Helloooo, everyone! It's been a little while since I've updated y'all on how my training is going. Honestly a LOT has been happening in my running life lately so I thought I'd do a larger update encompassing everything for you instead of my usual training log style update (though if you'd like to see my training log, skip down to the bottom of this post!). Let's not waste any time and hop right into what's been going on!
1. Milwaukee Marathon Postponement & Change of Plans
My face after finding out about the postponement. :/
The biggest update that I have for you guys is that the Milwaukee Marathon - the race I've been training for all winter - made the announcement last week that they are postponing their race until October. I totally understand why they made the call and I agree that safety of the public is priority #1, but I was super bummed when the announcement came out! Training has been going pretty well this winter and I was excited to head out to Wisconsin and see what I could do after a year off of marathons. Unfortunately Milwaukee wasn't in the cards for me this spring, so I immediately went into problem solving mode.
My first instinct was to find a replacement race. There are plenty of April races that are still on the books (for now), but I didn't want to risk registering for another race that ended up postponed or switched to virtual. Additionally, I was looking for something in a state I haven't completed yet or do not already have a race I'm registered for. It was honestly slim pickings! However, I came across the Carmel Marathon in Carmel, Indiana which seems *very* confident the race will be going off without a hitch. It's the weekend before I was originally scheduled to run Milwaukee, it has full support of their local government, and it seems to have some excellent COVID-19 safety protocols in place as well. So I decided to take the gamble and register!
Luckily there were still some spots left in the marathon field so I was able to snag a bib. I've spent the last week planning my trip. I was able to switch my flights for Milwaukee over to Indianapolis, get a refund on my MKE AirBnB and find some accommodations nearby Carmel, and switch all of my PTO requests at work. All systems are GO for a trip to Indy this April and an official 26.2 is on the docket. Fingers and toes crossed that everything continues to stay on!
Now that Milwaukee is bumped to October, I am going to be a BUSY runner this fall. I'm not sure when in October Milwaukee will be scheduled as they haven't announced it yet, but I already have the I-35 challenge (Kansas City & Des Moines) on the calendar that month. I'm really unsure how I'm going to balance it all, but summer is going to be a TOUGH training season. It's going to be so important that I do everything I'm supposed to do in training so I can cross all three finish lines! Wish me luck 😅
2. Virtual Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend
A couple of weekends ago I participated in the Virtual Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend! Running these races at home was definitely not the same as running at WDW (for obvious reasons), but I did my best to make the most of it by dressing up each day, listening to Disney tunes, and trying to partake in Princess-like activities during my non-running time. I even had Snowy running with me most of the time! Doing these races has me so excited to finally return to a runDisney race, whenever that might be. I have my heart set on Dopey being my runDisney return, but I honestly wouldn't hate participating in another Princess weekend if that's the earliest we can get back to it! Anywho, here's some photos from the weekend:
5K flat runner! Reprising our Evil Queen/Snow(y) White costumes 🍎💀❆
Snowy having a blast running in her costume!
Finish line pics!
5K finisher certificate!
10K flat runner - wanted to go with a Rapunzel theme since the 10K was themed after her! 🌞
Finish line pic!
10K finisher certificate!
Half Marathon flat runner! Of course I had to wear my Belle costume again because the half was themed after her this year! 📚🌹
Found a "character stop" around mile 12! 😜
Finish line pics! (I actually have 16 miles to run on this day, so I finished the half in a random spot on my route. Definitely needed to stop and commemorate the moment, though!)
Half Marathon finisher certificate!
And because the Fairy Tale Challenge was themed after Tiana, I wanted to do a Tiana-like activity and tried my hand at making beignets! They were a little on the cakey side and tasted more like a donut than a beignet, but they were still so delicious. I'll have to tinker with the recipe a bit to get the fluffiness down to a science, but I think Tiana would have been proud of me for my first try! Looking at these pictures seriously makes me want to whip up another batch right now. 🤤
I vlogged my entire Princess Weekend experience as well, so if you'd like to see everything ~in action~ take a look at the video below! 👑
3. Strength & Stretching (or lackthereof)
This training cycle my strength training and stretching game has been abysmal. I know this is going to bite me in the butt when April rolls around, so I really want to get back on the horse of being disciplined in this department. It's already starting to come into play for me - I did a 5 mile run on Wednesday and was randomly SO SORE yesterday? I'm still feeling really sore today as well. That's.. not normal haha. I really need to do better! So for these last few weeks I'm going to intersperse a bit of strength training (without going too overboard) and a lot of stretching. I also sit on my butt most of the day, so I need to make sure I'm getting up and moving around a bit more often throughout the day. Hopefully all of that helps and I'll feel good through 26 miles on race day!
