[S]he Conquers Who Endures

15 min w.u. 3 sets of 400, 200, 200 with 200 jog between. 3 mins between sets. 10 min c.d.

400s avg: 1:37 (6:28 min/mi), 200s avg: 46s (6:23 min/mi). 5.8 mi total in 50:13

Chicago lakefront WINDY! This was just as bad as the March Madness Half, but not as cold and at least I had a nice tailwind heading back. I've been running a lot of my speedwork on my treadmill that's not calibrated so wasn't sure where my fitness is at. I ran these at 5k effort. If I could run a 5k at these paces that would be a huge PR! Finished with some strength work and feeling pretty rad.

OFF or 45 to 55 mins easy

6.3 mi @ 8:34 min/mi AP in 54:00

Chicago lakefront gorgeous morning. Legs felt great and my stride was opening up more.

15 min w.u. 5-6 x mile @ half MP with 1 min rest 10 min c.d.

1-3 @ 7 mph, 4 @ 7.1, 5 @ 7.2, 6 @ 7.3 mph. 9.1 mi total in 1:21:55

ifit treadmill. I'm not sure what pace this treadmill is really going. I think I could have done all 6 repeats @ 7.2 mph feeling like HMP effort. Felt strong. My only complaint is pain on the top of my left foot. I'm hoping that was just from my shoe digging weirdly. 30 mins strength work after.

35 - 40 mins easy

4.36 mi @ 9:05 min/mi AP in 39:38

Chicago lakefront path. Legs feeling dead from yesterday. April showers bring May flowers. And I can't wait to run in high humidity, high 60s tomorrow, and sunshine! FL, here I come, bring it!

16 miles easy

16.01 mi @ 8:28 min/mi AP in 2:15:40

Ringling bridge in FL. 68F and 95% humidity at start, 80F and 60% humidity at finish. HOT, HOT, HOT! My legs felt great and I took off more quickly than normal. I hydrated with 7oz gatorade every 2 mi, and then every mi for the last couple of miles. This should be hotter than Boston, fingers crossed.

45-50 mins easy

5.22 mi @ 8:38 min/mi AP in 45:03

Charles River in Boston. Feeling good.

15 min w.u. 8-10 x 1 min on, 1 min off @ 10k effort 10 min c.d.

10 ons @ 8.5 mph. 5.2 mi in 45:00

Cambridge treadmill, wishing I didn't have offs :) Finished up with strength work after.

OFF or 45-55 mins easy

5.41 mi @ 8:21 min/mi AP in 45:08

Charles River in Cambridge. I think I got a little carried away. Maybe need to slow the pace a bit on easy. Feeling good.

15 min w.u. 6 x 800 @10k pace effort with 2 mins rest 15 min c.d.

800s @ 7:03, 6:57, 7:02, 7:05, 7:12, 6:55 min/mi paces. 7.4 mi total in 1:00:37

Charles River loop. I didn't feel like I was running that fast! Strength work after dropping down to 2 sets each for taper.

35-40 mins easy

4.04 mi @ 8:53 min/mi AP in 35:50

Charles River Cambridge. I felt weird half way through like dizzy vertigo. Maybe from the pollen? Felt good towards the end.

12 miles with 6 miles easy, 6 miles @MP

MP @ 7:56 min/mi miles 5-11. 12 mi total in 1:43:39

Chicago lakefront. 60F at start, 68F at finish. Legs felt dead on warmup, but was running out against a headwind and wearing 21 oz of fuel. MP miles felt good at first, but then hammies started bothering me especially the right one. Hammies were hurting really bad after slowing up for the cd. Took an icebath after.

40 mins easy

40 mins @ 6 mph for 4 miles

Uncalibrated ifit treadmill. Miles 17-21 of the Boston Marathon course. Oh, I wish it will feel this easy next week, but I know it won't!!

I'm struggling with inner dialogue. I am not as fit as I was last year after succumbing to injury after injury. I don't know where my fitness is truly at because of sticking with a completely different style of training than what I'm used to. So, I have no idea how to not go out too fast at Boston. This is where my inner dialogue wrecks havoc on my brain as I argue with myself that I should just go out and enjoy this run, make it a celebration...no wait, I need to see where my fitness is out...wait, but what pace should I target??

15 min w.u. 3 mile tempo, 3 mins rest 4 x 30 secs on, 1 min off 15 min c.d.

3 mi tempo @ 7:31 min/mi AP, 30sec @ 6:40, 6:36, 6:30, 6:41 min/mi pace. 7.27 mi total in 1:00:54

Chicago lakefront. Legs felt fresh first half, then when I turned around with 1 mi left of tempo, the wind crushed me. I was surprised by my pace though. I kept trying to slow it down the first 2 miles. My legs wanted to go. Felt really tired and dead running against the wind. My hamstrings were great in the beginning and okay at the end.

