…and now I have pulled my IT band. I knew I was feeling “twinges” during last night’s 12k run but I didn’t want to stop. Honestly, it didn’t feel serious enough to stop. I should have stopped. By the time I drove home certain movements felt like a knife was being jabbed into the side of my leg. I have iced, foam rolled and elevated and while it certainly feels better today I can tell I have some healing to do. Today is a rest day anyway, not sure what I will do tomorrow. I do know I will be going to pick up an IT band strap ASAP.

I’m the kind of person who likes to research so I have been doing a lot of reading about marathon training schedules. One has to wonder how something so simple as running can be so complex. The theories as to how one can successfully complete this distance are diverse and often contradictory. So if you have never run a marathon, how do you choose a training program?

The two programs I have ended up focussing on are the Running Room schedule and Hal Higdon’s Novice II program. I more or less followed the Running Room program for my half marathons and it seemed to work well for me. But I really like the simplicity of Higdon’s schedule. Even more, I like the fact that his program calls for only 4 runs a week while the R.R calls for 5. For me, 4 runs feel good, 5 starts to feel like a chore. If I fit in a fifth run in a week I want it to be because I feel like it, not because I have to.

So in the end, wisely or foolishly, I have combined the programs, hopefully taking the best from both. I have either created a masterpiece of a schedule or recipe for injury and fatigue. I also had to be creative for the summer months. I have no interest in doing long runs on summer weekends during family time and would rather take advantage of the long evenings to complete those particular runs. The advantage of being a teacher is I don’t have to be up and at work on summer mornings, so having a late evening run is not a problem. And, as someone who really doesn’t do well running in heat, the evening run will allow me to finish those long runs as the temperature is cooling.

My general pattern for the summer will be as follows:
Monday: tempo run – later in training this will be hill run or fartlek run nights
Tuesday: yoga and tempo run
Wed: long slow distance
Thur: boot camp and yoga
Fri: rest
Sat: steady run
Sun: rest

And here are the paces I will be using. These are taken from the Running Room “Marathon to Complete in 4:15”. I actually have no plans to finish in 4:15 and would in fact be thrilled to finish somewhere around the 4:30 mark. But at the moment I am comfortable with these paces and am completely willing to slow things down if necessary as training progresses.

LSD= 6:45-7:35
Tempo/Fartlek/Hills = 6:05
Steady = 6:45
Speed = 5:19
Race pace = 6:03
Walk adjusted pace = 5:47

My biggest question in all this planning? When to take walk breaks. In a half marathon I don’t take any breaks and enjoy maintaining a fairly steady pace. But I know for me to be successful in the marathon I will need to plan breaks. The question is do I use Running Room’s 10/1 run/walk program, or do I use Higdon’s advice of walking at water stations? The latter would mean a walk break every 2 – 3km. I can find numerous examples in blogs and articles of both being successful but have no idea what will work best for me. On my 14k run this week I did walk breaks every three km and that seemed comfortable. I guess the next step is to try the 10 and ones and see how they feel. This truly is one big experiment!

Last week I went into full running mode and was surprised when I realized at the end of the week I had put in just over 40km. Those final km were done on the Friday night and were followed by 72 hours of long weekend rest and relaxation.

While I can be pretty driven in my running, I am also pretty good – make that particularly talented – at doing nothing. My husband will attest to the fact that I can sit on a deck for a really, really long time just looking at a lake. If I get bored I just move on to reading and I am good for another few hours. Admittedly I am interrupted on a regular basis (about every 5 minutes) by my boys, but even so I have mastered relaxing at the lake.

Can’t say I’ve mastered the healthy eating on a long weekend. I am pretty sure I had a fruit cup one day and the nacho chips did have kale in them. Does the lemon in my vodka drink count?

After a great mini break it was time to run again Monday night and what a great run it was. Most days you know you should run, many days you want to run, and once in a while you need to run. That last one is a pretty amazing feeling. That’s when you know you are fuelling an addiction. On Monday’s run I didn’t care about pace, distance or time. It wasn’t an easy run but it felt amazing. If being lazy and eating crap food leads to this kind of run, well let’s just say I’m looking forward to the August long weekend.

It has taken me a while to write a new post. I could say life got in the way, I could say it was because I was enjoying a little break from running. Both of these are true. But the more likely reason is the slightly overwhelmed feeling I have had as I head into marathon training. The fact is I have never undertaken something like this in my life. I feel nervous, excited, overwhelmed, curious, scared – make that terrified – and the list goes on. Somehow having to write about it all seemed a little too much. But, the original reason for this blog was to record this journey, so it is time to write again.

I have about a week of training under my belt now after taking a rest for a few weeks following my series of half marathons. It always amazes me how even a few weeks off can set you back so much. I am experienced enough now to know that it will come back fairly quickly so no need to panic. That said, it isn’t a great feeling when you find yourself once again struggling to finish 10k.

