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Calling KC Area Runners to the Drumm Run!

19 Mar

3-19-2013 5-38-10 PMWhat are your plans this weekend? If the answer is, “not sure” or “no plans”, I now have a plan for you!

Join other Kansas City area runners and myself on Saturday, 23 March at 9am for the Fifth Annual Drumm Run 5k and 10k!!

The Drumm Run is a 5k/10k event, for participants of all ages and athletic levels.

It is low key, relaxed, and most importantly – FUN!!!

The swag is great too – long sleeve shirts! – and the entry fee is pretty darn low at only $35 a pop (for either the 5k or 10k). You will also get to run through the grounds of Unity Village, which is one of my favorite places in the area.

Along with getting in a great run, you will also be helping an amazing cause.

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I urge you to consider joining in for this event and helping with a cause very near and dear to my great friend and running buddy Stacy!

And if you can’t join the race, please consider donating to Stacy’s volunteer page – Caden4Kids. She is almost halfway to her goal of $500!!! And trust me….you want to click this link to see the cutest 5 year old in town.

Hope you’re having a great week!!

xo,

Ali

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Pilgrim Run 5k

29 Nov

I got in the Thanksgiving mood by signing up for races, Thanksgiving races to be exact. On Sunday, I ran the Gobbler Grind Half Marathon, and Thursday I ran the Pilgrim Run 5k. My main purpose of running these races was to get in solid training runs, and have some company plus added motivation while doing so.

If you read my post on the Gobbler Grind, you know that one went well and I was very happy. For the Pilgrim Run I was determined for the same feeling.

In Kansas City, there are a TON of Turkey Trots on Thanksgiving. I reviewed many of them when making my decision, and decided that the Pilgrim Run was the one for me. Not only was the Pilgrim Run very close, but it was also a very small race. I’d be lying to you all if I said that winning the female division was not in the back of my mind :)

I went into the race with a goal of running under a 20:30. My last 5k in October was a 20:50, and I knew I could beat that time if I didn’t miss the start again (whoops). According to the Mcmillan pace calculator, I needed to run a 20:20 to match my other race distance equivalent times, and I knew that running a good time would add confidence for me going into the Marathon.

When we arrived to the race on Thursday, I did a mile warmup before getting in line. I was surveying my competition and decided I would finish in 3rd place. There were two other girls lined up that looks super serious and like they were ready to kick some ass. I was just standing there bopping around in my pleated skirt chatting with my boyfriend. I told myself that 3rd place was still really good, and I would just focus on my time.

Ready to run!!!

The race began, and I kept a steady pace. I was shocked that the girls I had placed in 1st and 2nd place in my mind were not too far ahead. I continued to check the good ole Garmin to make sure I wasn’t killing myself the first mile, but to my surprise, I was right on track.

You can barely see my in the background!

Right after Mile 1. I was so mad that my outfit didn’t match, but the weather was a lot warmer than I was planning so I had to compromise on the ensemble…

Right before mile 1, I began leading the women. Mile 2 got a little harder with a big hill, but I continued to run strong. Before I knew it, it was mile 3 and I was almost done (it is amazing to me how fast a 5k goes by!!!). I continued to push it and run as hard as I could. I crossed the finish line to cheers and the announcer saying I was the 1st female finisher. It was pretty damn exciting.

Mile 1: 6:26
Mile 2: 6:39
Mile 3: 6:28

Official Time: 19:51

After the race, I cheered for the other runners and then went into crazy girlfriend mode cheering for my boyfriend as he crossed the finish. We picked up some water, and then checked out the official results. I was very proud with what I saw!

It then became the best day ever when I discovered I got a trophy and HUGE pumpkin pie for my winnings!!!! I later made the trophy our Thanksgiving table centerpiece. :)

Holy cow!!!

Best winnings ever!

Posing with a turkey. He told us this was not a very comfortable outfit to wear in a 5k.

Found a friend at the race! Jenna makes me look very short!

More turkeys. Gotta love the Thanksgiving spirit!

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I am already excited for my next 5k, and the possibilities ahead for my 5k time. I never thought that a 5k PR would be possible after I ran a 19:40 in high school (11 years ago!!!), but now I see that it is definitely possible. And I spy many more 5k’s in the near future. After all, I am pretty PR hungry right now!

XO,

Ali

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Gobbler Grind Half Marathon

19 Nov

Yesterday, I ran the Gobbler Grind half marathon. I have been trying to get creative with fitting in speed workouts and long runs these last few weeks of training (because I am getting a tad burnt out!), so I signed up for this half.

I wanted to use this race as a long run, and also as a trial run practicing the pace. All along I have been saying I wanted to break 3:30 for my next marathon. But lately I have been reevaluating my goal. Since I have been training so hard and so long, I decided that maybe a 3:25 could be doable.

