Recovery Running, Ethel M, Visit to Oxnard, & Whitney Mesa

This week is the first week, where I am feeling somewhat back to normal. I'm trying to fight off some sinus issues (maybe a slight cold).  But, I'm trying to get back into a normal training routine again.

I wanted to post my post marathon recovery, to show you how I recover.  I'm sorry to bore you with two weeks of updates.

Recovery week November 30-Dec 6
Monday 11/30-Rest, I did stretch.
Tuesday 12/1- Rest- A little bit of light stretching.

Wednesday 12/2- I went for my first post marathon recovery run.  I ran 2.1 miles at 9:17 average pace.  This run felt so much longer than two miles.  I also did a little bit of light weight training.

Thursday 12/3-Rest

Friday 12/4- 2.8 Miles @ 9:05 average pace.  I felt like I had a little bit more energy, but I'm still feeling sluggish and tired.

Saturday 12/5-Rest, but I got a big workout in that evening.  I met up with my very good friend Jenn, and we took our kids the Ethel M Chocolate Factory's Nature Preserve.

They decorate the area with Christmas lights and Santa Claus even made an appearance.

 I didn't bring a stroller for my younger child.  I ended up carrying her around when we had to get through foot traffic, or to dodge around people who did bring their strollers.

Sunday 12/6-Rest
 I must be getting old. I'm not used to being out at night, and I felt like I had gone out drinking and dancing all night. Nope, just a sore shoulder from kid hauling.

Recovery week December 7-13
Monday 12/7-Circuit training followed by a two mile tempo run on the treadmill.  I was itching to go outside, but I didn't have a whole lot of time.  For circuit training I did the following exercises.

1st set
Flat dumb bell bench press 
Chest Flys with dumb bells
One Arm Rows 
Step ups onto a bench with a knee lift

2nd set w/25lb EZ curl bar
Bicep curls 
Upright Shoulder Rows
Over head Shoulder Press
Good Mornings
Squats
Single Leg Lunges

Last set 
Lat Pull Downs
Push up

Tuesday 12/8 -Rest

Wednesday 12/9- Two a days. 4.6 Miles for the day.  I had a few errands to run, I was also feeling kind of anxious/jittery due to PMS.  Running helps me focus when I'm feeling jittery.  With my morning commute being 15 minutes longer than it used to be  I only had time to run 2 miles before work.  But, two miles is enough to make me feel less irritated, and more able to focus when I sit down in front of my monitor all day.
At lunch time, I had time time to get  another short 2.5 mile run in.


Thursday 12/10-3.1 Miles at lunch time...This was a nice short run, just to get some fresh air

Friday 12/11-That day at work, we had our holiday party.  I had been on the committee for organizing the event.  I think this was one of the reasons why I was stressed out earlier in the week.  I was worried that I would forget something, or that something would go wrong...
Also earlier in the week, we decided to drive to my husband's and my hometown on Friday evening.

 We left at about 4pm and got into Ventura County a little before 10pm.  My husband is a champ for driving in gusty winds with some rain.  We stayed with my parents and we let kids stay up way late that night.

Saturday 12/12- 4 Miles at sea level. The story of my life is, "I only have time for a short run".  We were only going to be in town for 36 hours, and there was a lot of family to visit.  I managed to get out of the house for a short run, and I wanted to rip down the road. I live in Las Vegas and the elevation is around 1750  feet, The air is also quite dry.  My hometown is Oxnard CA, which is very at sea level and a stones throw away from the ocean.

The air was so moist, and full of oxygen!  I brought my waist pack so I could bring my phone, to record the data on Strava mobile (even on vacation I can't live without my data).  But, I was running completely blind because my Garmin Forerunner 10 decided to quit on me. Anyway....
I think I ran easy for .25 miles and then I just wanted to run as hard as I could...  There were a few stretches where I had to slow down to cross the street safely, and there were times that I did a few intervals for fun.  It was a nostalgic run, around my old neighborhood, and by my old junior high school.

Later on that day we went to visit my husband's side of the family, and then we took a quick trip to Port Hueneme Beach to let our kids stick their feet in the sand.

