New York City Marathon: Race Report

I'm sure you've all noticed that I haven't really been around that much lately. It's not for my lack of running or lack of passion for the sport. Ever since we moved to Louisville, I've been slammed. I took a new position with the company, in a new department, and things have kind of been crazy. Good crazy. But, crazy nonetheless. Let's just say that there have been some 12-13 hour workdays each week. I love the new job, but I love running more. I've kept running, but my mileage has suffered.

In August, I ran one 15 miler. Since then, my longest run has been a 10 miler - and to be quite honest, I probably only did that every other weekend. During the week, I'd run 3-4 times - 5-7 milers. I stopped doing speed work, but kept up my pace. My average pace on all of my runs was between 7:45-8:15.

I could tell I was getting stronger and still running well ... But, with a long run of only 10 miles, I wasn't so sure how my body would handle the full marathon. I thought that I could probably pull off a decent half, but I wasn't so sure about a full. In fact, I was kind of concerned about even attempting the full.

But, I did it. I planned the trip and was so excited to see Penny! I analyzed past blogs and training cycles and realized that I am SUCH a better runner now in so many ways, but that I just didn't have the distance. So, with 9 days to go, I decided to convince myself that I was superwoman. Yes, superwoman! :)

Since I opted to go on vacation and only run a 5 miler as my long run 3 weeks before the race and then with 2 weeks to go decided to race a 4K (FUN - 2nd overall female), I decided with one week to go that I should run 10 miles again. I had convinced myself that I was running the NYC marathon no matter the pain. I was good through 10 miles - so, I thought worse case I'd be struggling through the second half.

Goal - have fun! Try to run the entire time. Use this run to get back in shape :)

The time before the race flew by. I had so much time chatting and hanging with Penny and Keri that I really kind of forgot that we were running a marathon. On the outside, I was reminding everyone of the training that I hadn't done. But, on the inside, I was convincing myself that I had been training for 4 years (which I have been running regularly for 4 years now) for the race and that the past 12 weeks didn't offset that!

We jumped up and down, sang outloud and smiled a lot. Before we knew it, the race started.

The first mile was a little insane. Technically, I walked during the first quarter mile of this race. We couldn't go. There were so many people. Penny and I managed to stay together and crank out a 9:09. Once we got to the top of the bridge and started going down, I could tell Penny was in a lot of pain. My body was wanting to go; however, I was scared. It was early on and I didn't know how my body would handle everything. We ran a 8:14 for mile 2.

Coming off the bridge was nice. Brooklyn was sunny and welcoming. I had already tossed my arm warmers - which means that it really was hot because I wouldn't just part with those bad boys!!

I decided early on that I needed to take care of my body - as in an over the top kind of way! I was asking a lot out of it and I needed to fuel early and often. So, that's exactly what I did. They had gatorade and water stops every mile from mile marker 3-24. I took gatorade or water, but mostly just gatorade at every.single.stop!! I ran through them all and it slowed me down some, but I drank it! :) I also gelled every 4 miles. In the past, I've only gelled every 7 miles.

I ran through the 5K time at 26:45. I had lost Penny right around this time. I kept trying to look back. I was praying for her and her foot ...

My pace hovered around the 8:15ish mark for a while. I was just taking it all in. I was trying to be cautious and just enjoy myself. I was very anxious for what was to come and just so happy to be running the NYC Marathon!!

10K time - 52:21

15K time - 1:18:15

From mile 9-10, I decided to high five every single kid. It made me smile even more. I was feeling good and just kept talking to myself. Literally at least 20 times per mile I would keep repeating "You are so strong. You're determined, Jaime. You're stubborn. Today is your day and no one is taking it away from you! Strong!! Believe!! You are so passionate about running. You've worked 4 years for today -you've got this. Then, I would repeat "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." This was seriously on constant repeat all day!!



I remember hitting mile 10 at 1:23:xx and being elated. I kept getting faster and kept feeling better!! I think this is about the time that the song cheers for the freakin' weekend song came on. That made me smile :)

I kept cruising through Brooklyn and as I knew that the half way point would come on the Brooklyn bridge. I hit the half way point, still feeling good, in 1:48:58.

It's funny. This was my sixth marathon. #3, #4 and #5 all had a goal of sub 3:40. This is the first time I came through the half way point ahead of that 1:50 goal - and I wasn't even stressing over time. I still didn't let myself think ahead .. I was just being strong and running in the moment. I started letting myself go here. I'd think ahead to the next gel or think it 2 mile increments. Like, if you can make it two more miles, then you only have 11 left. You can do anything for 11 miles. You know, that kind of talk.

I hit 15 - still feeling great.

25K - 2:13:04

I hit 16 - still feeling great despite the two mile bridge into Manhattan. Funny enough, I rememebered every single step of this race from 2009 - except that bridge. I remember that bridge not being so bad. It was long and hilly and kind of rough. But, I pushed and knew wait awaited me .. Manhattan! I can't even describe this moment. There have got to be very few moments in life that top coming off of that bridge and into Manhattan. I took out my ipod and listened to the crowd and to "New York" play so loudly.

I started picking up the pace. I don't have my garmin on me now, but the next 5 miles were all between 7:44 and 8:05.

This was the first time I started looking ahead, too. I figured that even if I crashed, I wouldn't stop and so worse case that mean 10 minute miles. My predicition at mile 16 (with 10 ten minute miles): 3:53. Knowing I had run a 3:56 in 2009, I was elated .. and that probably pushed me even more.

At 18, I predicted again.

30K - 2:42:08

19 and 20 were great. 20 is a huge milestone. I continued to count down the time until I'd finish each time predicitng a little quicker. I'd start to wonder when I was going to completely crash knowing that it could happen any second but tried really hard not to let my mind go there.

Around 22, I saw Keri and her dad. Keri was very encouraging as I ran past them. I kept going ... until Mile 23. At 23, the wall came. I felt like I was crawling I was running so slow. But, I was determined to keep running and not give up. I knew it was 5K left. Everytime I looked at my Garmin, I was somehow mustering a 9:10-9:15 pace. I was content with that to say the least. 23 and 24 were happy miles. We were in Central Park and approaching the finish line. But, 23 and 24 were long miles, too. I knew once I reached 25, I could do it! One mile ... yes! :)

I tried picking up the pace a little at 25. In NYC, this actually is possible. The crowds are unbelieveable at this point that you can't help but smile and pick up the pace. I just love finishing the NYC Marathon and I'd dreamt of running this last mile again ever since I finished in 2009. There are few moments in life that will top that feeling!! The signs continued to count down and I just tried passing people :) 1/2 mile ... 400m ... 300m ... 200m ... 100m ... Finished!

I crossed the finish line completely spent with the largest smile on my face. I stopped my watch.

26.45 miles 3:41:08

I realized around mile 17 that I had lost almost 2 1/2 minutes of signal on the bridge into Manhattan. So, I'd say since my time was 3:43:36 - I probably ran a good 26.8 miles.

Official time: 26.2 miles: 3:43:36

Passion. Stubbornness. Determination. Belief. Call it whatever you want, but it was my day :)

New York City Marathon

I'm back from NYC and I'm back to reality. NYC proved to not disappoint - even with this being my second marathon there. I continue to be in love with Empire State and continue to be humbled by the marathon. It's definitely an unpredictable race because despite your training anything can happen. On Sunday, all of the stars aligned for me, and I ran a 3:43:36. A full recap will be posted soon. Until then, here are some pictures to enjoy!


Penny and I at the Finish Line the day before. It took us several hours to figure out that the finish line clock was the actual time of day :)

My race day outfit.

Views from the Ferry

More Views from the Ferry

Statue of Liberty - view from the Ferry

This seemed to be the trend all weekend :)

More to come!!!

New York City: Week 3 of 20 "Quality vs. Quantity"

What a crazy week! My schedule continues to get more and more hectic. One more week of my 35 minute commute and boy am I happy about that! I love everything about where I'm living, but knowing that I'll be able to start running in the morning again makes me one happy girl! :) These lunch time runs are exhausting, not too mention I am hating the treadmill. Due to the 95 degree + heat (hello Summer in KY), I'm really having no other option.

My mileage was down this week and I was really hard on myself and upset that I didn't hit the 38 miles that I had wanted to. Instead of continually beating myself up, I made a vow to myself that I would make sure that they runs I was able to run were of quality!!

Here's how the week went:

Monday - OFF

Tuesday - 7 miles in 54:44
Shoulders/Tris/Bis/Abs

Wednesday - 5.2 miles in 41:20
Legs/Abs

Thursday - No run :( Ran out of time at lunch
Chest/Back/Abs

Friday - 7 miles in 54:47

Saturday - 1 mile in 8:45 + 30 minutes of cross training

Sunday - 10 miles in 1:18:38

Total Mileage: 30.2 miles

It's still early and I'm hoping to INCREASE my mileage majorly ... but, all things considered, I'll take this week. I can tell I'm getting stronger :)

XOXO

NYC: Week 2 of 20 - Done.

