December
was awesome!!! It started with 10 days of no running and yes, still awesome. Juan found these very inexpensive tkts on Emirates to Italy, and we just went, with 10 days of planning. It was so amazing, I should probably do a post about it (but who are we kidding, I am so lazy these days!) but OMG, we had the funnest time and we didn’t even bring running shoes with us. Insane right? WRONG. Sometimes I just want to eat, and eat, and sleep late and have a completely different routine. I call it “vacation”. I do vacation 100% sometimes. Plus, our main goal was to EAT EVERYTHING. That routing/goal would have made the running tortuous. No, thanks. We came back after 8 days (just 3 pounds over. how? food is just SO different there!!!) and it was almost the holidays!!! I did a few miles and last week I noticed that if I did about 10 miles more than I’d usually do in a week, this would be my year with the most miles. Which is INSANE if you think about it: this is the first year I didn’t do a marathon. NO long runs over 12… how is this possible?? And I did take a few weeks off here and there… Well, I am enjoying this a bunch more now that I don’t have to do the long runs… Quite mysterious, right?
Last week I managed 41 miles!!! A lot, as I usually run 25 to 35 a week. and then… Sunday I got a chest cold. CRAP. Anyway, I was just 5 miles off so, and I couldn’t muster the last 5 mile run. I couldn’t. My face was dripping in every direction and I could barely get to the couch from bed. OHWELLwhocaresanyway. Got close enough. By the way, GOOD ENOUGH has become my motto, read this (How settling can make people happier and more satisfied than gunning for “the best”) which explains it all, it will change your life, I promise! Here we go 2016!!!!!!! Total Miles: 91
For year’s totals and balance, check this post.
November
besides the Marathon excitement…. left without a hitch! I cheered about 4 places for the marathon and got to see poor Juan battle an injury for over 26 miles and way longer than it should have taken him. OUCH. The rest of the month was spent trying to see what was up with my hamstring. It had been hurting since early September, started PT, did an MRI: it was my adductor… now we can focus on that. Slow easy fun miles most of the month! Total Miles: 93
October
was an atypical month. All of a sudden it’s dark in the mornings, cold and we taper. This year, as I wasn’t running the NYC Marathon, there was no taper, but I did run the Staten Island Half early in the month and I made a MESS. I overcaffeinated myself, dehydrated quite badly, got awful cramps and it got quite scary for a bit. It was sad to close the racing season without a PR or a well executed race but, on the other hand, I got about 4 seconds from a PR, which was quite amazing news, I didn’t expect I’d be THAT close. The days after the race I felt awful but I got away from it with just a cold, because my immune system was a mess. That means, no running for about a week and a half, so my monthly mileage was sadder than usual. There was a fun trip to the NYC Marathon Museum Exhibit at the Museum of the City, highly recommended, go see it, it’s there until March. There was also a trip to the NYC Marathon Expo, and the pavilion, always fun too. And then cheering wildly at the marathon, but that’s actually November… 😉 The rest of the month was ok, nothing too wild, just trying to catch up back from the cold. I am gonna miss this weather. Total Miles: 100
September
was a good month. I managed to calm down my hamstring tear and keep running. I did 120 miles this month guys!!! I did very little speed but I am now trying to get back on it. For example, yesterday we did a crazy hard workout (I am still wiped out!): 4x400s, 1×1600, and 4x400s. It was GREAT.
Earlier on the month, I raced the 5th Avenue Mile (and here are all the pros pictures) to see where I was after 6 weeks of BLAH, and I came up with a 6:24 which wasn’t so shabby given how long I was benched. I did decide to skip my goal half marathon race and post pone it to next weekend Staten Island half… we will see. I don’t think it’ll be spectacular, but I am ready to give it a try and be done racing for 2015!!
Early September too, Juan and I celebrated our 2nd year anniversary with a trip to DC, and we run a lot there, and we ATE a lot there too. Fun times!! and yesterday I put some pictures up about my run to the Bronx this weekend and then cheering at the NYRR Bronx 10 miler. All fun. See? a really FUN month. Which is pretty much all you need coming back from a furious hamstring battle. 10 days now to Staten Island half and I hoping I will feel like taking a break after that. But who knows. Total Miles: 120
August
Well, August was rough for me guys. rough. Rough.
