Re: For Boston

Michele "1L" Keane Mon Mar 03, 2014 9:42 am

Check out my latest blog entry at http://1lranthere.blogspot.com/

Alex Kubacki Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:44 am

Great set of mile repeats. Hopefully this nonsense weather will ease up at some point.

Nick Morris Thu Mar 06, 2014 12:54 pm

Alex Kubacki wrote:Great set of mile repeats. Hopefully this nonsense weather will ease up at some point.

I agree...mile repeats are a killer workout! Also, I am not sure that winter will ever end Sad

Julie Sun Mar 09, 2014 6:47 pm

I'm sorry to read about your friend. Just prayed for him...

I hope spring is coming to your area! Last weekend we had sub zero actual temps with windchills of course -25 and 2 of my friends had a local very low support 50K to run. I can't believe they did it but they did. Anyway, this weekend we are in the upper 60s with the windows open. So that's how fast things change around here.

Michele "1L" Keane Mon Mar 10, 2014 10:10 am

Not a terrific week as I was tired right from the beginning. I guess in a way it is to be expected, but I am running lower mileage than I have in a while, more quality, but lower overall quantity. I feel good today which is a plus as I have two tougher weeks with a half marathon on the 23rd in Atlanta.

Recap:

Mon - Core class, no running. Legs better than expected as they were very tired on Sunday morning's run.
Tues - 6 easy miles outside as I felt tired. More snow & ice than I expected on the roads/path. Work with trainer.
Wed - 5 easy mile outside. Still feeling tired. Core class.
Thurs - 7 miles with 8 x hill. Wanted a bit longer mileage as I cut my warm up and cool down shorter than expected since the path was once again icier than expected and I'm not risking it in the dark. Work with trainer.
Fri - No run day off. Getting ready for a hilly 20.
Sat - 20 miles over a very hilly course. Left my running buddies at 14 and finished the last 6 With one really big climb fast(er). Did run the 20 in just about the same time as last week's 19 which was done on the pretty flat path in the park. Weather was really strange during the run. Started with drizzle and some slick spots on the road, then it warmed up during the first loop, but by the time I finished the second loop, temps had dropped and the snow flurries started. Those slick spots were even slicker!
Sun - 3.2 mile recovery run. Only wanted to do 30 min just to get the legs moving. Should have waited until the snow melted more as it was still a bit snowier and icier than I expected.

WTD: 41.2 miles

YTD: 387 miles (24 miles ahead of last year with lots more quality and faster paces even for the slow long runs).

It is supposed to be rainy today and warmer both today and tomorrow, and then guess what - winter will be back on Wednesday! Dropped my daughter and her friend off at the Megabus in downtown Cleveland this morning and they are on their way to Chicago for the week. So if any of you see two lost college girls - it might be them. I just hope that it isn't too nasty in Chicago with the predicted weather. I told them to go the one of the museums that day and that way they will stay warm!. Good thing the Shamrock Shuffle isn't until month's end; however, I do believe that the NYC Half Marathon is this coming weekend just about when the weather will arrive.

nkrichards Mon Mar 10, 2014 10:52 am

Looks like Boston prep is going well...keep up the good work.

Michele "1L" Keane Thu Mar 13, 2014 12:00 pm

Well Monday and Tuesday were really nice days here and I got in a solid 10 mile at 8:56 pace on Tuesday morning - after that, well all hell broke loose again and we had a nasty ice/snow storm yesterday. We got lucky on the west side as we only received about 2" of snow over about 1/2" of ice, but the winds were pretty strong and they knocked over all the furniture on the deck and moved the grill which is actually locked (with a bike lock) to the railing. Glad that it couldn't move farther as it it hit other wall or it would have pulled the rails down and that would have been a fun mess. Ended up running my Wednesday easy run on the treadmill as I really wasn't going to venture out when a) it wasn't necessary and b) it would have been a bit stupid. I do know members of the local group that met and ran last night at 6:30, but they are crazy and I'm all about staying injury free. Another running friend here torqued his knee running on the snow/ice a couple of weeks back. Over 100 marathons with no injuries and he gets hurt running on the lousy uncleaned sidewalk. The good news was that the x-rays showed that his bones and joints were very healthy - must be all that running and the testament to it that was pointed out in that NYT article last Sunday.

Today it is going to be a high of 18F and even though the sun is out, I doubt things will melt much. I've got the same workout to do 2 x 3 mile at tempo pace that DaveP did on my schedule and I'm debating whether to just crank up the treadmill and get it done or go to the indoor track. At least on the indoor track, I have to think more about pace, and I do enjoy the company of the other women from my RC that come as well. One is running Boston too and she is fast, so her easy pace will equal my tempo pace which might be the ticket.

Tomorrow it is supposed to be 48F which should sufficiently melt the rest of this mess. Unfortunately, the temps are expected to drop again to the high 20s for the rest of the weekend which might make for an interesting race/run on Sunday. I'm supposed to run a local 15K at MP as it does a fine job of mimicing the Boston course with the first 3 miles being downhill. http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/14379684 (Check out the elevation chart), but if there is a thin layer of ice like we have had lately, it could be a trip. Thankfully, the race is not until noon time (as Boston used to be) and it is supposed to be sunny.

The crazy weather continues. I just looked at the predicted weather for next weekend in Atlanta and it is supposed to be 60F for the race on Sunday - what???? It will be 40-50F every other day. I know it is a ways out - but really, 60F and most likely humid.

fostever Sun Mar 16, 2014 6:36 pm

Training looks great, Michelle. Yeah, 40 degrees is heaven after this wicked winter we've all experienced!

Alex Kubacki Mon Mar 17, 2014 9:49 am

Great job in the 15K Michele. You're setting yourself up nicely for Boston.

Michele "1L" Keane Mon Mar 17, 2014 11:43 am

This week went well. After feeling very tired over the last couple of weeks, I went back to taking an iron supplement, and well, even if it was/is a psychological boost, I suddenly seemed to feel better and less tired. My runs were good this week and it was topped off by a very good effort at the local 15K. This 15K is really a good warm up for Boston as the first almost 4 miles is mostly downhill and the remaining 5.3 miles is pretty much uphill. I knew this having run it before, and I also knew that you can't bank time on the course, especially with the mile 4-5 that comes after the downhill where the uphill pretty much looks you in the face. When I hit that turn, I was once again surprised by how many people were walking!

My plan was to go out slow (as slow as possible given the downhill and try to hold at marathon pace or marathon pace effort). It was funny as I felt like I was literally going backwards during the first 3 miles where the real downhills occur. I was having a lot of trouble running "slow" enough with the grade so I consciously just tried to keep my HR and effort so easy that I felt like I was walking. Those first 4 miles were: 8:12. 8:07, 8:12, and 8:11. The largest downhill grade is in that 2nd mile and is it tough to stay slow. I then turned the corner to hit that steep hill which is followed by two more good up portions and that mile was 8:43. My goal then was to slowly drop the pace and stay strong. This portion of the course rolls pretty good with some downs along with what seems like mostly ups. I focused on my breathing and effort and never really looked at my watch. My main focus originally was just picking off runners in front of me (from my friend Glen, to the guy with the huge leprechaun hat, to the gal with the green tutu). I just tried to have no one pass me. That was actually easier done than in most races as I really did go out easy by comparison to most of the field. I even caught my friend Cheryl at mile 8.5 and essentially took 3rd place in our AG from her. (She ran a PR for the course and was funny afterwards as she said that from mile 6 on, she wondered when I would catch her). My last 4.3 miles were: 7:58, 7:48, 7:42, 7:41 and 3.27 (7:31 pace as my watch measured 9.45 as did most everyone's) for a final time of 1:15:58. So not really MP, but it didn't feel faster than that, I wasn't at all tired (just really cold as it was 19F and quite windy)and I could have run several more miles if I wasn't frozen solid and shivering after I finished.

In comparison, my friend Karyn, whom I warned about the hills, went out with miles all in the low 7s, and by comparison, my miles from 4 through the finish were overall a bit faster. This is a definite crash and burn course and I witnessed a lot of crash and burn. Now to see if I can keep it together for Sunday's half marathon. Here we are after the race. Four fast and fit (3 over fifty) women.

For Boston - Page 5 2014-010

Weekly Recap:

Mon - No running, core class
Tues - 9.6 miles (schedule had 80 to 90 min) in 1:25 in beautiful 40F weather; Trainer
Wed - Easy 4.5 miles. Done on the treadmill due to the freaky storm that we had come in leaving little snow and lots of ice. Core class early before the weather came in.
Thurs - 9 miles done as 2 x 3 miles at temp pace. Very successful (7:46, 7:41, 7:50 with 5 min in between then 7:49, 7:44, 7:38). Felt good.
afterwards as well. All after having worked with my trainer.
Fri - 3.14 easy miles for Pi Day
Sat - Easy 6 miles with the group 9:30 pace
Sun - Shamrock 15 K with 1.5 mile warmup.

