Half Marathon

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Brain Exchange #32 & Goals for the Week

 

Finishing is Winning‘s Brain Exchange:

This Week’s Topic:  Building Mileage

This Week’s Question:  Regardless of the distance you train for, or whether it be road racing or triathlon, training is time consuming.  What are your tricks for fitting all your training into your schedule?  How do you balance family, friends, work and training?

Balance is the hardest part of running, especially if you are training for a long race. I have to fit in tennis contracts, tennis matches, yoga, work, appts, mah jongg, my mentee, my friends, and my hubby.

 I plan all my running for the week on Monday. I post my running schedule on my blog. It keep me accountable.

I arrange my running around my life and my life around my running.

So far, I have luckily been able to do it all.

However, you have to be realistic and flexible.  So sometimes, the running part gets cut short because other things are more important.

Last week update:

My goal was 24 miles and I ran 5 times for a total of  24  miles. YAY!!
I played tennis once  and did Yoga once.
This was Week #9 of my 2nd Half Marathon training.  3 weeks to go!

Goals for this week:

This week’s schedule:

Mon – dentist
Wed – yoga
Thurs – meet bf at the mall
Fri –  OFF from Work, mah jongg

This week’s running:

Tues – 4 miles after work
Wed – 3  miles after work
Fri – 12  miles
Sun –  Delmar Dash 5 mile race 

 
Weekly Running Goal = 24 miles 
April Monthly Running Goal = 80 miles, a race, a Half Marathon

Yearly Running Goal = 1011 miles

Happy Running!

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How to get Motivated for a Half Marathon?

How do I get motivated? 3 weeks to go!!

 Most people just go out and run more often or run longer.

Not me! I get pysched by planning my running outfit!

first half marathon outfit

That was my first skirt and I loved racing in it. I liked the pockets to carry my phone, camera, gu but my hubby said it made my hips look HUGE!  I will wear my ASICS shoes again and the Compression Socks! Why ruin a good thing?

So here’s what I have:

running skirt

shirt if it's warm

shirt if it's cool

a black Spi Belt (to carry my phone, camera, gu)
and a black baseball cap or visor.

What do you think?

Oh and the hair thing:

before

After

Happy Running!

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One Month From Today

Is this when I start to wonder why I signed up?

Do I really want to do another?

My first one was such as great experience.  Shouldn’t I just savor it?

Who wants to run up and down the rolling hills of 9N?

Maybe I should work on my 5K speed? There are a lot of those races coming up!

Ok, enough whining!!!

I’ll do it…one month of training left until I run along Lake George! I will do it! I will have fun!!!

Lake George 3

Happy Running!

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Happy Anniversary “Running Mamas”

Janis, Jen M, Felice, Jen F, Bridget, Lisa & me

A year ago (actually March 14, 2010) Felice (The Happy Runner) organized a group of young mothers who had NEVER run before.  She asked me and several local bloggers to help out.

I participated in the group training runs and got to follow them from the “wondering  if they could run 2 minutes without stopping” stage to finally running a 5K race.

at the Freihofers Run for Women 5K

Well, they didn’t stop there!! They ran more 5ks and got faster!!! They ran a 10k!! Then they signed up to run a Half Marathon –  in their first year of running!!!!!

Whoa!

I was so proud of them!! But at the same time, a little jealous… This is my 3rd year of running and I’m still entering 5ks!! (51 of them….) And I am happy when I break 30 minutes.

These ladies made me realize that I could push myself.  So I did!!

 I finished the Turkey Trot 5k well under 28 minutes!! 

 Then believe it or not, I ran a HALF MARATHON.

So thanks “Running Mamas” for lighting a fire under my feet! 

Let me know when you sign up for a Marathon. I have no plans for running one…but you never know…

Happy Running!

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Two (Half Marathons) for Tuesday

  1. I finally registered for the Lake George Half Marathon yesterday that I have been training for for the past 6 weeks…(it’s on April 23)
  2. I haven’t run my 2nd half yet and I signed up for a 3rd Half Marathon (Adirondack Half Marathon)- it’s on September 25, 2011 and it goes half way around Schroon Lake. (The Half Marathon will begin at the 13.1 mile marker and will end at the Full Marathon Finish Line. The runners will run on the easier section of the marathon course.  The first five to six miles are flat; then there are long, gentle hills on Route 9. Time to complete this race will be 5 hours.)

Am I nuts? Have I been possessed by the Ides of March?

At least I will have 2 months off before training for my 3rd half marathon. I will have to change my long runs to Thursdays after work to accommodate the boating season of July & August and I will be able still fit in my Sat 5k races. Yay!!!

(On another note – I haven’t run in 3 days!!! I am recovering from Daylight Savings Time and playing tennis 3 days in a row. Running begins tomorrow or else!!!)

Happy Running!

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Three Things Thursday

  1. I hate the cold.
  2. I hate the ice.
  3. I hate the wind.

Now that that’s clear.  I need to decide if I am running the half on Apr 23, sign up and increase my weekly mileage.

Monday, I didn’t feel like getting up early but played tennis after work. No miles!
Tuesday, I ran 3 miles outside before work dancing over the ice patches and played tennis after work.
Wednesday, I didn’t feel like getting up early but planned to run after work.

BUT I couldn’t move forward, the wind was so strong.  I went to yoga instead. No miles!

The yoga class was GREAT!! I felt so good afterwards but when I back out to my car (parked by the curb on a 4 lane street), someone had knocked the side mirror off my car!!!! My hubby took it for an estimate – almost $600 to fix.  Ouch!

Today when I got up, it was -4 with the wind chill and there was a light coating of snow on the ground.  Off to the gym I went to run 4 miles on the treadmill.

To make matters worse, they predict rain for  the weekend (My long run of 9 miles is scheduled!!) I think I’d rather be cold than wet for hours 😦  HELP!!

Happy Running!

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R.I.P. Little Plane

at the airport in Mechanicville, NY

It’s been a tough winter!  And it just got tougher!  My hubby’s plane got destroyed.  The snow & ice on top of the hangar got to be too much and it collapsed and crushed the plane…no insurance either 😦

We got it 12 years ago and until we started boating on Lake George we used it a lot!  And had a lot of fun!

landing on Lake Champlain

on Saratoga Lake

flying over the Hudson River

So it could be worse as my hubby said: “It could have been destroyed while I was flying in it!” But I know he is feeling a lot of pain.

While he went to his mother’s who consoled him with eggplant parm, I went out for a long run.

It was my first since the half marathon – 7.25 miles!! The weather warmed up a little – 25 degrees (but felt colder when the breeze picked up.)  I followed my long run route but couldn’t run on the sidewalks (since no one shovels) and had to stop repeatedly when the road got too narrow & cars were coming at me.  I discovered a hilly detour around a park & golf course which was pretty.

I can’t say it was painless.  My feet continue to start to hurt after 5 miles (first left then right) and I even got my first blister ever. 

Then I spent my pre-Valentine’s Day evening with my mentee – dinner & a movie – it was nice to hang out together.

Happy Running & Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Three Things Thursday

  1. Boy, this has been a really long week!  At least it has seemed that way. Maybe because there have been no snowstorms and I’ve had to work everyday! I played tennis Mon & Tues evenings and bailed on my morning runs!!! I did return to the treadmill yesterday & today 🙂
  2. I’ve also had some bad news.  A good friend’s father died and another good friend’s younger sister was diagnosed with a rare rapidly spreading form of breast cancer (3-5 yrs to live even with mastectomy, chem & radiation). So I’m NOT going to complain about my left foot (last time it was the right one) that started hurting Sat and hurt Sun & Mon. The pain is gone now and it seems pretty trivial. It also reinforces my decision to go from running a 5K race to completing a Half Marathon.  You never know what life will bring. CARPE DIEM!!
  3. My credit card was burning a hole in my pocket so I registered for some races.

Mar 12 – Runnin of the Green 4 mi Run – Green Island, NY
Mar 26 – Firefighters Run 4 Life 5K – Schenectady, NY
Apr 10 – Delmar Dash 5 mi – Delmar, NY
May 8  – Mother’s Day 3.5 – Delmar, NY
Jun 4 – Freihofer’s Run for Women (5K) – Albany, NY

 I haven’t registered for my second Half Marathon yet – Apr 23 in Lake George. I want to run it but it’s hilly and I’m chicken.  I’m training for it. 

