Marathon Maniac

First thing first, I did not plan to run back to back marathons. As part of my Dopey Challenge training, I wanted to feel Goofy miles before running Dopey miles. I registered to runDisney's Dopey Challenge in January 2014, this challenge consists of a total of 48.6 miles over the span of four days (5K, 10K, 13.1 and 26.2). To hold myself accountable in my training, a Goofy weekend presented itself locally and I made sure to register for the Silver Comet Half-Marathon on Saturday and the Atlanta Marathon on Sunday. This Goofy weekend would allow me to gauge my training up to this point and be able to tweak my training as necessary over November and December before the Dopey Challenge in January.

What I did not plan on, was my lack in training during my first couple months while working. It took a bit longer than I expected for life to become a new normal with me working part-time. Most days, I worked the opening shift at Starbucks at 4:45am which also meant my bedtime was much earlier. My training was not what I hoped it would be, and I was disappointed. 

In the weeks leading up to the race, I read somewhere that the Silver Comet race on Saturday wasn't just a half-marathon, there was a marathon option as well. The Silver Comet is known for being a flat and fast, and when I have run there for training runs in the past I always am pleased with my pace. Did I think running back to back marathons was possible for me? Not really. I didn't give it much thought.

In a huge surprise revelation, two weeks before my big race weekend, I got a big fat positive on a pregnancy stick. I will still say, "a huge surprise" is probably an understatement. I still wanted to run and race but I didn't know how being pregnant would factor into the mix. I was having similar first trimester pregnancy symptoms to my pregnancy with Abigail: I was easily fatigued, always hungry, my bladder was being squished and my bust seemed to double in size overnight.

After all my training up to this point, I knew I would be able to race while pregnant. I also knew there would be more potty stops and instead of my normal running fuel, I would need real food for my runs. I decided to change up my race plans. I decided I would run 26.2 on Saturday instead of 13.1. The flat course would be my best chance to have a good time to submit for the Dopey Challenge corral placement. The flat course would also be better to feel out my body, running while pregnant. Since the Silver Comet races were an out & back course, I felt confident that if I was not comfortable running the full distance, I could just turn around at the half turn around spot. 

Atlanta was hit with a cold snap during, it was 32* on October 26th. I had planned to wear my new InknBurn Skeleton Kit for Silver Comet, and I was excited to wear my first pair of InB arm sleeves. I had to layer my InB capris over running tights. In an emergency shopping trip in days before the race I found a running headband to keep my ears warm, running gloves and a long sleeve warm tech shirt to layer for Sunday's race. Since the weather went from barely warm to freezing, I had not trained in cold weather and it was slightly awkward running in the layers but I did manage to stay fairly warm, and most of all not have any chaffing issues from running with new items. 

Besides the extremely unusual cold weather, I really enjoyed the Silver Comet Marathon. The first couple miles were a bit rough. The course was packed with all the runners and all paces starting together. I stopped to use the potties as necessary. I ate my granola bars and other snacks, and made sure to drink plenty of water at each water stop. After the half-marathon turn around point, the course thinned out a lot. There were only 123 racers completing the full marathon distance. I loved the beautiful fall colors and the time to myself (I hadn't been on a long run in a while). I kept my pace and 3:1 intervals steady, I felt good. It was an added perk I got so many compliments on my skeleton gear since it was the weekend right before Halloween. I finished 26.2 in 05:23:12! I was pleased to set a new PR, especially since this was only my 2nd marathon and I ran it completely solo.

Immediately upon finishing I went to Atlantic Station to pick-up my bib for the Atlanta Marathon. I should have stretched more before getting in the car, and immediately after I got out of the car. I was undecided what, if anything, I would race the next day. In addition to the full 26.2 distance there were 10 Mile and 5K options. I decided to sign up for the 6hr pace group, they would be running 1:1 intervals (run 1 minute then walk 1 minute). I spent the remainder of the day relaxing and thinking about what I might the next day. I did not want to get injured. I did not want to jeopardize my pregnancy.

I woke up and rolled out of bed to see how I was feeling. I was surprised I felt alright. I had minimal soreness but nothing serious. After lots of internal debate, I decided I wanted to at least try to run the full. I'm stubborn and determined, and I didn't want to wonder "what if" if I didn't at least try. I layered back up for yet another cold morning and made my way to the race.

