Thursday, May 29, 2014

Week 21

Goals for Week 21 were these:   Run 4 times, according to my marathon schedule, which means two 5-6 milers in the middle of the week, one longer run on Saturday, this week would be an 8-10 miler.  Swim once, Bike at least once. Complete all scheduled classes.  I really should try and get back to a Yoga class, so I'll put this down as a want for the week for a goal.  I need to do this, however with my children's crazy concert schedules at the end of the year, the last couple weeks have been tough to fit it all in.


Monday:  Body Sculpt, 1 mile on Elliptical
Tuesday: Body Sculpt, 5.02 miles running
Wednesday:Body Sculpt, 5.53 miles biking, walking.
Thursday:3.05 miles running, some walking.
Friday: Rest mostly with lots of walking.
Saturday: 10.57 miles running
Sunday:Rest

Good:  I ran 3 times, that's better than nothing.   I completed all my scheduled classes.   Got out on the bike once.  Did a lot of walking.  Dusted off the elliptical with 1 mile.

Bad:  I need to be running more miles and more often.  Hard week with the graduation party and relatives here.  NO excuses next week.

Totals for week 21:
Biked 5.53 miles
Ran 18.64 miles
Elliptical 1 mile
3 Body Sculpt classes
Walked over 5 miles


Totals for year:
Elliptical 21.25 miles
Running 290.21 miles
Swam 18,667.30 + yards (10.60 miles)
Body Sculpt classes 58
Zumba classes 19
Biking minutes 762 (12.7 hours) Indoors
Biking miles outside 39.04 miles
Step classes 1
Yoga classes 5
Nia classes 1
Push ups on toes outside of teaching class:168

Goals for Week 22:  Run 4 times.  Long run of 17-18 miles.  Bike twice of more than 5 miles. Stay healthy, continue eating right. 



Sunday, May 18, 2014

Marion Arts Festival Half Marathon 2014 - Marion, Iowa - Saturday, May 17, 2013

If you could ever have a super perfect day for running, this day would be that day.  Jason and I woke up around 5ish a.m. to start getting ready for our long run.   I heard the usual from him, "Why did you sign me up for this?"  I laughed.  He always says that and then he will continue all morning and throughout the run saying things like that until we are done, then he is very happy.

The weather was perfect.  The wind was only 3-5 m.p.h.  It was sunny for once since a week ago.  All we've had is rain and cold lately, so seeing the sun was so nice.  It was cold, when I say cold, perfect running cold.  The morning started out around 38 degrees, and for May in Iowa, that is really crazy.  By race start it was around 45, maybe colder.  I had chosen a tank to run in because I knew it was warming up to low 50's and I'd get hot, plus my compression sleeves on my legs, shorts and then I put my running skins over my shorts.  Now this is where I went wrong.  My legs got warm, thankfully not too warm.  However, I didn't need the extra skins on.  I could have ran the entire way in shorts with that warm sun out.

Jason and I ran together.  I felt amazing and I felt I could run his speed now, so we ran together.  This was nice to help each other along.  We started out WAY too fast though with a 9:21 mile pace.  Now if this was a 5K, then that would have been fine, but we still had 12 more miles, so we needed to pull back a little.
At mile 5 we heard a rooster make it's cock a doodle do noise and I said, "Jason, even the roosters are here cheering us on."  At mile 7 there was a long hill of over .50 of a mile.  It was a hard climb and slowed us a little.  Mile 8 was up and down hilly.  Mile 9 was mostly downhill and we had one of our fastest miles of the race.  Mile 10 we both felt calf pain and decided to take 10 second to stretch each leg.  Mile 13 I was falling apart, especially in the last mile that was mostly uphill.  I was complaining that my body hurt outloud.  Jason said to me, "Michelle, everyone hurts right now."  We pushed to the end and finished great.

The awesome thing was I beat all my mile splits from the race 2 weeks prior, except for mile 9 and 13, this time my mile 9 was 2 seconds slower, and mile 13 was 14 seconds slower, still pretty consistent with most of the mile splits in the 9 minute something range.

By mile 9 we both knew if we could keep up this amazing pace then we would both get new Personal records, and we did.   My individual race results are HERE!  Jason's individual race results are HERE !

Full results are HERE!

