Quality Miles Monday

Plan: A couple marathon paced miles
Actual Mileage:  4.3 miles.  The path under Cedar Ave is still flooded.
Route: My Hiawatha/creek route. 

Wardrobe: I dressed as a highlighter!
Execution:
Warm up - roughly one mile
Marathon mile 1: 12:13/mile, that's okay, my pace was all over the place
Rest 2:00
Marathon mile 2: 11:43/mile, see, much faster
Rest 2:00
Cool down, roughly the last mile
From today, I learned: My 'race pace' feels better in the mid 11s than it does in the 12s.  I don't know why.
Bonus: I worked today too.  So, in some ways that is a bonus

Sunday Long Run - Tapering around Lake Harriet

Plan: Run 9 miles.  Test the shoe/sock combination
Actual Mileage: 9.4 miles

Route: Normally this would be my 40th/Harriet/Creek route.  But the pedestrian bridge at 40th (over 35w) is down and won't be replaced for another year.  So, it's my 38th/Harriet/Creek route this time.  We'll see what Strava makes of that!
Weather: 36* when I started, just above 40 when I finished.  Humidity but no wind.

Wardrobe:
Feet: Altras.  I've just decided I have to wear them on race day because nothing else is quite right.  I love the red shoes, but there a touch narrow for such a long race.  I wore my smart wool socks with them, and that did find. That was the last piece of wardrobe testing I needed to do.
Other: I wore my "R2D2" suit from Ink N Burn.  They call it a robot or something I'm sure because of copy right. 

Execution: Went out, had fun, shoes and socks worked fine.  I did run the 'hill route' on the way back, through Tangle town.

Nutrition: Hahahaha.  No. 
From today, I learned: I kept telling myself this was just about having fun.  I cannot 'add fitness' at this point in training.

Bonus: Got up close and personal with a Blue Heron.

Marshmallow Training - 2 Weeks To Go

Sunday Planned: Long run or run 1 miles
Sunday actual: 1.22 miles and bonus abs, first thing in the morning
From today, I learned: I did abs first, and that actually put me in the mood for a run

Monday Planned: Tempo run
Monday actual: 100M sprints done, with a long warm up and cool down
From today, I learned: Those red shorts are for sure NOT the ones for marathon day.

Tuesday Planned: Run 1 miles
Tuesday actual: 1.24 miles, bonus abs
From today, I learned: It's going to be hot on race day.  It's 60* and I'm running around sweating?

Wednesday Planned: 4 miles easy
Wednesday actual: 4.15 miles, bonus abs
From today, I learned: I woke up, turned my alarm off, and then didn't go back to sleep, so I did do this in the morning.  Which turns out to be a good thing becuase I worked all day and all night practically after that.  Also tested another possible pair of shorts for race day.  I'm loving the mermaid, but they are a bit hotter than the gray shorts.

Thursday Planned: Run 1 miles
Thursday actual: 1.21 miles and bonus abs in the morning.
From today, I learned: I'm hitting that part of tapering where I'm all "can I just just a little bit more?"

Friday Planned: Run 1 miles
Friday actual: 4.2 miles, easy.  This was supposed to be 3, but I like the 4 mile route better than my 3 mile route.  (Runner problems much?)  Also, I ran today in wind versus tomorrow in snow and rain.  Bonus abs.
From today, I learned: I needed this run.  Work is trying to win and I needed to keep things even.

Saturday Planned: 3 miles easy
Saturday actual: Run 1 miles in the morning, bonus abs in the evening.
From today, I learned: I am had a raging headache all day and was a grump.  But the work was done.

Before and After: Spring Snow

This is one of my favorites for April.  This is from April 9 and April 10.  Spring snow storms are real people.

Quality Miles Monday: 100M sprits

Plan: 2 miles w/u
10x 100M sprints, 45secs recovery
2 miles c/d
Actual Mileage: 5.2 miles
Route: 5 miler along Hiawatha/Minnehaha Creek

Weather: Rain.  I was running in the rain.  But it was light rain and not terribly windy so I'll take it.
Wardrobe: This was another dress rehersal.  I had a pair of newer shorts that I thought could be contenders for race day.  (I liked the pockets.) They are for sure not contenders for race day. I kept having to pull them down.  (Ladies, y'all know what I mean right?)

Execution: This workout definitely didn't require the mental energy some of the other tempo work has required this training session.  It was pretty fun to just haul tail for a minute and then rest, and the workout went by quickly.
From today, I learned: Those red shorts are not the ones for race day.

Bonus: First close up Blue Heron sighting for the year!

Saturday Long Run: Taper Time

Plan: Run 12 miles easy.  Test the wardrobe including shoes, socks, and vest to make sure all are comfortable.
Actual Mileage: 12.13 miles.

