On Marathon Recovery & Running vs. Not Running

Many people look forward to some down time after marathons, but I have never been one of those people.  If a marathon goes well, I'm on a runners high and anxious to jump back into training (also always thankful/never satisfied).  If a marathon doesn't go well, I'm ready to avenge it and put in work for the next one (big goals require big commitment).  I am very routine-oriented and running is part of my daily routine.  I also have quite the running endorphin addiction, which I am pretty sure means I am much less pleasant to be around if I'm not running (please tell me I'm not the only one with this issue!)!

Prior to Houston, I decided that I needed to take a week completely off running after the race.  I was feeling hot and cold about my running, and my performance between CIM and Houston was also up and down (the brutal winter did not help!).  I basically did a 30 week marathon training block, with a 24 week build for CIM then a 6 week addendum for Houston, which is a lot now that I think about it (perhaps part of the Houston problem was this being too long!).  My experience at Houston further confirmed that I needed some time off.  Plus, a week off is what you're "supposed" to do, right?

I'd inadvertently started a running streak on June 20, not because I ever planned to streak but because I was running 7 days a week for marathon training.  After CIM I continued the streak by running for 10 minutes and 20 minutes in the two days after the race, then I rolled into Houston training, making for almost 7 months with no days off.  This is nothing compared to most streakers out there, but I used to take a day off every week and had never come near this kind of running streak in my life!

Although I knew my body needed some down time, I had a hard time convincing myself not to run a mile the day after Houston.  My mind kept saying, "Keep the streak!" while my body said, "Break it!"  The snow on the ground and bitter wind chills on top of my post-marathon exhaustion (exacerbated by 11 hours in the car, an 11:00 p.m. return home, and minimal sleep after the race) helped me accomplish my streak-breaking goal!  After I didn't run that first day I suspected it would be easy to take off several more days.  I thought it would feel really good not to run and to eat all of the desserts that I'd avoided for months for the sake of best fueling my training.

On day 2 (Tuesday), I wanted to run, which surprised me!  I didn't, because I didn't want to badly enough to run on the treadmill (the roads were bad enough that schools were closed for 3 days), but the desire was back much sooner than I expected.  I made myself take a few more days off and continued to eat 7 months worth of sweets (eating crap food also helps you take more days off).  I figured I would run again on the weekend after 5 solid days of not running - but on Friday I was jumping out of my skin, the roads were clear enough, and it was warm out, so went out for 4 miles in a t-shirt and shorts at lunch.  I then ran with joy over the weekend.

When I'd asked my coach for no training schedule for 2 weeks after Houston, I fully believed that I wouldn't run at all for the first week and maybe not even for the whole 2 weeks.  I resumed running because I missed it and I wanted to, not because I felt like I had to train for something; in fact, I know that time off right now would certainly help me more than hurt me.  During my second week of "whatever", I've been running easy every day.  It's definitely a "want to" vs. a "have to".

It's also a good reminder that I simply love to run; even if I wasn't training for anything or racing, I would still run.  When I quit collegiate running due to repeated stress fractures, I didn't race again for nearly 3 years, but I consistently ran 4-5 days a week and even ran hard workouts when I felt like it.  The joy truly is in the process, but sometimes you need some time away - whether that is 4 days, 4 weeks, 4 months, of 4 years.  The thing about running is that it will always be there when you are ready to come back.

Everyone recovers in their own way, and I think it's smart to take time off after marathons.  A wise runner told me, "You never get that time back", which has me planning to be more strategic about this next time.  I don't think I did bad this round, but I can do better.  I've been reminded that I never want as much time off after a marathon as I think I will! 

I think it's healthy to want a break.  But I don't think it's unhealthy to not want one.  I realized that from following so many runners on social media, I was getting these thoughts planted in my head: that I should want a week to a month off, that I should be burned out on running, that I should be run down and sore, that I should want to eat crap food, etc., but those things weren't necessarily what I felt or wanted.  I need to recover but I always like to remember why I love to run and train in the first place!

Not really!

You never know your limits until you push yourself to them: More from Houston

I don't know if I can ever write only one post about any marathon I run!  My full Houston race report is here.

• I liked the Houston course; it is certainly flat as advertised.  I'm so used to running on rolling terrain that flat terrain almost feels like decline!  I thought that after this race I'd know which type of course was best for me between a point-to-point net downhill with rolling terrain like CIM or a pancake flat loop like Houston, but because of how Houston went overall I am not sure.
• Houston makes you earn the good shirt.  We received an average cotton t-shirt at packet pick up, followed by a tech shirt (along with a mug and finishers medal) after finishing.

• Houston served a hot breakfast (eggs on an English muffin, with sausage also available) for runners after the race inside the convention center, which I really liked.  Eggs are my favorite post-long run meal!  There were also drinks available (water, coffee, chocolate milk), bananas, and ice cream.
• The race was large but very well-organized, and you could tell they've done this before.  The expo overwhelmed me, as large ones always do, but it was well done.
• I placed 30th female and 22nd American female, which I was happy about in this big of an event.
• The elite field in the race was crazy inspiring; Molly Huddle set a new US record in the half!
• My experience as a sub-elite was a little interesting.  We were given a specific location (intersection listed and marked on a map) to load into our corral, but we weren't let in at that spot.  I, along with several other ADP athletes, had to run around a bit frantically to get in the corral at a different location.  We were also told we could warm up in our corral, and while that was a little bit true, it required a lot of running back and forth over the same 50 meters.  A girl told me that the year before they had a few blocks to warm up, which is what it looked like on the map too.  Perhaps they forgot to update the map from the year before!  This all made me thankful I was running the full and not the half, because for a half I need a much better warm up. 
• I learned that my strategy of always carrying one more gel than I plan to take is a good one, because I dropped half a gel during the race and it wasn't a problem.  In the end I ended up taking only 2.5ish gels instead of my usual 3 though:  one around the 10K, part of the dropped one around the 20K, and then the final one around 16.  I usually take my third around the 30K but took it early since I'd missed part of the second one.  I was planning to take the fourth, making it 3.5 total, around mile 20 but then I just forgot.  I don't think it would have made any difference.
• Speaking of things I forgot, I made a pace band for the race but forgot it at the hotel!  I knew where I should be at given points well enough that I would have been fine without it even if I'd had a good race, and with how my race went I would not have used it.  I realized that I'd forgotten it during the first mile of the race.
• Whenever I used to see people run huge positive splits in marathons, I used to wonder how that could possibly happen.  Now after splitting 1:23:27/1:30:39, I know it can happen even if you don't go out too fast -- clearly, I did go out too fast for what I had that day, but I ran my first half a touch slower than I did at CIM on a flatter course, so it was not beyond my capacity.  I also used to see splits like I ran and think, "that second half must have been so painful", but for some reason it wasn't for me; my body just wouldn't move any faster, but I was okay with continuing running.  I am not sure I'd have believed any of this had it not happened to me!
• I have a difficult time running tangents on a curvy road.  My Gamin beeped right at the course mile markers through about mile 16.  As you can see on the course map below, the road became winding at about that point and then the final long stretch going east back to the finish was curvier.  After 16 my Garmin got farther off the course markers every mile.  If I run another marathon with a road like this I need to practice running the shortest route better!  In my post-race survey I noted that they should put a tangent line on the ground like I've seen on the marathon majors.

