Big Sur Marathon Training: Week Six

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

My fast 3-miler!

I can’t believe I’m already halfway through my training for Big Sur! I know it says I’m only at week six, but I picked up the training program two weeks in so I’m really at week eight. Since it’s the halfway point, this week was a cut back week in terms of mileage and long run distance. I thought this would be a much needed break, which it really was, but my long run ended up being a lot harder than I had expected it to be- and it was “only” 12 miles! I ran my runs in my new Brooks Ravenna 4s and I really like them. I was desperately in need of new shoes, and was having the ankle pain to prove it, so it was good to get in some new kicks.

Monday: XT – Today was a cross training day so I went to metabolic boot camp. It was no repeats Monday which means we did 4 circuits of 5 different exercises. I felt really good though!

Tuesday: Easy 5 miles in 46:38 minutes at 9:08/mile.

Today was my first run wearing my new Brooks Ravenna 4s and I really liked them! I maintained an easy pace- legs were a little sore after last night’s bootcamp- but overall the run was really good. It was actually kind of warm out which was a nice change!

I finally figured out how to view mile splits on my Garmin thanks to Laura, so now I’ll be posting them :)
Mile 1- 9:28/mile
Mile 2- 9:03/mile
Mile 3- 9:06/mile
Mile 4- 9:18/mile
Mile 5- 9:05/mile

Wednesday: 8 miles total for the day, split up in two different runs.

Run 1 of 2: This is the really tough hill workout I’ve been doing to prep for Big Sur. It has the same elevation gain as Big Sur’s Hurricane Point, but it’s over a mile instead of two miles- so steeper but shorter. I’m noticing some huge improvements though, not just with this workout but with my other runs as well. I hadn’t done this workout however in over 2 weeks so I wasn’t sure how it would go but it was definitely my best attempt yet! I ran more of the hill than I’ve been able to before and wasn’t as tired. Here were my splits:

Mile 1 (warmup) – 9:19
Mile 2 – 9:39
Mile 3 (hill with some walking) – 12:01
Mile 4 – 9:13
Mile 5 – 8:54
Mile 6 (.4) – 3:44

Run 2 of 2: 2.6 miles in 24:00 at 9:13/mile. This run was super easy and on the treadmill at the gym. Felt good the whole time.

Thursday: “easy” 3-mile run in 24:30 at 8:09/mile.

Ask me where these paces came from and I honestly could not tell you- I guess I just felt like running really fast? I know it was just a 3-mile run (that’s all my training plan called for on Thursday) but my paces were my fastest ever. Here are my splits:

Mile 1 – 8:27/mile
Mile 2 – 8:16/mile
Mile 3 – 7:48/mile (yeah, that happened)

Also, I went to a 45 minute gentle flow yoga class after work. I’ve been trying to incorporate much more yoga into my training and so far it’s definitely helping.

Friday: REST DAY!

Saturday: 12 miles, long, slow distance. 12.35 miles in 1:58 at 9:33/mile. I felt kind of sick to my stomach during this whole run. I think I might not have given myself enough time between breakfast and when I left for my run but I just felt gross. Also, I went to bed way too late last night and was really tired. My splits were less than impressive and I had to walk a few times. Why does it seem like the shorter long runs are harder than the long, long runs?
(1) 9:44
(2) 9:08
(3) 9:18
(4) 9:32
(5) 9:25
(6) 9:35
(7) 9:31
(8) 9:52
(9) 9:48
(10) 10:18 – eek!
(11) 10:09 – eek #2!
(12) 9:16
(13) 3:09

Also, I did a 10 minute post-run yoga workout by lululemon.

Sunday: easy 3-mile shakeout in 29:00 at 9:39/mile. I ran with my friend Cassie and although it was pretty cold at first, we warmed up quickly and had a great run.

I finished the day with a short post-run yoga sequence.

Total mileage: 31 miles

See all training recaps here.

Big Sur Marathon Training: Week Five

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

Pre-rainy long run selfie!

