Long story short, I’ve been swamped with work lately. When you’re a starving freelance writer, trying to stay on top of deadlines and schedule interviews and meetings and submit revisions and answer last-minute questions and, basically, keep all of your clients happy, can suck up your entire life. Which has left me ZERO time for recreational writing (i.e.blogging), as of late. (Not that I’m complaining, believe me!)

However, I really wanted to pop back in to let you know that 1.) I didn’t drop dead or anything and 2.) provide some updates on my New York City Marathon training.

Because, as my headline might suggest, we are now down to the FINAL MONTH before I run NYC!

One month from today! Photo credit: competitor.com

So, here’s the story. My training hasn’t exactly been going as well as I had hoped. Don’t get me wrong, I’m doing the absolute best I can, and I’m being as consistent as humanly possible when it comes to squeezing in those weekend long runs, including the “scale-back” long runs of 12 or 13 miles in between each longer distance.

But training in the summer damn near killed me. I’ve truly hated it. And I sort of resent the fact that now that it’s FINALLY starting to cool down, I’ll be tapering in a matter of two weeks! Seeing the “slower” paces on my Garmin and feeling how drained I was after an “easy” five-miler when it was 80+ degrees has really messed with my confidence, I have to say, and I feel like I really have absolutely no clue how I’m going to do come Nov. 2.

I did a 16-miler that was an absolute DISASTER. I started early in the morning but it was a HOT day, and lucky for me, my monthly friend decided to arrive that morning. Between the intense crampage and the fatigue and the sun beating down on me, I was in pure agony every step of the way, and — I kid you not — cried my eyes out for pretty much the last 5k. Good thing I was wearing sunglasses. But I fought through it. I ripped off my sneakers and collapsed in the park at the end, and took this fine “proof” photo for you guys, haha.

My 18-miler, on the other hand, started out FANTASTIC. It happened to be a cool, crisp morning. The sun wasn’t out and it felt like fall for the first time, and I knocked out the first 10 miles without any effort at all. It was the first time in a long time that I actually found myself enjoying a run — which is sad, but true. At one point I even thought to myself, “oh, that’s right…I actually DO enjoy this!” The last 8 were a little harder because it was starting to warm up — and, you know, I was tired — but I still finished that run feeling fairly strong and confident that I would be okay on race day.

You’ll notice the 16-miler and 18-miler took me almost the same amount of time, haha

Meanwhile, my mid-week runs haven’t been the most consistent. My plan is basically calling for 3 mid-week runs between 5 and 8 miles, and I gotta tell you, I don’t always have time to get that 8-miler in, or a second 5-miler. I’ve been overwhelmed with assignments and I have a completely full load of piano students now that school is in session again, and it’s no easy feat trying to juggle it all. I would say I’ve been getting in two mid-week runs and the long run on weekends, and I’m lucky to get in a rare fourth run each week.

Don’t think I’m sitting around eating bon-bons on my non-running days, however. My other issue as of late? My karate “master” decided that October would be the month to hold his next black belt test in Thai kickboxing, for which I am eligible. I earned my bo-black belt in Jan. 2013, and now I’m ready to test for the black belt.

What that has translated to is making a commitment to getting in as many Thai classes per week as possible, including the weekend classes I’ve been skipping ever since I moved 30 minutes away from my karate school, on top of candidate-only classes and extra sessions on sparring led by a fellow black-belt candidate. That is to say, most days I will do a run and at least one karate class, if not two. This past weekend I logged 8 miles, then a Thai class, then a Thai candidate class, and then an hour-long sparring session. Yep. I pretty much have no life right now.

I will have to spar with full gear at my test this weekend, and guess what? I had never actually sparred before! We’ve done plenty of drills and I’ve done some basic sparring without pads, but if you want to test for your black belt, you actually have to fight others. Like, for real. So I panicked and have been spending pretty much every waking moment at Karate World to get as comfortable as possible with the idea of going head-to-head against a real person.

My usual fighting partner…

Meanwhile, I earned my blue belt in Taekwondo in August, and have also been trying to squeeze in at least one or two blue belt classes each week so I can learn the curriculum and not have to wait all of 6+ months to advance to red belt.

