Archive | March, 2012

My First Marathon: Rock ‘N’ Roll USA Marathon

24 Mar Down the final stretch!

Distance: 26.2  |  Time: 3:56.48  |  Pace: 9:02  | PR

Lara after running 26.2 miles!

Sitting never felt so good! Relaxing at the Girls on the Run tent after finishing the marathon.

I DID IT!

I timed this post to publish exactly one week from when I crossed the finish line at 12:05:18 on Saturday March 17. In the past 7 days, I have taken an ice bath, felt like I would never walk normal again, downed ibuprofen like candy, hobbled all around DC sightseeing with my family, felt sore in muscles I never knew existed, and not. run. a. single. mile. Most importantly, I’ve reflected on my experience at the Rock ‘N’ Roll USA Marathon.

I could hardly sleep the night before. I tossed and turned all night until my alarm went off at 5:30. After a couple snoozes, I forced myself out of bed and started to make my way downstairs to grab some cereal for breakfast. I ran into my dad in the hallway (what an early bird!) and he asked me to come say good morning to my mom since she was up, too. To my surprise, I walked into their hotel room and who popped out but my sister Amanda! She had talked about flying in to watch me run but never told me she actually was going to do it. It was such a surprise and I was so thrilled to have her there to cheer me on! We missed Brandi but knew she was cheering me on from Illinois!

 Breakfast done and on to the important stuff: my outfit and race fuel. After debating between my throwaway shirts (which I didn’t even end up wearing to the start; it was so warm already!) I finally laced up my shoes and started to walk/jog the mile to the start area. After dropping some things off at the Girls on the Run tent, I made my way to Corral 6 (for non-runners or those unfamiliar: many larger races will assign you a corral number based on your estimated finish time; grouping similar-paced runners helps for a smoother start) and waited patiently[ish] to start. The announcements and national anthem weren’t broadcast very well to the entire start; even as far up as I was, I didn’t even hear the national anthem being sung until it was already halfway over! The first group of runners took off a couple minutes after 8 and a few minutes later, I heard the familiar countdown for my own corral: 10, 9, 8…

Never run a marathon? Here’s an idea of how it feels, or at least how it felt for my first one:

Caught on camera (I'm in pink) around mile 2 by my official paparazzi, my sister Amanda.

Mile 1-5: Bliss! I met another 20-something first-timer at the start line and we took off together. One thing I love about running is that, unlike virtually any other sport, you can actually hold a conversation while you run which is what makes runners such a close-knit group of athletes. We chatted for the first several miles and relayed our enthusiasm to the other runners, spectators and bands by whooping and hollering our way through Capitol Hill and along the National Mall. Sighting #1 of my super-supportive fans (mom, dad, sister, boyfriend and friend!).

We ran through the legs of a giant inflatable guy with a guitar. I guess you can only do so much to try to make running exciting... I'm in the bottom right of the photo.

Mile 6-9: I knew there was a pretty steady uphill climb at this point, but I credit this pain plan for reminding me that I am not invincible and I need to take it easy on the hills if I want my IT band to survive the remaining 20 or so miles (side not: I had really bad IT band issues in the 3-4 weeks leading up to the marathon… dealing with that deserves a whole post of its own). I bid farewell to my early running partner, explaining that I had to slow from our sub-8:30 pace on these hills due to injury. Even with a slower pace and shorter stride, I still felt my IT band tightening up and the first thoughts of “Can I really do this?” crossed my mind. I shifted my focus to my running form and cheering on my fellow runners.

Around 14 miles, I am lovin' life! This was a mile after I got a mid-race smooch from my boyfriend and hug from my dad. No stopping for my mom and sister though... I was mooooving!

Mile 10-15: My strategy seemed to work! I felt great during these miles. I cheered on the half marathoners as they split from us (who kindly responded to us full marathoners, “you guys are crazy!”) and chatted with a couple other runners as we passed each other. I felt strong, my IT band pain disappeared, the crowd support was awesome and I saw my personal cheerleaders multiple times during these miles (this would also be the last time I saw them until the finish). I remember being surprised to see my friend Anna for a second time around mile 15 (she said she’d be at 5 and that’d be it); I called out “It’s starting to hurt but I’m gonna make it!” I don’t think she was the one I was trying to reassure by saying that aloud…

