Saturday I ran 27 miles on the bike and bridle trails out at Umstead as my long run. I'd thought I would run that distance a couple weeks before (the weekend of Thanksgiving) when I ended up having a terrible long run of only 13 miles. I was exhausted that entire run a couple weeks ago, so I decided not to push it and called the run at 13. I was bitterly disappointed but figured disappointment was better than injury.
Last weekend I ran the Run at the Rock in Cedarock Park in Burlington, NC. It's a great race that I had done a few times before. You can do a 7-mile single track loop once or twice. This year I opted for twice and had a fabulous 14 miler. I also had a spectacular, superman sprawl fall on the second loop. Thankfully the only thing I injured was my ego. I was a little banged up and bruised, but all in all I came out of that fall unscathed. I need to be very careful on single track. I tend to fall.
So this past Saturday's long run of 27 miles had me on Cloud 9. That is the farthest I've ever run. The fun thing about training for ultras is setting PR distances just with training. I'm hoping to repeat that mileage again this next coming weekend.
I'm currently nursing a sore right forefoot. I first thought it might be a stress fracture but have since decided it must be a Morton's Neuroma. What I need to do is have it looked at by a doctor, since I am not one. In the meantime, though, I've put a Dr. Scholl's forefoot gel cushion on my insole and have been enjoying much less pain when I run in my road shoes. My Montrail trail shoes are another story. They are thinner, lighter, and provide much more information about what my feet are landing on than my road shoes do. Right now, the cumulative effect of that goodness is that my feet hurt like hell when I run in them, even with a gel cushion. So I'm going to stop running in them. I can easily feel comfortable in my road shoes on the bike and bridle trails at Umstead. As for single track, well, I think my trusty Brooks road shoes will have to do there as well. I'm worried about falling in road shoes on single track even more than I would otherwise, but I can't plan to run dozens and dozens of miles with the foot pain I've been enduring. I'm going to experiment a little and keep track of what works and what does not.
Also new for me this weekend was eating Stinger waffles on my long run. I have been starting with Carb-Boom gels and then working my way into more solid stuff. This run I ate gels, Stinger waffles (so delicious...I highly recommend them and in fact went into Bull City Running this afternoon and bought three boxes of them), dried cherries, and goldfish. My only liquid was water. My stomach cramping was kept to a minimum, which was a huge relief.
This week I'm hoping for two runs of 10-12 miles each and a speed work run that will be anywhere from 5-7 miles. Maybe I'll try to add that speed walking workout that I've dropped back into my week.
It's fun to know I've run beyond the marathon distance at this point. I hope to go much, much farther but regardless of what the future holds, no one can take away what I've already done. I've gone beyond the marathon.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Ultra Training: 11/10/12
I began my official training for my 2013 ultras this week. My ironman race was on 10/20/12, three weeks ago. I did a 15 mile long run at Umstead Park last weekend, mostly just to get myself moving again and to push myself a bit. After two weeks of leisurely exercise, I felt the need to burn it out a little. I ran the Umstead 100 loop and added some extra at the end. I ran all of the hills of Turkey Creek and the rest of the route, staying on the bike and bridle trails. It was a great run, and I was happy to run all those hills. I averaged a pace of 10:40, not at all bad for this slow runner.
Today I added 4 miles of single track trail to the 100 loop and ended up with 17 miles. I was sore most of this week from last Saturday's effort and then speed walking on Thursday. I was surprised by how sore I felt after 3 miles of speed walking. The muscles outside of my shins were still sore even this morning. After a few miles of running today, though, they began to loosen up a bit and cooperate. My IT bands were also tight and sore, so it was a literal exercise in patience and tolerance of pain. Good practice, I think, for running 100 miles. I'm going to have to be diligent about stretching and taking good care of my muscles, resting when I'm supposed to AND when I feel the need.
For the first time, I also experimented today with eating solid food on a longer run. At mile 10 I ate a mini peanut butter and jelly bagel. It tasted delicious, and it was a great reprieve from energy gels. My stomach handled it pretty well, although by the end of the run 7 miles later, my stomach was really rumbling and I really needed the bathroom. On any given day, though, that could be the case. I took 2 Imodium before I left the house this morning, and I think that helped. I'll be keeping track here of what I do on these long runs - what works and what doesn't. What I'm gathering from talking to veteran ultra marathoners and reading and research is that pretty much everyone experiences GI distress on these long runs. I need to expect it to happen (I do) and know what will help (I'm learning).
All in all, today's run was great. I was certainly slower than last week (averaged ~12 min/mile pace), but I was consciously careful (and slow) on the single track and also took several short walk breaks during the rest of the run. My leg muscles were sore and unhappy that I was pushing them again so soon, so I took care to baby them and take it easy. It was a beautiful day in Raleigh/Durham, with a high around 72 and full sunshine. On my way out of the park at the end of my run, I took the pictures below. Fall is in all its glory, and I'm loving it.
