TrainingTruths: Tapering Workouts

Last week was the taper week leading up to half marathon #5. Tapering is not a term that I am all that familiar with because I only started running distances longer than 10Ks a year ago. In fact, marathon #5 is a re-run of my first ever half marathon!

WORKOUTS:

#TrainingTruth: A humid 5 miles is not so bad if there is a view half way through.

#TrainingTruth: A sweaty four mile run is good for practicing the perfect gear combination for race day.

#TrainingTruth: Pre-race activities must be executed properly to ensure a successful race day: attend the expo, hang out with FitFluential peeps, and enjoy a pre-race meal.

#TrainingTruth: All of the training pays off on race day!

#TrainingTruths is not just about me. We all like to see what everyone else is doing and use that information to assess ourselves. It's not judgement. It's a way to share and learn and make changes when necessary.

To participate all you have to do is share your #TrainingTruths:

1. Tag a Twitter post with the hashtag #TrainingTruths
2. Comment on the Running Escapades Facebook page 
3. Leave a link to your own blog post in the comments

I look forward to reading your #TrainingTruths!

Cox Providence Half Marathon Weekend

 
May 7 - My Cox Providence Half Marathon weekend was packed full of expo-ing, shopping, eating, meeting running friends, and of course running! I began blogging about this race in January after being asked to be a Rhode Scholar Blogging Ambassador and I'm excited to share my recap.

Saturday: Hubs and I arrived in Providence around lunch time. To our surprise, the host hotel was ready for us and allowed us to check in early. We loved this because our goal was to park the car and walk during our stay. The Providence Renaissance Hotel was gorgeous. Our room was at the cul-de-sac end of the winding hallway and it was beautiful. The large bathroom was the best with a glass enclosed shower and extra door leading back into the main room (sorry no picture). The hotel also offered free valet parking and late check out as part of the race weekend package. Awesomeness.

After checking in, we walked to Providence Place Mall where we grabbed a quick lunch at the food court before heading over to the Health & Wellness Expo. I've been to two other expos: Rock 'n Roll and Boston. I'm sorry to say that the Cox expo was disappointingly small. There were limited vendors and it was crammed into one small, dark ballroom at the Rhode Island Convention Center. I did get a good deal on Sport Beans at the Discount vendor though.

I can say that bib pickup went smoothly and the volunteers were friendly. The goodie bag was filled with the typical samples from sponsors including a cute clown nose promoting the circus which was in town.

Since we didn't hang out at the expo as long as we were expecting to, hubs and I did a little shopping at the mall, stopped in PF Changs to have a drink and then walked around a little before heading to the Cheesecake Factory to meet Kat, the only other Rhode Scholar able to make it to dinner. Kat blogs at Eating the Week and ran her first marathon yesterday! Although it would have been nice to meet all of the Rhode Scholars at dinner, we had a great time chatting and sharing running stories. You should read about how she broke her finger during one of her training runs!

After dinner, we took another walk to the local CVS and picked up some snacks and bottled water for later. It was fun strolling the sidewalks downtown and along the waterfront.

Sunday: The marathon start was at 7:30 and the half followed at 8:00. We made it to the starting line area just in time to see and offer good luck sentiments to Kat and Portia before they started the marathon. After a last port-a-potty stop, it was half marathon time. Both races had a great turn out of both runners and supporters, and they both started right on time.

The Race: I knew that this race was going to be challenging because of the month I'd had dealing with my calf issues and not getting in a long run of more than 8 miles since my last half marathon in March. My goal was to keep my pace around 9:30 and hopefully have enough energy left in my legs to get me to the finish. The course was exactly what I had expected: beautiful, lined with cheering supporters, and hilly. The gray skies started clearing up right away although it stayed cool. Great running weather.