Mile 16-22: Whatever bubble I was floating on for the previous 6 miles gradually drifted downward and finally popped during these miles. I’ve heard that “something happens” after 18 miles that no amount of training can really prepare you for, and now I think I understand that. The crowd support died after we split from the half marathoners and the course went just got boring. I really can’t blame the spectators for not supporting us on this part; I’m not even sure how you would get there if you weren’t actually running on the marathon course. We ran a large, boring, industrial loop through the marina, trekked on freeways and exit ramps, and made another loop through the park along the Anacostia River. No one was running through water stops anymore, and it was common to see people walking up inclines or standing out of the way stretching. I was afraid to slow to get water–let alone stop to stretch–for fear that my legs wouldn’t start moving again. I forced myself to stop and fill up my water bottle as often as possible because at this point the sun was blazing and I knew I needed to stay hydrated. My IT band was bothering me again, but so was my back, my calf, my hips… Once your entire body starts to hurt, you stop noticing individual injuries so much. I started counting down the miles, trying to put them into perspective (“6 miles? That 6 mile loop back home is nothing…).

Mile 23-25: I wouldn’t say this is where I got my second (or third?) wind so to speak, but it’d be a fair assessment to say there was at least a breeze. There were some more uphills that I wasn’t expecting, but at this point my mental countdown was saying, “3 miles? That’s nothing, just a shake out run…”). The bands during the previous miles were, eh, nothing worth writing about, but the two bands along Minnesota Avenue were great! It seemed that locals from the neighborhood came out as well to listen to the music and offer some cheers. Combine that tiny boost in crowd support with the realization that I’m on the final stretch and you’ve got one happy Lara.

Down the final stretch!

Mile 26-Finish: This was probably the dullest part in terms of scenery (running on a highway over a smelly river?) but at this point, I didn’t care. Sure, it was slightly uphill to the finish. Sure, the sun was beating down on me. But I knew the finish was just up ahead. I turned the final corner and saw the finish line (up farther in the distance than I had hoped–darn!) and from there it’s pretty much a blur. I just remember pushing myself as quick as my legs would take me because in the back of my mind I knew how much I slowed near the end and was hoping I hadn’t ruined my chance of breaking 4 hours. I can’t describe the feeling of crossing the finish line… after thinking about it nonstop for the last several hours, I had finally reached it. After months of training, after several weeks of recovering from injury and thinking I might not be able to race at all… I wish I could bottle that sense of accomplishment and use it for motivation on those really crummy days when lacing up your running shoes is the last thing on your mind.

Post-marathon back at the Girls on the Run tent... so grateful for all the support I received!

I’ve said it and I’ll say it again: this may sound stupid, but I didn’t realize how much it was going to hurt. Whether it was a mix of poor training at the end (my longest run had been 18 miles the weekend before our half marathon; my IT band injury made me drastically back off the miles), going out fast in the beginning or just the race itself, I just wasn’t expecting my body to hurt all over like it did. Fortunately, I had my cheering squad waiting at the finish line to share in my joy and help me re-master the art of walking. This accomplishment would not have been the same without having them there to cheer me on and support me–not just on race day, but the weeks and months leading up to it. That sentiment is true for all my friends and family who supported me in this crazy goal of mine!

So now the question is…

Will I run another marathon? Probably, but not in 2012. I think I want to spend this year focusing on getting healthy, training smarter and do some 10Ks, 10-milers and race a half marathon.

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Hit the Ground Running – Faster

22 Mar

A little over a week ago, I went to a running symposium where I learned lots of cool things that you’ll soon read about in coming blog posts. One of the key things I learned about were two types of workouts to incorporate into your workout plans to help you run faster: Lactate threshold (LT) runs, and interval runs.

Because getting faster is one of my goals for 2012 (specifically, to beat my 2011 half-marathon time this coming May!), you’ll notice that I have speed workouts scheduled on every Monday of the week in my Spring Workout 2012 Training I. I have “tempo” runs to help with my lactate threshold, and 400 meter repeats to help with my speed and running efficiency. I alternate only one of these each week since these are the first speed workouts I will be doing in a long while; but if you are a more advanced runner, you could (and should) do both during the week to further increase your speed and efficiency.

So what are lactate threshold and interval runs? Time for a little science lesson.

A lactate threshold run pushes you to improve your anaerobic capacity. It trains your heart, lungs and blood vessels to carry the maximum amount of oxygen from your blood when you’re strenuously exercising (like running fast uphill, or sprinting), to your muscles. The more oxygen your body can get to your muscles, the faster and more efficiently you can run.

