Showing posts with label Virginia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virginia. Show all posts
Sunday, September 17, 2017
35 days to marathon #8
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Epic 16 Miler Planned for tomorrow's long run...battling fears
I am getting ready for an epic 16-miler run for tomorrow through the towns of North Springfield, Burke, and Annandale. I will be running on three nature trails, Lake Accotink, Wakefield Park and Mill Creek Park. I cannot wait!! Seeing as I am staring before sunrise, there is one thing that's always a part of my planning, safety. I am pretty sure safety, in terms of rapes and abductions, is not an aspect most men have to consider much when planning their epic 16-miler, while for most pre-sunrise solo running female, this is a HUGE part of our planning.
I was telling my hubby just today that for some reason I feel much more unsafe here in the suburbs that I ever did running in Washington, DC. Perhaps it's my own bias; I may have seen too many horror movies, and in most of them random killers come from way out in the the suburbs or even further away from rural areas where they could easily shack up in a family member's basement, pay no rent and do their evil deeds in the total privacy of their secluded location. In the city, on the other hand, I have always believed, and maybe falsely, that it's merely impossible to just live in the city without a job, and anyone with a job therefore is less likely to abduct or rape random runners in secluded areas. I know, I know, all this ridiculousness is a huge absurd list of assumptions and fear all rolled into one. But, logic is a very weak opponent once fear has taken hold.
No matter what my fears tell me I have long ago chosen not to be dominated by my fears. The familiar quiet streets I now run on and the quiet dance of extended shadows of my slow moving body which accompany me on each pre-sunrise run are part of what makes this MY run. One naturally develops a deep familiarity with the streets one most often runs on and that helps one feel more at ease, out there in the dark.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Local Hills for Hill Repeats
These are local hills in my neighborhoood. I put in a question on the Facebook page for Springfield chapter of Mom's Run This Town (MRTT) and these are the suggestion given to me by other local (mom) runners and MRTT members. I thought of sharing what was shared with me so that others may benefit.
"Lake Braddock Drive through the signal hill neighborhood is basically one giant hill. If you run Braddock to Mount Burnside Way, it's about 1 mile steady downhill, turn it around and it's a steady 1 mile uphill. If you just want half a mile, do just Lake Braddock or just do Mount Burnside, both are about 800m. Neither are super steep, but they are long!"
"Hillside is pretty long, but it basically one big hill.", "start at Moverly (sp?) and run Hillside up to the signal light on the intersection with Rolling
"Olley Lane would be a good candidate. I mean the Olley Lane between Twinbrook and Guinea off of Braddock road. "
"Greeley Blvd. From Old Keene Mill to Rolling Rd. is a long hill. "
"Kings Park West, East Lake Drive is a nasty long hill! Gainsborough Drive (by the lake) and Powell Road also have hills that qualify for this length."
Powell Road
Monday, December 30, 2013
Tips and Advice for 24-hour Challenges
I have been researching 24-hour challenges all day and here are some of the tips and advice I have picked up along the way. Thought I'd share here for others to use. Have not yet decided which one but it's between two in the state of Virginia. These are NOT my ideas. I have scoured all over online to find these tips....I have created hot links to give proper credit to some of the ideas.
* 5/1 ratio is recommended over a 25/5 ratio. Much easier in the end.
* The total running that you do is not much longer than your longest continuous training run or race
* For the race, use caffeine to stay awake at night, and don't use any for a month before the race, in order to increase its effect.
* Timex Ironman Triathlon watch which has an alarm feature that can be set to go off repeatedly at five and then one minute intervals
* For 24 hours it appears that the best runners to 10-20% more miles in the first half than the 2nd half.
* I would say start out with a plan to run for 30 mins. then walk for 10 mins. After 12 hours or so (assuming the race starts sometime in the late morning or noon), maybe switch to a shorter turnover between walking and running, doing 15 mins. run and 5 mins. walk.
* If you can get good sleep the 2 nights before the race you will be way ahead
* Make sure you have sufficient clothing to stay warm at night when you are moving slow and your body temperature drops because you are supposed to be asleep
* many of the (what i thought to be) soloists were going with 2 water bottles and a small under-saddle mounted pack
* be sure to size up a 1/2 size in the shoes and have an extra pair on hand for the 2nd half maybe in a drop bag along the way or with your crew.
* Back to back weekend long runs are huge however. 20,25,30 on sat. Followed by another 20-25 on sun
* Bring along first aid medication and tools and treat your blisters and chafing before they start becoming a problem
* A timer with alarms set according to your planned pacing is going to help a lot.
* It can be helpful to break down the day into more digestible morsels and set your run/walk strategy accordingly. You can for example take it 30 minutes at a time and set a 25-minute run to 5-minute walk ratio
* Shoes should fit right which normally means, at least half an inch of room in front of your longest toe! So, when you get fitted for a shoe, there should be no contact anywhere between your forefoot and the sides and front of the shoe and there should be at least half an inch of room in front of your longest toe of your “longer” foot! For people with wider feet, you could need slightly more than half an inch of room!
* “make an hourly food plan with enough calories, water, and electrolytes to meet your needs,”
* No matter how good or how bad you feel, it won’t last,’” says Rusch. “Knowing this keeps me in check when I feel great and helps me push when I feel terrible. You will feel both. And you won’t be the only one.”
* Learn to eat a lot while moving.
* Take care of small problems before they become big problems. Fix little hotspots and blisters before they progress. Stay ahead of dehydration.
* 5/1 ratio is recommended over a 25/5 ratio. Much easier in the end.
* The total running that you do is not much longer than your longest continuous training run or race
* For the race, use caffeine to stay awake at night, and don't use any for a month before the race, in order to increase its effect.
