Boulder Spring Half

Hello!

I had a great weekend where I ended up bagging 23 miles total, including a 16 miler. That makes for the longest long run that I've done since Grandma's Marathon last June. All of this inspired me to finally sign up for the half marathon that I've been working towards. It is the Boulder Spring Half.

I'm very excited to finally run a race again. When it comes to long runs, I'll definitely be okay. Of course I did the 16 miler today and plan to do one more 16 and a 17 miler before the race. However, my overall run volume and speed work leave something to be desired. Since today was the last day of Febulous (the MarathonTalk competition), I signed up for Marchvellous. For Marchvellous, participants must choose a race distance and an estimated finish time. I chose 1:51:00 for a PR of 40ish seconds. I think that is possible. It may seem a bit strange to shoot for a PR at altitude on questionable training. However, I think my half PR is a bit soft. It's actually from a half I did two weeks before the Lakefront Marathon, so it really wasn't a race effort. It'll be great to finally get out there and really go for it for the first time in a long time.

Happy Running!
Jen

My first encounter with the Green Monster...

Wow...I really thought that I had blogged in December! I guess not...

To catch up: I survived my first semester of grad school and got a 4.0 instead of flunking out. Whew. So far this semester I'm much less stressed and tired. I also found a great dirt and gravel running path. I am planning on running a half marathon here in Boulder at the end of March, although I have yet to sign up for it. I hope to run the Steamboat Marathon in June, but since I don't know if I'll be here for the summer (an internship may take me elsewhere), that is all still up in the air.

Regarding the Green Monster: I don't mean Fenway or some sort of mountain creature. I am referring to the spinach-based smoothie that has become quite popular among running and fitness bloggers and podcasters lately. Spinach, I know...as much as I love it, I couldn't really see it in a smoothie. But, it's actually quite good. I made my first Green Monster smoothie after my 12-miler today. Recipes vary, but this is what I did.

Green Monster

2 cups spinach

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1.25 cups almond milk

1 banana

1/2 TBSP flaxseed

1 serving Spirutein vanilla protein powder

3 ice cubes

Put everything in the blender and blend baby blend!

Admittedly it looks a bit strange, especially because the blueberry skins create black specks in the smoothie. When I poured it into a glass, Joe said, "What are you torturing yourself with?". But, it is actually very good, not to mention nutritious. I'm not typically a fan of protein shakes or powders, but I picked up a single serving package at Natural Grocers yesterday and it seemed like a good post-run recovery drink.

It looked like this.

I had a great run today as well. There is really nothing like being able to run in shorts at the end of January with a view of the Rockies the entire way.

Happy Running!

Jen

Winter Wardrobe Two for One

Hi!

Two very different running workouts for two very different days.

Yesterday:
Same outfit as the previous day (shorts, long sleeved wicking shirt, thin gloves) plus a hat this time. The weather was great and I was comfortable even though I had to stop for some potty breaks (Butler, not me!). I was even warm enough to push up the sleeves. It was 39 degrees Fahrenheit and 32 degrees with windchill.

Today:
Cold and windy! I had on my Under Armour running tights, long sleeved wicking shirt from the Lakefront Marathon, burgundy running jacket, thicker mittens and a hat. The first mile was a bit tough just remembering what winter running is all about and getting warmed up. After that, it wasn't bad at all. The temperature was 19 degrees Fahrenheit or 5 degrees with the windchill factored in.

Jen

Winter Running Wardrobe

Hi!

Every year when it starts to get cold again, I don't remember how to properly dress for various temperatures. This year is the same-old-same-old, although compared to Wisconsin it's stayed warmer later. So, I decided to start keeping track of my running wardrobe on the blog.

Tonight is was 35 degrees Fahrenheit with a "Feels Like" (factoring in windchill) temperature of 28 degrees. It was sort of windy. I wore shorts, my long sleeve wicking shirt from the St. Louis Marathon and thin gloves. I would have worn a hat, but I forgot it. I was chilly at first, but overall the apparel choices were good. I did get a bit of a brain freeze due to the lack of hat, but other than that it was fine.

