Providence Marathon Race Report

The short report: The official time was 3:22:38. On the up side, that's a 4 minute PR. On the downside, I think I'm in better shape.

Now, the slightly longer version...

Pre-race week:
My right arch was killing me. From the symptoms, it seemed like plantar fasciitis, but I'm positive running isn't what started the issue. It must have been a bad pair of shoes I wore to work. While running didn't cause the issue, it definitely exacerbated it. I ran an 8 mile tempo at half marathon pace about a week out. Before the tempo there was a twinge, but it wasn't much worse when I finished. The next day I ran easy, and after that it was full blown pain. It hurt to walk even. I took the four days leading up to the race off and actively did the whole RICE thing. Friday before the race my arch finally stopped hurting while walking. I stepped up to the line pain free and well rested...though I was wondering at what point (during the race) my arch would start to hurt.

The race start:
My race plan was loose. Based on my training, I figured somewhere  between 7:20 and 7:40 pace was reasonable, but I didn't want to force any particular pace, so the plan was to go out and see how I felt. My first mile was 7:20, and it felt right, so I went with that. The first 16 miles were 7:21 pace, but...then things got complicated.

Mid-race:
The first 16 miles were good to me. There were more hills than I remember, but I was handling them. I was drinking and taking gels at my normal rate, but at around 15 miles I stopped sweating, and though I was still drinking I just stopped sweating. It's probably worth mentioning that the temperature was comfortable in the fifties, but it was 90% humidity. Maybe that's why I had an issue? I don't know, but by 16 miles my legs really started burning. It was strange because it felt like the last mile of a 5k when I'm having asthma issues, BUT my breathing was great. My breathing and heart rate were both great. But my legs were burning. At that point, I just had to hang on. Over the next four miles, my pace slowed, but I was still hanging on.

The race finish:
The last 10k was a struggle, which is pretty typical for a marathon. My breathing and heart rate were still great, but the burning in my legs was bad enough that running down hills hurt (like walking down the stairs the day after a marathon hurt).  I just kept moving forward, and slowing down. The last 10k was over 8:00 pace per mile. My official time was 3:22:38, which is 7:44 pace.

Reflections:
I guess maybe I went out too fast, but the pace felt right at the time, and I don't regret my calculated risk. Would I have run faster overall if I had gone out at 7:30 pace? Maybe. Maybe not. I do know I'm much faster over shorter distances right now. Perhaps I simply didn't have the endurance necessary to cover the distance at my initial pace. That happens to runners all the time...

The awesomeness of the race:
I felt great! (Well minus that whole leg rebellion thing during the last 10 miles.) No nausea! I wasn't crazy tired after either, but my legs hurt enough that I knew I gave all I had for the day. (I actually had trouble sleeping last night my legs are so sore.) No arch pain at all! No other pains! I remain injury free, and ready for a speedy recovery! And it was just a great day. The kids had a great morning with Nick, my parents were biking all over the course offering me water and Gatorade, and we all had an awesome lunch together afterwards! Just an overall great day for me.  (Huge thanks to Nick and my parents!)

One last item:
I ran this one for you, Connor! You are one tough little man fighting DMD!

My mom insisted we get my number in the pic...

My littlest lady has the bluest eyes ever! (Actually so does my other little lady...)

Me at the end of the day. My t-shirt says Sunnydale High School. Anyone know what that's from?

Countdown: Day 7, Solving Problems

What do you do when there are only 7 short days until your marathon and something hurts? The solution is obvious really: tape it baby. Tape it.

I mean duct tape was good enough to get MacGyver through 139 life threatening situations, so it should be good enough to cure some insignificant little pain before a marathon. Obviously. (Anyone else ever watch MacGyver? I loved that show!) Getting back to the cure all tape, I once saw an episode of King of the Hill, where Peggy Hill used duct tape to both tape up her butt and make her feet smaller! Poor Peggy Hill you were beautiful before the duct tape! Also, I've heard that duct tape can remove warts...Interesting. What's the lesson here?  Tape can solve your problem...

