Marathon training – Run Read Repeat

Explain it to me…why do you run marathons?

As I was jumping for joy (literally) about being selected for the Boston Public Library Fund team to run the Boston Marathon in April 2026 my friend asked that important question- why do you run marathons? I paused for a moment and responded “because I can.” I wasn’t being flip, I was being serious. I know that at some point in my life I will not be able to run (may that be a VERY long time from now), but for now I can and I do. This morning I got a reminder that our time is finite. Susan Hurley, the founder of Charity Teams (who organizes the teams to run for charity for the Boston Marathon) died at the age of 61 of ovarian cancer. Live for today because tomorrow isn’t promised. So I stand by- I run because I can!

My marathon running journey started as a way to cope with my father’s advancing Alzheimer’s. He had early onset Alzheimer’s and ultimately succumbed to the terrible disease at the age of 64. Running has always been my time and space for thinking and decompressing, so it seemed logically to run for charity. All but one of my marathon runs has been for charity. It takes on extra meaning to not only train, but to train with a purpose of raising dollars for awareness for an organization.

So back to the why do you run marathons question? For several days after being asked, I continued to really think about why on earth do I train for twelve weeks to go through the grueling challenge of running 26.2 miles?? The training process is hard. It’s hard to balance along with work and two sons with full and active schedules. It takes careful planning, early mornings and LOTS of time on my Landice treadmill. LOTS! Yes, I do all my training on the treadmill, but that’s a different story for another day. So yes, just getting ready for toeing the line is a lot of work and preparation. But, I thrive on schedule. I’ve followed the same training plan for each of my previous four marathons. I know what I’m supposed to do when, I make a plan and I stick to it. Making the time is easier said than done, but fortunately my husband is incredibly supportive and I apparently don’t mind getting up when it’s dark outside.

I’ve been struggling for days to think of how to explain the amazement of race day. It’s knowing that you have literally done everything possible to get to that moment and that you have to trust that it’s enough to get you from the start to the finish. It’s wondering if your nutrition is going to work. Have you fueled enough? Is the weather going to cooperate? Is your mind going to go the distance? While running is very obviously a physical activity, when you hit the wall of fatigue it becomes just as much mental as physical. It would be super easy to be like- I’m out, no need to finish. I’m reminded of my 2021 NYC Marathon experience- I had just entered Central Park with 2-3 miles to go. EVERYTHING hurt. I accidentally called my sister and thought that she had called me…there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to finish, but seriously I was delirious. I might be delusional, but I have never once thought that I wasn’t going to finish a race…even a marathon. Crazy, right? May my streak continue and allow me to finish in April.

Back to race day- there is so much excitement and so many people who come out just to cheer on all the “crazy” runners. When you are questioning humanity- you should definitely go to a race. That’s where you see people doing really hard things and total strangers cheering their heads off in support. I learned early on to make sure I wear my name on my person. It’s literally like magic- people know when you need it and they call out- “Kelly, you’ve got this.” And you keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Crossing the finish line is magical. It’s a holy cow- I did that moment. It’s all the emotions- exhaustion- tears, always tears, and absolute pure joy. The closely thing I can think to compare it to is giving birth. Similar in a lot of way- months of hard physical preparation to push your body to go the distance. Back to NYC 2021- the boys were young. We were just “coming out of Covid.” They weren’t even vaccinated yet. Jeffrey and the boys, ages 8 and 6 were in the grandstand in Central Park for HOURS. For sense of timing- as I stood on the Verrazano Bridge preparing to start Jeff texted to say they were in the grandstand. Yikes- it was going to be a minute until I got there. But the boys saw all the professionals finish. Fortunately, they didn’t count how many people finished in front of me. They were patient and they literally got to see me finish one of the largest marathons in the world. Seeing the three of them there for me is a memory that I will not soon forget. Jeffrey got a truly remarkable photo of the boys from behind with cowbells- and me right in between- signature arms in the air finishing. Priceless!

So, while I run for all of these reason- I run for me and that I can- I run for the amazing experience- I run to raise awareness and dollars for amazing organizations like the Boston Public Library Fund– I also run because I know the boys are watching. They watched my disappointment in 2020 when the NYC Marathon got postponed. They watched as I said screw it, I’ll run my first marathon solo in my neighborhood because I didn’t think my dad would make it to 2021 (he didn’t) and because I had set my brain on running that year. They watched as I was unjustifiably disappointed with my time in 2021, so I signed up for the Chicago Marathon on the way home. They watched as I ran Chicago not focused on time but for the experience. They watched when I took a break from running and racing. They watched when I didn’t get selected for the Boston Marathon when I applied to run for charity in 2024. There were tears- but then I found another marathon and ran that instead. They watched when I applied again and got selected. This whole process is a metaphor for life- there are ups and downs. There are times you have to dust yourself off and try again. There are time you have to give yourself grace and recognize that you are enough.

The boys knew I was applying again this year. They knew how important running the Boston Marathon was to me. And they too, had total joy when I announced we are going to Boston. Somehow something so individual as running a marathon has become a family affair. On Patriot’s Day I know my three biggest fans will be cheering me on. They won’t care how long it takes- they will just care that I do my best!

Support My boston marathon run for the boston public library fund

Chicago Marathon 2022- Training Weeks 1-4

Holy cow- how is it time to start marathon training again?? Truth be told I’m much happier when I’m in a training cycle. I enjoy the structure. This comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me since I’m pretty regimented and particular. I haven’t really been in a training cycle since I trained for NYC. While I ran a few other races in the Spring I didn’t formally train. So here we go- Marathon training cycle number 3. Three summer/early fall training cycles at what starts as the quiet part of the year and as the miles build up becomes one of the craziest, busiest times of the year. Back to school, holidays, birthdays and for the last two cycles balancing a full time job. I’m so fortunate to have the support of my husband along the way to encourage me and help cover the boys especially when the training runs get longer- but there’s also their enthusiasm that keeps me going. Goal- stay healthy and injury free. Less focus on time, more focus on enjoying the experience and finishing the race.