OFF or 40 mins easy

OFF

Feeling fine, just think the extra rest will help. I have a conference today so am anticipating a lot of walking anyway.

15 min w.u. 3-4 x 1000@MP with 1 min rest. 15 min c.d.

1000s @ 8:11, 7:56, 7:47, 7:46 min/mi paces. 6.23 mi total in 53:52

Chicago lakefront path. First 2 intervals headwind, 2nd 2 tailwind. The 1st interval felt forced, I was in a groove for the last 3. This is such a teaser, the workout was over before I knew it!

35-40 mins easy

4.02 mi @ 8:58 min/mi AP in 35:59

Charles River loop with all the other Boston Marathon runners. Went out nice and easy and kept pulling back the pace. 30 min massage later today.

20-30 mins easy + 4x100m strides

2.78 mi @ 8:54 min/mi AP then 4 strides @ 6:36, 6:45, 5:11, 5:39 min/mi pace. 3.32 mi total in 30:52.

Charles River Boston. So many runners out! And a gorgeous day. My sleep has been poor all week. I really want to run this thing, but I don't want to not have it on the calendar anymore. It feels like Christmas as a kid.

Did not negative split. Temps got pretty warm starting in the middle of the race. My hammies and right piriformis were acting up but I could tolerate them starting at mile 9ish. I had to slow after heartbreak, but could finish the race running and not having to walk. Pretty happy with how I felt at the end.

25 mins easy waterjogging

2.73 mi @ 9:27 min/mi AP in 25:49

Charles River in Cambridge, MA. Nothing feels too injured/sore, legs just feel really heavy and dead.

2 mi @ 8:46 min/mi AP then 4 strides @ 5:17, 6:03, 5:27, 5:17 min/mi pace. 2.55 mi total in 23:50

Along Monterey Bay, CA. So gorgeous! My legs decided to travel with me. They felt good running short, but who knows what will happen tomorrow at mile 23!

I was at Boston in 2013 and after a few instances of luck was thrown my way, I narrowly escaped unscathed physically but not emotionally. I have gone through a lot of guilt this past year along with my running injuries. Working at MIT and in Boston felt like countless reminder after countless reminder. I'd walk past Officer Collier's memorial on campus almost every day, and find myself up late at night in bed google searching "boston marathon bombing" for I don't know what reason. A year ago I was strapped in a walking boot with a stress fracture in the best shape of my life sitting on my bum in Carmel Valley unable to run Big Sur. I tried to take it in stride - my mottos were "it's bone, it will grow back" and "resilience: everyday is an opportunity". Yet, it took me a year to battle minor injury after minor injury coming back. This race was that one run for me that finally put everything back into perspective, and helped me reclaim my life. I'm finally ready to put this year behind me along with all the guilt, physical and emotional pain, and I'm now yearning to hit it hard again. I found my drive in Big Sur running along a quiet Highway 1 along with a bunch of other friendly runners encouraging everyone around them in the most pure running landscape one could imagine, 6 days after running the most epic, competitive, loud Boston marathon in history (love you, Meb!). Looking back on this year, in a weird way my personal hardship was all worth it to grow so immensely and have the most epic week of running anyone could ask for.

My race report: I wasn’t expecting to run this pace at Big Sur. I was hoping for a sub 4 hour, but told my family it would have to be a really good day to go sub 4 after running Boston on Monday. The conditions were absolutely perfect - no wind, overcast up until the last mile and cool temps. I just set out at a pace that felt comfortable and stopped thinking so much about it, didn’t look at my watch, just ran, enjoyed the scenery, and snapped some pictures. I figured I’d see how long I could run comfortably hard before my legs gave out, and I’d be fine with that when they did. Going up hurricane point was really, really tough and I figured my legs were trashed after that, but somehow they recovered on the downhills and then it felt good to change up my muscle groups on the uphills and downhills. My hamstrings and piriformis weren’t hurting nearly as bad as in Boston. 

My legs did feel like jello at certain parts of the race, and I did feel like crap at some points. But then a honey stinger or a gentle downhill brought my energy back, and just focused on good form from what I learned in PT when my legs felt like they were going to give out. I raced the ENTIRE way, and I noticed after the fact I accidentally NEGATIVE SPLIT that race! My half split was 1:54:01 - 1:06 min cut down when the second half of the race had 13 "significant hills". I felt really, really, really good at the end - it was incredible. Now, I just feel sore similar to Boston just in different areas. I don’t feel injured at all, but I want to be very, very careful with getting back to running.