It's Here!

I leave for Boston in the morning and I can't wait to get there. I'll be back after the race with my jacket!

1 Week to Go

I am now down to my last week of training so really there is not much I can do to change anything now, whatever happens happens. I have had a very good tapering week and hoping this next week goes along the same path. My leg is feeling much better and I can now run as I had before the injury, maybe it is because I went from 6 days of training to 5 or the extra rest I took when I was injured, either way I am just glad that I am able to run comfortably again.

I have started planning what I will take with me to Boston, I am so afraid that I may forget something or that my luggage will get lost during my flight. So I am making sure I have a backup plan that I bring in my carry-on. I'm sure everything will be fine but just in case.

Today I ran 15k at my projected race pace, I found it hard to start this run but I got into a comfortable stride not too far into the run and so averaged a 4:50 pace. It felt good and easy so I may try to keep that pace for the marathon. I have 3 different goals for the finish of this marathon 1. To feel good at the finish, well I'd like that no matter what but just finishing would be a great feeling. 2. Requalifying, meaning finishing with a 3:40, I think this is very likely as long as there is no snow squalls although I have done some training through those. 3. Finishing with a 3:30 time but I am not expecting that. It would be great to have that time, don't get me wrong, but it would have to be one of those perfect days. We'll see.

April's Here

Only 16 days left before I begin the Boston Marathon!

Thursday I think I had one of my hardest workout's yet, another clinic night another speed night. We went off to the track as usual but this time we had to do a continuous 10k run around the track and after every 400m we changed our pace. I started with my marathon pace which ended up being about 4:40 then after 400m went to my 10k pace which was a 4:30 and continued that for the whole 10k (about 25 laps). I was really tired after that, but like a lot of my workouts I was very glad to have it done.

Saturday I went out and ran my final hills workout I went back to my original hill because after running ATB and running a hilly 12k on Wednesday I wanted to take it a bit easier, but it still seemed hard. I averaged a 4:45 pace up and down each of the 6 hills I did. Again, happy to be done. I ran a total of 10.8k which included my warm up and cool down.

I am now officially tapering and I am really excited for the next couple of weeks and arriving in Boston for the first time. I got my package in the mail which had my official bib number and all the other info I will need for the big day.

My total for the week is 71.84k

Around the Bay

I went to Hamilton for the weekend to run a 30k race, my first 30k race, but it was still part of my training. After having the past couple of weeks with my calf pain I wasn't really sure how this would play out. I rested a lot more the past week and continued to ice and stretch it. After my Thursday night's speed workout, which I finally did all of, I felt much better and I wasn't planning to run anymore until race day.

I have heard a lot of different stories about running Around the Bay (btw it is older than Boston), and I was given lots of little hints about what to expect at each mark along the route. All of the guys I run with were also doing the race so even though it was not at home it did make it a lot easier and gave it that homey feel to it. A lot of them, myself included, took a bus trip there that was organized by one of the local running groups from Ottawa. The bus trip included the ride there and back plus a hotel room for the night. It was nice to not have to worry about too much and to just focus on the run.

My plan for this race was to feel good at the end and to try and maintain a 5min pace throughout. I was feeling really good the day of the race and excited to be there. I was under that pace for the first little while thinking I will slow down once I got out of the crowds of people, but the pace I was at, which was about a 4:30-4:40 for the first half, felt natural for me and I didn't really notice until the 10k mark when they posted the split time up along the route. One problem I had along the route was not taking water at the first 2 water stations, had I known that after those first 2 ones there wouldn't have been one for about 8k I probably would have taken some, but I got over it and decided to stop at each one after that, even if it was just a sip. The other part I wasn't prepared for was "the hill", now this isn't just any hill, this hill goes on and on and then on some more. I really had to say a few choice words going up that hill to just get me to the top. This hill is also at the 26k mark of the 30k run, so you're not quite as energetic as you were when you first started. Once I finally got to the top I had to walk a bit to refocus myself and to breath again. I loved coming into Copps Coliseum I think that was one of my favourite parts not only because of the crowds but also because the finish line was right there. I can't say I would do it again (I may) but I am glad I ran it. Oh and I got a silver medal for finishing in under 2:30:00

Here are my stats from this race:
2:22:21 with a 4:46 pace
639 out of 5702 runners
19/371 females 30-34 years
88/2684 females
46:11 10k split
1:10:22 15k split
1:34:41 20k split

Coming Back

Today's run went pretty well. I didn't run the last 2 days and have been nursing my calf, I wanted to take it easy and see how it went today. I started off with a 14.5k loop and it didn't feel too bad at the end of it. It was still quite sore and tender before starting and for the first couple of kms, but as the run went on it seem to get used to being used again. I figured that instead of doing another 14.5k loop I would do a 10k loop instead so not to push it too far and to end on a good note. I think the final 10k was just right and I was even able to bring my pace up to about a 5:10. I am going to continue icing, heating and stretching this week and maybe try another run on Tuesday, but things are finally looking better and I may actually race at Around the Bay in Hamilton this weekend (fingers crossed).

I ran a total of 25.01k today.

Setback

This has been one of worst weeks of training yet. My lower left calf has not gotten better and almost feels like it has gotten worse over the week, I finally called my RMT guy for an ART and after that it felt better but then I decided I could try and do my speed work. Oops maybe not. I was only able to do about half of the workout and had to stop. I've only been able to run at most 15k on any night and even that seemed to be pushing it. I'm very frustrated with this whole situation and the fact that I can't get my runs in for the week. I didn't run yesterday or today, but I plan to tomorrow morning, I'm supposed to run 29k but I'll have to see how everything is feeling at that time. In the mean time I've been icing it a lot (still can't quite do the whole ice bath thing) and I've been stretching it as well as the hips as that could have played a part in it too. I'll let you know how my run goes tomorrow but for now all I can do is rest.

On a positive note I found out my bib number for the Marathon and I now know that I am definitely in Wave 2 so I won't be starting the race until 10:30. Things on that end are falling into place, now to just get back to the training.

My total for the week is a sad 55.83k

Wet Wet Wet and Cold

This has probably been one of the worst days I've had to run so far. Sure there's no more snow but after running today I almost wished it was snow instead of the rain and wind we had. It was a "lovely" 1 degree when we started but with the windchill it was more like -6, and yes there was wind, for most of the run we were running into the 40km/h wind and don't forget to add the rain (at times it felt like ice pellets). Plus we changed our clocks forward so we lost an hour of sleep. I bet you all wished you were here, don't you?.

My left calf was quite tight/sore again today which didn't help with everything else I had to deal with, so I was not much in the conversational mood. I just wanted to get this 26k run done and out of the way. Luckily we did our weekly loops again because my calf was not feeling better after the first 14k loop so I stopped there. I am going to be icing and stretching it for the next while and hope that it will finally feel better for good. I have a feeling the problem is my shoes, I think they have died and forgot to tell me so I had to find out this way. I will be using my newer shoes from now on and see how that goes. I already have tomorrow off and I'm not sure how much I'll be doing this week, just planning to take it one day at a time.