Magic Marathon Numbers and Cool NYC Events

Hi guys! Hope you had a fantastic weekend!

I was staffed to a deal on Tuesday that picked up over the week (like, really picked up -- I billed 14 hours on Thursday!), so I spent most of the weekend working. But I still had time for a fun dinner at Madison Square Eats with Sourabh on Friday night, brunch and a New York Junior League scavenger hunt on Saturday, and a yoga class Sunday night.

Madison Square Eats is a cool outdoor market where restaurants and food trucks have carts serving their specialties. Sourabh and I shared dishes from several carts while sitting in Madison Square Park, and it was one of the most fun "date night dinners" we've had in a while! Hit it up before it gets too cold.

No weekly recap of workouts today because my workouts consisted of 20 minutes of upper body weights Saturday night and a yoga class Sunday night. I wasn't able to get as much sleep as I would have liked last week because of work, so I wanted to take it very easy on my body post-marathon.

I'm not sure when I'll get back to running since my hamstring ached a bit when I jogged to yoga last night. I'm hoping that a few more days without running should get things close to 100%, but I'm here to run for the long haul, so if healing my hamstring means another week without running, that's what I'll do!


More Marathon Details

Clearly I'm having a hard time letting go of the Chicago Marathon. Or I'm just incapable of remembering everything I want to talk about at one time! (If you missed my recap and my thoughts on the mental aspects of racing, I posted them Monday and Wednesday).

Here are some photos from over marathon weekend that I forgot to share:

The marathon route at the expo! As you can see, it involves what are essentially five half loops. I should have memorized the course but I definitely didn't, and so that second time you head on a loop east from the center of Chicago I was thinking, "wait, what?" But I was having such a good time that it didn't get to me, thankfully. However, if I hadn't been having a good race day, not knowing what was coming definitely would have affected me mentally.

13 is my lucky number (along with 4 and 36). Good luck sign that the marathon was on the 13th in 2013? OH I just realized, 10 + 13 + 13 = 36! Two favorite numbers! Clearly the numbers foretold a great marathon for me. Or it was just a coincidence, but let's say it was the numbers.

I'm not sure why I was doing a finish line pose at the start line photo center, but just go with it.

How cute are my mom and my uncle and family? These were the signs they made me to cheer (minus the green one -- Katie made that to be as noticeable as possible, and she succeeded!). My favorite was a tie: HYFR Jen (look it up) and "Run like zombies are chasing you!" My favorite book I've read in 2013 has been World War Z so I appreciated that one.

(Not to nerd rant, but the movie is nothing like the book, and while I've heard the movie is quite mindlessly entertaining, the book is brilliant and should be on everyone's must-read list).


NYC Events

For those living in NYC, here are some great events in the next few weeks!

JackRabbit Sports is hosting a number of great looking free seminars leading up to the New York City Marathon:

• Injury Prevention with Gretchen Stover - Gretchen Stover, DPT will talk about injuries, injury prevention, and overall body maintenance as we approach marathon time. There will also be a question and answer period, so bring your questions! Thursday, October 24, 7pm - Park Slope
• Foam rolling clinic with Finish Line PT - It's almost here - marathon day! You've survived training, and now you're in the final stages of the taper. Even if you feel ready for race day, chances are good that you have those last-minute questions about how best to prepare in this final week. Michael Conlon, owner of Finish Line Physical Therapy and a marathon coach for Team in Training, will be on-hand to offer tips and answer questions on how to stay loose and treat your body right leading up to the marathon. He'll also demonstrate a few effective foam rolling techniques to incorporate into your pre-race routine. Monday, October 28, 7pm - Union Square
• Stretching and Strength Workshop - Are you looking to get stronger and faster but are not sure how to use strength training to get there? Join us as Robert Troch from Fusion Fitness TV talks about the importance of strength training and how to do it effectively to improve your running. Be sure to wear your running gear and come prepared to try out some of the exercises! Monday, October 28, 7pm - Park Slope

Then, over at the wonderful Uplift Studios, there will be an awesome sounding, recess-inspired bootcamp class, with exercises like hop scotch and jump rope, to support She’s the First.

She's the First scholars

100% of proceeds will go to the organization, which sponsors girls’ education in developing nations, giving them the chance to become the first in their families to graduate from secondary school.

Instructor Emily Cook Harris making working out look fun

Who: New Yorkers looking to work hard, but play harder

What: RECESS Bootcamp class

Where: Uplift Studios, 24 W 23rd St (between 5th and 6th Ave)

When: October 30, 2013 – 7:30 p.m.

