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20 Miles & Blood Test Results

March 14th, 2012 | Posted by Lindsay Runs in Blog Posts - (12 Comments)

Well, I survived my solo 20 miler in Montclair on Saturday. I felt relatively good and kept a decent pace despite hillier terrain miles 9.5-15. I started out around 8:00 pace and dropped it down to 7:20-7:25 pace for the last 6 miles.

Here's what 20 miles in the 'burbs looks like- lots of little loops combined.

I felt a mixture of awe and nonchalance staring at the ‘20.00‘ on my Garmin once I stopped. “Whoa, I ran for 2 hours and 35 minutes totally self-motivated! And really didn’t want to die or stop at any point!” coupled with “Whatever, 20 miles, just another long run, done this by myself before.” I’m happy I’m getting to the level of fitness where 20 miles feels like no big thing. But at the same time I always seem to surprise myself a bit. Know what I mean?

Lucky for me, I suppose I front loaded my mileage a bit and ended up hitting 60 miles in 5 days of running. This was fantastic news when I woke up Sunday with a huge hangover from going out on Saturday night and couldn’t bear the thought of leaving my bed. So I didn’t. Nice non-planning, Lindsay.

As always, you can check out my training log doc here.

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Okay. I have put off posting about this because it is one of my absolute least favorite topics but I’m pretty intrigued by the results so figured I’d share.

So, I have an extreme aversion to blood, needles, veins and the like and thus absolutely hate getting blood drawn. I have Valium prescribed so I don’t hyperventilate and pass out, and apply a topical anesthetic cream to numb the skin, but I still hyperventilate and cry and act like a 5 year old.

Nevertheless, after being anemic my junior year of college (with the way-too-low ferritin level of 8), I’ve tried to face my fears and get a comprehensive blood panel yearly or every other year to check iron levels & indicators and just make sure everything is running properly. I’d strongly advocate all runners do this even if you’re feeling good, to have a baseline to compare when you start to feel bad. I would also strongly recommend getting a doctor who will sit down and go through your results in depth with you. I have a great one here in NYC if you need a referral!

As runners, I feel like we’re pretty in-tune with our bodies but it’s hard to listen sometimes. Well of course I’m tired and lacking energy; I’m running 60+ miles a week, working a full time job, traveling, and squeezing in sleep and fun somewhere between it all. Is this just the way you should feel, or is something really wrong? My last test was in early March 2011 as I trained for the NYC half and started feeling pretty awful. My results came back just fine and a few days later, I had a kickass workout and a few weeks later, ran a new PR of 1:24 in the half. Shows how much I know.

This year my ferritin was 22 (down from 34 last year), my hemoglobin was 12.8 (down from 13.3), hematocrit at 39 (consistent with 40.1), and red blood cells were 4.16 (down from 4.3).

All of these levels were within the low end of the normal range, but I don’t need a medical degree to think that ‘normal’ differs for marathoner vs. sedentary individual. They should make ‘athlete’ ranges :)

My levels tend to skew a bit on the low side compared to other runners, and though training is going pretty darn well I’m probably going to be a bit more consistent about supplementing with liquid iron (taken with Vitamin C to aid absorption). Can’t hurt, ya know?

Ever surprise yourself with getting through a run you thought was going to be awful? Ever experience low iron or symptoms of anemia? 

 

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It’s All In The Numbers…

March 10th, 2012 | Posted by Lindsay Runs in Blog Posts - (11 Comments)

One of the reasons I like running is that it’s quantitative. It’s easy to measure success; you either ran faster or farther, or you didn’t. It’s simple to measure fitness gains or losses by comparing results over time. And it’s cool to look at quantitative data to predict your potential on race day. Sure, that’s pretty simplistic and there’s plenty of other things that go into the equation (or are out of your control) to determine how you’ll do once you toe the starting line, but for the most part determining fitness is pretty objective.