This also marked week 2 of me getting my butt in the weight room. Like hard core weight room. I have three girlfriends at work that go to the gym everyday from 12-1 to lift. I've always wanted to add more lifting, but can never find anyone that can workout with my schedule. The lift, without break and with lots of reps! Just like I like it -My heart beats fast, my muscles get worn out and I leave feeling accomplished and all sweaty!

Funny enough, NYC training also started two weeks ago. With week one going almost as well as I could have imagined, it was only a matter of time before the lifting and running caught up with me. For this particular week, it was Friday.

Monday - OFF (running) - shoulders, bi's and tri's

Tuesday - 7.5 miles (dead garmin) + legs (thinks squats and lunges and leg press)

Wednesday - 7 miles in 58:18 + chest and back

Thursday - My own version of track - 4 miles worth of 4 minutes easy, 1 minute fast My easy pace averaged around 8:20 while my one minute sprints were all between 5:32-5:49 pace. This was a fun way to get some turnover without running crazy intervals on the track. Love track, but not solo track. Still working on that one. + more legs

Friday - Didn't get to leave in time to get my run finished before I met the ladies at the gym. Ran 1 mile (instead of 7); then lifted shoulders, bi's and tri's. David wanted wine after work and I couldn't resist :( On top of that, my legs were exhausted!! So, I took the rest of the day off.

Saturday - 3 miles in 25:02

Sunday - 11 miles in 1:38:49 (8:59 pace). Holy hills (mountains). We were at the lake house for the weekend. When my first two miles were 9:19 and 9:34, I quickly decided to turn my watch upside down and not look at it. My legs HURT. The hills were so tough. I decided to chalk up the pace and just try to reap the benefits of hill training! Somehow, I finished strong and it brought my average down.

Total - 33.5 miles (was supposed to be 39 miles)

I'll still call it a success. I even had a GREAT tempo run today to start off Week 3.

No New News

Nothing out of the ordinary to report here, just wanting to check in ...

Louisville is still hilly and on most days has only grey skies. Yesterday, I was able to sneak in a 7.5-8 (Garmin was dead) mile run in the sun!! This made me smile.

I've been working out at lunch (lifting weights) with three other girls from work. I'm happy that I'm reforming this habit and have some ladies to hold me accountable.

Otherwise, I've been working a TON of hours.

Tell me something fun to make me smile on this beautiful Wednesday!!

NYC: 1 week down, 19 to go!

Week 1 is in the books and it was a success. For the first four weeks, I'm building my base back up. Here's how the week went:

Monday: Off
Tuesday: 7 miles - 58:17 (8:20 pace)
Wednesday: 7 miles - 59:29 (8:30 pace)
Thursday: 4 miles - 33:12 (8:18 pace) --> This run also had 2 400m sprints in the middle of it.
Friday: 7 miles - 56:17 (8:02 pace)
Saturday: 3 miles - 24:39 (8:13 pace)
Sunday: 10 miles - 1:24:36 (8:28 pace)

Total for the week: 38 miles

I was pretty sore on Wednesday and Thursday, but by Friday I was feeling really good! Suprisingly good. That carried over to my easy 3 miler on Saturday, too! Both Friday and Saturday I ran when it was probably 80 degrees out.

This morning, I set out for my 10 miler and was very tired. I didn't even wake up until 9:15AM and then managed to lay around and drink coffee and watch tv until around 11:30. When I finally got out the door, I just wasn't into it, but was determined to finish and complete my long run. I ran through the neighborhood and somehow managed to find 10 miles. I climbed many hills and even one mountain. I kept telling myself that this was hilly than NYC and would be good training. I didn't let myself look at my Garmin for the first six miles.

Overall, I'm very pleased with my week! 19 more to go!

The hardest part is the first step ...

I dreaded my run yesterday from the moment I woke up! I was incredibly sore and tired. When lunch time finally came, it was drizzling and I found myself still unmotivated. I changed clothes, hopped on the treadmill and knew it was going to be a long 7 miles. Within .1 miles, I knew that I didn't have the mental strength for almost an hour-long run on the treadmill. So, despite the drizzly rain, I headed outdoors reminding myself that it was an "easy" run and that the goal was to go easy and to complete the distance.

After a mile, my legs started to warm up and my calves loosened up and felt almost normal. I never looked at my watch until the last mile. The rain felt amazing and my lunch time run left me refreshed the rest of the day! :)

It's true, no matter how bad I've ever not wanted to run, I've never regret a run once finished!

7 miles - 59:29 (Day 2 of NYC training)

PS: Check out www.amandavanvoorhisphotography.com for my wedding pictures preview. Love love love!!!

20 Weeks Until NYC . . .

For the next four weeks, I'm re-building my base. I never quite lost my base, but now I have a schedule and am not cutting my self any slack. No more saying "It doesn't really matter if you sleep in today," because it does. The truth is NYC is 20 weeks away. My plan is to run 38 miles, 39 miles, 38 miles, 42 miles for the next four weeks so that I can begin NYC training with a bang!!

I'm excited to have a schedule to follow again, though a little nervous. I'm trying something completely new this time and am writing my own schedule. I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of what I need to be successful. That, along with a lot of research and reading, should help me put together the perfect plan for NYC.

I'm trying something new this time around - Sunday long runs instead of Saturday. I'm not a stay up all night kind of girl on Friday's but I figured with moving to a new city and working full days on Fridays now, it will be good to cut myself a little slack on Saturday AM. That way, I can make plans for Friday nights, too! It's not like I have a group of people meeting me on Saturday mornings anymore :( I'll have to have all of my online friends help keep me accountable! That, and daily calls/emails to Penny :)

I joined the gym yesterday but I'm hoping for some sunshine today! It's been grey skies and raining since I moved to Louisville. I'd love a little blue skies. Please!!

XOXO

Married!!

I have so many updates to give you - most importantly 1) I'm married and 2) I moved to Louisville, KY. And, while 3) NYC Marathon is 20 weeks away, I'm still more excited about #1 and #2. No worries, though ... I've been running. But, for now, let's talk about the wedding!

Everything (minus the fact that I was diagnosed with bronchitis six days prior) was perfect!!! David and I flew into Key West and had a very small ceremony on the beach. We'll celebrate in a few months with a reception, but for now we're enjoying the fact that we were able to run away to get married. I won't give you too many details, but will share some photos that Penny was able to take on her phone! I'm dying to get the professional pictures back!! Until then ....

So much going on ...

I have a lot of updates, but at the same time, I feel like I'm still missing so much information. There is a reason I haven't posted in a while as I have so much going on in my life. For now, I will share the following:

• Last Monday I found out that the company I work for is closing down the Tampa office. They are transferring the employees back to Louisville, KY. Lots of decisions to be made asap!
• Last Saturday, I ran a 5K in Brevard, NC and I won overall female. There were 86 females and 157 total runners. I was 1/86 (females) and 12/157 (total runners). I climbed 394 feet total and it was the hardest race of my life. I won with a 22:21. No joke. The most important part of this race was that I ran it with my 11 year old brother, Dakota. He won his age group with a 28:03. He didn't walk at all. I'm so proud of him. I almost walked up those mountains myself!
• My little sister, Morgan, got married last Saturday. She was so beautiful and it was so nice to spend the weekend with my family!
• I got back from NC late Monday and had a great wine date w/my favorite Penny! :) Before I let myself enjoy the wine, I ran 5 easy miles w/an average pace of 7:58.
• Got fitted for my wedding dress on Tuesday! :)
• Went to track on Wednesday to see everyone and for my sanity. Opted to run in my own group and not worry about time. The last thing I need right now is a breakdown because I can't hit my target paces. I love running and need to keep it that way. The workout was 1200 1200 400 1200 1200. I ran 5:07 5:05 93 5:05 4:55 My normal group's goal times were: 4:54 for the 1200's and 93 for the 400. All things considered, I'm more than okay with how I ran.
• I've spent countless hours with David weighing all of our options ....
• I ran 5.3 miles with the group this morning which included one parking garage for hills.
• Got my marriage license today.
• Going to Busch Gardens today. Need to get use out of my annual pass.
• Need beach time this weekend.
• Dress Fitting #2 on Sunday
• Birthday on Monday
• Packing for Key West on Tuesday
• Leaving for Key West on Wednesday
• Getting married on Friday
• Getting back to Tampa on Sunday
• Possibly moving on Monday or Tuesday ....