Sunday 12/13- Rest

We had to get back in the car super early.  But, we let the kids open up a few presents from their grandparents first.

Monday 12/14- Rest.  I had to go to the post office on my lunch break.  No time to run.

Tuesday 12/15- I had wanted to run something long.  But, my body is still telling me "NOPE".  I went to the Whitney Mesa Recreation Area, and ran around there.  I didn't have a planned route, and the park isn't very large.  I found a few neat climbs, but I hate sliding down the side of a hill.

I ran just over 5 miles.

 I also froze my butt off wearing only a t-shirt and shorts...That night I felt like crap, and I took a dose of Nyquil. 

Wednesday-12/16 -Rest, I'm not feeling so hot, so I'm going to listen to my body and rest....

Well I guess that's all I've got for now.  My apologies for the length of this post.

Thank you for reading.

Year of Running 2015

Last year I really enjoyed doing a Year of Running post.  Miss Zippy was the original blogger to link up this post. She isn't blogging as regularly as she used to (she now does podcasts). I still want to try to keep this tradition going, because it's a nice way to look back and capture running moments that I may forget in a few years.

Best Race Expereience
Deja Vu Marathon... I had been waiting all year for marathon redemption..  I didn't quite get the time that I wanted, but man I had such a fun time racing.  I was really pleased with my even splits, and the fact that I didn't fall apart during the last six miles.

Best Run
As much as I loved that marathon... There is another run that I want to give this recognition to.  This was more of a hike, than a run. But, earlier this year I tried to summit Frenchman's Mountain.  I see this mountain everyday, and earlier this year I discovered that there is a trail that leads all the way to the top.  I only made it about 2/3 of the way to the top before I threw in the towel.

This was such a huge adrenaline rush, and I hope I get a chance to make it to the top.  I'm terrified of heights BTW.

Best New Piece of Gear:  Strava!!!
Strava isn't really technically a piece of a equipment, (there is a mobile app that you can use on your phone if you don't have a GPS watch.) It's more of a place to store your run data and by joining a group or club you can keep track of your mileage/speed/elevation vs. other runners in that group.
I joined an online running club earlier this year...
Having virtual training partners to share workouts, and compete for weekly bragging rights (no1curr), has been really fun.  It added an extra layer of enjoyment to my runs during my last marathon training cycle.  There were times that I didn't feel like running, and sometimes the Strava data was enough motivation to get out the door.

Honorable mention: Nike Air Zoom Structure 18

I was having problems with my feet earlier this year, and this shoe is a dream for collapsing arches/heel striking.

Best Piece of Running Advice you Received:  You will need to add more mileage to your base to improve your marathon time.

I was pretty stubborn about adding more mileage, because I like to run tempo pace.  You can't add more miles at tempo pace and not expect to get injured.  That meant changing the way I trained this year.  This year, was about rehabbing my weak left hip and building a strong marathon base.... It took me a long time to figure out what was causing my hip to hurt,

I still don't think I really know what caused the imbalance on my left side, but I have learned  that I can't be reckless and run carelessly like I did in my younger days. Speed work needs to be complimented with strength training in the gym, and proper warm ups with stretching.

I also learned to respect and appreciate the marathon distance more.



Most Inspirational Runner:
This is a tie. I couldn't decide between these two local runners, so I decided to list them both
Male Runner: Sergio Ibarra

This master's runner is a complete class act.  He works full time as a chef at Cesar's Palace.  And in his spare time he races a lot!  He's always one of the top local finishers, has a positive attitude and is always a friendly face at LVTC events.  He ran the Rock N Roll Las Vegas Marathon this year, and three weeks later went out to California International Marathon and scored a BQ.

Female Runner: Erica Schramm.

I have had the pleasure of getting my behind kicked several times this year by Erica.

LVTC Holiday Half Marathon 2014
Erica was the Women's Winner

Big Game 10K February 2015

 The most memorable butt kicking was at a low key 5k earlier this year, when she went cruising by my pushing her twins in a double jogging stroller.

Over the weekend she won the Tuscon Marathon.  She is also really nice, and a friendly face at LVTC events.



