as if i needed an excuse

Happy World Pasta Day!  As if I needed another excuse to eat pasta...  If you don't know me well, you may not know my love for the stuff.  I would probably eat pasta every day of the week if my waistline would let me get away with it.  Heck, I'd eat carbs all day, every day if I'd let myself.  Being a runner, perhaps I feel more free to eat the stuff without the guilt that some people may feel.  Also, I have no allergies which makes it very easy to enjoy it any way I want it.  (Gluten is not the devil...)

I'm not picky how I like my pasta.  I will eat it with butter and parm, pesto, red sauce (why is this called gravy in the Northeast?!), cheese, plain, and sometimes, if I'm feeling peckish and just can wait for the water to boil, I've been known to snack on raw pasta.  Don't judge me.

Today, I celebrated with some leftover pumpkin lasagna.  I made it for my Life Community group on Sunday and have been forcing down enjoying the leftovers all week.  It sounds a bit strange...but it's actually really good!  I'm getting a bit nauseous with pumpkin overload this year (is it me or is it literally in everything?!) but I couldn't pass up this recipe.  Here's the finished product (with a healthy amount of parm - gosh, I can't wait for World Parmesan Day...).

once, twice, three times

Here's the thing about how I train for races:  I don't do the fancy stuff.  The tempo runs, the track workouts, the speed stuff.  I just don't do it...  I run (and run and run and run).  There is one type of workout that we're always told to do that I especially shy away from - the hill repeats. 

Just saying it gives me shivers up my spine.  Running up a challenging hill and knowing you have to do that again and again.  I typically avoid this at all costs.  Sure, I'll throw in a hill every now and again.  I try to get at least one good one on every run, especially on the long runs.  Yesterday, though, I got it in my head that since it was so nice out I would do a few hill repeats on The Hill.  If you're familiar with Wakefield, it's Prospect St, just over the railroad tracks heading up toward Stoneham.  It's one of my least favorite hills to run but once in a while I get the urge to conquer it.  That's what happened last night.

The first time:

For me, the first slow slog up the hill is the worst.  I didn't feel good yet, I wasn't in the groove.  In fact, halfway up I said to myself, "There is no way I am doing this two more times.  No.  Way."  But when I made it to the top, I felt better and resolved to make it up at least once more.

The second time:

Not nearly as bad as the first.  I felt stronger and, except for pausing to take the picture, put my head down and drove myself up this bad boy.  I realize from these pictures that you don't get a good grasp on the severity of this hill.  Let me put it this way:  When my previous car was on it's way to death, I avoided this hill at all costs because I didn't think it could actually make it all the way up.  It's long and steep, where the white house is, it curves around and inclines more.

The third and final time:

This was the best time.  I felt super strong and invincible!  I powered my way up with my head up and determination in my mind.  This hill ain't nothin'.  In fact, I lapped a woman walking up on the other side of the street.  She was just beginning the hill on my second time around and when I reached the top of the hill the third time, she had just reached the intersection where I turned off.  Now, tell me that wouldn't make you feel like a beast while doing hill repeats! 

The reward:

Each loop included a nice long downhill as a reward for climbing up hill.  I savored the downhills and ran as fast as I dared, keeping in mind my ITBS prone right side. 

As I was making my way back home, I realized I had a bit more time to spend out on the roads.  I really made the most of it I had by tacking on just one more little hill.  This one is in my typical route.  Why not throw in another hill?!

It was an extremely pleasant fall run - perfect temps, perfect time of day.  I made it home just in time to whip up some chicken sausage, sauteed with red and green peppers and onions over quinoa for dinner before spending time catching up with friends.  And I now have a new appreciation for hill workouts.  The other fancy stuff can wait...for now. 

survival training

I went out for a loooong run yesterday morning.  As I was leaving, my roommate said to me, "You look like you're either going for a run or survival training!"  I jokingly told her, "Yes."  But as I was in the midst of the run, I realized she was right.

Our long runs, as half marathoners and full marathoners, are survival training.  We try different clothes to find out what is most comfortable, doesn't chafe or bunch.  We try different energy supplements to see what will work best on our tummies mid-run.  We test our physical limits, pushing ourselves further and further, faster and faster each run.  It really is survival training when we're out there, week after week, racking up the mileage.

