Sunday Wrap Up: So It Begins

I thought about treating myself to a pedicure when I got home from my run this morning, as a sort of "welcome to training season" sort of thing.  Then I realized the worst possible use of money immediately before training season could be a pedicure.  Thank God I'm going to Aspen and not Oahu for a winter retreat; these hooves are about to get even worse.

Number of Miles Run This Week: 40.  I set out for 11 miles this morning, and after 4, I strongly considered throwing in the towel because I was so hungry.  Instead, I spent the next 7 miles thinking about what kind of delicious sandwich I was going to eat when I was done. It's appalling how motivated I am by food.

Number of Beers Consumed This Week: 8. 

Number of Late-Night McDonald's Trips This Week: 1.  You'd think, with only 8 beers, I couldn't possibly have gotten to Happy Meal-levels of intoxication.  You'd be wrong.

Types of Beers Consumed This Week: Founders Porter, Labrador Lager, Bud Light. 

Wednesday Wrap Up: Ho, Ho, Ho-ly Crap

The title above could reference a number of things, including, but not limited to:

• my diet of late.  All crap, all the time. Shockingly, a steady diet of baked brie hasn't been kind to me, my digestion, my self-esteem, or my running.

• my sense of astonishment when I realized the time to start training for what I plan to be my first 50 miler starts, like, now.

• my feelings of discouragement, when I just left my (windowless) office and went into the hallway, where I had a great view of the blustery, snowy, generally unpleasant, and already quite dark conditions outside.  At 3:57pm.

Number of Miles Run Last Week: 29.  Despite having 2 double-digit runs last week, my mileage was on the low side.  Food and booze got in the way.  I don't feel bad about it, though, since as I mentioned, spring training is basically here.  I'll take a little food coma now while I still can.

Number of Beers Consumed Last Week: 12.  I think.  

Types of Beers Consumed Last Week: Bud Light, Guinness, Brooklyn IPA, Sapporo, Blue Point Oktoberfest (this was actually really good, even though I swear I don't drink Oktoberfests, and also I seldom like anything from Blue Point), Bear Republic Peter Brown Tribute Ale, Smuttynose Robust Porter, Victory Prima Pils.

Moving right along...

As I mentioned above, spring training season - of the running variety - is upon us!  Based on my usual Training Peaks marathon plan, Day 1 of Boston training kicks off on 12/30.  But if I'm really going to tackle this 50 miler (for which I have yet to register; I will, but I'd rather first spend all my money spoiling my nephew at Christmas...) in May, training for that kicks off on 12/15.  That's on Monday.  Shit.

My training for my first 50 is really with finishing in mind.  Granted, I want to finish strong and not have a sad-sack, woe-is-me, I-am-literally-broken pity party along the way (a la Connemara Ultra).  To that end,  I conducted a somewhat exhaustive Google search for a training plan, during which I kept displayed on one computer monitor several tabs, including my work calendar, my personal calendar, and the wedding websites of everyone I know getting married in 2015.  

In addition to schedules, here's some of the other criteria I took into consideration:

• Given that all my training for everything to this point has been mileage-based and not time-based, I knew I wanted to stick with mileage-based training for my first 50 miler

• My weekly mileage during Chicago Marathon training this summer peaked at 77 miles.  This felt heavy, but manageable.  Some "just finish" 50 mile training plans called for peak weeks of 50 miles, which felt much too low for me.  Conversely, 90 miles felt too high; I want to finish a race, but I'd rather not wind up single and jobless from spending ALL my time running as a result.

• I did not want to run two-a-days.  I take a lot of time to get ready, where ever I'm going. My view is: what's the point in heavily investing in nice clothes (which I do, to a fault...) if you wear them with wet hair and no makeup?  As a result, I'm only showering once a day.

