Week 38 of Training 2015

Monday:Ran 3 miles, Sculpt class
Tuesday:Swam 1968 yards, Sculpt class, Ran 3.45 miles
Wednesday:Ran 5.05 miles, Sculpt class
Thursday :Swam 1550 yards, sculpt class
Friday :3.14 miles ran
Saturday : Ran 6.18 (Air Force 10K) and 13.2 (Air Force Half marathon) miles
Sunday: Rested

Totals for the week:
Ran 34.02 miles
Swam 3518 yards
4 sculpt classes

Just hit 1000 miles running for the year!  Yahoo, 1st time ever.

Totals for Year 2015
Swimming:  108,296 Yards=   61.53 miles 
Elliptical :    14.45 miles
Biking inside: 274 minutes 
Biking Outside:  426.34
Zumba class:  5.5 classes
Sculpt classes: 162 classes
Les Mills Body Pump:  1 class
Les Mills Body Flow class:    33 classes
Walking:   90.55 miles

Running:   1011.38 miles 
Vinyasa Yoga:  1 class
Hiked 2 miles with stairs

Week 37 of training for 2015

Monday:  Ran 10.40 miles, Swam 1000 yards, did a combo Body Combat, Cxworks and Body Flow class, walked .5 miles
Tuesday:Sculpt class, biked 8.10 miles, walked .5 miles
Wednesday:Ran 5.10 miles, Sculpt class, walked .5 miles
Thursday:Ran 3.05 miles, Swam 1500 yards, walked .5 miles, Sculpt class
Friday:Les Mills Body Flow class
Saturday:Ran 13.20 miles, walked at least a mile
Sunday:Biked 11.05 miles

Totals for week 37:
Ran:  31.75 miles
4 Sculpt classes
Swam 2500 yards
Walked 3 miles
Biked 19.15 miles
1 Body Flow class
1 hour Les Mills combo aerobic class


Totals for Year 2015
Swimming:  104,778 Yards=   59.53 miles 
Elliptical :    14.45 miles
Biking inside: 274 minutes 
Biking Outside:  426.34
Zumba class:  5.5 classes
Sculpt classes: 158 classes
Les Mills Body Pump:  1 class
Les Mills Body Flow class:    33 classes
Walking:   90.55 miles

Running:      977.36 miles 
Vinyasa Yoga:  1 class
Hiked 2 miles with stairs

Week 36 of training for 2015

Monday:Les Mills Body Flow class, Swam 800 Yards, Sculpt class, walked .5 mile
Tuesday :Sculpt, Les Mills Body Flow class, walked .5 mile
Wednesday:4000 Yards swam!! Sculpt class, walked .5 mile
Thursday:Sculpt class, Biked 10.21 miles, Ran 3.02 miles, walked .5 mile
Friday:Ran 3.18 miles, Swam 1000 yards, Les Mills Body Flow class, walked .5 miles
Saturday:Biked 7.10 miles, Ran 1.5 miles
Sunday: Walked 3.25 miles

Totals for Week 36:
3 Les Mills Body Flow classes
4 Sculpt classes
Ran 7.75 miles
Biked: 17.31 miles
Swam: 5800 Yards = 3 miles 520 yards
Walked: 5.75 miles

Recovering from my marathon last week, didn't do a lot of running, but did swim extra and did 3 Yoga classes this week.

Totals for Year 2015
Swimming:  102,278 Yards=   58 miles 198 yards
Elliptical :    14.45 miles
Biking inside: 274 minutes 
Biking Outside:  407.19
Zumba class:        5.5 classes
Sculpt classes:        154 classes
Les Mills Body Pump:  1 class
Les Mills Body Flow class:    32 classes
Walking:   87.55 miles

Running:      945.61 miles 
Vinyasa Yoga:  1 class
Hiked 2 miles with stairs

Nebraska State Fair Marathon - Grand Island, NE - Saturday, August 29, 2015

The morning was perfect.   It was cooler, foggy, misty and nice.  All except for the massive high humidity.  The first 3 hours of running went really great, well all except the bathroom stop at mile 8ish.  I really had to go and lost precious time because of that stop.  But after that things were going very well.  I was on track for a massive PR and feeling amazingly wonderful.  At mile 14 I had to adjust my sock and toes.  I put more Vaseline in the left sock to avoid a blister.  More time lost.  I should have fixed the right foot at the same time because at mile 17 I ended up having to do just that.