WTD: 43.8 miles
YTD: 427 miles

nkrichards Tue Mar 18, 2014 8:04 pm

Great group photo...looks like a fun (fast) group.

Nice job on a very cold race!

Julie Tue Mar 18, 2014 9:55 pm

Congrats on the 15K ! I hope Sunday's half goes well with good weather.

Michele "1L" Keane Mon Mar 24, 2014 11:16 pm

So after running the hilly 15K last weekend (March 16th) in 20F weather with wind and light snow, I decided to venture back to Atlanta to run the Publix Georgia Half Marathon. I have run this race in some form since its inception as the ING Georgia Marathon and Half in 2007. That inaugural year, I ran the 2007 with many of my "Taper Madness" or former "V-team" friends. Quite a number of them came down to Atlanta to run the race and it turned out to be HOT (80+F) and quite the cluster as there was no sports drink or water on the course. Needless to say, the race has come a long way and it has become a premier event for the Spring race season in Georgia. It is a nasty hilly half and marathon course, but what course isn't hilly in Atlanta. I keep coming back, not just to keep my streak alive, but because it is nasty hilly. This year since winter has just sucked in NE Ohio, I decided to not only drive down and run, but also stay for a couple of weeks with old friends and take advantage of some warmer temperatures and some hilly running. Atlanta has both for the most part, but of course, it is supposed to be "cold" by Atlanta standards this week with temperatures only in the 50s. The hills; however, never go away that easy.

Sunday morning rolls around and I wake up to a warm and humid Atlanta morning. Well, at least warm and humid by NE Ohio standards as it is already 54F and 88% humidity. A front is due to roll in and bring with it some significant rain and it does show up on the radar. I meet my friend, Joe, in the lobby, and we pin on our "Jerry" bibs and head to the start. (Several of us wear "We Got Your Back, Jerry" bibs in honor of our runner friend with the brain tumor.) All I can think of is that it might be one of those 3H Atlanta days (heat, humidity, and hills!).

For Boston - Page 5 Joe+%2526+Me+for+Jerry

The gun sounds and we are off. Pace feels pretty good at the beginning, but I make sure to hold back a bit as last year Sally & I went out too fast and I was not in nearly the shape that I am this year. I'm also thinking that I probably can't come close to my best time on the course (1:40) from 2011 as I just don't get to run the hills anymore. My real goals are to run sub 1:45, not have a mental breakdown, and survive the hill at mile 12. Joe & I stay together for the first four miles and then I lose him on the first climb. He expects to run around 1:50, so I knew that he would drop back. I just try to run a solid effort and use the hills to my advantage while maintaining a solid effort and push as best as I can for the rest of the miles. I try to keep steady on the climbs and push it on the downhills, and I think that strategy works and I think my splits show that to be true. Things go along and I'm feeling good right through to the exit of the park, but the weather is changing as the humidity has broken, but the front appears to be moving in. And then bam, we exit Piedmont Park at just past mile 9, and the wind is strong, steady, and right in your face! I pray for it to leave as I know that there are two more "big" hills and a couple of smaller ones, yet to come. The wind stays with us pretty much over the next 3.5 miles and I fight through it as best as I can as I keep thinking about running on Lake Rd and how the wind seems to be constantly in your face. I make it to the last big hill at mile 11.8 and I feel confident that I will get up that bugger. This is often the place where I "die" on this course and have the meltdown, but today, I don't and I push it as best as I can up that hill and all the way to the finish. I am very surprised as I run down the final 0.1 miles and see that the clock is just rolling to 1:43 and I know that I have accomplished what I set out to do. Not my fastest time, but only a minute slower than my race IMS AZ half back in February on what was a pancake flat course. And no mental breakdown at all.

Coming into the finish.

My overall splits were as follows (and I had 1:43:07 on my watch):

Mile 1 - 8:11 Mile 6 - 7:41 Mile 11 - 7:38
Mile 2 - 7:48 Mile 7 - 7:50 Mile 12 - 8:04
Mile 3 - 7:54 Mile 8 - 7:29 Mile 13 - 7:45
Mile 4 - 7:52 Mile 9 - 7:29 Mile 0.22 - 1:38 (7:31 pace) (A course is never 13.1)
Mile 5 - 7:37 Mile 10 - 8:06

So can you tell where the uphills and downhills are on the course??