4. Training Log!
As promised, here's all of my training data from the last month. Aside from 2 skipped runs, I've been VERY consistent about getting my miles in which I am super proud of myself for. There's been so much going on in my personal life that it would be so easy for me to skip out on runs in favor of other things, but I've been dedicated to this training cycle. I'm hopeful for a good race this April and to finish this training cycle strong. 💪
Week 6: January 25, 2021 - January 31, 2021
Monday, 1/25 → Rest
Tuesday, 1/26 → 1 mile walk + 5.19 mile treadmill run @ 11:34/mile
Wednesday, 1/27 → Rest
Thursday, 1/28 → 1.23 mile walk
Friday, 1/29 → 6.5 mile treadmill run @ 11:25/mile
Saturday, 1/30 → 3.08 mile run @ 9:35/mile
Sunday, 1/31 → 13.01 mile run @ 10:22/mile
Total weekly running mileage:27.78
Week 7: February 1, 2021 - February 7, 2021
Monday, 2/1 → Rest
Tuesday, 2/2 → .37 mile walk
Wednesday, 2/3 → 7.51 mile treadmill run @ 11:15/mile
Thursday, 2/4 → 1.61 mile walk
Friday, 2/5 → 5.31 mile treadmill run @ 11:18/mile
Saturday, 2/6 → 14.2 mile run @ 11:03/mile
Sunday, 2/7 → 1.07 mile walk + 1.01 mile walk
Total weekly running mileage:27.02
Week 8: February 8, 2021 - February 14, 2021
Monday, 2/8 → .68 mile walk
Tuesday, 2/9 → 1.65 mile walk + 7.5 mile treadmill run @ 11:19/mile
Wednesday, 2/10 → 1.8 mile walk
Thursday, 2/11 → 1.63 mile walk
Friday, 2/12 → Virtual Disney Princess 5K 3.21 mile run @ 11:05/mile + 1.5 mile run @ 11:52/mile
Saturday, 2/13 → Virtual Disney Enchanted 10K
1.41 mile walk + 6.27 mile run @ 10:27/mile
Sunday, 2/14 → Virtual Disney Princess Half Marathon 13.12 mile run @ 11:06/mile + 2.89 mile run @ 11:15/mile
Total weekly running mileage:34.49
Week 9: February 15, 2021 - February 21, 2021
Monday, 2/15 → Rest
Tuesday, 2/16 → 1.66 mile walk
Wednesday, 2/17 → 5.05 mile run @ 10:40/mile
Thursday, 2/18 → 1.61 mile walk
Friday, 2/19 → 6.5 mile treadmill run @ 11:36/mile
Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Milwaukee Marathon to review 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!
The last two weeks blogging has really been put on the back burner - sorry about that! Once I got back to work on the 11th I went right back to full steam ahead with my job and creating content has been the last thing on my to-do list. However, I've still been training away for Milwaukee! Also in exciting news, I've officially booked my flight AND my Air BnB, so the trip to Wisconsin is feeling more real every day! My fingers and toes are still crossed and will be crossed until I toe the starting line on April 10th. You can never be too sure these days, I guess! 😂
Week 4 I really started to feel the fatigue of training, as I always do. I always struggle when it comes to eating enough while I'm training, so I'm just tired a lot. Add on these gloomy winter days and finding the motivation to not hibernate is my biggest challenge. I went into this week wanting to continue to incorporate my training since my mileage was fairly low, but honestly I let my tiredness get the best of me and I ended up skipping all of my strength work outs. 😑 I'm really happy that I still hit my mileage, though!
