And so starts the taper.

Today was my last long run before the Louisiana Marathon. I just love that sentence.  Except for the part that includes the word marathon, since I know I still have to do the ultimate long run. BUT, for now, I'm pumped.  Taper time is the best.  And the worst, because literally as soon as I stopped running I started panicking about all the different things that could go wrong in the next two - three weeks.  Figures.
Before my taper could officially begin though, I had to do the 20 miler.  Well, technically, the second 20 miler.  My first round of 20 was split up though, so this one counted more as the full 20.  Of course it was something that I didn't really WANT to do, but something I HAD to do.  Originally I planned on taking today as a rest day and running it tomorrow.  After seeing the weather report for both days though, I decided to scrap that plan and get it done today.  There's a 10 degree temperature difference, which might not seem like a lot, but trust me when I say there's a huge difference between running in 40 degrees and 30 degrees.  As you may be aware, my goal is to run the Louisiana marathon in 4 hours, or slightly under 4 if I'm feeling really awesome that day. In order to do this, I know there is a pace I have to keep and a way to fuel properly during the run.  So really today was my trial run.  I figured if I could do the 20 miles in 3 hours, then I could do the 26.2 in 4, giving myself an extra few minutes for those last 6 miles if necessary.  I am happy to say that after my run today I am 99% sure I can run it in 4 or less.  My 20 miler today clocked in at 2:56:04. That's right.  You saw that. UNDER THREE HOURS! With hills! I actually set new PRs for a 10K and a half marathon today. So, sure, I'm a little worried that maybe I over extended myself today and that I can't match that on marathon day.  On the other hand, I don't see why I can't match that.  It didn't feel like a mistake on my part.  I knew what pace I had to keep and I basically managed to hold around that pace for the entire run.  Sure I lost my running partner around mile 14.  And by lost I mean abandoned.  So, no man left behind clearly means nothing to me when it comes to smashing personal records.  I suppose that says something about me as a person but I really don't want to delve into that right now. By now I'm sure you're dying of curiosity to see my route. Don't worry, it's coming.  Be aware that I miscalculated though, so I had to walk/run an extra mile back to my car at the end.  Which is why the start and the finish are not quite next to each other.   Sure I COULD have run the last mile, but I just felt like that was pushing it.  So, here it is.

Besides this lovely run, I had a nice Christmas, in case you were wondering. We went to NYC for the night, just because we can. I love to look at the window displays and see the giant decorations. Plus the shops at Bryant Park are always good for a little trinket or gift if you want something different/locally made.  Of course all we got was some Max Brenner chocolate, which is neither different nor local, but it was so worth it.  Here are some pictures of NYC and some pictures of when we got back and spent time with our lovely puppies again. Oh, and some more Disney pictures I drew. Still can't get that princess face right. Oh well.  Enjoy it.

Stella hates the paparazzi.

The planet windows are Macy's, the library window was my favorite display at Lord and Taylor's.

What a month!

Things have been so crazy that I just haven't had a lot of time to sit down and catch up.  But I feel like that's just how it is in December.  Between work open-houses and APTT events, and friend emergencies, there's been little time to even think about anything else.  Even my running has taken a back seat the past couple of weeks.  Not that I haven't been doing it, I just haven't been doing it as fast.  Pretty sure I left off on the Sunday of the Merrython.  That week I ran at least 30 miles total, mostly because I couldn't really get to boxing at all, so running was the only option.  APTT really ate up a good chunk of workout time.  Then there was a cookie judging contest at Punchbowl and suddenly the week was over.  Last week I did so little running it was like I wasn't even training.  To be fair, last week was crazy.  A very good friend lost a family member and that took over the entire week.  There's no way I wasn't going to offer my support in case they needed it.  On top of that I had a 24 hour flu-ish cold.  It wasn't really the flu, but it included chills and aches.  Luckily it passed quickly.  AND we had our December open house at school.  So, as you can see, there was a lot going on. Today I'm back on track.  I ran 16 miles, 10 with Murdock and 6 alone.  Doing the last 6 alone wasn't so bad actually.  Unfortunately my Garmin died at mile 13, so I don't have accurate times or any of my last splits.  I do know that I had to use the bathroom so bad by mile 13 that I passed through the last 2 miles without noticing, because I was so busy looking for a place to jump into the woods.  (Don't worry, I never did find a place, so I just held it and dealt with it.) Let me just tell you, there is perhaps nothing harder than trying to run with a full bladder.  As a runner, I fully believe that porta-potties should exist on every road.  Sure that's unreasonable, but man, I would have paid someone to use a bathroom at that point! I was a little disappointed because the run took about 2:30 total, which is really not that great.  My whole goal is to run a faster marathon, perhaps even a 3:59 if possible, and running 16 at 2:30 is not going to get me there.  Of course there are a million factors that will come into play on the day of the marathon but I only live in the here and now.  That's just how I roll.  I plan on running my 20 miler a bit faster next week.  Now all I have to do is find a place to run it!

Oh yea. The Greyhound Friends came to visit the third graders at school last week.  It was awesome to be able to see all the dogs and hear the stories.  The students really enjoyed meeting the dogs and learning about re-training former racing dogs.

Selfie from a 6 mile Lake Q double loop run.  Because why not.