So, there you go ... I may not be online so much over the next two or three weeks, but I will have wedding pictures for you soon after that! I'll be reading all of your posts, but please forgive me if I do not comment!

Everything happens for a reason! Trying to remain positive with all of these changes! :)

XOXO

Jaime

Track Attack

I had the most amazing track workout on Wednesday night - really, I've had an amazing week of running.


I opted to sleep in Wednesday and go to night track. I prefer running in the AM, mostly because of the heat but also because I have such a solid group of running friends. I was extremely tired all of Tuesday and even though I went to bed early that night, I decided that I didn't want to spend the rest of my week exhausted, so I slept in.


The track workout Wednesday night was: 1200 6x400 1200


Goal Times: 4:54 - 95 - 4:54

We were told not to push the 400's since we only received a minute of rest after each 400. Also, we were to hit or exceed whatever time we ran the first 1200 in.


My times - 4:49 95 93 94 94 94 94 4:41


I felt so good that I was able to finish strong!! Love when that happens!!


Rest of the Week -


Monday (lunch)- 7 easy at 8:43 pace
Tuesday (AM) - 5 easy at 8:08 pace
Wednesday (PM)- Track
Thursday (AM) - 5 easy at 8:41 pace


Tomorrow, I'm heading back to the trails!! :)

Miles for Moffit 5 miler: RR

I could make this very short and simple and summarize my race in one sentence: 5 milers are hard!!

But, I'll give you a little more fo a run down on how it went . . .

After babysitting my favorite little FL baby on Friday night, I got about 5 hours of sleep. I woke up and had less than 15 minutes to get ready. UGH! I hate being rushed. I quickly got dressed and ready and met some friends to carpool with to the race.

We warmed up for nearly 2 miles and got ready to run. My only race goal was to start around 7:15's and try to hold on. I really didn't want to start too fast. Knowing my half pace is 7:20, I thought I could aim for a little faster, but I still have this terrible fear of starting too fast!!

Jen and I started off together - which was the plan! We were going to start together and see what happened. We came across mile 1 in 6:59. We laughed at the fact that we were talking and running sub 7:00 minute miles. Mile 2 was a little harder, but we kept pace: 6:56

Somewhere around mile 2.5, I dropped back off of Jen. I couldn't keep up with her and my biggest fear had suddenly come true. I had in fact started too quickly! 2.5 more miles of running is hard on tired lungs and legs! :) I let her go, but kept her in sight. I tried to stay positive and tried not to let anyone pass me. I just wanted to hold on and not completely die. I crossed mile 3 with a split of 7:15.

Funny enough, there were rolling hills. We kept going up and down them on the last two miles. I told myself when I had two miles left that I could run 8:20's and finish under 38 minutes. I was okay with this ... or, well I tricked myself expecting this, so I was elated when I hit mile 4 in 7:16.

My saving grace was a short little out and back section that they added around mile 3.5-4ish. I like out and back's in short races because you can distract yourself and count the runners ahead of you! I wanted to see how Jen was doing and I wanted to see how many females were ahead of me. I was surprised to only count 6 females in front of Jen. There were two girls in between us (but they were close and I knew I'd get them).

I kept trying to pick up the pace, but I couldn't. The two girls were merely inches in front of me but I couldn't muster up enough energy to pass them. They were older and I knew they weren't in my age group. Then, something happened. With about half a mile left, I started yelling at myself! I kept telling myself that I'd be so upset if I didn't pass them. It was going to hurt either way and I just needed to push a little harder. So, I did. I picked up the pace and pushed pass them!! Mile 5: 7:11

Of course, there were quite a few turns and I don't always run the best tangents, so my final home stretch sprint - :21 (.06 miles) - 5:40 pace.

I crossed the finish line completely exhausted. I looked at my Garmin and in complete disbelief, it said: 36:00:94 I told everyone that I ran a 35:59 and prayed that I stopped it a little late. Sadly, the final results had me at just that: 36:00. I wish it would have read 36:01 or 35:59. 36:00 just sounds too approximate. Oh well.

Garmin Results:
5.06 miles: 36:00
7:07 pace

Official Results
5.0 miles: 36:00
7:12 pace

2/85 - age group
8/556 - females

7:12 pace

Reality Check!

I am tired. I missed my run this morning due to sleeping in. But, it was worth it. It wasn't easy and it was a lot different than what I am used to after work, but last night I babysat Charlotte while my friends, Emily and Justin, went to a concert. We had her from 6:30-11:30. Since, I'm usually without child and in bed by 10PM, this was an adjustment. But, I can see why it's so worth it.

David was so sweet when he got home around 8:30PM. He let me take a bath and wouldn't let me make his dinner plate. He was so helpful and stayed awake with me and Charlotte the entire time. When Charlotte got fussy, he held her and rocked her. So sweet. Makes me fall even more in love . . .

Redemption Track

I almost didn't wake up this morning! I was so tired and my fiance finally got back after being away for work since Friday morning. The bed was so warm and it was just screaming for me to stay in. Yesterday's "easy" 5 miler (8:35, 8:22, 8:18, 8:11, 7:44) was tough. My legs were still tired from the trails and it was not even the slightest bit easy. I tried reasoning with myself that I am racing a 5 miler on Saturday and that could count as my speed workout for the week. Afterall, track on tired legs is not any fun at all. But, something inside of me knew I'd be so upset with myself for the rest of the day. So, I did what any good runner would do . . . I got out of bed!

4:45AM is so early. It never becomes normal. Some mornings it is easier to wake up than other mornings, but it's still early!

I got to track not sure how my legs would feel and did a little warm up mile. Felt okay! :) When, I went to check the workout, this is what I saw: (800m - 1 minute rest - 800m) 2 minute rest x 3 times

In English: 800m - 1 minute rest - 800m - 2 minutes rest - 800m - 1 minute rest - 800m - 2 minutes rest - 800m - 1 minute rest - 800m

Goal Times: 3:18, 3:14, 3:18, 3:14, 3:18, 3:14
No matter how fast we ran the first, we had to run the second 800m of that set 4 seconds faster. The goal was to pace the first and then learn to pick it up after only one minute rest.

My immediate thoughts - AAHHH! Though I love 800's, I know that the one minute in between flies. We usually get two minutes between all. We did this workout not even two months ago and it was my first track fail in a while.

So, I decided I would not run repeats 1, 3 and 5 any faster than I needed. I thought of it as pacing and tried to convice myself that 3:18 was easy! It worked. Here's how I did:

3:18 3:10 3:17 3:10 3:16 3:07

Redemption sure is nice.

So glad I didn't sleep in!!!

Trails x 2 - My Kind of Weekend

With the boy out of town for nearly 5 days, what's a girl to do?! I was in desperate need of some me time and some good running!! Probably not your average thought, but my idea of a good weekend was back to back trail runs with friends.

I haven't run trails since I moved to FL (Jan. '10). It's been a while to say the least and I had forgotten how much I missed it. To say the least, it reminds me of home in Western North Carolina. It's basically where I learned to run!

The trails are just so serene; so peaceful. There is something about running as the sun rises and hearing woodpeckers and birds chirp. The trails were narrow at times; sometimes rooty, sometimes sandy. The water was along side the trail for a lot of the run. So beautiful! We even saw two rather large white tailed deer this morning! I really can't describe it, but when I reflect back on it, I simply smile! I want to go back!

Yesterday, we ran a 9.23 mile loop. This morning, we ran 7.65 miles. The times were slower and much more relaxed but I was reminded of my love for running this weekend. It was nice to run through the woods at my own pace, on my own time! It was nice to take everything in and enjoy the company of great friends. I have a feeling that the trails will be visited much more often in my future!

Movin' On Up

I thought last week was a fluke, but apparently my 6:06 mile now means that I have to continue to run with Group 4 at track. I've been in Group 4B for a little while now, so this means I'm movin' on up! This also means that I have to run even faster . . .

This morning's workout was a tough one! 600 600 800 800 1000 1000

After the 600's and 1000's, we did a slow 200m jog as our recovery. After the 800's, we received 2 minutes rest.

Expected times - 93 seconds per lap - 6:12 pace

My times -

2:21
2:21
3:05
3:06
4:00
4:00

Those 1000's were supposed to be in 3:52. They were tough!! But, if I exceeded my times on my first try than I would be ready to move up again. This group will definitely provide a challenge and I'm going to have to work for it, but I'm ready :)

I still owe you a Bachelorette Party Post. I hope to have that up by the end of the week!!

One Mile Work Race: RR

6:30AM - Got to sleep in because I didn't have to run before work! :) Woke up after 7 hours of sleep and three glasses of wine. TIRED.

8:00AM - COFFEE!!!!

