Week in Review

66 Miles
2 Days off
15M with workout of 4 x 2.5M (800m rest) at 556/555/257 (326) 550/555/252 (328) 
555/556/253 (343) 553/557/253
11.5M with 12 x 200m repeats at 40s with 200m jog rest
24M time on feet long run in 2:55 (7:17 pace), with no food before hand, 2 sips of water

Despite having taken off two days due to sickness, I absolutely killed my runs this week.  I have always prided myself on my ability to listen to my body, even if it means taking a day off.  It's really helped me to put aside my ego and just trust that taking time off will be better for me in the long run.  As a result of my strange stomach virus on Sunday, I felt like total crap on Monday and Tuesday. I didn't run or climb and focused on just taking naps and sleeping a lot.  By the time Wednesday rolled around, I knocked out 9 miles easily.  I decided to try out the original workout of 5 x 2.5 miles on Thursday because I'd have the company of Jonah.  For this workout, my notes were recorded as follows:

1. Super glad I took Monday and Tuesday off from running. 
2. This went 100x better than I was expecting given how sick and tired and just terrible I felt Sunday through Tuesday.  It was harder trying to slow down to run 555 pace than it was to run 550 pace. It just felt SO effortless!  
3. Thank god for Jonah. 
4. After the third one, I stopped for a quick sip of water and the jog rest time doesn't reflect that so it was probably more like a 4:00 rest. 
5. YAY!   I killed this workout!  This is the first time that I've really walked away knowing that I'm in shape to PR at Chicago.

Saturday and Sunday were also somewhat big days, with a light 200m workout, followed by a long run on the rolling hills of Canada Road with some of my guys.  Most, if not all, of my runs this week were spent with Jonah and I am SO GRATEFUL for his company.  Especially this week, when I was doubting my ability to get runs in after my sickness, his presence was crucial.  For the long run on Sunday, I made the mistake of only drinking water and not eating any food before.  I had only 2 tiny sips of water during the run so that in the final 2 miles of the run, my body was seriously bonking.  My legs started to feel eerily similar to the end of a marathon, so ultimately I was grateful for the practice of running on really tired legs and the chance to use my mind to overcome my protesting body parts.  

(Race) Week in Review

66 Miles
14M workout with 3 miles via 544/545/541, 800m jog in 322, 2 miles via 533/534, 800m jog in 328
1 mile in 522, 800m jog in 324, 800m in 240

10K Race in 34:48 at SF Pride 10K, for 1st place overall (male and female), Splits:  520, 552, 531, 524, 557, 533, 1:09

10M MLR

The highlight of this week was breaking (for the third time!) my 10K track PR from college in the SF Pride Run 10K race.  I feel so confident with this training cycle and I know that time off due to injuries back in Q4 2015 and into Q1 2016 really is helping me feel so fresh now.  There are so many metaphors with my running journey that I can continue to tie back into my life: that the lowest moments - like getting injured before the Trials - only bring some of the best moments - like running close to my 10K PR in my first race back.  This ties back to my life:  getting separated (low moment) has allowed me to do things I never considered doing and for me to learn how to wholly love again (best moments).  Happy sigh. I couldn't be in a better place right now.  Sure, there's more healing to be had, but I am trusting that I make good decisions and am surrounded by a slew of loving, wonderful people who love me for who I am.  But I digress.  

Quick race recap:  I decided a couple weeks ago to do the SF Pride 10K and then when the Orlando shootings happened, I knew that I needed to do this race so I signed up.  Looking at the results from years past, I knew that it would be very likely that I'd be solo for the majority of the 10K, so leading up to the race, I focused on the mental tenacity I wanted to leverage throughout the race.  I was really psyched to a run a race that supports the LGBT community, and the SF Pride Run race committee definitely lived up to my expectations.  My favorite part was that the race started late (around 9:20AM) and around 9:15, the race director said:  "It's 9AM...GAY TIME!" and everyone just laughed knowingly.  It was a great atmosphere and I definitely stood out doing my strides and typical pre-race exercises and drills.  

