Category Archives: Marathon Training

Let’s Do This!! …Again!!

Posted by hellyontherun in Marathon Training, Running and tagged with , ,

I took a mini break after Phoenix last February before I started St. George Marathon training, but that mini break seems like it was so long ago, lol! After two weeks of laying low, here I am, again, starting a new a training cycle #iamnotnormal

In my last post I had decided not to use a coach as with the holidays approaching, I wanted to budget and prepare. But, when Elle asked me again to write a post comparing Hanson’s training and training with a coach, I felt that I hadn’t really gotten the full coach experience. I told Elle it wouldn’t be fair for me to make a comparison given that I only really followed the plan for two months before I threw in the white flag.

This made me think about what could have been different had I been able to get a full cycle with her. The two months I ran under her guidance, I felt strong, and I was hitting paces I never thought I could. My confidence was up, I felt good.

So, after talking with my husband and with my coach, I decided to give it another go with her. I’ve seen firsthand athletes thrive under her coaching and I’m truly curious to see what I can do if I commit to her training.

Coach Susan Loken and me 😀

It’s scary, because I have the added accountability factor, but that also motivates me.

Today, I had my first timed mile. I was nervous because these always make me nervous. The plan was to go to my coach’s track workout but with my husband away for work, I was resigned to my neighborhood streets after kid drop off.

The goal was a 6:30 and with my previous timed mile being 6:52 this was a bit ambitious, but, for some reason, I felt like I could do it.

I didn’t. Not even close.

6:42

I’m happy I bettered my time by 10 seconds, and I’m super happy that I felt something in me that said I could do it.

The splits of my 5k PR are 7:03, 7:19, 6:57 <—- that last mile of my fastest 5k of my life, makes me feel like I’ve got a faster single mile than a 6:42.

I’ve never been a naturally fast runner. I’ve worked hard and have come a long way to get where I’m at now as a runner. I’m super excited that I’m finally feeling confident and LESS scared to do hard things (because there has to be a little element of fear in there, right? 😀 )

Alright, let’s do this!!

–Do you like being a little scared of your goals?

See Ya On The Other Side of St. George!!!

Posted by hellyontherun in Marathon, Marathon Training and tagged with , , ,

Welp, it’s race week!!! And while I wish things would’ve turned out a little differently for me this training, I’m still super excited for the race. I mentioned in my previous post that I have a few friends running it who’ve had amazing training cycles–I’m excited to have a front row view of their performance 🙂

To recap this cycle quickly, June and July were pretty good. I was at the start of my training cycle, not working, and excited for what was to come.

125 June miles

149 July miles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I went back to work. It wasn’t so much the work schedule interfering, but more so the work stress that made it difficult for me. August was pretty awful.

And September was bad too–Despite an amazing 20 miler, the rest of the miles were pretty sub par.

84 August miles

88 September miles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So with two months of running but not running, I’ve decided to not put the pressure on myself to attempt a BQ at St. George. I can’t look at these numbers/photos and feel confident enough to give it a shot. I would love to PR (3:44) and hope that this training will allow for that, but my number one goal (always) is to finish.

With that being said, in a couple of days, I’ll be on the road to Utah for my 6th marathon!! I don’t know what the outcome will be, but I’m pretty certain that it’s going to be a blast!! Follow me on Instagram for updates at @hellyontherun 😀

Thank you all for your love and support ❤

xoxo,

helly

The Bright Side

Posted by hellyontherun in Marathon Training, Running and tagged with , ,

In the lowest moments of this training cycle, I wondered how I’d find the motivation to toe the start line, to even get myself there. But as I’ve come out of the darkness, I’ve been illuminated with amazing training cycles, not my own, but of friends who are also running this race.

My husband travels A TON and for this cycle, he’s been home for the longest stretch for a training cycle ever. Because of consistent training, he’s been nailing his tempos and long runs and I’m super, super excited for what St. George will bring for him.

My friend Jenna, who I met through my coach, is also running St. George to Boston Qualify. Man has it been inspiring to see her run. I have zero doubts she’s going to ring that BQ bell.

And my training buddy, Ashley, has just been throwing down her runs. Every time I see her updates on her Insta, I get super pumped. She’s also training to BQ, and I really feel like she’s got a shot.

BQ training buddy ❤ #makeithappen

I’ve known Ashley for quite some time; in fact, she was one of the first runners I met from my run club. It was at track a few years ago that I saw her making the rounds and she just cruised by me. Her form was amazing and she made it look so easy. I thought to myself then, “I want to run with her.”

Since then, I’ve been able to run with her quite often and when I decided to go for a Boston Qualifier, I convinced her to go for it too. We decided on a race and said we’d train as much as we could together. A few of our run club members thought for sure we’d get tired of hanging out or let our competitiveness drive us apart, but nope, six months later we are going strong–still rooting for each other.

I’ve been lucky to have such supportive friends to train with. Last year for NYC Marathon, my friend Jen was often at my side cheering me on. This year Ashley has lent her shoulder quite a few times when I struggled with a workout (or two or three).

I’m reminded often that running is not a solo sport. It can be, but if your running friends are your family, much like mine are, you become a part of their journey. You become a supporter of their goal. You want to celebrate their success.

And I want a front row ticket for that ❤

–Do you have running friends that are like family?
–Do you find joy in other people’s success?