Fun fact. I thought Josse told me that we were going to do 3 miles x 2. Nope, turns out she told me 3 miles x 3. Probably a good thing that I didn’t know that until I got to the parking lot to meet her for our run.
The goal of this workout——> make marathon pace feel easier for an extended period of time:)
The goal was to stick to about 20-30ish seconds faster than marathon pace for our intervals. Josse also had us start the first one pretty much right off the bat (.15 mile warm-up) because we start out on pace at the marathon, so why not pretty much do that during our workout today (I did do some dynamic stretches not too much longer before meeting her).
.15 mile w/u, 3 miles x 3 a bit faster than marathon pace (we are thinking about a 7:15 MGP), 1 mile recovery in between the sets of 3 miles and then c/d.
Splits went like this: First 3 miles (6:54, 6:53, 6:50), second 3 miles (6:45, 6:41, 6:38) and the third 3 miles (6:43, 6:43, 6:45)! Josse cruised on ahead of me for that last set. I really struggled through that last set but I’m happy that I finished and didn’t quit. Add a little confidence to race day with that one:)
Last hard workout done and done before the race. Next week we will do some 2 minute intervals in one of our runs but nothing will be as long as today was.
And this workout accomplished the goal and made the 7:15 pace feel a little bit more doable.
PS it was hot out too which was needed for training.
Fun Fact #2—> I love that our bib numbers are just one away from each other. I think we must have put down very similar finishing times.
Something I am nervous about is that they will be doing this race in WAVES NOW. St. George Marathon has never done this before. I’m nervous just because starting any later in the morning = more time in the hot sun. It gets pretty warm once you drop into the city for the final few miles and I don’t want to add any more heat than what we will be getting. Cross your fingers for us mmmkay?
We saw a wild turkey while we were out ha!
7:16 average for the 12.5… I feel good about that!
Oh and Josse swears by this stuff for chafing. Time to buy my own.
I talked a little about it on Instagram yesterday but I was just feeling off yesterday morning after my run (WHAT ABOUT THE ENDORPHINS?!?) but sweet Brooke perked me right up.
She’s really into playing ‘would you rather’ and she got me laughing pretty hard at her responses. If she doesn’t like the two options I give her then she comes up with another option that she does love (i.e. chocolate).
We hit up the park and I did some Jane Fonda’s while in the grass to help fire up those glutes. I’m sure all the other people there thought I was quite normal. Especially when I took a picture of it too.
And then Candice stopped by with a treat for us. It had been way too long since I last saw this amazing girl… loved catching up with her.
I love it when you can’t even see the lettuce in a salad:)
Brooke took her doll on a walk with her pretend dog (on a leash) and cell phone to take pictures.
For dinner we ate Sushi. With Jess and her husband. We have been talking about doing this for months now, glad we got the chance to go with them. (We just went later at night right before Brooke’s bedtime and she had her favorite babysitter).
I had salmon and split some rolls with Andrew.
We were going to go straight home but then we remembered Waffle Luv was close by and stopped for a treat.
I was on the computer until late on Tuesday night and when I walked into our room, this was the scene that I saw. Not sure if Andrew set her up like this or if Beretta just made herself a little bed. Either way, this pup is sure loved.
Did you hear about what happened at The Via Marathon on Sunday? A train stopped runners at around mile 7 for 9-10 minutes. Just stopped them. Oh, I feel so so so bad for the runners it stopped and I hope some sort of solution comes about from it.
Let’s talk marathon mistakes. I have two large ones. Very large.
1. I have the patience of a 2 year old. Fly and die. My favorite unfavorite way to race. I tend to go out too fast and crash later on. Josse helps me during our speed workouts to learn to be a little bit conservative in the beginning and cruise towards the end. Race day she will be there to help me do the same thing. The marathon is all about patience. I want that last 10k to go real well.