Why: 100% of proceeds benefit non-profit She’s the First to sponsor girls’ education


If you've run a marathon before, how long did it take you to recover? Do you like market-style eating? What's your favorite book of 2013?

Random Thoughts on the Mental Side of Racing

Thank you all SO much for your incredibly sweet comments on my marathon recap. I had such an incredible day on Sunday. I've continued to listen to my marathon playlist throughout the past few days. I brought my medal in to work to place by my computer. And every time I got an email with a comment notification, I smiled at your support and got to relive one of the most amazing experiences of my life. So thank you, thank you, thank you!!

(Oh, and my legs continue to remind me about the miles I ran on Sunday. I'm not sure they're giving me positive reminders, though.)

Pre-marathon -- AHHH!!!

I wrote on Monday that my legs never felt great on Sunday. From the start, my right piriformis was angry, and my right hamstring and other muscles hurt pretty early on. What felt great was my mind.

I exchanged a bunch of emails with Beth yesterday, and in the continuing post-marathon high, I dumped a ton of thoughts on her about the mental aspect. Not that I'm an expert by any means, but I've gone from feeling so shitty during races, mentally, to feeling really strong. These are the things I've done and what I did on Sunday. So, in no particular order:

• I let myself say it was hard but never that I couldn't do it. I told myself nothing but things like "you are killing it! You're doing SO well!" I didn't let a single negative thought creep into my head. If something negative started to appear, I'd read a sign and repeat it to myself. (NOT the "worst parade ever" ones -- can we retire that sign please?? -- but things like "someday you won't be able to run 26.2 miles ... today is not that day!")
• I planned for the rest of the race thinking I'd do well, not that I'd fall apart. Think about what you'll do if that happens before the race, and have a plan, but don't let those thoughts get to you during the race. 

• I thought about all the tough training runs I'd had: up the Hollywood Hills in 85 degree heat, hilly trails at 5,000 ft elevation, running tempo runs on tired and tight legs. The last part of the marathon was so hard -- reminding myself of how I'd powered through discomfort time and time again in my training helped a lot.
• More importantly, I kept thinking about the two best long runs I had. First, the 10 miles I ran at all under-10:00 miles, after running 10 miles already that day. Then, the 20 miler that I did completely alone, slowly to protect my hamstring, but was still able to speed up in the last two miles. Especially as I sped up after the first ten miles, I thought of that broken-up 20 miler, and how I finished with those sub-10:00 miles at 4,500 ft elevation.

yes, I'm a race photographer ham.

• Saving music for the last ten miles really helped. I had a list of songs that amp me up, and I didn't listen to them while training for about 2-3 weeks prior to the marathon. I wanted to save them so I'd have all of their boosting juice to power me through miles 17-26! It really worked well, and I was so happy to hear music that makes me want to go fast.
• As for which songs to pick, I went with the ones that helped me get through tough tempo runs and mile repeats. I associated that music with the pain of pushing but also the incredible joy I'd feel at hitting paces I didn't think I could. Having those songs play in the toughest miles reminded me of kicking the ass of speed workouts, and helped me push hard.

These are the things that helped me through 26.2 miles. They may or may not work for you! However, I hope you'll think about how to prep your mind before your race day. Study after study shows that physical limits are far past what our brain tells us our limits are. Positive thinking can go a huge way to overcoming the mental hurdles our brain creates. 

Also, here's my marathon playlist! A few are Chicago-specific, but I think there are some awesome amp-you-up tunes on there.

Tell me -- what are your mental techniques for race day? 

Race Recap: 2013 Chicago Marathon

I'M A MARATHONER!!!

So, with that out of the way...

I didn't take a lot of photos yesterday. Katie managed to snag two of me on the course, which provide a delightful illustration of mile 2 versus mile 21, and we took pictures after the race. But before the race, I was just totally keyed in and for once didn't feel the need to take any picture. I just wanted to start... and was also totally scared of starting. (I may or may not have said "oh f-ck, oh f-ck, oh f-ck" as we got within sight of the start line. May or may not have.)

But once we crossed the start line, I felt ready. I just started in at a roughly 10:15 pace... 15 seconds faster than I'd thought I was going to when I chatted with Jess. We'd decided I'd start at a comfortable pace for the first 10 miles, then shift gears for 10-20, and then see how I felt for the last six. I suggested 10:30 as an optimal pace, based on my injury and my A goal -- that I thought was out of reach, post-hamstring strain -- had been an average 10:00 pace.

My legs didn't actually feel great. My calves were tight and my right piriformis was loudly proclaiming its displeasure with moving. Yet somehow, mentally, I felt fantastic. I started a podcast that I only half-listened to, just using it as conversation to listen to while paying attention to the crowds.

