marathon

My 2015 Race Schedule

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2014 held a light race schedule for me because of injuries and moving across the country. Sadly, I had to cancel my 2014 NYC marathon entry which was expensive but I have guaranteed entry for 2015 now. This year (Mungu akipenda) I’m looking forward to getting back to my marathon running self.

May 2 – American River Parkway Half Marathon – Sacramento, CA

July 11 – Davis Moonlight Race 10K – Davis, CA

August 30 – Buffalo Stampede 10M – Sacramento, CA

Oct 4 – Urban Cow Half Marathon – Sacramento, CA

Nov 1 – New York City Marathon – New York City

Nov 26 – Run to Feed the Hungry 10K – Sacramento, CA

Dec 6 – California International Marathon – Sacramento, CA (**still debating**)

Race bling: race medal display

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Marathon medal display

After years of storing my race medals in the bottom drawer, I’ve decided to display my marathon medals (my medals from half-marathons, 10 and 5 Ks are still stored away for now). I purchased a 30 inch “Victory Medal Display” board for $26…. by buying the plain “make it your own” version and painting black myself I saved $10. Since our walls are pretty covered already and we are moving in May, I placed the display on the bookshelf for now. The Philly marathon medal is huge and super shiny but the Steamtown marathon will always hold a special place in my heart. You always remember your first BQ.

Here’s what it will look like once hung on the wall ->

Victory medal display

Running together, apart

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NYC marathon route flags

NYC marathon route flag

Last Saturday, a few running friends and I ran 20 miles of the NYC marathon course. I got so excited when I noticed that they put up the route flags along the course in Brooklyn & Queens. Even though I’m not running NYC (my friends are but I’m running Philly marathon on Nov 17), I still feel the thrilling energy whenever marathon day approaches in the city. I’ve run this course multiple times this training season and every time it makes for a great morning. Plus the Queensboro bridge hill no longer bothers me!

As everyone is approaching their race day we didn’t stay together past mile 10 – we all fell into our own definition of “race training pace”. However as I ran those last miles I still felt their encouraging spirits. I still felt the camaraderie that comes with our shared love of running (sometimes bordering on obsession). It’s much like the shared smile when I see another runner sticking it out in the rain/cold/heat/early dawn.

Run strong runners!

Running through step-backs

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It’s been awhile since I have written a blog entry – summer turned insane for me between work, travel, training for marathon #2 and life in general. It’s been a rough past 12 months but I am discovering my true self in the process and counting my blessings; I’m preparing for a life reset. The thing that continues to add pure joy and clarity to my life is running and yoga.

VIA Lehigh Valley Marathon

Marathon #2 the VIA Lehigh Valley Marathon on September 8….. I had such high hopes for this marathon. Since I qualified for Boston my first marathon with novice training, I figured this time around I’d run even faster. However the day turned out terrible. First, I sat in race related traffic for ONE HOUR because the race directors didn’t have anyone directing cars. I was by myself so I couldn’t leave my car and run to the start as many other runners did. I crossed the start line minutes after the gun. Stressed, I tried to calm down and just run my race and was holding a great pace. However, the course turned out to be almost 50% TRAIL and my muscles were not prepared for this. Around mile 20 – on pace to finish in 3:30 hours – I had to begin a run-walk-run cycle. Since I ended up walking 2 miles towards the end, I finished at exactly 4:00:00. Even though I finished well before the average female marathoner‘s time of 4 hr 42 min, clocking about twenty minutes slower than my last marathon absolutely crushed my spirit.

After marathon #1 I was able to bounce back quickly, this time around I had two black toenails, pulled muscles and a bruised spirit. It took me 3 weeks to return to normal. Demoralized and wishing to really honor the hard training I’ve done this summer I quickly signed up for marathon #3 – Philly Marathon on November 17. I hope I can close out 2013’s race calendar with pride.

“The great runner continually interrogates himself. How badly do I want it? How much of my soul am I going to put into this? How lost am I willing to feel? To what degree will I fight against the natural defense mechanism that protects me against losing and pain? How bitterly will I reject failure?” by Alberto Salazar

Training Paces – I’m running my long runs too fast and my fast runs too slow

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just run

Like most runners, I often run my long runs too fast and my fast runs too slow. Lately I’ve been trying to force myself to slow down on my 10+ mile runs and really sprint my shorter ones. I found this super convenient training paces calculator on Runner’s World – http://www.runnersworld.com/tools/training-paces-calculator. You enter in your goal/actual pace for a race (I used my 3:33:00 marathon goal) and it gives you the ideal training paces. Even with the last few 90*F weather days, slowing myself to 9:09 pace is a bit awkward sometimes. But then I remind myself of the 6:52 pace I have to run in 3 days and enjoy the rest.

My training paces for a 3:33:00 marathon:

  • Easy Run 9:09 per mile
  • Tempo Run 7:37 per mile
  • Maximum Oxygen 6:52 per mile
  • Speed Form 6:22 per mile
  • Long Run 9:09 – 10:20 per mile
  • Yasso 800s 3:32 per 800 meters

NYRR’s 9+1 = I’m going to be running a lot this year

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NYRR Women's 10K - 2011

I decided to sign up for NYRR’s 9+1 program*….. so basically I will be spending most of my time this summer/fall running races, training for races and eating & sleeping tons to replenish :/ The things I do for guaranteed 2014 NYC marathon entry.

My race calendar now looks insanely packed…..between the 9 required scored races + color run+  training long runs + marathon…. I’ll have to be proactive about avoiding injury this  year to finish them all. On top of that I have a 2-week June vacation in Tanzania and other possible international business trips this summer. It’s about to get BUSY!

*For those of you unfamiliar with the “run 9 give 1” program -> If you run 9 “scored” NYRR races and volunteer at one in the same year you get guaranteed NYC marathon entry for the following year. I indicated my 9 scored races in red.

United we run

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As the ongoing saga related to the Boston Marathon bombing continues (click here for a summary of events), I log into Garmin Connect to enter my week’s mileage and I’m brought to tears (for like the 9th time this week) by Garmin’s message of support: “Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the tragedy at the Boston Marathon. You have the strength and support of our entire community.”

Those two sentences contain so much emotion for me. Running has saved my body, soul and mind countless times over the years. Throughout it all I’ve felt nothing but love from the running community. A community mostly of complete strangers (especially for a solo runner like me).

I remember my first marathon….at mile 25 I was in a lot of pain, there was a slight hill so I figured, ‘I’m pacing 20 minutes ahead of my goal, I’ll just walk the last mile.’ I only had time to walk for 5 seconds before a fellow runner tapped me on the shoulder as she ran by and said “Only 1 mile left. I know you can do this.” She sounded so sure of me that I forced myself to run through my sore knee, aching left foot and throbbing left hamstring. The memory of that continues to play in my mind whenever I need encouragement.

So when people say “you have the strength and support of our entire community”, know that this includes me…..it includes every runner and then some.

Garmin message of support