Yay! I entered the NYC Marathon Lottery a few months ago and found out yesterday that I made it in! I have wanted to do this marathon for a few years now, since it seems like the biggest one around.
I am excited that I have something to train for this summer. That always helps me get motivated. I need to get my name changed in my account. It's still so weird seeing my married last name next to Molly. I wonder if I'll ever get used to it?
Anyway, yay!
Billy and I went to DC 2 weekends ago. We went because we love taking long weekends away and because I ran in a half marathon. I sadly forgot the battery to my big charger in the wall at home, so I only had my iPhone to take photos of the adventure.
Highlights from our trip:
All in all, it was a really fun trip! We tried to pack in as much as we could without putting too much pressure on ourselves. It was my first time in D.C. so I knew I wanted to see the White House and the memorials, but other than that, I just wanted to spend some time with BP, eat food and drink wine.
Our weekend in D.C. is finally here! I'm really excited to explore a new city. Our plans include meeting friends for dinner and my half marathon on Sunday. We aren't really "planners" when it comes to vacation, so we're pretty open for adventures. I keep hearing how great of a city Washington D.C. is, I can't wait to find out for myself. Have a great weekend!
My half marathon training is almost done! I ran my last long run yesterday and after 11 weeks, it's all down hill from here. Just one more easy week to go. I plan to do a few light workouts and to stretch a lot this week so my legs are rested for my 13.1 mile run on Sunday!
01 The coziest sweatshirt ever // 02 Saturday morning bed head & fun with my new camera remote // 03 Coffee & Trader Joe's with my mom // 04 Flowers from my Valentine // 05 My new tea kettle! // 06 Half marathon training continues with a 5 mile run // 07 Chicago skyline and the frozen lake
It was a slow, relaxing weekend for us. Just what the doctor ordered. Literally... We went to the Doctor on Saturday morning because Billy wasn't feeling well. She told him to try and just take it easy. After that, we took a quick trip to David's Tea and the Paper Source. We finished up season 1 of Friday Night Lights and moved onto season 2.
We're trying to trade our morning coffee in for green tea instead. So far, not good. I never felt like I fully woke up. Luckily, I was off work yesterday so I was able to take a long nap in the afternoon.
This week – working on a couple fun projects, week 3 of my half marathon training, trying a few more recipes from my Trader Joe's cookbook, probably many episode of FNL and a 4-day workweek.
Today, I start training for my half marathon at the end of April. The last half marathon I ran was not good. It was as awful race, I didn't train consistently and at the end of the race, my Garmin told me I had actually run 14.5 miles. For those of you that maybe don't know, a half marathon is "only" 13.1 miles. It was just bad.
This year, I'm going to try focus and train well. I've run 3 full marathons in my life and it's weird because they totally warp your brain. I think that the reason I did so poorly in my last half marathon was because I sort of discredited the short runs. 3 miles? I can do that, I think I'll just skip today. But 3 miles is a lot and it's an important part of the plan to keep your legs conditioned to run long distances.
12 Week Half Marathon Training Plan:
Monday - Spinning
Time: 30-60 minutes
It's important to do some cross training while training. It keeps your cardio up, while giving your body a little break from running. I'm really into spinning right now, so I choose that as my cross training. You could also do the elliptical, rowing machine or swimming.
Tuesday - Short Run
Distance: 3-5 Miles (build up to 5)
Just as I mentioned above, it's important to get a few short runs in each week to keep your legs conditioned. I'll start at 3 miles and then add a mile every 4 weeks, up to 5 miles. You could also add 0.5 miles every 2 weeks if that works better for you and your body.
Wednesday - Strength Training
Focus: Upper Body & Core
The strength training (for me) is the easiest to skip, but it's probably up there as one of the most important pieces of a training plan. You use your entire body when you're running, and actually having a strong upper body & core can help improve your times and make the running a little easier on your legs.
Thursday - Interval Running
Distance: 2-4 Miles
Interval training can be done at any speed, really. It just needs to be slower, then faster, then slower, then faster. You could walk for 5 minutes and run for 5 minutes. You could run slow for 5 minutes and then speed up for the next 5. OR, you could run hills. The important part is to challenge your body for short spurts and to keep your heart rate up.
