My ASICS are like a Ferrari?

Training for the JFK 50 mile race meant that I went through shoes crazy-fast. It is recommended that you replace your running shoes every 400-500 miles. (Yes, I do keep track.) So, that means had to get a new pair of shoes like every month and a half. That is not cheap, but so necessary. Running shoes can make you or break you. You have to have the right fit. Whenever anybody asks me advice about how to get into running, I always tell them first and foremost to go to a speciality running store to be fitted for the right shoe. 

About 2 weeks into my JFK training I decided to have my gait analyzed again. I had been wearing a high stability shoe, the Mizuno Wave Alchemys, for seven or eight years. I had the sense that maybe I should be in a more neutral shoe, and my hunch was confirmed after the folks at RoadRunner Sports watched me run. After testing out several different shoes, I have fallen in love with my ASICS Cumulus. They feel lighter, flexible, less clunky and cushion my foot. It feels like I am running on clouds. But, even though I love my new kicks, I am having a hard time getting rid of my last 2 pairs of Mizunos. I don't know why. I have this weird attachment to them. They carried me through 5 marathons, qualified me for Boston and when I put them on to run errands or whatever, even though they feel heavy and stiff, they are still cozy and comforting.

Time to clean out the shoe stash - That's over $650 worth of shoes!

Even though I am happy with my ASICS, I often browseI was browsing through another local running store recently, not for anything particular. Just browsing. I was asking the "kid" about Newtons. (With full disclosure that I am not looking to switch shoes right now because my ASICS work. They carried me through JFK training uninjured, so I have faith in them.) Newtons just intrigue me. They look fast. He told me I should definietly switch shoes because, "ASICS are like Ferraris - high quality but require a lot of maintenance." Huh? What does that even mean? And aren't Ferraris fast too? I'm all over a fast, high-quality shoe, little dude.

Week X - Training Summary?

As planned, I have done a whole lot of nothing this week in the way of exercise. On the Monday after the JFK 50 Mile race, I felt worse than on Sunday. I woke up feeling woozie and nauseous. I was rather stiff and kind of sore all over. I drank a ton of water and by mid-afternoon, I was feeling much better. The only thing that was bothering me on Tuesday were my calves and muscles around my ankles, obviously from the AT trail.  I drove back to Ohio on Tuesday night and had an hour massage scheduled for Wednesday with a massage therapist who is also a hard-core runner. I really find I get the best massages from runners. They get it. She is also has a pilates studio and before my massage put me on a pilates cadillac machine to really open my hips. It felt soooo good. By Thursday morning, I was feeling no discomfort whatsoever from my race. I was just tired. So, I have been sleeping a lot and eating a lot of good food. 

Although I have been enjoying some well-deserved lazy time, I am anxious to get back into some type of routine. A routine that does not include running on land though. *Sigh* This is brand new territory for me - not running - so, I am going to take advantage of these next 2 weeks to try some different activities and figure out some things. This coming week, I will:

1. Go to the pool and learn how to pool run. I know this seems silly. How hard could it be, right? I have not been to a pool to exercise for years and years and years. I want to learn from someone who knows what they are doing. Cris, from CAR, makes pool running a regular part of her fitness regimen. She has graciously accepted my request and will give me a crash course in pool running on Monday morning. To be honest, I am more concerned about getting yelled at by other swimmers than actually pool running correctly.
2. Attend a yoga class.
3. Attend a pilates class.
4. Eliminate refined/simple sugars from my diet. I don't want, nor do I need to do a "sugar detox" type of thing because I am not going to stop eating fruit or "good" sugars. I just want to make better choices when it comes to quick snacks. This will just require better meal and snack planning on my part.
5. Figure out what I want to do with this blog. I started blogging as a way to document my 50 Mile race training for family and friends. Now that is over, I need to figure out if I want to continue and what the focus of the blog should be if I continue. To be honest, I really enjoy blogging a couple times per week. I love the community I have discovered and everyone is so motivating. I have a lot of time to think now....ha.

