Geneva Half Marathon Training–Week 1

Happy Monday!

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(pic source)

I’m definitely riding an endorphin high right now following an incredible trail run. Renaud introduced me to a new trail tonight after work which was perfect. It was challenging but not intimidating. The muddy trail provided us with views of the river and due to the clear Spring like evening I was gasping at the views of Mont Blanc.

ash mont blancmud bogging

Needless to say, this run couldn’t have come at a better time. I have chosen a new goal half marathon and Gia and I have one hell of a plan in place. We’ve already built in the ski weekends and upcoming travel to make sure that I can still log enough quality runs and miles to feel strong on May 4th.

Last week was a perfect kick off week. I enjoyed runs with friends and solo. I embraced the treadmill for speed and still enjoyed one rest day and one day of cross training.

Monday: rest day

Tuesday: 2 miles at 8:55 and 10 minutes of chest, arms & abs

Wednesday: Tempo run including 10 minute warm-up, 2 miles at 9:00 pace repeated twice, followed by a 10 minute cool down

Thursday: A deep tissue massage and 20 minute yoga for runners

Friday: 8 mile long run along Lake Geneva bright and early with a new running buddy, Lauriane, while keeping under a 9:45 pace

Saturday: 6 miles of walking through Lyon while taking in the sights

Sunday: 4 mile run along the Rhone River and through Lyon

This week includes lots of running Monday through Thursday as Friday and Saturday will be spent skiing in Verbier. I am excited for next week in New York City which will be a balance of running and catching up with friends during some of my favorite workout classes!

Your turn: If you had to choose, would you run through sand or mud?

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Hampton Court Half Marathon

Yesterday morning I woke up bright and early to meet Charlie and a few other Team Run Naturally ladies for the Hampton Court Half Marathon.

I signed up for this race a few weeks ago after reading online that it was a flat and fast half marathon surrounding one of the historic palaces in London – Hampton Court. I thought it’d be a fun warm-up to the Adidas Silverstone Half Marathon which was supposed to be my goal half marathon for the season. Even better, Bo and I already had tickets purchased for Hampton Court as my parents had heard great things about the castle. I was elated that my parents would finally have the chance to greet me at a race finish!

When my parents cancelled and delayed flights caused them to arrive in Europe three days late, that resulted in a change of plans for this coming weekend. One of those changes includes us touring Lyon, France versus me running my goal half marathon.  Charlie, Gia and I discussed making the Hampton Court Half my goal race instead and while we all agreed that it would be a game time decision based on the weather, course and conditions, Charlie promised to run with me and hopefully pace me for a PB of 2:06 or less.

My bib arrived in the mail on Thursday, just in time for Saturday’s race! I love that thus far the London race seem to mail bibs to you in advance versus making you pick them up at a chosen location the week of the race. It makes things so convenient!

The race started at 8:30, which many locals deemed to be a “very early” start time. I felt like this time was actually right in line with most US races and understood the need for the start time as most of the course was on open roads. An earlier start meant that we runners would share the road with far less cars which is always my preference. Getting out to the start was easier than I expected and while it took 55 minutes from doorstep to doorstep the train from Waterloo arrived perfectly on time, allowing me plenty of time to check my bag and find Charlie before the start.

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After a few frantic texts and phone calls, we found each other near the 2:10 pacing group. While the location was not ideal we found it nearly impossible to squeeze forward due to the crowds. The race sold out which is great for the race’s first year but not necessarily so great for coordinating such large crowds in a small area. This seemed to be a theme throughout the entire morning. IMG_6228

As we heard the race begin Charlie told me that she wanted us to get ahead of the 2:10 pacers as quickly as  possible so we didn’t get stuck in the slower crowds. I agreed and for the first two miles we did exactly that – weaved in and out of runners doing our best to push forward as quickly as possible. We started off around a 9:05 pace which felt tough but doable. However, we then made a turn into the woods and were greeted with lots of mud and uneven footing along with a few bottlenecks as runners merged onto the path. IMG_6244Trying to keep my pace on this path definitely pushed me and as we exited the path and started heading over the bridge towards the lovely Hampton Court Palace Charlie and I were faced with two issues: no one’s Garmin was beeping as we passed the mile marker AND the wind gusts were definitely picking up. At this point Charlie and everyone else’s Garmins were about .4 miles different than the course mile marker. As we passed the next mile marker we realized the issue wasn’t improving.

