St. Luke’s Half Training: Weeks Nine and Ten

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Hannah McGoldrick

Celebrating post-marathon at Fenway!

I’ve been majorly slacking on posting my workouts the past two weeks because I’ve been traveling for work. We all went up to Boston this past weekend to cover the marathon and it was an incredible day. The day was made even more incredible by my boyfriend who ran a 2:56:02 (p.s. this was his first Boston and just his third marathon)! I am so incredibly proud! Anyway, it’s now race week for me and although my goals have changed a bit I’m really hoping to run sub-1:50 at the half marathon this weekend. I had two really good workouts in the last two weeks so I’m hoping I can ride that post-workout confidence into race day.

Monday, April 14 – 45:00 of Vinyasa Flow Yoga

Tuesday, April 15 – 5 miles with 3 miles at HMP

I felt really, really good on this run tonight. The weather was kinda crazy today so I opted to run on the treadmill instead of outside. I felt like I could run forever at my goal HMP which is a really good feeling and hopefully means I’ll do well at the half in two weeks!

Plan: 5 miles with 3 miles at goal half marathon pace (8:13/mile)
Actual: 5 miles with 3 miles at 8:06-8:13/mile

Shoes: Saucony Mirage 3

Wednesday, April 16 – 6 mile, easy

It was so much colder outside today than it has been but it doesn’t look like the cold is going to stick around for too long. I just had to do an easy 6 today. Felt pretty good.

Plan: 6 miles, easy (9:06/mile)
Actual: 6 miles in 53:17 at 8:52/mile

Shoes: Saucony Mirage 3
Conditions: 43 degrees, sunny, gusty wind

Thursday, April 17 – REST

Unexpected rest day due to traveling up to Boston.

Friday, April 18 – Hill Workout with November Project in the a.m. + Shakeout run in the p.m.

Did the Summit Hill Ave hill workout (and stairs) with the November Project… so awesome! Then in the evening I went to the RW Heartbreak Hill Half shakeout run.

Total: 4.5 miles

Shoes: Saucony Mirage 4

Saturday, April 19 – B.A.A. 5K (5 miles total for the day)

Not a PR due to really packed crowds (hello, 10,000 runners!) but had a ton of run!

Time: 25:37

(Plus 1-mile warmup and 1-mile cool down walk)

Sunday, April 20 – 10 miles, LSD

I got to run around my hometown which is always fun!

Actual: 9.58 miles in 1:27:00 at 9:04/mile

Shoes: Saucony Mirage 4

Week 10

Monday, April 21 – Boston Marathon Monday!

I didn’t run because I was working and obsessively checking the runner tracking to follow my boyfriend!

Tuesday, April 22 – REST

Another unexpected rest day due to travel/life. But Adam and I did take about a 1-mile walk around my neighborhood before heading back to PA.

Wednesday, April 23 – 4 miles, easy

It was CRAZY windy out today, which seems to be a pattern lately, so I was glad to have just 4 easy miles.

Plan: 4 miles, easy (9:18/mile)

Actual: 4 miles in 33:51 at 8:27/mile

Shoes: Saucony Mirage 4

Thursday, April 24 – 5 miles with 4×800

It was a nice day out today but the wind was terrible. This is my last workout before the St. Luke’s Half Marathon on Sunday and my 800 times left me feeling pretty confident.

Plan: 5 miles with 4×800 at 3:36
Actual:
1-mile warm up at 7:56/mile (What?? Yes, that’s right.)
4×800 with 400 recovery jog
(1) 3:26.6 – 7:02/pace
(2) 3:28.2 – 7:05/pace
(3) 3:27.5 – 6:55/pace
(4) 3:18.7 – 6:46/pace
1-mile cool down at 8:28/mile

Shoes: Saucony Fastwitch 6
Conditions: 52 degrees, sunny, 15mph winds with gusts of 35mph

Friday, April 25 – 4 miles, easy

Last training run before the St. Luke’s Half on Sunday! I ran it a little too fast but it was really gorgeous out. Feeling good for Sunday, now it’s time to rest.

Plan: 4 miles easy
Actual: 4.12 miles in 33:51 (8:12/mile)

Shoes: Saucony Mirage 4
Conditions: 60 degrees, sunny

See all training recaps here.

Marine Corps Training: Week Eleven

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

Lehigh XC course, the site of my Saturday shakeout.

Eeek! I totally slacked on posting my training from last week. Well, it might be Thursday, but better late than never, right? Anyway last week was kind of tough because I was dealing with some shinsplints and IT band issues but after nixing one workout and taking it very easy on the rest I *think* I dodged an injury-bullet and am feeling much better this week. I’m continuing to ice, compress, and foam roll the crap out of my legs, especially my left one, in order to keep it healthy and strong for the last month of training.

Monday: 50 minutes of Vinyasa Flow Yoga

Tuesday: 5 miles

I took it super easy on this run because my left shin and calf were still kind of bothering me. Even with the easy running they didn’t feel great. I’m hoping with some ice, ibuprofen, and compression they’ll start to feel better.

Plan: 5 miles, easy
Actual: 5 miles in 46:00 at 9:12/mile average
Splits:
(1) 9:33 (2) 9:09 (3) 9:07 (4) 9:11 (5) 9:03

Shoes: Asics Gel Kayano 19

Wednesday: 2 miles, run fail

I knew this high mileage was going to catch up to me sooner or later. I’ve been battling a shin/calf pain for the past week and a half and today I knew the 8-miler on tap wasn’t going to happen. I consulted with my coach and she said it would be best to run a super easy 2 miles and scratch the 8-miler. I did as I was told and will take a rest day tomorrow and hope for a better Friday.

