tracie's tri adventures

Dear Diary.....

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:44:00 +0000

Last night I was having an email discussion with my coach about my (stupid) right quad and when things started going South. I sat and thought and thought and thought, then I remembered my training journal! I've always kept track of workouts in some way, sometimes haphazardly or inconsistently but this year is a bit different. For Christmas I asked for this amazing training journal! I've been using it since the year began and I write a bit more about the workouts and rest days. How I felt before, during and after and if I went to the chiro or had a massage and if I'm cross-training and keeping my promise to stretch every day. It has helped my training a ton and I'm able to have a bigger picture of what I'm doing, how I'm doing, what works and what doesn't.

If you don't have a physical journal to track all this stuff I'd suggest you get one! It doesn't have to be anything fancy if you don't want it to be but a training journal does a few wonderful things, in addition to tracking workouts and mileage. First, you can see patterns in your training and overall wellness. You can track things like weight or measurements, heart rate and your cycle, for the female athletes out there. A little note each day about your overall wellness such as "tired legs!" or "feeling stuffy" or "quick legs!" helps when you go back to look at what you've been spending your time doing. Maybe you don't realize that those hill repeats are really taxing your system and leaving your legs spent, but when you take a look back at your comment about the days following a tough workout you'll pick up on the subtleties that you might otherwise miss. This leads to the next important reason, recovery! This is something that I struggle with on many levels. Just like nutrition, especially race day nutrition, is something that takes some figuring out and practice so does recovery. By looking at the wellness updates and subsequent run performance you can see how well your current recovery plan is working.

My favorite reason to have a training journal is to see how you are evolving!!! It can be extremely rewarding to look back over past runs and see the mileage increase or the pace decrease. It is especially helpful when you've hit a plateau or just barely missed that PR. Taking a look back at all you've achieved over the past weeks, months and years can be just thing to make that frustration not feel so important and encourage you to keep moving forward! This record can also help encourage goals. By looking at where you've been you can more easily set realistic goals about training and racing and where you hope to go. The journal I have encourages you to set a monthly goal and record how you think you are going to accomplish it. It also has a section for long term goals. It is one thing to sit and dream and set a goal but the journal holds you accountable and asks you to think abut how you plan to get there which is a wonderful way to begin your work!

Here's what I did last week:

2/18 - rest; not feeling well

2/19 - 45:02 3.38 mi 13:20/mi ECP mixed trail and pavement; stretched am and pm

2/20 - 1:20:58 5.21 mi 15:32/mi NCR mixed; stretched

2/21 - rest

2/22 - 46:08 2.87 mi 16:06/mi ECP - 8 downhill repeats sore quad

2/23 - 2hrs core and yoga workshop

2/24 - 48:04 3.34 mi 14:24/mi chagrin river park gravel; sore quad; massage; stretched; motrin and ice

Total miles: 14.8

Weekly Training and Moving Day!

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:08:00 +0000

Phew what a week! On Saturday we moved!!!! The house is still in a bit of chaos but hopefully things will slowly come to order. :) It was a busy and hectic week and weekend so my training got a little messed up. :( The highlight of this week, besides moving, was that I ran my longest ever run on Wednesday!!! :) Woohoo! :) It was super icy in spots so I literally walked for almost a mile because every time I ran I would slip and slide! But overall it was a great run! I added some new sections to my run and it was nice to see a new part of the park (and not get lost) and get my miles in. I've also been sticking to my goal of stretching almost every day which is a HUGE accomplishment. It is the first thing to go once I start getting busy. I'm still having some issues with my right quad so I'm going to keep at the stretching and hopefully things will work themselves out. :) I was originally scheduled to do a 50 min tempo run this week that I had saved for Saturday. Moving day really kicked my ass and I just didn't get it in. I had an 1:45 endurance spin class and 60 min hot yoga class Sunday morning so by the time I was able to get in a run I was pretty spent. The bright side is that I was still able to get in 4 days of running.

2/11 - 56:09 4.30miles 13:04/mi ecp mixed trail and paved. Yoga 45 mins. Stretched

2/12 - rest day! chiro; 2 hr yoga class

2/13 - 1:45:25 7.43miles 14:22/mi it was super icy in spots so I had to walk almost a mile due to ice :-/ ncr paved and trail; stretched

2/14 - recovery run. 23:29 1.92 miles 12:13/mi sidewalks

2/15 - rest day. Packed all day

2/16 - moving!!! Rest day

2/17 - 1:45 spinning endurance ride; 60 mins hot yoga; 25 min run 1.60 miles 13:45/mi; treadmill

Total miles: 15.25

This morning, I got up early made a dessert for my work lunch and then headed out for a run. I haven't been running in the morning for a long time! It was always so dark in the morning and I didn't have a headlamp at that point. It also seems to put me way behind and then late for work. I'm teaching a private yoga client tonight so I didn't really have time to go tonight. I've been feeling a bit rundown lately and tired. This afternoon I started thinking about what I had to do today after work, which is often a run, and realized that since I had done my run this morning I didn't have much to look forward to this evening. :( Obviously, that isn't true but my first thought was hmm, I'm going to go run, wait no I'm not. :( Tuesdays aren't my normal run day anyhow but I just felt super crappy yesterday and my asthma was acting up and I couldn't even think about running so I decided to run this morning. It was a nice run and the park is so busy. :) Everyone is friendly and says hello. Needless to say it started my day off on the right foot! :)

Week 5, my current training week, is a cutback week per my Coach Salty. I was kind of excited to run beyond the 7.30 mark this week but that will have to wait until next week. My legs will enjoy the break until then. :)

Weekly Training Log 2/4-2/10/13

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 19:45:00 +0000

This past week the weather was up and down and weird. But I still got my miles in! :) I ran twice with Karen and let me just say that having her there for my long was SUPER helpful! As much as I love winter, the sneak preview of spring that we got recently is making me hope the groundhog's prediction comes true!

