Although Sunday was a hard race at the NYC Half Marathon, I knew I needed to get back on that horse and keep up the weekday running routine. But I wanted to do almost anything but run tonight. I was afraid if I didn't run that I would quickly fall out of the habit.
I just wanted to get the run over with, so I decided ahead of time to do 2 miles at a "purposeful pace." Since my goal half marathon pace is 11:30 and I've been doing speedwork at around 10:30 for mile repeats, I thought I would shoot for 11:00 min/mi.
My legs were so sluggish, it felt like I was trying to do 8 min/mi. But I forced myself to go 1 mile out and 1 mile back. Training partner Sarah kept me moving (she's normally faster than me anyway) with lots of encouragement. Finished the two miles with 11:00 and 11:02 - perfect!
Can't wait for the legs to feel better!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Strategies in Preparing Mentally for Sunday's NYC Half
So last night I did 3 miles at a possible race pace to remind my body how it feels and blogged about that. Today - Sharing the list of strategies I'm employing to gain confidence in setting a new Personal Record at this Sunday's New York City Half Marathon. I used a lot of these strategies on half marathons I PRed at this winter/spring and afterward really felt they were a big reason for the PR. One reason the half marathon is my favorite distance - a giant part of the race day game is the mental side!
So here's how I prepare for my now 6th half marathon of the year:
1) Nutrition and Hydration - I am normally not great at either. Last night I threw down the gauntlet and realized I have to get serious. Keeps me optimistic about Sunday each time I make a decent decision in this realm.
2) Keep physically strong - extra stretching this week. Went to the chiropractor on Monday and will see him again Thursday afternoon (last time he's in the office before I get on a plane).
3) Review the course maps and elevation charts - I use this to develop a repeatable mantra for the week. For example, "It's completely flat the last 4 miles!" or "Can't wait to see Times Square at mile 8 1/2!"
Course Map
You spend the first 7.5 miles circling Central Park - will probably be a nice cool portion of the run with such pretty scenery. Keep in mind that miles 6-7.5 is a repeat of the first 1.5 miles of the race. Mile 8.5 is TIMES SQUARE - how often do you get to run traffic-free through Times Square?!? Use this excitement leading up to mile 8.5. It's a straight shot down along the west edge of Manhattan the remaining last 4 miles.
Elevation Chart
Max change of about 125 feet over the whole course. Next to a half marathon in Texas (which often has 300-400 feet change), that is SO flat! Little decent-sized hills but they always end QUICK! The last 4 miles are the lowest of the whole course and COMPLETELY flat.
4) Review recent runs and paces -
* Last speedwork done - In 88 degrees and 75% humidity, 2.4 miles at a 10:14 avg
* The day before that speedwork - In 90 degrees and 65% humidity, 3 miles at 10:49 pace chatting the whole way
* Looping White Rock Lake July 19 - one mile leisurely walked in the middle, remaining 8.3 miles at 11:25 pace
* 10K run on trails in Plano July 4 - 11:39 pace
I can do this! I reread a lot of my blog posts tonight, and I've been working hard!
5) Do the Math!
What if I just do 12:00s the whole way? 2:37:12 (5 minutes off PR) I'm not sure at this point that my legs will feel very comfortable at that pace, because I haven't really been running that slow of a pace much the last few months.
What if I work on 11:40 the whole way? 2:32:50 (10 minutes off PR) Hmmm, this one sounds pretty good to try.
What if I can maintain 11:30 the whole way? 2:30:39 (11 1/2 minutes off PR)
What if I start at 11:30 and by mile 9 I'm more than miserable and walk at 16 min/mi? 2:49 (no PR)
This is a silly scenario if it's an okay running day - I just looked at the past runs and did 8.3 at 11:25 pace. Looking at this option is me just being scared I'm not prepared.
What if I start at 11:30 and by mile 9 I drop down to 12:45s (remembering it's very flat terrain)? 2:35:47 (6 1/2 min off PR)
6) Run a bit this week at a possible race pace for Sunday - to see how I'm feeling and gain confidence.
So far that's working well!
Result: I'm feeling much better about Sunday and think I want to do 11:30s as long as possible and then just try to stay strong if it gets too much and not go from all to nothing (i.e. just walk the last couple miles "because I'm tired").
