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My “undertrained” MCM training plan

July 23, 2018 by MCM Mama 18 Comments

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...]

Filed Under: running Tagged With: marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, training

Marine Corps 17.75 2018 Race Recap

March 26, 2018 by MCM Mama 13 Comments

Marine Corps 17.75 2018 Race Recap

Marine Corps 17.75 March 24, 2018 2:00:29 Temp: low 30s What I wore: beanie, tank top, half zip top, Ragnar jacket, Happy Girl skirt, Toasty Cheeks tights, and Altra Escalante  I have a love/hate relationship with this race. I love the course, despite it being one of the hardest races I run each year. I hate having to drive down 95 on Friday to get my bib. I hate even more having to get up by 3:45am so I can leave my house by 4:45am to drive down 95 for the race. But I'm also way too cheap to get a hotel room and I'd have to leave DC around noon on Friday to get there in time to make it worthwhile. But I've still done it in 2015, 2016, 2017, and now 2018. Saturday morning came way too early, but I hadn't slept much at all, due to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: running Tagged With: 17.75, Marine Corps Marathon, race report

Tips for running the Marine Corps 17.75

March 22, 2018 by MCM Mama 7 Comments

Tips for running the Marine Corps 17.75

Saturday morning I will be running my 4th Marine Corps 17.75. Every year I debate signing up for this race. It's a challenging course at a time of year when weather in this area is iffy, but the Golden Ticket is a huge incentive. This year I got into the Marine Corps Marathon through the Rush Registration (which I only used because of the crazy weather.) So, I don't have to run it if I don't want to. But I'll be there. Probably overdressed because I've been a total weather wimp this winter. And I'll love every minute of what is likely to be a freezing cold and muddy race. Because it's just that awesome. Get there early. There is no parking at the start/finish and the shuttle lines get longer the closer you are to start time. Catch … [Read more...]

Filed Under: running Tagged With: 17.75, Marine Corps Marathon, Run To Register

Marine Corps Marathon, I just can’t quit you…

January 29, 2018 by MCM Mama 15 Comments

Marine Corps Marathon, I just can’t quit you…

It's almost that time of year again. Time to start sorting out my registration for the Marine Corps Marathon. Do I try to get online and sign up for 17.75? And then run one of the hardest races in the area for the pleasure of handing over my credit card to pay for my guaranteed entry? Or do I take my chances and enter the lottery? Or is it time to give back and fundraise for a worthy cause (there are so many, I'm not sure who I'd even pick). Regardless of what method I decide to use to enter the Marine Corps Marathon, one thing is certain: I will be running it again this year. I didn't mean to fall in love with the Marine Corps Marathon. I truly believed I would be one and done. Even after I returned to the world of marathoning, I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: running Tagged With: marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, Tuesdays on the Run

Marine Corps Marathon 2017 Race Recap

October 26, 2017 by MCM Mama 12 Comments

Marine Corps Marathon 2017 Race Recap

This past Sunday I finished my 4th Marine Corps Marathon. It wasn't my fastest and it wasn't my slowest. It did, however, have one of the lowest points I've had in a race in a very long time. My recap is super long, in part because I don't want to forget any of it. If you don't feel like reading the whole thing, my Facebook status from after the race pretty much covers it: "At mile 13.1, I was on pace for my goal race. At mile 15, I considered DNFing. At mile 16, I drank all the Gatorade and realized I could walk 10 miles if I needed to. In the end, it wasn't my worst race. 4:57 and change." Grab a coffee or a beer and come along for the ride... Marine Corps Marathon 2017 October 22, 2017 4:57:17 Temp: 55ish at the start, 75+ at … [Read more...]

Filed Under: running Tagged With: 2017 races, Marine Corps Marathon, race report

Rating October: did my running pass or fail?

October 23, 2017 by MCM Mama 24 Comments

Rating October: did my running pass or fail?

October has felt a bit like a roller coaster. The weather has been cold and hot and every where in between. That could pretty much describe my running as well. I kicked off the month with  a long run with a "meh" half marathon in the middle. The distance and pace were fine, but the course surface left me with achy hips and general muscle soreness. I'm giving this run a Pass as it served its purpose. As soon as I finished that run, I overembraced the taper. Yeah, I dropped mileage faster than a politician changes their opinion. I was just OVER the Hansons Marathon Method. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great plan. It's just a lot of miles and my body was ready to recover. I did get in 2 "long runs" of 10 and 8 miles as well as … [Read more...]

Filed Under: running Tagged With: Marine Corps Marathon, Tuesdays on the Run

Marine Corps Marathon 2017: Mission Accomplished

October 23, 2017 by MCM Mama 13 Comments

Marine Corps Marathon 2017: Mission Accomplished

Note that I chose MCM's wording of "Mission Accomplished" rather than "Goal Accomplished". Finish time: 4:57:17. I ran. I finished. I learned some lessons about myself and about running a marathon. Marine Corps Marathon #4 in the books. Marine Corps Marathon #5 next year will be a love run, not a redemption run. More on all of this in a day or two. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: running Tagged With: Marine Corps Marathon

