Philadelphia Marathon Race Recap

Last Sunday, I ran my second marathon.

Keith and I headed down on Friday afternoon to check out Philadelphia and the expo. We got the requisite cheesesteaks, and I picked up my bib and t-shirt at the Philadelphia Convention Center.

The expo was a runner nerd’s dream – lots of arm sleeves and tech tees for sale. The Convention Center was right near the Liberty Bell, so we took a stroll and did a bit of sightseeing.

Sneaking a pic with our first prez.

A man we did not know.  

On Saturday, we hung out with my family and had an awesome carb-loading dinner, courtesy of Mama Wyman. After some amazing chicken parm and cookies, Keith and I headed to the Aloft Hotel by the Philadelphia Airport. We settled in for the night, and I tried my hardest to go to bed early (with absolutely no luck). And what seemed like 20 minutes later, my alarm went off at 4:30AM.

Keith offered to drive me to the start, along with my cousins Pat and Sean, who were also running the race. We did some porta-pottying, and before we knew it, we hopped in the corrals and started to run.

Pat and Sean!
Notice my beautiful Wal-mart throwaway hoodie.

Sean and Pat were looking to finish in under 4 hours, so I decided to start with them and see how I felt. For the first 7 miles, I felt really good, and was able to hang with them. My legs felt strong and I just took in the sights and sounds of the race.

Bros being bros.

We started the race around a 9:40/9:30 pace, and then the boys sped up closer to a 9:00 pace, which felt a little fast for me.  Deep down I was hoping I might break 4:00 hours, I knew by mile 7 that this wasn’t the race to do it in. I didn’t want to kill myself and not enjoy this race, so I dialed it back, and let my cousins go ahead.

At about mile 8, I noticed a little bit of pain on the outside of my right knee. It was really foreign to me – I haven’t had pain in that spot since last winter, and didn’t experience pain in any of my recent long runs. I tried to shrug it off.

Around mile 10, I heard some house music in the distance. There were some amazing spectators lined up on the side of the course, dressed up in costume, just dancing along to the music.

A unicorn! And some neon guy!

By mile 12, the pain in the outside of my knee was getting worse. I tried saying a mantra to myself with each step: “Go…away…” It didn’t really seem to be working, but I kept trying anyway.

At mile 13, we split from the half-marathoners, which was not as terrible as I thought it would be. I felt kind of awesome for being a full-marathoner, and the psychological part of having to run another 13 miles didn’t really bother me. Plus I saw Keith right after the split, which was a huge boost.

After a quick hug and kiss, he told me my parents were waiting for me at mile 17. I ran off, and put on my iPod. The pain in my knee was spreading up to my quads and hip, and by the 14^th mile, I was in a lot of pain. I had a short pity session for myself, wondering how I was going to run another 12 miles with my right leg the way it was feeling. I decided to text my family mid-run, asking if they could have Motrin ready for me when I saw them. I somehow got through the next three miles, which was a huge, painful blur.

At the 17 marker, I took out my earbuds and looked for my family. All of a sudden, I heard loud screaming – “KAAATE!!!” Everyone - runners and spectators alike, turned their heads to see who was yelling. It was my amazing family.

Teary-eyed at mile 17.

I started to cry, seeing my mom, dad and sister screaming and jumping for me. It couldn’t have come at a better moment, because I was so down on myself, and my right leg felt useless. They handed me some Motrin, I gave them hugs, and kept going.

Slowly but surely, the pain disappeared from my leg. Miles 17-20 felt really hard, but I had a feeling that I would start to feel better. Also, as a side note on the race, I wasn’t a huge fan of the out-and-back course. During Miles 13-20, you run out to a suburb in Philly called Manayunk, and on the opposite side of the course, you get to watch faster (and presumably more trained) runners already on their way to the finish line. It seemed like the final turnaround point would never come.

Random shot of me at mile 13...

About 200 yards from the final point of the race, I saw my two cousins come up behind me. I was SO HAPPY to see them. I was really confused why they were there, and realized that I had just passed them. They were the running angels I needed at that point, and seeing them made all of the pain vanish from my leg.

By mile 21, I was running a few feet in front of them, and they waved me to keep going on without them. Shortly after, I saw my family for the last time, and I felt like I was running a completely different race.

