800 Miles and Still Going

At the beginning of the year, I made a runner's resolution to log 800 miles by the end of 2012. I wasn't sure I could pull this off, considering that I pretty much began a serious running journey at the tail end of 2011. But, I set the goal and hoped that I could accomplish the task without issue. 

Well, I guess I need to set my sights a little higher for next year. With all of the training due to increased racing goals, I surpassed the 800 mile marker on November 3rd (see yearly mileage widget located in the footer of my blog). There are only a few more weeks left in 2012 and although it's tempting to push for entry into the "thousandaires club"; I think I'll play it safe and make that my goal for 2013.

Here's to 2013! 1000 Miles or Bust! 

Happy Running

Rocking in Savannah and Getting Committed - HF #3091

The Rock n’ Roll Savannah Marathon and 1/2 Marathon was held on this past Saturday, November 3, 2012 in this historic city of Georgia. I ran the half which was my fourth to date and the qualifier for entry into the Fanatics Asylum. It was a really great weekend, for it was also my first experience running a Rock n’ Roll event and my first visit to Savannah, GA.  [This race report is short and sweet].

Expo Highlights:
Leaving early Friday morning made getting in and out of the expo a breeze. It was held at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center on Tybee Island and parking space would be limited. If you did not make it before the road closure, you would have to park in areas within the city and take the ferry or trolly over to the island. I’m so glad I avoided that.

The expo was pretty awesome. The lines were not long during the time I arrived so I was able to get my bib, race bag, and tech tee without a problem. The vendor area was not that congested either. I browsed over the items for sale and just settled on a souvenir shooter glass to add to my collection at home. The adjacent area was pretty much the “free sample/item zone”. I received a lot of cool things from the various vendors in this location. One of the best items I received was a “Spartan In Training” t-shirt from the Spartan Obstacle Race booth. It wasn't 100% free, though. I had to do 25 burpees to get that shirt! I just love a challenge and embarrassing my 17 year-old daughter (although she claims I didn’t). LOL!


Pre-Race Highlights:
We drove around downtown Savannah before checking into our hotel. I wanted to scope out the location of the start and drive the designated route to the parking garage that I would be using on race day. Savannah really is a gorgeous city. I’ll have to come back in the near future so that I can sign-up for some of the tours that are offered. I especially look forward to a haunted tour. This city has a rich history full of ghostly encounters. 


Race Highlights:
This was a huge event for me. There were so many people ready to get the party started. I was unsure if I would find anyone that I knew today. I got lucky. As I made my way to the port-a-johns, I came across two facebook friends that were running their first full marathons. We gave each other hugs, words of encouragement, and took a pre-race photo before heading to our designated corrals. I was in corral 17. This was also were the 2:30 pace group was also located, so that was good for me. I decided early on that I would stick with this section, because I wasn’t sure how I would feel after running Myrtle Beach two weeks prior. If for some reason I had to fall back during the race, I would at least be able to maintain a pace that would allow me to beat my first half marathon time. 


Then came the corral countdown to the start...

Miles 1 - 4:  I started out at a comfortable pace because the first half mile or so lead us up a pretty large hill. It was quite visible from the start. To see thousands of marathoners and half marathoners running up and over was a sight to behold. The next couple of miles were pretty smooth, with a few turns and some rolling hills. I’m running with the 2:30 pace group and following their lead at the water/Gatorade stops. I decided not to take my Amphiphod with me this time around since I wasn’t too pressed for a time goal.

Miles 5 - 8: I’m still with the pace group for the time being. However, the size of the pack  started to get a bit smaller right before the 10K mark. At this point I’m wondering whether the ladies leading the group was even paying attention to their splits on their watches. I checked my Garmin right at the halfway mark and realized that we were running at a pace that would get us to the finish minutes before the 2:30. They were probably shooting for a 2:25 goal. I doubt very seriously that they would slow down as they got closer to the end. So after I decided that I would break free from the group after the next water stop. 

Miles 9 - 11: I’m not sure if it was because of all the turns in the route or some other reason, but I started experiencing some burning pain under my toes on both feet. This caused me to slow my pace down quite a bit as well. I knew it was a sign of blisters, but I couldn’t understand how that could happen since I always use chaffing cream and wear some of the best running socks - Balegas. Anyway, I was hurting and so most of theses miles resulted in a run/walk method until the end of mile eleven.

