April Runfessions: planning and (not) racing

By | May 2, 2019
The Ultimate Coffee Date

I love this LinkUp and I rarely remember it’s time until I see the first post. Therefore I runfess that I’m ridiculously proud of myself for remembering that it was on tap. Joining Marcia for April and honestly, all of 2019. ETA: and then I realized Runfessions was postponed. Hahah. Oh well. But I am going to make coffee happen too since I literally put it on my calendar when Deborah and I discussed it in April. Linking up with her and with Coco there, although the graphic isn’t working for some reason.

story of my life

and because that has been exceptionally so the last few weeks, I haven’t made as much progress on March’s too much coffee as I’d like. I did trade the Starbucks for 7-11’s Irish Creme which was at least a wallet savings. At least I can tell my life story in my mugs.

yep, pretty much

I runfess that as much as I love distance, I’m glad I didn’t sign up for the Women’s Half or the Hot Chocolate 15K. My legs and brain needed the four weeks off and I’m truly enjoying running longer and building strength vs. winging the Halfs. I think/hope this is going to be a solid training cycle. However, I runfess that I’m nervous about injury. I think the achilles is healed, and I’m keeping up the PT to hopefully strengthen glutes, hips, legs, core to keep it from happening again. Since I don’t have a complete understanding on why/how beyond overuse, I’m not super confident I’ll avoid another. Eek

As much as a Yankee fan as I am, I runfess that I’m skipping this year’s Damon Runyon 5K. It’s two fold: I love running on the warning track of Yankee Stadium, but I take no pleasure in running the stadium stairs or even really the stadium decks. I also think running stairs and ramps is bananas on a recovering Achilles. Re-reading last year’s review makes me glad I didn’t do it — I think I love the idea more than the reality. This weekend I’m racing my first flat 5K in nearly two years. Although I’m not in PR shape, I’m hopeful for a good, strong showing. Actually my race PR is 33:22, and a minute more than my run PR so maybe? I just want to have fun, I’m not going to worry about hitting a precise time. I runfess that I’ve enjoyed a limited spring racing slate which feels bizarre to say.

I runfess that I mostly have the fly by the seat of my pants elements of many Sagittarians. However there’s a planner element in me too and when those collide. Ooph. I was all set that I was going to use a modified Higdon Novice 1 to train for November in combination with Mile High Run Club’s Training program. But then I started overthinking it. A number of folks in the Run the Year FB group swear by Hanson, so I had to go order their new book. What I really need to decide is if I’m planning to try and run or a run/walk. I know I’ll walk the 59th Street Bridge, I’m hoping adrenaline will get me over Verrazano. Re-reading March’s coffee talk, I can at least say I made good progress with re-building my base. I’m pleased with this. I think/hope I’m in a good place.

I runfess that I signed up for a barre class at a conference I’m attending this month. I don’t really know why, I’m not good with classes but I think it will be a nice start to the conference day especially since New Orleans is not conducive to late spring outdoor running. I can’t do the yoga they’re offering as I’m pre-registered for a breakfast that morning. I runfess that, aside from this conference and a tacked on road trip, that I have virtually no summer travel plans. I should get on that as I’d really like to run somewhere that isn’t NYC’s mangy swamp. I also need to find a 40th state to visit in honor of my 40th year. I really wish my conscience would allow me to count Utah. Rule I made after Oregon (got off the train & touched the ground, but didn’t do anything) is that I have to spend money and see/do something interesting. Have you been to all fifty states?

includes states I’m booked in this month

Besides your home state (because we’re all biased), what’s your favorite state? For the international folk, what’s your favorite country?
What’s your conference strategy for staying active if the hotel/convention center commute is less than your normal level of activity? Have you taken a class as part of a (non-fitness) one?
Any fun travel plans?

25 thoughts on “April Runfessions: planning and (not) racing

  1. Liz Dexter

    Ha – I have a collection of things where people have only been there to use the toilet (big attractions, states, etc.). Mine is the whole country of BOSNIA! Went through on the way to the exclave of Croatia where you find Dubrovnik, coach stops at a supermarket. I used the toilet and got back on. So I don’t count myself as having visited Bosnia, no.