My amazing sister.

Papa Wyman.

I realized at this point, that I would be in pain no matter what, and I might as well finish strong. I started to dedicate songs on my playlist in the last few miles to my favorite people in the world. During Melissa Ethridge’s “I’m the only one,” I pictured Kelly and me belting out the words together as kids, and silently thanked her for all of her amazing cheer-leading during the race. “Uptown Girl” reminded me of car rides with my parents, and I thought of all the support and love they give me when I need it most. During the Black Keys’ “Lonely Boy,” I thought of Keith and his unending words of kindness when I’m super stressed or nervous about running (and life).

I ripped out my headphones at mile 25, and I wanted to remember and enjoy the last mile of my race. The spectators lining the course became more crowded, and I heard perfect strangers cheering me on, whether they were calling me a runner, by my name, or by the animal print I was wearing.

My last fan was close to mile 26, where Keith was ready with a Gatorade in case I needed it. I gave him a quick hug, and ran off towards the finish.

Feeling groovy.

Judging by the pace bracelet I got at the expo, I knew by the last few miles that I could make it in under 4:15. I was feeling really strong the last few miles, and I wondered if I could even get in under 4:10. I knew it would be close, but I wanted to give it my all. I hit mile 26 at a 9:09 pace, which was the fastest pace I saw since Mile 12. I broke off at a sprint with .2 miles left, and I wanted to give the spectators what they came to see – nutjob marathoners giving it their all when they had nothing left to give.

And after a roller coaster of a race, I finally crossed that finish line in 4:09:38.

I was beaming, so happy that I finished well. One of my favorite things about this race was the post-finish treats – I became cold really quickly, and they had hot, salty chicken broth ready for the finishers. They also had a short line for the post-race massages, which I gladly waited in to have a brave girl work out the kinks in my legs. 

One happy, sweaty family!

My Keith!

I met up with my family, and gabbed about the race. Then Kelly, Keith and I went to a restaurant called The Pub that my friend Meggie recommended. It was a crazy German beer hall-type place, that made us all feel like we were in the Twilight Zone. We clearly got burgers and beer.

The Pub's beautiful decorations.

Ralph the Reindeer - Keith's win from the claw
machine at the Pub.
Still out for debate whether he's a reindeer or a moose.

Final thoughts on the Philly Marathon - It was an awesome race. Doing a really big race was a nice change from last year, because I was always surrounded by other runners and endearing spectators (fan fave was a guy dressed up as a sumo wrestler, holding a sign that said "If you stop running, I will eat you.") The course itself was pretty flat, except for a few hills in the beginning of the race that I didn't really notice. As I said earlier, I didn't love the out-and-back setup. The first 13 miles were really scenic and fun, but the last 13 added on a psychological element of seeing people much faster than you about to finish. 

I am really happy with my time - I tried not to think about it too much during training, since my knee injury in the summer definitely set me back a bit. But when it comes down to it, I set a PR by 23 minutes and I couldn't be more proud of that. I have my whole life to beat that dreaded 4:00 mark.

Lastly, I felt so blessed to have been surrounded by my family for this marathon. They were the ones that kept me going when I wanted to give up.  I'll be the first to admit that standing in the cold for four hours on a Sunday morning is the opposite of fun, yet the fact that they were so enthusiastic and had so many good things to say about the race made me so happy. What an amazing day.

Lots of Good Food & A (Very) Hilly Run

Today’s Workout  – 5 Miles, Hills

I spent this past weekend tapping into some childhood happiness at New England’s State Fair called the Big E.

An omen of great things to come.

Keith’s family and I headed up Saturday morning bright and early to the fair that took place in West Springfield, MA.

We grabbed some yummy breakfast sandwiches, and then started through the fair. The Big E is sort of a mini-town – beyond the typical fair staples of food stands and carnival rides, they have replicas of the state houses for each New England state that you can walk through and explore. Each state house was full of food and trinkets that locals make (Vermont – Maple Syrup, Massachusetts – Lobster Rolls… you get the picture). I grabbed every sample of cheese and fudge I could get my hands on.

Mmm mini pies.
Perhaps the only item I didn't consume that day.

Cool old car!

