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My Race Training Progress — 5 Weeks Until My First Full Marathon!

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I can’t believe how time flies! Yesterday, on September 22, 2013, I ran the “Run for the Grapes” half marathon, held in cooperation with the Niagara Wine Festival. This race was a good indicator to gage how my race training progress is going as the date draws closer and closer to the Niagara Falls International Marathon. I woke up yesterday with a sore throat and a runny nose, which as any mother with a child in daycare knows, if they catch it, YOU will catch it! I felt defeated even before I started. I did this course last year and I knew how hilly it was. The perfect battleground for any race training program. However today was not the day for challenges — or so I thought.
With a tissue in hand, I set off on the course to run the 13.1 miles (21.1 km), with the hope that I may not beat last year’s time of 1:44:07, but still hoping to place in the top 3 in the 35-39 age category. Whenever I run a half marathon I don’t fully relax until I see the “14km” sign marked. It’s usually at that point that I know that I will accomplish what I set out to do. Everything until that point has my mind in hysterics with “will I make it?” thoughts jumping around in my head. Anyhow, something happens to me when I run in that everything that my body is feeling simply shuts off and I zone out. The last kilometer in the “Run for the Grapes” is 80% uphill and, quite simply, it is hell. When I saw the finish line in view, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, next to when I ran the “Around the Bay” 30KM, the “Beamsville Bench” 5K and giving birth to my son — which, ironically, will come up in this blog in a moment. When I touched that mat with a chip time of 1:42:05 I was ecstatic! I not only beat last years time by 2 minutes and 2 seconds, but I did it while sick. I placed 52/213 overall, 8/90 females and 2/17 in my age group. I received the finishers medal, plus a silver medal for placing in the top 3 in my age group after all (my ceremonial car photo with my medals from this race is the featured photo in this blog).
This run gave me enough confidence to know that along with physical race training for the Niagara Falls International Marathon, that part of the training progress in running a marathon is also equally as mental as it is physical. You need to have that confidence and willpower to get through it. Think outside the pain, illness or any existing injury and just know that you can get through it. That faith in myself is something that I am pleased to say that I have when I run, and I think most runners that train for a half and/or full marathon will agree with me when I say that you reach a point in a long-distance run when physical becomes mental — which I compare to childbirth. The pain gets so bad that it doesn’t hurt anymore. I came across this blog last week that made me laugh called “10 Reasons Why Running a Marathon is Like Having a Baby“. I can think of a few extra additions to this list, but the comparison really is incredible! If you are a runner or training to become a runner, I really enjoy following www.ladyokieblog.com. Check out her blogs!

In my last blog post “My Marathon Running Progress — 7 Weeks To Go!”  I mentioned that I was trying to incorporate more morning runs into my regimen than my usual evening runs. I will admit, I failed that one miserably lol. While I do enjoy getting the workout out of the way, I can’t seem to get past the routine that turned into evening runs that I’ve been doing more 2 years now. I like the stress release that it gives me after a day of work and my muscles don’t feel that “morning ache”. I’m not saying that I’ll never do morning runs again, but I cut them down to just Sunday mornings for my long, slow distance (LSD) days as part of my race training.
Now, how many runners out there have entered a race and struggled with the “where will I put my car key while I run?” question. I know I can’t be the only one. Most of the time when I enter a race I don’t take anyone with me so I never know where to place my car key when I start the race. I do own a couple pairs of winter pants from the Running Room and Lululemon, as well as Winter running jackets that have zippers specifically for keys, but in the Summer and part of Fall I always find myself in the position of shoving my car key into my sports bra — and it hurts. I can finally say that I dropped $6.99 at Sport Chek and purchased the NiteIze Key Rack & Bottle Opener. It’s a key ring specifically for clipping onto your pants/jacket or wherever you see fit — with an added feature of a bottle opener to celebrate finishing your marathon by opening a beer lol! Go figure, such a simple purchase, but essential as part of my race training.

If you are currently training for a marathon as well and have some tips to share, I would love to hear from you! This will be my first full marathon and I would appreciate any advice that you care to share. Please write a comment in this blog and please feel free to share my blog with any other new runners. I’m looking forward to tackling this stepping stone in my race training and I’m ecstatic that I will be doing it in my home city of Niagara Falls with the Niagara Falls International Marathon!

Christine
www.cliftonhill.com
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My Marathon Running Progress — 7 Weeks To Go!