When the gun did finally go off, a couple of guys shot out and I eventually tucked in behind a couple for a mile, before ultimately passing them (including the 5K leaders) until I was alone around mile 2.  Fortunately, I had the support of the lead cyclist who was my main motivation.  We ran two 5K loops, and I passed through the 5K in first place, which confused the hell out of people.  On the next loop, I had to weave in and out of the 5K or 10K runners that I began to pass.  It wasn't too difficult and I was grateful for the practice because the SF half will have the same situation.  The course was uphill on one side of the loop and downhill on the other side of the loop.  This proved to be very difficult to keep myself motivated for during the 5th mile, when I was working hard to stay under 6:00 pace.  I barely saw Peter, who had sprinted all the way across the Polo fields to try to catch me on the other side.  (Side note - that was my fault because I'm pretty sure I said it wasn't far to the other side and I'm pretty sure it was almost a mile LOL).  

Representing Skechers in SF

Eventually, I made my way to the finish line, having no real clear indication of what I would run until I saw the overall time on the clock and I pushed hard to break 35:00.  After breaking the tape, I was (positively) overwhelmed with support from several people since they loved that I won the men's race too.  It was a really special moment because it was my first race in SF as a California resident and it supported something that matters to me.  

Ultimately, I'm very pleased with this race effort because it's only 12 seconds off my 10K road PR from 2015 Cooper River 10k and it's my first race that I've finished in over a year.  Also, it's my first race back and I ran sub-35!  I can't wait for the SF half because now I've practiced the same hills I'll be conquering again in just two months. 

After the race, Peter and I went to Judahlicious and then we went hiking at Point Reyes before heading back to South Bay.  It was a perfect, perfect day.

Week in Review

64 Miles
12M with 2000m @ 5:30 pace, 1600M @ 526, 1200m @ 403, 800m in 237, 400m @ 73, all with 400m jog rest
11M with 11 x 50s hill repeats at 4-5% grade
16M with middle 8M at 644 - 625, one mile at 554 pace, then 4M cool down
2 Days in Seattle
1 Day off

I'm sooo behind in updating my blog, and the odds of anyone reading this post are slim so I'm keeping this short. I'm back on the schedule of alternating between 2 workouts + long run and 1 workout + hard long run every two weeks, so it was fun to knock out some hill repeats before I set off for Seattle.  I really enjoyed hanging out in Seattle with Matt, Jessie & Ryan, and Ruth!  It was great to reunite with Ruth not just one, but TWO runs!  We ran long on Saturday and even though my legs were tired from the two workouts earlier in the week, I figured it'd be fun to tag along for her steady state workout.  The highlight was definitely going to the Solstice Parade with Jessie and Ryan's friends, where we watched people with body paint ride around the city naked.  It was great people watching and I really love Seattle because of the people and their seemingly easy going nature and willingness to be accepting of anyone, no matter what their differences may be.

Week in Review

64 miles
10M with 2 x 2 miles at 544, 537, 2:00 jog rest, 535, 537
12M MLR
16.2M long run at 651 average
1 day off
2 rock climbing sessions

This week marked the first week that I've had a formal training plan from Coach T-bone in a long, long time.  And every moment was wonderful.  I don't know if it's because I unintentionally lost 7 pounds or if it's because I really haven't trained hard since August of last year, but I'm feeling like a badass.  I'm itching to race and to test my fitness, but I'm being patient.  I nailed the 2 x 2 mile workout, by hitting much faster paces than Terry prescribed on the plan. AND I was solo.  From previous posts, you should know that I'm a freaking baby when it comes to working out solo, but I've apparently found a new strength.  Probably because of my new life perspective - take risks, enjoy life and be happy!

Before the long holiday weekend fully kicked off, I got in 16 miles with Heather on Canada Road.  I loved every part except 1) running over what may have been a rattle snake and 2) the lack of shade.  But the course was great, with slightly rolling hills and then tons of cyclists with really nice, muscular calves for me to admire for a split second as they whizzed past me.  Overall, I wanted to get a few more miles in this week, but I decided to take off one day because I was starting to feel a tickle in my throat and because I wanted to rock climb with my new friend Armon.  All is well in the world as long as I'm making healthy choices that keep me happy. And I was damn happy taking that day off.

Week in Review

66 miles
11.5M with 10 x 90s on / off
15 mile long run with 5 miles in 617, 607, 619, 615, 608, 1.5M rest in 6:40 pace, 3 miles in 601, 554, 601, 535
1 lift day
1 rock climbing session
0 days off

Another successful week down in the books, but with a couple of hiccups along the way.  First, Jenna and I ran a workout together on Tuesday and it went great.  Then I drove home, and right before I pulled into my apartment complex, a guy in his car plowed straight into my car and broadsided me.  It was scary because 1) I had the right of way and looked up to unexpectedly find a car coming straight for my door and 2) I didn't want the side airbag to go off so I tried to avoid as bad of a collision by positioning my car so he would hit closer to my rear passenger door.   Fortunately, I wasn't hurt and my side air bag didn't go off! And, the guy (my neighbor), was super helpful and accommodating.  He was willing to accept responsibility and he called his insurance immediately to get the process going.

Then, later that week, again during a long run workout with Jenna, we were flagged down by a woman walking.  We are assholes, so we obviously were not going to stop since we were in the middle of a tempo mile, even after she asked us if we had a phone.  Then she said: "There's a dead body over there." And we immediately stopped. Did I feel guilty? YES.  She told us where the body was, that she didn't suspect foul play and that it was likely a homeless man. I couldn't help but think well at least he died in a very peaceful place, with lots of sounds of nature, water and birds surrounding him.  It was a weird way to start the day, especially after we ran past the body on the bench.   It definitely made me feel grateful for the food and shelter that I take for granted every single day.

The rest of the weekend was spent with Liz.  We got in some miles together, spent time in the city with our Wake Forest teammates and went to quite possibly one of the worst live DJ shows ever at Love and Propaganda.  Regardless, it gave us a great story to tell later and to cherish forever.

(Duke Graduation) Week in Review

65 Miles
Workout 1:  10 miles total with 4.25M of 13 x 1 min on/off with mile splits of 602, 558, 555, 545, 521 for the last .25M
12M MLR
15M long run in Durham
4 days in Durham

I'm finally starting up my week in review again! This is a new day, a new leaf, a new CAITLIN!  To bring you up to speed, I've run 60 miles the past 2-3 weeks, so this was the first time that I've cracked any mileage over 60 in a very, very long time.  I also made the decision to not follow any formal training plan.  Instead, I decided to use the last couple of weeks to run with Jenna, who is training for the Grandma's Marathon.  It's been a perfect way for us to get to know each other better and for me to get into shape again.

This week, I front-loaded my mileage by taking advantage of having Meagan in town - we did 30+ miles in 3 days without any doubles. If I get a chance to train again with my favorite Olympic Trials race buddy, then I'm going to capitalize on the opportunity.  We enjoyed an awesome minuters workout together, which is one very difficult way to still run a tempo. I purposely kept the jog rest at a medium effort (around 640-650 pace) so that I could keep the overall mile splits around 6:00.  This was the first real workout where I realized that I'm in pretty damn good shape. I'm finally starting to get excited about racing again. I haven't had a good race since April of 2015, and I'm chomping at the bit to cross a finish line feeling strong and confident.

