2013, Week 2 recap

This week was an exercise in setting high expectations, and not exactly following through. I'm a little (OK, more than a little) disappointed in myself. However, if I look at 2013 as a full year project and not just nailing the tiny details week-in-and-week-out, I think I'll be far more successful.

Here's how it shook out:

(Once again, screen capped from my Athleticore log).

5 running days, 2 off days.

Running days: OK, so I didn't hit the 25/week I should to hit 100 miles/month. However, the running days in themselves were quite solid. Monday was a negative split run. Wednesday was 2-4-6-4-2 intervals with  equal recovery. Thursday, I ran with two guys from my winter running group (Renegades!), and while it was pushed maybe a little harder than I had originally planned I was surprised that I could still do it. Maybe I'm not as bad off for next week as I think...? Saturday was supposed to be an 8-10, but I just plain wimped out. It was icy, and I had people staying with me, so I cut it short so I could say I still did something. I'm still conflicted on this one.
Off days: Nothing to report. Just 2 days I straight up rested. The jump in mileage left me a little more sore than I was expecting, so stick/roller/soaking was done.


This week, I also decided to check back in with my eating and make sure I was behaving. I know that in training, what you do in the kitchen is often just as important as what you do in the gym/trail/workout area of choice. Sunday-Wednesday, I was doing really, really solid. I was coming in right around or just under my calorie goal*, eating lots of fresh fruit and veggies, keeping everything really balanced. I did feel kind of persistently hungry, despite the high fiber and solid amount of protein, though, which may have contributed significantly to Thursday and Friday. Those days... not so much.
Thursday marked 4 years in which my husband and I have been together. As per tradition, I made a pretty simple yet nice meal, and followed the only stipulation: we eat at the table with no added distraction. (One might argue that we should do that all the time, but I digress). We also had Key Lime pie for dessert, which is our favorite (and the pie we shared at our wedding). That slice alone tipped it over for the day, big time.
Friday was just my mind going, "well, you already messed up yesterday, and now it's the weekend. So, why not?". I stopped tracking after lunch, but if it was under 3000, I'd be shocked. It was, however, the first time all week I felt full. The weekend was a wash, as well, with hockey friends in town and many a beverage consumed. But, it's a new week, and another chance.

So, where that leads me going in to this week: well, I am "racing" this weekend. The same running group I mentioned before is headed north to International Falls, MN for the "Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run." Last year, the temp outside was a balmy -11 degrees F when we started, but it was my best race and highest finish to this point:

This year, I bit the bullet and paid the extra $10 to run both the 5K and 10K, and it looks to be just as cold if not more so. I am still unsure whether or not that was my most brilliant decision, but carpe diem, eh? So, with 9.3 racing miles down the chute, I think my weekday runs may be a bit on the short side this week, with one more interval/speed thing thrown in to get things moving. Also, I am going to start tracking again, but perhaps up the calorie goal and see how that works.

In closing news, you are also looking at Northland Runner.com's newest blog contributor! I haven't posted over there, yet, but it will be different content than this one. I'm excited for another project!
Have a great day, everyone!

*for a woman of my size, stature, and activity level who is looking to maintain her weight, not lose. Funny, everyone I talked to this week about tracking looked at me in horror when I said I was, but relaxed when I said I was just maintaining.

2013 Week 1 recap

One down, fifty-one to go.

Here's how this week went down:

(Screen-capped from my Athleticore log.)
5 running days, 1 "cross training" day, 1 off day.

Running days: Something about being home makes me put in some bigger-than-I'm-used-to mileage. It's nothing spectacular this time around, but it was bigger than what I did in the weeks leading up to this one. Monday, the clear exception, was an easy, short one as it was all we had time to fit in and it was my sister's test run after taking time off for a shin problem.

Cross training days: Goss family rule. It is "bad juju" to run on New Year's Day. The year one of us did ended in pretty bad injury, so we reserve that day to recovery, relaxing, and a walk if weather conditions/our conditions permit. It felt good to get out and move after all the junk consumed the night before. And, it felt good to also feel well enough to get out and move, unlike some years in the past. Am I growing up and learning some self control? I wouldn't take it that far, but I made some more mature decisions this New Year's Eve, and I'm proud of that.

Off day: I wouldn't quite call it that, but I didn't exactly get out and run, therefore "off". Instead, I unpacked, put away Christmas, and deep cleaned my kitchen and bathroom.


So, the week ends at 25.8. Only 23.8 of those fall within the new year, but I decided a 10 today wasn't in my best interests and opted to go off of the complete week. This is not a bad start to 2013's goals. Not in the least.
In the next few weeks I need to get a training program for Bayshore hammered together, and start finalizing what other long races I'll do this year.

