Monday, January 31, 2022

Jumpin' January

January 2022 in review!

Total mileage for the month: 407.4
  • Dec. 27-Jan. 2:  92.9
  • Jan. 3-9:  94.6
  • Jan. 10-16:  80.2
  • Jan. 17-23:  97.2
  • Jan. 24-30: 101.1
  • Jan. 31-Feb. 6: 101.5
rabbitELITE + Boston!
#jumpingjanuary
Races:
  • None this month, but stay tuned for February racing!
Wind chill of -8* & still this group run turn-out!

I think it was *just* -2 for this one, 
but just David & I ran
Workouts:
  • Jan. 4:  8 x 800 m in 3:00, 2:58, 3:00, 3:00, 3:01, 3:00, 3:04, 3:05 with 400 m recoveries within a 12 mile run. My goal time was 3:00 or under, but I couldn't quite hang onto it at the end. I never run as fast when it's below 20 degrees (it was 16), and the wind didn't help, but it is also possible my mileage was a bit too high a little too soon in this speed meso-cycle. I'm sad this is the first workout chronologically, because it was my worst workout of the month.
  • Jan. 8: Long run workout of 11 easy, 4 progression (6:43, 6:35, 6:27, 6:30 up a hill), 3 easy. I planned to finish the entire run with the 4 mile progression (i.e., 14 easy + 4 progression), but I had 2 friends who were running 15 miles and were up for the progression as well, so I did it a little earlier then finished up with a cool down. My goal was 6:50, 6:40, 6:30, 6:20 for the progression, so I was close. On the final mile I was averaging 6:20 exactly before I hit the half mile hill, so I'm elevation-grading that one to 6:20 and calling it beneficial for Boston hills!
  • Jan. 12: The Michigan workout, but all on the road. I LOVED this one, and it was really nice out at 38 degrees and virtually no wind. It really reminded me of how much better I run when it's not under 20 degrees (this was one of two workouts this month which it was over 20 degrees for). The workout was 1 mile at 10k effort in 5:54, 1 mile at tempo effort in 6:05, 0.75 at 10k effort at 5:59, 1 mile tempo at tempo effort in 6:01, 0.5 at 5k effort at 5:38, 1 mile at tempo effort in 6:02, 0.25 faster than 5k at 5:28 - with 3:00 jogs after the 5k-10k pace work and 2:00 jogs after the tempo work. The 10k and 5k efforts made the tempos feel slow, and I just felt super strong throughout the workout. I finished feeling like I could do the whole thing again, which was an amazing feeling (and not common!). This workout reminded me that I am more fit than my 15 degree workout times show.
  • Jan. 15: 10 x 0:30 hill sprints during a 10 mile run, just whenever we came to a decent hill. It was snowing during this run, and some roads were clear while others were slick, so paces were even more meaningless than usual and I just ran "hard". Casey was the only other person who braved the weather with me, and I was sure thankful she did!
  • Jan. 19: 3 x (2 mile rolling hill tempo, 1:00 hard, 0:30 harder, 0:15 hardest) with 1:30 recoveries between each section. The first mile of each tempo was the easier direction on FR 209 with a tailwind, the second mile was the harder direction with a headwind (it's a 1 mile road that we love for 2 mile repeats). My tempo splits were 6:04, 6:22, 6:10, 6:28, 6:09, 6:13. My paces on the harder portions of the workout ranged from 5:06-5:35, though I like to think I ran the 15 seconds faster than that but Garmin isn't very accurate on intervals that short. I've run FR 209 enough to know that I generally average ~10 seconds/mile slower than I do on the flat workout loop, which was where I ran the Jan. 12 workout. Spencer and Casey ran 2 sets of the workout with me, and as always it was better together! I enjoyed the workout and thought it was a success. Because the powerful north wind was bringing in plummeting temperatures and sleet, ice, and snow, I ran a 7 mile cool down in lieu of an afternoon double, and that was a bit of a challenge.
