Race Goals: Fargo Half Marathon

I wrote the below goal post before I was sick for two weeks in between the Skedaddle half and the Fargo half. So obviously tomorrow's race goals have adjusted. Regardless of what the time on the clock says when I cross the finish line, I'm excited to be doing a race weekend with running friends and super thankful that I didn't get this obnoxious sickness before a marathon. Uff da!

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My main goal for 2019 is to run a marathon PR in October. But since it's impossible to focus on one single goal for an entire year worth of running, I opted to work on a speedier spring half. Since my training was not 100% for the Skedaddle Half, I put all of my eggs in the Fargo Half basket. So I have some big goals!

Without further adieu, my race goals:

A Goal: Sub 1:55. This is the goal that I've had written and posted to my bathroom vanity since January. I am all in on attempting to run this time, for better or worse!

B Goal: Run as fast as I can if it's not sub 1:55. Don't freak out that I'm not hitting my goal and still bust my butt to run as fast as I can on the day I'm given.

C Goal: THERE IS NO PLAN C. :P

I'm feeling strong, and that I've put in more miles for this half marathon than I ever have before, so I'm excited to see how that plays out!

throwback to 2011's Fargo marathon

amazing drawing by Jodee Rose!

Race Goals: Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon

This fall, when we were plotting out our goal races for the spring, I had Brookings half on the schedule as my A goal. When we found out at the Twin Cities expo that for the first time ever, that Grandma's half wasn't going to be a lottery, it didn't take much convincing on my part to get Toni to agree to sign up on our drive home from the cities, post-race. We extra lucked out when 605 Running Co. announced their first ever half marathon, which happened to be enough time before Brookings to have 3 chances to run a really rocking half marathon time this spring.

Leading up to training, I thought that if all the stars aligned, and I stayed strong and healthy throughout training, that maybe I could knock on my half marathon PRs door (1:50:57). I had thought that best case scenario was 1:51-1:52 for my absolute A Goal for the spring. With a couple of aches and pains flaring up, I don't think I'm exactly knocking on PR shape's door, but I won't be mad if I surprise myself.

I really want to run strong in Duluth and have been doing a lot of meditating and visualizing running well and fast. I'm going to work my butt off to hit that sub 1:55 that I know I am capable of right now. Stay tuned or track me Saturday to follow along!

Race Goals: Brookings Half Marathon

Leading up to the 605 Running Co. Half marathon, I had thought if everything went perfectly that day, I could maybe come in just under 1:55. I knew my training was there prior to my knee getting pissed off, and I wasn't sure how much my endurance had been effected by some significant time off, especially from the long run, which is typically my weakness.

It just so happens that a 1:55 also corresponds nicely with my Brookings half course PR of 1:55:07. So my absolute A goal for the day is to run my course PR, ideally sub 1:55.


If this doesn't happen, my B goal would be to run under a 9 minute pace. It would be a huge thing mentally for my average pace to be an 8:xx.
My C goal, would be to run faster than the 605 half.
I love this race, so I just want to enjoy it and work hard. 

F^3 Lake Half Marathon Race Goals

Toni and I are making our way to Chicago today to take on the F3 Lake Half Marathon tomorrow morning. Lucky for us, the race is late morning, as it is January in the Midwest. When I finished my half in November, I knew that my goal for this race was sub 2. And I wanted to be in good enough shape that a sub 2 would be a guarantee, so I could just focus on how far below sub 2 I could be.

The last 10 weeks of training have gone really well, so instead of our original ORIGINAL goal of "hey let's do this half marathon to make sure we continue to train through the midwest winter because it'd be so much easier NOT TO" that sub 2 knock it out of the park is looking more and more feasible.

A goal: If I have a super de duper day, I think I can run a 1:57-1:58. The course is an out and back which should help keep me from running a 13.3 or further.

B goal: Sub 2, even by the skin of my teeth. 1:59:59? Cool. I'm game. (Although I really hope it doesn't come down to being that close!)

C goal: Faster than my November time... 2:04:17. This race was a 9:23 pace, on a course that I zig and zagged back and forth across the road to dodge traffic on ALL THE FREAKIN' HILLS.