• I learned that if I am really back and forth during the weeks leading up to a "maybe" race like this, it's possible I shouldn't run it even if I feel good about it at the last minute.  I second guessed this one a lot, and clearly my body wasn't ready for it.  I also already knew this, but the really good long runs I had kept me hanging on!
• I also learned that the CIM + Houston double is not for me.  I will double dip off of a single marathon training cycle again, but one of the marathons will be a close to home race, and I will also not have a million life events between them.  Although I loved Houston, I don't know if I will run it again because of the timing with the holidays -- or if I did I would plan an easier holiday season, if that is even possible.  If I do run it again, I would probably fly instead of drive (it was a loooong car ride!), but the uncertainty of if we were going or not this year prohibited that.
• However, I stand by being very glad and thankful I ran this race.  I learned some more about my limits, and with the fantastic race day weather I know if I hadn't gone I would have regretted it.  This was my sixth time running two marathons off of one cycle (I did multiple marathons close together on several other occasions too, but that was when I was just running a bunch of marathons while doing no actual structured training cycles, and was not surprisingly much slower -- stories for another post!).  It was the first time I haven't run faster in the second marathon.  I think it's clear that I had to chance it!
• Sometimes you need a step back to fully appreciate how far you've come.  In retrospect, I didn't appreciate my 2:47:14 at CIM as much as I appreciated my 2:49:20 at Phoenix -- and I know that is because at CIM I did not accomplish my "big dream barely a possibility goal" of 2:44:59 for the race, but at Phoenix I exceeded my "big dream barely a possibility goal" of 2:49:59 for the race.  To steal a phrase I read here, I think the ignorant bliss of Phoenix was part of the magic!  Houston taught me to appreciate and be thankful for CIM more than I had been.  Instead of wondering why I couldn't have been one of 50 Olympic Trials Qualifiers at CIM, I'm going to be thankful that I have the opportunity to keep chasing a goal that sets my soul on fire.  Onto the next!

Houston, we had a problem: Chevron Houston Marathon race report

The short:
My finishing time of 2:54:XX (I have a few different finishing times at this point, but they all begin with 2:54) was nearly 10 minutes slower than the big dream goal time I went to Houston to chase, but I finished the race at peace with that.  My attempt at double-peaking failed, which I knew was a risk, but I don't regret taking the chance; I had to try.  I executed my race plan well, but simply didn't have enough in reserves.  At mile 16 I knew that I could run 10 more miles, but I also knew it was going to be nowhere near 6:15 pace.  I then went on to provide a fantastic example of how NOT to pace a marathon!  With no chance at accomplishing my time goal, I ran those final 10 miles with all I had in me, with a big smile of my face, and thanking God that I was out there.  2:54 is still my third best marathon (behind 2:47:14 and 2:49:20), and my fifth consecutive sub-3:00, so I am proud that I accomplished that on a day that I didn't have gas in the tank, even though of course I wish my risk has paid a better reward.  Taking no chances means wasting your dreams, and I'm certainly not doing that!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

The actual finish wasn't quite like this

The details:
After running a 2:47:14 at the California International Marathon while on the tail-end of vertigo, I felt that 2:45:00 was within the realm of possibility off of my fitness if everything went perfectly, and decided to try another marathon mostly off of the same training cycle 6 weeks later.  I've had good luck running two marathons close together several times, and often run slightly better in the second.  Houston is known as a pancake flat fast course, and I was accepted into their Athlete Development Program way back in September when I decided that having a Plan B marathon would be nice.  Because the winter dealt very cold temperatures to most of the country, the Houston race day weather ended up being ideal for fast racing, with a start time temperature of 34 degrees.  Even though I had a lot of ups and downs (also detailed here and here) during the 6 weeks between my two marathons, I knew I'd always wonder "what if?" I didn't try Houston, so I went for it.

Such an amazing field and race ambassadors

I had a tentative pace plan for the race, but I also went into it with no expectations except to get the best 26.2 miles that I could get out of myself on that day.  After chatting with several friendly runners while waiting and warming up in the ADP corral, I took off from just behind the amazing elite field that included Molly Huddle and Jordan Hasay, among many others in both the half and full distances.  Unfortunately I could never see any of them, because my corral was brought up behind the invited elites at the last second before the gun.  My plan was to run a tad slower at the beginning of the race than I did at CIM, starting with a 6:30 mile, keeping the rest of the first 5K at 6:25 pace, then dropping to 6:20 through the half (targeting 1:23 or slightly over for the half).  For the second half I planned to target 6:15s.

It was still mostly dark at the start!

Jumping for joy (or to stay warm) pre-race

Everything went according to plan for the first 14 miles (except for dropping half of a gel, which didn't phase me because I carry an extra; I also dropped my headband and arm warmers, intentionally).  The course was very flat except for a few overpasses and underpasses, the pace felt easy, the miles clipped away, and I had people to run with.  The field was not nearly as thick as at CIM was at my pace, but I could always see others and ran with a few different groups.  My Garmin was beeping right at the course mile markers, which was nice because I'd been worried about the tall buildings messing with it.  There were also clocks at each mile marker, which I loved.

I came through the half at 1:23:27, exactly 30 seconds slower than my first half at CIM, but I wanted to err on the side of being a little more conservative early on to see if that helped me finish stronger, so I was happy with that.  However, unlike at CIM I did not feel confident about dropping to 6:15 pace, so I decided to stay at 6:20, figuring that it might not be my day for the 2:45 but maybe I could sit at 6:20 and come in for a PR of 2:46 (5 seconds/mile can make a huge difference!).  We also turned into the wind just after the half, and those next few miles were pretty windy ones.

At mile 15 I began feeling more unsure of myself, and by mile 16 I knew that it wasn't my day.  I knew I could run 10 more miles, but that it was not going to be at 6:15-6:20 pace or anywhere close to it.  My mile 15 split was the last one I looked at during the race, because I knew seeing my pace climb would hurt me more than it would help me.  With my big time goal out of reach, I set a new goal:  run the final 10 miles with joy and thankfulness, and with all my body could give.  I put a big smile on my face and thanked God for the opportunity to run another marathon.