If you could sum up your year in a couple of words what couple of words what would they be?

Don't take anything for granted and don't be careless.



So that's my list..  Fellow bloggers, please feel free to share your year of running posts too!

and thank you for reading.

What's Next? Saints and Sinners Half Marathon!!!

So last week I was in a funk...Mostly because I didn't have a race on the calendar to look forward to.

Well I found an event, to pine after...  It's a race that I have done twice before, and I was bummed that I didn't get to race the event this past fall.   In the past this event was held in the fall, but the race organizers have recently decided to move the event up to February.

I'm excited to announce that I am  going to be racing the Saints and Sinners Half Marathon on February 20th, 2016.

My goal will be to lower my time from my last attempt (1:34:51), maybe win an age group award.

We'll see.

A Tale of Two Marathons-Deja Vu Marathon Race Report aka. My Garmin Lied to Me

Wow I have a ton of mixed emotions about this race report, and I don't want to sound like a whiny bitch. I also don't want to leave out my race preparations....So where do I begin?

3:42:32 is my official time.  This is how fast I ran a marathon on Saturday.  I am very happy with my somewhat even-Steven splits.

But, I am so disappointed that I didn't break 3:40..


I'm going to post all of the data (Garmin, Strava, Race Raw Data).

Few Days Leading up to the Race
I began to add extra carbs to my meals on the Tuesday leading up to the race., I would eat a banana with my breakfast,and have an extra serving of rice at dinner. I also tried to remember to drink water. Work was a blur, and in my hurry I never printed up my trusty pace band that I created had created with Excel.

Thanksgiving Day
I went for my last shake out/dress rehearsal run, I felt well rested and I cranked out 4 miles at 8:15 average pace.  This run was a huge confidence booster.

My mother in law came to town to cook Thanksgiving dinner for our extended family... We don't eat Turkey or any other meat.....
For our meal that day, I made Vegetable Stew, Spanish Rice, and Homemade Tortillas...

I didn't take a picture on Thanksgiving, but it was  a very similar
veggie stew.

It was nice to have my mother-in-law in town to hang out with the kiddos.

Black Friday
We did some grocery shopping,  I tried to stay off of my feet for most of the day, and I laid out my final outfit choices.   I also read online articles about properly fueling during a marathon.  For dinner I had homemade pizza and hummus.

My husband also made me the famous beet juice.

We started juicing earlier this year, and now in the cooler months we are not juicing as much.  However, I read somewhere that beet juice helps with recovery and performance, I started incorporating it into my diet about once a week.

Beets, lemons, ginger, apples, and carrots

And to think I used to drink a lot of beer the night before a race. lol.  How times have changed....

Race Morning
I woke super early, and began to get prepared to race.   For breakfast I had a pumpkin oat hemp muffin, and two eggs at about 5:30 am.

An hour later I had a slice of white toast with  dark chocolate peanut butter with half of a banana.

 I also drank about half of a 20oz bottle of Strawberry Watermelon Gatorade.

My husband dropped me off at Sunset Park at 8:30am.   That gave me enough time to pick up my packet, use the bathroom, set up my aid station (a small igloo cooler), and stretch.  The weather was cold (42 degrees), but no wind.

I packed a small igloo cooler with two mini bottles of Gatorade, my Powerbar Energy Chews, and Powerbar Gels.  My plan was to carry what I would need for the first hour, and then swing by my cooler to pick up fuel as needed.

I lined up towards the middle, I started my music, and my Strava Mobile timer while the race director was giving us the final instructions.. I didn't want to fumble around with my phone at all during the race.  I wanted to just stick it in my waist pack and forget about it.  I had a great play list with a ton of songs,...

**For this race report I will be using my Garmin Splits**(While Racing this was what I was using to pace by)**
The gun went off, I started my Garmin, and it was go time...  My goal was to run steady, and try to  negative split the second half.
This was the race course.

The larger loop, was  the first lap of 1.48 miles
then we ran 25 laps around the smaller track.