The time goal for this race would be under 1:45, at a pace that felt comfortable and possible for 26.2.

This race was relatively small, but very well organized. The course was fun to run because it was in a very familiar area – right next to my office!! Parts of the run were on trails that I often use for my lunch time runs, so I knew what to expect. Although there were some big hills along the way, it wasn’t anything crazy. The water stops were well spread out and had a ton of volunteers helping at each. And even though 3/4 of the race was on the Indian Creek Trail, it never felt too congested.

Bundled up at the start! (I ended up being slightly overdressed….)

And they’re off!!

I tried to keep a 7:45 pace going for most of the race. I kept reminding myself that this race was a practice and that I had no reason to kill myself. When I would speed up to a pace that started feeling uncomfortable, I would quickly rein myself back in.

The goal was to be able to talk the entire time, which I practiced by telling all the runners “Good Job!” when I passed them. I also wanted to ensure I had minimal leg burn, so I knew I wasn’t pushing too hard. Sure, some of the hills hurt but nothing felt like something I couldn’t have continued after crossing the finish line.

It was a beautiful day out there!

Do I think I could’ve doubled this run yesterday and kept going at the same pace? No. But do I think I could with the proper taper and nutrition? Yep.

My splits for the race were as follows:

1. 7:48
2. 7:46
3. 7:48
4. 7:47
5. 7:52
6. 7:30
7. 7:37
8. 7:43
9. 7:40
10: 7:54 (HILLS)
11: 7:29
12: 7:55 (HILLS)
13: 7:39

Overall time: 1:41:11, ~7:42 pace
First place in my age group too!

This race was a great confidence boost for me. I had a really hard week of training last week, ate terrible the night before (mexican and margs!), but still felt great. It amazed me how easy this pace could feel, even though it sounds so scary.

After this trial run, I do believe that a 3:25 could be possible come race day :)

Any thoughts from the readers on what I could be capable of? I always love to hear ‘em!

xoxo,

Ali

 

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My Choice to Run the Dallas Marathon

14 Nov

As soon as I found out the NYC Marathon would not go on as planned, I began researching new races to run. I was not about to let 14 weeks of training go down the drain. I HAD to run a marathon and PR. Not doing so was NOT an option.

There were many considerations to make for my backup race, but it didn’t take long until I made my final decision.

Factors considered when choosing the backup marathon:

1. Easily accessible
-I am officially out of PTO at work until February (I like to travel a lot), so I could not run a race that would require time off.
-I could easily send myself into debt by paying for all these race entries and travel costs.
-My entourage of spectators would be there.

2. A semi-large race
-I need spectator support to get me to the finish and through those hard miles.
-I like running next to other people. Sure it can be annoying dodging them, but I like the company.

3. A PR worthy course
-Duh

4. The date had to work with my schedule
-I didn’t feel comfortable running a marathon the following weekend due to travel costs and prep time.
-The weekend of November 17th was out due to my Girls on the Run 5k (I would NEVER miss that!)

The Decision

After reviewing my requirements, it became quite clear what my race should be: I would run the Dallas Marathon.

If you have been an avid reader of my blog (THANK YOU!) or spent time getting caught up, you know that I ran Dallas last year. Dallas was my first marathon, and the best day of my life. I pretty much have nothing but amazing memories from that race, and I got excited when thinking about reliving that experience.

I almost feel like I was having a little ESP during training, because I kept saying, “If NYC doesn’t go as I planned, I will just run Dallas again. I know it is a great race, and I know it could give me a PR”. I swear I said this – if you don’t believe me, ask my boyfriend. He will tell you!

A HUGE bonus of running the Dallas marathon is that my parents and boyfriend get to join in on the fun. My Dad has not been able to see me run a marathon yet, so it’s a really big deal to me that he gets to watch this one. He is my coach after all!

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I am now fully submerged and committed to training for Dallas. I will use these extra 5 weeks as additional training time to help me meet my goal. I used to think that people who trained for 18+ week for a marathon were crazy…well now I am one of them!

Thank you as always for your continued support! Updates to my training schedule are on their way!

xo

Ali

I will say that I better not be in a damn poncho this year or have to run the race in a plastic bag.

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Running 26.2 in the Rain (It’s not as bad as you may think)

26 Oct

Happy Friday, everyone! And happy race weekend to all those running Saturday or Sunday!

Yesterday, I received a text from a friend who is running the Marine Corp Marathon Sunday. She was looking for some tips on running a marathon in the rain, due to the fact that Hurricane Sandy is most likely going to have an impact on their racing weather. I have experience running 26.2 in the rain (read about that experience here and here), so Andrea knew I would have some ideas on ways to salvage her race.