Interval runs, simply put, have you run at an intense pace for short amounts of time, so your body learns what it feels like to run FAST. Your cardiovascular fitness improves during interval training, your body becomes stronger, and you get faster.

Here are some ways to incorporate LT runs:
• Run at a “comfortably hard” pace (about 75% of your max speed) for 1 mile, with 1 minute rest at the end of each mile. Repeat 4-6 times.
• Run at a “comfortably hard” pace (about 75% of your max speed) for 30-40 minutes. During the middle 15 minutes, add in bursts of 200-meter to 800-meter surges at a hard pace, with 1-2 minutes recovery (slower jogging) between each burst.
• Run 800 meter repeats at a hard pace (about 80%) with 1-2 minutes rest after each. Do 4-6 repeats.

Here are some interval workouts to speed you up:
• First, run one mile all-out, as fast as you can. Then divide your time by 4 to get your 400 meter pace. For instance, if I ran an 8-minute mile, I would have a 2-minute 400m pace. Then begin your workout: Start with 400 meter repeats at your pace, and repeat 6 times. So for me, I would run 400 meters at a 2-minute pace, 6 times. I would rest for the same amount of time, 2 minutes, between each interval. Up your intervals by one each week. After several weeks, run one mile all out again and adjust your 400 meter times accordingly as you get faster.
• Climb Run the ladder. Find a track and start by running 200 meters at 80% pace. Rest the same amount of time. Run 400 meters. Rest. Run 800 meters. Rest. Run 1200 meters. Rest. Run 1600 meters. Rest. Then work your way back down with 1200 meters, 800 meters, 400 meters, and 200 meters. If you feel like over-achieving, tack on that extra 100 meter sprint at the end—you know you want to.
• Find a nice big hill that is about 200 meters long. Run up it at a hard pace. Jog or walk down. Repeat 8 times. Increase repeats next week. It’s that easy.

Just this morning, I got up before the sun was fully up to get in my interval workout for the week. This was my first interval workout this year. (I’ve been battling an upper respiratory infection, so things got switched up in my schedule.) I have to admit—today’s speed work wasn’t the most fun, especially because I am wheezy already from being sick [cue inhaler noise]. And you thought intervals were tough enough! I warmed up for ¾ mile on my way to my nearby running trail. After a good stretch, I churned out 6×400 meter repeats at a 2-minute pace. I was sweating good on my cool-down jog back home! While I can’t always say speed workouts are “fun,” they sure get the job done, and I felt faster and stronger while sprinting and afterwards (albeit tired and ready for some coffee).  I’m sure I will be sore tomorrow, but you’ve got to love that kind of soreness, right? It’s the kind that means you’re getting faster!

What are your LT or interval plans for the week? Do you have other workouts you like to do to increase your speed?

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Running for Charity | How to Ask for Money

15 Mar

For my first marathon, I decided to raise money for Girls on the Run – DC. I had months to collect money so I didn’t expect it to be a problem. I still haven’t reached my goal, but I do think I am getting the hang of how to ask for donations.

Here are some simple tips based on what I learned during my fundraising experience:

  • Believe in your cause, plain and simple. Whether you outright plan to run for a charity that supports research for an illness that took the life of a loved one or you registered late and your only way to run an event is to do it for charity, take some time to sit down and think about how your fundraising will help change lives. Watch videos of real people impacted by your charity. It will be easier to ask for donations and much more genuine.
  • Ask early but don’t expect much. I started mentioning my marathon training and donating to GOTR 3 months ago. Did many people donate? No. But as you get closer to race day, chances are good that a little light bulb will go off in your friends’ and family’s minds when you post it to Facebook and they think, “Oh yeah, I meant to do that back in January.”
  • Make it easy to donate. While most people will happily donate online with a credit card, make sure you know how to handle cash donations and who donors need to make checks to.
  • Think outside the box or computer monitor or wherever. Some other Solemates running for GOTR-DC organized special happy hours at local restaurants with a “suggested donation” in lieu of a cover charge. Another idea: Consider baking a tray of cookies to bring into work and leave a donation jar with a note about the cause.
  • Prepare a canned speech without it sounding canned. I found myself on multiple occasions stumbling for words in my company’s lunchroom when someone asked me about my marathon. After enough times of feeling foolish, I finally sat down and physically wrote answers to simple questions like why I’m running the marathon, why I chose to do it for GOTR, the challenges of training, and a “plug” for donating. Taking the time to compose the sentences and read them a few times a week kept the information fresh so I could speak easily when the topic came up unexpectedly.
  • Ask more than once and then again for good measure. Seriously, don’t give up right away and do not take silence as a no. Whether they’re in between paychecks or busy thinking about other responsiblities, people may not react right away because you simply caught them at a bad time. Don’t be afraid to casually bring it up again with a final appeal right before your race; the urgency may get them to finally act or their sitution may have changed.
  • Be appropriate, especially at work. Check with HR before sending a mass email to your coworkers or posting flyers around the office to make sure you’re not violating rules or ruffling feathers.
  • Make it personal in more ways than one. Posting the link on Facebook may be quick and easy but I received much better responses when I took the time to send individual emails or messages to friends and family. Take the time to write personal messages about your cause relating your cause directly to the potential donor. “This charity helps young girls your daughter’s age” is more impactful than “This charity helps 8-13 year old girls.”
  • Thank people for donations more than once. After receiving donations, I followed up with a personal email or phone call. After my marathon, I plan on sitting down to write thank you notes to let them know how race day went. For me, nothing beats a handwritten note.

Do you have any other tips or success stories? I would love to hear them!

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Amanda’s Spring 2012 Training I

12 Mar

If you’ve read my “About” page, you already know that I LOVE to make training plans. Whenever I find a race that I want to sign up for (now generally half marathons), my first step is to print out a calendar for the couple of months leading up to the race, and then work backwards from race day to figure out how to prepare for it.

Depending on what fitness level I’m at, I like to start working on my training schedule way ahead of time so I have some wiggle room. I keep my training flexible, so I never feel like I’m forced to do exactly what’s on my training docket 100% of the time, but can somewhat revise it due to weather, plans that come up, weekend trips, etc. I have several main components the comprise my typical training schedule each week: a long run; speed work; strength training paired with an easy run; cross-training; and a rest day. As long as I get those all in during a week, I call it a win.

Days of the Week Training

So, what race have I been gearing up for next? The South Shore Half Marathon in Milwaukee, WI on April 7th. (The registration fee is only $12—how can I pass that up?!) Because I plan to run the Wisconsin Half Marathon on May 5th, I thought this race would be a good way to keep running higher mileage, as well as gauge if my speed is increasing from when I ran the Austin Half Marathon, which is my main goal for this year…to keep getting faster.

So far this year, I haven’t really done any speed work (I was more focused on getting my long runs up in mileage than anything), so I am adding that back in to get my pace time down. Also, new to my training regimen is YOGA. With the tight hip issues I have been having, plus the myriad benefits of yoga, I thought it would be a welcome addition that will hopefully help keep me injury-free.

I thought it’d be fun to share my training plan for the next month, so you can see just how I structure everything and try to keep my workouts balanced without burning myself out. Of course, I take a day off/easy if I am feeling extra sore and fatigued, but I like that I generally can follow the plan for 90% of the time and still get the benefits I want.

March – early April Training:

Amanda's Training for the Month

Now…off to run!

P.S. My 3/13 boot camp is replaced by a 6 mile run due to a Running Club fun run – woohoo! Like I said – I think it’s best to keep training plans flexible.

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Running with Nike+

7 Mar Saturday's Run

Nike+ is one of my favorite running buddies. I’ve mentioned it before, but it’s time I give it the credit it deserves. Nike+, I ♥ you.

Product Review: Nike+ Running
What is Nike+? It’s a way to track your runs through your iPod Nano, iTouch/iPhone App, SportBand or SportWatch GPS. It started out with a sensor you could place in your Nike+ shoes – and you can still do that with the SportBand. Now, there’s an accelerometer in iPod Nano’s that tracks your steps, and of course GPS can track via the App or SportWatch. These devices track your runs (distance, pace, route), then sync them to the Nike+ website. No more tracking runs in notebooks – it’s all online now! Personally, I use the Nike+ iPhone App, though I might explore other options for summer so I don’t have to carry my phone!

Nike+ Runs

Nike+ Website shows Runs, PRs, and more

Here are some of the things I love about it:

  • You can run with OR without music: I’ve always got the app tracking my runs, even when I’m with a group.
  • You can share your runs socially: I have it synced to Twitter, so my runs are automatically tweeted to my account. I love the feedback and encouragement I get! I found that syncing to Facebook was too much. And, there’s a community within the website, so you can create challenges with fellow runners.
  • Tracking your running means you can compare year over year stats. For instance, here’s a screen shot of my 2011 Year In Review
Nike+ 2011 Year in Review

My 2011 Accomplishments. Bring it on 2012!

