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The Next Big Thing – Happy Christmas PBRs!

Dec 22nd, 2009
by gazelle.
11 comments

It seems like everywhere I look, people are talking about their 2010 race schedules.

There are marathons, half marathons, triathlons & half-irons being registered for. I’ll admit, I fall victim to this myself, asking every runner I’ve run with in the past couple of weeks, “what’s your next race?”

The next race that I currently have on my schedule (in case you were curious), is the Shamrock run (I’m doing the 15K distance) on March 14.

That is not, however, the next big thing.

This is:

I am officially registered for this race. This is going to be a very different experience from marathon #1, in no small part because half of the runners I know in Portland are running it, too! And there are even some people doing the half!

So, since we’ll all be training about the same time, and doing approximately similar mileages, I’m guessing there will be some post-run brunches in our future.

To that end, I picked up a copy of this to share with my hungry PBRs:

I am pretty excited to dig in (both to the book AND into breakfast). I am also terrified excited about having just signed up for my SECOND marathon (in 4 months, 1 week & 3 days; EEK!).

Other races that I am thinking about doing probably going to do in 2010:

The 2010 (potential) Race Schedule

  • 3/14/10 – Shamrock 15K
  • 4/11/10 – Race for the Roses Half Marathon
  • 4/18/10 – Bridge to Brews 10K
  • 5/2/10 – Eugene Marathon
  • 6/13/10 – Blue Lake Sprint Triathlon
  • 8/1/10 – Midsummer Olympic Triathlon (at Blue Lake)
  • 8/14/10 – XTerra Portland Triathlon (at Hagg Lake)
  • 9/5/10 – Eugene Women’s Half
  • 10/24/10 – Run Like Hell 5K
  • 11/14/10 – Outer Banks Half Marathon

As you can see, I’m planning three half marathons, only (ha!) one full marathon, and three triathlons. With the three shorter distance races, I’m at 10 races for 2010, which seems like a great number! I haven’t locked in everything yet, although I feel pretty confident that the first four will happen, and I know I want to do at least two triathlons this year.

So, internets…what races are YOU doing in 2010?

Confidence Restored

Aug 30th, 2009
by gazelle.
2 comments

Today was my 2nd 15 miler of my marathon training – although in the original schedule, it was supposed to be my first 20. Funny how you’re forced to be flexible.

I did a 15 on July 26. Total time was 2:59:25 (avg pace 11:58). You know, a bit slow, but it was 1 million degrees.

Then, three weeks ago on August 8, I did a 16 miler. Total time was 3:06:24 (avg page 11:39). Better – it was cooler – but still not really where I wanted to be pace-wise for my long runs (I’d like to be around 10:45 for those – or 30 seconds slower than my planned marathon pace).

Two days after my 16 miler, I did my last track workout, and just today downloaded the stats for that:

5 miles total, 52 minutes, 10:32 pace.

Warmup, 1 mile, 11:23

3×10 pushups; 1/4 mile (2:34, 10:23 pace)
30 crunches; 1/4 mile (2:41, 10:45 pace)
3×10 tricep dips; 1/4 mile (2:39, 10:41 pace)
3×10 incline pushups; 1/4 mile (2:50, 11:17 pace)

800#1 – 4:11 (8:23)
recovery 1/4 mile – 3:08 (12:35)
800#2 – 4:12 (8:23)
recovery #2 – 3:01 (11:48)
800#3 – 3:57 (8:

Cooldown, 1 mile – 11:37

Technically, I was going for five 800s, but felt NOT RIGHT after the 3rd one, so I went home. And then, of course, it turned out that I’d tweaked my knee & pulled a muscle.

My run last weekend was a slow 10. And my great 5 on Tuesday was followed by a crappy (but fast) 2 on Friday.

I wasn’t sure what to expect today.

I certainly wasn’t expecting the fantastic run that happened!

JM & I started out ahead of E & the Ambitious One, and right away I could tell it was going to be awesome. I could also tell every time we started going faster than 10 minute miles – that’s when I could feel my knee.

We hit the turnaround at mile 7.5 (love trails that have the mileage marked) sooner than seemed possible, and although we did end up with a couple of pitstops along the way, our overall pace was pretty good. I didn’t have Leo programmed to do auto-splits at the mile markers, but the fancy graph my Garmin software makes shows us super consistant at the 10 minute mile mark.

When we hit 13 miles at about 2:13, we both had 1/2 marathon PRs!

The overall run was 2:36:27 – in other words, almost 25 full minutes faster than our last 15 miler (which also had many untimed walk breaks, and some hallucinations). I feel great, too. No knee pain. No groin pain. I mean, I’m tired, but I feel SO GOOD!

Final pace: 10:25, and if I’d had to, I could’ve gone further – which is exactly how I like to feel after a run. I only have two more long runs before my marathon taper starts – 18 miles on Friday and 20 the weekend after. Then I’m down to 13 & 10 & then I think there’s a 26.2 scheduled.

For the first time in three weeks, I’m feeling pretty good about my ability to not only cross the finish line, but cross it & feel good about it, too!

And, to top off that great, great run, we headed to brunch at Cricket Cafe, where the four of us met up with Jen (who’d run to the cafe) for the best bloody marys in town (so far) and a great brunch. You know it’s a lot of food when a bunch of runners needed to go boxes after (well, not me – although I did leave some of the eggs).