Mile 12 - Finish: Right at mile twelve the marathoners and half marathoners broke away. I decided to get back into run mode and push through to the finish strong. We were entering Forsyth Park and you could begin to see the metal barricades and thousands of supporters and finishers lined along the course rooting everyone in. I realized after checking my Garmin back at mile 10, that I would most certainly beat my first half marathon time despite the issues plaguing my feet. As long as I made that last mile count, I would make that goal. And I did! I crossed over the finish at 2:38:25. It was 4 minutes faster than my first, but 10 minutes slower than what I ran at Myrtle Beach 2 weeks ago. That’s okay. I wasn’t looking to set a PR. My main objective was to finish strong so that the bigger objective was accomplished - to be committed to the Fanatic Asylum.

http://halffanatics.com/

Guess what? Yep! I am now officially Half Fanatic #3091 (Neptune Moon Level). And it sure feels good! I look forward to running more half marathons and qualifying for more moon levels in the near future. 

Next Up: Columbia Half Marathon (SC), December 15, 2012
Happy Running!

A Personal Best: Half Marathon #3 - Myrtle Beach Mini

So on Sunday, I ran my third half marathon and actually set a PB. It was the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon here in South Cak (Carolina). It’s a very flat point-to-point race that ends on the boardwalk. There’s also a beach party at the finish and shuttle service back to the start.

My goal was to break the 2:30 mark and beat my previous HM time, which was the fastest back then – 2:32:32. And I did! I have to contribute my success to the summer months of serious strength training, following HH Intermediate HM program, and racking up about 4 weeks of 30 mile totals (two weeks were about 1 mile shy of the 30 mark). Also, I find running in cooler temps to be much better for me. My last two HMs were in late spring and it was pretty warm back here in SC at that time.

Well, enough of that.  On with this RR thing.

The Score: The start of the race was only a few miles drive from my hotel. It was located in one of Myrtle Beach’s larger mall areas. I got there about an hour before start time (7:00am), took a bathroom break and walked around to see if I could find anyone I knew. I came across a Facebook friend who was running this race as her first HM. We said a few words and then found our places in the crowd.

[NOTE: There was a bit of disappointment before the race. This race advertises having the actors of the Medieval Times Dinner Theater at the start. They were absent for some reason, so I didn’t get any photos like I was hoping for. Oh well. At least I didn’t have to worry about horse poop.]

Time to Run:

Miles 1 – 4: The race pretty much began on time. There was some mention later on regarding a fluke with the inflatable start arc, but I was too far in the back to even notice the issue. After a very slow jog/walk to the starting pad, the crowd began to spread out and settle into the run as we made our way around the mall area for the first mile and finally onto adjacent roadways and somewhat un-scenic areas until mile four. I kept an eye on my Garmin to make sure that I was keeping at a pace slower than my goal. I was determined to not get myself caught up in the madness of running the first few miles to fast and not reach my desired time at the end. I also wanted to run this entire race without having to take a walk break. I even decided to bring along my Amphipod so that I wouldn’t have to stop at water stops along the course.

Miles 5-8: Somewhere along mile five we ended up in another shopping/mall area right before we looped into another neighborhood. I thought that was sort of disappointing to go through that area, but it was part of the route and kept us off the highway for the time being. I guess it wasn’t so bad. This stretch with the loop gave me a chance to see the elite and faster runners again, but I also got the opportunity to see how many people were actually behind me. I felt a bit better because I realized at this point that I was in the middle of the pack. Yes! I’m on time! And I really was. Right before making it around some baseball/softball field and my fuel break, we crossed the 10K mark. The timer let me know that I had shaved 3 minutes off my previous 10K time. Another goal met!

Miles 9-11: I’m still running but I’ve slowed down a bit on my pace. I starting having side stitches and wanted them to clear up. By this time, we finally made it onto the main street adjacent to the beach. This was a straight stretch of road -nothing but hotels and restaurants galore. There were a lot more spectators, but by this time I was ready to see the sand, waves and the finish line. Oh! And get a cup of coffee. I swear I passed by five Starbucks joints.