Week 4: January 11, 2021 - January 17, 2021
Monday, 1/11 → Rest
Tuesday, 1/12 → 6.12 mile run @ 10:23/mile
Wednesday, 1/13 → Rest
Thursday, 1/14 → 5.13 mile run @ 10:36/mile
Friday, 1/15 → Rest
Saturday, 1/16 → 3.1 mile run @ 9:46/mile +1.09 mile walk
Sunday, 1/3 → 7 mile run @ 10:05/mile
Total weekly running mileage:21.35
Last week was FRIGID. Guys... I hate the winter so much. 😂 Honestly getting out the door on days that had a real feel of 16 degrees (Saturday) and 11 degrees (Sunday) was next to impossible. BUT I DID IT. And I can't wait until the world finally warms back up. This weather is TERRIBLE. 😖 I'm hoping for a beautiful spring day in Milwaukee in April. Maybe if I envision it hard enough it will come true? 🤞
Week 5: January 18, 2021 - January 24, 2021
Monday, 1/18 → Rest
Tuesday, 1/19 → .75 mile walk + 2.11 mile walk
Wednesday, 1/20 → 5.07 mile run @ 10:19/mile
Thursday, 1/21 → Rest
Friday, 1/22 → 5.12 mile run @ 10:46/mile
Saturday, 1/23 → 3.01 mile run @ 9:46/mile + strength
Sunday, 1/24 → 12.01 mile run @ 10:09/mile
Total weekly running mileage:25.21
The weather for week 6 isn't going to be much better than the last two weeks, but I am just telling myself that running in these conditions will make me a better runner when it comes to race day. I'm not sure how true that actually is, buuuut we can dream! Including this week, we only have 11 more weeks of training to go before race day. Are longest mileage weeks are all ahead of us, but these are the weeks where I can really see what my body can do and start to mentally prepare for that 26.2 mile haul. My goal for this week is to complete my 2 days of strength training and stretch, stretch, stretch. I'm definitely feeling the tenderness in my legs and need to be better at recovery!
Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Milwaukee Marathon to review 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!
Hi folks! I'm back with another #Sub5orBust training update. I was planning on sharing my training for week 2 last Wednesday, but then, ya know, a coup attempt at the US Capitol happened and it just didn't feel exactly right to talk about my training then. 🙃 So I decided to combine weeks 2 and 3 in this update so you can see how training is going all in one spot!
Week 2: December 28, 2020 - January 3, 2021
Monday, 12/28 → Rest
Tuesday, 12/29 → 4.21 mile run @ 10:11/mile + 2.2 mile walk
Wednesday, 12/30 → 6.5 mile run @ 10:07/mile + 0.7 mile walk
Thursday, 12/31 → 3.02 mile run @ 10:15/mile
Friday, 1/1 → Rest
Saturday, 1/2 → 1.14 mile walk
Sunday, 1/3 → 8.12 mile run @ 10:00/mile
Total weekly running mileage:22.99
During week 2 I was still concentrating on finishing my #RunMA Challenge miles, so the beginning of the week was kind of all over the place with my distances. If you follow me on Instagram you'll know that I was able to complete the challenge, and I'll share my thoughts in a separate blog post in a few days. Once I finished the challenge, I wanted to give myself a little break from running, so I took a rest day on Friday and Saturday before hopping into my official training plan on Sunday with an 8 mile long run. It feels good to have a bit of the pressure to run taken off, and to get to enjoy some rest days again!
Week 3: January 4, 2021 - January 10, 2021
Monday, 1/4 → Rest
Tuesday, 1/5 → 5.03 mile run @ 9:50/mile + 1.52 mile walk
First full week *officially* on the training plan! I think this week's runs went really well, despite my absolute dread of going out and running in the cold. 😩 It was CHILLY last week and I just can't wait for these cold months to be over with. Unfortunately I'll have to be training in this weather for the majority of this cycle, so I just have to suck it up. 💀 I also started incorporating my strength training this week, which has felt good! Brett has been helping me out a lot with combining the strength training plan from Runner's World and giving some of his own recommendations as his amazing personal trainer self. (One of the many many reasons that I'm lucky to have him around!) Everything seems to be clicking right now, which I am of course super happy about!
Shout out to my four-legged running buddy, who helped me on many of these runs!
This week will be a lower mileage with a 6, 5, 5k, and 7 on the calendar. I'll probably work with Brett to make the lifting a little more challenging this week and take advantage of the down time to rest and stretch. Pretty soon mileage will start to spike and I gotta savor these days while I can! 😂
🧡Don't forget! You can save 10% on your Milwaukee Marathon registration (any distance!) by using code "BR10" at check out! Head over to runmilwaukee.com to register today!🧡
Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Milwaukee Marathon to review 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!
Monday, 12/21 → 6.05 mile run @ 10:31/mile + 1.46 mile walk
Tuesday, 12/22 → 6.05 mile run @ 9:49/mile + 1.52 mile walk
Wednesday, 12/23 → 4 mile run @ 10:03/mile + 3.7 mile walk
Thursday, 12/24 → 5.1 mile run @ 10:30/mile + 1.71 mile walk
Friday, 12/25 → Rest
Saturday, 12/26 → 10 mile run @ 9:51/mile + 2.44 mile walk
Sunday, 12/27 → 1.02 mile walk
Total weekly running mileage: 31.2
First week of "training" is complete! I put training in quotations because honestly the runs I was completing this week are not at all part of the training plan and were all dedicated to finishing the #RunMA Challenge. Once 2021 begins I'll revert back to the actual training plan and will be running significantly less week to week until I get further into the plan, but overall I'm feeling great about my fitness levels entering this training cycle. Week 2 will be more of the same (in regard to dedicating my runs to finishing #RunMA and not working on the training plan), but I'll be able to get back on track soon.
Because we were traveling last week, I definitely didn't really do much beyond getting my miles in. Once I'm back on track with my actual training, I'm going to incorporate my lifting plan as well. Basically, everything will be back on track (hopefully) at the end of this week! It'll be good to just have this one thing to focus on, especially once things settle down post-holidays!
Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Milwaukee Marathon to review 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!
Tomorrow marks the start of a brand new marathon training cycle! The Milwaukee Marathon is officially 16 weeks away and I'm thrilled that I have a marathon on my calendar for the first time in months. I haven't been in marathon training mode since last winter when I was training for Rock n' Roll New Orleans & LA, and I'm actually looking forward to getting back into a regimented training plan. Just like the last training cycle, my ultimate goal is to finally go sub-5 in the marathon, and I'm hoping to do that in Milwaukee.
Because it has worked so well for me in the past, I'm going to do the Runner's World sub-5 marathon training plan in tandem with the Runner's World 16-week strength training plan for marathon runners. I'll have to get creative for a few weeks because gyms in MA are currently closed to general use due to COVID-19 restrictions, but luckily Brett has quite a bit of weightlifting equipment and strength training knowledge so I'm sure he will be happy to help! To keep myself accountable like I did last winter, I'll be keeping a weekly training log here to report on my progress.
This pandemic has brought a lot of negative to us, but one silver lining that has been given to me is that I've had time to log a lot more miles and become a much better runner. I'm finding myself reaching speeds I didn't know I could reach anymore, and I want to continue to improve, especially in the marathon distance. I feel like this goal is totally in reach, especially after my back-to-back marathon PRs earlier this year, and the paces I've been putting in for my runs at home over the past few months. I can't wait to see how training progresses and I'm really looking forward to toeing the line in Milwaukee in April!
Summer runnin' is in FULL FORCE right now! It's been non-stop hot an humid here in New England so I've been trying to transition myself back to being an early morning runner (which I HATE 😩#snoozebuttonlife) so that I can beat the heat, especially for my longer miles. I've been running three times a week pretty consistently these days which is exciting as consistency is something that I've definitely struggled with as a runner. I'm glad that I've been good about staying on top of my running even though I haven't had anything in particular to train for.
Tuesday, 6/16 → 5.01 miles @ 9:21 average pace
Friday, 6/19 → 6.01 miles @ 10:18 average pace
Sunday, 6/21 → 10 miles @ 10:30 average pace
Chicago Marathon training starts this week for me. I'm still aiming for a sub-5 and I believe Chicago is the perfect course for me to achieve that goal for the first time. I've been pretty upfront about the fact that I'm pretty confident that Chicago will be cancelled, at the very least for non-elite runners. Brett and I even took bets last night on how far I'll be into training before they officially pull the plug (Brett is betting 8 weeks, I'm wagering 5 weeks). 😂 BUT I'm still going to train like I'll be on the starting line in October. I still have another 26.2 planned for November which *may* actually happen, so I can just have my training go toward that race instead. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!
This week I have a couple of shorter runs to kick off marathon training, but I'll also finally be running the Virtual Providence Half Marathon! I was planning to run the Providence Half in person in May, but, of course, it was cancelled and turned into a virtual event. I finally got my swag pack in the mail last week (including my bib and finisher's medal!) so this weekend I'll finally be running the race. I'm going to be joined by my pal Cassie for these 13.1 miles as she will also be running a virtual half of her own, so it will be a great time! I'm looking forward to have a buddy to pass the long miles with this weekend.
Hey there folks. Hope everyone is doing well. I'm......... okay. I feel like the last few days have been a bit more of a struggle for me. I don't know if it's because it's been pretty gloomy over these last couple days, being at the house so often is making me crazy, or WHAT, but I'm having a lot of trouble sleeping and I'm just overall very anxious about what's going on in the world. I'm trying to take things day by day and give myself a break, but I'm just feeling very blah and negative right now. *sigh* Hopefully tomorrow will bring more cheer!
CURRENT STATUS OF ROCK N' ROLL SEATTLE MARATHON:
ON AS SCHEDULED!
I figured I can report on this week to week as we never know if or when this might change.
Week 1 of #RnR Seattle Training
Monday 3/23 → Rest
Tuesday 3/24 → 5 miles @ 9:38/mi
Wednesday 3/25 → 6 miles @ 10:33/mi + lift with Brett
Thursday 3/26 → Rest
Friday 3/27 → Lift with Brett
Saturday 3/28 → 3.15 miles @ 9:53/mi
Sunday 3/29 → Rest
Monday 3/30 → 13 miles @
My right hip has been giving me a lot of grief since returning to running post-LA. It feels like it's super tight, fatigues easily, and is just overall really uncomfortable to run on. I'm trying to incorporate stretching and using The Stick and a lacrosse ball as much as possible to get at the problem areas, but it's definitely slowing me down. I think my Wednesday morning run is where it really came out to play and you can so see the difference in my splits between my Tuesday 5 miler and my Wednesday 6 miler.
Tuesday evening run...
...and Wednesday morning. Ouch.
On Saturday I had a 5K scheduled. It was super gray and rainy and my motivation was dipping. I texted my mom to see if she wanted to run virtually with me and she said yes! We decided to start running at the same time and check in with each other via text when we finished. It was a great way to "run" with someone without having to get together with them. Highly recommend trying it out with your running pals!
I usually aim to do my long runs on Sunday but I was just NOT feeling it this past Sunday. The weather has been more gloomy than not these days and I've also been sleeping so terribly, so my body and mind were just not there for a 13 mile run. However, now that I'm working remotely I can really make my schedule quite flexible so I went for a mid-day #MondayRunday to get my long run for the week done! I was participating in Mission #003 for the Pandemic Run Club and my team (TEAM BLACK!) needed to run between 19k and 19 miles in a singular run, so this was the perfect opportunity to get that mission accomplished! Of course, I tried to rock as much black (or navy blue lol) as possible:
I also have stumbled across a runner on Instagram - @julierunsfast - who has been posting running scavenger hunts each week! I definitely wanted to give this week's scavenger hunt a try and it was honestly such a blast. Having a list of things that I needed to spot while on my run had me trying to think creatively and the miles seemed to whiz by. I hope that she continues to post these each weekend so I have an additional thing to do while I'm running long miles! Here's how I did on my scavenger hunt:
Aaand here's how I did on my run:
The run felt... okay. I think I was just mainly cold and was grumpy about that. After a few miles my legs warmed up and felt okay, but the fact that winter seems to be hanging on for dear life is making my desire to run plummet. Please hurry up, summer! *does warm weather dance* 🌞
I was planning on writing this post at some point after the LA Marathon anyway to outline my next race plans, but because of COVID-19, the future is a bit hazier than any of us are used to at the moment. As of right now, none of the races that I'm registered for have been cancelled or postponed, but that can change at any moment. I'm not really someone who likes to sit around and wait for other people to make decisions for me, so even though the likelihood of my next races getting the ax is rather high, I'm still planning to train for them like they're going to happen as scheduled. I just don't see any harm of following a training cycle when the race itself is up in the air. If anything, I'll continue to improve my running and be in better shape for when my next race day comes around!