10:00AM - Water and Clif Bar

11:30AM - Water and 1/2 Clif Bar

12:00PM - 1/2 mile warm up jog and lots of stretching

12:15PM - My coach arrives!! We talk and he stretches me. It's 86 degrees out and so HOT!!!! I feel good and after yesterday, I knew exactly what that 89-91 pace/lap felt like. I also had a lot more confidence after completing the workout yesterday that my competitors would not be able to hang at that pace. :)

12:30PM - We begin. Andrew takes off immediately and I don't stay with him. Adam stays right on my heels, almost tripping me twice. Adam and I exchange a few words during the first 200m. I tell him if he's going to pace off of me that he can't trip me. At the 200m, I feel great and we are at 41 seconds. Andrew is 3 seconds at least ahead of me. I decide to slow down knowing that he will die in due time.

I hit the first lap in 88 seconds. I feel great and I can see Andrew slowing down. As I hit the 500m-ish mark, I pass Andrew like he's standing still :) All the meanwhile, Adam is still right on me.

We hit lap two in 3:01. I can hear Adam breathing heavily. While tired, I know I can hold the pace. I'm just being patient waiting for Adam to fall off.

On the home stretch to completing lap three, I feel Adam backing off a little. He's backing off and I still have energy left. Silly boys! I come across the 1200m mark in 4:35. I'm guessing I've got three seconds on Adam at this point but I'm not worried - not even the slightest!

I continue running never looking back! I don't need to know where he is; I need to focus on my own race. As I round the last corner, I can see through the corner of my eyes that I have about 100m on Adam. I stride it out - never sprinting, yet still picking up the pace slightly. I cross the finish line in 6:06.

Adam crossed 41 seconds later in 6:47. He had a rough last lap. :(

We chat and congratulate each other and see Andrew walking with over 200m left. He continues to walk until the home stretch and finally finishes in 9:14.

That 6:06 felt good and left me hungry for digging deep and training for speed. Especially, since I was basically running solo and in the 86 degree heat. I'm itching to break 6:00 and I know I have it in me! :)

9:30PM - Packing. Leaving for JAX with Penny at 7AM!! Our shirts: "Jaime's tying the knot .... So, BUY us a SHOT!!!"

Weekend Recap w/Pictures next!!

XOXO

400m repeats

I LOVE the 400m distance. I was a sprinter back in my high school days and everytime that we run 400's, it bring backs fond memories of the 400m dash!

Wednesday morning's workout: 10x 400 w/a 1:15 rest in between.

Expected time: 91

With 90% humidity a the craziest wind for the entire home stretch, I didn't have too many factors on my side, but I still managed:

91 91 90 90 90 91 90 90 89 87

My quads hated me for the last 3.

Today is the one mile challenge. I'll keep you posted! :)

So excited!!

Monday - Check

Tuesday - Check

Wednesday - Looking forward to track :)

Thursday - One Mile Challenge

Friday - 8AM - Leaving for Jacksonville for my Bachelorette Party Weekend :) Need I say more?!

Getting excited!!!!

Beach Running + Partying w/the girls + Fun in the Sun (minus the boy)! ;)

One Mile Challenge?

Some guys at work have quite boldly challenged me to a one mile challenge. As in . . . they were talking a lot of shit and saying that there was no way that I could beat them! I wasn't having any of that, so I said "Let's do this!"

In one week from today, I will be racing a mile against:

• A 27 year old, out of shape, smoker (in his defense he still has some MI state records in swimming on the high school level)


• A 25 year old ex college soccer player. Hasn't worked out since college.


• A 35 year old who runs 2 milesx 5 days a week (around 15:00) and lifts 6 days per week --> who is also known as my fiance. He ran the Turkey Day Mile in 6:56 w/my little brother and wasn't winded.

I'm the most worried about the fiance! But, I don't think that any of them will approach the mile the right way; i.e., they will start SUPER fast!

AND ... the want to do it at lunch (90 degree weather). So, I think that is an advantage to me! :)

Thoughts?

Track yesterday was hard. I ran at 6:3oPM instead of AM and it was 85 degrees. The workout was 1200 400 1200 400 1200 400

I ran: 4:48 94 4:55 94 4:58 89

HARD!!!

Ran 6 this morning as a recovery!

I should have raced this weekend!!

I had the best run yesterday! So good, that when I finished, all I could think was "I should have raced today."

Because I'm a good fiance, I dd'ed on Friday night and slept in on Saturday instead of waking up early to meet my friends for a long run. This threw my entire Saturday off (sleeping in) and I didn't run the entire day.

Fast forward to Sunday and I slept in (just a little) again! I got up, made coffee, visited with the boy before he left for fishing for the day and finally started running at 9AM.

I realize that 9AM is early to a lot of you, but in Tampa, it's already 85 degree and sunny at 9AM!

So, I headed out solo and without music in the warm, warm weather. It was a beautiful day and all I could think about was finishing so that I could hit up the pool and work on my tan ;)

For the first ten steps, I thought "UGH! My legs are heavy and tight." I thought ... just make it six miles. You have to go at least six. But, then I loosened up and hit mile one in 8:20. I kept running, focusing on my stride. I wasn't thinking about running faster, just about running with a longer stride. It feels good to stretch out. But, then something happened. I kept getting faster. Of course, on my way back (I ran an out and back of 8 miles), I kept yelling at myself saying things like "You have to work hard to run well in NYC." "There's a reason you're not in Boston this weekend. You need to train harder!" "Be tough, Jaime. RUN!!!" I'm getting good at playing mind games with myself!

Check out these splits! Because they're all negative, I can honestly say that I didn't realize increase the effort too much until the last .3 miles!

8:20
8:13
7:52
7:41
7:28
7:23
7:13
6:56

Total - 8 miles in 1:01:11 (7:39 average pace).

Truth be told, 7:20 is my half marathon pace and I can see why! When stretched and not rushed into that pace, I feel good holding it! :) 7:38 is my secret marathon goal pace for NYC! We'll see!!

Good luck to everyone in Boston today!!

1000's - New Distance + Random Talk

We ran 1000's at the track yesterday! This was new distance as we always sprint distances in multiples of 400m. But, instead, the workout was 5 x1000m w/a 200m recovery in between.

This = HARD!

Goal pace: 4:00 (6:24 mile pace or 96 second lap pace).

My attempt:

3:59 3:57 3:56 4:02 3:19

No, it's not how it looks. I didn't crush the last repeat. I stopped at the 800m mark because I was dead and already 7 seconds off of pace! So tough!!

I'm lacking in the energy department lately. I've been so tired. Ever since I detoxed, I've lost about 5 lbs. I'm okay with this because my stomach looks better than ever; however, I'm tired. I was 104lb today. I'm usually 108-110. I promise I'm eating! :)

Regardless, I had a great workout! Oh! On Monday, I finished my run with a 7:44 minute mile and then a 7:06 mile. Even though I'm only logging 20-25 mpw, I'm determined to gain strength and not lose my speed! It's possible!

Do you notice a correlation between your weight and energy levels?

Are you running Boston on Monday? If so, Good luck!!!

Inspired!

As soon as I told myself that I wouldn't follow a schedule for two months, I've found myself yearning to run. I've stuck true to the 20-25 miles per week approach for now, but lately I cannot seem to read enough on running. I google races, read forums, read blogs, google training plans, etc. I'm so excited about running the NYC Marathon and I'm ready to begin training for it. It's 30 weeks away ...

I found a half marathon today that is 5 weeks before NYC. I think this is perfect. It's not too close to NYC, so I can actually RACE the half and not worry about not recovering in enough time. But, still that's 25 weeks away, so I have some time.

Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying sleeping in on the weekends and not stressing about getting in my miles but I'm getting very anxious!!

I'm feeling ambitious today. I'm thinking a 1:33 for the Half Marathon and a 3:20-3:25 for NYC.

Thoughts??

Sprinting is Good for the Soul!!

I woke up this morning with a smile on my face. It's been a while since I had a smile on my face at 4:45AM. The smile usually comes post run, not before. But, this morning, for whatever reason, I was genuinely happy to go to track. It turns out that I felt great, too. As I ran a mile and a half warm up, I realized that my legs actually wanted to run. I found myself looking at the workout thinking "this isn't going to be so bad" opposed to "this is going to be horrible and hurt!"

1600 1200 800 400 400 400
Rest in between: 3:00, 2:00, 1:30, 1:15, 1:00
Excepted paces: 6:40, 4:57, 3:16, 97, 96, 95

In case you didn't catch on, the rest decreases and the pace increases. So, while the intervals decrease in length, everything else was supposed to get harder. As we started the mile, I realized I felt good. It's always hard to start with a mile at 6AM, but I knew by hitting that one, I'd be warmed up and ready for a great workout.

Here's how I did:

1600 - 6:40 (exact --> though, I ran in lane two and my Garmin beeped at 6:32)
1200 - 4:51
800 - 3:13
400 - 92
400 - 88
400 - 84

It's a great way to start off Wednesday. I've been smiling ever since! :) Hope your Wednesday is going amazing, too!!!

Bullet Points Take Two

What can I say? I like the format and I'm feeling kind of bullet point-y again today! Nothing special to report, just a couple of updates:

• Detox is going well. I gave myself an A for last week. This week, I'll probably get a C because I'm being more lenient. I'm okay with that though. I got out of it what I wanted and saw significant increases in the way my body looked and felt in those 7 days. The only reason I'm getting a C this week is because David went grocery shopping and so I don't have as many options. That's the key to eating well and being successful! I snacked so much better last week when I had the right snacks and breakfast options available! :)


• I had the best 8 miler ever on Saturday! It was 9AM and 80 degrees out and I still managed this as a solo run: 8:33, 8:13, 8:06, 7:57, 7:58, 7:57, 7:45, 7:19 - total time: 1:03:56.


• I had a fun 5 miler on Sunday morning :)


• I took my first spin class (in probably 2 years) on Friday morning w/my friend Jen!


• I ran with the Plant High School girls last night after work. It was only 4 miles, but it was 80+ degrees and the wind gusts were at least 20mph (not exaggerating, probably more). Jen and I managed to finish in 31:45, but I'd say it was at least a 7:30 effort.

Bullet Points

Lots of stuff going on:

• Detoxing is going well! So far, I've been successful! After three days of no coffee (because remember that I have to have half a cup of french vanilla creamer in my coffee, Penny came up the perfect solution for me: Blend together: ice, strawberries, protein powder and coffee. Sounds gross, tastes good!!


• I finally signed up for NYC. I can't believe it costs over $200. UGH! Oh well, they should verify my time within the next 2 weeks!! :)


• Work is craaaaazzzy!


• Running is blah! I have really good days and then really crappy days. There haven't been any inbetweens.


• Today at track, I moved to a slower group in the middle of the workout. It was 6x800 - but we ran 800 1 minute break 800 2 1/2 minute break. My times were supposed to be 3:16, then 3:12. Then, of course repeat x 3 sets. I ran: 3:18 3:07 3:17 98 (I quit after one lap and moved groups) 3:24 3:19


• I was so mad that I quit, but my legs weren't loving me and it was humid and I was exhausted. Plus my group was running way too fast. I didn't realize that even though I wasn't keeping up that I was on track. Oh well The 3;24 and 3:19 felt much better today and I'm okay with that!


• I want to run a 3:19:59 in NYC. My PR is 3:51:50. That's a HUGE PR ... but based off of my 1:35 half, I can do it.


• I'm getting close to the burn out phase in my running right now, so my plan is to run no more than 25-30 miles a week until my wedding (June 10th) and then do 4 weeks of 30-35 miles and then start a 16 week training program for NYC. I plan on adding some yoga and cycling to the mix.


• I've been weight training (upper body and core) 3x a week for 4 weeks now! :)


• I'm doing the 100 pushups in 6 week challenge and am on week 2 right now. I did this is 2009 and never finished but got up to 40+ pushups in a row.


• I'm still bad at commenting on your blogs, because I'm at work 90% of my day ... but, I am reading! :)


• I'm thinking about going back to school for Pharmacy but wonder if I'm crazy for this. It would take 6 yrs. total (with my prerequisites - b/c my bachelor's in education doesn't quite cover all of the science and math I need) and of course I want to start a family way before then ..... I'm still thinking though ;) One day, I'll wake up and be 33 anyway ... I may as well have my PharmD degree?!

Detox Challenge - but, with a runner's twist!

I've always been interested in detoxing/cleansing my body for a 2-6 week challenge. I say this very lightly, though because I'm very uninterested in living on only lemon water and not having energy to continue to run. So, it all started yesterday morning. After a lot of research, I'm detoxing for two weeks ... but with a twist! I'm eliminating sugars (except natural), gluten and dairy. The biggest challenge so far: coffee! I don't like my coffee black. I like half a bottle of vanilla creamer in it instead!! This change will not last more than the required two weeks; however, maybe when I resume coffee, I won't need as much coffee!! I love carbs, but I'm okay because I still get rice. Breakfast was a challenge this morning because I realized I couldn't just grab something and go! So, I had to actually make some veggies and eggs! But, that's not a bad thing, right? I don't get desserts for two weeks, either. Those fall under the sugar and gluten categories. Oh, and probably the dairy category, too! It's only two weeks though! All this no sugar eating will certainly help my waistline. Right? It was 85 this weekend and it's officially bathing suit season! Let's hope Day 2 goes as well as Day 1! :)

Ryan's Run 5K

I don't hate 5K's like I used to. I haven't fallen in love with them, either. There is something about running as hard as you can for 20ish minutes that kind of sucks, yet is very exhilarating upon completion!! I can't quite describe, but I have a feeling that most of you understand what I am trying to say!

Friday night wasn't ideal. Dinner wasn't until 9PM and I had two drinks that accompanied it. I was enjoying the night with family and friends and before I knew it, it was almost midnight.

I woke up bright and early (5:15AM) to get ready for the 5K. Nothing new, nothing special. I just got to the race early so that I could register and warm up. I ran 2 miles at 9:13 average pace. It felt good.

The race started and we took off! I'd run this course before and I actually really like this course. I knew my splits from then and wanted to be at least close to them!!

Wow!! My goal for mile one was 6:40. For whatever reason, I though that would be fairly easy and that would be me holding back. I hit mile 1 in 6:42 and I felt a little winded. I knew I wasn't quite at that crash and burn state but I wasn't so sure about "picking up the pace" either!

We hit the first turn and I count the girls in front of me. First place is way in front, but the other girls were not so far. I only counted five girls in front of me. I was in sixth place.

No one passed me for the rest of the race and I happened to pass a few guys. Sadly, I didn't pass any of the females.

Mile 2 was 6:50. This was 20 seconds slower than my mile 2 on this course last time. UGH!! I was trying though. I never gave into the pain and kept pushing. At 2.3 miles, my pace said 7:06. I made myself push and kept running faster. I was able to run mile 3 in 6:52.

I gave it everything that I had during that last little bit. I ended up running the .13 in 43 seconds (5:49 pace). As I approached the finish line, I saw the clock already in the 21's. I was so upset but I really couldn't have run harder. Not yesterday at least! I finished in 21:09.

I won my age group and was the sixth overall female. While I'm happy about those stats, I'm a little upset with my time.

As I was talking to my friend, Jen, afterwards, she reminded me that it was SUPER humid and it's basically already summer in Tampa. She reminded that it's very likely that even with increased speed and effort that my race times will continue to rise over the next six months. Then, come October and November, they will drop drastically. I had almost forgotten about that! 85+% humidity with temperatures in the mid 70's doesn't always equal PR. But, it doesn't mean that I can't try!!

Ready for Normalcy

I can't believe that I used to only run at lunch. That just doesn't work in March in Tampa. It's TOO hot. My work schedule has been disasterous to my running schedule this week and I'm super sad about it. My mileage is down and I'm going on day #3 of not running in a row. I'll only hit 4 running days this week ... with one of them being a 5K! I know I'll run 2 miles before the 5K, maybe I should run a few afterwards, too?

I may go for a run tonight? 3 miles? It just seems silly to me to run less than 5. But, it also seems silly to run 5 miles the night before a 5K race. 3 miles will at least shake these legs out, right?

UUUGGGGHHHH!!

Next week. I only have a bout 3 1/2 more hours at work and then I'll be back to my normal schedule next week!! :)

Happy Friday

I'm alive! :)

I've been so unresponsive over the past couple of weeks. So sorry! **I've been reading all of your blogs, just need to get better about commenting** Sorry!

Truth is . . . work is keeping me slammed. I spent a week in Louisville - in a training classroom enviroment from 8AM-6:30PM. Then, I've been working non stop since I've gotten home. Basically, I was trained in Louisville to then train our Tampa office!

Training in Tampa is over tomorrow. The acquisition is complete and the integration is almost done.

I've still been running. :)

I'm actually racing a 5K on Saturday. We'll just have to see how that goes. I'm partly excited as it's the same course as my 5K PR from November (it's just a little hotter outside) and I'm partly terrified because you never know how long 20 minutes feel.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to break 20. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to PR. But, I'll honestly be happy with anything sub 21. I'd be lying if I said I was happy with anything 21:xx +

I don't know what kind of shape I'm in. I've been hitting up the track every week and racing half marathons like crazy!! I'm in great shape to run 7:15-7:22 pace for 13.1 miles ... let's see how that translates over to 3.1 miles.

