Back to the Future

Nice 20 Michele! Enjoy your cutback week.

So Michele, are you still around? (Atlanta?)

Are you coaching an ATC 10K training group?

I'm going to be coaching an ATC in training group in PTC.

See you in Boston?

Steven

Gobbles wrote:So Michele, are you still around? (Atlanta?)

Are you coaching an ATC 10K training group?

I'm going to be coaching an ATC in training group in PTC.

See you in Boston?

Steven

Still around until the first week of June. I am coaching a Peachtree group in Alpharetta - sharing the duties with another ATC guy I train with a lot since he is travelling most weekends in May, but will be here in June. Works out for the two of us. You running this weekend at Publix? Might see you then, but most definitely in Boston.

Nothing major to report except that it is already hot here. Made myself do a Hal style tempo run in the heat yesterday afternoon - the radio said it was 81F, but my car said it was 89F. It didn't feel as bad as 89F, so I'll split the difference and take 85F. It is supposed to be warm for the next few days which will make Sunday's half Marathon a definite MP effort at best. I'm guessing it will be in the high 70s by the finish, and I feel bad for those marathoners. The weather was the same the first year of the race (2007) and it was a miserable death march for me in the last couple of miles. I was really well trained and all signs pointed to a 3:25-3:28 race, but with the heat, I started and finished with the 3:50 pacers. I swear it took me months to recover. Guess if I keep training 1-2X per week in the late afternoon heat, it could help me for Beantown.

I'm finally going to get some PT for my "dead butt" syndrome. It's been flaring up a bit as of late. Maybe I can learn the right exercises and stretches to just MAKE.IT.GO.AWAY.

I hear you on the heat - I don't mind running in it by late summer, but
I'm not ready for it yet. By the time I get the green light to run
again, I'm sure it will be full-fledged nastiness. For having no such intentions, that was a really good 20 miler. What is the PT that you are referring to out of curiousity? Good luck with it and hope the next (5?) weeks fly by!

And, I think your nuts

Thanks for the chuckle, John. As for the "PT", I've had this nagging/chronic glute/hammie thing for years, and last year some PTs gave a seminar regarding what they called "Dead Butt syndrome" which described exactly what my issue is. I do some of the exercises they should in the seminar, and they do help, but I can never get it to quite go away. So I made an appointment to see them and get some more in depth stretches/exercises/whatever to just get it to go away.

Decided with my coach to train through the Publix Georgia Half on Sunday primarily due to the weather and Boston. So I did a 15 miler this morning with the first 12 averaging around 8:55 and the last three miles in 8:33, 8:26, and 8:10 respectively. Felt good, but now I'm starving, so it looks like an early lunch.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Thanks for the chuckle, John. As for the "PT", I've had this nagging/chronic glute/hammie thing for years, and last year some PTs gave a seminar regarding what they called "Dead Butt syndrome" which described exactly what my issue is. I do some of the exercises they should in the seminar, and they do help, but I can never get it to quite go away. So I made an appointment to see them and get some more in depth stretches/exercises/whatever to just get it to go away.

Decided with my coach to train through the Publix Georgia Half on Sunday primarily due to the weather and Boston. So I did a 15 miler this morning with the first 12 averaging around 8:55 and the last three miles in 8:33, 8:26, and 8:10 respectively. Felt good, but now I'm starving, so it looks like an early lunch.

I hear you about the butt/hammie think, yours sounds worst than mind but it's weird how it comes and goes. I mind I don't do a whole lot different with the stretches/foam roller but I'll go through periods were I don't feel it at all and than out of no were there it is. Funny thing is that it doesn't really bother/hurt while running but I do know that it most likely is messing up my stride and tires my muscles. Oh well what can one do? Let me know how that appointment goes and if it helps?

Great job on your run this morning. Last few days have a been good but such a struggle running in such warm temps and humidity for this time of the year. Body is not use to it!

The RD of the Publix Half tomorrow has sent out 4 emails regarding the weather and high temperatures for tomorrow - absolutely amazing, but as it looks right now, he is right to be a little concerned especially for the slower half and marathon runners. It is supposed to be 56F with 90% humidity at the start tomorrow and 66F with 88% humidity by 9 am. Good call between my coach and I to call it a training run. I already feel for the marathoners at it is predicted to be over 70F by 10 am with dropping humidity - dropping to 70% that is. I'm betting on a warm Boston this year - need to schedule more runs in the afternoon over the next few weeks.