Side note: I just realized that it is 4:55 CST, and here in Duluth it is still daylight! I am SO happy the days are starting to get longer again. I wasn't sure how much more I could take of it being pitch black by 4:45.
On to week 2!

Brushing off some dust

Why, hello there.

As usual with any kind of blogging hiatus, I had about 10 different points in which I was going to come back here and post and something got in the way. So, here I sit, 6 months since my last post, coming back to this.

I am not going to completely recap the last 6 months. For one, it's too much time to properly fit in to one post. Secondly, most of the people who would read this either follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or in real life, so you know most of the details. In case there are a few who stumble here who would like the blank filled in, here are the major points:

Running:
~I officially finished my first marathon. It wasn't the race I had originally signed up for, the Walker North Country Marathon, but rather the Thunder Bay "Miles With the Giant" Marathon. I just had fun with it, dropping any notions of a time goal after training wasn't anywhere near solid or consistent. Official finish time was 3:58:21. I had fun, and the bug bit hard, I am gunning to find marathon #2.

~Went back to Marquette and ran the half there again. 1:54:10, ran it as my last double digit before what I thought would be Walker. Not thrilled, but it was a solid training run if you look at it from that angle.

~I hit my mileage goal for 2012 on 12/20. 1000 miles. At a few points, it looked like it was not going to happen without some monster runs in the later months. What I discovered was that even just getting out for a half hour consistently helped me get there more than anything.

~I ran my first official, non-NMTC, trail race. It was the Harder'n'He!! Half Marathon, and it truly lived up to its name. Killer hills, rocky single track, lots of falling. So much pain, but it was pretty great, too.

Life:
~My store helped produce the Superior Man Tri this summer. Craziness. Pandemonium. Chaos. But, I learned so much. And, when I got to put the finisher medal on the final finisher--a 74 year old man--it made the whole thing worth it for me. I can't see a 70.3 on my schedule any time soon, but it was really neat to see all the behind-the-scenes of a Triathlon.

~Honeymoon out west. I fell in love with Portland, OR. Head over heels. What a fantastic city. I also got to see the city in which my mother was born (Port Angeles, WA), and run along both the Willamette River and the Puget Sound, as well as see an MLS (Go, Timbers!) and a CFL (Go, BC Lions!) game. Such a great adventure out there.

~ (Obligatory mention of married life). So far, so good. We still like each other, we're still having fun. It hasn't been without a few bumps, but it wasn't anything different than we experienced as a dating couple or an engaged couple. I'll tell you what, though--it is nice to have that wedding in the rearview mirror. The event was awesome, but I was so over the planning portion. It's nice to just be able to enjoy being together and going about our life. My new name seems to be a bit hard to wrap minds around. Mispronunciations, forgetting about the fact I hyphenated, not being sure how to address envelopes to both of us... oh well. It is my name, and I like that I represent two pretty cool families with it.




So, now that 2013 is here, what is on the docket?
~Two mileage goals. First, I'd like to consistently put in a minimum of 100 miles a month. I know if I knuckle down, focus, and make sure I get out consistently this will be easy to attain. I just can't slack. Secondly, I would like to hit 1500 miles on the year. I almost feel as if I'm shooting a bit high on that, but I'd rather aim high and miss than aim low and not feel satisfied. Besides, if I'm shooting for 1500, which is 125 miles/month, then it makes hitting 100 miles/month almost a given. So, either or.
~Crack 1:45 for the half marathon. I'm going back to Bayshore and may or may not be going back to Marquette. That goal has been taunting me since Bayshore in 2011, and I'd like to finally check that one off my list.
~Marathon #2. For a while, I thought I'd be heading west for this and running the Columbia Gorge Marathon.  However, a long look at the finances and a chat with Brandon resulted in me shelving that idea until 2014. I'm currently researching fall marathons in Michigan, so I can have my family at the finish line of this one. (Running my first in Canada meant that I didn't get a chance to talk to my family until a few hours after I ran, which I was not OK with.)

And, so this post isn't entirely me talking at you, I leave you with a picture. Me crossing the finish line at Thunder Bay, officially adding my name to the ranks of those who completed 26.2:

And, I promise--somewhat more consistent posting in 2013.

"It's a New Life for Me, and I'm Feelin' Good"

Ladies and gentlemen, this happened:

Our wedding, much like every race I have ever ran, was completely worth all the stress, all the work, all the sleepless nights, all the everything. It was worth it because it was amazing. I could talk about the week leading up to it--the parties, the lack of sleep, the over-caffeination due to said lack of sleep, the panic when we found out we might have to wait until the following Monday for a marriage license (and the sweet relief when we were able to get it), but then I would be here for days. I will just say these things:

~I have an amazing family. I really do. They worked their asses off for a year and a half to pull this off, and I will forever be in their debt for that.