This course also had a small hill about 200 meters long (you climbed 40 feet every mile, but the decent was also 40 feet).  So small rollers, but nothing crazy steep...  Because of the up and down nature I knew that my Garmin would fluctuate when running uphill/downhill....

We were sharing the course with the ultra runners, and other pedestrian traffic.  There were distance events for 1hr, 3hr, 6hr, and 12hr.  I figured the course would be a little crowded during the first hour, but that would keep me from going out too fast...

Mile 1- 8:16

Mile 2- 8:16

Mile 3- 8:15

Wow I couldn't believe that I was already on goal pace, and it felt pretty easy...

The aid station/time clock area, was kind of crowded during the first hour.  During mile 4 I swung by my cooler to pick up my half bottle of Gatorade that I had leftover from breakfast.  I also ate two Powerbar energy blast chews.  My plan was to eat and drink early to stave off the bonk. I also ditched my gloves around this time
Mile 4- 8:22

Mile 5- 8:10
Mile 6- 8:09

So I notice that I'm running with a dude.  We are pretty even paced.  We traded the lead several times, before I just started following him,

I ate two more energy chews around this time, and had a quick drink of water

Mile 7- 8:08

Mile 8 - 8:05
I opened up my first energy gel. It was a Powerbar Bluberry Acaci flavor, and it was actually pretty good.
Mile 9- 7:59
Mile 10-8:13  When I went through the aid station I stopped by my cooler to pick up another gel, and a zip lock baggie with the some more energy chews.  I keep playing hopscotch with this other runner.

Mile 11-8:05
Mile 12- 8:07

Mile 13-8:10
The guy that I'm running with stops to use the porta john.... In a way I'm happy that I no longer have to play hopscotch.  But, another part of me is worried that I will ease off the pace, or become bored without a rabbit to chase.

Mile 14 8:10

Mile 15-8:11

Are you kidding me? I'm still on goal pace....I feel good.  I grab a mini bottle of Gatorade out of my cooler to drink.  I carry it for a mile, but I only take one drink out of it.  I ended up tossing it into the dirt, because I didn't want to carry it anymore.  Around this time the race director tells me that I am on lap 14.  I'm thinking sweet only 10 more laps to go....

Mile 16-8:09
Mile 17- 8:05

It's the second going into the third hour of running, I'm wondering when I'm going to start to really hurt.  So far I have eaten six energy chews and two energy gels...I'm also trying to drink water every now and then.

Mile 18-8:11
Mile 19-8:22
My energy/mental game is starting to take a turn for the worse.... But, the greatest thing happened.. My husband hasn't shown up to any of my races in recent years, because someone has to watch our kids.... My husband surprised me by showing up for the last hour. Seeing him was like a shot of electricity (corny I know)

Mile 20- 7:56

My watch flashed 20 miles, and the time said 2:43:xx.  I'm thinking "Shit yeah, this is what I have been waiting for, let's race this last 10k baby. Only 6 more laps to go!!!"

Mile 21- 7:57

I ditched my arm warmers, and I stopped briefly to pick up my mini bottle of Gatorade that I threw on the ground.

Mile 22-8:19
Mile 23-8:11
During this time, the guy that I was running with earlier came flying by me. I didn't have the stones to try to go with him... I'm kicking myself for that.

Mile 24-8:14
I'm thinking that I have about two more laps to go, the race director tells me that I have three laps to go. huh?

Mile 25-8:14

Since I thought this was my last lap, I tried to open up as best as I could, but I'm getting tired. When I finish the lap, the race director tells me that I have one more lap to run. I wasn't going to argue with the race director and risk getting disqualified, I figured everything would get sorted out after the finish. I considered it a victory lap.

Mile 26-8:10
Mile 27-8:22
Mile .2- 1:32

Garmin Time: 3:42:28
Final Results
3:42:32  Official Time

So what ended up happening, and this is not any one's fault but, my own.  For some reason I thought the course was only 24 laps total, the course was actually 25 laps total.  There was chip timing each time I crossed the mat, so I know that the race organizers didn't not count my laps...

The frustrating part of all of this, was that I put too much faith in my Garmin to accurately pace me, and the loop course allowed my Garmin data to be skewed, and over estimate the course itself...

