History of Boston Qualifying Times

Yesterday, the Boston Athletic Association announced the cut off for qualifiers to be accepted into the 2020 Boston Marathon. You needed to be 1:39 or more under your gender and age-based qualifying time to be accepted. At first glance it sounds like it's so much better than last year's 4:52 cutoff...except that they tightened the standards by 5 minutes for 2020. So in reality, it's equivalent to 6:39 under 2019 standards.

That's really fast.

I didn't have a qualifier for 2020, so it didn't make a difference to me what the cut off was for 2020. I'm putting my hope into getting into the 2021 race, or whenever I may have the opportunity to apply again.

It got me thinking about how difficult it has become to get into the race in the last decade. 

Let's take a look:

In 2011, the B.A.A. announced tightened standards beginning with the 2013 race, and a rolling registration process beginning in 2012 (no longer first come, first served until sell out). Back in 2011 and 2012, you could still run a 4:00 marathon as a 45-49 year old woman (my current age group), plus be 59 seconds over that mark and qualify and be able to register. Starting in 2013, that time tightened to 3:55:00, then tightened again in 2020 to 3:50:00. The cut off time has been all over the map.

So how hard has it gotten for qualifiers to get accepted into the race? I'll use the times of a 45-49 year old woman as an example. The following are the times that these woman had to run in order to get accepted:

2011  4:00:59  9:11 pace
2012  3:58:46  9:06 pace
2013  3:55:00  8:58 pace
2014  3:53:22  8:54 pace
2015  3:53:58  8:55 pace
2016  3:52:32  8:52 pace
2017  3:52:51  8:53 pace
2018  3:51:37  8:50 pace
2019  3:50:08  8:47 pace
2020  3:48:21  8:42 pace

In just one decade, qualifiers have had to get 29 seconds per mile faster in order to run the Boston Marathon. A qualifier is JUST a qualifier. It merely means you've met a pretty tough standard and that you get the opportunity to register for the race. But it's anyone's guess if it's good enough to actually get acceptance. That isn't known until that greatly anticipated announcement is made.

A whole lot of people got their dreams crushed yesterday. I actually thought that with them tightening the standards at the last moment, AFTER the 2020 qualification window had opened, not giving anyone any warning that they would now need to run 5 minutes faster to qualify, that there quite possibly would not even be a cut off this year. And if there was, that it would be less than a minute. I was way off!

When Greg and I qualified by 4:43 and 5:07, respectively, for 2019, neither of us thought we had anything to worry about, that those buffers would be more than enough. Greg ended up missing it by 9 seconds, and I barely made it in by a mere 15 seconds (so thankful that Greg ended up running on the Dell team). It's just so hard to know where to aim! It also makes me wonder if Boston is going to have to make a decision in the coming years to go back to the incredibly difficult 1980's-like standards to seriously cull the field of qualifiers so that every qualifier actually gets into the race. I'd hate for this to happen, but I also hate for qualifiers to be shut out after that hard work.

At the end of the day, I continue to be just so grateful that I can call myself a Boston Marathon finisher. It might be a one-time occurrence if this fast trend continues, so I'll continue to appreciate my experience while still continuing to strive for improvement in my running. It certainly gives me something to aim towards, a standard that I hope I'm able to continue to hit in the coming years, but satisfaction in knowing that on one glorious day in Baton Rouge in January of 2018, I was able to achieve a dream.

Biggest Marathon Mistakes

After 15 marathons, I think I've got a handle on what NOT to do in training and in racing. Oh, I'll still blow it occasionally, in EVERY CYCLE I'm sure, but still, every time I do a training cycle, I learn something new and change something in order to be better. It got me thinking about all the things that athletes do leading up to a marathon that they could improve upon. There are lots of articles out there highlighting the biggest marathon mistakes, and here is my list.

What are the biggest marathon training mistakes (in my opinion):

1. The wrong training paces.

This encompasses so many different things. Running the wrong pace for each workout, incorporating a "race pace" that is still beyond your capability at that point in training, and having the wrong ratio of training paces. I honestly think this is the biggest mistake that people make and the biggest thing that people misunderstand (or flat out refuse to believe). I ran the wrong pace for YEARS and was too stubborn to change my ways. In the beginning of my marathon journey, I thought that if I expected to run a marathon in a certain pace, I needed to always be able to run that pace. Surefire recipe for running yourself into the ground. I've blogged about this many times. On that same note, easy pace should be 80% of your training. Yes, that much of your training (more on this in #6 below). MOST OF YOUR MILES SHOULD BE EASY...truly easy, not what you "think" should be easy.