Route: Same as this day.  Starting at Lock and Dam, north along the river to Number 9 bridge, then south along the other side of the river to Ford Parkway.

Weather: OMG.  Finally.  Started in the high 40s and ended near 60. 

Wardrobe: Yesterday, I run in a pair of black spandex shorts.  In the sun.  And I was all "these are really hot in the sun"  So I realized I probably needed a not black pair of shorts for race day.  Today was all about dress rehearsal, testing the wardrobe, etc.
Top: InkNBurn Singlet
Bottoms: Grey Nike running shorts.  This is a pair of guys shorts with a good inseam and decent pockets.  If it's good enough for Courtney Dauwalter, it's good enough for me.
Shoes: I work the Brooks Launch.  I love the shoe, but I think it may be Altras on race day for me.  These will probably make the trip though  I wore smart wool running socks with them.
Other: I had a visor on, and my Nathan running vest.  I wore arm sleeves for about the first half of the run.
Results: No chaffing from the shorts, singlet, or vest.  No issues with the shoes and socks, but I think the shoes are just a touch too narrow for race day. 

Execution: I felt like garbage on this run.  I woke up with a raging headache.  One of those "let's see if I can outrun this headache" kinds of things.  I knew it was going to be better to move than to sit still for this one.
Nutrition: This probably didn't help the 'I feel like garbage' feelings.  I had 1/4 of an avocado before I left.  I carried one thing of water and one of water/juice.  I had sips every couple of miles, and I had chews around miles 3, 6, and 9, and salt tabs at miles 5 and 10.

From today, I learned: Heat management and hydration management will be important factors on race day. Because I've trained in blizzards and polar vortexes, my body is all confused by the 50 degree temps and thinks it's too hot. Runner problems much? So, I'll have to keep an eye on that for race day.  One thing I don't want to do is drink too much water early on in the course because I'll feel like garbage towards the end. I remember the pain well.  I can take water and dump it on myself whenever I want; I just have to be careful about not drinking too much and upsetting my stomach.
Bonus: Thank you to all of the Earth Day volunteers who were out helping our parks stay clean and beautiful!

Marshmallow Training - 3 Weeks To Go

Sunday Planned: Long run, 20 miles
Sunday actual: 20.95 miles in the books, bonus abs.
From today, I learned: It really helped to know Olive was at the end waiting for me with a fizzy water.  Also, my first attempt at run/walk intervals, so I get to learn how my watch handles those.

Monday Planned: "Recovery run" of 8 miles.  This doesn't sound like recovering to me.
Monday actual: True story: My coach emailed me Sunday night and said 'I changed your Monday mileage, 8 was way too much'  So I ran 4.6 miles around Lake Nokomis instead and did bonus abs this evening.  I had a super slow cool down because I was taking pictures.  (It was such a pretty day.)  This is one of my favorites.
From today, I learned: It was a gorgeous day for a run.  I'm glad I got up and got it done so I could enjoy Boston.

Tuesday Planned: Run 1 miles
Tuesday actual: 1.21 miles, bonus abs
From today, I learned: Running was a 'get up and get it done' thing.  Good as always.  Abs were a 'you can't go to bed until this happens' thing.

Wednesday Planned: Tempo workout; Wednesday weights
Wednesday actual: No weights; I haven't been doing those since my excellent week of mental health last week. And for the taper my coach wanted me to back off anyway.
Tempo workout: done
Bonus abs: also done
From today, I learned: This workout is hard, but it's harder in my head than it is to run it.

Thursday Planned: Run 1 miles
Thursday actual: 1.2 miles in the morning, bonus abs
From today, I learned: This was a loooong day for other reasons so I'm glad I got this day

Friday Planned: Run 1 miles, Friday weights
Friday actual: Run 5.3 miles instead of doing it tomorrow, bonus abs
From today, I learned: Black shorts in the sun are very hot; maybe that's something to think about for race day?

Saturday Planned: Run 6 miles (Maybe this gets swapped with Monday?)
Saturday actual: 12.13 miles, long run.  This is for tomorrow when apparently it may rain. Bonus abs at the end of the run, outside, because I just wanted everything done.
From today, I learned: Think of a strategy for managing heat on race day.  Because I'll probably need it!