Another reason I’ve always keep a running log (and recently, blog) is to be able to look at this quantitative data over time to compare. It’s pretty cool. What pace did I do my long run at now vs. a year ago? How many miles did I hit? What pace did I do this same workout at last time? Can I beat it?

On Thursday night, CPTC did an 8 mile tempo, also known as 2×4 mile as it’s the same 4 mile loop done twice: 1st loop at marathon pace straight into the 2nd loop at half-marathon pace. A real ‘bread and butter’ workout for marathon training. I know I’m crazy, but I LOVE this type of long workout because it plays on my strengths.

On Thursday morning I looked at my log to revisit my splits from the last time we did this workout before the NYC Marathon. I secretly have a goal to best all my workout times or else I get disappointed. I know this is silly. On September 22nd, I ran this workout in 54:42 for an average pace of 6:45. It was humid but I remember feeling super relaxed the 1st loop and strong the 2nd and was happy.

This Thursday, I did the loop over 90 seconds faster! And apparently weaved a bit more as it was 8.15 this time vs. 8.10 last time.

Workout, 3/8

I felt totally relaxed the first loop even though our splits were most definitely faster than marathon pace. The last two miles were tough, but in an ‘I can totally push this‘ way. There was a bit of a headwind on the east side, but otherwise the weather was perfect (60+ degrees!) and my stomach only started hurting after the workout was over. I should probably not eat nearly half a bag of marshmallow cereal a few hours before a workout. But I was hungry. Eating well for night running is always hard for me.

Seeing improvements like this workout after workout makes me feel like maybe, just maybe, sub 3:00 in Boston could happen. Or at least, a PR. Thoughts?

I quickly cooled down to my apartment, hopped in the shower, grabbed a banana and literally ran through the subway and Port Authority to catch a 9:30 bus home to NJ (legs. hurt. so. bad.). While I may not have brushed my hair, at least I showered. You’re welcome, fellow bus passengers. I spent a quick hour at the DMV yesterday morning to renew my license, and spent the rest of the day working from home. TGIF.

And, thanks to mom for the lovely early birthday present!

I’ve been searching for a Michael Kors watch since before Christmas. I wanted one that was both silver & gold, without being too oversized as I’ve got kinda tiny wrists. Winner!

And now, it’s time to take off the lovely MK watch and put on my Garmin and get out the door for my first 20-miler of this training cycle. My first solo long run of the training cycle, too. Hope I don’t bore myself to death out there.

Do you keep a regular running log? Do you like to compare previous workouts, paces, runs, & results? What’s goin’ on this weekend?!

60 miles!

March 5th, 2012 | Posted by Lindsay Runs in Blog Posts - (14 Comments)

Although last week’s cut back week was pretty nice (and much needed!), it felt good to hit 60 miles this week with a decent workout and long run. My legs are feeling a bit heavier and my calves are a bit tight/sore making my shins hurt just a tad, but otherwise I’m feeling good.

Here’s how the week played out for 60 miles total.

  • M: 8 miles easy
  • T: 10 miles in afternoon before flight, felt good! 7:10 pace
  • W: OFF, meeting in Charlotte
  • R: Solo workout on WSH, 2 w/u, 8 tempo (53:41, 6:43 pace), 2 c/d
  • F: 6.25 easy recovery
  • S: 18 long run over GWB & back w/ Alex & Veronica, ~7:45 pace
  • S:  5.75 slow, hungover

Tuesday’s run was pretty awesome. I had a flight down to Charlotte for work in the afternoon so I worked from home in the morning. I’m extremely lucky to have some flexibility in my job, so I got an earlier start to my workday from home and opted to push my run to around 12:30 vs. first thing in the morning. I’ve definitely transitioned into being a morning runner over the last few years as I enjoy having the rest of my day and night to work & be social. However, I definitely have much better runs in the afternoon/evening when I’ve given my body and mind some time to wake up and get in a good meal and a few cups of coffee. I was pleasantly surprised with how good my 7:10 average pace felt for 10 miles…while it wasn’t ‘easy’, it felt smooth and strong. And I crossed paths with the Columbia guys team out for their afternoon run which made me miss having practice at 1:30 every day with my college team…sigh. Despite the massive difference, I’ll still stick with morning runs so I can be a normal person and work as late as I need or go to happy hour & dinner post-work. Trade-offs?