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With only 7 weeks to go until the Niagara Falls International Marathon, my marathon running progress feels right on track. My fear has turned to excitement, as the big day comes progressively closer. As I stated before in my previous blogs laying out my marathon training progress ( see blog#1, blog#2, blog#3), I don’t follow a set marathon training schedule like many people do to prepare for such a strenuous achievement. My training regime for marathon running stems from listening to my own body, and pushing myself slightly more on different terrian, using hills one day and flat surface the next, and varying up my distances to what my work schedule, my husband’s work schedule and my child commitments allow. I have essentially become my own personal trainer leading up to the Niagara Falls International Marathon. While I still maintain running five days a week and strength training one day a week (I need to do more!), I have gradually increased my mileage from 10km to 12 km thorugh the week, I take one full day off (from both running and strength) and I make Sunday’s my LSD (long slow distance) day. Anyone that knows me, knows that I am an evening runner. It’s my way to unwind after work and free myself of any stresses that day brought. However, since my previous post a couple of weeks ago, I am trying to incorporate more of my marathon running training runs in the morning for three reasons — 1) I like the idea of getting my workout out of the way for the day. 2) Most races (including the Niagara Falls International Marathon) start in the morning, so I want to get my body used to the idea of racing schedule. 3) I have a very sensitive stomach and to run first thing in the morning before there is any food in my system, I feel like I can fully concentrate on my running and not whether my last meal will agree with me or not. Also, when you run first thing in the morning your carbohydrate stores are depleted, meaning you’re more prone to burn body fat over stored carbs (which your body needs for energy). I enjoy reading “Runner’s World” and “Running Times” Magazine for tips and inspiration, and this article from “Running Times” Magazine I found to be very interesting on the pros and cons of running in the daytime versuses the evening. I will say this — my morning runs are a work in progress. I feel stiff in the morning — it takes awhile for blood to get pumping. You can compare it to gravy. You let gravy sit (in our case, sleep) overnight, it develops a thick film on the top. Once you stir the gravy, it disappears. The same goes for your blood. That’s why that first 1-2 km always feel like you’re running like the Tin Man. In any case, it’s a challenge to get somebody like myself, a self-proclaimed night owl, to suddenly jump out of bed at 5:45 am for a run…but I’m getting there.
I also purchased myself some new Asics, my “go to” brand. I typically replace my running shoes a couple of times a year; statistically the average lifespan of a shoe should range between 300-500 miles depending on the weight of the individual and the surface that you run on. I always get my feet assessed by the specialists at the Running Room. This time I purchased Asics Gel Cumulus 14, slightly different from my previous pair of Asics Gel Nimbus 11 shoes. For my marathon running I feel the Nimbus edges out the Cumulus in comfort. When I run, I tend to land mid-sole and there is more gel cushioning in the midsole of the Nimbus. That being said, the difference is only slight between the two pairs, and I have yet to find a brand that competes.
My last half marathon distance was in March, so I decided on Thursday to run 21 km to see if I improved. My best half marathon time was 1:44:25. I ran a 1:31:44! I was super stoked! That was a huge improvement and accomplishment for me. On September 22nd I will be running the “Run for the Grapes” half marathon in St.Catharines, so I will use that distance as another predictor and motivator in preperation for the Niagara Falls International Marathon. I find that by entering races, whether they be 5K to half marathons, they push me to stay on track on my marathon running goals. There is something about entering a race that pushes you a little harder and (at least for me) when I place in the top 3 in my age category it makes me feel empowered and confident in my ability to set running goals. My FREE Nike GPS app for iphone is what I use to track my runs — and here is my proud moment:

This past Saturday I also ran the Waterfront Trail Double Crown race in Burlington, ON. I came in 2nd overall female and 1st in my age category (35-39). The header image in this post is me with my two medals (the finishing medal and my age group medal). I feel more and more confident in my ability that I can and I will get through my very first marathon on October 27, 2013 at the Niagara Falls International Marathon. I’m sure that I will be sore afterwards and I still have much more work to do (primarily getting in some more LSD runs and practising with fuel in gels, tablets and finding the right carb source for energy the previous evening of a long run). However, I know that I will push myself through this run with my family waiting for me at the finish line.
The marathon is now 80% full, so if you wish to register, register quick by clicking here!
I would like to finalize this post with something I found at the Fun Factory on Clifton Hill here in Niagara Falls, just a 2 minute walk from the Falls itself. I thought these were cute. They are called “Shwings” and they come in various different colours for $8.99 +tax. They come with eyelets and you tie you laces through them to “make your shoes fly”. I love them — and bought myself a pair!


Christine
www.cliftonhill.com
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Niagara Falls Running: 14 weeks to go until the big day!

