Hoka 10k 2018

Hoka 10k 2018

Monday, February 29, 2016

D.O.A.P.: 15 Weeks

Diary of a Prunner
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SO SORE after my two longer runs this week!!

What a weird week! I was on cloud nine after a great race and used that motivation to kick off my week with a good run. Fatigue caught up with me, and I crashed a couple of days before finding the motivation to make my weekly mileage goal happen [40 miles this week!]. I ended my week with a HUGE bang because I realized I had 28 miles to go. EEK! I'm just thankful I ended my week with the legs still attached.
  
  • 2/22/16: 6 miles, 8:25 average pace. This was a great start to my running week. I met Amanda and Tamara in Westerville, and we talked all about babies and marathon training. (Jennie joined us for a few miles!) Our run was progressive, minus the last mile, going from 9:03 to 8:04.
  • 2/23/16: 6 miles, 10:05 average pace. I finally got to run with Felicia again! Every few months we meet up in Gahanna for a little catch up session. I felt tired from start to finish today. This wasn't a shocker after a successful race day on Sunday and a great run yesterday.
  • 2/24/16: REST. This was a planned rest day (after not being able to do a birthday run with Jackie because of stupid rain). I was simply tired. Work was HORRIBLY busy Monday and Tuesday, and I knew Wednesday wasn't looking any better.
  • 2/25/16: REST. This was unintentional rest. UGH. Work has sucked the life out of me this week. I never use a busy week as an excuse not to run but this week is justified. By lunch on Wednesday, I had already seen a week's worth of patients, and it wasn't slowing down from there. Work was slightly easier this day so I packed gym clothes to run at The Y. I sat in my car at The Y for 5-10 minutes trying to will myself to get out and go run. I DIDN'T WANT TO! I was so exhausted and had absolutely NO MOTIVATION AT ALL to make this happen. I decided to go pick up James and go home until I had to pick up the hubs. I told myself I would run later in the day. Never happened. It just didn't sound fun to me. All I could think about was how sloth-like I felt for going two days without running. I just kept thinking about how I had to get 28 miles in three days in order to meet my weekly mileage goal.
  • 2/26/16: 12.5 miles, 8:35 average pace. Since two days passed without a run, I wasn't sure if my legs were still working. Fortunately, I finished with my morning commitments in time to meet Amber and Kimberly for an afternoon run. I had no mileage goal in mind. I just wanted to see how I felt. It was clear after 6 or 7 miles that I'd be able to get my long run for the week. (Long runs nowadays are anywhere between 10-13 miles). I was surprised to see my average pace when I finished. It didn't feel extremely easy but it was very tolerable and I was able to talk the entire time. Another confidence booster!
    I felt so great about this run!
  • 2/27/16: 10 miles, 8:30 average pace. After yesterday, my pelvis and legs were SO SORE! I guessed I would have to run around 9 minute miles in order to survive 10 miles today. When Amanda graciously offered to run with me, I was a little nervous! I knew I would push it a little more with her but wasn't sure if my legs could make it happen. I was good for 6-7 miles, but the legs and pelvis were feeling it at that point. I was glad most of the last mile was a decline! I ended this run amazed that my body survived the past two days and happy that I could spend that time with Amanda.
    I look happy here but thought my legs were going to detach from my body. [Amanda, ME]
  • 2/28/16: 1.5 mile family walk; 4 miles, 9:47 average pace. Holy crap on a cracker. I started getting sick last night. I woke up with an awfully sore throat, massive headache, and a body that just felt generally fatigued and sore. I still don't know what was wrong with me. I had to cancel on my friend Theresa whom I planned to run with that morning. I was pissed all day that I wasn't going to meet my weekly mileage goal. Four o'clock rolled around and the hubs wanted to do a family walk (it was freaking gorgeous outside, minus the wind). Our normal walk route is 1.5 miles. I typically don't count walking miles toward my weekly mileage but thought, since I was sick, I would count it. I then realized I only needed 4 more miles to make it to my goal. What did my butt do? Run, of course. I ran very slow [10:41, 9:53, 9:31, 9:01] and could tell I was sweating out all of the yuck in my body. It felt good to meet my weekly goal, and I think it actually made me feel better.
    James' new favorite thing is saying "cheese" for the camera. Love this little dude.
 Despite the unexpected rest days and sick time, I am very happy with my three really good runs! It gave me a little boost of confidence. I'm hoping to continue averaging 40 miles per week the next month, but I have a feeling my body might start slowing down a bit after that.
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How Far Along: 15 weeks, 4 days
What Baby Boo Deux is Up To: Size of an orange. Also, James has requested a sister.
Weight Gain:  7 lbs. Starting weight: 112 lbs., Current weight:  119 lbs. I actually lost a pound this week. Not sure how that happened. I weighed myself before I got sick so I know it wasn't from that. Who knows?!
Symptoms: Not much. Occasional pelvic discomfort after a harder run.
Cravings/Aversions: None. I finally had an espresso drink. First one in two months! Still can't do coffee.
Coming Up: Next appointment on March 15th...ULTRASOUND!