Crowd Support
Oh man, the CROWDS! Chicago deserves a million high fives for the fantastic crowd support. There were maybe three miles in total that didn't have people lining the sides cheering, handing out water, bananas, and even beer.

I'd written my name on my charity team singlet (Lurie Children's Hospital! WOO!), so people kept cheering me on, which was awesome. And I kept yelling "thank you!" with a giant smile on my face. I was running a marathon!

The Amazing Course

2012 map, but don't think it changed (source)

In addition to the fantastic crowd support, the course is just wonderful. It's essentially three large out-and-backs, on different roads, with extra curves. That means spectators can see you at multiple points -- I got to see Sourabh, Katie, my mom, and my aunt six times! (They split up at the end so they could see me multiple times) They were AMAZING. Seeing their faces helped me so much each time.

It was great to be able to split up the course in terms of seeing my cheer squad. I knew I'd see them at miles 2, 13, 17, 21, and 25, and possibly at mile 9/10 as well. Leticia was visiting Chicago and cheering, and I knew she'd be around miles 8-9. I'd start looking out for them for a half mile before the planned area, which was a great distraction. It was so nice to break the marathon into mini chunks, so I just had to get through a few miles before seeing my loved ones. And seriously, I love these people. At mile 21, I shouted "I LOVE YOU GUYS!" at Katie and Sourabh. 21 was my toughest mile, and seeing them then helped so much. I may have been a tad bit emotional.

Fueling
Additionally, I had my miles broken down further by fueling -- 4, 8, 12, 16, and 21. I couldn't find any place that sold Vega gels near me, which I'd used early on for fueling and liked, so I stuck with Honey Stingers, another more natural fueling method. I took four chews at mile 4, five at mile 8, half a Honey Stinger waffle at mile 12, half at mile 16, and a Honey Stinger gel at mile 21.

I also kept Nuun in my handheld and used that for electrolyte replacement, taking roughly a swig or two every mile. Oh, and in the craziest news, I didn't actually stop running the entire time. I ran through the water stops. Jess said I could make a game-time decision based on how I felt, and I somehow just... didn't want to stop running? I can't explain it, but running through the water stops just felt right, so I went with it!


Mile Breakdown
Miles 1-9: Like I said earlier, I didn't feel fantastic legs-wise, but somehow I just tuned that out and focused on the amazing things, like the fact that I was running a marathon. In August 2012, I couldn't run a mile straight. And here I was running a marathon. I smiled at the crowds and enjoyed the loop through Lincoln Park. I had thought I would aim for 10:30 as my comfortable pace, but 10:15ish felt right, so I stuck around that pace.

I'm running a marathon! I'm so happy!

Splits - (1) 8:54 - messed up because of tunnel, not accurate! may be the reason my Garmin was so off on distance, (2) 9:24, (3) 10:39, (4) 10:14, (5) 10:04, (6) 10:16, (7) 10:13, (8) 10:12, (9) 10:15

Miles 10-20: Jess had said to check in with my body and see how I felt at mile 10. If I was up to it, I could bump the pace 20-30 seconds. If I wasn't feeling good, I should lower the pace, since my goal was to have a celebration marathon -- rejoicing in everything that has happened this year (graduation, starting work, taking the bar, running my first marathon).

I still didn't feel great in my legs, but everything else felt good, and I thought I could bump it up a notch, so I increased my pace to the 9:30s-9:40s, and ended up never looking back!

In fact, I missed my family at the 13 mile mark because I'd sped up so much! Before the marathon, I told them I'd definitely be running over 10:00/mile paces, so something like four miles would be 43-44 minutes. As I increased my pace, I didn't even think about the fact that I was speeding up so much that they might miss me! Thankfully, they calculated my splits and realized I was going faster, so they adjusted accordingly for the rest of the planned cheer spots.

At mile 16, I switched from slightly distracting podcasts to loud, bouncy music to give me a boost for the rest of the race. I started with "Lake Shore Drive," by Skip Haynes, about the highway that runs along Lake Michigan and gives you a gorgeous view of the Chicago skyline. It's my favorite song about Chicago, and it made me smile even wider for the next few miles.

Splits - (10) 10:02, (11) 9:37, (12) 9:39, (13) 9:34, (14) 9:35, (15) 9:44, (16) 9:53, (17) 9:46, (18) 9:49, (19) 9:34, (20) 9:49

Miles 21-26.2: Ow. I'm so happy that I didn't hit the wall until mile 21, because even then, telling myself it was only 5.2 miles left, less than 50 minutes at the paces I was running, I had a hard time continuing my pace. My legs really started hurting -- not just my piriformis, but my knees, my left quad, my right hamstring, my left hip. Basically everything below my waist was unhappy with me for running a ridiculous distance.