Miles 12-Finish: (This last mile was tough)

When they say running is more mental than physical, they are on the money! I don’t know what happened to me between miles 11.5-12.5, but I think I lost it temporarily. I believe the sight of seeing finishers walking back up the street with their huge medals around their necks got to me. Or maybe it was the clear view to my left of runners making their way down the boardwalk in the opposite direction to the finish line. Or maybe it was the fact that I could not see the freakin’ turn to the left that we needed for that final mile. My body was strong, however my brain wanted to just give up. I ended up dropping down to a walk for a sec to yell, WTF? Some ladies next to me could do nothing but agree, and tell me to keep going. Little did we know what waited for us that last half mile. The clear view of the ocean was just a tease at this point…

Okay. I’ve been to Myrtle Beach several times. Unfortunately, I have not been this far down in the area to see the new boardwalk and new construction. Please, tell me why did they decide to make a zig-zag stone walkway? I mean, I guess it’s marvelous for a nice stroll, but it’s hell if you’re trying to get that finishing kick in. For the majority of that last half-mile, we ran in a snake-like pattern. That’s all fine and dandy if you’re being chased by something, but this really sucked! I could hear the announcer and the cheers, but could not see a thing due to all the palm trees and foliage. It wasn’t until the very last few meters that we finally came out of the “jungle” and onto the boardwalk so that we could make that mad dash to the finish. I heard my name and crowd support as a smiled and crossed over the finish line with the clock displaying 2:31:42. I paused my Garmin at 2:29:03. I knew I met my goal, but also knew I needed to wait until the official results came in before celebrating.

Results:

Chip time – 2:28:54 (PR)

10K Split – 1:09:42 (PR)

Will I run it again? Probably, lol! Have you seen the size of this finisher’s medal? There is a magnet on the back so that you can stick it on the fridge. There is also a bottle opener at that bottom so that you can use it for the Blue Moon beer that they give out at the beach party. 

What’s next: Some recovery and pretty much another taper. I’ve got the Rock n’ Roll Savannah Half Marathon in less than two weeks so I’m taking it easy up until then. Not looking to set any time goals with this one. I’m only looking to finish strong and qualify as a Half Fanatic (Neptune).

September Challenge: The 30/100

I'm so excited about what I have achieved last month. My local BGR! group decided to come up with a 100 mile challenge for the month of September for all of the ladies interesting in doing something big for that month and I did it (115.34 miles to be exact)!  There were several ways to achieve this feat. You could either run, walk, bike, skate, etc., to reach 100 miles by September 30th. I knew that I could possibly accomplish this goal with the new half marathon training plan I was using, but it wasn't a guarantee that I would actually run the distance.

The challenge basically required that you at least have 25 miles in the bank by the end of each week. It would ensure that you reached the 100 mile mark by the end of the challenge. My current half marathon plan would have me exceeding that weekly goal if I made it through without a hitch. I did, however, have an unscheduled cutback week in which I only maxed out to about 18 miles. BUT, I had my sites on accomplishing a second goal last month that I knew I would compensate for the shortage.

I am so proud of myself for accomplishing goal #2 as well. I finally reached my first 30 mile run week! I came so close twice last month, but just could get those extra 1 or 2 miles in. I mean, I could have, but it would have not been a wise decision on my part. Adding mileage comes with some basic rules that a runner has to follow in order to prevent overuse injuries from occurring. I mean technically I could have rounded my 28 and 29 mileage weeks to 30, but it just doesn't look the same on paper. LOL!

With these two personal records (PR) behind me I can now focus on the next two challenges that await me in 31 days. I have three races coming up real soon, but the big challenge relates to the two half marathons that I am running less than two weeks apart from each other - Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon on October 21st and Rock n' Roll Savannah Half Marathon on November 3rd. This will be my first time running two large races so close together. I'm very confident in my ability to do what I've set out to achieve. I've worked so hard at strengthening my body this summer and increasing my base mileage these last couple of weeks. My desire is to become a better athlete and grow in my running ability. I know it requires that I push myself here and there If I wish to become better at what I do. And I also have my sites on getting that Half Fanatic status also. And why not? I think I deserve it :-)

Happy Running!

Bring It? I Brought It!

