The Magic Mile

So, I've been a bit sulky for the last day and a half.

The first part of my new 15 week training program, submitted to and revised by Jeff Galloway himself, required a Magic Mile. He sees this as a reality check of sorts, and it helps to provide a reasonable goal and also is used to calculate training paces.

          

So, off I went first thing Tuesday morning. I did an easy three miles using a 4:1 run/walk ratio, took a walk break and then did my Magic Mile straight through. UGH! I automatically felt very defeated.

In my previous post I acknowledged my newfound inspiration and that I was going to meet myself right where I was, however, I made the mistake of looking back on my Garmin to see what my fastest mile had been (in November 2014). 

My thoughts after looking at my time on Tuesday - a whole two minutes per mile slower than that November mile:

1. I suck!

2. Running sucks!

3. I'll never PR again.

4. I am so much slower than my running partners.

5. Just more proof that I am getting old.

OK, so I stewed on it for quite some time, and came to my big reality check:

1. I was out with an injury most of the year and have only accumulated 245 miles this year.

2. It is freaking HOT and HUMID in Florida in August!

3. Trust the system - it was developed by a former Olympian!

This morning's run called for bridge repeats. I slowed the pace WAY down and then just did one set over and back. I walked the second set. I will work my way up to the full two sets through the course of the program. Tomorrow will be another easy run for 3 miles.

Time to keep plugging away in hopes that my Magic Mile will somehow eventually produce the Miracle Mile at the pace that will project that elusive PR. 

Fresh Start

I was very excited to be able to go to running school on Saturday. Not only did I learn an amazing amount from Jeff Galloway, but I was able to attend with my two great running partners. 

I have been using the Run-Walk-Run method for quite some time now, but without a lot of the background knowledge that Galloway shared with us during our three hour session. I share a lot of his same philosophy. How can you not when he believes in no pain, no puking and no dying! 

As I sat in class, I felt he was talking to me. Really, he kind of was, since there were only about a dozen other people there. He clearly explained his training plans and drills and we were all given plenty of opportunity to ask questions. I came away very inspired!!

  

                             

The next day, I spent a great deal of time re-reading my notes and his book. From there, I revised my thinking for training for the fall races I have on my schedule and crafted a new plan for myself. I sent it off to Jeff Galloway himself, and received some great feedback. With his tweaking, I know I will be very prepared for my fall race schedule.

So, today was a major shift in mindset. Today is my Fresh Start. I am over the hump of yet another birthday. I succumbed to the age thing and even gave in and "highlighted" my hair so that I wouldn't see those stray strands of sparkle when I look in the mirror. Summer vacation is nearly over and it will soon be time to get back into a regular routine. 

Moreover, I have decided to meet myself. When we meet someone new, we accept them as they are, not try to make them into something they are not. So, I will start my new training plan this week and will accept myself right where I am. Right Here, Right Now. I have never really trained hard for races, I just put in the time and mileage and whatever happens happens. No speed training or drills for me. Yet, without training I keep expecting to PR. My last PR was five years ago. Another may come, but obviously it won't come if I don't work for it. I will do my first Magic Mile tomorrow and select a reasonable amount that I expect to improve and then train for that time. If I am consistent, then I will get there, probably not this fall, but eventually. 

                     

   

As I was approaching the aforementioned birthday, I half-jokingly let my family know that this was the year of me. I was going to be selfish this year. So, as I begin my Fresh Start, I will become a bit self-centered. I will prioritize my training. I will also do the training at the speeds and intervals that are best for me and not follow along with others as I have always done. As Jeff Galloway said, "Running with the fast crowds can get you into some trouble." It'll be good for me to focus on me. In fact, it may actually make running enjoyable again.

So I started a bit today with some focus on the diet. Yes, I still need to lose a few pounds. Clean eating will obviously help my body and help me train better. Dinner was a great recipe from Bob Harper's Skinny Meals Cookbook, Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce.

                         

Now, if only the 15 week training plan would result in a 15 pound weight loss, everything would be wonderful, but I suppose I'll have to work for that too!

2014 Running Year in Review

Best race experience?
2013 had been a year of surgeries (2 skin cancers and a thyroid removed) and recovery for me, so there weren't many races. I was very excited to have completed 5 more states in 2014:


State #10: New Orleans, LA in February
State #11: Springfield, IL in April
State #12: St. Louis, MO in April
State #13: Williamsburg, VA in June
State #14: Kitty Hawk, NC in November

Choosing from those races, I would pick the Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon as my favorite for the year. I really enjoyed visiting Springfield. We enjoyed the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum the day before the race. The race itself was very picturesque, through neighborhoods, historic buildings, parks and the cemetery where the Lincoln family rests. I loved the fact that we got to have our picture taken with Lincoln too!