The rest of the week was spent in Durham, NC, where I walked across the stage to earn a degree from the number one business school in the country (at least from last year's rankings!).  I couldn't be more proud of my classmates for all that we accomplished.  16 months, 5 countries, 100s of hours of class, 90,000 airline miles, 105 new friends, 16 different courses, 3 sicknesses, and the list goes on.  In between graduation festivities, I spent time with my mom and dad who have been my foundation ever since they brought me into this world.  They taught me how to dream big, run fast and achieve goals.  My friends Danielle and Chad even drove in to watch me cross the stage, so in between catching up with my classmates, I was able to get the most out of my Duke tuition dollars by inviting D & C to the luncheon where they could eat/drink as much as possible at the seafood and liquor bars.

Of course, the weekend would not have been complete without a run with my favorite Durham boys, who have helped me in so many ways beyond just my own training.  They have picked up stuff from my old porch, stored my random boxes and supported me when my life was turned upside down.  Getting in 15 miles with them in the disgusting NC humidity was memorable, even if I mostly just recall the squishy shoes that Alan and I rocked the entire run.

As much as I enjoyed my time in NC, I'm ready to get back to CA to continue meeting new people and soaking in that California sunshine.

Dad and I enjoyed a walk on Saturday

I had the honor of speaking at graduation!

Duke Fuqua CCMBA Class of 2015

Week in Review

65 Miles
3 Mile Tempo Run Fail
5x800m Repeats
13M MLR

Something is definitely wrong.  I feel like crap on every. single. run.  This is why people have a love / hate relationship with running.  Sometimes a switch is flipped and a streak of great running turns into a streak of days...weeks...(even months!) of really, really shitty running.  And there's nothing you can do about it.  I'm crossing my fingers that it won't last more than a few weeks.  And I'm very fortunate because I'm not actually injured. I'm just exhausted. I'm sure the last three terms of school have caught up to me. It's been four months since I've had more than a week break from schoolwork.

Just to show you how this week was just off:  my 3 mile tempo run was slower than my marathon race pace.  My heart rate was completely off the charts after completing 5 x 800m repeats.  The sickness must have been more serious than I thought and now I'm just feeling it physically.

(Finals) Week in Review

66 miles
1 day off
1 double
2 workouts
14 mile long run
4 days in Boston
16 hours of finals for two classes

This was a big week, but definitely not from a mileage perspective.  Let's see...What did I do?

• I spent four days in Boston at the offices of an ad agency for some work related projects.  
• I got to see Coach Terry in person for the very first time since he's been coaching me (which has been for two years now).  He even timed me in a workout on the Charlestown track in the cold, wind and rain.  
• I went to a runner girls' dinner with Meagan before having a sleepover with one of my favorite training partners.  
• I reunited with Liz, my college teammate and roommate, since she was in Boston for an interview for a PA job at the hospital.
• I ran two workouts (down ladded on the track and mile repeats with less than 60s rest)
• I completed my Decision Models final (it took 12 hours) and I completed my Marketing final (it took four hours).
• I ran long with over seven people on Sunday and it went by so fast!
• And I was so tired during every single ounce of this week.  So happy to be done with Term 4 of my MBA!

Week in Review

65 miles
Solo Broken 1200m track workout
NC USATF 8k Championships, 28:45, 1st place
12M MLR

So I had full intentions of running 70-75 miles this week but my legs just didn't have it in them.  I shortened my long run to just 12 miles on Sunday after the Bulls race because I was exhausted.  It was nice to come away with my fifth NC USATF 8k Championship, but boy did it hurt!  I ran as hard as I could today, but I definitely didn't try as hard as I would have if there had been closer competition for me.  I'm reaching the point where I can tell that a break from school, work and running is definitely in order.  Unfortunately, that won't really happen until December when the program is over....

Week in Review

65 miles
2x4k workout in
14.4M medium long run easy pace

There really isn't that much to report this week. I am on a break from school so I was hoping to get more mileage this week, but turns out that the Tobacco Road Half Marathon race effort took way more out of my legs than I was hoping.  The theme for this week was "hey - your legs feel like crap!".  I didn't run a single easy run faster than 7:45 pace, which is very unusual for me.  My legs just were garbage, plain and simple.  Somehow I did muster up a very solid workout on the track with Billy.  I can tell that I'm getting stronger because even though the legs felt heavy, they still powered through pretty fast paces.