Week 1- July 18-24

I have followed my friend Suzy Goodwin’s training plan with each and every race that I have run. When you have a flexible system that works- you do it! I love the flexibility of having one key run and a mileage goal for the week. It means that I can get the miles done any way that works best for me. And that was certainly the case with this first week of training. This week was my youngest’s birthday and we were leaving extra early on Sunday morning to go to Legoland with the boys. So I had a birthday, birthday party and one morning I knew I couldn’t run to negotiate around. Additionally, while I had been building my mileage back up, I haven’t hit 24 miles in a week in quite some time. The beginning of the week (M-W) I ran 3.5 or so miles each morning. Nothing fantabulous. On Thursday morning, I thought I had enough time to inflate the birthday banner and run. I was wrong. So it turned into a rest day. I had some flexibility on time on Friday because my husband could drop the boys off at camp and I took advantage of it. I ran 10 miles on Friday in 3 chunks. 20 minute Peloton on demand class. Breakfast with the boys. 20 minute live Peloton class. Boys off to camp. Followed by an hour Peloton class on demand. See…that flexibility enabled me to get my key run a 10K and a chunk oof miles done on Friday. Allowing me to only run 3.35 on Saturday and have Sunday off. First week in the books. Feeling good.

Week 2- July 25-31

Week two coming in hot. Monday we were still in Legoland. The indoor fitness center left a bit to be desired and there wasn’t really anywhere to get any solid miles in. That and the four hour drive and eight hours in the park the day before might have left me a little tired. But again, flexibility in the training plan allowed me to not freak out about missing a day. The key run for week two is 8 miles with 24 overall miles. Again, as I was still easing into increased miles I kept my runs doing the week to a 5K each morning Tuesday-Friday. Saturday morning I ran 8.64 miles. Checking off my key run and inching me closer to my overall mileage. Alas, I finished the week at 21.14 miles a bit short of the 24 but overall I felt good and knowing I’m hitting the longer runs I’m not concerned about not quite hitting 24 miles for the week.

Week 3 August 1-7

Weekly mileage increases this week…and at the end of the week we are leaving for vacation. Translation- if I’m gong to run on Saturday. It’s going to have to be early and it’s not going to be more than three miles or so. I’m starting to feel much stronger in my runs. Yay!! I hoped that would come as I was consistently running more miles, but you never know. Key effort this week is speed work (800 x 4) with overall mileage of 26. PS camp is also over so I’m working some days at home to be home with the boys. Lots of things happening all at the same time. Monday and Tuesday 3.11 miles each. Wednesday I was able to take a live Peloton class early in the morning and get my key run done. Speed work is my least favorite. I can do it. But it’s not my cup of tea and it generally makes my body sore. This is the case every training cycle. I get through some of the weeks with speed work before I have to drop the spadework and just focus on the miles. But I crushed my spadework this week. The next day I was a little bit sore, but manageable. As is always the case my right hip is starting to be a bit tender. I really need to get back to strength and core training to help keep everything in alignment. But, that pesky hand injury has been preventing me from lifting. Wednesday and Thursday saw 4.5 miles. Friday I pushed to get 6.13 miles done, leaving 3.15 miles and live Peloton class at 6:00 a.m. before leaving for vacation. Yup, I’m crazy. So I finished the week with 24.57 miles. You’ll notice that’s about 1.5 miles short of the 26 mile goal…but I’ll take it. Speed work done. Feeling good. Miles increasing. Week three is in the books!

Week 4- August 8-14

While vacation brings more potential time for running it is also a bit harder because I just want to spend time with my family and feel bad carving out that time for running. That and if I don’t have to get up extra early for a week it feels like a blessing. Sunday was a rest day- well because it was a rest day and I enjoyed a little extra sleep. Monday should have been a run day. But we were horseback riding that morning and I just wasn’t motivated to run beforehand. Key run this week is 10 miles and 26 overall miles. Tuesday was a good day for a longer run because we didn’t have an activity until 11:00. I wasn’t quite sure what I was planning for mileage wise when I hit the treadmill. I knew I would start with 45 minutes and go from there. After two days of rest I was feeling solid so I ran for 75 minutes and 8 miles. Not quite 10 but if you can run 8, you can run 10. Wednesday, I didn’t have quite as much time but got in 45 minutes and another 5 miles. Thursday was for kayaking so I didn’t run. Friday morning, back at it for 45 minutes and another 5 miles. Saturday was a travel day. Yes, I could have gotten 3 or so miles in that morning, but I could also sleep a little bit later and I opted for sleep. I knew that meant I would have 8 miles on Sunday morning to get my mileage goal. I started with 45 minutes and 5 miles and then added another 30 adding a total of 8.08 to my overall mileage. So I met my mileage goal, but you say I didn’t run a 10 miler. Eight is close enough. This week I was more focused on hitting the miles, while still enjoying vacation. It was a win. Still no major complaints. I actually felt really strong this week. I imagine a little extra sleep and vacation will do that! First month of training— DONE!

Why do I blog about my training weeks? I learn something from each training cycle and it allows me to look back to see if I’ve felt the same way at the same time in other cycles. Each time I know I need to strength train more, so hopefully this will be the time I actually do it. Eight more weeks to go before I run Chicago in an effort to ENDALZ!

Three months to the Chicago Marathon

Three months…90 days until I run my next marathon. I’m really starting to believe that running a marathon is like having a child. Allow me to explain. You find out you are pregnant and you have nervous excitement. The equivalent to I just finished a marathon and I signed up for another on the way home. Nervous excitement. Then there’s some waiting. Similar to a pregnancy there comes that moment of oh wow, this is getting real. That would be today for me. Things are real and rather than start nesting it’s time to get my butt in gear!

