Category: Training

me running
Running, Training, Training Sub 1:25

Sub 1:25 Files: Week 2

Hollie

week was a great of training. There weren’t any races that interested me, but I was able to log mileage and quality workouts. The running goal until February is log mileage and focus on workouts.  The goal of the 2020 training cycle is to run under 1:25. I don’t know when it will happen and as I gain fitness, I’ll be able to get a better gauge, whether it be sooner or later.  I don’t have a goal race picked out just yet. I need to stay injury free and see how fitness comes along.

Training Log:

Monday: AM: 6 miles
PM: Easy 4 miles with 6X30 second strides
Tuesday: AM: Easy 8 miles PM: 1-hour swim
Wednesday: 20X400s with 200 jog in between
Thursday: Easy 6 miles with Jen
Friday: 14 miles averaging 8:47 pace
Saturday: Easy 6 Group Run
Sunday: 14 miles

Total: 70 miles

Thoughts:

This week went better than anticipated. I felt like I got in recovery and was able to bounce back quickly. I wasn’t expecting to feel as good on Friday, but I ended up feeling good. My easy range ranges anywhere between 9-11 minute miles, so I was surprised to feel so good and average 8:47.  70 miles is the highest amount of miles I’ve run in a couple of years.

Even with marathon training and 20-mile training runs, I wasn’t running 70 because my body needs a heck a lot more rest after 20 miles than 14. I’m looking forward to continuing to build.  I don’t foresee myself getting much higher than 80 but I know I thrive best on 70-80 miles per week. That’s where I’ve run all of my PRs.

Workout Wednesday: 20X400s with 200 jog

I was nervous about this workout. I haven’t done this many 400s in a while. (Probably since 2018). I haven’t done this since X seems to be a theme lately, but it’s also why I haven’t been in PRing shape since X.

Since I’m focusing on longer races (the half marathon), I would prefer to have the endurance versus a few 400s at an all-out sprint. The goal was to run the 400s around a 5-mile pace. Since I chose to do the workout on a hilly road, it was a little slower and averaged 6:46 pace.  While not as fast as I would like, I’m happy with the effort on the hills.

Sunday Long Run: Total Miles 14

Sunday’s long run had a different twist. I ran 7 miles and for the second half, I ran .25 hard followed by .75 easy.  It was tough and I wanted to stop a few too many times but I’m happy with my effort.

long run splits
long run splits

Posts from the Week:

Asics Cumulus 21 Shoe Review

Distance Series 10 Miler (1:10.07)

Finally, have you subscribed to the LOLZletter? It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport. 

Questions for you:

What’s your favorite workout?

Are you training for anything?

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Distance Series 10 Miler
Running, Training, Training Sub 1:25

Distance Series 10 Miler (1:10.07)

Hollie

Distance Series 10 Miler (1:10.07)

The Distance Series is one of my favorite local races in Virginia. Since I grew up in Hampton Roads, I always have both family and friends racing.  The Distance Series has three races from January to late March to get ready for the Shamrock Half Marathon.  There are 10/15/20 milers in the series or the shorter series 6/10/12.

The last Distance Series race I ran was in 2018, the 15 Miler. It was one of my best races in 2018.  Usually, January is dreary and I like to take a short trip out of New Jersey. This winter has been mild, and in fact, the Distance Series was hot. I haven’t run a January race that was 65-70 degrees and humid in a long time (maybe ever).  It felt like I was running a late May race! Anyway, I still had an enjoyable time and even with the humidity barely missed my “A” goal of under 1:10.

Dad and I arrived around 8 am picked up our packets and talked to a few friends. I saw good friend Mollie and we decided to warm up together. It was hot and to be honest; my body didn’t feel great.  We jogged about 2 miles and then headed to the start.

Distance Series 10 Miler

The Distance Series 10 Miler went off promptly at 9 am. It runs on the Dismal Swamp Trail, which is a boring, flat, trail next to the Dismal Swamp. In the summer, it’s insanely buggy.  The last time I ran there was the day before my wedding in 2015, my how time flies.

My A goal was to run a 1:10.  Based on my 10k, my VDot indicates I’m in between 1:09-1:10 shape right now. I knew the weather was not ideal, so it was a stretch to run 1:09.  I hit the first mile in 7:01. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed, but I evaluated how I was feeling and knew I needed to run conservatively, otherwise it would be a death march to the finish.

