Lead Legs & Hooked on Sandwiches

After Saturday’s race, I’ve been taking it a bit easy on the running pace and adding in a bit of extra stretching to let my legs recover. However, my legs are seriously still feelin’ it.

On Sunday, I did an easy 6 mile run around 8:20 pace, followed by stretching/foam rolling at the gym to offset the quad soreness and tightness in my legs. I am always, always a fan of easy running  the day after a workout, race or long run vs. taking a rest day. I find it helps shake out the junk and loosen up the tight muscles versus not moving them and letting the junk sit there longer.

Monday was another easy 6 miles, followed by a rest day yesterday. I hit the bridle path this morning to meet up with Natalie, a new running buddy who is also aiming to run a sub 3:00 marathon this fall! Right around the time she split off around 4 miles, my legs really started feeling much heavier than they did earlier. I had to stop a few times to stretch and get water the last 4 miles on my own. It was kind of like my hamstrings and calves tensed up and weighed 8000 pounds. I also may be exaggerating, a bit.

Here’s to hoping my hamstrings and calves decide to relax a bit before tomorrow night’s 6.5 mile workout! When do I hit the point in marathon training where runs actually start to feel good and effortless? I think I felt that way last year, but maybe I’m imagining it to be easier than it was. Shake out runs, foam rolling, stretching, walking (to continue flushing out the junk), and good old R&R typically work for me, but this heaviness is lingering a bit longer than I’d like. I haven’t taken an ice bath in a few years, but might try to incorporate them into this year’s training post-long run.

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This shouldn’t be news to me, but today as I ate my lunch I realized I tend to get hooked on a certain meal or food for a while, and become a bit obsessed. I wouldn’t call it a food rut, because I never feel like I’m in a rut. Maybe a routine?

For example, there was a time not too long ago every lunch I packed (and often dinner, too) involved a tortilla wrap. They’re so versatile, so it’s not like I ate the same thing every day. I probably went through a 12-pack of tortillas every week or so.

This past week, I’ve just transitioned over to sandwiches. More specifically, Ezekiel sprouted bread. I love my bread chewy, full of seeds/nuts, and filling. This bread fits the bill, and tastes great toasted as well. In the past week alone, I’ve had:

"Healthy" Sausage, Egg & Cheese Sandwich with Soy Sausage, Egg white, and shredded cheese on toast

Toasted veggie burger with Avocado, Laughing Cow cheese & ketchup

Open-faced burger with cheese, onion, tomato and ketchup

I think grocery shopping/cooking is the main culprit here, beyond the fact that my taste buds really don’t mind routine. Grocery shopping and cooking for just one person is a challenge, so when I buy something (like a loaf of bread), I tend to get hooked and feel like I need to use it all up. And go back and buy another loaf next week. And another. Because it works, and I like it. I never switch it up, when maybe I should have a sandwich one day, salad the next, then soup, or maybe chicken after that…I’d have to keep so much of each type of food on hand at one time I’d get a bit overwhelmed!

The same goes to breakfast, too. The last 3 weeks or so, I’ve had the same breakfast every morning: Plain greek yogurt mixed with one sliced banana, cinnamon and dry oats sprinkled on top. I craved this breakfast every. single. day. This week, it’s all about the Kashi cereal with sliced banana, blueberries and bit of protein powder…and probably will be for the next few weeks because now I’m hooked. Until I get on my next kick 🙂

What’s your favorite food combo you’ve been hooked on recently? Give me some fun sandwich ideas! What do you do when you have sore/heavy/tired legs to get them feeling fresh and fast again?

NYRR Team Championships Recap

Yesterday morning, I woke up at 7am and started going through my pre-race routine for the NYRR Team Championships: coffee, breakfast  (cereal/sliced banana), stretching, water, packing my backpack, etc. By 7:30am, I was out the door jogging over to baggage check. I went through the motions and warmed up, but I still didn’t feel like I was racing. As I mentioned on Friday night, I have a very hard time (mentally and physically) racing when I know it won’t be my best effort. But, I was looking forward to competing as part of a team and getting in a faster workout for the week. How bad could it be?