After the race, several people commented that I was tough for sticking it out and that it must have been a rough final 8-10 miles.  The funny thing is though, it wasn't.  I was fine running 7:00ish pace for those final 8 miles.  I sure as heck couldn't move any faster, but I wasn't breathing hard or in oxygen debt, and I never thought I was going to need to drop out, nor did I want to stop running.  After I got to 7:00ish pace around mile 19, my pace did not show the progressive decline that I'd had before with a marathon bonk, and the miles still went by relatively quickly (unlike the final 3.5 miles of CIM, which seemed to take longer than the first 22.7 miles of it!).  The best way I can describe it is that I simply didn't have gas in the tank to finish it fast, but my endurance allowed me to finish it consistently at around my long run training pace.  Perhaps my glycogen stores weren't replenished fully, but I could operate in fat-burning mode?  I really have no idea, but it was just different.  I'm glad it wasn't a death march, but also perplexed as to why I couldn't for the life of me pick it up.

For the first 15 miles of the race, my Garmin was beeping pretty much right at the mile markers and I made a very strong effort to run the tangents, but during the final 8 miles especially, I had a difficult time figuring out the tangents because of how the road curved and weaved, and my Garmin's distance kept creeping further and further off the course markers -- not that it really mattered, but if I run this race again I need to know the last long stretch of the course better and make a better effort to run the shortest route.  A man around mile 24 even told me, "Run on the other side of the road, girl, it's shorter", which made me laugh.  Many spectators told me that I was looking strong, maybe because of the smile on my face instead of my pace.  It was a much different end compared to CIM.

Mile 25 was a little slower because I stopped for a bit to check on and encourage a girl who was walking and crying (to be completely honest, this is something I would not have done had I been on PR pace), but otherwise I hovered right around 7:00 pace and then mustered a 6:20 pace kick at the end.  The video my dad took of my finish is here.  I laughed at the announcer saying that I was coming in with a "strong finish", but I guess did get back on pace for the final bit!

Final stretch

Finishing on the right (half marathoners are on the left)

Finishers medal

Prior to the race, if someone had asked me how I would feel about running 2:54 in it, I would have said that I'd be terribly disappointed, but in the end I wasn't.  I was joyous to have run another marathon!  Of course I would rather have had everything go perfectly and have run the 2:45:00, but it wasn't in me in this race.  I didn't do anything wrong in regards to what I could control, and any day you can finish a marathon is a good one.  The event, course, and weather were ideal; I simply didn't have the gas in the tank, which was a risk I knew I was taking going in.  God is good all the time, and His plans are better than mine!  Plus, being mad at yourself when you gave your all doesn't make you any faster next time (it has taken me many years to learn this!).

Having my dad on the trip was a blessing

Meeting up with Halley after her big half PR was also a blessing!

In addition to providing a fantastic example of how NOT to pace a marathon, I learned several things.  I will run two marathons mostly off of one cycle again, but I won't do it with a power-packed vacation (which we took in conjunction with CIM) and the holidays between.  It was all just too much (not to mention all of the 10-12 hour work days I had between).  It is probably also preferable to run one of the marathons close to home, as I have always done before.  I liked the Houston course and if I run it again I'll be familiar with it and the area, which would reduce a lot of stress -- navigating the area in an unfamiliar huge city was no easy task in regards to parking, getting to the expo, finding restaurants, getting to the start, etc. (plus our map of and specified entrance for the ADP corral were not correct!).  The entire experience was full of lessons that will help me in the future.  This was also the first time I ran a marathon with an average pace in the 6:30s, as my other 4 sub-3:00's were average paces of 6:22, 6:27, 6:47, and 6:49.

A year ago, my marathon PR was 2:58:53 and my big dream goal was to run under 2:55 (that was revised to 2:52 a few weeks before the Phoenix Marathon in February 2017 though).  At Houston, I ran a 2:54 on a day when I had no gas in the tank.  Maybe there is some chance that eventually I will be able to run 2:44:59 on a bad day.  However, right now I am going to keep chasing it on a perfect day!  Even if I never accomplish it, I will never regret trying.  I don't regret running Houston, and I know that the results were a step for me in one way or another.  Staying positive doesn't mean that things will always turn out alright; it's knowing that you will be alright no matter how things turn out.

Results can be found here, and mine are summarized below too.

How NOT to pace a marathon!

Additional details on how NOT to pace a marathon!

Houston Training Journal #3: From Holiday Fatigue to Pre-Race Fantastic-ness!

This continues Houston Training Journal #1 and #2 -- and is the final edition because race day is coming on January 14!

December 24, 2017
Merry Christmas Eve!  Today I capped off a 71 mile week, and realized that as long as I run at least 22.1 miles next week I will be over 3,000 miles for 2017!  I have around 65 miles planned, so if I don't make it then something bad has occurred...  The running enthusiasm pendulum has swung in the opposite direction as last week when I was filled with doubt.  This morning on my solo super cold recovery run I listened to a podcast that included a discussion about marathon training and 100-120 mile weeks.  I started thinking, "Well, what if I did that?  I could work up to that.  Surely that would improve my marathon performance."  I'm not sure I actually could do that, but I can increase gradually from what I did this cycle, right?  Dream big!

December 27, 2017
This is the most bipolar training block I've ever had.  I think that several factors are contributing to this:  extra busy non-running life since my return from CIM until now, the changes in routines that accompany Christmas (particularly traveling, eating differently, and variations in sleep schedule), weather changes (i.e., it's freakin' cold!), and coming off of CIM being my big focus for so long.  I vacillate between "I'm going to run Houston and I'm going to kill it there","I'm not sure I can run well at Houston", and "I don't think I should even go to Houston".

December 29, 2017
I've recognized this for a couple of weeks now, but I haven't gotten around to full-blown admitting it, although my Houston Training Journal #2 came pretty close.  I fear I am on the brink of Not Good.  I'm worried that my body is just barely holding it together as far as not getting sick or injured, which is not how you want to feel a couple of weeks out from a marathon.  Some days have been fantastic, but overall it has been variable.  I felt similar before and for a couple of weeks after Dam to Dam, and look at how Not Good that race turned out (although the weather was a bigger factor there).  My mind is right there too: barely holding it together and feeling like there is no possibility of a solid performance in Houston.  And we all know that if we think we can't, we are probably right.

