Running Down the Dream: 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