Tomorrow I *will* run my fastest half marathon since 2012. Can't wait!

Ocean View Half Marathon Race Goals

Back when I signed up for this race, my goal was to be in PR shape this fall. Uff, that hasn't quite happened yet, but I'm on the right path! I was reading up on the race a few weeks ago, and if I had thought I was in PR shape, this portion of the description may have changed my mind "this is not a PR course" (although now that I went back to quote it 100% correctly, I can't find this information anywhere. Perhaps they thought it would hinder participation. Perhaps I made it all up. WE MAY NEVER KNOW.)

Oh. Ok then.

Based on the elevation map on the website, you wouldn't think that would be the case.

But once you stumble on one that doesn't minimize the hills, then you know what's up.

Ooooooook!

The good news is that a hilly course forces me to focus on the step and mile I'm in. Which is great. Also, it's supposed to be Jeri approved cool temps! Yesssssssss.

A Goal: I want to run hard. If I have a race day that rivals the Twin Cities 10 Mile, I will be very happy. I was in the race mentally for 97% of the race. That's a huge win for me! My half time from Brookings was 2:05:44 for a pace of 9:33. Despite being a much harder course, I would like to run a faster pace. (My best half since grad school *PGSPR* is 2:02:53, so I'll also stick that number in the back of my brain in case all things are clicking properly and I need an A+ goal!).

B Goal: A year ago, I ran my first sub 2:10 half in years on a much easier course, but on a lot less training.

C Goal: Enjoy the weather, enjoy the views, the ocean, the ability to run without concern of time and pace. Throw your Garmin in the ocean so you can get the rose gold one you covet..... [update: I wrote this goal before I bought the new rose gold one I covet, so I CAN NOT throw this one in the ocean]

Excited to finish out 2017 with half marathon #32 with whatever the result is!

Brookings Half Marathon Race Goals

About a month ago, I jotted down my goals for this weekends race A, B, and C. My race plan was a range of my A and B goal, with the final time coming down to what I had left for my final 3-5 mile kick.

A goal: 2:02 9:20 pace

B goal: 2:05 9:35 pace

C goal: 2:07 9:45 pace

Now that the race is getting closer, I'm not really sure what the heck my goals are. Hah. I want to run hard, and I'm prepared (I think) to go to a place mentally where it hurts without giving up (uff... that sounds hard, right? maybe I'm not that mentally prepared...hah).

The weather looks great, my training has gone extremely well, and I've seen huge progress in my fitness levels in the past 6-8 months. So I think my plan for tomorrow is a bit of a no-plan. I'll do my standard "take mile 1 easy" easy pace tbd based on how my body feels tomorrow I suppose. Followed by 5 miles at comfortably hard, then the next 4 a little harder, and the final 5k with whatever I have left. Normally I have splits and all that fun stuff all calculated out, but doing so this go around is just freaking me out.

So I think what my goal is for tomorrow is: run hard, leave it out there. Worry about the time on the clock when you cross the finish line. We'll see how that works for a change.

Looking Back on Training

A couple of weeks ago, I started looking back at past training cycles. This is one of my favorite pastimes (I'm so lame, I realize). I was thinking about goal times for the Brookings half marathon, and had a hard time wrapping my mind around a sustainably hard pace for 13.1 miles, as one does.

I started looking back at my training from 2014 for the Brookings half marathon, when I ran a 2:02 and was training for a sub 2 half. I was shocked to see that my training wasn't anything special. A 2:02 half seems so fast right now, that I expected my training to be really strong, fast speed work, good mileage, strong long runs. Um... not so much. There were some decent speedwork sessions, and some long runs. A lot of weeks with one run. A lot of long runs that said, "really hard, walk breaks, blah...etc." And apparently I raced two half marathons on back to back weekends. And still ran a 2:02. My long runs are slightly speedier, but WAY more consistent both in pace and frequency. My tempo runs have more miles in them, roughly the same pace. My speedwork has faster paces at longer intervals.