The course was well marked and I felt like I always knew where to turn.

So I'm not sure if my hydration was off or the lack of sleep from the crappy hotel bed or the travel there or what was wrong but I was doing amazingly well until  mile 18ish then I fell apart.  My legs felt heavy and tired, my stomach  hurt, I was thirsty constantly, and my desire to run was gone. I wanted to stop more than anything.   Nothing hurt but I did feel heavy and thick and so thirsty and I was just done.

Then I see Jason at mile 19.  He had some Gatorade and my roller stick.  I rolled different parts of my body and took some sips of Gatorade.   He left and I ran on.  The next 7 miles were not fun.  It only got hotter and hotter out and this race didn't have ice baggies at the water stops.   I know those would have helped me for I just needed to cool off.  Every time I saw another mile marker I was so happy.  Bummer was I knew that I would miss my PR by only a few minutes because of how slowly  I was going. I know had the weather not been so bad that I could have shaved some serious minutes off the PR.  Next time I hope to do just that.

I should have been so happy with my finish but instead I was incredibly disappointed because of how sick I felt.  Bummer to do so well for 19 miles then the whole race gets trashed in the last 7 miles.

Oh well, to me a 5:04:54 is a respectable finish time especially given how my first 2 marathons went and I need to remember that finishing is the best feeling in the world.  There are many in this world that would be perfectly happy with finishing a marathon at any time.

After the race I rushed to my car and back to the hotel for a shower.  The hotel was only giving us 30 minutes late checkout and they didn't even want to do that until I begged them.  Seriously, I told the hotel, Holiday Inn, that I was a slower marathon runner and I would barely get done with the race and back to the hotel before 12 noon and I would desperately  need a shower.   They granted me a half hour.  Obviously none of the front desk staff are runners.  I won't stay at a Holiday Inn ever again.

I got showered then took a swim in their pool.  I feel swimming helps a lot with my recovery.  Then Jason and I went to the State fair because you get in free with your race entry.  We walked around a ton and I know that helped my legs as well.

A great day then back to Iowa we went.  Would I do this race again?   Most likely  not because I'm trying for a marathon in every state and even if I repeated the state of Nebraska  again then I'd go for a different, more well known marathon with more extras.

Great things about race:
Chip timed which was accurate.
Race bib for your scrapbook
Flatter than flat course.
Long sleeve dri fit shirt that says marathon on it.
Some food at the end like bananas, cut up bagels and chips.
Finishing medal
Lots of volunteers on the course
Cold water at the water stops.
Gu the course.

Things that need improved:
Ice baggies at the last 5 water stops (those help temendously when it's a hot race)
Port a potties at the start
More food at the end for ALL finishers.  This is one of my pet peeves when races do a 5K and a half race in addition to the marathon.  Those people finishing early eat all the food.  Save some for the later people please.  Or just start bringing the food 2-3 hours after the marathon starts then all marathoners get food.  Don't let people that didn't run grab food.
Different shirt for each race distance.  All the shirts said Marathon on them, even the 5K shirts.
The finishing medal was ok, not terrible,  but not amazing either.

The start line at 6 a.m.  It was foggy, misting and kinda cold.  Perfect for running.  If only it could have stayed that cold.

Printed on the ground.

A picture Jason took of me at mile 19.  I was starting to struggle in the heat.  I see now that I really lean back when I run.  I need to run more forward.  This is something I'll work on.

My final time

Right after returning to the hotel before the amazing shower and dip in the pool.

The shirt

Finish photo after a shower.