Although you might freak out about the thought of running a marathon in the rain (been there, done that!!), it really isn’t that bad. And it isn’t going to totally mess up your race. My first marathon experience was in the pouring down rain and 40 degrees. And I still look back at that day as being one of the best days of my life. I also got a BQ :)

So now let’s talk strategy about preparing for a run in the rain…We will start with at the bottom and work our way up.

Feet
Your feet are going to get wet no matter what, and your shoes are going to get super soggy and annoying. Make sure you put plenty of aquafor/vaseline/deodorant (deodorant is my favorite way to prevent chaffing and blisters) on your feet before putting on your socks. This will prevent friction and blisters from wreaking havoc during the race. I also suggest investing in a pair of dry fit socks. Those will deal with the rain much better than cotton.

Hands
Luckily for the MCM people, it won’t be nearly as cold as it was for my marathon in the rain. I made sure I had back up gloves for the race and switched them out halfway through. Dry fit gloves were my saving grace for the second 13.1.

Core
Wearing the proper clothing will be very important on race day. I tried on every potential outfit I brought for the race the night before, and threw water on each one. This way I could see what instantly absorbed water, and what didn’t.

I also got pretty crafty and made a waterproof vest out of my expo bag. The reason why I didn’t just buy a vest was because I knew I would want to shed this thing at some point of the race. And I didn’t have someone there to throw things to at designated spots. I swear that everyone running that race commented on how smart we were for making our own vests. This kept our core warm and dry, and I ended up wearing it for 24 miles!

Another must do is wearing a poncho as long as you can up until the race start. This will help you stay dry before the race starts.

Running in the bag!

Those ponchos were a life saver.

Head
A hat is a must on race day. This will keep the water from hitting your face and driving you insane. It will also help you not look like a wet dog with sopping wet hair in every photo (the race photos matter, people!). I put an earband over my headband so I could toss it off if I wanted to and not have to remove my entire hat. It also helped hold the hat down because it was windy (which it will be for the MCM people as well).

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I believe I have covered all areas of the body to prep for this race.

As I said early…running a marathon in rain isn’t as tragic as you may think it is. You can do it, and you can still have a great race!!

Good luck everyone, and let me know if you have any questions! I am happy to help out my fellow runners!

XO,

Ali

The proudest moment of my life – crossing that finish line in 3:32!!

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NYC Marathon Training – Week Seven

2 Oct

(OK, so I am like, really really really far behind on the blogging thing. Please don’t think I haven’t been running, because I have been.)

So here goes week seven of training…..
Monday – 6 miles at 8:50 pace. Sore legs from my race the prior Saturday.
Evening Yoga to relieve some stress.

Tuesday – 9 miles, Yasso 800 day!! 1 mile warm up, then 10 x 800′s (with a recovery lap between each): 3:14, 3:16, 3:17, 3:16, 3:13, 3:11, 3:12, 3:09, 3:13, 3:12. 1/2 mile cool down bc I ran out of time. This workout was a KILLER, but I am so proud of myself for toughing it out and making it to 10. According to my pace on these, I should be able to break 3:30 at nyc.

Wednesday – 3.5 miles at 9:40 pace, pre-TRX run.
TRX class for 50 minutes.
Evening 3 mile run at an easy pace.

Thursday – Off

Friday – 20 miles at 8:30 pace. I was VERY proud of this run!!

Saturday – 3 miles at 9:39 pace.

Sunday – 6.2 miles at 8:53 pace. Ran the plaza 10k. Not an easy task the day after being in my friends wedding!

Total Miles: 44.7 miles

 

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Lee’s Summit 10k – A NEW PR (and a WIN)!!

11 Sep

This last Saturday, I FINALLY PR’ed a race, and I had not PR’ed a race since I was 16 years old (your time running a new distance you had not ever run does not count).

The race I ran was the Heart of the Summit 10k in Lee’s Summit, MO. This race is really small, but a lot of fun. I love the small town vibe it holds, and the simplicity of it. Last year I was the 2nd place female finisher (to my dear friend Stacy!), so this year I was in it to win it! Last year was also my first 10k experience, completed in 44:39.

Last years first and second place finishers!

I knew that I wanted to push myself as hard as I could, and that I would be using this as a speed workout for my NYC training. My goal was to just go out there and run it as hard as I could, and PR the thing.

My alarm went off WAY too early on Saturday morning. I was at a black tie event the night before, and stayed a bit longer than I had intended. Once I got to the start of the race, my running buddies and I ran a quick 4 miles to get in some miles. Following our warm up we stretched, and lined up!

Sparkling it up at Treads ‘n Threads

As soon as I lined up at the start, I measured up my competition. And I felt pretty good about it. In fact, it looked like my girlfriends would be my strongest competition!

