March update, April goals

Well I'm not running the Charlottesville Half Marathon this weekend.  I coach my daughter's softball team and darn if they didn't put opening day at 9:00am, an hour away from the finish line. In the past, the start time has been 6:30 but they bumped it to 7:00 and I'm not that fast!!!  I'm totally bummed as this is the race I had to defer on last season due to my IT band issues. I was in the middle of PT and thought it was NOT a good idea to run that race with any issues.  

The good news, I signed up for the Marine Corp Historic Half Marathon in Fredericksburg, VA in May. I've run this course (Blue and Gray Half) in the past and am looking forward to the inspiration that I will get from running with so many service men and women.  The first half of the course is down hill and the second is uphill so I have a feeling I will have a negative split but as long as I'm under 1:57, I'm going to count it as a win.  

So for the month of April..... no races.  I have one in May and possibly two in June and then nothing again until September.  I start my marathon training in July and am hoping to clean up my diet and get my nutrition and hydration in check so I can cut some time (hopefully 26 minutes).  This will be my second marathon and I made SO many mistakes in the first that I hope to fix those in the second.  

March goals:

1. Run 100 miles------ check

2. Drink more water----- check (I gave up soda for Lent, no choice as I can't stand fruit juice)

3. Roll at least 3 x week ----- nope

4. Plank 4 x week----- 75% met

April goals:

1. Run 100+ miles

2. Cut out sugar--- will begin decreasing and limiting sugar

3. Blog at least once a week

4. Plank 4 x week

5. Roll 3 x week

What are everyone else's goals?  I was going to put in another goal for increasing my cross training but I've been doing that on a weekly basis with my daughter that I feel like it's too easy to meet. 

MJ8K and post race blues!

Another race complete, another post race "what if" session.  I ran the Martha Jefferson 8K in Charlottesville, VA this past Saturday.  Like all races, I ran it, enjoyed it, processed it and then tore it apart the next day based on how much pain I was in. I do apologize for the lack of pictures, I'm not a selfie kind of girl, don't think I ever will be!!

The course this year in essence was reversed from last years.  Starting at the downtown mall, a 5.08 mile loop (I think the course was a little short) with tons of ups and downs.  We ran through a few neighborhoods and then again back to the downtown mall.  I enjoyed the ups but get nauseous and nervous on the steep downhills.  Nausea, I'm not sure where that is coming from but I've been experiencing it a lot more with down hill running.  The nervousness on the down hill running goes back to my IT band injury. I REALLY don't want that to come back!

The race was not chip timed but gun timed, which DID affect my time. My running friend and I started mid pack and ran into quite a bottleneck.  My GPS would not pick up so I relied on hers and the callers (called splits at the mile markers) for my times. We were 30 seconds off the start so I adjusted my finish time to reflect my REAL time.  I ran a 37:44.  My best (I've only run 1 other 8K) and finished 5th in my age group.   I complained early this week that MY age group was by far the fastest on the course, the winner of my age group was 32:08.  

I shouldn't be disappointed, running in the 7's has been a goal of mine but the ubber competitive person inside of me is thinking that I need to be in the low 7's to place in the running world that I live and compete in. Most 5K's in my area are won by runners in the 18's.  I don't see 6's in my future but I do see the low 7's.  I'll get there, I just need to learn how to and start doing speed workouts. I've always put them on my training schedule but shy away from them in fear that I will get injured or that they will be too hard.  If I had the extra cash sitting around, I'd hire a coach but that's not going to happen.

Sorry for going on and on.  Ending thought, if you are in the Cville area, the MJ8K is a GREAT raec. Well organized and fun to run. Not too big and typical Cville running (lots of hills). 

MIA... stomach flu and pink eye YEAH!!!!

I know I disappeared again!! The stomach flu, pink eye and an ear infection hit my house right around the arrival of the latest snow storm. I've had nothing but sick and grumpy children in the house, thankfully, they went back to school today and everyone is healthy. Silver lining, my house is disinfected and clean, for today.  

Well the weather changed for the better for the past four days allowing for a little outdoor, super comfortable running.  I'm racing this weekend, Martha Jefferson 8K in Charlottesville, VA and am a little nervous as the course is totally different this year and I always worry I'm going to injure myself and sideline my half in a few weeks.  

Training for the half is going well.  Keeping HMP for 12 miles last week proved to be tough but I did it.  I bought a hydration vest to decrease my time spent at water station but have yet to use it.  I'm a slacker and HATE to try new things and I believe I still won't hit that goal of 1:49:59.  

I'm going to stay positive and shoot for a goal time between 40-41 minutes this weekend.  My running partner and I are running this one this weekend and we tend to keep each other in the low 8's and upper 7's for our 4+ runs.  

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend.  I know it's early in the week but I never know what this week will bring.  I start coaching my daughter's softball team tomorrow, WISH ME LUCK!!  10, 4-6 year olds, a little challenging!  

March Goals

Running so far behind.... It's already the 3rd of March and I haven't gotten around the posting my March goals.  I didn't do this for February and I feel like my month was not as GREAT as January was. February mileage was only 90, putting me behind for the 2014KM in 2014.  I've got a few to make up and hopefully March's weather will cooperate, so far..... NOT SO GOOD (on the weather front).

March Goals:

1. Run 100+ miles this month

2. Roll at least 3 x week

3. IT band exercises at least 3 x week

4. Plank 5 x week (get up to 9 minutes a day)

5. DRINK MORE WATER

All very doable goals I just need to stick to it especially in those 3rd and 4th weeks of the month.  Gung Ho the first two and then a slacker the last two.  

I've got one race scheduled so far this month, the Martha Jefferson 8K.  I ran this one last year and it was a great course but looking at the course map for this year, it's a very different beast.  Running in Charlottesville is NOT my favorite but it sure beats a super flat course that can destroy my quads in 8 miles.  

Anyone else prefer hilly courses over flat ones?  Any suggestions for keeping me accountable without posting stuff all over my house so my friends can think I am TOTALLY obsessed with running and fitness?