I found the pace group quickly and we all chatted a bit before the race began. I was impressed with some folks running their first marathon as late-in-life runners. I was equally impressed with the pace group leaders and a few others, who were part of Marathon Maniacs, upon hearing how many marathons they have run. I was very excited about this course, it's like a tour of Atlanta. The race started and the intervals were very easy. It seemed as soon as we got in a good running stride it was already time to walk again. 

As the miles went on I noticed an ache here or there but nothing too bothersome. I really enjoyed the course, and I was surprised with all the wonderful volunteers! Organizations apply to "Adopt a Mile" and if they are selected, they receive a donation from The Atlanta Track Club for volunteering their time during the race. The volunteers weren't only in charge of passing out water, they all had cheer stations too! Some organizations had themes or were dressed up (with Halloween around the corner) an they also posted inspirational signs throughout their mile. I was blown away by the amount of time I was told THANK YOU by volunteers because I was running a marathon.

The race had it's ups and downs, literally. It's a hilly course but I am glad I decided to run and am glad I raced smart with the 6hr pace group. The pace group leaders were wonderful and we had nice conversations throughout the race, which helped pass the time and the miles. My official finish time for The Atlanta Marathon was 05:57:46. 

I still cannot believe I ran back to back marathons, especially being 8wks pregnant! After finishing these miles, 52.4mi in 36hrs, I felt very confident in my training and I knew I would be able to complete runDisney's Dopey Challenge in January (46.8mi in 4 days). 

Another added perk, I was able to join Marathon Manaics. I ran my first marathon in January and immediately said I didn't know if I would ever run another marathon, and if I did it would have to be a repeat at Disney. I cannot believe I ran another marathon, let alone two! This is only the beginning of my marathon journey. I am already looking forward to running The Atlanta Marathon again in October 2014, it will be my first marathon after our June baby arrives.

Maniac #7823

**This blog post was written on February 12, 2014.**

Training Recap: August Week 2 & 3

I'm not sure where the last two weeks have gone. It's been a blur of sorts, even though we haven't been super busy. So I'm recapping two weeks at once in this post.

Monday, August 12th
I spent the morning trying to get back to some resemblance of a home routine after being away for the entire first week of August. Suitcases had to be unpacked, laundry needed to be washed. For the most part it was a perfect day for "a 'jama day" (as Abigail calls it) since the weather wasn't great. The only one inconvenienced was Brewer, who would come over to me, bark in my face then go sniff at his leash. I decided to take Brewer out for a walk, in the rain with umbrella in hand. We finished a 1.7mi walk in 30 minutes.

Tuesday, August 13th
The morning got off to a rocky start. Abigail was playing with Brewer and she bumped into my coffee on the side table. The coffee spilled everywhere! All over the table and all over my training planner (which is now coffee scented). Brewer enjoyed licking up the coffee that spilled over onto the floor. I ended up having to wipe up everything, move furniture, vacuum up Brewer hair and shark the floors. Not how I wanted to spend my morning! Instead of our usual Tuesday activities of swim and dance, Abigail's class times changed for this session leaving Tuesday afternoon free, so we went to the gym instead. I was not feeling the treadmill though, and only managed 5mi in 60 minutes.

Wednesday, August 14th
Abigail decided she wanted to persue gymnastics more, so instead of registering her again for the ballet/tap class she'll be taking Tumbling once a week in addition to her Thursday Pre-Team class. She is still the youngest in her class but she's having so much fun! Her cartwheels and round-offs are constantly improving, and she's getting so close to a handstand. It's fun because I have started attempting these as well and it's my absolute favorite when she corrects me telling me to straighten my legs more or point my toes.

In the evening Abigail and I went to Matt's second softball game of the season. Abigail made a friend and was able to play and run while I kept score for the team. The weather was beautiful and we got home at a decent enough time for me to take Brewer for a walk around the neighborhood before bedtime, 1.42mi in 30 minutes.

Thursday, August 15th
Abigail enjoyed her gymnastics class and I took Brewer for a 1.66mi in 40 minutes once we returned home. Brewer seems to be content to go for walks but I know he really wants to run, too bad for him I'm taking this week easy to prepare for my double race day on Saturday.

Bonus, I hit 10,000 tweets!

