Non Sequitur Box

 I haven’t written a race recap since 2014! I have definitely raced since then, and I like to keep track of what I liked/didn’t like about specific races. 2015 Marine Corps 17.75k (1:15:20, 1st female overall) Pros: Beautiful trail course! Entering this race allowed me to get a “Golden Ticket” into the Marine Corps Marathon. Cons: Narrow registration window, limited race competition, reported race time in the paper was wrong (used clock time not chip time). Notes: This was a cold/windy race! I had a late dinner with wine, got drunk, and was dehydrated. I had to wait around a while for the awards ceremony. The trophy was ridiculously large for such a small race. Navy Air Force Half Marathon (1:26:32, 11th female overall) Pros: Predictable race after doing it a few times, easy registration. Cons: None. Notes: I remember not feeling well this year. Marine Corps Marathon (3:13:20, 31st female overall) Pros: Lots of road support, snacks after the race. Cons: This year was TERRIBLE for c...

In 2015, I ran my last marathon. I struggled with a high hamstring issue on and off for years. I am able to live the decline in my race results:  https://www.athlinks.com/athletes/85557855/results In 2016, I managed to run some more road races and even a good half marathon, but I had to reduce my mileage significantly and lifted much more. I couldn’t run more than 40 miles per week without aggravating my hamstring. I tried so many glute band exercises.  2017 was a wash in terms of races (just trying to get healthy, deal with death of friends). I focused on lifting, so most of my runs were to/from the gym. I also traveled for work a lot. I began Bret Contreras’ Strong Curves to really strengthen my glutes. In 2018, I ran a tough half marathon (some miles on dirt/gravel, no sports drinks on the route). My training was the hardest I ever felt. GI issues, hamstring issues, and hydration were all problems while training; I could barely run a 10+ mile run without feeling like garbag...

In February, I went to iFly to get my progression on so I can rip with my boyfriend in the tunnel one day, or the sky. Since I dislocated/subluxed my shoulder while skiing last year, I was apprehensive. My boyfriend argued that it would be low speeds, like a good stretch. He witnessed all my ski falls this year, and nothing terrible happened. I had done 4 months of physical therapy last year and was back to lifting heavy, doing pull-ups, and practicing yoga. I went for two minutes and did fine, then I went for five minutes. I felt great, working on basics of belly flying—I could turn left and right, go forward and back, and go up and down. I could do some high fives and fly toward numbers on direction. Then, on my final minute, I did practice parachute pulls with my left arm (my right shoulder had been acting up from lifting, so I used my left). The first two felt fine, but the last one did not. It felt slightly painful, but not extremely so. I had 20 seconds left, so I did one more ma...

At the end of 2020, I made plans to go skiing with my boyfriend. Last February, I dislocated my shoulder at the bottom of a run at Monarch (Colorado). I spent most of 2020 rehabbing that shoulder and improving my flexibility. I learned the very important lesson of not putting my hands in the ski pole loops. Because of this injury, I also missed out on the guys going ski touring last year, which was something that really intrigued me. Instead, I talked to my friend Justine about ski touring and did a lot of research online during the year. I haven’t found many embarrassing accounts from other newbs online, so I’m here to fill that gap. I always like hearing other people’s experiences. I’m a novice skier. I get scared when I go too fast, and I like to feel in control at all times. I’m happy on blue groomers after warming up on some greens. I’m also an avid runner, which tends to convince others that I’m more athletic than I am. I’m in good overall fitness, but I still struggle with eye-h...