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Warm Up for Boston- Half Marathon Relay


Regarding weather, this race is so unpredictable. I ran the 10k three years ago and it was frickin' freezing. I never warmed up. Last year, I cheered on some friends, and it was freezing with a side of snow and slush. This year? GORGEOUS! Almost perfect race weather. Capris, short sleeve, arm warmers. It was amazing!


Don't we look warm?! [Dani, ME]
I had a lot of friends running this year. A few of us decided to form 2-person half marathon relay teams. Our goal was to keep the teams even so that we could challenge each other on the course. One of my besties, Amanda, formed our teams. I was matched with Marion who gave us the amazing team name: THE GIRAFFES. Perfect. She's awesomely tall and I have long neck syndrome. I asked Marion if I could run the first leg since my performance nowadays is unpredictable. I figured, if I totally crap out, she can make up for it with her speed. So, I took the 6.1 mile leg and she ran the last 7 miles.
Part of The A-Team! [Christine, Amanda, Marion, Theresa, ME, Dani, Kimberly]

When I showed up that morning, I had NO idea what to expect from my body. I did a two mile warm up and felt kind of crappy. I made a personal goal to try and stay in the low 8's to see how it felt. If I couldn't handle that, I at least wanted to stay sub 9 minute miles. Even though I had that goal in my head, I realized that I forgot to look at my watch at mile 1 [7:43]. I stayed with my friend Dani the first couple of miles and did see my split for the second mile [7:48].  After that, I decided I was just going to go with it. I knew it would stress me out to much to look at my watch. I was just going to listen to my body and let it run at a tolerable pace. I told myself that if I felt stressed at any moment, I would slow down.
A little post race cool down with Dani as we cheered on our teammates.

Shortly after mile 2, I approached the water stop. I knew I needed to keep my pregnant body hydrated (if I was smart, I would have brought my hand held so I didn't have to stop). I actually stopped for a few seconds to drink my water and control my breathing a bit. I think the short stop helped me to refocus, but it did make my split slightly slower than the rest [8:01]. I lost Dani at this point but tried to keep her in my visual field. I knew she would motivate me to keep moving and not give up.
Lots of pics with this gal! Check out that winter sun!

Two more miles passed before I stopped for water again. I figured some sips every two miles would do me some good. At this point, I couldn't find Dani in the crowd but there was a gentleman that I felt a little competition with. The great thing about this race being a 1 mile loop is that you are always passing someone. You have no idea which race anyone else is doing so you can just tell yourself that they are running a shorter race than you! I squeaked in another sub 8 mile followed by a slower one because of the water break [7:58, 8:08].
Only 15 weeks pregnant and my ass has already blown up.

Finally, the last mile! I was so excited to pass off my relay timing chip. I was only disappointed that we didn't get to carry batons...SIKE. My last mile was 7:42 followed by 0.10 miles at 7:16 pace. Again, mile 2 was the only time I saw my split, so I was excited and scared to see the final result on my Garmin.

I can't believe I managed to tolerate a 7:53 average! This was the boost I needed after a week full of slow miles. After a failed half marathon in January, I thought "Why the heck did I register for all of these races while pregnant?!" I know time should not be a factor, but, let's be real...I'M A RUNNER! Of course I care about my times! Pregnant or not, there is always a goal and expectation of some kind. If I can just keep in mind that every run is unpredictable, it will help me be more accepting of the result.
Theresa (who PR'd her half!!), ME, Dani, and Marion post race.

So, how did The Giraffes measure up against the relay competition? Since they (the race people) seemed to have a hard time compiling the correct results, it wasn't entirely known for a few days. It seems as if they finally have the correct time, and The Giraffes placed 1st! Based on their times, I believe our friends were right behind us!!
More celebration shenanigans! [Dani, Theresa, ME]

I have to mention that I am very proud of all of my friends' performances this day! Marion, in particular, kicked butt! She made up for what I couldn't get my body to do. Some struggled and persevered, some felt great, but the common theme is that we gave it our all!

I have a few things planned in March and can't wait to get back on a race course!

Sunday, February 21, 2016

D.O.A.P.: 14 Weeks

Diary of a Prunner

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Water. Trees. 

Ahh! Vacation Week. I was able to run whenever the heck I wanted. Sure, they were all solo runs but not really because so many people were out walking and riding their bikes. I saw maybe three other runners the entire week! LOL. I really wanted to make every run this week easy since I had the half marathon relay. I wasn't looking to shatter any records, but I wanted my legs to feel mostly rested.
Sunset.

I was still able to hit my mileage goal for the week [40.11 miles!!!], and my bod easily tolerated a 12 miler! I had a little bit of a hamstring issue earlier in the week that made me nervous, but it seems that a rest day and a lot of easy running helped that out.
Alligator Trail.

One of the best parts of the week was being able to run in shorts and a sports bra! The way running was meant to be. It was glorious. My only hang up was wondering if people realized I was pregnant or if they thought I was just some skinny chick with a beer gut. Either way, I was running and they weren't!

  • 2/15/16: 6 miles, 8:29 average pace. I felt like I was running way faster than that average! It must have been the heat and humidity. A little different than the 2 degree run I had the day before!! This run was my chance to get to know the immediate area around my in-laws' condo. It is so pretty here. I just enjoyed my surroundings and searched for gators.
    Out by the bay.
  • 2/16/16: REST. I wanted to run SO bad but I needed to rest my legs. After my cold, faster miles on Sunday, I noticed a weird pain in my right medial hamstring. I was hoping it would be gone by the next day, but I think all of the traveling to Florida didn't allow for proper healing. I probably should have slowed way down for yesterday's run, but I was too excited about the amazing weather. I had to force myself to take this day easy...AND IT WORKED!! My legs felt brand new the next day. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! This is the best way to prevent injury.
    Runner's Tan!
  • 2/17/16: 12.06 miles, 9:15 average pace. I was so proud of this run! Not necessarily proud of the pace because I'm definitely not used to seeing these numbers yet, but proud that I am becoming disciplined in my pregnancy to recognize what my body is telling me to do. I have to choose what's most important to me at this time: miles or pace? I choose miles! I took the same route as I did on Monday but went further out. My in-laws told me I needed to run over the bay bridge. The thought was scary to me but I decided to go for it. As I was climbing the bridge, I got a little emotional. It was so beautiful! I just felt so blessed to be able to be in Florida and enjoy running in this gorgeous weather for a week. I am definitely a heat and humidity kind of girl! The run was amazing, and I never felt  tired. I hope this is a good sign for the next few weeks.
    On the bridge.
  • 2/18/16: 6.2 miles, 9:01 average pace. 10k Thursday! Even with mile one being 9:40, I managed to get my average down to 9:01. It was slightly annoying, though. I almost ran more in order to get my average to be sub 9, but then I couldn't call it "10k Thursday!" My slow start was due to feeling some fatigue from yesterday's long run, but I seemed to warm up pretty quickly. My remaining miles felt very easy and ranged from 8:42 to 9:03.
    Had to run on the pier.
  • 2/19/16: 6.42 miles, 9:32 average pace. I literally thought I was going to pass out. I wanted to get 15k today but it just wasn't going to happen. I was so freaking tired. The only plus is that it was gorgeous outside, and I got to run in a sports bra again. I was happy when this one was over.
    Last run in paradise.
  • 2/20/16: REST. This was the travel day from hell.
    Gorgeous sunset on our last night.
  • 2/21/16: 9.43 total miles. Today was race day! I did a 2.03 mile warm up, 6.1 mile race section, 1.3 mile cool down. I joined a lot of my friends at the Warm Up for Boston race. I was part of a half marathon relay team. Can't wait to give my race report later this week!
    Some of my besties.
 