Training went really well this week and I didn’t have any problems getting my runs in. I had my first two-a-days experience because I had to run 7 miles on Wednesday, which is too much for a lunch run so I split up my runs. I also adjusted my training plan because the plan I was following had me run three 20-milers between now and Big Sur and after consulting with a bunch of my coworkers, I thought it would be best to cut it down to two 20-milers. I want to make sure I make it to the starting line injury-free and not burned out. I’m looking forward to this week’s runs though because I bought new running shoes (Brooks Ravenna 4s) and I can’t wait to try them out!

Monday: Cross-training day. I did a 20-minute yoga for recovery class from Lululemon to recover from my 18-miler the day before. I also did 15 minutes of ab exercises which included planks, plank variations, Russian twists and crunches.

Tuesday: 5 miles in 47:00 at 9:12/mile pace. I had 5 miles at easy pace on my schedule for Tuesday and I decided to do them on the treadmill because it was raining/snowing/sleeting and I just didn’t feel like getting soaked.

Wednesday: 7 miles total at easy pace. I split this into two runs, I ran 4 miles at lunch and finished in 33:58 at 8:29/mile pace. This was an amazing run and felt really great. I surprised myself with my pace but it didn’t feel like I was really pushing it, it actually felt kind of comfortable. I then ran 3 miles after work in 27:20 at 9:00/mile pace. I also did some ab exercises and arm strengthening exercises.

Thursday: 5.6 miles in 51:00 at 9:06/mile. This was a really great lunch run with two of my coworkers. We did a new running route which was nice because we usually stick to the same loop.

Friday: Rest and foam roll!

Saturday: 15 miles, long slow distance, in 2:20:38 at 9:22/mile pace. This was by far the best long run I’ve had for this training cycle. Despite the dreary weather, it was misting pretty heavily during my whole run, I felt really great. My legs felt fresh, I didn’t have to stop or walk at all and my pace was really solid the whole time. I also conquered all of the hills of this run without a problem.

Sunday: 20 minutes of yoga for recovery, foam roll and planks.

Weekly Mileage Totals: 33 miles

See all training recaps here.

Big Sur Marathon Training: Week Four

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

I was a bit nervous about training this week because my work week/schedule was a little hectic. While my workouts didn’t exactly happen in the correct order, I got all of them done and had my highest mileage week ever and ran another distance PR with my 18-mile long run. I’m hoping this upcoming week will be a little better in terms of my schedule but I’m learning to not be so rigid with the training plan, if I have to swap training runs, it’s not the end of the world! Here are my workouts from this past week:

Monday: Cross-training day. I took a 50 minute flow yoga class at the gym at work. Because I ran my long run the day before, I was a bit sore still so I thought doing a yoga class would be a good way to relax and stretch out my muscles. I definitely need to work on my flexibility but I really enjoyed this class. I also did 15 minutes of ab exercises which included planks, crunches and other exercises.

Tuesday: Easy 5-miles in 47:15 at 9:26/mile pace. My legs were definitely still feeling the 16-miler from the weekend before so I took it slow on this run. I also tried out a different route which was a lot hillier than my normal 5-mile lunch run route but it was good to mix it up. I also did about 10 minutes of planks when I got home.

Wednesday: 4.15 miles in 39:00 at 9:23/mile. My legs were still tired and I was just actually tired because I went running before work. I haven’t gotten up to run before work since the summer but it did feel really good to get my run done for the day. Also, I ran with my roommate which was really great because if it weren’t for her it would have been much easier to press the snooze button when my alarm went off!

Thursday: I was supposed to do a 5-mile run with 4x800s at marathon pace but my day at work was so hectic I couldn’t run at lunch. I wanted to run after work but when I got home and ran to the track, it was locked and the lights were off. So, no run. Instead I did a 30-minute power yoga session online and ab exercises. I was pretty bummed I missed my workout but it was out of my control so there wasn’t much I could do about it.

Friday: 5-miles in 44:00 at 8:48/mile pace. Since I was angry with myself for missing my workout the day before, I went balls to the wall with this 5-miler. My average pace was 8:48/mile but my last 3 miles were hovering around 8:20/mile and 8:30/mile which was really good for me, especially during a middle distance run. I felt SO much better after this run!

