Boston Training: Week 8

Snow on a neighborhood street on Friday afternoon after a Tuesday night snowfall of about 2-3 inches.

This has been an unusual week with the move to a new house and a snow event here in the South.  On Saturday movers moved us from the apartment, so I ran my long run on Sunday.  School was closed for my children on Tuesday through Friday because of about 2 inches of snow in Wake County, NC.  On Tuesday, I ran mid day in my new neighborhood before the snow began falling that evening.  When snow covers the roads here, it is best to stay off of them because most are untreated, and people are not used to driving in the snow and ice.  I could not travel to the Y for my cycling class on Wednesday, and I wasn't able to run on Thursday because it was the day the movers arrived to unload the storage pod and because of icy road conditions.  This was one of those weeks for which you can have a training plan, and then you must acknowledge that life happens, and it was only a plan.

Sat.:  Day off; Moving Day!
Sun.: 12 hilly miles; 8:58 pace
Mon.: Day off
Tues.: 7 miles; 9:01 pace + 6 X 100 meter strides
Wed.: Cycling class:  snow - could not attend
Thurs.: 10 miles with 6 at an 8 minute pace; not done because of 2nd moving day and snow
Fri.: 6 miles; 9:03 pace

Snow at the new park.

Boston Training: Week 7

Sat.: 15 miles with 9 miles at an 8:11 pace

Sun.:  Day off

Mon.: 7 miles; 9:42 pace

Tues.:  8 hilly miles with 1 minute hard run at the top of each hill; 9:09 pace

Wed.: stationary bike for 50 minutes

Thurs.: 10 hilly miles; 9:03 average pace

Fri.:  5 miles; 10:00 pace

This week I was lucky to have a training companion for my long run with nine miles at an 8:11 pace.  My goal had been an 8:20 pace, so we exceeded my expectations.  If she had not been there, I would have not been able to sustain that pace and probably would have taken a break or two mid run.  It has been cold again this week! In Apex, NC we had a dusting of snow on Tuesday night, so I wasn’t able to attend the YMCA cycling class as planned for Wednesday. 

Boston Marathon Training: Week 6

Polar Vortex to Tornado Watch
Last week was cold, and this week my long Saturday run was 30 degrees warmer with humidity and temperatures in the 60's.  Later in the afternoon, we had a severe storm with tornado watches.

It's Runner's Knee!
The doctor says I have Runner's Knee, which my seven-year-old found just silly. "Well, of course you have runner's knee, mom, you are a runner," she said.  Perhaps my track workout brought the symptoms on, but the doctor seems to think that I can attribute it to a muscular imbalance.  My quadriceps are stronger than my core and hips, so my kneecap is feeling the strain.  I am assigned
specific stretches six days a week and strength exercises three days a week to work on the imbalance until I return to the doctor in one month if necessary.

Sat.:     15 miles at a 9:10 pace
Sun.:    Day off
Mon.:   6 hilly miles at a 9:49 pace
Tues.:   8 miles with 5 miles at an 8:06 pace (was supposed to run 9 miles).
Wed.:   cycling class
Thurs.: 10 miles at a 9:16 pace
Fri.:      Day off

Boston Marathon Training: Week 5

Horses along my route prepare for cold weather.

Sat.: 14 miles with 8 at race pace; 8:17 per min. average pace for 8 miles and slow for the other 6
Sun.: Day off
Mon.: 8 miles; 9:14 per min. average pace
Tues.:  6 miles; 10:00 min. per mile average pace + 6 X 100 meter strides
Wed.: Cycling class
Thurs.: 9 miles with 4 miles at 7:48 per minute average pace
Fri.: cycling class; not accomplished

A runner's high!  New shoes and a box full of Gu!

Cold, cold, cold, cold.  That is how I explain this week.  My long run was cold and in near freezing temperatures even though I ran in the afternoon.  I do that rarely.  It was also a tough, lonely run. To escape single digit temperatures on Tuesday, I ran on a treadmill. Still shivering.  Brrrrrrrrrrr.......  During cycling class on Wednesday, my knee was sore at the start.  I worked through it.  I decided not to cycle on Friday because of my knee.