Quality Miles Monday Wednesday

Plan: Same as this torture session.
1 mile w/u
4x: 0.5 miles at 10:30 pace, 0.5 miles at 12:00 pace
1 mile c/d
Actual Mileage: 6 miles
Route: Actually had to do this one on the track too, which was not my first choice.  It was to rainy and "weathery" outside. 
Execution:
1 mile warm up: done
0.5 miles at 10:26/mile; 0.5 miles at 12:18/mile
0.5 miles at 10:18/mile; 0.5 miles at 12:08/mile
0.5 miles at10:23/mile; 0.5 miles at 12:24/mile
0.5 miles at 10:26/mile; 0.5 miles at 12:46/mile
1 miles cool down: also done
From today, I learned: I told my coach I was afraid if I did this well, she'd keep writing this workout for me to do over and over and over and over.
The lesson I keep learning over and over again here is that these workouts are generally harder in my mind than they are in my body.  Though this one was pretty tough on both.  I kept telling myself I had to run my mile anyways so just see how many sets I could do.
Bonus: I ordered clothes from InkNBurn and they came today.  I may be wearing some of them on race day.  I hope I get a chance to wear my race vest with a singlet once before the race.  I need to check for chaffing issues.

Long Run Sunday: 20 miles

Plan: Run 20 miles; attempt the 'run/walk' feature on the Garmin.
Actual Mileage: 20.95 miles. 

Route: I used the "big 20 mile loop around Minneapolis" that you may be familiar with if you've ever trained for a marathon here. The last time I personally have done this route was way back in 2013 the last time I trained for a marathon.

Weather: Started at 28* and cloudy with very little wind. Wind kicked up around the lakes, and it got warmer during the run, probably finished around 40*.

Wardrobe:  This was such a debate for me last night!
Bottoms: Pink running pants.
Tops: Long sleeve running shirt, grey sweat shirt
Feet: Wool compression socks (I feel like they should let me be one of their athletes with how much I talk about these socks), and Altra Trail shoes.
Other: Buff on my head, sunglasses, Nathan running vest

Execution: First attempt at a true run/walk.  I used a 4:00 running, 1:00 walking interval. Run/walk made me think I could push harder on race day if I need to.  I should have some control in the beginning (this is a negative split race).  And built in rests on that climb in the first half of the race.  Mostly, I just wanted to play with the watch itself to see how the intervals control works, the vibration alarms, etc.  Outcome: The watch alerts for run/walk, and gives me a run/walk timing screen, but still laps normally each mile.  (I honestly wasn't sure what it would do.)

Nutrition: I ate a whole avocado with salt before I left. During the run, I had some chews and part of a cashew larabar.  I had one flask of water and one of juice/water mix.  Later in the run I was all "I hate anything going into my stomach" which I remember from past marathons.  The trick with this particular race I think will be to remember to pass through certain water stops without taking anything. There are a lot of water stops in this race.  I had salt tabs every 5 miles and those are working like gangbusters.

From today, I learned: The most important thing for today was to try the run/walk interval.
I also spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about my shoe choice for race day. I've run so many long runs in my Altra trail shoes (thanks winter) that I may just wear these on race day.  The hang up has been 'it's a road race and these are trail shoes'.  But, hey, nothing new on race day right? 

Bonus: Did I tell you about Olive meeting me at the end and doing my cool down walk with me?  She brought me a fizzy water.

Marshmallow Training - 4 Weeks To Go

Sunday Planned: Run 1 mile
Sunday actual: 1.2 miles, bonus abs
From today, I learned: Testing out the Brooks Launch shoes.

Monday Planned: Tempo run, Monday Weights, Monday Abs
Monday actual: Tempo run completed; Monday Abs done; weights not done because I'm working today
From today, I learned: Tempo runs are starting to feel easier.  Not sure if easier in my mind or my body or both.

Tuesday Planned: Run 1 miles, or maybe do Wednesday workout?
Tuesday actual: Wednesday run is done today, with bonus abs.  Leaving the weights for tomorrow
From today, I learned: Glad I looked at the weather.  It was a nice day today, if a bit windy.

Wednesday Planned: Run 8 miles, Wednesday weights
Wednesday actual: 1 miles outside in the snow.  No weights
From today, I learned: The 'rain' we were supposed to get today came as snow, so I went straight home instead of stopping at the gym.  Glad I listened to my instincts.

Thursday Planned: Run 1 miles
Thursday actual: 1 miles outside in the wind.
From today, I learned: The wind was worse sitting on my couch hearing it than it was running in it.

Friday Planned: Run 7 miles and Friday weights, or Run 1 miles and Friday weights
Friday actual: Run 1 miles in the snow
From today, I learned: I had a big disappointment today (I'm fine, just hoped for something that turned out not to happen), so I spent my run thinking of all the things and people I have in my life that make me grateful, and also telling God that I trust that something wonderful will happen, and it will be perfect, and it's also perfect that it hasn't happened yet (even though I was bummed).

Saturday Planned: Run 7 miles or Run 20 miles Depending on what happened Friday
Saturday actual: Run 4.15 miles in the morning.
From today, I learned: I'd been kind of destroyed between the snow and the emotional roller coaster of the week, so I didn't have the energy for 7.  I ran into a friend just before the end of the run so it was nice to catch up with her.