This has been quite a year. Update on learning: I'm working through CS50's Introduction to Computer Science. The lectures move quickly, and the homework is challenging. I'm learning Mandarin and French. I've taken a TRX continuing education course this year. Update on fitness: I rehabbed my shoulder successfully. I've been running 40 mile weeks consistently, but I'm taking eight weeks now to do a 5k plan (so the mileage is only 20-30 miles per week). I just finished week 7 of a TRX strength/balance program. After this program, I'll move on to building strength with heavier weights. Update on travels: In July, I managed a few days to go to the New River Gorge for some hiking, running, and swimming in the lake. I followed that up with a road trip to see a guy I like. I stopped at Ripley, Ohio, for a quick leg stretch, then I made it up to Indiana Dunes National Park (newest designated National Park in 2019). I spent the night in Valpariso before meeting my boy...

On Sunday, I ran the Unitedhealthcare Newport Half Marathon in Newport, RI. My goals for this race were to negative split, start slow-finish fast (1:25:00), and win. I knew the course would be challenging, but I was ready for a vacation! Monday was an easy run; Tuesday was a 3 mile race at work (18:00 flat!); Wednesday was a light run; Thursday was a day on the elliptical; Friday was my travel day (did lots of SMR during travel) and I jogged 4.5 miles and did core work; Saturday was completely off. I told myself it would be a nice vacation, race win or not. On Friday, I did some basics--picked up my packet, drove the course, bought Oktoberfest tickets, ate lunch in Newport, and checked into my room at Bay Willows Inn. Packet pickup was easy. There was a lot of parking at Second Beach, and it was free in the off season, so I got to check out the beach after I picked up my race packet. I bought a tube of anti-chafe cream (it works) and had some good science talk about mentors. Lunch was ...

Today I ran the 3rd annual Navy-Air Force Half Marathon in Washington, D.C. I met my three goals of negative splitting, running under 1:25:00, and placing in the top 10 for females. Preparation I've been training with Capital Area Runners for a few months now, and I've run new PRs at multiple distances (1 mile, 4 mile, 10k). I was already signed up for the Richmond Marathon in November, and I had set Newport (RI) Half as my tune-up race in October. Coach said I should run this race as a secondary tune-up. I'm easily convinced. My weekly mileage has been 40-60 miles for the past month. My last hard workout was last Tuesday (6x1200m). I ran easy 7.5, easy 5, easy 4 (last mile pick-up), and easy 2 miles for Tuesday through Saturday. Core work every day, of course. Pre-Race The race only offered one race pick-up day, at the Washington Nationals baseball stadium. I got there early, and it was already hectic/slow. I felt bad for those standing in the rain later in the day...

On Wednesday of this week, I ran a mile around a track (yes, a true mile, not a 1600m). I did the same thing this morning. I had a good race on Wednesday and a bad race today. I was really aiming to run faster today. Wednesday was a long day of hydrating at work and making it through traffic to a warm, overcast track mile race. DC Road Runners put on the race at T.C. Williams High School. Our coach uses the race day as the team photo day. I ran in the ladies' fast heat (under 6:00, over 5:15) with a few of my teammates from Capital Area Runners. It was okay. It felt good, even if I didn't negative split. Here are my splits: 1:22 2:44 4:09 5:29 I was happy with that, seeing as I ran a 5:28 at the Loudon Street Mile (downhill road mile), and this made the track mile official. On Thursday, I ran 3 miles and 10 miles, both relaxed and slow. On Friday I ran 6.5 miles. **This next paragraph has TOO MUCH INFORMATION. Stop reading if you can't handle female body cycle...

 I finally ran faster than my previous best 10k at the Lawyers Have Heart 10k this morning! My previous best 10k was 38:46, run on a track in 2008. I ran that race with Sarah Burns, one of my fellow Navy track/XC athletes. We ran at Towson, on a slightly drizzly spring morning, temperatures in the low 60's. We had teammates calling out our splits every 200m. I think we traded off every mile or every 5 laps and then let the engines loose on the final lap. I hadn't seen sub-39:00 since. While training on my own, I've gotten close recently--39:00 last fall at Race for the Parks 10k--but no banana, no cigar, almost doesn't count. Since training with Capital Area Runners, I've set PRs in the 4 mile and the 1 mile. It's nice that I continued in that fashion today. I would also like to thank Bancroft McGavin Horvath & Judkins, P.C. for allowing me to race with them, covering my entry fee, and giving me a great singlet to wear. Pre-Race: I went climbing/c...

