Sometimes I Get Some Really Crazy Ideas!

I am sure that you already know by now that RunDisney made the announcement of their newest race, the Avengers Half Marathon Weekend, at the Disneyland Resort in California.  I knew a race was coming and I was really hoping that it was going to be a full marathon since we need one on this coast, right? I have not missed an inaugural Disney race since I started running in 2010 and I think I would feel bad if I missed the Avengers Half Marathon. 

The problem is that I am already registered for the Las Vegas Marathon on November 16, 2014 which is the same day as the Avengers Half Marathon. Could I possibly do both?  Yes, it is possible since the Avengers Half Marathon is at 5:30 am and the Las Vegas Marathon is at 4:30 pm. I could also drop down to the Las Vegas Half Marathon which starts at 3:30 pm to make it easier on myself. There are some other issues though. My other half is supposed to run the Las Vegas Marathon and it will be his first marathon. We would have to make some changes to that plan as well if I drop down to the half. I haven't even told him about these crazy thoughts are going through my mind yet. RunDisney races are also pricey. I think this one is $195.00 plus the fees so that is also something I need to consider.

I should probably be thinking of a plan for the LA Marathon right now but instead I have been occupying my thoughts with the idea of #Disney2LV instead! It's just a thought right now but it does sound like a lot of fun. Registration for the Avengers Half Marathon starts on March 25th so I have some time to think about it.

Anyone else running the Avengers Half Marathon or Las Vegas Rock "n" Roll?

Anyone having the same crazy idea as me (#Disney2LV) or even worse?

I have also heard that it is possible to run the 5K at Disney at well since it is the day before the half marathon!

Brea 8K Classic: 2/23/14

I haven't seen a PR in a while so it was nice to have a guaranteed PR today. I have never ran an 8K before so I knew it was going to be a PR no matter what! Since an 8K is right under 5 miles, I liked the idea of it being right in the middle of a 5K and a 10K!

This was a pretty local race for me which offered same day race bib pick up which is always a plus! The real reason why I wanted to run this race was because of the food sponsors at the finish line. I know..that's kind of a wrong reason to run a race, right? 

 AND

Packet pick up started at 6:30am so I headed out early to pick up my packet and still had some time to prepare for the race which started at 8:00 am. Packet pick up was well organized and there was no wait at all. There were plenty of porta-potties and the wait was just a few minutes until it got closer to the start of the race. Parking was free and super close to the Start. This race did it all right!

The course was not flat and had a few hills that really challenged me. I started out conservatively since starting out to quickly is a mistake that I always avoid. I had to take it easy on the hills because of the lingering pains that I have been dealing with due to my major shoe problems. Mile 3 was the toughest and is known as "Heartrate Hill." I was okay with my pace because I am keeping my eye on my long term goals and did not want to risk an injury with two marathons coming up in the next few months.

I finished in 38:24 (7:42 pace) and that was good enough for 5th out of 174 in my Age Group. I felt strong the entire time and just kept telling myself to relax and let my legs carry me to the finish line. Here are my splits for those who are interested.

I loved the race and it was well organized. I will definitely be back next year and not just because of all of the awesome food sponsors (hehe!).

Have you ever ran an 8K?

I think this is my new favorite for a short distance!

Shoe Problems and a Less than Stellar Week....

Talk about a crappy week! That is exactly that I had. I have been trying to transition from my Mizuno Wave Inspire 9's to the new Wave Inspire 10's and I have not been so lucky. The 10's seem to be okay when I run under 8 miles but anything more than that causes me to have pain in my left calf and my right shin. I didn't think it was the shoes at first but after seriously evaluating the situation, I know that it is the shoes. The transition from the 8's to the 9's went really well but something feels really different with the 10's. 

I love my Wave Inspire 9's and I cannot find them in my size anywhere! I even emailed Mizuno to see if they could give me some tips on stores to find them but I had already checked all of the stores they suggested. I am bummed and kind of in a panic. LA Marathon is less than two weeks away and my 9's are coming up on 400 miles. I don't think I have ever ran a marathon with shoes that have this many miles on them. I was hoping to be adjusted to the 10's by the time LA Marathon rolled around but that did not happen!

I had to cut my mileage way back this week because I did not want to run while I was still having those lingering pains. Running was not painful but the areas that were bothering me were very painful when I touched them. I am proud of myself for having enough sense to scale back the miles. I was tempted so many times to go for a run but I knew that it was not the smartest thing to do with LA Marathon right around the corner. I also skipped out on my long run but did have a great run with my other half. I love running with him because he is just so easy going about running and I always enjoy my runs with him.