The race began, and I took the lead. I tried not to go out too fast, but judging my pace was really hard since I was in the lead! I pushed it hard the first 5k, then hit the turnaround point (did I mention this was a two loop 10k with 3 out and back portions????). Around mile 4 I started thinking, “ok, this is getting kind of hard, but somehow I am still leading the thing. Where are all the fast men?!”.

Around mile 5, I got passed by a guy running in board shorts holding a liter sized water bottle (two faux pas if you ask me!). I tried my hardest to hang on, but he just kept creeping past me. I ended up finishing the race in 2nd place overall, 1st place among the females. Although I was sad and let down I didn’t win the entire thing, I was still very excited I won the women’s….and PR’ed!!!!!

Splits: 6:39, 6:48, 6:52, 6:59, 6:55, 7:01 (I hate it when my last mile is my slowest mile!)

My finish time was a 42:49 (6:5oish pace), almost 2 minutes faster than the year before. And to me, that was something worth celebrating.

The 1st place – 4th place female finishers. My friends are so fast!

Way to go, Ramsey!!!!!

We made a podium!

Gettin all fancy with my iphone!

Thanks for all of the kind words following the race, and the encouragement leading up to it!!!

xo,

Ali

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NYC Marathon Training – Week Four

27 Aug

This week was supposed to be a recovery week. I think it was still pretty damn hard….but hey – another week down!!!!

Monday – 6 miles easy, 8:23 pace. Ran during my lunch break at work. Made for a beautiful looking Ali the rest of the day.

Tuesday – 7 miles with tempo, 8:11 pace. 2 mile warm up, 3 mi tempo: 7:19, 6:57, 6:45, 2 mile cool down. Tired morning but a good run overall.

Wednesday – 4 miles easy, pre-TRX run. 9:00 pace. Then did TRX interval training for 50 minutes.

Thursday – 8 miles with mile repeats on the track. 1 mile warm up, 4 x 1 mile repeats: 6:47, 6:28, 6:25, 6:21. 3 mile cool down. Felt great on this run and totally on fire.

Friday – OFF

Saturday – 16 miles, 8:45 pace. Legs were feeling heavy through the run, and the weather was mighty humid.

Sunday – 3.5 miles, easy run and didn’t think about pace.

Total miles for the week: 44.5

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NYC Marathon Training – Week Two

13 Aug

Another week of marathon training complete! This week was a little tricky to coordinate as I was on vacation for the majority of it.

Week Two

Monday – 8 miles easy, 8:37 pace

Tuesday – 4 mile warm up, 4 x 1 mile repeats: 7:00, 7:08, 6:53, 6:48. 2 mile cooldown
Great run overall, but tripped and fell in a pothole during the first mile. I have got to work on my coordination…OUCH.

Wednesday – 3.5 miles easy, 10:00 pace. Ran in San Francisco on the Embarcadero. Stunning views!

Thursday – Off (wine tasting in Napa!)

Friday – 6 miles easy, ~ 9:20 pace. Another Embarcadero run in S.F. Took break in between miles to do squats, lunges and other cross training exercises.

Saturday – 8 miles easy, 1 mile jog/walk ~ 9:20 pace. Ran with my BFF Nicole. We saw many amazing San Francisco views along the run.

Sunday – 4 miles easy, 9:00 pace. Very tough run following my vacation. Had to run as soon as I landed in KC to fit in the rest of the miles needed for the week.

Total miles for week: 40.5 Miles

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NYC Marathon Training – Week One

6 Aug

Last Monday, I officially kicked off my NYC Marathon Training.

My Dad is my official “Coach”, which is scary…but I know he will take care of me and help me run my goal of a sub 3:30 marathon.

Each Sunday, he hands me a training schedule. I then review it, have a minor panic attack, and figure out how it will get done.

Week One

Week one of training looked like this:

Monday – 5 miles easy, 8:40 pace

Tuesday – 1.5 mile warm up (Garmin malfunction), 4 miles tempo – 7:45, 7:14, 7:05, 7:13, .5 mile cooldown. 7:49 overall pace.

Wednesday – TRX, 3 mile run following TRX, 9:16 pace

Thursday – VERY HOT run!! Thunderstorms in the AM meant a 100 degree run in the PM. 4 miles, 8:20 pace.

Friday – Off

Saturday – First long run of NYC Training, 12.25 miles at the trail, 8:58 pace.

Sunday – Was supposed to be 6 miles, but I slacked off due to a Saturday night Bachelorette Party. Not sure my “Coach” understood…

Total miles for week: 30 Miles

Each Sunday/Monday, I plan to post my previous week training. All tips and tricks for marathon training are welcome!

xoxo,

Ali

P.S. Follow #AliRunsNYC on Twitter to see all my updates! (Yes, I am trying to create my own hashtag!)

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