I'm signed up for 2 marathons this spring. Both of which should happen since they had limited fields based on COVID regulations.

Training has been going really well. I'm using Hal Higdon Advanced Marathon Training 1. I'm at the point in training where the miles per week are bouncing back and forth between 55 and 40. My body seems to be able to handle the higher mileage week and then recover on the "lower" mileage week. 6 days of running and 1 day off.

I'm also doing CrossFit but only 3 times per week.

The CrossFit Open started 2 weeks ago. It is a 3 week competition where CrossFit HQ releases a workout on Thursday nights and then all of the CrossFit members do the workout at their gyms on Friday night -- Friday Night Lights. The Friday night workout is super fun as it brings all of the members together from all of the different classes so you meet people who workout at different times than you. Friday WAS my one day off from running....

Four weeks ago I started a women's HIIT class in my basement. I've always wanted to do this. It has been going really well!

DETOUR! One day last month I went to work and happened to have Facebook up when I saw the local police department had posted a street closing. It is the main road I use to get to work and to CrossFit from my house. Ugh. Because of this sometimes I find it easier just to jump on my bike and ride straight up the bike path to CrossFit rather than drive my car.

So here is what last week looked like:

Monday PM: Recovery run on the trails 4.4 miles. Followed by CrossFit -- Monday is usually a heavy barbell day (heavy being a relative term due to the fact that I am a skinny runner girl LOL)

Tuesday AM: 10 mile run on the Treadmill - 9:27 pace; PM - Bike to & from the gym - 9 miles, CrossFit 

Wednesday PM: CrossFit; St. Pat's Day 5k group run followed by beverages - 8:36 pace. Super fun night!

Thursday PM: 7 x 1/4 mile hills - used 4% on treadmill - pace 7:47 - 8:20. This workout was way harder than I felt it should be! I fell asleep on the couch for 20 minutes right after. Sweaty clothes and all. Ewwww.  Managed to drag myself off of the couch and take a quick shower so I could hold the Ladies HIIT Workout before heading to the gym to hear what the CrossFit Open workout was going to be for Friday.

Friday PM: Ran a 1.1 mile warm up and did some sprints to get my lungs ready for the Open workout. I was super nervous because I knew this workout was one that I had a chance to do really, really well at. It was pretty much a cardio workout because of the way CrossFit had scaled the weight for the women 55-59. The workout was:

10 Dumbell Snatches

15 Burpee Box Step Overs

20 Dumbbell Snatches

15 Burpee Box Step Overs

30 Dumbbell Snatches

15 Burpee Box Step Overs

40 Dumbbell Snatches

15 Burpee Box Stepovers

50 Dumbbell Snatches

15 Burpee Box Stepovers

20 minute time cap; dumbbell 20 lbs

I was nervous that I would be slow because of all of my marathon training fatigue. I showed up at the gym about 10 minutes before my time slot. The one coach checking everyone in said, "You're late! You need to go warm up!" I did practice some dumbbell snatches. The weight was so light! My judge gave me a few tips. I put my game face on and then it was go time!

I can't even tell you how much I loved this workout. I do wish for my age they hadn't scaled it so much -- I'd have liked a 25 lb weight and burpee box jumpovers, but I didn't set the standards I just had to follow them. The burpee box step overs definitely taxed the cardio but then I could recover on the snatches. 100% foot on the gas pedal the whole time. I finished in 12:19. Which put me at 64th out of 2,970 in my AG! Yippee! (Next week when it is a heavy barbell I'll be down towards the bottom. LOL)

Saturday AM: 5 mile treadmill run at 9:40, 10 mile St. Pat's Prediction Run at 8:47, 5 extra miles (balance of 20) at 9:25

One of the local groups (NJ Shore Run) decided to host a St. Patrick's Day 10 mile prediction run in lieu of the Atlantic City 10 miler that was cancelled due to Covid. The way it worked was you told the RD what pace you predicted that you would run and he gave you a start time that would have everyone finishing together at 11:00. I predicted 9:15s because I knew I wanted to make this part of my 20 miler.

I ran 5 on my treadmill before heading over to AC to make sure my GI tract was ready to go. Seriously it has been such a jerk lately.

I got to the race approximately 3 minutes before my scheduled start time. Two women that I knew were just starting. They had predicted 9:20s. I told them I would be catching them so we could run together.

Harry the RD took the countdown very seriously. I was still fumbling with my headphones at the 30 second countdown. Ugh. 3, 2, 1, go....

It was cold and it took me a bit to stop shuffling. I caught Carolyn and LuAnn at approximately the 2 mile mark.

Carolyn (on the right) is just coming back from breaking her foot. I found out she's a 3:07 marathoner! We had fun chit chatting, but were definitely not holding our pace! Carolyn was always a few steps ahead and LuAnn would be telling her that she was pushing it. They had agreed that LuAnn would set the pace since Carolyn was trying to be careful on her comeback. 

Somewhere around 7.5-7.8 miles I just decided to go. Sometimes I get like that. No idea why, but I just picked up my pace for a fast finish.

I got a popsicle stick with a #4 on it and a finisher's medal. The RD asked me for my time - 1:28:08. I apologized for not holding my pace. 

The rules of the race were a little confusing. They were giving out awards. Hold your pace but there would be a winner. Also an award for the sandbagger, number of kills, closest to prediction, etc.

Since I finished before my predicted time I got to see the whole field come in. It was beautiful. Like a giant snowball that had started up at the top and just got bigger and bigger as it went. Runners for as far as you could see.

I still needed 5 more miles to finish my 20. I headed out with LuAnn who had 4 more miles to run. We both decided to run our own pace.

I was surprised when I got back that people were still hanging out. The RD yelled to me. "Gwen! We thought you left! You won the race!"

Me?? Apparently I had beaten my predicted finish time by the biggest amount (4:22) without actually sandbagging. LOL

Best free race ever! All of the swag!

The Atlantic City Bagpipers

There were approximately 50 people who came out for the race - paces from 6:00 to 13:30.

 

Saturday night I was done. Toast. Beat. Laid out. 

Sunday AM: 10 miles

I woke up and just told myself to complete the 10. I didn't necessarily feel bad. Just tired. I headed out the door thinking I'd probably run a 10 minute pace. Surprisingly my legs and lungs had other plans.

I was super happy with 10 at 8:53!

I have one more CrossFit Open workout to complete this Friday and then one more big running mileage week the following week before I taper.

Please pass the duct tape!