If nothing else, Saturday will be an indicator of my current gauge of speed! :) The goal is to break 20:00 by the end of Spring/Summer (5K season in FL).

Leave me some love!! I miss all of my comments!

XOXO

Gasparilla Half Marathon: Race Report!

Whew! What a week! I'm still not caught up on sleep and I keep smiling thinking that today is Friday. Well, it's Thursday, but I'll chose to continue smiling anyway! :)

As you know I've both raced and ran several half marathons in the past 3 months - 5 or 6 total. I can't really remember! Regardless, as I was analyzing the races in which I felt the best and ran the best compared to the races in which I either crashed and burned or just felt "heavy", I saw a trend. For the "good" races, I had taken the Thursday and Friday before the race completely off! Then, I ran 2 miles on Saturday: 1 easy, 1 at goal pace. The other races, I didn't taper at all. One of the races, I thought running 6 miles at almost tempoish pace on the Friday before the race wouldn't affect me . . . I learned my lesson. On the other, I chose to run 5 miles and lift legs on the Friday before, but I was just "running" the race and not racing. You can only get stronger if you push on tired legs, right?!

So, without rambling on too much more, I opted to take off Thursday and Friday and run 2 miles on Saturday. Before Saturday's run though, I was a spectator for the Gasparilla 15K. Oh my Goodness! So.Much.Fun!! I had a blast cheering on all of my friends! It was a great time! The 15K started at 7AM and boy was it warm!! I was a little nervous about our race, but very thankful that we had a 6AM start. By the time I ran my 2 miles it was 10AM and 85 degrees outside. I made it, though! 8:16, 7:14

But, then the fun begins! The sun keeps shining and the temperture keeps rising. David and I decide to go to Busch Gardens (for the first time) along with another couple and his parents. I LOVE amusement parks and all things related to adrenaline and roller coasters. I'm not sure that this is the best idea, but I'm having a hard time saying no (not that my voice would have been heard).

So, we arrive at Busch Gardens at noon! I wear tennis shoes and drink water the entire time. Otherwise, I walk, walk and walk more, in the sun, for the next 6-7 hours!

By 7PM, I'm exhausted to say the least. My legs are hurting and I'm tired and I'm beginning to think that I just made a really dumb decision. I kind of whine a little. I know 3:45AM will come super early. This was the race that I was the most excited about. It's basically in my backyard and is my long run course!! I'd been waiting all year to have the home town crowd support of my coach and all of my running and track friends. UGH! I pick up 2 10lb bags of ice and tell the fam that we aren't going out to eat. We can order pizza and eat left overs. I've had a GREAT day, but it's time to get home.

I take an ice bath, eat left over grouper and veggies, then 3 pieces of veggie pizza and am in bed by 8:45PM! :) I sleep like a rock.

3:45AM - My alarm goes off

I'm in downtown Tampa around 4:50AM. I park and get to the expo. I sit around and stretch and then make my way down to the start around 5:30AM. I warm up for about 10 minutes and keep telling myself that "I am much stronger than I think." I've got to forget about yesterday. It's a new day and I am trained. My only goal: to feel good. I want so badly a sub 1:37, but would be happy with anything 1:36-1:39:59 I want my first 5 miles around 7:30 and then I want to be able to pick it up.

6:00AM - The gun goes off and we begin. It's a little warm, but the sun is still down. I start slow and am running around an 8:00 minute pace a quarter of a mile in! :) That's exactly what I wanted. It's pretty dark for the first 4 miles or so. This entire stretch is a loop around Davis Island. I've run this loop a million times. There is already ample water stations and I take a sip each time, knowing that it will warm up soon. The music is pumping in my ear and I smile everytime I hear a new song that David downloaded for me. The first 4 miles I keep checking my Garmin to keep myself on track. I'm happy. 7:24 7:21 7:22 7:28

As we approach mile 5, we come off of Davis Island. The ramp off of the island was a downhill and was lined with spectators. Some how, I was running solo at this point. This was truly my favorite part of the race. I felt like such a celebrity. At the end of the bridge, I was .3 miles into a particular mile and was running a 6:50 pace. I backed off drastically to conserve energy. I wasn't ready to "pick it up" yet. I wasn't quite half way done. Mile 5: 7:21

At this point, I knew I was going to have a good day! It definitely wasn't "cake" but I could do it. I've never talked to myself more during a race. The entire race, and I'm not kidding when I say entire, I spent telling myself "You are tough, Jaime" or "You're tougher than you think, You're tougher than you think." or "Run, Jaime" or "Keep going, you can do this. Tough. Tough. Don't give in. You want this, BAD." I've never really used a mantra, but this worked wonders for me. I guess if you tell yourself something for an hour and a half, you're mind will actually start believing it.

One of my favorite milestones in the half marathon is the half way point. It's never marked, but I wear a Garmin. So, I see my friend Jen at around mile 6. I give her a thumbs up and tell her I feel good and keep running. Mile 6: 7:25

We start running into the wind and I can't figure out how to draft to save my life. It doesn't matter though because everyone is fading and I'm passing people left and right. I hit that "half way" point at 48:29. I had hit that point at the Women's half at exactly 49:00 and ran a 1:37:35 (and the course was long). I had negative splits galore on that race, but I felt good, so I knew if I pushed that the sub 1:37 was within reach!

I kept running. I saw some more friends between miles 7 and 8. It made me smile! :) 7:23, 7:22
Those miles again were against the wind, so I was happy with the times.

After Davis Island, this was an out and back course. Basically, we ran down Bayshore for 4 miles, turned around and ran back. When I saw my friends at different spots, I was excited because I knew that I'd see them again at the same spot on the way back. What I didn't expect was to see Penny near the turn around point!! This soooo made my day! Not only was I excited to be at the turn around point, but I was thrilled to see her. Made me so happy! I picked up the pace without realizing and ran the next mile (9) in 7:13. I hit the 15K mark in 1:08:34

The next milestone for me was taking a gel at mile 10 and only having a 5K left. I hit 10 in 1:13:41 and was happy. I quickly compared it to my Women's Half (1:14:07) and keeping telling myself I was tough!!! Mile 10: 7:18

It was getting hot, but I knew I had some more spectators to look forward to. On top of that, I had seen my coach and another friend on a bike earlier in the race. I knew they'd be on the course again sometime soon. I knew David and his parents were at the finish and I really wanted to finish well for them, too! It's silly ... because I'm very selfish with my running, but I really wanted to run well for everyone else, too!

I slowed down a little with the heat. I didn't get water in the last two miles because it was going to take to much energy to swerve and get on that side of the road. Ha. I ran miles 11 and 12 in 7:25 and 7:25.

When I had about a mile and half left, I saw my coach again. He told me to push. It was that finally little "talk" that I needed. I ran the last mile in 7:10 even though I didn't feel like I had a huge push and then the last .17 at a 6:16 pace.

I finished and was so HAPPY!!! I had hit that sub 1:37. The clock still read sub 1:37 and I had started about 5 seconds after the gun. My time: 1:36:47

Though, I had already receive my sub 1:37 for NYC, it was on a "short" course. This course was long and I rightfully ran at least the entire distance under that time. This wasn't a PR, but all things considered, it was the fastest I'd run the distance!!! Not to mention, it came the day after spending 7 hours in the sun at Busch Gardens.

I am tougher than I think!!! :)

8/399 - age group
43/2890 - women
239/4801 - total finishers

I can't figure out a way to post/save my pictures from online, but you should check them out! The got a lot!! Just don't mind my "rat's nest" hair. Did I mention the humidity was at 90% when the race started?!

If the link doesn't work: www.marathonfoto.com Choose "Gasparilla Half 2011" My last name is Winchester and my bib # was: 25439

XOXO

Teaser

I ran a Half Marathon yesterday and ran well!!

I don't have a lot of time to give a race recap, but I ran a 1:36:47! It wasn't a PR, but it was the sub 1:37 that I wanted. And, off the record, it was the fastest I'd ever run that distance. All things considered, the PR came on a "short" course and this course was "long."

So, I'm still smiling and very happy!!

I've got some work to do, but I'm elated with where I am!!

8/399 in age group
43/2490 females
239/4801 total runners

More to come . . .

100 Things About Me!!

In celebration of my 100th post, I thought it would only be fitting to post 100 random things about me!

Family

1. I am the oldest of five. I have three younger sisters and a younger brother.
2. I was born in San Jose, CA - all the way on the other coast!
3. I was supposed to be named Jordan; however, my cousin was born before me and received the name. It's my mother's maiden name. Instead, I was named Jaime after my grandfather, James.
4. I have two older half brothers and one older half sister.
5. My parents are still married!
6. I'm the proud Aunt of 2 nieces, 3 nephews and another little one on the way!
7. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my family! I talk to my parents almost daily! :)
8. My entire immediate family lives in NC within 15 miles of each other. I'm an 8 1/2 hour drive south in sunny FL.
9. I'm a country girl at heart even though I love city living.
10. My mom gave birth to my little brother when I was a junior in high school!