I think I am going to make a similar decision as you did. A hilly half marathon tomorrow but it will be 61 - 70 degrees during the race and I thnk I may turn it into an MP run. We don't have the humidity you do but the blazing sun and lack of acclimation would take a lot out in a HMP run. While I want it to be cool weather, I know Boston is a go no matter what so the weather there is not stressing me at all. However, it would mean a one shot to qualify for 2013 in the fall.

Ok, I know my coach is trying to kill me, but despite the heat and humidity (it seemed to actually let up around half way), I managed to run a very evenly paced half marathon today and I surprised myself with this result:

Michele Keane #5138
Sandy Springs, GA
Age: 50 Gender: F

Distance HALF MAR
Clock Time 1:44:27
Chip Time 1:44:04
Overall Place 641 / 9040
Gender Place 130 / 5045
Division Place 1 / 274
8Mile 1:03:12
Divtotal 282
Sextotal 5135
Pace 7:57

I must say that I am absolutely shocked as I never expected in a billion years to place that high or to actually win my AG in such a big race. Last year the winner of the 50-54 group ran 1:32 (but I know her to be hurt), and well this year, this year was just mine. It makes my really dead legs (and they truly are!) feel about as good as I can expect. Maybe all these ups and downs this past few weeks are beginning to pay off.

Here are my splits from my Garmin. You can see where I used the elevation to my advantage.

Split Time Distance
1 08:07.4 1
2 07:44.8 1
3 07:54.5 1
4 08:11.3 1
5 07:43.5 1
6 07:56.3 1
7 07:57.5 1
8 07:45.7 1
9 07:40.0 1
10 08:18.5 1
11 07:51.3 1
12 08:16.0 1
13 07:58.3 1
14 :43.2 0.12
Summary 44:08.1 13.12

Hopefully Michael (mountaindog) and Stephen (gobbles) can attest to the fact that it was indeed quite warm already at the start with temps in the low-mid 60s and humidity around 85%. As the temps rose and the sun came out, the humidity actually dropped and it was quite apparent to me. I'm very pleased with the race even though I was 4 min slower than last year because I ran about as evenly as I could and on pretty (really) dead legs. I didn't even die on the last long hill (mile 11.4 to 12).

Now off to play tennis (seriously - if I don't play my team will forfeit. Do you think I might be dead later on today???)

Frickin' awesome. Congrats!

Great job, Michele!

1st in your age group, top 3% of women, and you were not even trying. Sheesh. awesome job. You and your coach should re-evaluate your Boston goal. it's way too easy for you.

JohnP wrote:1st in your age group, top 3% of women, and you were not even trying. Sheesh. awesome job. You and your coach should re-evaluate your Boston goal. it's way too easy for you.

Easy - not on your life! I felt every step of the race. Thanks John and good job on your race yesterday.

It's still awfully good, though. At least, you won't have to worry about a warm Boston race, since you're already acclimated.

How was the effort on the tennis game?

ounce wrote:It's still awfully good, though. At least, you won't have to worry about a warm Boston race, since you're already acclimated.

How was the effort on the tennis game?

We lost, but my partner was a 67 yr old woman (whom I love and is generally a very good player), we played 30 yr olds, and it was awfully hot (85F). She wilted in the heat and I was tired, but we hung in there until she had to retire (just too hot and I wasn't going to push her!).

You are a warrior! First a fabulous half marathon age group win, then tennis! Against 30 year olds, yet. Amazing!

Congrats again on the win. That's phenominal.

I thought about you yesterday Michele...
On my way home from work, I put in a CD that my daughter compiled and gave to me the day I moved her to college.
On the day I moved her to school, we drove separate vehicles so she could have her car on campus, but she wanted us to feel connected during the 3.5 hour trip. So she compiled 3 CDs of music from our past: music I'd introduced her to, songs we sang as duets using wooden spoons or curling irons as microphones, songs from her teeny bopper years, sound tracks from movies we'd seen together, sound tracks from Broadway shows we'd seen together, music from the indy bands she introduce to me, etc. She made a set for me, and anther for her. She gave them to me after we gassed up both vehicles. We pushed 'play' at the same time, and listened to the same songs the entire journey. I did a good deal of crying as I listened and sang along to the songs from our past, and cherished the memories associated with the music.