Friday, August 16th
I'm still fundraising as a St Jude Hero for Dopey Challenge and am over halfway to my $2000 goal! Until August 30th you can place an order with Thirty-One and 10% of all sales will be donated back to my fundraising, and one lucky order will also win a great prize. We'll also be having a local yard sale in October with all sales going to my big goal, so Abigail and I spent the morning picking up donations from some local friends. I'm so grateful to everyone who is helping me with fundraising!

I took Brewer out for a 1.78mi in 31 minutes before we enjoyed dinner out "at the brown bread place", Abigail's name for Outback. Matt and Abigail enjoyed coloring together, even though Matt was a bit crazy about Abigail needing to stay within the lines.

Saturday, August 17th

My morning started early as I woke up to head straight over to Vinings Downhill 5K. This was my very first 5K last year so I was excited to run the course again and compare "apples to apples" to see how I improved over the last year. My 2012 time was 35:41, which is a fast time but this is a downhill course. A new PR (personal record) was achieved with a time of 28:28! I am thrilled to have a sub30 5K time too. (Oh! and I won a coupon for a Mocha Cookies-n-Cream shake from Chick-Fil-A!)

I also registered for the Area 13.1 (an evening half marathon) making this a double race day. I had heard a lot of negative reviews from the 2012 event but was still excited to run this race. I parked off site, arriving to the start line a bit later than I had hoped. In the craziness of it all, I got a bit too over confident and programmed myself for 4:1 intervals and it wasn't good. For the weather conditions (it had just rained and was overly humid) and this being my second race of the day, I should have stuck with 3:1 intervals. Overall, I did set a new half marathon PR time of 02:20:20 which is 5 minutes off my last half time from April.

Sunday, August 18th
I woke up feeling like I had been hit from a truck, and I had been so happy I remembered to stretch and foam roll before I had gone to bed. I could have felt much worse; I forget running downhill works different muscles. I was also starving! It felt good to get up and move, every bit of me seemed so stiff! After church, we went to PF Chang's for lunch where I devoured a dinner portion of their Crispy Honey Chicken. After I was no longer starving, I took Brewer for a 1.58mi walk in 32 minutes. My ITBs were sore and I felt slower than usual but getting in a recovery walk.

Monday, August 19th
Number One priority was to call Starbucks and inquire about the background check that was submitted on August 6th. I had called last week but the store manager was on vacation, so I had to wait a bit longer. Finally I spoke to the store manager and she asked me to come in with my passport to fill out tax papers, so I guess that means I'm hired! Finally! Otherwise, it was a low-key day because my legs were still sore so I skipped on the training.

Tuesday, August 20th
It became official, I filled out all my tax documents and will start training at Starbucks next week. With this news, I also learned my schedule would not be set days each week. This concerned me because Matt and I would be "juggling" Abigail back and forth with our very different schedules. I spent the afternoon revising our budget to see if 9mo of preschool tuition could be squeezed in and I emailed the school where she had been on the wait list. I had plenty to do and with sore legs I decided I needed an extra rest day.

Wednesday, August 21st
Abigail and I went to the preschooler morning at the skating rink. I was thrilled to wear my Retro ProCompression socks, and received a few envious comments from other moms! I chatted up other moms who had their child(ren) enrolled at the preschool I was hoping Abigail would be able to attend. They informed me Wednesday & Thursday was Teacher Meet and Greet, so the lady I was trying to get in touch with was very busy.  In an odd turn of events, the skating rink co-owner also chatted me up and long-story-short, she wants to hire me to help her coordinate corporate events one day a week (whenever I have off at Starbucks). This would be an amazing opportunity and our personalities are very similar. So let me get this straight? I was Starbucks #1 harasser all summer, and now I might have TWO jobs?! Yes, I'm fully away God likes to show me He has a sense of humor.

Brewer even got to go for a walk around the block. We managed 1.71mi in 40 minutes. It's really funny how our pace varies from day to day. It all depends on how many scents Brewer smells, and how many bushes and mailboxes he wants to mark along our way.

Thursday, August 22nd
Abigail had a preschool spot! I hadn't spoken with the preschool's director, we only played phone-tag. I decided Abigail and I would just show up to the Teacher Meet and Greet (technically uninvited). I filled out lots of paper work, Abigail received her "backpack" (a red shoulder bag), we met her teachers and checked out her classroom. Abigail knows two of her classmates already and she was disappointed when it was time to leave.