Great things about this race:
1.  It started on time
2.  There was a option to get a dry fit shirt or not.  I choose to save money and just get the cotton one.
3.  Chip timed with a built in chip on your bib so you don't have to worry about giving your chip back.
4.  Bib for your scrapbook
5.  Plenty of food after the race to re-fuel
6.  The weather was perfect. (Race directors LOVE this)
7.  Accurate times yelled out at EVERY mile split.
8.  Plenty of water stops.
9.  Packet with goodies in it like a granola bar, fruit treats, chapstick, lots of race advertisements, samples of Bio-freeze, Advil, Leg Cramp.
10.  Ton of volunteers everywhere.  Even the Mormons showed up to help
11.  Finishing medal

Things that could be improved:
1.  HEED at the water stops.  Sick, this stuff needs thrown out.  It doesn't taste good and everyone complains about it.  As one racer we overheard saying, "This tastes just like the stuff they make you drink before a colonoscopy.
2.  Take the hills away, there were quite a few of them.  Ha
3.  Nothing more, it's such a great race and worth traveling to.

Two years ago I ran this race and my time was 2:32:05.  This year my time was 2:09:04.   This was a 23 minute 1 second improvement on this course!  Such a great day and here are some pictures:
Jason and I before the race.   See how we are dressed in long pants and sweatshirts/jackets.  It was COLD for May.





Elder Ellsworth and Elder Elder.   We were so happy to see them volunteering for this race.  Elder Ellsworth used to be in our ward (congregation) and had dinner at our house a few times.  It was great to him again.  This race had many of the "Mormon Helping hands volunteers" helping out.  How nice of them to get up super early.

This is something you RARELY see.  A missionary name tag with ELDER ELDER.  Super cool.

Post race with our medals on.  Happy to be done.

Home in our race shirts that we earned after taking a shower and relaxing a bunch.  My shirt was WAY too big.  Should have gotten a small, cause I was swimming in this shirt.  Hope it shrinks a ton.

Jason's bib, finishing medal and instant race stats.

Michelle's bib, finishing medal and instant race stats.
Close up of the awesome looking finishing medal!

Back of the shirt with all the sponsors listed.  I feel this is important on a race shirt.  All of the sponsors do tons to make a race happen and should be recognized on the shirt in my opinion.
A variety of fun things in the race packet.  There was a sample of Advil as well, but I already took it.


Our race splits:

Mile 1.    9:21
Mile 2.    9:42
Mile 3.    9:37
Mile 4.    9:44
Mile 5.    9:33
Mile 6.    9:44
Mile 6.55    there were timing mats that said:  1:03:12
Mile 7.   9:53
Mile 8.  10:02
Mile 9.   9:36
Mile 10.  10:16
Mile 11.  9:55
Mile 12.  9:57
Mile 13.  10:07
.19 on my Garmin watch we had an 8:55 pace going
2nd half of race was 1:06:10   so as you can see we slowed down by 3 minutes for the 2nd half of the race.

Race final time at end of 2:09:04  

I beat my personal half marathon record by 7 minutes 26 seconds.   Jason beat his record by 1 minute 5 seconds!

Such a sweet day!  

Week 20 of 2014

Goals for Week 20 were these:   Run 4 times, according to my marathon schedule, which means two 5-6 milers in the middle of the week, one long run on Saturday.  Swim once, Bike at least once. Complete all scheduled classes.

Monday:  Body  Sculpt, walked some
Tuesday:  Body Sculpt, Ran 5.03 miles
Wednesday:  Body Sculpt, walked some
Thursday: Ran 4.13 miles, swam 1000 yards, walked some.
Friday: Some walking.  Rest, Rest, Stretch a lot, Rest, Big day on Saturday!
Saturday: Ran 13.20, walked 2.5 miles, had a little running quickly as I'm beat up from the race.
Sunday: Rest and lots of stretching

Good for week 20:  Taught all three of my Body Sculpt classes as scheduled.  Walked a lot, which I feel is helping me get in overall mileage.  I walk on my lunch sometimes now, since I really shouldn't run in my work clothes, I swam once.  I actually had an awesome rest day on Friday that besides having to work, I rested well, stretched, used heat on sore areas, stretched more.  I believe this helped me for Saturday.  On Saturday I ran the BEST Half Marathon time ever for me.  My goal was to beat my last personal best time of 2:16:30.   I felt really great, the weather was cold and perfect, so I gave it my all.  I ran a 2:09:04.  Sweet!   Other than a calf cramp at the end, I felt awesome.  My husband and I ran together and this gave him a Personal Best as well by over a minutes.  Great day for both of us.
I ate super well this week and have now been following My fitness pal for almost 3 months now, paying attention to my nutrition levels more than anything to make sure I get the proper nutrition for running.  I've lost 11 pounds.

Bad for week 20:  Didn't run 4 times.  Planned on it Wednesday and I didn't get up early enough to make it happen.  Bike workout didn't happen.  I need to make more time for biking on a regular basis.  This week should be better overall since my children's early morning seminary class ends this week, thus giving me extra time early morning for my workouts and them sleeping in, so I don't have to be up making breakfast and lunches.

