April in Review

Total Miles:  64.64 down from 106.01 miles last month.  104.9 miles last April. I'm pretty bummed to have missed the 100 mile mark for this month, as that was a goal of mine for the year. But I do think that it was important to listen to my body and err on the side of caution and rest to make sure that I could still race my planned races, and not keeping pushing to require even more time off. Still stinks. :(

Total Time: 10:28:03 down from 17:24:01. 

Total Runs: 15 runs, average of 4.31 miles/run

Highest weekly mileage: 

4/16/2018 – 4/22/2018:	19.3 mi	3:00:59	9:24 / mi

Most hardcore run: I honestly haven't had any challenging runs this month. Once my knee flared up, I cut all the speed work from my schedule and scaled way back on the mileage. The hardcore part of training was probably not doing all the miles and fun track work because I wanted to!

Favorite run: All of the coffee runs. It seems like Toni and I spent a lot of time not running together this month, and I missed *us*. We seemed to re-connect on Fridays and do a monster life catch up during our 3-4 mile runs.

Favorite Race: 605 Half Marathon. So hard mentally. So happy with the outcome.

Favorite Jam: Tegan and Sara's Every Chance We Get We Run. Still. STILL. still. Does anyone have a new song to suggest to me??! :P

April in Review

April in Review

Total Miles: 104.9 miles up from 89.5 miles last month. 23 miles last April.

Planned Miles: 180 miles. Uff.

Total Time:  18:58:53

Total Runs: 19 runs, for an average of 5.52 miles. A few of those runs were double days, so it averages to 6.56 per day ran.

Highest weekly mileage: 

4/3/2017 – 4/9/2017:	34.4 mi	6:38:43	11:37 / mi

Favorite run: A random Thursday night 10 miles with Toni in perfect weather! OR the 12 mile long run with a fast finish. All the confidence boosting leading up to the half! These also made up for the handful of t-e-r-r-i-b-l-e runs I had experienced. Uff.

Most hardcore run: Our track workout in the rain: VO2 Max 10 miles, 2 sets of 2x1200 + 1x800 @ 3k-5k pace.

Favorite race: Chilly Cheeks 5 mile  Bike Miles: 0. This should be changing for next month! A new yoga + cycling studio is opening in town in Sioux Falls. I can't wait!! Favorite Jam: None at the moment. But I should get going on my race day playlist! Now taking recommendations please!

April in Review + Goals

April in Review

Total Miles: 65.7 up from 52.2 last month. 2nd highest month of the year. Up from 30.1 last April.

Total Time: 11:23:15 up from 9:14:21 last month. 

Total Runs: 11 runs, for an average of 5.97 miles per run. 

Highest weekly mileage: 4/14-4/20 27.1 miles

Favorite run: Track date with Jenn! I LOATHE mile repeats with every fiber of my being. But add a track, some hardcore wind, and my running buddy Jenn and I feel fast for the first time in years. YAYZIES.

Most hardcore run: Solo 13.1 long run in monster wind. Guess that was prep for most every midwestern half marathon, huh?

Favorite race: I would technically consider this my most hardcore run of the month, but it was my only race, so by default Riverrat Half Marathon takes the cake. The last 6.5 miles in 40+ mph wind gusts and a MONSTER hill that everyone else walked up. Eew. I will save those B.A. points for the next time I'm feeling defeated in a race or hard workout.

Bike Miles: 0. The Bike is back to eyeing me sadly.

Favorite Jam: None. I've been listening to too many audiobooks this month and no tunes.