I ran the next mile of the Distance Series 10 Miler in 6:57. I felt better about it. For the most part, I was running alone and just lost in my own thoughts.  The 6 miler and 10 miler were together until mile 3, so it was tough to know who was running what. I wasn’t running for a place but more to see what kind of fitness I was in.

I crossed the third mile of the Distance Series 10 Miler in 6:57. I felt decent, but my legs were still stiff. I noticed we had a headwind, so I thought, wouldn’t it be nice if the last 5 miles were tailwind…then I realized, did I really want tailwind with how hot it already was?

The next two miles of the Distance Series 10 Miler went by without much note. I was just plugging along. Around mile 4.5, I saw the leaders heading back. I couldn’t tell if it was a tailwind. All I wanted to do was get to mile 5 to find out if it was a tailwind. I crossed mile 5 in 35:10.

As we headed back, I realized it was no wind. The air was a standstill and the humidity was high. I felt like I roasted the last 5 miles of the Distance Series 10 Miler.  I just plugged along. Running in the Dismal Swamp can be mentally challenging because there are mile markers by the .25, so you literally count down. It felt like it was dragging.

As I was heading back, I grabbed Gatorade at the two remaining stops. I ran mile 5 in 7:01, followed by 6 in 6:57.  The miles felt like they were taking forever; I just wanted to be done. Something happened that I’ve never had happen before and that my leg started to spaz out a little bit. I think I was cramping due to the heat. Once I grabbed Gatorade around mile 7.5-8, it felt better.

The next few miles of the Distance Series 10 Miler were uneventful and I ran a 6:59, 6:58, 6:59. I wanted so badly to be under 1:10, but I realized due to not running in a perfect line and adding almost a 10th of a mile, I wouldn’t be there. I crossed mile 9 at 1:03.15, and I knew I would need to haul butt to be under 1:10.

Distance Series 10 Miler

I felt like I was powering during the last mile of the Distance Series 10 Miler.  I passed a few of the six miler races, but I had tunnel vision to the end. I saw the clock ticking 1:09.45 and I knew I was just a little bit off. I didn’t let that dampen my spirits and I still powered to the end. My last 30 seconds was about 6:12 pace. I crossed in 1:10.07.

Distance Series 10 Miler

Distance Series 10 Miler Thoughts:

I’m happy with my effort at the Distance Series 10 Miler.  If it was better weather, I would have run under 1:10 but can’t change the weather. My effort was there and I was much more consistent.  I didn’t “fly and die,” so I was happy with that. Plus, the last time I ran a 10 miler in October, I ran a 1:15.

I’m looking forward to my next race in a few weeks (a 5k).

Finally, have you subscribed to the LOLZletter? It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport. 

Questions for you:

How was the weather near you last weekend?

What is your favorite distance to race? 

 

 

me running
Running, Training

Training: New Year’s 10k and Building a Base

Hollie

Since a few people remained interested in my training logs, I figured I would continue. One of my primary goals to 2020 is to clean out things, mental, physical, and digital (including blogging). I want to trim what I don’t need anymore. I’m not sure what that means for blogging and social media, and I’ll most likely continue doing it, but I’m going to put effort into things that matter the most.

Speaking of cleaning out, my 2020 Resolution is to get rid of something every day. Whether it’s physical, mental, or digital. Several people told me to create an Instagram, so you can find that here if that interests you.  Which makes zero sense considering I want to trim social media, but it keeps me motivated and it will be fun to look at all of the progress throughout the journey.

Back to Training:

Monday: 1 hour Swim 2X1500 meters
Tuesday: Easy 6 miles with Alexis 6X30 second strides
Wednesday: Hair of the Dog 10k (41:49)
Thursday: Easy 8 miles
Friday: 12 miles easyish with 6X30 second strides
Saturday: Easy 6 miles
Sunday: 14 Mile Long Run averaging 8:15 pace

Thoughts:

Last week’s training went well. It was nice to start the New Year off with my fastest 10k since 2018. I wrote a full recap here. We wanted to do something different to start in 2020, so we decided to head to Rehobeth Beach. Neither my husband nor I have spent a lot of time in Delaware (minus driving through). The race itself went well and I ran even splits and negative split the race!

Most of the rest of the week was spent doing easy runs (anywhere between 9-10 min miles or untimed). My long run on Sunday went as well as it could. We had 35 mph gusts so I was always running in the headwind or tailwind. I’m happy with it.

Next week, I’ll continue to build mileage and fitness.  I’m probably going to head back to Virginia to see my parents and spend a few more days with them.  January won’t be the “most exciting month ever” with minimal races, but it will be an important month to build fitness.