Plan: 8 miles, easy
Actual: 2 miles, easy (Garmin crapped out midrun so I estimated my time)

Thursday: 1 hour of strength training

Abs- 3 x
1:00 planks
0:30 side planks
0:45 supine planks
0:45 bicycles
0:45 bridge

Arms- 3 x 10 reps
Rotational shoulder press- 10lbs
Alternating dumbbell row- 15lbs
Tricep pulls- 15lbs
Chest press on stability ball- 10lbs
21s- 8lbs

Legs-
15 reps of bench step-ups
3 x 15 calf raises
3 x 15 side leg lifts

Friday: 6 miles

Yay! A (relatively) pain-free run! I felt a lot better on this run after taking the past two days off completely. My shin still felt a little sore but I didn’t feel the pain in my IT band like I was feeling on Tuesday and Wednesday. I think the pain is mostly due to overtraining and not being used to the higher mileage so I’m going to try to scale back a little from what my plan says. It felt good though to be running at my happy paces again!

Plan: 6 miles, easy
Actual: 6 miles in 52:00 at 8:40/mile average
Splits:
(1) 9:12/mile (2) 8:37/mile (3) 8:23/mile (4) 9:02/mile (5) 8:50/mile (6) 7:43/mile (!!)

Shoes: Asics Gel Kayano 19
Conditions: 80 degrees and sunny

Saturday: 5 miles

Ran an easy pre-long run shakeout run at the Lehigh Athletics Campus. I ran the first two miles around the campus and track and then found my way to the XC course. This was the first time I ever ran on a XC course and I loved it! It was so beautiful and I think running on the grass was good for my shin/IT band.

Plan: 5 miles, easy
Actual: 5 miles in 44:58 at 8:59/mile average
Splits:
(1) 9:02 (2) 9:12 (3) 9:00 (4) 8:58 (5) 8:46

Shoes: Asics Gel Kayano 19
Conditions: didn’t check but it was pretty warm and really sunny

Sunday: 19-mile long run

It was a long run miracle this morning when I woke up with NO pain in my shins or IT band! I don’t know what happened but I felt great. I took it extra slow though during the run because I didn’t want to aggrevate the pain if it was still healing. I felt pretty good the whole time though. Hoping for a quicker long run next weekend!

Actual: 19 miles in 3:05:44 at 9:46/mile pace
Splits:
(1) 10:18 (2) 9:27 (3) 9:35 (4) 9:52 (5) 9:56 (6) 9:59 (7) 9:35 (8) 9:28 (9) 10:04 (10) 9:35 (11) 9:38 (12) 10:04 (13) 9:50 (14) 9:37 (15) 9:42 (16) 9:47 (17) 9:45 (18) 10:07 (19) 9:22

Weekly total: 38 miles (plan had me running 46 miles, scrapped a total of 8)

Marine Corps Marathon Training Week Five

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

This was another busy week of training but it went well. I went back to boot camp on Monday night for strength training- I hadn’t been in a few weeks due to scheduling conflicts- but it felt good to be back. The only problem is the session left me with dead legs for practically the whole week. It didn’t help that I had a high mileage week last week too and decided to run a 5K Wednesday night but my legs were thankful for the full rest day on Thursday

Monday: XT

Vinyasa flow yoga class- 45 minutes

Was able to do a full backbend. Yay!

Boot camp- 40 minutes

Did four circuits of no repeat exercises

Tuesday: 4 miles, easy

My legs were absolute DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) city after yesterday’s double strength training workout. I went on the run with my roommate who was also really sore from yesterday’s workout too so we decided to take it super easy. Then, the route we took had us go straight through Musikfest (a week-long outdoor music festival in Bethlehem) and there were so many people we had to dodge for about 1.5 miles. But it was good, we needed to take it easy.

Plan: 4 miles, easy
Actual: 4 miles in 37:40 at 9:25/mile pace
Splits:
(1) 9:42/mile
(2) 9:24/mile
(3) 9:00/mile
(4) 9:24/mile

Shoes: Asics Gel Kayano 19
Conditions: 70 degrees, overcast

Wednesday: Double run day, 6 miles total

Run 1- 3 miles easy

Went for my first run of the day at lunch. I had 6 miles total on the schedule today but I wanted to run the free 5K in the parkway at night so I decided to split up my miles. My legs were still pretty tired from Monday’s strength training (pathetic, I know) so I may have to re-think doing a double strength training day going forward.

Plan: 3 miles, easy
Actual: 3 miles in 24:48 at 8:16/mile (kind of too fast)
Splits:
(1) 8:58/mile
(2) 8:10/mile
(3) 7:40/mile

Shoes: Asics GT-1000 2 (not loving these)

Run 2- 3.1 miles at the Lehigh Valley Road Runners Summer Series 5K

I ran the Lehigh Valley Road Runners free 5K in the Parkway and felt really good. I went to this with the intention of not racing AT ALL and trying to just jog it, maybe 9:20/mile pace. Well, that didn’t happen. I ended up going faster than intended but definitely still not racing. I had more in the tank for sure at the end but I had a lot of fun. Just a fun little Wednesday night race!

