January Jogs

Whatever happened to JanPlan? I seem to be enduring all the bad weather without the joys of being on Mayflower Hill with little responsibility. Jokes on you, cause I'm still a student and have had some fun January adventures. I started off the month with some neuroanatomy classes with the med students. Then, an 8 day adventure on the Cape! 8 full days of science camp! In the middle of January! The best time to be on the beach!
 >>> Disclaimer: some of the previous statements were facetious. Take your pick. <<<

Given our roughly 9am-10pm schedule, I was forced to run in the mornings. Blechhhhhhhhh
But, I made the most of it. I started off the trip by being blown backwards by 40mph winds. I managed to avoid the waves crashing over the storm walls. You'd think that was the most exciting run I had, but you're wrong! I also got into a standoff with two foxes. I arm wrestled one while putting the other into a headlock until they ran away. (Or maybe I yelled and clapped my hands like a fool until they ran off, most likely raising their little fox eyebrows at me). I have no proof of the fight, so you're gonna have to take my word for it. Anyways, I managed to bring my phone out on the very last morning and snap some pictures.

Proof I ran on the beach in January

Sometimes it's fun to look back

The other major development of January was me finally giving in and seeing a doctor about my asthma, which had become intolerable, incessant, and a huge pain in my...chest. I celebrated my first indoor workout that didn't result in a wheezing fest by sending a ridiculously over-excited snapchat, picture below...

Oh and there was also this big snowstorm that happened recently. Dunno if you'd heard about it, but it was kind of a big deal. Naturally, I went for a run in it. No excuses. Some guy even took a picture of me running, a little creepy, but I was ok with it.

Running in Boston Commons during Blizzard Juno

At least it was pretty. 

Thanks for reading! I hope that my ridiculous selfies haven't deterred you yet. I seriously need more running buddies so that I can stop looking like such a weirdo!

Sincerely,

Robyn "back on track" Runner

Back on Track

It's a new year, so how about some new running goals? As I mentioned in my last post, I signed up for my first marathon. I know I'm capable of running 26.2 miles if I train properly, but the training is really daunting. I have a lot of hard work and many miles ahead of me. To get my butt in gear, I met up with a Boston area runner and coach. Lauren is super speedy and also represents Oiselle through their Flock program, so we connected through Facebook. We met at the starting line of the Boston Marathon (how have I never see that before? So cool!) and got in a great 8 miles before continuing our conversation at Starbucks for over an hour. Lauren has coached a number of people before and between how well we got along and the results her athletes have gotten, I decided to entrust her with my first marathon training plan! She sends me my training plans and checks in with me periodically. It feels great knowing that someone is cheering for me and keeping me in check. I'm even more excited for my marathon now!

But before marathon training officially started, I had a track race to run. Just for giggles I signed up for the USATF-CT championship track meet and entered the 3k. I haven't raced on a track since my senior year of college, and it felt good to try something different for a change. I got in two quality track workouts and good mileage over the winter break, so I was feeling pretty good heading into this meet. My goal was to run 12:00 or under, which would be squarely within how I ran in college, but given that it had been so long since I'd laced up on any oval office I really didn't know how it would go. I anticipated that I'd be in the mix of all the women racing. Turns out, I was the only woman, so I jumped into the men's race and quickly readjusted my goal: not to be last. The gun went off and the adrenaline kicked in. I wanted to run 46-48 per 200, and realized I was running 40-42 for the first few laps. I actually felt good but knew that I couldn't sustain that. I went through the mile in 6:12 and that's where things started going downhill. The lactic acid started to build up and I wasn't able to run the splits I wanted despite my effort. I was lapping some guys but I was slowing down a lot. I was able to kick in the end, and finished in 12:07. Slower than I'd hoped for but I was happy with it. The race was fun and I had gotten in a solid race after only a few weeks of purposeful training. And because I was the only woman, I won a medal!

Also, shoutout to Robyn for letting me borrow her track spikes! And speaking of Robyn, she and I were able to ring in the new year together! A good sized sampling of Colby XC/Track alum from the past 10 years gathered at Kat and DV's house for an annual celebration, although this was just my first year. It was so fun to see and catch up with so many friends. I'm already looking forward to next year's party, though I'm sure I'll be out running with Robyn and others much sooner than that. 

So much Mule Love

Looking Back and Planning Ahead

Since yesterday marked the one year anniversary of breaking my leg, and as the year draws to a close, I thought a bit of reflection on the last 12 months was in order.

I started off the year relearning to how walk and eventually run, thanks to my fractured fibula. I focused on upper body and core strength until I was out of the boot, and then worked my way back up to running. First a comeback-5k, then a 10k until eventually I was back to running normal mileage and workouts. And let’s not forget the time some famous sister-runners tweeted at me!