Jen

Vegan Experiment: Over

Hi!

So, the vegan experiment lasted a few days left than I had hoped. On Thursday I had a physiology midterm, three more classes and a meeting to work on a physiology project. I sort of developed a habit of getting a mocha before seminar on Thursdays to keep me alert. I caved and had one this week. It gave me a HORRIBLE stomach ache, so I guess that's what I deserved!

While I definitely don't plan to become a vegan, there were some definite positive points.

Positives:
-I definitely had to add more veggies to meals to get something really flavorful. Sometimes I think cheese acts as a crutch in this way.
-Most of my meals did end up really healthy.
-Obviously the carbon footprint of my meals for the 10 days was improved.

Negatives:
-I didn't necessarily feel any better than normal and one dish I made really upset my stomach.
-I was still eating some junky, process stuff like pretzels.
-Most chocolate includes dairy. Enough said!

I'll definitely be including a lot of vegan meals in the future, although I'm happy to have dairy back in my life for now. Especially since Thanksgiving is next week!

Jen

Winter is here!

Hi!

So it seems that winter has finally arrived in Boulder. It finally actually got cold out and I'm kind of surprised at the amount of complaining that I've heard. Seriously people-it's November and there have been about three days so far where I've really needed a coat. These are people that probably have some sort of crazy hobby like cliff diving and yet they are troubled by temperatures below 40 degrees F. The temperature drop was pretty sudden though, and that probably contributes to everyone's unhappiness about it. We also set the clocks back last week and now it is dark so early. I can take the cold, but the darkness...ugh.

I actually had to pull out the tights for two runs this week. Today, however, was about 40 degrees midday and so I got to wear shorts again. Probably about 30 degrees F is my shorts to tights/pants transition point. The two runs this week were borderline. I was a bit overdressed, but I probably would have been chilly in shorts.

I got an exam back this week that I did very well on (well above the average) so that kind of made my week. Of course, my fluid mechanics exam last week was a different story, but anyway...

I missed running Tuesday and Wednesday this week due to fatigue, school and some amount of laziness. I had a great run this morning though and have high hopes for a decent "long" run tomorrow. I need to figure out a better long run path here. One of my favorite paths here is great in a lot of ways, but it runs out at about 3.5 miles. I prefer to be able to run half of the total distance out and then just turn around.

I'd like to run a winter half, but so far I haven't had any luck finding a local one. This seems a bit hard to believe, so hopefully something will pop up.

I only have a few more week of this semester and I am so looking forward to it being over. Winter break here I come!

Happy Running!

Jen

Vegan Experiment

Hi!

I'm not a vegetarian, but I do eat vegetarian most of the time. This is for a few reasons. Probably the number one reason is that I'm just not a huge meat fan. The second reason is that meat is sort of expensive. Especially the free-range, organic, etc. meat that I'm actually tempted to eat. Third, my carbon footprint is greatly reduced by not eating meat. I've never wanted to strictly be a vegetarian though, because that becomes a hassle when having dinner at other people's houses, weddings, etc., and because I'm not actually opposed to eating meat so I don't see a need to be restrictive.

I recently started using almond milk in place of regular milk. I had seen it in the store for weeks, but I was afraid to try it because it was only available in 1/2 gallon containers and had the potential to be awful. Finally I risked wasting the $3 and went for it. Turns out that it is delicious! Since I no longer needed regular milk for my oats, it got me thinking about veganism. There are quite a few vegans in the running community and in Boulder in particular (for anyone who wasn't aware, Boulder is pretty hippied out). So, I'm giving it a try for a few weeks. I mostly just want to see what it's like to eat this way. It also better environmentally, which is nice because the local produce will be dying out soon and thus my fruits and veggies will be shipped in from who knows where. Of course, if I like it and am feeling good, maybe it'll stick, although I'll never really be a true vegan or vegetarian. I am from the dairy state afterall, and let's face it: cheese is delicious!

