P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Full Marathon

Adam and I at race start

So, Kate updated you all on the 1/2, and I thought I would post an update of the full marathon.  This was my second full marathon and I have to say that it went much better than my first!  My husband, Adam, agreed to run it with me.  Adam is not a runner.  He's a soccer player and he started a new job last year so training didn't really happen.  As a result, we decided to do a 5-2 minute run/walk pattern. 

The race started about a half hour late (apparently the changes to the course and reliance on the light rail made it hard for everyone to get to the start line).  Adam and I got off to a good start.  I made sure that we strictly follow our run/walk pattern.  I was feeling great.  Around mile 11, Adam started flagging.  Our run pace was starting to slow and our walk section took a little longer to end.  I ended up getting a few minutes ahead of Adam by the 13.1 mile mark.  So, when he caught up to me at that point--he told me to go ahead and so I did (I felt a bit like a bad wife at that point).

The second half of the race continued to go well for me.  I felt really good until about mile 22.  I ran in some new compression socks and they really seemed to help keep my legs fresh and free from cramping (I usually cramp up around mile 10 in a half marathon).  At that point, my feet were really tired and I started slowing down.  I kept up with the 5-2 pattern and I finished strong.  After I collected my stuff, I went back up the course to find Adam.  Once I found him, I helped him run/walk him in the last mile to the finish--that's right I ran/walked an extra two miles (I felt like a much better wife at that point)!


I finished in 5:17 and I really think I could improve on that time (though my time on Sunday was nearly a full 30 minutes faster than my first marathon). More importantly, I wasn't freaking out about the race.  I was calm and I had no doubt that I would finish. 

I haven't really been training for the full marathon distance.  I ran a half in December and a 10k on January 1, but nothing longer.  I really don't think that running the distance is as important as doing consistent cardio and strength training. 

I also think that I will be able to finish the marathon at the end of the Ironman with at least a little bit of running.  Now, I just need to get a century ride in so that I can really get a feel for being on the bike that long. 


Next up--Ragnar in February and the Phoenix 1/2 marathon in March!

PF Chang's Rock n Roll Half Marathon

I did it.  Don't ask me how.  Work, Life, Kids, and the Holidays interferred with proper training.  (Hmmm, Haven't we all heard these excuses before?) 

Peter (my brother in law) and I both had signed up for full marathon but couldn't get our training done.  We decided to power through and use the race as our Sunday work out.  I think we were both prepared to have a pretty awful race.  Before the race we decided to run a couple miles to get out of the crowd and then start our 3 minute run/1 minute walk.  At our 3 mile mark we ran into another good friend who was running her first Half Marathon.  She was so nervous and scared.  She was also recovering from a sinus infection and had just finished day 10 of her antibiotic.  

Even though we were not perfectly trained, the three of us had a really nice time.  We chit chatted and all stuck together.  I think all of us would have not done as well if we didn't have eachother.  It might have been my favorite Half Marathon!  At mile 12, my friend had a really bad blister, and I was spent, so we started walking a little longer than a minute.  We told Peter to go on without us b/c he was feeling very strong.  We rallied and eventually got to the finish line.  My time was 2:42.  I'm ok with it.  I can't expect to be awesome when I don't train properly.

Before I go, I just want to say, the 3/1 method works!  It really helps your endurance.  I learned about this method while training for Ironman the first go around.  Some of the more fit folks were using a 9/1 or 6/1.  The funny thing about this method is that if you do it over a long distance, you come pretty darn close to your time if you were to run the whole thing.  Buddies also help.  We kept eachother going when one of us wanted to quit. 

I think Peter and I are going to try to do another Half Marathon in February.  I want to see if I can build on this race.  Wish me luck! 

Work Ride

I thought I'd share a photo from my lunch time bike ride.  It was great.  The route was very hilly and I got my heart rate up in a short amount of time.  This job might be great for training if my schedules stays like this! 

Kate's 2012 Race Schedule

I think I have a plan.  I have my races labeled A, B and C.  A is the priority of course.  Bs are the races that I want to focus on in preparation for IMAZ.  Cs are the "maybe" races that I will try to do if I can make the logistics work and/or if there is a buddy doing it. 