 
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So, obviously, this week was awesome. I just wish I could have transported all of my friends to Florida with me. We would have turned heads. Lots of creepy old men.
 
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How Far Along: 14 weeks, 4 days
 
What Baby Boo Deux is Up To: It's the size of a fist.
 
Weight Gain:  8 lbs. Starting weight: 112 lbs., Current weight:  120 lbs. (Vacation pounds?!!!)
 
Symptoms: Not much. Occasional pelvic discomfort after a harder run.
 
Cravings/Aversions: Nothing different.
 
Coming Up: Next appointment on March 15th...ULTRASOUND!

Sunday, February 14, 2016

D.O.A.P.: 13 Weeks

Diary of a Prunner
 
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Found the medal from my very first marathon! I'm hoping to make my return to LR in 2017.

This week included a lot of griping and complaining about the temps.  My long run was only 10.5 miles, but I still met my weekly mileage goal [40.19 miles!]. Even though I have days that I feel really slow and sluggish, I am thankful that I have days that I feel awesome and speedy...well, for a pregnant lady. ;)
  • 2/8/16: 6.57 miles, 8:41 average pace. Progressive run and we weren't even trying! I met Karen, Liz, Sarah, and Jennie at a whopping 5 a.m. for this run. It was a little wet on the ground, but it didn't rain as much as I thought. I overdressed like crazy thinking I was going to get soaked!
  • 2/9/16: 5 miles, 8:40 average pace. This was a snowy solo run. I knew I would have a small window in my afternoon between work and my OB appointment. I procrastinated a little because I was SO sleepy and wanted to take a nap. By the time I willed myself to get dressed, I only  had time for 5 miles. This was a tough run because the sidewalks in my hood were snow covered. Because it was a busy time of day, I wasn't able to run on the roads. Bummer. I did manage to have another progressive run with my last mile being 8:07.
  • 2/10/16: 6.05 miles, 9:18 average pace. So cold and snowy this morning. I met Karen and Megan at Schneider's ( I made sure I was there at 4:45 a.m. for the good donuts). The first mile was awful. We had no real plan for our route and the first mile ended up being all snow and some fun wind. We decided at that point we'd hit up some safe roads to avoid the snow. I don't think any of us were feeling it this morning. My lower abdomen was feeling a little funky today. I'm not sure what that was all about. Definitely a pregnancy thing because I had never felt it before. Moral of the story: It's over and I added 6 more miles to my week.
  • 2/11/16: 10.5 miles, 9:03 average pace. I split this run between the road and the mill. I seriously hate the cold. Seriously. The temp was 21 with a wind chill of 8 degrees. I did a pretty good job of dressing myself but my freaking face was frozen yet sweating up a storm at the same time. I did 8.1 miles outside. At first, I was like, "Wow, where is this wind that I'm seeing on all of the flags?" Then I turned around for the 4 mile trek back to The Y. WTF. Stupid wind. I was fighting the entire way back. On top of that, there were many sidewalks with snow. I was over it. I decided not to do any more outside. I really wanted 12, but, when I started on the treadmill, I was super bored. Pretty much a no win situation that day. I was ok with 10.5 as my "long run" for the week. I just have a bad attitude this time of year. I have no idea how I'm going to train next winter for the Little Rock marathon.
    Truth.
  • 2/12/16: REST. I considered running but my body was a little tired. I was also still rebelling against the cold.
  • 2/13/16: 7 miles, 8:41 average pace. I was in a bad mood when I woke up. The hubs told me to have a great run (as he was still lying in bed), and all I could think about was throat punching someone because I was getting up earlier than I would have preferred. LOL. I'm glad I kept my mouth shut because I felt so much better after the run. I started pretty slow because I wasn't feeling it. Something came over me during the second mile. I even made friends with the guy on the treadmill next to me. I could tell he had some sort of goal in mind, and he was struggling. I could hear his pep talks to himself. We ended up cheering each other through our runs and fist bumping after we finished! Made my morning.
    