  • Coaching: You can find a training plan based on the distance you want to run. Then, you type in your race date, and Nike+ sets up a training schedule for you.
  • I love looking back at past race times. You can see your time and pace, but also calories burned and your mile splits.

Recently, Nike made updates to the site, making it run 25% faster. I haven’t noticed a huge change. A few issues I’ve experienced include:

  • The distances aren’t spot-on, but they’re close.
  • I accidentally end runs all the time – it’s frustrating to have to start over mid-run!
  • I hate not being able to get to the full site from my iPhone or iPad. Since the site is built with Flash, I can’t get to what I want, and sometimes I want more information than the apps or mobile site provide!

When I saw the announcement of the Nike+ FuelBand, I had hoped it would somehow connect with Nike+ running, or at least cause them to update the site.

Nike+ Running Update Coming this Summer
All this sounds great, right? But Nike is making updates this summer to make it even better – as they say, making the site “not only faster, but also smarter and more motivational.” Here are a few highlights:

  • HTML5 will replace the current flash interface, making it faster. It’ll also allow it to work better on mobile devices/iPads.
  • Personalization based on your running activity will allow Nike+ Running to suggest routes, training tips and goals.
  • Easier social sharing (?) – I’m not sure how, but since this is one thing I already love about Nike+, I look forward to more functionality!
  • More motivation with enhanced goal setting, leaderboards, and incorporation of NikeFuel (compare your activity with anyone, whatever sport they play). This speaks to incorporating with activities on the Nike+ Fuelband… which is something I’d love! I’m trying to do more cross-training, which I’d love ‘credit’ for.

Here’s the screen shot they shared in the announcement. What do you think?

Nike+ Update Coming this Summer

Sneak Peek of the new Nike+ Running site coming this summer

Do you use Nike+? Add me – I’m ‘brandigirl’. It’s a fun way to track your runs and hold yourself accountable. 26.2, here I come! #makeitcount :)

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Crock Pot Veggie Pot Pie

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It’s a brisk day and you just finished your long run. You take a hot shower and now you’re craving something warm and filling to eat. What better to sink your spoon into than a tasty pot pie that has been simmering in your crock pot all day?

When I found the From-the-Pantry Pot Pie recipe in The Vegan Slow Cooker cookbook, I thought it was too good to be true. I wasn’t sure how I was going to “bake” biscuits in my crock pot but I thought I’d give it a try. The recipe turned out even better than expected – so good, in fact, that my plan for leftovers failed when I helped myself to seconds and my boyfriend had thirds!

Here’s what I used:

For the Stew

1 small onion, minced
1.5 cups diced potato
1 pound frozen mixed green beans, corn, carrots and peas
1 cup water, plus another half cup if needed
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder

For the Biscuits

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup skim milk

Here’s how I did it:

1. Cut 2 medium potatoes to yield roughly 1.5 cups. Oil the crock of your pot and throw all those in with the diced onion and a bag of frozen vegetables.

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2. Heat up a cup of water and stir in a vegetable bouillon cube until dissolved. Pour the mixture into your crock; add another half a cup if you’re hitting the gym after work and will be gone 8+ hours.

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3. Add in the stew spices, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

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4. About 30 minutes before your stew is ready, combine the biscuit ingredients in a bowl and work them together until they form a dough. Roll out the mixture on a floured cutting board until it is half an inch thick and cut into circles using the rim of a glass.

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5. Place the dough circles on the top of the stew in your slow cooker and turn the slow cooker up to high.

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6. Prop the lid open slightly with a wooden spoon or clean dish towel (don’t open it too wide or it won’t stay hot enough to bake the biscuits). This helps to control some of the condensation.

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7. Cook the biscuits for 30 minutes or until they are cooked through the middle (use a fork to test the biscuit closest to the middle of the crock).

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8. Done?! Use a spoon to scoop out a biscuit and some of the stew. Salt and pepper to taste.

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I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

On a side note, I cannot say enough about The Vegan Slow Cooker. Whether you are vegan or not, it is an amazing resource for crock pot recipes that don’t revolve around a fattening piece of meat. The recipes are a great starting point from which you can change to suit your diet or ingredients on hand (as you will notice in my recipe, I did not prepare it for a vegan diet but it still turned out delicious!).

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