BUT the thing is, I'm also not at all ready to throw in the towel.  What if it turns around?  I'm going to run long tomorrow so the door is still open.  Frankly, as of today I don't want to run Houston.  I keep thinking that I should, because I've done two marathons off of one training cycle so many times before, and it would be foolish to waste my fitness and potential for a PR in Houston, right?  Plus I'll be taking down time afterward.  I should be able to run it and go try.  But I also know that forcing a race never ends well, so if I still feel like this in a week I think I need to put on the brakes.  Perhaps it's the holiday hustle that's got me down.

December 30, 2017
Well, today's long run was Really Good; the best 21 I've ever run in training, actually (at feels like 6 degrees!).  I will just keep praying for wisdom -- and maybe stop writing about my indecision all of the time, haha!

January 2, 2018
After my 21 miler on Saturday, it was like a switch flipped; I was suddenly all-in for Houston.  After my really good 18 miler the previous weekend, I thought, "Okay, maybe I can do this...", but this time it really felt right.

I think most of it was because the night before the 21 miler instead of getting nervous about nailing it, I just decided to get out there and let it happen.  I gave myself permission to stop the long run if I wanted to; if I wanted to quit it then the decision would be made not to run Houston, and I would be confident it was the right one, because when I'm feeling good I never want to quit long runs (they are my favorite!).

I got out there for the 21 miler and loved it.  I didn't stress about hitting pace or what mile I was on or anything, I just let it happen.  That's what I need to do in Houston: just let the marathon happen.  I guess the conundrum has been that I keep thinking I shouldn't go if I don't think I can run a 2:45, but instead I need to just let the best 26.2 I have in me that day happen.  There is more of a chance that I won't hit the 2:45 than that I will (I told Jon 80/20), but it's not completely outside the realm of possibility so why not put my training cycle's work to another try?

January 5, 2018
Well, I'm tapering again!  I'm feeling both ready and out of shape...typical taper.

January 7, 2018
I read a post about chasing goals that recommended asking yourself if you would be happy to put in all of the training if you ultimately fail.  If you do everything you can to work towards a big dream goal and never get it, can you be happy with that?  I can truthfully say yes in regards to my pursuit of 2:45.  I love the day-to-day training, the hard workouts, the early mornings, the miles with friends, and the long runs.  Clearly I also hope I get it, but if I never do, I will never regret chasing it and what I've gained along the way.

I don't feel like I'm sacrificing in my pursuit of it; I feel like I'm gaining.  I'm not losing out on staying out late with friends (which I probably wouldn't do anyway, haha!), I'm gaining early morning runs with friends.  I'm not missing out on junk food, I'm gaining health.  I might be missing out on sleep, but I'm gaining life.  There is so much to be gained by pursuing what sets your soul on fire, even if you never achieve it.

January 8, 2018
Lessons I've learned from pursuing this:

I do better running two marathons when one is a B race.  I kept asking myself why I was having trouble between CIM and Houston when I've done the 2 marathons off of 1 cycle thing more often than not, and always loved it and in fact salivated for it.  Today while on my run I finally figured it out:  I've always had a goal marathon and a B one that didn't matter that much (almost always Bass Pro).  This time both matter.  I've always run well at Bass Pro, but going into it I've always thought it really doesn't matter how I perform; even if I DNF it's no big deal that I drove 20 minutes to give it a go (no travel, no expenses, no days off work).  This time both marathons are A races that require big travel commitments.

Too bad you can't OTQ at Bass Pro.  Haha!

Lesson 2 is that I don't do well with uncertainly with races.  I could have easily told you that before now, but it's been even more difficult than I expected thinking, "I'll run Houston as long as the weather cooperates."  Even when I told myself that if the Houston weather was crap and we didn't go, I'd run a 10 mile or half marathon time trial on my own on January 14 (so that I was guaranteed to be "racing" that day), it just didn't jive.  I tried to find a closer race that day as a plan B, but there are not many races at this time of year in the Midwest, for good reason!  I need to know that I'm running a specific event and to be able to focus on it.  For my next marathon I need to chose a race that I'll have a big time goal at if conditions cooperate, but that I am also content with running for place if they don't (spoiler:  I've already picked my next, though).

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." -  Romans 12:12

January 9, 2018
Best case scenario:  I succeed.  Worst case scenario:  I learn.  There is no failing as long as you learn something, and I know that I will have many take-aways from this experience that will help my next marathon.  I think this will particularly inform me on what type of course is best for me - point-to-point on rolling hills with a net downhill like CIM, or a pancake flat loop like Houston.

January 10, 2018
Now I am getting excited for the race!  I am ready to go out there and get the best 26.2 miles out of myself that I can on Sunday.  Anyone who has ever run a marathon knows the risk of each race, and running two close together like this increases the risk, but I know that if I didn't try Houston I would always wonder "what if."  My confidence has been very up and down in the 6 weeks since CIM (as exhibited by this entire training journal series!), but I also think that no matter what the outcome is, I will be glad I tried.  Wondering "what if??" is always worse than failing!  Thinking about running 26.2 miles at 6:20 pace or faster is very intimidating and overwhelming, but big running goals always are.  I took chances at CIM and I am going to take chances again...because taking no chances means wasting your dreams!

January 11, 2018
I am feeling my taper and also increased positivity!  I think being tired makes me negative, haha!  I am blaming holiday fatigue for any and all negative comments I made about running this race.  I am excited to run another marathon!

It looks like marathon weekend will hold a lot of excitement.  Look at these stacked elite fields (elite entrants are by invitation only in this one)!  I am in the Athlete Development Program corral right behind these folks so I hope to get in some photos with them.  I really hope that Jordan Hasay and Molly Huddle racing yields a new American women's half marathon national record!

I don't know what Sunday will bring, but I'm going to go into it with no expectations, and just run smart and give it my all.  I am thankful for good cold racing weather (start temperature of around 32*) and 100% health.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to take a couple of days off work and travel to this race.  I'm thankful my husband and dad will be by my side!  This race will teach me something, so I am also prepared to be thankful for lessons learned.

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13

Addendum:  Travel snafu #1 has occurred, with freezing rain holding up my parents on their way to our house.  We may also encounter slick roads at the start of our journey tomorrow.  I'm glad the race is Sunday so we don't have time pressures tomorrow.

Winter Running Gear & Tips

Winter running can be hard.  It's frigid outside, the days are short (plus we all know any given temperature feels colder in the dark!), and races are far and few between.  Then there are also the ice and snow factors!  I run outdoors as long as the roads are safe, no matter how cold it is.  In Missouri we rarely get below -10* for our lows, so it's nowhere as extreme as Northerners have it, but it's still quite cold!  I start nearly all of my weekday runs at 5:30 a.m., so I am usually running in the coldest part of the day.  It's rare I can tell you the forecasted highs, but I always know what overnight lows to expect for the upcoming week (this is the case year-round though)!