JFK 50 Race Recap

I really am having a hard time believing that it is over. I keep thinking I am going to wake up and have to run it again. What I have written below, in no way captures what this journey has meant and done for me. Four days after, I feel good. Physically, I am a little sore and stiff but that was taken care of after this afternoon with a massage. Ahh! Mentally, I have been all over the board. I will never be able to thank those people enough who have supported me through this - all of you out there in cyber world. Each Tweet, Facebook message, Blog message, text, email, etc., meant the world to me. It provided me with the encouragement I needed to keep going. My mom and Aunt Jane...I don't know what I have would have done without them there. These two women are the optimity of selflessness. They have been through so much in their lives and continue to sacrifice. I love them with all my heart. 

My journey really started on Friday. I decided to take the day off and sleep in as late as possible because I knew I was going to have a hard time sleeping the night before the race. I was awake by 7:30am, but felt refreshed and relaxed. I finished packing way too much and started on to Hagerstown.  Joette and Jim (parents) and my Aunt Jane were going to be my support crew, and had arrived in Hagerstown on Thursday night. I got to Hagerstown around 12:30pm. My mom met me in the parking lot with balloons and “Team Jessica” hats. It was so cute and thoughtful. My Aunt’s little dog Crystal even made the trip from Arizona sporting “Team Jessica” gear. 

Crystal's Team Jessica hat and hoodie.

We went to lunch and then decided to make the drive to the start to see how long it would take us from where we were staying in Hagerstown.  I wasn’t really nervous until we got to Boonsboro. Is this really happening? Then, we drove the first 3 miles. The elevation rises 1100 feet those first miles. Joette actually got a nose bleed when we reached the top. Who knows if it was from the elevation, but that was the first time I asked myself, “What the heck am I getting myself into?”  We went to pick up my bib number after the drive. It was a tiny expo with a few tables set up, mostly selling JFK 50 gear. Joette and Jane went crazy! I have a feeling lots of people will be getting JFK 50 gear in their stockings this year. I hope my sister in West Palm Beach likes mock turtlenecks. 

My Mom and Aunt Jane - AKA: Team Jessica

Unfortunately, if you know my family, you know that Jim has been battling Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia for about the past 9 years. He has been fighting it hard, but every couple months something pops up. We ended up going to an Emergency Room in Hagerstown because we thought Jim may have had a stroke. After about 7 hours in the hospital, it was determined that he did have a stroke. My mom stayed at the hospital most of the night, not sleeping a wink the night before the race. They were determined not to let this hiccup effect/ruin my race though. THAT brings me to tears. Luckily my Aunt Jane was there to keep me relaxed, help me put things in perspective, take me to dinner and make sure I got back to my room at a decent time. I RUN FOR THOSE WHO CAN NOT.

I got back to the room about 9:30pm and set out all of my gear. I have learned from experience that you don’t want to have to think on race day morning. It’s so much less stressful to have everything set out. I packed a bag that I wanted my Aunt and Mom to carry to each spectator station with Endurolytes, Balance Bars, Pretzels, GU Roctanes, Muscle Milk, Nuun, Advil, trail mix, extra socks, extra shoes, etc. I had no idea what I would need at various points. Around 10:30pm, I called for a 4:30am wakeup call and turned out the lights. I tossed and turned for a while, finally falling asleep around 11pm.

At 4:30am, I was ready. I couldn’t even think or fathom the distance I was about to run. I wasn’t nervous at that point. I jumped in the shower, got dressed in my CW-X capri tights and Saucony Vizipro drylet sports top, with a singlet underneath and Brooks Cascadias. It was below 30 degrees at the start.  I only had one scary moment. As I was getting dressed I couldn’t find my sports bra. I didn’t set it out last night?!?! I only brought one. Yes, I packed 2 pairs of tights, 3 pairs of shorts, 4 tanks, but only one bra. Oh boy. I frantically threw everything out of my bag and eventually found it. Ugh. That would not have been fun. 