Totals for Week 20:
Ran 22.36 miles
Swam 1000 yards
3 Body Sculpt classes
Walked 2.5 miles plus much more I didn't measure.  I would like to get a Fit Bit thing to see how many steps I really take in a week.

Totals for year:
Elliptical 20.25 miles
Running 271.57 miles
Swam 18,667.30 + yards (10.60 miles)
Body Sculpt classes 55
Zumba classes 19
Biking minutes 762 (12.7 hours) Indoors
Biking miles outside 33.51 miles
Step classes 1
Yoga classes 5
Nia classes 1
Push ups on toes outside of teaching class:168



Goals for Week 21:   Run 4 times, according to my marathon schedule, which means two 5-6 milers in the middle of the week, one longer run on Saturday, this week would be an 8-10 miler.  Swim once, Bike at least once. Complete all scheduled classes.  I really should try and get back to a Yoga class, so I'll put this down as a want for the week for a goal.  I need to do this, however with my children's crazy concert schedules at the end of the year, the last couple weeks have been tough to fit it all in.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Columbus Half Marathon, Columbus, Ohio--May 3, 2014

A beautiful, slightly cold day in Columbus Ohio started the morning of May 3rd.  The forecast said we might get some sprinkles of rain, but not much.  I under dressed for the weather so I would "Go out cold".  I've been reading that you don't want to start out hot, or get too hot at any point, try to keep your body cool.  It's better at water stops to throw water on your head to cool down than to drink it, IF you are already properly hydrated that is.   I hydrated WELL the day before my event, plus did absolutely no exercise for 2 days prior to my race so I could have FRESH legs.  I feel this helped me tremendously.

I took it relatively easy the first 5-6 miles at around a 10:30 pace, not knowing how my legs would do since I had a bad calf cramp earlier in the week, but to my surprise, I felt awesome, so I started to kick it up a notch.  I was running some miles in the low 10 minute mile pace or high 9 minute mile pace.  Sweet and I still felt great.  My overall average pace was a 10:27 minute mile!  That is sweet for me and I know I could have gone even faster because I didn't really try until the last 6-7 miles.  I know I'm on track for a sub 2 hour half marathon!  Here are my detailed RESULTS.  The pictures below are my three favorite pictures.  I look silly and my hair was a ratted mess, but I felt awesome.
My Mom and Dad with me right after the race ended.

The shirt, my bib and the awesome medal!

My sister Jan, her husband Warren and two of their children.  As you can see from the way everyone is dressed, it was cold out.  I had wished I brought a coat for the bag drop at this point since I was cooled down.  Oh well, next time.

My mile splits were the following:
 Mile 1: 10:08
 Mile 2: 10:27
Mile 3: 10:15
Mile 4: 10:24
Mile 5: 10:38
 Mile 6: 10:03

 First 6 miles were 61:45
 Mile 7: 10:20
Mile 8: 10:15
Mile 9: 9:34
Mile 10: 11:05 this is when I stopped to wait for a porta pottie that never came open and I never go to go, so I decided it wasn't worth waiting anymore and ran more. Looks like I wasted 45 seconds. Boo.
Mile 11: 10:05
Mile 12: 9:59

Next 6 miles was 61:18 with the 45 seconds lost at the non bathroom stop.

Mile 13: 9:53

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Week 19 of 2014


Goals for Week 19 were these:  Recover from the Half Marathon with some swimming and biking.  Still follow marathon schedule.  Try to get out and run 3 times.  Walk a lot.

Monday:  Body Sculpt, Swam 1600 yards
Tuesday:  Body Sculpt, some walking
Wednesday:  Body Sculpt, some walking..
Thursday Ran 2.46 miles, walked some, felt beat up.
Friday:  Ran 3.02 miles, Elliptical 1 mile, Biked 6.41 miles
Saturday: Ran 8 miles, walked 2 miles
Sunday: Walked 2 miles


Good for Week 19:  I ran 3 times.  I swam once and did a great swimming workout. I biked once.

Bad for week 19:  I didn't run on Tuesday as planned, still felt beat up from the Half Marathon just days before.  I did walk a ton though, just didn't measure the distance.  Forgot the garmin and was down the street by the time I thought about it, it was about 2 miles. 

 Even though I ran 3 times, as my goal was set to do, I didn't run as far as I needed to, or spaced out like I should (in my opinion).  I want to run Tuesday 5, Wednesday 2, Thursday 5-6, Friday Rest, then Saturday long run.  As you can see it didn't work out that way.  As for the biking, I planned on 13-15 miles, but the wind was horribly strong and I turned back way early.  I need to learn to bike in the wind better.  I can do it, but don't like to.   Also, if I don't run, I need to bike or swim instead.  According to Runner's World it says if you don't get in a run, then bike twice as far as you were going to run.  Thus getting in that same amount of cardio for your heart and strength in the muscles in your legs.  