Best run?
It was on September 27 - 11 miles in the rain. I felt really good, like a real runner!

Best new piece of gear?
I had been hoping to replace my old Garmin for some time and tried about 4 newer models but was never satisfied. Finally, I tried the Garmin Forerunner 220 and have been very happy with it as well as the updated Garmin Connect website.

Best piece of running advice you received?

 
Most inspirational runner?
My running partner Kristine keeps me going: on long runs, short runs and many racing adventures. She even convinced me to try speedwork this year!

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?
Fun but not consistent enough. I'm aiming to keep the fun but improve the consistency for 2015.

State #9 - Cincinnati, OH

My fabulous traveling running partner and I completed The Flying Pig Half Marathon on Sunday, after running the Indianapolis 500 Mini Marathon on Saturday.

After running the Mini Marathon, we had a shower and breakfast, then headed right to the next expo wearing our shirts and medals. We got such fun reactions when we indicated we were going to run another half marathon the next morning. We picked up lots of goodies at the expo: a nice fitting tech shirt complete with a pig tail on the back, a poster, and a perfect sized collapsible cooler, in addition to a whole lot of samples.

Bright and early the next morning we headed to the stadium for the start. A really nice touch was that each "pig pen", otherwise known as a corral, had several porta-potties inside. This really eliminated the long lines usually associated with the start line area and people were more willing to enter their corrals instead of milling about. After a touching rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, a moment of silence was held to honor the tragedy at the Boston Marathon. That was followed by an enthusiastic audience sing along to Sweet Caroline. And, we were off.

A bit sore from our run the previous day, we took this race nice and easy. The course traipsed around some neighborhoods and over the Ohio River. There were "party zones" for spectators, but they were few and far between; honestly, nothing like the spectator support we had experienced the previous day. There were a couple of rolling hills and one steeper hill from about mile six to eight, and these Florida girls had to walk for a few minutes. The view of the church at the top of the hill was spectacular - such pretty old architecture.

Thankfully, we finished just in time to avoid the rain. The finish area was large, and a lot of vendors were there, however, they were selling their wares. I had not experienced the sale of items at a finish area before and was not prepared as I usually don't carry money when I run. This was a bit disappointing as I would have liked to try some of the offerings.

The picture waited until we had hurried back to the hotel (in order to stay as dry as possible). All in all, it was a great trip. We decided we would try to make a "double" weekend a yearly event.

A Pseudo Liebster Award

I really enjoy reading Katies' blog, Runs for Cookies, every day. This morning she answered questions given to her along with the Liebster Award and then she asked her readers to answer the questions as well. Feeling like I was given a pseudo Liebster award myself, my answers are below:

Who was your biggest role model as you first started running?
When I first started running, I had joined Team in Training. We had a great team, with awesome coaches, and a fantastic team leader. Over the years, we have all remained close and I still run with many of those wonderful people. They keep me on track and accountable. And, we have so much fun on our many adventures!

Another person that comes to mind is Mike. When I first moved to Florida, I heard that he was running the Disney Marathon. He was just a regular person - a parent of one of my kindergarteners- and I was just in awe that he was going to do something like that!

What is your best running memory?
So far, I think I would have to go with completing my first full marathon. A group of us girls had entered the lottery to run the Nike' Women's Marathon, not really thinking we would get picked. Surprise! I had to be convinced that if we did get chosen, I would be running my first full marathon. This was also a very new experience for me, as I had not traveled by myself, without my family, ever.

Needless to say, we had the best time! We biked across the Golden Gate Bridge, rode the trolley "the right way", spent time at the pier and indulged on a wine tour (yes, the day before the big race). We enjoyed the challenging, yet beautiful course, stopping for pictures along the way. And nothing says marathon finisher better than a little blue Tiffany box. Can you believe we even toured Alcatraz that same afternoon?

The time you now spend running: what was it filled with before you started running?
I have no idea! I think what I like most is that life comes in phases. I know I have certainly enjoyed each and every phase my children have gone through...although, sometimes I'm happy when "that phase" is finished. I have only been running for five years now, so I'm thinking that prior to running my days were filled with taking care of my kids and helping them to participate in their many activities. They are teenagers now so they don't need as much of my time. Also, I can just walk out the door and say "I'm going for a run!" (which leaves me with no excuses for not going). I think my daughter said it best, when I once jokingly said I was giving up running; she simply said, "You can't, it's a part of who you are!"

What is your favorite tv show?
I know I'm a little bit behind the times but I just finished watching Breaking Bad...what a great show! Next, I'll move on to season 2 of The Following.


What is one habit you won't give up, even though you know it's not the healthiest?
Chocolate, of course! Although, I have been trying to make healthier treats, like these Almond Butter Cups.