I planned on meeting my Aunt Jane and Mom in the lobby at 5:15am. As I walked out of the elevator – there was Aunt Jane! Little things like that made my morning so less stressful. Mom already had the car running, with Crystal in the back seat. I started to get nervous when I got in the car. I force fed myself a Balance bar. Kara and her husband were already at the designated meeting spot in the Boonsboro High School and I found Christian shortly after. Once we made it into the gym, the nerves increased two-fold. I was trying to attach my timing chip to my shoe, but was shaking so bad; I had to sit down to do it.

Stretching/Talking out the nerves in the gym with Kara and Christian

Hair is up - that means business. So nervous at this point.

The pre-race brief started right at 6:20am. They went over the rules – no headphones, no pooping on the trail, stay to your right when being passed, etc…very different than a road race. At about 6:50am, we all filed out of the gym and headed to the starting line in downtown Boonsboro. I am used to standing around and waiting for the gun to go off. It feels like we stood there for about a minute and then the gun went off. I don’t even remember if they sang the National Anthem.

Filing out of the gym! Here we go! 1000 meters to the Start.

Starting line

Crystal & Aunt Jane at the Start

Miles 1 – 15.5

All I can say about this is WOW. Before the race I really regretted not coming up to this portion of the Appalachian Trail (AT) and running it before hand, but now I am glad I did not. It was the hardest course I have ever run. The first 3 miles, as I mentioned before, were straight up hill on a paved road, then we veered off onto a wooded, rocky trail which was a welcome change. We stayed on that for about a mile and then we got to another paved section. Ray Jackson, a runner who has done the JFK several times and offered a lot of advice along the way told me before the race that this paved portion is, “…sick steep. It slumps you over when you walk up it.” Yep. He was not lying. After that we were back on the rocky trail. The first aid station was at the 9.3 miles at Gathland Gap. I was still feeling pretty good. I took my first GU Roctane at this point. The next 6.2 miles were CRAZY. Kara and I just concentrated on taking it slow. We had people passing us, but so many people warned me about the terrain and taking it slow that I did not have a problem with being a little pokey. I focused on the ground in front of me, never looking up, “If you look up, you are going down.” I heard that more than once. I chatted with a guy behind me for about 3 miles and never once saw his face. He was trying to sell me on Newtons. Ha. With about 3 miles to go on the AT, I started to get tired and my ankles kept rolling. We passed a woman who had taken a nasty fall and was down for the count. I was getting so frustrated because my left ankle kept rolling no matter how slow I was going. I was on the verge of tears. It hurt a little more each time I rolled it. I was scared. Then, when the terrain got even tougher, I just started hysterically laughing. This was comical and crazy.

Trying not to cry and laughing at the same time.

The last mile on the AT drops 1000 feet, so we ran (or climbed) down a series of switchbacks. This is where we saw the first official race photographers. Kara asked them why they were at that certain point, and that she wanted to look like she was actually running fast in the race photos, so we posed. 

Excited to get off the AT!

Finally, I heard people cheering. I knew (or really really hoped) that I would see my Mom and Aunt at that point. I wanted to get out of my trail shoes and into my ASICS Cumulus. As we jumped off a small cliff in front of the spectators, there was “Team Jess”, yelling the loudest. The new shoes felt like heaven. I got lots of kisses and hugs, grabbed some Power Bar Gel Blasts and took off to run a marathon on the C&O towpath. I knew the next time I would see them was at Mile 27.