My bib #

One might say.... She likes to run!

This is my cubicle at work

Beaver Chase Half Marathon- Saturday, August 15,2015-Indianapolis, IN

When I walked to my car it was sprinkling rain, even though weather.com said a 15 % chance. Then as I was driving to the race it POURED rain. I was a little bummed.  By the time I arrived at the race, 15 minutes later, the rain was just drizzling.  10 minutes later it stopped.  I was parked just waiting in the car for packet pickup to start.  I was parked right by the start line, very convenient.

I grabbed my shirt and bib and came back to the car to rest.  I taped up my knees while in the car.  About 25 minutes before the race I decided that getting in the long line of port-a-potties would be a great idea.

It took almost until race time to get through the long line for bathrooms.  They started the marathon late because people were still in line to go pee.  I walked back to my car to get my race belt and drink a last drink of water and noticed that my car had a flat.  Seriously.  I couldn't believe it and said out loud, "Oh NO, my car has a flat tire!"  A guy was riding his bike by my car with his daughter and he said, "Do you have a spare?"  I said, "I do, but don't have time to change it before the race starts in just 7 minutes."  he said, "If you get your spare out, I'll change it quick if you don't mind."   Of course I didn't mind.  He was an answer to prayers.  I seriously wasn't sure if I could change my tire and even though I knew how, the last time I did it was many many years ago with help and it took a long time.  He changed it in less than 5 minutes.  I thanked him and offered him money and some water.  He didn't want anything.  I said to his daughter, "Your father is the most awesome Dad ever."  I never saw him again.

His name was Michael Nelson from Layfayette, IN and if you ever run into him, thank him from me again and tell him he's  awesome.

I got in line for the race and had no idea what I was about to go through. They advertised it as a trail race, two cross country courses connected by a crushed gravel path with some dirt and maybe mud, but it was much more than that.    We all started running on the grass for about a 1/2 mile, then the path led us into the woods, a steep hill downward, kinda muddy, then a skinny trail through the woods, over logs, lots of roots, sticks, big rocks, some trash, then the sand.  Lots and lots of sand to run through.  That was hard.  The trail twisted and turned for what seemed like a really long time.  About a mile.  Then it was back to the grass again for about a mile.  Then crushed limestone path, dirt paths and sidewalks, then grass trails that wound over and over for 3 miles, then you returned the way you came, only to have to repeat all of this once more for the 2nd loop.  GRRRRRRR.

I was so grateful by this point that I had changed this race from a marathon (4 loops of this craziness) to 2 loops.  I'm not sure in that heat if I could have continued for 4 loops.  Plus I would have been repeating the state of Indiana for a marathon.

A picture of the trail in the woods.

More of the trail

More of the trail.

My Time.

Race number and finishing medal.

Front of shirt.

Back of shirt

Week 35 of training for 2015

Monday :Les Mills Body Flow class, Sculpt class, walked .5 mile
Tuesday : 10.03 miles running-10:34 mile pace, swam 1100 yards, Sculpt class, Les Mills Body Flow, walked .5 mile
Wednesday:Ran 1.03 miles, Sculpt class, walked .5 mile
Thursday:Swam 1200 yards, Sculpt class, Ran 3.57 miles, walked 1 mile
Friday:Swam at hotel, walked .5 miles
Saturday:  Ran 26.42 miles, water walking, some swimming, walked 2 miles
Sunday: Biked 3 miles

Totals for week 35 of 2015:
4 Sculpt classes
walked 5 miles
Swam: 2300 yards and more in the hotel swimming pool unmeasured.
Ran:41.05 miles
biked: 3 miles
2 Les Mills Body Flow classes

Good and bad things this week:  Made time for 2 yoga classes, ran a lot.  Finished my 7th marathon in my 7th state and it went mostly well.  Good that I finished strong, bad that I missed my PR by 4 minutes.  Need to have More biking - seriously and be more consistent with fitting it in the workout schedule.