Overall, it was a modest effort. I didn’t score for the team (I was 20th, in fact) and that was mainly disappointing because I train with many of the girls who were in the top 10 and I should have moved up a few spots. I know I am capable of racing at a faster pace, but I am not currently sharp for racing. I’m just now starting to up my mileage for the marathon in November, and in return my legs feel flat. And that’s okay! (despite how awful I look below…)

Definitely at my most attractive. Is this race over yet?

My final time: 32:56, a 6:36/mile pace.

I’m not dwelling on the fact I could have gone faster or make excuses. I just didn’t. I had no pop or spring or drive to race yesterday morning, but that’s okay. A 5 miler at that pace is actually a pretty good effort for me in training right now, and just serves as a building block towards November 6th. Megan summed it up pretty well by citing a Saucony commercial: “What is strong? Is it your best time? Or your worst day? Maybe strong is just what you have left when you’ve used up all your weak” This certainly wasn’t my best time…wasn’t my worst day, either, but I am stronger for have completing the race and giving it what I had.

Onwards and upwards!

After the race, I spent the rest of the day enjoying a few many beers with my CPTC teammates at the Boat Basin and Gin Mill, which reminded me that despite how ‘sub-par’ my race was, I run because it’s fun! Especially when the people you run with are pretty awesome and also happen to enjoy drinking games.

How do you deal with sub-par races or runs? What was the highlight of your weekend?

I’m “Racing” and 30 Questions on Running

As much as I don’t want to face it, I’m running “racing” tomorrow, at the NYRR Team Championships. It’s definitely not going to be pretty, as my speed work of late has been a bit of a struggle, and I’ve..uhh..kinda been training for a marathon, not even a half-marathon or a 10K. Tomorrow should be interesting considering my legs aren’t rested, and I spent last night drinking about 5-8 glasses of wine and devouring all of this delicious food at a friend’s apartment.

And this was before the pigs in a blanket, italian meats, and cookies were rolled out. Every few months, a group of friends gets together for a wine tasting (not to be confused with cooking club!); we get to learn a little about each wine we sample (the region, pairings, etc.) while eating tasty food everyone brings and going for seconds (or thirds…) on the wines we really enjoyed. I’m usually not a red wine drinker, but I tried a sparkling red (Alfredo Roca Malbec, to be exact) and it was delicious!

After such an indulgent night (and leftovers for lunch today…) I wanted to keep it a bit lighter tonight.  While it’s not perfect pre-race fuel, it was delicious, quick and exactly what I wanted (okay, I really wanted 16 Handles, but needed ‘real’ food). This dish was summery, fresh and filling.

Baked Tilapia with Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Sauce, Corn (off) the cob, and papaya

Anyways, back to the race. I admittedly have a very hard time with running races when I’m not in the best shape or mentally ‘into’ them. Even if I mentally frame them as “fun races” or “workouts”, I am always disappointed when I don’t PR. If I can’t give it my best, why am I even signing up? I feel like I’m just going through the motions which is a waste of time and stress. I need to work on this a bit, as there are (obviously) many reasons to do races! This 5 miler will serve as my tempo for the week, and there will be some CPTC team bonding which I am most excited for. Plus, it was only $5 to enter.

Since this is the team championships, runners from all the NYC teams come out to race and score points. The men race at 8am and the women race at 9am. We’ll do a team warmup, and then a team picture afterwards. I still feel relatively new to the team and I am looking forward to getting to know people a bit better… and best of all, we’re having a team post-race brunch/boozing at the Boat Basin. I guess I can run race 5 miles for that 🙂

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I saw this survey on my friend Marc‘s blog, and decided it’d be fun to fill out and switch up my posts a bit.

30 Questions on Running

1: What’s your favorite type of running shoe? Nike Zoom Vomero, a good neutral/cushioned shoe that works with my orthotics

2: Do you run to music? If yes, what’s your favorite song to run to? I used to never run with music since I ran with a team every day, but now I am an iPod addict during training runs (never races!). I actually just listen to the radio (92.3!) since I’m too lazy to update my iPod regularly- that way I get the latest music, commercials and all.

3: Do you run in a gym or outdoors? Always, always outdoors if I can. In the dead of winter, I found myself doing a few tempo/interval runs on the dreadmill out of desperation.

4: Do you bring a sports drink or water out with you when you run? No, most of my running routes have plenty of water fountains along the way. I don’t like to carry anything heavy like a water bottle.

5: How many miles can you run without breaking? I finished 26.2 and didn’t break 🙂 The last mile did feel like a near-death experience, though.

6: Do you prefer long, mid or short distance running? For sure long distance! I did the 1500-5000 in high school and college, and now love the half-marathon and marathon distances. I’m the type of runner that can stick at one certain pace for a while, but really struggle to keep anything faster. This is why my half-marathon times are around the same pace as my 10K.

7: How long have you been running? Since 8^th grade

8: What do you think about when you run? I think this could get its own post, a la Susan. Generally, I think about my day, upcoming races, training, goals, work, relationships, friends, family, money, moving, vacations, happiness, recipes, the future, the past…sometimes I people watch…and then sometimes my mind becomes a black hole without thoughts at all as the miles pass.

9: Do you run when you’re emotional? Think I’m pretty emotional everyday, so yup 🙂 But, I do recall some especially ‘freeing’ runs while going through emotional times. Hitting the pavement and opening my lungs was particularly cathartic.

10: Have you noticed any changes in your life since you started running? Everything.  I can’t even picture who I would be if I didn’t start running. (Amen, Marc!) I started so early, it’s definitely shaped who I am—I chose to go to Villanova because I could run there, most of my friends from HS and College are runners, I met my boyfriend because we were on the same running team, and in some small way I think I chose my career in PR because juggling many things at a time (i.e., running + life) comes pretty naturally due.

11: Do you stretch? Lightly before I run as I wait for my Garmin signal, and lightly after as I wait for my coffee to be done. Definitely should do more. (oh hi, cranky IT band…)

12: Do you plan your day around your run or your run around your day? Both. My run is always planned into my day to ensure it gets done, but sometimes my day dictates when I plan my run (i.e., happy hour plans, nightly team workouts, more sleep, etc.)

13: Do you run with someone else? Mostly by myself nowadays, except team workouts, though trying to meet up with others for regular runs as much as possible (shout out to the am sweat squad!) Always accepting running buddies.

14: What motivates you to run? Achieving a new milestone or a PR in a race. I like to push myself to see what I’m capable of, and I’ll admit: It makes me feel kinda badass/rockstar when I tell people about my running accomplishments (“you ran how far this morning?!”

15: Are you surprised with how well you run? Sometimes, but I know I put in the hard work and effort into my training, so I shouldn’t be too surprised when I run well.  I earned it!

16: Do you run marathons/races/both? All of the above.

17: What’s your best mile time? Didn’t race it much, but a 5:26 mile on a crappy 200m indoor track during college.

18: Do you run to keep fit or keep fit to run? Both.

19: Do you prefer to run in heat or in cold? Pros and cons of each (summer running and winter running). I guess if I had to pick, it’d be the summer despite the humidity and continuously being a sweaty mess- at least it’s light when I wake up to go run! Far less depressing.

20: Is it hard for you to get out of the house to run? Yes, some mornings when I’m super tired, but I usually get out the door and go before I come to realize what’s going on. I sleep in my running clothes so I am super quick the next morning. Yes, I know that’s weird.

21: Do you ever regret not running? Not really—if I’m not running, it’s because I’ve planned a day off, or because I’m injured and can’t. In both bases, rest is a good thing!

22: Do you keep a record of your running times? I mentally know all of my PRs, and keep a running log.

23: Do you have a running idol? Not an idol, really, but there are many professional runners I look to for advice, inspiration, etc. to fuel my training like Kara Goucher, and fellow Villanova alum Frances Koons.

24: Does anyone else in your family run? Nope. My sister threw shotput in high school, though.

25: Are you currently trying to become a better runner? Always; the never-ending goal.

26: Do you run when you have nothing else to do? I don’t run out of boredom, as all my miles are pretty much pre-planned and there are much better things to do when I really have “nothing to do” (sleep, get 16 Handles, watch mindless reality television, cook, shop, lay outdoors….)

27: How often do you run? Anywhere from 4-6 days a week, depending on what I am (or aren’t) training for. I usually try to take at least 1 rest day/week, my body definitely needs it.

28: What is your biggest running-related dream? At the moment, breaking 3:00 in the marathon is my dream. On a related note, I also tend to dream (or have nightmares) about running, involving oversleeping my alarm the day of a race, and my legs failing so I can’t run and like gripping the road to propel/swim myself forward (this one is actually pretty recurring..)

29: Will you run for the rest of your life or just until you become what you want? I’d love to run for the rest of my life, as long as I remain healthy and still enjoy it. I can’t see myself seriously racing like I am now, but I always want to be able to go out for my daily (or weekly..) run.

30: What are your favorite exercises to team with running? I love the way lifting/core work makes me feel, but I definitely don’t do it as much as I need to. I like pilates and total body conditioning classes.

There you have it! Did any of my 30 answers surprise you? Nothing groundbreaking, but entertaining and I encourage you all to fill it out as well. TGIF, and have a good weekend. Will report post-race 🙂

Wedding Bells & Bridges Run

I spent this past weekend at home in NJ, as my cousin Kelly got married on Friday night (well really, she’s my step-grandmother’s niece, but we grew up like cousins. And it’s easier to say). It was such a beautiful wedding, at a gorgeous chateau, with fantastic food and dancing fun!

Pleasantdale Chateau

Cousins and the Newlyweds!

Me, Mom and Sister---family Christmas Card?

Dan & Me

If one day, I can afford a wedding that nice 😉 I’d love to have something like she did. Unfortunately, thunderstorms 10 minutes prior to the ceremony moved things indoors, but the evening was picture perfect!

Since my sister flew home from CA for the wedding, we spend the rest of our little 3-day weekend relaxing, shopping (of course), and eating. It was a nice, relaxing break.

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On the running front, thanks for the comments on last week’s post regarding my marathon training plans! I like hearing how others structure their plans (or non-plans!) as there is certainly no ‘one plan fits all’ approach when it comes to training. Last year, I got to the starting line fit and healthy; here’s to hoping this year’s slightly adjusted schedule will do the same (but in even better shape!)

Last week, I logged my first 40(.5) mile week of training! I purposely front-loaded my miles to allow for some flexibility to take off while I was home for the weekend. One of the (many) reasons I like to allow for some flexibility in my marathon training plan!

• Sun: 7.75 miles
• Mon: 6 easy
• Tues: 6 miles easy (7:48 pace)
• Weds: 12 miles in Riverside & Central Park, finishing at the office. Felt strong, especially at end! (7:32 pace)
• Thurs: CPTC workout (2x2mile at 10K pace- 13:01 and 13:15; 6:30/6:35 pace) This one was tough to maintain, probably should have backed off the pace closer to 6:40. 9 total for day.
• Fri: OFF
• Sat: OFF

I was especially proud of last week’s long run! I started off with about 2.5 miles in Riverside Park before heading over to Central Park to hit the Bridle Path and ultimately finish up at my office since I had an early morning client meeting. I eased into the pace gradually, starting around 8:00/mile and ending closer to 7:15/mile once I got into a groove to average 7:32 pace. Though it’s early in the training cycle, those kind of ‘I feel awesome‘ runs haven’t been coming as frequently as I’d like, so I’ll take them when I can get them.

This week I’ll aim to hit around 45 miles, which should be doable given I am running the NYRR Team Championships 5 Mile Race this weekend. While I am certainly not trained to run a 5 mile race at the moment, I’ll use it as my workout for the week and enjoy some QT with the CPTC team. Because waking up at 7am, racing 5 miles, and hanging out with sweaty runners is my idea of weekend fun 🙂

Since I am racing, I figured I’d shift up my long run this week to this morning instead of tomorrow or later in the week. Instead of sleeping in longer when Dan’s alarm went off this morning (at 5:15…not a happy camper), I got up and got ready to run. By the time he dropped me off at work and I got ready to run, the sun was shining and I was ready to hit the road.