  • Jan. 22:  15 x 0:45 pick ups within a hilly 20 mile run, at the beginning of each mile starting at 5. The pace goal was 6:00ish and they were all right around there except a couple that were on decline and therefore faster. I love doing pick ups like this within an easy long run, because it doesn't make it any harder but I think it makes my form better and keeps me out of that easy run slog. The run had ~1100 ft of elevation gain.
  • Jan. 25: Mixed system workout of 4 x 300 m at 5k effort with 100 m jog/1:00 recovery (3:00 jog from the track to the road after #4), 4 miles at threshold effort, jog to hill, 4 x 0:30 hill reps at hard. I didn't look at my 300 m times until after the workout and was pretty impressed with my consistency - they were all 1:01 (which is probably more like my 1 mile pace, lol). My threshold miles were 6:10, 6:10, 6:07, 6:01, and I felt really strong on them. It was 17 degrees/feels like 5 degrees for this workout so I was pleasantly surprised with my times. I expected my tempo pace would be more like 6:20 in that cold, so even though on paper this workout is fine, I thought it was excellent based on the weather.
  • Jan. 29: 18 miles alternating ME/ME+1:00 each mile, after a 2 mile warm up. My splits were: (7:47, 7:50 for the warm up), 6:33, 7:18, 6:27, 7:28, 6:36, 7:28, 6:24, 7:26, 6:22, 7:21, 6:34, 7:21, 6:26, 7:18, 6:39, 7:25, 6:34, 7:28 - average of 6:30/7:24. We ran a route with ~800 ft of elevation gain, and it seemed like every faster mile was uphill! I hoped I could work down to 6:10-6:15, but instead I had to fight to keep it in the 6:30s toward the end. It was 15 degrees/feels like 5 degrees, the hills were harder on me than I planned for, I missed most of my nutrition because we changed route plans mid-run and didn't go back by the cars, and I was in a 101 mile week. I can do an easy 20 fine without any calories during the run, but I need a lot more when running faster and the one 70-calorie gel I had in my pocket was not sufficient! I figure I probably got great training adaptations from all of these factors, but my splits weren't as confidence-boosting as I'd have liked. But I also reminded myself that earlier the same week I'd expected to be ~15 seconds slow on my tempo, so I should be okay with this being 15 seconds slower than GMP.
  • Strides: In addition to the 4-6 x strides I typically do twice a week, I started doing 2 x strides after almost every run beginning on Jan. 9. This inspiration came from listening to the Marcus and Magness podcast! Two strides is nothing from an exertion perspective, but it gives me more neuromuscular practice with faster running and puts a little pop in my legs.
  • Doubles: Jan. 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 16, 17, 18, 21, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31.
  • Favorite workout: The Michigan on Jan. 12 - but I also really enjoyed the Jan. 19 and 25 workouts!
#jumpingjanuary