Miles 15.5 – 41.8
It felt so good to run on flat land and actually stretch out my legs taking long strides. People say this portion is boring, but I thought it was beautiful. Running along the river, under a canopy of trees was glorious. Most of the leaves were down, but it was awesome all the same. There were these huge cliffs that look like they were cut from glaciers and I kept annoying asking Kara about the history of the area. We should have studied beforehand. At Mile 19, I ate my Power Blasts and made sure I kept drinking water and Gatorade. I filled up my 10oz Amphipod at every aid station. We were averaging about a 9-9:15 pace. A little faster than I wanted, but I felt good. Kara and I stopped and walked a couple times starting at Mile 26. It was really hard for me to get started and feel good again though after walking. We got to the next Spectator area at Antietam Aqueduct, Mile 27.1. I grabbed more hugs, kisses and a Balance Bar from Aunt Jane, Joette, Jim and Crystal. I was feeling really good. Kara met her husband at that point and changed her shoes, and then we were off again! 

This must have been a god story at Mile 27. Ha!

Team Jessica!

We walked at one more point after Mile 27. It just made me feel sluggish and made my butt tighten up. I needed to keep the momentum going. At about Mile 28 or so, I asked Kara if she minded if I just pushed on. Of course she didn’t. I felt bad though. I wished her luck, gave her a hug and moved along. 

I ate my Balance bar at Mile 30. This is where things got tough. Miles 30 to 41.8 were the toughest mentally. The miles went on forever. Maybe it was because I was now running alone or maybe because I had run 30 miles. They were hard all the same. I still felt strong though and kept passing people. From Mile 15.5 to 41.8, I was probably passed by 3 people. I passed dozens though. Most everyone I passed told me “great job” and then commented on my bright neon pink drylet. I wanted to wear something bright so that my family could see me coming through the woods and it worked. I swear I got more compliments on my top than anything else. There was one gentleman who I kept leapfrogging with and every time either I passed him, or he passed me, he said, “Hi, PSL” I had no idea what he was talking about and didn’t really feel like asking for an explanation, but when I saw him after the finish (I beat him by about 5 minutes btw) he explained it stood for “Pink Shirt Lady.” I saw my family at again at Mile 38.4. I took two Advil, and some Endurolytes at that point. My piriformis was really starting to ache. They asked me how I felt and I said, “Good. I don’t really have any other choice, do I? I have 12 more miles to run.” I wasn’t particularly cranky, but they had been warned that I wouldn’t be a happy camper at that point in the race by other spectators. 

Running into Mile 38

At Mile 40, I took another GU Roctane and that really gave me the boost I needed to get off the trail. I ran that portion of the race faster than I thought I would. I exited the towpath at 2:54pm. I now knew that I had about 1 hour 36 minutes to reach my goal of 9:30 or over 2 hours to reach 10 hours.

Miles 41.8-50.2
This portion of the race was on a paved country road, with rolling hills. The paved road felt so nice and smooth. I decided at that point to power walk up the hills and run fast down the back sides. This worked and made the miles really fly by. Obviously, I felt my quads tightening up a little but I wasn’t in any pain. The Advil really helped calm my piriformis. I hardly ever take pain medication, so when I take it – it works. I also concentrated on my form by running tall. When I started to slump, and relax my core, I started to hurt. Mile 46 is the last time I saw my cheerleaders. I started to get emotional. This was the first time the thought of finishing became a reality. I was going to do this! Not only finish, but beat my goal! Four miles is nothing! Mom and Aunt Jane were jumping up and down, telling me how strong I looked, how many people I have passed, telling me how proud they were of me, giving me more hugs and kisses. I felt the tears well up in my eyes and had a frog in my throat. My breathing was erratic. I took a deep breath, pulled it together and pressed on.  No tears until the finish! Remember my rule? 