I swear I was smiling and waving at them...

Mile 21 was the slowest of my second half splits, but when I saw Katie and Sourabh near the end of mile 21, it gave me a boost and I picked it up through the end.

I wanted to push for that final 5K, but honestly I just didn't have anything left to go faster. I was able to keep up my pace, but doing so felt like I was actually pushing faster. The final 2 mile straightaway hurt so much, but I knew I was about to finish a marathon. At that point, though, I was more excited to finish than to be a marathoner.

I saw Sourabh and Katie again at mile 25, blew them a kiss, then powered through to the end. Oh, by the way, the biggest hill of the entire course is RIGHT at the end, in the last 1/4 mile leading to the finish line. You go up a ramp then turn left to the finish. OW that hurt.

Because I was running for a charity, my mom and aunt got special wristbands that allowed them to sit in the bleachers by the finish line, so I got to see them right before I crossed the finish.

Splits - (21) 9:57, (22) 9:42, (23) 9:28, (24) 9:34, (25) 9:48, (26) 9:40, (.57) 8:41 pace

Final time -- 4:20:17 <--- data-blogger-escaped-br="" data-blogger-escaped-in="" data-blogger-escaped-shock="" data-blogger-escaped-still=""> The Finish!

Thank you so much to my family, Katie and Sourabh.

And a huge thank you to all the incredible people who I knew were following me online via tracking and Twitter. Every time I passed a trackpad, I got excited thinking of all my friends who I knew would be rooting for me to keep up my pace. It was an additional boost in a race that was already extraordinary. Thank you!!!!!

It's Marathon Weekend!

Well, this is it. Marathon weekend.

I've been training for 17 weeks to run 26.2 miles on Sunday morning. I'm actually not that nervous, at least as of right now. I'm kind of scared about how much Sunday is going to hurt, but I'm not really nervous about running itself... does that make sense? I know that Coach Jess has helped me train as best I could, through studying for the bar, crazy travel, and a hamstring injury. So I feel pretty ready!

I am so happy that Chicago will be my first marathon. I'm running it for the Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, an incredible institution that has helped cure my best friend of her cancer several times. They rock, and I'm so proud to be running for them.

I've met my fundraising goal of $750, but I would love to raise a bit more!! You can still donate here and help this wonderful place.

And if you want to track me, you can do so here!


I'm Feeling Thankful

I am so thankful for the incredible people who have helped me get to the Chicago Marathon start line.

Alison at Finish Line Physical Therapy in NYC and Sean at Care Physical Therapy in Bellingham, WA - I was pretty freaked out when my hamstring started becoming a real issue. What if the strain meant I couldn't train and I wouldn't be able to run? While in Washington, Sean helped calm my fears and got my hamstring healthy enough to run my dad's first half marathon with him. I am so grateful to have had that experience! Then, when I got back to NYC, Alison continued giving me the fantastic help she's given me over the past few months, whenever I've come to her with aches and pains.

Coach Jess - I have sent Jess SO many emails throughout the past 17 weeks! From random questions to panics about my hamstring, she always responds and makes me feel better. Part of the reason I feel so calm leading up to this race is that I know Jess has helped me train as best I could and has made my health the number one priority. I hope to run a strong race on Sunday, and I know she has contributed hugely to the effort I'll be able to put in.

My Trainer, Amanda - Amanda is the person who first got me to run in August 2011. Back then, it was huffing and puffing to complete a mile. Slowly but surely I built up until I could run five miles in summer 2012. Running is a huge part of my life now, as is physical fitness and healthy eating, and all these changes are due to Amanda. I also feel lucky that I can now count her as a supportive friend.

My Runner Friends - The runner army certainly is strong! I would list all the amazing people who have asked me how I'm doing, given me encouragement, commiserated over tough training runs, and just been overall amazing friends. But I'm pretty sure I'd miss at least five people since there are so many incredible runner women in my life. I am so grateful for the friendships I've made with incredible runners over the past year. I don't think I'd have signed up for the Chicago Marathon without knowing I had that vast support network behind me. Besides, if everyone else is running a marathon, it can't be crazy, right?

