Slow to Blog Recap

So many things I have wanted to blog but then I kept forgetting and remembering a day later and then another day later...etc etc...

RAN MY FIRST MARATHON!!! Official time 4:24:53.

I had been worrying over that race for so long and now its over...its very odd. 

Here I am at Mile 23....cannot believe how relaxed I look.  And I took Janae's advise (aka thehungryrunnergirl ) and put my name on my shirt!  It was awesome to hear people shouting encouragement directly to me!

Finished and posing with my super fast Friend.  She so patiently waited for me to finish...some 57 minutes after she did!!!

Over the next few days I hope to put to paper some of things on my mind regarding the Philadelphia Marathon.  But I guess the first thing I wanted to put out there is that I would never have thought myself to be  marathon runner.  One would not look at me and think marathon runner.  I'm 5 feet 2, boobs that don't seem to know they are fat cells mostly...I think they get bigger the more I run, and I am always fighting off some injury (which may just be typical?). 

To begin, I believe anyone who wants to put in the time to train can run a marathon.  The hardest part of the marathon is the mind telling you that a marathon is a near impossible distance for you.... oh and the training. 

Here is what worked for me... I begin my "racing" in April.  I sign up for all my races way ahead of time.  It helps me to be accountable to the distance.  I don't typically like to waste my money on races I don't plan to do and so if I know they are looming, I know that I MUST get in those training runs and gym sessions in. I start out with several 5k's for charities that I support and then proceed to lengthen the races as the season continues. I run them with friends and family and they boost my running confidence and give me the opportunity to experience finishing a fast race in a relatively pain-free way! My final race this year I planned as the Philadelphia Marathon on Nov. 20, 2011. I do plan to keep up my fitness with a half every month until April this year, but it's not something I have done previously.  The runs do get expensive if you wait so signing up early not only keeps you accountable but saves you money!  Then you can get the finisher shirt at the end...guilt free!

I was really expecting the marathon to be awful.  I told my husband "one and done!" But to my surprise it was amazing and so much fun. I will definitely be doing another!

The next marathon I do I'd like to be a location I haven't been before...TBC...

I plan to do a small blog about the hotel as that was something I would do differently but that also is to be continued...

We arrived early in Philadelphia to get to the convention pick up our bibs and check out all the "cool" swag. I guess because it was the second day they were low on inventory...what they had wasn't so great and not many sizes styles left of the official merchandise.  Around 2pm we headed over to the Reading Terminal Market and my friend and I split a turkey spinach wrap with no mayo!!!  It was the perfect amount as we had a reservation to Ralph's Restaurant at 4:30.  The early reservation was necessary as we did not want to fill up too late or get to bed too late...I was shooting for 9pm.  I ate whole wheat penne with marinara and meatballs (probably about half of it), split a Caesar salad with my hubbie (not mayo based) and lots of water.  I didn't want to overeat.  And let me tell you...I have never been to Ralph's and not ordered Fettuccine and Alfredo Sauce...wow was that a challenge!!! They make the most fabulous Fettuccine Alfredo...I'll be back!!!  Picked up a bagel and banana on the way back to the hotel for the morning... With a 7am start time there was no time to eat before unless I did it at 5am.  When we got back to hotel the men planned their course and we talked about ours.  We parted ways around 7pm and I proceeded to do X-Stretch...P90 dvd.  I have found that the 45 min stretch is perfect the night before a run! In bed by 9pm with clothing all layed out and bag packed!

I'd love to hear what pre-race rituals other have?  If not I might need to follow the same blueprint every time!

When's the next race?

www.hungryrunnergirl.com

Question #7 Running...cost/benefit analysis?

Since this is my third fiscal running year, I struck me when my husband said I spent enough on races this year (I tried to add a last minute half...they were giving medals to all finishers....I'm a sucker for a medal).  So when I sat down and thought about it I certainly did spend quite a lot of money on races this year...not to mention all the cool swag they have at the conventions. 
When I entered into this running journey I had no idea that it would be costly.  I thought that running had a lovely simplicity...all I needed was a pair of sneakers and I was out the door!  Some novice I turned out to be.  Turns out you need 4 pairs of sneakers, nice ones...and they need to be replaced fairly often.  Not to mention a GPS running watch, special socks, shorts, winter, summer, belts, packs, fuels, bands, engineered fluids, anti chaffing magic, several boxes of band-aids, chiropractors, a load of Aleve and also some of the good shit(prescription NSAIDs baby), several apps, a gym membership to help with too much running...I know I've left out a good many things too.
So then its race time!  Right now my mania builds from like Volkswagen Bus into a Ferrari.  Season starts out with the confidence booster 5ks and 5 milers...builds to halfs and mud runs... 18 miler end of Sept. and the long races in Nov.  Race fees and hotels oh my! 

I have spent a good deal...but I'd have to say it's money well spent.  All those races are future goals.  Goals that are accomplished, fairly often but not without their pain.  Missing one would be poison to the others. Some are for training, all are for PR, and every one I've managed to finish has been a personal victory!

Well what it comes down to is that without the races there isn't that amazing sense of accomplishment.  I could just run around my neighborhood with some old sneakers I guess, but living is in the details. I guess details are gonna cost ya.

 Its also a great way to include my kids. Its like a mommy scavenger hunt :)

Question 1-How to train your legs to run far?

Signed up for Philadelphia Marathon.  Want to run it in under 4hrs.  Question...how do I train for that...oh and did I mention I'm not planning on paying for that info.  It's bad enough I just paid $100 to be in pain for 4 hrs.  So I'm following the plan by David Kuehls...4 months to a 4 hr marathon.  Wonder what my chances are of finding a book...4 months to a 3hr 45min marathon.  So I figure if I tweek the info slightly I can get to that figure.  In week two now.  Today is 8 x 400m sprints....2 min recovery jog.  (8:00 sprint...below logic ...changes to 7:31).
In order to cut off 15 min I will need to cut my pace to 8:31 first 20mi (down from 9:00) then 8:51 for the last 6.2. So I am going to push David's nos back 29 secs for each exercise.  Don't try this at home...


it's 3 stooges logic.  But hey it could work...nuk,nuk,nuk