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| Hwy 1 - the Pacific Coast Highway |
I haven't been posting in a while, but I'm deep into marathon training now. Yes, you read that correctly... MARATHON training! Gearing up and preparing for my first marathon on October 26, 2014 - the 39th Marine Corps Marathon. I'm following a 16-week a plan from a book called Run Less Run Faster which I am very happy with since it only has me running 3 times a week -- challenging runs, but I love it. Last year for the half, I only ran 3 days a week, but my effort was consistent throughout. With this program, I have speedwork one day, tempo another, and then a long run on the weekend. Goal times/pace of each are determined from your most recent fastest 5K or 10K time, which will give you your goal marathon pace - for me it is 4:08! Wow! That's super fast. I am hoping for a 4:30 or better on my first (gotta beat Oprah!)!
Anyway, since I'll have this race under my belt by the end of the year, I figured that next year would be the best time to finally cross a bucket list race off my list: the Big Sur International Marathon! In April 2008 (pre-kid times), Joel and I took a trip out to California to visit friends and finally see the other side of the country. We rented a car and drove from LA up to San Francisco, with part of the way traveling up the coast on the Pacific Coast Highway. It was the most amazingly beautiful and breathtaking drive I've ever done. I LOVED it. We stopped multiple times along the course to take in the Pacific air and photos. The one above is one of my favorites that I took. I dream of going back out there... and living out there! When I found out there was a marathon on the PCH, I was excited and knew I had to do it. So, BIG SUR, HERE WE COME! I even managed to get Joel to do it with me!! :D It'll be his FIRST marathon. Crazy, huh?
Speaking of Joel, I've managed to drag him into a lot of crazy races lately (with surprisingly little resistance)... In fact, next month we are both signed up to do an Ultra! The Homestead 10x5k in Ridgeland, SC. Its a 10 hour race that will have participants running a 5k every hour on the hour! I'm pretty excited for it! I'm not really training for it... just using it as an endurance/training run for marathon prep! They add up your times for each 5k for your total finish time. I estimated 6 hours, but would be very happy if I came up less than that. I will run as long as my legs will carry me and hope for the best! Walking *is* an option for me... I really don't want to hurt myself!
We are also signed up for a 6 hour relay in September - the Chase the Sun Ultra in Savannah. I have 18 miles to do that day for my long run, so 3 hours should be enough time - well, I might need a little more than that ;) but Joel will run the remainder of it, which will probably be his longest run to date, if he decides not to split up the time, anyway. (You can divide up the time as you wish)
That's about it on the race front. Oh wait... I also signed up for Savannah's first Women's Half marathon - the Publix Savannah Women's Half and 5K in March of 2015. And I have the Bridge Run Double pump on my birthday this year! :)
I'm still crossfitting, although sad, sad news last month when my beloved gym closed (R.I.P FTC/CFO). :( My "Gym Wife" (friend and Savannah Derby Devil) Skoolyard and I have joined another local crossfit gym in the interim. It really has been a devastating loss on our end, as we didn't know how good we had it at our old box (programming-wise and coach-wise). Well, we definitely DID know because we absolutely LOVED it, but this other gym is just nothing like our old one and we are sad. I'm only going twice a week now, which I think is a good move because I want to keep my strength, however I don't want to be sore all the time. The training runs on my plan are taking a lot out of me and I need the recovery time. I feel like I've lost strength, but I have to realize that I have committed to certain goal and need to train for that certain goal. I still do have plans to do a crossfit competition in the future... just not any time soon. Plus at that time, I hope to be a part of a gym that feels like home again. Sigh...
I am also in the middle of my own Whole Life Challenge... which helped me out a ton last year when I was training for my half. I gained the weight back, but since I started the week of July 4, I have already lost 4 lbs, putting me less than a lb away from being back in the 120s. I actually don't really care too much about losing weight for looks... I have been pretty happy with the way I have been looking and feeling (fit and strong!), but I want to get back down to the mid 120s for the race. Less weight means less effort to move my short butt on the pavement! I want to get faster! I definitely lost my speed from last year, and I want it back!
