, 60 minutes, 8 miles, 3 @ 7:30, then 4 @ 7:00 with negative incline
Friday: Trainer, 70 minutes, 20 miles
Saturday: Trail run with Skyler, 16 miles, 2:38, 1/2 downhill

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Future Tour de France cyclist?


After three weeks of watching the Tour de France every morning, Desmond finally picked up his Strider Bike and rode it around the house. Let's hope he continues with the interest and keeps riding his bike for forever.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Race Report: Divas 1/2 Marathon 2013

Looking back over my race reports today, I realized that I never wrote about my Divas 1/2 marathon from May. Maybe it's because I didn't consider it a race. Anyways...here it is!

Sparkle Athletic attended the Divas 1/2 Marathon expo in San Francisco, CA in May. We didn't have plans to run the race, but that changed the night before when we decided it would be the easiest way to take photos. So we signed up just hours before the race started.

Our hotel was about 1.5 miles from the start so we decided to jog to the start line as a warm-up. I was misinformed of the starting time and we quickly learned of that as we heard the starting gun as we were running to the start line. No biggie, right? It would be easier for photos.

By the time we got to the start line, everyone had left. We were the last people to start. Our plan was to run through the race and take as many photos with Team Sparkle friends as we could.

I have to admit...this was the most fun I've had in a 1/2 marathon ever. I guess that's what happens when you don't actually race. Carrie and I worked the cameras and ended up with 150 photos. We chatted with people, ran backwards, and photo bombed each other's pictures. It was awesome!



Divas puts on a great race! Near the end they hand out tiaras and feather boas. Then, you receive your medal from a shirtless fireman. After all that, they have champagne (and sparkling cider). Seriously, these race directors know what they are doing.

And even after all the stops, photos, and talking, I finished in 1:56:26. Not bad.

I'm looking forward to our next Divas race.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Marathon Training Week #6

What a week! My marathon training is really coming along. My speed is getting faster and my distance is getting longer. I think that's the toughest part is getting my legs used to running for that long.

Monday: Trainer, 17 miles, 60 minutes
Tuesday: Speed training, 7.6 miles (1600 @ 7:03 x 4), 60 minutes
Wednesday: Swim, 1650 yards, 32 minutes
Thursday: Tempo run, 7.2 miles (4.2 @ 7:30 and 1 @ 7:10), 55 minutes
Friday: Trainer, 20 miles, 1:10
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Long slow run, 16 miles, 2:30


Pumpkin ran with Skyler on Saturday for 13 miles and Sunday with me for 16 miles. She was pooped for the rest of the weekend. She is a great running partner. During our run she got to run off-leash for 11 of the 16 miles and she loved it. The second she was back on-leash she slowed down again. Typical Pumpkin.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Race Report: 4th of July "5k" 2013


Our church puts on a FREE 5k every 4th of July. It's a fun event that we've enjoyed doing the past 5 years. This year was just as great, although I was recovering from strep throat so my body was a bit weak.

We woke up bright and early for the race so we could get the dog and the boy ready. We left Pumpkin at home, but brought Desmond and the stroller to the race with us. Luckily we were able to find someone to watch him for 20 minutes while we did the race or else I was going to have to push him.

We did an easy 1/3 mile warm-up so get the juices flowing. 5k is such a short distance.

The race began and everyone shot off like a cannon. Seriously, everyone was going a 5:30/mile pace. Too crazy for me. No problem because I passed lots of them as they adjusted. I chugged along at a fast pace and felt ok. I was 3rd place woman for the first mile. Then I turned around and noticed a women right behind me. I picked up the pace and she matched it. Around Mile 1.5 we hit an uphill. I tried to keep a fast pace, but it was tough. She passed me and I was a bit defeated, but kept going. 

Mile 3 begins at the top of a long downhill. I wasn't too far behind 2nd and 3rd, so I began to be hopeful again. I slowly started gaining on them. I passed the woman who had passed me before. The hill leveled out, but surprisingly I passed the other girl, who was 1st last year at this race. I told her to keep up with me, but I think she was a bit deflated.