Posts from the Week:

Nike Pegasus 36 Shoe Review

Hair of the Dog 10k (41:49)

2019 Running Yearly Recap

Finally, have you subscribed to the LOLZletter? It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport. 

Questions for you:

How was your New Years?

What are you training for?

Hair of the Dog 10k Bethany Beach
Running, Running Reads, Training

Hair of the Dog 10k (41:49)

Hollie

Hair of the Dog 10k Bethany Beach (41:49)

2019 was not my year for running and I wanted to start fresh. I talked about it in my yearly recap but it wasn’t a priority. I ran and had fun but I am minutes away from PRs.

My husband and I had never been to the Delaware Shore (Rehobeth Beach, Dewey Beach, and Bethany Beach), so we decided to check it out.  We knew there was a Hair of the Dog 10k at Bethany Beach and thought it would be something fun and different to spend the New Year in Delaware.  The Annual Hair of the Dog 5k/10k also have a Polar bear Plunge. The Post Race Party and Post Plunge Party at Mangos is right in downtown Bethany Beach.

One thing I appreciate about the Hair of the Dog 10k is that it started at 8:30 am (the 5k started at 10 am). New Years Day races usually start at odd times ranging anywhere from 10 am to 5 pm.  It makes sense, but I appreciated the normal race start.

On race day, we got there around 7:30 am, did signup and packet pickup, then a quick warm-up. It was a beautiful day in Rehobeth: just under 40 degrees, some wind, but sunny. We’ve had a couple of New Years that have been 10 degrees or less so we couldn’t ask for better weather.

We lined up at 8:25 am and by 8:30, we were off. My goal for the Hair of the Dog 10k was not to fly and die. IE: go out too fast and pick up the pieces.

My fitness is not anywhere and I feel like I’m starting over to get back into “PR” fitness. I know the work it takes to get there, and I know it won’t be easy. I thought under 42 would be a reach goal considering I didn’t run under 42 at all in 2019.

When we started moving, I felt good.  I found myself in a pack with a few other people.  We crossed the first mile at 6:41. I thought, wow, I’m on pace to run under 42 at the Hair of the Dog 10k. Then I laughed because making that goal at mile 1 seemed silly.

During the second mile, a woman passed me. I tried to go with her, but I didn’t have it in me. The second mile had a 180-degree turn and I crossed in 6:47. Here comes the fading, I told myself. Then during mile 3 of the Hair of the Dog 10k, I realized I didn’t feel that bad.  We went onto the slippery boardwalk and I became cautious of ice and slick patches. I crossed mile 3 in 6:43.  I just wanted to get off the slippery boardwalk.

Hair of the Dog 10k Bethany Beach mw running
Hair of the Dog 10k Bethany Beach
Thank you Dave Fredman Frederick for the Photo

Maybe slowing down a few seconds helped in the second 5k.  As we left the boardwalk, I passed the woman and was in first. The next few miles didn’t feel bad and dare I say: “good”?  I crossed mile 4 in 6:39, my fastest mile of the day.

After crossing mile 4 of the Hair of the Dog 10k, I grabbed water and kept going. Mile 5 had another 180-degree turn and I crossed in 6:40. During the final mile, the cyclist began chanting, “go go.” Then as I entered the boardwalk, she fell back and yelled, “go go, you can catch her” at the second place woman.  I crossed mile 6 in 6:40 and just powered to the finish.

Even though we were on the boardwalk, I still sprinted to the end. I passed one guy and crossed in 41:49.  Later, my watch recorded I went 6:12 pace for the final bit. This is funny because I rarely ever have a “kick.”

Hair of the Dog 10k Thoughts:

I couldn’t have asked for a better start running-wise to 2020. I am looking forward to dedicating time to get back into shape.  I know it will be a long way to go before 38 minute 10ks feel “easy,” but I’m also looking forward t the process, something I couldn’t say last year.

Questions for you:

How was your New Years? What is your goal for 2020? 

Did you run a race? Was it called “Hair of the Dog” or “Resolution Run”? 

me running california
Running, Training

2019 Running Yearly Recap

Hollie

My year of running in 2019 is rather simple; it is the year that wasn’t.

For running that is…my life was great, but my running? Not so much.

I actually posted about it on Instagram yesterday. I think “top nines” and “best of” the years are silly. To have an app decide your best moments in the likes doesn’t make sense. Most of my favorite times of the year don’t even have a photo!

I had fun with running, but I’m minutes off any PR I’m hoping 2020 will be a better year, but I’m also not naive about how much that will take to get there.

