Run

43 Miles of Running

May 23, 2011 by Asia

Marathon Outfit

Last week was my peak of marathon training. I had my longest run of the season (21 miles) and clocked the most mileage in one week (43 miles)! By the time recovery week rolled around, my legs were begging for mercy. While I’ve learned to incorporate marathon training into my busy schedule, I’m definitely ready for the race to just be here already. It’s definitely a lot to keep up with, no matter how much I love running. My highest mileage week looked like this:

Monday: 6 miles
Tuesday: 1.5 mile warmup + 1.5 mile lactate threshold + 3 miles of Yasso 800s
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: 10 miles
Friday: rest
Saturday: 21 miles
Sunday: rest

The next week we began to taper, and my first run back was the most painful run I’ve had all season. I was afraid I was injured! Our first taper week looked like this:

Monday: 6 miles (I only ran 5 because it really hurt.)
Tuesday: 6 miles lactate threshold + 1 mile of 400 sprints
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: 9 miles
Friday: rest
Saturday: 13 miles + 4 miles lactate threshold
Sunday: rest

I’m honestly surprised with how well marathon training has been going. San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon is only 2 weeks away! Getting injured was the one thing I was most afraid of when I started marathon training. I’ve heard way too many stories of Achilles nightmares, IT band injuries, and everything in between. So far I’ve been lucky. Yes, I’ve had some aches and pains but nothing that ibuprofen and willpower couldn’t cure.

What have I taken away from all this? Here are my top 5 tips for marathon training.

1. Be persistent with your training, and follow your training program as closely as possible.
2. Listen to your body. Pay attention to warming up and stretching, and don’t run with an injury!
3. Hydrate. I stop at every aid station and have at least 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sports drink.
4. Pay attention to your nutrition 7 days/week. Don’t skimp on calories and carbs, but don’t fill up on empty calories either.
5. Try strength training. I worked out 8x/week which is excessive if you’re not already doing a strength training program, but for me, 4 days of P90X + 4 days of running = increased speed and stamina.

P90X Day 90

Countdown to Rock n Roll Marathon

May 2, 2011 by Asia

San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon Start

I’m a mere 5 weeks away from running my first marathon!! Saturday I ran 16 miles, my longest run to date, and I’m happy to report that I wasn’t completely miserable! It was tough, and I definitely felt like I was running for a VERY long time, but with the help of my running buddies, I made it. Jeremy ran 18 miles and said it was an entirely different ballgame. He had a tough time cranking out the last two miles, and I’ve heard that from other people as well…Is this “the wall” people talk about? I’ll definitely report back on that next weekend when I run 18 miles. I’m nervous for that one.

What am I doing the next 5 weeks? Today I finished P90X for a second time, and now I’m a Double Grad! (Jeremy has suggested that we’re P90X “Masters,” but I’m afraid to go as far as to say that. I’m not sure if anyone but Tony Horton himself could ever truly master that program!) I’m going to post my P90X results very soon, so stay tuned!

May is time to decrease my P90X workouts and continue my 4 days/week of running. It has been tough to keep up with P90X and marathon training thus far, so I’m ready to modify things from now until the marathon. This means no more double workout days if I can help it! The next 5 weeks I’ll focus on my running and sprinkle in 2-3 P90X workouts per week as I enter the home stretch of marathon training. Here is what I anticipate…

Monday: Run
Tuesday: Speed work run
Wednesday: Plyometrics or Legs & Back (or rest)
Thursday: Medium Long run
Friday: P90X upper body workout (Chest & Back or Back & Biceps)
Saturday: Long run
Sunday: Yoga (or rest)

Let the new workout schedule begin!

P.S. What am I doing after the marathon? I have a couple of ideas that I’ll fill you in on soon!

How I Conquered the La Jolla Half Marathon

April 17, 2011 by Asia

We did it! La Jolla Half Marathon 4/17/11

I just got my PR at one of the most difficult half marathons in the US – La Jolla! I am bursting at the seems, I’m so happy right now. I finished with a time of 1:55:08! That’s nearly 20 minutes faster than my last half marathon in August, and 5 minutes faster than the goal I had set for myself of finishing in under 2 hours. How did I do it? Allow me to share my training journey with you.

I ran my first half marathon, Silver Strand, in November 2008 and absolutely hated it. I was miserable starting at mile 3 and said I’d never do one ever again. My time was around 2:17…Fastforward to 2010. I started running again and was craving a challenge. It had been 1.5 years since my only half marathon, and I figured I’d give it another try. My new friend Amber was a runner and triathlete, so she inspired me to get back into training mode and we started running together. Then, Nicole started running with me. We did some training runs for America’s Finest City and all ended up running at a different pace on race day. I was the slowest, barely beating my 2:17 finish time in 2008. I felt like I started off way too fast, so I slowed down after 5 miles, and the hill got me at the end. 2:13:50 was my time. I was happy to have finished, and definitely felt less miserable than my first half, but I still wasn’t satisfied. 3 minutes off my half marathon time from 2 years ago just wasn’t enough. If Nicole and Amber could run so much faster than me, I was convinced that I could too. I just needed a different approach.