UCAN fueling for Abby's Houston Marathon
#jumpingjanuary

Post-20 miler jumps, which
Colin (back) clearly loves
Long Runs:
  • Jan. 1: 12 miles (7:53) with some of my favorite people in my least favorite weather (38* and rainy). We rain-delayed this group run several times and ended up going at noon, when it was exponentially better than most of the morning (light rain vs. monsoon pouring).  I did my longer long run of the weekend a day early on Dec. 31 since I was off work and on that schedule from the previous week with Christmas.
  • Jan. 8:  18.1 miles (7:35) with a short progression, described above. It was terribly windy for this run, but we ran 7.5 miles into it first, so the second half was nice!
  • Jan. 9:  13.4 miles (8:10) that felt great, although I again could have done without the powerful cold wind.
  • Jan. 14: 16.1 miles (7:45) a day early due to an impending winter storm. I'll run 16 miles on snow if I have to, but it was definitely easier to run this a day early and I felt great. Casey and Spencer joined, and I made it to work by 8:05 a.m. (e.g., I was only 5 minutes late, which I think is impressive for a 16 mile morning, and my first appointment was at 8:30 a.m. so it was fine)!
  • Jan. 15:  10 miles (8:03) in the snow! There was enough to make me thankful we ran 16 a day early and had a cut back week on the second day long run [really I don't count this as a long run, but I included it here for consistency].
  • Jan. 19: 16.5 miles (workout described above), because instead of doubling this day I ran all of my mileage in the morning, due to incoming winter weather. When it was sleeting/icing/snowing in the afternoon I had no regrets, though I did have to take a gel to make it through my 7 mile cool down!
  • Jan. 22:  20.2 miles (7:37), with light pick-ups as described above. Colin also ran 20, and Casey and Spencer did 18. The run really flew by and felt great! I always love the first 20 of a training cycle. 
  • Jan. 23: 10.4 (8:25) on hills and trails. My schedule got a bit rearranged due to winter weather, so I ran 10 this day instead of the originally planned 13. I'd already done 2 long runs this week and my next workout was planned for Jan. 25 (also slightly screwed up due to weather).
  • Jan. 29: 20 miles (7:03), with a workout described above. This was a tough but beneficial one!
  • Jan. 30: 14.1 miles (8:07). I felt pretty good on this one considering the previous day's work. Then I doubled with 4 later in the day, for one of our biggest 50k training weekends!
  • Favorite long run: Both of the 20s were awesome, but if pressed to chose I'll go with Jan. 22 since Jan. 29 was more painful.
#jumpingjanuary

Snow run 1 of ??

Another snow run
Running Highlights:
  • I was selected to be on the women's professional start of the Boston Marathon in April!  I received this news on December 16, but race organizers asked us to keep it confidential until the race announced the pro field on January 12.  It's been hard to do because I've been bursting with excitement about it since I found out!  Applying required a 2:48 for masters women, but whether or not you actually got on the pro start depended on what times the other women who applied had.  Lucky for me, my 2:46:08 was the last master's time they let in - i.e., I am seeded last in the pro field, which is obviously also extremely intimidating!  My entire reason for registering for Boston was because I had the time to potentially be on the pro start - Boston has always been a "someday" thing for me, but having the time for this lit a fire under me to try for 2022.  I'm glad after all my failed Trials qualifying attempts in 2017-2020, I qualified for something exclusive!  And now when people ask, "Have you run Boston?" (the most common question when someone learns that I run marathons), I can say, "Yes, actually I was on the Boston pro start".  When I was trying to qualify for the Olympic Trials, I realized that Boston has more cred with non-runners than the Trials; many non-runners asked me, "But have you qualified for Boston?" when they learned I was trying to OTQ.  Watch for me on TV in the back of the pro start on April 18!
  • "Spectating" (via the live stream and live tracking) the Houston Marathon! How about those American records by Sara Hall (half) and Keira D'Amato (full)?! LOVED seeing those performances. My running buddy Abby also participated, and while she didn't have the day she hoped for, she checked another marathon off the list and the training cycle will help her in the future. I had a dream about the race about 10 days before it, and shared the dream on Instagram, which Keira D'Amato re-shared (screenshot below)!
  • I was honored to be inducted into the Ozark Mountain Ridge Runners Hall of Fame on January 29 (post about that here).
Someone has to be last!

Seems like a fluke that I made it in but I'm not complaining

I felt pretty psychic

Life Highlights:
  • My parents visited us for the weekend of January 29-30, which was nice.
OMRR Banquet
Books:
  • This Is the Night Our House Will Catch Fire by Nick Flynn
  • Unthinkable by Brad Parks
  • Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman
  • Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict
  • Apples Never Fall by Liana Moriaty
  • Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook by Nancy Clark
  • The Devil Wears Black by L.J. Shen
  • Win at All Costs: Inside Nike Running and Its Culture of Deception by Matt Hart
  • Say Nothing by Brad Parks
  • The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa
  • Bewilderment by Richard Powers
  • The Science of Running by Steve Magness
  • The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
Theme for the month:
  • Intimidating yet exciting!
#jumpingjanuary on a cold morning

Boston bound buddies

If you look really hard, you can
figure out who was most excited
about this post-20 mile jumping!