Katie - Throughout the first part of my road trip, when Katie was with me, I'd have to wake up early or leave her alone for hours while I fit in miles. Katie never once complained. Instead, she was super supportive and always asked how my runs went. Let's be clear -- it's hard to listen to a runner talk about their run, especially if you can't (her cancer treatments have affected her lungs so it's impossible for her to do anything that's too cardiovascularly intense, at least for now). But she always asked how my run had gone and was acted happy to listen to me babble. Katie is a huge inspiration to me, and I feel so lucky to have her as a friend.

My Family - My mom is flying out to Chicago to cheer me on (my dad and sister have to work, but I know they'll be cheering in spirit). When I was in Washington, they always helped me carve out time for my runs, even though it messed up plans for the day. My dad would make me my specially requested pre-long run foods (rice and fish) and my mom helped me massage my tight calves. They're the best!

Sourabh - At least right now, Sourabh is not a runner. In fact, I'm pretty sure he thinks all this stuff is crazy. The first time I told him I wanted to run a marathon, he thought I was joking, because we'd laughed at how ridiculous marathons were way back when I didn't run at all ("way back" being two years ago, plus change). But when I told him I was serious, that I was running the Chicago Marathon for Katie's hospital, his attitude totally changed. He has been so supportive throughout this process. I wake him up at 6:00 am as I head out the door (someone needs to know where I am!), and he always wishes me a good run. He's coming out to Chicago to cheer me on, despite having a hectic schedule with school, research, and law review work. I am so grateful for his support.


Reflections on Training

I wanted to take some time to reflect on my training cycle because, regardless of how Sunday goes, I've put 17 weeks into training for this thing. I'm proud of that on its own.

This training cycle hasn't been ideal. I drove 4,200 miles, which was hell on my legs (I'm still dealing with the hip tightness!). I traveled a lot. I had to run on super hilly trails or at high altitudes. And then, of course, I strained my hamstring right in the middle of what should have been my peak training weeks.

But I'm happy with how I made things work. I wouldn't change the road trip a bit, honestly. It was incredible to see so many parts of the glorious west, and it made running a joy, even when I was tired and achey.

I'll probably run Sunday's race slower than I would have if I'd just been in New York, concentrating solely on marathon training during my two months off between taking the bar exam and starting work. But my training memories would consist only of the West Side Highway and Central Park paths.

Instead, I look back on a training cycle that saw me running...

... on Pre's Trail in Eugene ...

... along the beach in Monterey ...

... up and down the Hollywood Hills ...

... through Venice Beach and Santa Monica ...

... along the Back Bay in Newport Beach ...

... through the Red Rocks of Sedona ...

... on dirt paths in (extremely) rural Utah ...

... past mountains in Provo ...

... along the Columbia River ...

... and past my favorite mountains in Washington: Mount Baker and the Twin Sisters.

It's been an incredible, whirlwind training cycle. Chicago, here I come!

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!!!

Workout Recap and Weekly Goals: Taper Week

Hi all!

So... the big week has arrived! Sunday morning I'll be toeing the line of my first marathon. And if all goes well, I *should* be a marathoner by 2:00 PM Eastern Time. Knock on wood (no, please, go knock on some wood for me).

Last week was both the start of "official" taper (as opposed to injury-induced low mileage) and the start of work, which coincided nicely. I also felt like I was fighting off some vague illness all week, so I tried to get as much sleep as possible and eat a lot of citrus and ginger.

OH and I saw Gravity this weekend. It was totally incredible, both in terms of acting and special effects. I was literally shaky as I left the theater because I'd been so on edge the entire time. Sandra Bullock is phenomenal and the movie's just a testament to how great special effects can coincide with great filmmaking. If you can see it in IMAX, definitely do that.

On to the training!


Chicago Marathon Training Recap: Week 16

I'm keeping this recap short and sweet. I'll have plenty to say after next Sunday, after all! And I plan on recapping my thoughts on this training cycle later this week, before the marathon.

I started tapering last week -- cutting down mileage and intensity of workouts in preparation for the marathon -- but since I'd already sort of been tapering due to my hamstring strain, I didn't feel weird. It just felt like the previous week! In a way, that's been good -- I haven't felt the "taper crazies" at all. We'll see how I feel in the coming week!

Monday: Rest day.


Tuesday: 30 minutes cycling + 20 minutes core/arms work.

Wednesday: Sadly aborted easy run due to hamstring pain. 3.18 miles around the Reservoir.

Splits -- (1) 10:52, (2) 11:12, (3) 11:40, (.18) 12:06 <-- you can see the pain kicking in


Thursday: Rest day to try to ease up on the hamstring.


Friday: 6 miles around the Reservoir (1:02:34).