A friend and I joined a Running Room marathon clinic as a way to get motivated and help us stay on track. We were more than a little worried when neither of us seemed capable of managing our clothing for the first clinic. One of us had brought a black tank instead running shorts and one of us had running pants on inside out. I won’t say which one I was, I’m not sure which one is worse. One has to wonder about how we can manage training for a marathon when we can’t manage something as simple as pants 🙂

As always, running has brought clarity. I am not as overwhelmed or terrified as I was a couple of weeks ago. As much as I enjoyed my few weeks off, the fact is I feel better when I run. The physical exertion, the time to think, the comfort of having a schedule and a goal are all good things for me. And in one of my recent runs I became quite comfortable to aim not for a certain time, but just for the accomplishment itself. I want to walk away from the race feeling tired but still able to smile. If I am crying, I want to be crying in awe, not in pain. I want to finish stronger, not weak with injuries. I want to take some time on the course to take in the experience, not just run and wish for it to be over. This may or may not be the only marathon I ever do. I can’t say for sure because as my boys often remind me, I said I had no interest in half marathons, then said I just wanted to try one, then did several and now of course comes the full marathon. But if this is the only one, I don’t think my time will be the most important thing. The fact is I think it is pretty hard to even predict your first marathon time, there are just too many variables. In the end, it will be the journey of training and the experience of the race that will provide the memories for years to come.

It has been a week since Ottawa Race Weekend and I have yet to write a complete recap. The fact is there are so many different approaches as to how I could review the weekend. After all, it was the end of a fundraising series of races for me; it marked the first time ever I ran a half marathon only two weeks after another half; it was the first time I ran two races in one weekend; it was my first large, international half marathon since the NYC Half in March. But in the end the race stands out for me because of the fun I had picking up race kits, visiting the Expo, hanging out downtown and running the 5k race, all with my 10 year old son, Evan. As a mom, what a treat to share something like a big race weekend with my quickly growing child. While he may have the look (and attitude) sometimes of a pre-teen, he is still quite content to hold my hand and spend time together, just the two of us. We had two days with no arguing, nagging, or rushing. There is a certain irony to the fact that on a “race” weekend we had the opportunity to slow things down, take our time and enjoy each other’s company. And, to see Evan finish just under his goal of 30 minutes, well, that was just the icing on the cake. I am thankful for such an opportunity and for the memories the weekend has given me.

As for the races themselves, I think Race Weekend does Ottawa proud. Sometimes we forget what we have in our own backyard. The fact is we have stunning scenery that I think is hard to beat. I would have to think that any visitor participating in the race would have to be impressed. Just the view of Parliament Hill as you cross the river back into Ontario is worth the run alone. And the spectators…I really can’t say enough about the people who cheered and waved signs on the sidelines for complete strangers. Prior to running the races I had promised myself to high five as many kids (and adults) as I could and I held true to that promise. I can’t even begin to count the number of high fives I received in the two races.

So, I could write about the food shortage at the end of the half marathon, or the difficulty getting into the correct corral because of the barricades, or what looked like a ridiculously long line for race kits on Saturday afternoon (not an issue when we were there on the Friday night). I could write about how unbelievably tired I was by the 18k mark or how I seriously thought that I might lose my breakfast by 19k and was terrified to do so in front of so many spectators. But those aren’t the things I will remember in the weeks and months to come. What I will remember is a great Race Weekend, with great organizers, volunteers, courses and spectators. And of course I will remember a wonderful weekend with a son still willing to hang out and participate in a sporting activity with his mom.

Before talking about Ottawa Race Weekend itself, I need to note that on Sunday I finished my goal to raise money for the Boston One Fund. The week after the April 15 bombing I added the Ottawa Half Marathon to an already busy schedule. I was already registered for an 18k race and a half marathon in the four weeks prior to Race Weekend. Plus, I had already done the NYC Half Marathon in March. Considering I had only just started 21.1k races in the fall, I felt I had planned enough for my race schedule.

But Boston changed my mind. As I explained in an earlier post, Boston reminded me that I am blessed to be able to run. It also reminded me that people face far bigger challenges in their lives than running a race. So I quickly found a race bib up for transfer and asked friends if they would be willing to support me in my series of races by donating to Boston One Fund. My personal race series ended up looking like this: an 18k race, followed two weeks later by a half marathon, followed two weeks later by a 5k race and half marathon race in one weekend. I am very proud to say that not only did I finish the challenge, but I collected $670 in cash and cheques and a number of contributions were made directly online. So a very big thank you to those who contributed to such a worthy cause.

The Ottawa Half Marathon also marked my third half in ten weeks and my fifth half in seven months! This time last year I thought running 21.1k was flat out crazy. I still think it is crazy but now I get why people do it. What a mixture of pride and exhaustion when you cross that finish line! Actually, the exhaustion part kicks in long before the finish line – at this last race I think it hit me at about the 5k mark. And it never ceases to amaze me how you somehow go from thinking “Why the heck am I doing this?” on one side of the finish line, to thinking “What race should I do next? once you have had your post race snack.