I was a bit nervous about Thursday’s workout as I had to squeeze it in by myself before the NYRR Club Night Awards instead of going to practice. Again, I am extremely lucky to have flexibility in my job so I left the office around 4:30 for a little run commute/workout home along the East River & WSH. After a quick 2 mile warmup across Houston St and the tip of Manhattan, I took off on an 8 mile tempo through the Seaport, Battery Park City and the West Side Highway.

As I mentioned, my calves have been realllllly tight lately, in turn making my shins hurt a ton. I first started to notice it during this workout as my legs weren’t tired and I wasn’t struggling aerobically, but I couldn’t really get my stride going because my shins felt so off. Unfortunately there was a headwind basically the entire time…hard to avoid when running in one direction along a river.

Workout, 3/1

Not bad for a solo effort feeling a bit ‘off’, but I wish I could have gotten closer to 6:40 average given the flat terrain. Did I want to run an 8 mile workout by myself? No. But I got out the door and finished without too much mental struggle, which was a nice confidence booster. Once I got home I quickly showered & changed (and didn’t stretch- I wonder why my legs are sore?) to go NYRR Club Night. While I didn’t win my age group category, and honestly I didn’t think I had a shot, it was pretty cool to have been nominated at all :)

Saturday’s long run was my first time going over the George Washington Bridge! I’ve run over practically every other bridge here but for some reason the GWB seemed daunting. I was afraid of getting lost finding the onramp. I met up with Alex and Veronica and we made the journey over and even added on a bit in a little park right over the bridge. It was drizzling when we first started around 10am, but turned out dry and sunny by the end of the run! Overall, the pace felt good & easy despite the huge hills getting up onto the bridge…though my quads kinda wanted to die the last mile.

On Saturday night I went to the lovely Sofia’s apartment for a low-key party where she stirred up a mean margarita…meaning I had two or three and was pretty extremely tipsy. I may or may not have fallen asleep on the subway home, woken up at 137th street, quickly hopped on a downtown train, polished off a few cups of dry cereal, and woken up at noon on Sunday utterly exhausted and a bit sick. Long runs + drinking don’t always mix well, apparently. Maybe I should start being a more responsible marathoner?

…Maybe. I decided an easy, slow run in the fresh air would help cure the hangover. Plus I’m extremely stubborn and wanted to hit my mileage goal, no matter how slow. Though I spent the better part of 3 miles convincing myself not to get sick mid-run, I felt 10x better once it was over. And then I proceeded to head down to midtown to meet up with my CPTC teammates for an afternoon of more drinking. Oh, Sunday sunday…

Highlight of your weekend? Do you prefer morning or afternoon/evening runs? Checked out any new running routes lately?

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Will Run For Waffles

February 27th, 2012 | Posted by Lindsay Runs in Blog Posts - (12 Comments)

It’s not news that marathon training makes you hungry. Being able to have a healthy, hearty appetite is one of the things I like best about running. A meal always tastes better when you’ve worked up a real appetite, right? This is also probably the reason I tend to gain a few pounds during marathon training, but that’s besides the point :)

So when I found out about an all you can eat & drink brunch at Brooklyn Brewery, you bet I was in. Unlimited waffles, toppings, bacon, beer and coffee? Game on. I also had to get in a long run, and a few of us were in the same boat so showing up in running clothes was totally cool. I <3 runner friends.

Brooklyn Brewery is located in Williamsburg, and getting there by foot seemed the best option to squeeze in 18 miles before 10:30 am, especially considering the L train wasn’t running over the weekend. Plus, it’d be something different to mix up the long runs..love a good destination run. Alex and I met up in Central Park for a quick loop around the bridle before heading down the West Side Highway and over the Williamsburg Bridge.