2. The wrong time goal

This can go either way. There are plenty of athletes who are too overconfident and overshoot their time goal, especially if they've been running too hard during most of their training. On the other hand, many athletes are afraid of their actual potential and get paralyzed by a pace that seems too lofty to them. I've been there both times. I spent years sabotaging my true marathon ability out of fear, and then after qualifying for Boston, set my sights on NYC qualifying way too soon. I've got plenty of time to try to improve that much (it would be an 11+ minute improvement from my PR). Better to focus on Boston's tougher standards and running there again. New York will always be there and it's a future goal that is exciting and difficult that I look forward to chipping away at.

3. No periodization

This training cycle, I'm going to be better about looking at my training in 4-5 week blocks, with a step back week for recovery before the next big block. Build build build, step back, build build build. Each phase has a purpose as well, leading me to my peak on race day. I spent weeks base building, then a period of adding speed. As I get closer to race day, my builds involve higher volume, longer tempos, and race pace simulation. It all comes together on race day...hopefully! I think right before Boston this year, I peaked too early in my training. I don't want to repeat that, so taking a more serious approach to periodization of my training should help with that.

4. The wrong fueling

Proper hydration and fueling is vital to finding your potential in training and in racing. I think the majority of people undershoot on how much hydration and calories they really need. The summer months here in Central Texas are brutal. I have not seen a temperature below 70 in months and only a handful of times has the dew point been below 70. I'm forgetting what it feels like to run in the cold. All of this means that water AND electrolytes are of utmost importance to my body to be able to continue to build mileage in my training. I've started hyper hydrating (two or three Nuun tabs) before long runs, and recovering with more electrolytes after most of my runs. I'm always with a bottle of water when I'm out of the house.

On that same token....CALORIES! We NEED calories when we are running beyond an hour, and we need them at regular intervals. What works for me is to have a Honey Stinger gel every 45 minutes during my runs, and if about 90-120 minutes into my long run I feel like it's not enough, I'll double up. This past weekend during the first 16 miler I'd run since Boston, I forgot to take my last gel. During that final 15 minutes of my run I felt incredibly sluggish and it was more than just the heat and sun. When I finished I realized I didn't fuel enough...oops. Hopefully I won't make that mistake again. It's especially important on race day to stick to the fueling strategy that you've been practicing. It's not the time to test out something different.

Lastly, fueling isn't just about what you do during your runs. It's about what you are doing day in and day out to keep your body energized and ready for the miles. I eat A LOT. I also eat a lot of the right kinds of food and very little of the kinds of foods that will make me crash, like refined sugar and breads. I am finding that natural sugars like honey, plus whole grains vs. white flour, and a whole lot of fruit (especially when I get a sugar craving) are what my body needs and craves. I don't skip meals, I snack throughout the day, and I try to have healthy snack options in my house that I can easily grab. The constant attention to my fueling and hydrating has certainly helped improve my running the last 2+ years.

5. Letting your mind overrule your fitness

When I was training for my first BQ, I spent so much time "training" my mind. I was taking on a big challenge and getting my mind prepared was just as important as getting my body ready. I read lots of articles and books on the subject (my favorite is Matt Fitzgerald's How Bad Do You Want It?). No matter how good our physical training, if we don't force our minds to believe our goals are really possible, then we run the risk of sabotaging those goals on race day. The first 16 miles of the marathon are no big deal. It's when we embark on the "I have less than 10 miles to go" portion of the race that our mental game kicks in. It's imperative to start thinking "I only have 9 miles to go so I'm almost there!" vs. "I can't believe I still have to run this pace for 9 more miles." On a similar note, we must teach ourselves that maintaining the level of physical discomfort we are encountering is entirely possible, regardless of how our minds are telling us otherwise. Your training brought you to this place, and your body is perfectly capable of this feat, as long as your mind is also strong enough to carry you to the finish line.