Needless to say…it has been HARD to make it all work. And I’m EXHAUSTED. I’m basically comatose by 10pm every night, and I am pretty much always in pain. Whether my calves are tight and my hips are sore from running, or my quads are aching or lower back is stiff from karate, my body has just about had it.

I have my 19-miler this week, and then since I had to skip last weekend’s scale-back run last week of 13 miles in favor of taking a zillion Thai classes on Saturday and Sunday, I’m going right into the 20-miler the following week. My test will be over and I know things will calm down, but because I’ve seen nothing but my “summer” paces for months now, and my body is especially worn out from all the running and karate, I kind of feel like I’m going into the marathon blindly with no sense of how I’m actually going to do when I’ve had a little time to recover and the weather will (hopefully) be a lot cooler.

The moral of the story? No matter what, I am EXCITED for this race, and I know I’m going to finish. I feel very fortunate to be in the kind of physical shape where I can enjoy all of these different activities and remain injury-free (KNOCK ON WOOD), and that I’m capable of setting these ambitious fitness goals for myself. So, who am I to complain?

That being said, I know I may not be able to bang out my “A” goal next month. I’ve come to terms with that. Sometimes life gets in the way, and all you can do is the best you can do, right? I’ll be thrilled with my “B” or even more conservative “C” goal of under 5 hours…but even if I don’t make that, I know this marathon is going to be AMAZING. I am so excited to be thisclose to race day!

How has life gotten in the way of your training?

Does anyone else look forward to tapering as much as I do?

But first, here’s a look at last week’s training for the New York City Marathon!

Mon., Aug. 18: Taekwondo class and Thai kickboxing class

Tue., Aug. 19: Rest

Wed., Aug. 20: 4 miles and Thai kickboxing class

Thur., Aug. 21: 7 miles (4-mile run, 3-mile run) and Taekwondo class

Fri., Aug. 22: Taekwondo class and graduation

Sat., Aug. 23: Rest

Sun., Aug. 24: 15 miles

Total weekly mileage: 30 miles

This week was the first time I’ve ever tried splitting up a longer run. I just didn’t have the time to run the 7 miles on Thursday that my plan called for, especially since the majority of my shorter runs took place in the middle of the day last week. Between the heat killing my pace and causing me to stop to drink water constantly, it seems like anything over 3 or 4 miles takes me FOREVER to finish.

So I ran 4 miles earlier in the day, taught a couple of piano lessons, went to Taekwondo class, and immediately went out for another 3 miles. Needless to say, I was pretty tired at the end of the day, but I would definitely consider using the run-splitting technique again. I got the miles in…and that’s all that counts right?

This Sunday’s long run also went fairly well. It was in the lower- to mid-70′s and sunny, so it wasn’t the WORST conditions I’ve run in this summer…but definitely not the best, either! Todd ran his first double-digit run since our last half marathon back in May, and I took on 15 miles.

I won’t say that these long runs are getting easier, per se’ — especially since I hate waking up so freakin’ early and yet STILL struggling in the heat — but I will say I can feel that my training is working, and I’m feeling stronger and stronger every week!

Soooo gross. Is it fall yet?!

But the big news of this week? I’m finally a blue belt in Taekwondo!

I tested on Monday and attended my graduation on Friday, where I completed several musical forms (Todd tried videotaping me kicking and punching to patriotic music for you guys, but the video came out REALLY dark, sorry!) We also have to memorize combinations to advance to each belt level, and like the forms, perform ALL of them in addition to those we learned for our next belt. It’s a LOT to remember, I’ll tell you that much.

The purple belt form took me MONTHS to get down, and it’s to the Star Spangled Banner.

We were supposed to be holding flags for this form, lol

And, of course, you have to break a board before you get your new belt. In my case, with a sidekick.

In the Taekwondo belt hierarchy at my school, that means I only have three more belts to go before I can test for my black belt.

Photo credits: All “action” shots courtesy of this young lady and her snazzy camera, haha

It’ll be a looooong process, and studying Taekwondo really is no joke. Every single technique you learn is not only physically demanding, but has to be PERFECT before you’re allowed to move on. In fact, my “master” (sounds weird to call him that outside the context of the school, but, that’s basically what he is!) wouldn’t allow me to graduate last month because my toes weren’t pointed at the proper angle in a front-stance.