Anyway, I put in the first of those CDs yesterday and remembered that day with a smile. Emily is now 26, so it's been a while. I know your daughter will be going off to school in the fall, and you are about to face all the feelings I did that day. It's quite a journey!

Enough of my sentimental ramblings....how's the recovery from your AG winning half marathon going?

Kathy - your post brought tears to my eyes, but what a fantastic idea! My daughter is a music guru, so I'm going to have her put together a play list or CDs of our favorites - similar to what your daughter did. I can already hear the Aaron Carter and that "1985" song along with AC/DC, Queen, Meet Virginia (Train) and some bits from the Phantom and Avenue Q. With my husband having been in California most of these last 4 yrs, it will be tough for me when she is gone. I realize that we (she and I) have become a lot closer especially since she really is an "adult" and we can have "adult" conversations, but she is still my little girl. She is so very ready for college, but I'm not sure I'm ready yet.

Recovery has been tough as the legs have been pretty tired all week, but that was the idea. Ran my last long run this morning - 21 miles - in the rain (just misty showers) and the milder temps (65F). It started to really rain around 19. 5 miles which made the last couple of miles a pretty wet slog. Legs are tired, but I'm glad that I got it in as I have to build a Habitat house tomorrow.

Yeah, I thought you might enjoy that, Michele. I remembered that your hubby has been away for a long time. I was a single mom during Emily's middle school and high school years, so our situations were sort of similar in that there was not a SO in daily life and activities.

I was also thinking about how seeing one's child go off to school is sort of like toeing the start line in a marathon. You don't know exactly what's going to happen, but you have to trust the training. Or in the case of seeing your child leave to go to college, you have to trust the parenting!

Nice job on the 21M.

Do you know the Worcester, MA area at all? Just noticed they've introduced a full marathon in June to go with a Half they usually have. Should be interesting. Worcester is pretty hilly.

Alex Kubacki wrote:Nice job on the 21M.

Do you know the Worcester, MA area at all? Just noticed they've introduced a full marathon in June to go with a Half they usually have. Should be interesting. Worcester is pretty hilly.

Not that well, Alex, but I did run a few races in the area when I lived there. There was a 5 miler held in January sponsored by some Wallpaper store back in the day, and it was pretty flat. For the most part, though, I'm guessing you're right about the hills. Unless you run on I290, you have to go up and down. Last spring, we went to WPI and Holy Cross for college visits and I ran around downtown - hilly.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Kathy - your post brought tears to my eyes

Yeah, me too. That is really cool. Good job on the running Michele (consistently good as usual) and you are a cool person for doing the Habitat for Humanity thing. Hats off!

A bit silent in the blog department this past week or so. Last tougher week before taper which really began yesterday with an easy 5 miler and continued today with another. Ran my "long" run of the week on Wednesday morning beginning at 4:30 am. Ran what seemed like a billion, but was really only "8" 2 mile loops in my hilly neighborhood for a total of 16 miles. Started early as I had to be somewhere by 8 am, and you never know what the day might bring after that. Needless to say I was pretty slow the first hour averaging around 9:15-9:20 miles, but I then managed to pick it up and the average over the last hour was 8:50 - so all in all a decent run. It was also only around 60F, so pretty cool with low humidity and the pollen doesn't seem to bother me much in the morning.

Headed to DC tomorrow for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler on Sunday morning. Looks like the weather could be as cool as 49F at the start - better bring my hat and mittens. I'm looking forward to it, and I hope not to put too much pressure on myself as part of the ATC Mixed Masters team. We have two stud runners (those that mad the Running Times Masters of the Year article) and then little old me. I know I'm capable of 1:18 or better, but I sure would like to be int he 1:15-1:16 range. The course is flat by my standards which might actually make that harder than you think.

Then it is pretty much on to the real taper!