This past Saturday, I completed my 90-day challenge with Beachbody's P90X2. This was a tough three months! My goal was to do all the required workouts while maintaining a minimum of 15 running miles per week. For the most part, I met my goal (I missed a couple of workouts due to fatigue). It was very tiresome, but I did remain strong and do what it was that I set out to accomplish. I can't say that I can recommend this approach to just anyone. The P90X2 program is very demanding on the body in and of itself without the extra application of running. What I gained in overall strength, agility, and flexibility, may have overshadowed my running endurance. My legs are strong, but tired. As I begin my next phase of half marathon training (Hal Higdon's Intermediate), I hope to quickly notice the positive changes that will occur in my running capacity as the days and weeks go by.

I am so proud of myself and how strong I have become because of P90X2. I know that all that I have sacrificed to complete the challenge will pay off in the end. I look to be a more powerful runner due to the increased total body strength, especially in my legs and core. Unfortunately, I didn't lose the amount of weight that I anticipated. I didn't follow the meal plan exactly and I attribute my lack of weight loss to the extra calories I burned doing double workouts--to which I did not add back into my diet. It's true that you have to EAT to lose weight when you workout so hard. All in all, I've lost a couple pounds and a few inches in key areas, but gained a lot of muscle as well. Once I get back into running full-time and incorporate certain P90X2 strength workouts into my cross training sessions, I know that I will meet my weight loss goals by my next birthday. Would I do it again? Hell yeah! I love this form of training. Honestly, I consider myself more of an athlete than just a runner. I really look forward to round two of P90X2 next summer.

Side note: I ran in a rainy 5K on Saturday evening. I really shouldn't have signed up for a race so soon after P90X2 and days before my half marathon training began, but it was in a small town in my area and I wanted to just be there to support the cause. Funny how a "fun run" lands you in second place in your age group (AG). I wasn't setting out for a new 5K personal best (PB) due to so many factors, nor looking to place in an event where my AG tends to have lots of faster runners. However, the running and strength training gods decided to see to it that I received some recognition for all my handwork and determination this summer. I just want to say thank you!

Happy Running!

Bodybuilding.com - Nutrition 101: Eat To Burn Fat

Diet and exercise can be a difficult combination to balance depending upon your goals. I'm discovering that increasing the amount of workout sessions I do in a week (or in a day for that matter) is causing my body to burn off more energy throughout the day, but not really allowing me to shed any significant amount of weight. It could be that I'm gaining muscle as a result of all the strength training I'm doing with P90X2, that I'm simply not eating enough calories to feed my body to really burn the fat or both. Note: I'm still running 3-4 days out of the week as well.

I don't know. It's a case of trial an error these days, but I'm determined to figure this thing out. Reading articles such as the one I have linked below does help though. I may have to give this one-week meal idea a go.

Bodybuilding.com - Nutrition 101: Eat To Burn Fat

The Running Bucket List

Like many of my fellow runners, I have created a bucket list of future races I would like to participate in prior to the end of this life's journey on earth. Some of these races will be completed within the very near future and some are a few destination races I would hope to run someday. I really think it is important to keep goal races on your list for motivation and to have something to always look forward to when you train.

Here is a list of a few race events that I have on my running bucket list and links to their online sites:

Near Future:
Little Rock Half Marathon - Little Rock, Arkansas*
Rock n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon -  Phila., PA
American Family Fitness Half Marathon  - Richmond, VA**

Bermuda Triangle Challenge  - Hamilton, Bermuda

Rock n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon - NOLA
Divas Half Marathon in Puerto Rico - San Juan, PR
ING Miami Half Marathon - Miami, FL
Disney's Princess Half Marathon - Walt Disney World in FL
Marine Corp Historic Half - Fredericksburg, VA
North Carolina Half Marathon - Charlotte Motor Speedway in NC


*Black Girls Run! (BGR!) target race event
**National Black Marathoners' Association (NBMA) target race event

Interesting Races Considered:
Martian Half Marathon - Dearborn, MI
Area 13.1 Half Marathon - Roswell, GA
Safari Park Half Marathon - San Diego Zoo in CA






Awesome Destination Races:
Maui Half Marathon - Maui, HI
Wahine Half Marathon - Honolulu, HI
Centaur Subaru Half Marathon - Calgary, Canada
Great Wall Half Marathon - China *a true "someday" race*

WHAT'S ON YOUR LIST?


NOTE: At the present time, my interest is only on the half marathon distance. As I grow in my running ability, I will then consider the full marathon distance for future endeavors