• I did not want a plan with prescribed paces.  While this is my first 50 miler, it's not my first ultra, and I'd like to use own my (admittedly limited) experience to gauge how fast I should be both training and racing.  I didn't want to be locked into 35 mile weekends if those 35 miles were meant to be run at a 12-15 min/mile pace - ain't nobody got time for that.  Also, I will actually be running a marathon during the course of this training, and while I have no intention of racing it, those Athlink results are forever... 

With all that in mind, I found a training plan that seemed like a good framework from the Ultraladies (I don't know who they are).  The original plan looked like this: 

Source

5 days a week of scheduled running left me a day to either cross train or add another run, which I appreciated.  Further, a three week taper is both what I'm familiar with, and also allowed for the running of the Boston Marathon the week before if I cut other workouts.  Lastly, midweek mileage seemed manageable even with a job that has frequent travel and late-night events. So far, so good.

However, closer examination revealed the mileage looked to be on the low side, peaking at 62 miles. So I made myself a little spreadsheet and started making some changes.  And kept making some changes. In fact, the last change I made was 30 seconds ago when I went to upload this and saw I should be running 16 miles this Saturday, event though my longest run in a month has only been 12 miles.  Anyway, here is my very much still under construction plan right now:

In the 30 seconds since I first hit publish, I already had to
 go back and make another change...

While the peak mileage is still only 70, I have two 70 mile weeks in there, two 60+ mile weeks, and five 50+ mile weeks.  That should, hopefully, get my legs good and used to running tired.

So, that's the plan.  Any thoughts (besides "don't run Boston the week before," because I know that seems like a foolhardy move, but it's done)?  Any tips?

Monday Wrap Ups: In Which A Child Ruined My Thanksgiving

It's been a hot minute since I've updated this space, so I'll quickly get through the wrap ups before tackling the matter at hand.

Number of Miles Run, Week of 11/17: 34.  This was the first week it felt like winter in New York.  I had been considering giving up my gym membership, but of course the first time it got below 30 degrees, I was on the treadmill in my short shorts.  Old habits die hard.  

Number of Beers Consumed, Week of 11/17: Just 3.  Don't worry, I more than made up for that last week...

Types of Beers Consumed, Week of 11/17: NYAC Ale; Bell's Best Brown.

Number of Miles Run, Week of 11/24: 30. I had been planning on a few more, but then I got hungry and forgot.

Number of Beers Consumed, Week of 11/24: 11. Boom. And probably 2 bottles of wine, single-handedly.  'Tis the season.

Types of Beers Consumed, Week of 11/24: Two stadium-sized Bud Lights at the Barclays Center, a Maine Beer Company King Titus Porter, Bell's Best Brown, Stillwater's Brontide Swarzbier (spell check doesn't recognize any of those words), Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Sam Adams Light from my Dad's personal supply, Full Sail Pilsner, and Half Full's Bright Ale.

Number of Hot Dogs Consumed, Week of 11/24: 1.  Back in business, baby!

In addition to warming up the Thanksgiving engines with a hot dog, I also enjoyed incredible mashed potatoes, dressing (some people call this "stuffing," but the idea of stuffing anything into a dead, raw animal is revolting, so, dressing it is), biscuits, and other soothing starches.  This morning, my body was like "vegetables!" but my stomach was like "spinach artichoke dip is a vegetable, right?"  

For reasons unknown (read: drunk), Thanksgiving included a dramatic champagne presentation

While my Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot was a race of one, whereby I raced against the dogs trotting around the arena on the televised National Dog Show from the relative comfort of my parents' basement as the snow fell outside, I did participate in an actual Turkey Trot on Saturday.  After Ryan's triumphant first 5k, she rallied the troops for our hometown Rye Recreation Turkey Run with the promise of post-race brunch.  Eager to prolong my food coma, I eagerly agreed.  So on Saturday morning, TG and I boarded the train back up to Westchester for the race.

(True story: when we were getting our train tickets, TG wanted to walk up to the window and ask for "two tickets to paradise."  It's funny because it's true.  #everythingsbetterinryeny #myglorydayswere15yearsago)

That turkey next to me (the one with the beak; not Rich) didn't smell very good.

