It's hard to believe that tomorrow the kids go back to school (never mind that most other schools are already back in session.) It feels like just yesterday that we were celebrating the end of another school year. But we had a good summer and this is a huge year here - Jones (who was 7 when I started this blog!) is a senior this year and Shoo is in his last year of middle school. Seriously, where did my babies go? We managed to pack a lot into this summer! Jones and I visited 7 colleges, 2 zoos, an aquarium, an ornithology lab, and an aviary. Shoo got to visit Beer Geek's family, got bitten by a salamander, built his own road bike, and has gone on a few double digit mileage bike rides. On the running front, I got to run a … [Read more...]
Tips for a successful long run in the summer
Every spring, my FOMO overrides my common sense and I end up signing up for the Marine Corps Marathon. It's kind of like having babies - you conveniently forget the bad parts and only remember that cute squishy baby you ended up with. This year, FOMO REALLY got the best of me and I ended up signing up for the Marine Corps 50K. Know what that means? It means I'm already up to 16 mile long runs. (For those playing along at home, I usually use Hansons Marathon Method, which means 16 miles is my longest marathon training run. Yeah.) So, for the first time in years, I'm running some really long runs during the hottest months of the year. Yes, we are talking 80+ degrees with matching humidity. Running when the air feels like you are breathing … [Read more...]
I Hate Summer Training: June Runfessions
Temperature wise, we are in full on summer. This week has been in the high 80s/low 90s all week, sometimes with matching humidity.`Welcome to Virginia in the summer! But mentally, we are barely there. School just ended last week. This week Jones has been in a full time training for the work he'll be doing this summer. Shoo has been lazing, but also just joined his summer activity. While I'm excited for both of them to be doing the cool programs that they are doing, the schedules will be erratic, so I'll be juggling a lot this summer. Which leads me to Marcia's runfessional... I must runfess that I hate having a training plan in the summer. Our schedule during the school season is pretty consistent, but we are all over the board … [Read more...]
Marine Corps Marathon 50K Training
According to various training plans I've been looking at, it's nearing time to get this party started. I've done some crazy things in the past, including 7 half marathons in 7 days and two marathons in the same weekend. I've created training plans in the past to accommodate these antics, so now it's time to take all the plans I've been looking at and put them together in a perfect plan for me. I won't be sharing it here - I've designed one that works for MY body and its strengths and weaknesses - but here are some elements I plan to use to be successful in October Incorporate one or two full marathons as training runs. I've already identified a few options in September and early October. Most of the plans I've looked at … [Read more...]
Registering during Marine Corps Marathon Rush Registration
Running the Marine Corps Marathon is on many people's bucket list. And once you've run it once, it grabs you by the heart strings and you want to run it again. (Even if you claim you don't. Not that I'd know anything about that.) But getting into the race requires a little bit of luck. In recent years, in addition to the other options, MCM has offered a rush registration. This is a 20 minute window to register that will allow up to 7,000 runners to register before the lottery opens. It starts at noon - usually on a day in mid-march. Here's how the process goes: Set an alarm on your phone so you don't forget. Ok, maybe set 2 or 3. Actual number dependent on your level of OCD. Dress in your lucky MCM registering clothes. If … [Read more...]
Finalizing my 2019 race plans
I can't believe it's March and I'm just now figuring out my race plans. Everything hinged on getting into the new Marine Corps Marathon 50k. If I had not, I'd have upended everything to find another race. So, here we go... March 17 - Four Courts Four - I run or volunteer at this race as often as possible (sometimes both.) It starts with a wicked fast downhill, but what goes down must come up, so it ends with a painful uphill. Luckily it also ends with beer. Guinness to be exact. March 24 - Mike to Mike Half Marathon (All American Marathon) - This race goes from downtown Fayetteville to Fort Bragg. I'm pretty excited about this race because a number of Skirt Sports ambassadors will be there. I'm less excited about the fact that … [Read more...]