Okay, maybe tape can't solve your problem, but I have had good luck using something called KT tape in the past. I've used it during a time when I was having some Achilles tendinitis issues, during times when my IT band was irritated, and now for my arch. Does it cure all my issues? Not really, but it has helped (along with doing the normal the rest, ice, compress, elevate stuff). Will I run the marathon with KT tape? No. I did run with KT tape last year on my knee, which worked out fine, but the risk of the tape coming loose in my shoe and causing blisters is too great with a taped arch. Mostly I'm using it to provide some extra support and rest this week leading up the big day.

With 7 days left, it's time to start stalking the weather. Today's prediction for race day? High of 62 with chance of showers. Now for those of you who were unfortunate enough to run Boston in like 90 degree heat, don't worry 7 days is still a long time. There's plenty of time for the weather to go awry.  ;)

Yesterday I turned 33

Oh, and like thousands of people ran Boston, the oldest annual marathon, in record high temperatures. But turning 33 is a big deal too. Right? Right!? ;)

Congratulations to all you tough cookies out there! I had some typically super fast friends that didn't break four hours yesterday at Boston, so I'm thinking it was one heck of a day to run. And though, it may not have yielded PR's, I'm sure there are plenty of war stories to share for years to come.

Speaking of marathons, Providence is 19 days away! I'm officially tapering, and not injured! After following Boston yesterday, I am hoping that it's not ridiculously warm at Providence. Though, even if it is going to be warm, it probably still won't be as bad as Boston. Start time is at 8:00, unlike Boston where the start is a lot later (and therefore warmer). In fact, I ran my last 20 miler yesterday, and it wasn't so bad. I left a little after 8:00 when the temperature was just under 70 degrees, and returned just before 11:00 when the temperature was hitting 80 degrees. Warmer than I would like, but workable. I didn't run super fast. I ran as slow as I had to for the run to be easy, which wound up being 8:31 pace. It was also an extremely hilly course. Overall, I'm pleased. I'm actually happy that I had the opportunity to run a long run in some warmer temperatures. My previous three 20 milers were run at temperatures around 40 degrees (and lower), and obviously it's not going to be that cool on race day.

Here I am after 20 miles and having just turned 33!

This training cycle hasn't been perfect, but still may be my best to date. I've run four 20 milers, managed to incorporate speed work, and am injury free! My peak week was only around 50 miles. I would have liked that 50 miles to be 60 miles, but still, adding speed work into my marathon training is (for me) a big deal.

I'm looking forward to tapering and getting excited to run my 5th marathon in 19 days! I also may run a 5K this upcoming weekend. I haven't decided. I know AM is running a 5K in Cambridge, which is tempting because I think we would make a great team for at least the first mile or two, but I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up after running a 20 miler yesterday. (My 5 mile recovery run today was more difficult than expected, though it was 80 degrees again so that probably didn't help.) There's also a more convenient 5K that I could run (if I just want to get in some speed). We'll see...

Just to throw in a random tidbit, one of my birthday gifts from Nick was the first season of Mad Men on Blu Ray. We watched the first two episodes last night, and it was captivating! (Though it did make me want to punch the main character a number of times for his sexist remarks.) I am so glad that it's not the 1950's...I mean in the 1950's women couldn't even compete in marathons! I can't even imagine what that was like. ;)

Connor's Crusaders

The folks over at Cox Rhode Races have been encouraging the runners to use their marathon training as an opportunity to raise money for a good cause. Generally, I'm much more likely to donate to a good cause than try to raise money for one. That's just my way. Recently, however, I discovered that a couple of good friends of mine from my teenage years have a son, Connor, with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Connor is Kaylee's age, and I imagine that he's a lot like Kaylee in many ways. He probably plays with Legos, plays pretend, and enjoys chaos as most pre-schoolers do. But Connor is different too. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is going to make Connor's life harder. I can't do anything about Connor's DMD, but I'd like to help. I'm dedicating my marathon to Connor's cause, and since the folks over at Cox Rhodes Races have been kind enough to give me a number, I will begin by donating the cost of a number ($100) to Connor's Crusaders. Below is a letter written by Jon and Kira, Connor's parents, explaining DMD and the Connor's Crusaders special needs trust fund. You also visit Connor's Cure, which currently has a post quoting a local paper story on Connor and his family. All donations are greatly appreciated!

