Upcoming - Week 2: Recovery time
Well, yesterday was the marathon in DC. Needless to say, today has been a day of hobbling around attempting to ascend and descend the stairs and not look too awkward walking around the grocery store. I have managed to eat a ton since the race (not quite on purpose - the stomach wants what it wants!) and I did manage to treat myself with a cinnamon chip muffin from the bakery this morning. Joy! The pain isn't too terrible but I keep trying to move around so I don't get stiff or cramp up - although I should be icing more than I have been, unfortunately.
So this coming week will be mostly recovery with some swimming and light biking...and a little volleyball this coming weekend with some old Altoona friends for a little reunion :) I probably won't do any running until next week, which will still be light and easy. But, here is my race report for the Rock n' Roll USA Marathon in DC:
The Good:
The race was in a great location downtown at the RFK Stadium. We stayed in Landover and took the train a short 15 minutes in and got off at the stop right by the Armory. It couldn't have been easier and I'm so glad we did that instead of trying to drive. The gear bag check was nice with ample space for storage which made getting in and out pretty painless. Probably the one painfree thing of the day :) The day couldn't have been more perfect for the race - cool in the morning but warming up nicely (maybe a little too much) by the time I hit the half marathon point. I started out feeling great during the race and carried this through for the first half of the marathon...which I was hoping for at least. Mile 4 and 9 were a little interesting. I managed to get a second wind of some kind around mile 16...and then again at mile 22. These were fairly short lived in the world of "second winds", I believe.
The Bad:
The bad? Well, there were a handful of bad things, from a dead bug in our hotel bed (free room for that, btw) neglecting my sunscreen, wearing pants I never trained in, and various other things, I'd say things went ok for my first marathon. For a "Rock n' Roll" race, I was a little disappointed with the so called bands they had set up along the way. Now, I know that you can't get Switchfoot to play at every stage along the course, but come on. You could have done better than some of the stuff that was out there. Thank god I went with my gut and wore my ipod. As for the race itself, things were already getting to my head by mile 4 - I was hungry! My pre-race nerves managed to curb my appetite so I couldn't force much down beforehand besides half a bagel, half a powerbar, and some gatorade. It managed to get warmer than I was anticipating early on and was thirsty a lot. At mile 7 they were handing out water bottles, so I grabbed one and carried it with me and refilling at water stations until mile 26.1 before tossing it aside so I could try to "sprint" to the finish line. I'm thankful for that, otherwise, I don't think I would have made it. I also felt somewhat defeated when all of the half marathoners started to pick up the pace around mile 9 and were passing me. It was hard to not keep up with everyone, but I kept telling myself that I just needed to cool out and stick with the plan...otherwise I'd be hurting later (which I was). I wanted so badly to follow the half marathoners to their finish line - I couldn't believe I still had another half to run!
The Ugly:
Sunburn, popped blister/bloody sock, mile 22...
So, I managed to get a nice sunburn on my arms, back, and chest since I neglected to wear my sunscreen. I think my only saving grace was the fact that I wore my hat, thank god! Otherwise, I would have a ridiculously burt face with a sunglasses tan line. I have one from my ipod and watch, ha! I won't make that mistake again...even on the long training rides and runs we do on the weekends - no sir! So, things started to turn ugly around mile 18-19...I kept thinking in my head, "I've only gone 20 miles so I only know what 20 miles feels like..." and then I got scared. Around mile 19 we had to cross a metal grate bridge which didn't feel good on the feet that were already hurting terribly. I managed to pass everyone that was walking at this point, so that made me feel good. When I hit the mile 20 marker, I had a sense of relief that there was only a 10K left. Little did I know that this 10K would be the hardest of my life. It seemed the closer I got to the finish line, the longer it took the mile markers to show up! By mile 22 I was ready to call it quits and employ the run/walk strategy, but just tried to focus on eating and drinking and thinking about how often I had to do that so I didn't think about how painful things felt at that time. And then it hit me. Like someone driving a nail through my foot - the blister that I felt forming at mile 8 finally got fed up with me and busted wide open. I screamed at the pain and managed to take 4 or 5 more strides but the pain was incredible. I ran off to the side and sat down on the curb...I had to do SOMETHING. I ripped my shoe and sock off to assess the damage expecting to see a blood soaked sock with half of the skin on my toe missing, but it was just slightly red and my skin was intact (by the end of the race it was much more red). Not that I could have done anything about it if I did have a blood soaked sock and was missing all of my toe skin. So, I took this time to retie my shoes, stretch for a second, refocus, and go on my way since there was nothing more I could do by sitting on the curb. It was painful starting out running again, but once I got into a stride, the pain in my toe subsided (or it just went numb) and I was able to keep a decent pace the rest of the way to the end. It was tough trying to tick off the miles...23, ok only a 5K to go, 24, ok 2 more, 25........almost....there....26. At mile 26 I was just so happy to see the finish line and the people lining the road I couldn't help but smile the last .2.