Taekwondo demands perfection at all times, which can be nerve-wracking, to say the least — but also really flippin’ exciting when you finally master a new technique!

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have found not one, but TWO physical activities that I’m so passionate about. Honestly, if I didn’t start taking Thai kickboxing classes, I’m not sure if I would have had the guts to try running…and I definitely spent the first couple of years of my time at Karate World totally intimidated by the Taekwondo students!

There is SO much to learn, and what I like most about both martial arts and running is that it’s all about the mind-body connection. Whether you’re pushing yourself to your physical (and mental!) limits to get to that finish line on a race course, or practicing over and over and OVER to perfect the art of a reverse sidekick or master your next form, both activities are all about developing that inner strength and discipline to set and achieve new goals.

And it’s become very clear to me that I thrive on tangible goals…whether it’s a new shiny race medal or my next belt in karate.

Have you ever split a longer run into two shorter runs?

In addition to running, are there any other physical activities you’re passionate about?

Mon., Aug. 11: 9 miles (counted in last week’s totals)

Tue., Aug. 12: Thai kickboxing class

Wed., Aug. 13: 4 miles

Thur., Aug. 14: Rest

Fri., Aug. 15: 4 miles and Taekwondo class

Sat., Aug 16: Rest

Sun., Aug. 17: 14 miles

Total weekly mileage: 22 miles

I missed one 7-mile run last week because I pushed back my 9-miler due to birthday festivities, but other than that, I got all my runs in…and, more importantly, am feeling about a MILLION times better than I was in the first couple weeks of training.

It’s still hot and humid and GROSS most days, but waking up at the buttcrack of dawn on weekends for long runs and/or waiting until the sun is setting on weeknights for my 3- and 4-milers has made a big difference. Plus, it feels like my body is finally adapting to running longer distances again. I guess there’s something to be said for this whole marathon training concept…?

Once again, I was blessed with some FANTABULOUS long-run weather this past weekend. I started my 14-miler on a cloudy, cool, drizzly morning in the upper 60′s — which felt heavenly — but then even when the sun came out in the later miles, there was still a nice breeze and it never broke 80 degrees. Todd joined me for the last 8 miles of my run, since he’s officially in training for the Philadelphia Marathon now! (Sucks for him that I’ll be enjoying my taper when he’s suffering through his 19- and 20-milers, HA).

I was enjoying the park and felt pretty strong up until the last mile or two, which seemed to drag on and on and ON…but I guess that’s how it’s supposed to be, right? I seem to be averaging an 11-minute/mile, tops, for pretty much my entire long run as of late…and in 75-80+ degree temperatures, I am MORE than happy with that!

I’ve also got some new stuff that’s helping me along the way. One lifesaver these past couple of weeks? Todd got me a new Nathan hydration belt with 4 bottles for my birthday! (What can I say, the man knows what I like, LOL). Also, I think he was getting tired of me complaining that I was constantly running out of water on longer runs (I’ve been using a two-bottle belt).

Also, last weekend Todd and I went to replace our sneakers — I’ve been running in the same pair since the Princess Half Marathon way back in February, and that is clearly just NOT acceptable. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve had mysterious knee pain and back pain and calf pain and foot pain and basically every other kind of lower-body pain you can imagine, and I know it was related to my poor, sad, beaten-up shoes.

I was fitted at a local running store, Westfield Running Company, before I began training for my first half marathon, and since then I’ve exclusively bought the same pair of sneakers over and over again. I have a wide foot (and I’m a size 10, for cryin’ out loud) so I can’t really fit in women’s shoes. I have to run in men’s models — and, for me, it’s Brooks Glycerin all the way.

The guy at the store showed me the same model in a women’s and tried to get me to try on the women’s pair — and, mind you, it was tempting because the women’s sneakers are SO much prettier — but am I the only one who’s weird and won’t even CONSIDER switching sneakers? Like, EVER? These bad boys got me through every single race thus far, including the Dopey Challenge. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Fortunately for me, though, the latest model came in colors that aren’t QUITE as masculine, so I’m loving my new sneakers.

(Also, does it make me a super huge dork that I’m excited that these are the shoes I’ll be running the New York City Marathon in?!)