Happy Holidays and Half Merrython

Yesterday was the YukanRaces Half merrython and 2.62 fun run up in Gloucester.  This is the same race that I ran last year.  I distinctly remember it being extremely cold that day but not much else except that at the time it had been my fastest half ever. Apparently I blocked out everything else about that course, which turned out to not be so good.  Now, since I know I'm going to have to do a 20 miler at some point in the next three weeks, I figured this would be a good chance to get there with some crowd support.  I signed up to run the 2.62 fun run at 9 and the half at 10, which worked out well.  I finished the 2.62 (which was really 2.7) in 21 something and came in 2nd place in my age group.  Then I ran the half with Murdock keeping me company, in 1:56.  Not my best half, but fairly average.  Unfortunately I must have completely blocked out the entire course until I started running.  Hills. Hills everywhere.  Big hills, little hills, steep hills, slow inclines, you name it, it was there.  So, to be done at 1:56 after a 2.7 mile run previously, with all the hills, is an accomplishment.  Mostly though, I need to remember this next year when I go to sign up again.
After the races, I went home and ate lunch.  Later I decided to get in an extra 5 miles just to meet my 20 mile mark.  Nala and I went for a nice night run around the neighborhood.  Normally I don't run in the dark, especially in this city, but I just really wanted those last five miles in.  Plus, Nala is a big toughie and it was really only 6:00 even though it seemed like midnight.  I felt surprisingly good for those last 5 miles.  By this morning, my legs were 100% recovered and I felt like I hadn't run at all. If only I knew what I did to make this recovery so fast, because I'd love to replicate it after the marathon!
Anyways I'm happy I got in my 21 miles.  I think it really will help with the mental aspect of being able to complete a marathon.  Of course I still planning on doing a full 20 miler with no breaks.  That's going to come during winter vacation though. If all goes well, I think I might actually be able to finish in close to the 4 hour mark this time.
As always, here are some pictures and a Garmin link to the half.

Wind speed in the morning

2.62 fun run sprint to the finish

2nd/25th place

Mile 6ish

Mile 10ish

Busy, busy, busy

Well, clearly it's been a busy month.  So much has been going on at work and just life in general that I haven't really had the time to do much (ok, any) updating. But I'm sure you're just dying to know what I've been up to in terms of running.  Maybe life in general too, I don't know.  Let's see, the month of November went by faster than any month in the history of my life.  Seriously, it was so fast, I feel like I missed it!
However, November was a month of accomplishments for me.  I got a few more long runs in, which is obviously necessary.  Plus I did some speed work and some hill work before boxing and I've really started to see it pay off.  Okay, so I know I left you off with election day, which I believe was my 15 mile run day.  Since then, I haven't done any runs that are quite that long, but last week I did get 20 miles for the week.  It really is a lot easier to run when you have days off during the week.  Thanksgiving break is great for extra run time.  That being said, last week I ran a 5K on Thursday and a 5K on Saturday.  In the middle of that, I decided to suck it up and try a long run on the treadmill.  I'm pleased to announce that I made it an entire 7 miles on the treadmill, in 1:03.  Obviously not my best time ever, but I'll consider it a win, since I've never made it more than 3 miles on a treadmill without wanting to cut my legs off and never run again.  Mostly I made it through by watching Pitch Perfect on the iPad.  That and a lot of Tailwind.  Now, onto my real 5Ks.
Thursday was Thanksgiving, which is apparently the day for all mankind to get out and run.  Most of my friends did the 5 miles in Salem, but I opted for the cheaper 5K in Lynn.  It was cold but other than that, a good little race.  Unfortunately my toes were colder than the rest of my body, so it took a while for them to get into the flow of the run.  By the time my feet were really ready, the run was basically over! Still, I made the 3.05 run in 23:39, which was right on target for where I wanted to be.  Since it wasn't officially a 5K, I refuse to call it my fastest time.
Saturday I ran the Marblehead Back the Track 5K sponsored by Nike and put on by Shalane Flanagan's old track club.  She was there too, but I never actually got to see her because the crowd was so big. Seriously that was probably the largest little town 5K I've ever been a part of.  Again it was very cold and I didn't think enough to wear a shirt that would cover my neck.  Usually I wear a jacket that zips up to my chin, but not this time.  Because of that, my breathing was off and it was more of a struggle than I think it should have been.  Even so, I finished the 3.1 in 23:50, making it officially my fastest 5K to date and a new PR.  That time puts me at a 7:41 mile.  These times are how I know my speed/hill work on the treadmill are working.  Will it help in the long run? I don't really know, but I'm hoping the answer is yes.  By being faster now, I can slow down my long run to an easy pace that is automatically faster than my old easy pace.  For example, last year my easy pace for a marathon was in the 9s and we finished both marathons at a 10 something average mile.  This year, my easy pace seems to be closer to the mid-8s,  Which means I might be able to finish at an average of 8 or 9 something per mile.  Taking off one minute per mile for 26 miles is 26 extra minutes I could be done faster in.  I don't know if that's actually going to be the case, but I'm certainly hoping to try it out.
This weekend I have the half Merrython in Gloucester, preceded by the 2.62 fun run.  I figured since I have to get in those long runs anyways, I might as well do some with a group.  This will put me at the 15-16 mile mark. I might even just stretch it a bit further and add an extra 2 or 3 miles to get up to 18 or 20.  We'll see how I feel on Sunday.
Other than that, I've just been doing regular old work stuff.  I made a wicked awesome race bib holder and it's basically already full, but at least it got the bibs off my bookshelf.  For my winter door at work I made a giant Olaf.  Actually, it's a little bit TOO giant, but I'm not changing it now.  So there you have it, you're all caught up.  Now for the grand finale, a picture dump from the last month or so.  Enjoy!

Race bib holder

Finished and surrounded by all the bib's friends, medals.  

Just to get an idea of how many bibs there actually are on that thing.

Back the Track PR

Lynn Woods baby shirt for Ms. M. Smith!

Post race celebration because we're winners!

A beautiful running quote

And how I feel about marathon distance

Unrelated, still having trouble with Disney princess faces.  I know there's a trick in there somewhere!

Finally, giant Olaf.  His arms are longer than they look, but they had to be cut to allow the door to open, so they wrap around instead of extending out.