Saturday: Easy 3 miles in 26:52 at 8:57/mile pace. I switched my long run from Saturday to Sunday because I had to cover the Millrose Games in NYC for Runner’s World on Saturday evening and knew if I ran my long run the same day, I would be absolutely dead. So, I opted for an easy shakeout with my roommate and it went really well!

Sunday: 18 miles in 2:58:00 at 9:52/mile pace. Another distance PR this weekend with my long run! It definitely wasn’t easy though. My legs felt pretty dead from standing at the Millrose Games all day the day before and I didn’t realize how much that would affect me. Also, the wind was incredible during this run (20mph+) and it was VERY cold. But, I powered through it and finished the run strong. I was really proud of myself too because I ran by myself which is definitely not easy, especially towards the end of the run when my mind is trying to give up. Besides my tired legs, I felt pretty good throughout the run. I wish my pace had been a bit faster but the wind was just too much and I had a headwind the entire second half. Overall, good run!

Weekly Mileage Total: 35 miles

See all training recaps here.

Big Sur Marathon Training: Week Three

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

#PROOF

Training went really really well this week! I hit some major milestones including my highest mileage week ever and I ran my longest long run ever- 16 miles! This was a really huge deal for me because it hasn’t even been a year since I started running (my run-iversary is March 8). It’s insane to see how far I’ve come in such a short amount of time.

I was also able to maintain my strength-training with boot camp, incorporate more ab exercises, and maintain my yoga practice, which was great. I also tackled the major hill workout again and saw improvement. It’s all up from here! Here are my workouts from this week:

Monday: Cross-training day- Did 45 minutes of metabolic boot camp at the gym and was able to increase the weights I was using from last week.

Tuesday: 3 miles easy in 26:19 at 8:46/mile. I did an easy lunch run with the whole Runner’s World crew after we finished out RW Building Run-Up (in honor of the Empire State Building Run-Up). I was second place female, no big deal. Really it wasn’t a big deal but it was fun.

Wednesday: 5.3 miles in 54:00. This was the crazy hill workout again on 10th Street. I definitely felt an improvement climbing the hills this week over last week. I still had to walk about half of the inclines but was able to run more of it than the first time. Progress is all I ask for!

Thursday: 4 miles easy in 34:40 or 8:39/mile. Ran during lunch with two of the other RW ladies and had a really great run! I always run faster with them which is nice. I also did 45 minutes of a gentle flow yoga class after work. The instructor mixed it up this time and did some newer poses that felt really great.

Friday: Rest and foam roll.

Saturday: 3.11 miles at 9:38/mile. My roommate and I decided to brave the Storm Nemo ravaged roads in PA (they weren’t that bad just really slushy) and go for a run. I was supposed to do my long run on Saturday but because the road conditions weren’t great I opted to switch it to Sunday. There was almost no shoulder on the road because the plows didn’t do the best job of removing snow so we ran on the snow almost the whole time, which slowed us down considerably but overall it was a great run.

Sunday: 16 miles in 2:34:00 at 9:38/mile. This was my longest run ever and I felt surprisingly really good for the whole run. I wasn’t nervous going into the run because I repeated my mantra to prepare myself mentally, “Settle in for the ride.” My legs felt good and it wasn’t too cold so it was a lot better than last weekend’s long run. The route I took was really hilly but I surprised myself and was able to run all of the hills with no problem. The only time I doubted myself was at the very end, during the last 1.5 miles. I think I was just realizing how close I was to being done that I started to realize how tired I was. I think next weekend on my long run I need to fuel better. I only took one GU and some gummy bears, maybe two GUs next time? Live and learn, that’s what long slow distance training runs are all about! Overall, it felt amazing and I was really proud of myself!

Elevation chart for the 16-miler.

Weekly Mileage Total: 32 miles

See all training recaps here.

Big Sur Marathon Training: Week Two

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

Week two of training went really well. It was a lower mileage week than week one but that wasn’t bad because next week is going to be pretty intense- I’ll be hitting my longest run ever and I think highest mileage week ever.