2. I put too much pressure on myself. My best races are always the ones I don’t obsess over. My fastest marathon (3:04 many moons ago) was done on a course that I found out 2 days before the thing that I was going to run it (I didn’t even have time to worry). I think I worry myself sick sometimes. For this race I feel actually really excited because I have Josse to run with the whole time and I know my little family could care less about what time I finish… I’m excited to see how I feel and do without placing unneeded pressure on myself.
Here’s to making my marathon mistakes my marathon strengths!!!
—————————————————————————————————
What are your biggest race mistakes? Anyone else have zero patience?
Ever been stopped during a race?
What animals do you see while out on a run?
Dog owners… where does your dog sleep?
Chafing—> what do you use to prevent chafing?
65 comments
Michelle @ Lively Chicken
I always go out too fast when I race too. Definitely need to work on that before my marathon!
I came across a couple of turkeys while running alone a few weeks ago. They were big and made me a little nervous when they didn’t run away as I approached them. But I asked them nicely to move and they did :)
I have the worst chaffing from my sports bra!! I use vaseline which usually works well, but not last week :(
Natalie
I’m a lot like you in my racing mistakes: I put WAY too much pressure on myself and cause unnecessary anxiety, and that often makes me take off too fast once the race starts. I’m trying to get better about this, but it’s a struggle.
I’ve never been stopped during a race like that, but there was one year my friend ran the San Antonio Rock ‘n Roll marathon, and a train stopped a lot of the runners. Thankfully, she had already passed the train tracks and wasn’t stopped, but how frustrating for all of the runners who were stopped in the middle of their race!
Mollie Sweet
I saw two deer two weeks ago on my long run in Nebraska….those things are FAST.
My biggest mistake is not being properly fueled and hydrated. I don’t even want to tell you what I ate the night before and morning of my marathon–needless to say it ended up in a terrible calf cramp and I missed a BQ by ten minutes because I had to stop and stretch every few feet. :(
I’m really excited to run my next marathon in the spring now that I’m more versed in how to fuel and my diet has changed so significantly. It’s made tons of difference in my running and I’m actually excited about the training that will start in January!
Karien @ Running the Race
Those waffles…! Yummmm!!
Mel_OutRunCF
Congrats on your workout! Amazing times! I’m a week ahead of you, so I did 10x400m (with 200m recovery) this morning. Feels good to reduce the volume and focus on speed/form but it also feels very strange . My Glide chaffing stick works pretty well for half marathon training but for runs over 20 miles I haven’t find anything great. Will look into Josse’s suggestion! I’m naturally built for speed but I really like long distance training : so yes, being patient during the marathon is a big challenge. But I’ve always run my PBs by being conservative in the first few miles. I have to remember that on race day ;-)
sally @ sweat out the small stuff
I swear by Misson 5-hour Anti-Chafe balm. I laugh that it helps push me to a sub-5 marathon so I won’t have to discover if it stops working after 5 hours. HA!
My labradoodle sleeps with me. When we sleep at my boyfriend’s house he curls up on my pillow. I think he feels secure there. My boyfriend has an 85 pound chocolate lab who takes up way too much of the bed and doesn’t budge.
I see deer, snakes, rabbits, chipmunks, wild turkey too! And I technically live in NYC :)
Sara @ RunningWife
I think we’ve all been there when it comes to going out too fast at the start of a marathon. Your adrenaline is up and you are ready to go, but holding yourself back some can be SO important for finishing strong! I’m pregnant right now bit itching to race again so I am going to live vicariously through you during your marathon!
I always hated the 3 x 2 miles or 3 x 3 miles the worst. The longer intervals are always the ones I dread but I feel so strong after and happy I completed it. Good luck at St George – go out there and ENJOY it!
Steph
Waffle Luv was on food network awhile back and I always wanted to go there!!! also, I need to know how those swedish fish oreos were because they kind of terrify me haha. also I love that picture of Beretta! my pup, Boo, likes to sleep with her head on the pillow when it’s just she and I and it’s amazing. I swear pups are secretly little humans.