For most of the race I felt good. My calf was pain free and loose, I grabbed water at nearly every stop, and cruised slowly up the hills. The first couple of miles were uneventfully straight while mile 3 was a series of turns through a neighborhood. Mile 4 (which was also mile 8 on the way back) was a straight-away supporter-lined boulevard. After mile 6, I pit-stopped at the port-a-potty and then hit a tough hill. Around mile 10 my legs started to tighten up and fizzle. I ran the last three miles on empty. Even though I ate Sport Beans and grabbed Gatorade when available I was fuel-less. I kept thinking how great it was going to feel when I could sit down and take off my shoes. I got a small burst of energy when I saw hubs and my step daughter near the finish line. It was just what I need to make it up the final incline. (I hate finishes that end uphill!) My tired legs and tired feet managed to get me across the finish line in 2:11:01. Not my best, but not my worst. Someone handed me a medal and a bottle of water, and I began to search for my cheerleaders. Before finding them I ran into Samantha, another Rhode Scholar, who PR'd her half marathon. Way to go, Samantha!

After walking back to the hotel and getting cleaned up, hubs treated step daughter and I to lunch in the hotel at Temple Restaurant, which offered a Mediterranean inspired menu in a relaxing but sophisticated setting. Between us we had New England Clam Chowder, Margherita Flatbread Pizza, and the Temple Mezze Platter. With full bellies we checked out of our room and drove to Providence College to drop off one almost finished freshman.


The Cox Providence Half Marathon Weekend was a success. We absolutely loved the host hotel and wish more hotels would offer one night stays, free parking, and late check-out. I would like to run this race again in the future with a regular and healthier month of training leading up to it to see if I could do better against the hilly course. Even though my performance wasn't stellar, I am happy with my ability to push through and finish the 13.1 miles. Today I'm feeling really good and am already looking forward to my next half marathon in August.

Have you ever abbreviated your training before a big race?

How do you power through a challenging race?

Half of Quincy

 

March 19 - Yesterday I ran half marathon #3 in Quincy, Massachusetts. This race wasn't on my schedule until last weekend. My Crazy Running Partner has a goal to do 12 half marathons this year. She told me she was running this one and since hubs is out of town, I thought I'd join her to be her cheering section or maybe do the 5K that they added this year. But when I went to the website to register, I found myself thinking...Why shouldn't I run the half? A 5K seems kind of short these days. I'm in the best running shape I've ever ben in. I still have plenty of time to recover before the next one on my schedule. So that's how I ended up running half #3.

The race was 90 minutes away from where we live, so it was an early morning. On the way to meet CRP I picked up my stepdaughter who was coming along so that she could catch the train in Boston back to school after the race. She also promised to be the "second best cheerleader" after her dad. So off we went to Quincy High School - the most beautiful high school I have ever seen! I have been teaching for a long time including in a brand new building in Ohio, but this was like visiting a college campus or fancy hospital. Gorgeous.

The weather was forecasted to be 45 degrees at the start but climb to over 55 about the time we expected to finish. We opted to dress for the warmth accepting that we would freeze a little waiting at the start. Small sacrifice. I think it was almost 70 when we crossed the finish line. Pre-race was super organized. The website said "convenient parking behind the school" and except for lack of signage, it was perfect parking for a pretty big race. Bib pick up in the gym was quick and easy and if you were one of the first 500 to register you also got a race shirt. That, of course, was not me. The only restroom we saw had a line (shocker) but it moved quickly and we had plenty of time to head back to the car before making our way to the starting line. A Quincy police officer sang the National Anthem and we were off.

The plan for this race was to treat it like a really big fun group run. We weren't going after PR's and had in fact practiced slowing down our pace on a couple of runs during the week. We brought our cameras so that we could stop and take pictures.

