2015 in 2015!

It's time to say goodbye to another year.  2015 was a really good year for me.  I was healthy (except for one bout with the flu) and injury free.  I set a bunch of goals on January 1st, here's how I did:

Running
1 - Run another marathon.  Revel Canyon City Marathon with a 7:02 PR!
2 - Improve my pace.  I focused on interval workouts each week during marathon training and saw my pace improve so much.  I plan to get back to speed work next week.

Mileage
I want to cross the 2,000 mile mark again this year.  Done!  I crossed the 2,000 mile mark yesterday, then rode 10.64 miles this morning and hit 2015!  I know those cycling miles are what kept me injury free this year.  Even during marathon training I continued to ride.  Easy run days became cycling days.  My 51 year old body is happy!

Breakdown of miles:
Running 835.89 - 145 runs, longest run 26.33 miles
Walking 287.67 - 85 walks, longest walk 5.62 miles
Cycling 891.44 miles - 78 rides, longest ride 20.18 miles

My longest ride was still shorter than my longest run.

Weight and Health
I'm currently 13 pounds over my goal weight.  I am still 13 pounds over my goal weight.  I have been the same weight (+/- 3 pounds) all year!  I guess I can be happy that I didn't gain. I still want to lose that weight, but my doctor said he wasn't concerned.  All my numbers are good.  We have our 25th wedding anniversary on May 25th, so I'd love to weigh less than I do now by then.

Truth!

Some other highlights:
Brio Ice Cream 25k - this was such a fun, hard race on Oahu!  And who doesn't love ice cream on a hot Hawaiian morning?

Mexico Beach Community Garden Turkey Trot with six family members!

Here's to a healthy and happy 2016! Did you set and meet any goals in 2015?

THIS Close!

I just updated my mileage for the year and I am so close to my goal of 2,000 miles!  1,980.80!  Less than 20 miles in five days, I do believe I've got it.  This will be my highest mileage year since 2011.  I ran my first marathon in 2012 so my training changed a lot.  I did a lot less cycling and a mix of short runs and long runs.

I'm really happy with how this year went, especially my marathon training.  Cross training on the bike made such a difference, physically and mentally.  I am closing out the year with no injuries and not feeling the least bit burned out.

Of course now I'm wondering, should I try to hit 2015 for 2015?  Did you set, and will you reach, a mileage goal this year?

Muddy Trails

It's Christmas Eve Eve!  I've reviewed our calendar and Les traveled 25 weeks this year - 22 for business.  I was able to go along for 14 of those weeks (10 to Hawaii), so I didn't live alone the entire year.  But we are happily staying home this week.  I've done a little decorating, no baking, no shopping and I'm not sending Christmas cards this year!  I'm not a Scrooge, I'm just worn out.  We don't exchange gifts with family members (their idea) so we might hit some after Christmas sales for any running/cycling gear we "need."  We'll have a nice breakfast and dinner on Christmas day, just the two of us, enjoy some much needed down time and reflect on a Savior who came.

How we travel to Hawaii - lots of suitcases and a bike!

I have less than 40 miles to go to hit my 2000 mile goal for the year!  I'm glad I didn't hit it early because that goal dangling out there so close is keeping me getting up and out the door. 

My favorite Oahu run - Tantalus

We spent a couple of weeks on Oahu this month (our last trip) and I was able to spectate the Honolulu Marathon.  Les was part of the wheelchair cycling escort team again.  All the Hawaii cyclists I know absolutely love this event!  The wheelers take off five minutes before the runners so they are the first ones on the course.  The cyclists provide safety by way of lights and whistles.  Often it's just a quick warning to volunteers that they are coming through.  Les' wheeler got first place, finishing 26.2 miles in 1:33:12 (3:34 pace!)  Second place was only 17 seconds behind him.  These competitors are incredible!

They start AND finish before the sun comes up!

Tradewinds Cycling Team - wheeler escorts extraordinaire

Firefighters who run/walk the entire Honolulu Marathon in full gear!  I have seen them the last three years.  Heroes in every way.

We came home Saturday to winter.  I ran Sunday morning and it was 37 degrees (it was 73 at 5:30 am in Honolulu.)  It was the same temperature on Monday when I went mountain biking.  It rained yesterday so I took the day off.  We rode our mountain bikes this morning and the trail was quite a bit different.  Lots of puddles, large puddles!  There was also one very slick spot.  Les got bogged down in it going up and I slid my way through it going down. Fun times!

I wrote a little verse to the tune of Jingle Bells...