The Hungry Runner Girl
It was!?! Oh I need to see that episode:) I have seen them at both Walmart and Target!! If you can’t find them there I’ll send you some from Amazon to try:) HAHAH you are right… they really are just like little kids ha. I love it! Have a fabulous rest of your Wednesday!
Steph
Yes! They were on the Great Food Truck Race and came in second! I’m a sucker for waffles, so I was obsessed with them haha. and I’ll check out Target!! Fingers crossed :)
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul
I need to try those Oreos!
Jen
My biggest race mistake is fly and die…always!
I have a dog..part lab and part golden and she sleeps outside our bedroom door :)… She isn’t allowed in our room.
Animals I see on my runs…since we moved to south florida I have some interesting ones…peacocks and alligators!!!
I am totally interested in reading the chaffing answers! It has been SO hot here. I have never had an issue with chaffing, but is have been lately! I have been sweating SO much and am soaked after all of my runs since it usually like 89 degrees with a dew point of like 78. Needless to say, I Am having issues. I actually have almost small bruises from it!
Courtney
I always go out too slow in an attempt to be conservative and then it seems I have to push super hard to make up for it.
I see lots of armadillo because ya know…Texas!
We have 2 dogs, a Border Collie and a teacup Australian Shepherd and they sleep together in my husbands recliner.
I’m all about the body glide, it seems to be the one that always works for me!
Krista @ Gringita
I think I didn’t take in enough calories before my race, that was probably my biggest mistake
I can’t wait until I can get a dog!! Beretta is so so cute
I use body glide
Megan @ Lazy Runner Girl
Race mistakes: wearing a new sports bra for a marathon after only testing it on a couple of short runs. I ended up chaffed so bad I have scars!
We see a lot of deer around here. If you run in the right spot, you’ll see some big horn sheep.
My basset hound sleeps in bed with us. I keep saying we’re going to kick her out…but then I don’t have the heart.
Mrs. B
Animals I see when I run? Well, I live in the country so I typically see the following (plus or minus a goat)
– Cows
– Horses
– Goats
– Lambs
– Chickens
– Cats
– Dogs (there is a REALLY mean dog that scares the crap out of me!
– and finally ….. Mosquitoes LOL
Ashlee
I was stopped by a train a few years ago at the San Antonio rock and roll half!! They were able to assume who was stopped by our chips somehow and deducted 7 minutes from our time. It was a train wreck….. Hahahaha.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh I am SO glad they figured out how much time to take off… that must have been so frustrating Ashlee!
meredith (The Cookie ChRUNicles)
i did see about that craziness with that marathon! I hope they let them adjust their race times, I was watching about it on the news this morning. love sushi dates! especially when there’s a good dessert after :)
Jess Deisher
We have two pups and they both sleep in bed with us. Except in the summer, our puppy will sleep on the ground because it’s cooler. I love them being in bed with me.
Mona
Portland Marathon 2011 – I had to stop twice at train crossings – between miles 25 and the finish. While the stops weren’t long, starting running again both times was so tough this close to the end:(
The Hungry Runner Girl
TWICE!?!?!? In the last 1.2 miles? Oh that is crazy… that must have been so hard to get going again after stopping so close to the end!
Taylor
I can definitely relate to going out too fast. The adrenaline just makes me want to go fast! My doggies love to sleep with me, but usually end up in their own beds during the night.
Nathaly @Nathycure
I’m the same when it comes to not knowing how to start running with a conservative pace. Sometimes I feel like the treadmill helps me in the way that I have more control in my pace. But of course, when I hit the roads I have to make an effort to do that by myself.
By the way, yesterday I was running when I was forced to stop before crossing the street. It was only for a couple of seconds. I can’t imagine how those runners must feel.
Anna
I may have missed something, but I thought Andrew was going to be running this marathon with you originally – did something change? (If that’s not my business I understand :)) Hopefully you two can do another race together soon! Best of luck at St. George!