With AFC behind me, I decided to introduce a new training program in my life. That program was P90X – an extreme at home fitness program based on muscle confusion. (You can find more info on it here: http://www.beachbodycoach.com/SDFITNESSDIVA .)
I give so much credit to my boyfriend for researching it and committing to do it. I was intrigued and asked if I could join him, so we started Day 1 together and stuck to the 90 day fitness program and nutrition plan. Over the next 90 days my body transformed into a very lean, mean, fighting machine! I toned up and was able to do pull-ups for the first time. My strength improved so much after P90x that we decided to do it again.

Results from the first time doing P90X

After 2 months off, in February we started P90X for a second time. That has been a huge part of my training regimen. We also joined the Vavi marathon training group which was huge for accountability. We run together 2x/week, and we’re supposed to do 2 runs on our own. Our coaches are very supportive and designed a great running program for us to follow. I layered marathon training of running 4 days/week on top of P90X 4 days/week (it’s normally 6 but I had to cut down), and the result was a PR at La Jolla Half Marathon! Not only was it a PR – I went from running 10+ minute miles to sub 9 minute miles – a huge improvement! It feels great. I am very proud of my boyfriend, Jeremy, who finished way ahead of me at 1:36:19! He hadn’t run much since our 2008 half marathon, but 2 rounds of P90X did a body good, and he had a killer time. Our good friends and couple Nicole and Mike started doing P90X around the same time we started it for a second time. They were impressed with our results and also wanted to become faster runners. Nicole finished in 1:54 and Mike 1:34. I am SO proud of all of us for PR’ing on such a tough course! The hills were still tough, but after passing several people on the steep upgrades, I knew my legs were more than ready.

Look who was waiting for us at the finish!

Key P90X leg workouts for improving your running time are Legs & Back and Plyometrics. I’ll admit that I didn’t do Plyometrics the second time around because I was running 4 days a week, but I kept in Legs and Back, and the other total body workouts, including 90 minutes of yoga, leading up to La Jolla. We’ve been working out 8 times/week, but our bodies are so much stronger because of it.

It’s hard to believe we only have 2 weeks of P90X to go! I’ll keep incorporating P90X workouts into my marathon training as we approach the 26.2 mile mark in June. I’d say the two programs work quite well together, wouldn’t you? Now, it’s time for a cheat meal and tasty treat!

Sprinkles Cupcakes - A Delicious Treat!

My Longest Run EVER

April 9, 2011 by Asia

I just got back from the longest run of my life – 14 miles! Woo hoo! It felt so great to pass the half marathon mark and see that my legs were still moving! This was my last long run before I take on one of the hardest half marathons in the U.S. – The La Jolla Half Marathon. We did part of the course today, including the super steep hill that I blogged about earlier, and I was feeling good the entire way. I had great company too. Nicole, Allison, and I kept the same pace, and wanted to take it easy so we wouldn’t push it too hard 1 week before the race. While I am very excited about this race, this is merely the halfway point to my end goal – the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon. I can’t wait to say I’ve run 26.2 miles. Only 1% of the American population can say it, and I want to join them. Yes, it’s on my “bucket list,” but I think I’m going to want to push myself even more after the race. What’s next? Maybe a triathlon. We’ll see. Until then, I’m going to keep up the marathon training, P90X, and maybe even some other Beachbody fitness programs to keep me strong and motivated. I’m thinking of starting Insanity The Asylum next. It was just released TODAY, and it looks like one intense fitness program!

In closing, I can’t imagine my life without workouts. They have become a part of me.

Hill Training

April 5, 2011 by Asia

I used to hate running uphill…Now I hate it less! I’m training hard for the La Jolla Half Marathon taking place on Sunday, April 17, and in order to be successful on this race, you MUST practice hills because there are so many of them! The course is no joke, and I was definitely intimidated when I signed up. Check out the changes in elevation! The Torrey Pines hill is approximately 1.2 miles long and climbs 420 feet between miles 5.5 and 7.0 for an approximate 6.5% grade.

La Jolla Half Course Map

Our running group has recently started hill training, but a small group of us have branched off to form a Torrey Pines hill running group. We’ve been running up and down the hill twice in a row to get in a 6 mile run and condition our legs for the upcoming race. It’s always tougher the second time up, and I try to remind myself not to go too hard on the way down. It’s tempting, but you want your quads to maintain! I do not want another AFC moment…In mile 10 of the half marathon, I lost all steam going uphill. Apparently I didn’t train hard enough.

Now for some hill tips, courtesy of our Vavi running coach, Blake Miller. Thanks, Blake!

Physiologically & Mentally & Mechanically
– Builds strength in Quads, Glutes & Core and tendons & ligaments.
– Increase in Aerobic Capacity (nearing V02max workouts)
– Increases your Running Economy (oxygen usage over distance)
– Breaks up the usual routine & forces you to adapt to different stresses.
– Increases & improves ankle & joint flexion

How To Run Hills – Going Up?
– Cadence? Stays the same!
– Pace? Will have to drop some -> Stride length shortens.
– Strive for equal effort, not pace.
– Posture stays upright w/ slight lean in reference to the ground.)
– Avoid “toeing” off with toes/calves. Keep a consistent “fall forward”.
– Increase your arm movement & action as needed – envision “pumping” through the hill.

How To – Going Down?
– Cadence? Stays the same!
– Pace? Will increase -> Stride length naturally lengthens (don’t allow too much!)
– Biggest mistake that most make is going too fast, sprinting or over striding.
– Quads will be undergoing major “Eccentric Contraction” (EC = elongation while under tension, deceleration / braking action)
– Posture remains upright w/ slight lean (but will be more “downhill”)
– Allow feet/lower half to “fall” under you. Let gravity work for you!
– Trick is to balance a “falling” over your feet and quad contraction.

Saturday will be the longest run of my life (14+ miles) and guess what? It includes the Torrey Pines hill! With all this practice in addition to my P90X training, I better tackle this beast of a hill on race day!

Group Runs

February 10, 2011 by Asia

Tuesdays and Saturdays we have our group training runs. Monday and Thursday we’re supposed to be running on our own. Our running group has multiple levels to choose from – Beginner Run/Walk, Intermediate Half Marathon, Intermediate Full Marathon, Advanced Marathon. My friends and I categorized ourselves as Intermediate Full Marathon runners, so our program includes 4 runs per week and 1 day of optional cross training. Of course, we are turning our 1 optional day of cross training into 3 days of strength training, yoga, and possibly more with P90X! Our coach is advising us not to strength train more than once a week, but I’ve heard success stories where people have trained for a marathon while strength training multiple times per week. As long as we are careful not to overwork ourselves, I think this will only make us stronger!

Tuesday nights we meet in the Pacific Beach area for stretching and running. With over 300 participants, we have to go out in waves for our 4-6 mile runs so we don’t take over the boardwalk. Eventually we’ll also incorporate interval training. Right now, the focus is on easy runs to build our base. Easy runs mean you can have a conversation with your running buddy and never get out of breath. You’re also running at no more than 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. (See my previous post on how to calculate your maximum heart rate.) Nicole and I did our first 4 mile group run together and let Jeremy stride ahead while we caught up on the latest details of our lives. I wore my cute & tiny Stella McCartney for Adidas running shorts but was freezing in the nighttime cold. I guess I keep forgetting I’m not on vacation in Brazil anymore! Nighttime runs, like early morning runs before the sunrise, are chilly in the winter – even in San Diego.

Saturday morning runs begin at 7:30am and rotate around the San Diego area. The first run met close to our house, so Jeremy and I only had to get up 1+ hour before our run to make sure we had time to eat a light breakfast and hydrate. As the Intermediate Full Marathon group, we had the option of running between 5-6 miles (at an easy pace of course). Jeremy and I ran together that day and decided to go for 6 miles. Since we’re both really competitive, it was hard to turn around at 5. We pushed through it together and finished 6 miles.

Where does P90X fit into all of this? For the first 2 weeks of the dual training program, we are skipping Tuesday’s Plyometrics workout and Saturday’s Kenpo workout. I plan to incorporate Plyo Tuesday mornings within the next couple of weeks because I think it is one of the BEST workouts for enhanced performance. It definitely made me a faster runner last time around! In November, I finished a 5k with a PR just over 24 minutes (a little over 8 minute miles). Plyometrics means jump training, and Tony Horton says it will make you faster. I know marathon training isn’t about speed, but rather, endurance…That doesn’t mean I don’t want to become a stronger and faster runner at the same time! As for Kenpo, while I also enjoy this workout, it doesn’t make sense to run 6-20 miles and then add 1 more hour to my workout. I just don’t need it.

Incorporating P90X into my full marathon training is definitely a work in progress, but I know the benefits will be worth it in the end!

View of Lopes Mendes, Ilha Grande, Brazil