18 miles, 2/25

18 went by much quicker than we expected! We averaged around 7:45 pace, with miles ranging from 7:25 to 8:00 depending on terrain and ridiculous gusts of wind along the river. The pace felt comfortable and relaxed, and I didn’t start totally hating my life until the last mile or so when we added on a bit around the brewery.

Alex and I met Nicole, Kristan, Susan and Ben when we got there and immediately changed into dry clothes and hopped in line! Which.took.forever. I was hungry and felt a little tipsy after downing a beer. Oops? Megan, Sofia and Leslie arrived a bit later so our groups got split up in the line waiting. Despite the painfully slow line, we still went back for seconds. And then I swiped a jug of maple syrup on the way out. Delicious.

After a few subway transfers (ever taken the G line? I can now say I have…), I arrived home and lounged around for the rest of the afternoon before getting ready for a night out. A burger & fries, many cocktails, jello shot syringes (??), dancing until 3am and staying up until you can see the sun rising through the blinds may not be the best way to recover from an 18 mile run, but damn it was fun.

I enjoyed a leisurely rest day on Sunday, totaling 3 rest days (woohoo!) and 40.5 miles for the cut back week. It was nice and necessary, but now we’re back to business. 60 miles for the week shouldn’t be too bad despite traveling to Charlotte on Tues/Weds and missing the CPTC workout on Thursday night. Make it work.

And for now, sleep.

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Cherry Tree 10 Miler & Cut Back Week

February 24th, 2012 | Posted by Lindsay Runs in Blog Posts | Race Recaps - (8 Comments)

On Sunday, I trekked down to Brooklyn (/got a ride there so I wouldn’t have to take the subway, thanks Alex & Steve!) to run the Cherry Tree 10 Mile race. I didn’t really have a plan going into it beyond getting in at least 18 miles for the day and having the race be my workout for the week. I’m definitely not in racing shape and after traveling during the week, I was a bit beat.

The later 10am race start in Prospect Park was nice, so I woke up at 8, ate a decent breakfast & drank coffee (a must!) before heading down to the school to pick up our bibs and do a quick warmup.

We covered around 2.75 miles before heading to the start– my legs were really tired and just felt heavy. We started off the race a bit further into the crowds, with plans to start out conservatively and go from there.

Cherry Tree 10 Miler, Prospect Park Brooklyn, 2/19

Alex & I ran together the entire race until she pulled away from me the last time up the hill– it was so nice to have company! Our splits were relatively steady around 6:45, with a few quick ones on the flat/downhill miles and slower on the uphills. Honestly, I don’t mind Prospect Park at all, and don’t think the hill is that bad compared to Central Park. Sure, it’s long and I kinda wanted to die the 3rd time up it, but the rest of the park’s terrain is pretty forgiving.

My final chip time was 1:06:13, for an average pace of 6:38ish. I’m pretty happy with this effort considering how heavy my legs felt and that I wasn’t well-rested. But, sure does make doing 16.2 more miles just 10-12 seconds per mile slower sound really, really daunting.

A big CPTC crew ran back over the Manhattan Bridge, making the cooldown go by much faster than if we logged another few loops in the park. I covered 18.25 miles total for the day and rehydrated with the team a few hours later:

CPTC @ Loreley's

All the sudden I found myself extremely drunk before 8 p.m. on a Sunday. So much for taking it easy this weekend :)

I had planned this week to be a cut back week in terms of mileage, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to take it or not. I want my schedule to be flexible depending on how I’m actually feeling vs. what I planned, and what if my legs were feeling good? Well, my legs were still sore into Wednesday due to the race and wearing flats, so a cut back week it is.