Totals for Year 2015
Swimming:  96,478 Yards=   54 miles 1438 yards
Elliptical :    14.45 miles
Biking inside: 274 minutes 
Biking Outside:  389.88
Zumba class:        5.5 classes
Sculpt classes:        150 classes
Les Mills Body Pump:  1 class
Les Mills Body Flow class:    29 classes
Walking:   81.80 miles

Running:      937.86 miles 
Vinyasa Yoga:  1 class
Hiked 2 miles with stairs

Week 34 of 2015 training

Monday :4.10 miles running with Jason at an 11:15 pace, Sculpt class, walked .5 mile
Tuesday : 5.04 miles running, biked 10.10 miles, walked .5 mile
Wednesday:Ran 4.04 miles, biked 9 miles, Sculpt class, walked .5 mile
Thursday:Swam 1200 yards, Ran 1 mile in 10.21 pace, Sculpt class, walked .5 mile
Friday:Ran 5 miles, Les Mills Body Flow, walked .5 mile
Saturday :Ran 12.07 miles in 2 hours 10 minutes.  Ran some with Jason, some miles alone, one mile with Andrea.  Swam 2000 yards.  Swam some with Deb, some some with Jason, swam some alone. walked 1 mile
Sunday:  Biked 15.15 miles with Scott.

Totals for week 34 of 2015:
Swam: 3200 yards
Biked: 34.25 miles
Ran:  31.25
Les Mills Body Flow Class: 1
Sculpt classes: 3
Walked:  3 miles

Good things this week:  Swam twice.  Biked 3 times.  Ran 6 separate  times.

Things to improve: more yoga and more biking.

Totals for Year 2015
Swimming:  94,178 Yards=   53.51 miles
Elliptical :    14.45 miles
Biking inside: 274 minutes 
Biking Outside:  386.88
Zumba class:        5.5 classes
Sculpt classes:        146 classes
Les Mills Body Pump:  1 class
Les Mills Body Flow class:    27 classes
Walking:   76.80 miles

Running:      896.81 miles 
Vinyasa Yoga:  1 class
Hiked 2 miles with stairs

Week 33 of 2015 training

Monday: 10 mile bike ride, Sculpt, walked .5 mile
Tuesday:10.10 mile bike ride, Sculpt, Les Mills Body Flow.walked .5 mile
Wednesday:Swam 1250 yards.Sculpt,walked .5 mile
Thursday:  Ran 4.02 miles, Sculpt,walked 1 mile
Friday:Swam laps 15 minutes,walked .5 mile
Saturday :  Ran 13.1 miles Beaver Chase Trail Half Marathon, Swam laps 15 minutes,walked .5 mile
Sunday:  Biked 5.26 miles with Scott and Brenden.

Totals for week 33:
Biked 25.36 miles
Ran 17.12 miles
4 Sculpt classes
Swam 1250 yards plus more not measured.
1 Les Mills Body Flow class
walked 3.5 miles

Good for week 33:  I ran more this week than I usually do the week following a marathon and did a Half marathon hard trail race on Saturday.  I biked and swam this week, but didn't swim as much as I usually do.  Was able to attend one Les Mills Body Flow class, my goal is to get to that class 3 times in a week.

What can be improved:  More biking.  I feel I should be doing 50-70 miles a week.


Totals for Year 2015
Swimming:  90,978 Yards=   51.69 miles
Elliptical :    14.45 miles
Biking inside: 274 minutes 
Biking Outside:  352.63
Zumba class:        5.5 classes
Sculpt classes:        143 classes
Les Mills Body Pump:  1 class
Les Mills Body Flow class:    26 classes
Walking:   73.80 miles

Running:      865.56 miles 
Vinyasa Yoga:  1 class
Hiked 2 miles with stairs

Paavo Nurmi Marathon - Hurley, WI - Saturday, August 8, 2015

To add to my goal of a marathon in each of the 50 states, I chose this marathon in Wisconsin.  It was a longer drive than I thought it would be, but I managed to get there before the pasta dinner ended to pick up my packet.  I found a girl online named Sharon from Arizona that belongs to Marathon Maniacs Club and is working on her 50 States Marathons and asked her if I could share her room. So I met a new person who loves to run as much as I do.  We actually met up at the packet pickup.

