Parks Half Marathon Report

I set out this morning to run the Parks Half Marathon from Rockville to Bethesda, MD. I had 2 goals: break 1:50 (which I felt pretty confident about), and even faster, break 1:45 (a bit ambitious).
We lucked out with beautiful race weather: 60, sunny, and a gentle breeze. The gun went off at 7, so just after sunrise. I went out at a pretty fast pace; my first mile was about 7:35. While it felt fast, I knew I just needed to keep pushing and running sub 8 miles. Lots of small hills throughout the race, which I think I handled well. We spent a lot of time running through the woods on a path, which brought me back to my cross country days. My big plan was to speed up during the last 5k, which I did, and was able to pass a lot of people. During the last mile, we ran through this tunnel, and at that point, it was no mercy. I was really pushing, and when I came out of the tunnel, there was the crowd, and man, were they pumped. At that point, I was passing a bunch of people, and the crowd was pretty awesome, yelling "Come on!" and really psyched me up. Also, during the last 100M, the announcer yelled "And here comes Vanessa Taylor from DC," which was very cool to hear as I was finishing.
I finished in 1:43:29 (7:54 per mile), and came in 9/71 women ages 18-24, and 340/2061 overall. I beat both of my goal times, and had a lot of fun in the process. Definitely a good race, and I think I'll try to do it again next year. The picture I've included is of me, Brian, and Eileen, who are running the Marine Corps Marathon next month as well. We've been writing online in the Marine Corps Forum on Runner's World, so it nice to actually meet!
Today was a 20 miler day, so I ran the other 7 miles this evening after a meal and nap. I really felt sore after the 1/2, and even after putting my feet up all afternoon felt it during the 7 miler. However, I managed to push through it. Plus, it's good to learn how to run on tired legs.
So, 20 miles in all today - 13.1 fast, 7 not so fast. Off to put my feet up again and rest!

A "Capitol" Run

My task this morning was to run 10 miles at marathon goal pace (8:23 per mile). My path included running around the Capitol, down the National Mall, and around the Washington Monument. When I wrapped around the Washington Monument, I was welcomed by a number of sprinklers! This was at mile 5, not at a point when I was necessarily tired, but I was certainly getting hot by that point. To get misted for about 30 seconds was such a wonderful feeling. I felt like royalty - it was so refreshing and definitely helped me to stay on pace for the second half of the run.
It really was a gorgeous morning (mid sixties, sunny, with a breeze). Certainly qualified as a rave run in my book. Lots of people were out running on the Mall, and will we may not be running together, there is definitely a feeling of solidarity and togetherness among runners. Plus, more people means it's easier to cross the street without dealing with annoying cars!
The other thing that made this a good run was that when I arrived back at campus, my friend Wes was there. It was just lovely to be greeted at my "finish line" and to chat with my friend. We walked around for a little bit as I cooled down, and it was just a great way to conclude the run.
This was my last big run before the half marathon on Sunday. I might jog 2 miles on Saturday, but other than that, I will focus on cross-training, good stretching, and rest. Hopefully I'll have a good race report (and photos) from the big day. Until then..just rest, fluids, and some carbs too.

Transitioning back into a medievalist who runs

August is over and September is here. Things have cooled down a little bit, which is such a welcome relief. I ran 152 miles in August and I will run over 180 throughout the course of September – my biggest mileage month ever. This is the month when I will peak in all aspects of training. I've begun weight lifting again, as well as yoga. I think having those two activities, along with the addition of swimming, will be a difference in how I feel in those final miles of race day. I've got an 18 miler coming up this weekend – longest run since the marathon.
School is back in session, which means I can fully put back my medievalist hat on again. It was nice to take somewhat of a break this summer from research – it has made coming back all the more enjoyable. I am currently working on a paper proposal for the 2010 Medieval Congress in Kalamazoo, which is expanding on the witch trial research that I've been doing for several years. I haven't had all of my classes yet, but things are looking good. It'll be a busy semester as per usual; lots of paper writing for sure.
That's about it for now. Off to be a medievalist again, and a runner in the morning (9 miles at marathon goal pace).