I started this blog after a few "significant" running races. Here is a quick overview of some races I did that Athlinks kindly recorded for me. Another day I'll write quick race recaps for my triathlons. Rock 'n' Roll VA Beach Half Marathon 2007 : 1:33:00 My first half marathon!  I had no clue how to pace this. My boyfriend at the time couldn't run it since he was dealing with plantar pain. I began my long distance running addiction while training for this race. I only ran up to 13 miles, but that was a big deal for me. 5k: 21:50 10k: 43:38 10mi: 1:10:47 11mi: 1:18:05 Marine Corps Marathon 2007 : 3:19:12 Since I tackled my first half marathon, and one of my upperclassmen (Rick P.) was giving away/transferring his bib, I decided to go for the full marathon the next month. This was the day after I ran in the Patriot League Championship for cross-country (6k course). I definitely started out a little too fast, but I didn't stop! My boyfriend at the ...

Today I ran in Potomac River Running Store's Mother's Day 4 Miler. The race was held near Baron Cameron Park in Reston, VA. This was my first race on this course and my second four miler. My goal was to break 26:00 (my previous PR was 25:01 at Four Courts Four Miler). I knew I should break 25:41 (which is what I ran my "tempo" four mile last time). Prep: For the past two weeks, I've been training with Capital Area Runners under the coaching of Coach George Buckheit. I'm still lifting three days a week, but I'm not focusing too much on huge gains (I keep it heavy, but I don't push the volume or intensity unnecessarily). I also added planks/push-ups back into my core routine, as I have been doing more concentric/eccentric movements and neglecting isometric movements. On the downside, this past week I worked with some isocyanantes and accidentally got exposed (somehow I found chemical rashes on my arms, abs, chest, and nose even though I was wear...

This week I joined Capital Area Runners under the coaching of George Buckheit. I learned about the team when I saw a group of ladies in red jerseys running some of the local races together. They always performed very well. Last fall, I had the pleasure of meeting Coach Buckheit. This moment was after the majority of the fall marathons and the beginning of the cold weather (when I retreated indoors for my speed workouts). I told myself I would come out next spring...maybe. Here were are today. I trained with them for a week before committing. That week included two long runs, a tempo workout, and a track workout. George was great about answering all my questions (about his training methods, training that I'm used to, my self-training methods), giving me input on my current training plan (which was running me into the ground), and treating me like I was already a member of the team. I think it's important to have a coach with whom you get along and with whose training methods ...

Yesterday I ran my third race of the year at Pacers' Four Courts Four Miler in Arlington, VA. Race Prep I've slowly been adding a few more speed workouts, mostly just shorter intervals (I did my first 2x1600m this week), and bumping my long run up to 12 miles each weekend. For the most part, I'm eating healthier and sleeping in until 6:00AM. The night before, I ran 2 miles, picked up my race packet, climbed one route at the gym (what can I say? I didn't feel very energetic), and went to Shooter McGee's in Alexandria for a not-so-healthy dinner. I had 3/4ths of a beer (Kona Longboard) and a lobster crab cake sandwich with fries on the side (one of the few non-red meat items on the menu...no red meat on Fridays during Lent). After falling asleep at the dinner table, my boy finally agreed to go home. I was in bed by 11:30PM. Pre-Race The weather was perfect for racing--low 50's, slightly cloudy! The race didn't begin until 9AM, so I was able to sleep ...