Workout was supposed to be two warm-up miles, one mile at half marathon pace, one easy, one at half marathon pace, and a cool down mile. But my hamstring pain kicked in when I tried to bring the speed up a notch, so I had to settle for "speedier" miles.

Splits -- (1) 10:50, (2) 10:38, (3) 9:44, (4) 10:55, (5) 9:43, (6) 10:43.


Saturday: 45 minute Flywheel class.

Terrific class with Danielle. I wasn't supposed to spin at anything above "moderate," so I didn't... and I still hit my highest power number ever! That was a pretty exciting confidence boost.


Sunday: 7 mile "long run" around the Reservoir and in Riverside Park (1:13:22) + 5 minute of core work.

Horrendous weather (humid, misty, grey) plus a killer headache that refused to go away and a stomachache = stopped at 7 miles. If the marathon weren't a week away, I would have kept going, but I've felt like I'm getting sick all week so my number one priority is to stay healthy through Sunday. By mile 6, I had to start stopping every quarter mile because I felt sick to my stomach, so I decided to call it quits at mile 7.

Goal was 4 easy miles and 6 marathon paced miles. Pre-hamstring injury, my goal pace was 10:00ish, so that's what I went for. The good news? No hamstring pain!!

Splits -- (1) 11:02, (2) 11:09, (3) 10:36, (4) 10:40, (5) 10:04, (6) 9:55, (7) 9:55


Next Week's Training Schedule

This week is all about the R&R: rest and recovery! I want my body to be as strong as possible come Sunday. So, here's what Coach Jess has me doing:

• 2 easy runs (4 miles and 45 minutes)
• 1 easy spin
• 1 shakeout run (20 minutes) + 5 strides
• 1 marathon (no big deal)

Workout Recap and Weekly Goals: Back in NYC

Hi all! Happy Monday!

Hope you had a great weekend! After I got home from Washington late Wednesday night, I had a very productive few days, since I had to prep for today: my First Day of Work!

It's just orientation today, so nothing crazy, but it's still a huge milestone. While I've had a lot of internships where I worked full-time for 8-12 weeks, and at one point had three in a row so I worked for nine months straight, starting work today marks the first day of the rest of my working career. Pretty exciting!


Chicago Marathon Training Recap: Week 15

While flying back from Washington, I got addicted to Nerdist podcasts. They're almost all with comedians, so they're really amusing and also give you some great insights into the comedy world. I mainly watch comedies (both TV shows and movies), so it's neat to listen to someone like Billy Crystal talk about his comedic process.

I bring up podcasts because they're what got me through my solo twenty miler yesterday! I listened to Billy Crystal, Charlie Day (of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Aasif Mandvi (of The Daily Show), and Seth Rogen. I was so entertained that I was able to put aside my discomfort -- my hamstring continued to be uncomfortable and my legs just felt heavy the whole way.

Monday: Rest day. Walked 2 miles and had a physical therapy appointment. Also saw a gorgeous sunset.

Tuesday: 60 minute yoga class (taught by my dad).

Ouch, I am still super tight from all those miles in the car on my road trip!


Wednesday: 4.6 easy miles (48 minutes).

Ouch. It was COLD in washington when I went running -- about 45 degrees -- and I was in shorts and a long sleeve top. I felt okay, but I'm pretty sure the cold is what triggered some extreme hamstring pain later.

After improving for most of the previous week, my entire hamstring seized up on the two hour car ride down to the Seattle airport. I was in so much pain that I had to take four ibuprofen, and I almost never take ibuprofen, so it usually works pretty well on me when I have pain. Somehow, the pain disappeared, but I couldn't run Thursday as planned.


Thursday: 60 minute strength training session with trainer, Amanda.

We used a TRX and did exercises that only used my core and arms, leaving my right hamstring completely alone. My abs were sore for a few days, which was awesome after not having any intense strength training in a while.


Friday: Rest day. Physical therapy appointment.


Saturday: 2 easy miles (22:21) with Sourabh!

Without needing convincing, Sourabh came along on my shakeout run on Saturday! We kept a really easy pace since I didn't want to aggravate my hamstring at all. It was fun to run together and chat, and I loved getting back to the Reservoir, one of my favorite running paths in New York.


Sunday: 20 mile long run!!!

With a Sad Panda sighting! Highlight of my run? Either this or the Charlie Day podcast (I'm a big Always Sunny in Philadelphia fan).

This run never felt good. I feel like I'm kind of sick, so my stomach hurt and my throat felt swollen the whole run. My hamstring ached a bit, my legs felt like lead, and the whole thing never felt "easy." But it was one of the strongest long runs I've had because I just felt so mentally strong. I wasn't looking at how far I had left to run and feeling miserable... I just stayed in the mile I was in and tuned out the discomfort. Good practice for the marathon!