We filled up on Harpoon Oktoberfest (there are few things in life I love more than fall beer), saw the New England rednecks out in droves, and made our way over to the “Farm-a-Rama.” There were baby chicks hatching, a mama and baby alpaca, Clydesdale horses, and baby pigs!!!

Cute lil spotted pig. I want to take you home.

I retract my previous statement. There are few things in life I love more
than watching baby pigs climbing over each other to get to their mama.

There were also lots of fun trinkets you could buy – everything from puppets to jewelry to cute little Halloween decorations. I had to refrain on a few things, but I did walk away with a block of Vermont cheddar cheese and a pez dispenser.

Keith found me a beautiful hat.

Excitement after ordering a "large" kettle popcorn 

I took a little catnap on the ride home – probably my body’s way of preparing for the nine miles I had to run after a day of walking, drinking, and eating. So after a little hydration and procrastinating, I hit the road for my long run around Keith’s hilly neighborhood.

Hilly. F-ing. Run.

I know the roads around Keith’s house pretty well, since I almost always fit in a run when we visit his parents. I wanted to try a different route, and one that wouldn’t force me to make two loops (it’s mentally easier for me to finish a run when I don’t pass home halfway through). I was trucking along, feeling pretty good, and suddenly realized I had no idea where I was. Luckily, a somewhat-friendly man walking his dog was around the bend from me, and I asked him for directions. Normally I hate being lost, but it was oddly exhilarating. And there’s comfort in knowing that if you simply turn around, you can follow the route you just took home…

This was my longest run in awhile. Not going to lie, I was completely wiped by the end. I tried to keep in mind that I was running an incredibly hilly route, and my pre-run fuel of cider donuts and beer probably didn’t help any. But once it was over, I decided to see it as a confidence boost that I could successfully run all those crazy inclines.

I had an amazing meal with Keith’s family, watched some of the Notre Dame Football game… and was in bed at 9:30. Successful day in my book.

I did a 5 mile “hilly” run at the gym this morning. Everything was telling me to stay in bed since the sky was dark with rain clouds, but I dragged myself out of bed and I’m glad I did it. I think the hills over the weekend helped build my endurance, because I didn’t feel like dying when I boosted the incline level past 1.0 on the treadmill.

Aside from being excited to go home and finally put up the curtains my mom made me while likely watching my new copy of the Hunger Games (thanks Kel!), today marks an amazing day. My anniversary with Keith!

Surprise flowers waiting for me!!!

(Cue icky love stuff)

So happy to be with such a wonderful person, who makes me laugh and smile every day!

Back with a New Plan

Today’s Workout: 4 Miles, Easy

Hi friends! Did you miss me?

I realize it’s been almost a month since I posted. This is partly due to the fact that the last few weeks of the summer were crazy, and partly because I didn’t want to write on my running blog when I was injured. I’m laying it all out there for ya.

Let’s start with said crazy weeks of summer shall we? My recent life, in photos.

It was my birthday! I rang in the big 2-4 with lots of good friends and family.

And beer.

Keith and I went to Portland over Labor Day! The weather was perfect, and all the fall beer was back on the shelves.

We went to a brew fest and imbibed with the locals.

Last beach day of the summer at Crescent Beach in Portland.

Absolutely perfect day.

Keith and I ran in Portland around one of their beautiful bays,
decked out in our new Nike gear straight
from the glorious Maine outlets.

While we were in Portland, we were asked to volunteer at the
Sea Dogs game for the "lobster toss"
We lost. But be jealous.

Great summery dinner – homemade Mussels picked from Maine’s waters two days before, salad, and Rose wine. Please and thank you.

I went home this past weekend for a bridal shower, and my family’s scrumptious cat Morgan curled up with me as soon as the lights went out. We did some catching up on Project Runway together.

Do you feel like you’re all caught up? Great!

I don’t want to go into detail about my knee injury – I’d rather not put you to sleep, and it won’t help me heal any faster if I talk about it. But basically, I had to readjust my aggressive training plan I set out to do. I had lofty goals of lots of long runs and intense speedwork sessions, but with my minor setback, I had to readjust.

Confession:  I am not at all bummed about this.

I started off the marathon training program feeling pretty tired, and I often dreaded my runs. I don’t think I took enough time off between the half marathon and marathon, and I felt burned out.

