MY NEXT MARATHON!

I'm so excited about my next marathon! I did A LOT of research on Spring races and wanted a marathon to happy sometime in the month of April (giving me around a month before my MS Run The US Relay). I didn't want to travel too far, so the Salt Lake City Marathon seemed like the perfect option! I've been to SLC a few times and ran there once (it was really challenging)! The race also starts where the 2002 Olympic Village was, which is really special (I've always wanted to visit there)!

It also is happening on my birthday weekend, so what better way to celebrate my last few days as being 27 than running 26.2 miles! I may even run 1.8 miles further to celebrate turning 28 ; )

The marathon does look slightly challenging with some hills in the middle section of the race, but I'm planning to add many hill runs into my training plan (for my relay race) so those shouldn't be an issue. 

It also happens 1 month before the start of my relay, so the timing couldn't be better! 

I tried most of the weekend to pin down what my time goal for the race will be (I always like to put a bit larger goal for each race than what is my ultimate- i.e. training for a 3:50 marathon when I would be really happy to just hit sub-4 : ) ...), and I will be training for 3:45 marathon! Ultimately if I get anything under 3:50 I'd be ECSTATIC - I'll be doing another post next week talking about my goals for 2018 (including how this marathon pace will play into my overall goal time for next year). 

Photo from my last trip to SLC- there were so.many.hills (also amazing views)!

I still have a few more weeks of base building, hill training, and easy paces (along with a lot of strength training). The last week in December will kick off my first week of training (and following again the Hanson's Marathon Training Plan). 

I'm still trying to decide what my other races for 2018 will be. Researching potential races is really exciting though! I'd love to try to get another state or two checked off my list : )

Ever done the Salt Lake City Marathon? Any advice?!

What's your next race? Any fun races you have coming up in 2018?

Las Vegas Rock 'n Roll Marathon Review & What I Did During The Day b4 The Race!

HAPPY HAPPY TURKEY DAY! I hope you will be celebrating with lots of tasty food, family/friends, and a GREAT RUN! I'm doing the 5k Turkey Trot this morning and then skiing and a small dinner with friends! I am thankful for all my family and friends near and far, as well as thankful for my legs that are strong enough to endear long runs and let me travel to beautiful places!

Make sure to head over to Race Recaps for the full recap of the Las Vegas Rock 'n Roll Marathon!

I wanted to share with you a few things that I did during the day before the 4:30pm start because it definitely is difficult to fill your day if you want to save your legs for race time. 

Things I typically will save until the day of the race:

• Race playlists- I actually LOVE doing this a few hours before the race. It gets me excited for the race and does not require anything physical. 
• Eat small meals throughout the day (up until 1 hour before the race start)- I stick with plain bagels with butter/ granola oat bars/ Honey Stinger chews/ Bananas/ Pop Tarts. Anything that I have previously eaten before a training run I eat the hours before race. 
• Legs up the wall at least twice- I do this constantly when traveling for a race. It's amazing how refreshed you feel afterwards. 
• Read a chapter of an inspiring book- I saved a chapter in Matt Fitzgerald's How Bad Do You Want it to read before my race and I honestly thought about it/ channeled it my entire race. 
• Lay by the pool (but don't get too much sun)
• Foam Roll
• Do a fun hairstyle- Having a late race start means more time to do a fun braid or hairstyle that you wouldn't normally do for those 3AM wake-ups. 

Things I don't do before a race:

• Eat insane amounts of food. Just don't. do. it.
• Walk a lot
• Get extra sleep the night before (I DO get extra sleep the week leading up to a race, but not the night before a race- I feel sluggish if I get too much sleep). Stick with your normal sleep times to prevent a "sleep hangover"
• Not do anything at all. It's good to still have things to do to keep your mind off of the race/ build up anticipation
• Sight-see- save it for after the race!

Don't forget to go check out my RACE REVIEW !

Hanson's Marathon Method REVIEW

Here it is! My honest and unbiased review of the Hanson's Marathon Method. I've always followed a training plan for marathons (not so much for half marathons) and this was my first time trying HMM. I've followed the Runner's World Training Plans twice before and did the Jeff Galloway's plan once. The most miles I had run prior to beginning this training plan (which peaks at 63 miles) was 38. I was honestly pretty nervous to follow this plan because it didn't peak at a 20 mile long run (my first training plan where that wasn't part of peak week) and it had me running SO much. I had only ever done double digit runs on the weekends (part of my long runs) and only sporadically did speed work on the treadmill mainly (I did one workout on the track once before). I had heard of goal-paced runs, but never done one (in the Jeff Galloway method I did a few 4 x 1 mile repeats, but that always included a lengthy walking break in between sets).

I think you could totally consider me "newbie" in regards to running anything but long runs or daily runs. I also never really paid too much attention to what my "easy" paced runs were and most definitely always did them way too fast in past training plans. Additionally, I was the runner who tried to take my long runs SO slow that my legs actually ended up feeling exhausted. 

This was also the first marathon training plan where I was post-anemia diagnosis (and am now in a healthy iron range again! Wohoo...), so I think that also should be considered with how my training runs and race felt overall. 

I never felt drained at any point during this training cycle. Yes, I was tired (working 40+ hour weeks does that to you), but never did I feel "sick" of running or "not into it". I always craved more. Sure, I didn't always have a GREAT run everyday, but almost everyday I was thankful for being out there and trying. 

My mental strength has IMPROVED so much. It's difficult to even compare my mental stamina and strength before and afterwards because I have become much more confident in my running/ myself/ my life than ever before. Prior to this training cycle I remember almost always starting a long run and thinking that I will probably fail at it. I was inadvertently setting myself up for failure. I really believe that those long goal-paced runs built up my mental stability and was the reason why I NEVER gave up and remained positive the entire 26.2 miles in my race. 

