2016 Esprit de She Registration is Open

Registration is now open for the 2016 Esprit de She race series. Now for the GREAT NEWS -- The Cary 5K/10K has been moved to MAY 12, 2016 from June. This should provide a cooler evening to race. And, if you register by Nov. 30, you will receive a free Moxie Versa Skirt along with a performance tank -- a $100 value! I am signing up now because I've never had a run skirt (and because registration is likely to fill up before the race with this change of date). 

The cost for the 5K is $35, and the 10K is $45. (Lifetime members get a $5 discount.) With the entry fee comes a fantastic post-race spread of food and two tickets to the bubbly bar. 

This race series is about sisterhood and celebrating women and a healthy lifestyle. If you are new to running and a woman, it would be difficult to find a better 5K for your first. I highly recommend the 5K. 

To register go to http://www.espritdeshe.com/ I am an ambassador for the race series. Please use my ambassador code during the registration process: EDS022. Because of the fantastic give aways during early bird registration, my code will not get you a discount. However, I understand that my code will get you a $5 discount off registration beginning in December. (If you wouldn't wear a run skirt, you can save $5 then.) Thanks!!!!!!

Esprit de She Registration Promotion

As an ambassador for the Esprit de She race series, I have three performance Moxie Cycling jerseys to give away.  If you have yet to register for an Esprit de She event for 2015, and do so by March 31 using my referral code, you will be entered in a drawing for one of the shirts.  

To register go to espritdeshe.com

Enter promotional code: EDS022

Let me know you registered, and you will be entered in the raffle.

The drawing will be in the first week of April.

Thanks and good luck!!!!

Boston Marathon Training: Week 10

The extreme winter weather hit Apex, NC hard this week.  We had snow, ice and temperatures way below freezing.  A kind neighbor let me use her treadmill for a tempo run, and I ran with friends and snow plows another day.

Sunday:  rest
Monday:  9 miles: 3 conversation pace, 4 tempo, 2 conversation pace.  Came up one mile short and slow for this 10 miler.  Didn't hit tempo pace on the sloping terrain.  7:52, 8:13, 7:42 and 8:15.
Tuesday:  4-6 miles conversation pace with cross training at basic training class (None of it was done. Snowed in and supervising children playing in snow and frigid temperatures.)
Wednesday: 13 miles conversation pace (ran on roads with icy patches and snow plows)
Thursday: 12 miles with 4 at conversation pace and 8 at marathon pace of 8:15.  Hit the times on the treadmill, but came up one mile short of scheduled 13 because of discomfort and swelling in lower right leg.
Friday:  6 miles conversation pace
Saturday: 10 miles conversation pace.  I was scheduled to run 5 of these at marathon pace, but I chose to run conservatively and ran a very slow 10:10 average, the slowest run of my training.

Boston Marathon Training: My Toughest Week Ever

Week Nine was the toughest ever in the history of my training: Never before had I run 60 miles in one week or included 10 miles of hill repeats.   On Monday I ran 10 miles of hill repeats during a 15 miler.  The next day was my first to include mileage on my cross training day.  Tuesday through Thursday I felt like I had just run a distance race.  During this training I have questioned why I am doing this.  By Friday I didn't care how slowly I was running during a recovery run, and on Saturday I was back at it just trying to get in the miles.

Week 8
Sunday:  Day off
Monday: 3 miles conversation pace, 8 miles of hill repeats, 3 miles at conversation pace
Tuesday:  2.3 miles (was supposed to cross train plus run 3-4 miles)
Wednesday:  12 miles at conversation pace
Thursday:  3.5 miles (was supposed to run 5 miles Fartlick during a 10 miler)
Friday: Ran 5.5-6 miles including warm up, cool down with 6 X 2 minutes speeds with 1 minute rest in between (average speed pace 6:52).  This was to make up for the Thursday run.
Saturday: 18 miles with the first half slower than second half.  Overall pace: 9:18.

