Speed miles hoorah!!

      I have been super worried about the 14minute/mile restriction on the Marine Corps Marathon; I do not want to be pulled off the course and be unable to finish the race. The last ling run I did my average was pretty slow. I asked the runners on the Women's Running Network on Facebook and got several good suggestions, most of them had to do with doing either speed drills or hill work. Yesterday, when my lungs were all stuffed up, I sped walked uphill on the treadmill for 4 miles. Today, I ran 6 and the last two were finished in 18 minutes! Not sure how accurate the miles on a treadmill are, but I was smokin'.....it was one of those runs that felt absolutely effortless. 

I treated myself to a few figs after my run....only a few. They are way sweet....you can't really have too many. 

I have been experimenting with putting more greens in my juices.....this one has peppers, bok choi, celery....and for sweetness carrots and one beet. It was a bit too bitter so I blended the whole thing with one banana. 

      Not sure when I will have time to read now that school is starting up again....but I cannot wait to dig into it tonight. I wish I was one of those people who could read while running on the treadmill....since I cannot possibly pull that off without losing my balance, falling and breaking my neck, I choose to listen to comedians. Today I enjoyed Jim Norton.....anyone who can make me laugh through the drudgery of the first few miles is worth listening to....of course, for me to like him he's got to be super crude and boarding inappropriate. 

Ran 12 miles for Mya this morning!!

                Via Facebook I got connected with a child with disability and dedicate my miles to her. Her name is Mya. (I will ask the family if I can share pics of her here and post them if they agree.) In the meantime, check out the I Run For organization online at http://www.whoirun4.com, or go directly to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/irunformichael/ .  

                  I ran my usual route when I do 12 miles....down Connecticut and into Downtown DC. I love this run. It goes right past Dupont Circle, the Starbucks there brings back so many memories! Then I run down 17th street into Constitution and you can see the monument and tons of other runners. I wore a t-shirt and 7" compression shorts despite the weather being 47 degrees and I am SO glad I did not wear my jacket. It was a perfect run. For a long run I was much faster than even my shorter runs. Even ended with a kick at the end with a negative split! Feeling amazing. 

Windy, windy morning....

Cloudy skies, lots and lots of wind. 

The Monument (in repair mode). 

View of the bridge that heads over to Adams Morgan from another bridge that connects North Dupont to Woodley Park. 

2 miles to go!! Yes....this is where my kick started and the sun also peaked its way through the clouds. 

I am done!! yes! feeling on top of the world and ready to make this MY day. 

Want to Hear More Narratives from Back-of-The-Pack Runners

              I am tired of running's obsessions with speed. For once, I'd like to tune into my favorite running podcasts or open my running magazines and not have to hear/read an interview with some super speedy 18-something year old. Instead, how about interviewing a person like me, someone who got into running a bit later, but that is committed, curious and yes, slower. I know for a fact that an interview with a person much more like me would make me more inspired, and more interested to tune-in in the future. 

               It's not like I don't understand this fascination with speed. On days I go faster than my typical slow pace I am ecstatic and the feeling of strength and invincibility I feel are unmistakably addictive. But, I also have this need to internally celebrate the fact that I even get out there at all. Perhaps my disinterest in this top 1% running speed-freak 'anomalies' closely parallels my general disinterest in famous people, celebrities and pop stars. I guess you can safely say I am not the 'star struck' kind of girl. I strongly suspect and am starting to believe that the narratives of those in the back of the race as just as interesting, if not more interesting. 

Do you run faster with music?

                         I had just assumed this was a given truth, that people generally run faster with music. But now I am beginning to wonder if this applies to everyone that runs in the same way. I know I run faster with music piping in my ears, not just any song, but the right song and with the right amount of beats per minute. I typically run with my music player and have a set of songs under a folder labeled 'running' which I put on shuffle and after many months of adding and taking away songs I feel I am getting close to a very good mix. Sometimes I might think a song will work for me while I am out there running, but only in taking out on a test run will I really know of it works or not; 'working' here being defines as a song that gets me flying. 

Yasso 800s

Bart Yasso

                   I just heard an interview with Bart Yasso on The Marathon Show podcast where he explains the Yasso 800. Here is a link to the official explanation. I will see if I can use the track at Wilson High School to do these at least once a week once I am done with the two races. Anyone out there know how these would apply to half-marathons? For this summer I am thinking of doing the Runner's World First Time Marathon 16 Week Training Plan  for $30, especially if I plan to run a marathon in the fall. There is so much to do now that I am starting to imagine myself as possibly doing this.......such as pick the fall marathon that will best fit my schedule and budget and figure out when the official training will begin....anyone else out there running their first marathon soon? would love to hear about your journey and any tips you may have for me.