This is when 50 miles became a reality

As I was climbing a hill a little after Mile 48 (there were no mile markers on the course besides the last 8 miles – thank goodness!) I saw a familiar silhouette in the distance. It was Coach George! He mentioned earlier in the week he was going to try and make it up to the later points in the race, but when I didn’t see him at Mile 38 or 46, I figured he headed up to Philly because he had a bunch of runners competing in the Philadelphia Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday which is completely understandable. He ran with me for about 100 meters and that was really the boost I needed to finish strong. It really meant so much to me. The next mile was downhill, we made a turn towards the Williamsport High School and I could finally see and hear the finish line. I had to climb yet another hill though. With about 50 meters to go, I could hear my mom and Aunt Jane.  I crossed the mat in 9 hours 12 minutes and 7 seconds! They ran up to me soon after and that my friends, is when I allowed myself to lose it. Tears of joy. I did it.

Running to the Finish

Time caught on camera

I proudly proclaimed to Coach George that now I was going to take 2 weeks off! I have never taken that much time off running. He shook his head and held up three fingers. Rats! I trust him and he wants me to be a faster marathoner so I will take his advice. I am taking a full week off any activity besides stretching, then next week I will start with a yoga and swimming regimen.

Jim made it to see me Finish

I learned so much about myself during this journey, which I will cover in a future post but most importantly I met a Jessica that I didn’t know existed. As I mentioned in a previous post, I RUN to prove to myself that I am strong - both physically and mentally. I have always viewed myself as a weakling. I beat myself up for everything that I am not. I hope to discover through this journey that I am a much stronger person than I think I am. Every run I complete, every race I compete in - I become a little tougher and more resilient, learning about myself and feeling more confident in my abilities. 

I did just THAT.

The Bling

Week 16 - Training Summary

**I will be writing a full race recap later this week**

I did it! I ran 50 miles in 9 hours, 12 minutes and 7 seconds. This week was pretty much a blur, although I felt like it moved at a snail's pace. I had a hard time staying focused on much of anything. I was able to sleep pretty well until Wednesday. I decided to take Friday off of work and sleep as late as possible. That was probably the best decision ever. 

TOTAL MILES WEEK 16 :  61.2 miles

11/14 (Monday) - Rest Day
I contemplated going to the gym this morning, but decided to sleep in a little. Rest is really the most important thing this week.
11/15 (Tuesday) 5:46am - 6 miles

It was 66 degrees this morning when I set off for my run. I actually wiped sweat from my brow! It was a super easy run on the Mt. Vernon Trail towards DCA. I averaged 9 minute miles, then went back to the gym to stretch and foam roll. I IM'd with Kara today. We have decided to run the first 15 miles together. We are going to meet at 5:45am on Saturday, attend the pre-race brief at 6:20am and then head to the start! The race starts at 7am. Although I consider myself a mid-pack runner in this race, I want to I start ahead of the mid-packers (maybe top 25%?) only because once we get to the Appalachian Trail, I want to make sure we are in the right pace group. I would like to think of this portion of the race as a fast hike, as Coach George put it but I do not want to get caught behind walkers.
11/16 (Wednesday) 5:50am - 5 miles
It was raining this morning, so I decided to jump on the treadmill. I probably ran a little faster than I should have, but it was boring me so I kept speeding up to get it over with faster. An 8:34 mile seems so much longer than an 8:00 minute mile. 
11/17 (Thursday) - Rest Day

I did not sleep well at all last night. I was supposed to get up today and run 3 miles, but I was tired and my glutes are a little sore. By mid-morning, I was feeling anxiety over not doing my last run, but justified it by reminding myself how miserable this race was going to be if I start sore. I got a very light pressure massage tonight to basically help me relax. It worked.

11/18 (Friday) - Rest Day
I went to bed early last night and got a solid 9 hours of sleep. I took my time getting ready (over packing) and headed out towards Hagerstown around 11am. My family drove in last night, so they were waiting for me. 

Mom waiting for me in the parking lot of the hotel in Hagerstown.