Plan: 3 miles, super easy
Actual: 3.1 miles in 26:04 at 8:24/mile pace
Splits:
(1) 8:22/mile
(2) 8:24/mile
(3) 8:34/mile

Shoes: Saucony Fastwitch 6

Thursday: Rest

Friday: 6 miles with 2 miles at Marathon Pace

I was really happy with the results of my first marathon pace run. I was supposed to do 6 miles with 2 miles at marathon pace, which for the break-4:15 plan is 9:44/mile. Well, my paces lately have been much faster than the paces my plan has been calling for so I decided to make some adjustments.

Plan: 6 miles with 2 miles at marathon pace (9:44/mile)
Actual: 6 miles with 2.4 miles at “marathon pace” (8:41/mile)
Splits:
20 min warmup at 9:13/mile pace, roughly 2.06 miles
20 min at marathon pace, 8:41/mile, roughly 2.40 miles
15 min cool down at 9:13/mile pace, roughly 1.6 miles

Shoes: Asics Gel Kayano 19
Conditions: indoors, I did this workout on the treadmill so I would have better control over my paces.

Saturday: 4 miles, easy

I was helping to cover Worlds for Runner’s World all morning so I didn’t get out to do my run until the early evening. I felt pretty good but it was extremely hot out. The sun was strong but it wasn’t as humid as it has been.

Plan: 4 miles, easy
Actual: 4 miles in 35:01 at 8:45/mile pace
Splits:
(1) 9:18/mile
(2) 8:35/mile
(3) 8:50/mile
(4) 8:17/mile

Shoes: Asics Gel Kayano 19

Sunday: 16 miles, long slow distance

Today’s long run was a lesson in pacing. I did the first 10 miles of my long run with a group training for our Runner’s World Half. I felt pretty good but was very tired because we started early. We did the run on a rail trail and I was running with one of my coworkers who set a much faster pace than I’m used to for long runs and it showed toward the end of my run where my pace slowed drastically. I was kind of disappointed in myself during this run. I’m usually much better at holding a steady pace so maybe I’m better off doing long runs solo. After doing 10 with the group I added on with four of my coworkers to get the 16. I was completely cooked at the end.

Plan: 16 miles, long slow distance (10:40-11:30/mile pace according to my plan)
Actual: 15.6 miles in 2:25:37 at 9:20/mile pace
Splits:
(1) 8:55 (2) 8:47 (3) 9:03 (4) 8:58 (5) 9:22 (6) 9:22 (7) 9:28 (8) 9:16 (9) 9:31 (10) 9:46 (11) 9:48 (12) 10:03 (13) 9:06 (14) 9:28 (15) 9:31 (16) 5:11 (for 0.60)

Shoes: Asics Gel Kayano 19

Weekly mileage: 36 miles

See all training recaps here.

Marine Corps Marathon Training Weeks Three and Four

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

My home for the past week!

First off I have to apologize for the temporary blogging hiatus! I was on vacation with my family and was trying to completely unplug (OK, I sent out a few tweets here and there) but I really wanted my time away to be spent with family, friends, and the beach so I missed blogging about week three of Marine Corps training. But not to fret, luckily in these past two weeks of training I’ve learn A LOT so I have a quite a few blog post ideas in the works for the upcoming weeks. Also, I can’t even believe it but Hood to Coast is only a few weeks away so I’ll be writing updates about that (including my packing list, fave Nuun flavors that’ll keep me going long, and much more).

Anyway, training for Marine Corps has been going very well. My paces are far faster than what I was doing when training for Big Sur (more on that later) and I should probably take it easy to keep my goals in perspective but I’m having way too much fun with my newfound speedy legs. I’m also proud to report that I didn’t miss A SINGLE training run during my vacation. My runs weren’t exactly in order but I got all of the miles in, so I’d say that’s a win. The beach air was a refreshing change from the humidity and heat wave we had a few weeks ago so I was feeling really good.

Week Three- July 22 – July 28

Monday: Rest Day

Tuesday: 2 runs, 1 day

Run #1- This was my first lunchtime run in awhile and it might be my last for the summer. It was so incredibly hot and I just felt pretty bad the whole time. I had to split up my runs today and do a double because I’m going to a group run tonight that’s only doing 3 miles, I have 6 on my training plan.

Plan: 3 miles easy
Actual: 3 miles in 26:13 at 8:44/mile pace
Splits:
(1) 8:50/mile
(2) 8:33/mile
(3) 8:12/mile

Conditions: 81 degrees sunny and 65 percent humidity
Shoes: Asics Kayano 19

Run #2- Did an easy group run out of the local running store tonight. It was a lot of fun too! Newton running was sponsoring the run and we ran 1.5 miles out to the Little Lehigh River with a cup, had to fill the cup with water, and then run back to the store dropping as little water a possible. I have no idea what my splits were but it was a blast!

Plan: 3 miles, easy

Actual: 3 miles in 27:00 roughly 9:00/mile pace

Wednesday: 3 mile track workout

It was a beautiful night for a track workout! My right hip flexor has been super tight so I decided to take it a little easier on the intervals. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do for the workout when I first got to the track since my plan only called for 3 miles, easy but I decided on 2×400, 2×800, 2×400.

Plan: 3 miles, easy (10:40/mile according to my training plan)
Actual: 3 miles in 25 minutes at 7:41/mile pace
Splits:
1-mile warmup at 8:55/mile pace
400m- 1:42
400m- 1:43
800m- 3:40
800m- 3:33
400m- 1:41
400m- 1:40

Conditions: 72 degrees, strong headwind
Shoes: Saucony Fastwitch 6

Thursday: 6 miles, easy

It was absolutely perfect running weather today at lunch. I thought I was going to run before work but when I realized it was only going to be 65 degrees at lunch, I opted to wait. It was supposed to be a rest day and my plan had me running 6 on Friday but I’m traveling a lot tomorrow so I didn’t want to be extra tired.

Plan: 6 miles, easy
Actual: 6 miles in 53:46 at 8:57/mile pace
Splits:
(1) 9:24/mile
(2) 8:54/mile
(3) 9:00/mile
(4) 8:55/mile
(5) 8:45/mile
(6) 8:45/mile

Shoes: Asic GT-1000 2s
Conditions: PERFECT! (65 degrees, overcast, basically zero humidity)

Friday: Rest/Travel Day

Saturday: 3 mile shakeout and strength training

I went to the gym with my sister so I did my 3 miles on the treadmill. I felt like I could have gone forever but needed to save some juice for Sunday’s long run. Not really sure what my splits were exactly but I felt great.

Plan: 3 miles, easy pace
Actual: 3 miles in 26:38 (8:52/mile pace)

Shoes: Asics GT-1000 2

Strengthening: I did two circuits of the standard core routine followed by 2×12 rows with 10lb weights and 2×8 rotating shoulder presses with 10lb weights.

Sunday: Unintended rest day to spend with the family, moved my long run to Monday.

Week Four: July 29 – August 4

Monday: 13-mile long run

I was supposed to do this long run yesterday but I’m on vacation and thought, why not do it Monday? Also, my right hip has been feeling a little funky lately, very tight and sore, so I thought I could benefit from the extra rest day. So I did it today and felt great. The majority of my run was along the ocean and through the harbor and by Nubble Light House. I felt really strong and this actually ended up being a 2-minute half-marathon (unofficial) PR.

Plan: 13 miles, easy
Actual: 13 miles in 2:00:15 at 9:15/mile pace
Splits:
(1) 9:48/mile (2) 9:11/mile (3) 9:23/mile (4) 9:18/mile (5) 9:10/mile (6) 9:02/mile (7) 9:29/mile (8) 9:23/mile (9) 9:13/mile (10) 9:16/mile (11) 9:23/mile (12) 9:05/mile (13) 8:35/mile

Shoes: Asics GT-1000 2
Conditions: 66 degrees, overcast

Tuesday: 3-mile shakeout run

This was supposed to be a post-long run shakeout but I just felt so great so I decided to kick it up a notch. I was also running along the ocean so that got me pretty excited for the run too.

Plan: 3 miles, easy shakeout
Actual: 3 miles in 24:47 at 8:15/mile pace
Splits:
(1) 8:46/mile
(2) 8:13/mile
(3) 7:45/mile

Shoes: Asics Gel Kayano 19
Conditions: 70 degrees sunny, no humidity

Wednesday: 6 miles

This was another really great vacation run. I ran to the harbor and onto this little island full of trails. I stopped a few times just to take in the sights but it was absolutely beautiful.

Plan: 6 miles, easy
Actual: 6 miles in 52:43 at 8:47/mile pace
Splits:
(1) 8:57/mile
(2) 8:44/mile
(3) 9:16/mile (trail mile, I’m really slow on trails)
(4) 9:01/mile
(5) 8:29/mile
(6) 8:14/mile

Shoes: Asics GT-1000 2
Conditions: 70 degrees, zero humidity, slight headwind, and sunny

Thursday: Rest Day with 2.5-mile beach walk

Friday: 5 miles, hills

I did my 5-mile lighthouse loop run this morning and felt really good. I thought it was going to be a bit cooler out but it was pretty humid so I was dripping by the end of the run. In the last mile though I felt a bit of a cramp in my left hamstring which made me stop to stretch but after stretching it felt fine, thank god.

Plan: 5ish miles easy
Actual: 5.05 miles in 43:47 at 8:40/mile pace
Splits:
(1) 9:06/mile
(2) 8:41/mile
(3) 8:39/mile
(4) 8:34/mile
(5) 8:22/mile

Shoes: Asics Gel Kayano 19
Conditions: 69 degrees, overcast with 87 percent humidity

Saturday: Rest Day

Sunday: 10 mile, long run

I took a nice early morning run around my hometown before traveling back to PA. I just did my usual out and back and felt really great. The temps were absolutely perfect and there was nearly no one on the road.

Plan: 10 miles, easy
Actual: 10 miles in 1:29:44 at 8:58/mile pace
Splits:
(1) 9:01 (2) 8:58 (3) 9:03 (4) 9:14 (5) 8:36 (6) 9:00 (7) 8:54 (8) 9:14 (9) 8:54 (10) 8:46

Shoes: Asics Gel Kayano 19

Week Three Mileage: 18 miles

Week Four Mileage: 37 miles

See all training recaps here.

Big Sur Marathon Training- Week 12 and 13

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

Running this bridge in less than one week! (Source: Big Sur Facebook Page)

I’ve been in full taper mode and with last week being so busy for work with the Boston Marathon, and then the bombings, and then the follow-up, I haven’t had time to write up my workouts from the past two weeks. Also, because we were very busy traveling, I missed one of my runs which really bummed me out. But, I was assured by my coworkers that it wasn’t a big deal and I am more than ready for Big Sur this weekend. It may be the taper crazies talking, but I really hope they’re right!