The Hungry Runner Girl
HEY!! Yep, he was going to be able to originally but not anymore. Just a little too much on his plate right now (with work and starting school again etc) and so he is taking a more moderate approach to running right now (aka not going out for 22 mile long runs haha)! Thank you!!!
Tara
What an amazing attitude for the race coming up! And remember, you are so inspiring to so many of us out there, and you are super fast to many of us also :)
The Hungry Runner Girl
Well thank you Tara! That sure means a lot to me!
Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona
That train across the marathon course would be so frustrating. You’d think they’d design a course that didn’t go through a train crossing though.
Flower
I too stress over every little detail and my best race was one in which I was almost late, not really prepared for and just went to have fun and imagine how surprised I was to PR!
I’m not running right now because of health issues but on my five mile walk this morning I was three gators feeding, actually I think they were fighting over a duck carcass. It was rather gross but interesting at the same time.
I have a black lab, he’s an English lab, weighs 125 lbs and sleeps wherever he pleases which is usually on my legs. Boomer loves pillows and I guess my legs are a good substitute. :)
Susie
I hate being stopped (by a train, or car, or something) while running — Anytime I stop, I feel like I’m just never going to be able to get back up again!
Is this just me?
The Hungry Runner Girl
THAT IS SO SO ME TOO!!! It is so hard for me to get started again I would much rather just keep going. If it is to get a drink or something I don’t mind but if it is a car or something then I do ha!
Nina
My worst mistake was going out at my friend’s pace, it was not where I should have started. Too fast and aggressive for me that day.
One race I did had the possibility of being stopped by a bridge opening if you did the out and back. I wasn’t looking to qualify for anything so I chose that option. There was the option to do 3 loops for those who were looking for a qualifying time. (and the bridge never opened during the race, which I was banking on. Too early in the season for boat traffic).
Missy has a plush dog bed, some pillows scattered and has also taken over a bed in the guest room. (covered with an old sheet for this purpose). She moves between them throughout the night. The cat usually chooses the plush dog bed and then hops in with us. (Saoirse has her own bed as well but prefers the dog’s).
Courtney
Must try those oreos they look so good!! I actually ran the VIA marathon on Sunday and couldn’t believe that that the train stopped the runners, it is usually so well organized!! Luckily I came through after the train so no stopping! And marathon mistakes would also be going out too fast! It is just too exciting at the start!!
Laura
I use that exact same chafing roll on, it’s way better than body glide (IMHO).
My 4 yr old also loves the Would You Rather game. He’s always giving me weird ones involving snakes and spiders coming out of your head!!
Never been stopped in a race, but I can only imagine how awful that would be.
Victoria @ Minus Thirty Three
Great job on the 3X3! I’m already excited for your future SGM re-cap :)
Also, Brooke and that dog haha kills me every single time!
Josefine
In Sweden I would see all sorts of animals; wild and domesticated. Now living near London ( UK) I see the odd bird and maybe a cat haha
Speaking of Sweden – Josse’s name seem awfully Swedish (I myself go by Josse as a nickname) to a Swedish person :)
Lisa @ TechChick Adventures
Looking forward to hearing all about your race already! What is up with the “weight division” listed on your registration? You have to be weighed?
I thought it was very interesting, and very cool, that at the Erie marathon (which I ran on Sunday), we had to get our pictures taken with our bib when we picked the bibs up. They are making sure no one is cheating for that BQ. There were also a lot more photographers on the course. Qualifying is serious business! Getting stopped by a train mid course would freak me out!
Susan
Three years ago (if I’m remembering correctly) the Mill Race Marathon and Half Marathon runners (Columbus, IN) were stopped by a train. Race organizers always work with train companies regarding the schedule of the race but – from my understanding – the engineer thought he had more time. WRONG! And to make matters worse – the train then STOPPED!!! People actually started climbing in between that cars and even under them. SO DANGEROUS. Thankfully(?) there was a scheduling conflict and I didn’t end up doing the race that year.