I’d like to get in around 40 miles still including a long run of 18, with no workout this week. Someone asked why I don’t step back my long runs, too. For me, I’d rather gradually build up my long runs linearly (14, 16, 16, 18, 18, 20, 20, 20) instead of breaking them up with a scaled down long run. With only so many weeks ’till Boston, I want to try to get in as many long runs as possible, and stepping it down to a week would take away from that, you know? Instead for my cut back week, the long run is essential but I take a few more rest days and nix the workout to give my legs a break. Maybe that’s wrong, I’m open to suggestions :)

I also wanted to use this week to catch up on sleep and recharge my body to get me through the next 4 hard weeks until the taper. Unfortunately for my body, but fortunately for me, work has been keeping me super busy between meetings, projects, presentations, etc. so I haven’t slept and relaxed with ‘me’ time as much as I’d like. But I am so lucky to be doing something I love, and I definitely focus better when I’ve got more on my plate. No complaints.

After this cut back week, I hope to hit totals of 60, 60, 65 and 65 before backing off for the taper. Maybe more, maybe less. 4 weeks of hard work ’till Boston…April 16th, are you here yet?

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Time to Chill

February 18th, 2012 | Posted by Lindsay Runs in Blog Posts - (6 Comments)

Ah, after a busy week I’m finally enjoying a semi-lowkey weekend to relax and catch up on a few things I’ve been putting off, like sleep (!!!), putting away my laundry from Wednesday, and writing here.

I would like to post more frequently during the week, but I can barely find enough time to check things off my ever-growing to-do list at work, continue to increase my mileage, hang out with friends, and sleep. So for now, I’ll do what I can. I hope you keep coming back to read anyways :)

This week has been pretty blah & basic in terms of running. I was in Toronto for work from Wednesday thru yesterday, and so I front loaded my mileage earlier in the week as I wasn’t sure if I’d have time to get in runs while I was there.

Hello from the CN Tower in Toronto

Week of 2/13

  • M: 10.5 slow, felt awful & dizzy
  • T: 10.5 relaxed, better after first few miles
  • W: OFF
  • R: 6.25 miles in morning along Toronto Waterfront
  • F: 8 miles in morning along Toronto Waterfront
  • S: Planned 4
  • S: Planned 18, including Cherry Tree 10 Miler in Prospect Park
Planned mileage: 57.25

On Monday, I got blood drawn in the morning to get my iron levels tested. I don’t feel any symptoms now, but I like to get it done about once a year as I’ve been anemic in the past and want to keep healthy while marathon training. I struggled through 10.5 miles in the afternoon feeling drained and dizzy, likely due to the blood test. Oh well, miles in the books.

Tuesday’s run was equally as tiring, though it got better after about 3 miles. After a weekend of late nights out, I think my body was trying to tell me to slow down. It probably wasn’t necessary to clean my entire plate of chicken parm sandwich and fries at a diner at 5 a.m. on Saturday night (Sunday morning?), but it sure was delicious and fun.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with going out, drinking, and staying out late, in fact I prefer to as it keeps me sane and happy..as long as I can rest and recover from it. I’m a firm believer that sleep cures all, but sometimes there is just not enough hours in the day. Since I opted for morning miles over extra sleep while in Toronto, I promptly passed out when I got home last night. But I fell in love with Toronto’s waterfront running path, especially as the sun rose…definitely worth digging myself further into sleep deprivation.

And now I’m enjoying coffee and breakfast in bed, which is one of life’s greatest pleasures. I need to get out the door for an easy 4 miles or so this afternoon before an afternoon of shopping with some lady friends. And simply staying in and making a nice dinner tonight, as I’ll be up early for tomorrow’s Cherry Tree 10 Miler in Prospect Park.

My plan for the “race” is really to combine a long run and workout. Hopefully I’ll net 18 miles between the race and my warmup/cooldown. I’ll aim to do the 10 miles around marathon pace (~6:52-7:02) with Alex, but might speed up or slow down depending on how I’m feeling. I’m just looking for a bit of an excuse to get out the door and run a bit of a harder effort, even if it’s 3+ loops of Prospect Park.

How do you recover/slow down from a busy week? Plans for the weekend?

 

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