Even cooler, I did this run totally solo. I was concerned it would be really hard to do such a long run solo, but the podcasts provided conversation for me to listen to, and were the perfect company. I'm no longer worried about running a marathon by myself.

I kept the pace slow because of the hamstring -- I shouldn't try to speed up, according to the physical therapists. I did push the pace more at the end, just to see how much I had left, and was really happy with how much I seemed to have left in the tank.

Splits - (1) 11:03, (2) 11:29, (3) 11:21, (4) 11:24, (5) 11:28, (6)11:35, (7) 11:17, (8) 11:43 - Battery Park crowds, (9) 11:52 - Battery Park crowds, (10) 11:19, (11)11:30, (12) 11:29, (13) 11:36, (14) 11:42, (15) 11:39, (16) 11:35, (17) 11:06, (18) 11:01, (19) 10:41, (20) 10:06.


Total Mileage = 26.6

Not ideal mileage, but my hamstring is improving, and that's what counts, right?


Next Week's Training Schedule

Totally up in the air! No, seriously. With me feeling under the weather and needing to rest this hamstring, Coach Jess told me we're taking it one day at a time.


How was your weekend? Do you like to do some long runs solo to prep for race day?

Workout Recap and Weekly Goals: Wenatchee River Run

Hi all!

Hope you had a great weekend! I'm a day late with this training recap and race update because I only have a couple days left in Washington, so I'm trying to prioritize family time and sleep over blogging.

I spent the weekend on the "other" side of the Cascades (the east), in Wenatchee and Winthrop, WA. It's really stunning over there, and it was a great weekend with my parents. Even better, I was able to run my dad's first half marathon with him!!

Here's how it went down. After feeling pretty disheartened about my bum hamstring on Friday morning, I ran two miles with only discomfort, no pain. The physical therapist said that was the sign that I could attempt a half marathon with my dad on Saturday, as long as the pain never went above a "1-2" on a 1-10 scale. The PT checked me out post-run and gave me the OK to attempt the half.

As my parents and I headed to Wenatchee, I knew I'd start with my dad, but I wasn't sure how much I'd be able to complete with him. My dad's main goal was to finish, but he was hoping to come in under 2 hours and 30 minutes.

We got to Wenatchee around 7:00 in the evening, after crossing the mountains and seeing a great sunset, and proceeded to a well-rated sushi restaurant, Iwa Sushi and Grill, for pre-race fueling. The restaurant definitely deserved its four-star Yelp -- it was delicious!

My parents and I split the sushi for three dinner, then headed back to the hotel so my dad could do a mile shakeout run and I could log 20 minutes of cycling in the hotel's fitness center.

Saturday morning was the most relaxed pre-race morning I've ever had since the race didn't start until 10:00 AM. We were able to wake up at 8:00! Love small local races with late start times.

We picked up our packets in 5 minutes, then walked around Pybus Public Market until 9:45. The race started by the Market and ended in the heart of the Taste of Wenatchee food festival!

The Public Market has produce stalls, restaurants, and artisan wares; it's similar to Pike Place Market in Seattle, just smaller. It was a fun place to browse, and even better from a racing perspective -- real bathrooms with heat and running water!

About ten minutes before the start, the race coordinator asked everyone to line up at the start line, with those running the 5K and 10K getting in front and those running the half in back.

Can you tell I was a tad bit excited to be running a race with my dad? I took about five million pictures while we ran. Perks of not racing!! I can't wait to run a race with my mom next year -- she's gotten the OK to start running in two weeks from her doctor, after her minor surgery a few weeks ago.

After a megaphone countdown, we were off! I immediately had to hold my dad back as he wanted to run off with the 5K and 10Kers. I've so been there before... you've been waiting for a race, you're rested, and shooting off feels great -- you're easily able to hit that amazing pace! Of course, while that might work in a 5K, it definitely doesn't work in a half marathon, so I reeled him in, and we set off at a more sensible pace.

Have I mentioned that I'll never trust a western race/trail description again? Because I won't. Described as "gently rolling," this course had a LOT of hills. It was pretty similar to Central Park, with some mega inclines leading up to bridges when you crossed the Columbia River. Since it was an out and back that crossed the river four times altogether, there were quite a few steep hills.

Of course, we were running with views like that, and the weather was fantastic -- high 60s to low 70s with a cool breeze off the Columbia River. It got a bit hot near the end, but overall racing conditions were pretty optimal.