Overall, I am extremely pleased with my race and I feel very good today. My stats for the race were also enough to make one feel good as I was 5th (out of 273) in my AG, 121st (out of 4428) of women, and 585th (out of 7838) overall. I also had a great time afterwards reminiscing with my Atlanta running family and waiting and celebrating with my birthday twin, Susie and she completed her 3rd marathon and 2nd Georgia Marathon in a PR time.

For Boston - Page 5 Atlanta+Running+Family

Celebration after the race.

I'm pleased with how things seem to be progressing for Boston, and I have not yet really begun to panic. I'm scheduled for my last really long run on Friday here in Atlanta and the forecast so far is for rain. 22 miles over hills in 50F weather in rain? I guess it beats 25F and snow!

For now, 27 more days......

Alex Kubacki Tue Mar 25, 2014 10:22 am

Great job in the Half. You're definitely ready for Boston. Pretty smart to spend a couple of week down in Atlanta just to acclimate to the weather. After training in this cold all winter and early spring if Boston is even slightly warm you'll be good to go.

Michele "1L" Keane Mon Mar 31, 2014 3:20 pm

Last week was ok for the most part and it has been wonderful to run with old friends and over hills (well maybe those hills aren't so wonderful). For the most part, it was cool in Atlanta for the week and any runs in the morning were done in 35-40F weather. Now I haven't run in temps that warm yet in Ohio, but it is still cold enough for tights or capris, a long sleeve shirt and even a vest for a couple of them (because of the wind). Yesterday it was cold enough that two of my fingers on my left hand were "white" from being cold and I had to wear gloves. This after it had been warm and humid the day before (60F and 94%) when I ran two women through the Atlanta Woman's 5K to both run PRs and the day before that when I ran an awful long run (which was so hilly that I cursed every minute and I'm sure I was dehydrated from the start). That long run took away any confidence that I had going into April 21st and I need to regain my composure after that one. We all have bad runs, but this one was one of the epitomes of bad. wonder if I should have stopped at 9 miles when I still felt ok, but nope, I ran 11 more. I have had cycles like this before, but it always throws one for a loop. The rest of the weeks runs were pretty good, so I can probably just write it off to lots of hills on the previous Sunday even if I really thought I had recovered fine.

Paid a visit to Jerry on Saturday afternoon which was very hard. He has basically gone from running 6 wks ago to needing assistance to be lifted into a wheelchair. It was hard, but he is still Jerry. Like we said in the earlier post regarding Charles, not often sure why bad things happen to good people.

Recap from previous post:

Mon - Day off, massage. Back hurt more after the massage than before
Tue - Easy 5 mile Recovery run
Wed - 6 miles in cold (37F) and wind. Not the weather I expected in Atlanta
Thu - 20.5 miles. Started at 10 am ran an extremely hilly course that started and ended with 8.5 miles on a trail. Weather at the start was in the mid-50s but when we finished 3+ hrs later it was in the 70s. Dehydrated and discouraged. Thought of Charles and Jerry and soldiered on.
Fri - Easy 3 miles shakeout run
Sat - Atlanta Woman's 5K - didn't race but did run two women from the training group I ran with last week through their first sub 30 5Ks. Final time: 26:55. Went to visit with Jerry.
Sun - 11 mile Fast Finish long run. Ran first 5 with the group at 10:30 pace and then did the last 6 with Jody at 8:38 pace. Better run to dedicate to Charles

WTD: 48.6 miles

ounce Mon Mar 31, 2014 5:26 pm

Brain tumors are pretty damn unforgiving. Nice job on the Half, Michele. Too soon to freak. But on the other hand, I was out of my mind in Taper Madness back in January and had a 21 minute PR. Hmmm. Suspect

fostever Tue Apr 01, 2014 8:42 pm

Kick some butt on that course , didn't ya! Watch out Boston!

Jerry Wed Apr 02, 2014 8:55 am

Michele, I did only 41 after my half. You recovered faster than me. affraid

Michele "1L" Keane Wed Apr 02, 2014 12:52 pm

That' s good, Jerry - trying to stay ahead of the crowd. Spring has arrived in Georgia which is why I came here, right?, and I believe that I am finally adapting to the hills and the warmer weather. After the cold temps on Sunday morning, things have gone progressively upwards in the heat department with highs in the 80s yesterday and expected again today. I did set out fairly early yesterday to get in a 10 mile run with 6 at MP because I was a bit worried about the temps and the hills, but all went well and I hit MP without much effort for the run. Today, I decided to run easy and go at 11 am since that's about when I'll be starting Boston. It was already 71F, but there was a breeze and the humidity is pretty low. I was surprised when I hit my watch at the 5 mile mark to see that over the hills and in the heat I had actually run an average 8:40 pace. That is pretty much MP and it never felt difficult. Of course, you never know what tomorrow may bring.

Nick Morris Wed Apr 02, 2014 9:37 pm

Looks like training is going well 1L!! You show that course who is boss!!

Michele "1L" Keane Sun Apr 13, 2014 12:46 pm

Check out my latest blog entry: http://1lranthere.blogspot.com/

I'll report in more detail later.

Michele "1L" Keane Mon Apr 14, 2014 9:57 am

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the Boston bombing. Not sure how I feel about it, and I'll honestly say that I'm not sure at even what time is the real time to memorialize it. Watching all of he coverage (and why am I watching??) is emotionally draining in many ways, but I am hoping to draw strength from it as well. The video clips in the Anderson Cooper special of the runners running back up Boylston triggered a lot of memories of smoke, and fire, and confusion as I was one of those runners. And I must say that I really want to give Vivian a big hug because I wasn't that close (well actually closer to the 2nd explosion than I will care to admit) and she was right there at the finish. I was spared the carnage and just witnessed everyone including myself fleeing from the scene.

I've been reading online about runner's who were stopped near I with PTSD. Not sure I really know what the symptoms would be, but I do wonder what tomorrow afternoon and next Monday will bring. Things could be very different today than they were last year, and although it has been a real rough last few days with lots of personal stuff (and I just found out that another coach I knew in Atlanta and his training partner were hit by a car while cycling in Louisiana training for an upcoming IM. He was killed and the other guy is in critical condition), I know that running which has always served as a release will only assist in the process. Scum will not win as it is meant to rise and be skimmed away to the trash.

As for last week, the McMillan plan that I've been following took me way down in mileage but added a bit of quality. I actually ran on the outdoor track for the first time in many months and the 3 x 1600m workout was actually quite easily done to my surprise. Last fall, I struggled to run under 7:20 for a 1600 repeat even after a full summer of training, but on Wednesday, I easily cruised through them in 7:18, 7:16 and 7:12. I never felt overly spent at all. What I do find;however, is that I now lack that final gear to turn it over. I never had exceptional leg speed for a 200 or 400, but I used to have another gear. Well, that gear is now gone I guess with age. This week the mileage is about the same and it will be interesting as we are supposed to get one more bout with winter tomorrow. Right now it is still 70F outside, but the rain has started so the front is here and the temps are supposed to drop to below freezing with the possibility of SNOW tonight. Now it won't possibly stick as the ground is way to warm and the daffodils even appeared this weekend, but damn - not again.

Recap of the week:

Mon - No running. Core class which after 2+ wks off was a bit rough.
Tues - Easy 5 miles which felt a lot tougher than expected.
Wed - Track workout which went well as mentioned above. 6 miles total and all done after my core class
Thu - Easy, solid 6 miles in the 70F weather that felt effortless
Fri - Day off, Massage (overdo for that)
Sat - 12 miles with the last 4 at MP. Chose as much of a rolling course as possible here.
Sun - 2 mile walk with dog and hubby.

WTD: 29 miles
YTD: 579 miles

Last year I was at 544 miles before Boston and this year I still have a few miles to go. I am certainly not quite as fit as 2012, but I am most definitely where I was in 2009. Just need to stay smart.

Mark B Mon Apr 14, 2014 12:10 pm

Hang in there, Michele. This is probably going to be a challenging week for you. Just try to keep it on an even keel, and you'll get through it just fine. Crossing the finish line is going to mean a lot for you this time, I think.

Sorry about the extra bad news. This has been a rough spring.

nkrichards Mon Apr 14, 2014 8:54 pm

Even though I haven't been listening to or reading all the Boston media, I can't deny that I've been thinking a lot about it...especially about runners like you who were so deeply affected that day. In some ways I wish I could be there this year. In other ways I feel like Boston 2014 belongs to people like you and runners like me should respect that.

I will be thinking of you during the race and in the days leading up to it. I hope you can find some of the peace that you need.

I am looking forward to participating next year and will be thinking of you this year.

Michele "1L" Keane Tue Apr 15, 2014 3:32 pm

Boston Strong.

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