So over the last few weeks my running has been really inconsistent. Quite honestly, I was just plain tired. I’ve been sick off and on and gave my body some grace. What started out as giving my body grace turned into a lack of routine, which translated to a lack of consistency, which made it easier to skip another day. Another pregnancy similarity- it’s like I just excited the first trimester and feeling good. Please note this is not some subliminal pregnancy reveal- I just really love the parallelism better the two journeys. Pregnancy is hard on your body and you get an amazing child at the end of the journey. Training and running a marathon is hard on your body- but rewarding in so many ways.

While marathon training doesn’t start until July 18 I had a solid build up week this week. I’ve been running long enough to know if I go from 10-12 mile running weeks to 24 miles I’m going to be sore and run the risk of injury. So after some seriously low mileage weeks I ran just shy of 17 miles this week. Next week I’ll run 20 miles over the course of the week and then I’ll be ready for that first week of training which calls for 24 miles.

Another way marathon training and pregnancy are similar…you need to eat better and get more sleep. While I’ve been keeping my water at 100 or so ounces a day, which if you know me is a major accomplishment. Huge! But overall my eating has been, shall we say- whatever the heck I want. As I sit here sipping my protein shake (thanks Kerry for the push to get back on the shake train!) I know that fueling my body is critical for the added miles and strength training coming my way. There will also be less Prosecco in my future. (See another pregnancy similarity!). But notice, I didn’t say none, just less so I guess it’s a little different. And I just need to get some more sleep. Basically, if I’m going to expect my body to perform and hold up to training cycle and marathon, I need to give it the things it needs- sleep and better nutrition.

This will be my third marathon training cycle. First was during COVID, when I ran a virtual marathon. Feels crazier and crazier every time I think about it. I had the gift of all the time in the world during most of that training cycle because we weren’t going anywhere or doing anything. Second training cycle started right after my Dad died. I had the extra emotional push of channeling my why and the fact that after so much anticipation I was running the NYC Marathon. But that was combined with having gone back to work full time. So far less time for training- but I got it done!! As I contemplate training cycle number three my why remains the same. I run in memory of my Dad and to #endalz. In some respects it is hard to believe that he’s gone nearly a year. The emotion is still raw, but in other ways because of Alzheimer’s I truly lost my Dad, years before. Not that it makes it any easier to fully lose him, but the disease robbed us of quality time together. So when I’m tired or trying to figure out when I’m going to get my next training run in, I did deep and channel my why. While it won’t bring my dad back, it might save another daughter from having to watch the effects of Alzheimer’s on their mom or dad.

Please consider joining me in the effort to end Alzheimer’s….no you don’t have to run…even though I’m trying to put together a running group at work. You can join me by making a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association in support of my Chicago Marathon run. Together we can end Alzheimer’s!

Stay tuned- a training cycle means more posts. I love keeping track of how I’m feeling during the process so I have something to compare it to next time. That said, I keep sayin Chicago is going to be my last marathon- so maybe the training updates will just be for prosperity?! Time will tell.

Why run the Chicago Marathon in 2022?

Why not?? When I registered to run the NYC Marathon in March of 2020 I really had no expectations of what it would mean going forward. I planned to run NYC and hadn’t really given any thought to what would come next. Then what should have been a eight month time period to fundraise for the Alzheimer’s Association and train for my first marathon really became twenty months. In those twenty months a lot changed. Covid hit- the things we or I should say I took for granted changed and we found ourselves enjoying the smaller pleasures in life. The simple things if you will. Quieter times at home with family and/or our pod family. Running took on new meaning. But man, living in pandemic times can be exhausting. Somewhere along the way my running outlet started to feel a little bit like work. The uncertainty of training for races that wouldn’t happen became frustrating. Then my Dad died. And I dug deep to remember why I was running and that it was for more than myself. While I’m reaping the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and setting a good example for my boys, I’m really running for those who can’t and recognize that there will be a day when I can’t so I run while I can.

Training for a marathon takes a lot of time. It’s not so much the weeks of training as it is the hours each week as the mileage really builds. Finding the time when we were still somewhat limited in what we were doing because of Covid was much easier. Come 2021 with work, kids being back to school and a little more “normal” it was a little harder to find the time to train. For me the process is also emotional. I find it truly amazing what we can push our bodies to endure. November of 2021 marked my second full Marathon and first “real” marathon that happened to be one of the major marathons. Go big or go home, right?? I truly had no appreciation for what it mean to run a Major race as my first in person marathon. But once I did I had a whole new appreciation for the fan/crowd support that comes a long with it.

So it would be fitting that on the way home from NY I would start considering what was going to be next. I still had a combination of runner’s high mixed with exhausted body so maybe I should have given myself a little bit of time. But I liken it to giving birth and then immediately saying, sure I can do that again. Maybe it means more because I was still sore and was like I want to do this again! I also felt like I had learned so much from the experience that I had to do it again. I needed to take what I had learned and improve upon it!! My marathon experiences are tied to fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Association. So my first email was to the contact in Chicago to see if I could run with their team in 2022. I got an immediate response with all the details and began the process. There is something special about running as part of a team. Seeing other in their singlet on race day and knowing that not only do you have the same goal of running 26.2 but also ending Alzheimer’s adds to the camaraderie and excitement of the experience.

Sure, I could run a marathon anywhere- but since this has become a family affair why not take the boys to another fun city?! Will I run another marathon after Chicago? I have no idea. Will I continue to run to #endalz? Most definitely for as long as my body will allow me. And even when I can’t run, I’ll continue to raise awareness and dollars for this important cause.

NYC Marathon-6 weeks to go

I’m half way through my training cycle for my first in person marathon. That’s right- I ran my first marathon virtually in October of 2020 when NYC was canceled because of Covid. I had the opportunity to defer my guaranteed entry and learned that I would have the chance to run in 2021. As the marathon wasn’t run in person last year this is still the 50th running of the NYC marathon. This is what I wanted. I wanted to run the 50th Anniversary year- I wanted to run for my 40th birthday (which was in January), so I guess I’m just extending the birthday fun. When this adventure began it was to honor my Dad, by running and fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Association. Less than two month ago my dad lost his battle with Alzheimer’s. So now I run to honor his memory. I was already a bundle of emotions, when I ran virtually last year, but now my emotions are on overdrive.