Let it be known, the 5k is not my specialty.  In fact, I sort of hate it because you have to run hard for a not short amount of time.  But as the gang stood around before the race, everyone started asking me if I was going to win.  Normally, when people ask if I win races, the answer is no, because, duh.  But back on my home turf, and with enough goading from my friends, I figured I might as well give it a shot.

I lined up close-ish to the start, but when the gun went off, I realized I wasn't nearly as far up as I should have been, the big giveaway  being that the turkey was in front of me.  After very nearly stepping on his plush tail and taking him out, I weaved my way past him.

The 5.2 mile and 5k races start together, so it was hard to gauge where I was in the pack and against whom I was racing.  As I charged up the first hill about a quarter mile into the race, there seemed to be quite a few people around me, all seemingly strong.  Perhaps I had gravely misjudged the caliber of the field.

The pack continued together down Forest Avenue and into Rye Town Park, setting for so many illicit beers and cigarettes from my youth.  In fact, as we sprinted along the beach, fingers freezing, I consoled myself by telling myself I had done this very same sprint so many times in my youth, and this time, I wasn't running from the police.

As we left the park, the 5.2 milers turned left, and I was able to see how many 5k-ers were around me.  I could see about 10 in my direct line of vision, and began picking them off.  I took off two men right away, then coasted down Dearborn and made a right on Milton, where I made a move to take out a woman.  She picked up the pace and held me off as I got beside her, but I didn't let up.  Together, we came to another woman, and I made another move to pass, this time dropping both of them.  I could see 3 more people ahead of me, two women and one guy (boy, really).  I knew the rest of the course was straight and flat until the right turn to the hill and the finish.  I glanced at my Garmin and saw a steady 6:24 pace.  Telling myself I was nearly done, I tried to reel in the next woman.  

As we crossed the street to make the right turn, I could tell I was gaining on her, but knew I might run out of room before I could run her down.  We came up the final hill to the finish line, and her parents, who looked to be about my age, started screaming "MOVE IT, NATALIE!"  As it turns out, I think one of my friends might have been her babysitter growing up, so my self-worth took a beating when I realized I was racing a child.  Anyway, Natalie edged me out, and I finished in 20:47, a second and a half behind her.  (She won the 13-17 age group, and I died a little inside).

As it turns out, I was the third woman, seventh overall, and won my own age group, so naturally, I made all my friends stand around in the cold to watch me receive my medal.  They cheered embarrassingly loudly, and then we all started drinking, which is one perk Natalie can't enjoy.  Sucker!  

1st old person to finish!

I'm sure that's a 5k PR for me, though I don't keep track because again, I hate the 5k, and getting out kicked by a minor certainly doesn't make me like it any more (the first female finisher was also a child, but she's an undergrad (ugh) at my alma mater, Colby College, and so I'm less mad and more proud).

I hope you had enjoyable Thanksgivings!

Monday Wrap Up: Crowd Sourcing Race Advice

In the month since the Chicago Marathon, I've said to quite a few people that, if I never ran a faster marathon, I'd still be happy and content. Sure, I might not feel that way 2 years from now, but in the immediate aftermath of the race, rather than thinking about how I could have gone 3:10 if I'd eaten better/slept more/worn shorter shorts, I'm mostly thinking "damn, I am really psyched with that performance."

That said, I don't intend to retire from the marathon anytime soon. I'm registered for Boston in April already, and see no reason why I wouldn't also run a fall marathon next year, as I'm in the habit of doing.

But as someone who's motivated by goal setting, and who finds the most satisfying part of distance running to be the chipping away at a training plan en route to those goals, it's somewhat unsettling, when people ask if I'm going to try to PR in Boston in April, that my answer is "no." I want to have something to work towards, but right now, another marathon PR isn't it.