This summer I fell in love with the trails and rolling hills of rural Vermont. A hot and muggy 5k on Middlebury’s xc course didn’t illustrate very well the shape I was in, but I’m still happy with the process over product. I can’t wait to go back next summer.

Also, in August I achieved a big goal of mine and joined the Oiselle volée team. I know I sound like a broken record, but I love their clothes and am honored to be sponsored by them. The sisterhood and motivation I’ve found in just a few short months of being on the team is incredible. I’m one lucky bird!

Autumn rolled around and with it came another season of coaching my girls cross country team. Despite a great group of talented and invested girls, they weren’t able to race up to the potential I knew they had, and so the season ended in some disappointment. Regardless of their results every week, my girls pushed me to be my best self and to be a good role model for them, and with that in mind I started PT on my aching hip (actually a psoas issue…who knew?!), took care of myself and raced my 4^th half marathon. I, too, didn’t quite achieve my goals but I’m proud of running a consistent race.

In the midst of the fall running, I was able to get into Boston a number of times and see Robyn! Now that she’s only about an hour’s drive from me, it’s been great seeing her more frequently and getting in some runs together. I also have acquired an embarrassing/impressive amount of Oiselle gear. My new favorite by far is the Lux Funnel Neck long sleeve. It’s so soft and the faux turtleneck offers just enough protection from the cold; it’s my go-to layering piece.  Here I am post-run at the gym, wearing as much Oiselle as possible and looking fly:

Rogas, big O burnout tank, lesko bra, and lux funnel neck

Recovery after a half marathon can be physically and emotionally hard, I’ve found, but this year I was determined not to let myself slack too much so I signed up for a local turkey trot. Unlike Robyn who killed it at her turkey trot, I viewed my Thanksgiving day race as an opportunity to get in some quality miles before gorging myself that evening. I showed up, ran a 1 mile warm up, negative split the 5k, finished in 23:02 and left. My parents had politely requested to not wake up early and stand in the cold while I raced so I didn’t have anyone to take my picture in my Oiselle singlet. I did manage to snap one picture once I got back home and back into bed. Here’s my kitty, Reginald, and I keeping each other warm:

So what’s up for 2015? Who knows for sure, but I do have a few exciting things lined up. I’m lucky to have been selected as a Nuun Ambassador for 2015. I haven’t talked a lot about Nuun on here, but it’s a great hydration option for after workouts and everyday life. I have also signed up for an open indoor track meet on January 3^rd in Connecticut, where I’ll be racing the 3k. I’m hoping the adrenaline kicks in. Could I go sub-12:00?

Lastly, I’m going to run my first marathon! Guys, I’m really going to do it this time. I’ve already signed up for the Cox Providence Marathon on May 3^rd. A friend from work is running it as well, and bestie Jillian is running the half, so I’ll have some training partners and motivators. My next step is to decide what training plan I want to use. I know a lot of people have had success with Hal Higdon’s various plans, but I’m not sure if that’s the direction I want to go in. I also don’t think I’m up for making my own training plan, since this is my first full.  Feel free to leave suggestions of what has worked for you!

Happy holidays and Happy New Year. Thanks for reading our blog!

Rachel “big things acomin’ ” Runner

Race Recap: Seacoast Turkey Trot

Now that my family's running rank order is back in place (Kevin, Robyn, Mom, Dad), and with Kevin beating me by 2 minutes instead of 30 seconds, I'm feeling good about things. Although my 5K times over the last several months don't really reflect much of a change in my fitness, trust me, a lot has changed. I really don't mind that I keep hovering around 20:30 for 5K despite getting in better shape. There are a few reasons for that...

1. I feel good running! Sounds dumb, but I have not felt good running, lifting, walking, speedworking, or racing for months (a full year even?).
2. My asthma has returned to a manageable level.
3. I'm back on the track and starting to feel fast again. <3 track
4. I always always always plateau for ever and then have a huge breakthrough. Fingers crossed that's coming this indoor season.

I broke my 'sponsorship' rules and didn't wear anything LOCO at the turkey trot, opting for some classic Colby gear instead. Also, felt the strong urge to go ninja that morning. My actual race goal, no joke, was to run faster than Kat's marathon pace from Philadelphia. Which I probably would have done if the roads weren't so slick from the snowstorm, I was a few seconds too slow. Mad props/spirit fingers/snaps to her for keeping that up for 26.2; I'll stick with my 3.1 for now. Also, I'm not going to bother even recapping the Philadelphia marathon on here, if you know at least one runner from the New England area, you've definitely already heard all about the amazing feat accomplished by Dan Vassallo. I can't explain how incredible it was to be there and witness that race, surely will be one of my favorite running memories for years to come.
With that, I'm very thankful this year for having fast friends, of both the speedy and steadfast variety. (pun intended, gosh where do I come up with these things?)