We have 2 dogs; one of them sleeps on his bed on the floor to the side of our bed but our little one sleeps with us. Although we have a King Size bed….I’m always the one that gets crowded out! LOL
The most unusual thing that I’ve seen on one of my runs was a group of goats that were pulling a little wagon. They were practicing for a parade that they would be participating in. Naturally I stopped and had my picture taken with them.
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats
What did you think of the Swedish Fish Oreos?!?!?? They sound… different.
The Hungry Runner Girl
HEY KATIE!!! They are pretty good (Brooke loved them… more because of the picture of the swedish fish picture I think ha) but I like the normal ones way better:) Enjoy the rest of your day!
Julia
The VIA marathon this weekend was my first full marathon and it was an awesome experience for me (I did not get stopped by the train). I feel terrible for the runners that did because they were the speedy people trying to BQ. Unfortunately in Pennsylvania it is tough to put on a scenic race without having to cross train tracks. I know that VIA officials did communicate with the railroad that train traffic was to be stopped between 7AM and 10AM, but who knows what went wrong. It was a gorgeous, fast, shady course and I would highly recommend it otherwise.
Ali
My problem is the opposite of yours: I’m so afraid of not doing well on the last miles that I start out really, really slow and am afraid to push myself because I want to make sure I have gas in the tank at the end. I see deer, pheasants, and geese on my runs. I did see an enormous garden spider last weekend on my run.
The Hungry Runner Girl
We need to combine our problems and then we would go out with the perfect pace on race day:)
Christine
Our dog (12lbs of love) sleeps on the bed with my husband and I, sometimes right in between us. #noshame
Biggest race mistakes would be headphones which I no longer wear. They are a distraction for me, I end up taking them out of my ears and tucking them in my sports bra. Another race mistake I did (and won’t do again) was started at a slower pace (11:00) group. I actually run about 8:30 but thought I could just “pass” people. Well, the race was so crowded that it was more like an obstacle course and I missed my goal finish time, whomp whomp. Oh and that race started in waves, gun went off at 9am and I crossed the start at 9:36am, eww.
Maddie
That train thing happened to my dad 2 years ago at the Greenville marathon in South Carolina! Luckily he made up for most of the waiting time but he got stopped for almost 6 minutes! Our dog sleeps in the bed with us under the covers. I know, it’s terrible. But she’s a little smaller than a lab and curls up in a little ball so we just let her. You are gonna rock that marathon, can’t wait to see how you do!
Ella
I have never seen the weight thing before – I’d personally hate that! My weight has fluctuated over the years but I know that sometimes my running speed has been above what would be expected from my weight – (sometimes significantly) I would hate for that to affect my abilty to do well in a race! Fingers crossed you get put where you need to.
Lisa @ Lisa the Vegetarian
I feel so bad for those runners that got stopped! I love that you saw a wild turkey. We had a few of those in our yard a few months ago and it was fun to get to watch them :)
Clark
I see deer, lots of deer which are annoying. Rabbits which are fun. But the scariest thing is skunk. I saw a skunk once and decided then it was time to run with a light from then on. I do not want to get sprayed!
Amy @ Life to the Full
I have the same marathon struggles as you!!! My next race is coming up in two weeks and this is my goal >>> “I want that last 10k to go real well. ” Run smart! It’s just so easy to get swept away with the crowd :)
Dottie @crazyfitmommy
My biggest race struggle is under-training. Life gets busy, I miss a few long runs, and all of a sudden I’m running a marathon when my longest training run was only 8 or 10 miles. I could get away with that stuff when I was younger, but now that I’m kind of old and carrying a bit of extra baby weight I can’t get away with it anymore lol.
michelle
We see bears and coyotes on our morning trail runs. What’s really scary though are the squirrels – scary because my german shepherd bolts after them mowing down whoever is in her way :)
The Hungry Runner Girl
BEARS and coyotes?!?! Oh my goodness… I would freak out!!! HAHAH I bet your german shepherd cruises after those squirrels. Maybe your dog is trying to get in some fartleks chasing after them!