~I have truly great friends, who I could never live without, and being able to celebrate with them just made the whole event sweeter.

~Trail running, I feel, adequately prepared me for tearing 1/4 mile through the woods to where we hid our car while wearing a wedding dress and sparkly ballet flats. Mercifully, I didn't fall for once. 

~I am FINALLY Brandon's wife. I have only been wanting to be able to say that for the better part of 3 years, and I am still beside myself happy that I wasn't dreaming this time and we actually are married. 

Unfortunately, while I was in TC gearing up for our wedding, this happened:

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Massive, catastrophic flooding here in Duluth. Damage in the millions of dollars, tens of millions. Parks, roads, homes, businesses destroyed. It was killing me being back in MI in the sunshine and seeing this on the news, knowing that this time while I was watching coverage of a disaster, it wasn't unknown locations and anonymous faces I was seeing. I could point out every place I saw. I knew the things I was seeing. My new home was in trouble, and I wasn't there to help. Furthermore, my groom was still there. Thankfully, my friends and co-workers were OK, Brandon made it out (though he did have to caulk the wagons and ford a few rivers to do so), and both my homes in Duluth (the apartment and DRC) are OK. The trails are going to need some help, though, and I have my name on a list to do so. Life in Duluth goes on, and it will all be OK.

(Also, if you're in Duluth--there will be a benefit concert next weekend for flood victims as part of the Twin Ports Bridge Festival. $35 daily pass/$60 weekend, and all proceeds on Sunday go to a long term flood relief fund. Good music for a good cause = very much yes.)

Lastly--this is officially underway:

Hello, marathon training plan! Thanks, little sister!

In short--despite the chaos of a week ago, life is about as good as it gets right now. I'm married. I'm in marathon training. I'm back to my pretty awesome full time job. I have everything I desperately wanted 2 years ago. Life is so good.

"What If It All Goes Right?"

My last race as Lindsey Goss is in the books.

1:48:48. My first half in which I did not PR, but 7 seconds away from doing so? I'm more than OK with this, especially when you factor in the week that has been.
Before the race itself, tied in with packet pick up, is the Essentia Health Fitness and Health Expo. For us at the store, it's been weeks of getting ready, 3 days of pricing, sorting, and packing, and then 2 days of shoe slinging chaos. I worked somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 hours in the 2 days leading up to the run, and was at nearly 50 including the rest of the week before.
Yeah, I was tired.

Race morning wasn't too hectic. I had the forethought to get my packet right away Thursday and pack everything that night, including a drop bag to leave at DRC so I could clean up and change there rather than fight my way back from my apartment. Wake up call came at 4:00am, but I was already awake at 3:45 and just fighting it. I had some coffee, and toast with this stuff (which might be one of the best discoveries I have ever made):

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So good. I also had a small pouch of that which I ate on its own about 45 minutes before the run started. 

I will say this: I have never prepped nor ran a "bigger" race without my family there, and I really, really wished at least one of them was with me yesterday. I was a jittery, sleep-deprived, emotional basketcase. I lose 2 points in the "being an adult" category, but it's the truth.

I made it out on one of the first busses from the DECC to the starting line. True confession time: I cry before every race over 10K. It's odd, I have no explanation for WHY it happens, but it does. So I was the crazy lady with her headphones on, sitting in the 1 person seat in the back of the bus, quietly crying like a 3 year old for the entire ride. 

I was not a fan of the starting area, to be quite honest. I understand why they have to set up the way they do, and I will not cut them down for it, but I wasn't a fan. Sweatbags had to be dropped by 6:00am, so in the name of not literally chilling in just my race singlet and shorts for the next 45 minutes, I sacrificed one of my old cotton race shirts in the name of warmth. Also, they wanted us to be in the starting area by 6:15, and I wasn't sure where and how to go about warming up so a warm up was non-existent. Also, being that I was standing near the edge of the chute, I was constantly being pelted by people flinging shirts, bottles, and empty gel packets. (Pigs.)

This was nice: when they said the race started at 6:45, they weren't joking. 6:44:52, things kicked off. True to form, I had no idea anything started--the crowd started cheering and moving forward, so I went with them. I was about 1:40 back from the line. I was slightly bummed in that my Garmin seems to be punking out and wasn't holding a satellite connection until .1 out, so my splits weren't going to be right. That may have worked in my favor--I just glanced to see what my pace was from time to time and trusted the course mile markers. PS--balloons? Genius idea. You could see the markers quite a distance away. I was a fan.