We are moving this Saturday so things have been busy and a bit stressful. There is still a decent amount of work left to do but I know it will work out fine. I'm just feeling so ready to move! :)

I've been feeling pretty decent overall but sore and tired off and on too. I feel like it takes me a while to recovery from the long runs. My schedule makes things a bit difficult too because I do most of my runs between Wednesday and Saturday. So this week I have a couple of goals:

1. Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night! Listen folks this is TOUGH for me. I've never been good at sleeping more than 6-7 hours and i usually can't do it for days in a row.

2. STRETCH!!!!!! I used to be SOOOO good at this and then I got busy and felt ok and stopped. I'm trying to get back to stretching at least after every run and spin if not every day!

My coach switched out my XT for a 20 minute recovery run the day after my long run. This means that I will run 4 days in a row this week. Hopefully this helps out! :)

Here's what I got in this week:

2/4 - 2.74 mi 38:53 14:12/mi - ECP paved trails - legs were tired; yoga 45 mins (i got out of work late so i had to cut my run short)
2/5 - XT DAY! 30 min jillian micheals six week ab dvd; 60 mins endurance cycle; 60 mins yoga
2/6 - 6.17 mi 1:30:02 14:36/mi - Chagrin River Park - gravel; stretched!
2/7 - REST DAY
2/8 - 4.04 mi 48:25 11:50/mi - ECP paved; stretched!
2/9 - 3.75 mi 51:04 13:31/mi - wilson mills trail head, pavement; stretched! 75 min yoga, 60min massage
2/10 - 60 min yoga

total miles: 16.73

Running Buddies!

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 17:26:00 +0000

What a week! This weekend was my YTT teaching practicum so all week I kept tweaking my class and teaching it to whoever I could! :) I got all my runs in and then basically spent the weekend doing yoga! Yesterday I was at the studio for about 10 hours! And while it has been such an amazing experience, I'm so glad that it is (almost) done!

White Pine Loop after fresh snow!

This week, I did something that I've never done before and totally pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. I ran with someone. EEK! You are probably rolling your eyes at this one, but seriously I was super nervous. I'm a social person but the idea of running with someone was super intimidating and honestly, when we were planning our run I kept giving her opportunities to decide she actually didn't want to run with me. haha BUT she did and so we went, first on Wednesday and then again on Saturday. Karen has some tendinitis in her foot so she needs to slow down a bit to help her foot heal. Running with someone has been great and once I got over my fear of being too slow, it has been a lot of fun! Here is my advice, run with someone or a group sooner rather than later! Put yourself out there and recognize that no one cares how fast or slow you are they just like your company. :) Running with someone who is generally faster than you is ok as long as you are clear about what pace you are planing and they are fine with going a bit slower. It helps tremendously to maintain a more consistent pace when you have someone there to keep moving forward. :)

Now that things are calming down a bit with YTT and I'm getting a handle on packing, I feel like I will be able to be more consistent with my XT and strengthening exercises I'm supposed to be doing! I have an hour endurance spin class tomorrow for my XT for this week. Stretching is another area that I need to dedicate more time to!!! So that is also on my list for this week. The weather has been super snowy and great! It has made for some incredible snowy runs and I love it!!! We should be getting a bit more snow over the next two days or so which thrills me! OH! I also finally got a new heart strap so I can start paying attention to that too. :)

Here's the rundown for last week:

1/28 - 3.55mi; total time: 47:19 pace: 13:20/mi - ECP pavement Avg HR: 148
1/29 - strengthening exercises
1/30 - 6.36mi; total time: 1:27:20 pace: 13:44/mi - NCR mix of trail and pavement Avg HR: 161
2/1 - 3.34mi; total time: 46:20 pace: 13:52/mi - NCR pavement
2/2 - 2.91mi; total time 45:31 pace: 15:38/mi - NCR trail Avg HR: 155

total time: 3:46:33
total miles: 16.16

Training 1/21-1/27/13 and an amazing winter run!

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:07:00 +0000

This week was a bit hit or miss with the running. I got my runs in but none of them were for the coach prescribed time. But I got them in! This week presented some challenges with the cold weather but by my second run of the week I had mastered my gear and was toasty warm for the rest of my runs. :) One thing that made an incredible difference was using a turtle to cover my nose and mouth. The bitter cold temps here was aggravating my asthma but once I covered my nose and mouth and warmed the air that I was breathing it became almost a non-issue.

I was in Toronto this weekend for some YTT funness so I took Friday off and did my long run that day. Oh my goodness! What an amazing run!!! Honestly, I'm so frequently in awe of just how beautiful the park is. Sometimes I'm just breathless and so appreciative of the beauty that surrounds me. It was still snowing when I started my run and I've been trying to get in pavement and trail running so I started off on the multipurpose trail and ran until I encountered a trail in the woods. I picked that up and ran until it ended following the foot prints and ski tracks until I reached a road. Then I ran down that to the paved trail and was able to pick up the trail inthe woods that I had hoped to explore. I was able to see all sorts of the park that I have never seen. I do most of my running at night and have a very HIGH propensity to get lost so I stick with trails I know at night so I don't end up lost, alone and in the dark. It was so awesome to run during the day and without a plan. I did get a bit lost and ended up out there a bit longer than I was scheduled but I didn't care it really was just such an amazingly beautiful run. I feel so lucky to be able to run and even more blessed that I get to do it in such a beautiful place! I feel so calm and peaceful and pull so much energy from the ground below me. It is a feeling of such amazing oneness with nature. here are some pics from my awesome run!

runjan - how to make a free slideshow

I have a coach for my first half marathon and she's added some other activities to my schedule. Things are pretty busy at work and I'm wrapping up YTT this coming month so hopefully it will become easier.