Just -1*/feels like -8*

My biggest reason for staying outdoors is because I enjoy it much more than treadmill running, but I also got injured from running on the treadmill at the beginning of 2016, so I have since completely refused to run on it.  This winter if it becomes unsafe to run outdoors I will either run on my YMCA's indoor 1/7 mile track or cross-train instead of risking the treadmill.  Thus far I've been outside every day, and since I only have a week until the Houston Marathon I feel like I've pretty much made it, since the worst weather we get should fall within my marathon recovery phase.

My best cold weather attire

Out of necessity, I've learned a thing or two about cold weather running gear.  All tights are not created equal!  Glove and mittens - also not equal!  I could go on, but you get the picture.

My top winter weather gear picks are pictured above.  I have no affiliation with any of these companies, but am just trying to help out fellow winter weather warriors.  They include:

• Nike Fit Dry fleece-line turtleneck.  Truth be told, I've been wearing this every single day since it's been single digits or below zero out!  I've had it since 2009, so it's clearly also very durable, considering I do the same thing every cold winter as far as wearing it every day.  Nike doesn't make this top anymore or I would buy another!  It's warm enough by itself down to about 5-10*, and colder than that I add a jacket.
• Mizuno Breath Thermo tights.  These are the only tights that keep my legs warm enough when it's under about 20*.  I am comfortable in them alone down to about -5*, and colder than that I'll add a pair of long underwear under them or tapered warm-up pants on top of them.
• Newzill compression socks.  These are thicker than any other sock brand I own, and I don't even have to double layer with them.
• Mittens:  I have a pair of little girls XL Champion brand ski mittens from Target that I found on clearance, and my hands often even get hot in them.  This is major because in any other mittens I have, my hands freeze when it's under 10* or so (gloves are far worse!), and painfully cold hands used to be my limiting factor on running outside in the stupid cold.  You can add single use hand-warmers to gloves/mittens, but with these I haven't needed those yet (tested down to -8*)!
• Balaclava.  I have two really good ones, but I don't know where I got either of them or what brands they are....but cover your face!
• Screw shoes (for snow). Put several screws into the soles of an old pair of running shoes, and you have traction! There are also shoes made for snow running that I'm sure are worth the investment if you live somewhere that gets a lot of snow that sticks around (here in Missouri it typically doesn't because our weather is so bipolar).

My other winter running tips are:

1. Use single use hand warmers and foot warmers if your extremities get cold, especially on long runs.
2. Get dressed with a space heater in your bathroom.  It's really hard to get out on the cold if you're already cold in your house!  You can also toss your running clothes in the dryer for 5 minutes before putting them on so they are nice and toasty.
3. Warm up before you got out.  I do some planks, glute activation, and/or plyometrics indoors before going out into the cold.  I get to the point where I am too hot (but not yet sweating) in all of my winter gear so I'm dying to get out of my heated house. 
4. Run into the wind first and come back with it behind you.  There is nothing worse than getting several miles out and being nice and sweaty, then turning back into the bitter wind.
5. Even better than #4, if it's windy and this is possible, have someone drive you out the distance you plan to run, then run back with the wind behind you.  This makes a HUGE difference on very windy days, when the windchill may be 20* colder than the air temperature.
6. Wear fabrics that keep you warm with your own body heat and sweat.  I find that I'm either drenched in sweat under my gear or too cold; there is no in between.  I have no problem being drenched in sweat as long as I'm not cold from it, and the gear shown above does the trick for me on that.
7. Change out of your sweaty gear as soon as possible when you finish - it gets cold quick!  A warm drink right after running is a great way to re-hydrate and warm back up.
8. Don't be afraid to move workouts around.  I hate this just as much as (or more than!) anyone else, but it's worth it to do your tempo a day early or a day late if the temperature difference is going to be 20*!  I ran a key tempo a day early last winter because it was around 30* in the morning, and the day the tempo was actually scheduled was going to be around 5*.  Although my legs weren't quite as recovered from my long run as they ideally would have been, I still have no doubt I performed much better than I would have at 5*!  Switching long runs back and forth between Saturday and Sunday is also a possibility I leave open if one day is going to be a lot warmer.  Here is Missouri we have extreme weather changes often, so I try to arrange my runs accordingly.
9. Run at lunch from work if you can.  I can usually get in 4-5 miles pretty easily at lunch if I plan ahead, and more than that is a trick but can be done occasionally if I really plan ahead.  I know that not everyone has this flexibility, but if you do, take advantage of it to run in the sunlight and warmer temps.
10. Split up mileage into two runs.  It's not ideal to do this all of the time, but occasionally if it's just too cold to be out for more than a half hour or so, run two 4 milers instead of one 8 miler, for example.  If you're okay with the treadmill you can also do part of your run outside and the rest on the treadmill; I recommend starting outside and finishing on the treadmill due to the sweat factor if you do this.
11. Don't stress about pace.  I run my easy runs by feel and have noticed that when it's very cold they are 20-30 seconds/mile slower.  When it's extremely cold our bodies make adjustments, and we won't run as fast because of this...not to mention we are wearing 15 lbs of clothing!  This is really hard for me to accept, but it's just like running in heat/humidity in that we won't be as fast, but the effort and benefit is there.
12. Accept that something is better than nothing.  This is also hard for me, but if, for example, you're scheduled for 10 miles and only run 5 due to it being too cold to stay out for longer, you did 5 miles more than 0!  Give yourself grace on your training this time of year.
13.  

    

    Excellent reminder from MPR Coaching in Instagram

14. Finally, if all else fails, move south!  My husband and I definitely plan on retiring south.  But seriously, remember that in just 6 months we will be complaining about the heat and humidity...at least I know I will!

What did I miss?  What cold weather running tips do you have to share?

Top 5 Running Highlights of 2017

It was pretty easy for me to choose my top 5 of 2017, although some might say I double dipped on #1-3!

1. Running two marathons in the 2:40s.  It boggles my mind to think that I ran 2:47:14 and 2:49:20 marathons.  Many women have run many more marathons much faster, but I never thought I would do this or anything close!  I thought I was doing good in 2016 with two sub-3:00s.  I haven't run a marathon over 3:00 since 2015 (darn you, 3:01).  My mind hasn't caught up with my body because it seems like some sort of fluke, but on the other hand faster paces have become the new normal...it's hard to explain.  I am extremely thankful for both of these races and even if I don't run another fast marathon for the rest of my life, I ran 2:47 and 2:49!

   

   2:49

   

   2:47

2. PRs.  Thanks to my running club's Runner of the Year competition summary, I realized I ran 8 PRs in 2017.  It's not as good as it sounds, because some were bettering the same distance PR (e.g., 2 marathon PRs, 2 half PRs, track 10K + road 10K) and one was the first time I ever raced the distance so a PR was a given (12K).  My PR races were the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon, the BMO Mesa-Phoenix Marathon, the Big 12 12K, the Wash U Distance Carnival 10,000 m., the Bradleyville Scholarship Run 5K, the Plaza 10K, the Indianapolis Women's Half Marathon, and the California International Marathon.

   

   Half PR in Indy

3. Racing trips.  I was blessed to able to travel to several races this year, and that contributed to highlight #2 because I've learned that it's typically better not to run marathons in the Midwest -- our weather is often not conducive to fast racing!  Not to mention that generally races in my immediate area are not competitive and not certified/not the correct distance.  I traveled to Arizona twice (Phoenix/Mesa/Tempe area), Des Moines, Indianapolis, and Sacramento, along with shorter trips to Kansas City and St. Louis.
4. Exceeding 3,000 miles for the year.  I have only tracked my yearly mileage since 2010, and I've never done it with a yearly goal in mind (this year I just followed my coach's plan and this is where I landed).  I'm confident that I never ran more mileage than this before I began tracking it, because I have never before done mileage like I did during my CIM build, nor have I ever had a year that I didn't have some time off with injuries between 1999 and 2016! (!!!!!)
• 2017 - 3043
• 2016 - 2294
• 2015 - 1942
• 2014 - 972
• 2013 - 595
• 2012 - 1373
• 2011 - 1539
• 2010 - 2106
5. No injuries.  I had a niggle here and there, but never anything I had to miss a single day of running for.  I received ART three times for a hamstring niggle, and also had a little tendon niggle I was able to work through with rolling and eccentric calf raises.  This is HUGE for me and is the first time since my first injury between high school and college (1999) that I have had zero time-off injuries in a year!  Wahoo!  This is clearly linked to all of the other highlights so should probably be #1.

2017 will be hard to top, and maybe I'll never top it and that is okay.  But I'm ready to give it a try - bring on 2018!  God's plan for 2018 is the best plan, which means my main goal should be to trust Him always.

Here's hoping!

Houston Training Journal #2: All that's for certain is that I am crazy

This continues Houston Training Journal #1.

Note:  If you think this sounds like a bunch of me being negative, read through the end -- my positivity returns, I promise!

I got another race photo from Bass Pro that I actually like -
this one was in my running club's Dec. newsletter &
includes my super speedy friend Zach who is often
kind enough to slow down enough to run long runs
& workouts with me

December 19, 2017
I am fully invested in running Houston only if I am 100% healthy and the race day weather is conducive to fast running, which is difficult for me to think about because that means there is a chance I won't run it.  If I can't try for a 2:45 there (which I can't if everything isn't ideal or very close to it), there isn't a reason for us to take the trip or to put my body through a hard 26.2.  Logically I fully believe this, and I also believe that God will lead me in the right direction, but it's hard not knowing while at the same time proceeding as if it's going to happen.  It's making me lack the laser focus that I had for CIM.

My hamstring has put some added stress into the equation.  I never mentioned it before now, I guess because I was just hoping if I didn't acknowledge it, it would go away -- and it always did.  Two days before my 22 miler at the end of October I did deadlifts and tweaked a spot on my left hammy.  It didn't bother me running the 22 miler but I felt it the rest of the day after the run.  I was worried about it, but it never hurt running and got better relatively quickly.  Then in the Bass Pro half marathon, I felt it for a few steps around mile 10.  It was then fine again, until I felt it on the final mile of my fast finish 24 miler in November.  It has never bothered me much while running, but when it's irritated I know how I can make it hurt, which is by doing leg swings, doing high front kicks, or stretching it.  I had one ART session for it right after my 20 x 400 workout in November, mainly as a precaution and along with an ART maintenance session for pre-race prep, and it felt like a million bucks after that.  When it didn't bother me one bit during or after CIM, I thought it must have completely healed during my taper.

However, on December 11 when I did some strides at the end of my run -- my first faster running after CIM -- I felt it.  My coach said not to let it get any worse, and it didn't until I ran 1.66 miles hard at the Ugly Sweater 5K (the perk of calling it in at the turn around was that I didn't run the whole race hard and irritate it more, I guess) followed by a 16 mile long run with some 1:00 pick-ups the day after.  It bothered me after that long run (although not as much as it did after the 22 miler), so I went in for an ART session for it yesterday evening.  The ART helped, and I also got a bonus gait analysis and some exercises to work on because my right glute is weaker than my left.  I also need to work on stretching my hip flexors, which I do daily but I guess not enough.  I do a standing desk at work and that helps them, but I guess also not enough.

Picking back up after CIM to go for Houston was/is a risk, but it is one I wanted to take, especially because I'm tentatively planning for my next marathon after Houston to be in June at Grandma's.  The way the timing aligned will allow me to take a down month after Houston before starting my Grandma's build, and the timing on that couldn't be better since it will be the coldest part of winter (give me 100* over 0* any day -- at least for training...for racing I am not sure).  But if my body says no Houston, I'm going to respect that too, as difficult as that is.  I just know I can't run 2:45 if I'm not 100%, so that makes it easier to acquiesce.  I am planning on Houston, but maybe God isn't planning it for me, and time and time again He shows me that He knows better.  Like I said here, I need to NOT tell God my plans.  We just all know that patience isn't my strong suit!  For now, I'm continuing with my training and I am actually in my peak mileage week for Houston.  I am going to be super diligent about strengthening and stretching, and we will see what God has in store.

December 20, 2017
Well, the good news is that my hammy is doing great!  ART can truly be magical.  The bad news is that I was injured at work.  By nature of my career, I often work with aggressive clients and once in awhile I am on the receiving end of that.  I was diagnosed with a neck strain (just what I need after my problems at CIM, right?!) and lost several clumps of hair.  Otherwise I'm just sore, but sometimes if it's not one thing it's another...

December 21, 2017
This week I've been really questioning whether or not I should run Houston, and last night my doubt hit the highest level.  I woke up this morning questioning this 70 mile week and what I am even doing.  Should I have taken 2 weeks off before easing back in after CIM like a normal person?  When I start not wanting to race and when daily runs start feeling like a "have to" instead of a "can't wait to", I get concerned that I'm over-doing it.  In addition to the hamstring issue (that's now all better) and neck strain (that also seems fine now), my body has recently been out of whack due to:

• Albani had pinworms, or at least we suspect.  When we called to make her a physician's appointment, they told us to treat her with PinX and then come in if it hadn't cleared up.  The PinX instructions said that everyone in the house should be treated, and it's just a single dose, so although I hate taking medication and had no symptoms, I took it.  This was on Dec. 18.
• I've never actually gotten sick, but I've felt like I've been fighting something or another off since just after CIM.  My immune system is strong, although less strong post-marathon.  I can just tell when I'm not 100%, with a slight sore throat or minor sniffles.  Some of this could be from running in cold temps too.
• Holiday junk food is everywhere.  Most of the year I am fine about turning down the crap food that's always at work, and most of it isn't any good anyway (e.g., donuts every Friday, Oreos and chips here and there, etc.), but a large selection of homemade goodies can break my healthy eating patterns.  I don't feel as good running or in daily life when I eat crap, but I guess I find it hard to turn down when I know I won't see those treats again until next Christmas.
• Stress.  Holidays stress me out.  I wish we could focus more on the true meaning of Christmas and less on the hoopla.  I feel overwhelmed by having so many things to do and by all of the changes in routines.  The stress, busyness, and changes in routines also affect my sleeping.

Anyhow, this morning on my run with my friend Rebecca I confessed out loud for the first time that I was thinking that maybe I shouldn't run Houston.  Maybe it's just too much.  I then said the same to Jon when I returned home, and noted it in my daily run notes on my coaching app.  After that, the weirdest thing happened.  I started feeling like I should run Houston again.  I am clearly going crazy.

December 23, 2017
When I told my husband, my coach, and a friend on Thursday that maybe I shouldn't run Houston, everyone pretty much replied with a similar theme of:  no worries if I didn't want to or if I didn't feel up for it, but maybe I shouldn't decide quite yet.  I felt strangely relieved after mentioning it, and I again wanted to go out for my runs!  I proceeded with my training schedule as if I'd be running Houston, including an 18 mile long run that included a 5 mile progression down to 6:08 today.  My 18 miler ended up being the fastest I've ever done in training, and it felt fantastic (also my ponytail froze and that was fun)!  So maybe I can run Houston.  And for sure I am going crazy.

However, it takes at least some crazy to try for a fast marathon, so perhaps this is to my advantage.  3 weeks until Houston, and I am so thankful that I get to run tomorrow!

Frozen hair/don't care

Houston Training Journal #1: Recovery Patience is Hard

This is unlikely to be anywhere nearly as extensive as my CIM series, but here we go!

December 10, 2017
5 weeks until Houston!

When we called Albani the evening after CIM, Jon said, "Mama ran her race this morning", and she asked "Did she make it to the Olympics?" (as shown by this question, she doesn't quite understand the whole Trials process).  Jon told her I was 2 minutes off of qualifying for the Trials.  A few days later she told me, out of the blue, "If I missed it by just 2 minutes, I'd be really mad at myself."  I wondered where she'd learned such an attitude, then laughed, because me a couple of years ago would have been really mad at myself.

2017 me isn't mad at myself at all.  I've learned to give myself grace and to not let comparison steal my joy.  I gave it all I had out there, and you certainly can't get 2 minutes, or any time at all, by being mad.  After Dallas I was terribly mad at myself for quite some time, and then I bullied my body into illness, over-training, and an injury.  Trying for really big goals means that you will probably miss along the way, but those misses are steps, not failures.  Perhaps this is one of the best realizations from CIM going forward.  Even if it takes me 10 tries to get a 2:45, or if I never get it at all, each training cycle and marathon is a step.

"The only failure in chasing your dreams is failing to see how far you've come along the way."

15 days until Christmas!

December 11, 2017
I am SO ANXIOUS to get back to training!  The balance with running two marathons close together is to get fully recovered from the first one yet maintain peak (or re-peak) for the second.  I trust that my coach will get me there, because he has before.  I had a break-through half marathon at White River 6 weeks after I peaked for Prairie Fire (with running a second marathon at Bass Pro in between).  I ran a huge 10K PR 5 weeks after I peaked for Phoenix.  The hard part is accepting that most of the work has already been done.  I am itching to run farther and faster, which I believe says good things about my CIM recovery, but this week is still somewhat recovery-focused and patience is key.  Over-training would kill Houston, so I am following my coach's conservative plan (this does not mean I have not asked him to add mileage, approximately 5 times already, haha!).

December 12, 2017
I was driving home from work today and it hit me:  I am a 2:47 marathoner!  I hadn't thought of it in that phrasing, and it brought me so much joy.  Even though I was 134 seconds short of my Big Dream Goal Time, I ran a 2:47 off of running an average of 65 mpw in my build.  I may very well come up short in Houston again, but maybe eventually I will get the opportunity to find out what I can do off of 80 mpw.  2 years ago I thought 2:59 was my max.  I now think that 2:44:59 is my max, and I'm okay with that!  It's crazy how different paces become the new normal.  I can't really believe that I ran 6:22.7 pace for 26.2 miles; in my mind that is still my 5K pace on a good day!

December 13, 2017
I got to do my first tiny workout post-CIM this morning (although I did have strides on Dec. 11, so had done a bit of faster running there).  It was just 2 miles progressive fast finish on the tail end of a 9 miler, but it was nice to run faster again and also to inch back towards a midweek long run!  I guess it was also the farthest I've run since CIM.  In the 6 weeks between marathons I'll basically do 2 recovery weeks, 2 training weeks, then 2 taper weeks.

December 14, 2017
I've hit my post-marathon slump.  Usually it hits sooner, so I thought I'd maybe even dodged it this time, but no such luck.  The week after CIM I was riding the high from the race and pumped to run Houston.  We were also vacationing for a few days before returning to work and real life on December 7.  Then I had 4 really long and super busy days at work playing catch up (taking time off at the beginning of the month at my job is a horrible idea, but CIM didn't ask how their date worked in my life schedule).  Yesterday I finally felt like I could breathe at work again.  I think all of that busy-ness delayed the inevitable post-marathon let-down, where I've lost the post-race high and don't yet have hard workouts to get an endorphin boost from.

We've had too many Christmas treats

This week I've been training, but lighter than I've gotten used to; I will end up around 58 miles total with most of it easy paced.  It's a time that is essential for me to have a coach, because on my own accord I would push too much too soon and screw it all up.  I looked at my Strava log today to see that I'll have 4 weeks mileage under 60 (2 weeks taper + 2 weeks recovery), and I don't like that one bit.  Especially because I then just have 2 weeks of real training before 2 weeks of taper for Houston!  I feel like I will be so out of shape, but I've looked back at what I did after other marathons and believe it or not I did not lose all of the fitness from months and months of training by tapering and recovering (shocker, I know -- it's one of those things that's easy to tell other people but hard to believe about yourself).

