a good year

December 28, 2012 by 12 Comments

Happy New Year, folks!

I am thoroughly enjoying my time off and perfecting my “lady who lunches” routine.  Next Wednesday is going to be cruel and painful.

First things first – RTLR turned 2 this week!  For those of you who have been reading from the beginning – (1) kudos, (2) thank you, and (3) you deserve a tall cup of coffee or a stiff drink (your choice).

I wouldn’t be a proper blogger if I didn’t reflect back on 2012 (in terms of running, of course).  If I could sum it up in one word?  WOW.

What could be better than kicking off the year with the Boston Marathon?!   90 degrees or not, it was an amazing ‘experience’ (due to the heat, the B.A.A. refused to call it a race but instead an ‘experience’).

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this picture says it all…

My Christmas ornament from Matt this year…

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After Boston, I ran my first “ultra” (50K) and discovered that running on grass isn’t as fun as it was when you were a kid.  But…ultras ARE fun!

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After that came a 5K, 2 HMs, and the Rehoboth Beach Marathon – all PRs (thank you, ultra training).  Some were surprise PRs and others (err, RBM) were I-could-have-done-better-PRs.

I also learned some things along the way:  (1) when in a rut, run an ultra and (2) drop waaay back on mileage during drop back weeks.  In the past I don’t think I was cutting my mileage back enough to really absorb the benefits of my training.

Your turn to brag!  Tell me about your best (or favorite) 2012 race or maybe something you learned about running in 2012?

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Philly Half Recap

November 20, 2012 by 13 Comments

There’s no half (in my biased opinion) that can top Philly. I love this race. Philly does a fine job of putting on a fun and organized race, all the while maintaining a mom-and-pop-like feel (similar to the old Philly Distance Run days – oh, how I miss you). And the 4-deep spectators along Chestnut Street don’t hurt either.

Based on my 12K finish last week I figured I could maintain a 7:40-7:45 pace. But I also wanted to feel things out a bit too. Settle into whatever pace felt comfortable on that day and go from there.

It was freezing at the start. As soon as I checked my jacket and pants my whole body was trembling. I totally forgot to bring a trash bag (it really does keep you warm!).

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my sister showing mile 26 some love pre-race

The first mile was a little rough since my feet were numb and my muscles were tight from being so cold. Soon enough I settled into a pace that felt like HM pace. When I glanced at my Garmin I was around 7:45 pace. Perfect.

The middle miles were pretty uneventful. I enjoyed the crowds and kept my mind occupied by reading the signs. There’s an incline (can’t really call it a hill) around mile 7-8 and a legitimate hill right past the mile 9 marker. That’s it though. Contrary to what people say the Philly Half (and full – I ran it in 2008) is a flat course!

Around mile 10 I started doing the math. 3 more miles at x pace and maybe you can snag a 1:41. Holy shit! Could I really? I started repeating my favorite mantra. You can do anything for 3 miles. Repeat again at mile 11. You can do anything for 2 miles.

The finish line at the Philly Half is deceptive.  You must go all the way around Eakins Oval and then down the Parkway a bit to even see the finish line. I forget this each year.

I headed down the Parkway – I still couldn’t see the finish line yet – and my Garmin said 1:41. I had no idea how close to 1:42 I was (after the 1-hour mark I don’t see seconds on my Garmin). I started sprinting – there was no way I was going to let 1:41 turn into 1:42.

1:41:54.

A 4-minute PR from September.

A 6-minute PR from last year’s Philly Half.

Splits
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almost all 7s…that’s a first

After the race I did a quick wardrobe change and coffee run and headed back down to spectate. I got to see strong finishes by Megan and Kelly (nice job ladies!) and watch my sister kill her marathon time from March by 20 minutes. Congrats Karyn!!

Completely unrelated but check out this great interview with Kara Goucher.  Ultramarathoner?!

 

 

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WHYY 12K Recap

November 11, 2012 by 19 Comments

I ran this race last year and proclaimed “never again”.  The distance (7.45 miles) is strange and I end up running 10K pace and just feel miserable for the last mile.  For some reason I ended up registering again…maybe to get some redemption?

I had 2 goals going into Saturday’s race:

1.  Not race it.  Instead I would use the race as a fast finish long run.  A 13-mile warm up and then a 12K where I would keep the pace moderate.

2.  Beat my time last year – even though I wasn’t racing it.  Given my shitty performance last year (7:59 average pace), it shouldn’t be too hard.

I got up at the crack of dawn on Saturday and was running around Kelly Drive by 6:30AM.  13 nice and easy miles.

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I love Philly

I finished up run #1 around 8:30 and had a 1/2 hour to change out of my cold, sweaty clothes, eat some Shot Bloks, sit in my car and blast the heat, and then head over to the race.  I felt good.

The course is a simple out-and-back along Martin Luther King  Drive.  The weather was perfect.  I kept my pace nice and controlled during the first mile.  When I glanced at my Garmin it read 7:45 pace.  Hmm.

I maintained 7:45 pace until the turnaround (mile 17).  Then I got this incredible rush of endorphins.  I loved everyone and everything.  I dropped my pace slightly.

I saw Ann around mile 18 and got another little burst of energy (Hi Ann!).  I kept pushing onward.  I couldn’t believe how fresh my legs felt.  If only this were a marathon.

I crossed the finish line in 57:15 (7:41 average pace).  A 2+ minute PR from last year, even with a 13-mile warm up.

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Overall – 38/374
Female – 8/223
AG – 4/51

I cannot wait for the Philly HM next weekend!

Ever get an endorphin rush and love everyone and everything?  It’s like being a happy drunk. 

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