I hope to keep this up strictly for at least two weeks. Hopefully I'm not singing a different tune tomorrow, lol.

Happy Eating and Running!

Jen

Stress, excuses & NYC Marathon inspiration...

Hello!

So, obviously it's been awhile. There's no really valid excuse for that. I have been really busy and really stressed. I have been running, but it hasn't been going so well. Mostly this is due to being really busy and really stressed. Ugh. So, basically I haven't been too excited about spending my precious leisure time thinking about running. One of my classes is really awful (to the tune of 'you might be seeing me in this course again next year') and I've really been letting it get me down. I know that I shouldn't be, but for some reason I just can't help it. I'm really not all that Type A, but this class is really making me feel like a loser. The upside is that I only have two weeks until I have a week off for Thanksgiving (yes, we have the whole week off-strange, but I'll take it!) and then only two weeks of instruction before the exams. Then, I'll be off for 3 weeks!

This morning I watched the NYC Marathon. It was great to see Shalane Flanagan take 2nd in her debut marathon. I was sad to see Haile have to drop out, but perhaps it made a better men's race in the end. Obviously, it was pretty inspiring to watch. I went out for an 8 miler, which is the longest run I've done in Colorado. It wasn't great, but it was good to be out there. It's hard for me to believe based on today's "long" run that I ran a marathon in June. It's hard for me to believe that I've actually run five of them. But, I will be back in marathon shape someday.

For now, I'm trying to consistently build back up. I'm also trying to be less stressed and more like a normal human because I really can't be this busy/stressed for two whole years. More than anything, I'm trying to find the joy in running again. It really is my passion and one of my favorite things to do. I've been letting things get in the way of that. No more.

I hope that everyone is finding joy in their autumn running! It really is the best season for it!

Happy Running!

Jen

I'm not dead. Just stressed and low on oxygen. :)

Hi!

Just a quick note to say that we made it to Colorado. I have actually been running, but it's been tough adjusting to the altitude and the terrain. So, I've been slow and basically just been doing nothing 4 milers. I'm trying not to stress about running since with moving and grad school starting soon I've got enough stressors. I'm not sure if I will do any of the races that I had planned to this fall. If I'm not in great shape, I don't really want to do them since money is tight with going back to school.

I have a lot to write about, so I'll try to be a bit more consistent in the coming days. I also have some great mountain pictures and an unexpected barefoot running experience by Joe to share.

Happy Running!

Jen

Don't Fear the Track Workout!

Hi!

So, as promised, I went to a group track workout on Tuesday. Admittedly, I was pretty nervous about the whole thing and almost bailed. I don't know why I'm so weird about group workouts. It was totally fine and I'm glad I went. Some were faster than me and some were slower. And, during 400m and 800m intervals, it's hard to get too strung out anyway. Since this was my first track workout since, say, 2005, I was a bit unsure of how it would go. We did a ladder workout with rest in between.

400m
400m
800m
1600m
800m
400m
400m

My last 400s were about the same pace as my first ones, but I didn't feel like I had a ton left in the tank, so I think I paced things pretty well. The only interval that I think I should have gone harder on was the 1600. I was a bit conservative because it was a long one and I had a lot of the workout left to go. You can see the details by clicking on the DailyMile widgit and looking at my training.

The other runners were very friendly and there were Popsicles after the workout. :)

Tuesday was also my birthday. Some may go out for a night on the town for their birthdays, but I really know how to party!

Happy Running!
Jen

Track Workout

Hi!

Tomorrow I'm going to a track workout arranged by the YMCA at Appleton North High School. I'm excited but nervous. I guess the good thing is that, unlike a regular road training run, I can't get lost or anything if I am the slowest person there.

I'm excited to do a track workout though. I actually haven't done one in years.