I had about 1/2 mile left, yet my body was feeling so weak. I began counting in my head and told myself I would be done before I reached 200. I made the last turn to the finish line and wanted to sprint, but I had nothing left. I just needed to keep my pace and I would do it. Yes! 2nd place! I was so happy! 20:33 was my time. I think I did it in 20:03 last year, but I certainly didn't have strep throat last year.

I was 2nd overall woman and 1st in my age group. Not bad for an old, marathon-training Ironman.


Mile 1 6:47
Mile 2 7:21
Mile 0.92 6:42

Skyler didn't do so bad either. He had the same awards as me: 2nd overall male and 1st in his age group. He finished about 2 minutes faster than me. He was disappointed in his time because he knows he can go faster, but I'm proud of him. 1st place was a super-fast 17 year-old. Hard to compete with age.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Marathon Training Week #5

Like I mentioned in my last post, I got strep throat. I thought I was just being a baby, but I was relieved to learn it was a serious pain. Monday was the day I was diagnosed, so I took that day and the next off. I'm really trying to learn to listen to my body when it tells me to slow down. Next was a mid-week 5k and I ended the week with my long run. I was supposed to do 16 miles, but I did a group trail run instead, so I converted to time running (16 miles = 2-1/2 hours) and did that instead. I'll be back on track this week.

Monday: Rest (Strep....ahh!)

Tuesday: Rest (feeling a little better)

Wednesday: Swim! I took it easy because I was still recovering. 2000 yards, 40 minutes

Thursday: 4th of July "5k." This run is a bit short (2.95 miles). Last year I was prepared and killed it, but this year was a different story. I'm in the middle of marathon training, plus recovering from strep throat. I still ended up doing well and was so happy for the race to be over. My whole body was ready to give up. I'll give the race report later. But of course I didn't feel like the race was enough and had to run an extra 2.5 miles and do a 45-minute Nike strength workout. (By the way, finished 2nd overall woman.)


Friday: Took the boy for a bike ride in his trailer. We rode 19 miles, 1:30.

Saturday: Met with a new run group. They do long runs every Saturday morning. I didn't realize it, but that day they were doing trails. I had a great time and loved running in new places. Our run was about 10 miles and 2 hours. I needed more miles and time, so I added an additional 3 miles and 30 minutes. 3700' of climbing for the day. And I didn't feel too bad after. Success!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Marathon Training Week #4

Trying to stay on track with my messed-up foot and did ok this week. It was supposed to be a pretty easy week, so I think I accomplished that.

Monday: Kinda a rest day, but I still did a 45-minute Nike strength workout

Tuesday: Speed intervals on treadmill, 8x800s. 7.25 miles, 55 minutes. Halfway through interrupted by kids club to change a poopy diaper. At least I got to finish my workout after.


Wednesday: 60 minutes on trainer

Thursday: Tempo workout with local run club. 4.25 miles with 4 @ 7:30 pace
Swim workout with fastest 100 ever, 1:26

Friday: 75 minutes on trainer

Saturday: Group ride with tri club, 43 miles, 2:40 with tons of climbing

Sunday: I was supposed to only do a 6-mile run, but with a jump to 16 the next week I figured I should do a little more. The heat and strep throat zapped me and I struggled to finish, but I did. 10 miles, 1:32.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Marathon Training Week #3

This week started out a bit different than normal. I went to the podiatrist on Tuesday to try to figure out what's wrong with my left foot. I was scared I had a stress fracture, so I wanted to get it checked before I got too far into my marathon training. Luckily, the doctor said it's not as bad as I thought. He taped it and scheduled for an appointment the next week. But my long run on Saturday proved very painful. I want this pain to go away!

Monday - 1:00 trainer rider, 45 minute Nike strength workout
Tuesday - Swam 2500 yards
Wednesday - Outdoor hill repeats! 18.6 miles, 1:22.
Thursday - Treadmill 7.5 miles, tempo run, 3 miles @7:30 pace
Friday - Recovery run, 4 miles. Trainer 1:10 on hard gear
Saturday - Long run at beach, 14 miles @ 8:45 pace
Sunday - Bike ride pulling trailer, 20 miles, 1:33