    So much sweat.
    
  • 2/14/16: 5.06 miles, 8:28 average pace (would have been 8:16 average without that warm up mile!!). I'm learning to separate pregnant Lisa from the Lisa I was in the fall. It's a process. I was SO excited about the result of this run. I headed out assuming it would be slow. It was so cold outside. The wind chill was 2 degrees. I was pretty bundled up, but, again, my face was frozen. The first half of the run was against the wind which might explain my pretty slow start {Mile 1, 9:16]. I seemed to hit my stride and had a great progressive run [8:39, 8:28, 8:12, 7:47]. Yes, 7:47!!! Go me! A number that used to be so normal to me is now foreign. At least I'll get a baby in exchange for it!!
 
I'm looking forward to our vacation week in Punta Gorda, Florida. Highs of 76-78 and lows in the mid 50's. It will be freaking amazing. I'm pretty sure I'll have to run everyday to take advantage of the temps. I'll take off Saturday and be ready for my half marathon relay on Sunday!! Hopefully Columbus doesn't greet us with 20 degree temps next weekend.

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How Far Along: 13 weeks, 4 days
 
What Baby Boo Deux is Up To: It's heart rate was 150 bpm! It sounded strong and healthy.
 
Weight Gain:  5 lbs. Starting weight: 112 lbs., Current weight:  117 lbs. (This was earlier in the week. Based on my diet the past two days, I might have another pound on me)
 
Symptoms: Nothing really. I do still have heartburn and get sick when I eat too much but these things can usually be controlled.
 
Cravings/Aversions: Nothing different.
 
Coming Up: Next appointment on March 15th...ULTRASOUND!
 

Sunday, February 7, 2016

D.O.A.P.: 12 Weeks

Diary of a Prunner
 
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Schneider's Donut Run. That's a good lookin' group of ladies.

 I had a decent week, overall. I'm feeling much better, but I had a couple of horrible nights. My average paces were slower this week but I mixed in really slow warm ups with faster miles. I also followed up my long run with a long-ish run. Both of those runs felt pretty sluggish. I'm still very happy with my week and managed to meet my goal again: 42.08 miles!
 
  • 2/1/16: 6 miles, 8:40 average. Goal was to enjoy the gorgeous opportunity to run in capris. Mission, accomplished! I decided not to look at my splits and just run what felt really easy. My only challenge today was trying not to pee in my britches. About a half mile into my run, I had the sudden urge to pee like a race horse. Fortunately, I knew there was a fire station nearby. The receptionist was gracious enough to let me in as soon as I said I was pregnant and had to pee!
    