I find that it is also about testing the limits we have mentally, too.  How can you be at the point when you want to absolutely give up, and yet find the resolve to push through the last miles (sometimes 6 or more!)?  How can you find the strength to push through what you thought were your limits?  You do that by running long runs.  Finding how to do that in these brutal, often lonely, long runs are what helps you survive that marathon.  You know you can do it there because you have done it out on those roads, alone, without the water stations and med tents and crowd support.

When you get to the marathon, you find out how your survival training really went.  Did it pay off, or do you have to adjust some things for the next big race?  Based on yesterday, I know there are some things that I need to adjust for next time.  Running a half marathon a month while training for a full marathon has been harder than I thought.  I'm tired and just don't feel like I have it in me.  Between miles 13-16 yesterday, I thought a lot about switching to the half in Memphis instead of attempting the full.  But when I got home, I realized that this is all part of it.  Even if I don't train as much as I did for Boston, I am still training.  And I can do it.  I will do it.  But this cycle of survival  marathon training has just been a bit different, and less rewarding.

I only gutted out 17.65mi yesterday.  While I felt really disappointed and frustrated in myself, I know that I have another 7wks to go till marathon day and I WILL get my 20+ miles.  And I will survive that marathon.  That's what the last six months have been about.

2, 5, and 7

I have three more races planned for the remainder of 2012.  Is it just me, or did this year absolutely FLY by?!  April 16th feels like just yesterday...  Alas, we are in the last months and rapidly darkening days of 2012.  It's been a fun year, challenging in many ways but fun.  Perhaps we'll get to that sometime in December...there's no use in recapping the year just yet!  As I said, I have another three whole races on my calendar.

2 - In two weeks, I'll be up in Newburyport with 1500 other women and 1 man running the All Women and One Lucky Guy Half Marathon.  I find it interesting that I no longer think twice about this distance.  For a long time running a half was a Big Deal.  And now, I'm not even obsessing about the weather or what I'll wear!  What I am thinking about and getting excited for is celebrating my birthday with brunch after the race with friends.  Yay!

5 - Prepare to have your mind blown:  Thanksgiving is just 5wks away.  Yep.  Whoa.  I've run the Feaster Five in Andover the past two years.  The past two years upon completing the race I say, "Never again."  It is the definition of crowded.  10,000 people take to the streets of a small New England town at the same time to run on the same streets.  And yet, every year, I have friends running it...and I can't NOT run a race that friends are doing too!!!  This year there are at least 10 people I know running it.  Want to earn your turkey?  Join us!  Oh, did I mention every runner gets a free pie when they finish?  (Now you know what my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner is...)

7 - Marathon time!!  I am getting SO excited for this race, I can't even tell you!  It's not that I'm excited to run another 26.2mi (which I am, but that's secondary), I'm excited to see my dear friend, Erika and her little family.  I'm excited to see Memphis - nothing like running through a city to see the sights!  I get to eat southern food!!!  I'm excited to then drive up to Louisville, KY to see my mom, dad, and brother.  We'll celebrate my dad's and my birthdays and Christmas.  It's going to be such a fun trip!

Before I get to any of these, though, I've got a 20miler to get through tomorrow.  Oh boy...

long runs and taxes

There are a few things in life that you just cannot avoid.  As a runner, training for a marathon, one cannot avoid the long runs.  Long runs can range anywhere between 6mi - 22mi (or even longer if you're training for an Ultra Marathon - anything over the standard 26.2).  You recall a couple of weekends ago I ran two halves.  I counted that as a long run (and rightly so, I believe!).  Last weekend, I logged a slow, ugly 17miles.  This week, I've a 20miler on the schedule.

Long runs aren't meant to be easy; let me tell you they are not.  But they are absolutely necessary - for me, anyway.  I've heard of some people who never run farther than a half in training and go run a full marathon...more power to 'em.  I have to work hard for my marathons!  And I'm glad for that, I like seeing my hard work pay off.

Before the long run, I pack up my Camelbak, 3-4 Gu's, my phone, my ID bracelet, and another form of energy supplement (candy, shotbloks, gum, honey packets, etc).  I think about where I'm going to run, if there will be sidewalks, if there will be hills.  I worry about what the weather will be like and what I should wear.  But when the day of the long run comes, I just go out there and get after it as best I can.

Perhaps the thought of logging 20mi or running for 3.5hrs seems unreasonable to you.  It did to me before I started training for marathons!  I would have tried to avoid something like that at all costs...  But now that I do crazy things like this, I'm finding that I don't want to avoid these runs.  I want to pay my dues to make my experience at the marathon a good one.