I logged a total of 12.5 miles from my office in Midtown East, down the East River running path, over the Brooklyn Bridge, back over the Manhattan Bridge, and back up the East River path. There was nothing special about the pace or the way I felt, but I loved taking in the views and atmosphere. A welcome change from my loops in Central Park!

Source: nycgovparks.org

This run was a jog (hehe) down memory lane for me. The summer before my Senior year of college, I lived in the NYU dorms down on Water Street (which are now high-rise luxury apartments). While I hated living in the neighborhood in general, I loved all the close running options: you could go along the waterfront, around the Seaport, through Battery Park City, and of course- over the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges. I tried to do at least one bridge run per week, especially in the mornings before tourists and bikers took over the walkway. There is just something so serene about climbing the slope of the bridge, overlooking the city, and zooming down the other side. Was a fresh start to my morning!

….And now I am ready for a day of total rest tomorrow 🙂

I know it’s Tuesday night, but what was the highlight of your weekend? What is your favorite long-lost running route, one you haven’t run in a while but would love to return to? Kelly’s wedding was the highlight of my weekend! The bridges run definitely tops the list of favorite long-lost routes, though this one trail run we used to do at Valley Forge back at Villanova might be my all-time favorite route.

NYC Marathon Training Plan

I finally developed a solid NYC Marathon training plan at the beginning of July, though I’ve taken some time to get a few weeks of training under my belt, analyze last year’s log, and refine this year’s plan again. I think I am (finally) in a good place to share the plan and log with you!

You can find the link under my ‘Training‘ page to see what I’m up to each week, or click here to go directly to the google document: NYC Marathon Training 2011. 

I keep an old school handwritten log with a few more notes and scribbles and colors, but I also like to share my workouts online so the google doc feature works pretty nicely.

Structure of my Marathon Training Plan:

• I have a loose structure, in that I have a goal weekly mileage to reach, and a goal long run to hit. You’ll see these columns in gray. These numbers are really more to keep me on track, building up mileage appropriately and gradually. I won’t stress if I am a few miles short, or a few miles over… just as long as I’m in the general ballpark.
• I also plan to do one workout weekly with the CPTC team (likely road tempos/intervals on Thursdays). I definitely can’t guarantee I’ll make the workouts each week due to my schedule, but I will do my best to get in the workout another day on my own if need be. I’m also okay with going a week without a workout here and there.
• Higher average mileage than 2010. Last year, I spent a few weeks around 45+ miles, peaking at 67 miles. I want to get in the 55-70 range much more consistently, and you’ll see I spend about two weeks at each mileage level before bumping up 5 miles to the next week, peaking at 75 miles the week of 10/9. That will be a fun week 🙂

Goals for my marathon training:

• Break 3:00. I need to commit to this goal and stop being scared of putting it out there in case I fall short. I will get you, 3 hour barrier. Even if I run 2:59:59.99.
• Remain healthy and injury free. I need to practice a bit of preventative medicine to keep healthy. That means taking my iron supplements (yum), calcium supplements, stretching and foam rolling, more regular core work to strengthen weak areas, etc. I am finally getting new orthotics next week (mine are about falling apart…) to ensure I minimize any injury risk.
• HAVE FUN! Last year, everything was new and exciting and fun and fresh because it was my first marathon. I didn’t know what to do or expect which meant I learned something new just about every day, and I toed the line in anticipation, almost feeling invincible as a wide-eyed novice. This year, I am going to do everything possible to avoid boredom or dullness in my training. I still want it to feel like the first! I hope to be as excited and ‘fresh’ toeing the line this year as I did last year. That means running with friends, trying new routes, challenging myself, etc.

So there you have it. I certainly welcome thoughts and feedback on my plan, both positive or negative. How do you structure your marathon training? What are your goals?