I’ve been cautiously optimistic as I started my training cycle that the marathon will go off as scheduled. The closer we get to November 7 and the further I get into my training cycle the more optimistic I am that the marathon will happen and I will really toe the line in Staten Island. Things suddenly became very real this past weekend. I had my first longer run (12 miles) at marathon pace. My biggest challenge when running an in person race is to keep my cool at the start and not go out too hard. I imagine I am not alone with that “problem.” There’s so much adrenaline at the start of race- the excitement of running with others- the support along the route to keep going. I’m not sure I can even begin to fully appreciate what it is going to feel like on race day morning. So here I am six weeks to race day and in full freak out mode. I’m trying to anticipate all the things- what is it really going to be like to wait in the starting village for HOURS? What is the weather going to be like? What throw down items of clothing should I pack? Should I get arm sleeves/warmers? How much water should I carry? How am I going to make sure my phone stays charged? What if my watch battery dies? Will the new Apple Watch come out in time?? What in the world is my family going to do all that time while they wait for me? What am I going to want for dinner when I’m done? We would really go back and cheer on the other runners after I finish. This is just a sample of all the practical questions and thoughts running through my mindI’m thinking about. This isn’t even taking into account all of the emotions- I cried last year as I went out to run by myself. I can’t imagine the emotion as I begin to cross the Verrazano Bridge! Forget about when I see my family and enter the park to finish. This is not a DNF situation. Come hell or high water I will cross the finish line! That said- no pressure right??

I’m also in that window where staying healthy is key. There’s not much time for illness or injury to happen and get fully better without derailing this portion of the training. Granted if I accepted the idea that my only goal should be to finish- I could pack in the training now and know that I could finish a marathon. But I don’t want to “just finish.” I want to enjoy the experience. I want to take in the entire experience and I want to honor my father’s memory with each and every step. Again…no pressure! I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the unwavering support I get from my amazing husband. But for him believing in me, helping with the boys and making sure they were always there to cheer me on I couldn’t do it. I’m truly blessed and grateful.

I looked back at my posts from my last training cycle and felt grateful that I took the time to blog each week about that week’s runs. This weekend after my 12 miler the outside of my left knee feels funny- sore, tight. This isn’t a new pain, just a pain I haven’t had for a while. So I went back to my notes. It actually was’t until week 10 of training that this same knee pain popped up last year, but much worse- like couldn’t run much worse. I opted to lift this morning rather than do my scheduled run. Experience gives you a lot of things- when it comes to training it gives you the confidence to modify your running plan to listen to your body and hopefully avoid a more serious injury. We shall see what tomorrow brings as I go for a nice and easy few miles on the treadmill. Knock wood this go round, I’ve managed to avoid the nagging hip pain that plagued me through most of the last marathon training cycle. That said, I’ve fallen into the same trap of focusing on the miles and letting the cross training/lifting go. The last two weeks I’ve been a little bit better and added one lifting day. Core and strength training are really just as important as the miles so it’s important to make the time to get both the miles and the strength training done!

So what will the next six weeks bring?? Lots and lots of overthinking just about everything. Talking to my friend, Suzy of RunLIftMomPod, who will talk me off the wall and give me some helpful pointers. I will select an outfit…and a backup. I’ll commit to shoes, socks, waist pack- the whole nine yards, while likely packing back ups of everything. Deep down I know I can do it, I just need to get over not controlling the logistics and go with it. I can only prepare so much- the other pieces will fall into place. I will trust my training. I will take in the experience. Less than 40 days until the NYC Marathon!! On your mark, get set- GO!!!

Balancing Act- work, kids, and marathon training

Let’s be real life is always a balancing act right? Kids, work, working out, volunteering, time for your spouse, the house, laundry, more laundry. As the years go on the balancing changes. For example, when the boys were young and I was a stay home mom- it was balancing finding time to shower and make dinner with feedings, diaper changes and nap schedules. Then they got a little bit older and it was balancing having two kids instead of one. Trying to make their schedules mesh. Then one starts school, one is home and you are doing all the mommy and me activities. You get the idea as years pass by we are just changing the things that are always at a delicate balance. I laugh because Covid has just made the balance like a see saw. Every time we think we are in a good place there’s some sort of monkey wrench thrown into the mix.

Last year for the first time in my years as a mother both of my children were in school full time for the very first time. I had this grand plan for a life of luxury. I would drop them off, have time during the day to train for my marathon, read, write. I laugh, because within moments of them both being in school I started subbing basically full time at school. Let’s be real, I’m not really the take it easy, have a lot of time on your hands kind of person, so this wasn’t a huge surprise. We figured out the balance and it worked out well. I was happy to be at school with the boys and they were happy to have me there. I learned a lot about myself and the fact that I was really ready to go back to work.

Fast forward to July of 2021. Back to work full time- for real. I was a host of emotions- worried that I couldn’t truly find the balance, worried that I couldn’t remain the mom that I wanted to be to the boys. We quickly got into our summer routine and realized…this will work! Not only would it work, it was really important for the boys to see me doing something beyond being their mom. I’m not for one moment saying being a mom isn’t enough. Quite honestly, if you are blessed to be a mom I consider it the number one and most important “job.” That said, it was healthy for them to see me working on projects and doing other things. Once I got settled I realized how much I needed this for me too. So I worked on getting acclimated. The boys enjoyed camp and we got into a routine- a balance so to speak.

Then the balance was thrown out of whack…my dad died. While he had been battling Alzheimer’s for years, this sudden decline and death seemingly came out of no where. Understandably so the balance that we were just holding onto got undone. It would have remained undone but for the fact that school was starting as was marathon training. Time to kick it into high gear when all I wanted to do was nothing at all.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that marathon training began the week after my dad’s funeral. The reason I caught the marathon bug was to fundraise for the Alzheimer’s Association. He was my why for doing this big scary thing called running the NYC Marathon. The week following his funeral I couldn’t have been less motivated to lace up my shoes and run, but I’m a stickler for following the training plan. So in a good way it forced me to get my butt in gear, lace up my shoes and put one foot in front of the other.