6. The wrong volume vs. quality mindset

Don't underestimate the power of recovery runs. Or easy runs. Or warm ups. Or rest intervals. Repeat after me - "80% of my miles are EASY"

If you are running 4 days per week, only one of those workouts should be hard. If you're running 5-6 days per week, two of the workouts should be hard, and maybe a bit of your long run when you incorporate race pace miles. The rest are easy miles. Sometimes, you might need to drop a hard workout and replace it with an easy one. You will be doing your body a favor by allowing it extra rest going into the following week of training. Easy miles are QUALITY miles, too, just in a different way. You are improving your cardiovascular fitness with faster paces, but without the proper warm up, cool down, recovery intervals, etc, you could be squandering those gains, or reducing their impact on your overall fitness. Let your body be prepared for the hard work....give it lots of TLC with easy miles. You are not wasting your time, you are not missing out on an opportunity to improve your VO2 max, but rather are keeping your body in tip top shape, allowing it to recover from a hard workout in order to maximize the gains from the next hard workout. Working on endurance and speed separately and then combining them on race day leads to success.


7. Believing the wall is inevitable

You don't have to hit the wall in the marathon. I haven't always hit it. I have negative split several of my marathons, although I admit that's a difficult thing to do and more often than not in the past, I slowed down. As I gain more experience, I am finding that I no longer go into a race anticipating the wall. I figure if it's favorable weather, I've stayed healthy during my training, I start the race conservative for those first couple miles, and ease into my marathon pace, then I will get through it without a lot of difficulty ("difficulty" is pretty subjective; marathons are NOT easy, but they don't have to be exceptionally hard either). Believe in your training, develop and stick to a solid race plan, and believe the wall is fictitious.

8. Letting others guide your training

When I say this, I'm not referring to coaches. LISTEN TO YOUR COACH! I'm talking about your running partners. Running friends are priceless. They keep you company, they make the miles go by faster, they might push you during hard workouts, but they can also derail your training run if you let them. This is particularly true if you are running with someone faster than you. The instinct is to keep up with them instead of running the effort you are supposed to be running. During long runs that are meant to be easy, this problem is especially harmful. I've fallen into this trap countless times and it's my own fault. I know the effort I should be sustaining and yet I can get caught up in what my faster friends are running without even realizing it, and without fail, during those last few miles, my heartrate has climbed and I'm struggling too much. I'm beaten up the next day and it forces me to adjust the next week's training so I don't continue to overdo it. We all do this at some point. Run your own run, run your own pace, fall back if you need to, but don't get caught up in what others are doing if it's not what YOU should be doing.

9. Focusing too much on pace and not effort

In the last few weeks, when our higher temps and humidity are still relentless, I've gotten better about adjusting my pace. I get too caught up in the pace I "think" I should be running, without taking into consideration that 80 humid degrees if just plain awful. A friend of mine pointed out that Hansons  has a pace adjuster based on the weather, and I started inputing each morning's data into it to see what my training paces would look like at the same effort if the weather was ideal (their version of ideal is about 55 degrees and moderate/low humidity). Low and behold, what I thought I should be running for half marathon or marathon pace was actually 25 seconds per mile SLOWER. In other words, pace doesn't matter....YOUR EFFORT matters. By slowing down, I quickly found that those quality miles were more easily attainable during the workouts, I wasn't killing myself trying to hit harder paces, and I was feeling much better after the runs. It seems strange to train at slower paces and yet be expected to run faster than that during the race, but provided you have tapered and the weather is more ideal, that's exactly what should happen. My last few tempo runs have felt substantially better now that I'm focusing more on my effort in these difficult weather conditions, versus forcing my body to hit paces that I hit in ideal weather. GO FIGURE, right?

On that same note, for a few runs, don't even look at your watch. Go completely by effort and see what the data shows afterwards.

10. Panicking

This kind of goes along with #5. I read a quote while training two years ago that really stuck with me. "Be mindful of the deceptive paralysis that can take hold when you become intimidated by your increasingly faster paces."
Time and time again, we do a workout that involves "race pace" and time and time again, we freak out over the thought of running that pace for 26.2 miles. If your data is indicating that you can run that for a marathon, THEN YOU CAN. Don't let your fear hold you back on race. Don't let those paces be so daunting that you panic. JUST RUN. And keep running until you see that finish line.


11. Not respecting recovery

Recovery comes in different forms.

There is a reason why recovery runs are on a marathon training schedule. After an especially tough workout or high volume week, our bodies need a little TLC, but they still need to get in mileage. Keeping our bodies moving will speed up the recovery process and prime us for our next hard workout. But this only happens properly if you run RECOVERY pace. While training this time around, my goal marathon pace is 8:35 (not panicking, not panicking, not panicking....). Sometimes my recovery pace is upwards of 11 minutes per mile. My heartrate stays in Zone 1 or very low Zone 2 and my legs feel heavy at first, but loosen up as I continue to slowly jog. It's a SLOW JOG (which is all relative depending on your typical paces).