As happy as I had been with my training this past year, mostly in the last few months (before freaking August!!!) it all went sorta crazy fast. I did the Team Championships on August 1st, not a PR but it was a messy hot day so I was happy with my 7:02 pace. Plus, it was fun. Then the next day, I did something stoopid. You know, I am so awesome, sometimes I have to be quite stoooopid to even the world out. I overdid it a liiiiiiitle bit and I pushed it WAY TOO MUCH. (the day after a 5 mile race… no less). Ooooops. August 4th, my next run, I was in pain just jogging to the park to workout… crapola. I took it really easy all that week and then that Saturday, we had planned a great Summer Streets run. I thought, having run super slow all week, I’d be A-OK. Wrong. I felt fine until when, at mile 8, I felt my hip exploding, literally, I wish I was exaggerating. It was 3 sharp explosions. It felt like a tear, a sprain, a stress fracture, all in one. Of course, I did 3 more miles after that to get back home. Then went out that night and run the next day 😉 Oh well. I feared the worst, I was so sad. I did ALL easy runs since then but Mr Precious High Maintenance Hamstring has been messed up since. Such a spoiled #$%@!@! BRAT. … …. I know what I did. I know how I did it. I know not to do that. But hey, I haven’t messed myself up since 2011 so cut me some slack. When you don’t ever get injured it’s tough to know where the line is and you don’t remember how bad it can get if you cross it. Now, this sucks A LOT. Last Thursday I finally went to see the doctor, a guy I trust (Dr Rosen, also the guy who did Juan’s shoulder surgery last year), and he didn’t think there was a broken bone, he thought it was a tear or a sprain, and the MRI wouldn’t change the course of action (and always happy to skip it!). So, two more weeks of easy running, PT, strengthening, deep tissue, warm/ice compresses, antiinflamatories and all the fun stuff and we’ll reevaluate. He thinks I’ll be fine. (I am also going to start praying to Pre and the Pope, cause he’s so cool.)
By then (next week), it’ll be 7 weeks of no speed… and one week to go to the half. The goal half is obviously out the window but maybe I can catch back up to do the Staten Island Half. So, I will decide a bit closer but it seems like I basically threw all my training down the toilet in the last month. Too early to make the call. Trying really hard not to.
Still, I had a few fun runs this month, went to the Poconos with Juan and a few friends so he could compete in a half Ironman (though my luck seems to be rubbing off on him!), and then did the France run this weekend super slow. Slow is the new black. NOT. Total Miles (all SLOW): 93
July
July!! Summer is here!!! And then the excitement fizzled, or burnt up, I’d say, fast! It was lovely and HOT. And I got some quality training done, all described here if you’re extra curious. I did exactly 20 runs, 6 of those were intervals, there was 1 tempo run, and the rest was easy running. I decided not to race anything as I had done 6 races in June and I need to regroup the training! I am doing the Newport Half Marathon in September and there’s just 7 weeks left! No need to freak out, it’s going fantastic, but just gotta have patience and keep training. I have settled on a very comfortable running routine, with no long runs and I am loving it. Really really loving it. This is SO different from last year’s June when I was sick of running and gave it all up for a few months, huh? Other exciting July things: IronJuan did his first triathlon in over 3 years, the NYC Tri and he did fantastic!! Total Miles 110.
June
June was NUTS. I had very low mileage: 19 runs, 6 of those were races! SIX races! We started the month with National Running Day fun runs, and then I went straight into a constant taper-race-recover-taper loop . Actually, on May 30th, I got some sort of stomach bug. I barely ate from that Sunday to Friday and lost about 8 pounds. I felt weak all week, but managed to get my runs done, dizzy and all. By Saturday I felt okay but still couldn’t stomach many things so I had to expectations for the Sunday race: the NYRR Retro 4 Miler, and ended up running faster than all year…! I felt so dehydrated and weak but managed to tie a PR!!! SO close, 1 second faster and I would have PRed! After 2 years since my last PR, I was a bit desperate!!!!!! I waited a week, signed up for a 5K, and even though it was super hot and humid I ended up winning it! What a cool feeling! That was Saturday, 4 days later on Wednesday, I did ANOTHER 5K, and I won my Age Group. My time was sucky, not even close to a PR, but I figured I was still recovering from the 5K and thought I was doing really well! Then, 4 days later, I did the Harlem 1 Miler and came in third woman! Another sucky time, and had no kick left, but it was great to get on the podium again and actually get PRIZE MONEY!!! Wohaaaa! I decided those 8 pounds I had left needed to stay off and it seems to be helping (A LOT!). That week I felt so so so tired, so I run very little and rested a lot. Sunday, I did the Achilles Hope and Possibility 5 Miler, and I FINALLY PRed!!!!!! By a whole minute, which is a LOT. I came in 2nd in my AG, and 19 woman overall, but I was just so happy to finally PR, that PR is from 2010, I am 5 years older now… June was all kinds of AMAZING. I think I peaked 😉 In July, I would like to get back to training (and not racing so much) for the half, but we shall see. There’s another race this weekend… 😉 I have problems!!! Total Miles: 92
May
I waited so long for the nice weather this year that when it’s finally here, it just seems to zip by with a PR!!! Speaking of PRs, May 5th was my 2 year anniversary of my last PR. TWO YEARS!!! It’s been long people, too long… I wonder if I’ll ever PR again, have I peaked and I am done??? UGH. Will keep trying for a bit though…
We started the month with a mini vacation in Miami, and my weight was a bit up when I got back for the Japan Run 4 Miler… oh oh. It was a hot morning so I was off about 16 seconds from what I wanted, I still placed 3rd in my AG which is very cool for a NYRR race… the week after we had much fun at the Brooklyn Half Expo, and then the race. I was happy with the results, not much faster than NYC Half but given my weight and the heat, super happy!!! Total Miles: 122
April
So, we came back from vacation straight to a race-every-weekend ritual. But now I am a MASTER runner!!!!!! YEY. I was doing speedwork on Tuesdays, easy Wednesday and Thursday, and race the weekend away. The first one was the Scotland 10K, still no PRs but I was one minute away!! 45:32 (7:20 pace). The next weekend I did the Run for the Parks 4 Miler, 7:03 pace (28:12) and close to my 28:00 PR! Then, one week later, I paced the NYRR More Half Marathon, the 1:45 group, such a cool (and nerve-wrecking for me!) responsibility!! The day after that, I got up at 5 am to go spectate the Boston Marathon, we were quite wet. And the same week, I saw Meb again at a talk, here’s a lot of what he said. That same weekend, another race: one more 4 miler, the Run as One! So, 7:02 pace, 28:06… getting close to a PR… after TWO years!!!!! Total Miles: 108.
March
One day in: snow and a 5K! The Washington Heights 5K is usually brutal but managed an “okay” 22:42 given the course, plus 6 miles after, which is a feat on its own. A few days later we still have a massive snowstorm but Daphne and I run 10 miles in, gorgeous pictures of the park and all in the post. Then the osomest happened, the NYC Half!! My GPS was not charged and I had one of the most shocking and amazing races ever. 1:39, not a PR but faster than the 1:45 I expected! Plus amazing fun and pictures. A few days later, while my legs were still so sore, we went to Turks and Caicos for my 40th birthday, and we run VERY little there! Total Miles: 100.
February
February was the turnaround of the last (almost) two years of lulling around. I did 110 miles. I did speedwork every week, and I did my drills every week. I did 800s and 400s as well as a few hard tempos. I did race, a 4 Miler that was a hot mess: I didn’t dress properly and was overheating and I really had no intention to push. A complete real hot mess. But oh well. There’s no 100% perfect month, right? The best thing: I gave up on my guaranteed entry to the NYC Marathon and committed to a Half PR, there I said it, in 2015. It’ll happen in the fall, but the training has started and NYC Half and Brooklyn will be first. It needs to get done. 1:37:35, you’re going down. Total Miles: 110.
January
Was a great month. It started at the finish line of the NYRR’s Midnight run and then at the Polar Bear Plunge. I was mostly trying to decide if I could run through the Winter. Every day, every cold day, I was testing the water and seeing how many more days I would keep running. Last year I gave up quite early and I was determined to push through. I did. I did 103 miles, I did a few interval sessions and a few long runs (does 9 or 12 miles count?). Even though I am not the resolution type, little by little I discovered weekly goals that worked for me:
- at least 25 miles a week,
- at least one speed session per week and
- at least one session of plyometrics a week.
So far, so good. I am so happy that I was able to push through this (ROUGH) winter. Plus, we did a very cold but wonderful run through the Rockefeller State Park Preserve. Total Miles: 103.
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