January 2014 60.5 miles 2017 72.4 miles (slightly sub 11 v. 10:38 pace)
February 2014 80.2 miles vs. 2017 41.8 miles (slightly sub 11 v. 10:36 pace)
March 2014 52.2 miles vs. 2017 89.5 miles (10:45 v. 10:27)
April 2014 65.7 miles vs. 2017 110ish miles (10:20 v. 10:40ish)

Whoa.

The cool thing about looking back on this data is to give me confidence in what my training has been like in this cycle. Which might be one of my strongest cycles outside of marathon training (which is where my current half PR exists). Hopefully I'll be able to remember this when I'm running the race next weekend and it feels hard.

Here's to doing hard shit.

or something like that.

Alamo 13.1 Race Goals

I had a dream a few months ago that I took 11 minutes off of my last half marathon time for this race. LOLZ. That might be more likely of a goal for my goal race in May. It's going to be much warmer for this race than my last two halfs, so that'll play a factor in my time. And most of my training has been in much cooler temps as well.

This race is coming in place of a 13 mile long run workout on my training plan. Starting at my long run pace, bumping up the speed a little bit every couple of miles, and then the last two miles at Lactate Threshold pace.

Based on how my training has been going here are my goals (ish):

Goal A: 2:08-2:09. I ran a 2:09 in St. Paul in October on a super humid but cool day. I should certainly be in better shape now, but the warmer temps still will play a factor.

Goal B: Sub 10 minute pace. Running a ten minute pace was hard in Dallas and it was about half the temperatures, so this might be a challenge, but training has been going well since then so you never know! Sub 2:11.

Goal C: 10:10 pace would be a 2:13-2:14 (or if I stink at running tangents).

Regardless of my race time, I'm excited to get a 13.1 mile tour around San Antonio!

Sioux Falls Half Marathon Goals

The Sioux Falls Half marathon snuck up on me a little bit this year. I got a late start in training because I still had a few weeks of yoga requirements to finish up once our weekends were done, then I had a solid month of training, and then we got into all of the birthday and pre-wedding fun. I found myself counting down to the big wedding day, and all of a sudden, oops! It's race day.

To say that I'm under prepared is an understatement.

Why I thought I'd have oodles of time to train for a half marathon while finishing up yoga teacher training and trying to plan a wedding in six months, is beyond me.

But the nice news is, it's going to be a gorgeous day, and it'll be my 11th consecutive year running the race. And it's my last race as a single lady.

whoa.

Shit just got real.

So maybe no goal this go around, other than to have fun and not make my sports bra tan any more horrific than it already is. Uff.

Go Far Half Marathon Goals

This spring, my main goal was to break two hours in the half marathon. A few years back, sub 2 halfs were a given, and I wanted to be back to that point. Well I came up short. Two minutes in May and five minutes in June on a much harder course.

Grr.

I've put in a lot of miles, and have gained a bit of my speed back through a lot of hard work over the past few months. When I originally signed up for this race, I'd hoped that I'd be shooting for a low 1:50, but I don't think that'll be the case.

I had intended on doing the 5k earlier this month to give me a time to plug in to the ol' McMillan running calculator to give me a goal time to shoot for tomorrow. But that didn't turn out as planned.

So putting some confidence in my brain and legs, my goals for tomorrow are as follows:

A goal: 1:55. 8:50 pace. When I was chatting with Kyle about this, I was surprised that it was "only" an 8:50 pace. That doesn't seem *that* hard, right?? Confidence.

B goal: 1:57. 9:00 pace. Honestly, this is what I have hopes of my marathon pace being in a couple of months in much cooler temps, so I should be able to hang on to this for half that distance.

C goal: Sub 2. 9:09 pace. PGSPR Party hosted by Katy Perry! Yessssss.

Regardless, I'll be happy if I go out at a smart pace, maintain mental toughness for 90% of the race and trust that I can finish hard, strong, and fast.

Half marathon #23, I'm comin' for you.

Last Fargo Half I did with Megan! Miss you running buddy!

Kyle's prediction: 1:53:27.