Recovery might also mean a complete rest day, which I highly recommend if you are more injury prone and/or not a typical high mileage runner. I prefer one day per week of complete rest in the second half of my training cycle. Or it might mean a nice walk or swim or spin on the bike. The key is that it's very easy on your body.

Lastly, we use the term "recovery" intervals during speed workouts. Take them easy! In the summer, many of my recoveries are done at a walk or very light jog. I might speed up a bit in the winter, but if it's a particularly long or tough interval workout, I take extra care to get the right recovery in between intervals.

We grow stronger when we recover. Now, repeat that again. WE GROW STRONGER WHEN WE RECOVER. Respect recovery!

12. Only running

Now obviously the most important sport to partake in during marathon training is RUNNING. It's your main focus and priority when allotting time for training. However, neglecting strength training and/or crosstraining doesn't work for most runners (shush if you're one of those who never gets injured even though you don't strength train). Stronger core means better form means fewer injuries and less fatigue late in the race. Have you seen photos of athletes hunched over as they are coming down the finish chute? Weak core is destroying their form and slowing them down and probably causing unnecessary injuries. On the contrary, a lot of successful runners don't lose form no matter how fatigued because they have spent time working on core strength during the training cycle. In my opinion, after running, core work is the second most important exercise during marathon training. Add in full body functional strength training, and you're well on your way to success.

13. Ignoring injuries

Speaking of injuries....don't ignore them! It's normal to be sore and fatigued during training. But some pains are NOT normal and need to be addressed. Common injuries are plantar fasciitis, IT band syndrome, and runner's knee. Ignoring the signs of impending injury is a surefire recipe for derailing your training. The good news is that there are many sports chiropractors and physical therapists out there who can help you diagnose the problem, identify the origin, and detail a physical therapy plan to get you back to running at your best. I've contacted Airrosti for a few different annoying injuries I've sustained over the years and each and every time, they've accurately diagnosed the problem, the weakness that caused it, and have prescribed a successful physical therapy routine that has improved the injury dramatically. Each time I've ignored a problem, I have had to stop running for a time and often drop out of a planned race. That is never fun. Don't be that guy. Don't ever ignore weird and abnormal pain.

14. Lack of commitment

I probably piss a lot of my friends off when I continually mention this one. But it's one of the most detrimental mistakes I see marathoners make. They don't commit to the training. I am the first to admit that as a stay-at-home mom and wife, I have the luxury of time. I don't have to always worry about trying to "fit it all in" because I have more flexibility. I get that thrown back in my face too many times. Never mind that I still get my runs done BEFORE my kids wake up at 7am (that gets to be a little more flexible when it starts getting cooler out). Yes, I will get a 10 miler in before 7am.

However, let me give you an example of someone who had it far worse than me when it came to time crunches. After I qualified for Boston, my husband, who had never run a marathon or more than 13 miles in his life, decided he wanted to qualify as well so he could run it with me. This is a man that works probably 70 hours per week and is often on conference calls late at night with his Asian counterparts and has to travel overseas several times per year. He's also a very active dad and husband and makes us a priority. He's really busy! But he was determined to give it his all and train his ass off and qualify. He didn't want a first time marathoner's training schedule. He basically used the same schedule I had written for myself, running up to 55 miles per week, and most often 6 days per week. There were mid-week 8-10 milers and he often had to be done before 7am so he could start work. When he traveled, he either ran on the treadmill at the hotel or found running routes nearby. He rarely skipped a run.

Simply put, he made a commitment to himself to do his very best so we could run Boston, and he threw all the possible excuses out the window, buckled down, and EXECUTED THE PLAN. He was so tired sometimes, but he kept his eye on the prize and worked as much of his life around training as he could. His efforts paid off, because he qualified for Boston in that marathon.

When you sign up for a race at this caliber, commitment is of utmost importance. When there are activities that I want to do that might make me stay out late on the weekend, I might have to move my long run to a different day. If my kids have an activity that will interfere with a scheduled run, then I will again shift the training around so I don't sacrifice the quality of the training, but I'm still putting my kids first. Will it be perfect? Not likely. But it doesn't have to be compromised, either.

