• November clearly just flew by.It was a great birthday month. I had few days off for Thanksgiving break which was wonderful. However, I did get sick one weekend and spent two days on the sofa. I felt better on Monday and went to work but still had a cough that lasted about 4 days. I was constantly tired. I couldn’t get up early in the morning to run because I was so tired and just wanted to sleep. So I didn’t run. It was until a week later that I finally felt better enough to run. I did 2 miles and it felt tough.
About 2 weeks ago I started feeling some pain on the right side of my left knee. I thought it would get better so I kept running. It didn’t get better. I went to the chiropractor and he told me I have a meniscus injury and not to run for a week.
• Ran 54.14 miles. It was a slow month for me. Getting sick really took a toll on me. I thought that this was the lowest month but it isn’t. The winner is May with 49.44 miles. As of December 3rd, I am now 84% done of my yearly goal. There are 28 days left in 2018 and I still need to run 185 miles to achieve my goal. Yeah, definitely NOT happening. 🙂
• Total time running was 11:03:24.
• Despite it being a slow month, I still had some great runs.
• 13 days of running. In May it was 12 days.
• No races for me. I was supposed to run the RnR Savannah but then last minute couldn’t make it. I am planning my races for 2019 and have a few in mind such as the Garmin Half Marathon (KS) and the Missoula Half Marathon (MT).
• Final Thoughts: It was a slow month for me. It started off good but then got sick which affected me more than I was expecting it to. Now this injury happened and I am back to resting and no running.
So how did November go for you?
Linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.
I have been running for over 10 years. However, it was 6 years ago that I decided to make it a goal to run a half marathon in each state. By then I had already run in 5 states (two being a marathon and I went back to run a half) so I knew I had a long way to go.
One of the best things I did was purchase a Rock ‘n’ Roll TourPass in 2013. This pass allowed me to register for as many Rock ‘n’ Roll races as I wanted to in a year. And that is what I did. That year I ran 14 Rock ‘n’ Roll races. While it was exhausting, it was also fun and I made the best of it.
I may be biased but I love running in Chicago. I love running along the lakefront. Although for almost a year I have been running by my house. I live 1.5 miles from Midway Airport and sometimes run loops around it (4 miles each loop). It is just perfect for me. I also love running in Chicago because it is flat. Although that didn’t help when I ran in other hilly cities like Nashville, TN; Little Rock, AR; Tulsa, OK; and Jackson, MS.
Besided Chicago, I have enjoyed running races in other cities as well. They’re listed below in no particular order.
• Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon. What’s not to like running down The Strip at night? It is fun to see The Strip at night without any cars. The best part of this race was that I got VIP status. First and last time!
• Princeton Half Marathon. Getting there was a bit of a hassle but I enjoyed running through Princeton University. Even though there were hills, there were so many trees and the colors were just beautiful. The campus is lovely and it was fun learning about Albert Einstein.
• Boston’s Run to Remember Half Marathon. This race was after the bombing at the Boston Marathon. Security was very tight and I remember feeling a bit nervous but also sad. The course was mostly flat and the turnaround point was Harvard University. I also enjoyed running through Beacon Hill and Boston Common.
• Glacier Half Marathon. Running in Alaska was also so much fun! I ran a half marathon, two 5Ks, and did a running scavenger hunt. I ran these as part of the The Great Alaskan Running Cruise. You can read all about my great adventures HERE.
Linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.
• How is it already November? I like this month not only because it is my birthday month, but because of Thanksgiving and the couple of days we have. Work is better but still struggling with the million and one extra things I need to do. There are definitely not enough hours in the day to catch up. Heck, I don’t think I will ever catch up with my work! One thing that I started doing is not bring any work home. Yep, I grade what I can in school and if I don’t finish then I get back to it the next day. So far it has been working really well and I’ve actually been enjoying my evenings so much more.
• Brooks Launch and Ghost Last month I wrote about the Ricochet. I ended up returning them because they felt too stiff. Very different from the Levitate. I bought another pair of the Launch at RnR Denver. Cannot wait to wear them. I also bought the Ghost 11 NYC Marathon edition. I’ve run in them a few times for my easy runs and love them. I ended up buying another pair. 🙂
• Ran 110.31 miles. Pleased with running over 100 miles. I did every single run and I am even happier about that. As of November 6th, I am now 80% done of my yearly goal. There are 55 days left in 2018 and I still need to run 229.74 miles to achieve my goal. Now for sure I know that I will not make that goal but I know I will be very close to it.
• Total time running was 22:09:32.
• I had some fun but tough workouts. There were easy runs but also faster workouts. I did intervals that were 1 minute and 2 minutes. Definitely hard but also fun!
• 22 days of running. I am loving running 5 days a week.
• I ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Half Marathon. It was my 39th state in my goal to run a half marathon in each state. You can read my recap HERE. This race was tough!
• Final Thoughts: Pleased with how this month turned out. I did every single run and on almost all of them did better than expected. It is such a GREAT feeling . It hasn’t been easy to wake up very early in the morning to do my runs. I am actually enjoying them because it is my ME time. I think about my plans for the day or just simply listen to my music.