Have you ever switched your running sneaker brand/model?

What’s been your must-have running gear this summer?

I posted my 4th of July race recap 10 days late, so why not go ahead and recap weeks 2 and 3 of my New York City Marathon training all at once?

…better late than never, right?

WEEK 2

Mon., July 7: Taekwondo and Thai kickboxing class

Tue: July 8: Taekwondo class

Wed., July 9: 5 mile run and Thai kickboxing class

Thur., July 10: 3 mile run and Thai kickboxing class

Fri., July 11: Rest

Sat., July 12: 3 mile run (at the beach!)

Sun., July 13: 9 mile run

Total weekly mileage: 20 miles

WEEK 3

Mon., July 14: Taekwondo class

Tue., July 15: Rest

Wed., July 16: 5 miles and Thai kickboxing class

Thur., July 17: 3 miles

Fri., July 18: Taekwondo class

Sat., July 19: 6 miles

Sun., July 20: Rest

Total weekly mileage: 14 miles

Now that I’m 3 weeks into my training plan, I’m happy to report that I’m starting to feel “like myself” again. That is to say, each run isn’t QUITE as dreadful as it has been for the past couple of months, and I didn’t feel QUITE as out-of-shape as I did during my first week of training. Of course, I’m definitely nowhere near where I was, but I can feel the consistency starting to pay off. I’m not hitting my fastest paces by any means, but physically, I am feeling stronger!

9 miles down!

I’m also taking any opportunity to vary my training locales, so I don’t get too bored. So after a delightful beach day in Long Branch last weekend, Todd and I decided to run on the boardwalk and through Pier Village.

I had 3 miles on my training plan (I definitely switch up the days, but I do try to squeeze in all of the workouts each week!) and since I love the beach, I thought it would be a fine way to sneak in a run on an otherwise lazy summer day. I can’t say the ginormous turkey and cheese sub sandwich I had for lunch made for optimal pre-run food, but otherwise, it was a fun — and scenic! — way to log a couple of extra miles.

This past week was a scale-back week on my plan, with my long run “only” totaling 6 miles (and it was absolutely DELIGHTFUL to “only” have to run for an hour this Saturday, I must say). I did miss one of my scheduled 3-milers, but I figure with all of the extra karate classes I’m squeezing in over the summer, I’m sure I’m getting more than enough cardio to make up for a skipped short run here and there.

The good news is that while I’m having a hard time maintaining my desired pace as I’m struggling through these summer runs, the season is providing me with plenty of excellent ways to cool down afterwards. Let’s just say we’re spending an awful lot of time here lately:

Who needs an ice bath?!

Coming up this weekend, I have an 11-miler scheduled. I haven’t run more than 10 (non-race) miles in, oh, I don’t know…4 months? I’m not exactly looking forward to it, especially since a.) I’ve never logged long training runs in the summer before and b.) Todd will soon be starting his own training plan (he’s running the Philadelphia Marathon!) and therefore I will temporarily be losing my running buddy on some of these longer runs as my training ramps up and his gets started.

After a leisurely 6 miles…and still sweating like pigs

My plan? To give my best effort in each run, even if the heat and humidity are still kicking my butt and preventing me from hitting my target pace. And keep my fingers crossed that it all pays off in the fall.

How are you beating the heat on your runs?

Do you typically train by pace or “by feel” in the summer?

So, this past week it became official. I am now in training for marathon #3: the FREAKIN’ NEW YORK CITY MARATHON!

I am proud to report that I successfully tackled all of the runs on my training plan, including the longest training run I’ve done since March. On Sunday, Todd and I ran 8 miles at another new (to me!) park, which was nice to explore…even in the 85+ degree heat (UGH).

A couple of hot messes

Here’s what my first week of marathon training looked like:

Mon., June 30: Taekwondo class and Thai Kickboxing class

Tue., July 1: 5 mile run

Wed., July 2: Thai Kickboxing class

Thur., July 3: 2 mile run and Taekwondo class

Fri., July 4: Cranford Jaycees Firecracker 4-Miler (recap coming soon!)