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April Goals

• Run 100 miles. 65.7 :(
• Run all 3 long runs as scheduled. (2/3)
• Do one fast finish LR.
• Do one LR with 3 minute pickups every 20 minutes. 4.18.14
• Run all 4 speed sessions as scheduled. 4/4
• Run a solid half at the end of the month. (revised to be a training run with some harder effort miles so legs would be snappy for the following weekend's race) Yes! Took 3 minutes off my NYC time! Post-grad school PR (is that a thing? PGSPR??)
• Watch 2 Oscar Best Picture Nominees. Last month I watched 3 or more and this month I haven't had time for any. I blame the excessive vacationing and trying to catch up with real life. ;)
• Track food intake at least 5 days/week. I did really well the first half of the month, and then stress hit and that went out the window.
• Every other day core work. Pretty close!
• Hip stretches and drills every other day.
• Clean up my eating. 50/50
• Outside of my trip to Vegas, curb the booze consumption and eating out. Much better!
• Get 3-5 pounds closer to my race weight as the last weekend of April and first weekend in May are my goal races! I was down 4-5 midway through the month until stress happened. Still down two though, despite eating my feelings!
• 2 buddy runs (4/2 tempo & mile repeats with Jenn).
• Read 2014 Printz Winner--Midwinterblood
• Read a classic novel
• Find a new place to live when our lease is up! (Feel free to shoot me leads on 2 bedroom places in town that allow dogs!)

April in Review + Final 20 Miler before TAPERTIME

April in Review

Total Miles:  163.6 up from 140.6 last month. Some extra rest days post-HM caused me some extra mileage.  Wah. (180 miles from April 2010.)
Total Time: 26:03:49 up from 22:32:35 (27:49:32 last April.)
Total Runs: 18 for an average of 9.09 miles/run.
Highest weekly mileage:

4/4/2011 — 4/10/2011:

50.0 Mi

7:59:5

 Highest weekly mileage EVAH!  What what?!?!? :D
Favorite run:
Most hardcore run: 7x800 repeats and see below.  (I'm still cursing my 20 mile LR in 25-45 mph winds 5 days later... no biggie....)
Favorite Race: The shiny new PR I worked my booty off for at the River Rat Half Marathon.
Bike Miles: 0.  Ooops.  Again.  I did buy a bike pump.  WIN!  However, I can't figure out how to use it.  FAIL.  My tri prospects aren't looking so hot... :/

Favorite Jams: Really digging Florence + The Machine, particularly You've Got the Love, Drumming Song, Cosmic Love.  Jeremih's Down On Me, Keri Hilson's Pretty Girl Rock, and some old school N'Sync.
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Saturday I had my final 20 mile before I started my beloved taper for Fargoooooooooo.  Because bullet points are fun, and I did this run a few days ago and my memory is a bit spotty, you get short fun fragments and moments of note from the 3 hours and 14 minutes.

• It was mother effing windy.  I noted the heavy late morning/early afternoon winds before I went to bed, PROMISING I would get up early to avoid it, but did I?  As if there was any question..... Then I tried to check Sunday's report to find more wind.  I started with 25 mph STEADY WINDS.  The 35 mph wind gusts quickly changed to 45 mph wind gusts.  So help me jesus.
• I wore my marathon race day 'fit.  Green under armour shirt my adorable little nephew Harrison got me for Xmas, and my new green Brooks shorts.  I wore my green Kinvaras thinking if they worked for 20, I would sport them for race day, however they did not make the cut. A few too many blisters for my liking.
• Gasp.  I saw a trio of ex-football player looking boys doing their long run.  I know they were going long (that's what she said) because one had a fuel belt and another a handheld.  OMG guys they EXIST!  If this had been later than 3 miles in to my 20 I would've assumed this was hallucinated.
• At approximately mile 7 I noticed a dog not on a leash being fed a treat from a guy sitting in his car.  I kept my eye on the dog to make sure he didn't chase after me, and in my staredown, managed to catch a corner of the sidewalk and go FLYYYYYYYYYING.  Dude got out of his car and rushed over to make sure I wasn't dead.  Color me embarassed.  Luckily I didn't hurt myself.
• You know it's windy when:  the wind pushes you UP the hills.
• You know it's windy when:  You're giving it your all and you're running an 11 minute pace.  There was a point during the final two miles that the wind was so hard that I was running my butt off and my little garmin laughed at me and told me I was running an 11:xx pace.  Eff......... you.  I then implemented a .05 walk break because I was so mad.
• You know it's windy when:  the wind knocks you down.  Approximately 1/2 mile from home I was running over a bridge.  A huge wind gust came up, throwing me off balance, causing me to catch an uneven wooden slat in the bridge and go FLYYYYYYYYYYYING.  Explicatives were shouted.  Naturally I fell on my left knee and hip as I did with fall #1.  Ouch.
• The good news is that the slower pace caused me to spend some solid time on my feet, and I wasn't exhausted at the end (no idea how this is possible...).  Somehow I managed a 9:20 final mile into the insane winds.  Another 6.2 ain't no thang..... jk  IT TOTALLY IS. :p