If you could have lunch with someone famous, who would you pick? 
That's a really tough one to answer. I might pick Kevin Bacon, but I'm not sure I'd be able to actually speak to him. Then again, I really might enjoy dining out with Anthony Bourdain. He might take me somewhere exotic to eat! Of course, there's always Kara Goucher, she might be able to give me some good tips for sticking to a training plan. I think my list could go on and on!

What is your favorite season for running?
I live in Florida, so any season but summer is good for running. Of course, there's always a fall race on the schedule, which means I run all year long!

Describe the one route you would be okay running over and over for the rest of your life.
I love to travel and run in new places, but the route I run every Saturday is wonderful. We start at a park, run up and over two bridges (the closest we can get to hill training) and then along the boardwalk at the beach. Catching an early morning sunrise on your run, or stopping to watch the dolphins play never gets old.

 
If time and money were not a factor, where would you choose to go on vacation?
Right now, I'd just continue with my quest to run a half marathon in all fifty states. I have been enjoying touring the country. If time and money were not a factor, I'd be able to spend more time in each place and really appreciate it. I also might be able to complete this goal a bit faster.

What is your favorite pastime other than lacing up the running shoes?
 I like to read, cook (and eat), kayak, go to the beach and travel. Any time I can do any of those things with Chris, it's that much more special.

State #8 - Indianapolis, IN

This is one race I can't say enough about!

First off, we were planning to travel to do the Flying Pig Half Marathon and one of my running partners told me that Cincinnati was within a short driving distance of Indianapolis. Well, this stunning piece of information led to a bit of research and to the realization that there was indeed another race being held the day before the Flying Pig. The question was, could our bodies handle doing two in a row? Our thought: we were saving money by running twice and only flying once, so even if we had to walk the second race we were going to try it! We immediately registered for the Indianapolis 500 Mini Marathon and pushed our training into high gear.

State #7 - Jaffrey, NH

We were headed up north, or home to us, for a vacation visiting with family so I was looking to see if I could incorporate a race in New England to add to my medal collection. The kids whined and asked if we were ever going to be able to go on vacation without me running again! Oh, eventually...was my response.

State #6 - Seattle, WA

It seemed like it was on a whim that my husband and I decided to travel to Seattle. The plans came about when deciding what to do with our tax refund. Why not go on vacation? He had never traveled to the west coast and of course, I am always up for a race. Airline tickets were booked and I registered for the Rock N Roll Seattle Half Marathon.

State #5 - Matewan, WV

This was one of those races that came together at the very last minute. We were waiting for school to get out (I am a teacher) and for work schedules and time off to be approved. So, about ten days before the race we went into fast-paced planning mode. And so it was that on June 7 we loaded up my new car to drive to a little half marathon with a big mountain in the middle of it.

State #4 - Cocoa, FL

This was my race of Yes! and No!

It was difficult to choose just the right race in the state where I live. In the end, I opted to register for the Space Coast Half Marathon. I had always coveted the astronaut medal - after all, it is all about the bling! As race day approached the medal spec was released and alas, it was not the traditional astronaut. The first "No!". It was, however, the 40th anniversary of the race, so there was a splendid space shuttle medal.

Race #3 - Savannah, GA

Our road trip began after work on a Thursday with four girls and a male “running club member-in-training”. He jokingly wore a special badge and would later be initiated into our drop and go philosophy when traveling to destination races. We did, however, go easy on him, since he was our driver. And, he followed along with the fun by inciting a pillow fight.

Race #2 - Nashville, TN

It was a girls’ weekend! Our running group for this race consisted of six and the two hotel rooms were across from each other. Since no one would decide who was rooming together, we tossed the hotel keys on the floor and tried the doors to see which room we were in - and so started our long weekend adventure.

Race #1 - Providence, RI

I decided when I set this goal that my first race would be in my home state of Rhode Island and signed up for the inaugural Rock n Roll Providence half marathon. It was a soggy day to say the least. I gave my family members every opportunity to back out from being spectators yet they still came out to support me. We were all tired as the days prior were spent visiting Provincetown and Fenway Park. In the wee hours of the morning, I dressed in a garbage bag and waited at the start line. My troops were able to wait in the Providence Place Mall, enjoy some hot coffee, and stay dry. The start was finally announced and we were unleashed into the wild weather. It was rather unfortunate that most of the bands scheduled to play along the course were unable to do so due to the torrential rains. And I do mean torrential; it was streaming down the streets! (I looked up the statistics the next day and discovered that Providence received 2.25” of rain on race day!) Sugar Ray, however, did not let the damp weather prevent him for performing. He rocked the stage and I was so grateful to find my family dancing along once I pushed my wet self across the finish line. It was a great feeling of accomplishment to have earned the first medal in what I’m sure will become my own epic adventure.