* Timex Ironman Triathlon watch which has an alarm feature that can be set to go off repeatedly at five and then one minute intervals
* For 24 hours it appears that the best runners to 10-20% more miles in the first half than the 2nd half.
* I would say start out with a plan to run for 30 mins. then walk for 10 mins. After 12 hours or so (assuming the race starts sometime in the late morning or noon), maybe switch to a shorter turnover between walking and running, doing 15 mins. run and 5 mins. walk.
* If you can get good sleep the 2 nights before the race you will be way ahead
* Make sure you have sufficient clothing to stay warm at night when you are moving slow and your body temperature drops because you are supposed to be asleep
* many of the (what i thought to be) soloists were going with 2 water bottles and a small under-saddle mounted pack
* be sure to size up a 1/2 size in the shoes and have an extra pair on hand for the 2nd half maybe in a drop bag along the way or with your crew.
* Back to back weekend long runs are huge however. 20,25,30 on sat. Followed by another 20-25 on sun
* Bring along first aid medication and tools and treat your blisters and chafing before they start becoming a problem
* A timer with alarms set according to your planned pacing is going to help a lot.
* It can be helpful to break down the day into more digestible morsels and set your run/walk strategy accordingly. You can for example take it 30 minutes at a time and set a 25-minute run to 5-minute walk ratio
* Shoes should fit right which normally means, at least half an inch of room in front of your longest toe! So, when you get fitted for a shoe, there should be no contact anywhere between your forefoot and the sides and front of the shoe and there should be at least half an inch of room in front of your longest toe of your “longer” foot! For people with wider feet, you could need slightly more than half an inch of room!
* “make an hourly food plan with enough calories, water, and electrolytes to meet your needs,”
* No matter how good or how bad you feel, it won’t last,’” says Rusch. “Knowing this keeps me in check when I feel great and helps me push when I feel terrible. You will feel both. And you won’t be the only one.”
* Learn to eat a lot while moving.
* Take care of small problems before they become big problems. Fix little hotspots and blisters before they progress. Stay ahead of dehydration.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Just Signed Up for Marathon Number 3: North Face Endurance Challenge Marathon-June 7, 2014
Here are some facts about the North Face Endurance Challenge Marathon race from various online sources....take with a grain of salt.
* The North Face Endurance Challenge Marathon returns to Algonkian Regional Park in Sterling, VA.
* The course keeps runners on their toes with ever-changing terrain. Overall, the course consists of 50% singletrack, 30% dirt or gravel double-track, 10% gravel carriage road and 10% paved road.
* 7 hour cut-off for marathon (another website source claims 8 hrs)
* Course guide can be found at: http://www.thenorthface.com/downloads/pdf/Marathon_DC.pdf
* Considered among the region’s best trail races
* One year it was very muddy, another it was very hot (90 degrees)
* Come early, they had 10 portapotties for 800 people
* advice: walk up the steep hills, you'll be faster
* The half marathon is more like 14.6 miles.
* It was very well organized,
* started on time.
* Aid stations where well stocked
* Volunteers were attentive and knowledgeable.
* The post race party had plenty of food for all finishers.
* They even had a water truck for cleaning the mud off our shoes.
* Water stops are only spaced out every 6-7 mile
* The surprise of the course is that only about a foot wide for most of it and extremely uneven with muddy sections and horseshoe prints that you could roll your ankles in. (train in trails to train your ankles properly)
* At around mile 4, there is a stream too wide to jump. So be ready to run the remainder 22 miles with wet feet. (ready!)
* It's an out and back race course shared with a 50k and 50mile
* Marathon starts at 9am in June. A bit hot (wear appropriate cool clothing, sunscreen, carry water)
* Not recommend to anyone wanting to get a PR, it's a trail race after all .
* The North Face Endurance Challenge Marathon returns to Algonkian Regional Park in Sterling, VA.
* The course keeps runners on their toes with ever-changing terrain. Overall, the course consists of 50% singletrack, 30% dirt or gravel double-track, 10% gravel carriage road and 10% paved road.
* 7 hour cut-off for marathon (another website source claims 8 hrs)
* Course guide can be found at: http://www.thenorthface.com/downloads/pdf/Marathon_DC.pdf
* Considered among the region’s best trail races
* One year it was very muddy, another it was very hot (90 degrees)
* Come early, they had 10 portapotties for 800 people
* advice: walk up the steep hills, you'll be faster
* The half marathon is more like 14.6 miles.
* It was very well organized,
* started on time.
* Aid stations where well stocked
* Volunteers were attentive and knowledgeable.
* The post race party had plenty of food for all finishers.
* They even had a water truck for cleaning the mud off our shoes.
* Water stops are only spaced out every 6-7 mile
* The surprise of the course is that only about a foot wide for most of it and extremely uneven with muddy sections and horseshoe prints that you could roll your ankles in. (train in trails to train your ankles properly)
* At around mile 4, there is a stream too wide to jump. So be ready to run the remainder 22 miles with wet feet. (ready!)
* It's an out and back race course shared with a 50k and 50mile
* Marathon starts at 9am in June. A bit hot (wear appropriate cool clothing, sunscreen, carry water)
* Not recommend to anyone wanting to get a PR, it's a trail race after all .
 |
| This is me doing the Half-Marathon Challenge June 2013 |
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Longest long-run yet.....
Back in July of last year when I started running I could not even think of myself of completing 3 miles without being in complete pain during and the day after, so it is true what they say that, 'someday your long run will be your short run'.....baby steps baby, baby steps!! Another testament to the power of the snail....(read about this HERE).
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