Friday - Strength & Stretch
Yoga class is perfect for this kind of training day. I will either do a yoga class, or a 30 minute weight class at my gym.
Saturday - Long Run
Distance: 4-10 miles
Long runs are the most important part of training. If at all possible, never skip a long run. It takes your body time to get used to the wear & tear that comes along with running long distances and they are also huge confidence boosters.
Sunday - Rest Day!
Rest days are so awesome after a long week of training. I always enjoy them so much more when I've done all I needed to do during the week.
I am certainly not an expert on this stuff, but I've been running for a few years and have a few big races under my belt. I've pulled together this plan by piecing together other training plans I've done. I chose a realistic plan for my body and life, and went from there.
A great running resource for beginners (or anyone really) is HalHigdon.com. The main thing is go get a good pair of running shoes, listen to your body and just do your best.
Clockwise, starting with the tank top – Lululemon Free To Be Tank, Nuun Tri-Berry Hydration Tablets, Lululemon What the Fluff Jacket, The North Face Ear Fleece, Lululemon Brisk Neck Warmer, Nike+ Fuel Band, Nike LunarGlide 4+ Running Shoes
I start training for my half marathon next week. I've done a few half marathons and a few full marathons, but the training really never gets any easier.
I like running but really like cute new workout gear. I have my own little reward system worked out – if I set a running goal and achieve it, I treat myself to something from Lululemon. It keeps me from buying the entire store & motivates me to run.
On my wish list is lots of Lulu & lots of Nike. I am loyal to my brands. Those Nuun Hydration Tablets are really good too. It looks like an Alka Seltzer tablet but tastes super good without being too sweet.
We flew into Denver last night. I did a short, easy run through Downtown Denver in hopes of getting my body ready for the altitude. I'm glad I did it but still have no idea if the altitude is going to affect me.
Then, my mom and I went out to a nice dinner at a place called Earl's in the 16th Street Mall area. We both loved our sandwiches and shared an amazing dessert. We had fun.
Today, my mom & I went to breakfast in the lobby of the hotel. That was after our first 2 attempts at finding a place to eat. The first one, Ellington's at the Brown Palace, was too fancy. The Brown Palace Coffee & Tea Co. was not fancy enough, just muffins and sweet rolls. So we just decided to make our lives easy and eat the free breakfast at our hotel. (Because that's super fancy..sometimes I wonder what we think when we're together)
The race expo was at the Colorado Convention center. I bought myself a few souvenirs and collected the free swag the booths pass out.
The weather today is pretty terrible. It's cold and rainy. It's even snowing in some parts of the city. And, of course, it's 80 and beautiful. All I can do is hope that it's better tomorrow for the race.
Now, I'm just resting in our hotel room, drinking a ton of water and waiting to be picked up by Billy so we can explore Denver together!
On Sunday, I ran my last long run in my training schedule for the Denver Marathon. 20 Miles. I signed up for the CARA Ready to Run 20 Miler so I didn't have to do it alone. I did it in 2010 too and loved it both years. Last year, I signed up to run with the 8:30 pace group. By the end of it, I was burnt out. I finished but my legs were dead. It was too fast for me and I was using all my energy just to keep up. This year, I signed up for the 9:30 pace group and, all things considered, felt pretty good. I was able to maintain the pace for the entire 20 miles and my legs didn't cramp up towards the end. Good sign. I finished with a time of 3:13:26.
I cannot say enough good things about the entire event. Everything was so organized and planned. The pace leaders of my group were right on. There were 8 water stations, evenly spaced out. We got cool finisher t-shirts at the end. About half way through the run, it started to rain. Not too hard, it was actually a little bit refreshing. After the race, it was really coming down. That was a little unfortunate because the post-run party last year was fun. Instead, Billy picked me up at the finish and we went to my parents house for homemade waffles. Thanks Mom & Dad.
Now that I've finished the longest, hardest run of my training, it's all down hill. Our flights are booked, hotel reservations made. There's not much more I can do to prepare for the marathon now. Crazy.
* that's not me.
a twenty-eight year old, newlywed & crafter living in chicago!
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