Once I was injured, however, and I couldn’t use running to meditate/de-stress/listen to Harry Potter audio books, I was dying to get back on the road. There’s a lesson in all setbacks I suppose.

Once I was back to healthy, I took a page out of last year’s marathon plan, and ran with it. I’m going to gradually build up my mileage and long run distances, but it is by no means close to what I had methodically planned out.

Eight weeks ago, I was all “Sub 4:00 Marathon!” “Two 20 Milers, at the least!” “5-day weeks! I need ‘em!”

Now I’m more, “I love running!” “I just want to finish Philly!” “This feels like last year’s gleeful training!”

So that’s where we’re at.

I’m not trying to break any records at Philly, I just want to finish with a smile on my face. Do I hope that I will beat my time from last year? Sure.  Will I cry if I don’t? Nope. In the time I took off to rehabilitate, running and I became BFFs again instead of frenemies. And it feels like training should feel – fun and rewarding.

Dialing it Back

I was riding the subway home the other night, after a delightful dinner with friends, feeling elated and full. I decided to browse this month’s Runner’s World, which usually brings me so much joy, yet so much agony once I’ve read it from cover-to-cover knowing I have to wait another 4 weeks for a new issue.

An article that interviewed some of this summer’s Olympic athletes piqued my interest, especially the part on “injury prevention.” Shalane Flanagan, one of the women who competed in the Olympic Marathon, said how every runner will feel an ache here and there – but once it goes past 3-4 days, it’s considered an injury.

I got really hot, and cursed the non-pregnant young people who were taking up all the precious seats. After a minor hot flash/freakout, I came to terms with the fact that I am “injured.”

I thought I kicked my knee injury after my PT Session two weeks ago, but after running 4 miles Monday night and 6 miles Tuesday morning, it was definitely in a bit of pain. I noticed stiffness in my knee Tuesday at work, and tried icing and stretching, and didn’t think about it too much.

But after reading that article, I realized, I really do need to do something about it. My training plan has been somewhat conservative until now, and starting next week, it really begins to ramp up. I know that my knee is not going to fare well if I increase mileage, and I know that because I’ve been base training for about two months now, I will be fine if I take off or decrease the mileage on a few runs.

To give me some hope, I thought back to last year’s marathon training plan, when I followed the bare-bones beginner program. It got me through a full marathon, with only one minor injury along the way.

Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer - you have
a special place in my heart.

I opened up my copy, and I was shocked at how low the mileage was for the first half of the plan. A wave of RELIEF washed over me. I’ve been doing much higher mileages for weeks now, and if I need to lower mileage for a week or two to get back on track, it won’t wreck all the training I’ve already done.

So I got up on yesterday morning, listened to my body, and left my gym bag at home. I felt a bit antsy, but I knew it was what I needed. On the upside, I made oatmeal raisin cookies.

Not my cookies. I didn't take a picture of them.
I was too busy eating.

I went to the gym this morning, and though the treadmill was screaming my name, I gave my joints a break and did my cardio on just about every other machine (including that weird gazelle machine that simulates running. It was the next best thing and I still hated it).

I can already feel my body thanking me - I woke up with a ton of energy this morning, and basically leapfrogged out of bed. So while it’s hard for me to dial back my training plan, at the end of the day, I want to finish the Philly Marathon. I would rather run it and miss my goal time, than sit on the sidelines on race day.

Good Food, Good (and bad) TV

Today’s Workout: 5 miles, easy

Health Check: I feel awesome! But I need to add more veggies, and subtract greasy food from this week’s diet.

I headed home to the lovely state of New Jersey on Thursday evening. I had been looking forward to going home - the summertime, while kind to my social calendar, is unkind to my wallet. A few home cooked meals and some uninterrupted sleep was just what I needed.

My mom made an amazing meal Thursday night – pork chops and Spanish rice. It must have caused a food coma, since I began watching a movie with my family and fell asleep… at 9:45. Perfection (we were also watching Dante’s Peak, which I loved as a kid. But 13-year-old Kate did not, as it turns out, have Oscar-winning film taste).

Whatever. I still love this movie.

I skipped my run on Friday per Dr. Ngo’s orders, and was happy to take the day off. My knee was feeling loads better, and I’m not one to turn down time on the couch with my fam.