The short course combined with the strong headwind took all my will power away. I knew that regardless how hard I pushed myself this half marathon wouldn’t count as it seemed we were running a short course. I told Charlie at that point that I’d keep pushing but that this wasn’t shaping up to be a PB/PR (personal best or personal record) day. At this point we decided to enjoy the run together, keep up as fast a pace as possible but not kill ourselves. We started enjoying the sights, talking a bit about other races and plans and taking fuel or water when necessary.

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We ran along the Thames Path, over looking the area which just a week ago was severely flooded and enjoyed the softer gravel and more even path. This portion of the path was so much more enjoyable than the uneven and narrow sidewalks in the residential section that it was a welcome change.

At mile 7 I took my first fuel, Ella’s banana all natural baby food which quickly taught me that I definitely prefer the apple and mixed fruit flavors over banana. It was WAY too sweet for me and just unappealing. I guess there is such a thing as too much banana! At this point Charlie was definitely smiling more than me. By mile 8 my outfit was far too warm and my legs were starting to scream and I could feel the lack of training. For most previous half marathons I’ve run at least 10 miles once or twice before the race but due to illness, my longest run was 8 miles at a relaxed long run pace.

Charlie and I both kept our minds in a more positive place by just telling ourselves that we were out for a long run together. Shortly after this point we headed over a bridge, crossing the Thames and finding ourselves in a mixed use residential and shopping area where the course twisted and turned for about a mile. No race course is perfect but this portion just seemed down right awkward. We crossed through construction sites and small alleys for bit before finding ourselves back on the Thames Path heading back towards the finish line.

Charlie and I couldn’t help but laugh about the wind at this point. My ponytail was almost horizontal in the wind and the headwind was directly in our faces. We both got pretty quiet at this point, putting our headphones in and just pushing forward.  We made our way back through the woods again before exiting into the small, residential area near the start. At this point I started to pass the time by looking for Leah, who due to illness opted to cheer at the finish versus running the race. A smart decision as the Paris Marathon is her goal race, it helped pass the last two miles as I had no clue where she’d be. Suddenly we heard someone scream our names and I quickly recognized her huge smile and waving hands! She cheered us on and captured a few pictures as we pushed through the last quarter mile to the finish line.

We crossed the finish line in 2:07 which was not a PB considering the short course but still a strong long run pace as this was now just another long training run for each of us.

IMG_6231It took about 10 minutes to get from the finish line through the queue for fruit, water, finisher bags, and medals but these colorful, heavy metals were worth the weight! Relaxed and happy to be done we greeted my parents who made it out to spectate their first race! It was so special to see their smiling faces after getting my medal. This picture is true happiness!

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Of course I couldn’t let my first London race experience finish without a picture with King Henry VIII, who lived at Hampton Court back in the day. Such a fun touch!

Overall, I want to acknowledge the race organizers for all their hard work as this was the inaugural Hampton Court Half Marathon and considering the course flooding they had to deal with just one week earlier, they did a great job. The few things I’d update or consider for next year would include ensuring the course is actually 13.1 miles in length, have a larger starting area or a staggered start, pass medals out immediately after the finish line, and more bathrooms along the course. While I didn’t need a bathroom I don’t believe I saw any along the actual course.

Charlie and I both have our eyes set on the Geneva Half Marathon in May which allows us plenty of time to train for strong races. We each have some big, hairy audacious goals for the race and with 10 weeks of training I have no doubt we can each finish strong and celebrate new personal bests that day along Lac Leman!

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Trail Running Roller Coaster

This weekend has been a learning experience and emotional roller coaster for me in terms of trail running.