Week 11- April 8 – April 14

Monday: Stretch and foam roll

Tuesday: 5.32 miles in 44:19 at 8:19/mile pace

It was a very, very hot lunch run today. Full sun and 80 degrees the whole time. Apparently, that makes me run faster? My Garmin died before my run so I used the Runmeter app on my phone. According to my splits, I ran pretty fast but I felt like it was such a slow slog the entire time. I’m not sure if these splits are accurate but here they are:

Mile 1 – 6:28/mile (I’m not kidding, that’s what it says)
Mile 2 – 8:40/mile
Mile 3 – 8:53/mile
Mile 4 – 8:50/mile
Mile 5 – 8:38/mile
Mile 6 – 8:25/mile (for 0.32 miles)

I also did Oiselle’s dirty dozen core workout.

Wednesday: 5.32 miles in 44:36 at 8:23/mile pace.

This run was just not working for me. It was so hot when I went out for my lunch run I just didn’t feel good the entire time. I was supposed to run 6 miles but I didn’t have it in me to complete the run, I needed water asap. I think I’m just not used to the heat yet and thankfully it’s not going to stay this hot for too much longer.

Thursday: 8 miles in 1:13:00 at 9:06/mile pace.

I ran this morning before heading home to Massachusetts for the Boston Marathon. It was SUPER humid out due to the storm last night but it was a bit cooler than the past few days so that was a nice break. However, because it was so humid out I felt like it was a little bit harder to breather. I felt pretty good the whole time and just wanted to take it easy. My splits:

Mile 1 – 9:32/mile
Mile 2 – 8:58/mile
Mile 3 – 8:55/mile
Mile 4 – 9:09/mile
Mile 5 – 9:13/mile
Mile 6 – 9:04/mile
Mile 7 – 9:00/mile
Mile 8 – 9:06/mile

Friday: REST

Saturday: I was too busy with work to get my long run in so that didn’t happen. Womp womp.

Sunday: B.A.A. 5K

2-mile warm-up: Meghan and I did a quick warmup run before today’s B.A.A. Boston Marathon 5K. Ran around and did some strides.

3.1 miles in 25:23 at 8:11/mile pace. This morning I ran the B.A.A. Boston Marathon 5K and set a 2-minute PR! I had kind of high hopes for this race because I knew it was going to be a fast, flat course. It was super crowded which made it kind of hard to maneuver around people but overall it was a great race!

Week 12- April 15 – April 21

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 5.5 miles in 51:00 at 9:16/mile pace. #runforboston

Wednesday: 6.5 miles in 59:00 at 9:06/mile pace.

Thursday: Detox flow yoga and Oiselle dirty dozen

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 10 miles, long, slow distance in 1:30:43 at 9:04/mile pace. It’s bittersweet but this was my last long run of Big Sur training. I can’t believe I’m running a marathon in a week!!

Sunday: 3.32-mile recovery run in 28:55 at 8:45/mile pace. Easy shakeout run today around the neighborhood. I wanted to do 4 miles but I had some blisters in the making that were killing me.

See all training recaps here.

Big Sur Marathon Training: Week Eleven

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

Three weeks until I run here! (Source: BSIM Facebook page)

It’s officially taper time, people! I ran my last 20-miler this week and logged a total of 41 miles to finish off my peak mileage weeks. The marathon is three weeks from today and I can say with confidence (after a GREAT long run) that I am ready to take on Big Sur. Seriously, I can’t wait. Here were my workouts this week:

Monday- Cross-training day with 50 minutes of Vinyasa Yoga at work.

Tuesday- 3-miles easy in 26:30, 8:50/mile.

I ran after work today on the treadmill. I took it really easy because I had a really long day and just wanted to get it done and go home. My splits:

Mile 1 – 8:57
Mile 2 – 8:57
Mile 3 – 8:40

Wednesday- Run 1- 10th Street Hill workout, 5.11 miles in 48:04, 9:24/mile.

Run 1 of 2- I was not excited to do this hard hill workout because I was running it by myself for the first time but honestly, it went SO well! I only had to walk twice, which was a huge improvement for me. I took it easy going up and kept my stride short and head down. Although breathing was hard with the wind and allergies, my legs felt good. Splits:

Mile 1 – 8:35/mile
Mile 2 – 11:11/mile (this begins the ascent so there was some walking)
Mile 3 – 10:19/mile (more hill)
Mile 4 – 8:34/mile
Mile 5 – 8:33/mile
Mile 6 – 7:54/mile (for 0.11)

Total ascent: 554 feet

Run 2 of 2- 2 miles in 17:20, 8:37/mile.

I did my second run on the treadmill after work. It was quick, easy and painless, just the way I like it!

Mile 1 – 8:40/mile
Mile 2 – 8:32/mile

Strength training with the Oiselle Dirty Dozen workout.

Thursday- 6 miles in 55:42, 9:16/mile.

I took it really easy on this run and went with my roommate. It was really nice though because we went running after work and took a different route down on a rail trail near the river. Overall I felt good but my ankles were a little sore, probably from yesterday’s intense workout. My splits:

Mile 1 – 9:37
Mile 2 – 9:08
Mile 3 – 8:50
Mile 4 – 9:00
Mile 5 – 9:39
Mile 6 – 9:29

Friday- Rest and foam roll like cray cray.

Saturday- 20-mile long, slow distance in 3:07:00, 9:20/mile.

This was my last really long run of Big Sur Marathon training and it went flawlessly. I think with this run I finally nailed my fueling strategy and mental strategy. Make it to each 5-mile mark, fuel and then make it to the next 5-mile mark. I made my route a bit extra hilly this time too to make sure I was fully prepped for Big Sur. My pace was steady for the most part, besides getting a little slower around some of the really big hills in the middle. I finished really strong though so I was really proud of myself for that! Here are my splits:

(1) 9:39 (2) 9:01 (3) 9:02 (4) 9:14 (5) 9:22 (6) 9:35 (7) 9:23 (8) 9:14 (9) 9:45 (10) 9:28 (11) 9:44 (12) 9:41 (13) 9:19 (14) 9:25 (15) 9:35 (16) 9:57 (17) 9:19 (18) 9:17 (19) 9:08 (20) 8:49

Sunday- 4-mile recovery run in 36:00, 9:00/mile.