It was a beautiful course to run. At 1.5 miles we stopped to take some pictures of the incredible views of the Boston skyline across the Quincy Bay. We were lucky enough to have the assistance of a couple of Quincy police officers to snap one with us in it. After that we ran along Wollaston Beach, a two mile stretch of shoreline anchored by a continuous walkway and fine sand. We found more incredible views as we traversed four miles onto the Squantum Peninsula and through the Marina Bay Complex. Although the docks were mostly empty this time of year, the luxury residences that lined the boardwalk were beautiful and had me longing to win the lottery. The remainder of course led us back through the "forgiving" hills of the historic "City of Presidents" and to the finish lined with cheering crowds including the "second best cheerleader" who gave me a high-five as I passed by.

Official finish time: 2:01:19

At the finish line we were handed our Half of Quincy medals and a bottle of water. Two thumbs up to the race organizers for having the water right there and not making runners walk around searching for it. Also readily available outside were bananas, while inside runners could choose a turkey, tuna, or chicken wrap, along with warm soup. We already made plans to hang around Quincy for lunch so we declined the food but snagged some Vita Coco Coconut Waters. After a quick wardrobe change at the car we set out on foot to grab some lunch.

Three iPhone apps, a couple of blocks, and one closed restaurant later, we found ourselves at The Fat Cat and I believe we lucked out. This warm and easygoing establishment had a variety of appealing choices on the menu, was very affordable, and treated us to great customer service. CRP informed us that the restaurant had been featured on Phantom Gourmet and it was easy to see why. The food was delicious.

Have you ever run a race unexpectedly? How was it? 

Half at the Hamptons

 
February 20 - Yesterday I completed my 2nd half marathon in Hampton, NH. Half at the Hamptons is a popular race because the course is one of the flattest in New England and many runners use it as a Boston Marathon training run. Hampton is a small seacoast town with all the charm of the typical summer beach destination. The white washed buildings are weathered by the ocean winds and the streets are protected by a seawall with the beach on the other side.

Hubs and I arrived in Hampton early so there was plenty of time to park, check-in, use the restrooms, and meet my running partner, D. Hampton offers hundreds of parking spots up and down the beach (which were free for the race) as well a street parking and some large lots that charged $5. Check-in at the Ashworth by the Sea Hotel was quick and we received a cute cotton long sleeve lavender race shirt. After stopping at Ds car, we made our way to the start line.

Even though there weren't corals (the race capped at 1400 runners) it was easy to find a spot and we ended up very near the 9:00mm Pacer, Timmy. The course's reputation was accurate, and along with the temps in the mid 30s and the sun shining, it was a perfect day to...PR!!

Special thanks to Hubs for biking around to take these awesome pics!

I had hoped to finish this half better than my first last August at RNR PROV because my training has improved and I have been injury free. I NEVER thought that I would finish sub 2 hours though. D and I stayed together sticking with Pacer Timmy until about mile 6. She started to pull ahead, but I was afraid to push my speed anymore, so I held back. I think I made the right decision because the last 2 miles were difficult. My hips started tightening up, but I managed to keep up with Pacer Timmy's pack and finish 1:57:51.

After the race, hubs and I headed to Portsmouth to lunch with a group of runners, bloggers, FitFluential Ambassadors and a fellow Rhode Scholar at the casual British pub, Coat of Arms. It was a great day to spend with old and new friends.

Samantha / D / Group - Halen, Janine, Greg, Samantha

Now it is time to take a few recovery runs, then maintain my training for the Cox Rhode Races Half Marathon in May. It has been a great winter to train and I am hoping that Spring is right around the corner. So as I take a few days to savor my new PR and "I just ran a half marathon" moments, I'm already thinking about the fun to come.

Testing the Temps

January 30 - Unexpectedly, I found myself packing for a quick weekend trip to Orlando. Now I know the weather in New England has been pretty mild this winter, but who wouldn't be excited about visiting the sunshine state?

Source

I took a quick peak at the forecast for Saturday morning before packing my running bag: 51 degrees. My scheduled run on Saturday would give me a chance to see how I felt running in temperatures that are pretty average for May in Providence, which is where I will be running my second half marathon of the year at the Cox Rhode Races.

