ashleyd /

A Soaking Wet Half Marathon

IMG_9173While I’d love to give you guys a full rundown of today’s half marathon, we’re heading out to celebrate with friends! The evening plan includes pints of beer and burgers!

But, before we head out, here are a few things I learned along the way. 

  • I finished in 2:02:37, a 1-minute improvement versus last year’s Geneva Half Marathon, which was run in far better weather!  
  • Running in the rain is not fun. I have so much respect for those athletes who ran Boston or any other marathon in the rain. 13.1 miles in the pouring rain was tough enough.
  • I loved my outfit for today’s race! We both debated wearing jackets but the hats and technical tops worked perfectly!
  • I didn’t remember last year’s half including a mile of trails. Trails that are normally packed dirt were muddy, rocky and packed today due to the weather. My ankles and calves are the sorest parts of my body!
  • This is the first half marathon where I have stuck exactly to my coaches plan for the race. The first 10 miles were exactly on pace and felt amazing.
  • Miles 10-13 were tough. I pushed on and was far stronger than most races, but physically my breathing was very shallow and my legs felt like I had lead weights tied to them.
  • Mentally, this was the strongest race I’ve ever run which I owe to both Jess and Bo.
  • I’m so excited to keep running with Bo and watching both of us improve, physically and mentally!

IMG_9191

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

Sometimes It Just Clicks

Sometimes a run just clicks and the result is nothing but sweat and smiles. 

IMG_8551

Yesterday was the first time I can remember that a long run was equally enjoyable for both Bo and me. As you know, Bo has dealt with numerous knee and leg issues over the past five years including a torn calf muscle and two meniscus surgeries. Due to these issues and before that our different paces, the Geneva Half Marathon is the first one that we are training for together!

After a great week of workouts, our long run plan from Jess yesterday called for 8 relaxed miles. The goal was to maintain a consistent pace, somewhere around a 9:40. Historically, I’ve had a hard time wrapping my mind around why long runs are typically prescribed at a pace slower than half marathon goal pace. But, this time around, I’m listening to my coach!

We decided to get a preview of the half marathon course by taking the tram up a few stops to where the actual race begins. After some dynamic warm-ups, we hit the road.

IMG_8529

Our route was beautiful and very different than our typical lake front path where we run during the week.

IMG_8541Instead, we found ourselves running past horse farms, vineyards and even through vegetable fields. While the sun wasn’t out in full force, it snuck out between the clouds every now and then.

IMG_8530 IMG_8532IMG_8542IMG_8539 IMG_8547

The first six miles included small, rolling hills while the final two miles were flat and fast. We kept our eye on our Nike+ app to ensure we kept our pace around the 9:40 point. This slower pace meant that we were able to spend the time running catching up, a nice change versus this week’s other runs, which left us breathless. While we shared a water bottle during our run, neither of us felt the need to stop or take fuel. Our pre-run breakfast of toast, fruit and coffee fueled us perfectly!

IMG_8550 IMG_8555 

We dropped the pace during our final mile, to see what we had left in our legs. We were all smiles when we realized that we finished right on target and our final mile was the fastest!

IMG_8554 

Within minutes we were refueling with brunch at Le Pain Quotidien!

IMG_1772

Did you run this weekend? What’s your favorite way to refuel after a run?

Share Button
Follow:
ashleyd /

Barcelona Running Tour

Hands down, my favorite memory in Barcelona was our sunrise running tour with Robin, the owner of Running Tours Barcelona.

GOPR4032

As soon as we booked our trip to Barcelona, I started researching running tours. In large cities such as Paris, Barcelona and London running tours are a great way to remove the intimidation factor, learn a great deal and squeeze in a great workout.  While we’ve had a tough time finding running tours in smaller cities during the off-season, we thoroughly enjoyed our Paris running tour last November.

Running Tours Barcelona offers 7 private to semi-private tour options as well as 4 group tour options for those who are looking for less expensive options. Since each of our three days in Barcelona would be quite full, we booked the Early Bird 10km tour which starts before sunrise, at 7am and finishes by 8:30. The early hour of the tour allowed us to experience Barcelona in a whole new way – without the distraction of people.

image

We met Robin, our guide, outside our hotel at 7am, just before the sun rose, ready for an hour of exploration. He quickly explained that the tour would lead us through many parts of Barcelona including many of the top sights but also including smaller, lesser explored areas such as the Olympic athletes village and Parc de la Ciutadella.  

GOPR4090

As you can see from the pictures, the streets were empty of people except the stragglers leaving the late night clubs when we started and a few people walking their dogs as we ended. As we ran through the streets, Robin shared history and facts with us, many of which we didn’t learn the previous day during our walking tour. While that tour focused more on Barcelona’s history and Gaudi, our running tour focused on modern Barcelona such as the impacts of tourism, government changes, the future of Barcelona’s port, the impact the 1992 Olympics had on Barcelona, as well as what it is like to live in Barcelona.

IMG_8411 

We sprinted to the beach to ensure we made it in time to watch the sunrise.

GOPR4048

We were able to learn about the increasing demand for mega yacht space in the Barcelona harbor while ogling the huge, gorgeous boats.

IMG_8412

We followed the beach front path through Barcoleneta towards Port Olimpic while enjoying views of Frank Gehry’s Golden Fish and Peix Hotel d’Arts.

GOPR4054GOPR4062IMG_8420

We marveled in the now empty Place del Rei, as we learned about Christopher Columbus ties to Barcelona.

GOPR4095

We enjoyed the beauty of Ciutadella Park, home to the Barcelona Zoo, Parliament of Catalonia, and a large fountain designed by Josep Fontsere.

GOPR4080

The 12 kilometer or 7.5 mile run flew by and before we knew it we were entering Las Ramblas and stopping for a final selfie at our hotel.

GOPR4099    

While the running tour wasn’t cheap, at 75 euros, it allowed us to see new parts of the city and as well as enjoy the gorgeous sunrise views and Robin’s extensive knowledge. Thank you Robin and Running Tours Barcelona for the amazing start to our day!

I was not compensated or provided a complimentary tour in exchange for this post. All opinions are our own; we really just LOVED the tour and love supporting small companies!

Share Button
Follow: