See ya 2013!

January 1st, 2014
Reflecting on 2013.
As I sit here on the first day of the new year with ice on my knee and not a single mile to log for the new year, I realize I really cannot complain. 2013 was a fabulous year for me. Prior to moving to Colorado I ran a very disappointing race at Chicago Marathon. I signed up for California International Marathon immediately after and got myself back on the track 10 days later. I ran 800 meter repeats for my first workout back, faster than I had ever run in my life for repeats (2:50-2:53). I knew I was in great shape and I had just completed 8 iron infusions and felt great. That weekend, I got in the car and started the drive out to Colorado. That is when the plantar fascitis started. I got to Colorado, my start date for work got pushed back 2 weeks and I was alone, knew no one and couldn't run! Ug! I decided I wouldn't run CIM and took some time off. January 1st, 2013, I had finally just started running again, but given I was home for Christmas, the whole running at altitude was still new for me. I ran the 5k at Runner's Roost New Year's day, a very slow 20:08 or something like that. I signed up for the Colorado Marathon and started working with a coach. My marathon training was going slow due to frequent, but small set backs with my foot. I had gone to PT, taped, iced, steroid injections, NSAIDs, it was tough. Eventually I got orthotics and I think that made the biggest difference. I decided to go back to the east coast and run New Bedford Half on March 17th. I had no idea if I would finish, run pain free, let alone run well. I ran 1:23:1X, a huge PR. I continued to train for the marathon, but still had no idea if I would be ready to run a race of that distance based off my training. Well I did, and ran another huge PR, 2:59:39. I was thrilled. I took a couple weeks off and then started back with low mileage. I went home for Freihofer's (huge disaster for several reasons) and then a week later ran the OK 5K in 18:15, which was another PR. Fast forward to July, I started my training cycle for my next marathon. We really started to ramp things up and I was doing more races at altitude (which will always be slower), but still managed a 1:24:25 half and 38:10 10k at over 7,000 feet. In September I went back to NY to run a half marathon with the goal of running 1:22. I ended up running 1:21:21 and felt great. I was ready for the marathon and wanted to really run well, my goal was 2:53. Well the marathon backfired on me and I dropped out at mile 20. I had never dropped out of a race in my life, but this was the best decision I ever made. I ended up in the medical tent twice and was unable to keep anything down. I bounced back quickly (I went for a run the next morning) and started to trained again with the goal of running California International in December. On Thanksgiving, I ran the Troy Turkey Trot 10k in 37:10 on a brutally cold and windy day. My knee had started to bother me slightly around this time and being so close to the marathon, I was freaking out. I started doing exercises to strengthen my quads and fix whatever patella tracking issues was going on. Thankfully I made it to the marathon start line healthy.


December 8th, 2013 
California International Marathon

It was cold. The bus ride to the start seemed long and it was dark. Once we arrived, I got off the bus and found my way to the elite tents. It was around 24 degrees and despite the heated tents, it was still cold. As the start of the race approached, girls stripped down to spankies, shorts, bras, tank tops. My god I thought! I got on the start line wearing 3/4 pants, compression socks, a tech t-shirt with my singlet over it, arm warmers, a throw away long sleeve, gloves and a ski band. I questioned my abundance of clothes from the time we had to stand at the start until the gun went off. I was certain I overdressed. I threw away my long sleeve around mile 2. I decided not to place a water bottle at the first fluid station, so I took a cup of water the race was offering to everyone. Ice on the ground under the volunteers handing out water, great. I took the cup, ice? Yes. The water was frozen. The next fluid station my bottle was there, however I missed this. I made the decision, rather late, to turn back around and go get it. At this point there were 2 girls I was running with, one from NYC who wanted to break 2:50 and another girl who wanted to do the same. We ran evenly over the next several miles, I felt relaxed. The hills weren't bad at all. Whatever few extra seconds it took to get up these several little rollers, was made up for on the descents. All I wanted to do was get to the half-way point and start racing. Once I hit mile 13.1, I got into race mode. Maybe a little too much, since I ran a 6:14 for mile 14! But I felt strong over the next 10 miles. I was extremely happy with my outfit later on in the race. I was not too warm at all. My hands, despite gloves and hot hands, were still frozen, which made accessing my gels from my zippered pouch extremely hard. I had difficulty getting the tops of my water bottles as well (note to self, next time use different water bottle tops). Gels were semi-frozen and I was practically chewing them. I still felt great up though mile 23-24. It wasn't even that I felt bad after those miles, but the headwind became a challenge. I hate running in the wind and at that point in the race I didn't have much left to fight it. I tried to tuck in behind some guys, but they took off after several seconds. There were a few turns at the finish as well that I feel cost me a few seconds. It's so easy to actually "see" the finish line and then start to kick vs seeing mile 26 and no finish line. You can't see the finish line until the last 40 feet, which is something I wish I had known because mentally I was waiting until I saw the finish line to kick.  For some reason I had pictured the finish in my head as a long stretch to the capital building. Regardless, I ran 2:50:01. A solid race, evenly ran and felt great. No medical tent. No puking. Once I changed (and had to have some lady help me because my fingers didn't work!) I jogged, yes jogged back to my hotel. It was so cold!

Recovery.
I took some time off, I know, not enough. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I didn't run. Thursday, December 12th, I felt great, it was a nice day, I figured I would try it. I ran 3 easy miles. Harmless right? Friday, I decided to run 4 miles easy again, no big deal. Saturday, we had a women's 3 mile run and yoga, and felt my knee a bit, time for new shoes then right? Sunday, we went skiing. Probably didn't help, the downhill skiing as fast as I could go. Monday, ran 4 miles easy. Tuesday, 5 miles hardish. I had to stop about .25 into my run to stretch because my knee hurt, but I decided to do my run anyway, it practically went away after stretching... well the next morning I went to run and made it the same .25, I stopped and stretched and tried to start again. This time however, there was no way I could run. I walked back. Thursday I took off, I could barely walk down the stairs my knee hurt so bad. Friday, I got in for a massage thinking that would help. Saturday I met some friends in Boulder to run. Ug. Somehow I finish an easy 5 miles with a few stops with them, but that was it. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday no running. Wednesday, Christmas! I had to run right?! I made it 2 miles of running total with lots of walking breaks in between. Not fun. Saturday I purposefully did a walk/run for a few miles. Sunday, surprise, I ran 3 miles on the treadmill at a 2% incline with no "sharp" pain. Great, Monday, couldn't do anything. So now I sit here writing this, realizing how I didn't really "rest" after and this is probably a good day to not run. 2014.

Since the marathon I have really struggled with the concept of moving back home. 7 more minutes to make trials and I am leaving elevation now?! I can't base my entire life off of running, although that would be nice, but I do wonder if I should have waited another year before moving back. No matter where I am this year my goals will be to stay healthy, train hard, have fun and keep striving for PR's.