I like to run races & those long runs don’t seem to fit in (for example, my 12 mile run is scheduled for Apr 10!) .  I work so I can’t do them during the week.  I know I can add miles on after or the next day but it doesn’t feel the same as a non-stop long run.  I also like to rest the day before a long run.  I like to do my best in a race (I’m competitive!) so it’s hard to have it just be a training run at half marathon pace.  DILEMMAS!  I guess it was easy when I just ran 5ks!!  But I really enjoyed that Half Marathon experience!

I’ll figure it out… What’s more important is staying healthy and enjoying life!

Happy Running!

 

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Wordless Wednesday

I  couldn’t resist posting this. 

But you can really substitute “Runner” for “Half Marathoner.”

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A Very Cool Half Marathon

The 2011 information isn’t up yet…but I have friends who own a house in Daytona Beach and you never know…

2010 info:

The Daytona Beach Half Marathon’s 13.1-mile course is unlike any other race in the world, bringing runners from the World Center of Racing, to the World’s Most Famous Beach and back!

The entire course will be run on pavement (no beach run). Unfortunately, due to the track repave, we will not be able to run on the track as in previous years. However, we will use various parts of the track in-field, running a little more than 2 miles inside the Daytona International Speedway. (In 2011, the repaving should be done!!)

Runners will start just outside the Sprint FANZONE, only steps from parking, race-day registration & packet pick-up and permanent restrooms. Proceeding north from the start, runners will then loop around a portion of the Speedway’s Go Kart track. After the Go Kart track, runners will enjoy a .6 mile stretch on the scenic boardwalk alongside Lake Lloyd. You will then make your way back past the Sprint FANZONE before exiting the track.

After exiting the track, runners will dash past DAYTONA 500 Experience, the Official Attraction of NASCAR. The course will then head east towards the Atlantic Ocean. After crossing over the beautiful Halifax River and getting a first glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean, competitors will soon reach the World’s Most Famous Beach at approximately the 7.2-mile mark.

At that point, runners will catch a breathtaking view of the ocean at sunrise, with an approximate .1 mile stretch along the boardwalk at Sun Splash Park, before turning around and beginning the trip back to the Speedway and the finish line. The return includes another trip over the Intracoastal Waterway, as well as a run past one of the nation’s oldest historically African-American colleges, Bethune-Cookman University.

At the 13-mile mark, runners will reenter Daytona International Speedway, cross over the track and make a final sprint towards the finish line just outside the Sprint FANZONE. One of the best post race parties around is then just a few steps away in the Sprint FANZONE with awards taking place in the adjacent Gatorade Victory Lane.

KEY FEATURES:

Daytona International Speedway
The Speedway annually hosts the Super Bowl of motorsports, the DAYTONA 500, each February. The World Center of Racing is also the home of NASCAR’s Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola, held each July.

DAYTONA 500 Experience
The attraction is located outside turn four of the Speedway on the corner of International Speedway Boulevard and Bill France Blvd., and is the official attraction of NASCAR. Guests can experience the sights, sounds and history of the DAYTONA 500 through static and interactive displays. Each Daytona Beach Half Marathon entrant receives one complimentary DAYTONA 500 Experience admission.

Mainland High School
At the 3.5-mile mark, runners will pass Mainland High School, the alma mater of NBA star Vince Carter. The school’s gymnasium is named after Carter, who has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the school. Carter currently plays for the hometown Orlando Magic.

Bethune-Cookman University
Runners will run past BCU twice during the race. Bethune-Cookman was founded in 1904 by Mary McLeod Bethune, and is one of the nation’s oldest historically black universities.

Daytona Beach
Competitors will reach the World’s Most Famous Beach just past the 7-mile mark. Sunrise on race day is approximately 7:35 a.m., providing a great view once runners reach the ocean. Unlike the inaugural race’s quick turnaround, the course will wind through the oceanfront Sunsplash Park and includes a one-block run on the beach boardwalk. That is where the course will turn around and head back to the start line. The course does NOT run on the sand.

How cool does this sound???

A girl can dream!!

Happy Running!