Despite the wind, I still ended up with a 9:48 average pace for the 20 miles.  If Fargo is in the midst of a tornado, I should be good to go. 

April in Review + I'm Backwards Woman

April in Review

Total Miles: 180  which is up from 151 last month (compared to 71.02 in 2009 P.S. Who runs 71.02 miles?!??!?! Can you tell I had just got my Garmin at the end of the month.  Ha.). This breaks my current monthly record!!

Total Time: 27:49:32.  Holy cow.  (Last month was 23:35:49.)

Total Runs: 19 for an average of 9.47 miles/run.  (Last month was 8.88 miles/run).

Highest weekly mileage: 4/19/2010-4/25/2010 47 miles 7:16:08.  I had 3 weeks this month where I broke 40 miles and each week was a new higher mileage week.  Pretty B.A. fo sho.

Favorite run: My 2nd 20 miler.  This was my last major long run before taper time.  My 1st 20 miler was great, and I was concerned it was a fluke.  20 miler #2 has given me the confidence I need to make it through 26.2 on May 16th. 

Most hardcore run: My 8 mile tempo run that inadvertently turned into a 9 mile tempo run because my "cool down" mile was actually at tempo pace without realizing it.  Oops!

Favorite Race: none.  Sniffle sniffle.

Current Jams:  Old school Blink 182.
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Monday I had an easy 5 miler on the schedule.  5 miles?!?!?!  YIPPEE!  (clearly I'm loving all of these shorter runs that taper is allowing me.)  I decided to throw on an older pair of running shorts (a pair from target that I had previously cut the built in undies out of b/c they didn't fit right).  Of course I was wearing a pair of boy cut under armour running shorts to keep my cheeks in check.  <---Um...that was pretty witty.  Heh heh.

At the one mile-ish mark, I stopped to do my quick stretcheroo.  As I was stretching I checked the band of my shorts to make sure they were still double rolled (I prefer running in some shorty shorts) because they seemed to be hitting in a really low spot on my legs.  That's when I realized that my key pocket was off my left butt cheek.  Waaaaaaaaait a second?  Isn't that usually in the front right??  Uh.. yup.  Drawstring is definitely in the back, and if I wasn't wearing the under armour -roos I would be baring cheeks for all to see. 

I contemplated doing a quick switcheroo (really going all out with the -roo references in this post, no?) on the trail, but of course there were too many runners/bikers around so I kept going.  I literally spent the next 4 miles looking for a hidden part of the trail that I could fix my shorts on, but sadly never found it.  Instead I ran along the little kids' soccer practice looking like a ho fo sho.  Oy.

The first 2 1/2 miles were with the wind at my back, so of course the last 2 1/2 were into the wind.  I let my legs take a very easy pace, so that should tell you the amount of wind that's out there.  Lame.

I did 5 miles in 46:44 for a pace of 9:21.
1. 9:15

2. 9:11
3. 9:19
4. 9:31
5. 9:26
In case you missed it yesterday, the tracking site is up for the MARATHON!!!!  Send me an email at jerbearshares at gmail dot com if you want my bib number.  If you previous commented that you want it, please send me an email, because I don't know that blogger gives me the capability to respond back to you via email (or else it does, and I'm just a ding dong...whatevs...)http://www.cellcomgreenbaymarathon.com/race-day/track-your-runner