Shortly thereafter would come the true test- back to school madness was about to begin. I think we can all agree that September is a crazy month. Everyone is getting back into routine and there are so many new things- new activities, back to school night, etc. etc. Throw into the mix that I had several programs for work in addition to the Jewish holidays along with the back to school madness/marathon training. Oh my goodness- it was a blur!! By the end of each day I am completely exhausted and falling asleep most days when the boys go to bed. But like always, we somehow found the balance and made it work. We still found the time for books and snuggles and movies. We found the time to discuss, highs, lows and buffalos each day. The boys found ways to help me get ready for events at work and we enjoyed more than one golf cart ride together. Was it easy? Heck no. Would I trade it for the world? Also no. Someone recently asked me how I was really doing regarding my dad. The truth is, there are good days and bad days. There are moments that set me off for no reason. I think the crazy schedule and being busy helped. He wouldn’t want me to be sad. He was always hustling and working hard. He’d be happy to know that I am too.

At the end of the day- I couldn’t be happier with my new job or the fact that I get to work where the boys go to school. I joined an amazingly supportive community, where family still comes first. I work hard, mom hard and run hard everyday. All while finding time to read for pleasure- my other guilty pleasure. We’ve found our balance…for now! Until something changes and we work to find the balance again!

#chuck12- my favorite race

Back in 2019 my first “long” race was the Charles Street 12, aka Chuck12. I love the idea of the race starting in Towson, not far from where I used to work, going past the hospital that I delivered the boys, continuing past where I went to law school and ultimately finishing at Under Armour Headquarter in Baltimore City. When I ran this race two years ago it was going to be my longest race to date and I didn’t really know what to expect. But when I toed the line this year, I’ve run a variety of half marathons and a virtual marathon. Plus, there’s nothing like having a real sense of the course. I wasn’t a newbie runner- yet still had that nervous energy as we got started. Even with Chuck 12 being my ultimate favorite race, I almost didn’t go. Last week was crazy- start of school, Jackson’s birthday, big event at work, all on the heels of a long month following my father’s death. But this was a real life racing opportunity, how could I pass it up?

I’m not going to lie, I was super sad and frustrated when racing got “covid cancelled” for much of 2020 and into 2021. I missed the opportunity to have a race setting push me to run my very best and test my training. I ran all the virtual races and it was just not the same. It took seemingly forever for racing to return to Maryland. It wasn’t really until June of 2021 when races started to happen in person. In October of 2020, I “raced” my virtual marathon and then basically had been in maintenance running mode for months, with no real race on the horizon. The June race that I ran was a last minute entry and a really tough course. I was of course happy that I did it- when I was done. Up next was the Frederick Half. This was a race I had deferred from 2020, that was supposed to be in May but was in July. Ugh- Maryland in July is hot and humid. Overall that day proved to be decent weather conditions, but my time was not my best, nor was it my worst. Again, I was so happy that I did it and my husband and sons were there to cheer me to the finish. But really my two racing experiences in 2021 had proven hard and didn’t yield the time results I had been hoping for. So clearly, I knew despite the long week- month- and migraine I was running the Charles Street 12.

One of the interesting parts of Chuck 12 is it starts and finishes at completely different places- as you would imagine that are 12 miles apart. I’m so fortunate that my husband and boys still enjoy coming out to wait for hours to see me cross the finish line. So they headed to the finish and my friend and I drove to the start of the race. Funny side story- I wear glasses 98% of the time. Maybe on 10 occasions during the year do I wear my contacts. But for whatever reason for races I prefer to wear my contacts so I don’t have to worry about my prescription sunglasses. If I drop or lose my sunglasses I would much rather it be a $25 pair than a $500 pair of prescription lenses. However, since I so rarely wear my contacts I make a lot of rookie mistakes with them. The car ride to the race proved to be one such time. My eyes were super itchy so I scratched them without giving it too much thought. Until, all of a sudden I couldn’t see so well out of my right eye. I thought at first that the contact was dry and tried to generate tears. Then it dawned on me…I had rubbed my contact out of my eye!! Panic set it. I didn’t have glasses with me and I certainly didn’t have another contact. I searched my eye- maybe it was hiding up under my lid. No luck. I carefully looked all around me. No luck. Well, it hadn’t disappeared so where on earth did it go?? We got to the start of the race and did some more searching in the car. As a last resort, I got out and thought maybe looking from a different angle I might see it. Still nothing. So I was resigned to running with on contact, and a migraine that I was keeping at bay with Excederin Migraine. Now if that doesn’t sound like prime condition to run a race, I don’t know what does. Then I got back into the car. Folded up like a creased up taco was my contact on the seat of the car. I then proceeded to break all the contact wearing rules in the book. Took the cap off my water bottle, dropped the contact in and poured some water on in- willing the dried up little contact to come back to life. All of this is quite entertaining NOW- at the time. Not so much. Somehow the contact sprung back to life and I got it back in my eye. Yes, I know it was completely unsanitary. But short of spitting on my contact I wasn’t really sure what else to do. I’ve considered every in person race leading up to NYC a trial run and so the lesson was BRING EXTRA CONTACTS!! I may even bring and old pair of glass that I’m willing to part with too. Something to think about for sure.

Well, now that the contact drama is behind us I could begin to focus on the nervousness and the fact that generates the sensation of needing to go to the bathroom. So I made a bee line for the porta potty line. One would think that one visit would be sufficient as I really hadn’t drank that much, however there was the half marathon when I assumed it was jus the nervous sensation that I needed to urinate- when in fact I really did and I lost nearly two minutes running to a bathroom in the Magic Kingdom. As a result, I never take for granted that it’s nerves and go to the bathroom as many times as possible before the race. This should be really interesting when I have to spend nearly 5 hours waiting to start the marathon in November.