M 1/21 - chiro; 36:24 - trail - 14:51/mi - 2.45 mi; 45 mins spinning and 30 mins yoga

T 1/22 - 30 mins jillian micheal's six week abs; strengthening exercises

W 1/23 - 46:59 - pavement - 14:14/mi - 3.30mi

R 1/24 - rest

F 1/25 - 1:22:28 - pavement/trail mix - 15:27/mi - 5.34mi; massage

S 1/26 - 28:00 - pavement (downtown toronto) - 14:11/mi - 1:98mi; yoga 75 mins

S 1/27 - yoga 75 mins; strengthening exercise

total mileage: 13.07 miles

Winter Running

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:38:00 +0000

Yesterday afternoon I headed out for my scheduled afternoon run. The weather was a bit chilly; it was about 19 degrees but with the wind chill it felt like it was about 5 degrees. I think the temps dropped slightly as I ran. I only lasted 40 minutes or so and had to call it a day. Winter running is pretty amazing! I love all of the seasons but Spring and Winter are my favorites. Whenever I'm out running in the snow, I remember something from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass:

I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again."

It seems that the snow is letting the plants and grass and trees and ground kind of wait and rest and be calm until Spring comes forcefully in, making things grow. I took a bunch of pictures last night but my phone died mid-run so I wanted to share them here. The snow really just makes everything so still and peaceful! It is like a moving meditation to run with no one around and no other sounds besides your breathing, feet hitting the ground and the wind. :) I hope that all of you enjoy Winter running as much as I do!!! :)

Tracking My Progress & Training Log 1/14-1/20/13

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 04:01:00 +0000

For Christmas I asked for a training journal. My brother got it for me and I've been using since the beginning of the year. I love it and it feeds my need to track all my workouts. I also use a garmin and runkeeper. :) It may seem redundant but it is nice to have both of them while running. I like having the audio cues in my ear when I'm just running and not paying attention to time or distance and I enjoy being able to look at my wrist to see how fast I'm actually moving as compared to my perceived pace. I LOVE to track things. I can't help it! It might be a sickness. ;) Anyhow, tracking has provided insight into patterns, changes in training and a way to see my accomplishments. I think it is beneficial for anyone! Now that I'm working with a coach and will be including strengthening and cross-training into my weekly schedule, tracking will help demonstrate the impact that these activities will have on my running.

This week I had pretty decent runs. My favorite run was Wednesday. I felt the most amazing on Monday but in terms of scenery, Wednesday was by far the best run of the week. Wednesday I usually do my long runs and I do them at the same place most weeks. This week the sunset was AMAZING! I had to stop and take a picture it just was that beautiful.

1/14 - 3.35 mi GREAT feeling run 11:52/mi 39:48 pavement/trail mix; 30 mins yoga
1/15 - yoga 60 mins
1/16 - 5.11 mi 13:19/mi 1:08 trails
1/17 - strengthening exercises; 45 mins cardio
1/18 - 2.68 mi windy; tired legs pavement 13:31/mi 36:17
1/19 - 3.24 mi 13:26/mi 43:34 trails tired legs
1/20 - yoga 60 mins

total miles: 14.38 miles

Training Log 1/7-1/13/13

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:07:00 +0000

This weekend was my official last weekend of yoga teacher training. It feels like it went by so fast! We've been working since September and now all we have left is our teaching practicum the first weekend of February! I'm sooo excited! I also taught my first official class at the studio this weekend! We've added two kids classes and I get to teach them both. :) Hopefully, the class will grow! It is so much fun to teach kids and interact with them! They are incredibly flexible and open to what yoga offers. And I can't tell you how rewarding it is to see someone "get" a pose and accomplish something they've never done before! I even got my class to om! :)

My house got hit with the stomach flu and try as I might I eventually succumbed. I thought the worst was over by Saturday evening but after I ran the 4M Prediction Run, I wasn't feeling myself. My fever was back by the afternoon and I ended up calling in sick on Monday morning and resting all day. I still was able to get some decent miles in and while I had to scrap my training plan for the week, I felt good about squeezing in 3 runs.

1/7 - sick1/8 - chiro/rest1/9 - 5 miles - icy/slushy/soupy trails 1:14:17 - 14:52/mi; 30 min yoga, 20 mins on the foam roller1/10 - 3.13 miles - pavement 38:52 - 12:25/mi; 20 min yoga1/11 - rest1/12 - 2.38 miles - pavement/trail mix 31:02 - 13:02/mi; 2 hours yoga - legs were tired!!!1/13 - rest 1.5 hours yoga

total: 10.51 miles

The weather this past week was incredible! It was nice to be out and feel the sun but I'm ready for winter to come back. Tomorrow the temps should dip back into the 20s. Then all we will need is snow! :) Have a great week!!!

Training Log 12/31/12-1/6/13 and a Race Report!

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 01:37:00 +0000

Gorgeous mid-day run!!!

The first week of January is done! Woohoo! I hope all of you have had wonderful holidays and the happiest of New Year's! The first week of 2013 started off with (technically) 2 races, some beautiful running days and the stomach flu. Monday, the last day of 2012, I ran the GNYER and then went to a fun NYE party and celebrated with some great friends. Tuesday was a family day and Wednesday I was back at work - boo! Wednesday was a trying day and I just felt off. Thursday I spent the day at work feeling dizzy and weird. Friday I was able to get in a beautiful run around lunch time that was MUCH better with the aid of my new yaktrax. As soon as I finished, my stomach hurt. By the afternoon I was certain that I was getting sick and by 7pm I had a decently high fever and the stomach flu. Saturday I was pretty drained and still not feeling well but determined to do my first official race of 2013.