I ran my first 8K today and really wanted to give it my best shot but held back a little because I was afraid that the pain would return and LA Marathon would be out the window for the second time. I had to sit the LA Marathon out back in 2012 due to an injury and watching it on TV was pretty painful!

So I am not sure what I am going to do about my shoes moving forward. I am a big Mizuno fan so maybe a different style of their shoes will work for me. Mizuno suggested that I try the Wave Paradox. Anybody ever ran in them?

Any suggestions on what I should do about my shoe problem?

Do you run in several different types of shoes or do you stick to one?

I usually run in one type of shoe and that is it so I am not one to rotate from style of shoe to another. 

Taper Time and A Crazy Goal!

LA Marathon is less than three weeks away and that means that it is taper time! My long runs for the past two weeks have been 22 miles and this last one was pretty good. I ran with a friend from work (and her friend) who are members of the Snail's Pace running club and it was so nice not to have to run 22 miles alone. They are both going for a sub-four marathon and I think they are more than ready to make it happen! I think I am going to seriously consider joining a running club. It was really nice to have the support out on the course and the snacks were the best! I never eat while out on my runs but I did on Saturday and those pretzels tasted sooo good!

We ran out by the beach and the weather was great! I was expecting it to be much warmer but it was really nice. I pushed myself the last couple of miles (8:08 and 7:35) and even after that I could have kept going. I was pretty surprised since that rarely happens. It must have been the snacks!

I am planning to do somewhat of a long run this weekend but will be cutting my mileage way back. I am starting to get some ideas of what my goal for LA Marathon will be. I have a pretty crazy goal in mind but chances are that I am going to move forward with it. I will share it when I am 100% sure that I am ready to take the chance! 

Do you eat during your long runs?

If you do, what do you eat? I never do. GU is about all I take during my long runs.

Four Weeks and Counting!

I can't believe that LA Marathon is just four weeks away! The weather has been so great lately so I am hoping that race day is the same. I have been thinking about a goal for this marathon but I honestly don't want to put pressure on myself for this race. I have never ran a big race like like LA before so I am already a little bit nervous as it is. I guess I will start thinking of a plan as race day gets closer.

My mileage was a little higher than usual this past week. My longest run is usually 4 weeks before race day and this week it was 22.29 miles. The weather was perfect and it drizzled the entire time. The sun did not come out for even a minute and it was great. I have to admit that after mile 20 I was pretty tired. That worries me a little but mile 20-26.2 are always a battle for me.

I also had a great 11 mile run this week. I had planned on 7 miles but the weather was so great that I decided to take it easy and keep on going at a relaxed pace. Sometimes I feel like I really need to slow it down and enjoy the run.

I wrapped up my week with about 40 miles and I am hoping to get another 20 miler in this weekend at an easier pace. I wasn't too satisfied with how I felt during my 22 miler so I think I need one more push before LA Marathon to get my confidence level up. After that, I will start tapering and bringing the miles way down! I hate tapering because it makes me feel like I am doing nothing!

How many miles in your longest run when training for a marathon?

I have never ran more than 22 miles but have heard that some people actually run 26!

Why January Was a Good Month

January was a pretty good month for me. Lots of good things happened and I am feeling ever so grateful to have had another good month of running as well.  So why was it a good month?

1) I ran a total of 150 miles! It was a record month for me. I did get some help from January since there are 31 days in the month but I will take it!

2) I won a ton of giveaways and I feel so lucky! I can't wait to run Zooma Napa Valley in June. I think it is going to be a lot of fun. You can read about all of the stuff that I won here.

Speaking of giveaways, you can win an Allied Medal Display from Marcia's Healthy Slice. Head on over and enter!

3)  I was told by two people on Instagram that I inspired them! Some people probably hear these words all of time but it means a lot of me when I hear these words! What a great feeling! I think this is one of the greatest compliments that you can receive as a runner or as a person for that matter. We all have goals that we are chasing but if I can be a part of someone else's success in meeting their goal, that is an even better feeling for me. I hope that these two ladies accomplish great things!

If someone inspires you to do something or to push yourself that extra mile when you feel like giving up, reach out to them today and tell them so! I am sure it will make their day!

Tell me how January went for you!