Here are the next two races on my 2020 calendar:
Providence Half Marathon
May 3, 2020
I am genuinely surprised a decision hasn't been announced yet for this race. I've seen multiple races at the end of May already getting postponed, but it has been a little radio silent from the race directors for the Providence Marathon. Folks on the Facebook event page (including myself) are getting restless to hear back and I'm hoping they will post something soon. Either way, I'll have a half marathon scheduled in my training for this weekend, so if I can't run an officially sanctioned race in Providence, then I'll just run a solo half around my neighborhood!
Rock n' Roll Seattle Marathon
June 7, 2020
Washington being a hot spot for COVID-19 at the moment makes me really doubt that this race will go on. Rock n' Roll has already postponed their late-May event so I know this one is next on the chopping block. I hope this is going to be a postponement instead of a cancellation and fingers crossed it won't wind up on a weekend that I'm already registered for another race.
Whatever happens with Rock n' Roll Seatlle, I know that I'm going to need to focus on HILL WORK for this marathon. I've naively gotten used to running on flat bike paths, so for this training cycle I'm going to add in a day of just running up and down a hill in my area. 😂 I have a few steep bois in mind, and I'm definitely not looking forward to it. 😜
The training plan:
I'm going to be using the same marathon training plan I used for my last cycle, but I'm going to hop in on week 6 since I'm already up to marathon fitness. For my strength training I will be relying on my live-in personal trainer (aka Brett) to help me do more full-body strengthening. The strength training plan I used last time, while effective, only focused on my lower body. I want to be strong all around if I can be! In short, this training cycle will be all about building on my strength, identifying weak spots and working on those (MY HIPS), and hillz hillz hillz. Here's what a typical week is going to look like this time around:
I found that posting weekly training updates here on the blog kept me accountable, so I will be bringing those back! I'm also planning to do some virtual buddy runs on my Instagram stories throughout the duration of this quarantine/social distancing time, so make sure to follow me over there to hear when the next one is! I'll try to post at least 24 hours in advance so you'll be able to join in. 😊
I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there!
Brett and I ventured out west a few weeks ago for marathon #14 - the Los Angeles Marathon! We left on an over night flight on the 6th which was brutal. We left Boston at 9:30pm EST and landed in LA at 1AM PST. WOOF. So thankful that Brett's cousin Stevie and his wife Yvonne was willing to take us in and cart us around for the weekend. (Shout out them for carting us around all weekend and showing us a great time!) We got back to the house around 2:30am and was greeted by signs that their daughters had made for us. They are so adorable! 😭
We woke up around 7:30AM the next morning which was a bit surprising, but maybe being on east coast time messed with our ability to sleep for longer. 😂 Our plan for the day was to head into LA (we were staying a bit outside the city) to hit the expo then grab a bite to eat. But first, shakeout run! I ran 2 miles around the neighborhood which was so needed after being on a cross-country flight for 6 hours. I must have felt great because my second mile was the fastest mile recorded on my Garmin to date. Woops! 😂
I showered up and we hit the road for LA. We made a stop for breakfast (Chick-fil-A, our fave #chickenbiscuits), popped by to see Brett's aunt, and picked up Yvonne before heading over to the LA Convention Center for the expo! We, of course, also needed to make a stop at Starbucks because I was essentially falling asleep standing up. I needed energy before wandering the vendor booths!
This expo was HUGE and pretty well organized as well. All of the bib and shirt pick up was up front so if you only wanted to grab your race packet you could quickly grab it and leave, but they had dozens of vendors and photo ops so we wanted to take full advantage. We could have definitely stayed at the expo for a while to check everything out! I think we were there for about 30-45 minutes or so just seeing what was around.
Gotta get all the pre-race photos with the bib!
After the expo we stopped at a restaurant across from the Staples Center called Tom's Watch Bar which has the MOST TVs I've ever seen in a restaurant. We were watching literally every sports event that was happening in the United States at the same time. 😂 I grabbed a bite to eat and drank my water while everyone else got to enjoy cocktails. (Probs the worst part of marathon weekend - not being able to indulge with everyone else until after the race. 😜🍹) We had a good time just chatting and planning what race day would look like. It's always so amazing to know there's folks in my life willing to sacrifice their weekends to support my crazy marathon endeavors!
We headed back home in the mid-afternoon to get ready for the next morning. We were about to lose an hour of sleep to daylight saving's so bedtime had to be early. 😩 I laid out everything I needed, packed my Camelbak, used the therapy gun on my legs, set my alarm for 3AM, and finally got into bed around 9pm. Here's my flat runner:
Not pictured: my Camelbak, stuffed with gels, blocks, and salt tablets
Fake 3AM (really 2AM) slapped us all in the face on race morning. I popped out of bed to get ready since we were hoping to be on the road by 4. Yvonne very kindly made me a breakfast smoothie (which was DELISH) and I am so thankful that she did that for me because I totally would have forgotten breakfast if she didn't. 😳 I don't know what it is about race morning but sometimes I get so focused on how the run is going to go that I forget everyhting else. Again, SO THANKFUL that I have amazing people around me to help me take on these 26.2 beasts!
I knew traffic on race morning was going to be nuts and we had tried our best to prepare for it. We got to the Dodger Stadium area by about 5:15am - about an hour and 45 minutes before the race started - but we still were stuck in so much traffic trying to actually drive up and park at the stadium. We waited in line for a while until we saw other runners hopping out of cars and walking their way to the stadium. Brett and I eventually decided to do that same with the hope that Stevie and Yvonne could meet up with us at the start before the race, but as we walked up the road we quickly realized that there was no way they would be able to make it to the stadium and park before I started running. Such a bummer! Definitely plan ahead when it comes to the starting line because with 27,000 runners + their loved ones all driving to the same place it will take you a long time before you can actually get there and park.
"Before" pics are always essential!
Luckily the walk wasn't so bad (maybe 10-15 minutes?) and it was actually good to get my body moving before the race! Brett and I found a spot in the parking lot and he put me through a dynamic warm up before heading over to the corrals (trainer boyfriend perks!). I was in the open corral which meant that we were the last to start, but I believe the majority of the field was in the open corral so you could just hop in wherever. After the elites and seeded corrals were off, it was our turn! I really appreciate that they didn't do a waved start for the open corral. Despite the fact that the corral was so big, we moved quickly and I was on the road about 15 minutes after start time - not bad!
The first few miles flew right by. This course is so much fun. There's people everywhere (spectators and runners alike), there's LA landmarks at almost every mile, and there's just so much to look at! This marathon also encourages folks to go for Guinness World Records during the race so lots of people dress up. I saw a guy running in a bear mascot suit (see the vlog below for a clip!), folks running while dribbling basketballs, I even saw a runner at the finish line dressed in a full suit (INCLUDING dress shoes - OUCH). No matter where you look on the course there is entertainment
Mile 1 - 10:49
Mile 2 - 10:31
Mile 3 - 10:21
Mile 4 - 10:34
Mile 5 - 11:06
Mile 6 - 11:04
Mile 7 - 10:41
Despite the rolling hills of this course (which honestly I was not very prepared for), I was moving along at a pretty good clip and hitting my paces. I was staying on top of my fueling plan and it seemed like everything was clicking! The only thing I was worried about was that I needed to find a restroom but every single porta-potty stop had a huge line. I figured by maybe mile 7 the lines would have maybe died down but that was not the case at all. There were lines at every bathroom stop for the entire race which I have not seen at a marathon before. This year's field of runners was the biggest LA has seen and they did not prepare to have enough resources for all 27,000 of us.
Between mile 7 & 8 we had the best view of the Hollywood sign!
Was contemplating stopping for a quick matinee of Hamilton 😋
Mile 8 - 10:33
Mile 9 - 10:33
Mile 10 - 10:25
Mile 11 - 10:43
Mile 12 - 10:45
Mile 13 - 11:31
Mile 14 - 11:11
The stretch between the 10k point and the half marathon point wad my absolute favorite part of the course. There was a beautiful stretch where we ran downhill and could see the Hollywood sign in perfect view in the distance, we ran down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and I even got to see Brett, Stevie, and Yvonne right before mile 12! I was definitely still feeling fairly energetic through this stretch despite the hills putting my legs to the test. I also found a 5:00 pace group around this time that was doing run/walk intervals so I ran with them for a couple of miles before needing to fall back a bit.
Trucking down Rodeo Drive
Mile 15- 10:58
Mile 16 - 15:04*
Mile 17 - 12:43
Mile 18 - 12:08
Mile 19 - 12:17
Mile 20 - 12:10
Mile 21 - 12:30
*bathroom break around mile 15.5 killed my time on this mile!
After mile 15 the hard work really set in. I finally made a bathroom stop at mile 15 and had to wait in line for a few minutes. This *might* have been where my sub-5 went to die, but I also know that if I waited any longer it would have messed with my run. You never know with the marathon what factors are going to impact your race! I decided to make a stop so I didn't have to think about my bladder for another 11 miles. After the break, I ran through Beverley Hills blasting Weezer (because you have to), enjoyed the Cheer mile at 19, and really had to focus on staying hydrated from mile 20 on as the temperatures started to rise. At this point I was chanting "sub-5, sub-5, sub-5" to myself to drive out all the negative thoughts that were trying to creep into my mind and ruin my race.
Brett, Stevie, and Yvonne tried to see me a second time but I'm pretty sure I passed their second spot before they were able to get there. 😭 This is an adorable picture of them holding the signs for me, though!
Mile 22 - 11:43
Mile 23 - 11:44
Mile 24 - 13:07
Mile 25 - 10:59
Mile 26 - 11:14
Mile 27 - 5:38.7
The last miles were TOUGH. It took a lot of mental fighting to keep myself moving forward. I didn't make a single stop after hitting the bathroom at 15 which I was proud of myself for, but I did need to take walking breaks here and there. (It's my goal to build my mental toughness and physical fitness so I will keep running all the way through 26.2!) Mile 24 was SO CHALLENGING because it was ALL UP HILL. 💀 At that point I knew that a sub-5 was pretty unlikely (runner math is never fun haha) but I knew another new PR was in reach. After I crested the hill it was all downhill to the finish line. I put my head down and gave it everything I had for the rest of the race. I was able to see Brett and Yvonne right at the finish line and I puuuuuuuuuuuuuussssheed through to the end...
AND I SET ANOTHER NEW PR AT 5:03:01!!!!
I am so stinkin' proud of being able to set two marathon PRs within a month of each other. I worked so hard to become faster during the last training cycle and the hard work paid off. I am still working my way to sub-5 but I know that it will come with more time and training. I can't wait to see that 4 at the beginning of my finish time some day soon! On to Seattle! 😉
To be honest the finish area is kind of a mess. Santa Monica being a beach town, there really isn't a ton of room for people to get around (ya know, because of the ocean being right there and all). After you cross the finish line, you have to walk about a quarter of a mile to get out of the finish area. I understand why races have to do this but I'm never a fan of it. All I want to do is sit down! Once I finally got out of the finish area I found a patch of grass to sit on for a while as I waited for Brett to navigate the crowds to come fin me. Because so much of the finish is roped off to spectators and there is just a billion people everywhere it took him a while to actually find where I was. It's just SO MANY PEOPLE and SO MANY BARRICADES at the finish that you really should pre-determine a meeting point at the finish with your loved ones. It's not easy at all to link up close to the finish, so make sure you make a plan. Either way, I was so happy when Brett finally found me and we were able to celebrate another new PR!
After the race, we stopped for lunch at the Water Grill right near the finish line. One of the biggest highlights was getting to meet up with our pals Carly and Kirby! We hadn't seen them in a few years and I was so good to see them. I had a delicious plate of fish & chips (highly recommend!) while we caught up and I recovered from the race. Before we left we had to snag some photos with them before making a plan to not wait to long before seeing each other again!
I wanted to finish up this post recognizing how fortunate I was to actually run this race. LA was one of the last marathons to stay on schedule (the week following LA it seems like everything got cancelled), and now amidst so many race cancellations and postponements I feel very lucky that I was able to run all of my scheduled races this winter. It just makes my experience at the 35th Annual LA Marathon that much more special.
Check out the vlog of the weekend below for more LA Marathon action!