Post race reward :)

I woke up this morning feeling pretty good and got everything together and out of the door with time to spare. Today was the Dirty Snowflake 4M Prediction Race. That's right, prediction, no watches and you predict your time! Luckily, the race started on time! :) I started off in the last third of the pack as there weren't a ton of racers and they all looked super fast! Once we made our way onto the Ledges trail and it became mostly single-track I wished I had toughed it out and tried for middle of the pack. There were a lot of traffic jams and I had to walk quite a bit in the beginning. Eventually the route got a bit wider and I was able to move around some. I underestimated my race by 9 minutes! :( But I had a great time and the course was AWESOME and super beautiful. I left right after I came in because my stomach started getting all weird and nauseous. Can I just say that the thing I dislike about doing races South of here is that there are hardly any Starbucks?! I know that sounds ridiculous but there is nothing better after a good run than a hot cup of tea! So after I found a Starbucks, I headed home to get some yoga, stretching, lunch and a shower. It was a great race and good practice at running without a watch which honestly made me a bit crazy mostly because I didn't know the distance. I feel like if I hadn't got held up at the beginning I might have gotten closer to my goal. I also think due to the conditions on the course I probably should have added 5 minutes or so to my time. ;)

Weekly Training 12/31/12-1/6/13

12/31/12 - W9 D3 - 3.15 miles at 12:21 - Great New Year's Eve 5k - road

1/2/13 - 1.73 miles at 20:08 ouch!- NCR snowy trails

1/4/13 - 3.57 miles at 15:32 - not bad for the flu! - NCR snowy trails but with yaktrax! :)

1/6/13 - 4.13 miles at 14:26 - CVNP Ledges and Pine Grove Trails

Weekly Total: 12.58 miles

Ups and Downs of Training

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 04:24:00 +0000

Let me first say friends that I really don't like complaining. I especially don't like complaining here but today was one of those days! Work wasn't great and I wasn't ready to go back after what felt like a very short 7 days off of work. After a day full of annoyances and just plain blah I realized as I was changing that I had forgotten my running shoes. I was scheduled to get in 60 mins and then head home, shower, eat something and then head over to my yoga student's house at 7pm. Which meant that to do this comfortably and not be rushing I had to be done with my run no later than 5:45pm. Needless to say I was NOT happy when I discovered my missing shoes. :( I rushed home and then got held up due some family stuff and didn't get to the park until 5:30pm.

I soooo needed this run. I needed my run to fix everything that had gone wrong today. I needed to go out and run hard and fast and feel strong and forget everything not great. I needed to get dirty and sweaty and breathe the cold winter night air. Some of that happened but most of it didn't.

This past Monday, I PRed. This past Monday the weather was shit and I ran great and hard and felt so amazing after the run. Sure I pushed myself and there were parts that were a bit difficult and things I could have done differently but overall it.was.great.

Two days later and I couldn't find my footing. I couldn't hit my stride. My form sucked and I hated every minute I was out there. And honestly, I wanted to cry. If it hadn't been 20 degrees outside I would have.

I'm not a quitter. And I'm terrible at not meeting my goals or expectations. I'm just really bad at disappointment. Today I just couldn't take it anymore. I love the snow! It is one of my favorite things!!! But this year running in it sucks. Every time my foot comes down it lands on something uneven and slides to one side. I can't stand up as straight as I normally do because my gait changes so much from the snow and ice. I go from a midfoot strike to a toe strike and a mile in my left knee starts to hurt. But most of all I get frustrated and disappointed in my running (or lack of). Then I quit. Mentally and emotionally, I quit.

All I kept thinking was, "Why did you decide to run a half in May, in Cleveland, when you have to train through the winter?!" "Why did you decide to do this for your FIRST half?" "Why do you always have to pick difficult things?" "Why can't you just be good at this?" "How are you going to run that 4 mile race on Sunday, when you can't go more than 4 or 5 steps without losing your footing?!"

I tried really hard not to get frustrated and give up. I really did. But I just felt like I wasn't accomplishing what I wanted to or what I needed. I had placed crazy amounts of expectations on this run. It was going to make me better. But it really only added to my day of frustrations.

After 1.7 miles or so I walked back to the car.

I was so discouraged. The weather hasn't stopped me yet from running. When I have a run scheduled, I run , no matter what. But lately the snow has been really challenging for me. Being outside, on a trail is what I need but lately what I need isn't helping me, it is making me crazy. I'm going to get a pair of yak trax but I'm not sure that will solve it.

Running is pushing me in lots of ways. It's just like when I used to train for tris or throughout the evolution of my yoga practice. Running is forcing me to look inward so I can excel, change and grow. Tonight might not have been the run I wanted but it was the run I needed. It was the run that reminds me that not every run is great and that that is ok. It reminds me that things can be tough but that is the exact reason I do them. I reminds me to keep moving forward no matter how much I want to stop. Through adversity we learn the most about ourselves. Running helps keep me honest. ;) It makes me see myself and the ways I want to improve. I haven't had a lot of cheerleaders in my life to encourage me to pursue the things I wanted to. I've had to do that myself and today was a reminder that it is important to be your own cheerleader sometimes.

Remember, for every uphill climb there is a fast downhill waiting! :)

December Training Round Up, a Race Report and a New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 23:12:00 +0000

I meant to post all this last night but the weather was crappy and I got home late from the race and needed to get to a fab NYE party. Sooo first, let's get the training report out of the way!

12/17/12 - W7 D2 - 3.28 miles at 13:25 - trail - NCR

12/19/12 - W7 D3 - 4.77 miles at 13:55 - trail - NCR

12/21/12 - W8 D1 - 2.26 miles at 15:24 - trail - ECP

12/23/12 - W8 D2 - 2.37 miles at 14:53 - trail - Frohring Meadows

12/24/12 - W8 D3 - 5.13 miles at 13:38 - Frosty 5 Miler - road

12/26/12 - W9 D1 - 1.89 miles at 13:14 - trail - ECP

12/28/12 - W9 D2 - 1.65 miles at 16:57 - trail - ECP

12/31/12 - W9 D3 - 3.24 miles at 12:21 - Great New Year's Eve 5k - road

Total Miles: 24.59 miles

Great New Year's Eve Run

I LOVE this race! SARC puts on such great races! They are well supported and always have great giveaways. I was looking for a PR so I knew where I needed to be and was able to stick with my pace for most of the race. I still started off a bit too fast and was trying hard to slow down. I managed to stay between 11:30-12:00 for the first mile which felt good at the time but I knew I couldn't maintain. I just kept pushing so I'd PR. I got slowed down in the beginning because I couldn't get my garmin to find the satellite but once I got it working everything was fine. Here are my splits: 12:29, 12:38 and 12:46. I was hoping for 12:30 consistently so I need to make sure for my next race that I don't go out and run 10-11 for the first half mile. Overall, I'm happy with my race! :)

So it is a new year and I'm so so so excited about all that 2013 has in store for me! I'm going to begin working with my coach for the half this month and I'm still working out my race calendar for next year. I hope all of you had amazing holidays!!! :)

Frosty 5 Race Report-of sorts

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 14:29:00 +0000

Happy belated Christmastime everyone! I've been bad at blogging. :( As a result I will post a final training post and race report next Monday after the New Years Eve race!!! Christmas Eve I ran the Frosty 5 in Hudson. It was a great race and well attended! Overall I ran a good race. I started off a bit too fast and didn't dress warm enough so I froze through the last two miles but I came in right around where I thought I would and that made me happy! I also wasn't running alone which made me feel good about my pace. I was always surrounded by a small group of people running around my pace so that was nice.