I did well integrating strength training into my training this week however I would really like to start getting back into doing more ab work, especially planks. Over the summer I was able to do a 4-minute plank and now I struggle to hit 1:30. That needs to change. Here are my workouts from this week:

Monday: Cross-training day. I went to a 45 minute boot camp class at our gym at work. We did a lot of different strengthening exercises. I was still a bit sore from my 14-miler the day before so the instructor, Kari, gave me some modifications.

Tuesday: Easy 3 miles in 26:40 at 8:53/mile. Ok, this was a little faster than “easy” pace but I ran half of it with some of my speedier coworkers and when I left them to run the other half, I felt really good so I decided to keep up the pace.

Wednesday: 5.2 miles in 51:26 at 9:58/mile (hill workout). This was my really, really tough hill workout that I wrote about earlier this week. This hill is no joke and takes no prisoners. I’m going to incorporate this hill into my training as much as possible throughout my training schedule because it will get me in the best shape possible to conquer Hurricane Point at Big Sur.

Thursday: 3.25 miles in 28:29 at 8:45/mile. Again, faster than I should have run but I felt good and it was freezing so I wanted to be done fast.

Also, I did a 45 minute Gentle Flow yoga class after work- perfect way to finish off my runs for the weekdays.

Friday: REST and foam roll.

Saturday: 10 miles long slow distance in 1:35:39 at 9:33/mile. This run was probably the coldest run I’ve ever experienced. It was not fun or enjoyable and breathing was really hard. Besides it being uncomfortable, I got the miles in and my pace was pretty good. My hips were super tight though for the rest of the day but I think that had to do with the cold.

Sunday: 4 mile recovery run in 39:00 at 9:33/mile. I’ll admit, I was supposed to run a 10-K today but after my long run on Saturday, my hips were still tight, the ground was blanketed in snow and I didn’t want to risk hurting myself at a race I didn’t plan on actually “Racing” just because I signed up for it a few months ago. So, I opted out and I’m not ashamed. I had a good run (albeit it was SUPER snowy and icy on the roads) with the roomie instead and that was fine by me.

Weekly Mileage Totals: 25 miles

See all training recaps here.

Big Sur Marathon Training: Week One

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

Running in the cold isn’t too bad when you have a cute outfit!

Week one of training for the Big Sur International Marathon went really well despite this week being record-breaking, and bone-chillingly cold! I successfully completed all of the runs on my training schedule and only one of them was on the treadmill.

I’m not sure I mentioned what training plan I’m using yet but since I’m running Big Sur with the Runner’s World Challenge, I’ve opted to train according to the Runner’s World First-Timers plan. While this is a beginner’s marathon training plan it’s designed for runners who have already run at least one half-marathon (I’ve run two) and consistently run five times a week. This plan was perfect for me because when I was looking at other beginner plans, many of them have you running only three to four times a week and with little to know hill or speed work. I am going to need hill workouts for Big Sur to make sure I’m adequately ready for Hurricane Point and the other monstrous hills along the route, but I also need speed work (in my case Yasso 800s) to keep my endurance up.

Also, since my plan is a 16-week training plan, I had to “officially” start on week three of the plan because there was overlap with the Disney Half-Marathon. But, I had a pretty solid base so there shouldn’t be a problem on the go forward. Here were my workouts last week:

Monday: Rest- I usually cross-train on Mondays but I was driving home from Massachusetts for my birthday weekend so I didn’t have time.

Tuesday: Easy 3 miles at 9:20/mile (28:00)- ran this during lunch and it was absolutely freezing outside! I’m talking 18 degrees with a feels like temperature of about 9 degrees and 15 mph winds. COLD. But I did it anyways and felt great after.

Wednesday: Easy 5 miles at 9:43/mile (48:40)- I folded on this run and decided to do it on the treadmill. I hate treadmill running for two reasons- 1. It’s the treadmill; and, 2. I ran much slower on the treadmill because I’m afraid of tripping. I wanted to get the mileage in and my co-workers keep reminding me that my easy runs should always be run at an easy pace, painfully easy. So, I guess the treadmill is a good way to ensure I’m taking it easy.

