Speedwork is Hard!

So, I am now four days into my marathon training.  Technically, it is "half marathon training" right now until I run a "proper half."  However, since this professional help all started to assist me in getting across the 26.2 mark, I am still referring to all of it as my marathon training.

Day 1 - Monday:  2 miles at a 10:17 pace followed by 2 x 20 sec. strides.  As I discussed in my last post, my pace is going to be slower for a little while to build up my endurance and train my body to burn fat as fuel for long distance running.

Day 2 - Tuesday:  3 miles at a 10:17 followed by a foam roller treatment.  The weather in Alabama has been full of rain and storms for weeks now.  I thought I was going to have a crummy run in bad weather.  But, as luck would have it, there was a pretty good break in the rain when I went out.  In fact, the cool breeze that comes right before a summer storm in the South made for excellent running weather.  It was so hard to keep the slower pace because I was enjoying this run so much.  It was also my first experience with a foam roller (I had to go buy one).  But I'm a fan now!  I think this is going to really help with recovery.

Day 3 -Wednesday:  Cross-training and MRYTL Routine.  I don't really have any cross-training to do right now, but I awkwardly attempted the MYRTL routine.  The exercise routine's funny name comes for the "pelvic girdle" that the workout targets.  This is supposed to help strengthen all of the glutes and other muscles that support your hips and pelvis while running.  It seemed simple enough if not very awkward.  But boy did I feel it the next day!

Day 4 - Thursday:  Speedwork!  This was my first experience with speedwork.  It's hard!  We don't receive our assignments until the day before.  My first one was probably pretty simple, but I don't think I could have handled much else.  My task was a .25 mile easy warm-up;  three 200-meter repeats at a 7:07 pace followed by a .75 mile tempo run at an 8:29 pace; ending with a .25 mile easy cool down.  Whew!  The repeats were tough, and I may not have gone directly into my tempo run (oops).  I was so exhausted and worried that I wasn't going to make my pace on the tempo run that I accidentally ran too hard and ended up at an average pace of 8:09.  I thought my heart was going to explode!  The people on their casual walks and runs downtown almost certainly thought I was crazy.  Again I say, speedwork is hard!

Day 5 - Friday:  Cross-training and MYRTL Routine.  I am leaving for the beach today, so I did my workout this morning.  I could certainly feel the burn during the MYRTL after all that work last night.

Tomorrow is my birthday.  I will turn 29 and start the final year of my twenties.  Remember that this whole crazy marathon idea came about as a goal to run 26.2 before I turn 30.  So I suppose it's only fitting that I will kick off my birthday with a long run - 6 miles.  Of course, the good news is that Sunday is a rest/recovery day, so after I do the work in the morning, I can enjoy boat drinks on the beach!

The Half That Didn't Happen

I was originally super excited to right this post. But things didn't turn out quite the way I had hoped.

Let me start from the beginning... My last post was our first morning in Orange Beach. That day only got better. The wind started to subside by lunch time. I took Tully for a 2 mile run and ended up quite hot since it was so chilly when I started. After our run, Mom and Dad and Me and Tully all walked to Cosmo's for a late lunch. It was perfect! 

The weather was just right to sit on the patio. We had Red Beans and Rice Balls for an appetizer. They were coated and fried and served with a smoked Gouda sauce. And they were as delicious as they sound! Mom had the shrimp étouffée - she was feeling the spirit of Mardis Gras. Daddy had the diver scallop special, grilled. And I had the catfish. Yes. I said catfish. But it had some sort of andouille sausage coating and a creamy sauce on top. Trust me, it wasn't your standard catfish. Tully had is own bowl of water (and maybe a few bites that fell from the table). He was so well behaved that people asked if he was a service dog. That's my boy!

After stuffing ourselves at lunch, we had a lazy afternoon. We hung around the condo and watched the first Bond movie that evening. Confession: it's the first one I've ever seen. 

Saturday was a little busier. After breakfast, Tully and I went for a 2 1/2 mile run. This time we ran to the Backcountry Trail in the State Park. It was a beautiful day, and the trail was loaded with snowbirds. One particular older gentleman told me that he remembered me and my dog from last year. I must be pretty memorable! Or maybe it's Tully?

After our run and a little cleaning up, we all (minus Tully this time) loaded up with some condo neighbors and went to the Seafood Festival. It was a neat festival with lots of arts and crafts, food, and an antique car show. We had a great time. 

When we got back to the condo, I took Tully for a walk down to our little beach on the bay. He loves the sights and smells and sounds of the beach. 