Let’s chat about the weather. The week leading up to the race was hot and humid until the remnants of Hurricane Ida came through and cooled things off considerably. That translated to temperatures in the 50s to start the race, but still some humidity. Overall a beautiful weather day to run a great course. This was part of what got me out of bed the morning of the race. How could I pass up such a wonderful weather day?? That and I’m in a marathon training cycle. The week called for 26 miles and I still had 12 to run as I had planned for the race to complete my weekly mileage. I’m a stickler for following the plan. Either way I was going to be running 12 miles so I might as well make it part of the race.

Speaking of training cycles- when I ran the Chuck 12 last time, I trained for it like it was a half marathon. Did the proper tapering, etc so I would have fresh legs to run on. As I just mentioned I’m in the middle of a marathon training cycle. So there was no taper and I had already run 14 miles this week, including speed work earlier in the week. The week after the race has a key run of 10 miles. So I’m considering myself ahead of the game with having the 12 miles done early. There are those who say don’t race during a training cycle as racing taxes your body differently than training runs. There are others who would say that two months before the marathon having a race like experience isn’t detrimental. I knew I had two options when I showed up on race morning- treat it like a training run and take it easy or run it like a race. Training my mind to have easy runs was a work in progress for a long time, so it’s definitely not at the place that I could have treated this just like a training run…it was a RACE!

Whereas my goals in 2019 were to finish races, I have more specific time goals now. Most of the time they are conservative. Sometimes, like for Frederick because of the heat and humidity I knew I needed to bring my time goal down to a safe number to not over tax my body. In the end I met that goal, but overall didn’t feel solid during the course of the race. When it came time to plan for Chuck 12, I couldn’t quite figure out what I thought my time could be. In 2019 my time was 1:52:28. At the time, that was 5 minutes faster than what I had anticipated would be my finish time. I was beyond shocked when I finished that quickly, as was my family who weren’t expecting me for another 5 minutes or so. Based upon my utter exhaustion and not tapering I was considering 1:48 a solid finish time for 2021. That would be more than 4 minutes better than last time and seemed like a realistic goal. But my reach goal was 1:42. Now that is a broad range! Six minutes faster would mean shaving 30 seconds or so off per mile from my 1:48 goal. That’s a lot of time. That said, 8:30 a mile isn’t too far off what I was doing when I hit my stride before Covid shut everything down. I’ve never run with a pace group during a race, but I’m intrigued by the idea. There were pacers at the race which got my mind thinking. I lined up with the 1:40 pace group. Yes, I know this is even faster than my reach goal, so I needed to have my head examined. But they looked like a fun bunch. I knew I couldn’t really hang with them, but went out with them for the first mile and then settled into my pace. I continual remind myself that I need to run my own race and pace. But here’s what I figured, I would maintain my own pace that felt comfortable, as comfortable as a pace can feel at race pace and try to avoid getting passed by the 1:45 pace group. If however, the 1:45 pace group came up on me I would run with them and still beat my 1:48 initial goal.

After learning to race and take water when it was offered, Covid had me wearing water to train and race. Each is a mental mind shift. Truth be told, I don’t love carrying my own water, but there’s something to be said to be able to drink whenever you would like. It also allows me to have a nutrition pouch whenever it’s convenient because I need some water to wash it down. All this to say, when push came to shove I opted not to carry my own water. It felt good to be traveling light!!

While the course is advertised as down hill, the first six miles or so have a series of hills. I play mind games as I tick off the miles during a race. At first it’s to get under 10 miles. Then I start adding my mileage. Usually once I get to four miles I’m in a solid rhythm and feeling pretty good. So for this race my mental mind games were to get to 6 and I would be halfway done. Then focus on getting to 8- then 10- then at 11 which is when I call to say I’m a mile out and boom I’m done. It’s really not quite that simple, but that’s literally how my mind was working Saturday. At the end of the day- it’s all about what works for you. This is what works for me! This was the first race in a long time that I wasn’t questioning my sanity. I felt solid pretty much the whole time. That is not to say that I wasn’t extremely happy to see the finish line because I was in fact very happy to finish. But the best part of the finish was that it wasn’t super crowded and I had a great view of the boys with their signs. I was waving and smiling to finish up 12 miles. Who would have ever thought?? There is truly something to be said to having family support at the finish line. Sometimes it’s what gets me there and times like Saturday it’s fun to celebrate together!

Because I’m all about the numbers- how did things shake out?? I averaged 8:35 a mile for 12 miles. Not too shabby. There were 953 participants. I finished 247. So not quite the top 25% but not too far off. There were 479 women who ran. I finished 74th. (PS my 8 year old had counted all the women who finished before me and was able to tell me within one of what number woman I was to finish). In my new masters age category of 40-49 there were 152 women. I finished 17th. So, all in all a solid showing, a good race overall and I can’t wait to do it again next year!! The Charles 12 will always hold a special place in my heart.

Marathon Training-Week 11

Well, this week of training looks a little bit different for a few reasons. Reason number one- it’s TAPER time. Time to rest those legs a little bit so they are fresh for “race” day. Truth- I stink at taper. I’m not great at dialing it back when I’m all revved up and ready to go. BUT, since I tweaked my knee a little bit during my twenty mile run I’m seemingly forced to take it easy and properly taper. Amazing how that works, isn’t it?? I made the executive decision not to do the speed work that my training schedule identifies as the key effort this week. Speed work doesn’t allow me to “baby” my knee a little. Mileage goal is twenty-six miles. My plan is to get the twenty-six miles in during the week but honestly will be pleased if I get a few solid five plus mile runs in without any serious pain.

Monday, October 5

It was a buys morning- errands, flu shot, etc. My knee while feeling better is still not completely “normal.” I decided to keep it to the treadmill so I could control pace and not have the severity of the pavement. Started with a one mile while to warm up and test the waters so to speak. Then I moved into a very controlled, nice and easy three mile run. I was less concerned with pace and more concerned with overall how I was feeling. Knee felt good- I wouldn’t say great. But I’ll take it.