My hamstring wasn't 100% by any means, and it never felt comfortable during the race, but since the physical therapist said I could run as long as my hamstring didn't hurt, I was determined to keep going with my dad as long as it felt okay. And thankfully, my hamstring felt okay the whole time!

I was SO proud of how my dad toughed out the course! It was a total elevation gain of roughly 400 feet, compared to 500 for two loops of Central Park, so it was a tough first half marathon.

And to add to the difficulty, the half marathon ended with an uphill over a pedestrian footbridge into Wenatchee. But at least it meant you could sprint downhill to the finish! The finish line area had pretzels, bananas, orange slices, cookies, bagels, twizzlers, gatorade, and water. Quite the spread!

Thumbs-up for River Run Wenatchee!! I would definitely recommend the race, although it's not necessarily PR-friendly because of the hills. It's an awesome local race that doesn't skimp on the post-race festivities. And since Wenatchee gets 300 days of sunshine a year (yep, Eastern Washington is a lot sunnier than Western Washington!), you have a pretty good chance of a sunny race!

After the race, we showered then headed off to Winthrop, a cowboy town two hours north of Wenatchee, nestled in the North Cascades. The drive takes you along the Columbia River, past vineyards and apple orchards.

We had dinner up at the Sun Mountain Lodge, which is perched atop a mountain overlooking the Methow Valley and Cascade Mountains. The views were crazy gorgeous. I'd been to Winthrop before, but never up to the Sun Mountain Lodge, and seeing the area from that vantage point made me appreciate the Methow Valley so much more.

Also, Winthrop is adorable. We had breakfast in town and walked a bit around the downtown, then drove out to see Falls Creek Falls (yes, the name is slightly repetitive, I know). 

Finally, we headed back over the mountains and toward home! Highway 20 is an incredible drive through the Cascades, but unfortunately it was rainy, so we didn't get to see most of the peaks. 

Diablo Lake was still its brilliant turquoise color, though. I've always wondered why it's so green, so I looked it up (the internet is magic): "Ten percent of the glaciers in the lower forty-eight states grind rock into a fine powder that stays suspended in the lake. Light reflecting off those rock particles causes the intense turquoise lake color." (source) Cool, right??

Chicago Marathon Training Recap: Week 14

Since I was dealing with a bum hamstring, I did not quite have the ideal peak week of training. I'm not even going to bother posting what my assigned workouts were, since it'll just depress me. Here's what I was able to get done.

Monday: 2.75 miles around Green Lake in Seattle, WA

Hamstring pain got worse instead of better as I tried to log 10 miles around the lake. When I texted Coach Jess about the pain, she texted back that I should stop and not risk straining my hamstring further. Was so bummed that I didn't bother taking a picture of gorgeous Green Lake.

Tuesday: 75 minute gentle yoga class at 8 Limbs Yoga in Seattle, WA.

This class was a great deep stretching class, but unfortunately it just set off my hamstring further. Pain when I stretched confirmed to me I had an injury rather than just tight muscles, though, so... a good thing? At least the class helped me stretch out my oh-so-tight hips and calves!

Wednesday: Rest day / Physical Therapy appointment. 

Thursday: Rest day. Did 3 rounds of physical therapy exercises and walked 2 miles.

Friday: (1) 2 easy miles. (2) 20 minutes easy cycling. + Physical Therapy appointment.

Ran down the street by my house. No pictures, again. Apparently when I'm bummed about pulled muscles, I don't take pictures?

Flushed out legs with a quick cycling session after the four hour drive to Wenatchee. 

Saturday: 13.11 miles in Wenatchee, WA for River Run Half Marathon. 

I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of shocked/amazed at the lack of over-running. How did we manage to pretty much perfectly run the course??

Sunday: 60 minutes moderate cycling (20.5 miles)

I texted friends throughout this ride because sitting on a bike at the gym for an hour is extremely boring. But I did see a gorgeous sunset on my way to the gym, so... it balanced out? 

Total Mileage = 17.86 

Next Week's Training Schedule

Since I have to be extra cautious with this hamstring going forward, this week won't be full of high mileage. Instead, the priority is getting in a long run on healthy legs this Sunday. Here are the workouts Jess has on deck for me: 

• 2 strength workouts

• 1 yoga class

• 2 easy runs (60 minutes each)

• 1 cycling session (class or outside)

• 1 long run (20 miles -- crossing my fingers this goes okay!!)

Of course, in addition to this, I have to keep up with my physical therapy exercises and sleep a lot to make sure my body can heal itself as quickly as possible, to have me at 100% for race day. Which is less than 20 days away! AHH!!

How was your weekend? Have you ever raced with a parent or relative before?