So how did October go for you?
Linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.
Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Half Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!
This past Sunday I ran my 70th half marathon and my 39th in my goal to run a half marathon in each state. I was supposed to go last year but had to cancel a few weeks prior to race day. I cannot remember why I didn’t go but let’s continue with my recap for this year.
My flight to Denver left at 8:35am and I arrived after 10:30am. While waiting at the airport in Chicago, I did some research on transportation to/from the airport and hotel. SuperShuttle was $30 each way and the Denver Airport Trail was $9 each way. Once I landed, I quickly walked to the platform and purchased my ticket. As soon I got inside the train, the doors closed and I was on my way downtown.
Once downtown I walked a mile to my hotel. Luckily it was ready and I left my stuff in the room and went out to get something to eat. I ate a burger and drank a beer and felt so much better afterwards. Then I took a Lyft to the expo. It was OK. I haven’t run a RnR race in years so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I did buy some shoes and socks.
There was a poster and a shirt being sold at the expo with the finishers names.
I like the color of the shirt that was in the goody bag. Still not impressed with the rest of the stuff.
Sunday morning I got up at 6am. The race began at 7 and the start line was about 10 minutes away. I got ready and drank coffee while eating a Clif Bar. It was in the low 40s and I had debated on whether to wear shorts or tights. I went with the shorts and compression socks. I also wore a Oiselle Wazzie Wool layer underneath my BibRave shirt and never got too hot nor cold.
I had specific instructions from my coach on the paces for this race. I wrote it down in a piece of paper and also on my hand. I was determined to stick to the plan since this race was supposed to be a long workout. I’ve been doing really good in my training and figured that it would be an “easy” run. Spoiler alert: It was HARD! I didn’t realize that the altitude was going to affect me that much.
The first 2 miles were supposed to be at warm up pace. I started off faster than I wanted to so I took some walking breaks. After mile 2, I was supposed to run 4 miles at an 11:50 pace. I couldn’t do it. I began to feel very tired and could not pick up the pace. At one point I accidentally hit the lap button. I really struggled the rest of the race. I was basically counting down each mile. I also felt lightheaded.
At one point a spectator told me that I was doing good and that I had 2 miles to go. I started to cry because I wanted to be done. I was still feeling tired and struggling. 🙁 I don’t think I’ve ever struggled so much during a half marathon.
I thought the course was OK. The weather was perfect for running but it was so sunny and the sun was in my eyes for most of the race. I was squinting so much and I think that and the altitude are the reasons I got a headache. It was a bit better when I got to City Park. It was so pretty there but that got boring after a while. <<I think I was just in a bad mood. 🙂
For most of the course there were no spectators. It was quiet. There was plenty of water and Gatorade at the water stops. The course was mostly flat with 2 or 3 uphills. The best part was getting to the finish line because it was downhill. As soon as I knew I was close, I took off. I was so happy to be done!
The medal is pretty cool and I am happy to have earned it.
Another race done and another medal.
Thanks to Athlinks for the reminder that this was my 70th half marathon and that I have now completed 162 races.
Linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.
• September flew by! Cannot believe I’ve been in school for a little over a month. I had a rough couple of weeks but now it is so much better. Every single day I go to school thinking of how I can make it a good day for my students. I am constantly dealing with students that talk too much :-), those that don’t talk at all, low reading comprehension levels, and those that struggle with simple addition problems. I am being observed this year so I also need to get some information (data binders, assessment binders, etc) ready.
• Brooks Launch and Levitate. Still have in my rotation two pairs of the Launch and one pair of the Levitate. I do my easy runs in the Levitate and my speed workouts in the Launch. I remember how before I used to do all of my runs in the same pair of shoes. That changed once I realized how much I loved the Launch and purchased a few pairs. I wanted to wear all of them and that’s what I did. 🙂
• Ran 96.08 miles. Dang, didn’t make it to 100 miles this month! Despite doing all of my workouts this month, I was still short 3.92 miles. I am now 70% done of my yearly goal. There are 90 days left in 2018 and I still need to run 355.24 miles to achieve my goal. Looking at the numbers now, I don’t think I will make that goal but I know I will be very close to it.
• Total time running was 19:14:51.
• I enjoyed each workout this month. There were easy runs but also faster workouts. I did intervals ranging from 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes. Definitely hard but also fun!
• 22 days of running. I am loving running 5 days a week. I don’t know how I used to run 6 days with the Hansons Method. I love the easy runs (although a few I did too fast) but am also enjoying my speed workouts.
• No races but excited about my half marathon in October. I am looking forward to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Half Marathon. It will be my 39th state in my goal to run a half marathon in each state. You can use code RNRBRP2018 to save $15 off the half marathon.
• Final Thoughts: I did every single run and on almost all of them did better than expected. It is such a GREAT feeling . About 99% of my runs were done early in the morning and it wasn’t easy to wake up to run at 5am. However, I am glad I did because it was the last thing I wanted to do after work. Plus, there were a few HOT days in September and I was happy to run early when it wasn’t as hot.
So how did September go for you?
Linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.