  • 2/2/16: 8 miles, 8:49 average pace. Although my average doesn't necessarily appear this way, I did my first attempt at an interval workout. I'm not really focused on speed work since I'm pregnant but, as a seasoned runner, it's in my blood to have a somewhat structured program! I did 8x400m repeats with 400m recovery. I normally like to hit up the track for short intervals but decided to stick to the road. I did a slow as molasses 3 mile warm up. I felt SO AWFUL during my warm up that I almost decided to quit and stick to all easy miles. I told myself to stop being a quitter and just go for it! The worst that could happen is that I just wouldn't able to handle it today. I'm so glad I went for it!! The next 4 miles were spent running a fast quarter mile followed by a recovery quarter mile. My fast pace ranged anywhere from 6:30 to 7:25 while my recoveries were typically in the 9s. I didn't feel warmed up and good until after 6 miles...story of my life. My intervals got faster the longer I was out there. Maybe that's why I prefer the longer races. I need to start doing a 5 mile warm up before my 5k's!
  • 2/3/16: REST. Perfect day for a rest because work was NUTS.
  • 2/4/16: 6 miles, 8:27 average pace. DONUT RUN!! A local running group does a monthly donut run (what they don't know is that I try the weekly version of this run...hehehe). I made plans to run 4 faster miles with my friend, Christine, so I decided to show up a little early for a couple of warm up miles. The girl killed me last week so I needed to be able to keep up AND talk at the same time!
    I seriously do not know what the hell is going on with my hair lately. It's looking absolutely cray cray when I run. [Me, Christine]
  • 2/5/16: 12 miles, 9:10 average pace. I'm not sure why I keep attempting my long runs on Fridays. I never seem to feel good on these days. Maybe all of the hard work from the week catches up with me on Fridays. Maybe it's because I'm no longer getting my weekly margarita. Who knows?! I did feel very sluggish during this run. I decided not to look at my watch at all until I finished. I was a little surprised at my average. I felt like I was running closer to 9:30+ per mile. Something did come over me the last two miles, and I ended with 8:53 and 8:37.
    Happy because it's an amazing day, and I just did 12 miles!!
  • 2/6/16: 10 miles, 9:19 average pace. I had grand plans to wake up and run 8-10 miles before Jimmy had volleyball. I ate way too much for dinner last night and spent the rest of the evening feeling SO SICK! I could not stop dry heaving. I actually went to bed after James fell asleep. I didn't have the energy to stay up. I woke up around 4:30 a.m. and my legs felt like lead. I knew I wouldn't be able to tolerate my intended workout in the morning. I decided to just sleep in and wait until the afternoon. I did everything in my power to procrastinate starting this run. It eventually happened, and I'm so glad it did. It was a pretty slow pace for me, but it's pretty much what I expected based on the way I felt. It was such a gorgeous day that I couldn't help but smile the entire time.
    Spent some time on the trail today. The fact that it's sunny in this Ohio winter is a bonus!
  • 2/7/16: REST. I've been running 6 days a week and completely resting one day. After my long run on Friday, I just wanted to get these miles out of the way so I could have an extra rest day. Plus, isn't it sinful to do anything active on Super Bowl Sunday?! My plan for this day: church, food, and football!!!
 
 
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How Far Along: 12 weeks, 4 days
 
What Baby Boo Deux is Up To: I have a plum in my belly!
 
Weight Gain: 5 lbs. Starting weight: 112 lbs., Current weight: 117 lbs.
 
Symptoms: Lots of heartburn. The all day nausea seems to have FINALLY subsided! I had one horrible night this week in which I didn't sleep well the night before and it caught up with me by the end of the day. A couple of nights later, I had the eating-too-much incident that made me feel sick as a dog. I just need to change my normal eating habits so I don't feel so sick at night.
 
Cravings/Aversions: Still no coffee BUT I have been able to tolerate by beloved Coca-Cola a little bit.
 
Coming Up: Next appointment on Feb 9th...This Tuesday!!!