Sunday, September 25, 2011

A Brand-New PR!

After a grueling week of work, during which I only managed two days of running (a 7 miler on Monday and a 6 miler on Wednesday), I wasn't feeling too confident about my scheduled long run yesterday.  The different plans I looked at had anywhere from 12 to 16 on the books, so I decided I would just get out there and see how it went.  The result:


I'm still in a state of shock over this new "PR."  (That's short for "personal record" for the non-runners reading this!)  My fastest official half marathon was the Kaiser Half a couple of years back (2:32. xx) , and my fastest training half marathon was last summer (2:30.xx).  To have actually broken 2:30 is thrilling for a back-of-the-packer like me!

At least some of the credit goes to my new running shoes, Newton Running's Lady Issaac Stability Guidance Trainer.
I read about Newton running shoes over the summer and was intrigued.  And skeptical.  But, I was curious enough to actually shell out the $149 to try them.  After dealing with the usual aches and pains during marathon training (shin splints, plantar fasciitis, hamstring issues), I was anxious to find out if these shoes could possibly work for me.

At this point, I am reserving final judgment, simply because I've only been using the Lady Isaacs for a few weeks.  It's going to take a while to determine if they are really the right shoes for me, especially given the fact that they cost $50 more than the shoes I have run in for the past 11 years (Adidas Trail Response).  Then again, I don't belong to a gym, so I don't shell out monthly dues.  Instead, I spend a lot of time out on the roads and trails, so investing in quality equipment is important.

Hopefully, the training I do in these new shoes over the next 3 weeks leading up to the Nike Women's Half Marathon and the 11 weeks leading up to the California International Marathon will render a final verdict!

The countdown continues...

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Thirteen Weeks and Counting...

While I was training for the San Francisco Marathon, I was cognizant of the fact that it was summer vacation.  This meant that I had time to devote to those 18, 20 and 22 milers.  I remember thinking, "There's no way I could do this during the school year!"  But then, the school year started, and along with it came the stress that defines every teacher's life from August until May (approximately, depending on where one teaches).

With the Nike Women's Half Marathon looming in October, I will still logging the miles, but it didn't feel quite the same.  Training for a half is a lot of work, no question about it, but I wasn't enjoying the cutback long runs of "only" 10-12 miles.  (Did I actually just write that?!??!)

The next thing I knew, I found myself scouring the web for winter/spring marathons.  I was "just looking," I told myself.  Several races looked interesting, but were already sold out.  The Napa Valley Marathon caught my eye, but it isn't until March, and they don't allow headphones on the course.  Running 26.2 miles without my trusty iPod and Mike Malloy Show podcasts?  Impossible!

I was just about to put the idea on hold when I received an e-mail about the California International Marathon.  This race takes place in Sacramento on December 4th.  I started to mull it over:  December 4th is doable as far as my school schedule.  My stepdad, a recent immigrant from Germany, has never been to Sacramento, so maybe we could make a weekend of it and take him to see the State Capitol, Old Town, etc.  It would also be fun to see my husband's family friend, "Monsy," who has retired in Sacramento, and to hopefully catch up with my old friend, Mo, at the race festivities (her daughter runs the race every year).



Anyone who knows me also knows that the holidays are not my favorite time of year (to put it mildly).  I'm thinking that 20-mile training runs could drown out the obnoxious side of the Christmas season for me.  If my marathon finish in July is any indication, I will likely be on a "high" for several weeks after the race, which could get me through to the new year without the usual holiday blues!

Within a few hours, I had made my decision:  Just do it!  

So the marathon books are off the shelf and back on the nightstand.  My training plan called for a 14 miler this past Saturday, and finishing it felt great!

When I told them I that I was going to do another marathon, my running friends said, "You've definitely caught the bug."  I'm pretty sure that's true, and I hope it's a good thing.

Thirteen weeks and counting...