So, Ottawa Race weekend was many things for me, in many ways more than just a race. Lots more to tell, but it will wait until the next post.

So, three half marathons in 10 weeks and everyone of them in the 2:03 range. Are there any special awards for consistent runners?

Ottawa Race Weekend was awesome…but right now a nap seems more important than a recap, so it will have to wait.

P.S By far the biggest highlight of the race? Running with my son Evan and seeing him push himself to finish the 5k in just under 30 minutes. Wait, change that. The true biggest highlight was his grin at the end of it and his request to sign up for the Army Run 5k. So proud of him 🙂

My son and I just came back from the Ottawa Race Expo. Visiting the expo, seeing so many runners and of course picking up new tech shirts (I get two!) has finally made me excited for this race. What I have discovered is that doing so many races in a relatively short period of time can kind of dull the senses. When I think back to March I was feeling like a kid at Christmas time as I prepared for the NYC Half. Up until tonight I just felt like someone who has done a lot of running. But once you are at an expo, you can’t help but feel the buzz of adrenaline in the air. It also helped that I bought a pair of running shoes for half price while there.

Perhaps what really helped me get that “kid at Christmas” feeling was being at the expo with my son. He was so excited to be downtown picking up his bib and very first race tech shirt (he has a drawer full of cotton race tees). He is planning his pace, and to his credit, thinking it through intelligently. Unlike what many of we adults do, he has no plans to start out too fast. His goal is to go easy the first 2.5k and then see if he can pick up the pace during the last 2.5k. His longest practice run was 4k, so we’ll see how he finds the distance. My goal is to just finish the 5k without killing myself chasing after him since I want to make sure I am ready for the half marathon the next morning 🙂

And as for my half, well, no concrete plans for that. I want to enjoy the course and the crowds. I want to thank the volunteers that make a race this size possible (44 000 runners involved in all the races combined). I want to high five kids at the side of the course. I want to finish feeling good and I want to still feel good the next day. I want to remember the victims of Boston. After that, it will be what it will be.

Happy Race Weekend Ottawa!

In six days I will be running another half marathon. According to any training schedule I’ve read, last week should have been a pretty busy week of running for me. Instead, I followed my own program for the second last week before a half. Time will tell if it is a schedule worth keeping. 😉

Saturday: run a half marathon at a 5:47 min/km pace
Sunday: nap
Monday: recovery day
Tuesday: run a 2k race with two ten yr old boys (sounds easy, but they run faster than me)
Wednesday: recover from the 2k
Thursday: seriously consider running. Put your running gear on, run 100 metres, decide that a half hour walk would be much more enjoyable
Friday: recover from the walk
Saturday: sit on a deck looking at a lake. Be sure to snack wisely, include the important food groups of potato chips and brownies
Sunday: sit in a cabin looking at a lake, continue with previous day’s nutrition program
Monday: spend three hours convincing yourself that you really should do something resembling a real run. Get out there and run 10k at race pace (yeah!) this will make you feel like you deserve a taper week!!

Final week…haven’t really figured out how to taper after a week like last week, but I am sure I can find a way.

This morning I finished my 4th half marathon!!! And, I have to add, it is my 4th in less than 7 months, not to mention an 18k race 2 weeks ago. So at the moment I am feeling a little proud of myself. As for time, I came in right around my previous best. This race used only gun time, no net or chip time, so officially I finished in 2:03:42, only 4 seconds slower than my best time of 2:03:38. My watch time puts me at 2:03:29. Not really sure whether I call this my fastest half or not but no matter, I am very pleased with the result. I ran a steady race with no walking breaks and for 17k I felt very good. The overpass after the 17k mark was a bit challenging at that stage of the race, and the last 2km I struggled fighting the wind. I think it was around then that I had a slight moment of panic when I thought about the fact that come October I am going to run a full marathon. I was struggling a little today to finish, I admit the thought of that being only my half way mark in my October race is a little intimidating! Needless to say a lot of training is going to have to happen between now and the fall.

But for now I am going to enjoy my success so far and take a couple of days to relax. Then, in only 2 weeks I have to do it all again when I run the half at Ottawa Race Weekend. I know a sub 2 hour half is just not in the cards for me this year, particularly since my focus is going to switch to training for a full marathon soon. But the funny thing is, I am ok with that. This time last year, actually at the same race I did today, I ran my first 10k. This time 2 years ago I was training for my first 5k race. I had no idea that those races would lead to the running journey I now find myself enjoying so much. Sometimes it feels good to sit back and enjoy how far you have come 🙂

P.S. A special shout out to my boys who ran their first races of the season. My seven year old finished his 1k in a speedy 5:15 and my 10 year old had a P.B of 16:20 in the 3k. I love that they went out there, gave it their best and had a great time. Way to go boys!!!

P.P.S My husband wants to be recognized too…he was after all the running buddy for our youngest, race kit collector, driver and chief supporter. We couldn’t do it without him!