Join Connor’s Crusaders . . . to help Connor with the battle of his life! Connor has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. DMD is a degenerative muscle wasting disease affecting 1 in 3,500 mainly boys. DMD will put this lively 4 ½ year old in a wheelchair between 10-12. Boys with this disease don’t usually survive into their twenties due to heart and lung issues. These muscles will weaken to the point of failure. There is no cure and it’s 100% fatal.

While Connor’s diagnosis has been difficult, we are focusing on how we can improve the quality of his life. And that means many appointments, travel, treatments and costs. Big ones are the wheelchairs, van and home modifications. Day to day items include supplements, orthotics, and steroids.

We have set up a fund to help defray the costs of his care. Our goal is to keep him walking for as long as possible until a cure is found. This is a Special Needs Trust Fund ONLY for Connor that can only be withdrawn from under very specific circumstances such as medical need.

While donations to the MDA and other Duchenne communities are greatly needed to fund research so that we can find a cure, we are focusing our efforts on improving his quality of life now and into his future. Contributions on a personal level for Connor and his specific needs are immensely needed and appreciated.

We will be holding an annual event however details are yet to be determined. If anyone has any ideas or would like to help, please let us know.

For every minute for me, it’s really four minutes for him. For every meal, it’s four. For every Birthday for me, it’s really four Birthdays for him. Let’s make every second count!

Gratefully,
Jon and Kira Mullaly

To donate to Connor's Crusaders through PayPal please click below. You don't need a PayPal account. Donations can be made via credit card. It's safe and secure, goes straight into the Connor's Crusaders fund, and it's for a great cause!

Fastest 20 miler EVA!

Well, my fastest 20 miler to date anyway.

Saturday I had 20 miles planned, but to be honest, I wasn't even sure the run would happen. Things have been a bit crazy around here. When I realized the run would in fact happen, I wasn't sure what to expect from myself. Thursday I ran a hard interval workout and I was assuming the old legs would still be recovering.

I began the run as I begin most of my runs now. Easy. I just ran. I didn't look at my garmin. I just ran. Around 4 or 5 miles I checked my pace, 7:50, and that was fine. And the miles kept flying by. Miles 1 -12 were mostly in the 7:40 range.

Then something happened. The effort felt slightly harder, when my garmin beeped at me, I saw a 7:13. Of course, I then thought I might as well see how long I could maintain that pace. (Apparently, my body wanted to run that fast anyway.) As it turns out, I was able to hold onto that pace pretty well. It's worth mentioning that the last 5 miles were quite hilly. Miles 18 and 19, where I slowed a bit, were the hilliest miles.

Spits for miles 13-20:

13 - 7:13

14 - 7:08

15 - 7:08

16 - 7:08

17 - 7:11

18 - 7:23

19- 7:35

20 - 7:07

The end result was 20 miles with an average pace of 7:30. My fastest ever! I also only drank 6 ounces of water and took 1.5 gels during the run. I didn't feel sick for the day and I'm not sore today. In fact, I ran a hilly 7 miler with the running stroller this morning at 8:50 pace (which is actually a good pace). Anyway, I am really shocked by the whole thing...

So what does this mean for the marathon? Beats me. It was a good run, but it was just one good run. My running mileage and workouts right now are more conducive to running a good 5K or even a good half marathon. I am lacking the endurance necessary to ensure a great marathon (for me). So, no solid goals at this point. I am starting to get excited though! Only two more weeks with mileage increases, one more 20 miler, and then it's time to taper! Woo hoo!

In a day or two, I'll have another post for you. The folks over at Cox Rhode Races are encouraging the runners to run for a cause. There are a ton of charities to choose from, but I hate asking people for money. Well, I've had a change of heart. I recently found out that a close friend from my teenage years has a child with duchenne muscular dystrophy. I'll be trying to raise money for their little boy, Connor. More about all that later...

I hope everyone's training is going stellar! I'll be rooting for all you Boston runners!

Providence is right around the corner!

Seven weeks until the Cox Providence Marathon! Seven!