Sat., July 5: Rest

Sun., July 6: 8 mile run

Total weekly mileage: 19 miles

I’ve decided to follow Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 training plan. I was orignally going to attempt an intermediate plan, but I decided against it for a number of reasons. For starters, I’m not gonna lie…I really haven’t been running since completing my second marathon in March. Since then, I have tackled a few “just for fun” half marathons, but my training runs in general have been purely recreational: slow and inconsistent.

I hate feeling as though I’m starting all over again, but I think when choosing a marathon training plan, you have to be honest with yourself — and right now, I’m just not ready for a five-day-a-week plan with more than one 20-mile run scheduled, thankyouverymuch. I did that for Dopey training, and while I absolutely credit Mr. Higdon with getting me across that finish line in one piece, I don’t think I want to take on a plan with quite that level of intensity right now.

Secondly, my training is beginning in the summer. And as many of you know, this is the time of year when I turn into a whiny, miserable mess when it comes to running. I HATE logging miles in the heat, and there’s just not a whole heck of a lot I can do to change that. But I really, REALLY want to run NYCM, so I’ll be using that as my motivation to lace up my sneakers on these hot, humid summer days. This week’s runs were all tackled in temperatures that soared well over 80 degrees, and I definitely did not enjoy them. I can feel how out-of-shape I’ve become, and I’m frustrated by how hard running feels to me right now. I can’t help but think that it was only 6 months ago that I ran a marathon. How is that even possible when, these days, a 4-mile race feels like a struggle?

Lastly, I plan to take full advantage of the fact that my teaching schedule is much lighter in the summer, and take as many karate classes as I can. It takes me FOREVER to advance to the next belt level because it’s so hard for me to get to class, so I wanted a plan where I could still incorporate my Taekwondo classes and the occasional Thai class (because it’s pretty rough on the body) into my weekly routine. So far, that’s exactly what I’m doing, even if that means days when I double up on classes or run and take karate — although I know that may not be the smartest idea as my mileage increases later in the plan.

Still a purple belt…

The bottom line? In many ways, I do sort of feel like a beginner. My goal for my first marathon was simple: to survive. And that’s no joke. I wanted to finish the Dopey Challenge in an upright position, and I wanted to be in good enough shape to pose for pictures with Disney characters and have fun along the way.

Mission accomplished.

In my second marathon (Todd’s first) just eight weeks later, my goal was to make sure Todd survived. I was running the race with him, period, and decided several weeks in advance that I would not be setting any personal goals for that race (especially since I was WIPED OUT from Dopey training, anyway).

So this is actually the first time that I’m taking on a 26.2 mile race with any sort of time goal in mind. I want to be conservative and say that I’d be happy with anything under 5 hours (Dopey took almost 6 hours with all the stops along the way, and DC was about 5:20 because unfortunately Todd bonked a little bit), but deep down I know I can probably set my sights a little higher than that. There was a time not all that long ago where I was thisclose to a sub-2 hour half marathon, and I think that with consistency and a whole lot of sweating this summer, it’s reasonable to set my “A” goal for the New York City Marathon at 4:30. My “B” goal is 4:45, and my final “I’ll take it” goal is currently 5:00.

Of course, that can all change as I get going, but for right now, I am moving full steam ahead with my plans to pour everything I have into this marathon training cycle. All I want is to show up at the starting line of the NYCM in November feeling strong and prepared and ready to really RUN a marathon.

What are you currently training for?

How do you choose a training plan?

Mon., April 21: 2.5-mile run, 2.5-mile bike ride (I had to leave my bike at my parents’ house over the weekend, so I figured I’d run back to get it and call it a workout).

Tue., April 22: Taekwondo class

Wed., April 23: 4-mile run

Thur., April 24: Rest

Fri., April 25: 10-mile bike ride…and then I finally got to see Aladdin on Broadway! Todd bought me tickets for Christmas, and Friday was the big day. It was a great show — quite a bit different from the movie, but still a lot of fun! The genie pretty much stole the show.

Sat., April 26: Thai kickboxing class and strength training

Sun., April 27: 3-mile walk, Walk for MS

This past weekend, I participated in my first “walk,” along with Todd and my sister. I’ve done tons of local 5Ks and 10Ks that benefited causes ranging from cancer to arthritis, but this weekend’s Walk for MS was my first experience at a charity walk.