It wasn't a pretty race and the marathon doesn't do nice things to your body (chafing). I can't say right now that I would do one again, but who knows. I think the first one is the hardest and now I know what it is like and can say I've done one. I don't find it as enjoyable as other people and don't expect to...I'm just glad that I finished :) But, what if I hadn't sat on that curb assessing my damage for 5 minutes....??! There's always room for improvement, right?
Cheers!
Chandra
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
The Beginning of the End
Week 1: Building an Ironman
This is conveniently our final taper week leading up to the marathon on Saturday the 17th - St. Patty's Day - and the first week of our 24 week training plan! After a few weeks of struggling through workouts, I'm not feeling too confident in my ability to run those 26.2 miles. But, after some sound advice from others with much more experience than me, I have come to accept the fact that this marathon is not the ultimate. As much as I want to follow my marathon plan to a tee, I need to remember that this is just one test or "long workout" towards becoming an Ironman.
I try to set goals for every race that I do, so going into the marathon, I had expectations set for myself. But, now I'm wondering if it's worth pushing myself beyond a certain point just for a goal finish time to prove to myself and others that I am capable of doing this without looking like a wuss. Could just completing it be enough? Not in my eyes, I suppose. So, my aim is to run and finish the marathon comfortably without injury. We do have 23 more weeks of long training to get through. So, if I have to walk through aid stations or even during the race, so be it. I have 5.5 hours (I believe) to finish it before they pick my butt up and drive me to the back of the pack, if I fall behind. I'm confident I'll finish well ahead of that mark, but who knows - anything can happen!!
So, this week is the beginning of the end. The end of the marathon training (and looking forward to more bike rides like today); the end of my free, relaxing weekends of movie watching and wine drinking (if you know me, that didn't happen very often...I can't sit still); and the end of these dark training days. I feel like I have been running in the dark for decades! Yay to Daylight Savings and the spring/summer weather. I have certainly missed you! It will certainly be an interesting next two weeks - this one leading up to the marathon (which SHOULD be a taper, but no rest for the weary - ok maybe a little ;) ), and the week following the marathon. I will have to alter my training schedule slightly to give my legs some recovery, so that means mostly swims, bikes, some yoga and weight training. I'm hoping this will help whatever is ailing my knees at the moment. But, it'll be ALL IN after these first two "strange" weeks.
Just to give you the gist of things...
Week 1: Build
Mon: Swim - 2,000 drill workout
Tues: Bike/Run Brick - 70 min tempo ride; 15-20 min transition run
Wed: Swim - 3,500 yard aerobic work; Optional 60 min Bike
Thurs: Swim - 2,500 sprint work; Run - 45-60 min fartlek run; Weight Training
Fri: OFF!
Sat: Bike/Run Brick - 2-3 hour ride; 15-20 min transition run
Sun: Run - 50-70 mins; Weight Training
So, obviously I will not be doing all of those workouts this week. Otherwise, I will not make it through the marathon. But, this is the fun I have to look forward to over the next 6 months. I hope to keep up with the blog on a weekly basis to have a running log of our training adventures. Most likely on Sunday afternoon/evenings, when I'll be icing myself down with a glass of wine :) I hope you'll join me!!
Cheers!
Chandra
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Celtic Solstice 5 Miler...with a side of wine!
It's been awhile since my last post - almost 2 months! Not a lot has happened in that time...just trying to enjoy a little more downtime around the holidays while still trying to maintain some level of fitness. The spring and summer races will be here before I know it.
Joe (my husband) did the Philadelphia Marathon back in November, which was his first marathon. He trained really hard and put in a lot of time not only with training, but also with recovery and nutrition. I know the first race is always the most difficult as you don't know what to expect or how to prepare. But, I would say that for his first marathon race, he did fantastic and finished in a time of 3 hours 32 minutes. It was two minutes over his goal time of 3:30, but I think he's happy with his results overall. But, while we were at the expo for packet pickup, we decided to sign up for the inaugural Rock N' Roll USA Marathon in Washington, DC. This will be my first marathon...I'm looking it as a training run to prepare for Ironman Louisville. So, my hope and goal is just a feel good run to the finish line :)
This past weekend we raced the Celtic Solstice 5 miler down in Baltimore at Druid Hill Park. This was the first race I have done since the middle of October - since my last post, actually. I can't say it was the best race of my life, as you will see in my race report below, but it was a fun race that will be in my rotation of races to do :) I mostly did it for the nice Brooks thermal shirt that was the race premium, but it was nice to have some Boordy wine afterwards in the company of my love and great friends.