This has to be my craziest marathon training cycle to date. On the home front, we have been busy. So very busy, that I haven't been thinking much about training. Everyone also got sick again, but for whatever reason the sickness didn't really impact my running much. The children have been cranky, phlegm has been flying around, and let's not forget about that sea of snot, but my running has been fine. And so, for the most part, I'm dealing well.

Last week I didn't run long, but I did have two great 10 mile workouts, one which wound up being at half marathon pace and the other was at marathon pace. This past weekend I did a 20 miler with my favorite running buddy, AM. Holy cannoli! It wound up being fast! My first three miles were around eight minute pace. Then I met up with AM, we started around 7:40ish pace, and just kept getting faster. My last 5 miles were around 7:27 pace. Now I would be lying if I said it was a super easy run, but it didn't feel too crazy hard either. I do think that AM had an easier time than me though. She is going to be kicking some serious butt when she starts racing again.

I was a bit stiff after the 20 miles and nervous that I might have run too hard (the final pace was 7:38), which would leave me feeling sick for the day and sore the following days. To my pleasant surprise, however, I didn't feel sick and I wasn't sore the next day! Phew! I hate it when I feel like I'm going to vomit, or have to walk down the stairs backwards.

With seven weeks to go, I'll probably run two more 20 milers. And then, it will be time to start tapering! Wow! Marathon training passes by fast when you're busy and sick and have kids. ;)

On a completely random note, I've been streaming Netflix in the evening after the kids go to bed. Lately, I've been streaming this show Roswell. If you haven't heard of it, that would be because it's over a decade old. Anyway, I am addicted. There are aliens, clones of aliens, and teen drama. (No, I'm not joking.) It's like an alien soap opera! Generally, I hate soap operas (and most TV in general), but somehow this cheesy alien soap opera has sucked me into it's web. Netflix is dangerous. Anyone else out there love streaming Netflix?

First 20 Miler for Providence

Saturday there was about an inch of slush on the bike path where I was to run my first 20 miler for this marathon training cycle. The nice cold rain and a temperature in the low 30s made the thought of running less than desirable, but I was meeting AM, and running with AM is awesome. So slushy Saturday it was.

Slushy and cold turned out fine. The plan was to park and run 3 miles to where AM would be waiting. I'm not too familiar with the area, just to make sure I asked the older man in the parking lot ticket booth if I was heading in right direction. He sort of squinted at me and said, "yup, now why are you running on a day like today?" I just smiled, tipped my baseball cap in thanks, and ran off.

A little further down, the bike path was deserted. I was reminded of Frost's "the woods are lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep." Then, of course, I ran through a puddle and started thinking in four letter expletives. For some reason, I'm a baby when it comes to running through puddles. It's like I think my feet will stay dry if only those puddles weren't there, but let's be realistic, how could my feet possible stay dry running through an inch of slush?

About 2 miles into the run, I found AM, and we were off. The rest of the run was great and passed by fast. The effort felt a little harder than my 20 milers for BayState and it was a bit slower (7:55 pace), but I was still recovering from being sick and the slush probably slowed me down too (it was a little slippery). On the positive side, I ran the day before and the day after, and I felt good the rest of the day. It's the first 20 miler I've run that didn't upset my stomach for the rest of the day, which makes running that much more pleasant. Overall, I'm pleased.

On the home front, everyone is healthy and happy! Yay! Kaylee has been talking up a storm and telling some really creative dynamic stories, which is so much fun to be around. Emily has been running laps around the house...nonstop. She runs and runs and runs some more. It's mostly funny because she has a fierce look of concentration while she's doing it. And Nick has been excited about building a new computer. After my long run, we drove into the city to pick up some computer parts. Nick was discussing motherboards, and Kaylee was all "daddy I think you're mistaken and actually mean keyboards." Ahhh, things are so nice when everyone is healthy...

Staying Positive

Illness is still lingering in our household, but overall we're on the mend. I'm running again, but my lungs are protesting the effort. Today I ran an easy 5 miles at 8:30 pace. My legs were good to go and I wasn't gasping for breath, but my chest was tight and there was wheezing afterwards. I could be irritated, but I'm choosing to stay positive. I mean I did catch a break by having my half marathon before I was super sick, so yay for that. Oh, and Emily has been sleeping until 5:00 am (rather than 4:00), which is huge. HUGE! (Crossing my fingers and knocking on wood that she keeps it up!)