Thank you everyone for the encouragement you've given me, it means so much to me!
So here's how I prepare for my now 6th half marathon of the year:
1) Nutrition and Hydration - I am normally not great at either. Last night I threw down the gauntlet and realized I have to get serious. Keeps me optimistic about Sunday each time I make a decent decision in this realm.
2) Keep physically strong - extra stretching this week. Went to the chiropractor on Monday and will see him again Thursday afternoon (last time he's in the office before I get on a plane).
3) Review the course maps and elevation charts - I use this to develop a repeatable mantra for the week. For example, "It's completely flat the last 4 miles!" or "Can't wait to see Times Square at mile 8 1/2!"
Course Map
You spend the first 7.5 miles circling Central Park - will probably be a nice cool portion of the run with such pretty scenery. Keep in mind that miles 6-7.5 is a repeat of the first 1.5 miles of the race. Mile 8.5 is TIMES SQUARE - how often do you get to run traffic-free through Times Square?!? Use this excitement leading up to mile 8.5. It's a straight shot down along the west edge of Manhattan the remaining last 4 miles.
Elevation Chart
Max change of about 125 feet over the whole course. Next to a half marathon in Texas (which often has 300-400 feet change), that is SO flat! Little decent-sized hills but they always end QUICK! The last 4 miles are the lowest of the whole course and COMPLETELY flat.
4) Review recent runs and paces -
* Last speedwork done - In 88 degrees and 75% humidity, 2.4 miles at a 10:14 avg
* The day before that speedwork - In 90 degrees and 65% humidity, 3 miles at 10:49 pace chatting the whole way
* Looping White Rock Lake July 19 - one mile leisurely walked in the middle, remaining 8.3 miles at 11:25 pace
* 10K run on trails in Plano July 4 - 11:39 pace
I can do this! I reread a lot of my blog posts tonight, and I've been working hard!
5) Do the Math!
What if I just do 12:00s the whole way? 2:37:12 (5 minutes off PR) I'm not sure at this point that my legs will feel very comfortable at that pace, because I haven't really been running that slow of a pace much the last few months.
What if I work on 11:40 the whole way? 2:32:50 (10 minutes off PR) Hmmm, this one sounds pretty good to try.
What if I can maintain 11:30 the whole way? 2:30:39 (11 1/2 minutes off PR)
What if I start at 11:30 and by mile 9 I'm more than miserable and walk at 16 min/mi? 2:49 (no PR)
This is a silly scenario if it's an okay running day - I just looked at the past runs and did 8.3 at 11:25 pace. Looking at this option is me just being scared I'm not prepared.
What if I start at 11:30 and by mile 9 I drop down to 12:45s (remembering it's very flat terrain)? 2:35:47 (6 1/2 min off PR)
6) Run a bit this week at a possible race pace for Sunday - to see how I'm feeling and gain confidence.
So far that's working well!
Result: I'm feeling much better about Sunday and think I want to do 11:30s as long as possible and then just try to stay strong if it gets too much and not go from all to nothing (i.e. just walk the last couple miles "because I'm tired").
Thank you everyone for the encouragement you've given me, it means so much to me!
A Run To Overcome a Crisis of Confidence
I spent the last week with a growing crisis of confidence. Yes, I had spent all summer so far training routinely (a new thing for me) :-) in this blasted heat, doing just about all speedwork. But circumstances last week led me to not run at all - that's fine, it's a taper, I'll just have fresh legs, right?
But I just have felt this dwindling confidence in the idea that I am in fact faster. And that I can PR on Sunday. I would very much like to see that validation of the hard work I've put in and see a PR. I don't know that this is the race to try to meet my New Year's Resolution to take 24 minutes off my half marathon time during 2009 and end the year with a sub-2 1/2 hr half marathon.
PR pace = sub-12:23 min/mi (current PR is 2:42:13)
New Year's Resolution pace = 11:27 min/mi (want to break 2 1/2 hours this year)
The past couple days I've been trying to regain some confidence by turning positive comments I can find about the course map or the weather forecast into a repeatable mantra.