Celtic Solstice 5 miler Race Report:
The Good:
First off, the race course was in Druid Hill Park. While a bit hilly, it was completely closed to traffic which made it a care-free race with no worries of cars around. The packet pickup (which we did the weekend before) was organized and not crowded and you got a nice Brooks thermal long sleeved shirt, which was basically the cost of the entry fee. The race itself was in a good location and we were able to find adequate parking near Johns Hopkins and had a quick half mile walk to the start line. The course was a nice loopy route through the park - you got to see a lot of spectators at various points in the run. The post race refreshments were nice, with cookies, apples, oranges, bananas, some yummy veggie soup, and warm spiced wassail wine! I surprised myself by drinking some, which you will understand a little later. But, it was a nice treat. One of the best parts of this race was the fact that we got to see some wonderful friends that live in the area - many thanks to our friends Andy and Marissa Redding that let us stay with them Friday evening so we didn't have to wake up super early and drive down Saturday morning. Always great hosts :) It made me wish (for a few moments) that we still lived in Bmore. I miss you all!! xoxo
The Bad:
The only bad parts about this race was the before/after race area inside the tent. It was very crowded with around 3,000 people. This made maneuvering through the tent for your timing chip beforehand and the food/drinks afterwards a tad annoying. The race started out on a flat, but went uphill right away for about 2 miles. Looking back on it, I won't remember it as a terribly hilly race, but at the time, I thought "Why did I decide to do this again??". It was also pretty chilly at 8:30 am with a slight breeze, so I wasn't fully warm until mile 3 or so. Also, while we got plenty of emails regarding packet pickup, parking and driving directions, I couldn't tell you much about the race besides it was on a Saturday somewhere in Druid Park. It wasn't until a few days before the race that we actually got an emailed version of the course map so we knew where the start line was. It would have been nice to have this earlier, but that's just the "extremely prepared" personality in me.
The Ugly:
Well, there was really only one ugly thing about this race. Dehydrated, hungry, and still slightly hungover. Thursday night was my work holiday party here in Lancaster. It was a beautiful time, but I made the rookie mistake of mixing drinks and getting too little sleep. And had too much wine. Now I understand why everyone says wine hangovers are the devil. This is true. So, the race was rough from the beginning - I didn't have much of an appetite on Friday, so that meant very little fuel being taken in. I tried to drink plenty of water but it wouldn't help much. When Saturday morning came around, I was able to eat a powerbar and a banana before the race, but felt tired and heavy the whole race. I kept telling myself that I was just out there to enjoy the run and just to get it done. My goal was to beat my 5 miler race time in June, which I managed to do by a minute, so maybe that means I'm getting better at this running thing. I should put that piece in the "Good" category.
On another "surprised myself today" note, Joe and I managed to run a good 12 miles with a local friend/triathlete here in Lititz. It was great to run with "a group" of us, it made the time go by much much faster. I am thankful for being able to do these things with some really great people.
Now, it's time to enjoy the holidays with wonderful family and friends and then get ready for a crazy 2012! I feel it's going to be a good upcoming year - hopeful for continued motivation, good nutrition habits, and feel good training days. Even though Thanksgiving is over, I will continue to always be thankful for everyone in my life that pushes me to be a better person and athlete. So, I say THANK YOU to all of you out there :)
Sorry for the novel, once again....Happy Holidays to you and yours!!
xoxo,
Chandra
Joe (my husband) did the Philadelphia Marathon back in November, which was his first marathon. He trained really hard and put in a lot of time not only with training, but also with recovery and nutrition. I know the first race is always the most difficult as you don't know what to expect or how to prepare. But, I would say that for his first marathon race, he did fantastic and finished in a time of 3 hours 32 minutes. It was two minutes over his goal time of 3:30, but I think he's happy with his results overall. But, while we were at the expo for packet pickup, we decided to sign up for the inaugural Rock N' Roll USA Marathon in Washington, DC. This will be my first marathon...I'm looking it as a training run to prepare for Ironman Louisville. So, my hope and goal is just a feel good run to the finish line :)
This past weekend we raced the Celtic Solstice 5 miler down in Baltimore at Druid Hill Park. This was the first race I have done since the middle of October - since my last post, actually. I can't say it was the best race of my life, as you will see in my race report below, but it was a fun race that will be in my rotation of races to do :) I mostly did it for the nice Brooks thermal shirt that was the race premium, but it was nice to have some Boordy wine afterwards in the company of my love and great friends.