This week is technically a recovery week for my 5k-to-10k training so I'm going to be able to get some easy runs in this week. I'm also on vacation from work until after the New Year! We have an impending blizzard and I need to get a run in before yoga so I'm off! Stay warm and enjoy the post holiday happiness everyone!

December Training 12/9/12-12/15/12

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 17:52:00 +0000

I must admit that I've been a bit disappointed with the weather lately. I won't complain too loudly because it has been just gorgeous, but I can't wait for the snow!!! Because of my little adventure in the dark last week, Santa delivered an early Christmas present! :) Behold the solution to my night time running problems!

I'm so excited to use this!!! I have a run scheduled for tonight but I prob won't have to break it out for that. Wednesday on the other hand I might! :) Yippee! :)

This week of training was pretty great! I felt good most runs but only got 3 in because of YTT this weekend. I'm gearing up for 4 runs this week and hopefully I can get 5 miles in on Wednesday so I won't be nervous for the Frosty 5 Miler on Monday. I only have 8 more training runs in my 10k training plan. You know what that means!?! Half-mary training will be beginning soon!!!!

12/10/12 - W6 D2 - 3.00 miles at 12:19 - ECP - trail and paved

12/12/12 - W6 D3 - 4.30 miles at 13:55 - NCR - NC2 trail

12/13/12 - W7 D1 - 2.56 miles at 13:41 - ECP - trail

Weekly Total: 9.86 miles

Tips for running in the dark and getting (un)lost!

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 19:17:00 +0000

Last night I had a longer run planned. The sun takes longer to come up in the morning and sets much too early for trail runners around here! I'm super lucky because my work schedule is flexible, super flexible. I can come in early and leave early and some days I work later to get caught up when I only get 8 hours in because of a scheduled run. Yesterday, I didn't get out of work when I needed to but I was still dedicated to my route and my run. I could have gone to Euclid Creek but that is where I do most of my runs and anything over 2.5 miles requires laps and it can get boring. I had picked one of the bridle trail loops, NC2. While I've never run the complete loop, the western side of the loop from the Bird Trail to Blue Flower is included in my loop when I do NC1 so I am familiar with part of it.

As much as I tried, I got out of work much later than I had wanted to so I didn't start my run until 4:45pm. What time was sunset you might ask?? Weeelllllll, sunset was around 4:57pm. So here's the thing, I don't have a headlamp, although I did ask Santa for one, so obviously I knew I'd be running in the dark. Which isn't too bad if you live in the city and there are street lights but I was in the woods. The run was awesome, even if I did get lost and it became progressively pitch black. I'm pretty good at getting lost, whether it is dark or not, so this is nothing new for me. But I began thinking about how my directionally challenged self could help other people when they're running goes a bit off course?

I present to you, Tracie's Top Three Tips for Running in the Dark! :)

Tip 1: Take advantage of your resources! So many of us have smartphones and they can be sooo helpful navigating many life adventures. One of my favorite apps is RunKeeper. It not only tracks your mileage, pace, avg pace, elevation, avg calories burned and duration but it has GPS so in a pinch you can flip to the map screen and see just exactly where you are and where, let's just say, you should be. Through this app you can create mapped routes and then later run them so it helps if you've planned an actual route to help keep you where you are supposed to be going. The map feature is helpful whether you've designed a route or are doing a random route! Another cool feature that this app offers is RunKeeper LIVE. Although this is a paid feature it can help make your runs a bit safer and possibly influence people to give you early xmas gifts, but more on that later! I do most of my running on trails and alone. This freaks out my family and friends sometimes. Through RunKeeper LIVE the people that I've invited to see my private RunKeeper profile can watch my run in real time. That way they know when I start, how far I am and when I finish. It gives them a little more piece of mind than my texts letting them know I've just finished my workout.

Tip 2: Be prepared! Running accessories can be just as important as the right shoe. Hats, headbands, gloves, fuel belts, etc. can make a huge difference in the quality of your run. One accessory that I don't have is a headlamp. As a result of my mother watching me get a bit off course last night, I'm going to receive an early xmas gift. The trail markers were harder to make out in the dark without standing exactly in front of it. At one point, I lost the trail completely and as I pulled out my phone to look on the map where exactly I wasn't, it dawned on me that I had a flashlight app. The app or 'flashlight' really I suppose, was pretty much worthless and every time I saw a headlamp somewhere between the trees I hoped it was heading towards me, but alas none came. However, the light was just enough for me to watch the immediate terrain that my foot was about to strike.

Tip 3: For night running, stick with what you know! I purposefully started my run yesterday on the portion of the route that I wasn't familiar with. That way I could easily see the trail and read the markers. Unfortunately, the sun left me a bit too soon so it was well into darkness before I found the part of the route I knew well. The only advantage I had last night in the dark was that much of the section I ran in the dark I knew like the back of my hand. I've run that stretch enough that I knew exactly where I was, how much farther I had to go until I got to my car and exactly how the trail twisted through the woods. If I hadn't known this, I probably would have had to walk much of the end since I could hardly see. It also gives you piece of mind! You know you've got this when you feel comfortable in your surroundings so when things don't go as planned the mental 'stress' is lessened and you can still enjoy the experience.

Hopefully, many of you are waaaay more prepared than I was last night! That way you won't need my tips. However, if you ever find yourself in my situation you have a few pieces of advice to pull out if you need them. Happy running!!!