    My favourite countries are Tunisia and Iceland. I have been to um … let’s see, Illinois, Wisconsin, Georgia, Alabama, New Mexico and um have landed and taken off in Texas so that doesn’t count. FIVE!

    And it’s common to overthink your first marathon. As I’ve said, stretching, sleep, progressive long runs. Training plans can be a bit much (I ditched my ultra one pretty well immediately). You have GOT this.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I didn’t realize you’d been to that many US states. Remembered Georgia and NM from when you told me about those trips. Tunisia, wow. Iceland is of course no surprise – that Bosnia exclave story is hysterical
      I have the plan you wrote me for long runs saved in. Just plugging in the rest.

      Reply
  2. Wendy

    Hansons is pretty ambitious–it’s a really high mileage training plan. Just my 2 cents: if you’re worried about injury, Hansons probably isn’t the plan for you. All my marathon training plans were low mileage. Quality over quantity.

    My favorite state is California. It’s so beautiful! Plus you can go to the beach and then drive a couple of hours and be in the mountains.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yes. This idea was abandoned quickly. Oh well, at least the book was nearly free
      I agree with you on CA. And also in some of the interiors like Palm Springs, desert to altitude within an hour. Magical transformation, plus places like Joshua Tree

      Reply
  3. Marcia

    Aaaah a fellow Sagittarian! Now it all makes sense! We definitely fly by the seat of our pants don’t we? Haha! You had me at Yankee Stadium warning track, but yes the stairs and decks = no bueno for the achilles. You are wise to pass. Fave state? Maybe Alaska? Utah? I don’t think I can pick a country. I love Italy, Norway, Finland, omg JAPAN! So many great ones.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Haha yes. For all the November babies in this linkup, you might be the only other Sag. Deb, Coco are both Scorpio and I think there;s another
      I feel the same re: stadium. The idea is way more fun than the reality

      Reply
  4. kookyrunner

    Hansons is pretty hard core, but I do know runners that have had great success with it. Personally it wouldn’t work for me because my body can’t handle running 6x a week (right now I just run 3x a week).

    I need to actually look at how many states I’ve visited. Right now I just track states that I’ve run in, lol. My favorite state that I’ve run in is California (San Diego to be exact). It’s just gorgeous out there and the weather was perfect in June.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Mine can’t either. I was reminded of that last week
      I ran in the SD suburbs randomly two years ago and it was magic. Beachside without humidity was just magic

      Reply
  5. Kim at Running on the Fly

    I have never tried Hansons, or even read up on it, but I have heard lots of chatter about the mileage. I prefer low mileage, and my past experience dictates that I stay with that strategy. Have you ever done a similar plan, with limited recovery time? Some runners’ bodies love all the miles, though. Unfortunately, mine does not (#whompwhomp)

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Mine definitely does not like all the miles. I somehow haven’t had time to read the book either but I bailed on this half baked idea pretty quickly.

      Reply
  6. Laurie

    I love your map idea. I have not been to all 50 states, but hubby and I have a similar rule – we have to actually do something in the state, airport transfers do not count. We have 2 maps that we stick pins in for destinations we have visited – one of the US and one world map. I am looking forward to a lot more pins now that he is retired.

    I have done Hansons before and loved it. Not sure I could still handle the mileage now that I am older.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      My aunt & uncle got me a map like you describe. Coolest thing was that it had two color pins: visited & bucket list. Unfortunately it’s at my mom’s place as it’s too heavy to hang in my apartment
      My initial rule was touch the soil, but that seemed barely above airport transfers,

      Reply
  7. Renée

    I don’t think I personally would do Hanson’s. I read up a bit about it when I was trying to figure out what to do for Warsaw but I just can’t/ don’t want to run that much. I need enough mileage but less days running with a few days of cross/strength. I’m never going to be fast so I’d rather be fit and strong all the way through. i’m not saying that runners who do a crapton of mileage are not fit and strong 🙂 I’m just saying I know my body and what it can handle now. I have generally always used the Garmin plans. Do you have a Garmin?