Running

1. I ran track in middle school and high school and thought I was a sprinter.
2. I did high jump in middle school. I still 5"4' then - I just never got any taller. I was the only girl on our team that could clear the bar. Ha
3. My favorite event in High School was the 1600m relay. We did decently well. Placed 3rd in State my Junior Year. Woo Hoo Medal :) (4th - sophomore yr and 5th senior yr).
4. I ran cross country during my 11th and 12th grade years as a way to stay active in the off season. I hated long distance.
5. I walked in my most of my 5K meets (Cross Country) and my PR was 26:12
6. I started training for my first marathon in 2007 and ran a 4:34 After I crossed that off the bucket list, I got excited and addicted and became obsessed with getting faster.
7. Within 5 months of hitting the track, I dropped my 5K time down to 22:35 and 5 months after that I ran a 20:30
8. After running my 5th marathon (or attempting it rather), I realized that I was a much better racer/runner than my race times said. My marathon training/programs were good but not the most beneficial to me. I entered into my "first" half marathon and ran a 1:37 and became addicted!
9. Track is my favorite day of the week!!
10. My fiance gets bored very easily when I talk about running :)

Random

1. I'm terrified of lightning storms. Terrified! I'll hide in the closet (because there are no windows).
2. I play the flute. Quite well. Like ... I graduated with a degree in music.
3. I love to read.
4. I must wash my hair every single morning!
5. I once donated 13 inches of my hair. While it may be one of the most selfless things I've ever done, I will probably never do that again. I cried for days!!
6. I LOVE NFL football. I'm obsessed. Literally. I even placed second in fantasy this year. I was the only female on my team.
7. Speaking of football, I love Brett Favre!!
8. I'm ridiculously organized. Our condo is typically very clean. I can't stand clutter. At all.
9. I LOVE Taylor Swift. I'm *hopefully* going to see her in concert on June 4th! :)
10. I'm a true Gemini.

Favorite Things I Like To Do

1. I love adventure. I've been skydiving once and love all roller coasters that are fast and take me upside down.
2. I love being outside.
3. I'm obsessed with the water. I love the beach/ocean but I miss going to the lake in the summer time.
4. I love getting pedicures, even if it isn't condusive to my running.
5. I love to RACE!! and RUN!
6. I love to EAT!!! Yes, food in general. But, I love dressing up, going out to eat and having my wine!
7. I love spending time with my family.
8. There is nothing better than taking a Saturday afternoon nap (unless it's sunny outside and I'm at the beach)!
9. I really enjoy meeting new people!!
10. I seriously enjoy fishing. I don't even mind putting the worm (bait) on the hook. It doesn't gross me out. I guess there is a little country in me ;)

Random Take Two

1. I love to sing in the car - loud, but alone! I can't sing. Haha
2. I once had my ears pierced like crazy. Think senior year of high school. 7 holes in one ear and 5 in the other. WOW. I now (for a while actually) only wear earrings in my first and second holes.
3. Pink is my favorite color.
4. If I had a daughter tomorrow, I would name her Makenna.
5. I'm a natural blonde.
6. I had my nose pierced in college and loved it.
7. I am a Papa's girl. I'm a Daddy's girl, too.
8. I floss every single day.
9. I have small feet - size 6! Sometimes, if I'm lucky I can wear a 6 1/2.
10. My middle name is Lee. It's spelled the "boy" way because my mom couldn't remember how to spell "Leigh" when she had to fill out my birth certificate. I guess she was still drugged up. At least my middle name isn't "Liegh" or another version of "Lee" spelled wrong.

My boy

1. He's tall. 6"3'
2. And blonde.
3. And athletic. Played baseball in college and played some basketball, too.
4. He's goofy!
5. He's a neat freak!! But, I love that.
6. He eats very clean and enjoys all of the sames foods as me. I never have to cook two separate meals for us.
7. He loves Miller Lite. :)
8. He's from Indiana.
9. I adore his family - especially his niece and nephew.
10. He's eight years (almost to the day) older than me.

Places I've lived:

1. San Jose, CA
2. Charlottle, NC
3. Atlanta, GA
4. Locust Grove, GA
5. Bryson City, NC
6. Cullowhee, NC
7. Spartanburg, SC
8. Louisville, KY
9. Carmel (Indianapolis), IN
10. St. Petersburg, FL

Places I've vacationed/been to:

1. New York City, NY
2. Key West, FL
3. Negril, Jamaica
4. San Francisco, CA
5. Jacksonville, FL
6. Denver, CO
7. Orlando, FL
8. Cincinnati, OH
9. Los Angeles, CA
10. Charleston, SC

My favorite foods

1. Chicken Noodle Soup
2. Spinach
3. Red Bell Peppers
4. Fish - Sea Bass, Tuna, Snapper, Grouper
5. Sushi
6. Angel Hair Pasta
7. Chocolate Chip Cookies
8. Brown Rice
9. Ice Cream
10. Oatmeal

So, there you go! 100 things that you may or may not have known about me!! Is there anything that I left out? Anything that you're dying to know??

14.667 Seconds

I'm a psychic. Literally! Okay, not really but I did predict yesterday's track workout before it happened.

The Gasparilla Distance Classic is huge in Tampa Bay Area and it's this weekend. There is a 5K, 8K, 15K and Half Marathon and thousands (probably 30,000+) come out to run at least one of the events!

Last year, on the Wednesday before Gasparilla, our track workout consistented of 6x800 w/1:30 rest in between.

I remember this workout like it was yesterday. It was cool and rainy and FUN!

Yesterday, our workout was exactly the same except it was hot and very humid!!

There were a few differences, though! Let's flashback, shall we!

2010

3:34 3:25 3:26 3:23 3:28 3:27

2011

3:13 3:13 3:15 3:13 3:15 3:06

Last year, I was supposed to run 3:28 pace. The goal was to keep the workout "easy" since we were all racing. This year, my normal group was supposed to run 3:15 pace, but he told me to run alone and run 3:20 pace since I was actually running the half! Well, I ran alone and ran by feel and 3:20 was just too awkward of a pace.

On average, my times this year were 14.667 seconds faster! This was for the SAME exact workout in worse weather conditions!

I didn't look at what I ran until after the workout. Of course, as soon as I got home and realized it ... I was beyond ecstatic. Woo Hoo. What a difference a year makes!!

Last year, I raced the 15K and ran a 1:13:55 (7:55 avg. pace, I believe)

This year, I'm racing the 1/2 marathon. We shall see what happens! Either way, I'm excited!!

My Version of the Run for Donna Half Marathon

Happy Valentine's Day!! Confession: I wrote this post on Monday, but am just posting today! So, it was Valentine's Day when I wrote it . . .

This weekend, Penny and I took a little road trip to Jacksonville to see Stephanie and run the "26.2 with Donna Run: The National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer". It was a crazy week leading up but I was insanely excited for a little weekend getaway with Penny! We always have so much fun. We had so much fun at Apalachicola (fun times despite the horrible race conditions) and I couldn't wait to see what this weekend had in store!

So, we set off on Saturday morning and drove almost four hours over to JAX. We had a fun car ride - talking about boys, running, hydrating, taking silly pictures and of course singing some Taylor Swift! :)

We did the typical pre-race routine: went to the Expo and bought some insanely expensive sparkly sweaty bands, ate some frozen yogurt, carb loaded, laughed a lot, got everything ready (including a dunkin donuts trip for our AM coffee and Publix trip for more carb loading via chocolate chip cookies) and got into bed pretty early.

We woke up at 4:40AM, got dressed and were on our way to the shuttles by 5:40.

We waited in the freezing cold (38 degrees) for about 20 minutes when we realized that if we stayed in line, we'd not get to the start in time. The line was NOT moving and we were hundreds of people back (at least five or six busses back). So, we decided to take our chances. Stephanie knew the area very well and the closest we could park to the start was about 1.5 miles away. Since Penny was running the FULL and we were running the half, we decided to drop Penny off at the start and then jog to the start. An almost two mile warm up later and Stephanie and I arrived at the start with about fifteen minutes to spare! Whew!

Let's back track a little, though . . . As my coach would say, I've been in half marathon frenzy mode since the end of November (I may or may not have two more scheduled in the next five weeks). He didn't want me to race this since I just ran Clearwater three weeks ago and have Gasparilla in two weeks. So, I never signed up! I couldn't; however, not go! I'd already been planning the trip with Penny. Besides, I'm her #1 fan! :) So, I went. My schedule for the weekend said "8 miles easy, 6 at 7:30 pace)." Yes, in my head I had already done that math . . . very close to the half marathon distance. But, I was pretty adament about squeezing my long run in around being a spectator.