Now, has anyone seen a weather report for Boston on Saturday?  ;)

race photos

I've mentioned before how unattractive race photos are...but sometimes you get some good ones!  I had some good shots at the Great Bay Half in April (of course, they are no longer available online...).  A few of my marathon photos came out really well.  And the first half from this past weekend had some fun shots.

Check out the link:  http://www2.brightroom.com/104379/247

Here are the photos from my second half of the weekend: (type my last name then search B.A.A Half Marathon in the race section)  http://www.marathonfoto.com/index.cfm

Race photos don't always turn out well...but they are fun to look back at and remember a fun day (or two) of racing with friends.  Enjoy!

a marathon weekend

I didn't run a full marathon this weekend, but two halves in two days makes me feel a little bit like I did.  Case in point:  I went to bed at 8:30pm last night and slept until 6:30am this morning.  Also, feeling just a bit creaky this am, and pretty dehydrated.  All of which are common after a full marathon.

Note:  I apologize for my weather related freak-out last week.  The races (though 20deg different) were mostly sunny and dry.

Anyway, let me give you some race recaps and a few pictures along the way.

Applefest - Saturday, Oct 6th

This was a small but very efficiently run race.  They should have it down...the race is 30yrs old!  Registration was seamless, bag check was very easy, and the start was well executed - except for the canned Lee Greenwood national anthem, but you can't do everything right.  The course was especially pretty.  We ran through back roads covered with leaves, beautiful vistas with lots of color on the trees.  We even passed an alpaca farm.  I may or may not have made a Napoleon Dynamite joke...

Around mile 9 we hit an especially challenging hill which slowed us down, we had consistently be running between 10:15 and 10:30's.  Another big on at mile 10 had us walking up it, then we picked it up and finished out the race with an even pace of about 10:45's.  As soon as Jocelyn saw the 13mi marker she became another person and took off.  I did not stay with her...I tried but she had turbo boosters under her capri pants or something.  I ended up with a 2:21:58, she was 7sec faster.

Here are some pics:

The medal doubled as a bottle opener.  I tested it out later that evening. 

That brings us to Sunday!

BAA Half Marathon, Oct 7th

The BAA always puts on a great run and this was no exception.  The race started much earlier than Saturday's so I was up before the sun and on the T by 6:30am.  There was a shuttle from the T station to and from the start of the race - this is something that is always done well by the BAA.  TONS of buses, hardly any waiting time, and they were warm.

It was much chillier on Sunday, 45 deg at the start as opposed to 67 deg.  I much prefer the 45deg but with just a light long sleeved shirt, I think I over dressed.  With the sun, it warmed up pretty quickly on the course.  Speaking of the course, it was very scenic.  We ran through the Arboretum, the Emerald Necklace, and finished by running through the Franklin Park Zoo.  It was tough course with a significant hill at mile 11.  Perhaps it seemed especially tough due to running a half the day before...  While ticking off the miles, I silently converted them from half marathon miles to full marathon miles; instead of mile 8, I was at mile 21, etc.  It made me feel better and a little bit more BA.  :)  Whatever works, right?

The last two miles left a little to be desired.  We ran through the zoo and at a few points needed to be single file.  Then we were ushered into a stadium (I have no clue what one) onto a track where we had to go halfway around to the finish line.  Not that big of a deal, but at that point I was sick of all the turns (and turn arounds - 3 in the course) and just wanted to finish already.

After I finished, I grabbed my bag from the baggage check and headed off to find John and Brian.  They both PR'ed and John (who ran the BAA Medley - a 5K,10K and the HM) finished in 11th place overall in the Medley.  Incredible.  I finished almost 5min faster than the day before with a 2:17:50.  If it were a marathon, I would have PR'ed - 4:39:48 (or something like that...)  Below are some pics from Sunday.

Why is my bagel from Dunkin's triangle-shaped?!

Before and After

Overall, it was a great weekend!!  I'm so glad I did it...even though it was a bit crazy.  Not sure I'll try something like this again, but it's exciting to push yourself to see how far you can go - not just with running, but with anything in life.  We don't know our limits until we push them.  I proved to myself that I could do this...now I wonder what limit I can push next.  Perhaps a legitimate PR in Memphis in Dec?  Who knows...