Got up at 4:40a.m to start getting ready for the marathon.  I taped all the places on my body that usually get sore during a long run with KT pro sports tape.  Ate my bagel and Justin's Almond butter with some gatorade and water.  Left to catch the bus.

On the way to the bus I got turned around and lost and apparently blew right threw a stop sign at the top of a hill.  A police officer just happened to be following me.  When he pulled up beside me and we both rolled down our windows.  I asked him what was wrong and he said, "Do you realize that you ran a stop sign?"  I told him I was all flustered and lost and I was going to run a marathon and needed to catch a bus and didn't know where I was supposed to park.  He said he would escort me to where we could park and he did.  Such a nice police officer.

The bus came just 10 minutes later and I got on it.  It seemed like a short ride to the start.  I should have had a jacket or a blanket because I was cold.

While waiting for the race to start I sat at a picnic table and talked to four people that were in the 50 States Marathon club.  When you add up their marathons, combined it was over 1200. Impressive, so I asked a lot of questions.

 Before I knew it the race began.  Just .2 into the running a guy started talking to me that seemed to be my same pace.  His name was Craig.  I only had to ask his name like three times.  He is from Minnesota.  He really helped me with the first 12 miles of hills, he talked and talked and I talked on the downhills.  I had to fix my shoe at mile 12 otherwise I would have loved to run with him the entire time and I would have PRed had I stayed with him, he finished at 4:54.  Bummer.  Next time.

By far this was the hardest course I have ever ran.  Lots of hills.  Here is the elevation map.  Now for some pictures.

Not a great picture.  Hard to get when you aren't looking and just
driving by clicking the camera.

A picture I took out in the middle of Wisconsin in the middle of nowhere.  It was a gorgeous view.

This is where we had to meet to catch the bus to the start of the marathon.

Every street corner has a cheese house.  I took a picture of this one.

This is Sharon Berger from Arizona and I after the race.  We shared a hotelroom together.  I just met her the night
before the race.  I sure love the Marathon Maniacs club because you meet people from all over
the country that you never would have met.

The Garmin results

I met this man at .2 miles in the race. He started talking to me and we ran 12 miles together.  His name is Craig Swanson and he has run 256 marathons.

A bridge over the Mississippi River that I was diving up to as the sun was setting.  So gorgeous.

Underneath the bridge

The race bib.  I was bummed at the plain Road ID bib for a marathon.  I love it when the name of the race can be on the bib and they had those bibs that said Paavo Nurmi Marathon on them, but apparently didn't order enough bibs for everyone.   I added the logo sticker from my clear bag to my bib to dress it up more.

Finisher medal.  I really like the medal but didn't like the ribbon that was attached to it.

Front of  cotton shirt.  Love the typo.

Back of shirt.

Great things about this race:
Enough water stations with tons of volunteers and supplies for all racers.
Ice baggies at water stations.  Nice touch since it was a hot day.
Getting a finishing medal for your efforts.
Bib for your scrapbook.
Pasta dinner the night before the race that was only $8.00 and it was good.
Race booklet that gave all instructions you would need for race day.
Well marked course.
On time, clean busses to take you to the start.
Port-a-potties at most mile stops.
Chip timing.
Results on the internet the same day.

Things that could be improved :
Nicer looking Bib for everyone that runs the marathon with the name of the race on it.
Dri fit shirt that looks awesome.
Someone to put the medal on your neck as you cross the finish line.  You shouldn't have to ask where your medal is at then go into a bar to get your medal.
Instant printed results for your scrapbook.
More food than just hot stew at the finish line.  Our bodies are hot from running a long race in the summer, we need cold items at the finish like chocolate  milk, popsicles, watermelon!!