But tonight I'd had a hard day and I was still trying to just get comfortable with the range of paces I've been running the last few months, so I planned to use tonight's run to do 2 miles at 11:30 pace (basically New Year's Resolution pace). I wanted to remind my body what that pace feels like... and I hoped after all the speed work I've been doing, that it would be a reminder that it's a manageable pace, maybe for much longer than the 2 miles.
Well in winding through the neighborhood, I ended up much further away from my house at 2 miles, so did 3 instead.
3 miles at 34:23 = 11:28 avg pace
Mile 1: 11:29
Mile 2: 11:26
Mile 3: 11:28
The 3 were pretty manageable. The weather was 86 degrees with 54% humidity. New York's expected weather - 68 degrees in the morning and about the same humidity. Yippee!
In the end, desired results were achieved! I'm feeling a lot better about PRing on Sunday if it's a good day!
Next blog will discuss the multi-layer strategy of continued confidence building between now and Sunday, since a lot of times race times for me are very dependent on my mental state at the time.
But I just have felt this dwindling confidence in the idea that I am in fact faster. And that I can PR on Sunday. I would very much like to see that validation of the hard work I've put in and see a PR. I don't know that this is the race to try to meet my New Year's Resolution to take 24 minutes off my half marathon time during 2009 and end the year with a sub-2 1/2 hr half marathon.
PR pace = sub-12:23 min/mi (current PR is 2:42:13)
New Year's Resolution pace = 11:27 min/mi (want to break 2 1/2 hours this year)
The past couple days I've been trying to regain some confidence by turning positive comments I can find about the course map or the weather forecast into a repeatable mantra.
But tonight I'd had a hard day and I was still trying to just get comfortable with the range of paces I've been running the last few months, so I planned to use tonight's run to do 2 miles at 11:30 pace (basically New Year's Resolution pace). I wanted to remind my body what that pace feels like... and I hoped after all the speed work I've been doing, that it would be a reminder that it's a manageable pace, maybe for much longer than the 2 miles.
Well in winding through the neighborhood, I ended up much further away from my house at 2 miles, so did 3 instead.
3 miles at 34:23 = 11:28 avg pace
Mile 1: 11:29
Mile 2: 11:26
Mile 3: 11:28
The 3 were pretty manageable. The weather was 86 degrees with 54% humidity. New York's expected weather - 68 degrees in the morning and about the same humidity. Yippee!
In the end, desired results were achieved! I'm feeling a lot better about PRing on Sunday if it's a good day!
Next blog will discuss the multi-layer strategy of continued confidence building between now and Sunday, since a lot of times race times for me are very dependent on my mental state at the time.
Sometimes I'm Such a Girl
So after 7-8 weeks of very consistent training, last week I didn't run at all. I had done my long run last Sunday, so my planning was to do my weekday runs Wednesday and Thursday nights.
But Wednesday night there were storms in Allen, complete with lightning. Not safe.
Then is the part where this story has to do with being SUCH a girl. My husband, daughter, and I had a family photoshoot scheduled for Saturday morning, and I hadn't realized by coincidence that I had a hair cut and coloring appointment Thursday night. This was a reschedule because the salon had lost power the previous weekend, so the whole thing hadn't clicked. So Wednesday morning it hit me - you know your hair is never as cute as when the hairdresser has just styled it, and I realized that I obviously couldn't run Thursday night because of the hair appt that night, but also that I could have really cute hair in the photoshoot Saturday morning if I didn't run between Thursday night and then. Only a day and a half!
So there went the week. I totally failed at fitting in the running because of several reasons, the biggest one having to do with my hair of all things.
I think it worked out fine - I've been stretch a lot and I want to be really fresh for the New York City Half Marathon this Sunday anyway. I'll get a couple small runs in this week, but that's it.
It would be great to PR (set a new personal record) on Sunday at the race, but I'm trying not to put pressure on myself. We'll just see what happens!
But Wednesday night there were storms in Allen, complete with lightning. Not safe.
Then is the part where this story has to do with being SUCH a girl. My husband, daughter, and I had a family photoshoot scheduled for Saturday morning, and I hadn't realized by coincidence that I had a hair cut and coloring appointment Thursday night. This was a reschedule because the salon had lost power the previous weekend, so the whole thing hadn't clicked. So Wednesday morning it hit me - you know your hair is never as cute as when the hairdresser has just styled it, and I realized that I obviously couldn't run Thursday night because of the hair appt that night, but also that I could have really cute hair in the photoshoot Saturday morning if I didn't run between Thursday night and then. Only a day and a half!