I can't even put into words how disappointing this feels...

I'm kicking myself for wearing my headphones, this was a fairly exciting day.  I liked most of my music, but there were times that I was so in the zone, that I didn't even hear my music.  I should have also been paying attention to the race clock, every time I passed it.

For transparency here is all of the data:
Garmin

Strava Data

Raw data from the race timing company.

The first lap was 1.48 miles long and the rest of the
laps were 1.03 miles long.

After I finished. I was so happy to see my husband and kids at the finish line, but, I was so bummed, because I thought I was on pace to run a 3:35 marathon, and then you finish the race, to discover that you were a few minutes over!!!

I also found out that I was the 1st woman overall (it was a small race)

I really like the plaque and the medal.  The race shirt was also really nice too, it was a navy blue technical tee, with a light blue swirl on the back, that matches the finishers medal.

Final Thoughts

Overall I'm happy with how well I executed this marathon.  I didn't take off like a rocket, and flame out in the later miles...  There was never a bonk, or wall. It didn't feel hard until the last few miles, but that's a marathon for you.

I think I may have been asking for too much trying to PR on a lap course....This was a seven minute improvement from last year's marathon attempt so I will take the small victories when I can.

The one and only time, I will every be listed
on Marathon guide.com as a winner
of a marathon. :)

*** I actually purchased race photos, but I am still waiting for them to email me the digital links***

I didn't want to much time to pass before I finally post this race report.

As always thank you for reading!!

I'm Racing This Weekend!! A Summary of this Training Cycle

Its race week!!! Now it's time to party!!  Now it's time to freak out and analyze my training!!

In preparation for this marathon,  I looked at a few different plans before deciding on Hal Higdon's Intermediate II Plan.  I had a 16 week training cycle, but before that I had about 2-3 solid months of base building.

Hal Higdon Intermediate II

I  used the Basic Training Schedule that can be found free online

this plan focused on getting the mileage in.

There was only one day of goal paced running.

Here's what my actual run data looked like.

I didn't have the ability to run back to back days on the weekends.
I did a lot of my goal pace work on  Tuesday's and Sunday's.
I also fit my long runs in and around my work schedule.

During the first two months of this traininig cycle there were quite a few two a day workouts.  I chalk that up  to the fact, that it was way too hot to run 8 miles all at once outside on my lunch break (When this training cycle first started the day time high was 100 degrees).

FWIW I do the majority of my training during the middle of the day.  I don't have enough time before work to get a quality workout in, and at night after the workday my family comes first.

I really did focus on adding more mileage per week, than last year's marathon attempt. I also decided not to race a half marathon during this training cycle.  I thought it would be too risky trying to taper for a half, race, and then recover from the half.



Here is a snapshot of what my mileage looked like last year.

And here's this year's totals:

July                         139 Approx 31.5 miles per week
August                     137  Approx  32 miles per week
September                190 Approx 44 Miles per week
October                    179 Approx 40 Miles per week
November                 111 Approx 37 Miles per week

I knew that I ran more mileage during this training cycle, but it blows my mind that I ran 70 more miles in the month of September than I did last year.... See that's what happens when I stick a half marathon in the middle of a marathon training cycle.  I lose too much time on the roads from recovery.

I'd be lying if I didn't say that I feel more confident going in with a higher mileage base. But, I don't want to take anything for granted. 26.2 miles is a long race.

The race starts at 9:00am on Saturday morning,  The temperatures should actually be pretty pleasant for running.

I still don't know what I'm going to wear but, I have a ton of options.

I started carb loading earlier this week.

Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread.

I was a little stingy with the cinnamon sugar.

This doesn't look appealing, but it's
one of my favorite meals.
Rice, Beans,  Potatoes, and Salsa Verde
I also forgot to take a picture of the
homemade tortilla I ate.

I'm trying to stay away from dairy, and I'm not trying any new foods over the Thanksgiving Holiday.


I'm nervous as all get out, but I love to race.  The race itself will be the reward of this training cycle.

Thank you for following along.

See you on the other side!