Celtic Solstice 5 miler Race Report:
The Good:
First off, the race course was in Druid Hill Park. While a bit hilly, it was completely closed to traffic which made it a care-free race with no worries of cars around. The packet pickup (which we did the weekend before) was organized and not crowded and you got a nice Brooks thermal long sleeved shirt, which was basically the cost of the entry fee. The race itself was in a good location and we were able to find adequate parking near Johns Hopkins and had a quick half mile walk to the start line. The course was a nice loopy route through the park - you got to see a lot of spectators at various points in the run. The post race refreshments were nice, with cookies, apples, oranges, bananas, some yummy veggie soup, and warm spiced wassail wine! I surprised myself by drinking some, which you will understand a little later. But, it was a nice treat. One of the best parts of this race was the fact that we got to see some wonderful friends that live in the area - many thanks to our friends Andy and Marissa Redding that let us stay with them Friday evening so we didn't have to wake up super early and drive down Saturday morning. Always great hosts :) It made me wish (for a few moments) that we still lived in Bmore. I miss you all!! xoxo
The Bad:
The only bad parts about this race was the before/after race area inside the tent. It was very crowded with around 3,000 people. This made maneuvering through the tent for your timing chip beforehand and the food/drinks afterwards a tad annoying. The race started out on a flat, but went uphill right away for about 2 miles. Looking back on it, I won't remember it as a terribly hilly race, but at the time, I thought "Why did I decide to do this again??". It was also pretty chilly at 8:30 am with a slight breeze, so I wasn't fully warm until mile 3 or so. Also, while we got plenty of emails regarding packet pickup, parking and driving directions, I couldn't tell you much about the race besides it was on a Saturday somewhere in Druid Park. It wasn't until a few days before the race that we actually got an emailed version of the course map so we knew where the start line was. It would have been nice to have this earlier, but that's just the "extremely prepared" personality in me.
The Ugly:
Well, there was really only one ugly thing about this race. Dehydrated, hungry, and still slightly hungover. Thursday night was my work holiday party here in Lancaster. It was a beautiful time, but I made the rookie mistake of mixing drinks and getting too little sleep. And had too much wine. Now I understand why everyone says wine hangovers are the devil. This is true. So, the race was rough from the beginning - I didn't have much of an appetite on Friday, so that meant very little fuel being taken in. I tried to drink plenty of water but it wouldn't help much. When Saturday morning came around, I was able to eat a powerbar and a banana before the race, but felt tired and heavy the whole race. I kept telling myself that I was just out there to enjoy the run and just to get it done. My goal was to beat my 5 miler race time in June, which I managed to do by a minute, so maybe that means I'm getting better at this running thing. I should put that piece in the "Good" category.
On another "surprised myself today" note, Joe and I managed to run a good 12 miles with a local friend/triathlete here in Lititz. It was great to run with "a group" of us, it made the time go by much much faster. I am thankful for being able to do these things with some really great people.
Now, it's time to enjoy the holidays with wonderful family and friends and then get ready for a crazy 2012! I feel it's going to be a good upcoming year - hopeful for continued motivation, good nutrition habits, and feel good training days. Even though Thanksgiving is over, I will continue to always be thankful for everyone in my life that pushes me to be a better person and athlete. So, I say THANK YOU to all of you out there :)
Sorry for the novel, once again....Happy Holidays to you and yours!!
xoxo,
Chandra
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Rock, Roll, and Karaoke!
Where do I start for my first ever post? Well, lets start out by saying that the 2011 Tri season has come to a close. It was quite the first season living and training in the Lancaster area, but I'm SO thankful for such a beautiful yet challenging terrain. I've met some wonderful people to train with and learn from and I look forward to developing more great relationships along the triathlon road :)
This past year, I made some big strides towards becoming an Ironman and a better triathlete overall. I completed 7 triathlons, including one Olympic distance, and one Half-Ironman distance. I also came to realize what hard work and dedication means. It's one thing to go through the motions of a workout because that's what your training plan says to do, but it's totally different to do that workout with intensity and purpose. Two-a-days are a common occurrence with waking up at 4:30am for a swim workout or to get in a long run because it would be too hot in the afternoon. This is all part of having the right mindset to know where you are and where you want to be. I can't say that same intensity is happening now that the season is over...I do enjoy a little downtime.