20 degrees

Do you get sick of my weather updates before a long run or a big race?  Well, too bad.  I was hoping for some nice weather this weekend: cool, sunny, breezy, maybe a little cloudy.  Unfortunately for me and for all the other people running the same races I am (Applefest and the BAA Half), the weather is not going to cooperate very much at all.

It's only a 30% chance on both days, for which I'm grateful, but it doesn't look too promising.  And what's with the 20 degree difference in temperature?!  Nearly 80 one day, the next not even 60!  Oh, Autumn, you are a finicky, finicky thing...

Check back tomorrow for a recap of Applefest (and hopefully some pictures too!).  

labels

I thought I'd start labeling my posts.  I've been curious as to why people would find and read this blog if they didn't already know me.  I've noticed a few readers from places such as Germany, Mexico, Russia, and more.  Perhaps my friends are just well traveled, or perhaps I have readers whom I have never met!  (That's kind of exciting!)  If that's you, allow me to introduce myself - I'm Angela and I'm a runner.

I was not always labeled a runner.  If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that to be true.  I've been labeled any number of awful things in the past, but have recently been labeled some positive things:  a runner, in-shape, funny, pretty, crazy, pretty crazy (mainly due to this coming weekend), among other things.  It's hard to have the positive labels stick.  It's so much easier, for me anyway, to believe the bad ones.  The labels that tell me I am not all of these good things, rather I am the opposite of those things.

I put my foot down and will not believe that I am the opposite of the good things.  The labels that I stick myself with (or allow others to stick me with) will be the good things about me.  I fully embrace the "pretty crazy" label...in my book, that's a good thing.  :) 

Have you ever been labeled something?  Good or bad?  Are you also thinking about the Wemmicks?!

i didn't earn it

I have a friend who works the Reach the Beach race in NH (and now MA and NJ) every year.  It's a 24hr, 200mi long relay race.  Teams of 12 each run 3-4 legs of the race - overnight, rain or shine.  Once in a while she will give me some swag...  One year she gave me a sweet jacket that is super warm.

This past Sunday, she gave me a RTB tech shirt.  It fits perfectly and was just the thing to wear when I went out for my run yesterday.  The only thing is I didn't earn the shirt.  I didn't run the race.  And so I felt a little guilty for wearing the shirt.  I know, I know, I should just be grateful I have another comfortable short-sleeved tech shirt in my drawer...but I feel a little bit like a poser wearing the shirt and not having put in the work of a 24hr, 200mi relay race.  Wouldn't you?  Some day I hope to be a part of team that actually does the race.  I mean, it sounds pretty flippin' sweet, right?!  But I haven't yet...

I know that I will still wear this shirt even though I didn't earn it, but I might be more inclined to wear the short-sleeved race shirts that I did earn:  a couple from some half marathons this year, my Chicago and Kalamazoo marathon shirts, and the Great Bay half I did with friends a week before Boston. 

For the record, I did 8.4mi yesterday (at a 9:15 pace!) and have another 4mi or so on the schedule for today.  It's gonna be a big mileage week!!

this and that

Holy moly, it's October.  I'm not sure how you feel about this...but I'm a little bit sad that the fall seems to be slipping by so quickly!  I have been loving the cooler weather, less humidity, leaves rustling on the ground, partly cloudy skies.  I've told you before just how much I love this time of year, I just wish it lasted longer.

But anyway.  Let me catch you up a bit on what's been happening.  Last week I didn't run a lot, but the runs I did get in were quality:

• 4.5mi at an 8:51 pace
• 6.6mi on Wed and
• 6.1mi on Thurs
• 3.1 at an 8:30 pace

I know it's not a great number of mileage but, like I said, I feel pretty good about the quality of the miles I got in.  My GPS watch let me down for the first time this past week.  I hadn't updated the satellites in a few days so I know that it was my fault...but it was a bit frustrating.  It's back to working properly again.  Note to self (and others with a GPS watch):  Plug it in every couple of days even if it doesn't need to be charged.

This week will be a big mileage week - much more so than last.  In case you don't remember, I have two half marathons this weekend!  One on Saturday, one on Sunday.  I'm really excited about both of them, but I know that they will both be challenging.  Each are hilly and each are downhill for the first half, uphill for the second half.  Super.  Can't wait.  At least I'll have some friends at each one!

I'm planning on a 9-11miler tonight and it's the perfect day for it!  Cloudy, cool and breezy.  Can't wait to get out of the office!