Matt and I (and Abigail) got to attend the New Parent Orientation that evening. The director went over the entire parent manual. It was a good introduction for Matt, who had never visited before. Abigail also took him to see her classroom, since he'll be sharing in the drop-off and picking-up as well.


Friday, August 23rd


Saturday, August 24th
Instead of registering for a small race through Marietta Square, I decided to take Abigail to cheer on my good friend Brandi and her parents.


Sunday, August 25th

Training Recap: May Week 3

What an exhausting week...and I barely did any training!

Monday: 3 Miles + Strides 

I much as I knew I needed to run, I didn't.  After a crazy/mostly good weekend out of town, nothing went as I originally planned and I was bummed. Pity Party for 1 please!

Tuesday: 5 Miles

I was still in a funk but last minute changed my clothes and headed to the gym. I only had an hour before childcare ended at noon so I am pleased with the 4mi I ran, leaving myself adequate time to cool down and stretch. While I had a good run (10:43mm pace), I was disappointed that my childcare time was expiring because I wanted to keep running. 

Abigail had a swim lesson and dance class in the afternoon, our usual Tuesday activities. After dance we headed to a local Tuesday Farmer's Market where I picked up some kale and spinach (pretty disappointed with the overall selection of this market). Then we met up with friends for Food Truck Tuesday! More friends were here tonight, so Abigail had so much fun. How I didn't get one picture from the entire day is beyond me!

Wednesday: XT or Rest
Matt and I were startled out of bed when Abigail announced from our bedroom door that she threw up. What a wake up call! I spent my day rationing fluids and food. Abigail is only 4yo so she wasn't able to comprehend why she couldn't drink or eat as much as she wanted. It was exhausting for both of us! Even though Abigail was feeling better in the afternoon, she took a nice long afternoon nap which is very unusual! 

I had a 6pm Chiropractor appointment, so luckily Matt was able to get home in time to take over before I had to leave. I picked up a Starbucks on the way so I could unwind the long day. The visits always start with 15-20 minutes in a massage chair. I love this chair; it even has a calf muscle massage option! I got cracked in all the right spots and was able to go home fairly refreshed. We were all thankful Abigail's afternoon/evening was back to normal.

Thursday: 3-5 Miles
Abigail & I took the morning easy, not wanting to overdo it too quickly. Since she seemed to be back to normal, had hadn't puked in over 24hrs we decided to venture to her swim lesson (chlorine kills everything, right?). Her appetite was back and had a good class so I took her to gymnastics a few hours later. Again, she was her normal self again. So weird!

I did get to Gold's to run a bit in the evening. I managed a 5K in 34 minutes (10:55mm pace) but was tired. I stopped by Publix on my way home and stocked up on my favorite chocolate, Chocolove Almonds & Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate. Yes, it has been one of those weeks! I finished my day with season finales of Grey's Anatomy & Scandal...wow!

Friday: 3 Miles or XT (Optional Bail Card)
The sun finally came out enough for me to get out Abigail's little princess pool and let her play outdoors with water. Brewer loved it just as much, if not more, than Abigail. The colder weather lingering throughout May has really been extra strange for me. I'm still a FLgrl at heart and it is NOT supposed to be cold in May. I sat outside and got some much needed Vitamin D while the kiddos played. I look forward to more of these moments throughout the summer!

Another exciting piece of Friday? My Foodie Penpal package arrived! I'll be posting all about what I received on May 31st, so keep an eye out.

Saturday: LR: 8 Miles
We attended an early afternoon birthday party before Matt's parents arrived for the night. Abigail wanted her Nana & Papa to go bowling! So we enjoyed a full day socializing and playing.

Sunday: Rest
I woke up early, race morning style, and felt energized. I checked the weather, still a chance for rain. I had told Brandi I would join her at the Freight Train 5K, and she was hoping to PR again like she did on the course last year. About 15mins before the 7:30am race start, it started to POUR. Luckily there were some tailgate tents from different vendors and the majority of the racers were able to get out of the downpour. The race is the first of four in The Locotamotive Series so the race would proceed rain or shine.