***

I'm sure there are so many other mistakes out there that I could list here, but I think I've exhausted some of the more common ones. It always helps me when I take the time to write things like this out during a training cycle, especially when I'm starting to feel some doubts and the weather or fatigue has started getting to me. And besides, I always love to put together all the important bits of training advice that I've accumulated from multiple training cycles.

I've got 10 more weeks until RACE WEEK.

12 more weeks

Marathon #16 (California International) in 12 more weeks. My shot to get a Boston Qualifying time so I can run it again in 2021.

I need a 3:50 to qualify with the tightened standards, and I'll be shooting for a 3:45. It's so hard to know how fast you really need to run. Boston 2020 registration is currently happening and they did announce they will not be able to accept everyone who has applied, so it's anyone's guess what the cut off will be (to be announced next week). The competition is just crazy with people getting so much faster and the interest to run Boston being so high. That dang cut off number will make a difference in where my mind is going into CIM. Not that I want to be lax about pushing my finish time to well under 3:50...I really do want that 3:45.

So here's where I'm at.

• I'm over 40 miles per week now and my first 18 miler is this coming weekend. It seems surreal.
• My heartrate data continues to improve, and my VO2 max is climbing again...finally.
• My intervals are getting faster....finally. 
• Still dealing with awful summer temps, though. My lowest temp for a training run in months has been 71 I believe.
• My legs are fatigued and it annoys me. Pretty stupid thing to be annoyed about....IN MARATHON TRAINING. Of course I'm fatigued.
• My mind is NOT where I want it to be. It's not where it was 2 years ago at this same point in training....so I have work to do there.
• I feel like I want more time, even though I don't NEED more time. 

It's time to throw the gauntlet down and focus as well as I possibly can on these last 526 training miles. My nutrition, hydration, sleep, recovery, stress level, strength....all of it needs to be a priority. Stress level is actually probably my biggest issue right now. I especially need to remember that the colder temps are coming and I'm going to feel like a whole new person when they arrive.

But all of this seemingly negative thinking still takes a backseat to how excited I am to travel to Sacramento and do this race. Another state capital to race in (my 5th!), a highly regarded race, a net downhill (albeit only slightly) point-to-point (my favorite), and I get to see friends. We are trying to figure out a way to get Greg there, too, but my flights are astronomically priced now. I should've just booked two tickets while I booked mine!

I do need to get a little excited about one thing. This morning was a sprint interval workout. The last time I did it was July 9 when it was a bit warmer out. The workout is a 15 minute warmup, then 10x 20 sec all out, 5 minute easy jog, then 10x 20 sec all out again. The rest after each interval is a 1 min walk. I jogged most of the first intervals when we did it in July, but was much better this morning about walking and then only jogging in the last 10-15 seconds to get ready for the sprint.

I had a GREAT workout. In July I averaged 6:54 in the first 10 and then 6:42 in the second 10. My recovery intervals were under 12 minute pace on average. This morning I averaged 6:27 in the first 10 and 6:07 in the second 10. I had several intervals under 6:00 min pace, something I don't even remember ever happening. My recovery intervals were about 12:50 average, so I took them easier, but it allowed me to push harder during the sprints. My average heartrate was 6 beats lower. I was also wearing a new pair of shoes (neutral shoes for the first time) and I joked that it was the shoes! I felt really good when I was done with the workout and thought I had more intervals in me. The data that I'm starting to see from my workouts is giving me more confidence.

Change my attitude

When in training, it is SO EASY to fall into the trap of focusing first on what went wrong with each workout, on the negative parts of how your body is feeling. It's easy....and a surefire way to totally derail your goals.

I am trying to catch myself from falling into this trap on a daily basis right now. As you know from my last blog post, I am definitely struggling with the weather. It's hard to train right now. I'm still working through some physical discomforts from my last training cycle that are sometimes frustrating to me.

HOWEVER, here's what I'm going to do. For every single negative thing I feel before, during, or after a training session, I am going to think of and WRITE DOWN (I have an old school training journal for this cycle) a positive. Because there is ALWAYS a positive.

Heck, I'm using a whole lot of all caps just to get this point across to myself!

Yesterday, I ran my longest run since the Boston Marathon. 14 miles. FOURTEEN! That's a really big deal to me, especially considering I didn't start base building after my setback until June. But I had some struggles coming into the run. Last week, the weather really wore me down and I was finding it necessary to dial things way back into order to keep my heartrate in check and not overdo it. So, in order to make the run productive and to have a better attitude, I decided on doing a run/walk workout. Run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute. Not ideal, very slow, and I had a terrible time with my right calf muscle tightening up and cramping during the run...but here's where the positives come in:

1. I completed 14 miles without feeling overwhelmed.
2. I didn't feel hot until the last 2 miles, despite it being close to 80 degrees and very humid.
3. My heartrate stayed in the 120s until the last 3 miles, when the breeze died down and I actually started feeling the temp. And even then, it didn't leave Zone 2 until I hit some inclines in the last 1.5 miles.
4. I am not at all sore. Despite my calf having a lot of trouble, I didn't even notice it in the evening last night.
5. Knowing I have some tight muscles forces me to spend some time working on loosening those muscles today before my next workout tomorrow, and being forced to do recovery is never a bad thing.
6. I did a great job in hydrating and consuming electrolytes before and during the run and I think I have dialed in a good fueling strategy.

Our mind is so powerful. We have the ability to achieve our goals, but the wrong mindset and a focus on the wrong things can negate all the hard work we've put in.

If you're struggling with these negative thoughts and putting too much focus on them, I challenge you to write down a positive for every single workout, no matter how poorly you think it went. It really will make a big difference by the time you get to race day.

Weather Blues

I think Austin turned into Houston.

This humidity is atrocious. It was 81 and a dew point of 75 when I started my run yesterday morning, and I might as well have been running in soup because it felt about the same.

I'm struggling in the weather this summer, way more than last year. I had to restart running in June because I rested my inflamed psoas, after already taking time out for marathon recovery, so by the time I got back into it, my fitness was minimal and it was already very warm out in the mornings. I just had no time to acclimate. Then in July I spent three weeks in Southern California, where the temps were easier to bear, despite a heat wave that wouldn't quit (Although, let's not talk about my 75 degree humid-as-heck runs while Austin was enjoying a truly bizarre cold front and 58 degree mornings....RUDE). I could breathe a bit better there than here, which didn't help me stay acclimated to 75 dew points.

I've tried to be patient, and some runs have definitely gone better than others. But I'm still struggling. Yesterday morning's interval run was probably the toughest it's been for me, even though I just ran 12 in 73+ dew point on Sunday (and I thought THAT was bad). It wasn't even a difficult interval run, and yet my heartrate was sky high and my legs felt like lead.

While I know that the weather will start shifting to cooler in another couple weeks, I need to readjust my attitude and my training before then. I need to allow myself to just slow it down more, and I probably need to work better on consistent hydration. This morning I ran as slow as I could and dropped the distance by a mile, and felt much better than yesterday. My heartrate was substantially lower....thankfully.

Admittedly, it's hard to not get freaked out that I'm not as strong as I was two years ago. I have goals and I really REALLY want to achieve them. So, rather than continue this pity party, and just like while I was training for Boston, I need to focus on the things I'm good at and I know the training will fall back into place, particularly when we get a break in morning temps Labor Day weekend.

• I'm consistent. When I write a plan, I make it a priority. It doesn't mean I don't shift things around or tweak a run here and there, but I put in the miles.
• I have endurance. It felt like it was never going to come back after so much rest in the spring, but I can complete my long runs and keep upping my miles week after week. The endurance is there.
• I respect the distance. The marathon can't be faked. I never lose sight of this. If I want to achieve my goals, then I need to put in the work. And I do! Even when the weather makes me want to hurt someone.
• I know when to run easy and when to run hard, and I know that easy runs will pay off on race day. 
• I'm not afraid to hurt. I don't like it, but I know not to give up. So while the weather makes me whine, I will still get my butt out there and do my best and push through the pain. All the stupid crap that I've endured over the last 10 years has made me a fighter. 
• I pick some really cool races to run. I am SO EXCITED to go to Sacramento and race CIM in December. Picking new and fun races in other parts of the country is part of the run of running marathons. There are so many places to see and experience.

I'm in Week 4 of training for CIM. Race day is less than 16 weeks away. My build takes a big turn this weekend, when I'm running 14 miles on Sunday. Passing the half marathon distance in training definitely helps me shift my attitude and lights a fire in me to continue strong in training. I'm not anticipating the strongest of 14 milers, but I'll get the distance in and I won't overdo it like I did last weekend. I'll come back home, jump in the pool, and feel the accomplishment of another long run completed. The weather will still piss me off, but I can't control it and have to embrace it...somehow!