So there went the week. I totally failed at fitting in the running because of several reasons, the biggest one having to do with my hair of all things.
I think it worked out fine - I've been stretch a lot and I want to be really fresh for the New York City Half Marathon this Sunday anyway. I'll get a couple small runs in this week, but that's it.
It would be great to PR (set a new personal record) on Sunday at the race, but I'm trying not to put pressure on myself. We'll just see what happens!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Last Big Long Run Done Before NYC Half in 2 Weeks
I hadn't done my long run the previous morning because I had woke up sick. Sarah (neighbor) said she would run this morning with me, and our goal was to do 10. I walked out my front door and Sarah told me her back was hurting with the "I don't know how many I can do."
Luckily, I employed some hefty distraction by having us run 2 miles down the road to the highway and across and then through a huge near shopping center (The Village at Allen) and a new hike & bike path we discovered they had built there that took you by two manmade ponds. We wound around so that we stopped at the pavilion in the shopping center at 3.7 miles to take a pause and have our Gu and refill water bottles at the water fountain that had really cold water!
Then we headed across Stacy Road to the brand-new Village at Fairview where they had just opened the JcPenney and Macy's. Another huge development, it was a nice chance to see it upclose without risking an accident craning your neck in a car while driving by. We found a new neighborhood of townhomes behind the shopping center and ran through there, finding another pond.
Headed back to the pavilion for bathroom break, Gu refueling, and water bottle refill again and were at 7 miles here. We had two encounters with "creepy folk": no one around at 8 am in this shopping center and a guy arriving in the construction area yelled at us, I think offering us a ride, and started walking towards us. Great way to make you pick up your pace at mile 7 as we sped away in the other direction. The other guy was at a street intersection - middle-aged guy alone in his SUV with his window rolled down, and he stared, smiling, as we crossed the street - creepy!
After Sarah's sore back started loosening up at the start of the run, she thought she might make it most of the way, maybe 9. Sarah had done a great job hanging in there with her sore lower back and around mile 8.25, declared she could make it to mile 9 and then walk the last mile. I pulled us off course to another neighborhood because otherwise we would reach home at 9 and I wasn't sure I could take the mental anguish to wave bye-bye to my house to walk one more mile with her. The neighborhood deviation ended up being a pretty good addition, and we ended up at 10.35 miles in the end!
Splits - these splits include a few jaunts through grass, a couple stops at intersections, etc:
Mile 1: 11:46
Mile 2: 12:27
Mile 3: 12:14
Mile 4: 12:46
Mile 5: 12:34
Mile 6: 12:57
Mile 7: 13:03
Mile 8: 11:50
Mile 9: 12:47
Subtotal: 1:52:24 - 12:29 pace
Mile 10: 18:26
Last 0.3: 18:52 min/mi pace
Total: 2:17:24 - 13:17 pace
Luckily, I employed some hefty distraction by having us run 2 miles down the road to the highway and across and then through a huge near shopping center (The Village at Allen) and a new hike & bike path we discovered they had built there that took you by two manmade ponds. We wound around so that we stopped at the pavilion in the shopping center at 3.7 miles to take a pause and have our Gu and refill water bottles at the water fountain that had really cold water!
Then we headed across Stacy Road to the brand-new Village at Fairview where they had just opened the JcPenney and Macy's. Another huge development, it was a nice chance to see it upclose without risking an accident craning your neck in a car while driving by. We found a new neighborhood of townhomes behind the shopping center and ran through there, finding another pond.
Headed back to the pavilion for bathroom break, Gu refueling, and water bottle refill again and were at 7 miles here. We had two encounters with "creepy folk": no one around at 8 am in this shopping center and a guy arriving in the construction area yelled at us, I think offering us a ride, and started walking towards us. Great way to make you pick up your pace at mile 7 as we sped away in the other direction. The other guy was at a street intersection - middle-aged guy alone in his SUV with his window rolled down, and he stared, smiling, as we crossed the street - creepy!