Week 9
Sunday:  Day off
Monday: 3 miles conversation pace, 10 miles of hill repeats, 2 miles conversation pace
(hill repeat elevation gain: 1,234 feet; hill repeat elevation loss: 1,242 feet)
Tuesday:  cross trained with basic training class plus 3.5 miles
Wednesday:  10 miles conversation pace
Thursday:  2 miles conversation pace, 5 miles Fartlick, 3 miles conversation pace all on hilly route
Friday: 6 miles conversation pace
Saturday:  18 miles with 4 at race pace.  Race pace became increasingly sluggish:  8:11, 8:26, 8:32 and 8:37.  Last 3 miles of the run were also sluggish.  Overall pace for 18 miler:  9:22.

Boston Marathon Training: Weeks 4-7

These past four weeks have been a challenge mostly because of unforeseen personal circumstances.  I have not reached all of my time goals or completed all my mileage.  Weeks four through six concentrated on tempo work, which is faster than race pace to build speed.  Hill work began with week seven.

Week 4
Sun.  4 miles conversation pace
Mon.  3 miles conversation pace, 5 miles 8:19 average pace, 1 mile 7:31 pace, 1 mile conversation pace
Tues. cross training/basic training class of cardio and strength: not done: unforeseen circumstances
Wed. 6 hilly miles at  9:19 av. pace
Thurs. planned workout moved to Fri. because of brutal cold
Fri. 2 miles conversation pace, 2 miles at 8:33 av. pace, 2 miles at 7:32 av. pace
2 miles of tempo run were slow, but 2nd set on target.  2 mile cool down not done b/c of time constraint
Sat. 6 miles conversation pace

Week 5
Sun. 10 miles with 4 at marathon pace: 8:21; 8:24; 8:21 and 8:04
Mon. 2 miles conversation pace; 3 miles tempo, 2 miles conversation, 2 miles tempo, 1 mile conversation.  Final mile not completed, and tempo miles were slow.
Tues. cross training
Wed. 6 miles conversation pace
Thurs. 4 miles conversation pace, 2 miles at marathon pace (8:10 & 8:24), 4 miles at conversation pace and 10X100 meter strides (7:21 average pace)
Fri. day off
Sat. 16 miles with 4 at marathon pace

Week 6
Sun. 6 miles conversation pace
Mon. 3 miles conversation pace, 2 miles tempo pace (7:45-8:00), 2 miles marathon pace (8:20-8:30), 3 miles conversation pace
Tue. cross training, strength/cardio
Wed. 6 miles conversation pace (workout called for 8)
Thurs. 4 miles conversation pace, 2 miles tempo (7:45-8:00), 3 miles marathon pace (8:20-8:30), 10x100 meter strides
Fri. 6-8 miles (not done)
Sat. 16 miles; 10 at conversation pace, 6 at marathon pace (aprox. 8:15)

Week 7
Sun. day off
Mon. 3 miles conversation pace, 4 miles specific hill work, 3 miles conversation pace
Tues. cross training/cardio.  Did not do.
Wed. 10 miles conversation pace
Thurs. Fartlick workout.  Did not do.
Fri. 2 miles conversation pace, 4 miles Fartlick (speed play), 1 mile cool down.  Cool down not done.
Sat. 10 miles conversation pace

2015 Boston Marathon Training Begins

Ran past this historic house in Apex during my first week of training.  

I've made it through the first three weeks of training for the 2015 Boston Marathon. Because I have a new coach and a new training program, I am venturing into the unknown. I credit my previous coach with helping me to qualify for and to run in Boston. My past four marathon cycles have been pretty much the same, which means I knew I could get through the training (unless injury struck). I had a dramatic change in my time the first time I incorporated speed work into my training. And, I've been at that place ever since. Now I go into each week and most workouts wondering if I can hit the paces in the plan. After three weeks I am undaunted.

Got into the Christmas spirit while on the American Tobacco Trail.

The training will emphasize different kinds of workouts beginning with a speed phase, which I just completed. Next comes the tempo phase during which I'll focus on running faster then race pace. Then I will concentrate on hill training. After the hills, I'll focus on a combination of speed, tempo and marathon pace runs while running 55-60 miles per week. My goal marathon pace is 8:15 for a finish time of around 3:40-3:35. The difference this time is that I am training to SUSTAIN the 8:15 pace for the entire 26.2 miles.