Dashing Down the Trail
On a Two Wheeled Specialized
Got Mud in My Hair
Les Got It In His Eyes!

 Merry Christmas!  I'll have a full 2015 year in review up next week, after I hit my 2000 mile mark!

2015 MapMyRun Year in Review

I received a fun email from MapMyRun this morning.  My Suunto Movescount is connected to MapMyRun and usually updates each day. They're a bit early with their "year in review" because I don't plan on stopping now, but the stats were cool anyway.

With three weeks to go, that's a lot of exercise!

I actually get tired of pizza during marathon training.  It is my go to fueling for long runs, which means it doesn't feel like a treat.

This is slightly lower than the miles I have in SportTracks, which I consider my "true" log.  Still working on hitting 2,000 for the year.

This is one full day per month!

I have no idea where it got a 7:51/mile run!  That is not in my official records, either.  I did a 3 mile tempo run at 8:31, pretty sure that was my fastest.

 

You know you're a runner when your longest run is longer than your longest bike ride!  Very proud of that 26.33 miles.   I'll do a full review on my goals and accomplishments in a few more weeks, but 2015 has been a good year.

Feeling Sick? To Exercise or Not to Exercise. That is the Question

While we were flying home from Florida on Friday, Les starting complaining of a sore throat.  By the time we landed he was coughing and blowing his nose.  I felt great until Monday afternoon.  While his has been in his chest and throat, mine has mostly been sinuses.

A quick Google search on "exercising when sick" brought up over 24 million results!  The most common is the "above the neck" rule.  "If your symptoms are above the neck, including a sore throat, nasal congestion, sneezing, and tearing eyes, then it's OK to exercise. If your symptoms are below the neck, such as coughing, body aches, fever, and fatigue, then it's time to hang up the running shoes until these symptoms subside."  (WebMD)  Most of my symptoms have been above the neck, but I haven't slept much the past couple of nights, so I've taken the past two days off.  I'm just taking it day by day.

Of course there's a lot more to it than that.  The same article from WebMD says that fever is the limiting factor.  "The danger is exercising and raising your body temperature internally if you already have a fever, because that can make you even sicker."  The article doesn't address stomach flu,but unless your neighborhood is lined with port-a-potties, it's probably not a good idea to head out for a run!

I have a couple more of my own "rules" - "How did you sleep last night?"  If you spent half the night getting up to blow your nose or cough, a little extra rest is what your body needs.  "Do you just feel crummy, no energy, dizzy?"  Go back to bed!  I don't have a gym membership, but if you do, don't go when you're still coughing and sneezing.  Nobody wants your germs!

As you get close to feeling like yourself again, don't go full out.  You're setting yourself up for a relapse (been there, done that.)  Go out and walk a little to see how you feel.  Run half a mile and see if you're back to coughing and feeling terrible.  Don't push yourself!  It's not worth it.  Let the sickness run its course.  You won't lose all your fitness.  Do you really want pneumonia?  (Done that, too!)

Source

I think the bottom line is just as there were over 24 million results on my search you are unique.  Listen to your body.  And don't feel guilty for taking care of it!

Have you been sick yet this season?  Do you soldier on or take extra rest days?

Mexico Beach Community Garden Turkey Trot

Galina, Rick, Reese, Les, Bill, Kathy, Leksi

We spent last week in Florida for the annual Thanksgiving reunion.  I didn't take my laptop and just enjoyed beautiful weather, running, family, and lots of food!  A total of 59 family members, descendants of Earl and Marie McElhaney were in attendance.  We were literally kids from one to ninety-two - one of Les' aunts is 92 and a great grandson is one!

We ended up with seven family members running the Turkey Trot.  Les planned to walk/run with his dad.  His brother-in-law, Rick, and nephew, Reese, are fast and would be done before the rest of us.  I thought I might try to run it at a fast pace and see what would happen.  I had no pace strategy since I didn't know anyone in my age group who was running.

While we were waiting for the race to start, our two nieces decided they wanted to run with me.  (The race organizers didn't charge for kids, unless the parents wanted to pay.)  We don't see them very often, so my plans went out the window and I decided to just enjoy the family time.  Of course when the siren went off, both girls took off sprinting!  I wasn't worried about it, I just ran my own pace.

About a half mile in I caught Leksi as she was taking her first walk break.  We finished the first mile in 9:07, but I was pretty sure that wouldn't last.  "This is long," occurred during the second mile, but I have to say the girl is spunky!  She walked and ran the entire thing and didn't complain.  I tried doing run two minutes/walk 30 seconds intervals but that didn't seem to work.  I switched my strategy to blocks.  Run two blocks, walk one block.  They were really short blocks!  We also spent time doing fractions - "how much of three miles have we gone now?"