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Well, it’s been 1.5 weeks since I decided to take my Niagara Falls running to the next level and register for the Niagara Falls International Marathon. My previous and first post on this subject gave a little history on how I began running two years ago, so I won’t go into any depth about that except to say that the reasons that have kept me engaged with running have gone further beyond wanting to lose the baby weight — it is now part of my almost daily routine. Ask anyone that knows me about the two things in life that I can’t live without, and they will tell you a) my son, Kaidyn and b) running. I am addicted to the endorphin rush and the sense of utter relaxment, calmness and euphoria when I finish on empty. This is why I truly believe in the term “runner’s high” — because it happens to me on every single run. Niagara Falls running is a key motivator that keeps me from getting bored because I happen to live in a region with one of the most beautiful backdrops to run by — the Niagara Falls. Running on the trails in Niagara-on-the-Lake, little towns within the Niagara region (such as Jordan), and finding my “happy spots” as I call them in my hometown of St.Catharines keeps me focused, engaged, and challenged every time I step out the door.
I would be lying if I told you that during this past week and a half that I made the decision to jump to a full marathon, that I decided to stick to a specific marathon training plan. I did not. I am stubborn in that I like to train my own way and I kind of took on the notion that I am my own personal trainer. I refer to the book “Running: The Complete Guide to Building Your Running Program” by John Stanton as a general resource for my training. If you read my first post, you will know that I have done several half marathon races, and this book that you can purchase at the Running Room is an excellent tool for the beginner runner and for the seasoned athlete. My favourite chapter in the book breaks down a training guide for whichever type of race you are planning on doing (in this case, a full marathon) and even caters to whatever time you aim to finish in! I love this because my average half marathon finishing time is at the 1:45 mark, so you can up the ante and follow a 1:40 guide.

In any case, with this book I personally use it to keep me on track, but I don’t follow it every day as a specific set schedule. Some people choose to, and that’s great, but I like to colour outside the lines a bit and do my own thing. This past week, Niagara Falls running has been a challenge with the heat. A few days in a row we saw temperatures at the 32-33c mark, with the humidity making it feel more like 40C, and in some cases even higher than that! This didn’t mean that I fell off my training plan though! I made sure to hydrate properly and I ran with water. I don’t like to wear anything around my waist when I run, so I don’t use hydration belts. I keep my water bottle in my hands the whole time. The first day of our heatwave last week I found that even though I kept myself hydrated, my muscles were sore and achy throughout my whole body. I violated one of my own running tips…in extreme heat carry ELECTROLYTES! An “electrolyte” is any salt mineral that carries signals between cells allowing them to react properly. It regulates blood pressure, heart rate, water levels and muscle movement. If we don’t have enough electolytes, our body doesn’t perform as well. In extreme heat this tends to suffer and products that carry electrolytes (especially on longer runs) will benefit your performance. Gatorade for instance, is a an excellent source of a drink containing electrolytes. Races will usually have water and Gatorade stations set up every few kilometres. I really like Nuun tablets. They are flavoured tablets that disolve in water and they are easy on my stomach. Other popular brands of electrolytes are Gels such as Gu, in which you swallow back a pouch before or during your run and it gives you the extra “lift” that you need to keep going. Practice your tolerance for an electrolyte source well before your big day to see which product works for you — you don’t want any unnecessary “surprises” the day of. There’s is nothing worse than having to make a pit stop at a port-a-potty when you are trying to beat the clock! That’s all I will say about that.

If you live locally to Niagara Falls and you plan on registering for the Niagara Falls International Marathon , I would like to share with you one of my favourite Niagara Falls running routes. With all the chaos of raising a two-year old and everyday daily stresses I find it relaxing to get out for a trail run and I love the nature. This route is in St.Catharines and it’s the Merritt Trail. This trail begins at Bradley Street in south St.Catharines and continues through to Martindale Road in west St.Catharines and connects with the Green Ribbon Trail. The length of the trail is 11 kilometres. In the past week alone I have seen a massive tortoise, three beavers and just last night when I turned the corner I came face-to-face with a gorgeous deer! I have attached the pictures below as I always carry my iphone with me on my runs to track my GPS route through the free Nike+ GPS app. Please excuse the quality of my pictures. I took the picture of the deer so quickly!


In general, my training this last week and a half has been more about a test of will and strength in this heat than focusing on mileage. I have stayed consistent with running a 10K distance on average while keeping 2 days a week open for crosstraining, in which I choose to lift light weights and stregthen my core through abdominal exercises, planks and squats. My advice to you is to not avoid exercising in extreme heat, but to embrace it, while of course taking the necessary precautions. It is training in weather like this that may give you an extra edge over the opponent if you are competitive, but will also make you a stronger runner because the only person that you need to compete with is the person that you were yesterday when it comes to improvement. That’s the whole point in marathon training, right?
If you have enjoyed this blog or feel that it may help to encourage someone to give running a go, share this blog!
Thanks for reading and I look forward to sharing my Niagara Falls running experiences with you!


Christine
www.cliftonhill.com
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