Race Schedule:


B - March 3 - Phoenix Half Marathon [Kim]
C - March 24 - Tour de Cure
B - March 31 - Oceanside 70.3
C - April 14 - Tour of Mesa
C - April 28 - Tour of Tucson Mountains
C - May 5 - Shiprock Half Marathon
B - June 3 - San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon  [Tana]
C - July 21 - Taylor House Ride (65 or 95)
B - Sept 23 - Nathans Oly  [Kim]
C - Oct X? - Tour of Scottsdale
B - Oct 21 - Soma 70.3 [Kim]
A - Nov 18 - Ironman 2012

Decent first week

So this was my first week of training.  It wasn't perfect but I'm happy with what I was able to accomplish.  I need to find a pool soon to round it out.  Here are a couple updates.

• A friend sent me her garmin to try out.  It is an older model, 310 I think, but it helped me get the feel of it.  I LOVE it!  I think it will make training very fun.  I can see how having a garmin will make training by "time" increments so much easier.  I've been a "distance" trainer because I like to see how much ground I can cover.  Finally I can do both.
• I haven't tried to incorporate heart rate training yet.  That will be the next step.  I am trying to work out the kinks before we start the Ironfit training plan.
• As for diet, I have been doing pretty good this week.  It helps some of my girlfriends are doing a biggest loser competition.  Hopefully it will help me stay motivated.
   
• I am loving my spinner.  It should make a big difference in my training.  We'll see how it goes.
• I'm still playing with my race schedule.  I'm hoping to have it finalized this week. 

Have a fantastic week ladies!! 

Happy Ironman Year!

Happy Year of the Ironman!  This is our time!

Speaking of our time . . . .  Guess what?  The California 70.3 is the end of March.  That is only 12.5 weeks away!  (Yes, that means your April races are coming up too!)  I need to get moving.  I have done a great job of eating and drinking myself into horrible shape.  UGH.  Why do I do this to my poor body?!  You would think I'd learn a lesson.  2011 was a horrible year for my motivation.

2012 is going to be better.  I feel it.  I plotted out a training program for my race and am diving in.  I'm trying to work on a race schedule too.  Planning is fun.  It is the execution I need to work on.

Two of my friends want to do runs.  One has a dream of running a 1/2 marathon and wants to do it with me.  The race is May 5th on the Navajo Reservation (Shiprock).  The other is San Diego's Rock n Roll Marathon on June 3rd.  A different friend attempted this one last summer and wants another go at it.  I need to figure out if I can do both.  Lots of options!

Hope you are all getting excited to race! Let the training begin!

A New Year, A New Race

Danie and Kim--10k finishers!

Happy 2012!!!  It's finally the year of the Ironman.  :)  I started the year off with a race!  I have been in Minnesota for the holidays and the weather has been awesome.  It's been in the 30's or 40's most days and there hasn't been snow or ice on the ground.  So, about 5 days ago I thought it'd be a good idea to run the Polar Dash 1/2 Marathon on New Year's Day (and to convince my cold-weather hating friend to run it with me).  The weather forecast was clear and upper 30's--perfect running weather for this Ironmom.  Well, my signing up must have been Mother Nature's signal to remind me why I like the weather in Arizona...

Last night, it rained--then it froze and snowed.  This morning the winds were shaking the house.  I headed out on the slick roads and made it safely (albeit slowly) to the Twin Cities.  Danie and I made our way to the race start.  It was cold and windy.   The night before the race director emailed everyone and said that any 1/2 marathoners who wanted to run the 10k could do so without penalty.  The 1/2 marathon course was described as 2 loops following the 10k course.  The course was really an out and back--twice for the 1/2.  It was also a hilly course. 

Danie and I were doing well and felt good out on the first loop.  However, when we turned around,  we found ourselves running into the wind.  The combination of hills, repetition, and wind (and the easy out given by the race director to run the 10k instead) helped us decide to end the race with the 10k.  The last stretch of about 1/2 mile was in direct and unrelenting wind.  So, instead of finishing a half marathon dead tired and in pain--we ended a 10k feeling good!

After the race, I hit up one of my favorite St. Paul eateries--the Highland Grill.  I had a delicious turkey burger and awesome sweet potato fries.  I also had my first soda of 2012--a cherry coke, but after a year of not drinking pop, I could only finish 1/2 of it (a good thing!). 

Happy 2012 to all of you!