Another thing that makes me nervous is that the workout is at 6:30 PM. I typically run later at night, so I come home, eat supper, let it digest and then go. I think I'm going to have some sort of substantial snack around 4:30. I can't not eat before the workout. I pretty much melt down mentally and physically when I miss a regular mealtime. Hopefully I can strike a balance and be well fueled but not have a bunch of food sitting in my stomach for the workout.

Jen

She's going the distance, she's going for SPEED!

Okay-so that's a bit of a Cake ripoff.

I had an awesome speed workout last night. You can see it by clicking on the DailyMile widgit on the sidebar.

Maybe I can do this fast running thing afterall!

Happy (fast) running!
Jen

100 Mile Week

Hi!

So, I'm not sure precisely how this happened, but I've become a bit obsessed with the idea of running a 100 mile week. You know-just to see if I can do it. 100 miles in a week sounds impressive to me. But, when I got to thinking about it, it only comes out to ~14.3 miles per day. Not that over 14 miles per day isn't a lot, but it's not so much. I realize that fatigue would set in as the week went on, but I still think it's entirely possible. Especially if I can run at any old slow pace that I choose.

I'm not sure when I'll be attempting this though, because I want to jump into some serious 5k training and slogging through 100 slow miles isn't the most productive training week. We'll see...

Jen

Book Review: Once A Runner

Hello!

A few weeks back I mentioned that I had bought a copy of Once A Runner by John L. Parker, Jr. to read before the marathon. I pretty much devoured the book within a few short days. This was of course aided by my being on vacation and also having to sit through several hours in the car on the way to the race. But, I also found it difficult to put down the book.

Once a Runner is the story of Quenton Cassidy, a collegiate miler at a university in Florida. The book really describes the life of a competitive distance runner. Quenton is primarily a track athlete, although he also competes less successfully in cross country. Since I am not an elite runner or even a competitive local runner and I never participated in track or cross country, I wasn't sure if I would really identify much with the book. But, I found a lot of the messages rang true. I think this is because although I am a midpacker, I take my training seriously. I get out there when it's windy, when it's raining and when I'm tired. I get my training in whatever is going on and wherever I am. This is the case for a lot of midpackers. We're serious runners despite not being genetically gifted! I think this concept is difficult for a lot of people to understand.

When I tell a nonrunner that I'm going to be racing that weekend, the first question is inevitably "Do you think you'll win?". When I explain to them that, no, I most definitely will not win, the next question is always "So you just do it for fun then?". No! I mean, it is fun, most of the time anyway. But, it's not always fun and I don't only run when it's going to be fun. I don't even run because it is fun. I run because it's my passion and because I can push myself. I run to know what I'm made of and to have some element of unwavering consistancy in my life. I run for PRs and for the satisfying exhaustion of a tough training week. I also run because, more than being "fun" in the amusement park sense, it is joyful. And those are the things that I have in common with the "good" runners of the world.

The book really hones in on some of the key aspects of the distance runner's psyche and experience. It discusses the single mindedness that runners often have and really must have to be very successful. At one point, the author describes the breaking down point where the body is almost to the point of utmost exhuastion and both the body and mind are in a state of malaise. Although not quite to the extent of Cassidy, I have definitely experienced this during marathon training. There is also a portion that discusses the questioning that can occur around that time. Is it worth it? Why do I do this to myself? I've been there. You probably have too.

Once A Runner is a very enjoyable and inspirational read. I would recommend it to any runner. It also is a cult classic, so reading it kind of catches you up with the rest of the global running community. The sequel, Again to Carthage was somewhat recently published. I'm currently listening to it as an audiobook. I don't like it nearly as much as the original so far, but it is really interesting to see the next chapter in Quenton Cassidy's life.

Here are a few quotes that I liked a lot. There are plenty more good ones, but I didn't mark them all down.

Not only to be better than his fellows, but better than himself. To be faster by a tenth of a second, by an inch, by two feet or two yards, than he had been the week or year before. He sought to conquer the physical limitations placed upon him by a three-dimensional world...