Swan Lake Half Marathon Race Goals

Last week I was lamenting to Kyle how bummed I was that I didn't break two hours in the half marathon this spring. With a long marathon training cycle on the horizon, it would be a huge confidence boost to have that under my belt. I did some quick searching online and realized that a local race I had wanted to do was on a Sunday instead of the Saturday I thought it was, and am scheduled to work on.

Hmmmm. The race was pretty cheap. The weather forecast wasn't terrible. My parents live 15 minutes away and would come watch. I'm in! The course is 2/3 gravel and 1/3 pavement, so it may be difficult to run sub 2 on, but even if that doesn't happen it'll still be a good hard race effort!

Without further ado, my race goals for Sunday are as follows:

• Sub 2. 
• PGSPR (Post grad school PR) <2:02:53.
• 2:02-2:05.

Half marathon #22, I'm coming for you!

Brookings Half Marathon Goals

It has been two years, almost to the day since I've gone sub 2 in a half marathon, at this very same race. There was a time when I first started running and racing that sub 2 was the coveted unicorn goal for me every race (much like sub 4 has been for the last four years). Then came a breakthrough of sorts where I would run under 2 hours for 13.1 mile training runs. Womp. I'm currently trying to work back to that point, but in the meantime I'll be shooting for a sub 2 finish at tomorrow's half.

My race plan is to start somewhat conservatively for the first 3 miles hitting 9:30-9:40 pace, then dropping to 9:10-9:20 pace for the next five miles and then attempting as fast as I can for the last five miles. I've been working on my speed quite a bit since the NYC half, so hopefully that will be to my benefit, and the race course is nice and flat, just like my quads and IT bands like it.

Also, the weather is 100% Jerbear approved: 39* at the start, with a real feel of 32*. Aka perfection. No rain, no snow, no sun, 7 mph winds (basically a whisper compared to the 40+ we've been having SINCE SATURDAY SWEET JESUS STOP NOW), and 42* at the finish, with a real feel of 38*. Let's all keep in mind that if I was in shape to PR this race it'd be 95*, 99% humidity and a 40mph wind that adjusts its direction based on which way I'm running during the race. ;)

Unicorn goal: Sub 2, sub 9 minute pace. I think that puts me at a 1:57. All the stars in the universe would need to align for this to happen.

Pugasaurus goal: Sub 2, even by a hair of Ollie's chinny chin chin.

Minotaur goal: Sub 2:05. The best race times I've posted since my last sub 2 have all been in the 2:04-2:06 range (and those times are all 18+ months old too). A 2:02 would be nice because I like palindromes. But not as much as I like a time that is 1:5X.

River Rat Half Marathon Race Goals

When I originally signed up for tomorrow's half marathon, I also signed up for a half marathon the following weekend. Both races are ~45 minutes from home and cheap, and based on South Dakota's super unpredictable weather, I figured I would just check the forecasts leading up to the races to determine which one I would just run, and which one I would race.

Based on the weather forecast, next weekend's race should be cooler, and is a much easier (read: flatter) course. The course I'm doing tomorrow is my PR course, and don't ask me how in the heck that happened because it's got a monster hill, and hill is not my middle name.

Elevation map from the last time I did this race:

After re-reading my race report, that hill was only a mile long, not 3 as I had come to believe (or so it felt).

I emailed Jaseface last week for some advice on how to approach the race, as I want to get my money's worth out of the race, have a strong run, and gain some mental toughness that I can carry in to the following week's goal race. I do NOT want to carry dead legs in to the following week's goal race.

His suggestion was to run 3 easy/long run paced miles, followed by 2 hard miles until I finish the race. I asked if instead of that, I could do 3 easy, 2 hard x 2, and then for the remaining 5k do 2 easy and one hard. He said sure. Phew. One of strengths as a runner used to be finishing hard in races. I would practice doing it in most training runs, and I just knew I could go in to another gear at the end of races. I've been practicing that a bit more lately, and would like to continue doing that, particularly in this race. It also seems silly not to run hard toward a finish line, regardless if I'm racing the race or not. That's just the competitor in me, I think.

So that's the plan for tomorrow.

So what does that equate to for a finishing time?

Uh...