On Saturday morning, my dad and I hit the pavement to find unwavering humidity in the air. Papa Wyman was my amazing pit crew, as he biked next to me and handed me my water bottle at every mile. I took several walk breaks to minimize some of the impact on my knee, but overall felt great. I was scheduled to do 9 miles, and ran the first 7 with my dad, so the first hour or so flew by. I was solo on the last two miles, which seemed to drag on with intense heat. Anyone else ready for fall?

I started out intentionally slow, and picked up the pace in the middle. It started to get really hot by the end, so I slowed down a bit. I tried to speed up during mile 9, and even though I felt like I was going at an 8:00 pace, the heat fooled me once again.

I got the royal treatment after my hot run – I was allowed to stretch in my parents’ living room in the cool AC in my sweaty, sweaty clothes, almost immediately washed and dried aforementioned sweaty, sweaty clothes, and found an English muffin breakfast sandwich waiting for me right after my amazing shower. This is why I love doing my long runs at home.

They are too cute!

How is it possible I made it this far without once mentioning the Olympics? I’m not quite sure, but I'm about to change that.

I'm placing all my bets on you, Gabs.

MVP of the Opening Ceremony in pink

I watched the majority of the Opening Ceremony, and realized that I really need to work on my world geography (not quite sure about that pastoral/bedtime bit, but I do love that Kenneth Branagh was an MC of sorts). I also caught a fair amount of swimming, gymnastics, archery, table tennis, volleyball, and fencing. Gymanstics still remains the fave, and fencing is really boring. I don’t know how it works, and I can never tell who stabbed who first.

After Keith and I spent much of the afternoon watching the Olympics on Sunday, we headed over to a new cute diner in Williamsburg called Blue Collar. People have been drawing comparisons to In-N-Out Burger, which Keith and I tried in California, and I can understand why. It’s a no-frills counter-service restaurant, that has about 10 menu items, but everything is delicious and cheap. The cheeseburger was so good that I didn’t even need to eat it with ketchup (perhaps the second time that has ever happened in my life).

Mmmm...

To walk off our burgers, we decided to head over to the ferry dock in Greenpoint where you can catch a good look at the East River and Manhattan. We were lucky to see a storm that was brewing over the city, and obviously did some instagraming.

It was a good little weekend, and now I have my third week of marathon training to look forward to. It’s a “step-back” week, so nothing crazy to write home about – but I will be doing my first official “hill” training this week (and considering I’ve been running the flatlands of Greenpoint recently, it should make things interesting).

Here’s to a week of Olympic watching, and making dents in my couch. You're more than welcome to join me.

Tips: How to Treat Yourself during Marathon Training

Today’s Workout: 5 miles, outside

Health Check: My muscles feel pretty good – but I need to make sure I continue to ice my knee over the next several days

I’ll get to my topic of the day in a moment. But first things first.

Yesterday I went to my amazing physical therapist, Dr. Ngo. After running 5 miles on the treadmill Tuesday morning, my knee was still a bit sore, and I was nervous. I had no clue whether to skip runs, how often to ice, all that jazz. Dr. Ngo always knows what to say.

We found out rather quickly that my left quad is crazy tight. She said because my hip flexors are tight, my quads are tight, and as a result, my quad muscle is pulling on my knee. So she did her thing while I winced in pain, and told me I could still do most of my runs this week. I still had a 5 miler, a 3 miler, and a 9 miler left. She said to skip the 3 miler, but make sure to take several walk breaks during the other two runs. I left feeling relieved.

I did 5 miles this morning, and it was pretty effortless. I warmed up a bit with two slow miles, and then sped up for the last three. After each mile, I walked for a minute, and I ran mostly around McCarren Park and the track for softer surfaces.

I am happy to skip my 3 miler tomorrow since I’ll be home (SUMMER FRIDAYS I LOVE YOU), so I fully plan on sleeping in and doing some light stretching. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that my knee will be back to normal in a few days.

Now on to the topic of the day. Treat yo’ self.

I know what you’re thinking – treat myself? I’m running constantly, I’m always tired, and I’m doing all of this for one big day weeks or even months from now.

Training for a marathon is not for the faint of heart. And while I love it (you would be crazy to train for one if you didn’t love this ish), there are times when I don’t feel like devoting any more time to running. A warm bed or a beer with a friend sounds much more appealing than 2 hours on the road.