Preparing for my first half marathon/training updates

I am going to enter my first half-marathon. While I've done a number of half-marathon courses in my training, I've never actually done a half race. It is going to be the Park's Half Marathon and it runs from Rockville to Bethesda, MD on Sunday September 13^th. It is going to serve as a tune-up race for the Marine Corps Marathon, which means that I can evaluate my progress and how well my training has been going 6 weeks prior to the big race. It should be a great race, and I'm very excited about it. I think my goal is going to be 1:45 for the race, which means 8 minute miles. I think that will be a reasonable goal, but anything under 1:50 will be fine with me. I haven't race since early June, so it'll be good to get out there in 2 weeks and get the adrenaline pumping again.
Marathon training has been going fine. It's been so hot in DC, and while I've been hydrating and trying to keep cool, it's still hard to run in 90 degree heat. So, I've been getting up early to try and squeeze my runs in before the sun and heat really start to be an issue.
I'm currently eating a late dinner in attempt to carbo-load a little before my 14 miler tomorrow. While there is no need to actually carbo-load until the marathon, I've found it really helpful to have a big dinner the night before a long run. I've developed a nice pre-long run routine, which often includes a good dinner, some tv, good foot lotion, and early to bed. Here's hoping tomorrow's run is a success!

Continually humbled during my training

I never have thought that training for my second marathon would be Training 2.0 - that it would be easy since I had already done it once. I knew from the get-go that I would be stepping things up, in order to achieve my new goal - to BQ at the Marine Corps Marathon. But there are a number of things that still continue to surprise and humble me as I progress into my training (halfway through and the race is exactly 2 months from today!):

I have a newfound respect for the pool. I spent the summer working alongside an expert swimmer, who even has gone to Nationals on a regular basis. In addition to developing a friendship, we each took part in each other's sports. She would accompany me to the track for workouts, and then I would jump in the pool for aqua jogging (which I now love - it feels so good!). While neither of us could excel in the other, we each had an increasing respect for the other's sport. I swam 1000 yards today- yikes! While it wasn't at an all out pace, it was quite the workout. I'd love to get up to 1600 at some point. I think there is something to be said about the fact that we are both distance athletes. While Jenny and I may not be able to fully understand each other's sport, we each understand the necessities of endurance and stamina in both the pool and on the road. Sharing those experiences have proven to be quite helpful, as well as reassuring. It's so nice to know when others experience the same issues, doubts, questions, and successes (oh right! forgot about those!) as you do.

Even though I only know a couple of other marathoners, there are tens of thousands of people who are doing what I am doing, too. At least 100,000 people will run a marathon this fall. It's very reassuring to know I am not alone. That means others understand what it means to rise at 5AM to workout, put the run in front of sleep, or sacrifice a night out in order to not sacrifice your body, and they are doing it as well. I also just watched the documentary "The Spirit of the Marathon," which featured five runners (including Deena Kastor) training for the 2005 Chicago Marathon. It was very moving to watch, particularly because I understood so many of the emotions that I have experienced. Definitely check it out (it's on Hulu.com) if you have some time.

So, even as the training is getting harder, I'm feeling quite fortunate. I am not alone. I have people in my life who can help boost me up and show me that I am alone.

Thank goodness for that.

Making Progress in Training (and reason #5432 why running is amazing)