Naturally, of course, I've been thinking about ultras. I've long said (haha, distance pun) there's plenty of room for improvement for me in ultras; my last ultra, 39.3 miles through the Irish countryside, was not the race I hoped it would be. And both of my other ultras have been afterthoughts following goal marathons. I'd like to take some time to train specifically for an ultra.

I haven't made any firm decisions yet (don't freak out, Mom), but I've done a little research into races that might work for me, considering my travel schedule, my role as permanent wedding guest, and the fact that I have a boyfriend whom I'd like to be able to see from time to time. I think I've targeted a 50 miler in May that fits the bill, and I've talked it over with TG, who alleges he won't break up with me if I add a long run to my weeks on Sundays in addition to Saturdays (on the plus side, he anticipates his squash game will get very good). The race in question is the week after Boston, which means I wouldn't be dragging out my race season either.  Basically, I have Ultra Sign Up open in another tab as we speak and am just trying to work up the nerve to register.

On the one hand, 50 miles sounds like SO MANY MILES. That's nearly twice the length of the marathon! On the other, it's less than 11 more than I've already run (with a broken foot), and the training plan I found isn't really that much more running than the 60-70 mile weeks I put in for the Chicago Marathon.

Anyone want to try to talk me into or out of this plan? Take to the comments, please.

Number of Miles Run This Week: 44. That was an accident. I ran longer than I would have otherwise on Tuesday, since I had the day off work, and then I ran both Wednesday morning and Wednesday evening.  It's unclear if I'll ever run again, though, since this morning the doorknob fell off my front door and I'm currently trapped in here with Dorito... 

Number of Beers Consumed This Week: 6.

Types of Beers Consumed Last Week: Bell's Best Brown Ale, Bud Light, Dale's Pale Ale, Shipyard Monkeyfist IPA.

On The Run: Team RWB

Today is Veterans Day here in America, and in light of that, I thought I'd take a moment to share a little about an organization with which I've been involved for the past several weeks.

Team RWB is dedicated to enriching the lives of America's veterans by connecting them to their communities through physical and social activities. As the daughter of a disabled veteran, I feel especially compelled to support our service-members, and as a runner and a nonprofit professional, I figured I had plenty to offer. So I reached out to Team RWB in late September to ask if I might be able to get involved in whatever capacity for which they had need. The New York Chapter Captain, Joe Quinn, invited me to join them for their Wednesday evening runs in Central Park.





On the way to my first run, I wanted to throw up, I was so nervous. Like, first date-levels of nervous. As a civilian, I was worried I wouldn't have much to offer the group, conversationally or otherwise, and would feel wildly out of place. Maybe I should just bail and email Joe and suggest I offer pro bono Board development or sponsorship procurement or some other non-profity bit of assistance instead.

In reality, that fear couldn't have been further from the truth. The group that showed up for that first run of mine was roughly 50% military, 50% civilian, and without exception, everyone was kind and welcoming and engaged me and everyone else in conversation. Topics ranged from upcoming races to recent travels to preferred race fuel to my own connection to the military (hi, Dad!).

In my runs with Team RWB since then, I've gotten to know more about some of the usual attendees, as well as to meet new members each Wednesday. While I travel a fair amount, I'm never made to feel bad about missing a Wednesday, and am invited back week after week. In fact, when I emailed Joe last week to let him know I was in San Francisco and would miss the New York run, he connected me to the San Francisco Chapter Captain!

In addition to the weekly Manhattan run, Team RWB has runs in most other boroughs (I have no idea what goes on in Staten Island...), as well as one-off events like Cross Fit and fencing. There is also a monthly new member social, should you be interested in drinking beers (you should be). There are also opportunities to get involved with more particular emphasis on veterans and servicemembers: on Sunday, the Team will participate in the 9/11 Memorial's Salute to Service. Again, all opportunities are for veterans and civilians alike, in fact, what sets Team RWB apart from so many other veterans' service organizations is that it's specifically designed to connect veterans to civilians in their communities. There's a great article addressing this very issue, in which Joe says non-veteran participation is key: "It breaks that 'other' capacity, and you really get to know people. so rather than 'Oh, there's that veteran, he must have been in Western Iraq,' it's 'There's John, he has a wife and two kids; he's part of the community; he's a Mets fan. Oh, and by the way, he's a veteran.'"

If you're interested in getting involved with Team RWB and are based here in New York, I encourage you check out the Wednesday night Central Park run. We meed at 6:30 at the 72nd Street Transverse, overlooking Bethesda Foundation. Or visit Team RWB online and sign up to learn more - Joe provides weekly emails with information about Team runs and other activities. If you're not in New York, check out the website and find the Chapter Captain in your area to get connected.

Thanks to all our veterans and service-members.

Monday Wrap Up: California Dreaming

Shoot, what a nice series of runs I had in San Francisco last week.  I already wrote about a number of them, but Friday morning’s run turned out to be the best of the bunch: I headed even further along Crissy Field, the bay and sandy beach to my right, all kind of interesting birds in the marsh to my left, the Golden Gate Bridge straight ahead, and dogs out for their morning walks all around.  Friday was the only foggy day I had all week in San Francisco, but the cool mist made for a just perfect morning.  I ran 11.6 – more than I planned to, but I couldn’t help myself.

Then I read my book sitting by the Bay Bridge before it was time to leave.

Then I spent 5 hours on a plane.  The worst.

I took Saturday as a rest day and enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the Reservoir back in New York, and then last night, took Mike the Bike on the Roosevelt Island Tram for an evening ride.  With every ride, I get more comfortable, and sooner, and Roosevelt Island was a great place for me to practice riding in traffic without the pressure of actual terrifying Manhattan-type traffic.  Basically, it was like riding my bike in the suburbs when I was little.  It was also a good way to practice getting my bike through the subway turnstile.  Turns out, I need a lot more practice at that.

Number of Miles Run Last Week: 33.  Though I only ran 4 days last week, I was happy to have gotten 2 double digit runs in.  This is probably right about the maximum number of miles I’ll be looking to run in the weeks before Boston training.  I want to start things off next month excited to train, and not burned out already.

Number of Beers Consumed Last Week: 6.

Types of Beers Consumed Last Week: Calicraft’s Oaktown Brown, Cigar City’s Maduro Brown (so syrupy!), Bell’s Best Brown (in case it weren’t apparent, I really love Brown Ales in the fall), Bud Light, Stella, Sierra Nevada.

On The Run: San Francisco (Again)

Sometimes when I'm traveling for work and am slammed with meetings, the easiest way for me to adhere to my training plan is to just hit the treadmill; no mapping out routes in unfamiliar cities, no budgeting time in case I get lost, no waiting for satellites to load.  It's boring and somewhat depressing, but also, work isn't paying for me to sightsee on foot, so it's not really their problem if the only sights I see are the inside of conference rooms and my own reflection in the mirror opposite the hotel treadmill.

Luckily, my schedule in San Francisco this week has left my mornings mostly open, and coupled with jet lag, I've found myself with ample time to run outside before conference sessions and cocktail functions.  My familiarity with the city has also meant I didn't have to do too much research into where to run, so for the last three days, I've tossed on my Kinvaras and headed to the Embarcadero.

The Embarcadero is a great place to run, and I'm certainly not the only person taking advantage of it.  An uninterrupted sidewalk along the bay, it's filled with runners, walkers and cyclists in all directions.  Facing the Ferry Building, you can make a left and run towards the Golden Gate Bridge, or make a right, and loop around AT&T Field.  Despite its hilly reputation, San Francisco along the water is pretty flat, which makes for some pleasant miles.  If you venture far enough west, you'll hit a few hills at Fort Mason, and then plenty more as you enter the Presidio.  But from the Financial District where I'm based for the week, you can get in a solid 10 miles to Crissy Field and back without too many climbs.

Below are a couple of shots from my morning runs this week.  Thanks for the sunrise views, jet lag!