Trotted my way to a decent time and a more than decent meal on Thursday.

Sincerely,
Robyn "wishing the water stops were gravy stops" Runner

P.S. Stay tuned for my post-collegiate track debut TBD at a December mini-meet at BU!

What happens when you don't think and just run: Newport Half Marathon

A proud Oiselle bird

A couple of weeks ago, I ran my fourth half marathon. I had almost everything going against me: a cold, hip issues, severe lack of sleep and colder weather. Because of all these factors, I abandoned my hopes and dreams of a new half marathon PR (that 1:35 keeps eluding me) and just decided to run what I could. This mentality ended up being quite liberating and I was able to really enjoy the run.

The race took us all around beautiful Newport, RI. We ran through neighborhoods of mansions and parks, by marinas and golf courses, and were treated with stunning views of the water for about half of the race. It was really windy but the day was nearly perfect, dry and cool, and as I took in all the scenery I wished I had my iPhone with me to capture the views. The beauty of the course helped to ease the pain in my legs as I pushed through.

As with most races, the first mile of the course was congested. Just a half mile in, I started to feel my hip hurt. A few days before the race I had been really worried that this would happen and even considered not running the race at all. In this moment, I thought about dropping out. I went through the first mile in 8:37, a good pace for a training run but not for a half marathon. I tried to pick it up a bit, and ended up dropping over a minute on my next mile: 7:28. I hovered around the 7:30s for the rest of the race, and once I forgot about my hip I felt really good. The course had just enough twists and turns to keep it interesting, and the hills really weren't that bad. I saw (and passed) a number of Oiselle birds, both Volée team members and some Flock members as well, and it was so exciting to have an instant bond with other runners. That's definitely one of the best parts of being a Oiselle bird now!

The rest of the race happened without incident. The hills got harder and I could feel my legs working. But I kept passing people and the thrill of moving up pushed me to keep at it. Once we hit mile 10, it was go time. I hadn't looked at the course map before so I had no idea where I was or what I had left. Ignorance is bliss, right? I kicked and even when I felt like I was letting up, I tried to maintain that kick. Luckily it was flat to down hill, and I was able to finish strong. I ran 1:41:37, and though it wasn't a PR, it was actually pretty close. I felt a good as one can feel racing and my splits were consistent. Aside from running my fastest half marathon time, I can't complain about my performance.

As soon as I crossed the line, my legs tightened up--a sign of a race well run. I looked at the marathoners who were only half way done and couldn't even imagine continuing to repeat what I had just run. Some day, for sure, but not this day.

Friends and colleagues

The week that followed was painful as well, and I wanted to take time off. On day 3, I wobbled down the stairs and stationary biked for 25 minutes. I had to talk to someone afterwards and hopped over to his office. I didn't even realize that my legs all of a sudden felt better, but getting them moving again and draining that built-up lactic acid was the key. I did mile repeats with my team the next day and have been running regularly since then. I'm still working with my PT to strengthen my legs and correct a number of imbalances that have appeared this year. I plan on running a turkey trot on Thanksgiving, so I've gotta get moving once again!

Indoor training, quada's, and a bad pun

I goo-PhD (goofed, get it?) and have not blogged in a while since starting my PhD has kept me extra busy. Well, I submitted my first grant application tonight, and so I'm back!

A lot has gone on in my life since the last time I wrote. Some good, some challenging. For the sake of optimism, I'll fill you in on mostly the good stuff! First, my lungs have made their 100% recovery from pneumonia based on lack of chest pain in recent races (and verified by an x-ray). Second, I've transitioned out of base building and have started speed work for indoor track season!

I would be greatly remiss if I did not share with you some pieces written about my aunt who battled pancreatic cancer. She was a tough cookie and we're gonna miss her. Now, every time I log a mile, half, quarter, quarter workout, you'll know I was digging deep for her inspiration.
Links:
Washington Times - Quada Quada bench
Coloradoan story

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My training plan for the year is going to focus a lot on longer speed. I think I tend to get sucked into doing shorter repeats and playing with less recovery, more repeats, ladders, etc. But to be perfectly honest with myself (and you) I was doing these last winter because they are easier for me. What I really need in order to get fast at the mile is to do the killer 800 workouts à la Deb 2009. A.K.A. attempt (and fail) to run 4 x 800m at 5 seconds faster than goal mile pace. Which means if I want to get to low 5:xx this season, I need to be able to do 800 repeats in about 2:30. Yeah, 2:30. Also known as the typical pace I used to race in any given mid-season 4x800. No big. So how am I going to go about getting down to that pace in workouts? Well, I'm going to stop shying away from longer repeats, meaning 1600,1200, 1000 is something I may have to face, and like it. And those ridiculously fun 200's? Those will be my reward when I'm in killer shape in 2-3 months. And 400's, those will be a tack-on if I'm feeling good that day.

