New Design

I'm in the mood to change up the blog...so things might change a few times over the next couple weeks until I settle on something I like. I need to update my cover picture and side picture too. Just to give a heads up of whats coming!

Funny Little T

T is becoming quite a character. Man oh man. She is funny though. And what do you know, she's not even two and she is figuring out how to swing on her own! Craziness! P just learned how to do this right when she turned 3. 

A couple weeks ago we lost power for a few days and T snuggled up by the fire in her hat and blankets to keep warm.

Tobacco Road Marathon Report/Hanson's Marathon Training Review

So I finally ran this marathon I have been training for. 18 weeks of running 6 days a week, 1 (easy) working of 6 miles missed. Total mileage was 745 miles for those 18 weeks. I did a semi hybrid plan between their beginner and their intermediate plan. I pushed my last 16 miler to 18 miles for my own confidence. I had some knee/IT band issues that I was going to ART for but I managed, I survived. I was not sure I was going to trust the plan, but you know what, it worked.

I trained to run more like 3:35 pace using their plan, but as it came closer to race day I was more paranoid about not hitting my goal of breaking 3:40, so I decided (and convinced my training partner) to run 8:20 pace and then if we were still feeling good, I would push the last miles. And that is what happened.

We had perfect weather, the front that was coming started pushing through right as we were finishing with wind and then it was raining about an hour or two after we finished. We ran steady, 8:20-8:15 pace throughout the race after a slow first mile with all the congestion. The trail wasn't crowded, there was a good group of people around us running. We ran through halfway at 1:49:40 (which I still was freaked out about). But we kept running, my knee help up and I felt awesome. I executed my fuel plan of drinking every 2-2.5 miles and eating every other time (so every 4-5 miles). I used Honey Stingers chews/gels and used Skratchlabs drink mix (and water).

I can honestly say, I don't feel like I hit "the wall". I felt strong and really pushed the last 3 miles averaging 7:35 the last 3 and I felt like I could have kept running.

Time: 3:37:04

And I raised $3733 for Vs. Cancer Foundation.

I am now a huge believer in Hanson's training method. It was tough, but in the end manageable. I really ended up liking the monotony of the weeks and knowing what to expect every day.  And I will use it again assuming I get in to Boston next year. I had such an amazing support crew on race day. My sister running the last half with me, my friend LCP running with us the last 10. My dad and Evelyn came to cheer us on, EZ and the kids were at the finish. And of course, my BF (and BRF) Jenny running side by side with me until around mile 24 when I started pushing as hard as I could. I am so in awe of her running her first marathon (40 seconds behind me) and only haven't started running a couple years ago.

I'm super excited that I set out a goal, put in the work and reach that goal. I think I have another 5 min in me perhaps, Boston 2015.

More Pictures

Fun times...Tatum thinks this coat is awesome..., to me I think she looks so funny in it!

Swinging in the big swing:

Fun Sense of Style:

Cheese with mommy:

One of our warm days:

So Serious:

Hanson's Marathon Plan (week 17)

Wow, training...almost done. I finished my last something of substance workout Thursday with a 10mile run at marathon pace. I missed a workout a week and a half ago because I was sick but that is the only day I've missed throughout these 17 weeks so far. I've been having IT band issues, which migrated to calf issues, and then it migrated to my achilies and now is more my plantar. But I'm running through it, seeing my physical therapist/chiro/ART doctor, getting taped, e-stem treatments, massage, foam rolling a ton, stretching, icing, popping advil like there is no tomorrow and trying to work with it.

 Currently, I'm running pretty pain free until about mile 7. Hopefully next week on race day I can make it at least to mile like 16 before some pain starts setting in. We will see! I can run through the pain pretty well. It is fairly dull, but I've only run with the pain for maybe 7+ miles on it, so I don't know what running say 20 miles in pain will do.

I'm in taper now, meaning for me, all my runs are now easy runs! Wow, don't know how I made it this far. But I hit all my times for all my runs, so I have to trust the plan, right? I made one small deviation on my last 16 miler, and ran 18. I was coming off of being sick and was suppose to run 6 on Saturday and 16 Sunday and I hadn't run Friday from being sick. I was still feeling beat on Saturday and only did 4, and I felt good by Sunday so I made it 18. Hanson's plan is all about only capping out at 16 miles for a long run, but I felt I needed it for me both physically and mentally.

And the countdown is on...almost one week until race day. Note...this is not me in the picture below.

It's Been a While

So yeah, it has been a while. I've been busy. Work has been super busy with teaching, research students, research of my own, committees, ect. Throw in the marathon training and all the chiro/pt/massage appts I go to, I don't have much time for anything else.  So I'll just update a few things...

Grandma and grandpa came to visit:

We put T's hair in pigtails...she is too cute when she has them in. Makes up for the general state of her unhappiness (cries a lot)

We've had some nice days:

And some snow days:

Happy March!!