In February I read YOU (Only Faster) by Greg McMillan, M.S. This is, hands down, the best book I've read for training plans for runners. That's a bold statement. I used to flip through books for workout ideas, always tweaking workouts or schedules, feeling slightly bad about not following the plan to a T. When I bought YOU , I was expecting something similar, so I bought it on my Kindle app back in December and just now got around to reading it. I was so wrong about what I thought this book was going to be. Greg McMillan does a superior job explaining training for beginning and long time runners. He offers many tools for athletes looking to dial in their speed. Before reading this book, I would recommend his online running calculator at McMillan Running  to other runners looking for a guide of paces to hit during workouts. I would watch a few of his training videos, read his emails, dream about going out to Arizona to train with him some summer for vacation, but, for t...

Below is my prospective race schedule for the year. I don't have any serious races planned (yet). Of course, this schedule might change due to weather, sickness, injury, climbing trips, classes, desire to do triathlons, or vacation time. I bought the =PR= (Potomac River Running Store) race bundle (four races for $100), so I will be doing at least four of their races this year (but aiming for at least seven). Italics means I've registered for that race already. Come join me! =PR= Race Series: http://prracing.enmotive.com/ Pacers Races: http://runpacers.com/run/races/ January 1: =PR= New Year's Day 5k (Reston, VA) - 19:15 February 16: Pacers George Washington Birthday Classic 10k (Alexandria, VA ) - 39:13 March 15: Pacers Four Courts Four Miler (Arlington, VA) - 25:01 April May 11: =PR= Mother's Day 4 Miler (Reston, VA) June 14: Lawyers Have Heart 10k (Washington, DC) 21: =PR= Twilight Festival Four Miler (Ashburn, VA) July August 17: =PR=...

A runner's first race can be exciting and daunting. I'm writing this for beginners (or runners who still get nervous before races). Having your mental game ready can lead to a positive race experience. Trust the training. IF you've been training, this applies. At the start of many marathons (or even someone's first 5k), runners begin to question if they're in good enough shape, if they've done enough speed work and long runs, if they can handle the weather, if they will get injured mid-race, if they're properly hydrated and fueld, if, if, if. Trust your training. Did you have a knowledgeable coach and/or good training plan? Did you follow it (or adjust when necessary)? You are as prepared as you ever will be. There is nothing more you can do now but start the race. Set multiple goals. If you like goals, then I suggest you come up with three goals. A perfect race goal is your highest, perfect goal (champion, winning team). A great race goal is second ...

Yesterday I ran the George Washington Birthday Classic 10k in Alexandria, VA. The race is put on by Pacers (local running store). Pre-Race 0630 - I woke up to a message from our fearless local Team Red White Blue leader Bill. He didn't ask if I had finally signed up or if I was going to bundle up and come cheer. He just said, "See you soon. You can zoom past all of us." The time stamp was 0553. He was probably already onsite, setting up the Team RWB tent. 0700 - I tried to go back to sleep. I was happy in the warmth of bed, but the thoughts of everyone else freezing and running a 10k before I even got out of bed bothered me. I pulled on some workout clothes and put a few layers of sweats and jackets and hats on and zombied out to my car. Before I realized what was happening, I was driving to Alexandria. 0735 - Parking was a breeze inside the free parking garage. This made me very happy. I met up with the group, said I didn't register and that race day regist...

Sometimes the most challenging runs are the best runs (or best memories). I think it's because we show ourselves just how strong we can be, that we won't break so easily. I live in the D.C. area (which basically covers from Rockville, MD to Quantico, VA). During this ridiculous "polar vortex" last week, we experienced our coldest day in twenty years! When I left for work on Tuesday morning, my body actually hurt from the cold weather. As I sat eating my instant oatmeal inside my car, waiting for my car to warm up a little bit, I checked the ambient temperature. 0 degrees Fahrenheit (about -17 degrees Celsius). I cried a little on the inside. I don't own a pair of every day gloves, but my boyfriend's mother had made me a pair of fingerless gloves which I wear everywhere now. They keep my palms and wrists warm. My fingertips were hurting on my drive to work because it was still so cold inside my car (and they were bare). After it warmed up a little that ...