Liz dream: Where are the walls?

Dream Liz is home shopping for the town house next to Captain Smiley. (Dream Liz and Dream Captain Smiley would share a wall.)

So, Dream Liz shops, and looks around, and is all "of course I'm going to buy this".

And then Dream Liz goes downstairs into the living area of the home.  Except there's no wall between this unit and the next unit (not Captain Smiley, on the other side).  There's just a division in the living room of furniture.  Like a line of couches and chairs down the middle.

Dream Liz looks at the other owner and is like "how does this work?" and "what if you're watching TV and I want quiet?" and the other owner is all ::shrug:: "I don't know, it's just always worked".  And for some reason, Dream Liz is still all "of course I'm going to buy this".

And then Dream Liz goes up somehow to the 3rd floor, and this time walks the other way, and just is like, inside Captain Smiley's unit.  So I guess that wall we share doesn't go all the way up.

It's at this point that Dream Liz realizes that all four units in the building are sort of connected with hallways, no walls or doors, and so all the units can just roam freely in each other's spaces. And still, Dream Liz is all "of course I'm going to buy this".

It was about then that I woke up at 3am and didn't get back to sleep until 6:30am, shortly before my alarm woke me up for reals. 

Quality Miles Monday

Plan: Same as this run.  5x 5:00 hard, 2:00 rest
Actual Mileage: 5.27 miles
Route: I went around Hiawatha and along the creek.
 

Weather: 50*, humid, no wind, and freaking gorgeous.
Execution:
Warm up: 1.27 miles
1. 10:41/mile pace
2. 10:32/mile pace
3. 10:26/mile pace
4. 10:36/mile pace
5. 10:45/mile pace
Cool down: 1 miles
From today, I learned: This was a lot more fun outside than it was on the track.  I'm learning more about pacing on the Garmin (I always start out too fast).   I can't tell if I'm feeling better than the day I did this inside, or if it's really getting easier.

Bonus: Did I tell you how nice it is?  We're supposed to get record setting snow later this week.

Before and After: Lake of the Isles

I went for a run today.  In the rain.  It was one of those slow misty rains where the air was holding so much moisture.  Here's what it looked like today.  The downtown skyline is totally missing.  I'm sure it was behind the clouds.  And a couple pictures from the same location in happier times.

Long Run Around the Lakes: My Feet Are So Wet!

Plan: Run 18 miles.  Don't look at the watch.  Take a salt tab every 5 miles. 
Actual Mileage: 18.77 miles.  How happy am I that I didn't check the mileage too much before hand?

Route: I went down to the creek, then up one side of Harriet, Bde Maka Ska, and Lake of the Isles, before heading back down the other side of said lakes, and then on the way back I took Lyndale up to 50th so I could run up and down the big hill there, before heading back along the creek and then back home.

Weather: This was one of those "weather channel says it's not going to rain" days.  For similar days see walking with the Dungeon Master and snow running.
It was 48* and raining when I left.  It was supposed to stop raining not long into this run.  What actually happened was it rained almost the entire run, and the winds out of the south were noticeable in the back half of the run.
There were lots of puddles, particularly at Isles and the path was flooded at one place along the creek (bike path flooded, human path kind of also flooded but sort of passable).  So, my feet got soaked.  As did the rest of me.

Wardrobe:  I wore a newer pair of shoes, Merrells that are the same model as an older pair I've worn and loved.  I wore shorts, a tech shirt, nathan race vest, wool socks, and a hat.  Not sure if the wool socks or the hat were more crucial today.  Both seemed pretty important for running in the rain.

Execution: So, here's an important thought process to know about: I'd been reading old blog posts about marathon training, and the speed at which I trained vs the speed I'd finish the marathon was much closer.  Today I was all "maybe I can push a bit?" So, I was faster than some of my previous long runs, but not super fast.  What is my race pace supposed to be?

Nutrition: I started with 3/4 of salted avocado before heading out.
During the run I took a chew every few miles, and I had a salt tab every five miles.  I also had one flask filled with water and one filled with half juice and half water.  So, there's some new stuff going on with nutrition.  I feel much better than I did last week.  Not sure how much of that was my brain calming down, and how much was actually getting the right electrolytes.  I'll take it, either way.
From today, I learned: I'm glad I pushed a bit harder on this run. I learned to stop listening to my head and start listening to my body a little bit. I also reached out to my coach, saying 'we've got to talk about a a run/walk plan for race day' becuase I know how I'm feeling after 18, and I know I want to start this race slow.
Bonus: I think I pulled something trying to take off my wet sports bra. Sigh.