That being said, there are ways to getting around the mental and physical exhaustion of training. Here are some practical and personal tips that help me stay continually excited about lacing up my sneakers.

Tip #1: Sleep

Runners are separated into early birds and night owls. Last year, when I trained for the Cape Cod Marathon, I probably did 90% of my runs at night. I simply could not get into the habit of waking up before work to run. This year, I’m determined to add more morning runs to my schedule. I enjoy getting up early and “getting it out of the way,” and have found myself getting up before work 2-3 mornings a week for both running and cross-training.

The result? I sleep like a baby.

 When I do a morning run, I hit the pillow that night and fall asleep in an instant. I haven’t historically struggled with sleeping, but if I’m really stressed, I have a harder time sleeping all the way through the night. When I do morning runs, all of that worry and stress goes away the moment I tuck in.

Since sleep is so important during training, figure out what works for you, and follow it.

This tip also includes guilt-free napping. When I have to get up early on a Saturday morning for my long run, I tell myself that I can treat myself to a nap later, and I don’t feel guilty whatsoever for laying on my couch and watching a terrible movie as I fall asleep. You earned it, so take full advantage.

Tip #2 – Track your progress

When I first started running, I would write down on a calendar all the runs I completed. I was so proud of myself as I saw the numbers creep up each month to new heights. This still gives me an odd sense of accomplishment, so I write down my runs in a few places.

Running Calendar

Since January, I’ve kept an excel sheet of all the runs I’ve completed. So far this month, I’ve run 73.4 miles. So far this year, I’ve run 505.6 miles. How awesome is that?!? If that doesn’t get you excited, this might not be your sport.

Training Plan

I created my own training plan by combining Hal Higdon’s Intermediate Training Plan and a plan I found in Runner’s World. It has the perks of a tough training program (hello, speedwork! We are friends), but isn’t so crazy that I won’t be able to do it (not ready to commit to three, 20 mile runs. Ain’t happening). I had perhaps a little too much fun creating this plan, confirmed by the fact that it is color-coded.

NBD.

Running Journal

I like to write. Did you know that? Now you know.

Last year, I followed a beginner’s training plan from a book, which had a section to write down comments about each run. It could include anything from the course I ran, to how hard it felt, or something interesting that happened along the way.

It was sometimes tedious, but I was really happy I did it. On days when I had a really tough run, I would look back at previous entries, and read when past Kate was really excited: “Completed my first 14 miler! Longest distance I have ever run! Go me.” And then my bad run wouldn’t seem so bad.

I’m keeping up the tradition this year, since it was a great mental technique for me.

A gift from Kelly! <3 my elephants.

Tip #3 – Add fun rituals to the boring parts of your routine

For most runners, the most boring part of running is stretching afterwards. The last thing I feel like doing after a long run is devoting time to cooling down and stretching. Bring on the hot shower and post-run egg sandwich already! But I find I get injured if I don’t, so I make myself do it.

After an evening run I will turn on my guilty pleasure “What Not to Wear” that I have on my DVR, and do my stretching in front of the TV. In the morning, I’ll turn on the Today Show, and secretly curse Savannah for taking over Ann Curry’s spot, but giggle at Al Roker for his ridiculous catch phrases.

It actually makes me want to stretch longer, and my muscles thank me for it. It seems simple, and most of you probably already do this, but it works for me.

Love you two - but please stop with the intro skits.
They are weird and not funny.

Tip #4 – Be easy

Aside from following your mileage plan, training for a marathon is not the time to be strict with yourself. It is really important to listen to your body.

Do you want that extra piece of chocolate cake? Go for it, you’ve earned it. Do you feel like skipping after-work drinks so you can get a good night’s rest? If your body wants it, do it. Would you rather stay in on a Sunday afternoon to watch Jurassic Park instead of enjoying your weekend outside? Microwave some popcorn and give your attention to T-Rex.

As much as I want to go out and be social (cue why every Sunday on my training plan has the word “rest” next to it), I realize that my body and mind will probably need more rest than usual over the next few months.

On that note, even if you’re not training for a marathon, Treat Yo’ Self. Go do something that makes you happy, and don’t feel guilty at all for doing it.