I am enjoying doing road races here and there this fall. Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting a friend in NYC, seeing the sights, and enjoying some sushi, beer, and unlimited karaoke! During my visit, I ran the Rock N' Roll 10K in Brooklyn. It was my first Rock N' Roll race...so here is my race report:
The Good:
The race was located at the beautiful Prospect Park, so the location and scenery was beautiful. The weather was perfect - slightly chilly in the early morning but warmed right up once you got started running. It was a two loop course through the park with only a few miles of uphill climbs. I felt great during the whole race, so I was pleased that my nutrition and hydration (I'm assuming) worked out good. It certainly wasn't because of an abundance of sleep the night before! We ended in the middle of the park to receive the usual finishers medal, bagels, water, bananas, and T-SHIRT! It was great to run the race with my friend Whitney, and have our wonderful host, Lacie, stand by and cheer us on while taking action shots.
The Bad:
The start line was somewhat far from the subway line, so we had a bit of a walk before and after the race. This was probably easier than driving or taking a cab, so it was the best choice. Although, my poor friend Lacie would probably beg to differ since it was pretty cold that early in the morning :) For being a "Rock N' Roll" sponsored race, I was hoping there would be more than just two DJ stands along the course. The live band at the finish line was pretty cool, but we didn't stay long enough to fully jam out.
The Ugly:
The lines for packet pick up before the race were LONG, which sent me into a frenzy worrying if I'd get my stuff in time. Of course I did :) The lines were even longer at the end of the race for the T-shirt and swag-bag pickup. And of course, by the time I got to the front of the line, they were out of my size. I can't say I'm surprised, just a tad disappointed, but ended up getting a smaller size. Hopefully it fits over my head. They also "ran out" of swag bags, but we managed to bug enough people and they found some in a random box.
Overall, the race was great and would recommend that anyone do it.
Up next: The Celtic Solstice 5-miler on December 17th in Baltimore...unless a spur of the moment race pops up. Possibly "A Race to Remember" here in Lititz on November 12th :)
Thanks for sticking around this long...Happy reading!
Cheers!
Chandra
This past year, I made some big strides towards becoming an Ironman and a better triathlete overall. I completed 7 triathlons, including one Olympic distance, and one Half-Ironman distance. I also came to realize what hard work and dedication means. It's one thing to go through the motions of a workout because that's what your training plan says to do, but it's totally different to do that workout with intensity and purpose. Two-a-days are a common occurrence with waking up at 4:30am for a swim workout or to get in a long run because it would be too hot in the afternoon. This is all part of having the right mindset to know where you are and where you want to be. I can't say that same intensity is happening now that the season is over...I do enjoy a little downtime.
I am enjoying doing road races here and there this fall. Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting a friend in NYC, seeing the sights, and enjoying some sushi, beer, and unlimited karaoke! During my visit, I ran the Rock N' Roll 10K in Brooklyn. It was my first Rock N' Roll race...so here is my race report:
The Good:
The race was located at the beautiful Prospect Park, so the location and scenery was beautiful. The weather was perfect - slightly chilly in the early morning but warmed right up once you got started running. It was a two loop course through the park with only a few miles of uphill climbs. I felt great during the whole race, so I was pleased that my nutrition and hydration (I'm assuming) worked out good. It certainly wasn't because of an abundance of sleep the night before! We ended in the middle of the park to receive the usual finishers medal, bagels, water, bananas, and T-SHIRT! It was great to run the race with my friend Whitney, and have our wonderful host, Lacie, stand by and cheer us on while taking action shots.
The Bad:
The start line was somewhat far from the subway line, so we had a bit of a walk before and after the race. This was probably easier than driving or taking a cab, so it was the best choice. Although, my poor friend Lacie would probably beg to differ since it was pretty cold that early in the morning :) For being a "Rock N' Roll" sponsored race, I was hoping there would be more than just two DJ stands along the course. The live band at the finish line was pretty cool, but we didn't stay long enough to fully jam out.
The Ugly:
The lines for packet pick up before the race were LONG, which sent me into a frenzy worrying if I'd get my stuff in time. Of course I did :) The lines were even longer at the end of the race for the T-shirt and swag-bag pickup. And of course, by the time I got to the front of the line, they were out of my size. I can't say I'm surprised, just a tad disappointed, but ended up getting a smaller size. Hopefully it fits over my head. They also "ran out" of swag bags, but we managed to bug enough people and they found some in a random box.
Overall, the race was great and would recommend that anyone do it.
Up next: The Celtic Solstice 5-miler on December 17th in Baltimore...unless a spur of the moment race pops up. Possibly "A Race to Remember" here in Lititz on November 12th :)
Thanks for sticking around this long...Happy reading!
Cheers!
Chandra
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