My legs felt pretty dead when I woke up after my 20-miler on Saturday but I had an easy shakeout run on the schedule. I went for a run on the trail with my roommate and once we got running my legs felt a little better. We maintained a conservative pace and then went for brunch so overall it was a really great day!

Mile 1 – 9:07/mile
Mile 2 – 8:53/mile
Mile 3 – 8:58/mile
Mile 4 – 9:04/mile

20 minutes of Yoga for Recovery sesh.

Total mileage: 40 miles.

See all training recaps here.

Big Sur Marathon Training: Week Ten

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

I had a huge week in training this past week. It was my peak mileage week of my entire training program and I ran my highest mileage for the whole week, logging 41 miles for a total of 172 miles for the month of March. That’s 42 miles more than my previous monthly mileage total. Best part? My legs aren’t completely dead! I thought they would be after this week but they’re still feeling good. My outdoor allergies kicked in this week though and that set me back on my paces a bit but pace isn’t too important for me right now since I’m just aiming to finish the marathon. Here are my workouts from last week:

Monday: Cross training day- 50 minutes of Vinyasa flow yoga. I went to a vinyasa flow yoga class at the Energy Center at work. It was a bit more intense than usual which was good because it really felt like a workout. We did a lot of hip openers and hamstring stretches which was just what I needed after last week’s training.

Tuesday: 7 miles easy in 1:03:00 at 9:09/mile pace.

I’ve been dealing with some bad allergies lately so the whole breathing part of this run was a bit difficult. But the weather was so absolutely gorgeous so that made the run very enjoyable. I had planned to split up my mileage today but when two co-workers said they wanted to do a full 7 miles during our lunch run, I jumped at the opportunity. My splits:

Mile 1 – 8:58/mile
Mile 2 – 8:54/mile
Mile 3 – 8:53/mile
Mile 4 – 9:01/mile
Mile 5 – 9:26/mile
Mile 6 – 9:22/mile
Mile 7 – 9:05/mile

Wednesday: Double workout day, two runs for a total of 7 miles.

Run 1 of 2- 5.15 miles in 46:00 at 8:55/mile pace. This run went really well, however my allergies are giving me tons of trouble in terms of breathing. I went out for a lunch run with my roommate and showed her the 5-mile loop we usually do during the day. I felt good the whole time but I’m starting to realize my pace is dependent on whether or not I have music- i.e. I run much faster when I’m listening to music than when I go without. I hate having this crutch but I’m also not willing to give it up just yet. My splits:

Mile 1 – 8:55/mile
Mile 2 – 8:54/mile
Mile 3 – 9:07/mile
Mile 4 – 9:04/mile
Mile 5 – 8:53/mile

Run 2 of 2 of the day for a total of 7.15 miles. I ran this one after work at the gym, on the dreadmill but it was good, easy and quick. I felt good the whole time.

Mile 1 – 8:34/mile
Mile 2 – 8:28/mile

30 minutes of strength training: arms, abs and hamstrings.

Thursday: 6 miles easy in 54:00 at 8:58/mile pace.

On this run, I learned running, breathing and allergies aren’t a good combo. Add strong headwinds to the mix and you’re in trouble. This was a kind of slow and generally uncomfortable run. My paces weren’t bad but I just felt like I was going in slow motion because of the wind and my struggle to breathe. My splits:

Mile 1 – 9:10/mile
Mile 2 – 9:03/mile
Mile 3 – 9:03/mile
Mile 4 – 8:57/mile
Mile 5 – 8:47/mile
Mile 6 – 8:47/mile

Friday: Rest and foam roll

Saturday: 17 miles in 2:43:00 at 9:35/mile.

This wasn’t the best run ever. My allergies were really giving me a hard time so breathing was a bit of an issue. I did everything I did last weekend for my 20-miler to prep for this one but it just wasn’t the same. At one point I contemplated cutting it really short because my hear just wasn’t in it. This taught me the meaning of “relentless forward motion.” Not every run is going to be great but if you can get it done that’s all that matters.

(1) 9:34 (2) 8:56 (3) 9:12 (4) 9:23 (5) 9:36 (6) 9:43 (7) 9:32 (8) 9:30 (9) 10:15 (10) 9:52 (11) 9:45 (12) 9:41 (13) 9:45 (14) 9:42 (15) 9:47 (16) 9:37 (17) 9:22

Sunday: 4-mile recovery run in 35:00 at 8:45/mile.

I really wanted to run today but when I was coming back from Philly this morning, I was just so tired and unmotivated to get out the door. I’m so glad I did though because the run was great and just what I needed to clear my mind. It’s really true, you never regret a run. My splits:

Mile 1 – 9:27
Mile 2 – 8:42
Mile 3 – 8:40
Mile 4 – 8:12

Weekly mileage total: 41 miles.

See all training recaps here.

Big Sur Marathon Training: Week Nine

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

“Everything is possible.”