11/19 (Saturday) 7:00am - 50.2 miles - JFK 50 Mile Race
I finished in 9:12:07. The official results are not posted yet, but I am excited to see how I did in my age group, females and overall. **I will be writing a full race recap later this week**
11/20 (Sunday) - No Running Day 1 of 21 :-)
I was scared to get out of bed this morning. I woke up groggy, tired but without an alarm at 6:30am. My first steps were not as bad as I thought they would be. I actually felt OK! I knew it was a trick though. My body just hasn't fully realized what I put it through yesterday. My family and I met some good friends in DC for brunch, then I took J and J to Baltimore for their flight to Houston. I headed back to Alexandria to spend the day on the town with my Aunt Jane and Crystal. I am happy that Crystal is not a power walker because I kept getting more sore and stiff as the day went on. 

Crystal's new outfit. She shopped more than Aunt Jane and I!

My JFK 50 Mile Race Goals

Well, it is here! Tomorrow morning at 5:45am, I will be meeting Kara, Christian and 1100 of our best Ultrarunning friends in the Boonsboro High School gym to embark on this 50 mile trek. The weather forecast looks perfect - mostly sunny with highs in the lower 50s. We lucked out big time. In 2008, it was 19 degrees! It doesn't seem real. The pre-race briefing will take place at 6:20am and then all the runners will file out of the gym to walk about 900 meters to the start at 7am. From the very beginning of this journey, I have just said that my goal is to finish the 50 miles uninjured, which is still the plan, although I have put some time goals in place. My family arrived in Hagerstown last night and will be following me throughout the race. They need to know where I am going to be and when I am going to be there.

**There is not an automatic athlete tracking system, so my Aunt Jane is going to be the social media update queen and will post updates on Facebook and Twitter as I progress.**

So...time goals. This race can basically be broken down into three "legs":

LEG 1 (Miles 1 - 15.5): Kara and I have agreed to run this first section together. The first 5 miles gain over 1,100 feet in elevation. The course from 2.5 miles to 15.5 in on the Appalachian Trail. This section is rocky, rooty, slippery and covered in leaves, rolling across a mountain ridge. At 14.5 miles, the course drops 1,000 feet in a series of steep switchbacks. I didn't even know what a switchback was when I started training. They are as scary as they sound and must be taken slow. As Coach George recommended, I am going to think of it as a fast hike. TIME GOAL LEG 1 - 3 hours

LEG 2 (Miles 15.5 - 41.8): This 26.3 mile leg is on the C&O towpath. It's a flat surface covered in crushed gravel. This is the surface I did most of my long runs on, so I am very comfortable on that terrain. This is really where my "race" will be begin. The first 15 miles will be a warm up :-) TIME GOAL LEG 2: 4 hours 30 minutes

LEG 3 (Miles 41.8 - 50.2): This 8.4 mile section will no doubt be the hardest. I have no idea how I will feel mentally or physically. This leg is on a paved country road with rolling hills. I have a feeling these will be slow miles. TIME GOAL LEG 3: 2 hours

PREDICTED FINISH: Between 9 hours and 30 minutes and 10 hours (depending on stops at aid stations)

I have based this on past training runs, but it is entirely speculative. I have no idea how I am going to feel after that 32 mile point. It has helped me to mentally prepare by breaking it down though and I will just concentrate on one mile at a time. I can't focus on how I am going to feel at mile 38 when I am at mile 16. I have to concentrate on being in the moment and putting one foot in front of the other, focusing on what I can control like hydration and nutrition. I feel confident in my training. On a scale from 1-10, I give my training effort a 9.5. Although I feel like I gave it my all, we can always do a little more, right?

Tomorrow will be an emotional day for me, no doubt. I need to stay strong though. I only have one rule for myself: No tears until I cross that finish line. I will CONQUER this race.

If you want to cry for me as you watch the course Fly Over, that would be appreciated. :-)

JFK 50 Updated 10/2 from The Endurables on Vimeo.

Toughest thing about Ultra Training

So, the JFK 50 miler is coming up on Saturday and since I am tapering, I have had a lot of time to reflect. If I have said it once, I have said it 100 times - Training for an Ultramarathon is hard. No joke. It's hard on your mind and hard on your body. There are no short cuts. (You could pretty much say this for running in general though. You get out what you put into it.)