Tuesday, October 6

Another busy morning! Parent’s Association Meeting at 9:00 and subbing starting at 11:30 meant that I had to get my workout in BEFORE dropping the boys off at school. I started with a half hour of strength training, focusing on my upper body and finished it up with a two mile walk. While it’s not quite the same as getting my run in, I still felt accomplished before truly starting my day and getting the boys off to school!

Wednesday, October 7

Geez, this is a busy week. Today I have a much overdue eye exam!! You know what that means another early morning of getting up and getting it done before taking the boys to school! That also meant getting on the treadmill. I’m so thankful for our Covid treadmill purchase. The upgrade to a newer machine has been much appreciated. Decided to focus on distance today and see if I could get up to five comfortable miles on my knee. Winner, winner, chicken dinner. They weren’t fast but they felt good. T-10 days to the marathon…this is really going to happen!!

Thursday, October 8

In case you missed the common theme of the week….it was busy!! Another morning PA meeting meant either getting up at the crack of dawn to run or waiting until after my meetings to run. I opted for the later because I wanted to run outside rather than on the treadmill. I didn’t really have a definite distance planned. The goal was 3-5. 5 miles done! Felt good. Pace was good. Single digits to race day!

Friday, October 9

Sub day! 5:00 wake up to hit the treadmill. I like to mix it up with a program every now and then so it isn’t just straight running so that’s what I did today. Four quality miles before heading to school. Feeling like I’ll really going to be ready next week for 26.2. It still seems completely crazy to run a marathon solo- but you know what- let’s do it!

Saturday, October 10

The weather was perfection. The calendar suggested 5 miles and that’s what I had planned to run when I left the house. But I felt good. Pace was good. Weather was good. That meant I called home mid-run to say I’ll be a little bit longer. Rock n Roll was doing a Remix Challenge this weekend of a 5K and a 12K. The 5K was more than covered yesterday so I figured if I was thinking about five I may as well run 7.5 to complete the challenge. Mentally, I knew that having one more longer run in before having a light taper week would be reassuring that I was feeling good. So 7.55 it was and it felt GREAT!!

Sunday, October 11

Sunday- family fun day!! Today we headed to Lums Pond State Park as a family to meet up with a friend for a socially distanced outside outing. The boys loved it and I enjoyed it much more since I wasn’t trying to run over tree branches!! By the time we got home it was mid-afternoon and the rain had started falling. I had just under two miles left to complete my weekly mileage goal so I hit the pavement with the light rain falling. Nice and easy two miles to complete the week! Looks like I have another running streak going…day 5!

So the last week of training is coming. I’m physically and mentally prepared (I think) to crush my 26.2 on Saturday. My family has been super supportive the entire time and the boys are now really excited to create the perfect “finish line.” While it will certainly not be NYC stay tuned for next weeks re-cap when I will (fingers crossed) be a marathoner!!

I run for those who can’t. #endalz

Marathon training-week 8

It’s hard to believe that my virtual marathon is just a little over one month away!! So far, training has been going well. Other than some moderate hip pain I’m feeling good. I’m also still continuing my running streak that started way back at Memorial Day!!

Monday- September 14

Well, the boys are both back in school physically so I had a choice to make…do I continue getting up at 4:30/5:00 in the morning to run or do I run after I drop them off at school?? I’m not going to lie the extra early mornings for the last two weeks were definitely taking a toll. So I opted to run after I dropped them off. By running after drop off I can run outside vs. on the treadmill. Not that I mind the treadmill but with fall temperatures coming why not take advantage of running outside?? With my key run already done for the week over the weekend this week is filled with a number of 3-6 mile runs. Monday started out as a five mile run and I finished up closer to six. It felt good to be outside and to not have the time pressure of getting done and racing into the shower and out the door for school.

In a weird change of events my left hip is now feeling sore vs. my right hip. I’ll do a better job of stretching this week with my new found time. I also broke out a new pair of shoes. I realized I needed another pair in rotation or I was going to need a new pair right before the marathon. While I haven’t had to break in my New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v10 I still wouldn’t want to take them out of the box and run 26.2. That said they were perfection for today’s run, so I probably could take them out of the box and run a marathon!

Tuesday- September 15

Back outside for another great run. I wasn’t sure how far I was going to go when I went out the door anywhere from 3-5 miles. Finished up with a nice five mile run. I love the fact that the air is a little bit cooler. It adds pep to my running step!! Finished off the morning with a solid 35 minutes of lifting. Strength training is so important, especially as the miles continue to increase. Still have that moderate hip pain. I’m keeping an eye on it and making sure to add some stretching.

Wednesday, September 16

Oh my my hamstrings and hips are super tight. Rather than run first, I started with 30 minutes of Yoga for Runners to loosen everything up before heading out the door. By modifying my schedule to run after I drop the boys off for school I’ve truly been able to take advantage of the beautiful weather. To keep things fresh I mixed up the route again today. I’m continually amazed at how many different distance combinations I can get by altering the route just a bit from my house. Another solid five mile run.

Thursday, September 17

Thursdays mean I should run and strength train. But truth be told I tweaked something in my back on Wednesday so I kept it to just a run. A nice and easy 3.1 outside. A whole week of beautiful weather has lead to lots of extra outside time!

Friday, September 18

Early, early run this morning. After learning late Thursday night that I was subbing at school on Friday I knew I wanted to get my run done before school. Schedule called for 5 miles but based upon timing I completed 4. No big deal- that’s the beauty of a flexible schedule. At this point in the week I have 23 miles done and 7 miles to go to meet my 30 miles for the week. So I’ll just add a mile to Saturday or Sunday and I’m set. Back on the treadmills for a 5:00 AM run. But that also meant I was back with Bosch Amazon!! Watching Bosch on my iPad has been a game changer for my time on the treadmill. It seems to fly by.