The race start was delayed but when the rain let up a bit we were sent on our way, my first experience running in the rain. Unfortunately, the jacket I bought last month (in case of rain for Auburn's Finish on the 50) is not waterproof like I thought! I wasn't drenched but I wasn't dry either. My new InknBurn Dragonfly shorts were FABULOUS! The best part of this morning? I managed a new PR! Even in the rain!

QUESTIONS:
-Do you ever have weeks that seem completely exhausting? How do you recover?
-If you have a favorite chocolate splurge, I'd love to know, please share!

No More Fooling Around

One aspect I have enjoyed most about racing is I have continued to train without much downtime, until March.  The month started as I was still recovering from a virus and I decided it would be best to take it easy not wanting a relapse. I was also helping organize/run my MOPS group's bi-annual consignment sale from March 3-9; these weeks never seems to leave extra time for exercise. The week following consignment sale week is always a catch-up week for me, so again no runs or workouts. 

I really had no idea what to expect from myself going into the Georgia Publix Half Marathon on March 17th. After only running 2.83mi between The Princess Half and Georgia Publix Half, I still managed to set a new PR for myself. I know this is because I have trained a lot since my first Half Marathon on November 18th, and I was under trained going into that race. It's reassuring to know little slip ups in my training wont be too devastating BUT I wonder what I could have PR'd if I had continued better training.

This idea of better training has had been analyzing other bloggers training plans and researching different training options. I followed the Couch to 5K App training plan, then really just did my own thing beyond that.  I notice that when I get into one type of training, I have a really hard time adding in variety. I think the best plan for me would be to actually have a plan!

Why do I need a plan? Even though I have a 26.2 and 13.1 magnets on my car, I still consider myself a rookie in this sport. I only started the Couch to 5K training in June 2012. I have come a long way, but there is still lots to learn and I want to treat my body right. If I follow the right plan, I will achieve my goals without any overuse injury. 

What are my goals? Currently my 5K PR is 34:17 from the ATC Heart & Sole 5K on February 9th and my 13.1 PR is 02:36:17. I would like to sub-30min on a 5K (and maybe sub 28 for the Vinings Down Hill in August). I would like to sub-02:15 by October for optimal corral placement for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon. I also would like to be able to run an entire half marathon without walking intervals.

I have decided to try Another Mother Runner's Half-Marathon: Finish It Plan. This plan seems to be the best option for MY success. This training plan was written by two mothers, so there is flexibility throughout. On the actual training plan there are two icons, a coffee cup and a water bottle. The coffee cup is a "Bail if Necessary" option saying "If you need your usual running time to fill your empty fridge or take care of some other task, go for it.". Obviously the water bottle is the opposite, it "simply must be done in order to ensure success". I'll be following the first week as listed here below.

     Monday: Easy 3 miles with 4 strides; or XT (Bail if Necessary)

     Tuesday: 4-5 miles

     Wednesday: XT; or Rest

     Thursday: 3-4 miles

     Friday: 3 miles; or XT

     Saturday: Long Run: 6 miles

     Sunday: REST

The more I workout and exercise, the healthier food choices I make. When I slack on exercise, I end up making poor food choices. Since March was so minimal in the training department, I have noticed myself allowing more flavored coffee creamer than the suggested servings and splurging on candy around the house left over from Valentine's and Easter Egg Hunts. Last week I saw a friend ReTweet a Sugar Detox Challenge. I emailed the link to myself so I could read later and I didn't get around to reading it until our drive home from Florida last night. This challenge is being organized by Laura of MommyRunFast.com to help hold herself accountable and is offering prizes for those who participate. Again, this detox will only enhance my training so I'm giving it a go. 

Since I'm starting April out with a bang, I might as well restart my planks. Back in the fall I started planking daily, but like usual, something got me out of my routine and it was difficult restarting. Planking is also not easy when you have sore legs from running! Carissa, from Fit2Flex, tweeted last night a blog post about an "AB APRIL" Challenge to "improve your plank workout". Since the core is very important to running, I'm also going to incorporate this "AB April" Challenge to my training.

So now that all this training is actually "on paper", I hope it will help me with my training and to achieve my goals. I plan to use my scheduled REST on Sunday from training to recap this first week of April.

QUESTIONS:
-How do you decided on a training plan?
-Do you have any current goals you are working towards? This does not have to be fitness related!