Training was a rite of purification; from it came speed, strength. Racing was a rite of death; from it came knowledge. Such rites demand, if they are to be meaningful at all, a certain amount of time spent precisely on the Red Line, where you can lean over the manicured putting green at the edge of the precipice and see exactly nothing.

And probably the best of all:

Running to him was real; the way he did it was the realest thing he knew. It was all joy and woe, hard as diamond; it made him weary beyond comprehension. But it also made him free.

Happy Reading and Running!
Jen

Widgits!

Widgits! I have widgits! (See the sidebar at the left).

I finally decided to join the DailyMile and put their training widgits into the blog. I haven't done my run yet today so for now I've got goose eggs. That'll change in a few hours though!

Happy Running!
Jen

Quick Additional Note on Grandma's

Hi!

I just wanted to add a quick additional note on Grandma's Marathon. Obviously my report isn't so cheery since the race did not go well for me. But, the race itself is superb. The organization was great. The buses and gear check were great, unlike a lot of races I've done where they've just been a mess. The course had a lot of spectators and the expo was good. The course itself was also pretty scenic and mostly flat.

I just wanted to clarify so that my poor performance doesn't come off as a bad reflection of the race as a whole.

Cheers!
Jen

2010 Grandma's Marathon

Hi!

Well, some races go well and some go like this one.

The 2010 Grandma's Marathon was my 5th marathon, the marathon for which I was the best trained and a Personal Worst by almost 30 minutes. Needless to say, I'm pretty disappointed. On the one hand, I truly believe that finishing any marathon is an accomplishment. Some days everything goes right and some days it doesn't. But, my training had gone well and I was running well and feeling primed for a PR, so coming home with a PW instead isn't a great feeling.

There was a homebrewing event that Joe wanted to go to in Minneapolis, so we headed over there on Wednesday. Basically it was a big party celebrating the 5 year anniversary of homebrewing podcasts/online community. We spent a few days there and headed up to Duluth on Friday.

Friday we went to the expo and packet pickup. We got to hear Kara Goucher and Dick Beardsley speak, which was great. I also picked up a purple Bondi Band that says "Run Like An Animal" on it. You can see it in some of the action shots below.

Me with my beautiful pink bib number at the expo:

We stayed at the University of Minnesota-Duluth dorms. It worked out great. It's no frills, but it was the cheapest option by far and was very convenient since the buses to the start picked up right outside.

Friday night we went out for sushi and then headed back to the dorms to relax, stretch, ice and play cribbage. I got to bed early and had a pretty decent night's sleep. I was able to hop right out of bed Saturday morning and get going. Everything went well with my normal morning routine. I only made one exception. I always drink coffee and regular water before long runs and races. For some reason, this time I was worried about hyponatremia (I drink A LOT of water), so I drank sports drink. Now, I've never had this issue before, so it was stupid to worry about it and to change my normal routine, but the pre-race crazies got to me.

The race started out smoothly. For the first several miles, I was clicking along at goal pace and everything was great. More than great, actually. My legs felt loose and strong and I felt like it was my day. Unfortunately, around mile 10 I could feel that something funny was going on with my stomach. By mile 12, the nausea was so bad that I couldn't tolerate fluids or nutrition. Basically at that point I was just surviving until the end. I finally got up the courage to take a look at my splits and they tell the story.

Mile 1: 8:18
Mile 2: 8:15
Mile 3: 8:32
Mile 4: 8:29
Mile 5: 8:16
Mile 6: 8:25
Mile 7: 8:21
Mile 8: 8:33
Mile 9: 8:55
Mile 10: 8:39
Mile 11: 10:43
Mile 12: 10:15
Mile 13: 9:34
Mile 14: 10:08
Mile 15: 11:32
Mile 16: 11:36
Mile 17: 12:56
Mile 18: 12:33
Mile 19: 10:25
Mile 20: 12:23
Mile 21: 12:57
Mile 22: 12:21
Mile 23: 12:56
Mile 24: 13:56
Mile 25: 11:57
Mile 26: 12:30
Chip time: 4:36:37

After I crossed the finish line, my first concern was getting to the curb to sit with my head between my knees to alleviate the nausea, so I forgot to stop my watch and missed the 0.2 at the end.