Until Friday when I got the following text message ...

Friday (4:46PM) Stephanie - Do you want a bib? I have a friend not running who isn't using hers.

Me (4:57PM) - Oh! Oh! That may be nice. Is she selling it or just giving it away?

Stephanie (4:58PM) - Just giving it away.

The conversation continued and I found that I could basically run my long run during the half ... My coach just said not to race. He had 14 miles on my schedule. I could always "run" the half and not "race" it, right?

So, I ran it!

And, I loved it!

No pressure! I just tried to keep my pace relatively "easy" and treat it like a long run! I even took a 1:42 second bathroom break at mile 4.88. Racer Jaime would never do that! :)Miles 6 and 7 were on the beach! It was absolutely breathtaking!! I even teared up a couple of times from all of the signs that were held by survivors!

For all of you analyzers out there, here were the stats to my "long run."

7:52

7:39

7:47

7:56

8:08

7:58

8:19

8:16

8:09

8:21

8:19

8:26

7:32

:41 (.11) - 6:04 pace

So, I was kind of all over the place. But, I kept it "easy." When I wanted to slow down, I let myself. I even let myself slow down during miles 11 and 12. But, when I got to the point where I had 1.1 to go, I just couldn't help myself. I saw all of these people in front of me and I wanted to see how many I could pass before the finish line. Let's just say, it was quite a few ;) I love finishing strong.

Total time per Garmin: 1:45:29 (8:03 average pace)

Unoffical Results (remember I took a bathroom break): 1:47:11

It's a "long run." To compare "apples to apples" in my training log, I have to log it as a 1:45:29 :)

So, that was my weekend . . . How was yours??

PS: I don't usually post twice in one day because I like getting comments on ALL of my posts ... so, don't forget to scroll down and read about my track workout this AM!! :)

More Coffee, Please!

I've written a recap of the weekend and hopefully I'll post it soon! I need to add pictures and I haven't had a spare second to do that. So, hold tight and it'll be up soon! Promise!

Until then, I have to post about this morning. It's Wednesday and I like documenting my track experiences!

I woke up this morning super tired and not excited for track. This is not typical of me. I got up and made myself go, though! I didn't want to have to go tonight.

I warmed up a mile and then allowed myself to look at the workout. Had I known prior to track, I probably wouldn't have gone.

1600 800 400 400 800 1600

It was a backwards pyramid and there was like 1 minute rest in between everything. Not fair!

My expected times: 6:36 3:12 1:33 1:33 3:12 6:36

1600 - Holy Cow! Super hard and my legs were like lead! I couldn't keep up and was behind the entire time. I sprinted a little at the end and came across in 6:38. I was pretty discouraged after this and thought there was no way I could do this workout. My friend, Jen, who was also in my group said some amazing words after this rep. She told me to quit thinking about the entire workout. It was like she was reading my mind. She said to only focus on what we were running then. We had an 800 to run. Don't think about it the rest of it.

800 - Still feeling tired but I was determined. I kept telling myself that I wasn't going to die so I should get over myself and just run. 96, 95. I ran a 3:11. Perfect!

400 - 90 seconds. Oops! A little too fast. I love 400's though!

400 - 95 seconds. Oops! A little too slow. We averaged perfectly though! We had tried to slow it down to the right pace but came across a little slower than planned.

800 - We were at 1:41 at the 400 mark. We were supposed to be at 1:36. Oh well. We picked it up and ran a 1:30 for the second lap finishing right at 3:11! Score!

1600 - Holy cow. I was petrified. 99 seconds per lap. That was the goal. I didn't want to start too fast. I knew that would be tough. First lap: 1:40 Second lap: 3:20 (2 seconds off goal) Third lap: 4:56 (NICE) Fourth lap = fastest for a total time of 6:31!

It felt so good to push through when I thought I couldn't. Jen and I ran a cool down mile and I called it a day! :)

I've never regretted a track workout! The key is just getting there. I just have to keep remembering, I am tougher than I think I am!

PF Changs then Track?

I slept in yesterday morning! I've been pretty tired the past couple of weeks. I was looking forward to morning track on Wednesday, but after a few glasses of wine with a girlfriend on Tuesday night (I've gotta have a life, too:)), I decided to just sleep in and go to night track.

It worked out well, too because David had dinner plans with some people from work! Score! Or so I thought . . .

I've been trying to do lunch with a girlfriend from work for weeks now. We finally agreed on yesterday so I decided to still go and went to PF Changs. I knew I had six hours until track, but figured I'd be okay. We had the lettuce chicken wraps as an appetizer and then I had one of the lunch bowls as my entree: brown rice, grilled salmon and asparagus. It was delicious!

I think I chose all of the right foods - I just ate TOO much! I could have probably laid off of the lettuce wraps, but oh well! By 6:30PM, I was still stuffed!!

Somehow, I still managed to complete the workout:

10x400, 1600

Rest: 1:15 minutes in between

Goal times: 93 seconds for the 400's, 6:52 for the mile

I think the goal was to not push the 400's and for it to make the mile pace to feel slow and easy. 6:52 pace is 1:43 per lap (so we were able to slow down 10 seconds per lap).

My times:

90 91 90 92 91 91 92 91 90 91 6:47

The mile was tough and I seriously felt like a complete failure. I had nothing left and felt like I had given up but still managed a 6:47. I think that was the point. Had I continued my 400 pace, I would have run a 6:00-6:10 mile - which clearly, I did not. My stomach was so full and I had no appetite for about two hours after this workout!!

The wrong way to run 49 minutes . . .

Holy cow! I had the hardest workout today! It was a HUGE fail, too! Well, kind of!

After driving for almost 9 hours yesterday and then watching the Superbowl, I opted to sleep in this morning and tempo later. I was forced with either a lunch time tempo or an evening tempo and for whatever reason, my friend Nate and I decided upon lunch time.

I even met him at Bayshore to set myself up for success. My schedule said 7:15-7:45-7:15-7:45-7:15-7:45 I was actually secretly excited about this run because I thought I could nail it. I've been doing my tempos around the 7:20 pace, but have only been running around 3 miles at a time at that pace. This stretches it to six miles - even though 3 are slower! Not to mention, this workout is supposed to make the 7:45 mile feel slow. Who doesn't want "easy" to be 7:45? Anyway, I thought this would be a great workout mentally for me, especially if I nailed it.

It's 75 degrees, sunny and pretty humid! The wind was blowing, but I didn't realize how much until we began.

After half a mile warm up, we restarted our Garmins and took off. I was surprised. .25 in and we were running at a 6:19 pace. Weird! I knew that 6 miles was a long way though, so we tried to slow it down.

It was SOOOO hot for the first three miles. I seriously haven't been that hot in at least 4 months! Occasionally, we could feel the wind behind us. Well, it was always behind us but at some points it was pushing us forward. In retrospect, I should have ran faster but I didn't want to exceed the times too much in fear of not finishing.

After a speedy start, we finished the first mile in 7:01. Mile two was slower - as planned - but still ahead of pace: 7:33 Mile three was dead on: 7:14. 3 miles in 21:49!! Not a bad way to begin a tempo . . .

Until we turned around. It was windy. Like you cannot move any faster and easy=hard kind of windy! Really, really windy! I made up my mind that I couldn't finish the workout but that I would run at a little faster than "easy" pace. Okay, so my next mile: 9:32. I'm not even kidding, not even a little. I felt like I was running up hill and into wind. Most the way back, my eyes were shut, too. There was dirt and leaves flying everywhere. The good? It wasn't so hot, the wind was keeping me cool. But, seriously, it would have been hard to even walk in this!

I didn't stop for water. I told myself I didn't deserve it. Afterall, Nate decided to finish the workout, no matter what the effort was. I decided to give effort and not worry about the pace. Hmmmm. Mile 5: 9:07 and Mile 6: 9:06.

Those were three of the hardest miles I've ever run. It took everything out of me to not walk, not stop for a mental break and not get water. I forced myself to keep going telling myself I didn't deserve water! I guess that was the positive.

I'd say that those last three miles were equivalent to an 8:15-8:20 pace effort. No joke.

Nate finished and hit the times. We decided that he really ran 6:20-6:30 pace to hit the times.

So, after a 3 mile start in 21:50ish, I finished 6 miles in 49:32. Crazy! When I got back to my car, I checked the weather. 75 degrees with 24 mph winds - and we were running on the Bay, so they were probably even worse than that!

Jaime = 0
Wind = 1

Let's just hope we don't face this kind of wind during my next half that is on that course!!