    I have definitely not been to all 50 states. I have lived in a few though: New Mexico (born, then back at 10, and back at 12), Illinois (1 -10, then 18-21), Texas (11-12) and Oregon (21-24). It’s hard to say what my favorite US state or even place is. I love Chicago, but Oregon is amazing, and New Mexico is literally enchanting. I can tell you places that did nothing for me at all. Idaho. Oklahoma. Arkansas. Florida. I usually can find something I like about where I get to visit though. A favorite country is also really hard! I love anywhere in the mediterranean – Greece, Italy for sure are on top. I loved Croatia and Montenegro. I love Spain. OMG I just love going anywhere really haha! Latvia (Riga) was very cool, Lithuania (Vilnius) was gorgeous. The highlands of Scotland. I could just go on and on…

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yeah, no Hanson’s is pretty unanimous here & quickly. This is why I love linkup crowdsourcing.
      I loved New Mexico when I went there on a whim a few years ago. I had a JetBlue flight credit that was expiring and I wanted to go somewhere I hadn’t been that was reasonable for a long weekend. Denver hotels were too expensive due to a citywide event so ABQ it was. I took the long way from ABQ to Santa Fe via Shiprock, Four Corners, Mesa Verde and Taos and wow. Haven’t spent significant time in any of the others you mentioned as favorites. Oklahoma is somewhere I’d never have gone save for a friend living there, but I’ve been there 5x and OKC is a charming little city.
      Also love Spain, hoping to get back ntext year. Haven’t been to the others save for a quick trip to Rome when I was living in Prague.

      Reply
  8. Deborah Brooks

    I looked at Hansons once for a half and it was too much for me. People do love it though. I have no idea what my favorite state is have to think on that! Love your coffee mugs 🙂 thanks for linking up

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I think I have enough mugs to get me through a year of linkups! Thanks for the date reminder this month

      Reply
  9. Farrah

    Probably Hawai’i! 😛 I haven’t been to all 50 states yet but I plan to knock out a bunch of em’ on a cross-country road trip back to California (from NJ) this summer! :] I need to put together a map like that, but I need to figure out what defines “visiting a state” to me, heheh.

    Reply
  10. Farrah

    Probably Hawai’i! 😛 I haven’t been to all 50 states yet but I plan to knock out a bunch of em’ on a cross-country road trip back to California (from NJ) this summer! :]

    I love your coffee mug! I always feel like I have 2342839423 too many tabs open in my brain, haha.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Enjoy your cross country road trip. That’s on my bucket list
      Hawaii was a lot of fun.
      And yes, defining a state can be fun but crazy making

      Reply
  11. Coco

    I have not visited many of the central states. My favorite non-home state is Colorado but maybe because I’ve seen a lot of it. I usually stay at the conference hotel and hit the gym early (or go out for a run). If fitness classes are offered I’ll do those. I’ve done yoga and guided runs as non-fitness conference activities. Barre sounds like a good option to try!

    Thanks for joining us for coffee— I’m a bit late catching up since I was at a conference. 😛

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I am always late on replies. Sometimes I find really old blog posts too in my inbox.
      I love Colorado too. Such a fascinating landscape. My first time was the southern part near Mesa Verde and in subsequent trips I did Garden of the Gods, Rocky Mountain National Park,and a train ride from San Francisco. This conference didn’t have any guided runs and I’m not too familiar with Marriott to know if that’s something Marriotts typically do. If it’s not god awfully hot I’d like to run sightsee

      Reply
  12. Pingback: Running technology |

  13. Pingback: Planning, shopping, running |

  14. Pingback: On training and racing in 2019 and 2020 |

  15. Pingback: Tuesday Topics: Rogue Running and group marathon training |

Leave a Reply to cari Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *