Week of 1/21-1/27 Workouts!

1/21/08 3 Mile Recovery Run-first since mari!
total running: 30 minutes
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: a/c
Notes: The weather is soo dreadful this week so I don't plan to be running outside much (plus, being sick doesn't help!) 3 miles on the treadmill tonight was boring, but actually felt really good.
My IT band (right) is still tight but I am making a concious effort to work on it every day this week. I also did 10 mins. of upper body free-weights as a cooldown after the run.

1/22/08: 3 Slow Miles in the Neighborhood!
total running: 30 minutes
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cold and wet.
Notes: The cold weather always messes with my right knee and IT band so I ran easy tonight. Followed up the run with 10 minutes of ABs workout as a cool-down.

1/24/08: 6 Miles-My long run for the week!
total running: 56:07
ave: 9:21/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cold!! maybe 40 degrees!
Notes: I didn't want to run on this cold night but after about 20 minutes, I warmed up pretty good and enjoyed the stillness of the cold. After about 40 minutes, I wanted to run another hour or so:)

1/26/08: My first brick workout this year! (AKA, multi-athlete whoas!)
total cycling: 58:03
ave 15.6/mile
total running: 27:53
ave: 9:17/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool. 53 degrees at 1pm!
Notes: My first brick workout of the year:) I was so excited to finally get on my new bike:) I certainly didn't break any speed-records, but considering I haven't rode a bike (in a training sense) since September, I am pretty happy to average mid 15's. I do need to put my old saddle on the bike though...ouch to my new one! The run was slow and almost painful. It's gonna be a few weeks/months of 'getting back to it.' On the 'top end' I was going about 19 mph. Yeah!

This is a sign...no more 'breaks' from the bike during marathon season. I am buying a bike trainer pronto:)

Oh....and just wait. Swimming is coming up in another month or so...I am so scared I am gonna drown! That's another demon though, lol....

LOOK: More Marathon Leftover Goodies :)

Ahh, so all the soreness drifted/got massaged away in about 3 days, which is a pretty good and quick recovery for me. THEN! I came down with a really nasty cold on Tuesday, the 15th, that I am STILL shaking off (as of 1/27!) So, not a whole lot of working out has been going.

I did decide though that, YES, i am happy with my 4:02 and I shall let that remain as my marathon time UNTIL next year:) I am actually, after the fact, VERY proud of how well my training went this year. I avoided painful injury, stuck to my 4-5 days a week of running and managed to do a little cross-training for all but 2 months of training! Plus, my Yasso workout was DEAD-ON for predicting my time:)

Ahhh...never deny good ole' fashion hard work and the wonderful coaching staff of the Houston Striders! :) THANK YOU ALL!

More goal-planning coming up, including losing 10 pounds by June (have already lost 4 pounds in January) and perhaps relocating my blog for...good reasons (SHOCK!) but in the meantime, enjoy these leftover goodies:) And yes, I will be racing in Feb! :)

Video of me finishing (my poor right leg is pulling sooo hard!):
http://www.finishcam.com/Events/2008-Chevron-Houston-Marathon/WatchFinish.asp?FinisherId=34025&Camera=2

How I placed in relation to everyone else...top 20% of my age-group is nothing to feel bad about!
http://www.runpix.info/hou08/42/finord.php?LastName=1685&lan=&aset=0

Week of 1/14-1/20 Workouts!

My recovery week/being sick! No running this week...

(well-deserved, may I add!)

1/13/08: Houston Marathon Race Report: 04:02:13 (official!)

So I missed my goal of 4 hours...barely!

But this was a nearly 14 minute PR for me, so who am I to complain!!!!!!!!

I'm going to eat a greasy and well-deserved quarter pounder with cheese and then shower and take a 5 hour nap.

Congrats to all the PR'ers out there today!
more soon!

------

Wow, what to say.
I came sooooooo close to 4 hours.
Now almost 12 hours after the fact, I am trying to dissect 'what went wrong,' or at least 'what I can improve on.'

In terms of 'what went wrong,' two major things: damn cramps in my feet again at mile 8 (almost like clockwork!) and being hungry almost the entire race. The cramps? I drank plenty of fluids so it's not that. The being hungry thing? I had half a bagel with peanut butter, a banana and half a large gatorade before the race and then half a banana and an ENTIRE clif bar during the race. Geez....no wonder I only lost 2 pounds during the race:)

In terms of 'what to improve on,' the damn last 4 miles KILLED me. At Mile 23 and on I was walking way more then I wish I had. At mile 24, I knew I wouldn't make 4:00 so I kind of backed off the pace and relaxed a little. One thing is for sure is that this marathon wasn't as 'fun' as last year. In fact, I don't really remember a whole lot about it. Overhearing cyclists that were watching us run say 'They should be more efficient and run pace lines' was pretty funny though but I don't remember much else, I guess I was 'zoned' that much. Oh yeah, the belly dancers! haha :)

Mentally, I was in a great place the entire race though. The sharp-focus that has paramont to my training this year came into play early in the race and although I went out faster then I had planned, I was able to keep it together mentally and stay calm and collected. I almost broke down at mile 17 when I saw my BFF Wes though. Hurting for nearing 18 miles will do that to you though.

Post-marathon my body feels decent. The dumb right knee held itself together and actually didn't give me any problems during the race! Of course I wore a dumb knee brace and probably looked crippled during the Mile 23-25 stretch. Ughh...that part of the course=no good to me STILL.

So..........I am faced with a small personal dillema that I am beginning to think will haunt me if I don't go for it: to beat 4:00 this year. This means running another marathon though. Soon. I don't know about Austin though...maybe Big D in March?! Or should I let it go til next year???! I think I can eekkk out another marathon though...

All I know is I am putting it on the table now for next year: 3:50.
or is 3:55 more reasonable for me????????????????

Ouch...all I know is I am going to have to train my ASS off AT LEAST 4 days a week from now til then and stay injury free during tri season to do this. Plus lose some weight (!). 5 pounds would be nice, but even with eating right=nearly impossible to drop weight...sigh.

i'm ready to go to that next level though, as I told Coach Steeeeeeeeeeeve, that's for sure. I can't accept 'close enough' when I know I can do more....and better.

The Stats:
Start: 7:00:40 AM
10k: 00:55:15
Half: 01:56:22
30K: 02:47:46 <--about a 6 minute 30k PR for me:)
Finish: 04:02:13
Gun time: 4:03:40
Pace: 9:14
Placement:Overall-1851
Gender-485
Age Group-89

Splits:
1) 9:33 (crowded start, but it quickly opened up. I like the two seperate wave start. I hope they keep it!!!)
2) 8:56
3) 8:59
4) 8:52
5) 8:54
6) 8:05 (damn GU!!! Plus I was running with Lawrence, a recent new Ironman...nice guy! His plan was to run 4 marathons in 4 months! wow!)
7) 8:44
8) 8:40
9) 8:50 (started to slow down here, just like I wanted to though, but my feet were bugging me too)
10) 8:52
11) 8:55
12) 8:59
13) 9:04 (still feeling okay)
14) 8:59
15) 9:07
16) 9:23 (hit the invisble physical wall...ouch)
17) 9:17
18) 9:27
19) 9:30 (I knew I still had a 'cushion' so I started walking here)
20) 9:34
21) 9:32 (still doing ok)
22) 9:30
23) 9:50 (starting really falling apart here...even walking hurt)
24) 10:13 :( byebye 4 hours)
25) 10:15
26) 10:00 (didn't walk at all this mile...almost there!)
26.2) 2:01 (yes, I cried at the finish!)

When's the next one...any takers to pace me to a 4 hour finish this year:) i'll pay you:)

Week of 1/7-1/13 Workouts!
(last taper week.....wooht!)

1/8/08: SMART-About 3 Short Speedy Miles
total running: 30:56
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool
Notes: THIS IS THE WEEK! We did the MP loop with 45 seconds sprints all the way around...I felt fast although I know the intent of the workout was just to 'run the jitters out.' haha.

1/9/08: 4.5 Miles-Jackson Hill and Backtotal
running: About 45 minutes
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool
Notes: I bought some nifty little arm warmers and gave them a test run tonight and they work great! No need to bring a long sleeve shirt on sunday to the race!

1/10/08: SMART-3 Miles and no more Running Until!!!!!!!
total running: 3 miles
ave running: 8:45/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool
Notes: My last run...ohhh so exciting! I meant to hold back...but oh well! The unofficial Candelari's gathering afterwards was devine. Eat all you can pizza?! Did I ever go wrong with wanting to run!!!! :)

Well, good luck to EVERYONE running on Sunday (I know the RockandRoll, Mobile and Disney marathons are the same day too). Have fun, take in the crowds and don't forget to smile! If this is your first one...don't be nervous and don't forget what it feels like in that last quarter of the mile to the finish! You will never get that 'firsttime' feeling again!

1/13/08: THE HOUSTON MARATHON!
(stay tuned for the full race report after the race!)

Gearing up for the Marathon!

Look what I saw online @ http://blogs.chron.com/runhouston/

HARRA Fall Runner of the Season Top Ten Listings
Heading into Sunday's Chevron Houston Marathon, here are the Top Ten leaders in each category of the Houston Area Road Runners Association's Fall 2007 Runner of the Season standings:

Women under 40
1. Lindsey Harkema

2. Jennifer Brown (TOR)

3. Alexandra Gajewski (TOR)

4. Stacy Holden (ALRC)

5. Sara Collazos (HMSA)

6. Heather Thompson (HS)

7. Michelle Meyer (BARC)

8. Veronica Hoge (BARC)

9. Kelly Allen (BCRR)

10. Jessica Alexander (HS) 8:38:16

(only one in 25-29 age group)

Yeah, I snuck in there somehow:) Too bad I won't stay in there after the marathon:)

Week of 12/31-1/6 Workouts!
(taper week, part 2)

12/31/07: 6 Miles in the Neighborhood!
total running: 58:35
ave running: 9:45/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool
Notes: Nothing excited about this run, however, I ran at a more relaxed pace then normal to take in the last of the holiday lights. My neighbors must have some expensive electricity bills:)

1/2/08: SMART-5.6 Miles around Jackson Hill!
total running: 49:16
ave running: 8:47/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cold.
Notes: Happy New Year:) Tonight was a tempo run...felt nice to really push this workout since this will probably be the last 'tough' wourkout I will do until the marathon!

1/3/08: 6 Mile Group Workout @ Memorial Park!
total running: 6 miles
ave running: 9:50/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cold.
Notes: After last night's banner efforts (haven't really pushed my legs that much in a while) I took it easy tonight and ran with Strider Barry, my former PIM coach. A great run and good conversations!

1/5/08: Last Long Run: 11.5 Miles Through River Oaks!
total running: 1:49
ave running: 9:29/mile
Heart-rate: n/a
Weather: cool.
Notes: What a great last run! Although I felt a little tired and sluggish, this was an exciting 'last run.' No more waking up at 6am...for a little while:) MS150 season is here before you know it (I'm not doing the actual race though, just the training). The dedication for Ralph Collins' bench afterwards was very nice and a great way to remember a great runner.

R.I.P. Ralph...a Great Runner, Coach and Friend I never got to know...