I had a really, really good week of training for week nine. I’m still beaming actually! I logged my highest weekly mileage ever- 40 miles!- and tackled my very first 20-mile run and I’m happy to report it went flawlessly, much better than last week’s 17-miler. I was nervous going into training at the beginning of the week because my legs were noticeably fatigued from the racing/long run combo the weekend before but as the week went on, I felt myself getting stronger and better yet, more confident with my running. Here are my workouts from week nine:

Monday: Yoga- I did the Lululemon Yoga for Runners (Recovery)

Tuesday: 4 miles in 33:58 at 8:29/mile pace.

I was happy the weather cleared in time for my lunch run. It actually ended up being really sunny and nice for the whole run. I wanted to take it easy after my crazy weekend of running last weekend but I went a little faster than anticipated. My right ankle has been a little sore though so I’m going to need to do some serious foam rolling and icing later on tonight. My splits:

Mile 1 – 8:55/mile
Mile 2 – 8:37/mile
Mile 3 – 8:35/mile
Mile 4 – 7:50/mile

Wednesday: First run of the day was a hill workout- 6 miles (two ginormous hills) in 58:34 at 9:45/mile.

I forced myself to do a hill workout because I hadn’t done one in a few weeks (although most of my runs involve significant hills). We usually run this huge hill in the back of our office building but this time we did that, went down the backside of the mountain and then ran back up- two hills for the price of… well, two huge hills. It was hard and I had to walk some of the first hill but I’m really proud to report I didn’t walk ANY of the second hill!

Mile 1 – 9:07/mile (warmup)
Mile 2 – 11:27/mile (first hill and lots of walking)
Mile 3 – 10:29/mile (still on the first hill, less walking)
Mile 4 – 9:59/mile (second hill, no walking)
Mile 5 – 9:01/mile
Mile 6 – 8:32/mile

Second run: Easy 1 mile on the treadmill in 8:40 followed by strengthening exercises.

Day total: 7 miles in 1:07

Thursday: 5.05 miles in 44:22 at 8:47/mile pace.

This run was neither here nor there. It was a good pace and I felt good but my right ankle was still a little funky. I’ll keep foam rolling and icing. My splits:

Mile 1 – 8:56/mile
Mile 2 – 8:45/mile
Mile 3 – 8:47/mile
Mile 4 – 8:51/mile
Mile 5 – 8:36/mile

Friday: Rest and ice my ankle.

Saturday: 20 miles in 3:06:18 at 9:18/mile pace.

This was my first 20-miler of my marathon training and my longest distance ever. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous for this but I felt oddly calm before heading out. My legs felt amazing the whole time, no hip or ankle pain! In a lot of my long runs the last two miles are the worst because my legs are just done but that wasn’t the case for the 20-miler. I also couldn’t believe the pace I was able to maintain despite all of the hills on my run. Here are my splits:

(1) 9:29 (2) 8:54 (3) 9:11 (4) 9:08 (5) 9:17 (6) 9:16 (7) 9:13 (8) 9:03 (9) 9:44 (10) 9:43 (11) 9:38 (12) 9:30 (13) 9:21 (14) 9:10 (15) 9:30 (16) 9:15 (17) 9:28 (18) 9:07 (19) 9:04 (20) 9:16

Elevation gain: ~400 feet

Sunday: 4 mile shakeout run in 36:00 at 8:57/mile pace.

When I woke up my legs were DOMS city post long run but I had a 4-mile easy shakeout on my schedule. I thought it was going to be super slow but once I got going my legs actually started to feel better. I am now a big believer in the post long run shakeout. My splits:

Mile 1 – 9:32/mile
Mile 2 – 8:56/mile
Mile 3 – 8:54/mile
Mile 4 – 8:29/mile

Weekly mileage total: 40 miles.

See all weekly training recaps here.

Big Sur Marathon Training: Week Eight

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

A prerace photo with my friends before the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day 10-K!

This past week was a great one for training. I was able to get in all my training runs, including my first ever attempt at Yasso 800s and my first 10-K (race). I also was able to go back to Massachusetts for the weekend to spend time with my close friends and family and honestly, it was the most perfect weekend. I couldn’t have asked for a better week of running and I hope this week will be the same! Here are my workouts:

Monday: Cross-training day. I went to metabolic boot camp at the gym after work. It was no-repeats Monday and we did four circuits with five different exercises for 40 seconds on and 20 seconds off.

Tuesday: Easy 5-miler in 44:00 at 8:52/mile pace.

I thought this run was going to be awful because for one, it was on the treadmill, and secondly, I forgot my headphones and there’s nothing worse than running 5 miles on the treadmill with only Sports Center on repeat to keep you entertained. So, I decided to entertain myself by running intervals. During ever commercial break I cranked the speed up to 7.1 mph and during the show I ran at 6.6 mph. This kept be entertained enough to make it through the run feeling great.

Wednesday: Easy 3-mile in 25:12 at 8:24/mile pace.

This was a really great, short lunchtime run. My shorter distance runs are starting to get much faster and what’s even better is the faster average pace is feeling easier. I think after Big Sur, during the summer, I’m going to focus on shorter distance races and trying to get faster overall. My splits:

Mile 1 – 8:32/mile
Mile 2 – 8:23/mile
Mile 3 – 8:16/mile

Thursday: Yasso 800s- 7 miles with 6×800 at goal marathon time, in 1:01:00 at 8:42/mile pace.

My first ever attempt at Yasso 800s was a success! (And that’s a good thing because Bart himself came over to my cubicle on Thursday to make fun of me for never having done them) My training plan called for 7 miles with 6×800 at pace. I ran this on the treadmill because I don’t have access to a track and I thought it would be the best way to make sure I hit my pace.