It’s an especially important cause to me because my cousin’s husband was recently diagnosed with the disease, so I was happy to do anything I could to show my support for him and what they’ve been going through.

Our team, “Team Giggity” (he’s kind of a Family Guy fanatic, haha), was one of the top 5 fundraisers for the event, so we got to have a table set up as a meeting place to eat breakfast and hang out before the walk.

The walk began at 10am, and basically led us through a 3-mile loop around the park — I thought it was kind of strange how long 3 miles feels when I’m not running them! The walking portion wasn’t quite as exciting as a race, of course, but I was still really glad to be participating. It was a great feeling to be walking with hundreds of other people who were out there to help raise funds and support friends and family members who have been touched by MS.

Volunteers from the organization were handing out small medals afterwards, which I found probably a little too exciting…
It was a fun morning and you know I loved prancing around in my orange sparkly skirt and silly headband (my cousin’s doing, not mine, believe it or not!), but at the same time, it’s a horrible disease…and now that it has touched my family, it’s even more terrifying. It wasn’t the most physically challenging event I’ve ever participated in, but I will say that it was one of the most meaningful.

Have you ever participated in a charity walk?

I am now, officially, in training for a marathon.

A freakin’ marathon.

After focusing all of my energy on running (and surviving!) the Dumbo Double Dare last month, I now have the task of training for the Dopey Challenge this coming January.

Photo credit: RunDisney Fitness Team

For those of you who aren’t already familiar with runDisney‘s crazy race challenges, that’s running the 5K, 10K, half marathon, and FULL MARATHON over the course of four days…a total of 48.6 miles.

Those who survive will be granted six medals: one for each race, plus one for the “Goofy Challenge” (that’s the half and full), and then the inaugural Dopey Challenge medal…which I had the opportunity to see up close and in person during the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Meet-Up (recap here!) a few weeks ago.

I sort of decided to wing it when it came to training for Dumbo, but I thought Dopey was far too serious of a physical challenge to prepare for completely on my own. Especially since, you know, I’ve never run 26.2 miles before. So I’ve chosen to follow Hal Higdon’s training plan, designed specifically for those of us nutcases who have registered for the Dopey Challenge.

This week, I technically followed week two on the training plan…I figured I’d go ahead and count the few short runs I did in the days prior to the Philadelphia Rock N’ Roll Half Marathon (recap here!) as my week one training.

Because yes, that’s right…on this training plan, your very first week includes a long run of 13 miles! Needless to say, this isn’t a training plan for the faint of heart.

Am I scared terrified? Yes.

Do I question my decision to register for this thing pretty much every day? Yes.

But the most important thing is that this is something I really, REALLY want to do. So, I figure I have two choices here.

1.) I can allow fear to control my life and beg runDisney for a deferral and feel like a quitter and spiral into a deep depression when I read recaps and see race photos from everyone who had the courage to go for it this January.

2.) I can face my fears and put in the hard work and choose to believe in myself (for once)…and just make it happen.

Needless to say, I’ve chosen the latter…and since I don’t have any intentions of coming home from Florida in a body bag, I plan to take the next few months of training very seriously.

Here’s a look at my first week!

Mon., Sept. 16: Rest

Tue., Sept. 17: 3.5 miles

Wed., Sept. 18: 6 miles

Thur., Sept. 19: 3 miles

Fri., Sept. 20: Taekwondo class

Sat., Sept. 21: 8 miles

Sun., Sept 22: Rest

Total weekly mileage: 20.5 miles

I modified one or two runs slightly, and changed the order of my cross-training (which, in my case, will likely be a mixture of Taekwondo and cycling) over the weekend. I also plan to try to incorporate walking into my weekly routine, since I’ve noticed some soreness in my hips and legs any time I spent a fair amount of time walking around…I figure it can’t hurt to develop those muscles a bit.

In the meantime, I also plan to scale back a bit on my Thai kickboxing classes for the next few months — it’s a pretty high-impact activity, and there’s no way I’m pulling out of this race because I did something to my leg slamming it against a wavemaster.

Right now, I know that my greatest challenge is going to be the long runs. Duh.