I scheduled an appointment with a doctor to talk about my knee.  Between the doctor's schedule and mine, the soonest I can get there is at the end of the coming week.  If I had an injury, I would cancel something on my calendar to get in sooner.

Winter Carter Caves State Resort Park Run

The descent to the Lodge

In late December my family and I stayed in a cabin at Kentucky’s Carter Caves State Resort Park, and I managed to work in a 14 mile run within the Park. The temperature was in the high 30’s to the low 40’s, and the Park was almost deserted, so I had the roads and golf course to myself that morning.

I felt daunted as I contemplated a run there as we made our way to the cabin in the dark the night before the run. I am from Carter County and remember the Park fondly from numerous visits during my childhood.  The narrow, hilly, winding roads to and within the Park are etched in my mind along with the beautiful, natural scenery of cliff walls, lush forest and the rocky stream that greets one upon entrance to the Park.  I particularly remember the sharp left turn and ascent to the lodging area just past the Welcome Center and Gift Shop.

As we entered the Park, my husband noted the unlikelihood of me running in that area and suggested I find some trails the next morning.  I am not a trail runner unless I’m on the American Tobacco Trail or in Umstead State Park, which have wide trails of crushed gravel.  When we made it to the cabin, I read about trail conditions in a brochure: “All of the park’s trails are hilly, and many pass near high cliff areas.  For your safety, stay on the marked trails and walk the trails only during daylight hours.”  I quickly decided that was not a good idea.

During the run I learned that a 6 to 8 mile run or anything less than that should be manageable and enjoyable. Beyond that, your route would be overly repetitive and/or hilly.  If you seek hills to run, you will find them at Carter Caves.

Campground with deer

 My training task for that day was to run 14 miles at around a 9:30 per mile average pace.  If I ran many hills, my time would be slower, so I opted for the following route from my cabin:  cabin area to camp ground area, and to golf course cart path. I looped through these areas several times with only two trips around the golf course.  I don’t recall the exact mileage of the cart path, but it was at least a mile and a quarter and not more than a mile and three quarters – of hills.

For someone seeking a short, easy run within the Park, I suggest running within the cabin loop and to the campground and around the campground.  If you don’t mind hills, add on the descent to the lodge area and the short hill up to the golf course entrance.  Be warned that the hills down toward the lodge and up to the golf course and the course itself are challenging. I stopped in the pro shop to ask if I could run on the cart path.  I was granted permission because no one was on the course.  The course is beautiful and hilly, and a runner should be careful and watch for broken pavement, mud and loose gravel. 

The most remarkable part of this run was the numerous deer along my path.  Groups of deer seemed to claim different areas:  camp ground deer, barn deer, and the golf course deer.  In one view along the golf course, I counted eight or nine does clustered together in a small valley.  They were not afraid of me. Some stood as statues, some ate grass and some sat in the brush.  I observed them running at times, and they observed me running and standing still to watch them.  I stopped to take pictures, but my phone died quickly, and I regret that I did not capture their beauty. I did get to experience it and will not soon forget the hills at Carter Caves.

Boston Marathon Training: Week 4

Sat.: 14 miles on hilly roads; 9:31 average pace
Sun.:  Day off/travel
Mon.: 6 miles; 9:49 average pace plus 6 X 100 meter strides
Tues.: 8 miles; 8:58 average pace
Wednesday: Day off for New Year's Day!
Thursday: 9 miles; 8:56 average pace plus 8 X 100 meter strides
Friday: Cycling class; could not attend class

This week I have been monitoring pain on the inside side of my right knee and have decided to see a doctor.  I first felt the pain after a brick class (cycling and running) around Thanksgiving at the Y.  I continued to notice some discomfort or pain in the evenings or over night when I was still, but my knee didn't bother me when I ran.  I did not take time off after noticing this, and thought it might clear up in time.  It's better to be safe now than sorry later.