And for your viewing pleasure:

Gazelle-like elites:

I think that I was smiling-it just looks like a grimmace!

Luckily I have a great support group. Joe, my mom, my dad, Joe's dad, Joe's stepmom Ranei and his sister Emma Jo all had these bright orange shirts!

Trying not to look disappointed in my finisher's medal and tee shirt:

The only good thing about the race going so badly is that the slow pace prevented my legs from getting trashed. I ran last night and today and they are feeling very good already. Before the race, I had decided not to run a fall marathon and to focus on getting some leg speed and running shorter races in the fall. I'm feeling pretty sad at the prospect of no fall marathon, but I think focusing on speed will make me a better runner and I don't think we'll be able to afford to travel to a race anyway. The Boulder Marathon is too soon and I don't really want to run my next marathon at altitude, so that excludes Denver as well. With starting graduate school I'll have enough on my plate anyway, so it's probably all for the best. I can't resist looking into Philly though...

Assuming that I don't run a fall marathon, I hope to smash some 5k and 1/2 Marathon PRs in the fall and then focus on a spring marathon. The Shamrock Marathon falls during my spring break and is supposed to be a flat, fast course... For now I'm busying myself with researching 5k training plans and finding some target races!

Happy Running!

Jen

My Long Run Route

Hello!

One of the things that I'll miss when we move is the route where I typically do my long runs. Yes, I realize that Boulder is pretty much a mecca for outdoor activities and there will be plenty of GREAT places to run there. But, I'll miss this route nonetheless. It's cheesy, I know, but it's kind of like an old friend. I've spent so many early Sunday morning hours out there. It's on that path that I realized while training for Lakefront last year that I actually (gasp) enjoyed doing the really long training runs. It hadn't always been that way. I'd say for my first three marathons I put in the long runs because I enjoyed the marathon itself and that is what I needed to do in order to succeed in it. Somehow the fact that I actually enjoy running distances that make most people cringe without the benefit of crowds or aid stations made me feel that much more like a seasoned distance runner. Of course, this path has been the setting for some spectacularly bad training runs as well. But, I truly think that the really bad, tough runs are just as important to your overall training as the ones where you feel like a rock star anyway.

My long run path starts about a quarter mile from my house and stretches out into rural Wisconsin, winding past farms and fields. It's gravel and I love the 'crunch crunch' that it makes with each footfall. (Wasn't I the one who didn't think I was so sentimental or philosophical about running?) It doesn't have to be only for long runs, but I tend to reserve it for these. This is partially because I just have it tagged as such and partially because I don't think it'd be too safe in the dark and I tend to do a lot of my weeknight running in the dark.

I have many landmarks along the route that I know and expect. One really stands out. It's a tree that sits about 2.5 miles into the run. I've wanted to get a picture of it for a long time and I finally did so this week. A fair amount of my running route is at least partially wooded, so why does this one stand out? Well, there are a few reasons. First, on the way out, it appears suddenly after I run around a bend in the path. The way it appears is just how I imagine it would be in a movie. (I really apologize for my sappiness today. Next time I'll rant about something, I promise). Second, it stands basically alone in the middle of a field. And third, it's so perfectly shaped. It's the archetype of a tree without looking fake. I pass it just as I'm getting settled in for a nice long run and signals to me that there's only 2.5 miles left in that 20 miler. I always look forward to seeing it.

