Olympic Trials Re-cap - Part 1

So here is a brief re-cap of the Olympic Trials with more detailed information to come later in the week.  So today I had 2 choices, play the conservative side go out on pace to run 2:40 with hopes of coming up with a solid 2nd half and sneaking in around 2:39, or take the risk and try to go out around 6:00 minutes/mile pace seeing how long I could hold on with the chance that things might be rough in the last 6-8 miles.  Well I took the risk, where better than the Olympic Trials to do it, and went out a little too quick hitting the 10 mile mark in 59:22 and the half in 1:18 and the 20 mile mark in 2:00:45.  Falling off pace a little bit by 20 miles, but nothing too crazy.  The wheels feel off the bus after that and the last 6.2  miles were rough.  I managed to still finish with a PR, running 2:42:31 and finishing in 57th place. 

Could I have run faster?  Absolutely if I had run smarter, but if I had to go back and do it again I wouldn't change a thing.  I would go out and take the same risks and be happy knowing I gave it everything I had.  Knowing I had nothing to lose (I wasn't coming in top 10 here, so the risk really was not there at all!).  In my next marathon I will definitely take the 'smart' route but am glad I took the risk today!  Bring on 4 years of staying healthy, lots of awesome training, and lets see what we can do in 2016!  (check back later in the week for some more detailed info and insider stories about Ryan Hall, Meb, Bob Larsen and more!)

Thanks for your unbelievable support and never lose sight of your dreams!

10 AWESOME things about my training segment heading into the Marathon!

The power of positive thinking!  Here are 10 AWESOME things about my training segment leading into the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials:

10.  My Blogger Fans - Thanks to YOU for reading my blog and supporting me throughout my journey!

9.  Recovery - An overlooked part of my training in the past that has become essential and embraced over the past few months.  It is amazing how the right recovery can turn things around pretty quickly.

8.  Foam Roller - What a great discovery and my new best friend who is 100% dedicated to giving me a massage (still not as good as hands, but a reliable alternative!)

7.  Stockade-athon 15k - Even though I used this race as a workout/training run I still managed a new PR, team win, individual win and a fun day running.

6.  Flagstaff/McMillan Elite - I got to train with McMillan elite in Flagstaff for a week, get a taste of altitude and learn some awesome things from some of the United States top elite runners.

5.  Wind and Rain No Fear! - I have put in some solid workouts in all kind of weather so I am ready, bring it on (I didn't realize it was so windy in Albany!)

4.  ARE Racing Team - Joining ARE Racing Team was a great choice, not only did we join a competitive running team, but we joined a community and are proud to put on the ARE jersey.  I know I have a whole team at ARE behind me and my dreams.

3.  Mat Nark - Having a strength and running coach who a) has kept me healthy b) made me stronger (physically and mentally) c) pulled the reigns in when need be and d) pushed my limits, is definitely making me a better runner with long term goals out on the horizon!

2.  Consistency - Over the past 8-12 weeks I have had the most consistent workouts ever in my training.  I have done workouts but never felt good enough to successfully complete 2-3 solid workouts every week.  By reducing my mileage we have really focused on Quality not Quantity.

1.  Aaron - The unbelievable support I have received from my husband Aaron!  Whether it is helping to pace me through a workout (even though I always yell at him at some point, nothing personal!), helping to motivate me on those 'dark stormy' days, or being there to listen to me spill my guts about what a great day I had with an awesome workout and nap while he worked his tail off all day teaching!

'Irony' Before the Marathon

Irony, that is what the 10 days before a marathon is filled with.  The irony that one moment you are on cloud nine confident you have maxed out your potential for this training segment, made great choices and are ready to take on the world (or United States in the case of the Olympic Trials), but 30 seconds later something hurts, you have doubt.  Will I make it to the start line?  Can I stay injury free?  What could I have done better?  Did I miss something in my training?  It will not be partly cloudy, or partly sunny, or drizzling over the next 10 days, it is either pouring or clear blue skies, doubt or confidence.












One extreme or the other, but most likely nothing between black and white, not a single shade of gray.  As I write this, yesterday was one of those crystal clear white days, but today is black and pouring, so I calmly (or maybe the text message that said HELP!, wasn't that calm) text Mat with hopes that he will have some magical cure for this hamstring/groin/abductor thing that doesn't feel so hot right now.  Two weeks ago I probably wouldn't have noticed this so much, but 10 days before the marathon I notice every possible thing.  What did I do wrong between last night and this morning that turned my banana from the perfect shade of yellow to the dark brown over ripe mess it is now, I have no idea, but I have hope that after a 4:30 appointment I will be back skipping in the clouds, conquering the world without fear.  No running today, just laundry, reading, blogging, cleaning, netflix and hope!  I will use my knowledge to push these dark clouds out of the way and take out my blue crayon and start coloring!