Totals for Week 19:
3 Body Sculpt classes
Lots of walking, about 6 miles total
Ran   13.48 miles
Biked 6.41 miles
Swam 1600 Yards
Elliptical 1 mile

Totals for year:
Elliptical 20.25 miles
Running 249.21 miles
Swam 17,667.30 + yards (10.04 miles)
Body Sculpt classes 52
Zumba classes 19
Biking minutes 762 (12.7 hours) Indoors
Biking miles outside 33.51 miles
Step classes 1
Yoga classes 5
Nia classes 1
Push ups on toes outside of teaching class:168

Goals for Week 20:   Run 4 times, according to my marathon schedule, which means two 5-6 milers in the middle of the week, one long run on Saturday.  Swim once, Bike at least once. Complete all scheduled classes.

Week 18 of 2014


Goals for Week 18 were these:  To drive to Columbus, Ohio safely and be able to run the Columbus Half Marathon without injuring myself.  However still do my best for the first Half Marathon of the year and my 13th half marathon overall.   Complete all scheduled classes!

Monday:  Body Sculpt, ran 4.20 miles
Tuesday:  Body Sculpt
Wednesday:  Body Sculpt
Thursday:  Rest, with a tiny bit of walking
Friday:  Rest, with a tiny bit of walking
Saturday:  14 miles running.  2 miles walking.  13.38 miles was the Half marathon (according to my Garmin)
Sunday;  Walked 2 miles

Total for Week 18:
3 Body Sculpt classes
Ran: 17.58
Walked 4 miles

Good for week 18:  Completed all goals set.  

Totals for year:
Elliptical 19.25 miles
Running 235.73 miles
Swam 16,067.30 + yards (9.13 miles)
Body Sculpt classes 49
Zumba classes 19
Biking minutes 762 (12.7 hours)
Biking miles outside 27.10 miles
Step classes 1
Yoga classes 5
Nia classes 1
Push ups on toes outside of teaching class:168

Goals for Week 19 are these:  Recover from the Half Marathon with some swimming and biking.  Still follow marathon schedule.  Try to get out and run 3 times.  Walk a lot.

Want to see how many calories you REALLY burn when running:  Click on this link

Friday, May 2, 2014

Track me at the Columbus Half Marathon

If you want to track me while I'm running, then go to this LINK

then type in Bib number 8935

I will be starting around 8:05 ish a.m. Eastern time on Saturday, May 3rd

This will be my 13th Half Marathon!  But my first one for the year 2014.


Week 17 of 2014

Goals for week 17:  Complete all scheduled classes.  Swim further than week 16.  Bike outside twice and complete further mileage than week 16 and more minutes on the bike.  Run according to marathon schedule, with long run being 8 miles this week.  Do at least 25 push ups on toes outside of Body Sculpt class.

Monday:  Body Sculpt
Tuesday:  Biked 7.41 miles, Body Sculpt, Ran 4.13 miles
Wednesday: Elliptical 2.25 miles, Body Sculpt
Thursday: Ran 4 miles, Taught Zumba
Friday: Sculpt class
Saturday: Swam 1100 yards, Ran 8.29 miles, Biked 6.27 miles
Sunday:walked 4.07 miles

To find out how many calories your burn swimming:  calories burned

Totals for week 17:

4 Body Sculpt Classes
Biked 13.68 miles
Ran 16.42 miles
Walked 4.07 miles
Elliptical:  2.25 miles
1 Zumba class
Swam 1100 Yards

Good for the week:  I completed all scheduled classes, swam further than week 16, biked outside twice with a little bit further mileage and ran according to my marathon schedule for the most part.

Bad for the week:  No pushups outside of Sculpt class.

Totals for year:
Elliptical 19.25 miles
Running 218.15 miles
Swam 16,067.30 + yards (9.13 miles)
Body Sculpt classes 46
Zumba classes 19
Biking minutes 762 (12.7 hours)
Biking miles outside 27.10 miles
Step classes 1
Yoga classes 5
Nia classes 1
Push ups on toes outside of teaching class:168

Want to see how many calories you REALLY burn when running:  Click on this link

Goals for Week 18:  To drive to Columbus, Ohio safely and be able to run the Columbus Half Marathon without injuring myself.  However still do my best for the first Half Marathon of the year and my 13th half marathon overall.   Complete all scheduled classes!