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Weekly Run Down

Remember how last week I was complaining that we skipped fall and went right to winter? Well now we're back to almost summer-like weather. We did have some nice fall mornings this week and even some 60 degree mornings and 70 degree days. Between that weather and the time change it was a confusing week. But it did make for some good running weather!

Going Back Up The Weather Rollercoaster

November 14, 2021view the post

As expected, we had a few days of nice fall weather and then it started to feel like winter. It really feels like I was just complaining about the heat 2 weeks ago, and now it's below freezing in the mornings. I think it might get a little warmer again next week, but not much. Anyway, here's my week of workouts after our nice 3 days of fall!

Our 3 Days of Fall

November 7, 2021view the post

October has been such a weird month and I can't believe it's over already! It started out with my marathon, then I took some time off, and spent the rest of the month running easy. We've always had a house full of germs all month which is always fun. But at least the weather has finally cooled off! Since I didn't write a weekly run down last week I'm going to briefly are the last 2 weeks of training as we are wrapping up October.

Wrapping Up October

October 31, 2021view the post

The past two weeks were all about recovery from my marathon. Well, they should have been. However, it wasn't all just about race recovery. I took the first week off from running (and all exercise) and also fought off a stomach bug. The second week I started easing back into some light workouts. Let's take a look at how these marathon race recovery weeks played out.

Marathon Race Recovery Weeks

October 17, 2021view the post

Somehow, after 16 weeks of training, it is already race week! I'm drafting this before my race and will just try to pop in Saturday afternoon to add some last minute updates. Hopefully by the time this goes live the race will successfully by completed! Let's take a look at training week 16: race week!

Training Week 16: Race Week!

October 3, 2021view the post

This was technically my second week of the taper, but it was the first week that felt like alot less. I ran 5 days instead of 6, with just 1 workout. My long run was only 10 miles. And next week will be even less, until the weekend that is! It was another week of ups and down. I feel like evert week I am questioning if this race will happen. I won't know for sure until I'm there doing it. Let's take a look at this week's workouts, which was a week of ups and downs.

Training Week 15: A Week Of Ups and Downs

September 26, 2021view the post

Feeling like your running just isn't progressing the way you would like? Here are some ways to overcome a running slump!

Tips for Overcoming a Running Slump

September 22, 2021view the post

, but now my concern is that it will be warm on race day. I guess the good news is that I trained through the heat all summer, so I'll be prepared for it. But I was really counting on some cooler weather to make running feel a bit easier at this point in the season!

Training Week 14: The Return of the Heat

September 19, 2021view the post

actually get my workouts done. Everything worked out for the most part and I got in my miles. But it was still an eventful week!

Training Week 13: Surviving the Peak Week

September 12, 2021view the post

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Alright, my last post about the Richmond Marathon Alright, my last post about the Richmond Marathon (maybe). This one is about lessons learned/areas for improvement.

1) Starting in the right corral- I knew I wanted to start a little slow but I think I started too far back and I ended up boxed in later in the race. 

2) Increasing fueling- I think I did the best I could on this day but now that I know more about what works/doesn’t work for me I think I can try to get my carbs/hr a little higher for next time

3) Self-doubt- On paper I knew my training showed I could run a certain time. My coach knew I could run a certain time. But deep down did I believe I could run that time? I’m not really sure.

4) My right piriformis- This little muscle has been giving me trouble FOREVER and it likes to rear its ugly head the most during races. I’m working with a PT but it’s hard to address the issue when I can go months without any problems and then at mile 15 of a marathon it starts acting up. So while this is certainly an area for improvement I am not really sure what I’ll be able to do to keep it from happening next time.

5) Ignore the data leading up to the race- During race week my sleep scores were horrible, my HRV tanked, and my watch told me I was “strained”. I might just stop wearing it during the taper next time.

What lessons have you learned during a marathon or big race?

@richmondmarathon #racerecap
It’s been 5 days since the Richmond Marathon and i It’s been 5 days since the Richmond Marathon and it feels like a lifetime ago! I am working on my full race recap which I will post on my website but I wanted to share some reflections on here. Today I want to focus on what went well. Every finish line is an accomplishment, and while every race can teach us something I think it’s always important to focus on the positive.

First off, Richmond was a great race with amazing crowd support! There were some hills (a few steeper than I expected) but nothing crazy.

Fueling went well- after my train wreck of a run a few weeks ago I had to adjust my fueling plan and took out the Tailwind High Carb and went back to regular Skratch instead. I tried to make up for the difference with gels but my overall carbs per hour was a little less than it had been when using the Tailwind. I think I got about 65 g/hour so I’d like to get that up a bit next time but I didn’t get nauseous and took gels up until the end of the race.

Shoes felt good- during that same training run I had some top of foot soreness from my laces. I changed my lacing technique and had no issues on race day. 

Mindset- I did a lot of work preparing for the race mentally and was able to use those strategies during the race. I focused on one mile at a time and shifted my goals when I knew my original goal was not going to happen. 

Pacing- Even though I didn’t run my goal pace I was able to run fairly consistently without drastically slowing down at the end. 

Recovery- I felt pretty good following the race and wasn’t even sore anymore by Tuesday. This was probably the least sore I’ve been after a marathon.

Strong training cycle- this year I feel like I’ve been clawing my way back to where I was a year ago after several illnesses last winter and spring. I had a great training cycle with @lauranorrisrunning and I know I’ve made more progress than my race time shows.

Marathons are a huge investment so I really tried to make the most of the experience!

@richmondmarathon #racerecap
Happy Medal Monday! I can’t believe the Richmond M Happy Medal Monday! I can’t believe the Richmond Marathon was only 2 days ago. I’m barely sore (probably because I was trained for a faster time than I ran) and am feeling good.

I included a list of my marathon times on the last slide here, which I posted in my stories yesterday. I got some messages about how others can relate to feeling like their times “reset” at a certain point- whether it was after an injury, having kids, or just time off from running.

I think we can get so caught up in PRs that it may take away from the overall progress made in the process of training. Sure, there are runners who come back from having kids and immediately set a new lifetime PR. But many of us will need to chip away at our times to get to where we want to be.

Focusing on progress and the gains made in a training cycle vs a specific race time can help to keep things in perspective!

Now, I’m trying to figure out spring racing plans. What’s everyone running this spring?

#medalmonday
What a day! This race (and really, this week) was What a day! This race (and really, this week) was a rollercoaster. I knew pretty early on that my legs and my lungs were not feeling my goal pace. Each time I sped up it felt really hard- way too hard to not even be at 10 miles yet. So I just focused on running the effort that my body would allow. I used all the mental strategies I had to get through each mile. Ultimately, I wanted to run faster than my marathon last November, which I did by almost 2 minutes, making this a postpartum PR. More importantly, I smiled almost the whole time.

After finishing we had to rush to get out of our hotel room and spent the whole afternoon driving home. Over the past 2 days I’ve spent almost 10 hours in the car.

More to come soon…just hoping to get home and get some rest soon!

#richmondmarathon
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