That’s not only because I’ve never run anything longer than 13.1 miles before, but because I have a whole lot of races coming up and am not quite sure where to squeeze in these long runs of 14, or 15, or 16 or (shoot me now) 20 miles when I’m racing in a half marathon every other week or so. Didn’t really think that one through! But I know I’ll figure it out.

Anyone else training for Dopey?

Who has words of wisdom/tips for someone in training for marathon #1?

How do you incorporate both long runs and races into your weekend training schedule?

Mon., Aug 12: 6 miles

Tue., Aug. 13: Taekwondo class

Wed., Aug. 14: 5 miles

Thur., Aug. 15: Rest

Fri., Aug. 16: Taekwondo class and 6 miles

Sat., Aug. 17: Thai Kickboxing class

Sun., Aug. 18: Strength training

Mon., Aug 19: 10 miles

Total weekly mileage: 27 miles

As many of you know, the Dumbo Double Dare is just around the corner…I’m leaving for Disneyland on the 29th! That means that this week’s workouts included my last long run before the race. Now I get to kick back (just a little bit) and make sure my legs are “fresh” and rested for Dumbo!

I was hoping to get in one final 11- or 12-miler yesterday, but since my genius self started my run just a bit too late in the afternoon, I ran out of daylight around mile 9. And I am definitely very, very afraid of running in the dark by myself. So I aimed for a double-digit run, instead, and called it a night at 10 miles.

It’s probably super corny, but I tend to get a little nostalgic at the end of a training period for a particular race. I can’t help but think of everything I’ve been through as I’ve trained for this race, or the blood, sweat, and tears I’ve poured into the process of preparing both my body and my mind to take on this 19.3 mile challenge.

I impulsively registered for Dumbo back in January, so even though I did run a few half marathons after the Princess Half in February — Runapalooza, the Long Branch Half Marathon, and the Superhero Half Marathon — this has been the BIG RACE on my mind for the last several months.

Dreaming of Disneyland and that 10K/half marathon combo is what got me through those scary long runs in the scorching summer temperatures, runs in the rain, runs when I was too tired, runs when I didn’t feel like running, runs when I was in pain, runs when I was too busy, and the list goes on and on.

It got me through both an 11- and a 12-mile training run, a 10-mile race at the Jersey Shore (ON SAND!), and several back-to-back longer runs on tired, achy legs.

It got me through various personal issues, including the end of an almost 12-year relationship, and the beginning of something totally amazing with someone who, fortunately, genuinely seems to understand what running — and training for these crazy runDisney challenges — means to me.

I can’t help but think about how scared I was back then about even being able to finish a half marathon, let alone run a 10K and a half marathon back-to-back in the same weekend. I was convinced that I had simply lost my marbles, and I was so scared of having to back out of the race weekend when I ultimately discovered that running half marathons just wasn’t for me.

And now? I am READY. I know I can do this, and truth be told, I’m a little sad that my training is coming to an end.

I won’t have too long of a break, though…training for the Dopey Challenge begins as soon as I return home from California!

Anyone else feel kind of sad when your training cycle comes to an end for particular race?

Who else is PUMPED for Dumbo?

Over the weekend, I went to a Somerset Patriots game for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s annual “Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day.”

As I’ve posted about previously here, I lost my grandfather to the disease back in 2004, and so I participate in any awareness events and make donations for the cause whenever possible.

PurpleStride 2011

I’m really upset that this year’s Wine and Dine Half Marathon conflicts with the organization’s annual PurpleStride 5K, especially since last year’s race was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy — so I won’t be able to run again this year, unfortunately.

I’ll go ahead and get to posting my workouts for this week:

Tue., July 16 : Cycling (10 miles) and Taekwondo class

Wed., July 17: Rest

Thur., July 18: 3 miles

Fri., July 19: 5 miles

Sat., July 20: Thai kickboxing

Sun., July 21: Thai kickboxing

Mon., July 22: 10 miles

Total weekly mileage: 18 miles

Needless to say, my weekly mileage for this week is pretty pathetic. After last week’s death-defying long run in the near-100 degree temperatures, I have to admit, I was a little freaked out. I’ve never felt that way before, and even though I learned a very important lesson and am being much smarter when it comes to hydration and timing my runs, I was terrified of a repeat performance. Last week’s heat wave in New Jersey was absolutely brutal, and no matter what I did, I just could NOT force myself to lace up those sneakers. Instead, I opted to keep my runs short and stay indoors for martial arts classes.