After Sarah's sore back started loosening up at the start of the run, she thought she might make it most of the way, maybe 9. Sarah had done a great job hanging in there with her sore lower back and around mile 8.25, declared she could make it to mile 9 and then walk the last mile. I pulled us off course to another neighborhood because otherwise we would reach home at 9 and I wasn't sure I could take the mental anguish to wave bye-bye to my house to walk one more mile with her. The neighborhood deviation ended up being a pretty good addition, and we ended up at 10.35 miles in the end!
Splits - these splits include a few jaunts through grass, a couple stops at intersections, etc:
Mile 1: 11:46
Mile 2: 12:27
Mile 3: 12:14
Mile 4: 12:46
Mile 5: 12:34
Mile 6: 12:57
Mile 7: 13:03
Mile 8: 11:50
Mile 9: 12:47
Subtotal: 1:52:24 - 12:29 pace
Mile 10: 18:26
Last 0.3: 18:52 min/mi pace
Total: 2:17:24 - 13:17 pace
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Time for a Real Speed Workout
So last night's blog entry talked about how maybe my speedwork wasn't as "speedy" as I thought if I could talk up a storm the whole way. I couldn't do my next run as expected this Thursday so I was doing my "Thursday run" tonight on Wednesday, so back-to-back days with that speed run.
I thought that maybe I should do a "better" speed workout for tonight's run. My training partner canceled at the last minute, so I was on my own. Very hot and very humid tonight. Although at least there was a breeze...for only the first mile! Grr, that always happens to me.
I went out and first mile didn't feel bad. Mile 1 - 10:03 - yay!
Took my 1 - 1 1/2 minute walk break and started again.
I got to 1.8 miles and had to walk for a few seconds as I gagged and fought the horrible nauseous feeling I was having. I pushed through and finished the mile but had definitely dropped my pace in that last 0.2. Mile 2 - 10:26.
I take about 2 minute walk break. I feel hot and sick - dehydrated - overheated - a little like I'm going to pass out.
I start and can only go a tenth of a mile. I walk another minute.
I do another tenth of a mile. I walk another minute and a half.
I do another 2/10s of a mile. I'm done. I'm right by home and worried about how bad I feel.
But that last 0.4 miles = 10:14 pace. Which I thought was a good way to get that last 4/10s in. Keep teaching my body what that pace in this weather feels like, even if I have to recover more often and can't go very far.
So in 88 degrees and 75% humidity, I do 2.4 miles at a 10:14 avg, but includes walk breaks (not counting towards distance, just used as recovery).
I'm very hopeful. New Year's Resolution is to break 32 minute 5K (10:19 pace)... So if it was 30 degrees cooler, and DRY (lower humidity), could I do that pace for another 0.7 miles and do it without walk breaks? Yeah, I think I could!
I thought that maybe I should do a "better" speed workout for tonight's run. My training partner canceled at the last minute, so I was on my own. Very hot and very humid tonight. Although at least there was a breeze...for only the first mile! Grr, that always happens to me.
I went out and first mile didn't feel bad. Mile 1 - 10:03 - yay!
Took my 1 - 1 1/2 minute walk break and started again.
I got to 1.8 miles and had to walk for a few seconds as I gagged and fought the horrible nauseous feeling I was having. I pushed through and finished the mile but had definitely dropped my pace in that last 0.2. Mile 2 - 10:26.
I take about 2 minute walk break. I feel hot and sick - dehydrated - overheated - a little like I'm going to pass out.
I start and can only go a tenth of a mile. I walk another minute.
I do another tenth of a mile. I walk another minute and a half.
I do another 2/10s of a mile. I'm done. I'm right by home and worried about how bad I feel.
But that last 0.4 miles = 10:14 pace. Which I thought was a good way to get that last 4/10s in. Keep teaching my body what that pace in this weather feels like, even if I have to recover more often and can't go very far.
So in 88 degrees and 75% humidity, I do 2.4 miles at a 10:14 avg, but includes walk breaks (not counting towards distance, just used as recovery).
I'm very hopeful. New Year's Resolution is to break 32 minute 5K (10:19 pace)... So if it was 30 degrees cooler, and DRY (lower humidity), could I do that pace for another 0.7 miles and do it without walk breaks? Yeah, I think I could!
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