I am in my third week of Marine Corps Marathon training. Surprisingly, I have been able to make every single run scheduled for me. Yes, it's meant I've had to cut sleep in place of workouts, but I do believe it's been worth it. Here is my progress report:
*I am one second away from my summer goal of running a 6:25 mile. I hit 6:26 during the gauntlet last week. I am convinced that I'll hit it before August, and then I can make a new goal.
*I have lifted once a week. I'm trying to prioritize, and running takes priority. At work, I do do some lifting on occasion, so at least that's something.
*I am sleep deprived. It's more likely that I've ran more miles this past week than get that many hours in sleep. While it's not an ideal situation, I know I feel better getting a run in than an extra hour of sleep.
*I successfully ran 9 miles on Saturday at marathon pace (8:21). Even managed to hit a few hills, and I took it all in stride. It just felt so great to get off campus for a while and know that no one would try and page me for something (going at 6AM on a Saturday morning helped ensure that as well).
*The marathon is just under 13 weeks away. That distance from the race is good -- I am still very excited about the training and am in the here and now. Focusing on small goals and monuments, while keeping the big monument in sight and in my head. And there really is a big monument at the end, since the marathon finishes past the Iwo Jima statue.
In sum, the job has been like a marathon itself. Each day with these kids is equally important, and it's imperative to keep the energy up through the later miles. Hitting the wall cannot happen, so I just need to find ways to fuel up in order to make it through the harder sections. The running has helped immensely - such a good release from the tensions of work. A few weeks ago, a colleague offered me an option: she would be me for an hour and I could do whatever I wanted. I ran 7 miles during that time, and I returned to work feeling so refreshed. It was amazing what a difference it made! And so now my colleagues know what to do when I'm stressed or worked up: let me go run. And then I'm able to come back a better worker.
...And that's reason #5432 why running is amazing.

The Beginning of Marine Corps Marathon Training

I realize I've fallen off of the radar for a bit, and there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for it. 3 weeks ago, Beloved Summer Job commenced, which has taken up nearly all of my time. Although it is super-busy, I absolutely love it and I am so fortunate that I was able to return for a fourth summer. While technically everything is the same (same job, same program), it's the turnover and retention of people that makes a big difference. There are a few people on my work team, both old and new to the job, who have helped me in a number of ways: professionally and personally.
Everyone has been very supportive of my running, which is good, because Marine Corps Marathon training kicked off on Monday! It's hard to be believe the official training has really begun. I remember in May, June, I just thought I had so much time to prepare. And I did, but it really flew by.
Today, I ran the ladder (400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400):

400 (1:32), 800 (3:20), 1200 (5:02), 1600 (6:40), 1200 (5:04), 800 (3:21), 400 (1:40)
Pretty decent times, although I definitely should've held back slightly in the first half, so I could've gotten better splits. Oh well - it was my first time doing that workout, so I'm sure I'll have better times next time around.
Since I need to be close to my job, I've just been on the track, which I realize is not entirely beneficial. I'm hoping that in a few weeks I'll be able to get more off-campus runs in. But, at least I'm running!

Reviews of 3 Running Books

I've decided to take a break from reading about medieval history. I'll be doing it again soon enough, so I thought I could actually do some fun summer reading. Here are the 3 books I've read lately - all running related, but could certainly be appreciated by all, I think...

I am the Central Park Jogger by Trisha Meili. I first read this book when it came out in 2003, but reread it again, and it definitely carried a different meaning this time around. In 1989, Trisha was running through Central Park and was beaten, raped, and left for dead. Her story is about her recovery. She endured so much trauma, on a number of levels, so to come out of it so strong is inspiring. Not only did she survive, walk, and return to a fairly normal life (given the circumstances), she even ran the NYC marathon! The hope and sheer will that she conveys throughout the book and throughout her journey should cause us to go the extra mile. She didn't complain during everything she went through; I don't think I can really complain about some stiffness after a long run. Really moving read.

50/50: Secrets I learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days-and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance by Dean Karnazes with Matt Fitzgerald. Dean, who is a well-known ultramarathoner, decided to push the limits even further, and sought to run a marathon a day (in all 50 states) in 50 days straight. 8 of the races were "live" meaning that they happened like a regular marathon on the weekend. The other 42 were specially created for Dean's Endurance Challenge. These races did not have as many participants, but Dean tells many touching stories of the people who participated. For a lot of the runners, this was their first marathon, which is always a cool experience to hear about. Not only did Dean describe all of the races (which was exciting, because he included the Marine Corps Marathon), but gave lots of fantastic tips along the way. A quick read (prologue, then a day by day description of each race) and a fun one!

Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women's Sports by Kathrine Switzer. This was definitely my favorite. Kathrine was the first woman to enter the Boston Marathon in 1967. An official tried to tackle her and get her out of the race, but a friend of hers pushed the official out of the way. I'm including the pictures that the press photographer took when it happened (how fortunate he was there). Now, the shoving incident happened at mile 2 - could you imagine having to run 24 more miles after that? She continued on, and finished the race in 4:20. Her description of the marathon was quite moving, I think because I could relate to a lot of the feelings she experienced in her first marathon (but no one tried to push me out of the race). Kathrine fought to have women allowed in the Boston Marathon, a category in the Olympic marathon, and to run in other marathons and races (she was the one who created the NYC Mini 10k for women only). She kept training and running other marathons, and eventually knocked her time down to 2:51! That gives me a lot of hope that I can really knock my time down over the years. Her book was definitely well-written - she was a sports journalist too, so she really knew how to tell her stories in such a captivating manner.

All 3 books were top-notch, and even if you're not really into running, they are still good reads. Plus, I feel as if everyone reading this blog is more likely to read these books that I recommend versus a bunch of medieval ones!

Hot + Hills = Hard Half Marathon Course

I went out for another half-marathon course with the triathlete men yesterday. We ran a half-marathon course at Mendon Ponds Park. The last time I ran at Mendon Ponds was when I ran cross country in middle school - 1999! I'm second from the left. Back then, the race distance was 2 miles - and that felt long.
Anyways, memories of cross country rushed back when we arrived at the park. However, this course we did yesterday was a whole lot harder, obviously. 13.1 miles with rolling, rolling hills. Adam and I counted them along the way, and we got to 50 hills - that was insane! A lot of times, we would climb one hill, it would level off for 20 yards, and then another one! It was a really tough course. Plus, it was getting hot and humid, which didn't help. I wish there had been a sprinkler or something to run through - we were so hot. Last week's half-marathon was fun, but this was not. The miles were marked, and it seemed as if each mile marker was so far apart. Both Adam and Mark had some trouble with the heat, and they slowed down a bit toward the end. This was definitely the second hardest run I've ever done - second only to the marathon. But, I always refer to hills as character-builders. Well, there was certainly a lot of character building yesterday. Definitely a good training run. I don't think it would've been so bad had we done it in April when it was cooler. I do think we'll try it again - it will be easier the second time around, because at least we'll know what's coming. Even though it was hard, I know that all of my runs will help me prepare for the Marine Corps Marathon, and that way I'll be able to kick butt and qualify for Boston!

My first go at Yasso 800s

One of the workouts I've heard much about is called Yasso 800s (named after Bart Yasso - Chief Running Officer of Runner's World Magazine). The idea behind it is that you can estimate your ability to run a marathon in a given time based on this work out. I.e. if you want to run a 2:50 marathon, you need to do repeated 800s (2 laps around the track) in 2:50. Doing 6-10 of these in a row (with 1 lap repeats) has proven to be a good indication of your marathon time. People have sworn by it for years, so I figured today would be a good try for it.
I ran 2 miles to the track at the high school - the perfect warm-up distance. Then I did 6 800s with a lap in between each with a goal of 3:40, since that is my marathon goal. I hit 3:40 each time (actually around 3:36 for each one), but I was starting to feel it during the 5th and 6th Yassos. It's pretty hard to be so so consistent, but I started to settle into a groove. I found a bunch of songs on my playlist that were about 3:40 so that I would be occupied while doing the 800. So, I hit all 6 800s under 3:40, and will be working my way up to 10 800s later in the training. Then I ran the 2 miles back to my house. It was definitely a challenging workout, but I'm sure I'll be reaping the benefits of it too.
On a related note, this morning I spoke with 2 people from Runner's World. They are putting together a new training program for marathoners and want feedback for it. So, I get to use the new program for free! It looks pretty cool - it's a 16 week program and you log your miles and they have suggested workouts. I went through the installation with them, and gave feedback based off my initial viewing of the program. The two guys were really helpful, and I'm looking forward to using the training program.
So all in all, a good day for running!