My fitness is the best it's ever been. I felt strong and powerful after runs and I definitely believe this helped me push through the tough parts of those later miles (miles 18-21). 

I never got injured, but strength training and proper recovery really saved me. If it weren't for my compression socks, epsom salt baths, foam rolling, easy-paced recovery runs, and regular strength training/ pilates/ barre classes I feel like I would have gotten injured and/ or burnt out. These items are SO important and they really made a HUGE difference for me. Do NOT be a slacker! 

The high-mileage weeks were my secret weapon. If it weren't for those high mileage peak weeks, I don't think I would have felt as good during mile 25 and be able to pick up my pace that final 3/4 of a mile. I also believe that my recovery post-marathon would have felt VERY different. While I was still sore after the race, I was NOWHERE NEAR the pain I normally feel after running 26.2 miles. Less than two days after the race, I was able to go downstairs pretty easily (I would have normally needed an elevator). 

Overall, I LOVED this training plan. I am definitely going to be following it again! While I didn't meet the ultimate time goal that I was training for, I knew that it was a long-shot and I like to set really high goals for myself and even if I don't obtain it, I know that the close-second to obtaining it will make me stronger. 

Would I do anything differently? I'd probably try to use more body glide (I lost mine and found it a few days before I left for the race) and fit in more yoga, but overall I think I did pretty good. Nutrition is always something I struggle with (I love sweets and chips), but I'm getting better (so I'll want to improve on that too for the future).

Favorite race training plan? 

Ever followed Hanson's Marathon Method or Half Marathon Method? What were your thoughts?

Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas Day 2/5k!

After Cher, we didn't end up getting back to the hotel until AFTER 11pm! Wayyy past my bedtime, so I took a melatonin (my savour during traveling/racing weekends to make sure I still get a decent nights sleep) and woke up around 7:30. We decided to rent a car for the day to go check out the scenery and save our legs/feet for the 5k!

We went to Panera first, where I like to stock-up on bagels (at a place that I know) and began the carbo-loading. I normally take in extra carbs/proteins/less veggies 1.5 days before the start of the race and load up on electrolytes/ Gatorade/ water the entire WEEK before a race. After we were full of deliciousness, we drove to see the Hoover Dam (my Gram had NEVER seen it before!). The weather on Saturday was perfect- 70 degrees with hardly a cloud in the sky. 

After Hoover Dam, we stopped by Ethel M. Chocolates to pick up some treats to take home (splurged on a coin chocolate they were handing out) and checked out their Cactus Botanical Garden. 

We stopped by Chipotle to get a later lunch (I love their chicken burrito bowls before races) and headed back to the hotel to relax for a bit before leaving for the 5k at 4pm (it starts at 6:30). 

Note: If you plan on running the 5k, either plan to take an Uber or stay at a hotel at the beginning of the Monorail. We stayed at the Excalibur and got on at the first stop for the Monorail and every stop the monorail made after ours, NO ONE else could get on because it was so full. Definitely a bonus to stay on the end of the strip. We arrived at the start line with a little over 40 minutes left (perfect timing) and I headed to my corral #7 when there was 30 minutes prior to the 6pm start. 

The 5k had A LOT of congestion and the hassle getting there really put a damper on the race, but once you got out a 1/2 mile it was MUCH better. I took it really easy (~10:00+ per mile) for the first 2 miles of the race then alternated every 0.10 with 8:10-8:15 strides and ~10:00+ easy pace. I finished with a 9:40 overall pace and it felt pretty good to pass a lot of runners when I was doing my strides! It was also a great way to get used to the race atmosphere and practice holding back my pace. We also stayed for a few of the Goo Goo Dolls songs- they were pretty good (but not as good as I expected for a live performance...). 

Overall 5k recommendation: Do it if you want a safe place to do a shake-out-run. Don't do it if you aren't ready to deal with the crowds and hassle of traveling to and from the race venue.

Also CONGRATS to my Gram for doing her first 5k!! She totally ROCKED it! Super proud : ) 

Hanson's Marathon Method Week 18 Rundown

LAST WEEK OF TRAINING BEFORE RACE DAY has come and gone! Thanks for your patience while I catch up on sleep and get back to reality after traveling/race day. Here's my final week rundown and next Wednesday I'll have a full review of the Hanson's Marathon Method up on the blog (so make sure to check back!). Next week I'll be reviewing my trip and both 5k/marathon, so you definitely won't want to miss it!!

I did only easy runs this last week and tried to keep my pace super easy. I did most days on the treadmill (because of icy roads/cool weather), but played with the incline a bit. I also did one day of strength training and made sure to do a LOT of foam rolling/ icing/ legs up the wall. 

Monday: 6 Miles easy @ 9:59 on the treadmill

Tuesday: 6 miles easy @ 10:00 on the treadmill

Wednesday: 5 miles easy @ 10:01 on the treadmill; 60 minute Barre class at lunch

Thursday: 6 miles easy @ 9:50

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: 3.15 miles (5K) @ 9:40; 2 miles easy with last mile alternating every .10 pick-ups 20 seconds below goal race pace & .10 easy @ 10:00-10:20) 

Sunday: RACE DAY!

Sunshine Goods:

• Kept easy runs easy (5k was a little too fast)
• fit in a Barre class
• Kept recovery a priority
• Nutrition was on-point & drank A LOT of water throughout the week/ weekend leading up to the race

Gloomy Goods:

• No complaints! No taper-tantrums and felt strong/ ready to run, but not overly exhausted or tight anywhere : )