Yes, the back to back long runs were tough; Figuring out a nutrition/hydration strategy was challenging; Getting up at 5am on the weekends to beat the heat took a lot of motivation; But it wasn't until this past weekend when I figured out what the toughest part of training was for me. It was the NOT racing fast part. I signed up for several races just as training runs in preparation for the JFK 50. I love racing. I love the feeling of running so hard that I can't catch my breath, pushing my limits and leaving everything out there on the course. I could not do that in these races because they were training runs. I thought it would be much easier for me to log some miles running next to thousands of my best friends rather than having to do it by myself on the trail. Now that I think about it, it was easier, but also hard at the same time. I had to sit on the sidelines, watching everyone run their hearts out while I just "slogged" along. Although I was sooooo happy for everyone that accomplished all these amazing goals, it kinda made me feel like a slacker. A slacker slogger :-) Now, I know I was not slacking. I am working towards another goal right now, but that was just the feeling I walked away with. I don't like giving anything less than 100% in anything I do.

I love this shirt and am always tempted to buy it at race expos!

But, I knew from the start of this training I would need to slow down in my races if I chose to run them as training runs. When you are running back to back long runs, you are more prone to injury and really shouldn't push it too hard when it comes to speed. I came close to injury a couple times. At the Ragnar Relay, I pushed it hard and scared myself because my shins started to "twinge." (It felt sooooo good though to run up and down mountains fast in my sparkle skirt!) 


At Ragnar - "Does this skirt make my butt look fast?"

The next real challenge after the JFK 50 for me will be resting so that I can recover and start on fresh legs when it comes time to train for Boston. I am actually thinking about hanging up my running shoes for a full 2 weeks. I'm serious and the thought of that freaks me out just a little. (I might even jump in the pool!! That freaks me out a little more!!) This whole ultra training journey is going to make me a stronger runner. I will gain an appreciation for a different type of discomfort which is going to help me get faster which is why I wanted to do this in the first place.

There will be many Personal Bests in 2012. For that I am certain! Not just running-wise, but personally, spiritually, and professionally. They all will blend together I have a feeling :-)

Week 15 - Training Summary

To be honest, I am feeling a little blahh. Physically, I feel just fine. Mentally, I am emotional, cranky, scared, scattered, anxious and excited. I am 5 days out from the JFK 50 mile race and I am sure all these feelings are pretty typical. I just need to keep myself busy. Besides concentrating on sleep, hydrating and eating clean, I am going to pamper myself a bit this week and catch up on things I have been neglecting. I have a hair and nail appointment as well as a 30 minute massage scheduled for the evenings this week. Someone asked me, "Aren't you supposed to pamper yourself AFTER the race to reward yourself?" Oh yes, and I fully intend to do that, but I think I deserve a little reward at this point too. 

TOTAL MILES WEEK 15 :  41.71 miles

11/7 (Monday) - Gym - 5:32am

I slept hard last night, going to bed a little later then I hoped. We are going to nip that in the bud right now. I will be in bed by 9 pm every night until the JFK race. I don't want to start that race tired or sore.

11/8 (Tuesday) 5:42am - 7 miles
I love that it is light out by 6:15am. I kind of like the first half of my run in the dark, but watching the sun rise makes for a good start to the day. I ran 7.02 miles out and back from Old Town towards Belle Haven. It was very quiet on the trail today. I passed 3 runners on the tail end of the run and about 5 cyclists. Even though it was fairly "warm" - about 45 degrees - there was an icy feeling in the air which made me wish I had worn gloves. My last several runs by myself, I have worn my watch just for kicks to see how slow I am actually moving. It's funny. Whether I run 14 miles or 7 miles my average pace stays at 8:32. No matter how hard I push it, or even if I try to slow down - it ends up being 8:32. I guess my body is comfy there.
11/9 (Wednesday) 6:15am - 5.44 miles
If I don't have everything set out and ready to go in the morning before I head to the gym, I tend to dilly-dally. That's what happened today but it wasn't a big deal because I only had 5 miles to run. I managed to crank out this run on the treadmill at an average 8:16 pace. I decided to flip back in my training log to see what I ran a year ago today. I ran 4.01 miles in 29:51 on the Mt. Vernon trail towards DCA. That is a 7:26 per mile pace and I remember feeling really good after that run too. I was still in BQ Bliss after MCM. Ha. I can't wait to start training fast again.