Put your oxygen mask on first
Last week was a hard week. I was dealing with a couple of really stressful things, as well as just having a lot going on. And I responded poorly. I skipped a few workouts and I ate my feelings. (And then I went to Costco and bought ALL the carbs so I could continue eating my feelings. Lesson learned: don't go to Costco when you are stressed.) By Friday evening, I was just done. Unfortunately, despite going to bed early, I had a rough night (Jones had the ACT on Saturday morning. I've discovered that if I have anything that makes me get up earlier than usual, that I don't sleep well. I need to fix this.) Saturday, after I dropped Jones at his test, I decided I needed to just stop. I needed to find a way to get my head on straight - I … [Read more...]
If nothing else, February is shorter
January is over. It seriously may have been 9,354,200 days long. Or just 31 of the longest days ever. My kids barely attended school even though we really didn't have that much snow. In fact, with today's late start, we now have an entire week where they did not go a single full day. Last week, I think they had one full day. Oy. But, since we are starting off February with another late start, I actually have time for coffee (and I'm all caught up on sleep as I've slept in until 8 am 4 of the last 7 days...) I’m joining Deb and Coco‘s virtual coffee date and sharing what I'd chat about over coffee. If we were having coffee, I'd tell you I'm super excited to be a Skirt Sports Ambassador again this year! I love so … [Read more...]
Marine Corps Marathon 2018 Race Recap
This past Sunday I finished my 5th Marine Corps Marathon. Going in I knew it was going to be a challenging race. Thanks to my heel, I was undertrained. Not only had I not done much in the way of long runs, I had completely lost my strong base that I've had for the last few years. But I wanted this race and I was pretty sure I could finish if my heel cooperated. I admit I was feeling a little bit bitter about the near perfect weather and the fact that I was not in shape to run a PR. But I was given the opportunity to run to honor a fallen soldier and that pretty much led to an instant attitude change. After that, everything else was just the small stuff. Marine Corps Marathon 2018 October 28, 2018 5:39:15 Temp: 48 at the start, low 60s … [Read more...]
Marine Corps Marathon Runfessions
I'm not sitting here counting down the hours until the Marine Corps Marathon. OK, maybe I am. I haven't been this nervous about actually finishing a marathon since my very first MCM in 2008. And then I was nervous because it was my first, not because I was undertrained. This weekend should be... interesting. I mostly have to make my self stick to my goal of doing it slow. If my ego gets in the way and I push at the start, my race is going to suck. So feel free to send me "stick to the plan" vibes. And maybe a few, "hang in there, heel" vibes. I must runfess that the only reason I want to run this year is to get into Runner's Club. I know life is just going to get crazier for the next few years between ZOOMA and the kids getting … [Read more...]
Race views and ZOOMA challenges
Today's topic for Tuesdays on the Run is "Best things seen at a race". I've seen some pretty amusing things: guys running only in thongs, jogglers, dribblers (literally a guy dribbling a basket ball the whole race), awesome costumes, awful costumes, etc. But, despite running with my phone, I pretty much never take pictures and I have the memory of a gnat, so I leave you with this... Moving right along.. Here are our upcoming topics: 10/23 – Standout Post-Race Food 10/30 – Halloween! 11/6 – Racing Mistakes 11/13 – The Best City I Ever Ran In Is… 11/20 – Black Friday And October 16 at 10am EST, ZOOMA opens its winter challenges. You can join us for the Holiday Challenge - a movement and self care challenge for … [Read more...]
My “undertrained” MCM training plan
I am currently 14 weeks out from my 5th Marine Corps Marathon. I've done Hal Higdon's training plan twice and attempted Hansons training plan twice. I say attempted because it's a really hard plan and I've never been able to hit all of the mileage at all the right paces. Last year was closer than the previous year and I went into the race feeling strong and ready and planning to gun for a PR. And completely fell apart at mile 16. I know some of that was the ridiculous heat and some was poor fueling choices on my part, but the race felt hard from the first step. And it never improved. The first mistake I made was not admitting it was not my day and slowing down after mile 2 or 3 or 4 or... (Mile 1 might lie, but you'd think I'd listen … [Read more...]
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