Marine Corps Marathon 2017 Goals

October 18, 2017 by MCM Mama 12 Comments

Marine Corps Marathon 2017 Goals

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you already know that time goals are not my thing. I run because I need to run, so anything that takes away the enjoyment of running is something I don't do. Speed work is not my jam and tempo runs kind of suck. You also won't find me out there running for 4 hours on a training run (unless that training run happens to be a race). So my goals don't generally focus on pace. I run to finish. To have fun. To see my friends. To do a certain number of states in a row. But to actually hit a number on the clock? Nah, that hasn't been a huge priority in a while. But (you knew that was coming, right?) this year, I have some goals for the Marine Corps Marathon. I know I can finish (this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: running Tagged With: goals, marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, PR

If I wasn’t a runner, I would be…

October 9, 2017 by MCM Mama 15 Comments

If I wasn’t a runner, I would be…

... an overweight alcoholic. (afflilate link) I mostly jest, but running is my stress release, my anti-depressant, my coping mechanism, my "me time". I am also a huge stress eater. Running both keeps my stress levels down so I don't feel the need to eat an entire box of cookies (or a whole container of frosting or ice cream), but when I do, running helps burn off the calories. As far as the alcohol, despite my love of craft beer, I've never actually leaned on it to help me survive a stressful situation. (In fact, I often choose to have dessert instead of a beer if there aren't any good beers available. Yes, I'm a beer snob but I'll eat sugar in just about any form.) So, I run.  Right now I'm a third of the way through my … [Read more...]

Filed Under: running Tagged With: Marine Corps Marathon, Tuesdays on the Run

Some things I must runfess…

September 29, 2017 by MCM Mama 12 Comments

Some things I must runfess…

Here we are at the end of September, ready once again to head to the Runfessional. I have apparently run out of motivation before I've run out of training plan. This week was supposed to be a peak mileage week, but between the exhaustion from Ragnar, the remnants of my cold. and TWO Back to School nights, I've had a hard time even getting out the door. Heck, one day I didn't even get out the door - I ran on the treadmill because it took less thought and effort. *** But I did get out for a 10 mile run on Thursday! Which was totally awesome, until it wasn't. I had a slow warm up mile (mostly due to traffic lights) and then ran by feel for 5 miles. I hit within a few seconds of 10:30 pace each mile without checking my Garmin. What?!? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: running Tagged With: marathon training, Marine Corps Marathon, ragnar

Where to celebrate the Marine Corps Marathon with a beer

September 7, 2017 by MCM Mama 10 Comments

Where to celebrate the Marine Corps Marathon with a beer

It's Friday, Frr Frr Frr Friday! This week has kicked my butt. The kids had their first day of school on Tuesday. I've run about a billion miles (ok, only 29 in 4 days, but still...) I've been to a million stores looking for supplies (the high school and middle school here give us supply lists in each class on the first day, oy.) And I'm getting nowhere near enough sleep. Thank goodness I have nowhere I need to be on Saturday morning. Of course, seeing as how it's Friday, it's time for Friday Five 2.0 and the topic is "Post-Race Meals/Snacks".  Well, is it any surprise that my favorite post- race meal involves beer? Beer Geek and I always stop at the same restaurant post MCM, both because it's on the way home and because they have a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: beer Tagged With: beer, Marine Corps Marathon

First day of school means fall training has begun

September 4, 2017 by MCM Mama 12 Comments

First day of school means fall training has begun

Here we go! Another school year is about to begin. I'm kind of in denial that I no longer have a kid in elementary school, but the big change this brings is that everyone is out of the house before 7:30am now. We'll see if that means I get out the door to run earlier or not. Fall is my favorite time of year. It's also prime marathon training time. My training plan calls for multiple double digit runs per week, starting this week. Gulp!  Thankfully, the weather tends to start cooling down and the return to school gets me back on a running schedule. Know what else changes about my training? Races! I've got a lot coming up and will talk about that soon. I don't race a lot during the summer. Between vacations and the weather and the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: running Tagged With: marathon training, Marine Corps Marathon, Tuesdays on the Run

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Who is MCM Mama?
A slightly obnoxious mom and wife who loves good beer and running, who struggles a bit with depression especially in the winter and when running isn’t allowed, who’d rather go on a fun vacation than upgrade the kitchen or add a master bath, and has a minor addiction to the Marine Corps Marathon.

Recent Posts

  • Half Marathon #85: Appalachian Series – South Carolina
  • Half Marathon #84: Appalachian Series – Georgia
  • Coffee with a side of rain
  • Half Marathon #83:Appalachian Series – Alabama
  • Hotel Coffee is better than no coffee…
  • Training for Back to Back to Back Half Marathons
  • Runfessions of a Really Cold Runner
  • Kicking off the year with coffee!

Archives

A slightly obnoxious mom and wife who loves good beer and running, who struggles a bit with depression especially in the winter and when running isn’t allowed, who’d rather go on a fun vacation than upgrade the kitchen or add a master bath. Read More…

Half Marathon #85: Appalachian Series – South Carolina

Half Marathon #85: Appalachian Series – South Carolina

Mainly Marathons Appalachian Series – South CarolinaMarch 27, 20222:47:45 What I wore: hat, tank top, long sleeve quarter zip, capris, and Altra Rivera Location: Seneca, SC (State #41!) Let’s just start out with the truth – this race was the hardest of the races and pretty much sucked. I chose to do the early start […]

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