The mighty fisherwoman, later that same day!

We had one more turn before the finish line.  I told Leksi when we made the turn to sprint to the finish line and she did!  Our splits were 9:07, 10:47, 11:51, and 7:51 for the final tenth of a mile!  We finished in 32:49.

Les and his dad finished in 50:26.  My father-in-law wanted to finish in under 52 minutes.  Pretty awesome for an 83 year old!

They only gave out the top finisher in each age group, but only went to 60+.  Bill was the only one over 80, placing fifth of seven in the 60+ group.  He beat out a 65 year old and a 73 year old!

Reese took third in his age group (19 and under) and was 7th overall finishing in 21:25

I took third in my age group (50-59.) This was the first time I've ever placed in my age group.  The winner was only a couple minutes faster than me, I think I actually could have won it if I was running on my own!  But I don't regret spending those 32 minutes with my youngest niece, she may never want to run with me again.

Rick took first in his age group (40-49) and was 6th overall finishing in 20:57.  I'm pretty sure beating Reese by 28 seconds felt pretty good! All in all, a pretty decent showing for our family!

This was a fun race, only in it's third year.  In 2013 there were only 20 runners and no registration fee.  There were 165 finishers this year.  We paid $15 this year for the no t-shirt option.  There were runners, walkers, kids, strollers, and dogs.  I think it's what a Turkey Trot should be!

Turkey Trotting? You Won't Be Alone!

I read an interesting article in USAToday yesterday.  Thanksgiving is now the most popular holiday for running!  According to data from non-profit Running USA, in 2012, there were 490 Thanksgiving-day races, versus 290 in 2008. And in 2012, there were more than 858,000 finishers — up 155% from 2008.

The Buffalo Turkey Trot is widely considered as the first race of its kind, and it's still run at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving just as it was for the first time in 1896. That's the year Henry A. Allison beat out five other all-male runners in a 5-mile unpaved race in Buffalo, N.Y., according to the YMCA Buffalo Niagra. The event — thankfully now on paved roads and also accepting women — gets more than 14,000 participants yearly.

I thought the most interesting stat was this:  Thanksgiving is the day most people consume a traditional feast containing the same calories as 15 hot fudge sundaes!  Americans consume approximately 4,500 calories on this single day.

That also equals 43 bananas!

I'm pretty sure no one in the history of Turkey Trots has ever burned 4,500 calories before the meal.  Eat responsibly!

Weekly Review and Turkey Trot Plans

Two weeks post-marathon and I am feeling great!  This is the best I've done after a marathon.  I know I keep saying this, but cross training really makes a difference!

Right now we have seven family members signed up for the Mexico Beach Turkey Trot.  Pops (Les's dad) is 83 and has been walking faithfully on the treadmill.  The youngest is Les' nephew, Reece, who is 14.  He ran cross country this Fall and is speedy.  So I won't be the first family member to finish, but I certainly won't be the last.  I'm the only female signed up at this point, so at least I'll win my division in the family!

Frazz was spot on this morning:

My workouts went really good this week:

Sunday - ran 5.01 miles in 52:46, 10:32 pace

Monday - ran 2.02 miles in 27:31, 13:37 pace
This run happened after I signed Les and I up for the Turkey Trot.  "I need to run," my cycling husband proclaimed!

Tuesday - rode 12.59 miles in 1:19:37, 9.5 mph
This was a trail ride, my cycling husband got his revenge for Monday's run.  We saw lots of evidence of cattle on the trail and about 2 1/2 miles up saw a group of five.  They were grazing peacefully and never even mooed at us.

Wednesday - rested

Thursday - ran 7 miles in 1:23:40, 11:57 pace
I did a trail run for the first time in about six weeks.  I stopped my watch and took pictures along the way.  It was a beautiful morning!

Friday - ran 3.1 miles in 31:57, 10:18 pace
I did just a little bit of speed work during my second mile.  I've never raced a 5k before, so I don't know what kind of pace I'll be able to do next Thursday.  I'm not sure I really care.

Saturday - rode 9.43 miles in 52:24, 10.8 mph
Santa Ana winds are back!  It was 69 at 6:00 this morning and this was a tough ride!  Crosswinds and headwinds the entire time.

Total
Running  17.13
Cycling  22.02
Total  39.15

First Post Marathon Run and My Next Race

I finally ran yesterday and I was surprised by how well it went.  I did a 5 mile loop at a 10:32 pace and ran every step.  I am really trying to focus on running all the hills on my routes.  Yesterday's run had just under 400 feet of climbing.