December 12/2/12-12/8/12 and a race report!

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 22:43:00 +0000

The close of this week leaves only 11 workouts in my 5k-to-10k training plan! Can you believe it? I can't. It seems like time is flying!!! And with only 11 workouts left that means that training for my half is right around the corner! I.CAN'T.WAIT! eek! Soooo excited. I have several races coming up between now and when I finish my training plan. And while I tried REALLY hard to work a few in as training days it just isn't going to happen so that is slowing down my completion but it is a good slow down! This past Saturday was one of those days!

My friend Millie and I ran the Jingle Bell 5k in support of the Arthritis Foundation. SO.MUCH.FUN! Next year we will prepare our outfits more! This is the first time in my decent span of 5ks that I've run with someone else. It was hard to find a common pace that worked for both of us as Millie's pace was about 1:30 faster than what I had planned as a recovery run. After 2.5 miles I finally sent her on her way and did my own thing. I didn't run as consistently as I wanted; some spots my pace was all over the place, but overall I'm happy with my PR! There were sooo many runners and walkers and I we got a bit of a late start but we were able to pass by small groups of people as the race went on and try to keep moving forward at the same time. It was a blast! My next one is a 5 miler on Xmas Eve! My longest race distance so far has been a 10k that I DNFed due to an injury. So while this won't be my longest distance to race when I finish it will be my longest to finish.

BEFORE

AFTER

In other news, I did not get picked to be a guest blogger for the Cleveland Marathon. Boo! :( But that doesn't mean I'm not going to keep blogging! ;) Congrats to all those who did get chosen. If you want to see the list and keep updated with their blogs you can visit that here!

Ok onto the training recap:

12/3/12 - W5 D2 - 1.95 miles at 14:20 - ECP - paved

12/5/12 - W5 D3 - 2.95 miles at 13:33 - ECP - mixed trail and paved

12/6/12 - W6 D1 - 2.62 miles at 13:19 - NCR - trail

12/8/12 - Jingle Bell 5k - 3.1 miles at 13:38 - RACE DAY - paved

Weekly Total: 10.62

November Training 11/25/12-12/1/12

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 15:09:00 +0000

Welcome December! Wow this year has really flow by. I've had so many amazing experiences this year but I am truly looking forward to what 2013 has in store for me!

This week brought my longest run so far in the training plan and then the beginning of a recovery week and the shortest runs ever. I started planning out my race schedule for 2013 which is one of my favorite things to do. I have already registered for a 2013 race! Yippeeee! What's your big race this year? Although this will be the first time I've trained for a half I'm tempted to do three this coming year because there are just so many good races. So far on tap we have:

Jingle Bell run 5k
Frosty 5M
Great New Years Eve Run
4M Prediction Race

Those are just the ones I've registered for but I have several more on my list, including my first half in May at the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon! I have decided to work with a coach for the training of my first half and am super excited about the details. :)

11/26/12 - W4 D1 - 2.06 miles at 14:31 - ECP - mixed trail and paved

11/28/12 - W4 D2 - 2.97 miles at 13:26 - ECP - mixed trail and paved

11/30/12 - W4 D3 - 4.24 miles at 12:57 - ECP - mixed trail and paved

12/1/12 - W5 D1 - 1.89 miles at 13:11 - ECP - mixed trail and paved - RECOVERY WEEK

Weekly Total: 11.16

November Miles: 43.86

November Training 11/18/12-11/24/12 and a race report

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 01:08:00 +0000

Happy Turkey Day everyone! :) I hope you all had FABULOUS turkey days. The weather was gorgeous and I had a wonderful run that day. Besides my family, health, friends, life, etc, as I ran I thought of how thankful I am for the park system we have here. I can run in a different, wonderfully maintained park any day of the week and several are less than 15 miles from my home. My usual running place is less than 3 miles away!

My legs were super tired this week. I think I've been over training. Monday I ran and also did a 45/45 spinning and yoga class AFTER my loooong YTT weekend. I ran Thursday and Friday last week then had a stressful and grueling YTT weekend, ran Monday and the spinning/yoga class. So this week after my run on Wednesday, I realized that I needed to rest up for my race on Saturday. I've been working my butt of this week with jewelry stuff because I decided to do a show on Saturday. Thursday I had a pretty decent run but my legs still felt a bit heavy. It was soooo gorgeous! Friday I rested so I'd be ready for the race.

I got to the race early, hit the bathroom and ran for 15 minutes or so and was warmed up and ready by 8:45am. The problem was that the race didn't start until about 9:10am. So by that time, I wasn't really warmed up anymore. The course was nice and pretty easy with the exception of one giant hill. I felt good and didn't over do it. I feel like I'm FINALLY getting this whole pacing thing! haha But seriously, I ran a pretty consistent race and even kept my pace through the finish. Normally I sprint in but I was feeling good at my pace and happy to come in under 45 minutes. I forgot to turn off my garmin though until about 3 mins after the race. :( Official time from the race is 44:58 with 14:30/min. I'm happy with it. It is my first race in several years and while it isn't an official PR it is my fastest time besides a super flat and super fast course so I'm considering it a PR. ;) I have another race on December 8th, so hopefully I have another PR in store!

My training plan schedules 3 days per week but I run four days a week usually MWFSat. Monday I begin week 4 of the plan which is a build week so hopefully I'm ready for it. Saturday will begin a recovery week and the halfway point in the plan. The run group that I belong to on FB is holding their own trail 10k on December 29th so I might be ready to run it. I just have to see where I'm at then.

11/19/12 - W2 D3 - 3.26 miles at 13:46 - ECP - mixed trail and paved

11/21/12 - W3 D1 - 2.11 miles at 14:14 - ECP - mixed trail and paved

11/22/12 - W3 D2 - tempo run - 2.41 miles at 14:31 - NCR - bridle/white pine/bird trails

11/24/12 - W3 D3 - race day - 3.15 miles at 14:30 - DirtDirty Trail 5k - I didn't want to set back my training schedule so I used this as a training run

Weekly total: 10.93 miles

November Training 11/11/12-11/17/12

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 23:08:00 +0000

My weekly training log is late because I have just been crazy busy! This past weekend was the written portion of our test for yoga teacher training so it was a long and stressful week last week and weekend. I'm hoping that things will settle down after this weekend and I will begin to feel a bit more normal!