1-mile warmup at 9:22/mile pace.
6×800 at 4:00 with 200m in between at an easy pace.
1.5-mile cool down.

Friday: Rest day!

Saturday: Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Road Race (10-K) – Official finish time 53:55 at 8:34/mile pace. Came in 1787 out of 5777 (top 30 percent!) overall and 332 out of 1657 for my age group (women 2-39 years old) which was top 20 percent!

I ran my first 10-K ever Saturday and while I wasn’t trying to race it I ended up doing pretty well! The course was extremely hilly which I thought would be hard but didn’t turn out to be too bad except for the final hill right before the finish. My splits:

Mile 1 – 9:14/mile
Mile 2 – 9:22/mile
Mile 3 – 8:55/mile
Mile 4 – 8:42/mile
Mile 5 – 7:41/mile
Mile 6 – 7:56/mile
Mile 7 – 2:03/mile (for 0.28)

Sunday: 17-mile long, slow distance in 2:49:00 at 9:56/mile pace.

Probably wasn’t the best idea to run my long run the day after racing but lesson-learned. It was really great though to get to run with my cousin Paige and my friend Lindsey. We took it really easy because we were all tired from yesterday’s 10-K that we promised we wouldn’t race but ended up racing anyway. It was also a tough route we ended up choosing because there were a ton of hills but it was a really nice run. The wind set us back a bit too but overall, a great run with great friends.

Total mileage: 38 miles

See all training recaps here.

Big Sur Marathon Training: Week Seven

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

Photo from Sunday’s recovery run through Trexler Park.

Another week down, another week closer to the starting line. Training went really well this week. It included an early morning run, speedy mile splits, yoga, a glorious long run and shorts! The weather over the weekend was absolutely gorgeous and has put me in the best mood (despite losing an hour of sleep). While this warm weather is not here to stay for very long it gave us all a taste of what’s to come: SPRING! Here is a recap of my workouts last week:

Monday: XT – Did a 50-minute yoga class at the gym at work. This class was a bit more challenging than one’s I’ve done in the past- which was a good thing. She had us doing a bunch of hip openers and twists which felt so good. Nice way to start off the week!

Tuesday: Easy 7 miles in 1:03:00 at 9:00/mile pace.

This was my longest pre-work run ever and honestly it felt great! I’m sitting in my cubicle now and I feel like I’ve already accomplished so much today! The run itself was really great too. I went out sans music because it was still kind of dark and I didn’t want to risk getting hit by a car. My splits were pretty good too which was really great. Overall, awesome run!

Mile 1 – 9:39/mile
Mile 2 – 8:59/mile
Mile 3 – 9:05/mile
Mile 4 – 9:24/mile
Mile 5 – 9:01/mile
Mile 6 – 8:52/mile
Mile 7 – 8:44/mile

Wednesday: 4-mile lunch run in 32:30 at 8:07/mile pace.

My lunch run went much better than anticipated. I thought it was going to be terrible, especially since there was supposedly a huge snowstorm coming and it decided to be super windy/rainy/snowy during my whole run. Alas, it was a great run and I don’t know where this speed is coming from on my shorter runs but I’m not complaining! My splits were:

Mile 1 – 8:35/mile
Mile 2 – 8:07/mile
Mile 3 – 8:15/mile
Mile 4 – 7:38/mile

Thursday: 7 miles total for the day, broken up into two runs.

Run 1 of 2: 5 miles in 45:16 at 8:52/mile pace. This was the first run of the day at lunchtime. I felt really good during this run and my paces were really great. I took it easy but I’m starting to notice what now feels like an easy pace is actually a lot faster than I’m used to. I had to do a total of 7 miles for the day but unfortunately for me, that’s too much for a lunch run. My splits were:

Mile 1 – 9:01/mile
Mile 2 – 8:51/mile
Mile 3 – 9:02/mile
Mile 4 – 8:51/mile
Mile 5 – 8:44/mile

Run 2 0f 2: 2 miles in 18:00 at 9:00/mile pace. This was the second run of the day, after work and on the treadmill. I took it really easy with the pace because I’ll admit, I’m afraid to run fast on the treadmill. My legs felt good though and it was a nice, easy run to wrap up the day.

30 minutes of strength training- Arms and core exercises.

Friday: Rest day- foam rolling and stretching

Saturday: 16 miles in 2:28:24 at 9:16/mile pace. (My last 16-miler was completed in 2:34:00- HUGE improvement!)

This run was absolutely AMAZING! It was a whole 6 minutes faster than my last 16-miler AND I set a half-marathon PR of 2:01 during the first 13-miles, who does that?! Seriously though, I needed this after last week’s terrible 12-mile run. I felt great the whole time, the weather was an unbelievable 55 degrees and sunny, and I think I finally got my fueling down (although I wouldn’t have minded more water). I went out a little fast to start but scaled back my pace in the middle to remain pretty consistent. Splits:

(1) 9:16

(2) 8:49

(3) 8:58

(4) 9:09

(5) 9:18

(6) 9:18

(7) 9:06

(8) 9:26

(9) 9:22

(10) 9:25

(11) 9:21

(12) 9:47 (humongous hill)

(13) 9:26

(14) 9:25

(15) 9:24

(16) 8:54

Sunday: 3.35 mile recovery run in 31:00 at 9:15/mile pace. I went for a nice recovery run through a local park with my roommate. It was just too beautiful out and instead of going on my normal running route, my roommate suggested we check out a park nearby instead. The park was PACKED with runners, cyclists, families and puppies. So fun!

Total mileage: 37 miles

See all training recaps here.