I also can't really discount how much outside stress can impact my body during training. My husband is traveling a ton right now...all over the world...and it coincides with the start of school. My kids are both in high school, at two different schools, and my son is DRIVING to school (yikes!). I'm handing it all on the home front, and trying not to get too caught up in all these big changes, but I'm admittedly very weary right now. I'm tired from the stress, I miss my husband, and I'm anxious about how school is going to go for both of them. I suppose it has caught up with me and when combined with the physical response to the weather....well, yeah, I'm a little beat up! It's TEMPORARY.....thank God! And it makes me circle back to my commitment to myself to just slow it down and focus more on taking better care of myself.

There's a light, and cooler temps, at the end of the tunnel and it's closer than I think.

Two High Schoolers?!? And a Social Media and Training update

Last night I got to unexpectedly see an old friend as she passed through Austin. She and I have been friends since our sons were babies back in 2002. I hadn't seen her in quite awhile, so it was such a nice surprise when she texted us and we were able to see her.

It made me think about just how many years it's been since we were both new moms, and how it seems so unreal that our babies are now almost adults. She was one of my best friends in the Bay Area before I moved to Texas and we spent a lot of time together. Life back then was just so very different when comparing it to now, with kids who are so much older and more independent and embarking on their senior year of high school, and when she and I are now in our mid 40s instead of freaking out over turning 35.

Look away for just a moment and BAM, you're almost empty nesters.

On another topic, with the school year almost starting up (my daughter starts high school on Thursday, and my son starts his charter school next Monday), I figured that after two months of no social media, I'll venture back into it, albeit reluctantly. I do miss my friends' postings of their lives, adventures, kids, etc. I do not at all miss the negativity and the politics. I absolutely LOATHE the politics. The myopic view that so many people display is just aggravating and immature. I shudder to think of what I'm going to see when I get back on.

But, alas, it will be done. Thankfully, I still do hold the power to remove what I don't want to see or deal with, and that just might mean a cleansing of the friends list. Sorry, not sorry, right?

I've spent the last two months focused on my family and getting things on an even keel and tuning out the noise, and I think I've been successful with that. I even chopped off all my hair. I feel like my kids are ready for school, are ready for the requirements this next year will have for them, and that my family is shifting into our next phase of life. I did it with minimal distractions, and that makes my two month silence totally worth it. I know that in the past, I have been open with the struggles we've had over the years, and while I do want to continue to be open, I also need to balance it with more privacy.

We embarked on another road trip last month and had a fantastic time with our family. My daughter spent extra time solo with her grandparents, and I think that was just what she needed to rejuvenate her soul. We had busy days, days where we played pool while listening to vinyl at my in-law's house (okay, so that was WAY COOL), and days where I spent too much time in Los Angeles traffic, plus Greg and I enjoyed several runs together (although, it was during a SoCal heat wave, while Austin enjoyed record low July temps, so that pretty much pissed me off). Add in some wine tasting and an arts festival, and I'd say we had a great time.

Speaking of running....thank God I have continued to overcome my latest setback and I'm consistently building my running volume as I prepare for marathon #16. The heat of the summer has not been kind to me and I'm not nearly as adapted to it as I was last year. Having to restart my running in June was just damn HARD. But I'm up to 11 miles in my long run and I know my cardiovascular strength is improving. I'm only running in the morning and won't be adding in any afternoon/evenings runs for awhile. It's so much better for me to start my day with exercise rather than think all day about an upcoming evening run. Most of my runs are solo and that's been pretty good for me. A lot of time for focus and reflection and being intentional with each particular run.

I'm currently in week 3 of a 19 week marathon plan, leading up to California International Marathon on December 8. I'm at 33 miles this week, and will slowly build up my volume, with a peak at around 60 miles and more room for stepback weeks. I was in great shape leading up to Boston, but I think I can further tweak my typical training to include a bit more rest before my hardest weeks. Each training cycle teaches me a bit more about what works for me, and I'm eager to see how this newest plan will translate on race day. Boston 2021? That's the goal!

Now cross your fingers I don't regret getting back onto social media.

Changes

I can't believe it's been nearly three months since I last blogged. I've started a post, then never finished it. It's been an interesting time since I last published a post in April.

The high I rode from Boston quickly became an "oh crap, how in the world am I injured AGAIN??"