Jack Daniels, you crazy...but you prove that my strength lies in the marathon

December 17, 2017
Today was my first time to run double digits since CIM and my first long run of this very abbreviated training cycle.  I was a little apprehensive about it because I knew that I wouldn't be completely recovered 2 weeks after a marathon, but I also felt that I needed to feel pretty decent to continue with my goal of pressing on towards Houston.  I got in 16 miles in 41* and light rain -- the saving grace was that there was no wind, but being wet at 41* isn't my favorite.  I am thankful that it went well enough that this post is still titled Houston Training Journal!

Marathon Day Fueling

I used the exact same fueling plan for my last two marathons, and very close to it for the two before that.  I've never had any stomach or GI issues with this nutrition, and I've always felt like I had enough fuel for the distance.  While I think that marathon nutrition is very individualized and should always be practiced in training, this is what works for me.

• 3 hours pre-race:  a large baked sweet potato (no skin - the only time I don't eat it) and a nuun energy tab dissolved in about 12 oz water (40 mg caffeine).  I can also do a plain potato, but I like sweet potatoes more, plus they are more nutrient-dense.  Potatoes sit better with me than grains, but in a pinch I'm okay with breads, bagels, Cheerios, oatmeal, and other bland basic carbs.
• Between 2.5-0.5 hour pre-race:  sip on 12 oz water with a second nuun energy tab.
• 1.5 hours pre-race:  two scoops of Generation UCAN vanilla flavor mixed in about 8 oz of almond milk.
• During race:  3 Accel gels (each with 40 mg caffeine), around the 10K, 20K, and 30K marks, but with some variation based on the course aid station placement, because I try to take them with water.  I always carry 4 gels just in case, but haven't taken the fourth recently.  I also take water at each aid station, and at CIM I took nuun on the course because that's what I train with.  I dislike other brands of sports drinks that are often provided in marathons, so I've typically used water only on the courses.

  

  Gels & nuun energy

That's nuun energy in water, Generation UCAN
powder, & my baked sweet potato

CIM Post-Race Tears & Post-Race Planning

The marathon will humble you even when you have a strong finish, but the ground of the finish chute is extra humbling.  I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to die, celebrate, or wallow.  Another runner helped me to my feet; God bless her for picking up a sweaty stranger from the ground.  She and a volunteer helped me walk, while my husband, who had seen me go down, ran to the side of the chute.  It's all a blur, but I told them I was okay and adamantly and repeatedly refused the med tent and a wheelchair.

Once I saw Jon, I burst into tears.  I was in so much pain, and I was so relieved to have finished and to PR, yet I was also upset that it all came crashing down at the end.  I'd envisioned a strong finish to this race many, many times, but I couldn't pull it off.  It was a mental trip to finally be confident that I could accomplish my big 2:45 dream, only to be punched in the gut (actually, in the neck) and come up 2:14 short.  I held onto the side of the chute and cried, while Jon again tried to get me to go with a medic.  I was able to gather myself and walk out of the chute holding onto the side.

I was coherent enough to know I'd want this

The neck pain subsided enough that I had a photo taken and picked up my gear bag to change into dry and warm clothing.  Walking from the gear check we ran into Courtney Frerichs, who I'd met in November in my neighboring town where she is from.  Fingers crossed that she can join our running group for some easy runs when she is visiting her parents for Christmas!

I was shocked she wasn't much taller as
a steeple-chaser (I'm 5'7")

I then managed to change and we began walking to the car.  A volunteer had given me a banana in the finishing chute, but I hadn't picked up any other food due to the state I was in.  I asked Jon for my banana to eat while we were walking to the car, since I'd handed it to him when I was exiting the finish chute, and he told me he ate it!  I'd recovered enough to laugh at the irony that he thought he needed it more than me.  Then neither he nor my parents could remember where they'd parked, so we were walking for what felt like hours, and I had to stop at a CVS and buy food.  I think the excessive amount of walking helped my recovery though.  My phone said I walked 8 miles between the lost car debacle and our afternoon/evening on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, giving me a PR of covering 35 miles on foot in a day!

Although I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed with missing the 2:45, I am still thrilled with this race.  I lowered my PR on a course that was "fast but not easy" (I completely understand that descriptor now!).  Strava does the nifty grade adjusted pace calculations that I often rave about, and it said that my 2:49:20 performance at Phoenix grade-adjusted to 6:39 pace (actual pace was 6:27.5), whereas my 2:47:14 performance at CIM grade-adjusted to 6:22 pace (actual pace was 6:22.7).  This is because Phoenix has greater net downhill and less climbing than CIM, and means that grade-adjusted I took off 17 seconds/mile, making the 5 more seconds/mile I need feel less intimidating.  I am really glad I didn't look at the Phoenix GAP before CIM or I probably wouldn't have had the confidence to try for the pace I did!  I am not sure what the difference in cadence means, but I think it's a positive thing.

CIM elevation profile & GAP

Phoenix elevation profile & GAP

I strongly believe that you will always run a faster marathon with a negative split, so I probably could have gotten a minute or so more out of this one if I had stayed at 6:20ish instead of dropping to 6:15ish.  My halves were 1:22:57/1:24:17, so not ideal but also not the worst.  The BPPV came into play, but there is no way to know if it would have hit me no matter what towards the end of the race, or if it hit me because of how much I was pushing, or if I even would have run any better without it.  You have to run within what you have each race day.  Regardless, I'm still glad I took the risk and went for the 2:45.  My body has now traveled about 22.5 miles at the pace I need it to go for 26.2, and I hope it will build back up stronger in order to give it a go. 

Annnnnd, I am going to give it a go again sooner rather than later!  I knew that after CIM I would have a strong feeling one way or another about whether or not I should run Houston on January 14, six weeks later.  I knew that the scenario that would direct me to run Houston would be not getting the 2:45 at CIM but feeling like it was possible off of this training cycle, and I now feel that it is within the realm of possibility.  It will take everything going perfectly, and I have to get completely over the BPPV (last night was the first night I slept flat instead of at 45* in weeks), but why not try?  I've historically run a little better in the second marathon when I've done two off of one training cycle before, I came away from CIM completely healthy and I'm recovering well, I trust my coach will find the magic formula to give me the best chance at it, and I'll pray for the strength and wisdom to try!  After all, taking no chances means wasting your dreams.

Houston here I come!

Additional links:

• There is a great article about the race here.
• Another article about the race and the record number of OTQs it produced is here (there were more women under 2:45 in this race than at the 2016 Olympic Trials!).
• My results are here.
• Results in what is possibly a more user-friend format are here.

Well, I came close age-graded (which I feel like just makes me old!)

Bye, Sacramento!

Race swag

I loved that Sara Hall won!  My dad said she gave a finish line
speech about giving all of the glory to God.