I'm looking forward to tackling 20 miles next week.
Today I added 4 miles of single track trail to the 100 loop and ended up with 17 miles. I was sore most of this week from last Saturday's effort and then speed walking on Thursday. I was surprised by how sore I felt after 3 miles of speed walking. The muscles outside of my shins were still sore even this morning. After a few miles of running today, though, they began to loosen up a bit and cooperate. My IT bands were also tight and sore, so it was a literal exercise in patience and tolerance of pain. Good practice, I think, for running 100 miles. I'm going to have to be diligent about stretching and taking good care of my muscles, resting when I'm supposed to AND when I feel the need.
For the first time, I also experimented today with eating solid food on a longer run. At mile 10 I ate a mini peanut butter and jelly bagel. It tasted delicious, and it was a great reprieve from energy gels. My stomach handled it pretty well, although by the end of the run 7 miles later, my stomach was really rumbling and I really needed the bathroom. On any given day, though, that could be the case. I took 2 Imodium before I left the house this morning, and I think that helped. I'll be keeping track here of what I do on these long runs - what works and what doesn't. What I'm gathering from talking to veteran ultra marathoners and reading and research is that pretty much everyone experiences GI distress on these long runs. I need to expect it to happen (I do) and know what will help (I'm learning).
All in all, today's run was great. I was certainly slower than last week (averaged ~12 min/mile pace), but I was consciously careful (and slow) on the single track and also took several short walk breaks during the rest of the run. My leg muscles were sore and unhappy that I was pushing them again so soon, so I took care to baby them and take it easy. It was a beautiful day in Raleigh/Durham, with a high around 72 and full sunshine. On my way out of the park at the end of my run, I took the pictures below. Fall is in all its glory, and I'm loving it.
I'm looking forward to tackling 20 miles next week.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Here I Go Again
It has been nearly a year to the day since I last posted on this blog. A LOT has happened since then. My last post was my race report from Ironman Louisville 2011. This post will be a quick catch up on what's being going on since then.
After Louisville last year, I experienced the fairly common post-Ironman blues. For about 3 weeks I was pretty down in the dumps. All of my energy in 2011 leading up to the race had been focused on the race, and suddenly it was done. My body needed to rest, but I wanted to keep training. I didn't really know what to do with myself. Immediately after the Ironman was over (like the next day) I knew I wanted to do another one. Until then, though, I needed to recover and try to have a life. So what did I do? I registered for the first Duke Ramblin' Rose in Durham in October of 2011. It was a beautiful, hilly course that showcased some of the prettiest parts of Durham. It was a great race for me. I'd hoped to PR with a time of 2:15, and instead I PR'd with a time of 2:09:55. Even better! Below I am pre-race at the race start in downtown Durham, at the Durham Bulls ballpark.
After the half marathon in October, I registered for the Tobacco Road marathon in March of this year. I spent the winter running and training for that marathon. I continued to swim 2-3 times a week and cycled sporadically, but mostly I focused on running. My great half in October inspired me to try to PR at the full marathon distance. As evidenced by my time goals for the marathon on my arm below, I thought I would maintain a 10 min/mile pace (with a 10:15 pace just in case). As it turned out, I held 10 min miles for the first several miles until GI distress kicked in. Alas, there would be no PR for me this marathon.
Here I am post-marathon, smiling for the camera but sorely disappointed. At the time I felt terrible but have since come to appreciate some of the lessons learned that day.
In April, I became completely taken with the idea of running the Umstead 100 mile ultra-marathon. Umstead Park is here in Raleigh, NC - my backyard! I've fantasized for the past 2 or 3 years about trying to run an ultra. It seems insane to try. Running 100 miles? I want to do it. I found myself doing a long run out at Umstead Park, which was open to the public, the second day of the 30-hour run. The course was sprinkled with signs similar to the one below, with inspiring and sometimes humorous messages.
A couple weeks later in April, I flew to Florence, Italy with 5 girlfriends for vacation. We spent an entire week eating, drinking, and shopping our way around Florence and Tuscany. It was fabulous! I also made a point to run nearly every morning we were there. On a more memorable run, I found an incredibly beautiful and steep climb that led to the most spectacular view of the city. It was stupendous. The sign below attempts to warn drivers (never mind runners) of the steep and extremely hilly road ahead. It was narrow, too, at times barely big enough for one small, European car.
On another morning, I took the picture below as I stood on a bridge crossing the Arno River. The sun shining through the thick clouds made for an almost divine photograph. This is one of my favorites from the entire trip.
Here I am at the Piazza Michelangelo, overlooking Florence. You can see the famous Duomo in the background, to the right of my left shoulder.
And here I am as I take a break along the Arno River.
A few weeks after I returned from Italy, I raced the White Lake half iron distance triathlon in White Lake, NC. Several of my pals from the downtown Durham Y also raced it, and we captured our post-race bliss below. For the record, White Lake half is notoriously hot, and this year was no different...temps topped out in the 90s. It was hot and very sunny. We were all cooked by the time we finished.