My psoas, abdominals and adductors became strained and inflamed and just would not calm down so I went to physical therapy a few times and it worked very well. While I'm not 100%, I am back to running 25 miles per week again. My lower body is strong right now from all the strength work I'm doing and I'm cautiously optimistic about my next training cycle. I'm frustrated by my right side and all the trouble it has had over the last 10 months. I'm frustrated that some of my injuries weren't even running related. But I'm back on track and trying my best to be smart and patient. Running only 56 miles in May was defeating. It made me realize again how important that time to myself and that endorphin release was to my mental health and stress level.

I wasn't doing so well with my stress and anxiety and that made me change a few things in my life in the last several weeks. I knew that these changes would need to happen and I'm so glad that I just ripped the band aid off and did it. The weight is being lifted off my shoulders and it's a great feeling.

Right now is a time in my life when I need to be introspective, selfish, and focused on my family. I hate to use the word selfish, but I don't know another way to describe it. I am such a people pleaser and usually so willing to be a reliable, go-to kind of person. It bothers me to no end when I feel like I have failed anyone. The sensible part of me knows that by turning my focus inward was absolutely the right thing to do, the emotional part of me still feels bad. At first, it felt pretty isolating and that makes you think deeply about a lot of stuff.

Removing distractions from my life that were in any way negative also meant that I stopped checking social media. No Instagram and no Facebook for over a month now. For 11 years I checked Facebook probably daily, and yet I have not really missed it. My husband is on still, and he lets me know when important things are posted by friends or family, so that's good. It's WEIRD not being active on these platforms, and apparently I had a few friends mention that there was no way I could take a real break from it, but it's been a very good thing to do. I don't know when I'll be back...a month, a few months....I just don't know. You see, being exposed to petty complaints, negativity, frivolous stuff was messing with my head way too much. Add in the political rants that just wouldn't quit and the nastiness that was embedded in those posts, and it was just making me angry almost on a daily basis. Going down those rabbit holes was shifting my focus away from what is actually important to me. I don't know why I couldn't just focus on all the good things that are on social media, but try as I might, it just wasn't happening.

The weight that if off my shoulders is awesome. I wake up every day knowing that I'm giving attention to my kids and husband and family, I'm getting projects done that make me feel accomplished, I've had an eventful summer, and I'm planning the rest of our summer adventures. I'm looking ahead to the rest of the year, I was able to get my son all his driving hours in so he could get his license (and he did!), I am reading more, I'm taking the dogs on more walks, and I'm just enjoying the summer. It makes the heavy stuff easier to bear, and unfortunately, the heavy stuff was plentiful this year.

There have been some good things that are happening with my family, too. My husband is continually being recognized at work for his successes and we are all very proud of him. Since he's the sole breadwinner, it's important to him to do his very best for our family, and he's gone above and beyond lately. It's been a busy few years for him after changing companies after 15 years at his old company, trying to make a name for himself in his new role, and he's been very successful. I'm excited to see what the future holds for his career. We are planning for retirement that will hopefully happen earlier rather than later.

I recently returned from California after taking my daughter to VidCon in Anaheim. It was tiring! But the time I spent one-on-one with her was priceless to me. There is nothing better to me than seeing her happy. She had a great time meeting her favorite YouTube personalities and being around a fun convention. I was a bit worried that the noise and activity would overwhelm her, but she seemed relatively unaffected by the chaos, and I'm so proud of her. We got a chance to walk over to Downtown Disney for lunch and shopping on the last day of the convention and I'm glad we did that. It's been awhile since I've been at anything Disney. Seeing my girl so happy makes me incredibly glad that we decided to go. I headed back to Austin, but she stayed behind with the grandparents and they are off on their own adventures with her in Mammoth Lakes.

In a few days, my husband, son, dogs and I will drive to SoCal to meet back up with her and the grandparents for the rest of the month. It's a bit of a crazy travel schedule, especially since my poor husband has to fly back to Austin (!!!) for a two day executive meeting right in the middle of our vacation. We are making the best of it and plan to really enjoy this time with family.

School starts again for my kids in the middle of August and I'll have two high schoolers. I didn't think the reality of this would hit me so hard, but it honestly has. I'm melancholy. I have two cool kids and we are in the twilight years of child-rearing and I don't think I'm quite ready for that. I'm excited about what adulthood will bring for them, but saddened that another season of my life will soon be over. I look at my baby girl and just can't picture her as a high schooler, even if she looks like one, and I want to snuggle up with her and never let her go. It makes me especially thankful for the time I spent with her last week.

Now I'm off to more adventures, off to training, off to a whole lot of fun!