Here it is....And a random countryside picture:

This path is actually a snowmobiling path in the winter. It's important to know which way the tavern is:

The only negative to this path is the birds that are out in full force right now. I'm not sure what kind they are. They are relatively small and black with a bit of red-orange and white at the wings. I'm not sure if they have babies right now that they are protecting, but they don't like me entering their territory. They sit on the fence posts and when I run by, they fly off and kind of hover behind me. It's pretty creepy, but I've gotten used to it. The really aggressive ones swoop down close to my head. That is always frightening!

So that's where I bang out the long runs!

Happy Running!

Jen

Inspirational Reading!

Hello!

I had been wanting to get a running related book to kind of pump me up for the marathon. I didn't want a book focused on training because that's basically all in the books for this one. I was looking for something that would get me focused on the race and excited for it. I found a few that could have fit the bill, including Duel in the Sun and a collection of essays from Runner's World. In the end, however, I decided to go with that running cult classic, Once a Runner.


This is a pretty popular book in the running world, but I have never read it. Partially this is because I haven't really read many running related books. Also, the book was out of print for a number of years and it was very difficult to get your hands on a copy. They were selling for crazy prices on Ebay and our local library's copy was "Permanently Missing" (aka stolen and sold on Ebay for a crazy price). It is back in print now so I'm happy to take advantage. I'll do a book review when I'm finished. I'll need to be starting it soon, but I'm about 80 pages from the end of another book right now (The Other Queen) and I kind of want to finish that one up first. Luckily (luckily?) the trip to the marathon will be quite long so I guess I'll have some reading time in the car.

Happy Running!

Jen

Heat, Plantar Fasciitis and Taper

Hi!

Running this week started off pretty well. I got three six milers in and a ten miler with fartleks. Then we came to Sunday and my last long run. I intended to run 22 miles. This is where things got a bit ugly. I knew it was going to be hot, so I sacrificed sleep in order to get on the road early. Even so, it got over 80 degrees while I was running. I planned my run so that I would be back at my house to refill my water bottles at 16 miles. I have a fuel belt (which I discussed in a previous post) that is supposed to be able to hold 32 ounces. However, based on other graduated containers I know it doesn't actually hold quite that much. Typically, it should have been plenty for 16 miles though. Unfortunately, I ran out of water at 12 miles. Sometime early on I decided to cut the run down to 20 miles. While I would have liked to do 22, it just didn't seem in the cards and five 20 milers is pretty solid in my opinion. When I got back to my house at 16 miles, I nearly vomited at the end of the driveway and decided to call it a day. I got into my house, took off my shoes, drank some juice and started to feel a bit better. I decided to struggle through the last 4 miles, so I refilled my bottles, laced up my shoes and headed out. The last miles were slow and consisted of walking, running and dumping water on my head. It was ugly, but at least I got the time on my feet.

My plantar fasciitis issues are haunting me again too. I hadn't really had pain while running until yesterday. I changed my shoes from my usual trainers (Brooks Defyance) into the Nike Free's for the last 4 miles, which helped a lot. This led me to wonder what to do for the marathon though, since I had planned to run in the Defyance. I don't want to run a marathon in Free's since they allow so much lateral motion. I decided to buy some racing flats and try them out. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my socks to the store. I wear Thorlos, which are fairly thick for running socks. I borrowed some sock at the running store, but they were a bit thinner. When I got home and put on the flat with my Thorlos, they seem slightly too small. I'm going to go back tomorrow and try the next half size larger. Hopefully that will work out. I've also been icing and stretching my foot like crazy. I plan to take some ibuprofin as well, but I don't have any right now. Hopefully the PF will calm down over the next three weeks.

So, I head into taper for Grandma's. I'm more collapsing into the taper than going into it with a bang as I'd prefer, but I should be fine. This training cycle has had some real high points and some real low ones. I learned that maybe the Pfitz plan exactly as written isn't for me and that 24 weeks is way too long for me to focus on training for a single race. Overall, I feel pretty good and I'm getting excited for the race. More in-depth reflection is to follow....

Happy Running!

Jen