Thursday: Easy 3 miles at 8:39/mile (26:00) and 45 minutes of Gentle Flow Yoga- Oops, so much for that easy pacing. I did a 3-miler again during lunch but it was so cold, I couldn’t help but speeding up to get inside faster! I felt really good though and enjoyed the run more than Tuesday’s run. I also did yoga with a Megan and Cait after work. None of us are fantastic yogis (although I’m really trying to do more of it!) but we all wanted to try out a class offered by our work. I thought it was a great class, although I wouldn’t have minded it to be a bit more intense but I guess that’s what Gentle Flow means.

Friday: Rest and foam roll

Saturday: Easy 3 miles at 9:16/mile (28:00)- I was supposed to do my long run on Saturday but after we had some snow in the Lehigh Valley on Friday night, which turned to ice overnight, I decided not to leave me fate at the hands of the Valley’s snowplows (or lack there of) and reschedule my long run for Sunday. I was going to take the day off completely but the sun came out in the afternoon and I was itching to head out. Luckily I was able to get my roomie to come out with me. It was one of the best runs I’ve had in awhile because we were able to just chat and enjoy the roads to ourselves.

Sunday: 14 mile long slow distance at 9:34/mile (2:14:00)- Dun, dun, dun! The Long Run! This was my first long run of Big Sur training and my longest run since last September when I attempted the 14 mile distance with my cousin and friend. However, this time I was running solo and it felt amazing! I wasn’t really nervous about this run going into it. It was going to be cold, but I bundled up, and it was going to be long but I was prepared. While my route was much hillier than anticipated, I tackled the majority of the hills with no problems at all. Honestly, I was impressed with myself. My route took me all around town and included about two miles of trails along the river which was really relaxing. I felt my pace was comfortable and was amazed that I ran the full 14 miles faster than my first half-marathon time!

Weekly Mileage Total: 28 miles

I hope everyone else’s training went well this week. Happy running!

See all training recaps here.

Disney Half-Marathon Recovery

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Hannah McGoldrick

This past week I aired on the side of rest to prep for Big Sur Marathon training to begin this week. I wanted to give my body a chance to rest a bit following last weekend’s half-marathon before ramping up my mileage again for marathon training. One of my co-workers, Jen, who runs our Runner’s World Challenge program, tweeted this from the @rwchallenge Twitter account last week:

I took it as a sign and ran only three times total last week- my lowest mileage week in a long time. But I’m not dwelling on it because my body needed that rest more than I thought. However, I was able to get in one long run which will be good to keep my fitness up.

Monday- 45 minute boot camp class at the Energy Center- this class was really good because I need to get back into strength training more. I used low weights and the instructor gave me some modifications because she knew I ran the half-marathon last Saturday.

Tuesday- 3 miles on the treadmill- I wanted to do an easy few miles to see how my legs were feeling post-half. They felt great when I was actually running but after I was finished they were sore.

Wednesday- Did yoga for recovery- I planned on running but decided not to because my quads were still really stiff from running.

Thursday- 3 miles easy during lunch- This run felt really great. I kept an easy pace, although I didn’t actually track the run with my watch, and just got out to shake out my legs.

Friday- REST- I decided to make an impromptu trip back to Massachusetts this weekend because I thought, once marathon training really gets going, who knows when I’ll be able to get home. So, I spent most of Friday driving.

Saturday- REST- When I’m home, I like to spend as much time with my family as possible and on Saturday, that meant spending the day in Boston with my mom and sister. We did a lot of walking though, so maybe I got some miles in!

Sunday- 10 mile long run- I was determined to get a long run in this weekend and I did today. I ran 10 miles easy and my pace ended up being even slower than easy pace for me because the 20-30mph winds with gusts of 50-60mph made it REALLY difficult to run any faster! I felt really good though, didn’t have to walk at all and the weather was beautiful! Also, it’s my birthday so I was really excited to get some miles in!

Big Sur training officially begins this week and I’m really excited to keep y’all up-to-date! Happy running!