Workout:
3.7 miles warmup
2x4k via
82, 82, 92, 89, 82, 82, 89, 90, 80, 82
800m jog rest in 4:00
81, 82, 90, 89, 81, 81, 89, 90, 80, 77 for 28:12 for 5 miles and 32:12 for 5.5 miles with the rest
3.6 mile cool down back to house.

Week in Review

67 Miles
2 Track Workouts
14M Long Run
0 Days Off
1 Double

My mileage is finally getting up into digits that are more respectable for a runner who's not even injured. What's been most remarkable this week is that I had company for every single run.  I ran with Amanda three out of the seven days, which is pretty amazing considering I was in Charlotte for three of those days!  It is beginning to look like Amanda is my Laurie replacement as she lives almost the exact same distance away from me as Laurie did in Charlotte.

Right now, the most social parts of my day are during my runs.  Outside of that, I don't have much social interaction.  I went from having constant interaction with my Charlotte roommates, friends and co-workers to having practically none!  To make matters worse, Garrett just left on Friday morning for a three-week trek on the John Muir Trail, where he won't have access to the outside world for that entire period.  That first night of solitude was great.  After 24 hours, however, I was totally over it.  If I were working in the Charlotte office, I wouldn't feel nearly as lonely because of the social interaction that comes from office banter.  But, I'm not in Charlotte.  I'm in either my home office or on the 9th floor of University Tower, where I sit in a secretary's desk from 1985 and people ask me if I know when the printer is getting fixed.  Regardless, it's been a great learning experience for me and I'm glad that I have lots of Duke homework to keep me plenty and my hopes up.  As a side note, I know understand why people have kids. It keeps you going all the time, that's for sure!

Next week, I've got Beat the Heat on tap, followed by the Sir Walter Miler in Raleigh.  I'm hoping to run side-by-side with Amanda for both of those for as long as possible.  I am really excited to return to Wake Forest next weekend to represent my school in the local race!

Week in Review

65 Miles
0 Doubles
0 Days Off
10x1 Min Workout
17 mile Hard Progression Run
1 Lift Session

I'm behind on my blog that no one reads besides my dad, so I'm keeping this one short.  After a return trip from California, I struggled to adjust back to the east coast swing of things, which resulted in an abysmal start to the week. Fortunately, things began to look up further down the week, when I completed a solid long run with several miles at 5:55-6:15 pace.  We had a very large crew out at McAlpine on Saturday for this progression run and we all put in a good, hard effort  at 6:30 in the morning.  The rest of the weekend was spent taking naps, eating and hanging out at the pool with friends.  I worked hard to get rid of my tan line and definitely got a sunburn to prove it.   Just three weeks until the USA Half Marathon Championships at Grandma's in Duluth, MN and I am ready!

Week in Review

65 miles
Mile repeats in 5:30 average
16 mile long in 6:50 average
7 runs
2 lift sessions

After coming out of last week feeling a little tired, I opted to make this week a medium down week so that my legs could recover a bit from the past three solid weeks of training.  This week, I had 2 runs of 6 miles or less, which seems to be exactly what I needed to get some spring back into my step.   I felt much more energized in two solid workouts with Laurie as we continue to get into PR shape for the USA half champs. There's just 7 more weeks until the big June race, and I'm excited to increase my mileage a bit to get that strength and endurance up.

Next week, I'm hoping to take a nice down week, featuring a day off and a 10k race in Raleigh.  After that, it's basically smooth sailing to the half as I only have one more race - the China Grove 5k.  While I wish that I had been able to find a fast 5k course in early April to achieve a road PR, a 5k just two weeks before the half will have to suffice.  I trust that I'll still have enough speed within me to break the 17:00 mark for the first time since college.