Jane @ 50statecanuck
Yes!! A few years ago at the Cinco de Mayo half in Portlant, Orgeon, the final two miles of the race had us weaving through downtown…and they STOPPED RUNNERS to let traffic through. I was REALLY irritated to say the least. But after the race, when chatting with fellow runners, I was told to be grateful as the previous year, similar to the Allentown race on the weekend, they were stopped by a train!! I can’t even imagine!!!
Marissa @ Run Riss Run
I have definitely gone out too fast during a race and finding/doing the proper training can be tough. I am a coach so I run with my kids, but I also have to do my own runs so splitting that up can be interesting some times.
I have seen 2 rats in the last month! Blech!
My pup sleeps in her bed in my room :)
I use Bodyglide and it works great!
Haley B
My husband Derek and I are running St George as well this year! First time to Utah, my first marathon (lots of halfs under my belt) and my husband is trying to BQ. Any tips on the course for us? I’ve read your race report but didn’t know if there was anything extra you could think of!
My husband was stopped during a 5K race by the pace car! He was in the lead and it just stopped right in front of him and he almost crashed into the back of it. Unfortunately he came in second place after that because the guy behind him was able to fly around him while all that was happening! He was so bummed.
We have a boxer and she sleeps with us! She thinks she’s a little diva for sure! :) And Body Glide saves my legs for sure!
The Hungry Runner Girl
AHHH HALEY!! I am so so excited that you and your husband are coming to run St. George. You are going to die over the scenery of this marathon! So excited for you! Did you read they are doing a wave start now because of the road closure at about mile 7 (it drops down to single file). Not sure how I feel about that. It gets really warm so make sure you are on top of hydration. Josse reminded me today that the race doesn’t start until mile 15. Hold back and avoid going out too fast (there is a downhill in those first few miles). Let me know if you get teary eyed when you drop into snow canyon like I do:) I hope I see you guys down there!
Oh my goodness… your husband’s story about the pace car is crazy! That stinks he took second because of it too but so glad he was okay!
TheDimpledRunner
I’m working on not going out too fast as well! Your dog looks so cute just laying on the pillow like that! I would be so angry and sad if a train stopped me mid race and I was trying to BQ…..not to mention all the $$$ I would have spent to run a marathon that was mapped out previously expecting no stops!
Loribeth
That sucks for those runners! Your dog is super cute! I often pet sit a lab………….she dreams and makes noises in her sleep……..does Beretta do that? It’s super cute, but scared me the first time she did it. Her owner says she occasionally howls in her sleep and will scare herself when she does it! I haven’t heard her do that yet, but she is the sweetest black lab ever!
The Hungry Runner Girl
YES YES YES Beretta totally does that too… it freaked me out big time until Andrew told me that is normal for her. Oh that is so fun that you get to pet sit her… I love that!
Arthi
I have a German Shephard/Rott mix (she’ll be two on Friday!) and she sleeps in her crate and loves it! My boyfriend, on the other hand, has a tiny little Border Terrier who is adamant about sleeping in the bed and burrowing into humans. It’s absolutely the WORST.
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious
The dog sleeping on the pillow has got to be the cutest thing!
Kristen
My dog sleeps in bed with us or our daughter. Under the covers. Spoiled? Maybe….
Amy Krue
We have two dogs – My favorite running buddies of all time even if they are a million times faster than I am – And they definitely sleep in bed with us. Completely spoiled.
Also, I spy Swedish Fish Oreos. How were they!?
Michaela
I once got stopped in a race, my first ever half marathon. It was awful. The organisers didn’t plan too well and me and 100 other runners gut stuck at a gate which was congested and lost 8 min there, then 5 minutes at another point. Nike was the sponsor and send everyone an apology card as well as a free Tshirt, but that sure didn’t help… (Rumour has it the organisers lost their license and now only do 10km races).