Rainy day on the trail.  I had several cold, rainy runs in December.  

This is what my training looked like during the past three weeks:
Week 1
Sun. 4 miles at conversation pace (9:10 per mile average pace)
Mon. 2 miles conversation pace, 4 X 300m at 6:07 average pace with 1 min. jogs in between, 2 miles
Tues. cross training, basic training class
Tues. Christmas light social run approx. 4 miles at conversation pace
Wed. was to be 4 miles, but I did it on Tues. instead
Thurs. 2 miles conversation pace, 6 X 800m w/2 min. jogs in between, 2 miles
   split paces: 6:45, 6:51, 6:39, 7:01, 6:59 and 7:08
Fri. rest
Sat. 14 miles at 9:02 average pace with a downhill start and uphill finish

My husband gave me an early Christmas present one rainy morning.   He got me a WATERPROOF jacket.  I found this tag pretty funny.  Not even this jacket can make me want to stay outdoors in the rain.  Water resistant just doesn't cut it sometimes. 

Week 2 (Christmas Week)
Sun. 4 miles at conversation pace
Mon. 2 miles at conversation pace, 4 X 400 with 1 min. jogs in between, 2 miles conversation pace
     Not sure of my times for a couple of reasons (tech. difficulty, estimating distance.)  It was quick, but probably did not hit goal for short intervals of a 6:30 pace.
Tues. cross training, basic training
Wed. 4 miles conversation pace
Thurs. 2 miles at conversation pace, 3 miles with 3 min. jogs in between, 2 miles
      split paces: 7:33, 7:22 and 7:28
Fri. rest
Sat. 12 miles at 9:13 average pace on a hilly course

Out of Town for the Holidays and having to be creative with workouts

Week 3 (New Year's Week)
Sun. 4 miles at conversation pace
Mon. 2 miles, 7x100m at 6:31pace with 1 minute jogs in between, 2 miles (hotel treadmill)
Tues. cross training (did not do b/c traveling home)
Wed. 4 miles at conversation pace
Thurs. 2 miles, 4 X 1200m with 2 min.  jog in between, 2 miles
     split paces:  7:07, 7:12, 7:14, 7:13
Fri. rest
Sat. 14 miles with 2 at marathon pace (8:02)
Sun. 4 miles at conversation pace (was sluggish)

We celebrated Christmas with family in Corydon, IN, the original state capitol.
I did a long and short run through and around the city.  I saw old homes, historic landmarks, fun Christmas decorations and beautiful countryside.  Great hill training! 

Named an Esprit de She Ambassador

I am delighted to be an Esprit de She Ambassador for 2015.  I'm a founding finisher, and this is my second year as an ambassador.  I'll be returning to run the 5K in Cary, NC on June 25, 2015. You can read my previous Esprit de She race reports here:

2014 Cary Esprit de She Race Report
2013 Cary Esprit de She Race Report

If you are new to running or racing, I highly recommend the training programs for the series.  Athleta has partnered with Lifetime Fitness to provide these programs. You can read about my experience with the Cary training program last year here:

Esprit de She Training

This coming year is sure to be a really good time.  Last year the race sold out, and I expect it to sell out again or for the field size to increase.  The more the merrier!  What I don't expect is to be an ambassador next year.  With the race established and a good turnout, they don't really need ambassadors here in the NC Triangle area.  I haven't been to the other events, but my hunch is that they would be top notch and wonderful celebrations of women and fitness just as is the Cary event. If you are considering the event in Cary or one of the other 14 races in the series, I say go for it!  And bring your friends along.

If you plan to register for one of the races, please enter my ambassador code in the promotional code box: EDS022.

To register for the Cary, NC race, go to Cary 5K/10K race registration

To register for one of the other 14 races in the series, go to Esprit de She registration


Thanks!!!!  Happy training!!!!