I would like to get back to some real training though (with like workouts and stuff), but for now I have to play the patience game. I had been contemplating running a 20 mile race in Salem this upcoming Sunday, but I hadn't registered yet and given my protesting lungs...running a 20 mile race seems like a bad idea. I think I'll try for an easier 20 mile long run instead. We'll see.

It's hard to believe but the Providence Marathon is about 9 weeks away! For marathons, it's about 8-10 weeks before the race that I begin to focus my training. Now it's time for me to start focussing!

In the spirit of staying positive, here are a few random pics off my phone.

"Mommy Mommy, look what I can do!"

"Rrrroarrrr, I'm a vicious, vicious dragon"

When the going gets tough, the tough crown themselves queen with their daughter's tiara.

I stay positive by taking silly pictures with my phone. How do you stay positive?

Hampton Half Marathon Race Report

In the Nut Shell:

1:29:12! This was a huge PR for me. That's the short race report.


Pre-Race Week:
Like almost every single race I run, the week leading up to the Hampton HM was crazy. Emily got this conjunctivitis, then spiked a high fever, which spurned some testing, which told us she had a white blood cell count triple the norm. Then there was more testing...Little miss is just fine now, but wow, did she stress us out. And of course, 48 hours before race time Kaylee lovingly gave me this chest cold. Given the circumstances, I had no idea what to expect for this race.

The race turned out to be awesome (even though I had no motivation going into it).

Race Day:

Nick stayed with the kids. (Thanks hon!) And my parents kindly drove me to the race. I'm more than capable of driving myself, but races are always more special when you get to share them with loved ones so having my parents there to cheer me on was great. The weather was perfect (for February in New England). Sunny, no breeze, and 40 degrees. My plan was to run the first mile and just see how it went. I figured I'd come up with a game plan in real-time.

The race started and I ran. Once I started, I felt good. I crossed the first mile at 6:36, which was too fast, but I felt comfortable. I adjusted my pace and my second mile was 6:52, maybe a little too slow. By the third mile, I realized there was a group of about six guys running just ahead of me that were aiming for just under 6:50 pace. They were clearly running the race as a training run. At that point, I decided to hang onto that group. And hang on I did. I stepped on some of their heels by mistake a few times, but they almost spit on me more than once, so it was all good. I couldn't really talk with them, but listening was fun. At some point someone in the crowd yelled "you go girl!" and then "take care of her guys, she's number 4!" They yelled back "we're on it!" So every once in a while someone in the group would say "how are you doing number 4?" This interaction really helped me mentally stay in the race. Some miles felt easy, others felt hard, but I just hung on.

Somewhere around mile 10 the group split up. Three of the guys wanted to pick it up. Three guys were waning. At that point, I wound up in the middle and on my own. A small part of me wonders if I could have hung onto the faster three if I hadn't known they were running faster. Mentally, it is always better to try and run with others. Once I was on my own, my pace did slow a bit. Not horribly, but I did lose about 15 seconds, which would have gotten me under 1:29 (had I not slowed). I ran the last 0.1 at 6:18 pace, crossed the finish, and smiled. It was an amazing race. I ran strong from start to finish, and that's all I'm ever really looking for when I race. A four minute PR was nice too.

Lesson Learned:

You never how a race will go until you run it. I didn't believe that I'd be able to break 1:30 with a chest cold. Chest colds are particularly problematic with my asthma. Today my ribs and stomach muscles are extremely sore, and I'm sure it has something to do with breathing heavy during the race. I am beginning to understand that, although this whole asthma thing is a huge pain in the butt, if I play my cards right it doesn't have to slow me down...

Race Stats:

1:29:12 (6:49 pace)

4th overall female out of 770

44th overall out of 1326

Taking a Mental Health Week

I know that you're super concerned, but have no fear I haven't gone crazy. Yet. No really, things aren't going too badly here. Poor Kaylee did wake up with hives all over her face and head on Monday. I almost had a panic attack. I wasn't sure if they were actually hives or what they could be from if they were in fact hives. Did you know that sometimes viruses can cause hives? I didn't. Anyway the doctor's hypothesis is that a virus has caused the hives, for she also has a runny nose and cough now. Poor kid, she can't catch a break this year. Anyway hives, sniffles, and cough aren't nearly as stressful as vomit...so I'm doing okay.