Saturday, September 19

Truth be told on Friday after school I was a whole new level of tired. I wasn’t even sure going to bed early was going to do the trick to allow me to get my five miles in on Saturday morning. But ah the beauty of a good night’s sleep. I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to go! It was COLD. As in temperatures in the 40s in the morning. This is my sweet spot for temperature when I run. While it’s a little cold to get started once you warm up it’s perfection. I was feeling extra motivated because I got to wear my new Alzheimer’s Association Team shirt for my run. With four weeks to go before my virtual marathon- channeling my inner why is KEY!

Sunday, September 20

Sunday runs are nearly always my short runs. It’s my “rest” day after all. So a quick two miler to keep my running streak going. 121 days and counting!!

Week in review

Early in the week my hips were tight and bothering me. This is likely because of a 36 mile week last week, including a 14 mile run. I was careful to continued strength training but also stretching to help loosen up my hamstrings and hips. By the end of the week I was fortunately feeling relief. It’s hard to believe that the marathon is now less than a month away. Must stay healthy and avoid injury!! Looking ahead the week of September 21 brings more speed work as the key effort and the week of the 28th a 20 mile run!!

Subscribe to follow along!

A reminder: I run for those who can’t! I run to #endalz.

Marathon Training Week 7

The weeks are definitely flying by as the training progresses. Running last week’s 12 miler as a race was a major effort-it’s back to tempo runs, training runs, speed work but no more racing until virtual race day.

Monday- September 7

Well, it was a BUSY week and weekend full of back to school and birthday celebrations. In addition to being all around tired on Monday morning I was dealing with a migraine. Fortunately, it was Labor Day so I had a little bit of flexibility with timing my run. So while I’m normally an up and done with my run kind of gal that wasn’t the case for the speed work scheduled for today. Instead I ran midday which is highly unusual. My right hip and calf were tight so I wasn’t quite sure my body was going to be up to speed work. However, after my one mile warm up I was ready to rock and roll. 800×6 at 8 minutes a mile with an easy quarter mile in between each to recover, followed by a one mile cool down was apparently just what I needed. With nearly 7 miles under my belt I felt better and was ready to continue to tackle the week.

Tuesday- September 8

Back to rising before the sun to get my workouts done before school. Continuing with my routine of strength training on Tuesday and Thursday mornings after a 2 mile warm up. I followed my easy two with 30 minutes of arms with Tracey Steen, Move Daily Fitness. I used my Terra-Core in conjunction with weights to also work my core. My box also got used. I love that as soon as it became clear that we were going to be home indefinitely in March that I slowly but surely stocked up on the things I would need to continue strength training at home!!

Wednesday-September 9

Most of the runs this week are easy miles as I’m doing a virtual half, which is really going to be 14 miles on Sunday. So today was an easy three. I was feeling some tightness in my pesky right hip when I finished so I added twenty minutes of yoga for runners when I was done running.

Thursday- September 10

Another early morning treadmill run. As I’m consciously trying to have at least two days of easy two mile runs with strength training I began my 5:30 with my run. Followed it up by twenty minutes of arms and core. Arms and core are my go to for strength training since I’m using my legs for so many miles!

Friday-September 11

Moment of truth…both boys are back physically in school today. So the question is do I still get up at 5:00 AM and run or wait until after I drop them off?? I have a whole bunch of errands that I want to run so I still get up early. If I didn’t have a fourteen mile run planned for September 12 I would have run 9.11 miles in honor of September 11th. Instead, I ran 9.11km which equates to 5.66 miles. My schedule had originally planned for three miles but it was important to me to somehow physically honor those who had lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

Saturday- September 12

Fourteen mile run today!! This was also a virtual Half Marathon with my Alzheimer’s Association teammates who were all slated to run the NYC marathon this year. While we are all over the country it was fun to come together to channel our why and run “together.”

The goal of the run…1) practice nutrition, 2) practice hydration, 3) work on putting together a longer route to build up to 26.2 miles and most important trying to set a pace at 9:00 – 9:10 minutes per mile. While the first year or so of my return to running saw me working diligently on bringing down my per mile pace it seems so counterintuitive to me to work on slowing down. Nevertheless, I know that I cannot maintain my normal pace for a full 26.2 miles and need to slow it down so I can go the distance.

Temperatures were ten or so degrees warmer than last week for the 12 mile run and with more than 90% humidity. While it was only in the mid sixties the air felt heavy! But I was good to go- my Spibelt was loaded with water an my Huma Gels and water. I’m not going to lie, working on trying to keep my pace slower was hard. Not only that but I dropped one of my gels along the way so I only had one for the entire run. Granted, I ate a good breakfast before I left but I certainly could have used that extra gel around mile 9. This was my longest consecutive run to date. I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll say it again- so much of running is mental. Mentally, when I run long distances I count down how many miles I have left vs. how many miles I’ve completed. I always find the miles above ten to be harder for some reason. So I worked my way from 14 to 10. Awesome, because normally when I get to four miles I feel like I can run for forever. My pacing was till faster than I would have liked but it was manageable. Mile 5 I decided to take some nutrition. That’s when I also discovered that I was missing one. Live and learn to plan better for storage! Mentally the next big marker for the run was mile 7 because it was the half way point. Then getting to mile 9 with only five miles to go and finally getting to 12.5 because that’s the home stretch.

In the end I had a good run, but it wasn’t nearly as great as the week before. That said I learned a good deal about needing more nutrition, putting electrolytes in one of my water bottles and slowing the heck down a bit! PS this fourteen mile run was actually the key run for the week beginning with September 14. However, with following the concept of least effective dose to training I opted not to run 13.1 over the weekend and then do a 14 mile run during the week. So technically, this was a double dip run.

Sunday- September 13

It’s my “off” day. Translation- I ran two miles at an easy pace to continue my run streak that is now up to 114 days. I’m not sure when it will stop. Actually I’m pretty sure it will be on October 18, the day AFTER I become a marathoner!

So that is week seven in a nutshell! Moving onto week eight with my key run already done! That means I’ll make up the thirty miles for the week with a variety of distances.

Save the date- October 17 is the day I’m planning to run my 26.2!!

Stay in the loop- never miss an update by subscribing today!