As usual, Southern California skipped Fall and has gone straight to Winter.  At least Winter for us - lows in the 40s which is my favorite running temp.  So I'll be a happy runner for a while.

We travel to Florida next week for the McElhaney Family Thanksgiving Reunion.  We have several runners in the family, most notably Les' two nephews who ran cross country this year.  On a whim, I Googled "Turkey Trot 2015 Florida" and found a 5k Turkey Trot in the town where we'll be staying!  Les agreed to run it and we sent an email trying to get some other participants.  So my next race is the "Mexico Beach Community Garden Turkey Trot 5k" on Thanksgiving morning!

Is it turning cold where you live?  Will you run a Turkey Trot this year?

Recovery Week and A Chat with My Doctor

Over my shoulder is a cattle ranch.  5 trucks passed me while I was riding the trail this morning making for a very dusty cyclist!

In the past two weeks I have seen my gynecologist, general practice doctor, and had my annual mammogram.  It was time for all three so I just clustered them together to get it done.

After greeting me on Tuesday morning, my GP said, "So what are you doing these days for exercise?  Do  you walk in the mornings?"  "I ran a marathon on Saturday." He kinda walked into that one!  He is not anti-running, but he's not exactly pro-marathoning.  He has a brother-in-law who has been running for years and tried to get him to run a marathon.  I think the brother-in-law's constant "encouragement" has been a little much for dear doc, because he said more than once, "no way will I ever run a marathon!"  His biggest concern is that I don't push my body to a point of harming it.  Hopefully, I was able to reassure him that I understand my limits.  My lab results came back and all my numbers are great!  My overall cholesterol went from 180 last year to 142 this year.  I'm 51 and on exactly zero medication, I feel great about that!

I took FOUR rest days this week!  Two were physical rest days and two were mental rest days.  I couldn't move without pain on Sunday, Monday morning was still pretty painful.  I walked about 2 miles on Tuesday and could tell I was starting to recover.  I did an easy bike ride on Wednesday, rested Thursday and Friday, and did a trail ride this morning.  I ended up with a whopping 20.49 miles for the week.

I did not run a single time this week!  I thought I would, and I could have, but it felt nice to not have any pressure to do so.  The pressure was all from me, but it was pressure anyway.  There are seven weeks left in this year and I plan to finish strong with over 2,000 miles!

Final Thoughts and Future Plans

I've taken a ton of rest days this week.  The first couple because I was so sore, and the last couple because we have Santa Ana winds howling and I just didn't feel like fighting them!  I'm not worried about losing fitness, I think I needed to mental break from training as much as the physical.

Frazz is my favorite comic strip!  Especially because Miss Plainwell is the faster runner ;)

I've analyzed my marathon career (a total of four races!) and realize that I need to dial back my expectations for now.  A sub 4:00 may never happen and I am okay with that.  Finishing a marathon is a big deal and a 7 minute PR over my 48 year old self is a great accomplishment!

I don't have any regrets about my most recent marathon.  (Wait, I do have one - the professional photographer did not get a finish line picture of me. I was completely alone when I crossed the finish line and I guess they must have been bored and looked away.  I'm sad about this because Les didn't take any either - he saw the photographer and really thought they would get a great shot.)  I have to be honest with myself and say I'm not ready to run that distance any faster.  My previous best was 4:53:33, so a sub 4:00 would have shaved off almost an hour.  Kinda unrealistic, yeah?

I haven't chosen a race for next year.  I've enjoyed doing different marathons, but I really enjoyed my experience with this particular race.  I do like the smaller size (1,199 finishers) as opposed to the massive Honolulu Marathon.  I am not willing to commit to more than one marathon a year.  Sixteen weeks of training plus a couple of easy weeks recovery is more than a third of the year.  I enjoy the training process, but I also enjoy having the liberty to do less or more on any given day.  Maybe I should think about shorter races for a year?

My strategy for next time:

• Set a more realistic goal - around 4:40, which would be another 7 minute PR, with a stretch of 4:30.
• Run with a 4:40 pacer, in the hopes that starting at an easier pace will leave more in the tank at the end.
• Continue with my cross training strategy.  Running no more than 4 times a week, with cycling 1-2 times a week worked for me.
• I've got to get better at running up hills!  I have plenty of places to train, I just need to do it.
• Continue speed work.  I loved the variety of intervals that I did this time and plan to keep doing them once a week even when not training for a specific event.