Saturday, January 1, 2022

2021 Reads

What I read in 2021! Add me on Goodreads if you're on there; I can't believe it took me until 2019 to get an account; I love using it to keep track of books I want to read next.

  1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  2. The Noel Letters by Richard Paul Evans
  3. A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum
  4. The Last First Day by Carrie Brown
  5. Dept of Speculation by Jenny Offill
  6. A Room Called Earth by Madeline Ryan
  7. The Better Sister by Alafair Burke
  8. Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
  9. The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis
  10. Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek
  11. The Harpy by Megan Hunter
  12. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Stout
  13. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
  14. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
  15. The Dying Game by Asa Avdic
  16. When All is Said by Anne Griffin
  17. Ten Days by Janet Gilsdorf
  18. The Hideaway by Lauren K. Denton
  19. Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez
  20. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
  21. Housegirl by Michael Donkor
  22. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
  23. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE by Phil Knight
  24. This is Not Over by Holly Brown
  25. Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes
  26. American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee
  27. Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
  28. She Prays: A 31-Day Journey to Confident Conversations with God by Debbie Lindell and Lisa Harper
  29. The Light of Christmas by Richard Paul Evans
  30. Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
  31. Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom
  32. Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren
  33. The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
  34. Running for My Life: One Lost Boy's Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games by Lopez Lomong and Mark A. Tabb
  35. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
  36. Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family's Triumph over Autism by Catherine Maurice
  37. The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
  38. Bravey by Alexi Pappas
  39. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
  40. Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness
  41. The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain
  42. Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
  43. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
  44. She Believes: Embracing the Life You Were Created to Live by Debby Lindell
  45. The Champion Mindset: An Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness by Joanna Zeiger
  46. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
  47. Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain
  48. When I Hold You by Ashley Huffstutler
  49. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
  50. The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty
  51. Wedding Cocktails: Cocktails for Three & The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham
  52. Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson
  53. Here Is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan
  54. Rest and Be Thankful by Emma Glass
  55. How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
  56. Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline
  57. Love Story (The Baxter Family #1) by Karen Kingsbury
  58. Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
  59. The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene
  60. The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab
  61. Fly Away (Firefly Lane #2) by Kristin Hannah
  62. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
  63. The Martian by Andy Weir
  64. A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight
  65. The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin
  66. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
  67. Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah
  68. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
  69. Bizarre Romance by Audrey Niffenegger and Eddie Campbell
  70. Artemis by Andy Weir
  71. Hidden (Lost and Found #1) by Ferm Michaels
  72. The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg
  73. The Champion's Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive by Jim Afremow
  74. Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller
  75. The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
  76. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
  77. Bitter Orange by Clair Fuller
  78. Britt-Marie was Here by Fredrik Backman
  79. We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
  80. All We Ever Wanted by Emily Griffin
  81. The Swallows by Lisa Lutz
  82. My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
  83. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver
  84. Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin
  85. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
  86. True Colors by Kristin Hannah
  87. Mean Streak by Sandra Brown
  88. The Passenger by Lisa Lutz
  89. First Comes Love by Emily Giffin
  90. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
  91. One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp
  92. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  93. Troublemaker by Linday Howard
  94. Vortex by Catherine Coulter
  95. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
  96. Lethal by Sandra Brown
  97. Genius the Game by Leopoldo Gout
  98. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
  99. The Light of Luna Park by Addison Armstrong
  100. Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
  101. The End of Something Like That by Ann Dee Ellis
  102. The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien
  103. Beautiful World, Where Are You? by Sally Rooney
  104. Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel
  105. Send for Me by Lauran Fox
  106. The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura
  107. My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
  108. Dream Girl by Laura Lippman
  109. What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad
  110. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
  111. Santa Cruise by Fern Michaels
  112. Shoulder Season by Christina Clancy
  113. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
  114. The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe
  115. Endurance Sports Nutrition by Suzanne Girard Eberle
  116. A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson
  117. NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman - I only read about half of this one, but it's a really beefy book so I'm taking some credit