Saturday morning after a quick breakfast of PB&J toast at the hotel, hubs and I headed toward the Airport Lakes Park that the concierge recommended. It was a picture perfect day to run. Sun, sun and more sun.  

The run to the park was much shorter than we expected and it was smaller than we hoped, so we decided to follow the sidewalks. We ended up looping around the hotel before trying inside the park. Duh. There we found a nice, though short, running trail. At one point it led out to a small lake.

Since we didn't really know the area (and hubs was only running 4 with me) we decided that to be safe I should stick to the immediate area around the hotel. This was a combination of several other hotels as well as shops and restaurants. After 7 miles, I was done running what felt like circles. 

Admittedly, the warm weather did affect me. I was wearing a short sleeve running shirt, but could have easily worn a tank. When I get excited I also tend to run too fast, just like on race days. All things to remember for my half marathon in May. The best part was running on beautiful sidewalks and having water delivered. He's training for my halfathon, too!

Best hubs EVER!

After the run, we headed to the hotel pool. At 70 degrees, it wasn't warm enough for me to get in, but I did take a dip in the hot tub. You have to spoil yourself when you can, right?

Do you pack your running shoes on trips/vacations?

How do you spoil yourself after a run?

Rock 'n Roll Providence

On Sunday August 7, 2011, I completed my first half marathon.  Chris and I drove down to Providence, RI on Saturday to attend the Health & Fitness Expo where we checked in, picked up our goodie swag bags, had our pictures taken, and loaded up on lots of free stuff.  We got to see two cast members from The Biggest Loser who were also running and the start/finish area of the race. It was a beautiful Saturday in Providence, so we had dinner on the river walk at Water Place Restaurant.  Unfortunately the weather forecast for the Sunday morning race would not be as nice.

We were up at 5:00 AM and out the door by 5:30 headed to breakfast. A quick stop at DD and we were off to find a parking spot in the Providence Place Parking Garage.  Luckily we planned our times right and avoided most of the runner traffic. After making our way through the mall and out the doors, we wandered out into the cluster of runners getting ready in the pouring rain.

After checking our swag bag, we found some shelter to stretch and wait before heading over to our start corral for the 7 AM start.  I choose this race because it was only two hours away from home, a beautiful city, and featured live music along the course with a free concert at the finish by Sugar Ray.  In my head I had pictured bright blue sunny skies, warm summer weather, and light breezes coming off the river.  Looking around as we waited for start time, I felt bummed by the amount of rain and a little stressed about whether or not I could finish.  I knew I would be pushing my shin pain to the limit.

The 7 AM start actually became more like 7:30, after the delay in closing the course and the wave start, but once we started running, it was great.  The downpours were refreshing and helped keep our bodies comfortably cool throughout the 13.1 miles.  Despite the wet weather, live bands continued to play nearly every mile creating a party-like atmosphere among the runners. Family, friends, locals, and cheer squads lining the streets and sidewalks never stopped yelling words of encouragement from start to finish.  Most of the course was flat and easy running with only minor puddle jumping and dodging.  There were a couple of hills, but we pushed our way up and then down them.  The scenic water views of Seekonk River were amazing and the historical neighborhoods were filled with beautiful, massive, colonial homes.  It was especially fun running along India Point Park and right by our hotel.  With the help of well-placed port-a-potties, water stations, and GU stands, we were able to push our way to the finish line without running out of gas in 2:24:54.

Half Marathon - 2:24:54

Crossing the line with Chris beside me was one of the most fun things I have ever done. Chris and I stuck together for the entire run.  We trained together so it would have been weird to not complete the event side by side.  It was comforting to know that he was right there with me the whole way, to the finish.

Between the pouring rain and my painful shin and calf, we opted not to stay for the concert.  We had our medals, snapped a photo and grabbed a handful of post-race snacks and a bag of ice.  That was good enough for me, this time.