Good thing I'm good at math I guess. I'd imagine the easy miles will be around 10:30 pace (closer to 11:00 on the monster hill that never ends) and the hard miles around 9. [31.5+18= 49.5*2= 99+31]. That would put me near 2:10 I think. And yes I'm going to leave my random math there for you to ponder.

So what does that leave for next weekend? Ugh, who knows. We'll see how tomorrow feels. But yay goals again! Dare I say that running is becoming fun again?!?

Michelob Ultra NYC Half Marathon Goals

When I first signed up for the Michelob Ultra NYC Half Marathon, I had hoped I'd be able to run close to or under 2 hours. I haven't run under 2 hours for a half since May 2012, almost two years ago. Uff. My hopes for the race were to give me a goal time to work toward that could put me in a position to make 1:55 a possibility for my spring goal half marathon.

And I feel like I was mostly on track to do that, and then I had a horrible no good very bad long run a couple of weeks ago and it totally shook my confidence levels. I ran 14 miles and it took forever, and it was hard, and I was sore for 4 days after it. Ugh. Not the confidence boosting last long run I was looking for. :(

Luckily I ran a fairly decent 5k last weekend which has helped give me that tiny boost I need for this weekend's race. According to the McMillan race calculator, my 5k time puts me at a 2:01:48 half marathon time, and a 9:17 pace. Which sounds.... kind of doable. Right?

I think my current plan is to run in the 9:20-9:30 range for the first 8-10 miles and then push hard for the remaining 3-5 miles.

It should be perfect Jerbear running weather with a low in the high 30s and high in the high 40s.

A Goal: Sub 2 hours. 9:09 pace. Uff.

B Goal: 2:02 9:18-9:20 pace.

C Goal: Sub 2:05 9:39 pace.

All three of these goal times would put me at my 10th fastest half out of 19 half marathons.

And regardless of my time, I'll get to knock another state off my race list (and brunch it up with Susan!)!

Race Week Thoughts

This week marks my first "serious" race week in about a year.  When I initially embarked on marathon training for the Madison Marathon, I had planned to have the Sioux Falls half be my benchmark race mid-training to give me an idea where I was fitness-wise 9 weeks out from race day.  A few months ago, I thought I could maybe set a course PR (1:52 or 1:53) if training went all fine and dandy.

Thus far, I've put in the miles (save for the week I was in Vegas and logged 0 miles, and a few missed runs here or there), I've been impressed (knock on wood) with my body's ability to hold up to marathon mileage, and my endurance is coming back.  Unfortunately, I know my body's limits and know that it can only handle speed work with a strong base already in place.  The Pfitz program has a large endurance mesocycle which is predominantly what I've been doing the last 8 weeks.  So with that being said, I'm pretty freakin' nervous about my speed.  Meaning:  I don't think I have any, anymore.  Hmmm.

Based on the current forecast, it should finally be cool on race day.  Although it's not Jeri approved COLD.  That'll help me tremendously.  But it's weird for me to go in to a race without really knowing what I'm capable of.

Currently my goals are as follows:

• Beat last year's time--2:05.  Compared to last year's training log, I'm running way more miles, slightly faster.  But I did some speedwork (very sporadically) last summer, so that makes me slightly nervous again because of my lack of speedwork this time.
• Beat 2011's time--1:59.  I was in shape to run a low 1:50 and had major IT band issues, where they locked up and I shuffled along to a barely sub-2.  For confidence going in to Madison, I would really like a sub-2.
• Ideally I'd like to be around 1:55, but man that seems impossibly hard at the moment, so we'll see.  Perhaps if all the stars align, and I can hitch a ride on a unicorn's back, perhaps I'll hit this marker.  ;)

If I don't hit a sub 2 this weekend, I don't think that means I can't run a sub 4 in Madison.  But it would be a great boost of confidence to me.  I have sped up considerably since I started running more consistently this past May, but I'm not to where I was when I was running well.   But I'm certain I will continue speeding up, especially with the crazy speed work that Pfitz has planned for me.  EEPS!  

Above all, I'm just excited to be back to doing something that I love and seeing progress for my hard work.  I <3 running and racing.  Whoop!