I felt guilty all week for keeping my mileage so low and for skipping my planned runs all together over the weekend, but I just could not muster the motivation to go outside. The temperatures approached the upper-90s all week, and the humidity was horrendous, even early in the morning and after the sun went down. Of course, I definitely didn’t want to spend upwards of an hour on a dreadmill, so while that’s always an option, it’s definitely not the lesser of the two evils! I know working out 6 times a week probably doesn’t qualify as giving myself a “break,” but in a way, I do feel like I gave myself a little mini-vacation from running last week — especially when now is the time to be ramping things up for Dumbo! — and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a little bit enjoyable.

However, last night, I experienced a personal triumph — I did get out there for my long run, and I did make it up to 10 miles, which is my longest distance since the Superhero Half Marathon in May! And let me just say that, for the first time this summer, it was a FANTASTIC run. I decided to try running a little bit later in the evening, even though there was a chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. I lucked out: it was drizzling on and off the entire time, there was absolutely no sun, and there’s was a nice breeze to keep me cool. I won’t say it was effortless — because there’s nothing about running 10 miles that’s effortless — but it did almost feel that way! The miles flew by, I felt strong, and I really did enjoy it.

I know I’ve whined and complained endlessly here about how much I loathe summer temperatures, so last night was a reminder of just how much I can actually enjoy running. It also served as evidence that even though I have been struggling to push my pace this summer, that logging those miles — even when I don’t want to! — is absolutely paying off. I am SO looking forward to cooler temperatures, and I’m definitely getting excited about collecting some more half marathon bling this fall!

So…if someone could just tell me how I can control the weather to be overcast and rainy every time I plan for a run that’s longer than, say, 5 miles, that’d be great.

Have you ever given yourself a “break” from running?

Jersey runners: Anyone have any recommendations for half marathons this fall?!

It typically takes me way longer to graduate to the next belt level than it should because my piano teaching schedule makes it hard for me to make more than one class per week. It can be a little bit frustrating to feel so behind…especially since all of the “grown-ups” I joined with are now at the green belt level, and I often have to take classes with kids!

However, I really do enjoy martial arts. Don’t get me wrong — it’s no running or anything! — but there’s something about the whole “mind-body connection” aspect of Taekwondo that really appeals to me, and the lessons in discipline really have trickled down into other areas of my life.

Meanwhile, Thai Kickboxing has helped me discover both my inner and outer strength, and taught me how to defend myself…which as a newly-single woman I think is always very important. Not that my recent dates have given me any reason to bust out my sick moves…yet!

There’s nothing that eliminates my stress like punching and kicking and elbowing and kneeing a wavemaster until there’s a puddle of sweat at my feet and my heart is pounding out of my chest, or working one-on-one with a partner to see how these techniques might just work in a real confrontation. I have to say, hearing classmates and instructors call me “the tough one” always makes me feel really good. I may have never been the “pretty” girl or the “popular” girl, but, today, I absolutely revel in being considered the “strong” girl.

Monday (17th): 6 miles

Tuesday: 3 miles

Wednesday: 4 miles

Thursday: Off

Friday: Taekwondo class and graduation

Saturday: 4 miles and Thai Kickboxing class

Sunday: 3 miles and Thai Kickboxing class

Total weekly mileage: 20 miles

I’m planning on getting in a long run today or tomorrow (most likely tomorrow, because I am SORE), since I once again missed out over the weekend! I figured I’d focus on ramping up my volume this week to compensate for being a little behind in my Dumbo training plan.

I’ve noticed that trying to juggle my addiction to both martial arts and running tends to pose a few issues when I need to be getting in those longer runs during half marathon training. I can only make Thai Kickboxing classes on the weekend, typically, which is when I really need to be focused on pounding the pavement. And, let’s face it, neither activity is particularly gentle on the body, so when I don’t wake up feeling sore and stiff, I almost feel like I must be doing something wrong!

Trying to squeeze all of the martial arts classes I can into each week along with whatever runs are scheduled on my training plan really isn’t easy, but I’m trying to make it work!

Anyone else have a favorite fitness activity besides running? How do you juggle them both?