As you might have guessed, I missed running on Monday. I can't completely blame my little lady, however. Having to go to the doctor's office really messed up the day's schedule, but had I been really motivated I could have run after the kids went to bed at 7:45ish. I wasn't really motivated though. I was tired. And Monday was suppose to be my longer day, which I could potentially do on Thursday, but I don't think I want to run long on Thursday because I'm running a 5K on Sunday and I want to have fresh legs. Phew, that was a mouthful! As a result, I'm taking a mental health week. I'm not going to worry about my mileage this week. I'd like to do my best to get to 40 miles, but I won't worry about the fact that I had planned to run 50. Running is, after all, my fun activity and there are 14 weeks until Providence.

Last week went fairly well as far running was concerned. I did a reasonable 15 mile progression run, a mile time trial in 5:36, and had a total of 52 miles. Overall though, I was tired. I had trouble with some of my easy runs, which isn't normal for me. Motivation was also an issue last week, which almost never happens. So the numbers were okay, but it was a blah week.

Today I had an awesome workout. One of my co-workers wanted to do 3x1 mile repeats on the track. We wound up not making it to the track due to meetings going long and other meetings later in the day, but we have a 1.25 mile loop around our complex that is mostly flat. The three of us went and banged out a stellar workout. My repeat times were: 5:38, 5:52, 5:56. Yes, the last two were significantly slower than the first, but to be completely honest I ran the first one too hard on purpose (and my shoe was untied for almost the entire 3rd mile). My goal was to keep all the repeats under 6:00. I was pleasantly surprised. The workout was hard, but we did a 2.5 mile cool down at 8:30 pace without any issues, which means we weren't completely spent.

Given my repeat times, I think I can break 19 on Sunday, and hence my mental health week. The opportunity to break 19 minutes in the 5K will bring more peace of mind than getting to 50 miles for the week. So there you have it, my training decisions are largely based on my peace of mind. Not a training philosophy for everyone, but it keeps me happy.

How about you? Do you have a strict training philosophy? Would it drive you nuts if you missed your numbers for the week?

In the spirit of good mental health, here are a couple random pics of my little ladies.

Poor Kaylee recovering from...something.

Emily is just too cute. She loves Kaylee's sunglasses. She's such a spunky punky.

Annoying Headlines

One of my Facebook friends posted this article "One of the Worst Forms of Exercise There Is." And I thought to myself, hmmm, what could this be about? To my utter shock, the article is about long distance running. Seriously, did you know that long distance running was one of the worst forms of exercise there is (eyes rolling)? Besides shocked, I'm irritated. The title of the article and knowing that it's about long distance running makes me not even want to read it. Of course, I might not be the most objective person given that I enjoy long distance running, but really, the author couldn't think of a less antagonistic title? The article provides link after link to studies stating that running can cause heart damage, and then goes on to suggest much better forms of exercise that only need to be done twice a week for 20 minutes. I can't think of anything that I could do for only 20 minutes twice a week that could keep me as fit as I am now. I could envision exercising for the same duration of time as I do now, but doing something other than running (maybe).

What seems to have spurned this article was a recent study entitled "Exercise-induced right ventricular dysfunction and structural remodelling in endurance athletes." For the record, this article title seems very reasonable to me, but a whole slew of news articles have been written based on the study. Some of the titles include: "Running Marathons Could Cause Heart Damage", "Running marathons could permanently damage the heart", and "Running Marathons May Cause Permeant Heart Damage." What's interesting to note, however, is that the study includes only 40 athletes (so it's a small study to begin with) and not all of those athletes were runners. Cyclers and triathletes were also included. Also, the athletes were "elite". Several of the articles above state that the duration of the events included in the study ranged from 3 hours to 11 hours, but it's odd because elite marathoners run faster than 3 hours...

Maybe I'm just being difficult because I run marathons, but I feel as though those news articles aren't necessarily representative of the study they are reporting on. What do you think? Do you think running is damaging your heart? Are these news articles a fair representation of the study? Is long distance running the worst exercise there is?