11/10 (Thursday) - 5:54am - 9.01 miles
I was thinking it was going to be colder on the Mt. Vernon trail than it actually was this morning. It was muggy too. Yes, muggy on 11/10 even though it was in the 40s. Weird. This race is starting to become more real to me as I start thinking about logistics. My brain is starting to get into race mode which means I feel really scattered. I am feeling a like I don't have everything under control. I am dropping the ball in some areas of my life and forgetting some silly things. I am feeling more emotional and sensitive. Things are annoying me a little more and I am more apt to snap. I just need to close my eyes and take some deep breathes.

11/11 (Friday) - Rest Day
I wanted my legs fresh for Richmond so I did nothing.
11/12 (Saturday) 7:30am - 13.26 miles - Richmond Half Marathon
I originally signed up for the full marathon but after MCM, I asked myself - Why? There is no training benefit for me to run a a marathon a week before my 50 miler. So, I switched to the 1/2 at the expo. It was a good decision. It was a pretty race. Freeeeezing at the beginning. My toes and hands were frozen until about the 4 mile mark. Frozen as in numb. I thought there was something wrong, but eventually the feeling a came back. The course was flat for the most part. I got scared last night when I went downtown to meet my best childhood friend, Dana, for dinner and saw these ridiculous inclines throughout the city. I finished in 1:48:40. It's not a PR, but that wasn't what I was going for. My next 1/2 marathon will be though :-) My splits looked ok. You can tell I was starting to lose steam around Mile 8, but it came back shortly after.

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	1:48:40.9	13.26	8:11.7
1	8:19.2	1.00	8:19.3
2	8:18.4	1.00	8:18.5
3	8:11.2	1.00	8:11.4
4	8:06.9	1.00	8:07.0
5	8:08.7	1.00	8:08.8
6	8:17.4	1.00	8:17.6
7	8:12.3	1.00	8:12.4
8	8:26.1	1.00	8:26.2
9	8:17.6	1.00	8:17.6
10	8:18.2	1.00	8:18.2
11	8:09.1	1.00	8:09.1
12	8:12.3	1.00	8:12.4
13	7:48.8	1.00	7:48.9
14	1:54.1	0.26	7:14.6

11/13 (Sunday) 10:30am - 7 miles
I was so excited and so ready to go to bed at 10pm last night and sleep in today. But as I was getting ready for bed, I got a phone call, chatted some, then I decided to answer some emails, then do a few quick chores...before I knew it, it was midnight. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, which rarely happens. I didn't wake up until 7am, but quickly fell back asleep until 8:30am...then 9am...I was still in bed at 9:30am! Ugh. Remember earlier this fall when I would be finishing up a 20 miler by 9:30am? I felt like I slept my morning away. It made me cranky. It made me feel like a slug. Then, I opened up facebook and twitter reading about everyone's awesome PRs at Richmond and the Veteran's Day 10K. That is sooooo cool, but I couldn't help but have a little pity party for myself. I want a new PR. I want to run fast again. Sigh. It was hard to lace up the shoes, but I did and ran 7 miles at my 8:32 pace. Yawn. I never regret a run, but the endorphins were not flowing today. The good news for the day though? The 7 day forecast is out and 50 mile race day weather looks pretty perfect!