I Made It To Taper Week!

Always love running with Jess

A week and a half to go and the Lincoln National Guard Half Marathon will FINALLY be here. Really it seems like forever ago that I convinced Jess (yes THE Run With Jess) to go to Lincoln Nebraska and run with me. She has a quest to run all 50 and when she said that race was on under consideration, I threw the dice and said “I’ll go with you and my BFF lives there so she’ll provide a place to stay!” Jess replied with a simple “Done”.  

When I started the training for this race I knew right off I wanted to be aggressive with training because this race is just 9 days shy of my one year cancer free anniversary! I know the marathon was like my big comeback but it didn’t feel like. Everything about that race was hard and it sucked and I hated all of it! Now here I am one year later, I’m finally back at my pre-hysterectomy weight (when they say it takes a year to heal, they weren't joking) and I’m feeling like the strong runner I was a year ago. To say I wanna ‘rock this bitch’ is to say the least. 

Last weekend was my last long run and I wanted to test my limits so I asked my boyfriend to pace me about an 8:45 pace, after an easy warm up mile. I knew he would push me, I was terrified of it but I was ready for it. My time trial splits were: 8:40, 8:35, 8:37, 8:35, 8:30, 8:30, 8:25 & 8:24! With  just a few miles left I was tired but each mile I knocked off my confidence grew and when I hit my cool down mile I was spent but I knew I could finish the half very close to that pace. 

I have a few short runs left this week and next, my longest being 8 this weekend and 7 on Tuesday. All I can say is I’m ready! Let’s do this!

Altering Your Training Plans

This weeks training plan 

 

GASP! NO!!!! I can't alter my training plan!!!

Yes...you can!

Let's face it life gets in the way, trust me, it's OKAY to change your training plans. From doing your fartleks on Tuesday to Monday, your tempo from Thursday to Friday and yes even...GASP...cancel your long run! Now, don't get in the habit of axing your runs all the time but sometimes, you have to, there's no way around it. Guess what? The rest could even do you good!

Welcome to my next 3 weeks of training. First there is training, that's #1 in my world but I'm running anywhere from 5 to even 6 days a week and that is on top of a full time job, a house to take care of and a part time job teaching fitness classes (5 classes in 4 days to be exact). Sometimes, I gotta adjust and more times than not.

Training is going excellent, each run I'm so happy at how well my body is responding. I'm challenging myself but not killing myself either. However, this week is NUTS. First I was in St. Louis for a Blues game (they won woo hoo) so I had to change my Monday rest day to my Tuesday Fartlek run, then on Saturday I'm going to Chicago to partake in the Les Mills Quarterly (I'm a LM instructor) so I'll be doing all of the LM classes from like 8AM-5pm, then coming home Sunday. That means I have NO weekend to hit my 12 miler! I could do it Friday but then I'd have to find a sub for my RPM class but I'm already doing that NEXT WEEKEND because I'm going back to St. Louis for another hockey game and that's a 14 miler.

So...I cancelled it...my long run...yes...I'm axing this weeks LR. I am adding a 5 mile progression run to the mix today and following the program the remainder of the week, so I'll run each day this week but skip the long run. And honestly each week I usually have to cut a mile or more from my training schedule because I just don't have the time or energy sometimes to complete them all.

Will this hurt me? Absolutely not. Will it benefit me? Absolutely!

Let's face it, I'm not going for gold, I'm just going for MY personal best. Training shouldn't be difficult and shouldn't stress you out, now if your cancelling LR after LR, then we need to talk but once or twice, wont hurt and like I said the extra rest could even do you some good.

Keep it simple, have fun and just get out there and run.

Does This Mean 'I'm Back'?

Here I am two weeks and two days into training for the Lincoln National Guard Half Marathon (and Marathon but I'm not in for 26.2..at this race or any others for that matter) on Sunday, May 4th in Lincoln Nebraska.

 There's one thing I want out of this race and training and that's for running to feel "easy again" and to feel like I did before the whole cervical cancer BS, OK so that's two things and yes I did just refer to cancer as BS because it is. hahaha

In case you missed it I'm following a little more aggressive plan this time around because I believe it will help me achieve the above. I'm following the Nike Coach plan on the Nike Running app and doing the advanced program. Week one considered my "warm up" with 5 run days and a long run of 8 miles, all done indoors on the tredy because winter sucks in Illinois this year. Week one was a nice re-introduction into my sport and I finished the week feeling good where this was going.

Week two was considered "fundamentals", again I finished the week feeling good where things were going and finally got in a run outdoors. Did a little ice patch walking but I was pleasantly surprised to see a pace exactly where I hoped it would. I don't know if it was because I ran with my guy, because I was outside or because I finally am starting to feel normal when it comes to running.

This week is week three where I "build a base" for the rest of training by maintaining the fitness/distance I've built so far. Today I took on my first progression run and after finishing yet another boremill run I was very happy because my "easy" pace was exactly the 9:20ish pace I want and my progressions went 9:05, 8:50 & 8:25 and I gotta tell ya the last mile was challenging but not out of reach. I finished my 6 miles feeling like my old self, mostly because for the first time since that "cancer BS" (yep I said it again) I finally feel where I left off. My weight may not be where I left off but my fitness feels like its that and that's a step in the direction I want to go in.

I have 10 miles on tap this week and I'm a little doubtful only because its been a very long time since I've done a double digit but I cannot wait to try and I pray Mother Nature isn't to hard on us this weekend and I can get it done outside.

PS: I'm still far from my donation goal for the St. Jude Chicago To Peoria run, please donate HERE and remember the only donation that is too small is no donation at all!

Nike Should Sponsor ME!

Just Do It...no really just do it Nike and sponsor me!

The first pair of "real" running shoes I purchaced were Nike Free's and since then I've tried Brooks and Saucony but I've always kept coming back to Nike, they just do it for me. I run well and pain free, they fit my feet how I like and aren't too heavy. After this last time buying shoes and them not working (causing pain) I just went back to my Lunarglides and have vowed to no longer try something new.

This weekend I found my marathon outfit and guess what...its 100% Nike, lol total coincidence and it even matches my orange Lunar's. Honestly I normally just run/workout in Target workout wear. It's inexpensive, lasts a long time and works very well with me. With this big 26.2 looming I wanted to step up my outfit, honestly I'm never a "dress up" person for races; I pick something that fits the forecast and wear it, not giving two shits. However, with the whole cervical cancer/hysterectomy thing I wanted to do something...bigger. I don't know how pretty (or ugly) this full 'thon will be and no matter how I do I wanted to do it with pride because I really have overcome a lot (although I don't feel like it).

Teal it is! Teal is the color of gynecological cancers (like pink is for breast) and since I'm a cervical cancer survivor that's what I wanted to wear. This weekend I headed out to Dicks Sporting Goods and walked away with exactly what I wanted a teal top, but I also walked away with some crazy teal pants too (something new for me, I'm strictly a plain black pants girl) and to top it off....they were on clearance!

What do you think?

 

They even passed the run test (I'm a firm believer in NEVER running a race in something you haven't worn before) with my long run on Sunday (14 miles)!

Now the hard part...I was thinking of putting on the back "5 Months Ago I beat cancer, today 26.2" but as my mister pointed out, its long and wordy...help...suggestions?????