In other news, wrenches are still flying around here. Have you watched Dodge Ball? "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball." Sound advice. I need to learn that skill. Little miss Kaylee was sick yet again last week, but she's getting better. Yay! I did run a great 14 miler, and hit 45 miles for the week. I'm also thinking about running a 5K on super bowl Sunday...

When life throws a wrench at your training...

You, of course, throw that wrench right back. And waving fists in the air yell, "take that wrench thrower!" Or not. Sometimes that stupid wrench trips me and I fall flat on my face. In fact, that happens more than I would like to admit.

What the heck am I going on about? Well, Kaylee had a stomach bug last week, which made me think about training obstacles. She only wound up being sick for about 24 hours. We were lucky this time. In November, however, she had an evil stomach bug that landed her in the hospital. No running happened that week, and honestly running was the last thing on my mind because as soon as Kaylee came home from the hospital I was dealing with a wicked case of croup with Emily.

It happens though, we manage to schedule running into our already hectic lives, then BAM, you get whacked with a wrench. I'm not sure there's much we can do to mitigate the wrench risk. The week Kaylee and Emily were super sick, there's nothing I could have done differently that would have changed the outcome. How did it impact my training? Minimally, I think. I picked up where I left off, and chose not to linger on any negative thoughts. One poor running week probably doesn't mean much. I like to look at several months when trying to characterize how I'm doing on the running front. One missed week out of several months of good consistent running is fine. Now if I were to start stumbling every other week, then I'd need to reassess how I'm doing and perhaps make changes.

I know some runners that never miss a workout, and that's awesome. I'm not one of them though. I do miss workouts from time to time. I don't think I'm lazy or uncommitted, but you know, there's life and stuff going on...

From a numbers perspective, training was awesome last week. I missed the day Kaylee was sick, but turned around and ran a nice interval workout that turned into a 12 miler. I had also done a tempo run at the beginning of the week that turned into a 12 miler. My mileage total for the week was 55. Overall a good week, but my right knee is twinging ever so slightly. I am certain that it's a case of "runner's knee" and given that I've never had "runner's knee" in my almost two decades of running, I'm fairly certain it's from too much interval running. I may need to limit my workouts to one hard run per week.

How about you? Do you ever feel like someone is throwing a wrench at you while you run? How do you deal training obstacles?

Just Added a Marathon to the Spring Schedule!

I was selected to be a Rhode Races Blogging Ambassador! Basically I'll be blogging about my training and the nice folks at Rhode Races have offered me a free marathon number! Sweet deal! I'm excited to have the opportunity to connect with other runners who are training for the same race, and excited to be training for another marathon. I only run one or two marathons a year (preferably one actually), so committing to the Cox Providence Marathon is a big deal to me.

My first action as a blogging ambassador will be to suggest this phenomenal post regarding fueling, running, and recovery over at Small Town Runner. Up until last year, I completely ignored fueling. I would drink water on long runs, but that was the extent of my fueling strategy. I still don't generally fuel for runs under 10 miles, but I take longer runs or harder runs much more seriously. I'll take a gel every four miles and sip some electrolyte every mile, and I am finding recovery so much easier! Anyway Raina's post is well written and informative. Definitely worth reading.

Now I have to think about marathon training...Yikes! There are 17 weeks until race day. Plenty of time, right? Truth be told, my training probably won't change too much. I've been running 40-50 miles a week, which seems to be a reasonable amount of running for me. In case anyone is interested, I've been good about inputting my workouts on Daily Mile. You can see my running specifics on the right from the Daily Mile widget. My next challenge will be to plan my long runs, but I'll save that for next week.

On a completely unrelated topic, I wanted to ask about compression tights. I'm on the market for a new pair (yay Christmas money) and can't decide if I want to buy another pair of CW-X tights or try another brand like Zoot. Any thoughts? The CW-X tights truly are amazing. They have done wonders for my recovery and help me out on runs where my legs are simply tired. I hate the way they look, however. I feel like a linebacker in them. To be fair, this could potentially be an issue with any brand. I'm not a small runner. I guess I'm hoping that there's an awesome compression tight out there that is also flattering. What do you like for compression tights?