Don’t get me wrong; my priorities were other places, and while I trained, I didn’t run anywhere close to the same mileage of PRs. I didn’t think a PR would magically come after not working for it. But, I didn’t know I would run a 1:36 half marathon when I actually thought I was in decent shape.

Anyway-

Favorite Races:

She Power Half Marathon

Club XC Nationals

New York City Marathon 

Fastest 5k: Adrenaline Run (19:26)

Fastest Half Marathon: She Power Half (1:29.27)

January:

The big and exciting event was going to California and running the Carlsbad Half Marathon. January on the East Coast can be dicey and while our winter was milder than usual, I was happy to get a short minication out of it.

View this post on Instagram

Hiked so high, almost touched the sky.

A post shared by Hollie (@fueledbylolz) on

February:

February was a cold and lowkey month for me. I ran, I trained, but nothing too exciting. I ran the Cupids Chase 5k in Moorestown and almost fell on ice. Plus, my parents came up. I also took a trip to Upstate, NY in February with my husband so he could ski. Most people don’t realize he was actually a skier in college. I attempted to go for a run outside and ended like this.

March:

March is one of my favorite running months. There are a lot of my favorite races, including Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup 4 Miler, Adrenaline 5k, Shamrock Half Marathon, and the Phillies 5k.

The Phillies 5k was hard for me since I had won 3 years in a row and this year, I got fourth. There were a lot faster women there and I knew that (so it wasn’t surprising) but that is always a hard feeling.

April:

In April, I ran the April Fools Half Marathon (one of my favorite races). My body was burned out and after that I took a week off and decided to start swimming, something I hadn’t done regularly since college. Since April, I’ve swum on and off. It’s been good to get in the pool and do something different again. For didn’t know, I swam well before I ran.

June:

June was probably my best half marathon of the year in which I won the She Power Half in Indianapolis. We were there for a wedding and it was a fun experience to win a race I wasn’t expecting too, plus despite running alone, it was my fastest half marathon.

July:

In July, I began training for the marathon I neer ran, Big Cottonwood. I also competed in the Allen Stone-Run-Swim-Run, where I was the fourth woman and caught a lot of people in the run.

It was fun doing a race I had a long history with.  The next day, my dad and I ran the “Run for the Toilets“5k and I won overall. The 8 person (yes 8 person!) 5k was created to raise money for new toilets for the Elks Lodge. Winners won a “custom” toilet plunger award. They will probably do more since it didn’t get the turnout, the race directors wanted.

August:

In August, my husband and I took a vacation to Colorado and ran the Mt. Sneffels Half Marathon. It was a lot of fun and the most gorgeous half marathon I’ve run. That being said, the altitude was tough!

Other than that, I faced the challenges of marathon training in August. The heat and humidity made me question my why. Like anyone, I had my fair share of bad runs with the good.

September:

September started off with a bang and I won the 18.12 challenge in Upstate New York. I was not expecting to win either so it was fun surprise.

About a week later, I pulled my hamstring and ended up not being able to run the marathon I spent most of the summer training for.  In late September, I was offered a spot to run the New York City Marathon.

October:

My goal for October was to run and train for New York City Marathon smartly.

I signed up to run the Cow Run and ended up racing in a cow costume.

In October, I ran a few run races, including the Gritty 5k and the Atlantic City Half Marathon. Even though it was very windy, the Atlantic City Half Marathon was one of the slowest half marathons I’ve run since beginning to run half marathons.  It was mentally tough to log that time.

November:

The New York City Marathon went just like I hoped: I started and finished healthy.

After New York, I took time off and now want to focus on shorter races. I don’t know when I’ll run another marathon, but I have no interest in them.

I also ran the Medford Turkey Trot for the fourth year in a row.

December:

And now in December! YAY, December has been a fun month for running as I get back into it. I haven’t felt great, but I’m looking forward to building mileage and training towards shorter races like hales and fulls. I didn’t run a lot of races in December but did do a Cross Country race, which was a lot of fun.

I’m hoping January will be a better year for running. As I said in my training log yesterday, I know my reasoning for not running as fast: fewer miles, fewer workouts, and running wasn’t a priority. While I won’t say running will be my
“number 1 priority”, I am hoping to log a few more miles.

Finally, have you subscribed to the LOLZletter? It’s a free newsletter that comes out each Monday. In the newsletter, I share running industry trends and things relevant to the sport.

Questions for you:

How was your year of running?

What was your favorite race of the year?