The clouds were starting to roll in, but I wasn't concerned just yet. I love the way they decorate the sky. 

That night we went to the Gulf Shores United Methodist Church, where our friends attend, to a "Stained Glass Blue Grass" music concert. I was easily the youngest person there by 20 years, aside from a few that were certainly family members of the bands. The music was great though, and the bands were very entertaining. After the concert, we came home for an early bedtime. 

Which brings me to today... The weather for my race has been a concern all week and apparently with good reason.  A little after midnight, the storms set in. Loud thunder and lightening woke Tully and I all night. When my alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. the weather was awful. I saw an email that the race coordinators sent the night before stating that the race would go on at 7:00 a.m. until further update. Officially: "We run with rain but not with lightning." So I got up and began my race preparations. 

The storms had not let up at all when we arrived at LuLu's a little after 6:00. The worker at the front informed me that the Half Marathon had been officially canceled. They couldn't find any break in the weather long enough for the race. She told me that they were still looking to see if they could maybe have a 5K, 10K or some kind of shorter fun run. I could pick up my finisher medal and get a cup of coffee. About 30 minutes later the announcement was made that they could not find any break in the storms in which to safely allow any run. 

I was/am very disappointed. I have been planning for and looking forward to this race for almost a year. This was going to be my first half before I decided to run the Hunstville in November. And I finally had people to cheer for me! Ugh. Nothing could be done. I had spent enough money on all of it, though, that I told my parents that we were definitely going to stay for the post-race party, which was now the whole event, and eat and drink my money's worth. I'm not sure that we actually achieved that goal, but we did eat and drink and try to overcome the disappointment.

I'm really don't feel I deserve the medal. 

The race directors made the right call from a safety standpoint, but I still would've liked a refund. Oh well, you win some...

We got back to the condo a little after 9:00, and after much debate, decided to stick around for the day as planned and drive home tomorrow. (There was concern about our lack of sleep from our early morning.) We sat inside and watched the rain. I grew increasingly disappointed and frustrated at my lack of running. Not to mention that this was supposed to be the grand finale for my streak, and now I'm sedentary? I couldn't take it. 

At the first break in the rain, I was out the door. I ran a soggy 5 miles with soaking wet feet. It helped, but I'm feeling anxious  over my minimal miles the last couple of weeks. I'm ready to get back to it! At least I have another half scheduled for April. I guess that will have to be soon enough. 

Oh yeah, I wanted to use this race to help me make the decision about training for a full. Now I'm still stuck. I want it so bad, but it's so scary. Maybe that's all the more reason to do it!

To wrap up our day, we walked to dinner at Doc's, a local favorite of ours. They do have "the best fried shrimp in the entire civilized world!" And everyone needs a fried seafood platter when the don't run 13 miles, right?

Now it's time to settle in and get a good night's sleep before the drive home tomorrow. Leaving the beach is always sad in my book. But we like to leave our mark in the sand, and we always take some with us - just check out the back of my car!

Finally at the Beach...

It's been a busy week leading up to the beach. First, I'm sick. Of course I am, right? It's a sinus infection I think, probably a result of this crazy weather. I'm not messing around, though. I'm taking antibiotics and trying to knock it out as quickly as possible. Fingers crossed and prayers please. 

I have managed to keep my streak alive. Tuesday after work, I slogged out a slow 5 miles. Right at about mile 2, a cramp set it. A knot just above my right Achilles. Ouch! I stopped and stretched it out for a minute and mashed on it like my physical therapist does. By the time I reached the 3 mile mark, it had subsided for the most part. So I finished out 5. 

Wednesday morning, Tully and I went for a muddy 2.5 mile trail run before physical therapy. I had plans with Holly after work to go to the Food Truck and Craft Beer Rally in Huntsville. So we hit the trail early, and it was not quite dry from the rain the night before. Between the technical "rock gardens" and the slick flats, it was a slow one. I almost busted it a few times. But it was a beautiful start to the day. (This bridge is extremely slippery when wet.)

Thursday morning, Tully and I ran a quick mile before my last PT appointment for the week. Work became much busier than expected, but I finally started my journey south around 2. After a few errands in Gardendale, I picked up Mom, and we were off. We finally arrived at the condo around 11:00 p.m. (Daddy has been here all week.) The storms set in right after midnight, and we slept to loud thunder, lightening, and heavy rains all night. 

We woke up to a beautiful sunny sky, though. However, the wind is brutal and cold. And the water in the bay is extremely choppy. Hopefully, as the day goes on, the air will warm up for a beautiful weekend. But either way, life is always better at the beach!

Good morning from Orange Beach, Alabama!