Many of the White Lake crew from the Y also swam in the Little Uno (1 mile) or Big Deuce (2 mile) open water swim in July at Jordan Lake. I have made some great friends at the Y, and we have an awesome time doing races and events together.
The picture below is of me exiting the water after completing the Big Deuce. I have the most spectacular coming-out-of-the water pictures, meaning they are always terrible. I always have some kind of awful, pained look on my face. I love it, because that's exactly how I usually feel.
In August, I flew to Oklahoma for my brother's wedding. The last two pictures below were taken during that trip. I am including them because my awesome younger sister, Stephanie, is flying from OK to be my cheering section and emotional support when I compete in my second iron distance race, Beach2Battleship, in Wilmington, NC on October 20, 2012. She is my best friend, and the best sister a girl could have.
My eyes are now focused on the Beach2Battleship prize. Here I go again.
After Louisville last year, I experienced the fairly common post-Ironman blues. For about 3 weeks I was pretty down in the dumps. All of my energy in 2011 leading up to the race had been focused on the race, and suddenly it was done. My body needed to rest, but I wanted to keep training. I didn't really know what to do with myself. Immediately after the Ironman was over (like the next day) I knew I wanted to do another one. Until then, though, I needed to recover and try to have a life. So what did I do? I registered for the first Duke Ramblin' Rose in Durham in October of 2011. It was a beautiful, hilly course that showcased some of the prettiest parts of Durham. It was a great race for me. I'd hoped to PR with a time of 2:15, and instead I PR'd with a time of 2:09:55. Even better! Below I am pre-race at the race start in downtown Durham, at the Durham Bulls ballpark.
After the half marathon in October, I registered for the Tobacco Road marathon in March of this year. I spent the winter running and training for that marathon. I continued to swim 2-3 times a week and cycled sporadically, but mostly I focused on running. My great half in October inspired me to try to PR at the full marathon distance. As evidenced by my time goals for the marathon on my arm below, I thought I would maintain a 10 min/mile pace (with a 10:15 pace just in case). As it turned out, I held 10 min miles for the first several miles until GI distress kicked in. Alas, there would be no PR for me this marathon.
Here I am post-marathon, smiling for the camera but sorely disappointed. At the time I felt terrible but have since come to appreciate some of the lessons learned that day.
In April, I became completely taken with the idea of running the Umstead 100 mile ultra-marathon. Umstead Park is here in Raleigh, NC - my backyard! I've fantasized for the past 2 or 3 years about trying to run an ultra. It seems insane to try. Running 100 miles? I want to do it. I found myself doing a long run out at Umstead Park, which was open to the public, the second day of the 30-hour run. The course was sprinkled with signs similar to the one below, with inspiring and sometimes humorous messages.
A couple weeks later in April, I flew to Florence, Italy with 5 girlfriends for vacation. We spent an entire week eating, drinking, and shopping our way around Florence and Tuscany. It was fabulous! I also made a point to run nearly every morning we were there. On a more memorable run, I found an incredibly beautiful and steep climb that led to the most spectacular view of the city. It was stupendous. The sign below attempts to warn drivers (never mind runners) of the steep and extremely hilly road ahead. It was narrow, too, at times barely big enough for one small, European car.
On another morning, I took the picture below as I stood on a bridge crossing the Arno River. The sun shining through the thick clouds made for an almost divine photograph. This is one of my favorites from the entire trip.
Here I am at the Piazza Michelangelo, overlooking Florence. You can see the famous Duomo in the background, to the right of my left shoulder.
And here I am as I take a break along the Arno River.
A few weeks after I returned from Italy, I raced the White Lake half iron distance triathlon in White Lake, NC. Several of my pals from the downtown Durham Y also raced it, and we captured our post-race bliss below. For the record, White Lake half is notoriously hot, and this year was no different...temps topped out in the 90s. It was hot and very sunny. We were all cooked by the time we finished.
Many of the White Lake crew from the Y also swam in the Little Uno (1 mile) or Big Deuce (2 mile) open water swim in July at Jordan Lake. I have made some great friends at the Y, and we have an awesome time doing races and events together.
The picture below is of me exiting the water after completing the Big Deuce. I have the most spectacular coming-out-of-the water pictures, meaning they are always terrible. I always have some kind of awful, pained look on my face. I love it, because that's exactly how I usually feel.
In August, I flew to Oklahoma for my brother's wedding. The last two pictures below were taken during that trip. I am including them because my awesome younger sister, Stephanie, is flying from OK to be my cheering section and emotional support when I compete in my second iron distance race, Beach2Battleship, in Wilmington, NC on October 20, 2012. She is my best friend, and the best sister a girl could have.
My eyes are now focused on the Beach2Battleship prize. Here I go again.
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