Monday I experienced one end of the spectrum – complete, utter happiness and 100% in love with the idea of spending the majority of my miles on trails rather than treadmill or pavement. Jumping the huge mud puddles made me feel like a kid again and the fresh air gave me life and energy in the middle of a long work day. I told Renaud that there was no other way I’d rather spend my lunch hour than on the trail with him. In fact, I practically begged him to do it at least once a week moving forward.  Even though we only ran 4 miles they felt stronger and more challenging than normal due to the hills and core engagement needed when going down and maneuvering along the path.

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Clearly my endorphins took over my brain yesterday afternoon when Renaud came by my desk and asked if I wanted to run the Saleve with him before work today. Each of the two times I’ve run the Saleve with him I have been endorphin happy for weeks and absolutely loved the experience.  My first experience on the Saleve was almost a year ago and my second one was back in November.  Therefore I didn’t fear the temperatures or the snow as I’ve run through both of these during each of the two experiences. 1454461_10151823773171969_507424231_n

Keeping in mind the fact that I have a trail race in June and that one of my personal goals this year is to become a stronger runner, I eagerly said yes. I trust Renaud and knew that he would provide a headlamp and keep me company along the path.

Even after going to bed well past 11 due to a longer than normal girl’s night dinner, I woke up this morning at 3:30 excited for our adventure. I dressed in layers and slipped into my very dirty trail running shoes before heading down to Renaud’s flat to meet him.

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As soon as I saw him I started to second guess my decision. First of all he was wearing running tights and compression socks. This may not seem odd to anyone else but in my year of running with him, through even colder conditions, I’ve never seen him in more than technical shorts. He said the socks would help keep the snow out of his shoes which made perfect sense. As an owner of two pairs of compression socks I realized that would have been a smart layer to add to my outfit. But, at this point it was too late and we were on our way to the Saleve. Renaud spent a few minutes before we started preparing our gear and adjusting headlamps for each of us.

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Even as we started running the mile towards the trail head at 5am I was still bursting with excitement. I couldn’t wait to conquer a new challenge and the endorphins which would follow.  As we crossed the bridge over the interstate I started to process just how dark it was on the sidewalks, already realizing how dark it would be on the trail.

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Even with the headlamp every step on the trail made me worried and uneasy. A rocky switch back trail which goes up the Saleve for about 2.5 miles, this portion normally takes me around an hour. An hour of avoiding the streams running down the trail due to melting snow, avoiding rocks and uneven ground, and fearing a slip suddenly didn’t seem fun. My endorphins wanted me to be able to achieve this and complete the challenge in one piece but I didn’t feel ready. I was scared of the dark and what each step would bring. Renaud is a seasoned runner who has numerous ultra marathons which find him running through all hours of the day. The Saleve trail is like an old friend to him who he knows inside and out. For me, it’s still very new and within twenty minutes I knew proceeding wasn’t smart. Uttering the words “I’m heading back” were heart crushing for me as I felt like I was disappointing myself and Renaud. But, as soon as he agreed and didn’t try to convince me differently I knew he must have been thinking the same thing. He had no idea how icy or technical the top areas or decent would be and in the dark it would all be made more difficult. So with my “tail between my legs” I headed back down the trail solo and ran the 3.7 miles back to my flat from the Saleve. At that point, as I exited the trail head, I was as far away from Monday’s trail running high as possible.

Photo: 5 heures - Salmon Airlines demande la permission d’atterrir a Genève! Et pas un avion de chasse... même pas Joël Froidevaux ! :-)

I didn’t get to play on the mountain top and capture amazing pictures with Renaud this morning but I still felt an endorphin rush when I hopped in the shower at 5:55 having already completed 5 miles including some hills. I already started progressing back up the running roller coaster heading back towards happiness. I know that eventually, whether it’s a few months or a few years from now, I’ll tackle the trail with Renaud in the darkness and enjoy the incredible views like he saw this morning and captured in the above picture. But for now, I’m content to plan another lunch time trail run and conquer the Saleve in the daylight.

For me running has been an evolution these past 7 years. This morning I realized that if I want to fall in love with trail running the way I have with running I need to take it in small increments or baby steps. I can’t go from daytime trail running novice to tackling technical runs in the complete dark. That’s just plain silly.

What lessons have you learned over the years through your sport of choice?

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