My First Marathon (x2)

This block began right after the 5K PR at Corktown Races. Monday: swim (slow a$$) and birthday yoga with Kay Tuesday: steady state run (SSR) at 85% heart rate reserve (HRR) with appetizers and desserts (Matt is sick) - I couldn't really get my hear rate all the way to 85% for the SSR but the pace was strong so I was happy Wednesday: swim - where's the speed?  For real? Thursday: Bike ride right after I found out one of my undergrad profs died, suffering from dementia.  He and his wife liked to ride on the Cardinal Greenway.  Rough night.  I also went to Strength for Athletes class...ouch. Friday: swim...sucked slightly less Saturday: Struggle bus of a 10 mile "long run" - but around 6.5 I found a group and I ran part of the way with them, or chasing some of them...and finished decently.  Also went to yoga with David. Sunday: bike trainer.  Struggling with some of the sensors, but more importantly getting out of the saddle on the trainer is TERRIFYIN...

The Sam Costa half marathon is one of the oldest half marathons in the state, arguably the oldest. Indy Runners is the steward of the race and it has been in Carmel for a number of years.  The course is rolling and winding.  A downhill start makes it almost impossible to not go out too fast and an uphill finish makes it nearly impossible to close hard.  This was my 7th time running the race.  I used to be one of the last finishers before the 3:00 time limit. While it's a tough course, I have also had some success.  The first time I broke 2:40 it was on this course.  The weather is often pretty favorable for me - 30s to low 40s with clouds and a threat of rain, but no actual rain.  I missed the race last year because it was during RRCA convention and I ran the Dallas Rock & Roll half instead, breaking 2:30 for the first time.  In May (2016) I ran the Mini just under 2:30 and then I ran Monumental half at 2:28:52.  This year for Costa it ...

I live in Indiana and the whole state is basketball cray cray.  I used to do a bracket and one year I was even successful, but without a school in the tournament it gets tedious...and I'm just not that big of a college hoops fan.  I like Brackets for Good, but helping your "team" win gets spendy fast...but then I saw the race bracket... https://raceraves.com/march-madness-lunatic-style/?utm_source=FB&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=MM-Midwest+Region I sent it to coach for amusement and his response was that it was a good place to start for planning a race year, except it obviously omitted his race 😝.  I sent back the ones that were on my *someday* list from the bracket and then a few others...but noted that his favorite race (Peachtree 10K) was probably too hot for me to run well - I am just not an Atlanta in July kinda girl, and that I would never qualify for Boston so those two just aren't on my list... And of course because the Peachtree lotto is open rig...

I hadn't raced since Drumstick Dash.  I know, you're saying...that's the end of November, what's the problem?!?!?  But I am used to racing much more often.  Today I ran the Corktown Races 5K in Detroit. It was COLD this morning.  Maybe not as bad as yesterday, but maybe...the first mile of warmup was sooooo cold, especially since I decided to warm up in what I was racing in...so no jacket, no second pair of gloves, no long tights (stuck with capris).  Picture with Kristy before I headed out for warmup. My fingers were frozen.  But by the time I finished the second set of striders in the second mile I was ok.  I was fine when I finished warmup.  Then it was a bit longer than ideal in the corral before the race started.  I started near the front of wave 3 (green) and still felt like I was starting with some people who didn't look like they were ready to race.  Some were supposed to be in wave 4 (white) and were starting at the front ...

Here's the rundown of block 4... You already know about the 4225 (that's 2.4 miles) swim test, from http://myfirstmarathontimes2.blogspot.com/2017/02/swim-baseline-test.html.  After that test I had to ditch that suit...it was just getting too thin in places.  Wednesday I ended up ditching another suit for the same reasons.  Good thing I have 4 or 5...well, had.  Oh chlorine... Tuesday I felt beat up all day.  Like my everything hurt and I'm dying beat up.  I went to the run, talked to coach, and we decided either I would have it or not, but I would know pretty early.  I stuck with my planned ladder  (1-5-1) rather than the group ladder (some complicated thing involving math).  It was pretty solid and my one minutes were solidly in the single digits for pace.  Now if only all of them were.  But that wasn't happening Tuesday. Wednesday I did my usual morning TRX and then I hit the pool before work instead of after.  It...

Sometime after the beginning of the year I decided that a Ironman distance swim time trial on Presidents' Day would be a good thing, and on to my training plans it went.  After all, it was in late February...and it wasn't even the longest swim I had done yet.  It would be fine, right?  [one year I decided to do 100x100 yards on MLK Day (bad idea) and one Friday before Labor Day I swam 5K, but neither was about time. My swim coach (Doug) put it in averaging 2:15/100 yards.  My tri coach (Matt) knew I was just hoping for under 2:30/100.  I had been working on some longer blocks and they had been in the 2:10-2:15 range, but I hadn't done this kind of continuous swim in a while. Then it was the long weekend and it was GORGEOUS!  Friday afternoon I did a swim, but it wasn't fast.  Saturday I ran a hard 10.  Sunday afternoon was lovely and I went for a 50K ride outside on the new Trek.  I also ended up lifting with my trainer (Shannon).  A...

Early in this block I was pretty pissed that some people who don't train (much) were going out and racing better than what be PR for me.  I have NO problem with people being faster than me (most are), as long as they put in the work.  But without work it just makes me upset.  And especially if they then bemoan how "slow" it was.  I wanted to race out of spite.  But I didn't get to. I've had some strong swims, and one complete disaster.  But I mostly shook off the disaster and moved on. This block was all bike trainer for cycling.  I did one of the workouts at the Loft while the class was doing something else.  I will do this for some of the weekday rides just so that there are other people around.  One of the things Coach Matt is doing is noting when I last did a workout so I can see how change is happening.  It seems I am doing better each time I do a workout, so that's good.  It will be nice to get outside (which should be tom...