I felt pretty decent up until mile 9. Gelled it at 6, alternated water and Powerade until 10. Between 8 and 10 I kept running in to my old boss from back in Marquette, and we agreed that we'd be good training partners for each other if only we were still in the same town. She finished about 2 minutes ahead of me clock time, but all things shaking out with gun vs chip time we finished with the exact same time. 

Anyway, I hit my usual wheels off at mile 9. I could tell I was slowing down significantly and I was not feeling good anymore. Though, I must have been hiding it well, because this picture does not show a woman who feels bad:

(This is coming by DRC and high-fiving all my co-workers. 2.6 to go.)

The last bit reminded me a lot of the Cherry Festival races, in that you're going through downtown and there are people everywhere cheering for you. Brandon waited for me at DRC, then biked down to catch me at the finish line, where even though I was rolling 8:40's by then I eked out a decent finish.

I should note here that as I came around on to Railroad St, a certain Journey song that I have adopted as my power anthem came on my iPod. I finished my last race as Lindsey Goss with "Don't Stop Believing" playing. It was perfect. 

The clock said just over 1:50 and my Garmin said just over 1:47, so I knew I was in the high 1:48-low 1:49 range. Brandon was tracking me on his phone and had my official time ready for me after I crossed. 

I was very, very happy to be that close to my PR. Training this spring was not the best, so to be able to match last year's times at this level of fitness is a good sign that something had been going right in there somewhere. 

Overall conclusion: I would definitely run this race again, with this stipulation: I will not run it again as long as I'm working at DRC. It's too much with the expo and race weekend store traffic to throw that all in. I'd like another crack at it when I'm rested and had good training under my belt. Also, going to work right after a race like that is just plain no fun. It was a good thing I was in the back just checking stuff back in to inventory, because I was one grouchy, nasty little lady.

So, with that--the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and my last race as Lindsey Goss is in the record books:

Marathon training starts Tuesday, and life as Lindsey Goss-Maurisak starts on Saturday. Bring on the next adventure!

"My Kind of Crazy"

Highlights from this week:

~Marathon training plan is officially in the works, courtesy of my sister, and will be kicking off post-marital shindig.

~NMTC Finale:

Photo courtesy Eve Stein

   In which it was uphill both ways, I ran a somewhat decent race (if not just had a fantastic prowl through the woods with a co-worker's wife/new friend), and left with a full pizza, a rather large tub of hummus, a bottle of tea, and this little bad-boy courtesy of the series finale prizes:

Heck yes, little Brooks flask!!

~I had a man who was an ordained minister of the church of Dudeism offer to marry a coworker and me, and then proceeded to flip his shit when he found out of my impending shindig and offer to officiate. Dude. Where were you a  year ago?? (Kidding. KIDDING! Pastor Carolyn is the best, there's no one else I'd rather have running that show. It would just be hilarious, that's all.)

~More new kicks!

   Brooks PureGrit before Taisha and I went and played in Hartley:

   Brooks PureGrit after Taisha and I went and played in Hartley:

Hooray, mud!!

So, here I am, on a quiet Sunday morning. I'm sipping my coffee before heading out for a 7 mile run, staring down the barrel of two crazy weeks. At the halfway point of the madness is a finish line. At the end is the beginning of the rest of my life. (OK, ew, that last one was cheesy. Sorry about that.) Along the way, there will be a 55 hour work week, a 3 hour bus ride and 3 hour flight, 2 smaller parties, and not a  lot of sleep. Either way, it's going to be madness. It's going to be fun. I'm ready to get this started. 

"You've Gotta Get A Little Mud On The Tires..."

One of the definite perks of my job is that day when a vendor or company rep asks for my size and hands me a piece of gear. The best of the best are the times when that happens and it's a pair of shoes.

Case in point, yesterday. Our Saucony guy was kind enough to give me a pair of Kinvara 3's. And they were pretty.

Despite all of my initial reservations about using a neutral shoe when I am a serial over-pronator (I mean, I'm a past user of motion control beauties like the Saucony Stabil and the Asics Foundation), I decided to take them out for a little spin that night.

Did I mention that little spin was the NMTC race in Superior? Did I mention that course had mudpits mid-calf deep.

My pretty shoes did not say clean long. However, I think a little mud adds a certain "je ne sais quoi" to them.

Coming up, I'll tell you the story of how a serial over-pronator ran a 3 mile race in a pair of neutral shoes and walked away to tell the tale.

(Photo credit: Eve Stein)

Off to breakfast with a co-worker! Have a great day, all!