This weekend was a lot of yoga. A LOT! I would say that between Saturday and Sunday we did at least 6 hours of yoga. My body was sore and tired yesterday morning. I ran and then did a 45/45 class, spinning and yoga so needless to say this morning was a bit worse than Monday. ;) I have a half day tomorrow so I'm going to get a run in the morning and then I have a tempo run Thursday and a race Saturday! Woohoo! I'm excited and nervous. I haven't done a race in a while so I'm hoping it goes well and I'm not super slow!

The biggest change for me between the 5k plan and the 10k plan is tempo runs and speedwork. I'm struggling with the speedwork. I having been trying to hit up the trails as much as I can because my race this weekend is a trail run and in a hilly place, but hills are not conducive to speedwork. I'm going to try and hit a mostly flat trail on Thursday for the speedwork.

This week of training also brought my first full 5k distance. It was nice to finally get there!

11/11/12 - W1 D2 - tempo run - 3.11 miles at 13:57 - CRP

11/13/12 - W1 D3 - 2.87 miles at 13:54 - ECP - mixed trail and paved

11/15/12 - W2 D 1 - 2.31 miles at 12:59 - ECP - mixed trail and paved

11/16/12 - W2 D2 - speedwork - 2.61 miles at 13:47 - ECP - mixed trail and paved

Weekly total: 10.9 miles

November Training 11/4/12-11/10/12

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:34:00 +0000

My visit with the chiropractor went well! They fixed me up and I was allowed to take a test run on Wednesday. It felt great to get back out there! I've been spending more time spinning and not as much time sleeping as I need to. When I had to take some time off for the ankle, I felt like it would be negligible and my training wouldn't take a hit. I'm not sure if it is just that I've been working out more and/or not getting enough sleep or that 5 days off really did have an impact but my runs since the break haven't been great. I feel slow and my legs feel heavy. I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things soon! :)

The good news is that I finished the couch-to-5k plan and started the 5k-to-10k plan! I ran a new trail this past Saturday and while I'm always slower on a new trail, it was so nice to see a new part of the park! :) I can't wait to get out there again soon! This coming weekend is a YTT weekend. I have my written exam - eek! Wish me luck! :)

11/8/12: 2.71 miles at 13:50 per mile - NCR - Squire's Castle mix of trail and paved
Week 9 Day 3 - 5 min warm up, jog for 30 mins, 5 min cooldown
!!!Couch-to-5k COMPLETE!!!

11/10/12: 2.14 miles at 16.31 per mile - NCR - bird and bridle trail
Week 1 Day 1 - 5 min warm up, steady run for 30 mins, 5 min cooldown

Total Mileage: 6.85 miles

October Training - 10/29/12-11/3/12

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 18:35:00 +0000

Sandy might have been in full force here in Ohio but I still got my runs in. :) On Friday evening I ran my first run since Saturday without rain. I actually kind of missed the rain but it will rain again one day! haha Saturday brought great weather and a disconnected run in North Chagrin. I just couldn't get into. Early in my run, I hit something beneath the heavy leaves and twisted my left ankle pretty good, crunch and all. ;) I walked it off and after a few steps continued my run. I came home and did my usual 45 minute post run yoga, showered, taught my yoga student, went to my friend Sally's house to do her makeup and then out to dinner with my bff, Chrissy. By the end of dinner, my ankle was swollen and sore. Each step produced a clicking sound in my ankle. I came home and crashed and this morning opted out of spinning and yoga. I have it wrapped and elevated and I'm hoping I can hit the chiro tomorrow and they can lead me in the right direction. :) I have only ONE DAY left in my training plan!!!! :) Another reason I'm hoping this ankle heals quickly! Then it is on to the 5k-to-10k training.

10/29/12: 2.58 miles at 14:42 per mile - CRP gravel
Week 8 Day 2 - 5 min warm up, jog for 28 mins, 5 min cooldown

10/31/12: 2.71 miles at 14:00 per mile - ECP paved
Week 8 Day 3 - 5 min warm up, jog for 28 mins, 5 min cooldown

11/2/12: 2.94 miles at 13:36 per mile - ECP paved
Week 9 Day 1 - 5 min warm up, jog for 30 mins, 5 min cooldown

11/3/12: 2.61 miles at 15:19 per mile - NCR trail
Week 9 Day 2 - 5 min warm up, jog for 30 mins, 5 min cooldown

Total Mileage: 10.84 miles

Rain, rain......

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:55:00 +0000

With hurricane Sandy in town things have been a little discombobulated! The rain begin on Saturday and hasn't stopped since. We received much more damage than I expected and as a result some of my favorite trails are closed, hopefully not for long. My work was out of power from Monday night until yesterday around 3pm. Yesterday we were on call so I kept delaying my scheduled run with the fear that I would start my run and get called in. I should have just gone running early in the day but, sigh, whatever. ;) It was nice to have a break and I was able to get a bunch of jewelry stuff done this week, including this and this.

My afternoon was hijacked by other people and traffic and closed roads and downed trees and live wires and stores that didn't have what I was searching for. I FINALLY got to the park to run around 6:30pm. I had to stick to the paved trail because the one in the woods was closed and blocked by numerous uprooted trees.

Yesterday was the best run ever. EVER. Seriously, EVER!

I ran the entire run. I didn't need to stop once. It felt good and natural and right. It quickly sucked away all of my frustrations of the day and replaced them with calm and peace. But most of all it made me feel invincible. It didn't matter that it was raining or cold or windy or dark, I was out there and enjoying it tremendously. Every run, makes me feel more confident in my abilities and myself.