On another topic, it's been a Colby-filled summer and autumn. Moving back to New England has been great and oh how I missed running with people! From meeting up with people over the summer, seeing a horde of mules at the extra rainy Open NE's at Franklin park, an epic 40mph wind track workout with Kat, to pacing some miles of the LOCO marathon with Kate, it's been so much fun. Really looking forward to more mule encounters coming up.

The matching outfits was unintentional, but maybe it was the key to our perfect 7:25 pacing for some Boston marathon qualifier hopefuls! (or it could have been our incessant chatting that kept the group distracted)

Until next time,
Robyn "track is back" Runner

Race Recap: Goodwin Forest Trail Race

Fun facts: It's been a month and half since I've posted on here (sorry) and alsooooo I'm racing a half marathon in 3 weeks.

My training has been going well so far but hasn't taken off like I was hoping it would. I've been enjoying my long runs, cross training, and doing strength work but I'm missing the crucial speed work that will allow me to run a good race. I would like to PR, and my goal is 1:35, but honestly I don't think that I'm in shape to run 7:15 per mile for 13 miles. In an effort to engage my fast twitch muscles, I signed up for a local 10k trail race.

Let me preface this by saying that I have never run a trail race before. I assumed it was like running cross country, and since I'm knee-deep into my team's cross country season, I was fired up. In fact, I borrowed back my college cross country spikes from my top runner so that I could fly through the trails. But fly I did not. The first mile was pretty flat but a little rocky and I was completely disheartened to see my watch beep at 7:57 for the first split. From there, the race just got worse. I had a blister on my heel that was rubbing annoyingly, the footing was hard and the trails were narrow. I wanted to go faster but I was afraid of falling. Those cross country spikes were actually not a good idea because although I could grip the humid ground well, my feet and ankles weren't supported. During the rougher patches, ankles were slightly rolled, paces slowed and many choice words were uttered. The race also was advertised as a 10k but even the website admitted it was only 5.8 miles. Once I hit 4 miles, I knew it was time to go. My hopes of finishing in any sort of respectable time had long flown the coop but I wanted to at least make up some ground. I saw that there was a woman behind me and if there's one thing I can't stand in races it's losing to people I shouldn't. I wanted some sort of female award (top female? 1st age group?) so instead of letting her overtake me, I focused on the hairy dude* in front of me and reeled him in.

*Sidenote: I think I'll need to do some more research, but I think trail runners are a different breed of human. Lots of crazy hair and too many hydration belts for my comfort level. I felt very out of place.

As I turned the corner and headed up the last quarter mile stretch of the path, one man who had already finished yelled at me that there was someone hot on my tail. I was still frustrated with the whole race and feeling tired from the trail, the humidity, and life, but I gave it one last push. I was not  about to let that girl beat me so as to at least have something good to say about the race, and I opened up the gap and finished strong. Turns out, it was hairy dude who was behind me and then the woman, so I shouldn't have been too worried, but feeling that pressure definitely propelled me to run faster than I wanted to.

I look too happy on this cool down

Once I crossed the finish line, I learned two things. 1: I was the 2nd female, yay! 2: Only 1st female got a prize, bummer. I chatted with the race director about the trails and training for my upcoming half marathon. He pointed out that while I didn't work my speed as much as I had hoped, I definitely worked on my running strength, and I liked this perspective. Perhaps all was not lost with this race. Another runner (tall skinny guy) started talking to me, but he was a little creepy, so I peaced out with the excuse of a long cool down to hit my 10 miles for the day. After standing around for a while, the cool down started out rough, and especially my butt felt heavy. I understood what the race director meant by running strength as I took my first couple steps. I headed onto the local Airline Trails that bisect this state forest, knowing the the trails are flat and smooth. I slogged 3 miles, took a selfie to show my incredibly sweaty Oiselle #flystyle, and finished at the pavilion to get one more drink of water and steal a banana. As I arrived, I heard the race director call out my name; I won a loaf of zucchini bread after all. Turns out all was not lost, and actually, I'm pretty glad I did this race.