It might seem strange or silly to someone who doesn't run or doesn't enjoy running but it really impacts all parts of your life. I've soooo missed this and have enjoyed it this time around more than ever before. So often I talk about how I began to find myself more and more each time I was on a yoga mat and the same can be said for running. Each time I head out in the woods for a run, I see a little more of myself revealed I feel more connected to myself and to life in general.

I hope all of you have been having wonderful runs (or not runs) and enjoying life!

Hello Sandy!

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:59:00 +0000

In case you haven't heard, there is a hurricane hitting the east coast, as well as Ohio. Yesterday was a run day for me and today was expected to bring worse weather! So naturally I went running yesterday. :) I can't confirm that today was actually worse but oh well. I picked the trails that I knew to be open and the ones that are most solid. I got out of work and headed to Chagrin River Park and found an empty, completely empty, parking lot. As I started on the trail, I saw from a rainy distance large, black moving creatures. I was totally confused but kept moving forward and what did I find???

WILD TURKEYS! Seriously, there were probably 20 of them just hanging out in the rain like any other day. I wasn't sure if they were friendly or not so I slowly approached the group. I never realized how big they are until I was literally face to face with one. This fine turkey just didn't feel like getting off the trail and I had running to do so I just kept going and gave him a nod. I'm 5 foot even and he must have been up to my shoulder.

I got in a decent run but I will admit that it was a bit creepy. These trails are well used and so it was odd to be alone. Part of the trails run along the Chagrin River so I stuck with doing loops on the wooded trails away from the rising river. The deer, who are normally ambivalent about human presence were extremely interested in my visit. There was one in particular that kind of followed me along on the first loop and then hung out on the gravel path, waiting for each of my returns.

Twice I heard trees crashing down, no doubt taking other trees along. After the second one fell closely behind me, I headed to the the paved path that borders the parking lot and finished my run. Over all I had a good run and thoroughly enjoyed my little personal visits with the animals that call this park home. Tomorrow will be another adventure I'm sure, as it hasn't stopped raining since Saturday here so I'm not sure what trails will be open for runs.

Be safe everyone!

October Training - 10/21/12-10/27/12

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 02:31:00 +0000

This week was a GREAT week of running! The weather was wonderful - super warm and sunny or complete Fall weather, rainy with a chill. Regardless of the day, the trails rocked and I finished strong each time. Sigh. It was just that good people! :) Saturday I attended an AWESOME Ashtanga class that kicked my ass but was a great compliment to my chilly run. Yoga has helped my running tremendously and I'm so thankful that I now have a strong and consistent practice as I started running again.

10/22/12: 2.29 miles at 15:18 per mile - ECP trail - recovery after YTT weekend
Week 7 Day 1 - 5 min warm up, jog for 25 mins, 5 min cooldown

10/24/12: 2.34 miles at 14:57 per mile - ECP trail
Week 7 Day 2 - 5 min warm up, jog for 25 mins, 5 min cooldown

10/25/12: 2.53 miles at 13:50 per mile - CRP gravel - SUMMER RUN! :)
Week 7 Day 3 - 5 min warm up, jog for 25 mins, 5 min cooldown

10/27/12: 2.67 miles at 14:12 per mile - NCR trail - wet, rainy, chilly, best of all, MUDDY!
Week 8 Day 1 - 5 min warm up, jog for 28 mins, 5 min cooldown

Total Mileage: 9.83 miles

I only have 5 more runs before the Couch-to-5k is complete!

Running Compromise....Sort of!

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 23:40:00 +0000

Yesterday was day 3 of my October session of Yoga Teacher Training. Our schedule is pretty intense however, yesterday in addition to our training we did a half mala. I honestly felt a lot better this morning than I expected I would. Today was a run day, not having run Saturday or Sunday. As I drove into the park, I saw TONS of people on the paved path; it is so nice to see so many people utilizing the parks! I had planned to do an easy run on the paved path because it is rolling and not as challenging as the trail. But the closer I got to my parking spot, I couldn't help but heed the draw of the trail and the woods. It wasn't my fastest time on the trails there or my longest but it was probably my best run there yet. I was stiff and my hamstrings were soooo tired from all the down dogs, etc. I just took my time and enjoyed my run! It felt amazing and so wonderful to be alone in the woods and running along. I did what felt right and that was awesome.

As the leaves were floating down around me on my run, I thought of how competitive I am, even with myself. I'm always concerned with how fast I went and how far I've gone. Today I did have a goal in mind; this small bridge. I didn't make it but I almost made it and it was ok that I didn't. Today I was kind to myself and enjoyed running and didn't care about anything else except having a great run. Today was different than any other run. EVER. And I loved it. One day of taking it easy and focusing on the experience of running, the beautiful leaves, the smell of wet soil and the sun peeking through the trees was worth more than getting to the bridge or running faster or farther than my last run.

October Training - 10/14/12-10/20/12

noreply@blogger.com (tracie) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:55:00 +0000

This week has been a craaaaazy one! I literally have had stuff every night and then all weekend I had YTT. Which is an amazing experience, don't get me wrong, but it is exhausting physically and mentally. I really want to be getting in 4 runs a week but things have been crazy and with YTT this weekend running on Friday and Saturday might be too much. All I can do is play it by how I feel.

The beginning of the week brought back intervals which I enjoyed. The run on Wednesday was a tough one! Not because of the run itself but because I overdressed AND my asthma was super weird and I was having a hard time keeping a steady comfortable pace that I could breathe at.

10/15/12: 2.36 miles at 14:24 per mile - ECP paved
Week 6 Day 1 - 5 min warm up, jog for 5 mins, walk for 3 mins, jog for 8 mins, walk for 3 mins, jog for 5 mins, 5 min cooldown

10/17/12: 2.34 miles at 14:15 per mile - ECP paved - rough run!
Week 6 Day 2 - 5 min warm up, jog for 10 mins, walk for 3 mins, jog for 10 mins, 5 min cooldown

10/19/12: 2.42 miles at 14:27 per mile - CRP gravel - amazing run! Such a beautiful trail with tons of deer munching happily as I ran by. :)
Week 6 Day 3 - 5 min warm up, jog for 25 mins, 5 min cooldown

Total Mileage: 7.12 miles